#Lonely and Quiet (Artemis) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

avisisisis · 1 year

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Honestly the “JLU Wally is YJ Wally” HC/AU has so much wasted potential. Not only angst but also. Imagine how fucking funny the whole situation could be. Imagine

Wally, against his wishes, goes to an undercover mission with the League. When something inevitably blows up, he gets (reasonably) angry and starts muttering about how “It's a curse, I swear. I am not feeling the aster right now. So not whelmed, man”. Shayera looks at him confused, because what the fuck does aster mean?

He gets banned from going to undercover/recon/non-fighting missions

When he figures something that he feels should have been obvious up he says “Hello, Megan!” and facepalms. He does it a lot, and refuses to explain when someone asks him why or what it means

He's the youngest in the team but he's also one of the most experienced

People usually think that the reason why he tends to not tell the league about what his next move is going to be in battle or why he's so uncoordinated when working in a team is because he's arrogant and refuses to listen. It's actually because he's so used to having the mind link to communicate that now he finds it hard to talk out loud with his teammates sometimes. He's working on it

He'll ask someone something and then get frustrated when they don't answer him, only to remember that he never actually said anything out loud

Not having people in his mind all the time feels kind of lonely. Maybe that's why he was so much happier than usual when J'onn was forced to make a temporary mind link for a mission

He gets frustrated because he wants to watch a show he likes but then remembers that the show doesn't exist because it was created in like 2008. It's a pain

He talks to Shayera about his other red-headed sister, ‘Megan’, and gets uncharacteristically sad and quiet when she asks if she could meet her someday

The original JL members started to pick up on some of the stuff he says, so the phrases “Hello, Megan!”, “Get whelmed” or even the word ‘crash’ are commonly heard in the Watchtower

His relationship with Superman is complicated because he's used to holding some resentment for not being patient with Conner when he first met him so sometimes he's too salty with him, but then he remembers that that was another Superman and it gets awkward pretty quickly

If his relationship with Superman is complicated, then imagine how it is with Batman and Zatanna. One is his best friend's dad from another universe and the other is his friend he's known since he was 14 from another universe who is now older than him

And imagine how it'd be with Red Tornado. He's so used to having the guy as some kind of mentor that being his superior feels off. He tried to connect with him but it was just too awkward for him to handle

He. Misses. Barry. And. Iris.

He finds out that the Jason of this universe came back to life and wonders if his Jason came back too. Too bad he's never going to find out

Let him break down a little. Let him live with the knowledge that he's all alone now (pre-JL). Let him be depressed over the fact that his aunt doesn't even know him because both him and Barry are dead in this universe

He thinks about how he was going to propose to Artemis and doesn't show up to league meetings and missions for three weeks

“Why weren't you here?” “I had some stuff to do haha sorry” (he was laying in bed crying)

Certain things, like eating ice cream or going out to see movies, just aren't as appealing as they used to be. Everytime he sees teenagers hanging out, laughing with each other, he can't help but think about how that could (should) be him

He had to quit the team (more like was forced to quit) because his powers were killing him. Now he's back on the field and isn't dying anymore, but he can't help but think that maybe if he was then he wouldn't have cared much

Wally meets the Nightwing of this universe and immediately starts crying

Think about this: Dick doesn't know him, who know what's up with Roy, Artemis is a criminal, Kaldur probably doesn't even exist, Conner also doesn't exist (yet), Zatanna's way older than him and M'gann is dead. Just. Take a moment to think about it

He has to live with the knowledge that he's probably never going to see his friends, his family again. He has to live with the knowledge that he has no one to go to when he has speedster problems. He has to live with the knowledge that he'll never go home

Clark brings his Ma's pie to the Watchtower once and Wally gets so emotional because it smells sm like the pies he used to (try to) make with Iris and Barry (it was apple pie. They always failed so they bought one from a bakery, and Ma's smells sm like those he can't help but remember the good old days lmao. He cries)

I said this once and I'll say it again: he was going to propose to Artemis

He died knowing that he would never be able to make amends with his soulmate best friend

He has to go on a mission where he sees this universe's Artemis (a criminal) and no matter how much he tries to help her and turn her into at least a civilian, he still wasn't able to make her be even close to his Artemis

He has one of those scenes where the hero (Wally ofc) says “You could come with me. I'd help you. You could get away from the people that hurt you and, if you want to, I'd live you alone once you're safe. I can promise that”, and the villain (Arty) is like “Omg really...??” and acts all hopeful and shit but ends up being “Sike no, I'm never going with u wtf”

He finds out Hal exists in this universe too but is in another planet and looses his shit lmaoo

But like srs. The potential this shit has is amazing and ppl should acknowledge it more

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anotherrosesthatfell · 4 months

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╰┈➤ Tomorrow is another day

This is Angst perspective of his family or his so called depression...

Tomorrow is another day.

Father beat up mother for useless reason. She was feeding Merciless, she should just listen to father.

"Mom... I brought the bandages. Mister Cross is calming father down." I said as I sit next to her.

Her eyes are lifeless, yet... She still smile at me with such genuine smile.

"Thank you Angst... You're a kind child.." She smiles as she hugs me.

It feels like I am comforting her right now.

Tomorrow is another day.

"Hey, Angst. Do you want to read book together?" Crescent showed me a fairytale book.

It's the same book we read, father did not gift him any new books.

"Sure... Anything for my twin brother." I force myself to smile.

Crescent would be sad if I didn't smile. As the oldest, I should make my brother happy.

Tomorrow is another day.

I am in my study, Crescent skipped his lesson so the tutor is chasing after him. That's when I saw a small figured sneak it.

"Hey, who are you." I caught the little one.

He has the same hair as my mother... Who...?

"A-Are you one of my brother?" the child spoke.

Ah... The realization hits me. This is Merciless, the child that father locked him away from us.

I let go of him and place him on my seat gentle. He is too.. Fragile. His body is full of bruises and his hair seem like it never was washed.

"Hello little brother. I am Angst, your oldest brother." I said as I patted him. "Mom talked a lot about you."

"Mom did?" he beamed happily and smiles.

That smile.... It's so precious. How could father ever hate this child...?

"I-I am happy to meet you older brother. Mom always tells me story about my older brothers and I like to meet you!" he smiles "B-But I have to go now, the evil man will be angry at mom again..."

The evil man...? Oh, right... Father is the evil man.

"Actually... How about you stay with me?" I smiles. " Father would listen to my request, don't worry."

"R-Really? Thank you!" Merciless hug me as he excited to get along with me.

How refreshing....

Tomorrow is another day

"I heard you been 'hanging out' with that rat." Father glares at me.

"And?" I look at him with bored. "I am the heir of this family, I can do whatever I want including playing with my little brother."

"That rat is not your brother!" father grabbed my wrist as he yelled at me. "that bastard child—"

"Let go of me Father." I said. "If you seriously want proof that he is not your son, I can use my magic to do so." I smirk. "But of course, you don't want to know right? Because you don't want to handle the feeling of guilt."

Father is quiet for a while. He let go of my wrist and look away.

Tch, I have a pathetic father...

"Don't forget I am your son, father. I know your weakness very well." I said as I walked away.

Tomorrow is another day.

Mother gave birth to a daughter. Father changed his heart immediately for his new born daughter.

Disgusting.

"Do you want to hold your little sister, Angst?" My mother got my attention.

I put down my book at look at her. What was her name again? Ah yes, Artemis... The God of Greek name.

Father truly changed for a mere child.

I fake my smile and took Artemis as I hold her. She is so small and fragile, not fragile as Merciless yet... Her in my arms, I could kill her anytime I want.

"she is pretty like you, mom." I gave a false sincerity. "I'm so lucky to have a little sister. Now my little brother won't be so lonely anymore."

I don't want her in my life.

Tomorrow is another day.

Merciless and Artemis birthday is a day apart. How sad... Merciless birthday wasn't celebrate at all while Artemis birthdays is extravagant and grand with blessings.

"Brother Angst, brother Crescent! Thanks for making it on time!" she beamed with a smile, it's not precious as Merciless smile.

"Yeah! I skipped all my lessons and I bought you a gift!" Said Crescent.

