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#how was i meant to know i was supposed to cut the bridge ??
sadlazzle · 5 months
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also in case anyone was curious the me getting lost in every other area of this game has continued into the dlc
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triptuckers · 4 months
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sparring sessions - percy jackson
Request: yes! "ok so ik it’s kinda (by kind of i mean VERY) cliche, but i was wondering if u could do like an angst -> fluff where like percy and reader get into a fight n stuff and he like admits that he loves them??" Pairing:  percy jackson x reader Summary:  when an argument between you and percy gets heated, some things are revealed Warnings:  mentions of injuries and blood, arguing, angst Word count:  858 A/N: raaaaaahhh I LOVE me some cliche's LETS GO !! thanks for you request, enjoy!
it started out as an innocent sparring session between percy and jake, a hephaestus kid. a couple kids from hermes, hephaestus, and athena decided to get together to train. you and percy also joined.
you'd been at camp longer than percy, so you had trained him in the beginning. the two of you often train together even though percy is now better than you.
but somehow he still looks at you while sparring with someone else. if it's to read your facial expressions or just because you're in his line of sight, you're not sure.
but today it nearly went wrong.
while percy and jake were sparring, percy was looking at you and too late to block jake's sword. he managed to make a deep cut in percy's arm.
the session was immediately ended and percy put his sword away. while the other kids continued their training session, you walked away. you couldn't stay there and be around percy right now. clearly he hadn't listened to you.
but percy, having seen your face, follows you.
as soon as you get to percy's cabin - which provides you with more privacy than your own - you turn around to look at him with an irritated look on your face.
'I told you to ignore me if you're sparring!' you say.
percy frowns. but nothing bad happened? why are you mad at him? besides, he can't look away from you when he's sparring. he thought you knew this.
'and how am I supposed to do that?' says percy, watching as you take off your armor and neatly put it away. 'you're the one that taught me. of course I need to see if you think I'm doing a good job.'
you pinch the bridge of your nose between your fingers. you're trying so hard to stay calm right now.
'of course I think you're doing a good job, percy.' you say. 'I know you're good at what you do. but you'd do a great job if you would listen to my advice and avoid getting stabbed.'
percy makes a soft offended noise. 'first of all, I didn't get stabbed. I got nicked!'
you groan out loud 'percy! come on, don't be stubborn!'
'I'm the one being stubborn? you should see yourself when you're sparring. you want it to be perfect but fighting never is! it's messy, no matter how good you train someone.'
'I'm going for a walk.' you say, before you get angrier and say things you don't mean.
you grab your armor and walk towards the door, but he steps in front of you, blocking the doorway.
'oh no, you're not. we're not done yet.' says percy, crossing his arms over his chest, displaying the cut on his arm that he didn't have time to heal yet.
'got more to say?' you say.
'yes. you never did actually tell me what I did wrong.' says percy. 'you're mad, I can tell. but you didn't tell me what it was that I did that's made you mad.'
'yes I did. I told you that you need to ignore me when you're sparring. focus all of you attention on the opponent, not me.'
'I can't do that.'
'can't focus on the opponent? I noticed.'
'that's not what I meant!'
'then what do you mean!'
'I meant I can't ignore you when I'm sparring!' says percy loudly. 'I can never ignore you, don't you understand that? whenever you're near you always have my attention, I can never look away. even when you're not near me I'm thinking about you. gods, you're always on my mind because I love you, okay? so I'm sorry if I can't look away from you when I'm sparring!'
you hadn't realised how close you were to each other. now percy's face is close to yours, both of you breathing heavily.
you knew percy liked you, obviously. you wouldn't be staying in his cabin almost every night if he didn't. but this? even though you knew percy had liked you for a long time, you hadn't been together for that long.
'you love me?' you say in a soft voice, feeling your anger and irritation ebb away.
percy closes his eyes and shakes his head, as if he just now realises what he said. then he sighs and when he opens his eyes and looks at you, there's nothing but sweetness in them.
'yeah. I do.' says percy. 'I've loved you for a long time, actually.'
you smile and want to say something but percy's eyes widen.
'wait, shit, is that too soon? should I have waited to say it? oh gods if I-'
'percy.' you say, shutting him up by stepping even closer to him.
'it's okay. I love you too.' you say.
percy grins and his eyes twinkle. without warning, he puts his hands on the sides of your face and crashes his lips against yours. he can feel the smile on your lips.
when he pulls back, you're both smiling.
'you still want to go on that walk?' says percy.
'definitely not.' you say.
percy laughs and kisses you again, your argument already forgotten.
A/N: If you want to request something, make sure to read my house rulesHere’s the list of characters I write for. Everything that I have written can be found on my masterlist. Please don’t repost, steal or translate my work, as I spend much time and effort on it!! Thank you for reading! Much love, Marit
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noneorother · 5 months
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The secret timeline inside of Good Omens season 2 revealed, *part1*
Part 1 l Part 2
If you’ve ever watched a ballet or an opera, you know how the rhythm in the music is used throughout to determine not only the movements of the dancers, but also when lines are sung or spoken. This is almost unheard of in television, but what if I told you it was hidden in season 2 of Good Omens? If one were to, say, meticulously cut together only the scenes set in the present day into one big timeline, you would get one long video that is exactly 2 hours 22 minutes 00 seconds and 00 frames long. An ineffable cut that is so perfect it defies all logic. (I’ve burnt a timecode into this ineffable edit to help pick up the rhythm.)
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Even though there are large swathes of the second season with no music, there is a constant tempo weaving its way through the show: What if the seconds ticking by in the runtime itself was the music? Here’s an example of what I found. Behold a supercut of every single time Shax shows up, or Hell is mentioned in series 2 in the ineffable edit. They always arrive on a 6 in the time stamp (ex: 00:XX:X6).
(SOUND ON is an absolute must here, otherwise you won't hear any of the triggers)
Shax rings Crowley on a XX:X6. Shax miracles herself into the car on a XX:X6. Shax knocks on windows on a XX:X6. Shax’s big scary moment at the bookshop happens at 66 minutes exactly (lol). Crowley calls out for Shax on a XX:X6. Beelzebub starts spewing flies on a 6. People mention hell and it’s always on XX:X6 etc. etc…(Bonus: I also left in Maggie flipping the damned the double-bird on a XX:X6) I’ve also left in the only appearance of Shax or hell at all in the whole series that isn’t tied to a six: the park bench scene with Crowley. Shax seems to be off by one line, showing up on a XX:10, then back to XX:X6 on her second reply: “Bills, mostly”. I can only theorise that this scene, while technically in season 2, is not supposed to *be* in season 2 (even just judging by the trees, sun and the overcoats, it’s not summer like in the rest of the season). And it’s not only sixes! Every time I go through I find more and more little beats that line up exactly with ineffable timings. I can only do one video per post, so I’ll have to cut it up into sections, but Gabriel, doors, car horns, bird calls, Aziraphale, food, drinks, Angels, dialogue, Maggie, Nina, jokes, clocks, bells… The list goes on and on. 
Neil called this season “The bridge”
Because we all know how much Neil loves double meanings and wordplay, I just have to ponder the idea that when Neil said this season was “the bridge” between seasons 1 and 3, he meant it double-literally. First, as in the bridge Aziraphale and Crowley have to cross in order to get them into position for the second coming. We even see the physical manifestation of this bridge leading everyone in the background of the opening credits. But this season is also a bridge in the sense that it’s a musical section that introduces new ideas or material in the middle of a song. This whole season is the music that deviates from the familiar, and re-contextualizes the chorus and the verses so we can appreciate them in a new way. 
Let’s not forget that 2:22 is also exactly the same timing as this (and only this) track from the good omens s2 album (read all about the soundtrack here):
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Why is this so bonkers? I think GOS2 might be the first ever “Total” series of television.
Having everything in the series timed and choreographed would actually make it a very faithful adaptation of the Powell & Pressburger film The Tales of Hoffmann (read about the movie and it’s effect on all of s2 here). If you watch the tales of Hoffman, you will realize that the entire film is actually done more like animation, with the music and vocals all performed in a studio, mixed and edited first, and then the actors came back to act out their choreographed and lip-synched parts for the cameras afterwards. The result is "Total film": a movie that feels more like a ballet, with every movement, action, and line happening in time with the music. As far as I can tell, very few films have ever attempted this, with The Tales of Hoffmann and Playtime being the only two “complete” films I could find in this style. (The Red shoes has one section, and An American In Paris has a few)
“Why would ambitious filmmakers simply film an opera? Many admirers of the work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger have assumed that their decision to make The Tales of Hoffmann (…) was in some way an admission(…) that they couldn’t go on making their edgy, over-the-top melodramas after the rejection and interference they’d suffered, (but) there’s a case for considering The Tales of Hoffmann as one of the finest and boldest works that Powell and Pressburger produced, so far ahead of its time as a wholly “composed” film... Late in his life, Powell himself said that he thought it was one of the best films that he and Pressburger had made.” - Criterion review, Tales of Hoffmann
Here’s a simple example from An American in Paris
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If season 2 *is* scripted and choreographed to line up with specific timings, I’m pretty sure that would make this the first ever “total” or “composed” season of television ever attempted. Not only does this take an ASTOUNDING amount of planning, scripting and editing finesse, not to mention a completely controlled set, it takes a real understanding of how to perform as an actor using rhythm and metre, which would go a long way to explain why all of the main actors coming back for season 2, with the exception of John Hamm, are well regarded theatre performers, (especially of Shakespeare).
I’ll leave you with one last surprise I found in the discovery of the ineffable edit: remember Aziraphale’s smile at the very end if the credits? It happens on 02:23:03, as the first step off the bridge, and into season 3.
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I will have much more in the next ineffable timeline post. Stay tuned…
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Thanks for reading all the way to the end. It’s taken me a solid month to get this perfect. There are so many hidden cuts and jumps to take into account, and I had a frame rate issue that kept exporting to 29fps instead of 25fps, but I’ve finally nailed the ineffable timeline enough that I am confident sharing in it.
Credits to @thebluestgreen and @embracing-the-ineffable for all the support and help with editing and just general good vibes. 
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greatooglymooglyyy · 2 months
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The Last Ride Chapter One (AU Cowboy!C.Sturniolo)
summary: when spoiled and sheltered city girl Y/N finds herself in running in the wrong crowd, her dad gives her an ultimatum. it's either spend the summer of her gap year on her uncle's ranch or face being cut off and finding a job. just when she thinks it can't get any worse, she meets Chris, the brooding farmhand who thinks he knows her type. but as the summer goes on, they both realize there may be more to the other than meets the eye.
requested and advised by @rootbeerworshiper
contains: cussing, family issues, arguing, bickering, emotional manipulation, 2.3k words
a/n: so fucking nervous and excited for this series guys. love ya so much. this is crazyyyy
series masterlist (reading the prologue is v rec'd)
******************
“Irresponsible-”
“Dad-”
“Wreckless-”
“Dad. I’m-”
“Inconsiderate!”
I sigh and close my eyes, letting my body slouch down in his office chair. I thought the fact that he sent me upstairs last night without a word meant he was going to be calm and collected this morning, but nope. I’ve been sitting here for twenty minutes while he’s been ranting and raving at me, not even giving me the chance to defend myself.
“Dad,” I say when he pauses again and stares at me. “I get it okay. I fu-” I clear my throat, wincing at the look he gives me. “I messed up. I’m sorry.”
He walks around his desk, takes his seat in front of me, and studies me for a second. When he speaks again, his voice is free of anger and instead just full of sadness. “I don’t think you are. Do you understand that you and your friends set production back three weeks on the warehouse? Construction was supposed to start Monday but now I have to tell the crew it’s been delayed. Do you care at all about that?”
I scrunch my nose up in annoyance and confusion. “Okay? It’s just a few weeks, Dad. I’m sure they’ll be fine. Look, can I go now? I broke my nail last night and I really need to-” He slams a hand down on the desk, startling me into silence.
“Y/N! Be quiet!” He pinches the bridge of his nose, attempting to regain composure. “Three weeks can be everything to someone who needs a job. But it’s my fault you don’t understand that. I’ve spent your life trying to make sure you had everything you ever wanted but I should have been teaching you what it means to work for it.” He takes a deep breath and then stands, crossing his arms and nodding as if deciding on something. “But that’s about to change.”
I stare back at him, my mouth slightly ajar still from the shock of his tone. He’s never been this angry with me before and I don’t know how to handle it.
“What do you mean?” I ask cautiously.
“I’m going to pay my crew for the time that they’re missing. And you,” he gestures at me theatrically “are going to pay me back every cent. I’m sending you to your Uncle Buck’s ranch to work off your debt.”
I stare at him blankly and tilt my head, thinking I must have heard him wrong. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Dad!” I laugh with incredulity. “You want to send me to work in Nowhere, Louisiana? That is so not fair.”
He rolls his eyes at me. “That town is where I was raised. It has a way of teaching you lessons that you clearly need right now.”
I square my shoulders at him, a defiant twinkle in my eye before I give him a strong “No.”
“Wasn’t a question, darling.”
“No!” I say, standing now. “You can’t make me.”
He narrows his eyes at me and then takes a step back. “You’re right about that. You are eighteen now so I can’t make you. But that means I can cut you off completely. No car. No money. Nada. And that’s exactly what I'll do if you don’t go.”
My eyes widen and I blink profusely at him gauging his seriousness but he’s as earnest as I’ve ever seen him. Tears threaten to spill from my eyes but instead of standing here crying, I just storm out of his office and run up the stairs.
“Good idea.” He calls behind me. “You should pack. Your flight leaves in 22 hours.”
*************
My dad puts the car in park and looks over at me but I refuse to meet his eye.
"I cannot believe you are doing this to me.”
He sighs, placing a hand on my shoulder. “This isn’t something I’m doing to you, honey. This is something I’m doing for you. I love you but I don’t know if I like this person you’re becoming and I don’t think you do either.” My eyes start burning at this and I snatch away from him, hopping out of the car to grab my luggage. Dad meets me at the trunk, silently pulling out my suitcase and placing it on the ground.
I finally lock eyes with him and give him a hard look. “I am never going to forgive you for this.”
He winces slightly but sets his jaw stubbornly. “That’s a chance I’ll just have to take. I’ll see you at the end of the summer.”
I don’t respond, just grabbing my luggage and heading into the airport.
When I get through security, I have a seat in my section and pull out my phone to check the time on my boarding pass. I get a new message and sigh, finally filtering through the bullshit my friends have sent me.
Jace 🥵
hey baby are you okay? my bad about the party. you know i get on that shit. but never again, ok?
u up? i’m so fucking horny
Lydia 👯‍♀️
OMFG GIRL! Thank you so much for not telling your dad I was there. My mom would have literally canceled my Dubai trip. I love you FOREVER. Call me so I can tell you what Dylan said last night!
Brielle 💋
Hey. I’m so fucking sorry for leaving you. It was so shitty of us. Please let me know you’re ok?
I scoff at my phone and block them all one by one before turning my phone off. Maybe a couple of months away won’t be such a bad thing after all.
*************
On second thought? No. It absolutely is. I look around in horror at what must be the smallest airport in the United States. There’s not even a baggage claim. I literally have just to wait while some guy brings out the luggage one by one.
When I’m finally outside, I look around for the car my Uncle was supposed to be sending but all I see is pickup trucks and dirt. I pull out my phone to call Dad when someone speaks up.
“Y/N?”
I look up to see a boy around my age looking a bit impatient. He has the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen, crystal blue like the early morning sky. He’s wearing a simple flannel shirt, some well-worn Wranglers, and a trucker hat. When I bring my eyes back up to his face, he gives me a look that says I’ve been quiet for too long and I snap out of it.
“Yes! Thank god. I thought they forgot about me.”
“Nah. Your uncle sent me. I’m Chris.” He says around the toothpick hanging out his mouth. Chris reaches for my suitcase and I let him take it, following him to the car. He moves quickly and I rush to keep up. Kind of rude for a driver.
“Don’t you guys usually have a sign or something?” I look him up and down before adding, “And dress a little less… dingy?”
He stops looking over his shoulder at me and I stop in my tracks before I can slam into him.
“Excuse me?” He says, clearly offended.
“I just mean, in LA at least, chauffeurs are usually-”
“Chauffeur?” He cuts me off with an abrupt laugh. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
I look around the parking lot for emphasis. “Well, what else am I supposed to think? You’re picking me up from the airport!”
“Damn girl, you really are out of touch. I’m doing your uncle a favor. You’ve never picked a friend up from the airport before?” He tosses my suitcase in the bed of his Ford F150 and heads around the truck as I feel myself reddening. I open the passenger door and pause, noticing how grimy the interior is and not wanting to get my skirt dirty.
Chris watches me with unconcealed amusement. “You can walk if you’d like. It’s only a cool 25 miles. I’m sure it’ll be a breeze in those shoes.”
I roll my eyes and hop in, mentally adding ruining a Coach skirt to my dad’s list of sins. Chris cracks up the car and to my surprise, instead of country music, a rap song starts up. I look over at him impressed. “You know LUCKI?”
