#i honestly do not know if juno's name is spelled

[muppetebbtide]

classical name allusions in the locked tomb

sorry guys I'm a one trick pony. I'm sure most of these have been said before but I LOOOVE pulling on threads until they tangle up and get stuck so. these used to be in alphabetical order but then I remembered about some lol. spoilers for all the books. I'm not arguing anything I'm just kicking rocks around

alecto

one of the three furies sent to punish mortals for unforgivable crimes (like killing family members... or ppl who have 'sworn false oaths.' get that.)

alecto specifically was sent by juno in book 7 of the aeneid to stir up war amongst turnus and aeneas; she impersonates the latin queen and pretends to be a priestess. might pay off, might not.

cassiopeia

queen and mother of princess andromeda (from the perseus myth); infamously vain, boasted that she and her daughter were more beautiful than goddesses and got andromeda stuck on a rock as a sacrifice, good job hon. as punishment gets chained to her throne and set as a constellation forever (this does make me wonder about the parallel to alecto there w the chains, but I don't know if it's worth pursuing, likely not. but I have seen theories that like alecto, she's not actually dead)

tamsyn notes in the back of harrow that this comparison is 'doing her a disservice', however

juno

roman queen of the gods, goddess of marriage, ideal wife etc etc, honestly I think she is likely just called that for the matriarch vibe but if anyone has an insight on why else she's named that lmk. she's a lot chiller than the mythological juno is generally portrayed fjfhjd

priamhark (harrow's father)

priam was hector's father and king of the doomed city of troy; he had one hundred children, almost all of whom die. you can see the parallel I'm pulling here right.

pellemeana (harrow's mother)

peleus was the father of the vastly overpowered achilles, who was his only son. same implication; hundreds of kids from priam + one incredibly OP kid from peleus that spelled the doom of lots of priam's kids = barebone parallel to harrow's creation

if this means we have to consider harrowhark to be either achilles, or hector, or achilles-and-hector... lol oh dear

(if that makes gideon either patroclus or andromache... bonus fear. terror even)

sarpedon

I mean as far as I remember admiral sarpedon wasn't that important so far, but sarpedon is a son of zeus in the iliad that patroclus kills while impersonating achilles. it's like his Big Kill. zeus considers saving him but the others are like 'you didn't let US save our kids' and he's like 'damn true :/' and stops trying to intervene

cytherea

allusive of aphrodite; it's another name for her, linked to the island where she was supposedly born from the seafoam. an interesting choice. I do like that the dress she's first described wearing is 'seafoam green frills' though, it's like a little clue. the wiki points out that cytheran aphrodite was adopted from the canaanite (ha ha) deity astarte, and had war-like aspects that were later suppressed, which makes a lot of sense.

might be worth noting that if we're going with the ouranos-genital-seafoam thing for aphrodite's origin, that in one version the furies including alecto were also created then, from his blood. they're basically sisters. fun. (or not so fun for john but whatever)

palamedes

palamedes in mythology was the one to put the infant telemachus in front of odysseus's plough, and therefore force odysseus to renounce his faked madness and go to troy; odysseus never forgave him for this, and one way or the other he gets him killed.

(one might also look to the arthurian sir palamedes, who was in unrequited love with iseult, lost her to sir tristan but wasn't a little bitch about it, and then goes on a quest concerning a 'questing beast', and eventually in one version he, percival and galahad trap the beast in a lake and slay it, so stick a pin in that why don't you)

originally called diomedes (who is, as tamsyn puts it, 'athena's favourite goodboy') but I think that could say interesting things about his ability to go up against lyctors (or even jod) since with a little help from an A-named goddess, the big thing diomedes does in the iliad is wound two gods and make them flee the battlefield... hm

also diomedes is one of the only ones who makes it out the other side of the trojan war lol

camilla:

possibly allusive of the warrior maiden camilla in book 11 of the aeneid, who kills hella men before being killed herself (because she's the token lady warrior on the opposite side in an ancient epic, she can't survive haha how preposterous.)

happily camilla as she is in the locked tomb cannot be killed off as camilla... because she no longer exists as camilla. paul's here now. say hi.

ulysses:

a (roman) name for odysseus. I know john SAYS he didn't name him after the mythological one, he named him after a dog (the implications there are so... bad), but john lies like a rug and frankly insisting that he didn't makes me feel even MORE like he did, or even if he's not lying it works anyway.

after all, odysseus wouldn't have gotten far without athena's divine intervention; one might even say he owes everything to his patron god, the same way ulysses literally owes everything to john since he and titania were the pet projects from pre-resurrection

I do not want to talk about james joyce I only read one chapter of ulysses for a seminar and that was enough thanks

also, what was ulysses known for but vanishing for ages, being presumed dead, then pulling back up miraculously Not Dead and killing a bunch of people. he could be back... he had that suspicious stoma death like augustine. this is making me realise that loads of the lyctors have suspect deaths

(also by the time the romans got to odysseus they were kind of dubious about him since he had a lot of non-roman traits like 'no honour' and 'outright lying to people for funzies' so if he does come back I half-expect him to be a bit of a nightmare lol but that's probably unfounded)

pyrrha:

as mentioned by tamsyn, the name that achilles takes while he's disgused as a woman on scyros to avoid the war, but exposes himself as achilles when he forgets himself and tries to fight instead of flee. I think the parallel there is pretty obvious lol

(and achilles's son, who goes absolutely nutters and kills loads of people in the siege of troy, is called neoptolemus... or pyrrhus.)

means red-haired as well lol... it's a great name for the g1deon / pyrrha / wake / gideon car crash going on

#i might have forgotten something/someone but this is what I got rn #the locked tomb #gideon the ninth #nona the ninth spoilers #nona the ninth #harrow the ninth #tlt #my post

[xflippinfrogx]

1, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 22, 33, 40, 50, 56, 57, 58, 67, 68, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 81, 82, 96, 97, 100, 101, 113, 114, 117, 118, 119, 120, 127, 128, 133, 134, 135, 137, 142, 144, 145, 146, 148, 149, 150

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

1. Who was the last person you held hands with? My best friend because we’re both clingy 🤭

10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? Honestly it was probably you ash, I haven’t gotten too deep irl recently. 12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now? 1. Stick season~ Noah Kahan 2. New Year’s Day~ Taylor swift 3. Kiss me~ Sixpence none the richer 4. The end~ Phoebe Bridgers 5. Bags~ Clairo

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair? People don’t normally play with mine I’m usually the hair player bUT I LOVE IT SO MUCH AGHHHH

14. Do you believe in luck and miracles? Hmmm not sure about miracles but luck sure! I myself have pretty awful luck so we can only hope miracles do exist so it stops😂

17. Do you think there is life on other planets? I’m sure there probably is somewhere in the universe. It might not be exactly like us but cmon there has to be SOMETHING out there?!

22. Where would you like to travel? YOUR HOUSE👹 33. Spell your name with your chin.

woaj hsa DUDE I WASNT EVEN CLOSE

40. What do you want to do after high school? I want to go to college maybe start a band or something like that. Honestly I don’t really know I just can’t wait to move out and have my own little apartment somewhere or something. 50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore? Uhhhhh does it count if I’m wearing it right now? Because it’s grey. 56. Favourite colour? Light green and dark red like cherries

57. Favourite food? I love chicken rolls more than life itself🤤 58. Last thing you ate? Funny enough it was a chicken roll- 67. Facebook or Twitter? I don’t actually have twitter so Facebook? I hardly use it though 68. Twitter or Tumblr? TUMBLR 100% I spend half my life on here

73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? UH DUH

74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have? TOO MANY BUT I LOVE THEM ALL EQUALLY AND THEYRE ALL ON MY BED BECAUSE NO ONE GETS LEFT BEHIND

75. Favourite animal? CATS AND PIDGEONS 77. Chocolate or Vanilla? I love both but for different things

78. Favourite ice cream flavour? Cookies and cream 81. Favourite tv show? I watch so many but maybe the owl house 82. Favourite movie? Juno 96. Favourite actress? Maya Hawke but mainly because I have a big fat crush on her x 97. Favourite actor? hmmmm maybe Matthew Perry 100. How are you feeling? Im actually really hungry but it’s like 2am so I can’t just go get food rn 101. Do you type fast? If you know me at all you’ll know I absolutely do and my fingers move too fast for my brain sometimes and I tend to misspell things lmao 113. What was your childhood nickname? My mum use to call me Lany but she doesn’t anymore 114. Have you ever been out of your province/state? *County and yes I have loads of times 117. Do you like chicken noodle soup? I LIVE LAUGH LOVE CHICKEN SO YESSS 118. Do you like Chinese food? Yeah it’s alright, tbh the Chinese takeaway here isn’t amazing but I like the wontons 119. Favourite book? Cemetery Boys 120. Are you afraid of the dark? No I find it really peaceful. 127. What makes you happy? Seeing my friends happy<3 128. Would you change your name? I don’t think I would now but I didn’t like it when I was younger. 133. Favourite lyrics right now? Will you still want me when I’m nothing new?- Nothing new Taylor swift & Phoebe Bridgers 134. Can you count to one million? Let’s see shall we 1, 2, 3, 4….. (five million hours later) ONE MILLION I DID IT 135. Dumbest lie you ever told? i use to pretend I was a fairy and I told my friends I was friends with the tooth fairy or something 😭 137. How tall are you? Like 5’2? I could be wrong but yeah

142. Favourite month? OCTOBER OMG I LOVE AUTUMN AND HALLOWEEN AND MY BIRTHDAYS IN OCTOBER ITS JUST OERFECT 145. Tea or Coffee? Iced coffee and hot tea💕 146. Was today a good day? Today was kinda boring but yeah it was pretty good 148. What’s your favourite quote? This is one from my music teacher “If you’re only feeling 60% then give 100% of your 60%!” Another one from him, “GUYS THE CARBON IS ALL OUT OF WHACK” 149. Do you believe in ghosts? Id love if they were real because that would be so cool!!! 150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page?  All my books are in bags rn because of the renovations so I can’t do this one😭

#lana talks #asks

[sketcherson]

▫️ S K E T C H ▫️

hello! i thought it’d be fun to make a side blog around my d&d character sketch! honestly this is just for me and (maybe) the two other members of my campaign but if u do care to follow this blog, it’ll consist of pictures that remind me of sketch, songs/lyrics that remind me of them, or stuff they would say/post themselves. it’ll be mostly if not all in character here so if you ever want to know anything more about them/the campaign/etc feel free and send an ask!

|| here’s some info to get to know them ||

name: sketch

race: changeling

class: barbarian

age: 26

pronouns: they/them mostly, ok with whatever honestly though

alignment: chaotic neutral

background: criminal; was found as a child by the young princess wandering on castle grounds one day & tentatively “adopted” (like a pet). they grew up living in the castle as well until they were teenagers and the princess was being rebellious (taking in mutant creatures, using spells to wipe sketch’s memory of things again and again, etc) and then ran away which sketch was blamed for and cast out/hunted by the royal family. they ran into the forest to a cabin looking for help and safety but the elf living there turned them in to the authorities. with everything in that day & everything over time catching up to them, they killed the elf in a rage and stole his appearance and identity as their main disguise. they’ve been on the run ever since. they received tips for some treasure leading to an island called genevieve but it was part of a setup. this is where they met their allies and where the campaign began. since then they’ve been trying to discover the truth about the royal experiments of creating mutants to try & make the royals genetically perfect, and trying to stop them and save who they can.

other: they have a temper and are not quick to trust anyone in the slightest

allies: juno (elf wizard), rorii (elf druid), legoshi (water genasi barbarian)

enemies: the royals, specifically the estranged princess prince carmichael

picrew for reference of what they look like normally (1st picture) and their elf disguise (2nd picture)

#dnd #d&d #d&d character #dnd character #dnd oc #dnd ocs #d&d oc #oc blog #dungeons and dragons #mission: dismantle #sketcherson ooc

[groenendaze]

a wonderful assortment of adventure dogs with @kittyms167‘s Kiko and @dragontribeadventures‘s Custard

#plus a couple of non-tumblr friends! #nettle #finch #kiko #custard #i honestly do not know if juno's name is spelled #juno #or #juneau #so im gonna tag them both #and jolene the puppy on the far right!

[writers-worst-nightmare]

say could I have you take on how Juno, Legoshi and Sheila reaction lets say human are from a totally different galaxy and they came to the Beastar world and Juno, Legoshi and Ellen know that on the human world there are animals like them but not them and thy befriended a human S/O who is from an animal sanctuary so S/O too them to the sanctuary and thy see all the feral animals and S/O takes them to see their wolf buddy and thy meet a big white wolf with yellow eyes that looked intimidating but S/O Gives the big white wolf lots of pets and says "This is Tina she was the runt of the litter and was rejected by her mother so I raised her and look how big she has grown"

Juno, Legoshi, and Sheila reacting to having a human s/o who is from another galaxy but that isn’t important to the story because there is a hot wolf:

A/N: this was a LITTLE confusing but after a lot of hard work and a Mother Mother playlist I figured out what you meant (again, if I got this request wrong just like re-send It or explain it. My little brain cells are srsly being fried)

Request are always open!

