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playingdxngerous · 6 months

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Extra Credit

Word Count: 2.2k

Rating: 18+ MINORS DNI!!

Warnings: spencer reid smut, praise kink, hand kink if you squint hard enough, age gap (teacher and college student), digital penetration, oral f! receiving, angst bc the beginning is kinda sad ig, happy ending, just a ton of praise basically, also i didn't proofread so probably some mistakes here and there

~For my delusional girls, like me~

"So, for homework I just need you to read the next 5 chapters and write me a summary. Tell me how this relates to transcendentalism in literature. Don't forget to use the study guide from this previous test." Professor Reid says as he walks across the room, handing out the graded tests. He gets up to your table and quickly flips your paper over as he hands it to you. You know it must be bad if he hides the score from your peers. You turn it around to see a circled 47 with the words "u ok?" written next to it. You look up and he's completely across the classroom, continuing on his rant about the homework. Still, he is looking right at you. How does he know?

Your mind traces back to the night before. You're on the phone with your boyfriend in the process of being broken up with. Followed by, of course, your parents fight growing louder and louder within the walls. You look out your door and see them yelling at each other, throwing their hands in the air after every sentence. Last night was not a good night, especially since you had to spend almost all night studying for the test you just failed. A score of 47. How?

The class continues on like normal for the next 30ish minutes. Each tick on the clock is just another second you must force your tears to stay in.

"Okay just don't forget that homework guys. It's really important that you know this for the final." His voice comes back into focus. He dismisses the class. People start to trample over you as you put your stuff into your bag, crumbling the test. Professor Reid walks up to you, propped up against the table with his hands. "Mind to see me for a sec?" He asks concerned.

"Look, if it's about the test I'm sorry. It was just some careless mistakes and I won't ever do it again. I'm okay." You say as he guides you to his desk. Once again he leans against the table to get to your height. His suit stretches out with his arm, his button up shirt and tie becoming more visible.

"I know it wasn't just some careless mistakes. You're usually a straight A student. You've never gotten below a 90 on one of my tests."

"I was just being dumb, I'm sorry." You look down in unexplainable guilt.

"Don't say that about yourself, you're such a smart girl," he requests. Your stomach drops at his validation.

You try to laugh it off, "You're really overestimating me right now Mr. Reid."

"You think I don't notice when something is wrong? I know you and I know you aren't just being dumb. Talk to me." He says, ready to listen.

"I didn't know you paid that much attention to me." Your eyebrows furrow.

"I do," he grows quieter, "Noticed you weren't sitting with your boyfriend today too."

"How did you even know we were together?" You puzzle.

"How could I not?" He gasps with a smile. "It's kind of obvious you know. The way you look at him and all."

He really does pay attention.

"He broke up with me last night. Cheated on me too."

"I'm so sorry, I wish I could make it better. It's really seeming to affect your mental health right now." He responds concerned.

"Yeah, it's whatever. It's not just him being a problem right now so I don't really care. If anything, I'm just numb."

"It's not the group of girls beside you, is it?" His voice speeds up with a higher pitch. "I will fix it immediately if you ask me to."

"No, it's just my parents and stuff at home." Tears sting in your eyes.

"Is there something I can do?" He inquires.

"Extra credit maybe?" You shrug.

"I can do that. What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know just-" your voice breaks off as a tear falls out. "I'm just really stressed right now.” You wipe away the teardrop, yet more start to join it. He brings his hand up, curling his index finger to wipe the preceding drops. With no thoughts in your head, you accidentally lean in and cradle him into a hug. He allows it, wrapping his arms right above your waist. Seconds go by until you realize what you’re doing.

"I'm so sorry. Oh my god, why did I do that?" You pull away rapidly.

"Hey," he grabs your arm, "I don't mind. You can come to me for anything." He catches your eyes with his soft gaze, taking away any sadness left in you.

"So extra credit?" You clear your throat.

"Yeah um," he snaps out of it, physically shaking his head. "Just don't worry about it okay?"

"Are you sure sir?"

"Yeah." He gulps. "And the homework too."

You hug him again and he grabs your hair, massaging into your scalp. You squeeze tighter, never wanting to let your teacher go. This hug has been better than anything your ex boyfriend or parents have ever provided.

Like a scene out of a movie, he leans down and kisses the crown of your head. Tears once again stream down your cheeks at his loving touch, drying up as they fall onto his button up shirt.

You pull your head away to look at him, nothing but softness in his eyes. You place your hand on his cheek, feeling his slight stubble in your palm.

"Kiss me?" He asks in a hoarse whisper. In what feels like ages, you both unconsciously lean into each other. Slow and steady. His lips fit perfectly against yours. Your heart skips a beat.

The thought of him being your teacher rings through your head, making you pull away out of embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Hey stop, it's okay." He assures.

"This is so wrong. You probably didn't want that and only kissed back because you feel bad for me." You cry out.

"You know we both enjoyed it. Plus, I'm the one that asked for it to begin with." He assures.

He's right. You did enjoy it. More than you probably should have. It got your mind off everything else.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Reid." Feeling like a crybaby, your eyes drown your face once more.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay." He says almost unintelligibly fast.

He begins to kiss your head all over, letting his lips fall randomly along you. He moves to your forehead, then trails down to your neck. You instinctively grab his hair and let him continue. He makes it back to your lips and you sloppily return the favor. Each second you grow hotter. A slight whimper escapes your lips as he slides his tongue into your mouth. The taste of the two of you combines, the sweetest thing you’ve ever tasted. His tongue slow dances with yours and he warm breaths begin to escalate onto you as he pulls away. His eyes remain closed even when not on your lips. He shortly returns, faster than ever. Passion floods the both of you. It flies in the air, warming up the world around you.

His hands find your waist, which he grabs to pull you closer. Friction rises in you below your skirt, so you squeeze your legs together to release it. This does little to no help, as the way he devours your lips turns you on more than ever. He grabs your right leg and hoists it over his hip. With the skirt being pushed up from this action, you begin to grind against his crotch with only your underwear and his slacks in between.

You then follow up with the other leg. He places his hands behind your thighs, his strong arms growing in size as he holds all of your weight up. You grab his biceps and squeeze. You’ve never imagined yourself admiring your teacher from so close, but it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you.

He places you on his desk, pushing random papers and pens aside. With your knees up, your skirt slowly slides down your thighs. He has no other choice but to look you up and down with his starving eyes.

"Still up for that extra credit?" He smirks and bites his lip.

"Been dreaming of it forever Reid."

"Are we forgetting that I'm still your teacher even when you beg me to fuck you? It's sir." He squeezes your thighs.

"Okay sir," you say sarcastically. "Why don't you get on with it then. Make me forget all about my ex you were probably so jealous of."

"Stay quiet for me like a good girl and maybe we won't get caught, how about that?" He pulls your head up by your chin.

"You just don't want to admit it." You say right before he collides his lips with yours for the millionth time.

"You just really want that 47% to stay huh?" He laughs.

"No! Please Mr. Reid, I've wanted you forever. Please just give it to me already."

"So needy!" He replies in a high pitched voice. After a small peck on your lips he makes his way down your body with his hands. He takes extra long on your tits, making sure to cause your stomach knot to tangle even more. You shiver at the touch, so ready to let your orgasm go. Your legs straighten out and dangle off the desk.

He moves his attention to this, changing the direction of his body. He grabs your hand and kisses it, dropping it as he begins to kiss up your leg. Starting at the knee, he makes his way slowly up to where the fabric of your skirt ends at the top of your thigh. He nudges it up with his hands, feeling around your waist.

"You're being such a good girl for me." He looks up at you without moving his head too much. His half lidded puppy dog eyes stare into yours. "Such a good girl. Legs all spread, dripping wet for me. So perfect. My princess." You struggle to find ways to respond as you are completely taken aback by his loving praise.

"Please, I need you." You blurt out.

"What do you need my love?"

"You. Everything."

"So, you want me to take these off I assume?" He teases as he tugs at your panties.

"Please!" You yell from overstimulation.

"Hey quiet remember?" He swallows hard before going back to where he was. Slowly, he pulls them down. "Holy shit you are soaked." You love the cussing side of your teacher more than you probably should.

"I want you so bad baby," you beg.

"I'm right here. I will give you whatever you want. You deserve it, princess." He leans forward as he speaks, slowly reaching his mouth to your wet cunt. His tongue moves in circles around your clit, not yet touching it. This man will be the death of you.

He slides his tongue back and forth, then licks a long strip up your pussy. His speed increases as he flicks his tongue back and forth. Moans seep out of you and him, creating music. As he flattens his tongue and practically shakes his head into you, your back arches more than you thought possible. He sucks and licks with professionalism. You skin begins to prickle as the heat rises in you further and further. He takes notices and pulls his head away.

"Don't tell me you're close already, we just started." He wipes his lips. He leans up and removes his tie to get it out of the way. He places it behind your head and uses it to pull you up towards him. You kiss intently. "Like how you taste, my love?" You blush hard at his comment.

He takes off his jacket and moves back down, rolling up his sleeves and buttoning them in place. His veins travel from his hands up, entrancing you. He slides one finger into you to get you used to it. However, your body is ready for whatever he has for you. He slides in one more right after.

"You're doing so good. I'm so proud of you sweetheart."

Just as you begin to reach your climax, he begins to go harder and faster. He moves his head back down and starts to suck on your clit. He whimpers as you pull his messy hair, making you starstruck.

"C'mon baby let it go." He continues. "Let it out for me. You can do it princess." You fucking love that he talks you through it. It sends you over the edge, causing you to finally release your orgasm. The two of you share deep breaths among each other and he licks his fingers to clean them. "You did so good for me, such a good little girl." He praises in such a smooth, sexy voice.

"I feel so much better." You exhale. Your vision slowly returns after the climax you just hit.

"I'm glad. You definitely earned that extra credit, by the way." He says. You laugh and begin to slide your panties back on, followed by hundreds of innocent kisses.

#spencer reid smut #spencer reid fic #spencer reid x you #criminal minds smut #criminal minds fic #mgg fanfiction #mgg x reader #matthew gray gubler x reader #angst with a happy ending

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kvrokasaa · 4 months

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6:05am

Rindou x fem!reader

cw: implied fighting, fluff, ooc rindou, a mention of ran

This is in a college setting, but a lot of flashback lmfao

1k words

The walk to the campus was a long one. Every day you had to walk from your dorm to your class, but it was worth it. The reason being a boy. One that you went to high school with, but you're sure he doesn't even know your name.

He always seems so laid back and chill, something you wish you could accomplish. With having anxiety, everything always has a bad outcome in your mind. It was like ying-yang with you both.

Back in high school, you always managed to find yourself staring at him. He wasn't subtle in classes either with his blonde hair and blue highlights.

Honestly, you used to hate him and his stupid brother. Both of them were known as troublemakers, always getting into fights and always giving people attitude. But it wasn't a hate that you could describe. It was more along the lines of jealousy.

He always managed to be care-free. He could do anything he wanted, but you couldn't. You had to be the daughter that got the good grades, the good student who never talked unless spoken to. And when you saw how he didn't even care about what he said, how he was always late to class but still managed to get good grades. You wanted to scream, you wanted to cry, but you couldn't.

It's not fair, that's what you always told yourself.

But over the years of high school, you realized that he was actually a good person. It took you by surprise when you first noticed. A new student was lost and accidentally bumped into him, and instead of lashing out or doing anything of the sort, he guided them to their class.

When he volunteered to help with the first years, when he went with the class to pick up trash in the park, when he helped a girl get away from a guy who was being weird.

You noticed all of it, and every time he helped someone, you couldn't help but smile. But you were too scared to talk to him.

So, you watched him from afar. You wished you could have just talked to him, to at least thank him for helping you get out of your mind.

But when graduation neared, you knew you had no chance to. You had to graduate and go to medical school for your family. You didn't even want to be a doctor, or even a nurse. You wanted to be free, do something that made you feel like yourself again.

Rindou helped with that, in his own way. He never told you to be free, he never encouraged you through his words, but his actions. Your voice came back thanks to him.

And now here you are, walking to your class. Hoping that Rindou was in your class today.

You didn't pick this class because of him; it was a coincidence. But it made you happy that you knew at least someone in your class.

Your head was down as you were taking your seat in class, unpacking your bag and bringing your computer out. What you didn't expect was for someone to place a cup of coffee on your desk.

Your head shot up and you saw Rindou. He had his head turned with his hand on the nape of his neck, rubbing it a little.

"You look tired, drink."

You inspected the cup and realized that it was your favorite coffee. You don't even know how he managed to find out what your favorite coffee was.

"Oh, uhm- thank you," your voice was quiet and timid. You didn't know what to say, only a thank you should surfice.

You thought that would be the end of it, he would walk back to his seat and pull out his headphones, something he always did to pass time. But instead, he sat next to you, your knees brushing against each other.

His hand reached out and found itself onto your cheek. "You need to sleep more."

You could only hope he didn't feel the heat from your cheeks or hear your racing heart. Did he see you studying last night in the library?

"You never slept well in high school either. Bad habit." His voice was soft, as if he spoke any louder, he would break the tension between you two.

You could only let your eyes fall down to the floor. What were you supposed to do in this situation? Your crush of three years is currently rubbing your cheek and whispering next to you.

"How did you know it was my favorite?" He knew what you were asking about, your coffee.

But he only avoided the question. How could he tell you that he asked the cashier what you liked after showing them several pictures of you.

To be honest, Rindou always noticed you in classes. He admired your hard work, how you were always quiet, yet when one of your friends were in trouble you would be intimidating. He admired how much you cared.

He would always notice how you would always leave a little bit of food behind the school building for the stray cats. He couldn't take his eyes off you.

But you always avoided him, never talked to him. He thought you were scared of him, he believed that you heard the rumors, that he was in a gang, and he killed.

But then he started noticing how you watched him, your little smiles when he helped someone. So, he started to help more. Even though his brother teased him when he helped, he would still do it. Just so he could see your smile.

He started to notice how burnt out you were, he saw how much you studied, and he saw how you pushed people away when things got hard for you. He hated that. He hated that he couldn't see your smile anymore. He hated that he could see the dark circles under your eyes.

He wanted to help, he wanted to do anything he could just to see you smile again. But he still thought you were scared of him.

But then he heard about the rumors involving you. How your parents were overachievers and wanted the same with you. How you couldn't bear the feeling of falling behind.

He hated that he couldn't help you. So, instead of scaring you, he would leave little things in your locker. Coffee, notes, extra supplies, sometimes even a rose.

Rindou tried his hardest to make you happy again, and bit by bit, day by day, he started to see your smile again.

The sun shined on your face, illuminating your features. You looked so ethereal to him.

He grabbed a strand of your hair and brought it closer to his face.

"So beautiful," he whispered under his breath. You couldn't hear him, he knew that. He doesn't want you to know how much he likes you, how much he adores you. Not yet.

I don't know what this is lmfao. But yay a Rindou post

your honor, I love him

#rindou haitani #rindou x reader #tokyo revengers rindou #tr rindou #haitani rindou #haitani brothers #haitani ran #tokyo revengers sanzu #tokyo revengers #i love him #i love him so much

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obae-me · 1 year

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tacking onto what castlelibrarykeeper said - I have also done something like that, I cut my elbow open in 2nd or 4th grade and didn't notice until people nearby started freaking out... never knew how badly I wanted to read about an MC doing this

We're all just out here doing similar things, huh? Oh, I had another instance when I was like 12 where I was riding a four wheeler while someone else was driving it, and this stupid teen at the handles decided to drive us in-between/through these dead hedges, and I remember watching his body push this thin branch forward, and then it swung back and hit me in the face. I didn't feel it much till I went back inside the house and someone else had to tell me I was bleeding.

Guess it's not that uncommon, since humans can be surprisingly fragile.

…I want to have MC do this too...darn it, guess I gotta write it out or I won't be satisfied!

Just a little mini fic won't hurt... Jokes on me, it's a bit more than just a 'mini' fic.

Dumb Injuries

TW: Blood and Injury

It was bad enough being a human in general. Every demon and angel they'd come to know already felt as if they might break from the smallest of things. So, of course, the human felt a constant need to reassure them that they were not a Porcelain Doll. Although, making sure they stayed safe down here was harder than they expected. Who knew Devildom wind storms could literally pick them up and blow them away? Having a demon simply run into their shoulder in the hallway nearly left them with a bruise for days. That's not even to mention the curses that could be sitting around any and every corner.

Plus...human clumsiness is a given. Mistakes were bound to happen. Who knew a little blood would cause such an uproar, though?

It had been a silly thing, really, which wounded their pride more than anything. They were simply walking up the stairs to the second floor of the House of Lamentation, texting while they were doing so. Next thing you know, the tip of their shoe clipped the edge of the stair as they were heading up, gravity doing the rest. They hardly processed what had happened, getting up, looking around themselves, hoping to whatever higher power existed in this world that no one had seen them just absolutely eat it-- in other words, slam their face into the stairs.

Heart pounding, absolutely mortified that they'd just done that, they rushed the rest of the way up the steps with their hand firmly on the guide-rail. It does exist to prevent such things, after all. They shook their head as soon as they reached the upper landing, sighing in relief that it seemed they got away from their blunder scot-free. Jeez, if any one of the brothers had seen them do that, they'd never hear the end of it. They padded down the hallway, a little grin on their face as they rounded the corner. Good thing no one--

A deafening screech rang through the halls. MC hardly even had the time to turn their head in the direction the screech came from before two hands grabbed them by the shoulders. "What happened?" Asmo looked frantic, like he was about to burst into tears. MC stared at him curiously, opening their mouth to question him. Before they could get their words out, Asmo shouted again. "Someone come help!"