He rolls his eyes and takes off his hat, scratching his head. “We have the same internet you do.”
“Not with that shirt you don’t,” I mutter under my breath, turning to look out the window. There’s nothing to see but fields, dead grass, and the occasional horse grazing so I turn back to Chris.
“Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot.” I start, but he interrupts me.
“Nah. You’re exactly what I expected.”
I narrow my eyes at him, sitting back in the seat. “Oh yeah? And what’s that?”
He counts them off, tapping the steering wheel as he does. “Entitled. Bratty. Unprepared.” He says the last one with a pointed look at my outfit.
I laugh without humor and clap. “Wow. All of that in ten minutes, huh? Okay, let me try." I tap my finger on my chin pretending to think. "You’re a backwater hillbilly whose idea of a vacation is driving out to Texas. You had big dreams of leaving this piece of shit town, but whoops! You’re still here.” I glance in the backseat, spotting a booster seat, and go for the kill shot. “What was it, hm? Babymama drama?”
Chris scowls at me, his eyes full of distaste. “You shouldn’t speak on shit you have no idea about. That seat’s for my sister. But thank you for proving my point. Why don’t we add judgy to that list?”
I snap my mouth shut and avert my eyes mutter a quiet, "Whatever." before reaching for my purse to popping in my AirPods. From my peripheral, I see Chris smirk and turn up the radio. When I’m sure he’s not looking, I chance a glance at him. He’s rapping the words of the song softly, bopping his head to the beat. I trail my eyes over his jaw, noticing the stubble lining it. Chris flicks his gaze over at me and I immediately look away, chastising myself.
He might be cute… Who am I kidding? He’s gorgeous. But he’s not worth a minute of the trouble. I sigh deeply and let my head fall against the headrest, closing my eyes and letting the music take over.
*************
I sigh in relief when we come to a stop in front of my Uncle’s house. It’s been years since we’ve been back here, I was only eight the last time, but hardly anything has changed.
The land still seems huge to me, stretching out several hundred acres; which is beyond impossible in LA. The house is beautiful, even though it’s clearly old, a rustic-style home with red shutters and a wraparound porch. My dad told me once that my grandpa built it all by himself as a wedding gift to my granny. My heart tugs a bit at the reminder of them and I push it away and hop out of the truck.
Chris is already pulling my luggage out of the bed when I come around and I go to take it, muttering a quiet thank you, before I hear my name being called.
“As I live and breathe, if it isn’t my bunny!” My Aunt Birdie calls from the screen door before stepping out onto the porch. I grin at the old nickname and drop the suitcase, running up the few stairs to hug her. She nuzzles me into her arms and I can’t believe how much I’ve missed these hugs without knowing it.
“My my. Aren’t you as pretty as a magnolia in May?” She coos when she pulls back, pressing a palm to my cheek. I beam at her and she calls over her shoulder for my uncle.
She lets me go, moving past me to speak to Chris.
“And thank you, darlin', for getting her for us. You know how that truck of ours likes to kick up a fuss somethin’ fierce.” She says, placing a hand on his shoulder as he walks past her carrying the luggage.
“You know it’s no trouble.” He says politely and I scoff, causing both of them to look at me. I cover it up with a cough and shrug, finally stepping into the house. Uncle Buck comes around the corner, grinning from ear to ear.
“Y/N!” He’s freshly up from a nap, sleepiness evident in his face, but comes over to wrap me in a hug. “How was the trip? Hope you and Chris hit it off.” He says, throwing a smile his way.
“Oh, yes sir. She’s…” Chris hesitates. “somethin’. That’s for sure.”
I glare at him and he shrugs, turning back to my aunt and uncle. Uncle Buck takes a seat in his rocking chair and gestures for me to sit on the couch.
“Okay, honey. I’m gonna give it to you straight. I know you don’t want to be here.” He raises a hand when I try to interject. “Now, let me finish. I know you don’t want to be here but you are. Now what we do here is honest work. This is work you can take pride in. And that’s what I expect from you. Good honest work. Are we clear?” He says, his voice as stern as he can manage but I see the cracks in his facade. I nod anyway, not wanting to give him any trouble.
“Good!” He says, his good-natured smile returning. “Cus’ Chris, here’s a tough cookie. He’ll keep you on your toes.”
My eyes widen at this and I look between my aunt and uncle’s faces in horror. “What?”
“Oh, he didn’t tell you?” My uncle asks. “Chris here is our lead farmhand. You’ll be reporting to him this summer.”
There’s just no way this is happening. I drag my eyes to Chris reluctantly and find him giving me the most shit-eating grin I’ve ever seen.
He tips the brim of his hat sarcastically and chuckles.
“Welcome to the crew, city girl.”
Oh. I’m so fucked.
taglist: @sturniolho @sttzee @tillies33ssss @miloisdone1 @sstvrnioloo @junnniiieee07 @sturnioloslurps @mrsmiagreer @asturniolos
@teapartyprincess4two @whicked-hazlatwhore @sukiipjs @accio326 @sturniolosmind
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thebestofoneshots · 3 months
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Gilded Constellations | (wolfstar x reader)
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Series Masterlist | Previous episode
Pairing: Wolfstar x Reader Word Count: 12 K Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence. (Reader discretion is advised). Prompt: It's game time. This IS a wolfstar x reader fic, but it's incredibly slow burn. They won't start all dating each other until we're very deep into the story, but I promise the long wait will be worth it. Proofread by sweethearts: @aremuslupinsimp & @profoundpidgeon
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Chapter 30: Bridge Over Troubled Water
You stayed with the boys until Peter and James arrived, and since it was already past curfew, but mostly because he wanted to, he offered to take you to your room using James’ cloak. You were both already outside your door when he stopped you and pulled you in for a short kiss. 
“Starshine, I might not see you tomorrow…” 
“However will I survive?” you chimed in.
He rolled his eyes, a very small smile playing on his lips before he focused again “That’s not– tomorrow’s the game–” 
“Yeah, I’m very aware.” 
“And I won’t be there.” You nodded, holding your tongue instead of interrupting him again, “You will be the seeker.” 
“Sirius, What’s your–” 
“Just promise you won’t do anything stupid.” 
You gave him a look, and then smiled, reciting a line from a comic you’d read with him a couple of weeks ago “How could I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” 
He deadpanned, “I’m serious.” Again, you had to hold your tongue before saying something that would probably frazzle him a bit more, “Take care of yourself, you’re more important to me than winning the game.” 
You smiled at that. It was a game against Slytherin. You’d be seeking against Regulus. Those words meant a lot more than they let on. You looked at him, and nodded “I won’t do anything stupid.” 
“No using yourself as a shield for a bludger?” 
“Nope,” you confirmed with a nod.
“Stay the hell away from Crouch.” 
“You don’t even have to tell me for me to do that.” 
“And don’t trust Minho, I know you’re friends but he’s as quidditch crazy as James, he won’t go easy on you just because you’re friends.” 
“It’d be a boring game if he did,” you said with a pout. Sirius shook his head in disbelief before pulling you into a hug. 
“Not gonna lie, I’m kind of glad you’re playing seeker instead of guardian, with your shoulder and everything…” 
“Shoulder’s fine,” you said with a shrug, leaning onto him. He was squeezing you tightly, and you rather enjoyed it. “But I’ll get hurt more often if you keep coddling me so much.” 
“How about you don’t get hurt ever again and I promise to continue coddling you regardless?” He hummed into your hair, his tone laced with humour. 
“I suppose we could reach to an agreement,” you replied with a smile, as you took in the scent of his soft shirt, and then pulled back to look at him, “Don’t pick up fights with Evan while you’re in detention with Slughorn,” you added in a warning tone. 
He gave you a look as if to say that it was impossible but you reached up and placed your hand near the bottom of his lip, where a small cut was healing, he winced as you brushed your hand over it “I thought as much,” you told him earnestly as you let your hand fall to the side of his cheek, Godric, he’s so unfairly pretty, you thought. 
He stared back at you, and you must have stayed like that for a while, if anyone saw you, they’d assume you were two idiots in love, which was pretty accurate in and of itself, thankfully the cloak was still covering the two of you, letting you bask in each other’s gazes without anyone bursting your bubble, until Sirius did, remembering it was late. “All right, off you go, you have to wake up early tomorrow, eat a full meal and get ready for the game.” 
“Sure thing Prongs,” you teased, you would have said mom, but being honest, James was a lot more concerned about the games and your eating habits than either of your moms ever were, especially Walburga, at least your mom tried, even if you didn’t agree with the choices she had made in order to please your father. 
He huffed a laugh, “I’ll tell Rem to watch over you.” 
“I don’t need a nanny.” 
“He’ll watch over you anyway,” he added, which was true in two ways, one: he’d tell Remus regardless of your objections, and two: he was pretty sure Remus would watch over you even if he didn’t directly ask him to do it. 
You hummed in response and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before sliding into your room. Lily was awake for some reason, she had a book in her hands and was using the light of her wand to read. You narrowed your eyes at her and decided to go straight into her bed, sitting beside her. 
“Where were you all day today?” She asked in a whisper, you took your wand out of the pyjama pants the boys had given you and cast a silencing spell over the two of you. “The school was chaos, Nox and Comet came over looking for you at lunch, we had to tell them we hadn’t seen you since breakfast. And then it was my date with James, I wanted to ask you if I looked nice but nobody knew where you were, it was like you vanished.” 
“You always look nice,” you said, addressing one of their first statements. “James is head over heels for you–” 
She frowned, looking over your body. “Hold up! What are you wearing?” she asked, placing her hand on the flannel pants you had on, pants she was sure she had seen either on Sirius or Remus (perhaps both), and then turned to the shirt, a little too big for you. A shirt she definitely had seen on Sirius. You didn’t change back into your uniform since you weren’t expecting anyone to be awake. “Isn’t this Sirius’… Oh my God! You were with Sirius,” she said with a gasp, covering her own mouth since she had been much louder this time around, “How was it?” 
“Ah that… It’s not what you think!” You managed to mumble, “I was working on my project with Rem and then I accidentally spilt coffee all over myself, he borrowed this,” you explained, making it all up on the spot, feeling rather satisfied at how convincing you’d sounded. “Sirius came over later and we all just chilled together for a bit, Remus was reading to us and I just kinda lost track of time.” 
She quirked an eyebrow as if analysing what you’d said, Lily was clever, that’s why you had added a truth after the lie, perhaps that way she wouldn’t suspect too much "Does that mean you haven’t…?"
You shook your head. "We’ve… kissed a lot, but no." You then turned to her, narrowing your eyes. "Lily Evans, what makes you so curious?"
She turned red, pulling a strand of shiny red hair behind her ear. "I kissed James today."
You looked at her shocked, James had told you and the boys that the date had gone well, he hadn’t elaborated further. It should have probably made you wonder why he rushed into his bathroom, but you were way too comfortable laying in between Sirius and Remus as he read an action-packed scene that you didn’t pay too much attention to it. In fact, you weren’t sure you’d be able to pay attention to much anything other than Remus’ calming voice, let alone with Sirius, who had at some point taken a hold of your hand and fidgeted with your fingers as the other boy narrated. 
"You know you have to tell me everything about it, don’t you?"
She nodded. "That’s why I stayed awake."
And she told you everything, from how James had picked a few wildflowers, which you recognised as Remus’ idea, to how he’d taken her on a walk near the lakes. How he’d somehow gotten his hands on the muggle coffee candies she adores so much -which you knew had been thanks to Sirius’ cousin Andromeda- and he’d placed them on a small picnic basket filled with her favourite food from the great hall (those had been courtesy of Pebblier and Nimbletwist, you had been the one to ask them for it), how he’d taken some paints and parchment and proposed to paint each other. That had been his own idea, at least the making portraits of each other part. 
She took out her journal and pulled out the parchment, she had neatly added it to one of the pages with tape. James might be good at a lot of things, but he wasn’t a Michelangelo, perhaps a Picasso? You could certainly say Lily’s portrait was an abstract piece. But she seemed absolutely delighted by it. And her happiness was contagious. 
At some point, you had both laid on their bed as he continued telling you all the things they’d done. How he’d behaved like a total gentleman, but kept his very distinctive James Potter charm. She wondered how she had been so blind and not seen that side of him before. You’d been tempted to tell her she was a goner, but held your tongue. You told her a bit about the book you’d been reading with the boys, and she told you that she heard about it. That there was a movie, or maybe they were still making it, she wasn’t too sure. Hogwarts was incredible at many things, but it wasn’t very good at helping students keep up with muggle news. In between laughter, secrets and teasing, the two of you fell asleep beside each other.
 Sunday, November 28th, 1976
"Darling, you need to wake up," you heard as you felt a hand on your shoulder. The pain woke you up, rather than her voice, and you groaned, thankfully Marlene thought it was because you were still sleeping. "Teddy wants us in the pitch earlier since he wants to revise the strategy."
You gave her a look, still rather sleepy but nodded, getting up from Lily’s bed, she was still sleeping soundly on the side, and stirred only a little as you stood up, if Marlene noticed anything related to the pyjama you had on, she said nothing. You went straight to change, freshening up a bit by throwing some water straight at your face. 
You checked your wound, it looked a lot better, the pain was still there, but it seemed like it was already closing. You threw in some healing spray Remus had given you the night of the prank and wrapped it again. You brushed your teeth, and after you were done, you threw some more water at your face. You felt a lot more awake now, but you were sure breakfast would finish waking you up completely. While it might have not been the best idea to stay awake talking to Lily, you still thought it had been worth it. 
You gave a look at your reflection in the small bathroom mirror. "Let’s do this," you told yourself with a smile and stepped out, Marlene was waiting for you outside, she was lacing up her boots."Breakfast?" 
She nodded in response, and the two of you walked over to the door. "Should we wake her?" she asked. 
You shook your head "She stayed up quite late-"
"Talking to you," she interrupted. 
You shrugged. "Yeah, but she didn’t have a game tomorrow," you told her, nodding to the fact that you had been irresponsible, but were okay with it either way. "She’ll wake up before the game, she set an alarm. We should let her rest."
Marlene hummed. "Her date must have been pretty exhausting," she told you with a cheeky smile, you laughed. "Though I still wonder how he managed to convince McGonagall to let him off punishment to go on the date."
You raised your eyebrows "Well… I suppose James can be very convincing."
"He probably cried to McGonagall," she said with a laugh. "Wouldn’t blame him, I’m not sure if Lily would have given him another chance."
"We would have convinced her."
"If only to get James off our backs," Marlene said with a laugh, by then you were already close to the entrance of the great hall. 
James and Sirius –as expected– weren’t there when you crossed the huge doors. Teddy was amiably speaking with Tim and Lucas, who would be covering for your friends, while Gale and Anne sat a little bit further to the side. When Gale saw the two of you, he raised his hand and made a gesture for you to walk their way. 
Both you and Marlene followed and sat in front of the two of them. You served yourself some apple juice as you all greeted each other. They were both already wearing their uniforms, just like you and Marlene were. The Slytherins also had their uniforms on, and they were all sitting close to each other. You realized the boy that would be covering for Evan was the same you had seen in Barty’s room, the Gaunt kid.  
“How’re we feeling?” Gale asked, diverting your attention towards your table again. 
You sucked in some air and smiled. “It’s always the excitement before a game, isn’t it?” 
“Excitement?!? I’m shitting my pants from how nervous I am,” Gale said as he took a sip of some lavender tea Anne had given him to relax. “There’s no way in hell I’m as good as you as a keeper.” 
You almost gasped at his words, you were absolutely shocked the overconfident Gale Thomas, the same boy who had taken your handkerchief away on the tryouts, who was so fast you hadn’t even noticed, would be reduced to a bundle of nerves by something like this, you tilted your head. “Gale you’re brilliant, you’ve always been brilliant!” you said. “Even on the tryouts, you were amazing as a keeper, I’m sure we stopped just as many–” 
“You stopped around 5% more than I did, you had a block ratio of 95%,” he said, leg bouncing up and down as he took a bite from a toast. 
You leaned down on the table to get his attention. “Gale?” you called, he threw you a look, worry still evident on his face. “They wanted you to be a keeper too,” you told him, pointing at Teddy with a nod. “And if they attempt to throw the ball 20 times, and you stop 19, we would still be many, many points ahead. Alison and Mina are great chasers, but I’m sure you’ll be on par, after all, you defended against Teddy, James, Anne and me on the tryouts.” 
Anne nodded. “Say it louder so it gets through his thick head,” she said, a little louder and sounding just a little annoyed. He’s been going over since we came downstairs. 
“You really think I’ll be on par?” he asked, looking absolutely hopeful. You smiled, sometimes you forgot how much younger than the rest of the team Gale was.  
“I’m sure you’ll outperform them,” you added with a smile and a pat on the shoulder. 
“What about you, how long has it been since you played seeker?” 
You took a deep breath, pondering on the question, it had definitely been a while, but you had played mini-matches with James several times, just trying to catch the snitch in morning flights. You still had the touch, or at least the two of you were much better than Sirius, who had only managed to catch the snitch like 7 times of the hundreds you had played. And one of them had been because he’d distracted you by blowing you a kiss.
