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teddy-feathers · 5 years

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look my problem with the au megamind where Roxanne is the alien and megamind is the reporter is i cant stop thinking about what i want out of that and how its probably not what other people want out of that which should mean 'oh shit i gotta write it' but really means 'in the next couple of months im going to rewatch megamind and be extremely frustrated because idk how to write these people as is let alone in an au'

but here are some thoughts

Itd have to take place on megaminds home world so like. have to develop that culture and frame it as the usual and other things as oddities

metroman still shows up at the same time the baby human does

roxan richie and metromans rivalry is less of a game and more of a metroman one up'd her ome to many times so now shes gotta take him out

its fine not because shes incompetent- in fact her death rays and pointy sticks are ingenious and have 0% public property or civilian causalities - but because metroman is not only impossible to kill, he adapts to anything that gets close (anything that doesnt kill him makes him stronger literally)

i guess this means theres a good chunk of the story that is centered around human adaptability vs perfect hero dudes adaptability

Roxanne Ritchie is actually a noted scientist or something at the local research facility - i figure blue people planet is really advanced and everyones at least a little technosmart but while it doesnt come as easily or naturally to Roxanne her way of thinking is really unique n shiz and shes an asset to every team....

but if you see her in a mask with some project from the lab macguivered into a gun trying to kill metroman well, no ones getting hurt and humans need hobbies and everyone respects the mask desptie the fact shes the ONLY human on the planet so its not like its hard to figure out who she is

she does spend a lot of nights having to rebuild projects and apologizing and such but basically everyone plays the plausible deniability card and asks her questions abiut what went wrong and okay so the masked menace failed after you let them steal our project but lets pretend for a moment the goal was to fix crops how would you say this did? and grumply shed revamp the guns weird side effect into an alien pollinating crop duster or whatever

got carried away when REALLY all I WANTED to say was

Whille Roxanne Ritchie is adaptable ingenuity and gets away at the last minute NOT because no ones trying to catch her but shes just that CLEVER and thinks ahead and shiz....

Megamind is the guy trying to interview her in the middle of a fight like he thinks he's cute - i mean he is but shes chasing after metroman and skids to a stop because this jerk stepped in for a comment. or shes lining up the perfect shot but theres a close up of megaminds reporter bag in the way

the thing is that maybe... blue people arent violent. a natural disaster hit recently and theyre coming back from it and if the two adopted alien kids want to play extreme tag well no ones getting hurt and Roxanne Ritchie will grow out of her competitiveness no doubt caused by just how superior EVERYONE on the planet is by finding her own niche and metroman will grow up and stop bating her because maybe he IS still better than everyone else and thats met with "oh very nice we're proud" but it doesnt really validate him or make him feel special because its just treated as a special thing he can do by everyong but Roxanne Ritchie and once he's found something that makes him feel good regardless of the attention or lack of it he'll stop playing too

but megamind? megamind has an imagination that loves drama and blowing things out of proportion and thats part of why his reports are so popular? like yeah everyones treating this super hero showdown with indulgence but megamind is good at framing theatrics so that this news story is actually a compelling narrative? and also everyone can see the tension is going to have one of these three "kids" confessing live someday

and maybe he gets carried away. one of those 'aw well next time you could do x or y' or has some technological creation that accidentally actually makes Metroman flinch during an interview

and Roxanne Ritchie starts paying attentionto him for the first time.

and minion warns him but he doesnt listen. minion is lower class and is afraid of being replaced like a pet like some people do but Roxanne Ritchie Ritchie doesnt have a minion and even if she did theyre Best Friends not like those other blue people minion uperclass people.

and he carelessly says something unforgivable and Roxanne Richie uses his ideas and actually succeeds in killing metroman

so she goes to prison - a place they had to build just for her because this hasnt happened since stars knows when

and somebody else is doing the camera because minion left just is gone and megamind looks defeated but testifies against her and is quiet and subdued and stpps being a reporter for a bit

and.... idk. i feel like we'll have to resolve the whole class system so minon goes underground and finds other minons who are unhappy with the way of things and if theyre ALREADY rebuilding society after that huge natural disaster that DIDNT blow up their planet thanks TO a minion well ehy cant they fix this too?

so theres a rebellion going on and theyve got a secret weapon to make blue people listen and idk but i feel like it's Metroman

and... how do stories like this go ive forgotten

minion wouldnt tell megamind or he would

metroman would break Roxanne Ritchie out of prison during the first riot of the minion revolt?

they talk and compare why they hated eachother and slowly work together and are actually a great team?

and then they need a reporter to make themselves heard as something other than minions going crazy

and so of course they go to megamind for help getting the story out

something something megamind is minions sidekick for this adventure

"Roxanne Ritchie was raised by the planet and turned against it and instigated civil unrest and killed a person who was also the good child etc etc instead of just growing up to face your problems"

"actually im alive and i finally found my place? helping out the real heros?"

"i mean i did try to kill him, but he forgave me and we're kinda working together because planet of moms and dads that raised us? yall actually are the ones who need to grow up and let go of the traditions that dont serve etc etc"

and megamind does a huge public apology to minion

and... uhhhhhhhhh fuck i really dont know how these storyies go

the blue people start making amends

metroman basically becomes a social worker for minion childern because finding their original families is a bit hard and most of these kids are just going to end up being raised by super dad but at least the rebellion minion families are actually geting to be their own family units and in a couple gens thatll be normal

Roxanne Ritchie goes back to being the token human in the lab and hangs up her super suit and is generally dissatisfied with this

until one night a hero breaks into her apartment to make her answer for her crimes and so for a legit hot second theyre fighting and megamind says something and Roxanne apologizes and then fighting stops being an argument and goes into banter flirting

the worss "where theres evil good will rise up to fight it" peob comes up a lot in this fic in different iterations

anyways megamind isnjust basically like hey wanna do this like. for the rest of our lives dramatic battle showdowns like its entertainment but like no theyre doing this for real?

