#I know it'll get easier once I've been in it for a couple weeks

[daydreamdoodles]

I really need school to not be this rough the entire semester

[wallabywannabe]

It has been a rough month for 100% physical reasons. I often blame a lot of physical symptoms on my mental health and I think it's often valid, but a sinus infection is not one of those things. I really really want my head to stop hurting.

[chaoticharrington]

Chapter Two: The Ticket and Your Shitty Car

***THERE WILL BE LOTS SMUT 18+ CONTENT EVENTUALLY SO MINORS THIS IS NOT A SPACE FOR YOU, MINORS WILL BE BLOCKED,IF YOU DONT HAVE AN AGE IN YOUR BIO I WILL LIKELY ASSUME YOU'RE A MINOR AND BLOCK. DM/ASK FOR ANY QUESTIONS THANKS!<3***

Pairing: Professor! Steve Harrington x Best Friends Dad! Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Lots of angst (sorry folks), mentions of anxiety and bullying, cigarette smoking, Eddie and Steve being sexy, kissing 👀, Reader is in their mid 20s and Steve and Eddie are in their early to mid 40s. Lemme know if i've missed anything.

Summary: After a few weeks of getting closer to Eddie and Steve feelings bubble to the surface

Authors Note: I'm so excited for this chapter and the rest of the series i've been having so much fun writing this! I've never written angst before so i'm interested in the response it'll get! And I pinky promise ya'll are getting smut in the next chapter 😈 7k words

**Chapter One Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five**

(banners and headers by @cafekitsune)

A couple days had gone by since your first interactions with the two men that have been plaguing both your waking thoughts and your dreams. You’ve woken up more than once this week from your body buzzing and your panties soaked through. Lips on skin, rough hands on your hips, deep voices whispering in your ear. Groaning yourself fully awake and grabbing your vibrator to finish the job, that isn’t nearly as good as whatever was happening in your dreams.

Because of these dreams it made it impossible to look at Steve during class, only looking when you absolutely had to. Avoiding Mr. Munson was a bit easier, he either wasn’t home much when you were with Violet, or he was in the garage. You convinced yourself that you would just eventually get over your little crushes, and if you just avoided them long enough then things would go back to normal, and you’d have your sanity back.

But things didn’t quite work out that way. After you had gotten your ticket on the first day, you decided you would just pay it off yourself, to avoid another possibly embarrassing interaction with Steve. You had your parking pass now so you wouldn’t get another ticket. But you had a busy week with assignments and kept forgetting to take care of it. By the end of the week, you had completely forgotten about it, until Fridays sociology class. It was a normal class; Steve was talking about the theoretical approach to sociology. At the end of class, you were supposed to hand in your paper on Social Darwinism, you had spent many late nights making sure that this paper specifically was perfect. The problem was that when you were meant to hand it in at the end of class, you couldn’t find it, and you were starting to panic. Almost all the other students had left or were in the process of handing in their papers and you were left anxiously digging through your bookbag.

“Oh, how the tables turn, need some help there?”

You freeze, looking up from the familiar black converse that you could see next to your bookbag. Your anxious eyes are met with playful honey brown ones, that make you relax slightly.

“Sorry no I’m good I know it’s in here somewhere,” you reply a little anxious. You didn’t want your professor to think that this was any reflection of you as a student or your work ethic.

Steve watches you dig through your bag for another few seconds when you finally find it, in a folder you don’t remember putting it in. When you get the folder out of your bookbag, the ticket sitting at the bottom of your bag falls out onto the floor right at Steves feet. You’re too busy to notice, trying to make sure all of the pages of your paper are in order, and you have all your sources. When you finally look up from the papers in front of you, you see Steve holding the ticket that you got on the first day of school.

You panic and look up and into his eyes, he doesn’t look mad, but he looks confused. “I thought I told you I’d fix this for you if you ever got a ticket. Why didn’t you tell me?” he said.

“I- I didn’t want to bother with you something so silly, I was going to pay it, but with a bunch of papers due, I just forgot I’m sorry,” you blurt out.

Steve raises his hand to silence your apologies casually, and you’re ready for him to yell at you or at the very least be disappointed in you.

Shit, why did you not just pay it the day you got it?

“It’s not your fault honey, there’s no need for you to apologize, okay?” he says warmly. Your shoulders relax a bit more, his voice giving you reassurance.

“I swear I really did mean to pay it, I just didn’t want to bother you,” you confess.

Steves eyes soften. “Y/N you are never a bother, plus it's my fault for being the worst teacher in history and not giving you a parking pass.” He jokes.

“Steve you’re one of my favorite teachers, nowhere near my list of worst teachers.” You reveal.

He smiles widely and raises his eyebrow; you swear you can feel your insides thaw. With the playful look on his face, he almost seems younger, you could only imagine how attractive he was when he was younger, even just a glimpse is enough to make your stomach do flips.

“Oh so there IS list? Well, I demand to know where I am on your favorite teachers list, maybe it’ll give me motivation to try harder in class.” He winks at you in retort. You swear you could cum in your pants right now, how dare he be so beautiful and perfect, and funny.

You think hard for a second, you can’t put him first you think his ego probably couldn’t handle it, also it would just bring you more embarrassment. But he very easily is your favorite teacher, he makes jokes during class, makes sure his lectures are easy to understand and enjoyable, and seems to genuinely care about all his students, it’s very hard to rank any teacher above him.

“I hope your ego can handle it Steve, but you’re second.” you gush.

“You wound me, SECOND? That’s basically failure I demand to know who could possibly rank higher than me?” he jokingly stands up straighter, adjusts his tie, and holds his hand to his heart.

Damn, you hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“Uh, Professor Buckley, my Gender Studies Professor, I love her class,” you confess.

Steves eyes couldn’t roll farther back into his head even if he tried, you almost worried that they’d get stuck.

“You’re telling me, my best friend has already won you over? I’ve sat in on some of her classes and there is no way that Robin is funnier than I am!” he exclaimed as he puts his hands on his hips.

“You know Professor Buckley.. er Robin? Also, you definitely top her in the funny department, how did I know you wouldn’t be satisfied with second.” you retort easily. You could get used to this, the casual flirting, smiling with your professor, it felt easier than breathing. Once you got over the fact that he was one of the most handsome men that you’ve ever seen in your whole life.

“Know her? She’s been my best friend since high school, and a major pain in my ass. Second place is basically losing, everyone knows that babe.” The pet name slipped off his tongue so effortlessly.

Your eyes must have gone wide because Steve looks slightly embarrassed and rubs the back of his neck.

Babe babe babe babe babe babe babe HE CALLED YOU BABE

“Well then I guess you gotta step it up Professor.” you reply, trying to ease the tension in the room.

He smiles at you gratefully, “yeah I guess so,” he chuckles.

“Anyways I don’t want to keep you again for the second time this week, I’ll see you in class on Monday Steve.” you say as you go to stand up and walk past him. You’re about halfway to the door before you hear him call out.

“Hey, wait up, uh why don’t you come with me to my office so I can get that parking ticket taken care of for you,” he explains.

“You sure? I don’t want to make you late for your next class.”

“I’m the one who got you into this mess, please let me help you fix it?” he asks gently.

“Lead the way professor,”you answer playfully.

He smiles that flashy Steve Harrington smile and shows you the way towards his office.

“It’s just down this hallway,” he shares.

Then you feel him put his hand at the small of your back guiding you into a room on the righthand side, his touch lights your body on fire. It takes everything in you not to lean into his touch. You can smell his cologne, now that you’re so close to him. It’s a fairly clean scent with hints of musk and spice at the end, a more modern scent then you expected from a man his age. It only makes you want him more, to lean in closer and smell his scent mixed with the cologne.

You’re snapped out of your daze when Steve picks up the phone receiver and punches in a phone number. His fingers almost covered the buttons on the phone, and it made your legs squeeze together, thinking back to the multiple dreams you had about those specific fingers all over you. Steve looks up at you smiling lightly, surely just trying to fill the silence that filled the room. You hoped he hadn’t magically learned how to read minds in the short walk from his classroom to his office or you’d be toast.

His office wasn’t anything glamorous, it was an average size, with a nice desk and comfy looking chair, and big window with a view that overlooked the campus. The only thing making it uniquely his are the loads of pictures of him and Professor Buckley, and a few other guys and girls that looked around his age or maybe a bit younger. Documenting various birthdays, weddings, and get togethers.

While Steve is on the phone you take a moment to look at them, you see a picture of Steve being Professor Buckleys best man in her wedding to a pretty woman with dark brown hair and blue eyes. They all looked so happy, it made you smile, it looked like a really special day. Also noting that there are no wedding photos of him or pictures of him with a girlfriend, making your heart internally soar.

When you finally tear your eyes away from the photos, you hear the end of a conversation Steve is having with someone on the phone.

“Thanks again Reg, I promise it won’t happen again. Yeah, you too, take care. Say hi to the wife and kids for me," he said.

He puts down the receiver and looks at where you’re standing, and gestures to the photo you’re looking at.

“Yeah, Robins wedding! It was a really great day,” he reminisces. He goes onto explain that Robin ended up marrying his ex from High School, Nancy Wheeler. You smile and nod along to the anecdotes he talks about that day, trying to absorb everything he tells you about his life like a sponge.

“And by the end of the night Lucas and Max lead everyone in a impromptu sing-a-long to Never Ending Story, It was hilarious,” He says. You could combust, you can see just how clearly he loves his friends and how much they mean to him. He shakes his head and smiles wide at the memory, his smile being infectious, you smile back at him.

“Sounds like really good time Steve,” you reply.

“Yeah, it was, it really was.” he shares, he seems a little lost in thought for a moment before smiling up at you. “Sorry I don’t mean to bore you with my stories of the old days, I don’t get to gush about the people I love very often, so its nice to have someone listen," He confessed.

Your heart melts, he’s such a sweetheart. “No no please, I enjoy hearing them, makes you more a person than just my teacher. Plus, maybe at some point you’ll slip up and tell me something embarrassing about yourself. Then you’re done for Harrington,” you jab.

     He raises his eyebrows at you and looks impressed. “That’ll never happen, I’ve never done anything embarrassing in my life ever,” he states sarcastically.

     “Well, I’ll just have to ask Professor Buckley, my favorite teacher, about it won’t I?” you interject.

     His face goes from his handsome boyish grin to fake terror in a split second, “I will give you whatever grade you want in my class if you don’t do that, she’d go on for hours, might even keep you after class just to rub it in my face.”  

     You could tell that there was some truth to his words, and you know your gender studies professor well enough to know that she really would just rip him a new one. You giggle back at him, unable to keep it in.

“She really would tear you to shreds, wouldn’t she?” you cackle. His face softens, “Yes she’s evil, just awaiting my downfall I swear!” he smiles softly at you.

You both look at each other a bit longer before Steve clears his throat. “Anyways um, I talked to the guy in campus security and you’re good to go, you don’t have to pay the ticket,” He spoke.

You had honestly completely forgotten that was the reason you were even in his office; his demeanor makes you feel at home in your own skin and were just happy to not have anxious thoughts rolling around inside of your head.

“Oh, right yeah, thank you so much, you really didn’t need to go through all this trouble for me,” you said.

“No trouble at all, really. I should probably get going though, my next class starts soon.” he explained looking at the very expensive looking watch on his wrist.

You try your best not to show your disappointment, wishing to stay in this little bubble with him a bit longer.

“Of course, yeah. Thank you again Steve,” you respond.

He leads you back out the door with his hand on your back again, maybe this time a bit firmer than the last, and you weren’t complaining. You both wave your goodbyes for the weekend before you head out to the parking lot, and he heads towards his next class.

You were relieved to be going home, this first week of school has tested you mentally and emotionally and you were ready for a little break. You hop in your car, and twist your key in the ignition, but to your surprise, instead of your car roaring to life like it usually does. It just stalled, unable to start. You try the ignition a few more times before you rest your head on your steering wheel.

Just your fucking luck

You take your phone out of your jean pocket and call Violet to see if she knows any good mechanics in the area. But you only get her voicemail. “Come on Vi,”you mutter to yourself, trying her cell again and again. Only to get her voicemail each and every time. You couldn’t very well leave your car in the parking lot overnight, then you’d surely get another ticket. But what other option did you have?

You make the decision to call Violet’s home phone, thinking maybe she’s too engrossed in a TV show or something to see her phone going off. It rings a few times before someone picks up.

“Munson residence.” a deep familiar voice answers the phone.

Shit

“Hi Mr. Munson, is Vi there?” you reply.

“Nah she left about an hour or two ago to head to work, everything okay?” he asks a slight concern in his voice.

“Oh uh yeah, my- my car just isn’t starting and I don’t know any mechanics in the area who could come and take a look at it,” you respond anxiously

You hear what you assume is him blowing out some smoke from his mouth, you shake your head trying to stay on track.

“Any mechanic out here is gonna charge you an arm an a leg to come look at your car right before the weekend, let me come and take a look at it myself,” he suggests.

Your body runs cold, you couldn’t deal with another interaction with BOTH of them in the same day again, you’d burst into flames.

“Oh gods no that’s really okay Mr. Munson. I’ll just leave my car here overnight its no big deal, I’ll just walk home its not that far,” You babble anxiously.

You hear him scoff on the other end of the phone, “What do you mean walk home? Where are you Y/N?” his tone getting a bit more serious than the lighthearted goofy tone you usually get from him.

“I’m at school, it’s fine really, my apartment isn’t that far from-,” you squeak.

“Let me just grab my tools and I’ll meet you in the parking lot, which building are you in front of?” he interjects, you can hear some rustling on the other end of the phone.

“I-,“ you think about arguing with him but you know that in the end Mr. Munson is a stubborn man and you will lose. “I’m in front of the Humanities and Social Sciences building, its right by-,“ you confess.

He chuckles “Oh yeah I know the one, be there in a sec, hang tight.” he says before hanging up the phone.

You bring your phone down onto your lap in defeat. You hide in your car until you see his car pull up, you don’t need anyone seeing you, especially a certain sociology professor. His big black truck pulls into the space next to you, and you get out of your car to greet him.

“Hey thanks for coming all the way out here, I hope I didn’t take you away from anything or anyone,” you look up at him innocently. He stands about a foot away from you, but even then, you could see just how much taller he is than you. He could probably use you as an arm rest.

He gives you an easy-going smile, “No problem at all sweetheart, I’m happy to help!” You give him the keys and he goes to try and start the car and it stalls again and he clicks his tongue.

Your mind going back to the dreams you’ve had of his tongue on you, on your skin. You shiver at the thought, and you squeeze your arms around you willing yourself not to fall apart.

Luckily, he didn’t seem to notice, too preoccupied with opening the hood and looking inside. He takes off his leather jacket and lays it on top of the hood and rolls up his sleeves. He fiddles around inside of the hood for a few seconds before popping his head around the corner.

“Looks like your spark plug is shot, I have an extra on me in case of emergencies, it’s your lucky day pretty lady,” He announces cheerily.

