#alongside the depth of the mcs

[yioh]

everyone posting their unpopular opinions abt wha on twt and i disagree with them all… literally zero faults in the manga for me😭😭

[forcebewitht]

Hey, since book 6 has been out in English for a while, could we possibly see an Overblot!Idia x reader? I really love the idea of him dramatically taking off the mask he has on to kiss the reader.

A Dance With Death (Overblot!Idia Shroud x MC!Reader)

(Artwork by: Trashochist on Deviantart, X (Twitter), and Instagram)

(Possible TW: Slight yandere implications, stalking, manipulation, branding)

…The time had finally come. All of the trials and tribulations that you had gone through. The pain and strife that had overtaken you in just a few short days. It had all led up to this. The kidnapping of your beloved companion, Grim. The destruction of the Ramshackle dorm. The kidnapping of those who had Overblotted that you had helped through their trauma and developed bonds with overtime. The kidnapping of even the Headmaster of Night Raven College himself. The entirety of these events had thrown Night Raven College into turmoil.

And that was just what excited Idia even more. He had been watching curiously since the very first moment you had arrived at the institution. I mean- a student that didn’t have any magic? Yet arrived within a coffin here to a school of magical students? It was unheard of- and just that alone excited him. This excitement only grew once the Overblots started. His family and organization, S.T.Y.X., had been all over the research of Overblotting for years. But now, after all of this time, someone so close to him (in the school, that is-) was at the forefront of a handful of Overblots? It was far too perfect of a chance to pass up with that new Ramshackle prefect. The plan was sprung, footage and data gathered. He knew that they were going to come for their beloved friends- they were just so cool like that. Literally a superhero in disguise, an underdog that soon had risen to be one of the top dogs within the school. There was a lot of promise with them- no. Not a promise. This was the work of the Fates themselves, he believed. The Fates themselves had led someone to him. Someone powerful. Someone strong. Someone capable of protection. Someone…that could get him back what he had lost all of those years ago.

There they were. Descending down to the depths of Hell that he himself had wrought. They looked horrible- worn for wear, really. To think, these oh so powerful figures from Pomefiore, Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Scarabia, and Octavinelle, alongside the hero of the school themselves, would be bashed and broken already from mere secondary bosses? They wouldn’t stand a chance against this final boss. Idia grinned beneath the mask that he wore, his arms folding over themselves as the Blot around his figure billowed with every breath he took. He could feel the immeasurable power coursing through his veins- and the normally pessimistic male found himself growing rather cocky the more they walked forward. His golden gaze soon landed upon his hero- his knight in shining…well, uniform. He soon was speaking, his arms outstretched as the flames protruding from his figure began to blaze brighter- hotter.

“Bum bum buuummmm~! Our heroes have finally arrived to the final boss battle! But uh ohhhhhh~ looks like they didn’t level enough, now did they~?”

You found yourself gritting your teeth at Idia above. Already, Vil, Rook, and Epel were readying themselves at your side. The rest soon followed, the weapons they had gained during their prior fights with the Overblot Beasts being raised and ready to overwhelm Idia’s Blot. Idia began to cackle, raising his hands in mock surrender.

“Uh ooohh~! Eheheheheheheeeee~! They found the special gear~! But that’s really not gonna do much, you guys! Totally on top of my game, y’know~? These HP and attack stats are through. The. ROOF!”

With his words, Idia’s Overblot Beast, Ortho, began to unleash a flurry of attacks upon you and your party, forcing all of them to scatter across the area. The Beast seemed to know precisely what to do- orders most likely given before this entire fiasco began. You began to find yourself being slowly but surely separated from everyone else thanks to the Beast’s targeted attacks. This separation was key- this was what Idia wanted. He watched as you eventually were cornered entirely, exactly where he wanted you. Once more, a grin spread out under his mask. You looked so cool and tough despite all of this neverending pressure, still shouting out commands for the others to work together to defend themselves, each other, or deflect the attacks his Beast was allowing itself to barrage them all with. He soared downwards until he was finally just before you. You had jumped back slightly upon noticing him approaching, but there truly was nothing that you could use at this time to defend yourself with. He leaned forward, his clawed hands now pressing themselves to either side of the wall beside your head.

“There you are~! The hero themselves~! The shining star of the hour- no, the entirety of Night Raven College~! This is our final stage, (Y/N)! Isn’t it thrilling~?”

“Idia, this is absolutely crazy! You are going to wind up killing us all with thi-”

A clawed finger pressed itself against your lips as he shifted, shushing you gently as he rolled his glowing amber eyes.

“Okay, listen- babe. (Y/N). Baby. Babycakes. Sweetheart. Sweetie pie. Wonder Student. I’m gonna stop you riiigghhtt there, actually- because I know. I know about the whole thing. But you’re gonna be my hero, you know~? You are going to save a life- just like you’ve been doing! So, it’s all good, ‘kay~?”

You began to attempt to protest, but you soon found yourself being swept into Idia’s arms and pulled about. The crazed Overblotted Idia now began to waltz with you despite all of the destruction around the both of you. He sighed blissfully, his eyes burning ablaze with a fiery passion- it was unnerving. He leaned forward once more, now beginning to hush into your ear through that glowing mask he wore.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment, (Y/N). The countless hours I have spent watching and studying your damn near every move…I know your exact schedule bit by bit, y’know, ehehehehee~ I mean, with you and your coolness, you never know when you’re gonna stop another Overblot, honestly. But that coolness that you have doesn’t matter down here- and y’know why~?”

Your eyes soon widened considerably as you felt Idia grab onto your arm. One of his clawed fingers now was set ablaze with a small, blue flame. His grip was tight- commanding in every sense of the word. The flame began to trace itself upon your flesh as he continued to speak- ignoring your cries and attempts to struggle away from him.

“I know everything about you. I have seen your struggles. Your pain. I mean, separated from your home, whatever friends and family you had before…and thrust into a world of magic without any magic yourself. You have been left in the cold by the Fates themselves to fend for yourself. You struggle simply to survive from day to day without any money here…you struggle to maintain your cool and calm composure and keep people like those Heartslabyul first years and the little guy in line…and you then have to deal with the rantings and ravings of spoiled brats like those that Overblotted and, despite wanting for it all to just end, have to buck yourself up instead and keep them from ending it all? It is just an endless cycle of pain, regret, and a loveless life that you have fallen into.”

The more Idia spoke and you felt that flame burning upon your arm, the more you found yourself getting lost into the swirling golden pools upon his sleek, pale, oddly handsome face that were his eyes. For the first time since you had arrived here…you actually genuinely felt seen. You felt heard. Oddly enough, from someone that you had truly rarely seen outside of his own room within the confines of the school itself. Your own gaze finally shifted down to your arm as his finger retracted. He had burned the insignia of his family’s company, S.T.Y.X., onto your flesh. He blew out the fire on his finger, now grinning once more wickedly beneath his mask as his clawed hands now seized you by the waist once more, pulling you into his deadly embrace.

“I know, I know. I know it hurts. All of that going on and absolutely nothing to ever truly be gained from it all…well, my Wonder Student…that’s gonna end for you right now. With what I just gave you…you are mine. And when you’re mine, you have a purpose. You will be protected, provided for. No longer shall you be within the confines of a cage and hidden away in the shadows- you shall be the bright and shining star in our tale- and properly get those monetary stats and all of that raised~!”

Idia’s hand whisked over his face- where that mask was nestled. The mask faded away, revealing his pearly white, razor sharp teeth. They glistened at you as it felt Death was grinning at you- which it essentially was. His royal blue lips curled upwards into a wicked grin as he tugged you even closer to himself, now leaning all of the way forward towards you.

“C’mon~”

He began to pull you with him once more, twisting and turning your body with himself. His clawed hands trailed up and down your figure within your shared dance of destruction, his thoughts split between what he would do with you now that you belonged to him…and that of his brother’s life that you soon would pull up from the depths of the Underworld for him. You all would be a family together- and that only seemed to excite him further as his motions grew swifter, yet sly. He soon had you dramatically dipped, and his lips captured yours in a warm, passionate kiss…thus beginning your true dance with death.

~End~

[thedecoy-if]

It occurs to you just then, the true depth of your helplessness: you've been taken to another universe, alone with no way home, you're stuck prisoner, your phone has no signal...and they don't even know what Wi-Fi is. Yeah. You're screwed.

DEMO (3/04/2023) ♔ FORUM POST ♔ ARTBREEDERS

♔ The Decoy is a dark fantasy that follows you, a 21st century normal human, kidnapped to an alternate magical universe to play the part of the missing heir to a powerful throne...who also happens to be your doppelgänger. ♔

Life, for the most part, has been all-around uneventful. You work in Manhattan at a convenience store under a sleazy boss in order to scrape by and support your struggling family. Your dad is absent, your mom is too tired to parent, one brother is getting arrested while the other has detached himself from the life he once had. Still, while your days as a twenty-something employee are mundane, at least they're predictable.

Meanwhile, in another realm, the magical dark world of Eterna is in ruin. A war against an entity and his bloodthirsty creatures is brewing, and after the powerful royal family is viciously murdered and the only living child--and now rightful owner of the throne--goes missing, that evil is one step closer to winning.

But of course, that's not your problem. That's in a whole other universe, one you don't even know exists. Your biggest worry is whether you'll be able to take on a double shift tomorrow. Right?

Wrong.

Turns out the missing heir is your doppelganger. In a desperate attempt to save face and stop from losing a war before it even starts, you're kidnapped and taken to Eterna in order to play the part of the monarch, all while working behind the (bloody) scenes to find the true heir and get home.

Stuck in a world of magic and fantasy you've only ever seen in movies, an entire country--and an impending war-- is now dependent on how well you can act.

No pressure.

The Decoy is rated 18+ for dark themes, violence, and explicit content.

FEATURES

Customize your MC from gender identity, pronouns, personality, and appearance.

Choose whether to adapt to this new world or reject it, whether to be defiant or not. Pick what kind of monarch you'll lead as and take full advantage of your new royal identity.

Build yourself up in this new world, focus on honing combat or knowledge of the realm, choose a preferred choice of weapon and more.

Romance one of eight ROs (two male, two female, one nonbinary, three gender selectable) with a variety of backgrounds and magical types. Some more dangerous than others.

Maybe teach your new makeshift gang what television is? Hopefully find some signal for your phone? (not going to happen).

CHARACTERS + ROs

SERIDA/SOREN/SAHAR CRETILLON (m/f/nb , identity dependent on player choice ): the successor to the throne and only living person left in the Cretillon line, S has gone missing not long after the slaughter that murdered their entire family. People have been waiting for them to be coronated in order to plan their next move, but they're now gone without a trace and without them and the power that binds them together, Eterna is vulnerable. That's where you come in.

AZRIEL DAMARIS [RO] (m, he/him): once S's primary royal guard, Azriel has been promoted as the general of the Eternan army and head of the operation to save S. Stiff, serious, and severe, Azriel is tasked with being guard and guiding you through the world of politics and royalty. Unfortunately, Azriel doesn't want you here and he doesn't do much to hide it.

NAMARA AL-LUVEN: [RO] (f, she/her) Azriel's second, Namara is a fierce warrior and loyal to the cause. She's quite difficult to read, distant considering who you are.