the answer is hell yeah

and its a polyship and sometimes Roxanne is helping with the kids and then Megamind bursts in to "save" the family from her evil clutches and 90% of the time everything is improve

megamind kidnaps Roxanne to make metromind save her and a good half of the conversation is that hes an idiot for coming shes tried to kill him three times this week and hes bitching because do you know how hard it is to find a sitter for 30 odd minion kids this short notice and they better make it up to him

Roxanne is not superdad but the 30 odd minion kids adore when she comes over because they mob the villain so hard until finally mega comes to save her because hes actually very good with the kids

of course this poly ship isnt complete without minion and at some point minion and mega realize theyve actually been married for years and Roxanne and metro tease them shamelessly for it

minion and his race need a real name obviously

when Roxanne was a... graduate her senior project theses thingy was essentially "im going to go back to planet earth itll be great ive figured out were im from and how to go there in a reasonable amout of time" and everyone had to sit her down and explain that unlike metroman they knew where she was from the planet was just destroyed.

they never figured out where metroman was from because his direction sharply changed to follow baby Roxannes course and mirrored her coding despite very obviously how he had originated from elsewhere

this is important because his race is basically coming to conquer the blue people planet soon - the group finds out - and will download all the survival upgrades metroman has gotten to become unkillable and then just come down to the surface and be unstoppable taking the place over and whiping out the planet like theyve done many many times

a good chunk of the time trying to figure out how to stop them when this planet is REALLY against murder war and violence for good reason and even if they WOULD do that its impossible over looks some alone time that leads to megamind and metroman figuring out how to like kill him so when the bad guys show up theyll go "whelp better not fuck with them" and leave but between roxanne and minion they manage to not only stabilize metroman (Roxanne blood transfusions maybe???) but they manage to scare the aliens so bad they tuck tail and leave speading rumors that these are the scariest mfs in space (go minion)

metroman never lets Roxanne live down saving his life

eventually space humans show up to check the place out

megamind loves everything human despite most of the planet thinking theyre primitive and showing it

roxanne is reluctant to meet them at first but then really relates to them?

for a good long while it REALLY seems like megamind and Roxanne are just going to go on space adventures with the humans leaving metroman and minion - who really doesnt like them and also they kinda rub him the wrong way because he's non bipedal and they kinda make fun of him in a 'we totally dont mean anything by it lighten up' sort of way.

they don't go of course but they may have stolen a lot of atar charts n shit and who hasnt wanted to take a road trip through space with 30 odd childern who will need names and personalities and may be chopped down to a slightly more reasonable number by this point?

metroman loves space karaoke and his natural abilites mean he learns languages fast but no he still cant carry a tune

megamind and Roxanne still duke it out on various alien cityscapes

minion usually breaks them out of jail if theyre not to be let out the next day because nothing was actually damaged that didnt belong to them.

one memorable occasion it was metoman in a fight with megamind and they wont say what its about but both look very put out and minion looks smug

it doesn't matter in the end because Roxanne teams up with the childern to propose to them first

apparantly i had a lot more ideas about this then i meant to? i mean its not well thoughout out and despite the drama a good half the fic is just going to be cute relationship building stuff between the four of them

#megamind #megamind au idea #story idea #fanfic idea #my writing #i hope tagging shit makes it findable but x doubt

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alexsfictionaddiction · 5 years

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‘Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale of all.’

If you missed my announcement post last week, you may not know that I am a co-host of a wonderful readathon that will be taking place from 11th-18th August. My co-hosts are BookTubers Sam, Becky, Erica and Jordan and I would love if you could subscribe to all four of their channels. They are all fantastic creators and their videos deserve a LOT of love!

Today’s post aims to give you some inspiration for your FairytaleAThon TBR. The challenges for this round are in the above image and I’ve selected a few books that fit each one, which you’ll hopefully be interested in. FairytaleAThon encompasses original fairytales, myths, folktales and retellings of them so the possibilties are almost endless! Here are my very best recommendations:

1. THUMBELINA: Read a fairytale or retelling under 250 pages.

ELLA ENCHANTED BY GAIL CARSON LEVINE: 240 pages.

This very funny and sweet retelling of Cinderella is perhaps better known as a cute Anne Hathaway film but the source material is definitely worth the read. It follows Ella, who was given the curse of obedience by a fairy, when she was a baby. This means that she has to do anything that anyone tells her -fight monsters, let down her friends and even deny that she’s in love with the prince. However, there is a beautiful feminist resolution that is sure to delight modern fairytale lovers!

THE SNOW QUEEN BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN: 96 pages.

The story that inspired Frozen is over 200 years old but this beautiful new edition from independent publishing house Pushkin is worth picking up for the coverlust alone! The original tale is quite different to Disney’s version but it is still an epic story of love and loyalty in the harsh landscape of the snowy North. When a magic mirror breaks and curses Kay to be blind to all of the good in the world, he is taken by the Snow Queen and locked in her ice palace. It’s up to his friend Gerda to trek across the icy plains and rescue him and his frozen heart.

THE BROKEN SWORD BY POUL ANDERSON: 237 pages.

Inspired by Norse mythology, The Broken Sword is a dark high fantasy that has somehow been packed into just over 200 pages. Skafloc is a human boy who has been raised by elves amidst their war with the trolls. The elves require the use of the sword Tyrfing, which the mighty Thor broke in order to stop it destroying Yggdrasil -the tree that brings the earth, heavens and underworld together. Only the giant Bolverk can fix it and it’s Skafloc’s job to persuade him. As well as this huge undertaking, Skafloc also needs to face his dark changeling self! This is ideal for Tolkien fans who need a quick whimsical adventure in a strange land.

THE WILD SWANS BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN: 64 pages.

