#but for this section of the game I have just been dying over and over again

[ryouverua]

I had an hour to play Nier before I gave up the TV for someone else. I got my ass kicked for the entirety of it. OTL

Might have to go down to normal from hard for the next little bit LMAO

#ryou plays nier automata #FINE I ADMIT IT #I got cocky #overconfident #i was doing well #I truly thought I was on top of it #but for this section of the game I have just been dying over and over again #my sanity can’t take it anymore lmao

[murfeelee]

Murf's Top 50 Mods - Part 3 (2020 - 2023 Edition)

I made a Top 50 list (Pt 1 and Pt2) back in 2016, talking about mods that I've used & love. But with all the goated content that the amazing TS3 community continues to churn out, I NEEDED to update my list! This one in no way diminishes or negates the other mods I've already listed--like, I shouldn't have to sit here and explain how NRAAS continues to carry TS3 on its freaking shoulders, ok. This is just MORE mods, the Top 50 most RECENT ones I've tried out since, like, quarantine.

I am a VERY niche simmer--I love fantasy gameplay, so my fave mods are the ones that not only offer general quality of life improvements, but also add new abilities and interactive objects inspired by different cultures, time periods, or genres. So y'all already KNOW which ones have earned my top spots. They're not based on which mods are "better," just which ones I personally have been using the most.

1: Smooth Patch, LazyDuchess

I've already gushed about this mod, but oh well. Like--I use an EFFTON of CC. My Live Mode gameplay itself doesn't tend to lag so much as my game's slow to LOAD, slow to save, CAS is a nightmare, I can do my taxes waiting for the Misc Decor section to open, etc etc. But the Smooth Patch loads everything so much quicker for me! 😭

One thing is that on the EA App version (curse you, EA) the Master Controller package didn't work on my end, so I took it out, but everything else has been great!

2: Search Mod, LazyDuchess

Speaking of the Misc Decor section -- HOW LONG did we ask EA for a Search function y'all? Only to be ignored. Then the second TS4 is released, it ain't got a effing thing in it, but it's got a Search function??? 🤔 ISTG it's like the simgurus were told to take all of the TS3 community's best suggestions, and poach them for TS4 (like vampire coffins--NO I'm not over it!). WHY do modders have to do your frikkin job for you, EA?! I call EA lazy all the time cuz EA you suck, so it's the most ironic thing ever that LazyDuchess is out here KILLING IT.

My ONLY "complaint" about the Search mod is the position of the icon. I use A LOT of Collection Files, and I noticed that the Search icon actually covers the Delete button when in the Collection viewer. So I can't delete items in collections with the Search icon in the way.

But this is a MINOR nitpick--I almost never delete items, it's just something I noticed is all.

3 - 8: OCCULT MODS: EVERYTHING by @puddingface1902

Y'all already know the Enhanced Witches mod is my favorite mod ever made. But PF1902 also made cool enhancements to the Fairies, Genies, Vampires, Werewolves, and Mermaids too! My sims are usually Nraas hybrids (e.g.: Sakura is a faery, witch & plantsim; Magnus Bane is a witch & genie; etc.), so it's FANTASTIC having so many new abilities for my magical occults. 😍

9 - 11: OCCULT MODS by xantak22

Even more occult mods at MTS are for enhanced Plantsims, Ghosts, and Mummies! I was dying for more Plantsim abilities, omg, they're my 3rd fave occult after Witches & Fae.

12: Sim Control Tools by Knight

Sooooo many quality of life mods have come out! ^0^

I've been ABUSING the Teleport To Me function, to quickly get sims off of lots & where I need them to be. It also lets sims unlock more Social/Romantic interactions. (Now all we need is a way to interact with sims from EA's useless thumbnails.)

13 - 18: @anitmb's mods

There are SOOOO many--most I've yet to even try. But so far newer ones I've been using are the Deck of Cards (FINALLY something other than EA's bulky AF poker table!), Farm Mod (look at all these CHICKENS!), and Hunting mod so my 8000 archer sims can actually hunt! (Ofc I've also used the Woodcutter and Anvil mods in my older gameplay posts, too.) And @mspoodle1's edit of the Cup of Tea mod is so pretty.

19: @mspoodle1's Poker table

Another excellent cards mod is this medieval style poker table I use a lot now, too.

20: @omedapixel's Wildflowers DR

I like EA's default wildflowers from SSNS, but Omeda's are just sooooo much nicer. (I haven't gotten around to trying out their Harvestable Plant DR yet.)

21: Swordfighting mod by CyrusBanefort

En garde! This mod is so freaking epic!

One thing I've noticed is that the game lags while it waits for the mod to boot up (a message has to first pop up saying it's running when you first launch your saves). But other than that this mod is excellent.

22 - 24: Yoga rugs

I've long been using the yoga rugs by Kitabalibar and the edited one from @mspoodle1. But now there's the newest one by @twinsimming, with brand new animations & features. The more the merrier I say, LOL. What's especially neat is the kids wobbling around as they try to do yoga! :3

25 - 30: TheSweetSimmer's mods--so cute! :3

Omg so frikkin many, I can't even catch up! The interactions are so freaking precious, like from the More Toddler Interactions (cuddle, look at, etc) & Biggest Little Mod (hug legs), I've never had so much fun playing with kids! <3 And I LOVE that they can Catch Butterflies and Pick Flowers--you'd think plantsim children would be able to do this by default, EA! Honestly, just grab everything by TSS, your kid sims will thank you!

31 - 33: @spheresims Medieval/Nature/Tribal mods

Y'all know I'm crazy about the Functional Fireplaces mod (the cauldrons, baby! 😈), but the One with Nature and Wildlife Hunting mods are great too, perfectly complimenting the off-the-grid realness.

34: @olomayasims/Cmomoney Smoking Mod Overhaul

The original smoking mod was on my first Top 50 list, so it's awesome seeing it get new upgrades, interactions & animations.

I've never smoked IRL, but sooooo many of my sims just puff-puff away; I'm such an enabler. U_U Now all we need is cigars and pipes!

35 - 38: Callia-Evergreen/Camkitty's CAS CC for animal hybrids at MTS

Not a "mod" per se, but whatever--my list my rules! I love ALL of their CC, but I get SO MUCH use out of animal-themed CC like the digitigrade sliders, wolf feet, lizard tails, and fae wings. Do check them out if you like to play with horror and monster-sims!

39: @greenplumbboblover's Sheep

EASILY one of the most incredible mods I've ever seen. Like....HOW? (Once @omedapixel's Goats are done I'm gonna start screaming someone do llamas pleeeeeaaaaase!!!)

40: Arsil's musical instruments mod

I used the sax most recently in my IWTV gameplay, and it was excellent, perfect for the NOLA vibes! However, although I use the flute A LOT more (for my Untamed gameplay--it's been such a GODSEND!), I really wish the hands were positioned better, preferably using the poses from Chisims' flute poseset. (But I don't eff with poses/animations, otherwise I'd do it myself. U_U) Ah well, it's still one of my fave mods though.

41 - 42: Flower Arranging mod by zoe22 + @mspoodle1's Florist Collection

Guys, I've been wanting this mod since FOREVER! ^0^ (I swear, the best thing about TS4 is all the 4t3 conversions, LMAO!) I just wish Teens could Dabble and use it, too--all they can do is stock the table.

43: Just Sit/Nap Anywhere by FloTheory

Sometimes you just want sims to fall asleep anywhere, DANG, EA!

44: @sweetdevil-sims' Toddler Food DR

Cuz EA's food is UUUUUUUUGLY~! I kept forgetting to install it, only to be rudely reminded every time I had to look at my toddler sims eating MUD.

45 - 46: @mspoodle1's mail pen quill DR and @omedapixel's pencil quill DR

I looooove quill pens IRL (ballpoint pens, not the fountain pens--I'm way too messy), so having mods that let my sims use them too is 👌

47: Fireflies Enhanced! by Canibal_MLO

I love anything that enhances the wildlife and collectibles/harvestables to be more dynamic and interactive. And I was JUST about to do a firefly catching scene for my IWTV insp. gameplay, so this came right on time! The falling leaves effect is delightful, but I kinda wish it was falling flower petals instead, cuz ofc I do. 🌸

48: Unicorn Aurora DR by Canibal_MLO

GORGEOUS. This mod replaces the unicorn mist with northern lights, like.... I love the genius ideas simmers have.

49: Custom Plumbbob Color tool by CrossTheMersey

What a neat idea! Although the default Maxis colors are ingrained in my psyche, with the iconic green plumbbob, as soon as I saw this mod I knew I wanted to at least try something different and play around with it.

50: @aa6x7's Teru Teru Bozu + other edits [Honorable Mention]

I rave about Cmomoney's Time/Weather Mod all the time, I use it constantly. AA6x7's Teru Teru Bozu (Japanese "Sunshine Monk" charms) is kinda like a simpler version of it, as it just resets bad weather back to Sunny. But it's such a cute idea and perfect for my gameplay. Plus, AA6x7 makes all kinds of neat edits/mods to EA's bulky AF meshes, so if you haven't checked them out already, DO!

And that's all the mods I've managed to try out recently!

I don't have anywhere near the kind of free time that I used to, so my simming has been put on the backburner and I've missed all kinds of cool and exciting releases. But trust: I am taking note, so that I know what to try once I have time.

All my deepest & sincerest gratitude & love to the entire sims community, for keeping The Sims 3 going--this year was the 14th anniversary! Here's to 14 more! 🥳 Happy Simming!

#simblr #sims 3 mods #sims 3 content list #the sims 3 #sims 3 medieval #sims 3 fantasy #sims 3 supernatural #EA you suck

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for threatening to get my best friend sectioned?

This actually happened 2 years ago, but last night he made a joke about it that kind of seemed like he might still be mad at me about it. So. Anyway, ages and all are written as they were at the time.

For context, my (18m) mom took guardianship of my friend (17m), called “J”, after his grandfather passed, a few months before this happened.

Not going into specifics, but J has struggled with OCD and an ED for years, and I suspect when he’s an adult he’ll probably get diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder at some point.

(Update from the Present: no dice… yet.)

A close family friend of his passed away and it caused his mental issues (particularly the ED) to get a lot worse really quickly.

Even thought my mom was technically his guardian, she kind of relied on me to keep tabs on him because he’s usually pretty honest with me compared to other people. Like, if he’s not doing well, I have the best chance of finding that out.

So. His family friend dies, he gets worse, I report all of this back to my mom, who starts trying to get some sort of more intensive treatment lined up for him (difficult and time consuming because of where we lived at the time).

My mom tells me not to tell J, because he “talks a big game” about not wanting treatment or whatever and she firmly believes it’ll be easier if he doesn’t have time to stress himself out about it before it happens. Okay. So I don’t tell J.

Somehow, he finds out anyway, and also finds out that I knew and had chosen not to tell him, but doesn’t tell me that he knows. (Convoluted, I know, sorry.)

I pick J up from an after school thing one night, we end up talking about pretty heavy shit in the car for a /long/ time, and after the conversation died, he put a hand on my shoulder, leaned over, and kissed me. And like not a short kiss either. It was like a 3 to 4 second kiss.

Context again, I realized I was gay and that I liked J in a not particularly friend-like way when I was 13. I never told him and never planned on telling him. I told him a lot of things but I intended on growing old and dying with that one kept nice and secret. Even if he was some form of not-straight, which I was 99.99% sure he wasn’t, I didn’t think it was worth jeopardizing my closest friendship with romantic and/or sexual feelings that could at best confuse him or make him uncomfortable or at worst outright disgust him.

Anyway. We don’t talk about it, I end up going to stay for a few days with a guy (20m but not really relevant) I’d been sort of seeing/sleeping with for a couple months because I literally couldn’t be in the same house as J or I would probably implode.

Fast forward a week, I’m picking J up from a hospital 2 towns over because he ran away (? unclear really, haven’t discussed the particulars w him and I wasn’t staying at home at the time) and ended up having to go to the ER.

In the car (best time to talk to someone because they can’t run away), he apologizes for kissing me. I’m thrown off by that, because he hadn’t said anything up to this point and it honestly wasn’t even in the top 5 things I was thinking about.

I asked him why he did it and he just sighed and explained in this tone of voice that, I don’t know how to explain it, but had just the right lack of empathy or affect that I knew he was being 110% honest.

Condensed version: he found out I was reporting everything he told me to my mom (still don’t know how). He was pissed. He was aware he needed more intensive treatment, and he knew my mom was aware. He did not want treatment. He knew I had liked him for years. He knew that I was relatively fragile about it. He knew that if he did something (like kiss me for example) there was a good chance it would break my brain and I would freak out.

He essentially kissed me to decommission me for a few days so he could formulate a plan to run away.

FINALLY we have arrived at the AITA part.

After hearing all this, I tried very hard to come up with something rational to say, but ended up saying (essentially), “You’re fucking insane, and I’m telling my mother you need to be committed.”

I know I wasn’t wrong to be angry. But I also know from past knowledge and experiences that he had a deep fear of being deemed “insane” or unfixable or whatever, and also that he was really afraid of treatment in general.

Idk. I go back and forth on whether or not I was out of line, or needlessly escalating the situation, by threatening him. It was a much bigger threat in his mind than it was in mine, and so even though I know I said it as a reaction to a fucked up situation, there’s still the idea that I blew it completely out of proportion and weaponized his own mental issues against him.

So AITA for threatening my best friend by telling him I was going to get him committed to a long term psychiatric hospital?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

[clegfly]

OMORI and colour- an analysis

hey, so this is a post I’ve been wanting to make for a while and never got round to doing, but here I am.

Something I noticed in OMORI and have continued to notice throughout the game is the symbolism between colours and characters, and what they say about their relationships or their mannerisms, because there’s actually a LOT there, more than I expected.

keep in mind this is a pretty basic analysis and I’m sure there’s much more to be discovered, but I haven’t fully learned everything there is to know about colour theory and so this isn’t really my field of knowledge, I just wanted to share my findings.

also, spoilers ahead, so beware!

Filling in the wheel

This is a basic colour wheel, and the model I will be referring to throughout this analysis.

in OMORI, and even in external items outside of the game like merchandise each of the main cast are associated with a specific colour.

for example, SUNNY is associated commonly with yellow throughout the game. Here’s a small chart I made to keep track of my references…

I’m sure there’s more but here’s what I’ve got.

so now we know where sunny stands on the colour wheel, in the yellow region.

the rest of the cast can be easily identified on the wheel- KEL clearly falls into orange, HERO clearly falls into blue, MARI clearly falls into purple, BASIL clearly falls into green and AUBREY clearly falls into pink.

But wait, that’s not the complete wheel.

you’ll notice AUBREY’s positioning differs from the rest of the group, and that’s because I’ve specifically put HEADSPACE AUBREY in that section. Where REAL WORLD AUBREY actually falls is on the red segment of the wheel as that colour is better associated with her emotional state and also slots her better into place on the wheel.

So that means the rest of these midtones represent the rest of the HEADSPACE counterparts, right?

You’ll notice one more blank space, but let’s put that one aside for now. We’ll fill it in later. For now let’s begin to focus on the relationships between these segments on the wheel.

Complementary colours

Complementary colours are defined as “pairs of colours which, when combined or mixed, cancel each other out (lose hue) by producing a grayscale color like white or black. When placed next to each other, they create the strongest contrast for those two colors. Complementary colours may also be called "opposite colours"”.

in other words, these colours complement each other, and are paired together as they are the most striking next to one another. They are opposites, but belong together.

so, who do we have complementing on our OMORI wheel?

Now, this is quite complicated to look at but I’m going to use what I think is probably the most important relationship in the game and use it as an example.

MARI is commonly associated with purple throughout the game, so much so that it’s constantly in our faces. The main colour for SUNNY’s headspace where he escapes the tragedy of what happened to her is purple, AUBREY laments about a lost promise of dying their hair purple and pink together, MARI gets a grape flavoured (purple) popsicle in one of the photos in BASIL’s album, etc. she’s very clearly shown to be “purple”symbolically throughout the game, no question there.

and as for SUNNY, as we’ve gone over earlier, he is represented by yellow.

so when we reference our colour wheel once having placed these two in their respective spots, what do we see?

MARI and SUNNY complement one another.

And we see this consistently for other key or contrasting relationships through the game. HERO and KEL complement both in the REAL WORLD and HEADSPACE, and so do AUBREY AND BASIL.

They are shown to complement each other, when placed with their associated colours on the wheel.

so, what about STRANGER? Who does he complement with? After all the segment opposing him is empty.

I feel as though there’s only one answer which makes sense for the game.

OMORI complements STRANGER and STRANGER complements OMORI.

but, for OMORI, this seems out of character. The character itself is typically associated with black to represent the repression of the truth and also the darkness behind his actions to keep SUNNY guarded from the truth, so this warm colour feels out of place.

but looking deeper into the symbolism, I disagree. Orange itself represents liveliness, optimism, and enthusiasm, which I think represents HEADSPACE. However red, while associated with anger for AUBREY, is more commonly associated with danger and most importantly sacrifice.

As well as this, this specific hue shows to carry more of a red pigment than an orange.

so I believe this can represent this distracting and overwhelming joy of HEADSPACE whilst having great sinister undertones just Millimeters beneath the surface, something very fitting for OMORI as he’s portrayed in the game. (Side note: I don’t think OMORI is evil, by the way. I’m talking about his actions and portrayal in contrast to HEADSPACE, nor his intentions. I view OMORI more as a robotic kind of character than anything but that’s an analysis for another day.)

so, in conclusion, there’s a lot to be told from this wheel. Here’s a finished polished version for anyone who wants to use it, including some extra notes I didn’t discuss here. If there is anything at all you want me to elaborate on or go more in depth into, or just neglected to discuss at all, please let me know! Thank you for reading!

(PS also open for criticism on the wheel- especially if you know more about colour theory than me! I don’t go into much detail about what each colour association represents within the characters themselves here so that may be for another post)

#omori #omori analysis #omori mari #omori sunny #omori basil #omori hero #omori kel #omori aubrey #omori game #colour theory #omori stranger #omori character

[legacygirlingreen]

Becoming a Proper Gentleman // Sebastian Sallow x Reader // Invisible String pt I

Warnings: mild mentions of abuse/childhood trauma!

Summary:

What happens when she finally gets to meet Sebastian’s family? Why is Sebastian all of a sudden interested in being a proper gentleman? What trauma from his past keeps him attached to those unruly brown locks? When she is able to possibly spend the holidays with the Sallows, what price is Sebastian willing to pay?

Notes:

This diverts from Canon as an alternate look at Sebastian and you/your main character’s first meeting with his family. It focuses less on elements of the game, but briefly mentions them, and instead leads to just fluffy moments. Also note this fic deals more with proper Victorian style rules surrounding romance/courting/being proper. It’s all written in 3rd POV for the most part, switching back and forth from more of your perspective and his through 3rd perspective. VERY LITTLE USAGE OF Y/N

Word Count: 17,000 +

Masterlist for series here

If you can, I would like you to accompany me to Feldcroft when I visit home soon. I know I mentioned it briefly last week so it is somewhat short notice, but Ann is dying to meet you in person, and I’m really hoping it will lift her spirit. There’s so much I would love to share with you about where I grew up. If you decide to join me, meet me by the lookout tower near the Floo Flame in Feldcroft tomorrow after dawn. ~ S

She delicately played with the edges of the parchment delivered by the sleek black barn owl moments before. Over the past few months her and Sebastian’s pet owl had become more than acquainted. She had begun carrying around extra treats in her pocket daily in anticipation of a visit from his owl, Theodore, nicknamed Teddy for short. Given the frequency of their communication outside the classroom, she had grown fond of the bird, beginning to suspect he was also taking a liking to her as well judging by the way he had started nuzzling her hand when she moved to pet him.