Two doors opened at the same time. Satan exited his room first, lips formed into an annoyed scowl while his eyes still scanned over the book in his hand. Seems he didn't take Asmo's plea too seriously. "What are you screaming about now?" After he finished the page he was on, he shut the book with a brisk and satisfying smack. The moment his gaze lifted, his eyes widened. The book that was in his hand clattered to the floor, the pages fluttering. He nearly shoved Asmo out of the way just to get to them, cupping his hand around their chin. "What did this?!"

"I don't know!" Asmo released his grasp on their shoulders, covering his mouth with both hands in terror. "What do we do?!"

Going back to the second door that had opened, Levi had come out rather irritated, headphones over his head with one of the cushions pushed back to free one ear. He had simply tilted his head out of the doorway, ready to tell his brothers to be quiet. He was trying to concentrate on his games! Then, he too fell victim to the calamity. "I-I-I-I," he stuttered, taking a moment to catch his words, swaying on his own feet, like he was about to faint. "I'll go get Lucifer!" Then he dashed away.

"I don't--" MC had tried to say, confused at what exactly was happening.

"Shh." They were shushed by Satan. "Don't use up your energy. It'll be alright...You'll be okay."

At this point, MC felt like they must've been being pranked or something, right?

The noise brought a few more people out into the halls, Mammon's bright-white hair bobbing from around the corner. "Oi, oi, oi! What's everyone freaking out--" He caught the sight of them and the life seemed to drain from his eyes. In a flash, both Asmo and Satan were thrust aside, his hands holding the side of MC’s face. "What the hell happened?!"

That had been enough. MC pulled themselves away from Mammon, glaring at the brothers around them. "Will you guys quit it?! Seriously? What are you all even talking about?"

Saying that only seemed to make the brothers look even more concerned, each of them frozen in place, stunned, like they had seen a ghost. "MC, darling," Asmo finally spoke up. "You're bleeding."

“You mean to tell me you didn’t even notice?!” Mammon’s jaw was slightly open.

"Huh?" The human went to raise an eyebrow, only for them to be met with a sharp pain when they tried. They glanced down to Mammon's hands, the side of one of his palms lined with a bright red liquid. No...they couldn't be...They raised a few fingers to touch a spot on their forehead that felt a little bit sore. Soon enough, they were rubbing away crimson from their fingertips.

Well...this was a problem.

The twins were next to join the group, Beel genuinely concerned at the sound of all his brother's frantic voices. Belphie, however, was not as worried. In fact, he probably wouldn't've even joined at all were he not being carried by his twin. "Is everyone okay?" Beel wondered, settling Belphie down on his own two feet. "We heard yelling."

"Everything is not okay!" Asmo's shrill tone almost made MC's head spin...or maybe that was finally the pain starting to settle in. "Just look at the state MC is in!"

Surprisingly enough, Belphie was the one to spring to action, looking absolutely furious at his other siblings. It was pretty terrifying. "Why are they still standing?! Make them sit down!" He nearly got into a sparring match with Mammon, pushing the second-born away so he could support MC by their side, guiding them down to the floor.

“Be gentle with ‘em!”

“I am!”

“Will they be okay?”

“What if they go into shock?”

“Someone do something!”

“You’re not doing anything either!”

Too many voices cluttered MC’s mind. "I really don't think all of this is neces--"

"What have you all gotten yourselves into now?" An exhausted voice announced itself before the person dragged himself into view. He had his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes closed as if he were mentally preparing himself for the disaster before he laid his eyes on it. Levi came stumbling behind his older brother, a stuttering mess, presumably unable to explain himself to Lucifer clearly. MC thought that maybe, maybe the most logical one in the family would be immune to such panic. All hopes of that were dashed as he audibly gasped as soon as he rested his eyes over them. At the very least, he was the order to the chaos. "Mammon, grab the first-aid kit we keep in their room. Satan, get a clean rag with warm water. Beel, help me carry them to my room. Now."

Everyone who was given a mission ran off without another word, Beel coming over to scoop the human up into his arms. It was all very disorienting. All MC could do at the moment was blink as they were rushed into Lucifer's bedroom, settled onto his couch. Lucifer lagged behind, coming into the room a few moments later, shaking the last bit of moisture off his freshly washed hands. With a shrug of his shoulders, he let his coat fall to the floor, striding to MC at a brisk pace, thumb and finger settled over their chin to turn their head in his direction. Those of the brothers who weren't given a task hovered nervously behind the eldest, Belphie coming over to sit at their feet, dangerously close to crawling into their lap.

Satan and Mammon nearly crashed into each other, arriving at the bedroom at the same time. Mammon squeezed through first, opening the first-aid-kit as he kneeled beside the couch. He sounded quite breathless as he spoke. "What do we need?"

"We need to stop the bleeding, then we can clean it," Lucifer announced, telling Mammon what to grab to hand to him so he could treat their wound.

"Is it really that serious?" It was the first question MC was able to fully ask without being cut off. However, instead of a verbal answer, they figured out for themselves how bad the wound was as soon as Lucifer began treating it, the pain making itself known in pounding droves. They winced, trying to tug their head away from him, but stuck in his grasp. Satan leaned over the huddle of brothers, using the rag to clean up the blood that had dripped down their face.

"Whatever in the world happened?" Lucifer asked, his frown growing ever deeper every time the human hissed in pain.

A different kind of heat flooded MC's body, one of humiliation rather than agony. "I don't know," they lied, immediately getting seven different pairs of eyes squinting at them suspiciously.

"Was it a curse?" Satan wondered.

"A creature?!" Asmo suggested.

"A- A criminal?!" Levi assumed.

Mammon clenched his hands into fists, a dark aura manifesting itself at Levi's suggestion. "If this was because of some other demon... If I find out who did this to ya, I'll go and--"

MC really had to stop this before it went any further. "It wasn't any of those!"

Belphie crawled up to them further, resting against their knees. He suddenly pointed directly at them, staring straight into their soul. "I bet they did something dumb again. Fall out of bed?"

Beel nodded, which only added insult to the literal injury. "Cut yourself trying to cook?"

"No! How would I even hurt my forehead that way?!" MC tried to sit up straight, only to be pushed back down by Lucifer. Their cheeks burnt with frustration. They rolled their eyes, their gaze stuck on the ceiling as to not look at any of them directly. "I trpedonhestrs," they muttered, jumbling their phrase into something nonsensical.

"Pardon?" Lucifer lowered his hands from their face the bleeding having stopped, MC suddenly gasping in pain as their entire body prickled as he began to disinfect the wound.

MC gritted their teeth for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I just tripped on the stairs, okay?!"

The room went silent. Much too silent. Like all seven of the demons stopped breathing all at the same time. MC found the courage to glance at all of them, a strange shadow seemingly covering all their faces. Finally, Mammon was the one to speak first, his usual energetic voice a frighteningly cold monotone. "You hurt yourself that badly...trippin’ on the stairs?"

MC laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, but it’s okay! Stuff like this happens to humans all the time! Nothing to worry about! Just one of those dumb accidents, you know? It could’ve been worse!”

That was probably...the worst thing they could’ve said.

Asmo rested a hand over his chest like he was about to have a heart attack. “Happens...all the time?”

Levi hadn’t blinked in a long time. “C-could’ve been- been...worse?”

"Wait..." Satan turned his head in increments so slowly he appeared to be glitching. "I think...I've read that some humans can actually die if they fall down the stairs."

Oh no...Dear God no...MC wasn’t going to be able to go anywhere by themselves for the next few days, weren't they?...

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #obey me imagines #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me levi #obey me satan #obey me asmo #obey me beel #obey me belphie #tw blood #tw injury

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gadriezmannsgirl · 11 months

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Not Like Others -P.G (1)

I know I took a lot of posting this but I hope the wait was worth it... I'm starting my new semester at Uni and I'm really busy learning the units, doing homeworks and stuffs, I've taken a little bit of advantage to post and be active this week since the first week is always quieter, doing the welcome and those things, so here it is.

This may be a little boring but it is needed to understand what will happen and everything in the next chapters

Feedback is highly appreaciated, please! Let me know what you think!!

|Chapter II| |Chapter III|

Summary: When you get the chance of meeting Pablo Gavi, you don't seem to react as the rest of people would do and that attracts him to you

January 17th, 2023

“Here we are” Your dad, Armando Santos, spoke with a big smile “Welcome to Barcelona, Spain” He introduced as you only looked at the pretty much empty, airport

“Gorgeous” Gregorio, your two years older brother said in fake excitement as you chuckled a little, your dad turned around looking at him narrowing his eyes “The airport’s nice!”

“Déjate de hostias, hombre. No has visto la verdadera belleza” (Stop joking around, youngman. You haven’t seen the real beauty) Your dad said with a heavy Spanish accent, making your mom, Cristina Aguilar, raise her eyebrows

“Already into the mood? Good” You laughed once more

“Stop it, señorita” Your dad said getting over to tickle you but you walked backwards and pushed his hands down when some yellings grabbed yours and your family’s attention. There was a light group of girls, screaming with their phones up.

“Can’t we go back to Canada? People here looks a bit crazy”

“You’re Spanish too” Gregorio said as you pushed him lightly while laughing “They must be fangirls or something”

“Is some singer coming here?” You ask “Harry Styles? Taylor Swift? Ed Sheeran? Coldplay? Lasso? Myke Towers? Maluma?”

“None of those, right now”

“Actors?” You ask “If Tom Hiddleston is there, I’ll make a way in it too”

“You’re not making a way inside anything” Your mom said as you raise your hands up

“I’m joking” You started walking towards your luggage “Or am I?”

“Y/N!” You laughed lightly

“I will not” You say and after a few seconds yawned “Joder, I’m so tired” You whined “So jetlagged I just wanna sleep through my whole college degree and wake up to my graduation day” You felt Gregorio laugh openly

“Get the nice pics; touch that diploma and go to sleep again?” You nod excited with a smile on

“And the party, never forget the party” He ruffled your hair “¡Hey! Gotta look pretty after this whole stressing out thing”

“You always look pretty but I think that’s not how it works” Your mom laughed lightly, grabbing your three years old brother’s hand, Mauricio “, sorry to ruin that dream of yours” You groan lightly stomping your feet in the airport ground, the yells intensified

“Joder, ¿Pero qué carajos estará pasando ahí?” (Fuck, but what the hell is going on there?) Armando replied impressed with the yelling

“Mejor será que nos vayamos. Mauricio can cry at any given minute” (It’s the best if we leave) Cristina said guiding you to start walking

“Y/N” Your dad called you as you turned around to face him “Don’t you worry, I thought the same thing too when I was in Uni” He winks at you as you smile “But sadly after I graduated it, I wanted to go at it again. Those always are the good times” He said as you lifted your eyebrows up, not believing that.

How does stressing out and having no time to even shower sometimes is good times?

“What? I was a nerd, yes. But a cool one, I always got out on parties and at the same time got those one hundred on my grades? That’s one of a kind. How do you think I got your mom?” You laugh shaking your head as your mom pinched your dad making him laugh lightly “Let’s go, we gotta go home so we can take a good and well deserved nap before readjusting ourselves here” He said as you kept on walking

You just landed from Canada after a whole seven hours flight to your home, the place you were born in, your beautiful Barcelona. The same Barcelona you had to leave when you were barely four years old to move all the way to Canada because of your parent’s job and after fourteen years over there, after a whole life created, you were moving back where you started. You were moving back home.

A home where you didn’t knew a single thing of about, you didn’t know the Catalans streets but still you always loved seeing pictures of them on your parents photographic albums.

Good thing is that your parent’s never allowed you or your brother to forget your Hispanics roots, often while being on the house in Canada, speaking in Spanish or a really deep Spanglish where only the fourth of you could really understand it. You also know the basics of Catalan and you are able to maintain a conversation if the person talking to you is speaking really slowly and/or doesn’t have any problems of repeating itself a few times but you indeed could speak Catalan.

The fact you had to learn and adjust to this place made you both excited and nervous, Barcelona was big and you could easily get lost in the city, plus the fact you didn’t know anyone else here besides your family from your dad’s side was terrifying you. And you to get to know your Uni, making friends, lots of learning were about to come and you were about to come out of your body, feeling like collapsing from just the thought of it.

“How do we have a car here?” Gregorio asked

“Maybe because you have grandparents here?” You heard the so known voice of your grandmother, Estella

“Lila!” You yelled out with happiness on your voice going over to hug the not-so-old but not-so-young lady, excited as she welcomed you in her tight and warm grip

“How was the flight?” She asked after hugging and inspecting you whole from top to bottom

“Tiring” You said “At least I spend it good, slept a bit and read this new book I got, unlike Grego, who had a kid behind him and apparently was kicking him”

“That freaking bastard” He cursed under his breath as you laugh lightly “I really wanted to punch the kid”

“Watch that mouth, youngman. Violence is never good and only brings you more problems” El abuelo, Enrique spoke nodding a few times as he spoke with a smile on, he opened his arms for Gregorio to get in his hold “You’re almost as tall as me”

“That’s not much, dad” Your dad smiled causing you to laugh as the abuelo lifted his eyebrows at him

“We’re gonna talk about this at home” The abuelo said before laughing and bringing your dad into a hug

“Cristina, you’re looking fantastic”

“I can say the same thing for you, Estella” Your mom hugged your grandma, as your felt a tug on your hand, you looked down and saw your little brother, Mauricio pushing his arms out for you and you picked him up placing him in your hip.

He was looking behind him and a few times, you had to readjust your hold on him since he was being moody and moving around a lot

“Mau, para” You said looking at him and catched him looking behind himself, you looked towards he was looking and met the eyes of a boy, who was with other guys and who must be around your age, with brown hair, big eyes and his face was in a frown. You couldn’t see him properly because as soon as you looked over to him, he turned his gaze away.

And Mauricio who pulled at your necklace brought your attention, completely forgetting about the guy. “Así no, Mau; me lastimas. Be careful” (Not like that, Mau; you’re hurting me) You said bouncing the boy as he giggled and that catched your grandma’s attention

“This is the little one!” She exclaimed looking over to Mauricio who buried his head into your neck shy “I’m abuelita, mi amor!” She smiled getting closer to you as you encouraged the young one to look at the lady and once he did, he was laughing in her arms.

Your dad and granddad seemed to forget about the fact they were on an airport entrance as they chatted for a few minutes, you felt someone looking at you and turned around watching this time, two guys along the same one from earlier looking at you, you brushed them off and looked towards your mom.

Weird.

Spanish people so far, were really weird. Yourself, included.

“Someone already have admirers?” She had noticed as you smiled

“You wish” You shake your head and suppressed a yawn

“Let’s go home?” She noticed as you smiled thanking her “We can keep the chat at home, met you there?” The olderly couple nodded and you saw your abuelo give your dad some keys.

“House and car” He pronounced each one as your dad smiled

“Thanks, dad. We’ll see you there” And with that they left to their car as your dad went to what it seemed to be, now, his car.

“Ready for our new chapter in Barcelona?” Your dad asks as both your hermano and you

You were opposed by the idea of leaving what it seemed your place for forever, your old house, your streets, your friends, your team, your whole life behind, but soon, realized you only left it behind if you allow yourself to forget it and you weren’t going to. And they weren't going to forget you either. Eventually you made peace with the fact of this new and big change for you, even if you weren’t so fond of changes and saw the good side of it and finally could see yourself settling into your real place. In your Barcelona.

So, as your dad asked, you looked at your brother and he looked back at you, smiling, you nodded at each other.

“We’re Ready”

°°° °°° °°° °°°

Taglist: @gaviypedrisbride @stuckinaf4nfiction @elijahslover @azzpenswrld

I'm planning to do a taglist for Not Like Others, if you want to be there, comment a little "NLO taglist, please" and I will know that you wanna be included in it and you will be. Like I said in the beggining, I truly hope you guys like it, please let me know what you think. Feedback is really important to me because it lets me know you like my works, it helps me with writing and makes me feel nice knowing all the effort I put in these little stories is worth it. With this being said, I read you guys, take care!