He love Artemis but he did not love Merciless. I don't understand.

"Awe, thank you Crescent. I don't need a gift from you because your presence is enough for me!" Artemis hug both Crescent and me.

How suffocating...

"Right, Artemis is so nice... She grew up nothing like us so she always think positive." I said with a fake smiles.

Crescent could sense my insincerity but Artemis couldn't. She still believe her older brother love her.

"Right... Artemis, you should go cut the cake! Angst and I will follow you later." Said Crescent.

"Okay!" Artemis excitedly run towards the table.

Crescent gave me a dead glare and look disappointed.

"What's wrong with you? This is our little sister birthday, be nice!" Crescent rolls his eyes.

"I am nice. You should be glad I don't ruin her birthday." I said. "Now if you mind, I will go to Merciless and mom instead because apparently you didn't wish his birthday yesterday." I scoffed.

Crescent is quiet, he seems disturbed for some reasons... Oh, Crescent never meet Merciless. He didn't know Merciless birthday too.

"... Let's just have fun for our little sister sake. You can go to Merciless later or else Father will be upset that we are not presence enough in Artemis life." Said Crescent as he hold my hand.

How can I blame him... Crescent is still immature child that need to be guide. He listen to father too much....

Tomorrow is another day.

"Brother Angst! Is it true I have another brother?" Artemis cried as she found out the truth. "W-Why I never get to meet him?!"

"Artemis..." I sighed as I comfort her. "Father don't like him and you shouldn't be around him." I said.

"B-But that's so cruel!" She frowned. "I will talk to father about this! He will listen to me."

... Daddy's girl truly annoying but Artemis brings advantage for Merciless sake. If she managed to convince Father, I can teach Merciless how to read at last....

"alright, I believe in you." I smile. "I'll be by your side to talk with Father."

And Father finally got Merciless his own room.

Tomorrow is another day.

Merciless fell asleep. I guess he is sleepy after I read him a history book.

I carried him to his room and put a magic barrier so those lowly servants would not disturb him.

I guess I should go to the library..

"How could you eat so much when your brothers had to starved themselves."

Oh? Is this mother voice...?

Mother is scolding Artemis.... This is amusing.

"I-I am sorry mama—"

"Don't call me that." she glares at Artemis. "You should think more about your brothers..." mother left after telling Artemis those words.

I can sense mother was forced to said it. It was father orders, so Artemis wouldn't get attached to mother....

I step closer to Artemis and pat her.

"Artemis, why are you crying?" I fake my concern.

"Brother Angst- I—"

"Did mother said something harsh? I will tell father so he will punish mother." I said a lie.

"N-NO!" Artemis quickly wipe her tears. "I tripped and fell! Mother was worried about me and told me to be careful next time!" Artemis hold my hand as she trembles.

That's right... She should live quietly, a child born with golden spoon. Just be lucky that I am still nice.

"Alright... If you said that. You should go to the doctor for treatment." I smiles.

Artemis nodded quietly and left. It was fun for a while...

Tomorrow is another day.

Crescent finally left home to be a priest at the church of light kingdom. Good for him...

Artemis became a popular singer and befriend with a prince of light kingdom. Father wasn't mad at all....

Merciless finally know how to read, he also got a beautiful fiancee. I am happy for them.

Mother met a witch, she is happier and she forgets about her children...

And Father....

"I think Artemis should be the Queen of this kingdom." Said father as he took a sip of the tea.

"Really?" I laughed. "Father... How could you be so gentle and stupid? Artemis power can't be compare to mine, I am far stronger than her and you." I gave a bored eyes.

Father is still silence. He is too pathetic...

"If you dare to make Artemis the queen then fine. I'll kill you and her by my hand, I'll destroy this kingdom too." I threatened him. "I already let that useless girl live a quiet happy life, I pretended fo be a supportive brother and I am kind enough to let her believes that you are 'super nice dad'. "

"Tch... You are truly like me." Said father.

"I guess I am." I smirk. "But I am kind enough to let you two lives. If I weren't, our family would be dead already in my hands." I stood up from my seat. "But again, I am kind enough to spare Merciless if I were to kill our family."

I pat my father shoulder as a threat not to speak nonsense in my presence again.

"You should know better." I said as I left the room.

And that's the last time I spoke to my father.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

Artemis and a sunflower in full bloom Au belong to @abloomingsunflower / @itzcherrybonbon

#angst sans #crescent sans #corrupted nightmare sans #killer sans #merciless sans #artemis sans #evil lux au #undertale au #killermare #killermare shipchildren #ship child #a sunflower in full bloom au

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kasperbunny · 3 months

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this is very out of character and very short but I wanted to write a little Danse/Art fluff to cheer myself up 💕

“Hey, you.”

Artemis’ voice was quiet as he stood in the open door frame, but loud enough to startle Danse and tear his attention away from the book in his hands. Dogmeat was fast asleep at his feet atop the bed, unperturbed by the interruption.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,” Danse lowered his book slightly to give the other man his full attention, “Did you require something of me?”

“Nope,” Artemis was crossing his muscled arms across his chest as he leaned on the wooden frame, stance casual and relaxed as he spoke, “Just checking on you. It’s about to storm, I think. Looks dark out there.”

Danse glanced out the singular, small window of their shared bedroom. The clouds above were beginning to darken, a faint rumble of thunder could be heard from a distance. He knew the rain would start any moment now.

“Indeed. Perhaps you should keep me company, since we’ll both be holed up here for the time being.”

Artemis’ lips twitched in an amused smile.

“You have Dogmeat, don’t you? Whatcha need me for, tough guy?”

Danse was smiling now too. Dogmeat’s pointed ears perked up slightly at the mention of his name, but he stayed at Danse’s feet.

“There’s no substitute for human companionship.”

“You're lonely, huh?”

“Yes,” Danse admitted, his book now folded up and placed neatly next to him on the bed, “You’ve been away on missions with Garvey quite often lately. I miss you.”

“Shit, alright,” Artemis made his way to the bed, settling atop it and into Danse’s waiting arms, where he gave Danse a quick peck to his lips, “You’ve convinced me. You ain’t gotta get all sappy on me, baby.”

“It’s the truth,” the pet name made him blush, it always did, “I suppose I’ve grown used to being close to you.”

“Hmm…~” Artemis had his head propped up on one of his hands as he lay next to his lover, his free hand coming up to tauntingly squish Danse’s cheeks, “It’s nice having my own loyal little puppy dog who waits for me to get back.”

Danse couldn't even argue with that statement, knowing full well that he had a habit of wanting to be as close to Artemis as possible, and attempting to hide his excitement at seeing Artemis return from a mission was always in vain. He knew he was wrapped around Artemis' finger, but hated to admit it.

Artemis chuckled genuinely as Danse scrunched his face up in a disgruntled expression, at the same time rain began to patter softly against the glass of the window.

“You're cute when you're mad,” Artemis teased, cupping Danse’s jaw as he leaned in to kiss him fully this time.

Danse accepted the affection immediately, almost eagerly, like he had been waiting for it, kissing Artemis back deep and slow and passionate. The unexpected urgency made a soft moan slip past Artemis’ lips.

“Shit…” He sighed as he felt one of Danse's large hands slide down to his hip, grabbing it and pushing their bodies even closer together, “Weather got you worked up?”

“I told you I missed you,” Danse slid his other hand into the back of Artemis’ dark hair. It was shorter these days, but still long enough to run his fingers through.

“Remind me to be gone more often…”

Artemis was cut off after that, being pushed onto his back so Danse could climb on top of him, never breaking the contact of their lips as he did so. A knee pushing between his legs and a tongue tracing his top lip made Artemis shudder and whimper out another moan.

Their noise and rustling of the sheets must have awakened Dogmeat at some point, as he jumped off the bed and scampered away to give them some privacy.

“I think we offended him,” Artemis laughed through his nose, craning his neck so Danse could lick just below his jawline.

“I have a feeling he'll forgive us,” Danse whispered low against Artemis' ear, causing the man below him to shiver yet again.

The storm was on top of them now, the clouds outside swirling thick and black above them as rain poured down against the roof of the quaint little gas stop. Artemis couldn't help but become distracted and watch the rain for a moment as it tapped softly against the window.

