(To Rome, Etc)

Icon Posts from 2011

ex_absolute — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:07:21 GMT

SCIFILAND: CREATE YOUR OWN SCIFI SHOW

ex_absolute — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 07:15:18 GMT

GIVE IN TO YOUR ANIMAL INSTINCTS
Made for scifiland's Create Your Own Scifi Show challenge.
(TEAM SIDEKICK)

Therianthropy is the term used to describe the the metamorphosis of humans into other animals. Werewolves, shape shifters, spirit gods, gods. The idea that humans can take on animal traits has a long history in legends, stories, tales, and lore. But it isn't a myth. These people exist. Human DNA bonded with animal DNA. A recessive gene, uncommon and rare. The human and the beast merge. The government project responsible for the study, extraction, containment, etc of these people? Menagerie.

Menagerie is based on a well hidden island prepared to deal with whatever human/animal combination that can come their way. And on the island, Extraction and Retrieval Team #11 is based. Their job? Find and safely capture any Therianthropes newly discovered.

Season One Plotline:
>The team has suddenly begun to accumulate gaps of time they cannot account for.
>Golden eagle feathers appear, and the dark secrets of Menagerie start to unravel.
>Bianca's past plays a key role.

Season Two Plotline:
>The Hunters have come to town.
>Wild animals must be tamed.
>The Golden Eagle reveals him/herself.

MEET THE TEAM

BIANCA Rhyerson played by HELENA Mattsson
Species: Human/Lynx lynx (Eurasian lynx)
Specialty: Combat/Tactical
Description:
Bianca is not a natural born Therianthrope. She is man made. Once the Therianthrope mutation was isolated, the government began testing to see if they could develop (and thereby control what animal the human DNA merged with) their own Therianthropes. Bianca was Trial #152. She was trained by the military, and then given a role on the retrieval team.

Bianca is a material girl at heart, and love shiny things. She is very dangerous, and, as one might expect from a wild cat, she can be a bit feisty. This is one girl who isn't afraid to use her claws.

Bianca is one of the few Therianthropes who have physical characteristics of the animal they have merged with. Bianca sports lynx ears and literal claws.

She is married to Adam.

Abilities: Flexibility, agility, and night vision.

ADAM Rhyerson played by GABRIEL Mann
Species: Human/Bubo virginianus (Great Horned Owl)
Specialty: Reconnaissance
Description:
Adam was working on a teaching degree when a chance encounter with an owl mutated his DNA. He was immediately brought in to Menagerie by the retrieval team at the time which included BIANCA. Once his skills were discovered, he was given the proper training.

Adam's eyes are the only physical characteristic of his mutation as they are large and immobile. This combined with his usual brooding silence make him seem unapproachable. However, Adam's silence comes from his training. His job is not to talk but to listen.

He works with his partner and wife, Bianca, and they are inseparable.

Abilities: Spectacular binocular vision, extraordinary hearing, and the ability to turn his head 270 degrees.

HEATH Latiese played by JOHN Cho
Species: Human/Suricata suricatta (Meerkat)
Specialty: Linguistics
Description:
Heath is the comedian of the group. His gregarious nature makes him friendly and easy to talk to. He is usually the guy the team sends out to make first contact providing that the target is not hostile.

Heath has no physical markings that reveal his mutation, and, to be honest, he often bemoans his lack of any real skills. However, he does have an ear for language and that makes him invaluable to the team.

He is the first person to meet Gail in the series Pilot episode, and Gail sticks close to him for lack of anyone better.

Abilities: Vocalization

GAIL Pierson played by NATALIE Dormer
Species: Human/Corvus corax (Northern Raven)
Specialty: Unknown
Description:
Gail is the newest member of the team. When she was pushed off a rather tall building, she surprised herself and everyone around to witness her fall, but spreading out a magnificent pair of black wings and gliding beautifully down to the ground.

Needless to say, the retrieval team picked her up quickly. Gail is taken to Menagerie in the pilot episode Fallen Angel, and she discovers she is the first bird Therianthrope to have the ability of flight.

Gail is rather stunned by her new abilities, new home, and new "friends". She does not do change well nor does she acclimate quickly.

Abilities: Flight

OTHER CHARACTERS

MICHAEL James played by BRUCE Campbell
Species: Human/Scalopus aquaticus (Common Mole)
Description:
He's the team's tech guy. He supplies them with all the coolest toys. He is also completely blind. Despite this, he has gotten the team out of many scrapes.

He gives completely awful advice, but is never in bad temper. He hardly ever comes out of his technology cave, and the team very seldom sees him in person. However, in the episode Man in the Mirror he is forced to come out of hiding to help the team with a difficult case.

MARIA Bryce played by SALLI Richardson-Whitfield
Species: Human
Description:
The head of Menagerie project, Maria is one of the very few people on the island who is completely human. Her decisions are often callous as she seems to care little for the lives of the Therianthropes, and the team doesn't like her very much. She is particularly interested, however, in Gail.

She is incredibly intelligent, and works hand-in-hand with the scientists working on the Menagerie project. She was instrumental in the isolation of the mutation and the creation of Bianca.

She guards the secrets of the Menagerie project very well. However, in the season finale The Caged Bird Sings Maria is forced to face the music in a rather gruesome way.

SAUL and ANGELICA Alantine playing by MICHAEL Fassbender and VIVA Bianca
Species: Human
Description:
After the season finale The Caged Bird Sings, the world finally knows about Therianthropy. In Season Two, Saul and Angelica are introduced as the heads of an organization known as the HUNTERS who have sworn to hunt down and eradicate all Therianthropes.

EPISODE PREVIEW

EPISODE ONE: FALLEN ANGEL
Gail is pushed off a rather tall building only to grow wings and fly. The Retrieval Team is sent in. A resistant Gail is then taken to Menagerie.

EPISODE TWO: LIFE AQUATIC
Sailors start washing ashore claiming they've seen a mermaid. Gail goes on her first retrieval, and Bianca finds the first golden feather after losing a night's worth of memories.

EPISODE THREE: MASS PRODUCTION
Lose one finger, grow one back. One man seems to have miraculous regenerative powers. The team goes in to retrieve him, but he isn't interested in coming with them.

EPISODE FOUR: POISON IVY
Men start turning up dead. Poisoned. But there doesn't seem to be anyone the police can suspect. Except the woman all the men went home with. This high paid call girl claims she has no clue how they died, but she's the last person to see each of them alive.

EPISODE FIVE: METAMORPHOSIS
A little boy has wrapped himself inside a cocoon. The team has dealt with a butterfly Therianthrope before, and they know that the boy does not have very long to live after he emerges from his cocoon. It's a race against time as the team works to find the boy before it is too late.

EPISODE SIX: A RIVER IN EGYPT
Bianca meets her match when a pretty Persian springs a trap on the team. Split up and confused, a simple retrieval turns into a test of skill, trust, and love.

EPISODE SEVEN: MAN IN THE MIRROR
Michael must leave his technology cave when the team requests his help on a retrieval of the top priority: a chameleon who can blend in easily with all his surroundings. The team all realize they have all lost time.

EPISODE EIGHT: THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA
Women start dancing with a mysterious stranger only to sell their soul to the devil. At least that's what locals claim has happened when the mysterious dancing partner's feet look like goat hooves.

EPISODE NINE: SPEAK NO EVIL
Heath's brother has gone missing, and he asks the team for their assistance in finding him. When they do, things don't go as expected.

EPISODE TEN: ON A DEAD MAN'S CHEST
Gail's ex-Fiancée is found dead in his apartment complex. Raven feathers found at the scene of the crime peg Gail as the murderer, and Gail can't remember the 24 hours in which the crime took place.

EPISODE ELEVEN: HUMANITY
Bianca reveals her past to the rest of the team when she is forced to comfort a crazed, scared, and possibly dangerous target.

EPISODE TWELVE: WITCHING HOUR
Gail wakes up chained and alone in a laboratory on Menagerie island. She has no memory of how she got there, and she is certain that she is slowly loosing her mind. Meanwhile, the team, sans Gail, are hunting for a rogue Therianthrope who escaped the island and started killing people.

EPISODE THIRTEEN: THE CAGED BIRD SINGS
The secrets of Menagerie are let loose. Maria falls prey to her wild instincts, and the team is in for a devastating surprise when they finally realize why they've all lost time.

If LotS were a Disney Musical (A LotS Re-Cast Picspam)

ex_absolute — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:47:46 GMT

If Legend of the Seeker were a Disney musical...

This is meant to be utterly and completely cracktastical. If you take this seriously, you are a moron. Just saying.

Anyway, this is for a challenge at legendland, and the challenge was to re-cast Legend of the Seeker. Unfortunately, I am seriously awful at re-casting people. Awful. Solution? Make a cracky spam, and that way I can blame bad casting on the crack. Awesome plan. And then I settled on making Legend of the Seeker into a Disney musical. Almost every actor under the act is a Disney alum, and all of them have singing capabilities (some more than others). So, yeah, if Legend of the Seeker were a really bad (but you have to see it anyway) Disney Channel musical, this is what (my) cast would look like...

P.S As this is complete crack and meant to be fun, no bashing of the actors below the cut. I don't really care if you don't like them/think they can't sing. Just have a laugh and move on, yeah? Especially if you're laughing at my manipping skills. That's okay to laugh at. XD

Richard Rahl (Seeker)
played by Drake Bell

Drake is smishable. And he kind of reminds me of Craig. They even have the same weird floppy hair going on.

Kahlan Amnell (Confessor)
played by Anneliese van der Pol

Okay, I was going to cast Lea Michele (re: my Darken Rahl casting), but in the end I went for a vastly unappreciated Disney actress. Anneliese reminds me so much of Bridget (even down to the red hair which will have to be dyed brown for the role), and, yes, she can sing! She was Belle in Beauty and the beast on Broadway.

Cara (Mord'Sith)
played by Ashley Tisdale

Ashley Tisdale is fierce, okay. I don't even care. She is. She can eye roll with the best of them. And, okay, I don't know how she would do in episodes like 'Broken', but considering were making a musical here, 'Broken' would probably be a little different anyway, right? Anyway, this girl is a princess.

Darken Rahl
played by Jonathan Groff

My one exception to the Disney alum rule. Mostly because, as I am matching the TV cast, I couldn't cast Corbin in this role, and then I kind of ran out of Disney guys that I liked. Ahem. So, yeah, Groff. THE Groff. He could so do Darken Rahl. He would kill it. You know he would.

Denna (Mord'Sith)
played by Alyson Michalka

It took me a bit so figure out who I wanted to cast as Denna. But then, it came to me! This girl is adorable, and I can just imagine her face at the end of 'Denna' when Richard kills her. Oh my. Too pretty to exist (and therefore we hate her), and yet her sad face will make you love her. Yeah, I think so. Plus, she looks like a vixen in red.

