#a silent don't complain approach must not have helped

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

dinner. l Joel Miller

Summary:  he took you to a nice place

Warnings:  just fluff, Joel is a little insecure, one or two bad words

A/N: nothing special. your feedback is very important to me and I thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. 🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

short stories from life. [masterlist]

"Why are we here?" you asked as you both stood in front of a place that was something like a local family restaurant in Jackson.

"You'll see. I hope you like it." Joel replied and opened the door for you.

You entered a brightly lit room filled with pleasant music, and your nostrils were immediately filled with a pleasant smell. The tables were covered with neat tablecloths, and the sounds of work came from the kitchen.

You looked around the place uncertainly when an older woman approached Joel, smiling politely.

"Everything is ready, come in." she said, pointing to a small table by the window.

You must have looked scared, because Joel gently touched your arm and led you to the indicated place. He pulled out a chair for you and you sat down, hiding your hands under the table.

You didn't understand much of what Mrs. Russo was saying, but she was so polite and so happy about your arrival that you just nodded your head, agreeing to everything she suggested. After a short while, she disappeared behind the kitchen door, and you looked at Joel.

"You said I shouldn't plan anything for the evening, but... What the hell are you planning?" you asked quietly.

"I thought you might like it here. Was I wrong?" you saw the concern in his eyes and how nervously he squeezed his hands.

"It's lovely." you replied, "But..."

"I told you once that I wanted to take you to a nice restaurant." Joel reminded you, and you nodded. "Maybe it's not perfect, and maybe I should wear something better..."

"It's perfect." you quickly cut him off, seeing Mrs. Russo approaching you with two steaming plates. "Thank you." you added almost silently.

His eyes brightened. He could just sit there and look at your delighted face as you ate your pasta with bolognese sauce, or when Mr. Russo brought the wine he kept in the basement for special occasions. This whole evening was even more than he had dreamed of.

You both could forget about your usual, everyday worries and pretend that the world had stopped for you for a few moments. It was perfect to just sit there, talk or be silent, enjoy the moment.

As you started to leave, Mr. Russo asked Joel to step aside for a moment, and you had the opportunity to exchange a few pleasantries with his wife.

"Joel is truly a wonderful man." The woman stated, looking towards the talking men. "I don't know how we would have managed without him."

"What do you mean?" You asked.

"Oh, he didn't tell you anything, sweetie?" The woman looked at you with a charming smile. "For the past few weeks, he's been helping us renovate the kitchen. It was too much work for my husband! We had to fix some cabinets, the oven, and we had a problem with the pipes too. A lot, a lot of work! And Mr. Miller never once complained, although some things really bothered him."

You didn't know. Joel left the house every day, but you never asked what he really did.

"We wanted to repay him somehow, and he only asked if he could invite someone here for dinner. How could we refuse!" the woman added, tenderly squeezing your arm.

A smile automatically appeared on your lips, but a thousand questions were buzzing in your head. Soon you said goodbye and you and Joel went out into the darkened street.

"Did you like it?" he asked as you took a dozen or so steps, slowly heading towards the house.

"Yes, it was wonderful." you answered, but then you fell silent again.

You felt that Joel was watching you with concern, but at that moment a real hurricane of thoughts was rolling through your head. A moment passed before he spoke again.

"Are you okay? You seem a little worried. Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, God! No!" you quickly denied, "It's just..."

You stopped and looked at Joel. He seemed worried and uncertain. Just a moment ago everything was perfect, and now he had the impression that something changed, but he didn't know what it could be.

Maybe he had given himself too much hope? Maybe he was wrong in thinking that you liked him, that you would want to spend time with him like this? However, you were already so ingrained in his life that he couldn't imagine a single day without you in it.

He didn't know what these feelings were, they scared him a little, but he knew perfectly well that he would do anything for every smile from you.

"Joel..." your voice sent a cold shiver down his spine "Why didn't you tell me that you worked for them?"

He shrugged, "Does that change anything?"

You weren't sure about that "Mrs. Russo told me that you only asked them for the possibility of inviting me there for dinner." The man lowered his head, clearly avoiding your gaze "You could have asked for anything. Why that?"

There was a short silence, and you were sure you stopped breathing for a moment. Joel shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the question.

"I told you that I wanted to take you to a place like that." he finally said.

"Yeah, but I didn't think..."

"That I was telling the truth?" he smiled weakly. "I'd like to take you to a lot of places, darling, I really do. And I don't expect anything in return, because I'm probably already imagining too much, but... I like seeing you smile, and I like when you're close to me. That's all."

You saw how embarrassed he was after those words and you knew that it took a lot of courage to tell you such things. Something powerful filled your chest, and you unconsciously smiled.

"Joel..." you sighed. "No one has ever done anything so wonderful and selfless for me. You just... Fuck!" your voice broke, Joel made a move as if he wanted to approach you, but you raised your hand stopping him. You took a few quick breaths and looked back at him. "Thank you, Joel. Thank you for everything."

"I wish I could do more."

"You're enough."

You were only two steps away, but a moment later your arms were wrapped around his neck as you snuggled into him with all your might. A strong arm wrapped around your waist, and another hand stroked your back.

The world stopped for a moment once more.

☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

[bring-forth-his-sac]

Hiiii I’m the anon who sent the ask about whether I could send a request even tho it might take a while so I don’t forget!

I always have ideas for fanfics but I cannot write for the life of me 😭 so if you don’t wanna write this it’s all good :)

so I had an idea where it’s a non-apocalyptic world & the reader/character is famous? like they’re a singer & they just started dating negan & he hears the songs they wrote about him & it’s just fluffy? again you don’t have to write this it’s just an idea I had 🥺🫶🏻

sorry this took so long!! thank you sm for your patience <333 also my friend helped me with the actual lyrics in this which I am so grateful for because I don't have a musical bone in my body

pairing: Negan x singer!Reader

tags: alternate universe, established relationship, fluff, modern AU, famous AU, love songs, Negan needing to mention his dick in every convo lol

word count: 1.7k

It’s still early in the evening and yet there’s snores coming from the other room.

Negan sits on the sofa, legs stretched out. He was waiting for the melodic sounds of your piano to waft out of the room but after a few minutes, all that has emerged from your study are soft snores.

He debates going in and disturbing your solitude. While Negan knows you wouldn’t mind his company, he likes to give you your own time to indulge in music. 

Music has always been a big part of who you are and it’s something Negan has supported from the beginning.

He understands that for you, music is like your personal diary, a sanctuary where you pour out all of your emotions and transform them into a heart-wrenching ballad or the catchiest pop song he’s ever heard. 

With another snore drifting out from your study, Negan sighs and gets up. 

As of recent, you’ve been consumed by a wave of newfound inspiration, tirelessly working on numerous songs. It’s as if lightning has struck, igniting a sudden surge of motivation and encouraging you to put your heart and soul into your work.

Piano keys, the strumming of guitars and your voice has filled Negan’s ears as you put finishing touches on song after song. 

Even though he's been eager to hear a sneak peek, you've chosen to keep the new songs private until they're complete. Nevertheless, Negan has already tried to convince you otherwise. He can’t help it, as soon as he knows you’re crafting some new song, he wants to know everything about it.

But you’ve always remained steadfast and not let him have a sneak peek, even when he gives you those puppy dog eyes.

Creeping into your study, Negan’s eyes immediately go to your figure. Slumped over your desk with loose papers everywhere, you greet him with another snore. Negan smiles at the sight, immediately deciding that you need 100% relaxation for the rest of the night.

He weaves his way through the room, making sure not to step on the fallen guitar picks that have found a home on the fuzzy carpet. The walls of the room are lined with empty cases of instruments, music stands that have been pushed aside and Negan’s favourite armchair.

It’s what he always sits on whenever you invite him in to listen to what you’ve been working on. Although there are some more steamy memories too that truly cement it as being his favourite leather armchair.

Negan approaches your desk silently, careful not to disturb your peaceful sleep. Your laptop hums with life, displaying what he assumes must be a compilation of beats that are on the verge of being made into a cohesive rhythm. Making sure everything is saved, he shuts down the laptop for the night.

“Baby,” he nudges you carefully “you keep sleeping like that and you’ll be complaining ‘bout a bad back in no time”.

You respond with a soft grunt, your fatigue winning as you stay asleep.

Negan chuckles, finding your determination to nap utterly adorable. He takes a casual look around your desk, skimming over the various musical notes jotted down that he can't make heads or tails of, until he spots something else.

Lyrics.

Small fragments of verses, written out on scrap pieces of paper and sticky notes. His eyes impulsively scan what he can see, yearning for that sneak peek you’ve denied him.  

Moving carefully, he picks up one of the sticky notes and reads it.

“In every moment, I feel the spark. You’re the love that lights the dark”.

Negan has seen you weave song about your past experiences and the people in your life, but never has he thought that he might become the subject of your next ballad.

He glances down at your sleeping form as if you’ll pick up on his questioning look. Not fully believing it, Negan grabs another sticky note.

“A leather jacket, stories untold… with that smirk, you take control”.

As it is written, so it shall be. A smirk graces Negan's face as he looks down at the paper, slowly nodding to himself. Jackpot. 

You’re finally writing a goddamn song about him!

Negan doesn’t want to say it’s about time but he’s definitely been thinking about you serenading him with his own song for a while now. He blames his ego for that fantasy.

“Oh darlin’, you writing this for me?” He asks with a grin. Negan lets the sticky notes fall back to the desk and he wraps his arms around you, his chest against your hunched back and embracing you in a hug you don’t even know you’re in.

Feeling his arms around you, you slowly begin to come to. Your eyes flutter open, instantly feeling comfortable. 

“Negan?” You mumble groggily, your brain still waking up.

He hums, giving you a quick kiss on the cheek “Your world just light up?”.

“Wh-what?” a confused pout forms on your face as you move your head to look at him.

Nuzzling in by you, he reluctantly pulls back just enough so he can gesture to the first set of lyrics. “I mean, I am the love that lights up the dark, right?” he grins.

Your tired confusion suddenly shifts to panicked realisation, instantly straightening up. “Negan! Did you— No!“ you babble on hurriedly, your eyes darting to the notes on your desk “You can’t read those!”.

“Oh sweetheart, I think it’s too late for that,” he kisses your head before standing upright “and for the record, I am honoured to be your muse”.

You roll your eyes, knowing that you can’t be annoyed when you’re the one leaving bits of your next song scattered across your messy desk.

“I never said you were my muse” you point out.

Negan thinks for a moment, slyly looking for another scribble of lyrics. “Every word is his weapon, every laugh’s a tease, but in his dangerous charm is where I find my release” he reads out another excerpt, spotting it marked with musical notations.

“Hey!” You quickly try to cover the entirety of the desk, your arms spreading out over as many sheets as possible. You pout up at him, your bottom lip jutting out.

“What? I like it, it’s a good thing” he assures you, kissing your pout away “about time you let them damn fanboys know I’m your one and only. Maybe now they’ll fuck off and stop bombarding your DM’s”.

With a scoff, you warily stand and try to clear your desk. Gathering all the papers into a somewhat neat pile, you defend “Those are my fans you’re talking about!”

With a smug smirk, Negan lays a single finger on top of the stack of notes “And it’s me you’re singing about, so they can kick rocks”. 

You feign annoyance but it’s clear just how much this means to him. If you’re being honest, you weren’t sure how he’d react to a song about him. 

Despite Negan always being supportive, you weren’t sure if that extended to a pure love song all about him. A part of you was scared he would think it’s cringe or too much, but the look on his face says the opposite of that.

Maybe it’s your exhaustion but it’s as if Negan radiates a soft glow, reflecting the pride he feels. Those damned eyes, a perfect swirl of hazel hues makes you melt.

“Hmph… suppose you have a point” you let him take the win, giving him another kiss. 

“I always do,” he replies, leaning into your kiss “now, how’s about we have a nice relaxing night of being couch potatoes. Sound good to you or do you want to go back to snoring on your desk?”.

You can’t help but huff, denying his claim as you stretch your tired limbs. "I do not snore!" you protest, defensive humour lacing your tone. 

Negan wraps an arm around your waist, in case you’re unsteady on your feet considering you just woke up .

“How would you know? You’re asleep when you do it” he replies, helping you step over things within the messy study.

“But I don't…” you trail off, yawning.

He lets out a light laugh at the timing of your yawn. “What? Don’t sleep or snore?” Negan teases “it’s alright, darlin’… snoring is like singing in your sleep, it’s your musicality! Damn, I guess that’s means you’ve been giving me a private concert for the past twenty minutes”. 

It’s tempting to resist his claims but you give in to the small smile that tugs at your lips. No matter what, Negan has a way of turning every aspect of you into an endearing quality, constantly finding ways to appreciate even your most mundane traits. It’s a talent, truly.

Relenting, you lean against Negan, allowing yourself to melt into his embrace as you both move towards the door.

“Y’know, I could always help with the song too” he offers, making you laugh in an instant. 

“You? Co-write a song?” You question, turning off the light and wandering back through your home, Negan still side by side with you. 

“Yeah, I was thinking something like…” he thinks for a moment, mentally arranging the words in his head before saying “when my guy sees me, he gets hard as a brick, but how can I be mad, when he’s got that big dick”.

He gives you a grin, utterly proud of his lyrics.

You giggle, expecting no less from him as you drag Negan on to the couch with you. “Oh wow, I didn’t realise I was dating a poet” you praise.

“What can I say, doll,” Negan nuzzles in beside you “you’re not the only one full of surprises”.

With a wink, Negan gives you one last kiss before you both get comfy on the couch together, ready for a night of relaxation.

[gravehags]

sweet treat

pairing: cardinal copia x curator!reader (plus bonus ghoulettes)