“Something wrong?” Danse had paused his movements, catching on to Artemis’ distraction. He followed his gaze, glancing out the window as well.

“No…” his face was flushed as he glanced back at Danse, a smile gracing his tired face,

“I'm just really happy with you.”

#kasper yaps #kas writes stuff #danse/art #artemis tag #its raining where i am and it always feels nice to lay in bed and listen to the rain #also uhh. this isnt important but in terms of timeline this is several months after BB and art has started to work with the minutemen

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golden-eye-ramblings · 2 months

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Agito Tyrone Headcanon Dump Part 1

This was mostly spurred from how little content and context there is of this guy so I’m sharing these as a way to ignite the signal flare, enjoy y’all. Gif credit to @fallinblossoms

————

Agito Tyrone

Height: 6’2/188cm

Age: 22

Birthdate: February 21st

Sign: Pisces

Gender: AMAB

Pronouns: He/It

Sexuality: It’s Complicated

• Chosen by Artemis. Goddess of the wild, the hunt, vegetation and of chastity. Although he rarely calls upon her or uses his thirds due to how unstable she is.

• Vegetarian. Fish and eggs are fine but he detests eating any regular meat or meat product. Save for when he’s getting groceries to feed his pets.

• Aside from Hippo-tan, he also owns a domesticated dodo he rescued from an illegal dodo trade. Dodos have no natural predators so they become too accustomed to the presence of humans to be released into the general wild, so he adopted one and has plans on relocating the rest to a proper environment.

• Lives in a relatively cozy house(read incredibly lonely feel, I’m talking single chair for one person at the dinner table, couch and minimal decorations save for pet items he bought for Hippo-tan and the dodo. His bedroom has a similar lonely feel although he has a dresser and closet with all his favorite torture instruments on display).

• Contrary to popular belief, Hippo-tan is not just a pet dragon. I like to believe he’s actually a special kind of service animal used to regulate Agito’s magic. Similar(ish) to Tsurara, Agito’s magic is rather unstable. So Hippo-tan acts as a familiar in order to balance and control the output(hence how he’s able to seemingly transform and control his size and attacks at will, also free emotional support dragon).

• Early bird. Regardless of how late he stays up he will get up at 6am on the dot.

• Frequent church goer. Occasionally stays after sermons to help out and do charity work. Although were it not for his status as a Divine Visionary, his presence usually isn’t welcomed.

• During his time in the Bureau of Magic he helped set up a menagerie/zoo of exotic and endangered magical creatures. And yes he does volunteer when he can, it’s always a surreal surprise for the other staff when they see him.

• Despite his rather quiet demeanor and the rumors surrounding him(and his unique proclivities), he’s actually quite nice. Although most of his kind acts around the bureau go unnoticed, he’s ok with that.

• In terms of closeness to the other Divine Visionaries, he is closest with Renatus and most friendly towards Tsurara. He’s on amicable terms with Sophina, neutral with Kaldo and Orter, and negative terms with Ryoh. He’s yet to properly approach Rayne, but it seems the two are content with keeping their distance from each other(although he is curious about the rabbit rumors…).

• His mother and father are both alive and well, though it seems he’s not on good terms with them…

• Aside from regular tomatoes, his favorite dish is bouillabaisse.

• Favorite drink is water. Yes, just water. If he has to attend the Bureau of Magic drinking parties he’ll settle for a cheap ale or wine as to not get egged on by his coworkers. He’s not a very exuberant person.

#agito tyrone #mashle #mashle magic and muscles #ryoh grantz #orter madl #sophina biblia #tsurara halestone #renatus revol #kaldo gehenna #rayne ames #yes I’m tagging all the divine visionaries I intend to spread my pro Agito gospel to everyone #I see you Orter and Rayne fans #I offer religious trauma man #mashle headcanons #yahoo first official post weee

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0lympian-c0uncil · 1 year

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Can you make a headcannon/mini story about Artemis and Orion

(I prefer them being romantically link but I totally understand if you prefer them being platonic)

Also apologies if this takes up your time

Artemis smiled as Orion looked up at her, his mechanical eyes locking on to her, "Well had to practice for the next beast." The goddess plopped down next to him, "That hunt took way too long." Artemis said, disappointed evident in her voice, and Orion sure as hell heard it, he stopped his sharpening and set the arrows down, they were quiet for a second, "My lady, you must know that, not every hunt can be perfect.""I know that… it just shouldn't take as long as it did, we shouldn't have lost it, as many times." Orion looked at the goddess and noticed something he hadn't before. She looked exhausted, there were large bags under her eyes, and her body sagged with exhaustion. He also noticed the small cuts and bruises on her. Reaching out he grabbed her hand "When was the last time you slept, My lady? "Uh… two weeks ago, give or take." Orion's eyes widened, but then he chuckled "Of course you would, Why tho?" The goddess rubbed her face "Can't get comfortable for some reason."

Orion thought for a moment. "Well, hopefully I can help." The hunter grabbed the goddess, pulling her against his chest. His lips pressed against her cheek, the action making the moon smile. He continued to press small kisses against the huntress, as the two layed down. Artemis sighed, allowing the giant to continue his affections.The kisses were slow and serene, Orion was big and he was gentle, but only with her. He peppered his goddess with kisses. Suddenly though Artemis grabbed his face, "You know if you wanted to kiss me you could have just asked." She pressed their lips together in a passionate, and yet forbidden kiss, Artemis knew this affair had to stay secret, she knew no one could know of this. No matter how much her love for Orion burned, if this ever got out, her father would make her regret it. And Apollo- No. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind, replacing them with her love.

The way he bolted through the forest, with nothing but the thrill of the hunt, pushing him. How he fired his arrows, and the flawless way he would strike down his prey. His smile, his laugh. The way he got flustered when he would speak to her. His kisses, cold yet comforting. His lips, that felt of ice. The warm embrace he held her in. By the gods she was in love with him, and he was, with her. Soon though, they broke apart. Their breaths, coming, fast. They stared at one another, how long? They don't know. It could be for the rest of their immortal lives and they wouldn't care. "Stay with me tonight." The goddess breathed as she pressed a kiss to his forehead, he smiled closing his eyes. "I was hoping you'd say that." The two pressed together in a comforting embrace, only the sounds of the night, around them. "You know I think I figured out your sleep problem." The goddess looked at him confused, "You missed me." Artemis smacked him lightly on the shoulder "You wish.""Oh for your love, I would wish every minute of my life to be like this." Oh gods. She was in deep and there was no way she was getting out. She was positive that one of Eros' arrows had gone off course and struck her, making her fall for the giant, and if she could, she knew she would thank him for that mistake, because it made her feel complete.Orion pressed one last kiss to the goddess' lips, before she fell asleep, he didn't whisper 'I love you.' To her. He didn't have to, actions were all she needed.

Artemis sighed as she entered her camp late in the night, it had been a really long ass night. The huntresses had finally gotten their kill, a creature that Zeus got them to hunt months ago. Artemis would never admit it but God damn it was difficult, she had skipped out on the celebrations and instead did a little lone hunting, coming back way after Selene was bright in the night sky."I didn't expect you to miss out on such festivities." The goddess smirked as she walked into her tent, and heard his voice. Looking up to see her lieutenant, sitting on her bed sharpening his arrows, he was a beautiful man. His shoulder length coal black hair was pulled back in a small ponytail, he wore a short chiton that wrapped around his waist. He was tall, his lean body tensed every time the blade moved across the arrow, making it more deadly for its next victim.Artemis smiled as Orion looked up at her, his mechanical eyes locking on to her, "Well had to practice for the next beast." The goddess plopped down next to him, "That hunt took way too long." Artemis said, disappointed evident in her voice, and Orion sure as hell heard it, he stopped his sharpening and set the arrows down, they were quiet for a second, "My lady, you must know that, not every hunt can be perfect.""I know that… it just shouldn't take as long as it did, we shouldn't have lost it, as many times." Orion looked at the goddess and noticed something he hadn't before. She looked exhausted, there were large bags under her eyes, and her body sagged with exhaustion. He also noticed the small cuts and bruises on her. Reaching out he grabbed her hand "When was the last time you slept, My lady? "Uh… two weeks ago, give or take." Orion's eyes widened, but then he chuckled "Of course you would, Why tho?" The goddess rubbed her face "Can't get comfortable for some reason." Orion thought for a moment. "Well, hopefully I can help." The hunter grabbed the goddess, pulling her against his chest. His lips pressed against her cheek, the action making the moon smile. He continued to press small kisses against the huntress, as the two layed down. Artemis sighed, allowing the giant to continue his affections.

