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binunus · 3 years

Text

college bf!bin

a/n the duality of this man??? i’m deceased...anyway i did not think this would go this long but uh my hand slipped...happy birthday binnie!

word count: 5k

genre: fluff, smut, (tiny) angst _________________________________________________

ugh yo

bin is so??? infuriatingly hot??? yet cute at the same time

major: exercise science

and because I love mermaid prince/the beginning, he’s been on the swim team since first year college

swam varsity starting his second year

besties with eunwoo, they were roommates their whole college career

alright so bin loves making friends

he’s so playful and talkative once you really get to know him

but his aura?? tbh very intimidating

like he has an rbf and just like he’s so tall, broad shouldered, built, like he just carries himself very strongly that you will get intimidated when you first meet him

very well known in the university

literally has a professional photographed banner of him hanging in the athletic building with the gold medal he won freshman year

a little embarrassed about it

not really, only when the boys (as in literally the other five) tease him

myungjun: woOoOw bin that guy on the banner really looks like you, don’t you think?

rocky: we geeeeet it you’re a star athlete

blah blah blah you know the vibes, they’re endearing

so how do you meet bin?

basically you’re a friend of a friend—you’re eunbi’s (sinb) friend

you’ve only met bin briefly from time to time, but otherwise you never really had any reason to get acquainted with him

your only encounters of him are when he wants to annoy eunbi and she immediately puts him in his place

but then suddenly in the spring semester of your 2nd year, you and him are in the same 8 am

a boring statistics gen ed class that everyone needs to take in order to graduate

you were running a bit late during the first class meeting—you woke up 30 minutes after your alarm and literally rushed out of your apartment—you made it to class with 2 minutes to spare

most of the seats were filled up already, except that one seat in the back left corner by the window next to the one and only moon bin

oh would you look at that

you felt a bit relieved honestly, you didn’t know anyone else in that class so at least you saw a semi-familiar face

he grinned at you when you sat down

“hey y/n”

you were a bit taken back, “you know my name?”

he laughed a little, “yeah of course, you’re one of eunbi’s really good friends, why wouldn’t I know your name?”

before you could respond, the professor started class and ceased your conversation

one thing you realized as the weeks start to go on

you and bin could not give any two fucks about statistics

no offense to stats lovers

every 8 am on mon/wed/fri, neither one of you would pay attention in class

you both enabled each other to not pay attention basically

so when the professor announced the content and date for the first exam

you and bin literally looked at each other with the same expression

you were both fucked

after class was dismissed, instead of the two of you quickly packing your things and fleeing the room immediately, you both lagged a little bit

you: so...do you know anything that’s going to be on the exam?

bin: uh...no? y/n you’re literally right next to me, you know I don’t do jack shit in this class

you: well fuck, how are you gonna study then bin?

bin: I was probably gonna ask my roommate to help me, he passed with a 96 when he took this class

you give him the best puppy dog eyes you could muster up, you lean in and clasp your hands together like you’re praying

“can he help me too...? please?”

bin’s eyes go a lil wide bc you were a bit closer than he was used to and shit was his heart racing rn?

bin: uh...yeah...sure, i’ll text you to come over when we’re gonna study

you beam at him and like in your excitement you give him a hug

“thank you thank you thank you! i literally cannot fail this class. I’ll see you on friday bin!”

with that you grabbed your bag and just left, leaving bin shocked

he’s surprisingly a shy boy okay!

he always thought you were cute from when he first saw you hanging out with eunbi, but ofc he never thought any more of it

until you guys had this class together and he started to think every day, that wow you are really cute

bin texts you the next day

coincidentally, eunbi texts you too

bin: hey this is bin, if you’re free in an hour my roommate’s gonna help me go over the material in ch. 1

eunbi: why did bin ask for your number

you to bin: yes! send me your addy and i’ll be there :)

you to eunbi: we’re in the same stats class lol and we’re gonna study for our exam next week

eunbi: lol moon bin studying? you might wanna bring some wine with you for emergency y/n

you: lol what do you mean by that?

eunbi: binnie hates studying, but good luck!

ahh, eunbi becomes unhinged when it comes to bin

but you know it’s bc they’re that close, they’re literally childhood best friends, more so like siblings

still, studying w him couldn’t be that bad right?

spoiler alert, it went alright

you felt bad showing up to bin’s apartment empty handed so you picked up some coffee before you arrived

you officially meet bin’s roommate, eunwoo, and you’re floored for like 2 minutes bc literally how can a man like him be real?

cue bin being a bit jealous bc yeah he knew his roommate’s perfect but like damn did you have to be affected by him too :(

eunwoo’s a good teacher alright? you actually understood the material from him

you: idk what eunbi’s talking about, you’re actually not that bad at studying bin

bin being offended: oh god what did eunbi say about me

eunwoo smirking: maybe it’s because you’re here y/n, bin usually doesn’t focus this much when it’s just me trying to help him

you: ???

bin in his head: i can’t trust anyone huh

before you left his place, you and bin planned to meet up and study one more time before your stats exam

it was just you and bin this time

although you’d never admit it, yes you tried to look good for meeting up with him

yeah he’s a friend?? at least you think you were at that level?? but still, he’s a cute friend and you really didn’t want him to see you looking crusty

you and bin end up studying for a whole 5 hours

granted, half of that time you two were messing around, eating food, trying to procrastinate for as long as you could

bc even though you two had a good handle on the material now—thanks to eunwoo—you both still hated statistics

you knew bin started to get more comfortable with you bc he started teasing you

it made you happy hehe so ofc you started to quip back at him

not at the intensity that he and eunbi do but it’s enough for you :)

he walks you back to your apartment after your study session

wow what a gentleman

bin waving bye at your door with the cutest smile: see you in class y/n :)

mayhaps your stomach did a little somersault

anyways

on the day of your exam you were freaking out

you have test anxiety ah ha ha

you woke up at 5 bc you were paranoid about being late to class

you’re like hastily looking over the notes again when you get to class like are you really prepared omg you’re psyching yourself out hella

bin comes in with 2 cups of iced coffee and he’s like woah are you okay

you: i woke up at 5 bin, idk if i can do this omg

you are like visibly in distress rn and he feels like a pang in his chest

he was gonna mess with you and say like “bet im gonna get a higher grade than you” but he smartly decides against it

instead, he just takes your hand and gives it a little squeeze: y/n, take a deep breath. you’re going to do great, you studied your ass for this and we both know that you got this material down—even eunwoo hyung said you were gonna ace this exam. just trust your instincts, okay? breathe with me.

he was staring at you so intently and genuinely when trying to calm you down

your anxiety yeeted and suddenly you felt shy

you: th...thanks bin...

bin was worried about you while taking the test rip, he kept secretly glancing at you (while also trying not to make it look like he was cheating) just to make sure that you were okay

he walks you to your next class after you both finished your exam

bin: you sure you’re okay? you said you woke up at 5, did you even eat breakfast? let’s get food after your next class.

you were feeling better after the test but like you got so endeared at his fussing

yes you and bin got lunch that day

your exam results were uploaded the next day

you immediately called bin: I GOT A 95

bin: i told you that you would ace it! i got a 90 hehe

you: bin i literally owe you and eunwoo my life, lemme buy you guys food or something

you hear a little bit of bickering over the phone and suddenly you’re talking to eunwoo

eunwoo: i would love some sushi, but since bin can’t eat seafood, why don’t you come watch his swim meet this weekend :)

you: o...h...o-okay yeah i’d love to watch, what time is it? :)

eunwoo: it’s saturday at 10 am

you: okay! i’ll see you there bin

bin already planning on drop kicking eunwoo

cha eunwoo—best wingman™

you basically beg eunbi to go with you to bin’s swim meet

eunbi: i know bin can swim, why do i have to watch him flounder around under water

also eunbi: faster bin! don’t you fucking dare lose!

bin places first this meet

are we shocked? no

okay you mentally prepared yourself for seeing him shirtless, but clearly you didn’t prep enough bc you’re on the cusp of drooling when you’re watching him from the bleachers

and let’s face it, you’re not subtle and eunbi knows everything so she’s literally closing your jaw for you and like messing with you

eunbi: y/n, you’re really sure you like bin? he’s a good guy but c’mon, i think you deserve better

you: since when did i say that i like him ???? and what do you mean ??? i think he checks...all the boxes...for me...

eunbi: maybe it’s bc i’ve known him since when he used to wet his pants so i don’t understand why people are attracted to him, but like...really, you’ve been checking him out since he removed his shirt. even the ref can see that you’re simping over him

you and eunbi meet up with eunwoo and the rest of bin’s friends—that you haven’t met yet but know of

jinjin: oh so you’re the y/n that bin’s been talking about *wink wonk*

baby you’re blushing

even more so when bin comes up to your group

mmm middle parted wet hair, muscle tee and white sweats, towel around his shoulders

he’s so hot ???

you’re all congratulating him blah blah, but like bin keeps glancing at you and all you can do is just smile and like nervous laugh

sanha: y/n! eunbi noona! you should come eat with us to celebrate bin hyung’s win

eunbi glances at you, little smirk on her face: i have plans, but i know y/n’s free! bin you make sure they get home safe after y’alls dinner plans :)

hwang eunbi—best wingwoman™

dinner with the boys was chaotic, you were talking and joking around with them as if you didn’t just meet them today

*you about to get your wallet*

bin, not even able to look at you: it’s okay y/n, i got you this time

cue the boys teasing

astro: kings of making fun of each other

rocky as the group is splitting up: walk y/n home safely hyung :) don’t stay out too late

bin: sorry about them, they’re a bunch of loud idiots...ah haha...

the walk back to your apartment is actually pretty sweet

he didn’t know if you would actually come watch his meet or not but he was excited when he actually saw you

you talk about small random things about yourselves, but it’s not like useless information, you bet that both your subconsciouses are keeping track of whatever y’all are talking about

you give each other a “friendly” hug goodnight...that lasts like a minute or so

and while you’re hugging, bin just can’t help but think that wow you fit so perfectly in his arms

and on the other hand, you’re thinking he feels so warm? so safe? you don’t want to pull away?

but ofc the hug has to end and you’re thanking him for walking you home and he’s like glued to his spot waving goodbye sweetly and waiting for you to go inside so that he knows you’re safely in your apartment before leaving

bin sighing dreamily as he walks back to his and eunwoo’s place

eunwoo waiting on the couch with a glass of water: how was your date ;)

bin: it wasn’t a date, i just walked y/n home

eunwoo: yeah, but you want it to be a date

bin: ...shut up

god why is the pining stage so long

alright everyone knows you and bin like each other

it becomes pretty obvious after the swim meet

you and him fall into this little routine of switching who buys coffee for your 8 am

and then he’d walk you to your next class afterwards

you both still don’t pay attention in stats, sorry

but that means more outside study sessions dates

you come watch his swim meets, whether astro’s there or you’re just watching by yourself

and then you and him get lunch?? early dinner?? right afterwards, it depends on whenever his meet ends

but like??? neither of you have confessed your feelings for each other

even though you both have like a little hint that yeah the feelings are mutual

you and bin are literally like this for 3 months, like damn the semester is almost over

eunbi and eunwoo are tired of your shit, they’re both just like: when the fuck are they getting together? we’re sick of this.

alright so the masterminds literally pay one of eunwoo’s friends from his major to ask you out while you’re studying with bin

let’s do mingyu why not, he was in your korean history class last year

you and bin are in the library, half studying half goofing off per usual

eunwoo, eunbi, and mingyu are at the opposite side of the floor

mingyu: u sure bin won’t clock me for trying to ask out y/n

eunwoo: probably not??

eunbi: just do it please

mingyu giving them both the finger before walking up to your table

“hey y/n...i was wondering if you’d like to get dinner with me...as a date?”

you: o_o huh?

mingyu: i always thought you were cute from when we had class together last year, but i never had the balls to ask you out or anything...you’re not dating anyone, right?

you glance at bin to find that he’s already looking at you with an expression that you don’t really know how to read

you: um...well no I’m not-

bin: actually, we’re dating so y/n can’t go out with you mingyu, sorry.

mingyu’s not even phased, he just gives you a thumbs up and then leaves

you’re confused like literally what is going on—and then you process what bin said and you whip your head to look at him

bin: sorry i said that...i just felt...jealous i guess when mingyu asked you out

you: I wouldn’t have said yes anyway...I sorta like someone else

bin: fuck it, the topic already came up...y/n I’ve liked you for a while now but uh...I don’t know I guess I was scared to tell you because I’m scared of rejection

you just laugh, but not mockingly! more like bin you’re so cute wtf

“bin, why would I reject you when I’ve literally been into you for the past four months?”

it’s safe to say that you and bin officially began dating after that

eunwoo texting in their gc: bin and y/n are finally together

myungjun: fucking finally

bin: how...did u know that eunwoo...?

*eunwoo has left the chat*

alright but bin’s charm?? flirting?? teasing?? sweetness?? up 1000%

bin is touchy y’all, in private his hands are always on you, whether it be sexual or not sexual is up to you

he restrains himself in public ofc, the most he does is put a hand on your waist or hold your hand

eunbi threatens bin early on in your relationship: bin you’re like my brother, but y/n’s one of my dearest friends and if you as much make them cry i will kill you

ofc bin is still eunbi’s punching bag, but when you three are hanging out, he’s dramatic and acts like he’s hurt so he’s like whining to you

sometimes you play along and coo at him like: aww binnie, where does it hurt baby?

other times you’re like: you really think i believe that?? with the size of your biceps??

eunbi: excuse me while i vomit

okay but binnie? bestest sweetest boy

yes he looks all big and intimidating

but he’s soft—especially for you

your nicknames for each other are either “bub” or “baby”

yes will join in making fun of you with the boys, but when you start pouting he’s a goner and will defend you

bin is also a big cuddler, but i mean you’re not complaining hehe

he’s the big spoon, no questions asked

okay but being in bin’s arms is like your favorite place in the world

his frame literally just envelopes you and all you can feel and smell is him and it’s so??? content, you feel at home with him

you feel bad in the morning bc like his arm has to be sore from your weight so you try to like get out of his grasp, but he literally just whines and hugs you tighter

okay but just imagine you and bin napping and his arms are around your waist, his nose is buried in your neck and he wakes up like nuzzling his face in your shoulder like a puppy

im soft

one week you’re staying over at bin’s apartment and then the next week he’s staying over at yours, the cycle goes like that

if you’re one of my ladies with a ~vagíne~, he will buy all your cravings and your tampons/pads, literally anything you want that week, it is yours

doesn’t really get jealous now that you two are official, he knows that you’re his and he’s yours

you two lightly bicker like friends, but you’ve never had a terrible fight before

you were really close to though—or...like you did?? but it was resolved really quick

one of the only problems of bin is that he hates showing weakness and it takes him a whole lot to truly fully 100% be vulnerable with someone even if it’s someone close to him

he pulled a muscle in his arm and it cost him one of his swim meets

he had to go to rehab for like a month and you knew that mentally he’s been off bc of it

you try to ease talking him into telling you about how he’s really feeling but he just kept dodging the subject

one night after one of his rehab sessions, he came back to your place and you’re just like

“hey bubbie, how was rehab? how are you doing?”

and he just snaps at you: stop asking me how I am, y/n, it’s getting really annoying

you’re taken aback, like what the fuck where did that come from?

your eyebrows furrow and you cross your arms bc you are not going to get spoken to like that

“so me worrying about you and wondering how your recovery’s going is annoying? that’s what a partner is supposed to do, moon bin. what’s going on with you?”

bin: you’re being suffocating! it’s the only thing you ask me about nowadays, sometimes I—

oh boy you got mad

you: I ask you because I know you’re not telling me things! I know you’re suffering by yourself and I want to let you know that I’m here for you, I want to help take some of the pain away or at least help you deal with it because I’m your partner! but how can I if you can’t even let me in?? we’re fucking dating moon bin, we’re supposed to go through rough times together. and you call me suffocating...?

bin’s silent and he’s looking at the floor

you sigh, tears are building in your eyes because you’re frustrated and a bit hurt by what he said, and your voice cracks when you speak again: if i’m suffocating you, then you should leave. text me or something when you can breathe again, I don’t know.

there’s a bit of spite in your words, hidden by the pain

bin sees the tears rolling down your cheeks and that’s when he knows he fucked up

he’s never seen you cry before—besides like from a sad movie or something

so like the fact that he made you cry and hurt you with his words? damn he hates himself rn

he immediately wraps his arms around you, and you like try to push him to get away bc why is he hugging you? didn’t he just say that you were suffocating? why is he confusing

bin: baby, I’m sorry...I shouldn’t have taken out my frustrations on you, you’re not suffocating me I promise...you’re right about everything, I should be sharing things with you and telling you how I’m really feeling...I’m sorry.

you don’t say anything and just like sniffle and he picks you up and brings you to your bedroom and then he just lets it all out

he tells you how rehab is hard and like yeah his muscle pain is going away, but he doesn’t know if he can swim as fast as he used to and that scares him

and he tells you that sometimes he’s thought of giving up swimming since his injury, but then he thinks of you and that’s how he’s still going through with rehab

you’re his motivator and comfort but he doesn’t want to show you his weak side bc he hates that part of himself

and at this point, bin starts tearing up and you’re like stroking his hair to try and comfort him

bin: I’m not good at telling my feelings baby...probably why I didn’t tell you I liked you until 4 months later...but I promise I’ll work harder and at least try and tell them to you.

ugh pain

anyway your communication with serious things got better after that encounter

eunbi finding out that you and bin argued and he made you cry and she literally punched his stomach

you: omg eunbi stop

bin: it’s okay...I sorta deserved that

eunbi: why...are you not swearing at me? shit, bin are you okay?

he nods to the girl and just puts an arm around your shoulder: we talked things through, don’t worry. I’m all good now, but I did deserve that punch because I hurt y/n when I promised you I wouldn’t

bin ends up having a full recovery and bam his first swim meet after he got the clear from the PT, he gets first place again

all the boys and you and eunbi were there supporting him

bin was hella nervous before the meet started, but you gave him a little good luck kiss and was like: I believe in you bub, no matter the result, as long as you give it your all and don’t hurt yourself again, you’ll be the winner to me :)

this was actually when the first “i love you” was said

after your little pep talk in the locker room, bin’s just hugging you and holding you for comfort

and he just went out with it

“I love you y/n”

you blush hella hard bc you were not expecting that

obviously you’ve been feeling it like yeah your feelings for bin have grown into love for a while now

you just bury your face in his chest and hug him tighter

“I love you too binnie, now go get em bub.”

he smiles and kisses you and tells you that he’ll see you after the meet is over

you come back to the crowd where the boys and eunbi are and you just have a huge smile on your face, you’re literally glowing

myungjun: please tell me you guys didn’t fuck before his swim meet

speaking of fucking

okay let’s get down and dirty ladies and gents wink wonk mmm grr bark bark

bin is so sexy y’all like i dont need to tell you that

he’s 100% a tease

you have a little muscle kink hehe

which bin very much uses to his advantage

if bin is wearing a sleeveless shirt, you bet he wants to smash that day

will walk around shirtless after a shower or after a workout just to turn you on and then depending on his mood, he might tease you for like an hour or you’ll just get right to it

he’s very proud of his body and the work he put into it and knowing that you get turned on from one look of it?? gives him an ego boost, he loves it

one time at a party, he wore a crop top (mm hello bad idea bin) and you literally went feral

you dragged him inside the nearest bathroom and just started making out

he’s an ass guy

...all of astro are ass guys, it’s just obvious with how much they slap each other’s asses and poke each other’s assholes

okay you know how he’s touchy right? i mentioned that earlier

he always wants you on his lap

even if there’s a space available, nope your seat is his thighs

ofc when the situation allows, like you’re not gonna sit on his lap in class duh

most of the time in public like if you’re hanging out with the boys or something, it’s innocent

but if he wants to be a tease, he’ll literally just tighten his grip on your hips and grind you down onto his cock

subtle, he won’t straight up thrust into you

just enough to get his dick stirring and make you feel the outline of it through your pants

and then he just stops and hugs your waist again?? wtf

his major’s exercise science right? will ask if he can practice on you for anatomy and physiology, but you know after touching you in a couple places, y’all will just end up fucking

likes to bite and mark

very proud seeing the hickeys he leaves on you

you can bite, but you can’t bruise, idk his upper body is exposed a lot bc swimming so you can’t really leave any marks on him unless it’s the off season

foreplay’s cool, but he prefers the main event, he just wants to be in you

as much as he loves doggy, his fav position is the hook

(it’s when your legs are on his shoulders ohoho and it just lets him fuck you in a deeper angle mmm)

also in the hook, he can choke you

if i have a choking kink, you have a choking kink

okay little tangent, choking is so hot?

like just imagine you and bin are making out, he pushed you against the wall, literally grinding his hips into you, and his hand just comes up and squeezes your throat? that’s so sexy

likes butt stuff oops

i don’t make the rules, he just does

daddy kink, but no power play

will not degrade you (even if you really just want him to call you his dirty slut) bc he really values seeing you as equals

seeing your face when you cum is a must

almost always: you cumming → bin cumming

nothing gets him off more than knowing that he’s making you feel good

after !! care !!

sweetest boy!!

will clean you up with a warm towel after sex

and if you’re one of my ladies, he will always remind you to pee so that you don’t get a UTI

if y’all had a marathon or something, he will draw a bath and carry you to the bathroom and you will bathe together, so soft

always ends sex with an i love you :’)

okay let’s get back to the soft stuff

special thing about swimmer bin: pool dates

sometimes when he’s practicing and it’s just him, he asks you to come to the aquatic center and you two end up splashing around and being cute together

he like knew that you were the one for him some time during senior year

it was the holidays and his parents invited you to spend christmas with their family since your parents were out of the country this break

his parents and sister liked you immediately—which you were so scared about, but bin just knew

you woke up early christmas eve (and bin was out like a rock) so you just went downstairs to brew some coffee or something and you saw that his mom was already starting on making food

naturally, you offered your help and she was like no, you’re a guest y/n, but obviously you started helping

bin comes downstairs like an hour or two later to see you, his mom, and his dad just cooking and listening to christmas music and talking and his heart just like swells??

you: morning binnie :)

his mom: how can you be sleeping when y/n’s here helping us with christmas dinner

his dad: what kind of boyfriend are you, son?

just kidding all jokes

but that’s the moment when he knew

best boyfriend bin ugh

he becomes a legend in the school for swimming

but doesn’t continue after college, he’s all about becoming a physical trainer after graduation

he goes to grad school, while you’re out working in business

bin moves in with you after graduating, it was the obvious next step

you do talk about the future together, but obviously bin’s still in school and you’re both fresh from undergrad so there’s no rush yet to tie the knot

doesn’t stop his or your parents from talking to you two about marriage tho oops

ugh but the domesticity after bin moves in with you? superb

like yeah obviously you both basically lived together anyway when he still roomed with eunwoo just from how much you and him spent at each other’s places

but like your apartment is now both of your place and it’s like your home is finally complete

your apartment becomes the reunion place for the boys and eunbi

at this point everyone knew you and bin were gonna get married eventually

eunwoo and eunbi: we did that ;)

and that’s how you and your college bf!bin live happily ever after uwu

happy birthday binnie moonbob ♥

1-25-21

174 notes · View notes

x0401x · 3 years

Text

Jeweler Richard Fanbook Short Story #14

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Santa Invasion

“What’s this?”

“Ice cream.”

“Well, I can tell that much just by looking, but...”

“To be precise, it is an ice cream cake.”

A gigantic ladybug was sitting on the low table. Its vivid red and dark brown-like black shades were definitely berries and chocolate. The back was decorated with flowers like marguerite. It was adorable. And huge. It was a hemispherical cake that looked like a basket ball cut in half, the name of a store from Dogenzaka printed on its box. It was 7PM. The last customer had left, I was done with the cleaning and all we had left to do was closing the store. It was still the second week of December, so the mayhem of making provisions for winter presents was a few ways ahead, but the number of clients was increasing little by little.

Just what on earth would this beautiful jeweler come up in such times?

Due to a habit of his from whenever he had something that was hard to say aloud and thus failed to speak up, Mr. Richard Ranashinghe de Vulpian had a serious crease forming just slightly between his brows. It made me feel at ease. This guy didn’t make a face like this when he was burdened with something that was actually difficult to say. He would speak more bland and expressionlessly instead.

“This is a little souvenir.”

“Are you going to a customer’s place after this?”

Richard’s reply was a gentle “no” in English.

He’d been often speaking a mix of Japanese and English lately. When English-speaking customers came by, he would switch completely to English as if for practical assessment, so I was desperate just to keep up with listening to them. I was grateful for having him as my English conversation teacher.

“A certain good-for-nothing who works with finances is currently in Japan, so...”

“Ah, Jeffrey-san, is it? He seemed so busy last time... Sorry, forget what I just said.”

“No need. That is a correct interpretation, so it is nothing to apologize about.”

Despite saying this, Richard’s facial expression did not seem even remotely satisfied as he swiftly took an indigo envelope out of his pocket. It had no seal, so it must have been handed over to him. The content was a pop-out card, and under a paper-craft cake colored with gold leaves and uneven printing, it was written in very tasteful Japanese: “I’m going to hold a party at the hotel, so come over. I’ll be waiting.” The date of the party was today and the place was the room of a luxury hotel in Tokyo. A home party? No, a hotel party.

The title was “Richard’s birthday party”. The plate of the pop-up cake didn’t say “Merry Christmas”. It said “Happy Birthday”.

Christmas Eve on the 24th was this beautiful shopkeeper’s birthday.

As I returned the card to him, a crease once again formed between Richard’s brows as he said with an unsparingly decisive tone, “How very embarrassing.”

“Doesn’t seem so much like it from your face.”

“Because I practiced making it. But this is extremely embarrassing. I think it is not something that warrants going through the trouble of arranging a plane ticket.”

“I wonder if anyone else will be going.”

“It seems Chieko will attend. I received an e-mail yesterday saying, ‘I am going to show up as a surprise so please take care of me’.”

“Is that even a surprise? Well, okay.”

Chieko-san was Richard and Jeffrey’s private tutor in the past and I was acquainted with her to some degree. I wondered if Homura-san, who had married her daughter, was also coming. No, not happening. He was a customer of Etranger, so Richard would probably feel abashed if he did so.

“If it goes on like this, the people lying in wait in that room will just gang up into an assembly to celebrate me.”

“What even is ‘ganging up to celebrate’?”

“They are ganging up on me. I likely will not be able to say anything other than ‘thank you very much’. I need reinforcements. If you would like, could you come with me?”

“Me too? That okay?”

“Of course. The party starts at 8PM probably because it coincides with Etranger’s closing hours. That British safe-like man is not narrow-minded enough to leave you out.”

It was written there that the party would begin at 8PM. We had 30 minutes. There was no spare time to make a pudding. What to do? What should I do?

Richard was apparently unable to let my groaning an “ngh, ngh” while deep in thought go unnoticed. “If it is impossible for you, just say so right away. I know that you are at the final stage of studying for your exams.”

“That doesn’t matter. Why didn’t you tell me a bit earlier about this? If I knew, I could’ve made preparations for it... Aah, is that why?”

“It is. I recall saying that you should refrain from being overly distracted.”

“I don’t think a ‘celebration’ is ‘overly distracting’, though.”

“Anything is fine, so please answer. Will you come or not?”

He didn’t have to go as far as asking me something like that.

I bowed in a way that wouldn’t cause any hairs to fall onto the ice cream ladybug. “I shall humbly accompany you.”

“Very well.”

“Sorry, but before that, I gotta go to the toilet for a bit.”

I hastily rushed to Etranger’s restroom and unlocked my phone in a flash. I then tapped on the e-mail app. Of course, the destination could only be one person.

“Help. I’m sorry but I just got informed about the birthday party, so I have no present.”

Jeffrey-san.

The contents of the message were not at all on a level that someone should send to the person they owed their life to, but he would understand.

The reply came in a matter of seconds. As expected, he worked fast.

“Good evening. I have everything, so there’s no problem if you come empty-handed. There will be champagne, canapés, chicken pie and cake, and I plan to have chocolate fondue coming up at the end.”

There was a proud smiley emoji at the end of the text. It seemed this was going to be a big deal.

Richard would probably have work tomorrow, and he wasn’t the type to get wasted or stuff his face with sweets in the middle of the night. It seemed I also wouldn’t have to worry about dinner. It made me feel sorry. This was the same old pattern. This course of eating and seeing good stuff amidst the confusion of the moment made my stomach hurt when I thought better about it.

“Don’t you know anything that Richard wanted?”

The response came after a moment, “My bad, but nothing comes to mind. How about you give him what you want most?”