Warning(s): N/A (please correct me if wrong though)

JUNO:

- when you first arrived she already was pretty shocked and honestly just clung to Legoshi

- but when she saw YOU

- oh God I hope you are ready to get spammed with a bunch of questions

- I will DIE on the head canon that Juno LOVES to learn about new things and ask a bunch of questions whenever a new topic is introduced to her

- like I think that would just be super cute and funny

- idk honestly

- when you explained everything to her she realized as fast as she could and was actually the one who suggested they went to the place where you worked at

- I know what it is but I have dyslexia and it is like SUPER hard for me to spell it out I am so so so so sooo sorry

- once you took her to the place she was honestly afraid

- I mean, she wasn’t far from the animals there themselves either

- so whenever you said that you where going to take them to the wolf section Juno got REALLY nervous

- she feels self conscious as she walks over there, feeling her energy going down the drain as she stares at the wolves in front of her

- then you guys got to the biggest wolf their probably (although she didn’t pay attention to size that much)

- she was pretty afraid

- this was a white wolf so she was already small compared to them

- but when she saw HER

- the strong teeth of the wolf that looked like he could bite her head off without even trying to

- and don’t even get her STARTED about the yellow blazing eyes that looked like a warning on it’s own to not go NEAR that wolf

- she hid behind you as everyone went up to the wolf

"This is Tina she was the runt of the litter and was rejected by her mother so I raised her and look how big she has grown"

- you said as you bent down and petted the white wolf on the head

- Tina wagged her tail and lolled out his head slightly to the left

- you bent down and scratched the wolves ears, the wold looked away in embarrassment but still secretly wanting more

- she instantly felt bad that she thought Tina was a big bad wolf

- and honestly she felt selfish

- I mean if anybody looked at Juno they would guess that she is feisty because she was a wolf

- and because of that she did not have a lot of friends,

- so she went up to Tina and head butted with her

- Tina looked taken back for a moment before a big goofy smile played on the wolves face

- the piercing and once cold yellow eyes seemed less of a warning and more of a welcome sign that you would see on somebodies door mate

- Tina and Juno stood their for a while before Juno howled out loud as in a celebration of welcoming somebody in the pack

- Tina jumped up and down with excitement before joining in

- You also got the hint and joined in as well

LEGOSHI:

- “Is there a book about this..?”

- Legoshi would whisper as you drag him to the place you work at

- let’s say you took everyone to meet Tina (omg why did that autocorrect to Tian so many times) different times so the white wold didn’t get stressed

- Legoshi isn’t one to judge on looks so in his spare time, while everyone was looking at the birds and other animals he did some research for the white wolf

- he learned quiet a few interesting things

- a lot he didn’t need to know, but still it was nice to read it

- another head canon that I will die on is that Legoshi likes to research

- like he does research in his free time, he does research when he is suppose to be doing homework

- he does research EVERYWHERE AND ANYWHERE

- that and reading classics

- BUT THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT NOW IS IT!?!?

- he found out the best ways to approach a white wolf and how to get the old acquainted with you

- so best be prepared when you called Legoshi’s name for him to see the wolf, he wasn’t that surprised when he saw how Tina looked

- I mean, she looked like any other regular wolf

- however—even he had to admit—the wolf did look more scarier in person then in pictures

- and the yellow gleaming eyes didn’t help either

"This is Tina she was the runt of the litter and was rejected by her mother so I raised her and look how big she has grown"

- you explained as you gave Tina some pets

- Legoshi nodded his head then literally plopped on the ground

- he read somewhere to keep your distance and look them in the eyes

- Legoshi tried to look this wolf in the eyes, but he couldn’t

- leave him alone, best boi tried :(

- Tina had to come to Legoshi and give him a few licks

- Legoshi would laugh breathlessly

- and that was the first time you saw Legoshi smile

- he usually never smiled because of his sharp teeth but now, his has kind of forgotten that he was wolf

- You smiled warmly as the two greeted each other with smiles and hugs and affection

- Legoshi’s head would be basically exploding he wouldn’t know what to do

- and what he ended up doing

- was crying

- for the first time, it hit him like a train,

- what hit him like a train? You might ask

- well it is…

- that nobody could love him if he didn’t open up and expose his trauma

- he has closed his doors and kept up his walls for so many people

- but this wolf, this wold, didn‘t know anything about boundaries

- all Tina knew was hunt, eat, sleep, love, repeat

- and that

- that made Legoshi cry tears of joy

- this wolf would never face the dangers that the world had to offer because she was with you

- and that was all it took for Legoshi to cry while smiling

SHEILA:

- I honestly have no idea what to do for her, she is such a side character oml

- POOR GIRL WAS SO CONFUSED

- “won’t there be like…herbavore’s there…?”

- she would ask as she shifts her feet in discomfort

- “not for now…although I do plan to open it to both herbavore’s and carnivore’s!”

- you cheerfully boasted as the cheetah looked at you through narrowed eyes

- “I don’t think we should mix with the—“

- “for the love of God, shut the hell up!”

- she gets very worried when she goes through the butterfly section in fear of hurting the precious creatures

- you had to calm her down and actually go through the steps with her on how to not hurt a butterfly

- she mostly spent her time with the cheetah‘s and butterfly’s so she got a little pouty when you said it was time for her to meet the wolf

- I mean she didn’t even LIKE wolves so why did she have to put up with one!?

- but when she got into the area her blood ran cold

- right in front of her was the largest white wolf she had ever seen with menacing yellow eyes and long sharp teeth and matching razor sharp claws that could most certainly kill a butterfly AND her with no effort whatsoever

"This is Tina she was the runt of the litter and was rejected by her mother so I raised her and look how big she has grown"

- you stated as you started scratching Tina’s ears

- Sheila calmed down almost instantly when she heard the soft whimpers and the way Tina positioned her head so she wouldn’t accidentally bite your hand off

- that was actually really nice of Tina

- so once you got done petting Tina Sheila started to gently soak Tina’s back

- the swipes where soft and filled with meaning behind every stroke

- she ended up sleeping with the friendly giant on her lap like she was a puppy

- and you of course took pictures so the Drama Club could see that Their amazing club meme bear had a soft spot for Tina too

- and it got on the first page of the News

#juno x reader #juno beastars #legoshi beastars #beastars legoshi #legoshi x reader #beastars legosi #legosi #sheila x reader #beastars #beastars oc #beastars x reader #beastars headcanon #legoshi #legosi beastars #Cheetah has a soft spot omg #this took longer than expected

[vancilocs]

Oops, neja and yecal and uuu docs?

it’s raining outside

where they first met and how

Neja hired Yecal to help her do crime (without having the money for it but she figured she was cute enough to do get away with it)

At work, introduce oncologist to ER doc

how long their ‘flirting’ phase was before feelings got involved

Honestly Neja was flirting almost straight off, flirting and fooling around for a while, not seeing each other for a time, then kinda wonder if there’s feewings when seeing him again

Quite a while I think, going back and forth before Juno had to do something

who fell for who first (if applicable)

Mayyybe Neja

Damn I don’t know I was thinking and idk

where their first date was and what it was like

I mean Neja considers their first crime their first date, very fun

I guess at Juno’s place when she invited him for dinner

who asks who out and how (with a sign? spelled out on a cake? just a simple ‘will you go out with me’?)

Neja left her number for him and let him do with that what he willed

Juno just asked if Enrique would like to come over some weekend and have dinner

who proposes first

Yecal in his underwear if the Sims is to believed

It was a mutual decision but idk if Enrique asked if Juno would like to be married and she was like yeah sure babe xx

if they keep / kept their relationship secret or let everyone know right away where the proposal happens and how (kiss cam at a baseball game? on a hillside surrounded by ducks? at a disney park?)

Neja didn’t mean to not tell her family but then it kinda happened that they only found out she’s dating when they got invited to her wedding. She met Yecal’s family only because she happened to be traveling that way anyway

Juno texted Iain to let him know they’re going ring shopping and let her family know after the rings had been got

if they adopt any pets together

They don’t have room or resources unfortunately

Juno has Bob and he’s the alpha male of the house

who’s more dominant

They switch flawlessly

They can switch but more often Juno wants to submit

where their first kiss was and what it was like

At a dingy ol’ motel after a night of crime

At Juno’s apartment

if they have any matching couples stuff (mugs? sweaters? pillowcases?)

Neja isn’t above getting some pillowcases or a matching underwear set

Not really. If anything just mugs that say how many PhD’s they got

how into pda they are

A little at least, hold hands, give some kisses, Neja fits nicely under Yecal’s arm

A bit, holding hands/linking arms is okay, kisses goodbye, feed each other cake at the cafe

who holds the umbrella when it rains

Yecal, though Neja just uses him as a shelter

Enrique, tall

where their usual ‘date spot’ is (if applicable)

There’s probably a local bar they’re regulars at

Ditto, just on the Citadel side... or then a cafe

who’s more protective

Yecal stresses out every time Neja is out being a reckless bitch by herself. At least now she has a home, though.

Enrique knows Juno can hold her own, but her just being small is a bit of a threat. She on the other hand is protective of him regarding his illness, don’t you overexert yourself, remember to take your meds

how long it is before they sleep together (can be as in ‘had sex’ or as in ‘shared a bed’)

Bang at the end of the first date, the next time they saw each other and Neja stayed overnight at Yecal’s probably just sleep

Let out frustrations at the end of the dinner date

if they argue about anything

Not really. Neja makes sure she’s not alone outside at night or in sketchy parts of town anymore so Yecal won’t worry.

I guess pain could make Enrique a bit short-tempered (and Juno is just short-tempered by nature) but I don’t know if they argue, more like she leaves him be (after making sure she’s done everything she can for him)

who leaves more marks (lipstick, hickeys, scratchmarks etc.)

I can imagine Yecal being more careful because he has bigger teeth but also Neja bruises very easily bc of her pale skin so it’s a no-win situation. Don’t scratch. She bites him everywhere she can reach but not that hard... sometimes fun to leave marks where nobody can see tho

Enrique definitely has shirts with some lipstick stains on the collar. Otherwise keep marks in hidden places

who steals whose clothes and how often

Every shirt Yecal has also belongs to Neja and she will go limp if he tries to get them back

Juno sometimes steals Enrique’s shirts, cozy n warm

how they cuddle (spooning? facing each other?)

Spooning (either way around) or Neja crawls halfway on top of Yecal

Spooning or Juno makes herself a weighted blanket for Enrique. Or the other way around if she’s particularly stressed

what their favourite nonsexual activity is

Video gaem, cuddling, making food and eating

Playing with cat, watching TV and snacking, cooking, snuggling

how long they stay mad at each other

Neja caps out at like 45 seconds

Not long, after both have said sorry Juno has forgiven and forgotten

what their usual coffee / tea orders are

Neja goes all out with her orders, it’s hardly coffee anymore it’s almost all creamer and syrup

Juno has her coffee simple with milk and sugar, with tea she likes to try out more out-there stuff like rooibos

if they ever have any children together

No, they’re not compatible biologically nor do they want any in general

No, after a proper scare Enrique got snipped

if they have any special pet names for each other

Neja just gets cheesy

If Juno wants to be sweet she calls him Quique and if she wants to be a little shit she calls him Ricky

if they ever split up and / or get back together

No, they’re really fond of each other

Nah

what their shared living space is like (messy? clean? what kind of decor?)

They try to keep it clean but it’s a little messy, try to make use of all the space they got, some tools and spare parts here and there, some clothes hanging around

It’s pretty clean, Juno likes it neat. Use coasters with your mugs. Some cat toys, throw pillows, a blanket, everything breakable away from Bob’s reach

what their first christmas / hanukkah / etc as a couple was like

They probably have wildly different holiday traditions, I guess the other would just do some traditions and introduce the other to them

Don’t people in S. America get Christmas presents on the 6th of January? Those kinds of differences. But I guess he’d open his gift on the 25th if that’s what Juno does

what their names are in each other’s phones

Hooby 💞😍😘💖🥰🖤

Enrique de Cruz, Ph.D ICE

if they have any ‘couple traditions’ (buying a new mug for their collection every year? baking every friday evening?)

Have a movie or a date night once a week/two weeks/month, just dedicate some time to each other

Like once a month make a big proper dinner and eat it together with some wine, Juno has gotten so much better at cooking since their first date

who falls asleep first and who wakes up first

It varies wildly, they can come and go at any hour. Usually if Yecal falls asleep Neja is either already asleep or follows soon

Enrique has varied work schedules, Juno pretty much goes to bed and wakes up at the same time every day. I guess she gets up first either way

who’s the big spoon / little spoon

Usually Neja is the small one but sometimes a man wants to be held

Juno prefers being small spoon

who hogs the bathroom

Neither really, it’s small and not very useful, if anything Neja will take some time drying her hair

If Juno does her makeup all proper she will take some time but not hog

who kills the spiders / takes them outside

Neja lets Yecal kill them

Juno throws Bob at them

#two classes down one swedish one still to do ugh #not like i've listened at all but like i still woke up at 8 so #maybe i could make that presentation abt that spanish writer or smth #long oc thing #neja will be careful with her poison heels and knuckles when being manhandled but she will nip with her teeth at any part of yecal she can #take that #she's a rocket engineer but she's also a little brat

[daydreaming-jessi]

Wow ok I won’t shut up about Beetlejuice apparently so here’s a non angsty Beetlejuice returns AU I came up with

One night Lydia is doing homework when suddenly a fucking stuffed brick phases through her window and she looks out and there’s Beetlejuice in the backyard holding his strangely lumpy looking jacket

Lydia: oh god he’s fucking decapitated someone

She goes out to yell at but Beej has the biggest grin on his face and goes “LYDIA YOU WONT BELIEVE THIS ITS THE WEIRDEST GODDAMN THING THATS EVER HAPPENED USUALLY ANIMALS HATE ME”

Lydia is just “wut” and Beej uncovers the head of a cute fluffy black cat that has a glittering neon green eye, chewed up ears and a crooked tail and Lydia then goes “hell yeah”

The cat just follows Beej everywhere, purring and chirping and just loving on him as best it can since he’s noncorporeal

But Beej is super worried because! He’s never had a pet! Juno always threw any pets he found in the netherworld out saying they had to go to their own death zone! And he’s not even had a live pet before! He doesn’t! Know! What to do! Lydia halp!

Lydia: Ok ok lemme go ask my dad if we can have a cat

Beetlejuice, traumatized by his mother to fear asking for anything: how ‘bout we don’t do that and just keep it in your room

Lydia, a young teen that sees Beej as her older brother, therefore more likely to go along with his plans that she likes: ...Yeah ok

SO Beetlejuice is back in her life basically staked out in Lyds room having the time of his afterlife playing with this cat. She adores this cat as well it will lick her face whenever she cries and smells like the taquitos Beej loves and will sit on Lydia anywhere so long as it’s stable

She’s also happy to have Beej back, she can complain about life to him and he’ll just be like “want me to kill them” and they paint their nails and she can be as morbid with him as she wants without worrying anyone

Lydia: we need to name him...

