#but how can i say no to bagpipes | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

haxorus612 · 2 months

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actually i'm going to list it here too sdlkfjsd

How i would personally "fix" the arknights "meta" *meta defined here as operators whose kits i personally find unbalanced or too powerful in a way that's unhealthy for the game. i will give no opinion on operators who are strong but i like sdklfjs

Eyjafjalla: she just does the entire job of splash casters while half the cost, either with her s2 or s3. unfortunately, that is also her entire identity as a unit. the real solution wouldn't be to change eyja, it'd be to make splash casters stronger as an archetype. barring that: s3: instead of hitting up to 6 enemies, it only hits 1 enemy at random, but it also deals a bit of splash damage, (1/2 or less) like her s2. to compensate for reducing dps by approximately 83%, the sp cost should be lowered and the duration increased to put it on equal footing with more modern skills. typhon deals >120k with her s3 at a 40 sp cost...

Silverash: he just does (did) way too much damage with his s3. like, did you watch how everyone dropped him nearly immediately after ch'alter's release? what about mlynar? he has more things he can do, technically, but the damage was always the main draw. take it away and those other niches become more interesting s3: halve the attack buff and drop the defense reduction. ideally, it would turn entirely into a support skill: instead of dealing huge damage himself, he'd apply a small fragile against all enemies that he's hit, then a much larger fragile to all invisible enemies within range. i'd even make it explicitly not buff his own damage

Thorns: same as silverash, except instead of just raw damage, he's just too dang convenient. range + damage + regen? the damage is the biggest draw, and the main way he stays alive: the enemies can't hurt you if they're dead. s3: does not double stats, doesn't last forever. instead, it'd be sick if it worked like blaze's module. first activation, it just gives the normal stats, second, it gives him a large defense boost, third, he gets resistance, fourth, his regen lasts even while attacking, etc etc. maybe it still does last forever, but you have to activate it 4 or 5 times first. thus killing the damage and convenience, but making him a very interesting pure laneholder

Skadi the Corrupting Heart: kills the entire bard class, and most of the medic class. her s2 combining healing, attack boost, and a defense boost is ridiculous role compression and convenience compared to the inconvenience of using sora, aak, or warfarin's comparable skills. s2: literally all you have to change is give it a limited duration. lower the SP cost a lot, give it a pretty long duration, maybe buff it a bit, and it'd still be useful.

Surtr: i've talked a lot (not here?) about how removing any piece of surtr's kit would instantly make her pretty reasonable. it's a combination of so many powerful abilities all on one skill that add together into a monster. s3: halve the attack buff, but add a stronger version of her s2's condition that deals bonus damage to singular targets. reduce target count, and raise the speed of HP loss. instead of capping at 60 seconds, 40-50 would be more reasonable. between the slow start HP drain and her invulnerability talent, she actually gets ~34 seconds with no healing support at all, which is quite good even on such a long timer. she'd still be fantastic between her res ignore and invulnerability talent, and she could still kill bosses (as long as you clear out the vicinity) she'd just be a bit harder to use.

Ch'en the Holungday: extremely boring kit. she gets ammo, the best mechanic, and all her skills do the exact same thing. if it were up to me i'd just remove her from the game sdlkfjs, or replace her with a more thematic ch'en alter. something to do with liberation and respect rather than. waterguns. ch'en defender alter that mirrors hoshiguma, ch'en caster or medic that forces her to really approach fighting from a different angle. as it stands though, fixing her is stupid easy s3: remove "attacks deal two hits". also, lower the ammo and ammo consumption respectively. she'd still be a monster, true AOE crowd control + defense ignore + massive damage is a great combination, but that sheer damage is the reason people build her.

Młynar: i fucking hate this guy so much. great character. he's an excellent shithead foil to nearl's impossible heroics, but as a kit he's atrocious. he outclasses his own skills for no reason. there are 3 skill slots, but for some reason the 3rd skill always gets a dozen extra lines s3: literally just remove the line "increase trait effect to 2x" and it's fine. very, very strong, but much more fine. personally, i would also change his extra damage from true to arts to be more consistent with tequila. no i do not think the thematic synergy with nearlter is worth it. she shouldn't have true damage either. blemishine made do with arts damage and you can too.

Texas the Omertosa: in contrast, an interesting and cool kit that you can really tell they tried to balance. her s2 isn't totally outclassed by her s3, they both have different, interesting roles to play. the numbers are also deceptively small. i would suggest only removing her "texas tradition" talent. it's just so impossibly versatile. you can use it as a bomb by dropping her on a weak enemy next to a strong enemy, you can nearly double her skill timer by dropping her on an elite while another important enemy is walking into range, you can even use it as a pseudo-revive. she'd still be absolutely busted without it, but you'd need to play a little more carefully.

Kirin R Yato: honestly i don't think she's that bad. i know she's like, busted, but she's got plenty of weaknesses. if i was going to nerf her, though? s2: lower the attack buff from 150% to 120%. when the skill level is less than 7, it reduces her attack instead of increasing it. s3: lower the attack buff a little. the amount of enemies that it's stupid strong against is so low that it isn't a huge problem.

Typhon: the fact that her kit has a lot of self-nerfing features is a really good sign. she's still very strong, but there's enough situations where she sucks that you can't throw her into every team composition. s3: increase SP cost. ammo + low SP cost is unreasonably versatile. give us one or another trade-off, please

Myrtle: look, it's kind of their fault. vanguards are barely necessary in the game modes that all but force you to use them. she's "strong", but only because vanguards are a weird bit of half-baked game design. to fix vanguards, you need to rebalance the entire game. let me propose two off-the-cuff solutions - make natural DP gen go down instead of up, you lose the map/lose HP seals if it hits zero. vanguards can be deployed for free (limited # of times?), generate passive DP and also generate heaps more DP. - DP does not generate naturally without a vanguard on the field, once they all die or leave the field it resets to zero. vanguards don't cost deployment limit, and can be repositioned for "free" once or twice per deployment. both of these add severe punishments for not having and not protecting your vanguards, which would fix the problem, but make the game way less fun. honestly, i think it's fine the way it is. i mostly use vanguards to open on certain maps before the enemies have time to move, therefore making it less "you need vanguards to play" and more "you can use vanguards to do very specific strategies"

anyway here are some of my meta thoughts. if you work for hypergryph just leave this on the CEO's desk and i'm sure they'll all be implemented by tomorrow. tysm.

#bagpipe's military tradition is too strong #but it's also really cool and enables a lot of fun play so #who's to say if it's good or bad sdlkfjsd #arknights #kal'tsit is also too strong. but like. she deserves it. and taking up two deployment slots is a pretty big ball-and-chain #exusiai forced them to add heaps of defense to all enemies #just like how nearly everything is immune to silence because of lappland sdlkjfs #but it does mean that the few enemies you can use those statuses on are all the sweeter.#not a great trade-off but it's fine. it works.#saria and shu are both very strong #but i don't think they're *too* strong #if mlynar is exponentially stronger than tequila then saria is not that much stronger than gummy #nearl the radiant knight probably shouldn't be a robot #but like. it's whatever. worse things have happened #ling is ridiculous. but she's a lot of fun to use sldkfjsdf #goldenglow is probably overtuned? if the rest of these operators were less busted i would care more #anyway this is why i can't move on from arknights slkdjfsd #i've got these thoughts constantly running through my head #and they keep making new awesome units like shu that turn the meta on its head. it's great.#ela is probably totally busted too but it's only been a few weeks since her release.#only reviewing global ops rn

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pinktinselmonstrosity · 9 months

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i love living in scotland......... you are never at any point in time safe from hearing bagpipes

#who is playing the bagpipes somewhere in the vicinity at 7:30pm on a wednesday night?#why have they been playing them for so long?#where are they and how can i hear them from the ninth floor?#are all questions i would ask if i wasn't just shrugging my shoulders and saying 'scotland!'#🧃

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rugessnome · 2 years

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I hate this canon (affectionate) but what I really loathe is the expectation to emotionally process new additions that I won't like (derogatory)

#tfw i am just. so. contemptuous of an ongoing canon grrrrrrrr #me reading summaries of Dooku Jedi Lost: you are copying the Darth Plagueis(novel) homework just altering it #me: *Tenth Doctor voice* hate Planet of the Hats. most of the time.#me: that is to say WHY must you backstrapolate that all ancestors are vaguely sinister #me (re Ramil): why the fuck is EVERY-freaking-BODY into racing? why couldn't he have a Different hobby like #model trains or amoebas or bagpipes or extreme ironing or cat photography or sprouting or bookbinding?! ...#me: I do not believe this is how the concept of count works this could be actually worse than Is There A College IN YOUR COUNTY?#(he's gotta be like... ahem. “Fifth in line for the throne” technically. it's just the rest of the succession is ~defunct. shhhh)#... you've lost touch with the original PT This Is How Anakin 🙂 Falls...#*bared teeth* jedi propaganda #(I think I could better like a crack fic where his “brother” is. hell. a cricketing Valeyard and he is technically from a different planet #*cough* Shparoi *cough* except his only contact with its famous export is they once both touched the same goose by incredible coincidence #*checks notes* technically and philosopically Yes connected but of Insignificant magnitude granddaughter Rey)#this started when Rakkety Tam was the most recent book I could procure. far more calmly with But It Won't Be As Special #after I um. ficced wildly for certain characters #'S absolutely full fledged very much how I have felt practically always about H/P after I read as far as I could then #loved the fic community but! I didn't have to care for very long if they Got My Blorbos All Wrong #bc you see they don't have the power to far-reaching wreck canon or go ardently transphobic and claim fandom of #books that scarcely address the topic is support for it :/#I do not feel like I Can Fan Correctly! 🙃

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ivys-garden · 2 months

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More Minecraft ideas, what part of Minecraft needs improvement?