Pretty lady

“Oh, thank you Mr. Munson, you’re a life saver!” you beam.

He looks at you again one more time, studying you for the second time this week, he looks like he’s contemplating something in his head. His eyes are like lasers on your skin, heating you up from the inside.

“It’s Eddie, you can call me Eddie honey, you’ve known me long enough.” he says as he smiles at you, the edges of his eyes crinkling.

You can’t help but smile back, “Okay, thanks, E-eddie,” you stammer out. His name feeling so odd on your tongue, he’s your best friend’s dad, would Violet think its weird that you call him by his first name now?

He smiles contently like he made the right decision and goes back to working on your car. You lean against his car just watching him work, seeing how his hands knowingly move on all the parts of your car that you don’t even know the names of, only being able to identify the windshield wiper fluid cap and oil fill cap. You look at his now uncovered arms that you didn’t see the last time you got a good look at him, you could see right near his left wrist Violets name tattooed in beautiful cursive, and D20 right above his left elbow. You see how veiny his hands and arms are, probably due to years of playing the guitar and working on various motorcycles and cars.

“So, what are you going to school for?” he says, looking at you through the corner of his eye while he works.

“Psychology mostly,” you reply easily.

“What do you want to do with it? Your degree?” he responds.

“I’d love to work with kids, I felt like no one ever listened to me as a kid, so I’d love to be able to be a safe space for kids to express themselves.” You shared, this was something you’ve been passionate for a while, wanting to work with kids. Giving them something that you never got when you were a kid, a place where they felt understood even if they didn’t feel like that at home.

He looks up at you from his work with an impressed look on his face, “That’s really fucking cool Y/N, I wish stuff like that had been around when I was a kid. Woulda made Middle School and High School a lot more bearable for me, trust me.”

Your heartbreaks at his confession, you figured that he probably wasn’t always the suave sexy metal head that he is now, and he probably got teased a lot when he was a kid. It reminded you of your own experiences in school, teased and never really fitting in anywhere. Violet went through something similar except it never really seemed to bother her, she was always the type of kid that always knew who she was and didn’t let anyone get in her way. You always admired that about her.

“Honestly me too,” you confess.

Eddie raises an eyebrow at you, “No way, You and Vi had loads of friends in Middle School,” he says.

“Yeah, in Middle School sure, but high school was brutal without her there, kids are mean.” You say sadly, rubbing your boot into the asphalt trying to wash away depressing memories of eating in the bathroom and crying yourself to sleep at night.

Eddie scrunches his eyebrows together and nods knowingly, sharing that feeling. “Yeah, teenagers are fucking assholes.”

You nod knowingly, as Eddie steps around the front of your car to get into the driver’s seat, scootching closing to you, grabbing the side of your waist as he passes you. You take a shallow breath, and your mouth runs dry. His hand felt so perfect on your waist, like it belonged there… and then your mind wanders to Steve, his touch felt the same way.

Eddie got into the front seat and turned your key in the ignition, and sure enough your car roared to life.

“Huzzahh!” Eddie cheered, getting out of the driver’s seat and bowing to you. A smile plastered across his face in triumph.

“There ya go honey good as new, although you should stop by the house sometime, so I can put a new battery in your car, it looks like it’s about to take a shit on you, and I want you to be safe during the Winter.” He says casually wiping the oil and grease off his fingers with the rag in his tool kit.

He wants you to be safe

“That would be great, thank you again, honestly I don’t know what I would have done without you. What do I owe you Eddie?” you ask. Surely, he’d want some compensation for driving all the way out here on a Friday, probably ruining his plans to come help his daughters best friend with her car.

“On the house, and don’t fight me on this I’m not accepting any money from you.” He says slightly stern but in a way that makes you smile lightly.

“I’ll figure out a way to make it up to you or something, do you like cookies? I’ll bake you some cookies for all your help,” you insist.

“IF you happen to make double chocolate chip cookies and bring them over to the house, for Violet of course, I wouldn’t say no to one or two,” he says slyly.

“I’ll bring them over this weekend.” you say determined to not be in debt to him.

He packs his tools back into the trunk of his truck and shrugs his leather jacket back on, “I’ll hold you to that sweetheart.” he winks at you before getting back into his truck and waving to you as he drives off the lot.

You get back into your newly fixed car and drive home to your apartment, first thing on the agenda, a very cold shower.

The next few weeks had been an absolute whirlwind of epic proportions. Steve came back with your grades for your latest paper, and when yours got passed to you, at the top of your paper, “SEE ME AFTER CLASS” was written in blue pen. After class he explained that he was “very impressed” with your work and effort you spent on your paper and asked you to be his TA and help him a couple of days a week. Help him with grading papers, answering any questions your classmates had on assignments or class subjects, and help with lectures for upcoming classes. You couldn’t have said yes faster, not only did you have a huge massive crush on him. But you genuinely enjoyed his class and were excited to prove yourself. On those days you spent most of the time after your classes, spent huddled in his office with him grading papers or talking about different upcoming subjects you were going to learn in class. It was becoming one of your favorite parts of your day, you always left his office in the best mood. Plus, the flirting and your attraction to him only grew during this time, you noticed he started going more and more out of his way to touch you, or holding eye contact with you longer than was probably appropriate. You welcomed it, Steve made you feel like you were on cloud nine, some nights the two of you were left in his office until after dark, after all the work was done, just flirting and talking about life. Eating shitty takeout food that he’d grab from the cafeteria or the two of you would order in.

He always treated you with respect letting you talk about your feelings or whatever was on your mind, you eventually opening up to him about why you wanted to go into psychology, and he opened up to you about how he hadn’t always been the way he is now, and how there are parts of his past he’s ashamed of. The two of you bonded over your lack of family you had in your life, you told him about your parents basically ditching you after graduation and he told you about how his parents cut him off when he told them what decided what he wanted to do with his life and hadn’t heard much from him since. He reassured you that the only family that actually mattered was your chosen family and the people who love you that you let into your little corner of the world. You talked about your views on the world and your dreams. You liked that about him, that he listened to you and how modest and genuine he is, you assumed at first glance that someone with good looks like him and his upbringing he’d have an large ego. Which wasn’t entirely wrong, but not in a bad way. You’d come to really like Steve Harrington, he had an ego the size of a lake but a heart to match.

Which made it even more confusing on the days that you didn’t spend in his office. See you had saved up enough money for school and your expenses for the first couple of weeks, but that money only stretched so far. So, you looked for a job, and you became desperate. Being in a college town, good jobs that weren’t already taken by other college students were far and few between and being a TA wasn’t enough. So, one night after school when you were at Violets, Eddie overheard you talking about your dilemma, and offered you a job working for him. Eddie worked as a record producer and worked closely with a few music managers who were looking for social media manager. Which you happily accepted, there were no set hours and you could do a majority of your work in your pjs at home unless you needed to get Eddies opinion on something then you’d spend time out in the garage with him while he gave you advice or things the label is looking for in terms of the clients image or engagement numbers you needed to hit.

Sometimes you’d even make up excuses just to go over and spend time with him in the garage. He was patient with you while you slowly opened up to him about things that had happened over the past few years that you never wanted to worry Violet with, cheating boyfriends, bad friends, financial problems, and he took it all with stride, listening to and giving advice where he could. He’d spend time reminiscing about the “glory days” when his band, Corroded Coffin, used to play gigs every weekend at the hideout, a small bar on the outside of town. Or when he was in high school, he ran a club in school called the Hellfire Club where all his friends would play DnD, he even showed you that he got Hell Fire tattooed across his knuckles. You’d spend hours over there just tucked away in Eddies little corner of the house, sometimes he’d play songs for you on his guitar, or when he found out you had never played DnD he spent a few nights teaching you all the basics in case you ever wanted to play. You liked the way you felt when you were around Eddie, in a similar way that Steve did, Eddie quieted your thoughts of self-doubt and anxiety that usually swirled around in your head. You really liked Eddie, and it made your feelings even more confused because you felt guilty keeping all of this from Violet. You didn’t know how she would react to you having a crush on her dad, and you never wanted to put your friendship with her in danger. She was basically the only family you had, and you intended to keep it that way, even if it meant keeping your crush on her father a secret.

It all came to a head about a month later. You were staying late in Steve’s office grading papers while he was reading over some scientific studies that he was going to go over in class that following week. You were reading over a specific paper, a girl who sat behind you in class, who giggled at Steve during the first day of class. She had a lot of typos in her paper, and you had a hard time following her methods and asked for Steves opinion. He got up from his desk and went over to the other side of his desk where you were sitting, hovering over you so his face was close to yours. You loved when he did this, being able to see the honey bits in his eyes or the way his eyebrows scrunch together when he was thinking really hard, or how he ran his tongue along his lips to wet them.

 For some reason the air in the room seems extra electrified, the tension being so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Your breath hitched as he got extra close to read a specific part in the paper, you could smell his cologne so clearly it was intoxicating. Steve turned to you to tell you what points to dock from her paper, but you didn’t hear a single word he was saying, it was all drowned out by the lust you felt for him. You think he could sense it too, his eyes kept flickering between your eyes and your lips.

Oh gods was this really happening?

You could see his face getting closer and closer to yours, you closed your eyes, bracing for impact. Your heart was beating faster than you ever thought humanly possible. And then, he kissed you. More intensely than you’d ever been kissed before, he started out soft, testing the waters. Slowly brushing his lips against yours, working up intensity until his tongue prodded your lips asking for an invitation in. The invitation happily accepted by you, you welcomed him in with your lips and sighed into the kiss, allowing your hand to grasp at the hairs at the nape of his neck. He held onto the side of your face like if he let go, you’d vanish. You kissed like this for a minute or two, lips melding together and tongues intertwining. He tasted like his spearmint gum that he chews sometimes, and his lips were softer than you ever thought humanly possible.

But as quickly as it started, it stopped. Steve de-tangled himself from your grip and stood back.

“Fuck, holy shit, I- Y/N I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry I shouldn’t have done that. I’m your teacher for Christ’s sake… FUCK!” he shouted.

You jump at the volume of his voice, you were not used to this Steve, or the tone he was using. He paced around the room for a few minutes, and you looked at your shoes embarrassed. Embarrassed because you weren’t sorry it happened. You had been dreaming for weeks about what his lips would feel like or what he'd taste like.

“I’m not Steve, you don’t need to be sorry because.. because I wanted it to happen, I’ll only be your student for a few more months and then after that we can do whatever we want,” you blurt out in desperation. Allowing the thoughts and dreams that hide in your head to spill out of your mouth. Steve sighs and sits back down in his chair, taking his glasses off his face and pinching the bridge of his nose with his middle finger and thumb.

“I- I think you should just go Y/N, I need to figure out what to do. This shouldn’t have happened and I’m sorry it did,” he murmurs.

His words act like daggers in your heart, stealing all the breath from your lungs. All the worst-case scenarios that played out in your head when you felt insecure, now playing out right in front of you. You were angry, you know he feels the same way but he’s too much of a coward to do anything about it.

“Fuck you Steve, fuck you!” you bite out through your teeth, not allowing the tears to flow from your eyes, just yet. He just rejected you, the last thing you wanted was for him to see you cry. You pack up all the things that had been splayed-out all over Steve’s desk, shoving them into your bookbag, and storming out of the room.

Before you’re even out of the building the tears start streaming down your face, you choke back sobs as you get into your car. You bury your head in your hands, your shoulders shaking from how hard you were crying. You can’t go home, you thought. Not to an empty apartment where it’s even more apparent just how alone you are.

You put the key into the ignition and go to the only other place in town that you can think of going to, Violet’s house. You prayed to any god that could hear you, that Violet was home, but Eddie was not. You did not want him to see you like this, especially over a guy. He’d heard all the pathetic stories of love that hadn’t worked out you didn’t need to add another to the list.

Somehow luck was on your side with this, Eddie’s car was not in the driveway, only Violets. You get out of the car, not even bothering to lock it and run up to the door and let yourself inside with the key Violet had given you after your first week in Hawkins. Tears still streaming down your face, you take in your new surroundings; Violet was sitting on the couch watching some dumb rom com and eating popcorn. She looks startled by the sudden intrusion and the state you were in. Your mascara all smudged, and you had tears streaming down your face.

“Y/N? What happened?” she coos. She gets off the couch and walks over to you, her face softens when she gets closer to you, her face now shrouded in worry. She pulls you fiercely into a hug and just lets you cry on her shoulder. Eventually she brings you over to the couch and she gets you to tell her the events that have unfolded. She listened intently while you told her about your professor and how you felt about him, and then about how he rejected you after a mind-blowing kiss. She held your hand the entire time, rubbing soothing circles into your hand.

Just as you had finished telling her what happened you heard the familiar jingle of the doorknob and the heavy boots that followed. You couldn’t look at him right now, not when you looked like this.

“Hey, hey party people, I didn’t know you were coming over tonight I shoulda got more beer from the store!” Eddie sang. The closer Eddie got to you he realized something was off and stopped in his tracks.

“Now’s not a good time dad,” Violet said, still focusing her attention on you.

“What happened? Y/N are you okay? Are you hurt? Did something happen with your car?” his questions flying by you a million miles a minute. Too exhausted to say anything you let Violet speak for you.

“She kissed a guy at school, and he rejected her,” Violet says as softly as she can.

“Y/N kissed a guy at school?” he said, you could hear an edge in his voice that made you flinch slightly.

“Yes, dad god did you have to repeat it? She’s been through enough tonight. Come Y/N lets go upstairs.” She says clearly annoyed with her dad’s lack of empathy.

You couldn’t bear to look at Eddie, so you allow Violet to usher you upstairs into her room. You two cuddle up in her bed, she lets you borrow some clothes to spend the night in and gives you a makeup wipe to wash the mascara and mostly cried off eyeliner off your face. You felt so taken care of by her, you remember you used to do this for her in Middle School when boys would be shitheads to her, it took a lot to break Violet, but boys are the worst.

At some point Violet fell asleep when you guys were listening to a true crime podcast, you felt your tummy grumble and slowly slipped out of her room to find a snack in the kitchen. You were so worked up after the incident with Steve you had forgotten to eat something more than a few handfuls of popcorn. Downstairs was more quiet than usual, you couldn’t hear soft metal music coming from the garage or Eddies light humming. You assumed maybe he had gone out for the night.

     Until he scared the shit out of you sitting at the kitchen table, silently. He looked upset, nursing a glass of amber liquid in his hand.

“Holy fuck you scared me, warn a woman, jeez!” you say, sounding a little more like your normal self when your alone with him. Usually, Eddie would retort with a smart-ass remark, but instead you got silence and a slight sad smile on his face. You sense he’s not in the mood, so you move farther into the kitchen to grab yourself an iced tea from the fridge and make yourself a sandwich.

It was usually never this awkward between the two of you, it broke your heart a bit. You just lost Steve and now it felt like you were losing Eddie too.

“Did he kiss you or did you kiss him?” he asked quietly.

You jumped a little not expecting him to speak. Trying to word things very carefully so there was no confusion.