Beej: how about asmodeus

Lydia: ...whaddya think of Shoggoth?

Beej: ... :’O

Commence Lydia hiding two pets in her room and trying desperately to keep them hidden from her two(2) sets of parents montage

Lydia gets some kind of job so she can discreetly buy cat food because Shoggoth can’t live off the junk food I feed you Beej.

They take shoggoth out to go to the bathroom at night and Lydia shows Beej his namesake star and he happily shows Shoggoth it and Lydia watches proudly

Shoggoth is very big and they constantly call them chonky and an absolute unit

But then one day

Beej wakes lydia up

“SHOGGOTH CAN MAKE CLONES LIKE ME”

Lydia: wut

Uh oh Shoggoth is a girl and was actually very pregnant not fat

Lydia and Beej coo over the babies! But something is wrong with Shoggoth! She is very sluggish and won’t eat!

Beej is crying and panicking and Lydia is panicking and worrying that Shoggoth will die and leave her kids alone and they basically are running around the room wailing and the Maitlands and Deetz come running

Cue the parents bursting in on Beej holding a tired cat wailing as if his very soul was being ripped from his body and Lydia holding four wet kittens looking about ready to hyperventilate

Barb immediately takes charge and sets up a lil kitten zone and sends Adam to go heat up some kitten milk they had when they were fostering kitties

She also sends Delia and Charles to take Shoggoth to the vet to check over the lil kitty

Delia asks lydia to stay behind and make sure Beej doesn’t do something drastic. As much as Lydia wants to disagree, she sees Beej laying next to the kittens with dark blue hair and agrees to keep an eye on him

Commence a very tense two hours as Adam and Barb try and cheer Lyds and Beej up by teaching them how to care for kittens

Lyd and Beej pounce Charles and Delia when they come back and it turns out Shoggoth’s fine! Just a little dehydrated from birthing four babies!

Lydia and Beej absolutely cover this cat in love and eagerly show her back to the kittens and just... watch as Shoggoth takes care of her babies. It’s the most still anyone’s seen Beej as he does not want to disturb Shoggoth and her babies.

Beej declares himself a grandmother as he’s Shoggoth’s mom and no one really wants to tell him otherwise because it’s the cutest he’s been the way he takes care of this cat and her kittens

Charles and Delia can’t really turn the demon and cat away as they really help Lydia whenever she has bad depression spells and it’s the most eager they’ve seen her in a long time. Beej promises to behave himself “for Shoggoth’s sake”

Cue Beej living with a loving family and starting to finally heal from the trauma Juno inflicted

That’s all I’ve got for now but honestly that was a lot so w/e but honestly I may come up with more later on how Shoggoth wraps everyone around her lil crooked tail

Edit: I’ve gone ahead and designed the kitties here if you’re interested! I’m glad so many people enjoy this dumb idea I’ve come up with

Also beetleb@bes dni.

#beetlejuice the musical #shoggoth au #lawrence beetlejuice shoggoth #lydia deetz #charles deetz #delia deetz #barbara maitland #adam maitland #space noises #beetlejuice broadway #beetlejuice the broadway musical #beetlejuice #could this go beetlelands? #perhaps #:3

[sexycraisinthanos]

I rate the Beetlejuice characters

Beetlejuice: Title character. In it a lot. I like the songs he sings in the best because they’re easy for me to remember the tune of and i don’t know why. He spells his name out “Beetlejuice” but the marquee says “Betelgeuse” so I don’t know what to believe. His suit is snazzy but I feel like he should jazz it up some and I appreciate that he changes his tie to match his mood. Very attractive when he gets angry. Dumb and pretty but doesn’t respect women. Definitely needs an undead therapist. 8/10. +3 uncredited points for sparkly microphone he keeps in his pocket

Lydia: Kind of whiny, but I understand where she’s coming from. Rightfully hates Connecticut. (nothing wrong with it personally for me I just hate the way it’s spelled) TERF bangs I hate them. I feel like she should have had a ferret. Saw ghosts and didn’t immediately take a video of them. She was kind of a stagnant character, but I like that she looks like she could give Beetlejuice rabies. Instantly befriended a strange man on her roof because he said he could scare her dad away. (I mean same). 7/10 -2 uncredited points for killing Beetlejuice

Charles: Grade A himbo. Almost a perfect dad, but didn’t pay attention to Lydia’s depression or cries for attention. Repressed a lot of emotions because he wanted to be a strong, positive figure for Lydia. Moved to Connecticut from New York. A two hour drive but why would you do that. Wore a boring suit the entire show. Was chased away by a floating hand and demon face and still came back to save his daughter. Didn’t get enough singing time. 9/10 he gets both negative and positive points for calling BJ “Mr Juice”

Barbara: Disney princess IRL. Best wife ever. Love her to death. A lot in common with BJ which is hilarious to me. I think she should have been wearing overalls with her hair back if she spends all her time making pottery and DIY home improvement. Nothing wrong with her but it should have been called Maitlands 2.0 14/10 +4 because she deserves it

Delia: i love leslie kritzer’s voice. She didn’t get enough singing time but “What I Know Now” makes up for it. I wanted to see the cat she had to get. Was on board for killing Otho after she found out he lied. Has been in an orgy. Wanted to be honest with Lydia from the beginning. Wanted to be a monk. Was in a band (with her cousin Dewey Finn I believe it) Did a fortnite dance. Was ready to fist fight Juno because she wanted to be a part of the family. Fashion icon. 8/10 +2 uncredited points for always dressing like she’s a cruella de ville fashion design

Adam: Good husband 100%. Makes cribs and is a little sexual about it. Saved Charles’ life. Didn’t do much in the musical. Underappreciated. Super respectful to even Beetlejuice. Crowd goes wild every time he says “WAIT JUST ONE GOD DAMN MINUTE” and honestly same. Would definitely kill for Babs. Loves dad jokes. 7/10 +5 for being the only character with common sense

Juno: Fuck Juno

Otho: 0/10

#long post #beetlejuice the musical

[d3adguyy]

ok so this headcanon/au list is weeks of me randomly writing down stuff. (i may make a list of some more uh... nsfw headcanons later on, but idk)

also, some of these aus are very dumb and unrealistic, but whatever, so

there is no beetlebabes shipping in this at all. don’t even try. the only shipping is charles/delia (do they have an official ship name?) and adam/barbara/beetlejuice, which is beetlelands and/or goldenrat!

(some of these are very unrealistic/basically just me projecting but this is my list and i’ll Do What I Want)

also, fuck formatting, i’m too lazy

- au where higher powered demons/ghouls have wings. naturally, beetlejuice has them and he is a fucking disaster. he knocks shit over, gets them caught on everything, and will knock people over. (somehow, they’re the only thing that’s actually clean)

- au in which the netherworld had a more lasting effect on lydia, and causes her to have sort of “fainting” spells (there’s a whole long and convoluted explanation but i’m too lazy to type it out.) since this is obviously bad for multiple reasons, beej turns into a “service” dog to help her at school (the fact that he knows lydia is being bullied may have influenced his decision)

- lydia and beetlejuice share one, very very damaged brain cell between them. they’re both smart in their own ways, but the second they try and solve something together? nothing. they usually end up almost going through with a stupid scheme until someone stops them last minute

- they may not have a dog, but (big) sandy the sandworm is just as happy to play fetch

- they also have a “girls” night once a week, in which they watch crappy horror movies, paint their nails, talk shit about people, and beetlejuice gushes complains about the maitlands

- bj can actually speak quite a few languages (he’s been around quite a long time, after all) however, he chooses to hide this fact until a time where he can a) freak someone out or b) show off

- bj follows lydia to school occasionally and will either make snide comments about the other students, or tell lydia what they’re doing on their phones (lydia sometimes hears things she wishes she had never known)

- lydia and beetlejuice stay “married”, but only in a convinient way (financial aid and tax benefits ftw, beetlebabes fuck off)

- beetlejuice plays the ukulele (as shown in the musical) and you can sometimes hear him playing on the roof (if he sees anyone listening he’ll immediately stop and go pink and disappear)

- bj and lydia go to pride every year, and Fuck Shit Up in a (mostly) legal way. once the maitlands figure out how to leave the house, they accompany them and let loose and join them in their chaos. delia eventually starts coming as well. charles stays home to preserve his sanity.

- beetlejuice figures out the maitlands can leave the house so long as they have a piece of it with them, and so makes them bracelets with wood from the house. they’re both extremely happy and grateful.

- beetlejuice and miss argentina are pals, and hung out together when beej used to spend all of his time in the underworld (he still pops by to visit her occasionally, and even helped her with the backlash/work after juno died)

- au where it’s now book of mormon, and lydia and bj are paired up for a mission. chaos ensues. (don’t ask me how this one would work, because i honestly don’t know.)

- lydia has a sleepover at her house with school friends. one of them brings a ouija board. beej and the maitlands decided to have time fun with it, and lydia tries not to crack up watching them.

- delia and beetlejuice are friends (bc they lowkey have a decent amnt in common ngl) and delia will occasionally join in on beej & lyds’ schemes

- delia treats beej like a son due to him acting like lydia’s crazy and feral (yet very loving and overprotective) older brother. charles doesn’t get it, but it makes her happy so he goes along with it.

- just like beej and lyds have “girls night”, delia, barbara, and beetlejuice have something similar where they drink wine, gossip about the neighborhood moms, and watch shitty reality tv and yell at the screen. charles tried to interrupt once and got a bottle of wine thrown at him (courtesy of delia)

- beetlejuice and lydia are Trans As Fuck (lydia’s lesbian and beej is pan) the maitlands are both bi, delia is pan and charles is Straight.

- souleater au where lydia is the meister and bj is her weapon

- beetlejuice has a love of all things circus. (he’s surprisingly good at trapeze, and not-so-surprisingly good at fire eating and breathing)

- beej has a big fat crush on the maitlands, but him being the emotionally stunted demon he is, has absolutely no idea how to express this

- the maitlands suspect that bj is crushing on them, but they aren’t completely sure (they still think he’s adorable, though)

- beej loves cuddling. that’s it, that’s the headcanon. he is a very touchy person (and not just in a perverted way.) he and lydia can be seen cuddling in bed binging horror movies, and bj is known to get comfy on the couch that is definitely not big enough for both him and the maitlands. (also, beej loves being the little spoon.)

- lydia and delia share a very niche interest in astrology, and it’s probably one of the only things they have in common. (delia still loves lydia and lydia loves her too, even if she would never admit it)

- au where lydia dies in some accident, and beetlejuice pulls a bunch of strings to make her a demon. he now has to train her to use her newly gained powers. (to make her a demon, they had to be related, so he adopts her as his younger sister)

- to mash together the au above and the wing au from the top of the list, one day lydia starts growing wings and beetlejuice couldn’t be prouder.

- the maitlands have really dumb (but cute) nicknames for beetlejuice (gummyworm, teddy bear, marshmallow, etc. they occasionally call him lawrence, which makes him melt.) lydia has borderline insulting nicknames for bj (trash man, hobo, stinky bastard, etc.) and charles and delia just call him random variations of his name (mr. juice, beetleman, mr. beetle, etc. they will use his full name if he does something too chaotic, and it’s then he knows to run)

(i just lost a bunch of headcanons and aus because tumblr unexpectedly closed :( i’m gonna try my best to re-write them all. i’m also grouping all the aus together before i re-write the headcanons, so get ready lol)

- pjo au!

• lydia is a daughter of persephone, and starts attending camp at age 12 (persephone doesn’t actually have a kid with charles, she just lends her magic to lydia’s mom in order for them to have a kid, as she actively was a worshipper of persephone, and that ends up making lydia a half blood.)

• beetlejuice was a son of hectate, but died after performing wayyyy too many rituals to increase his magic, and it eventually got too much to control and the strain killed him. he keeps his powers when he dies though. (he got banished from the underworld and was tied to a living soul for as long as they lived - it was lydia, so now they Fuck Shit Up together. hades regrets his choice of punishment.)

• barbara is a daughter of harmonia

• adam is a son of hephaestus

• delia is a legacy of eros

barbara and adam are instructors at camp halfblood (barbara teaching pottery and adam teaching woodworking)

they take lydia under their wing when they notice she doesn’t really have friends, and so they eventually meet beetlejuice (he has a Big Crush on them but refuses to do anything about it. for now.)

- hunger games au time! (at this point i’m just doing aus of all of the old young adult series i used to read)

• beetlejuice and lydia were the tributes chosen from district 12 (with beetlejuice volunteering to protect lydia during the games)

• their mentor is juno, who is an asshole and is utterly useless, as she doesn’t think they have any chance

• the maitlands are a couple that live in the capitol, even if they really don’t agree with the morals and lifestyle. they are huge sponsors for bj and lyds during the games.

• beej and lyds are the last ones standing, and after all the trouble that beetlejuice has made the capitol go through during the games, they decide it isn’t worth it to try and kill them, so they both win.

• the maitlands secretly take in both of them after the games

• charles flips houses and delia is an artist, they know about the maitlands and help keep the secret

- time for the divergent au nobody asked for!