The kisses were slow and serene, Orion was big and he was gentle, but only with her. He peppered his goddess with kisses. Suddenly though Artemis grabbed his face, "You know if you wanted to kiss me you could have just asked." She pressed their lips together in a passionate, and yet forbidden kiss, Artemis knew this affair had to stay secret, she knew no one could know of this. No matter how much her love for Orion burned, if this ever got out, her father would make her regret it. And Apollo- No. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind, replacing them with her love.

Sorry this took longer than I thought... and then I forgot to post it... I hope you like it

#i don't know if this is bad or not #artemis x orion #orion #artemis #greek gods #greek mythology #answered ask #asks and replies #ask answered #answered #anon <3 #anon ask

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shyanshippingsociety · 2 years

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Shyan Shipping Society - Big Bang 2022

hello everyone!

this summer we hosted our first ever big bang! it was such an amazing event with great fics and beautiful art and incredible betas and we’re so excited to bring you all of it, right here! here we go!

check out the challenge collection here!

The Grand Adventures of Suburbia Shane by idkspookystuff | E, 11K, complete

Not quite remembering where or when he fell asleep is not an irregular occurrence in the life of Ryan Bergara; an expert insomniac, who often lulls himself to sleep by worrying about various projects.

What is an irregularity is opening his eyes only to see an unfamiliar ceiling; feeling an unfairly soft mattress under his back, and, after stretching out, thunking Shane on the arm.

ryan wakes up in the body of a woman named ryanne: a high school principal, mother of 2, and the wife of one mr. shane madej.

Art by noviosfantasmas | Beta’d by artemis

Ghost inside your head by wednesday_ukiru | T, 13K, complete

The first time Shane saw the house was on a foggy morning. It was a dream come true - a perfect little space of his own.

He'd soon change his mind about that - and not only that. Trying to navigate the dark hallways of both his new house and his feelings isn't easy, especially when whatever is lurking inside his home knows all about what he fears and who he loves.

Art by send-god | Beta’d by roseszain

Redemption for Sins I Can't Mention by Impala_Chick | M, 9K, complete

At the Farnsworth House Inn, Shane lets something out. That something kidnaps Ryan and takes him to Hell.

Shane's going to get Ryan back if it's the last thing he does.

Art by boobgara | Beta’d by El

The Shape of Him Stamped Everywhere by MiraclesofPaul | E, 42K, complete

Prince Ryan of Nueva California grew up lonely. As the first publicly out royal in the American Union, he signs up for an arranged marriage and gets matched with Shane Madej. It seems impossible that they’ll even manage to be friends at first, but with time and effort (and the Shyan Love Campaign by PR genius Steven Lim), they find themselves growing closer every day.

Art by shanbergej | Beta’d by Zhalia

As Though There Were No Tomorrow by PlatinumPussycat208 | M, 14K, complete

During a routine Ghost Files shoot, Ryan and Shane bear witness to the literal end of the world. When Ryan wakes up cold, alone, and lost in a new world, he must use anything at his disposal to find Shane.

This is a Fallout 4 AU written for the SSS Big Bang 2022

Art by ouijaboy | Beta’d by artemis

Fate Bit by ouijaboy | M, 30K, complete

When Shane Madej goes on a spooky historical tour in an old mining town, he has no idea his worldview is about to be turned upside down. A vicious triple murder from 150 years ago hangs like a shadow over the area - and after a supernatural encounter, Shane takes it upon himself to find out exactly what happened, and crack the case.

Especially when ghosts are coming out of the woodwork to play. For better, or for worse.

Art by idkspookystuff

Do You Believe (in Miracles) by Purrgara | E, 13K, in progress

Outside the hospital window the bright sunlight felt like ice on his skin. Funny, he thought when tragedy struck it was supposed to rain.

When omega widower Ryan Bergara, dealing with the death of his beloved alpha, the loss of his job and the bank threatening to foreclose on his house, finds out he’s pregnant he finally accepts he needs help. After joining a support group he meets the stoic, and private alpha Tinsley. Though he helps everyone else, the alpha gives very little about his own life. As the two get closer Ryan realizes there’s more to his quiet nature than what he originally thought.

Art by noviosfantasmas

thank you so much to everyone who participated! follow us if you wanna be the first to know when our next event is taking place, and consider joining us on discord!

#shyan shipping society big bang 2022 #mod ve #shyan shipping society #shyan #skeptic believer #watcher after dark #buzzfeed after dark #buzzfeed unclean

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full---ofstarlight · 8 months

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i was tagged by @gwynbleidd to do these quizzes for my ocs!!!!!!!! ty for the tag there were soooo fun. i divied this up based on Vibes TM and vibes only so:

what romantic tarot card pair are you?

delvyre + gale (baldur's gate 3)

the two of cups + the star

your romance is a wish granted. finally, finally, they're here. finally, *it's* here! the time where you don't have to feel lonely anymore - you'll never feel that way ever again. laughter, joy, sweetness, kisses - be at ease. all of these are things you have found someone to share with. your love is a dreamy fantasy of love and devotion and miracles. at first, your chest gets too tight when they're around - until they become as natural as the air in your lungs.

isdaora + cullen (dragon age: inquisition)

the tower + the lovers

meeting this person shook your whole world. crumbling down is everything you thought you knew about life and love. their warmth, their generosity, their naivete, their knowing...! you don't know how anything made sense before them. all you know is that nothing will make sense afterwards.

nyx x garrus (mass effect)

knight of pentacles + the magician

if there's something you want, you will GET IT. nothing escapes your fingertips. after all, you're the power couple. your pairing sparks pure cosmic energy. you're fiercely driven to your goals - whether that be status, fortune, or power. you're also fiercely protective of one another. with the knight's earthy energy, you both prefer to purposefully make your way towards your ambitions, rather than playing cards too early or acting too loosely. meanwhile, the magician's half makes gives you a little fire. if they get too close, onlookers and threats to your relationship may get burned.

which part of you holds your soul?

celeste cousland (dragon age origin)

arms

hold. you hold on tight. you hold so tight that you may break. your grip is so strong that others are concerned, but you can't stop because you're the one holding it together. the "organized" in "organized chaos". the calm that exists within the eye of the hurricane. a level of order that is required of detectives during a true crime murder investigation. the wearied satisfaction of a life sentence. you manifest in emotions like ego, anger, and aggression. you might struggle with depression, lack of self-esteem, anger, and perfectionism. your hold is suffocating, but it has reason. you hold not only for yourself, but for everyone you love

artemis ryder (mass effect andromeda)

lips

i'm sure you've heard the line about a garden and tulips and putting ours together. except, we wouldn't do that at all. our tulips are on different paths of life. your lips will do so much more than mine. your lips will compel, and convince, and move mountains in this world. my lips will remain agape, gasping in awe of all you have to say. your lips shall put mine to shame. inspiration, healthy expression, faith, and the ability to communicate well. all things that come about when you're around. at your lowest, you express timidity, quietness, a feeling of weakness, or the inability to express your thoughts. at your best, you embody boundless creativity, positive self-expression, constructive communication, and a sense of satisfaction. the words that you speak leave others in awe. the conversation dulls as you leave the room. public speaker, politician, bedroom pop producer - whichever means you choose, your words will be heard. we will all be listening in this garden of ours

araiya woolenherd (d&D)

legs

you're always onto what's vital, what's essential, whatever's the most pivotal thing in your life. survival, stability, ambition, and self-sufficiency. you may find that others instinctively trust you to make the important decisions. at your worst, you're ungrounded. you lack ambition, you lack purpose, and you become more frustrated with life. at your best, you're the glue that holds it all together. your soul is the essence of holding the door open for as many people as possible. you are an extra umbrella in the downpour. the lighthouse guiding ships through a foggy sea. you're as dependable as anyone will ever be.

no pressure tagggingggggg: @n7viper @bg3 @hawkepockets @mattressdemon @infamousbeans @theredtrails andddd anyone at home who sees this and wants to play pls tag me so i can see ur results i love readin about ur little guys :3c

#tama tags #oc lore #char delvyre #delvyre x gale #char isadora trevelyan #isadora x cullen #char nyx shepard #nyx x garrus #char celeste cousland #char artemis ryder #char araiya

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katagawajr · 5 months

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10 Characters | 10 Fandoms | 10 Tags!