I’m aware that this is the second Christian Andersen Pushkin edition in this post but LOOK AT THEM! The Wild Swans is a little-known story about a princess whose 11 brothers are turned into swans by their evil stepmother. Despite being determined to break the curse, the stakes are high and huge sacrifices will need to be made to reunite the siblings. It’s a heartbreaking story about familial love and loyalty.

2. GENTLE GIANTS: Read a fairytale or retelling over 500 pages.

CRESS BY MARISSA MEYER: 560 pages.

This sci-fi retelling of Rapunzel is actually the third book in the Lunar Chronicles series. Although each book is a retelling of a different fairytale, the characters do overlap and therefore it is best to read them in order. The good news is that you have plenty of time before the readathon to read both preceding books -Cinder and Scarlet. The series is incredibly unique, quirky and funny with some truly shipworthy romances and madcap adventure.

COMPLETE FAIRY TALES BY BROTHERS GRIMM: 1019 pages.

Ok, so this may be cheating a little BUT what would FairytaleAThon be, if you didn’t dip into some classic original stories at some point? This Penguin Vintage Classics edition of the tales collected by the Brothers Grimm is a simple yet beautiful chunk of a book that I believe should be a staple in any fairytale lover’s library. Featuring the original gruesome versions of classics such as Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Twelve Dancing Princesses and so many more, there is bound to be more than a few of these 279 twisted, disturbing stories that you love!

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE BY TOMI ADEYEMI: 544 pages.

It was one of the biggest books of last year and its sequel is on its way next year. Children of Blood and Bone is inspired by the Orisha (deities) of West African mythology. It follows Zelie, a young girl with magical powers in a world where magic has been taken away and people like her are hunted by a tyrannical king. However now she is on a quest to avenge her dead mother and restore magic to her homeland. Followed by her brother Tzain, a rogue princess Amari and enemy prince Inan, this is a truly unique YA fantasy that I found completely unputdownable.

WICKED BY GREGORY MAGUIRE: 512 pages.

This prequel to The Wizard of Oz is best known as a hit West End and Broadway musical but the source material is also a fantastic read. Elphaba has been an outcast and persecuted all her life because of her green skin and this doesn’t change when she starts at Shiz University, where she meets the beautiful, queen bee Galinda. After a reluctant start, they soon form a friendship and band together with Munchkin boy Boq and quiet Vinkus prince Fiyero to put the injustices of their world to rights. Spanning over years of Elphaba’s life, Wicked features forbidden love, high-stake drama and challenges your idea of what evil really is.

3. IF THE SHOE FITS: Read any fairytale or retelling on your TBR.

Of course you should use your own TBR for this challenge but I’ve chosen some popular releases over the last couple of years that just might be on your TBR anyway.

CIRCE BY MADELINE MILLER

Not only is it a beautiful book but the story inside is truly captivating, bewitching and heartbreaking. This is a feminist retelling of the Greek myth of Circe, the sorceress living alone on the island of Aiaia with a talent for potion-making and a penchant for turning sailors into animals. In this version, Circe is banished to Aiaia by Zeus when he feels threatened by her unique brand of magic. There she develops her craft, tames the animals, grows herbs and even encounters travellers such as Daedelus, Icarus and Odysseus. After angering both mortals and gods, she needs to decide where she truly belongs to protect the thing she loves most. Madeline Miller is a gorgeous writer and Circe is a masterpiece.

THE HAZEL WOOD BY MELISSA ALBERT

Although not a fairytale or a retelling, The Hazel Wood has many fairytale elements and therefore, I feel it more than qualifies for FairytaleAThon. It follows 17-year-old Alice who has spent most of her life moving around with her mother because bad luck and disaster seems to follow them around. Alice’s grandmother is the author of a book of dark fairytales set in mysterious Hinterland. When her grandmother dies and her mother goes missing, Alice has almost nothing to go on. She teams up with classmate Ellery Finch, who also happens to be a superfan of her grandmother’s stories, to find her mother and discover the secrets of her grandmother’s creation. It’s the perfect remedy if you’re craving some fast-paced, whimsical action. THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS BY PAT BARKER

Ok so it’s ANOTHER Greek myth retelling but this is another book that should really be on your radar. The Silence of the Girls tells the story of the women affected by the Trojan war, who have been largely ignored by the original myth. It focuses primarily on Briseis, a Trojan queen who became a concubine to Achilles after he murdered her husband and brothers. Her life in the Greek camp is a world away from the one she led in Troy and she is now a slave to the army. When commander Agamemnon wishes to claim Briseis as his own prize, she finds her fate entirely at the mercy of the two most powerful men of Greece as the war wages on. It’s an engaging accessible version of the story with some lovely female friendships, intricate and illicit romances and an ending that will definitely touch your heart.

GEEKERELLA BY ASHLEY POSTON

This quirky, nerdy YA romance is enormous fun to read! Vegan food-truck worker Elle is a superfan of hit sci-fi series Starfield, a love she shared with her late father. When a cosplay competition is announced to celebrate the upcoming movie reboot, Elle has to enter. The prize is a ticket to the Cosplay Ball at the fandom’s convention ExcelsionCon and a meet and greet with the new Prince Carmindor. However, when it’s announced that the role will be played by teen idol Darien Freeman (who her stepsisters are obsessed with) Elle isn’t hopeful he’ll do the part justice because surely a pretty boy actor doesn’t know the first thing about Starfield, right? Told through the viewpoints of both Elle and Darien via alternating chapters, it’s full of dramatic irony and the subtle similarities to the story of Cinderella are so fun to pick out. Our group book for this round is its recently released companion The Princess and the Fangirl, so what better reason to pick up Geekerella if you haven’t already?

4. CREATURES OF THE DEEP: Read a book with mermaids, sirens or sea monsters.

As this is a summer round of FairytaleAThon, my co-hosts and I decided that we wanted to dedicate a challenge to stories that feature cool blue waters. We agreed that this book doesn’t have to be a fairytale, folktale or retelling; it just has to feature a mythical aquatic creature.