• lydia was born erudite and transferred dauntless (she could’ve stayed erudite as well)

• beetlejuice was born dauntless and stayed (he did have an aptitude for amity, but he’ll take that to the grave)

• barbara was born erudite and transferred amity

• adam was born abnegation and transferred amity

• charles was born erudite and stayed

• delia was born amity and transferred erudite (she had aptitude for candor as well)

beej is lydia’s trainer when she joins dauntless, and they become inserperable during and after training. (lydia graduates top of her class - she would’ve despite beetlejuice, but it didn’t hurt to have him)

(taking some liberties here and making it so that factions can interact with each other outside of school and mandatory events, however intermarriage and dating between factions is a no no)

the maitlands find beetlejuice doing Stupid Shit in the woods near amity. this happens a few times, with bj and lyds running away each time, until they finally catch them and they all meet.

the maitlands take lyds under their wing, but don’t know what to think about beetlejuice (they secretly adore him, but won’t be telling him that anytime soon. bj has a Humongous Crush on them, and tells them. eventually. they end up dating despite the illegality of it)

the deetzes end up finding out about the dating, and keep it secret, even though hey aren’t particularly fond of beej. yet.

- and now time for a warrior cats au. time to bring up those repressed memories :)

(ok so again, more liberties, cats can choose to join another clan when they become apprentices, and the clans interact a lot more outside of meetings and battles. also the only one i have a warrior name for is beetlejuice, because his would literally just be Beetlejuice)

• beetlejuice was born a loner and eventually joined shadow clan as an apprentice

• lydia was born thunder clan and transferred to shadow clan, and was chosen to be a medicine cat

• barbara would be river clan and stay there

• adam would be thunder clan and transfer to river clan to be with barbs

• charles and delia were both born and stayed in thunder clan

beej is lyd’s mentor for non-medicine cat stuff (as shadow clan teaches their med cats to fight, and i feel like they would get all of the same training normal apprentices did, such as hunting)

lyds and the maitlands get along and hang out a lot, and beetlejuice just kinda trails along. yet again he has a crush on them. however, he minimizes his time with them so that they don’t find reasons to dislike him (in his eyes)

- ok so we’ve done one cat au, time for a much more niche one! this one is based on the book claws, by mike and rachel grinti. (it’s a middle school level book for sure, but i picked it up sometime in elementary school and i still love it now that i’m older)

• beej as jack (although he still has magic, his magic is just super chaotic and hard to control) lyds as emma, and they go on a quest for how lydia’s mom died (something to do with the faries)

• beetlejuice only agrees to do the quest because he wants a friend, which was really the whole reason behind giving lydia the heart.

• the maitlands are part of the pride that lyds takes over. they were wary of her at first, but backed her up when she needed it. they warmed up to her quickly after that, and they take her under their wing to show her the ropes of how prides work

beej continues to hang out with lydia, but isn’t really accepted by the pride for the most part, with the maitlands being the closest to being his friends. this eventually changes, and they grow closer over time.

- small httyd au: lydia is a viking, her dad is a high ranking official, her mom killed in a dragon raid, delia still does art ig.

• the maitlands are dragons, and lydia befriends them. she later befriends another dragon, beetlejuice. she eventually teaches the villiage dragons are good and all that jazz.

- ok back to headcanons now: adam rescued injured wildlife when he was alive, and that hasn’t stopped now that he’s dead. a section of the roof is dedicated to little habitats/enclosures for injured animals, so that they can rest up and heal

- although she isn’t so good at rescuing animals like adam is, barbara still loves animals. (beetlejuice will turn into different animals so that he has an excuse to cuddle her)

- bj secretly enjoys how vanilla/naive the maitlands can be, and thinks it’s really cute

- beetlejuice is actually pretty good at cooking, and will make dinner for him and the maitlands on date night. (he also cooks comfort food for people when they’re upset)

- bj is an internet troll. that’s it that’s the headcanon.

- beetlejuice wasn’t born or anything, juno just kinda made him by accident, and that’s why she hates him so much. so, one day beetlejuice just came into existence, a full 5ft 8inches of pure chaos.

this headcanon is a bit odd for me, because it changes depending on the story/plot i’m thinking about, so i’m now reintroducing the trans headcanons so i can explain how it would work.

he presented as female for a while before saying “fuck that” and coming out. he would’ve done it sooner, but seeing as he just started existing one day, it took a bit for him to realize that not wanting to be the gender he was born as just Wasn’t Normal. idk if the netherworld has hrt, but im basing my version of it more off the cartoon, in which people have like houses and lives, i’m assuming it exists, so he got hrt surgery n shit

on the other side, when this headcanon doesn’t apply, he was about 16 when he came out, his parents said Fuck That because he was growing up pretty far in the past (idk exact time period, but trans people were a big No No) and he ended up offing himself. he ends up altering his appearance or going through hrt/surgery in the netherworld.

- in a human au, because i just thought of thi, he’d come out at age 16 still, and juno, shitty parent she is, kicks him out. the deetzes take him in, with lydia being about 14ish, and the maitlands are their tenants who become the second set of parents. (lydia is trans in human au)

- continuing the trans hc, lydia and her parents suspected when she was about 9ish, and so after having it confirmed by multiple doctors and specialists, was put on blockers until she could start hrt at 16. it’s a very happy day when she turns 16 and beetlejuice definitely doesn’t cry

- beetlejuice has a phobia of water and that’s one reason why he doesn’t shower (the maitlands eventually help him deal with it enough to be able to shower/bathe occasionally, because he still does like his trashy look)

- bj does drag. lydia and delia help him with makeup and clothing.

- beej also worked as a male stripper for a time at dante’s inferno in the netherworld. he’s amazing at pole dancing, and he can walk like a pro in heels.

- also, because heels autocorrected to heelys st first, beej owns heelys and will zoom around the house in them. lydia eventually buys a pair for herself and they Go Crazy

i think that’ll end off this list for now, as it’s gotten pretty long. there’s a good chance i’ll make another one in the future, but for now, thats all folks!

[joyful-soul-collector]

33/11/11 Tag

Rules: Answer the 11 questions of the person who tagged you, make up 11 questions, then tag 11 people to answer them. 

Thanks for tagging me @azawrites, @tracle0, and @ren-c-leyn! I decided instead of making three separate posts, it’s be easier to just put ‘em all in one spot.

Questions from @azawrites:

1. What makes you get up and write?

Whenever I have time really. If I have free time, you’ll catch me in front of my laptop, tryin’ to figure out a scene

2. Where and how did you get the idea for your wip (or past project)?

For AR, I was inspired by a webcomic called Patrik the Vampire, as well as a lot of tumblr posts about aliens reaction to random human stuff. 

3. What was the first thing you wrote?

I wrote a story about a girl who could make her imaginary friends come to life! She had two, Poofles, a giant grasshopper lookin’ thing, and Robo, a robot with a big feathery plume coming out of his head. Both are actually imaginary friends I had when I was younger. She fought crime with them!

4. Are any of your ocs based on someone you know?

I dunno about based on, but a lot of my OCs have similar traits to me. Jace is definitely the one who is most like me.

5. How long do you plan a project before you start writing it?

I'm not sure. I find that if I plan for too long, I lose interest. I tend to write and then peice a plot together as I go, and then I go back and edit it to the plot that I’ve thought up by the end. I’m not sure that’s the best way to go about it, but that’s what happens lol.  

6. Which books shaped your writing style?

Definitely Ready Player One and Harry Potter. I’d also say a few comics like Saga, Sweet Tooth, and Ultimate Spider-Man also helped. Both helped me develop how I do my characters and worldbuilding, but novels helped me more with the actual style.  

7. What’s your favorite oc quote?

Something Jace says: “Everyone has their own version of everything. Their version of fine, of giving up, of happy, and sad, of angry, and calm, of life in general. It’s just that mine is a little more… specific.”

8. Would you like to work as a writer, or have another career? 

Writing would be fantastic. If I could just write novels for the rest of my life and make good, sustainable money off of that, it would be a dream come true. I’m just not sure how possible that is honestly. 

9. Describe your writing space

We have one of those L shaped couches, and I sit right in the corner. Feels like a nice hug.

10. What are you reading now?

I’m reading the comic Saga, by Brian K Vaughan. Fun Fact: Jace was named after him, though his last name is spelled Vaughn.  

11. What do you do when you’re not writing?

I go to school, take care of my little sisters, and scroll on tumblr endlessly. 

Questions from @tracle0:

1) What’s the first book you remember reading? 

There’s this picture book called There’s A Hole in My Pocket, and that’s a first one I remember. It had little elephants, it was so cute.

2) What’s the first book/story you remember writing? 

I wrote a story about a little girl who could make her imaginary friends come to life!

3) What’s a piece of media (book, series, film, whatever) that you go back to when you’re sad? 

Avatar: The Last Airbender and Ready Player One.

4) Can you draw parallels between your OCs and characters in published fiction? If so, list a few (or all of them I’m not your boss)

I can’t think of any at the moment, though I know I’ve taken inspiration from my favorite books and shows.

5) Think of an OC. Any OC. Now express their general mood in their story in one (1) emoji.

Hazik: 😇

6) What’s a plot point that makes you cackle when you think about it because omg it’s such good writing?

There’s a chapter that’s got lil Jace in it. There’s also one for Hazik, but I like the Jace one better. I call them my Back To The Future chapters. 

7) Have you ever done an Accidental Smart in your writing? If so, what?

I apparently wrote a bunch of stuff while I was hella tired at like five am. I barely remember doing this because I’d stayed up real late the other night too, so I was even more tired that normal. I opened the doc a day later and there was the entire backstory of why Hazik was on Earth.

8) What songs do you associate with your stories? 

AR goes with: Mimir from the God of War 2018 soundtrack (at the more serious moments), To All of You from the Life Is Strange soundtrack, and Anyone Else But You from the Juno soundtrack.

9) Are you better at dialogue or description? 

Dialogue definitely. 

10) Have you ever gotten better at doing something because you put it in a story and had to research? If so, what? 

Better at reciting facts about scar types, and 

11) Have you had a drink of water recently? Go on, drink some water. It’s good for you.

Nope! Thank you for the reminder!

Questions from @ren-c-leyn:

1. Favorite literary device?

Motif. There are quite a few in AR, so ya know, might wanna look out for that ;)

2. What is the hardest thing for you to write? (setting, details, dialogue, ect.)

I cannot do setting. Sometimes I accidentally write everything except where the characters ARE, and they’re just talking heads in a place only my brain can see.

3. What is the best advice you have ever gotten?

If you look at your old writing, and see that it sucks, that just means you’ve gotten better.

4. Is there a detail or particular bit of description that seems to come up in your writing a lot?

Colors. Red in particular. Also, the phrase “Amazing, actually.” These are totally not motifs at all. Pay absolutely zero attention to them.

5. Name a trope you love and will read/watch to death.

Angsty person with a sad backstory gets a nice happy ending

6. Is there any writing advice that kind of stole your motivation and made you feel bad instead of helping?

My friend can be blunt, and I asked her to read on of my things once and she got on one of the lines that I really liked and just tore into it. I didn’t end up deleting it though, her reasoning wasn’t good.

7. Do you do anything creative outside of writing?

Not really. 

8. Favorite fairytale?

Jack and the Beanstalk!

9. Do you like playing visual novel games?

Yeah! I play Choices and The Arcana all the time! I’ve also played Life Is Strange and Oxenfree, which aren’t technically novel games but they are story oriented.

10. Where do you tend to get your best ideas from?

Watching movies and TV shows 

11. Scariest part of writing for you?

The part where other people edit it. I’m always scared they’re gonna hate it. I want people to edit it, and I want them to give their honest opinion, but some people can be more mean than helpful. 

My questions and people I’m tagging are under the cut!

I’m Tagging: @tracle0, @quirky-squid, @masksandmadness, @alexis-writes-sometimes, @albatris, @gabbysmadness, @txintedsxint, @timetravelingpigeon, @thel3tterm, @necromancymajor, @kai-writesstuff

My Questions for you all are:

1. What is your favorite OC quote?

2. What’s your favorite font?

3. Which OC has the saddest backstory? (or the least happy?)

4. Which OC has the happiest? (or the least sad?)

5. What’s a vague spoiler for one of your WIPs?

6. Do any of your WIPs carry the same themes? What themes?

7. What are your favorite character/situation tropes?

8. What do you like most about yourself?

9. Which on of your ocs is your favorite character to write?

10. What is the longest you’ve ever written for?

11. Favorite food?

#tag game #11/11/11 tag #writing #writeblr

[xerxia31]

Not Real

All Katniss Everdeen wanted was to see the one who got away one last time...

My contribution to the Fall 2018 edition of More Stories to Save Lives, in support of Hope for Caroline. Rated T.  Also cross posted to AO3. 

Commander Katniss Everdeen stood in front of Trident Hyperrealism Industries, housed in a glossy candy-coloured glass building that stretched up to the sky, and wondered for the hundredth time what she was doing. This was definitely not her district, not her scene at all. But she’d made a promise, and Katniss always kept her word. Clenching her jaw, she pushed through the doors. Her perfectly polished uniform boots clicked on the slick marble flooring, echoing through the massive, opulent lobby. Vases of tropical blooms perfumed the carefully climate-controlled air, contributing to the feeling of decadence. Everything about the space, the building, the whole damned city, was an affront to Katniss. It was all too shiny, too gaudy, too fake.

Though she was on Earth, her planet, the Capitol was as different from her home in District Twelve as any of the outer rim planets she’d visited in her two plus years in command of the starship Mockingjay had been. Foreign and loud and filled with people who had more in common with exotic birds than with Katniss herself, the Capitol might as well be in the delta quadrant instead of nestled in the Rockies only a fifteen second teleport from home.