(tagged by @babeoffrontiers thank you!!! 🫶)

i think other than the number one spot, none of these are in any particular order. but yes let's begin.

Caleb Widogast (Critical Role). undisputed favorite character in any piece of media, he’s my entire world. literally a perfect narrative story, an emotional character exploration of grief and found family and time itself. profoundly sad man but also filled with so much silly sweetness that makes the sadness even MORE painful. he's a friend, he's a lover, he's a pining man, he's of the empire but not a friend to the empire. he's MY boy, he's a magic man, he's trying to be the man his parents believed he could be. i can cry (and have cried) about him for hours on end but i’m not making this list any longer. ("hi caleb... how are you doing today?" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH)

Gale Dekarios (Baldur’s Gate 3). omg another sad wizard? sorry i have a type. wyll also belongs on this list but i’m hopelessly drawn to gale so i have to pick him. mama’s boy? cat dad? big wet eyes, a little suicidal and extremely devoted? i don’t know that i’ve clutched my heart harder than when i saw his act 2 romance scene for the first time. i think it also just pulls at my heartstrings that his relationship with tav is so showing of his kindness regardless of whether or not you romance him. even platonic gale is so ;-;

Ann Takamaki (Persona 5). i fought about putting yusuke or ryuji or even zenkichi but this spot has to go to ann because she's just so. perfect. the first arc of p5 is the BEST hands down and she's literally one of the biggest reasons why. the writers end up ruining her but the way she grows even in that first arc... her confidant scene with the line "i'm just a lonely, scared girl..." BREAKS ME. she's a treasure, she's strong and kind and wants to be a light for others while not giving up on the things that make her 'girly.' and her love for ryuji as best friends is one of my favorite dynamics ever.

Artemis (Hades). i love artemis in general, i grew an attachment during my greek mythology kid phase and never let go so i'm obsessed with every iteration of her in media. but artemis in hades has my favorite visual design in the game combined with her quiet sweetness :') and her willingness to have a family bond with zagreus because she's also an outcast who's overwhelmed by her other family members. and then to be a total badass of a goddess, ugh love her.

Katagawa Jr. (Borderlands). okay this one is funny because i honestly love katagawa as an OC more than canon... like canon treated him pretty badly and if it was based on that alone then august tftbl would be in this spot. but the POTENTIAL... ohhh the potential... youngest son born into the highest echelon of one of the most powerful companies in the galaxy, but to CEO parents who see them only as property?? and puts barcodes on the back of their necks?? and katagawa jr being the desperately lonely, attention-seeking son? don't get me started on him and naoko... genuinely my OC now. i took him from canon.

Julian Devorak (The Arcana). this one always embarrasses me to talk about because it's like a romance visual novel game. so let's make it quick. but julian is unironically such a good character, i'm a sucker for the way he loves his little sister more than anything in the world. also for being a silly pirate plague doctor who wants to help people, blames himself for a past he can't even remember, and trips over his own heels being so madly in love. the outfit and eyepatch too, 10/10.

Crona Gorgon (Soul Eater). the definition of 'nonbinary baby' LMAO- but seriously, i instantly fell in love with their design when i first watched. one of the best ever, including ragnarok's design being a part of them. being so powerful but so pained, just such a sad soul and it's so interesting to watch them on screen. i love a character that seems silly and awkward and then also can turn very scary/cool. brief shoutout to stein though, i almost put him on here instead because his design and fighting style are just peak >>

Mad Maggie (Apex Legends). my first ever apex love was horizon, but idk when maggie came out i just fell in love with her personality? she's SO funny to me. i also love her and fuse's backstory, and i think her tough attitude but capability of being kinda sweet as well is cute (although i genuinely just adore her as a mean character too. let women be meaner. she's funny and hot about it). her kit is also very fun even though i'm bad with it, i love riot drilling halfway across the map when i play her. her voice is 10/10 and even her theme music is banger.

Undyne (Undertale). undertale still has one of the greatest narratives in all of gaming history and i will die happily on that hill. sorry. undyne was always my girl, her being the badass knight (that everyone assumes is some scary guy), her theme music is still one of THE best video game songs ever. her design is amazing, finding out that she's papyrus's friend and that she's in love with alphys, her backstory with asgore. all amazing character beats. and that's not even mentioning the genocide run... "for the sake of the whole world... I, UNDYNE, WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN." ugh.

Prince Canute (Vinland Saga). gah i haven't even watched season 2 yet because i'm terribly behind. BUT. oh my god, i think canute's monologue in the snow in season 1 actually fundamentally changed my brain???? and the way that i think??? like i felt something crack within me. i actually gave a talk about that exact scene in an animation class i had once. anyways i loved watching him on screen and watching him change... watching him be so sad... not to mention his design is just very very pretty. can't wait to see my best friend canute in s2 i'm sure nothing bad will happen right.

tagging: @magnuficentwo @aliensmoothie and anyone else who wants to do it if you feel like it, no obligation :) i'm bad at the tagging part of tag games sorry!

#thank you for the tag YAY :D #it's funny i have so many characters i love but a lot of them come from the same pieces of media LMAO <3 #i like to gush about characters i like. and i can't help it.#shoutout also to dj candy and camilla fe ... i would've put them on this list but the only description would've been “they're pretty <3”#personal

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the-al-chemist · 2 years

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Artemis Hexley and the Circle of Khanna

Chapter 13: Lonely Hearts

A/N: The prospect of a school dance lifts the spirits of most of the students at Hogwarts, but Artemis really isn’t in the mood to party. Characters mentioned include Ellie Hopper @thatravenpuffwitch, Lizzie Jameson @lifeofkaze, David Willows @that-scouse-wizard and Katriona Cassiopeia @kc-and-co. Warnings: mentions of death, grief, antagonism, mild misogyny, alcohol, underage drinking, drinking to excess, and bad decisions.

January seemed to last an eternity. The weather was still bitterly cold, with icy breezes blowing sleet and hail across the grounds and the frozen lake, while a mist still hung over the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest, due to the lingering presence of the dementor patrol.

Inside the castle, the Christmas decorations had long been removed, leaving the walls bare. Despite this, the castle was filled with noise and movement, the day-to-day hustle and bustle of people finding their way to lessons, the library, Quidditch practice. Younger students were playing games in the courtyard, and older students were kissing in quiet corners, and teachers were docking house points and handing out detentions. Hogwarts was returning to a sort of normality.

Artemis hated it.

As she had predicted it would, the more her life took on its usual rhythm, the more profoundly she felt Rowan’s absence. What she hadn’t predicted, however, were the number of times she had almost forgotten about it, and had turned to tell her best friend something or to hear what Rowan had to say, and found nothing but an empty space beside her. Sometimes, when she was in the library, sitting in the Hufflepuff common room or walking through the corridors, she caught brief glimpses of Rowan’s face among the groups of students, but when she looked closer, she found that it wasn’t Rowan at all, but someone else entirely - someone who had her height, or her long black hair, or who wore glasses that caught little fragments of light.

Worse of all were the mornings. Despite her overwhelming tiredness, Artemis had been struggling to sleep, and always awoke while the light was still dim in the dormitory. Alanza was still sleeping in Rowan’s bed, and in her barely awake state, Artemis found herself wondering whether it truly was Alanza there at all, and not Rowan, returned to her rightful place. But of course, it was not Rowan. It was Alanza, and Artemis was growing to resent Alanza more and more with each passing day, for the simple fact that she was there and Rowan was not.

