#I’ve healed (hung out with my people)

[poopiefart420]

POV what happens when I’m left to my own devices

Bonus pic 😇vvvv

Recreation of this thing we saw on insta

[dekariosclan]

With you, I forget my goddess

So, I have completed Bg3 twice now, but on both runs I’ve romanced Gale (truly shocking, I know) and therefore I had never seen Gale’s non-romance discussion with Tav about the Annals of Karsus.

I recently got to see it, and what surprised me the most is how extremely angry and bitter Gale is about Mystra’s treatment of him. Rightfully and understandably so, but it’s something we do not see or experience in the romance version.

This got me thinking about the difference in Gale’s reactions in the friendship vs romance scenes, why they are different, and also how this relates to the complaints I’ve read about Gale ‘still not being over Mystra even when romancing Tav’.

(Note that I’m mainly going to focus on the portions of each dialogue that relate to Mystra in particular, and I’m not referencing the ‘alternate’ boat scene w/Gale—where he tells you beforehand that he will return the crown to her—since he doesn’t mention Mystra at all there.)

Screencaps below are from @munmomuu’s wonderful video on YouTube. The screencaps take place after Gale has read the Karsus book. If you are romancing him, before you reach this point, the conversation ends because he tells you he wants to discuss it later “in private,” during the boat scene.

But in a friendship run, he will explain what he’s read to you and then begin to make his case for using the crown:

Gale: Some gods may delude themselves into believing they care about their worshippers, but when it comes down to it - we’re all expendable. Children to be appeased, not respected.

Gale: I worshipped Mystra loyally for years, and in that time she granted me the barest sliver of the power I was ready to wield.

Gale: Even with the fate of the world at stake, she had little more to offer me than the means of blowing myself up at a more convenient time. She’s done nothing to help us.

There then comes a dialogue branch where Tav can ask this:

And Gale replies, with understandable bitterness:

Gale: She sent me to die.

Look at how angry he is during this whole exchange, and how he focuses all that anger on the past, and what Mystra has done to him (or not done, as he points out she’s offered them no help at all.)

— — —

Now let’s compare this to his Mystra dialogue in the boat scene:

Gale: I’ve already defied Mystra. Had I followed her command, there’d be nothing left of me but a smoking crater.

Gale: The tadpoles, the orb - these threats to our existence - the gods could aid us if they wished, but instead they cower behind Ao. So let us act ourselves.

Gale: I used to believe Mystra’s forgiveness was worth dying for. But I was wrong. You showed me just how much I have to live for.

Notice how there’s no fiery anger at Mystra here, just Gale’s resigned belief that the Gods have failed them.

So what’s the key component that makes Gale react so differently in each scenario?

It is, of course, Tav.

More specifically, it’s Tav’s love for him, which has clearly helped his heart heal from the trauma that he’s experienced. Yes, Tav’s friendship is extremely important as well, and yes, Gale is still insecure even with Tav’s love (‘you would really prefer me as I am?’) but the extreme bitterness, the anger, all of that is gone. Here, Gale is no longer hung up on Mystra and the past; he’s looking to the future. Because now that he has Tav, what he desires most is to take his life and his fate back from the Gods and into his own hands—with Tav at his side.

The irony is that some people complain about Gale ‘not being over Mystra’ while he’s actively romancing Tav, but just look at the difference in the dialogue! Look at how focused he is on Mystra when he is not romancing Tav, and then how she becomes a mere afterthought once Tav has claimed his heart.

I really enjoyed seeing this level of detail. I think it perfectly illustrates Gale’s frame of mind in each scenario, as well as showing the positive impact Tav’s love has on Gale.

And last but not least—it confirms that Gale was not exaggerating when he says this:

Gale: With you, I forget my goddess. I love you.

— — —

[writingwithcolor]

Author with cultural disconnect: How do I write without making it seem as if I hate my own heritage?

Anonymous asked:

I’m a white-passing Asian author, and I’ve never felt all that connected with my heritage. My current story centers on a fairy (re: fantasy-world POC) child and ends with her realizing that her parents are toxic af and her human best friend’s family takes her in. This is the perfect opportunity to sort through my own issues with my heritage and finally convince my monkey-brain that it’s okay to not know how to cook Vietnamese food or celebrate tet or speak Vietnamese… But I also realize that if I’m not careful, this could easily slip into “Hey, I hate my heritage and so should you!” So how can I stop that from happening?

Writing for yourself first, not an audience

I ask you a simple question: why put pressure on yourself to have any sort of non-offensive messaging for a story that hasn’t been drafted yet and is to convince your monkey brain it’s okay to exist as yourself?

That seems like the fastest way to stop the story from being actually cathartic and instead a performance art piece when you already feel hung up on performing as “properly” part of your culture.

As I said in Working Through Identity Issues and Other Pitfalls of Representation, not all stories you write need to be for public consumption. Especially stories you’re using for your own self-processing and therapy, because you’re trying to get a cathartic moment that is rewriting your own story.

At what point does the public need to be involved in that?

I do understand the compulsion to want to post—I have definitely posted some Questionable™ material in my drive to get validation for feeling the way I do, wanting people to witness me and say “same.” It’s a powerful urge. Sometimes it’s worked, but most of the time it’s just made me feel horrifically exposed.

But you really do not have to post in public to get any sort of validation. Set up a groupchat with friends if you want the cheerleading and witnessing—people who will know your story and give you good-faith interpretations and won’t accuse you of anything. Honestly I’d suggest setting up this groupchat anyway; as someone who just got one again after quite a few years without it, my productivity has skyrocketed from being around supportive people.

Let the monkey brain have its monkey brain moment and shut off the concept the story is for the public. Shut off the concept of performing for an unknown audience. It’s for you. Be authentic, no matter how bad it would look to outsiders. They’re not reading it. Part of getting catharsis, sometimes, is being the worst version of yourself, somewhere nobody else can see it.

Deciding to publish the work

If, after you do write it, you find that you actually do want to polish it up and put it somewhere… edit it. Rewrite it entirely if that’s what it takes. Take the story through the same drafting process every story needs to go through, ripping out the unfortunate implications as you go.

Editing can be its own form of healing, as you try to figure out what this character would need to not be hateful. As you realize, once this longform journal entry is out of your head, what was bothering you now that you can see it pinned down on a page. But you absolutely do not need to write with the intention of editing in that healing. When I’ve tried, it’s fallen flat.

The healing will come from being yourself, no public involved, and writing about your feelings in their rawest form. Anything else is extra.

There’s no point in trying to put guard rails on the drafting process, not for a deeply personal piece. And by the time that drafting process is done, you’ll likely have specific scenarios and contexts that you can ask about, and you might even have ideas on how to fix it yourself once the story has a shape to it.

This is 100% a situation where there’s no real sense in idea workshopping something in the plotting stage. You’re doing something for you. Decide if it’s for public consumption later (while acknowledging “no” is a perfectly valid answer), and only figure out how to make the story not overtly harmful if you decide to put it out into the public.

~ Leigh

[caplanbuckybarnes]

Break Me (Wolverine One Shot)

Summary: Logan tries so desperately to push you away.

Warnings: angst, arguments.

WC: 940ish

Read on Ao3!

The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating. You stood in front of Logan, your hands trembling at your sides, your heart pounding so hard you were sure he could hear it. His eyes were sharp, full of that unyielding intensity he was known for. But tonight, that intensity was focused entirely on you.

"You can’t keep doing this," you said, your voice breaking despite your best efforts to remain steady. "Every time you push me away, it hurts, Logan. It’s like you’re always looking for a reason to run."

Logan’s jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "I’m not good for you," he growled, his voice low and rough. "You think you know me, but you don’t. You don’t know what I’ve done."

"I don’t care!" you shouted, your frustration boiling over. "I don’t care about your past, or what you think you’ve done. I care about you—about who you are now."

But Logan wasn’t listening. His eyes darkened, the walls he’d built around himself growing higher with every word. He turned away from you, running a hand through his disheveled hair as if he was trying to get a grip on himself, on the emotions he refused to acknowledge.

"Dammit," he muttered under his breath, pacing the room like a caged animal. "You’ll regret this. You’ll regret staying with me. Hell, you’ll regret even meeting me."

You felt the sting of his words like a slap to the face. Logan always had a way of cutting deep, of saying just the right thing to push people away. But this time, you weren’t going to let him. Not without a fight.

"Stop telling me how I’m supposed to feel!" you snapped, stepping forward, your voice trembling with the weight of everything you’d kept inside for too long. "I made my choice, Logan. I chose you, knowing everything. And you? You’re the one who’s afraid, not me."

Logan froze at that, his back still turned to you, but his entire body tense, coiled like a spring. For a moment, the only sound in the room was your labored breathing, the silence between you deafening.

He didn’t respond, and that hurt more than anything. The man who could heal from any wound was terrified of letting you heal his heart. It was ironic, tragic even.

"Look at me," you pleaded, your voice softer now, the anger giving way to desperation. "Please, just… look at me."

Slowly, Logan turned, his eyes filled with a storm of emotions you’d rarely seen from him. Anger, frustration, fear… but underneath it all, something softer. Something he was too proud, too stubborn to admit.

"You think you’re better off with me," he said, his voice low and bitter. "But I’m tellin’ ya, you’ll regret this decision forever. You’ll regret tying yourself to someone like me."

The weight of his words hung in the air, but you weren’t going to let him win this fight. Not this time.

"Maybe I will," you said quietly, stepping closer until you were only a few feet away from him. "But that’s my choice. Not yours."

Logan’s eyes flickered with something unreadable as you reached out, your fingers brushing lightly against his hand. For a moment, he didn’t move, didn’t pull away. He just stood there, torn between pushing you away again and pulling you close like he always wanted to.

"You deserve better," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. But this time, it didn’t sound like an excuse. It sounded like a confession.

"Maybe," you agreed softly, your gaze steady as you looked up at him. "But I don’t want better. I want you."

There it was. The truth, laid bare between you. Logan’s eyes softened, and for the briefest moment, you saw the vulnerability he tried so hard to hide. The man behind the claws, behind the pain.

He sighed, a deep, weary sound, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he let his guard down—if only just a little.

"You don’t know what you’re asking for," he said, his voice rough but quieter now. "I’m not easy to love."

You smiled, stepping closer until you were inches apart. "Neither am I," you whispered, your hand finally wrapping around his, your touch warm against his skin. "But we’ll figure it out. Together."

Logan looked down at where your hands were joined, his breath hitching slightly as though the simple gesture meant more to him than he could ever say.

For a long moment, neither of you spoke. The weight of everything—the fear, the uncertainty, the pain—hung in the air between you, but it didn’t feel as suffocating now. It felt manageable. Like something you could handle as long as you faced it together.

Finally, Logan let out a long, ragged breath and pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly against his chest. His grip was strong, almost desperate, but you didn’t mind. In fact, you clung to him just as tightly.

"Maybe you’re right," he murmured into your hair, his voice rough but sincere. "Maybe… maybe we can figure this out."

You smiled against his chest, your heart finally calming as the tension between you dissolved. "One step at a time," you whispered, resting your head against him. "That’s all I’m asking for."

And in that moment, as Logan held you close, you knew that no matter how hard things got, no matter how many walls he tried to put up between you, you weren’t going anywhere.

Because some things were worth fighting for—and you would never regret choosing Logan. Not for a second.

[rebelliousstories]

Protector

Relationship: Remy LeBeau/Gambit x Reader

Fandom: X-Men

Request: Yes by Anon

Warnings: Fluff, Mentions of Ailments and Sickness

Word Count: 1,073

Main Masterlist: Here

X-Men Masterlist: Here

Summary: Running a fever and having to deal with medical shenanigans is a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, a certain Cajun knows how to keep calm under pressure.

Consider Donating: Here

There was nothing fun about being sick, anyone will tell you that. What is worse is being sick in a home full of people with powers. And yet, no one can heal whatever ailment she had. It was ridiculous. She was not sick enough to go down into the infirmary, but just enough that she was staying hopped up on DayQuil and trying to rest as much as possible. But she still had tests to grade, and assignments to make, and none of this could be done from her bed. It had to be done at her desk so she actually got the work done.

“Ma cher, da Gambit is here. Where ya at?” Bumbling into their room with a card between his fingers and a new bottle of Jack Daniels, her boyfriend had come in. She tried to call out to him, but was cut off with a cough that revenged her throat.

“Oh, cher. Whatcha doin’ now, huh? You ain’t supposed to be up if you feelin’ like dis. Come on, to bed wicha.” He slid across the bedroom, and set down the objects in his hands in favor of helping his lover.

“No. I’m glad you’re back Gambit, but I’m fine, sweetie. I need to finish my work and then I can go to bed.” Remy leveled her with an unamused expression as she turned back to her work.

“How long you been workin’ at dat?” He questioned, coming over as he was still dressed in his suit. Taking off the long leather trench coat, the man ran a hand over her shoulder as she did not take her eyes off the pages.

“Ever since I finished my classes for today.”

“You did your classes today feelin’ like this? Mon amour, you must take care of yourself.” He pulled the fingers off of one hand and pressed it against her forehead. It was starting to feel clammy and hot; she had a fever coming on, and she was being too stubborn about accepting help for Remy’s liking.

“You’re burning up. Come now, cher. You go bed now.” But no matter how much he tried to move her, she remained stubborn and resolute.

“No Remy, I’ve gotta get my work done.” She protested.

“Yes. Come on.”

“No. I can’t take any time off.”

They went back and forth for a minute or two before the man releashed his touch on the woman and hung his head.

“Why won’t you just take some time to recover, cher? These can wait.” Remy, once again, tried to reason with her.

“No, they can’t!” She screamed, throwing her hands up in frustration. “I’ve gotta-”trying to form the proper words to convey her frustration, her breath skipped. Once that skip happened, it was all over. Her heart began beating hard and fast. Her hands were shaking. She was hyperventilating. She was sending herself into an anxiety attack.

As soon as he recognized what was going on, Remy jumped into action. The other set of fingers came off, and soon he was wrapping her up in his arms. Pulling her into his chest, he began stroking her hair and trying to calm her down. Her tears continued to fall. They fatten with each passing second, and showed no signs of slowing. He showed no signs of letting her go, out of comfort. Which was the same reason she was clinging to him now.

But he just provided her the comfort that she needed in that moment. He slowed his breathing, and placed her head on his chest. Remy’s hand grasped one of hers, and rubbed soothing circles on her knuckles. She was starting to slow her breathing, following Gambit’s lead, and was letting out quiet sniffles as she was resting against his chest.

“There, there cher. You gon’ be alright,” Remy whispered, and pressed a kiss to her head. “Just let it out. You gon’ be just fine.”

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, “I’m just- I’m so overwhelmed. I hate being so sick. And I can’t think cause my head is all stuffy. I’m worried about getting droplets on my papers from coughing, but I’m more worried about coughing because I don’t want to spread this to the kids. But I need to finish these before tomorrow. I promised I would have these done by tomorrow.”

Remy’s heart broke at the sight and sound of his lover. Her own downfall was going to be her steadfast nature to stay ahead of her work for the school. But surely, this was not a matter of life and death for anyone.

“Dey’ll understand if you take a lil longer for how you feelin’. Come on, you not gonna do any good work like dis. Let Gambit take care o’ his cher. I make you a thing of Nawlens syrup. Best thing my mama ever make for me when I was sick.” With that, she finally conceded and allowed him to help her to bed. Remy sat her down on the bed, and turned to give her a pair of pajama pants. He set it down on the bed, averting his eyes from her, and only turned around when she tapped his shoulder. Gambit took her clothes and pulled back the covers as he watched her crawl in.