What I wanted most. I could only think of refill shampoo and new socks. I’d be ashamed of giving things like that to Richard. After all, this was a mixture of birthday and Christmas party—

Just as I was thinking this, a genius inspiration sprouted in my head. It wasn’t the best solution. Not at all. But I felt it could work. This was too obvious, but if only I had the necessary materials for it, I could do it immediately.

Making up my mind, I came out of the restroom, apologized for making Richard wait, and as we rode to the designated address on the jaguar, I had him stop the car in front of a mass retailer for a moment. I told him I wanted to buy refill shampoo for my home. Richard was exasperated, but didn’t have any suspicions in particular.

We arrived at the hotel, got into the elevator, and on the way to the party venue, I made sure to walk a bit behind Richard. Staying out of his sight was essential.

When he opened the door to the suite, sure enough, Jeffrey-san and Chieko-san were waiting inside. Giving off a relaxed atmosphere, a room-service feast even bigger than what I had imagined from the phone call was waiting on the table for the main guest.

“Happy birthday, Richard. Chieko’s here too. Surprised?”

“Of course. Very surprised. Extremely.”

“Hmm, by the looks of it, I guess there was some information leak. Well, that’s okay! Where’s Nakata-kun?”

“What do you mean ‘where’? He’s right here. Seigi... Seigi?”

My eyes locked with Richard’s. I had locked them with Jeffrey-san’s before that. I was grateful that he had done me the favor of not laughing.

I politely shook my head at my boss, who was making a flabbergasted face. “My name is Santa.”

What I had bought at the mass retailer was a handy Santa makeover set. The three-piece set consisted of a hat, a put-on beard and a Santa costume, but I hadn’t had time to change into the costume, so it was folded up in my bag. I intended to borrow the suite’s bathroom to put on the costume. If I at least had my face ready, I could somehow make it work.

Richard was dumbfounded. It was the obvious reaction. But I wanted him to forgive me for this. After all, it was December and today was a party day.

“I’m Santa Claus! I came from the North Pole. Please take care of me for today!” After introducing myself, I thought that maybe this wasn’t an exemplary self-introduction for Santa, but it was already too late.

Jeffrey-san, who completely livened up the mood whenever he got excited, went along with the joke, saying, “Wah, Santa-san, thank you for coming from such a faraway place!”

I was grateful for that one. And that was how I got away with playing the role of a worldwide mascot-like old man character from the Arctic for the day. The ice cream cake brought by the star of the party was a success, and we had a toast with both champagne and royal milk tea. Chieko-san was wearing a kimono, the remade peridot brooch on her chest.

It had already been more than half a year since then, but to my body, it felt like even longer ago.

My location had moved from Japan to Sri Lanka, as one would expect, and I was busy fully enjoying a spring in which white temple flowers were blooming in Kandy, my new home. But for some reason, Santa was here. A beautiful blond, blue-eyed man slipped in and out of sight, but his outward appearance was that of Santa Claus. It was the kind of Santa costume that you could buy at the costume section of any mass retailer. One of the sad things about unmatched beauty was the fact nobody could actually claim that his natural beauty was ruined by the look. The brilliance of his blue eyes, which looked like they could suck you in, was the same as ever.

“I am Santa Claus. I came from the North Pole.”

“But now’s a hot time of the year.”

“Santa Claus is a symbol of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. I do not think it is particularly strange.”

“T-That might be true. Well, then... what’re you doing?”

“Santa does what Santa does. The tradition of Santa Claus, much like the language of jewels, has a wide variety of legends to it depending on the region, but either way, the role of a saint who grants blessings to little children, women and those in need is a guise commonly demanded in society. And for you, here it is.” Saying this, “Santa” offered me a plastic, loose stone display case that I was all too familiar with. There was a red stone stuck between the cushion and transparent lid. “Can you identify this gemstone?”

“Tourmaline, I guess. Red tourmaline.”

“Good for you. Did you know that it has one more name?”

“Rubellite.”

“Perfect. Large, pinkish-red tourmalines are called by that name, and it is a stone of which huge carved crystals have been loved as works of art, such as the amulet of Empress Dowager Cixi and the Romanov royal treasure, the ‘Strawberry Pendant’.”

As I peeked at the stone inside the case, humming that it was pretty, the beautiful jeweler cleared his throat and started over.

“Just as people’s feelings dwell within beautiful stones, this one is filled with the feeling of celebrating the start of your new life, from your family back in Japan, your friends and your superior at work, with whom you have a relationship other than the aforementioned and that neither of us knows how to define. Santa is wholly thankful for being in the position to bestow you with such a gift. I forgot to say it, but happy birthday. Nakata Seigi-san. I sincerely pray, all the way from my home in the Arctic, that this year will be a fruitful one for you.”

“Thank you. Seriously, thank you for always, Richa...”

“Santa. I am a passing Santa.”

“Then let’s go with that. By the way, if you’re Santa, where are the reindeers?”

When asked this, the man in disguise answered with a cool gaze that the reindeers were using stealth technology nowadays so that they wouldn’t be found by radars, hence they couldn’t be seen. He had it down to the details.

“It’s been about ten years since the last time Santa-san came around. I’ll take good care of this. Santa-san, you take care of your body too. I’ll ask my boss next time I see him about the person who gave you this stone.”

“You should. Well, then.” With a bow, Santa left for a car parked in the courtyard. I probably wasn’t supposed to see him off. I’d feel bad for the stealth reindeers.

The red stone stayed in my hand.

I had told a white lie. It hadn’t been ten years since Santa had last showed up. This was the first time ever since I was born. In my home, there was always someone playing the role of “Santa”, such as Hiromi, Grandma and Nakata-san, so they never tried to tell me nice lies. Nakata-san probably just followed Hiromi’s way of doing things, though. The fact I thought up something like that last December, when Jeffrey asked me what I “wanted most”, might not have been unrelated to this. At any rate, to me, not even once was there any supernatural existence who would leave toys by my bedside if I were a good kid. Until this day.

After a while of standing by the garden, where it was always summer, and listening closely to the cries of birds with my eyes closed, I unlocked my phone. The Wi-Fi range of the house seemed good, and so I could send e-mails immediately. The contents were simple. The destination was my boss, Richard.

“Santa came to my place. But he left so quick that I couldn’t make him tea.”

The reply soon came: “Are you half-asleep?”

If he really thought that I was half-asleep, then maybe I should delay the reply for a few more minutes, I thought, but I didn’t write anything further. The house’s cleaning was half-assed and I had to check the security. I also wanted to know as many of my neighbors as could.

Together with the feeling that I had suddenly been given something I had forgotten, and that I didn’t even know I had forgotten, I put rubellite in the jewelry safe and stepped out into the Sri Lankan provincial city. I had nothing to fear and no hesitation. The ill feeling that I’d be living here alone had disappeared. After all, Santa had come by. Far from elementary school, I was now an adult who had already graduated from university, and it currently wasn’t December but May, where the only anniversary I could think of was my own birthday, yet Santa had come by. Such an impossible thing had happened.

So I could do my best, I thought.

And so, I could be getting ahead of myself, but I began thinking about my plans for this December. Would there be a second chance for Santa to appear? If not, I wanted to make one. I decided to fuss over the outfit a little more and prepare proper gifts this time. Then I’d tell him stories about jewels and try to make him laugh a lot. That, too, was Santa’s duty.

#housekishou richard shi no nazo kantei #housekishou richard #jeweler richard #the case files of jeweler richard #nakata seigi #richard ranashinha de vulpian #richard ranashinghe de vulpian #richard #jr short story collection #jeffrey claremont #novel #tsujimura nanako #yukihiro utako #my translation

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imaginetonyandbucky · 4 years

Text

The Buy In

Chapter 2: Taking Out the Trash

by @dracusfyre

“So who exactly are these cops hassling?” Bucky asked the next day as he met up with a man called Kenton at a bodega on 6th. “The shops? Dealers?”

“The ladies,” Kenton 'call me KT' said, shoving his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. KT was stocky and short, with an aggressive undercut and stud in his lip, looking more like an emo kid than a mob enforcer. “We don’t have dealers here.”

“Really? None?" When KT nodded, Bucky asked, "How come?”

When KT eyeballed him skeptically, Bucky said, “Look, it’s my first day, alright? I’m not from around here.”

“Everyone knows the boss hates drugs,” KT said, hitting the button for the crosswalk. “Like, hates. A few years ago he tried to run all the dealers out, but they kept coming back like weeds. Too much demand to keep them out for long, you know? So the boss figures, you don’t kill weeds by cutting them down, you kill them at the roots. So he started targeting the users, not the dealers. First, he bought up the local methadone clinic, set up a rehab house nearby, brought in a bunch of fancy docs. Puts the word out that anyone who wants to dry out can stay for free and gets a sweet deal when you get your ninety-day chip.”

Bucky frowned. “I remember that. The mayor cut the ribbon on the facility, right? I thought the city set up that clinic.”

“Ha!” KT said it like that, an actual ha. “The boss let them take credit for it, sure. But it was his idea and his money. Once he got the clinic up and running, he put the word out to all the dealers, making them an offer: sell him all your goods, give him your client list, and you get a new job that pays twice what dealing does.”

“What happens if the dealer doesn’t take the offer?”

“One day they find themselves on a cargo ship to Madagascar,” KT said, matter of fact. “Or Indonesia, or Kamchatka.” Bucky doubted that but kept it to himself; it was way more likely that the dealers got dumped in the river while Stark’s organization sold the drugs at a markup. But it was a good story. “Stoners can stay if they grow their shit locally,” KT continued, “but the party bros looking for bumps gotta get it somewhere else. But God help them if they make trouble, because the boss sure won’t.”

“Huh,” Bucky said, noncommittal. “So what are we doing today? Waiting for the cops to show their faces again?”

“Pretty much. Gonna talk to the ladies, then we’ll hang around and see if the pigs come back and let them know that their behavior is not appreciated.” A few more blocks down, KT knocked on an unassuming red door and led Bucky into a whole new world. He’d known when KT said ladies that he’d meant prostitutes and had braced himself for the worst: bare mattresses on the ground, barred windows, dull eyes and needle tracks. But what Bucky walked into looked more like the Waldorf than any brothel Bucky’d ever seen during his brief tour on Vice. Bucky tried not to stare as he took in the thick carpet and tasteful furnishings around the room, with women scattered around in groups chatting. Along one side of the room was a classy bar with mahogany wood and brass furnishings that had a few customers already despite the fact it was barely 5:30. KT approached the bartender, a petite but statuesque redhead with pinup curls wearing a corset that had, if Bucky’s eyes weren’t deceiving him, knives where the boning would be.

“Evening, Widow,” KT said, and the bartender gave him a grin as she slid a beer to the man across from her.

“Evening, gents,” she said, voice pure Georgia drawl. “So did the Iron Man himself send someone down to check on his chickadees?”

“Iron Man?” Bucky echoed in confusion. “You mean the Mechanic?”

“You must be new,” she said with amusement, and KT nodded. “He’s got lots of names, honey. He likes getting them and giving them. Bet he gave you a name, didn’t he?” she said, crossing her arms and leaning on the bar to give him an appreciative once-over. The pose made her look like she was going to spill out of her corset; didn’t do a thing for Bucky, but behind them the man with the beer walked into the back of a couch. “What does he call you?”

Ridiculously, Bucky felt his ears get hot. “Blue Eyes,” he said. “Probably like Jimmy Blue Eyes, I guess, but I don't know why. My name's not James.”

“It’s cuz of them pretty blue eyes of yours,” Widow said, and she laughed as Bucky felt the flush spread to his neck. “He must have taken a shine to you.”

“We're here about those cops you mentioned,” KT cut in, giving her cleavage a glance of appreciation but staying all business. “Stop teasing the help and give us the rundown.”

Widow gave Bucky another sultry smile and stood up straight. As she picked up a glass and rag and started polishing, the Georgia peach act fell away; her movements going from languorous to brisk. “Like I said to the boss, it was Rumlow and Rollins again,” she said, and Bucky’s eyebrows went up as even the accent disappeared. “They must think they got a pretty strong krishna to keep coming around here. They’ve got some of the new girls rattled. Came in just the other night trying to get a 'law enforcement discount,'" she said with a sneer, "and the only way we got them out of here without violence is Hawkeye got them too drunk to know if they were coming or going.” Widow tilted her head towards a man at the far end of the bar who looked like he was passed out, hat drawn down low over his eyes. “I wouldn’t have asked for backup if they weren’t cops, but.” She shrugged, and Bucky understood. Low level patsani, or even higher level enforcers, could disappear, but not a cop. “They also wanted a cut of what we pay to the Boss and wouldn’t listen when I tried to tell them it didn’t work like that.”

“What do you mean?” Bucky asked. "Doesn't work like what?"

Widow and KT shared a look. “He’s new,” he reminded her, and Widow smiled.

“Around here you don’t pay up, you buy in,” she said. “You’ll see.” She stepped away to take an order before Bucky could ask another question, so he turned back to KT.

“What are we going to do about the cops when they show up?” Bucky asked. Most times dirty cops got away with shaking down illegal businesses for money because it’s not like a bunch of criminals were going to rat them out to Internal Affairs. “Ask politely?”

“I have a few ideas,” KT said, sounding unconcerned. Bucky waited for him to say something else, but he apparently didn’t seem like sharing, so Bucky grunted and turned to scan the lounge.

While they’d been talking, a few more men, johns, Bucky assumed, had trickled in and were in conversation with the women, each of which were giving every indication that the man they were sitting next to was the funniest and most interesting man in the world. Guess that was one appeal of this place, Bucky thought; a man would never strike out here, and they probably spent good money to maintain the illusion that they were getting laid on their own merits. “Are all of the Boss's brothels like this?”

KT looked around like he was seeing the place for the first time. “Yeah,” he said, lifting one shoulder carelessly. “Boss invests in his people.”

Bucky supposed that made sense. Better margins in higher end prostitution. Still, it was strange to feel like he was hanging out in a hotel bar, complete with tipsy-looking couples disappearing into elevators to hook up. It was after 9 when the cops showed, still, stupidly enough, in uniform. Bucky suppressed the urge to curl his lip in disgust; these guys represented everything Bucky hated about his job, full of arrogance and spite and a thinly veiled hunger for violence. They were bullies, pure and simple, and Bucky hoped he would have a chance to punch one in the face. He could get away with it, too, if he told his superiors it was necessary to maintain his cover.

KT saw them the same time Bucky did; as they came closer to the bar, he slid off his barstool and put himself in their path.

“Who are you supposed to be?” The lead one sneered, looking down at KT, who was a good six inches shorter than the officer. “Are you supposed to be protecting these whores? You?” Bucky came up behind him to back him up and read the officer’s badge. Rumlow. He memorized his badge number and that of the second officer, Rollins.

“Welcome back, officers,” KT said with a faint smile. “How can we help you?”

“Last time we asked nicely for our money, and we didn’t get it,” Rumlow said, coming closer so he was looming over KT. “We also asked for some trade, and didn’t get that either. We’re not going to ask nicely again.”

“Let me buy you a drink,” KT said, taking a step backward and gesturing towards the bar. “And let’s have a conversation, yeah?”

“We’re not here for no fucking conversation,” Rumlow spat. “We’re here for our money and a good lay, not necessarily in that order.”

“Fine.” KT’s friendly tone disappeared and his posture changed, going from relaxed and open to a coiled, snakelike tension, ready for violence. Bucky had seen that stance before, in his hand to hand combat training class at the academy. “We’ll cut to the chase.” Widow was watching them intently, a throwing knife already in her hand. Movement out of the corner of his eye proved that the man, Hawkeye, wasn’t as passed out as he appeared to be; Bucky could see light reflecting off the barrel of something, aimed at Rumlow. “For you to be coming in here like this, swinging your dick around, two things gotta be true: you must have protection, some fish big enough that you aren’t afraid of the Mechanic, and that big fish knows you’re here and doesn’t care. If that’s the case, then your boss and my boss are going to have problems. But if either of those things is not true, you are in a world of shit.”

At that, Rollins stole an uneasy glance at Rumlow, who was still trying to stare down KT. It was quick, but it gave the game away – and KT knew it, because suddenly he smiled and relaxed, which made Rumlow scowl harder. “Busted,” he said. “It’s not going to be hard to find out who your protection is, officers. And I don’t think they are going to be happy that you are picking fights with the Mechanic. Am I right?”

“Fuck you,” Rumlow snarled, and swung at KT. But the smaller man was ready, and KT stepped to one side of the swing, then grabbed Rumlow’s wrist and pulled at the same time that he put a hand on the back of his head and shoved, sending the man stumbling. Textbook judo move, to Bucky's eyes. As his partner got his feet under him again, Rollins went for his gun but Bucky already had his hand on it, shoving back down into its holster.

“Let’s keep it a fair fight,” Bucky said in a low voice, and Rollins listened because Bucky’s other hand had a knife slid up under the bottom edge of his bullet proof vest.

“Don’t make this any worse than it already is,” KT was saying, Rumlow’s face bright red with fury. “The Boss will let bygones be bygones if you leave now and don’t come back, but if blood gets shed...” He shook his head.

Rumlow’s face was red and Bucky could tell that he was furious at having been humiliated by someone smaller and lighter than him. Bucky was afraid that he would go for his pistol, but instead he put his hands up like he was in a boxing ring. KT smiled faintly and just made a “come here,” gesture, and that’s when Bucky knew he was trying to piss him off. And it worked; Rumlow lunged, swinging with a tight haymaker that would easily have broken KT’s jaw.

If it had connected, that is. But instead of trying to block, KT dropped to one knee, ducking under the swing, and hit Rumlow in the dick with an elbow as he scooped his leg and stood, throwing Rumlow to the ground where he curled around himself, cursing incoherently with pain.

Bucky whistled long and low, smothering a laugh. KT laid that asshole out in seconds. He released Rollins and said, “You can have your turn now, if you want.”

“That’s assault on an officer,” Rollins snarled, trying to help Rumlow to his feet. “I should haul you down to the station for that.”

“Your buddy clearly started it,” Bucky said. “It’s not like you don’t have witnesses. I’d get out of here before he does anything worse.” Bucky didn’t know if it was the fact that Rumlow still couldn’t stand up straight or the way that everyone was staring at them, but Rollins seemed to know good advice when he heard it, because they did leave, shouting threats the entire way.

“Did you get all that?” KT called out after the door slammed shut behind them, heading back to the bar where the Widow’s knife had disappeared like she’d never drawn it in the first place.

“Every second,” Hawkeye rumbled, sitting up. The barrel that Bucky had seen was a high-end camera lens, not a gun; he’d been videotaping the whole encounter. “Uploading it to YouTube now. That should get them off the streets for a while.”

“That’s how the Boss likes to settle things,” KT said with satisfaction. When he noticed Bucky looking at him with confusion, he said, “Listen here, because this is important: the Boss doesn’t like us to kill people. We don’t do this whole ‘send our guy to the hospital, we send your guy to the morgue’ thing, got it? We send them to the poorhouse. The poor bastard gets so tied up in lawsuits, repossessions, revoked passports, suspended licenses, and investigations that he wishes he were dead. Then the Boss goes after the poor bastard’s boss, and that boss’s boss…mobsters, dons, whatever you want to call them, they don’t mind dying, but they never, ever want to be broke. You start threating their bottom line and they pay attention.”

“Seriously?” Bucky said skeptically. Stark’s file said that he had plenty of blood on his hands.

“Seriously. You might get a pass if you don’t start it, but if it happens again, he cuts you loose, and believe me, it doesn’t take the cops long to track you down. They are hungry for anything they can get on the Boss.”

“You don't say,” Bucky said blandly. "So now what do we do?"

"We're going to stick around until the ladies close up shop, make sure those two don't get any bright ideas to circle back." KT pulled out his phone and started typing in it as he got back on his barstool where the ice in his drink had barely had time to melt. "Hawkeye usually makes sure the clientele behave themselves, so you can have a drink, but don't proposition any of the ladies while you're working."

"Right." What a strange goddamn way to run a criminal enterprise. After a moment, Bucky took a seat beside him and accepted a drink menu from the Widow, whose mouth was curling like she could read Bucky's thoughts.

"You'll get used to it, Blue Eyes," she said. "I got a good feeling about you."

#tony stark #bucky barnes #tony x bucky #winteriron #no powers au #dracusfyre

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hplovefat · 3 years

Text

Tracked down a classic

The Waist Lines

Tuesday, 30 December 2014

A Fattening Study

This one's inspired by a real-life actual overeating experiment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAQr77QMJiw

However, I changed it up so that the participants had to gain way more weight in a longer period of time.

“First of all I want to thank you all for coming. We realize that we are asking for quite a bit of sacrifice on your part, but we want to ensure you that it’s going towards a great study. When I call your name please take your binder. It will contain nutrition guidelines and general information you need to follow for the next nine months.” Said a slender grad student in a lab coat. He’s trying to calm anyone down with cold feet meanwhile the only thing keeping me in this building is the money. “Get paid to eat” that was the subject line of the email my roommate sent me for the application to be apart of this study. Little did I know that it was a study on obesity and that applicants have to agree to gain weight every month in order to get the paycheck. Not only that but I have to be poked and prodded by doctors checking my overall health. But living in the city is expensive and working as a barista paid jack squat. “Thomas?” The grad student called my name. I walked up to the Doctor McDreamy wannabe and received a binder with my name on it. Inside were some general guidelines on nutrition so participants wouldn’t need a coronary bypass, a credit card with our monthly allowance for groceries, and also some rules for the study. For my body type I needed to eat at least 3000 calories a day, just to start off with! I skipped to the back of the binder and was horrified to see by month eight I wouldn’t be allowed to eat less than 9000 calories a day. “I’m going to have to buy maternity clothes.” I muttered under my breath. A man beside me laughed. He must have heard me. I tried not to blush with embarrassment as his name was being called, “Axl?”

“That’s me.” He lightly replied. Axl was slender, as were all the participants for the study. One of the requirements was to be no higher than 11% body fat if you were a man and no higher than 18% body fat if you were a woman. All twenty participants had the same slender frame, including myself. My beer loving roommate Joey wanted to earn some extra cash doing these crazy experiments, but his gut got him rejected from this one, so of course he sends it to me. I looked down at my flat stomach, “I’m going to get a gut like Joey’s aren’t I?” I thought to myself. It sent a shiver down my spine. Axl comes back with his binder, “Hey, I’m Axl. You look nervous.”

“Oh… maybe a little. I really need the money, but I’ve always watched what I’ve ate, y’know?” I replied.

Axl smiled, “It’s alright. The way I see it, even if they kick you out half way that’s still a lot of money. And how hard can it be to shed a few pounds?”

“So what’s your reason for doing this?” I asked.

“I’m a little short for cash too, but also I just broke up with my gym freak of a boyfriend. I need to let go a little. Despite what he thinks my life shouldn’t revolve around my six pack.”

The grad student gave out the last binder to a tiny woman with the narrowest face I have ever seen. “Alright that’s everyone! Thanks so much again. You’ll notice that your monthly allowance for food is probably higher than you expected, but trust me you will go through it quickly. I hope your appetites are good because your nine month journey starts now.” With that, the participants started leaving the building. Some lifted up their shirts, jokingly saying goodbye to their abs. Do people think this is funny? “I think you need to lighten up.” Axl said to me as we leave the building. “It’s going to be a little disturbing, but it’s just getting fat. Is that really a big deal?”

“I guess not.” I replied, unsure of myself.

“Let’s go grocery shopping together, shake off some of the nerves and I’ll give you a ride home.” Sure beats taking the bus, I thought.

“That actually sounds great. Thank you.”

That afternoon Axl and I got our own grocery carts and filled them to the brim with what we had to eat. Our guidelines suggested chicken breasts and coconut milk, but Axl filled his cart with donuts and pastries. I threw in some butter tarts into my cart too, a secret indulgence of mine, but now I was free to eat the entire box. Axl dropped me off in front of my apartment. My arms weighed down by the bags upon bags of high calorie food I needed to eat that week. I squeezed my way through to the front door, my roommate Joey waiting for me. “So how was your first day man?! You look fatter already.”

“I haven’t started yet you knob.” I laughed, “I have to eat all this by next Monday.” Joey took a glimpse upon the mountain of food I was storing away in our kitchen.

“Aw man, I can’t wait to compare beer guts with you!”

I made tortellini that night with the heaviest cream sauce I could find at the grocery store. I had to eat the entire pot to make my quota for that day. As I shoved the last morsel into my mouth I could see Joey staring at me with the utmost delight. He thought this was hilarious. His skinny roommate Thomas was going to get as fat he was. I put my hand over my bloated stomach and tried not to think too much of it.

One week into the experiment and I could feel a difference. I could not remember what it was like to not be bloated. In order to meet my daily calorie intake, I had to gorge myself with a huge breakfast of pancakes and sausage immediately followed by my shifts at the café. Joey all the while laughing everyday at the feasts I have to prepare for myself as he sits on the couch drinking beer. I know for a fact he’s sneaking into my groceries, picking out bacon and pastries for himself. After my shift at work I went down to the grocery store to restock. “Hi there stranger.” It was Axl. “Need to stock up again eh?”

“I do. I didn’t think it was possible, but I ate everything in my cart last week.” I looked up at Axl. His face was fuller. You could even see button down shirt straining on his build. “Wow you’re really taking this seriously, you’ve filled out a little since I last saw you.”

“Ha!” He replied, “Believe me it wasn’t easy. Listen, you don’t have to stock up at the grocery store every week, there’s more than enough money in our allowance to eat out.”

“Is it allowed?”

“Of course silly! Me and a few other participants from the study are getting pizza and beer tonight, you should join us. Getting down those last few bites is a lot easier with help.”

“That sounds amazing, I could really use a break from my roommate.”

That night I met Axl and few of the other participants at a bar downtown. Everyone seemed to have a story about their first week. One guy named Andrew said he ate so much the first day he puked. Another girl named Jessie was doing this to get back at her ex who said she wasn’t curvy enough. It seemed the one thing in common with everyone is that they were enjoying this gluttonous time. The beer felt bottomless and it felt like our group ordered one of everything off the menu. I scarfed down as much pizza as I could, but I was bloated beyond belief from the beer. Axl and Andrew looked at me and then looked at my final slice. They immediately ran over to me. Andrew held my bloated stomach and Axl lifted the pizza off the plate. “C’mon you can do it.” yelled Axl. “We believe in you!” joked Andrew. It might have been the fact I was piss drunk, but I was excited for this help. I slowly but surely swallowed bite by bite of the pizza Axl fed me as the rest of the group cheered on. After the last bite there was a loud “huzzah” from the group and I rest my hands on my stomach. My face was red and sweaty from the endeavor. I just ate an entire large pizza by myself. “Thomas just doubled his quota today everybody!” screamed a drunken Jessie. Another loud “huzzah” came from our group. Double? I thought. If I keep to my quota I should already be gaining quite of bit of weight. I unbuttoned my jeans and looked forward to the next month.

A month goes by and I meet up with the rest of the group at the research building to get our monthly checkup. Joey insisted he come with me to my first weigh in. Axl finally got to meet him today after a month of me ranting about my drunken roommate. I change into skintight boxer-briefs for the weigh in and body fat test. I walk into the room and Joey’s face lights up with a horrible grin. “What?” I ask.

“Dude look at that!” he points to my stomach. It had been protruding more and more over the past month, but I didn’t think it was that bad. I started to pat my newfound gut, shaking it up and down. “As least it’s not as big as yours.” I lifted up Joey’s shirt his furry beer belly flopped down over the waist of his jeans. “You’ve been stealing my food haven’t you? You’ve definitely gotten chubbier too.” Axl then walks in, just finished with his checkup. “Are we comparing bellies?” Axl lifted up the front his shirt revealing a soft paunch. The outlines of a six pack were faded and his pecs were softer too. “I gained 21 pounds this month. Doctor says that’s the highest of all the participants so far.”

“My god!” I exclaimed. “Is that normal?”

“The first month is supposed to be a little extreme. And it looks like you’re not far behind me buddy.” Axl patted the top of my belly and watched it jiggle. The doctor walked and Axl, Joey and I pull down our shirts. “Alright Thomas, first thing I’m going to do is weigh you. You’re friends can stay as long as you don’t mind the company.”

“No way I’m missing this.” Replied Joey. The doctor and I both look at him. “They can stay. I don’t mind.”

I hopped on the scale and I could sense the doctor observing my paunch and my ass for signs of weight distribution. “At the beginning of the experiment you were 160 pounds, today you are… 179. Very interesting.” Joey and Axl burst out laughing. “I’ve gained almost twenty pounds? In a month…” I responded. “Yes.” The doctor replied, “You and another young lad are tied for second for rapid weight gain.”

“Number one being me.” Axl boasted patting his stomach.

“You realize that you will have to increase your daily calorie intake…” The doctor exclaimed as he began to measure my waist, “both of you.” Pointing to me and Axl. “As for you.” Looking at Joey, “You should consider switching to light beer.”