“He kissed me and then I kissed him back, and then he broke off the kiss and told me to leave.” You sigh sadly and take a big gulp of your iced tea.

“Idiot.” he muttered under his breath.

You thought that’s what you heard but you didn’t know for certain.

“What?” you question.

“I said he’s an idiot.” he said a bit louder for you to hear clearly.

That made your aching heart flutter inside your chest. Men are impossible to read.

“Oh.” you murmur, not really sure what to say.

“He’s an idiot because I’d never let a girl like you go,” he says calmly.

You heart could beat outside of your chest right now, his words set your skin on fire. But you were simultaneously hit with overwhelming guilt. Violet. Your best friend. The one sleeping soundly upstairs who would never do anything to hurt you.

“Yeah, but there’s a lot more at stake here,” You say trying to tread lightly.

He abruptly pushes out of his chair and heads to the garage door. “Yeah I know.” he says, sounding a mix between disappointed and angry.

You could feel a new rush of tears welling in your eyes, not only did you lose Steve today, but you were going to lose Eddie too. Two out of your three safe spaces, gone in one day. You felt so small, like you were free falling and you couldn’t grab anything to save yourself.

“What do you want from me Eddie?” you say defeated, barely above a whisper.

Eddie stops at your words, opening up the door to the garage, so close to freedom. His eyes now soft, seeing the state of you. “Nothing sweetheart, I want nothing from you.”

You just nod at his words, slouching your shoulders trying to protect your broken heart. Willing yourself to accept the fact that you lost both of them today, and there’s nothing that you can do to change it. You look at the floor, watching your tears slowly cloud your vision. You just hoped he left the room before you start actually crying.

Then you hear the garage door shut and feel the last of your heart shatter with it. You look up to confirm what your heart already knew, that Eddie was gone.

But where a closed door should be, showed the outline of Eddie standing in front of a closed door. You tried to blink away the tears, to try and figure out if you were seeing things correctly. The look on Eddies face was between a mixture of pain and confliction, his fists squeezed at his sides.

“Fuck it.” is the last thing you hear him say before he takes long strides over to you in the kitchen. Now right in front of you he cradles your face in his hands and kisses you firmly. You wrap your arms around his neck, forcing him to stay. His calloused hands wiping away your tears. You moan into his touch, opening your mouth and allowing his tongue to dance with yours. He kisses you with such passion, showing you with actions he what couldn’t say with his words. You push him impossibly closer to you, willing the two of you to meld into one if that what it took, not letting him have the chance to leave you. He takes that as an invitation to lift you up and put you on the ledge of the kitchen counter. Your legs caging him in on either side of his body.

“Please don’t go.” you mutter wetly between kisses. Eddie moves from your mouth and leaves kisses from the edges of your wet eyes to a part on your neck that made your skin irrupt in goosebumps.

“Never baby, m not goin anywhere I promise.” he reassures nuzzling his nose against a sweet spot on your neck. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. Feeling a little better than you did a minute ago. Kissing Eddie made every other rational thought cease to exist in your brain. Just you, and Eddie, your bodies moving in tandem with each other. Harmony.

No Pressure Tags: **Let me know if you wanna be added to the tag list!**

@untitled74745 @eddiemunsons-missingnipple @lesservillain

@starkeysprincess @tlclick73 @cozyquinn @rowanswriting @succubusmunson @teddyeyeseddie @lofaewrites @chaoticmunsons @ryan-waddell11 @sweetblinginrose @paleidiot

[thegainingdesk]

I've been hovering between 36" and 38" trousers for a little while. I've noticed this past week that my trousers were getting uncomfortable every time I wore them, but for the life of me I couldn't find any of my 38s. A couple of pairs were definitely in the wash, but I knew for a fact there's at least one clean pair somewhere. Whatever, they're pinching but I'll live in these 36s for a while and just be glad that I've officially, unequivocally made the transition up a size.

I actually bothered checking the label today. These are my 38s. My 36s won't just be "pinching", they're completely out of the question. And I don't want to say "I wear 40" waist trousers" if I've not actually tried them on, but... I mean, I'd better buy a couple of pairs, right? Should I pick up a pair of 42s? For that inevitable moment?

There's something so utterly visceral about outgrowing clothes. The increasing tightness against your growing body, contrasting with the blessed relief, the comfortable looseness once you size-up - and knowing, knowing, that soon you'll fill up all that extra space too, that soon these clothes will be the ones that are too tight, too restricting, too small, ready for the process to repeat.

Maybe, to some extent it's because it's so much easier to compare clothing sizes - weights are tricky. I see someone the same weight as me and I think how much bigger they look, or how my gut is rounder, or my thighs are softer, or their moobs bigger . Clothes sizes are official - we wear the same size, we fill the same volume. You're still in 36s? Ah, shame, I've just bought a pair of 40s.

Over the summer I went on a short holiday with friends. At one point, me and one of my closest friends were just lounging about on the sofa in our pyjamas, half-asleep, Wimbledon on in the background while everyone was out. We both sort-of woke up at about the same point, and he made a little comment about my shirt riding up. I tried to tug my shirt down and he just laughed because clearly it wasn't working. Now, this friend is straight, but we're close, he's made some jokes about my weight gain, he's at least semi-aware that I at least don't mind the added weight (a story for a different time), so he doesn't particularly mind my gut sticking out a touch, but he says I should probably put on something a bit more covering before everyone else is back.

And as I'm changing I realise that I was wearing a large t-shirt. Now, at the time I was sort of between L and XL - both worked, I could tell L's were getting a little restrictive, and I had a desired trajectory towards adding some X's, so my wardrobe was a bit of a mix of the two, but up until that point, large shirts had definitely fit. All of a sudden, they're not just a little tight, or I can feel the difference or whatever, they're indecently small - literally, someone had just told me to change to make myself decent. And that's a large; it's in the name, right? It's not huge but it's large. Larger than average. Larger than most people.

And this friend is a lot smaller than me - he wears small and medium shirts. All of a sudden I'm realising that this shirt, the shirt I'd just outgrown, that I'll never fit into again, would be way too big for him. I'm not just bigger than him, I'm bigger than people who are bigger than him. If he asks me to borrow a shirt, I have to apologise for how my old, too-tight shirt from the back of my wardrobe will be too big for him, but it'll work in a pinch. I ask him if I can borrow a shirt and I'll burst out of it like a scene from one of my stories.

Better buy some 2XL's ready for the next time he has to make a comment like that. Some 42s as well. Hopefully I'll be in them before Wimbledon rolls round again.

[amethystina]

A health update (and a general explanation of my long Covid)

So while I've been pretty open about living with long Covid, I realise I've never taken the time to explain what that actually means for me and my quality of living. It's a phrase I toss around but I can imagine it doesn't feel all that substantial to a lot of you.

So I figured that now that I'm feeling a bit better (more on that later) I should do so. Partly because I figure it will make it easier to understand why I sometimes have to disappear for weeks on end.

So, if you're interested, feel free to keep reading under the cut :)

But be warned: It's long and kind of whiny. But also ends on a high note! So there's that.

The first time I caught Covid was around Easter 2020, long before there were any vaccines, which meant that I was hit hard. But no matter how bad I felt during the illness itself, the aftermath has been ten times worse. I've been living with my long Covid symptoms ever since, so for four years now. They worsened for a couple of months when I caught Covid a second time in February 2021, but have otherwise held pretty steady during those four years.

A lot of people experience different symptoms with their long Covid and, sometimes, they'll change as the weeks and months go by. I actually had a very interesting couple of months during 2022 when my sense of smell just went completely whack and everything suddenly smelled differently than it should. Like, I could be smelling an apple but it did not smell like an apple. It was a weird time in my life.

Anyway. My most common symptoms are fatigue, fevers, joint pain, brain fog, memory issues, incoherent speech, and lowered blood circulation.

(The latter actually kickstarted the Raynaud's syndrome I have on my mother's side so now I struggle with fingers and feet that will occasionally go white, bloodless, and completely numb at random intervals. Fun times)

The fatigue and fevers are the worst by far. For the past four years, I have had exhaustion fevers between two to five times a week. Or every single day if I'm unlucky. It's very much tied to how much sleep I'm getting, how well I'm eating, and how many taxing things I do each day. I need eight hours of sleep to be functional and anything less than that will most likely mean I'll end up having a fever before the day is over.

Unfortunately, I've always had issues with my sleep so, on most nights, I don't get eight hours even if I try my absolute best. Sometimes it's because I wake up too early and can't fall back asleep and, sometimes — because my life sucks — it's because my fever is so high that I can't fall asleep. Cue the endless cycle of too little sleep and fevers.

Because one of the main issues with these exhaustion fevers — and what makes them so difficult to manage — is that there's no way to lower them. Medicine has no effect whatsoever. Once I have it, I just have to suffer through however many hours are left until I can sleep and hope that it'll be gone in the morning. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

And every day my energy level gets just a little bit lower and the fever a little bit higher. Some days, all I can do when I get home from work is to lie on the couch and stare at the wall because I'm too tired and in too much pain to even watch something. And, again, no amount of medicine helps.

It continues on like this for a while and, every third or fourth month or so, the strain eventually becomes too much and I fall ill. My body simply shuts down from the continued stress and exhaustion, to the point where I can barely get out of bed. And, usually, I can feel it coming. On top of the fevers, I start coughing, then get a headache, and then my nose gets stuffy. And, by that time, I know I have about two to four days before I get sick. It's so accurate that my coworkers have learned that when I give the sign, they have to tell me whatever tasks they need to be finished within the near future since I'll probably be out of commission for one to two weeks.

But I eventually recover, go back to work, and so the cycle starts again. And again. And again. And again.

For four years.

All of this has, unsurprisingly, affected my quality of life to a pretty significant degree. I can barely work, let alone spend time doing any of my hobbies. I can't really travel anymore and, if I do, I'll get sick from the exhaustion. Even the 50-minute commute to the office (which I have to do three times a week) usually results in a fever before the day is over.

This inability to travel was how I ended up missing my maternal granddad's funeral. My shitty relatives didn't tell us the date for when he would be buried until there were only two days left and even if I could have put myself on an overnight train to get there, I knew I would be in no shape to actually be at the funeral if I did. So I couldn't go.

I did go to sit with my paternal grandmother as she was dying but, as expected, I got sick and couldn't return to work for a couple of days afterwards.

I also have to skip most birthday celebrations and any events happening on weekdays since I'm usually too feverish or won't manage the required trip to get there. My life has shrunk so much I barely recognise it anymore. I don't recognise myself. I used to be one of those people who could do a million things at the same time and somehow complete all of them. I was firm, organised, and efficient.

And now I'm not.

(... or, well, technically I am — at least compared to many others — but not compared to how I used to be xD)

Point being, a lot of things have changed and I don't like it. But, with that said, I'm also well aware that I'm lucky to be alive and I'm fortunate enough to have a stable job and a roof over my head. So, all things considered, I'm still doing pretty well.

But I also can't lie and say that this hasn't affected me in a deep and fundamental way. My life has changed and, right now, I don't know if it'll ever return to what I used to consider normal. And dealing with that knowledge — and the grief and fear that comes with it — hasn't been easy. I have cried ugly, self-pitying tears over this many, many times. It's frustrating to have no control over what my body does and to constantly have to be careful of what I do so I don't exhaust myself. I am furious that this happened to me.

But, after four years, there's also a certain amount of acceptance. And while I'm annoyed by my new limitations, I try my best not to feel too sorry for myself. Instead, I try to adapt as best I can, even if I might not always do it gracefully.

That does mean that I sometimes push myself more than I should, though. Because, if I didn't, I wouldn't never produce anything. As depressing as it is to admit, everything I've given you in the past four years has been while I was sick. I don't think a single chapter I've written or drawing I've made has been untouched by this. I've become an expert at writing, editing, and drawing even with a fever.

That doesn't mean I regret it, though — quite the opposite. I think that if I hadn't had a reason to write and draw, I would have felt even worse. A lof of the time, the excitement I feel when I'm able to post a chapter or show off a drawing I've made has been the highlight of my week. It's an accomplishment.

But, that said, it's still hard. Writing in particular. It requires a level of brainpower I can't reach when the fevers are too bad. And so, sometimes, I just can't. I literally just can't.

And, back in January, as I was trying to edit chapter 39 of Who Holds the Devil, I honestly pushed myself too hard. I was so determined to finish it that I didn't let myself see just how bad I was feeling — not at all helped by how emotionally draining the content of the chapter was.

It was only once I finished the chapter and posted it that I realised how absolutely wretched I felt. Not because of the chapter itself, but my lack of compassion for myself, I guess? Because the fevers were bad, I was barely sleeping, and I was both mentally and physically exhausted. And, what was worse, I realised that I was displaying depression symptoms I hadn't seen in over ten years.

All of a sudden, I got annoyed as soon as a minor inconvenience appeared. Everything people said to me was dissected into its tiniest component. I feared that people were secretly hating me. I couldn't meet people's eyes anymore when I was talking to them. I didn't realise I was just sitting there, staring at a wall, until several minutes had already passed.

And, as the final nail in the coffin, I stopped talking about how I was feeling.

And that, right there, is my last warning that I need to do something — always has been, ever since I was a teenager. When I clam up completely, refusing to admit to the people around me that I'm feeling bad, that's when I'm about to spiral.

So, the very next day, I went to my boss and told her that I'm getting burnt out and I need to do something NOW or this was going to turn ugly real soon. Thankfully, my boss is amazing and, after a doctor's visit, I was put on partial sick leave. Right now, I'm working six hours a day instead of eight and, let me tell you, I'm thriving.

Or, well, as much as I can while still having long Covid.

I'm almost angry at how much better I feel because, if I had known, I would have done this a lot sooner. I actually have energy now! I've only had a fever about four times in a little over a month! That's insane! It used to be four a week!

So yeah. I'm feeling better than I have in a long time. The downside is that the partial sick leave is still only temporary and there are no guarantees that I'll be able to keep it. Though, if need be, I'll just have to ask my boss to rewrite my contract and change the amount of hours I work because, man, I don't ever want to go back considering how much better and happier I feel. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I feel like I've gotten my life back. It's not quite the same as before, but close enough to it that I kind of want to cry again — but happy tears this time.

And so I've spent the past couple of weeks just... living? When, before that, it felt like I was merely existing. I've been drawing a lot since that helps with the depression symptoms (which are almost completely gone, thank god) but writing has been harder. Possibly because I forced myself to do it during a time when I felt really, really bad and now I'm instinctively trying to shy away from it. But, since I know that's just my mind playing tricks on me, I'm going to give it another try this weekend. I want to write and I miss the stories I'm working on. And, hopefully, since I'm feeling a bit better, I can maybe get back to a more structured uploading schedule. But we'll see. As always, I can't make any promises.

But that's about it, I guess? I'm feeling better and, since I am, I've been doing a lot of things that I wasn't able to before (like taking walks — I take a lot of walks). And I'm still trying to figure out my new routine now that I work less. And while I still get sick sometimes (I am right now, in fact, due to lack of sleep on Tuesday night) I always find my way back eventually.

