#✿ answers honestly and with my heart

[myokk]

legilimency

pairing: Ominis Gaunt x f!MC

word count: 1,7k

summary: (His parents and Marvolo insist it’s a gift handed down from Slytherin himself, just like the Parseltongue Ominis despises. It is not. It is a curse.)

or: The Gryffindor student has caught on that Ominis can read her thoughts and decides to get her revenge.

(rated M for some language)

tags: I headcanon Ominis is a natural legilimens (I go into what I believe this entails in more detail in my Ominis longfic), fluff, some mature language, but mostly this is silly :)

a/n: It's the one-year anniversary of the day rode the train to the mountains and wrote this up in one sitting. This is the first oneshot I ever wrote, and my first attempts at writing Ominis POV🫶 I hope you enjoy, and if you’re rereading THANK YOU♥️

Ominis Gaunt is a lost case - lost to the whims of one very determined Gryffindor sitting at his side.

They sit in the back of the History of Magic classroom, the only two students not lulled to somnolence by their professor. He: trying his hardest to focus on Professor Binns' droning (easier said than done). She: trying her hardest to distract Ominis while not being entirely sure of being successful or not (easier attempted than understood).

Professor Binns is completely insufferable, of course. Ominis wonders if the ghost is as blind as he is: Binns willfully ignores the fact that all of his students use his class as an excuse to get a nap in (maybe he simply doesn't see them sleeping - only one of many reasons why Ominis has decided he could never be a professor), rambling on and on in the most boring way possible. As if he were trying to be as dull as possible (maybe he does it to avoid interacting with the students which...can't be to blame). In a different life, Ominis could see himself quite liking the subject, but as things stand he despises it.

Especially now.

Ominis fervently wishes that he could fall asleep.

Then, he might avoid hearing her thoughts - they're consuming him and he can't ignore them as much as he would like to.

Normally, he loves this class - not the subject, obviously - but the class itself, for the sheer fact that it is the only time where he gets some peace and quiet. Everyone's minds nice and quiet and shut off for the time being while they sleep. Although he has gotten used to ignoring the thoughts of everyone around him, their various voices mixing and mingling with each other into a dull thrum in the back of his mind, it is nice to have some quiet once in a while.

But right now with everyone asleep except for the Gryffindor at his side, her thoughts are so loud it's like she's screaming at him.

So here he is, wishing he could fall asleep, leave the class, maybe turn off the infernal legilimency that has haunted him his whole life.

(His parents and Marvolo insist it's a gift handed down from Slytherin himself, just like the Parseltongue Ominis despises. It is not. It is a curse.)

He is stuck listening to her.

It doesn't help that she seems to have caught on to him - something he had managed to avoid until now. Nobody else, not even Sebastian or Anne, has ever suspected a thing. But, in all fairness, those two are extremely loud and say every single thought that passes through their minds out loud even when they should remain quiet, and nobody else has had the opportunity to spend enough time with Ominis to begin to suspect anything.

Until her.

He had to go and let that blasted girl worm her way into his life, not leaving him alone ever, always looking for excuses to talk and ask his opinion, and being so intelligent that he wanted to invite her to study with him and talk with him and...

Since it happened a few nights ago, he hasn't stopped cursing himself for that stupid offhand comment he made. They had been studying in silence in the library together, by the history books where nobody else ever ventures (thank you, Professor Binns), and he could have sworn that she asked him if he was finally going to walk her back to her common room (he blames a lack of sleep and wishful thinking for this mishap). His traitorous face had flushed and he had jumped at the chance to escort her - maybe she would let him carry her bag, or... - only to feel his whole body go cold and his stomach drop when her response wasn't what he'd expected.

A pause: then: a confused voice: 'Ominis, I didn't say anything.'

His Gryffindor wasn't stupid like Gryffindors were normally wont to be. He knew her, and he knew that after his monumental mistake, the gears in her brain were turning and he was terrified that somehow she had figured it out.

(His Gryffindor?)

She had been unusually quiet around him since then, although he bitterly noticed that she was still acting normally with everyone else. Still finding every opportunity to punch Sebastian in the shoulder and laugh with Anne, still whispering with Natsai about Merlin knows what, still...

But she had been avoiding Ominis. He couldn't stand it.

Well, avoiding him right until this stupid class, when she had to go and sit right next to him (ignoring the fact that she always sits next to him in History of Magic, that everyone already has and adheres to their unofficial seats), and he can't ignore her.