rating: T for suggestive content

tags: summertime activities, gelato, ghoulettes cockblocking (affectionately), flirting, copia plotting

~~~

"Ah, feels good to be home!"

The man walking at your side turns to you with a devilish grin, reaching behind you to grip you by the ass and pull you towards him, chuckling sinisterly.

"Copia," you giggle, playfully shoving him away, "you're insatiable."

"Sì, and? I don't recall hearing any complaints about it last night when I had you bent over so prettily an--"

"Copia!" you stage whisper, looking around the silent country road. The only sounds in the warm air are cicadas buzzing and your footfalls on the hot pavement.

"Dolcezza, there is no one around but us. If I wanted to pull you into that bush over there and have my wicked way with you, there would be no one to save you."

Well that's a thought. You stop and consider it, ultimately deciding--

"Hey!" a feminine voice calls in the distance, "Wait up!"

Copia groans in frustration as the two of you turn and behold two figures lightly jogging towards you. You immediately recognize them as Copia's ghoulettes - Cumulus and Cirrus. They've abandoned their uniforms for something more weather appropriate - glamours cast. Cumulus' long white curls are piled high on her head in a messy bun, and she looks sweet enough to eat in her tanktop and Daisy Dukes. Cirrus, on the other hand, with her long dark hair, wears a pair of loose basketball shorts and a sports bra. They're both smiling as they approach, panting in the summer heat.

"Afternoon ladies," you say, "You wanted to get gelato too?"

Cumulus nods eagerly while Cirrus gives you a playful little eye roll.

"Mind if we tag along?"

You turn to Copia who looks as though he does, in fact, mind, but you also know he adores his ghoulettes and can't deny them anything, much like he can't with you.

"Come along, bellezze mie," he says, waving them into step with you. You really liked the ghoulettes - thought they were so charming (and beautiful), you never complained about an opportunity to chat with them. Cumulus slings an arm around your waist and pulls you close.

"He treating you right?" she whispers loudly, causing Copia to whip his head around with a pout. You laugh and lean into her.

"Yeah he's not half bad," you whisper back, giving the ladies a wink, "Just between us girls I'm using him for his money but he doesn't know that okay?"

Cirrus snorts loudly and grins.

"How much does being a Satanic cardinal pay these days, huh?"

"Since becoming the head of the Ghost project," Copia interjects loudly and archly, "A considerable amount. But that's entirely none of your business, ghoulette."

The ladies dramatically "ooooo" while you bump his arm with your shoulder.

"He's just sensitive because Imperator had to confiscate the Ministry credit card."

"Amore!" he squawks, glaring at you. You shrug with a smile.

"Boss what did you buy that pissed Imperator off that much?" Cumulus inquires, highly intrigued.

He's really pouting now, mustache twitching as he frowns deeply.

"I don't want to talk about it."

They look to you and you mime a zipping motion over your lips, giving them an apologetic, yet amused, glance.

The four of you walk in silence for a few minutes and you reach up to wipe the sweat from your forehead with the back of your hand. Which is also sweaty so it really doesn't make much difference.

"This humidity, huh?" you pant, using the hem of your sundress as a fan for your legs, "You girls must hate it."

"We do," they say in sync, "but we run cooler by nature so that does help."

"Oh yeah?" you ask, fascinated, "because you're air ghouls? Or do you have some other infernal secret?"

"The air ghoul thing," Cirrus confirms before waving you over to her, "C'mere"

You step over to her and she looks to Copia for a moment, who nods, before wrapping her arms around you. All of a sudden you're awash with deliciously chilled air, and the feeling makes you moan. Cumulus, not wanting to be left out, embraces you from behind with a grin.

"It's like being inside an ice cream sandwich," you marvel, "This is divine. Copia have you tried this? Copia?"

The man in question is standing, watching the three of you with a peculiar look in his eye. If you didn't know any better you'd say it was...hungry. Predatory, even. It's as if he doesn't hear you as his gaze flicks between the three of you. The ghoulettes catch him staring and slowly pull away, the loss of your air conditioners making you whine.

"Come on, village is close," Cirrus says and you spot her giving Copia a wink and a grin. You have the distinct feeling that a plot is being hatched but before you can air your suspicions, Cumulus grabs you by the hand and drags you up the street.

"Look at these!" she gushes, gesturing to the small yellow climbing roses on one of the storefronts. She reaches up and picks a bundle, tucking it behind your ear with a soft smile.

"Beautiful," she murmurs, "they suit you."

Something about the way she regards you makes butterflies flit around in your stomach and you open your mouth to thank her when Cirrus and Copia catch up to you. Copia gives you a soft, knowing look that makes you cock your head but you stay quiet. The gelato shop is only a few doors down and is mercifully quiet. The owner knows the two of you by name and greets you warmly. You all place your orders (stracciatella for you, lemon for Copia, mandarin for Cirrus, and fior di latte for Cumulus) and step outside with your prizes.

"Stracciatella," Copia sniffs, "You've been spending too much time with Terzo."

"Oh excuse me, signore," you say archly, "Not all of us like sour fruit flavors. Next time I'm ordering two scoops just to piss you off even harder."

Cirrus snorts mid spoonful and looks at Cumulus, who grins into her treat.

"Guys," you say, playfulness dropping from your face and voice, "I have some really fucking bad news."

Copia looks so intensely concerned as he comes to your side and cups your elbow you nearly laugh.

"Dolcezza, what is it, what's wrong?"

"We've got to walk all the way back to the fucking abbey after this."

A silence falls on the three of you before Copia speaks.

"I'm calling a ghoul to pick us up."

[creative-kny-fics]

are requests open? If they are then here’s a request: Akaza being in a rare Lee mood and Douma discovers and decides to “help out”

if they aren’t open then can you save this until they are please?

Awwww I love that idea! Is so sweet! ^^ of course!

Ler: Douma (UpperMoon 2)

Lee: Akaza (UpperMoon 3)

'Do you need something, Douma?', Douma squealed, it wasn't that he was thinking of scaring Kokushibo..

He was just trying to be cautious with his steps, but I guess nothing gets past UpperMoon 1. 'Yes! In fact... I wanted to ask you, haven't you seen Akaza-Dono around here?'

'Akaza? How curious, a few minutes ago he stopped by and asked me about you', Douma stopped and blinked repeatedly while his eyebrows rose in surprise.

The next thing Kokushibo saw was Douma, who looked at him carefully and with curiosity. 'Akaza-Dono? Asking about me?! Don't play with my feelings, Kokushibo-Dono!'

'I don't plan to do it, I'm telling the real facts. Akaza recently approached me too and after he lost his fear of speaking to me, he asked me about you'

Douma thought, and after snapping his fingers he got a little closer to him, squeezing his cheeks and smiling. 'Tell me something, by chance, Akaza-Dono was playing with his fingers, rubbing his shoulders with his hands, trying not to look at you, and was nervous?'

'Yes to all the questions.', Kokushibo didn't understand why so many questions, but he didn't want to get into it so he simply waited for Douma to give him a clue or tell him everything.

'Ooooh! I already know what he need me for! Thank you very much for letting me know, Kokushibo-Dono!'

Douma grabbed both cheeks and kissed him on the forehead before running away.

'I TOLD YOU TO STOP DOING...!! Who am I kidding?! No matter how many times I tell him, he won't listen to me!', Kokushibo, please, you like people to show you love, so don't complain

Anyway, Douma was not going to waste time searching for him throughout the infinite fortress, so he approached the only person who would know where Akaza was.

'Nakime-Chan!! Yoohoo!! Heeeey!! Nakime-Chan!! By any chance, have you seen Akaza-Dono around here?!'

Nakime gave a sigh and nodded. 'Yes, he was here a few minutes ago, he was asking about you. I sent it to your cult, so it must be there.'

'Ooooh I see! And there would be a chance that-?!', he didn't need to say more, Nakime strummed her biwa and Douma was transported to his cult.

He smiled when he saw the back of a certain person who had been looking for him, so he silently approached him. 'Where could it be-?'

'SURPRISE~!', Akaza punched him, that idiot knew he shouldn't scare him like that and despite that he kept doing it!

But unlike previous blows he had given him, this one was not very weak, there was no hatred, it was as if he had already known that it was Douma and that was why he did not hit him so hard. 'AKAZA-DONO!!'

'Why...? Ugh, that doesn't matter. What are you doing here?'

'I should ask myself that question! Kokushibo-Dono and Nakime-Chan told me you were looking for me, would you mind telling me why you needed me~?'

Douma crouched down to his level, smiling and waiting for Akaza to respond, even knowing that he would try to avoid saying the word directly. 'You know what's wrong with me, are you going to do it or not?'

'Eeeeh~? I have no idea what you're talking about, Akaza-Dono! Why so much mystery?! I'm your friend, you can tell me whatever you want!'

He wasn't his friend, but he wasn't going to correct him, not in that situation at least. 'Damn it Douma, do it the fuck up!'

'I'm being honest Akaza-Dono! I don't know exactly what you're talking about! What's the shame?! Just tell me!'

Akaza grabbed him by his shirt tightly, threatening to hit him if he kept making jokes. 'What's wrong Akaza-Dono~? Can't you say "Douma tickle me"~? Is that what's happening?'

'OF COURSE NOT!!'

'Ehhh? Don't you want to be tickled then? Okaaay~ that's fine! I will respect your decision!', Douma sat up and rested his elbows on his knees, smiling and watching with one eye as Akaza growled but calmed down.

He perfectly knew what he wanted, but let's be honest, do you think Douma would be able to pass up the opportunity to make fun of Akaza?

Obviously he would do it and enjoy how his 'friend's cheeks turned slightly pink. 'Douma... Can you... Do you think you can... Grrr...!'

'Do you want me to growl? What a strange request~!'

'NO IDIOT!!'

'So~?', Akaza frowned and clenched his fists tightly, why was it so difficult for him?!

It's not like Douma hasn't tickled him before and he enjoyed it, but why was it so hard for him to say 'tickle me'?! He closed his eyes furiously, clenching his teeth tightly and taking a deep breath to scream.

'DOUMA, CAN YOU TICKLE ME?! AHAHAHAHA!!', he did it!

'Awwww, did you want to be tickled, Akaza-Dono~? Of course! You know I'm always going to say yes to tickling you~!'

Akaza squealed as Douma hugged him and pressed his face into his tummy, blowing raspberry after raspberry as he shook his head.

'DOHOHOUMAHAHAHA!! AHAHAHAHA!!'

'You wanted this~! Would you like me to tickle you in a specific way?! Go ahead! Just say it~!'

'IT'S OKAHAHAY!! AHAHAHA!! HEHEHEY!! GYAHAHAHAHA!!'

'Awwww how cute you are~! Tickle tickle tickle~!'

Douma didn't need to use his strength like he did on other occasions, where Akaza was a little stubborn and didn't want to accept his tickling.

But now it was different!

'DOHOUMAHAHAHAHA!! NOHOHOT THEHEREHEHE!!' 'Awwww I forgot how sensitive the stripes on your sides were~ do you want me to stop~?'

'NOHOHOHO!! J-JUHUHUST-!! N-NOHOHOT THEHEREHEHE!!', do I need to explain or emphasize that Akaza loves tickling? No, right?

After a few minutes, Douma stopped, patting Akaza's back while making sure he hadn't overdone it, although of course, they were demons and didn't know exactly what fatigue was.

'Douma...'

'Huh? What's wrong Akaza-Dono?'

'Thanks... my friend...'

[moonlightdreamzz]

kill bill

part one part two

you return back to korea one year after you and hyunjin broke up, only to find out he has replaced you. how could he replace you?

→ g: all of it. the pain, the sexy, the happiness. angstsmutfluff! &lt;3

🎧 ➤ kill bill by sza

warning! you’re a heartbroken bitter ex girlfriend here, although for a valid reason. party environment! mentions of (w**d) and alcohol, language, and infidelity!

Everyone who is partying seems to be having a great time thanks to the Migos music that is playing. Together with the sound of feet leaping up and down, you can also hear recognizable voices trying to shout over the music. Everyone is singing together, but you can't help but scrunch up your face

You're stopped on the toilet, your heart racing as you rest your face in your palms, emulating Hyunjin's pose before interfering with his moment. You're not sure who will break the hush. You want to snort because this is all too familiar. This petty quiet game had devoured your relationship in the latter days of your and Hyunjin's relationship—you not speaking out owing to your misunderstanding over when the two of you became this pair, and Hyunjin always preferring the silent treatment over voicing what was troubling him.

Hyunjin takes a big breath before swiftly exhaling. He stands up and hands you the toilet paper from the top of their marble-topped sink. "Take it," he says quietly, and you quickly comply, wiping your sensitive parts freely as he faces the door.

All you can see is his muscular back, which appears to have become leaner from what you can see, and his blonde hair, which he opted to be down today. He was usually complaining about the headaches he had from wearing his hair up for an extended period of time.

Right now, you don't feel like yourself, but perhaps that's for the best. You quickly flush the toilet and then proceed to the sink to wash your hands. There wasn't much room to maneuver in this bathroom because it isn't particularly big. You are compelled to rest your left hip on Hyunjin's thin waist since he is still standing still.

You have no idea why he hasn't exited the restroom. A number of delusions were racing through your disordered mind, your major idea being that he must still be as madly in love with you as you are with him, and that this would be the scene in the film where you both declare how much you need each other. You can almost taste it: the two of you weeping your eyes out while making love in this restroom. It wouldn't be the first time this happened.

You pause for a split second after wiping your hands on the beautiful towel before speaking.

"Are you sure you're not going to talk to me? I had no idea you were so afraid to approach people.” Although it is a falsehood, you are aware that doing the right thing will not result in the solutions you need.

This time, you weren't very adept at guessing what was going through Hyunjin's mind. His body language is the only glance you get, and it doesn't reveal much. You start to look for his typical signs of annoyance, such as disordered breathing, shaking heads, and fidgeting with the hem of his jeans to pass the time, but none of those things are happening. He is simply standing.

He whispers, "Shut up," and doesn't turn around. It's strange since his tone is the furthest thing from sharp, despite the fact that his words are. It may best be described as defeated. but not in the manner you desire. Not in a manner that would force him to leave the party holding your hand, disregarding what anyone else has to say. no…Guilt is the cause. It's unfortunate. It's embarrassing. You're at a loss for words.

“What?”

He continues, "Shut up."

“I'll stop talking when you look at me.” He ignores your threat and stands still. "Wow, you guys are all big and bad now, huh? Wow, Hyunjin. Have you got that feeling from your new bitch? Huh!” You start to speak louder.

You don't typically lose your cool in this way, but you can't help it. The level of scorn you are currently experiencing can only be fully understood by those whose hearts have been utterly broken. The man who once pledged to sacrifice his life for you will not even meet your eyes. Devastation has now replaced the blood that was previously rushing through your veins, and when devastation is the only thing keeping your heart beating, you completely lose control. You care not who hears. You pray that she is listening in on the conflict that you know is about to blow out inside these four walls from behind the door.

you usually never lose your temper like this, but you can’t control yourself. only the people who have gotten their hearts completely shattered can understand how scorned you feel right now. the man who used to say he would die for you won’t even look you in the eye. the blood running through your veins has now become devastation, and when devastation is the only thing keeping your heart pumping, you fucking lose control. you don’t care who hears. you hope she’s behind the door eavesdropping on the argument you know is about to explode behind these four walls.

“Answer me!" You yell. The music is loud, and the guests are still singing, but you can tell that folks nearby are starting to wonder who is in here. "What is it about her? Is she more beautiful than I am? Smarter? Lighter? You don't get to do this to me and then ignore—

Hyunjin has seized you with his thin hands and pushed you against the door before you can finish your sentence. Even though it is unplanned, your body thumps into it loudly, ruining what you know is supposed to be a covert reunion.

His eyes are moist and crimson, eyes you haven't been able to lose yourself in for a year. He is sobbing silently while his eyes are streaming with tears as they look directly into your soul. His eyes should have softened like they did when you first entered this room, but they don't.

Despite the fact that you two have always maintained that such things do not exist, perhaps he truly is your twin flame. Suddenly, the anguish, disappointment, and rage overwhelm you, making it difficult for you to breathe and causing your tears to fall exactly like his. But you can't just let them fall silently. You can't stop crying, even when Hyunjin's arms slink around your waist. Your sobbing is loud and unrestrained.

You are despised. "I hate you." You sob. How much you adore him, you detest. You hate that he broke your heart, and when you saw him on the floor, instead of going the restroom and running away, you couldn't keep it together and ended up in his arms as you always do.

Hyunjin is not feeling well. Seeing you sob like this makes him sick to his stomach. He can only blame himself. He wishes to tell you that he despises himself, but that would be too simple. He thought he'd finally found more than two words to say to you, but it's as if your anguish is flowing from you to him skin to skin.

But he has to hold it together.

“You hate me, huh?” He chuckles through he tears. “You know, Y/N? I hate you too.” He lies. You always act like you’re the only one hurt. Like you’re the only one who felt shit during this!”

“Because that’s what it feels like you asshole! Do you hear yourself right now? You broke up with me! You said all of these sweet loads of bullshit to me! You are the one who tried to make me feel like maybe we could be together again, just for you to move on! The one thing you swore you could never do! How do you think that’s made me feel!”

“Everybody says that during a breakup!” He finally screams back.

Never once had he ever yelled at you. All of this seemed like a terrifying nightmare. Was the whole thing a lie? Months prior, you had been asking yourself that question, but you dismissed it as a fiction of your insecure mind. Why did his tears match yours if he actually despised you and if all of his promises had been empty gestures?

He can tell you're having trouble breathing right now because of how violently you're hiccupping from weeping. Seeing you acting so sensitively on his behalf is such an unusual sight. You were great at demonstrating your compassion for others, but it never happened in situations like this. Even after the breakup, the way you handled it gave the impression that you didn't give a damn if he didn't know you inside and out.

Your remarks and the way you viewed him as your sensitive spot—what he was to you—were what made them profound. You currently have the same expression in your eyes, but it's mingled with terrible perplexity and grief. He made two promises to himself that he would never carry out. Didn't you go through enough already? However, there he was.

Tell her the truth.

“Baby…” he finally mutters. Your wet eyes immediately soften at the sound of your favorite name to be called by him. His gentle hand caresses your soft, brown skin. “Let me expla—

Knock knock knock!

“Hyunjin.” From behind the door, a small voice can be heard. Hyunjin and you both recognize the voice as coming from her, however neither of you can explain how you were able to hear her. You don't need to know how she appears because you don't know. She was the kind of woman that all the men in this place coveted.

You chuckle, a sole tear running down your eye.

“She’s perfect, isn’t she?”

Hyunjin seems to have frozen over once more. He is now wondering if this is how God intended it since he keeps getting cut off when he starts to explain why he left you, the love of his life.

All of the late nights where he was having anxiety attacks only you could soothe and went to call you, his service would go out, or he would be summoned to a late night practice.

Everytime he was in the midst of writing you a letter, Bang Chan would come in, demanding him to “let it go” as it was “for the betterment of the group”

Leah, who was madly in love with him and on the other side of the door was shameful. The fact that it was brutally evident that his heart was somewhere else, yet she ignored it, was the final straw. She is literally a hired girlfriend from the company. She is aware. Bangchan is aware. Everyone is aware. You are the owner of Hyunjin. Every part of him. You were the only thing left in his heart. Without you in his life to fuel him up and pick up on all of the subtle intricacies he put into his actions, even dancing no longer brought him much joy.

Hyunjin was tired of running. But he was willing to do it one more time.

“Do you trust me?” He questions. He knows what you’re answer will be.

You have no idea what is going on right now. Hyunjin moved from being apologetic to declaring his hatred for you, to pretending he had a reason for his conduct, to now this. What exactly is going on? What was he going to say?

He doesn't have time to wait for a response from you. He is aware that your mind is concocting bizarre interpretations about his acts. He would lose all confidence if another 30 seconds passed.

“This is all fake.”

It’s as if the weight of the world dropped off of his body.

“What?” You utter.

“Her, our break up, I never wanted any of it.” He didn’t know his honesty would cause him to feel so weak inside.

You can feel the way his body is shaking. You know it’s only a mere couple of seconds before he collapses on the ground. Your hands are now cupping his face into your hands, holding him afloat just as you always did. In this moment, nothing makes sense except for the fact that you two were finally on the same page again after months of being lost without eachother.

You've noticed that the music has started to shout into Hyunjin's ear. This is what happened when he became overwhelmed by his surroundings. He's trying to concentrate by blocking his ears.

“We need to run.” He utters. “Take my hand. I love you, Y/N. I know none of this makes sense but if we can just get out of here I’ll explain everything. You just have to trust me. And I know that’s a hard thing to ask—

You ultimately decide to stop questioning him and start doing as he says since you can tell he's becoming anxious. Leah is in agonizing astonishment when she finds you and Hyunjin holding hands next to each other as Hyunjin suddenly regains control of his body and swings open the door.

“What the fuck, Hyunjin.” She squeals.

“Don’t what the fuck him.” You speak firmly

“What she said.” Is all Hyunjin mutters before squeezing your hand tightly and pulling you through the drunken dazed crowd, pushing her out of the way in the process.

The way everything is unfolding makes you feel as though you are watching a movie. Hyunjin is passionate as he shoves people aside to rush to the entrance, and you're moving so quickly that you can't even stop to look at their expressions.

The music is still blaring, and a song from earlier begins to play, causing you to practically black out.

I'm still a fan even though I was salty

Hate to see you with some other broad, know you happy

Hate to see you happy if I'm not the one driving

Finally, you and Hyunjin exit through the door to the empty outside. The music, which once more seems to be absent, gives the impression that nobody else is present. You eventually lock eyes with one other for the first time without any pain involved, like if there is no one else on the globe save the two of you.

Hyunjin is helpless to stop. As soon as he pulls you up, you instantly wrap your legs around his waist, allowing him to kiss you on the lips. The emotions that are coursing through his body are so intense that he feels as though his entire body wants to give way. At the same time, he feels joy, hurt, and remorse. He has no idea how he survived without your love for even a day.

You don't either, and it doesn't really matter right now. The fact that you are back in his arms is all that matters. Later, you'll have to kick yourself for not being more critical of him.

“I’m sorry. I’ll explain it all. I swear.” He says in between kisses.

You and Hyunjin make out as heavier thunder rumbles through the area. He again grabs your hand and pulls you to the parking lot as you both giggle together. Both of you don't seem to mind that your boots and his sneakers are drenched in water from the puddles as you run together.

He starts the car from a distance, opens the door for you like the gentleman you knew him to be, then clambers onto the driver's side and quickly accelerates away. He pulls quickly, giving the rest of the perplexed group a swerving decipher from as he can't help but touch you with his lips and an empty hand.

Hyunjin switches on the radio as the two of you drive down the freeway, and you quickly realize that it is the same station that was playing during the party. The two of you are still traveling to your favorite park in the midst of the storm, singing along to SZA's sly but true words as Hyunjin's lips are pressed against your own.

I did it all for love (love)

I did it all of this on no drugs (drugs)

I did all of this sober

Don't you know I did it all for us?

Who would’ve known this would be Hyunjin’s line to sing by the end of the night.

authors note: I know I took forever to get this out. i don’t even know if this is still wanted. if you guys want the full truth in another part, let me know!

© 2023 moonlightdreamzz. no one has permission to steal my work in any way, shape, or form.

taglist

@https-skzology

@multeciahucho

@hyujinnie1

@xh-josii

@itszerotwoo

[mileyjassie]

" 𝚂𝙾𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚅𝙾𝙸𝙲𝙴 "

Pairing: Kim Taehyung (V) x Reader

Word count: 1.6k

Genre: Fluff

Synopsis: Spending vacation together in a domestic way.

It so happened that when he called you to spend time with him during his leisure time in a little house in the countryside, you had to hide some of your contentment.

Changes have always been welcome to you, even though you find yourself more entertained in the big city, so not spending a lifetime away from civilization and actually just enjoy some time in a calm environment was simply a good idea.

You didn't feel bothered, you felt deeply thankful, because you couldn't have received a better invitation than this from the boy.

