#magnus is a game of aesthetic fuck around and find out

[raspberryjellybrains]

magnus is hot in a scrunkly way. when people first see him, their first thought is "why does he look like that." but not altogether in a bad way. the confusion makes it better.

#one of those people that you look at and youre like nah. thats not real youre not real. #but not in that hes too perfect but in that your brain rejects that such a series of features could be combined in such a way #like nice eyes but there a little off. cheekbones which shouldnt look right with nose and lips but they do. #are you seeing what im saying. do you understand please understand. #if you think about it #his mom had such beauty and personality she attracted a god who had been exclusive to his wife for hundreds of years #and his dad is literally a dilf fertility god #but i think theyre both attractive in opposite ways. like when people with different opinions want to have a child and ask what it thinks. #magnus is a game of aesthetic fuck around and find out #i need to write a fic where alex is like 'you mean you actually thought you were ugly? like fr this whole time?' bc she thought they #were joking #'YOU MEAN YOU KNEW??? :0' 'i literally called you pretty. i have kissed you. we are partners. YES I KNEW.''samirah please tell me hes lying #'i wish i could.' 'FUCK!-' #magnus chase #mcga shitpost #mcga #raspberry rambles

[khaleesiofalicante]

“Mom!” Alec hissed.

His mother didn’t turn back.

“Mooooom,” he called her again – and this time she turned back. “I want to go home."

“Alec, we just got here!” his mother said incredulously as they checked their coats into the coakroom.

The guy in the cloakroom gave Alec a token for their coats.

Jesus Fucking Christ. What kind of house has a cloakroom?

His mother was right. They had barely been here for 10 minutes. But Alec already wanted to leave.

“I’m feeling sick,” Alec said. “I should go back home.”

He coughed awkwardly. He was a decent liar.

“What’s wrong?” his mother looked momentarily concerned.

“Uh,” Alec said, not prepared at all. “I got my period.”

Yeah, so that ‘decent liar’ bit might have been an exaggeration.

“Alec,” his mother sighed. “You think I want to do this? This family is one of our largest donors to the university. As the dean, I have to be here. So do you.”

Alec groaned.

As the president of the queer alliance at Idris University, Alec knew he had to talk to people to get the funding they needed. But Alec hated people and he hated talking. He wished Lily or Maia were here instead.

“I know you have your own ways,” his mother said through her teeth as she smiled at one of the guests who was waving at her. “But you need their support. It’s how the game is played.”

“I hate playing the game,” Alec said through his teeth as he cheerily waved at one of the lecturers.

“You know the rules,” she turned to him and adjusted his bowtie. “Just smile and play nice.”

“But-”

“Be charming ,” she interrupted. “That's how fundraising works.”

Alec pouted and then gave her tight nod.

“Albert!” she shouted at one of the guests and made her way towards the old man.

Alec was about to let out a dramatic sigh when a waiter emerged from nowhere.

“Champagne, sir?”

“Thank you,” Alec picked up the flute. “Damn, this is heavy.”

“Crystal, sir,” the waiter pointed.

Alec’s hands suddenly felt very sweaty. He wiped them clumsily on his suit jacket and held the champagne flute carefully.

Another waiter emerged upon him, holding a tray of hors d’oeuvres.

“What’s that?” Alec pointed at the tray.

“Caviar, sir,” the waiter replied.

“Is that cinnamon?” Alec asked at the sprinkled dust on top of the caviar thingies.

If it was cinnamon, he could maybe eat it and have an instant allergic reaction.

Then maybe his mother would let him go home. He hoped.

“Not cinnamon, sir,” the waiter said as Alec took one and popped into his mouth. “It’s edible gold.”

“What?” Alec asked, his mouth full of caviar.

And gold apparently.

“It’s a caviar and crème fraîche tartlet,” the waiter announced in a surprisingly perfect French accent. “Topped with edible gold.”

“You are telling me this is gold?” Alec asked, chewing the food self-consciously. “I’m eating actual gold?”

“Uh, yes sir,” the waiter said awkwardly.

“But why?” Alec demanded, chewing his food angrily now. “Does it improve the taste?”

“No, sir,” the waiter looked embarrassed. “It’s…pretty.”

Alec looked around in disbelief as the waiter made his escape.

Here he was trying to find a couple of thousand dollars to raise funds for his alliance and these people were sprinkling gold on their food for aesthetic.

“Fuck the rich,” Alec muttered.

“Pardon?” someone said from behind him.

Ah, shit! Alec really hoped it was not one of the professors at the university – or worse, one of the donors.

But when he turned around, it was neither.

It was in fact the most beautiful man Alec had ever seen.

“Uh,” Alec said eloquently.

“You were saying something about fucking the rich,” the man smiled. “If it’s a cult, I’m very much interested.”

“Not a cult,” Alec clarified – when he managed to find his voice. Jesus! “Just a personal motto of mine.”

“Very interesting motto you have there…”

“Alec,” he finished. “Alexander.”

Why did he say his full name? He never did that. Alec could be such a weirdo in front of gorgeous men.

“Nice to meet you, Alexander,” the other man said, and Alec’s momentary regret vanished instantly.

He suddenly loved his name. Maybe a little too much.

“I’m Magnus,” the man held out a hand and Alec shook it – and hoped his palm wasn’t as sweaty as before. “Are you here to donate?”

“Pfft,” Alec couldn’t help but snort. “Right. Cause these people need more money.”

“Don’t roll your eyes at charity, Alexander,” Magnus chided. “It’s not very gentlemanly of you.”

“What’s this charity for anyway?” Alec asked, because he hadn’t even bothered to ask his mom and spent the whole drive here complaining about the university budget allocations instead.

“The rowing club,” Magnus replied.

“The rowing club?” Alec demanded angrily.

They were a bunch of elite dude bros and were the last people that needed charity.

“They are hoping to purchase new equipment,” Magnus pointed out.

“This is fucking ridiculous,” Alec complained. “They don’t even need a fundraiser. They can afford that shit in so many other ways. Like ask them sell one of their Rolexes or Lamborghinis. Charity is for people who don’t have alternatives.”

Magnus blinked and Alec realized he had lost his cool a little.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “It’s just…it isn’t fair.”

“The rowing club boys are right there,” Magnus whispered as he pointed at the buffet. “They might hear you and think you are jealous.”

“I’m not jealous,” Alec replied. “I’m outraged that we live in a society that prioritizes the needs of the marginalized over the wants of the privileged.”

Usually this was the point when the other person would give him an awkward smile and escaped immediately from Alec’s boring rants.

But Magnus didn’t look awkward or bored. In fact, his lips curved a little as he gestured Alec to one of the banquet tables.

“Tell me more,” Magnus said as he sat down.

Alec wasn’t really sure what to say. He wasn’t used to reaching this stage of the conversation.

“Fancy new rowing equipment is a want. They can live without their latest gadget and just make do with the equipment they have,” Alec elaborated. “But the safety of queer youth in our university is definitely a need. It’s not something they should have to compromise.”

“The safety of the queer youth?” Magnus frowned. “How are they at risk?”

“There has been increased reporting of cyber bullying by queer students at the university,” Alec sighed. “Our existing reporting mechanisms don’t work.”

“Well, they could complain to HR and-”

“Magnus, when has HR got anything done?” Alec asked.

Magnus frowned again.

“Our data shows that over 60% of the victims of cyber bullying at the university are not only queer, but also people of colour,” Alec elabored. “So, these attacks are racially motivated too.”

“Why isn’t the university doing anything about it?” Magnus demanded, now sounding angry too. “The dean-”

“She is doing the best she can,” Alec intervened – because he knew that to be true. “We have a zero tolerance policy and that works at campus. But on social media..Well, that’s a whole other thing, isn’t it? You can’t really control what other people say or do.”

Magnus frowned again.

Alec realized that he liked it better when the other man smiled. Maybe he was as boring and depressing as everyone said.

“So, what do we do?” Magnus asked.

“We?” Alec blinked.

“I’m a student at the university too,” Magnus said. “Well, I just transferred from London. But still. As a bisexual man and a person of color, I need to be a part of this.”

Alec was beyond happy that someone understood the importance of his cause. It was hard enough to find people who supported the alliance.

But instead of thanking Magnus for his support, Alec’s mouth said “You’re bisexual?”

“And part-Indonesian,” Magnus replied. “So, what do we do, Alexander?”

Alec blinked. “Well, uh, the alliance has been trying to create an app that provides counseling support for queer youth who face bullying online. We can’t really completely get rid of the bullying. That might never happen. But the least we can do is give support for the victims, right?”

Magnus smiled. And yeah, Alec definitely liked it better.

“That’s an excellent idea,” Magnus said.

“Well, it’s just an idea,” Alec shrugged. “We still need to find the funding.”

“Well, why haven’t you?” Magnus asked.

“Because the donors obviously have other priorities,” Alec rolled his eyes, gesturing at the party.

“Oh,” Magnus said.

“But I think if we steal a plate of those caviar thingies, we might be able to scrap off the gold dust and gather a few hundred dollars,” Alec joked.

But Magnus didn’t laugh. Instead he leaped off his chair, ran towards the stage and grabbed the mic.

First of all, why was there a stage? Second of all, what was Magnus doing?

Third of all, who was he? Was he performer for the fundraiser or something?

He did have a really nice voice, Alec noted to himself. Among other nice things.

“Excuse me, everyone!” Magnus called into the mic and everyone turned their attention to him. “I’m Magnus Bane. My father and I are absolutely thrilled to have you at our home this evening.”

Alec, who was sipping on his champagne, most certainly did not choke at that. This was…Magnus’ home?

He was the biggest donor to the university? Or his father was…But whatever.

Alec’s ‘fuck the rich’ motto seemed a little too ironic - maybe even appropriate - right now.

“As the captain of the rowing team,” Magnus said, and Alec did not choke again. “I’ve just heard word from my brothers that there has been a change of plans.”

The rowing club, still standing by the buffet and hogging all the food, looked very confused.

“The rowing club has officially decided to throw a car wash at the university,” Magnus announced and the crowd started whispering around.

“Dude, isn’t that what chicks do?” one of the dude bros laughed.

“Exactly, Chad!” Magnus yelled. “We will be raising money and dismantling the patriarchy at the same time. It’s a win-win!”

A loud cheer went through the room but some people still looked confused.

“But what about the fundraiser?” a woman who was wearing too many pearly necklaces asked. “Are we not making donations today?”

“Yes, we are Mrs. Morgenstern,” Magnus winked at her. “But all donations from today’s event will go the queer alliance of the Idris University. They are raising money to fund an app to provide psychosocial support to victims of cyber bullying.”

Alec noticed his mother turn to look at him in disbelief. Alec shrugged helplessly.

“Is it really necessary though?” an old man from one of the tables asked and Alec had half a mind to dump his champagne on the man’s head. “Can’t they just have one of those support groups where they sit in a circle and talk to each other?”

“They are victims of targeted harassment, Mr. Starkweather,” Magnus replied politely. “They need support that is consistent, reliable and professional. It seems rather unfair to ask victims to support themselves instead of providing them with the required resources.”

“But aren’t they asking for too much?” a blonde woman asked.

“The app will ensure their safety and mental health. They are asking for the bare minimum,” Magnus answered, and Alec noticed the flash of anger in his eyes.