Sebastian had mentioned a few days before possibly having her join him in Feldcroft when he went to visit Ann. The invitation to others may have seemed a tad forward, but the pair had grown close since the moment they met in the Slytherin common room by the fire. In fact, after talking Ann’s ear off on his first weekend home about the new student after the start of 5th year, she had wondered how long it would take to finally meet his new classmate. While the girl never pressed, knowing how ill Ann had fallen, she couldn’t say she too wasn’t excited at the prospect of meeting his sister. The only problem now was figuring out how to make the best first impression possible…

She often worried what would happen should his twin not take to her as much as he had. The twins were very close. It was no surprise that after months of cheeky quips, sneaking into the restricted section of the library, almost dying on several occasions and countless hours alone in the Undercroft together that she had begun to harbor feelings for the boy. She couldn’t help but admire the little details about him. From the way his Adam’s Apple bobbed with each word he spoke, to the mischievous glint in eyes. When he laughed, the sound would always below out from deep in the pits of his stomach, allowing the sweet melody to sing in the air. The way his mouth would shift ever so subtly to the right and a single eyebrow would raise at the mention of something lewd or interesting. The freckles that dotted his entire body, not just his face, in a pattern that was more beautiful than the constellations in the night sky she observed at the astronomy tables. How his eyes would appear as rich chocolate pools with seemingly no end in the darkness of the undercroft yet shift into a lovely amber shade in the sunlight.

Something that had become a favorite pastime of hers - a brief indulgence in the scary world she’d been thrown into of magic, goblins and poachers - was the way he constantly seemed to unconsciously fret over his hair. The lovely and increasingly overgrown strands of brown were in a forever state of disheveled atop his head. Every time he became annoyed, bored, embarrassed, elated or even upset his fingers seemed to take to his hair. Maybe it was a nervous tick or necessity due to his current lack of styling, she thoroughly enjoyed learning about all the ways in which he disrupted his locks.

The girl could remembered the first time she truly noticed how much he moved his tanned and freckled digits through his hair. One late night in the undercroft, growing increasingly frustrated with yet another book from the restricted section providing little insight, he gave up and slammed its cover and startlingly her. She looked up from her own notes taken from the keepers journal and watched as his eyes formed their own version of an apology for scaring her. For someone who could easily take down trolls and spiders she sure was jumpy.

He let out a frustrated sigh, letting his head fall into his hands. She noticed how his nimble fingers stretch around and met at the back of his neck, playing with the small waves beginning to touch his collar from the months he’d been at school without a haircut. Come to think of it, she’d never actually seen him attempt to maintain his hair at all in the brief time she had known him. And in the time since September the brown tendrils of hair had seemingly begun to grow out of control. As quickly as she had become mesmerized watching him slowly weave his fingers in and out of his hair to calm himself, Sebastian lifted his head, eyes meeting hers. A single brown strand of hair fell onto his brow instead of its normal pattern of being pushed to the side. He went to speak but before he could get a word out her arm lifted towards his eyeline, shutting the boy up quickly. His eyes grew as she ever so carefully brushed the strand up and off his forehead to join the rest of his unruly locks. She briefly allowed herself the indulgence of feeling the soft hair she’d been slowly noticing for weeks under her fingers.

As if finally breaking the trance the second her hand was removed from his hair, she instantly looked down to her lap, cheeks growing redder by the second. If she had looked up she’d have noticed his freckled face was even more crimson than her own. Eventually the pair would have to acknowledge the brief act of intimacy displayed by the resident troll slayer, and while Sebastian tended to be the easier flirt of the pair, she found herself accepting she needed to break the silence first.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me” she muttered finally meeting his eyes.

He stared at her for a few seconds longer before chuckling. “No need to apologize, I guess I’m growing into more of a lacewing fly bush by the day.” He then grabbed a different lock of hair from around his left ear and pulled it away from his head, allowing the both of them to note how long his hair had become.

They both laughed at his comment and before she could respond he continued saying “usually Ann helps me trim it, but lately she hasn’t even been able to do her own, let alone mine”. A solemn look briefly flashed over his face, quickly replaced by a half smile.

“You know, last time I was home Ann playful made fun of how much I spoke of our newfound friendship. She did say she would love to meet you sometime if you would be interested”.

She pondered the weight of his words. He told his sister about me… somewhere between giving an answer and being lost in thoughts of Sebastian telling his sister about her, she felt her braid being lifted by the ends. Looking down she noticed Sebastian carefully running his fingers, the same ones constantly buried in his own brown tresses, toying with hers. If she was having difficulty speaking before, she was completely mute now. All she could do was close her eyes, feeling careful digits twirling the free strands at the end of the tie secured around her hair.

Sebastian careful laid the braid back along her shoulders and removed his hand from her hair, noticing how she sat there, more peaceful than he’d seen her in a while. Eyebrows relaxed, eyes closed, light smile on the corner of her lips and a slight blush dusted atop her cheeks. For the first time since he’d known her he wondered if maybe she returned the same affection he was slowly allowing himself to grow towards her.

“You don’t have to answer now. But I will send an owl when I decide to return home if you wish to join” he told her. She finally opened her eyes and looked back into his brown orbs. She simply nodded before the pair returned to attempting to find a cure for Ann.

That was almost a week ago and since then she had awaited this owl. However now holding it, that nervous feeling in y/n’s stomach grew. Her first thought was to go find Sebastian, however she quickly realized asking the boy you liked how to impress his family seemed a tad revealing. Opting for the next best thing, she wandered back to the Slytherin common room to find their mutually shared and informed companion.

“Ah y/n, Sebastian was looking for you earlier today before I told him it better to send you an owl” Ominis said before she got close to the boy. Damn his bat like hearing for always being able to recognize her shuffling feet before she got close.

“Yeah, Teddy found me not long ago. I actually came to ask you about that…” she found it difficult how to phrase her question to him. Confused Ominis tilted his head to the side and shifted on the couch he sat on, allowing her to join him. He thought that the new 5th year would be jumping at the chance to meet Ann, as his suspicions told him that the new girl liked his friend as much as his friend liked her. He raised a brow seemingly to ask what she needed. “Well you see I am really happy about finally getting to meet Sebastian’s sister, seeing as you both have become my friends, however I am wondering how I can best make an impression on her. I know Sebastian said their uncle can be quite brash and Ann is unwell, so I was seeing if you had any advice I could use when meeting them. I do not want them to think poorly of me…”

Ominis didn’t need to have vision to see the fear her face held. While they had initially gotten off on weird footing after Sebastian quickly shared his family’s secret place with her, Ominis changed his mind about the new student. She truly did seem kind towards every one of his classmates and definitely had stronger magical talent than most people in his year.

“Well… I’ve known Ann as long as I’ve known Sebastian. While I won’t be able to help you much with their Uncle, he rivals even some of the worst of my family at times, Ann truly is a playful spirit. Her and Sebastian are very alike, or we’re at least before she was cursed.” Ominis paused, remembering with fondness how his friend used to be verses the sickly girl he had come to know over their summer holiday.

“She has really taken to doing things with her hands since falling ill. She spends a lot of time now reading and drawing. She recently mentioned wanting to take up knitting perhaps as a way to pass the time.” Ominis recalled his goodbye with Ann where she mentioned slowly turning into a at home knitting grandmother. The comment stuck out in his brain.

“Ominis you’re a genius.” She responded finally sounding more relieved than when she first approached him.

“Of course, if you don’t mind, I would love to go into Hogsmeade and collect some stuff to send to her. You can be my owl as repayment for my genius” he said with a chuckle. She nodded lifting off the couch and offering out an arm for the boy the take. While he was able to traverse the school grounds with a wand, it was always easier when he had a guide. At first he mildly protested her arm, he now simply allowed it to slip into his own. The pair made off towards the floo flame and to the streets of Hogsmeade.

—————————————

After a successful trip to Hogsmeade where Ominis purchased a small amount of treats from Honeydukes for Ann, and she had found some beginner knitting needles and yarn, the pair returned back to the castle for a good nights rest. She woke up incredibly early that morning, choosing her favorite outfit from Gladrag’s. Her nerves had kept her up all night as she laid in bed continuously rereading over Sebastian’s Owl.

There’s so much I would love to share with you about where I grew up…

She pondered what exactly that had meant. She brushed it off, deciding it better to get as presentable as possible. After getting dressed in her best “I want to look good but not like I tried too hard” attire, she picked up her hairbrush, brushing out her y/h/c locks. She almost always kept it braided, however yesterday while walking through hogsmeade she was flagged down by Madam Snelling. The overtly honest woman, who took no time in reminding the girl she still was owed a favor for running an errand to collect supplies a few weeks back. After reminding her she could use the favor then, she mentioned she would simply cash it in another time as she had a quickly approaching curfew and a blind companion she was sure wouldn’t want to sit through a hair appointment. The woman did recommend she sometimes remove her y/h/c from the braids they were always in, as it would look “soft and delicate like a flower”.

Deciding maybe the stylist knew what she was speaking about, she opted for the first time since coming to hogwarts to leave her hair down. Shaking off her nerves, and collecting the gifts from Ominis and herself, she slowly crept towards the Slytherin common room. As she was about to make it down the last steps of the girls dorms she ran into one smirking Imelda Reyes, back from an early morning flying no doubt.

Her and the girl had gotten off on somewhat rocky footing, however after both discovered the love of broom flying and sharing close proximity as roommates, they had begun an unlikely friendship. Still, the Irish girl and her taunted each other relentlessly. Imelda let out a brief whistle at y/n’s leather trousers and tight blue velvet overcoat that left little to the imagination. “First Sallow comes out of the boys dorm having actually brushed that bush on his head for once and now you’re standing here with your hair down and wearing an outfit that says ‘please take me now’. Sometimes tells me that those might not be unrelated hmm?”

Her cheeks flush at Imelda’s comment. For someone who’s fallen off many brooms over the years she still is sharp as a tack. “So what if they are related?” She quips back at her fellow student who couldn’t be more accurate in her assessment. “Oh I am all for it trust me. Between your often… unique attire and messy braids and that boys unruly hair, which in my opinion should’ve been cut long ago, you two make quite the pair. Not to mention this pining between the both of you has got to stop. Even Grace “Smelly” Smedley has noticed and she’s not the brightest young witch of our year if you know what I mean”.

She blushed at her roommate’s understanding of the situation. She might have a point… before the girl could reply however, Imelda laughed and nodded off towards the Floo Flame. “You may wanna hurry, don’t wanna keep lover boy waiting do you?” Before heading down the hall towards the girls bathroom. She stood there flabbergasted before carefully treading up the stairs to the green flame. She stared into it’s bright color for a few months before taking a deep breath and tossing floo powder onto its center. Quickly the cold stones of the slytherin common room were replaced with the soft ground of Feldcroft. While she had flown over the quaint village recently on her broom, she hadn’t actually stopped to see what it looked like up close.

Rich colors spread in every direction. The sun hanging just barely over the horizon brought such a lovely golden hue to the earth. A slight breeze moved through the trees and she regretted not bringing a coat with her. Too late now she thought. Scanning around her she noticed several small stone cottages and some merchants carts. In the center of everything was a well. To the left of the flame stood a wooden lookout platform.

Now or never.

She pushed herself towards the small wooden structure. As she neared the bottom of the steps and brushed her pants with her sweat slicked palms. She then ran her hand over her y/h/c hair, brushing down what little bit had become ruffled by the flame and the breeze. When y/n finally rounded the last flight of stairs she saw Sebastian leaning over the railing looking out to the hillside, where a castle ruin sat, his back to her. He must have been lost in thought because he slightly jumped when she questioned “enjoying the view”.

Her voice came out in a slightly strangled with her nerves but as she spoke it slowly calmed down. She chuckled at his reaction. She crossed the platform to stand next to him as he turned around to face her. As his eyes finally landed on her they grew to the size of saucers. For once she actually noticed, a small surge of confidence flooding her veins.

Sebastian couldn’t decide what surprised him the most about her appearance. Her usually mismatched and unique wardrobe was toned down, but in the most elegant (and not leaving much to the imagination) way. The way the leather trousers sculpted her thighs would have him up at night for weeks to come. It wasn’t long before his eyes landed back on her face, and subsequently her hair. Where he had been expecting one of her many variety of braids, her locks splayed out freely along her shoulders. He almost choked at the sight of her standing in his village looking so beautiful in the morning light.

To be fair however, she was in a similar boat. Standing close to him she looked into his wide eyes, noticing their usual brown was replaced by the warm Amber she loved in the golden hour. His usual school uniform replaced with a simple white collared shirt and plain dark green vest left unbuttoned. Sebastian’s usual short trousers and high socks combo was replaced with a full length brown pant but his usual boots remained. She noticed he must have gotten warm, as the sleeves were rolled up to his forearms. Now standing here she saw what her roommate mentioned moments before about his attempt at tackling his unruly brown hair. While little was actually accomplished, she appreciated the effort of putting a tad bit of the gel - which she assumed he borrowed from Ominis - in his hair to keep it from it’s usual tousled state. She did however think I prefer his hair a tad more messy.

The awkward teens moment of gawking at each other finally drawing to a close as Sebastian muttered out a flirty “enjoying the view more now that you’re here”.

She playfully pushed him with an eye roll, however still felt the familiar warmth adorn her cheeks. “I’ve never been to Feldcroft, it’s quite lovely” she mentioned looking him instead of at the countryside.

He coughed realizing she may have been referring to him looking nice and not his quaint village before holding out an arm. Before he left the dorm that morning Ominis had given him the “be a proper gentleman for once” conversation before tossing Sebastian his hair gel and rolling back over to sleep in on his Saturday morning. She looked at the arm for a second before realizing he was offering his arm to be proper. The blush on her cheeks continued to deepen as she tucked her hand into his elbow. Once her hand found solace in the bend of his elbow, he rested his free hand atop of hers. Since when did Sebastian Sallow become a gentleman?

Standing this close she was able to note that the typical smell of old parchment and whatever soap he always smelled of was mixed with something new, something earthy. Sandalwood perhaps? She decided that she had blushed enough this morning and it would be his turn again when she found herself saying “you know Imelda said you actually put a comb through that hair of yours, but she didn’t mention you bathed for once”.

The girl knew Sebastian would recognize the joke was in reference to whatever fragrance he had dawned, as Ominis was quite vocal about how much time Sebastian spent in their dorm shower “preening and doing merlin knows what else in there”. She wasn’t expecting the awkward chuckle that followed, along with his other hand reaching up behind his neck to mess with the stray curls at his neckline.

“I see you also ran into Imelda on the way over. She give you the same shakedown I presume?” He asked her, curious if her roommate had been worse on her than Imelda had been on him. Realizing he had been tousling his hair he quickly removed the hand from his neck. He laid his free hand back on top of hers.

“Oh of course you know how she is. I got accused of wearing a ‘please take me now’ outfit, whatever that means” she said with a chuckle, her free hand brushing over the velvet vest right above where it flared out at her waist. The boy felt his hand betray him, as it ever so slightly squeezed hers and he replied “I think I know what she meant” in a lower tone than normal.

Her feet, finally having made it back on solid ground below the tower, halted and the pair stopped. Her heart in her stomach she took note of his suggestive comment made in a nervous tone. Her senses being overloaded by his warm arm wrapped around hers and hand holding her steady. The smell of what could only be cologne or aftershave becoming overpowering. After a beat of silence, she said “are you wearing cologne?”

“Yes. Ann got it for me a while back and I usually forget about it, but remembered it this morning” he said trying to sound casual but his tone giving away it was anything but. What she didn’t know was he did not receive it from Ann, and had purchased it in hogsmeade the day before trying to impress you.

“I like it” she said barely above a whisper. “I’m glad…” Sebastian responded before looking down at the girl with longing. His hand slowly reached for her loose waves and twisted a single strand around his finger. “Your hair looks pretty when it’s down” he found enough courage to say. All the words forming in her throat stalled. Sensing she was struggling to find the words he started walking again towards his home. “You know Ann may be a little disappointed though. I told her about how you always have these elaborate braids, since she’s never been able to properly learn despite years of trying.”

She reached up subconsciously and grabbed at a loose strand. Stupid Madam Snelling. Sebastian must have sensed her worry because he responded saying “oh don’t worry, she’s going to love you. Besides if mildly disappointing my sister means I get to see your hair wild and free so be it”. He smiled at her, hoping to calm what he could sense were growing nerves. She can fight poachers and rescue a dragon with Poppy but she seems terrified of upsetting my sister. The thought made his heart swell.

As he carefully guided her through the soft grass of Feldcroft he quickly found himself near the place he had called home for many years now. His uncle Solomon stood outside tending to their few animals and garden. He figured he may as well get the difficult part out of the way so they wouldn’t be interrupted with Ann. Sebastian did not see eye to eye much these days with his uncle. They had always had a somewhat tumultuous relationship since his parents had died. As he grew, he knew his uncle saw more of Sebastian’s father in him, their own relationship having been somewhat strained. However, wanting to make sure that a proper introduction could be made between his family and the new 5th year whom he had slowly started seeing a future with was more important than the many disagreements he’d had with Solomon over the past few years. Sebastian had send Teddy to feldcroft before sending the owl to her the day before. He’d asked Solomon if it was okay to bring the new student with whom he had been spending much of his free time with home to meet his sister and gain a proper introduction to the Sallow household. And while Solomon wished his Nephew got in less trouble, would give up this futile attempt at helping Ann, and better maintain his appearance as a sensible young man, he did understand and respect Sebastian’s maturity in the matter.

He sent the family owl back with a brief message accepting Sebastian’s proposal on the conditions he kept the time short as to not impede Ann’s rest, as well as handle it like a proper gentleman in regards to the young lady. However, Solomon could not deny he was curious about the girl who seemed to have caught his nephews affection enough to do something properly and for once in his life.

Her heart rapidly picked up the pace as she rounded the side of the small family cottage on the arm of her fellow Slytherin. He lifted the latch on the small wooden fence, allowing for them to both pass through. She noticed what had to be his uncle had his back to them. Sebastian cleared his throat awkwardly saying “Uncle Solomon” as his guardian turned to face them. Nothing could really have prepared Mr. Sallow for the sight he saw. His nephew, who usually looked every ounce of disheveled and cocky was standing there attempting to look proper for possibly the first time in his young life. Solomon recognized the same look of nervousness his younger brother had come home sporting the day he introduced the twin’s mother to their parents. Turning his attention towards the young girl, whom he had learned bits and pieces of from both children in his care and his former colleagues at the ministry, was standing next to his nephew, her delicate hand wrapped around Sebastian’s arm. He remembered to mind his manors. Solomon thought to himself impressed at the boys ability to follow instruction on this rare occasion.

The girl stood almost a head shorter than his nephew, with the top of her head coming to just barely below Sebastian’s chin. She was quite small, yet from what he had heard through the grapevine she took down a troll in Hogsmeade the day his nephew had accompanied her to replace her supplies. Not to mention the dragon attack her and one of the schools professors endured on their way to Hogsmeade. He knew she must hold some strength at the very least to have encouraged this radical change in behavior in his nephew.

Sebastian carefully helped her navigate their family garden and over towards his uncle, who was whipping his hands on a rag he kept on him while outside. “Uncle Solomon, I would like you to meet y/n. She is the new 5th year at Hogwarts” Sebastian said trying to keep his voice from shaking. He didn’t know why this felt so scary. It was just his uncle, whom he at most times despised. Still he stood in front of his guardian nervous as he unwrapped the girl’s hand from his arm to place his hand on her lower back. He gave his uncle pleading eyes as if to say please don’t embarrass me I really enjoy the company of this girl.

“Hello Mr. Sallow. It’s nice to meet you.” She said summoning the same strength she used to fight trolls and offered her hand to shake. Solomon simply looked at the pair before properly shaking the girls hand. He barked out a laugh and responded “please, called me Solomon. it’s wonderful to finally meet the young lady who slowly is turning my immature nephew into gentleman.”

Sebastian slowly started to zone the two of them out as she expressed awkward pleasantries with his uncle. Sebastian imagined what it would be like had his parents not died when he was so young. Back in their old flat in London, bringing her into his childhood living room while his parents would no doubly be enamored with her.

He could almost clearly see the vision in his head: they would stand on the stairs outside his parents home, awaiting his fathers answer. His father, whom he would look almost directly eye to eye with now, and slightly grey hair would smile and step aside as he would lead her through the threshold. Maybe she would bring flowers for his mother’s table. The second his mothers eyes would land on her she would instantly dote on her elaborate braids as his mother also struggled with the styles on her slightly greying brown hair.

They would laugh in the parlor as his parents would listen to her stories of growing up in a muggle village and share their recent discoveries in academia with the pair. At dinner he would help move the chair for her to sit and after he would lift a hand for her to rise gracefully. After dinner his parents would have their enchanted instruments play the music that always seemed to play in the evenings in the flat and he would join his parents as they often danced with her in his arms. She would accompany him to his childhood room full of trinkets and art on the walls listening to him explain how all the treasures came into his possession. His parents would end the evening by telling y/n she was welcome any time and his father would pull him aside and lay a hand on his shoulder saying he had “chosen well”.