The man disappeared into the bathroom afterwards to change from his suit. He heard rustling from inside the next room, but felt better knowing that she was finally taking care of herself. Slipping into a cut off shirt and some sweatpants, Remy opened the door to the bedroom to see an adorable sight. His girlfriend was lying in the bed with her face smushed into the side of his pillow. Making his way to the bed, Gambit felt bad for disturbing her, but it must be done. He grabbed her and realized that she was already fast asleep.

Remy sneaked underneath her on his side of the bed, and replaced the pillow with his own chest. She moaned, squirmed, but ultimately resettled in her new spot. While she drifted off, Remy stayed up for a little just watching her sleep. He was always going to be there to tell her to take a break. He was always going to be there to take care of her. Even if she did not understand why he did or said what he did or said, he knew why. Everything was done to keep her safe.

[justice4canyonmoon]

something about y/n losing her virginity to harry? please

I hope you enjoy almost 3k words of the softest filth I've ever written 😉 Also, I pictured this as LHH (my beloved) so that's why he's described as having long hair!

warnings: smut!! 18+ only!! vaginal fingering, nipple play (briefly), p in v sex, loss of virginity, innocent reader, soft dom! harry

WC: 2.8 k

Your parents always told you to wait until marriage. Said it wasn’t “ladylike” to give yourself to someone before you were truly dedicated to one another for life. And for a long time you believed them. But now, you were about to graduate college, and you still hadn’t had sex. Your friends all had: Sarah, Mitch, Adam, Harry, Niall, and all of the other people you hung out with found someone to suit them (with Mitch and Sarah it was each other, which you all totally called your freshman year). But you still hadn’t. And you had to say, you didn’t really believe your parents anymore. You wanted to see what the fuss was about. And you wanted it with Harry.

You had always had a bit of a crush on him: the long curls, bright green eyes, full lips, and dimple had drawn you in when you first met in your math class, but his sweet smile, gentle laugh, and kindness made you fall head over heels. Every time he got a new partner, your heart broke a little more, and every time he broke up with them, it healed again. You went through this vicious cycle all throughout your schooling, but tonight, you thought maybe you could break out of it. Harry had been single throughout your whole senior year, and your friends were hanging out at his place tonight. Maybe you could get him alone…

“Alright, I think you’ve had a few too many, Mitch. I’ll get him home.”

Sarah held her boyfriend up, still giggling at how he could barely get up from the chair. Adam had already gone home, since he had an 8-page final essay due for his writing class, and Niall hadn’t been able to come since he was studying for his music theory final. As soon as Harry finished helping Sarah get Mitch out to her car, he came back to find you still on his couch, taking a small sip from the bottle of hard cider you had been drinking. You purposefully didn’t drink enough to get you drunk, wanting to remember this. Sure, this could go horribly wrong and Harry could reject you and not want to be your friend again. But maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way as you. And you would get what you wanted.

“Will you need a ride home? Or are you okay to drive?” he asked.

You smiled, “I’ve only drank one bottle of cider. I’ll be fine, H.”

He smiled back, sitting beside you once more, “Can’t believe it’s almost over. I’ll miss you all when we go.”

“Me too,” you replied, “but I think I’ll miss you the most.”

Harry quirked up a brow, his smile becoming more of a smirk, “Oh, really? And why would that be?”

You sighed, pushing down your nerves and steeling yourself for a potential rejection.

“Because I want you, H. As more than just my friend.”

You paused, waiting for his answer. You locked eyes, trying to read his expression, but it was unusually blank. There was silence. A bit too much. Then his response.

“I wish you had told me that earlier. Before we were about to move home.”

You took one of his large hands in yours, interlacing your fingers.

“I’ve liked you for so long, Harry. But it seemed like every time I worked up the nerve to say something, you’d be with someone else. I didn’t want that to happen again, so I just didn’t say anything,” you explained.

His eyes softened, holding a twinge of guilt, “Only dated other people because I didn’t think I could be yours. Didn’t want to ruin the friendship.”

He brought your hand up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss to your knuckles. You couldn’t help but get a little flustered, feeling heat rise to your cheeks.

“I felt the same way. Except I just stayed single because I’m a loser,” you joked.

A frown stretched across his lips, “No, you’re not. Don’t say things like that.”

“Well no one’s ever fucked me, so I think that might be true.”

And there it was. The invitation you wanted to send. You could only hope that he would accept. 

Harry looked you in the eyes, his expression unusually serious compared to the bright eyed, joyful man you’d come to know.

“I don’t ever want you to think that about yourself. You’re such a lovely person, could never be a loser,” you smiled bashfully at that, but he continued, “and, well, if you’d like to change that…”

He trailed off, knowing you would know what he meant.

“I do, Harry,” you pulled him closer to you, your knees touching because of your close proximity, “I want that with you. I just wouldn’t really know where to start.”

He let go of your hand in favor of cupping your jaw, brushing his thumb against your soft skin, “Would you like me to teach you?”

You nodded, feeling a bit too shy to speak now. Harry smiled reassuringly, gently resting his other hand on your thigh.

“Let me know what you feel comfortable with, okay?”

“Okay,” you managed to get out.

That was all he needed before his lips were on yours. 

They were just as soft as you imagined: plush, pink, and experienced as they moved against your own. You had kissed someone before, so this was at least familiar territory. But soon, he pulled you into his lap, his long curls tickling your skin as he deepened the kiss. You couldn’t help but gasp softly in surprise as his hands moved from cupping your cheek to wrapping around your waist. You felt almost dizzy, and it was just a kiss.

Harry pulled away then, looking deep into your eyes, “Still okay?”

You nodded, but he shook his head, “Need you to tell me. I want to make sure I have your full permission for everything we do.”

Your heart swelled. You doubted you’d find any other man who would treat you like this.

“I’m okay, Harry. Still a little nervous.”

He smiled, “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll take care of you. May I take this off?”

You hadn’t even noticed he was tugging on your shirt, but his question brought it to your attention.

Remembering his request, you said, “Yes, H.”

You lifted your arms above your head as he undressed you. You couldn’t help but feel a bit shy at your exposed position, moving your arms to cover yourself.

“Fucking beautiful,” Harry cooed, gently unwrapping your arms from your torso, “don’t need to hide from me, baby, you’re so damned pretty.”

Heat rose to your cheeks again as you mumbled a bashful “thank you.”

“Here, I’ll take mine off too.”

You gawked as Harry stripped his shirt off, revealing his toned and tattooed torso. 

“Glad you’re enjoying the show,” he quipped as he stood from the couch, “but I’m not doing any more until we get to the bedroom. Not taking your virginity on my couch.”

You broke eye contact, slightly embarrassed as you stood up as well, “I didn’t mean to stare, H.”

He gently gripped your hips and leaned forward, lips brushing your ear, “I want you to look, darling.”

As quickly as he stepped into your space, he left it, walking the short distance to his bedroom and gesturing for you to follow. You did, still flustered as you walked past him into the familiar space. Harry closed the door behind you, despite the two of you being alone, and sat on the bed, patting his lap.

“Come here, baby.”

You quickly obeyed, sitting on his lap.

He cupped your face in his hands again, “If at any point you feel uncomfortable, please tell me. It’s okay if we don’t go the whole way today, just want you to feel safe.”

“I’ll tell you, I promise. But I don’t think anything you’ll do will make me feel uncomfortable,” you answered honestly, making him smile.

He leaned in and kissed you again, reintroducing the familiar motions. You went along happily, already addicted to his kisses. But soon, he was gently laying you back until your back was against the mattress. Harry’s hands traveled down your body, stopping at your bra.

“May I?”

“Of course, H.”

He unhooked your bra, throwing it onto the ground carelessly as he took in your fully topless torso. His large hands cupped your breasts, thumbs brushing against your nipples. You jumped from his touch, making him chuckle.

“Sensitive, aren’t you?” he remarked before replacing his thumbs with his lips, licking and sucking at your pert nipples.

You gasped, grabbing at his luscious curls, “Oh, Harry.” 

You felt him smile against you as he continued his ministrations. You barely noticed his hands traveling down until they tugged at the zipper of your jeans. He looked up at you, silently asking permission.

You nodded, lifting your hips, “Please, H, take them off.”

Harry obliged, undoing the zipper and button of your jeans and tugging them down your legs until you were left in just your panties. He lifted his head and drank you in, tugging down the cotton fabric until you were bare before him. Just like before, you felt a bit shy from the attention, but Harry wasn’t letting you cover up.

“Shit, baby, you’re even more beautiful than I thought you’d be.”

You had lost count of the amount of times you blushed, “Y-you thought about this?”

“So many times,” he confessed, “wanted to be the first one who made you feel good.”

“I’ve wanted that too. For so long. But you can’t do that if you still have your pants on,” you teased.

He chuckled, “I suppose you’re right. Want to help me?”

You nodded eagerly, tugging the zipper down on his ridiculously tight jeans and helping to shove them down his thick thighs. Now all that was separating you was his boxers. There was a sizeable tent in the fabric, and Harry laughed softly again when he caught you staring.

“Want me to take those off, too?”

You nodded, not bothering with words since he knew how needy you were. He guided your hand to the waistband of his underwear, encouraging you to drag them down. And you did so happily.

Holy shit, he was big.

Of course, this was the first time you had seen a cock, so you supposed you didn’t have much to go off of. But it looked big. 

Harry could see the nerves return to your expression, “Don’t worry, lovely. It won’t hurt. I’ll open you up a bit first. Lay back down.”

You listened, laying your head back on the plush pillows as Harry leaned forward, hovering above you. His hands gently ran along your thighs. You knew he was doing it to make sure that you were comfortable, but quite honestly, you were beginning to get a little impatient.

“Want it, H. Need your fingers.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Not so shy anymore, hm? Am I making you wait too long?”

He didn’t give you a chance to answer his question, running his fingers through your folds to collect your wetness on his fingers. The response you would’ve had came out as a choked moan as you watched him slip his fingers into his mouth.

“Taste so fucking good,” Harry groaned, “definitely eating this perfect pussy next time.”

Heat rose to your cheeks once more at the implication that there would be a next time. But you didn’t have much of a chance to think about it as he used those fingers to spread your pussy open.

“So pretty,” he murmured almost to himself, dragging his fingers through your wet folds.

“Please, Harry,” you whined, tired of being teased.

He smiled at you, “Don’t worry, baby. Said I’d take care of you.”

And his first finger entered you, stretching your entrance in a way it hadn’t been before. Sure, you’d used your own fingers and a toy or two. But it was so different in the best way when someone else did it. 

“Shit,” you gasped as he stretched you open, smirking at how tight you were against just one of his fingers.

“Relax for me, baby. Gonna need at least one more finger, if not two to make sure you’re nice and ready for me.”

You willed yourself to relax, allowing yourself to sink into the pillows as he pressed inside of you. He pulled out completely before re-entering with two fingers, making you moan out in pleasure.

“Oh fuck! Harry!”

“That’s it, beautiful. Look so good taking my fingers like this,” he praised, curling his fingers inside of you, “bet you’ll look even prettier with my cock.”

“Want it, Harry, please,” you begged.

“Not yet, pretty. Need to make sure you’re nice and stretched open for me.”

He took his sweet time, teasing you with the slow drag of his fingers. The sounds coming from your pussy were obscene, wetness squelching around his fingers as he fucked you. You could feel the coil in your belly and your pussy clenched around him.

“Gonna cum for me, baby? Can feel you squeezing me.”

You nodded, already too far gone to speak. Harry smirked, then leaned in to suck your clit. 

You saw stars, vision becoming slightly fuzzy as you experienced the best orgasm of your life. He fucked you through it, fingers not stopping as you soaked them.

“That’s it, pretty. So good for me,” he praised.

When you came down from your high, Harry smirked at you, “Think you're ready for this cock, baby?”

“Please, Harry! Need to feel you in me, please,” you begged, not particularly caring if you sounded desperate. 

He rolled a condom over his cock and lined himself up with your entrance.

Harry’s expression turned serious again, “Promise you’ll tell me if it hurts at all.”

You nodded, “I will, H, promise.”

Satisfied with your answer, he leaned in and kissed you softly as his tip breached your entrance. You gasped softly: if you thought his fingers stretched you out, it was nothing compared to the girth of his cock. Harry murmured soft encouragements into your skin as he slowly entered you, filling your pussy for the first time. You couldn’t speak even if you wanted to, the only sounds escaping your lips were broken whimpers. Soon, he was fully sheathed inside of you, making you the fullest you had ever been in your life.

“Harry,” you whined.

He smiled at you, lovingly brushing your hair from your face, “Feel okay, baby?”

You nodded, “So full. Move, please?”

Of course, he couldn’t say no if you asked so politely. So slowly, he rolled his hips, testing the waters. The sweet moan that spilled from your mouth was enough confirmation that you were ready. He pulled out almost entirely before slamming back in, setting a slow yet still somehow relentless pace as he fucked you. Choked gasps and whines fell from your lips with abandon as Harry pounded you. It was absolute bliss. He looked like an angel, long hair framing his perfect face as his brow was furrowed in concentration, determined to make you feel good.

“So good, Harry,” you managed to gasp out to assuage his worries.

He smiled then, lips brushing your temple as he continued his slow, yet powerful thrusts, “Yeah? You like it?”

“Love it,” you moaned as he brushed a spot inside of you, “Right there, H.”

“Here?” he asked cheekily as he hit that spot again, turning you into a pile of mush.

Harry sped up a bit, sensing that you could take more. You moaned desperately as he continued to hit that perfect spot inside of you with every thrust. His cock filled you deliciously, and quite honestly, you didn’t know how you went without it until now. 

“Fuck, feel like I’m gonna cum soon, your pussy is just too perfect. Are you close, pretty?”

You nodded, feeling the coil in your belly once more, “So close, Harry! Please!”

“Need you to cum so I can. C’mon baby, give it to me,” he commanded. 

One of his thumbs moved between your bodies, skillfully rubbing your clit. You writhed around his as your orgasm slammed into you, completely taking your breath away. Somehow, it was even better than the first one, your vision blurring even more as you clenched around him. You vaguely heard yourself whimpering his name brokenly as he spilled into the condom, groaning as he found his release. You were brought back to reality from the feeling of his lips brushing against yours, and you responded to his kiss as best you could.

He smiled, brushing his thumbs against your cheeks, “Was that good for you, baby?”

“Absolutely perfect, Harry. Thank you,” you answered shyly, running your fingers through his curls.

You may not be going to college together anymore in a few weeks, but you knew this wasn’t the last time you’d see him. Not when he treated you better than any other man possibly could.

[thebestofoneshots]

Gilded Constellations | wolfstar x reader

Series Masterlist | Previous episode

Pairing: Wolfstar x Reader Word Count: 6.1 K Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence. (Reader discretion is advised). Prompt: Turns out healing takes time This IS a wolfstar x reader fic, but it's incredibly slow burn. They won't start all dating each other until we're very deep into the story, but I promise the long wait will be worth it.

Chapter 22: Long Long way from home

You woke up when you heard the sound of the door creaking open, James and Peter walking inside with a sigh. You nuzzled your head deeper on Sirius. But of course, there was no way you’d escape the boys teasing. 

“You were supposed to take care not advantage of her!” Peter said, faking a reproachful tone. 

“Yeah Pads, look at you snuggling her, poor thing, she must be so uncomfortable!” added James with a small smile. 

“I’m probably the one who’s taking advantage of my situation,” you mumbled, Sirius gave you a bit of an impressed look, but neither of you pulled away from the other. “How’s Rem?” 

“Better,” Peter said as he plopped down on his bed “Pomfrey managed to accommodate all of his bones, he had some Skellegro and a bunch of painkillers, but he was pretty upset.” 