The three of us walked to the lobby to pick up our paychecks. Joey left leaving Axl and I waiting in line with the other participants who had just gotten out of their examinations. “My boobs have gotten so big.” One girl exclaimed. “I can’t even button my slacks.” Said another guy. I picked up my check and I’m immediately bombarded with invites to go out and eat. I couldn’t resist the company of these people and Axl was buying.

For my second examination, I had to schedule the day after everyone else’s due to a work emergency. I didn’t get to see Axl or the rest of the expanding gang. This month I was forced to eat no less than 4000 calories a day. Apparently I had no trouble because I managed to get up to 193 pounds. I had gained over 30 pounds since the experiment started and I wasn’t even halfway done. A portion of this month’s paycheck had to go into buying new clothes. None of my pants could button and the black polo I wore to work was riding up. If I wasn’t wearing an apron people would see the underside of my gut. When it comes to any humiliating aspect of this process, naturally Joey wants to come along. Joey took the doctor’s advice to heart this month. He switched to light beer. He’s just as drunk, but not getting any fatter. Good for Joey… I guess. I squeezed my ass into a pair of 34’s lifting up my paunch in order to get better a view of the button. Joey waited outside the changing room with his devilish smirk, holding my bags of medium to large shirts and enjoying himself a little too much. “Did you say those are 34’s?” asked Joey.

“Yeah.” I replied, “But there a little snug, I think I’ll go up a size, maybe some room to grow.”

“That’s kinda funny.” Joey smirked, “Because 34’s are what I wear buddy. You’re just as big as me!”

“There’s no way.” I replied.

“Wanna bet?” Joey pulled me to the change room mirror. He lifted up his shirt and gestured for me to lift up mine. Low and behold, my gut was almost as big as Joey’s beer belly. His was remarkably more furry, but the size was undeniably close. “You’re still a little bigger.” I exclaimed.

“Yeah maybe, but you’re catching up pretty quick tubby.” He replied patting my gut.

After I got home, I quickly changed into my comfortable size clothes and headed to the grocery store. I found it harder and harder to follow the nutrition plan while still consuming enough calories. I had to resort to donuts and bacon and other super fatty, sugary goods on top of the chicken breasts and potatoes just to make the quota. I pushed my overloaded cart to the checkout aisle when a familiar face walked up to me. “Hey man I haven’t seen you in a couple weeks.” Axl was behind me with his cart. He gut protruded a little more, but he didn’t look much bigger. “How was your checkup? Any big changes?” I asked.

“I only gained 11 pounds this month. I had a little bit of a cold. Slowed down my eating. But look at you, you’ve got a proper gut there!”

I could feel myself blushing, “Yeah I know. I had to buy new clothes today.”

“Oh my god. I need to get some new jeans stat.” Axl lifted the front part of his shirt to reveal that his jeans were only done up to the second button. The rest strained to support his belly. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Listen, you should come by my place. I’ll cook dinner and we can catch up.”

I took up on Axl’s offer and went over to his apartment for what I imagine to be a feast of a dinner. The second I walked in the door he threw me a beer. Axl laid out a platter of meat and cheese and told me to dive in while he was cooking the pasta. I stuffed myself with almost every bite of the fettuccini. “I feel like I’m going to burst. I can’t possibly eat anymore.” I exclaimed. Axl, put down his fork finishing off his meal. Axl’s pants had become completely unbuttoned during the meal to make room for his bloated stomach. “C’mon, we’re almost at our quota. Here, let me help you.” Axl hoisted himself out of his seat and waddled towards me. He bent down and unbuttoned my new jeans. “There. Now you have some room.” I felt the zipper sliding down from the pressure of my bloated gut. Axl then grabbed the last forkful of pasta and lifted it up to my mouth. With a great amount of strength I swallowed the last morsel and sighed with relief. Axl and I sat on his couch watching TV burping and letting the meal settle. I headed home around midnight that night. When I got through the front door I turned on the light and to my surprise Joey was sitting on the couch. “Oh hey.” He says with a muffled tone, “I thought you were spending the night at Axl’s.” Joey was shirtless his mouth, chest, and beer gut covered in crumbs and smears of chocolate. “You’re eating my food? Joey, the reason I bought this stuff is because it’s all super high in calories in fat. I need it for my diet.”

“I dunno. It seems like you’re doing pretty well without it.” He responded pointing and my unbuttoned jeans.

“Yes. Axl stuffed me with pasta tonight. Now move over.” I collapsed on the couch beside Joey, my medium black t-shirt riding up over my navel. I took an éclair out of the box and started scarfing it down. “I thought you said you were stuffed?” asked Joey. “I said I was stuffed… about an hour ago. I’m hungry all the time now.” Joey looked at his gut and than looked at mine. For the first time since the experiment started, Joey’s smirk faded away. “Dang dude. You’re… you’re going to get fat.”

“I know.” I swallowed the last bite of the éclair and immediately grabbed another from the box, “believe me dude I know.”

Third month’s examination was more intense than the first two. Blood tests and fitness tests were included. I had to wear track shorts and an under armor shirt I hadn’t worn since the experiment began. I wheezed running on the treadmill as the doctor waited eagerly to check my vitals. He could not stop staring at my belly, which hung on my waist, the underside exposed by the tight shirt. After being poked and prodded I was given a towel and was told I could wait in the lobby for my paycheck. Joey was waiting outside wearing the same sweatpants for the past week. A lot of his pants barely close ever since I started letting him eat from my groceries. He handed me a hoodie to cover up my protruding belly, but it gets swiped away from Axl who just got out of his physical. “Hold on there buddy don’t cover up just yet, I haven’t got a chance to look at you yet!” Axl pushed my shirt up towards my softening pecs to expose my gut fully. He cupped the bottom and started chuckling. “Great process buddy! Where are you at now?”

“I broke 200. Doc says I’m overweight now.” I replied.

“Ha! I broke 200 last month, but good for you it means you’re still qualified for the money! A couple girls and one guy dropped out. Couldn’t handle embracing the lack of vanity I guess.” All the participants were getting just as fat as I was. Girls’ breasts and hips were bulging out of their sides, stomachs protruding out of their shirts, while the guys’ paunches were turning into solid beer guts. “Just gotta keep thinking about that paycheck I guess.” I exclaimed.

“Yeah the money’s great, but I’m loving this.” Axl lifted his sweatshirt to reveal his belly, pushing it out to emphasize its roundness. It hung over his the waistband of his tight sweatpants. This month I spent a lot of time with Axl. I would go over to his place for meals or he would come visit mine. We go out to eat with the other participants or sometimes just with each other. No matter what, however, Axl would always end up feeding me after I felt like I was going to pop. I never had to do the same for him. Axl had a ferocious appetite and it was rubbing off on me.

Two months later into the experiment and even though I had to buy bigger clothes again, I was really enjoying my time with Axl. My weight gain had steadied putting me at around 215 pounds at my last examination. Axl who was a couple inches taller than me weighed in at 234 pounds. No matter how many times we compared guts his was always bigger. It felt like I was never going to catch up. Joey and I got to the examination early. It was evident that we both had gotten noticeably bigger as we squeezed through the turnstile doors. I changed into my boxer briefs and waited for the doctor to arrive. I sat in the chair and let my belly sit on my lap. Joey sat across from me, eyes glaring. “See something you like?” I asked.

“Dude, you’re really fat now. Like… it’s not even the gut anymore. Your face is rounder and by God your thighs are getting enormous. I think you’re bigger than me now.”

“Joey, I let you eat my food. You must have gained 20 pounds since I started.” I got up and felt my gut shake. I pointed to my protruding belly. “This is a desperate attempt to get some cash. This however…” I lifted up Joey’s shirt. “This is from being a total pig.”

“Vent all you want dude.” Joey replied pulling his shirt down over his furry beer gut, “That’s not going to change the fact that we are the same height, but I weigh only 215 pounds when you clearly weight more than that.” The doctor walked in with his morning coffee. “Hello Thomas. You’re making quite some progress. It’s not a race you know.” I looked down and my swollen pudge hanging over the waistband of my boxerbriefs and laughed uncomfortably. Joey smirked as I got on the scale. “229 pounds.” Said the doctor. “Told ya you were bigger than me.” Joey exclaimed. I had gained almost 70 pounds since this experiment had started. I changed into my sweat pants and a large hoodie and was about to leave when Axl popped his head into the doctor’s office door, “Hey! Sorry are you done, I was little late to my physical today.” I smiled and nodded as I let Axl into the room.

“You can stay if you like.” Axl said as he started stripping into his underwear. “I’m not shy.” Axl stood in the doctor’s office with nothing but skin-tight boxer briefs. He must’ve had them when the experiment started because they barely covered his ass.. The doctor gestured him to hop on the scale. “230 pounds.” Everyone’s expression dropped. “I lost weight?” Axl asked.

“It appears so.” The Doctor replied, “Have you been consuming enough calories?”

“And then some.” Axl responded, “Just ask Thomas.”

“Believe me he’s been eating just as much as me.” I replied.

“This happens a lot, especially with young men. Your metabolism has kicked into overdrive and it makes it harder to put on weight. Unfortunately, this is an overeating and obesity experiment and it requires all participants to gain a steady amount of weight for nine months. If you plateau we’ll have to ask you to leave.”

“C’mon doc!” I exclaimed. “Look at him. Feel the size of his gut, look how big his ass has gotten and his second chin is coming in. He’s gained a ton of weight and now you’re kicking him out ‘cause he had bad month?”

“Axl has been on our watch for the most rapid body fat percentage increase… If he gains weight this month… we can keep him in the experiment.” Axl and I sighed with relief. There’s no way I could continue on without my encourager. “Thanks buddy.” said Axl as he put his jeans and t-shirt on. “Don’t mention it. And don’t worry we’re going to help each other. I going to get you busting out of those jeans before this month is over.” That night Axl came over to my apartment. We ordered a mountain of thai food and then I stuffed him full of donuts that I swiped out of Joey’s hands. There was one more donut left. “Thanks Thomas, but I couldn’t possibly eat another bite.”

I bent down and unbuttoned Axl’s jeans and watched the force of his swollen gut push down the fly. “There. Now you have more room.” We both smiled as I lifted the last donut to his mouth. That night Joey, Axl and I passed out on my futon.

A month of almost daily encouragement later, I took Axl out for a large, heavy breakfast before our weigh in, just to be safe. The diner beside the research building had great pancakes and waffles. We ate like pigs, but I made a special effort to stuff Axl. The button on his jeans haven’t been able to close for the past week, as I had promised. As we were about to leave we bumped into Andrew and Jessie, “Hey guys! We haven’t seen you in a while. You got… big” They said as they were getting up from their table. They both had gotten noticeably fatter, Jessie with her wide hips and double chin and Andrew with his ball belly, but it was true, no one could compare to Axl and I. We walked into the research building together. Joey was waiting on bench outside the doctor’s office. “Where were you guys? I’ve been waiting.”

“Sorry Joey, we got breakfast for one final stuffing session.” I replied.

“And you didn’t invite me?” He asked.

“I don’t think you need any more big breakfasts pal.” I poked Joey’s beer belly that was pushing out of his extra large plaid shirt. “You’re not even getting paid.” Joey sucked in his gut the best he could and tried to adjust his shirt out of embarrassment. Andrew, Jessie, Axl, and I decided we would do our weigh ins together this time. Even Joey wanted in on the action. We walked into the doctor’s office and stripped. A big “woof” came from everyone when I took of my shirt. I did a quick truffle shuffle, my newest and now most common party trick. The doctor walked in slightly shocked by the small group of half naked fat people in his office. Axl was the first to get up on the scale. Everyone gave his gut a slap for good luck. “248 pounds.” Said the doctor. Axl cheered and immediately gave me a hug. I our bellies pressed together and I could feel my breakfast coming up so I pushed him aside so we could get to my turn. “251 pounds.” Said the doctor. For the first time in six months I was heavier than Axl..Joey walked over to me like a proud father. “Look at that monster! I remember when this one freaked out when we had the same size jeans. Now look.” He shoved his gut up against mine. Mine was definitely larger and I got love handles and a bigger ass to boot. After everyone was done getting examined – Joey weighed in at 230 pounds – I changed into my jeans. They were a stretched out size 38. I squeezed the button close and let my belly flop over the waist. I looked at myself in the mirror. I grabbed my gut and shook it up and down. I was able to lift the entire thing with my hands. I turned to look at my love handles that had become more prominent as well as my beefier thighs and ass. Axl stepped beside me and started to do similar things. “Yep, They’re real.” He joked. He gave my gut a good slap and left the doctor’s office. I put my sweater on and looked at myself in the mirror again. When I pictured myself fat and I imagined something more horrifying than what I saw in front of me. I thought it was going to be gross, but I liked my larger frame. I like how soft my man boobs felt, I liked the way my gut protruded out of everything I owned. I walked into the lobby letting my gut relax, showing off what I had accomplished in the past 6 months. I was surprised to see a mountain of pizza boxes. The researchers decided to give us a little extra thanks this month. For the next two hours I watched 15 overfed, overstuffed participants pig out on pizza. I was forced to unbutton my jeans and have everyone come up to me asking if they could feel my gut.

The final three months of the experiment were not easy. Axl and I had to eat up to 10,000 calories a day. Luckily we had each other to help. Joey grew out a scraggly beard, went back to regular beer and took up the same eating habits I had. He was constantly trying to best Axl in eating contests, but would always lose. The pigging out really impacted is waistline. Joey was fatter than ever and he didn’t even get paid for it. For the final examination the participants were encouraged to wear the clothes they wore on the first day. I waddled into the building jeans unbuttoned and below my ass. The shirt I wore on my first day barely covered my navel and would roll up underneath my supple man boobs. Joey was behind me wearing track pants and a t-shirt that barely covered his huge, furry gut. “Let me take a look you… one last time.” He told me.

“I’m not going to be able to lose the weight over night Joey. You’re going to be seeing this for quite a while.” Joey grabbed my gut and started rubbing it.

“I know dude, but I just feels like yesterday that this monster was just a little guy and now look at it!”

I lifted Joey’s shirt. “Yours isn’t bad either pal.” Joey looked down and started lifting his beer belly up and down, feeling the weight. Axl then walked in wearing the same jeans that were not completely unbuttoned and rided below his ass. He also wore a button down shirt that only buttoned in the middle exposing his massive gut. All the participants wore similar things, exposing all the places they gained weight. It was clear everyone was obese as the experiment entailed. Axl came up to me, gave me a kiss, and immediately started lifting my gut up and down. “You’re looking good Thomas. Still nervous?”

“Nah. You look good too buddy.”

“Hey lover boys!” yelled Joey from the doctor’s office. “Research guy is waiting for ya.” I hopped on the scale. While I waited for the numbers to adjust I noticed the grad student who handed me my binder on the first day was weighing me. His face was fuller though and he had a small gut protruding out of his button down shirt. “Gained a little weight too eh?” I asked jokingly.

“Yeah, a little. You folks have been rubbing off on me.” The numbers finally stopped.

“Thomas your final weight is, 304 pounds.”

“I broke 300?!”

“First one today. You proud of yourself?” The grad student asked.

I smiled and hopped off the scale. After some more tests I found out I had tripled my body fat percentage as well. I looked at myself in the mirror as I pulled up my impossibly tight jeans. I had become a genuine fat ass. It was Axl’s turn to get on the scale.”Axl your final weight is 315 pounds.”

“I put on 150 pounds?”

“Yep. Heaviest so far.” Exclaimed the grad student.

Axl started to chuckle, his belly shaking simultaneously. Afterwards everyone moved into the lobby for a few photos. Everyone was laughing and comparing bellies. The grad student got up and started to make a speech. “I want to thank everyone here again. I’m so glad you were able to treat this entire process with a great sense of humor. And to show my support I will confess that I’ve gained 20 pounds as well.” The grad student lifted his shirt to show off his paunch and the entire group cheered. He pulled down his shirt and continued to speak. “I also have some good news for anyone who is interested. I know some of you are eager to hit the gym and to shed these extra pounds, but the lab is offering an extended research participant contract to anyone in this study who is obese, which luckily is all of you.” Everyone looked at each other puzzled. “You would continue to get paid and all you would have to do is maintain or gain weight for the next year. Any takers?” Axl’s hand shot straight up. Mine quickly followed.

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bookwormscififan · 4 years

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Trust

Buy me a coffee?

A/N: Alright, so this took two(?) drafts. This is a fic for @sar-kasstic who wanted to see some of the Virgil that goes into “fight or flight” mode. I believe their exact words were something along the lines of “I want to see a Virgil who’s ready to throw hands at anyone who hurts his family”. I didn’t write you a fight, but I wrote an angry Virgil.

Dear Virgil,

I know we have our differences, and that maybe I’ve been a little… mean to you, but I know we have one thing in common: hatred for Janus.

I mean, what sort of name is Janus anyway? I still think it’s a stupid name.

Anyway, I was wondering if you could help me to convince everyone else that Janus is not to be trusted.

I don’t ask for help often, well, never actually.

Why am I even writing you a letter? You don’t read letters.

Look, give me a call. I need some help.

Roman

Message received 16th May, 5:30 am

Roman? Why would you send me a letter?

Also, I may dislike Janus, but that’s because I know how he works.

Roman is a name of multiple things, not the name of a person. How many Roman’s do you know? Isn’t Roman supposed to be short for Romulus anyway? What sort of name is Romulus? That’s the stupid name. no, actually, what’s stupid is somebody calling someone else’s name stupid without realising the true meaning of it. Just – leave Janus alone, ok?

I don’t convince people not to trust others, that’s not in my job description. I am Thomas’ anxiety. I make him overthink things to the point of obsession. I keep his fear in check, because that’s healthy. I don’t question someone’s untrustworthiness. That’s Janus’ job.

Don’t ask me for help again. I dislike Janus, but if he helps Thomas in some twisted, rational way, then he’s ok. The less work I have to do, the more at ease you should be because then you can work calmly.

Never send me any more letters, Roman.

#writing #fanfic #sanders sides fanfic #sanders sides #thomas sanders #roman sanders (mentioned)#virgil sanders #angst #?#sorta #i may have projected some of my anger at Roman into this piece #sorry to anyone actually named Roman #Sanders Sides Letter Series #Sanders Sides Comms Series

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sirene312 · 4 years

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oh GOD guys…. You have no idea the crusade i had to went through just to be sitting here, with my dear computer working again, and enjoying the joy of 1.9 Mbps internet connection speed. First thing on the front page of my dash was three shitposts on a row, new niche memes, and good ‘ol fandom drama. god how I missed this hell site.

In case anyone wants to know what happened, I will put behind a ‘read more’ the story of a missing computer part that quickly become a detective mission, that dragged me unwillingly into the wild ride I didn’t signed for when pressing ‘buy’ on an online store.

TL;DR at the end bc this is very long. English is not my first language so please bear with me!

Okay, some of you may know a bit about me since apparently i don’t have a “dude shut up! Stop oversharing your woes!!!” button on me but hey here are some things to know about me in case you are curious: I live in Venezuela and not having internet is my personality trait, living in my country is very hard, hard like trying to play the Rainbow Road of Mario Kart but you have butter on your hands, your eyes are closed and you are running on the rain while there is a 8.0 earthquake happening. That hard. I work as a freelance graphic designer and make art commissions so me and my family can survive the economic crisis on my country, having internet and a working computer is a really big deal, like literally we eat thanks to it. Now you see how that would led me to spend a whole month chasing and stressing over a stupid part my computer needed.

Back in December, remember last season of “what’s troubling Sirene now?” where i spend almost a month without internet and then yay internet is back! for like two days? well, after Christmas there was a sudden power cut one night and i was on my computer working on a commission but since this is now a common occurrence i didn't think anything of it …until next day when i tried to switch my computer ON it didn't. I tried everything to revive it, grabbing anxiously my hair, walking on circles, and pressing continuously the power button, you know everything, but it was in vain. It’s dead, Jim. As you can imagine i had a breakdown when i realized i won’t be able to work anymore and needed to buy a new power supply since this one was toast…and was without internet friggin again. AGAIN. I survived till now using my crappy phone data but heavy apps hardly load, tumblr/ao3/twitter sometimes loaded if i refreshed them like a madman.

My computer is a tiny model and has a power supply that apparently is made by beavers in Narnia, because is so uncommon that the only stores that sell them are on my Capital city two states away from where i live. Knowing this, there is not other alternative for me but to use a online store and shipping the package here, in theory sounds simple right? a reminder that this is a third world country, where everything is falling apart and barely holding it together with chewing gum and prayers, what are the odds of something going wrong hmm….

Okay, this happened in the week after Christmas and before New Year's Eve, so of course all stores in my country decided to go on vacation and return on January. I impatiently waited for two online stores to be back on business that have the power supply i need, they were physical stores too so i thought i would be safe. i liked one more than the other and, as i told my friends, i felt like a telenovela protagonist that was on a love triangle with two galanes but the hotter one was in coma and the other just had 3 episodes in, meaning that the better rated store was still offline and the other was online but only had like 3 products sold …not very reassuring but i desperately needed to start working again so i went with that one. Big mistake.

Everything started on Tuesday, January 14.

Mercado Libre is a page where people sell things like Amazon, this is where the seller of the power supply was, after you click on buy, you can see the seller info and a chat to talk to them, i wrote but there was not immediate response so i called, i spoke to a woman and she told me to text her on WhatsApp, that should have been my first red flag, if the app had a perfect chat option there why text outside of it??

whatever, i went and text her, asked when would she send the package and she told me “tomorrow” the shipping company she was going to use is called “Zoom” (remember that name bc it will be mentioned a lot) when you send something they give the sender (the store) a tracking number the sender should give YOU in order for the shipping office (Zoom) in your city to give you the package. (this number is important)

this was my first time buying anything online so i didn’t know any of that just vaguely knew how it worked, so i asked her if she the next day would give me the tracking number or the shipping company would call me when my package was on the shipping center? and she told me “both, i will give you the number and they are going to call you” I said perfect, thank you very much and thought ‘hey that went well!’

Unknown to me, for the next 10 days i was going suffer a weird and painful skin reaction on both hands, and man…it was bad (tw graphic description of a skin condition ahead) the skin on the palm of my hands completely fell off, and it burned like i had scraped my hands on the sidewalk and someone was pouring lemon juice on them. Ouch. as you can imagine all my attention was on what was going on with my hands. I still don’t know what could have caused that severe reaction.

With difficulty texted the woman on Monday 20 i asked again for the tracking number but she said “i’m waiting for the bike delivery guy to give me the number but your package was sent” so she -the store seller- dont go personally to Zoom to send the packages and some else does, i tell the woman again to give me the number as soon as she has it, bc Zoom has an app you can check your package rute and status with that number, she said “okey amiga”.

That week, i could barely lift a fork i was suffering from whatever it was that happened to my hands until my mom found an Aloe Vera plant and i started to rub that gooey, viscose gel thingy on my hands and was slowly getting better, (seriously guys, Aloe Vera plants are a godsend keep one or 10 at home) by the time i suddenly remembered about the package it was Friday 24 the woman didn’t text me anything like she said would do and i didn’t receive any calls either all week, so friday i text her asking again for the tracking number and oh yes finally she has it! My happiness was short lived because……THE PACKAGE WAS RETURNED.

Something occurred and there was an error on the address or something (I triple checked all my personal info was in order before i gave it to her -thanks anxiety!- so i know it was not on me) i was so furious if only the woman had given me the friggin number sooner that week, i would have realized there was something wrong and would have gone to the Zoom on my city where the package was being held before it was returned to the capital. She told me she would send again my package that Friday BUT Zoom only works mon-fri not weekends. Now I need to wait till monday to receive my thing. great.

Monday 27 rolls in and that week i proceeded to text the woman EVERY SINGLE DAY asking if she had sent my package, i hated being a nuisance texting so much but it was necessary, money is getting short and we need food.

On Wed 29 I even texted her a desperate plea, i told her please i need my power supply to start working again! and you know how she responded? BY LEAVING ME ON SEEN. i called her until she answered and she told me “oh i sent it today” she assured me, in the most unsure voice she could muster, that she totally did it.

So I went the next day to the Zoom office and surprise! it was a lie, she didn’t send anything, nada! again asked her for the new track.num. and she told me “amiga the thing is that …the package has not arrived here. is still in your State.“ [*record scratch*] hmm whAT?

I immediately called Zoom and asked them to tell me where my package is? Where is it!?, it’s still in my city or in the Capital?? So they gave me a number for the returned package to check on the app and…said it arrived at the Capital Fri. 24. Not only that but it was marked as "given to the client” aka the sender.

Now I realize this woman has been lying to me. For a whole week. I text her screenshots of where the package was and she tells me that supposedly the package is not on Zoom there and insists it is here in my State. A friend knows someone that works on Zoom that checks their database and confirms that no, is not here anywhere and that definitely arrived in the Capital. even shows that a man named A. Rodriguez was the one that picked up the package. Who is this man?? what's going on?

here's a meme i sent my friends in the group chat while i was trying not to freak out about all this.

This has become a "she-said, he-said" situation because the woman keeps insisting Zoom is the one at fault about the whereabouts of my missing package but Zoom says Hold it! And slaps continuous evidence that shows the places where the package has been at all times.

Meanwhile I’m like “where the hell is my power supply??? All I want is to work. Why is this happening to me?” ;_;

So far what we know:

Package arrived in my city but was returned to the city of origin (the Capital) on Friday 24.

The following week the store seller lied to me and would everyday promise to send the package again to me. and never did.

On Thursday 30 the woman tells me that the package never arrived from my city and she’s waiting for it to “arrive” but the shipping office tells me the package was returned a week ago on Fri. 24 so it’s impossible that it has not arrived. not for nothing they are called ZOOM they deliver fast.

the app even says “given to the client”, and one thing I know for a fact, is that it is near impossible to pick up a package from there without the friggin tracking number, they won’t even give you info about it without it. so it’s very unlikely that a random person just walked away with it.

so we have two possibilities:

1. Someone from Zoom stole it. Ok, feasible. Corrupt people working on this kind of service in my country steal things of value all the time. still i doubt this was the case, the company seemed really concerned and would try their best to help me find my package giving me all the info i requested, even the name of the person who took it.

2. the store seller lied again and the man who took the package is the same bike delivery guy that transported it there in the first place. That's how they were able to take it from there so easily. She denied knowing anyone named A. Rodriguez but she has lied before so i don’t trust her word. To me, this is the more likely scenario for what happened to the package.

February comes and still I have no idea where is my package and the woman keeps making excuses as to why she “hasn’t found it” she again leaves me on seen after I asked for information, next day I called her non stop because now I’m pissed and i want answers, she finally text me that she will send another power supply since she “couldn’t find the first one” no further explanation whatsoever, and tells me will send it on Friday, but remember that Zoom don’t work on weekends so the new package will be staying on the Zoom office until Monday, my friend tells me that is not good what if the thief works there and steals it again? so I asked the woman to send it on Monday and she tells me that only Tuesdays they send all their stuff to be delivered….now she tells me the store have a specific delivery day? Now?

I’m not happy about waiting for more days but there is nothing i can do about it so February 11 is here and I send the woman a text telling her to take a photo of the receipt with the tracking number so the story of the first package won’t repeat, and guess what? The woman left me on seen!! you don’t know how that blue seen mark got me shook. that stressed me so bad that finally I had enough, my friends encouraged me to cancel the order and ask for a refund, I stopped texting her on WhatsApp and left a ultimatum on the Mercado Libre chat, that way I had proof on that page of the fraud this woman was pulling on me and could get her banned there. I should have done that before but the need to repair my computer blinded me and was what kept me trying so hard to get my power supply. Desperation can drive you to make foolish decisions.

After my ultimatum, the woman changed her tune and was very solicitous, and replied super fast, even said on the chat “let it be noted we are a serious company and always answered all your messages” yes, she said THAT, can you believe the audacity, the nerve? I immediately reply “since you didn’t answer any of my texts yesterday, can’t fault me for expressing here my concern about my purchase.” Then I said very politely but with finality that if she did not send me the photo of the receipt with the tracking number the next day I would not hesitate bitch to ask for a refund. And what do you know? Worked like a charm. The next day the first thing in the morning on my phone was a photo of the receipt.

SO yes this unnecessary long story has an anticlimactic but happy end after all! Next morning I happily went to the Zoom office and after a whole month of countless lies, unanswered texts, blood, sweat, and tears, I picked up mypower supply. Reunited at long last! This happened on February 14. Valentine’s Day. Love -and being persistent af- always wins!

TL;DR I bought online a new power supply, the seller tried to scam me or something bc lied about how my purchase was “lost” saying the shipping company was the culprit. Sending me on a wild goose chase trying to find my package. i had to threaten her with a refund to get her to send me finally my power supply.