“Officially? Probably in March or something, but I’ve been practising with James on our morning flights.” 
“You’re not nervous?” Anne asked as he threw a chip in her mouth. 
You bit your lip. “I’m excited,” you responded honestly. “Although, the fact that I’m seeking against Pads’ brother and he won the race does make me feel rather queasy,” you added, deciding to avoid the rest of the drama that he’d caused a few years back.  
“I still don’t get why you keep calling him weird names,” Anne said with a shrug. 
“Regulus?” 
“No, your boyfriend, first it was Puppy, then Pads, as the boys call him. What’s wrong with just… Sirius?”
“Oh, have you heard what they call her?” Marlene intervened. “There’s Starshine, Little Witch, Trouble, Kit–” 
“Vix!” Remus said, cutting Marlene off and giving the perfect example. 
“Hey Moons,” you said with a smile as you leaned closer to Marlene so he could sit. 
“Vix?” Anne asked Marlene in a rather hushed tone.
“Stands for Vixen.”
“And she just lets them call her that?” 
 “It’s because she’s as sly as a fox,” Remus intervened. 
“And it’s still better than Wormtail,” you said, just to get a reaction from Peter who was taking a seat  across from you and Rem. 
“Oi! Stop it, Wormtail is a perfectly fine nickname thank you very much.” 
“If she’s Vixen because she’s a sly fox and Peter is Wormtail because he’s as quiet as a mouse–” Anne started. 
You snorted. “When has Peter ever been quiet as a mouse?!” 
Yes, it was true Peter wasn’t nearly as loud as James or Sirius, and it made it especially evident since he was always hanging around the two boys but Peter was far from “quiet as a mouse”, if anything, Remus was quieter, and that was only half true, because once you got him talking about a book, he could go on and on with it, just like James could talk about Quidditch for hours. 
“And why is he Wormtail then?” Anne asked. 
“He looks like a rat,” Remus responded simply, which would have sounded mean if he didn’t have a complicit smile as he stared at Peter. 
“Quit it with your word games you two!” Peter warned in a rather stern tone, and yet, there was a certain shimmer behind his eyes, as if he knew more than he let on. It was all in the secrecy, really, on being part of the brotherhood that actually knew what was happening behind the nicknames. The shared secret allowed you to do and say things that people didn’t quite understand, even if you sometimes had to play offended. You enjoyed being able to be part of it, part of them.
“And Remus is Moony, isn’t it?” Anne asked, “Why’s that?” 
“Because he’s insane,” you and Peter responded at about the same time, before bursting out into a laugh, Remus pulled your hair lightly in response and you turned to him with your tongue out. 
“If you keep it up, little witch, I’m not gonna give you this,” he said as he pulled his hand up for you to see, his sleeve fell back a little and you could see what he meant, Sirius’ lucky hair tie. 
“You wouldn’t go against Pads’ wishes,” you told him as you grabbed his hands and started to tug at the hair tie, but he dragged his hand away, leaving you with a pout. 
“You sure about that luv?” He asked, eyebrows quirked. 
“Confident,” you said, attempting to drag his hands down, but it was pretty useless, his muscles wouldn’t even budge, freaking werewolf strength, you thought with a huff “Reeem!” you whined. You wondered for a moment what that strength would do as a beater in quidditch and almost shivered.  
He just smiled and tilted his head “How about you ask for it nicely?” 
You rolled your eyes. “Darling Moony,” you said, exaggerating. “Can I please have Puppy’s hair tie?” 
He knew you were playing a part, he could also hear the sarcasm dripping from your voice, and yet… he rather enjoyed that all of your attention was on him. And Merlin the look that you were giving him, it felt almost as good as when Sirius climbed onto the side of his bed, grabbed his hand, and manhandled it until he managed to slide the hair tie in. It still smelled of Sirius’ hair long after he had left for detention. Remus tried not to smell it, he didn’t want to be weird about it. But he couldn’t help himself. 
Now he had you all over him, legs pressed against his and hands all over his arm as you attempted to pull it down, and he adored it. Even if he knew he shouldn’t, even if he knew you were Sirius’, he loved having your undivided attention. Your eyes on him, and no one else. 
“Pretty please?” you added, and now you had that sneaky little puppy dog face you gave him when you wanted something. The same face he could barely say no to when you weren’t pressed against him. 
He sighed and lowered his arm, allowing you to take the tie from him, relishing on the way your hands brushed over his own. Your hands were much smaller than Sirius’, even if a little rougher from so much quidditch and not that much piano, but he liked them just as much as he liked the ones of the boy.
When you managed to slide it off, you pulled back a little to add it to your hair “Have you eaten?” Peter asked from the front. Suddenly you remembered it wasn’t only you and Remus in the room and felt awkward for half a second, but everyone seemed to find the interaction the most normal, especially Peter and Marlene who hung around you and Remus often. 
You looked down at your clean plate, you had been so focused on comforting Gale and then on Remus’ talk, or perhaps just on Remus, that you had forgotten to even serve yourself anything. You shook your head and filled your cup. “How much time do we have?” you asked Marlene. 
“About 15 minutes,” she informed. 
“That should be enough,” you said before taking a drink and grabbing onto a toast before spreading butter on it. Then some cream cheese and you were about to grab the marmalade when Remus spoke. 
“Here,” he said as he passed over a plate with fruit to you. 
“Thanks, Rem,” you said as you grabbed a few of the berries and placed them on top of your bread. You then started munching on some of the other fruits on the plate. You didn’t realise, with the rush, that the plate actually had only your favourite fruit. Remus had picked them up from the centre of the table as you prepared your toast. 
You pretty much gobbled your food, like you had been doing all week, even if the absolute craving for meat had significantly diminished -especially when you were around Remus you noticed- the hunger seemed to prevail. All the types of hunger. Every time you saw Sirius you had the urge to kiss him over and over again like that time in the passageways. That type of hunger didn’t seem to subside when you were around Remus. 
You stood up, Teddy, Tim and Lucas had already left, and Marlene was just finishing her eggs while Anne and Gale stood up. Remus was still eating, a lot more calmer as the four of you motioned to move. 
“Little Witch!” he said, just before you started walking towards the door, he used his wand to levitate a blueberry muffin towards your face. “Take this for the way.” 
“What about me,” Marlene asked. 
“It was the last one, sorry.” 
Marlene gasped playfully. “I swear, this is what you call preferences,” she said with a humph and turned her heel. 
“I’ll save one for you next time,” Remus said with a simple shrug, and Marlene just gave him an incredulous stare before marching off behind Anne and Gale. You gave Remus a look and he shrugged again. “It was for you, she’s playing what she always does, you aren’t,” he added, did that make sense? he sure hoped it did. 
“Thanks, Rem,” you told him with a smile. “I’ll see you in the game, yeah?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” 
“See you there too Pete,” you said with a wave, the boy nodded and hummed in response, too busy picking the onion bits out of the eggs. Peter didn’t like onion, and he always took his sweet time taking it out of his eggs, Sirius had given him a spell, but he said it wasn’t as good as using his hands and eyes. 
You moved to follow behind Marlene and had almost gotten all the way out of the room when two Slytherins cornered you near the doors. You smiled. 
“You did it, didn’t you?” Comet asked, a complicit smile on her face. 
“Had to be you, Crouch has been on your back for months,” Nox added. 
“And then there was the incident with Evan, Severus has always been an ass to you and Mulciber follows them along wherever they go,” Comet intervened. 
You gulped, a small smirk on your lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 
“And you were in my room, jeez, how the hell didn’t I notice.” 
“You must sleep pretty heavy,” you said with a shrug. 
“Ha! She’s admitting it!”
“I can’t confirm nor deny anything…” 
Nox looked dumbfounded while Comet laughed. “Thanks for the heads up,” she told you. 
“What warning?” you asked with a complicit smile. 
Nox breathed out, a smile playing on his lips again. “Should have heard his screams, he woke up drenched in sweat and crying like a baby,” he added, smile turning to smirk. You had never seen so much Slytherin-ness on him before. “Serves him well.” 
You bit your cheek to avoid making your smile bigger. “Well guys, there’s a game I need to attend.” 
“Good luck!” Comet said with a smile as you waved them goodbye and started walking away. 
“We hope you lose,” added Nox casually, he actually liked Regulus, he’d always been a good roommate. Comet dug her elbow on his stomach, she didn’t care much for the Quidditch team, except for Minho, but she liked you better. 
“I don’t, I hope you win!” she said with a smile “but invite me to the celebration party, I’d hate to miss it.” 
You turned with a smile and a wink. “Of course, you’re always invited to the Gryffindor parties.” 
You continued walking towards the pitch, you bumped into Nina, who hugged you and wished you a great game. She told you she’d be watching on the Gryffindor side with Sibyl, which made you smile. 
After a few more minutes you were already on the pitch, everyone was there already, and Teddy was talking with Gale now, he turned to you and called your name, using his hand to prompt you to come.“James said you’ll be seeking.” You nodded, you knew. “But… and I know this might be a lot to ask, but could you keep an eye on Gale?” 
“But he’s brilliant!” you argued, and then turned to him, standing on the side. “You’re brilliant Gale, I told you already.” 
“He knows,” Teddy said, getting your attention again. “But he asked me to ask you to do it, just in case.” 
You looked between the two boys and realised that more than anything, what Gale wanted was reassurance, so you smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Of course, I’ve got you covered,” you bolstered him. “Just do your thing, be as fast as you always are but stay in the goals, all right?”  
“Will you teach me how to do the backflip?” he asked. 
You nodded, “How about I teach you during our next practice, in case you ever have to play keeper again?” 
He nodded excitedly. “I want to be as good as you one day.” 
“You’ll be even better,” you told him with a smile. And you truly believed he would, it was almost like a hunch. 
“All right guys,” Teddy said, “10 laps, we need some warm-up.” You nodded and did as told, speeding through the pitch as fast as your broom allowed, then up and down, practising the break before reaching the ground. 
Eventually, Teddy called everyone down, and you all started to gear up. You helped Gale with the many layers of protective gear he’d be wearing and then sat down near the bleachers to fasten your own gear. Most of the gear was similar to the stuff you wore normally. Although James had given you a pair of old gloves, that he said he’d used to win his first match. You tried not to think about the fact that your hands were so small that James’ had been the same size when he was 13, but then you remembered being James, and it actually made sense. 
“Feeling ready?” you heard a soft voice from behind and saw Remus’ hands out of the corner of your eye, as he sat down on the grass beside you. 
You hummed. “Yeah, I just need to finish with this,” you said as you pointed at the laces that you were passing through and around your shins. 
Remus leaned on his palms as he looked up. “It might rain soon,” he informed. 
“It’s a wonderful day!” You told him with a smirk, he gave you a side eye but smiled. 
“Here,” he said, giving you a small, marble-sized transparent ball. 
“A swamp bomb?” you asked curiously as you looked through the transparent-ish ball and looked at all the little murky water details inside.
“Throw it on the ground and you get an instant swamp,” he said with a smile. “Sirius and I trapped it on the marble a few years ago, we made one for each, they always carry them on rainy games.” 
“For… luck?” you asked with a bit of a frown. 
Remus quirked an eyebrow. “In case you slip off your broom,” he responded matter of factly, “use it and you’ll fall on water rather than on the grass, it’ll break your fall”
You gasped in shock, a surprised expression that turned into a smile the more you thought about it. “That’s insanely clever! It should be used as a failsafe for every quidditch player. I mean change the swamp for cleaner water and you have the perfect little artefact.” 
Remus nodded in agreement, “Keep it in you, all right?” 
You nodded. “You really did take the whole “taking care of me” thing seriously,” you said as you pocketed the marble. 
“Take care of you?” he asked with a frown. 
“Didn’t Sirius ask?” you asked a little confused. 
He had.
Although, Remus had been too busy trying not to blush when he grabbed his hand to put the hair tie in. Did he? he wondered, perhaps he did, I wasn’t exactly listening. Remus cleared his throat, you noticed he did that quite often when he was around you, you wondered if maybe he was getting sick or something. “Yeah, I… yeah, but you’re my best friend so, still…” 
You nudged him with your shoulder. “Don’t get all soft with me,” you joked. “You know I’ll be alright, don’t you?” 
He propped his elbows on his knees and leaned his head on them, giving you an expression you could only describe as cute, even for Remus. “I know,” he reassured. “How’s the shoulder?” he asked, brushing his fingers on it lightly. Perhaps he was giving himself too many liberties around you these days, you didn’t seem to mind it. 
“Better, it still hurts, but much better. Think James would have allowed me to play if he hadn’t gotten detention?” 
He humphed. “You would have convinced him, you always do. Maybe it’s the fairy bIood?” 
You shrugged, “Nah, mom was the last one in line with the ability to glamour.” 
He smiled, “How about going against Reg?” 
You swallowed thickly, you had told Remus about not using the hexbag on him. “It’s… It’s whatever.” 
“You still resent him?” 
“Am I petty?” you asked with a frown. “It’s… It’s not even about me and Sirius anymore, you know? It’s about the betrayal. I trusted him, Rem. I did, and Sirius warned me, he told me he was always doing what Walburga and Orion asked but I chose to trust Regulus. I thought I saw something in him, maybe a friend but… I guess I got my gut feeling wrong then.”
Remus nodded as he listened. “Did you ever talk to him about it?” 
Yes, Remus, the voice of reason, of course, that’s what he would ask. You averted your gaze and shook your head, “He sent a letter once.” 
“And?” 
“I burned it down without even opening it.” 
“You really have a knack for burning things that could be useful to you.” 
You hit his shoulder lightly, knowing exactly what he was talking about, the werewolf book pages. “Either way, I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to talk to him, things got really awkward when I blew him off during the race.” 
Remus sighed, he really had to go and fall in love with two of the most headstrong and stubborn people in his life. He was about to say something when Teddy called for you. You turned to him, a smile plastered on your face as if the sad subject hadn’t been touched at all. “Enjoy the show then,” you said in the most enticing tone before standing up and pulling your broom up to your hands without even saying a word. Impressive, Remus thought, but then again, she’s always been impressive. 
“The game is about to start,” Teddy informed, “Mckinnon, Lucas; Crouch will be all over Gale because he’s new, I want you to keep your eyes on him.” 
“I… I think perhaps he might be all over (Y/N),” Marlene said. “He’s got beef with her.”
Yeah, Beef is certainly a way to call it, you thought. “Nah, Minho is friends with her, she won’t be in the danger zone too often.” 
“I’m here,” you said, intervening with a raised hand, they were talking as if you weren’t. “And while I do think he’ll be trying to shoot the bludgers straight to my face, because that’s just who Barty is, I’ll stay close to Gale, no need to choose between the two, how does that sound?” you asked. 
“Fine, but don’t stay in place if you see the snitch, go right behind it.” 
“I was planning to.” You liked Teddy, you really did, but he wasn’t a great captain, James was.
“Davis, Tim, we’ll play offensive.” Teddy was still coordinating with the chasers when you heard a loud whistle sound from the referee. 
You all walked towards the centre of the pitch, Teddy at the forefront, you and Gale to each side of him. The Slytherin team was right in front of you, Regulus was looking at you with a bit of a frown, his lips pursed, as if he wanted to say something but was holding his tongue. 
You stared at him, and then at Barty who was glaring at you. You stood a little straighter, pulling your head back just a little and giving him the most unbothered and cocksure expression you could have mustered. It worked, his eyes narrowed and his glare thickened. Regulus, who had been watching the entire exchange, almost smiled proudly at your stance.  You really were the same girl he had met years ago at the resort, perhaps even a little bolder now that you were older. 
“Captains, greet each other,” the referee said –a Ravenclaw player who had been commissioned for the job. Dimitry and Teddy stepped ahead and shook hands. 
You shot Minho a look as they stretched their hands and he winked at you. You knew he wasn’t going to make it easy for you just because you were friends, and you were thrilled to finally be able to play against him. You had heard stories, and you had seen him in practice games, he was good, professional player material even. 
“Seekers,” the referee called, you turned to look at them, “your turn.” 
You took a step forward and awkwardly shook Regulus’ hand. It was as soft as Sirius’, you still found it impressive how much they looked like each other and how different they were from the other, “I’m looking forward to playing against you.” 
“I’m looking forward to beating you,” you said, a lot more bitterly than you originally intended for it to sound.
Regulus scoffed but smiled, that’s definitely something you would have said to him before the incident, although your tone would have for sure been different. The referee let the snitch out, and it circled Reg before circling around you and flying up into the air. You stared at the shiny orb until it disappeared in the air. Gale and Dimitry were already on the goals. There was another loud sound whistle, along with sparks and the game started.
You did as you promised, flew straight towards the goals and kept a decent distance between you and Gale, flying a little higher as you looked through every bit of the field to try and find the little golden ball. It hadn’t even been 10 minutes and the sky started to rumble. You looked up, and felt the first trickle of rain over your cheek. You smiled, things were about to get good. You had promised you’d stay near the goals, and you really did intend to do it. But then you saw something moving in the distance, barely a glimmer, a flicker of gold through the thick drops of rain. You turned to Regulus, he was looking towards the same spot you were. So you dived that way about at the same time he did. 