TO KILL A KINGDOM BY ALEXANDRA CHRISTO

This dark retelling of The Little Mermaid sees Princess Lira as a ruthless collector of princes’ hearts. However, when she kills a fellow siren, the Sea Queen punishes her by turning her into a human and taking away her singing voice. She needs to bring back the heart of Prince Elian in order to return to the sea. Prince Elian is himself a siren-hunter and when he rescues a drowning Lira, she promises to help him destroy all sirens but of course, she has her own motives for getting close to him. Although I’ve seen mixed reviews for this book, I really enjoyed it for the concept. Lira is a much more powerful, more formidable figure than Ariel and the story is much more brutal. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who feels like Ariel deserved more.

THE PISCES BY MELISSA BRODER

The Pisces is an incredibly strange novel about Lucy who has recently split from her long-term partner and is lacking inspiration for her thesis. In the hopes that it will help her forget her problems, she agrees to spend the summer in LA, looking after her sister’s house and foxhound. While there, she goes on a string of grisly Tinder dates, attends a therapy group for love addiction and falls in love with a mysterious but gorgeous surfer dude… who appears to have scales over the entirety of his lower body… It’s funny, it’s weird, it’s sad in parts but it’s also somehow bloody brilliant. Be warned that there are some pretty graphic sex scenes, so perhaps avoid it if you’re sensitive to that!

THE GLOAMING BY KIRSTY LOGAN

This is a wonderfully charming magical realism book following Mara and her family, whose island is surrounded with magic and stories. When tragedy strikes her family, Mara finds solace in enigmatic Pearl who introduces her to a new way of life and possibilities she never dreamed of. Torn between the traditions of her island and the ever-changing course of the sea while still haunted by the past, Mara needs to decide which is the best path for her to take. Kirsty Logan is a lyrical genius so if you like beautiful imagery and strange diverse storylines, The Gloaming is a great choice for you.

THE MERMAID AND MRS HANCOCK BY IMOGEN HERMES GOWAR

Set in the 18th century, The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock is a beautifully written and surreal read that will appeal if you’re looking for a more literary, social history-led mermaid book. Merchant Jonah Hancock learns that one of his captains has sold his ship for what is apparently a mermaid. Naturally this piques the curiosity of the area and he is soon thrown into upper class circles, where he meets the beautiful, accomplished Angelica Neal. Soon enough, both of their lives take a new course at a high price. It’s a pretty big book so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it if you’re not already a historical fiction reader but it’s definitely a unique story of obsession and intrigue with bags of wit.

5. TRY THE GREY STUFF: Read with a yummy treat.

Naturally, your choice of reading snack is ENTIRELY your choice but these are four of my favourites to get your tummy rumbling!

ICE CREAM

The perfect treat for a hot day. Just don’t let it drip onto the pages!

Is there anything more tasty than a plate of warm, gooey, freshly baked cookies? Pretty sure there isn’t!

POPCORN

If your book is painting beautiful cinematic images in your mind or the drama is getting a little tense, you might want to grab some popcorn to add to the experience. MOZZARELLA STICKS

Possibly my favourite savoury snack ever. A few mozzarella sticks dipped in sweet chilli sauce is simply delicious!

6. A WHOLE NEW WORLD: Read a fairytale or retelling with a diverse character.

ASH BY MALINDA LO

This bisexual retelling of Cinderella is one of my favourites ever. Ash dreams of being taken away from her miserable life with her stepmother by fairies so when she meets handsome but dark fairy Sidhean, she thinks her life is about to change. Then she meets beautiful huntress Kasia and begins feeling things she hasn’t felt in a long time. But how can she choose between true love and her fairytale escape? It’s sexy, enchanting, incredibly intense and I absolutely devoured it.

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY BY BRIGID KEMMERER

This was our group book for the last round of FairytaleAThon, so if you joined us then, there is a good chance you’ll have already read A Curse So Dark And Lonely. It’s a recently released Beauty and the Beast retelling which has been getting a lot of hype in the book community. It follows Harper, a teenage girl living in Washington DC with her ailing mother and dismissive older brother. When she intervenes in a street incident, she finds herself being pulled into Emberfall, a broken kingdom ruled by Prince Rhen, who has been cursed to relive his 18th year until a girl falls for the vicious beast he has become. With evil forces at work, Harper and Rhen need to defeat more than a curse to save the people of Emberfall. Harper has cerebral palsy and as a result, she has developed a strength and feistiness that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in YA fantasy. It’s a must read for anyone who loves cursed hearts, easy-to-root-for characters and page-turning tension.

EVERY HEART A DOORWAY BY SEANAN MAGUIRE

The first in the Wayward Children series of novellas, Every Heart A Doorway is the perfect twisted fairytale. The premise explores what happens to the children who have been to magical lands on their return to the real world. Ever-changed by their experiences, they are often take to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, where everyone is seeking a door to the fantasy world they’ve left. When Nancy arrives, darkness and tragedy are just around the corner. There are asexual and transgender characters, multiple ethnicities represented as well as plenty of dark whimsical adventure. It’s certainly a strange little series but once you start it, you’ll be hooked.

THE WRATH AND THE DAWN BY RENEE AHDIEH

A retelling of an Arabian Nights story, The Wrath and the Dawn tells the story of the young king Khalid who murders a new wife every night. When her best friend becomes one of the slain, Shahrzad volunteers to be his next bride with every intention of not being the one who ends up dead. Through the power of storytelling, she survives night after night and inexplicably finds herself falling in love with Khalid, who appears to be nothing more than a tortured soul -much like the rest of his palace which seems to have more than a few secrets. It’s a novel full of tradition, elegance and fantastic world-building. You’ll definitely get swept up in this one!