So yeah. If you've read this far, thank you so much for your patience 💜 I admit that I don't really enjoy writing things like these since it feels like I'm whining — I was very much raised not to take up space or complain when things are difficult (an unfortunate side effect to being the middle child with two disabled, high-maintenance siblings) — but I also prefer honesty and transparency. And I feel a little guilty since there are times when I've given pretty harsh responses when people question why I'm sick all the time or why I don't upload chapters as often as I used to, but without actually explaining why. So I guess it's time to be honest?

And the truth is that I've been constantly sick for the past four years. Not only due to my long Covid, but also the emotional and psychological toll of all the loss, grief, and pain I've been through. These past four years have been rough.

But I'm not saying that to gain pity or make excuses. I actually think I've done pretty well considering just how hindered I've been. I've improved my drawings so much and have written... god knows how many words. I'm honestly kind of scared to check xD But it has to be over 600k by now, maybe closer to 700k.

I think my only regret is that I haven't been able to engage with you all to the extent I would want. I wish I could be a more active and enthusiastic participant in fandom — to seek you out, hold conversations, and give you all even a fraction of the attention you've given me. I feel like I don't offer you nearly enough.

But I also know that I have to accept my own limitations. So, for now, we'll have to settle for whatever I can give, even if it's less than I would want. But I will keep on creating, trust me on that, because I'm stubborn as fuck and even if my pace is slower, I'm still determined to finish what I start.

And that's the note I want to end this on. I have suffered, yes — more so than I may have expressed to you all — but I've still managed to create some beautiful things. And while I mourn who I used to be and the fact that some of you have never known me at my best, I don't think the me I am right now is all that terrible. Do I want things to change? Yes, definitely. But do I want to change the choices I've made and the things I've accomplished in the past four years? No, I can't say that I do. I'm proud of what I've done, especially considering my limitations.

And, if you're reading this, thank you so, so much for your kindness, compassion, and support. Some of you are old friends while others of you are new, but I am grateful to every single one of you. You have made these past four years more bearable. You have made it easier to keep fighting. You have made it worth it.

Thank you 💜

[starwarsmum]

Day 27! Prompt du jour is PDA Free Zone

@maribat-calendar-events

Damian was nervous and it was making him irritable. It had been a year since Marinette had first come to Gotham and they were finally going to return the favour and visit Paris for a week or so. It would only be Tim and Damian for now, Bruce not wanting to leave Gotham with too few defenders.

So this would be his first time meeting Marinette's parents, the people who had raised her and shaped her into the remarkable woman she had become. He was not well known for good first impressions and that knowledge was eating his confidence with every passing hour on the flight.

“God, will you knock it off, Demon Spawn?” Tim said under his breath, ignoring the glare the younger boy shot his way. “I get that you don't like to go without being Robin for any amount of time but you're the one who wanted to visit Paris with me.”

“Tt, I am unbothered that I am unable to patrol during this interlude,” Damian said, feeling his irritation build when Tim scoffed. “Believe what you wish, but know that I take offense at your scepticism.”

“Whatever,” Tim said, dismissing him for the moment. He was working on a tablet but put it away after a few minutes. “Actually, since we have witnesses for the next couple of hours, I wanted to talk to you about this trip.”

“...I feel as though I am going to regret this but what do you wish to speak about?”

“Look, I've come to terms with the fact that you're dating my little sister. Do I like it? No, but I have accepted that I can't stop you and I guess there are worse people she could choose.”

“Tt, I was correct in my assumption that I would dislike this almost as much as I dislike you,” Damian grumbled, fingers twitching as though he was fingering a dagger.

“Shhh, there's more and it'll be easier if we just power through it. Like I said, acceptance yada yada. But I would really rather not be forced to face it for our entire visit to Paris. So I'm declaring a ban on too much touchy-feely stuff in my direct line of sight. I can probably stomach hand holding and cheek kisses but I swear to god, if you try to make out with her-”

“I do not see how it is any of your business what we do as a couple,” Damian said, scowling at Tim. He had thought the man irritating before but it was nothing compared to the annoyance that swept through him now. “I have not seen Marinette in person since she last visited Gotham after Christmas and I will not allow you to-”

“If you don't, I'm telling Bruce that you adopted the feral cat that's been making a mess in the cave,” Tim said, revealing his trump card. Damian swallowed down the growl that threatened to escape him and nodded once in acceptance. “Good, I'm glad we're in agreement-”

“You are blackmailing me, Drake, there is no agreement. But I suppose I will have to do as you order until I have something of equal magnitude to create a mutually assured destruction.”

For the rest of the flight Damian grumbled as he thought about ways to work around Tim's terms.

_ _ _

Marinette was buzzing as she waited in the arrivals gate. Luka rolled his eyes but smiled as she popped up on her toes for the umpteenth time in the last ten minutes. She had been excited for this visit for weeks but now that she was a matter of minutes away from seeing them? She was positively brimming with joy.

When she spotted Damian's signature scowl she squealed and darted towards him. The scowl softened as she hurled herself into his arms, dropping the homemade sign she had crafted carefully for their arrival. They stood like that for several moments before pulling apart slightly to smile at each other.

She pulled him down - what had he been eating? It was unfair of him to get so much taller without her - to kiss him and sighed when he pulled her flush against him. She could vaguely hear the crowds around them cooing or muttering exasperatedly but she ignored it and melted against him.

“Oh come on Demon Spawn, it's been less than ten minutes,” Tim exclaimed, blatantly annoyed. Marinette broke away from Damian blushing but grinning dopily. “Hey Mari, thanks for coming to meet us.”

“Of course! Come on, my friend Luka came with me to play chauffeur,” she said, picking up the sign after giving Tim a hello hug. He smiled at her warmly and dragged his bag as he followed her. She slipped her hand into Damian's as they walked and her cheeks started to hurt with how wide her grin was.

“I guess I don't need full introductions,” Luka said when they arrived, making Marinette pout and blush even harder. He chuckled, holding his hand out to Tim first. “You must be Melody's brother, Tim. Your song is pretty frantic, you should probably sort out your sleep schedule. And this chaotic sounding guy has to be Damian, right?”

He ignored the strange looks both boys gave him and turned to Marinette, gesturing for her to lead the way to the car. She giggled at the confusion radiating from her two guys and pulled a frowning Damian after her.

“Luka hears people's heart songs,” she explained, letting go of Damian's hand so he could put his and Tim's bags in the boot of the car. She pushed Damian into the back seat but was prevented from climbing in with him when Tim slipped past her. “Boo, why aren't you sitting in the front, Tim?”

“Because you two can't be trusted,” he said, glaring at Damian. She blushed again, giving Tim a reproachful look as she sat in the front seat next to Luka. 

The drive to the hotel was easy enough and soon they were clambering back into the car to take Tim and Damian to meet Marinette's parents. This time, Marinette successfully bullied Tim into the front seat with Luka and cuddled up to Damian in the back.

“No funny business you two, I mean it,” he said severely but Marinette only stuck her tongue out at him before settling her head onto Damian's shoulder. She felt something that had been fluttering around her chest, ever since the last time she had left Gotham, settle. She knew they were only staying for a week and dreaded the thought of spending so much time away from him.

“Maman, Papa, they're here,” she called into the apartment. She dragged them both straight to the kitchen, Luka having gone home so they had some time altogether. Her parents called back through, encouraging them to come and sit down and relax.

“How much did you sleep on the plane, Tim?” Marinette asked guilelessly. When he hesitated, she frowned at him before turning to her parents and declaring that Tim was going to have a nap before dinner. “Come on, you can use my bed.”

Tim protested but Marinette wasn't having any of it, pushing him into the bed and glaring at him until he promised to stay there for at least an hour. She gave him a sceptical look before asking Barkk to stand watch over him and make sure he stayed.

Honestly, Tim would have been offended if he had been more awake, but he decided to take the opportunity to actually get some shut eye.

_ _ _ 

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped back out of the attic room. She loved Tim, really, but he could be such a big brother sometimes. But with him resting in her room, she had plenty of time to spend with Damian without his hovering.

“You got him to rest?” The boy in question asked, eyebrows raised. She laughed and grabbed his hand to tug him towards the door. He didn't ask anything else as she told her parents that they would be back in time for dinner and pulled him out of the apartment.

“Barkk’s busy making sure he doesn't go anywhere,” she said brightly as they made their way down the street. “He was being grouchy and trying to keep us from saying hello properly, obviously he needed to rest.”

“And the fact that we no longer have a chaperone is merely coincidence, is it?” He asked, clearly amused. Stopping in the park outside her home, she pulled him down for another kiss. They stood there for several long minutes, Marinette playing with the ends of his hair while he pulled her as close as he physically could.

“I don't hear you complaining,” she murmured against his lips and they curved into a smile underneath her own. 

[jpitha]

Allan was sitting hunched over at his desk, with a strong light shining on it. Acrid smoke curled up while he worked. He was concentrating so hard that he didn't hear Malmani come in.

"Hey Allan! Your door was open and-- Ancestors! What are you doing? What is that smell?" Malmani took two steps back and coughed.

Allan looked up, startled. "Oh, sorry, I didn't hear you come in Malmani. The smell? Oh, hold on a second, sorry." He flipped a switch next to his desk and a powerful fan over his desk started, and pulled the acrid smoke away. "I was trying to solder together this board and was concentrating so hard. These surface mount components are super tough to do on their own."

As the air cleared, Malmani was able to take a closer look. Eyes watering, she noticed that he had two little clamps on his desk and they were holding a thin wafer of green plastic with...small protrusions dotted all over it.

She flicked her ear and said "What are you making? It looks like a miniature city"

Allan looked down at the PCB and chuckled "Hah, it does, doesn't it? I'm trying to make a new kind of environmental sensor. The ones we have are really bulky and fail often." He realized that they were of K'laxi make and that he was talking to a K'laxi and quickly added "Er, sorry, I mean that I was thinking about the design while I was trying to repair one last week and started daydreaming about making it better."

"It's fine Allan, it's fine. I'm not insulted." Malmani thought for a moment. "At least, I don't think I'm insulted. I was just wondering what you were doing, and now I know. But why?"

"Like I said, the ones in place are bulky. I think I can make one that's more compact. Maybe even one that's more accurate. Plus, it's fun to do."

"Fun?"

"Sure! I like thinking about electronics and how they work and how you could optimize things and make it better."

"So Starbase didn't ask you to make it, you're just making it because you want to?"

"Yup. Starbase and I have been collaborating on the design though. They're letting me know what things they wish were easier to read."

"That's right Mal." Starbase chimed in "Allan was asking me about the environmental sensors, and I had mentioned how it's tough for me to get a holistic view of an area since the sensors don't talk to each other - just to me - so first thing he's doing is adding a local network connection. They should be able to talk to each other and send a more unified picture of what's going on."

Allan nodded "Yeah, see these bits right here?" He gestured with a small plastic stick. "These are the mesh networking components. They are what will let them talk to each other. We're also going to try a human sourced environmental sensor. We make ours a different way, and I think it'll be smaller and faster to refresh. I'm keeping a lot of the K'laxi wiring though, your resistors and capacitors are incredibly efficient. I've already requested a couple boxes of K'laxi components, I want to see how well they mesh with human ones."

Mal shook her head. "I can't get over how you're just designing a new component for Starbase just because. I don't think I would have ever thought to do that."

Allan shrugged. "It's just the way I'm wired I guess. I don't think it's a human-only thing. After all, K'laxi built the whole entire Starbase without us, you have to have your own people who like to tweak and tinker, right?"

Mal thought a moment. "There must be some K'laxi like that because you're right. But I don't know if it's as..." She struggled for word "...as prevalent as it is with Humans? Most of the time, once we have a solution that works, we leave it in place until we have a need for a change. Iterating just for iterations sake doesn't come as naturally to us."

Allan nodded. "Looking at the components in place, I can tell."

Mal flicked an ear.

"Er, I mean that a lot of the comments are perfectly good at doing their job, but they look like that once a workable solution was found people stopped. In a bunch of human components you come across solutions that are elegant, or ones that utilize as few components as possible, or solutions that are the cheapest they could be, things like that." Allan thought for a moment. "I wonder if it has to do with our world? Earth is a lot more dangerous than K'lax right? Maybe we are always trying to find an edge, because that would give us just a little bit more breathing room in case of a disaster."

"Huh Maybe. Anyway, I was coming in to remind you that this week it's your turn to buy the snacks for tonights board game."

"Oh! That's right, that is tonight. Starbase, I'll have to stop here and we can pick it up tomorrow after work okay? I'm almost ready to install the firmware and have you connect and tell me." He stopped "How it feels I guess?"

"That's fine Allan, I'll be here."

[pastafossa]

Dear pasta

Do you have any wood carving tips for beginners?

I bought a bunch of wood and a couple of knives and idk what to do

BOY DO I. And I'm in a good spot for it because I have FOUR carvings of the same design in various stages of completion to assist.

I'm going to also put this behind a cut so that anyone who's like br br pasta it's just wood wood is boring NO IT'S NOT IT'S AMAZING isn't forced scroll by. Although I'm keeping the first tip in the open because IT IS VERY IMPORTANT.

TIPS FROM SIX YEARS OF CARVING/INJURIES/VISITS WITH MY CARVING TEACHER.

First, get yourself a pair of no cut gloves if you haven't already. I use these! They're cheap and they WILL save you a trip to the ER. Take it from someone who carved without them once and slipped with their knife and basically cut themselves down to the bone in their hand. 7 stitches and one bitchin scar later, I now never carve without gloves.

OK. So when starting, you're going to have your wood in of three forms: a blank (a small block of wood), a cut out (a blank that's been cut by a bandsaw into a basic shape), or a rough out (a cutout that's had most excess cut away and just needs details and final shaping). I don't know obviously which you have, but a LOT of people starting out aren't aware that when you're learning you can often purchase cutouts that make things easier (Hummul for example has a lot!). You can still carve from a blank, though! It'll just take a bit longer. Here's a picture with the 3 stages of my sea serpent design, and the first sea serpent I ever made that I carved from a blank, so you can see what I meam (coils are different on 3 just cause I felt like it, so ignore that).

When starting, try to stick to more simple designs so you don't get overwhelmed. Think smaller, basic shapes, usually made of something like basswood which is a nice soft wood (easy to cut). My teacher for example starts everyone on basswood rubber ducky shapes! So there's no complex details, and more abstract shapes. These are three of the carvings I made that first week of my class as an example (the little face is called a wood spirit and you can find a lot of guides for them on youtube, they're very popular!)

There is a basic process here that we can see with the sea serpents again! Step 1 you trace your design. Step 2, you're removing the large or small chunks of excess (this is where some use a bandsaw if accessible). Step 3 is rounding and shaping. And step 4 is adding details and finishing. If you're not sure about shapes, consider using some basic outlines from online! I've even used toys to give me a basic shape!