You saw Anne Davis get a grip on the ball and dive straight towards Volkov’s goals, she missed the shot and he threw the ball back to one of their chasers but Tim intercepted and shot it back, managing to score some points for your team. The crowd erupted in cheers and even you joined in their cheers. Tim beamed from his spot, it was the first time he played an official game, and managing to score was a huge moment for him, although you never doubted his ability.
You and Regulus were almost side by side, flying towards the east side of the pitch, but the snitch seemed to have vanished again, he did a swift break a few metres from the ground but you continued down hoping to see the sneaky little ball somewhere, breaking just before you reached the grass, and rolling around the bottom on circles to diffuse the momentum of the fall. You looked up, Gale was being surrounded by the beaters of both teams, while Marlene and Lucas were trying to push the ball to the other side Minho and Barty were viciously dragging it back to Gale. You took a deep breath and flew as fast as possible towards them, not quite looking at Gale but pretending you had seen something. That would get them off him and to follow you instead. 
“Don’t do anything stupid” you heard Sirius’ voice echo in your head. Well, it’s not stupid, you attempted to reason. It’s not like trying to stop a bludger with my own hands or stepping in front of one to defend Gale, definitely not like throwing your wand on the ground when facing a werewolf. This is teamwork. 
You followed through with your plan and continued taking sharp turns, emulating the kind of turns the snitch would make you take and surely enough, in a matter of seconds, you had both Minho and Barty all over you, throwing the bludgers at your face as you skid and dodged them over and over. Thank Merlin you had decent reflexes. 
Gale seemed to be a lot calmer now, and even if the reserve player, Solacis Gaunt, had scored 10 points earlier, he was visibly struggling to get past Gale’s defences. You smiled proudly at yourself as you continued to soar through the air, and dodged a few more throws from Crouch. Perhaps it was a bad idea to taunt him, but you couldn’t help yourself; when you steered clear of yet another shot from him, you turned around with a cocky smile and waved. 
Crouch did not look happy. Minho was laughing in the background and Marlene, who was still close to Gale, watched the whole interaction with a bit of a frown. That was it, the stupid thing Sirius had told you not to do. 
Even Remus, who didn’t have such a good view of the situation from the bleachers, noticed how you were haughtily making fun of Barty’s shot and stiffened in his seat. You could be so insolent sometimes, often failing to realise the consequences of what your actions could do to you. Like getting you thrown on the shrieking shack or almost eaten alive. Regardless, he had never seen anyone be so damn stunning while boasting. Actually, that was a lie, Sirius was equally beautiful when he did.
The game was tight, Regulus and you were darting almost side by side, he seemed a little confused at first because he couldn’t see the snitch you were so animatedly looking for, but then he noticed: your worrying looks at Gale, the little proud smile when he managed to stop a quaffle after Minho and Barty were off his back. She’s protecting him. 
Regulus knew Gale, they were in the same year, and he knew he was a good guy, he was always studying and even if he was a little too loud and conceited for his own taste, he respected him. In fact, he was a little surprised he was so self-conscious about the game since his very confident persona would rarely waver into diffidence. 
And then he saw the way you threw the boy a thumbs up and he realised: that could have been the kind of friendship that developed between the two of you. If he had done things differently, if he had perhaps… gone to the waterpark with you and Sirius. Maybe then you wouldn’t be so angry about the lies he’d told to keep you from harm. But he was also certain that what you wanted, for him to admit that it had been your idea, wouldn’t be something he would ever change, he wouldn’t have done anything to put you in danger. 
From the very beginning, you had been kind and friendly to him, like you were to everyone you met, and even if you were clearly drawn to Sirius like a moth to a flame, you had never left him out. You’d even tried to convince him to come along, but he was too scared, he’d seen the way his parents punished Sirius. He didn’t want his mom to pull that kind of face, let alone those kinds of spells…  Yeah, he might have been a bit of a coward, but everyone was safe in the end, and you were happy now, which in a way made him happy too. 
He hadn’t seen the snitch either way, so he followed your game, darting behind as close to you as he could. He knew Minho would control his shots if he thought he could hit him, so in a way, he was protecting you and himself, since your team’s beater would be doing the same. Although –and he was indeed curious about this– they seemed to be sticking to Gale rather than following behind you and protecting you, or trying to tumble down the other players, like they should.
But then it happened, another glimmer like the one you had seen earlier, passed just over Dimitry Volkov. He swallowed, eyeing you, but you hadn’t seen it, no you were too busy trying to avoid Barty’s aggressive blows. Regulus darted straight towards Volkov, and you instantly knew he was probably following the snitch. So you went right behind him, managing to get shoulder-to-shoulder against each other. 
BIoody hell, she’s fast. 
He knew that too, but it had never been as evident as having you flying against him, and you didn’t even have your Dark Nimbus anymore. Eventually, you saw the snitch too, and picked up your speed. Both you and Regulus were on the verge of getting it, the sly little ball darting just away from your grasp as if it had a mind of its own. 
It didn’t matter, both you and Regulus were as skilled as the other, which was something to say about the boy, since you had been doing this for a lot longer than he had. And even then, you found it a little hard to keep up with him in the sight department. Yes, you were faster, but the snitch often got lost in between the rain in your perspective, but Regulus seemed to always know where to go, never losing sight of it, which was getting on your nerves. 
You lost sight of it again and whispered “fuck,” the bludger darted your way and you speed forward, it brushed over the sweeping side of your broom and made you lose balance but the grip you had on the handle was strong and you managed to straighten up before the other bludger sped your way. 
You managed to move away from it this time, but not before sending Minho an incredulous look, he just shrugged with a small smile in response “I told you I wouldn’t make it easy for you darling!” You rolled your eyes but nodded, moving out of the way as Marlene shot the bludger back, straight towards Minho, who barely had enough time to react. 
You chuckled at his incredulous reaction, as if he was genuinely shocked. Which made sense, last time he’d seen Marlene, she was still guarding Gale like a loyal dog. She threw you a look, a small nod as she let you know “I’m with you” without having to say a word. You looked at her with worry and turned to give Gale a look, once you made sure he was fine, you turned to her again with a smile.
Yes, Teddy had told her to stay by Gale’s side, but you truly needed to have 0 common sense to stay guarding someone who didn’t need protection and leave someone that was struggling with so many bludgers thrown their way by themselves. Besides, you were roommates, friends, she wasn’t gonna let you fall off that broom. 
With Marlene on your side, you managed to let go of some of the extra apprehension you had been withholding to try and stay on your broom, she was countering the bludgers and you finally managed to focus on the snitch.
You tore through the air, faster than you had in the previous game, and faster than you had in the race, even without your broom, you’d somehow managed to pick up more speed, the wind whipping past with a biting force. You weren’t sure why it was happening, but you were benefiting from it so you didn’t think much about it. 
You were shoulder to shoulder with Regulus again when your eyes landed on the snitch, it wasn’t far, you just needed to push through a little further. You could feel the sharp droplets of rain hitting against your face like icy needles from how fast you were moving, and the clouding in your glasses made it a little hard to see much of anything, but you were focused. Gaze fixed solely on the elusive glint of the snitch, tantalisingly close. You weren’t going to lose sight of it this time, not now that you were ahead of Reg. 
As you neared the prize, almost forgetting your surroundings, you felt it, the yanking of your broom, the same yanking that had jolted you off it a few weeks past. Clenching your teeth, you tightened your grip and tried to push through, ignoring the feeling, you were so close. The snitch was within reach; your outstretched hands were on the verge of capturing it, ignoring the strain on your shoulder from how fiercely you were using your arm to grapple the broom, you fought to maintain control over it.
Regulus noticed “Barty!” He spat angrily. You didn’t hear any of it, the broom was pulling backwards, prompting a split-second decision. So you did the only logical thing you could and harnessed the momentum to leap towards the snitch just as the broom slipped from beneath you. Then, the fall began. 
The whole crowd seemed to be holding their breath. Regulus, Marlene and Minho, who had been the closest all tried to fly towards you, to catch you before you hit the ground, not that you noticed. 
You were rather high when you started to fall, and it almost felt like it was in slow motion, but you had already dragged your hand to the marble Remus had given you earlier when you felt the broom slipping from under your legs. You threw the marble to the ground and braced yourself for the rest of the fall. Trying to keep your eyes open as you wrapped your arms around your body and hoped to fall into the murky water. 
In less than two seconds, you felt the freezing hit of the water all around you, lowering your temperature even more. Fortunately, the pocket swamp was deep enough, you didn’t even reach the bottom as you fell a few metres down the water. It took a minute to adjust, opening your eyes as you looked down, managing to see only darkness and some vines of seaweed. However, just as relief washed over you, and you started swimming upwards, you felt something grip onto your ankle. You looked down, panic cursing through your veins when you noticed the bony hand attempting to drag you down. What the fuck?
Above the water, the game seemed to be frozen, the players didn’t know if they should continue playing when two members of the Slytherin team and two of the Gryffindor were completely distracted by the accident. 
“Minho, Regulus!” Dimitri shouted, “to your fucking positions.”
Teddy seemed to be about to do the same thing when Marlene threw him a warning look and he shot up, indicating the rest of the team to be on guard with his hands instead of speaking. 
Minho turned to Dimitry, second-guessing himself, before turning back to the rippling water in front of him, you weren’t out yet. He shook his head and chose to stay, taking his wand and pointing it to the water “Hidroclearus!” The murky water responded to the spell, gradually clearing to reveal the unfolding scene beneath the surface.
Regulus didn’t even turn to look at Dimitri, he was fully focused on the water, worried. 
Remus, who had seen you fall, had already crossed half the pitch with a panicked look on his face, followed by a terrified Lily, and a very concerned Mary. Your Slytherin and Ravenclaw friends were on the edge of their seats. Everyone except for Sibyl, that was trying to get Nina –who was crying hysterically–to calm down.  
Someone was trying to stop Remus from going deeper into the field, so they wouldn’t interrupt the game further, but he pushed them off his way easily, Lily and Mary weren’t as lucky, and they were stopped by the game staff as Remus strode towards the swamp. 
Under the thick water, your initial shock faded quickly, and you realised that whenever the boys had trapped the swamp in the marble, they had also trapped some kind of water creature. A water creature that was clearly pissed and very hungry after being carried around the boys’ pockets for so long. You pulled your wand out and cast a wordless reducto, getting it to snap his hand away, and started swimming upwards as fast as you could. By then, the water was clearer and Minho saw you, struggling to outswim the creature. 
You threw a few other curses at the thing but it was relentless, it wasn’t thinking anymore, the creature had starved inside the marble for so long, the pain your spells caused was completely overshadowed by the rumbling of its stomach the moment it noticed: you were food.
Regardless, there was something you had that the monster didn’t, and that was raw stubbornness, you kept shooting jinxes and swimming however you could, and then you saw a hand, you had no idea who the owner was, but a stranger’s hand was still better than being eaten alive, you reached for it, the hand gripped around your wrist and hauled you up. 
Seconds later you were finally above water, gasping for air and panting, you turned to the side, Minho, you realised. You looked back warily, pulling him by his robe as you stared at the water, and only relaxed when you were sure the thing was not about to follow. 
Regardless you pulled your wand and whispered “glacius.” A thick layer of frost started to coat the lake and you finally exhaled.  You pulled your head back, looking at the sky, the game was still going, but everyone was on edge. Regulus was looking at you in shock, but he seemed more angry than anything and Marlene rushed towards you before the lake froze completely. 
She placed her hands around your face, “Are you… are you okay?” 
You nodded, head a little squiffy as you tried to gain back focus, the surge of adrenaline finally draining and letting you feel the discomfort of the fall, and the one from your wound. Then you looked up again. “Why… why are they still playing?” 
“Regulus stopped searching for the snitch the moment you fell,” she told you, Minho was still standing beside you, worry evident on his furrowed brows, he’d never seen you so fazed. Remus had, but that did not make his long strides slow down. He was also rather angry about the game continuing even after the entire thing had happened. Everyone should have stopped, everyone should be helping you. 
He exchanged a look with Minho, the boy stared at Remus’s eyes for a second, seeing the worry and his concern, it reached deeper than his own, and he instantly knew. Yun Minho, the boy who had once kissed Remus, and knew the meaning behind his eyes from the amount of stolen glances they had shared at some point, was the first one to realise how irrevocably in love he was with you.
“That… that doesn’t matter.” 
“I bIoody well agree but those are not the rules!” Marlene said, a little riled up but trying to control her anger.  
“No,” you said slowly. “I mean, the game is over.” 
Marlene frowned, and then Regulus noticed, in one of your hands, the one you had kept glued to your body the entire time, knuckles white from your hard grip, there was something, a small, unfolding wing, and he looked at you, absolutely stunned. 
Still looking at Marlene you gave her a lazy smile, tilted your head and pulled your hand up, slowly unwrapping it until you were holding the snitch in between your index finger and thumb. Marlene’s jaw dropped while Minho looked at you impressed and patted you on the back.  
You didn’t wince, but turned to him with a smile. “That was quite a game,” he said. 
You nodded, letting a soft laugh out, raising your hand higher, so people would notice. The commentator, who had been struggling on whether to keep up with what was happening in the air or what was happening with you, gasped. “She has the snitch!” he said pointing at you, more surprised than anything before clearing his throat and announcing it properly, “That’s 150 points for Gryffindor! The final score is 200 against 60.” 
You raised your eyebrows, Gryffindor had been losing by one shot. You could see your teammates start to fly down but were distracted by a bone-crushing hug, you hadn’t seen him coming, but you knew it was Remus instantly, his smell was unmistakable.
You smiled at his hug, you knew you were soaking him with murky, smelly water, but he didn’t seem to care, he was just glad you were all right, you almost snuggled your head on his chest, basking on his warmth, warmth that he had somehow kept despite the cold rain still falling over everyone. 
“Rem?” you managed to mumble, he hummed in response, his head was on your shoulder, his eyes shut tightly as a tear of relief soaked your robe, you were fat too wet to notice. “You’re… you’re crushing me a little.” 
His head snapped from its place and he looked at you with worry as he pulled back, his hands still on your arms. Now looking all over you, trying to make sure you weren’t hurt, that he hadn’t hurt you either. 
You noticed instantly, the panic in his beautiful brown eyes. “It was just a little,” you reassured. “I’m fine,” you added. “Thanks to you, actually.” 
Professor Pendragon had rushed towards you and stared at the lake, Nightshade was trailing behind, Remus stepped aside, but kept his hand on your back as the dark-haired teacher leaned closer to inspect you. “There’s a water spirit under the swamp,” you informed, “It’s hungry.” 
She raised her eyebrows at you, impressed at your quick thinking. “That’s why you frosted it.”  
“Didn’t want it to come up after me.” 
“You had to fight it, presumably.” 
You nodded, “It wasn’t that hard.” 
Remus narrowed his eyes, it was as if you and Seraphina were saying a lot more words to each other than the ones he was actually listening to, it was in the intense gaze you shared, you seemed uncomfortable, almost on edge, but she seemed… pleased. 
Professor Pendragon intervened a little later, he called you by your last name “You must be taken to the infirmary.” You threw a worried look at Remus, he had also wanted to take you there, but he bIoody well knew he couldn’t. 
“I’m fine, it won’t be necessary,” you said with a smile. Nightshade tilted her head backwards, she knew why you had declined, you were clever, you knew people couldn’t see the probably still rather fresh would your werewolf friend had caused you. “I’ll just… go dry up and I’ll be good as new, the water broke most of the fall,” you added, reassuringly. 
Cunning, Nightshade realised, she would have also been fooled, if she hadn’t known better. But she did, and she knew how much that fall must have stung. 
Lily and Mary had somehow managed to get across now that the game was over and they were fast approaching but Gale beat them to it, and he also pulled you into a hug “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” he repeated like a mantra. You frowned at him and allowed him to pull back of his own accord. “If it hadn’t been for me and my-” 
You shook your head. “Nothing was your fault, Gale. I’m fine, we won! You did incredible today too.” 
He still seemed a little uneasy but nodded. “Yeah Thomas, it wasn’t your fault, if anything, it was Teddy who told me and Lucas to stay by your side,” Marlene said, throwing the chaser an angry side eye. He recoiled, he’d been staying a little further from the reunion. Lily and Marlene came over next, squeezing you in between the two of them before Peter did the same.
The rest of your friends also came down to tell you how happy they were that you were fine, Nina had pulled you into a hug almost as tight as Remus’ and didn’t let go of you for a few minutes while Sybil attempted to pull her off a few times. After a few more hugs, everyone seemed to be ready to start the Gryffindor celebration party.  You had whispered Comet the passwords when she came to make sure you were all right, and she smiled, telling you she’d bring Nox along, even if he wanted you to lose initially. 
After you and most of your friends started to walk towards the Common Room you felt a rather sharp pain in your arm. You winced but swallowed a whimper, you didn’t want to worry any of your friends, especially Lily and Remus, who looked somewhat at ease now. 