“He kept asking if you were okay,” James said, “We told him you were with Sirius, but he said he saw you, or, at least that he saw the vixen…” 

“He did see Vixen,” Sirius responded, “that’s how I brought her into the castle.” 

“We had to get some dittany to put on my wound since it wouldn’t stop bleeding so we used her as an excuse, a hurt fox is not as attention-grabbing as a bleeding student.” 

“In the infirmary, she wiggled out of my arms and peaked through the curtains, that’s probably where he saw her.”

“Yeah, he did see me,” you acknowledged, and yawned. “Pomfrey was still working with his bones, he looked like he was in a lot of pain, I feel terrible,” you admitted, digging your head into Sirius’ chest, he moved his hand to your hair in response, soothingly running his fingers on your scalp. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Sirus said about at the same time James did, Peter said the same thing, but started about a second later, causing a funny chorus of reassuring voices. 

“In fact, what you did was insanely brave,” James added, “most people would’ve straight out attacked the wolf, I’m sure you know spells that would’ve done great damage to Moony.” 

“And you used Stupify, and the Whomping Willow, to deter him instead,” Peter said, that same expression he had used when he talked about your broom tricks. 

“We found your wands too,” James said, walking closer to you and letting your wand on the side table, “Remus’ was easier to find, exactly where you had left it, yours wasn’t so much. Peter had to use a locating spell.”

The boy nodded and then turned to you again, “How are you feeling, by the way?” Peter asked.

“Like shit,” you joked. “But I’m better, the shoulder wound hurts like a bitch, and I’m a little sore but I do feel a lot better than last night.” 

Peter, who had spent the last bit of the night next to you, looking at the way bIood dripped from your wound and how you shivered due to the cold water, really was thankful to see you better, all warm and cosy next to Sirius, he smiled. Last night you looked worried and terrified and like you had run for your life, which you really had. Today you finally looked relaxed, the frown, even visible in Vixen, was gone, “That’s good to hear,” he said honestly. 

You were about to say something else when there was a knock on the door. “Who is it?” asked James.

“Lily, open up Potter!” She said.  

The boy went pale, trying to think of excuses to give her. “She knows, she helped patch her up,” Sirius told him. James nodded with a sigh and walked to the door, opening it to let the redhead walk inside. 

She had a lot more ingredients on her hands this time around, a bag hung across her shoulder and a small vial with a potion held in between her hands, “I’ve brought a couple of potions, Kless sent one too, when I told him you’d had a bit of a rough night trying to get the flower. I didn’t say anything in specific but he said this would help with any bruises or swelling from falling or muscle exertion.” 

“Lemme help,” James said, taking in some of the ingredients Lily had on her hands, and also took the bag from her shoulder, quickly sitting it on the desk. 

“Brought you clothes too,” she added, “And I told McGonagall you were feeling really bad because of your period, she gave me a note for the rest of the teachers today. I also went back to the infirmary and swiped some bandages, so we can put on your arm and before a long sleeve.” 

“What about her face?” Peter asked, he had seen the bruises, there was no way you could mask those, especially since they all formed the shape of a hand. 

“If the potions don’t fade them away before tomorrow, makeup,” Lily replied. 

“Yeah,  I was thinking of that too, and I’ll just say I accidentally bumped into an owl or something while flying.” 

“Oooh, clever,” James said, you shot him a wink. Sirius wrapped the blanket around you and helped you incorporate while Lily walked closer with the potions. 

“This one’s for the pain,” she said handing you a small vial, “drink half of it, the next half when it comes back.” You nodded and did as told “This is the one Kless sent,” she said handing a bottle with a dropper “He said 5 drops every hour are great for swelling and soreness… and I want to wash you up before putting on the bandages, so we should probably go back to our room soon,” she turned to the boys “James would you mind passing me the bag please?” 

The boy instantly did as told “I found this plaid shirt in your trunk, you can put it on top and maybe with the invisibility cloak or… you could also turn back into a fox I suppose…” 

“Into Vixen,” Peter said.

“What? I don’t care about the technical terms–” Lily asked, a little confused. 

“–No. I mean the fox, her name’s Vixen now.” 

You raised an eyebrow “Is it?” you asked, turning to him. 

“Yeah,” James said with a nod, “you needed a name for your animagus, Vixen fits, both the fox and you, it was perfect.” 

You raised an eyebrow “Should I be offended by that?” you questioned, looking at Lily who shrugged. 

“It does kinda fit,” she said. “I mean you’re stubborn but alluring, and charming–“ 

“–Clever and cunning, too.” Peter added, “We were discussing it all through Defence Against the Dark Arts.” 

“Well… I like it,” Sirius said, leaning in closer to you and wrapping his arms around your waist, careful not to move the bed too much since the potions were still there “My little Vixen,” he whispered in your ear. You pouted in response. 

“But… Vixen?” 

“You’ll come around,” Peter said with a shrug, “It’s always like that with the nicknames, trust me.” 

“It’d be easier to travel to our room as a fox, wouldn’t it?” You asked. 

“If turning does not make you uncomfortable, yeah…” Lily replied.

You shook your head “I missed it actually, It’d been a while since I turned into… Vixen.” 

“Is that why you kept asking about the forest?” Sirius asked.

You nodded “Way before the Moonflower? Yeah,” you responded and leaned your head back onto Sirius’ shoulder, he was still hugging you, and even though it was a little painful where Barty had dug his fingers to hold you while you fought off him, Sirius’ embrace was soothing, and comforting. Sirius was soothing and comforting, and you felt bad again, knowing that Remus was completely alone at the infirmary. You turned to him “You should go see Remus.” 

He frowned “But Lily still has Care of Magical Creatures, she’ll leave you alone in your room–”

“It’s ok,” you interrupted, reassuringly. “You should go see him, he’s your best friend. Heck, I want to go too but I’m aware I can’t.” 

“And I’ll stay with her,” Lily added with a sure nod. 

“You’ll ditch your class?” Asked James, incredulous. 

“It wouldn’t be the first time, besides, I will be taking care of a Magical Creature anyway,” she said pointing at you. You gasped, and Peter snickered at her joke, “Let’s go before more people come up to the common room,” she told you. 

You nodded and motioned to get up, but Sirius squeezed you just a little tighter and leaned in to give you a soft kiss on the cheek “You sure you’re okay with this, Starshine?” he whispered in your ear. 

You nodded, Remus was probably feeling a lot worse than you were anyway, heck, he had needed urgent medical attention and Skellegro because of you, he definitely deserved to see his friends a lot more than you did, and you knew how close he was to Sirius. “Stay with him for a while, make him laugh like you do all the time. Tell him I’m fine. That I’m not hurt. Tell him we’ll be alright,” you added in the end “Tell him I’ll go visit as soon as I don’t look like a zombie… Wait, no! Don’t say that, he’ll probably worry.” 

Sirius chuckled lightly, “He would.” 

“All right then, I’ll see you around I guess,” you said, before you shrunk back into Vixen. Once you had, you realised just how much better you felt already, the drastic change from the way you felt the previous night and in that moment almost shocking. 

Lily approached you tentatively, as if she was scared you’d run off if she got too close. “It’s alright,” Sirius said, “just grab her like you would a cat, she’ll let you.” 

Lily did as told, approaching you and gently pulling you up to her. She was so impossibly gentle that you wondered if you had been picked up by an angel instead. But then again, Lily really was like an angel. “James, do you mind crossing the bag over my shoulder?”

The boy, who had been dumbly staring at the girl, nodded, carefully slinging the bag over the redhead’s shoulder. 

Then you saw a flash and turned your face towards it. Lily seemed a little bothered too, “Sorry, you combine with each other,” Sirius said, holding Remus’ polaroid between his hands. “Smile girls!” he added, before taking another picture. 

Lily shook her head in disapproval “Stop annoying your girlfriend and go visit your friend instead,” she reprimanded. 

“I just wanted a picture of her,” Sirius said with a pout. 

“To wank off to?” Peter teased. 

Lilly gasped while Sirius intervened “She’s literally a fox right now you plonker!”

“All right, we’re out.” Lily said before picking a couple of vials and placing them on the bag, “before these dumbasses start discussing the implications of being furries or something.” 

James gasped, you flicked your tail and stared at Sirius, he knew what you meant, “I’ll go check on him in a minute Starshine, I’ll just change before I do.” You nodded and rested your head on Lily’s arms. 

She finally took off towards your shared room. Mary and Marlene weren’t there, and she walked straight to the bathroom, gently laying you on top of the bathroom seat before turning on the tap and tempering the water. She added some of the potions she had in the bag to the water and then turned to you, you had already turned back. 

“You think you can wash by yourself?” she asked. 

You nodded “Thanks Lily,” you said again, she just smiled. 

“If you need any help, just ask,” she told you, holding onto your hands, and helping you stand, even if you could’ve done it by yourself. “I’ll prepare some more of the dittany and silver essence paste. Make sure to be extra careful in that section, all right?” 

You nodded “Yes doc,” you joked, for what she smacked you playfully. 

“Go on then, you should probably lay back down for a while shortly after we’re done patching you up, especially since you can’t miss your classes tomorrow.” 

You nodded and started taking off the pants Sirius had borrowed, Lily leaving the bathroom shortly after making sure you’d be able to finish stripping by yourself. You finished peeling off the rest of your clothes and slowly let yourself fall on the tub, the warmth quickly soothing your skin and muscles. Whatever Lily had put in there was definitely doing its magic, in the most literal sense. You allowed yourself to be completely engulfed by the water, holding your breath there for about a minute before bursting out again. Definitely better, you thought as you breathed in again. 

You stayed there for a while, carefully rubbing your arms and legs, with the soapy water. You sighed when you spotted some of the bruises in your stomach. Pressing your finger on one of them only to wince. Even if they had only locked you up in an abandoned and haunted house, you would’ve been pissed, but what they did to you required revenge. You had held yourself back long enough, being patient and letting them taunt, ignoring them, hoping they’d get bored, for the sake of your friends, for Lily who’d made you promise not to mess with them. But not anymore, if being patient got you almost kiIIed, you’d retaliate. And boy, they would regret ever messing with you. 

You weren’t sure how you’d do it, but you knew you’d make them regret it. You took a deep breath, trying to relax again, before finally standing up and wrapping yourself up in a towel, slowly patting yourself dry, but completely avoiding the open wound. Finally, you went to the mirror to wash your teeth, and you finally understood why everyone had been so worried about you. You imagined you looked beaten up, but the way Sirius had described you was probably the most accurate: “You look like you’re about to break apart.” 

You stared at your broken reflection for a minute, the remnants of the previous night evidently imprinted all over your body. Even if you had managed to snatch sleep while you were with Sirius earlier, deep and rather sunken under-eye circles painted deep shadows beneath your eyes. Your usually soft lips were dry and chapped, and the section that had parted was already starting to heal, turning into a deep shade of brown. It still hurt when you stretched them.

You tilted your head backwards, moving the wet hair that clung to your neck back and traced your hand over the bruises left by Evan's thoughtless grasp. Each purple spot an echo of his strong fingers holding you still while stupid Barty mocked. Your jaw clenched, the memory alone was enough to rekindle the smouldering rage deep within you. Weak, a nagging little voice in your brain whispered, taunting you with cruel words, you were weak. 

Your breath became ragged as your eyes welled up with angry tears. You contemplated punching the mirror, having it break beneath your fingers, as you shouted your rage off existence. But the mirror wasn’t at fault for the situation you had ended up in, neither had your would-be hurt hand. And whether it was due to cleverness or cowardice, you didn’t dare to do it. Especially since you knew the breaking glass would make too much noise and it would only worry Lily further, instead you gripped the sides of the sink until your knuckles turned white and you managed to calm down, taking deep breaths until your fury finally subdued. 

You went through the potions on the counter, trying to see if the “radiant complexion” one you had made with the girls was still there, and thankfully it was. You smiled drily as you opened it and served some over the spoon you sometimes used to curl your lashes, taking it in one go, and wincing at the slightly bitter taste. You looked in the mirror again, the bruises were still there, but they had been significantly reduced in vibrance, if you also drank all the potions Lily had brought, they might be gone by tomorrow, the part in your lip was still there, but you weren’t hoping for it to disappear that fast either. 

Your eyebags were almost completely gone, and with the magic of the bath still working all over your body you almost looked as new, the potion Lily had given you earlier effectively taking away almost all of the pain. A little bit more rest and potions and you were sure to look brand new by the next day. Well, almost, the claw marks wouldn’t heal nearly that fast, even with magical care, they were sure to stay for a while. No, it’ll stay forever, you remembered: Any bite or scratch obtained from a werewolf, whether in human or animal form, would leave a permanent scar.

You stared at the claw marks on your arm, the deep gush finally turning a darker shade of red, the dittany and silver were helping it heal, so much so you could almost see the way your skin was slowly fighting to restore itself.  You sighed, laughing a little as you shook your head. “It’s certainly going to be an interesting scar.” 

After looking at it for just a little longer, you finished drying yourself up and put on the plaid pyjama pants Lily had left for you on top of the toilet seat. You struggled to put on a black tank top and wrapped the towel around your head.

When you walked outside, Lily was waiting for you sitting on your bed, a tray with a bunch of potions, the dittany and silver paste, and a couple of bandages placed right next to her. She smiled when she saw you walk out “You look much better.” 

You smiled “I’ve got the best doc.” 

Lily shook her head with a smile as she motioned for you to sit beside her, having you sit on the bed and inspecting your wound. “It really does look a lot better,” she said, sounding pleased “I’m going to put ointment again, and bandage it so you can sleep peacefully, all right?” 

You nodded, and she started applying the thick creamy mixture. It was a light green and shiny metallic, you had been in so much pain earlier that you hadn’t even noticed the pretty colour it actually was, a little like Lily’s eyes. 

She was just as kind and careful when she applied it as she’d been when she did it the first time around. And when she was done, she carefully wrapped your arm with the bandage. 

“Thanks, Lily,” you said, for like the fifth time that day, but you didn’t know what else to say. How do you express how much gratitude you felt towards her if not by saying it over and over and over again? 

“You’re welcome luv,” she said with a smile “It really is nothing, now, this is the medicine that you’re going to–“ 

“–I’m a quarter fairy,” you said all of a sudden. 

“What?” she asked, a little confused. 

“Yeah, I’m… I’m a quarter fairy, from my mother’s side.” 

“And you’re telling me be–“ 

“–cause I trust you. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone like you as a friend, you’re incredible and I… I wanted to be honest with you...” 

She quickly understood what you were saying, feeling both compelled and admired by the amount of trust you had given her, which is why she too said something she never expected to say out loud “–I think I’m in love with James Potter.” 

And that, ladies gentlemen, felt like a cold bucket of water thrown right at your face with absolutely no warning. You were certainly not expecting that, or maybe you were, but it was shocking just the same, suddenly you smiled, so wide, and so happy, you completely ignored the stinging pain from your lip injury opening up again, “Lily that’s amazing!” 

She let a rather choked laugh out, “Never thought I’d say that out loud.” 

You shrugged, wincing at the sharp pain from your shoulder wound, but ignoring it either way. “Well that’s how you start, I’m sure you and James will make a wonderful couple.” 

“God no! That’s too fast.” 

“Why waste time? Trust me, I regretted not snogging Sirius sooner!” 

“Ugh shut up!” she said, smiling just as wide as you. “Now it’s time to take your medicine.” 

You gasped, still smiling “Lily Evans, don’t you dare change the subject!” 

She raised her hands in rendition “I’m not!” she responded, “It’s time, look at the clock.” 