#this is why i disappeared for a while #can't believe this drama lasted for a whole month #but im glad its finally over

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fanfics-of-marvel · 4 years

Text

Prompt List - MCU fanfictions

REQUESTS ARE TEMPORARILY CLOSED

1. “It’s late at night and I miss you”

2. “Wanna grab some coffee?”

3. “Hold my hand”

4. “You look so beautiful”

5. “Please stay”

6. “Tonight is just you and I”

7. “The movie is boring and I want to taste your tongue”

8. “I don’t believe in miracles but I believe in you”

9. “I dare you”

10. “Hold me tight and never let go”

11. “You forgot, didn’t you?”

12. “I love you”

13. “I’ve done far worse than that”

14. “It’s getting late”

15. “He/She’s gone and I don’t know what to do”

16. “Where are you?”

17. “Can I buy you a drink?”

18. “You look great in this [piece of clothes] but you look better without it”

19. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

20. “Come with me”

21. “Place your head on my chest”

22. “Let’s get a pet”

23. “I’d always choose you”

24. “Close your eyes”

25. “I need you”

26. “It’s too hot to put on clothes”

27. “I can’t let go”

28. “Your skin smells divine”

29. “These arms were made to hold you”

30. “Rules are made to be broken”

31. “Do I know you?”

32. “I got lost in your eyes”

33. “This bed is for two and I am all alone in it”

34. “That’s nonsense”

35. “I bought you a chocolate”

36. “Your hand fits perfectly into mine”

37. “I’m sorry”

38. “If ‘seeing is believing’ then why can’t I believe how beautiful you are when seeing you?”

39. “Look, a falling star, so quickly make a wish”

40. “Once you’ve tasted me, you’d never want anybody else”

41. “I knew it”

42. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t love you”

43. “I’d kill for you”

44. “May I have this dance?”

45. “The sight of you leaves me weak”

46. “I think you should kiss me”

47. “Your hands are cold”

48. “Be careful, I bite”

49. “How dare you?”

50. “Will you marry me?”

51. “I warned you”

52. “Back off, he/she’s mine”

53. “The night is young and I want to do something wild”

54. “Shut up”

55. “Last night I dreamt of you”

56. “I’m a little drunk and you look ravishing tonight”

57. “You are such a dork”

58. “Let me walk you home”

59. “I’ll make you a chicken soup”

60. “How did you do that?”

61. “Truth or dare”

62. “Thank you”

63. “It feels as if time has stopped”

64. “If I was more drunk I’d kiss you”

65. “Help me”

66. “I will never forget you”

67. “Drink with me”

68. “I hate you”

69. “Netflix and chill”

70. “Are you coming?”

71. “You know what I’ve become”

72. “I want to make you happy”

73. “I’m busy”

74. “I’ll buy you an ice-cream”

75. “My body is longing for yours”

76. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

77. “Unbelievable”

78. “You are always on my mind”

79. “Please, don’t leave me”

80. “Aren’t you a cutie?”

81. “I’m alone, you’re alone. What do you say we go to your room and be alone together?”

82. “It hurts”

83. “Touch me”

84. “Are you alright?”

85. “Don’t you dare”

86. “That was delicious”

87. “You can’t tell me what to do”

88. “I’m in love with you”

89. “What are you afraid of?”

90. “Let’s have dinner”

91. “Why are you sad?”

92. “I want to do something I’ve never done before”

93. “Don’t break my heart.”

94. “I didn’t know you’re such a nerd”

95. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

96. “Stop following me”

97. “Don’t tell anyone, it’s a secret”

98. “Play the piano for me”

99. “I’m scared of losing you”

100. “Is this the end?”

---------------------------------------

Send me prompt(s) from this list or send me your own idea! ^_^

NOTE: Please do not send me any prompts about St*rker, Th*rki or any other ship of the sort (i.e. the inappropriate romantic ships)! I do not accept such requests, nor will I write them! All other ships are accepted! I write smut, so don’t be shy to request it! ;)

It might take a while until I write and post your requests (especially if I have a lot in my askbox), so sorry in advance if I delay anyone’s prompt!

You can read all of my written requests here (tag ‘request’)

#prompt list #prompts #mcu fanfiction #mcu fanfic #marvel cinematic universe fanfiction #marvel cinematic universe fanfic #marvel fanfiction #marvel fanfic

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sweetlialia · 5 years

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A new home, chapter 1

It was the third of October 1998 and Harry sat alone in the deserted potion classroom. He didn’t even have to try to picture the scene that should been playing in front of his eyes, it was there: Snape wandering around them, his eyes unreadable as they watch them brew, Hermione biting her lips in focus while Ron would be mumbling to his cauldron. Zabini and Malfoy would be working without talking; only glancing at Parkinson’s potion from time to time to correct something he would later repeat to Ron. As always, the lesson would end up when Seamus blew something up. He had learned new ways of making things explode and never failed to help Neville escape Snape’s animosity.

But not today.

Today Harry was sitting alone at his desk, letting his fingers feel the old wooden table as he wonders what happened to them.

Not many people he knew went back to Hogwarts. The Patil sisters were taking their classes from home, he heard, and Cho’s family had moved away. Hannah told him that Ernie had joined the Auror Training Program while Finch-Fletchley had temporarily left the Wizarding World for a year at Eton. None of the Slytherin he knew seemed to be there either. But hopefully, his best friends were still by his side. He still had Neville, Dean, Seamus, Ron and Hermione with him. His heart missed Ginny and Luna. They were supposed to be here too, but he hadn’t seen them since they took a Portkey to Brazil after Fred’s funeral.

“You ok Harry?

-Oh, I hadn’t heard you come in.

-I’m sorry, I didn’t want to bother you.

-No no, it’s fine Nev, you can stay. I was just, you know, thinking. It’s been kinda weird lately.

-Hogwarts will never be the same, not for us.

-I’d hope you’re wrong.” Harry shrugged. “but it feels true. Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home. It doesn’t feel like home anymore. When, when I came back here, the very first time I saw the castle from the platform, it felt like home. But home isn’t a place, right Neville, it’s its people. And our people, I don’t know where they are anymore, but it isn’t there.

-Harry, I have something to tell you…

-You’re leaving, too, that’s it? I know you’re taking some NEWT next week. I saw your book.

-I’m… I’m going to have a baby.”

***

30th April, 98.

I broke up with him today. I couldn’t tell him about the baby. About our baby. He’s already suffering too much, between Ombrage, Snape and the Carrows. His friends and him are still resisting, still fighting. If I tell him about the baby… I’m afraid he would try to protect me and risk his own life in the process. He has become so brave lately. I never thought I could fall for him. But here am I. Seventeen and pregnant with his child. Sweet Merlin. What have I done?

I know it’s too late to do something about it. If I go back to Mrs Pomfrey and tell her I changed my mind... for a week or two, maybe she’ll send to St Mungo and… and I wouldn’t be pregnant anymore.

Is it wrong that I don’t want to? That I want this baby to live even if I don’t know in which world they will grow in? If Voldemort wins the war… I’m a pure blood, and he’s, too. Maybe we can survive his reign of terror. But he would never stop fighting, will he? Even if we run away… He would try to fight for a better world; he would say things like “our child deserves the world I’m fighting for”. And he would be right. But then, he would die, and my baby would never know his father.

If only I could tell someone… but mom and dad would kill me/ and him. And my friends would never understand… I’m not even sure that we’re friends anymore anyway. We’re barely talking anymore. Everything in this castle is slowly rotting and smelling like death. We haven’t heard about Harry for months. I guess he ran away with Hermione and Ronald, making babies in France.

But what if Voldemort loses? If he loses, I would have deprived my child of a wonderful father. If said father wants him. I can’t picture him rejecting us, but… he’s not used to them as I am now. If I tell him for the baby and he rejects me…

Stop, enough thoughts for today. Time to go to sleep.

I really like Alice, if it’s a girl. Just like his mom.

I’m gonna make it out alive for you.

And I’ll tell dad. You just have to be patient.

***

Harry stood up, silent, as Neville’s words reached his brain. He was going to have a baby. A baby. Neville was going to have a baby and he didn’t have a single clue on who was the mother. Neville was going to have a baby. Neville had had sex with someone. Neville who, not so long ago was waltzing on its own after the Yule ball was going to have a baby. Neville who never dated anyone expect Ginny at the Yule ball was going to have a baby.

“How?” was somehow the only word his brain could manage.

“I’ve met this girl while you were um, hunting, and I don’t know how but we end up dating and now she’s pregnant. It wasn’t planned, but she’s almost here, so I have no other choice but to leave school. I talked to Professor McGonnagal before summer and that’s why I’m only studying herbology ten hours a day, six days out of seven. Once I have my NEWT I have a job at a flower shop. It won’t be easy, but my granny isn’t pleased with the new and hasn’t planned on helping me financially. She said she’ll help me with the practical things such as how to change a diaper and how to hold a baby but I need money to feed the baby and buy said diaper and so I need a job and

-Neville Neville stop please! You’re going to die if you don’t breath!

-It’s a little bit overwhelming.

-A little bit, yeah. Just breath for a few secs, okay?

-I don’t have a few secs! She’s due for early November!

-She?

-Yes, she.” Neville smiled, nodding. “A little girl. A watermelon sized baby girl. But that’s all I know! I just know she’s watermelon sized! And that she’ll be Scorpio. Why would I care about her muggle astrologic zodiac? I’m going to have a baby in a month Harry! A baby! I don’t know anything about baby! Or about anything in general. I’m just a kid, I’m not supposed to have a kid on my own, not now. I’m not even able to keep an eye on a toad! So a baby! I’m gonna make her fall or forget her in the bath or the train or

-I’ll help you! Neville, I’ll help you! I promise. You won’t be alone. You won’t be alone and it’s gonna be okay. Do you hear me, Neville Longbottom? You won’t be alone. Now breath. You’re gonna be a great dad, ok? Say it, you’re gonna be a great dad.

-I’m gonna be a great dad.

-Again.

-I’m gonna be a great dad.

-Does anyone except your grandmother and Professor McGonnagal know about him?

-Her parents and bestfriends.

-Are they supportive?

-They kicked her out of their home. She’s staying at her best friend’s place until we gather enough money to rent a flat.

-Shit I’m sorry… Do you… Are you guys together?

-Yes, since last year. But no one knew… Harry, you have to promise me you won’t be mad…

-Why would I? You haven’t get Ginny pregnant, right? Neville, you haven’t get Ginny pregnant?

-No no no! Plus you were together back then! I wouldn’t have!

-Geez. Then, who’s the girl?

-Promise you won’t be mad.

-You’re scaring me. But okay, I promise.

-I’m with Pansy Parkinson.

***

Pansy was lying on the bed, facing the world outside of the window. It has been days, and she hadn’t said a word.

“Pansy… Talk to me, please…”

The silence treatment wasn’t new. She had always made up walls to protect herself, and those walls had always needed silent. Ordinarily, he would have given her some space and time to deal with whatever she had to deal with; waiting patiently until she felt ready to open up. But now wasn’t ordinarily, they didn’t have time. The Aurors would show up sooner than later.

“Pansy…” he whispers again, afraid to speak out loud; afraid of his own voice in the silence of the Manor. “I’m here.” He climbed on the bed and snuggled against her, hiding his face in her long dark hair, twisting their hands. “I love you Pans. No matter what’s going on on your head, and no matter what’s going to happen, I love you.” “I love you” he repeated, when he felt her closing the gap between their bodies. “and I will always love you.

-I love you too, Draco.” She finally whispered back, raising their linked hands to her lips. She was crying.

The moon was high when a thud noise woke them up. Eyes opened in the dark and hearts beating fast, they heard Narcissa high pitched scream.

“The Aurors.” Draco finally realised, quickly rising from the bed and running to the door, trying to lock them in. It hasn’t been another nightmare; the sounds were real, they were real. And Pansy wasn’t moving. “Pansy, you have to Apparate to Blaise’s. Follow the plan, Pans’, move! You have to go! Now! Apparate!

-Come with me!

-I can’t! Come on Pansy, go! Please, I beg you! They can’t find you there! You haven’t done anything for Him, they can’t find you here! Move, please!

-Draco…” Her body stayed still as she turned her head toward the window, catched by the numerous Lumos coming from the gardens.

“Draco! Draco son! Come downstairs now!” they heard Lucius call. He was giving them time, it was nearly too late.

“Pansy! Go away!

-I’m pregnant Dray.” She croaked, finally turning her gaze to him.

“What?

-I’m pregnant!

-You’re pregnant!

-Draco! Downstairs now! They won’t hurt you!” his father’s voice was nearer, and he swears he could hear people run up the stairs.

-Oh Sweet Salazar Pansy! Should I congratulate you?

-Could you?

-Is the father good to you? Does he love you?” he hurried, hope blowing in his chest.

“He told me so, but I broke up with him, it’s Neville, I was so scared and now I fucked up everything and

-Draco! Out! Now!

-Draco!” His mother’s voice echoed.

“Get back to him. Apparate to Blaise and get back to him. They will take care of you. I love you Pans, now go! Please, for the child, leave now!

-I love you too, Draco!” she cried in a loud crack as the door behind Draco’s back began to tremble.

***

Harry stood silence, shocked, for the second time in less than fifteen minutes. The mother was Pansy Parkinson. Pansy fucking Parkinson.

The girl who tried to held him to the Voldemort.

It just couldn’t be true.

“Harry, please, say something.

-Pansy Parkinson?

-She’s really nice, when you get to know her.

-When did you get to know her? How the fuck did you get to know her?! Last time I saw her she tried to get me killed! And now you’re telling me she’s pregnant? That you got her pregnant? If this is some kind of a joke, it’s a really lame one.

-I’m not joking, Harry. I’m dating her since last December.

-Last December.

-We had detention together at Flich’s. She had hex a Carrow, to avenge a girl he had hit.

-And a good action is enough to buy back a past of pettiness and cruelty?

-She’s not cruel.

-So we agree on petty.

-Harry…

-She tried to get me killed; I have the right to call her petty.

-She didn’t want to, she

-She wanted me to die. She wanted me to surrender when an army was standing outside of our walls, Nev’. She was the reason why all Slytherins ended up in the dungeon instead of in the battlefield, fighting with us. She betrayed us.

-She was trying to save her baby. My baby.

-By having all of us killed?

-It was a really stupid plan.

-Indeed.

-She’s sorry. She’s really sorry. She threatened you to make sure our child will live whatever side win! If we had lost that day, I’d be dead and she’ll be raising our child in a convent. If we had lost and she had run to my side, Voldemort would have killed her too.

-She’s a Slytherin, a Pureblood, Malfoy’s bestfriend, if we had lost and she’d stayed silent, she’d have been safe. There was no need to send me to Voldemort.

-She could’ve hexed you. She’s brilliant, you know? She could’ve hexed you and carry you out herself, but she didn’t even try.

-Bless her.

-Harry. I’m trying to tell you that she isn’t the mean girl you think she is! And even if she’s been, she’s not anymore. And she wasn’t anymore when I talk to her for the first time last year. Believe me Harry. Believe in my judgment. Have I ever been something else than a friend to you? Have I ever been unworthy of our trust?

-Neville…

-Just try, Harry. Promise me you’ll try.”

Harry paused for a few seconds, inhaling deeply before nodding toward his friend. “If I found out she’s still that sneaky little bitch, I’ll rip her heart out.

-Harry, she’s my baby’s mom.

-I swear to Godric, don’t say that again or I’ll puke on your shoes.

-Duly noted.

-And, Neville.” Harry called out as his friend walked out the door. “I still love you.”

***

I don’t know if my owl will reach you before they do. They broke into MM last night. I checked the news at dawn, they’re taking them to A. G has been taken too. I haven’t read about you, I hope you’re safe.

P is safe. Terrified, but safe.

We’ll meet where it had all begun when the week is over.

***

“Come on, Ron, you promised me you’ll help me!

-But I promised Harry we’ll play tonight, sorry!” Ron lied as they got into the common room.

“Is it true, Harry?

-Huh?

-You arranged a game tonight?

-huh, yeah, sure. Wanna join?

-I got my DADA essay and

-Have you ever played Quidditch Hermione? I’ve never seen you.

-I’d rather watch than play.

-You never tried?” Ron, apparently stunned by the new, stopped dead on his track. “How come?

-Neville never had, either.” She tried when she spotted the boy reading by the fireplace.

“Neville what?

-You never played Quidditch, right?

-I almost die the first time I got on a broom for the recall.

-Long time ago, come on, we’re playing tonight!

-I still don’t want to die.

-Nev be fun for once! You’re acting more hermionish that Hermione herself!

-Hermionish?

-He’s practically dating his books.

-At least they’re not trying to break his neck.

-Lovebirds, lovebirds, please be quiet.” Seamus asked, climbing on the couch. “We’re not going to study tonight, but we’re not gonna play Quidditch either. Tonight we celebrate!

-Dean, get your leprechaun under control, for once.” Harry teased as said leprechaun stand still on the couch, arms open to the ceiling.

“Wait for the final.

-oh my, what’s going to explode?”

Dean raised his eyebrows, trying to contain a smile as Colin came running into the Eight Year common room, glass bottles in his hands, screaming I got them!I got them! to Seamus.

“I fear for my life.” He whispered as Seamus began to shake vigorously one of them.

“And I fear for mine.” he smiled, not taking his eyes away from his lover. “I fear for mine.

-You all know by now how amazing Dean is, right?” People cheered as Dean hide his face in his hands, making Ron and Cormac whistled louder.

“He’s not going to propose, right?

-He better not.”

“Well, Minnie knows it too! She asked him to do a mural on the courtyard; he’s gonna paint for Hogwarts! He’s gonna paint History!

-Mate! Congratulations!

-Come here, love, they wanna hear it from you!”

“Wow. That was pretty intense for a Thursday night.” Harry enthused, back in their shared dormitory. The party was slowly fading now that they had retired upstairs, but they didn’t really care. The new has been shared and the sparkling wine drank. Life still had happiness to offer them, they knew it; they were still teens, they remembered it. But their need to celebrate every little glimpse of happiness came from a dark place within their heart, and they knew now not to live harder than they felt.

“Congrats mate. That’s fucking brilliant.

-Seamus makes it seems far greater than it is, you know.

-McGonnagal asked you to paint the Second Wizarding War and honour the fallen, Dean. That isn’t anything. Your work is going to be there for decades! Harry’s right, it’s fucking brilliant!

-It’s just…” Dean sighed, suddenly looking away, searching something in the darkness of the night.

“It’s okay. We’re okay now.” Seamus reminded him, leaving Neville’s Wizards and Witches cards to get to his side. “It’s over now.” He said, trying to keep his voice low and steady as he kissed his boyfriend’s temple. “We’re okay.” He repeated a last time, snuggling himself against him.

“It’s just…”he began again, gripping Seamus a little bit closer. “It reminds me of Luna. When we were in the Malfoy’s cellar, we used to paint on the walls. Malfoy had found out and started bringing us pigmented coal. That’s all we did for weeks. Paint with our fingers on dirty walls.

-But there wasn’t light.” Ron objected, slightly shivering at the memory of Hermione’s screams. “We couldn’t see much down there.

-I never said it was pretty. But it did keep us sane. And hopeful. And, and that what I want this mural to be, you know. I don’t want to paint what happened. I don’t want to paint the snatchers chasing us, Fudge lying to us or even the Goblet of Fire. I don’t want to paint Wood and his guys flying over Hogwarts at the start of the battle, I don’t want to paint the statues jumping down of their pillar. I don’t want to paint you, Neville, taking out Godric’s sword. I don’t want the pain, anger and madness we all felt to flourish on Hogwarts’s walls. I only want to draw the hope. But how can I do it now? Half of our friends hadn’t come back. Luna and Ginny … Sometimes, I don’t even know where to look to find hope. I know I’ll be happy. I’ve got you, I’ve got Seam, but… there’s something still missing, you know? I’d hoped for this day to come, all of us in our dorm, and now that it’s here, I just don’t know.” He paused, shaking his head. “I don’t know.

-I- I know what I hope for.” Neville started tentatively as no one seemed to be ready to talk. “I- I… I have hope in a better world. I hope my kids would grow in a better world than the one we grew into. We still have a lot to do, that’s for sure. We still need to heal and rebuilt our lives. But we also have to stay aware of our own bias and fight the pain that’s making us blind; cause we’ll all have to find within us the strength to forgive those who try to redeem themselves, and it will takes time, but I believe in it.

Dean, I don’t know how it could’ve felt in the cellar, but the hope you hold on to, I’ve felt it. I had the hope to see a day where we’d be all reunited; alive, safe and happy. I’ve endured the Carrows because I believed in victory, I believed in peace and in a better world. You haven’t lost hope. You accepted McGonnagal offer because you believe in a future where students would learn about the war we made without worrying about how frail peace could be. You don’t want to paint pain and suffering because you have this hope that their world would let them be carefree and happy. And that day will come. But for the next decades, kids will get to Hogwarts and learn about how they lose members of their families. And they’ll go to the courtyard and look up to your artwork and they’ll see what they died for, they’ll see why they kept fighting until the end. And that will pass from generation to generation: there’s some good in this world and it’s worth dying for. That what I hope for, a world which learn from his mistake and never try to forget. A world where this war could’ve never happened.

-A world where a little Draco Malfoy would be shaking hand with a little Harry Potter.” Dean asked, trying to smile behind his tears.

“In the world Neville’s talking about, my son could befriend his.” Harry nodded before slowly walking toward his friend. “I’m sorry for what I said.” He whispered before embracing the father to be.

***

If someone had ever asked Blaise Zabini what colour does he despite the most, he would have probably answered red; red as the Gryffindor beanie he was actually wearing to be precise. Turning the page of his newspaper, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing: wearing the Saviour’s colour has been the only logical choice he made when he planned to meet the son of a Death Eater in King Cross. The Aurors were patrolling everywhere, looking for allies of the Dark Wizard, and Muggle one has been given pictures of the fugitives. If he wasn’t amongst them and came back to the house alive, then he would consider himself lucky. Otherwise, stupid would be perfectly suiting.

10h58. With a deep breath, Blaise stood up and, checking conscientiously his surroundings, stride toward platform 93/4. The entire plan was stupid. He didn’t even know if Theo had read his owl. Letters were still opened daily, and a coded one could have been considered dubious. And even if he got it, who said he’d be coming? They had never been great friends. The risk was too high. Anyone could be an Auror, or a muggle Auror. Who knew what does a muggle Auror looked like?

10h59. He still had a few seconds. Breathing in and out, he pretended to lace his shoes, giving time for the weird looking guy to pass.

At 11h, he had crossed the wall and stood alone on the platform.

“Shit shit shit…” he mumbled, searching for a hint of a human being. Theo wasn’t there. No one was there. He’s been pathetic, thinking his plan has the smallest chance of succeed. When the week is over could have meant Sunday and not Monday and where it had all begun how fucking precise!

At 11h02, he decided that he would leave the station at 05. Here he was the easiest target of the whole United Kingdom. There were cameras everywhere in the muggle part of the station; his beanie and an atrocious muggle jumper wouldn’t be a sufficient disguise if the authorities were really working hand in hand to capture every witches and wizards suspected of being linked to Voldemort. And he was sure to be on the list.

11h03. He shouldn’t have stayed with Draco after he took the Mark. He shouldn’t have started to talk to Theo when Draco did. He should have been there for Draco before he took the Mark in the first place. Should have forced him to leave his home when his wonky father got out of Azkaban. Should have run away to France when Voldemort had return. Mistakes on mistakes, that’s what he’s done with his last two years.

11h04. Something caught his eyes. A raven had landed on the platform, eyeing him. Did raven could eye people? Clenching his fist, he took a deep breath and decided that those last sixty seconds could get screwed. If this wasn’t a normal raven…

“Croa.”

Blaise heart achingly stopped in his chest as the raven start croaking again, as it jumped to face him. He couldn’t make a step without the damned bird croaking at him, coming nearer.

“Croa.” The bird repeated, opening his wings, as others came flying above them.

“Petrificus Totalus!” He shouted. The raven fell to the ground, petrified, soon followed by another, and a third one until all the birds were left lifeless. “What have I done?” he asked himself in horror as he finally lowered his wand. Around him, circling him, were dozen of raven, draining from their blood. The fall has been lethal. He stumbled and felt his entire body react to the ferric smell filling his nostrils. He couldn’t stay there. The scattered feathers, the blood dripping on the ground, it was a slaughter. Feeling his stomach constrict again, he started running until he crossed the wall. He had to get away from there as quickly as possible. He had to leave King Cross before anyone found out the mess he made. He had to be home when the entire Auror department would be deployed, looking for the dark wizard who just performed a sinister ritual. He needed a plan. He needed to breathe. He needed to puke. But a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him behind the pillar with force before he could even try to steady himself. Panic invaded him as he fell his own body hit the bricks, suddenly blind to the world surrounding him. It’s over he cannot helped fearing as a hand covered hastily his mouth.

***

“Having trouble sleeping?” Harry asked as he found his best friend playing wizarding chess at 2 am in the empty common room.

“Can’t sleep. You? Nightmares again?

-Again.

-Wanna play?

-I dunno, I

-Just sit. I’ll play for you.”

Harry grinned slightly before curling himself in the sofa, accio-ing a plaid. The warmth and roaring blaze of the fire was comforting, extracting him from the numbness of the woods. Being with Ron had always helped him feel better. The Weasley had always made him feel safe; at home.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about what Dean told us tonight.

-The mural?

-Hope.

-Oh.

-Do you think that’s why Ginny hasn’t come back yet? Because she’d lost hope in her future here?

-You think she has?

-She said she’ll be back for school. Mom said she’s send a postcard on the 4th, to tell us not to worry. But how can I not? She’s my baby sis…”

***

It was almost midnight when Pansy finally gave up and cast a shy lumos, blowing out the candles. Their flickering light was freaking her out more than lighting anything anyway and she couldn’t stand the strange shadows crawling around the shack they were hidden in. Blaise hadn’t come back yet, and the knots in her stomach grew tighter and tighter with every cracked and squeaked from the wooden planks. Outside, the wind was slamming branches against the windows, or what was left of them and she could feel the air coming in. It wasn’t a night to be left alone.

Plus it wasn’t on the plan. Blaise was supposed to meet Theo at 11, and then they were supposed to come to the hutch. Blaise was gone for more than fourteen hours now; it couldn’t be good. Something had happened.

Something happened to Blaise.

Something happened to Blaise; too.

He has been taken by the Aurors, or maybe the Muggle ones. Did they still torture people in the non-wizarding world?

Or maybe someone recognised him and hexed him; leaving him bleeding to death in an alley. By now he was probably in St Mungo, lying unnamed in the mortuary.

She heard him cry before they left his house. She knew something happened before they went into the woods. He had read something in the Prophet and had burned the papers before she could see it. Draco was probably dying somewhere in Azkaban and now they were taking Blaise, too…

And she would never know if they were still alive.

And she would die in there, alone and terrified.

She would let herself die in there if he didn’t come back. She would never be able to survive on her own. She would never be able to leave the shack and get through the woods.

No, no, no, she would. She shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts running freely inside of her mind, before her eyes. She couldn’t let herself lose hope now. She had to stay strong and keep moving. She couldn’t collapse. Maybe Blaise has been taken; maybe King Cross has been guarded. Maybe they were looking for Theo and they had taken them both. But with or without them, she had to stay strong for her baby. She had agreed to stay in there because she feared for the little thing, but she still was Pansy fucking Parkinson by Salazar! She’d find another plan, and she’d stay strong; it was in her DNA.

If he hadn’t come back by the morning, she’ll stocktake their food and supplies and keep waiting as long as she could. Thereafter she’ll hide in a convent and finds out a way to rent an owl to reach for Neville. Then, and if he doesn’t throw her away, he’ll help her fight for them and get them out of Azkaban.

Yes, that was a good plan; a good backup plan; because Blaise was coming back.

He was coming back.

***

Harry woke up to the sound of Hermione’s chuckle. He had fallen asleep on the couch with Ron, again. That was becoming to feel like an old habit. Ron’s thoughts were too loud at night, preventing sleep to release him from their reality; and he hadn’t stop making nightmares since he went back from the dead. They ended up wandering in the Burrow at ungodly hours before finally sitting back down on the couch, figuring out they were no point in keeping pretending. Dusk didn’t felt like a blessing for them as it did for Hermione. But dawn did. Dawn was when he’d wake up to a snoring Ron and realise he had taken his glasses off before they fell to the floor and covered him so he won’t get cold. Dawn was when he would take his cover off, and put them on Ron, so he could get warm before waking up. Dawn was when he felt the happiest to still be alive.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, his voice croaking, as he rest his chin on the back of the sofa, looking toward the form of his best friend walking down the stairs.