Deep in thought he almost didn’t hear his uncle call out for him “Sebastian?”

The daydream broken his face turned towards the young woman next to him. She looked on him with a small amount of worry and eyes that seemed to say are you okay? His own gave back a look almost to reply yes I’m okay.

“Yes sir?” He found himself responding to his uncle.

“I still have work to do out here but you should accompany Miss y/l/n here inside. Ann’s been talking about meeting her all morning and was up late trying to clean the place and bake some treats for tea time. Best not to keep her waiting boy”. Sebastian shouldn’t have been surprised his Uncle would still manage to maintain his unimpressed tone that the young Sallow had grown to know quite well.

He found himself nodding at his uncle. She simply waved goodbye before allowing Sebastian to lead her through the yard around to the front door. When they approached she audibly sucked in a deep breath. He rubbed up and down her back reassuringly as he lowered his mouth to be right next to her ear. “She’s going to love you trust me.” His lips grazed the shell of her ear as he quietly whispered the words to her. She nervously nodded and he pulled back.

Despite the quite sad thought he found himself dwelling in moments before in the garden, he was still extremely elated to be standing on the stoop of his now home, hand resting on the back of the most beautiful girl he’d ever laid eyes on, who was nervous about meeting his sister. He was still trying to calm her nerves before heading in when he took her hand gingerly in his own saying “trust me, twin telepathy thing ya know? Besides what’s not to love…”

She flushed the deepest red possibly of her young life at his words. He hadn’t even realized the gravity of what he said trying to reassure until he looked down into her y/e/c eyes. She was looking up at him like he had hung the moon and the stars all by himself. Her eyebrow quirked and she lifted her hand up and brushed the stray lock of hair that had fallen out of place despite the gel back where it had been previously resting. His heart hammered at the second time now she had repeated this action with him.

The first being the moment he knew he never wanted another person sweeping his loose hair off his brow.

They had been standing on the stoop too long and were interrupted by the door opening and a squeal ringing out through the air. Anne. He had completely forgot why he told himself he was there. “Sebastian!” His twin loudly exclaimed and he took his arm from around the girl to hold out to his dear sister. Her thin frame pressed into his broad chest and he held her close. Their moment cut short as Anne interrupted his attempt to introduce the girl next to him. Anne always had been a bit forward.

“You must be y/n! Sebastian has told me so much about you. Honestly since the start of the year he quite literally never stops talking about you” Anne gushed at his companion as she pulled them inside the small home and ushered them towards the table. There sat all kinds of treats and the normal tea kettle. While he was somewhat embarrassed at Anne’s insistence on him being borderline obsessed with the new girl, she didn’t seem to notice.

The two immediately begun speaking as if they were old friends merely catching up. It wasn’t long before Anne asked her how she met Sebastian and how she was adjusting to hogwarts as a 5th year. Both girls were talking so fast he could barely make out much of what they were saying- although that may have had less to do with the speed of their conversation and more of how beautiful she looked sitting in their kitchen.

“… honestly without Sebastian I feel I may have been quite lost a lot of the time. He’s helped me both on the magical and the mischief path” she spoke with a laugh and he couldn’t express how much the thought made him smile. She would be lost without me.

“Oh Anne, before I forget, Ominis wanted me to pass along his regards along with some of your favorites from Honeydukes” she said reaching into the enchanted satchel she always kept on her and placing the treats from their mutual friend on the table.

“When did you have time to go to hogsmeade?” Sebastian asked, finally joining in on the conversation. He was genuinely curious given he was also there the day before.

“Oh ominis asked me to accompany him yesterday to collect this for you and help me pick out something as well” she said avoiding his gaze. For a brief second Sebastian’s heart sunk at the thought of her and Ominis walking around Hogsmeade together and alone yet that thought quickly faded as he realized why his friends had gone without him to the small village.

His heart practically grew 10 times its normal size as she produced a small basket with yarn and knitting needles, along with a small book explaining the basics of the craft. The girl turned to Anne and explained “I spoke with Ominis and he said you’d taken to doing things with your hands and mentioned you wanted to try your hand at knitting. I figured since we were in the area I could grab something for you.”

Sebastian knew that as kind hearted as the girl was, she hadn’t merely gotten the idea while strolling the small village, and that it had to have been her idea to go in the first place. If he could’ve conjured a ring out of thin air he would’ve. Sebastian thought back to when his father explained that he had known that Sebastian’s mother was the one he wanted as his wife from their first interaction. This now made so much more sense in the young boys mind.

Ann immediately jumped to her feet, tossing her thin arms around y/n muttering many “thank you’s” at the girl before returning to her chair. She brought one of the teal colored yarns up and turned to Sebastian and asked “this color is lovely, it really brings out y/n’s eyes doesn’t it?”

He simply nodded as the girls started to flip through the book discussing how one would go about knitting a scarf. His two favorite girls. Without thinking he reached under the table, grabbing her hand from where it rested on her lap, bringing it over to rest on her knee. She briefly looked at him and smiled, allowing him to wrap his fingers around her own before squeezing his hand. He returned the gesture as if to say told you she would love you.

It wasn’t long before their uncle came inside the small house. Immediately upon entering Anne stood from her chair and quickly showed Solomon the gift brought to her by the new student. The older man, while slightly surprised, nodded and made a mental note to comment on it to his nephew later. In the months since Anne fell ill, he had yet to see her so full of excitement and life. He couldn’t be more grateful for his nephew bringing this strange girl into their home.

“I don’t mean to cut this short, however this has been a lot of excitement for Anne in one day, and she probably should rest.” He cut in after another half hour of listening to the young girls chatter about everything from hogwarts to the London fashions.

She nodded knowingly and Anne was quick to hug her before even attempted to reach for Sebastian. “Please visit again soon. This has been the most wonderful of times” Anne said pleading. She smiled at her warmly and said “of course, I will visit when I can. In the meantime I promise to owl”

“Wonderful!” Ann then whispered something to the girl, making her blush as she stepped back to allow Sebastian to say goodbye to his twin.

Anne folded herself once again into his arms. “Is this new cologne Sebastian?” She said out loud. He could’ve died in that moment, knowing the girl most certainly would’ve caught him in the lie he told her earlier. He only nodded against the top of Ann’s head before leaning back and saying “See you later goober”. Anne quickly smacked him with the book on the table before reaching over to her bed and handing in the small box he had asked her to prepare before he came.

Solomon offered to walk the pair out, as he held the door for her. Sebastian stuffed the small box under his arm and followed behind the girl and his uncle. Once outside his uncle shook her hand one more time saying “you’re welcome back any time y/n. Thank you for attempting to make a man out of my nephew. Although if you could get him to fix that mop on his head before Christmas so I don’t have to take shears to it myself I would be grateful”.

She simply smiled and awkwardly nodded, noticing the mild edge in Solomon’s voice lending more towards an actual command not a joke. It made her uneasy seeing Sebastian’s face at the comment.

Solomon turned towards Sebastian and nodded before heading back inside. Finally being away from his uncle, he let out a sigh of relief and returned his attention to the beautiful slytherin girl next to him. Without thinking he laced his fingers in hers and they walked towards the floo flame together.

Before they reached it she asked him “so what shall we do with the rest of our Saturday. It will be a while before the great hall is serving dinner?”

“I was thinking we could spend some time in the undercroft. I asked Anne to grab some of our keepsakes so I could show you since I knew Solomon would rush us off”. He responded. He was still a little angry about his uncle ordering around a girl he just met, a girl who had been nothing but sweet, on Sebastian’s behalf. However he refused to let Solomon ruin this otherwise perfect day.

“That sounds wonderful, let’s go” she said pulling him into the bright green flame into the halls of the defense against the dark arts tower of Hogwarts.

___________________________

“Wait Sebastian you were so adorable!” She exclaimed looking at the photo of him on his mothers lap when he was around 5 years old.

“Were?” He asked feigning being upset by placing his hands on his chest.

“I mean you still are, however look at this. You looked adorable. Look at your little ponytail” she says waving the photo around still amused how precious his former self looked.

He pawed the hair on his neck, trying to remember what it had felt like to have his hair that long. She noticed him looking down in his lap with the saddest of expressions while pulling on his hair so she shifted closer, putting the photo back in the box and pushing it aside. She was slightly unsure how to proceed however she had an idea. So lifted her hands to his hair and slowly brushed her fingers through the slightly wavy brown locks. The second her fingers made contact his hand stilled and he looked at her. For a brief moment she was terrified she misread his emotions and had annoyed the boy. His wild expression unreadable, however he made no attempts to stop her. So she continued her slow motion, helping to separate the gel so it returned to its more wild and natural state.

“While I appreciate the attempt at grooming I prefer you a bit more, we’ll say, ruggedly handsome” she mentioned as an explanation for her actions.

He immediately calmed feeling her deft fingers along his scalp. Thinking of how his mothers hands used to brush through his hair, separating the knots and tying the band to keep it contained while he played. His mother always loved his hair when he was younger and took much time to attend to it. While it may not have been his fathers favorite look for the young boy, his love for his wife overshadowed all else. Sebastian, even as a young boy, felt that those moments where his mother lovingly adjusted, groomed or simply played with his hair to be some of the most loving actions he had ever felt. While Anne had grown into a similar role at times with both their lack of a mother, she never really intended the action the same way. He loved his twin more than anything, but she saw attempts to help her brother groom as a necessity, almost a chore, not an outlet to show love and affection as their mum had.

Sitting in there undercroft now Sebastian couldn’t help but let out a single quiet tear at how much this moment meant to him. It rolled down his freckled cheek so quickly most people would have missed it. She noticed it almost immediately, reaching a thumb over to brush it from his cheek before continuing without a word. It’s his story to tell or keep she reminded herself.

After a while a he peaked open his brown eyes, looking directly into hers. His eyes had remained glassy despite not shedding anymore actual tears. The knot in his throat remained. She smiled briefly at him as she slowly started to pull her hands away. He reached his hand up to stop her from removing her fingers. Pushing them back up into his hair she chucked as he acted almost childish in his wish to be doted on. While she didn’t want to admit that the position had become slightly uncomfortable she was beginning to struggle to keep her arms up as the boy was taller than her even while sitting. She slowly eased his slumping shoulder down so that he laid on the floor of the undercroft atop the blanket they conjured. Laying with his shoulders and head across her lap he sighed as she continued.

Hours, minutes, days, he had no clue how long he laid there allowing her to give him the simplest but most meaningful affection he had experienced in years possible ever. Every so often he’d crack open his eyes to see her smiling down at him. She’d brush the back of a hand over his forehead or freckle filled cheeks before returning to his brown hair. The action slowly made the lump in his throat dissipate and this almost sad expression was replaced with a slight smile as he thought she must truly care for me, to show such affections.

“My mum used to always do this when I couldn’t sleep” he said, voice horse from the lack of use and swelling emotion he was feeling. He opened his eyes to gage her reaction. She simply nodded continuing while allowing him to say what he wished. He appreciated her understanding that this kind of a story, should be left completely on him to share.

“She really did love my longer hair you know. Dad always put the foot down when it got too much past my shoulders but mum loved it.” He paused gathering his thoughts. Unsure if this story was even worth sharing with the girl. He was sure she probably didn’t need to know such trivial things about him, however after watching today as she fully committed herself to gaining respect in what remained of his family, as well as showing him the extent of her care towards him, Sebastian didn’t doubt for a second he should share everything there was to know about him. He truly had nothing to lose yet everything in the world to gain from having such a wonderful girl at his side. As silly as it may sound he wanted someone other than Anne to know the reason he had strong aversions to getting his cut or why he thoroughly enjoyed this moment now.

“When they died, and uncle Solomon came to collect us I figured it would be the last thing on anyone’s mind. You would think he wouldn’t want to further upset a kid who just lost his parents ya know? But the second we crossed that threshold at feldcroft he marched me to that kitchen chair muttering how boys should always look proper, keeping their hair off the ears and collar, before giving me a hack job that rivaled Duncan Hobhouse. I remember Anne watching terrified from the side of the room but unable to do anything. To a young kid having something so wrapped in your identity stripped, especially given how much my mother loved showing her care to me that way…” he trailed off not knowing how to continue the thought without breaking down. He decided to shift away as he was sure she understood the train of thought and would prefer to keep what little dignity he may have as a young man in front of the girl.

“Every so often in the years after same story. Aggressive shearing at the kitchen table and then forcing me to clean it up. Eventually Anne learned how to cut just enough to keep it with in his rules so he would stop. Ever since Anne was cursed it’s been the last thing in everyone’s mind, until today. I still have no idea why he would even tell you that is your responsibility “ Sebastian let out an annoyed sigh as he played with the buttons on his vest.

Her hand had stilled in his hair and he knew their calm moment may have ended. She still kept her fingers on his scalp as she responded “oh Sebastian… that’s horrible. I am terribly sorry”. Her voice was full of empathy. He looked up at her and swallowed unsure how they were to proceed now that so much had been revealed in the dim light of the undercroft.

“You have nothing to apologize for Love…” his words dropped off for a moment and he moved his hand to grab one of hers before holding it tightly in both of his. “You truly have showed me more care than anyone has since our parents died” he continued while examining every crevice of her beautiful hands. Sure she had some scattered scars on her knuckles and callouses from her wand scattered, but he decided then and there that these were the most beautiful hands he had ever seen.

He wanted to show her even half an ounce the love she had shared for him, but was unsure how to be proper about it. Given their close proximity little remained in terms of getting closer. He did not feel as though he had crossed a line she was uncomfortable with. He slowly brought her palm close to his mouth.

She felt her breath falter the second his lips made contact with her palm. He didn’t rush it either, slowly allowing himself to place a kiss on her palm, before moving just above where he placed the first to place another. Slowly he placed delicate, butterfly like kisses over every inch of her hand and fingers. Somewhere along the way he started muttering out “thank you” after “thank you” against her skin. She sudden felt lightheaded.

Sebastian wasn’t sure when he planned on stopping. He wasn’t sure if he ever wanted a moment to pass for the rest of his life where he didn’t have some sort of contact on her soft skin. He prayed to Merlin she hadn’t noticed how he lingered too long when he kissed her ring finger. His eyes opening for a brief moment to imagine what a simple band would look like adorning her lovely hand. The thought almost scared him and yet exhilarated him at the same time. Of course this wonderful woman should one day carry his hand, his ring, his name, his children…

After a while he stopped and thread his fingers in hers. Same as he had at this kitchen table, it still felt like a perfect fit. They laid in the silence together, listening to each other breathe.

She decided that while she did enjoy getting a deeper spot in his heart and mind, they had a lifetime for serious moments. “So Anne gave you the cologne?” She mischievously mentioned with a sarcastic tone. He had completely forgot Anne ousted his lie.

Sebastian felt warmth flash over ever inch of his body. He finally leaned up from his resting spot on her lap and shyly rubbed his neck. “I may have lied…” was the only response he could come up with.

She laughed plucking the courage to grab his hand voluntarily. He slightly smiled at her comfort in the act. “It’s okay Sebastian I know you just wanted to impress me” she said almost teasing him, however given it was a true statement he saw no need in denying it.

The Sallow boy figured he wanted one more milestone before they would have to return to their normal lives. Nothing too far however after the day they had he wanted more than to just hold her hand. He unwrapped their fingers to instead put his arm around her shoulders. Pulling her body close to his, he allowed his warmth to circle her. He leaned in closer to her ear, lip’s barely grazing the lobe as he playfully whispered “So have i successfully impressed you y/n?” He asked not really caring about the answer. He truly just wanted to see her face flush. When her cheeks slowly tingled with pink she nodded while briefly making eye contact before staring into her lap.

“I will admit I like this more mature version of Sebastian I’ve had the pleasure of meeting today” she replied after a moment. He took a single strand of hair that was resting near his hand on her shoulder and twirled it letting it slip along his digits. He tried not to think of the implications of what she meant.

“Well, I promise if you wish to see more of him, that he’s all yours, should you choose…” his words faltered as he continued “I wouldn’t just comb my hair for anyone now” Sebastian continued with a laugh as she snorted, surprised at this playful retort in a time so intimate. He always felt those moments ought not be mutually exclusive.

She looked up at him. Same brown eyes as this morning. Same brown hair. Same freckled filled cheeks. Yet it all felt different now. She leaned in and she ever so gently placed a chaste kiss on his right cheek. His eyes fluttered closed as if to savor the moment.

“I would love nothing more”.

——————————————

In the following weeks since their visit to Feldcroft, Sebastian found himself always lingering next to her when he could. Sure she still had Ranrok and the keepers to deal with, occasionally joining Natsi or Poppy out of the castle for endeavors to take down the goblins or criminals, but he was there when she was free. Moments to and from class he found himself walking along side her, tucking her school supplies and in under one arm while the other was stretched out towards her. Despite still continuing their playful banter, he would find himself rushing ahead to hold doors, pulling out chairs for her to sit or offering his robe when she got cold. A flirty gentleman some would say.

The attention had not gone unnoticed by those around him either. Their house mates and friends obviously were quick to notice, as they saw more of the pair in places like the common room cuddled up next to the fire or at dinner when he’d offer the last roll to her. Poppy had clocked her crush on Sebastian quite early, as in one of their magical beasts class she caught the Slytherin girl staring longingly at the boy who was cuddling up next to a niffler.

Even some of the professors had noticed not just the pair, but the shift in the resident trouble maker as well. While he had always used a strong sense of manors around adults, they slowly started to notice the lack of finding him in precarious situations. Madam Scribner slowly started leaving the Restricted Section of the Library with its normal enchanted lock, and now no longer finding it tampered with in the mornings. Professor Sharp saw the way the boy was always quick to grab her often heavy advanced potions books and supplies, treating them with such care. One comment from professor Garlick almost sent her into a coma as the sweet herbology professor noted that it was “such a lovely thing to see young love blossoming at Hogwarts”, encouraging Sebastian to feel free to select any of the flowers he wished from her muggle section of the greenhouses. While he groaned at the embarrassment he still took her up on the offer anyway, often slipping them behind her ear from time to time.

After Ominis walked in on Sebastian and her laying in the undercroft one night sharing sweet words and stolen pecks, she decided she ought to show him the room of requirement. Deek had sworn to not tell professor Weasley of Sebastian’s presence as she had done so much for him and the magic creatures around hogwarts. Deek himself thought the calming nature that Sebastian brought the often stressed young girl to be a lovely thing. She truly did need to stop trying to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Sebastian had slowly realized as time went on that they could possibly save Anne with her ancient powers so his trips to the restricted section became less and less frequent. He slipped into an almost normalcy with her, in the most proper and respectable of ways. Something the mischievous boy would never have seen coming months before if you asked him. However, she had reigned him in much like she had the wild magical creatures she kept in the vivarium.

Sebastian had grown to love nothing more than sneaking off with her to the secret room after dinner and laying in the grass of her vivarium as she stroked his still growing brown locks. While he was still unsure quite how they worked, given his slowly growing tan, he would assume they acted as a port key of sorts, bringing them to a place almost always warm and sunny. The sunlight that brought him a slightly darker complexion was bringing out more of the freckles that she loved so dearly, as well as turning some of his brown tresses into a color similar to honey. She couldn’t help but love what the sunlight brought out in the young man.

Today they had migrated inside the back rooms of her private area, laying on a sectional she conjured months before. Her magic abilities in the brief amount of time she had known of them still impressed him. She set a book they had found in one of Isadoras’s workshops on the arm rest of the chair reading over the notes. He laid his head in the almost permanently claimed spot of her lap, soaking up the now normal affection of her petting his hair.

“What are your plans for winter holiday?” He asked her. She looked up from her book nervously. It’s not that she didn’t want him to worry but she knew he would feel bad for her when he discovered she had no plans other than staying at hogwarts.

“Well… professor Fig and I decided that with so many people after me right now, returning home to my very much muggle family would put them in harms way. I planned to stay here honestly…” she felt sheepish. The poor girl with no where to go in order to keep her family safe. Professor Fig had helped her pen them about the danger and while they were disappointed they understood why she intended to keep them at distance for now. Initially wary of the strange man who explained that their seemingly normal daughter was a witch, now accepting that he would stop at nothing to help keep her safe.