DRENWIN SILVA: [RO](m, he/him): a skilled Mage and jester, Drenwin works alongside the Eternan army and puts his skills to work. He seems to be the most approachable of the bunch, which isn't saying much.

VALE: [RO](nb, they/them) the boisterous, flirtatious and arrogant mercenary turned pirate captain of The Lady Mystica. Vale exists simply to make and spend as much coin as possible while engaging in their harem and abundance of bad habits.

CERIS BESILLE [RO] (selectable, she/her, he/him, they/them): a priest-in-training, Ceris is fiercely devoted to their beliefs. Reserved and easily scandalized, they haven't left their quarters in the church since they were twelve, contributing to their lack of outside experience and rather insular outlook on the world.

TALEEA FAREWYN [RO] - (she/her) A half-fae Healer, Taleea follows alongside you as your right hand. She seems to be the only one empathetic to your circumstances, but it's hard to trust anyone in this world, especially someone who is so keen on being...nice.

ARWEN/ARYA VALARIN: [RO] (selectable, she/her, he/him): A Valarin is S's childhood friend and their arranged betrothed. A has been S's other half since they were kids, which means you need to be extra careful around them. They have no idea you're not S and judging from your orders, it's better they never find out.

????? [RO?] (gender selectable) -- They are actively hunting you.

[depthsasunder-if]

Depths Asunder is an 18+ pirate interactive fiction infused with magic. It follows you, a young and fresh pirate captain, contracted to find a gem that is rumored to manipulate life and death to the wearer. It's a race against other crews who are just as determined to fulfill the contract and collect their riches.

[DEMO TBA] 𓊝 [CHARACTER POSTS]

Content warnings include violence, suggestive themes, substance use, gore, dark themes, emotional turmoil and more.

Your mother was a legend in the seas; a revered pirate captain, her legacy has followed you even after her death. All you want is to live up to the legacy she has given your family name, though all you've amounted to so far is the occasional thievery to survive.

When you're contracted by rich and powerful noble you're promised a swell of riches. In return, you must find and bring back a rare treasure that holds power beyond anything you know. Countless crews have attempted to find it, only to either end up dead or lost.

Now, it's your turn to collect your crew and bring your ship to the sea. You'll go up against not only dangerous mythological creatures of the sea but other ruthless pirates determined to find the treasure before you.

As you travel through the world of Sikara, you'll find that there's an even bigger mystery afoot. Will it all be worth it?

Customize your pirate captain from identity, your nickname, pronouns, gender which changes the story, appearance, personality.

Decide what kind of pirate captain you are: are you a bloodthirsty pirate hellbent on destruction? Or a merciful captain paving a new path? Do you treat your crew with kindness or hostility? Are you relaxed or a dictator?

Customize your ship: name your ship, choose the look, the features and enchantments. Will it help you during your sea battles?

Stop at different locations: will you raid like a typical pirate or help the locals? Will you steal treasure?

Customize your crew and decide who joins you on your journey. And who walks the plank.

Romance a slew of characters that include your ruthless rival, a merperson, a stowaway, the person who contracted you, and your best friend.

Play a character-driven narrative that is both on land and in sea. Discover what Sikara has to offer.

Captain Morgan 'Deadeye' Price [m or f]: Morgan is the bloodthirsty captain of the Lady Triton. They also happen to be your biggest rival, seeing as they're the child of the pirates that killed your mother. Morgan is bloodthirsty, unforgiving, cold and arrogant, and is determined to find the treasure. Part of you thinks they care less about the coin and more about beating you....and eventually killing you.

𓊝 enemies to lovers, rivals

Anton/Antonia St. Marteen [m or f]: The nobleman/woman who contracted you. They insisted on joining you on your travels, determined to see the treasure for themself. You don't know much about them other than the fact that they are stinking rich, which is all you need to know. Unfortunately, being on the sea with them means you're their unofficial bodyguard.

𓊝 bodyguard romance (MC is the bodyguard), forbidden, opposites attract (noble and pirate)

Castor Morgana [m or f]: the stowaway that hid in your ship alongside their sister, Ruth. Majority of your crew wants them thrown overboard, though a few think Castor can be helpful to the cause. It's up to you to make the final choice.

Gaelin 'Straightlace' Haval [m or f]: your best friend, second-in-command, and advisor. Gaelin is levelheaded, logical, serious, and deals little with emotion. They also seem to be the only one who cares little of pirate culture. They just want the mission done.

𓊝 best friends to lovers, opposites attract (possibly)

Sage/Soren of The Sea [m or f]: a mermaid/merman who, in a series of events, ends up on your ship. It's lucky that they grow legs off-sea, but no matter how human they look, they treat you as an enemy. Pirates and merpeople don't mix, and Sage/Soren is determined to keep a distance, even if the world of humans interests them so. They don't trust you, not with all the blood that's been spilled from both sides.

𓊝 romance with merperson, forbidden, doomed romance

Ruth Underwood [non-RO]: Castor's younger half- sister. She seems to have taken a liking to you, following you around like a puppy. How you deal with her is up to you.

+ and more!

Development of Depths Asunder will fluctuate based on my free time. I hope you like it and join me on this voyage :)

[clairescotcoutts]

So, about The Veilguard.

This post is:

Long.

Spoiler full.

Read at your peril.

So.

The fact that I devoured the game in virtually less than three days should speak for itself; I was worried about the playing style, I was unsure about the combo system, and having only two companions travel alongside the MC felt a little alien to me and also added to my anxiety. (Yes, I’ve played Mass Effect, yes, I’ve been in a fighting trio before, but never in Dragon Age.) I thought, “There’s only three of us?! We’re gonna die so much and so hard.”

Turns out I didn’t die so many times as I’d expected, so yay me.

I had refused to watch anything that had to do with the plot, with the exception of the trailers, because I wanted my experience to be fresh and untainted by expectations. Of course, I had hopes — but other than that, I dove in blind and without any sense of direction.

As you know, the depths of the ocean hold both horror and beauty, so here are mine; I shall start with the horrors so all the bad air is cleared out first.

My primary horror is that, save a few points, the game very clearly follows BioWare’s own canon, in which the Hero of Ferelden must have died to stop the Fifth Blight, and thus there is no Kieran. Morrigan plays a pivotal role yet again, but her presence implies that the decisions made in previous games are… well, your own, but not the world’s own. So, no Kieran, and it is heavily suggested that it was Morrigan who drank from the Vir’Abelasan. Even if she hadn’t, turns out she ends up with a piece of Mythal inside her anyway, granted by a regretful (and finally gone) Flemeth.

Story-telling wise, well, I don’t know if it was the best choice— I just know it bummed me out a bit to find some of my decisions discarded, not considered at all.

My second horror is the absence of either Hawke or Stroud. The events at Amaranthine are mentioned, but (unless I missed a codex entry) there’s no word on what happened to the brave soul left in the Fade to fight that giant monster demon. Since I always leave Stroud behind (because Alistair is and always will be a king to me), I can’t say I’m suffering to know his fate, but it would’ve been nice to confirm something. 

At the end of Inquisition, Morrigan narrates that should Hawke live, they go to Weisshaupt, but soon all news from there ends. What happened?! Am I missing something found only in the comics or books?

Also what happened to the rest of the companions? What about the woman made Divine in Inquisition? Whether it’s Leliana, Cassandra or Vivienne, you’d think the Divine would have something to say about two ancient elven gods turning the world tits up.

What about the Qunari who are not part of the Antaam? Are they in agreement with Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain? Is Seheron torn asunder like Minrathous?

Why is nobody remarking on the fact that the Crows buy (or used to buy) people?! I love the Antivan Crows, I do, but one cannot forget Zevran and all he told us about them.

Those are my particular points of horror. 

Now, to the rest.

Veilguard is a game that doesn’t hold back. It’s out to punch you in the guts and kick you in the feelings, and boy does it do it brilliantly. The sacrifices are real. The choices are heavy and carry weight on them that slumps you down (especially if you’re extra sensitive, like me) throughout the game. The dilemma and problems your companions face are heart wrenching, and you want them all to thrive. Yes, even the one who was hardened because you can’t bloody be in two places at once. These companions are well fleshed-out, they’re alive, they’re complex and they are so beautiful to live and travel with. The emotional moments they have, I felt them, I suffered with them, I cried. I /cried/, which had never happened to me with a videogame before. And not just because this companion is my favourite or that topic hits a bit close to home— not just that. It’s because they’re amazingly written and acted out. They feel so real.

The locations are gorgeous (I especially fell in love with Treviso), and I love how much you’re able to explore. I love that you can pet animals. I love that you can interact with the world in front of you. I /love/ that you don't miss dialogue even if you get into a fight because the companions re-start conversations now.

The NPCs? My children. Isabela is fire, as always; Antoine, Evka, Viago and Teia have my whole heart. The Mourn Watch is fascinating and the Shadow Dragons are bold, united and righteous. I really like that the Veil Jumpers don’t diss on the Dalish just because they know more— they understand that, as a people, they are one. And they’re accepting of everyone, not just elves!

I simply adore Rook as a protagonist. Not just because they give purple Hawke, and I love Hawke, but because again, they feel human and real. They know this is well above their paygrade, and they’re in way over their heads, but they still step up and lead because damn, someone has to. Iron Bull would be so proud. They are fun, they are caring, they are talkative and they know they’re drowning, but can’t afford to stop swimming.

Both in Origins and Inquisition it felt as though we were The Chosen One, even if in the latter one tried to swear it off and deny any possible divine intervention, but in DA: 2 and here, we are just people trying their best with the worst circumstances, and to me, that’s beautiful. Rook is a delightful protagonist.

The game allows you to choose who you’re going to be and /how/ you’re going to be thus. You can be cis, you can be trans, you can be neither and you can be both. No limits now.

Which leads me to another point I simply adored: how the questions of gender are treated. It’s really big to have an NB character go through their own acceptance process before our very eyes. While in Origins (and a bit in Inquisition too) you have the choice to be shocked that there are people who like their same gender, this game is Thedas saying “The world is big, the world is complex, and people everywhere are not defined by your expectations or rules. It’s not even an option. Deal with it.”

Regarding the magic, I’m not even mad it looks and feels different. After all, Dorian used to say that “the South is so charming and rustic”, and now I see that’s because what he saw in Ferelden and Orlais was not what he is used to. Even in Absolution we see that the way Tevinter used magic is distinctly unique and not how it is done south of Arlathan. I understand it. I like it. It’s not as if there had been no changes in the designs of demons and darkspawn before, and now that’s what they look like. It’s fine. Time has passed and people are allowed to make different creative choices.

Now, to Solas… Solas. Oh, Solas. I understand you so much better now.

Veilguard really helps put into perspective some bits of dialogue from previous games. Why does this 8-ball care so much about spirits and the Fade? Gods, because he /is/ them, and the Fade used to be his home. Every time he has to hear that spirits are monsters or unreal he takes it personally, and how could he not? People are saying he’s a monster, he’s not real, and nobody knows any better because they wouldn’t believe him anyway. Now I understand why he gets so worked up if you make Cole more human—you’re doing to him what Mythal did to Solas himself. You’re forcing him to be something else and Solas knows it hurts. (Also, Cole is happier as a spirit— “Thank you for helping me find this again. For believing in me. You don't know what it means”, he says, and now it hits so differently.)