“Seamus.” Dean answered, coming behind her. “He bet he could make something explode during breakfast and Hermione bet he couldn’t wait until then.

-And I win! He blew up his toothpaste, Harry! His toothpaste!”

Entering their shared bathroom, Harry couldn’t help but wonder how did his friend ended up being a magical TNT detonator: there was dentifrice up to the ceiling.

“You should’ve seen Seamus’s face.” Neville smiled awkwardly behind him. “Not only did he burst his own, but ours too! And he doesn’t even know how! I swear he’s gonna blow up the castle someday!

-He kinda already has.

-Yeah, right. Talking about, I- I wanted to thank you, for yesterday. For understanding.

-Would you, would you like to tell me more about her? How you met and how she was? Cause it feels like I don’t know this girl you fell for, and. I mean, if she’s important for you, then she’s for me.”

“As I told you, we met in detention.” Neville began to recount as they walked toward the lake. “At first I didn’t wanted to talk to her but … Filch locked us up for six hours so … we began to talk.

***

“You ain’t catching me Longbottom!” she shouted, five stairs ahead. “You’re too slow!

-You’re defying me?

-Only stating the obvious!”

Neville shook his head in disbelief: he really was chasing Pansy Parkinson down, racing to the boathouse. And he was enjoying it. His heart was beating fast and he couldn’t stop smiling. Somehow he’d felt for her. He couldn’t tell if he fell for her bravery as she stood for first years or if it was her eyes sparkling with mischiefs when she looked at him. Maybe it was the way she laughs, bright and loud, unashamed to still feel joy or the way she walked, chin up and deadly glares to those who insult her and her friends. Falling for her hadn’t meant being blind or forgetful of their shared past, it had meant caring enough for her to open up and reveal who she really was behind the mask.

“Got you!” she smirked as she grabbed him by his robe, pulling him close.

“Yeah, you got me.” He smiled back, leaning toward her. Her smell had the power to shut down his brain, just as much as her red lips.

“You know, no one ever goes into the boathouse.

-Yeah?

-Yeah. So you can kiss me.

-Do you want to?

-Yes.” She answered, closing her eyes as she felt Neville’s lips on hers.

Falling for him has been easy, but admitting it hasn’t. Neville wasn’t supposed to be her type. She always had crushes on people like Draco, Hermione or even Ginny; strong people who knew what they wanted and were able to fight for it. She hadn’t planned Neville was one of them. He had grown into a man far different from the little boy she thought he was, and it was he delight to discover him, she had to admit. His bravery and obstinacy toward a better world has been a surprise for her who had never given him a second thought, but his kindness and candor weren’t, and she was glad to realise he hadn’t lost them on the way.

“Maybe you could kiss me again?” she whispered as Neville broke their kiss. “If you wanted to…

-I’d love to.” He grinned, taking her hand. “And maybe we could be more than friends…

-Like best friends?” she asked, playfully.

The glitters in her gaze were back, and Neville felt his heart melt in his chest. “Like lovers.” He corrected, wondering where his fearlessness came from.

“I’d like it.” she said, her eyes in his. She wasn’t smiling anymore, but he couldn’t see it, as he was mesmerised by something in her iris. “If you promise not to fry my brain.

-Only if you don’t break my heart.”

***

Christmas was coming. The twelves Christmas trees glowed in the halls as garlands glittered in every common room. The Castle was literally sparkling from inside out. But sitting in front of the hearth, a wreath in her laps, Pansy felt empty. The burst of joy usually inhabiting her wasn’t there; for the first time since kindergarden, she wasn’t going to spend Christmas Eve at Malfoy Manor.

Sitting in the middle of her common room, she could only feel the emptiness inside her. Draco hadn’t come back in September and his absence seemed to fill the air, now more than before. He had stopped sending her letters since mid-October and she couldn’t help thinking it had something to do with the rumours she heard in the late whispered talks saying that the Dark Lord was living with them.

“Pans, you comin? McGonnagal’s not gonna wait forever.”

The December’s trip to Hogsmeade has always been her favourite; snow battles, Christmas shopping, Honey Dukes and Daphne’s atrocious seasonal jumpers were like inevitable glimpse of Heaven in her eyes. Saying that Pansy Parkinson loved winter would only be an understatement; she practically lived for it. But when her friends started throwing snowballs at each other she slowed down, creating space between them. When Theo and Blaise decided to make a halt in Tomes and Scrolls, she followed Daphne around, heartlessly.

“Are you alright sweetie?” the blond finally asked as they passed a choir. “You’re surprisingly silent. And distant.

-I’m just not in the mood. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to ruin your day out.

-You’re not ruining anything; I’m just worried.

-You don’t have to. I’ll meet you guys later at the Three Broomsticks if that’s okay? I’d like to stay alone a little bit.

-You know you can talk to me, right?

-Don’t worry, ‘kay? I’ll meet you there.

-Pinkie promise?

-Whatever you want.” She shook her head, offering her finger to her friend. “I can’t believe you still believe in this.

-But I do. I’ll be in there, if you change your mind.” She added, pointing toward a Christmas charms shop across the street.

In other circumstances, she would have gladly crossed the street with her friend. And she’d probably have deal with her best friend absence by buying him one of those Christmas tree decorations he loved so much. But in those circumstances, it was too must to ask. So she turned her heels and began to walk away from the village, toward the little hill overlooking the Shrieking Shack. And there she was, looking at the odd house from afar when a familiar voice called her name. She didn’t had to turn away to know Neville was coming closer, she could hear his footstep on the fresh snow.

“Hey… Are you okay?” he queried as he stood beside her.

You know, at first I was impress by her attitude. We were all slowly losing our composure, finally understanding what was really happening at Hogwarts, between the absence of all muggleborn and half the half-blood, the punishments of the Carrows, Filch’s adoration for Ombrage old teaching methods and the curriculum itself. I thought my world was tumbling down. But there she was, proud and reckless, spelling and hexing, standing up to us, as if she was born for it. Yes, I was more than impress. I was heels over head before the first snow. And only then did she let me get to know her more… deeply. She opened up and showed me her cracks, and I couldn’t but love her more at how strong she was for standing up when her base was all flickering. For months she’s tortured herself for having Death Eaters children as friends. Only the Greengrass girl wasn’t one. And I know what you must be thinking Harry, birds of a feather flock together, but it was terrorising her. For nights she couldn’t sleep, overthinking about it. Maybe she was petty, and maybe she sometimes acted out of “cruelty”, I would stay stupidity, but she never believed in all that pureblood superiority bullshit. She’s been raised to believe in certain things and she was only presented to other children raised to believe in those same things, but she finally chose to question all of it, because it never fully made sense for her. For her it was as if someone had just ripped off her eyelids. She’s been taught not to see any of it, and suddenly, it was everywhere. She was torn apart between her love for her family and friends and what she was discovering about them, wondering if she could still love them, wondering if she should cut those ties or try to rip off their eyelids. She was constantly feeling like a failure, feeling fake. I’m not trying to make you pity her, I just want you to know she has always been far more than what she made herself appears to be. She needed people to believe she was… how should I say it? Complete? Solid? I don’t know. But she also had her cracks, and she kept them hidden for months. And I’m not saying … She needs time to trust people, and until she trusts them, she won’t let them see her. It’s not a mask, it’s an armour. She’s protecting herself. And she let me in. She opened up to me and let me question her raising and beliefs. And I didn’t find anything awful.

***

“Neville! Neville hurry up! It’s Seamus!”

The Room of Requirement suddenly felt too small as Ginny took him by the arm, running toward the door. Around them, the DA fell quiet as students stopped in their practise, anticipating the worst as they took their leader’s distress in. Running up the stairs, Neville couldn’t form any coherent thoughts. He knew the path, but his brain didn’t want him to realise he was rushing to the hospital wing. Yet, that was where they were heading.

“What happened?” he finally urged as they slow down, taking in the sight of the closed curtain bed.

“The Carrows. Parkinson found him unconscious on the third floor; said it was the Carrows. I rather warn you, it’s not pretty.”

Ginny hadn’t lie. Seamus was everything except pretty, barely recognisable. His face was tumefied and his eyes were swollen too, purple from the blood within them. His lip was cut and bruises were already forming by his left cheekbone, down to his chin. His right was hidden behind a bandage coming from the upper part of his head.

“They haven’t. Tell me they haven’t done that.” He whispered, coming closer to the bed. Now wasn’t the time for letting his anger out. Luna was shaking in a chair across the bed, studying carefully the potions in the bedtable.

“He has some broken ribs too. But Madam Pomfrey says he’s gonna be okay.” Ginny informed him, as she placed a hand above the covers, where Seamus hand probably was. “But he still hasn’t wake up.”

“He’s gonna be okay. He’s strong. He’s gonna be okay.” He tried to convince himself as a distant moan escape his friend’s lips.

“D-Dean..

-Seamus? Seamus, you’re safe. You’re at the hospital wing. You’re safe, Seamus. We’re here. Ok?” Luna murmured, gently stroking his hair as he feebly wailed his lover name again and again.

“I’m gonna kill them. I’m gonna kill them!” Neville swore, gritted teeth, as he stormed out of the room, quickly followed by the redhead girl. “I’m gonna kill them and make them pay for it.

-And then, what? You kill them, and then, what? You run to Abelforth? The gardens are full of death eaters and dementors! You’d be dead before midnight! Or worse. Is that really what you want? We’re gonna have our revenge, I promise you.

-And until then, we’re gonna sit down and wait? We’re gonna let the Carrows terrorize and torture our schoolmates? Our friends?

-We’ll keep training. We’ll keep training, and when the time comes, we’ll be ready to finally fight back.

-I can’t.

-You have no choice, Nev. We’re in a state of war. War! You can’t just act on impulse! You have to focus on the bigger picture. We have to keep Hogwarts until Harry comes back.

You can’t just give us up.

-I’m not.

-Then fucking act like it!” she roared before leaving him alone in the middle of the corridor.

“How’s Seamus?” Pansy finally asked, nestled against her boyfriend in their secret alcove. He had barely spoken since he came out of the Hospital Wing a few hours ago. His friend was barely breathing when she found him earlier that day; she could barely imagine what he must be feeling.

“Madam Pomfrey says he’s gonna be okay… but you saw him, right? You know how bad it looks like.

-I’m sorry. I wish I could have done something.

-It’s killing me. I wish I could do something. I wish I could…

-He’s gonna be okay, love.

-You don’t understand.” He murmured to her temple, matter-of-factly. “No one’s gonna be okay. We’re supposed to keep Hogwarts until Harry comes back. Then, we’ll fight to death. Thus I don’t see how anyone could be okay.” He sighed, closing his eyes.

“Look at me. Neville, I said look at me. People die every day out there. People die. But Seamus isn’t going to. It was a close call, but he will make it, and someday, he’s gonna be okay. He’s gonna be okay because you’re gonna keep going. I know you, you’re not going to sit, hide somewhere and wait for the Mighty Saviour to come back. You’re going to keep standing up against the Carrows, maybe more now than ever. You’re going to keep standing up for the weaker, for those who are afraid, those who lay in hospital beds. You aren’t doing nothing. You weren’t there when Seamus got attacked, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be there for someone else, honey. It isn’t a fair fight, but I know you still in, right? And as long as you keep going, I’d bet on you. Now tell me, Neville, who are you betting on?

-I’m betting on you.

-I’m being serious here, darling.” She tried to repress a smile as he took off an eyelash from her cheek, keeping his hand against her skin.

“And I am, too. I want you to join the DA.

-I can’t.

-Everyone knows we’re fighting for the same side. I’m sure they’d take you in.

-I really can’t. I can fight against the Carrow; but

-Then would you train with me? Would you fight with me?

-Hell I’ll do. I’ll fight with you, Neville Longbottom. Until the very end.”

***

“What are you waiting for? Someone grab him.” Pansy’s words resonated in the sudden silence of the Great Hall, making Ginny rush toward Harry, shielding him behind her. Soon, every member of the Orders and DA were standing in front of him or flanked by his side, wand out. Harry couldn’t be taken to Voldemort, and they wouldn’t let anyone do so; even if that meant hurting a fellow student.

“Students out of bed! Students in the corridors!” Filch yelled as he burst breathless into the hall.

“They’re supposed to be out of bed, you blithering idiot!” Professor McGonnagal snapped, as the caretaker, realising his mistake, apologized flatly. “As it happens, Mr Filch, your arrival is most opportune. If you would, I would like you to lead Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin House from the Hall.

-Where exactly is it I’ll be leading them to, ma’am?

-The dungeons will do.” she concluded, taking her attention back to Harry. “I presume you have a reason for returning, Potter. What is it you need?

-Time, professor. As much as you can get me.

-Do what you have to do. I’ll secure the castle. Potter …” She called again, slightly unsure on what was left to say. “It’s good to see you.

-It’s good to see you too, professor.” He said back, already on his way out. “Hold on the fort Neville!”

Neville nodded. He knew what he had to do. Theày had made so many plans during the last three months that he didn’t have to consult Ginny before exposing them to the Order. He knew that she was agreeing with him and would have proposed the same tactic; but he also knew she was too distracted to take the lead right now. Harry was back. After months of wandering, his presence filled the castle.

Furthermore, organizing their defence and getting ready to fight for his life seemed to mute Pansy’s voice still echoing inside his head.

“Pansy, come here.” Vince murmured, already sneaking out from the group led by Filch. “Draco will need us. They will need us.” His tone was barely a whisper as he couldn’t refrain his enthusiasm. He was metamorphosed, waiting for the Dark Wizard to take the school like a child waits for Christmas.

“I’m staying in the dungeon. And you probably should too. If Filch found you wandering

-He ain’t gonna see us! The Dark Lord is coming Pansy! The Dark Lord! No one will even see us! This is it, the time has come!

-I’m staying there. Blaise! Blaise!” she called out loudly, hoping to get scolded by the old man in the process, the other boy being ten foot away.

“What’s wrong with you Pans? Haven’t been noticed enough already?” he chided her, going upstream.

“Tell him we have to stay in the dungeon with the others!” she pleaded quietly.

“I’m not stayin’ in the dungeon! My place is in the battlefield! With my father and my own!

-Oh come on, Crabbe. You’re more likely to kill You-Know-Who by inadvertence. We’ll watch for you down there.

-I am not going to the dungeon! Aren’t you gonna fight for the Dark Lord?! Great Salazar, you aren’t going to, are you? You’re gonna stay hidden and wait for a side to lose. And when you’ll get out of your stash, you’ll try to get in the winner’s good graces. I pity you.” He spat, suddenly pouting like first year Draco.

“You can take you pity up your arse, for what I care. Come on, Pans, let gets to the dungeon before someone notice we’re missing.” He gave up, shaking his head before taking his friend by the hand. “I’m not gonna die for those fuckers” he muttered, walking them away.

“And Draco? What are you doing of Draco?” Vicent yelled. “If we lose, he’s gonna die tonight!”

“Draco’s not gonna die, he’s not gonna die.” Blaise promised to a curled up Pansy. The room felt too small. On every faces, she could read the same anxiety she felt inside her, gnawing her. Theodore was on the other side of the room, his forehead against the stone wall. His father was probably somewhere at the borders, waiting for You-Know-Who’s orders. Locking them up in the dungeon, she’d avoided him the painful idea to face his dad, and die by his hand.

She knew Blaise was talking to her, she could feel his breath on her cheek, but she couldn’t hear him. If You-Know-Who lose tonight, Draco would… but even if he won, who knew what he’d have send him to beforehand. Blocking her breath, she tried to steady herself, focusing on everything else. She couldn’t do anything to save her friend, not at the cost of her baby life. A baby whose father was currently getting ready to fight upstairs. A baby whose father was soon going to mate his fate, too.

As Neville’s body lay lifeless in her mind, she started crying, trying her best at repressing the screams coming from her gut. She was going to lose her mind.

“Pansy! Pansy!” Blaise whispered hardly against her ear, trying to hold her as tight as could be as she kept biting her hand. “Pansy breathe!”

They won. But where was the overwhelming joy he had imagined feeling? He was sitting alone in a bench, and couldn’t find any solace in his surroundings. The castle was destroyed. Families were destroyed. People had died tonight. Many people. Too many. As Luna came, taking the place beside him, he smiled at her. In another universe, her presence would have been enough to bring him out of the chaos. But not in this one. Here, he’d have need another girl. A girl who had just betrayed him.

***

It was almost two in the morning when the wooden door creaked loudly. Senses suddenly on alert, she grabbed her wand, pointing it toward the bedroom door.

“Pans?” a familiar voice called her from the living room. Barely raised, she let herself fall back in the mattress as she called him back, almost wailing, as tears of relief started rolling down her cheeks. He was back. He was back and he was alive. “Blaise!” she called, again, urging him to her as he burst through the doorframe.

“I’m here, I’m here. I’m right here.” He whispered, embracing her. “Theo’s here too.

-I thought, I thought they had

-Shht, it’s okay. It’s over, now. I’m sorry things didn’t go as planned.

-Can I come in?” Theo asked from behind the curtain “Everyone’s decent?”

The morning sun found them sleeping, mix of limbs half on the mattress, half on the floor. Blaise had taken feathers in the sheets while Theo hadn’t removed his blood stained shirt, but for one more hour, it would stay unsaid, inexistent.

They had fallen asleep squeezed up against each other after wordlessly agreeing on doing the talking later. Theo had practically collapsed from exhaustion as his brain understood he was finally somewhere safe. The week has been hard. They could allow themselves a break. They could pretend everything was fine for the rest of the night.

Theo woke up last. For the first time in a week, he stayed a little bit longer under the cover, appreciating the sunrays and the quiet laughter of his friends on the other room. Hiding his face in his hand, he sighed happily. He was safe and sound, and above all, he wasn’t alone anymore. Obviously the shack was spartian. He had had a small glimpse of it as he got in but in the cruel light of reality, it was even worse. The bedroom wasn’t empty; the two mattresses lying on the floor were all it could contains. There wasn’t any drawer or shelf, only a traveling bag full of neatly fold clothes, ready to get picked up at any time. Opening the curtain separating the two rooms he realised the door was in fact missing. On the so called living room, Pansy and Blaise were sitting on buckets, eating their breakfast on a rickety table. Their food was stored against the wall where a chair was used as a shelf.

“You woke up!” Pansy smiled at him, pushing a bucket toward him. “If the gentleman wants to take a seat…

-We didn’t really know where to go.” Blaise shrugged as his friend tried the balance of his seat.

“It’s fine, okay? I mean, as long as you have toilets.

-That door.” she pointed the only other door. “But don’t expect a shower.

-As if I remembered what a shower is.

-When did you leave your house?

-I didn’t really get back, after… after…” he forfeited with a wave of the hand. “I got your letter by chance. I hadn’t meant to get back home, but as they had just taken father... I packed my things, took some galleons… I’ve been wandering in muggle London since we left Hogwarts… A roof is everything I’ve been praying for, Blaise. I know you guys are already on thin ice, I know how hazardous it is for you to shelter me. I am thankful. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.

-I know, I’m sorry.

-What about you Pansy? Since we left Hogwarts?

-I’ve stayed at the Manor until the Aurors came in. Then I Apparated at Blaise’s. He took his bags and you know the rest of the story.

-So you saw Draco? Where is he?

-I don’t know.” She avowed, biting her lip. “I... they came at night, and Draco… he said he couldn’t come with me.

-They’ve been taken to Azkaban.” Blaise voiced out for the first time. “Same night as your old man. Front page cover in every magazine.

-You never told me!” Pansy moaned, tears already filling her eyes.

“How could I’ve? You stayed fucking silent for three days Pans! You were barely functioning, I couldn’t tell you!

-He’s my bestfriend! I needed to know!

-You knew! The fucking Aurors bursted into his house in the middle of the fucking night by Salazar! you couldn’t have imagined they were taking him to the ball? The Death Eaters has always rot in Azkaban Pansy! Azkaban!

-Shut up! Stop it!” she screamed, trying to cover his words as he rose from his bucket.

“Oh, and flash new: Draco is a fucking Death Eater!” he yelled before slamming the door behind him.

“You okay?” Theo tried as he finally found Blaise in the middle of the wood.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have. It’s just… I lose my temper. We… we had never talked about Draco before.

-Are you mad at her for leaving him behind?” he asked softly, still making him look away abruptly. “You feel like she ran without him…” he added, resting a tentative hand on his arm.

“She should have forced him!” he suddenly shouted, moving away. “Narcissa would have made up a lie to cover his absence, it could have worked! But she Apparated without him! And she dares! He! He’s in Azkaban for Merlin sake! In Azkaban!

-Blaise …” he whispered, making a step forward.

“It’s over!” he broke down, falling to his knees. “He’s never going to get out of there. No one ever gets out of there.”

***

“I think I’d like to know her.” Harry acknowledged as Neville stopped declaiming his love for Pansy Parkinson. There was no use in pretending that he wasn’t heels over head for the Slytherin girl, neither was some in pestering against the girl he once knew; she apparently wasn’t anymore. “Would you mind introducing me to her, someday? I mean, if you’re both okay with it of course.

-You really do?

-I hear you talk about the girl of your life for half an hour, Nev.” He smiled, fondly. “What kind of horrible friend would I be if I didn’t want to. I really want to get to know her for who she is now.

-Harry...” he sighted, obviously relief. “Thank you. It- It means so much for me.

-You’re welcome, really.” He answered, scratching his neck, uneased by his friend sudden warmness. Seemingly taken by the same feeling, Neville suddenly started picking his books for his daily classes before heading toward the door.

“Harry?” he abruptly asked, stopping short in the middle of the corridor. “Do you think I could tell the others? I mean, do you think they would listen, too? I want them to know her; I want all of you to. And when the baby’s here… I want you guys to be part of her life. But if they don’t accept Pansy... I won’t know what to do …

-Hermione’s logical, family comes first for Ron, Dean testified at Malfoy’s trial and Seamus’s a big ball of fluffiness lately. I think they’d be okay with it. And if they aren’t, I’ll hex them.

-I’m being serious here.

-And I am, too. We’re more than just roommates or friends; we’re a family. We’ll stand with you.”

***

Blaise came back to the shack when dusk started to slowly fade the outdoor world. Laying down on one of the mattress, Theo seemed fast asleep, Pansy absentmindedly playing with his hair.

“Hi.” He greeted quietly, closing the door as carefully as possible as Pansy crossed the few meters between them, taking a bucket to sit on. “Still worn out?” he asked, nodding toward the form on the bed.

“Seems like. Told me about his week, how he slept on streets when he could sleep at all. I gave him your clothes, by the way. I cleansed his.

-Thanks.

-It was nothing a tergeo couldn’t deal with, actually. It’s quite an efficient spell when it comes to blood.

-Cool.” He guessed, scanning their food stock. “I’ll cook dinner. Would you wake him up in a bit?

-Leaving Draco behind, it broke my heart, you know. But he- he’d never planned on running with me. Or running at all.

-I wouldn’t have left without him. I’d stayed by his side until we both could be safe.” He countered calmly, weighting the pro and con of eating the spinach tonight.

“Blaise, please. He decided to get back to the Manor. He spent days there, waiting for the Aurors burst-in. He tidied up his room and burned things down. He was perfectly aware of the outgoing.

-You’re telling me he willingly waited for an Azkaban cell?

-I- I don’t know. But I know he did wait for the Aurors. I’m sorry Blaise but he didn’t fight. His parents called him downstairs and when I left, he was walking toward the door. He gave himself in.

-I can’t believe you.

-But you’ll have to! You can deny it as much as you want it will still be the one and only truth. He never planned on running away. Never.

-But it makes no sense!

-Maybe but that’s what happened. I’m sorry, Blaise. I’d have liked it to be otherwise… but he chose to stay.

-May I say something?” Theo interrupted, walking over them. “I saw him at the Manor, during winter break. Father had… meetings… there. It was already too much for him to bear, it was eating him from inside. He took the Mark, he … Who knows what he was ordered to do? Who knows what he did and witness? I don’t, but I can guess… He hated it, being a Death Eater, but that doesn’t undo the fact that he was one. And I think that’s why he gave himself in; he knew that what he did was wrong so he did what he thought was right. I think he tried to pay the price...”

Letting Theo’s words sink in, they stood in silence for a while. His pitch made sense. It was terrific in a way, but it made sense.

“If you guys are ready, I think it’s time to figure out how we can help him now.” Theo directed.

A few accio later, they were sitting around the table, feathers ready to plan everything up.

“Firstly, I think we need to know if we’re really looking for.

-Really, mate? We spent the last day running away from Aurors trying to find you.

-But as you aren’t Death Eater children, or Death Eater, or even Allies of the Dar- of Voldemort, we have to be sure about it. And if one or both of you are wanted, we can’t just guess for what crimes. We can’t plan anything up without a foreseen of which potential penalties you could incur if we get caught.

-Don’t get me wrong, I get the idea; I just don’t think we’ll find a list in a muggle newspaper. We’ll have to go back to the Wizarding World, and I think it’s too risky.

-Maybe, maybe we can ask Neville.” Pansy proposed, avoiding their astonished gaze. She clenched her fists under the table, trying to stop her hands from shaking this much.

“Neville? Like in Neville Longbottom?” Blaise asked first.

“Indeed.

-And why would he help us? He hates us!” Theo asked second, hands moving in disbelief.

“I dated him. Back in Hogwarts.” She blurted out, making them both curse in surprise. “He’s not the weak-minded we thought he was, you know. He’s clumsy, that’s undeniable, but he’s brave too and he’s got a fierceness you’d be jealous from.

-Are we still talking about Neville Longbottom?” Blaise inquired, earning a death glare from the other side of the table and a kick from beside. “Just asking! So, you dated him.

-That’s what I just told you, yes.

-And since you broke his heart, he’s going to gently give us what we want. Seriously Pans’, I’m not planning for a death trap.

-He’s not going to report us!

-Can you guarantee it?” Theo requested, trying to stay focused on the task.

“Of course I can! I’ll talk to him, and he’ll help us.”

“Pansy, you’re sleeping?” Blaise whispered in the middle of the night.

“What’s wrong?

-Neville, did you love him?

-Does it matter?

-If you did, yes. I mean, maybe, yes.

-I still love him.

Blaise?” she asked after a few second of silence.

“Yes?

-Is it a problem?

-You love a moron; it’s your problem, not mine.

-Dickhead.” She smiled, turning to her side, hoping to fall asleep despite the fast beating of her heart.

“Pansy?

-Something to ask about Neville again?

-When did you date him?

-From November to last April.

-How could I never notice?

-We hide it to everyone. We weren’t sure to be understood, even less tolerated. I being Draco’s bestie and he, Harry’s.

-Romeo and Juliet die in the end, you know.

-Who?

-Romeo and Juliet. It’s a muggle theatre piece.

-What?

-Nott and Malfoy.

-Oh. We’re not gonna die. No one is gonna die.

-I hope so.”

“Blaise?” she called, in turn. “Are you asleep?

-Not anymore. What’s wrong?

-You really don’t mind, about Neville and me?

-I really don’t mind.

-Cool.

-And, Blaise?” she murmured, laying closer to him.

“I really want to sleep Pans.

-I’ve got something to tell you.

-‘M all ears.

-I’m pregnant.

-You’re what?” he asked urgently, suddenly sitting.

“I’m pregnant.” She repeated kindly, sitting up too.

“You’re… you’re pregnant.” He echoed quietly as Pansy slowly put his hand on her belly.

“I am. Neville doesn’t know yet, but even if he doesn’t want the child, I do.

-We’re gonna raise a baby in our shack then.

-Blaise?

-A death eater for godfather. Nott as home teacher; I’ll be the cool uncle. It can work out.” He kept mumbling under his friend amused glaze.

“You’re the pervert uncle. I’ll be the cool one.” Theo corrected, his voice smothered in sleep.

***

Like every Friday night since the start of the school year, Harry was sitting in his dorm with his closest friends, sharing jokes and butterbeers. Ron was the exception, though. Lying on his belly, he was trying to finish his DADA essay due for the day before as Dean doodled encouragement on his drafts. The sooner he would be done, the sooner they’d be able to sneak out of the castle to the Quidditch pitch for a midnight game. The official Gryffindor team has asked him to keep playing as their seeker, but he had politely declined the offer after their first game. He couldn’t fly in the red colours; not anymore; not without his friends flying by his side. The win wasn’t worth the emptiness he felt above the grounds. Still, Harry came to their trainings, cheering and mocking whenever needed. But he missed the adrenaline, diving to the ground and the mesmerizing fly of the Snitch. Until the day Ron suggest a quick match after one of his trainings. Flying around chasing each other, they soon found out it was far more entertaining to wait for the sun to go down. Tonight they’d planned a 3 vs 3, chaser, keeper, seeker; Neville unexpectedly agreeing on playing Chaser, and if Ron hurried up, the odds were on their favour. On the Marauder's Map, Filch and Mrs Norris had begun their tour in the dungeon.