7. RAGS TO RICHES: Read the group book.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FANGIRL BY ASHLEY POSTON

Our group book this round is The Princess and the Fangirl and I can’t wait to dive into it! It’s set in the same fandom as Geekerella but is not a direct sequel, so you can technically read it if you haven’t read the previous book. It follows fangirl Imogen who is on a mission to save her favourite Starfield characters Princess Amara from being killed off. However Jessica, the actress who plays her, is desperate to shake off the pressure and intensity from the fandom and would actually quite like to bow out of the series. I don’t want to know too much more about it but I know it involves an F/F romance and I’m guessing there’s a case of switching places or mistaken identities at some point, given that it has been touted as a retelling of The Prince and the Pauper. I am INCREDIBLY excited for this one and I hope you’ll be picking it up too!

Hopefully I’ve given you some ideas for your own TBR. I’ll be posting my own next week, so look out for that. This round looks like a good one!

#fairytaleathon #readathon #recommendations #book recommendations #fantasy #ya #mythology #mermaids #fairytales #books #bookworm

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mavros-goodfellow · 7 years

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The Shiz Diaries

From the diary of Tippetarius Saiserit

Day One

I can’t believe Mombi finally said yes! I’ve been asking her to let me attend Shiz for over a year-- it’s the best school for magic in Oz and I know I don’t have a lot of it but perhaps I could learn how to use it like Glinda does, like she learned here.

I moved in just this morning. Mombi had to leave-- it’s a long way to Gillikin from Shiz-- but my new roommate moved in this afternoon and it’s Mavros!

Oh, I suppose you don’t know who Mavros is, being a book and everything. Mavros is the step-son of Glinda the Good herself! His mother is Prince Robin Goodfellow (which I don’t entirely get, but I suppose it makes sense to them-- Mombi said not to question too much anyways) who is Glinda’s husband and sometimes called Puck, and she (he? they? I’m not sure, I’ve heard all three) was here helping him move in. She was very nice though! All the papers make her out to be so scary, but she unpacked Mavros’ things and even helped with a few of mine. She seemed concerned that Mombi wasn’t there to help me, but I explained it all and besides, I’m used to doing things on my own.

Mavros looked so sad to be here. I bet he’s going to miss his mother. I miss Mombi already.

Day Two

Oh, Mavros is wonderful! He’s already agreed to help with the Homecoming Dance, though I will admit that the other students were a little pushy, but only because they were excited! Mavros didn’t seem to know what to say, I’m sure he was so flattered that they would think of him. I know no one really thinks of me. That’s okay, though. Mombi said that my focus should be on my work, not on making friends. The faster I get my work done, the sooner I can go home. She was very anxious that I come home.

But perhaps one friend would be okay. I sure would like to be friends with Mavros. His life must be so amazing-- living in the palace, having the ear of Glinda the Good herself, and he says that he’s over 1200 years old, that sounds incredible.

We had our first classes today. We’re in several of them together, including magic and history. Mavros seemed a bit confusified over his history book, though I suppose he does come from another world. His history will be different than ours. He’s very smart, you can hear it in his voice. His voice is like... like that darkness that fell over Oz. Rich and cold. A calm eternal night. Oh, goodness, now I’m even writing like how he speaks. It’s just so wonderfied. It’s too bad he doesn’t seem to want to talk to anyone. I suppose we’re both a little shy.

Day Three

I wish Mombi was here. All this school work and cleaning the dorm room? Plus people are constantly asking me about Mavros. Mombi always said, even back home, that I do my work first, and then friends. And there’s always more work.

I cleaned the dorm while Mavros was at his committee meeting. I had hoped that he would be happy that the chores were done. He did not seem so. In fact, he seemed rather perplexed.

“I cleaned the room,” I told him.

“Why?”

Mombi never asked me why I did my chores. She only expected me to do them.

“I, ah...”

“It’s fine,” he said. He seemed distracted by something. “Ariel stress-cleans too. Just don’t disinfect anything.”

“Oh.”

I hope I didn’t upset him too much. Something tells me he’s easily upset.

Day Four

Mavros seems very interested in Ozian history. I started talking about the Wizard and the witches and Glinda, and he waved me off. He said something about “the same lies in the history book”. I hope he isn’t mad at me. He’s the only friend I have right now. There’s too much work for any others. I hope i can get everything done in time for the dance. I’d like to go.

Mavros was using this old textbook that I don’t think is part of the curriculum. He seemed to have some trouble reading it. I might have looked at a few pages over his shoulder-- it made sense to me. Maybe written Ozian is different from the languages he’s used to?

Day Five

History class was exciting! Mavros started telling this story about how the Wicked Witch of the West was named Elphaba Thropp and how the Wizard tricked her into doing something bad and how the Wizard was really in the wrong and it was so fantastical I could hardly believe it. I asked him about this story when we got back to the dorm.

“It’s not a story,” he said. “I placed a truth spell on the textbook, it was almost entirely wrong. Besides that, I’ve been told things by Glinda that directly contradict what it says...”

He told me a wonderful story about Elphaba Thropp and how she fought against the Wizard and how Glinda was left in charge. His voice was so wonderful and his eyes, as black as they are, seemed to light up when he talked about her.

“Then why was she called ‘wicked’?” I asked.

“Because... wicked is what people say when they don’t understand,” he said. “Good and evil is not a light switch. People do wrong things not because they’re inherently bad, but often because they’re scared, or angry, and just can’t control...”

I don’t understand, but then, I’m not a 1200-year-old fairy. But perhaps I can believe him. He seems to need someone to believe him.

Day Six

Someone in our history class tried to prank Mavros today. They got me pretty good, but they were trying for Mavros. He took me to the clinic-- I hope I’m not here long, I have so much work to do. Mavros seemed very angry for me. The ones who pulled the prank ended up here, I think Mavros had something to do with it. He didn’t need to, it was just a bucket of water.

Day Seven

They let me out of the clinic today-- I did not get a concussion. That’s nice, they told me I wouldn’t be able to work if I had a concussion. Mavros took me back to the dorm.

“Thank you for making sure I’m okay,” I said. “Though maybe next time, don’t try to take it out on those guys?”