You're wrong, it's ponds.

Ponds, lakes, lava pools. They all suck in Minecraft, they end up just being big holes in the ground with nothing interesting about them that make the landscape ugly and hole ridden

Now you might say “Ivy, literally no one cares” and to that I say, wheesht and accept my ramblings ya donut

So, how do we fix Ponds? It's simply really: make ponds generated structures.

Ponds would now be generated structures taking up one chunk, with an actual human made design to make them, you know, look good. There would be, say, 100 or so different designs to stop them looking to samey (they'd be so small that something like that would be feasible)

Lakes would be done similarly, only with the key difference, they would be made up of 4 chunk “cells”, each making up a corner of the lake.

ponds and lakes in plains or forest biomes would be made of blocks like mud and dirt.

Ponds and lakes in deserts (or oases if you want) would be made up of grass and sand

Ponds and lakes in tundras would be frozen over on the top layer of the water and with clay spawning around the water

Now, let's see some things that can be found in ponds and lakes:

Frogs

Nothing new here, frogs and frogspawn are most common ponds, pond frogs also only come in the green frog varietie.

Perhaps the oasis can have a desert rain frog variant that gives a purple frog light

Toads

Toads and toad spawn can be found in lakes and ponds in forest and plains biomes. Toads emerge from toad spawn in the same way frogs do. Toads have an exaggerated size, being double the size of the frog

Toads come in several colours (Green, Brown, Yellow, Orange and Lime) but these colours do not harbour any game mechanics (in other words: sorry but there are no toadlights)

Toads will eat all mobs with wings, that being the Parrot, Chicken, Phantom, Bat, Bee and the player if they are wearing an elytra, so watch out.

All the aforementioned mobs are scared of Toads, making them and effective deterrent to phantoms in particular

Cattails, Reeds, Rice, Algae and Papyrus

I'll just do all the plant life stuff at once (these will generate dependent on the pond or lake cell)

Algae is a new decorative blocks that can be placed on water

It will connect to other blocks, creating an unbroken surface across the water

Algae has a bright green hue and can be found in both ponds and lakes with the same frequency

Papyrus is a new plant that spawns naturally in the oasis, it is used as a more efficient way of making paper as it can be bonemealed and only one papyrus is needed to make paper

Rice is a plant that grows in water in lakes and ponds spawning in cherry groves.

Rice can be used in two recipes:

Rice Bowls:Putting rice, a bowl and any meat together will craft a rice bowl

This food source that can be eaten twice, eating the meat and then the rice

Sushi: putting rice, dried kelp and one fish into a crafting table creates Sushi, a foodsoarch that can be eaten instantly without playing the eating animation, not very nutritious but good in a pinch

Cattails are a purely decorative plant found in ponds and swamps

Reeds are more common around rivers and lakes, being a fern like plant that grows two tall.

Reeds can be used to craft a new item: Pan Pipes

Combining 3 reeds and 3 string will create pan pipes, these can be played to draw passive mobs towards you so long as the button to play them is held down.

Pan Pipes can also calm neutral mobs like wolves, iron golems and bees, but doing this instantly focus the Pan pipes into cool down

Pan pipes have a cool down double that of the Goat Horn

Bagpipes

By putting Pan Pipes, 3 iron nuggets, 3 red wool and 3 green wool together you can make Bagpipes.

Bagpipes have durability on top of having the same level of cool down as Pan Pipes. Bagpipes cannot be enchanted.

Bagpipes have the ability to PERMANENTLY pacify all hostile mobs in the chunk the player is in.

Bagpipes will break after 10 or so uses

Willow and Palm

Willow and palm are new wood types, Willow spawns around lakes and ponds and Palm spawns around oases.

Willow has a dark Bluish-green colour, complementing mangrove, where as Palm is a desaturated pale white

(These will generate depending on the pond or lake cell)

(Part 1/3)

#minecraft suggestions #minecraft ideas #minecraft #ponds #part 1 #part 1/3 #the beginning

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wayward-wren · 1 month

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In the Highlanders, the Doctor agrees that Jamie can come with them, as long as he teaches him the bagpipes. However, about a season later in the Abdominable Snowmen, Jamie finds an old set of pipes and comments he could probably fix them, to which the Doctor responds 'I was afraid you'd say that.'

So somewhere between these two episodes, the Doctor’s attitude towards bagpipes has shifted dramatically and I wanna know why. How badly did those lessons go?

#wren rambles #doctor who #classic doctor who #second doctor #jamie mccrimmon

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theostrophywife · 8 months

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kiss with a fist | chapter four.

masterlist 💋 chapters 💋 playlist

pairing: theodore nott x reader.

song inspiration: bohemian rhapsody by queen.

author's note: i'm warning ya'll now this one is sugary sweet. i'm basically finished writing all the chapters, so i'll be pushing these out more often. as always, i hope everyone enjoys my mans.

The west wing of the castle was eerily quiet as you led Theo through the corridors. The spiral staircase leading up to Ravenclaw Tower snaked all the way up to the fifth floor, which was proving to be a feat to climb in the dark given that you weren’t able to cast lumos without being discovered. It didn’t help that a slightly inebriated Theo kept trudging on your toes during your ascent.

“Oh for Merlin’s sake,” you hissed under your breath before grabbing hold of Theo’s hand. Even in the dark, you could tell that the insufferable twat was smirking. “Not a word, Nott. I either hold your hand like a toddler or keep suffering in silence as you stomp on my toes with your giant feet.”

“You know what they say about giant feet,” Theo whispered behind you. Moonlight streamed through the skylight, perfectly illuminating your scowl. His grin grew wider as he squeezed your hand. “Giant shoes. What did you think I was going to say, Y/N?”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t say anything.”

Theo gave you a mocking salute as he quietly followed you up the stairs. You tried not to focus on the warmth of his hand or the way his fingers twined tightly around yours. You especially tried not to dwell on the strange but not entirely unpleasant sensation of Theo’s thumb rubbing soothing circles across your knuckles.

When you reached the fourth floor, Theo made no move to release your hand as you walked up to the wooden door. It had no knob or keyhole, but a knocker in the shape of an eagle. Identical to the common room entrance, which was a floor above. But you had no plans on smuggling a Slytherin into the eagle’s nest.

Instead, you gently rapped on the knocker. The bronze eagle blinked back at you. Theo nearly fell over in surprise as it rasped out a question.

“What breaks and never falls, and what falls and never breaks?”

“Day breaks and night falls,” you answered.

The knocker nodded, appearing pleased before the door swung open. Theo chuckled softly. “Of course you Ravenclaws would require a riddle for entrance. Godric forbid you use something as simple as a password.”

“Passwords are easily guessed, riddles are not.” You tugged him into the dimly lit hallway and gave him a sharp look. “Don’t get any ideas of sneaking in, either. The riddle changes every day and the eagle is prone to clawing intruders.”

Theo shivered. “And yet everyone thinks that we Slytherins are the sadistic ones.”

You smiled in satisfaction as the two of you walked further into the fourth floor. Theo trailed along after you, more than happy to let you take the lead for once. He stopped short when you opened the door to the music room. Starlight flooded in through the stained glass windows, drawing silver prisms across the crushed velvet couches, ornate persian rugs, and tiered choral risers. Instruments of every kind were organized into neat rows—harps, cellos, lutes, violins, and even a set of bagpipes.

But you weren’t interested in any of them.

In the center of the room sat a baby grand piano. Theo watched curiously as you sat on the bench and carefully lifted the mahogany top.

“I didn’t even know we had a music room,” he remarked as he slid in beside you.

“That’s not surprising at all.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “So this is how you relax?”

You nodded, resting your fingers on the ivory keys. “Like I said, I’m not really the type of person who can just turn their mind off so I have to occupy myself with something else. With music, I can focus on the chords and scales and patterns and eventually I sort of just get lost in the melody.”

“Play something for me, then.”

You nodded and started playing a familiar piece. The music flowed through you like honey, each chord and note so vivid in your mind that you could practically imagine the sheet music floating before you.

When you first came to Hogwarts, you spent countless hours in this room. Every time you felt overwhelmed by the wizarding world, you channeled your frustrations and fears into this piano. You found that music was a universal language that was understood by both the magical and muggleborn.