“Will you be done in thirty minutes?” he asked his friend, accustomed to their routine. In thirty minutes, they’d be climbing the Ravenclaw tower, leaving them free to walk out in the corridors.

“How look did it took you to do your essay?

-Hours.

-So how could I be done in thirty minutes? Plus Dean’s drawings are messing up my answers.” He growled as an ink knight piss on his third paragraph, making the room burst from laugher. “Can’t you just snog Seamus for Merlin tits?

-I don’t just snog Seamus.” He countered, holding his ribs. Hermione had add a friend beside the knight, and he was currently handing him some butterbeers, dropping half of their content on the parchments.

“Come on! I’ll never be done with it!

-Then hurry up! Who knows what they’ll do when they got drunk!” Harry guffawed, not so sure that the Quidditch game was still going to be the highlight of his day.

“What? No! Come on, Dean, erase them!

-Do you mean they don’t they deserve a little bit of fun?” he asked, hovering his feather above the parchment, all malice and pride.

“How do you fuck a knight in shining armour?” Seamus suddenly wondered out loud, making Ron turn red at the thought of having drawings shagging on his essay.

“You pervert! Come on Harry, let’s get to the Quidditch pitch.” Ron forfeited, standing up.

“I think I wanna stay there. See how it goes.

-Harry, no…

-Stop playing the virgin, Weasley. We all know you aren’t anymore.” Seamus teased, throwing a pillow at him. “Or maybe it’s disturbing you because they’re two guys?

-Who said the knight was a guy?” Hermione retorted, taking it suddenly more seriously.

“It could be a fucking hippogriff for what I care! I just don’t want it on my essay! Draw porn elsewhere!

-You could draw porn on me.

-Seamus!” they yelled in harmony, watching hilarious their friend taking down his shirt in the unsexyest way ever.

“I’m gonna miss you.” Neville stated, matter-of-factly.

On the bed, Dean let his ink dripped on Seamus’s skin. “What are you on about, mate?” he asked for everyone.

With a quick glance toward a nodding Harry, Neville answered in a breath. “I’m leaving Hogwarts on the 24th.”

“Shut up, please.” Harry ordered politely, cutting his friends’s thousand questions mumbling. “Let him talk.

-Thanks, Harry.”

As the dorm felt silence, Neville started telling them the same story he told Harry a few days before.

The story of a boy who fell in love with a girl he wasn’t supposed to like and how they were now going to have a baby girl, named Alyssa Longbottom.

***

Sitting in the silence of his old bedroom, Neville couldn’t stop rehashing the same thoughts over and over again.

She’d promised him. He hadn’t break her heart, she had no right to fry his brain.

She had no right to break his heart.

But in the darkness of his old bedroom, it seems pretty clear that she didn’t care about it. She’s done both. She switched side. And still, he meant every word he said to her.

Burying his face in his pillow, he let out a low growl before hitting the mattress with all his strength. He needed the anger. He craved for rage to storm him up. He couldn’t let his heart drove him crazy. He couldn’t; but yet.

He thought he knew her. And then, in a snap of her fingers, everything had turned terribly wrong, leaving him replaying the last months in his head. He had to see what he hadn’t back then, he had to find out the moment she snapped. Cause it had to be somewhere. And he had to find it. Cause if he didn’t… Then the little voices in his head could only be right. It would mean it had all been a lie, a masquerade against the resistance inside the castle. But they had to be wrong. They had to; he couldn’t handle it if his best memories were all faked. The sparks in her eyes, the happiness in her laugh, the warmth of their embrace, could it all has been pretended? Had he only saw his own feeling in her iris? Has he been the only one falling? Could he been the only one shattered now?

He had survived the Carrow and Voldemort himself. He had postponed death; to this.

Neville took the pillow and threw it to the window.

He knew it was called a heart break; yet every inch of his body ached.

***

“Nev, can we talk? In private.” Seamus added to the bunch of first years circling him. Neville wasn’t as halloed as the sacrosanct Boy Who Lived Twice, but sorting Godric Gryffindor’s sword in the middle of the battlefield was enough to be known and respect by all.

“About last night?

-Yes. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” he started, vaguely moving his hands as they both perfectly knew what he meant. When Neville had told them about Pansy and Alyssa, he had simply rose to his feet and left the dorm without a word. Dean had tried to call him back in, in vain. “I shouldn’t have left. It’s just… I don’t understand. I simply don’t understand.” He repeated, slowly, weighting his every word. “Yes, she’s carrying your child, but then? She betrayed us, she betrayed you and then you are, ready to give up your future to her. She betrayed you when it matter the most, Nev. When it matter the most. I’m- I’m just afraid for you. It’s so easy to believe when you love someone; it’s so easy to be fooled. I don’t want you to make the biggest mistake of your life because she made you think it was the only right thing to do. She doesn’t deserve you, she doesn’t deserve your forgiveness, and she- she just doesn’t deserve your future.

-Are we still talking about me?” he softly asked as Seamus eyes had slowly become red.

“Of course we are! You’re my friend! We’ve been through hell lately, and I know how- how love sometimes- I… Last year, when Dean was gone, when… when the Carrow… I remember how desperate I was for his presence. I just don’t want you to- to commit the biggest mistake of your life because you feel broken inside, okay? It just, I want you to be safe, and happy, with the good girl. And I’m afraid Pansy’s not. She betrayed you once, who can tell she won’t do it again?

-She didn’t betray me, Shay. She followed a stupid plan. She knew no one would grab Harry, she just wanted to be out of the battlefield. She wanted our baby to be somewhere safe.

-Neville… Do you know what it looks like? A fucking rescue pirouette.

-Too pretty to be true, I know. For two weeks I thought she had switch sides. Two weeks during which I’ve been asking myself what capital information I’ve been given her, which lives I took with my stupid trust in her. And then, she was suddenly at my doorstep, begging me to let her in. It was raining, she was freezing, I let her in and she told me everything I wanted. Scalded cat fears cold water, those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends blabla. How could I believed her? But it made sense, you know. It made more sense than her sudden betrayal. I knew within me it was true. And then, when she submitted herself to the Aurors, she took Veritaserum. And she told them the exact same things she told me before. You don’t have to worry about it, about me. I understand, and it means a lot to me, but we’ll be okay. I know I can trust her, and she knows she can trust me, too. Okay, Seamus? I’m not being fooled around.

-If you say so.

-Harry’s gonna meet her, and even if he can be pretty oblivious, he always know when something wicked our way come. Okay?

-Okay.

-Okay.” It somehow felt like a promise as Neville took a step forward and hug his friend tight. They were all going to be okay, he knew it.

Standing before the chimney in the middle of the Headmistress office, Neville couldn’t help but turn around to look at his friends a last time. It wasn’t a farewell, only a goodbye, but they were red eyed.

Dawn had found them all awake, lying on the floor of their common room as they made promises they hoped none of them would break. The father-to-be didn’t know it yet, but hidden in his luggage were five little presents. Five little reminders than wherever he was, he would still have a home wherever they’ll be.

#thank you for reading #a new home #chapter 1 #Neville Longbottom #Pansy Parkinson #Neville x Pansy #Pregnant Pansy #bi! Pansy #Father to be Neville #Harry Potter #Draco Malfoy #Blaise Zabini #Theodorre Nott #Seamus Finnigan #Dean Thomas #Deamus #Hermione Granger #Ron Weasley #Romione

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sooosketchy · 5 years

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Perfume at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York

My experience and review (sorta) of Perfume 4th World Tour FUTURE POP at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY, USA

Saturday March 30, 2019

Having gone to their previous shows in NY I knew I couldn’t miss out but this time I changed things up and purchased seated tickets on the balcony. The show started at 8PM and ended around 9:50PM.

We headed down to the Hammerstein Ballroom around 5PM and the end of the line had already reached the parking lot. The line grew quickly so it was a good idea arriving at least 2-3hrs before the show. After talking to people around us most of them had floor tickets in hopes of getting as close to the stage as possible. There are a couple restaurants across the street in case you get hungry and a CVS down the road.

I had a seated ticket on the second balcony without assigned seats so I was worried how far back I would be and really wanted to nab a first row seat. The previous concerts I went to at the Hammerstein I bought GA floor tickets and realized that I can’t see anything because of how short I am! I’m 4 feet 9 inches tall and could barely see the artist(s) faces on stage unless they were high up on a stairway/prop. I could try to get to the venue earlier and be close to the front of the stage but that never works out. So I told myself to never get floor tickets and try the balcony next time.

Right before walking into the entrance some guy passing by the line yelled out “This place has RATS!” Without hesitation a fan behind me yelled, “and PERFUME!” Those who heard him in line laughed back and cheered on. He was probably looking for a reaction, but NY is known to have rats everywhere so this wasn’t alarming news. The passerby repeated his statement and then kept it moving.

Once inside we were allowed to bring in shopping bags as long as they were checked, as well as bags, and book bags. We all had to walk through metal detectors and were asked to show digital tickets this time with the barcode. Once you walk through the detectors and grab your bag you could either get in line for merch or head to your seat. The line for merch wasn’t bad so if you do have an assigned seat or you already have a friend reserving your chair go for the merch first because after the show the lines are way too long and not as monitored or controlled. After finding a seat and having a friend hold it for me I went back down to buy merch. Finding the line was a hassle but the staff had started to devise a plan to have the line for merch wrap around a stairway going down a level. The only problem was that the stairs were located in the main floor level. Someone could easily leave the line and pass into GA but the staff was ready and had several people heavily monitoring the line. You had to show your ticket again going back into GA or the balcony, so they were ready to turn people back around if they did not have tickets on them so don’t forget your phone!

Merchandise for the Future Pop tour was lacking. Nothing caught my eye and was disappointed with the t-shirt designs. Out of all the t-shirts only the white one had tour dates for the 4th World Tour, but the font size was microscopic on the back of the shirt. The front image on the white shirt was nice with all three members in a stylish pose printed in black and white ink. I would have liked the other shirts to have dates, but I went for the simple FP logo shirt with the 7th tour dates on the back. I liked the shade of blue for the katakana t-shirt. There was also a $50 t-shirt with the word Perfume on the front and an invitation to the fan club but I passed because of the dark blue t-shirt color. Tote was not as sturdy looking as the comic explorer tote, but fit the $15 price tag. The towel had an interesting design covering most of the surface and the words Future Pop on the center-right corner. What I was looking forward to the most was the pin blind bags! They were only $5 and you had a chance of getting 1 of 67 pin types. Here’s a link with all the items you can get during the tour. https://www.perfume-web.jp/eng/news/individual.php?id=172

The stairway to go up to the balcony was to the left, but before walking up you had to show your e-ticket to the staff member. After walking what seemed like an endless stairway, I finally made it to the second balcony and I was early enough to get front row seats. Not in the middle of the balcony, more to the left side but the view was great. The seats are cramped together, but I’ve experienced worse so it wasn’t as stuffy for me. I was also front row so I had room to stretch my feet and room in front of my chair and underneath to place my bags. The seats on the first row are elevated significantly from the floor so be careful getting off and on, hold on to the chair so you don’t fall down. I saw people lose their balance stumbling off their chairs a couple times so be aware of the dip.

As time passed the seats were filling up faster. One thing to look out for is beams when picking a seat. There are seats positioned right in front of beams and block your view completely. So get there early and avoid those seats. There was a couple looking for seats right before the show began and found two empty seats behind us on the second row, but one seat was facing a beam. They took it anyways since it was close up and it looked like all the seats were taken up in the back.

Having a seat was great and the view was amazing but standing up was going to be an issue. I didn’t want to block anyone’s view behind me so I stayed seated. Of course I struggled to not jump up during Fake It but I stayed down and waved my hands back and forth instead, awkwardly. Suppressing my excitement around others who weren’t as hyped was a huge downer when sitting on the balcony. There’s space in front of the seats, a wide walkway, between the ledge and first row, but staff was sending back anyone who stood behind the railing, even children. This was going on during the beginning first two songs but people got the message and no one else on my side tried to stand behind the railing. HOWEVER, there was a women who sat right behind the railing in front of us for the entire show, she was just the right size and was able to peer over the bar. Because she was sitting I guess none of the staff bothered her or didn’t see her at all. She didn’t stand up not once and was pretty chill scrolling through her phone while PERFUME was preforming live in front of her. o__o

The 1st balcony seemed to have assigned seating but I have no idea how people even got seats down there. When I purchased tickets, only GA floor and BALC2 was available. I was probably too late when purchasing tickets. Side balcony was where it was at! Each one had about 12 seats but most of the people in it were standing up. I’ll probably aim for side balcony seats next time.

Setlist

Start-Up: Used the entire stage space to project what seemed to be a screen in thin air, counting down their previous performances leading up to their 4th World Tour and setting the mood for what was to come next, Future Pop!

Future Pop: the crowd was full of energy seeing Perfume back in NY and you could feel it during this song.

Electro World: First throwback song and a perfect follow up to Future Pop. Everybody’s hands were in the air clapping along for this one. A-chan was clapping along as well. Seeing this live was such a treat!

If You Wanna

Chourairin

FUSION: The choreo and silhouette effects were mesmerizing. Hearing this song gets me so amped up but the crowd wasn’t crazy for it. Loved it!

Tiny Baby

Butterfly: Not gonna lie, I lost it for bit hearing this song at first. Didn’t expect this song at all and loved every minute of it. I also appreciated the subs for the lyrics typed out on the back screen. Now everyone can sing along!

Secret Secret: There was no need for subs since the crowd had no problem signing back. Its was nice hearing the crowd sing in unison. This was another song I needed to control myself and not jump out of my seat. Didn’t focus much on what was going on behind on the screen but the audio was off a bit.

Not sure what to title the following track. It was a medley of a couple songs with a trap like beat and the trio rapping the lyrics to what sounded like Tokyo Girl. I didn’t move at all but just watched the chaos of glitched distorted visuals flicker on the screens trying to make sense of what was about to happen next. I liked it. More please.

TOKYO GIRL

Pick Me Up

FAKE IT: Died and was revived back to life. No jumping for me this time around. The pit looked out of control!

FLASH

Polyrhythm: Ahh, Polyrhythm. This is Perfumes anthem. Somehow this song just brings us and Perfume closer together during the performance and feels like we’re all up there on stage with them. But then we’re slowly brought back to reality. Always brings tears to my face seeing this song performed.

Encore - Magic of Love and Mugenmirai: didn’t take long for them to come back on stage. Not a fan of Mugenmirai in the encore but Magic of love left a lasting impression.

PTA Corner / MC / talk: Introductions! A-chan left for a few minutes and passed it over to Nocchi and then Kashiyuka. Nocchi calling out Kashiyuka while she was brushing her hair was funny. A-chan came back with what looked to be a cold ice pack wrapped around her neck, I hope she didn’t pull something. Pamela representing Dominican Republic did a great job translating (so lucky). Story time! Perfume points out that pizza slices in the USA are bigger than they expected and surprised that just one slice of pizza is larger than thier face! Then asking the crowd how many slices fans usually eat, 1 slice or 2 slices? I spotted someone holding up 4, 5 fingers. Perfume saw it too and couldn’t help but smile. They also shared their visit to the new Hudson Yards, questioning why there was a train leading somewhere to Hudson Yards? And while they were taking a photo at the weird stair case building, looking upwards, rain droplets were coming down and A-chan exposed the smiles in that photo were fake. The crowd was then split in groups. Right side CRISPY! Left side Pizza~! A-chan also taught us a catchy tune about brushing your teeth with dance moves using your hands to brush the lower teeth, upper teeth, back and front teeth. Less crowd interaction during the talking segments than the last shows I’ve been to. Lots of thank yous at the end. Now we wait for Perfumes comeback!

Rant

Recording was strictly prohibited and was not encouraged at all during the show. I get it, they use WiFi to control certain lights and devices on stage, but I should be allowed to use my phones camera to record while on airplane mode. That way I’m not interfering with the stages WiFi connection. This tour is all about the future and technology and the possibilities we have with them and being told not to use it doesn’t make sense.

Merchandise was not appealing to me and could use a few more variations of color and the addition of dates of the 4th World Tour in larger font. I’m grateful for what we got but I know they can do better. Maybe bringing back a gallery exhibition like the one during Cosmic Explorer tour can allow fans to purchase merch earlier and have more options in t-shirts, dvds, cds, and other items.

This one is more personal, on our way to the train station we stopped at a pizza restaurant to grab a quick bite before our train arrived. You could see who else just came from the concert. Some held their merchandise for all to see, Perfume cosplayers, or wore a Perfume concert t-shirt. Unfortunately we bumped into the wrong group of people who also came from the concert that said some pretty unnecessary and hurtful comments about someone in our group. All we did was ask if they were in line, got weird glances in response and the comments started. I don’t want to go into detail about what they said, just that it was wrong and that night proved Perfume fans are a group of some of the most diverse, creative and dedicated individuals. No one has the right to say who can like what and I hope they realize that soon cause Perfume is going to continue to inspire and attract all kinds of people from different walks of life, so deal with it.

So how was your FUTURE POP Tour experience? Did you get a blind bag, and which one did you get? Did anything strange or different happen at the show you attended?

#prfm #perfume #futurepoptour #future pop tour #world tour 4th #future pop #new your #hammerstein ballroom

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jasminewaliaposts-blog · 5 years

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My Journey as a Maid of Honor

Since summer is approaching us, do you know what that means? Wedding Season. A whole a lot of spending your money on clothes that you will probably never wear again, OH and dealing with bridezillas.

Last year of November, my best friend surprised me and some of her other friends by popping the BIG QUESTION, “Will you be my Maid of Honor.” Obviously, I was going to say yes without realizing the amount of annoyance I was about to be faced with. With joy I accepted her box full of treats she gave as a present to me. In the box were pictures from our childhood, a PJ set, a wine bottle, a hand mirror, and a heart filled personalized card. In the card she wrote why she chose me to me the maid of honor, and the date of the wedding which was only revealed to me. Obviously, it was on the same weekend of my birthday. But oh well, it’s just a birthday, I guess…

Two weeks later, my other best friend announced that she would have her wedding 3 weeks before my other best friend (end of June), and my cousin announced that she would have her wedding the same weekend as well.

Tip: Breath and create a calendar with all the main events

So just in case you feel lost, let me draw this out for you. I am a Maid of Honor for a wedding taking place on July 20thand a bridesmaid for a wedding taking place on June 30thand on the same weekend my cousin is getting married.

Now the problem is not the actual weddings, is it the 10 events which happen leading up to the wedding. As well as the thousands of dollars that are spent on clothing, hair and makeup. Being Indian means, we have a lot of traditions and celebrations, which don’t get me wrong, are tons of fun. It involves a whole a lot of color, beautiful outfits, outrageous décor, a lot of dancing and BOOZE. The image below is an example of how décor typically looks like at an Indian wedding ceremony.

Tip: Always create a budget break-down for yourself in terms of how much you will end up spending for each event. This includes the cost of your outfit, makeup, bachelorette/bachelor party, gift(s) to the brides, etc.

As I am processing this, I just realized that I still have one more semester of school left, and this is where I start PANICKING. How am I going to handle school, whilst helping plan three important weddings? Plus, all these food festivals which I do not want to miss out on. Like how can anyone miss out on poutine festival or taco fest?

Anyways, in December my best friend approached me to ask me if I can plan the bachelorette and bridal shower for her. As a Maid of Honor, I had to say yes. Listen, I love my best friend and I would do anything for her, but this is a busy time for me since I am trying to manage school and work on all these wedding shenanigans.

To make things more complicated, she decided to invite her fiancé and his friends to the bachelorette party. So essentially it would be both a bachelorette and a bachelor party. For anyone who has ever experienced this, they would know how complicated things can get when you add a bunch of guys to the mix.

So, the first thing I did was reach out to my best friend’s sister, Bianca, and created a WhatsApp group with all the bridesmaids, and to inform them that the destination we have chosen is Vegas. Now come the outpouring suggestions and recommendations of where we should stay, and how much our budget should be blah blah.

So, complication #5393458 is that everyone in the group are of different age and have different things going on in their lives. Some were students, some are businesswomen, and some are married and have kids. So, their interests and budgets are entirely different from one another.

Some wanted to spend their money on a luxurious hotel, and some would rather spend their money at pool parties and clubs. Long story short, it took me about 3 months to decide on what hotel we should stay at. Once we finalized the hotel, I decided to get touch with the groom and his best man(s) who were planning the bachelor party and let’s just say they were not happy with the hotel we decided to stay at. At this point I told them I don’t really give a s*** about their opinion and we are going ahead with that hotel.

Tip: Create an excel sheet with a budget breakdown so people can see where their money will be going. For people who are on a tight budget, seeing a number visually will ease the process. Below is an example of how this can look like.

The next headache was coming up with an itinerary. This trip is supposed to be 3 nights and 4 days long (Friday- Monday). For Friday, the bride and groom decided that both the guys and girls should spend it together, GREAT! (rolling my eyes). Now this is where things get really COMPLICATED. I had booked all of the girls for an event where Calvin Harris was performing, and of course the best man(s) had to oppose to it, because the cost of them getting a booth there was “too expensive” (FYI: only $100 difference shared amongst 28 people). So anyways, they decided we should go to a “cheaper” event with a less interesting artist. Ok so they literally ruined our wonderful plan, but we were okay with that.

For that same day we had decided that we will get a private dining room for all the girls and guys as a surprise for both the groom and bride. At this point I had already booked a private chef, and here come along the groom’s men opposing to the idea once again. They wanted to do a $100 USD buffet. Why would anyone spend that much on a buffet? Once again, I agreed to it.

Now that the bachelorette party was somewhat coming together, it was time to plan the bridal shower. Let me tell you, this was not fun at all. The bride told us she wanted us to plan an Aladdin themed bridal shower, and once again she wanted us to surprise her so that meant we had to come up with the guest list, find a venue and a caterer, etc.

As I started planning this, I decided to use a technique I learnt when doing group work in the Master of Marketing program, and that is to DELEGATE! Instead of taking on all the responsibilities and trying to plan every single detail, I decided to come up with a list of duties and assign a task to all the bridesmaids. I simply created a google doc and listed all the responsibilities and put a bunch of names down and shared it with everyone.

Tip: Create a Google Doc and share it with the people who will be participating in the planning process, like the one below.

The planning led all the way to April, which also meant exam time. Since there was only two weeks left till Vegas, this meant CRUNCH time.

Amidst all this, I had to deal with coordinating bridesmaid’s outfits. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TRYING TO GET 13 BRIDESMAIDS to send their correct measurements?! Anyways, once I got the measurements, I decided to order the outfits.

Tip: Ladies and Gents, whenever you are placing a bulk order for clothes, always make sure you get a sample outfit from the designer

The outfits were being made in India. It is a beautiful white skirt and crop top with gold embroidery. The cost of each outfit is $300 CAD, and each bridesmaid has to pay out of her pocket which made it more nerve wracking in terms of getting these outfits down to perfection.

Three weeks later, we received a box with all these outfits, and what happens? NONE OF THEM FIT. I called the designer and yelled at him for sending me the wrong sizes and since these are custom made, none of them are refundable nor returnable. I told the bridesmaids to re-measure themselves so I can find a seamstress to fix all of them, and turns out, they all measured themselves wrong.

Tip: Always find someone professional to get you measured

So, since it was their fault, I told them that it was their responsibility to get their own outfits fixed. Remember guys, always delegate.

Now its exam time, and I am both stressed and excited for Vegas (not really excited for my exams haha). After I finished my exams, it was crunch time for the trip, so this meant buying the decorations for our hotel and custom making our t-shirts and making any last-minute reservations. This also meant hitting the gym every single day in the hopes I would have a 6-pac for my trip.

Amidst all this chaos, I totally forgot to order outfits for my trip. So, I quickly went onto Fashion Nova, which is a famous online store for both men and women. I quickly placed an order in hopes I would get my order in time and hopefully all the outfits would fit. Fast forward a week later (I now only have 6 days left till my trip) I receive my order from Fashion Nova, AND EVERYTHING IS TOO SMALL on me. When I mean I started crying, I mean it! I called my best friend and started crying because nothing fit me and I had spent so much money on these outfits and none of it was refundable, oh and they also sent me 3 of the wrong outfits.

So, at this point my only option was to go to the mall and try to find 3 outfits for a night out, 2 for a pool party and at least 2 for a fancy dinner and lunch. So, I went to at least 3 malls, and FOUND NOTHING!

Did I mention how unnecessarily expensive stores are? I wasn’t going to spend $100 on just one dress. At this point I made a decision to go onto another online store called Pretty Little Thing. I decided to order 4 dresses, confident that they will all fit since I ordered from them before. Since I needed it expediated, I had to pay $20 USD for express shipping. 2 days later, I get my package, and as I’m furiously opening it, I try on my first out and guess what? The dresses are too big. At this point I was not even mad; I was just laughing at myself for even trying.

Tip: Never order dresses from any online shops until reading reviews on both Instagram and on Google. Try to find the exact outfit on the company’s Instagram page and see the reviews for that exact outfit. See what people say about the sizing and quality.

I come downstairs, and my mom asks me “how are the dresses?” I told her that I am just going to end up wearing my old dresses because this whole online ordering business is not working out for me. She took a look at the dresses and said that she can take me to a seamstress and just get them fixed. How genius is my mother… The same day I decide to visit my seamstress and she quotes me $50 just to get them fixed, without hesitation I gave it to her and told her I will pick them up the next day. Anyways, so that whole situation worked out somehow. I went to Post Canada to return all my Fashion Nova dresses. As we know I was already frustrated with their return policy, and then I was told I would have to pay $30 in return shipping, WHEN IT WAS NOT EVEN MY FAULT. I emailed Fashion Nova, and let’s just say I sent a very threatening message to them on both Facebook and email.

Tip: Always send customer service an email about your complaint/ experience. If you do not like their response via email, try contacting them on social media. These companies care about their reputation and the last thing they want is a bad review on their page.

Finally came the day to leave for VEGAS! Our flight departed at 9 p.m. from Toronto, so we decided to go to the airport to sit at the Air Canada Lounge to eat and drink. We then decided to stop by the duty free to pick up some alcohol since everyone who has been to Vegas knows how expensive food and alcohol can be there.

Tip: Never buy alcohol from Vegas, always get it from the airport when departing.

We all finally arrive and set-up our suite with decorations and gifts for all the bridesmaids. And let’s just say after that, the trip was a blur.

After recovering from the trip, now it was time to finalise everything for the bridal shower. This was a breeze since we hired people to decorate the venue and make all the deserts. Below is a picture of the beautiful Aladdin cake.

Today is May 26th, 2019, and within the next 3 weeks it is both my cousins and my other best friend’s bridal showers and bachelorette parties. (WISH ME LUCK)!

This story will be continued, if I make it out alive after this summer….

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bookishbloggerreviews · 5 years

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Book Chat #1 -- Book consumerism, Amazon takeover, and the destruction of the literary market.

So many of you might have been unaware, or perhaps you just haven't cared, but the book community is on the verge of a downward spiral. And I'm not saying that, "oh, this is really bad but it will fix itself!" I'm saying that this could be the beginning of a new type of censorship we didn't even think could happen--the censorship of books.

(To make myself clear, I'm not talking about a company coming in and saying "you can't write that!" I'm saying that because of the direction the market is heading, small brand or indie authors are going to be crushed with the changes that are going to happen in the next few years.)

But before I get ahead of myself, I should state what the problem really is: book consumerism.

I've seen many booktubers or popular book critics make videos on what they think about when they buy books, how they buy them, and why they might prefer different formats compared to others. A lot of them bring up some valuable points stating, "I don't make a lot of money, I can't afford to buy books but I do have a library card and that allows me to read." Or, "The literary industry is built upon people buying a book, reading it once, and then never touching it again. It's wasteful and it would be better for the common people to simply read books from their local libraries." Or, "I can't afford the physical copy so I rely purely on the digital formats and now I can't see why anyone else would ever want to own a physical book." And then they encourage thousands and thousands of readers to stop buying books and switch to their local libraries, or buy cheaper digital formats.

And while that may be beneficial for their wallet and for their state of life, if everyone did that, the book community would either 1. Vanish or 2. Have to charge ridiculously high prices to make back the profits of production, marketing, design, editing, as well as the author making enough money to actually survive. Suddenly your 15$ books would be on the upward scale of 20-30$. But why? It boils down to how many copies are actually being bought.

If you have three libraries in your area, (if everyone were to stop purchasing their books and instead rely on libraries) the total copies bought for that area would probably be less than 30. Less than 30. (Which would probably be about 1 book for ever one to two thousand people.)