GRAINS: when you first begin to cut, you're going to want to cut with the grain as much as possible. Wood carves far more easily when your knife moves with the grain than against it. There will be points where you have no choice (this is why basswood is a popular wood for beginners and experts alike - little grain, very soft), but try as best you can to go with it. You'll feel it when you cut with it - it'll be a lot easier, but depending on the wood, you can also see it! The bottom wood has an easy to see grain, the top one a bit harder (also note the difference between the band saw lines - perfectly straight and up and down - and the actual grain - left to right, more wavy, nature hates straight lines), and the middle you'll have to look closely to see. If you've got pretty natural grains, most carvers stain or seal them without paint. Basswood's got borderline no visible grain so is almost always painted (see duck above). You'll likely develop a preference as time goes on, too!

If you're carving from a straight up wood blank, try to make your design fit the shape as closely as possible. This will minimize the amount of excess wood you have to cut off! Especially since your first step is removing what doesn't belong before you start curving and rounding (there's also pencil marks on the top, so I know what I'm carving on all sides).

SHARPEN SHARPEN SHARPEN. If you've got a good knife, it likely came pre sharpened, which is great and can serve you for quite a while, especially if you're cutting softer woods! But you're also going to need to sharpen your knife regularly - I'm working on a very hard walnut dolphin atm and I'm sharpening every 20 minutes or so cause it wears the blade down. To sharpen, you use a strop. There are additional guides for that and places to buy one, but if you're handy you can make one. My teacher's (and mine) is literally strips of cork board covered in compound, and glued to two sides of a wood paddle. Very cheap. 😂 If you need tips on sharpening, let me know!

If you're going to use a natural finish on your wood (i.e. anything but basswood), you'll want to sand after carving and before sealing! Start with 80 grit, then move to 120 grit, and finish with 240. Note: as you start to sand, you'll see lots of little spots appear! You want to sand those away!

MOST SEALANTS ARE TOXIC TO BREATHE, DO IT OUTSIDE OR WEAR A MASK! If you want to avoid that, seal with something like Tried and True Original Finish or try carving wood you paint instead, since you basically carve, skip sanding, and paint with watered down acrylics!

Lastly, the way I hold my knife when carving: I use my thumb against the non-cutting edge to 'push' the knife in a hingeing motion (I'll see if I can make a gif for it at some point). It takes some strain off your hands and lends more strength to the knife for harder or quick cuts. You can also cut VERY fast once you get this down, and my teacher's approved it as a valid technique.

I hope these help! I love love LOVE carving and wish there were more classes around for people to take! Fortunately there are a lot of youtube vids and guides but SO much of it is really just practice. It's also an incredibly soothing hobby. I love sitting in front of a movie or series or listening to a podcast/audio book while I just sit and cut away. And remember, if you have a blank and get into it and start to feel overwhelmed, there are plenty of cutouts and roughouts you can try instead that mean all you need to work on is shaping and detailing! Let me know if you have any other questions!

[jeongyunhoed]

As seen on my FF.net

Following the events of fifth year, a new adventure awaits for Norah Lee. Boys, exams, school events, common room parties, and old foes outside of Hogwarts. Even battling pensieve guardians was easier than this.

Main Pair: OC/? Genre: Adventure/Angst/Fluff (it's a little of everything, tbh)

KEEP IN MIND: Characters are aged up (even if the story's got them in sixth year) to make it more appropriate. Time period is leaning towards the modern day so in case you might find anachronisms in the dialogue or references, this is why. This may also be quite a lengthy fic too.

BE WARNED: Social anxiety, mentions of blood and injury, grief, drinking, kissing but nothing more than that, death (this is Hogwarts Legacy, after all)

P.P.S: Sorry if the previous chapters seemed unformatted. I literally copy-pasted everything from my FF.net to here.

Masterlist

Chapter 5

"Does it get any more cozy than Hogsmeade?" Norah muttered to herself when she stepped inside the archway that marked the entrance of the village. Ernie Lark was once again conducting the enchanted musical instruments in front of one other shop, already getting a whiff of the sweet smells of pastries and treats emanated from its windows all the way from Honeydukes. There were more people than usual, perhaps lining up near Sprintwitches for broom upgrades after its shopkeeper Albie Weekes promoted posters for it. Dropping a few coins into the hat, she walked ahead, stopping by Steepley & Sons to see if she could probably stop for tea.

She wouldn't dare to go inside Madam Puddifoot's tea shop just yet, knowing that the place was full of couples on dates. The sickly sweet pink decor definitely provided a sappy couple setting for its patrons. Maybe one day, she'll go there on a date. Just maybe. Perhaps with the one she felt strongly for.

Norah turned her thoughts back to one big reason why she was in Hogsmeade during her free period. She was planning to see if of ' Potions needed any deliveries made. It was a way for her to follow on the lead Sebastian gave her the other evening, all the while making a few galleons along the way.

As she walked on, she said hello to several others who noticed her. That included Betty Bugbrooke, whose unicorn Hazel she was now taking care of. Norah informed her that Hazel has been thriving inside the vivarium with the other beasts, even handing her a sample of unicorn hair she got from brushing her.

"Oh, thank you, I miss Hazel every day, but I'm happy to know that she's doing so well, that stubborn girl," Betty smiled, holding the vial close. "You're very kind for remembering me for this."

Norah smiled. "It's no trouble at all. You found Hazel first, I thought you'd want to know how she's doing now."

Norah bid her goodbye and continued walking on, noticing Garreth Weasley about to go inside Honeydukes when he saw her as well. He approached her, his expression somewhat softening. "Hello Norah," He said.

"Hi Garreth. Still looking for billywig stings?" She teased.

A pink tinge appeared on his cheeks. "Just a few more and my brew will be done...again," He muttered. "It'll be done in time for the party next weekend. I hope you'll come."

"You do realize you're entering through the front and not the back, right?"

Garreth grinned. "I've managed to make a deal anyways. A few of those stings in exchange for a few errands at the back. He's surprisingly supportive once I told him what I planned on doing. Think Sirona might give my brew a go?"

"It's worth a try, you'll never know," Norah nodded.

"Thanks. I'll do just that. What brings you here?" He asked curiously.

"Oh, well, just looking around. I might help out again since he asked me to do a delivery for him last time," She shrugged. She wasn't sure how he'd react if she told him she was following a lead to Keenbridge. She needed a reason to go there after all.

Her reply seemed to convince the red-headed male. "Alright then. I'll see you back at the castle, yeah?" He said. "Oh, uh, would you be doing anything when you get back?"

"I...don't know, I'm wondering that myself," Norah said. "You need help with Transfiguration?" She teased.

A slight tinge of pink appeared on Garreth's cheeks. "Perhaps. You know my aunt. She's doubling down on me lately because I passed her subject."

Norah chuckled. "Well, if you think I can help you, just let me know, hmm?"

"I will, I will. I'll hold you to that, sure," He said.

Norah bid goodbye and turned to leave, stopping by the vendor selling copies of the Daily Prophet. Harlow was still last spotted in Keenbridge, the photo only showing the terrified witnesses. She quickened her steps further into the village, stopping when she arrived at the potions shop. As she had expected, the proprietor himself was hunched over the cauldrons at the back, all of which were brewing several different colors of potions.

"Oh hello, good to see you again. What'll it be?" He asked. "I've just finished a batch of pepperup potions if you need to cure a cold. Memory potions too if you want to retain whatever you'll learn in class."

"Actually, I've come to ask if you'd need any deliveries done. I was on my way to-" Norah didn't want to reveal where she planned to go just yet. If she did, he might have sensed that she was going to face off against Harlow again and word would get out. "Feldcroft to check in on someone."

"Well, that would be nice. I've got two bottles of cough potion to bring to a family in Aranshire and if you can, I've got three vials of the dreamless sleep potion for a lady in Brocburrow," He took out the vials and handed them over to her. "The delivery fee will all be yours if you do. I still have to keep an eye on these other potions I'm brewing."

"Got it. I'll deliver all of these today," Norah agreed, keeping the bottles into her small satchel.

Norah made a mental note to write to Anne before leaving Hogsmeade, just to let her know that if she was asked, she was coming to visit her. She went down the same route again, thinking that to fly would be better than to simply apparate straight to the hamlet. She had all day anyway. She also hoped Anne wouldn't tell Sebastian what she planned to do just yet.

She missed the feeling of flying long distances. As much as she appreciated the speed that floo flames took her, there was still something calming about taking the scenic route to wherever she planned to go. Yes, even if it meant dealing with goblin loyalists or poachers or even evil beasts along the way. Perhaps there were still hidden ancient magic spots for her to tap into.

As Norah took to the air, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wanting to savor the moment before leaning forward in her flight towards Aranshire. Hopefully the owl would come to Anne in time before Sebastian or anyone else asked.

It wasn't long before she arrived in Aranshire, being greeted by its residents, including Crispin Dunne, who often had business in the hamlet.

"The absconder assassin! How are you?" Edgar Adley greeted her the moment she was spotted. "What brings you here to our hamlet?"

Norah smiled and took out the bottles of cough potion. "Just here on an errand for . Two cough potions bound for Aranshire," She immediately spotted the woman who needed it, having been waving at her when she was informed that the potions would be arriving soon. She immediately thanked the woman who handed her a few hundred coins.

"I hope you're doing well, protecting yourself too," Edgar pointed out after noticing the exchange. "With Harlow on the loose and all."

"Don't worry, Mr. Adley, I'll be fine. I'm not afraid at all," Norah shook her head. She knew it. If Harlow wanted her, all he needed to do was come to her.

"You know, for someone as young as you, to have to do that already, I wouldn't be surprised if you became an auror now. I'll hold you to that," Edgar pointed out as she placed her broom into her satchel. "In fact, I'll bet you a butterbeer you become an auror when you leave Hogwarts."

"You have a deal," Norah smiled. "Best be on my way, it was nice seeing you and Mr. Dunne again," She said.

The sound of a whip cracking later and she apparated into Brocburrow.

-

Sebastian, after having managed to go through his detention period that day, rushed back to his friend in the common room. Once again, Ominis had taken it upon himself to trick the first-years into waiting for mermaids. "Alright, alright, that's enough you all, go and have fun elsewhere," Sebastian shooed away the hopeful looking students from the window. "You really need new hobbies other than get their hopes up."

"At least what I'm doing doesn't get me in detention often," Ominis pointed out. "But I don't know whether you sound either excited or worried."

"Both," Sebastian said, holding up a piece of parchment. "Anne said Norah was coming to see her."

"And? Isn't that nice?" Ominis said. "Although it does seem unlike her to suddenly want to visit Anne. She only goes if we're going-"

"If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then we'll need to head to Keenbridge before she gets herself into any trouble," Sebastian said, and the two of them rushed into their rooms to change into more casual wear.

It was in a situation like this that Sebastian and Ominis learned (again) how stubborn she could get. And they had once or twice expressed their annoyance at how she always felt like she had to go at something like this alone. Of course they understood her reasons, but if their adventure into the Scriptorium and the catacombs meant anything, it was that they worked better all together. Even with Natty, Poppy, and Amit.

Even Anne understood this side of Norah from the time they spent together, and privately expressed her worries to them. It took spending more time with her for Anne to even start to forgive Sebastian.

The two boys fled the common room, with Ominis quickly letting his wand guide him to where Sebastian was going. "Where are we going exactly?" The blonde asked, trying to keep up with him.

"Keenbridge. I suspect Norah's in Brocburrow now," Sebastian held up the letter again, having never let it go while they made their way to the central hall. "Anne said she was doing potion deliveries for on her way. At least she told Anne she was on her way."

Ominis cursed under his breath as they walked past several girls who immediately giggled upon seeing them. "I told her last year, there is such a thing as trying too hard."

"Yeah, and look what happened, she's the hero of Hogwarts," Sebastian said, once they were finally in the grounds. He too, didn't take notice of how several groups of girls were eyeing him as well as Ominis.

"Hey, what's gotten you two in a rush?" They bumped into Imelda, proudly clad in their house quidditch uniform. Naturally, Imelda served as the new team captain of their house team. "If you're looking for Norah, we spotted her going into Hogsmeade."

"Yes, we know," Ominis replied as the two of them approached the floo flame.

"If you see her, tell her we'll still need a chaser," Imelda reminded them. "She's got a spot on the team."

"Keenbridge," Sebastian muttered, and one by one, the two of them disappeared.

They soon appeared at the entrance of the hamlet, next to the floo flame, the two of them looking around for a sign of Norah. "Merlin, this girl's going to be the death of me," Ominis muttered, his wand guiding him and following Sebastian, who was trying to spot signs of the girl.

"Merlin, she's going to drive me mad," Sebastian frowned as they approached the nearest merchant, Fatimah Lawang. "She's going to drive us mad."

Even with the concern, Sebastian was trying not to be so excited about this pursuit, his heart racing with excitement at what they were going to do. But it wasn't the only reason why he got so excited.

He first came to terms with his feelings a little after the House Cup in fifth year. Sebastian Sallow long accepted the fact that what he felt about Norah had crossed beyond friendship and into romantic territory. But after everything they've been through, from accidentally killing Solomon, to going through the catacombs and fighting trolls, how could he not care for her so intensely?

As much as Sebastian wanted to tell Norah how he felt about her, he knew their friendship was much too valuable to cross the line. Even when he felt the green-eyed beast of jealousy whenever other guys would go near her, he always tried to remind himself that she was his friend. Even if he told her how he felt, Sebastian knew that there was always a chance that she would only see him as a friend too.

What Sebastian didn't know was, Ominis had also fancied Norah. She was the reason why he often slipped away in the common rooms and wrote to Anne. He wanted her advice on how to approach her. Ominis was aware of his and his family's reputation. Anne, as he read, was incredibly supportive. Not wanting to tell Sebastian, he confided in Anne about his growing feelings. Anne, however, would continuously tell him to pluck up the courage to do so, or at the very least, attempt to ask her to the Yule Ball.

Ominis knew the risks if he were to confess his affection for her. Knowing full well the reputation his family held in the entire wizarding community, Norah would be incredibly out of his league. It would be even worse if his family found out. They would absolutely despise her even more than they already do. It already didn't help that there were some people in Hogwarts who thought she deserved to be with someone just as accomplished, or at the very least, not from a wizarding family known for the dark arts.

It was a pedestal Ominis thought was too high for him to reach.

"Hello, I was wondering if you have seen Norah? She's got brown hair down to her shoulders, possibly coming here on a broomstick?" Sebastian asked. "Or maybe on a hippogriff? Or even, possibly...a graphorn?"

Fatimah looked at the brunette boy incredulously. "No graphorns and hippogriffs have come here. And no, I haven't seen Norah come here. How is she, by the way?"

"She's doing very well. Drowning in our NEWT exams like the rest of us," Ominis spoke.

"Oh, I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes an auror. Or a curse-breaker even," She said. "Well, I've got potion ingredients for you if you are in need of any."

The blonde seemed to catch Sebastian off-guard when he asked Fatimah about the headlines on the news. "I don't suppose you have heard about Harlow? He was last seen here, according to the Daily Prophet."