As you played, you felt the classics pour out of you. Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy. They were pieces that you learned from your father. You could almost picture it now, sitting in your sunny London flat and playing the piano together while your mother watched and listened.

The melancholic melody of Swan Lake filled the room. It was the first piece you ever mastered when you begged your father to teach it to you after coming home from the ballet. A wave of nostalgia crashed into you as you closed your eyes and let yourself become one with the music.

Each movement was fluid, the muscle memory embedded into you while your fingers flew over the keys. The piece built to its crescendo and it felt bittersweet as you delivered the final note. You had all but forgotten about Theo until you opened your eyes again.

“Only you would find the morbidity of Swan Lake relaxing,” he said with a small smile.

You quirked a brow. “You know Tchaikovsky?”

“Of course. Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a total degenerate.”

“But he’s a muggle.”

“I’ll have you know that I received an Outstanding in my O.W.L. for Muggle Studies.”

You gaped. “I didn’t even know you were taking Muggle Studies.”

“Advanced Muggle Studies,” he corrected. “As much as I love a depressing classic, I think you’ll find this piece a bit more modern.”

Theo scooted over and began playing a vaguely familiar intro. You strained to place the music and watched with complete bewilderment as he continued to play with a grin.

Any way the wind blows doesn’t really matter to me.

The realization set in just as Theo nudged you to play the next part with him. The ballad came naturally to you after having heard the song so many times.

Mama, just killed a man.

Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead.

Mama, life had just begun.

The two of you barrelled through the guitar solo and weaved through the operatic section. Your fingers were cramped by the time you hit the hard rock portion of the song. You hadn’t even noticed that you were singing along until you heard Theo laugh in delight beside you. Thank Rowena for the soundproof walls.

You turned over, and sang the lyrics right at him. So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?

Theo delivered the next line with equal fervor. So you think you can love me and leave me to die?

The two of you looked at each other and serenaded one another rather aggressively. Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby.

Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here.

Both of you were in stitches when you finally reached the outro. You couldn’t remember the last time you laughed so hard.

“We did not just perform a godsawful rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“Speak for yourself. My vocals would’ve brought Freddie Mercury to tears.” He touched his heart, looking solemn. “Godric rest his soul. The man was a proper genius.”

“I would not have pegged you as a Queen fan.”

“You can peg me no matter whose fan I am, darling.”

The snort came out of you before you had a chance to reign it in. Theo’s eyes widened in surprise as you covered your mouth in utter mortification. It had taken you years to control your snort, but sometimes it just slipped out.

“Did you just—”

“Speak of it ever again and I’ll maim you, Theodore.”

He raised his hands. “I’m not mocking you, I swear. I’ve just never heard you laugh like that.”

“Yeah, well, I suppose all this faffing around has unearthed my shameful secret.” You tried and failed to conceal your smile. “Consider it a compliment. No one��s heard my snorting in years.”

“Maybe they should. It’s quite charming, you know.”

You chuckled again, not bothering to hide your snorts.

Theo grinned. “On second thought, I think I’d like to keep that laugh all to myself.”

The flush that crept onto your cheeks was entirely involuntary. You stretched your legs underneath you and bumped your knee against his. “Congratulations, Nott. You’ve somehow managed to accomplish the impossible. I actually feel relaxed for once in my life.”

“Relaxed enough for a midnight snack?”

You shook your head. “No way. I’m not sneaking into the kitchens again. I barely escaped Winky’s notice when I nicked your muffin last time.”

“Who said anything about the kitchens? I have my own stash of snacks back in the dungeons. How do you feel about gelato?”

“I’ve never had it,” you admitted.

Theo looked properly affronted. “As an Italian, I take that as a personal offense.”

“Isn’t it the same thing as ice cream?”

“The same as—that’s honestly the most inconsiderate thing you’ve ever said to me.” He rubbed his temples. “This is no longer a matter of choice now. The reputation of my people is on the line until you’ve tasted stracciatella.”

Your mouth quirked. “Got any mint chocolate?”

As you expected, he flung his hands around as though you’d just asked for feet flavored gelato. “Che palle! This is more dire than I thought. Mint chocolate? You might as well squeeze toothpaste on a chocolate frog and call it a day.”

Theo ranted as he led you out of the music room. You couldn’t help but giggle at the genuine distress in his expression. You made it all the way to the first floor of the tower before he stopped grumbling under his breath.

“Well, gelato aficionado, I hope you have a plan because Filch is probably making his rounds as we speak.”

He only smirked in response. “I may know a shortcut.”

You followed after Theo as he approached a portrait on the far end of the west wing. He produced the grimoire from his pocket and shuffled through the worn leather pages before he found the correct page. With a flick of his wand, Theo chanted something in Italian. The portrait, a young woman with dark hair and a mischievous grin, appraised the two of you. As her gaze flickered over you, the familiarity of those watercolor eyes struck you like lightning.

“Fai scelte intelligenti, cugino.”

With that, the portrait swung open into some sort of secret tunnel. Theo’s lips twitched as he gestured for you to step through the threshold. As the portrait swung close, you heard the young woman sigh dreamily.

“La storia si ripete.”

While your understanding of Italian was rudimentary at best, you were fairly certain that she’d said something about history repeating itself. Theo reached for your hand in the dark and you took it without question. You were deep within the secret passage before you even realized it.

“Family of yours?”

“How’d you guess?”

“You have the same eyes,” you observed. “Plus, she called you cousin.”

He seemed mildly amused by the comment. “Been brushing up on your Italian?”

“Only enough to make sure you’re not insulting me.”

Theo chuckled. “Fair enough. To answer your question, yes. The portrait is of Coletta, my second cousin thrice removed. She attended Hogwarts centuries ago. She was a Ravenclaw as well.”

“Why is that name so familiar?”

“She invented the enchantment for the moving portraits. Of course her first subject was herself.”

“So narcissism and vanity is an inherited trait, then?”

Theo smirked. “Darling, when you’re as pretty as we are, then immortalizing that beauty for future generations to behold becomes a high priority.”

“Oh, good. I was worried that you were becoming too humble."

“Let’s just say that dear old Coletta won’t be the only one in my bloodline to be featured on a chocolate frog card.”

“I doubt that being the world’s most massive wanker constitutes the commissioning of a card.”

He rolled his eyes as you rounded a corner. Theo kept you behind him as he pushed on a depression in the walls. It gave way, swinging open to an empty hallway.

“Speaking of massive wankers, welcome to the Slytherin dormitories.”

You smirked and nodded to the giant serpent statue at the end of the hallway. “Is that a basilisk or are you just happy to see me?”

“My poor little Ravenclaw. I’m afraid I’ve corrupted you past the point of no return.”

“Please,” you tutted, strutting through the maze of the dungeon dormitories like you owned the place. “I was depraved way before I ever met you.”

Theo chuckled under his breath as he led you further into the heart of the viper’s nest. Through the windows, you could see the dark waves of the Black Lake ripple as you walked through. It was oddly beautiful, in a morbid sort of way.

“Here we are,” Theo said as you came to a stop at the end of the hall. “Home sweet home.”

Before you entered, he muttered a series of privacy and protection spells that you’ve never even heard of. Magic weaved through the door and sizzled with evergreen sparks before it finally swung open.

“Paranoid much?”

“You have no idea. You Ravenclaws may have your riddles, but learning how to hex your door from nosy snooping twats is a right of passage for every Slytherin.”

You peered through the threshold, suddenly feeling nervous. In the past year doing whatever it was you and Theo were doing, it had become a sort of unspoken rule to have sex anywhere but your dorms. For one, it was too much of a hassle to sneak each other in, but if you were being honest, the main reason why you've never even attempted was because seeing someone else’s room was strangely intimate. You tried not to think about how easily Theo invited you into his space as you ducked through the door.

A mixture of envy and jealousy hit you full force when you walked into his dorm. It was a massive room with a four poster bed, luxurious velvet curtains, and a stained glass skylight. There was a mahogany desk littered with ancient tomes, cracked parchment, and half empty ink pots. The latest Nimbus model was propped up next to his nightstand with a green and silver scarf tied around its hilt. Leave it to Theo to use the expensive broom as a glorified hanger.

You made your way through the elegantly decorated room and noted that it was far tidier than you would’ve expected. Theo was content to hang back and watch as you looked through his baubles. A picture on his nightstand caught your eye. Mostly because it wasn’t like the moving portraits you were so used to seeing in the wizarding world. This was a still likeness, a polaroid of a beautiful dark haired woman with little Theo. He was wearing a Cambridge jumper three sizes too big and showing off his two missing front teeth with a cheeky grin.

The image tugged at your heart. “Is this your mum?”

Theo nodded. “Yeah, that was the first time she took me with her to Cambridge.”

“And there’s the infamous jumper you begged her to buy, huh?”

“The one and only.”

You kept staring at the photo, noting how happy little Theo looked. It made you think back on that day at the lab when you watched him slip on his smirk like a mask. Like armor. You wondered if you’d ever see his unguarded smile, full of childlike wonder and joy, just like in the picture. You wondered why you even wanted to.