It seemed as if - aside from Merula, who hated Alanza even more than Artemis - she was the only one to feel this way about Alanza. All of Artemis’ professors were delighted by Alanza’s work in class, the girls all wanted to be her friend, and most of the boys appeared to want to be more than just that. Penny and Tonks had warmed to her, welcoming her into the dormitory and including her in their conversations, and even Fergus liked her, purring happily whenever Alanza stroked him and spoke to him in Portuguese.

Artemis found herself longing for the brief periods of respite she had from being Alanza’s unwilling babysitter, thanks to Charlie having agreed to help make Alanza feel welcome so that she wouldn’t have to. While Charlie and Alanza were studying Herbology and Astronomy in the library, Artemis was able to be free of the Alanza-shaped shackles around her ankles. But with Penny busy helping catch Tonks up on the Potions syllabus and Chiara assisting Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing, Artemis was usually left alone. It wasn’t that she minded being alone, if anything, she wanted to be alone, but as soon as she was by herself, she found that it was harder to distract herself from the mass of emotions that were creeping ever closer to her, threatening to consume her entirely.

By the final week of January, it seemed to Artemis that she was the only one still actively missing Rowan. Everyone else appeared to have moved on, to be wrapped up in other things, be those things their schoolwork or the Apparition lessons that the sixth years had started taking that term (though Artemis had neglected to attend), or Quidditch, which Artemis no longer cared about, having - much to Skye Parkin’s chagrin - quit the Hufflepuff team and given her position as Seeker to Ellie Hopper. There was also Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, as Artemis was reminded one evening over dinner, when Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly to make an announcement.

“I do so hate to disturb you all while you are eating,” he told them, a small but playful smile on his face. “However, I do think that you will forgive my intrusion into your well-earned leisure time. It is my understanding that a not insignificant number of you are excited about the upcoming event that is Valentine’s Day, and while this is not an occasion that the school has traditionally acknowledged, certain individuals have pushed the idea that this year we might break with tradition.”

Dumbledore paused, his eyes twinkling in the candlelight as whispers echoed around the Great Hall.

“Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate the love we have for those around us. It has been a dark and difficult winter, and in dark and difficult times it is important not to harden our hearts against love, which is - in my not-so-humble opinion - the only thing that can lighten and ease the burdens we face in life. With that in mind, the school will be holding its very first Valentine’s Day Ball here in the Great Hall.”

The whispers in the Great Hall grew louder, and after Dumbledore had returned to his seat, talk at every table turned to the subject of the Valentine’s Day Ball. Penny clapped her hands together with delight, and she, Tonks, and Alanza began to chat away, sharing stories of the Celestial Ball that had taken place two years previously, and planning the inevitable shopping trip to Hogsmeade, and discussing the sort of dress robes they would like to wear.

“What are you going to wear, Artemis?”

“I dunno,” Artemis shrugged. She didn’t really care about dresses at the best of times, and picking out clothes for a party seemed frivolous given everything that had happened since the last time she had attended a ball. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to go to the ball at all.

The discussion continued all the way back to the dormitory, though Artemis contributed very little. When Alanza slipped away to the bathroom, however, Tonks and Penny quietened down and shared worried looks.

“You will come to the ball, won’t you, Artemis?” asked Penny, a question to which Artemis made no response. “Oh, please come with us! It won’t be right without you there, it’s hard enough that…”

Penny’s eyes welled with tears as her voice tailed off, and Artemis stared at her hands in her lap.

“Penny’s right, Artemis,” Tonks said quietly. “It’s going to be rubbish without Rowan.”

“That’s why I don’t want to go.”

“Artemis…”

“It’s stupid. A party now, it’s just stupid,” Artemis snapped. “Why would I care about going out and dancing and bloody Valentine’s Day now? So what, we go to this ball and we pretend like we’re all having fun and that everything’s all okay?”

“No, we-”

“No, because everything is not okay.”

Artemis balled up her fists and screwed up her face, eyes tightly closed. A hand reached out and touched hers, and she opened her eyes to see Penny in front of her, holding her hand, her face pink and saddened.

“I know how you feel, Artemis,” she whispered, and she smiled sadly when Artemis shook her head. “No, I do. I remember after my cousin Scarlett died, it felt awful carrying on as usual, like nothing had happened. But you just kind of have to, because not doing it doesn’t help either.”

“Personally,” said Tonks, walking across the dormitory to join them. “I could just do with a break from feeling crap all the time. Couldn’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Artemis muttered. “It just feels wrong, talking about parties and dresses and dates, when-”

“Whoa, hang on. No one said anything about dates.”

“Oh, no,” Penny’s eyes widened. “I definitely don’t want to take a date. Just imagine if I cry later in the evening.”

“It’s you, Pen. You’ll definitely cry at some point in the evening.”

“Exactly, I’ll be so embarrassed if my date sees me.”

“Depends who you go with. You wouldn’t feel embarrassed if Artemis or I saw you cry, would you?”

Penny seemed to consider this for a moment. “No, I suppose I wouldn’t.”

“Well, that settles it then,” Tonks shrugged. “We can all take each other for our dates. Artemis, what do you say? Will you be mine and Penny’s date?”

“Oh, please say yes. We would love for you to come to the ball with us.”

“We will be really offended if you say no.”

Artemis shook her head, but out loud she said, “Fine. I’ll go with you to the ball. But you can’t make me dance.”

“That sounds like a challenge,” Tonks winked, and Penny giggled. Artemis almost laughed, too, but her laughter was accompanied by a strange sort of sadness, one that she did not want to escape from somewhere deeper and more hidden inside her, and she stopped herself.

Alanza returned from the bathroom just as Penny and Tonks were backing away from Artemis.

“Are you okay?” She asked, her dark brown eyes filled with genuine concern. “What is wrong?”

Penny opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis got there first.

“I’m fine,” she said quickly. “We were just talking about dates for the ball, that’s all.”

“Are people taking dates?”

“Well, we aren’t,” Penny told her, smiling kindly. “But a lot of people will, I expect. It is Valentine’s Day, after all. I know Badeea had plans to do pottery making with one of the final year boys from the Art Club, so I expect that they will be going to the dance together instead, and I overheard Murphy telling David that he’s going to be asking Katriona from the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, so it wouldn’t be peculiar at all if you were to ask someone.” Penny’s eyes lit up as she asked Alanza, “Are you going to ask someone?”

“I am thinking that I might do this, yes.”

“Who?”

“Your friend, Charlie.”

Artemis blinked twice, Penny’s eyes widened and mouth opened to form a perfect ‘O’ shape, and Tonks sprayed the water she was drinking across her bed.

“You what, mate?”

“I like Charlie. He is very nice to me,” Alanza said, with a little giggle. “And he is nice looking, too isn’t he?”

The other girls didn’t reply, just frowned at each other in confusion.

“Wait,” Tonks held up her hands. “We are talking about the same person here, aren’t we? Charlie Weasley?”

“Yes, the same person. You do not think that he is good looking?”

“I genuinely can’t say that I’ve ever considered it,” muttered Tonks, looking at Alanza as if she was mad, which she very well might have been. “I mean, I guess if you’re into gingers, he’s… But he’s not Bill, is he?” She grimaced and looked nervously at Penny as she added, “Sorry, Pen. Didn’t think.”

“Who is Bill?” Alanza asked.

“Oh, well,” Penny blushed a little. “He’s Charlie’s brother, but he and I did used to go out for a while. Not anymore, but it’s okay. He’s in Egypt at the moment.”

“And he is handsome, too?”

“Yes, very,” said Penny, nodding definitely. “I suppose that Charlie isn’t bad looking, but… Well, he’s not exactly a very physical being, is he?”

“That’s one way of putting it. I’m not even sure that he likes girls, he’s always seemed more interested in dragons,” Tonks sniggered. “And, I dunno, he just…”

“He just looks like Charlie,” Artemis said, with a shrug. Penny and Tonks nodded.

“Yeah, that’s it exactly.”

“I suppose he is your friend, so to you it is different,” replied Alanza, peeling back the covers on Rowan’s bed and getting into it. “But to me, he is very good looking.”