“I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” you announced. 
Lily frowned, “I’ll come along…” 
You shook your head. “No need. It’ll be quick, I’ll see you in the common room. Could you help me find something cosy to change into?” 
She gave you a scrutinising look but nodded. Stepping ahead, but as you diverted, you felt an arm stopping you. “Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” he joked. 
You turned to Remus with a diverted smile. “To the Toilets. Care to accompany me?” you said the last bit with sarcasm. 
Remus chuckled. “What if I do?” he said then, in a rather teasing tone. “With the magnet you have for trouble I wouldn’t be surprised if you bumped into a troll or something.” 
“A troll? In the girl’s lavatories?! Don’t be ridiculous, Rem! Go on and spare some fire whiskey from me, why don’t you?” 
He wasn’t too sure about letting you go on your own, but he also knew how you were feeling, you had been literally surrounded by people from the moment you’d stepped out of the murky lake, and while it was nice to get hugged and all after getting hurt, sometimes all you needed was time to process what was had happened, he would know, he certainly did sometimes. 
Perhaps, like he had many times, you just wanted a few minutes for peace and quiet. And although it took him a few seconds, he reluctantly let go of his grip on your arm and allowed you to go. “How much?” he asked with a smile. 
“At least a flask,” you responded, he arched an eyebrow at you. “Come on, I’ve had quite a week, I deserve it, don’t I?” 
He chuckled and nodded. “I’ll save two then.” 
You smiled widely “That’s why I love you, Moony!” You had used a rather playful tone when you said it but that didn’t stop the knot that formed on the boy’s stomach, “See you in a bit, yeah?” 
The boy nodded and you turned towards the toilets, speeding through to check on the wound. You removed your robe and sweater and used a spell to wipe them off the murky water as you checked the wound. Quickly washing it over the sink as you saw the splotches of cherry red slide down, contrasting against the porcelain white sink. 
You rolled your eyes, the fucking wound was getting more annoying and inconvenient than painful at this point. Regardless, you dried it out, threw some of the painful ointment you had kept in your pocket with a spell for it to remain fresh in case of an emergency and wrapped it again, wiping the tears that fell from your eyes from the sharp sting of the dreadful but effective medicine you had somehow crafted. 
You took a deep breath and moved towards the outside, you were just rounding the corner when you heard two voices, two very recognizable voices. 
“You fucking asshole,” Regulus said, anger dripping from his tone.
“Off me, Black!” Barty countered. You leaned your head over, Regulus had him pushed against the wall as Barty fumed and tried to squirm his way out. Regulus was taller, but Barty had always been more vicious, and you knew how strong he was, after all, he had been the one to haul you to the shack on Monday. 
“You do that again and you’re dеad meat,” Regulus seethed in between gritted teeth. “You got what you wanted, now back the fuck off!” 
“Why are you even trying to… You didn’t have the nightmares I had! You SAW Evan, in the fucking infirmary!” Barty seemed to feel actual grief over that last bit.
“You both had that one coming, you think I’m blind? You’ve had it against them since the quaffle incident.” 
“Well, she had it coming too!” The boy against the wall complained. It’s about me, you realised. And it almost pissed you off that Regulus would even try to defend you, who the hell does he think he is?!
You turned around to leave when you heard Regulus mutter a jinx and heard a howl from Crouch, you leaned over the wall again, to try and see what had happened, but Barty spotted you. 
“Bitch’s here,” he said as he nodded your way, his jaw slightly slack.
“Yeah and this is none of my business,” you said, skipping past the two boys, not sparing a second glance at Barty, who was on the floor clutching his stomach. 
“Hey!” you heard Regulus’ distressed voice “Wait up.” 
Barty huffed at his reaction, rolling his eyes as Regulus trailed behind you like a lost puppy. Fucking Blacks’ obsession with that fucking girl, he thought as he stood up and limped to the other side. 
“I said wait up!” Regulus said, grabbing your forearm. You yanked it away from him, with a vicious frown. 
“Regulus, don’t fucking touch me,” you said in a warning tone, he seemed to recoil but stood his ground. 
“Let me explain,” he said, running past you and blocking your path, the anguished look on his face reminded you so much of Sirius you almost folded  “I–” 
“No need to explain,” you dismissed while shaking your head. “Whatever you do with your life is your fucking business. And no need to worry about it, I don’t like talking behind people's backs like others. I’m no snitch, and I’m not gonna go running my mouth either.” 
He seemed taken aback by that, blinking a few times as he processed the information. “You…” he stammered, “you never read my letter.” 
You scoffed. “Of course I didn’t fucking read your letter Regulus, there was nothing you could have said to take back what you’d done. Sirius and I didn’t talk to each other for fucking years after that, I thought he hated me!” You were angry, bottled-up emotions spilling out of you like boiling water in a small pot. He was quiet, staring at you like he didn’t know what to say “Fucking thought so,” you whispered and skipped past him.
He had thought of so many things to say to you over the years. He was sure you hated him because he hadn’t let out the fact that it had been your idea, not for telling his parents about the escapade, and of all the times he had run this conversation in his head, none of them had included that fact. He felt like short-circuiting, and you were about to turn the corner when he managed to say something. “It wasn’t me!” You continued your way. “I didn’t tell them, I wasn’t the snitch!” 
You froze in place, what? that… it doesn’t make sense. 
Regulus took a deep breath, grateful you were listening, finally listening. “Someone sent an owl to my dad, they said they’d seen you in town.” 
You turned to look at him, your eyes analysing him, his words, his red-rimmed eyes and the absolute raw emotion visible on his face, nothing like the stoic Regulus you were accustomed to. 
“He asked me where you were,” he continued narrating. “I told him you had gone flying but he already knew. Then he slipped something in my drink and I couldn’t– it was veritaserum.” 
You looked at him shocked, he was about to cry from the memory. Veritaserum? His parents used veritaserum on him?!? You wouldn’t put it past Orion and Walburga but still, it was absolutely heinous. “Reggie….” 
He let out something in between a breath and a sob when he heard the nickname, the same nickname he had hated but longed to hear after the incident. He looked so much like Sirius you wanted nothing more than to comfort him, you hastily realised how awful you had been. 
“You never…” you swallowed. “You didn’t snitch on us.” He shook his head.  You sighed, you face falling. “BIoody hell, I’m an asshole,” you said thinking back to all the times you had ignored and blown off the boy, your boyfriend’s little brother for fucks sake.
“You didn’t know,” he tried to reassure. 
“Ignorance is no excuse,” you managed to say, disgusted with the way you had treated the poor boy. A boy who –and you had noticed from the beginning– craved a decent friendship, some kind of human connection. All the attachment you had felt for him before the escapade at the hotel came crashing back, and you groaned and how much of an asshole you had been “Sorry.” 
He shrugged, “Does that… does that mean you don’t hate me anymore?” 
You sighed again, cringing at yourself for causing such an impression on him. “Of course, I don’t fucking hate you Reggie. I was pissed, I AM pissed, I…” you struggled to form a coherent sentence .“I trusted you, besides Sirius warning, I trusted you because it was what my gut told me to do and then… then I thought you had betrayed us and I was pissed, I was pissed at you, at my parents at your parents, at Sirius who didn’t admit it was my idea and…” you sucked in a breath, “I was pissed with myself, for being foolish enough to trust you.” 
“I’m sorry…”
You shook your head, taking a step closer, the urge to comfort him almost taking over, “No Reg… It’s me, I AM sorry, for not giving you a chance to–” You remembered the train, the race, the other times Regulus had tried to approach you and you had either ignored him or scowled at him to scare him away “–And you tried so many times.” 
He laughed at himself, “I’ve been told I’m rather stubborn.” 
You let out a breathy laugh. “Reminds me of someone.” 
“Will you…” He hesitated, “Will you tell Sirius?” he asked, a mix of frightened and hopeful. 
You nodded, “He needs to know, he’s… resentful.” 
Regulus swallowed, another one of those expressions you had seen your boyfriend do, his eyes were still red, his breath was heavy and he looked like he was about to burst into a panic attack, you took another step towards him, reaching your hand to grab onto his arm before you stopped yourself. “Do you mind it if I–” you started, “can I hug you?” 
He turned to you, a little shocked at your request, Regulus looked like he desperately needed a hug, you weren’t sure if your hug was the one he needed, but you hoped you could comfort him, if only to take back a little bit of the evil you had done to him, even if it was under the wrong belief. 
Eventually, he nodded and you leaned closer, wrapping your arms around him, he was taller than you, unlike when you’d met, shorter than Sirius, but taller than you regardless. “I’m sorry,” you whispered, “for being a piece of shit.” 
“You didn’t know.” 
“I should have known. I just needed someone to blame and then Sirius–”  
“It’s fine now,” he said with a smile. You don’t hate me anymore. Regulus seemed to relax as you rubbed your hand on his back, trying to comfort him as best as you could, and then he pulled back. “You have a party to attend to,” he told you, motioning to the side. “You were brilliant today.” 
You smiled, “Bullshit, I pretended to know where the snitch was just to get Barty off Gale’s back.” 
“And you fooled him,” he added with a bit of a smile. “That’s no easy feat.” 
You shrugged, “You certainly helped.” 
“That’s what friends are for.” 
You swallowed. “Did you… did you let me win?” you asked with a frown. 
He looked at you, eyebrows raised, “I would never let you win!” he said disdainfully, a whisper of the disagreeable Reggie you had met at the park. “It wouldn’t be fair to you.” 
You nodded, a small smile playing on your lips. “So that means I won fair and square.” 
“You jumped off your fucking broom to get the snitch, of course, you won fair and square.” 
You shrugged, “I knew I had the swamp marble, and I was gonna fall off the broom anyway.” 
He clenched his jaw, “Fucking Barty.” 
“I can deal with him, don’t keep messing around or you’ll end up with a shaved head or something one day.” He placed a hand on his hair, looking slightly panicked and you laughed. “You’re so much like Sirius is ridiculous.” 
He frowned at that. “Just go to your party.” 
You smiled again, holding a laugh as you turned around, deciding not to tease him further, but you turned back to him “Hey Reg… Will you be alright?” 
He looked at you and nodded. “I’ve got you as an ally now, of course, I’ll be alright.” 
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A/N: You guys, I had some people asking me about Reggie for a while and I did mention that eventually things would be fixed up between him and the reader, didn't I? I know it took a while but it was sooo satisfying to write this one, and I've been wanting to see your reactions since I wrote it a few weeks ago, I really hope you enjoyed it <;3 Reggie deserves all the love!
Read more Marauders Fiction
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dcxdpdabbles · 7 days
Note
Could you please pleasepleaseplease p l e a s e continue the halfa cass post? I'm dying for some more of it, it's SO GOOD
The first thing Cass notices about the Fentons is how utterly silly they are. She had been expecting a group of far more regal people, especially with the castle they lived in and being protected by Phantom.
She still doesn't really understand what's going on, but she can piece together that Phantom is in charge. The people who had stopped to stare at her all whispered about the King, and she could tell that a few of them gained helpless hope by the mere sight of her.
If they were truly trapped here, then her appearance meant there was a chance of escaping.
But were they trapped because of Phantom? Dan mentioned the Fae's costumes of tricking humans into signing slavery contracts with a feast. Had Phantom done the same?
"Maddie!" Dan yells at the top of his lungs, floating towards the draw bridge. "Maddie, I think you want to look at this!"
"What is it, sweetie?" A woman calls back, quickly followed by an explosion in the left tower. Cass stiffens as the window of the tower is flung open, and a woman in an overalls sticks out her head. Behind her, black smoke rises. "I was just making headway in the latest Fenton Escaper!"
"Really? How's that going?"
"It exploded! There is nothing left!" She beams, pulling her oversized goggles off her head. They leave a black outline around her eyes. .
Dan's body language doesn't show his surprise at her failure. In fact he seems oddly amused. It must be a common thing."I supposed that's good?"
"Oh, it's wonderful! Jake is going to be so happy that it reacted quickly to the new element!" The woman chirps. "He's out with Danny, gathering some more supplies for our people."
"They went hunting without me?"
"You know you're grounded, young man."
Wait, was this woman Dan's mother? Could the dead have parents? Or was it more of an adoption relationship?
"Yeah, Yeah, I know. Anyway, Maddie, I wanted to introduce you to the new arrival-"
"You brought a girl home!" Maddie cuts him off, flinging herself out the window. Cass would have rushed to her aid were it not for her apparent control as she spun into a landing. "Hello there! I'm Maddie Fenton! Dan's mother from another timeline, welcome to the family!"
Cass could tell she was going for a hug before the hug arrived, but she was still somewhat surprised by how forward Maddie was. Oddly friendly in a way no one in Gotham dared to be. Unless they were crazy like Harely. She can only blink as the woman wraps her up in an embrace, her muscles belying her small frame.
A fighter. A rather skilled one at that.
"I was so worried Dan would never find a partner!"
"Maddie! She's not my girlfriend!" Dan hisses, "She's a kid!"
"I'm twenty-one" Cass corrects
"A baby," Dan insists.
"Oh, that's a shame. She's gorgeous- from what I can see with the mask. The grandchildren would have been beautiful." Maddie sighs, letting her go. Then, it seems the woman noticed her features for the first time because she looked startled. "Are you a living human?"
"Worst. She's a halfa," Dan responds. Maddie's upper body goes rigid, and Cass can see thousands of emotions go through her—shock, denial, awe, wonder, glee, despair—to name a few—before she settles on one.
Glee.
"Jazz! Dani! Come here!" She screams, and Cass only has a few seconds to step away from Maddie's sudden craze before another glowing blur speeds towards them.
It's a younger version of Dan but female. She stops just short of ramming into Dan with a giggle. "Made you flinch!"
"You did not."
"Did, too." The girl, nineteen maybe, insists but twists to Maddie while speaking. It doesn't seem like she thinks about whether she is correct. Cass wondered if she should say that Dan really did not flinch. Besides his hair swaying slightly by the gust of wind she created, he hadn't moved from his crossed-arm position. "Who's this?"
"A new Halfa!" Maddie cheers.
The girl's friendly demeanor crumbles into horror. "What?"
"I know- isn't this exciting?"
"No, Mom, it means she died." Yet another voice sighs. "What did we say about our science?"
"Not to let it overpower my morals and to be tactful of other feelings." Maddie quotes with an eye roll, though Cass can tell she's not bothered by the reminder. Strutting from the castle draw bridge, the only one that uses it is a beautiful woman clad in a purple sleeveless dress.
She moves with the confidence and elegance Cass had expected of a Queen. It's when she stands next to Maddie that it becomes clear they are mother and daughter- almost all her features are a copy of Maddie. "Hello there. I'm Jazz Fenton. I heard you've been through a horrible ordeal. I'm very sorry for your loss of life."
Cass blinks at her, then shrugs. She isn't sure if she is grateful that Damian's ninja mask is still across her face, keeping her amusement hidden.
Jazz smiles even wider. "Welcome to Phantom's Keep. We welcome you inside."
Hmmm, well, no, Cass did not like how she said that. Sounded a little too Fae-like for her taste.
Jazz isn't aware of her unease as she gestures to the castle. "We have some questions on how you arrived. See, Dan and I thought you had died and placed you in the sector for new ghosts. Dan was supposed to greet you and get you settled. But your new status changes everything."
Was Jazz....Phantom?
If so, Cass needed to be careful how she continued interacting with the woman. She didn't want to get stuck here for seven years, either. She had a family she was going to get back to.
__________________________________________________________
"Where is Cass? She hasn't checked in for days," Bruce asks his children, looking over everyone's logs. Her last entry was twenty-four days ago, a short "Investigating Amity Park—pending field report" blinking on his screen.
"I'll ask Raven." Damian volunteered. "She should be able to give more insight into Cass' mission."
"Thank you, son."
Bruce hoped the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach was just untreated paranoia like his children liked to claim and not that something had happened to his daughter. He never liked it when his gut feelings were right.
They were never a good reason.
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finntheehumaneater · 4 months
Text
i owe you a black eye and two kisses (pt 8)
(Part one) (part nine)
pinboard | playlist | ao3 (consider leaving a comment if you read it on ao3 because they make me happy :D)
(Notes and taglist under the cut)
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Eddie stayed in his room for most of the day, silent and curled up on his bed, until Wayne made him come out and help with dinner. And even then, he was still quiet, which he could tell was making his uncle worry.
“Eds?”
“Hm?” Eddie hummed back, trying for a smile, but it looked strained and broken and wobbly, a few tears falling down his face that he wiped away quickly, clearing his throat.
“Your boy gone?” Wayne asked quietly, and Eddie laughed wetly, his voice catching.
“He’s not my boy, Wayne,” He looked back down into the sink, at the lettuce he was supposed to be washing in his hands. “And yeah. He’s gone.”
“You tell him to go?”
Eddie shrugged. “Didn’t have to.” He placed the lettuce down on the towel and dried it off for a moment, before sucking in a shuddering breath and leaning against the counter. “I don’t think I want to eat tonight.”