She's pretending to take studious notes, but he knows better. The scratching of her quill blending with the droning of Professor Binns' voice but not drowning out her thoughts. They float above the other noises, her voice sweet and piercing. Ominis wonders vaguely what she's actually writing, because he's positive it isn't notes.

Professor Binns looks so sexy right now with his medieval hat, talking about...whatever it is he's passionate about. I wonder if he would let me talk to him after class without floating through me like he normally does...

Ominis is determined not to react. She's obviously trying to bait him. But...what if she is attracted to Professor Binns? Is he an attractive man? At the thought, the fist that's resting on top of his desk clenches, but he works to make sure his face remains impassive. Apart from a twitch of his lips, he thinks he's been quite successful.

She: huffing and shifting in her chair, her robes rustling as she crosses her legs. He: keeping his head facing forward, steadfastly ignoring her.

She changes tactics.

Maybe she's just as insufferable as the other Gryffindors, after all.

I wonder what Ominis would say if he knew I woke up moaning today after a dream about him -

He shifts slightly in his seat, hoping that she's so busy taking notes (who's he kidding) that she won't notice his discomfort as his trousers tighten -

...the girls in my dorm have been bothering me nonstop about who I've been mooning over but I don't want them to...

His hand is in such a tight fist it's a wonder he's not breaking any fingers as he tries to remain as still as possible, but his traitorous arousal is making her thoughts harder and harder to ignore. Had he ever been able to ignore her?

...his tongue was deep inside my cunt as I screamed his name...

He feels his face heat up at the thought - where had she learned such vulgar language? - and his whole body stiffens. He's sure that she can feel the tension and warmth radiating off of him in waves but that...she...his insane little lion keeps shouting at him in the silence of the classroom. She's now stopped all pretense of taking notes and is sitting stock still.

...his cock deep inside of me as...wait...what else did I hear Garreth say to Leander that night?...um... She shifts uncomfortably, her knee grazing Ominis's as she moves to squeeze her legs together. It's all he can do to not groan and remain impassive. Oh god...I...what's that feeling? This was just supposed to get back at him for probably - maybe - reading my thoughts and I'm officially insane because how would he even be able to do that?...his ears turning red from embarrassment are so adorable and I can't stand this anymore and...

Ominis tries his hardest not to move his head in her direction. His jaw flexes. Maybe he can drown her out if he starts reciting potions ingredients, or if he focuses on what Professor Binns is saying, but even he knows its futile. He's hanging on to her every word - thought? - and his head slowly turns in her direction as she keeps going.

...does he know how much I think about him? Oh god, what if he dreams of me the same way I...

He slams the open book in front of him shut, the loud noise causing Sebastian to jerk awake and babble incoherently for a moment before slumping back over his desk, drooling and snoring lightly. Nobody else in the class seems to notice except her of course. Blissfully, she has stopped talking - thinking - and he can finally -

It's no use. He needs to get out of there. She has invaded his mind and...What if she starts up again with her filthy thoughts that are bleeding into his own and -

Did he hear me? I didn't actually think...oh god, can he hear me now? What have I done?

Ominis very slowly brings his hand over to where he knows hers is. The quill falls out of her hand and he hears a sharp intake of breath at their contact. His fingers trace her knuckles and then he slowly trails them up her arm. His fingertips are so sensitive that he could swear that he feels every thread that he passes, her skin warm and alive underneath the fabric. Then to her neck, her throat bobs and he feels her erratic heartbeat. Finally, he reaches her face. She remains very, very still as his fingers brush over her features for the first time.

He has never touched someone like this before.

Her skin is like velvet, soft everywhere he touches. Now that he knows what it feels like he's not sure he can go back to before. His fingers trace the curve of her eyebrows - he finds that her nose is straight before it flares up a tiny bit at the tip - his fingers ghost over her impossibly soft lips. He drags his thumb across her bottom lip as her tongue darts out to wet them. It's impossibly intimate and the world has melted away and it's just the two of them in that moment.

He leans forward.

"Ominis, I..." she whispers, stricken.

His hand moves to tuck some of her loose hair away from her face - does she always wear it like this? - and his lips brush against her ear. He inhales deeply, her sweet smell invading his senses. She shivers under his touch and he breathes, "I heard everything."