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weirdmageddon · 6 months

Text

long mediation on jade and dave’s relationship - part 2

part 1 is here

this part is essentially about dave and jade’s personalities, their basic dynamic, and how it works. and addressing some things ive seen said about dave in moments that people remove from context because they dont weigh these contexts and prior ones. if you want a post that goes into dave’s attitude towards jade (conclusion: he cares about her a lot) here it is

part 2: switcheroo + misconceptions about dave's role in dave and jade's relationship

something interesting i realized while writing this is the thing about grimbark jade is that she is no nonsense when her normal self is all about nonsense and entertaining silly things because she can see the merit in them. in fact she is always having a chuckle caused by dave's sense of humor and im sure dave got used to interacting with jade like that so wtf with grimbark jade

EB: so i think i have to get TG to use his copy to save her! EB: but that jackass won't shut up and stop rapping and stuff. GG: hahaha GG: he is so silly! (p.293)

TG: snows a big chilly carpet of nobody gives a shit TG: like old man winter spread around his nasty mayonnaise and turned the landscape into his personal asshole sandwich GG: eww dave no TG: when i look around all i see is the miles of unharnessed snowmen im just too damn cool to build GG: no this is so lame GG: i am hearing an insane and stupid guy say stupid idiot things while wearing dumb sunglasses for lame morons! TG: whoa jade with the fucking haymaker TG: i need to go look for my teeth on the canvas as soon as shit stops spinning and there stops being like ten of you GG: heheheh GG: why dont we play in the snow later (p.3024)

GG: i cant get over how tiny this thing is! GG: its so cute GG: so the baby frogs show up on this pad here? GA: Yes GG: i cant wait to try it GA: What Are You Laughing At There GG: oh GG: lol GG: dave just has a lot of funny stuff to say about all this GA: What Is He Saying GG: oh you know, a bunch of silly stuff GG: theres too much to copy/paste! GA: Hmm GG: here ill save it all to a file and send it to you -- gardenGnostic [GG] sent grimAuxiliatrix [GA] the file "daveisafunnyguy.txt" -- GA: Okay Im Laughing Pretty Hard At All That GG: hahaha (p.3312)

JADE: *snicker* JOHN: what? JADE: nothing JOHN: is someone messaging you through the game? JADE: hehe JOHN: who is it? JADE: pffff! JOHN: dammit, jade... JADE: its davesprite, hes playing too JOHN: oh. JOHN: don't tell him any of our strategies. he is the enemy! JADE: we have strategies? JOHN: um... JOHN: ok, first, tell him we have strategies. then, don't tell him them. JADE: hahahahahahaha JOHN: oh god. JOHN: what is it now? JADE: did you know... JADE: davesprite is a funny guy? JOHN: meh, he's alright i guess. JOHN: i give most of his jokes a passing grade. sometimes as high as a solid b+! JADE: i just told him you said that JADE: davesprite says to tell you "youre basically welcome for being born 14 years ago and 1 year ago you ungrateful douche" JOHN: oh, like him taking credit for my existence isn't so old by now! (p.4732)

in a way i feel like their roles parallel dave and jade in the earlier acts from homestuck, but inverted (and twisted/not as nice cause grimbark jade is under nefarious influences)

dave approaches the world from a highly pragmatic position. his ego (in the purely psychoanalytical sense) that he holds himself to, shows to the world, and what he tends to reason through is one that’s about relaxed competence. he’s critical of unreasonable actions and takes it upon himself to guide others into being more efficient in practical, realistic ways. he sees that jade struggles in these initially but she readily accepts his help, which is more than glad to provide.

this doesn’t say anything bad about jade harley. this doesn’t make her stupid, or in need the saving from a knight in shining armor nor does it make dave condescending towards her. it’s information that he is able to provide and that she appreciates and trusts his assistance with while she sees through the things that she prioritizes like helping others with matters of hidden opportunities / the big picture and interpersonal needs which are completely out of dave’s league, something he highly respects but doesnt feel its his greatest asset towards other people like jade does. jade is very into science and gadgetry, but remember that she relies heavily on her sharp intuition rather than straight up pragmatism like dave would. jade really is exceptional and multitalented but she doesn’t know how she does the things she does half the time!

(p.790)

even though dave acknowledges this it doesn’t really bother him

TG: hey TG: oh TG: youre asleep again arent you TG: or do you even know if you are TG: i still dont know how that works TG: its like nothing means anything TG: its so cool getting hella chumped by your coquettish damn riddles all the time TG: i dont know why i believe anything you say im like the grand marshal of gross chumpage (p.829)

GG: i want to tell him happy birthday and ask him about his birthday package! TG: oh yeah TG: i was being sort of cagey and told him to check the mail cause i was wondering if mine came yet GG: i think it did! TG: yeah? GG: and i think mine came too TG: so uh TG: i guess you want to know if he likes it or something? GG: no!!!!!!! GG: he will not open it GG: he will lose it!!! TG: oh TG: uh TG: wow sorry to hear that i guess? GG: no its good actually! GG: because he will find it again later when he really needs it GG: which of course is why i sent it in the first place! TG: see like TG: i never get how you know these things GG: i dont know GG: i just know that i know! TG: hmm alright (p.382)

TT: Jade is connected with you? TT: Where did she get the discs? TG: i dont know how does she do any of the loopy batshit nonsense she does (p.1401)

but because she’s gotten by on intuition and her dreams for most things, she’s not as adapted to the rationale behind actions. dave can sense her struggling and wants to help because it’s basically his mission for everyone, not just jade. but that’s the information that jade is glad to be led by and continues to unconsciously prompt him with. she encourages his practical ways and doesn’t tell him to fuck off or just straight up ignore his advice which dave interprets as his strengths being needed by someone else

GG: dave! GG: are you busy? GG: i dont have much time! GG: i am about to make my entry item, and its a little confusing GG: i think the more players we add, the trickier they are to... um...... GG: activate! GG: like yours was GG: i figured we could brainstorm about it, while john fusses with the kernel GG: helloooooo? TG: nak nak nak GG: :o (p.2907)

TG: yeah honestly i figured wed have to do something like this TG: so i guess here we are doing it GG: doing what?? TG: well youre my server player remember GG: yes TG: i need you to deploy something first TG: in my apartment TG: in a few hours ill go back there and we can continue this GG: oh jeez, a few hours???? -- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering gardenGnostic [GG] -- -- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] -- TG: yeah TG: as in a few seconds TG: im back at my place now GG: fastest hours :o TG: yeah TG: now TG: deploy the intellibeam laserstation GG: but that costs so much grist!!! TG: no it costs practically nothing TG: check out how much ive got GG: omg... GG: what does this thing do? TG: its mostly pretty stupid and useless TG: but itll come in handy here TG: it reads captcha codes GG: on the back of cards? TG: yeah GG: but GG: we can already read those! TG: some are too garbled and complicated TG: the human eye cant decipher them TG: needs sophisticated scanning technology TG: and artificial intelligence to figure it out GG: hmm GG: but isnt the whole point of captchas that only humans can read them? GG: and not robots??? TG: yeah well TG: thats why this is so dumb (p.3025 / 3026)

TG: thisll be the disc i use for your connection TG: while the original will stay bound to roses connection GG: so you will be the server for BOTH us ladies??? GG: you just keep getting smoother, i cant handle all this smoothness TG: well technically TG: i will be your server TG: and past me will stay as roses server TG: which is to say present me will TG: the one in the black suit GG: ohh... GG: i guess that makes sense TG: he can keep managing her for a while TG: until she sorta checks out soon and becomes totally useless TG: then he can start hopping around time like i did TG: make a ton of money and stuff TG: eventually become me TG: and become your server player GG: ok i think i understand that! TG: yeah see its not hard to get the hang of TG: in the meantime ill kind of loiter around this timeframe to help you out for a while GG: yessss thanks dave <3

TG: im just going to cut right to the chase and upgrade your alchemiter so you can avoid a lot of bullshit TG: ill give you some codes and you can punch cards and slip em into jumper blocks GG: yaaaaaaaaaaaay! (p.3030 - 3032)

jade has strengths that dave has weaknesses in too, which dave himself points out!!!

TG: ok so TG: the egg is now in a nest made of shitty swords and soft puppet ass TG: please advise GG: i think your sprite wants to hatch it! GG: awww TG: do you think thatll take more than four hours GG: hmm... GG: i dont know it looks like its pretty warm where you are TG: its hot as the sizzle side of the steak GG: maybe not too long then???? GG: i guess we'll find out! TG: maybe i should try to get it back TG: and put it in the microwave GG: :( (p.1507)

dave assumed the egg needed to be heated to break and allow him to enter the game, so his course of action is to go up there and get it himself and use whatever means are at his disposal. that is a logical, straightforward thing to do. he doesnt rely on uncertainty and blind trust that things will just work out when he has the ability to take action in a way that makes sense; that’s jade’s thing. but it turns out jade’s intuition for how to solve dave’s entry puzzle was right! it was actually a test of patience. he later says this to jade

GG: you guys are all so much better than me, i feel sooooo lame TG: we all start out somewhere TG: remember how i was scrambling up that tower to get that egg like an idiot TG: what the hell was i doing TG: i was like goddamn pooh bear in a tree reaching up his fat fuckin pooh paw for some mother fuckin honey GG: heehee TG: so even though im awesome now at one point i was plausibly likened to an autistic stuffed animal TG: and you even knew what to do TG: you told me how it worked all christopher robinning my ignorant ass about that egg TG: but i was all like IM A LITTLE BLACK RAIN CLOUD BITCH WATCH ME CLIMB TG: so maybe youre startin out with more sense than me GG: maaaybe GG: :) (p.3025)

hes pretty much like jade's hypeman but in his own sort of lowkey way and is actually sweetly reassuring to her. this includes davesprite btw

GG: those stupid things are impossible to kill :( TG: no you can kill them TG: youll get better dont worry (p.3024)

GG: hmmmm... GG: i dont know if i get that but ok! TG: well yeah TG: my thing is time yours is space TG: pretty different things TG: you GET things about space i dont TG: or you will GG: i will? TG: yup (p.3024)

DAVESPRITE: as a sprite im supposed to help him with his quest JADESPRITE: oh yeah JADESPRITE: im supposed to help jade too, but...... JADESPRITE: *sniffle* DAVESPRITE: shes doing alright dont worry about it JADESPRITE: ok, ill try... JADESPRITE: shes a lot more brave than me i think JADESPRITE: she brought me back thinking i could help her and all i did was disappoint her and everyone else JADESPRITE: you came back as a sprite and youre managing to do important things... JADESPRITE: but i just feel so scared and helpless DAVESPRITE: sounds like you came back because jade made the decision for you DAVESPRITE: i made the decision to come back myself maybe itd be different if you had the same chance JADESPRITE: i dont know if i would have if i had the chance JADESPRITE: but i would like to not feel so useless to everybody DAVESPRITE: i think everyones on top of this DAVESPRITE: theres not much for us to do anymore (p.3927)

DAVESPRITE: so jade must have done something right DAVESPRITE: to wake her up and get the forge going DAVESPRITE: dont know what she did though JADESPRITE: probably something amazing JADESPRITE: she is still working so hard to help everyone JADESPRITE: i guess i used to be that way... JADESPRITE: but ive completely forgotten how DAVESPRITE: are you sure (p.3945)

JADESPRITE: it reminds me of when i died JADESPRITE: and i was trying to wake john up JADESPRITE: i was scared then too JADESPRITE: but i didnt let the fear stop me from trying to save him DAVESPRITE: what would you want to do DAVESPRITE: if you werent scared JADESPRITE: i have no idea JADESPRITE: i guess try to help JADESPRITE: what is there to do? DAVESPRITE: well DAVESPRITE: i was going to bring this sword to dave JADESPRITE: oh noo JADESPRITE: does that mean youre going to leave? DAVESPRITE: no DAVESPRITE: i was gonna say DAVESPRITE: im not in any shape for more adventuring DAVESPRITE: i figure this is probably my last stop JADESPRITE: :( DAVESPRITE: but maybe this is a way you can help JADESPRITE: you mean... JADESPRITE: that i should give him the sword? DAVESPRITE: if you want JADESPRITE: but i dont want to leave you here either DAVESPRITE: maybe you dont have to actually go anywhere DAVESPRITE: you oughta have a lot of special powers remember DAVESPRITE: because of ascending to doghood JADESPRITE: oh yeah! DAVESPRITE: try doing your spacey thing DAVESPRITE: i mean not to sound condescending or anything but its got to be like borderline omnipotence pretty much DAVESPRITE: just put your mind to it (p.3946)

knowing all of this about dave and jade’s personalities and how they work together, i’ve see people get on dave’s case about making jade slap herself in the face after she put the dead bird into his kernelsprite while he was preoccupied with taking a leak

dave freaks the hell out when he realizes she’s asleep; he needs to wake her up because she needs to help him get into the game while requires pragmatism and reasonable actions so that he’s not crushed to death by an imminent meteor. or falling plumbing fixtures. the goal wasn’t to show her who’s in control or whatever or to be mean (do people seriously think he would do that to be mean to her just to slap a girl?) it was strictly to wake her up since he has no means of influencing that besides getting creative

while asleep, jade doesn’t think logically and certainty not to the extent dave needs her to be right now. she’s scattered lalalalala and can forget about limitations or consequences in the real world and also has a short memory span while dreaming: e.g. “4 hours until what?” and she put something into the kernelsprite right after dave asked her not to because she forgor </3 and jade does acknowledge this about her dreaming self btw

GG: i mean, i only talked to you when i was asleep! i am kind of different when im dreaming... GG: i forget things, and at times im not totally sure whats real GG: dont you remember thats what its like to dream on prospit? (p.3056)

dave literally says “we need to wake you up youre not very logical like this” and he does apologize about making her dreambot wake-up slap her

i also see people say that dave thought of jade as helpless and he needs to be the hero and that's why "davejade is not good actually"

TG: but ok i mean isnt that what heroes should be doing TG: working to take down the bad guy without a whole lot of this fuckin grandiloquence and these huge sweeping plans that got nothin to do with fighting him TG: like always biding our time and tiptoeing around the unbeatable god boss TG: johns too nice to get mad TG: rose spends all her time calculating TG: too focused on machiavellian ploys of sabotage to try anything drastic TG: jade is TG: i dont even know TG: probably more a liability if she got it in her head to take him down TG: if anything id bet she just needs protection GC: WH4T 4R3 YOU S4Y1NG H3R3 D4V3, 1N TH1S CONV3RS4T1ON TH4T 1S ST1LL B31NG 4BOUT YOU TG: im just wondering TG: when does someone actually step up TG: jacks got shit to pay for (p.3703)

this minor thread gets followed up on in the pesterlog where jade contacts dave and eventually she concludes jack needs to be stopped and dave's like ... "oh shit" in his head. "oh shit" as in jade's got Game good for her go jade, "oh shit" as in she's going to be ripe for the stabbing cause the idea is in her head now, and "oh shit" as in this moment is the seed of why im going to have to rehearse jade accidentally killing me over and over and i cant tell her about it. due to this he is always fated to die in the alpha timeline both standing up to jack and to protect jade. it's woven into his story. but he was wrong about everyone else also! which i dont see brought up when that quote is used? rose does something drastic (pilots the moon into the furthest ring) and john gets mad (on the ship) and jade is the opposite of needing protection (she’s the only one jack won’t stab and also she ends up so fucking OP she has to be basically written out of act 6) so it's less a thing about jade specifically but to show that in hindsight dave was wrong about ALL his friends. which is an interesting discussion to be had about him in itself, but not now. this is the most sane and well-thought out interpretation of it ive seen

"In general, though, I think Dave has a tendency not uncommon to [thirteen] year olds (or… humans in general, if we’re being honest here) to cast everyone else as a player in his own story and characterize them in ways that fit what he wants. There’s the famous chunk where he says John never gets angry, Rose will never stop scheming long enough to take action, and Jade’s a liability, only to be proven wrong in every count. That fits his understanding of these people and his ideal relationship with them - friend, actor, protector, the one in the group who can be the hero." "Yes, I think Dave probably saw Jade as the most supportive and least judgmental friend. I’m not sure if that impacted his incorrect judgment of her since that’s kind of a pattern for him in general, but I guess it could’ve."

and also putting this solely on dave is kind of ... ehhhhh? because john says the same thing about jade but i don't see anyone getting on his case for it.

CG: SHE AND DAVE RAN INTO JACK, WHICH I'M SURE HE MUST HAVE SAW COMING BECAUSE I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE EXPLOIT TIME TRAVEL SO SHAMELESSLY AS HIM, NOT EVEN ARADIA. CG: SO SHE AND DAVE FOUGHT WITH HIM A WHILE, AND LONG STORY SHORT, HE DIED. EB: what!!! CG: BUT IT'S FINE, I GUESS THAT WAS HIS PLAN, LIKE SOME BIZARRE USELESS LAST STAND, EVEN IF HE DIDN'T TELL JADE WHO WAS PRETTY FREAKED OUT UNTIL I TALKED HER THROUGH IT. CG: JADE SAYS SHE HAS THIS FIGURED OUT, AND I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO MUCH BUT TRUST HER. CG: THE POINT IS, SHE'S ALL BOOKED UP, AND ALL TOO MORTAL. SO SHE WON'T BE DELIVERING THE BOMB, AND NEITHER WILL YOU. EB: ok, well what about this. EB: since she is mortal, and i am not (sort of), and i don't need to do the scratch for a while, can i go help her? EB: maybe she could use some protection? maybe that is what dave was just trying to do, when he temporarily died. EB: remember, jack is still on the loose! he has killed rose and dave once, and me twice. CG: NO NO NO NO NO NO. CG: SWEET BLEEDING JEGUS, EGBERT, YOU KEEP BRAGGING ABOUT YOUR IMMORTALITY, AND THEN BRAINLESSLY ANNOUNCE PLANS TO GO OFF AND DO SOMETHING HEROIC! YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SHORTEST LIFESPAN OF ANY IMMORTAL IN HISTORY. EB: sorry. :( CG: BESIDES, IT'S A TOTAL NON ISSUE. JACK WOULDN'T HESITATE TO STAB YOU AGAIN, BUT HE WON'T HURT JADE FOR SOME REASON. CG: IF ANYTHING, YOU COULD USE HER PROTECTION. (p.3869 / 3871)

and also keep in mind dave does absolutely change his perception about jade's strength??