With that, she turned over to go to sleep, leaving the three Hufflepuff girls still slightly confused. They stared at her in silence, before Tonks yawned widely and smirked.

“Well, whatever hovers your broomstick, I guess.”

The morning of the Valentine’s Day ball arrived quicker than expected, and it seemed like the whole school was excited. Everyone except Artemis, who was only attending for the sake of Tonks and Penny, and Merula Snyde.

“You’re actually going to this thing tonight?” Merula asked her in Care of Magical Creatures that afternoon, having accompanied Artemis to the feed store, Charlie being too busy keeping Alanza company to help her.

“Yeah. Are you not?”

“Of course not. Valentine’s Day is tacky at the best of times, let alone now. I can’t believe that you’re going.”

“Me neither, but there you are,” Artemis muttered, stepping up onto her usual brick in order to be able to reach low enough into the barrels of food. Seeing the look on Merula’s face, she sighed. “What, Merula?”

“I just think it’s a bit messed up, you going to some party when your best friend got killed two months ago,” said Merula. “If I were you, I’d-”

“Well, you’re not me, are you? So shut up and leave me alone.”

Artemis pushed past Merula to leave the feed store. Although Merula said nothing, she did not leave Artemis alone, instead, she followed her out to the paddocks, where Barnaby, Liz and Ismelda were tending to one unicorn, and Charlie and Alanza to another. Only one unicorn remained without a group of students.

“Right,” Artemis frowned. “Well, I guess we are working together this lesson.”

“So it would seem,” Merula cast a dark look at Alanza. “I don’t get what the big deal is with that Alves girl. I really don’t like her.”

“Yeah, well. I can’t say I’m her biggest fan either.”

“I’m not surprised. First she takes Khanna’s place, now she’s taking yours as well.”

Merula raised her eyebrows and walked over to the last unicorn, and Artemis swallowed, casting a glance at her friend and his new work partner before joining her.

Professor Kettleburn must have known that his students wanted time to get ready for the ball that evening, because he ended his lesson early so that they could do so. He wasn’t the only one; when Artemis and Alanza returned to the castle, the corridors were full of students having already left their last lessons. In fact, the only teacher who insisted on keeping their class until the bell rang was Professor Snape, which meant that Artemis and Alanza were left alone in the dormitory until Penny and Tonks finished Potions.

“I am so looking forward to tonight,” Alanza said, hanging up her long green dress robes on the canopy rail of Rowan’s bed. “It is very exciting, going to a real ball. Like a real fairytale. It is a shame that you and Penny and Tonks are not taking dates.”

“Why’s that a shame?”

“It is Valentine’s Day! It is a night all about love, and it is supposed to be very romantic.”

“I think you’ve picked the wrong person to take as your date if it’s romance you’re after,” Artemis muttered. “I’m going to have a shower.”

“Oh,” for a moment, Alanza looked a little sad, but she soon smiled once more. “But, Artemis, you had a shower this morning, remember?”

“I want another one.”

With that, Artemis turned from Alanza and opened the door to leave, and as she did, Fergus strode through it into the dormitory, winding his body around her legs before jumping up onto Rowan’s bed and rubbing his cheek against Alanza’s side.

Artemis scowled at him. “Traitor.”

She left Alanza and Fergus in the dormitory without another word, and inside the bathroom, scrubbed herself almost raw. She hoped that Penny and Tonks would be back by the time she finished so that she would not have to listen to Alanza talk about how exciting it was to be going to a ball, or watch her put her pretty dress robes on Rowan’s bed.When she returned, she was in luck; both Penny and Tonks were back from their lesson, Penny holding a small parcel in her arms.

“Here, Artemis,” she said, smiling as she handed it to her. “Andre said to give this to you. He also said to apologise if they don’t fit exactly right, but you never turned up for him to measure you properly, so he had to do the best he could working from the measurements he had from our last ball.”

The parcel contained the dress robes Artemis had picked out - or, rather, the others had picked out for her - when the four of them had gone shopping in Hogsmeade the weekend previously. The dress robes were less formal than the ones she had worn to the Celestial Ball in her fourth year, with a shorter hem and two plain straps that held up the black floral material that brushed over her, hiding how boyish her frame had become in the last couple of months, what with her not playing Quidditch and struggling to finish her meals.

Putting the dress on, it was clear that Andre had been working from her old measurements. Artemis didn’t think that she had grown much in the past two years, but looking at the dress in the mirror, it was obvious that she had. Although the dress fit her around, it was a good inch or so two short in the skirt, which was supposed to come down to just above her knees, but instead only reached halfway down her thighs. Once she put on her high shoes, the ones she had worn to the Celestial Ball, the dress appeared to look even shorter. That, combined with the very thin straps that did not provide any coverage for her shoulders at all, made her feel as if she was showing a lot more of herself than she felt strictly comfortable with.

“I think it looks just lovely, Artemis,” said Penny, watching the way that she was fidgeting and pulling at the material.

“I dunno. Maybe I should just wear the dress from the Celestial Ball instead. It’ll only be a little short.”

“Oh, but it really isn’t that bad, and Andre went to the effort of adjusting it for you.”

Artemis sighed. Penny was right. She was just going to have to make do with having a lot of her skin visible. At least if she wore her hair down, that would cover her neck and shoulders a little.

“Yeah, you look great,” Tonks grinned, herself wearing a black and purple dress that came all the way down over her legs and covered her upper arms too. She conjured four glasses and produced a bottle of pink wine from under her bed. “Here. Have some of this and stop writhing around like that. You look like you’ve got lice or something.”

She handed Artemis a glass of the pink wine, and Artemis took a sip of it. She wasn’t entirely sure that she liked the taste, but she drank it anyway as Penny brushed her hair and pinned it back from her face. Penny’s hair had been intricately braided into a single long plait, and her dress robes were made up of two pieces, a red skirt that was shorter at the front than it was at the back, and a white cropped top. A small section of her midriff was visible between the two pieces of fabric when she moved her arms, and that made Artemis feel slightly better. At least her belly was not on show.

As for Alanza, though her dress was just as strappy as Artemis’ own, the skirt covered her legs, and she had a thin matching scarf that she could use to cover herself up even further. But despite having the option to keep her shoulders covered, she let the scarf drape loosely around the back of her, and she had pulled her hair up to allow even more of her skin to be seen. She did not appear to be self conscious about her appearance at all, even when she moved her leg and revealed a slit up one side of the skirt that went up higher than her knee.

Artemis finished her wine, still unable to tell whether or not she had enjoyed it. Still, when Alanza left to meet Charlie and Chiara arrived - wearing a set of magenta knee-length dress robes - to finish getting ready and declined the glass Tonks poured out for her, she allowed Tonks to give her half of it, and drank that as well. By the time they left the dormitory, she felt a lot less uncomfortable about her too-short dress, a newfound confidence that she soon lost upon walking up the stairs to the entrance hall from the basement.

“You know, it’s not true what they say,” said a voice from behind her that she immediately recognised as Diego Caplan’s. She turned and scowled at him, and he winked. “Personally, I think leaving something to the imagination is overrated.”

“Get lost, Diego,” Tonks told him, and she quickly linked arms with Artemis and marched her up and away from him.

“Just ignore him, Artemis,” whispered Penny. “He’s just in a mood because Alanza is taking Charlie as her date. He told David who told Lizzie who told me that he was actually planning on asking her out for himself.”

The Great Hall had been decorated for the occasion with floating lights and crêpe paper hearts in varying shades of red and pink. The tables had been pushed to the walls to make room for a dance floor, and on the daïs, a band was playing.

“No way!” Tonks exclaimed, her jaw dropping and the pinkish-blonde colour of her hair growing instantly more vibrant. “It’s the Weird Sisters!”

“Who?”

“Honestly, Artemis, you need to stop listening to just Muggle music,” Tonks shook her head, still staring at the Weird Sisters as Tulip joined the group. “They’re a rock band, and they’re good. They used to go to Hogwarts, but they graduated a couple of years ago, and they’re getting more and more famous. I never would have thought they’d come back here just for some Valentine’s Day party.”