Sebastian sat up from her lap shocked she was going to spend Christmas alone. He reached for some blank parchment and a quill immediately without thinking. She looked at him confused for a moment before asking what he was doing.

“Writing to Uncle Solomon. No one should be alone at the holidays. Besides we already take in Ominis and Anne’s been begging to see you again”. He made it sound so natural. Of course she would spend her holidays with him. It made every ounce of sense to Sebastian.

She quietly responded “are you sure that’s okay? I don’t want to impose…”

He looked up from the now finished note, trying to find the owl that occasionally hung out in her private room. Finding it, he simply passed on instructions and sent the snowy owl on its way. Sebastian rejoined her on the couch, collecting her slightly shaky hands in his. “I see no reason for him to object given the situation. Whenever you’re there things are… easier” he quickly pondered how harvest festival had gone with her at their table. She actually did the heavy lifting with the cooking since Anne was still unwell and their uncle always seemed to burn dinner without the help of a “woman’s touch”. The pair of young girls had moved about the kitchen together laughing as flour coated their hair and warm smells filled the house. Even Ominis occasionally cracked a smile at their antics, finally getting to enjoy his two friends together and Anne seeming to be in better spirits than normal. The only bump in the road once again being Solomon slightly more grumpy this time, telling him to get a haircut before he returned home again. The thought loomed over him but he brushed it off as he still had a week to figure something out…

“I want you there” he said with sincerity as he found her eyes. She looked at him smiling and nodding. “Well we shall wait for your uncle to approve it or not before getting too excited” she said.

She always was more realistic and grounded than him. He understood though. She was the rational for his passionate nature. With the danger she faced and the power beneath her fingers, she had to be calm and level headed as to properly handle situations she found herself in. They had grown to compliment each other wonderfully.

“Of course. Although I don’t imagine he will take poorly to the idea. Although my uncle and I don’t often get along, he seems to enjoy my presence more now that you’re around.” Sebastian poked at her side and she laughed.

——————————————

They were in the slytherin common room close to curfew with Ominis and Imelda when the owl returned from Feldcroft. Sebastian unwound its note, snagging a treat that he discovered she always carried for his personal owl off her. The discovery had warmed his heart.

Sebastian,

I will allow y/n to come, with a set of conditions, as Anne seems to truly do better when she is around. First, you will continue to be a gentleman towards her. I want no funny business, and nothing beyond what is acceptable. Secondly I want no talk of a cure for Anne while anyone is here. Let us simply enjoy a normal holiday without your rambling. Lastly, I meant what I said about fixing that damn hair of yours. You have a lady on your arm, and you are representing our family, be mindful of that.

Off the ears and off the collar.

~ Solomon

She sat next to him, eyes pleading his response as he finished reading the note. He was thrilled she would be allowed to come… with the exception of the last part. Given their proximity to curfew he didn’t want to delve into the intricacies of why his uncle allowed her to come until the morning. The thought of openly giving Imelda ammunition on his hair, something she mocked enough on her own, made he queasy. Ominis also would tease him relentlessly if he knew, so he decided to wait until the following day to discuss it with her. They only had potions on Fridays, so they spent more time in the room of requirement on those class days.

“He said you are more than welcome to come.” Sebastian responded while tucking the note back in his blazer, as he had discarded his robe soon after reaching the common room. He accepted whatever fate he’d have to deal with in order to spend a holiday with his sister and his best girl…

——————————————

The night had come and gone. Sebastian was standing in the shared slytherin bathroom fixing his tie in the mirror before breakfast. His wet hair was still clinging to his forehead and in the back touching his shoulders. He sighed, running his hand through the brown tresses. In the past 7 weeks since she met his family, he had thoroughly enjoyed having her preen his locks. She was not shy about the fact his hair had to be one of her favorite qualities about him. He knew at some point it would have to come to an end as Solomon was still his guardian. Still it felt bittersweet.

He found himself zoning out at breakfast and in class. He was anxious beyond belief. The only thing keeping him grounded was her hand holding his beneath the table as she brought him back to earth every so often. She’d smile warmly at him and he’d fall back into reality for a bit as he briefly overheard the grumpiest of the professors praising her skill with the caldron. That’s my girl.

Once they finished for the day, he helped her navigate the halls with a simple hand on her lower back and all their books in his other arm. They always found themselves in the room of requirement without having to mention where they were going. Once inside she took off, going to care for the magical creatures. He sat nervously in one of the chairs she kept near her loom, holding the note from his uncle he’d received the night before. The same phrase that had been repeated over and over as he attempted to sleep still plagued him: off the ears and off the collar.

Sebastian wished he knew why such a trivial task caused him such anxiety. At the end of the day, hair was hair and it grew back. Even he could admit it was getting to the point he found himself frustrated with it most of the time as it fell into his line of sight or tickled his ears. He was more concerned with how she was handle it. That and the logistics of who was going to take shears to his head, since if it was him, he knew it would look bad.

She stepped out of the vivarium and walked towards him. In her hands she held some puffskin fur and joberknot feathers. She laid them out next to the loom and came to stand near him. Her fingers immediately sought out his hair. Usually the act would cause him to relax but now he found himself tensing up. She sensed him tense and removed her hand, almost wounded by his reaction. He looked at her as if to say it’s nothing you did.

He simply held up the note from Solomon for her to read as explanation for his strange reaction. At first she was worried something had happened with Anne, and quickly snatched the note. She had noticed his downtrodden nature all day and was worried what caused it. When she finally finished reading she understood why he seemed upset.

“What are you going to do?” She asked him in a hushed whisper. It seemed so trivial the more he thought about it. The girl who had a thousand problems, and faced real danger at every corner, was treating something so seemingly stupid with the same care she would rescuing someone from the likes of Victor Rookwood.

He sighed and grabbed her hand from his shoulder, placing a kiss on her knuckle. “Be a man and get a haircut” he said with a small laugh. No one was dying and she would continue to feel the same about him, at least he thought so.

She looked concerned for a moment before responding “who are you going to have do it for you?” She asked shifting her weight to her other foot. It was a reasonable question, and he understood why she’d ask. Anne was in no position to be doing such things. Ominis, while an expert at somehow managing to maintain his own hair perfectly, was unfortunately blind. He wouldn’t trust someone like Imelda near his head with shears. That only left himself and the girl as far as he thought.

“I could attempt it myself, or you could try..?” He seemingly posed as a question. While he was confident she would do her absolute best, and wouldn’t Intentionally make him look bad, the worried look at the thought that crossed her face made him concerned.

She pondered it for a moment, face full of anxiety and fear. Then she had a brief flash of realization. She took his arm, leading him to the floo flame towards an unknown destination. Under normal circumstances he’d be worried but he fully trusted her. At the end of the day, he truly only was concerned about looking presentable for her.

Within seconds of using the flame he smelled the familiar air of Hogsmeade. She continued pulling him off towards the small river. He let her. She knew what she was doing. Sebastian knew one thing about his life at the current moment: he could trust her with just about anything from his life to even something as small as grooming. She knew how much small things like this were sometimes scary for him. Sebastian knew that she would respect his childhood trauma entirely while also making sure he didn’t walk away appearing as if he got attacked by a kneazle.

He saw the striped red pole and realized where the girl must be taking him. He remembers Anne coming here after a confringo disaster lead to her requiring the bangs she still kept to this day. Madam Snelling sure had a reputation around Hogsmeade as someone who, while occasionally pegged for rude, was honest to a fault. In fact, day of the troll attack, while she was off repairing carts for some of the venders she had stopped him, practically begging him to allow her the opportunity to tame the unruly hair that was even quite disheveled at the beginning of their school year.

Before heading inside she gave him one last glance as if to ask “is this okay?” And he simply nodded, grabbing the door and stepping aside so she may enter. Upon entering she was immediately swept into loud pleasantries with the flamboyant woman. He watched almost laughing as the girl received air kisses from the stylist commenting on how she is glad the girl took her advice and started leaving her hair down from time to time.

He glanced around realizing while he passed it often in Hogsmeade, it was one of the few stores he actually hadn’t stepped foot in. He did know for a fact that Ominis liked to pretend he didn’t come inside almost twice a month to maintain the same appearance he had sported since first year. After today Sebastian realized he could no longer tease his friend for it. “So what brings you in today?” The older woman asked, glancing at the pair of Slytherin students.

She pulled him closer to her side as he had unintentionally been cowering behind her. “Well, I know you said I could cash in a favor sometime, so I was wondering if you could help this one out in place of that favor…” she trailed off gesturing to Sebastian.

Madam snelling looked absolutely thrilled finally seeing the young boy who’s hair had to have been as lovely as his twins sister in her shop. “Ah the Sallow boy! I remember your sister, Ann isn’t it?” He simply nodded reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. He felt her hand slowly rubbing up and down his back in reassurance. “I have been wanting to get my hands on that mane months ago after the troll attack! Besides I do owe your friend a favor for running all the way to the coast to collect supplies for me”. She started rambling about how floo travel turned whatever she had delivered into unintentional hair dye so it must be transported via broom.

She removed her hand from his back and stepped back towards the stylist, speaking in a quiet tone he couldn’t quite understand. Madam Snelling nodded quickly at whatever she had informed her of quickly replying “I will be gentler than a mooncalf I promise! Come on over Love” she said turning her attention back towards him.

He cautiously sat down, allowing her to tousle his hair around before she asked him “so what kind of style would you like today?”

He hadn’t really thought about it. The events of the last 24 hours had led him into a situation he truly couldn’t have planned for. Snelling must have realized he didn’t know so she hoped to ease him in a direction by saying “I know your other friend, the blind boy, comes here often. I could do the same as him if you want?” No. He wanted to scream that while his friend looked great, that is not a look Sebastian imagined would look good on himself.

She spoke up quickly from next to him before he found the words to respond. “Is there any way you could just help clean up what he has now? As long as its just off the ears and collar I am sure it will be a tad more acceptable than it is now”.

Thank Merlin. He thought to himself.

“I don’t really do simply acceptable if you know what I mean dear. I made a career out of making people look good. While… we certainly have a good frame to work from there’s much to be desired by this current lack of style. I have a few ideas on my own, I was wondering if you knew what essence you were reaching for?” Sebastian was more than confused. How does hair have an essence?

The girl once again cut in, bringing the words he could no longer find to the conversation, “What about just a proper gentleman with a more ruggedly handsome edge? He has this one lock that always falls on his forehead, I would hate to see that too tamed you know? I think he should maintain a sense of himself. Also if you can leave it long enough to still put a hand through that would be perfect.”

Madam Snelling immediately started smiling and nodding her head. Finally. While Sebastian was quite confused what exactly that all meant, knowing she like also didn’t know what the outcome would be either, he trusted her.

It wasn’t long before he found himself with hair freshly washed and an anxious expression meeting her face. She gave him a reassuring smile. At least he knew that he would avoid another hack job at the hands of his uncle or an accidental mistake if she had braved his unruly hair in the room of requirement. A quite funny thought of Deek appearing just to see him with a towel around his shoulders and poorly cut hair on the floor almost made him laugh. Oh Merlin, if they had to rely on the house elf for help that would’ve been a disaster.

Honestly, the more he pondered it, the chances of ending up at a place like here to fix a mess someone else made seemed the most likely outcome. They had simply bypassed few steps. He could live with that.

Sebastian realized that this didn’t have to seem such the death sentence he had built it up to be in his head. He wasn’t a young boy anymore, who could have long hair being groomed by his mother. He was a young man who, wether he wanted to admit it or not, had to demonstrate the best the Sallow name had to offer. Sebastian should want to look presentable for her, so she could walk around her dorms without Imelda mocking her about when she was going to ‘groom him’. He finally sat up straighter seeing this as an opportunity for success not a punishment designed to make him fail. Besides, she was along him every step of the way, and would still be there at the end of the day to take him back to the privacy they developed and continue preening him.

He was slowly loosing himself in his thoughts when he heard her ask Madam Snelling “Is there any way possible you could show me how to do that? We often don’t get much free time these days and as I am sure you can tell, he still is quite jumpy when strangers touch him. It may be a good piece of knowledge to have for future reference”.

The woman simply nodded bringing the girl around to show her exactly what she was doing as he sat there, unsure where to look. He opted to simply close his eyes and let the process unfold without him awkwardly making eye contact in the mirror.

When the snipping started he was thankful that he had already shut his eyes as the first few sounds were quite jarring. He slowly felt his right ear being unearthed from the months of hair growth. It felt cold.

Madam Snelling, for as much shit as everyone gave her, genuinely seemed to care about her customers comfort in the chair. She noticed him still slightly tense and simply asked if she could get him anything, which he brushed off, opening his eyes again to see her very patient eyes examining the process in case in the future she would have to repeat it.

“Wow Sebastian I didn’t realize truly how long your hair has gotten” she said sheepishly. She almost seemed sorry by the way she spoke. What he didn’t know was that moments ago, seeing him having to loose the locks she knew he enjoyed simply so she could spend Christmas in Feldcroft made her feel guilty. It almost hadn’t crossed her mind, but as the first wave of chocolate brown hair hit the floor she understood the gravity of the situation. He was putting himself in a situation he didn’t want to be in for her.

The two had become close in the small amount of time they’d known each other and he could read her tone immediately. While confused why she would feel such as way, he lifted a hand out, almost beckoning her to grab it.

She didn’t notice him reaching for her at first, as her eyes were still trained to the floor watching the small mountain of brown hair accumulate at her feet. The same soft brown hair she loved watching him tousle. The same hair she herself would ruffle to calm him. Snelling sure is taking a lot of hair off she couldn’t help but think. It wasn’t until he cleared his throat that she realized he was holding a hand out to her. She moved around, careful to not slip over his hair, and allowed him to thread his fingers with hers.

She had spent so much time reassuring him that everything would be fine, and now he needed to return the favor. “Hey, I really don’t mind this y/n. You’ve been kind enough to help me get this done properly, which I never would have asked for or even thought to do. Hell I was content to pass the shears to the house elf and let him give it a go when he’s only got a few hairs to call his own” she laughed at the thought as he continued “Is it something I would’ve done for myself, probably not, but this is such a small price to pay to wake up and see you amongst my family Christmas morning.” He spoke to her calmly for the first time since last night. She simply nodded.

He did feel the need to break the looming serious that had been over them by adding “Besides, it was getting unruly. How on Earth did you allow yourself to be seen in public with me?”.

She shrugged at his words with a small smile, realizing he was slowly starting to let go of the tension as the nape of his neck was slowly appearing for the first time since she’d known him. Finally coming to peace with the situation he tried to just relax. Haircuts could feel nice he supposed. Solomon always haphazardly grabbed large chunks of his hair, quickly removing them in whatever fashion was the fastest. Anne, while more gentle, just simply cut every strand a tad shorter than it was, unwilling to go further for fear of messing up. While the feeling of the enchanted shears and Madam Shellings fingers on his scalp were gentle. She would cautiously lift certain pieces, explaining to the girl what she was doing, before allowing the strands to be clipped. It felt more relaxing than he figured it would. Not quite as nice as the new student simply running her hands through his hair, but still nice.

He did loose his calm nature for a brief moment when he opened his eyes to search where she had situated herself and he caught a glimpse of a quite large chunk of his brown locks falling into his lap. Oh Merlin. He couldn’t help but semi-panic but when he made eye contact again with the girl, seeing her smiling at his new appearance, the worry disappeared again.

Eventually the snipping stopped and he was turned away from the mirror. He felt hands pushing strands of his hair out of his face. At least he knew he had a tad bit left. He had begun to grow mildly concerned seeing the size of some of the snippets and with how long it was beginning to take. Madam snelling took a step back, asking his companion what she thought.

He was curious at her reaction, blushing as she looked down at him. She came forward, pulling a strand or two onto his forehead. Her eyes locking with his brown ones. He sucked in a breath seeing her so close. “I love seeing these few pieces fall over his brow” she said before continuing “I really love it Madam Snelling. I can’t thank you enough for both being gentle and informative. I had grown used to the unkept look, I think it certainly looks more mature.”

“It was a pleasure Dear. I do say it’s some of my best work. What did you call it again?” She asked reaching around and undoing the cape around him, sending massive amounts of different sized clippings onto the floor. Sebastian stood and reached up to his neck. It was quite odd not immediately feeling brown curls under his fingers, but it wasn’t a bad thing necessarily.

“A ruggedly handsome gentleman?” She asked looping her fingers through his, pulling him towards a mirror. After having to navigate his hair on the floor - a sight that might’ve sent him into a coma days before - he found himself gazing at his appearance for the first time.

The sides were not much to write home about. Short enough to comply with Solomon’s rules, but not sheared down l short enough to show skin. The top however was shockingly split down the middle where it used to be pushed all to one side. In the front strands had been left longer and had been pushed back, almost like curtains, over his ears stood. In the front he saw the few strands she had pulled back on his brow in their normal place. It was different, but he felt as though it could be a nice change.

“So what do we think?” He found the stylist leaning against her counter, lighting a cigarette, beaming at her work.

Sebastian had to admit, he really did look good. Probably more put together than he had in years, yet as he lifted his hands to run his finger through it, noting that she had left him enough length in the curtain style fringe to run his hands through and push it off his face on both sides. “It’s going to take some getting used to…” he started to say, feeling her eyes on him, and he continued musing his brown locks in the mirror, gaining confidence as he continued. “I think its a nice change. I still feel like myself which is nice. It just won’t take a long time in the morning fusing over it not laying properly. Thank you, I am not sure I could have properly articulated this, but it’s perfect”.

He wasn’t sure how much of the thanks came across as directed at Snelling instead of her, but he didn’t really care. He truly just wanted to go back in the Room of Requirement and spend time with her until dinner, where he was sure their friends were going to have a lot to say. He merely put an arm out for her to hold. Madam Snelling passed him a small thing of gel, similar to Ominis’s but not quite as greasy. She explained to him that just a little would go a long way in keeping it looking tousled but in place. She even demonstrated how to quickly for the boy. She then sent the kids on their way with a quick comment about how long it was going to take to clean her floor from the massacre she preformed on his head. She slipped her arm into his and followed him out the door with a chime.

“Care to join me for a butter bear m’lady?” He spoke with a bad posh accent making her laugh.

“Lead the way kind sir” she responded as the pair headed off for the three broomsticks.

—————————————

When they reappeared in the Room of Requirement a small voice called out semi-startling the pair.

“How wonderful it is to see you again Miss y/l/n, and with your friend Sebastian who looks much older with his new do. ” The small house elf spoke up as they came barreling in the room laughing about how pale Sebastians neck look in comparison to the rest of him.

Receiving taunts from their friends was something he expected, however compliments from a house elf weren’t on his list of things to happen today. Sebastian simply responded “thank you Deek” as he ran a hand through the left side which had slightly shifted back onto his forehead from the floo travel.

Deek turned his attention back to her, telling her one of her thestrals had given birth to a fawn as Sebastian found himself looking in one of the many mirrors spread around the room. He was slowly getting acclimated to how it felt, getting used to not seeing the wild brown locks haphazardly placed around his head would take some getting used to. It felt a lot lighter as well.

He had already received several compliments now, Sirona hardly recognized him, saying that it was a “pleasant and unexpected change”. Although, the way she had passed glasses between the pair made him question if the witch was referring to the haircut or the change between himself and the new student.

After checking on the recently born thestral she joined him in the adjacent room on the lounge. As she sat next to him, he caught her staring, quickly quipping “you are staring you know”.

She quickly muttered out an apology, “I am sorry, your ears are just really lovely. Who knew they were hiding under there this whole time?”

“How are ears lovely?” He questioned with a laugh.

“I don’t know, they just are…” she trailed off, looking at her lap, embarrassed. He carefully lifted a hand to move her hair from covering the ear closest to him. While he didn’t exactly know what she had meant, he still took the opportunity to playful mess with her.

Lowering his mouth to her ear he kissed the outer shell before lowering his mouth, whispering against her earlobe the same way he had done in Feldcroft so long ago; “Everything about you is lovely, you know that?” He told her. While attempting to get a rise out of her, he still meant the words. He wasn’t prepared for the small moan that came tumbling past her lips before she could stop it.

Heat quickly rushed to both their cheeks. Maybe it was feeling more confidence due to the recent makeover, but Sebastian decided to do something that aired on the side of not-so-proper. He leaned back in towards her ear again, ever so carefully taking the lobe between his lips. He could feel the way she suckled in a deep breath, holding it. He lightly allowed his teeth to graze the delicate skin before leaning back just enough that he could see her eyes.