You were sitting on the floor working at the low wooden table in front of you, watching the long, thin door that divided the rooms slide to the side, seeing the dark haired brunette in light clothes watching you silently, despite the sudden entry.

You paused your reading for a moment to give him a serene look, waiting for any unpredictable comments.

"You came with me, but you only work, you don't have time for me, you don't spend the day with me." He said in a growl, but didn't change the neutral, emotionless expression that remained like a mask on his face, yet the way he rebelled was genuine and didn't faze you much.

You raised your eyebrows shortly thereafter, parting your lips to sincerely apologize.

"I hadn't noticed it was bothering you, I didn't want you to feel alone." You said calmly, redeeming to not add anything to his temper. "Tomorrow, I assure you, I won't touch those papers. Is that all right?"

He looked at you for a while, trying to figure out if the promise was real.

"Really?" You nodded, affirming with a slight smile, his chin puckered in acceptance with a nod. "You promised." He slammed the door shut, just as he had arrived.

You let out a small smile, going back to the papers in order to finish everything so you could have the free time you promised.

The next day Taehyung woke you up early, very early, because the sun had barely risen and there he was standing, you couldn't believe yourself how determined he was.

You found him while he was waiting for you in the kitchen, heading out to the back, the kitchen doors already wide open to a view of the backyard's cobblestone path.

"I didn't hear you complaining at any moment." He commented absently, leading the way towards the small building made of wood.

"I'm not afraid of chickens." You responded while brushing you hair out of your face as the morning breeze blew some strands in front of your eyes, holding the basket he gave you in your other hand. "I've lived in the countryside before, if you've forgotten."

"I remember you mentioning ducks, not chickens." He smiled, opening the hatchery door and waving a hand at some chickens that were scratching on the ground.

"Sometimes there was chickens as well" You waved to the same chickens, approaching those that remained seated. "Most of the time it was a very, very noisy rooster."

He chuckled, finding you as he turned around, seeing you stare at one of the sitting chickens.

"Are you trying to communicate with your eyes? That's not exactly how you make friends with a chicken, but I respect your methods." He pretended to take you seriously, holding the animal in both hands and pulling it out of its comfort, waiting for you to harvest the eggs it guarded. You picked them up, reaping a decent amount from most of them.

You walked up the cobblestone path to the kitchen, leaving the basket on the table. Taehyung washed the eggs and you dried them, putting them in the fridge, gasping in alert when he let one of the wet eggs slip out of his hand.

You stared at each other, then you both left a few laughs while the lazy dragging of Taehyung's flip-flops sang into the floor before he cleaned up the mess he'd made. You knelt beside him, helping him and finding yourself in a great mood.

"We both better take a shower, we must be smelling like chicken." Taehyung laughed with a disgusted expression in the face, nodding his head.

Taehyung went first, not accepting your protests and reaching the bathroom before you reached him, you waited long enough, noticing that his showers were longer than you thought.

You heard the bathroom door open and his footsteps run hurriedly to lock himself in the bedroom you shared, you laughed at the playful, shy gesture of him hiding from you before you could see anything.

You took all the time you thought you needed to wash yourself, considering the over-the-top shower he'd had, then you gone to the bedroom in desperate steps to imitate him, hearing his loud laugh echo from another room.

When you changed, you dried your hair and looked for him around the house, finding him sitting on the floor of the kitchen entrance, white shirt, light shorts, barefoot and messy damp hair while he stared at the floor or any corner of the kitchen, his fingers touching the toenail.

He saw you but didn't say anything, you approached quietly, sitting in front of him, a little distant despite not having to.

"The long time of the bath explains why you smells so good. I can smell it from here." Despite expecting a smirk, you only received a genuinely surprised look, but only slightly.

"You can?" His deep, relaxed voice asked without necessarily waiting for an answer, fading in the end.

His voice never went unnoticed, it was always noticeable no matter how he used it.

“I like talking to you." You told him, seeing he hadn't expected such a sudden comment.

“I like talking to you too." He said in no hurry, moving from fidgeting with his toes to sitting more comfortably. "But why the praise?"

“It wasn't a compliment." You answered, seeing his dark eyebrows tighten, almost disgusted. “It was a fact. My compliments to you would be a little different..."

His pupils expanded and glowed with curiosity, yearning for the words you still kept to yourself.

"What would they be like?"

"In a way, they wouldn't stop being facts either... Since nothing I admire about you is a illusion, nor is it fantasy." You explained, lying on your stomach, supporting your face in both hands. "Everything I see of you is real, I just make it a little more magical, in my eyes you can be charming like a prince, or tempting like a siren's voice, but I don't know how to explain it to you..."

His eyebrow jumped in amusement, his attention creating a certain strength over you, but it wasn't enough to intimidate you, you were calm, you were calm and collected, and there are only some few times when he would be able to unbalance your feelings about him.

"My voice, is that what you were thinking about?" He asked not too surprised, because he knew very well what you could praise him, and that was definitely his voice, however, his desire to be pampered was insatiable, and he knew that you would provide it to him very well. "Is that what you think of it?"

You smiled effortlessly, the comforting silence of it all almost bringing heat to your cheeks.

"Your voice is like a clean spell... Your intentions may vary but that doesn't change the fact that it continues to enchant all those who are lost to listen."

You saw his face finally redden, bringing back the memory that he is still the same person as always and not some demigod, maybe being so open could make him hold back, maybe it was a natural reaction, so you almost thought of sparing him of your ecstatic state if it wasn't for his unexpected pleading eyes.

"I have no interest in what I can do to others…" he insisted, which caused you a pleasant reaction instead of the embarrassment that it used to be common.

"It pleases me so much to see how much you long to know what I think of you..." You smiled while closing your eyes, stretching on the cold floor until your back touched the floor, arms stretched out and legs tucked in, opening your eyes and lifting your chin so you could see him.

You watched him a little longer, running your fingers through the strands of hair straying around your head.

"Every time I find myself in silence and your voice is the only thing I can hear, I have the impression that my head isn't working properly, I can hear your voice, but I don't understand what you're saying because I'm admiring you so intensely."

You confessed, closing your eyes again.

"When you talk to me, I feel like you're bewitching me, making me see only you and nothing else, you're the only one that matters, and when I realize it the only thing I can do is smile," You said almost contentedly, leaving the corners of your mouth rise freely. "Because I like it. And sometimes I imagine you singing to me, taking me down, sinking me into the sea, and I try to touch your face, you let me, you like to see me enchanted and completely in love, drowning in my feelings."

You heard him move, feeling his warm presence silently approaching. You opened your eyes, seeing his dark hair hanging down, his face above yours, searching for something for a few moments before his fingers landed on your cheek, lowering to lay his lips on yours.

You lifted your hands to find the back of his neck, feeling his lower lip press against your upper lip, staying there, gifting you with a slow, patient kiss.

Taehyung placed his hand on the floor again, intending to stay there for a while longer, not making much of a scene when you moved your hands from his neck to his back, going under his collar to stop on his skin.

He took your head and sat down, putting it on his legs, being able to hold your face in a more comfortable position and deepen the kiss.

The kitchen was silent for a long time, a long, long time.

[catre33]

Good Omens and Harry Potter crossover

I've seen quite a number of these in which Crowley and Aziraphale are professors

But consider:

1977

Crowley was standing outside of the local bookshop of an isolated Scottish village. The cocoa he had bought to surprise Aziraphale was growing cold in his hand. For the third time, he miracled it warm.

"What's taking him so long?" he complained aloud. He glanced through the window to see  Aziraphale still engaged in conversation with the owner. Crowley caught a glimpse of the angel's grin and quickly swivelled his head back 'round, his race red. Crowley was the first to figure out that demons could blush, although some argue it was Aziraphale.

His gaze wandered over the street, and a group of young adults, (or possibly teenagers; he wasn't very good at assuming age.) caught his eye. One in particular. In Crowley's opinion, the most well-dressed of the three of them.

The youth was incredibly pale, and his long black hair astonishingly contrasted this. He had tattoos practically plastered across his skin, and many of them depicted astrological symbols.

But what truly piqued Crowley's interest was his clothing (which differed greatly from his friends', they were much more academic casual.) He wore tattered jeans and a graphic T-shirt. Merchandise of a band led by a dear friend of Crowley's.

Crowley thought for a moment and decided anyone with such an interest must be worth having a chat with.He made his way across the cobblestone.

---

Sirius Orion Black was having a jolly good time. This was the fourth occasion in the self-proclaimed Marauders' seventh year in which they had successfully snuck out of Hogsmeade and into the nearest Muggle village.

He, James, and Peter were all standing on the street while Remus perused an antique shop. Sirius had opted for his favourite Muggle clothes, while the others had simply chosen to discard their robes.

The group had just finished discussing how to avoid Lily and Remus' NEWTS studying schedules when they were approached, quite out of the blue.

The man's hair was a red to rival Molly and Arthur's, though it was more fiery than real ginger. He wore sunglasses, despite the gloom of the day; and his clothes were all varying shades of black and grey.

He appeared to have a devilish look about him, with a hint of a smirk in his scowl - if that was possible. From afar, Sirius had taken him for a Muggle; but closer now, he was no longer certain. The feeling was hard to describe, other than an odd sensation to his presence.

"Erhm, hallo." the strange man greeted them with a timid wave. "Couldn't help but notice... Uhm..." He trailed off. He could have been staring into the distance, but it was impossible to tell with his sunglasses.

The Marauders exchanged glances and silently motioned for the man to continue.

He pointed at Sirius' chest.

"You like Queen?" he asked.

Sirius stiffened immediately. He'd been criticized on numerous occasions for his taste in Muggle music.

"Yeah, so?" he replied, agitated.

The man spread his hands in surrender.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Nothing like that," as if he could see straight through Sirirus' thoughts, "simply wanted to talk to a fellow fan." the man extended his hand congenially. "the name's Crowley."

"Thank GOD." James surged forward and seized Crowley's hand, making the man and his eyebrows jump. "Sirius will not stop talking our ears off. 'Queen this, Freddie that.' You saved us in the nick of time; we were on the brink of insanity."

"I-," Sirius scoffed, "I don't talk about it that much."

"That's true," Peter piped in, "sometimes he talks about Bowie!"

"Bowie's good, too!" Crowley added, nodding vigorously.

James patted Sirius' shoulder, 'See? You've made a friend!"

Sirius grinned and shoved James away, then nodded to Crowley.

"This is James and Peter. I'm Sirius."

"Yeah, I caught that; but what's your name?" Crowley said through a smirk.

"Ha, ha. You're a riot." Sirius rolled his eyes. "Just Crowley?"

"Ah, well. Anthony, if you like."

The bell jingled behind Sirius and he turned to see Remus walking out of the shop.

"Moony! You're finished!"

"Hey Pads," Remus walked up and gave Sirius a quick peck on the cheek before pulling him close.

"Oh, who's this?" Anthony asked; looking surprised, yet elated.

"Anthony, this is my boyfriend Remus. Moons, he came over to talk to me about Queen!"

"Is that so?" Remus shook his head and chuckled. "Anthony... Italian roots?"

"Ehrm..." he paused and shrugged, "Ssssure?"

The odd response raised eyebrows all around, but before they could ask further, another joined the party.

"Crowley? Is that you?"

This newcomer was the absolute polar opposite of Anthony. He had very cherubic features: bright fluffy hair, sparkling eyes, and a brilliant grin. He wore a well-loved and well-kept waistcoat, which looked a couple of decades old.

Upon seeing him, Anthony became flushed.

"Agh, hallo, angel. Got you this." Anthony handed him the cup he was holding, which was suddenly steaming.

"Cocoa? Oh, thank you, dear boy!"

Anthony growled and turned away. Sirius and Remus exchanged a knowing look.

"Sooo," Remus started, "you gonna introduce us, Anthony?"

"This is my...uhrm..." he looked lost, "This is Aziraphale." he finished quickly.

"I thought you didn't make friends," Aziraphale said slyly, peering up over the rim of his cup.

"Shut it." Crowley hissed, his face reminiscent of a cherry.

Sirius and Remus shared another glance and a chuckle.

"You two off, then?" James asked.

Aziraphale nodded. "Got to get these back to my shop in London," he replied, lifting the bag he carried.

"Fun meeting you lot," Crowley threw over his shoulder, suddenly feet away."

A pleasure!" Aziraphale shook everyone's hands before hurrying after Anthony, who hadn't halted sauntering away.

The Marauders waved after them.

"Bit of an odd pair, aren't they?" Peter remarked.

"Yeah, but a pair," Sirius replied.

James looked over. "You think so?"

"Definitely," Remus affirmed. "Let's head home."

THIS TOOK WAY TOO LONG

I'll write more if people like it.

[b4ts1e]

▀▄▀▄▀▄A Misread Situation▄▀▄▀▄▀ (𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚌!𝙼𝙲)

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚍: 𝚀𝚒𝚞/𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚗 𝙻𝚒𝚗 𝙱𝚊𝚡𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗 𝙼𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚢 𝚃𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙱𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚗 𝙼𝙲 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 (𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙾𝙻:𝙽&𝙵)

𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝:

Kiddos shall be 10 years old like in the base game! I also changed the outburst into something more canon- since I highly doubt she'd get extremely upset unless it had genuinely hurt MC or some else she cares for.

(𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗)

It was after class time, Tamarack and MC were talking casually as they packed their things away so they could head home once their rightful gaurdians arrived. At first the conversation was neutral before it took a slightly more- upsetting turn. The two talking softly about their parents, MC taking a seat ontop of his desk as Tamarack sat in her seat like usual.

"So- I know I've asked before but doesn't it make you sad that your parents sent you here to live with your Oma and Opa?" he asked, messing with his fingers in his lap. "Not really- but I do miss them a lot sometimes. Oma and Opa are very caring though, and they have time to play with me too! Mom and Dad were always suuuper busy with their jobs... But that's okay! I get to explore the forest behind our houses now!" she explained, voice fluctuating with her emotions.

"I understand that- momma is busy as well, and well- my dad...I've never met him so-" MC explained a bit, lacing his fingers together to prevent his fiddling. "I noticed that, how come you don't know him?" she asked curiously, not a single ill intention behind her question. "Momma told me it's something called- artifical insemination? Basically, my dad is an annoymous person who helped my momma have me."

"Oh okay." Tamarack answered, not understanding entirely but grasping the basic explaination he gave to her. "Well look at it this way! We're just more similar now!!!" she said cheerfully with a clap of her hands- her radient joy making the boy smile softly. "Yeah!!!" he agreed with a laugh before 'the boys club' entered the room rather loudly. Darren complaining about something or another, most likely about Qiu insisting on making sure MC and Tamarack got home safely.

"Oh hi you three." the girl greeted softly, catching their attention. Darren rolling his eyes softly, Qiu offering her a smile, and Baxter nodding his head in acknowledgement. "Oh! Darren told me this joke earlier, wanna hear it?" Qiu asked, approaching the two calmly despite his grin. "Sure." MC replied quickly, offering his neighbor a small smile. "Wait Qiu-" Baxter started but got cut off by the said boy telling the joke. "Are your guys' parents ninjas? They must be really good at their jobs huh? Cause I've never seen 'em!" he said, expecting laughter but getting a dead silence instead. Darren flinched slightly at the poor execution of the joke, as well as how directed he had said it.

MC was stunned to silence, looking to Tamarack for her reaction- seeing slight anger welling up in her eyes, but Qiu was oblivious to it as he told another joke. "So- there's this webpage for orphans right? Sadly it doesn't have a home page." he tries again, but fails and before he can try again Tamarack stands up- face downcast.

"That's not funny." she said, voice shockingly stoic before Mrs. Murray walked in telling her that her grandparents were here for her. Tamarack leaves, waving to MC without a word. Qiu was silent, not understanding what was wrong with what he had said. "Qiu. Those aren't things you can joke about with Tamarack." MC explained, disappointed but as upset as his feminine friend had been. "Why not? It's just a joke?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"She misses her parents Qiu, plus we were just talking about that kind of stuff. I'm not as upset since I don't have much of an attachment to a man I've never met, but she loves her parents- despite them being too busy for her." he explained, hopping off the desk and adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "Oh. OH. Oh no, I didn't mean it like that-" Qiu said, slight sorrow in his eyes as he realizes how those jokes sounded. "I am so sorry MC! I didn't realize, I just wanted to share the jokes with you both..." Qiu said genuinely, hugging himself slightly.

"I'm not the one you should apologize to Autumn, like I said- not attached to a man I don't know. Tomorrow though, apologize to Tamarack." he explained before looking to the other two boys. "Thank you Baxter for trying to stop him before, but Darren please don't make jokes like that around Tamarack alright?" he addressed individully. "Yeah I know how parental absense can be a sensitive topic for some, I apologize I didn't stop him sooner." the professional thirteen year old said, crossing his arms- hiding his hands. "All that matters is you tried, thank you." he said before Mrs. Murray entered the room again and informed him of his mother's arrival outside.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow, but please- give Tama some space okay?" Mc said before exiting the room without hearing the answer from the boys.

Qiu felt terrible, he hadn't meant to hurt Tamarack- truly. He just wanted to share the jokes he had been told before the three boys arrived to the classroom. He had not expected nor thought that the joke could've hurt his friends, but for now- he covered his concerned expression with his usual grin and focused on hanging out with Baxter and Darren. Despite the two knowing he wasn't as alright as he presented, the both of them allowed it for the moment- after all Qiu always tried to take care of his friends. It was tough for him to know that he hurt one of them on accident.

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 917

[guiraguira]

Could I request Jakurai and Doppo (In a poly relationship) subtly fighting over who will get a lap pillow from their s/o?

That is my place!✨

Ahhhh~~~~ Soo cute❤️💜! Just imagining Jakurai fighting over something like this makes me very tender, but adding to that the little puppy Doppo is more than I can resist!😭

Warnings: None!

Jakurai x Reader x Doppo

° It was so rare that their days off coincided, that the simple fact that the three of them had woken up together and lazed in bed until late filled them with joy. Prolonged caresses added to the sighs of joy that were delighting her ears.

° The peace is disturbed by Jakurai's phone with a work call, apologizing, he leaves the room to talk calmly. Almost at the same moment Doppo remembers that he must send an important email if he wants to have a day off again, complaining he goes to the computer, he wants to get it over with quickly.

° You wait a while for them, sitting down slowly stretching yourself very lazily. You are about to start putting on your slippers when Jakurai arrives, he sees you in the perfect position to lie on your thighs kissing the crown of your head, he brushes his hair to one side and is about to put his head down when Doppo comes running jumping on the bed, causing it to shake and the doc to miss the opportunity.

° "ahhh, that damn boss..." crawling on the sheets, he gropes for your body and hugging your stomach he approaches you burying his face in your back, he starts to turn to be on your legs, but is stopped by Jakurai. He crosses an arm over your legs, blocking the redhead. At that moment, they both understood that they wanted the same thing and they were not going to give up the place to the other.

° "Doppo, honey are you sure you finished?" He digs his elbow into the mattress and rests his head on his hand, subtly defending his place. "You can take your time" he says smiling calmly.

° "It's not necessary, my love, I'm done" he replied, looking at him fixedly and tucking a lock of hair behind the doctor's ear. "Your call seemed important, don't you have to check something?" He refuses to leave his place, so still holding you from behind, he puts his hands on your legs. That way if he wanted to lie down, he couldn't touch your thighs.

° "Now that you mention it, yesterday you said you were going to buy a cake, what if you bring it for breakfast?" He entwines his fingers with Doppo and kisses the back of his hand, seeking by means of pampering that he gives up the idea of him, but this office worker does not give up so quickly. "Ah, but I can ask for that to deliver, would you be so kind as to pass me your cell phone?" He asks putting him in check, he must get up yes or yes and he knows that this is what the redhead expects.

° "ah! So I want to ask for it" standing up quickly you look for the cell phone to make the order. Your speed was such that it took them off guard, they weren't going to allow you to move either, pulling you at the same time they sit you in your place. "Hey…" with the phone to your ear, you ignore them to place the order.

° They remain silent, but that's not why they stop competing. Doppo has one leg over yours, a little staring duel takes place between them. The doctor isn't going to give up for so little, so holding her gently, he pulls her away from you and despite all the strength the redhead exerts, he is easily defeated by the other man.

° Believing himself victorious, he is about to put his head down when he feels a soft obstacle. A pillow gets in the way of her goal, pretending to help her, she relocates it to one side of you, leaving your legs clear once again. They again exchange hearty smiles with a little glint of competitiveness.

° You may notice that something is happening, but your attention is on something else at that moment. Meanwhile, they keep pushing on your lap, they are saying something in each other's ear and you can't hear it. "Guys, what are you doing?" You say at the end of the call. They keep whispering things to each other, so they don't pay attention to you.

° If they're so entertained with each other, then you could leave without them complaining, but your intent is eclipsed when you're just about to settle your feet. "No honey, it's very important that you stay like this" Jakurai holds your left shoulder and puts a hand on your thigh on the same side, on your right Doppo is doing exactly the same.

° "May I know what they are doing?" Your question is ignored again. "Could you make some tea? It's so delicious for you..." The redhead's question was addressed to the doctor. "But we can wait for the cake, it's just a while longer…" Even though you answer, no one listens to you. "Oh and if you better make that coffee that taught you to prepare Hifumi… s/o and I loved it, didn't we?" Only then do they look at you and realize you're frowning.

° "love... did something happen?..." Doppo asks advanced on you, but he can't get very far before you're the one who pushes him. Pulling their hands off your shoulders, you squeeze them into yours. "What are they doing?" You question them by twisting your head "nothing" they answer in unison.

° You stare at them waiting for them to say something else but they remain silent, you don't believe them at all. "Don't get mad, it ruins your sweet face" Jakurai kisses the place where your eyebrows meet, while taking advantage of the carelessness, your other lover tries to rest his head on your thighs but is stopped, forcing him to move away.

° "That's right, could you smile for us?" Doppo changes places by kissing your cheek at the same time that he prevents the doctor from winning the place. Since they don't know which way to go, they just smile at you, hoping you'll do the same.

° " Jakurai darling, could you bring me some water?" Ah, he knows that he lost, there is no way to refuse that, so he will comply with your request. Upon returning, Doppo is occupying the much-disputed place almost purring from your caresses in his hair, the doctor's calm gaze is slightly altered with his eyes fixed like daggers on his opponent. Who totally oblivious to that, turns in your lap avoiding his eyes to look at you, catches your other hand and places it on his cheek, rubbing against it like a little kitten.

° His moment of glory does not last long, because his cell phone rings and you encourage him to answer, no matter how quickly he went in search of the device, his place was won by Jakurai and from the door frame he could see how he enjoyed being lying there, enjoying the caresses that a moment ago were for him. Answering your pampering, he subtly lifts your shirt and places a kiss on your abdomen, tickling you.

° Doppo wanted to hang up as soon as possible, but from the other side of the line they wouldn't leave him alone, he could only helplessly watch as the doctor became more comfortable there. When he can finally hang up, there was no place for him anymore. You were cradling his body in your lap, while Jakurai wrapped an arm around your hip giving you a lazy hug.