I have to remark on some things I’ve read that have shocked me— first of all being the interpretation of Solas and Mythal’s relationship. Like Taash, you can assume “they were doing it”, however, I don’t think they ever loved each other like that. Their bond, to me, is that of a queen and her most loyal knight, a “king and lionheart” sort of situation if you will. Solas knows her better than anyone else, certainly, but the way I see it, that right there is his commander, inspiration and also, his heaviest shackle.

Their relationship merits another post altogether, I believe, as does Solas and Lavellan’s.

All in all, the good, to me, far outweights the bad.

Give the Veilguard a chance before you discard them, enjoy the appearance of some of the characters you love, enjoy getting to know the new heroes. Give yourself the option of having an informed opinion before you love or hate.

Also, petition for Solas to let his hair grow out again.

That's it, for now.

[hogwartslegacyreactions2]

Hello there, glad to see you again, quick question how would the students, Professors and villains react to MC having an army of puffskein's like 27-41 puffskein's?

A/N: PUFFSKIENS ROLL OUT!! wait, wrong franchise-undercut because EVERYONE is here

HLC REACT TO MC'S PUFFSKIEN ARMY

MC had enough to swarm even the toughest camp. No one could handle the mass of cute they commanded. MC felt more powerful than if they were controlling an armada of dragons. Forget a few dozen. MC has HUNDREDS of rolly polly puff balls. They breed rather quickly

SEBASTIAN SALLOW: He finds it hysterical! Watching MC command the flood of fur to overtake any suspicious encampment they come across is extremely entertaining. The enemies never know what hit them.

OMINIS GAUNT: He's not a fan of Puffskiens. He doesn't like their fascination with his nose. And for MC to willingly capture and breed so many of them is beyond him. He will never go inside the vivarium, even when invited.

ANNE SALLOW: She really likes hanging out in the vivariums. She can just lay down and be cuddled by hundreds of walking pillows. It's rather nice, as long as you wear nose plugs.

IMELDA REYES: Are they serious? No really, stop selling her this cock and bull story of puffskiens defeating wizards. She refuses to believe it until MC opens their nabsack and releases the horde. She has to escape them via broom.

NATSAI ONAI: She applauds MC's creativity. She is sure that the villains of the valley have many defenses against wizards, but who would expect puffskiens?

GARRETH WEASLEY: Unlimited puffskien fur. That's how he sees it. MC produces so much of the stuff, they could stuff a mattress.

LEANDER PREWETT: ...hhwat? This has got to be the single most insane thing he's ever heard of. A literal puffskien army? This will go down in the history books alongside the Bard that tried to teach trolls ballet.

AMIT THAKKAR: Are they sure that's actually safe? For them or the puffskiens? He knows the little things are pretty durable to magic, but they're not invulnerable.

EVERETT CLOPTON: He begs MC to let him borrow the nabsack to use in the Ravenclaw dorm. Why? They'll see.

POPPY SWEETING: This is a lot, even for her. Is MC sure they can handle this many beasts? They may be small, and relatively docile, but they can be quite a handful even in small groups. She does love the irony of poachers and dark wizards being defeated by them, however.

~~~

ELEAZAR FIG: He'll admit, of all the ideas MC has had, this is one of the weirder ones. As long as they're sure they can actually take care of all those beasts, he won't interfere.

MATILDA WEASLEY: MC is doing what with an army of what? Nonono, absolutely not. MC getting themselves into trouble on purpose is bad enough, but she cannot allow a student to run amok with an irresponsible number of beasts in their pocket. She will confiscate that nabsack until MC can use it responsibly.

CHIYO KOGAWA: She's impressed. No matter how small, magical creatures tend to have minds of their own. One has to be a pretty strong leader to maintain control over such a large group.

AESOP SHARP: As long as those beasts aren't running amuck in the castle, he doesn't give a niffler's ass.

ABRAHAM RONEN: He is endlessly amused by MC's depth for whimsy, even in dire circumstances. Fighting off villains with Puffskiens? BRILLIANT!

MIRABEL GARLICK: Oh dear, she hopes MC is able to care and feed for all of those beasts. That seems like quite a few to take care of.

MUDIWA ONAI: Is this...normal for British wizards? Seems a bit eccentric.

BAI HOWIN: That's one way to handle the poaching problem, she supposes.

DINAH HECAT: She'll have a drink with Sharp. This isn't any of her concern. MC is doing just fine. Calm down Matilda, honestly.

CUTHBERT BINNS: He never knows the goings on outside of his classroom.

SATYAVATI SHAH: She swears on the nine realms, if she finds ONE puffskien hair in her classroom, she's taking house points.

PHINEAS NIGELLUS BLACK: A student fighting dark wizards with puffskiens? Please, don't bore him with outright lies. He's too clever for those.

~~~

VICTOR ROOKWOOD: This is ridiculous!! It's bad enough he's losing territory and respect within the valley, but for his gang to be dismantled by bloody puffskiens!? It's embarrassing, to put it lightly.

ASHWINDERS: They're confused by the messages sent to them by Rookwood. "Beware the Puffskiens?" What's he going on about? They find out soon enough when the earth rumbles with rolling thunder as hundreds of fur balls descend on them.

POACHERS: Interestingly enough, puffskiens have been extraordinarily hard to find as of late. Perhaps they over poached the area and now they're gone. At least that's what they think, under they're buried under a mountain of fur.