“She was very beautiful,” you finally said, setting down the polaroid.

“She was,” Theo wistfully agreed. “Clearly I inherited her good looks.”

Rolling your eyes fondly, you continued surveying his room. For some reason, you found it fascinating. You nearly squealed in delight when you came across the towers of books he had lined up against the wall.

“Go ahead,” Theo said with a chuckle. “I know you’re dying to snoop, diavolina.”

He couldn’t have been more right. You loved going through people’s bookshelves. You could tell a lot about a person based on their books. In Theo’s case, his reads were nearly as chaotic and surprising as he was.

As expected, there were a few books on quidditch, a rare potions tome that you were fairly certain cost a small fortune, a selection of mystery novels, all magical save for a lone leatherbound book on the top shelf. You carefully cracked it open and found yourself reading through the Divine Comedy.

“Dante’s Inferno,” you said in surprise. “How terribly morbid of you.”

“How so?” He asked, reading over your shoulder. “Alighieri composed it as a comedy rather than a tragedy. It does have somewhat of a happy ending.”

“I suppose, but the poem was mainly a raw commentary on the savage nature of human existence and delved into the ugliness of it all, from the banal to the depraved. The eternal torture chamber was a meditation on evil. Even purgatory explored the flaws of human nature and the fallen state society often finds itself in.”

Theo took the book from your hands and flipped to the last section. “Yes, but Paradiso was all about goodness. It explores transcendence, redemption, and virtue.” He smiled softly. “I know the concept of paradise might be a bit naive, but isn’t there a concept of heaven that we all hold onto to prevent ourselves from despairing? When you’re trudging through shit, you’ve got to hope that you’re clawing for something better on the other side.”

You were silent for a moment. “What does Paradise look like for you, Nott?”

Theo smirked. “You’ll have to get me higher than this to answer that question, dolcezza.”

“Fair enough. Now educate me on gelato like you promised.”

A few minutes later, the two of you sat cross legged on his rug while indulging in decadent scoops of stracciatella. The creaminess of the gelato was perfectly complemented by delicious flakes of dark chocolate. The sounds you made while eating were borderline sexual.

“If I had known it was this easy to make you moan, I would’ve introduced you to gelato ages ago.”

You lightly kicked him in the shin. “I still can’t believe you enchanted a mini fridge to hold your fancy imported dessert.”

It was actually quite impressive. You hadn’t even thought of doing that yourself and you were the muggleborn one.

“Perks of acing advanced muggle studies.”

“Having a Gringott’s vault at your disposal helps as well.”

“Smart, rich, and handsome. I’m just an all around catch, aren’t I?”

“Someday you’ll make some poor unsuspecting witch very, very miserable.”

“Someday?” Theo asked, the corner of his mouth curving into a mischievous smile. “Why wait? I’m perfectly capable of making you miserable now.”

With that, he took a dollop of his gelato and smushed it against the tip of your nose.

You gasped in surprise, squealing at how cold and sticky it felt against your skin. “You’re a dead man, Nott.”

Theo bolted to the other side of his dorm and you followed, trying to fling scoops of gelato at him. He giggled like a child as he dodged your attacks but there was only so much space for him to evade you. Finally, he gripped your wrists to keep you from retaliating.

“Here, let me clean you up.”

As you squirmed in his grasp, Theo leaned over and licked the tip of your nose. You squealed in disgust as he lapped up every bit of gelato. Theo sneakily took your cup from you and set them aside before leaning back to admire his work. From this close, you could see the gold flecks in his eyes. They darkened as you glanced up at him, his blue green gaze turning stormy.

“What?” you asked, brushing at your face. “Is my face all sticky and gross?”

Theo shook his head. “No—you look fine—more than fine you’re—“ He paused, stumbling for words. “Can I kiss you?”

The question suddenly made you feel nervous, which was ridiculous given the fact that you’d kissed Theo countless times before, but there was something about the way he looked at you now that felt…different.

“You’ve never asked before.”

Theo frowned. “Maybe I should have.” He ran his fingers through his hair nervously. “Gods, you’re right. I can be a real wanker sometimes.”

You smiled. “To be fair, I kissed you first. Mostly to shut you up, but still. I’ve never asked either.”

He swallowed thickly as he ran his fingers through your braid. “Well, can I?”

A knot formed in your stomach as you nodded. This was ridiculous. There was no need to be nervous. You repeated those words over and over again to yourself as Theo caressed your cheek, his gaze flickering over your face as though he was searching for that final missing piece of the puzzle. Then, gently, as gently as he ever had, Theo leaned in and kissed you.

He tasted like cigarettes and mint, like dark chocolate and cream, like stracciatella and sin.

But most of all, Theodore Nott tasted like your own personal unraveling.

Taglist: @annaisabookworm@marina468@yaraasthings @the0doreslover@bubybubsters@moony-artemis @natasha887@lucyysthings@criesinlies @bunnymallowo@niktwazny303 @letmedownslows @siriuslyalovergirl@wordsarelife@clairesjointshurt @daydreamingabthar @mishtay @cherry-hoe @littlebookbengal @maybefoxysouls @nomup @aliensknowmyillusions @cinderellawithashoe @starsval @kalulakunundrum @lucyysthings @siriuslysmoking @purplegirls-posts @unstablereader @lqclercs @whatsupb18 @rikirritated @psychedeliccc @jetblackpayne @clairesjointshurt @ama1a2 @omwtkydttfym @cinderellawithashoe @xeqr @txzii @goldenmagnolias @ilikefictionalmen @xxpeachyxo @dirt-cup-draco

Please let me know if you'd like to be added.

#i would lick gelato off of this mans [censored]#theo nott #theo nott fic #theo nott smut #theo nott x reader #theo nott x y/n #theo nott x you #theodore nott #theodore nott x reader #theodore nott x you #theodore nott x y/n #theodore nott imagine #theodore nott smut

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beautifulhigh · 8 months

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It just occurred to me that the polo scene doesn't get much love as it should. I know it's very short but just the thirst in Alex’s eyes, the way you can see his mouth dry while watching Henry ride that horse and his oh so sexy smile. I feel like that scene required a major dissection, and no one does it better so I came calling.

You know what? I'm doing this one now. I know I said I would do a meta on Henry Fox and I would do a meta on the New Year's Eve party but this is in my inbox now and yeah, let's talk about the polo scene.

(I'm also doing this now so I don't have another thing on my To Do pile, and your kind words made my shitty day a little better so thank you.)

Short scene, not a short meta.

In the book when he and Henry are in his bedroom, Alex has this little moment of clouds parting, sun beaming, angels chorus revelation:

In an instant of sudden, vivid clarity, he can’t believe he ever thought he was straight.

And while movie!Alex doesn't have the same bi awakening that book!Alex does. this is very much his moment of "oh I am very not straight at all" and that is valid of him.

(As this is a Jen meta, we shall also be talking about everything else because you do not analyse a text in isolation.)

This interview talks about the editing of the polo match:

Nick [Moore], my new editor coming in, took a look and he says, “I wanna try something with that polo match.” He spent a weekend of his own time doing something, and then he was ready to show me. He sat me down and said, “I’ve done something crazy.”

And we went from filmed scripted scenes and a lead in, to "bagpipes intensify" and it works SO well for where these boys are in this new stage of their relationship.

Our establishing shots are of the teams, the horses, the uniforms. This is Henry's world and Alex is about to step into it (which is a reversal of Henry at the NYE party - I swear I will write that meta once I have all the gif posts I want to link to) and it's all quick cuts and sharp transitions and moving shots. The pace has been set for Alex to enter.

We pick him out in the crowd but he's lost as quickly as we spot him. He's one of many here and it's all too quick to stay with him.

Firstly, you will never convince me that he didn't pick the tightest trousers he could find. Henry's comment about him being a mouthful is foreshadowed, right there.

ANYWAY

He walks in, he's looking around, he's doing up his jacket as a form of protection. Alex is the proverbial fish out of the proverbial water (and I have a meta about water if you're interested) and we're straight back in with the quick edits. Horses, polo sticks, this is not a game most people know how to play. Alex certainly doesn't. He's doing up his jacket and he is uncomfortable.

He is not a stranger to a suit, and that is certainly not something that is ill fitting. It is circumstance, not clothing.

And then we get our first clear shot of Henry. Only it's not clear, not at first. He literally comes into focus.

Stick aloft, mouth open, like he's a walking riding metaphor.

And Alex's face changes.

Yeah. He is definitely not straight.

From then on we stay with Henry. We, in Alex's viewpoint, have found him. And so we track Henry through the game and it's just generic horse legs if we're looking at anything else. The only player we/Alex see is Henry.

Here, Henry is leading. Going in first, checking it's clear, knowing Alex will follow him. Henry leads, Alex follows. Into the garden, into the bed, into the sexual component of their relationship. Alex admits to Henry right from the start that this is new to him:

“I’ve, uh,” Alex begins. “I’ve never actually done this before.” “Alex,” Henry says, reaching down to stroke at Alex’s hair, “you don’t have to, I’m—” “No, I want to,” Alex says, tugging at Henry’s waistband. “I just need you to tell me if it’s awful.” Henry is speechless again, looking as if he can’t believe his fucking luck. “Okay. Of course.”