Lily was still laughing, the two of you were, your arms falling up and down, as you shook your head and looked at your friend, finally deciding to let her off the hook and grabbing onto the potions, taking one at a time.

“Don’t you dare tell Potter!” She said then, an accusing finger at your face. 

“As if he needed encouragement to go after you,” you responded before taking a long sip at one of the potions and wincing at the burning sensation, “but trust me, you’ll wish you had done it sooner,” you said with a wink before grabbing the bottle with the dropper and pouring five drops down your throat.

“Here, take three sips of this one too,” she said handing you another bottle, “this one’s specifically for bruises, it takes a bit to work but it’s really effective, some people use them for hickeys.”  You raised your eyebrows at her, but she gave you a warning look that you replied with an innocent shrug. 

Eventually, and after a couple more vials, she dropped a small round oval-shaped candy-looking thing on your hand, “What does this one do?” you asked curiously. 

“It’s a lemon sherbet,” she said as if it were obvious. 

You looked at the candy and then back at her, a confused look on your face as you bit your lip ever so slightly “Does it like… help with the pain or soreness or…” 

Lily gave you a confused frown “No? It just helps with the flavour.” 

You looked at the little yellow ball one last time and plopped in your mouth, “Oh… it’s candy!” you said with a smile as a tangy, zesty lemon flavour exploded inside your mouth, both sweet and sour at the same time “It’s good.” 

The redhead gave you a shocked look “You’re telling me you’d never tried a Lemon Sherbet?” 

You shook your head “They’re not a thing back home,” you replied as you relished on the lemony taste of the candy. 

“And here I thought you’d already gotten the entire English experience,” she said, you shrugged in response, holding your breath and lowering your shoulders a lot slower now, clenching your jaw as you let pain subdue. Lily gave you a sympathetic look “You better rest for a bit.” You tilted your head, a reproachful frown forming on your features. “None of that,” she said, shutting you down with a dismissive hand gesture “No puppy eye looks, time to sleep, doctor’s orders.” 

“Fine then,” you said, slowly laying down on the bed, kicking your legs a little to dig them under the soft blanket, ignoring how sore they were, you weren’t sure you had ever run as much as last in your entire life “I’ll rest.” 

Lily smiled, “I’ll shut the curtains before the girls arrive,” she said before going back to sit on her bed and picking up a book from her night table. You smiled and turned back to your ceiling, looking at it for a couple of minutes until you slowly drifted asleep. 

November 24th, 1976

When you woke up again, it was due to hunger. No, not hunger, starvation. You looked at the clock, it was around 5 a.m. You had charms in 2 hours, you looked around, everyone was sleeping soundly on their beds, so you decided to quietly sneak towards the bathroom.

You stared at your reflection again, the potions had worked gracefully, Even if you were still sore, and your arm still ached, the bruises were almost completely gone, your lips looked plump again, even if they were still parted. You grabbed the same potion from yesterday and took another spoonful, the bruises finally disappeared. You looked brand new, even if you didn’t quite feel like it. You took some more of Lily’s painkiller potions and grabbed some cosmetics to make your eyebags less visible. 

You looked at yourself again, “Good as new,” you muttered, taking a deep breath and stepping out of the bathroom, hearing your stomach rumble again. Everyone was still asleep, so you changed into your uniform, grabbing a couple of chocolate bars and stuffing them in your pockets, you’d take them to Remus when you had the chance. 

You walked closer to Lily’s bed, and gently shook her awake. “I’m going to get myself something to eat from the kitchens, see you later at the Great Hall.” 

Lily turned to you a little sleepy “I’ll come with…” she said, attempting to get up, but you stopped her.

“No, it’s your turn to rest. I’ll be alright, I feel a lot better.” 

“Your bandages…” 

“They’re good,” you reassured “We can change them after charms or during lunch.” 

“You sure luv?” 

You nodded with a smile “Yeah, totally, but I really need to eat,” you told her with a smile. 

As you walked out you spotted Prongs sitting in the common room “You look a lot better,” he said as he motioned at you with a nod of his head “How you feeling.” 

“Lils would be an incredible doctor,” you said as you turned around. 

“She’s perfect,” James said with a sigh, you smiled but rolled your eyes either way. “Why are you awake?” 

“Starving, you?” 

“I woke up for a fly and then remembered both you and Sirius are knackered.” 

“You could go by yourself,” you said with a shrug.”

“Yeah, I was going to… but then I remembered we planned to go see Remus before class, I’m waiting for the boys.” 

You nodded, and sat down beside him, taking one of the chocolate bars from your pockets and unwrapping the chocolate. 

James raised one of his eyebrows “What are you doing? Weren’t you starving?” 

You took a bite from the chocolate “Oh I am, but I’m tagging along with you guys instead, I haven’t seen Rem since that night.” 

“You sure you’re not too hungry?” he asked as he watched you devour the chocolate and vanish the wrapping with the swish of your wand. 

“Yeah, totally,” you replied as you pulled another bar from your uniform. James raised one of his eyebrows but didn’t say anything else. Meanwhile, you were already imagining the sausage you’d have for breakfast afterwards. 

Peter came down first “Oh Vixen! You look great!” he said when he saw you, still munching on the second bar of chocolate. 

You blinked a couple of times after hearing the nickname drop so naturally from his lips, “Thanks Wormmy…” you responded, almost tentatively. 

He smiled at that and gave you a thumbs up. Permission, you realised, that was Peter’s way of letting you into the group, whether on purpose or not, you were one of them now. 

Sirius came down next, taking faster strides when he spotted you, when he was right in front of you, he leaned down, levelling his head with yours and placing both hands on the sides of your head to carefully inspect you, he was clearly surprised, “I feel like you were switched at night, other than your lip you look like nothing happened,” he said as he moved your head to the side to try and take a peek at your neck, you groaned in response. 

“Yeah, the soreness’s still there though,” you muttered. “But the potions did an incredible job.” 

Sirius nodded in agreement, “We’re going to see Moony, wanna join in?” 

“That’s why I’m still here,” you replied with a small smile. Sirius looked at you for a second before leaning over just a bit more and pressing his lips to your softly. You smiled, but raised an eyebrow questioningly “What was that for?” 

“Just because,” he replied, mirroring your smile.

“All right love puppies, time to go,” Peter said as he stood up, James mirrored his actions. 

“Love puppies?” you questioned with a gasp as you stood up, using the hand Sirius had offered to do so.

“Well, Vixen and Padfoot are both canines so yeah, you’re love puppies,” he replied, matter of factly. 

James turned around instantly, a raised finger and a playful smile on his face “Spot on!” 

Peter smiled and nodded in return, you and Sirius eyed each other at their interaction, but continued walking behind them. Sirius stood really close to you, so close your hands were brushing with each other as you walked, it was as if after being so close to you while you cuddled him on his bed, he couldn’t get enough of you. And he really couldn’t. 

He had gone to see Moony after you left with Lily, he had stayed with him for a while and they joked and talked for a couple of hours like they always did. And it’s not that he wasn’t worried for Remus, he always got a little queasy when the boy was bedridden, especially since most moons after they became animagus had been a lot easier on his friend. 

But he also knew Remus was strong, he’d seen him get up time and time again after looking like he had snogged a dementor, so pale he downright looked like a vampire instead of a werewolf. But every single time Remus got better in a matter of days, maybe a little sore and snappy after particularly rough moons but he always got better. You on the other hand… Sirius had never seen you as bruised and bIoodied like the previous night. So tired you looked like you might fall apart, so desperate and scared. 

Because you had been scared, he knew, even if you masked it wonderfully, he knew the signs, he had used the same techniques to hide his own emotions in the past, the worst part is that Sirius wasn’t sure if you had been scared for yourself or if you had been scared for Moony instead. Either way, when you turned back into a human, and he saw all the bruises for the first time it took him all the strength he had not to crumble at the sight. 

You had looked pale and tired and he had never quite realised how delicate you actually were before that. Sure, he knew you were soft, softer than the boys, softer than Remus, but the bruises on your face, simply from a hand gripping you too tight, were almost shocking. And it’s not that you were so fragile that he thought you were going to break apart, heck he knew how strong you were, he’d seen you play quidditch, getting up after falls time and time again, but he was shocked how much more fragile you were in comparison to him. 

And it bothered him, no, it irked him, that no matter how much you probably fought the Slytherins they had overpowered you either way. It made him scared for you like he’d never been for anyone in his life, except maybe from Moony, when the incident happened. 

Even if Remus was much stronger, there had been something weird going on in his head last night, he knew, but wasn’t sure what that could’ve been, he was a lot quieter than usual. Sirius asked him about it but the boy said it was because of the Skellegro. Sirius knew he was lying but didn’t press further, instead, he offered to stay the night.

“I can stay, you know? I mean we might not fit in the same bed like we did when we were kids but I could pull a couple of chairs and stay over.” 

“Please no! I won’t be able to sleep with your snoring,” Remus said humorously, it was a total lie, he didn’t care about Sirius’ snoring, but he knew for sure he’d rather stare at the boy sleep than sleep himself.  It was better to kick Sirius away. 

When Sirius returned from talking to Remus, he took a quick shower and threw himself in his bed again, it smelled of you, and he couldn’t help but worry for you again. He wanted to jump off his bed and sneak into your room just to make sure you were better. He could not help but replay in his head how you had almost begged for him to stay with you instead of getting a cloak or something to bring you in. He felt like he had abandoned you, even if it was you the one that left the room with Lily. He couldn’t be with Remus and he couldn’t be with you. Sirius had slept terribly that night. 

You leaned closer to him, wrapping your index and thumb over his pinky finger “You all right Puppy?” you asked him politely. 

That seemed to finally snap Sirius out of his thoughts, he smiled instantly, looking at how much better you looked and nodded “Yeah, fantastic,” he responded, turning his hand and wrapping it around yours, you gave him a reassuring squeeze and he returned it shortly after. 

The four of you entered the infirmary shortly after. Madam Pomfrey was there, and she smiled when she saw you, “Oh! Hi sweetheart, how are those nightmares going? You’re here to see Mr. Lupin, aren’t you? I sort of expected to see you yesterday, I assume you were rather busy.”

“Yeah, uh… I think those nightmares won’t be coming back anymore,” you said with a little smile, Sirius squeezed your hand. “How’s Rem?” 

“A lot better, he should be checking out by tomorrow,” she said with a smile “Poor boy had a really tough time as I was fixing him up,” you winced, Pomfrey assumed it was because you imagined the situation, rather than the real reason: you felt guilty. 

“Can we see him?” Peter asked with a very polite smile. He looked like the kind of kid that would instantly be liked by adults in that very second. 

Pomfrey nodded with a tight smile “I’ll go see if he’s awake,” she said before disappearing to the back of the room in between a couple of curtains. 

“You think he’s feeling better?” you asked, turning to the boys. 

James nodded “I’m sure he’s better. You were with him last night, Pads, how was he?”

Sirius turned his gaze on you “A lot better than you were when you left, so stop worrying.” 

You were about to say something in return when Pomfrey came back with an apologetic expression on her face “I’m sorry kids, but Remus is asleep at the moment. Why don’t you come back later?” 

You let out a disappointed sigh when you heard it but nodded. Finally realising how silly it was to visit Remus so early in the morning, he would be better off sleeping in, you had certainly felt a lot better after sleeping yourself.

“Well then, the great hall it is,” James said, turning to you, which would have offended you had it not been for the rumbling in your belly after he said it. You still felt impossibly hungry. Then James went over and placed his arm over your shoulders, which caused you to yelp since he accidentally brushed your wound. 

James removed his arm in an instant and scurried away from Sirus’ hand, which had gone straight for a slap in the back of his head. 

“You alright sweetie?” Pomfrey asked, concerned. 

You turned to her while you thought of a decent excuse “Yeah, I was just surprised, I guess I’m still a bit sleepy,” you smiled apologetically, “We’re really sorry for making so much noise Madam Pomfrey, we’ll be on our way.” 

She nodded in response and you hurried outside. Once far enough James turned to you with a worried frown “Are you okay? I didn’t ruin all of Lily’s work, did I?”

You wished you could actually get angry at James, but he was so genuinely worried that there was no way you could, so you just shook your head with a sigh “Just be careful, it stung like a bitch.” 

“I’ll buy you any food you want at Hogsmeade on Saturday to make up for it.” 

You turned to him with a raised eyebrow “James you can’t.” 

“What do you mean I can’t?” James said with a frown, looking about ready to argue that he could spend his money however the hell he pleased.

“Saturday’s the 27th,” Peter added. 

James went pale, that was the day of his date with Lily. 

The Polaroid

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A/N: Guys, I'm soft, Lily is way too sweet.

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[writeforfandoms]

Waking Lions 11

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Ace continues to get into trouble. Flirting happens.

Warnings: Swearing, flirting, mention of injury, Price needs his own warning label, little bit of kidnapping.

Word count: 1.5k

Landing in Finland didn’t actually help the raging anxiety much. You let Laswell and Captain know to stand down, no further issues, and you’d update them soon. 

And then you booked a hotel room and took a very long, very hot shower. 

Your phone was ringing by the time you got out, and you grumbled to yourself. Captain. “Yes?”

“What’s your status?” 

“Secure,” you said after a moment, frowning just a little. That was a new tone from him. 

“And your delay?”

“A non-issue. Just a little miscommunication is all.” 

Captain was silent for a few moments. “Send me coordinates for the drop point.” And then he hung up.

You stared at your phone. Was he… upset? With you? For what? You hadn’t done anything wrong. 

But you did send him coordinates and a time. Tomorrow. Because there was no way you were going anywhere else tonight. 

Some gentle prodding at your side showed you were still healing well. You’d probably have a scar from this, but better a scar than to be dead. 

But you managed to sleep, at least. Which was honestly a relief. 

You made it to the drop point early. As always. You settled on a bench, pretending to read a book and people-watch. 

Even though you were expecting him, you still startled a little when a body dropped down next to you.

“Status?” Captain asked, voice low, a thread of concern in his voice.

“I’m fine,” you assured him, only a little snippy. “Here.” You held out the USB to him.

But he didn’t take it right away, frowning at you, gaze sweeping over you in a clear visual check. “What happened?” 

You blinked at him. “Does it matter? I’m here, I’m fine, I’ve got stuff for you.”

He took the USB but his fingers closed over your hand, trapping the drive between you. “What happened?”

You stared at him, eyes wide. Your heart was beating far too fast for the situation. “Nothing really happened,” you said weakly, confused. “Captain… what are you worried about?” A sudden thought had your heart clenching in pain. “Thought you gave up on the accusations?”

“That’s not what this is about.” His frown deepened and he shifted closer to you, the line of his jaw tense. “You went silent for hours and rerouted your flight without explanation.” 

You floundered, just a little. Because that? That was not an accusation. That was something worse. Concern. “I–Captain, I’m fine. Nothing happened. It was just…” You trailed off. You could lie, could come up with something convincing. Something that he wouldn’t be able to verify. Because your clients were none of his concern. 

Except that this client might also be a lead into the ultranationalist group, and that seemed like the kind of information Captain might need to know. If you really wanted to try this whole playing nice thing. 

So you breathed out slowly, bringing your free hand up to rub your eyes. You were tired. Moreso than you should be, really. You blamed the situation. 

“It was a potential new client,” you answered, not looking at him, fingers still pressed into your eyes until stars burst against the dark of your eyelids. “Knew me from Sergio, but didn’t have my contact information. Either didn’t ask Sergio or didn’t want him to know. I’ll find out which.” Another slow breath in. “Normally I would not be telling you this, because my business is not yours, but. He paid me with a check that rerouted to a shell company, one of the ones that I noted.” You shrugged a little, finally lowering your hand, though you still refused to look at him. “I was going to get more solid information first, but you rather forced my hand.” 