[burningcheese-merchant]

Мне безумно нравится смотреть на неё и думать насколько же счастлива была Голден Чизз, когда узнала, что у неё будет именно дочка(я знаю, что связь между Спайсом и Панир, должно быть, крепче, но я просто очень хочу нежные мамуля-дочурка взаимоотношения)

Матар Панир даёт мне самую ужасную детскую лихорадку в мире

I am absolutely fucking kicking myself for having missed this ask in my inbox. Beating myself black and blue. Non-zero chance I kill myself out of shame after answering /j

I remember you... You're the same person who drew the BurningCheese fam as cats... And you come back here with another banger 😭😭😭 more peak delivered to me, to my inbox, my eyes and my heart 😭😭😭 I just want you to know that you're one of the greatest people to ever live and you have forever won my favor

Look at them!!!!!!!! The girlies!!!!!!! Mama Bird and Baby Bird!!!!!!! Baby Paneer holding a cheesebird omg 😭😭😭 and you're 1000% right, Golden Cheese was ecstatic when she discovered they were having a daughter haha. Not that she was disappointed when Jack was born, absolutely not, she loves her baby boy to death. But now their numbers are even, 2 boys and 2 girls lol

I just... I'm so happy 😭 this is so beautiful... I can't stop looking at Golden's gorgeous expression... You can really feel that mother's love shining through, you know? And Paneer grabbing her face... That's so her 😭 she actually did do that a lot as a baby! She was always a touchy-feely person and she loved grabbing at her parents and brother as a baby! How did you know this, did you get inside my head 😭😭😭

I hope you're proud of this drawing because you should be. It's lovely. Especially Golden Cheese's expression, I really cannot stress enough how captivating it is. You're very talented and I honestly envy you. I can't thank you enough for making this. You've made my whole entire day AND tomorrow with this. In fact, to try to repay you for this, YOU 🫵 get ONE STORY VOUCHER! You can come into my inbox and ask me to write a story about the family and I will! Whatever you want! Angst, fluff, father-son thing, mother-daughter thing, The Siblings™️, the whole family together, whatever you so choose! You seem like you like them a lot, if you want me to tell you more about them I can haha

[vaguely-concerned]

severing the connection of the titans to themselves, each other and their children, to the world, and with it severing the connection of the dwarves to their true nature, the basic state of love and belonging that should be their birthright. ("our children, orphaned".) severing the connection between rook and the reality and true memory of varric, and thus from themselves and their own healing grief AND love. (do we spot the echo, perhaps?) severing (mostly accidentally this time, I'll give him that) the connection between the fade and the real world, dream and reality.

the scale we're operating on varies from the mythic, the cosmic and existential, to the individual and deeply, nauseatingly intimately personal, but it's the same pattern every time. solas keeps committing the same act of enforced dissociation, of creating orphaned pain that cannot even know itself, estranged from its own history, origins and coherence, unhealable in being impossible to recognize for what it is and thus unreachable. (hello lucanis in the minrathous saved route btw. this theme echoes everywhere when you look for it. I do love this game.) making others strangers to themselves for his own purposes and being surprised when it blows up in his face horrifically once more even when it's his same indelible original sin repeated, again and again and again. dissociation is a natural process the mind uses to protect itself from unbearable pain, but to knowingly cause that in someone, to play around with their connection to themselves and reality so fundamentally, to further your own cause... yeah, I'm not surprised the fabric of the world keeps tearing apart in protest in response to that, there's something so unspeakably insidiously wrong about it. forget snacking down on apples and knowing yourself to be naked or whatever, that sounds like a perfectly blameless if presumably slightly chilly afternoon to me -- force-feeding someone else their own fragmentation for your own gain, however ostensibly worthy your final goal, feels much closer to what real sin would be to me. and even worse because *buries face in hands* he just keeps doing it!!! he should know better, but he keeps doing it!!!!!!