Wayne sighed—like he was used to this, because he was. He nodded and moved Eddie over gently to finish up with the lettuce. Eddie frowned, opening his mouth to protest, because he could still help, but Wayne pushed him back with a flat hand to his chest, looking him over.
“Go on a walk. Clear your mind. Take your music with you or something. Then go talk to Steve. I know you two fought.”
“I—“
“No, I’m right. And I don’t know how it started or who’s fault it was, but you need to work this out,” Wayne says sternly, his hand clamped over Eddie’s shoulder. “Because despite what you think, he’s a good kid, and I care about that boy an awful lot, now that I’ve gotten to know him. And I don’t want to see him or you get hurt. You hear me?”
Eddie nodded, choking out a quiet sob and squeezing his eyes shut. Wayne pulled him into a hug for a moment, before patting Eddie’s shoulder and sighing. “You’re a good kid, too. A little stupid at times, but a good kid.”
Eddie laughed wetly, gently smacking Wayne’s hand away from him. “Whatever, old man.”
“Now go,” Wayne muttered, shooing Eddie away with a small smile. “You annoy me more when you're sad.”
Eddie flipped him off halfheartedly before turning and grabbing his Walkman from his room, stuffing his feet into his shoes and heading outside. He eyed the picnic table. He had kind of enjoyed how Steve’s cheeks had flushed, then, all embarrassed and pretty as he coughed.
But he fucked over his chances of ever seeing him like that again, Eddie thought as he walked, (Anesthesia)--Pulling Teeth blasting into his ears loud enough to make him go deaf.
He hadn’t meant to make Steve cry like that—and fuck did that man look fucking pretty when he cried—he had wanted Steve to get angry. He had wanted Steve to fight back so that he could prove to himself that Steve was still the person he used to be in highschool. Because he couldn’t possibly fall in love with someone who had hurt him. 
But Steve hadn’t gotten angry, he had gotten sad, and that made Eddie feel horrible. Fuck, he didn’t just feel horrible, he was horrible. Steve was something he didn’t know he had wanted. He was beautiful, he was tragic, he was everything. And it wasn’t the drugs that had made Eddie do what he had done, it was fear.
Because Steve was perfect—too perfect—and maybe he was nice now, but what would happen after? If Eddie gave in, gave Steve what he wanted, and let himself fall deeper? What would happen when Steve was done with the mess that was Eddie Munson?
Eddie would just get hurt again, that’s what. He would get hurt, and he would be fucking broken—but now Steve was fucking broken, and…god, he had really fucked up, hadn’t he?
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Eddie went over to Ken’s instead of taking a walk down to BrandyWine—the small wooden bridge across the creek, which Gareth had named a few months ago—and she looked pissed when she opened the door for him, looking him over and glaring at his devastated appearance. “Steve’s not here if you’re looking for him.”
“Why would Steve be with you? He doesn’t know you,” Eddie muttered, pushing past her and stepping into her trailer. It was smaller than his, and the whole place smelled like incense and oranges. “Jesus, how much of that shit did you burn?”
“He does know me, now, actually,” She said, shoving Eddie’s shoulder lightly as he turned to face her again. “After I found him crying in my front yard.”
“Fuck,” Eddie muttered, sighing and dropping his head into his hands. “Look, Ken, I already feel bad enough, I don’t need a lecture right now, okay?”
Ken leaned over him slightly to look in the mirror and fix her hair a bit around the edges, her tank top hiking up her back. Eddie tugged it back down, tucking it back into her too-short jean shorts. She huffed and turned to him. “I promised him I wouldn’t yell at you—and I won’t push for answers, either, since you really do look upset—but that doesn’t mean I can’t be mad at you.”
Eddie nodded, feeling his eyes prickle with tears again. He hadn’t really let himself cry over this, and he didn’t think he deserved to. He had been an asshole, he didn’t get to cry. Ken sighed and adjusted the straps of her tanktop. He looked down so that he wouldn’t have to meet her gaze. Her white socks were riding low below her knees, bunched up and grass-stained. 
“I know you’re hurt, babe, trust me. You didn’t tell me that my hair was nice when you first came in, which is always a dead giveaway,” she was being serious, but Eddie laughed quietly, sniffing and looking up at her when she took his hands in hers, squeezing gently. “But Steve is hurt too. And I know you don’t like him very much, but he at least deserves an apology.”
Eddie bites back a sob, nodding. “I know. And I will, I just…don’t know if he’ll forgive me.”
“People don’t apologize for forgiveness, honey,” Ken whispered, pulling him into a hug, his chin over her shoulder and her arms around his waist. “We apologize because we feel bad. Understand?”
Eddie nodded again, turning to press his face into Ken’s neck, hating how his chest ached when she slid her hand up and down his back, being so fucking gentle with him even though he didn’t deserve that, either.
“And,” She continued, her voice softer. “I’m pretty sure he’ll forgive you. Trust me.”
“How do you know everything already?” Eddie whined halfheartedly, pushing his face further into Ken’s neck, and he could feel it when she laughed. “I’m older than you.”
“Maybe if you spent less time being all mopey and pissy, you’d learn a thing or too,” she teased, poking him in the side and he jolted, tightening his hold on her and frowning. 
“Rude.”
“I’m right, though, and you know it. I’m always right.”
Eddie laughed again, shaking his head slightly. “I hate you.”
“I know,” She whispered, moving her hand up to his hair as she shifted around him to press her cheek to the side of his head. “I could give you a ride to Steve’s, if you want.”
Eddie sighed, sinking into her embrace and nodding, slipping a finger through a loop in her jeans and tugging, his breath catching again. He really didn’t want to have to face Steve yet—maybe give himself some time to compose himself so he didn’t become hysterical when he tried to apologize—but he didn’t want to wait to do it like an asshole, either. “Yeah, fine.”
Kendall pushed him away gently by the shoulders, smiling slightly when he frowned and tried to pull her back to him. “You’re so fucking clingy, did you know that?”
“I’ve been told. By you. Many times,” Eddie muttered, moving hair out of his face and sighing again. He made a small noise of protest as she grabbed his wrist and dragged him over to the bathroom, saying that he should “shower first, because he should look presentable when he apologizes.”
Eddie flipped her off and rolled his eyes, but showered anyway.
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i can’t draw for shit but have this doodle of Kendall (Ken) i made because i love her and she is literally me
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I have a problem making characters who look and act like me leave me alone :(
as always, reblogs and comments make my day ♥️
taglist which is always open unless i say otherwise!:
@estrellami-1
@randombibitch
@insteviewetrust
@anne-bennet-cosplayer
@hack-saw2004
@lolawonsstuff
@goodolefashionedloverboi
@slowandsteddie
@ellietheasexylibrarian
@mugloversonly
@littlebluejane
@zombiethingy
@steddie-island
@rozzieroos
@ohimamarigold
@origamiplushie
@mamafaithful
@stillfullofshit
@gleek4twd
@swimmingbirdrunningrock
@anaibis
@xxfiction-is-my-realityxx
@honhonbaguettegofuckyourself
@kickpuncher2punchkicker
@dissociatingdemon
@itsall-taken
@pluto-pepsi
@lawrencebshoggoth
@manda-panda-monium
@flustratedcas
@here4thetrauma
@silentiumdelirium
@limpingpenguin
@samsoble 
@hotluncheddie
@sangrientojoe
@moomkin77
@jamieweasley13
@private-jett
@eyeharttart
@y4r3luv
@ultimatezuku
@emelieluckwood
@foundintheshadows (you didn’t ask to be added but i saw your tags, so let me know if you don’t want to be tagged again in the next part ♥️)
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lovelybrooke · 11 months
Note
Hii!!!
I'm in LOVE with your platonic spiderman across the spiderverse headcanons. Can you write something for if an anomaly hurt the reader? Like if they was trying to help the spiders but they got hurt? Angst with comfort?
Be Careful (Yandere Spiderverse x reader).
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This is super cute. I tried to include more characters in this one so please tell me what you think.
"Shit, shit, shit! Your dad's gonna kill me." Its good Mayday wasn't with Peter today, because he was panicking. You watched calmly as he rushed around you, his pink robe flying every which direction.
"Peter I'm fine." You attempt to reassure him, rolling his eye as he inspects your leg, which had pretty nasty cut. Nothing worth panicking over though. Peter groans, huffing at your statement.
"You weren't supposed to be here, though." He furiously types into his watch, a portal appearing in front of you two. Peter was right, you weren't supposed to go on missions. But he saw how sad you've been lately due to the isolation your father put you through. The mission wasn't anything big, he could easily protect you and brighten your mood. But you just had to get hurt.
"Don't tell you dad." Peter whispers to you as you enter HQ.
"Don't tell me what." Of course, the one-time Miguel left his office. Peter jumps at the sound of his voice, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and giving him an awkward smile, which contrasted Miguel's stern look. You look down at the ground, quilt covering your face as you prop your injured leg behind you to hide it from him.
"Oh! Miguel, good to see you." Peter's voice wavers, rubbing the back of his neck. "Me and (Y/N) here are just...getting lunch. Yeah...lunch."
"It's nine in the morning." Miguel mentions.
"I meant breakfast." Miguel shakes his head while pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance, looking at you.
"(Y/N), go to your room." You gawk, brows furrowing, before stomping away in frustration. Miguel moves his gaze towards Peter, his eyes filled with rage. He steps towards Peter, close enough to fill the fear emanating off of him.
"If you ever take my kid on a mission again, you'll never see the light of day." Miguel speaks through gritted teeth. Peter doesn't respond, simply nodding, his chest heaving up and down as Miguel walked away.
---
"You need to be more careful." Miguel's demeanor is much different than earlier. He's calm, fatherly as he carefully cleans your wound.
"I know. I was just...lonely." Miguel's eyes soften at your words. "I just wanted to get out of HQ for like, a few hours." Every day of your life, you were alone. It was nice to see Miles or Qwen every once in a while, but you never got to see anything other than the Spider society. You only got to see the other dimensions through your computer screen, and so slowly you started to crave the outside world.
"But so much could happen in a few hours." Miguel rebuttals, wrapping your leg up. "What if Peter wasn't there? What if your watch broke? What if..." You knew where he was coming from, why he was so concerned for your safety. He's already lost one kid; he couldn't lose another.
You nod, getting him to stop his ranting. Slowly, you hug him, his arms quickly wrapping around you, a hand coming up to pat your head. "I know." You whisper the words becoming wavy, tears nearly leaving your eyes.
"I'm sorry that I made you feel alone." Miguel spoke. "Maybe we could spend some more time together?" He smiles, looking down at you. You nod absent mindedly, yawning. Miguel guides you down to your bed, draping a blanket over you. His mind calms seeing you so peaceful, but it's not a feeling that would last forever, he knew that.
He's going to have a talk with Peter.
---
A/n: Not super angsty but I hope you enjoyed it. Also, sorry if this is too short.
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seniaasaysstuff · 9 months
Text
𝐁𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲💓 || 𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐮𝐧𝐚 𝐱 𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐤𝐚𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 (reupload)
a/n- reader gets isekaied and plops right onto sukuna’s lap. it’s heian era! And sukuna is at the height of his power. Hilarious interaction between them. How is sukuna going to deal with a genz reader? read and find out for yourself🤭
pure crack?? I don't know what I was smoking while writing this Imao. Do we need a part two?? orrrr
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"Oi wake up," the man ordered as he lightly pulled your cheek. "What the fuck dude? Let me sleep," you mumbled and snuggled into the pillow. It felt pretty comfortable and you didn't want to wake up.
"Who are you calling dude? You dumb woman get up right now," The man demanded in a rude voice.
"Bro shut up you're annoying," you rasped as you hid your face in the 'pillow.
"This-this girl! So impudent! Do you know am? Do you want to die?" The person yelled loudly.
You whined and opened your eyes. You rubbed your eyes and stretched your body. Your bleary eyes gazed at the figure looming over you.
"Is the sleeping beast finally up?" The man sneered.
"Isn't that supposed to be sleeping beauty?" you let out a yawn as you spoke.
He snorted, "By any chance did you mean you're a beauty? Delusional beast."
The person oddly sounded like one of your favorite anime characters. You squinted your eyes and noticed that he had the same markings and the wooden half of his face as Ryomen Sukuna from the Jujutsu kaisen.
Sukuna pushed you off his lap and looked at you with disgust. You took it as an opportunity to admire him. He was sitting on a fancy throne. One pair of his arms were crossed over his chest.
"Yo, am I trippin' or what?" You blurted out.
"Damn! You look hotter in real life," You whistled as you eyed the man.
"Where else have you seen me?" Sukuna glared at you.
"In my dreams Daddy," You shot him a flirty wink. "Do you know how to speak woman?" Sukuna scoffed with a look of disdain in his eyes.
"Yo! Are you really Sukuna?" you asked in excitement. "So what if I am?" he narrowed his eyes at you. "Well, I've been curious bout something. Do you really have two dicks?" You looked at him curiously.
Sukuna pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a hysterical laugh.
“This is the first time I've been asked this. What the fuck is wrong with this lady?" Sukuna muttered under his breath.
"Hey! I can hear you asshole," you cried out. "It was meant to be heard, dumb woman," Sukuna grunted. "Okay, motherfucker. Stop calling me dumb or else I'm going to throw hands," you exclaimed in anger. "Huh? You want to cut off your hands and throw them?" Sukuna looked dumbfounded.
You burst out laughing. "Pfft, you old old wrinkly pruney old man," you wheezed.
"I have killed people for less you idiot girl. Who are you calling a wrinkly pruney old man? It seems like you love the idea of courting death." Sukuna was enraged. How dare a filthy woman call him old? He was literally in his prime.
“C-court-ing death pffft you old man.” You had tears in your eyes and your stomach hurt after laughing so much.
“What's wrong with what I said?” Sukuna grumbled.
“I think I should call you grandpa instead of daddy,” you wheezed again. It seems as if you were on crack cocaine just like gege in his recent chapters.
“What a fucking menace.” Sukuna crudely thought. After you sobered up you walked towards sukuna and hugged his leg, sukuna tried to kick you off but you stuck to him like glue. “I'm sorry for what I said sukuna. You were my favorite in the anime and manga though at times your fraudulent behavior made me rage.” (fraudkuna; the king of frauds)
you took a breath and continued to rant. “I mean like did you really have to possess Megumi? My poor baby. And what the fuck was up with the fight with Gojo? You weren't slick at all. Everyone hates you so much now. Like everyone’s calling you fraudkuna and shit. It was such a bitch move to use my emo gumi.” you squinted your eyes at him angrily. “I still like you so you should compensate me hmph.” you huffed.
“Your dicks would be enough for compensation? Noo wait! Your tongue on your stomach needs to be used as well.” you rambled. Sukuna patted your head, he looked very confused but understood some of what you were rambling. "So what l'm hearing is that my future self is a dumbass and you wanna get fucked by me?" Sukuna asked.
You shrugged, "Yeah that sums it up."
Sukuna burst out laughing. "Damn brat didn't know you were a kinky one." "Oh you're in for a treat," You winked at Sukuna.
"Kuna bro I forgot to ask but where are we?" You asked with a look of curiosity. "In my throne room." Sukuna curtly replied. You whistled.
"Give me a house tour? Pretty please" You batted your lashes at him. Sukuna tried to ignore you but you kept staring at him. It took him five minutes to give in. "Fine. Get up brat I”lI show you around." He grumbled and took you around the entire estate.
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silverskye13 · 2 years
Text
"Do you believe in the gods, Pix?"
The archeologist chuckles, and continues adjusting measurements on his hologram projector. "You trying to convert me, Joel?"
The god of Stratos waves his hand dismissively, and though Pix isn't looking at his face, he can almost feel an the eye roll as clouds briefly wink over the sun. "Obviously you believe in me. If you didn't, we wouldn't be talking right now."
"Ah."
"I mean the old ones. You know." Joel waves a hand vaguely the direction of the ruined capital. "The absent ones."
Pix pauses in his work to turn and look past the bridge. The burnished gold of the tip of one of the angel's wings is all he can see over the hillside gates, but he knows the goddess is there. He memorized every curve and angle of that monument when he'd found it. It was... An impressive statue. He turns back to his projector and keys in a few more measurements, trying to get the height of the road just right.
"I don't know."
"Oh. Well I suppose you wouldn't." Joel shrugs at Pix's questioning glance. "You're human."
There is a moment where they're silent. Pix works keys a few buttons, adjusting the placement of his projection, and Joel watches, arms crossed like a sentinel. He doesn't help Pix. Not really. Joel isn't really that kind of god. He bestows gifts and blessings, but he reserves his hands for his people and his whims. But Pix didn't invite the god here to build. He doesn't mind reconstructing this old capital by himself. Joel does, however, grunt disapprovingly every time Pix places the structure wrong, and flick his eyes a little to the left, and Pix takes the hint and adjusts the hologram in that direction.
"You wanna know what I think?" Pix says, setting the hologram in its final place and taking a few steps back to observe it.
"You think?" The god chuckles, and when he does, distant thunder rumbles.