“But if the problem is cyber bullying,” another man in a suit demanded. “Why can’t we just ask them to stay off the internet?”

“Because that would be homophobic,” Magnus said through gritted teeth - but still smiling. Alec knew that look. “The queer students are not the problem. The internet is not at fault either. It’s people and their privilege. It’s people and their inability to treat others with respect – online and offline. These are students. We can’t restrict their access to the internet. For many queer youth, the internet is the only place that is safe enough to express themselves without fear or judgment. So, instead of asking them to stay off the internet, maybe we should consider asking the bullies and homophobes to practice basic human decency.”

“Damn, son!” someone whistled impressively.

Alec knew that whistle. He was going to hug the hell out of his mother later.

There was a moment of silence in the room, then a man approached the stage and pulled Magnus into a hug.

“What an excellent idea, Magnus!” the man who looked very much like Magnus beamed.

“It’s not my idea,” Magnus said. “All the credit goes to the alliance.”

“Well, I can’t wait to meet this alliance!” Mr. Bane nodded in approval. “Ladies and Gentlemen! What a fine cause! What an important change in action! Allow me to be the first to support these brave and inspiring group of young people.”

“Thank you, Bapa!” Magnus smiled sweetly. “It’s so wonderful to see you supporting this cause. This is going to go viral on the internet.”

The moment Magnus said the words viral and internet, multiple guests got off their seats and started heading towards the donations table.

“He knows how to play the game,” Alec's mother said as she walked up to him. “He would make a fine addition to your alliance, Alec. You should ask him to join.”

“I will. He is bisexual,” Alec replied.

“He is also very handsome,” his mother pointed out innocently.

“Don't even!” Alec pointed a finger at her as she chuckled and joined the crowd.

By the end of the night, the fundraiser had gatherd thrice the amount the alliance needed to create the app.

“So…” he said as he approached Magnus. “I wanted to say thank you.”

“I was wondering maybe you could say it on Saturday,” Magnus suggested.

“Saturday?” Alec raised an eyebrow.

“The car wash, Alexander!” Magnus pouted. “I was here for your fundraiser. It’s only fair that you come for mine.”

“Well, that depends,” Alec said. “Will you be wearing a bikini?”

“Nah,” Magnus chuckled. “I was hoping to go shirtless.”

“In that case, you’ll definitely see me there,” Alec said seriously.

He didn’t even have a car. But he could always egg Jace’s car and take it.

“You want to get out of here?” Magnus asked, pointing at the crowd.

“Uh, isn’t this like your party or something?” Alec asked. “Shouldn’t you be here to entertain the guests?”

Magnus looked around and shrugged. “Fuck the rich.”

Alec couldn’t help but grin at that. He took Magnus’ hand as they ran towards the garden.

Fuck the rich indeed.

- For @radisv​ for being amazing. Always. Happy Birthday. ILY!

#this is a crack fic and I will not apologise :) #malec fics #malec #dani writes stuff #HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEBE I LOVE YOU

[dukebeelthazar]

Blood Omen 2 Review

Hey everyone!

I know it's been a while since my last post, but Taonpest and I were busy finishing our Legacy of Kain Marathon with Blood Omen 2. And I've beaten Blood Omen 2, hell, I've COMPLETED IT by drinking every single character's blood and opening every chest from every chapter! And to anyone who wants to make a LoK marathon, do yourself a favor and skip this game. There's nothing for it.

When I started playing BO2, I thought it was fine. I thought it was one of the most basic action game you would find on PS2 and I was fine with this. But that impression of low-budget yearly action game soon dissipated and became motoneous, frustrating and overall boring. Just to make things clear, I played the PS2 version of the game which is apparently considered the worst port of that game. And you wouldn't know how overjoyed I was when I read that.

One thing that strikes the eye is the graphics. They're okay for a 2002 PS2 game, but, the atmosphere, the aesthetic. There's nothing LoK about it. I know it's technically supposed to be a transition between Blood Omen and Soul Reaver, but to me, it looked more like a WarHammer Fantasy look-alike. The characters are...what they are. Kain and his massive man-tits looks pretty okay, but Vorador looks like an estranged cousin of Shrek who decided to live in the sewers instead of the swamps. Janos looks good. Another thing that sort of annoyed me were the FMV cutscenes. Soul Reaver and its sequel had beautiful FMVs that set the tone of the game and hyped you up. Unlike Soul Reaver, BO2's FMVs were made with the in-game models which makes some shots absolutely ridiculous. Once again, I like to think this is a budget stuff that happened.

Then, there's the actual game and story. Gee, I wonder what the plot could be this time. Oh? It's another revenge story, what a surprise. No surprise here, the story is not only barely existant, but somehow, even the dialogues are actually terrible. All that poesy and Shakespearian-talk from the previous entries? Gone. And it tries so hard to be serious that it's actually hilarious.

The actual gameplay can go fuck itself. The fighting mechanics especially are the biggest pain in the ass. It's clunky and unresponsive and most annoying of all repeating way too much. Every single fight (with the exception of some bosses) are down to the exact same method. You parry 3 to 5 attacks, dodge, attack, knock your enemy down, wait for him to recover, rince and repeat. So imagine spending hours doing the exact same thing with boring puzzles and frustrating platform sequences. I did like the Eternal Prison however with its claustrophobic approach that kinda reminded me of Resident Evil. And then Magnus came in, and what could have lead to a Nemesis-like encounter just fell flat because the AI in this game is as dumb as a brick, which means there are no actual consequences for you to mess around with Magnus. This leads to the boss fights, and if you've played any Legacy of Kain game then you won't be surprised when I tell you that they suck. If Soul Reaver's bosses are on the same level as Crash Bandicoot then Blood Omen 2 is Wrath of Cortex. They are that bad.

I guess I should also mention the sound. Just so you know we played the game in French. Jean Barney and Benoît Allemane reprised their respective roles from the previous Soul Reaver installments (Vorador and Janos for Barney and Kain for Allemane) and it's great to hear them again. We also get VAs new to the franchise like the amazing Phillipe Dumond (voice-over actor of Keith David in French) as the Sarafan Lord and basicaly almost every male NPC from the game.

Unlike SR1 & 2 however, I thought the French Dub to be very hit or miss, making the poor dialogue looking even more dumber than it already is. I like to think this because of direction issues (voice acting for video games in France is very different than in the U.S or Japan) because you couldn't sound as deadpan and monotone as Uma. Maybe this is an adaptation choice? I don't know, but this makes her death scene almost funny to watch. Allemane is playing his dialogue in his usual Kain-fashion (though slightly less "jovial") but some of his lines sound wrong. And then, there is the actor that actually outshines Benoît Allemane: Phillipe Dumond. This man is 90% of the game's dialogue and each time, he delivers especially as the Sarafan Lord. There's also something weird around the end of the game where Vorador changes voice actors in the same cutscene or even mid-sentence. I think the voice-acting for this game was rushed.

That's all I'll say about Blood Omen 2. This game made me feel empty. It actually made me wish I played games I don't like because I think the problem comes from me and not the games themselves.

Blood Omen 2 is a 3/10/. Stay out of its net, brethrens.

P.S: I wish I could stream games, but I don't have the setting nor the actual physical place to do it.

[antisocial-af]

Day 10: Jeliorn

Title: The Day the Roots Invaded

25 Days of Pairings: Day 10 Jeliorn

Promo:

If you are interested in Rare Pairs, think about joining Shadowhunters Rare Pair Gift Exchange. I’ve already sent in my form! Sign-ups End on December 19th so don’t miss your chance and don’t be afraid to be as specific as you want on the forms!

Rating: G

Wordcount: 1612

No Major Archive Warnings

SFW, Holiday Fluff, Christmas Tree Mishaps, and Small Misunderstanding.

Summary:

Seelies don't appreciate real Christmas trees.

Click Here to Read on Ao3

Story:

Jace rummaged through the disheveled storage closet. He needed to pull out the Christmas Tree decorations that the Institute kept tucked away. This year Jace had the honor of setting up and decorating the tree for the holidays. Usually, it would fall onto the Institute Head to decorate the tree as tradition, but Alec had been busy lately with some warlock winter tradition. 

Izzy then pulled the whole ‘Alec is your Parabatai, and he covers for you, so you should too.’ Jace was well aware of the times his brother had covered for him. So he sucked it up and played right into his sister’s hand. 

Jace had been relieved that Meliorn didn’t mind having to reorganize their date. They had planned to see some more of the Seelie Realm. Instead, Meliorn was going to come over and help Jace with the tree and decorations. 

Isabelle had told him the Clave usually had the trees delivered to the Institutes. Jace had never seen anyone do it before, so he hadn’t believed her till Andrew had woken him up by banging against his door this morning because they needed him to sign-off on the drop-off.  Dropping off a tree was one of the few things that the Clave never failed to provide on time. 

The tree had been massive when they had wheeled it in. Luckily the branches were being contained because of the net around the tree. They had carted it to the main entrance hall of the Institute and set it up. Jace figured it had to do something with appearances. He hadn’t noticed it before, but it was true, after the first week of December, there would always be a Christmas Tree fully decked out with decorations proudly standing whenever you entered the Institute. 

“Hey, Mel just got here,” Izzy’s voice pulled him from the mountain of boxes and his thoughts. “Are you okay? Why are you here?” 

“I’m looking for the damn tree decorations!” Jace responded, irritated as he brushed some dust off his jacket. 

“They are in the boxes, Jace.”

“This whole room is filled with boxes, Iz. So you are going to have to be more specific than that!” Jace snapped back. His only thoughts right now were on how Meliorn was here, he looked a mess, and he still hadn’t found the damn lights! 

“No idiot, I mean the ones they delivered with the tree,” Izzy responded as she rolled her eyes at her brother. “You signed the inventory list. Jace, they delivered a tree and twelve boxes. What did you think the boxes were for?” 

“I thought it was just stuff to keep the tree healthy. Mom and Dad always put stuff at the bottom,” Jace explained. He couldn’t believe he had just spent the last hour down here searching for boxes that were upstairs next to the damn tree already. “How much of a disaster do I look?” 

“Well, since we are Shadowhunters, the scratches and dirt are on point with our aesthetic but maybe shake it off your face and hair,” she teased and patted the sleeve of his jacket to get some spider webs that fell on it off. 

Jace groaned and stuck his tongue out before rolling his eyes at his sister and leaving her behind in the mess of a room. He knew he would have to back and fix that later. Right now, though, Jace was mostly kicking himself for not checking the boxes before going off and wasting time. 

“Melio-” Jace stopped mid-sprint and sentence as he reached a very angry looking Seelie. “Hey, everything okay, Mel?” 

Jace had seen Meliorn angry before, but this was a mix between disgust and anger. He didn’t know the combination of those emotions could be displayed on a person’s face, but Meliorn had proved him wrong in other ways before. 

“Jace, why do you have this?” Meliorn asked with a scold as he waved at the now fully extended tree. 

“The tree? We have one every year,” Jace tentatively explains, all while trying to decipher what about it upset his boyfriend. “The Clave sends one to every Institute for the holidays.” 

“So you partake in the barbaric ritual of decorating dead trees?” Meliorn accused him with a growl. 