“They were trying to kill me,” he said.

The Wicked Elphaba Thropp was supposedly melted by a bucket of water. I don’t think it would have that effect on him.

“How many times do I have to–”

“Would it have killed you?” I asked

“…No. The cast iron bucket might have burned me some though.”

I tried to turn the conversation. “Why do they even make buckets out of iron? They’d rust, right?”

He almost smiled, but hid it behind his hand.

“You know, Mombi’s a witch,” I said.

“Your mother? Is she...” He caught himself in a question.

“Is she a good witch or a bad witch? I don’t know. She only really does magic for herself.”

“I see.”

I hope he likes me. I’ve never really had a friend before. I think taking a prank that was meant for him makes us friends now.

Day Eight

I really screwed up in magic class today. I was just supposed to make the pumpkin grow. But it grew too much and left! It had vines that made legs and it just... walked away. There aren’t too many people people in magic class, but one of them is Mavros. I know my magic isn’t much, and I haven’t had as long as he has had to work on it, but I’d really rather not make a fool of myself in front of him again.

I want him to like me. I’ve never wanted anyone to like me this bad before. His magic is so wonderified. He controls these shadows and dark areas. They move with him, like they’re a part of him. It’s totally different from any Ozian magic I’ve seen. He doesn’t even need that spellbook, I bet. He jsut does it all on his own.

There was some iron glued on the doorknob to the door of our dorm (that’s a lot of ‘dor’ sounds...). In terms of pranks, even I could tell that was not a great one, but it certainly shook Mavros. I need to watch out for that. I don’t want him getting hurt.

Day Nine

It looks like I’m going to have plenty of time to go to the dance! I’m budgeting my time well enough that it should be easy to get everything done. It’s a masquerade, so I’m going to need to make a costume. I was looking through what I have when I asked what Mavros was going as.

“I... haven’t decided yet.”

“Oh, neither have I,” I said. “Perhaps we could help each other? I can never decide what to wear...”

“I’m not a fairy godparent,” he said.

“No! That’s not what I’m asking,” I said. “Just… you’re always really well dressed– all the newspapers hate you, but love your clothes.”

“Really.”

“Really! I just need a few pointers the night of, before I leave. When I’m not told what to wear, I look stupid.”

“Thou wears the pre-approved school uniform. Thou already looks stupid.”

“See!”

He really does wear such wonderful clothes. His uniform is a double breasted suit and cape with the mandatory stripes on the edge. He almost always wears a silver circlet with a violet stone. I asked him about it once, but he suddenly became very terse. All I know is that it’s important.

Day Ten

Mavros was poisoned today. Someone put iron in his food and he was in almost immediate pain. I helped him to the clinic where he sent for Ariel. Most people don’t get to see Ariel, he keeps to himself in the palace most often. Some people called him the Tempest, especially during the war. I saw him once back then. He was passing our home with a group of soldiers. I don’t think he recognized me. He really is covered in scales, too!

He was in with Mavros for a long time. Mavros seemed to be fine when he got out, but I’m worried.

I haven’t cleaned anything today, I should do that before I go to bed.

Day Eleven

I cleaned the dorm last night, especially taking care to get the iron off the doorknob and any iron in the dorm that might exist. Mavros came in while I was scrubbing the floor.

“Art thou cleaning again?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“You realize that this is a dorm right? That floor’s never going to be clean.”

“Some of the iron fell, I want to make sure it--”

“Tip.”

I stopped. I half wanted him to say my name again.

“This... isn’t stress-cleaning, is it?” he asked.

“Sure it is. That’s what you said, right?” I said.

“Look, I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t want you to get poisoned again,” I said. That’s not what I wanted to say.

“There’s nothing thou canst do about that,” he said. “Except, of course, making certain thou dost not poison me thyself.”

When he doesn’t wear his hair up, it falls in front of of his face just so... My hands were covered in cleaning solution, I couldn’t do anything about it.

Day Twelve

Mavros invited me along to help set up the Ozdust for the dance. There was so much color and everyone was so excited. Except for Mavros, of course. He keeps a very cool head, but I know he’s excited.

“Oh, Mavros! Isn’t this the most wonderful thing you’ve ever seen?” I asked.

“It’s fine I suppose.”

Ariena, one of the other committee members, must have heard him.

“You’ve done nothing to help all day,” she said. “If you think you can do better–”

“Of course I could,” he said.

“Then go ahead!”

Mavros looked around the room.

“Well, I suppose.”

It’s difficult for me to describe Mavros’ magic because I have no idea how it works. He seemed to reach out and take the room, filling it with his magic, with himself. The cool black that matches that voice surrounded us, and I could just reach out and feel it.

And then he built with it. A gildified chandelier and satin and velvet curtains. Candles everywhere-- floating, on tables, in the chandelier. It looked like starlight in his darkness. He pulled it back, and it all was breathtaking. He was...

“How... magical,” was all I could manage to say, but it made him smile. I wish I could make him smile like that for always.

Day Thirteen

Before the Dance

I had put on my owl costume and Mavros almost retched when he saw it.

“What is this, exactly?” he asked.

“…An owl costume?”

“No,” he said. “Let’s try this again.”

He looked me over and started with the cape.

“If there must be a cape, it must be effortless, with clean lines.”

He turned it into a full-length cape of black feathers, which felt far heavier than the cotton one that I’d been wearing. A silver string tied it in the front.

“The rest of the outfit must fit properly. A shirt fits in the shoulders, collar, arms, and waist.”

He gave me a white collared shirt with fringed sleeves.

“The waist coat fits similarly.”

The vest he magicked up for me was black leather, with silver buttons.

“Tie or cravat?” he asked

“What’s a cravat?”

He gave me a scarf type thing made of grey silk, with a silver pin shaped like an owl’s head.

“And that’s tucked into the waist coat like so. Pants should match the waistcoat, but overdoing leather is a distinct possibility. Also, no break at the cuffs. Thou’rt not exactly the tallest, it will create the illusion of such.”