Katniss shook her head. She had to stop thinking that way. The Capitol was her home now. District Twelve was no more than a memory. She made her way to the reception desk, gave her name, and was directed to an elevator bank, a charmingly old school feature of an otherwise thoroughly modern building. The four-floor ascent in a mirrored box took longer than transporting to the building from her quarters on the outskirts of the Capitol. It reminded her of - no. She wouldn’t think of that place or that time. Not now. Not yet, anyway. A man of extraordinary beauty stood to greet her as soon as the elevator doors opened. Tall, athletic, with golden skin, bronze-colored hair, his incredible sea-green eyes twinkled as he reached out to shake her hand. He couldn’t be real, she thought. He must be one of the simulations that Trident Industries was famous for. The reason she was there, though she wouldn’t have admitted that to anyone else. “Welcome, Commander,” the man said, his voice deep and rich, flowing like melted chocolate. She couldn’t help but be impressed. The simulations she’d encountered in her years of training at the academy had been jerky, somewhat robotic, obviously fake. This, on the other hand, was incredibly convincing. He reached out to shake Katniss’s hand and she was startled by how solid he felt. As if reading her mind, he chuckled. “Finnick Odair,” he said. “Owner of Trident Hyperrealism Industries, at your service.” “You’re real?” she blurted, years of studying diplomacy forgotten in an instant. But he merely smiled, unaffected, perhaps unsurprised by her question. “I am indeed, and I’m here to make all of your fantasies come true.” It was that comment, delivered in a slightly smarmy way, that broke the spell for Katniss. She couldn’t argue that Finnick wasn't one of the most stunning, sensuous people on the planet. But she could honestly say he wasn’t attractive to her. Maybe he was too pretty. Maybe he was too easy to get, or maybe it was really that he'd just be too easy to lose. Katniss was somewhat of a specialist in losing people. “Mr. Odair,” she said, pulling her hand from his grip. “Your assistant told me you’d be able to design a package to suit my requirements.” “Of course,” he said, gesturing towards a small red loveseat, then settling himself across from her. “Trident Hyperrealism Industries is known across the galaxy for our fully immersive simulations that allow you to visit anywhere in the universe and have the perfect vacation experience. No transport ships, no bad weather, no bad service, nothing but pleasure at any of our four hundred and seventy-six thousand pre-programmed destinations.” He glanced at Katniss’s Star Alliance uniform. “Though perhaps it isn’t travel you’re looking for?” “No,” she admitted. “I’ve been to all of the planets I care to visit and then some.” When Katniss signed up to captain a two-year diplomatic tour, she’d anticipated seeing strange new worlds and meeting fascinating new beings. Instead, she did nothing but work and sleep for twenty-eight long months. Her small crew was hardly sufficient to keep the ship running and she’d pulled double, sometimes triple shifts to ensure that everything got done and that her people were sufficiently rested and taken care of. Every minute of each highly anticipated planetary landing was filled with duty and obligation. Though she’d been to Rigel Seven, she’d never gotten to see its twin moons. On Juno, she’d only glimpsed the legendary Tower of Inysis from the window of a transport. During her last excursion, to tiny Bacchus Minor, she hadn’t even set foot on the ground, her meetings and resupply mission having taken place on a satellite orbiting the pretty jewel-green planet. Adrift in the cosmos, Katniss struggled with the isolation of life on a starship, the exhaustion, the loneliness.There was no glamour, no adventure. And while there was definitely satisfaction in a job well done, it was hollow when she had no one to share it with. Her few hours not occupied with work she had spent alone in her bunk, staring at the ceiling, remembering. Regretting. So after her tour, she’d resigned her commission and accepted a teaching position at the Alliance Academy. She was due to begin work in just two weeks time. And though it would undoubtedly make more sense to be spending her first week back on Earth exploring or setting up her new quarters, she was sitting on a candy-coloured couch in a candy-coloured office, chatting with a candy-sweet man who made her teeth hurt and her skin crawl. “Ah,” Finnick said, and a wide smile showed every perfect, sparkling tooth. “So you are looking for a more personal experience.” “I was told that you could arrange for me to see someone. Or, to see a simulation of someone,” she mumbled, and Finnick nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes. We have simulations of a wide variety of the most popular beings from history, all impeccably programmed with perfectly rendered with historically accurate voice and speech patterns, reactions and abilities. You absolutely will not be able to tell that the person you’re speaking with isn’t the real deal, guaranteed! You can spend time with Elvis Presley, Alabaster Harrington or Henry Cavill,” Finnick said, listing several sex symbols of the past two centuries. Katniss frowned. “Or,” he hedged, “Maybe you’re looking for a more intellectual experience? Maybe Stephen Hawking or Albert Einstein is more your speed?” “No,” she said. “I want to see someone contemporary. Someone who is, uh, still alive.” “Of course,” he said. “Caesar Flickerman is a popular choice.” Katniss recoiled. Caesar Flickerman had to be over a hundred years old. He had been performing on entertainment broadcasts for as long as anyone could remember; his appearance - white face paint, blue lips, and brightly dyed wigs - virtually unchanged in all of that time. “I didn’t know he was even still around,” Katniss mumbled, suppressing another shudder. “But no. The person I’d like to see isn’t famous.” “I see,” Finnick smirked. “A custom simulation.” “Yes. Will that be a problem?” “No, no of course not. We are quite capable of fulfilling all of our customers’ special requirements. As long as he has a digital record, I can produce a simulation so perfect, it would convince his mother.” The slick grin was back in place. “How did you know he’s a he?” Katniss asked. “I’ve been doing this a long time, Commander. And I can assure you that all of our simulations are fully functional, solid, firm, and programmed with a full library of skills.” It took Katniss two, perhaps three beats to understand the subtext of Finnick’s words. Fire raced up her throat, painted her cheeks. “Mr. Odair,” she said tightly, “I am in no way looking for some sick sexual fantasy.” “Of course not,” he soothed, but his lecherous expression was unchanged. “But what happens in the simulators is none of my business, so long as your expectations are fulfilled.” Katniss’s attention drifted as Finnick outlined the specifications of the program, the cost, the amount of time she would have in the simulator, and what she could expect in terms of realism. Her mind wandered, as it often did, to the man she had spent two and a half years missing with every fibre of her being, to the things she’d said the last time she’d seen him. To the things she wanted, needed, so desperately to tell him now, even if it was only pretend. “And where would you like this encounter to be?” Finnick asked, the smarmy tone creeping back into his voice, catching her attention again. “Your quarters?” “It doesn’t matter,” she sighed. “Your lobby, the sidewalk out front, the virtual location won’t make any difference.” “Surely you’d like something comfortable and private. A hotel? A Turkludiaan den, perhaps?” He was all but sneering; clearly he’d made up his mind that she was some sort of sexual pervert looking to get busy with a stranger on whom she had a crush. But he was dead wrong. Not about the crush part, but about the rest. She wasn’t looking to screw a make-believe stranger. She wanted to see the love of her life. To tell him she was sorry. “It’s not like that,” she snapped, half-rising, and his eyes widened, hands lifting in supplication. She deflated, sinking back into her seat and dropping her head into her hands. Katniss sighed. Every rational thought screamed at her to simply leave. She’d known all along that this was a bad idea. But after twenty-eight months of what was essentially a self-imposed exile, twenty-eight months of not having taken a single shore leave, a single vacation, even a single day off, she was at a breaking point. And it was obvious to everyone around her. Even her cousin, Gale, had noted Katniss’s sadness during their weekly video chats. She was tired and worn out, and Gale was worried enough that he’d threatened to come home from school on planet Spectra to take care of her. Katniss couldn’t allow that. Gale was settled on Spectra and was a model student, hardworking, brilliant. Allowing her own heartbreak and stupidity to compromise his future was unacceptable.

So when Gale, who was frugal to the point of being cheap, sent her a Trident Industries gift card two days ago, just before she’d disembarked from the Mockingjay and walked away from her life on the starship, Katniss had promised to actually use it. “Take a virtual vacation,” he’d insisted. She’d tried to tell him she was fine, needed nothing, but Gale knew her too well. “Live a little,” he’d begged, silver eyes shining in the video relay. “You deserve this, after everything.”

“I just want to see someone I used to know,” she murmured to Finnick, staring at her shiny boots. “One last time.” “Someone you can’t speak with in person.” It wasn’t a question, not really, and the soft tone caught Katniss off guard. She glanced up. The leering, lecherous salesman was gone. In his place was just Finnick Odair, still incredibly gorgeous, but with a kind, compassionate expression instead of a dazzling smile. It made him seem more human somehow. More real. “Right.” “I can do that. I’ll need to access his public records, to ensure the simulation reacts as closely to how he would really act as possible.” “I don’t know where he is now,” she admitted. “He was a student at the Alliance Academy, up until a few years ago. Last I heard, he was teaching at the Panem School of Fine Arts.” Finnick nodded. “That will help. There should be plenty of biometrics available. What’s his name?” o-o-o Katniss talked herself into and out of showing up at Trident a dozen times, but in the end her frugal nature won out. Fifty-five hundred credits was a terrible amount to waste, even if they weren’t her credits to begin with. She berated herself as she got ready, brushing out her long black hair and agonizing over what to wear. It was a simulation. It wasn’t going to care what she looked like! She could have - should have - shown up wearing anything; her uniform, her old hunting clothes, even pyjamas. And yet she pulled from her closet a dress that she hadn’t worn for more than two years, a pretty orange frock patterned with autumn leaves. It had been his favourite, another lifetime ago. The building was just as garish as it had been her first visit, but this time Finnick Odair wasn’t there to greet her. A beautiful young woman with an ethereal calmness led Katniss down a long white corridor to a set of imposing silver doors. “Everything has been programmed to your specifications,” she said softly. “The simulation is completely self-sustaining, you don’t have to do anything. But if for any reason you need to exit before the completion of the program, the computer will respond to your commands.” Katniss nodded. She’d studied engineering at the academy before being hand picked for the command program. And while this simulator was leagues ahead of the simple holodecks she was accustomed to, she understood the fundamentals. “Thank you,” she said, but remained motionless outside the closed doors long after the young woman had walked away. Finally she shook aside the lethargy and doubt and entered the simulator. And then gasped. Katniss knew this place, knew every bench, every rock, every flower. She’d spent the past two years seeing this place every time she closed her eyes. The gardens on the rooftop of the academy training centre. Out of every possible place in the universe, how had Finnick Odair chosen this? There was no way he could he possibly have guessed how much this place had meant to her. Had meant to them. It was almost enough to send her running back out of the simulator, down the corridor, back to her spartan grey quarters at the academy. Back to her spartan grey life. But Katniss Everdeen was done running. She stepped cautiously forward, barely hearing the soft snick of the simulator doors closing behind her, immersing her completely in the illusion. She wandered the garden paths slowly, reverently, mouth agape. It was incredible, every detail exactly as she remembered it. She reached out to stroke the glossy green leaves of a hanging vine where it twisted around a pergola. It felt exactly like the vines she’d practiced tying into knots during one of her last visits to the real rooftop gardens. Apple trees perfumed the air. Their gnarled branches just like the ones they’d climbed with abandon during their academy years, playing catch with the sweet fruit. Even the wind chimes tinkling above a lush flower garden were exactly as she remembered them, their gentle chords the soundtrack by which a quiet young woman and a kind young man had made love all those years ago. “Katniss?” She turned slowly at the voice she knew better than her own, the voice of her heart. He was standing perhaps a dozen steps away, an old-fashioned wicker picnic basket in hand, the artificial sun filtering through his ashy curls, crowning him in gold. Peeta Mellark. He was smiling softly, the smile that had always made her feel like the most important person in the universe. As if she could have forgotten how gorgeous he was, how strong and broad and solid. He set the basket down and took a few steps towards her, his grin unwavering. She marvelled at how life-like he was, every detail utterly perfect from his golden eyelashes, so long they brushed his cheeks with each blink, all the way down to the double knots that secured his shoes. It was as if she’d been transported back in time, to those days more than two years ago when life had been perfect, when she’d been happy and loved. All of her pent-up longing overflowed, and she let herself just for the moment forget that it wasn’t real, that it wasn’t really Peeta standing before her, and with a little laugh jumped into his arms. He caught her and spun her around, the arms encircling her just as warm and strong as she remembered. A thousand moments surged through her, all the times those arms were her only refuge from the world. Perhaps not fully appreciated then, but so sweet in memory, and now gone forever. As if reading her mind, he pulled her in close and buried his face in her hair. Warmth radiated from the spot where his lips just touched her neck, slowly spreading through the rest of her body, enveloping her in comfort. It felt so good, so impossibly good, that she knew she would not be the first to let go. “Still the most beautiful woman in the galaxy,” he murmured, and Katniss laughed, a pained little sound stained with longing and regret. The real Peeta wouldn’t be so kind, she thought. He’d still be angry, and he should be. She’d hurt him terribly. But when the simulated Peeta pulled back, he was smiling at her as if she were more radiant than the sun. “Peeta,” she started, but he laid a gentle finger across her lips, halting the apologies that yearned to trip from her tongue. “Shhh,” he said. “We have time. Let’s relax first. Have a bite to eat.” Peeta led her down one of the sun-dappled paths to a patch of grass right at the edge of the rooftop. She wrapped her hands around the railing and looked out over the edge, where the sun hit the glossy buildings spread before them, making them twinkle like a vast field of fireflies stretching to the horizon. He moved to stand behind her, his warmth against her back. “I’d almost forgotten how pretty it is up here,” she murmured. His puff of laughter teased the shell of her ear, made her shiver. “That’s my line,” he said, amusement colouring his voice. “And you always insisted that it’s not as pretty as our woods.” He wrapped an arm around her collar bones, pulling her back against his broad chest. She smiled, leaning into him, letting herself truly live in the memory made real. Eventually, he led them away from the railing, to where he’d lain a blanket over the soft artificial grass. When he opened the basket and started to pull out the food it held, she laughed with true delight and his grin widened. Inside was a feast — fresh rolls, goat cheese, apples, reminiscent of all of the picnics they’d shared in these gardens over their years together. “And the pièce de resistance,” he said almost shyly, lifting a tureen that she was certain contained lamb stew on wild rice. The very dish she had always said was the most impressive thing the Capitol had to offer. She sobered. “You have a remarkable memory,” she said haltingly, regret again flaring in her gut. “I remember everything about you,” Peeta said, tucking a loose strand of soft ebony hair behind her ear. “You’re the one who wasn’t paying attention.” “I am now,” she whispered. “Well, I don’t have much competition here,” he chuckled, self-effacing as always. He never had any competition anywhere, she wanted to say. But she didn’t, because it wasn’t true. He’d always been in competition with her drive, her ambition. It’s why she’d lost him. They sat together in the computer-generated sunshine of an unnaturally perfect day. Peeta fed her bites of bread, slathered in goat cheese and topped with apple slices and they reminisced; about their childhood in District Twelve where they knew each other only by sight, about the friendship that bloomed between them when they found themselves the only two children reaped from their district to join the Star Alliance academy, plucked from their impoverished obscurity and dropped into the garish Capitol to train for the elite star force. A friendship that grew so much deeper when only a couple of years into training, a rogue asteroid destroyed their home district in a hail of fire, leaving them both orphaned and alone with only each other to count on. When the food had been consumed, and the remnants tucked away, Katniss took a deep breath. She’d arranged this simulation for a purpose, there were things she needed to say. “I’m sorry,” she said, and his soft smile fell. “No,” he started, but she wouldn’t let him finish. She knew he’d simply absolve her, the simulation was behaving exactly as Peeta had before she’d left him, kind and forgiving and always putting her needs before his own. “It’s not okay, Peeta,” she said, her voice low but steady. “It never was. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have left. Not without fixing things between us.” She thought back to when she’d been offered the command of her own starship, years ahead of when most young officers were picked to head up missions. It was so unexpected, had flown completely in the face of their plans. They’d always intended on being commissioned together. She would cut her teeth serving under whatever commander headed up Peeta’s first intergalactic diplomatic mission. His talented silver tongue, his ability to paint pictures with words were abilities that made him a star at the academy. They both knew he would ascend the ranks fastest. But he didn’t. She did. And flush with pride, she’d gone to him, excitement about her accomplishment colouring her every word, every thought. He’d been calm, rational, reminding her of their plans, their future. She’d been angry defensive, afraid to listen to anything that could have jeopardized her independence. Unforgivably, she’d accused him of not supporting her dreams. Peeta, who had been her biggest supporter forever. Even as she’d said the words, she’d known they were untrue. But each one flew from her lips like arrows, each hitting her target, piercing him deeply.