Captain was silent for several moments, keeping your hand captured. Then he sighed. “Ace.” 

You glanced at him almost without meaning to, gauging his reaction. But his expression was carefully neutral. 

“I’d prefer if you keep me in the loop on this one. Even if you don’t have solid intel.” He held your gaze easily, blue holding steady but no less intense. 

“Understood.” You managed to crack a smile. “I’ll take it under advisement.”

He scoffed softly but finally released your hand, keeping the USB. “Password?” 

“Reliant.” You smirked a little, still not quite normal but getting there. 

He grunted once in acknowledgement. “Get some food, you look bloody awful.”

The laugh felt punched out of you, almost painful. “Flatterer,” you said without any malice. “You offering?” 

He was silent and still next to you for just long enough that your heart tripped into high gear. Then he chuckled. “Maybe next time, Ace.” 

It was a surprisingly gentle let down, and you left it at that. You stood first and turned away.

Only to stop when a hand wrapped around your wrist. 

“Thank you.” 

You turned slowly to look at Captain, the two words far too sincere to ignore. You honestly had no idea what to do, just staring at him for a moment, before you nodded once. 

You were quick to leave as soon as he released you, heart pounding, head reeling. 

This… had not been the plan. This had not even been anywhere near the plan. 

But he wasn’t wrong. You needed food. And sleep. You could figure out the rest after that. 

Good food was easy to find in Finland, and your hotel was comfortable. You took the rest of the day to get your head on straight and rest up. And also to put out a few emails to some contacts, because you wanted White to give you more information. You doubted he’d be a good source, but maybe you could put a few things together. Maybe it would help. 

Or maybe you’d finally get in too deep and end up where you always suspected you would - an unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere. 

Grimacing at the macabre turn of your own thoughts, you shook yourself and turned on the news for background noise. 

Captain was becoming a distraction. And that was a problem. One you wouldn’t abide. You had too much going on to have him distracting you. 

How to get Laswell to agree, though, was another problem entirely. One that you decided to sleep on. 

Honestly, you meant to talk to Laswell. You did. But you got sidetracked with getting contact information to three of your contacts, and their information to White. Then you had a call from Valeria where you had to dance around an invitation. Then there was the call from a contact of yours who had gotten himself into trouble and asked you for help back out of it… You got busy. 

You were going to deal with him. Eventually. 

Just… Not right now. 

The first text check in was easy to brush off. He’d just asked for status. You just said “busy”. 

That got you two more days of denial and research. Tracking down shell corporations and tracing payments took time.

The second check in was harder to ignore.

Need an ETA.

You grimaced down at your phone, then at your laptop. You had information you could give him, sure, but not as much as you wanted. You had nothing new on White, no new major movements. In your eyes, it wasn’t worth the time to arrange a drop for this. 

Few more days. Chasing down some leads. 

That was… close enough. And gave you enough time to do more digging, put some pressure on some people. 

At least, that was the plan.

That plan very much went to shit when you went out to get some food. You’d gotten half a dozen steps outside your hotel when two men fell in step with you, one on each side. 

“Stay quiet and no one gets hurt,” one of them murmured, low and threatening. You could just see the flash of a pistol under his jacket, pointed at you. 

“May I ask where we’re going?” But you made sure to keep your voice quiet and pleasant. You really didn’t want to get shot again. Laswell would never let you live it down. 

“You can ask.” There was no humor in his voice, but he didn’t make any threatening moves, either. “This way.” He turned down a street, and you followed. He walked a few more blocks to a black van and pulled open the back door. You went in without prompting, shoulders tense. 

This was very much not good. 

The other one pulled a bag over your head, and you sat still and compliant. You had absolutely no desire to get thrown around over this. You needed your head clear to get out of whatever mess this was.

[andivmg]

another feelings post

sorry in advance for how long it is

had a therapy appointment yesterday and i bawled my eyes out the entire time just feeling angry and sad and confused with myself. because of this whole conversation around abuse and toxic relationships, i’ve been feeling all kinds of weird recently and talked about it with her and i wanted to share some of the things we said in case anybody needs to hear it

so i’ve been really beating myself up over the fact that i’m still upset at things that happened over two years ago and i was feeling really confused as to why. my life has improved infinitely since then, i no longer have any of these people in my life. i am so much happier. so why am i still so angry? why can’t i seem to let go? i was feeling like a little kid, one of the things i said was quote “it’s just not fair! we were together for only a year! how is it fair that it’s taken me two years and counting to get over shit he did in half the time? why does he get to be fine while i’m still in therapy fixing what he broke? like what is wrong with me? why can’t i just let go of shit that happened so long ago? why did i even have to go through that in the first place? it’s just not fair!”

clearly, i was unwell. but yeah i was feeling really angry at myself and as we kept talking we came to the conclusion that it’s okay to be angry. because it’s true. it’s not fair. that’s what happens with abuse, it ends up falling on the person who was on the receiving end of it to pick up the pieces while the perpetrator doesn’t think they did anything wrong in the first place. that is just an unfortunate fact of life. so how do you move on knowing that? you’re just supposed to be okay with it? no. again, it’s okay to be angry and to cry and be upset about it because you’re feeling your emotions and letting it all out. it’s perfectly normal to be upset about what you went through. it does not mean you are still hung up on the person or that you haven’t moved on. it just means that person was really shitty to you and you’re angry about it. it’s okay to be upset. we are human, we are not above feeling any emotion. as long as you are not taking those feelings out on people who love and care about you and want the best for you, be upset. scream into your pillow, cry, break shit (preferably in a rage room). if it’s what you have to do to release that anger, do that. it’s okay.

now then, why do we have to go through that pain in the first place? because it’s part of being human. ik that’s not what anybody wants to hear. it sucks. what do you mean that’s just a part of being human? that’s so unfair. true. it’s not. however, it being a part of life doesn’t make it okay for the other person to have treated you like they did. that does not justify what they said and did. but, what we choose to do afterwards is what defines us, and what will become of us.

the analogy we used was this:

it’s like going to the gym. when you work out, you create microtears in your muscles, that’s why you’re so sore the next day. but when those muscles heal, they become bigger, stronger. and when you do that exercise again, it doesn’t hurt as much and you can handle more. but, if you say “fuck this i’m not going to the gym again because i’m sore the next day and it hurts” then your muscles will become weak again and you’re right back to where you started.

like i said before, it sucks that the responsibility of moving on and becoming stronger or a better person falls onto us. but you still have to face that shit. you have to truly come to terms with the fact that you were emotionally or physically abused and decide what you will do about it now. will you accept this behavior going forward from them or anyone else? how will you react if someone tries to do the same thing this person did? will you fall back into the victim pattern or will you gather your strength to never let this happen to you again?

clearly, this process takes a really long time. it could take, years, months, even decades in some cases. and it’s hard. it’s so difficult to be strong. it is an active choice we have to make every day. and it’s okay if you’re not feeling strong some days. it’s okay to have moments of weakness. but those moments of weakness cannot overshadow all the strength it has taken to come as far as you have. sometimes it will feel like you’re going backwards, but you are not. healing is not linear and that is okay.

much love to anyone who read this whole thing. if even one person reads this and feels understood, then this post has served its purpose.

[strnilolover]

(I strongly recommend listening to the song as you read)

Reader x Matt Sturniolo

Trigger Warning's: Suicide (jumping off bridge), Mentions of death, being around as spirit form?, healing after death, mental health struggles (I think that's all?)

A/N: This is written from the readers Pov, not my own. You can imagine who you'd like since no name is ever specified, but this was written thinking about Matt as the male counterpart. There is no dialogue except for the lyrics.

———————————————————————

“Up with your turret. Aren’t we just terrified?”

I stood there in the middle of the bridge, my head hung back as I looked up at the night sky. I knew that this idea wasn’t going to be good, but I felt as if I was in this dark hole I couldn’t climb out of. My thoughts plagued me to a degree where my skull felt like it was burning.

“Shale, screen your worry. From what you won’t ever find”

My feet moved themselves to the edge of the bridge, looking at the waves crash against the pillars that were plunged deep into the water. I felt the bile of fear and guilt crawl up my chest, threatening to expel itself from my parted lips. I hope no one ever finds me.

“Don’t let it fool you. Don’t let it fool you down.”

But I knew this was for the best. The pain everyone else would feel would only be temporary as the memory of me would slowly dissipate into nothing. I couldn’t let myself feel guilty for what I was about to do, not after I’ve already written a note to those I love.

“Down’s sitting around. Folds in the gown.”

My white dress, wrinkled and worn, flowing around my body as the wind brushed across my skin. Tired of sitting around and waiting, I step forward.

“Sea and the rock below. Cocked to the undertow.”

The waves crashed over the rocks, disappearing and re-appearing as my foot stepped off the ledge. The weight of falling sending a shock through my body, it felt welcoming. I didn’t feel afraid, I didn’t think about anything else. I felt – free.

“Bones, blood and teeth erode. With every crashing node.”

My body hit the water, the sharp rocks cutting me before everything went black. The crashing waves send my lifeless body flowing through them, pulling me under and back up again. I didn’t feel anything, everything was at peace, everything felt right.

“Wings wouldn’t help you. Wings wouldn’t help you down.”

Even when the thoughts told me to stop and turn back, I knew once my foot fell over the edge, there were no wings that I could grow to save myself. No anchor I could throw back up to take me back to the one I love, the one I didn’t let help me.

“Down fills the ground. Gravity’s proud.”

Gravity had won. Smiling down at me as I continued to flow through the water, it’s feel of satisfactory. But it did do me one thing, when he went looking for me after finding my letter. Pushing me toward the shore for his tired blue eyes to see.

“You barely are blinking. Wagging your face around.”

He pulled me out of the water, my lifeless face staring back at him as the water spilled from my lips. His sobs tore through the night air, holding me close to him as he tried to wake me up. Whispering ‘sorry’ repeatedly as his forehead rested against my cold one. I tried to whisper, to tell him I’m okay now, that I don’t feel pain anymore.

“When’d this just become a mortal home?”

He hovered over my body as it lay in the casket. The funeral home was packed with loved ones and people who held me close to them. He whispered his speech to me, his face stained with tears, the dark bags evident for anyone to see. He couldn’t believe I would do this, why I didn’t come to him for help. I wanted to tell him I was sorry, but he couldn’t hear me no matter how hard I tried.

“Won’t, won’t, won’t, won’t. Won’t let you talk me. Won’t let you talk me down.”

He couldn’t move on. Even after all these years of me being gone, of my soul following him around everywhere he went. He never moved on from me, keeping my things close to him as many tried to tell him it was okay. But he was having none of it, he couldn’t stand the thought of letting me go completely, promising to keep my memory alive for as long as he lived.

“Will pull it taut. Nothing let out.”

He closed himself off. To his family, his friends, his brothers. The guilt of not being able to help eating him alive for so many years. But he finally learned to move on slowly. I was with him every step of the way, his brothers too. He learned to love again, but to make it known I was still special to him.

I was always with him, every step of the way. I knew he could feel it, up until his final breath, the end of his life. Finally re-joining me where we were happy once more.

———————————————————————

[jedimordsith]

Deleted Scene from Latibule

Luke looked up from his reading when the door to the Organa-Solo apartment slid open. Han wandered into the sitting room a moment later. His sense was warm and relaxed, and his attire matched. His formal jacket was slung over one shoulder, his shirt sleeves were rolled up, and his spavat had been untied and hung loose at his collar.

“Hey, kid,” he greeted. “Pretty quiet in here. You didn’t sell my kids to the circus, did you?”

”Not for lack of trying,” Luke quipped back, marking his spot and tossing his data pad on the lounger beside him. “Ringmaster said they were too small yet. Since I have to wait and try again next year, I dropped them back in their beds. They’ve been out cold for an hour. How was the event?”

“Just like every other one,” Han shrugged and flung his jacket over a nearby chair. “Lots of fancy people who like to listen to themselves talk eating fussy hors d'oeuvres and drinking wine that’s more label than taste. Leia had a good time until she and Winter got cornered into a hush-hush meeting with Mon over something.” He frowned. “Why didn’t you go, anyway? You like museums.”

“I’ve already been,” Luke said casually, rolling to his feet and grabbing his glass from the side table.

”This was the grand opening,” Han objected. “What, did you get some kind of special Jedi tour?”

“Something like that,” Luke offered noncommittally, angling past his brother-in-law toward the kitchen.

Han’s demeanor turned smug. “Let me guess — it was one of your excursions with Jade.”

“It might have been,” Luke shot a sly look over his shoulder. “But I’d keep that suspicion to yourself if I was you.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

”Because you have a life day coming up, and if you don’t do anything to bring unwanted attention to Mara, a bottle of Whyren’s gold might find its way into your gift pile.”

“Gold label?” Ambling after him, Han whistled. “How’re you affording that on a Jedi’s salary?”

”Mara’s getting a couple cases at a pretty serious discount,” Luke confided, rinsing his glass and putting it in the cleaning unit. “Someone at the distillery owes her a favor.”

”That’s some favor.” Han cocked his head. “She seems like the type who knows how to collect ‘em, though.”

The Omega in Luke bristled. He immediately quelled the reaction, but not before Han caught it.

“Hey,” he said, lifting his hands, palms out. “You know I’ve got nothing but respect for Jade. The NRI might jump to tawdry assumptions, but that’s just because they lack imagination. Me,” he lowered his hands, pointing at his chest. “I’ve been around the system. Flesh is easy and cheap. You want to collect real favors, you have to get into the weird stuff.” Raising his eyebrows, he held his hands a short distance apart, palms parallel to one another. “Saw a guy trade a whole moon once for this ugly little statue — this big, looked like it oughta be a doorstop at a tacky cantina.”

Amused, Luke felt the tension in his shoulders ease. He clapped a hand on his brother-in-law’s shoulder as he passed back toward the sitting room.

He’d known, intellectually, that it would take a while for the NRI to warm up to Karrde and, by extension, Mara. The Intelligence community was skeptical of smugglers as a whole and less than thrilled at how deftly Karrde’s organization had shoe-horned its way into the respectable echelons of the New Republic government. The fact that they couldn’t find a single record of Mara’s existence prior to her work for Karrde only exacerbated their frustrations. He didn’t begrudge them their caution, really.

But after three heats spent in Mara’s bed, the Omega in him had unavoidably begun to think of her as his, and he couldn’t entirely suppress the instinctive resentment that flared when she was disrespected.

Their secret Force-healing and training sessions didn’t help the situation. Mara was intensely careful about her shielding, only ever letting him into one small section of her mind or body at a time, but the anxiety singing at the edges of his touch each time left him profoundly aware of the risk she was taking, entrusting him with even that much. There was something incredibly intimate about extending his own control over the Force into her body, knitting together the fine sheathing around ravaged nerves or unraveling knotted scar tissue and seeing her entire body soften as a long-borne pain slipped away. About the way she smiled when they finished, as if he could see a little more light behind her eyes, a little more spaciousness in her breath.

Then there were their “excursions” as Han called them. Mara had grown up on Coruscant and, much to his delight, Luke had discovered that she had a mischievous streak. When the mood struck, she would appear from nowhere with a glint in her eyes that made his heart rate kick up with the same bright anticipation he’d known as a youth when he raced his skyhopper toward the canyons to Thread the Needle or when sneaking round bases during the early days of the war with the Rogues, intent on pranking another squadron. Ditching whatever he was supposed to be doing, he’d follow her at all hours of day or night. It was through those stolen moments that she introduced him to all the intriguing places that existed beneath the surface —often literally — of Coruscant’s glittering cityscape. Private libraries. Greasy cantinas whose menus were as obscure as they were mouth-watering. Junk shops whose backroom shelves mysteriously stocked the most hard-to-find parts for anyone willing to ask no questions about their provenance. And, occasionally, secret tunnels and camoflaged peep holes through which they accessed yet-to-open museum exhibits or dress rehearsals of the most in-demand new performances.