Leo Dane (Seeker)
played by Zac Efron

What? I had to cast him. I love him. Shut up. Plus, Leo+Cara (as Zac and Ashley)= dream come true! And you only get to see him for two episodes! And the rest of the time you get Drake Bell. So. Good trade off, y/y? I'd say so. Also, Zac excels in the bad (yet adorable) flirting thing. He's perfect.

Nicci (Sister of the Dark/BAMF)
played by Hilary Duff

To be honest, I kind of love her. And I think she'd be awesome as Nicci. She'd drag Drake Bell everywhere, and they'd have really hilarious duets together. And it would be awesome. You know it would. Especially when she started fake!belly dancing in her Sister of the Dark costume. Oh yeah!

Notes:
I don't really care what you do with the big picspam part, but leave my manips alone. They might be god awful, but I spent time on them, okay? SO I don't want to see them anywhere but right here. Thanks.
Made for legendland; Team Richard

GLEE REC LIST

ex_absolute — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:25:03 GMT

Glee Fic Rec List

Stuff that you'll find here: Gen fic (meaning no focus on romantic pairings), student/teacher relationships, lots of Jesse, slash, het, and other random stuff! Enjoy!
Note: I have not posted warnings or ratings; however, all the fics are linked so that you can see the fic header. The ratings and warning are contained there. There shouldn't be anything too triggering, but there is a bit of NC-17 on occasion; so make sure you do actually skim those fic headers!

# most likely to succeed. by miggy
(Kurt, Rachel) It was easier for Rachel Berry to feel like a star in Lima, Ohio than in the middle of Manhattan. That wasn't how things were supposed to work. | Why you should read this: Rachel and Kurt how they are supposed to be. No really. This is the Kurt that I love. The show writers need to get Miggy on the phone and let her write Kurt for now until forever.

# I'm a Winner, and You're Fat by miggy
(Sue Sylvester) "Excerpts from Sue Sylvester's novel I'm a Winner and You're Fat. Bonus points for mentions of Brittana and Will Schuester's hair." | Not only does miggy sport one of the best Kurt voices ever, she's also completely ace at Sue. This is so in character that it is funny. Extremely funny. A must read.

# Five Times Someone Quit Glee... And the Five Things they did to get them Back by berry_hearts
(Glee ensemble) | Why you should read this: You know how Glee should be one, big happy family with its problems that all eventually get sorted out? Yeah. Exactly.

# Expectations by risti
(Kurt, Quinn) Quinn knew she couldn't stay in the bathroom stall forever, even if it had started to feel like home lately. | Why you should read this: Another Kurt that I love. And Quinn who I also love. They are both so IC, and this definitely puts 'Keep Holding ON' into a perspective that makes sense and builds on to the relationship between Kurt and Quinn that we don't see enough of.

# Ten Steps to a Happier You by boonies
(Glee Ensemble) It's just that easy! | Why you should read this: This story has undercurrents of various pairings, but mostly it is just the most wonderful gen fic ever. Lots of amazing Glee Club moments. Everyone is so in character you'll feel like you're reading bits from the show.

# In Defense of Glee. by niceskin/cheapen
(Rachel, Glee boys, Jesse St. James) Rachel and her boys. “You don’t pull that shit on my women. None of ‘em, man. That means the scrawny gay kid, too.” | Why you should read this: If nothing else, read it for Matt. Her Matt is golden. Jesse bashing (but come on- he so deserves it ;D).

# on forgiveness by lettersandliars
(Rachel, Artie, Glee Ensemble) ...or how attempting to keep rachel berry out of your immediate circle of friends is just like invading troy, no, really | Why you should read this: Best Glee fic ever to exist. No, I am not lying. Everyone is perfect, even Santana. I adore the treatment of Rachel in this. I adore Artie's point of view. I adore every single thing. Read it. Now.

# Before the storm by maaya1x2
(Kurt, Finn) | Why you should read this: Kurt and Finn being BROTHERS. Awesome. Kurt saying Pardon? is also AWESOME. Therefore, you should read it.

# Texts From Last Night - I'd Gouge Out my Eyes If I Thought It Would Make Your Clothes Less Heinous by ohladybegood
(Kurt, Mercedes) Kurt and Mercedes text throughout the day. They pretty much hate everyone, except each other. | Why you should read this: Oh look! It is Kurt and Mercedes being mean and sarcastic but doing it in a totally awesome and amazing way that doesn't make me hate them and want to gag! Perfect characterization and it is only text messages!

# Noah Puckerman's Guide To Living Life Like a Sex Viking by unequivocally , becca_radcgg, and une_fille
(Noah Puckerman) If any of this offends you, congratulations! You are a human being with feelings and morals. But you are NO VIKING. | I don't even know if this counts as fic. Fictional meta, maybe? Whatever. Why you should read this: Because it is Noah Puckerman at his absolute best (and by that I mean worst).

# Friend Is A Four Letter Word by gilligankane
(Quinn, Santana) Quinn Fabray meets Santana Lopez on the first day of second grade, during recess. | Why you should read this: Gen fic about Glee's HB'sIC? Why would you want to miss out on that?

# Santana Lopez Is a BAMF by marliskelsey
(Santana, Rachel, Brittany) She's got a three step plan for humiliation and it's got Vocal Adrenaline's name all over it. | Why you should read this: I'm not even sure I need to tell you why. The title's got it all covered. Santana is complete IC and she's a BAMF.

# mon petit volcan by goddesspharo
(Rachel, Will, Finn) Maybe one day she'll have enough change to make a wish that actually comes true. | Why You Should Read This: For the format alone. It is amazing how much this author can say with so few words, with so little description. It is truly heartbreaking. Vulnerable Rachel is a rare find especially written this well.

# That I Would Be Good by smc_27
(Quinn, canon pairings) After Sectionals. It's a little surprising and ironic or whatever, but glee club is the highlight of her life, and she doesn't even care who knows it. It's not like she can become more of an outcast than she already is, and she tells herself she doesn't care what anyone else thinks anyway. | Why You Should Read This: Disappointed at how Quinn's character was handled in the back nine of season one? Ever thought she was a bit too one dimensional? Wondered what went on in the HBIC's head during all that time? This fic answers all these questions, and really fleshes out Quinn's character in a believable way.

# sick and tired of being sick and tired by storypaint
(Rachel) Rachel goes to Broadway - but her health begins to fail and she might have to reconsider her dreams after all. A story told entirely using social media - Twitter, Facebook, emails, etc. | Why You Should Read This: Hilarious and amazing fic told in different mediums in a very believable way. This fic says so much with so very little, and it is one of the best fics I've read that utilizes our modern ways of communicating to tell a story.

# Why Kurt Hummel Hates Facebook by byham_rory
(Ensemble, Jesse St. James, Kurt/Blaine) Kurt really, really should have just de-friended Jesse while he had the chance... | Why You Should Read This: It is amusing. It has Jesse St. James in it. Yeah, it writes itself off as Kurt/Blaine fic, but really? It is an ensemble piece with a little Kurt/Blaine tacked on. Everybody has fun on Facebook. You know, as you do.

# how jesse st. james gained an appreciation of stevie nicks, triads, and such a good invention by letterandliars
(Jesse/Finn, Jesse/Rachel/Finn) | Why you should read this: I put this under slash because the slash comes first. But basically, this is a beautiful and amazing and utterly filthy yet perfect way of treating the whole FinnandRachelandJesse thing. It is perfect in almost every single way.

# Where We Start From by pprfaith
(Puck/Rachel/Finn) It’s summer and Quinn is gone for good and the three of them have no idea what they’re doing. | Why you should read this: Another threesome that is beautifully written. It is kind of like...stop asking, start doing and let everything fall into place. I don't know. But it works, and that is the important part.

# Adorable. by alicebluegown16
(light Will/Finn, Glee ensemble) Finn falls asleep on Will. | Why you should read this: Because it is, legit, the most adorable thing ever to be written. Seriously. It never stops being hilarious, and it never stops being cute. It's like a puppy (so says Rachel). That stays a puppy. FOREVER.

# So Dream A Better Dream by gilligankane
(Santana/Brittany/Finn) Santana leans forward, shooting a glare across Brittany to Finn. | Why you should read this: Perfectly in character and awkward yet sexy. Awkward being Finn and sexy being Santana and Brittany being somewhere in between the two of them both literally and figuratively.

# The Height of Improbability by ellydash
(Sue/Emma) "Here's what I'm proposing: I'll be your weapon. Your righteous, fabulous, and fierce weapon against a pasty, sad and follically-impaired target." Sue and Emma join forces against Will. | Why you should read this: I didn't know I needed this in my life until I read it. Oh my god. This is my secret OTP, to be quite honest, and this fic is exactly why it should be everyone else's too.

# Pressure Gauge by recrudescence
(Will/Kurt) Will likes to believe he's more or less in tune with what his students get up to, but he doesn't remember anything like this from his own high school days. | Why You Should Read This: IMPORTANT: Check the warnings on this story before you read. It will not be everyone's cup of tea. That being said, oh my god. It is amazing. It is messed up in a totally perfect way.

# The Dance of the Grease Monkey by sparklybat
(Will/Kurt) When Mr. Schue drops by Hummel’s Tire and Lube for a little help with the Blue Bomber, its spark isn’t the only thing that gets ignited as he manages to rev Kurt’s engine. Set during Hairography before Mr. Shue sells the Blue Bomber II. | Why You Should Read This: It made me cackle like a crazy person. For ages. I am completely certain that it will make you cackle as well. :P

# Last Night, I Was Inside of You by an_an0maly
(Mercedes/Quinn/Rachel) Late one night on a bus ride to Cleveland. | Why You Should Read This: I stumbled upon this through a critique meme. I was intrigued by the persons involved, and I was not disappointed. It is very well written and a smoking read. Although, I must say I was far more interested in the supporting characters. Hee.

# Keeping Up Appearances by slacker_d
(Rachel/Santana) Puck comes up with an idea for a week long prank. Insanely, Rachel agrees. | Why You Should Read This: Hilariously brilliant. A fantastic take on the trope, and great in character interaction between Puck and Rachel. Plus, jealous Santana!

# Swan Song by tawg
(Will/Finn) If you fight hard enough, you will get that happy ending. | Why You Should Read This: Written for the Will/Finn community's 'supernatural' challenge, and it definitely fits that bill. It's a brilliantly written piece with vivid detail that's utterly chilling. Worth a read and then another read, at least.

# your dirty mouth full of honest lies. by marketchippie
(Jesse/Rachel; Jesse/Vocal Adrenaline) ...in which Jesse St. James is in a FUNK. ahem. An emotional trajectory, rather. | Why should you read this: Because it is perfection. I even said that in my comment to the author. Seriously, a brilliant Jesse St. James voice, a brilliant grasp of VA, and you will be missing out if you haven't read this.