° "What's wrong?... Come here" you say calling him with your hand, his sad look shrinks your heart and moving your lover slightly, you make a place for him too. Automatically your attentions are divided between the two of them in equal parts.

° Perhaps neither of you is satisfied with sharing at this moment, but they will not deny your pampering. Turning their heads on your lap, they look at each other for a second before ending the competitiveness, sealing their silent agreement with a kiss. "So they were up to something!" You start to laugh, they feel a little embarrassed so their cheeks turn a slightly pinkish tone. Your laughter ends up dispelling even the slightest trace of competence.

[rosekisspeach]

TAROT READING//Jjong's view on mingkey relationship

Date: 23/Jan/2024 Marker: Jjong's songs Deck of Cards: The Wandering Spirit (spirit, empathy, comfort, consolation)

Notes Upfront:

I don't ask my cards questions that I already have answers;

I don't prey on information I should not know;

I respect their personal lives and;

This is for FUN ONLY.

✦ I want to share with you these little "reading-come-true" moments: Bummie mentioned his grandma on hyeri's talk show, how much he misses her, and described his biggest fear is having no one to love. However I also said that he is facing "setbacks!!" in work, I think you know what I am referring to and I will talk about it more later ✦

In this special reading, please be open-minded about spirits, after-lives, and other non-traditional concepts!!

The deck I am using to chat with Jjong is The Wandering Spirit Tarot. Since I started talking to him, all the cards I got from him are REVERSED (in total of 20 cards!!), but when I ask about other members -> jjong, the cards are normal presenting both upright and reversed. That said, I take reversed cards from jjong only as a proof of connection, and interpreting them the same as the upright meaning.

Time to dance

.

.

.

.

.

Base Card: 10 of Cups & Consulation Bummie: 4 of Coins; Suggestion: Ace of Swords Ming: Hierophant; Suggestion: 3 of Swords Mingkey Relationship: Knight of Swords; Suggestion: Death Mingkey Work: The Hanged Man; Suggestion: Justice

To my surprise, Jjong finds the overall dynamic between ming and bummie healthy and even to some extend, fulfilling. I assumed he'd be more censorious, hehe, but he is in peace and happy about the bond mingkey has built these years. "They got better with each other", is what he is trying to say, and especially at communicating their emotions (10 of Cups) that they can hold and pull each other up when sorrow consumes their tender hearts. It is very beautiful, and I told Laura (twi) that Jjong knew he left a legacy for everyone in this world: the lesson of care, love, empathy. Minho and kibum learnt to round their edges so they can have long conversations in supportive tone to console. Jjong is always watching over them. Even sometimes bummie does not want to approach him, as he complains. Because it is more often bummie comforting ming in warm hugs and soothing words, instead of allowing himself to accept the love from other people.

What Jjong wants to say to Bummie:

"Decide wisely. Take sometime to think through what is more important in your life...because it is not the materials. You know that. It is tough times, and to unlearn a habit that roots in your hard-working moral is not easy. I am always here to help. You should talk to me instead of repressing it to yourself..I am proud of you. And it is also okay to cry, my love."

Besides Jjong's words, I also want to add that bummie should be careful with his physical health: chest pain, joint pain, and headaches caused by insomnia. One of the problems come out of his over-working is insufficient rests. And despite the vitamins and health products bummie is having, he has eating problems (esp Keyland is happening soon and he always limits his appetite before events like such). Grab a good dinner and let out the exhaustion throughout tears after Keyland seem a good option to relax. Both jjong and I believe bummie is able to take good care of himself, but we want him to feel supported all the time. Looking at the ace of swords, I do see that bummie needs to be resilient in balancing his work and personal life. Trying new things while patiently reflecting will be good for him.

And do not blame yourself when mistakes are made, bummie. We cannot be omniscient, nor do we have the power to control everything. Staying silent must feel like suffocating. Embrace them. Embrace and grow.

What Jjong wants to tell Ming:

"Minho ah...listen to heart, but also listen to your brain. I know you find yourself lost in the middle of the sea, and you desperately hold on to stability. We are all on the path of life, what a huge waste if we reach the destination too early? And don't you quibble that you are not addicted to the pain of grieving me. Trust your decision."

!! I am going to share my honest thoughts here, because the same theme appears and appears when I read about ming. The painful memories are thorns that wrapped around ming's ankles, but it isn't because he can not break free, it is because Minho does not want to break free. At this point, there is no good of indulging the pain. The three of swords is commonly showed in the pattern of three swords stabbing into a red heart in Rider system, while it manifests heartbreaking sadness, it also stresses a harmony that comes out the experience. Ming probably does not realize that he builds his stability upon the loss of jjong, and despite how comfortable it must feel to connect with loved ones throughout the shared pain, he needs learn to be at the present (++why bummie wants ming to see him as himself not as a grieving co-dependency partner). I always find it mind-assuring that ming is close with many elder figures, hyungs such as Changmin, because he does indeed need mentors to guide and support him in finding the keys to re-open his heart. Also, I think ming should try/is trying meditation, which is good because he spends so much energy bodily, it must feels unbalanced if the brain is not up to same level use.

Minkey Relationship + Work

let's listen to sweet misery while reading, hehe, I think jjong will also enjoy the song.

나를 이끌어 네게로 Baby please never let go I'm in sweet misery

Okay, in a sum that from Jjong's perspective he does encourage mingkey to try new dynamic so to ease any tension that still remains between them. As I said earlier, I expected jjong to be a little more critical, and here we are, the hyung is expecting MORE. He does have something to say about the status quo bummie is keeping, because he knows that hurts ming (looking the gestures between the girl and the skeleton in knights of swords) and ming is just being polite not showing how hurt he is. Do notice that sometimes ming jokes about bummie being the meanest person in the world, and he tries to retort helplessly in venerable tone.

Be gentle with ming, bummie. You gotta know that Minho sometimes feel small in front of you, even with that 5.9 and bodybuilding champion figure. Gives him a chance to make decisions in your relationship so you can let out the breathe you have been holding. Give him some trust. And be proactive with bummie, ming. Bummie needs space, respect, and most importantly, trust. Making bummie to understand how much you trust his decision, and how much he could trust you. I mean...you overcome so many difficulties, try apply this mindset when you are with bummie more because a little part of bummie just waits for you to take the lead. Take his hands and walk out of the sweet misery.

If we compare the patterns between now (base card: ten of cups) and what jjong expects (the death card). We can see that the girl who is hugging the skeleton is now hugged by the skeleton. It indeed shows that why jjong wants they to break the status quo because ming is then able to better show his support, that their dynamic changes and "bummie retrieving from support" would switch to them "mutual supporting". It is better because they do not need to knee, as to compromise in bonding, but finding the right angle to cuddle comfortably.

As forJjong's suggestion about mingkey's works...before I delve into the reading, both Laura and I pulled out the hanged man card (mine before the M@donald promotion and hers afterwards) . I am deeply concern about bummie. I understand the situation must have brought frustration and anger to many, and I hope to comfort you in peaceful words. As I typed here the textbook reading of the hanged man here:

"Face the current situation with calm and serenity. Acknowledge reality is not what was expected and quietly reflect, Doing this brings a calm mind, the removal of anxiety and fear, and clear grasping of the situation. "

I hope to comfort you a little, despite it is so hard to sleep in knowing the pain, loss, and evilness. I guess it is what jjong will also suggest. Be compassionated, empathize, and always search for love.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

Both mingkey needs to balanced out their personal and working lives, especially in making correct decisions regarding what type of jobs they should be working on. Ming in praticular, has to be careful with jobs that 1) forbids him from seeing and expressing who he really is, 2) holds back him from exploring his potentials, and 3) physically too dangerous or challenging. In bummie's case, jjong has said enough about deciding between materials and spiritual, taking more rests and reflection are also important. However, I have to stress again that over-working also blinds bummie from deep connection, and the possibility to better bond with ming. I truly hope they will have some conversations after Keyland that ming can support bummie since jinki is resting and bummie cannot ask taem, a dongsaeng, to tell him everything is going to be ok.

and I miss you so much, it is so nice to chat, jjong.

-over-

find me on twitter @rosekisspeach

[chickensoup-4-mysoul]

herculean (drrr x f!reader) - chapter 3

chapter 3 - Mirror Mirror

synopsis: You wake up in an unfamiliar apartment, your last memory being a flying traffic sign headed straight towards you. Waiting for you to awaken is an odd doctor and an even odder...bartender?

word count: 2,543

author's note: a double upload since these chapters are pretty short!

warnings: N/A

"always needed attention i've always needed a friend cure as a mean to prevention i wish i had more to prevent,, me, myself, and i - raleigh ritchie

.....lia......

...m....ly........

..n..c..a.......

.......(Y/N)!

You practically swallow a gust of air as if for the first time in hours. An insistent chill alerts you of the sweat that's collected on your back. You sit up from your position on what seems to be a couch. As your vision begins to focus, your heart drops at the sight of unfamiliar surroundings.

The apartment is much smaller than yours, but it's nice. The walls are a gray marble pattern, accented by dark wooden floors and furniture. Beside the front door was a small kitchen...

"Shit... Shinra! She's awake!"

You shout in fear at the realization that someone is in the room with you. Grabbing the nearest thing to you--a couch cushion--you hurl it at them.

"S-stay away from me! My father will look for me if I go missing! Lay a finger on me and so help me, I will--!"

"Woah, calm down, dammit, I'm not gonna hurt--"

He's cut off by another cushion to the face. 

"What's going on in here?" Another man enters the room.

You shriek this time. Oh my god, you've been kidnapped. You've seen it on TV. These men kidnapped you and now they were gonna torture you and then stuff you into a suitcase and leave you on the streets...

The other man was wearing a doctor's coat.

....Oops.

You suddenly remember where you were before you got here. That traffic sign must have rocked your world, and now you were in a hospital.

"Shizuo, you don't even know this girl!? You've scared her senseless!" The man in the labcoat carefully kneels in front of you. His face is friendly, smiling in an attempt to soothe your nerves. "I'm Dr. Kishitani. You were hurt a couple hours ago and Shizuo brought you to me to help you."

His glasses and coat, reminding you of your father, are comforting. You try to regain your composure, hoping this wasn't some elaborate ruse and that you could actually trust this man. What a strange hospital this was.

"I-I'm sorry...I was frightened. Thank you for helping me."

"Well, no need to thank me. I didn't need to do much!"

You're confused by his statement, but a movement from behind him draws your attention. The other man stood up from a chair across from you. He begins to approach you but appears to psyche himself out, maintaining a distance.

"Are you...okay...?" The way that he's avoiding eye contact, gaze glued to his feet and hands stuffed into his pockets, reminds you of an elementary schooler being forced to apologize.

Also--he's dressed like a bartender? And he's blonde. And also wearing sunglasses inside. 

"I feel fine." You answer. It's not that bright in here, you want to say. They're stylish, you guess, but that's a faux pas.

"Good."

You're staring at each other now. You wonder what color his eyes are, what it would be like to truly sit under his naked stare. 

He's handsome.

THAT was an intrusive thought.

Dr. Kishitani clears his throat in attempt to break the awkward silence. 

"Well, um...I'm gonna get you a few things, now that you're awake. Sit tight!"

He practically teleports away. The blonde glares at the spot where his friend used to be.

"So...your name is Shizuo?"

"...Yes."

"Well, Shizuo...thank you for bringing me here." You honestly don't know why a complete stranger would do this, or why he seemed to bring you to a friend instead of a normal hospital, but you were alright now, so you couldn't complain.

"Don't mention it."

And then it was silent again. You both sat there, staring at each other for what felt like an eternity. However, looking at Shizuo, you could tell he wanted to say something, opening his mouth before quickly clamping it shut. Finally, he seems to work up the courage.

"You're....When did you find...h-how long have you been--."

"I'm baaaaack!" Dr. Kishitani ascends from his place of escape, carrying a glass of water and various pill bottles on a small tray. He sets it down in front of you, ignoring Shizuo's glower. "I know you feel fine, but here's a little pick me up, just in case!"

You gratefully accept the painkillers, swallowing them down with a drink of water. As you move, you notice the lack of first aid on your body. Save for two kitten patterned bandaids on the backs of your forearms, the rest of you had been untouched.

"Are you sure I won't need any other kinds of treatment, that sign came at me really fast..."

Dr. Kishitani glances at Shizuo, whose brow furrows.

"Hmmm, nope! Unless you want to sport more of these really cute band-aids, you're good to go!"

"Well, you're the doctor. Thank you again, Dr. Kishitani--"

"Shinra's fine!"

"Shinra, okay. Thank you. I don't know what your rates are, but I'll let my father know what you've done for me and he'll contact you regarding your payment."

"Don't worry about it. I've got it covered."

You turn to Shizuo in bewilderment. It's not a problem, you try to explain, your father has no qualms with supporting you financially. 

"No, I insist." 

"Don't bother trying to persuade him, he's not budging." Shinra chimes in, almost amused by the domestic nature of the argument.

You sigh. Guess there's no use then. You thank him again, but he shrugs it off. It's obvious that you've overstayed your welcome by now. Shinra let's you keep the painkillers. You tuck it into the pocket of your bag and go to leave the front door.

"Wait!" Shizuo's sudden outburst startled you. It was the most energetic he had been since you woke up. "W-What's your name...?"

You barely hold back your laughter in an attempt to avoid bruising his ego.

"(Y/N) Brigall. It was nice meeting you both!" With that, you shut the door behind you, eager to remove yourself from the strange situation.

...

"Wow, Shizuo, no wonder you don't have a girlfriend! You're so awkward!"

Shinra expects the usual flare in anger from his longlived friend, however, Shizuo is obviously distracted. "...You're that focused on it, huh...? Looks like you're not that alone, afterall!" 

At those words, the words that had been echoing in his had for the past few hours, Shizuo sighed. Not alone. It was embarassing, how well Shinra could read him--how obvious his fixation was.

"Thanks for doing that for me...I owe you."

"It's what Celty would have wanted me to do!"

Shizuo scoffs at the statement, but does nothing to question it. If he had really done damage, if he had hurt an innocent bystander, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

"Still... Brigall. I can't help but feel like I've heard that name before...." Shinra scratches his chin, deep in thought, "Hm... nah! Can't be anything important."

He wanted to talk to her--get to know her more, he thought. But he was terrible at talking. He wouldn't be surprised if he scared her off. She acted like a normal young woman, what would she want to do with him...? Maybe he was foolish...

Maybe he was being foolish to think that he may have found somebody that was like him.

...

That was weird that was weird that was weird good GOD that was weird--

Following the GPS on your phone, you scurried as far as you could from the apartment building. It was now transitioning later into the evening, the sky painted purples and oranges by the descending sun. You really had slept the day away.

It was shocking how sprightly you were after apparently having undergone such a debilitating incident. You didn't remember much besides the image of a traffic sign shooting rapidly in your direction. Your hands ran absentmindedly over your forearms, caressing the cute band-aids there and pressing on them curiously. Maybe someone had saved you at the last minute, and you fainted from the shock. That would explain the lack of injuries.

Well, now you were frustrated. Your first full day in Ikebukuro hadn't gone exactly as you planned thanks to that little debacle. Still, you were glad that you were okay, at least.

"...Hey!! We have got to stop running into each other like this!"

Someone has pulled up next to you on the sidewalk. Hanging outside of a van window is none other than Erika, shouting and waving her arms like she's not literally two feet away in front of you. The sight of a friendly face does wonders for your spirits.

"Erika!" You exclaim happily, trotting up to the window. To your joy, the rest of the gang is there as well. They must be connected at the hip. "Hey, you guys!"

"We were just headed out for dinner, care to join us?" Kyohei offers. Quite frankly, your heart soars. Erika opens the door for you and you crawl in next to her. 

"Don't mind if I do! Where are we headed?"  You catch a glimpse of Kyohei's grin in the rearview mirror.

"Place is called Russia's Sushi. Don't know if you've heard of it."

"Hmmm, doesn't ring a bell..." you jest. You're cut off by the sound of your own stomach and you realize that you haven't eaten since your lovely sweet bun from that afternoon.

"Geez, pedal to the metal before she starves to death!" Walker jokes. That makes you laugh.

You were thankful for them, and the way they could make you forget about your chaotic day so quickly.

 "Well, if it isn't Bossman Kadota! Good to see you again!" Instead of his initial position outside, handing out fliers, Simon is inside the restaurant, waiting tables and greeting customers as they enter. As he ushers the group inside, he notices you and smiles. "Ah, friend! I see you are settling in nice, yes?"

You return his smile, now used to his intimidating nature. You follow the rest of the gang's lead as they remove their shoes. A bit of embarrassment swells in your chest at the sight of your polka dotted socks next to everyone else's normal gray socks. Kyohei, probably having done this many times before, leads you all to a separate room where a table resides. 

You plop down on one of the cushions next to Erika, who you notice has taken off her cap. Her hair is in a sort of french braid, gathered to the side. 

"You're hair is so cute, Erika!" you all but squeal, excited at this pleasant revelation. The flush on her face is surprising--you didn't peg her for the easily flustered sort--but not unwelcome.

The sight of Kyohei sitting across from you, however, has your own face feeling a little hot. The man had removed his beanie, revealing a slicked back head of hair. His brows are bold, sharpening the intensity of his gaze. The way that beanie had aged him was criminal. He didn't look nearly as old as you thought he was, only in his early to mid twenties. Yeah, that's one good looking man right there. 

Someone clears their throat and you realize that it's Kyohei, having noticed your prolonged attention on him. You...knock your silverware off of the table so you don't have to make eye contact with anyone for a minute. 

Simon, bless his soul, saves you when he brings tea to your table and takes your order (you don't hear what Kyohei orders over the sound of your own internal screaming). Eager to taste the herbal liquid, you lift the cup to your lips and take a sip. The steam has a pleasant scent and soothes your nerves. When you look up from your cup, Saburo is staring at you, wide-eyed.

"How can you even touch that? Shit's piping hot!" You look around at the others and notice that no one else has touched theirs. Oh no, was this a custom thing? Were you supposed to wait??

"R-really? Mine's fine, maybe Simon put ice in it or something..." The others glanced at your semi-drank cup, steaming just as much as everyone else's.

"So, (Y/N), how was your first 24 hours in Ikebukuro?" Erika asks.

"It was certainly something! Made some friends with a couple of high school students. This really cute boy and girl with glasses--definitely crushing on each other--and this really silly blonde kid. They were a fun group." Walker and Erika glance at each other. They're definitely doing that thing where they communicate telepathically.

"We know those guys!" Walker reveals and Erika nods in agreement.

"Oh, you do? Their names may ring a bell. Anri, Mikado, and..."

"Masaomi." Your heart almost drops at Kyohei's tone. It's not contemptuous, no... but it carried weight. It's startling how quickly the mood seems to change. All four them are exchanging looks now and you feel kinda left out.

In comes Simon and you're starting to suspect that he's eavesdropping with the way that he arrives at the most convenient times. He places a plate of...interesting food in front of you. "I made sure to prepare the best assortment... for first time!" You smile gratefully at the man. He really was a kind guy! 

"Thanks! Looks great!"

At first you try to use the chopsticks provided to you, but you quickly realize that everyone else is eating with their hands and that you look stupid. The flavor is... unique to say the least, but your tray is still empty in a matter of minutes. 

"Oh, and that wasn't the only thing," you continue once everybody was finished, "You guys warned me about 'headless riders' and 'vicious slashings', but you didn't say anything about flying traffic signs!"

Kyohei stares at you incredulously. "Flying...traffic signs?"

You go on to explain your time in the park, and how there was suddenly this skinny guy in a fur jacket--very stylish, you had to add--and he's parkouring it all over the place. Then, an entire traffic sign comes hurtling at you, out of nowhere! You don't know exactly what happened after, you tell them. You then describe how you woke up in some weird doctor's apartment where you met this bartender blonde who--get this-- wore sunglasses inside.

Everyone is gawking at you now. Self consciousness quickly wins you over, and you laugh sheepishly at your little spiel.

"Sorry...that does sound really made up, huh? I'd get it if you didn't believe me."

"No...no we believe you," Kyohei sighs, rubbing his temples. Had you done something to upset him..?

"There was a fight between them today, wasn't there...? Wow, I can't believe you managed to get caught up in the middle of that! That's, like, peak main character energy right there!" You have no idea what Walker is talking about.

"Fight...? 'Them'? Who's 'them'?"

"Izaya Orihara and Shizuo Heiwajima." Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise at the names that leave Saburo's mouth.

Shizuo...?? And that other guy...

The sound of that roaring battlecry echoed in your head and you remembered how it had almost sounded like a name to you.

So Shizuo was somehow involved in all of that? You had thought he had been a random bystander? He had been so docile when you first met him, could he really be that vicious? And if that dark-haired man was Izaya...

Was it Shizuo that had hit you?

[shiinata-library]

Photography lessons [3/3]

< Chapter 1

Relationships: Ray Levine x fem!Reader

Summary: You ask Ray to teach you how to develop an old camera film because you have a crush on you.

Note: I’m going to torture him a little before the fluff and comfort 😈

Chapter 3

After that night, the first time you see Ray again it’s when you’re taking your nephew. You try, you really try, to remain the same as usual but it’s hard. Your cheeks can’t help but turn red, and your eyes to avoid his. You hate your teenager’s behaviour but you can’t help it. 

Ray’s behaviour doesn’t seem to have changed towards you. But that's only because you can't feel his hands getting sweaty or his heart speeding up every time you look at him.

Your next lesson is planned in two weeks after the last, so you only see him twice before going to his flat again. For this new lesson, he told you it will take a long time so you planned a whole afternoon. Who would complain?

Last lesson: how to develop a negative? 

It's almost winter when you go to his place. Streets are already full of Christmas’ decorations but they are not yet lit since it's early afternoon. The weather is cold but dry, you don't risk falling on a leaf as there are hardly any on the pavements.

From the end of the street, you see a woman in front of Ray's flat, then when you're almost there, you see him standing in his doorway in his usual red and black shirt. You don't know how long he's been like this, but he must be seriously cold. 

At first, you hesitate to join them since they seem to talk seriously, but when Ray sees you, he smiles at you and waves you to approach. It’s at that moment you notice he didn’t smile at all with the woman in front of him. He also looks troubled. Weird. There are still many things you don’t know about him but you never expected to see him like that so you join them after all.

 ”Hi!” you start with a polite smile and nod as you join them. “If you have a guest, we can report our lesson.”

 ”No, you can stay. She was about to leave anyway,” he says, smiling at you before turning toward the woman with a serious face.

 ”But Ray, I–”

 ”Cassie, just leave. I already told you I don’t want to see you anymore and I meant it,” he says in a tired, hard voice you never hear; even when the children were boisterous at the end of their lesson.

Cassie sighs and looks at you. You remain silent, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. Finally, she says goodbye politely to both of you and leaves. It’s only when you don’t see her anymore that the tense atmosphere calms down and you can finally breathe normally again. 

Ray eventually enters his entrance, letting you do the same.

 ”I’m sorry about that. I’m–”

 ”It’s ok! Don’t worry about it! Was Cassie from your arm?” you stupidly ask as you remove your coat and Ray silently takes it. “Oh I’m sorry! I’m so silly! I shouldn’t ask. I’m–”

 ”Yes, it was her,” he sighs, avoiding your gaze before smiling lightly. “But let’s forget about her and let’s develop your photos!”

After Ray explains to you the long progress to develop just one photo, you understand you will be busy for a long time. No time for a hot drink, let's go!

First, you prepare some trails with chemical products like the last time. Then Ray helps you to develop some negatives to make what is called a contact sheet with all your photos in miniature in one only paper. 