RANROK: What. The actual. Grogtash? He has seen and heard of wizards doing some wacky things to fight back, but this is a first. Even when his loyalists use dark ancient magic against the horde, their numbers are too great.

~~~

DUNCAN HOBHOUSE: Lives in constant fear of the puffskien invasion. He sees them in his sleep. Hundreds of long, hungry tongues come to eat his brain! If he sees MC in the corridors, he runs away.

[blueraineshadows]

Blood Bound Part One

Sebastian Sallow 🔺️ F!MC 🔺️Leander Prewett

Sebastian is breaking the law around the Scottish border as part of a notorious crime ring, whilst budding Auror Leander visits Azkaban to question a surprisingly familiar, long serving prisoner.

11k words. Tags: Violence / Physical distress / Angst / Emotional Distress / Blood

Ao3 link

One: The Prisoner of Azkaban

MC

Blocking out the screams was second nature now. The wails and clanging of the other inmates were a distant clamour as MC held out her pale hand, her skeletal fingers angled upwards as though about to grasp something out of the air, and in a way that’s exactly what she was trying to do. She squinted her itchy, dry eyes, focusing on the point just above her fingertips, her brow creased in concentration as she willed the faint glimmer of power in her blood to gather and manifest.

Her arm shook with the effort, but she wasn’t about to give up, not after that tiny spark of bluish white had flickered into existence yesterday. She could do this.

Warmth sped along her veins, pushed along by the ancient power handed down through unknown generations into her body, born with the gift to summon this rare magic into existence. She allowed the feeling to fill her up, remembering the intensity of it crackling through her frame as she had wielded it with a wand.

No wands in here, though. Forbidden. Her beautiful wand had become an extension of herself in the too short a time she had been blessed with it, but now it was far out of her reach, like everything else she had gained from this world of magic.

Shaking, her breaths coming in quick pants through her chapped lips, MC willed the magic to spark into existence, a faint glimmer of blue and white beginning to form at the tips of her fingers. To feed this little spark, she tried to drag forward the memories of discovering her magic, the encouragement from Professor Fig, and mischievous brown eyes that reflected the glow of fire in the darkness of the Undercroft.

Warm feelings, happy memories. Her heart squeezed and the magic flared a little brighter. She was doing it. She was creating the magic with her bare hands.

So focused was she on her task that she hadn’t noticed the encroaching frost that was creeping across the filthy stone floor towards her bare feet, the walls spreading thick and fast with ice. Her slop bucket hardened, the tepid water in her beaker chilling with the impending arrival of the prison guardians.

The screeching of the prisoners became deafening, and then faded into horrified silence as black wraiths descended upon the corridor, the rattle of their decayed breaths echoing off the slick, dark stone. The warmth began to seep from MC’s body and her flesh erupted into goosebumps, her precious glimmer of magic sputtering out as her focus shifted towards the hated iron bars of her cell.

They had felt her memories, her glimmer of happiness. They were coming.

Panic seized her chest but she gritted her teeth and willed it to calm, closing her eyes and scooting back hard against the freezing stone wall as she slammed down the barriers around her mind. Her precious memories, the soft and warmth that she cherished of her time at Hogwarts were far too special to let those demons of death steal them from her.

She had quickly learned to shield her mind and thoughts in this lower depth of hell they called Azkaban. Those cloaked horrors were drawn to anything beautiful, like decimated magpies. They came and sucked the shiny, precious jewels of memory from your possession and left you with whatever was left. Knowing the darkness and horror that lived alongside her warmth, MC was not prepared to suffer the rest of her existence lost in that cold wilderness of her head.

Every touch, every smile, every lingering look that Sebastian Sallow had bestowed upon her, she wiped from the forefront of her thoughts, pressing them down tightly into a darkened corner of her mind as she focused on the text of her old school books. Counting to ten she began to recite nonsense through her head, such as the properties of the mandrake root. Anything to distract the Dementors from what she really held dear.

She wouldn’t let them take him from her. He was hers, and she was his, no matter the miles between them. No matter the thickness of the walls that held her prisoner in here for a crime she didn’t commit. He was in her blood, and she was in his.

It was all she had to hold on to.

The cold seeped into her bones, skin so pale from lack of sunlight turned frigid as her limbs began to shiver, her skeletal fingers gripping at the filth encrusted fabric of her prison garb. Her teeth chattered as she tried to grit them, a whimper growing in the back of her throat as she fought the urge to scream. Terror, like black tendrils of smoke, began to snake around her, squeezing her chest and sucking the air from her lungs.

No. She wouldn't succumb. She clung to herself despite the fear that she was already lost.

The glare of pure white seared the outside of her closed eyelids and she flinched against such brightness, dipping her head towards her drawn up knees. The rattling breaths of the Dementors filled her ears and she bit so hard at her lips she drew blood, the bitter taste tingling on the end of her tongue as the glacial feel of the room began to recede back to its usual damp chill.

Was that booted footsteps on the stone? Surely not.

Remaining tucked tightly against the wall as the bright light began to fade, she held herself tense as the echoing sound of those steps drew nearer. Had she caved? Was her mind finally gone? She licked her bloodied lip with a dry tongue and jolted at the sound of the lock clicking on her door, followed by the squeal of old iron as it swung open. She risked a peek, her eyes opening to slits as she peered through the matted locks of her hair that hung over her pale face.

There was a man in the doorway. Tall, long blue robes, his hair threaded with silver neatly kept. MC shuffled as if she could press herself into the stone of the wall and disappear, her bare feet sliding on the grimy floor. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen a human other than the fading souls behind the other doors in her wing. This man looked healthy and strong, a commanding authority about him as he stepped into her cell and turned to face her.

“Prisoner 2757. Still alive I see,” he said, stopping his large booted feet right before her blackened, bare toes. She stared at the shine of his boots as though she had never seen shoes before. “Do you remember me?”

MC didn’t look up, her back pressed tightly against the wall and her hair hanging limp and filthy as her hands fisted in her clothing, her breaths quick and shallow. The icy horror of the Dementors may have faded but she felt frozen, her suppressed memories locked tightly away, her mind stretched and filled with a buzzing that threatened to escape as a scream from her throat. She was clinging to the edge of her sanity and wasn’t even certain that this man was real, let alone familiar to her.

“Hey,” he said sharply, clicking his fingers in front of her face as he slowly bent into a crouch to get a better look at her. “Look at me.”

Her head shook in denial, jerky movements as her muscles clung to their stiffness. Firm fingers gripped the bone of her chin and tilted her head up, the touch a shock against her skin and her eyes flew open wide as she looked up at the stern face, his blue eyes assessing her with a calculating gleam that made bile rise in her throat. She yanked her head from his grasp, her skull cracking back against the unforgiving wall and she winced, air rushing through her lips in a hiss of pain.

He sighed and shook his head in exasperation, but withdrew his hand, subtly wiping his fingers on his clean blue robes. “Do you think you can talk to me?”

She eyed him like he was a carrion bird and she was a putrid corpse ripe for feasting, her eyes so tight, exhaustion making her eyelids drag lazily over the staring orbs. Her lips trembled but she didn’t speak. Hazy memories of his face came to her, the gloating smile as he had charmed the handcuffs about her wrists, Sebastian’s shouts of protest as she was dragged from his cottage in Feldcroft, the horror in his eyes as she was taken from him.

“Fuck you,” she spat, her voice hoarse and not much more than a rasp from lack of use.

He chuckled, low and cold. “Ah, so you do remember me,” he said, nodding. “Auror Harrington. You killed my old partner.”

No, she didn’t.

She stared at the Auror, her eyes dead pools of indifference as a memory curled out across her mind. The fire lit catacombs in Feldcroft, the blast of green that shot from Sebastian’s wand and ended the life of his uncle in a split second of enraged madness, and Anne’s bitter face as she glared at them both.

That memory would be forever locked tight in the walls of her mind. No matter the way this arrogant Auror looked at her, no matter how the days stretched into years in this cold stone fortress. She would never tell.

She couldn’t.

She clenched her hands tighter as she stared at Auror Harrington, her face a blank mask as she slowly blinked.

“You should have got life in here,” he said, his mouth twisting sourly. He shook his head and glanced around at the dim misery of her cell. “A reduced sentence because you were a minor, special treatment because they called you a fucking hero at school. But you’re not a hero, are you?”

His blue eyes were as cold as the Dementors' presence. “You’re a murderer.”

Had he come here to taunt her? Maybe he got a kick out of seeing the women in here, all filthy and boney, their eyes pitiful. It probably made him feel like a big, strong man, looming over her like this. Her lips twitched at the thought.

She had killed people. Lots of them. She had to live with that everyday, and she managed. Just. But she didn’t kill Solomon Sallow. Though, he would never know that.

That was their deepest, darkest secret.

She began to laugh. The sound was a broken wheeze, her throat cracking with the effort as her head rolled forward, the dull ache from where she had hit it against the wall not much of a bother as her withering frame shook with mirth. She hoped he was having his fun watching her crack open like this, but judging by the narrowing of his eyes, he was not amused.

“Stop it,” he hissed, his jaw clenching.

She looked at him, more laughter bubbling up to escape from her lips as she shook her head. “I hope…I hope Sallow…fucking burns…in hell,” she rasped around her giggles.

The blow knocked her sideways to the floor, her hand hitting the stone with a slap, her head colliding with dizzying force before jerking back up again as she blinked through the swimming haze of her vision. Her mouth flooded with the bitter warmth of blood where her teeth had sliced the flesh of her mouth at the contact of his fist. Her grunt of pain was followed by a large spit, her blood and saliva landing with a splat near her hand as she forced herself to get upright again. She was no longer laughing.

“Bastard,” she whispered, wiping her mouth with the back of a shaky hand as she glared at him. “You will burn right next to him.”

His face was hard fury as he glared back at her. “Filthy, little bitch,” he sneered. “Proud of your killing, are you? How many others did you snuff out before getting caught?”

MC shuffled back into a sitting position, lifting her chin slightly in a show of defiance despite the twisting fear in her guts. She was completely at his mercy here, alone, without a wand, and physically weak compared to his broad strength.

“Why are you here?” She asked, a dull throb at her temple mingling with the sting on her skin where it had smashed into the floor.

“Rookwood is alive,” he said, watching carefully for her reaction.

She stilled, refusing to dip her gaze as his words filtered through her head. That wasn’t possible. She had killed Rookwood. His body had disintegrated, exploding into ash and dust that had wafted on the breeze towards a star-lit sky. Ending him had rid the world of a dangerous man. All those she killed were bad, she never stole lives from the innocent.

“Why stand in front of the Wizengamot and admit to his murder if he wasn’t dead? You confessed to his killing, and yet you deny the murder of an Auror despite a witness putting you right at the scene. The Wizengamot are talking about reducing your sentence even further now that Rookwood is confirmed alive. It’s disgusting. This reeks of a conspiracy to me. You helped fake his death, didn't you? You and Sallow. Why?”

“You’re lying,” she said, lifting a hand to her temple, her fingers coming away sticky with blood. She stared at the crimson stain, rubbing her fingers together absently. Her voice was calm, flat, no emotion at all. “Rookwood is gone. I killed him.”

Auror Harrington shook his head. “Oh, Rookwood is alive alright. Alive and back to his scheming ways,” he said, rubbing his chin with his hand as he leaned in closer towards her, his lips curling in disgust. “And guess who has joined his little gang of thieving bastards? Your little sidekick from school, and lying son of a bitch, Sebastian Sallow.”

MC’s eyes flared at the mention of that name, her head beginning to shake her denial immediately. “No,” she breathed, hands clenched into fists. “Liar!”

“Young Sallow knows more than he ever tells, that's for sure. He whined for months after your sentencing to let you go, that you were innocent. A bit odd, don't you think?”

Harrington tilted his head to one side, eyes lit with calculating interest as he watched her tremble before him.

“You killed his uncle, his only guardian, and yet he defends you. What hold have you got on the Sallow lad, hmm? What keeps him loyal to you despite your evil ways? The lad was clearly soft on you. It was all rather cosy in that cottage when we came for you that day. Surely it's not just your pretty face, although this place is stripping that from you. I bet he will recoil in disgust if he saw you now, if he saw you for the wicked wretch you are. Look at you. You're fading away, losing your lovely softness. He won't want you now, will he? It's only what you deserve.”

MC drew air in through her nose and pursed her lips, spitting more blood and saliva onto his immaculate robes, her eyes slitted with her hate. He didn't even flinch, merely looked down at her filth, his mouth tightening subtly as he took out a handkerchief and calmly cleaned the mess away.