Somewhere along the way she had closed her eyes at the feeling. Her cheeks still flaming red as the new found act of intimacy startled and excited her in ways she didn’t fully understand. Before she had time to respond the bells for dinner started chiming and the trance was broken.

“We should probably go eat” she whispered out, not moving and voice thick with the looming feelings surrounding both of them.

“I concur, after you” he said responding in a similar manor. Neither moved. While he was certain she enjoyed the affection, he was unsure if she felt he crossed a line. The two, while close and growing daily into a nice rhythm, had yet to officially address what they were developing into. Realizing he had neglected to properly ask her to be his, assuming their shared glances, hand holding, and other moments to be sufficient.

When she didn’t move from the couch he simply decided that was something he needed to rectify. Sebastian pulling his weight from beside her, moving to the floor in front of where she sat. Taking one of her hands in his own he went to speak when he noticed her eyes get wide. “I am not doing that, calm down” he said realizing this was a similar stance to when rings were involved. Not now, but someday he thought.

“I am realizing on this lovely Friday that I have been improper. I have carried your affections without offering you the full extent of my hand. Would you do me the honor of an honest and proper courtship?” He said it in the same silly voice earlier he had used to invite her to the Three Broomsticks, however the weight of his words poked through despite his antics.

She simply nodded and he placed a delicate kiss to her knuckles before lifting her to her feet. “And would the lady please accompany me to fine dining of the great hall amongst our most cumbersome of allies?” He said continuing the same bit.

The pair broke out in laughter slowly creeping out the hall towards the floo flame. Given they would depart tomorrow for Feldcroft, she stopped to make sure Deek would be able to care for the beasts while she was away. Sebastian watched as the house elf handed her a scarf knit from the joberknot feathers she had been saving. She thanked him, giving him a small book in return. She is kind even to house elfs he thought.

The last thing they heard Deek say as they headed to exit was “It is so lovely to see Miss y/l/n and her friend Sebastian so happy”. And for once he couldn’t agree more.

—————————————

While he told himself he was prepared for the amount of grief his housemates were going to throw his way, he certainly wasn’t expecting the news to completely flood the Great Hall…

“No, no please Imelda describe it to me in detail.” Ominis said with a laugh. The table had been making jabs left and right as she and Sebastian arrived and took their normal seats.

“It’s better than he normally looks that is for certain” Imelda said before congratulating her roommate on successfully ‘domesticating’ the boy. She returned to Ominis and for once held back spite as she took her time carefully describing how it looked to their blind friend. While Ominis may have been cracking a joke, he truly did appreciate getting to gain a better sense of what his oldest friend now looked like.

Sebastian wished they could have sat at the Hufflepuff table.

Everyone in his house had similar reactions of openly giving him cheek, yet agreeing it was a pleasant change. He still felt quite self conscious about the whole ordeal. He was extremely grateful when her quiet friend Poppy Sweeting came over to exchange small gifts for the upcoming holiday, finding the courage to say that Sebastian should “Ignore what everyone is saying” and that she thought he “looked very handsome”. She really did live up to that name.

It still wasn’t easy to ignore the gagging noises he could hear from the Gryffindor table as he openly saw Leander and Gareth mocking both his new haircut and his affections towards the girl. He caught them making mocking kiss faces at each other after pretending to lob off Weasleys hair. He could stand to loose a few inches as well he thought before electing to wait until crossed wands to deal with them.

Before long dinner had ended and the group migrated back to their common rooms. Along the way they ran into several professors, including Fig who pulled the girl aside to confirm the work she was to continue over the holiday on their shared mission. The kind old man then returned the young girl to Sebastian’s company and made sure to compliment the boy saying “Mr. Sallow I dare say you have turned into a spritely young gentleman. Please keep an eye on Miss y/l/n over the holiday… although I am sure she will keep as close of an eye on you, as you will on her” Fig flashed a wink at the pair before quickly returning to whatever direction he had been running off to.

When they finally returned back to the safety of the common room the pair collapsed together on the couch closest to the fire. They knew curfew would soon be approaching, and tomorrow would have an early start, but for now they simply wanted to enjoy the remaining moments at Hogwarts before the end of the term.

He kept his arm wrapped around her shoulder as they all continued conversations with their housemates. she noticed on occasion his fingers would start drawing patterns across her shoulder. She did everything in her power to not blush as it slowly lulled her to sleep. Slowly everyone started trickling back to their rooms, leaving the common room mostly empty. He didn’t want to wake her, but assumed shed much rather start tomorrow on a full nights sleep. Besides prefects would be around for bed check soon. He brushed some hair off her face that had fallen when her head had softly leaned into his shoulder.

He placed a soft peck to her forehead, softly rubbing circles on her arm to help her slowly wake up. She stirred and slowly opened her eyes, finding him staring back at her with his lovely brown eyes. “Hey beautiful its bed time” he said still looking down at her.

She nodded and slowly stretched out her stiff muscles before allowing him to help her stand to her feet. She wobbled a bit, but he kept her upright, slowly helping her navigate back to the base of the enchanted steps he couldn’t help her climb. Damned Salazar Slytherin and his stupid charmed stairs.

She climbed up on the first step before turning around to give Sebastian a brief hug. Her toned arms wrapped around his neck and she breathed a sigh into his ear. He felt her smile as her cheek was resting against his skin. Before he could question why, he felt her delicate fingers toy with the now short locks at the base of his neck before she placed a small kiss on his ear, in the same manor he had earlier. Immediately everything became warm.

As quickly as she had done it, she pulled back from him. She ran a quick hand through his hair before saying “I truly love this haircut Sebastian, and I can’t wait to explore all it has to offer… goodnight Love” before running off. Between her comment and actions he felt the blood in his face rush elsewhere, and for once he was glad his best friend and roommate was very blind…

—————————————

It was very early in the morning as Sebastian crept down the hall to shower. He had been up most of the evening and wanted nothing more than to have the cool water run over his body before he was expected to be around people. While today most students boarded the Hogwarts express to go home for the holidays, their method of floo travel meant they weren’t stuck to a strict timeline. However, Sebastian this year wanted to leave early during the winter holidays in order to eat breakfast with Anne instead of in the Great Hall. He had risen earlier than even Omanis usually did, heading to take a quick shower before anyone else would be awake.

It was almost a startling surprise when he realized he grossly overestimated how much shampoo it would require for his short hair, dumping in the normal galleon sized amount, and the suds took forever to wash out. He made a mental note to Remember to use less shampoo next time.

Sebastian quickly dried off and slowly started to dress for the day, opting for a more casual trouser and loose fitting button down shirt. No need to wear the 3 piece plaid suits he was accustomed to at school. Toweling off his hair also took little time at all. He was used to having to fight it in the morning. Attempting to comb it after drying always took forever, yet only took a few seconds now. It was convenient he’d give it that. Heeding Madam Snellings words of caution, he used only a small amount of the cream she’d given him the day before, just to make sure it appeared tidy. While he planned on most days to let it hang somewhat free, making sure his uncle was satisfied today would be important.

After quietly packing his things and heading to the common room, he sat by the fire and decided to continue working on what kept him up late last night. After heading off to bed he realized that now with y/n coming to spend Christmas with his family, that he would also need to think of the perfect gift for her. Ominis was usually one of the simplest people to shop for, as he always enjoyed muggle literature translated into braille. Anne always was quite simple, as he knew his twin inside and out. For her however… it seemed difficult as some gifts seemed too sudden and others seemed not enough. Sebastian also had come to semi-unfortunate realization that she had to be one of, if not the best gift giver in the world. From the handmade niffler plush she made Poppy, to the Ugandan styled Gryffindor robes she designed for Natty.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard movement coming from the girls dorm hallway. Before long he heard quiet laughter. He turned his attention towards the hall in time to see her and Imelda coming down the stairs. Imelda was holding a new quidditch robe in her hands, with her holding what he assumed to be an updated broom in hers. Perfect gift giver.

He was shocked when his girl and Imelda formed a friendship, as he always found the girl quite rude and Anne had less than savory opinions after sharing a room for 4 years. Yet, being around her seemed to bring out a somewhat bearable side in the Irish Slytherin to the point he at this rate considered her more than an acquaintance. Imelda came down the stairs with the girl dressed in a simple linen shirt and trousers, her dark brown hair which usually sat in a boring ponytail was in one of the elaborate braids he knew must have been the work of her skilled hands. She quickly hugged the girl before saying “Happy Christmas” and acknowledging Sebastian with a nod and running back towards their room.

At her quick dismissal she turned around and came to sit with Sebastian. He had tucked the parchment he had been using to brainstorm back in his bag so she would not see. She came and sat next to him, her eyes drinking him in. He suddenly remembered the other thing that kept him up all night…

Sebastian moved to grab the hand she had been using to hold her bag, holding it in his own. “Goodmorning, you look beautiful as ever”. He said taking note of her chosen wardrobe. Dark green trousers which slightly tugged at her thighs, an off white button down that stopped at the elbow and a tight blue vest overtop. She seemed a bit more casual than normal, yet maintained the same look she always managed to have. She had thrown a worn brown leather coat on top of her bag, presumably for if it got colder. At closer inspection he saw… spikes? Where did she get a dragon skin cloak? No doubly plucked it off some poachers now that he thought of it. His girl was resourceful, he would give her that.

He was elated to see she had twisted her y/h/c hair into a very elaborate braid this morning, knowing Anne would enjoy seeing it. He was snapped back to reality when she said “you don’t look too bad yourself. How’s the hair holding up” She gestured towards his head before carefully adjusting his usually misplaced lock back to its natural resting place.

“Still getting used to it… I way overdid it with the soap this morning and it took ages to finally wash out…” her laugh cut him off. She couldn’t help but imagine his shock discovering that his normal amount of shampoo to way too much.

“Ya know, there is one thing I am still trying to figure out about it…” he said, breaking her thoughts from the hilarious image he had initially laid out. She almost didn’t catch how his tone had shifted. However, the gleam in his eyes vanished and instead was replaced by a look that was much darker.

“What would that be” she struggled to get out, voice suddenly going horse with nerves. He leaned in to her, brushing her braid off her shoulder and onto her back. Sebastian took his left pointer finger, slowly running the back of it down the side of her cheek and onto her neck before smirking. Leaning closer to her ear he whispered “I spent practically all night racking my brain trying to figure out exactly what my hair would have to offer you, and why you seemed so eager to explore it…”

At the mention of her own words, her eyes went wide. To be fair, she hadn’t meant to be so lewd the night before. Waking her up from sleep made her a lot more candor than she had ever intended. However, sitting here looking at the half smile playing on the lips of the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen her ability to care was slowly starting to dwindle.

She tried to play the same game he was getting at by replying “I guess you’ll have to wait and find out…” in the most sultry tone she could muster. She was completely unprepared for the almost growl that escaped his throat as she spoke. His eyes grew as it must’ve startled him as well.

Before either could reply they heard a bag drop to the floor near them as well as a voice drift out saying “If you two are done I would like to get going”. Ominis. He sure had a wonderful way of finding them in the worst possible moment. Now was no exception. He did have a point though, Sebastian couldn’t help but think. Collecting his bags, and hers the trio started to the flame, and with a flash were off to Feldcroft for the holidays.

To Be Continued…

Authors note:

I plan to continue this as a small series so stay tuned for when I finish part two, and I will upload as soon as I can! Feel free to leave suggestions if you choose! Also the photo linked in the text is a screenshot from TikTok where someone demonstrated an appearance Mod if anyone would like to know, the account name is @miss_soapy. It provided most of the inspiration for the fic… Thanks for reading!

Part 2 out Now:

#sebastian sallow #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow x slytherin!reader #sebastian sallow x you #ominis gaunt #poppy sweeting #natsai onai #victorian #fluff #hand holding #hair play #haircut #anne sallow #imelda reyes #sebastian sallow/reader

[corvuscorona]

"You Never Forget Your First Love."

The other day, a mutual (hi! you know who you are I think probably hello hi! thank you for the Posting Impetus!) said something that made me curious (for, like, the 80th time, actually; lol. I Have Thoughts) about something: what's the split on people who subscribe to the "Stranger of Paradise probably intended for us to believe that Jack & Sarah were in love" mindset, vs. not? In general, but ESPECIALLY around these parts.

I genuinely didn't read it that way myself (& I do NOT normally give media (general) this much credit, but the writing in this game is sublime; I had no choice but to fully engage Scholar Mode on it), + I think it's interesting that SPECIFICALLY any of my fellow tumblr people / AO3-heads / Gay People Online / etc. seem to have. (I expect nothing from people who haven't been basting themselves in the same online sub-subcultures as me for over a decade. They're allowed to write wrong things on wikis, and have done so already; it's whatever.)

I wanna metapost badly again, so let's go. Join me. No poll. If you have an opinion on this, I'm looking directly into your eyes and beckoning you towards your own keyboard + also the reblog button / comment section, like a weird ghost. What did you think when you first played the game?? What do you think right now? What are you about to think after you have read a bunch of my words. Tell Me. I Need To Know This.

Spoilers for, idk, everything? Today we will use everything we've got to talk about Princess Sarah.

1. As a Narrative Element

This game makes a point of referring to Sarah as things like "a symbol of hope and peace" as often as possible, & when it isn't doing that she's usually in the role of An Object Or Device Of Some Kind, anyway. She's important because she's capable of holding light and dark in balance & SOMEONE'S gotta hold onto this dark crystal for safekeeping, and also we're gonna need to upset that balance on purpose later. There's that conversation in the Wicked Arbor about whether the Strangers would "choose" her (as opposed to "treasure") as the "reward" for succeeding in their mission[1], & there's the one in the Sunken Shrine where Jed asks Jack what he thinks of her and Jack says that he doesn't care about her as a person[2] BUT that protecting her is mission-critical (lol), too.

Sarah's death is metaphorically charged. It's the point of no return: the dark crystal breaks, the balance of light & dark gets extremely ruined, & Literally All The Darkness In Cornelia converges in one place (Fool's Missive XXVII). That's the payoff for the "symbol of hope and peace" motif, and communicating this idea that "the metaphorical light of hope just For Real Died, Like Catastrophically Imploded, No Take-Backs" feels to me like it was the highest priority here. Second-highest goes to "Jack had way more humanity before, but he set it aside on purpose and is actively in the middle of losing the rest of it." "Sort of." "I'm not getting into what counts as humanity or doesn't because if I did we would be here forever."

Basically, I'm saying that the tidiest read on the situation is "Jack despairs because Sarah dying means in a very literary and final way that everything is ruined forever, which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with, like, Love (romantic)." I don't think the text of the game is particularly signaling that Love (romantic) is involved, and I think that if it meant to, it would be more obvious about it. You could bundle "an romance" into the "humanity" thing if you wanted to, but I'm not inclined to, based on some additional list items that you can read below this one.

[1] The fact that Neon ALSO says she feels bad for her for being thought of in this way only reinforces my conviction that the game is pointing at Sarah & yelling "REMEMBER THAT SHE IS MOSTLY A SYMBOL!", tbh. Who wants to go point out how freaky the mechanics of Being An Royalty are w/ me and the boys??

[2] I will give the Wiki WrongPosters this: I can totally see this as some kind of irony thing, given that he's still missing like a fucktillion of his memories when he says it. However! As mentioned above, I have other reasons not to read it as evidence that he was ever, like, romantically interested in her.

2. As a Sheltered Youth™

We don't have a TON of information to work with RE: Sarah as, like, a person, but here are a couple of hard facts to start with: she's 19 (per the data book, but she'd have to be somewhere in the 18-to-early-20's age range regardless or her whole deal wouldn't really make much sense, imo. She's a baby...!), and she's royalty. I think this ties into her utility as a walking metaphor, among other things; she's archetypically young, fresh, & idealistic. I'd call her naïve but the game obviously isn't interested in portraying it as a weakness, so positive words only; why not.

You could argue that people look to her as a symbol of hope because she hasn't directly experienced enough strife to exhibit hopelessness or fear in response to bad news in the abstract. I find it interesting that before Jack, like, knocks the wind out of her & tells Sophia to take her outside so she can see for herself how bad things have gotten at the end of the game, she says that her duty is to die with her people if she has to, & it doesn't even seem to occur to her that she could lead at least some of them away to safety...? When she changes her mind, she still talks about herself as a symbol before she ever uses the word "leader". She sees HERSELF in terms of symbols and metaphors, and takes action based on her designated role As One Of Those. Not very practical.

There's also the dialogue you can have with the queen the first time you're allowed to run around in the throne room at the beginning of the game, where she asks Jack to smile in front of her daughters (NOT just Mia; daughters, plural). Even if she only means "dude can you be polite please," the fact that this is The thing she has to say to Jack is telling. Is it going to upset your 19-year-old daughter to see that the Guy Whose Job It Is To Kill Monsters looks serious? Why do you think this? Does your 19-year-old daughter understand how serious the situation is, generally speaking? Do you not WANT her to for some reason? Boats don't work anymore unless a weird elf messes with them first. Not thinking very hard about the implications of this is something a sheltered person does.

Residual time loop un-memories aside, a young woman in this situation is so obviously going to have a huge crush on Jack Garland no matter what. He Is So Cool, first of all, & he's also Different from the adult men she gets to see on an everyday basis (family, guards, rando townspeople[3]...). It's not like the political social scene could POSSIBLY be thriving in this world, either; it all seems to be one kingdom we're dealing with and they're kind of busy with the external threat of being Under Fucking Attack By Monsters. Does she even get fun treats like "handsome visiting dignitaries" & what-have-you? The game doesn't present us with any potential options, here. Jack is mysterious, he has special-boy Warrior of Light status, his one job & apparent life's purpose is protecting the kingdom she loves, he's pretty nice to her (even in later cycles he at least goes out of his way to be polite!), & additionally, he's shredded. THIS makes sense to me.

There's a Q&A in the data book that has something to say about JACK as a symbol & what that has to do with this whole thing but we'll get there. We'll get there.

[3] Tangent: what's up with how Cornelia's entire adult male population appears to consist of aging queens. Why did they only make models that look Like That for the NPCs? It's awesome but I have 1 quastion

3. JACK JUMPSCARE !

I'm not about to say that he's just humoring her, or anything, but please humor ME for one second & put yourself in Jack's shoes. Not the default shoes; we can have more fun than that. Maybe the Banded Boots. Blurple ones? Shaped like a cartoon would wear them? Big spikes on the back for no reason? I love those things. Anyway, you're Jack. You're working for literally the king, & the work means Everything to you for reasons you can't even necessarily explain except to say that it JUST does. The king's eldest daughter (very young adult; Never Been Outdoors; a little overly-sociable but nice enough & what do you expect from a princess, anyway) has imprinted on you like a duckling for whatever reason. You would be nice to this person, yes? You'd be patient with her while you're in town. You have Brutal Murders to be doing, but not until, like, 2 days from now, or whatever; you're sharing space with her in some capacity in the meantime & it's in your best interests to keep her happy. (You probably even enjoy doing this, if you're Jack of a Way Earlier Cycle; I'm in no way ruling that out. Sharing your music collection with an enthusiastic Baby Adult? That's fun. I think he was probably having fun. Okay, you can step out of the fun purple shoes if you want; the Humoring Me Minute has concluded; thanks.)

Also, @2000sanimeop and I think that if Jack felt that way about her Astos would have been a little More Something about how much it was gonna suck for him when she died. In Fool's Missive XXVII he uses the word "painful," but that's about it. He doesn't even bring it up in XXV, which is the one where he says he's curious about whether she'd survive being turned into a fiend (side note: Astos fucking rocks. Why did he write that down?? I love him). & Hey SPEAKING OF ASTOS,

4. I wouldn't put Jackstos on a wiki, either.

The writing in Stranger of Paradise, SERIOUSLY, WITHOUT EXAGGERATION, is some of the best I've seen in literally anything ever. It suits not just its medium but also its sort of Place in History Relative to Other Video Games & the things it chose to DO with that medium & that niche INSANELY well. It is CUSTOMIZED. It's SO INTENTIONAL. I can't get too far into this or we'll be here all day, but the essence of what I want to say here is: there are relatively few facts presented to us by this game, compared to the implications we can go about drawing from those facts & other, external sources of context.