“Shall we go and dance?” Penny asked, and Tulip grinned.

“Let’s have some of this first, shall we?” she said, pulling out a hip flask from her robes. “Berry Ocky Rot.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be very expensive?”

“I don’t know, I took it out of my dad’s cellar at home. Been saving it for a special occasion.”

The girls passed the flask between them and sipped the liquid inside, which was sweeter than the pink wine, and stronger tasting, too, before venturing onto the dance floor. Tonks was right, the Weird Sisters were good, very good. The combination of the floating lights and the Berry Ocky Rot and the music made Artemis feel much better about the evening, and as she danced she found herself paying less and less attention to the flimsy straps and short hem of her dress robes. This was the closest thing to fun she’d had in ages, since the summer party they had held in the Weasleys’ garden, or maybe even since the Celestial Ball. It was definitely the best time she’d had since Rowan…

Artemis felt the need to stop dancing. She looked around the room and started to walk over to the first person who made eye contact with her: Jae Kim, who had been watching the girls dance from where he was sitting on a table at the side of the Great Hall.

“What were you watching us dancing for?” she asked, leaning against the table next to him.

“I wasn’t,” he replied, and when Artemis narrowed her eyes at him, he laughed. “I was just wondering where the rest of your dress was, that’s all.”

“Sod off, Jae,” Artemis followed the line of Jae’s gaze, which was still on her friends. “Which one are you looking at? Penny?”

“No.”

“Tonks? Tulip?”

“I’m not looking at any of them.”

“Chiara?”

“Nice legs, by the way,” Jae smirked as Artemis stopped interrogating him to pull at the hem of her dress once more. He looked over his shoulders before reaching into his pocket and handing Artemis his own hip flask. “Here. You look like you could do with some.”

“What is it?” Artemis asked him, already raising the flask to her lips. As the contents touched her tongue, she had to make an effort not to spit them back out again.

“Moonshine. Made it myself.”

“It’s disgusting,” said Artemis, but she took another sip anyway. Jae pulled the flask away from her as she tried to take a third. “Hey, I wasn’t finished.”

“You will be properly finished if you have too much of it. It’s bloody strong.”

“Explains why it tastes so foul.”

“Exactly. The aim isn’t for it to taste good,” Jae grinned. He pocketed the hip flask and flashed the inside of his jacket at her. Inside, it was lined with two dozen or so vials. “If you see anyone who might like some, tell them it’s a Sickle a vial. Talking of which…”

A final year student was walking towards them, a silver Sickle in his hand. Artemis took that as her cue to leave Jae alone. She felt a little better about the evening again. Surely, it couldn’t be that bad for her to have one night where she wasn’t thinking about Rowan, wasn’t missing her quite so much, where she didn’t have to concentrate so hard on pushing away the tidal wave of emotions that kept swelling and threatening to break through the dam she had built in her mind. It couldn’t be so bad that she wanted to forget everything that had happened, just for a few hours.

And so, when her girlfriends beckoned her back onto the dance floor and shared a few more sips of Tulip’s dad’s Berry Ocky Rot, Artemis did not hesitate to join them. As the night went on, the music grew louder, and Artemis danced with more of her friends and various acquaintances, a sort of haze settling over her. She was getting warm, and the world around her was foggy and strangely bright, like she was in a dream, a good dream, not one where she was back in the forest and Rowan was…

Artemis shook her head, the world spinning as she did so. Though her vision was not as clear as usual, she could tell that the people around her were not the people she had started dancing with. Her friends were not there. She should go and find them, she thought, but when she moved to do so, she bumped straight into someone. She frowned at that someone. It was Barnaby Lee.

“Sorry,” he said, and he tilted his head at her. “You look lost.”

“I know where I am,” Artemis replied. “I just don’t know where other people are.”

“Oh.”

“I think they danced away,” she explained.“Do you want to dance with me?”

Barnaby didn’t look like he really wanted to dance with her, but he nodded his head, and the two of them began to dance together. As they did, Artemis placed her hands on his shoulders, and he put his on her waist, his arms stiffening so that he was almost holding her at a distance. Why was he doing that? Artemis didn’t want to be held at a distance. She was not fragile or dangerous, was she? She did not want to be, and she did not want to be lost or alone, either.

So, to prove to herself that she did not have to be any of those things, she raised herself up onto her tiptoes, and kissed him. She had expected him to kiss her back, but instead, he pushed her away from him, and stared at her with a look of confusion in his eyes.

“What?”

“Why are doing that?” he asked her.

“I wanted to kiss you.”

“But we don’t go out any more. We broke up, remember?” he seemed to really think she had forgotten, so she nodded her head to let him know that she hadn’t. “I said that I loved you, and you didn’t say it back.”

“I know, but-”

“Have you changed your mind?”

“No, but maybe I could if I tried,” Artemis told him, and she went up onto her tiptoes again. This time, Barnaby pushed her away before her lips could meet his, a hurt look in his eyes.

“I don’t want you to try,” he said matter-of-factly, and he walked away from her, leaving her alone.

Artemis looked around again, a prickling sensation at the back of her eyes and a feeling of helplessness growing in her heart. She couldn’t see any of her friends at all, and the heat and her dizziness growing, and making her feel nauseated. She didn’t want to be there anymore.

She turned and walked away from the dance floor, across the Great Hall and out of it into the courtyard outside, which was full of snow. She pushed the snow off one of the cloistered arches and sat in it, elbows resting on her bare knees, head pressed into her hands. Everything was still bright and hazy, but at least it was calmer outside.

“Are you okay?” a timid sort of voice asked her, and she looked up. As her eyes focused on the face in front of her, she realised that it was Ben. “Artemis. I didn’t realise it was you. Are you… You’re cold.”

Artemis hadn’t realised that she was shaking, though she did not feel cold. Ben took his coat off and placed it over her shoulders.

“Did you come from the party?” he asked, and Artemis nodded her head. “Was it a good party?”

Artemis shrugged in response, and Ben frowned.

“I’m surprised you went,” he told her. Artemis scowled at him.

“Why? Why can’t I go to a party and have fun and just forget for a bit?”

“No, you can, I-”

“But I can’t,” Artemis said, and she swung one of her legs out to kick at the powdery snow. “I can’t do anything because it’s wrong. Everything I do is all wrong.”

“Maybe I should just take you back to your common room,” Ben tried to lift Artemis from where she was sitting, but she shook her head and wriggled away from him, struggling to keep her footing in her high shoes and the snow underfoot. “Artemis, I think you need to go to bed.”

“You don’t know what I need.”

Artemis gave Ben back his coat and zigzagged her way back across the courtyard and into the castle. In the Great Hall, the music had softened to a slower, sweeter melody, and though the world was still hazy, she could now see her friends. Tonks and Tulip were on the stage with the Weird Sisters, Penny was chatting in a corner with Skye and Lizzie whilst Murphy whispered something into the ear of the red-haired girl sitting on his lap. Jae was talking to Chiara, Andre was complimenting a girl on her dress robes, and Charlie was dancing with Alanza, not seeming to mind that she was a couple of inches taller than him in her high-heeled shoes.

It was strange, Artemis thought vaguely. She didn’t think that she had ever walked into a room so full of people she cared about and yet felt so very entirely alone. It was an odd sensation, and one she hated even more than the taste of Jae’s homemade moonshine.

She really did feel lost, more alone than ever, and particularly vulnerable, standing in the middle of the Great Hall with her dress too small for her and all her friends so close by and yet so far away.

Her eyes scanned the crowd of blurry and familiar faces, until her eyes locked with one of them. Diego Caplan. He smiled and took a step towards her, and though she usually couldn’t stand him, she found herself walking towards him.

“Anything I can do to help, Hexley?”

“Shut up, I don’t like you.”

Artemis glared at him, before pulling him into a kiss that he eagerly returned. And for the next few minutes, she might have still felt lost, but at least she did not feel lonely.

#artemis hexley #hogwarts mystery #hphm fic #hphm #charlie weasley #penny haywood #nymphadora tonks #alanza alves #diego caplan #barnaby lee #jae kim #chiara lobosca #tulip kasaru #andre egwu #merula snyde #ben copper

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