When it comes to being with a man? Henry leads, Alex follows.

And then the pacing and editing kicks off. We intercut to the tempo of the bagpipes between the match and the hook up and Henry is leading the charge on both.

He's in charge and Alex is LOVING it:

Turns out being on the receiving end of Henry’s royal authority is an extreme fucking turn-on.

This is risky and the most dangerous thing they have done so far. Amy walking in on them in the Red Room is one thing - book!Alex is VERY thankful for the staff NDAs when it comes to what they know about him and Henry - but neither of them care here. And Alex is very much letting Henry take the lead and set the pace.

Which, given how long Henry has wanted Alex, wanted this, and how he's not able to live and love (at this point) as openly as Alex is, giving Henry this control means that not only can Alex continue his education in this mlm era of his life, but he's giving Henry all of the freedom he can. God Bless America or something.

We intercut the make out scene with shots of things being hit, the hard slamming of one thing against another, of riders in saddles. The hands may be a metaphor for sex in the Paris scene but we have it here as well.

Alex is fully on board by this point and he's not letting Henry set the full agenda. In his White House bedroom we got the scene of Henry going down on Alex (and there is no way that it was a one-way exchange given how long they were there) so now? It's his turn.

My favourite editing choice?

We then cut to Henry's arse bouncing in that saddle. If the Paris scene is making love? This is them fucking. Henry is bouncing away, riding for all he's worth, chasing down his singular aim with precision and determination.

It's innuendo at its finest.

I love this shot. We're looking up at them - we're just like Alex who is now looking up at Henry due to his new vantage point (#NoLongerTaller) - and we see Alex is fully crowding up into Henry's space. And they are right by the door. There is no cover, no escape. Anyone coming in has fully caught them. Please let there be a PPO or a Secret Service be just outside. Please. For their sanity if not mine.

But even if there isn't for some insane reason, they don't care. They are so lost in each other, so caught up in this moment, that they aren't FSOTUS and the Prince Of Wales. They aren't boys with status and expectations. They're just two consenting adults who are testing the boundaries of what public indecency actually means.

They are really going for it now. Henry's arm is tensed with the effort of keeping Alex close, his hand is splayed on Henry's back to give him contact with more of him. They are not letting go. Diving all in like it's a nod to the Olympic event where they met in the book.

And when they come up for air it's because Alex is... well... about to go diving.

Those fingers make VERY quick work of the belt and what he is doing with his hands and those fingers is further evidence in the "this is them fucking" category.

And then the frame which I'm guessing inspired Cordelia's ask to me:

LOOK AT THAT FACE. Look at those fucking eyelashes. But Alex is wanting and he is wanting hard for Henry. Pun intended. He's got a plan for this, he's got a To Do list for those Very Bad Things he promised/threatened Henry with all those weeks ago.

And it will have been weeks. The State Dinner was around February time based on the texts (end of January at the latest) and then Henry says the polo match is "next month" (which would put it end of February, early March because we would not say 'next month' if it were next week, regardless of when the month starts) and so it's been weeks since they hooked up in Alex's room. Weeks of having to just text and email and maybe venture into video calls.

None of that would compare to being together.

This is the first time that Alex has gotten his hands on Henry since his bedroom and he's desperate to get more than his hands on him.

And this shot as Alex pulls Henry's trousers down is fucking pornographic. Matthew López, did you direct Nick to act like this or was it his choice? Go watch his expression as Alex is pulling the offending clothing out of the way and tell me that this isn't pornographic.

And then we cut to the not-at-all subtle shot of Henry well, making the shot. With ease and power and the ball shooting out of frame. Something something orgasm metaphor something release.

There's even a little wisp as he makes the shot. If this post isn't flagged for mature content I'll be surprised.

Next shot?

Congrats on not getting caught, on the sex, on the most smut-filled-while-almost-fully-clothed-sex scene I've ever had the joy of frame-by-framing through.

Alex is doing up his tie again but he's not uncomfortable. And Henry is so fucking happy I could cry. Because he just hooked up with this guy, in semi-public, and got away with it. They are firmly in Henry's world here, a world where he can't be out and proud, and he got to have something he wanted. And, maybe crucially, no one knows about it. His privacy is intact.

But more importantly, this thing he's got with Alex is something. It's not a one night stand. Alex came here specifically for him, because he asked him to. Because Alex wanted to see him, be with him. This wasn't an obligation, this wasn't something set up by anyone for show and to do damage control. This was for them, and them alone.

Look at these smug bastards. Look at them. Gettin' their rocks off and making puns about being hungry and eating like they didn't just devour each other.

BUT

I gotta bring the feels here 'cause it's me.

Henry attended the State dinner because he was expected to, because that was in place before the New Year's kiss. It was an obligation and in both the movie and the book he had been ghosting Alex. And then Alex grabbed him in the Red Room and they hooked up and at the end of that scene Henry nervously asks Alex if he wants to be his guest at the polo event. Alex doesn't actually say yes - he says he doesn't know how to play polo, there's a comment about it being safer if he's on the sidelines - but leaving aside any fear that he would stand Henry up this is the first time they have made plans with the intention of seeing each other, of being together in this way.

This is, for want of a better term, kinda like a date.

Alex turned up, Henry put out, and they're very much committing to seeing where this path will take them. (Forever. It'll take them to forever.)

Alex isn't straight, Henry is very much in love, and they're embracing that giddy phase of a relationship where you just can't keep your hands off each other. And we fade from this to Paris where they're on another kind of date and then there's another kind of sex scene and it's a speedrun of their relationship on screen like they weren't indulging in foreplay with all the text flirting.

Which, by the way, don't think I didn't notice that Henry's jersey number was 4. Four-play indeed.

(Thanks for this, Cordelia, I needed something like this to soothe my brain.)

#jen answers stuff #i-cordelia #firstprince #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #prince henry of wales #red white and royal blue #rwrb movie #firstprince meta #overthinking jen is overthinking #rwrb #otp: history huh #long post

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hikarry · 5 months

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Aziraphale and Crowley plan a vacation free of miracles, just for the heck of it. Just to do it the way humans do. Maybe it's fun! Maybe they will have a grand old time! Who knows?

It all starts with packing.

Aziraphale is the very first to regret this idea as soon as he opens his bag on top of the bed, ready to pack. They can only take so many bags because they are going on the Bentley, and no miracles means no calling books through space with a single snap of his fingers. So...one bag is not enough, surely.

"Oh, but it is, angel. Max one bag for clothes and one bag for books, nothing more."

"But Crowley, that's absurd! We'll be in Scotland for 2 weeks! Am I supposed to take, what? 5 books? And how am I supposed to choose?"

"This 'no miracles' trip was your idea. Now deal with it."

Aziraphale deals with it, but not without a lot of complaining and making a list of pros and cons of taking every single one of his favorite books. He ends up with a bag full of them and a couple more in the clothes bag.

This is to say that Crowley doesn't have an easier time. No miracles means no miracling his own clothes, so he's got to actually pack something. And he likes most of his clothes. And you never know what type of events will be around. A restaurant? A play? He needs outfits. Good outfits. And a toothbrush. And shampoo and conditioner, cause he refuses to use the ones from the hotel. And hair gel! Cause no miracles also means no miracling his hair into being in shape...doing his hair every morning will be an absolute pain in the arse, but he can endure it. Yet, when he goes to close his bag...it's too full. Taking two bags of clothes would be ridiculous, so he lays his hand on the bag and pushes down, trying to run the zipper. Nothing happens. He sighs and sits on the bag, pulling the zipper once again, and it runs for a couple of millimeters.

"Angel, give me a hand, will you?"

"With what, dear?"

"I'll sit on the bag and also push it down with my hands and you will try to close the zipper." He opens his legs so Aziraphale can access the bag's zipper and he jumps once on his bag, pushing down with his hands.

Aziraphale almost breaks the bloody zipper, but it does indeed close.

With the bags in the Bentley and both seated on their usual positions, Crowley lays his hands on the steering wheel, but doesnt start the car just yet, instead looking ahead.

"Everything alright?"

"...does 'no miracles' mean I can't keep the tank of the Bentley full?"

"I suppose."

"Aziraphale, I haven't gone to a gas station since I got the bloody James Bond stickers!"

"And when was that?"

"Many, many decades ago."

"Oh well, I'm sure getting fuel in a car isn't that difficult. It mustn't have changed since back then."

"Are you sure we can't make an exception?"

"Quite."

"...is this because of the books?"

"Mmh."

Crowley groans and goes to start the car, but he stops short of the ignition.

"Are you...keeping the Bentley whole with miracles? Is that the new problem, my dear?"

"No." He looks up at the angel. "I have to buy a phone charger."

"Whatever for?"