In her determination to prove her independence from her former master and the life he’d shackled her into, Mara was steadily, and entirely accidentally, achieving the one goal she’d believed wholly out of reach: capturing Luke’s heart.

It’s fine, he told himself for the hundredth time, gathering his data pad and bidding Han goodnight. It wasn’t like they slept together outside of his heats, and Mara was genuinely the perfect Alpha. She would never claim him, would never try to bind him or prevent him from keeping his vows of independence and service to the new Jedi Order that he was building. As an Omega, it wasn’t like he could claim her, and her traumatic past meant that even at his weakest he would never ask her to claim him. If she ever found another Omega to bond with, the loss might kill him. Unless or until then, however, he intended to enjoy every moment he could manage with her.

[the-record]

PLEASSSSSEEEEE CAN I GET AN ANGSTY ABBY X READER ON MY KNEES

phantom pain

misleading photos ish bc angsty abby!!!!!!!

so tbh abby speaks 0 times in this but idc. ellie and dina r the best tho! also so sorry it took so long to get to this 😭 have not been motivated at all

ALSO I PROMISE ELLIE IS IN THIS PLATONICLY BUT SHE IS ITS NOT IN THE ELLIE TAGS FOR NO REASON TY HAVE A GOOD DAY!

not proofread!!!

lyrics from ‘phantom pain / the rapture’ by leanna firestone !

my masterlist

you weren’t vital to my survival its just what it felt like

the door slamming shook ellie and dina out of their haze, both heads turning to see who walked in.

“dude, watch it the neig- shit. are you okay?” ellie quickly switched over as she saw the tear streaks on your face. both she and dina rushed over, pulling you to the couch.

“babe, what happened? i thought you were on a date with abby tonight?” dina treaded lightly, scared to upset you more. unfortunately, the blondes name only brought more tears to your shiny eyes. she shushed you, pulling you close to her.

“i just,” you pulled away from dina. “i think im gonna sleep this off.” your fingers wiped the salty tears from your face, finding your lap afterwards. “yea, im gonna go to bed.”

“i just,” you pulled away from dina. “i think im gonna sleep this off.” your fingers wiped the salty tears from your face, finding your lap afterwards. “yea, im gonna go to bed.”

“i just,” you pulled away from dina. “i think im gonna sleep this off.” your fingers wiped the salty tears from your face, finding your lap afterwards. “yea, im gonna go to bed.”

ellie and dina watched with concern as you slowly grabbed your bag and headed to your door.

“what. the. fuck.”

it didn’t kill me to lose you i just thought that it might and right when i think i’m finally fine

“welcome back to the land of the living, princess.” ellie smiled, teasing you as you finally ventured out your room.

you’d holed up in bed for days, only getting out for food and the bathroom. dina was close to intervening, but ellie convinced her you’d come out on your own.

you hummed in acknowledgment, eyeing her pancakes and bacon and making a b-line towards it. ellie tried to swat your hands away as you reached for her food, but you hit back. “i’ve barely had any sustenance, you want me to pass out, hit my head, and die, ellie? hm?”

ellie grunted, pulling her plate closer to her as you walked away with a piece of bacon in hand.

“babe ill make you more relax.” dina’s voice rang as you made your way to the kitchen. “hungry my love?” you nodded and she laughed, not shocked in the slightest. “go shower and i’ll have some ready for you. you reek.”

the girls made it their mission to keep you preoccupied from thinking of abby. a movie marathon, a couple pizzas and puzzles, and some reading, and they managed to get you out of the house for some fun.

happy and confident, ellie and dina led you to your favorite spot to go together.

“im gonna go grab a couple drinks, ill be back.” they both nodded with a smile and watched as you headed to the bar.

the healing is done its been enough time thats when, it sinks back in

you ordered all of your drinks, and stood waiting for them. you looked around the room, taking in all of the people and music.

an all too familiar blonde filled your vision. hyper focused on her stupid braid, and stupid arm around some stupid girl.

not even two weeks and she had found someone new?

ellie noticed you out of the corner of her just in time to watch you push out the door. “fuck...” she grabbed dina’s hand and rushed out to you but saw abby first. she nodded at you for dina to go after while she hung back. “hey, abby! what the fuck?”

dina watched you gasp for the breath outside the door. she grabbed your face in her hands, focusing you on her and her breathing.

“what about vermont?” a finger drew small doodles over your chest as your fingers ran through blonde locks.

“vermont?” abby laughed, looking up to you. “what’s in vermont?” she questioned, stopping her tracings.

“i dont know... its stupid but ive always wanted to go. my sister and i used to plan to live their when i got older.” you smiled fondly, pushing her away from her face. “its pretty, lots of trees. could live in the middle of nowhere. nevermind.” you frowned, looking away back to the movie.

“hey, no.” she turned your face back to hers, a smile on her face. “its not stupid. promise. sorry i teased.” she tickled her finger into you. “forgive me? please, oh so kind amazing lover, please forgive me!”

you laughed at her antics and gave in. “mm, fine. no more though.” she nodded, pressing a kiss to your lips and laying back down.

“so vermont it is...”

the invisible and incurable pain of

“fuck me.” you laughed, leaning into dina. “shes so horrible but god, i miss her.”

she nodded, a sad smile on her face. “i know. it’ll get better though, i promise. and y’know... karmas coming for her.” you both giggled as ‘karma’ walked out the door. “what’d you do?”

“ripped her a new one, thats what i did!” ellie showed off her newly bruised knuckles, making dina gasp and rush over while you laughed. “and whats so funny to you chuckles?”

“only you would say ‘ripped her a new one’!”

“hey, you didn’t have joel for a father.”

“... and then she pulled out a chair for me? like what? i mean, what a gentleman but like who taught you that, you know?” dina nodded, snacking on the popcorn you made. “anyways, we had dinner, which sucked by the way, and she’s like ‘wanna get out of here?’ and im just like, ‘what 2000’s movie am i in right now?”

“as much as i love your little commentary for your own story,” ellie teased, “please get this moving, i have class soon.” she checked her watch as she spoke, nudging you to continue.

“anyways. we went to this park i honestly thought she was gonna murder me, and we just like talked. like about everything and it was really cathartic. and then she kisses me! and dude it was like, amazing. best kiss ever. and she took me back to her place and...”

“oh gay people,” dina sighed. “wish someone did that to me.”

“hey!” ellie yelled, knocking her shoulder. “youre so lucky i have class.” she threatened, leaning in to kiss dina as she headed out. “love you, have fun!”

“can i be brutally honest?” you wondered aloud. dina hummed, looking to you expectantly. “i almost hoped for someone like abby. i just... i don’t necessarily miss her, just us, you know? and i wanted that back.” you let out a breath, leaning against her shoulder. “but im so happy she wasnt. she was so, so much better.”

losing a limb.

@lov9r

[ihaveatheoryonthat]

No Mer is An Island

I didn't go out intending to revisit @monsoon-of-art's Mer AU this month, but seeing this piece in full really hit on something, and I had to get the words down. Happy MerMay, guys!

---

When they’d first met, the girl had stopped him to say that he looked kind of like someone she knew.

Given that Emmet had come all this way trying to find his brother, it sounded promising on its face, but looking past the initial wording, revealed itself to be a shallow hope. If she’d been talking about Ingo, she would have been more decisive. He wouldn’t look kind of like this person, but exactly. He’d been through the cycle of leads surfacing and then sinking often enough to know that the odds weren’t good, but it was the best he’d heard since arriving in Hisui and he couldn’t afford not to give it some cursory exploration.

As they moved away from the shaky hope of a rebuilding village, her story became more and more outlandish, but… somehow not less believable; unprompted, she’d mentioned the torn remnants of a subway car, and in a land that lacked rail transport, it lent her version of events a great deal of credence. Something much more worrisome was the claim that his twin had been found pinned beneath the wreck, trapped and slowly wasting away, before being discovered.

It was strange. When, inevitably, Emmet’s questions about a missing person failed, his next strategy was always the train car. People could move on and be forgotten, but an effigy of twisted metal should have been noteworthy.

The matter of physical resemblances had been both explained and complicated as Dawn led them to a rocky outcropping by the sea.

“Well, that’s… why I wasn’t totally sure at first.” She said, scouring the horizon. Eventually, her attention settled in one specific direction, and Emmet idly followed it to a dark little island in the distance. “The thing is, the parts of you that look the same totally look the same. It’s just that Ingo’s… not really human?”

...what.

She held her hands up in placation, grimacing at her own words. “I know, I know. Just hear me out. So the Pearl Clan found him under that big wreck and took him home to heal, only he… kind of sucks at being a merperson? The same ways I suck at it. We both keep getting hung up when we swim, and neither of us distrusted humans the way the other mers did, and you couldn’t pay us to eat raw fish or seagulls or anything like that. I've been wondering about it for a long time, but maybe Ingo was human, too?”

There was a ringing in Emmet’s ears. It took him a moment to realize that it was an actual sound coming from somewhere over the water. Something in the back of his head told him he should recognize it, but it seemed unimportant compared to the information Dawn had just dumped over his head.

“That is my brother’s name.” He eventually choked out, to the exclusion of the rest of it.

Dawn’s expression cracked into a smile. “Worth a shot! I’ll go grab him and come back-- just don’t worry, okay? Most people think he’s kind of scary.”

Despite the amount of time it had been since he’d had to field that particular criticism, Emmet felt himself bristle. “He cannot help it. His face is just like that.”

The girl paused in the middle of digging through her bag and tilted her head, “I thought it was just because he always seems kind of down, but that makes sense, too.”

Unsure what to say to that, Emmet remained silent as she took something out, unlashed the satchel from around her waist, and then brought a vibrant shell to her lips.

The notes resonated, briefly, with whatever it was coming from across the waves.

“What is that?”

“It’s a special flute,” Dawn said, adjusting her grip on it now that she was no longer playing, “I’ve had it since I got here, but I can’t remember why.”

“Not the instrument. The sound. What is causing it?”

“The… flute?” She asked, baffled, and slapped her tail against the rocks.

It took a second for Emmet to rewind and process that fact.

She had implied that before, hadn’t she? Back when she’d confirmed Ingo’s name. Strange how one piece of information could be so much more pertinent than the rest and simultaneously so much less important.

Emmet consciously had to rein himself in. If humans could turn into merpeople, this could be it. He might be about to see his twin for the first time in years.

Dawn departed shortly thereafter, handing him the flute as a gesture of goodwill, and took off in the direction she’d originally scouted. Emmet pocketed the strange shell for safekeeping and then moved her satchel to somewhere the waves couldn’t sweep it away.

The sound continued that entire time, carried from somewhere far away. When several minutes passed without interruption, he finally figured out what it was: whale song. He didn’t profess to be an expert in the matter, but now that he was listening properly, he was relatively certain of that.

After some time, it stopped, and he immediately found that he missed it.

In its absence, he returned to the water’s edge, wondering if the dark island in the distance wasn’t where Dawn was headed, where his brother lingered. It seemed too much to think that he might catch a glimpse of either when it was so far away, but the reassurance would be welcome. He had little doubt that Dawn would return, particularly given that he held the key to her humanity, but the low crooning over the water proved that there were predators about, and he wouldn’t want haste to lead her into danger.

When he scanned the ocean, however, he found that the island, too, had vanished.

---

Ingo spent a great deal of his time alone.

It was by choice, but at times, it also felt involuntary.

The Pearl clan was more gracious than he could have asked for, worried that his continued stints on his own might reignite the loneliness that had left him so fragile upon their first meeting; while he was happy for their company, it wasn’t what he was missing. That was the problem, though: he didn’t know what would fill the void in his heart. Their camaraderie was close-- had been rejuvenating when he’d first been ushered into the fold-- but only to a point. He felt that it was the right track, just veering ever so slightly off course; if he could figure out where his destination lay, he could course correct to reach it.

It had been years, though, and while he was no longer soul-sick, the ache of it refused to leave him.

When it became too much to bear, he would leave for the surface, to float on his back and close his eyes. The ocean air had become familiar, but it went deeper than that, the churning sea so close to making a connection somewhere in the recesses of his being. He was put in the mind of the artificial reef he’d awoken in-- pinned, scared and without a trace of memory-- but had no idea how they could be related. More than anyone, he knew how heavy the construct was; it seemed wholly antithetical to the gentle rocking that only occurred above the waterline.

Frustrated with his lack of progress, but not surprised, he let out a heavy sigh and pitched it halfway through, low in his throat. He didn’t know what purpose this ability served, as none of the other merfolk could hear when he dipped into this range, but it was cathartic; he could cry for the fact that the clan had been so kind, so welcoming, and he still didn’t belong. He could lament that there was something wrong with him, that he still felt sickness in between the beating of his heart, and he feared he would never escape it.

He could admit, in tones no one would ever hear, that he didn’t know how much longer he could bear the solitude before it consumed him whole.

Though he knew perfectly well that she was unable to parse his voice like this, it died in his throat as Dawn poked her head up from the waves. Unwilling to have a conversation with her in such an undignified position, he turned over and dipped back below the water so they could speak properly.

“Is rebuilding going well?” He asked, following up from the last topic they’d touched upon, “Has there been any recovering from the salt water?”

The humans weren’t bad, he knew-- and had known for as long as he could recall-- they were just scared. For as disastrous as the region’s flooding had been, the one silver lining was that it had given the clans cause to cooperate with the villagers and, slowly, the merfolk were beginning to make progress. He couldn’t be certain how the humans looked upon the situation, but they accepted aid, at least, and that was something.

“It’s...” There was a conspicuous pause. “Going. That’s not why I came to talk, actually.”

“No?” He asked, unable to find it in himself to be surprised. Dawn was like the sea itself at times, ever shifting, just shy of capricious.

“No. I don’t want to jump the gun or anything, but I think I met someone who knew you before! He’s waiting for us at the bluff.”

He blinked at her, the words sitting at the surface of his thoughts for several seconds before sinking in, “What makes you believe that this individual and I share any sort of connection? I don’t mean to cast doubt, but if even I’m unable to say with any certainty...”

“He was looking for someone called Ingo.” She said, and while there was a twitch of her tail that suggested it wasn’t the whole truth, Ingo was too caught up in that declaration to catch it. “He looks like you, too. A scary amount.”

“He’s also an orca?” It might be nice, he thought, to physically be on the same level as someone for a change-- unmarked as the odd man out in this regard, on top of everything else that made him feel so detached from the clan.

“Well… no, it’s mostly in the face. But your coats are basically the same!”

Interesting. That, more than anything else, lent credence to her theory. As strongly as he felt about his name, his complete lack of any other personal details meant that he couldn’t be entirely sure it was what he’d used prior to waking up beneath the ruins. The fact that this person was seeking someone of the same name was noteworthy, but not conclusive. The resemblance was also compelling, but could be explained by a mimic octopus or the like.

His clothes, however, had been a subject of bewilderment among the clan for some time. Drag caused his coat to hinder his movement and speed, and it was constantly becoming caught on bits of rock or other hazards. His hat was somewhat more practical, helping him see above the water on bright days, but beneath the waves, all it did was threaten to fly away if caught in the mildest of currents. Even if this was a misunderstanding and Dawn’s contact didn’t know of him, perhaps he could ask what the utility was.