Fatimah leaned toward them, keeping her voice low. "Oh yes, he was last seen here not too long ago. It was a dreadful sight. He looked all...ghastly, but he's still as dangerous as ever. I was about to clear up the stand for the day when there were explosions everywhere. He's managed to gather a few more ashwinders, fugitives now, to his cause. Even pilfered some barrels of drink and nearly cursed the barkeep."

"So you think there'll be more of them?" Sebastian asked this time.

"I wouldn't be surprised. They're still so desperate for their cause, those fiends. Even after Victor Rookwood's death, he plans to take power," Fatimah frowned. "The beasts are in danger once again."

"I take it he's able to cast wandless magic," Ominis said.

"Which makes him just as dangerous as ever," Fatimah said with a sigh. "If you two know what's best for you, you'll be sure to keep away from places where those poachers and ashwinders are near. I'd advise that we leave this to the authorities, but if Norah had to intervene, they wouldn't be doing any good, would they?"

Just then, they saw Norah dismount from her broomstick and tuck it away in her satchel. She stopped in her tracks upon seeing the two boys. "Oi!" She called out to them, brow raised, making them turn around.

Sebastian crossed his arms while Ominis tilted to face her. "That's not very ladylike, isn't it?" He teased, and Norah slapped his arm. "What brings you to Keenbridge?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Norah pointed out. "I was on my way to visit Anne. I just needed her opinion on something rather personal. Hello, Ms. Lawang," She greeted the potioneer behind them.

"Hello Norah, these two asked for you earlier, wondering if you came here on a hippogriff or graphorn," Fatimah chuckled.

Norah smiled. "Ah, well, Highwing and his Lordship are currently resting from playing with other beasts in my vivariums," She said, with Fatimah's eyes widening at her explanation. "They love playing with others, especially the diricrawl offsprings. Fwoopers love playing with Highwing."

Fatimah looked impressed. Sebastian couldn't help but look proud, and a slight smirk played across Ominis' features. "Back to the question, why'd you stop here if you were going to visit Anne?"

"Can't I stop here?" Norah asked. "What are you two doing here anyway? I thought you were in detention and Ominis...was just there," She said.

"Norah, we know why you're here," Ominis said bluntly. "And Harlow's not here anymore."

Norah's shoulders dropped. She turned back to the potioneer. "Ms. Lawang, would you have an idea of where he might have gone?"

"I'm afraid I don't. I barely managed to leave the hamlet with everything intact at the time."

She sighed and thanked the woman, opening her satchel once again to take out her broomstick as she turned to looked over across the river, where Keenbridge tower was located. It gave her an idea. But before she could take out her broomstick, Sebastian caught her wrist.

"I suppose you two were also looking for Harlow," Norah glanced at him and at Ominis.

"We just had a feeling we knew where to find you. You really ought to let us help you this time, you know," Sebastian replied.

Norah stared at them. "I would let you help if I was sure none of you would get hurt."

The naturally stoic expression Ominis had began to soften. Sebastian's expression also softened. Norah raised a brow at them, anticipating what they would say next. But both of them knew to make some assurance.

"I would help knowing that you wouldn't get hurt," Ominis spoke, taking a step forward. "You can't just throw yourself into this without knowing that there are people who will help you. You once told me when we looked for the Scriptorium that I had the same thoughts as my aunt Noctua, and that when she never made it there alone, we could do it together and we did."

It was Sebastian's turn to speak. "You've helped everyone around you, no matter how silly it might have been. At least let us return the favor. I'm pretty sure Fig would've wanted you to do that."

The thing was, Fig never got to tell her anything else. Norah put her broom back into her satchel. "If I let you help me in this, you will see why I want to keep all of you out of it and safe," She said, her voice low, making her way toward the bridge to cross it. Ominis and Sebastian followed her closely, agreeing amongst themselves that they needed to be prepared.

They approached the ruins of the abandoned Keenbridge tower. Norah cast revelio a few times, as if trying to check for anything suspicious until she found a set of footprints. Multiple sets of footprints. One particular set seemed to stagger. "Harlow," Sebastian muttered upon seeing it. "He went in here," He pointed to the broken down entrance. "But it's quiet."

"Too quiet," Ominis added, taking a step closer toward the ruins as if to let his wand pick up any presence. "I don't think there's anyone in there. I can't hear anything else at least."

"Alright, but we should still check to make sure it's clear," Norah said. She had some idea of how Harlow, Rookwood, and their empire moved. Perhaps it wasn't so different this time. She led the way, wand at the ready. She was trying to assure herself not to worry about Sebastian and Ominis tagging along. Norah knew they could handle themselves, with Sebastian being an especially skilled duellist. Still, they were her friends and she cared about them, the last thing she wanted was to see any of them get hurt.

Norah, Sebastian, and Ominis climbed up the porch, seeing the doors somewhat broken down. If it wasn't because of her having busted it open, it was likely because of something else. They heard a little rumble, as if of feet. They moved a little closer, Norah's arms a little outstretched, as if posed to shield the two boys behind her. "Protego" Sebastian whispered, his wand-bearing arm out from over her shoulder, shielding all three of them instead.

"If it isn't the hero of Hogwarts herself."

From the shadows behind the broken down four-poster bed emerged the man himself. Theophilus Harlow unsurprisingly, looked the way they suspected he would. His tall, stocky frame was replaced by an almost frail looking stature. He looked gaunt, as if a lot of years had been taken out of him, yet now, it seemed like he was gathering strength.

"Harlow," She said.

"Seems like you brought friends with you," A grin slowly appeared on his face. "I knew we'd meet again sooner or later," He coughed. "Didn't think it'd be a lot sooner."

"You managed to escape those dementors, you must be desperate," Norah tilted her head, her tone almost mocking. "Face it. Your business empire is no more. Horntail hall's dissolved. The authorities are all on the lookout for you."

Harlow forced a cackle that mostly came out as a cough. "That's what you think. Much like how I expected you to come here. You're just itching to play the hero again, aren't you?"

Ominis swallowed hard. "We're surrounded aren't we?" He said.

Soon enough, they heard loud cackles coming in from all directions as several masked poachers and ashwinders apparated. "I'm going to enjoy this," They heard one of the female ashwinders, a duellist in their bright red coat and top hat, say.

Norah leaned back. "When I say 'go,' we go, okay?" She whispered.

"Okay," Sebastian muttered.

Once the shields were down, Norah struck a few with several rounds of banishing charms. Ominis was able to hold his own, levitating several while Sebastian sliced through them. Norah had a knack for the depulso charm, something both boys seemed to notice. It was only since discovering Herodiana Byrne's depulso training rooms that she gained an appreciation for the spell.

Norah was quick to shield Ominis from another crimson-clad duellist, suddenly retaliating with the spell they had tried to use all too often on her for the very first time. "Expulso!" She yelled, sending blue jets of light in the duellist's direction and then towards the taller, broader man, who was preparing to electrocute the three of them.

She banished them again, followed with a successful attempt at casting bombarda non-verbally, defeating the last of the Ashwinders that tried to corner them. Ominis let out a loud sigh of relief. "For a moment, I thought we wouldn't make it out of here alive," He said.

Norah sighed as well as she and Sebastian looked around. "Bloody hell, Harlow's disapparated," He said.

"We're back to square one, he's certain to come back for us," Norah frowned.

"We can fight him again another day," Ominis advised. "We can either go to Feldcroft or go back to the castle. I'm sure Anne will understand."

"Understand? She'll have it in for me if she finds out what we just tried to do," Sebastian groaned. "Merlin, she'll kill me."

"We should go back to the castle," Norah agreed. "I just remembered Garreth might need my help with Transfiguration."

The mention of the Gryffindor's name made Sebastian and Ominis turn to her, both of whom looked incredulous. "Weasley? You're meeting with Weasley?" Sebastian questioned as they walked out of the castle, the three of them nearly falling over in surprise when the wooden beams inside crashed behind them.

"Yeah, I ran into him when I went into Hogsmeade. Butterbeers? My treat," Norah offered, pointing to the pub by the entrance of the hamlet, non-verbally blasting the spider eggs nearby.

Merlin, she really was going to drive them crazy. But the two boys didn't mind one bit.

[sarandipitywrites]

saran's year of writing (2023)

hey y'all! saw a couple posts like this floating around and thought i'd hop on the train, because this year has been WILD for my writing (in a really good way). let's start with the bullet points version and i'll put the details under the cut. here we go:

I JOINED WRITEBLR

shared snippets of my work with other, actual humans!

made friends?!

started (and finished!) draft 2 of Dead Roots, Dark Water

wrote 1 short story for every week in october (that's 5 stories in a month! that's great for me!)

first NaNoWriMo in 10 years (and i finished it!)

drafted and re-drafted The Art of Empty Space

started draft 3 of Dead Roots, Dark Water

details, links to projects, me getting maybe a tad too personal, and those all-important wordcounts under the cut:

I JOINED WRITEBLR

i just realized i only started participating at the beginning of october, but it feels like i've been hanging out with you all the whole year 😅 maybe that means i should cut back a bit? nah...

really though, this year was the year i started taking my writing more seriously (not in a 'gotta get published' kind of way, but in a 'writing makes me happier than anything else and that's enough reason to set aside time and energy for it without feeling hella guilty' kind of way) and seeing you all posting your work and being so positive and encouraging to each other was what helped me get up the nerve to join in. and i can say without a doubt that it's the best choice i've made all year. y'all are such a supportive community and i've never once felt like i was encroaching or didn't belong here (and for me, that's really saying something)

so i guess what i'm getting at is: THANK YOU! i've loved reading your snippets and projects this year, and i'm way more confident in my own than i've ever been 💜 y'all are good peeps

Dead Roots, Dark Water

word count (edited and written): 187,789

that's a lotta words! DRDW is both my longest work wordcount-wise, and the work i've dedicated the most time to... probably ever. and i'm SO happy with it, it's a little concerning (/positive)

DRDW is now on its THIRD draft, and (assuming i don't do a massive re-edit) should be ready to start posting in 2024! *excited screaming* i've never released anything i've written in its entirety (the snippets i've been posting are actually a lot more than i've ever shared before), so this is MASSIVE for me and i'm both excited and terrified! overall, though, it's a very, very good thing

Short Stories

this october, i decided to challenge myself to do several things i don't ever do: write short stories; write them on a timeline; and share them. and i did! i wrote one short story for each week in october, and posted them here. they're far from my best work, and due to the timeline, they never could have been my best, which oddly i think helped make it easier to post them? they were also the first pieces i shared here (or anywhere)! they're not awesome, but i'm proud of them and i'm proud of myself for sharing them

NaNoWriMo and The Art of Empty Space

i've done nano once before, ten years ago. i was in college and had a lot more time then (and a job where i could spend the entire day just writing - i didn't know how good i had it), and even so i remember struggling to reach my word goal. but by the power of writing everything in wingdings so i can't second-guess my word choices, i made it this year! and even though i decided to challenge myself by writing a romance-heavy project (something i've historically avoided because IT'S HARD FOR ME, DAMNIT), i love AES and its characters and that feels fucking awesome.

even though my brain decided to spring a surprise plot restructure on me and now i have to rewrite like half of it. it'll be better for it, though, so it's all good 🥲

What's Next?

my plan for early 2024 is, of course, going to be to work on draft 3 of DRDW with the hope of getting some chapters posted (they are LONG, so i'll probably post to tumblr in chunks and the full, unbroken chapters on Ao3 due to formatting). once that's ready, i'll be able to return my attention to AES and getting draft 1.5 all written up. i've mostly figured out where the plot's going there, so it'll just be writing it up to figure out the gaps. if i'm able to write something for november again next year (which i really hope i will; nano did some great things for AES), it'll probably be one of the other Jak & Daxter fics i have kicking around in my head, because i am Obsessed (and switching it up between working on fanfic and original fic seems to work well for my brain).

i've been not super active here for the last month or so because Real Life Work is kicking my ass, but hopefully that will calm down and i'll be able to do more of what i want: writing wild shit, reading your wild shit, and screaming about it together 💜

good vibes and best wishes to everybody in the new year 🥂

[apprenticestanheight]

Kind of similar to that last platonic request but could you do something where apprentice reader comes out as transmasc to the other apprentices? Thank you!

Coming out to the various apprentices hcs

Hi!! This has been sitting in my inbox for more than a month, which I am SO SORRY ABOUT! Stuff has been all over the place and trying to find work in the past week or so has been a freaking NIGHTMARE so a lot is on my plate in the mental area right now but realistically that's not much of an excuse so again, I am so sorry it's taken me this long!

I'm not the greatest at writing coming out scenes (I can't think of one of my characters who, even if they've been in a straight presenting relationship, has not been queer in some way since I started writing, which makes that sentence ironic) but I did my best with the several I've written/explained here! As is evident by the title, I wrote this out as headcanons, which I hope is okay! Also didn't include logan (watched like, an hour of jigsaw?? maybe?? hated it. hated him. respectfully) which I hope is all right.

Fic type- this is very fluffy!

warnings- none other than the fact that this wasn’t edited before posting (oops)

ALLLLLLL RIGHT!!

You probably just like--I feel like coming out to them individually is the way to go because if you do it with all of them present it'll kind of be like--it'll--something will feel a little bit off because there's some animosity between Amanda and Mark and their reactions will have some variation. Plus, it's just easier anyway because, while you are with them individually a lot of the time, the four of you are together very, very rarely, and typically only when John asks you all to be somewhere at the same time.

So you come out to Amanda first and she takes it REALLY, REALLY WELL!!

The first thing that she does is offer you one of the guys sweaters she keeps in the back of her closet--they're baggy, warm and typically what she'll wear in winter because jersey gets cold during the season.

She also asks you what your preferred name and pronouns are and then takes to them like she's snapped her fingers and your birth name and previous pronouns have left her memory. She is really, really sweet about it and so understanding--as far as the apprentices go, I feel like she reacts the best and handles it the best because she IS queer and has queer friends so she gets it to an extent.

Lawrence and Amandas reactions are similar! He mentions he has a couple of shirts and sweaters and stuff that he doesn't really wear anymore and offers them to you while also asking if you want coffee or tea because you decided to come out while he was just at home (you're working in--idk,, pharmaceuticals?? and so you work close by anyway and Lawrence also wants your opinion on trap stuff so hey! Your meeting has two purposes!)

and then he asks you what your preferred name and pronouns are and takes to them pretty quickly! Once you've left with coffee in a to-go mug and several shirts, sweatpants, hoodies and cardigans and just--clothes that Lawrence doesn't wear anymore that either already fit or can be altered so that they do, Lawrence practices so that he makes sure not to fuck it up because he knows that you're having told him about how you identify is really important and a really special kind of thing and the idea of messing up by calling you the name you used to go by or using the pronouns that make you dysphoric makes him feel terrible right out the gate.

Hoffman has the attitude of someone who's like,, super chill about that kind of thing! again, queer himself (you cannot tell me that he and strahm were not fucking on the DL. I refuse to believe otherwise) and very understanding about how difficult coming out can be.