The fight had been awful. She’d said so many terrible things, and he’d responded with stony silence. Angry, frustrated, overwhelmed, she’d run. Left him standing on the lawn of the academy stooped in defeat, the waning sun glowing against his dress whites. That image was burned into her retinas, into her heart, and had haunted her for the past two and a half years. She hadn’t seen or spoken to him since. The anger she’d clung to like a shield only lasted so long, replaced quickly by regret. She’d tried looking him up in the database, but he’d left the academy almost as soon as she’d boarded that damned ship, moved on to a new life that didn’t include her. So she moved on too, threw herself into her work, tried not to think about him, about what he might be doing, who he might be loving. Peeta listened, the slight breeze tossing his curls as he sat on the blanket, their knees just touching, the warmth of his presence giving her the strength to say everything she needed to say. He never once interrupted as she poured out her heart in a way she couldn’t have with the real Peeta, the one who had been so angry he’d blocked her access to his communicator, who probably hated her. This Peeta listened attentively as she told him about her years in space. As she confessed to having thought about him every single day. “I knew I could survive without you,” she said. “But it’s a terrible, lonely life.” “Enough,” he said finally, pulling her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. “I’m to blame too. I shut down, cut you out of my life. If I had stopped being so wounded I would have remembered that our relationship was so much more important than my hurt and jealousy.” Katniss whimpered, burying her face in his shirt, enveloped in his scent. She’d loved him, had always loved him, and yet when she’d walked away that awful day, he’d let her go. When he hadn’t contacted her even once those months before her ship left, she’d simply sealed off her heart. Years of friendship, of passion, of love, were walled up, destroyed, and tossed aside like so much trash. Commander Everdeen needed no one. But she’d been lying to herself. That’s why she was here, on a rooftop, tucked into the embrace of a fake version of the only man she’d ever truly loved instead of virtually touring the lavender sand beaches of Astrazaria. She knew she’d never be able to move on without saying it out loud, without telling at least some version of Peeta she was sorry for all of it, even if he’d never actually hear the words. “Do you forgive me?” she whispered, more for herself than for the illusion of him. His arms tightened. “Yes,” he said. “Can you forgive me?” She nodded against his collar. She’d forgiven the real Peeta’s tiny part in their break up years ago. The sun slid lower in the sky as they clung to each other, soft sighs and gentle caresses speaking of regret, but also contentment. Streaks of pink and gold kissed the horizon, reminding her that their time was almost done. That all too soon, she’d be alone again. The dream, her fantasy, would be over. But she’d accomplished what she’d set out to do. She’d told him, and in doing so had freed him from where she’d caged up all of her happy memories. Now maybe she could start to heal. “Ah Kitten,” he murmured, and she froze. Kitten was the pet name Peeta had used when they were intimate, never any other time, and certainly never where anyone else could ever have heard him. How on earth had that gotten into the simulation? It was their secret, something that was only for them. She could feel his soft exhale against her temple. “I miss you so much.” His voice cracked, just a little, and her heart shattered. It was too much, his arms, his voice, his words. It hurt too much. This wasn’t going to help her get over him. “I can’t do this,” she mumbled, tears stinging. She wouldn’t let them fall though, she’d never once cried in front of the real Peeta, not even when she’d left him behind two years ago. She sure as hell wasn’t going to cry in front of this simulation, however real he might feel. His expression when she pulled away and scrambled to her feet nearly gutted her, the confusion, the fear. She turned away, couldn't bear to watch. “Computer,” she barked, listening for the acknowledging beep. Behind her, Peeta gasped. “Katniss?” he rasped. She couldn’t do this anymore, she missed him too much. She was a fool to think that anything could ever heal the Peeta-shaped hole in her heart. This had only made things worse, only made her confront how badly she’d screwed up. How much she still loved him. “End simulation,” she whispered. In the blink of an eye, it all vanished. The rooftop, the gardens, the tinkling wind chimes, all of it disappeared, leaving behind just the bare grey walls. “What the--” a voice from behind her. Katniss whirled. Inexplicably, the simulation of Peeta was still there, staring at her, wide-eyed. “Oh my god,” he whispered. “End simulation!” she yelled, but he didn't so much as flicker. “Shit,” she hissed. What the hell was wrong with this computer? She spun and marched towards the sleek panel on the wall. She'd have to override it herself. Behind her, he kept murmuring her name. And she tried, desperately, to ignore the pleading, disbelieving tone of his voice. He sounded like he had when she'd told him she was leaving. When she had broken both of their hearts. She was trying to manually key in a set of commands when his hands fell on her shoulders, so warm and solid that it made her tremble. This was not supposed to be happening. Finnick promised she could end this at any time. Was it her own desperate need for him holding his avatar there, manifesting him with the force of her desire? “Katniss,” he whispered again, and she felt his warm breath caress her ear. Then he was turning her to face him, and she didn’t resist. Blue eyes roamed her face, as if searching for something crucial. His hands, those hands, so perfectly rendered, long-fingered and elegant, rubbed up and down her arms, shoulders to elbows. Then he smiled, a confused, bewildered little half smile. “You’re real,” he whispered. “Holy shit.” Katniss rolled her eyes, she couldn’t help it. Of course she was real, and this simulation was a little too sentient, it was starting to alarm her. But then he was laughing, he was laughing and pulling her into a tight embrace. “It’s really you,” he choked, laughter mixing with something much more poignant. “I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing, Odair,” she mumbled, voice muffled against Peeta’s shoulder. She knew she needed to push away from the simulation, but surrounded by his warmth, by his clean, spicy scent, his big hand cupping the back of her head in that familiar way he always had, she just couldn't. His chest shook as another bout of rich laughter rumbled from his chest. “I thought you were a simulation,” he said once his laughter had calmed. “But it’s really you. You’re really here.” He pulled back enough to see her face, his eyes twinkling with excitement. Her brows furrowed. “You thought…” Katniss trailed off as finally the pieces clicked into place in her mind. “You bought a fantasy from Trident?” Was that possible, that he’d been thinking the same way she had, feeling the same regrets, the same need to set things right, however pretend the setting? Or had Finnick Odair somehow arranged this, convinced him to show up, to pretend to be a simulation? Her head spun.

But Peeta nodded. “I paid 6 000 credits to relive the best day of my life,” he said, and his words made her stomach flutter, a tide of hope rising. “You did too.” It wasn’t a question, exactly, but there was a hopeful lilt to his voice. She shrugged helplessly. “You’re really here.” He cupped her cheek in one huge hand, his thumb stroking her cheek. “I just got back to Earth six days ago,” she whispered “I thought I’d never see you again,” he admitted. “Are you disappointed? That it’s really me?” She squirmed with embarrassment; It had been one thing to bare her soul to an empty room. Knowing it had really been Peeta, her Peeta, was horrifying. She fought with her emotions, elation at seeing him again when she’d thought it would never happen and terror that he hadn’t meant the things he’d said, had only been playing a role. “You were so angry when I left.” “God no,” he said, pulling her against him again, his joy palpable. She didn’t resist in the least, wrapping her arms around his waist, her heart overwhelmed by the knowledge that he was here, flesh and blood and Peeta. He was here and he was holding her, like he once had. Like he did in her dreams. Her smile was so wide, he must have been able to feel it against his shirt, but she didn’t care. “I was hurt, and scared, and more than a little selfish,” he admitted. “But I meant every word I said in here, Kitten. I’ve missed you so much. I wanted to see you again so bad.”

“Me too,” she whispered. His soft lips brushed across her temple and he sighed, a contented little sound that she had missed so much. “How long are you staying?” he asked. “For good.” She tipped her head up to meet his confused gaze. “I’m home. I resigned my command and took a job teaching at the academy.” The joy that split his handsome face was almost heartbreaking in its beauty, before he schooled his features into a more cautious optimism. “What does that mean? For… for us?” There was no ‘us’ as far as Katniss knew. She’d come here to get over Peeta, to finally be able to move on after years stuck in limbo. But she finally realized that was the fantasy, that was the ‘not real’. She could never get over him. And she didn’t want to. “That depends on what you want, I guess.” She had been so busy spilling the contents of her soul that she hadn’t asked him about his own life. For all she knew, he had a wife and a dozen gorgeous blond babies waiting at home. The very idea was a like a spear through her heart. “I want you,” he said, serious and solemn. “I’ve wanted you since we were five years old, back in Twelve. I’ve never stopped. And I never will.” He leaned in to kiss her, to really kiss her, and the tears she’d spent forever holding back trickled down her cheeks.

“I love you,” she murmured, the words maybe too soon and yet also far too late. He picked her up and spun her again, laughing as he kissed his own loving declarations into her skin, every word and every caress a healing balm. “Let’s get out of here,” she said when they broke apart, breathless and flushed. “Are you sure?” He waggled his eyebrows, voice brimming with mirth. “We could relaunch the simulator to one of Finnick’s fantasy programs. How about a Pfflachlin coital suite?” Katniss laughed, really laughed, her joy overflowing. “No,” she said between giggles. “No more fantasies. I want real.”

#everlark #xerxia writes #ms2sl

[internetremix]

I was wondering... Do you any of you have tips for a rookie GM? I'm setting up a game night here soon and I'm stressing the heck out over it.

Alex: No matter what game system you play it's usually quite intimidating because there are like 600 pages of information to digest. At any given time you need to have memorized only, like, thirty. At the end of the day most tabletop games are just two things - math and improv. Admittedly things that, outside of tabletop games, people go out of their way to avoid, but still.

Stress can lead people to get things done fast but also get things done sloppy. You don't need to plan out every single detail of what the characters might encounter eventually in a session. You can flesh out a couple of interesting people, places, or things you want them to see and just keep a scratch card of notes and traits for if/when they go off the beaten path. Remember, no matter what you plan, there is no accounting for the actions of players, and rolling with them provides a far better experience than slamming your fist down and saying "NO" to every deviation.

And above all else, remember that tabletop games are a collaborative effort. People come together to play games, tell stories, and shoot the shit. If shooting the shit overtakes the game you can rein that in a little but at the end of the day everyone's there voluntarily to have fun, and no one is there to see anyone fail.So to recap -

1. You are the arbiter of rules no matter what the book says. You can double-check later and take notes for future games if it becomes an issue but generally you only need to have in mind rules that are actively going to be used in game. If you don't know the exact way to handle something just make up what the closest action would be and if the player rolls what you think is well enough to do it, they did it.

2. If you don't have time to take notes on every single thing the players might encounter, congratulations, you're an average person. You only need a few based on the following factors - what do you want the players to do, how do you think they're going to do it, and do you have something prepared for when they go off the beaten path.

3. Have fun! Seriously, it's called a tabletop GAME, not a tabletop dictatorship.

Kristen: All of my games are Tabletop Dictatorships, all of them. Unfortunately I'm a terrible, weak-willed dictator so this helps nothing.

Alex: Discord Murder Party is different. Mafia/Werewolf operates way differently than D&D and needs a GM SPECIFICALLY so that players don't go off the rails.

Kristen: You are 100% correct.

God my first tabletop I ever DMed for I made my own thing and wrote like... twenty pages for my first session. And then as soon as I started, my players were like HEY I WANNA EXPLORE THE SHOPS

"O-oh.... y-yeah, here's uh... heeeere's a list of shops..."

So then I had to improv like... five shops and make multiple NPCs on the fly and then I found out "it turns out writing an entire paragraph for every NPC is an awful idea because you can't fucking read those notes mid-session"

So my point is don't do that.

Juno: Oh yeah. Last night I had to make up a guy named Lucas on the spot because JoJo's character wanted to convince a guy not to kill them

Kristen: YEP I ran the generic 5e DnD starter for a group of friends and somehow it went from a generic "you all hunt down and kill a bunch of goblins and a bugbear in a cave, way to go" to "You spared a Goblin who has a ridiculous Brooklyn accent who hates his job and now you're starting a ridiculous worker's revolution and this has ended with you all enlisting every other goblin you were supposed to fight into swarming the bugbear boss. Okay."