It then dawned on Jace what was going on. He had never thought that the tree might be offensive to Seelies. He knew that they were attached to all things that sprouted from the Earth, but Jace never realized it would extend to this. Jace then started to wonder how many times in the past years had Seelies been angered or made uncomfortable by this. 

“When you put it that way, I can see the fault in it,” Jace answered with a sigh. “I told you I would be decorating the Institute’s Christmas tree when I had to reschedule our date. I thought you knew. I didn’t know it would be offensive, I swear.” 

Jace watched as Meliorn’s anger dissipated. He moved towards Meliorn and reached out for his hand. 

“I know I can be an idiot at times,” Jace stated as he curled his fingers in the Seelie’s hand. “But I wouldn’t purposefully ask you over to do this with me if I knew it was offensive. I would never do that to you, Mel.” 

“I know, my petal,” Meliorn assured as he kissed the top of Jace’s hair and pulled him closer. “I just assumed you meant a plastic one, especially since you mentioned having to find the boxes for it.” 

Jace leaned into his boyfriend’s embrace and sighed. 

“I was looking for the decorations, which I didn’t have to since they deliver them with the tree as well,” Jace cleared up and started to play with the long strands of Meliorn’s hair. “The Institute has one every year. Have you never seen it before?” 

“It wasn’t till last year when your Parabatai took over that we were even welcomed to enter the Institute, my nectar,” Meliorn explained and received a groan and head shake from Jace at the new pet name. “Another fail?” 

“I don’t know why you insist on calling me by names or parts of flowers,” Jace grumbled into Meliorn’s winter coat. “I’m not fragile like them; I’m a Shadowhunter.” 

It had become a small game with them. Meliorn was always trying to develop new names to call Jace, and other than Petal, all were rejected. 

“That may be true, but you hold the beauty to rival theirs,” Meliorn complimented and laid another kiss to the top of Jace’s head. “On most days, you surpass it.” 

“Is this another stab at my snoring?” Jace redirected and buried his blush further into his boyfriend’s chest. “Just stick to petal, please, Mel.” 

“That’s not fair, you know I can’t resist your pleads,” Meliorn answered and tipped Jace’s chin so that he would be forced to look up at the Seelie. “How could I deny you anything, my petal.” 

Jace felt Meliorn lean forward and kiss him softly. He eagerly reciprocated and smiled. 

“How about I deal with the tree, and you go grab your coat,” Meliorn offered. “We can go out still.” 

“What are you going to do with it?” Jace asked and raised an eyebrow as his boyfriend stepped away from him. 

“Watch.”

Jace watched as Meliorn stepped up to the tree and brushed his hands against it. The scent of burning sugar and rain warned him of what Meliorn was doing, though. After being together for so long and at times in the Seelie Realm, Jace had learned to associate that smell will Seelie magic. Jace kept watching curiously as the tree rustled a bit. He saw the small tendrils of pastel green magic bleed off Meliorn’s fingertips. 

“There. All done,” Meliorn claimed as he walked back to Jace. “It was still holding on with the water you were giving it, so it was easy to coax the roots to take.”

“Root? Take where?” Jace asked, confused. He didn’t understand why the Seelie was talking about roots. 

“There is only one room below before dirt; so I fed it some of my magic so the tree could extend its roots down to the dirt past that.”  Meliorn nonchalantly explained. 

Jace felt the panic start rising as he understood what his boyfriend had done. Underneath, where it was mostly storage, there were now roots breaking through down to the dirt. There was a hole that extended two-floor technically since Jace assumed there was now a hole underneath the tree’s skirt. Jace would now have to explain to Alec why the hole that hadn’t been there previously was now there. He could already hear his Parabatai’s lecturing voice. Jace had started to wonder why the Institute alarms hadn’t been triggered yet, only to listen to the alarm signaling an infiltrator. Since Meliorn had broken the structure, Jace understood it. 

“Jace!” Isabelle’s voice called out from behind him, and he could hear the fast clicking of her heels. 

It was then he realized not only had Izzy heard the Institute alarm, but Jace had left her downstairs in the basement where there was no doubt now roots growing. 

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Mel, we have to go,” Jace panicked and started to think of how long he could hide in the Seelie Realm before Alec would get Magnus to track him. “How am I supposed to explain the hole to Alec?” 

“Jace Lightwood-Wayland-Herondale!” Izzy’s voice came again, but this time she was at the hallway entrance staring at both of them. “Care to explain why we suddenly have a root infestation?” 

Jace groaned and buried his face in his boyfriend’s chest again.

#antisocialaf #mywork #hmdiscord #jeliorn #fanfiction

[words-writ-in-starlight]

hey star! i’m thinking about watching (listening to?) taz, but i know absolutely nothing about it except that it might be vaguely related to some brothers called the mcelroys? and that they have something to do with critical role and a bunch of other podcasts. should i watch/listen to (is it a podcast too?) taz, why is there “adventure” and “amnesty” and etc, and what do the mcelroys have to do with anything? thank you and i hope the job is going well!

OKAY, so, The Adventure Zone (TAZ) is a DnD podcast done by the three McElroy brothers (that’s said “Mackle-roy,” btw, not “Mick-elroy”), Justin (oldest), Travis (middlest), and Griffin (youngest and DM), and their dad.  I unconditionally recommend it as some of the best, funniest comedy I’ve ever encountered, as a genuinely good and heartwarming narrative that brought me to tears more than once, and also just as...like...sometimes a bitch wants to enjoy media that centers around a family that actually loves and enjoys each other as people.  If that last sounds like your cup of tea, I recommend the entire McElroy podcast empire (that’s a separate post), but ESPECIALLY The Adventure Zone.  

Now, in terms of DnD, a lot of people are nervous about starting TAZ because they associate DnD with a very rules-heavy exhaustive kind of activity, which they assume will be zero fun whatsoever.  Now, I...play a lot of DnD, so that wasn’t really a concern for me.  Regardless, the McElroys absolutely do not understand the rules of DnD and have never allowed a rule to stop them from making a good joke or having a good time, and frankly I think that is a totally valid way to play the game!  It’s also extremely accessible to people who may not have ever played DnD before, because hey, half the cast has no idea which dice to roll at any given moment.  They are right there with you.  Go forth.

(On the other hand, if you HAVE played DnD before and you don’t mind committing yourself to an ungodly amount of content, I whole-heartedly recommend Critical Role!  It is a YouTube series that also exists as a podcast, both equally fun ways to consume the material.  The seven players and DM are all famous voice actors that you have definitely heard in something somewhere, their characters are fucking clutch, and they play a much more rules-heavy game, classic in every way right down to the dungeons and dragons, that is a ton of fun.  The main reason I usually tell people to start with TAZ, however, is this: TAZ episodes run about an hour, with few exceptions, and release every other week.  Critical Role episodes average four hours and release weekly.  So if you have that kind of time, that’s awesome, absolutely do it!  I’ve finally started watching through their first campaign and it’s great, I’m mostly caught up on their current campaign and it’s also great.  Watching their DM work is just...competence porn, and the characters are fucking destroying me in both campaigns.  TAZ is more approachable in terms of content volume, though.)

Narratively speaking, you should start at the beginning of TAZ, at the start of their Balance campaign.  You asked about the “Amnesty” thing, and this is your answer--you can’t run a DnD campaign forever, all stories end eventually, so their first campaign that kicked off the podcast is called “Balance” and is 69 episodes long.  If you hear people talking about Taako, Magnus, Merle, “the seven birds”, etc, those are all from Balance.  Then they ran some mini campaigns where they tried new stuff out, specifically “Commitment” and “Dust,” and then they settled on “Amnesty” as their new campaign.  Each campaign is set in a totally different world with wildly different rules and they’re all pretty radical, but here’s a short breakdown:

BALANCE: It’s fucking DnD, babes (although remarkably short on both dungeons and dragons).  They fight goblins, they get magic items, they have a wizard and a fighter and a cleric.  They go to the moon to join a secret society and get in a deadly car battlewagon race, there are liches and time loops and Wheels of Misfortune, there’s a giant mindwiping jellyfish and Garfield the Deals Warlock.  There are elevators.  ...okay, so they get pretty far from your traditional DnD universe build, the universe gets weird pretty quick, but like.  Just trust me, get a good giggle out of two or three arcs worth of dick jokes, and then buckle in for the emotional shit.

COMMITMENT: A superhero mini-campaign!  Three people get superpowers from their place of business and trash shit at an abandoned amusement park, it’s a good time.

DUST: Urban fantasy old Western murder mystery.  What else do I even need to say, honestly.

AMNESTY: The new arc!  If Supernatural took place in small-town West Virginia where half the monsters were pretty chill actually and the cast was Sketchy Con Man With Car, Long-Suffering Chosen Forest Ranger, and Punk Magical Bisexual With Pet Rabbit.  This one has a much more cohesive aesthetic than Balance, but I love it anyway.  

TLDR: yes you SHOULD listen to The Adventure Zone.  It’s hilarious when they’re busy telling dick jokes at first, and heartwrenching when they realize they have the ability to get heartwrenching, and those two things happen within minutes of each other more often than not.  And if you have gotten this far and you are sitting there thinking “Huh, this is weird, normally this is where Star goes the fuck Off about pitching the narrative,” it’s a DnD game! They go on quests to find shit!  There are seven shits to find!  They have mixed success at finding the shit!  What do you want from me!  

Oh, also, something that I have come to really appreciate lately: the McElroys put a lot of work into being funny without being mean.  Balance and Amnesty and the mini campaigns are all diverse, enjoyable universes, the punchline of a joke is never “ha ha, that person is [whatever]”, queer characters live long badass lives--I dunno, this might not matter to people, but I just find it incredibly restful.  Four cis white heterosexual men are not necessarily who I expected to provide that restful universe, but damned if they didn’t deliver in spades.  Plant your gays in healthy topsoil and water regularly and you too could mysteriously end up on the NYT bestseller list.

#taz #the adventure zone #taz balance #the adventure zone balance #podcast rec #the other relevant thing about taz: it takes a bit to get feelingsy so just go into it for the good comedy and family dynamic at first #but once it DOES oh boy does it ever #um....yes! #listen to taz! #it's delightful! #i'm looking into knitting a stuffed voidfish btw i'm debating good colorways for it #if anyone has Thoughts #i have a pattern that allows three colors of yarn but they all need to be the same weight #(aran weight) #and i want to do like...purple and blues maybe for the voidfish? #idk #working on it #queue deeper than the sea of stars #Anonymous #asked and answered

[queenklu]

So You Think You Can Dragon p13: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Part 1&2 | Part 12

I don’t know what the fuck is going on--but what else is new

At first I was putting off the landsmeet because that felt like it was going to be close to the end, and it kind of is? But then the alienage finally opens up and that’s been teased for A G E S but there’s....only two things to do in it......(though I am a Big Fan of the haunted orphanage, aesthetically; would like it more if Ser Otto wasn’t a balloon animal of a man trying to fight rooms full of cacti). 

And I busted out the queen, using the super sneaky guards uniforms which conveniently made a human, an elf, an old lady, and a big fuck off dwarf ~BLEND IN~~~ but we got busted ‘cause we walked into a room where a guard was getting a very awkward incredibly clothed blowjob, which used the same animation for praying and i just. Man, we’re right here. 