I know I keep joking that solas only has the like three basic moves he keeps rearranging to invent new and spectacular ways of doubling down on making the same mistake yet again, but looking at it like this it's almost not even funny anymore haha. (almost. there is a hysterical amusement and affection that rises within me every time I see his smug little face, we cannot choose who we love only what we do about it.) and the worst thing is that I think he could learn! I do believe he has the capacity, the depth of empathy and soul and intellect, to learn from this, had he chosen to do so, had he let himself pause and truly listen at any point. but at the end of the day, even all these thousands of years later and with the mountains of guilt he lugs around, he chooses not to. and I suspect it's because he fundamentally does not actually understand what he did wrong. on his way to, ostensibly, fix one of these splits he caused, that of the veil, he basically goes and does to rook's mind what he did to the titans, and without the hand of mythal guiding it or anyone else culpable in it with him this time, as if to underline twice that in all these thousands of years he has learned absolutely nothing! almost to an impressive degree! does he even recognize that it's the same thing he's doing? does he even actually afford rook and their internal world that much thought to begin with, aside from what purpose they can serve for him? I'm not so sure. and to do it all with varric's face, with the person he took from them, making them feel complicit in it when they find out, the same way the dwarves will have to grapple with the fact that their whole economy is based in unwittingly selling the blood of like. god. their parents. themselves. solas. babe. what the fUCK. what the fuck. what the fuck.

perhaps part of the blind spot comes down to the way it's the inverse of his own trauma. solas knows exactly what happened to him because it's the endless ache at the center of his existence, the thing -- the first mistake -- he can't escape or undo or forget, nor bring himself to accept: he became real, one coherent set self, with no way back to what and who he was. and what he does with that pain, his one move, is to make others not-real. to himself, and more alarming still to themselves. he makes them forget, as he cannot forget. does he think it's mercy, in some way? does he realize how and why that makes it all so much worse??? and... not quite the same thing, but when mythal dies the structure of his own inner world falls apart catastrophically, and in his vengeance for that, even unintentionally, he imposes that same unravelling on the world. we've all heard the lines about spirits mirroring the real world and what you bring into your relationship with them being what you get in return, but how about the tragedy of the inverse -- the world being brought to mirror you, despite what your intentions might have been going in. no one should have that power, but you claimed that power yourself to do something else and now you have to look into that mirror forever. no such mercy as forgetting yourself for you. you are everywhere now, this broken mirror of a world will reflect yourself back to you no matter where you look. perhaps it would feel easier to simply close your eyes and walk on willfully blindly. AGH it's all so delicious and fucked up and makes me feel absolutely nuts

dissociation is something that's also central in iron bull's character and internal conflict, so presumably this is simply a deep theme trick weekes keeps returning to/is interested in exploring in their writing! and the elegance with which it's done and how inextricably yet subtly embedded in the narrative it is both with bull and overall in veilguard means it's not always engaged with or recognized as I feel it deserves, but to me personally it is Everything and gets at it in ways that feel weirdly real and authentic.

[hypewinter]

Since it's canon that he can jump into technology ala SSSS/Gridman, Danny takes advantage of that ability to do his homework at superspeed. And destroy viruses as part of a money making scheme

Please forgive me as I steer this towards a more selfish Danny but imagine if after a while Danny starts making viruses himself in order to destroy them. Given his secret leg up, he far outpaced his competitors in terms of speed, efficiency, and most importantly, price. The problem was Danny was a little too good at this side job of his. Not only did he get rid of viruses but he also fortified the systems he was hired to fix, creating a bunch of systems now immune to any malware on the block..... And subsequently putting Danny out of a job. So being the dumb teen that he is he comes up with a plan.

Danny partners up with a semi reformed Technus to create mutated malware that would only be able to be defeated by physically fighting them within the program (ie something only Danny was capable of). But in typical Saturday cartoon hijinks, these new viruses and the like mutate out of control and start doing a lot of actual damage. Considering there's just one Danny and a lot of malware running rampant, he has no choice but to get help.

Coincidentally, Oracle had been tracking this weird surge in new mutant malware for a while now. She was working on figuring out their source when a digital teen shows up on her computer screen asking for help. One explanation later and Oracle is PISSED to say the least but she agrees to help. She also calls up some other tech savvy heroes to come help too. All of which Danny pulls into the system via their screen.

A tongue lashing the likes of which would even put Jazz to shame awaits Danny when all of this is over but for now, he gets to fight within a virtual landscape alongside some of his idols. Which is a definite win in his book.

[scrumptiousstuffs]

hiii scrumptious!! i miss sending u asks

can i ask for a analysis of firstkhaotung’s kisses we’ve got so far? which is your favourite and why is your favourite, we need tongueeee

Anon!!!! Why must you torture me with this ask??? 😫😫😫 (torture me more, I love talking about FK and their kisses 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️)

But, how do you expect me to choose my favourite FK kisses?? Do you know how challenging this asked was? And I can’t possibly do an analysis of all their kisses - Our Skyy 2 alone had more than 20 kisses? (I think)… I will have to write a thesis if I want to analyse every single kisses. I was this close 🤏 to binge watch all their series but alas…I have bills to pay and a fur-baby to feed.