"I think more than you."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"I think worshipping the world is the closest we can get to an omniscient god." Pix finishes the thought before they can devolve into ribbing each other. It's fun to bicker with Joel, but that's not where Pix is going with this conversation.
Joel cocks his head to the side thoughtfully. "You don't think I'm omniscient?"
"Would you ask me this stuff if you were, oh all-knowing god of storms and things?"
"Sky god," Joel corrected. "Touché, little history man. So, you worship the world, then?"
"Everything we do leaves a footprint," Pix tells him. He adjusts his hologram just a bit to the left again. Joel nods at him almost unconsciously. Pix stops fiddling and starts playing shulkers, preparing to build. He's going to finish this bridge today. "The earth records these footprints. It's the nature of things that change, that they hold impressions of what changed them."
Pix gestures to the rock slide that cuts off one side of his hologram. "This gate used to carve right through this hill. Even though this side has collapsed, and erosion has eaten the side, beneath that rubble, there are cobblestones someone laid by hand. Maybe they were slaves, or skilled craftsman, but regardless they existed. The lived a full life, whatever that meant for them, they spoke to people they loved, ate their favorite foods when they were sad, and one day, they died. Bones turn to dust, epitaphs fade, but that builder's hands still touched those cobblestones."
The god of Stratos watches the hologram with a new and open curiosity. He reaches out a massive hand and places it gently on the particles of light, as though he could touch the recreation. Instead, his fingers dip through the projection, making long flickering shadows in the light field, distorting the image like rain on a glassy lake. It's almost comical watching the massive god be so gentle and reverent, especially over something so inconsequential as a bridge piece.
"So is this how you worship the world, then?" Joel asks quietly. "By helping it remember what it's forgotten?"
There is something loaded in the words. Pix looks up at the god, and he remembers signs underneath a floating city as citizens gently remind their god they love him, and they need him. He thinks of temples to gods whose names have passed out of history, floating amidst a living city made by a god who has no temple built. Not yet.
Pix doesn't know what to say, so he opts to say nothing, instead reverently laying out his tools on the bridge like precious gifts on an altar. The two don't talk. Pix begins laying stones for a new foundation, and Joel watches thoughtfully, not seeing the world in front of him. They finish the bridge.
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stariikis · 4 months
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𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤 | 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 | 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 01
synopsis ; when riki's having a hard time with his school work, you decide to buy him strawberry milk. not knowing that it's the milk flavour (and the colour) he despises most. if you're wondering, yes, this is in the same world as my chaptered fic, 'you in the rain', and is one of the bonus chapters i have planned. you can check out the fic here.
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Perhaps your presence, a constant voice peeping up from across the library table, disturbs Riki more than he would dare to admit. 
Because the way he briefly glances up at you before groaning and pinching his nose-bridge… it’s probably not a good sign, is it? He frowns in concentration, starting to do his anxious tick you’ve recently noticed is a bad habit of his, clicking and unclicking his 0.5 ballpoint pen. Loudly. And then he twirls the pen over all four of his fingers, confusion evident over all his features. 
“I don’t get it,” he huffs, looking mildly annoyed with himself. Opposite of him, you watch as his stare on the Math worksheet threatens to combust it into flames. You should be used to this, after accompanying him here so many times just to watch him get frustrated over the questions he can’t do. 
Okay, maybe it’s only been a few days, but it feels like a lifetime of awkwardly sitting around, unable to help him because you can’t be asked to solve for x even if your life depends on it. Perhaps you’re just not cut out to be Nishimura Riki’s study companion. Your eyes trail back up from the worksheet (that looks like utter gibberish to you), and analyse your friend’s face instead. 
And then a wave of sadness washes over you. He’s in the advanced Maths class, filling out an advanced Maths worksheet. The fact that he’s able to understand at least half of the foreign language of algebra is already stunning to you. Anything above a C would please you, in fact. But you understand. You understand him with all the hours you spent revising the new vocabulary in English class. You understand with the blood, sweat and tears you poured out over a difficult type of sentence structure you just could not grasp. 
It always hurts to be practically terrible at things you’re supposed to be the best at. 
“I wish I could help,” you say uneasily, taking another glance at the problem Riki’s stuck at, and wishing you didn’t. It’s a humbling experience, to say the least. “But, um, I can’t even understand what the question is asking for.” 
The cogs in Riki’s brain seem to churn for a while, before the fire goes out once more and the light leaves his eyes. “Nope. I really don’t get it.” 
You tilt your head at him, trying to exude as much comforting empathy as you can. Apparently the kind look in your eyes must be either terrifying or out-of-character, and Riki just lets his eyes travel around your face in judgement. You’d like to believe it’s the friendly type of judgement and not the, you actually look really stupid kind of judgement. 
But it’s Riki, so who knows? He could very well still be lost in his own world of complicated formulas and mental equations, numbers of different universes coming together into his mind like they’re meant to be. That’s at least how it sounds like when Riki talks about Maths. 
Wanting to leave him alone to his own thoughts, you pack up your things and head out to the nearby convenience store. Riki doesn’t bat an eyelid, he’s pretty used to you quitting halfway through a study session as well, and he probably needs you out of the way anyway. To solve the biggest mystery of the universe on that piece of paper. 
Once you step foot into the store, you make an instant beeline for the chilled drinks section, gracing your eyes with the marvellous selection of flavoured packet drinks and plastic milk bottles. Perhaps Riki would like one of those to drink on while he studies. You always seem to focus better with a sweet drink in one hand and a pen twirling around in the other. 
The array of choices stuns you for a moment, though, and with a pang you realise you don’t know Riki’s favourite milk flavour. He’s never mentioned it before. In fact he doesn’t talk much about himself to you. Or, according to Jungwon, to anyone. You’re not sure if he’s closed off on purpose, or he’s just quiet in nature. To you, they’re two very, very different things. 
Well, it wouldn’t hurt to buy Riki your favourite flavour, would it? Anyway, it would give you a chance to find out what he really likes, and conversation could possibly start to flow from there. It’s like a mastermind plan, the way you grin mischievously to yourself and snag the cheapest bottle of strawberry milk you see. Because, unfortunately for you, you’re a student. Fashionably broke. 
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When you get back to the library, Riki stares at you in bewilderment as you walk back to his study corner and proceed to dump a singular plastic bag with two bottles of strawberry milk sitting inside it. Lips pursed together in curiosity (another one of his cute little habits that you can’t help but to notice because they’re literally right in front of your face), Riki leans over and peers into the bag. 
He raises his eyebrows, sits back down, and pulls one of his legs over the other. 
“How did you know I like pink things?” he whispers, eyes the widest you’ve ever seen them. “And that strawberry milk’s my favourite milk flavour?” 
“Really?” You cannot believe, by lucky chance, you’ve actually guessed it right. And you’re matching with him, and you guys can go buy more strawberry milk together in the future… and…
”What’s strawberry milk in Chinese?” 
You snap out of your thoughts and watch intently as he unwraps one of the plastic straws and pokes it carefully into his drink. 
“草莓牛奶” 
“你喜欢,是吗?” (you like it, right?) Riki smiles slightly and takes a sip. For some reason his facial features stiffen for a second and he looks like he’s trying not to make a face. 
You chuckle softly at his expression. “是. 哇,你的中文真棒!” (Yes. Wow, your Chinese is so good!) 
“因为我在喝…” (because I’m drinking…) He pauses for a while, trying to recall the words. “你最喜欢的草莓牛奶.” (your favourite strawberry milk). 
Your cheeks heat up almost immediately and the hot feeling doesn’t fade for a good long while, even as the librarian scolds the both of you for bringing food and drink into the library and as you walk back home alone after Riki claims with an urgent look that he has somewhere to be, dumping his half-full strawberry milk in the trash. 
It’s not until a week later you find out from an astonished and very bemused Jungwon that Riki absolutely hates strawberry milk and the colour pink, even though the boy has been gifting you the pinkest of milks every day since that day, claiming he loves it; claiming it’s the most refreshing drink he’s ever tasted. 
That afternoon, when you walk back into class after lunch, you see a bottle of banana milk sitting atop your desk, and you can’t help but to laugh to yourself.
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if you're not here from 'you in the rain', pleasee go give it a read if you're a taylor fan or when i fly towards you lover! tysm for reading - stariikis ☆
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synopsis ; based on the Chinese Drama, 'When I Fly Towards You', in which you, a going-on-high-school English genius named Huang Yuting meets the Mathematics genius of the 10th grade, Nishimura Riki, underneath the rain.
taglist (open)
@laylasmother @seunnimg @natalunae @enwonz @tomomorin
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blissfulip · 2 months
Text
Dopamine
On AO3
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Viktor x f!reader
Rating: Explicit
Tags: enemies to lovers, slow burn, angst, idiots in love (?) dubious science, mostly canon compliant, no use of y/n, chemist!reader, eventual smut, masturbation, angry sex, unprotected sex,
Cw: lot's of blood, slight spice if you squint
Words: 1.7k
[A/N: bit of a shorter one this time, in preparation for the teeth-rotting fluff and filth that awaits in the final chapter~ tags and content warnings to be updated in each chapter, updates weekly(ish). (also, let me know if you want to be tagged in fic updates!)]
Tags: @ihopeinevergetsoberr @chemical-killjoy @jinxed-jk @bobobomao @queen-of-elves @thedustybunny @syren201
Previous Next
Chapter 8: Blood-tinted
You had become so small all of a sudden. The earnest compulsion to scream at Viktor, to tell him how much his constant presence in your life lately had exerted an influence over your thoughts—a negative one you planned to clarify soon thereafter—was brought to a halt. The blood made you panic, and seeing you there, his own shoulders depleted into a pronounced hunch, as if he expected you to pester him with questions he did not want to answer. 
You didn’t; instead, your hand swiftly held his wrist as you conducted him out of the bathroom, and out there, you swerved through the commotion of people clustering in the middle of the room to make your way to the infirmary. It was too late for the nurse to be there, but the room itself was never locked, you knew, so you turned the door handle without a second thought and dragged what remained of Viktor inside. 
Viktor sat on one of the cots, lifting his head up with what you assumed was the intention to stop the bleeding. 
“Don’t do that; the blood is going to end up in your throat." You said as you grabbed a towel and placed it in front of his face, “Pinch right there—yes, there you go." You continued gently nudging his head forward with your other hand. You noticed the bleeding was also coming out of a small cut on the bridge of his nose, so you needed to find some gauze. You heard Viktor sigh audibly behind you as you rummaged through the drawers. 
“Care to explain?”
Silence 
“Viktor, what happened?” You said this time, looking at him. He closed his eyes and breathed in. 
“I got punched in the face; I believe you’re smart enough to figure that out.”
“Color me shocked!” You said in a sardonic hiss. “By whom and why?” You said punctuating each question with an ironic stare at the same time as you soaked a small piece of gauze in saline solution. Viktor winced slightly at the pain. 
“That vacuous donkey, and I suppose he was unhappy as a consequence of me preventing him from following you into the bathroom.” 
“Asher?” He chuckled at how fast you got to his name with only that description. “Why would he follow me into the bathroom?”
“Judging by my state, I think you can presume I did not ask any questions.”
Although your knitted frown made it seem like you were upset, it was confusion that bounced all over the walls of your skull. 
“Why?” You managed to ask, finally.
“I’ve already said—“
“No, why did you do it? It simply doesn't make any sense to me that you would put yourself in jeopardy for me.”
Silence once again. 
“A jumbled mess, selfish, intolerable, and big-headed, remember?”
Silence. 
“I don’t actually believe you are most of those things.” Viktor started in a timid voice. “You are not selfish; eh, I suppose I feel a sense of longing for the time in my life where I would take risks the way that you are allowed to do now. I envy that freedom, that’s all.”
The hand you had holding his face in place had long dropped to hold the edge of the cot firmly. 
“I do think you are a mess, but that carefree nature you have is not something negative necessarily,” he continued when you gave no signs of interjecting, “and when I said big-headed, I meant to say stubborn.”
“Oh.” A small smile creeped up the corners of your mouth. “I thought you meant I have a big head.”
“I can assure you that you have a normal-sized head.” Viktor said with a lighthearted chuckle. “But you are, in fact, very stubborn.”
“Fair.” 
A comfortable atmosphere washed over as you went back to disinfecting his wound. The bleeding had stopped both from his nose and the cut, so you rummaged through the drawers once more to find some medical tape to patch him up. 
“To be fair, I also don’t believe you are most of the things I said yesterday.”
“The things you said before we slept together, or during?” You rolled your eyes. 
“Before.”
Viktor hummed, a small smirk on his dry-blood-tinted lips.
“So I’m a tad more tolerable to you than I thought, but getting into a fight for me still feels unbelievable.”
Viktor inhaled sharply before giving you a defeated look. 
“I can tell you are trying to make me say it, and I don’t appreciate that.” 
“Say what?” He looked at you with one eyebrow raised and a long silence, slowly letting it sink in. You were dumbfounded. He couldn’t possibly mean it, but then again, if the previous night did something, it was proving your attraction to him was mutual, and now knowing he does not in fact have the deep aversion to you that you were certain he did, it all fit into an odd puzzle perfectly. 
To him, the long, numb silence you had fallen into as your mind followed your convoluted line of reasoning had come off as a cold but polite rejection.
“Naturally, everything was likely circumstantial on your part, and I understand that,” he started saying as he stood up. “You were heavily intoxicated that night at Lara’s house…” 
“What? No Viktor—“ You started to say this as you moved out of his way.
“...and I appreciate how well you dealt with what transpired at the lab. I do apologize; however, I should have put my feelings in check and known it was a terrible idea...” Every word he uttered left his mouth louder than the last, and you could hear the tension in his voice as he tried to find the correct string of words to use. Around the last few words, you heard his volume deplete, and before he even finished speaking, his nose started bleeding again. 
“Viktor, stop! You are bleeding again— settle down for fucks sake!” Anything you could have said would’ve been useless, as he seemed to not hear any word that came out of you at that moment. He leaned against the wall, and the blood trickled down his mouth like delicately embroidered stitches over his lips.
“...my care should have extended to what happened yesterday; deep down, I knew it wouldn’t be a casual slip-up and an easy-to-forget mistake as it probably is for you, yet I couldn’t hold back—though it was entirely my fault. I recognize that, and I won’t hold it against you…” 
It wasn’t that for you either. You said so out loud and tried to convince yourself of that much, but it was not the truth—another well-crafted lie that came porcelain cold and perfect through your teeth. The thin stream of red percolated all the way to his neck. You wanted to say so much, but only lying came easy to you; lies were far and detached, and telling Viktor how you felt seemed too near and vulnerable, too constricting. His eyes now looked at you, not expecting an answer but simply giving himself a break, glossy and distant but still vibrantly golden. You remembered the dreams you had the night before, and they fueled whatever timid wish you had in you. Sure, you couldn’t say something, but you could show him. 
The room was narrow enough that the step forward you took was small. You had him pinned against the wall, although not of your own volition, and that aided you in finding a firm grip on the sides of his face before you met his lips with your own. You almost second-guessed yourself when you initially felt no struggle, thinking he must have been so weak from the loss of blood that he hadn’t been able to wriggle himself out of your grasp. A metallic taste creeped its way into your mouth when Viktor’s fingers slithered their way to your jaw, softly prying it open to make way for his tongue. 
You tasted his lips for a long while before you both had to grasp for air, Viktor being particularly in need of a break. Endearment peaked through his eyes as he unsuccessfully tried to wipe the bloody tint off your mouth and chin, and you both laughed quietly at the vampiric state of your faces, a picture painted by your silent confession to him. You could have said something then and even had something in mind, but your plans were spoiled by the dry sound of Jayce clearing his throat in an attempt to make himself known. 
You know there was nothing you could have said that would serve as an excuse for what happened, and no well-told lie could have steered Jayce’s mind away from the murder scene on your faces; thus, against what you would’ve normally done, you stayed quiet. Viktor did too. 
“Just so we’re clear, I always suspected.” He said, an eyebrow raised on his forehead as a sign of satisfaction. 
“Is it a prize you want? A pat on the back? A handshake?” Viktor said only half-annoyed, his mood unable to be ruined by any of Jayce’s brazen commentary.
“Do you mind?”
“Alright, I’m going. Just don't do it here; it’s so unsanitary.” He quickly left the room, only a millisecond away from being hit by a bloody towel thrown in his direction. One of the small pieces of gauze you still had on hand was enough to clean both of you up, and you helped each other out among light giggles and child-like mischief, followed by another small kiss to seal the deal. 
“How about a proper date?” You asked as you handed Viktor more cotton pads to replace the now-drenched one in his nose. “We could go to the café from last time.”
“I refuse; I won’t be able to look at that waitress's face without wanting to be swallowed by the ground with embarrassment.”
“How dramatic.” You said, rolling your eyes playfully, and Viktor shook his head.
“My dorm tomorrow, we can cook something; I’ve come to find out I rather enjoy it.”
“Why yours? Do you still think my dorm is messy?”
“Yes.” Your hand shot up to clutch your imaginary pearls in an inflated expression of fake outrage.