...I tapped him on the shoulder and he sounded the alarm.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

sidenote it is WILD playing a game that’s almost 10 years old. I had to look something up and found myself on a chat page where some guy’s unironic response to “you can’t do that yet” was, and I quote: “that’s so gay.” 

I’ll tell you guys this chunk of the story was the absolutely MOST I used the “load previous save” option--not for blowjob guy, that part I could fight my way out of. But when I was leaving the castle there was supposed to be a big showdown where you get caught and I....man I fought half the battle before I realized: this is not the kind of person Magnus wants to be. If there’s a middle ground, he’s going to find it. 

So. We get caught. And I surrender. 

...Here’s the thing, tho. Surrendering means I get thrown in the dungeon with my good good buddy Alistaire, and, also our clothes are gone??? 

Context? What context?

And I realize pretty quick that I’m not about to sit around and let Alistaire get tortured just because I tried to be diplomatic about shit. 

So we busted the fuck outta there. 

It involved a bit more dress up, a smidge of espionage, a bit more back-saving, and eventually walking through the front door of that castle with none the fuckin’ wiser.

I do realize from a video game stance that I should have used all the fighting to build up points and whatever, but I also appreciate the hell out of a game that didn’t make me do those things when it felt out of character and wrong. 

SPEAKING OF GAME DESIGN 

back at camp, I’m making the rounds and for some reason everyone is giving me props for smooching Zevran--Wynne is now a fan, and Leliana maybe asked to join in a threesome??? and anyway, I sidle over to Zevran and ask him to join me in my tent.

Zevran: NO!!!! I--NOPE, NO I DO NOT WANT TO

Magnus: ...........ookkkkaaaayyyyyy w hyyyyy???

Zevran: I DO NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT EITHER!!! DON’T YOU HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO?????

Magnus: ......................................????????????????????

me: 

For Magnus’s sake I am all shook, but from a storytelling perspective I did not expect!!! they’re giving me DRAMA!! 

I mean to say this sure as HELL better resolve but like. Damn, dragon age! Daaaaaaaaammnnn!! 

Part 14

#So You Think You Can Dragon

[melonoverlord]

Turt’s ask meme for Bobbi my purple daughter

1. What would be their favorite Disney (or other animated) movie?

She’s always liked Hunchback of Notre Dame for Esmeralda, but Peter Pan holds a special place in her heart. When she was growing up in the foster homes, she would say she was a Lost Girl and was waiting for Peter Pan (also she’s always had a little crush on both Tink and Wendy)

2. What do they usually like for breakfast?

Cinnamon bagels with strawberry cream cheese. It’s her go-to every day.

3. What sort of cuddler are they?

Bobbi’s so small that pretty much anyone can pick her up and hold her close, which is how she’s used to being with Celine and the warlocks that she felt close enough to let them hold her. When she gets used to being around others, she will sometimes just silently snuggle up to your shoulder and just stay there until you move. When she’s with Beth, since the fae is a good foot taller than her, Bobbi is just always the little spoon.

4. How do they say “I love you”?

When she’s around people she loves, she is not shy about showing her affection either by holding their hand, trying her best to make food for them (she’s not that great but makes good chocolate chip cookies), or just plain hugging them for hours. You know when she likes you when she doesn’t shy away from any type of touch.

5. What kind of shoes do they wear?

Either black combat boots or purple high top converse. She likes wearing her combat boots because it makes her feel taller.

6. What is their favorite accessory?

If it’s not her overalls which she usually wears, it’s her beanie. It does a good job of keeping hair out of her eyes and just makes her look cooler.

7. Are they more inclined towards fashion or comfort?

It’s a trade off. Usually she goes for more comfortable looks that are still fashionable, but sometimes her extra ass will go for the most punk look she can, even if at the end of the day she feels like crying because her feet hurt. She’s that determined to the aesthetic.

8. What makes them laugh?

Pretty much anything Nko says ever, anyone putting shadowhunters in their place, Celine being snarky towards arrogant clients, and before she grew afraid of Magnus, pretty much anything he said ever.

9. Do they have a favorite flower?

A purple dahlia. Whenever Celine goes anywhere, Bobbi always asks for a dahlia if she finds one or if she can’t, a cool postcard.

10. Would they be the one to propose to their significant other?

She would overthink it way too much and try to have a huge proposal until someone had to reassure her that Beth would love her no matter what.

11. What bad habits do they have?

Talking out of turn (which is why it’s a very bad idea to bring Bobbi to a council meeting because a shadowhunter will be being all arrogant and Bobbi will cut in with “Shut the fuck up, cloudhopper”. She also has a bad habit of pulling on her sleeves so at all times her jackets just look like T-Rex arms.

12. What are their biggest insecurities?

Whether she’s really a good warlock or whether her family just tolerates her.

13. How do they wear their hair?

For the last couple years, she’s been dying her hair regularly and calling it her warlock’s mark, and sometimes pins it back with either a bow or uses a beanie. Usually she has it in either an afro or just strong curls that go down a little below her ears.

14. Are they an impulse shopper? If so, what would they buy?

She’s never really had to buy anything before since Celine or one of her uncles or aunts bought everything for her, but now that she’s on her own she’s a little too careful about the money she has, especially because she stole it from Celine.

15. When do they usually sleep?

Bobbi usually sleeps on the earlier side at like 9 or 10pm, but she is also not a morning person in the slightest and if you try to wake her up before 10am she will set fire to your grandma. Though lately as she’s been on the run, she’s been staying up past 2am just trying to get closer to her goal.

16.What makes them worry?

Whether she’ll ever find what she’s looking for, whether Celine will come and punish her for running away, if Magnus will ever forgive her.

17. Do they have any creative outlets?

Bobbi’s been interested in theatre as far back as she can remember and has put on little shows for her warlock family. She’s a major triple threat and actually wants to be on Broadway one day.

18. How do they comfort an upset loved one?

Bobbi usually likes to entertain them and play games with them to get them to forget what’s bothering them. When that fails, Bobbi usually opts just to hug them and physically comfort them

19. What are they like when they’re sick?

Bobbi has two modes when she’s sick. She either pretends she’s fine for as long as she can and keep working out of spite and then inevitably pass out when she’s trying to summon a portal or even just standing in the hallway, or she’s the clingiest little shit and just hugs onto Celine and whines whenever Celine walks away to get her soup.

20. Do they say what they’re thinking, or keep their thoughts to themselves?

She has no problem saying what she’s thinking to people she doesn’t know that well/doesn’t like, but when it comes to her family she keeps most stuff to herself because she doesn’t want to bother them/think she’s spoiled or overreacting.

21. What is the best gift they’ve ever received?

She got an antique Clue set from Tessa when she was eight and it was so pretty and classy that she considers it her favorite gift she ever got. She actually considered taking it with her when she ran away, and it broke her heart to leave it behind.

22. Are they good at keeping track of time?

Not really. She’s good at remembering events but when that event comes it doesn’t register that it’s that particular day so freaks out four hours late and scrambles to do what she forgot to either do or go to.

23. What is their favorite ice cream flavor?

Birthday cake or Rainbow Sherbet.

24. What would they order from a fast food/take-out place?

She kind of lowkey hates fast food but if she is forced to get something, she’d probably just get hash browns and call it a day. At take-out places, she’d pile her order with lots of rice and chow mein, and cream cheese rangoons. 

25. What is their favorite pizza topping(s)?

She doesn’t eat meat so she gets pretty much everything else like tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, and pesto.

26. What is their favorite type of cookie?

Snickerdoodle. She really loves her cinnamon.

27. Do they paint their nails?

She’s painted her nails since she was twelve, after she only studied under Celine. She usually does it various shades of purple and black, but sometimes she’ll switch it up and do various pinks, white, or reds.

28. What is their favorite board game?

Clue. She’s been a baby detective since six years old.

29. Are they more of a pants or skirts kind of person?

Pants just because it’s the closest to overalls. She used to wear a lot of skirts as a little kid when she was first adopted by Celine and kinda had that prim and proper schoolgirl look.

30. Do they dream often? What about?

She often has stress dreams which usually involves Magnus or Ragnor yelling at her, and more recently she’s been having dreams about being caught by Celine and having to go back home. Sometimes though she’ll just have random ass dreams like one time she dreamed that she was on the Eiffel Tower with a cute girl and got proposed to with a ring pop.

31. Do they have any phobias?

Enclosed spaces, the dark, being alone, being abandoned, and not being able to stop herself from losing control of her magic.

32. If they were a pokemon, which would they be?

Espeon. Purple psychic baby who is too precious for this world.

33. How well do they handle sea travel? Air travel?

She actually loves both, and doesn’t get queasy or uncomfortable on it. She doesn’t travel by either method often since she always uses portals to get to where she’s going or by foot, especially after she ran away, but she likes looking either out the plane window or out into the open sea and just let her mind wander.

34. Which Disney character are they most like?

Definitely Lilo. Small, lonely, quirky, a little rebellious but overall sweet, and with a magical strange extended family.

35. What sort of parent would they be?

Bobbi’s way too young to have kids at this point, but she’d try to make a point to let them travel wherever they want and express themselves however they can given how she grew up reclusive. She’d try to help celebrate whatever her kid wanted to do.

#liminoidal #Bobbi Dixon #my characters #shadowhunters campaign

[bellakitse]

Isak and Even + 29. “Come over here and make me.”, pretty please? x

#hashtag

Even gets Instagram, it’s all about Isak.

Isak is lying on his bed scrolling through his Instagram feed, rolling his eyes fondly as he comes across a picture of Eskild at a club the night before, his pink wig askew as he drapes himself across the laps of three very good-looking guys Isak would bet money Eskild doesn’t remember now. He keeps scrolling letting out a snort when he comes across at picture he’s tagged in from Jonas’ account, it’s Magnus passed out drunk, while Vilde and Eva apply makeup on the sleeping boy, Sana is next to them smirking. The tag says ‘@isakyaki is missing out because he doesn’t know how to have fun.’

“What’s up?”

Isak looks up from his phone at the question, at his boyfriend who sits in the middle of the bed with a sketch pad on his lap. He turns his phone around for Even to see, enjoying the smile that comes across his face.

“Those girls are trouble,” Even says warmly and it pleases Isak. Over the last couple of months, Isak has watched as Even has become friends with his friends and not just his boys but with the girls. He knows Even finds Vilde’s perkiness endearing, that he loves the flirty banter he shares with Eva and that Sana and Even have a downright scary bromance where Isak is sure they are plotting to take over the world.

“They are,” Isak agrees. “Did you see Jonas’ comment to me?”

Even shakes his head and holds out his hand so Isak can pass over the phone, letting out a sound of derision when he reads the comment. “He just doesn’t get that we had our own fun,” Even says smirking since they are both still undressed from their earlier activities. “You should let him know.”

“I’m not letting him know, you let him know,” Isak blushes as he takes back his phone.

Even makes humming sound at that going back to his drawing and Isak goes back to scrolling through his feed, switching to Facebook when he gets bored of Instagram and finally starts searching amusing memes. Getting lost in his entertainment, he doesn’t notice Even pick up his own phone or that he starts to download the Instagram app.

“Hey baby?” he hears and feels the shifts of Even getting closer to him, he looks up in question only to have a flash go off in his face.