She didn't care if he struck her again. Let him. His words had scratched at the rawness she tried to hide from. The fear that Sebastian had forgotten about her in here, locked away from the world while he lived on in the sun, free to enjoy what the world had to offer while she faded into shadow.

There was no way Sebastian would team up with Rookwood. He wouldn’t. Not after what he did to Anne.

Hot, white rage coursed through her blood as the image of Sebastian’s twin flashed up behind her eyes, bile stinging her throat as she grimaced, her fingers curling like vicious claws as she imagined scratching them down that little bitch’s face. Her blood seemed to heat to the point of pain, needles of fire like lightning bolts shot through her limbs and crackled around her heart. A hoarse scream left her throat as her body bucked against the searing scorch of pain.

Anne Sallow needed to pay for what she did, the fierce and sweet desire for revenge was rich on MC's tongue despite the pain her thoughts inflicted on her.

Auror Harrington shuffled backwards, his brow creasing in confusion as she writhed, biting back moans of pain. Quickly, she shoved any thoughts of Anne Sallow aside. To picture her death was to hurt, the pain a reminder of her loyalty, her promise. The scorching pain subsided and she uncurled her left hand, wide eyes staring down at the thin red scar that sliced across her palm.

“What the fuck was that?” Auror Harrington asked, scowling.

Immediately, she clenched her hand over the scar and clamped her lips together. She had already risked too much. She needed to get a better grip on her wandering thoughts and deny the dark fantasy of bringing down Sebastian’s twin. To hurt one was to wound the other and the blood forbade it.

Just like with the Dementors, MC slammed down the barriers, closed off her thoughts and her stare was blank as she looked up at the Auror who was taking up far too much space in the confines of her cell.

“Don’t even think about pulling the madness stunt,” he warned. He reached to tap his finger against her forehead. “You’re in there, I know you are, and you’re going to talk. I don’t care how long it takes. We’re going to get everything you know about Rookwood and Sallow out of that head of yours, and we’ll do it by any means possible. Mark my words, sweetheart.”

“I’ve got nothing to say,” she said dully, her lips barely moving.

“It’s not like you’re going anywhere soon, there is no escape. You might as well just get it over with and talk.”

Water dripped down the wall in the corner, the damp chill had long since found its home in her bones after four years in this cell, but the ice that slid down her spine at his words was very real.

Any means possible.

The truth was locked behind her lips, and there was no way she could start spilling it. Under pain of death, she had to remain silent, and she owed this smug bastard nothing.

Her finger tips twitched with the urge to feel that glimmer of magic. Four years of trying to manifest it without a wand, and she had only managed a pathetic little spark. All that power in her blood and she was useless without her wand to channel it. The frustration of it was enough to threaten tears at the backs of her eyes, but she blinked them slowly back as she stared at Auror Harrington.

He had caught her out once, wrapped her in chains and brought her to Azkaban. He had said they were going to reduce her sentence. Rookwood was alive and therefore there were no charges to pin on her. She knew nothing about his gang that they couldn't find out for themselves.

He could be lying, though, tricking her to make her talk. Maybe she would never leave here, doomed to die from madness like countless others.

She wasn’t going to be caught out again. Not this time. She kept her mouth firmly closed, her face void of emotion.

What was the worst they could do? She was already in hell. If they killed her they would merely free her from the horror of being trapped in the dark.

Sebastian

The rhythmic roll of the waves was soothing, the tide washing in and out against the pebbled beach not far behind him as Sebastian lounged casually against the stone wall near the harbour’s boardwalk, eating an apple he had swiped from a wagon seller earlier. The breeze lifted the tumbled locks of his hair from his freckled forehead, and his brown eyes lifted to a gull as it soared across the blue sky, its loud cry joining the other birds gathering near the fishing boats. He breathed the fresh, sea air in deeply, the hand inside the pocket of his jacket fingering the letter he had received earlier that day from Ominis.

It had been the usual vitriol about making an effort to talk to Anne, to come to London and visit them in their home, no doubt to suffer under their pleas for him to give up his lifestyle and settle into a dull as fuck marriage with some woman he couldn’t care less about.

His brow furrowed until his eyes were dark with annoyance. There would be no marriages, or stiff upper lipped women on his arm this season, or any season for that matter. No, thank you.

He was grateful that Ominis took care of Anne, tending to her when the pain of her curse pulled her down, even marrying her after graduating from Hogwarts. Anne was his twin, the other half of him, and more than anything Sebastian wanted her to be safe and well.

But, he wasn’t about to forgive her. Absolutely not. Her betrayal had been too deep, no matter her reasons for what she did, even after four years it still had the power to tighten his chest and churn his guts whenever he thought of it.

Like the previous letter Ominis had sent, this one would go unanswered, too. He much preferred it when he got the chance to speak to Ominis alone, and he knew Anne would read any letter that he sent to his old friend, so there was no point in wasting perfectly good parchment and ink.

“Look lively, Sallow. The ship is docking.”

Fellow gang member, and his tent mate, Leo Rosier, nudged his arm with a grin. Dark blonde hair in a loose comb-over style and jovial, blue eyes made Rosier a right handsome bastard. He had admirers all over the place and made sure he reaped the benefits of them, always ready with a smile and a wink, his infectious laughter and charm unavoidably pleasing.

Sebastian quite liked him. He made some of the grittier tasks much more bearable with his light-hearted demeanour. It took a lot to bring his mood down, and that’s just what one needed when doing dirty work for the boss.

Sebastian glanced over his shoulder at the small steamer mooring up at the far end of the harbour, the crane and winch for the storage crates already prepped and ready to unload. Time to get to work.

“Why the frown, mate?” Rosier asked. “You look like someone pissed on your bonfire. Was it bad news in your letter?”

“Just the usual bullshit about me moving on,” Sebastian sighed.

Rosier lifted his eyebrows with interest. “Moving on from what?”

Dragging his gaze back from the docking steam ship, he eyed Rosier warily. He liked the bloke, but make no mistake, he wouldn’t share his secrets with him. Those Sebastian kept very close to his chest, especially in a gang that was cut throat, every member ready to use whatever information they could to edge a little closer into Rookwood’s favour.

The fact that Victor Rookwood was still alive was shocking enough, the slippery coil of hate curled in Sebastian’s guts twisted as he thought about the gang leader’s smug face. The thought of watching the light go out of his cruel eyes was one that Sebastian savoured often, a longing to avenge the misery that had been inflicted on his twin over the last 5 years. An act he had thought avenged when MC had taken Rookwood down 4 years ago, earning her another charge to her sentence for murder.

He forced his face into one of blank indifference, lifting his shoulders into a casual shrug as he grabbed a hold of Rosier’s shoulder. “My misspent youth,” he smirked. “Come on, let’s investigate these crates we need to loot. We’ve only got about 3 hours of daylight left, and then it’s show time.”

“If we hurry we can grab a beer afterwards while we wait for sundown,” Rosier said, his grin sly. “There was a particularly fetching wench in that pub over there that I’ve got my eye on, if you get me.”

“Oh, I get you,” Sebastian said with a grin of his own. “Crates first, then you can get your dick wet. As long as you’re all sated by sundown, we need to get the goods back across the Scottish border before morning.”

Rosier chuckled and rubbed his hands together. “Maybe there will be a fine young wench for you, too, Sallow. I’ve not seen Lulu around our tent for a while.”

“There’s a reason for that,” Sebastian said with a grimace. “She was getting far too familiar for my liking.”

“Treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen, eh? I like it,” Rosier laughed, shaking his head. “Lulu is not so bad. You could do a lot worse.”

“I could also do a lot better,” Sebastian muttered, wanting an end to this discussion.

Memories of bewitching eyes and soft lips filled his head, precious memories that were sadly so few, and the fear of them fading as every year passed was very real. His first real deep connection for a girl, and she had been torn from his life, currently sitting in a cell in Azkaban serving a sentence for a murder she didn’t even commit.

Guilt hung like a heavy stone around his neck, the late nights he had spent poring over tomes about wizarding law looking for any loopholes he could use to try and find a way to get MC out of there had been to no avail. His pleas to their professors and any Ministry aid he could get a moment with fell on deaf ears. As a boy of 16, nobody was willing to listen to him.

His sister’s cunning betrayal had cut deep, shaken the foundations of their bond to the point that he had almost abandoned her back then. But, then he would have been truly alone in the world, because Ominis would always choose Anne over him.

He had tried to put things right, he worked so hard to finish his education, to atone for his actions in the catacombs, but the darkness in his soul had festered. Despite her lingering pain from the curse, his bitterness towards Anne still clung to him, and it had been two years since he had set eyes on her. Both of them were far too stubborn to be the first to breach the chasm that had opened between them, their correspondence made through the determined attempts of Ominis.

Once out in the real world, the rumours that Rookwood was still alive made Sebastian’s hopes of curing Anne of her pain rise again. With the wicked gang leader not dead, it made sense why her curse lived on. With Rookwood dead, it would likely be lifted, a hope he stubbornly clung to. It was getting close to the bastard that was the problem. The only way in was to infiltrate Rookwood’s gang, become one of his lackeys and earn his way into the inner circle.

Ever since all the trouble had gone down with MC and Ranrok, Rookwood was craftier and more cunning. It had taken two years for Sebastian to get this close, and he was not in the inner circle just yet. He had to prove his loyalty for that, a bitter thing to swallow when you wanted to watch him die a slow and painful death.

His mouth tightened as he focused his mind on today’s task, striding confidently towards the harbour master with the aim of distraction while Rosier charmed symbols onto the crates they would be pilfering later this evening. He needed to pull off this job and get one step closer to being in Rookwood’s circle. The closer he got, the better his chances of bringing that fucker down.

The harbour master looked up as he approached and Sebastian’s lips curved upwards into his most charming smile. He'd always had a way with people.

“Good afternoon, good sir. Might I have a word?”

The harbour master nodded, lowering his clipboard as he returned Sebastian’s smile. Sebastian placed a friendly hand out in greeting, subtly turning so that the harbour master shifted his back towards where Rosier was inspecting the crates.

“What can I do for you?” He asked.

Sebastian’s smile was golden. “I'm glad you asked…”

…*...

The hour was late and most were in their tents sleeping, the camp quiet and subdued under the light of a quarter moon. The hulking peaks of the Highlands surrounded them, the air pleasantly chill against the skin and fresh in the lungs. Scotland would always be his home, Sebastian knew it deep in his bones, despite not returning to the cottage in Feldcroft in quite some time. The memories there were just too raw for his liking.

Home was wherever the gang set up camp, and he followed the gang, set on his course. Tonight, he lay on his pallet, his book discarded on the scratchy, wool blanket beside him, his fingers twirling the silver amulet that hung on a silver chain. He brushed a finger tip over the blood-red stone in the centre, the hum of its power thrumming under his fingertip, and felt the old, familiar squeeze in his chest.

Four years was a long time. He had been a boy the last time he had seen MC, clueless about matters of the heart, and discovering the joys of sharing a girl’s body. Kissing her had been his favourite thing, until she had let him touch her under her clothes that is. His blood burned just thinking about it. He’d taken a few girls to bed in the years since leaving school, but the sated lust was just that, there was never that connection, that need to go back for more. Not like it had been with her.

Missing her was an ache he’d had to learn to live with, and despite the familiar longing that still held him in a tight grip, he feared that his memories of her would fade as the time went on. Her smile, the sound of her laugh, the angry little tilt of her mouth when they bickered, the feel of her breath on his neck.

Closing his eyes, his hand clutching the amulet in a fist, he tried to conjure the image of her face, wishing he had a photograph of her to look at when loneliness called to him on nights like this. All he had was the amulet, and whilst powerful, it wasn’t enough.

How many times had he thought about going down to London and handing himself in? Countless. He could confess to his crime, the murder MC was serving time for, and then she could be free. But, then he would be in Azkaban instead, still separated from her and unable to complete his mission to destroy Rookwood.

Maybe that made him a coward. As much as he couldn’t stand being anywhere near Anne, he still needed to fix that blasted curse. Nobody else was going to do it, and he still couldn’t just sit back and just ‘make her comfortable’, even when angry with her. Anne was his blood, his other half, his twin. Putting himself in Azkaban wouldn’t help her, he was the only one who could.