 ”It’s like in movies! The red-light and everything!” you exclaim in an enthusiastic tone as you turn off all the light bulbs of the rooms, leaving the room in a red atmosphere from the red-light bulb. “My photos already look great on the contact sheet! Do you see my sister’s dog? He is so cute!”

You're overexcited about developing your own photos and you're a little too enthusiastic. Your cheeks start to burn when you hear Ray chuckling. You sound like a silly teenage girl but if it makes Ray laugh, it's worth it. Oh, and luckily for you, the red light covers your cheeks very well!

After the contact sheet, you calibrate the enlarger again and do some tests of exposure time like Ray explains to you. It takes longer than you think and two hours later, you still don’t have one correct photo developed. Yet, with Ray’s motivative words and his serious behaviour, you don’t dare speak about giving up. 

So when everything is starting to work correctly, you find your enthusiasm back. With Ray’s help, you hang the last picture on a wire and wait for his approval before turning on the light of the room. 

Your eyes have become accustomed to the red-light but you find it difficult to see things clearly, for example Ray's face. His behaviour is more distant and quiet than the other lessons and you’re afraid of having done something wrong. He asked you to wait a little longer before turning on the light but if you understood his lesson correctly, you could turn it on now. Did you really do something wrong or is he hiding something from you? 

Alright, his silent behaviour worries you too much so you join him after you hanged the last photo and slowly take his hand. He first tenses but then he squeezes your hand. Oh, he is quite strong…

 ”Did I do something wrong?” you almost murmur as you stroke his hand with your thumb. 

 ”No, it’s perfect,” he says, looking at the hanged photos.

In truth, it’s not perfect. Ray knows it. He couldn't focus correctly and made a lot of mistakes. He hates it but Cassie’s visit distressed him more than he would like. What does she not understand when he tells her that he doesn’t want to see her? 

If only she hadn't come today. He was so looking forward to a long, nice afternoon with you, and a dinner together if you would accept it.

He surely looks pathetic, ordering a woman to leave so coldly in front of his home. He doesn't even know if you’re aware of the whole story with Cassie and him by the media or by some rumours.

What a boring and useless teacher he is right now…

 ”Are you ok?” you try once again , hoping he would speak to you like he used to. “You’re very quiet, and I’m worried. And, hm–”

 ”I'm fine and don’t worry, we’re almost finished,” he says in a tone that is anything but convincing.

 ”Are you sure? I mean, about you’re fine,” you say, truly worried even if you look insistent. “If I ruined your afternoon and you wanted to stay with Cassie–”

 ”No,” he only says, squeezing your hand again when you shyly said his ex-over name.

Ray wanted so much to have a good afternoon with you and is about to ruin everything himself. He wants you to stay with him but he doesn't know how to say it, or rather, he doesn't dare. He selfishly needs you. Your smile, your kindness, your laugh, your smell, your warmth.

Still in his thoughts, he doesn’t see you hugging him. You don’t understand what is wrong but you clearly notice he isn’t fine. And a hug is the minimum you can give him. Well, if it were up to you, you would do more than just hug him to make him feel better, but you don't want to rush him.

As you hug him, his body tenses and he stays quiet. Oh, he still smells so good! 

You’re afraid to overdo but you’re sure he needs a hug. He confirms it when his arms close around you. His head falls in your neck and it’s your turn to stay still.

Oh it's hot, isn't it? Is his body too warm or is yours just overheated? 

As you try to think of something else, you stroke his back in a comforting way. Is he hugging you even tighter? Oh this man really needs a hug!

When your hand goes from his back to his hair, his head buries even more in your neck. Oh, you’re going to melt. You didn’t expect he would hold you like this!

 ”Ray?” you eventually call at some point. “Do you need coffee or tea? Or a beer?”

With a little joke, you try to calm him but he doesn’t move or react. When you lower your hand to his back again, you feel his arms loosen a little, just enough for you to breathe correctly again.

 ”I only need you.”

Oh. Even though his answer is clear, you’re not sure you heard it right. He needs you. Need? You? Not coffee or tea. Or beer. You.

As your hands grip his shirt, your head falls in his neck as you end up accepting what he said. It's too good to be true, but well, you hope you truly hear right.

 ”I’m just here,” you finally say while all this time he was afraid you would run away. “I can hug you as much as you want.”

At the end of your sentence, he releases you but he keeps your hands in his. At the beginning of the lesson, you loved the red-light, but right now you want nothing more than to change it to normal light. As you turn to the switch, his hands squeeze yours.

 ”Can I turn on the light?” you ask, your voice full of hope.

 ”Yes, but–”

You don’t give him the time to finish his ‘but’. After letting his hands go, you turn on the light. When you turn back to him with a smile, glad to see him again, you didn’t expect what you see.

Ray was thinking you couldn’t notice his unlashed tears but when he sees you lose your smile, he only wants to disappear. Everything is ruined because of him. You’re certainly embarrassed because of him. Who wants a weak man who is about to cry?

With a step away, he hopes you don’t see his tears anymore. With a second step, he hoped you would forget what you saw. But at the third step, you join him and cup his cheeks with your two warm hands. His beard is prickly but you don't care. If this man needs you, you will help him.

 ”What do you need me to do?” you ask, getting close to him.

Your behaviour and your question catch his off-guard. A smile appears on his lips as his hands cover yours. With a few blinks, he makes the tears disappear.

 ”I just need you,” he barely says.

Ray doesn’t understand why you’re still here so close to him, your body almost touching and your eyes so troubled looking into his. He is afraid that the slightest move he’d make you run away. However, with your eyes and your comforting smile, he has only one thing on his mind and he can hardly hide it. 

Now he is so close to you, you realise how handsome he is. Well, it’s not new, but he is really close now and you can see every detail. How can this man still be single? Well, it’s a good thing for you. Oh, his eyes are beautiful now the light is not red and without tears. They are… Where are they looking? 

You lower your head by reflex, thinking you have something on your collarbone before you understand where he was looking. No one has ever looked at your lips in this way.

Oh, no. The red-light isn’t here to cover your cheeks anymore. Oh, Ray’s smile widens! 

 ”Do you still need me?” you say now you see he is better, hoping you would hide your embarrassment.

 ”Yes.”

His voice is not shaking anymore. One of his hand slips on your neck, his thumb strokes your cheek. Is it possible to blush even more? The answer is yes. Double yes.

Gathering all his courage, Ray takes a step forward and joins his forehead to yours, not taking your eyes off of you for a second. Hoping he understood you well, Ray wants to lean towards you but you act faster than him. Your lips find him, firstly timidly but he quickly slips his hand behind your head to deepen the kiss. Another hand comes in your back to press you against him. So happy that is happening, he won’t let you go easily, but you won’t complain about it!

The lack of air makes you both stop. Ray smiles at you in a way you have never seen before.

 ”Do you still need me or should we go back to the lesson?” you ask as you beam as much as him, putting one of its strands back in place correctly.

 ”I still need you,” he says as he leans toward you to kiss you again, forgetting everything except the taste of your lips,the softness of your hands and the warmth of your body.

I’m so glad I wrote that fic. There aren't enough of them about him and Ray needs all the comforting fics of the world! 🙌

I hope you liked it! 😘📸

[probablygoat]

Riko lore part 3 of ??????

Riko clumsily wobbled through the resplendent halls of the Wizard's Guild, attempting to transport an unfixed column of books. The gently swaying tower blocked their immediate sight, forcing them to periodically lean aside so they could confirm what was in front of them. As they approached a corner and prepared to turn, they were greeted by an abrupt collision with another student. The small feline was consequently knocked off-balance as their possessions fell through their loosened grip.

"Ow," Riko quietly muttered as they hit the floor with a lenient thud. They hurriedly looked up and saw the person they’d unintentionally struck. “Oh! Sorry about that, I couldn’t really see over my…”

The other party offered Riko a flat, uninterested expression and simply walked past them, not bothering to listen to their apology.

They silently watched for a moment as the standoffish individual brushed past them and left.

“Okay. Well. That was kinda rude,” they faintly remarked, circling their head around to survey the scattered collection of wizardly tomes. “They could have at least offered to help,” they grumbled while patiently recompiling them.

They stood up with a huff and resumed toward their destination, arriving with no further impediments.

“Moon, I’m back!” Riko called out as they carefully sidled through the doorway of their tutor’s study. “Sorry I’m a little later than usual, I dropped my stuff on the way here.” They angled their head around the stack of books and scanned the room, not immediately noticing anyone’s presence. “Moon? Are you there?”

Moon poked his head out of the closet, extending a casual wave upon seeing his apprentice. “It’s alright,” he assured, “you can set your things down anywhere, we’ll get started as soon as I’m done moving things around in here.”

“What's in there?” Riko inquired, dropping their mountainous stockpile of textbooks next to Moon’s desk.

“Things. Stuff,” he flatly replied, shrinking back into the closet.

"My favorite: vague things and even vaguer stuff," they playfully retorted, effortfully falling into an open seat.

"I don't know why you insist on bringing every book you have, we're still only learning the basics," Moon called out into the room.

Riko threw their arms in the air. "I wanna learn all the spells I can!"

"You've only been here a few months, you should know by now that you have to take things slower than that. Magic is a delicate, powerful, and potentially dangerous thing to wield. That's why we must teach our pupils to heal before anything else, it's the most important." Moon poked their head out once more, "Imagine if we taught every person that sauntered in here the most destructive things we could perform right from the start. They would either end up hurting themselves out of inexperience or potentially others if they were vile enough to do so.”

Riko was gently swinging their legs in place as Moon spoke. “I knoooow,” they said in a tired, understanding tone. “You probably tell me that once a week.”

“It’s a fundamental thing that up-and-coming wizards must understand,” he said firmly. “Speaking of magic,” he began while slipping back out of sight, “are you making progress on learning any healing spells?”

“No,” Riko replied in a dispirited tone.

“All the more reason to leave those other books in your room,” Moon quietly chuckled. “That’s okay though, it takes time. You’ll get there.”

“I wanna learn how to do more than change the color of my uniform. It changes back to blue after a few minutes anyway, I don’t see the point!” they complained.

“It’s a neat party trick,” Moon teased as he fully emerged from the closet, closing the door and sitting down across from his pupil.

A brief silence passed as Riko appeared to be thinking to themselves.

“Hey, Moon," they gingerly prompted, "can I ask you something?"

“Hmm? What is it?” he adjured.

Riko was looking down at their hands and fretfully rubbing them together. “How come you decided to take me in a few months ago?”

Moon looked up at the rim of their hat in thought for a few moments. “I almost didn’t, to be honest,” he answered plainly as he lowered his eyes. “I saw what happened back at your home and took you for a reckless kid looking for trouble, but the more you spoke to me and the more I prodded, I sensed a certain kindness emanating from you. It seemed like you simply and honestly wanted to help others. That was when I started to think you’d be a good fit for a wizard. Stay true to your righteous ideals, Riko, and I think you will change many hearts down the line.”

Moon's kind intimations embarrassed Riko, rendering them flushed and completely unassertive. They briefly regretted asking in the first place, despite their genuine curiosity.

“You look like a tomato, is that a spell you've learned as well?" he commented with a sly inclination.

Riko momentarily sank into their shirt upon hearing that, springing up shortly after and countering with, "I don't know how to respond when you're saying stuff like that!"

Moon's only response was a lighthearted chuckle from underneath his scarf.

"But still, I . . . really appreciate it. Both you saying that and teaching me," they expressed through their abashment.

"Think nothing of it," came Moon's passing reply.

Riko paused for another moment. "Do you think I'll be able to start working with other students soon?" they asked with a benign, anxious kick of their legs.

"I'm not sure, it would be hard to properly enroll you when your entrance into the Guild was so… spontaneous," he answered ambivalently.

"Would working with other people help me learn quicker?" Riko lightly proposed.

Moon once again looked upwards at his hat, staring at the rim. "Maybe," he returned after a brief reticence.

"You're back to being vague again," they said with a sigh.

He appeared to think about it momentarily. "Perhaps we could give it a try. I think I may have someone in mind."

"Really?" inquired Riko with a tilt of their head.

He nodded. "It'll have to be tomorrow though, I'll need to notify them ahead of time. If you come back then, I'll have someone here that may be able to help you out."

"Fiiine," they groaned, throwing their head slightly backwards. "I just wanna meet someone new."

A rolled parchment precipitously took shape on Moon's desk. He seemed unmoved by the strange occurrence as he simply reached out, unfurled it, and scanned it with his eyes.

"Woah!" Riko exclaimed, not being thoroughly acquainted with the sight of inanimate objects materializing out of thin air.

"Looks like someone's eager to meet you as well.” Moon lowered the paper and looked over it at his apprentice.

Riko leaned over the desk inquisitively, heedfully eyeing the strange note. "What do you mean?"

"It's a summon from the archelder. It's for you specifically," he advised, holding forth the curled message. "You should take it with you."

Riko promptly stood from their chair and grabbed it, scrutinizing its contents with squinted eyes. "What's all this about? Should I go now?"

"I'm not sure, but I would advise that you meet with her soon," he replied.

"What about my books?"

"You can leave them here from now on, we wouldn't want you dropping them again," he facetiously jabbed. "The archelder is on the top floor, best not make her wait."

"Okay, I won't!" Riko nodded their head, expeditiously setting off toward the Guild's uppermost story.

It took some time as well as some asking around, but their trek eventually led them to a bare hallway, home only to a distinct stone door seated at its conclusion. The further they ventured into the hushed corridor, the more abated the commotion from the lower floors became, eventually dying out completely. Riko's footsteps were now palpably audible as they gingerly approached the entrance to the archelder's study and opened it. Riko discreetly entered and allowed the door to close behind them.

"Hello? Miss Archelder?" they feebly called out, attentively observing their surroundings.

A tinkering old woman looked up from her desk. "Tell me why you're here," she said unprompted.

Riko was immediately puzzled. "I was called up here by the archelder, wasn't I?" they answered quizzically.

"No, no, all wrong." The woman shook her head impatiently. "Tell me why you're here, at this school."

Riko began to feel a bit rattled by the sudden questioning. "I haven't been doing something wrong, have I? Don't be mad at Moon if I am, I asked him to teach me stuff and–"

"Wrong!" she belted. "Everyone's here to learn, that's exactly the point of a school. You came here for another reason. What was it?"

Riko pondered for a moment, carefully considering their answer. "I want to learn how to help people and be a hero," they confidently concluded.

"Why?" the woman questioned indelicately.

They once again paused before speaking. "Because of the people who've always been there for me. I want to repay them by showing others that same kindness, I don’t want to let that cycle of virtue end with just me!” they firmly submitted.

After listening to Riko's answer the woman straightened her posture and showed them a welcoming smile. "Good. Very good. It seems Elder Moon was correct about you,” she surmised. “You may call me Archelder Miria.” She held out her hand expectantly, retaining her tender expression.

Riko breathed a sigh of relief and unclenched the summon, dropping it into her hand. “I was afraid I’d broken some wizard law or something,” they weakly admitted. “It’s nice to meet you, I’d tell you my name but I get the feeling you already know it.”

“I do. It’s nice to finally speak to you in person, Riko. I’ve been aware of your presence in my school from the day you first arrived,” she apprised, neatly slipping the flattened parchment into a nearby drawer.

“You have?” they inquired with a curious tilt of their head.

“I was the one who allowed you to enter the Guild to begin with,” Miria explained. “Normally our school is rendered imperceptible to wandering eyes, but I made an exception. I’d been carefully observing your journey from home, you see. I sensed no ill-intent when you appeared at the foot of our little academy, so you could say I partially arranged the meeting between yourself and Elder Moon.”

Riko’s eyes widened a bit. “You were watching me? How?”

“Please, leave an old woman her secrets,” she playfully requested.

After a short, silent intermission, Riko asked, “Why did you need me to bring the summon back to you? That part confused me.”

Miria laughed for a moment. “I didn’t,” she clarified, “I simply find that people are much quicker to appear when they have a written notice to do so.”

“That’s really smart,” they remarked. “Maybe even a little devious.”

Miria swiftly clasped both of her hands together. “Those things often go hand-in-hand, like heroism and destiny,” she wisely elucidated.

Riko’s face fell into a slight frown upon hearing her say that.

“Is something the matter?” she prodded, tilting her head down marginally to better match the youthful wizard's stature.

Riko looked down at the floor speculatively for a moment. “It’s just that I’ve never liked the idea of heroes being tied to some greater destiny. Doesn’t it kind of discredit normal people trying to rise up and do the right thing? Can they not be heroes too? What would the point be if they're not ‘destined’ for something greater?”

Miria held up her finger judicially. “Ah, you see, that’s what everyone gets wrong about the concept of destiny,” she corrected. “Destiny isn’t a straight path that you follow, it’s something you forge on your own. It was your destiny that you come all this way and meet with Elder Moon, but only because showed up to begin with. If you would have stayed home, your destiny would have been changed as a result.”

Riko perked up a bit during her explanation. “That… makes sense, actually,” they uttered, a smile replacing their former expression. "Kind of, anyway."

“I can’t know for sure, but I believe you are destined for great things, Riko. It's up to you to make them happen. No pressure, of course," she lightly jabbed.

Riko involuntarily voiced a shy giggle. "You remind me a lot of Moon," they pointed out.

Miria flashed a bright grin. "That only makes sense, I taught Elder Moon everything he currently knows."

"Woah, really!?"

"Indeed. He was much younger than you when he first approached me begging that I teach him to hone magic. It was quite similar to your first encounter with him." Miria's countenance shifted as her face began to tell a wordless, reminiscent story. "I believe he's fit to take my place as archelder someday."

"You two must be very close," Riko audibly speculated.

She closed her eyes and gave a cheery nod in response. "But I think those stories can be saved for another day. I believe you'd best rest up for tomorrow, it seems I've interrupted your studies for the day."

Riko shook their head and wore a bright grin. "Don't worry about it, I had fun talking to you!" they assured her.

"As did I. Would you like me to escort you back to your room? It seems you still aren't quite accustomed to the layout of this place," she offered.

“Sure!” chirped Riko with a cheerful nod.

Miria jostled in place and lifted her hand enigmatically. “Very well.” She gave Riko a quick wink and clicked her fingers, vanishing from sight entirely.

Riko felt themselves abruptly fall back onto a soft, springy surface. They shook their head in bemusement and checked their surroundings, concluding they were inexplicably back in their dorm room.

“Woah,” they inaudibly uttered to themselves, consciously feeling the fabric of their bed underneath them.

They shambled over to the edge of the mattress and dangled their legs off of it, looking up at the ceiling in recollection for a few moments. They suddenly remembered Moon’s promise to bring someone to collaborate with the next day.

“I wonder what kind of person that’ll be,” they thought. “I hope they’re nice, at least.”

Riko kicked off their boots and ponderously threw themselves back, relaxing into the bed’s bracing cloth. They silently stared at the room's ceiling for a few moments before encountering a passing thought.

“I hope Grandma’s doing okay.”

They closed their eyes with that final notion, slipping into a relaxed sleep not too long after.

The next day arrived after an uneventful, noiseless night. Students began to flow from their rooms, waning away their morning fatigue with lively conversation. Before long the halls were teeming with commotion.

Riko deliberately sprang from their room later into the morning, routinely commencing towards Moon's study. They were eager to meet another student after months of studying exclusively under Moon’s tutelage. As they approached the room their anxious speculation swelled, culminating in a vividly felt yet curbed excitement.

“Hello!” they cheerfully greeted, swinging the door ajar and wandering inside.

Moon was already planted at his desk in anticipation. “Good afternoon, Riko. How was your meeting with the archelder?”

“Good! Did you get to talk with that person you wanted to bring in today?” they inquired as they lazily slumped into their usual seat.

He nodded in confirmation. “He should be here at any moment, then we'll discuss today's agenda.”

The door could be heard faintly opening as if on cue, prompting Riko’s attention. They spun around in place and looked toward the sound's source, only to be met with the sight of the aloof character they’d mistakenly bumped into the day prior.

“Speaking of which, hello Vi. Make yourself comfortable,” Moon warmly invocated.

Riko’s eyes involuntarily widened as they belted out, “Hey, it’s you!”

The stranger unambiguously ignored them, refusing to meet their gaze and seating himself a distance away.

The unapproachable behavior made Riko feel uneasy.

“Have you two been acquainted already?” Moon questioned in an earnest tone, his eyes alternating between both students.

“No,” came a featureless response from the brooding wizard.

“Well, kind of,” Riko added diffidently.

Moon looked toward them for an explanation. “How so?”

They shuffled nervously in place before giving an answer. “I accidentally ran into him with my stuff yesterday, that’s why I dropped it on the way here.”

“I see,” Moon replied softly. "Those sorts of mishaps occur all the time around here. Did it agitate you, Vi?"

The only reply Vi offered was an inhospitable glance and the repetitive, impatient tapping of his foot.

Riko looked at him with sincere eyes. “I didn’t mean to run into you when I did, I'm sorry if it upset you. I was just carrying too much stuff and–"

The detached magician inaudibly growled, interrupting with a cold, “I don’t care.”

Riko cast a displeased glare at him.

“You’ll have to forgive him,” Moon quickly interjected. “Vi may be impersonal, but he’s also one of our highest performing students. Specifically in the field of magic, not so much in attendance or grades or friendliness. That’s why I requested his help today.”

“It was less like a request and more like extortion,” Vi snarled.

“It’s no one’s doing but your own that you're facing expulsion,” Moon sternly riposted.

His pointed statement was met only with an annoyed grumble.

Riko awkwardly wriggled in place for a moment before speaking. “So… does that mean you can help me learn how to use healing magic?”

Vi petulantly crossed his arms and squeezed his eyes shut. “That depends on you. It’s not my fault if you're slow on the uptake. I’ll try, but that’s all I can do. They shouldn’t have let some kid in here to begin with.”

Riko started to feel blatantly annoyed by his unwarranted comments.

“That’s enough,” Moon bluntly demanded. “I need the two of you to get along so we can–”

The conversation was cut short by a familiar sight; yet another rolled letter had abruptly taken shape and fallen onto Moon’s desk.

“Is that from the archelder?” Riko inquired, curiously leaning towards it.

“Great, what’s that old hag want now?” Vi commented brazenly.

Moon scooped the note from his desk and silently read its contents. “Change of plans, you’re both heading west.”

“What!?” the two students blurted in unison.

“It seems there’s a small camp of travelers from the Adventurer’s Guild west from the school,” he explained. “They've requested a delivery of medicinal elixirs. The archelder is suggesting that I send the two of you.”

Vi grabbed his face in irritation. “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he lamented.

“I’m not exactly thrilled about it either,” Riko affirmed. “No offense but you’re really rude.”

“Full offense, but you’re really annoying,” he retorted.

“Hey!” shouted Riko in return.

Moon impatiently slammed his hand on the table and once again recited, “That’s enough.”

Both parties sustained themselves for the time being.

“This is directly from Archelder Miria. I don’t know what she has in mind for the two of you, but I trust her word. I insist you both go,” Moon lightly pleaded. “Vi, do this and I will keep my promise not to expel you.”

“Fine,” he replied with an agitated sigh.

Moon nodded at the two. “Thank you. A couple of other students have already arranged the elixirs for delivery, you two will only need to pick them up from the front of the school and take them to their destination. It’s about an hour or so west, as mentioned before.”

“An hour there and an hour back… that’s not so bad actually,” Riko concluded, putting on an airy grin. “Maybe it’ll be fun!”

Vi looked like he had something to say about that statement, but refrained from doing so.

Moon confidently rolled his shoulders and smirked beneath his scarf. “The two of you'd better go soon.” Moon dramatically raised his hand and said in an animated tone, “Allow me to escort you out.”