He blinks a couple of times to clear his vision only to see Even tapping away on his phone with an amused smile on his face. Before he can ask his phone vibrates twice with notifications. The first one is that Even_BechNæsheim is following him and he rolls his eyes again at the unoriginal username. The second notification is that he’s tagged in another picture, Isak opens it and feels his face go hot as he looks at the picture, he has a look of surprise obviously, but that’s not what he focuses on. No, instead he notices that with a lack of a shirt he can see the red marks Even left on his neck and chest with his mouth and if that wasn’t telling enough. Even’s caption that says ‘don’t worry @jonas9000, @isakyaki and I are having our own kind of fun’ further cement everything.

“Even, why?” he whines, groaning when he sees that Jonas, Madhi, and Sana have already added Even and have commented on the picture.

Even shrugs as he pushes his art supplies to the floor and crawls over Isak, settling on his lap. “You said to tell him myself.”

Isak huffs at that but stops being embarrassed as Even starts kissing his neck.

“Up for round two of our fun?” Even asks as he rolls his hips to let Isak feel the way he’s starting to get hard. Isak doesn’t answer. Instead, he quickly presses follow on Even’s Instagram and then places his phone on the night table before grabbing hold of Even’s hips pulling him down to meet his lips.

With a lap full of Even and his tongue in his mouth, Isak quickly forgets about everything else.

*

When Isak first met Even and internet stalked him only to find nothing, he thought that if Even did have social media it would be one of those artsy slightly pretentious accounts. He’s not wrong, Even is a hipster when it comes to his Instagram, odd movie quotes and aesthetically pleasing pictures for the most part. He also takes pictures of his drawings which Isak always enjoys because his boyfriend is talented and he likes that the other can see it now.

The other thing that’s big on Even’s account, though, is Isak. Lots and lots of pictures of Isak. Isak’s eating, picture. He’s studying for biology, picture. Playing FIFA with Linn, a flash goes off. It doesn’t matter what he’s doing, how mundane, if Even is around he’s documenting it.

“Isak man, is Even’s Instagram his own account or a fan page to your face,” Mahdi asks grinning as he looks through his phone while they sit in the cafeteria.

“Shut up,” Isak answers around a mouthful of his cheese toast.

“It’s true,” Magnus pipes in as he leans against Mahdi’s shoulder to look at the phone too. “It’s an ode to your face.”

Isak rolls his eyes when he sees Jonas nodding in agreement. “He just likes taking pictures of me sometimes.”

“All the time,” Jonas corrects with a smirk.

Isak rolls his eyes again at how amused his best friend sounds.

“Don’t be like that, we think it’s sweet,” Magnus assures earnestly causing Mahdi to chuckle but agree. “Yeah, very cute.”

Isak opens his mouth to tell them to fuck off only to be interrupted by Even, who having walked up to them takes a seat next to him. Isak turns to face him, smiling as he gives Even a quick kiss in greeting.

“Hey,” Even whispers as their mouths part.

Isak presses his mouth against his once more before pulling back. “Hey.”

Even gives him a smile that causes his eyes to crinkle at the side before turning to greet the guys.

“So what’s cute?” Even asks as he takes a bite of his own toast, grinning at Isak as he shows him it’s also cheese.

“You two,” Magnus answers and Isak has to make a face at the almost dreamy expression on Magnus’ face as he watches them, his friend is so weird. Even on the other hand grins, always amused at how much Magnus fanboys them.

“Well yeah,” Even agrees the ‘of course we are’ silent but implied.

Jonas laughs while Isak shakes his head. “Specifically, the fact that your Instagram account is filled with pictures of Isak and his weird face.”

Isak glares at Jonas which just gets a laugh out of the guys, Isak turns to face Even who is grinning amused, his smile becomes tender though as he gives Isak a soft look.

“What can I say,” Even starts and the tone of his voice tells Isak that he’s going to say something that will make him blush. “I like taking pictures of the beautiful things in my life.”

As predicted Isak feels his cheeks go hot, but he doesn’t stop the smile that takes over his face, his heart full of warmth.

*

Isak is once again in his bed, at the edge of it playing FIFA as Even lies back against the pillows just watching to his side, he sees the flash go off from the corner of his eye. “You’ve got to stop that,” he says not taking his eyes off the screen.

“Come over here and make me,” Even replies, the teasing taunt clear and impossible to resist. Isak turns the game off and turns to face Even who is grinning at him with a raised eyebrow as Isak starts to crawl over him, settling on Even’s lap. Even sits up to bring them closer, his arms wrapped around Isak slim waist.

“Are you tired of taking pictures of me yet?” Isak asks, closing his eyes as Even lays featherlight kisses against his cheek and down his jaw.

“Never,” Even whispers against his skin. “I can keep doing it for the rest of my life and never get bored.”

Isak laughs softly, tugging on Even’s hair to pull him back, making sure their eyes meet. “I’m that interesting huh.”

Even smiles. “You’re that beautiful.”

Isak rolls his eyes, but his smile is affectionate. “You’re so cheesy.”

“I’m so in love with you,” Even counters and Isak feels like his heart will burst with happiness and love.

Isak reaches over for his phone, lifting it up next to their faces he presses the facing forward camera button. Smiling when Even gives him a curious look, he leans in and gives Even a lingering kiss, his thumb hitting the capture button as they continue to kiss. Pulling back, he opens his app and types out a quick caption to go with the picture. Even raises an eyebrow as his phone buzzes with a notification and Isak returns the look, biting down on his lip as he watches Even open the app, a wide smile taking over his face when he looks back up at Isak.

@Even_BechNæsheim #loveofmylife #manofmydreams

Even presses the like button.

#skam #isak x even #evak #my writing #anon #ask #Anonymous #drabble meme #evak fic

[mystery-moose]

FIC: Angus McDonald and the Flight of the Flying V (10/?)

[AO3 link]

They’ve come a long way, but even ten years after the world was saved, they’re still not quite where they should be. A whim, a missing painting, and a handful of near-death experiences help a flip wizard and his apprentice bridge the gap.

Taako does his best. Angus takes some risks. Introductions are made, bonds are tested, and lessons are learned — better late than never.

Much as he occasionally enjoyed pretending otherwise, Taako wasn’t an idiot; when Angus gave him his key and shooed him off, he knew it wasn’t for his benefit. Which was fine, really — the kid had a job to do, and Taako was a great big walking distraction. He could have left town right then and there, called it a day and gone back home.

And then Angus would be on his own. Looking for someone who could cast seventh-level Evocation.

Nah. Taako could afford to stay a bit longer. Not like he had anywhere else to be. Besides, the boy needed his help. Not with the case, he clearly had the detective shit locked down. No, Angus need Taako’s help with something far, far more important.

Alright, first thing’s first: how do you find a cop?

“Hey, hold this.”

Taako tossed a random dwarf his purse.

“Thanks.” Then he turned, cupped his hands by his mouth, and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Thief! Thief! A thief is stealing my purse!”

All heads in the market square crowd turned toward them. The dwarf looked from side to side, panicked. “Wh—I didn't—”

“Thief! Thug! Brigand! Cutpurse!” Taako shouted. “Other words for a guy who steals!”

The dwarf threw the purse to the ground and took off into the crowd, elbowing people to get past. Nobody stopped him.

Taako snorted and went to pick up his bag. Fuckin’ Neverwinter.

Moments later, a shorter woman pushed her way through the crowd. Taako recognized her instantly.

“Alright, step aside, what’s th—” She paused, brow furrowed. “Taako?”

He clasped his hands together and grinned. “Why, Silvia! What an absolute and total coincidence!”

“Uh-huh.” Silvia nodded and removed a hand from her belt, by her wand holster. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, fine, just fine!” he said, waving it off. “Some ne'er-do-well tried to make off with my bag, but he dropped it. No bigs.”

“Yeah, I heard the shouts.” She glanced around as the crowd surrounding them began to turn away, then shrugged casually. “So, do you wanna file a report, or…?”

Taako tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Nah, I wouldn’t wanna put you out. But it’s so funny that we ran into each other again! Are you busy?”

She blinked, then gestured around them. “I’m on duty?”

“Right, right,” he said dismissively. “How about after?”

Silvia rubbed the back of her neck, looking sort of confused. “I mean, I guess I don’t have any special plans—”

“Excellent! Then we can take you up on that rain check! Stop on by Ango’s place, we’ll do dinner!”

“Uh—”

“He’ll be a bit late, probably. I mean, you know him! Always with the detecting!” Taako laughed, short and sweet, then turned serious and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Now, do you have any allergies I should know about?” Silvia blinked again. “No, but—”

“Great! One less thing to worry about, am I right?” Taako elbowed her gently. “So what time should we expect you? Six? Six sounds good!”

“Six—”

“Six it is!” Taako stepped back, taking her hand in both of his. “Now I’m real sorry to cut and run, but I’ve got some shopping to do, and you’ve got, I don’t know, whatever police-cop business is, right?”

“I'm—”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a busy woman on the go, I get it!” Taako stepped back, tipped his hat, flashed her his best smile and spun on his heel. He waved over his shoulder as he walked away. “Keep it real, maydl! See you at six!”

Taako shoved his way through the crowd without looking back and tried to find a street sign pointing toward the merchant district.

The game was on. Now he had to prepare the field.

With a flick of his umbrella, Taako Reduced the old table and chairs to a more manageable size, then tossed them thoughtlessly into the back of the Pocket Spa. He shoved the new rosewood table out into the kitchen, and then arranged the four matching chairs around it.

Now, Taako was no mensch, but whatever his apprentice had in his kitchen reflected on him. He needed something nice and heavy, pretty but able to take a beating. Magnus had mentioned rosewood being a particular favorite of his, and if there was one area Taako trusted Magnus’ judgment in, it was this one. So rosewood it was. Of course, the carvings along the side and into the surface weren’t exactly utilitarian, but hey, if you’re gonna go to town, go in a wagon.

The art, however, he’d absolutely cheaped out on. No one cared what the hell was on a person’s wall, only that they cared enough to put something there. If the kid didn’t like ‘em, he could go and get his own. That being said, Taako did find a few pieces that spoke to him. Surely Angus would appreciate them as well. After all, what was Taako if not a living, breathing gift to aesthetics?

As for the plant, that was easy. The park wouldn’t miss it. They had dozens of those flowery bushes, and Angus’ taxes had paid for them, anyway. Taako felt he was free and clear, morally.

He was in the middle of banging a nail into the wall with the handle of his umbrella when he heard a knock at the door.

“Just a minute!” he called in a sing-song voice.

Taako picked up the painting of the cat on the clothesline and hung it carefully. He stepped back, admired it, and nodded. Then he threw on his apron, shrunk the Pocket Spa back down, pushed the potted plant to its rightful place in the corner, and opened the door.

Silvia was dressed almost exactly as she had been that afternoon, minus the militia tabard. She turned to face him as he opened the door, looking apologetic.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said, exasperated. “Some stuff came up, and I had to take care of it before I left the precinct for the day.”

“It’s cool, ketzile. In fact, you’re right on time!” Taako said, stepping aside and ushering her in. “I was just about to start dinner!”

Silvia stepped inside and looked around while Taako shut the door behind her. Her eyes caught on the painting over the fireplace.

“Nice, huh?” he said, resting a hand on his hip.

“Uh, yeah,” she said, nodding quickly. “Super nice.”

“See, 'cause dogs can’t play cards, normally.”