Sarah calls Jack her first love; that's a fact. No facts are presented to us that REALLY say much one way or the other[4] about what Jack thinks of this, himself; "fucktillion memories missing" Jack says he doesn't care, but he's missing a fucktillion of his memories, and DLC2 Jack has a set of dialogue options (hi Anne the Malboro I love you Anne the Malboro) that can point either way depending on what the player chooses, which is kind of nothing, on balance. As the audience, we can (should!) draw whatever conclusion we want about it, but none of those conclusions are text.

[4] I WILL GET TO THE DATA BOOK IN ONE SECOND. HOLD ON.

And, okay, please let me level with you. Let's be on the same page. Jack & Astos had some kind of thing going on, imo, OBVIOUSLY, but I want to be CLEAR and I want to get CREDIT for the things I'M bringing to the table to help generate this conviction. I drew that conclusion & I read that reading based on subtext, context, personal history, personal preference, & sheer gay zest for life. It is also, emphatically, NOT TEXT.

Astos refers to Jack with the ol' "...friend" in Fool's Missive XXI. He calls him "my Jack" in Fool's Missive XXXI. Canonically, textually, he has some big fucking COMPLICATED fucking feelings about this man. These are facts. If you're playing this game as Some Guy, I can see how you could potentially absorb these facts & still pay them much less regard[5] than I did & continue to. My argument here is that god I wish I lived in a world where Some Guy could extend the same courtesy to me and not treat Sarah's textual affection for Jack as something that necessarily indicates Some Kind Of Reciprocal Romantic Whatever, Definitely, Obviously, Of Course.

[5] Longer Tangent: I have been informed that the Some Guys of the world are currently pretty good at Recognizing a character that behaves in a way that's Pretty Gay, but tend to stop there, possibly for the combined reasons that A. they're not very familiar with a lot of the the ways gay relationships often work (you know, soul resonance. mutual recognition. sharing a brain etc.) and B. the Object Of Affection is usually the player character and they subconsciously shy away from thinking of a Guy They're Supposed To Identify With as gay. This is practically a lead-in to an entire separate post I could make, so I'll leave it at that, lol.

The writing is too good for that kind of assumption! I'M SERIOUS!! It's mind-blowingly subtle & endlessly fascinating to hold up to the light & view from every possible angle, and "Jack & Sarah were in love" + "Jack & Astos were in love" are BOTH ANGLES. I'm personally very very interested in giving the text credit for that. I think it's impressive. I think it's really, really cool, and I think it was on purpose. Speaking of which,

5. Word of God agrees with me, btw

This is from the Q&A section on page 156 of the Confidential File. The translations below are my own (I think they're straightforward enough, but lmk if you know more than me & I'm actually being stupid in there somewhere. Alt text has the JPN, if you want to copypaste it or something). Someone asked:

Why is it that you established Garland as someone Sarah has a romantic interest in?

The answer is from Daisuke Inoue (director, one of 3; the other 2 are from Team Ninja; he's from Square Enix):

That was because, from a narrative standpoint, we wanted Sarah to be the kind of person who holds onto hope. You can imagine that she saw the "hope" to save the world in Jack, a potential Warrior of Light. Sarah is seen by her people as a symbol of a bright future, but if there were nobody to give her hope, that might destabilize her emotionally. As for whether she felt genuine love for Jack, or just mistook her feelings of admiration towards him for "first love," we'll leave that to your interpretation.

The first time I read this, I thought the question was implying the aforementioned Reciprocal Something, but on closer inspection that doesn't even seem to be true! "思い人" seems to indicate a directional relationship; as in, the question assumes that Jack is an object of affection to Sarah, but assumes nothing about what Jack thinks.

Also, the answer uses the word "初恋" (hatsukoi), which is a very established Concept as far as "first love" goes, but in that one cutscene, Sarah says "初めての恋" (hajimete no koi), which is. Different, but I couldn't tell you how, lol. It's Not The Exact Same Phrase, but I'm not sure whether it's meaningfully different in this context. If I had to guess, I'd say that IF ANYTHING it could be a way of saying "first love" without invoking the cultural CONSTRUCT of First Love (as much)? But it's whatever. The localization holds up. All sources show that Sarah had Feelings about Jack, and all sources CONSPICUOUSLY neglect to mention Jack's feelings about her.

It was on purpose. This is my license to be as annoying as I want for one second here. I am right. All the other writing in this game is notably subtle, efficient, intentional, and skilled, AND ALSO, WHEN do you ever see anyone write such a richly beautiful, mostly-subtextual relationship between two men, which can easily be read as a romantic thing, and NOT explicitly canonize a very possible romantic relationship between at least one of those men and a woman, like not even in an interview or anything. What the fuck, man.

I'm putting away the Respectable Scholar Hat now. This is so funny. The person asking this question didn't EVEN go as far as assuming Jack & Sarah had any kind of Actual Romance going on, & the answer STILL dials it back to "she might have been conflating her feelings about Jack AS A SYMBOL with actual affection, also. We'll let you decide : ) ". This game is everything ever.

#stranger of paradise #that's it that's the only tag. there's enough words under that readmore for anyone&everyone. happy weekend!!!

[sixosix]

kuroo tetsurou: how you get the girl

kuroo’s married to his childhood crush, you come back to town, oikawa introduces you.

fem!reader, fluff, childhood friends reuniting, unnecessary cursing, getting together but also established relationship(?), wc 2.1k

kuroo cracks his eyes open to his phone hitting him square on the chest.

it’s not painful, not really, because whoever threw it was mindful enough; still, he yelps an indignant, “what the fuck?” because what the fuck? he’d been snapped out of his stupor violently, and glowers at his assailant.

sugawara stands in front of him, unperturbed.

kuroo resists the urge to punch his face -- himself or sugawara, who knows -- and grunts, “what are you doing here? you’re not--” his brows knit together, “wait, how did you even get in my room?”

sugawara jerks a finger at the door just in time for him to see oikawa clap kenma on the back, praising him for his cooperation. kenma doesn’t even look like he’s listening. “i know a guy who knows a guy who knows your father who knows you,” sugawara explains happily.

kuroo briefly considers pulling his pillow over his head and sleeping again, but sugawara might not be as kind this time and might make sure the corner of his phone hits kuroo’s nose.

he remembers having heard stories from daichi, and wisely decides that he would rather not face the wrath of an angry sugawara.

kuroo sighs. he’s not awake enough for this. he needs bokuto to cheer him up the way he always does -- maybe his loudness would distract kuroo enough to forget about his pounding headache. but bokuto is not here; he’s most likely also dying on his bed, but at least he has akaashi taking care of him.

all kuroo has is the violent sugawara, the annoying oikawa, the kenma who probably does not give a fuck about his current state -- kuroo doesn’t want to think about daichi’s reaction if he sees him in all his hangover glory.

“ngh,” he grunts again, less eloquently this time.

oikawa finally lets kenma escape and whirls in on kuroo, face furious. uh oh, kuroo thinks, and prepares for nuclear destruction. “i cannot,” he stresses with a hiss, “believe you had the nerve to go out and get wasted!”

sugawara nods in agreement.

“without me!” oikawa wails in utter betrayal, clutching kuroo’s shirt.

“hey,” sugawara warns.

“and without suga-chan and iwa-chan,” oikawa adds as sugawara nods in approval.

“sorry,” kuroo says, not really sorry. “you probably would’ve ruined the party anyway.”

sugawara and oikawa pull at his hair until the headache comes slamming back worse than before. “okay! okay! okay, fuck! i cede!” he screeches.

“good,” oikawa huffs. he seems satisfied enough to let go of kuroo’s shirt, patting his head comfortingly.

kuroo smacks his hand away.

sugawara hums thoughtfully as a glass of water materializes out of nowhere and appears in his hand. “i saw your father in the grocery store yesterday. he was telling me about your sad, pathetic single life.”

kuroo takes a deep breath and swears to himself to never call his father ever again.

“you met up with mr. kuroo without me!?” cries oikawa.

kuroo grumpily thanks sugawara for the water, takes one big gulp, and huffs. “my love life is none of your business. pa just likes to butt in it thinking he can find the perfect girl for me like it’s a game.” he doesn’t know anything.

“ooh.” oikawa’s eyes sparkle at the idea. “i'm in.”

“what?” kuroo shakes his head, horrified. “no, no. this might be a game to him, but i am not letting you join. one nagging romantic is enough.”

“but tetsu-chan! i’m the perfect man to help you!” oikawa proclaims. “plus, mr. kuroo is right. you’re, like, what? 50 years old and pitifully celibate.” kuroo splutters. “for a flirt, you are awful in the romance section.”

“i’m not a charity case! and stop talking about my love life like some book store category!”

“i’m not saying you are a charity case! i’m saying i know someone who also happens to be looking for a date, so you are a very lucky man!”

kuroo does not doubt that. if sugawara knows a guy who knows a guy, then oikawa knows everyone and the grandmothers of their mothers -- but also all of them happen to be in love with him.

kuroo expresses his doubt with a deadpan stare

sugawara chuckles. “i can’t force you to date but they’re right, you know. it won’t hurt to have fun once in a while.”

oikawa nods enthusiastically. “let me play matchmaker this once please!”

they both look at kuroo, who wilts under their gazes.

“fine,” kuroo murmurs in defeat, ignoring oikawa’s cheer and sugawara’s noise of approval. “think you have what it takes to introduce to me the love of my life?” he asks oikawa.

oikawa scoffs good-naturedly. “don’t doubt me.”

kuroo eyes him. “you're strangely optimistic.” it’s code word for: i am suspicious of your malicious intentions.

oikawa bats his eyelashes, tapping kuroo’s glass as a reminder for him to drink again. he does so, but still stares at oikawa.

sugawara places his hands on his hips. “tooru’s been thinking of making the two of you meet for a while now.” at kuroo’s wrinkled nose, sugawara clarifies: “about a week, which is when she met tooru.”

“she’s cute!” oikawa chirps. “not my type but definitely yours! trust me, i can tell. i know you, tetsu-chan”

kuroo shudders. “i hope she’s not using me to get to you.”

“no,” oikawa says, much more serious this time. “l/n-chan is nice. even iwa-chan says so!”

“l/n, huh?” kuroo wonders where he’s heard that name before. “okay. fine. i’ll give it a shot.”

kuroo swipes the ring on his bedside desk and slips it on his finger, ignoring the look oikawa shares with sugawara.

a crunch resounds dully beneath his feet from stepping over and over the snow muffling the pavement. a shiver rides up his spine despite the heavy layers of clothing -- he’s got, like, what? three? five? and at least two of them belong to sugawara who loves his coats and jackets thick.

“if it rises even one degree i would probably be burning,” kuroo says; believable if his teeth weren’t chattering.

“don’t be so dramatic!” says oikawa, and the fact that he, of all people, is saying that is comedy gold. “you look cuddly. i’m sure the ladies would love that in a boy…! sorry, man,” he corrects himself, “you should seriously consider looking the part, tetsu-chan.”

“i hate you,” kuroo says, eyeing oikawa’s fit coat distastefully as he struts and acts as if all the ladies aren’t ogling him.

it’s about a day after the date discussion when oikawa invites kuroo to his favorite cafe to meet the girl. kuroo had honestly forgotten about it, and scolded himself for doing so.

oh, well. this is a mutually beneficial deal. if she asked to meet up then kuroo can't be at fault either.

besides, oikawa’s right. if he plays this right, maybe he'll finally find the one. and if not the one then maybe a silly fling -- that hopefully won't be throwing a fit once they figure out kuroo is not the cool suave athletic player he is, but just some idiot who pretends he knows what he's doing.

if only dating was so easy.

(if only kuroo stopped pretending that he didn’t lose interest in it years ago. he eyes his finger, and his heart sinks. just because she’s a l/n? since when did you become so desperate?)

they order drinks for both of them. kuroo takes big sips, impatient. they take a seat in a secluded corner, the warm light enough to ease kuroo just a tiny bit. he feels guilty, for some reason. he thinks he knows why, but he doesn’t know why it matters.

oikawa taps kuroo’s shoulder. “do you want to see a pic of l/n-chan before i tell her we’re here?” he asks.

kuroo stretches his arms. “yeah, why not?”

“okay!” oikawa says happily. “here you go.” and shoves his phone to kuroo’s face.

kuroo blanches. “oh no.”

oikawa blinks once. twice. he was not expecting that reaction. “testu-chan…?”

“fuck,” kuroo repeats, with more feeling this time, realization sinking on him. “fuck, you meant that l/n! oh my god, i’m so stupid, of course she’s that l/n, ohmygod--”

oikawa panics, setting his phone down to bat kuroo’s hands away, which were starting to pull ruthlessly at his roots. “stop that! what’s wrong?” he hisses. “what, what? what’s wrong!?”

“shit!” kuroo curses. “fuck! dude.”

“you’re making me nervous, kuroo,” oikawa warns feebly.

“that’s the y/n i had a crush on!”

that makes oikawa pause. “you? having a crush?”

“yes it sounds fucking insane because y/n is the only one i ever took seriously! that’s the y/n who i thought i wouldn’t be fucking seeing again so i confessed my undying love before we parted ways thinking we would only be in each other’s hearts!”

oikawa stares at him incredulously. “that’s kind of pathetic, tetsu-chan. and embarrassing.”

“shut up.” kuroo flushes pink. “i know that.”

oikawa nods sympathetically. “stay strong, tetsu-chan!”

kuroo inhales sharply. “did kenma ever tell you how i got this ring?”

“hmm?” oikawa studies the band wrapped around kuroo’s finger, eyes unreadable. “it has a backstory? i thought you were just being fashionable off-court, like me! the ring is kind of dirty now, though.” he clicks his tongue. “you should get that cleaned.”

“i’ve had it since i was 7.”

“shit,” says oikawa, suddenly serious. “wait. y/n. did you get engaged with l/n-chan at 7!?”

kuroo makes a noise. “what? no! it’s not-- well, actually. maybe you can say that.”

oikawa is elated. “oh my god! that’s a promise ring!?”

kuroo is flustered beyond belief. “yes, it’s a promise ring.” in a desperate attempt to cool off his face, he croaks, “what are you even doing here? isn’t this supposed to be a date between me and l/n-san?”

“i just wanted to be a good friend and not let you make a fool of yourself!” knowing oikawa, he is completely serious about this. “but…i feel like i don’t need to worry about anything, huh?” his smile is softer now. “don’t fuck this up, or i will be very disappointed in you, tetsu-chan!”

before kuroo can respond, oikawa’s phone vibrates on the table, buzzing their drinks. “oh! it looks like i’m gonna have to skedaddle!” he says, like an idiot. he pats kuroo’s shoulder as he rises to his feet, too aggressive to be comforting.

“if all else fails, i’ll treat you to drinks.”

“it won’t, but, i appreciate the sentiment,” kuroo drawls sarcastically, now itching with nerves as he’s hit with agitation for a completely different reason. he can’t stop staring at his ring.

oikawa gives him a thumbs up. “i like the spirit, tetsu-chan! bye bye!”

the door opens at the same time oikawa hurries off. kuroo bites his lip, using his 6-foot ass to his advantage as he searches for a familiar face. damn. his heart might as well beat out of his chest at this point.

a figure comes up to him. “tetsurou.”

kuroo grins, weakly. “shit. it really is you.”

you laugh, taking a seat in front of him. kuroo feels dizzy. “i was very lucky to meet tooru-kun, who was nice enough to tell stories about his handsome teammate.” kuroo probably should feel disgusted that oikawa is talking about him that way, but with how it comes out of your mouth, it feels pleasant.

he clears his throat. “so… you knew it was me. when you accepted.”

your smile is sadder now. “yeah. you didn’t, when you accepted.”

kuroo frowns, fingers digging on his lap. “y/n-- i--” i was seven. i thought you weren’t real. i thought it wasn’t real, “--i’m sorry. i thought--”

“it’s okay, tetsu. i understand. i’m not an idiot, you know. i heard this is the only date you agreed to go, too, so i suppose i’m lucky it was me.” you turn away from him, sharp eyes scanning the room. he knows better. you’re avoiding his stare.

that doesn’t make him any less guilty. “i missed you…”

your eyes slide back to him, mirthful. “remember what you said? the night before i left.”

kuroo blushes furiously; he knows, and he’ll never forget it. not when it’s still fresh in his mind, not when the band around his finger is a solid reminder. “of course i do. you think i’ll forget something as important as that? thought you knew me better than that, princess.”

relieved, you smile, pulling him closer by the sleeves of his hundred-something-layer clothes. “of course,” you agree, holding out your hand where he can see the ring; it fits your finger perfectly now. “thank you for waiting.”

(rain heavy on his shoulders, hands clasped together, a ring box on the floor, kuroo whispering, “i want you for worse or for better,” rings glistening, your face wet not from the rain, “i would wait forever for you.”

the rings didn’t fit you both back then. but maybe he was right to keep it that way.)

a bit too cheesy for my liking but i hope it’s a good read nonetheless. thank you for reading! feedback is very appreciated! ( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ

#606:HQ #606:NKM #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu x reader #hq x reader #hq fluff #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu drabbles #kuroo tetsurou x reader #kuroo tetsuro x reader #kuroo tetsurou headcanons #kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsuro fluff

[stupid-sloot-headcanons]

So you had once mentioned that Batman trying to rescue/free darling, that would trigger a origins Deathstroke type of boss battle with Jason, and I’m curious, what other thots did you have on how that would go? Also bonus points if there’s a part at the end where there’s like falling debris or something and Jason makes a beeping for darling and shields them and Batman sees just how much he loves her

So Jason could NOT beat Batman in a simple hand to hand fight, and I think he knows this lol. It's why his biggest weapon is his familiarity to Bruce and exploiting his weaknesses in conjunction with overkill attacks. He's going to use pistols to be somewhat up-close without being at risk of getting disarmed, and put pressure on Bruce with his militia. Basically the Jason boss fight as I hoped it would go in-game is a mix of predator combat with him and the militia (like what we got), but that Jason also adapts in COMBAT one-on-one. Remember in City where if you did a type of attack, Freeze would adapt and you couldn't use it anymore? Jason's combat segments do the same thing: You use your Quickfire Batarang once, it doesn't work after that. Use a cape stun and beat-em-up combo? Only works once. I would also go one step further and implement a way to track what your most commonly used attacks/gadgets are in combat sections throughout the WHOLE game, and during the boss fight make them unusable. It makes sense narratively since Jason will have been observing Batman's strategy/fighting style the entire game and should be adapting accordingly. But Rocksteady only had so much money and so much time and fixing Jason's boss fight is one of MANY priorities they should've improved on lol.

With Darling, I think they'd work as a potential "stage hazard" of sorts. Once Jason is at 0 health, Darling rushes to try and prevent him from killing Batman/beg him to stop, this isn't worth it. And with Jason's hatred for Bruce overtaking his protectiveness at the one moment he has to kill Bruce himself, he lashes out and fires a warning shot at Darling (similar to the one he fires at Barbara after she crashes the car). His warning shot is however WAY closer than he intended and actually grazes them, and he panics thinking that he's injured or killed the one person he promised he'd protect.

Bruce uses the distraction to defeat Jason, but things play out similarly to the endgame where Scarecrow takes Jim hostage and has him go to Arkham. Bruce, accepting that he might really die tonight, gives Jason the first aid kit in his utility belt and tells Jason not to make the same mistake he did--"Don't value your mission over someone you love getting hurt." Batman's crusade against crime has gotten so many people he's cared about hurt/killed: Harvey, Barbara, Alfred (nearly dying in Origins), Jason. And he doesn't want Jason's quest for revenge to continue the cycle of loved ones being hurt when you need to focus on saving them. It's why Jason didn't realize how much Bruce had changed, when instead of focusing on Scarecrow and the Cloudburst (despite Alfred correctly pointing out Barbara would WANT Batman to value the mission over her), Batman refuses and immediately dedicates himself to saving her first.

So narratively it ties a nice little bow on things thematically and adds even more parallels between Jason and Bruce, as well as Jason and Darling. And nothing fucks my shit up like narrative parallels.

#i quote this George Lucas line way too much #my mom hates it and will actively cut me off #like we watch smth and its like #Me: Ohh. See that? It's like poetry it rhymes. #Mom: Yep. #Me: Each stanza y'know-- #Mom: YEP. #Me: Each stanza with the last just rhy-- #Mom: GODDAMMIT EVERY TIME #.dc #.arkhamverse #.jason todd #.arkham knight #yandere dc #yandere arkhamverse #yandere arkham knight #.myshit

[bitemegamer]

Log 01: A Note and Meeting Qiu and Tamarack (Long Post)

Something about this intro... It makes my heart ache in the best way possible. It's the start, the start to a new section of a new life. It is the Fall, the air is cooling down and I can feel it hitting my nose.