So….instead, I think back to their kisses that sticks in my mind ? - it must make me feel something emotionally when I watched them (and that’s difficult cause FK is so damn good with their intimacy and NC scenes I had to think hard to narrow down my choices)

Without further ado, my top 5 list (list is only current as of The Heart Killers EP9):

No 5: Only Friends EP 2 smoky kiss plus Sand kissing Ray’s left hip tattoo

- Do I like people who smoke? No. But this was cinematic anyway. It was artistic (to me) and you could feel the sexual tension screaming from miles away. And when they gave in to their attraction, the chemistry was off the chart and Sand worshipping Ray’s tattoo was just pure magic 🪄

No 4: Only Friends EP 9 caravan scene (especially the soft, soft kiss Ray bestowed on Sand’s cheek after they have done their tango in bed 🤸)

- The softness of the whole scene was beautiful to watch. There was something pure and personal as we watch these 2 finally coming to terms about their feelings for each other.

No 3: Our Skyy 2 x The Eclipse bridge scene

-The whole scene had me giggling and kicking my legs in excitement. The boys kissing with the sun setting behind them was just.....😍😍😍

-And people talking about tongue involvement? - I am sure there were some tongue action here (also, tell me anon, why are people so invested in tongue-action? I mean i don't mind them but I am not going to fuss if FK's characters don't do them each time!)

No 2: The Eclipse Finale with Akk bestowing the soft pecks/kisses on Aye’s face

- I will always have a soft spot for my babies. As much as I adore all of FirstKhaotung characters, AkkAye have a special place in my heart. And because I can, I’m putting the whole video clip of the scene rather than gifs or screenshots 🥰

- There is something special about this scene where Akk was finally the one that made the first move; initiating the hug followed by the soft kisses. The awe and disbelief in Aye’s eyes before it shifted to soft delight and slight mischievous as he then reciprocate Akk’s gesture. I think we often forget that Aye is just as young and vulnerable like Akk. And to see Akk finally reaching out to Aye just made my heart melt 🫠

No 1: The Heart Killers EP 8 swing scene

-I love the whole damn thing - from the nuzzling to Kant sniffing Bison’s hair like he wants to imprint him to his soul to Kant gently biting Bison’s nose before they continued their heady make out session.

- This whole thing was just peak intimacy 👌. Nobody does it better than them. Their feelings laid bare, Kant is now free to be as disgustingly affectionate and loving like he always wanted to be. It’s just so so good. Also, let’s be honest, we know KantBison would continue to make out for hours on that swing.

Honourable mentions:

The Eclipse EP6 Akk fantasy kiss

*I remember watching this scene and thought - oh, Aye finally made the move. But then to find out it was all in Akk's mind???? It flipped the narrative and it made me realised that this was likely the first time we saw from Akk's perspective that he is stupidly horny for the irritating boy who keeps him on his toes

Only Friends EP9 angry-lust driven kiss in the music room

*This was just a good kiss because you can feel the anger from Sand but he was so in love with Ray that he can't help but give it. Ray as usual, clocked it and he pounced! And the sheer amount of lust pouring out of these 2....I cursed when Top stepped into the room

The Heart Killers Ep 9 KantBison sweet pecks in the sea

*KantBison making sweet memories to replace Kant's nightmare and phobia will hold something special to my heart (does it make sense for Kant to completely forget his fear? - not really, but I will forgive the narrative because I get my domestic KantBison!)

Plus…..

FirstKhaotung sweet kisses in My Fuel MV (because we didn’t get Alan/Gaipa or Alone/Kaitong kissing - I’m going to substitute with the clip we got from First’s MV and just think it’s Alan/Gaipa in them, ok?)

*Those jubi jubi kisses are giving me butterflies and I can't stop smiling every time I rewatch the MV!