Juno: I mean. That's a pretty bomb plot twist if you ask me.

Kristen: Oh yes, I enjoyed it immensely. Also really in the context of a DnD game I'm pretty sure that shouldn't be doable cause I don't think any of them were supposed to be able to speak common. If your players are setting themselves up for a more interesting story and you have to bend the rules a bit to make it happen, go for it. One of the most important things for GMing is making your players feel like they have agency- as Alex said, it's collaborative, it's not just you telling your players a story.

Another thing to keep in mind is what sort of players you have. I usually prefer to play with people who are more into the RP/story aspect, but some people are gonna be more into them fighty fights and mechanics and such. Which is fine and can work, it's just a matter of striking a balance in your game.  I usually try to tailor things in such a way that everyone's getting a chance to get what they want out of a game and their shot at the spotlight, in whatever manner that takes. For me it's helped to ask my players directly "hey, what do you want out of this game? Do you have any ideas or anything you're really into?"

Mostly what I'm saying is just try to keep in mind what your players are in this for, since that contributes a lot to how much fun you all have.

Atwas: Something that's helped me a lot is to not stress out or stop the game entirely to double check rules. It sort of kills momentum. In my experience, ruling a situation and then looking something up later is a lot less stressful than the pressure of putting something completely on pause while you flip through a book/google something.

If you're doing stuff in real life, I would recommend making a little cheat sheet of your PC's information. My DM screen has sticky notes with each party characters HP, AC, Passive Perception, and Spell Save DC to keep things streamlined.

Kristen: Oooo smurt

Alex: Hell yeah dude. Also there are custom DM screens you can get tailor-made to give you quick rules references. Fairly cheap on Amazon.

Atwas: Also your players don't know if you're winging stuff unless you tell them. ;^)

Also also don't be scared of bumping monster hp up or down depending on a fight or having monsters run away or call in reinforcements. If you go off script in an encounter--surprise! Nobody knows but you. I did that quite a bit when I was starting out because balancing encounters is a bit of an art and CR is a loose guideline at best.

Also also also the point of the game isn't to win. Don't fall into the trap of "beating your players" or stuff like that. Imo that kind of messes with the table dynamics unless 100% of everyone is on board with that type of game.

Kristen: Yeah, don't fall into that and also be careful not to go into the mindset of "punishing" your players if they do something dumb. Like if it's a silly "you did this thing and consequences have gone WILDLY outside of what you expect wheee", awesome, but I've had DMs who basically would act like if you didn't somehow read their minds and find their exact solution, welp you made a dumb choice and now everyone is penalized for it. Made for a pretty toxic atmosphere, do not recommend. Kind goes hand in hand with "don't be a tabletop dictator".

Atwas: oh gods i could go on and on about how punishing someone in game never works for out of game behaviour but i digress. also please don't feel afraid to talk to your players, even if having adult conversations is difficult.

Juno: Cause and effect is the biggest thing to think about I think, especially in a DMing situation.

Alex: For instance, siccing a Revenant on the party? Thavagath made a bad decision in character, that's the natural consequence, he gets a chance to save his ass. Someone makes a dick joke about your carefully crafted NPC? Don't be a dick right back.

Atwas: sweats, trying to think back to the last time a dick joke was made in Fallen Empires

Alex: Like I think the last major one was Phill pulling a muscle stretching so hard to make a joke for five minutes about the "Male Room" rather than the "Mail Room"

But then we - wait for it - ACTUALLY DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OUT OF GAME and stuff like that doesn't pop up any more.

Atwas: WHAT? SPEAKING LIKE REASONABLE ADULTS?!?! IN MY TABLETOP?!?!?! it's really useful. please have those conversations, even if they're uncomfortable. and if something is becoming an issue, bring it up sooner rather than later--turns out that people can't change stuff if they don't know about it! Most people want to stay friends after a campaign after all.

Jojo: Have your story planned, npcs, and what you want an end goal to be. Make sure it's all planned out BEFORE asking people to join it. And if you need a second DM to help you with Dice or story, then that's ok too! I'm still a beginner DM myself, so that's the best advice I can give

These guys are pros, so listen to them

Phill: Heheh... male room

Alex: Phill no you'll pull your hamstring again

Phill:

Atwas: what do you think is Phill's average Henderson rating?

Alex: Phill has at least One Henderson in him, he destroyed Underdark to the point of we can't go back to it ever now.

Phill: I mean. Yeah. Honestly, I could've very easily seen phresh reach a 1.75 hendersons eventually.

Atwas: I'd say 1.75 works. 2 is still out of reach, but one day...

Xander: Underdark is cursed content and deserved better

Atwas: How many of he players had that as their first campaign? 3/5?

Xander: I believe so

Alex: Uprising and I had played before, I don't think Jojo, Dawn, or Phill had.

Xander: I'm probably gonna reboot Underdark one day. Wipe the slate clean. Probably not gonna be done on IR

Alex: We did it! We reached two Hendersons!

Xander: Two full Hendersons.

Phill: time unveil my new original character. Blesh

Alex: Blerish

Xander: More like Blemish

#ask the ir crew #advice #dungeons and dragons #dndbags #as always this starts as good advice and then devolves into nonsense #Anonymous

[ernmark]

Because I’ve been posting a whole lot of really sad stuff lately, here’s something a little bit more fun.

The prompt comes courtesy of Kya, who requested Juno undertake a very particular kind of case, with some details based on a conversation with @crownsnbirds​. 

Rita’s laid down the law: there will be no more dry spells in the Juno Steel Detective Agency. Juno has two weeks to recover, just long enough for the sunburn to finish peeling and the vertigo to fade into mild dizzy spells when he stands up too fast, and then he’s back on the job. 

He should probably thank her for that, at least when he’s done being annoyed at her about it. 

After everything that’s happened, the current case is a relief. There’s no conspiracy, no murder, no hostage situations, no rigged elections. Just a run-of-the-mill Uptown blue blood whining because their favorite tiara went missing.

“No, not a tiara,” insists Theophania Frost. “It’s a diadem. An antique from my dearest grandmama.” 

“Your... diadem.” Goddamn rich people. “Right. Now are you sure it’s actually stolen? Have you checked with your staff? Made sure it’s not out for cleaning or repairs or whatever?” Hell, maybe somebody left it in the refrigerator by mistake. God knows he’s done that with his eye patch once or twice after a long night.

“Detective Steel, I wouldn’t have called you here if I wasn’t absolutely certain it’s been stolen-- and I know who did it, too!”

Juno sighs. The tone of their voice tells him he’s going to be in for a long day. “Do you?”

Frost leans in conspiratorially and drops their voice to a whisper, as if they might be overheard. “Have you ever heard of the Bouquet Bandit?”

Oh god, not this again.

“Is this one of those crooks with a theme song trying to get into the Fortezza? Because this is a hell of a bad time to cash in on that deal.” 

“I don’t know, Detective, but I’m not the only one who’s been stolen from. Sam Spare, you know, the botanist? Xir diamond shears went missing a month ago. And Telemnachus Wake’s collection of antique horsehair necklaces was taken two months ago, and on the same day, they were sent flowers.”

“Flowers.” 

Frost takes Juno’s exasperation for enthusiasm. “That’s right! Every time he takes something, he always leaves behind a dozen roses.”

“Thus the name, I got it.” 

Why did Rita have to pick now to start doing her job?

Whoever this Bouquet Bandit is, he’s good. The crime scene is spotless, and there’s no signs of forced entry whatsoever. While Rita goes over Frost’s security system for footage and signs of tampering, Juno looks into the other alleged crimes of the serial burglar, looking for something they had in common. 

The best bet is in the delivery personnel-- people this rich get a lot of deliveries, and nobody thinks twice about a person in uniform with a box in hand walking right up to the front door. There are a few people on the security feeds that Juno pegs as suspicious, and not just because of the one thing they all seem to have in common: no matter where they are or what they’re doing, Juno can never get a good look at their faces. 

He scours the timestamps on the videos, looking for others that might give a better angle or reveal some kind of other identifying mark, but there’s no luck so far.

And honestly? He’s kind of loving it. After all the shit that went down, he’s been in need of a good, clean, straightforward case. It’s been too long since he’s done legitimate investigating that he could feel good about.

The thought barely has the chance to cross his mind before he hears Rita start talking to someone at her desk. A moment later, she’s poking her head inside his office.

“Hey, Boss? You got a delivery.” 

She looks about as concerned as he feels. Because in her hand is a bouquet of twelve red roses.

“What the hell?” He starts to his feet. “Rita, did you see who delivered these?” 

“Don’t worry, boss, I already asked. It was just a kid. She said some man stopped her on the sidewalk and gave her a whole bunch of money to deliver these to you.” 

“Did she see his face?” 

“I asked, but she wouldn’t say nothin’. She just gave me the flowers and ran.”

Juno grabs the card from among the roses and turns it over. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Juno’s still got the card in his pocket when he arrives at the meeting point. Rita insisted she come with him when she saw, but this time he was the one who put his foot down-- the last time she joined him on a job, she fell in love with a murderer, and this time he’s going to cut off the inevitable tragedy before he has to buy two pints of ice cream and sit through her forty favorite sad movies.

The card itself is infuriatingly unhelpful. The paper is high-class cardstock, but nothing so fancy that you couldn’t get it at any stationary store in town. The text is digitally printed in a fancy but publicly available font. The message is short:

Detective Juno Steel

Meet me at the Jacobi Convention Center at 3 PM on July 5.

Don’t be late.

It screams ambush-- which is another reason why Rita isn’t coming.

Even if the ambush is apparently going to happen at the local Y2K Faire.

It makes sense in its own ridiculous way: there are hundreds of people coming and going, half of them in costume, and everyone’s going to be carrying a shopping bag or a replica glock or sword or whatever, and there’ll be enough reenactors demonstrating fake duels that nobody’s going to notice if things get heated until it’s too late.

Old Americana-style signposts mark the different sections of the faire, their directions spelled out in big white letters against reflective green rectangles. One catches Juno’s eye: its metal pole is decorated with a dozen roses. It looks like a regular decoration, but he takes it as a sign and follows its lead. It’s not hard to find a second sign post covered in roses a little further, and another, until he’s on the far end of the convention center. By now the trail is easy to follow, laid out in a path of rose petals on the floor. They’re fresh, not quite dried out yet, not nearly as trampled as they should be, given how many people are here. The bandit can’t have been here more than half an hour ago, tops.

The trail leads to an exotic animal exhibit based on old-fashioned Earth petting zoos. Which... can’t be right. Juno checks all the way around the enclosure, just to make sure he got it right, but no. That’s where it ends. 

What the hell is he supposed to do with this?

He stares, perplexed, at children reaching through the bars to offer handfuls of pellets and sliced vegetables to cows and ponies and old Earth species of rabbits-- the kind that are fluffy and bright-eyed and small enough to hold in your arms.

The kind I’m used to eat carrots and wrinkle their little nosies.

The thought makes Juno’s heart ache a little bit. Reminders of Nureyev always do. 

He’s staring into the enclosure when he notices something that doesn’t belong: a bit of paper, fancy card stock the same stiffness and shade as the card in his hand, carefully pinned to the wool of a star-horned goat on the other end of the enclosure. He hurries over to the spot of fence closest to it, but as soon as he gets there, it’s on the move, meandering around to the other side.

“Goddammit,” he mutters under his breath, and sets his foot on the metal gate. He wasn’t planning to get cow dung on his shoes today, but whatever.

“Hey!” barks a man who smells like he’s been working with these things for a long, long time. “You can’t go in there.”

Juno would ignore him and make the leap anyway, but the guy grabs him, and hot damn does he have a strong grip. Apparently wrangling a bunch of four-legged antiques for a living builds muscles or something. 

“I said you can’t go in there,” the caretaker repeats slowly. It’s a warning. It won’t be repeated again.

There’s even odds that Juno would win any fight between them, but no matter how it goes, he’ll end the fight by being dragged out by security, which means he’ll lose his only lead on this case. The Bandit’s got a game to play, and Juno intends to win it.

And that means playing by the rules.

“Sorry about that,” he says as sweetly as he can get away with. “I’m just so excited. I’ve never seen a goat up close before.”

The caretaker gives him a weird look, but backs off. “Yeah, well, you’re going to have to do your watching from out here. It stresses the animals out too much to let people into the pen.”

“Do you think you could bring one over for me to get a closer look?” He points at the star-horned goat with the note on its wool. “How about that one over there?”

“Listen, buddy,” the caretaker says. “We can’t do that. If you want them to come closer, we sell food pellets for a cred a bag.”

Sometimes, being a Private Eye means asking the hard questions-- like whether he’s going to include “petting zoo food pellets” in his expense report at the end of a case.

He decides to swallow the cost along with his pride and he buys a bag.

And then he buys two more; the one goat he’s after looks hungry, but apparently not as much as the rest of the animals in the enclosure. In seconds he’s swarmed by livestock, and Juno runs his hands over all of them, just in case the goat wasn’t the only one with a note in its fur.

And... okay, so they are really soft. It’s not like this is his first time at a Y2K Faire, but he’s never bothered to pay money for a chance to pet the animals. It’s actually kind of nice. Especially the cow-- she keeps bumping his hand with her soft, velvety nose, and scrubs her long tongue over the palm of his hand in a way that should be a lot more gross than it is. It’s a shame there aren’t more of these on Mars.

Sure, a few people are complaining about the smell, but Juno spent half his childhood wading through the sewers with giant rabbits. If anything, the smell of hay and manure and animal fur feels a little bit nostalgic. 

It’s not until he trades a handful of pellets to a six-year-old in exchange for a bunch of carrot slices that the goat finally starts heading his way, nosing at one hand while he fumbles to unpin the note from its wool. 

Just like he guessed, it’s the a perfect match for the card that came with the flowers, with the same paper, the same font, and the same obnoxious lack of helpful information.