# you're a gold mine, goldmine. by marketchippie
(Jesse/Rachel) there's always a song about this. | Why you should read this: Because, as you may have seen above, this girl has the BEST Jesse St. James voice in the entire universe, and this fic is perfect and also hilarious. Brilliant writing. And kind of a must for any St. Berry fan.

# a season ticket on a one-way ride. by marketchippie
(Jesse/Rachel) they are talented and attractive and life should be their musical—but only if they get a set that doesn’t suck. | Why you should read this: see above. and then read it asap. :D

# triple threat. by marketchippie
(Rachel/Jesse) time to grow, time to go adolesce, adolesce!
includes: dancing, making out, ~confused feelings~. set somewhere after "Hell-O" and before "Bad Reputation". | Why you should read this: see above. And then realize that this one if probably the best out of the lot, and then wonder why I didn't put it at the beginning of the list as you click on the link to go read is asap.

# This City Is For Strangers by youcallitwinter
(Will/Rachel) She tries so incredibly hard, and she wants so badly to grow up, but in this moment she's very, very sixteen. | Why you should read this: I like Will/Rachel, but it is so hard to find Will/Rachel in a believable setting. So incredibly hard. But trust me, this? It is so believable it hurts.

# The Map is Not the Territory by kitsune13
(Will/Rachel) To make him look forward to seeing her: that’s an achievable goal, she thinks. | Why you should read this: I keep trying to find words for this story, but I don't know. It is just beautifully written. It this wonderfully slow progression, and when you finally get to the end, you aren't disappointed.

# two ravens in the old oak tree by goddesspharo
(Quinn, Finn, Puck, Quinn/Puck, Quinn/Finn) It's hard to compartmentalize when he keeps jumping genres. | Why you should read this: I had a Quinn/Puck phase at one point, and this is one of the most interesting fics to come out of it. It had a strange, halfway awkward and yet utterly fascinating set up. You sort of need to read it a few times. Very poetic.

# Six Word Fics by catalysted, clotpoles, absolutelybatty, and headswedance
(Terri/Will, Terri) | Why you should read this: Okay, you'll have to sort through, unfortunately (try starting near the end of page 2), but it is well worth it. Not necessarily mine, but the rest of these girls? They killed this pairing, and I mean that in the best way possible. They wrote my entire Will/Terri canon from high school to Will leaving. It is the most amazing thing ever, and it will tear at your heart strings. I am not even kidding here.

# where we sing without music and laugh without a sound by acoastalshelf
(Will/Quinn) Fifty times Will Schuester and Quinn Fabray opened themselves to joy, grief and other feelings of the emotional spectrum. | Why you should read this: It is kind of hard to pin point exactly what I like about this fic since it is 50 one sentence fics all put together. But it's basically everything you could possibly want form this pairing, all quick and put into a pretty package.

# Hills And Valleys by marliskelsey
(Mike/Quinn) Quinn’s not sure when Mike Chang became her shoulder to lean on. | Why you should read this: Because MIKE CHANG is in it, obviously. Do you need any other reason? Okay, how about it is also sweet, funny, and in character? Does that work for you?

# How Not To Make Babies by audaciously
(Brittany/Finn) Brittany wants to cheer Finn up by having a baby with him. Finn thinks this is a bad idea. | Why you should read this: It is cute and hilarious. And it is so worth it to get to the end and read the little rushed epilogue bit at the end. Best thing ever.

# Returns, Refunds, and Exchanges by cruiscin_lan
(Santana/Howard Bamboo) Howard Bamboo is working the customer service counter when Santana Lopez wants to make a return, leading to a much sexier transaction. | Kink meme prompt made of win. Why you should read this: Crack fic at its absolute best. Also, Howard Bamboo.

# Pieces of You by milk_and_glass
(Will/Emma) Will and Emma's relationship in five cleaning-related words. How Will learns to deal with Emma's "crazy"; how Emma learns to deal with living with another person in her life. | Why you should read this: Because this is how a relationship should work. That's why.

# Don't Be Cruel by kurope
(Puck/Santana, suggested Puck/Rachel) Puck really doesn't know why Rachel bothers texting him to try and prove she has friends. He has better things to do. Really. | Why you should read this: Santana makes pancakes? You get your Puckleberry fix while also supporting the super hot Santana/Puck?

# You And Me Will Never Get This Right by smc_27
(Puck/Santana) Santana has always thought of Puck as hers. | Why you should read this: This fic is hot. Seriously. It feels like a muggy, hot summer's night. That's right, I said feels because that's the whole tone of the piece, and it fits the pairing perfectly.

# It's Enough to Make Me Run Away With You by smc-27
(Rachel/Puck, Rachel/Will) "Puck sees what's going on during the last half of their senior year, and he doesn't like it. Not only is it weird and just a little gross, but Rachel could do better. He wonders if she calls Schue 'Will' when they're alone." | Why You Should Read This: Because it is amazing and awesome. Why Will and Rachel wouldn't work, but are still adorable. And a heaping side of Puckleberry that never goes amiss.

# it's all blowing in tonight by cheapen
(Santana/Finn) He wraps his arm around her waist and she turns to stare at him. He's got his eyes closed, head back on the pillows, but when he feels her move he leans into her, and shit - is he cuddling? | Why You Should Read This: Kind of adorable, and prefect way into the whole Finn/Santana dynamic while still keeping Santana in character. Which, all things considered, must be pretty hard to do especially with this pairing.

# Spanish Class by raaby_lilly
(Will/Rachel) I lift my head at Mr. Schue’s quieted laughter. | Why You Should Read This: Future fic is always fun. Also, the narrator of this piece is quietly hilarious. It's nice to see this pairing through the eyes of someone else not really connected to them.

# Notches by lookninjas
(Mike/Tina; Brittany) Brittany's scorekeeping is, in its own way, kind of a feminist statement. She owns her sexuality. She's even proud of it. Tina's actually kind of jealous of that. | Why You Should Read This: Mike and Tina are adorable. Fact. Mike and Tina is this fic are super adorable. Also, fact. Brittany is sweet, and Artie is an ass. Also, facts. And that's basically this fic.

# Sacrilege by ellydash
(Sue/Will) Will shaves his head, gets drunk with Sue on a Friday night and makes an impulsive decision. It’s what happens next, though, that he really needs to worry about. | Why You Should Read This: This is an NC-17 fic, and you'd expect it to just be that. But in reality this is a really intricate and revealing character piece especially for Will. Fantastically in character, and oddly enough, the author makes this strange pairing that might not be everyone's cup of tea really work.

Disclaimer[1]: You may notice the lack of certain popular pairings on this list (notably: Puckleberry, Quinn/Rachel, Finn/Rachel). And I did that for a reason. Not because I don't read some of those pairings, but because I wanted to highlight some of the great fic out there that isn't necessarily about some of the more popular pairings. :)
Disclaimer [2]: None of the stories on this list are written by me. If you are the author of one of these stories and I've given improper credit and/or you want your story removed from this list, then all you have to do is comment and ask.

ex_absolute — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:57:29 GMT

Team Denna has been dissolved. It's strange, but I actually feel like I should be in mourning. Team Denna was amazing, and it is really, truly sad to see it go. I even made an appropriate .gif.

I love you, Team Denna. ♥

Fanfiction//Glee: I'm Gonna Smile; ficlet

ex_absolute — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:46:20 GMT

Title: I'm Gonna Smile
Pairing: Gen; (Quinn, Will, mentions of Quinn/Finn, Puck/Quinn, Rachel/Finn)
Rating: Er, PG-13
Word Count: 666 (accidentally, I swear)
Summary: She’s feeling depressed that day. It might be mood swings. She isn’t sure. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that she is depressed, and no one is doing anything about it.
Author's Notes: Okay, so there was that bit in this last episode during Bust a Move where Will spins Quinn, right? WELL THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO SPAWN EPIC AMOUNTS OF FANFIC AND IT DIDN'T. SO I WROTE SOME.

She’s feeling depressed that day. It might be mood swings. She isn’t sure. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that she is depressed, and no one is doing anything about it. This, she assumes, is because she is still the perky head of the Cheerios with a smile on her face even though she really wants to go home, curl up on her couch, eat chocolate—that she isn’t supposed to have--, watch bad romance movies, and cry her eyes out. Being pregnant sucks. Because it is obviously the unborn baby’s fault that she is depressed. Who else is she going to blame?

Puck who at any moment could open his big mouth and spill the beans to everyone that he is the father of her child and not Finn? Rachel who still stares at Finn like a lovesick idiot even though she will never have Finn because Quinn is never, ever going to let that happen? Or Finn who stares back instead of staring at her, Quinn, when she is depressed and desperately needs someone to shower her with adoring praise so that she feels better?

Blaming the baby is easier. It’s less depressing, and she needs less depressing because honestly? The tears, they are behind her eyes now and threatening to fall as she leaves class for Glee Club.

She leaves class, thankfully, with her boyfriend on her arm, only to be faced with the fact that her life is basically going up in smoke when she is introduced to the “new world order”—an order that is so not going to last, thank you very much.

She pats Finn sympathetically and makes cooing noises, ever the perfect girlfriend, and then takes a trip to the bathroom to grab the necessary supplies for cleaning up Finn and also to calm the raging flood of tears that had only been stopped from falling by the sudden shock of anger that had boiled through her when that stupid hockey player had—

Five minutes and she is ready to go again; the perfect princess with the perfect life ready to go be a star (because, let’s face it, if anyone is going to be the star of Glee Club, it won’t be Rachel, it will be Quinn. Quinn was the most popular girl in school, she didn’t let wannabes take her spotlight, not even if they had kind of okay voices and sometimes pretty hair).

She kept that fake smile on for the crowd, only losing it ever so slightly when she addressed Finn, delicately wiping at his eyes, telling him that, on no uncertain terms, could this whole slushie thing continue. As if she didn’t have enough to worry about.

And when Will Schuester walked into the room, she considered just leaving then and there. She didn’t really need to be here, and his infectious smile irked her in ways not even Rachel’s eyes on Finn did or Puck’s gaze on her back as she walked away from Finn to join her fellow cheerleaders. No, she didn’t leave. They’d just assume she was pulling one of Rachel’s storm-out stunts, and she didn’t need the label of diva on her head either.

But then the music started, and Mr. Schue started singing and things didn’t seem so bad anymore. He seemed happy to just be alive, and Quinn felt that, for once, things weren’t falling in on her head. She didn’t know why, nor did she care. She was just happy to be able to smile for real when he waltzed over to her, rapping that stupid song, and twirled her around like she was special, like she mattered.

And that’s what she had needed all day.

So she danced with him, and sang just a little louder. And if her smile was just a little brighter because Will Schuester had taken her hand in his and infected her with a little bit of his sunny disposition, then that was kind of okay with her.