*Forgive me, I shall be using MC thoughts as that of my own and basing things off of how I would react, I shall be using first person writing

I decided, since my MC is 10 and I was a little bit of a nut at this time, I would have him believe that it was a ghost that poked him instead of him being rational about it.

He gets greeted with this paper, and... Honestly, how WOULD your little kid thoughts (esp that of someone who did believe in ghosts) think this meant?

*I blurred the last name for my own reasons, thank you very much*

I really, truly wished to be Nancy Drew or one of the Hardy Boys. I spend so much time watching mysteries with my mom. Probably way too much time.

Too bad I am going to break those rules, Mother! Muahahaha! I am a little troublemaker. Just kidding. However, it's okay. I have a way to bend the rules... Just a little bit ;)

*Proceeds to go to the woods, which to me feels like straying even further??? tbh, knowing myself as a kid, I would have done this without thinking too deeply*

Oh where shall I be going? On a cool quest! Off I go to the amazing and great unknown!

WHAT??? Man... :( I know for a fact I would have been so upset, yet a little relieved. Had I gone further into the forest, I might have freaked out just a little bit.

The ghost inhabits this building.

Also, random thought/feeling/vibe that I am feeling... This reminds me so much of when I was a little kid doing my own thing, just wandering about and feeling like the whole world was amazing and whimsical. As a kid, I would always go out of my way to have some sort of fun and adventure... Even if that meant getting lost or making something out of nothing.

A RACCOON!

If I end up dying, let it be known that I met the end of my life with the coolest animal ever.

I'm sure said kid feels very different about a total stranger being in their backyard climbing up their fort.

lol, he thinks I'm quirky...

I mean... You were the one who sent the note... Right? Right? Oh God, never mind--

Don't look at me like that *SOB SOB* I'm trembling over here as if I am some sort of scared little grey hound!

Nice to meet you as well, Qiu!

*Snorts*

OCD Autism meeting and seeing someone with ADHD for the first time be like (joking):

I decided to be a little more nicer to him and politely just point it out to him:

This honestly does beg the question for me... How often has Qiu lost something simply from people just not telling him that he dropped his pages.

That's it, Bud. You. Me. We're going to be in it together. You're never going to lose something like that again while I'm around you.

He'll listen to me, but he will have no idea what I am talking about. At least he tries.

Making art out of trash... I see.

Yeah... Maybe my joke about ADHD might not be as much of a joke as I thought it was.. Hm...

Oh... OH... She's so cute, she makes me wanna cry..

Tamarack really went: 'Wow, okay, *bye*.

Well... Since I have exceeded my image limit for this post, I do believe that I can have this a closing moment... As of now, my MC has met both of the wonderful romantic/friend interests and I think they're both so wonderful!

I know that I am currently playing the Demo at the moment, but goodness this is so cute. This reminds me so much of my days after school and spending time with my friends around this time period.

I can't wait to finish this intro out and write more about my silly little thoughts... Until then, I hope you guys have enjoyed my little comments. I love doing that when I play games.

#our life #gb patch games #our life now and forever #olnf #game logging #qiu lin #our life qiu #our life tamarack #tamarack baumann

[itsgameofthronesimagines]

Hi! Can I request an Alicent Hightower x female reader imagine? Someone to hold her and comfort her ❤️ Do you do headcanons, and can you include a NSFW section? ❤️

(Gifs not mine)

Fandom: House of the Dragon

Pairing: Alicent Hightower x Fem!Reader

Warnings: nsfw, smut, dni unless 18+, oral, female!receiving, fingering, mentioned sa, female masturbation, thigh riding