“Have you considered that if I keep going to yours, it will end up untidy as well?” You smirked at Viktor’s defeated expression.
“Fine.” He said with a loud, frustrated groan, followed by a mellow grin. 
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starb3rrys · 6 months
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hiiiii! Could I request, how would tecchou react when his s/o tells him “I might not be strong, but I would fight for you”
STOP- WHY DO I LOVE THIS SO MUCH?! Awww, I can just imagine him feeling so touched and happy (#><). I changed the words around a little bit but it has the same meaning, sorry!! Anyways, thank you so much for the request my love, this one’s for you Anon!!~
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“Although I may not be strong…I will fight for you, that is a promise.”
Tecchou x GN! Reader
Light Angst/Fluff
Scenario: Tecchou has been feeling overworked and stressed out recently due to all of his missions, it may be time to comfort him and let him know you're on his side...
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˚ ༘ ೀ⋆。˚ ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆。˚ ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆。˚ ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆。˚ ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆。˚ ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆。˚
The sound of the front door unlocking then opening filled the quiet apartment. Familiar footsteps approached the bedroom, alerting your sleepy state that finally, after such a long day, your boyfriend was home. Tecchou walked inside the room, “I'm home”, at the sound of your boyfriend's words, you quickly sat up and walked over to him. “How are you Tecchou? How did your mission go?”, you asked curiously as your hands helped him remove his cape and hat. “It went well…I suppose”, you could hear the drowsiness in his tone as he pinched the bridge of his nose. A small frown appeared on your face, you hated seeing Tecchou so overworked. Considering that he had recently been drafted for more than 5 missions across Japan to help those in need, it was clear that all of those missions were taking a toll on his mental and physical health. "How are you feeling?", you asked worriedly. "Im am feeling just fine.", Tecchou spoke in a low tone, he was clearly lying. A soft sigh slipped through your lips as you looked at him, "We both know you are clearly lying Tecchou, this isn't good nor healthy! You are tired, I can see it and I know damn well you feel it.", your voice was serious. Tecchou groaned, "I can't just take a break! I need to continue training and preparing for my next mission, if not then I won't be strong enough to save the civilians!", irritation filled his tone. “I need to do better, I need to help the innocent! I need t-” “But who will be there when you need help?”, you asked, cutting Tecchou off. Tecchou’s face tensed for a second as he felt your warm hand touch his cheek, your soft worried eyes lingered on his expression. “Tecchou, you are the most valiant man I know; you'd sacrifice anything to help those around you, a pure-hearted man who has won my heart over, a man who continues to protect me and countless others, that is why it pains me to see you this overworked.”, you let out a soft sigh as your sweet words fill Tecchou with a sense of warmth. You continue, “I know that pressure can often make you feel alone, but that is nowhere near the truth–you aren’t alone…you have me.”, your hand caressed his cheek with such delicacy. Your eyes trailed up and met his, looking at him with pure honesty and unshakable determination, “Although I may not be strong…I will fight for you, that is a promise.”, your voice was reassuring yet firm, you meant every word. Your words struck Tecchou like a bullet as light tears filled his eyes. In an instant, he wrapped his arms around you–as if fearing that if he were to let go; his love, his treasure, his supporter, and angel…would disappear forever. “Thank you…for always being by my side, both in my best and lowest moments.”, Tecchou spoke quietly into your shoulder, with a quiet sniffle. Your arms swiftly returned Tecchous's embrace as a soft smile grew on your lips. "I will try and request a break, I also think I need it after all those missions.", Tecchou finally agreed. You let out a relieved sigh, "Thank you, Tecchou". Tecchou grinned and wiped his tears away, “And just so you know, you are very strong…in your own way.”, Tecchou stated. Your eyes widened as you pulled away, holding his shoulders, “What is that supposed to mean?”, you asked with a raised eyebrow and an offended tone (Jokingly btw). Tecchou chuckled lightly and pressed a small kiss onto your lips, “Nothing…nothing at all, my angel”.
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This was super cute, I loved making you two argue a bit, hehe-
Im planning on making a full on ANGST story with NO HAPPY ENDING, just because I can.
Ive been working extra hard these past few days to at least post twice a week so I can clean out my inbox (〜 ̄▽ ̄)〜
Anyways, I hope you all liked the story! Love ya!<3
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thelightsandtheroses · 7 months
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1.5: You're face to face with the man who sold the world
Your Hand In Mine | Joel Miller x female reader.
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Word Count: 1k Drabble Summary: The morning after meeting you at your insomnia bench, Joel and Ellie meet Tommy for breakfast and Joel reflects on his life in Jackson and the opportunities it presents for Ellie. Warnings: TLOU Part 1 plot spoilers, implied angst, introspectio, no other warnings come to mind, this is very much just some Joel introspection and me starting to delve into his perspective. You do not need to have read Your Hand In Mine to understand this but if you're reading the fic it bridges chapter 1 and 2. Notes: This is my very first drabble and a bit of an experiment for me and has helped me through a little writing block. The next full chapter will be coming soon and will include lots of interaction between the reader and Joel. Drabble title from the song Man Who Sold The World by David Bowie/covered by Nirvana (this is the version I personally love)
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Series List | Chapter One |
Joel observes as Ellie takes another forkful of food, her gaze rising to watch him for a second before turning her attention back to her meal.
Change hasn’t always meant great things for Ellie. Jackson has been a big adjustment. She’s back at school after almost a year on the road, after everything they endured there. It’s her first time in a school not run by FEDRA though, her first time living in a community like this.
Joel still remembers Before, but he knows Ellie has no point of reference here. He’s never truly thought about that before, about the way this world looks to kids born after the outbreak. He’s been too lost in his grief and survival to ever think about things like that, but now he thinks about it all the time.
He takes a forkful of his own food, trying to stifle a yawn. Ellie doesn’t need to know he’s not sleeping; he doesn’t need her worrying about him. Colorado was bad enough. He’s supposed to look after her. That’s why he bought her here after Salt Lake City.
From the corner of his eye, Joel notices Tommy walk into the hall. Tommy raises a friendly hand before getting his own portion of food and joining them as your earlier words echo in Joel’s mind.
Heard you and Tommy are good on patrol …
Years ago, Tommy abandoned left him in Boston. He made it clear that the way they’d survived haunted him and whether he said it or not, he blamed Joel. Probably still does. 
Joel can carry that though. It’s okay. He kept his brother alive, didn’t he? So, as far as he’s concerned, he did his job and maybe there were better ways, but he worked with the tools he had at the time.
‘Hey Joel, Ellie,” Tommy says cheerfully.
“How’s it going?” Joel asks.
“It’s good, it’s good.” Tommy pauses. Despite his bright exterior, Joel recognises his sleep deprived eyes. His brother’s expression is one he remembers well from when Sarah was a baby. It’s strange to see it mirrored on his baby brother’s face now; a sign of how much time has really passed.
“Yeah, you look like it’s real good,” Joel says wryly. “Baby keeping you up?” Tommy’s a father now. Joel wishes it didn’t tear a little piece of his heart apart each time he looks at his niece’s face, but it does. It should be a blessing not a wound, but it cuts him so deeply.
She’s like Sarah, but she’s not Sarah. 
“She’s sleeping a little,” Tommy retorts quickly.
“Oh yeah?” Joel asks, raising an eyebrow at Ellie who fails to stifle her own laugh.
“Yeah.” Joel remembers how when his niece was born, Tommy had boasted she was sleeping already, that she was going to be a good baby.  Joel didn’t quite have the heart to warn him this was common, that she was unintentionally lulling him into a false sense of security.
His brother has made a life here. Maybe Joel can do the same, maybe it isn’t too late. He can feel that promise of hope, something he can hardly even remember from before.
The last twenty years have been built on violence, threat assessment and mitigation. They’ve been about survival and nothing else.
Until now.
Jackson is the first place Joel thinks he might be able to breathe. If there weren’t the continual ghosts of what he’s done,  the fact he’s keeping the truth about what happened at that hospital from Ellie.
He’d do it again for her though.
Every. Damn. Time.
It doesn’t make it any easier to sleep at night though.
  He didn’t expect to run into anyone when he left the house this morning. In Boston when he didn’t sleep, there were pills and alcohol, but it’s different now. He just needed to clear his head, walk around a little so he didn’t disturb Ellie.  He’d found the bench a few days before, but he could never have anticipated you being there too, or that either of you would start talking.
When Joel looks across the hall, as he listens to Ellie and Tommy talking, he notices you’re walking into the hall as if his thoughts had somehow summoned you.
He watches you smile broadly as you sit with two men and a teenage boy. You’re deep in conversation, a faint smile on your face as you collect your food and your group sit a couple of tables away from Joel’s family and dive into an animated conversation.
When Joel next looks over, you tip your head slightly as you laugh, bare a tiny bit of throat. He shouldn’t notice that.
You’re both the same and completely different to the woman he met on the bench last night. He notices you stifle a yawn when you think no one is looking, the only hint he’s seen that you’re hiding something from your group.
There’s something about you, about the conversation you shared that is drawing him in like a siren’s song.
He could ask Tommy about you. He could find out more about who you are, who you’re with, the life you lead outside of a bench in the middle of the night. Seeing you with your group, he recalls vague introductions and details from when he first came to Jackson. You’re something to do with the library? He can’t remember the links between the two men and you, but he recognises enough of you in the teenage boy to make the connection that he is clearly a relative of some type.
It doesn’t feel right to ask for information though. He’s curious, but something in Joel tells him that if he wants to get to know you, the real you, then all he needs to do is walk over to that bench on another sleepless night.
“Everything okay?” Ellie asks, looking up from her plate with a frown. “Joel?”
Tommy looks over at Joel then, raises an eyebrow with a silent question.
“Sure, kiddo. Hey, did you say you found a new book on space the other day?”
“Yeah, I did,” she says animatedly, “It’s really cool actually. The library here has a lot of books that weren’t in my old school library. Plus, they have DVDs, Joel. DVDs!”
Joel can’t help the way his smile widens as he listens to Ellie continue to talk. Everything he did between Boston and Salt Lake City; it was worth it for this.
He can feel hope setting root in his body, unfamiliar and strange. Maybe change is a good thing.
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sinfulseashell · 11 months
Note
For Yandere Bonten
What would you do if your S/O really likes to bake and asked you if she can bake a cake for you?
Y!Mikey: For a moment the male stays silent, not sure why he keeps coming to these…”interviews” yet thinking about the times he has watched his darling bake and how happy they looked to give him a treat made his cold heart feel warm. The male slowly stands while looking back at the interviewer, “I’ll be back…don’t come looking for me…” he spoke with a monotoned voice clearly eyeing Sanzu as he left.
Y!Kakucho: “It’s ok, you didn’t upset him. He is going to find his darling so they can make him some Taiyaki.”
Y!Sanzu: “We all knew that! Dumbass!” The pinkette hissed while slouching in his chair. “Anyways. It would be cute, but my darling doesn’t really like to bake so I guess this question wouldn’t necessarily be for me?”
Y!Koko: The male sighs while pinching the bridge of his nose, “For fucks sake just answer the goddamn question!”
Y!Sanzu: “Alright! Geez…I would find it very cute, but I can’t guarantee that things won’t get a little messy. Hehe…if you know what I mean.”
Y!Rin: “We didn’t need to know that…”
Y!Sanzu: “What! A man can’t get excited if their darling does something cute for them?”
Y!Takeomi: “I don’t think that’s what they meant…” The older male stares at his brother before being tapped on the shoulder by one of the employees. “That’s how you’re supposed to answer the question?! Uh…ok…” He shakes his head and looks at the interviewer. “Look I’m not going to say I…*clears throat* make my darling see stars just because they offer me a gift. I would think it’s a nice gesture, would they get a reward? Well of course my little one is always rewarded for being nice.” He smirks.
Y!Sanzu: Glares at the male in disgust, “And you talk about me…funny how you guys think I’m a monster yet you have this bastard over here barfing up fucking rainbows and bullshit.”
Y!Koko: “Alright! We promised there would be no fighting this time! So shut the fuck up and just listen…or so help me I will put tape on your mouth.” Koko fixes his shirt and sits back calmly. “Personally I don’t think that would be so much as sex worthy, but I will be happy to know my darling thought about me so it’s plain and simple.” He shrugs.
Y!Ran: “Wow, you’re darling must be very lucky to have you.” He cooed.
Y!Koko: Clear annoyance grazed his features as he looked over at the eldest Haitani, “Ran…you better watch it…” he hissed. “Or I’ll cut your funds and give that to my darling…you rat.”
Y!Ran: “Why are you so mean…” he pouted playfully.
Y!Rin: He stifles his laugh, clearing his throat as he turned to look at the interviewer, “It’s fine I guess. I mean all I can do is eat it so it’s not like the gift will last long. It would probably be better if they gifted me something more…useful.”
Y!Ran: A sharp gasp emitted from him, lavender eyes darting to his brother. “RIN! I raised you better than that! You always accept gifts from your darling with love.” He cooed. “That way they will be more willing to give you better gifts.” He hummed.
Y!Mochi: “Wait…that’s not right. You’re supposed to love your darling no matter what they give. I mean for me that would be something special, and I would always cherish them and their treats.” The larger male smile brightly. “It’s about loving them and cherishing them…I feel you may have lost your way, Haitani.”
Y!Ran: “Oh you big sweetheart. Of course your tiny little brain couldn’t comprehend that question. It’s fine darling, just stick to being the big muscle you are.” He pats the males thigh lightly with a smug smile.
Y!Kakucho: “Actually I agree with Mochi. It’s seems that some of you have forgotten why you even have your darling in the first place. You obsessed over them because they were perfect, and now that you have them…it’s like you’re not trying to keep them by your side. Without violence or threats.” He paused for a moment while shaking his head. “If you keep this up they will eventually stop loving you.”
Y!Sanzu: “God I hate you so damn much…”
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ye-olde-sodor · 2 months
Text
Ok so I just found something weird about Ryan and Thomas' classes…
I was looking into the LB&SCR E2s and GNR N2s because I wanted to write some fanfiction with Thomas and Ryan. As I was reading some Wikipedia articles, something caught my eye, and that was the difference in Traction Effort.
In simplest terms, Traction Effort is basically the amount of pushing and shoving forces that an engine has. The higher the number, the more the engine can pull and push. It’s measured in both Kilo-Newtons (kN) and in Pounds Force (Ibf). 1 kN is equivalent to 22.8 Ibf. There is a way to calculate an engine’s Traction Effort but the formula is super complex even in its simplified form and I suck at math. If anyone wants to double check this, be my guest.
So, according to Wikipedia and its subsequent sources, Ryan’s traction effort is 19,945 lbf (88.72 kN). Thomas, meanwhile, has 21,397 lbf (94.78 kN).
If this is accurate to both the E2s and the N2s, then that means that Thomas had nothing to worry about. Thomas is, at least from a traction effort standpoint, the better engine. Yes, there are other factors when determining which engine is better, but Thomas beats Ryan in one of the most important factors, that being how much he can pull and push.
“So Thomas was jealous for no reason? We already knew that, so what’s the point?" Well dear reader, you’d be half right. See, here’s where things get interesting.
I’m sure we all know that the E2s sucked at their job. They were too big to work on the lines they were meant for and had a plethora of other issues. Their small bunkers made them unfit for long distances, and the Second Series (the ones with the extended side tanks that were supposed to replace the first) had an inadequate water supply. Due to these issues, they didn’t last long and they were all withdrawn and scrapped between 1961 and 1963.
What I bet you’d probably figured out by now is that Ryan’s class faired far better than Thomas’ class. While most were withdrawn much sooner than Thomas’ (from 1955 and 1962), they were frequently used and considered reliable. Most of Ryan’s siblings worked at Kings Cross and Moorgate as suburban passenger services, meanwhile the E2s were kept mostly at docks and yards at London Bridge Stations and Victoria and hardly did anything but shunt. On top of all of this, Ryan's class had a much better fuel and water capacity.
Now take all of this info and place it in context of SLOTLT.
Imagine a SLOTLT movie that shows us that Thomas is insecure about his faults despite his numerous rebuilds. Then in comes this fancy new GNR engine that, while slightly weaker than Thomas, can travel farther thus can deliver more trains across Sodor. Now have that same engine show off this ability on Thomas' own branchline. On top of all of that, have everyone brag and comment on how better Ryan is as a passenger train than Thomas. Cut back to Thomas at the construction site hearing about this, and becoming furious (but moreso scared) about Ryan and becomes convinced he's being replaced.
Now imagine Ryan being the one to pull the shipwreck instead of Donald and Douglas. Now Thomas is convinced he's being replaced and either sent away to another railway or sold for scrap.
It's a small fix but it makes such a difference. It helps explain why Thomas becomes so reckless and irritable in the movie and when Sailor John rolls in with Skiff, he feels more willing to help him since "Hey, he bought Skiff, maybe he can buy me if I prove myself to him!"
There are so many other stories we can write using all of this, and you all know damn well I'm gonna abuse the hell out of this lol.
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