Thinking of Anne made his mind drift to that night in Feldcroft, when Anne had come home after being missing for weeks to find MC in her bed, both of them in a state of undress that had revealed what they had been up to. Anne had been furious and the argument had spilled out into the yard. He had begged Anne to stop, but she wouldn’t listen, insisting that MC had been the root cause of everything bad that happened since her arrival.

Why couldn’t Anne see it? MC had tried to help, she had supported his desperate search for a cure, and had taken down the man responsible for her terrible curse. At least, they thought so at the time.

MC wasn’t a villain. He loved her.

Anne had Disapparated. She left. Again. Why did the people he cared most about find it so easy to always leave him?

Despite their bickering, and the dangerous situations they had found themselves in, MC hadn’t left him. She had stayed. Why would he push her away just because Anne was having a tantrum? He couldn’t.

So, Anne had made the decision for him, and he had ended up losing both of them.

Lost in his memories, it took a minute to realise that someone was calling him. He lifted his head from his lumpy pillow, tucking the amulet safely back into his pocket as Rosier appeared in the entrance to their tent.

“Nodded off, did you?” Rosier smiled, beckoning him up with a wave of his hand. “Get up and look lively, Sallow. The boss man wants to talk to you.”

“Gregor?” Sebastian frowned, fluffing his tumbled hair. He’d only spoken to him about an hour ago to pass on the details of their successful loot run earlier.

Rosier shook his head. “Nah, not Gregor. Rookwood. He’s here, and he wants to see you.”

Sebastian sat up immediately and rubbed his face. He needed a shave, there was two days worth of stubble on his chin and he needed a haircut. Grabbing his waistcoat, he shook it out to try and relieve some of the crinkles from where he had carelessly discarded it to one side.

“Did he say why?”

Rosier shook his head as he flopped down onto his own pallet. “Nope, but he didn’t look angry, so maybe you’re alright.”

“Thanks,” Sebastian said, his smile wry as he shrugged on his waistcoat and buttoned it up.

Gregor’s tent was the largest in camp, a faded scarlet with torn fringes, the entrance flap shifting in the cool breeze as Sebastian made his way past the camp fire. The flames were burning low, and he couldn’t resist a swift Incendio as he passed, the fire surging into life and casting hues of orange and gold around the vicinity.

On entering the tent, Gregor stood, nodding at Rookwood before passing Sebastian at the entrance with a pat on his shoulder. Rookwood was wearing a long dark coat, his waistcoat and shirt clean and neat, a solid gold chain hanging from his waistcoat pocket, no doubt holding a rather fine pocket watch.

“You wanted to see me?” Sebastian asked, stepping further into the tent.

Rookwood turned shrewd blue eyes on to him, his greying beard neatly trimmed, his fingers slowly stroking down his chin. “Yes, I did, Mr Sallow. Take a seat, would you?”.

Beside a table littered with goblets and maps, abandoned quills and bowls of fruit there was a wooden chair with curling arms. Sebastian moved to sit in it, keeping his eyes fixed on Rookwood as he did so. He sat back and casually leaned his elbows on the arms of the chair, assuming an air of relaxed confidence that was emphasised by the subtle tilt of his lips.

“What can I do for you?”

“Yes, what indeed?” Rookwood said dryly, his gaze assessing him. “I recognise you, you know. I’m pretty good with faces. In fact, I pride myself on it. You’re a man now, but I can tell you’re the same boy who was in The Three Broomsticks that day when Sirona threw me out. I’m sure you remember it. You took down a troll, didn’t you? You and your little ancient magic wielding friend.”

Years of practice kept Sebastian’s face in its calm, slightly smirking position as he stared at Rookwood. He remembered that day. Of course he did. MC had proved to be a much more interesting witch than he had first given her credit for, and he was fairly sure he’d started falling for her over their foaming mugs of Butterbeer. A moment this prick had interrupted.

“I do remember,” he said smoothly, nodding slightly. “Although the troll slaying was mostly MC.”

“Ah, yes, MC,” Rookwood said, his eyes narrowing slightly over a cold smile. “A powerful little thing, wasn’t she? Pretty, too. Rather adept at slipping through one’s fingers when trying to catch her, though. Until she was caught, of course.”

Sebastian stiffened slightly and Rookwood caught the movement, his smile widening as he stared up at a spot in the roof of the tent.

“Rather amusing when you think about it. My murder was one of the charges that got her sent down in the end,” he said, looking far too pleased with himself. “Obviously, I’m still alive, but your dear, little friend is still rotting away in Azkaban.”

“How did you manage that, by the way?” Sebastian asked, his fingers now clutching the ends of the chair arms. If Rookwood was trying to rile him up, it was working, and he was struggling to keep a rein on his temper. “MC seemed fairly convinced she had killed you, enough to testify in front of the Wizengamot that she had done you in.”

Rookwood’s chuckle was low and dark. “Polyjuice potion,” he said with a flash of a sly grin. “I sent one of my best duelling wizards to her in my place. It was a shame to lose him at the time, but a sacrifice worth making.”

Sebastian huffed air through his nose and shook his head. “Your best duelist? There really is no loyalty amongst thieves, is there?”

“Ah, and now we come to the point, Mr Sallow,” Rookwood said, aiming a long finger at him. “I’m so glad you brought it up. Loyalty. Where do you stand on that one? Considering how chummy you were with the little witch who supposedly killed me, now you are here, with my men. You can’t blame a man for wondering just what it is you are up to, Mr Sallow.”

Holding his hands out as though it was obvious, Sebastian shrugged. “Just trying to earn myself some coin, and this kind of work seems to come easily to me.”

“And MC?” Rookwood drawled, one eyebrow raised.

“What about her? She is in Azkaban, and the last I heard she will be there for at least another six years. She’s served four of ten.”

“Keeping count are we?”

Sebastian sighed and chose his next words carefully. “Considering she went down for killing my uncle, I think I’d know about her prison time.”

“Oh, but of course. How could I forget? Your uncle, the ex-Auror. Your guardian, too, wasn’t he? I remember reading about it in The Daily Prophet. That must have been rather awful for you. Your own uncle being taken down by your little friend.”

The words on paper might have looked to be sympathetic, but the oily, mocking tone in Rookwood's voice put them on a whole new level. Sebastian was not fooled by this cosy little chat, and it reminded him that he needed to tread carefully.

The heavy ball of guilt that lingered in Sebastian’s chest seemed to sink down into his stomach and he swallowed hard against the watery feeling in his mouth. He fought for control, all too aware of Rookwood’s crafty gaze on him. His words of sympathy had little impact when the gleam in his eyes suggested he was rather enjoying this.

“So awful, in fact, that I can’t imagine you would be too happy about MC getting out of that shithole?”

Sebastian stilled, staring at Rookwood. “What?”

Rookwood’s sly smile was all together too smug and Sebastian longed to delve for his wand and wipe it from his face, but he kept his hands still as his heart thudded behind his ribs.

“You see, that little witch is the most powerful little thing to walk the earth right now, if only she were out here to wield it,” Rookwood said, long fingers back to stroking his neat beard. “How would you feel if we were to recruit her into the gang? Would that bother you, Mr Sallow?”

“You want MC to work for you?” Sebastian’s mouth dropped open, his eyes widening. “Why would she?”

“Well, she hardly seems opposed to a little murder, on Aurors no less,” Rookwood smirked. “If we got her out of there, a little prison breaking perhaps, she could join our ranks here.”

“Nobody breaks out of Azkaban,” Sebastian said, shaking his head. All the reading he had done on that place, all the research into Wizarding Law, he had found no successful cases of escaping the fortress. It didn’t even have a plottable location on a map, just a generic mention that it was somewhere in the North Sea.

Rookwood seemed unconcerned, in fact his smugness intensified. “All it would take is a whisper into the right ears,” he said, holding Sebastian’s gaze. The man had too much power and influence. “The question is, can I expect your loyalty in the matter? You have a personal reason to hate her, and make no mistake about which one of you I would choose should things turn nasty. I hear you are a hard worker, you have impressed my men with your efforts, but as I have already proven. I care little about throwing my best men into the fire should the need arise. Piss me off, or try to ruin my plans for MC, and I won’t hesitate.”

If only Rookwood knew the truth. Sebastian couldn’t hate MC if he tried. If anything, Rookwood was handing him the equivalent of a gift. Get MC out of Azkaban, and a chance to prove his loyalty. If he was to get into his inner circle, he would have access to all the treasure, all the forbidden relics that were stashed away in various undisclosed locations. Sebastian’s mind swam with the possibilities of what could be discovered in such a collection, and he wanted to get his hands on it all before killing the smug prick opposite him. With MC at his side, it would be even easier.

“You have my word,” Sebastian said easily. “I won’t cause you any trouble regarding MC, and if you’ll let me, I’ll even help you break her out.”

“Now, why would you do that?” Rookwood asked, his head tilting with interest.

Sebastian grinned. “If you break her out and she decides not to join your crew, you’re going to need me there to convince her otherwise. Trust me.”

Rookwood’s eyes narrowed as he considered that last statement. “Alright, Mr Sallow. Consider me intrigued. Don’t make me regret it.”

Leander

The formidable fortress of Azkaban was huge, a dark stone monolith of a building that soared upwards from the raging North Sea. Leander had only seen the outside of it once during his training, when they brought the cadet Aurors for an exercise in suspect questioning, showing them the location so that when they graduated they could Apparate in at will.

The unforgiving cold of the place had lingered in his bones for ages afterwards, and he had no idea how anyone could stand to spend a considerable amount of time in such a place. The cells were full of criminals. Souls who had earned their place within these solid walls, and one would think it hard to feel even a little sympathy for them.

As he Apparated into the Auror chamber with his colleague this morning, Leander realised that he might feel slightly sorry for the long termers. The cold was bone deep, the dimly lit chamber making him blink as his eyes adjusted to the fire sconces on the black stone walls. He straightened his long, dark coat, his suit beneath impeccable, and his tie neatly knotted.

He had been paired with a very experienced Auror for this particular assignment, and he felt the need to impress even more strongly than usual. He was still relatively new to this job, and it didn’t hurt to make a good impression. He had even polished his Auror badge this morning, just in case he was required to show it.

Just ahead of them was a long desk, unmanned, the wall behind it covered in wooden boards that hung from large nails, each one with a prisoner number and their cell location. Leander scratched his finger against the tip of his nose as he watched Auror Harrington step towards the desk and slide the huge book that lay open there towards him. Using the quill and ink supplied, he signed his name into the book and then handed the quill to Leander.

“Here you go, son. Sign your name just here underneath mine,” he said, pointing to the available space. “I’ve already filled in the rest.”

Leander took the quill and moved to sign his name into the visitor roll, his eyes sliding along to see the number of the prisoner they were to question.

“Prisoner 2757,” he said, replacing the quill into the pot. “What are you hoping to get out of them today? I wasn’t given a briefing before meeting you this morning so I have no idea who this prisoner is.”

Auror Harrington levelled him with a serious look, rolling his lips between his teeth as he appeared to search right into Leander’s soul with his cool, blue eyes. Leander resisted the urge to fiddle with his collar, a flutter of nerves teasing at his ribs as he determined to maintain eye contact with the respected Auror.

“I’m going to be straight with you, Prewett. I deliberately kept you in the dark about who we were visiting this morning because I thought that if you knew, you might decline the visit given the time to think it over.”

Leander’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

“You could still leave if you wanted to, I won’t hold it against you, but it would serve you well in the future if you take this on and handle it well,” Harrington continued, his face firm and controlled as he studied him. He nodded, seemingly satisfied. “I’ve heard good things about you, Prewett. You’re keen, you have an eye for detail, and that last case with the smugglers down on the south coast was a great bust. I wanted to give you an opportunity to get in on a really big case. It’s just a little unfortunate who we need to speak to.”

Flushing under such praise, his spine straightening a bit, Leander found his curiosity piqued. “Who is it?”

Harrington paused and Leander felt the silence of the chamber stretch between them as he waited. The distant roar and thunder of the crashing waves felt like they were a million miles away, the black stone of the solid prison unshaken by the tumultuous force of nature that raged around it.

“Prisoner 2757 is an old school chum of yours,” Harrington said, and there was almost a hint of sympathy in his eyes. “It’s MC we are going to question today.”

Leander could only stare, his mouth trying to form words, but nothing would come as his mind raced. MC. Images of her flooded his thoughts, everything from the very first time he saw her to the times spent laughing together at school. She had been captivating. She’d had him spellbound from day one, and he had always tried to impress her. Not only was she bright, she was charming, a habitual tease that had made him blush so many times, but he would always go back for more.