With a hearty snap of his fingers, the scenery around the two young magicians suddenly shifted; they found themselves outside of the school, looking directly at an enclosed wooden crate adorned with makeshift leather straps.

Riko spun around in place to confirm the new setting. “I have absolutely no idea how they do that,” they flatly pronounced.

Vi was already wandering off, having apparently been doing so since they arrived.

Riko let out an exasperated groan and hurriedly threw the box’s straps around their shoulders. “Wait up a second!” they begged, running after him impetuously.

“I would really prefer you stay back there,” Vi protested.

Riko shook their head disapprovingly, now walking adjacent to him. “Don’t you think we should at least try to get along? If we’re gonna be doing this for the next two hours, the least we could do is enjoy each other's company.”

Vi aggressively shooed them away. “I’m not babysitting you, forget about it.”

“Okay, no.” Riko’s voice abruptly flared in volume. “Stop treating me like a kid, you’re probably not even much older than I am!” they shouted with a flustered quality.

Vi stopped for a moment as his eyes scanned the diminutive feline. “Okay. I’ll bite then, how old are you supposed to be?”

They threw their hands into the air and barked, “I’m seventeen!”

“What?” Vi seemed to be genuinely awestruck.

“It’s true!” they insisted.

“Sorry, it’s just… hard for me to believe you’re only a year younger than me," he admitted passively.

“Why?” they huffed, seemingly having gotten the yelling out of their system.

“I mean… you’re so… short.”

Riko said nothing. At first they appeared to take offense to the remark, but their face was soon overtaken by involuntary snickering.

“What? What’s so funny?”

Riko stifled another laugh before answering, “I mean, it just occurred to me that this is the closest we’ve been to actually getting along. It’s funny.”

Vi looked down at them in pure contempt. “We’re keeping it that way, stop talking to me.”

“Come on,” they prodded through a fading chuckle, “why are you so against talking? It would be a good way to pass the time.”

“Shut up!” he snapped in return. “You don't get it, do you? This isn’t some lighthearted romp where everything will suddenly be okay and we’ll end up best friends, I’m doing this for my sake and my sake only. I don’t need you to be here, I can handle myself. I don’t need anyone, especially not that stupid school.”

Riko attempted to speak, but was cut off by another venomous rant.

“And let me make one thing perfectly clear: I only practice magic so I can be powerful. That’s the one and only thing in this world that actually matters. Helping people? I’ve heard about enough of that garbage from the elders at the Guild, I’m sick of it. It’s a cruel world, you either survive or you don’t. No one's gonna help you, so you've gotta help yourself."

Riko looked up at them, dejection visible on their face. “If any of that’s true,” they began in a hushed tone, “then why are you trying so hard to stay at the school?”

A tense silence was held between the two for a few moments.

Vi refused to provide an answer and rejected any further contact with Riko, bitterly pushing them aside and gaining distance from them.

Riko watched for a moment, allowing him the space before trailing behind. They felt a prominent despondence from the interaction.

The two said nothing more to one other after the spite-filled quarrel, maintaining ample length between themselves. They eventually happened upon what appeared to be the camp they were set out to find, accompanied by an odd stillness. They both took note of this.

Riko caught a glimpse of a figure laying motionless in the grass outside of one of the few raised tents. They cautiously approached, and as they did so the figure incrementally began to resemble a person lying face down.

“Oh no,” they audibly exclaimed, sprinting over to the person in question.

They promptly flipped the unconscious body onto their back and hurriedly listened for a heartbeat. Riko confirmed they were, indeed, alive, albeit noticeably battered. They quickly took notice of more motionless outlines protruding from the foliage around the camp.

“Vi!” they cried out, “we’ve gotta help these guys! You know how to use healing magic, right?”

Vi’s hand swiftly shot out, commanding Riko to stop. “Don’t be stupid, whatever did this could still be close by.”

“What does it matter?!” Riko impulsively threw the elixirs down next to one of the victims, preparing to start administering them.

“Forget about them! Are you trying to draw attention to us!?” Vi quietly snapped, frantically circling his head to survey any potential danger.

“They need help, I’m not just leaving them here!” they protested.

A resounding roar split the air without warning, prompting the attention of both students.

“Fantastic,” Vi declared in a sardonic tone.

Riko expeditiously sprang to their feet, reaching into their uniform and clutching their dagger for protection. “What was that?”

“No idea,” he answered calmly, “but I get the feeling we should leave.”

“What? These people still need help,” they argued.

Vi’s head snapped in Riko’s direction. “It was our job to deliver the potions. They’re delivered. We’re leaving.”

“We’re staying until we help these people!” Riko argued, firmly standing their ground.

“No, you’re staying. You can get yourself killed if you want, but I’m leaving right now.” 

Riko readied another argument, but stopped halfway through as they caught a glimpse of something large moving near the makeshift shelters near Vi. They quickly hushed themselves and looked back at him with their eyes agape.

“Vi,” they began in as muted a tone as they were able to, “I think you should come over here.”

“What?” he tactlessly blurted out.

At that moment, Vi heard the sound of heavy shuffling directly behind him. He dared not to speak another word, let alone move his body.

Riko slipped their dagger out of its sheath and held it close for protection. They cautiously motioned for Vi to approach them.

As he took his first step toward Riko, an immeasurable mass crashed through the traveler's tents. The explosive entrance necessitated the heed of both wizards. A bear-like creature stood on its hind legs, dwarfing the two by a considerable amount.

"That must be what did all of this," Riko worriedly speculated, readying their weapon by holding it outward.

Vi defensively raised his palms to the threat. "It's a rathok."

"Am I supposed to know what that is?" Riko sneered.

"How stupid can you be?! They're one of the most dangerous monsters you could ever encounter. They're not even supposed to be on this side of the country, but we're looking at one, so I guess that doesn't matter now."

The rathok's feral gaze shifted between them periodically. It let out a low, hostile growl and slowly dragged itself toward the duo on all fours.

Both of them stared the enormous creature down, neither of them being bold enough to provoke it any further.

Vi's hands began to radiate a crimson gleam as the monster approached. The beast precipitously charged towards him with a bloodthirsty conviction.

"Vi, watch out!” Riko shouted.

He instinctively swiped one of his open hands and circled it inward, his palms flashing in response. He tensed his body, braced himself, and dug his feet firmly into the ground. With a frantic breath, he summoned all of his stamina and fervently pushed his arms forward into the empty air. He emitted a wordless bellow as his hands erupted with flame, a pillar of fire whirled from Vi’s grasp. It knocked the brutish animal back with such force that it hit the earth upturned.

The rathok yelped as it punitively crashed into the ground, floundering about for a bit before haphazardly rolling back onto its feet and leaving in a hurry.

The light died down from Vi's trembling hands. His breathing was noticeably ragged.

Riko carefully moved towards him. "Vi," they said in a subdued voice, "are you okay?"

Rather than a direct response he began to quietly laugh to himself, incrementally increasing in volume.

“Okay. He’s laughing. I can’t tell if that’s a red flag,” Riko commented to himself timorously.

Vi’s outburst was now incorrigible. “That was amazing!” he belted to no one in particular. “I just took down a rathok, even the elders have a hard time doing that. But it was easy for me.” He turned to Riko and displayed an overexcited countenance. “Did you see?”

“I saw,” Riko begrudgingly affirmed, “can we help these injured people now?”

“Forget those weaklings, don’t you understand what this means?” he prodded further.

“It means we’re not going to be eaten alive,” they halfheartedly countered.

Vi shook his head and replied in a menacing tone, “No. It means I was right. Being powerful is the only thing that matters. These beaten up morons don’t deserve help, they’re pathetic.”

Riko threw their arms down at their side in frustration. “We don’t have time for you to sit here and be impressed with yourself!” they furiously admonished.

“I’m stronger than you, too. I’m probably stronger than that annoying hag back at the school, too. I’m most definitely stronger than that pretentious bastard, Moon. Who’s gonna stop me from finding out?”

Riko tensed their body, beginning to feel a threatening aura as Vi spoke. “I’m not fighting you,” they rigidly declared. “I refuse to be your enemy.”

Vi assumed the same stance he’d taken against the rathok. “I don’t care.”

With an effortful pump of his fist, Vi launched an intense inferno directly at Riko. It ferociously spiraled towards them, giving only moments to move away from the destructive spell.

They quickly whirled their body in place and jumped back. “Stop it!” they vehemently demanded as the flames narrowly missed their body.

Vi swiped both of his hands upward, summoning an overwhelming tower of fire directly beneath Riko.

They reacted immediately, diving through the air and narrowly avoiding being singed by the attack. They were acting purely on instinct as they hit the ground and rolled back onto their feet, adopting a defensive stance once more.

“What is wrong with you, Vi?!” Riko lashed out.

“Nothing, this is how the world works,” he replied coldly, staring at his palms and conjuring fiery globes.

Riko readied themselves for another assault, clutching their dagger for comfort.

Vi twisted his body and reeled back as far as he could before hurling one at Riko.

It sped towards them too hastily to dodge. Riko instinctively swiped their weapon and unexpectedly dispelled the attack. They looked at the blade in shock, but didn’t have time to question it.

This seemed to aggravate Vi further as he began to recklessly cast more fireballs, doing so with increased intensity.

Riko sharply inhaled through their teeth, rallying their energy once more as they swiped the knife at each meteor that neared them. The dagger harmlessly banished each attack it connected with, rendering them fully able to fend off the vicious storm unscathed. As it finally stopped, Riko attempted to control their tattered breathing.

“You continue to be the most annoying person I’ve ever met,” Vi said tonelessly.

Riko continued to focus on their breathing, momentarily closing their eyes. They readied a response only to be interrupted by a familiar sound: another beastly roar tearing through the atmosphere. It shattered their established tension and replaced it entirely.

“That was… much louder than the last one,” Riko muttered worriedly, turning their head in the direction it came from.

“Who cares, I can handle another overgrown bear,” Vi dismissively answered.

Riko froze in place. “No, I don’t think you can.”

A colossal rathok was sprinting toward the camp on all fours. It vastly eclipsed the first one in size. Every footstep was weighty and thunderous, drowning out even the sound of the wind. It seemed to be charging at Vi specifically.

He immediately turned his head. “That must be the mother,” he arrogantly guessed.

The beast's charge substantially picked up in speed upon making eye contact with him. It began moving faster than either student thought possible for a creature of this size.

Vi tensed up, fully aware running away wasn't possible at this point. He unsystematically fell into a defensive stance and desperately fired the most prominent blaze he could muster in such short notice.

His attack landed unceremoniously against the monster’s chest, quicking fading into nothingness.

The rathok collided with Vi using its full weight, propelling him backwards and leaving him airborne. His momentum was abruptly cut short when he crashed into a nearby tree. He would have shouted in pain if the harsh contact hadn't rendered him breathless. As he hit the ground he could vaguely recognize the sound of Riko's voice calling after him, but the ringing in his ears and blurred vision made it difficult to discern anything other than the brutish monster slowly making its way towards him.

Vi attempted to stand despite the heavy blow he'd endured, but his legs simply gave out. He propped his weakened body up against the now dented tree, but that was the most he could do. He took a deep breath and looked up once more. The rathok was much closer.

Vi's labored breathing became erratic as fear rendered his body entirely frozen. He began to wonder if this was punishment for his previous actions.

His vision started to fade more as the insurmountable beast drew near. It was a few paces away when Riko stepped between the two, arms defensively outstretched, dagger still in hand.

"What…?" Vi weakly called out in confusion. "What are you doing? Get out of here."

The rathok produced an ear shattering bellow, standing atop its hind legs and towering over them with colossal prestige.

"Get away, you moron!" Vi exclaimed in an enfeebled tone.

"Can you just shut up?!" Riko uncharacteristically snapped at him. "I'm not leaving you here to get yourself killed, so just shut up!"

Vi didn't have the energy to argue back. He could only tensely grip the grass beneath him and grit his teeth before slipping out of consciousness.

Riko looked up at the monstrous force as it raised one of its arms, telegraphing an inevitable blow.

Riko clasped their dagger in both hands, with it being their only means of defense. In that moment they noticed an ethereal green light protruding from the blade's edge, elongating it into the shape of a sword. They had no recollection of when or how this happened, but in their desperation they slashed at their foe with the ghostly blade.

The light appeared to shatter as it hit the beast's body, dispersing until it vanished completely. It then returned to his base form as an ordinary dagger.

Riko, completely bewildered, assumed that nothing had resulted from the strange occurrence before an overwhelming gust of wind formed suddenly around them. The bear-like monster was sent violently inverse, smashing against ground a fair distance away. The commanding flurry seemed to have traveled around Riko, rendering them unaffected by it.

The rathok fixed its glare on Riko from across the field for a tense moment, only to quietly retreat into the woods rather than continue its violent pursuit.

Riko looked down at their knife in bemusement, carefully inspecting it to confirm it was still the same gift they'd received from their grandmother. After a few moments of measured contemplation they sheathed it and decided to find out later, wanting to tend to Vi's injuries.

They rotated in place and found him unconscious, but alive.

A few hours passed by before Vi awakened, finding himself in a provisional bed inside one of the traveler's tents.

Riko poked their head in shortly after. "You're awake," they greeted unobtrusively.

"Yeah," Vi replied in a dispirited tone, sitting up but refusing to make eye contact.

"You're not hurt?"

"No. You used one of those elixirs on me, didn't you?"

Riho shook their head. "There wasn't enough to go around. It seems like I can somehow use healing magic now."

"Then why use it on me? After how I treated you? After what I did?" Vi only looked at Riko out of the corners of their eyes. "Why did you bother protecting me at all?"

"You were in trouble and needed help, that's all."

They were silent amongst themselves for a while.

"I was wrong," Vi faint-heartedly admitted.

"It's okay," Riko gently comforted.

Vi's eyes began to swell with tears. "No, I mean I've been  wrong all my life. I was abandoned by the people I trusted when I was way too young to know how to handle it. I was alone for so long after that. I thought that if I shut everyone else out and relied on only my strength, I'd never be hurt again. But I was wrong." He turned to Riko, a few tears now visibly streaming down his face. "I'm so sorry for how I treated you, Riko. I'm sorry for what I did. I never should have taken it that far, I should've never even thought about it."

Riko stepped a bit further into the room. "I'm not exactly sure what you've had to go through, but it sounds like you've had it rough for a long time. I promise, it's okay."

Vi sniffled and once again broke eye contact. "Something funny just occurred to me," he said after a brief pause.

"What's that?"

"This is officially the closest we've been to getting along."

"Maybe it doesn't have to be."

[titanicfreija]

Making Friends

End of lightfall spoilers

"Ghost. Sunny."

Sunny didn't mean to bob so happily when the empress called her by name but it just made her core jump with joy. She didn't expect to make friends or anything, but it was taking forever for the formality to rub off.

"Empress!" Cheered Sunny.

"Your guardian is occupied?"

Sunny wasn't sure why she was asking, but that was okay, she guessed. "She's meditating. It's hard for her. So yes."

"Follow me."

Sunny pondered possibilities of danger and wondered if Caiatl would do half the things she could. She doubted it. She followed Caiatl's casually lumbering pace as she ventured down a brightly lit rounded hallway.

"I would have you interview with one of my psions, but I would prefer to have your guardian present or participating. I do not know if it would affect your connection."

Sunny had never met a psion, and she was curious, but she didn't think Freija would like it. "Maybe permission while she takes a nap or something. I don't know if she'd be okay, but I do know that if she's not, she'll start throwing hammers, no matter whose head we're in."

Caiatl's tusks wagged or bounced, a slight up and down a couple times.

"I think you might like my guardian," Sunny offered.

"I would have, had she not potentially doomed the universe because she would not sacrifice her friend," Caiatl agreed.

"I understand," Sunny said softly. "She said she couldn't. I wish she could have. It makes me feel bad to feel betrayed, even, but I couldn't help that. Freija says her real mistake, the thing she should have done differently, was grab me the moment I said I felt funny."

Caiatl turned to stare at the ghost silently for several long moments, then continued her walk down the corridor. "She would be correct. Learning lessons too late seems to be a pattern with the guardians."

Sunny felt the sting on Freija's behalf but she couldn't disagree. In fact, she complained about it herself. "Well, they don't have to be as careful about their mistakes." This One's argument haunted her, too. "Makes it real easy to forget that we don't always get second chances. Or five hundred, depending on the event."

Caiatl chortled darkly. "Under these particular circumstances, this is unfortunate, but I confess a dark amusement when they get determined. All but throwing themselves into the arms of death. I have not seen Zavala behave in this manner, but I am certain that he has."

Sunny was pretty sure it wasn't even that long ago, but she still decided to give him some credit and went with the last one she could actually think of. "I didn't know him before he became Vanguard, so I never knew him like that. You'd have to ask Targe, his ghost. I bet he could share some great stories. I don't know if he would, I don't know him that well, either."

Caiatl's tusks did the uncomfortable shifting thing. "I have considered asking to meet his ghost, after having met you, but I have been hesitant. I gather that this relationship between ghost and guardian carries a level of intimacy most prefer unshared. You are the first ghost to approach me. I rarely hear the others speak. Valus Forge's ghost is seen only briefly."

Sunny blinked up at her and didn't notice that she stopped until Caiatl turned to face her. "I mean, I'm not too surprised, when I think about it," Sunny admitted, "but I didn't think... The first?"

"I assume my status slipped your mind when you learned your guardian threatened you," Caiatl said, but her tone was that joke one again, and she was smiling in her way. Teasing.

"It must have," Sunny admitted, blinking up at the empress, having subconsciously sunk to her shoulder level. "I would still expect Targe to introduce himself at some point, though."

Caiatl's weight shifted between her feet, something she apparently did when she wasn't certain of herself and grounding.

"I'm glad to be the first, though!" Sunny chirped, hoping to move the topic along. "You could probably just ask, we're pretty friendly. Usually."

She did the shifting thing again, and then her tusks did the thing again, too.

"What'd I say?"

Caiatl didn't respond, doing it again instead and Sunny waited, turning to scan the nearest plaque.

"I do not have the necessary diplomatic skills," Caiatl admitted. "Unless you have an ambassador. This informality is only permissible in these contexts."

"Oh, okay!" Sunny flew back to Caiatl's side at about the height of her helmet. She bobbed back down to her normal level and felt weird, being about at hip height, so she bobbed back up. "I'm not sure how to bridge that gap. I'll be your friend 'til then." Sunny wished she had lips to bite. She felt her eye vibrate. "I mean. Uh."

"I accept this term," chuckled Caiatl. "Between yourself and your guardian, we have built the necessary rapport. She has fought at my side, you have... Walked at my side." She gave a gruff laugh.

Sunny giggled. "Okay. That's nice."

Caiatl's shoulders squared and her head rocked back. "I am still disappointed in your guardian."

Sunny found herself getting lower in the air, to the middle of her chest plate. "She could have killed us all, so I don't blame you. I'm too busy being happy to be alive to really be mad at her. I know it's selfish."

"This is the only world you could have seen," Caiatl growled. "As much as I enjoy your company, little ghost, you are fortunate that I did not want to risk shooting the vortex. I am not certain her rifle would have done the job."

Sunny bobbed. "We thought about that, too."

Caiatl gave Sunny a sidelong look. Sunny wasn't sure what she was not-saying, however, so she bobbed around to see more face and body language. Nope.

"What has your guardian to say for herself?"

Sunny rocked, puzzled. "Huh?"

Caiatl paused again. "You have not shared our discussions with your guardian?" she inquired, tusks picking up.

"I did the first one, when I asked you what happened, but these haven't really included her. She did say she knew she lost your respect, and it was too late to change that."

Sunny left out the parts where Freija had declared herself just fine with that and would do it again.

"You said she is not handling this event well," Caiatl remembered. "'Beating herself up.' In what senses did you mean this?"

Sunny couldn't decide what was okay to share. She was prone to telling too much. But at the same time, Caiatl could understand, probably better than most.

"She has fits when she remembers looking down the sights," Sunny murmured, looking away. "Because she tried and because she failed. I die in most of her nightmares, at her hand, at yours, The Witness, and the Traveler herself making me explode to stop the Witness, too. Both celebrations for her success, punishments for failure. She's buried herself in the Strand, I'm pretty sure she's trying to keep herself busy."

Caiatl didn't respond.

"She'll get into a screaming fit sometimes, but we'll go to the Dreaming City and start clearing Taken at that point."

"Your guardian has had four years' experience in life itself and all of it has been war," Caiatl observed. "This will be her first real nightmare, what would become her terror in the Leviathan. I imagine it would take your shape."

Sunny remembered that was hard on her, but she didn't know what to say, and she wheeled her petals.

Past the next doorway was the main Hall of Heroes. They had walked a loop. "Oh, hey," she said softly.

"I find it settling to pace these halls," Caiatl told her. "We will speak again later."

~

~~

~

End of Lightfall Spoiler heavy

First approach

Names

Third chat

Making friends <-You are here

Nature of the connection

Will you help

Saint

The other Titans

Zavala talks to Freija

Truth Dawning

Truth in daylight

Cleaning up a mess you made

Epilogue

[nyangjjunie]

[ YOU’RE MY ORBIT! ] 13 - I DON'T NEED HELP.

note: with written part below!

gaeul locked her phone, pouting in disappointment, “she said she isn’t coming and is gonna study in the library for the meantime.” the boy seated in front of her only nodded, no change in his expression evident and remained neutral. but gaeul has to be honest; taehyun is really a hard person to read, and it’s something that beomgyu always complains about to them often. she stayed quiet, thinking if she should ask him about you, or if that would make things a bit complicated.

taehyun spoke after a few seconds, looking up from his phone with his cup of coffee in his free hand, “i actually called soobin over to join us, i hope that’s okay.”

gaeul shook her head, taking a sip from her drink, “of course that’s okay. he seems like a fun guy.” she could only wish that soobin arrives soon, because as much as she almost felt powerful to have taehyun seated with her so she can question him about anything that could help you out, it’s something a person with no shame can do. she became friends with beomgyu through you, and slowly got acquainted with taehyun through you as well, knowing well you often work with him with whatever the band has to do. however, she still isn’t quite comfortable enough to talk one-on-one with taehyun and ask crazy personal questions, as there is just a lot to unpack that she can’t disclose to him at the moment.

thankfully for her, soobin arrived just in time. his tall figure shadowed over them, grabbing a free chair to sit beside taehyun. although gaeul has met soobin way before, she only got to actually hang out with him during that day at the amusement park, so she has to say that she has quite grown a lot more comfortable around him more.

gaeul mirrored the friendly smile that soobin flashed her as he sat down. he then turned his attention to his phone screen, tucking in his earphones as his head lightly bobbed, presumably to the music that was playing, “what about the others? are yeonjun, beomgyu and kai coming? y/n?”

“y/n is studying, so she can’t hang out at the moment. but i already told the rest in the group chat that we’re here, so they might drop by any moment.” taehyun said in response, gaze not turning away from his screen as well. gaeul wished that they could have a proper conversation without phones, but she can’t exactly blame them either; the pressure from the competition could be getting to them especially now that it’s fast approaching, noticing the faint sound of the music blasting from their earphones, quite distinctive at how silent the cafe was.

but the pressure must be better to deal with when you’re around your friends, and gaeul thought that way too. so for the rest of the moment, she just let the silence fall over them comfortably, not giving it much thought. a few minutes later, the bell of the cafe sounded as the door swung open, a tired kai trudging his way to their table when he spotted the group. the three shot him acknowledging glances, gaeul moving aside a bit to give him space.

“wow, i need this kind of ambience,” kai muttered as he grabbed another free seat from the other tables, dragging it close in between gaeul and taehyun. he sat down, hugging his bag loosely against him. “i hate math to death.”