Fanfiction//Harry Potter: Karma; fic

ex_absolute — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:39:53 GMT

Title: Karma
Pairing: Fenrir Greyback/Rita Skeeter
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,155
Summary: The fun ended as soon as the Dark Lord suggested she get up close and personal with Fenrir Greyback
Author's Notes: written for rarepair_short's Number Game Ficathon where you pick random numbers and get crazy rare pairs like this one! And then write fics, obviously. Rita was fun to write. And I think,on some level, this counts as crack. Then again I think anything I've ever written for this community could count as crack. *stares at last year's Number ficathon results* Ahem. Right. Also, not beta'ed. Feel free to point out any weird mistakes I may have made.

Right so it wasn’t something she’d ever say out loud. In fact, admitting it in her head was difficult enough. The words (which, if she did say so herself, and she did, usually came oh so very easily) weren’t there, but she was going to find them. Her blonde hair was a mess around her head. It was weighted down with dirt and blood that had dried after she had hit her head. Her glasses were missing, and her clothes were in quite a state being half missing and extremely torn and dirty besides. She had no Quick Quotes quill to hide behind, and no one was coming for her. If there were any time for confessions, it was now.

She had never been the best reporter.

There. She had admitted it. She had never been good. She had been mediocre at best, in all honesty (and boy was that new to her). She had twisted words, manipulated, cheated, schemed, lied, and straight up invented the truth through her entire career. So really, it was downright hilarious that she should meet her end actually printing the truth for once.

It had all started when that damn Potter boy had the audacity to up and die before defeating the Dark Lord and thereby dooming everyone to eternal suffering under the hands of a deranged lunatic of a half-man intent on living forever and killing off anyone who looked at him funny (which, considering his appearance was pretty much everyone). And yeah, she had said it all started that way. Things only got worse from there.

Now given that she had written up so many lies about Albus Dumbledore after his death and then had propagated even worse lies about Harry Potter after his death as well, that the Dark Lord did not have any intention of killing her right away. She had thanked her lucky stars for that, at least for a while. Her skill for, oh let’s see, making shit up (yeah, that sounded like an accurate descriptor for her, ah, talents) came in handy for the Dark Lord, and pretty soon her Quick Quotes quill had turned the majority of the public against the so-called Light and into the arms of the Dark Lord, their protector. Never let it be said that she didn’t do someone a favour out of the ~~terror~~ goodness of her heart.

So things were pretty good, at least for her. She got to continue her illustrious career, and as long as she printed what the Dark Lord wanted, she was safe. She didn’t worry about death, and she was only afraid sometimes.

And then someone (whose name she didn’t know which was probably a good thing for them because she wanted to rip out their throat, whoever they were) had the brilliant idea of telling the Dark Lord about public relations and how it was important to keep up a good image if the public was going to stay loyal and sympathetic to his cause. And so she was brought in to do exposés on all of the top Death Eaters. Her first few went fine. Lucius Malfoy was easy to lie about; after all, half the time the man really was a saint and well bred to boot. His wife and child were splendid to work with. She had no problem detailing their happy family life and good deeds and hiding their less than charitable acts for the Dark Lord. Peter Pettigrew was difficult, the slimy little worm, but she managed to spin a story about a poor unfortunate shunned by the world that went over well. Bellatrix Lestrange was crazy as they come, but even she knew how to lie through her teeth, and she got a lovely article on the undying love for a man who the whole Wizarding World had hated. Everyone loved a story about a woman who stuck by her man.

So, yeah, at first it was a good idea. She even had fun. Of course nothing good ever lasts, and the fun ended as soon as the Dark Lord suggested she get up close and personal with Fenrir Greyback. Not that she had anything against werewolves, of course. She had always possessed a tolerance for dark creatures (uh huh, she was lying). It was this particular werewolf that bothered her. She had heard the stories and from people who weren’t expert liars like herself. Some of it was probably exaggerated, it was true. But even lies come from some sort of fact, don’t they? So she requested a cage. The Dark Lord had laughed at her, but granted her request. After all, he didn’t want his number one reporter to have to deal with monthly issues anymore than she normally did.

She had arrived to her interview with the beast, and the interview room was completely dark. She had whispered a quick spell to bring light into the room, and...

---
“Hello sweetheart.” The growling voice could have only belonged to one person. Rita yelped in surprise, holding her wand out. He chuckled at her, baring his teeth. “You know, we could get to know each other a lot better if there wasn’t a cage between us.”

He tapped the metal bars that Rita knew were enchanted to prevent him from escaping. She sat down as far away from the beast as she could. No use in being under-cautious.

“Aw, you scared of little old me?” He grinned at her. “No need to worry, I don’t bite.”
---

And she had never been more disgusted in her life at the end of the interview. There had been nothing redeeming about Greyback. Not a single thing. He’d mocked her, made overly sexual advances, made her ill at the recounts of his favourite kills, and proved to her that evil really did exist.

So her article...it told the truth. She printed every last ugly detail she had gleaned about Greyback. Every single one in full descriptive prose. The outrage from her article had been overwhelming, and she wasn’t surprised when she arrived home one night shortly after publication to find three Death Eaters waiting for her.

And now here she was. In a cell, awaiting her doom and lamenting that she had never been a good reporter up until her last. She hurt all over, wanted desperately to have a drink of water or a bite of food, and she could smell the reek of sitting in her own filth for several days. Karma was a funny thing.

Her cell door squeaked open, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they would just kill her. She didn’t bother looking up; she didn’t want to move.

A deep chuckle met her ears, and she closed her eyes. No. They had sent him.

“Hello sweetheart. How’s about you sit in the cage with me this time, huh?” And her cell door banged shut behind him.

A Xena Friending Meme

ex_absolute — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:16:44 GMT

Okay, I know a lot of you spend your time over at the forum, but we need to foster the love on LJ as well. ~~And I need more Xena friends.~~ So fill out the form and see if you can wrangle some new friends whole love the Warrior Princess, the Battling Bard, and everyone one else besides. ♥

copy. paste. fill out. comment. friend away.

My {Xena} Scrapbook

ex_absolute — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:41:21 GMT

This is just for me to keep track of all the pretty Xena things I make, and that others make as well. Everyone else does scrapbooks about their lives, their journals, etc. This is sort of like that, only themed. Here will be my icons, my wallpapers, communities, entries, other's graphics, etc that I deem important to my "xena-verse" so to speak. ♥ Battle on. {Warning: image heavy}

Icon Posts


June 9th h e r e	July 5th h e r e


September 2nd h e r e	October 5th h e r e


October 14th h e r e	October 18th h e r e

Winning Icons


second place @ ichallenge_xena	first place @ ichallenge_xena	strongest message @ ichallenge_xena


third place @ ichallenge_xena	mod’s choice @ ichallenge_xena	second place @ ichallenge_xena


second place @ ichallenge_xena	third place @ ichallenge_xena	best color @ ichallenge_xena


first place @ ichallenge_xena	first place @ ichallenge_xena	first place @ ichallenge_xena


third place @ ichallenge_xena	second place @ ichallenge_xena	second place @ ichallenge_xena


second place @ ichallenge_xena	second place @ ichallenge_xena	mod’s choice @ ichallenge_xena

Communities
† ichallenge_xena
† xenites
† xena_icons

Websites and Links
♠ Xena/Ares Shipper Seasons I was addicted the moment I clicked the link.
Don't let Season 7 fool you.
The writing just gets better and better.
It was almost like watching.
My favorite "episodes"
and
♠ hollowautumn's Gabrielle/Ares videos I don't normally do fanvids, but anything Ares/Gabby rocks my socks.
♠ thejollyape's Potential Actual good fanfic. It's a rare find, but I liked this one. It was...fascinating. Also, Gabby/Ares!
♠ Atiaran's Caesar/Gabrielle series That's just the first of the lot. Rather angst filled, but intriguing. Not romance either, but those two are really the only two in it for the most part.
♠ The XENA FRIENDING MEME!

Picspams


by me h e r e	by indigoisbetter h e r e

Others' icons


lrbcn’s secondary character batch h e r e	mstrsskit’s massive ares batch h e r e and h e r e


royaltywig’s Callisto explosion h e r e	oulan’s work h e r e and h e r e

My Favorite Episodes


ten little warlords	the quill is mightier	the bitter suite


forget me not	the ides of march	chakram


succession	seeds of faith	coming home


who’s gurkhan	old ares had a farm	dangerous prey


path of vengeance	when fates collide	soul possession

tbc
-favorite quotes
-my ships

Friend's Cut

ex_absolute — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:41:35 GMT

If you cannot see this entry, you've been cut.

I never thought I'd have to do one of these. Haha. Unfortunately, my friend's list was being cluttered with a lot pf posts I just didn't read. I had a lot of people added who I don't even talk to anymore. Most of these people were from HiH, and since I think I am officially leaving that community for good, there seemed no point in keeping a lot of you on my friend's list anymore. Being friends (even LJ friends) is about communication. You read and comment on my entries, and I comment on yours. With some people, that just didn't happen. I don't know if we just didn't click or what.

Anyway, best of luck in life.

If you feel like you were cut unfairly, then comment. I'll see what I can do.

Fanfiction//Harry Potter: Ire; ficlet

ex_absolute — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:09:59 GMT

Title: Ire
Pairing/Characters: Ron/Dudley; Harry Potter
Prompt: the decline of all things
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 489
Summary: Ron is angry, but Harry wants him that way.
Author's Notes: This is the second part of my AU series.
Link to Prompt Table: The rest of the series is here.

Harry smiles to himself as he considers his friend who is standing awkwardly in front of him. Ron’s red hair is hanging in his eyes as he bows his head slightly in Harry’s direction. Harry waves him away without speaking, and Ron leaves, his feet heavy on the ground.

Harry knows that Ron is angry. Ron is often angry, but this time Ron is angry at him. Ron had tried to hide it, keeping his head low and his smiles light; but Ron had never been skilled at keeping his emotions hidden, and now the very idea of anyone hiding anything from Harry Potter is utterly laughable. No, Harry has a one way ticket into anyone’s mind now; all he has to do is look at them and he can know their thoughts. He often chooses to block Ron’s out of respect for the years they spent as best friends. Today, however, was different. Harry had been curious as to Ron’s reaction to his new assignment. This assignment was special.

Ron had come in expecting to be assigned to the torture of Draco Malfoy, no doubt. Harry knew because the grin on Ron’s face told him so. Ron thought he was going to get the chance to ruin his childhood tormenter. Harry was sure that Ron’s blood had boiled at the thought that he might get to rip Draco Malfoy open and play with his insides.

Which is why Ron was disappointed to hear that Draco had been given to another of Harry’s faithful servants. Ron felt betrayed; Harry could taste it in his thoughts. They ran icy and cool through Ron’s head and through Harry’s as he peered into his friend’s mind. Then they turned sharp, angry. Flashing red just like Ron’s hair.