When he had heard she had been taken and sentenced for murder, her picture appearing in the Prophet along with the account of how she had murdered Sebastian Sallow’s uncle, the shock had been overwhelming for all the students, but Leander had been particularly crushed. His affection for the beautiful witch had blossomed into something maybe dangerously close to him fancying her, despite the fact that she was enamoured with Sebastian.

Falling for a girl who was capable of murder had ripped the rug from under his feet. It was one of the reasons he had signed up to become an Auror, determined to serve the British Auror Office in delivering justice to those who threatened their peace. He had sworn not to let himself be duped again, his strong belief in doing what was right became something to cling on to when he faced the difficult trials that he went through in order to earn the shiny badge that sat snug in his pocket.

Now, he was about to come face to face with a girl who had sent his moral compass spiralling, because even though the facts had been printed in black and white, and Sebastian’s face had been one of pale misery long after she had been sent to Azkaban; Leander’s soft heart had still tried to cling to the memory of MC’s warm smile and the hand of friendship she had extended towards him.

The two images were a struggle to marry up. His beautiful friend, and the cold hearted killer. How could you ever really know a person, or trust that they were who they portrayed themselves to be? She had fooled him. He had believed the pretty picture, and maybe a tiny part of him still hoped that he was right. A fool's hope.

The distant roar of the ocean seemed to fill his ears, thoughts spiralling and his heart racing. He put his hands to his face, trying to absorb the shock, reeling at the thought of seeing her again. It had been, what, three years? Four?

“Are you alright?” Harrington asked.

Leander nodded automatically, blowing air through his lips as his long fingers dragged down his cheeks, the skin there no longer flushed but pale under the smattering of freckles. “I’m fine, just…I need a minute to process.”

“Like I said, you don’t have to do this,” Harrington said, watching him carefully. “I know how difficult these kinds of cases can be when personal feelings are involved. Nobody expects you to jeopardise yourself, but sometimes we have to leave our personal lives at the door and get on with the job. Can you do that, Prewett?”

Leander’s heart raced as he considered leaving. That would be running away, though, and he didn’t want to even think about facing the other Aurors in his team knowing he had turned down an opportunity to work with Harrington.

Closing his eyes and taking a steadying breath, he nodded at his colleague, flexing his hands and eyeing the door that led out into the rest of the prison. MC was out there somewhere, inside these impenetrable walls.

“I’ll do it,” he said, his voice firm.

Harrington smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, his grip substantial, their eyes almost level with them being of similar height. “Good lad,” he said. “I knew you had it in you. I will warn you though, don’t expect her to be anything like you remember her. This place does things to a person.”

Leander felt the apprehension settling at the back of his neck as they walked towards the Wand Weigher, his teeth beginning to worry at his lower lip.

“I’ve already paid her a few visits and she isn’t very cooperative,” Harrington continued, placing his wand in the scale and waiting for his slip of paper. “All I need you to do is get her talking, Prewett. She really doesn’t like me, and I thought a friendlier face might make a difference.”

Leander hoped his hand wasn’t going to shake as he took his turn to place his wand on the scale. So, Harrington was going for the good Auror, bad Auror approach with MC, and he was to be the good guy. There was a worried crease on his brow as the machine pushed out the slip of paper for his wand. He took it and looked at Harrington.

“What is it you want me to get out of her?”

“Information about our newly resurrected friend, Rookwood, and another old school buddy of yours. Sebastian Sallow,” Harrington said, giving him a sideways glance.

“Sallow?” Leander frowned. “Why do you need information on him?���

“Because he has been seen with some of Rookwood’s henchmen, and we think he is in league with him,” Harrington scowled, leading Leander down a long corridor. “Your little friend here knows something, I know she does, and that is where you come in because she isn’t talking to me.”

“Do you think this has something to do with the murder of Sebastian’s uncle?” Leander asked, a cold feeling like dread beginning to spread over his skin as they entered a cell wing, the huge ceilings stretching upwards towards where black, wraith-like figures floated ominously in the shadows.

“Maybe, I’m not sure,” Harrington said, ignoring the catcalls of pale faced prisoners leering against their bars. “All I know is that Solomon Sallow was my partner years ago, we solved many cases together, and that little bitch killed him. I don’t know how involved the nephew was, but something stinks there, Prewett. We still aren’t sure of her motive. All we have ever got out of her was that it was self defence. Now, Sallow is in league with one of the biggest dark wizards in Britain, a man who was supposed to be dead by the very same girl that killed Solomon, and yet Rookwood is alive and causing havoc in the Highlands. His gang members are spreading down as far as London, thieving, killing, illegal beast movement and underground duelling rings. I’m convinced they faked Rookwood’s murder to cover something up, and she knows something. Why else did she confess to killing him?”

Leander scratched his head, his mind reeling from all of this. MC’s crimes appeared to go much deeper than he had ever imagined, and now Sebastian was caught up in it all as well. He sighed and shook his head.

“I’ll do my best, Harrington,” he said. “Let’s hope she is willing to talk to me.”

Harrington paused and put a hand to Leander’s chest. He almost cracked a smile. “She should remember you. I'm hoping it gets a better reaction out of her than what I've experienced so far. Go with your gut, son. Do whatever you think feels best. I've got your back.”

Despite Harrington’s warning that MC might not be as Leander remembered her, nothing could have prepared him for what he found when they unlocked her cell door and entered the barren room that held her. The chilled damp of the walls and floor was evident, the air reeking of it along with the stench of unwashed humans and despair. Leander fought the urge to press his fingers to his mouth as his eyes scanned the room. There was a slop bucket and a bed that was just a ledge of stone along one wall with a filthy blanket, a pale stream of light coming through a slit high up in the wall to allow air to enter the stagnant space.

The misery of the place was compounded by the sight of the emaciated figure sat hunched on the stone ledge, her hair long and matted, slick with oily filth and clinging to her scalp before hanging in strings about her face and shoulders. Leander remembered a time when it had fallen like silk and begged for your hand to stroke through it.

The prison issued uniform hung on her boney frame, filthy and frayed at the edges, the collar open enough to reveal the skeletal jut of her collar bone. She looked so small, so withered. It was a shock and it no doubt showed on his face.

He almost whimpered at the pitiful sight of the girl he had once stared at with longing across a Hogwarts classroom, her skin now pale and waxy, drawn tight over the bones of her starved frame. The shadows that darkened the sockets of her eyes seemed to highlight the ghostly orbs that stared up at him as he paused in his step, his resistance failing as he pressed the back of his hand to his mouth as he met her gaze.

She looked…haunted, lost, a wisp of drained sadness, and it pulled sharply at the softness that he sheltered behind his ribs.

“Merlin,” he whispered, his heart breaking. He could almost hear the crack and tear of it as the backs of his eyes burned.

Surely, this wasn't the same girl. That couldn't be her. It was horrifying. His stomach twisted and his eyes glanced at the bucket in the corner, wondering if he needed to make a dash for it before the remains of breakfast forced its way up his throat.

“I've brought someone to see you, MC. You remember him, don't you?” Harrington said, leaning forward to peer at her.

She hadn't moved and her sunken eyes were fixed on him, unmoving and glassy in the low light. Her dry, chapped lips parted slightly, and a flicker of tongue darted out before she spoke.

“Lee,” she whispered.

Leander had to bite down on his lower lip to stop it from trembling. His nickname. She remembered him.

Harrington gave him a look that said it was over to him before taking a step back, offering him the floor. Swallowing uneasily, Leander took a step closer towards her, remembering that she was potentially dangerous before he pushed that thought away. Looking at the thinness of her arms, he figured he could handle her if she made a lunge for him.

“Hello, MC,” he said softly, taking another step so that he was right in front of her. Her head tilted back slightly so she could look up at him, the sharp angle of her jaw almost painful to look upon it was so harshly wasted away. “Do you mind if I talk to you? Just for a little bit.”

Her eyes slid towards Harrington, narrowing slightly, the glimmer of hate vivid and real before she returned her gaze to him. The hate faded a little, but she sure as Merlin didn't look like she trusted him.

“Here to do his dirty work, are you?”

Her voice was a dry rasp, a hoarse sound grated through her vocal chords that was nothing like the soft, melodic sound that he remembered. More rips rendered through his heart and he almost winced before he remembered his training.

“I just want to talk to you,” he said, keeping his voice calm and low. “You might be able to help me with the investigation. I have some questions, but we can get to those in a moment. Maybe you have a question you'd like me to answer first. I will try to answer as best as I can.”

She stared at him, the faintest wobble of her lips distracting him as her face seemed to shift with what could have passed for sadness. There was dried blood on her lips, and a smear of it on her arm too. His gaze wandered over what pale skin he could see trying to work out where the blood had come from.

“You're one of them, aren't you?” She rasped. A huff of what could have been a laugh wheezed from her throat and her head tilted back further to lean against the wall, her filthy hair slipping back to reveal a nasty scrape at her temple, and purple bruising near her ear. “You're a fucking Auror now.”

“Yes, I am,” he said, a frown creasing his brow. He leaned closer, assessing her injury and he pursed his lips. “You're hurt, MC. How did this happen?”

Her eyes widened slightly before the empty expression returned to her face. Her gaze swung towards Harrington with a sour twist of lips. “Your mate over there has an interesting way of trying to make people talk.”

Leander turned to Harrington, incredulous. “You struck her?”

Harrington merely shrugged. “Don't be fooled by her. She's no innocent victim. Remember that.”

Leander looked back at MC, the sight of the bruising and blood not sitting well with him at all, but Harrington was right. He needed to remember why she was in here.

She met his eyes again and he could have sworn there was a glimmer of something soft, a brief, fleeting look that pulled at his heart strings. Then she was gone, MC the girl was replaced by this haunted wraith-like creature, seemingly empty and drifting.

No. He couldn't do it. Harrington had told him to go with his gut, and she was not going to talk to him if she didn't trust him.

He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a white, neatly pressed handkerchief. The cleanliness of it seemed almost grotesque in this cell as he held it up in front of her before moving closer, his hand trembling as he slowly lifted it up towards the wound on her head.

Her eyes stared, pupils enlarging as he carefully began to try and clean the blood from her skin. This close her skin looked almost transparent, the blue spidery veins at her temple vivid against the waxen white.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered. He didn't care that she was dirty, that she was covered in filth. His fingers brushed back her hair, the strands clumped and unpleasant to the touch, but he ignored that, carefully wiping at the crusted blood as best as he could.

He paused when he saw a tear escape the corner of her eye. The droplet shimmered in the dim light as it tracked through the grime on her cheek. She didn't even attempt to wipe it away.

Very conscious of the stern-faced Auror who was watching all of this, Leander withdrew from her, folding the now dirty handkerchief and putting it back into his pocket before stepping back.

“That's the best I could do without clean water,” he murmured, shifting slightly on the spot. “Does it hurt?”

“Do you honestly really care if it does? Or are you just trying to make me warm up to you so I will talk?”

So cold. So indifferent. He fought back his disappointment, shoved it down so hard he clenched his hands into fists. She watched him and then her eyes dropped to her lap, but not before he saw that flicker of something soft in her face again.

“You know me, MC. Of course I care, and I know I am a fool for doing so,” he said, shaking his head. “You don't have to talk to me today. I'm not going to force you, but maybe one day you will be able to look at me and know I am not your enemy.”

She stiffened but didn't look up, her fingers gripping at the filthy fabric of her clothing.

He looked at Harrington who was watching him with narrowed eyes. Leander nodded towards the door and gave MC one last, long look before turning towards it.

“Goodbye, MC,” he said, his voice still calm and soft, but there was a note of sadness to it this time. “I hope your head feels better tomorrow.”

Harrington locked her door and they began to walk back down the wing, screeching and clanging coming from the cells as they passed. The cold, dreadful horrors that hovered above their heads made Leander shiver, but neither of them spoke until they were in the corridor leading towards the Auror Chambers.

“What was that in there?” Harrington asked as he opened the door.

Leander paused and gave him a hard look. “You asked me to follow my gut, so that's what I did,” he said firmly. He kept his face determined, but his pulse raced. “Don't lay another hand on her. Striking her is not going to make her talk. She is stubborn, but there is a softness in her. Trust me. I know what I'm doing.”