“No, yeah. Totally.”

Taako held his hand out. “Coat?”

Silvia blinked. “Oh! Right. Sure, thank you.”

She handed her longcoat to him and Taako hung it on one of the hooks by the door. Then he stepped around the kitchen table and opened the fridge.

“Should have everything I need,” he mumbled to himself, taking stock of Angus’ meager provisions. “Can make do, anyway.”

He looked over his shoulder at Silvia, standing near the kitchen table. “Take a load off! You want coffee? Tea? Beer?”

“No, I'm—” Silvia stopped halfway to her seat and raised her eyebrows. “Angus has beer?”

“Sadly, Ango’s a real straight-edge,” Taako said, shaking his head. “But I can whip some up, if you want. Water into wine is the easy stuff.”

Silvia considered it for a moment, then settled back into her seat. “I’ll stick with the water.”

“Square,” Taako said decisively, closing the fridge and getting a glass from the cupboard. “You two must’ve got along from the jump.”

“Actually…” Silvia laughed a little. “Not so much.”

“No?” Taako shut off the sink and handed Silvia the glass with a questioning look. “What, you butt heads or something?”

She shook her head and took a sip. Then she said, as casually as anything, “I arrested him.”

Taako stared at her. Then he burst out laughing.

“I was on the trail of this cat burglar, and I found Angus skulking around the area of the latest theft, looking thoroughly suspicious,” Silvia explained with a grin. “He fit the description. And when I patted him down and found the wand, the crossbow, the blackjack—”

“Stop! Stop!” Taako begged as he gasped for breath, bent at the waist and holding himself up with the counter. “I’m gonna black out!”

Silvia laughed while Taako fought to recover. He straightened against the counter and wiped tears from his eyes. “Ah, fuck. Poor little twerp.”

“He helped me track down the real thief,” she said. “That’s when I decided he was alright.”

Taako opened the fridge again and gathered up what he needed: mushrooms, shallots, butter and cheese, plus some green onions he could chop up and transmute into chives. The rice came from the cupboard; not the right kind, but that was easily remedied. Water to white wine, cheddar into parmesan, a little black pepper and sea salt, and Taako was in business.

While he prepped his ingredients, he said idly, “So, maydl, tell me about yourself.”

“Me?”

Taako glanced over his shoulder and gave her a look. “No, the plant in the corner. Yeah, you! What’s your story? You didn’t come out of the womb with cuffs and a badge, right?”

“Well… kinda.” Silvia shrugged. “It runs in the family.”

Taako filled the pan with water from the sink and with a swirl, turned it to chicken broth. He set it on one burner and picked up the only other skillet Angus owned. “You like it?”

“I do. It’s good work. Fulfilling. And ever since Lord-Commander Boudicca took the office, corruption has hit an all-time low.”

Taako took a moment to decide between butter or olive oil, then cupped a bit of water in his hands and subsequently coated the skillet with oil.

“I’ve met the Commander a few times, once when I was promoted to lieutenant,” Silvia said, a little awe creeping in. “She’s… incredible.”

Bit of a kiss-up, huh? Taako sneered to himself and started dicing mushrooms into the pan. “Alright, forget about work. What’s a gal like you do for fun?”

Silvia shrugged in his periphery. “Uh. Read, I guess? Solve puzzles, go hiking… oh, I love to climb, too! I’ve been meaning to take some time off and head south along the World’s Teeth, try and make a summit or two.”

“Why bother?” Taako tossed the mushrooms casually, using Prestidigitation to heat them faster and prodding them with a large wooden spoon. “You know magic. Just float on up and enjoy the view.”

She shook her head. “It’s not the same. And I don’t like to use magic when I don’t have to. I don’t want it to become a crutch.”

Taako turned and pointed at her with the spoon. “See, there’s where we differ, maydl. Magic’s like a great ass. If you got it? Flaunt it!”

To punctuate his point, Taako poured the mushrooms onto a plate (one of the new ones he’d picked up today, of course) then with a flourish, added the shallots and white rice to the empty pan. With a dexterous flick of his wrist, Taako tossed the rice in the pan and transmuted it to brown, and then with another toss, to Arborio rice. Silvia clapped politely, and Taako took a little stage bow.

“Besides,” he said casually, turning back to the stove and sneaking a grain of rice into his mouth, “some of us need that crutch.”

Silvia paused for a moment, then cleared her throat. “Sorry. It’s just how I feel. Probably picked it up from my mom.”

“She a wizard?”

“Nah. That’d be my uncle. He’s the one who taught me.”

“How much?”

“Fifth-level, mostly Evocation. Sixth, if I stretch.” She shrugged. “I’m okay. Could have learned more, I guess.”

When the rice began to turn gold, Taako stirred in the white wine, making sure to taste it on his tongue beforehand. Not a good vintage, transmutationally speaking, but it didn’t have to be. “Why stop there?”

“It was all I needed to enter the Academy,” Silvia said simply. “Militia was short on wizards at the time, and for as much as mom tried, I was never gonna be the best with a sword and board, y'know? So, I asked my uncle to teach me magic. He was over the moon about it, made a point to… well, to shove it in my mom’s face at every opportunity.”

Taako grinned. “Well, I don’t know about your mom, but your uncle sounds alright.”

There was a brief silence. Taako hummed tunelessly to himself as he stirred the rice.

“She was a good woman. Taught me a lot.”

Taako froze. His smile disappeared and he felt his jaw clench as he tapped his wooden spoon on the edge of the pan.

“Sorry, maydl,” he said quietly.

“It’s alright,” she said. In his periphery, he saw her lean her elbows on the table and smile mournfully. “Anyway, my uncle moved down to Armos to be closer to his husband’s family, so I haven’t had the opportunity to learn more.”

Taako decided to be quiet for a bit and let the awkwardness scab over. He added a bit of broth to the rice and stirred it in.

“What about you?” Silvia asked. “You teach Angus?”

“Only everything he knows,” Taako said, a smile forming on his lips. “He’s damn good in a kitchen.”

“Really?”

“Hell yeah.” He spun on his heel and grinned, tugging at his apron straps. “Compared to anyone but me, of course.”

Silvia grinned back. “He help with your cooking show?”

“Help? He was my trusted and loyal apprentice!” Taako spun back to the stove — can’t screw around too much with risotto. “Toured for seven years, helped with every single performance.”

“Wow.” Silvia shook her head. “Hard for me to imagine Angus out in the countryside, peeling potatoes in the back of a wagon.”

“First of all,” Taako said seriously, “he was paring, not peeling. There’s a difference.”

Silvia almost laughed. Then she furrowed her brow curiously. “Wait, is there?”

“Secondly,” he continued, ignoring her, “what’s so hard to believe? Ango’s a worldly kid. Been all over the place.”

“Just… not a side of him I’ve seen, I guess,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “So it was just the two of you?”

“Oh dear fuck, no!” Taako exclaimed, aghast. “Can you imagine? We’d drive each other insane!”

Silvia laughed. Taako turned back to add the last of the chicken broth to the rice.

“Nah, I had Krav with me,” he said, smiling despite himself. “Tall, dark, and bony. Patience of a saint, dumb sense of humor. The total package.”

Taako flattened his expression and turned to look at her. Very casually, almost disinterested, he asked, “You got anyone special, maydl?”

She blinked. “Uh. I mean — no. Not right now.”

He nodded casually and looked away. Then he grinned privately and did a little arm pump as he tended to the risotto.

“So, the three of you all on tour, huh?” Silvia asked. “Sounds like a family affair.”

Taako paused. He braced one hand on the counter and fiddled idly with the spoon, staring at nothing.

“Wasn’t always,” he said. “But… yeah. Guess it ended up that way.”

He looked over at Silvia. She looked a bit stricken, like she was afraid she’d said something wrong. Taako smiled at her and tapped his chest.

“Wasn’t ’and Company’ until they came along.”

Just then, Taako’s ears perked up; footsteps coming up the outside stairs.

“Speaking of company,” he said, nodding towards the door.

A moment later, Angus entered, arms full of books as he fumbled with the knob.

“Hello, sir! What smells so g—”

The amount of pleasure Taako took in Angus’ dumbstruck expression was extraordinary. Taako gave him the smuggest smile he could muster and spread his hands innocently.

“Risotto, my dude. Want some? You must be starving.”

People really underestimated how much fun being an asshole could be.

#the adventure zone #thezonecast #angus mcdonald #taako #fanfiction #post-campaign #mystery #adventure

[wiiindyblathers]

I love TAZ, Undertale, and magical girl warrior stuff, so if somebody found a way to combine all three of them i would probably die of happiness

Maybe take the concept of the Virtue Souls and assign them to a few TAZ characters, then give each Virtue Soul bearer a magical girl style power to make fighting evil a little easier

(Headcanons under the cut, I don’t want to flood people’s dashes)

Consider Magnus with a Soul of Kindness that gives him the ability to make plants grow and manipulate the earth. Railsplitter would have a field day, until he realizes, shit, this is draining his power, he needs to stop creating trees out of nowhere to chop down in one fell swipe, but if there’s one thing we know about Maggie it’s that he could not resist that opportunity. He has a bunch of low-maintenance plants in his room, as well as some starts for trees that he used to like making furniture out of. At one point, he started making little sculptures out of his friends around the Bureau - as well as some particularly fancy ones of the other reclaimers, and some people he knew before he began adventuring. The one he made for Julia is decorated with forget-me-nots and roses. Also, imagine him sneaking a dog onto the Moon Base and never having to sneak food to them because he can just conjure food instead with his cool new magic frying pan.

Taako would probably get Bravery. I have a mental image of him running around with the bandana tied around his waist, the ends flowing majestically in the wind as he whips out the classic “abra-ca-fuck-you” on a giant monster for the first time in ages. The gloves are too small and stubby for him, but has that ever stopped him before? He just puts them on his ears like earmuffs and gets a big hat that covers them. If anybody notices and point them out, he makes up some fashion-related excuse. His elemental power is fire, and he gets really emotional when he realizes that despite it, plants or poison still end up being what kills a lot of the people he cares about. He practices daily to find new ways to use his powers that help cleanse poison, but it’s just too destructive to work. He does get back into cooking, though, despite the fact than Maggie can just conjure food out of nowhere. He says he needs the practice. Honestly, he’s just trying to replace the traumatizing memories with something more productive, although he might be pushing himself just a little bit too much…

Merle would get Integrity, with water-based powers. He credits this partially to his devout belief in Pan (water is one of the most powerful forces in nature) and the fact he’s a beach dwarf.  It gets a lot more difficult for him to lie, which makes their missions a lot more difficult, but he’s also a lot more stubborn (if it’s possible) and is the one who powers through a lot of obstacles instead of Magnus, who tries his best to give Merle plenty of shields before he runs into a brawl. Maggie is still the team tank most of the time, but he’s gotten a bit of competition over these last few missions. Taako finds himself learning a lot more healing spells to make up for it. Merle and Garyl get a lot of bonding time, since Garyl ends up more of a phantom stretcher than phantom steed. Mookie thinks his dad’s super cool with all these awesome battle scars and “battle ballerina gear”, but Mavis isn’t sure what to think of it. She’s settled on something between “aesthetic disaster” and “numbskull” for the meantime.