the boy beside him chuckled out of pity, gaeul giving kai an apologetic smile as well. taehyun’s hand lightly patted the poor boy’s back in an attempt to comfort him, “but you finished it well, right? it’s over now, all we have to do is worry about the competition.”

kai shot taehyun an exhausted smile, sighing, “you’re right.” his head rested on the fabric of his bag, closing his eyes shut as he let the cold breeze of the cafe brush against his skin.

“by the way, kai,” soobin called, momentarily pulling an ear bud, “is beomgyu coming? and yeonjun?”

“he said he’ll catch up. i don’t know about yeonjun, but he replied to the group chat, right?” he replied, his lower lip quite jutted out into a pout. he fished out his phone to scroll back through his group chat conversation with the band before speaking, “yeah, he said ‘ok’ with a fire emoji next to it. definitely coming.” soft giggles elicited from the two boys, while gaeul could only smile amusingly at the conversation as she took another sip from her drink.

meanwhile, just like you had told gaeul, you were inside the library, seated by the farthest table from the door. your gaze was fixed on the textbook laid out in front of you, eyes tiredly scanning the whole body of text. subjects like physics obviously aren’t your forte, and it only gets fun if you get good scores for it. getting tutor lessons from taehyun just seemed to be the only good thing about the god-forsaken subject.

that doesn’t seem to be the case now, however, given that you’re studying the subject on your own and you’re growing quite distant from him for obvious reasons. and you knew not to rely too much on your smart friend way too much, so you decided to study the material on your own. the library, as expected, is quiet and calm, and only the sounds of pages being flipped and notes being scribbled are the only things audible, but they add to the calm ambience of the place.

however, that kind of atmosphere just seems to take a pause when your eyes catch a familiar boy sauntering towards your table. you looked up from your notebook, eyebrows furrowing at the smirking boy who had just arrived, pulling the chair across you and took a seat.

“you’re studying here alone? that’s a first.”

you placed your pen down, looking at the boy sternly, “i’m a student chasing for honors, yeonjun.”

he only nodded in response, a playful grin adorning his lips, “by the way, why aren’t you with gaeul? they’re all at the cafe just near this building, soobin told me. i was about to head there but then i saw you here, which is weird,” yeonjun tilted his head, leaning in closer to observe you. “and no, you studying isn’t weird, but i really was expecting you to be with them.”

“don’t get me wrong, i want to, but i really have a test to ace and i just want all my attention on it.”

yeonjun paused shortly, his lower lip jutting out, “...but you don’t usually pass if it’s a place like a coffee shop?”

you gulped, sighing as you hadn’t expected him to question further, “that’s what gaeul said, too. but i don’t know, i just feel like i should study seriously for this quiz. i don’t think i can study well if the whole group is there.”

“mm,” his lips pursed into a thin line, then he only finished with a nod, “alright, valid enough. i don’t know though, it’s just,” yeonjun then propped up his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his palm as he lazily looked at you, “you’re always with taehyun if it’s physics–?” he took a glance at your messy notebook, still able to make out the familiar formulas, “ –right, physics.”

only then from his cocky smirk that sneakily curled on his lips did you realize where the conversation was going to go.

“it’s taehyun, isn’t it?”

and just like that, the ambience of the library that you sank yourself under just shattered.

“is what?” you shot him an unamused frown, not wanting to confirm it yet, even if he has already caught on. but how couldn’t he – no, how couldn’t anyone? you were basically an open book when around taehyun, which leads you to another question – why couldn’t damn taehyun himself catch on?

yeonjun’s expression only made you want to punch his annoying smirk away then maybe he’ll learn how to shut up, but getting an offensive record won’t make you eligible to be part of the dean’s list. he only snickered in amusement at your peculiar question, obviously enjoying your flustered demeanor, “you know what i’m talking about.”

but hell, why was he even doing this? deep down, he knew that a part of him is charmed by you, yet here he was, teasing you about your so-obvious crush on his friend you’ve been lowkey chasing for months and months. why did he even let himself fall – or rather, trip, in the first place? he should have been quick to be disheartened as soon as he could conclude that you were, evidently, in love with his friend.

but maybe it was a good thing that he didn’t feel as affected; it would hurt less. and he is fully aware of how shit his past relationships went, and you definitely don’t deserve that, and he definitely doesn’t deserve you.

yeonjun tilted his head once more to the other side, his annoyingly pleasant expression in contrast to your reddened cheeks accompanied by an annoyed frown. your gaze averted from him, rolling your eyes as you went back to taking down notes on your notebook.

“why are you getting all shy?”

a satisfied giggle left yeonjun’s lips when his eyes immediately met yours, and he could tell how your temper was being cut short each second through them. although the grin on his face seemed like he would want to continue pressing all your buttons, he knew that it was time to stop before you explode in a library, and getting on your bad side was the last thing he wanted to happen – if he wasn't on your bad side yet.

“whatever you say, choi.”

you groaned irritatingly, the ticked off expressionon your face immediately transitioning into a relieved one when you saw beomgyu walking towards your table. yeonjun followed your line of sight behind him, body straightening up. and for some reason, a part of him felt like he was caught red handed, even when he didn’t even dare to make a move on you. other than pissing you off, maybe.

beomgyu wore a suspicious look on his face, casually taking a seat beside yeonjun before looking at you, “so this is where you two have been?”

“no,” you were quick to answer, “he just found me here. can you throw him out? he’s being annoying as fuck.”

beomgyu dragged his gaze from you to yeonjun, whose face looked innocent enough for beomgyu to even be suspecting something. he stared at yeonjun for a few more moments, eyes narrowed at him with his lips lightly puckering out. it’s as if he had just started an imaginary staring contest with the boy, then breaking it as soon as he was convinced enough that his friend was innocent. “whatever. for how long are you going to study here?”

“... for as long as this takes?”

“you’re not going to stay the whole night at the library, are you?”

“no,” you laughed, flipping a page of your notebook, “i just want to bail out of here.”

beomgyu was going to ask you why you insisted on staying at the library then if you wanted so badly to get out, but it only took him a second for him to realize why, so he let you be. the two boys watched you study peacefully more for a few moments. then, a soft bell resounded within your space, the eyes of the two boys perking up at your lit up phone screen that showed the text notification. you remained still on ttaking notes though, planning to check on it after a few minutes.

yeonjun was not the nosy type of person, but he was indeed curious. being directly in front of you, he tried his best not to take a peek at the text.

however, the particular contact name with – a heart emoji? – just seemed to catch his attention that his eyes stayed on it until he could fully see what it read from his perspective. beomgyu raised an eyebrow at what yeonjun was eyeing, then a few moments later, it’s as if he could feel his world fall down when yeonjun read it out.

“‘favorite boy?’”

your body froze a moment after the mention of it, your hand taking a full halt from writing another formula on your notebook. your face was heating up as soon as you realized that there’s no way to escape this now. the first thing you did was to immediately snatch the phone away from yeonjun’s attention, quickly scanning the notification to see what ‘favorite boy’ had sent.

meanwhile, beomgyu could only rub his temples at the sight. but it’s not like his friend hadn’t taken a hint before, so he couldn’t let himself be too stressed about it. “just shut up about it, yeonjun.”

“you denied that it was him so many times when i already got it right,” yeonjun giggled at the boy beside him, pride feeling victorious at the fact that he already got it right the first time. as for his feelings? he can just let that sink for now. he then proceeded to look at you again, reading your face carefully as you had your attention on your phone, frantically typing away your text.

“favorite boy? really?”

“shut the fuck up,” you hissed, holding your phone higher to cover your face and to block him from your sight. god, are you really going all shy now? your eyes nervously trembled at the text, letting out a long sigh after you aggressively sent a reply, “he’s coming here.”

“who? ‘your ‘favorite boy’?”

“choi fucking yeonjun when i beat the shit out of you–”

“lower it down,” beomgyu chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest, “also, why is he coming here?”

“he said he’s bringing over coffee. but drinks aren’t allowed here though?”

yeonjun leaned back on his chair lazily, a smirk crawling on his face, “it’s kang taehyun, the librarian trusts him enough not to make a mess. i think he’s brought drinks here a few times before.”

“he has, he has,” beomgyu agreed, resting his chin on his palm, elbow propped up on the table,, “and he’s bringing coffee? sheesh, that boy. a total keeper. maybe if he wasn't dense.”

and although beomgyu has talked it out with yeonjun before, he almost regretted teasing her in front of him. yeonjun has feelings too, and even if him getting over his casual crush is for the best, beomgyu still didn't want to go the route of hurting him. when he looked at him though, yeonjun still had his shit-eating grin, so a part of him was a bit relieved.

“whatever,” you rolled your eyes, trying to brush away your obviously flustered face, “can you guys get out now? he’s gonna be here any moment.”

“ouch, we just got here and you want us gone?”

“beomgyu, i doubt your little friend can even stay still once taehyun is around. plus, you should be with the others right now. they’re probably waiting at the cafe.”

beomgyu only snickered, “don’t worry. yeonjun right here will shut up for you about your little crush on – what was it – oh! favorite boy.”

the glare that yeonjun shot beomgyu went unnoticed by you. it was true though, of course he’d seal his lips about the secret, he’s not that much of a snitch. but the way beomgyu was implying something else that only yeonjun could pick up at the moment might give something away.

“jesus, don’t call him that,” you whined, dragging your arm across the table as you rested your head on it, “but please go. i really think you’re gonna be teasing the whole time.”

“are you that greedy?”

“n-no, what the hell!” you whispered sharply, “with you together, you’re gonna make it obvious for him and he’ll know in a minute.”

“miss ma’am, you’re the one who’s obvious. be thankful that mr. favorite boy is dense as shit. plus, with us around, you won’t be placed in the hot seat. win-win, you know?”

“win-win? and how exactly are you going to benefit from this…?”

beomgyu shrugged his shoulders, “entertainment.”

just seconds after you thought about what to counter, your eyes caught sight of a familiar figure walking by outside the glass doors of the library, body stiffening and straightening up as you whispered again, “okay, whatever, just shut the fuck up because he’s here.”

the awaited boy came in time, the noticeable plastic bag in his hands subtly being held a little behind his leg as he walked inside. beomgyu could almost feel his eyes bulge out at how your demeanor immediately changed, and he just had to tightly press his lips in a thin line, trying so hard to not break out into laughter. as for yeonjun, he wasn’t exactly surprised to see you turn frozen and red, but his lips parted, gawking at the obvious difference in your behavior as soon as taehyun had entered, because holy shit, you really are down bad. what a simp.

yeonjun glanced at taehyun who had just arrived at their table, cheeks puffed out as if he was also trying to hold in a giggle. the vocalist of the band placed down the cold coffee on the wooden surface, moving it close to you. he only shot puzzled looks at the two boys, chuckling a bit at their ridiculous faces before he turned to you, “i didn’t know you were with them.”

“i wasn’t, they just came to drop by.”

taehyun smiled at you, then placed his hands in his pockets, “well, that’s all. gaeul told me you were alone studying so i thought i’d bring your favorite coffee over. you’ll ace that test for real.”

your lower lip broke into a pout, feeling butterflies that swarmed in your stomach make their way to your poor heart. “thanks, you didn’t have to.”

“holy fuck,” beomgyu blurted out, stealing the other three’s attention as he was innocently pretending that he was watching something on his phone, but you knew damn well it wasn't because of whatever was on it. of course he’d be watching the whole interaction attentively. he shook his head at the remaining three’s confused glances, brushing you all off. he then sent back a playful shove to yeonjun who initially gave him a smack on the arm, obviously entertained at the scene in front of them.

taehyun awkwardly smiled at the peculiar behavior of his two bandmates, then asked you, “well, are you going to stay here and study?”

“mhm, and i decided to do it alone this time so i can recall alone what you taught me before. not that i want you guys to leave though–”

“you literally wanted us gone moments before though–?”

“yeonjun,” you deadpanned, “anyways, yeah, i decided to do it alone this time. you can go ahead with yeonjun and beomgyu at the cafe, i think the others are waiting for you three.”

taehyun took a moment to observe you, noticing your reddened cheeks as you sent obvious glares to yeonjun. he thought for a moment before speaking up, “alright, we’ll get going,” taehyun flashed you a warm smile, not able to leave without bumping your fist with his. it’s something he doesn’t usually initiate, but he has felt as if he’s grown closer to you than before. what you had opened up to him at the ferris wheel on that memorable day was the most vulnerable you’ve been towards him, and he felt thankful that you were able to tell him such. but that's something he'll thank you for on some other day.

beomgyu stood up, and yeonjun did the same, taking it as their cue to leave. yeonjun looked back at you for a moment, gaze staying moments longer before he turned back, catching up to beomgyu.

taehyun took a few steps away, getting ready to leave as well, but a part of him felt like he wanted to stay longer and keep you company. he turned to check on you one last time, chuckling sweetly when you met his eyes again, looking at him in a puzzled manner.

“are you sure you don’t need help with anything at all?”

“i’m sure,” you laughed softly, grinning shyly at the boy, “i’ll let you know anyway if i do. and thanks for the coffee, i’ll try to finish it without getting caught or something.”

taehyun nodded then, waving at you before he walked out of the library. your gaze on his distancing figure stayed until he was out of sight. the ambience of the library returned, but something weirdly felt missing. it felt empty. you shook your head in frustration, looking sharply at the textbook and the messily written notebook in front of you.

you muttered to yourself, trying to fan up your spirits, “no, it’s okay. i can hang out with them after. i’ll ace that test.”

and so you did. you started your study grind, brushing off every irrelevant thought that would crawl in your mind. you had finished up your coffee after forty-five minutes or so, including the number of times you had to subtly place it on the empty seat beside you, sneakily discarding it by the nearby trash can just outside of the library’s glass door after. luckily for you, the place will stay open for the whole night as this week was the test period for the other year levels at the university.

and while the coffee did keep you awake for a short while, you felt yourself grow tired after a few hours. the comfort that the library brought was making it hard for you to stay awake, skin basking in the comfortable and cozy cold breeze of the area. maybe a short nap wouldn’t hurt. you placed your phone in your pocket in case, then closed your study materials, laying out your arm across the table for your head to rest on it. you let your hooded eyes fall shut, as you floated away to your cozy dreamland.

let’s just pray that no one would pull a quick sneak attack on you while you were asleep.

꒰ masterlist | 12. | 14 ꒱

THEME: fluff, a bit of comedy nd nothing too serious, angst in some chapters, band!txt, songwriter!reader

WARNINGS: cussing, reader uses feminine pronouns and terms, mentions/implications of alcohol intake, some timestamps do not make sense at all and arent really important so please ignore them 🙏

TAGLIST: @gorechoi @softforqiankun @navsnct @pr0dbeomgyu @alarming-turtle @xiaoting999 @txtville @bamnamgyu @sunsetsoobin @shysakuno @xiaojunsmintchoco @punchmebaekhyun @butterflx @kangtaehyunstan @moonchildflynn @yeonyeonyeonjun @gold-dragon-slayer @a-noona-mous @sunflowerbebe07 @allforbangtans @hibuki-chan @msxflower @rinhyun @bbeomgyucafe @ioszzn (send an ask to be added!)

[randomshyperson]

The Scarlet Witch Prophecy - Chapter 23 - The Witch's Cabin (Part Two)

Thanks to my gif maker and friend of course, @abimess.

Summary: As the youngest daughter of Howard Stark, you have ordinary expectations for your years at Hogwarts. Little do you know what adventures await you when your destiny is intertwined with the legendary Scarlet Witch.

Warnings: +16. Adaptation of the Harry Potter Saga, Magical Thematic, Prophecies, Mentions of Violence, Torture and dark magic, Language (swearing and minor/major offenses), manipulation of will, Underage kissing, insinuation of smut with minors, Smut (overage), descriptions of death, aggression, obscurity, angst, fluffy, soulmates analogies. || Chapter Warnings: +18, smut.

Series Masterlist ||  Read on AO3 || All Works Masterlist

Chapter 23 - Part XXIII - The Witch's Cabin (Part Two)

You weren't sure if Wanda wanted some time from you as well, as you watched her walk through the garden, sit alone on one of the benches while looking at the rocky mountains in the distance.

What you were sure of was that she was distressed. So much so, that even as she blocked out her emotions, strands of her discomfort escaped, and you felt your body shiver slightly.

Sighing, you put your hands in your pockets, resisting the urge to join her as you watched her from the balcony.

"Here, Miss." It is Charles who says beside you, with a mug of reheated tea. You raise your eyebrow in confusion, and he smiles tenderly. "I thought a hot drink would bring you some comfort." He explains, and you mutter a thank you as you accept the cup.

Charles stands beside you, watching the landscape in silence for a moment. When you take the first sip, and sigh lightly, he asks, "Did it help?"

"Not much." You reply. "I appreciate the intention, but I won't feel good over tea until she is."

It's a simple statement. And Charles just murmurs in understanding, not needing you to explain further.

There is another pause, before he speaks again.

"Then I think you should talk to her." He says.

"She said she needed some time alone." You retort, scratching the back of your head with your hand quickly, and placing the cup on the large one on the balcony. "I'm giving her space."

"Oh, I see." He murmurs. "Are you sure that the alone time included her protector?"

You give a short humorless laugh. "You know, people have weird ideas about this whole thing. We're still two separate people. Wanda can have her time without me."

"Of course she can." Charles agrees quickly. "Forgive me, I think I expressed myself badly. I didn't mean to say that you two aren't independent, or to put me on the same level as sensationalist wizards who don't know anything about ancient magic." He speaks, causing you to frown. "I only meant that it is my understanding that scarlet witches and their patrons have a special relationship. If I remember correctly, it is written that the patrons bring a profound sense of safety and comfort to their sorceresses when present."

You feel your cheeks flush, and you look away quickly. Charles doesn't seem to notice, or if he does, he says nothing.

"So...do you think she'll like it if I talk to her?"

" Well, she's your sorceress, you know her better than I do, Miss Stark." Jokes the man. "Don't let an old book tell you what you must or mustn't do."

You bite the inside of your cheek, lingering your gaze on the crestfallen figure of Wanda meters ahead.

"Thanks for the tea, Charles." You mutter before starting to walk toward the gardens.

To avoid frightening her, you make a noise with your steps, but Wanda only lifts her head when you are practically at her side.

And you swallow dryly when you notice the tears on her face, approaching calmly to sit beside her.

You don't have to say anything really, and you don't mind waiting for her to tell you whatever she needs to. But Wanda just waits for you to sit down, and then she leans against your body, sinking into your embrace as you run your hands around her.

She relaxes immediately with your touch, sighing. You think Charles was right after all.

Her tears cease, drying against your shirt, and she inhales deeply against you.

“Thank you.” She whispers, making you smile shyly, as you run your fingers through her hair.

"For what?" you whisper back, half-joking, not knowing exactly what you've done.

"For staying."

You sigh, hugging her tighter as your fingers gently scratch the back of her neck, and Wanda shivers against you, before relaxing completely. "I told you I'm never leaving."

You stand like that for a few more moments, until Wanda starts to move again. She pulls her face away to look at you, and you just smile at the intense way she does so.

"I'm sorry." She says, and you frown in confusion. She straightens up before continuing, taking a deep breath, as if she is finding the right words. "With everything Agatha showed us, I finally understood that I never had a choice on my fate. And before, when I was going to erase your memory, how angry you got, I didn't understand why. Because to me, I was making the right thing, sparing you somehow. But now, I understand." She confesses quickly, gesturing as her eyes fill with tears. "It was your choice. And I don't think you would ever forgive me if I moved on without you, when you chose to stay with me. And as much as I hate how dangerous this is, and I don’t want you to get hurt, you have the right to choose to stay by my side if you want, because those are your feelings and I had no right to try to take them away from you."

You nod, sighing, and raise your hand to her face, caressing her cheek.

"It's okay, darling." You say. "I haven't been angry in quite some time. But I appreciate that you apologized."

You move closer, kissing her softly on the lips before pulling away. "I guess in the end I broke my promise about not touching you before the apology." You joke making her smile. "I couldn't help it, you're just too irresistible."

Wanda laughs shyly, raising her hands to your neck, looking at you fondly.

"Do you want to talk about what we saw?" You ask next, and she sighs, nodding.

You spend the next few minutes talking. Wanda feels bad about the whole thing. About all the lies, schemes, and about never having had a real choice. No matter what would happen, she was always going to become the Scarlet Witch. And no one asked if she wanted that.

She didn't talk about Natalya, and you respected her time.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive Agatha completely for the things she did." Wanda confesses a moment later, you two are sitting side by side, looking at the mountains. "But a part of me will never be able to hate her entirely. And I detest that."

"It doesn't bother me that she matters to you, Wanda." You say. "Even with everything that happened, she really believed she was doing the right thing. And now she's helping us. And I know you've spent a lot more time with her than I have." You clarify quickly, and Wanda looks at you with a slight frown. "I just mean that even with the pain she caused me, it's okay for you to still care about her. I won't hold a grudge over it."

Wanda nods, reaching your hand up on the bench. She entwines your fingers together, and moves closer to lean against you, resting her head on your shoulder.

"Can we stay here just a little longer?" She whispers. The sunrise is approaching. You were going to say you would stay as long as she wanted, but your speech becomes a yawn halfway through, and she laughs softly. "Maybe the bed would be better."

You laugh softly too, and Wanda squeezes your hand before moving to pull you back into the house.

When you go through the kitchen, Agatha is there. She and Wanda exchange a look, but neither of them says anything, and you just follow the brunette in front of you upstairs.

You think you'll sleep until lunchtime at least.

//-//-//-//-//-//

You grunted in pain as you fell to the ground.

"Everything okay there, Stark?" Agatha's softly teasing voice made you give a wry laugh.

"Perfect." You grumbled as you stood up, wiping the dust from your pants. "Again please, and try something stronger this time, Agatha, I think you're starting to go soft on me."

The witch laughed, raising her wand quickly. The next spell hurt more than the first.

It had been eight and a half weeks since you had been in Agatha's house.

Things were going well, if you could put it that way.

After that day when Agatha showed the memories out of the pensieve, she and Wanda were on thin ice, and no memories were shared again. They treated each other politely, with occasional sharp pins, but nothing ever too aggressive.

Meanwhile, Agatha was really helping the two of you to become better sorcerers.

You think you never learned so much magic at once, but you weren't complaining.

Even Charles was helping you with potions, a passion he seemed to share with Erik.

And with the intensity of your studies, Agatha hoped that soon you would be worthy of pulling Rowena's diadem out of the hat, but she never seemed to find the right spot, and it was making everyone slightly frustrated, even if no one would admit it.

You haven't heard from the order.

With Fury's death, the radio went silent. You believed that no one but him had been arrested, or killed, because nothing was said in the Daily Prophet. But it wasn't easy to ignore the tightness in your chest at not knowing for sure.

Now that you were practically considering yourself a master at dueling, even if Agatha wouldn't admit that you had far more knowledge in defense against the dark arts than any other witch your age, you expected her to continue the lessons in Occlumency and Legilimency that Erik never managed to finish.

"You're not ready for that yet." She replied, for the third time you brought up the subject, and you sighed impatiently.

"But professor-"

"Erik taught you the basic level of that magic, Y/N." She interrupts, moving her hands so that the objects in the kitchen begin to prepare lunch around you. Wanda is in the house library, studying with Charles, and you had spent all morning practicing dueling spells, and learning to become more resistant to them as well.

Your whole body was sore from the times you fell to the ground when you were hit by stupefy and the most common duelling spells , but it was better than being knocked out at the first attempt if you had never practiced before.