He asks you what your preferred name and pronouns are and takes to them fairly quickly! He messes up like, once?? twice maybe before he's like "I need to practice using the name and pronouns because fucking it up is not needed--dysphoria seems like it sucks and I don't want him to be dysphoric because of me." so then he practices it mentally while he's working and kind of like,, under his breath while he sets traps up and has it down within that week.

Also gets you a checkerboard cake that has three layers and has the trans flag colors because he feels bad about the times he messed your pronouns up. You absolutely devoured that cake after a really tough day and it was delicious (he got strahm to bake it because as much as I love him, I do not think he could bake a cake without burning it)

All in all, their reactions are different but they do love you and they make sure that you know that.

[iamthecomet]

-tiptoes in with a box of donuts-

Starting therapy is always a little nerve-wracking, lots of whats and whys and all that jazz, and finding a therapist/type of therapy that works best for you can be a challenge, but by and large, I've found it beneficial.

It's a good way to unpack stuff and get an outsider perspective on things, especially when you're not sure if you're over or under reacting to past events/current issues like I often am.

I've been through both solo and group therapy in the past, and they both had their pros and cons, but I learned a lot from the sessions I attended, and it's really helped me navigate things on my own these last couple of years.

It'll be an emotional journey, but I hope that it brings you to a better place mentally.

-sets box down-

Thank you for this, Lamp! I was really reluctent to admit that I needed it--but once I did it all feels so much easier. And also...sort of like a relief. It's all very new to me--but I'm optimistic about it. And I know that despite the emotions, and the pain it's no doubt going to bring up, it's the right choice and I will be better for it. The realization that like...I don't have to live like this forever, and I SHOULDN'T, and I deserve not to be anxious all the time, has done wonders for me already, really. And my first session, which was just a like "get to know you and your history and your family history" session was already really validating of like "yeah of course these things affect you" It's been a rough couple of weeks to get to this point, but I do feel like things are heading in the right direction now.

[mabelsmittens]

Q&A

How tall are you? 180cm / 5'11"

Where are you from? Yorkshire, England.

What was life like growing up where you're from? I guess... it's hard to compare. I've never lived anywhere other than where I live and where I've grown up. I've been to quite a few other countries on holiday but I've only lived here. It's quite nice. There's so much greenery in England, and it's really pretty. And we really like dogs here, which is a great aspect because I have these two.

When did you start singing? I did lessons every once in a while. I did acting, singing, and dancing. I started a club for it that was called Stage Coach which was one hour every week on Saturday. At 4 years old is when I begun singing.

When did you start dancing? Same age. I also did ballet -- started at the same time for a couple years. After I left both those clubs I did some commercial dance lessons, stuff like that.

When is your birthday? At the end of the year, in December. That's all I'll say.

What is your most challenging dance you've done? Most challenging.. there are a lot I've found really challenging. For a lot of LISA dances, they're really hard for me. Floor moves are really hard. I think the hardest dance video I've done is Naughty by Red Velvet - IRENE & SEULGI. It's all the tutting and stuff, I don't think I've completed it correctly.

What is your favorite/least favorite dance? Favorite... ever since it's been out, it's an old one, Oh Sorry Ya by SUNMI is my favorite one. Least favorite... least is hard. One of the ones.. I think it'll be shocking for people.. is I'm Ill by HELLOVENUS, one of my more popular videos. I did not like doing it very much. It was because of other reasons for filming it. I was working with someone who was offering advice, and it made me so nervous to do it. It wasn't a good day, and the dance wasn't that interesting.

When did your taste for dance covers begin? It began from doing Just Dance, the video game on the Nintendo Wii. I did some of those dances, I really liked it, and I just kept wanting to learn them. There was a Kill This Love one during lockdown that I learned and then it led me to YouTube, then to the official dance video. I found their other dances and got really involved it, then found MAMAMOO, ITZY, and kept going from there.

What do you like doing more, singing or dancing? I find dancing easier to film and I get a lot less nervous. I find it more cathartic singing than dancing.

What's your favorite genre of music to make choreographies for? If I could just say Pop, then I probably would. The ones that I've done that I really liked... I did Dua Lipa a few times, because her songs have a really smooth beat for moving. Cardi B is amazing, so rap songs, but not all rap songs are good for it. If a beat doesn't have a lot of layers for it, it can be hard to add those extra fun bits to it. Megan Thee Stallion is also amazing for dances.

What's your favorite dance cover this year? There are a lot to choose from. I've done so many this year. My favorite for both turnout and performance is Vengeance by BIBI. It's one of my favorites to watch. It was amazing doing it. I had water poured over me for the last part. It felt like it was my natural state to be in, and to have all of those different facial expressions I got to do with it. It was really my chance to do something that I really liked. It turned out perfectly, in my opinion.

How old are you? Not going to say but I will say why. It's because people mostly judge you for it, whether you're too young or too old, your accomplishments -- whether they're worth more if you're younger... and there's no real reason to know. It doesn't add anything to who I am or what I've done. It doesn't say much about me.

Do you live in the United States? No, a couple people have assumed I'm American but I'm not. I find it quite hard to do an American accent while singing.

Do you have a boyfriend? I've been asked this quite a few times. People also assume I straight, it's funny. My answer to that is I'm not available, and I haven't been for a few years.

Are you still in education? Yes. It's probably confusing because of how much I upload, but I manage to find time to study at home from text books. If I need to take the exams, I go to a place for them; but I do all of the learning stuff from home, between doing all of those videos.

Why do you love kpop so much? The dances! The reason I clung onto kpop was because of how the dances were formed, and how clean they were. The artists would sing and do these perfect dances, and I thought it was really great. Maybe it's because I haven't seen that much of western artists in groups doing dances so cleanly together. With BLACKPINK, it's just the four of them, no backup dancers, and it looks so great. I just thought that was a great way to do things, and it's so satisfying to do the choreography and do it well. So what got me into it is how much I really like the organization and unity, and how those performances are done. The music is really good too.

Will you do LE SSERAFIM's "Perfect Night" choreography? Yes! It's on my list. There have been so many releases recently. I try to keep up with them and requests, and mix them in. It may be some months, I'm sorry.

(Editor's Note: Since this question, Mabel has released Perfect Night by LE SSERAFIM)

[an-abyss-of-stars]

Something I haven't done in AGESS, is give y'all some fic updates!!

-

I'm going in order of what's being worked on the most at the moment!

✵It's Visceral And It's Cruel✵

So I've been working on chapter 5 for the past couple of weeks here and there, but I've really tried to buckle down this week and I'm actually about halfway through it! Since the next couple chapters are already pre-planned out, I've got my list of plot points/scenes that I know need to be included per chapter. This chapter has 6 plot points/scenes and I'm planning on finishing off the 2nd scene and moving on to the 3rd today! Fingers crossed honestly, but Y'ALL I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS CHAPTER!! A lot is going to happen, and while it won't all be particularly Rhaemond based, I think it'll be super interesting! A lot of things will be set into motion and there's going to be some super tense and interactions between our big name characters!

Release date: TBD (I would LOVEEE to work all through my weekend to get this out by then, but we'll see, I won't promise that now tho)

-

❤️‍🔥Burnt Over And Over Again❤️‍🔥

OOOOOooooo this fic has a chokehold over me right now!! Likeee, chapter 5 has ALOT planned for it. It's going to be a pretty long one in comparison to the other relatively short chapters! Last chapter had Aemond tracking Rhaena down in Venice and it was so tense and sexual, just imagine that energy multiplied for this next chapter!! The ✨DRAMAAAAA✨ I'd say I'm about a quarter of the way through, there's an argument/conversation they needed to have at the start of this chapter that was really giving me trouble, but once I worked through it, things were flowing a lot easier!

Release date: TBD (there's still a lot left to write, but who knows, maybe the inspiration will hit me this weekend)

-

💝Coffee, Tea, Muffins and Nibbles 💝

I.e. Early One Morning Part 2

So technically this is a pretty direct sequel to Early One Morning, and if you've read that, then this literally takes place that very same morning 😂😂 except it's ✨ Breakfast Time✨ now. I've actually got this entire thing written out, back when Early One Morning was going to be one big one-shot, I'd already written this scene as the next scene after the kids joined Rhaena and Aemond in bed. So technically, all I need to do is spruce it up a little and then edit it and it's done! Thinking about it now, I think I might try and finish this one up as soon as possible so maybe it can go up by Thursday or Friday...maybe even tonight, but we'll see.

Release date: (Hopefully) Thursday OR Friday!

-

☾ He Saw Her At Daybreak ☾

Oh fuck...here go 😭😭😭

Y'all... there's only so many times I can be sorry about the delay with this ONEEEE 😭😭😭😭😭😭 Remember the good ol' days when I used to just drop a chapter a week 🤣🤣🤣 like spontaneously it was all flowing! But not any more it seems. Again, honestly, I think you all know the issue by now. It's editing and reworking it 😂😂 which might have actually been done by now if I could find the will to return to that 30k doc 🤣😭 All things aside tho! Like don't worry, EVENTUALLY this will come out and hopefully my readers still care about it when I finally do😂😂 I'm not planning on discontinuing or abandoning it, I've got too much planned for this smutty fic to just let it go 😂 too much planned for the futures of all of their babies and the family at large 😂

Release date: TBD (Eventually 😂)

[kazoosandfannypacks]

Potion Commotion by kazoosandfannypacks

Pairing: Cygnet Scholar Rating: General Audiences Word Count: 3.7K words Summary: After briefly getting captured, Hope begins acting strangely, and Gideon tries to help her get back to normal, painfully unaware that the "bizarre questions" she's asking him are pickup lines. Characters: Gideon Gold, Hope Swan-Jones, Henry Mills, Robin Mills, Neal "CJ" [Charming Jr] Nolan, and Charlotte Nolan (OC) Author’s notes: This is an experiment with an AU I plan on writing, in which Henry leads a group of the next generation of heroes on a quest through the enchanted forest. In this timeline, the Charmings have another daughter, Charlotte, who was born less than a year after the S6 finale, and Hope was born about a month later. Taglist: @accidental-spice, @saveme-storybrooke-potc [let me know if you'd like to be added to this taglist!]

also on ao3!

 It'd been hours since Hope went missing. Henry, Robin, C.J. and Charlotte had all left to look for her an hour and a half ago, leaving Gideon waiting in case she came back to the campsite.

 "She never should've wandered off," Gideon muttered to himself as he paced around camp, "she knows it's dangerous. She knows they're watching us. And still, she did it anyway. Who knows what could happen to her?"

 Gideon sighed as he sat down on a log near the firepit, wishing Hope was back at the camp already, giving him a hard time for being so frantic, picking on the unnecessary worry lines he could already tell were forming on his forehead.

 He sprang to his feet, hearing someone coming, and turned to see Hope emerge from the forest, stumbling as though out of a daze.

 "Hope!" he said, running to her while trying to act as cool as possible, "where were you?"

 "Captured," she said, rubbing her forehead, "a couple goons brought me in for questioning. Whatever they gave me to make me talk is giving me the worst headache…."

 She looked up at Gideon, and, for whatever reason, smiled at him.

 "Something must be wrong," Gideon thought. Hope had never smiled at him like that before.

 "Are you alright?" Gideon asked.

 "Besides the headache, pretty good. I've been better though," Hope said, though the unusual smile spread further across her face, "say, Gid, have I ever told you you have, like, really pretty eyes?"

 Gideon scrunched his brow, confused.

 "They were genetically unavoidable," he said, "brown eyes are a dominant trait. Are you sure you're…."

 "You're so smart," she interrupted, "ya know, if I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put 'u' and 'I' next to each other."

 "What's the alphabet got to do with any of this?" Gideon thought, though he figured he'd humor her.

 "Uh, I'd do something similar," Gideon said, "it'd be cool to rearrange the alphabet so it's in the order it appears on a keyboard, make it easier to learn to type. Though, I suppose in time, the order on a keyboard will be obsolete, as it'll all be touchscreens one of these days."

 "Wow. Are you from Tennessee?" Hope asked, "because you're…."

 "Hope," Gideon's concern for her wellbeing wouldn't let her finish, "you grew up just down the street from me, in Maine. Are you sure you're alright? They didn't give you a memory loss potion, did they- of course, if they did, you wouldn't know- but you said they gave you something. But what good would it do them to wipe your memory before questioning you? What do you remember from the questioning?"

 "I remember, uh," Hope said, "I think I remember someone saying 'you won't remember most of this,' and then I was back here."

 "Why don't you take a seat?" Gideon asked, leading her back to the log to sit down, "you've had quite the day."

 "Doesn't feel like it," Hope said.

 She sat down on the log. Once Gideon sat down, she slid over a little, closer to him.

 "That's a nice shirt, Gid," she said.

 Gideon tried to help jog her memory, "We got it from the merchant that came by last week, remember? It was fifty percent off."

 "I'd like it to be a hundred percent off," Hope smiled, an eyebrow raised.

 "That would be a ridiculous business model," Gideon said, "stores can't just give stuff away for free."

 "It's like you fell from heaven," Hope shook her head and smiled.

 "That's a low blow," Gideon retorted, trying not to get too angry, knowing that whatever was causing Hope's unusual mood was most likely not her fault, "what, you think I'm some kind of fallen angel or something? Is it because my dad's the Dark One? Sorry we can't all have the Savior for our mom."

 "You don't get it," Hope shook her head, "it's supposed to be a compliment. That you're from heaven."

 "Oh," Gideon thought, finally piecing it together, "it's because I died that one time and came back again. Rest assured, I…."

 Hope put a finger on his lips to shut him up.

 "Gideon Gold, you are the smartest idiot I've ever met," Hope said, then took her finger off his lips and booped his nose with it.

 "What does that mean?"

 "You're so lost in your books that you don't see what's right in front of you- and yet, here I am, right in front of you."

 "I'm not quite sure what you mean," Gideon said, pulling one of the tomes his mom had given him out of his backpack, "but we should try and figure out what kind of potion they drugged you with- maybe I can whip up an antidote or something."

 "You and your one-track mind," Hope said, head shaking, eyes rolling, "whoever said 'guys only want one thing' has never met Gideon Gold."

 "Thanks?" Gideon said, unsure if Hope meant it as a compliment or insult, "can you recall anything about whatever it was they gave you? Color, viscosity, physical side effects, flavor, smell…"

 "Flavor?" Hope asked.

 "Oh yeah," Gideon said, flipping through potential potions, "for example, adder's tongue is a bit tangy, eye of newt has an unmistakable aftertaste. If we can narrow down a few of the ingredients…."

 "I'm not sure if I've ever had eye of newt." Hope said.

 "Believe me, you'd remember if you'd had it," Gideon said, "I went through a whole bottle of mouthwash in a day the first time I tried it."

 "Then I guess I wouldn't be able to recognize its aftertaste," Hope said, then leaned a little closer, "but maybe you'd recognize it."

 "Presumably, yes," Gideon said, "if I were the one given the potion, I might be able to pick out a few of the ingredients."