DAVE: youll probably annihilate me worse than my bro used to DAVE: dont you have all of your dogs insane powers and like DAVE: god tier space powers on top of all that DAVE: how exactly am i supposed to compete with that (p.6384)

DAVE: gotta keep em napping DAVE: especially jade im sure you know what kind of crooked ass baloneyfuck powers she got DAVE: cant let her turn those against us (p.7485)

so back to grimbark jade and the switching of these roles, dave doesn’t entirely lose his pragmatic bent. that’s still the way he thinks about stuff through but his time on the meteor has softened him and allowed him to become more reflective on big-picture things such as his role in everything

ironically this is the exact reason for his clash with grimbark jade is because she’s trying really hard to make him do stuff and it’s stuff that he’s not going to budge on because he doesn’t think it’s practical

JADE: why not? JADE: our empress can hardly have a knight with such rusty combat skills in her service DAVE: will you cut it out with the evil jade baloney DAVE: im not going to fight you DAVE: my rooftop dueling days are OVER JADE: en garde! DAVE: ugh DAVE: even if we just went balls out jackass BANANAS with our swords here i mean realistically how much appreciable advancement in my battle skills would even result from that DAVE: are you actually thinking this through or just going through the vaguely nefarious motions that come with the territory of being evildog!jade JADE: im gonna go through the vaguely nefarious motions of kicking your ass in a minute if you dont put up your dukes!!! DAVE: yeah you probably will DAVE: youll probably annihilate me worse than my bro used to DAVE: dont you have all of your dogs insane powers and like DAVE: god tier space powers on top of all that DAVE: how exactly am i supposed to compete with that JADE: by using your time trickery! JADE: come on dave do your timey thing JADE: get creative, make lots of copies of yourself or something... outsmart me! DAVE: no! JADE: yes!!! DAVE: ok here i go JADE: !!!!! DAVE: wait DAVE: nah JADE: grrr JADE: dave, just try a little time travel to get this fight started JADE: see look, one of your time doubles is surely predestined to come from a few minutes in the future and appear behind me for a surprise attack, riiiight about... JADE: now! JADE: ... JADE: no wait JADE: riiiiiiiiiight... JADE: ... JADE: ... JADE: NOW! JADE: .... JADE: ..... JADE: dave why is your future self being such a wet blanket DAVE: i told you DAVE: im not time traveling DAVE: i think im giving it up for good actually (p.6384)

one thing floral mentions in her post is that dave is pushing jade for answers about her failed relationship with davesprite

DAVE: why are you dragging that guy into this DAVE: what happened with you and him anyway JADE: none of your business >:p DAVE: it kind of is DAVE: hes bird me DAVE: that clearly means i have a right to know JADE: that doesnt make any sense! DAVE: you said he had issues DAVE: what issues JADE: augh! JADE: forget i mentioned it DAVE: was he talking shit about me the whole time or something DAVE: i know he resents me for being the real dave JADE: dont say that, you arent the real dave! JADE: well you are, but phrasing it like that is so mean! JADE: hes just as real as you, and when you imply he isnt you sound like a jerk!!! DAVE: man i knew it DAVE: i knew he was poisoning your view of me all those years DAVE: and i wasnt there to say anything or defend against his slander so now of course you think im a neurotic douche (p.6386)

and while it is true nobody is obligated to share the details of their relationship, there is a LOT of evidence to believe dave was asking because he wants to be a good person and, to me his words here, and his past and future actions relative to this point, show that he’s not as messed up of a person as grimbark jade is making him out to be. let’s dive into it. think on this: why does dave care so much what jade thinks about him? he started getting “neurotic” halfway through the conversation once jade brought up her feelings about him

JADE: THE ONLY REASON I THINK YOURE A NEUROTIC DOUCHE IS BECAUSE YOURE ACTING LIKE ONE NOW!!! DAVE: yeah but i only started acting like a neurotic douche like half way through this conversation DAVE: you clearly had an axe to grind with me from the start and i want to know why DAVE: what did i ever do to deserve this shit from you JADE: YOU BROKE MY HEART!!!!!! DAVE: what DAVE: i did DAVE: when (p.6386)

he’s genuinely so lost because he hadn’t had contact with any extension of jade in 3 years. alpha timeline dave has been sensitive towards jade for basically forever and especially now that he’s had time to grow up. he is not going to allow any version of himself hurt jade, and thats why hes asking so many questions to her about the nature of the relationship and what happened

JADE: ok not you JADE: davesprite did JADE: BUT YOURE BASICALLY THE SAME GUY! DAVE: whoa no way DAVE: thats such an unfair characterization we are completely different dudes JADE: you just said you had a right to know what happened between us because, and i quote, "hes bird me" DAVE: no i know DAVE: i was playing the "hes bird me" card because it was convenient to whatever it was i was saying at the time DAVE: i forget what point i was making when i said that JADE: *growl* DAVE: but thats not the point im making now DAVE: he and me are just DAVE: crazy different yo DAVE: hes got fuckin wings!!! DAVE: he also presumably takes a dump and lays eggs out of the same ghostly hole DAVE: ... DAVE: ew man whyd i have to go there JADE: *SNARL* DAVE: ok if he broke up with you or whatever that was because of his dumb bird issues not my issues DAVE: theres no way i would have done that to you (p.6386)

what dave means to say by “hes bird me because it was convenient to say at the time but it doesnt apply to this circumstance” is exactly what i was getting at in part 1 of this series of posts. yes, they are the same people at their very foundation, different reflections of a single character, but up to a point. there’s a gray area of whether or not we can call dave and davesprite the same person. in terms of this conflict though, dave should be regarded as a separate individual because of their diverging history up to that point and adolescent-teenage growth in different environments and under different circumstances. even if dave doesn't know what hes trying to say

he wants to know what this alternate version of himself did to hurt jade so much. even if grimbark jade really is bringing dave into some shit he had nothing to do with.

see the thing is, to me dave could have easily handled being accused a lot worse and say something like “youre overreacting” or something. that wouldve been dickish. but he doesn’t, he never does. he really seems to be more motivated by like, “woah what?? whats his problem? are these about issues i still have and dont know they were hurting jade or are they uniquely davesprite’s?”

like, this isn’t a joke to him even if his main form of communication through humor to lighten the mood (jade loves dave’s silliness dont forget all the times she’s giggled because dave was “so silly” and “hes a funny guy”). immediately after rescuing the mayor from eviljade’s lava kick, he was going to give davesprite a piece of his mind and this shows he is sincerely concerned about what an alternate version of himself did to break jade’s heart. he REALLY fuckin wants closure on it because he cares about her feelings so much

i don’t see this other side covered in floral’s post, but evildog jade here is Also pushing dave to do something that he is uncomfortable with as well, which is to use time travel.

dave stopped time traveling so he wouldn’t “have to wonder all the time if i was taking a wrong turn and dooming everybody”, stating he was “never that cool with it” to rose back in act 5. around the same time when karkat talks to john, he says “TO MY KNOWLEDGE, HE DOESN'T TIME TRAVEL AFTER [FIGHTING JACK WITH JADE], AND HE AND ROSE STAY ON DERSE WAITING FOR THE BOMB UNTIL YOU START THE SCRATCH” which honestly makes me think that whole event was the nail in the coffin for dave on time traveling. seeing himself die fighting jack and knowing it was coming and he couldnt tell jade no matter how much he wanted to that her bullets were going to be the cause. this is the last straw for him regarding time traveling it affected him that much

remember the last lines of pesterlog jade had with dave before being separated? i mentioned it earlier--the one where jade decided jack needs to be stopped and they should “come up with a better plan than Rose’s suicide mission to stop him. Dave suggests the idea is futile, but lets her know she’d come to her own decision regardless, and he’d be available to talk later if needed” (from recap 3)

GG: well maybe im just being naive... GG: but a crazy suicide mission does not sound like the ideal solution to me! GG: are you suuuure we cant beat him? GG: i dont know if we should rule it out! TG: well TG: youre about to do what youre about to do TG: and im not going to tell you not to TG: i wont do the bullshit troll thing and tell you what youre going to do and then just dare you not to TG: while knowing damn well you will anyway TG: so ill just say TG: whats next is up to you TG: and if later you want to talk about it TG: im here GG: ok GG: thanks dave! (p.3204)

this was dave’s nice causality-free way of saying “youre going to end up killing me during the jack fight that winds up happening. i cant tell you that im going to die and that youre going to be the one to shoot me, because i know you wouldnt go through with it. that would drag us in a doomed timeline and we’d all die anyway, not just me. youre probably going to be freaked out when it happens since i can’t tell you this, so if you want to talk me about it later, ill be here for you”

which, first of all is, holy shit. he cares about her and her feelings so fucking much. and it’s nothing new

TT: What about why you went to fight Jack? TG: sure TG: i did that TG: because i wanted to TG: and because i was supposed to TT: Are you sure? TG: yeah i saw my future self fighting him so obviously that had to happen or else id be dead anyway TG: without even getting the satisfaction of standing up to him TT: So what about Jade? TG: what TT: You didn't tell her your expedition with her would result in your death, let alone one she'd inadvertently cause. TT: Or that she'd be stuck with the job of resuscitating you. Did you? TG: what am i really supposed to say TG: hey were gonna hunt frogs til you shoot me through the jack TG: then i die and youve got to make out with me TG: that kind of changes how the whole thing goes doesnt it TT: Not if you're "supposed to," right? TG: what does that even mean TT: I guess you're right. No reason to make an effort to empathize if doing so comes at the price of oblivion. TG: wtf TT: It must be comforting to have your ASPD tacitly supported by predestination. TG: aspd TT: Antisocial personality disorder. TG: oh no TG: this conversation just got bumrushed by a mudslide of fucking awful TT: It wasn't already awful, believing you might be dead? TG: you dont know anything TG: about what i was feeling or what happened on lofaf TG: you were all pavement faced and babbling your throefester speak and flipping off the shit with your own crazy deathwish thing why do you think you know what was going through my head TG: youre just assuming and throwing around psyche buzzwords like aspd complex disorder TG: im telling you if i said anything at all about it she probably doesnt even fire her gun once and all im doing is dragging her into a doomed timeline with me TT: I guess I'm learning to be impressed by your sense of obligation to inevitable misfortune. It's a strange case of inspiration through futility. TG: none of this is that big a deal TG: i just mentioned the basics to her TG: that id stop time traveling soon TG: break out of the loops TG: not have to wonder all the time if i was taking a wrong turn and dooming everybody TG: i was never that cool with this (p.3896)

dave got suddenly super fucking defensive about rose making assumptions about how he felt about fighting jack and knowing jade was going to inadvertently kill him, knowing damn well how jade reacts to seeing corpses (remember that time dave threw his slain body out the window so jade wouldnt see it because “it would probably freak her out”), and the fact that he couldn’t warn her to protect the alpha timeline and also protect both of them and everyone from falling into a doomed timeline. and he knew it was coming the whole time. he was right, rose didn’t know what was going through his head. but his defensiveness here means he had strong feelings about it. not only that but dave saying “whats next is up to you, and if later you want to talk about it, im here” shows the amount of trust he has towards her

we see him tell this to grimbark jade straight up his thought process for why he stopped time traveling. and it’s spot on with what i said. again, remember that this is the first conversation he has with jade after 3 years being separated

DAVE: but see with time travel DAVE: all the stuff about learning it so you dont have to use it is true DAVE: theres no good that can come of it DAVE: you can crunch the logic on the loops all you want DAVE: but all youre doing is painting yourself into a corner DAVE: creating inevitabilities you have to rehearse and enact or face death for yourself or everyone you know DAVE: and sometimes facing death is the very inevitability you have to rehearse DAVE: and then you wait and wait knowing its coming and knowing it has to happen DAVE: how do you think it made me feel when we were gathering up all those frogs DAVE: and i knew the whole time in a little while you would have to watch me get shot DAVE: but i couldnt say anything or it would mess it all up DAVE: all cause i thought it would be cool to be marty mcfuckin fly DAVE: but instead of shredding johnny b goode on guitar to get my parents to bang DAVE: my crowning performance was doing a funny dance while getting pumped full of lead JADE: ...... (p.6385)

and what fucking broke me yesterday was realizing after all this time, ironically it was DAVE who wound up being the one who had to talk to jade about it.

JADE: sorry dave, you lost me there after the part where i shot you DAVE: damn DAVE: ok lemme start over (p.6385)

“damn ok lemme start over” bro he really wants to open up to her about this thing he’s been stewing on for three years only for it to fall on deaf mind controlled ears. it’s so fucking sad

part 3 is cooking and it’s going to be about dave’s character growth post-meteor and what that means for dave and jade

#homestuck #homestuck meta #davejade #dave strider #jade harley #homestuck analysis #hs

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akwolfgrl · 2 months

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LFT 44

Oh Sanji, here's your bags,” Nami said, changing the subject, handing over the bags he had been carrying earlier.

“Thank you Nami swan!” Sanji dug in the bag. “Usopp here,” Sanj tossed the long nose worry wort a small bottle.

“Ghost pepper hot sauce! I can add a few drops to the Normal hot sauce when it hits people's eye it's gonna hurt even more!”

Zoro finished his drink and took out a bottle of mead he had bought at the fishmongers stall. What did Curls get him? He took a swig of his mead smacking his lips at taste. It was really good. It was no sake but still good.

“Luffy here's some candy that looks and tastes like meat, try to save a piece so I can try and recreate it. ”

“Meat candy!” Luffy took the box and ripped it open and broke a piece off and handed it back before shoveling the candy in his mouth, drooling a little as he sucked on the candy. “fank yuu!”

“And for Nami! A monarch butterfly paperweight,” Sanji took out a round glass object with an orange butterfly on top of a flower.

“Oh Sanji-kun! It's beautiful,” Nami took it in her hands in awe. “I love it, thank you!”

Zoro felt jealous bubbling low in his gut. Would he ever do things like that for him? Would he always come second to Nami? Zoro tilted the bottle back and took another swig.

“Nami’s pretty like monarch butterflies!” Luffy chimed in unhelpfully.

“That makes sense, they do symbolize strength, endurance, spirituality, trust, transformation, and evolution … some people believe that they connect the living to the dead,” Usopp rattled off.

“Oi shit cook got anything to sharpen my swords? Or are you to afraid that I'll kick your ass with three swords?” Zoro wanted Sanji's attention even if it was negative.

“Here shitty swordsman be patient for once,” Zoro caught the bag that was tossed at him with his free hand.

Zoro placed the bottle of mead down and opened the bag, inside was a wooden box, a familiar wooden box. He didn't need to open the box to know what was inside but he did so anyway. He took out each item, Uchiko powder, a mekugi nuki, nugui gami paper, and high grade sword oil. How did Sanji know he needed a new kit without him saying a word? Sanji sat next to him taking some sushi for himself, Mr. Noodles curling in his lap. He put all the items carefully back in the box and placed it next to his alcohol.

“What are we?” He found himself asking.

“Well let me ask you something, did you enjoy our date and do you want to go on more?” He was asked in return.

“Yes! I want more!” Zoro almost cringed at how enthusiastic and needy he sounded. He needed to get a hold of himself, but his heart did funny things when Sanji smiled at him. Like candle light guiding in the dark, soft and flicking hope. He could feel his face flush, maybe he could pass it off as alcohol?

“Then Zoro, do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Zoro was cute like this, his face red as he nodded eagerly. The man in front of him was open and almost vulnerable right now. He had never seen him look like this before. Sanji took his strong calloused hand in his own, rubbing his thumb over Zoro's skin. The difference in their skin tone makes it clear how his own soft pale skin is blinding against Zoro’s own golden tan skin.

“Yes, I want to be your boyfriend.”

“Hah! Usopp shouted, and Sanji turned to him, pumping his fist high into the air, before turning to Nami his hand held out. “Pay up!”

“Damn it!” Nami cursed and slapped money into Usopp's hand.

“Ummm? What just happened?” Sanji asked, confused.

“I was sure that when dense as his own blades, aka that green moron here, came to me to ask for help wooing you. It would take more than one date, Usopp was certain one date was enough,” Nami explained. “Zoro you owe me!” Nami wagged a finger at Zoro before taking one of the few pieces of sushi that remained on the plate.

“What?! I don't owe you for your lost bet, damn witch!” Zoro yelled at Nami.

“Hey! Just because you're my boyfriend doesn't mean I'll let you get away with calling Nami names!” Sanji informed the sentient plant life, already gearing up to kick his new lover’s ass.

“Well then maybe I don't wanna be your boyfriend any more,” Zoro grumbled with what could only be called a pout.

“Is that so? Well then I guess I don't need any help with the dishes tonight after all,” he quips back with a teasing smirk.

“What!? No, I’ll help!” Zoro yelled. “I can wash dishes better than you can!”

“Do we even want to know?” Usopp whispered in Nami’s ear.

“No we do not.”