"A master of legilimency would be able to dominate the minds of an entire city at once. You're not ready for that kind of magic yet."

"But I don't need to control an entire city, Agatha." You argue back, following her through the kitchen around the house. "You can just continue from where Erik started and-"

"Enough." She interrupts by turning to you, but she doesn't look angry, just impatient. "You won't leave me alone if I don't agree won't you?"

"No."

She sighs. "I can teach you Occlumency, Stark. But I won't teach you Legilimency, it's...against my vows."

You frown in confusion, "Your vows?"

But Agatha gives you only an insinuating look, and you understand.

As Legilimency is directly considered a forbidden, and dark magic, it would break her vow to only do the right thing by the scarlet witch, her promise to Natalya.

You've never been more curious to know how Agatha got around the perpetual vow for so many years, but the way she’s back walking tells you she's not going to share that with you anytime soon.

"Charles is a master legilimens." She continues talking, moving downstairs where the library is. You in her trail. "He can teach you."

"Really? That 's great!."

As you arrive at the study room, the huge piles of enchanted books surrounding you, your gaze immediately seeks Wanda's.

As Agatha tells Charles to teach you, you approach the girl, finding her distracted with a reading. You smile at how lovely she looks, and can't help but move quickly closer, and steal a surprise kiss from her that makes her sigh.

"Hey, you." You say as you pull away, and she giggles as she relaxes.

"Hey, you." She repeats as she stops you from moving away by holding you by your arm, pulling you back to kiss you properly.

"Hey little love birds, your first lesson in Occlumency is going to be tonight." Agatha warns in a tone of teasing, as you give an embarrassed chuckle breaking away from Wanda, leaning on the pilaster next to the chair she is sitting in. "And you, Miss Maximoff, can practice your natural legilimency skills with Charles on the same schedule as well."

"Yes, ma'am." You and Wanda answer together, and Agatha gives a warning sneer before turning, squeezing Charles' shoulder gently before leaving.

The man turns to you. "Miss Stark, please do not spill mud on my parchments."

You look down to your clothes immediately. Well, it wasn't your fault that Agatha had knocked you to the ground so many times. You were a mess, and you raised your hands in a sign of surrender.

"Sorry, Charles." You mutter as you walk away. "I just came to give my beautiful girl a kiss, I'm going upstairs to take a shower. See you two at lunch."

You give Wanda a wink of goodbye before walking away, being careful not to bump into books along the way.

//-//-//-//

You grumbled softly in pain as you removed your tangled sweater, realizing that perhaps you should have asked Agatha to go easy on the spells instead of challenging her.

Distracted, you startled when you heard knocking on the bathroom door, but relaxed completely when you saw that it was only Wanda, who smiled and leaned against the doorframe, looking up at you.

"Hey, babe." You greeted her, working to remove your shoes. "Do you want anything?"

"No, I just decided to take a break from the books." She replies. "But I would like to know how you convinced Agatha to teach you Occlumency so easily." She comments in a mixed tone of teasing and impressiveness and you laugh softly as you kick your untied shoes away.

"With my charm of course." You return, making her laugh.

When you motion to remove the shirt, Wanda bites her lips. "Allow me."

You stand still then as she steps up to your front, looking at you with the same tenderness that you look back.

Wanda works on the buttons of your shirt, and when she is finished, she pushes the material away, sliding it down your arms until it falls to the floor. You blush slightly under her curious gaze, but say nothing, letting her move the straps of your bra, and then open the clasp, soon the garment falls too.

She moves her fingers down your waist, to reach the zipper and buttons of your pants, and unzips them. You move timidly to remove the item as well, taking your panties with it.

Wanda gives a soft giggle, and you look at her curiously.

"What?"

"It's nothing." She says shyly. "It's...I just realized that it's the first time I've seen you naked."

You blush, but respond. "I wish I wasn't covered in dirt."

"I wish you weren't covered in bruises." She retorts sharply, and you swallow dryly. The purple marks around your body are a result of the spells, but you don't care about that. The pain isn't exactly strange after all.

"It was worth it, though." You retort softly, and think that part of you is really referring to getting stronger, learning new magic. But the other part, the part that knows it's all for the girl in front of you, adds, "You're worth all the effort."

Wanda looks away, swallowing dryly as well. "Don't say that."

"It's the truth, Wanda." You say simply, and she sighs, straightening her posture softly.

"But you don't have to say it."

"You want me to lie then?"

"I just don't want you to say it so proudly." She retorts almost scoldingly, and you bite the inside of your cheek, not wanting to argue. She sighs, and puts distance between you, turning toward the exit.

You clear your throat, and call out to her. "I don't want you to be angry." You murmur. "I can't help it to say things like this, you know that."

Her expression softens. "I'm not angry, darling." She assures you. "I'll just get a towel for myself."

She leaves before you understand what that implies. Wishing you didn't look like a complete mess, you quickly step into the tub you left ready as soon as you arrived in the bathroom, and sink against the hot water, waiting for Wanda to join you.

Wanda doesn't take long. She leaves the towel in the sink, and smiles at you before she starts to undress, right there in front of you, as if she had done it a thousand times before.

You blush, but don't look away. And she doesn't seem to mind that you follow every movement of her hands, although her cheeks redden when she has her breasts exposed in the air.

Soon, she steps into the tub with you, taking the seat in the opposite corner, smiling softly as you hug your legs, looking up at her.

"I'm sorry I said that, I know you don’t like it and I shouldn’t have." You mutter. But Wanda just shakes her head, steeling herself to move closer, her hands touching your forearms.

"Don't worry." She says. "It's the truth after all. You are my knight in shining armor, and I can't do anything to change that."

You laugh softly, and Wanda smiles, stroking your skin with her thumb.

"I want to try something." She says next, making you look at her curiously. "Something I read about it this week. Can I?"

"Of course, darling." You say, and then she is pulling your forearms gently so that you stop hugging your legs, and you sink your hands into the water, waiting, as Wanda moves her fingers, guiding you so that you sit properly, and she sits between your legs. "What are you going to do?"

You ask curiously, even half embarrassed to have her so close, but Wanda just smiles, moving her hands out of the tub, where she makes the soap magically fly to her.

"First, I'm helping you get clean, babe."

She says, dipping the soap in the water before bringing it to your skin, lathering your shoulders gently. You relax under her touch, looking at her intently.

"Can I do the same to you?" you ask in a whisper, and she smiles.

"Of course."

Wanda raises the soap at face height, and with a flick of her hands, the item doubles itself to another. You raise your eyebrow. "Show-off." You tease, making her chuckle, as she hands you the other soap.

For the next few minutes, you help each other soap up amidst giggles, and stolen glances. Wanda's touch is as gentle and affectionate as her gaze, and you are so comfortable that you don't even have time to think about how intimate the whole moment is.

As you finish washing off the soap, Wanda begins to run her fingers along your shoulders. "Will you stay on your back for me?" She asks lowly, and you murmur in agreement before shifting to obey.

Without seeing her, your curiosity makes you tense up, and Wanda smiles as she moves closer, her hands on your waist. "Relax, darling." She asks against your ear, her fingers moving up your skin slowly as you obey.

"Do you remember last summer?" She begins, and suddenly you are feeling soft twinges on your skin. It's Wanda's magic. You don't know what she's doing, but it feels good. Little shocks around your back.

You just murmur, relaxing against her hand.

"When Papa taught you about mirroring magic, I mean." She continues, her tone low and soft. "So that you could take my damage from possible attacks."

"And you were so upset about my wrist breaking when you fell off a broom that you put me to sleep in Pietro's bed." You complete making her laugh.

"But I didn't send you away because I still wanted you in my house." She retorts and you laugh in agreement.

"Yes I do, darling." You say next. "I remember everything I went through with you."

Wanda bites her lips, blushing at your statement. But she continues to talk beyond that.

"There is another kind of spell like that." She says. "Charles was reading with me a line that said If the protector can take the pain, the witch must learn to heal the pain as well. You understand what I mean?"

You sigh softly as you feel the pressure of her fingers increase on the points where you knew you were injured. But it's not discomfort that you feel. It's a different sensation, like an electric shiver that turns into a gentle tightness.

"Yeah, I think so. You'll be able to heal my wounds now, right?" You ask with your eyes closed, instinctively leaning even closer against her hand as the pressure increases, and Wanda just murmurs in agreement, concentrating on her task. "That's pretty cool."

"I still need to learn it properly." She continues. "And I don't want to have to practice."

You chuckle softly at the comment. Of course she doesn't. For her to learn to heal your wounds, you would need to hurt her so she gets to practice, and that possibility is horrible for Wanda.

"I'm sure we'll find an alternative to that, Wands." You murmur lazily, so relaxed against her touch that you begin to feel sleepy.

Wanda continues for a few more minutes, and when she finishes, she goes around your waist with her hands pulling you gently against her, making you sigh.

"How do you feel?" She asks with her face resting on your shoulder, her arms hugging you as you relax against her.

"I feel incredible, love." You reply with your eyes closed. "Thanks to your magic fingers."

Wanda giggles, turning her face to kiss your neck, her lips touching your skin softly and making you smile and sigh.

"Can I make you feel even better?" She asks as she returns her mouth to your ear, playing with the lobe between her lips and teeth, making you hold your breath. "I could use my magic fingers."

You bite back a smile, nodding. Wanda inhales softly, settling herself better against the tub.

Her hands go around your belly with her fingertips, moving upward. You gasp when she reaches your breasts, stimulating your nipples between her fingers.

You let out a satisfied murmur, and your body gradually warms up.

When your nipples are hardened enough, and Wanda has you shivering, she wraps your breasts with her full hands, pressing the flesh against her palm, and you gasp, throwing your hips forward unter water.

"Wanda." You sigh softly as she continues to play with your breasts. "Don't tease."

"I'm not teasing darling." She murmurs back, returning the gentle caress against your nipples. "I'm just getting you wet."

"Just... touch me." You whisper, starting to move back into her, the tightness in your belly growing, and all she did was touch you softly. "Please."

Wanda lets out a sigh, like a giggle, and you don't have to look at her to know she's smiling. "I didn't know you were the begging type, babe."

You grumble under the teasing, but Wanda finally lowers her hands, and you shiver in anticipation, forgetting to respond.

She runs her hands down your inner thighs, but never where you want her. And when you sigh impatiently, she chuckles against your ear.

"Say pretty please again." She teases and you feel your cheeks burn, quickly turning your face to the left, putting distance between her mouth and your ear. All Wanda does is chuckles again, but this time, her fingers go straight to where you want her, caressing your entrance and you gasp.

“M-more.” You ask but she just stands still, her fingertips against your clint while her mouth kisses your shoulder and her other hand goes up to your breast, to repeat the moviments from earlier.

You have trouble keeping your eyes open, and when you try to force her finger against you, she just moves them away with a giggle while you grumble of dissatisfaction.

“Wanda.” You warn, but her hand just rests against your thigh.

“C’mon, babe.” She says. “You sounded so hot when you said please. Do it again.”

“No.” You retort stubbornly, but your affected tone makes her smile, her fingers moving closer to your warm center but still not touching and making you clench your closed fists.

"Say, please fuck me." Wanda whispers against your ear, and you feel a sharp, tightly pulsation in your belly, sighing heavily. "And I will."

But you didn't want to give Wanda a taste of victory, even as you came so close to begging for her touch. All you did was press hard against her, your ass fitted against her hot core, and she gasped in surprise and arousal, digging her nails into your thigh.

"Cheater." She murmured breathlessly, making you smile, but your advantage was short-lived when she pressed your breast into her palm, and without any warning, slid a finger into you, entering easily through both the water in the tub and your arousal.

"Oh." You moaned loudly, one hand gripping the edge of the tub as Wanda moved slowly inside, making you squirm. "More, babe. Please."

Wanda chuckles at your hopeless tone, but obeys, inserting another finger now. It slides between your edges with ease, and you bite your lips to avoid being loud. But when Wanda presses her palm against your clit as her fingers move in and out of you in a slow, torturous rhythm, you whimper, squeezing your hands on the edge of the tub until they turn white.

"You're so tight." Wanda whispers against your ear, her hot, wet breath sending shivers throughout your body. "My sexy baby taking my fingers so well."

You moan softly, becoming even more aroused by Wanda's words. She sighs against your ear, quickening the pace of her thrusts, and you begin to feel the tightness under your belly reaching the limit.

"W-wanda... I'm clos-oh" You can't maintain a coherent sentence, thrusting your hips in the same rhythm as Wanda's fingers move in and out of you, and Wanda grunts against your ear, her fingers sinking into you.

"Show me how it feels, Printsessa" She asks and you need to concentrate beyond pure pleasure to be able to share your sensations with her. When you do, Wanda moans loudly against your ear, the hand on your breast squeezing firmly, pulling you against her and making you gasp. "Is this how you feel with me, baby?” She asks with a breathless whisper. “It’s so fucking good." She whimpers, increasing the pace of her fingers, and now stimulating both you and herself, and you use your free hand to keep yourself from screaming, knowing that the noise would attract the attention of the other residents.

"I can't hold it." You whimper, your body beginning to spasm out of rhythm with the strokes, you are so close.

"So don't." She gasps back against your ear, and it's the next second that you come, your walls clenching against Wanda's fingers, and you see stars, your loud moan is muffled by her hand on your mouth when you can't keep the gesture and clench your hands under the water.

And you are barely recovering from your orgasm when Wanda reaches hers, sharing it with you, and you moan deeply, turning a complete mess against her, feeling your body explode with pleasure again.

You stand in silence, trying to normalize your breaths, Wanda's fingers slip out of you, making you sigh, but she keeps her hand on your thigh, until she joins the two at your waist, smoothing you better against her.

"I can't feel my legs." You mumble breathlessly, your body tingling completely from the intensity of the orgasms. Wanda just gives an equally affected laugh, moving one of her hands up to push her wet hair out of the front of her face.

"Too bad, I still want to taste you."

You grunt softly, feeling your face heat up. But you sure as hell won't protest when Wanda's hands start coming down again.

//-//-//-//-//-//

“It really worked.” You murmurs impressed, as you button a clear shirt up, getting ready for having some food since you and Wanda skipped lunch, being busy with things. The bruises that you once had, are all gone. A few red spots were seen, but nothing too remarkable as before.

Wanda bites her bottom lip, kneeling in the bed, still naked. The vision was a gift from heaven you could say.

“If you feel any pain, tell me.” She asks as she watches you dressing. “I could try to ease that too.”

“You’re too good for me baby.” You commented with a shy smile, getting closer to her again. Agatha liked well dressed manners, she said. That’s why almost every set of clothes she gave you had ties, and sweaters. You and Wanda teased her about being old.

And that's why you're knotting your tie, and Wanda is unbuttoning your shirt. Wait, what?

"Hey, hey." You quickly warn, holding up her fingers, as Wanda giggles with her gaze gleaming in mischief. "We can't stay here all day, sweetheart."

"Can’t we?" She retorts in a mixed tone of defiance, making a pout that makes you want to kiss her.

"You know we can't." You retort with a smile, caressing her cheek before buttoning the buttons she has opened. Wanda bites her lips as she watches you. "I can bring you something to eat, but eventually we have lessons."

"No, that's okay, I'll come down with you." She says but doesn't move from her spot, and you raise an eyebrow curiously, but Wanda was just waiting for you to finish buttoning your shirt before pulling you up by your poorly tied tie, rising to kiss you on the mouth.

You smiled against her lips, bringing one of your hands to her neck, kissing her firmly.

"Are you sure we need to go downstairs?" She murmurs breathlessly against your mouth, and you sigh.

"Maybe another ten minutes."

It takes another half hour for you to leave the room.

Wanda accompanies you, straightening your crumpled clothes before you head to the kitchen.

Fortunately, Charles had saved some lunch for you, and between smiles and stolen glances, you ate in silence.

And when Agatha asked you to join her upstairs, for her occlumency lesson, Wanda kissed you on the cheek and wished you good luck.

Agatha's private study room was dark.

Unlike the library, or Charles' offices, which were extremely cozy.

Here, you felt almost intimidated. But Agatha seemed relaxed, and you felt confident enough with your magic to enter.

"You know the fundamentals, Miss Stark, so let's not stall." She says as she walks over to one of the cabinets, working to remove her rings and place them on the wood. "Sit back and relax. And know that I'm going to try the real thing, Y/N. Just like an opponent would."

You swallow dryly, but murmur in understanding, walking over to sit in the armchair that Agatha seems to have left ready for you.

She turns around, and takes the seat in front of you. With a flick of her fingers, one of the books on the bookshelves in the room comes flying toward her, floating in the air, open at eye level.

She grumbles softly as she reads, probably checking the spells correctly, and then the book closes and returns to the bookshelf.

"In a fight, a wizard's mind can be their greatest enemy, Miss Stark." She begins, rolling up her sleeves, and you hold your breath in anticipation. "That's why you need to protect yours as best you can."

"Professor Erik taught me a few things." You mutter, but Agatha raises her eyebrow in disbelief, and you are almost offended. "Hey, I'm not that helpless."

"Is that what you think?" She challenges. "Look closer."

You frown in confusion, and try to understand what she means.

Then you notice the other figure in the corner of the room and almost jump out of your chair.

An illusion, Agatha never sat next to you, and she disappears the same second you noticed her.

"What the fuck....?"

"Illusions, Miss Stark, will be the least of your problems if the dark lord has access to your mind." Agatha warns as she moves from the shadows of the room, her hands folded on her belly, looking at you, who was still in shock from the last trick. "But I will teach you to recognize and escape false images first."

The first lesson is not easy.

Honestly, it is so exhausting that by the time Agatha frees you, you are stumbling sleepily to your room.

You fall into bed still in your study clothes, and are almost closing your eyes when Wanda walks in.

"Hey, sweetheart, aren't you going to dinner?" She asks, but you don't even open your eyes, muttering that you were going to sleep.

Wanda walks over to you, gives you a kiss on the cheek, and turns out the lights.

//-//-//

It takes another three weeks for something to happen.

Technically, a lot has actually happened.

You have learned to break illusions, create them, protect your mind from mid-level invaders, lie in a way that rings true in your mind and fools any invader.

Agatha won't admit it, but you are a very talented Occlumens.

And Wanda, is quite the opposite of that.

Charles often comments that maybe it's the power of scarlet magic, but he''s never seen someone who could manipulate the mind of others so easily. Not since Agatha, and the witch makes a sarcastic remark, but has a proud smile as she goes out to harvest carrots.

Where you are expert at protecting the mind, Wanda is at attacking it.

She doesn't have the same strength as you in blocking Agatha, but you can't invade anyone's mind without putting in a lot of effort.

"I think it's an interesting thing, actually. " Charles comments next to you, in the fourth week of studying mind magic, with the four of you sitting in the room, and Agatha in the armchair in front of you, while you have your wand raised and try to get into her thoughts. "You balance each other perfectly, you know? Y/N can protect your mind while you attack, Wanda. It's quite useful."

"Great observation, Charles." Agatha congratulates impressed, not seeming to have any difficulty blocking you even while talking to someone else.

"Does that mean I can get inside your head through her magic?" Wanda deduces in curiosity, but didn't expect anyone to confirm, her eyes glowing red and connecting with your mind.

You choke, firming your touch on your wand, and because you were already trying the spell, you manage to get into Agatha's mind without any problems with Wanda’s magic.

A small girl is running down a hallway; it's Hogwarts.

"Freak!" " Weirdo!" are the whispers of the crowds of children she is passing through.

And then the whispers change to "watch out, she's the principal' daughter" "I heard she killed that Ravenclaw boy"

A mirror. Agatha must be sixteen now, she looks young. She stares at her reflection, and then punches the glass.

"You are a disgrace to this family." A woman says in front of her as the memory fades to another, looking at her with contempt. "A scandal like this. Our coven will recommend your expulsion."

"I never wanted to be a part of this, Mama!" Agatha exclaims in a mixture of anger and hurt. "I hate those old backward women, I want to learn everything I can and -"

The slap is loud. "Rules exist to keep everyone safe, Agatha. You're too selfish to realize that."

It gets faster, the flashes. You watch Agatha grow up, study in hiding, kiss a girl behind the candy store who pushes her away when the older schoolmates laugh, you listen to the cruel comments, watch her buy the cottage, meet new people, and many colored lights, the spells she has already cast blending throughout the memories.

"Please, daughter, forgive me" She pleads in a crying voice, but Natalya looks at her with contempt. "I will do the right thing this time, please, I-"

"Swear it."

You see a flash of the day she took the perpetual vow, her hands entwined with her daughter, and then you see more quick flashes of lost moments, until you focus on the day she was alone in Magda's house again, her hand on the cheek of baby Wanda, now asleep.

"Forgive me, I have failed again."

The memory shifts, you watch Erik crying at a memorial service, many other people dressed in black beside him.

She talked to Erik about the girl, asking if he had noticed anything strange.

Visiting a mansion, your home. You see yourself, about five or six years old, playing in the backyard with your brother, the emaciated image of your father talking to her in a low tone, delivering a letter.

More unclear flashes.

Agatha writing the acceptance letters from the school that year, the name Wanda Maximoff emblazoned on the paper.

The day Wanda and Pietro enter Hogwarts, Agatha rummaging back into her old journals and books.

Agatha starts to resist then. You see two more flashes of class, before she pushes you and Wanda out of her thoughts, and you choke breathlessly, stumbling away.

The teacher gets up quickly, aggressively throwing herself at you two, and you cover Wanda with your body immediately, but she calms down, because Charles puts his arm around her waist.

"Agatha, breathe." He asks softly, and she seems to come to her senses, shaking her head, and casting an almost embarrassed look at you, before muttering apologies and leaving the room.

You and Wanda are wide-eyed, in shock at all you have seen for long seconds, as Charles sighs and moves to organize the books you had messed up when the lesson began.

"She's going to need some time." He says turning to give you a tender smile. "But don't worry, I can continue the lessons with you two. For now, I suggest a cup of tea to everyone, and we can continue tomorrow."

"S-sure, that sounds great." You mumble awkwardly, turning your face to Wanda, who looks troubled. "Everything okay?" You whisper to her, and she forces a smile, nodding.

You won't push it, so you even squeeze her hand gently before following Charles into the kitchen for tea.

//-//-//-//-//

Agatha doesn't leave her room for six whole days.

Charles just says that she is tired, and brings her meals.

You only study next to Wanda; it's not as if you can feel guilty about something she has done to you so many times.

And then, as if no time has passed, the former headmistress comes into the kitchen in travel clothes, while you are eating lunch.

"Good morning?" You exclaim in surprise, and the teacher only murmurs with a nod, picking up an apple from the fruit tray and turning toward the front door.

You exchange a confused look with Wanda before the two of you quickly stand up.

"Agatha, where are you...?"

"Hogwarts." She replies without stopping walking, as you follow her down the hallway to the exit. "Stephen has hidden the darkhold in the spiritual plane of the castle. I'll get it, and read it to Miss Maximoff as promised."

"I-" Wanda starts half uncertain, but Agatha gestures quickly.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." She clarifies. "We'll need him to perform the ritual as well. Please help Charles with the house, and if possible don't damage my vegetables."

And on the porch, she apparated.

You and Wanda stared at the empty space for a long moment.

"What just happened?" You mutter.

"Did our spell drive her insane?" She retorts back, and you sigh, turning to go back inside, and close the door, Wanda following you inside.

"I have no idea." You say. "Let's let Charles know she's gone, and try to keep him from blowing up other cauldrons while she's out."

//-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-//

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