[emborami]

Through the years, from popinjay to coxcomb to maccaroni to dandy to dude

[marigoldbaker]

i do have one thing i will do until i die and it’s that whenever i am asked “angel or spike?” irl i will ALWAYS say “faith.” ALWAYS. my real answer is longer and involves buffy getting therapy but if this is a two second conversation with some stranger who just found out i like btvs and they asked that question unironically i need to upend the table with a whole new and incredibly important concept

[artifeast]

some more telesphore :3

[autoresponderdaily]

[watchingblsnowandforever]

YOU DRINK MILK?

MILK IS MY LIFEBLOOD.

More importantly, YOU DON'T???

[rocketbirdie]

You know dæmons? Like, Phillip Pullman, physical manifestation of your soul, you-but-an-animal-and-also-next-to-you dæmons?

What kinda dæmon do you think Zack would have. Obvious answer is a wolf/canine but I feel like that’s so overdone. But also I can’t think of anything more fitting for him post-labs. Maybe a jaguar? Something jungle, feral. Big. Idk, what do you think?

(Cloud’s dæmon would be a bobcat methinks. Reeve’s dæmon is just Cait Sith)

I'd never heard of it before so I had to look it up! Curious question... are there any rules against having a human as a dæmon?

Because if not, consider this: Zack and Cloud being each other's dæmons post-Nibelheim, due to Hojo's experiments. Humans are animals too, after all 👀

[trevination]

FOR THE FANDOM ASK GAME?? :3

4. Is there a popular pairing you don't necessarily dislike but aren't too invested in?

6. Show us a bit of a WIP!

23. Has your favorite character/ship changed over time?

nws if you don't feel like doing all three ! <3

HEHE TY FOR THE ASK!!!!

4. Is there a popular pairing you don't necessarily dislike but aren't too invested in?

hmmm . honestly there’s not a lot! i feel like i either dislike a ship or im like “omg yes that’d be so cute” i’m open to lots lmao. first that came to mind was darbit. don’t love it, don’t hate it, but it’s chill !!

6. Show us a bit of a WIP!

i haven’t worked on this fic in a while but :3 i wanna share

Something warm bubbled in Pony’s chest and he was inclined to lean up and kiss Johnny on the jaw. He did just so. “I love you,” He murmured against his tan skin. Johnny’s hand ran through his hair. The tips still held that yellow-blonde color. “I love you, too. ‘Course I do.” Pony felt so warm. Safe, in these stupid nasty motel blankets.

golden hour running away from tulsa fic… save me…

23. Has your favorite character/ship changed over time?

honestly so far, not rlly !! tbf i’ve only been in this fandom for a few months, but pbj aka golden hour was my favorite from the start lol. i certainly didn’t expect to love marbit as much as i do ! and ponyboy has also been my favorite bc he’s just me fr….

[cramberry24]

For the Fic Ask Game ~

I have a couple of ideas but for the angst drabbles you've mentioned... What about more ✨Nora angst✨

How would the aftermath of Bastogne have gone if Nora would've survived, but had been pinned? I'm thinking like Eve was outside of Argentan. Maybe she survives, maybe Eve tries to treat wounds...but it's not enough. 👀

I also think Nora being in a situation after the fact where she's unable to continue her career could be an interesting angst. I also could see some petty angst with Nora being in a situation where she's in a wheelchair or something, and she crosses paths with Pierson. One of those, Nora succeeded where Pierson failed conversations.

Alternatively - what if Eve was captured outside of the airfield and Nora ends up being brought in to help support the medics after the conflicts - and she asks Pierson where Eve is?

No rush or pressure of course, just throwing some angsty ideas out that might resurrect Nora for a bit 😂

Hello ma’am🫡 happy to provide angst whenever I’m called upon, ESPECIALLY with Nora >:) thank you SOOOOOO MUCH for the ask!!💜💖

I’m obsessed with all of the ideas you mentioned and trust I will be writing drabbles for each and every one of them. Expect more posts in the future DEFINITELY. My brain kept ping pong-ing ideas around until it settled on one drabble to focus on for now (when I should’ve been writing my chapter🤣)

For right now, here’s a drabble focusing on the last idea you mentioned - Eve has been captured at the airbase, Nora has been called in to help with the wounded overflow, and has a confrontation with Pierson. How exactly Eve got captured - if it was a flip flop of the situation with Red and Zuss, or if it was entirely unrelated and she got captured at a diff time/location at the airbase - is up in the air, and this drabble is also solely a “Eve got captured but Zuss did not” because it adds extra angst >:)

Whatever mission the Bloody First went on did not go well, Nora puts together. As fucked up as this whole month has been, Nora’s never had to leave the town, go to the front lines to help with wounded. Here she is, though, jumping off a jeep in the middle of the makeshift camp, dozens of wounded men crying out and needing care, and only one goddamn medic floating between them. If it wasn’t so cold, Nora would roll up her sleeves to get to work, but she just grits her teeth and gets to work, blood and gore quickly coating her arms as she helps the medic.