#one piece #fanfic #roronoa zoro #sanji #vinsmoke sanji #zoro #black leg sanji #lust filled thoughts #zoro x sanji #nami #cat burglar nami #god usopp #ussop #monkey d luffy #luffy #mr. noodles #zosan #sanzo

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hindahoney · 10 months

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I'm a conservative conversion student with a mikveh date of 08/07 and I wish I was excited but it just feels hollow. I've been at this for 7 years on my own, and 1 year with a rabbi. He had me take a class (that was far to beginner for me, which I mentioned to him and he said “I don’t want you wasting your time on this class if you’re not getting anything from it… well see you in class”) and we've only met individually like 4 times - we've literally talked for less than an hour total. Our last meeting was 5 minutes and consisted of “so do you want go to the mikveh soon?”. It’s been my call this whole way, he hasn’t expressed any opinion or really guided me anywhere. He hasn’t really gauged where I’m at at all, no “how many times a day are you praying?” or “how did you celebrate shavuos?” etc. It just feels so frustrating. I would convert modox if I could but my fiance is not jewish and I'm not asking him to convert. I just feel like I haven't learned anything and I haven’t been challenged at all through this process. It just rubs me the wrong way because this should be hard, some people should get a no, and we should be pushed. Sorry for venting, I’m just feeling really down about this whole thing.

I know how frustrating this must be for you, and I agree that it should be hard and some people should be told no. At my university's Hillel, the rabbi there has an "introduction to judaism" class that meets for one hour a week for eighteen weeks and at the end of it if you get a good grade they just ask if you want to convert and if you do, you get a mikveh date (This class had no testing, and was based entirely on if you just showed up). I was talking about this with the rabbi and asked if they'd ever turned someone away, or if they had ever had someone go to the beit din and determine the person was not yet ready, and they said no, not in all twenty years they had done this class. I knew someone in this class so I asked for the syllabus and reading list, and it was incredibly lack-luster and didn't explain a lot of core concepts of Jewish observance or history (Obviously, how can you learn 4,000 years of history in 18 hours?), did not require you to read the Torah, or to learn any Hebrew at all. The class didn't teach prayers for different occasions, nor did it touch on bible stories and characters. These were supposedly conservative conversions.

I'm not saying "Oh reform and conservative conversions are always bad because theyre not observant etc etc" because I don't believe that, and if an orthodox rabbi did the same thing I would also think it wasn't good enough. What I AM saying is, regardless of whatever movement the person is converting to, they deserve to have a good and thorough education, enough to be able to determine it fits with their wants, needs, and lifestyle. They deserve to know what they're getting into, and are really (in my opinion) owed time, attention, dedication, and care by their sponsoring rabbi. You deserve to have a rabbi who cares enough to make the course more challenging or complex for your needs, and who is willing to make time to meet with you outside of class. You deserve to know about the mitzvot you're going to be saddled with after you convert, because it's not like you can just de-convert, and you should be educated on the various halachic interpretations to decide which one fits for you. You should be thoroughly educated on Jewish history so you understand the people and culture you are joining, and the burden (and blessing) you are putting on your own shoulders by being a part of the Jewish people. To do any less is a disservice to you.

You have two options, the way I see it. You can either complete this conversion, which will be relatively simple from how it sounds, and you will officially be recognized as a Jew by both conservative and reform movements. This will allow you to go on Birthright and other similar programs (internships, educational trips, job offers to Israel, etc) and opens the door for you to go to a seminary or yeshiva that accepts conservative conversions. If you aren't satisfied still, you can try to do another conversion through modox. Or, you can forego the conservative conversion and seek out a modox rabbi instead.

#im not arguing w people who want to misinterpret my post as 'boo reform/conservative jews bad :(' bc im literally not saying that #and if you think im saying that read it again or something idc move on #and if you respond to this with some braindead nonsense im not going to engage #im not saying 'converts bad! :(' either #convos about movements are askinormative and i dont want to contribute to that #anyway my POINT is that converts deserve to be educated about what theyre getting into #which i think is fair #anyway.#jumblr #judaism #frumblr

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ectstasy · 8 months

Text

Always You

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: ᴘᴀʀᴋ ꜱᴇᴏɴɢʜᴡᴀ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: ʜɪɢʜꜱᴄʜᴏᴏʟ ᴀᴜ, ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ:3ᴋ

There was a event for high school students to volunteer in, aiming to enhance their records, particularly for the kids who wanted a higher chance to get into their desired college. The event involved setting up a carnival and assisting elementary students throughout the day. Y/N, one of the students participating, was initially assigned to greet the children and guide them around the carnival. However, her role quickly changed due to an emergency involving a student having to leave the event. Y/N was suddenly entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring everything went smoothly. She had to assign tasks to the volunteers, prevent any mishaps, and find solutions if anything went wrong. Reluctantly, she accepted the role, knowing there was no one else who can take on the role.

As she walked around, Y/N monitored the progress, making sure everything aligned with the plan. Her attention was caught when she spotted Hyunjin, her cousin. She couldn't help but feel surprised to see him volunteering. "Hyunjin? You're here, volunteering at a kid's place?" she exclaimed, needing confirmation. Hyunjin responded, "Well, no shit Sherlock. My grades are terrible, and I need something to help me graduate." He looked at her as if she were the dumbest person alive. Y/N nodded, recalling the incident when Hyunjin unintentionally made a child cry due to his attitude. "But a place where you take care of kids? There were other options available," she remarked, expressing her concern.

Hyunjin shrugged off her comment, stating, "Well, I won't even be interacting with any kids. I'm assigned to this guy," he gestured towards the dog. Y/N raised an eyebrow, studying the list in her hand. "Oh, I see. You're an entertainer! Just make sure the dog doesn't shed any tears before he decides to nip at your fingers," she teased. Hyunjin scoffed, and petted the dog affectionately. "Don't worry your self. I'll be fine." He said causing Y/N to smile. "Okay don't get yourself into too much trouble. I'll be back."

Adjacent to Hyunjin's station stood an exceptionally attractive man whom Y/N had never seen before. He was in charge of the Mario Kart game. She quickly searched the list to find his name, which was revealed as "Park Seonghwa." Confirming his identity, she smiled and said, "Seonghwa, right?" He nodded in response with a small smile. "Alright! Here," she said, retrieving two smaller bags from her carry-on. "Give the kids who win the full-sized candy, and the ones who lose, the medium-sized." Seonghwa took the two bags and then placed it on the table behind him. "Okay. Got you." He said. She then told him she would be back to check up on him.

True to her word, Y/N returned to Seonghwa after thirty minutes, only to be taken aback by the sight before her. Seonghwa was seamlessly managing both the Mario Kart game and the task of entertaining the kids with the help of Bruno, the dog. The dog appeared as if he was falling completely for Seonghwa's charms and obeying his every command. Y/N hurried over to him, her curiosity piqued. She asked where Hyunjin had gone, and Seonghwa replied, "He went to the bathroom."

Realizing that Seonghwa couldn't handle both tasks, Y/N immediately offered her assistance. "Let me help you. It's too much for one person," she insisted. Seonghwa agreed, saying, "Okay, you handle Mario Kart. It turns out I'm better with dogs than I thought." He winked at Y/N, causing a warm, fuzzy feeling to flutter in her stomach.

Y/N guided the children through the Mario Kart game, providing assistance whenever they were confused about its various elements. She gave out the candies to the kids with a sense of joy she had never experienced before. She was happy to see the kids so happy to receive the prizes. Y/N always thought she was terrible with kids, but this day seemed to prove her thinking as a misconception.

The children adored her, their eyes filled with admiration as they gathered around Y/N. Eunhee, one of the girls, couldn't contain her excitement, "Thank you, Y/N! You're so pretty! I hope to be just like you one day." Nodding in agreement, the other kids showered Y/N with compliments.

Y/N smiled as she knelt down to Eunhee's level. "You don't need to be like me, Eunhee. Just be yourself, because you are beautiful just the way you are," she said, her voice filled with encouragement. "That goes for all of you guys too!" Y/N said as she looked at all of the kids surrounding her. Eunhee's face lit up with joy and gratitude. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, before happily skipping off with her friends.

Seonghwa, observing the heartfelt interaction smiled to himself. The sight of Y/N uplifting the children's spirits and instilling confidence in them brought easily brought smile to his face.

As the place emptied out and the last child left, Y/N leaned back against the game machine, feeling tired from the excitement of the day. Seonghwa noticed her fatigue and commented, "You did a fantastic job. The kids genuinely adored you." He then began picking up discarded wrappers scattered across the floor.

Y/N smiled gratefully at him. "You were amazing too. Juggling two jobs for fifteen minutes was truly impressive," she complimented, her words bringing a small smile to Seonghwa's face.

"You're beautiful and you're kind. That's truly impressive."

Y/N was taken aback at Seonghwa's compliment. It sounded so genuine that it caused her cheeks were tinted with a red hue. As she processed what he said her voice got stuck in her throat.

Meanwhile, Hyunjin returned from the bathroom only to find Y/N looking up with Seonghwa with "that look" . A mischievous smirk formed on his face as he observed the two. "I wouldn't be surprised if those two ended up together. Look at her face," he whispered to himself as he grinned watching the two engage in conversation afterwards.

Present time:

She ran faster than she had ever before to avoid missing the bus to work. The consequences of missing it would be dire. She dreaded facing her boss's potential anger if she arrived late once again this week. The bus engine started, indicating that she was about to miss it, but luckily, the kind bus driver waited and even opened the door for her. It was a rare act of kindness in bustling New York City, where doors often shut in her face, even when she barely made it on time. This time, however, was different. She scanned her card and found a seat towards the back of the bus. A car would've been such an easy solution to this if Y/N didn't fear the idea of driving. She looked at her phone and saw she had 17 minutes left to reach work, or she would be considered late.

As the bus continued its journey, Y/N stared out the window, sighting people walking on the side walks, stands with people selling varieties of items with clothing and foods, and people even sitting around the benches. As she looked, Y/N couldn't help but notice a crying little boy. He appeared stranded in the middle of the sidewalk, with everyone passing him by without a second thought. Y/N immediately got a bad feeling about leaving the boy there. Y/N sighed heavily, knowing she was unable to leave him there. Glancing at her phone, she realized she had 15 minutes remaining before she had to be at work. Determined, she put her phone away and pressed the button, giving the bus a signal to stop at the next stop. When the bus came to a halt, she quickly ran backward through the crowd, searching for the boy. Thankfully, he was still in the same spot where she had seen him from the bus. Kneeling down to meet his eye level, she asked, "Honey, what's wrong?" The boy looked at her with glistening eyes and replied, "I don't know where my dad went. I don't know where my babysitter is either."

Y/N silently thanked the heavens that she had decided to stop and help the child. He clearly was lost and had no idea what to do.

Giving him a sweet smile Y/N asked him.

"What's your name love?" He then introduced himself as Sunghoon. "Do you have any information about your daddy that could help me find him?" she inquired. The boy shook his head, indicating that he didn't. "I don't want to leave you here. Would you like to come with me to that store over there? Or is that too scary?" she asked. The boy shook his head and pleaded innocently, "I want to go inside, please." Y/N nodded and walked into the grocery store, holding the boy's hand.

As Y/N conversed with one of the store workers, searching for a solution, a man suddenly burst into the store. "Sunghoon?!??" he called out urgently, yet not too loudly. Sunghoon immediately recognized his father's voice and raced towards him. "Daddy!!" he exclaimed, embracing his father tightly. "I'm so sorry! The babysitter's brother is in the hospital and she had to leave baby. Are you okay?!?!" Y/N turned around, her face went into shock as she laid eyes on the man who embraced the child. "Park Seonghwa???!" she questioned, a sense of disbelief washing over her. It was her high school first love, miraculously reentering her life.

Seonghwa was equally astonished to see her, a brilliant smile illuminating his face. "Y/N?? It's been an eternity since I last saw you. How have you been?" he asked, his smile being filled with warmth. "I...I'm doing well!" she responded, realizing that even after almost 9 years, nothing had changed about him. His smile remained as captivating as ever. "Dad!! She's really nice! She was trying to help me find you!" Sunghoon exclaimed. Seonghwa's smile widened even further upon hearing Sunghoon's words. It sparked a memory for Y/N. Curiosity taking hold, she asked, "How did you know the exact location to find us so quickly?" He then revealed the pendant that adorned Sunghoon's necklace. "I installed a tracking device here. It alerts me where he is at all times."

Fascinated by the device, Y/N nodded in awe. Glancing at the time once more, she realized with a sinking feeling that she was now 19 minutes late for work. "Oh great," she muttered under her breath. Seonghwa noticed the stress etched on her face and immediately inquired, "What's wrong?" She sighed and replied, "I'm really late for work, and my boss tends to be difficult when I'm late." A pang of guilt washed over Seonghwa. "Please, let me take you out to dinner or something. It's my way of showing gratitude and catching up with you," he said sincerely. Y/N hesitated, not wanting to accept a reward for simply doing the right thing, but the desire to reconnect with Seonghwa overcame her hesitations. "Do you need a ride, or are you still afraid of driving?" Her face was again filled with shock upon hearing his words. "You actually remembered that??" she exclaimed, disbelief coloring her tone. "I remember quite a few things about you," he replied, reaching for his phone. "Put your number in so we can discuss a time for me to pick you up." She nodded, entering her phone number and saving her contact in his phone. "Are you still up for me giving you a ride?" he asked. She shook her head. "It's okay. I'll just skip work and call in an emergency. I live only four minutes away," she explained, oblivious to the disappointment that flickered across Seonghwa's face. Seonghwa nodded as he prepared to leave. "See you tonight, Y/N." She returned his smile and said, "See you tonight, Hwa."

As she walked, a wave of regret washed over her for not accepting the ride. However, she needed a little time alone to process the feelings that she thought had faded away since high school graduation. After all, Seonghwa had a child, which likely meant he had a wife. She now had to think of him as a normal person and not as someone she had once fell in love with.

It was precisely 7:38, and Seonghwa impatiently waited outside, his anticipation palpable. Y/N stole a quick, self-assured glance at herself in the mirror before confidently stepping out. Seonghwa reclined peacefully in his car, but his gaze immediately fixated on her, completely captivated by her presence. She adorned an exquisite beige floral dress, its long, flowing fabric adding an ethereal allure to her appearance. As she gracefully entered the car, Seonghwa's eyes sparkled with delight. "You have a nice car," she remarked, her admiration evident from the moment she got in. A warm smile graced his lips as he ignited the engine, signaling their readiness to embark on their journey.

As they began to drive, curiosity overwhelmed Y/N, prompting her to inquire about Sunghoon and his mother. The question elicited a hearty laugh from Seonghwa. "Sunghoon is doing splendidly, although I can't say the same for his mother," he replied, briefly glancing at her shocked expression. Chuckling at the sight, he refocused his attention on the road. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Y/N hastily apologized, her remorse evident. Seonghwa simply shrugged, dismissing her concerns. "Don't be."

Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Y/N delved deeper into the matter. "What exactly happened?!" A bittersweet smile crept onto Seonghwa's face as he recollected the painful memory. "Well, the woman presented me with an ultimatum: either I allowed her to have an abortion or I put Sunghoon up for adoption, or I could stay with her. I chose Sunghoon because if she truly loved me, she wouldn't have given me such a heart-wrenching choice." Understandingly, Y/N nodded in empathy. "Sunghoon is truly a gem. How old is he?" she inquired, her mouth slightly agape in astonishment. "He's 7. I had him while I was in college," Seonghwa replied.

Seonghwa's eyes widened in utter disbelief upon hearing her confession. "You mean to tell me that no man has ever piqued your interest?" Y/N pondered his question carefully, her mind retracing the memories of countless encounters. Unapologetically, she admitted that nobody had ever managed to leave a lasting impression, except for the man seated beside her in that very car. The weight of her unspoken feelings burdened her, as she recalled the fear of potential rejection that had held her back before. Summoning her courage, she finally confessed, "Honestly, Seonghwa... you're the only person who has ever stirred something within me." The revelation hung heavily in the air, catching Seonghwa completely off guard.

Seonghwa's curiosity piqued, and he couldn't help but inquire further. "Really? No one has ever interested you?" With a surge of bravery, Y/N decided to reveal the truth. "Seonghwa, let me share something with you. You want to know something funny?" Seonghwa nodded, his eyes locked onto hers, waiting for her to continue. "You're the only person I've ever found truly intriguing." His shock was evident, and he searched for a suitable place to park. They ended up in the parking lot of an ice cream parlor, where Seonghwa turned to face Y/N. "Repeat what you just said," he requested, needing confirmation. Y/N blushed, her gaze averting to the ground. "I used to have strong feelings for you, Seonghwa. I liked you, a lot." His eyes widened further, processing her words.

Gently, Seonghwa caressed her cheek, his touch sending shivers down her spine. "That makes me sad," he admitted, his voice filled with a tinge of regret. Confusion clouded her expression. "What? You didn't want someone like me liking you?" He shook his head, a small smile forming on his lips. "No, it's not that. I'm sad because you said 'used to'." Her chuckle resonated through the car. "Is that a confession?" she teased. Seonghwa's smile grew wider. "Maybe." The atmosphere between them soon changed, and he leaned in closer, causing her to freeze in her seat. His voice was a breathy whisper as he asked, "Do you still like me?" His question escaped from his lips in a soft, whispered tone. "Maybe." She grinned, causing Seonghwa to roll his eyes playfully. "Turning my own words against me," he remarked, prompting laughter from both of them. "I never stopped having feelings for you."

"Want to hear something funny?"

"I never stopped having feelings for you either."

"You have feelings for me???" She questioned, her disbelief evident.

"Who wouldn't, Y/N? You're truly the most enchanting person I've ever encountered. Your kindness, your compassion, your willingness to lend a help. You're beautiful both inside and out, and that's exactly what I've always desired in a person."

"When I saw you back at that grocery a couple hours ago, I realized, it's always been you Y/N. Nobody ever made me feel this way in the past 9 years."

Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson at his unexpected confession. In a bold move, she climbed over to the driver's seat, straddling Seonghwa. With a surge of courage, she leaned in and their lips met, sharing a fiery and passionate kiss. When they finally pulled away, they locked eyes, a profound silence enveloping them. Breaking the silence, Seonghwa spoke with a smile. "So, can I still take you out to dinner?" She nodded, a smile gracing her face, and hurried back to the passenger's seat.

"Sunghoon would be thrilled to hear about this. He couldn't stop talking about you all day," she giggled in response.

"Awe, are you already planning to go home and tell him that I'm your girlfriend?" She teased, a smirk creeping on her lips.

"Are you my girlfriend?"

She smiled, leaning back in her seat. "Only if you want me to be."

"Then you are my girlfriend," he declared, a look of pure happiness in his eyes.

As she watched him drive, a contented smile played on her lips. The unexpected circumstances that brought them back together filled her with joy. It had always been him, the one who sparked a flame of passion within her. Since parting ways, she had never been able to love someone the way she loved him. It had always been Seonghwa, and it always would be.

#ateez seonghwa #ateez x reader #ateez scenarios #ateez fluff #ateez fanfic #ateez #ateez imagines #fanfic

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lassiekitsune · 10 months

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Peter Parker x Reader "Under the starry sky"

GIF isn't mine

Description: You need help with your math test and you ask your best friend for help. But Peter needs to tell you something important, after which your relationship will never be the same.

Warnings: fluff, a little agnst.

Y/N - Your name

(H/C) - Hair color

"- On Monday, I'll be waiting for you all to write a very important math test. You all will have enough time to prepare" - your teacher said then the school bell rang. Mathematics wasn't your favourite school subject, but your family demanded perfect grades from you. "It's just not realistic" you thought. The problem was that you missed the last topic due to illness and no one could help you... Almost no one. A few minutes later you spotted your best friend Peter Parker with Ned in the school hallway. Peter was known at school as one of the smartest students in the school, who knew the entire school curriculum at "A+". It was because of his knowledge that Peter was often mocked by his classmate Eugene Thompson ("Flash"), but you didn't care about him. You and Parker have been friends for many years, and it was he who you decided to ask for help with math.

"- Hello, Peter! Hello, Ned!" - you smiled.

"- Hey Y/N! We haven't seen each other for a long time" - Peter smiled at you as well, and so did Ned - "Did you want to ask something?"

"- Um, yeah, but..." - You looked at Ned. Peter's friend taking your hint and leaving the two of you alone. You sighed and continued - "So, I think I need your help" - Peter adjusted his backpack and looked at you curiously

"- Did something happen to you?"

"- No, I'm fine, don't worry" - knowing Peter's caring side, you rushed to comfort him - "Do you know that I have been absent from school for several weeks?" - Parker nodded - "And I missed the last subject in mathematics, and on Monday I have a test for which I am not ready at all... This is exactly what I need your help with"

"- Wait, do you want me to explain the topic to you?" - Peter's eyes lit up with joy

"- I do not insist, if you are busy…"

"- No!" - your friend interrupted you - I'm completely free today! If it's convenient for you, you can come over to my house today around 6:00 p.m., okay?"

"- Okay, sorry, I must go. Goodbye"

"- See you later, Y/N" - if you had turned back at that moment, you would have noticed how Peter guided you with his gaze.

~5:58 p.m.~

You are standing in front of the door of the Parker house. Peter told you a LOT about his Aunt May, and he was sure that you would become friends. You took a deep breath and tapped ligtly. Contrary to your expectations, a woman opened the door and smiled at you.

"- Hello! Are you Aunt May?"

"- Hello, yes, it's me. And you are Y/N? Peter said you would come today".

"- Yep, I'm Y/N. Can I come in?"

"- Of course, but Peter isn't at home now"

"- Oh, then I think I should go. Peter will call me when he gets back"

"- No, no! You can stay here, I don't care. After all," - May gave you a strange look - "I wanted to get to know you better"

~8:30 p.m.~

You were sitting next to Aunt May who offered you tea and you were talking to each other. Peter was still not at home.

"- Aunt May?"

"- Please call me just May"

"- Okay, May, where do you think Peter could be at this late hour?"

"- Honestly, I don't know" - May sipped her tea from her cup - "This is not the first time he has come home late. I tried to talk to him about it but he doesn't tell me anything" - May sighed. The conversation continued untill your mother called you and reminded you that it was time for you to go home.

"- Don't worry, Y/N, I will have a SERIOUS talk with Peter tonight" - May said with a special emphasis on the world "serious".

"- No, you don't have to" - you didn't want your best friend to get in trouble. When you got home, you changed and went to your room. You can't to sleep, probably you were worried about Peter. You've had a crush on Peter for a long time, but you've always had to hide those feelings from him. Of course, you, like many girls, dreamed that one day he would confess his love to you. So, after spending several hours in bed, you went out to the balcony to look at the stars. The night wind blew your (H/C) as you gazed up at the twinkling stars, and you closed your eyes to hear the sounds of night nature. Silence. Peace. Stop, something is wrong. You opened your eyes and heard footsteps on the roof. "- Are they thieves?" you thought and hid behind old boxes. A footsteps got closer and you tried to sit as quietly as possible. One moment, and familiar shadow is standing on your balcony. You did not think that HE would appear here, but you believe your eyes, before you stood the famous Spider-Man. Judging by his rapid breathing, he had just been running away from someone. You could endlessly watch this Superhero until he would have disappeared in his direction if not for his spider-sense. Spider-Man turned to face you

"- Y/N? What are you doing here?" - said a familiar voice

"- How do you know my name?" - You were in shock, but managed to find the strength to come out of your hiding place.

"- It's not important now, we have to get out of here" - Spider-Man held out his arms to you - "Don't be afraid of me, I won't hurt you. But now you are in danger if you do not go with me"

"- But, I..." - your voice was interrupted by the roar of some black scary creature that was slowly approaching you.

"- We must go RIGHT NOW!" - Spider-Man said as he grabbed you with one hand and held you close while the other released a web that gave you the opportunity to escape from this creature.

"- Thank you for saving me, but who was that?" - you asked fearfully

"- Venom and you're welcome"

"- What did he want?" - you asked, Spider-Man didn't turned to you

"- I'm sorry, it's my fault. You shouldn't have seen it..."

"- What? It's not your fault!" - you moved closer to him. You wanted to continue but the words got stuck somewhere in your throat. You realized where you could hear this voice, without thinking long, you defiantly pulled off his mask.

"- Hey! What are you doing?" - Spider-Man was outraged and tried to take his mask from you

"- Peter? Is that you?" - you asked in surprise. Parker looked at you and turned away sharply.

"- No! Don't look at me!" - Peter tried to hide his face with his hands -"I'm not Peter!

"- You are Spider-Man! I can't believe it"

"- Don't talk so loud" - Peter came closer - "Someone might hear it"

"- Hey, don't worry, I promise no one will find out about your secret"

"- T-thank you..." - Parker whispered "- Why are you awake at such a late hour?"

"- I couldn't sleep because I was worried about you. You promised to come, but you didn't"

"- Oh, I'm so sorry about it"

"- Don't worry, I had a great time with your Aunt May, I think she liked me"

"- That's good" - Peter smiled. There was an awkward pause between you as you just stared down. Parker was the first to break the silence between you

"- Y/N can I tell you s-something?"

"- Sure" - after your words, Peter nervously took your hand and looked into your eyes

"- Y/N, I know now is not the right time, but we have been friends for a long time and I... I... No! I can't to say that!" - Peter turned around

"- Peter" - you came closer to him and touched his shoulder with your hand -"You know you can tell me everything and I'll keep it in secret if you ask me. We are best friends, do you remember?"

"- That's what I tried to say, Y/N!" - Peter turned to you sharply -"I don't want to be your friend anymore!" - You felt your heart break into a million pieces.

"- Well, if that's what you really want..." - you could barely hold back your tears - "I won't bother you anymore..."

"- No, no, no, wait, that's not what I meant!" - Peter sighed and whispered - "Oh, my God, Peter, why are you so stupid?" - You didn't understand anything. Peter, as if thinking something, took your hand againe

"- Peter, what are you do..." - you were interrupted by an unexpected kiss on the lips. Peter kissed you and it was completely real! Realizing what he was doing, Parker pulled away from you.

"- No, what have I done? Y/N, I'm sorry, I didn't ask you before..." - you kissed him again to shut him up. This moment could last forever if you didn't need oxygen, you pulled away from each other, gasping for air

"- Wow! I did not expect this" - Peter smiled nervous and looked at you -"But, now I'm sure, I love you, Y/N and... Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"- Yes..."- you answered, Peter smiled and kissed you again.

#marvel #marvel imagine #marvel x reader #the avengers #avengers imagine #avengers x reader #peter parker #peter parker imagine #peter parker x reader #peter parker x y/n #spider man #spider man imagine #spider man x reader #spider man x y/n

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sparklekitteh · 2 years

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Can we talk just a moment about how Eddie Munson is so ADHD-coded? And how well Joseph Quinn (instinctually, or intentionally, I'm not sure) played a teenager with untreated neurodivergency in the 80s?

Boy is pure hyperkinesis: Constantly fidgeting, twirling his hair when he talks to Chrissy (ADORABLE), pacing... yes, a lot of it is from the pressure of the unfolding story but look at him before anything bad happened to him. He was like a spring wound too tight even when times were good.

Unable to pass English class yet weaving stories with the Hellfire Club, indicative of a mind that hyperfixates on preferred tasks and struggles with tasks that aren't interesting

Highly stimulative musical preference

Self-medicating with drugs

He is very perceptive, empathetic, and he *sees* people for who they are. High emotional intelligence, high empathy (I think this is why he sees the younger students as sheepies to be guided TToTT)

SPOILERS FOLLOW

Okay, this is a headcanon and a spoiler: When we learned that Eddie is 17 from his missing poster, my mind went back to him saying 86 was his year, that he would finally get to graduate. At first I thought he was saying he had been held back, but I don't think that's the case. Eddie's not a dumb kid by any stretch.

Headcanon: Eddie is the poster child of gifted child syndrome.

Probably skipped a grade in elementary school because he was SMART -- probably excelled at math, reading, everything, and teachers were thrilled.

Eventually faced challenges that didn't stimulate his brain and it all came crashing down -- couple that with a dysfunctional home life (mom isn't in the picture, dad was hotwiring cars and now in jail I guess?, ended up fostering with his uncle) and you have the recipe for a kid who turns to music, drugs, and DnD for comfort, stimulation, and escape, and barely passes by in school.

In my experience as a kid in American schools in the 80s/90s before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, the American education system in the 80s didn't really have supports for kids with ADHD, autism, neurodivergency... basically, you either had maybe 1-2 teachers who understood and tried to help you by adjusting lessons or having mercy on your grades, or you started failing and getting in trouble because you couldn't conform to their expectations. A lot of kids with behavioral issues ended up being either homeschooled or going to alternative schools, often military academies or juvenile reform schools that were like... your last stop before jail.

I think Eddie was on track to graduate early until he hit that roadblock and started failing English class. Maybe he had a teacher who expected him to conform to their lesson plan and didn't give him room to adjust to his needs, or maybe he just entirely lost interest after DnD took over his attention.

All he really needed was an understanding teacher and maybe someone to tutor him, help him study and pass that damned English class.

Please Eddie, English was my favorite and I have a weakness for long-haired metalhead outcasts

Long story short, the American school system failed Edward Munson and they and all of Hawkins owe him an apology and a hero's tribute in the town square.

#eddie munson #stranger things #adhd things #stranger things headcanons #eddie my beloved

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saiilorstars · 5 months

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Ch. 29: Fragile Lines

Fandom: Harry Potter (Hogwarts years 1-7) Pairing: Draco x OFC

taglist:@ocappreciationtag @arrthurpendragon @anotherunreadblog @maaaaarveeeeel @stareyedplanet @foxesandmagic @kmc1989

Story Masterlist // Romina’s Masterlist

Fanfic • Ao3 • Wattpad

If you’d like to be a part of this OC’s work/edits, let me know!

The weeks after the big game, things dwindled down for the Slytherins. Gryffindor was over the moon with its win and naturally it took some weeks to come down from it. The fact that exams were coming help with that. Most of the time, the third years found themselves either in the common rooms or the library to study.

Romina and Hermione got together one afternoon to go over their notes for their shared classes. Everything seemed to be piling on each day and it only got worse when they had their schedules finally planned out.

The only reason Romina paused her studying was because she got a glimpse of what Hermione's schedule looked like. "Now wait a minute," Romina waved a hand in front of the brunette girl, "If this is right, how the heck are you taking two exams at the same time?"

Hermione's eyebrows raised with only slight interest in the question. She had a mounting pile of books on her side that she needed to get through. "I just am, don't worry about it," she answered in a fast pace tone. "Do you have the Muggle Studies study guide you made?"

"Yeah, but...Hermione, how are you doing all this?" It felt like an age old question at this point in the year. As much as Romina badgered Hermione about it, the latter never gave her a straightforward answer. "I mean, you're super smart but this is beyond you."

Hermione tapped her fingers along the table, her impatience marking her forehead with a crease. "Romina, the study guide, please?"

With a sigh, Romina handed the papers over to her. "Well, I guess good luck is in order. I'm a little worried over my potions' grade."

"Why? You're pretty good at them," Hermione said distractedly while she skimmed through the guide.

"Decent, I suppose," Romina shrugged. "But there's always an ingredient I forget." She hated to admit that Draco always helped her out in the class. As good as she thought she was at potions, he was exceedingly better at it.

"You'll get it, Romina, you always do." Hermione sounded like she was reciting more than having an actual conversation. Romina didn't blame her, she was too focused on the guide to concentrate on anything else.

She decided to leave a little early to give Hermione plenty of solo time for her studying. She grabbed her things and stuffed them into her book bag. "See you later," she told Hermione. She doubted that the brunette even heard her. She headed back for the common room to get a start on the Transfiguration studying.

"Oh hey Romina," she heard Pansy's drawling call in the hallway. She and Millicent were sitting together on a bench with a book between them.

"Hello and goodbye, Pansy," Romina said, making a beeline for the common room now.

"Wait! Don't you want to see the album we're looking at?"

Romina paused right in front of the steps. She looked back at Pansy with a deep scowl. "Now why the hell would I want to do that?"

"Because you're in it," Pansy said and Millicent giggled beside her.

"What?"

"Well, I guess it's not technically you but she looks a hell a lot like you," Pansy said, turning the album over for Romina to see.

Of course, being too far had Romina coming back to get a better look. Her heart nearly stopped at the sight of her mother's moving picture. "Where the hell did you get this from?"

"I have my ways," Pansy said all too proudly. "It's an old Hogwarts yearbook. Did you know that your mother was an outstanding student at getting into trouble?"

Romina bit the inside of her cheek. The picture she was lucky to see had her mother smirking maliciously at the camera. God, she hated the woman.

"And then your father…" Pansy started flipping through the pages to no doubt pull a photograph of Caplan too.

"Stop it!" Romina snatched the album altogether.

"Hey! Give that back!" Pansy was quick to jump off the couch.

"Why are you so hung up on my parents, Parkinson!?"

Pansy had a good laugh before she responded. "That's rich coming from you! Look at what you've done to your hair, for God's sake! And for what? Because you look like Mummy!" She snatched the album back and chucked it to Millicent. She ignored the gruff noise Milicent gave as she stalked up to Romina. "And guess what, Oswell? No matter what the hell you do to your hair, to your face, you will always look like your mother!" Pansy's voice started increasing in volume. "A death eater."

Romina swallowed hard as students began to stop in their tracks to witness the scene. All eyes were on her again.

"It doesn't matter where you go because everyone will always know who you are and what your parents happily did!" Pansy laughed. "And you really think adding some stupid highlights or cutting your hair is going to make that disappear?"

Romina stepped back from Pansy. She could feel her face burning with embarrassment and shame. Was she imagining the whispers or were those real? It felt like it was getting louder and louder...

Pansy was more than satisfied with the scene. She laughed triumphantly. "At this point, may I suggest Polyjuice for your troubles?"

Romina looked around and swore that the crowd was multiplying. Tears filled her eyes. Her hand came up to her hair to grip.

She dashed away before anyone said anything to her. She heard the gruff of the first years she pushed through but she didn't dare look back to apologize. By the time she reached the common room, she was in full fledged tears.

Arden, who was studying at one of the round tables, looked up to see Romina running inside. "Romina? What's the matter?"

Romina didn't answer. She didn't even look in Arden's direction as she ran into the hallways. Arden had no choice but to leave her things to chase after Romina.

Romina ran straight into their room, her head flipping in every direction as if she was searching for something. She went under her bed to pull out a box. Her hands ransacked it all until she found what she was looking for: a pair of scissors.

When Arden finally caught up with her in the room, Romina was already standing in front of Daphne's long view mirror getting a fistful of her hair to chop off. "WOAH!" Arden had never run and jumped over beds so fast. She only just made it in time to snatch the scissors from Romina, a dangerous act alone. "ARE YOU MAD!?"

"Give them back!" Romina exclaimed, hand stretched out to take the scissors.

Arden took a few wild steps back. "NO!"

Tears were streaming down Romina's face as she grew more desperate. "Arden, please! I need them!"

"For what!? To chop everything off again!?"

"YES!"

"Why!?"