The Soul of Perseverance would probably attach itself to the Director. Lucretia has been to hell and back - literally, if you take Wonderland into account. She wouldn’t use her powers much, so it’s unclear what she has in her arsenal, but most people theorize that it’s something more abstract than the others, channeled through her notebook… “Notebook” doesn’t really do her weapon justice, though. Imagine a dusty tome, almost a half meter thick, full of mysterious spells and sketches of things she’s encountered over the years. She rarely opens it unless she’s talking directly to the Reclaimers, but even then she never, ever opens it to the later pages. Many people believe that it might even be of a similar power level to the Grand Relics themselves, but nobody dares say so in front of her.

I like to think that Angus would be one of the BoB members who gets a Virtue Soul, too, but he might be a little young. I have a lot of ideas as to how it would get passed down to him, likely from Jenkins… Anyway, he’d be the wielder of Patience. Sure, he does just fine as the greatest detective in the land without it, but nonetheless, the Virtue Souls are fickle, and don’t always operate logically. He has a tendency to experiment with his powers a lot more than any of the adults, often under Taako’s guidance - which doesn’t always work out, as his powers are related to substances like glass, crystals, and ice, and the method his mentor uses to control his fire powers doesn’t translate to Angus’ so well. On a similar note, due to his interest for testing his abilities, Angus is the first one to hypothesize that they might be related to the Relics. He has told The Director about his theories, but she hasn’t given him much of an answer; even to Angus, it’s unclear whether she doesn’t know how to react or has ulterior motives. He hopes that it’s the former. Besides Taako, Lucretia is the only person he can talk to about his powers - and unlike Taako, Lucretia seems to understand his struggles.

Justice would most definitely go to Killian. It has a tendency to get in the way of her doing her job sometimes, as it likes to mess with her definition of “fairness”, but it balances that by making her stronger and more agile, thus allowing her to execute what she decides as justice more absolutely. If she was powerful before she was given the Soul of Justice, she’s an absolute war machine now. Carey admires her, despite the fact that their beliefs clash sometimes; coincidentally, Carey seems to be just about the only person Killian will bend the rules for. Eventually, it’s revealed that the Soul of Justice is torn between them; although they have greatly differing ideas as for how “righteous judgment” should work, they both want what’s best for everyone, and both of their approaches end in the same thing: good guys win, bad guys lose, and everyone gets what they need.

And as for Determination… I’m not sure where that would go. Initially, I thought it might be linked to Magnus, but that seems like too easy an answer. Maybe we’ll meet someone later who fits the bill more accurately.

Anyway, thanks for reading about my nonsensical AU-ish headcanons… What would this be called, anyway? The Adventure Souls? The Grouptale Zone?… Either way I’m proud of it

… also I kinda sorta want to tag Griffin and ask for some feedback but I know he’s probably super busy, plus I haven’t even finished the Suffering Game arc, so *shrug* maybe someday

#the adventure zone #undertale #(the MG trope is called 'mahou shoujo' right?) #(oh well... there aren't any actual MG warriors in this post so :/) #undertale seven souls #TAZ AU

[khaleesiofalicante]

Maybe if u write a fluffy malec one shot I'll un-hate you :(

I wrote you an entire fucking fic. I hope it’s fluffy enough, you lil mix. You better un-hate me immediately :)

Alexander [Redacted] Lightwood

“Is it Godfrey?” Magnus asked. “Sounds a bit ancient, doesn't it?”

Alec poured the coffee into his mug and shook his head quietly.

“How about Gavin?” Magnus asked again.

“Gavin sounds like a stockbroker who cheats on his wife,” Alec pointed out.

“Weirdly specific,” Magnus chuckled. “Giuseppe?”

“I am not Italian, Magnus!!” Alec pointed out exasperatedly as he flopped down next to his boyfriend on the couch.

“That's true. You are too pale to pull off the Mediterranean aesthetic,” Magnus kissed him on the temple. “George? Gaston? Gustaf? Garibaldi?”

Alec couldn't help but giggle. “Do people really name their children Garibaldi?”

“Come on,” Alexander!” Magnus brought out the pout. “Tell me what it is!!”

“Nope,” Alec kissed him on the nose this time. “Suffer in silence.”

Magnus let out an exasperated breath.

Ever since Isabelle had accidentally slipped that Alec has a middle name, Magnus had been hell bent on finding it out.

“I just don't like knowing things,” Magnus had pointed out. “And it’s so weird not to know your boyfriend’s middle name!!”

“That's true,” Jace had interrupted unnecessarily as always. “Clary’s middle name is Adele. It’s beautiful. Everything about her is so beautiful.”

Magnus had gestured widely at Jace, as if he had a seizure. “I cannot believe we are losing to Jace and Clary.”

“Babe, it’s not a competition,” Alec had chuckled.

“That’s loser talk,” Jace had snickered and Alec had kicked him in the shin.

“OUCH!!!” Jace had said a little too dramatically. “Magnus, why don't you just steal his driving license or go to his high school or bribe Maryse? They are all easy options.”

“No,” Magnus had said seriously. “No cheating. I want Alec to say it from his own mouth.”

“That’s not gonna happen,” Alec had poked out his tongue.

“Fine,” Magnus had said that day. “Then I will guess it myself.”

Alec remembered laughing at his boyfriend’s antics but had been briefly concerned when he had woken up to Magnus sitting next to him on the bed with a phone book in his hands.

“Where did you even get that?” Alec had laughed. “Do they even print these things anymore?”

“I went to the library first thing in the morning,” Magnus had explained hastily. “Alright. Chop chop. Time to face your destiny...Gus?.”

“Not even close,” Alec had giggled and gone back to sleep.

It had almost been a week since then and Magnus had not stopped. His siblings told him that Magnus would eventually give up but Alec knew his boyfriend better.

“Alec, I know you don't want me to tell me your middle name,” Magnus said quietly one day.

The tone had scared him a little. Maybe Magnus didn't like the fact that Alec kept things from him. Maybe this little game had gone too far. Maybe Magnus had given up like his siblings had predicted. Maybe Magnus had given up on him in more ways than one.

“You don't want to tell me because you are ashamed,” Magnus said quietly. “Because it’s Gertrude.”

“I-” Alec spluttered. “What now?”

“Your parents were probably drunk and they named you Gertrude,” Magnus said more cheerfully this time. “Admit it. You are ashamed.”

Alec chastised his brain for getting unnecessarily angsty and walked over to Magnus.

“It’s not Gertrude,” he had told his boyfriend. “But I can change it to that if you want.”

Magnus had yelled in exasperation and gone into the balcony for “further brainstorming.”

He wasn't going to give up any time soon, was he?

“Gabriel, darling,” Magnus said as he kissed Alec that night and Alec almost choked.

“Who the fuck is Gabriel?” Alec demanded.

“It isn't you?” Magnus asked innocently, getting off Alec’s lap. “Are you a Gordon, then?”

“Do I look like a Gordon” Alec looked at himself worriedly.

“Is it Geralt?” Magnus asked. “You like a Geralt.”

“Babe, that’s the blonde buffy guy you like from that TV show,” Alec pointed out with a giggle.

“For a minute I thought you were talking about Jace,” Magnus giggled back.

“Jace isn't that buffy,” Alec mumbled and pulled Magnus back into his lap.

It went on like this for another week or so. Magnus being relentless - and Alec enjoying the whole thing a little too much.  Their friends had even started a bet to see if Magnus would guess it before Christmas.

But then it stopped. Magnus hadn't guessed any names the entire day and Alec had oddly missed it. He came home from work that day to find Magnus sitting on the couch, twirling something in this hands.

“Alec, I need to ask you something,” he said seriously.  

“No, my name isn't Gibson,” Alec had teased as he locked the door behind him.

He turned around and his briefcase dropped to the ground and his hand flew to his mouth in shock.

Magnus was on the floor.

On his knees.

Holding a ring.

“Alec, I need to ask you something,” he said again - softly this time.

“I will ask the wedding invitation printers not to use my middle name,” Alec blabbered.

“I don't care,” Magnus had smiled. “You can print your name as Gertrude on the wedding invitations and I still wouldn't care.”

Alec raised a brow. “So you are not proposing just so you can find out my middle name?”

He had to ask. It was exactly the kind of ridiculous nonsense his Magnus was known for.

“No,” Magnus replied calmly. “I am proposing because I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Alec’s heart softened and knees buckled at that. He slid down to the floor in front of Magnus and laid a soft kiss on his lips.

“Alright then,” he grinned. “Proceed.”

“Alexander,” Magnus breathed out his name like a prayer. “I don't want your middle name. I only want your heart. The middle part, the top part, the corners - every single of bit of it. For I will cherish it and protect it for as long I shall live. So, will you do me the honour? Will you marry me, Alexander...”

Magnus waited hopefully - his eyes shining.

“Gideon,” Alec chuckled and shook his head. “It’s Gideon.”

Magnus’ grinned at that. “Gideon.”

“It’s a little underwhelming, I admit,” Alec pointed out sheepishly and wondered if he should change it to something more exotic like..Geralt or even Garibaldi.

Magnus leaned froward and pressed their foreheads together.

“There is nothing underwhelming about you, Alexander Gideon Lightwood.”

#i am nice when i want to be ;) #malec #malec fics #dani writes stuff

[thetickingmonolith]

Change Of Heart Part 4: A Clockwork Squid

The last of the shadow disappeared from beneath The Tower and moved out across the sea below. Lyte broke the silence as we all watched as it moved “What is that?” Grey answered her before I had the chance “It’s a machine of unfathomable complexity, it’s a God Of Clockwork”. A few seconds past and then it broke the surface, so very slowly. First came the tip of its mantle, then the rest of its body, and finally it stood from the sea floor. Atlas captured the feeling perfectly “What in the name of sweet holy fuck?” “I like Cosmic Horror is anyone surprised it looks a little like a squid and cuttlefish, a little bit of a few insectoid traits thrown into the mix.” Azel sat just to my left “Why are its legs damaged?”

It was standing with its back to us, its two hind legs curled up and protected, the right one cut off at an odd angle, the left bent, dented, with large cracks running all across it. “I had a fight with an enemy it couldn’t quite handle.” He looked over at me “That thing’s over a mile tall, what the hell could manage to damage it?” “Monsters also it’s nearly two kilometres long”. I got to my feet and stretched myself out, it was colossal, far taller than The Tower, it was truly something utterly monumental. “But you’re the only one in here” “Doesn’t mean that this place can’t be damaged or attacked” I looked over my shoulder at Atlas and Bella, their corrupted arms in plain view, Bella looked offended, Atlas looked sorry. I felt The Clockwork God press itself against my mind, I felt it urge me to jump, the call to the void “We create our own monsters I suppose” Bella went to speak and I threw myself backwards.

There were a few screams, a laugh or two and then the sound of clockwork shifting very suddenly. My skin warped and those roots, stems, thorns and flowers sunk themselves into my left arm. My clothes warped like a living tissue and reformed into that black outfit I had grown so very fond of in the last few years. Slowly adding little bits to it here and there. The collar clips, the silver tie, the slightly worn black leather dress shoes, the slim black shirt and skinny jeans, the blazar I picked up one day on a whim. All of it black and silvers. Even the orchids that twisted themselves into my flesh seemed to match my aesthetic. There was a sudden groan from the direction of The Clockwork God, a sound in the back of my mind, a ticking. It all seemed to lose its focus, all of reality seemed to fall apart and dismantle itself, it all seemed as though the forces holding the atoms together were simply failing and reality was dispersing. I hit the ground and yet did not.