Hungry, Detective?

Meet me in the Foode Courte.

Even without the little heart at the bottom of the card, there’s something ridiculously flirtatious about the whole thing. But that’s this thief’s schtick, isn’t it? Some kind of hopeless romantic who goes around tossing roses all over the place. Just watch, when Juno finds him he’ll be wearing a top hat and cape. Maybe that’s why he picked this place to sneak around in, so his getup won’t cause any suspicion.

After he washes himself off, Juno follows the signs to the circle of kiosks selling “authentic” twentieth-century cuisine-- things with bizarre names like “deep fried twinkies” and “mashed potatoes” and “blooming onions”. Thankfully, the trail of rose petals on the floor leads him past the more exotic options to a plain-old popcorn stand that’s offering nothing more historic than cheddar-and-caramel among its flavors. The smell of the popcorn is subtle compared to the other foods lingering in the air, but when he’s this close, it’s enough to make his stomach grumble.

Just like before, there’s another note, tucked into one of the pre-portioned bags of popcorn, and he swipes the beg the second the cashier’s back is turned. All expenses paid or not, there’s something criminal about charging seven creds for a quarter’s worth of popcorn. 

Okay, so the popcorn isn’t half bad. Not good enough to justify that price tag, but still, not bad. And he was just thinking he could use a snack.

The note is spotted and translucent with cooking oil, but it’s still readable enough. 

Join me for a game.

“That’s funny, I thought we were already playing one,” Juno says aloud, just in case the Bandit is watching him... which he probably is, dammit.

There’s a section of kiosks dedicated to old Earth carnival games, and sure enough, there’s another trail of rose petals leading him to the right booth: a target shooting game backed up against a funnel cake stand.

He’s not even surprised when he finds the corner of another note sticking out of a cut in an oversized teddy bear.

“Joke’s on you,” he mutters. “I’m great at these things.” 

He used to do these all the time when he was in high school, winning the biggest prize he could carry just to show off for his dates. 

He pays a couple creds to the lady behind the counter and takes aim. All three shots go wide, barely hitting the target.

Anywhere else, that might disappoint him, but not here. Sure, his aim isn’t ever going to be as great as it was when he had the THEIA on and active, but these games are always rigged. The trick is that now he knows which way the laser is skewed, and he corrects his aim accordingly. 

Seven bulls-eyes later, and he’s walking away from the stand with a stuffed bear almost as big as he is. Rita’s going to love this thing-- maybe it’ll make up for not letting her come.

He slips the last note out of the little hole in the bear and unfolds it.

If you want to look into my face, you’ll have to look into your own.

I’ll be waiting in the hall of mirrors.

Finally something direct.

There’s no trail of rose petals this time-- just an “out for lunch” sign and an unlocked door on the old twentieth-century attraction. He never got the appeal of places like this, where everything is dim and warped and confusing. But then, he never really got the appeal of mirrors, either. 

He leaves the bag of popcorn and stuffed bear just inside the door, and he sets out. 

“Alright, I’m here,” he calls into the twisting halls. “Enough of this scavenger hunt. Come out and we’ll settle this.”

His only answer is in footsteps. He whirls to follow the source of the sound, but he only manages to catch reflections of a retreating figure. In the warped glass, he can’t make out a face or a body type, but there’s something about the pattern of the footsteps that feels familiar. 

The Bandit is running, so he gives chase. He keeps seeing flashes of the man, bits and pieces that should all fit together but don’t. All of it feels too familiar. 

And then he’s out of the hall of mirrors and into another corner of the funhouse, this one full of holograms and wax figurines, all of them of celebrities and historical figures and beautiful people through the ages. Some of them are moving, repeating cliched one-liners and overused quotations, and it’s all coming from everywhere, sending false signals from every corner. His senses are so confused that he’s even smelling things he shouldn’t, animals and food and cologne.

Cologne.

“No,” he whispers. “No, it can’t be.” But the more he looks at it, the more obvious it is.

Pet the fuzzy animals. Have a snack. Play a game. Hell, even the flowers--

It’s so obvious. It’s terrible. 

Jesus, why do people keep doing this to him? Sending him on cases that aren’t cases-- it wasn’t even a year ago that he got dragged all over Oldtown for Sasha’s performance review, and then Ramses staged a goddamn assassination for a job interview, and then apparently the stakeout that was a bad excuse to get him to rest up from a stab wound, and now this? 

“Goddammit, Nureyev,” he snaps. “Is this supposed to be a date?”

Nureyev is still out of sight, lost in the dim lights and mannequins, but his voice wafts over Juno. “Are you having fun? I certainly am.”

“You couldn’t just ask--” No, he couldn’t. Because that isn’t Nureyev’s style, and Juno’s never exactly been the type to openly accept that kind of invitation. So he changes tracks. “I gotta say, the location threw me. A Y2K Faire seems kind of low-brow for you.”

“That’s hardly my fault. It did take you some time to respond to my calling card, after all.”

His... oh, goddammit, the serial robberies. “You’ve been trying to get my attention.”

“For months now, thank you for noticing. And you’ve been playing hard to get.” 

Juno sighs. “I wasn’t playing. I was just...” How is he supposed to even put it into words? “My head’s been a real mess.” 

“I can imagine,” Nureyev hums, and his voice is soft and so close that Juno can feel his breath in his ear. “Would you like to talk about it over dinner?”

#the penumbra podcast #writing prompt #fanfiction #100

[gh0stboombox]

The Big Band Bunch (and some singers too)

These are some bands or artists that I like/love a lot so please listen to them (I will provide jams w them)

Some are known and some aren't

This font are songs

1. Glass Animlas

LIKE LIQUID GLASS TO THE EARS but no seriously they make some BOPS honestly. If you get around in the animation community you've probably heard the other side of paradise or pork soda, but got listen to their other songs cuz they are all beautiful.

Take a slice

Season 2 episode 3

Pork soda

2. Tally Hall

BOI DO WE EVEN HAVE TO DISSUCS I love tally hall with a firey passion ngl. Not only do they make JAMS AND BOPS but they also had an internet show that was kinda ahead of its time. They make music from electronic, to rock, to like alternitave, to pop and its great. Like consistancy and more then just music? Tally Hall.

Welcome to tally hall

The whole world and you

The bidding

3. Kimya Dawson/ The moldy peaches

A queen. She made a lot of the Juno sound track and honestly she has many other masterpieces. Her music really gets me through some rough times man its great. But most of her music is good and soft with GREAT lyrics.

Same shit/ complicated

I will never forget

My mom

4. Tom Rosenthal

I just got into him recently but I am OBSESSED AND IN LOVE. His music is all great stuff for rainy days and taking a bath. He does a lot of soft piano and ukulele stuff AND HAS THE VOICE OF A GOD LIKE HOLY MOLY. Love the lyrics too. Would give a PHAT recommend to anyone.

Fenn

All of them dreams

Little big mistakes

5. The Wombats

Okay so they're getting more popular but they have this like brit-pop-rock thing and it makes me HAPPY. It would fit so well into indie teen films. They're whole 'A guide to love, loss and desperation' album is a romp. Good for long car rides.

Lets dance to Joy Division

Here comes the anxiety

Little Miss Pipedream

6. Weezeer

I'm pretty sure you know weezer, cuz they are pretty popular and they have been around forever. But their music makes me think of early 2000s late 90s vibes and it puts me in a good place. Plus the blue album and pinkerton are both 10/10. If you like punk rock then listen to them.

Pork and beans

Why bother?

My name is Jonas

7. Andrew Jackson Jihad

Folk punk. Honestly what a combo that they can pull off so well. They add a lot of good lyrics into some good jams that I listen to when I walk my dog. You might have heard brave as a noun maybe, but they're band is like banjos, and angry lyrics.

My daddy didn't love me

Brave as a noun

American tune

8. AWOLNATION

They are only known for sail and run and it makes me wanna die. As thoes are good songs, they have REAL BOPS on most of their albums. They make like electronic rock kinda..?? Its kinda hard to describe but it's really good ngl. Give them a phat listen.

Woman, woman

Jump on my shoulders

Fat face

9. Mother Mother

Again, ANIMATION COMUNITY IM CALLIN YOU OUT. You probably have heard body and maaaaayyyyybeeee ghosting, but MAN they make some good music honestly. Its basically alternitave. The voices are gold too honestly. They're want to make me go explore a forest for some reason honestly.

Bit by bit

Oh Ana

Oh my heart

10. Atlas

SPELL IT OUT! R E L A T A B L E! Atlas makes rap music that I couldn't even compare to anything cuz its too good. I'm not a big fan of rap honestly but this man makes songs that are so relatable and great??? Like they make me so happy and I have like 4 of his songs on a sleep playlist. Lyrics are amazing 17/10.

Such nice sounds

Humility

Internet personas

Y'all got any good bands or artists to recommend? Tell me cuz I love new music 💕

#music #music recomendation #glass animals #tally hall #andrew jackson jihad #atlas #weezer #tom rosenthal #kimya dawson #the wombats #awolnation #mother mother #indie music #indie #bands #singers #artists #indie bands #listen

[ernmark]

One of the things that drew me to the Penumbra Podcast initially is that Juno’s depression seems to manifest a whole lot like my own. It makes this sort of thing really therapeutic.

It’s one of those days. It hasn’t hit its lowest point yet, but it’s coming.

It comes in quietly at first– Juno’s mind goes fuzzy as he’s filling out paperwork at the PI Registry. The words are there on the page, he can read them just fine, but he still has to go over it three times to remember that the words “name” and “number” at the top of the page are asking for his name and ID, and that he’s been putting them at the top of these pages for fifteen years now. When he’s asked why the crook got away, he has to bite down on his tongue to stop himself from saying ‘because I fucked up, okay?’. He forces himself to eat, but it’s getting harder to finish his meals when he can barely taste what’s in his mouth. He stays up into the pale hours of morning– not because he’s busy, but because he doesn’t want to deal with waking up tomorrow.

And he knows this is only the start of it.

It feels like he’s walking into a tar pit-- he’s up to his waist in something thick and sticky that drags him down and makes every move a fight, and with every step he knows he’s getting in deeper. Maybe if he was smarter or planned better or something, he could have avoided this-- and honestly, that thought just makes him feel even more like shit. Because that makes it his fault, doesn’t it? Maybe he deserves what he’s getting, because he did this to himself.

And the tar just keeps getting deeper.

The comms in his hand feels too heavy, his fingers too uncoordinated when they hover over the screen. The smart thing to do is to ask for help, but the thought makes him feel sick. The sludge is all over him now-- why the hell would he want to get it all over anyone else? Besides, he’s tired. He’s so goddamn tired.

It takes more effort than it should to type the message to Rita, but he gets it through.

I’m taking the day off.

If he felt like lying to himself, he’d call it sleeping. Really it’s more like lying prone on  his bed with the lights off and staring at the ceiling. He’s not fighting his way through the sludge anymore-- not because he’s magically out of it, but because he’s in that weird place between sinking deeper and floating to the top. In the morning he’ll keep wading, but for right now, he’s going to just lay here and try to rest.

His thoughts wander blankly to the sound of footsteps on the fire escape, the soft creak of the living-room window sliding open in its well-oiled frame. Really, why did he even bother giving Nureyev the key to his apartment if he’s never going to use it

When Nureyev actually announces himself, it’s with a soft knock on the bedroom door. “Juno?” When he doesn’t answer, the door slips open quietly, its hinges just as well-oiled as the window, and a thin ray of light falls across the bed. 

“Hey.” 

“Rita told me you weren’t feeling well.” 

“I’m fine.”

Nureyev surveys the dim bedroom, but he keeps his observations to himself. “I tried calling ahead, but you weren’t picking up.”

Juno reaches for his comms, but it isn’t there. He must have put it down somewhere. “Sorry about that.” 

“I can run to the pharmacy if you want.” It’s hard to read Nureyev’s expression right now; his back is to the open door, and the light streaming through casts his face in shadow. “What do you need, love?”

A few months ago, Juno would have snapped at him to get off his case. He’s been working on that, though. He’s getting better. “Right now, I think I need to just lay here and pretend I don’t exist for a while.”

Nureyev’s answer is a soft, understanding hum. “Mind if I join you?”  

Juno doesn’t really know what to do with that. He’s not exactly in the mood right now, if that’s what he’s after.

But sure. Whatever. “If that’s what you want.”

There’s another low hum, and then Nureyev toes out of his shoes and sits in the empty space beside Juno, not quite close enough to touch him. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t reach out; he only pulls out his comms, the screen dimmed to something soft and unobtrusive, and he reads.

Not exactly a thrilling date night or anything, but Juno wasn’t offering and Nureyev didn’t ask. And that’s... okay.

The sludge doesn’t go away, but slowly Juno can feel himself start to float to the top, the weight of it not quite so oppressive and overwhelming. He’s not sure how long he’s lying there before he feels up to brushing his knuckles against Nureyev’s hand, or how much longer than that before he’s able to roll over and lay his head on Nureyev’s lap.

When Nureyev starts absently petting Juno’s curls, it actually feels kind of nice.

When Juno wakes up the next morning, it’s to Nureyev lying beside him, snoring gently, still in yesterday’s clothes. A smile flickers across Juno’s lips at the sight of him-- just for a moment before it’s gone, but it was there. A day ago, he’d forgotten what that felt like.

When he slips out of bed to shower, it feels less like he’s drowning and more like he’s wading again. The sludge is still there, but he can feel the beginnings of solid ground under his feet again.

When he steps out of the bathroom, the chemical-floral smell of bodywash and shampoo fades away, replaced with coffee and burnt oil, because somehow frying an egg is more complicated than cracking a safe. 

Not that Juno minds; for the first time since the bad spell started, he actually has an appetite.

#the penumbra podcast #depression #fanfiction #I'm not at my best right now but I'm working on it #I'll be back up to filling writing prompts soon though