"Because I look just like her! No matter what I do, I still look like Elora!" Romina finally burst into fresh tears. She turned back to the mirror and gripped her hair. "No matter what I do, it doesn't change anything! I'll always be their daughter! Pansy's right! Everyone will always know who I am and what my parents did!"

Parkinson. Arden knew the girl was behind all this. She took a heavy breath in before the wretched name slipped out of her with a curse. "Romina…"

The girl in question was a distraught mess. She had crumpled to the ground and buried her head over her knees.

Arden had never seen Romina in such a state. She hurried to leave the scissors in her own area, not wanting to leave them out in the open for Romina to use in another state of rampage. She then came back to Romina's side on the floor. "C'mon Romina, you can't let Parkinson get to you like this."

"It's not just her!" Romina sniffled. "Every time something bad happens in the school, especially if it has something to do with Sirius Black, everyone thinks I helped him somehow. Some people still think I'm the one who gave him the bloody passwords to get into the Gryffindors' tower!"

Arden looked away with pity. Yeah, she heard those rumors too and from people she never even thought would believe in that nonsense. "Okay, okay, things could be better but in order to be better, you have to get up."

"What's the point, Arden?" Romina shrugged her shoulders. "I'm an Oswell. No one's ever going to look past that."

"What are you talking about? People already have. Not everyone, yeah, but many of them. There's the Paes twins, Daphne, the Weasleys, Harry! Luna Lovegood never even cared! There's Rolf too! Hell, even Draco didn't care! There's so many of us who could give a crap about a last name. Don't let Parkinson get to you because that's exactly what she wants. She can't stand that you've bested her so many times. This is petty retribution for what you did to her during Potions!"

Romina knew that was true. She always knew that Pansy would get back at her eventually. It was just hard moving past it.

"Romina, you can't keep messing with your hair like this," Arden said. She made herself more comfortable on the ground beside Romina. "You are who you are, whether your hair is short or long or red or even pink but it does not mean that you're like your parents."

"I hear you, I do, but knowing what's happening with Black...it's messing me up even more! I wish they just caught him already."

"They will eventually," Arden said with no doubt in her mind. "Nobody escapes the Dementors."

"I don't know what to do right now, though," Romina said with a long sigh. The tears were slowing down which was a good sign at least. She swallowed hard and wiped away some of the tears on her cheeks. "Pansy just made a fool out of me again in front of everyone. They'll be talking about this for weeks—until the end of the year!"

"So what?" Arden challenged. "Who bloody cares if they're talking about you?"

"I do!"

"These people love gossip but once something new comes by, they're going to forget about you."

"That's all I want," Romina said. She just wanted to disappear in the dark corners where nobody paid her any attention.

"Please, let's study together," Arden said. "We'll figure out a way to get Parkinson back."

"No," Romina shook her head. "I don't...I don't want to keep this game going. I just want her to leave me alone now. I'm afraid of what she could do next time."

"Oh no, you are not going to be afraid of Parkinson!" Arden snorted. "There is nothing to be afraid of from that girl! And once you start feeling better, you'll see that too. Right now your head is all wonky from the tears. Give it a day or so."

Romina half-smiled. This wouldn't be the first time she had to come back from one of Pansy's tricks. "Okay, let's go study."

Arden beamed. "That's my best friend!" She threw her arms around Romina for a side hug. Eventually, she managed to pull a smile out of Romina too.

~ 0 ~

Transfiguration was up first in the long list of exams. Romina thought it was a fairly easy exam with the only slightly more difficult assignment being the last one where they had to turn a teapot into a tortoise. That could've gone a little better for some students. Charms was right after and it went pretty well too. Romina was most confident in her Care of Magical Creatures class both out of Rolf's helpful tips beforehand and the fact that Hagrid had given them all such an easy assignment.

Romina spent that entire week with her nose in her books. She had no desire to see nor talk to Pansy, much less if it was to get a glimpse of the triumphant smirk that had been glued to her face ever since the incident in the hallway. Romina didn't feel confident enough to uphold any type of conversation with her. By now, the entire House had learned what transpired and while some of them kept their comments to themselves, others were bold enough to side with Pansy (whether they knew her or not) or ask Romina questions about her parents. At times, Romina felt like throwing whatever book she had in her hands at the nosy students.

Muggle Studies was a breeze in the exams. Whatever Romina didn't know, she put faith in her common knowledge of the life she'd lived for the past 13 years. Herbology was only a pain because of the heat and Astronomy was, as usual, a mysterious delight. History of Magic, as boring as it was, wasn't very challenging either. The last exam she took was Potions and, surprisingly, Romina found herself constructing the assignment fairly well. She might have to admit to Draco that she owed him...maybe. She didn't want to risk inflating his ego.

It was Buckbeak's execution day that put a damper in Romina's mood. She met Harry, Hermione and Ron on that unfortunate afternoon to go down to talk to Hagrid.

Hermione was furious, to say the least. She stormed down the courtyard, leading the group towards the hills. "How can they do this? How can they be okay with killing Buckbeak like this? It wasn't his fault!"

"I'm sorry, I tried talking to Draco but he suddenly had no ears to listen with," Romina said with a roll of her eyes. He was the definition of selective hearing.

"We know you tried, Rom," Harry said with a comforting pat on her shoulder.

"We should just go see Hagrid," Ron said. There was really nothing else they could do at this point.

"Hey Romina!"

Romina, along with the trio, looked back to see Cedric Diggory coming towards them. "You got a moment?" he asked Romina. "It's about the Transfiguration tutoring you're doing for my friend Heidi?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, of course." Romina leaned closer to the others to whisper for them to get a head start for Hagrid's hut. "I'll catch up soon, promise."

The trio nodded and left in a hasty stride. They literally had no time to waste.

"So, what do you need, Cedric?" Romina asked the older boy. "I didn't know Heidi was your friend. She's a bit on the, uh, younger side…" Heidi was a timid first year she was tutoring and now that Romina remembered, Heidi had mentioned in one of their sessions that she had made friends with a cute older boy in Hufflepuff.

Cedric smiled, and Romina thought it was absolutely charming. "She got lost in a hallway once and I sort of showed her around. She seemed very frightened."

"At Hogwarts as a first year? Oh yeah," Romina nodded. First year was a terrible year if anyone asked her.

"Anyways, after that, I sort of just check up on her every once in a while," Cedric said. "She's been a little nervous about her upcoming exam in Transfiguration and I've talked to her a bunch of times. I know she's gotten a lot better since you started tutoring her."

Romina smiled softly. "She's definitely improved. I think she can pass the exam no problem."

"I think so too," Cedric nodded, "But if you wouldn't mind, I don't know, talking to her before her exam tomorrow? I feel like she might listen to you more than me."

"Of course," Romina assured him. "I'll go talk to her tomorrow morning. Give her a pep talk, you know?"

"Thanks Romina, seriously. You're the best!"

Romina's lips pursed together in an awkward smile. "Really? You think so?"

Cedric guessed where her doubt was coming from. He had heard plenty of things about her over the year and even more recently. "Of course. What people say...it doesn't matter, honestly."

Romina's expression softened with his words. It shouldn't matter, she told herself. That's what Arden said, that's what Harry said, that's what everyone she cared about said. Maybe she should start to actually listen.

She thanked Cedric for his kind words and started for Hagrid's hut. Harry, Ron and Hermione were probably already in and so should she. She was so focused on getting to the hut as quickly as possible that she could've never expected to crash into someone just as soon as she stepped onto the sloping field.

"Argh! Watch it you — Oswell!"

Romina rubbed her forehead as she took a step back. "Please, Draco, don't sound so sorry about it."

"I'm not!" He didn't hesitate to clarify. He sounded extra cranky for some reason and when Romina finally dropped her hand from her forehead, she saw why.

Her eyes widened at the pool of blood under his nose. "What the hell happened to you?"

"It's your mudblood of a friend—Granger!"

"Hey! Watch it!" Romina pointed a finger at him. She looked past him to Crabbe and Goyle with the same warning eyes in case they had a thing to say about it. "Bet if Theodore or Blaise were here, you wouldn't have been so stupid."

Selective hearing was happening again because Draco didn't even acknowledge her words. "Look at what she did to me!? She broke my nose!"

"Well, what did you do?" Romina crossed her arms.

The amusing manner in which she asked and the fact that she had even asked in the first place infuriated Draco. "She broke my nose, Oswell!" He yelled incredulously. "I swear I'm going to get her back for this!"

Romina silently listened to him rage about the hell he would unleash on Hermione. She stepped closer to him but in his rage, he didn't notice.

"And if any of you three breathe a word about this to anyone, I'll—"

Romina's hands seized his nose and pushed it back into place. CRACK!

Draco's scream could've echoed through the school, and maybe it had. "What the hell!?" Romina blinked calmly under his murderous glare. "What did you—"

"I fixed your nose," she said flatly.

"What!?" His hands flew to his nose. "How did you know how to do that?"

"It is amazing what you learn in a muggle school's aftercare." A smile tugged at Romina's lips. "There really should be more supervision but then I guess I would've never learned how to do that." She pointed at his now healed nose. "Fair notice that it will be sore for the next couple of days."

"What? Just like that?"

Romina rolled her eyes and yanked his hands from his nose. "Let me see," she swatted his hands as he tried to touch his nose again.

"See what? I thought you 'fixed' it," he said with too much sarcasm in his tone.

Romina tutted. "Not the way to talk to someone who just did you a favor. Move your hands, dammit!"

With a huff, Draco did as told. Romina gently touched both sides of his nose. She pressed ever so lightly, like a feather's weight, and asked him if he felt any pain.

"Not really," he lied for some reason. He did feel the echoes of the sharp pain he first felt when Hermione's fist collided with his nose, but Romina was looking up at him with big dark eyes waiting to find out if her trick really helped him or not. She was very close to him and for the first time, he could smell a faint scent of...what, roses? It was nice. She still wore the headband he gave her. She never really took it off, did she? He tried ignoring the strange feeling in his stomach when he wondered if she really liked the headband that much to never let go of it.

A snap of Romina's fingers brought Draco out of his thoughts. The snap hadn't been for him but instead for Crabbe behind him.

"Napkin," Romina had instructed, or rather ordered, so swiftly. Taking command looked very good on her.

Crabbe and Goyle fumbled between each other to produce what she had asked for. In the end, they handed her a handkerchief that she crumpled into a ball to tuck underneath Draco's nose.

"Just wash your face," she told him with a small smile. "And I look forward to hearing what, oh what, you said to finally make Hermione snap."

It was easy for Draco to slip back into his usual self. He rolled his eyes and stepped away from her, though he did take hold of the balled up napkin under his nose. "I'm going to get her back," he warned her.

"No you're not because then I'll break your nose this time," she promptly said back. She flashed him a smile and moved around him.

"Where are you going, Oswell?" Draco turned after her. "It's almost dark."

"Don't worry about me so much," Romina put a hand over her chest. She laughed when he rolled his eyes. She then turned towards Hagrid's hut to catch up. She'd spent a little bit more time up here than she wanted to.

She sprinted down the field only to catch sight of Dumbledore, Fudge, and the damn executioner were already on their way inside the hut.

"Aw dammit!" She stomped her foot. She quickly looked around for her friends and caught a break when she saw the trio sneaking their way towards the forest. She scurried through the outskirts of the garden to sneak up on them from behind. "What's happened!?"

"What does it look like? They're here!" Ron exclaimed and was promptly shushed by Harry and Hermione.

"What took you so long?" Harry asked Romina as they made space for her between them.

"Umm...Cedric," Romina supplied the lie a bit slow on her part. "He, um, he was concerned about the girl that I tutor. Apparently, they're friends." She made a show of focusing entirely on the happenings in the hut ahead of them. She had a feeling that Harry would not like to know that she fixed Draco's broken nose that he no doubt deserved to have broken.

The group eventually had to sneak back up the field before the adults came out of the hut. They stopped right where they'd been earlier to look below. The executioner had already come through the pumpkin patch where Buckbeak awaited and with one swing of his ax, the job was done.

Hermione was in full-fledged tears. She turned to hug Ron but it was cut short with Ron's yelp. "Scabbers!"

Romina's eyes widened at the sight of the rat scurrying away from them. Ron went after the rat despite Hermione's and Harry's calls for him to stop.

"What—I thought it was dead!?" Romina exclaimed.

"Hagrid found him," Harry said before they took chase after Ron.

They shouldn't be chasing Ron and his rat when it was starting to grow dark out but here they were, coming to a stop a short distance from the Whomping Willow.

"Ron!" Harry exclaimed once they found the redhead on the ground picking up his rat.

"Oh—he's too close!" Romina pointed at the Whomping Willow that was coming to life. "Ron, run!"

At the sound of their voices, Ron looked up. Dread filled his face but not for the reason the group presumed. "No, you run!" He pointed at something behind them, forcing them to spin around and see what was there.

A jet black dog was coming for them, running, and leaped at them, or so they thought. It jumped clear of the trio to land on Ron instead. He screamed as it bit his ankle and dragged him towards the Whomping Willow.

"Oh my God!" Romina was frozen in her spot but thankfully Harry was not. He lurched forwards in an attempt to catch Ron before the dog took him away.

Hermione then jumped after Harry to create a chain and hold him too. "I've got you!"

Unfortunately, nobody had anybody. Romina saw her friends being dragged towards to the Whomping Willow like they were nothing but ragdolls. She ran forwards hoping to catch Ron instead of following the chain. The dog had already slipped through a gap in the tree and eventually, as much as Harry held onto Ron's hand, it took Ron with him.

"ROOON!" The remaining trio yelled after him.

"What do we do now!?" Romina could see nothing but darkness through the gap. They could still hear an echo of Ron's screams but it was fading.

And then Hermione screamed. The Whomping Willow had swept her up into the air and it came for both Romina and Harry next. They landed a good distance from the gap albeit in awkward angles. One by one, they rose from the ground and made a race for the gap again.

"Watch out!" Romina cried as one branch came plunging down on them. They had to jump in opposite directions. Romina and Hermione made it but Harry was smacked again and this time, his glasses went flying in the air.

Hermione attempted to jump over the branches swinging her way. She got the first one but the second one took her right with it. Romina felt like she was in a wicked game of double dutch, only this one was deadly. The endgame was the gap and one way or another, they had to make it through to catch up with Ron. She made a clean run for it, making jumps every now and then despite several branches making gashes over her shoulders and one terribly painful one against her cheek. Her hair was also not helping one bit. One branch managed to entangle itself with a part of her hair which then plucked her right up from the ground. Like Hermione, she screamed.

Only Harry remained on the ground and not by much. Already he had to avoid more branches, with absolutely terrible vision, and he could hear both of his friends screaming. He got a lucky break when he found his glasses on the ground and they weren't broken. As soon as he put them on, he saw Hermione coming in his direction.

She grabbed his shirt on her way and picked him up. Harry had no idea why this would be a good idea but now there he was hanging on for dear life. A short second later, however, he felt Hermione's hand push him off. Down he went into the gap and through the dark tunnel.

"JUMP!" Hermione then told Romina.

"I CAN'T!" Romina shook her head—part of her hair was still tangled in the branch. "It's too long! Go without me!"

"Fat chance!" Hermione managed to sneak her wand out of her pocket. She thanked the heavens the crazy spinning hadn't yet made it fly out. Now she just had to make sure she aimed right...on a moving...tree…

"Don't you dare!" Romina yelled at her as soon as she saw Hermione's wand making an aim towards her. "WE'RE MOVING!"

Yes, yes they were moving and they were very short on time so…

"Diffindo!" Hermione cried.

Romina felt the slicing of her hair and because of it, she let go of the branch. Her body went tumbling into the gap, coming to an unceremonious landing somewhere dark and cold.

"Rom!?" Harry was already up and no doubt waiting for them. "Are you—"

Romina groaned when Hermione's body landed right over her.

"Oh, sorry!" Hermione rolled off her.

"Hermione Granger..." Romina's voice shook as she pushed Hermione off of her then sat upright. "What did you do to me!?"

Harry produced a wisp of light with his wand, allowing him to see exactly what Romina was so upset about. His eyes widened. "Oh, Rom…"

Romina's hands flung to her hair which was now chopped in a very uneven manner with some tips far shorter than others. Hermione winced at the strangled cry Romina gave.

"Romina, you'll be okay! You can just fix it with a-a hairstylist or — Madame Pomfrey! She can help!"

"I can't fix this on my own! I look hideous!" Romina shouted. Up until today, she had only shortened and enlarged her hair's length and changed part of its color. She had no layers which made it even easier but now that was all gone.

"You guys, we need to find Ron," Harry said. It sounded inconsiderate on his part but he was thinking about how Ron was doing with some psycho dog and suddenly hair issues didn't seem as important. "Rom, you don't look that bad—"

Romina cried even harder knowing that was a full lie. "Parkinson is gonna have full ammunition against me now!"

Hermione rushed to Romina's side to try and calm her down. She apologized over and over, swearing that she would help fix the hair until it was beautiful and perfect again.

Harry felt stupid the way he stood there watching one of his best friends sob. He honestly thought there was something wrong beyond the superficial hair problems. Romina wasn't the kind of girl to fixate so much on her appearance. This entire year had been one whole mystery with Romina and Harry suspected that this was the final straw. This was more than an uneven haircut.

Harry moved in front of Romina and bent down. "Rom, you're obviously going through some things and I'll be here after this to talk but please," he touched her shoulder, "we gotta go find Ron. He could be in real danger."