Eve isn’t one of the endless faces, thank God. As Nora flutters around, running this way and that, going to this man and helping that man, she doesn’t see the redhead in any of the areas for wounded. There’s one familiar face that’s been shot twice, one of the soldiers from Eve’s squad, and she does make out some other familiar faces around camp, even sees the damn dog Eve somehow adopted. She doesn’t see Eve at all, though, and that’s when the concern starts festering. With so little medical support, Eve should be right in the thick of it. She doesn’t like being a nurse or medic, but she wouldn’t just stand aside when they need more support. Hell, Nora’s pretty sure she saw Eve’s loverboy somewhere around the transport area, helping to prep and stabilize wounded men who need to get to Bastogne as quickly as possible.

He’s not there when it’s finally slow enough for Nora to stop and breathe, what feels like hours later. Nora frowns, begins to wander. Eve definitely wasn’t injured, and she’s nowhere to be found. Her heartrate increases when she hunts down a growing list of soldiers killed, but Eve’s name isn’t there either. Then where the hell is she? Goddamnit, why can’t things ever go smoothly with this girl?

Panic sits heavy on her tongue when Nora spies Zussman again. He’s sitting on a crate, head in his hands, so uncharacteristically slumped in on himself that Nora freezes in her tracks. The Texan soldier is sitting next to him, an arm slung over Zussman’s shoulders, his head bent down and angled toward the smaller man’s as he whispers to him.

There’s still no Evelyn. Oh, God, where is she?

Movement out of the corner of her eye has her turning. There, trudging through camp and heading toward a tent, is Pierson. Something hot flashes across Nora’s collarbone - Pierson will know where Evelyn is, what happened - and she takes after the man. He’s just about to enter the tent when she catches up to him. He jerks in surprise, shock slackening his features before something Nora recognizes but refuses to name settles in his eyes.

Her fingers lock around his upper arm in an iron grip as she drags him into the tent, breathing heavy. He makes some kind of disgruntled noise at being manhandled but otherwise offers no protest. Nora’s chest is heaving as she lets him go, standing across from him with her arms folded tightly against her chest, glaring up at him.

“Where the fuck is Evelyn?” she asks. She wants the words to come out angry and pissed, but there’s a hint of desperation that exposes her fear. She juts her chin forward and her stomach twists miserably when Pierson’s jaw clenches, his eyes flicker away from her for a second.

As if he’s preparing himself, steeling himself.

“If she’s dead, just fucking tell me,” Nora continues. She can deal with that, as long as she knows it. “Just - fucking tell me where she is, Pierson.”

Again, that emotion swirls in his eyes, his expression twitching. Pierson looks down at her, as steady as he can make himself. “Evelyn was captured during the attack. Truck was long gone before anyone could do anything.”

For a second, Nora just stares at him. A thick ringing silence passes through her ears, disorients her, and then she snaps back into the moment, a hysterical peal of laughter ripping from her.

“No,” she says as her laughter dwindles, “no, because it just sounded like you said she got captured, but she can’t - that can’t - no!”

She shakes her head harshly, her hair whipping so fast her curls are nearly spilling from her tight pins, and anger flashes through her body, red hot.

“She can’t be fucking captured,” Nora says again, her hands aching with how hard she’s clenching them under her armpits, her arms pressing against her chest painfully. “No, no, she can’t, not Evelyn!”

“Halsted,” Pierson says quietly, reaching out a hand, and Nora jerks away from him, stumbling back until her calves hit an object. She glares at him.

“She can’t - she can’t be captured, you know what they’re going to do to her. God, fuck, or they’ll just kill her first, if they’re merciful, oh, God, not Lynnie, not her.”

There’s no air in this fucking tent, and Pierson’s still just fucking standing there. Lynnie can’t survive whatever the Krauts are going to do to her, she can’t. How could this be happening? Where was everyone? Why didn’t they do anything?!

“How - how could you let this happen?! You were supposed to be watching out for her, and now -!”