"Because I keep my phone charged with miracles, angel! And I have absolutely zero idea where the original charger is! I never used it! With a bit of luck its still somewhere in Mayfair."

"Oh well, we will stop at a phone shop then. Easy fix."

The demon takes a deep breath, and off they go, on their road trip to Scotland at very not legal speeds - not for lack of complaining on the angel's side, mind you.

When they get to Edinburgh, they quickly find their hotel and go up to their room. Both take showers and, hell, it's still mid afternoon, so they go for a stroll around.

At about dinner time, Crowley quickly googles restaurants nearby and finds one named "Angels with Bagpipes". As soon as he sees it, he stops scrolling. It's somewhat modern and certainly different from the Ritz, but, Satan, look at that name! They just couldn't not go.

"You're joking, certainly." Aziraphale looks over his shoulder. "Look at that other one! Rhubarb. It looks so much more-"

"Posh?"

The angel eyes him side ways.

"I was going to say classy. Romantic."

Crowley snorts.

"Oh this is a romantic vacation, is it?"

"No!" He slaps his arm. "I mean-! Yes! Just-" He runs a hand down his face while Crowley keeps laughing. "Oh, hush. I'm just saying that one looks way more up our alley. That one is too modern."

"I'm down with modern. Big fan of modern, me."

"Oh, believe me, my dear, I'm extremely aware, but-"

"And! For a restaurant as posh as that I bet we need reservations. And you know what we don't have?" Crowley wiggles his fingers. "Reservations. Or miracles to get said reservations."

Aziraphale rolls his eyes, trying to suppress an exasperated sigh. Crowley was ridiculous. How in all the heavens did he put up with him through all these years will forever be a mystery.

"Alright. Let's go to the other one."

Crowley smiles, victorious, and offers him his arm, which Aziraphale promptly takes.

"An angel and a demon walk into a restaurant named 'Angels with Bagpipes'-"

"Crowley!"

And off they go, down the streets of Edinburgh. They have dinner and Aziraphale only complains until the food is served. Afterwards he appears quite content to stuff his face with appetizers and whatnot all while under the watchful eye of Crowley that keeps sipping his wine silently, one elbow on the table, while under said table his leg pushes against Aziraphale's.

"Do behave yourself, will you?"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, angel." He uses his foot to slightly slide up Aziraphale's leg.

"We are in public."

"Your point?"

Aziraphale closes his legs, trapping Crowley's foot in between them.

"That's my point."

Crowley pouts, pulling his leg away.

"Boring, you are."

The meal proceeds with little to no incidents. Just the usual: Aziraphale utterly enjoying his food and Crowley watching him as he is enraptured by the flavors and its, honest to Satan, impossible to look away. Not to mention the satisfied wiggles. And the moans. It can pass 6000 more years, but Crowley will never ever get used to those.

"Angel."

"Yes, my dear?"

"Do you have money?" Aziraphale suddenly drops his fork and looks up at Crowley, mouth hanging open. "Thought so."

"Heavens, what are we going to do? We can surely miracle it, right? This is an emergency."

"Nop. You didn't let me miracle the fuel so no miracling the money either."

"You paid for the fuel."

"My last pounds, yes."

The angel's eyes widen quite comically.

"You must be joking."

"No. No joke. Last bills in my wallet." He sloshes the wine inside his glass, leaning closer towards Aziraphale. "And I bet this is all quite the price too. What do we do, Aziraphale? Leave by the back like criminals?"

"There's no back and we are not criminals! We need to miracle the money!"

"That's against the rules." He points at the angel, raising an eyebrow over his sunglasses. "Your rules, might I add."

"No-! Crowley!" He also leans closer to the demon and whispers. "We need to do it. We are not criminals."

"I'm a demon. I guess I can be considered a criminal at some extent."

"You're being ridiculous."

"I'm playing by the rules."

"You're insufferable."

"And yet you still love me."

Aziraphale sighs and closes his eyes, trying to think about a solution, when he hears footsteps approaching.

"Have you finished your dessert, sirs?" The waiter asks, stopping right in front of the table.

"We have." Crowley is quick to answer, and Aziraphale kicks him under the table. He was not done yet, and he needed more time to think about a solution!

"Are you ready to pay?"

Crowley looks at Aziraphale, very serious, and Aziraphale can feel the sweat accumulating on his hands. Oh lord, they had no money. And they just ate a 3 course meal. I mean, Aziraphale ate. Crowley mostly dabbled on the soup and spent the rest of the meal drinking. Drinking quite old and expensive red wine, at that.

Aziraphale looks at Crowley, then at the waiter - who is smiling very politely at them - and then back at the demon. Crowley raises his eyebrow again while Aziraphale starts to shake. He was about to pop when Crowley snorts and reaches for his wallet, pulling a black card and handing it to the waiter, who accepts it and walks away. Aziraphale gasps.

"You had money!"

"Technically no. I had a card."

"A card with money!"

"I never said I didn't have a card. I said I didn't have bills. Physical money. I did use my last bills at the station."

Aziraphale kicks him under the table again, and Crowley can't hold it anymore and starts laughing as controlled as he can.

"Oh, I hate you, you fiend!"

"You've been telling yourself that for 6000 years and you're yet to believe it." The waiter returns with the card and leaves just as fast. "Shall we go back?"

"Yes. But I won't forgive you for this."

"Ah, yes. You. The one that throws 'I forgive yous' through the wind."

"Crowley!"

"Joking. I'm joking." He gets up and Aziraphale follows him. When they get through the door, Crowley offers him his arm once again and leans in closer. A whisper just Aziraphale could hear. "I have my methods to make you forgive me. Just let us get to the hotel, angel."

Alas, the day was not ready to give them a break. On their way to the hotel, it suddenly started raining heavily, soaking both of them to the bone.

"I don't believe this!"

"A little miracle would come in handy right about now, eh?" Aziraphale sighs and snaps his fingers, summoning a tartan umbrella to his hand, which he promptly opens, covering both of them. "Angel!"

"Hush. We can start over tomorrow. Now, let's go." He grabs Crowley by the arm and starts pulling him.

"What's the rush? It's not like we can get sick."

"Someone promised me something when we got to our hotel room." The angel looks over his shoulder to the demon for a second, still walking up the street.

Crowley smiles.

"And you just have to run to find out whatever it is."

"Color me curious."

They did get to the hotel quite fast, and the first thing they did was peel away from their drenched clothes and jump in the shower. Whatever happened in there is between the angel, the demon, and the white tiles on the wall.

#once again supposed to be a small lil thing but got out of my hand #crowley just had to tease Aziraphale he wasnt having it any other way #good omens #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #anthony j crowley #good omens fanfic #good omens fanfiction

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tyttetardis · 5 months

Text

Macbeth Q&A 18th Jan 2024 Part 1

Was lucky enough to get a ticket for the Member's Event at the Donmar Warehouse that took place on the 18th...with the price of the patronages I sure never thought I'd have gotten the chance, but luckily, they also let in some non-members 🥹❤️

The brilliant performance of Macbeth was followed by a very quick cleaning of the stage - thought for sure it would've taken them longer to remove the blood than like 5 minutes - followed by a lovely, little Q&A session.

The Q&A was led by Craig Gilbert (Literary manager) who talked to Annie Grace and Alasdair Macrae (Musicians and part of the acting ensemble) as well as Cush Jumbo and David Tennant.

Anyway, just gonna write down some of the stuff they talked about :) sorry if it's a bit messy! Might be spoilery if haven't seen it yet but is going to!

To begin with Craig remarked that he didn't think he'd ever seen that many people staying behind for a Q&A before (While I was just wondering why some people even left!? Stressful!).

David introduced himself with "My real name is David "Thane of Paisely" Tennant - while Cush introduced herself with "I´m Cush Jumbo - there's only one of me".

First question was Craig asking them what it was that brought them to the Donmar to do Macbeth - to which David pretty much just replied that 1. It's the Donmar! 2. It's Macbeth! One of the greatest plays of all time in an amazingly intimate space - and that the theatre is famous for its quality of work. So he found it quite hard to think of a reason not to do it!

Cush said she'd worked there before and loves the theatre, how it's so intimate but also a great workspace. Followed by her saying she said yes because David asked her. She talked about how important it was for this play to do it together with the right actor playing opposite you.

David says Max Webster asked him about a year ago if he wanted to do the play - he gave him the dates - and since there weren't any obstacles in the way, David didn't have any excuse not to do it.

He then said that he had slightly avoided Macbeth - there sorta being the assumption that if you're Scottish and has done some Shakespeare plays before you have to do Macbeth. Which he joked was a bit odd since it's not like every Italian has to play Romeo. Then he mentioned that Macbeth is probably a bit more of a jock than he is - that it seemed more like a part for big, burly actors.

Max had laid out his initial ideas to David, a lot of which are in the final production, and David thought he seemed lovely, bright and clever and inventive plus it being the Donmar Warehouse! To which joked that he had last worked there 20 years ago - when he was 8 years old! "It's just one of those spaces" - friendly and epic at the same time where it's such a pleasure to be on the stage.