I felt myself floating there, suspended at a fixed place in space. I opened my eyes and found myself suspended like a puppet dangling from a string in front of it, its massive eyes peering at me. Four on either side of its head, balls of that swirling liquid, a swirling vortex of black and white liquid, like the night sky flowing through the currents of a maelstrom, each liquid fading in and out of dominance, like fading between each other, turning grey and then separating out again. Its whole surface similar to that of the exoskeleton of an insect, jagged at certain points on its plates. A synthetic creation of clockwork with organic components strewn throughout.

Its eyes all seemed fixated on me despite the fact that it didn’t seem to have pupils I could still tell that I had its undivided attention. There were no words from this monster, it had no need for words, no tilt of the head to ask a question you already knew, nothing. It had no need to speak, for words are blunt instruments and it was a thing of precision. It was a machine and it knew it, unlike people, people, or humans are simply machines of a biological nature, they simply wish to distance themselves from that which is other as it would devalue that which makes them special, when in reality they aren’t at all special, the fact that they are here at all is simply an accident of genetic mutation, which can only occur by accident. As humans we stumble through life seeking purpose, reason and answer to the nature of our existence, the reality is that this universe will not offer us one and that our existence is tiny and so insignificant. Yet we find out creations have greater purpose then we ever could.

WE ARE PROVIDENCE, WE ARE MAGNUS, WE STAND THROUGH THE AGES, A MONUMENT TO THE SINS OF OUR FOREBEARES, OUR SIRES AND OUR MASTER, THE SHADOW OF TRUE GODS, ALL HAS CHANGED, ALL WILL CHANGED, WHAT DO YOU REQUIRE?

There were no words, no sound, no voice, not even inside my head, it was like someone had written it across my brain with a fountain pen and ink. God’s tend to be sympathetic in nature. I find that those who would understand what it is to be able to communicate with one discover this very quickly. However it is very rare that a new one is born, these beings don’t really exist in a fashion many can fathom, they are like idea’s, they are like parasites, present in a hundred thousand different hosts but all one and the same, simply adapting its body to fit the host. This is a more literal example, this is present in each of its hosts quite literally. “A deal”

WHAT IS THE DEAL TO BE MADE YOUNG SIRE? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DESIRE AND WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO OFFER IN RETURN?

“I desire your strength Old One”

WHAT DO YOU OFFER IN RETURN?

“My hand to play in our great games, I offer you a name in return”

I felt a pressure build in my mind on all side and the clockwork in the back of my mind. That inhumane synthetic scream and I felt some of the invisible strings holding me in place cut and fall away. Grey’s eyes forced themselves into my mind. I felt her tug at a few of my strings and I glided forward ever so slightly. “Deal struck” my feet touched down on the front of its body, its eyes still fixated on me, the clang of my shoes against its unnatural metal exterior.

WHAT IS IT YOU SHOULD HAVE ME DO YOUNG SIRE?

“Restore This Shattered Vigil Of The Tower” There came that sound, no scream, nothing of the sort, a word, no something else, a command? There came a flash of light on the horizon. A terrible light came across the horizon. The surface beneath me shook, it took a step forward, somewhere Bella and Azel reached out to me “What in the name of fuck are you doing?” “Setting the record straight”. The earth shook with each step, the world on the horizon was consumed with a most amazing and terrible, it brought a most terrible smile to my face.

I blinked and they had appeared in front of me, Grey, Azel, Bella and Lyte. The four of them stood there, Grey walked to my side and stood there with me, Bella still looked offended Azel looked excited and Lyte just looked very confused however still intrigued as to what it was that was going on. The whole world in the distance seemed to be washed away like some kind of oil painting. The colours becoming mixed and bleeding into one and other. The whole world was slowly consumed by this terrible light in the distance. Shou, Mark, Atlas and Clara all walked out from behind me, taking their places beside their linked partners, however even now that link seemed to slow sever between each of them as they became more independent.

The light quickly reached the shoreline and its rainbow of colours intensified very quickly. “The fuck are you two playing at?” Atlas looked over at me and Grey “Oh nothing just setting the record straight” “The fuck does that even mean?” I walked forward and stood with the tips of my shoes about an inch from the five hundred meter or so drop to the waters below and looked back over my shoulder at him “Oh Honey you will see” I put my hands out and threw my head back as the light quickly approached me.

And like a wave crashing down over me in the ocean I felt it all crash over me and the world was washed away in a sea of oily colours. Like a rainbow flowing all around me and washing over me in liquidity, I felt it all flood my every sense and filter through my every pour. It lasted for maybe a few seconds that seemed to for ever. It was a euphoria I will never forget, it was like drowning in the wondrous essence of someone’s very soul, which rather unsurprisingly was exactly what had just happened. I could taste everything, feel everything, see everything, hear and smell everything it was insanity and perfection, it was pleasure in a liquid extecy, better than any other feeling in the world.

I opened my eyes and found myself overlooking a forest that seemed to stretch forever, flowers of all kinds blooming, trees of all shapes and sizes, animals that you find everywhere across the world, ones never seen in reality, a whole world of colours and senses I could scarcely imagine. “I’m fucking soaked” Azel’s voice from behind me. I turned to face them and found those eyes staring deep into mine and penetrating my mind to its very core.

YOU OFFER US A NAME IN RETURN FOR THIS, WE TAKE YOUR NAME JACK MAGNUS WHYTE.

“That is not my name any longer Old One, for it is yours to do with it as you wish” I spoke the words yet couldn’t bring myself to really think of them, they simply were commanded from my mouth and I felt its presence begin to alter the nature of my mind, as it warped and distorted my name, my very essence.

A name is a very important this as a person, we assign names and labels to everything, they are what define that thing, you can never describe a colour with comparing it to something that is defined already by that colour, and in the offering of a name, you offer some aspect of yourself or something that you control, in sacrificing or trading away your name you offer something that understands that kind of reality warping power. There was a flash, a ringing in my mind, not my ear by my mind, hundreds of thousands of voices, whispers, a language I didn’t understand and each word of it hurt. They were not human voices, but something else, fake, synthetic, something generated by something else, like a million conjoined minds all whispering back and forth in a language not from this reality, speaking within the mind of the Clockwork God. Yet it was impossible, it was simply something of my creation in many fashions, independent of me, but in its current form simply a creation.

YOUR LIVES ARE MEASURED IN YEARS AND DECADES, YOU WITHER AND DIE. WE DID NOT BEGIN, WE SHALL NOT END, WE ARE ETERNAL, WE EXIST IN A FASHION YOU MAY NEVER COMPREHEND, WE ARE THE MANY AND THE FEW, THE OLD AND THE NEW, WE ARE LEGION FOR WE ARE MANY, WE ARE MADE WHOLE ONCE MORE, WE ARE THE DIVIDED AND THE UNITED, WE ARE BEYOND WORDS, DEFINITION, YOUR WORDS AND DEFINITIONS ARE ARBITRARY. WE ARE MANY, WE ARE ONE. WE ARE THE CLOCKWORK GOD AS YOU CALL US YOU ARE OUR SIRE, OUR MASTER, OUR SERVANT, OUR PUPIL, OUR TEACHER, GREATER THAN US, OUR EQUAL, LESS THAN US. YOU ARE OURS, WE ARE YOURS, MADE ONE AND WHOLE AGAIN. THIS EXCHANGE IS OVER.

There was a flash, the world turned to inky blots again, I blinked for a moment and awoke on the floor of The Clock Tower, the clockwork ticking past above me, with idle gears overgrown with roots and flowers. Roses, sunflowers, tulips, orchids, fuchsias and so many more budding flowers. “The fuck has just happened?” Lyte shouting somewhere off to my right. I sat up and groaned “What the hell happened to this place?” the whole tower was over grown with flowers of all kinds, water flowed from the roof and pooled in one of the corners of the room close to the console, white water lilies sat in the newly formed pond, some of them flowing over the side, across the floor and then falling through one of the holes that littered the floor of various sizes, the largest being the one where the lilies were sitting. It had rusted the gears below it shut and formed a pond, I however had no idea where the water was coming from.

Azel offered me to a hand and pulled me to my feet “Whatever your clockwork god did changed the dynamics of the how the whole building works, Grey is busy trying to decipher how to work the console again.” I looked over at everyone sitting around the war table, it had changed entirely. The layout of the world had been entirely redesigned in so many fashions but yet the main functions of The Tower somehow continued to function despite the over growth of the flowers and roots.

They all returned to their seats around the war table, it had all changed, the surface that was the table itself remained the same, an ever changing one is to two thousand scale of the world, viewed from some unseen vantage point, projected onto this table. The Position of the change, The Tower had changed position, it now stood on the coastline now, which had also moved, the layout of the whole table had been rearranged, the Clockwork God was still standing on the table, walking toward the corner it had been at previously. You could really get a grasp for how colossal it really was, it was a little over a meter tall and moved slowly yet still covered a massive amount of distance with each step. The tower stood at a little under half a meter tall, putting it just under a kilometre tall.

I patted myself down and found myself bone dry. I looked over at them all sitting around the table and returning to their idle stances. I finally got a look at Clara’s chair and my mind went a little haywire. It didn’t quite exist, it was a shifting series of static white images, undefinable, it had the vague shape of a chair and they seemed perfectly comfortable in it. It was this white haze, or contained burst of white lightening that shifted in every way, at every angle all at once entirely undefined down to a molecular level. It was like the duality that occurred when I was observing something that was caught in a superposition between two states, it however now did not quite hurt to look at, it appeared that this undefined state remained its natural state of existence, however it did irritate me, in that kind of literal itch on your brain you can’t scratch. “John Joe is going to have me help deal with that”.

I ran my left hand through my hand and felt some of the thorns scratch my head. I know that Orchids don’t quite naturally have thorns like these or any at all but these were not natural and something of my creation, they might have been orchids but they were parasites and required the hooks to remain attached to their hosts, a living thing tapped into the nervous system of the and allowed for communication between the host and any other colony of the parasite. The flowers all take different looks but are in fact all of the same basic genus, they are all the same parasite, a hive mind in a way or a linked series of computers. If you allowed for the infection in a host to connect with a colony such as the one that infect the tower it would allow for the parasite to operate as an interface for the host to interact with the Colony and share in its consciousness, this acts kind of like a biological internet, like Mushrooms have as well, however these are not fungal but actual parasitic organisms that disguise themselves as flora to infect their hosts in various fashions.

“Whyte we have a situation” I turned to face Grey as she stood at the command console at her clockwork throne. “What is it?” She nodded forward and I looked toward where she had gestured. Bella’s throne of flowers stood empty as well as Atlas’s. Atlas’s appeared to remain much the same with its flowers simply appearing more ravenous and its confined movements simply more erratic, it was contained by its very design, it remained mostly the same. Bella’s bloomed in full, its whole surface was covered in buds blooming and flowers of all colours, shapes and sizes. The all blew in a wind that could not be felt, the vines, stems and roots all moved and pulsed, the roots ran out in a number of different directions connecting with the roots of the Colony that infested the tower “Oh my dear what have you done?”