Another hysterical laugh bubbles up, this time ugly with pain and rage and hate.

“God, you really do just fuck everything up, you can’t even keep the only people who stand you alive!”

Pierson flinches back as if he’s been burned. For a split second, Nora relishes in the pain, wants to keep twisting the knife, and then the fact that Evelyn is gone hits her again, and her chest shutters as she gasps. She can’t stay in this tent anymore, can’t stand to look at Pierson anymore, and she’s out in the next second, sucking in the brisk cold air greedily.

Evelyn’s gone.

Evelyn’s gone.

“Nora?”

She lifts her head, blinking against the hurricane of emotions raging in her chest. She’s stumbled a few yards from the tent, closer to where some of the men have congregated. Zussman is a few feet in front of her, standing now and slowly approaching her, looking exhausted and wiped out in every way possible.

Just looking at him sends a fresh wave of white hot hatred through Nora’s body. He’s here, he’s standing here, and Evelyn’s not. How dare he be here when Eve could be dying, being tortured, worse?!

Almost immediately, some foreign sense of shame prickles the back of her neck, because that’s the last thing Eve would want. That stupid bitch would probably be saying “better me than him”, or “better me than anyone”, and Nora’s throat tightens painfully.

“Nora, I’m -“

He reaches for her - what is it with people and trying to touch her, as if touching her will make this all better - and Nora snarls, recoils. He better not finish that sentence with something idiotic like “I’m sorry” because Nora won’t be held accountable for her actions at those words.

“Don’t touch me,” she snaps, already staggering away from Zussman. “Don’t fucking - just don’t.”

He doesn’t try to touch her again, and he looks just as destroyed and wrecked as Nora feels, but she’s still so fucking angry. It’s not fair, it’s not fucking fair, none of this.

“I’m gonna get her back,” Zussman says. There’s an edge to his voice, something desperate, something determined. “I am, Nora -“

Nora just shakes her head and lets out another bitter little laugh, still walking away, and when Zussman takes another step toward her she snaps again.

“Don’t.” There’s so much vitriol in her voice that the man immediately freezes. How can he even be so goddamn naïve? Evelyn’s gone, she’s gone. If they don’t kill her, the things they’ll do…she’s gone. “I don’t want to ever see you again.”

“Nora,” Zussman says, voice quieter now, but Nora doesn’t bother sticking around. This is what she gets for getting attached, for getting lax with her rules that have steered her clear of heartbeat for so many years. She finds a jeep to take her back to Bastogne, damn near bites the driver’s head off, and sits in silence as the vehicle roars to life, fighting against the swell of tears lodged in her throat.

[thequeenofsastiel]

Tbh the "both" option never occurred to me, partially because each idea seemed bad for different reasons, so I think my brain just wouldn't contemplate the idea that both awful options were true, and partially because I don't like giving "Maybe", "Unsure", or "Both" as options in general.

[athousandbyeol]

I'm still trying to figure out what to make of Sheng Wang saying he was on a diet. Was it supposed to jokingly play off the fact that the mom's cooking is bad? Was it kind of flirty because he was implying that he'd lose weight so that Jiang Tian would carry him more often? What are your thoughts?

hi there :)

oh! this is such an interesting scene! (and it has put me in a brain rot since i first saw it...)

from my understanding, i personally regard sheng wang's "i'm on a diet," as him flirting with jiang tian ;)

i think, after jiang tian's little speech about how he wanted to help sheng wang, the clouds in sheng wang's pretty head were cleared up. from that moment, i believe, sheng wang knew that he wanted something more with jiang tiang—some more from jiang tian. he was finally certain that he could somewhat be closer to jiang tian now, without fearing the distance or reluctance—because jiang tian was also giving sheng wang an opening.

the i'm on a diet line is just a (not so subtle) hint that sheng wang wants jiang tian to have all of him; if he pushes himself toward jiang tian, jiang tian has to catch him. it's their unsaid promise once jiang tian carried sheng wang upstairs. jiang tian could've let go. but he didn't.

so... i think it's more of sheng wang flirting (and asking) jiang tian to hold onto him, to trust him, to stand on the same line with him, to be together.

i hope this helps <3

[technikki]

any hopes/wishes for the next mario rpg? (paper or otherwise)

i hope there’s more trauma-inducing stuff >:)

that’s when mario rpgs are at their best

i want super paper mario on the nintendo switch dammit