Romina's tears stained her face. She felt an overwhelming urge to cry and cry and...cry. She was so tired of everything, having to change every little thing about her in hopes that she would look different.

"Romina, we'll change your hair back," Hermione kept reiterating. "I will not rest until your hair is what it was before, I promise."

New tears filled Romina's eyes. "I don't want my hair to be what it was..." Her voice was strained as she stifled another sob. "I'm...I just want to be normal again."

Hermione exchanged looks with Harry. They had a good idea about what she meant now.

"I just want to be me..." Romina continued, instinctively reaching for a strand of her hair. She caught one of the longer ones by luck. "With my hair."

"Well, Rom, you can do that," Harry said slowly. "You can be whatever you want to be."

"But then everyone will think that I look like my mum — Elora. I'm going to look like Elora, and I don't want that.I don't want the first thing that people think of when they see me to be Death Eaters and that I'm one of their spawns."

"Parkinson has nothing to be talking about, Romina," said Harry sternly, knowing that girl was a huge factor in Romina's abrupt appearance changes. "Her parents may not have been death eaters but they were big supporters. She's a malicious pureblood witch. You're nothing like them."

"Not even close," Hermione agreed with a firm nod.

"Romina, you gotta believe us," Harry said. "And you gotta help us find Ron, please."

Romina thought for a seconds until sense hit her. Ron's in danger! You can't be so selfish! She couldn't be that selfish. That would make her exactly like the people she wanted to be different from.

She started clearing the tears off her cheeks. "We need to find Ron." She pulled herself up from the ground, dusting herself off as best as she could.

Harry was relieved with her choice and scrambled up to his feet as well before she changed her mind. Hermione followed and together, the three set out to find Ron at the end of the tunnel.

~ 0 ~

To the trio's surprise, they reached the end of the passageway and they climbed up into the Shrieking Shack.

"Of course we'd end up here," Romina mumbled under her breath. The place was so infamous that even the ghosts didn't wander near it. Where else would they end up if not there?

Harry was focused on the visible paw prints on the dusty floor. They heard creaking from the second floor which could only mean Ron was upstairs. They hurried up the steps and once they were up, they noticed there was a clear stripe on the otherwise dusty floor. Somebody had been dragged up and over the floor towards the only room at the end of the hallway that had a lit light. The trio exchanged glances before they started for the door. All three of them had their wands at the ready when they burst into the room.

Ron sat on a ruddy bed looking scared for dear life, clutching his rat to his chest.

"Ron! You're okay!" Hermione dashed for him. Romina followed closely behind, her hand still gripping her wand.

Harry lingered as he scanned the room. "The dog—where's the—?"

"It's a trap!" Ron frantically shouted, startling the trio. "He's the dog! He's an Animagus!"

Harry followed the track of paw prints on the floor and, to his wonder, they turned into the shape of human feet. That led him to—

"Oh my god!" Romina yelled this time.

Sirius Black was standing in the shadows waiting for them. Even when he looked like he could crumble from how slim he was, his grimy appearance was a fright. Harry wasted no time in drawing his wand again. Hermione set herself in front of Ron's bed and Romina made a dash to position herself in front of Harry.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us, too!"

"ROM!" Harry was downright horrified with her actions. He tried shoving her out of the way but it turned out she was a long stronger than she looked.

As scared as she was—and she was—Romina narrowed her dark eyes into a deep hateful glare on the man ahead of them. This was the man who had worked with her parents to kill Harry's parents. If he thought that she would be just like Elora and Caplan, he had another thing coming.

"No. Only one will die tonight," Sirius said, pointing a finger ahead of him.

"Then it'll be you!" Harry finally got a grip on Romina and pushed her to the side and ran straight for Sirius.

"Harry, no!" Hermione yelled as he lunged on Sirius.

Sirius laughed as Harry wrapped his hands around his neck. "Going to kill me, Harry?"

Harry didn't even hesitate to say a sharp 'yes!'.

"Harry, stop!" Romina came to pull him off the man before he attacked them. "Harry!" She pulled her friend back with him then drew her wand at Sirius again. "We don't kill him, but we can certainly turn him in—"

Suddenly, Lupin burst into the room and disarmed both Romina and Harry. With a nod of his head, he prompted the two to step back to where Hermione and Ron were. It was a wonder what would happen next. Too many questions were running through the students' heads.

Lupin pointed his wand at Sirius on the ground. "Looking a bit ragged, aren't we, Sirius? Finally the skin reflects the madness within!"

"You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" Sirius answered much too casually for the situation. A moment later, Lupin was helping him off the ground and they were hugging.

"No!" Hermione voiced everyone else's thoughts. "I trusted you! And all this time you've been his friend!" She looked at the others when she explained what she had to keep a secret for months. "He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes!"

Romina was stunned. Harry and Ron were dumbfounded. How could they have missed that? If they'd paid more attention, the signs had all been there...

Lupin didn't seem very distraught that his secret was out. He regarded Hermione with bemusement. "How long have you known?"

"Since Professor Snape set the essay."

"My, my, you really are the brightest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."

Sirius blew a raspberry. "Yes, you glow like the sun. And you howl at the moon. Enough talk! He dies!"

"Wait, Sirius!"

"I did my waiting!" Sirius frantically yelled. "Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!"

"Very well," Lupin gave in.

"No!" Harry brandished Hermione's wand at the pair. "You betrayed my parents! You sold them to Voldemort!"

"It's a lie!"

"No, you did," Romina spoke much calmer than Harry but that was only because a lump in her throat was threatening to spill tears. "You worked with my parents and then together you all sold the Potters out. Everyone knows the bloody story!"

Sirius now regarded her with some interest but Lupin cut in before he ever said anything. "Romina, it's been a lie. Someone did betray Harry's parents. Someone in this room right now. Someone who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead."

"What're you talking about?" Harry demanded. Romina was too dumbfounded to speak. "There's nobody here."

"Peter Pettigrew! He's in this room! Right now!" Sirius exclaimed. "Come out, come out, Peter! Come out, come out and play!"

The door burst open again and this time Snape came in. "Expelliarmus!" Everyone's wands flew out of their hands. "Vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you."

Lupin raised a hand towards him. "Severus—"

"I told Dumbledore you were helping your old friend into the castle. And here's the proof!

"Brilliant, Snape." Sirius rolled his eyes. "Once again you've put your keen penetrating mind to the task and as usual come to the wrong conclusion. Now, if you'll excuse us, Remus and I have some unfinished business... to attend to."

Snape pointed his wand at him, closely to his jaw. "Give me a reason. I beg you." Sirius had no choice but to back away.

"Severus, don't be a fool, Severus!"

"He can't help it. It's habit by now," Sirius said with a hint of a smirk.

"Sirius, be quiet!"

"Be quiet yourself Remus!"

The students all looked between the teachers bickering until Snape cut in. "Listen to you two. Quarreling like an old married couple."

"Oh, why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set!" Sirius waved him off.

"I could do it, you know. But why deny the dementors? They're so longing to see you." Snape grew closer to Sirius, his wand at the ready again. "Do I detect a flicker of fear? A Dementor's Kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like. It's said to be nearly unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best."

"Severs, please!" Lupin tried once again.

"After you!" Snape made a gesture for them to start walking. He wasn't going to let them get away. The pair had no choice but to start walking.

Harry took his opportunity to grab the last wand still with its owner.

"Hey!" Ron said when Harry pulled his wand from his pocket. Whatever else was about to come out of his mouth was forgotten when Snape went flying in the air against the wall.

"Harry!" Romina clapped a hand over her mouth. "You attacked a teacher!" And Snape of all of them!

Harry had the decency to look shocked himself. He got over it quick, though and pointed the wand at Sirius. "Tell me about Peter!"

"He was at school with us. We thought he was our friend!" Lupin explained.

"No! No. Pettigrew's dead. You" — Harry pointed with the wand at Sirius — "killed him!"

"No, he didn't," Lupin argued quite certainly. "I thought so too, until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the map!"

"The map was lying, then!"

"The map never lies!" snapped Sirius, also very certain of it.

Romina lifted an eyebrow at him for it. "How would you know that?"

"We made it!"

Romina was once again stunned. "No way…"

"Yes," Lupin confirmed.

"Pettigrew's alive! And he's right there!" Sirius pointed over to Ron who, by now, was tired of being at the other end of his slim finger.

"He's mental!

"No, not you! Your rat!"

Ron stood by his previous statement. "Scabbers has been in my family for…"

"Twelve years? Curiously long life for a common garden rat! He's missing a toe, isn't he?"

Hermione's eyebrows raised when the piece fit. She looked over to Ron almost apologetically.

"So what?" Ron shrugged.

"All they could find of Pettigrew was his…" Harry trailed off. The pieces were beginning to fall into place.

"Finger!" Sirius finished. "That dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead! And then he transformed into a rat!"

"So he's an Animagus too?" Romina pointed at the rat. Ron was utterly offended that she was believing the nonsense so easily. "Wouldn't-wouldn't that be on the registry. Hermione, you said—"

"Not if he wasn't registered," Hermione whispered. Romina had declared her crazy months ago when Hermione confided in her that she'd gone above and beyond for their Transfiguration class by looking up the Animagus registry to see what wizards and witches were registered on it.

Romina's eyes widened. She turned completely over to Ron, her hand pointing at the rat he so desperately held. "Oh! If he's been pulling that trick-Ron! He knows the truth!"

Ron shook his head and held the rat closer to his chest.

"The Oswell girl is right," Sirius said. "He knows the truth. He framed me! I would never betray my best friends like that!"

"Show me," Harry demanded. "Ron, give them the rat."

Lupin walked forwards to retrieve Scabbers and as much as Ron would've liked to fight for the creature, he let go simply to find out whether or not he and his entire family had played hosts to a murderer for the past 12 years. Lupin backed up with Scabbers in his hand. He set him down to cast the spell but that's when the rat took its chance to run.

Romina thought that was truth enough to what they'd been saying. What rat would run so desperately if it wasn't a human being in hiding? Eventually, Lupin managed to strike the rat with the spell and suddenly, Scabbers was no longer a rat but instead a big man with grubby little rat hands.

"Remus? Sirius?" He turned towards the two men. "My old friends!" His eyes then flickered to the students, precisely on Harry. "Harry! Look at you! You look so much like your father!"

Harry took a step back when the man came running up to him. Romina, with a crinkled nose, took a few long steps to the side.

"Like James! We were the best of friends—"

"How dare you speak to Harry!? How dare you talk about James in front of him!" Sirius bellowed and went after Peter. The shorter man ran to the first piece of furniture that would give him some safety for the moment.

"You sold James and Lily to Voldemort, didn't you?' Lupin demanded to know. Behind him, Harry wanted to know the same thing.

"I didn't mean to!" Peter said with a voice that sounded ready to crack. "The Dark Lord. You have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself, Sirius! What would you have done? What would you have done?"

"I would have died!" Sirius continued to roar. "I would have died, rather than betray my friends!"

Peter whimpered like an actual child. He dashed towards Ron on the bed. "Ron! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, will you? I was your rat…"

Ron drew away from him as much as he could. He was downright disgusted.

Peter, desperately, turned for Hermione. He grabbed her by the shoulders and she quickly tried prying him off her. "Sweet girl. Clever girl. Surely you won't let them…"

"Let her go!" Romina yelled at him. He took one look at her and, possibly more frightened, stepped away from Hermione but only to then make an attempt on Harry.

"Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed!" Peter made a turn for Harry. He managed to slip from Lupin and Sirius for the moment. "Your dad... Your dad would have spared me! He would show me mercy!"

"You should've realized, Peter, that if Voldemort didn't kill you, then we would!" Lupin said, upholding his wand again. "Together!" Sirius was more than ready as well.

"No!" Harry suddenly shouted, startling everyone in the room.

"Harry, this man…"

"I know what he is. But we'll take him to the castle."

Relief flooded Peter's face. "Bless you, boy! Bless you!" He attempted to hug the boy but Harry shoved him off.

"Get off! I said we'd take you to the castle. After that, the dementors can have you.

Whatever relief had been on his face vanished the moment the realization sunk in.

~ 0 ~

Sirius and Harry each held one of Ron's arms to help him out of the passageway. Behind them were Romina and Hermione (who had miraculously known a sleepwalking spell to bring back Snape with them as well) and lastly Lupin was right behind a whimpering Peter.

Romina had been unusually quiet all the way and that was only because she didn't want to risk causing any rocks to fall on them. As soon as she saw the opening, she prepared herself. When they were out on the field again, they set Ron down to rest for a second. Harry couldn't help but wander to Sirius who put some distance between him and the group. Romina then saw her opportunity.

"Romina?" Hermione glanced at her when she noticed Romina standing up.

Romina ignored her and walked up to Peter. "Do you know me?" she asked the man, or rather demanded.

"Romina, I don't think this is the time," Lupin told her. He was still holding his wand at Peter because he had no doubt the man would make a run for it at the first chance he got.

"No, everyone got their go, it's my turn now," Romina said darkly, eyes glued to the prattling Peter. "Do you know who I am?"

"Of c-course," Peter answered in his shaky voice. "You're the Oswell girl. Their child."

"You worked with my parents," Romina said, briefly casting a glance in Sirius' direction. "It had to have been you if not...not Black. You worked with them! One-on-one, I'm sure!"

"I had to!" wailed Peter. "Your parents — they're wicked! You don't know them! They would've killed me if I didn't work with them!"

Romina swallowed hard. She abhorred the fact she agreed with someone like Peter. All she had were stories about those two and this was the first person who showed the true fear that Elora and Caplan Oswell instilled in their victims.

"They wanted the location of James and Lily. They were going to do things to me if I didn't give them what they wanted!"

Romina drew in a shaky breath. "They would have killed you for sure," she whispered. She almost, almost, apologized to Peter on behalf of her parents.

"You'll be just like them if you let them turn me over like it was my fault!"

Romina's eyes widened and pretty quickly formed a killer glare on the man. Her hand gripped her wand even tighter and she jabbed it against Peter's chest, eliciting a whimper from the rat-man. "What did you say to me?"

"Romina, step back," Lupin ordered. "Now!"

But Romina did the exact opposite. She got closer to Peter; her glare deepening on her face. "You're the criminal in this story! I know who my — I know who Elora and Caplan are and what they did but anyone brave enough would've done what was right and be loyal to their friends. I have no doubt that Elora and Caplan would've killed you whether or not you gave them the location. I know what they're capable of because I've heard all the stories, but me helping set the record straight and sending you to Azkaban doesn't make me like them. It'll set me apart from them." Her voice gained a roughness that she didn't even know she was capable of. "Rot in Azkaban next to them for all I care and tell them that I'm going to be fucking amazing without them." She twisted her wand against Peter's chest and watched him writhe in pain until Hermione pulled her back.

"Romina, stop—!"

Romina ripped her arm out of Hermione's grip and turned away, leaving a very startled Hermione behind her. Hermione gulped and looked back at the others who seemed just as concerned as she was.

Romina was practically shaking with anger and yet, at the same time, she could also say she was in despair. Everything about her parents was true, and here was the living proof. They happily turned one friend against his other friends and allowed for the framing of an innocent man. And this was just one of their pettier crimes. She wanted nothing to do with them; she didn't want to call them her parents anymore; she wished with all her heart that she could change her last name. Romina could feel the heated tears threatening to escape from her eyes. She wanted to be done with those two.

"Harry!" Hermione's sudden frantic cry made Romina's eyes snap open. She turned as Harry and Sirius did the same to see Hermione pointing at Lupin.

The full moon had risen.

Sirius was quick to reach his friend. "Remus, my old friend! Have you taken your potion tonight?" He had to hold onto Lupin because the man was getting ready to change into his wolf side, but it appeared like he was trying to fight it. "You know the man you truly are, Remus! This heart is where you truly live! This heart here! This flesh is only flesh!"

"No!" Harry saw Peter take hold of Lupin's wand. "Expelliarmus!"

The wand was out of Peter's grip but it was too late, he transformed back into a rat.

"NO! NO!" Romina would've chased after the rat had Hermione not grabbed her arm to yank her back. Lupin was already halfway to becoming a wolf.

"Run, all of you!" Sirius told them. His efforts to qualm Lupin's turn was done in vain. With one shove, Sirius toppled over the ground. Lupin finished the rest of his transformation to become a full werewolf.

"P-professor?" Hermione called him. For the moment, the wolf was still. Only his jagged breathing made a noise in the air.

"Nice doggy, nice doggy," Ron whimpered.

"Oh, that's not going to work!" Romina scolded the pair of them. "He's not...he's not...him anymore." And sure enough, the wolf started growling at them, inching closer to them.

"There you are, Potter!" Snape had finally come out of his spell and unknowingly blocked the group from the wolf. Of course as soon as the wolf growled loudly, Snape whirled around and saw what they were dealing with. His arms opened to cover the students.

The werewolf pounced on them but before it reached any of them, Sirius, in his animagus form, cut him off. They fought each other but in the end, the wolf was too strong. It threw the dog way over the field and dashed after to keep the fighting going.

"No, Sirius!" Harry slipped from Snape's shield to go after them.

"Come back here, Potter!" Snape yelled after them. Hermione and Romina attempted to do the same but he caught them both by their arms. "Don't even think about it!"

"But Harry!" Romina was frantically gesturing after their friend. He was in the dark forest chasing after two creatures with absolutely no back up.

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