Harry explained that he had a much more important and vital task for Ron which cooled his friend’s ire for a moment until he learned what the assignment was. The thoughts turned snake like and they were poised, ready to strike with deadly swiftness and infect anyone standing nearby with poison that would stop them in their tracks. He had not only betrayed Ron, but he had given him a mission unworthy of his station of best friend to the Boy-Who-Lived and the new Dark Lord who had succeeded in taking over the wizarding world once and for all.

Harry knew Ron’s assumptions were incorrect. To Harry, this mission was far more important than Draco Malfoy and petty childhood grudges. To Harry, this mission meant more than anything. But he let Ron believe that he had been given the short end of the stick. Harry knew it would fuel his anger, and he would be more brutal that way.

Because Harry wanted Ron to capture Dudley Dursley. He wanted Ron to capture Dudley Dursley, and then he wanted his best friend to break his cousin into a million pieces and scatter him around the world.

Fanfiction//Harry Potter: Ceasing; ficlet

ex_absolute — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:56:49 GMT

Title: Ceasing
Pairing: Ron/Dudley
Prompt: unidentified falling object
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 320
Summary: And he knows he'll never stop.
Author's Notes: This will be an AU series, and I am stressing AU here. The rating will also go up as we go for gore and violence. Also, don't get this confused with a love story.
Link to Prompt Table: See the full series.

Dudley was standing at a precipice and, damn it, if he wasn’t scared he was going to fall. He was sucking in deep breaths and attempting to steady his shaking hands. He could see for ages below him. It was a never ending fall. If he took even one step, he was gone forever. It would be endless screaming coupled with the feeling that his stomach had somehow found its way into his throat and he was about to lose it out his mouth if he didn’t stop screaming. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop screaming because this wasn’t just any fall.

This was the fall. It was the one you didn’t come back from. It was the fall that would be the end of Dudley Dursley and everything he ever was, if that is, he ever was anything at all. It was something he considered as he pushed a few pebbles off the edge. Maybe it wouldn’t matter if he fell because he didn’t matter at all.

He took a deep breath, and he spread his arms open wide. Maybe it was better to fall, and so he did. The air whooshed past his ears, stung his eyes, and ruffled his air. Just as he predicted, his stomach took up residence in his throat, and he closed his eyes. If he couldn’t see, he could still believe it was going to end.

Pictures flew past him, through him, and over him. Brief flashes of things he had never seen before. Green light from out of nowhere. A snake-like man with a wicked smile. His cousin with that same smile. Dozens of people kneeling, their left arms held upwards in submission. A snake and skull. A boy with a shock of red hair with an easy grin that Dudley suddenly knew he no longer had.

Dudley started screaming, and he knew he was never going to stop.

Fanfiction//Harry Potter: Taming of the Moon; ficlet

ex_absolute — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:14:07 GMT

Title: Taming of the Moon
Pairing: Tom Riddle/Luna Lovegood; slight allusions to Lucius/Ginny
Request: Tom/Luna. Dark/AU. Prompt: walking on the moon for chimbomba @ rarepair_shorts
Rating: PG-13 (for implied/vague torture)
Word Count: 525
Summary: In order to be useful, one must first be broken.

There were two joining the ranks. It was a night of celebration and a night of torment; Voldemort did everything in style, and this was no exception. These two were special. They knew intimately the prey. He surveyed them both with curious eyes. Their minds were not strong enough to resist him, and he could easily tell that they were sincere. Boiling hate rumbled under the surface of the red head, and despair weaved in and out of the slight blonde.

He beckoned Lucius closer, and gave him his instructions for after the ceremony. Wild horses must first be broken. As they were the two young girls were useless to him. They were unrestrained, untamed, and capable of throwing a rider at any moment. That had to be corrected before they could progress any further.

He relished their screams as he burned his mark into their delicate flesh, and then he stood back for a moment surveying his work. They sobbed and shook in each other’s arms; their weak bodies were not used to pain or to suffering. He would change all that. He reached out to grab the blonde’s hair, pulling to back sharply to reveal her face. It seemed that it was the other that was crying. This one’s eyes were clear.

He jerked her towards him, and she fell into his arms.

“You do not cry.” She simply gazed at him, and he leaned closer to her to whisper in her ear. “Do not worry, moon child, you will learn; I have been told I am an excellent teacher.”

He waved his hand, and his inner circle left the room. Lucius dragged the red head off violently, and Tom trusted the man to do what needed to be done. He had other things to attend to, and the first on his list was the blonde sitting in his lap, shoulders slumped and hair hanging around her face where he had let it go.

He gave her a push, and she tumbled to the floor. Her hands did not come up to stop her fall, and her head cracked against the floor. He stood above her, looking down. No blood seeped out to colour her hair; she had not fallen hard enough.

“Why did you join me?”

She sat up slowly, her hair still hiding her face. “I care about the unfortunate.” She replied.

He put a foot on her back, forcing her back down. She put her hands out this time to prevent her cheek from hitting the floor.

“And I am the unfortunate?” He inquired voice light but warning.

“You do not scare me, my Lord.” She did not answer his question.

“That’s too bad, Luna. But I will. I will walk all over you. Tear your heart out and dance on it. You will fear me. You will cry for me. And you will serve me.”

He bent down close to her, lips right next to her ear for the second time that night. He placed his wand at her neck and then spoke. “When I am done, you will know the dark side of the moon.”

And, finally, she cried.

Fanfiction//Harry Potter: What You Feel; ficlet

ex_absolute — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:56:41 GMT

Title: What You Feel
Pairing: Nearly Headless Nick/Bloody Baron
Request: Sir Nicholas/the Bloody Baron: Being a ghost doesn't mean you are devoid of feelings. for miss_morland @ rarepair_shorts
Rating: PG
Word Count: 405
Summary: There are many things ghosts cannot do...
Author's Notes: ANGST. YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT.

Ghosts cannot touch. If he reaches out his hand it will not hit any surface. It merely passes through. His fingers are transparent, and in the same way he cannot touch anything, nothing can touch him. He cannot feel sweet caresses, hot kisses, gentle touches, angry, grabbing hands. He cannot feel their touch no matter how much he wishes he could.

Ghosts cannot breathe. If he attempts to inhale, there are no lungs to catch, hold, and then release the air. When he sees a head tip ever so slightly, even though he knows it will not fall, he wishes he could catch his breath. However, there is no breath to catch, and he has to settle for a silent but horrified look. He does not believe it accurately conveys the depths of his sudden panic every single time it happens.

Ghosts cannot bleed. If he could cut himself, not a drop of blood would fall. There is nothing warm and alive running through his veins. There is nothing that can splatter, red and obscene on the wall should he become impaled on something. His heart does not beat, blood does not pump, and he isn’t warm. But if he could bleed, he swears, he would spill every drop if he could.

Ghosts cannot cry, not real tears. They can whimper, scream, sob, hiccup, but they cannot cry. Not even when their silent as stone hearts are breaking into a million pieces. He cannot express the anguish that swells inside him and drowns everything else. He cannot put into physical form the agony he feels.

Ghosts cannot touch, breathe, bleed, or cry. However, ghosts can feel. They feel the ultimate depths of emotion because they have lived, and they have died. They know how precious so many things are (a lover’s kiss, gasping for breath, the harsh metallic tang of blood, and the salty wet of tears), and they know that they are now without. But most of all, they feel heartbreak more than anyone living can. Once you die, you realize you’ve lost everything. That does not make you immune to love again, and it certainly does not make you immune to the despair that comes with losing everything all over again.

Most importantly, ghosts cannot die. They’ve been there and done that already. So whatever pain they come across, whatever heartbreak they experience, they experience it forever.

‘Nicholas, don’t leave me.’

‘I’m sorry.’

Fanfiction//Harry Potter: Caring; ficlet

ex_absolute — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:40:26 GMT

Title: Caring
Pairing: Remus/Ron
Request: Remus/Ron for nathaniel_hp @ rarepair_shorts
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 399
Summary: You never have to stop caring.
Author's Notes: Ah! I pairing I've never done before. Permission to kill me if it sucks! (Also, not beta'ed again.)

Ron trudged into the castle streaked with blood and grime. His face was hard, eyes closed. He brushed past Harry and Hermione, ignoring their concerned glances. He wasn’t sure he could work his vocal chords, and he couldn’t think of anything coherent right then as it was. His mind was a mess of death, fire, magic, blood. He made his way (somehow, but he couldn’t remember all the details exactly. He was sleepwalking, or, at least, that’s what it felt like) to one of the higher towers at Hogwarts.

Looking off into the distance, he could still hear the screams. No matter how many times he did this (killing people, watching them die, feeling their blood on his hands, or being horrified because there was no blood), he never got used to it.

“I’m just going to stand here, Ron. I’m only going to stand. I promise I won’t say another word after this.” Remus made his way to Ron’s side. His hands came up; Ron flinched, but they rested on the balcony, primly folded.

They stood for a long time before Ron spoke.

“It’s never bloody okay, is it? It is just one hellish nightmare after another. Just one bloody fucking nightmare that I can’t wake up from.”

Remus did not reply, and Ron turned on him suddenly.

“And you’ve been dealing with it for longer than I have. Shouldn’t you be a mess too?” There was a hint of accusation in his voice, and a fire in his eyes (because, god damnit, he shouldn’t be the only one falling apart because of this. Did no one else care that people were dying left and right and right in front of them every single day, and they couldn’t stop it?).

Remus still didn’t reply; he only brought his hand up and caressed Ron’s cheek. Ron let out the breath he’d been holding. There was a silence between the two that only the wind was witness to before Remus spoke, softly.

“No, Ron. I don’t care; I can’t care about that. Not anymore. But I do care about you.”

Ron refused to let tears fall, but one slipped past his control. Remus swept it away with a finger.

“But you don’t have to stop caring.” Remus continued. “Because that’s why we’re going to win, Ron.”

The wind entered the space between them, cold and distant, and Ron stepped away.

Fanfiction//Harry Potter: Violently Loving You; ficlet

ex_absolute — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:07:01 GMT

Title: Violently Loving You
Pairing: Tom/Minerva
Request: Tom (Marvolo) Riddle/Minerva – Tom falls in love... and that's a dangerous thing for peskywhistpaw @ rarepair_shorts
Rating: warnings: dub-con; non-con, bloodplay and yet only Hard R.
Word Count: 686
Summary: It's a sudden and violent realization.
Author's Notes: Er, I don't think 'enjoy' would be appropriate here. Also, not beta'ed. Any mistakes are my own (and do feel free to point them out).

It’s utterly simple really. Simple like her smile, but that’s just slightly too attached for him, thinking of her smile. And he doesn’t even care for her smile in the first place.

For years, she could see straight through him. Eyes narrowed and lips turned down in a frown at every charming smile he sent her way. No, she refused to be undone.

And now here he was, being undone by her.

His hands shook slightly, and he turned his head around, checking to see if anyone had noticed that he was falling ever so brutally to pieces in front of them.