When Craig asked his next question concerning the sound of the play someone asked him to speak louder as she couldn't hear them - to which David joked that they've gotten so used to whispering. But also said sorry, and that they would!

Alasdair explained a bit about the process of the binaural sound - bit I find it a bit difficult to decipher it all correctly, sorry. He did say that a interesting part of it is that it allows them a controlled environment where they can put all the musicians (and even the bagpipes!) behind the soundproof box so "Poor David and Cush" doesn't have to shout over all the racket.

Craig asked David and Cush what their reaction was when they heard about the concept of the binaural soundscape - to which David replied that it didn't quite exist when they first came onboard - Cush joking they were tricked into it. Then she talked about her and David going on a workshop with Max to get a feeling of how it would all work - and get a sense of how it would sound to the audience, as this was one of the few times, they got to hear that side of it. Their experience of the play being completely different to the experience the audience has.

Cush said they can hear some of the sound - like she can hear some of the animal sounds and David can hear some of the stuff from the glass box - but most of their cues and information comes from timing with each other. She said they won't be able to ever hear what the audience hears - to which David joked "We're busy".

It felt like mixing medias - as it all went quite against their natural stagecraft instinct - but Cush found that in the long run it made things very interesting - like they don't have to worry about getting something whispered to each other - as the audience will hear it anyway.

David said the odd thing is that they don't really know what the experience truly is like. He mentioned that to the sides of the stage there's a speaker for them where they will get any cues that they need to hear. Like they can hear the witches - but they can't hear where they are "positioned" - so they have to learn how to place themselves to fit with what the audience hears. They don't hear everything, though. And the audio they hear is quite quiet, so it doesn't disturb what comes through the headphones.

He thinks it's been exciting - that it's a bit like a mix between film and theatre. It's happening live - but it's also like post-production is happening between them and the audience as it's going on. They just have to trust that the audience is hearing what they are supposed to for it all to make sense.

Cush said she thinks in 10 - 20 years, as these technologies has developed, doing theatre like this will feel a lot more normal - not that they will do it ALL the time, but that they will be doing it - whereas now it's still like an experiment. What Cush really like about the concept is that if was done in a much bigger theatre - then people in the cheapest seats would be able to have an experience much more similar to those in the most expensive seats - they'd be a lot more immersed into the action.

David then talks about how it feels extremely counterintuitive to not go on stage and speak loud enough that the people in the back row can also hear you. And usually, if they can't hear you, you aren't doing your job right! But then it felt very liberating. He loves it.

Cush then talked about how it felt odd waiting in the wings for a cue you can't hear - where you traditionally wait backstage and you can hear your cues, you can hear the rythm and know when it's your turn - so it was quite disconcerting to hear silence. So it's basically down to them now knowing the show and each other's timings - like if David is standing at a certain point, she knows how long she has before she needs to say/do something. So you have to watch each other more closely and really focus on what the others are doing.

David asked the musicians if they can hear everything inside the box, to which Annie replied that they get everything except some extra bits in the soundscape. But they can hear the actors on stage. Annie said it's actually a bit of a mystery to all of them what the audience actually experiences - how the big pictures actually look like - they just have to trust that it's there "Is it there?!".

Someone asked if they had had any adverse reactions from audiences to having to wear the headphones. Quite a bit of laughter all around :P then David said "There's the odd person" and something about if someone hadn't gotten the memo before turning up...but not sure how he ended the line. Then once again says that yes, there's the odd person who doesn't like it and that's fair enough.

The same audience member then said he could see the advantage of it in a big theatre where the distance is big, but not in a small place like the Donmar - to which David very quickly, rather passionately replied that it's not about projection, it's about being able to do things you wouldn't normally be able to do live - where they can speak so quietly that they can't even hear each other when standing next to each other. So even in such a small place, people wouldn't be able to hear that. It's about creating a different play - which isn't to everyone's taste and that's fair enough. But for a play that's been done a hundred and seven million times he thinks it's very valid to try and find a new way into the play - even if it's not for everyone.

Part 2

#David Tennant #Macbeth #Donmar warehouse #Cush Jumbo #I messed up this recording sooooo bad #I didn't see people pull out their phones to record it so I didn't dare do that either...#and man did I get a shitty recording out of it :(#and the audio ain't great either...Craig was sitting the furthest from me and didn't have a mic so can be a bit difficult to hear at times #Cush was sitting the closest to me (not that close - I was still in second row!) and David was sitting next to her #while I didn't have a perfect frontal view - the angle I was at did mean that I still got a perfect view of David's adorable smiles <3 #and all his other lovely facial expressions as he often looked to Cush when she was talking and replied to her...#which made it FEEL like he was looking in my direction *sigh*#and he looked so good with his comfy cardigan - skin tight jeans - and his glasses!#You know I have seen David quite a few times by now - but I'm pretty sure this was the first time I saw him wearing his own glasses!#I desperately wish I had managed to capture some pictures or a video---because OMG! He was so lovely <3 #Oh didn't know there was a text limit...or that I had written this much...guess I'm continuing in a part 2

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is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not · 1 month

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Angels From On High

“MAKE IT FASTER!” screeched Melissa Hazen, Commanding General of the SLDF into her quarters’ bedside commpanel. Two hours… TWO HOURS since the distress beacon. Two hours in which her friend might have died. She would not allow it. Katrina was trothkin, sibkin, a sister. She would not die today. “General, we are dropping at maximum safe -” the voice, a Clan one from its tone and accent said, neutral, trying to provoke her anger. But it did. “I do not give one stravag damn what is safe! Push the engines to breaking if you have to! Katrina is not dying on me!” Another voice cut in, and Melissa froze as Theodora sat up beside her.

“Melissa, listen to me. We have done all we can for now. Save your fury for those who have earned it.” The beautiful, Germanic voice, tone measured and calm. Theodora. Her Theodora. Her wife-to-be. And her fellow warrior. Melissa, poised to strike the wall in anger, stopped, breathed. She was still angry. But not at the dropship crew, not at anyone, really, other than herself. It was her planning that led to the delay. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The problem had started when Melissa entered the Mechbay, twenty minutes later. Karrie and Sigrid were working on the Nest. Karrie had bodily swung herself out of the cavernous seeming left torso as Melissa and Theodora walked up. She had looked up to Sigrid, whose head was poking out of the cockpit access hatch. “Is it clear?!” Karrie had shouted to her assistant. “Nope!” “Well, shit,” Karrie had whispered to herself, then turned and beheld Melissa walking over. She waited until the two MechWarriors were close before saying, “General, ma’am, I’ve got a problem with the left side #3 magneto array on the reactor. It’s giving a drop on run-up. Now I’m pretty sure it’s just the sensors. I can fix it while you walk.” That had brought Melissa up short. “Seventy-five percent reactor power?” she asked levelly, a statement more than a question. The Nest couldn’t sustain drop velocity jump jet operation on seventy five percent power. But Karrie, her face unchanged from its state of determined confidence, had simply said, “I can do this, ma’am.” Theodora’s Germanic accented voice spoke next, almost incredulous. “That's verrückt. What are you going to do, ride in the torso?” Karrie merely looked over her shoulder at the towering Highlander ‘Mech, and then back at Melissa, who said simply, “very well, give it a go,” and walked past Karrie to perform her pre-start checks. “Yes, ma’am,” said Karrie, as Theodora, still standing in front of her, merely nodded in respect.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “I'm not sure about this, Love,” said Theodora’s voice over the radio, as Melissa maneuvered the Nest out of her cubicle, to stand by Theodora’s Gewitter on the centerline of the Mechbay, beginning their slow march to the doors, which were open, showing the chaos of the landing operation - PPCs opening up from the ground, aerospace fighters swarming about, and more. Music, bagpipes, came from outside. “Fixing a reactor on the hardstand is one thing, but on the move?” Theodora asked rhetorically. Melissa answered anyway, the cockpit hatch of her ’Mech open as she walked. With each step, the music grew louder. “Karrie says she will do it, she will do it… believe… believe,” she said, her tone full of belief. “Yeah, yeah…” Melissa leaned out of her cockpit and yelled. “HOW ARE WE DOING THERE, KARRIE?! I HAVE TO LEAD THIS DROP.” Karrie’s voice, amplified by a throat mic, answered from within Nest’s torso. “On it, General! Going as fast as I can!” She rooted about, adjusting the magneto arrays with a micro-screwdriver, flashlight held in her mouth. “40 meters to go, Melissa,” cautioned Theodora as the two ‘Mechs continued their march towards the open doors. “40 METERS, KARRIE!” yelled Melissa. “General, you have a mic, I hear you fine!” Karrie said, through a mouthful of flashlight. She worked hard, using her micro-adjustment tools to make minute changes to the array. With every step, the louds of the music grew louder. Thirty seconds later, Theodora warned, “20 meters to go. It’s not too late to scrub the drop. We could step aside, let the others go first.” “We’re almost up,” said Melissa to Karrie. “Almost there, General!” she replied, at the exact moment she lost her grip on an adjustment wrench. It fell through the sweltering air inside the torso, threatening to drop into the black depths of the Highlander’s leg. Karrie flailed and caught, sighing to herself. Right as the Highlander slowed, and then stopped, turning to face one of the deployment doors. Karrie could hear the sounds of rushing wind grow louder, as the ‘Mech began moving again. That means only, what… 15, no, 10 meters to go! She verified quickly that the repairs were good. The music was now incredibly loud, even through her ear defenders. “You’re good, General!” With that, Karrie swung out of the ‘Mech’s torso, as it passed an inspection lift. She jumped off, tumbling onto the deck of the lift, smiling. She allowed herself a second to watch, as Melissa gave her a thumbs up, and shut the Nest’s cockpit. The Highlander paused, briefly, to gingerly make its way across the final meter. Sealth and Tolki’s Orca waited behind the Highlander, with Melissa stopped at the edge; she bent the ‘Mech’s knees to look down slightly. The world of Helios unfolded beneath her like a great green angry blanket. Fire wreathed the dropship as the last of the reentry plasma sputtered and vanished the hull. And Highland Sights, the official march of the Black Watch, played on the multi-ton reentry-rated speaker arrays molded into the DropShips’ side, played. It was perhaps the loudest music ever played. And it was the signal. That the angels were coming from on high. That Katrina didn’t have fear any longer. Melissa keyed her microphone to the frequency she hoped someone was listening to, spoke nine words, kicked the speakers mounted to her ‘Mech to 11, revved up the jump jets… and stepped off the dropship. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Katrina? Can you hear me?”