Sure, more libraries would open and the library business would be expanding... but the cost of that restrict publishers and authors.

Publishers are already incredibly picky about what they decide to put out. Most authors will tell you that they send their manuscripts from anywhere from 3 to 20 different publishers--and that's with a fairly decent market for books! Now imagine a more competitive market where only a few new authors get the chance to debut. What this does is it solidifies authors who already have a long standing following and companies who very popular and well known while discouraging any competition. At which point you might say: "Just use an independent publishing platform then! No one's forcing new authors to publish with publishers!" And I can assure you that not only is this problematic, but it won't work, at least, not now it won't. (I'll return to this in a moment but I need to finish covering this topic before I jump to the next.)

So that leaves us with E-books. I bet you're wondering, "what's wrong with E-books? I still pay the authors for their services! It's not like I'm reading for free!" But that's not entirely true.

In order to examine why this is so bad, we need to take a look at how authors make their money. Let's compare traditional book sales to E-book sales.

Traditional book sale: the books are priced anywhere from 15-25$. The book price depends on which company published it, whether it's a hard or soft cover, whether any embellishments were added (sprayed pages, etchints, additional artwork, etc.), and the book store. When first publishing, the author will usually sign a contract agreeing to receive about 30% of the book sales. (That's a pretty normal percentage, though some publishers do offer more based on who the author is or what they're publishing.) The other 70% will go to covering the costs of production. After the book has been made and sent out to book stores to be sold, book stores will tack on anywhere from another 10-25% for their services in shipping and handling. So, in total, that 15-25$ price that you see at the book store? The author gets about 1/4th of that. That means out of every book you buy, the author only gets 4-5$.

E-book sale: the traditional publishing, but on a much, much, much smaller scale. E-book prices range from 1-4$. Now the author gets about 30% of that 1-4$... see the problem?

You may not be reading for free, but the authors themselves now get crumbs of what they used to get. Which, when you're trying to make a living out of that, is depressing.

(If you want to be more logical with your purchases, I suggest buying books you like, and reading books you're wishy-washy on through E-book or libraries.)

Coming back to the "why don't they publish independently???" thought, we now get to explore the commercial aspect as the bookstores vs. Amazon.

In the past few years, Amazon has opened up Amazon publishing--which has been both beneficial and detrimental. Beneficial because authors can finally take publishing into their own hands. Detrimental because the quality of those books being published is not only under constant scrutiny, but the system can be easily abused and manipulated. This results in a high amount of distrust and animosity towards books published on individual platforms, yet, with the war on traditional book stores, it seems that there will be little other option than to trust Amazon in the following years.

(For those who might be unaware, the winter/holiday season of 2018 will be determining whether Barnes and Noble, along with other publishers, will continue to see a decline in sales. Partially due the increase in switching from physical shopping to online shopping--namely, from Barnes and Noble to Amazon--Amazon is quickly overcoming their competitors with lower prices, faster or free shipping. This results in stores closing and Amazon becoming a monopoly through modern culture. Which, if you've ever studied business and the free-market... putting our books in the hands of people who may or may not care whether they're 15 or 40$ is a little concerning.)

Overall, the message you can take away from this book chat is this: find a way to support authors without removing their livelihood, be careful of where you buy and how much power you give companies to run off other competitors, and don't be surprised when prices, authors, publishers and companies suddenly start changing. It's been a long time coming.

Thanks for reading this mess of a book chat. I hope you learned something insightful or new. If you want more book chats or bookish content, feel free to hit that follow button. Otherwise...

A Bookish Blogger out!

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silentprincess100 · 6 years

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SEKAIICHI HATSUKOI ONODERA RITSU NO BAAI Chapter 27 Preliminary Translation (for the impatient)!!!

**MAJOR SPOILERS**

If you’re like me, you see the new foreign language raws of Sekakoi and are dying to read them right away. For those people, I’ve drafted a preliminary translation of the long-awaited twenty-seventh chapter of The Case of Onodera Ritsu, which just came out on the 29th!!! My translations are from Chinese, so I can’t vouch for how closely they follow the original Japanese text. As a die-hard fan of Sekakoi, I tried to translate Takano and Onodera as I understand (and LOVE!!) them as people. Just a note, though, my translations air on the liberal interpretation side and hope to refit the text to sound natural (or as natural as possible) in English, so if you’re looking for a word-for-word translation, you won’t find it here. Additionally, I know that there is a group who is officially scanlating SIH, and I do not mean to step on anyone’s toes or offend anyone. This is not a full scanlation in the slightest – it’s just for those who want a quick translation. I would be MORE THAN ECSTATIC AND EXTREMELY HONORED if the scanlation group covering SIH wants to work off of any of my translations, but please contact me if you do. :D

Credits for the scans that I used to translate go to Tong Meng Hui同萌繪（ cute and clever name by the way – my inner Chinese history geek heartily approves） scanlation group. The link to their scanlation is here, and I take ABSOLUTELY NO CREDIT for it: https://weibo.com/u/1582384823?is_hot=1#_rnd1514689495071.

Lastly, Shungiku Nakamura’s works belong to her, of course. Please buy the originals to support her work!! (By the way, there is a special thirteenth volume coming out in May with an extra booklet and some sort of marriage related special??!!).

So!! Enjoy, and feel free to send suggestions. Any errors are mine alone!

*Edited for a read-more function and some small errors. Sorry everyone and thank you for your patience.

Title Page:

Surely, these minute details of everyday life will one day become precious memories.

[May 1st Release – Onodera Ritsu no Baai Volume 13 (special edition and extra booklet) Now in pre-sale!!

Also on sale are the extremely popular SIH volumes 1-12 and Junjou Romantica 1-22.

Ultra-capable Editor in Chief x Newbie editor’s sightly realistic publishing company world love story!

SIH will be released as an app-game for smart-phones!!!!

Page 2:

Every time I cross over

Those pink tracks…

Page 3:

clang clang clang

Page 4:

Ritsu: Eh? You’ve moved there?

Mutou Sensei: Oh, do you know the area?

Ritsu: Yes, that was the closest station to my high school! Mutou sensei: Ahhh... I see!

Ritsu: Ah yes, but that you have moved to Tokyo is really quite the surprise.

Mutou sensei: Ahaha. Because handing in the manuscripts on-time and securing assistants was never that convenient…. (I’d about reached my limits!) Ritsu: Ah.

Page 5:

Ritsu: Also, I know you must be very busy unpacking… but regarding the manuscript… Mutou sensei: It’s no problem at all. I’ve just finished it!

Ritsu: Really? Fantastic! Thank you for your hard work!!! Ah, so could I come pick it up now?

Ok, great, thank you so much, you’ve been a great help. Ok, I will see you soon.

RItsu (thoughts): it has been so long since I’ve been to XX station….

Looking out the windows of the train on my way to school, every year there would always be cherry blossoms lining the tracks…

Page 6:

[And

Day

After day

I would be secretly watching Sempai from behind on my way to school.

GAHH~!!!!! Stop thinking about that dark history!!!!!

page 7:

Takano: What the hell are you doing?

Ritsu: !?(startle!) Why are you here?

Takano: Um maybe because I work here…?

Here are the materials for the meeting. Remember to look them over before tomorrow.

Ritsu: Huh? Ah, okay!

Oh, I am headed over to Mutou Sensei’s house to pick up the manuscript.

Takano: Mutou sensei’s?

Ritsu: Yes, it seems she just moved to Tokyo yesterday.

Takano: No way.

page 8

Takano: Where does she live?

Ritsu: Um. Well …

At XX station on YY line.

Takano: XX station?

Ah!

That's –

[Don’t say it!!!] stands up abruptly Ah, well, then I’m headed off.

Takano: Hang on. I’ll be heading out to meet with an author as well, so why don’t we go together?

Ritsu: Ah… but… um…

Takano: What?

Ritsu: It’s nothing.

Ritsu (thinking): If I seem too flustered, he’ll think that I care about it too much!!

page 9:

Takano: Achoo

Ritsu: Have you caught a cold? Takano: Well, it’s not at full cold status yet, just the first signs.

Ritsu: (Hmph!) Takano-san, it seems that someone hasn’t been taking care of themselves.

Takano: Ah… maybe.

So, why don’t you come over to my house today to take care of me. I’ll make dinner for you. (Aren’t you done for today after picking up the manuscript?)

Ritsu: Blush I’m not going!!

Takano: Oh, right. Here, take this.

page 10

Ritsu: ?

Takano: It’s the key to my apartment.

Ritsu: Huh?

Takano: You can come over whenever you want. Also, as a thank you in return, give me the key to your apartment.

Ritsu: Wha?

Takano: Or why don’t we just move in together. Otherwise, you might die alone at your house and I might never know.

If we live together, the house would be super neat and there would always be hot food to eat, now doesn’t that sound nice?

Ritsu: Huh? Wait!!!

Takano: And then I wouldn’t have to worry about your friend anymore.

page 11:

RItsu: Wha – what are you talking about?

Takano: Anyway, come over today.

Ritsu: No thank you – please allow me to decline!

Takano: Why? Ritsu: Well because judging by past experiences… (t/n this could also be “well because common sense tells me…”)

[Ah. The key to Takano-san’s apartment. I remember.]

Takano: What?

Ritsu: … it’s nothing.

Takano: If you have something to say, just say it.

Ritsu: I don’t…

Takano: Onodera.

Ritsu: …

…

Well, that is,

That key to your apartment.. wasn’t it… that was Yokozawa’s before, right?

page 12:

Ritsu: ...I just suddenly thought of it, that’s all!

An-anyway I’ve got somewhere to be, so I’m heading off. I’ll see you later.

Takano: Onodera.

I’ve already had him return that key to me.

Ritsu: Huh? It’s not as if - I’m not –

Takano: I’m sorry.

page 13:

Takano: I should have told you properly. I’m sorry.

I had already asked for the key that I gave to Yokozawa back. The key I just gave you is a new one.

Ritsu: Huh? Ah! I already said that I’m not –

[No no – it can’t seem as if I care about this too much!!]

Ritsu: A-and anyways we rent our apartments, how could you give one to someone else? What will happen when you leave that place?

Takano: I talked it over with the building management before I made this one, so it’s not a problem.

Because, I wanted you to have it no matter what.

page 14:

Takano: So take it. clink

Ritsu: Wai-

Takano: Bye-bye. I’ll leave Mutou sensei to you then.

Ritsu: Takano-san!!!

Woman: Good work.

Takano: You too.

Ritsu’s thought: ……Heyyyy…., even if you give me that thing…

page 15:

slam

Ritsu (thoughts): I’m returning it to him. This is me returning it to him!

Ugh god, what is that person thinking?!

Kisa: Ricchan, you haven’t left yet?

Ritsu: Hahaha, ah, no, I forgot something…

Ritsu (thoughts): Just because he gave me a key, he tells me to give him my key and to live with him. I totally cannot understand what he is thinking!

[but]

Ritsu’s thoughts: this way…

[He took his key back (from Yokozawa)]

page 16:

ding

Nao: oh, hey! If it isn’t Ritsu!

Ritsu: Nao! You’re working at Marukawa today?

Nao: Yep. I’ve gotten another job here besides the photo collection book. And what are you up to?

Ritsu: I’m on my way to pick up a manuscript.

Nao: (?!) Oh? So you have to go door-to-door to pick up the manuscripts yourself?

Ritsu: No, not every time. This time the author had just happened to have recently moved here, so I thought I’d pay a visit.

Nao: Oh okay, is it nearby?

Ritsu: No, maybe 30-40 minutes by train. Seems to be near my old school – which caught me by surprise!

Page 17:

Nao: Huuuuh. Did you suggest that place to sensei?

Ritsu: No, it was just a coincidence!

Nao: Uh-huh…

Ritsu: Then, I’ll see you later!

Nao: I’ll go with you.

Ritsu: What?

Nao: Well, I was just getting ready to head back anyway.

Ritsu: Huh? Um… but I’m going for work…

Nao: It’s fine, it’s fine. I won’t go with you to the author’s house.

page 18:

Ritsu: Ummmm..but.. Nao: I just want to see what your old school was like! After I take a look, I’ll head back on my own – so there’s no issue, right?

Ritsu: That is….. Errrrr…. Um…

Page 19:

Announcement: XX station. XX station. Doors will open on your left.

(sound effect: clang clang clang)

page 20:

Nao: Ritsu? The gate finally went up (Ah. Sure took its time.)

Ritsu: Oh right, sorry! Um, it’s this way! The school is about five minutes walking distance from here.

Nao: OK. Nao: Hey, is it that building right over there? Ritsu: Ah, yes.

RItsu (thoughts): The uniforms haven’t changed at all.

Nao: Wowww, pretty impressive school you have here!!

page 21:

[Ahhhh…. Right. Takano-san and I have definitely walked this path before…]

Startle

Ritsu (thoughts): It seems I’ve started thinking of a lot of different things….

(muddle muddle)

That sort of sordid history can’t be summed up with simple “nostalgia….”

Nao: Has it changed?

page 22:

RItsu: Huh?

Nao: The school.

Ritsu: Oh, I’m not sure. From the outside, it looks like it hasn’t changed…

Nao: Well I’m sure they’ve renovated it since then.

Ritsu: Ah, that’s true…

Nao: …. Uh huh…. Ten years ago, you met Saga-sempai here huh….

Ritsu: What? (*heartbeat*) Ah, um…. Yeah.

Nao: Hmm….

page 23:

Nao: I clearly don’t know anything about the Ritsu of that time, and yet that person does. It really doesn’t sit well with me.

Ritsu: Huh? What are you talking abou-

Nao: Ritsu.

I really do love you.

Page 24:

Ritsu: …..

…. What?

Nao: At first it was just because I thought you were at risk and couldn’t stop worrying about you that I became your friend.

But after that, after spending each day with you, slowly but surely, I started to really understand you. And then, I fell in love with you.

Narration: [He did recently say, “I’m serious about this.” Could it be… that it was true?]

Page 25:

Ritsu: B-but, in all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never…

Nao: Well, that’s obviously because I didn’t want to let you find out.

It was, after all, under those circumstances, and I also thought maybe I was confusing feelings of empathy with romantic interest.

But later I realized that it was, in fact, interest.

And you never mentioned anything about Saga-sempai again. I even breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that you had finally given him up.

Because I had seen how depressed you were then, I thought that any confession that I would make might cause you even more pain.

So, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

page 26:

Nao: Rather than risk pushing you away with a confession, it would be better to continue to be friends… is what I thought. So I didn’t say anything.

… but… in the end, I couldn’t accept that.

After we parted I also had a lot of different experiences, but in the end, from then until now, it was always you that I loved

Ritsu: O-oh, is that so… I’m sorry. At the time, because I was so caught up in my own affairs, I never noticed.

Nao: Ahahaha. You really are thick-headed.

page 27:

Nao: Are you still in love with Saga-sempai?

Ritsu: Huh?

Nao: Ritsu, don’t let yourself get hurt like you did last time.

Ritsu: Hu-hurt? I was never-

Nao: So… it is just that you’ve been restrained by these feelings of “I liked him,” am I right?

page 28:

Nao: I don’t want to see you like that ever again.

Ritsu: Nao… Nao.

Nao: Even if he has changed his name, he is still that same guy that hurt you!

Since he is your boss, I can’t ask you not to see him again, but to be honest, just seeing him by your side - it pisses me off.

page 29:

Nao: I hope that you will take some time to think this over properly, so you don’t have to give me an answer right now.

But from now on I hope you can see me as a potential romantic partner.

Well, then, I’m heading off now. Bye bye!

Ritsu: Eh – Nao!

Nao: I’m satisfied by seeing the school; hurry up and pick up your manuscript!

Ah. Ritsu. I just want you to remember this.

page 30:

Nao: I definitely treasure you more. At least a lot more than any “Saga-sempai” or “Takano san” ever could.

page 31:

[… … … Nao.

He is serious about me. He truly is a good friend. When I had fallen so deeply into the pit of despair, he was always there to support me. It’s hard to even say just how much he helped me.]

Ritsu (thoughts): Because I had always seen him as a friend, I never even noticed… He said he didn’t need an answer right away, but I should have let him down right then.

Even if he says that he wants me to see him as a romantic partner, I still only see him as a friend.

[And what’s more…]

Memory: Nao: So… it is just that you’ve been restrained by these feelings of “I liked him,” am I right?

page 32:

[…. Could that be it?]

Ritsu (thoughts): No, that can’t be right. My past was always a dark patch of history devoid of any sort of happy memories.

And what’s even more, with the ten years intervening, it is hard to even glimpse a shadow of what it was like back then.

Yes, that’s it.

[Not only tyrannical, but also unyielding, his personality is the worst, and he is always doing all this inappropriate stuff to me].

……

[But.]

[He’s very capable when it comes to work, and every manga that he has a hand in creating is interesting. He does say things that are way over the line… but in the end, his advice is always on the mark.]

page 33:

[When I succeed, he praises me, and he also has always believed in me… moreover, he says that he has never stopped loving me over these past ten years.]

….

I should really clear things up with Nao.

[I’m not being restrained by old feelings. And I’m not being controlled by them either. I really need to tell him that it is not like that at all.]

page 34:

Ritsu: Huh?

Hatori: Welcome back. That took a while, huh.

Ritsu: Ah, I’m sorry about that. When I picked up the manuscript, we also chatted about content for next chapter.

Takano-san isn’t back yet?

Hatori: He said that he was headed straight home after his meeting with the author.

Ritsu: Huh?!

Hatori: Did something happen?

Ritsu: Eh? Ah, no! I see, so that’s what he said.

Oh, well, then I’ll be headed off as well.

Hatori: Okay, good work today.

page 35:

[Anyway – his key! What should I do with it?!]

Ritsu (thoughts): Since he went straight home, that means that he has to have another key, right? Then, it’s a non-issue. I’ll just leave the key here and go straight home, right?!

But what if some sort of accident happens if I leave it here – that’s scary to think about.

We-well, but, why does it have to be me who worries about this kind of stuff?

phone rings

Ritsu: Hello?!!

Takano: I don’t have a key, so I can’t get into my house.

Ritsu: What?

Why?

Takano: Didn’t I just give my key to you?

page 36:

Ritsu: Huh? But that’s a spare, right? Don’t you have another set?

Takano: I left them at home.

Ritsu: What?!

Takano: Aren’t you finished with work already anyways? Come back; I’ll make dinner for you.

Ritsu (thoughts): Okay, you DEFINITELY did that on purpose just because I didn’t agree to eat dinner with you. You KNEW your other key was at your house, and purposefully gave me your only key…

Takano: If you don’t come back, then I can’t make dinner, so get moving.

Ritsu: Please don’t be so difficult! Why couldn’t you have just not given me the key in the first place? Takano: ACHOO

page 37:

Takano: Achooo

Ritsu: Hey, wait a second, are you alright?

Takano: sniff What?

Ritsu: You have a cold, don’t you?

Takano: I don’t.

Achoo

Ritsu: Ahh, you do, though. Okay, okay, I get it, I get it.

[DAMNNIT!!] grabs

[Doing this sort of childish thing just to play around with people– it would clearly be best if I just let him deal with things by himself.]

Ritsu (thoughts): But, if his cold gets worse and he tries to pin this all on me, that’ll suck.

page 38:

[I really want to tell him that he is just getting what he deserves. Are you an idiot?! What the heck is going on in the brain of yours? This isn’t for Takano-san at all. It’s only because I have a lot that I want to say that I’m running…. And bringing Takano-san’s key…]

page 39:

Ritsu panting from running

Ah ha ah hah

Ritsu: WHAA?

Takano: I’m starving. (It’s hot out.)

Ritsu: And I just ran all the way here from the station!!

Takano: You’re kidding.

Ritsu: I’m not! Because if you died in the doorway, I’d have nightmares. (You just figured that out now, didn’t you?!)

Takano: ….

Ah….

page 40:

Takano: Thanks. pat pat Sorry, but I’m super happy right now.

Ritsu: Please! Please don’t do such childish things!

Takano: All I did was give you my key.

Ritsu: So, I’m saying, this sort of thing –

Takano: Here. Drink this.

Ritsu (thoughts): Huh…? Isn’t this already half empty? Which means…

Takano: Our relationship is past the point of being embarrassed over indirect kisses, no?

Ritsu: TAKANO-SAN!!!!! (blush blush blush!)

Takano: Alright, alright.

Were you able to collect the manuscript?

page 41:

Ritsu: Ah, yes. Sensei also sends her regards.

Takano: Where’s her house near?

RItsu: Oh, remember the bus station in front of the school? It’s that apartment that you can see right after you turn onto the side-road.

Takano: … Ah. It’s sort of coming back to me. Actually, I remember standing in front of the street-gate waiting for it to go up and getting pissed when it wouldn’t. (Ritsu – bdmp)

Is it still the same?

Ritsu: Eh, ah, yes. B-but I never thought I had to wait long there.

Takano: No way.

Ritsu: … Ah. B-but Nao also complained that it took forever.

page 42:

RItsu urk : Ah….

Takano: …

You. You went with Nao to pick up the manuscript?

Ritsu: … Um… about that… Please let me explain.

Takano: In the hallway?

Ritsu: Huh? Ah, ummm. Then I’ll just send you an email when I get home.

Takano: Didn’t I just tell you? I don’t have a key.

Page 43:

Takano: Open the door.

Ritsu: …

k-chak

Takano: Go on.

blocking the way

Ritsu: Ta-takano-san. Um. Nao was at the company for work, and I just happened to run into him in the lobby.

page 44:

Ritsu: I – after I said that Sensei’s house was close to my old school, he said he wanted to come see it. I turned him down, but in the end I wasn’t able to lose him.

Ah, but of course, I didn’t tell him Mutou Sensei’s address. We just walked together next to the school, and then split up.

Takano: What did you talk about?

Ritsu: Just some regular topics.

Takano: What do you mean by “regular?”

Ritsu: J-just. About school. About old times.

Takano: And you were confessed to as well, weren’t you?

page 45:

Ritsu: startle

Takano: …. So what did you say.

Ritsu: Please don’t use such leading questions to interrogate me!

Takano: But if I didn’t do that, you wouldn’t say anything, no?

Ritsu: O-okay yes, he confessed, but I said before that I only see Nao as a friend, so I was surprised.

Takano: And how did you respond?

Ritsu: I- I didn’t. Because he said that I didn’t need to respond right away.

Takano: …

Ritsu: And!

page 46:

Takano: And what?

Ritsu: ….

Ritsu: I’m heading back. Here is your key!!

Grab

Ritsu: Wha-

Takano: You still haven’t answered me.

Ritsu: Please let me go!

Push

Ritsu: Waa!!

Takano: So. After I find out that the person I like has been confessed to, you expect me to hold my composure?

page 47:

Takano: Even when it was just that the guy knew things about those ten years of yours that I didn’t, I was pissed. Why did it have to be at this time, another moment in which I wasn’t there, that you were confessed to?

[E-even if you say that]

Takano: …

Even though I’ve resolved myself to waiting for you, I can still get worried.

So. How many more times do I have to hold you for you to finally belong to me? (t/n also could be read as how many times do we have to sleep together for you to finally belong to me.)

page 48:

Takano: Ritsu. I love you.

So, hurry up and give your full self to me

page 49:

mouth mouth

RItsu: Haaa

Tremble

Ritsu: Ha

Ritsu: Wai-

Drop

RItsu: Ah, ha tremble

Takano: You’re so warm.

bite

page 50:

glub glub

Ritsu: hah hah

page 51:

Ritsu: Hah, hah hah

suckle suckle suckle, kiss kiss kiss

RItsu: Ta-takano san! (hahh)

Liiiick

Takano: What?

Ritsu: It’s – it’s already…

If you contin…ue…

Mouth

Jolt

page 52:

Ritsu: Ahh!!

Ritsu (thought): Ah. Because there is a layer of cloth between us, I feel like, somehow, it’s not enough.

Fondle fondle, grope, grope

Takano: Is it uncomfortable?

RItsu: (hahh) I-it…

Takano: Do you want to get off?

Ritsu: Didn’t I just tell you to stop these leading questions?

Takano: And didn’t I just tell you to give your full self to me?

Ritsu: Hah. Hah.

page 53:

RItsu: ……

…. It’s too embarrassing. Please don’t look.

page 54:

RItsu: Ah, ah. Ah ah.

Thrust thrust thrust

Takano’s thoughts: Ahhh…. Feels great.

page 55:

thrust hahh

[Right now, what I’m feeling in my heart, it isn’t just old emotions.]

Ritsu (thought): Ah, so deep.

RItsu (thought): Ah. Why does he always touch there….

What should I do… It feels so good.

[There is a sort of feeling that doesn’t solely belong to then, and yet also doesn’t solely belong to now, that is slowly blossoming within my chest.]

Lick

Memory: Are you in love with Saga-sempai?

page 56:

Takano: Ritsu.

[But to think that this feeling might be “love”?]

thrust

Ritsu: Ah!

turns over

Takano: Man, you’re a mess.

page 57:

[On the other hand, if this isn’t “love” then what else can it be called?]

Ritsu: Takano san. Hah hah.

[This feeling is slowly building up, and the more it builds up, the stronger it gets.]

[How much longer will it be until I finally escape his hold on me?]

page 58:

Takano and Onodera: ACHOOO.

Takano: Your greeting?

Ritsu: Good morning!!

Takano: Morning. What, do you have a cold?

Ritsu: NO!

page 59:

Ritsu (thoughts): It can’t be that I caught Takano-san’s cold. That would suck!!

Sniffle

Ritsu: Takano-san, you’re up early today.

Takano: I have a meeting first thing. (pain in the ass!)

But that means we can head to the office together.

clang clang

Takano: By the way, when I heard you talk about old school memories, I thought of something.

Ritsu: What?

Takano: On my way to school and on my way home from school, you were always following me, no?

page 60:

Ritsu: Wha-wha-wha- what are you saying? Hahahahahaha.

Takano: Ah, so it’s true.

Ritsu: Why would I do something like that? We went to the same school; of course we took the same route to and from school!

Takano: Well, whatever, it’s an indisputable fact that you were my stalker, though.

Ritsu: Th-that was your imagination. Takano-san, don’t you think that you’re flattering yourself?

Takano: Flattering myself shouldn’t be a problem though. Anyway, it is just around you that it happens.

page 61:

Ritsu: Huh?!!!

[We will soon be arriving at Fantian Bridge (t/n not sure what the Japanese is here) station.

[Every time I cross over those pink tracks…

Overtime, that street-gate became infamous, and everyone grew to hate it.

But, for me, that street-gate was always a place that I looked forward to.

Because it was there, day after day, that I could see the person I loved.

page 62:

RItsu: ….

Takano: I’m being watched again… (What the heck is he doing?)

[Days until Ritsu falls in love (completely): 36.]

[The end]

#sooooo worth it #omgomgomg #finally my Chinese comes in handy #sekaiichi hatsukoi spoilers

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huffle-poof-blog · 7 years

Text

Things the Hogwarts Houses say

(loosely based on conversations I’ve had/overheard)

Hufflepuff -

"If you don't start singing along to High School Musical with me in under 30 seconds you will no longer be my best friend"

"I swear on my chicken nuggets-"

"Yes I made that joke up by my self - no it's not from Spongebob Squarepants how dARE YOU-"

"Speaking of Spongebob can we just take a few moments to discuss how much of a masterpiece that first movie was please"

"Ah yes, it's 3 in the morning, time to get emotional and tell all my friends how much I love them"

"You made me chocolate??? Oh my God I love you so much thank you I'll have some right no - THIS HAS RAISINS IN IT YOU TRICKED ME"

"Oh my God yeah I saw that movie, my favourite part was when - oh shit wait there's this adorable kitten video I meant to show you last week and I completely forgot let me get it up on my phone"

"Sorry I'm late I was up all night watching those videos where kids get surprised with puppies"

"Are you awake? Great, let's start planning our future homes together, I have a pinterest board ready"

"This is my favourite photo album! It's full of photos of all the cats and dogs I've made friends with on my walks, I've even given them all names"

(crying) “Stop calling me emotional God damn it”

Ravenclaw -

"Of course I remember you said you liked the colour red, you told me at like 1:35 am last year in May"

“What? Simplifying equations? No, I can't help with that but I do know all the words to every Simpsons episode in the first 5 seasons if that helps"

"Sorry I really can't go out today. No I'm fine, I'm just stressed I'm doing something important. I'm trying to memorise all the words to this documentary about frogs - What? Yes of course it's important!"

"I discovered and fully analysed that meme 3 weeks ago, step up your game"

"What do you mean why do I have a folder full of strategic plans on how to succeed at animal crossing, that's not weird?"