She flicked her hair over her shoulder.

Why had he only just noticed the beautiful curve of her neck?

He held his quill tightly in his fist, trying to focus on the words he was supposed to be writing. They fluttered in front of him, dancing at the ends of her hair.

He grabbed her hair, yanking her backwards. Her head smacked into the desk. Her wince of pain would send him over the edge, but he is kept his molecules from dispersing for just a moment longer.

He smashes his lips against hers, teeth already nipping at whatever he can get close to. She struggles, trying to untangle her hair from his fingers. He’s not letting go.

He can smell the blood pooling below her head; her head had hit the table hard enough to crack. He smiled to himself--

He shuddered and ground his teeth together. The room was quiet around him, too quiet. He couldn’t hear anyone breathing.

He looked around again. They were all looking back at him this time. He could still smell blood, but his fantasy hadn’t taken place...Where was the blood coming from?

He let go of his quill and felt a sharp stab of pain. Looking down, he realized he’d been digging into his hand with the point of his quill. The blood and black ink were mixing on the desk. He laughed a little, eyes wandering up slowly to meet hers. Yes, she was looking at him now, mouth prettily agape.

He held his hand up to her, the blood dripping down his pale skin. Her tongue made its way slowly over the surface of his hand, and when she smiled, her teeth were covered with his blood.

‘You taste like forever, Tom’

The teacher’s footsteps stopped beside his desk.

“Mr. Riddle, what have you done?”

He could hear her crying under him.

‘Please, no. Please.’

But he didn’t stop. He grabbed his quill off the table and started to trace his name onto her skin.

Her screams only made him smile.

Tom wrenched his eyes away from her to look up at the professor.
“My hand slipped, sir.”

Professor Braitheweight gave him a dubious look, left eyebrow raised. “Of course. To the infirmary then.”

He saw the teacher bend close to her, and his blood boiled. But she immediately moved to his side.

“I’m to escort you.” Her voice was quiet and curt. He sighed and leaned against her as they made their way out to the hallway.

She looked up at him.

‘Anyone could see us here.’

‘And then they would know you were mine. And you are mine.’

‘I’m yours.’

A half choked sob cut off by his kiss echoed up and bounced off the stone hallway.

As they walked, he inhaled her very essence. He had no doubt that her soul would scream if he tried to touch her in the ways he wanted to.

His hands caressed her neck before choking off her ability to breathe. He smiled down at her pleading eyes.

‘Do you love me, Minerva?’ He whispered in her ear.

She nodded her head slowly, hands clawing at his sides.

‘Would you die for me?’

She nodded again, fingers desperately prying at his hands now.

‘Oh love, I don’t believe you.’ And he hears the snap of her neck; her eyes still wide open in fear. Her neck had always been beautiful.

But Tom Riddle was in love, and that was always a dangerous thing.

rarepair_shorts; Prompt Table #3

ex_absolute — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:09:32 GMT

Should be read in order: Unidentified falling object, the decline of all things

rarepair_shorts HP Rare-Pair Challenge
Author: absolutelybatty
Pairing: Ron Weasley/Dudley Dursley
Progress: 2/13

1. invisible line

2. the decline of all things

3. what's his/her name

4. as a city upon a hill

5. meanwhile

6. and now for something completely different

7. quoth the raven

8. swirling to nowhere

9. unidentified falling object

10. black ink

11. when the clock strikes one

12. the haunted corner

13. only not

Fanfiction//Harry Potter; Don't Be Stupid, You Know I Love You (1,2,3); drabbles

ex_absolute — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 01:00:02 GMT

Title: Don't Be Stupid, You Know I Love You (1,2,3)
Pairing/Characters: Ronald Weasley//Colin Creevey
Prompt: oh, the insanity; not listening to a word; fundamental
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 285, 154, 225 words
Summary: Re: The Happy Couple
Link to Prompt Table: Prompt Table Here

&&

“I just didn’t want to live with you. That didn’t mean I wanted our relationship to end, and for you to hermit up in your little apartment and rot.” Colin pushed Ron down onto the couch and stood over him, hands on hips doing a very worrying impression of Ron’s mother.

“You are the one that said it wouldn’t work, Colin. You didn’t stop me when I lef—” Ron began.

“Because I thought you needed space! I am aware that turning you down like that was humiliating. I didn’t want to add salt to the wound. I thought, a few days, then you’d come around. Instead, you were gone for ages, and no one could get a hold of you. I can’t even imagine what your apartment looks like!”

Ron smirked. “You’ve been spending time with Hermione; I can hear it in your voice.”

“Yeah, well, she would know the enigma that is Ronald Weasley a bit better than I, yeah?” Colin fell heavily down beside Ron and stared at the opposite wall. “I didn’t want you to go away, Ron. That would be insane. I thought we were having fun together, you know? People said our names together, like, Ron and Colin. It was nice.”

“But you didn’t want to move in with me?” Ron asked.

“It was too soon. I’m not used to all this yet. I needed time.”

“Well, I gave you that at least.”

“Is that what you call it? Storming out to give me time? Ron, you really are an idiot.” Colin looked at him and stood up again, holding out his hand. “Come on then. Up you go.”

Ron took Colin’s hand, and let him lead him away.

---
“We could go out to dinner. Or we could get take away. I don’t know. Let me get the phone book. I can never remember what’s closest, you—”

Ron pulled Colin back down into bed. “Sometimes you talk too much, you know that right? We’re making up for lost time here. You aren’t going anywhere.”

Colin squirmed away. “Well, I am getting us some food. I’m hungry.”

“I’m going to pretend what you actually said was ‘Ron, I’m hungry for you’, and move on with my plans, okay?” Ron tackled Colin back down to the bed, and wrapped him in the blue sheets, tangling him up in an impossible trap.

“And what’s the rest of your plan like?” Colin said once he managed to free his head from the wrap of sheets.

“Ah, well, anything that keeps you from talking and thinking and generally doing anything that doesn’t involve me and this bed.”

---
Ron held Colin’s hand as he pulled the blonde out from the car. On the other side, Harry had his arm around Hermione as he guided her around to stand next to Ron.

“There are a lot of photographers here tonight, Colin. Jealous?” Colin frowned at Harry.

“Yes, don’t rub it in. They are all getting these fantastic shots of you in that superbly cut suit, Mister Potter, and I am left with nothing.” Colin huffed with a wink.

“Hey! What about the fact that you get to parade at my side for the rest of the night? Don’t I make up for your lack of camera? And what’re you hitting on Harry for anyway? My suit’s nicely cut as well.” Ron crossed his arms with a grin and Hermione laughed.

“You aren’t the only one who’s jealous, Colin.” She tugged on Harry’s sleeves and they walked away.

“You’re right,” Colin said as he moved closer to Ron. “You’re suit does give you an impressive air.” Then Colin darted away and up the runway to the mansion where the gala was being held. Ron followed him, catching him from behind.

“Did you think you could outrun me?” Ron whispered in his ear, smiling at the cameras clicking wildly around them.

“Never dreamed of it.” Colin breathed back, flashing his own perfect smile. “Wouldn’t even try.”

And, finally, I finish this prompt set. Time to go claim something that I can go dark with. Geez. >.< I hate fluff.

Fanfiction//Harry Potter; Lasts Forever and Benefits of Muggles; drabbles

ex_absolute — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 06:44:13 GMT

Title: Lasts Forever and Benefits of Muggles
Pairing/Characters: Ronald Weasley//Colin Creevey
Prompt: hear the silence; the horizon is near
Rating: PG
Word Count: 102; 176 words
Summary: Ron could fix what he broke, but he prefers it when others do the work for him. Makes it easier to mourn.
Link to Prompt Table: Prompt Table Here

&&

Two months. It had been two months, and his thumb was sore because every time it healed, he ripped the nail off again to remind himself.

He and Colin had something, something good. Hermione told him it wasn’t his fault for that breaking.

But he knew she was lying.

He could have stayed that night like any rational person.

Harry had stopped calling. He wouldn’t talk even if he did which is probably why Harry had stopped in the first place.

But he was only waiting; surviving and waiting. He was still living, but he wasn’t moving on.

Silence couldn’t last forever.

///

The phone rang, and he looked at it. He didn’t even know why he had a phone. Maybe it was because Harry had wanted one. Harry who had gown up with muggles. Yeah, that was why he had a phone. He who couldn’t be bothered to get it disconnected, and there was something exciting about hearing Colin’s voice over the phone. Or there was.

He picked up the receiver and waited. Who would call him now?

“Ronald Weasley, you are an idiot.” Colin.

“Thank you, Colin. Really know how to make a lad feel good about himself, huh?”

He knew Colin was rolling his eyes on the other end of the line.

“I still have your card.”

Silence.

“You wanna come pick it up?”

Ron thought. Did he want to go pick it up? Of course he bloody wanted to. That wasn’t even a question. He’d wanted it for so long. He looked down at his thumbnail; the latest tear was healing nicely, and suddenly he didn’t have the urge to tear it again.

“What time?”

Fanfiction//Harry Potter: Absurd; ficlet

ex_absolute — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:16:26 GMT

Title: Absurd
Pairing/Characters: Vernon Dursley (supported by Petunia Dursley, Dudley Dursley, and Harry Potter)
Prompt: Challenge #001 - First Line; hh_writersblock
Rating: PG
Word Count: 375 words
Summary: The boy probably had some sort of defect.

&&

Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive.

Vernon was determined to get rid of the baby they had found on their doorstep only two weeks earlier with nothing but a blanket and a letter. He had ripped the letter to shreds after Petunia had read it out to him, and then forced her to promise to never speak of any of it again. Obviously, it was Petunia’s sister’s idea of a really bad joke. There was no such thing as magic. It was utterly absurd.

Even though the slight quivering of Petunia’s lips, her creased forehead, and worried eyes begged him to believe otherwise.

He glanced over at the quiet baby sitting in one of Dudley’s old high chairs. He had glowing green eyes, and Vernon was sure that was unnatural. That’s what he told Petunia. The boy was a bad omen. He’d bring ruin down on their house, and Vernon would be damned if he let that happen.

He glared at his wife who was currently not speaking to him. She wouldn’t hear of sending the baby out into the cold with no home. She wouldn’t put him in the system either. We are his parents now, Vernon. We can’t abandon him. I have to do this for Lily, and look at him, Vernon. He can’t be at all bad. That what she’d said to him. What exactly did she owe her whore of a sister anyway? She never had a single good thing to say about the red headed wench.

The little boy with green eyes was looking at him again, and he yelled at Petunia to take “little Harry” out of his sight. He picked up Dudley, his son instead. Now Dudley was a sight to behold. Rosy cheeks, watery eyes, and a wail like a man already. That was a son to be proud of.

Not some scrawny ghost of a boy with green eyes that were obviously wrong somehow. The boy probably had some sort of defect.