 "You could try a taste and find out," Hope said, her finger tapping her lips.

 "I'm all for experiential sciences," Gideon said, "but even if you had a sample of the potion, I doubt it'd be wise for me to drink some."

 Hope sighed. "You're lucky you're pretty, Gideon."

 "Thanks," he said. Though he knew her compliment was most likely borne of whatever magic had been used on her, he still didn't mind her saying something nice to him for once, "you, uh, you look nice too."

 "I've always thought so," Hope said.

 "Me too," Gideon thought.

 He continued flipping through the book of potions. He ruled out, for the moment, transmogrification potions, as she very clearly hadn't been turned into a toad or a troll- and though he didn't rule out werewolf as a possibility yet, that wouldn't be an immediate problem anyways. The first concern in situations like this was always the highest risk potions- poisons, neurotoxins, mind control, sleeping curse- then he could move onto the more likely in the scenario, like mood enhancers and late-blooming mutations.

 So engrossed was he in his studying that he almost didn't notice as Hope slid even closer to him, her arm pressed against his, her head practically on his shoulder. He slid the book over a little closer to her, absentmindedly assuming that she'd slid over to read the book as well.

 He also almost didn't notice the search party returning until they were already in the camp.

 "Hope!" Henry called out, running over to give her a hug. Hope got up to return Henry's hug, but Gideon continued his research.

 "Are you alright?" Henry asked.

 "I'm fine," Hope said, "bit of a headache, but I'll manage."

 "I am so glad nothing happened to you," Henry said.

 "I wouldn't say nothing happened," Hope said, pulling out of her brother's embrace and holding him at arm's length, "I got captured by some thugs, but I don't remember most of it."

 "Captured?" Henry asked, "what happened?"

"I already told you, I don't remember most of it," Hope said, "I think they gave me some kind of potion. Gideon's working on figuring that out- he's really smart, and clever, and polite, and sweet, and funny, and…."

 Gideon looked up to see four confused pairs of eyes glancing back and forth between himself and Hope.

 "Whatever they drugged her with has affected her mood," he explained, "I'm not sure how. She's been acting weird ever since she got back to the camp."

 "What kind of weird?" Robin asked, taking a seat next to Gideon and looking at his potion book.

 "I can't explain it," Gideon said, "she keeps asking me all these weird questions, she's smiling more than usual, she's a little nicer than usual too."

 "I don't want to be mean to you, Gideon," Hope said, taking a seat on his other side, "You're so smart, and yet so adorably stupid sometimes, and clever, and cute- really cute."

 "See?" Gideon told the others, "something's not right."

 C.J. and Henry smiled at each other, and so did Robin and Charlotte.

 "What kind of questions was Hope asking you earlier?" Henry asked.

 "Weird ones," Gideon said.

 "They weren't weird," Hope said.

 "You asked me if I'm from Tennessee," Gideon said, "and then you asked if I was from heaven, and told me my shirt should be free, and…."

 "Those weren't questions, idiot," Hope said.

 Robin put her hand on Gideon's shoulder.

 "I think I know what kind of potion they gave her," Robin said, "it sounds like it was a love potion."

 "A love potion?" Gideon scoffed, flipping through the book to that potion, "don't be ridiculous, Robin. There's nothing they'd stand to gain from that, and in order for you to hypothesize that, she'd need to be showing symptoms, like," he read from the book in front of him, "'fawning over an individual, express interest in that individual and their interests, a desire to be close to said individual, longing for affection from said individual, even bordering on obsession.' So as you can see, there's no real grounds for that hypothesis."

 Gideon looked up from the book to see everyone staring at him like he was an idiot.

 "What?" he asked.

 Henry uncrossed his arms, only so he could pinch the bridge of his nose.

 "Those weird questions Hope was asking you," Henry shook  his head, "I think those were pickup lines."

 "Really?" Gideon turned to Hope.

 "Duh," Hope smiled.

 "But that would mean…" Gideon began. If Hope was using pickup lines on him, that meant she was trying to flirt with him, which would mean that… Gideon reread the list of side effects of the love potion.

 "Guys," Gideon said, "I think Hope's been given a love potion."

 "Really?" Robin asked, "gee, what was the first clue?" 

 Gideon looked back down at the book, "her 'express interest' in me, her 'desire to be close' to me, even 'bordering on obsession.'"

 Robin rolled her eyes.

 "I don't think it was a love potion," Hope said, "I don't feel any differently about Gideon than I normally do."

 "Really?" Gideon asked.

 "Oh yeah," Hope said, "I've felt this way about you for a long time. You're cute, and smart, and such a good friend."

 "Really?" Gideon smiled a little and scratched the back of his neck. He'd felt similarly for quite a while as well.

 "That's probably a side effect of the potion," Charlotte interjected.

 "Oh, yeah, there's a lot of side effects" Robin said, taking the book from Gideon. As she looked through it, she got up, taking the book with her.

 "I think her memory's a little fogged too, anyways," Gideon said, "she can't remember anything from the time she was captured to when she got back here."

 "No, I remember something," Hope said, "I remember someone saying 'you won't remember most of this.' Turns out, they were right."

 "That does mean we can work on an antidote though," Gideon said, "now that we know the potion, I can whip up an antidote pretty quickly. I think I have most of the supplies already," he picked up his backpack and began searching through it, "and I might be able to whip up a brain-unfogger too."

 "You're so intelligent, Gid," Hope said, placing a hand on his arm, "I like watching you ramble about magicky, sciencey stuff."

 "Thanks," Gideon smiled, trying to remind himself that the only reason Hope was complimenting him was because she was under some kind of love spell.

 "She'd never act like this if she were really herself right now," Gideon thought, "I definitely would've remembered if she did." 

 "And now that we know what we're looking for, we might be able to find a clue as to where those goons went," Charlotte said, "we should see if we can find them, while the tracks are fresh." 

 "Sounds like a good idea," Hope stood up, "I can lead you as far as I can remember."

 "You need to stay here," Robin said, "that way when Gideon gets that antidote finished, we can get you back to normal."

 "Oh, good," Hope said, taking a seat next to Gideon, "I wanted to stay here anyways."

 "Excellent," Gideon said, "I could use your help with the potion anyways."

 "We do work pretty well together," Hope nudged him.

 "I think I'll hang back too, just in case" Henry said, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at Gideon. "I'd hate for anything else to happen to my little sister."

 Hope rolled her eyes. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Henry."

 "But you'll always be my little sister," Henry said, "and if anything happened to you, especially given your current state, dad would probably kill me- and then whoever it was who took advantage of you."

 Gideon looked up at Henry, sensing this was meant as a threat against him. If anyone else had a lovely young lady like Hope falling all over him like this, they'd definitely take advantage of the scenario- but if something were to happen between himself and Hope, he'd want it to be her choice, not because of some kind of potion. Besides, as Henry had reminded him, Gideon had a healthy level of respect for her father, and would rather die on the spot than find out what happened when you crossed Captain Jones.

 "No need to worry," Gideon said, trying to ignore how close Hope was sitting next to him.

 "Believe me," Hope rolled her eyes, "Einstein over here wouldn't know I was flirting with him if I sat in his lap and begged him to kiss me."

 Gideon blushed, almost wishing she would, wondering what it would be like- though after this fiasco was over, he wouldn't be surprised if things were so awkward between them that any chance they had was ruined.

 Henry raised a disapproving eyebrow at his sister.

 "It's not like I would do that," Hope said, "not that I wouldn't want to- but love potion or not, I have at least a little dignity."

 "Besides, we could use your help out there, Henry," C.J. said, "it never hurts to have an extra pair of eyes."

 "Fine," Henry said, "just stay out of trouble, alright?"

 "I'll do my best to," Hope said, "but I can't promise I won't try anything funny."

 "Hope…."

 "I'll be good!" Hope said, "mostly?"

 "I won't try anything," Gideon said, as Robin handed him back the book, "I've got this antidote to work on anyways. We'll come help as soon as I get it figured out."

 "Alright," Henry said. He and the others left, leaving Hope and Gideon at the campsite.

 "So, what can I do to help?" Hope asked.

 "Here, hold this," Gideon said, pulling an empty vial out of his backpack.

 Hope took the vial from him, her hands on his as she did so.

 Gideon smiled a little as he let go and pulled a few ingredients out of his bag.

 "You have a really nice smile," Hope said.

 His really nice smile came out again. "Thanks," he said.

 "You're welcome," she said, "I think you're really handsome."

 "It's just the love potion talking," Gideon shook his head. He began pouring the antidote ingredients in the vial.

 "I don't think so."

 "What do you mean?"

 "I know you guys all think it's a love potion, but I don't," Hope said, "I don't feel any different around you than I normally do."

 "You're certainly acting differently," Gideon said.

 "I know," Hope said, "it's like I can't stop myself. I've said a few things already that I didn't expect myself to say. I don't want to tell you I think you're gorgeous and that the sound of your voice when you're talking about your favorite school subjects is my favorite sound in the world, and that one time your mom told me she liked me better than you and that in third grade I was the one who stole your Star Wars pencil, not Charlotte- but I can't stop saying stuff."

 Gideon looked up at Hope, who looked just as surprised as he felt.

 "What was that?" Gideon asked.

 "I stole your Star Wars pencil in third grade," Hope said, "and I didn't want to tell you that. I've never told anyone that, except Charlotte, of course- and I don't want to tell you any of this, but I can't stop."

 "What other secrets have you been keeping?" Gideon asked, formulating a new hypothesis and flipping back through his book.

 "I didn't actually roll a nat twenty when we were battling the orc king," Hope said, "the stakes were high, so I used one of the loaded D&D dice my dad got me for my birthday. He also actually looks up to you a lot. Oh, and Henry still sleeps with a nightlight, and Charlotte actually really loves apples, she's just been saying she doesn't because she wants to be like her mom. I'm also pretty sure C.J.'s afraid of sheep. I don't know why I told you all of that; I really didn't want to."

 "I know why you did," Gideon said, taking the vial from her and handing her a pinch of something else, "try some of this."

 Hope licked the powder off her hand, and immediately spat it out.

 "That's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted!" Hope said, "besides those burned gingerbread men you made last Christmas."

 "Ever tasted anything like that before?" Gideon asked.

 "No, and I never want to again," Hope said.

 "Wait," Gideon looked back down at the ingredient, "my gingerbread cookies tasted worse than eye of newt?"

 "Eye of Newt?" Hope asked, "that stuff you used a bottle of mouthwash to wash out?"

"Ground eye of newt, yes," Gideon said, "it's one of the primary ingredients in most basic love potions."

"But I've never tasted it before in my life," Hope said, "no amount of 'brain fogging' could make me forget that- and yes, your gingerbread cookies were awful- ginger's a flavor, not the main course- I just didn't want to make you feel bad because you were so proud of them."

 Gideon flipped a few pages over in the potions book.

 "I have a new hypothesis," he said, thankful that the base antidote for this potion was only a few ingredients off from the love potion antidote- and that he hadn't put those different ingredients in yet. He handed the vial back to Hope, adding a couple other ingredients as well.

 "Try this," Gideon said, as he swirled the mixture together.

 "And this'll fix me?" Hope asked.

 "If my hunch is correct, yes," Gideon nodded.

 "Alright," Hope said, "there better not be any eye of newt in here."

 Gideon watched expectantly as she drank the contents, down to the very last drop.

 "Well?" Gideon asked, "how do you feel?"

 "Better," Hope said.

 "Any other secrets you wanna share?" Gideon asked.

 "No," Hope said, "and if you tell Henry I told you about the nightlight or the loaded die, I'll flatten you."

 "Your secret's safe with me," Gideon smiled at her threat. That was the Hope he remembered.

 "I just threatened you," Hope said, "and you aren't all that smart, or cute. You did it, Gold! You cured me!"

 Excited, she threw her arms around him in a quick hug.

 "I, uh," he said, flipping back through his book, "I can whip up a memory antidote too."

 "You'd better," Hope said, gently shoving him.

 Gideon smiled as he got started on the memory potion, secretly hoping that remembering the details of her capture wouldn't make her realize what serum she'd actually taken earlier.

 Gideon was right when he'd insisted there was no way Hope was under a love potion's spell- which meant that every word she'd just said was true. She did steal his pencil in the third grade, and she did hate his gingerbread cookies, and she did think of him as smart and pretty, and she didn't not want to ask him to kiss her, and she did feel that way for a long time.  She did like him, and that was the truth- otherwise, the truth serum antidote he'd just made for her wouldn't've brought her back to normal.

 "Try this," Gideon said, handing her the memory potion.

 "Is there…?"

 "There's no eye of newt in this one either," Gideon said.

 "Just checking," Hope said. She quickly drank the contents of the vial.

 "What do you remember now?" Gideon asked.

 "It wasn't a love…" she whispered under her breath.

 "Hmm?" Gideon asked.

 "I told them so much," Hope quickly covered her tracks, "where our camp is, our attack plans- I told them everything."

 "It's alright," Gideon said, giving her a pat on the arm to reassure her.

 "I couldn't stop myself," Hope shook her head, "I… I wasn't strong enough."

 "It's alright," Gideon said, "probably just a side effect of the love potion."

 "What?" Hope asked.

 He didn't let his eyes shift from hers, hoping he could feign sincerity.

 "The love potion," he said, "the one they gave you. Probably made you loose-lipped, more liable to talk. Don't sweat it."

 "Right," Hope nodded, "the love potion. That's all it was."

 If Hope ever wanted to tell him the truth, she could on her own time- she'd done more than enough of that already today.

 And for now, her secret was safe with him.

[wild-aloof-rebel]

Leslie! What is new? Are you in any new fandoms? Loving baseball? We miss you!

aww, thanks, anon! 💗 what is new with me... i guess the main thing is that i got a new job, which is nice. it's been much less stressful so far than my old one was for most of the last year, so i've been slowly regaining some of my mental energy (and a more regular sleep schedule), and that's letting me finally start to [just barely] dip my toe back into writing. that's prob still gonna feel like the gears are grinding for a while, but i know it'll eventually get easier as i get back into it more

no new fandoms, though i've been taking a little detour back through an old, persistent one and doing a chronological rewatch of all the star wars-verse movies, shows, and shorts over the last few weeks. i just finished the mandalorian again for that, which puts me at 86.87% of the way done with everything now. (you will probably not be surprised to learn there is a spreadsheet to keep track of it, lol)

definitely still watching plenty of baseball, though i've only managed to make it to one regular-season game in person so far this year. we went to nine games in five days during spring training and the world baseball classic though, so that makes up for it a bit. and i'm gonna make it to every game of a three-game series in a couple weeks, so i'm looking forward to that. still not loving the rule changes this season though, but what can you do? 🤷‍♀️

otherwise, def still thinking about sc and missing david and patrick, and i'm hoping that once i get my writing brain actually working again i can finally finish writing the other chapters of the hardest part. i'm def still here on tumblr, too—not nearly as much as before my job blew up last year, especially during the work day, but i am indeed still kicking around here most days, any time anyone feels like saying hi!