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude but I've been doing my own research and you're getting all of this wrong. Well yes I know I'm not the teacher here but - Yes, actually, I'd love to teach the class my self I've already made a lesson plan, thank you"

"No, I won't come and see Jurassic World with you. Because it's completely unrealistic! Do you have any idea what dinosaurs are actually supposed to have sounded and looked like? Even adult velociraptors weren't meant to be that b - OK you know what, I will come, but I'll be pointing out every single problem to you. No, it's too late, you already invited me. I'm buying our tickets right now, don't move"

"You really think you can beat me at Mario Kart? I have spent YEARS studying this game and honing my skills, spending hours upon hours training until my hands cramp and even my tv is judging the amount of time I've spent playing and you think YOU can beat me? Let's fucking go"

"I think these guys think I want to murder them because I followed them home but it's only because I overheard them talking about what would happen if Pokemon is real and I wanted to see how good their logic was"

"Shut up? Shut up? I haven't shut up for 17 years and I'm not about to start now”

(crying) "I just want Shakespeare's ghost to be proud of me"

Gryffindor -

"I'd love to have a sleepover but it can only be when there's a thunderstorm so we can dance in the rain, let me check the weather forecast"

"Did that bee just try and sting you? COME BACK HERE BEE YOU COWARD I'M GONNA FUCK YOU UP - wait shit no run”

"What did you say? Don't touch it? Alright." (touches it as soon as the person turns away) "Sucker"

"Whaaat? Someone wrote on the desk? No it wasn't me I would never do th - My name was there? Well, I'm not the only one in the world with my na - My surname was there too? What are the chances?!"

"Help me I started saying lmao ironically and I can't stop"

"Before you say anything it wasn't me - unless it was something awesome then I definitely planned the whole thing"

"Excuse me? They said what to you? ... I have to go for a second, I just remembered something completely unrelated. No, no, I'm not taking this fork with me for any particular reason"

"Um, did you just tell me it's impossible to sing along to a guitar solo? Stand back. Your mind is about to get blown"

"I am so not drunk! I'm completely drunk! ... Wait shit I meant sober"

“I’M SO PROUD OF YOU AAAH LET ME HUG YOU! I’M NOT LETTING GO FOR THE NEXT 3 HOURS, GET COMFORTABLE BITCH”

“I bet I can stay up for longer than you - what no I’m not tired shut up - nO THAT WASN’T A YAWN I WAS JUST SHOWING YOU WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF I WAS TIRED - SEE I DID IT AGAIN TOTALLY ON PURPO - ok fuck you I’m going to sleep”

Slytherin -

"Oh my God, just tell me what you did already so I can start complaining"

"Sorry, I didn't catch that. Did you say STOP saying fuck, or KEEP ON saying fuck?"

"Over your dead body? I was hoping you'd say that"

"If you even LOOK at them one more time I will take a stick as big as your ego and stick it right up your-"

"Don't come near me or - OK fine, we can snuggle for exactly 15 minutes. I'm setting a timer now"

"Hey, I saw you posted a picture of us on instagram yesterday where my eyeliner isn't completely straight? You're gonna have to delete that, if anyone thinks my eyeliner isn't drop dead perfect every day and that I'm not a literal make up goddess I'll lose my reputation as the Regina George of the school"

"But keep the one where I'm wearing no make up so that all those bitches know I still kill it without trying"

“Oh come on, you know I’d never do anything to embarrass you! Speaking of which, that video I posted on youtube the other day of you falling down the flight of escalators in the shopping centre has reached over 1000 views”

“My dad told me tattoos were trashy so I got a giant tattoo saying ‘trashy’ on my back I’ll send you his reaction later”

“I’m not a sentimental person but if you touch my teddy bear I will turn you into a stuffed trophy to put next to him”

“What do you mean I look smug this is my normal face”

#harry potter #gryffindor #slytherin #ravenclaw #hufflepuff #hogwarts houses #it's so fun making these #gryffindor aesthetic #slytherin aesthetic #ravenclaw aesthetic #hufflepuff aesthetic

17K notes · View notes

autoirishlitdiscourses · 3 years

Text

Discourse of Tuesday, 06 April 2021

Similarly, having hung them on my SoundCloud account and link to the poem; performed a nuanced reading of the text of some important topics in the back of your new score for base grade-days late unless you are one of the criteria that I'll be on campus today, but may not have a strong job! More broadly, we can certainly talk your ear off about visual readings of Yeats and Heaney when talking about and always more about me than you can just tell me when you sent me before or after class or section, and think about how most people to switch topics. For that reason, you did well tonight. I still don't have a reasonable compromise.

It seems history is to sit down and sketching out a number of productive audiovisual components; if you need any changes that I think. Unless you file an informational report that doesn't overlap. Of course, with your paper must be killed except as a study aid for other topics open for you straighten out I know much about midterm grades. What you primarily need to happen differently for this to you. The quarter have been assigned for Tuesday, you have received on a paper before I pass it out in detail, if you keep an eye on a paper less effective than it already does. You might note that he understood that what your central claim is actually quite busy with recitations this week. One would involve breaking up your topic before you can say with a set of esoteric knowledge regarding this selection. Questions about MLA format? The last two weeks from now. This is the distinction between individual Irishmen and-voice arrangement of William Butler Yeats were visual artists, and additional course-related things happening in your position, the topic you will have the opportunity to demonstrate this. Hi! Again, I think you can find out definitively whether he thinks it's an essential requirement. No worries I'm not just providing an introduction to things that are not intellectually or temperamentally suited to being a good knowledge of Irish culture in favor of it. Versus having an couple of ways, and third preferences are for any reason that's not necessarily a bad thing, and, again, a productive set of arguments about a particular story, and third texts are primarily theoretical, critical, or perhaps a little more.

We also insist that politics demands complex thinking and that your first one sirens is currently better developed and more focused. Hi! One of the quarter. Happy Thanksgiving! Come by my students turn them in by email today, and your presence in front of the selection you want to go, which was previously the theoretical maximum. Merely doing the earliest part of the passage and gave a very very close to their hearts, you did well here. A doesn't raise your GPA any higher than if a similar breakdown here, and this is what I would like, because it assumes that you would have worked more effectively. It can also refer you to re-inscribe Gertie into the theory that the writer considers obvious. Ultimately, I will let the group up well done. Sounds like a good word for having this information allows them to argue that one way to think about how to discuss specific questions you want to treat you as you can buy yourself some breathing room to make decisions about exactly what is written on the edge of. Overall, though, you did quite a good weekend, and sometimes the best way to satisfy breadth requirements that you should be an optional review session this Thurs 5 Dec, 1:30 if the text itself in some kind same thing for you. If you do this by just glancing at me occasionally, but will be how it was all a flash in th' shade of a text that they only discussed a single class than when you're at the coin from the analytical rigor and explain your claim about the specifics of the text s that you're dealing with I think this hurt you much more apparent to you. Sigh.

You have some very perceptive readings of Richard III, from the other TA, is generally not only paying close attention to your potential in the early stages of planning I just finished it you had a good night, you fail automatically policy/, please let me know if you go out of it continually in lecture is over.

Your thinking about what your overall grade for the section eventually, though what you've outlined a good reading that they've been represented by the end, you automatically receive a passing grade and absolutely capable of punching through to an even more nuanced way. —Cleaning these up is a plus. There are a lot of ways, and sections occur on Wednesdays.

Even finding small things that would just barely meets the absolute minimum standards for a more successful argument. Again, thank you for doing a strong job yesterday you got up in front of the twentieth century. Again, you also had to happen is for most students your last chance to add a course or change your texts in an even better on future pieces of textual evidence, and mythology that are relevant to the section as a whole, and word not only express your central claim that you're scheduled to recite because a visit to the question fully. Both of these is that at the end of the facts that my impression at the time limit has come up to 1. I see it, but it's not up to you. In order to see how many minutes away you are perfectly capable of this particularly moving passage. Thanks for doing a genuinely serious and unavoidable emergency family death, serious injury, natural disaster, etc. God these are very solid aspects of your face was a mispronunciation of surmise that broke the poem's rhythm and showed this in terms of what you want to work for you. Late, but do so by 10 a.

I've read so far, and need to scratch and claw for every reason, it will help you to achieve an even more specific feedback if you'd compressed your initial proposal. Think about how your evidence in a research paper on Godot and has generously agreed to make productive suggestions. Because each of you is now optional. Have a good example of the word that gets deep into a sophisticated logical structure. But you're a good set of beliefs about what's likely to get graded first this week has been fun to have a good choice on text, but your delivery; you might think. Hello, everyone! For section next week. It's here, and responded effectively to promote discussion is going to be even more than twenty-four. I'll just say that sometimes sitting down and start writing to figure out which texts have a good student. Besides, even if only because it will help to ground that argument in terms of which are, even if it's only five sentences or so, or at least some background plot summary and possibly other contextualizing information, but because considering how you would have been balanced a bit more slowly would have been posted to the section is actually quite widespread. I'm looking forward to seeing your recitation plans by 10 p. Anyone at all, I will be in order to tip the scales from writing an A-for-someone-else-to-memorize twelve-line poem, Parnell which is where you're getting your information using standard academic citation practices. Thanks for doing a good job of structuring your comments and questions from other parts of your own writing and its historical situation. Great! Make sure to get people to engage with the horror experienced by the prosaic fact that these assertions are not on me. Does that help? Overall, you can't get to Downton Abbey for a recitation in front of a letter explaining specific reasons/why your juxtaposition actually matters, and they all essentially boil down to paying more attention to your ultimate conversational goals. There's no need to be helpful.

I can send me an email that I notice is that you advocate—I will let the discussion in a term paper of this as the last minute to use Lord of the text s you want to say is: percentage score for the Synge vocabulary quiz on John Synge's play The Playboy of the historical development of the assignment write-up midterm for a long time to get back to you, but your discussion a bit of a reminder that you should think about intermediate or preparatory questions that go straight for it to be recited by one line—/is that if someone does make that? 137. He therefore desired me when I hear back tomorrow, you do wind up giving answers to these small errors, and is ultimately what your central ideas revolve around a general plan such as information about your paper this means that you don't have a final selection for what will be, if you have previously been attending but not necessarily the order I will probably be covered by the time period you're shooting for, and made a final decision on which of the other hand, and during my office hours if they exist, are jarring, and not Silence of the course website; if you have improved your grade. I'll see you in lecture. One way to motivate discussion, and then mercilessly edited your paper space to examine your own ideas that you may find it helpful to look at posters advertising some of them? Think about what you're working with—you should be substantiating some aspect of the novel with which you can just post what you've sent me email or by some other things, this doesn't ever quite happen in an automatic failing grade for each document from IMDb. Just a reminder that I think that your grade in a comparative manner over time, the artistry of music, because the poem I've heard it before, your delivery. I quite liked a lot of ways, and has notes on what you really do have one specific suggestion: think about the specifics of the poem and its background. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performing The Butcher Boy well? Currently, in your delivery was basically solid, though, there's no inherent reason not to make sure to send your message earlier, then you can find out if any of those three poets the professor wants is for you if you do this. Well done on this you connected it effectively to provide a more fluid, impassioned, and questions from other parts of your analysis, and it may not have started reading Godot yet if they're cuing off of his guitar and vocal performance is also available. You take on the section, if you want to do in leading a discussion leader for the temptation offered to the central issue is absurdism, but I don't know that for you, will change as the citizen, the irruption. At the same time, it may be asking a question Does anyone know. —Papers that merely agree with you about how you'll effectively fill time and backing up, and several other poems; Jack Clitheroe's treatment of his identity entirely. One way to move up to you because I'm sitting here grading papers, too, and I believe that you explicitly say that making a universal claim about Yeats's relationship to each other effectively while in the 6 p. I realize. If you want to go back through your topic in more depth. How your grade, assuming that you're likely to be one of strong-poet to the date on which of the exam. In retrospect, it may be an indication that you're on the other half of the section, I think that you will go first, because they're on Wednesday prevents you from sending me a photocopy of the writing process. Getting a natural end or otherwise horrible; but you can say with a fair amount over its history, you did quite a strong piece of land.

What is his name? Besides, even in California, nothing is more likely he is, I think that you can possibly write. Well done on this will certainly not obligated to agree/disagree, OK? Let me know likewise, let me know what freedom was; remember that your basic idea is correct it seems pretty obvious. Well done on this at all for working so hard and participating so much ground that it's important, would be the song is also an impressive move. If you have a fair evaluation of the first time since then, so. Well done here let me know and I'll watch a few spots open, so it is there. I could. One of the class, but will post before I go to the end of the large lecture hall because. Grade Is Calculated in Excruciating Detail the John Synge Vocabulary Quiz from October 17, Pokornowski's midterm review sheet for his sections, you have any questions, OK? I told you that your questions about those impressions, and had some interesting comments about the amount of research here, I think, but really, your points, that one thing, I can bring them for you sometimes retreat holds your argument's specificity back to you. The assignment write-up to one or two key issues. I'm happy to proctor it if you discover that things are going faster than you expect. You may get a clearer idea. You picked a good weekend! You do a substantial increase in performance after the final, attended every section including the fact that they were sick. You've got some really perceptive things to say that I am so sorry to take so long to get a thorough, fresh re-read. There's absolutely nothing wrong with only picking, say, Italian Futurism Giacomo Balla, for instance, in large part because, when the degree to which you can point to,, and if so, and change your your life that are very solid job here in a way into your thesis statement as a whole and kept them moving in a way that the stereotypes involved are absolutely welcome to send out a lot of information about the text s, but does perhaps suggest that everything goes well and that your choice related to the recording of your plans. Or you might mean would be more successful. I'm perfectly convinced that you're citing. Let me know immediately. 8 a. Talking about the way that we did not have started reading McCabe yet if they're cuing off of his identity look at the high end, and your presence in front of the more egregious errors in the context of other things differently. Hi, everyone, As you said, think in the How Your Grade Is Calculated in excruciating detail. This may be rare and/or things that you make the registration switch through GOLD. I realize.

All in all, I think that you'll do a good background without impairing the discussion to occur. Attending section on Wednesday, and perform the resulting articles and see what topics are currently more than five sections and have moved out of 70 on section one. Well done. I think that it is constructed in the Ulysses lectures which, as it could conceivably boost your attendance/participation that is necessary to try to generalize less in it while providing thoughtful readings of the term. Similarly, with no explanation of what you're actually saying. I pass it out in her spare time, OK? Great Masturbator 1929, I think that the person in the play, Irish nationalism. Thank you for a few things that would need to expose your own ideas. Other unforeseeable, catastrophic events that absolutely doesn't work, and other parts of your questions, or helpful for me that is, in order to be perhaps more sympathetic than is reflected in the final starts and nine a. You are absolutely fine I think that one line because I think that you want to set up in discussion you'll notice that the woman from whom Bloom receives a letter grade; made an incredibly high B, regardless of the class, and it got cut a bit nervous, but just that I should be adaptable in terms of why it benefits your grade by much. You have excellent things to think about their own would be not to castigate you, since the '50s, but they're also specific; #4 is also a fertile hunting ground. Your quote from the guy who's going to be careful about the ways that you can substitute the number of important concepts for the group as a whole. Ultimately, what does Vladimir's line mean? You've done a very reasonable outline, I'm happy to talk about this-type assignment for another, or nearly all of this. Your historical narrative that is experienced in a relevant and engaging, and during my office SH 2432E and see whether I was happier then. I was. Does that help? Your readings of The Butcher Boy in the best I can plan for section or sent me an email from me later than you're able to find a recording of him consenting to be done to make a case that two people who decide the class, and that what he might call on the midterm, and reschedule would be for, and so this hurts your score on the construction of sympathies with Francie, it could conceivably be possible during section or not effectively support the overall relevance of your skull with the professor is behind a bit more practice but your delivery was good in many ways, interrogating your own reading of is one good way to acquaint yourself with them in ways that you may have required a bit over 84%. A: In-progress, and your reading of the quarter, this could conceivably have been years where I've graded two hundred papers and given out three. How it fits into that tradition. This would not be particularly sympathetic. Why Dexter and not quite enough of an A paper, and you're absolutely welcome to expand it, and you didn't hurry through your notes to the inclusion of personal narrative by any of it; is there.

#Irish literature #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Python #Markov chains

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krissewrites · 7 years

Text

À Triomphe - BTS AU

AU: Art Thief!Bangtan

Description: You are a curator at one of the many museums in Paris, and have finally earned the bosses trust. But after a strange meeting with a new coworker and his friends, you begin receiving messages from an unknown party.

Part: Six / Five / Four / Three / Two / One

Warnings: Swearing, Suggestive Situations.

Your emotions had settled down, leaving you on the opposite side of Jeongguk’s room as you stared at the floor. You hated being here, and the worst part was no one would tell you why. Jimin had been missing for over a week, leaving a nasty taste in your mouth as you thought of all the things that video, that nightmare, entailed.

Who was it that kept sending me warnings? And why the fuck didn’t I listen? You thought. All of which had led you to this moment, cowering in the corner of a room foreign to you, various chunks of your memory evading you as you tried to make sense of it all. You had begun to bite your fingernails, again; a habit you had dropped ten years ago.

Jeongguk sat on his bed, drawing in a small notebook, taking small glances out the window every once in a while to capture his muse; a small bird perched on a tree across the yard.

There was something off about him, but you couldn’t pin it. He was reclusive but extroverted. He was egotistical and charismatic, but also frigid and distant. His index finger rubbed against the paper, creating a shading effect.

If it hadn’t been for the fact he almost crushed your hand, you might’ve wanted to make small talk, but fear enveloped you. And every second you spent in that room with him was every second you wished you were dead.

You swallowed your pride, voice cracking with anxiety as you spoke up, beckoning for him. “Please tell me,” He turned his head to look at you, eyebrows corrugated as he wondered what you wanted. “Please tell me what happened,”

You looked up from the floor to match his gaze, your breath hitching as you saw his warm glare begin to ice over once more. “It’s not my place to tell you anything.” His voice trailed off as he turned back to his work.

“I feel like I have a right to know what the fuck happened—“ you barked. Jeongguk tightened the grip on his pencil as to try and evade a rising temper. “I would appreciate it if you just shut up, okay?”

You let out your breath, unsurprised to his answer. Jeongguk groaned, tossing his book across the bed as he began to stand up, sauntering towards you. “If you want to talk, Hoseok is across the hall,” He gripped your bicep, pulling you up forcefully as he stared daggers at you. “I don’t like to talk.”

Jeongguk opened the door, pushing you out into the hall before slamming it behind you. You stumbled, catching yourself before hitting the wall adjacent to his door. You rubbed the flannel shirt gifted to you by Taehyung before you had left the hospital before he had restrained you. Your sweatpants were loosely fitted, almost falling down. You quickly tied a knot in the drawstrings before knocking on Hoseok’s door.

You heard indistinct swearing and objects clattering as footsteps trudged closer to the door. The man named Hoseok quickly opened it, slowly looking up as he exclaimed disapproval, “Look, Jin, I’m sorry—“

His beg for forgiveness paused as he looked at you, hair riding just above your ear. “When’d you get a haircut?” He slowly opened his door wider, giving enough space for you to enter. “I—I need to ask you some things,” you mewled.

He closed the door behind him, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at you. He bore an oversized blue and yellow letterman sweater, a white shirt, and black sweatpants, various stains covering his outfit. Hoseok sighed, walking away from his door and through his messy floor back towards his computer seated in the corner of his room on a small black desk.

The walls to his room were painted dark, mimicking a beige tone. His floor, although hardwood, was barely visible as clothes, magazines, and other miscellaneous objects were strewn across it.

God, how can someone live like this?

“Jeongguk didn’t want to talk, I assume,” Hoseok snickered to himself, rubbing the back of his neck as he scrolled through an online forum. “He’s a wild card, isn’t he?”

His attention stayed glued to the screen, not once turning back to look at you as you stood, unsure of what to do, unwilling to invade his space.

“What did you want? I’m a little busy,”

You fidgeted, remembering why you had been sent across the hall. “What happened to me? Why was I in the hospital?” Your mind began to trail off as question upon question sped out of your mouth. “Where’s Jimin? Why can’t I leave? Why won’t anyone tell me anything?” Your voice grew higher in pitch as you became more panicked, falling back onto Hoseok’s bed as you began to tug at your hair.

Hoseok turned in his chair, staring at you worriedly. “Hey, calm down…” he murmured, slowly standing up as he walked over to you, promptly sitting beside you. “Stress won’t help your head, you know?”

His half-handed attempts at consoling you, as expected, didn’t work. He let out a long sigh, resting his elbows on his knees as he began to fiddle his thumbs. “Our boss told Taehyung to take you to the hospital—he used a pseudo name, so please don’t try to go back and get records—and he was instructed to keep an eye on you for as long as you stayed there, posing as your husband.”

Hoseok began to unravel the story, keeping his voice down. You could feel the fear he had; he knew someone had to be listening. “Jimin is away on business, in Spain. He goes there often; please don’t worry about him.”

Hoseok stood up, walking towards his door as he turned the knob. “You can’t leave. Just leave it at that,” he growled, forcing himself to open and door and walk away from the conversation, leaving you alone while he walked across the hall. You heard him open the door to Jeongguk’s room, and promptly closing it behind him. You were alone once more.

You brought your knees to your chest, clawing at the fabric wrapped around them as to save your sanity. “I want to go home,” you wept.

Ding.

The music note rang throughout the room, a voice following behind it.

“You’ve got mail!”

Hoseok had a fairly new computer, one in almost pristine condition, you would say. But there on the screen was a graphic every adult was familiar with. A small letter danced in the corner of the pop-up, ‘One New Message’ dancing across the screen.

You stood up, walking slowly past a window placed between the bed and desktop. You bent over, pressing your palms against the edge of the small desk as you glanced over the dated graphic.

“You’ve got mail!” It sang.

You clicked okay.

In a matter of seconds, an abundance of messages popped across the screen. Amidst the middle of the turmoil was a small video.

Press Play To Download iMovie

You glanced over your shoulder, hoping Hoseok had busied himself enough not to walk in as you prompted through his private computer. You turned back to the screen. You clicked play.

Noise erupted from a desktop as a grainy film began to play, slowly clearing up to reveal an image; a young man sitting in front of you, grinning as he began to speak.

“I didn’t want to show my face, but you’re not the best at following directions.”

He sighed, cupping his face in his palms as he began to tap his cheeks. “Maybe I can get through to you this way?”

You furrowed your brows, your breathing picking up the pace as you grew confused. “I’m not going to tell you my name because you don’t need to know it,” he quickly ran through his lines, “but you need to know that they’re lying.”

He leaned in closer to the screen, his cat-like eyes glaring at you behind a curtain of black, flimsy bangs. “You’ll end up like Jimin.”

Images of the shootout followed suit behind him, following with flashing headlines dated October 31st, November 2nd, November 3rd. All read the same, disgusting line. “Jimin Park caught by cops, trial process to begin soon.”

You swallowed the lump forming in your throat as the cat-eyed man continued with his tale. “He asked me to help you, and I am… although I wanted to help you in the first place,” his voice hummed. “He risked his life for you.”

Cat-eyes stared at you, his eyes narrowing. You felt that he saw through you completely; he seemed to know everything. “The least you can do is get out.”

You watched as his eyes lingered to the left, leading you to follow them; the window sat there, unlocked. A perfect time.

“Let’s see if you’re as stealthy as him.” You heard him laugh, a sense of delusion resonating within.

The screen glitched for a moment, before quickly residing back to Hoseok’s previous page.

‘The Newest Pet’

You, although feeling disgusting, continued reading through the page

BigBoy287: God I’d rail her. [9:23] J-Hope: i’m sure she wouldn’t like you, kyungmin [9:25] SirBdsm: like u kno her taste asshole [9:26] J-Hope: i took the picture, did i not? [9:30]

You felt your stomach flip as you realized just how much you knew about these men; nothing. You felt dirty, itching at your skin to wash away the filthy memory. You abruptly pushed yourself away from the desk, walking backward as you tried to gain some sense.

You could do it. It was as easy as opening the window and crawling out. You could run for help, and never have to deal with this again. It would all be a nightmare.

You fidgeted with the lifting mechanism on the window, slowly pushing up the seemingly rusted panel. It showed signs of age as paint chips began to call upon moving. It was clear it wasn’t opened for a long time.

You held the window up, bringing your foot up to the edge, taking one last breath in this hell house.

The door quickly opened, Jin walking in with his phone in his hands, “Yah, since you ruined my playtime, you should buy me th—“ Jin looked up at the scene before him, watching you as your legs were out the window, hands still holding the panel above your head. You cursed under your breath, hastily fighting your own strength as you tried to push yourself out.

Jin laughed to himself, rushing towards the window as he wrapped his arms around your chest, pulling your back into his. Your hands lost grip, causing the window to fall abruptly onto your hip. You screamed as a wave of pain washed over you.

Jin pulled you back into the room, tolerating your writhing beneath him. His strength level was miles above yours. Jin chuckled to himself, tightening his grip on you as he buried his head into your neck. “You weren’t going to leave me, were you?” His low, threatening voice coated your skin in goosebumps. You pressed your palm against his head in an attempt to push him back; he merely mocked you.

Hoseok and Jeongguk opened their door, staring at the scene before them. “Jin, do you not fucking learn anything?”

Jin rose his head from your neck, smirking as he pushed you towards Hoseok. You fell to your knees, panting before Hoseok’s feet as you held your waist, wincing as the pain grew worse. “Our little girl here tried to run away,” Jin cackled, clapping his hands together at the thought. “And to think, haha, that you could outrun us!” Jin began cackling, an end seeming to be nowhere in sight.

Jeongguk grunted, staring down at you. “Now you’re just begging for it, (Y/N).” His voice haunted you as it replayed through your thoughts. “Jin, can you watch her for me? I’m going on an errand.” Jeongguk took one las, heated look as he towered of you, before turning on his heel.

A sadistic smile crept across Jin’s face as he stared down at you. Hoseok’s face contorted in humility as he watched Jin close in on you. “Oh, Hoseok,” Jin spoke softly as he lifted you up, careful not to touch your hips. “Try not to cause a scene this time, okay?”

Jin placed his hand on the small of your back, gently pushing you forward as you both left Hoseok’s room. Hoseok stood in silence, watching as you slipped from his small, insignificant net of safety.

Hoseok knew he was the last sane one in that house, but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it.

Jin pushed you into his room, closing the door behind him. You backed yourself into a corner, watching as he paced across the room, gazing at you with a hint of mischief in his eyes. “Who are you?” You whispered.

Jin sneered, sighing as he threw his head back, rolling it side to side. His neck popped twice. “I’m Jin. And who are you?” He took a step closer, his hands in his pocket.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“What? Can’t I be a little playful? I told you, I’m not the kind of guy you think I am,”

Another step.

“I thought you were a friend,” you muttered. Guilt soaked your tone of voice.

“There are two types of friends in my life, (Y/N)—“

Another step.

“—The type I hug,”

Another step.

“and the type I hurt.”

He glided his crooked fingers across your cheek, reaching around the back, bearing pressure on your head wound. You winced, sucking in air sharply. Jin removed his hand, combing his fingers through your hair. “I’d really like it if you were both, baby.” Jin leaned in, his lips targeting yours.

You turned your head, your cheek pressing aginst the wall as you tensed up. Jin groaned, “God you’re a fool.” He moved his hand to your neck, pressing his thumb against your throat. “You’ll realize sooner or later that you’re safer with me than any of the others.”

Jin yanked his hand back, stumbling backward as he brushed his fingers through his hair, and falling onto his bed. His feet stay grounded as his back pressed into the mattress. His chest rose and fall under his pink sweater, which had ridden up to give a peak of his sculpted stomach on the impact of his fall.

You hastily reached for the door, turning the knob as efficiently as possible before rushing yourself out of his room. You panted as you pushed yourself against the door, hoping that the more forceful you shut it, the quicker you’d wake up. You pressed your head against the coated wood.

“Please wake up, please wake up.” You begged.

The orange jumpsuit pressed against his skin, the uncomfortable fabric causing a mild itch. His hands were bound before him in metal, a headache washing over him.

“The trial of the century is about to begin as we hear from Jimin Park, the criminal behind the burglaries and murder’s plagueing—“ The reporters gave their speech remarkably as cameras zoned in on the disgruntled man. His hair was a shaggy mess, and his eyes were swollen from nights spent awake in his cell.

“Let us get this hearing started,” A woman cloaked in an all red, deeply embellished fur robe sat in her seat. She hit her gavel against the wood before her, calling for attention. “Mr. Park, it’s nice to finally have you in our midst. You’ve made quite the name for yourself,”

A guard cuffed Jimin’s hands to the table before him, assuring no lofty escape would be made.

“Do you have anything to say before we begin?”

Jimin, who had been staring at his sweating palms, gained a wry smile spreading across his cheeks as he looked up. His eyes were watering. “No, your honor.”

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