Vernon watched his wife cuddle Harry Potter, and he vowed that the boy would never be theirs. Lily Potter’s son would never be happy. Not if he had anything to say about it.

Fanfiction//Harry Potter; 3 Steps: Rejection; ficlet

ex_absolute — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:22:56 GMT

Title: 3 Steps: Rejection
Pairing/Characters: Ronald Weasley//Colin Creevey
Prompt: fall to your knees
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 744 words
Summary: . It was an important night; he was going to do something he had never done before. He’d prepared for days. Rehearsing over and over because it was that big for him. Monumentus Hermione had called it, and the anticipation was sitting in his gut uncomfortably; he had his thumb nail wedged between his teeth, gnawing nervously.
Author's Notes: I don't know what to say about this one. o.O
Link to Prompt Table: Prompt Table Here

&&

He wasn’t dressed up per say, but he was looking a shade nicer than usual because this was not his natural environment. He’d made sure his hair was perfect, and his breath was fresh. It was an important night; he was going to do something he had never done before. He’d prepared for days. Rehearsing over and over because it was that big for him. Monumentus Hermione had called it, and the anticipation was sitting in his gut uncomfortably; he had his thumb nail wedged between his teeth, gnawing nervously. He saw Colin’s blonde head over the crowd of people waiting for seats at the door, and he watched the hostess bring the wide eyed man over to their table. Colin smiled brightly at him as he sat down, napkin in lap and menu open in front of him.

“I’ve never been here before. You have to be rather important to get in here. How’d you manage? Not that you aren’t important, it’s just--”

“Harry got us a table.” Ron gave Colin a crooked grin. “He is big and important. Savior and all that.”

“Of course.” Colin watched Ron’s face for a moment, looking for that shadow that said he hated being stuck in Harry Potter’s shadow, but he didn’t see it. Ron just cocked his head at Colin’s scrutiny, and brushed it off with a shrug of his shoulders. That was different. “Do you know what’s good here?”

Ron looked at the menu he’d picked up and frowned. “Not really. I’ve never been here before either. Harry’s only been once. He’s not much for the fancy stuff, I guess. But he said I should come when I told him that I was--” Ron stopped there. He’d come really close to ruining the surprise.

“Told him you were what?” Colin asked. Ron shook his head.

“Wait until after dinner alright?” Colin gave into Ron’s pleading look and didn’t bring it up again, but a bad feeling had lodged itself in his gut because whatever Ron was going to do tonight, he just knew he wasn’t ready for it.

Meals finished and plates cleared away some time later made room on the table for Ron to reach across and take Colin’s hand. His palms were sweating, but he hoped Colin wouldn’t mind. He was nervous after all. ‘Shaking in his boots not even Voldemort had made him this nervous’ nervous. He kept his eyes focused on Colin though and refused to look away. He was going to take this step. It was time to take this step. He was showing initiative in the relationship. This was a good thing.

“Harry’s moving out, you know. He’s found another place he’d rather be and all that. It’s got nice carpet and what not. He’s pleased. Thing is the flat’s kinda empty without him. So I had this thought. I thought a lot actually. Talked to Hermione a few times too. You know she’s the only one who can sort out the mess in my head. Merlin knows I can’t.” He paused for a moment to steady himself.

Colin didn’t break the silence. He knew where this was going, and he wasn’t sure he liked it overly much. He knew it was his fault. He’s gone after this, whatever it was. He’d forced himself on Ron, and Ron hadn’t seemed to mind. But he wasn’t ready for this. Not now. He hadn’t thought it would go this far. Ron was stubborn after all.

“So yeah, I had this thought.” Ron began again. “I thought maybe you’d like to fill up that empty space, you know? Move in with me.”

Ron squeezed Colin’s hand harder, willing him to say yes. Except he could already feel Colin shaking his head no. No, no, no.

“I’m sorry, Ron. I can’t.”

And that was that. No real explanation. Just a little meaningless apology and rejection. He’d been shot down. He let go of Colin’s hand.

“I don’t think I’ll be going out on any limbs anymore then, Colin.” He dropped his napkin on the table, pulled out a card, and left, telling Colin to just mail the card back to him later. He wedged his thumb nail between his teeth as he walked out of the restaurant, and with one jerk of his head, he ripped most of his nail off. And somehow the resulting blood made him feel just a little bit stronger. Like he didn’t have to cry.

Fanfiction//Merlin; The Heart and the Sword

ex_absolute — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:45:54 GMT

Title: The Heart and the Sword
Rating: PG
Pairing/Characters: Merlin/Gwen, Merlin/Arthur, Arthur/Gwen
Word Count: 460
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: No Kings, Queens, Royal Magicians. Nothing grand for the history books just saving each other and smiling.
Author's Notes: Written for the Gwen Battle Winter 2009; prompt: the queen and magician

It was sitting on a table by the window; early morning light bathing it and making it seem almost harmless. Excalibur. The Sword of Swords. The sword of King Arthur Pendragon, the legend in the making. The metal glinted as she picked it up cautiously. She wasn’t afraid of the blade. No, she was a blacksmith’s daughter, and she knew what a sword’s edge could do. It was what the sword meant to her. That was what she was afraid of. It held, in its intricate markings and delicate, sharp edge, the past. Her past. Their past.

Once upon a time, she had been a peasant with a smile. He had been her friend, and sometimes he could smile wider than she with his big, goofy ears sticking out from his head making him look like a jester. And Arthur had been untouchable, at least for her he had been. Everything was made of black and white in memories like those. Easy. Better. No Kings, Queens, Royal Magicians. Nothing grand for the history books just saving each other and smiling.

She had given Merlin the sword—because he had asked, and she couldn’t have said no. She could never say no-- she held in her hands the way she had once fancied giving him her heart. He’d only taken the sword, and she had kept her heart tucked away, the edges fraying because she wasn’t bothered to mend it even though it, at times, hurt far worse than any real injury could.

Except her heart, it turned out, was not hers to keep. Arthur Pendragon took the thrown with a smile, and with that same smile he took her heart and forced her to sow it up, to make it presentable. She was a queen after all, and her king loved her. No shabby, hidden hearts were allowed. She had to flaunt the beating organ for everyone to see, especially Merlin. Because he couldn’t know that she still thought about him sometimes, and what would have happened if he’d taken everything she had wanted to give. It would have been magic just like him, or at least, that what she sometimes imagines. Sometimes when she isn’t Queen, isn’t heartbroken, isn’t faking smiles, isn’t remembering, and doesn’t hate him for lying to her.

Looking down at the blade in her hand, she could feel the thrum of magic singing beneath her fingers. Merlin the warlock. Merlin the Great and Powerful. Merlin the Stupid Boy Who Broke Her Heart Many a Year Ago.

He had so many titles, and her king loved him almost as much as he claimed to love her.

She had given Arthur her heart. Merlin had given Arthur a sword.

Gwen knew which one he cherished the most.

Fanfiction//Merlin: For Awhile; fic

ex_absolute — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:57:35 GMT

Title: For Awhile
Rating: PG-15
Pairing/Characters: Merlin/Morgana; ever so slightly Arthur/Merlin
Word Count: 1o84
Warnings: None, really.
Spoilers: Well, anything pertaining to Morgana in the series, I think.
Summary: Once she asked him to runaway. They could runaway together; just leave one night with the moon to guide them.
Author's Notes: I'm really beginning to get attached to this pairing. Also, no beta. Any mistakes are my own.

She felt it like a hunger in her bones, and she reached out a shaky hand to touch it, gently. But the power pulled away, recoiled from her hungry touch. Of course. She was not yet worthy enough for such a thing, such power. She was only just beginning to understand it all, to puzzle out the workings of her own power the surged out only when she slept. But he was teaching her to use it, to guide it, to wield it. With his gentle hands and his grin that never wavered, even when he could tell she was bordering on darkness. And she had thought about darkness, anything to speed up the process.

He just didn’t understand how mesmerizing he was, how just the smallest taste of him—when he put a hand on her shoulder or caressed her with his gaze—sent her reeling and made her long for more. And long she did. When night fell, and his breathing evened out somewhere in the castle far too far away from her, that was when she let her desires free. But her own touch was not enough, and she always drew upon the feelings that bathed her with his eyes turned golden, the air became electric, and she could feel the magic moving around her. His magic.

Once she asked him to runaway. They could runaway together; just leave one night with the moon to guide them. They could live in a forest somewhere, and let their magic loose without being afraid, without consequences. They could be lovers, magic makers, everything. They could touch the core of the earth together, and they could hold the pulse of all life in their hands if they wanted to. She knew, and she told him. They could do anything. Everything. She had reached out a hand to caress his face, and looked deeply into his eyes.

His face had turned to stone then, and she felt the roar of his magic dim within his chest. He had rejected her offer then. Camelot needed him, he said. Arthur needed him, and he couldn’t leave. Who would protect the crown prince then? Staying was worth the fear and the secrets, he promised her. He told her to wait, and it would all be worth it; one day they could be out in the open, one day they wouldn’t have to hide. They didn’t need to run away. They just had to wait for a little while. He smiled at her, and grasped her hand tightly, allowing, for a brief moment, his magic to flow through her. It woke something inside of her, or broke something. She wasn’t sure.

She knew she hated him for keeping her in a cage of his own making. She knew that no matter how beautiful they could have been, for Merlin, Arthur always came first. She hated him for that as well.

Except she still craved him, for love, for magic. It didn’t matter. She wanted him to be hers. So she ran away. She left him, Camelot, the Pendragons. She left, and under the light of the moon she promised that she would be back. She would be back, and she would have Merlin, one way or another.

She did all the things she said she could do with Merlin on her own. She learned things that she never could have imagined. She held heartbeats in her hand, and she crushed bones with her eye lids. She saw the sunset with eyes that were not blind, and she counted millions of colors in a split second. She followed shooting stars through the skies, and she plucked them out of the sky just before they disappeared. She let water flow through her, and she cleansed her soul. She heard music that made the blood in her veins stop flowing. And she waited.

She waited for the rise of Arthur Pendragon because she had seen it in a vision, and she knew that soon Uther Pendragon would fall, his last breath stolen by the very thing he abhorred. Magic would steal into his heart at night and stop it. His voice would be snatched away by magical wind. And in her dreams she heard the evil cackle that accompanied this act, and she went in search of that voice. She never found it because Merlin stopped her. She watched, hidden by trees, as he gave her a display of just how mind shattering powerful he was.

It was perfect and deadly, and she could taste him on the air suffocating anything natural. If anything on Earth was as perfect as Merlin, she had yet to find it. And when he was done, hands at his sides and a defeated slump in his shoulders, he called her out of the trees and to his side.

She held him up, and when his eyes met hers, they were still golden. His breath was warm on her face, and she touched her forehead to his, loving the feel of his magic that lingered in the air close to him.