The voice of Melissa Hazen sounded in Katrina’s ear, but at first she nearly didn’t recognize it from fatigue. The Ragnarok was at full flanking tilt as she slammed one of the rudder pedals down to use an anchor turn to bring the assault mech to a stop. Dirt carved into a furrow as she skidded and came to rest. Carefully she observed the 360 view in her neurohelmet for movement. Gregory’s Hammerhead slewed its torso over to the right while turning, slowly coming down to a stop nearby.

The streaks of fire through the sky had ceased, instead replaced by music that reverberated throughout the environmental audio sensors. She knew this song. But what song was it? She had heard it before. And how was it being played? What were the- wait. She knew this song.

“Katrina? On your left.”

The Black Watch had arrived on Helios.

@killer-orca-cosplay

#battletech #mechwarrior #story event #oc rp

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sirenologyyy · 3 months

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DATING MODERN!SEJANUS PLINTH!

modern!sejanus plinth x fem!reader

✮ summary: in which I live out my truth as a Sejanus Plinth truther and write modern headcanons abt him if he was your bf!

✮ author's note: why can't God make men like him anymore istfg!!! (Guys di na nakakatuwa.)

✮ warnings: cussing cuz yeah

modern!sej who's basically just a POC Peter Parker variant, they're so alike it is sickening.

modern!sej who's had a crush on you since the start of high-school when you and him wound up in the clinic because he had a bad case of influenza and you had a stomach bug.

modern!sej who'd drag Coryo around the campus just so they'd bump into you. (you'd smile and he'd greet hello with three consecutive O's and Coryo was not pleased, often rolling his eyes at Sejanus' giddy grin when you'd be a few steps past them.)

modern!sej who listens to you ramble and talk his ear off with conspiracy theories, realizations, gossip, chiming in every now and then. (He usually tells you off for talking people behind their back but he loves it gossip as much as you do if not more.)

modern!sej who I personally feel like is into a ball sport nobody would expect him to be in to (like volleyball) and he's one of the most kick-ass players out of the entire team and whenever there'd be matches against other schools you'd be cheering the loudest yk and you'd be wearing his Jersey and all that HEDGSHSH.

modern!sej who'd sometimes switch seats with Coryo when the teacher in the class he's in does a count off for groupmates just so he'd be grouped with you.

modern!sej who loves spoiling you with his dad's money just because he can and he absolutely will.

"Sej, just because I tried all these clothes on does not mean I have the intention of buying them."

"Well you aren't buying them, I am. Plus if I'm not getting them for you now, sooner or later you'll have them all in your closet somehow."

modern!sej who loves taking you to aquarium dates to go see the jellyfish and the sharks.

modern!sej who plans out everything he'll say to you in his mind before he says them out loud so he doesn't end up embarrassing himself in front of you.

modern!sej who always gives you the bigger half when he breaks food into two parts.

modern!sej who is DEATHLY afraid of heights. (When you first started dating you joked about how everyday was practically a living hellscape for him because he was so tall.)

modern!sej who's saved the most dazzling contact photo of you while you just have a horrendously lighted 0.5 pic of him you took at 5 in the morning.

modern!sej who'd purposefully drop sordid drawings he managed to doodle in the middle of class into your backpack so during the next period you'd find them and you'd start giggling to yourself and your classmates would give you stares.

modern!sej who is definitely the big spoon (but wouldn't be opposed to being the little spoon either.)

modern!sej and you who would pass notes in the middle of class as well, even if you two were at the very back of the classroom and sitting next to eachother.

Arachne's voice is making me want to kill myself

Don't say that, that's mean

Oh come on Sejanus, even you aren't too saintly to admit her voice sound terrible

Fine, I guess it's sorta irritating

Her voice sounds like if a dog's squeaky toy crawled off to have sex with a bagpipe

(then you two would burst out into silent laughter.)

modern!sej who is SUCH a fucking nerd (he's one of the top 5 highest grading students in your year, in decathlon, the debate team, men's volleyball varsity, the school paper) sometimes when he recites in class he'll subtly glance your way to see your reaction to his answer.

modern!sej who let's you pick out as many books you want from the library he has conjoined to his room. (When he gets them back there are ALWAYS annotations scrawled out on translucent sticky notes.)

modern!sej who is anxious af and he always fidgets in his seat whenever he's stressed or worried or scared and you'd let him doodle on your hands to make him feel better (plus I think he's really good at drawing too.)

modern!sej who will absolutely drive you to McDonald's if you're hungry at 3am (chances are he's hungry too.)

modern!sej who is obsessed with old film cameras and digital cameras, most often than not you're his subject and every other photo in his camera roll is a candid picture of you.

modern!sej who can recite every riff off word by word of the Pitch Perfect trilogy without missing a beat.

modern!sej who'd bring you baked goods whenever you were upset saying they were made by ma plinth, but in truth, were made by him.

modern!sej who wonders every second of every day how you ended up with him.

modern!sej who gets jealous when you hang out with festus or felix a little too long after class. But never makes it obvious.

modern!sej who's funny unconventionally. His sense of humour dosen't make everyone laugh but it sure as hell will get a snort and a giggle out of you.

modern!sej who'd eat the things you'd pick off of your food. (olive theory HDHSHSH)

modern!sej who remembers the littlest things about you too, how you take your coffee, the certain type of pens you prefer, your favorite author, your favorite type of flower, favorite swear word.

modern!sej who'd never hesitate to help you with schoolwork if you were having a hard time understanding the topic. (He won't stop until he makes sure you have a firm grasp on the topic and you're convinced he could make an amazing teacher.)

modern!sej who looks at you like you hung the stars in the sky.

modern!sej who'd blush whenever ma plinth would bust out his old baby photos whenever you'd come over to their house.

modern!sej who'd participate in cringy couple tiktok trends if it would make you happy.

modern!sej who'd get incredibly competitive just to win you a prize at the carnival.

modern!sej who collects little trinkets that match the color of your eyes and randomly give them to you.

modern!sej who'd listen to you yap and find it adorable

modern!sej who loves photobooths and would always convince you to take photos with him. (Your go to pose is to flip the camera off.) Then you'd get the top half and Sej gets the bottom half.

modern!sej who hates coffee and loves to drink tea (he dosen't do well with caffeine.)

modern!sej who is a sore loser when it comes to card games.

modern!sej who'd write prose and poetry about you (but he wouldn't dare show it, he wouldn't want to make you cry.)

modern!sej who is a GOD at karaoke (he also may or may not be a Broadway kid)

modern!sej who'd instantly agree and laugh when you'd send him things and say "this is so us."

modern!sej who would come over to your house whenever he'd get into a fight with his dad, he'd get so angry while trying to let go of all the pent up emotions he'd start crying and you're always there to comfort him.

modern!sej whose love language is acts of service, would always without a doubt be up for anything, he'd always be there when you need help, whatever the job calls for Sej seems to be always overqualified. When you feel like the world is against you he'd remind you that it's him and you against the world, neither of you were going to be alone in this fight anymore as long as you had eachother. (Then you'd laugh and tell him how incredibly cheesy it was.)

modern!sej who loves watching films, so more often than not you two would be found at the movie theater munching on some free popcorn because the guy that works the concessionaire stand knows you guys well enough to just give you guys free food.

modern!sej who is a munch. Enough SAID.

#tbosas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #sejanus plinth x reader #sejanus plinth #sejanus plinth x you #the hunger games #josh andres rivera #sejanus x reader

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