The black pants fit better than any I’d ever worn. Is he that intuitive about my size..?

“And this is a masquerade, not an engineering lab. Goggles are not appropriate.”

The finishing touch was a black silk mask that felt soft against my skin.

“Well?”

I went over to the mirror. I could hardly recognize myself.

“I don’t think I’ve worn anything finer. Does it, like, end at midnight or something?”

He hid a smile, and my heart skipped a beat. “I’m not a fairy godmother. Time limits on magic are idiotic, and I have no use for them. It will last until I lift it.”

I can’t wait to see what he comes as.

After the Dance

Oh, this was the best night of my life! The music was playing, the candles were perfectly lit, and just when it couldn’t get any better...

He was dressed like the sun, all white and gold. I noticed him when he added a layer of sparkles to my cape. He was trying very hard not to be recognized-- he had a full face mask and a wig that I think was real gold. The music turned soft and slow and I went over to offer him a dance. Perhaps it was the lights, or the music, or the costumes, but I suddenly found the courage to be with him like I want to.

I could feel his magic-- I’m not even sure he was conscious of it. His anxiety was calmed as the dance went on. The knots him him loosened, and perhaps for the first time in his life, he was able to be... normal. I’m still not yet certain why he isn’t normal, but he was closer to it. Next to it, at least.

It wasn’t until I got back to my dorm that that I suddenly had the thought of what Mombi might think. The work was done, I could do as I wished... but there’s always more work. But I read a book once that described a relationship as work. And Mavros needs work. But dancing with him tonight, I could feel that he wanted something. He wanted normal.

Perhaps I can give him that.

Day Sixteen

Mavros has been avoiding me for days now, ever since the dance. I can’t imagine what I did to upset him. Even if he didn’t want me, it was just a dance. But that’s not what I found out today.

He looked tired and I went to ask him what was wrong, but when I put my hand on his shoulder, he flinched. I backed away, convinced that he was done with me.

And then he apologized.

“No, no,” he said. “It’s… it’s just been a long day.”

“Yeah, you seem really out of it,” I said. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine!”

His shadows reacted. He closed up again, turning away. I could feel them closing in.

“That doesn’t sound fine.”

“It’s nothing.”

“That was your magic.”

“Oh, an expert now, are we?” He winced. I knew that wasn’t how he meant it.

“Well, now you’re sounding like yourself.” I crossed my arms. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

“No, I can’t,” he said. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

“Fine. I was conceived by a dark force of unknown origin. I am trapped every day in its grip and my only option is to keep total control at all times. Now I try to remain civil, but any perception of impropriety and rudeness are mere moments when I am free to express myself.”

I had no idea. I want to tell him that his magic is beautiful, that his remarks are actually funny, that I don’t mind the dark. His hand was shaking, changing. His veins started to turn black.

“I have attempted to control it, but it doesn’t always work.”

I took his hand. And then… the shadows receded. The black veins were gone.

“I imagine some days are worse than others?” I asked.

“Y-yes,” he said. “How–?”

“You don’t have to worry anymore,” I said. “I’m right here.”

I kissed him. I could feel his magic reaching for mine, I could feel everything he did. He was at peace, for perhaps the first time in his life. Finally, the rest of him was as calm as the sound of his voice.

Me? I could have died happy right then.

#drabble

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survivormoheli · 6 years

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Tribal Council #5 - One World

Welcome, everyone, to our one world tribal council where only the Ouani tribe can be voted out.

Eric, Blake, and Elliot, as this is your first tribal council, please dip your torches.

AnnMarie, how important is trust in a tribal council this big? Do you trust anyone who comes to you, or are you skeptical of everyone?

I'm open to all discussions with everybody in a tribal so large. Trust is important, but easy to maintain. To me, you are innocent until proven guilty, and unless you have lied to me, I'm open to any idea you may have. No plan is good or bad, and nobody is truly good and evil in a game like this.

Blake, you had the worst score in the challenge. Do you think this will ultimately put a target on your back? Do you think the strategy is past ‘keep the tribe strong’?

Ultimately I hope my GOD awful score doesn't put a target on my back... but hey who knows they may be thinking about the merge and be like well that kid wont be any competition for individual immunity so lets keep him around. The strategy about keeping the tribe strong I don't know if that is so relevant now bc so many people have formed relationships. But if my tribe still wants a strong team then I may be on the chopping block...

Bryan, how confident are you in the game post-one world? Do you think your position on your new tribe will be solid after all of this round’s drama?

Dani, after getting a strike in the challenge, do you think you’ll be targeted? How do you assure your fellow players that you’ll be active enough to take part in their plans?

Oh Jay... ENOUGH! Enough is ENOUGH IVE HAD IT! I feel like I’m taking CRAZY pills every time you ask me a god forsaken question... anyways. To answer your question. First of all, I didn’t understand the challenge and had no desire to understand it. Second of all, I had to volunteer all day today so I was just not for it. In other words, Yes. I AM ACTIVE ENOUGH.

Elliot, how has the tribe swap influenced game dynamics? Do you feel more solid with your new tribe or with the old? How do you think the game will have changed after this one world tribal?

The tribe swap has definitely changed the game- you get comfortable and then the tribes all swap around. While there are people I trust on both my tribe, and people I don't, for me this vote comes down to who I think has been the most genuine with me, and while that might alienate me from some people that's a risk I'm going to have to take.

Eric, congratulations on attending your first tribal council this late in the game! How do you sus out where the vote is since you don’t have prior experience with tribals? How do you maximize this opportunity to send the right person home?

Thanks for the warm welcome! haha It's kind of exciting to finally be at a tribal council, especially one where I'm immune. I guess it's important to take the time to chat with others, see how they all feel and take the time to understand what's truly going on. This is a very unique opportunity since everybody on the game is here to vote and it can create a unique voting trend.