‘You stayed away for a long time, Morgana.’ He said, whispering because he was recovering from his moment of perfection.

‘I wasn’t ready. I’m still not. I don’t know if I ever will be. You’re perfect, Merlin, and no one deserves you.’ She smiled at him, all teeth and admiration. She longed to sit at his feet, and he was the only person she would ever submit to. She would only be controlled by a master, and a master he was.

‘But you still want to try?’ His laugh was coarse, and it lacked the friendly feel it once had. Something in his face told her he’d done things he hated, and something in his still golden eyes told her he hated looking back and forward at the same time.

‘What happened to you while I was gone, Merlin?’ She asked, curious.

‘Destiny happened, Morgana. Destiny.’ He looked up at the sky and watched the gathering grey clouds. ‘If we wait for a while, the rain will come.’

She looked at his hands; they were shaking badly. Merlin, she thought, hated his perfection. He loved so much about life, but he hated perfection. It was such a shame. Her gaze softened, and she pressed her lips to his. ‘We will wait then, and let it wash you clean.’

He didn’t kiss her back, but he let her stand next to him as the rain came down.

Fanmix//Merlin; You inadvertent hero, you angel in disguise {Merlin/Morgana}

ex_absolute — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:14:24 GMT

You inadvertent hero, you angel in disguise {Merlin/Morgana}
Tracks: 10
DL: Yes.
Inspiration: "How Strange" Emilie Autumn
Notes: my first fanmix. yay. unfortunately, i forgot to zip the cover art with the tracks, but feel free to save the images. :D title comes from track #9.

1. Only When I Sleep//The Corrs
Your smell is incense burning
Your touch is silken yet
It reaches through my skin
And moving from within
It clutches at my breast

But it's only when I sleep
See you in my dreams

2. Stripped//Shiny Toy Guns
Let Me See You
Stripped Down to the bone
Let me Hear you
Speaking Just For Me

3. In My Head//Anna Nalick
Under the weight of your wings
You are a god and whatever I want you to be
And I wonder if truly you are
Nearly as beautiful as I believe

In my head

4. Light//Darren Hayes
Your light, coming down so bright
Transformation
Turn it up, give me some room to grow
Turn it up, give me that sense to know

I have been cold, I have been blind
You were sent to change my mind
I can put my faith in you

…

I have been changed, I have become
I have flamed under the sun
I'm the reflection of you

5. Heavenly//The Dandy Warhols
Heavenly scene of mind
Or could be hell.
Maybe I'm not, yeah,
Everything I should be, yeah.

6. The Special Two//Missy Higgins
And we will only need each other, we'll bleed together,
Our hands will not be taught to hold another's,
When we're the special two.
And we could only see each other, we'll bleed together,
These arms will not be taught to need another,
'Cause we were the special two.

I remember someone old once said to me:
"That lies will lock you up with truth the only key."
But I was comfortable and warm inside my shell,
And couldn't see this place would soon become my hell.
So is it better to tell and hurt or lie to save their face?

7. End of Our Days//Howie Day
Here, where they can't find us
I dare them to call me out
Or tell you
We met here on purpose
I bet they can't wait to wake us up

8. Heart In A Cage//Chris Thile
So don't teach me a lesson
Cause I've already learned
Yeah the sun will be shining
And my children will burn

the heart beats in its cage

I don't want what you want
I don't feel what you feel

9. Madness//Alanis Morissette
And now I see the maddness in me is brought out in the presence of you
And now I know the madness lives on, when you're not in the room
And though I'd love to blame you for all, I'd miss these moments of opportune
You've simply brought this madness to light and I should thank you

10. How Strange//Emilie Autumn
When you are sleeping do you dream of me
How strange, how strange
'Cause you know what they say
About the visions in your head and what they mean
How strange, how strange
That you should feel that way

Download @ Megaupload: [change 'xx' to 'tt']

You inadvertent hero, you angel in disguise

[Fanfiction] Merlin: Betrayal [One Tree Falling]; series

ex_absolute — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:56:31 GMT

Title: Betrayal [One Tree Falling]; 2/?
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/Characters: Gen; Gwen/Merlin; some slight Gwen/Morgana and Merlin/Arthur in this one
Word Count: 1339
Warnings: CHARACTER DEATH. Seriously.
Spoilers: carries on after the finale so anything that happened in the series is fair game
Summary: Merlin tries to keep his magic a secret, but Gwen was watching. She saw something inhuman in his eyes.
Author's Notes: Okay, I know what you are going to say. Just stick with me after this alright. I promise I'm not evil. Also, thank you twilight2shadow for your amazing beta/friendship skillz.

He had that same sense of foreboding for a week before he knew. He knew with mind shattering clarity that made his bones ache and his heart burst into tiny little pieces. Somehow he hadn’t been as careful as he thought. He’d slowed time down into breaths, each one slower than the one before. He’d done it because he couldn’t bear to see her leave him so early. It had been a noble and worthy cause. It had meant something. It had meant that he couldn’t live without her. It had meant that the thought of her dying made his world stop and spin backwards. Didn’t that mean anything to her?

He remembered the morning when he’d woken up to the feeling that something was going terribly wrong, and how he rushed out into the courtyard. He had caught a glimpse of her then. She was shutting curtains, and shutting herself away from him for the last time. He remembered that, before he’d gone back inside, he’d looked at the sky. Now, he knew, if he looked up, all he would see was darkness-- overwhelming, all consuming darkness.

So instead he stared out between the cracks in the bars, and he waited for dawn.

---------

Morgana had gone to Arthur with wide eyes, shaking hands, and pain. Gwen stood to the side, respectfully silent. She heard only just a little of her mistress’s hesitant, whispered words. Though her ears strained to hear, she heard just one name.

Merlin.

Gwen watched Morgana’s hand tighten on Arthur’s arm as he shook his head, the nails digging deep into his skin like they had done to hers the night before. Arthur pushed Morgana away, stepping quickly away from the fearful woman.

“No, Morgana. Your nightmares are only nightmares, nothing more. I wish you wouldn’t trouble me with these silly things.” But Gwen could hear the unsteady hint in his voice, and she could see the very real fear in Morgana’s determined eyes. What ever her Lady had dreamed of, whatever she had told Arthur about, she believed it to be very real. Even Arthur felt the weight of her words.

Gwen walked to her Lady’s side, and placed a hand on her sleeve, leading her away. She could feel a slight tremor, and she knew how deeply terrified Morgana was.

Whatever horrors still plagued her Lady’s waking mind, they were caused by one person. Merlin. Somehow, she knew, those eyes that had haunted her since the day in the field and her lady’s dream were all connected. She just had to find the connection hidden among the terror and the confusion and that smile she thought she knew so well.

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King Uther Pendragon stood, proud and mighty, above his subjects. Camelot stood at his feet with baited breath. Some were trembling, anguish spilling over their features, and others were triumphant, waving up at their victorious king. It was a lovely day for an execution.

The crime was magic, and as the criminal was thrown haphazardly upon the wooden platform, the crowd was boiling over with sounds—jeers, cries, and mournful goodbyes. In contrast, the balcony where Arthur and Morgana stood beside Uther was silent. Arthur watched the scene stoically, and Morgana watched Arthur, determined not to cry though she desperately wanted to. Gwen stood by her side. Her spine was straight and she looked everywhere but down. She had made the right choice, hadn’t she?

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Merlin was attending to Arthur’s horses when the royal guard came for him. Arthur stood to the side, and watched as his manservant was led away. Merlin didn’t struggle. He didn’t say a word. He just kept his eyes trained on Arthur, and let himself be taken away. He would have been a fool to think this wouldn’t happen sooner or later. He’d just hoped it would be later.

Using magic was a crime punishable by death, and he didn’t think Arthur was going to save him. He was the worst manservant Arthur had ever had. No need to rush for his hero armor to save Merlin. Oh no. The prince of Camelot just stood, his face impassive, and watched as his servant, his friend was led away to the dungeons to wait for his untimely doom.

Fantastic.

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She watched him closely now. Every time she was near him, her eyes followed his every movement, and she took the time to study his eyes, waiting for them to show a hint of that fire she remembered. Every conversation took on a sense of awkwardness that had not previously been there. She didn’t know what to say, even more so than usual. Not that she normally had trouble talking to Merlin…not at all.

She could almost see the predator lurking under his skin now, and she wasn’t sure she liked the secret she only half imagined she knew. Then she caught him in the act again. She just happened to be passing by, and she stopped still when she saw him with his back to the corner, nervously checking around. Arthur, she saw, was riding off with his men. He wasn’t taking Merlin this time.

Only she saw the flash of gold in his eyes and the light that was there and following Arthur in a flash. Then Merlin dashed away to watch Arthur as he slowly faded out of sight. She followed him, acting as if she had seen nothing.

“Are you sad that you’re not going with him?” she asked.

“No, not really. He’ll be back, I hope. And hey, I get a break from scrubbing his princely boots!” Merlin gave her a goofy grin, a wave, and then his back as he walked away.

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“I’m not evil.” Merlin dragged himself to the bars, looking at Gwen desperately. His eyes—their normal color this time—searched hers for any form of respite. They begged her to understand, to accept.

“I saw you, Merlin. I saw you send the light after him, and then he dragged himself back here. He almost died, Merlin! You did that. I saw you.” She shook her head and pushed herself away from the bars of his cell. “I saw you.”

She thought of his eyes and that wicked gold color. They burnt holes in her heart.

“I swear I didn’t do it, Gwen. I’d never hurt Arthur. Never. How can I when he’s--” Merlin stopped and moved back into the darkness of the cell. “I’m sorry, Gwen. I never meant to hurt anyone, and I would never, ever hurt Arthur.”

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Gwen heard the axe fall, and she heard Morgana’s gasp of horror. Arthur’s knees buckled, and he fell to the hard ground holding them up in the air. A tear fell down her cheek. Everything was falling apart around her in an instant.

The last thing he’d said…I’m sorry, Gwen. Maybe she hadn’t done the right thing after all. Just because he was a warlock—the word was acid on her tongue now—didn’t mean he was evil. He had never been evil.

But she had seen him! He sent a light—a bright white light—after Arthur, and the future king of Camelot had almost lost his life the very same night. What else was she supposed to think? And with the image of those feral golden eyes plaguing her thoughts…

Morgana’s hand gripped her arm, and her lady’s head sunk down to rest on her shoulder lightly.

“Oh, Gwen.” She whispered in her ear. “Oh…” The pain in her voice made Gwen’s resolve break. Tears ran down her cheeks freely.

Magic was outlawed in Camelot. Merlin was using magic. Magic was evil. She had done the right thing. She looked at Morgana’s head, and listened to her quiet sobs. A quick glance showed her that Arthur had not gotten up from where he had fallen, and the usually bright Prince had hidden his face in shadows. Pain suffocated her.

She had to have done the right thing, or her heart couldn’t bear it.

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