“I see.” He narrowly refrained from breathing it out as a sigh; there was little use in speculating if confirmation or denial really was so near, “If he’s waiting, we ought not to leave him at the station. Are you ready to depart for the Clamberclaw Bluffs?”

Dawn took him by the forefinger and smiled at him-- and where he occasionally saw a flash of pity in it, there was nothing but anticipation.

“Let’s go!” She said, tugging him forward, a current all her own.

Ingo allowed it to happen, allowed her to be the force driving his tired cab onward. Maybe, when they reached their destination, there would be someone there to meet it.

---

The first indication that Emmet was no longer alone on the rocky outcropping was Dawn hefting herself up onto the edge with the grace of someone still adjusting to that specific workout. He refrained from commenting on that fact both because he liked to think himself polite and because something else stole his attention away shortly thereafter.

Offset from where she’d appeared, the water warped unnaturally, and it took a second for him to realize that it was because it was something else was surfacing, something massive enough to distort the water as it rose.

“Oh,” Said his brother’s voice, loud as one of his directing calls whilst somehow maintaining a sort of gentle surprise, “You’re human.”

Even though he’d been warned as much, as he blinked upwards, trying to process the reality he’d found himself living, he said, “You’re… not.”

“Was… was I supposed to be?” Ingo turned his head as he said it, a hand curling to rest against his lips-- and it was so achingly familiar that, for just a second, it was possible to overlook the fact that his forearm had to be longer than Emmet’s full height.

“Yes?” He half-asked, trying to keep his expression from dipping into anything too ridiculous in his incredulity, “To my knowledge, identical siblings are usually the same species.”

The animate half of Ingo’s face scrunched, puzzled, and he leaned over on his arms to put them on the same level. He spent several seconds silently assessing Emmet, before returning with, “We do look quite similar, don’t we?”

“Identical.” Emmet repeated, insistent, and he couldn’t keep his voice from crackling on it, “We are-- we’re supposed to be identical twins.”

“And I take it from your response that you were never an orca?” His brother said, a little helplessly.

“No.” At that, however, he stepped forward, emboldened both by the certainty that this was somehow his missing twin-- all but confirming that he had never been in any danger-- and a suddenly-consuming curiosity.

Ingo watched his approach, but did nothing to stop him. The only movement was that of one enormous, clawed hand tucking itself into the tattered remains of the opposite sleeve and, abruptly, Emmet realized he was still wearing his uniform’s hat and coat. The hat and coat that had been commissioned in tandem with the ones Emmet wore right now. Emmet, who was notably human-sized.

How?

The nearer he drew, the more clearly he could make out the black mass in the water beyond, a shadow that stretched and curved into an undeniably fish-shaped tail, floating just high enough for a dorsal fin to cut through the surface.

With a new clarity, he looked up, taking in the black patches that both camouflaged the actual lines under his brother’s eyes and made his weariness look orders worse, and asked, “Was the whale song your doing?”

The too-pale skin of Ingo’s face went faintly pink. “You were able to hear that?”

Emmet felt his face crack into a grin, “You are not quiet.”

“No, no, you misunderstand,” He tried, though the flush only intensified at the comment, “The frequency is inaudible to the other merfolk. I didn’t think anyone else was physically able to hear it.”

“Wait,” Said a mildly-familiar voice and, with a start, Emmet remembered they weren’t alone, “Is that what you’re doing when you float on the surface like a dead fish? You’re just screaming into the sky?”

“That is-- no. Not in the slightest!”

“If he yelled, you would know. Even as a human.” The commentary earned him a downward glance through narrowed eyes.

“Regardless,” Ingo said, transparently trying to get them back on a track that didn’t lead to further teasing, “I’m surprised that you were able to discern it without being a mer yourself.”

Emmet hummed, considering that, and then turned his head. “I’m not. Other people cannot read your face, but I can. It makes sense that I can understand you now, too.”

“Because you’re… my twin brother.” Ingo said haltingly, testing the words for himself as if to see if they were any more convincing in his own voice.

Emmet smiled, though not without an edge of melancholy, letting him reach a conclusion in his own time. That wasn’t disbelief, he knew, but it was plain to see how lost his brother was, and hurrying him wouldn’t help.

He wouldn’t push, but… but maybe it would be okay to make sure this was real, that he hadn’t hit his head upon arriving in Hisui and managed to fool himself into thinking this might finally be it.

Holding one hand up to indicate a lack of aggression-- as if something so small could do anything to hurt someone with the proportions of a killer whale-- he took a tentative, questioning step forward and asked, “Can I touch?”

Ingo blinked at him, focused momentarily on his palm, and then back on his face. In lieu of an answer, he rested his head on his arms in full, putting himself in range to reach more comfortably. His bright, bright eyes tracked the motion until he couldn’t any longer, and he breathed out, slow and impossibly long.

The skin beneath Emmet’s hand was dark, the stripe of it trailing up to a floppy ear and down below the line of a collar, but still warm and still undeniably human. He’d half expected it to feel rubbery under his touch, but the biggest difference was the subtle grit of drying salt. He was reminded intensely of the summer their family visited the Decolore Islands and specifically of when, as a joke, he’d tried to push his brother into the water, only for Ingo to clutch his hand that much more tightly and send the both of them tumbling in. Having to go on in wet clothes had been bad enough until they began to dry, contrasting outfits stiff with the residual salt on their persons. As children, it had been unbearable. He could only hope it didn’t itch the same way, now.

He only realized he’d spaced out at the renewed rumble as his twin began to speak again, “--not sure. Are you still with us, Emmet?”

For a second, he froze in place, and then drew his hand back, breaking out into an unburdened smile. Beaming up at his brother, he said, “Ingoooooo, I never told you my name.”

Ingo’s brow furrowed as he mentally played the conversation back, and then he glanced to Dawn, who held her hands up and shook her head. When that failed to yield any plausible explanation, his gaze flitted back over to Emmet, uncertain, as if he’d done something wrong.

“It’s good!” Emmet said before his twin could start to reverse down the tracks, “I do not know what happened, but you’re still you. That is all that matters to me.”

As quietly as he was physically capable of with such robust lungs, Ingo repeated “My brother,” to himself, already coming to terms with the idea, and Emmet stepped forward again.

He leaned into his twin’s shoulder, heedless of the water that immediately soaked through his coat, and, as best he could, pressed the side of his face to Ingo’s. Against his own side, he felt a pulse speed up, powered by a heart that was finally large enough to match the outpouring of love its owner had always put into the world.

A hand moved to cradle his back, painstaking in the care behind it, and within two beats of that massive heart, the whale song began anew.

[thestobingirlie]

I’ve seen you talk lots about Steve’s parents and i was wondering if you had any thoughts on Robins parents and how her and her parents dynamic as well as Steve and his parents dynamic could play into their friendship.

I am aware how they’re portrayed in Rebel Robin, but the books are not canon and was wondering if you had any further thoughts?

robin’s parents are also very fun to me!! i don’t have proper decided upon names for them like i do for the harrington’s. but i think in the book mrs b is called melissa? and mr b is called richard, which i think is funny lmao. so i kinda subscribe to those being their names.

now, i love the buckley’s being hippies. like they’re vegetarian, they spent robin’s childhood living in a van, she calls them by their names instead of mom and dad.

i think they accidentally joined a cult at one point, after which they moved to hawkins. for a bit more of a stable childhood for robin. i think they’re judged a lot around the neighbourhood, which makes it harder for them, but they love robin, and they want her to get as many advantages in life as she can. and robin is so bright. they know they can’t homeschool her if they want her to reach her full potential.

i think they’re very loving and affectionate, kinda the opposite of the harrington’s in that way lmao. and i think they’re very loving to robin. maybe she almost feels stifled a bit. i don’t think robin’s ever really had any best friends before steve, so she hung out with her parents a lot growing up. doing puzzles and helping in the garden. they would absolutely be supportive of robin being a lesbian (homophobic buckley’s my beloathed), but she still doesn’t tell them till she’s ready, once they’ve all gotten out of hawkins.

i think because of her parents, she really dislikes steve’s parents lmao. she can see from outside the affect their dynamic had on steve, whereas steve is more stuck in it. she jokes that steve’s dad is far more of the “dick” than robin’s is (because both are named richard lol).

robin will always be a dick harrington hater. number one!!! it takes steve a few more years to catch up to her in that regard. because he hates his dad, but he’s also his dad, you know? and i think steve’s parents are actually a source of strife within stobin. at least in the early years of their friendship. robin wishes steve would just cut and run, and steve sticks up for his parents when robin gets a little too into shit talking them, which can bubble up into arguments. not big ones, but they definitely have to take a bit of space after.

neither of them have stereotypical parents, but i think robin’s parents go against the grain almost in the same way that stobin’s friendship does. most people don’t get it, but it’s healthy and they love each other. so robin’s friendship with steve, it’s everything she’s ever wanted. it’s the kind of relationship she dreamed about as a lonely kid. whereas steve had a lot more of an unhealthy dynamic to look up to, so i do think he kinda romanticised a future with a partner where they never argued and they were always happy etc. and obviously real life isn’t like that. but i do think steve interacting with robin’s parents and seeing them interact with each other, it, like, heals something within him.

anyway, when stobin get lavender married the buckley’s are beside themselves with joy. they love steve. and they’re so excited to become parental figures for him (it’s a position they have to battle for with claudia. it gets bloody (they decide to split christmases)). they know it’s just a lavender marriage, but hey, they’re not very fucking conventional either!

[nadinebrooks]

Here is the link to my masterlist.

Draco Malfoy x Reader: A Guiding Light

Warning: Maybe some language? A little longer than what I normally write so place enjoy.

The Hogwarts Express chugged along the tracks as it carried excited students back to the hallowed halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Sitting among the compartment, was a bright-eyed Hufflepuff who was eagerly anticipating her fifth year at the school.

After hearing about how important O.W.L.s are during this year, (y/n) knew that she needed to put her studies first if she wanted to pursue a career in healing after school. 

“I am not ready to get back to school,” Ginny groaned, flopping into a seat across from (y/n). “Well, what I mean is that I’m ready to see everyone again, but I’m not ready to get back to classes. I’ve heard they’re going to get even worse now that we have O.W.L.s coming up at the end of the year.” 

“Yeah, it’ll be great to see everyone, but this is going to be the most important year yet. Do you know what you want to do after school?” (y/n) raised her eyebrows at the pretty redhead. 

“I was thinking that maybe I want to play Quidditch professionally, but I don’t think my mum would consider that a real job.”

“As long as it makes you happy,” (y/n) shrugged looking out the window to enjoy the landscape outside. As Ginny noticed the wistful expression on one of her closest friend’s faces, she knew exactly who she was thinking about. 

“(y/n) Diggory,” Ginny hissed, lowering her voice so that nobody walking by could hear what the two girls were discussing. “You’re not still hung on on Malfoy, are you?” 

“No. Of course not.” (y/n) immediately shook her head hoping to dismiss any suspicions that Ginny might have. She felt slightly guilty for the thoughts that occupied her mind. But deep down, (y/n) couldn’t deny the truth no matter what. Ever since she met Draco on the Hogwarts Express during her first year, she had felt a strange connection to the platinum blonde Slytherin.

Despite his reputation and the warnings from her friends, she found herself drawn to him, intrigued by the layers of complexity hidden beneath his demeanor. 

“You have to be careful around him,” Ginny warned. “Just because you were Cedric’s cousin doesn’t mean a damn thing. He treats everyone like something on the bottom of his shoe.”

“Are.” (y/n) instantly corrected Ginny. She knew that her best friend meant no harm, but she didn’t like when people talked about Cedric that way.

“Pardon?” Ginny questioned. 

“You said just because I was Cedric’s cousin. I still am his cousin.” (y/n) pointed out. 

“Yes.” Ginny nodded sadly. “You’re right and I’m sorry.” 

As the train pulled into Hogsmead Station, Ginny and (y/n) joined the wave of students making their way to the castle. The air was filled with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming school year, with whispers of Quidditch matches and upcoming classes buzzing through the crowd. 

It wasn’t long before (y/n) spotted Draco’s slender figure slightly towering above the crowd of students. When he caught her eye, he greeted her with a warm smile and a playful glint in his silver eyes. 

“As always, it’s so good to see you,” Draco said, falling into step beside her as they made their way toward the beautiful castle.

“You too Draco.” She grinned up at him, her worries momentarily forgotten in the moment. 

“Care for a little wager, (y/n)?” Draco drawled.

“What do you have in mind?” (y/n) raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Draco’s proposal. 

“A simple bet,” Draco smirked, his lips curling into a grin. “Hufflepuff and Slytherin are playing against each other for the first match of the season. If Slytherin wins the match, you own me a favor. And if Hufflepuff emerges victorious, I’ll owe you one.” 

(y/n) hesitated for a moment, considering the implications of accepting Draco’s challenge. Ginny’s warnings echoed in her mind, but she trusted him. And she desired a bit of excitement so she extended her hand to seal the deal.   

As the days passed and Hogwarts settled into its familiar rhythm, excitement brewed throughout the school as the Quidditch season approached. Hufflepuff and Slytherin would face off against each other for the first match of the season. 

The date of the match arrived and (y/n) found herself caught between conflicting emotions. She was torn between her loyalty to her house and her friendship with Draco. Ginny’s warnings echoed in her mind, reminding her to treat carefully when it came to him. However, she couldn’t just let Draco go. Not after the genuine kindness he had shown her since their first meeting.

While sitting in the Great Hall eating breakfast one morning, (y/n) found herself swept up in the frenzy of Quidditch fever as she joined her fellow Hufflepuffs in cheering on their team as they walked into the hall. Looking up at the sky, she noticed what a beautiful day it was. Perfect for Quidditch. 

“I am so excited,” Ava squealed, sliding into the seat across from (y/n). She passed a package over (y/n) that had come from her mum. “I’ve been waiting for Quidditch to start back all summer.” 

“Of course you have,” (y/n) jokingly rolled her eyes while taking the package and opening it. “You just want to watch Cody play.”

“Sue me,” Ava giggled, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “He looks amazing in a Quidditch uniform.” 

Ava started dating Cody over the summer who was one of the beaters on the Hufflepuff team. Cody had always had a little crush on Ava, but he had always been nervous to talk to Ava. But when he started playing Quidditch, he found new confidence in himself and finally introduced himself to Ava. 

“Your mum always makes the cutest stuff,” (y/n) grinned, pulling out a Hufflepuff crewneck that was perfect for the weather. “I’ll have to make sure to write to her this afternoon.” 

“You know who else looks good in a Quidditch uniform,” Ava’s eyes trailed over to the entrance of the Great Hall landing on Draco. 

“Who?” (y/n) became extremely interested in her orange juice as she tried not to practically drool over Draco who swaggered into the hall. 

“You’re not fooling anyone (y/n). I see the way that you two look at each other. I’m not blind.”Ava shrugged, pulling her crewneck over her head and tied a Hufflepuff yellow bow in her hair. 

The two of them decided to make their way down to the Quidditch pitch so that they could get good seats. The both of them had someone they wanted to keep their eye on. 

She watched anxiously from the stands as the two teams took the skies. The match went back and forth the whole time as both teams battled for dominance wanting to take the first patch of the year. 

With a final dive and snatch, (y/n) watched as Draco caught the Golden Snitch, sealing their victory and sending the Slytherin stands into a frenzy of jubilation. As Draco held the Snitch up in the air, its wings were beating between his fingers.

Before he flew to the ground, he sent a wink toward (y/n) in the stands. 

She felt a pang of disappointment as she watched the Slytherin team celebrate, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder what favor Draco would ask her for. The crowd began to disperse and everyone started making their way back to the castle. (y/n) found herself anxiously waiting for Draco's request. 