Andreas, how much do you think old tribal lines and old alliances will influence this vote?

This vote is all about old tribal lines and old alliances. So I think, this will influence the vote for 100%.

JG, there’s no way for a majority alliance to have existed since tribes are currently smaller than the number needed for a majority, so how do votes get determined in a one world tribal? Is there a cohesive voting block, or will it be a heavily split vote?

Honestly, we won't know until tribal. There are so many strong players who want to still be here the next round and with so few people to be voted its gonna make for a interesting tribal .... I also think this has the potential to shake up any pre-existing shiz. .... oh and hi lynn

Lynn, after the drama between you and JG last round, do you think that animosity will come to a head as you’re one of the people who could potentially be eliminated?

Um the animosity is most definitely coming to a head. I mean even now everyone can obviously see JG doesn’t know how to keep my name from out of his messages to the gc so far. there’s no way you can stop people from believing what they want and JG is obviously coming after me so we’ll see what happens.

Phoenix, what do you think of Tara’s decision to make one world happen?

I mean, I know she was in a rush and people wanted it to happen, so it happened. I don't blame her or anything haha

Raffy, as the numbers dwindle down, how do you set yourself up to be in a good position for the merge?

You be social and hope to god people are being truthful. I want to trust people, but this is Survivor. Trust only goes as far as the things backing up that trust. When people vote together, you trust them. However, things can shift dramatically within the span of one tribal. I don't know how to set myself up for merge, but I pray to god that I am doing all that I can

Richie, my question to you is as simple as it is classic: what will you be basing your vote on tonight?

what will i be basing my vote on tonight???? well i'm safe and so is everyone on our tribe so my stake in this vote is hopefully going to make a proactive move that will help make the next vote i'm not safe at a little bit more manageable?????????

Tara, let us in on the logic behind putting the one world tribal in place. Do you think this will help you seem MORE or LESS trustworthy long term?

umm i honestly was just like walking down a rly busy corridor and i was stressing bcos i had to answer quick bcos i had already kept ppl waiting like 20 minutes so i asked in the tribe chat what ppl wanted n ya here we are. umm i honestly don't know what ppl will think of this! i hope they take the time to make new friends and have fun and not stress too much.

Tim, on a scale of 1-10, how rat-like/snake-like is this game? Do you feel you’re playing with trustworthy people, or are you constantly watching your back?

On a scale of one to 10 I'd have to rate the game as of now as a 6. There ARE snakes somewhere because they are inevitable. However, there are different types. You have your garden snake, small and sneaky but common and mostly harmless when they bite. Your Phythons, the big bad snakes who think they're running the show but their fangs hold no venom. They are only deadly one you've came within their ever so "trusting" grip, but from a distance, they are spottable if you know what you are looking for. Finally you have your Black Mambas. NOW these snakes... are deadly asf. You may not even see them coming but once they bite your life in the game is up. I'd advise that you stay as far away as possible from this breed but their camoflage leaves you unable to know who or where they are.

I feel as though everyone is trustworthy but the extent at which they are varies depending on the context of the situation as well as your previous trust.

I’ll read the votes.

First Vote: Bryan

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Second Vote: Blake

you did not speak to me. you tried to do something way beyond your ability. you were messy. good bye.

Third Vote: Bryan:

Under his eye

Fourth Vote: Blake

That’s two votes Bryan, two votes Blake, 10 votes left.

Fifth Vote: Bryan

Out! OUT! GET OUT!

Sixth Vote: Blake

sorry I have to stick to my guns ....

That’s three votes Bryan, three votes Blake, 8 votes left.

Seventh Vote: Bryan

in tears uh, hey everyone… karma got its kiss for me! puckers lips uh i cant go to JONATHAN’S right now because i got a…. a ticket because apparently you’resupposedtopulloverforanemergencyvehicle and i didn’t know laughs listen, my life is extremely going downhill cause im getting acne, and im getting fat and im blading right here if you cant see the whole triangle there like a piece of hair, im balding IM BALDING i’m turning ugly and my face is going to be fat for the rest of the day and i cant even SHOWER BEFORE WORK because im not going to be home on time! and that fat ass indiana cries the fat ass indiana cop…. gave me a ticket…. and he’s like “do you know about this law?” i didn’t so i said “no”… because i didnt talking through tears and it’s so much money and i only have FOURTY SEVEN DOLLARS and im not even supposed to go under fifty and im going to get fined by my bank

try not to hold-

SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!! im going to get fined by my bank for having under fifty dollars ♫ and i already owe my parents four hundred something dollars and i owe my friend’s mom eighty and i cant get a job now but everything’s fine cough and im oKAY and my parents are really mad at me and my life is going downhiiiill ♫ so if anyone wants to be like a nice person laughs through tears and give me money to pay for this fucking ticket because i dont have it inhales i’mgoingtoleavemypaypal link but like winks thats me winking BUT MY EYES ARE TOO SWOLLEN TO WINK cries and i called to see if i could serve jail time instead of paying but no one answered so i left a voicemail asking if it were an option for me to serve jail time instead of paying inhales you’re going to get arrested for that they’re going to be like this dumbest bitch then they’re going to arrest you crying isn’t that the point that’s what he wants and my friends are laughing while i’m having an emotional breakdown crying SHOW ME SUPPOOOOOOORT crying laughing screams into pillow

Eighth Vote: Bryan

it's hard to not take an opportunity like this to vote out a very strong and experienced player. I wish you the best!

Ninth Vote: Bryan

It sucks that you have to go home but sometimes it be like that

Tenth vote, and the next person voted out of Survivor Athena Moheli: Bryan

Lol sorry bud

The remaining votes were also for Bryan.

Eleventh Vote: Bryan

You're a really nice dude, it just has to be done

Twelfth Vote: Bryan

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thirteenth Vote: Bryan

Fourteenth vote:

Bryan, you will have a few moments to send any last words before everyone is removed from this chat.

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