A/N: Ohhh Nonny you've unleashed something I've been dying to write. Seven blessings to you ✨️

~~~

SFW:

You first met Alicent after she had been crowned Queen Consort to Viserys.

Your family, wanting to gain favor with the Crown, sent you to King's Landing to become one of Alicent's ladies-in-waiting.

So sweet and innocent, Alicent was graceful, pure, and beautiful to the public eye. And even though you agreed with those statements, you quietly observed that behind closed doors, she was merely sheltered and oblivious.

Under her father's watchful eye, you easily deduced that she was a pawn in a bigger game that was completely out of her control, but that didn't stop you from trying to disuade her from the dark path she was no doubt going down.

Out of all of her ladies-in-waiting, you pushed yourself into close contact with her out of all of them. Whether she knew your intentions or not, she only pretended to entertain the idea of being friends.

At least at first. Over time, you both actually grew to become close and entrusted friends, especially after Alicent became pregnant for the first time.

You were very supportive throughout her whole pregnancy. Despite the Grand Maester and the midwives trying to dismiss you, Alicent demanded that you stayed by her side as she went into labor.

Alicent began to notice her heart speeding whenever you were around and the feelings drove her into confusion. Ashamed of her feelings, she tried pushing them down at first.

But it's hard to do that when you were there for all of her pregnancies and spent more time with her children than anyone.

Even though it was your duty, you took great care in tending to Alicent. Her heart would race as you brushed her hair, her face turns red when you help her dress/undress. If you stood too close and she could feel your breath on her skin, her legs squeeze together without her consent.

She wanted to believe it was a childish, innocent crush. Something she felt when she was still close friends with Princess Rhaenyra, but this was much more than that. Alicent always wanted to be in your presence, to make you laugh, to talk to you with confidence, or even cry in your arms. She trusted you full heartedly. 

Alicent would touch you whenever it was appropriate, but tried to linger as long as she could.

You first assumed that Alicent was just lonely. She didn't have any friends and she was still young. Your hugs would last longer than expected, your scheduled tea time just as long.

When she started asking you to read to her as she settles down for her afternoon nap, you began to suspect that this was something more.

Alicent needed an excuse to watch your lips move and listen to the sounds of your voice, so she started asking you to read to her. That way, you would never notice her staring.

Out of the corner of your eye, you started to notice her stares, and the back of your neck began to feel warm. The days pass, and you continued to read to her every time she laid down to rest, until one day you tried to place a small kiss on her forehead when you thought she was asleep.

She wasn't, and the kiss ignited a fire inside her instead of quenching it. Now knowing how you felt, Alicent began to sneakily return the favor. She began to brush your hair after you did hers, listening to your own troubles, walking the gardens with you, and sticking flowers into your braids while muttering ‘beautiful’ under her breath.

To the public eye, the two of you were just close friends. Young women confiding in each other. Behind closed doors, Alicent has started asking you to lie next to her in bed as you read out loud. 

After a few more weeks, she grew bolder and would tell you to lie still as she experimented kissing you.

Knowing what she's been through, you let her be in control of her feelings and what she wanted to do. You didn’t respond to these otherwise small and innocent kisses, per her demand. You didn’t dare refuse her, not because she was the Queen, but because you didn’t want to frighten her. One day, she asked you to kiss her back and that sealed your fates.

It wasn't like you need to meet each other in secret. You were her lady-in-waiting and her best friend. All you had to do was wait for the other servants to leave the room before you could be left alone. No sneaking around was needed.

NSFW BELOW THE LINE

NSFW:

You know for a fact that she's never had a proper orgasm before you're a shitty husband, Viserys, I'm glad Aemma no longer has to deal with you.

At this point, you knew you loved her, and you also wanted her to feel relief for once in her life. One particular night, you decide to take the next step in seducing the Queen when she returned to her chambers, irritated and heartbroken about how Rhaenyra lied to her about losing her maidenhead. Even though she didn’t lose it to Daemon like she was originally accused of, it still hurt Alicent when the princess lied to her face.

After a glass of wine and venting her frustrations, Alicent consents for you to touch her, and you slowly guide her dress down to her feet while keeping your eyes locked, waiting for her to tell you to stop. But it never happened.

When she’s fully undressed, you show her how sex can be enjoyable for a woman. Being one yourself, you know just how to make her writhe and sigh in bliss.

After your very first night together, Alicent forgot why she was angry with Rhaenyra in the first place. With her sexual desires now forming in her mind, she understands that Rhaenyra was equally just as young and wanting to explore her urgent needs.

Almost every night after the first, you and Alicent make love, trying new things to heighten the pleasure.

Knowing that she has the worst experience being on her back, you positioned yourself on yours, practically begging her to sit on your face. You made a snide comment about your face being her rightful throne and you watched as her blush ran from her face and down her chest with amusement.

It takes some coaching, but eventually she lowered herself onto your face and although it felt strange for her at first, in minutes she was clinging onto the headboard with her head thrown back, moaning up at the ceiling.

With all embrassment thrown out the window, she rode your face for multiple orgasms, finally letting you properly breathe when everything becomes too sensitive and she collapsed in bed beside you.

Knowing she was still exhausted, you finished yourself off while staring into her eyes. Your back arched from how fierce your climax approached.

The start of your sex life was still rocky, with Alicent feeling too new and embarrassed by all of it. It didn’t help that once in a while, Viserys would summon her late at night to his chambers, and you’re forced to dress Alicent into something seductive and rub perfume onto her shoulders. 

On those particular nights, you’d kiss her until her lips were swollen, trying to melt the memory of you into her skin so those nights with the King are bearable.

When she returns the next morning, you draw her a warm bath and treat her like glass, her walls closing back up and not wanting to be touched.

But you take your time, and neither of you push each other into anything you’re uncomfortable with.

As years stretch on and Alicent comes out of her shell, she starts dropping her feigned love for her husband. She stops pretending to love Viserys and spends her time either raising her children or being with you.

She also becomes a little more demanding in your sex life.

If she asks you to go to her chambers and lay naked on her bed until she can join you, by the gods you better do it.

It doesn't matter whether she's top or bottom. Once she's comfortable and more outgoing, she's going to tell you what to do.

"Flip onto your front, my love, and spread your legs."

You did so obediently, and nearly let out a squeal when she grabbed your hips and lifted them up into the air until you were on your knees, spread open and exposed to the cool air. With one hand, she continues to push the top half of you into the mattress while the other hand trails shapes into your lifted ass and down your inner thighs. She teases circles around your clit until you're wet with anticipation, then her fingers go agonizingly slow into your fluttering pussy.

She ordered you to stay in that position despite making you orgasm three times, the oversensitivity plus your exhaustion driving your legs to shake uncontrollably, your face pressed into the pillow to muffle your screams of ecstasy.

She finally lets you collapse onto the bed but doesn't let you fully rest. She flips you over onto your back and pulls you down until your legs hang off the side of the bed. Being already wet and aching from torturing you with orgasm after orgasm, Alicent grinds onto your thigh through completion, both of her hands holding your breasts as she cries out.

Alicent becomes a lover that needs to be in control, for once in her life. To have a partner who will gladly hand her the reins because you trust and love her helps her remember that she’s more than just a pawn. Now, she’s the Queen.

Woo, be still my beating heart. It's been a while since I wrote smut so I hope it's okay. Hope you enjoyed!

#alicent hightower #queen alicent #alicent hightower x reader #alicent hightower imagine #alicent hightower imagines #hotd #house of the dragon imagine #hotd imagine #house of the dragon #game of thrones #got #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #game of thrones imagines #got imagine #game of thrones imagine

[justsomekpopstuff]

seventeen as a baseball team - part 2

A/N: I have had so many thoughts recently, I just had to share!

part 1 | current masterlist | fic recs

team colors are white and serenity blue, and every now and again they get ones with rose quartz accents (its my au i'll do what I want)

their team mascot is something whimsical that has a cloud and diamond theme along with it

the whole team goes absolutely nuts the first time that center fielder!Dino gets voted into the All-Star Game

When they find out, they throw an absolute rager of a party in the locker room complete with champagne showers. When the All-Star game actually happens, instead of taking vacations, the entire team shows up to the game. All of them are wearing Dino's jersey, have their faces painted, and come equipped with horns and signs all cheering for him. It is the worlds most perfect Embarrassing Dad Cheering Section™️. Dino is bright red for the entire game because he can hear them from all the way across the stadium every time he takes the field.

third baseman!Wonwoo, on the other hand, despite being incredibly good, BEGS the fans to not vote him into the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby

He just really enjoys his time off...but alas, one year the fans absolutely do not listen, and he gets voted in with flying colors. He is, unfortunately, forced to go by catcher!Seungcheol. Despite not wanting to be there at all and tired all the time, Wonwoo ends up completely blowing the competition out of the water. In his final interview after winning the All-Star Game and receiving the MVP award, he begs the fans to never do it again.

the whole team holds a fun exhibition game every year during spring training where they all scrimmage against each other

The whole game gives major Savannah Bananas vibes, as well as that one kickball episode of GoSe. They have ridiculous rules like when the other team scores a point, the team on the field has to endure a "punishment" chosen by the fans. Inflatable costumes ARE used. Synchronized rehearsed dances are a must-have and they put their whole CHESTS into it. The fans love it and look forward to it every season.

right fielder!Joshua can always be seen playing catch in the outfield with some of the younger kid fans in the stands during warm-ups

He is very sweet with all of the younger fans, and has a reputation for always taking time to sign autographs and take silly selfies. He is, also, a chaos creator. He has absolutely stolen Red Vines from a child after making a catch that almost went into the stands.

starting pitcher!Woozi will deny it until his dying day, but he absolutely did cry the first time he threw a no-hitter

The whole team went absolutely nuts for him and stormed the field. Hoshi 1000% took pictures of Woozi crying. Woozi found out and threatened to absolutely kick Hoshi's ass if he ever showed those photos to another living soul. Hoshi listened.

first baseman!Mingyu has tripped running around second base more than anyone on the team...probably more than anyone in the league

There are multiple compilations each season of him tripping over second. He swears its an accident every time and that he does not trip over the base intentionally. The team places bets at the start of the official season for how many times he does it during the regular season. Winner gets all the cash pool and first pick of dugout snacks next season.

closing pitcher!Jeonghan has always been secretive about the reason why he wanted to become a closing pitcher

He will always say he wanted to be a closing pitcher because he loves the idea of being able to hold down the lead for the team, or give them opportunities to win. Jeonghan will swear that he likes being relied on and is good under pressure (which, to his credit, is technically true). However, the actual real reason he wanted to be a closing pitcher is so he wouldn’t have to run as much.

despite being injured, catcher!Seungcheol still attends every home game

He is usually sitting in the same place in the dugout, close to where the manager usually stands. Seungcheol, despite not being the manager, is absolutely yelling directions from his crutches in the dugout. The team will often listen to him better than their actual manager. The whole team is taking bets on whether or not Seungcheol will become a coach when he retires.

#seventeen #svt #seventeen imagines #svt imagines #my musings #seventeen headcanons #seventeen drabbles #svt headcanons #svt drabbles #seungcheol #jeonghan #joshua hong #shua #jun #junhui #hoshi #soonyoung #wonwoo #woozi #jihoon #dk #seokmin #dokyeom #mingyu #minghao #the8 #seungkwan #vernon #hansol #dino

[thatonedonut]

Hey and happy new year

Can I request a Jackson wang imagine in which the reader goes to a concert during his magicman tour where she makes lots of new friends as well. Jackson also brings her on stage and serenades her.

All the fan interactions on the internet with fans living their Y/N dream its just *dreamy sigh*

The lights beamed across the stadium, blasting white, blue, and green across the middle sections. The base n the track vibrated your feet and would've caused you to collapse had you not been jumping and dancing with everyone else in the pit. Instead, you squinted your eyes, shaking your head to the beat and allowing your hair to fall freely over your face. Had you not been in the front row, the volume of your signing could've drowned out the actual performance, but you didn't care.

You had already pre-gamed with a couple of shots of strawberry vodka at your friend's apartment before all 3 of you eventually hopped on the shuttle toward the venue. You hoped the liquor would kick in and give you enough confidence not to worry about the thousands of other screaming fans dying to get as close to the stage as you were. You changed your outfit twice before deciding on dark blue jeans and a black sheer top paired with a silver necklace.

Yet here you were, hair was undone and the top layer of your shirt in your purse as you danced in a black tank top. You paused to turn towards your friend, but before you could ask about the next song, the lights began to dim, and your attention focused on the chair in the center of the stage. The crowd hushed as Jackson Wang picked up a hand mic and strolled towards the front audience.

"For this next song, I'd like to invite a special lady for an up close performance."

The crowd raced, and girls screamed in competition to get his attention. Finally, you turned towards your friends, grabbing their hands in excitement.

"I wonder who it'll be," she shouts, "I wish I could be that lucky."

You smiled and nodded before glancing back towards the front stage.

Jackson did a few laps, teasing the screaming fans that reached towards him before pausing in front of your section. You stood in awe, savoring the opportunity to have him within 10 feet of you. Your friend taps your shoulder hurridly.

"He's definitely looking at you!"

You shake your head, "What? No, he's not. He could be looking at anyone here."

You tilted your chin to meet his gaze, being welcomed by a smirk before he brought the mic to his lips.

"The girl with the silver necklace," you froze.

"Would you join me on stage? He reached his hand towards you as security made room to escort you to him. You grabbed his hand and pulled yourself up, landing in front of him in the chair. He stood above you, allowing you to embrace the smell of his citrus colone before speaking again.

"What's your name?" He leaned down to bring the microphone to your lips. You hesitated, the lights focused on you, and you quickly scanned the crowd for your friends.

He leaned towards your ear, pulling off his earpiece briefly.

"If you're nervous, just pretend it's you and me. It's always you and me."

He presses the piece back into his ear before turning towards the crowd and signaling his team and dancers to start the track.

#got7 scenerios #got7 jackson #got7 mark #jyp got7 #got7 jinyoung #got7 imagines #got7 smut #got7 icons #got7 #got7 youngjae #got7 jb #got7 x reader #got7edit #got7 fluff #jyp #jackson wang smut #jackson wang

[czarrish]

reasons you should play scarlet hollow

SCARLET HOLLOW is a horror narrative game set in the dying north carolina coal mining town of Scarlet Hollow, where you play the cousin of tabitha scarlet (head of the mines), coming back to town after a family rift for your aunt's funeral. things are wrong in town, and as tensions simmer over working conditions in the mine, the dark secrets of the town start to boil over in the form of supernatural events. work with cryptid hunter stella, general store owner kaneeka and her witchy mother sybil, newcomer avery, hot dad librarian oscar, mysterious artist reese, and of course, your cousin tabitha to uncover the secrets of scarlet hollow--before they drag you and your friends into the depths.

WHY YOU SHOULD PLAY:

there are seven character traits to choose from (mystic, talks to animals, hot, street smart, powerful build, keen eye, and booksmart). you pick two, and they influence how you can react to situations and how people can react to you. i've done three playthroughs with different traits so far, and they have all been radically different. the second playthrough i did, i was blown away by how many things were fixable, or could be made so very much worse, or hadn't existed at all in my first playthrough.

going off of that: the choices that you make in this game actually matter. and not in a "you can have different buddies going into the final battle!" sort of way. in a life or death sort of way, in a brutal consequences for our heroes sort of way. there is at least one MAJOR decision in each chapter, which can end in multiple different ways depending on your choices, and they stick with you.

the characters have rich back stories, and you can tell that the writers planned this whole story out from start to finish before releasing chapter one. i just started a playthrough after finishing chapter four, and the events of that chapter are foreshadowed all over the place in ch1, which was released a year ago.

it's GENUINELY scary without relying on cheap jumpscares or gore tactics. so much of the horror in this game comes from the dread it invokes, and the implications for our heroes. in chapter four, i was literally hiding behind my hands for a large section of the game.

i need PEOPLE TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS GAME because i am LOSING MY MIND over how good and game-altering chapter four was, and i am gonna die. thank you please do the damn thing

[roadkillremi]

Hey omg I love the fics w mindy and randy in it you're litterally incredible!

I was wondering if you can do some sub! Randy x fem! Reader smut where reader takes Randy's virginity?

(Only if your comfortable ofc💓)

Yes yes! Thank you for asking!

I'm not good with smut sorry 🥹🫣

My Boy.

MasterList

Warnings : MINORS DNI, Language, Mentions being friends with benefits, mentions killer, p in V, unprotected.

Summary : Ask above. Randy and Reader are 18+.

After the Woodsboro murders you've all been coping differently. Sidney bought a Taser gun and studied up on the law. Randy focused on becoming a director and getting into college. But you could only focus on Randy, you'd thought maybe it was from almost dying. Even before the murders you and Randy were close in a way "friends" usually arent . You two would get caught kissing and flirting with each other all the time. But neither of you would ask the other out.

Which leaves you in the video store looking up at Randy. You took a big bite of your hot red licorice rope trying to get his attention. You were standing in the horror section for about fifteen minutes now. The licorice rope gently rests on the bottom of your lip. Randy kept looking over at you eyeing the candy rope. He knew your little game, he was a film geek after all. He smiled to himself before walking over.

"Do you need help?" He asked showing a bit of frustration. You tilted your head slightly, "No.. why?". Randy took a deep breath and looked at the movie selection.

"You've seen all of these." He says softly. He means you and him, together have seen them. You nodded, "I'm actually here to see you.". You turned towards him with a slight smile. His cheeks turned a slight pink, "Oh.. What's up?". You shrugged, "Missed ya.".

"Randy! Can you get to the front counter?!" Karen fussed. Randy nodded, "Yeah!" He called back. You rolled your eyes at her, "I think she likes you." You said as you followed him. He gave you a look, "No way. That's Creepy Karen.". You leaned in close to him, "Exactly.". You took a bite of your licorice rope, "Besides.". You leaned on the front counter towards him.

"She's been pissy ever since she saw me kiss you." You teased. Randy froze, he looked as if he was going to speak but lost it. You sighed looking down at the candy counter, "Any plans tonight?". Randy shook his head, "Gonna rewatch Dazed and Confused. That's all.". You nodded, "My folks are gone again. So if you wanna come over, it can be a date.". Randy quickly nodded, "Sure. That's if Creepy Karen allows me." He joked. You smiled, "Great just swing by after work!".

You heard a knock on your door distracting you from making your bed. You walked quickly to the front door with a giddy feeling in your stomach. You opened it with a sweet smile.

"Randy." You say stepping to the side to let him in. He walks in, "Y/N.". You close the door behind you, "Ready to watch a movie?" You ask walking towards him. He smiled, "Of course. Whatcha got to eat?". He went into the kitchen and looked around. You followed, "I have bagged popcorn and some sodas.". Randy looked at you, "Bagged popcorn?". You gave him a look, "My parents haven't gone grocery shopping okay?".

"It'll do." He said in a joking manner. You grabbed the popcorn while he grabbed some sodas. Yes I headed towards your room, "Not in the living room tonight?". You looked back at him, "It's comfier in my room.". He followed you, you threw the bag on the bed.

"What's the movie?" You asked, putting your hand out. Randy placed the VHS tape in your hand. You looked down to see Dazed and Confused.

"Seriously?" You took the tape out of its case.

"I told you I was rewatching it tonight." He smiled sitting down on your bed. You pressed play and crawled into your bed. Randy leaned back against the headboard hitting his head on the edge.

"Ow!" He whined. You laughed lightly, "Are you okay?". He glared at you, "No, your bed tried to kill me.". He touched the back of his head and lightly hissed.

"come here.." you moved closer to him trying to look at his head.

"There's no blood you're fine." You say lightly. He looks at you, "I don't feel fine.".

"Do I need to kiss it better?-" you teased. He glanced at you, "Aww call me here, Randy!" You cooed. You leaned towards him, his face went pink.

"I'm fine" he whined. You kissed his head, "There.". Randy looked at you, "Thanks.". You grinned, "It's my job.". You put your hand on his chest to push yourself back up. Randy cleared his throat, "Y/N?".

"Yes?" You asked, taking a handful of popcorn. Randy sat up, "We've been kissing a lot lately... And I was thinking-".

"I like you, Randy-" you interrupted. Randy blinked at you, "Don't interrupt me! I like you too I was gonna say we can y'know..".

"Date?" You asked with a light grin. He nodded, you smiled leaning towards him.

"Of course." You gave him a light peck on the lips. You leaned against him, "It's about time. I thought I was gonna die before you confessed your undying love for me." You teased.

"Whoa whoa! I said I liked you! Besides I was following the rules." He trailed off. You glanced at him, "Well there's no killer around...". Randy's eyes slowly widened, his cheeks went red. You smiled, "Relax. We don't have to-".

"No." He blurted. He awkwardly smiled, "I uh would like to... If you want to...". You cupped his cheek, "Of course. Remember if you want to stop at any point just tell me.". He nodded quickly, you leaned on top of collapsing your lips onto his. His hands roamed nervously on your back, you let out a soft laugh.

"What?" He whined, you smiled.

"You're so nervous. It's okay.". You say softly leaning back down. You left a trail of kisses down his jaw and neck. His breath hitched, his hand latched onto your sides. You left a small hickey on his neck before peaking up.

"Alright?" You whispered. He nodded, you sat up to take your shirt off. Randy laid in a trance, his eyes devouring you. You looked at him, "Do I need to undress you?" You teased. He looked away, his face full of embarrassment. He sat up and took off his shirt following your lead. You slid off your bottoms kicking them to the side.

"Can I?" Your hand gently moved towards his belt. He nodded, you unbuckled his belt before unbuttoning his pants. You slide down his jean revealing his batman boxers. You smile glancing at him, "Shut up" he mumbled.

"I didn't say anything." You teased. You gave him a small kiss as you climbed onto his lap. He softly groaned as your clothed core aligned with his. You teasingly brought your weight down onto him. He let out a breathy moan, he grabbed your hips keeping them still.

"Still okay?" You whisper. He nodded, "Jus' feels so good." He whispered. You let out a small laugh, you snaked your hands between the two of you. You lifted yourself up to pull him out of his boxers. Randy took heavy breaths as you grabbed his member. The tip was pink and leaking with pre-cum. You let go of him causing Randy to whine. You tsked at him, "I'm taking off my underwear. So impatient.". You shimmied the fabric off of you throwing it behind you.

You realigned yourself and gently sunk down onto him. Randy let out a whiney moan as he grabbed onto your thighs. You lowered yourself letting out a soft moan.

"Ready?" You asked softly. He nodded, you began to go up and down. Randy tensed up against you immediately. Randy squirmed, "I.... We forgot.. a condom.." he mumbled between moans. You shook your head, "It's okay.". You grabbed his shoulder for support as you sped up. His moans grew more needy and louder.

"So close... 'm sorry.." he whined.

"It's okay. You're doing so well baby" you cooed. Randy moaned in response, "Feels s' good." He moaned. He pushed himself up a bit out of need, "You... You can cum." You offered. Randy shook his head, "What about you?". He continuously tried to push his hips up into you as he held himself back. You moaned out softly, "I'm close too..". Randy nodded and took it as confirmation to continue to push his hips up.

He whined and sped up as he released into you. He leaned back letting out a moan. Your thighs were shaking lightly as you continued to bounce on him.

"How did you like it?" You softly asked. Randy stared up at the ceiling, "So fucking good..".

#horror #scream #ghostface #ghostface!reader #randy meeks #randy meeks x reader #billy loomis #billy loomis x stu macher x reader #billy loomis x you #billy loomis x y/n #randy meeks x you #randy meeks smut #randy meeks scream #randy scream #scream franchise #sidney prescott #scream 2 #scream fanfic #scream fandom #scream smut #billy loomis x reader #billy loomis smut #ghostface x y/n #ghostface x you #ghostface x reader #stu macher x you #billy loomis x stu matcher #stu matcher x reader #stu macher x reader #scream series

[onlyhereforthestories]

Cookies, Cuddles and Christmas Traditions (Mapi Leon x Reader)

Day 8! This is pure fluff and I love it. I can't wait to make traditions of my own with someone just like this. Does anyone have any they do around this time of the year? With an SO or family?

Christmas was only a few days away and you were sat in the cold at the Camp Nou stadium waiting for the Barca girls to play their final game of the calendar year. Mapi had made you promise to be there tonight and you were not one to let the love of your life down, even if you very really missed a game.

You were part of the back room staff at Barcelona football club and spent most of your time analysing the opposition teams and reporting your findings to the boss. That’s how you and Mapi met just over 5 years ago. The woman was new to the club and had been sent to try and find the trainers room, instead she stumbled into your office when you were midway through watching tapes of her at Atletico. After showing her where to go and praising her for her style of play you went your separate ways.

A few days later found the dyed haired woman back in your doorway but this time it was of her own accord. With slightly stuttered speech, something you still teased her about to the day, she had asked you if you wanted to get coffee and lunch with her after her training. Something you quickly agreed to. 5 years later, a few cats, a marriage and you were still going strong.

You are shaken out of your reminiscing by the ref blowing the whistle to start the game, which was a small shock being as you had been so far in your own head you hadn’t seen or heard the teams get on the pitch. Scanning the field you were quick to spot your wife running around the field, something you would never tire of watching.

The game was played at a relaxed pace for Barca, all the girls playing with a calmness you haven’t seen in ages. The ball was kept safe and played around the field without the other team getting a look in. Chances were created and some were scored and by the time the final whistle sounded, 6 goals had been racked up. Something that had all the fans and the girls dancing around to stadium celebrating for the final time in 2022.

When Mapi and the girls finally got to the section you were in you could see the adrenaline had started to wear off, the excitement still rotten all over their faces but the energy at which they moved had tapered off. When Mapi reached you she jumped and pulled herself up to your level using the railing and standing on the block when she could get the purchase.

“Hola Amor, how was that for a final game?” You smiled at the woman and pooped your arms round her shoulders to get that little bit closer.

“Wasn’t a bad way to end it, although you could have stopped a couple more of their shots if you got a little closer. Teams like Arsenal will take advantage of that if you aren’t careful.” You said it with a teasing but slightly serious tone of voice.

When Mapi rolled her eyes at you and smacked your shoulder you knew what you said had the desired effect. “Okay you goof, enough about football. I will just go get changed and then we can go home and start Christmas!” She pressed a quick but deep kiss to your lips before she was lowering herself down with strength that never failed to make you swoon. A fact she was fully aware of being as she sent a wink your way when her feet hit the ground before she turned and dashed for the tunnel.

About an hour later you found yourself standing in your kitchen looking at what could only be described as an hilarious sight. Mapi was stood at the kitchen counter looking at her phone with different ingredients scattered on the surface and a kiss the cook apron on that you had down right refused to follow. Even if she did look pretty hot with it on.

“What do you want me to do?” You stepped closer to her and pulled the sleeves of her hoodie you had stolen up your arms ready.

“You can sit up there and look pretty while I work pretty lady.” Doing as you were told you hopped up on the counter she pointed at and got yourself comfy. You pulled out your phone and connected it up to the kitchen speaker and put on some light Christmas music for some background noise.

You watched as Mapi concentrated weighing out the butter and sugar into the bowl. You laughed when she danced around the open space as she whisked the two ingredients together until the desired consistency was met. You jumped down briefly to put the stove top on in order to warm so of the mulled wine you had got from the shop on the way home, getting that into some warm mugs you passed one to your love before getting back into your spot.

By the time you had sorted that out Mapi was putting the flour into the mixture and getting the surface ready to kneed the dough before it had to be set in the fridge before the shape cutting fun could happen. Hopping off as soon as she started needing, you walked up behind her and wrapped your arms around her waist. “Can we do some coloured dough?” You tried to sweeten your request with a few soft kisses to the nape of the woman’s neck. When she hummed her agreement you stepped on your tip toes to reach her cheek and press a quick thank you kiss.

After routing through the cupboards for the colours you wanted, you were pleased to find the green, red and yellow in their boxes. When you got on the counter next to where Mapi was working you were please to find that she had already split to dough into 4 piles.

“Can you go get me some latex gloves please bebe. I don’t really want to have dyed hands for the Christmas break.” Nodding and jumping back down once again you ran off to your room to grab a few pairs.

By the time the dough was packed in the fridge to cool, Mapi had complained about her hands hurting about 12 times and you had at least 5 different streaks of dye on your thighs. Mapi always got handsy when she consumed any amount of alcohol, something you did not think of when you suggested the wine.

The 30 minute wait was spent cleaning up the kitchen and your body, before you knew it the timer you set was ringing. “Yay time to shape them!” Mapi couldn’t help but smile at your enthusiasm.

“Wait I did all the work, I get to shape them too.” She was joking but she couldn’t even keep that joke running for two seconds when she saw the sad pout on your face. “I’m joking silly girl, of course you can shape them. What do you want to do first?” She was happy with the grin you returned.

After making multiple shapes including candy canes, Christmas trees and stars you and Mapi were sat on the sofa sipping some more warm mulled wine and waiting for the oven timer to signify that the cookies were cooked. While you waited you were flicking through Netflix trying to find a Christmas movie to watch before bed. “What about elf?”

“But we normally watch that on Christmas Eve, can we save it?” You turned to the woman with your best please look which she caved to instantly and continued scrolling. You both settled on home alone 2 just as the timer went off, Mapi went to retrieve the cookies and when she came back in with a plate full of warm cookies you couldn’t have been more content with life.

You watched the film and ate more cookies than you probably should have being as they were meant to be for the get together you had planned with the girls the next day. You didn’t care about that though, not when you had one of those core memory evenings with the best woman you knew. A core memory that would turn into your and Mapi’s Christmas tradition for years and years and years to come.

#mapi león x reader #mapi leon x reader #mapi leon imagine #woso x reader #woso imagine #woso imagines

[witchy-rook]

Gather Your Allies: An Inexhaustive List of a Lot (but not all) of the Allies you can Gather for the Final Boss of Baldur's Gate 3

I just finished Baldur's Gate 3 the other day, and having done literally every side quest I could get my hands on (aside from deciding to give up on Dribbles at the end because I couldn't be arsed), I had a metric fuckload of support to call on for the final battle. Mostly for fun, but partially for documentation purposes and in case it proves useful to anyone (as I know more than a few people who made it to the final boss with very little support), I've decided to record whose support I had and how I got it. This should represent a good swathe of the companions you can get for the final battle throughout the game by being vaguely Good aligned.

Major spoilers below the cut!

The advice on attaining these characters is likely not definitive, but it's what I did and I got them, so if you do the same you should get them as well! They're listed here in the order they said their piece in the cutscene.

Arabella:

(Although now that I think of it, I'm not sure what she did given you can't summon her in the battle. Presumably one of the myriad buffs)

Save her in Act 2, and presumably talk with her and Withers

Arabella is encounterable in a small section of the sewers in Act 3, off a side passage near the waypoint surrounded by a load of dead bodies. I don't know if meeting her is necessary, but I imagine so, since during that interaction she says she'll help you and 'Gather Your Allies' updates.

Dammon & The Armoured Owlbear:

I imagine not letting Dammon die at any point is a big thing here.

Acquire the owlbear cub in Act 1.

I talked with Dammon a lot through Karlach's story, but I doubt this is strictly necessary. I also met him again in Act 3, but again, I don't know if this is strictly necessary.

Counsellor Florrick & the Flaming Fist:

I imagine encountering her and Ulder Ravengard's entourage in Act 1 is something of a requirement for this.

Rescue Florrick from Wyrm's Rock Prison in Act 3 and then convince her not to lose heart through a series of checks.

Barcus Wroot & the Iron Hand Gnomes:

Absolute heart throb (that's not advice, it's just true)

Prevent him from dying at any point. Rescue him at every opportunity (ie the CORRECT way to play) etc etc so that he makes it to Act 3.

Importantly, after the Gyrmforge explicitly invite him to your camp, otherwise you may not see him again :(

Refuse to go along with Wulbren's plan to blow the Gondian's Sky High.

Save the Gondians (I did the Iron Throne first, causing the enslaved Gondians to rise up), destroy the Steelwatcher Foundry, and during the confrontation between Barcus and Wulbren, side with Barcus and get him instated as leader of the Ironhand Gnomes.

Isobel & Dame Aylin:

Prevent Isobel from being kidnapped by Ketheric Thorm in Act 2.

Save Dame Aylin from the Shadowfell in Act 2.

Do not give Dame Aylin over to Lorroakan (you monster).

Duke Ulder Ravengard:

(Like Arabella, I think Ravengard mainly gives you a buff. I think it might have been 'Inspired' or 'Rallied' or something like that.)

Save Duke Ulder Ravengard from the Iron Throne in Act 3, and prevent him and Wyll from having a falling out.

Note: I actually exchanged him for Wyll's freedom and then went and saved him.

I don't know if completing the rest of Wyll's story is necessary, but I did and you should too cause it kicks ass. It kicks ass so hard I'm not even going to say what's involved in this huge spoilery post. Let's just say it reveals some major things about the story, and gives Wyll great claim on 'main character' status.

Yurgir:

(This one I'm proudest of, because I was not expecting it and it seems pretty convoluted to get him.)

Fight him in the Sharran temple in Act 2 and win (obviously, because you'd be dead otherwise.)

Go to the House of Hope in Act 3, steal the Orphic Hammer.

Fight Raphael, but before the fight succeed the Persuasion check to convince Yurgir to fight with you instead of against you.

After the fight (ensuring that Yurgir lives, presumably), when Yurgir says that he has to go back to the Bloodwar, tell him you have your own fight coming and he could join you. The absolute chad he is, he'll be like 'fuck yeah let's do it.'

Rolan, Lord of Ramazith's Tower:

Convince Rolan to stay with the refuges in Act 1.

Save him from the Shadows near Reithwin (en route to Moonrise Towers) in Act 2.

Save his siblings from Moonrise Towers in Act 2.

Fight Lorroakan in Act 3 and beat his sorry ass. Convince Rolan to take over the tower and believe in himself.

Inspector Valeria & the City Watch:

Take on the investigation into the Open Hand Temple murders in Rivington in Act 3.

Convince Valeria that there is more going on here than they think. Solve said murders. I doubt keeping Valeria's little constable friend alive is strictly necessary, but I did.

Rescue Valeria from the Murder Tribunal, who are keeping them imprisoned in a sideroom. I think solving the murders is a prerequisite for this, because the impression I got is that Orin and Sarevok kidnap Valeria as revenge for foiling the murders.

Volo's Guide to Doing Fuck All:

(Again, not sure what material support Volo gives. In this case I actually think it might be nothing because. Well. It's Volo.)

Save him at the various opportunities in Acts 1 through 3. Most importantly, save him in Act 3 outside the Steelwatcher Foundary.

I don't think talking to him in camp afterwards is necessary but you should because he's great, and if you save him before fighting Orin he gives you a sick buff against the Slayerform.

Zevlor & The Hellriders:

Side with him in Act 1 and don't betray the tieflings/the Grove.

Rescue him in Act 2 in the flesh pits below Moonrise Towers (Easy to miss! He's in one of the pods in the Mindflayer Colony.)

Talk to him about his past, his failure to defend the refugees in Act 2 and convince him that he can still make up for his failings.

Nine-Fingers Keene & the Guild:

Search out the Guild in Act 3 and help them with their Stonelord problem.

After searching out the Stonelord, the Zhentarim will stage an attack on the Guild headquarters. Intervene on the side of the Guild and help defend them. Ensure Nine-Fingers lives (though this should be easy, because she kicks ass.)

The Gur:

Agree to help them rescue their people from Cazador in Act 3.

After freeing the captives in Cazador's Palace, convince Ulma not to hate your guts by revealing just who those captive thralls you freed are.

Unfortunately for all you Ascended Astarion stans out there, I imagine going down that road locks the Gur out.

Though notably, I did sideline that one Gur hunter in Act 1, and was still able to work with them in Act 3.

Halsin & Thaniel:

(Obviously Halsin can be in your party, this gives you a specific buff.)

Side with the Grove in Act 1, rescue Halsin, recruit him, etc.

In Act 2, complete the storyline with Halsin, Art Cullagh and Thaniel and successfully heal the Shadowcursed Lands.

The Harpers:

(Again, Jaheira can still be in your party, though this time you get an actual summon.)

Side with Jaheira and her Harpers in Act 2 and help them storm Moonrise Towers.

Recruit her to your party, and complete her various quests in Act 3 (rendezvousing with the Harpers and the stuff with Stonelord)

My approval with her was decently high, though by no means maxed out, so I reckon that so long as she's with you, this should trigger.

And that's that! This is by no means even all the 'Good' companions you can get, if I had to guess, but hopefully it might help you find some of them. As you can see, most of these require prep work in Act 1 or 2, but there's at least a few that can be attained, I'd imagine, soley through quests in Act 3. Good luck out there, and give them hell!

#baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 spoilers #bg3 spoilers