Walking back into the Hufflepuff common room, (y/n) found herself dropping down into an armchair and pulled out a book to read for the rest of the day.

She got through a couple of chapters, until Ava skipped into the room hand in hand with Cody. Her brown eyes scanned the room and when they landed on (y/n), she skipped over pulling Cody with her. 

“There’s someone outside waiting for you.” Ava cheekily grinned.

“For me?” (y/n)’s eyes shot up in surprise. “Who?”

“You know who,” Ava responded, pulling Cody over to another spot in the common room. (y/n) fixed her hair and walked toward the entrance of the common room not sure who she would find. Standing right outside the entrance was Draco. He had changed out of his Quidditch gear and was now dressed in a simple sweater and jeans. 

“Looks like I win.” His silver eyes shined with satisfaction. 

“Congratulations Draco,” her voice was barely above a whisper. But as Draco’s gaze mer hers, (y/n) saw something flicker in his eyes. It was a spark of something that she couldn’t quite name. “So what do you want?” 

“I want to learn how to cast a Patronus.” 

“A Patronus?” (y/n)’s eyes shot up looking to make sure that he wasn’t trying to play a trick on her. 

“A Patronus.” He confirmed. 

“I would have helped you with that anyway. Wager or not.” (y/n) said. “When do you want to start?” 

“Now, if you’re not busy.” 

Their secret sessions began and she guided Draco through the intricate moments and incantations of the Patronus charm with patience and understanding. But despite their efforts, their progress was slow. 

“Draco,” (y/n) began softly. They had been meeting for over three months and he hadn’t been able to conjure one. “Are you sure that the memories you’re using are your happiest ones?” 

“I supposed. But they all seem so distant.” His voice was tinged with a little melancholy. 

“Maybe we can try to find them together.” (y/n) nodded trying to understand what Draco was going through. A patronus was one of the easiest spells that (y/n) learned. She had three memories that she would pick from to cast it. 

The two of them took a break from casting a Patronus and set out to explore the memories of Draco’s past. With each memory that they uncovered, she would listen intently, offering words of encouragement and support as Draco relived the moments that shaped him into the person he had become. 

With each failed attempt, (y/n) felt a pang of sadness in her heart, slowly realizing that Draco’s pain ran deeper than she could ever imagine. 

“What about you, (y/n)? Draco asked suddenly, his voice breaking. “What’s your happiest memory?”

She hesitated for a moment, her mind trying to decide what memory she wanted to tell him. And then with a smile, she replied, “Meeting you and Ginny on the Hogwarts Express. It was the first time I felt like I truly belonged.” 

“Thank you,” he said quietly, his voice filled with gratitude. 

“What about a memory from another time?” (y/n) suggested. She was determined to find a memory for him. He had to have one, right? “A memory from when you truly felt happy.”

Draco’s eyes widened in surprise, his expression was thoughtful as he considered her words.Then with a determined look on his face, he closed his eyes and reached deep within himself searching for a memory. 

And then, with a burst of white light, something emerged from the tip of Draco’s wand. It wasn’t a full Patronus, but it was something. 

“What were you thinking about?” (y/n) grinned, staring at the spot where something had been. This was something they could work with. 

“You.” Draco shyly admitted. 

With tears of happiness forming in her eyes, she leaned forward and pressed her lips onto Draco’s, it was just a silent gesture of love and understanding. 

Then with a flick of his wrist, Draco was able to cast the Patronus charm. The light burst from his wand and soared around the room. 

“I think we would’ve saved a lot of time if you had done that months ago,” Draco chuckled as the two of them watched his Patronus fly around the room. 

“Well I think we can improve on that memory,” (y/n) smiled leaning in for another kiss knowing they had finally found the light in Draco’s life that they had been searching for. 

[mint-yooxgi]

{4} - To Tempt Fate - Yandere!Trickster Deities!Ateez X Reader

Yandere AU & Trickster AU

Genre: Mature, Horror, Angst, Suspense

Pairing: Ateez X Reader (Slight focus on Wooyoung & San)

Words: 2,376

Warnings: Minor violence and broken bones mentioned. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

A/n: Here it is!! The next chapter!! This one sort of demonstrates a bit of the dynamics between the guys and gives hints about their plans for the OC in later chapter eheheh. I’m so excited for you all to see what I have planned. The story is really going to kick off next chapter, just you wait and see! As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy~

Also, gentle reminder that I do not do tag lists.

Mini Masterlist - Part One - Part Two - Part Three

The sound of a harsh slap echoes throughout the room.

“Oh, please,” the male on his knees grins wildly, head twisted to the side as red begins to bloom on his cheek, “hit me more.”

“We all had a deal, Wooyoung,” sharp eyes narrow down at the trickster held in place by two of his brothers. “A deal which you broke.”

Wooyoung takes the time to spit some blood out of his mouth before turning his head back to stare up at a furious Hongjoong before him.

“Give me a break,” the younger male rolls his eyes. “I know any one of you would have done the exact same as me if given the chance. You’re probably cursing yourself for not doing it sooner.”

Another smack reverberates throughout the space, Wooyoung’s head now turned to the opposite side.

A maniacal laugh escapes the male on his knees, “You of all people should know not to trust in my words.”

“When it concerns us and her, we should be able to have faith you’ll at least restrain yourself for one fucking day.” Seonghwa spits, his arms crossed over his chest as he steps in beside Hongjoong.

Wooyoung huffs dryly, “Like you didn’t almost lunge at Leader when she hung up on him the first time, just to be the one to call her back.”

Seonghwa’s nostrils flare. “At least I can control myself.”

“When you get as close to her as I did today,” the corner of Wooyoung’s lips quirk upwards in a smug grin, “you won’t.”

The sound of bones shattering fills the room, a cry of pain leaving the younger male as he falls to the floor. The glare he sends a particular male that had been holding him in place by his one arm is deadly, pearlescent eyes flashing at deep purple.

“Yeosang, what the fuck?” Wooyoung shouts at the older male, cradling his now crushed hand to his chest.

“Someone had to punish you for touching her.” The male blinks, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I was getting tired of waiting.”

“Yet, you fault me for being impatient.” Wooyoung clicks his tongue, a sharp look held within his gaze. Grimacing, the younger male begins to reset his bones as they begin to heal. “At least I’ve done something with her, which is more than any of you can say.”

“We’ll all get our chance.” Jongho states calmly, leaning against the side wall. “Everything is in place. Our plan won’t fail.”

“We spent enough time planning and making sure things run smoothly,” San huffs, backing away from his brother still sitting on the floor. “It better not fail.”

“It won’t.” Hongjoong hums, turning back around to face the wall of screens they have set up to monitor your whereabouts at all times. “This time around, there is no escape. There is no possible way for her to win these so called games. She has one option, and one option only. She’ll be in our arms soon enough.”

Jongho snorts out a laugh. “And you guys say I’m the sadistic one.”

“None of us need to spill blood in order to kill someone, Jongho.” Seonghwa replies, somewhat bluntly.

“Speak for yourself,” San’s jaw twitches in irritation before turning to the two other males who remain awfully quiet at the opposite side of the room. “What’s up with you two? Nervous about tomorrow?”

The one male simply quirks a brow in response, his shoulders relaxed even as he keeps his arms crossed in front of his chest. The other, who stand directly beside him, lets out a low sigh.

“Are you sure this is going to work? She’s a lot more perceptive than we anticipated.” Though his eyebrow ticks slightly upwards, he hides his minor worry well.

“Are you doubting your own abilities?” Hongjoong spares a brief glance back over his shoulder in the one male’s direction.

“No,” the male sighs. “Only her ability to believe. To trust us.”

“She will,” the other male, slightly taller than his pink haired brother, and sporting red streaks through his own black hair hums. “She doesn’t know all of our names yet, but she will.”

“A fact which we will use to any and every advantage that we can,” Hongjoong turns back to face them all. “I know we all long for the day we hear our names fall from her lips,” a pointed look is sent to Wooyoung as the male finally stands back to his feet, “but, only when she recognizes and acknowledges who we are while looking into our eyes will we be able to bond ourselves to her. If any of you dare try to upset the order we have agreed upon again, I will not be as forgiving.”

This time, there is no hiding the malice in Hongjoong’s gaze as his yellow eyes flash at Wooyoung.

“Yeah, yeah,” Wooyoung waves him off. “We all know you claimed first rights to do so over all of us a long time ago.”

“We didn’t nearly kill each other to establish order for nothing,” San reminds him, arms crossed firmly over his chest.

“You’re last for a reason, Wooyoung,” Jongho reminds him. “You have no one but yourself to blame for that.”

“Mingi cheated!” Wooyoung attempts to defend himself.

“We’re tricksters. It’s in our blood.” Said male rolls his eyes. “If you thought I would play fair just because you’re my brother, you’re delusional. Nothing is off limits when it comes to her.”

A sharp look is sent to him by Hongjoong, Yeosang, and Jongho.

“You know I don’t mean that,” Mingi rolls his eyes.

“We may all be fucked, but at least we can say we’ve never committed such vile acts as to force ourselves upon an unwilling participant.” Seonghwa nods, leaning back against the edge of the console table behind him.

“Exactly,” Mingi agrees. “I meant when it comes to us ensuring we get what we want. Even if it means fooling our idiot brothers in our own competitions.”

“Hey!” Both San and Wooyoung whine at the same time.

“I think that was a more of a general remark than anything,” Yunho chuckles, “but if you thought it was pointed, then by all means, take the blunt of the insult for us all.”

“We’ve already established that we should be able to trust one another when it comes to decisions and deals we make surrounding our beloved.” Yeosang states, rather pointedly. “In terms of how we go about creating and deciding orders of things, especially when there is competition involved concerning who gets to experience specific instances with her first, well… that’s free reign.”

“When we can’t come to a rational decision through discussion, that’s when our own competitions occur.” Hongjoong says, turning back to face the screens and resting his palms on the edge of the console table. He leans forward, golden eyes beginning to shine as they zero in on you walking through the maze again. The corner of his lips twitches upwards as he watches your image intently, fully displayed on the closest screen. “Certain things are unavoidable, like who gets to ‘compete’ with her starting tomorrow once her prep time is up. Other things, like name order, we fought for individually, and it was decided based upon who came out on top.”

“There’s always a chance that despite our established order, she goes against it.” The way Jongho’s eyes flick briefly to the screen you appear on when he says this does not go unnoticed by any.

“She won’t." Hongjoong hums, a crazed grin tugging at the corner of his lips. “I’ll make damn well sure of that.”

A brief silence settles over all of them as their eyes are drawn to you having come full circle through the maze. They can only watch as you finish connecting the final paths on your little map sketch, eyes twinkling with a sort of fondness that is more apparent in others than in some. However, what they do not expect, is for you to continue through the maze, looping through the proper path once more as if to familiarize yourself with it as much as possible.

You certainly are more thorough and perceptive than any of them could have ever anticipated. A fact which only makes them that much more excited for the games to truly begin.

Yes. They’re correct. You’ll make the perfect addition to their lives. The best part? They’ll be able to perfect your own at the same time.

“Prepare yourselves for tomorrow,” Hongjoong doesn’t even bother to spare them a glance from over his shoulder this time as his gaze remains transfixed on you. "We have work to do.”

The seven males around the room nod, some disappearing right away while others move to exit the room normally. One lingers, waiting for a specific brother to catch up with him as he leaves the room.

As soon as the door slams shut behind them, San is leaning into Wooyoung slightly. The way he eyes his brother is not subtle in the slightest, curiosity lingering in the way his black orbs flash beneath the artificial lights of the hallway.

“So,” he begins, noticing how Wooyoung simply quirks a brow in response. “What was it like?”

Wooyoung smirks. “What was what like, Sannie boy? Seeing her up close and personal for the first time? Hearing her speak to me? Having her finally look me in the eyes? Feeling the warmth of her breath on my lips? You have to be a little more specific than that.”

San smacks the male upside the head rather harshly.

“Ow! The fuck was that for?” Wooyoung rubs the tender spot, ire shining on his face.

“For rubbing it in.” San replies, somewhat grumpily. Then, after a moment of silence in which the elder purses his lips, he mumbles something under his breath.

“What was that?” Wooyoung quirks a brow in amusement, head turned slightly to see San now avoiding his gaze as a slight blush dusts the elder male’s cheeks.

“What did it feel like,” San spares a brief glance out of the corner of his eyes at his brother, blush deepening and becoming all the more apparent as it reaches the tips of his ears, “to finally feel her beneath your touch?”

Wooyoung pauses at the end of the hallway, stunned by his brother’s question. That is, until a subtle, tender smile is pulling at his lips as he raises his now fully healed hand before him. Almost longingly, the male stares down at his palm. Tingles erupt beneath the surface as he recalls the euphoria of having you within his grasp, even if only for a brief, fleeting moment.

“Indescribable.” Wooyoung admits, the word breathless and airy.

San, unsatisfied by Wooyoung’s answer, quirks a brow while huffing. “Try me.”

“You know, we’ve always prided ourselves on our control.” Wooyoung begins, still staring, transfixed, at his hand. “No matter how many of our sacrifices attempted to sway us, whether it be by seduction, bribery, violence, or through empty promises of fame and fortune, we’ve never given in. But her? Her?”

Wooyoung inhales sharply, his eyes fluttering shut for a brief moment. San just knows that the male is recalling the recent memory of having you so near to him right now.

“Just seeing her so close, even through the bushes, made me want to reveal myself every chance I could get. Holding her in my arms for that briefest of moments in time, I felt my whole body come alive.” Wooyoung finally lifts his gaze to meet his brother’s eyes, and what San sees shining there makes his breath hitch.

Never before have Wooyoung’s eyes been such a pure white. Always, there has been some murkiness to the pearlescent shade shining within his brother’s gaze. Yet, not this time. Almost as if it has been you that has brought out a completely different side to the man standing before him. A side that will always and forever be reserved only for you.

“Whatever you want to describe it as: electricity, fire, euphoric tingles…” Wooyoung goes on to describe, “I felt it all. Our souls were made for hers. Made to always be with her. All that’s left to do is allow them to resonate.”

“We all feel that pull,” San nods his agreement, a soft tugging of his lips upwards in understanding. “After learning about how interested she was in us, we were all drawn to her.”

“Believe me, after you touch her,” Wooyoung exhales a low breath, “it all gets so much worse.”

“'Worse’ how?” San quirks a brow.

“If you thought fighting the urge to run to her and be near her every waking second before was bad,” Wooyoung voices, somewhat knowingly. “Once you’ve established that physical connection, no matter how minor, that longing just grows into a want. A need to be near her all of the time. Right now, I can hardly prevent myself from shaking. From transporting myself back to her and holding her in my arms until I’ve gotten my fix, and even then, I don’t think it would ever be enough.”

“The mere thought of her is all consuming,” Wooyoung’s eyes glaze over, and San just knows the younger male is thinking of you right now. “So, you can only imagine what being in her presence, feeling her skin beneath your own, is like.”

San takes a moment to consider his brother’s words, nodding softly.

“Do you-“ he swallows, “do you think we’ll ever consume her thoughts again just as she consumes ours?”

Wooyoung sends a wistful look off in the direction he can only assume you’re in right now while still traversing the maze. Faintly, he smiles. “I sure hope so.”

San nods along with his brother, the two meeting gazes once more.

“So, prepare yourself for when you meet her,” Wooyoung claps his brother on the shoulder, a teasing grin tugging at the younger male’s lips. “Last thing we need is you slipping up. She certainly is a perceptive one, alright.”

Something within San’s pitch black eyes flash. “I will not fail.”

“No.” Wooyoung’s own eyes flash white. “We won’t.”