To his surprise, Harrington smiled. He nodded and gestured for Leander to enter the chamber so they could sign out.

“And that is why I chose you to come here today,” Harrington said, a satisfied gleam in his blue eyes. “You've got the case. I want you on my team. Come here again tomorrow. Alone this time. See what you can get out of her, if anything at all. She's all yours.”

Leander gaped at him. He had got nothing out of her, nothing at all. It was almost a wasted trip. “Are you joking?”

Harrington’s eyes narrowed. “I don't joke about stuff like this. I saw the way she looked at you. The cleaning of her wound? Genius. You almost broke her with that gentle touch of yours. I can't wait to see what you manage to achieve with this one, Prewett. Just keep on coming back here until you've cracked it. Meanwhile, I can start questioning the other damned soul in here.”

“And who might that be?” Leander asked, his eyes glancing over the many numbers hanging on the wall.

“Theophilus Harlow,” Harrington replied. “A cruel son of a bitch, and Rookwood’s old right hand man. He will definitely require a tougher approach.”

As Leander signed himself out in the ledger, he looked at the empty slot beneath on the parchment page. Tomorrow he will return. He would see her again.

Was he really a fool for hoping? He had come here today with the idea of making an impression, eager to please the battle-worn Auror, and yet he had fallen easily into his soft hearted manner, forgetting the gruelling training he had successfully completed. He hadn't earned his badge with soft touches and pity, and yet he had managed both on his prisoner today. Somehow it had earned him a place on Harrington's team. He was now working on the Rookwood case. The biggest case of his career so far.

He couldn't afford to fuck this up, and yet his flickering hope was already sealing up the cracks in his heart. Tomorrow he would see MC again, and maybe, just maybe he would get her to trust him.

To be continued...

This fic is dedicated to my Discord family, who keep me inspired by our shared delulu craziness, especially @eternalremorse and @slytherin-paramour who have spent AGES discussing this with me. 💗

Taglist: @evaslytherpuff

[whenthemoonbleeds-if]

You are the hated bastard child of the Imperial Family of the Hwaryeon Empire. 'Cursed' since birth, everyone only spoke of your name in fear and disgust.

Well, you were...Until you 'died' two years ago.

Now, you've returned as an experienced, renowned exorcist, on your way to save your (used-to-be) kingdom from the upcoming peril.

Will you let go of the past and forgive your people for their past misdeeds? Or will you watch as your kingdom falls at the impending doom?

Customize your MC: name, gender, appearance, personality, and more.

4 romance options; all of which are gender selectable.

Save your people...Or watch them grovel at your feet for forgiveness. It’s up to you.

Demo  |  Masterlist  |  Character Portraits

Lee Do Hyun (M/F) The Spouse

The cunning first child of a well-known merchant family. They first met you when you were still a powerless nobody, and they were the one who raised you to be the person you are today. They were the one to provide your position on the throne, yet the person to pull you to your demise. Oh, and did I mention they are your ex-spouse?

Baek Yeon (M/F) The Guard

A skilled swords(wo)man that was unfortunately appointed to become your personal guard since young. They 've known you since childhood and has always stood up for your honor. No matter what others say about you, they've remained fiercely loyal to you. Even through all the hardships, the gentle smile and kind eyes they show you never seemed to change. Perhaps those kind eyes hold a deeper depth of affection than you might've expected.

Haram (M/F) The Mystery

A demon that was subjected to hate ever since their birth. They've been searching for ways to be loved and to feel love, yet every person they turn to for guidance only seem to be set out to kill them. Eventually, they've come to the conclusion that the only way that they'd be able to achieve their goal is to become human, but their determination seems to get replaced with conflicting emotions whenever they see you.

Hwang Yi Rang (M/F) The Friend

An orphaned child who, in the end, grew up to become an experienced exorcist. They also happen to be the person who happened to find you after your 'death' and the person you trained alongside under the same mentor. They've first approached you with an open mind and cheerful grin, paying no attention to the rumors of you, and ever since then, you two eventually grew to become the best exorcist duo within the nation.

[from-the-depths-if]

Your whole life, all you've known is life with your pod. Scavenging, hunting, crafting and guarding alongside your family. You'd heard of the surface dwellers, of course, but they were barely more real to you than you were to them.

Until one day that changed.

Ripped away from your pod you find yourself in a world you don't understand, held hostage by a strange man with intentions you couldn't hope to grasp. He wants your magic - but all you know is that he's a threat to your family.

Find your place between both worlds, or risk losing everything.

From the Depths is an 18+ interactive fiction novel created in Twine using Sugarcube. Content warnings will include blood and gore, animal death in a historical context (looking at around chapter 3 - skippable), death and murder (including of those responsible for said animal death) and sexual content (skippable). List will be updated in the future.

Play as a male, female or nonbinary MC - cis or trans. Customise your appearance and personality, and choose how to navigate your new role in the human world.

Choose from two gender-selectable romance options - the determined guardian of your pod, or the idealistic princep. Or don't choose. Neither or both are also options.

Choose from five options to customise your pod - with two unique traits to aid you on your journey.

Learn the human language - or force them to adapt to you.

Learn the truth about why you were taken from your family, and find your way back to them - or build a new life for yourself on the shore.

Llyr - gender-selectable he/him, she/her or xe/xem | RO

Llyr joined your pod a year ago after xir own pod was scattered. Since them, xe has taken xir role as one of your pod's guardians to heart. Maybe at the end of that year you're still indifferent to xem. Maybe you're friends - or maybe there's something deeper. All you know is xe won't take kindly to what happened to you.

Nakia - gender-selectable he/they or she/they | RO

Nakia is the crown princep in the human country you've found yourself in. Idealistic, hopeful and curious about the world, they immediately set out to learn about your strange ways and get past your barriers. You can't tell them the truth about who you are - but maybe, just maybe, you can let yourself trust them. Note: regardless of which gender you choose, Nakia is always transgender.

Other characters to come in the future.

Demo (TBA) | Characters (Coming Soon)

Note: This is a side project with my main IF being 'Immortal', purely because I already know exactly where that storyline is going while I'm still fleshing this one out. I will be working on From the Depths alongside it, but it won't be my priority.

Avatar Photo by Ole Kloth on Unsplash

Banner Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash

[leo-interactive-fiction]

RO's Pokémon Teams (Expanded)

Reverse ask. I will now infodump about what each pokémon teams the ROs would have. I know you answered it similarly before, but I want to do this in-depth. For additional flavor I gave everyone a pokémon that evolves by trade, which would happen in game as them trading it with MC, and a route specific pokémon.

R:

Their starter is a shiny Meowth/Persian, since it can use its payday move to generate free money, plus it was a pokémon heavily associated with the main crime organization in the anime (Team Rocket and Giovanni). R’s luck manifested by giving them a shiny, shame it is one of the worst shinies available…

Next up: Super Luck Absol, a pokémon that can sense natural disasters and tries to warn others, and is seen as a doom-bringer as a result. Reclamation R uses it to intimidate their opponents, joking that they are *both* doom-bringers. Rebellion R is much more critical of the rumors and laments their inability to stop the disasters.

Third is Murkrow. Its signature ability is Super Luck, BUT R’s would have Prankster (an ability it loses upon evolving). Prankster!Murkrow works well as a setter in competitive, which means it sets up buffs and debuffs. Reclamation R teaches it Perish Song.

Fourth is Togekiss with Serene Grace. R has been raising it since it was an egg and is very happy to abuse its ability to make their opponents flinch (essentially lose a turn).

Number five is the trade pokémon. R has a Feebas, an ugly little fish that evolves into the regal Milotic. They hardly use it and regret being unable to find anyone they trust enough to trade it back. They eventually trade it with MC as “something to remember them by” and claim Milotic looks better on MC’s team anyway.

Sixth and final pokémon on their team is route specific, although both are rock types due to R’s interest in rocks. Rebellion R gets Sableye, a pokémon that lives a quiet life in caves and eats crystals, the rumors about Sableye stealing souls would synergize well with R being framed for a crime they didn’t commit. Reclamation R would get Glimmora, a pretty flower made out of crystals… of course, said crystals are made out of poison, but R would never use them for evil, how could you even think otherwise?

E:

For a starter, E got Pawmot. Electric/Fighting pika-clone that evolves from Pawmo after walking 1000 steps alongside its trainer. This one is the most spoiled little thing.

Following that, E has a Fidough, their beloved puppy that helps them with cooking. It evolves into Dachsbun after E gets more confidence. Also, it has the Well-Baked Body ability (P hates it. Dachsbun is resistant or immune to almost everything on their team).

Third one is a Bewear, a big and fluffy friend that is ridiculously strong, to the point of accidentally killing its friends with bone-shattering hugs. Fitting with E’s power.

Fourth in line is Hitmonlee. Fighting type with a focus on legs. Fast boy. E goes on runs with it.

Their trade pokémon is a Swirlix. A cutie-patootie fairy goofball of a pokémon that they eventually trade with MC so that it can evolve and grow stronger. E keeps whatever pokémon MC trades them as a reminder to be strong.

Finally, their route specific puppies. Good Influence E gets a Boltund, a good doggie that can run for three days straight, easily break 50 mhp at top speed, and zap its enemies with electricity. Bad Influence E gets a Houndoom, a bad doggo that can give someone eternal, burning pain and chooses its leader via combat.

V:

Their starter is an Inteleon with the Sniper ability, they have been together since before V was made a soldier. To quote the dex entry: “Its nictitating membranes let it pick out foes’ weak points so it can precisely blast them with water that shoots from its fingertips at Mach 3.” This pokémon has finger guns, V has a real gun, they are perfect.

Second is a well-trained Rockruff puppy that evolves differently depending on what route V is on. Civilian V gets midday Lycanroc, an extremely loyal pup with a calm demeanor, representing V healing from the trauma and learning how to form bonds. Soldier V gets midnight Lycanroc, who will happily sustain injuries for the sake of taking down its opponent, V’s just a soldier and their life belongs to their commander, why should their pokémon be any different?

Hatterene takes number three. This pokémon’s evolutionary line HATES strong emotions, so no wonder one of them would like having a trainer as emotionless as V.

Frosmoth is next for two reasons. First, I wanted V to have an ice type since they grew up in a cold region. Second, Frosmoth is a friendship evolution and it signalizes that V is not fully emotionless.

Their trade pokémon is none other than Pumpkaboo. Its dex entry mentions that Pumpkaboo are said to be the product of areas where lost souls lingered, so odds are V has seen their fair share of Pumpkaboo and had plenty of opportunities to catch one. This trade happens fairly late in V’s path and comes with V realizing that Pumpkaboo wants to be with MC, signaling that V is becoming more aware of other people’s emotions.

Lastly, V’s route specific pokémon are either a therapy dog or the brutal pokémon. Stoutland, a dog that can keep someone warm overnight in the wintry mountains, is taken in by Civilian V, being a friendly pokémon known for rescuing people, it seems fitting that Civilian V would end up with one for support. Soldier V catches Hydreigon, a pseudo-legendary with destruction as its main goal, the perfect weapon for a soldier.

L:

Espeon is their starter. Little L was given an Eevee to keep them company, Little L got attached, and now L can be seen with an Espeon curled up on their lap while they read.

Second one is Luvdisc, because it is heart-shaped and L is a romantic.

Third down is Xatu, a pokémon that can see both the past and future. Fitting with L’s power. Also, bird!

Pidove is on their team and nobody can convince me otherwise. L, nerd that they are, struggling to dumb down their words so that their cutesy widdle pigeon buddy can understand. Pidove is friendly and sincere, and evolves into the intelligent and proud Unfezant. L wants to evolve it, but this process takes way longer than it should thanks to Pidove being their weakest pokémon and hardly seeing any combat until later in the story.

Kadabra is their trade pokémon. They spent a long time planning how they’d ask a possible future friend to trade with them so that their Kadabra could finally evolve. They end up shyly asking MC if they’d be up for a trade so that “they’d never be fully apart” due to having each other’s pokémon.

Time for their route exclusive pokémon, both psychic. Peace L gets Gardevoir, a pokémon that can see the future and is ready to summon a black whole to protect its trainer, everyone is lucky L keeps it under control. Resolve L gets Metagross, a pokémon with four brains and smart enough to rival a supercomputer, everyone better pray L doesn’t Mega Evolve it since its dex entries state, “Mega Evolution stimulated its brain. It emerged as a ruthless Pokémon that will clutch at any means of ensuring its victories.” and “When it knows it can’t win, it digs the claws on its legs into its opponent and starts the countdown to a big explosion.” Yikes.

Raven:

Their starter, Banette, is a doll that became a pokémon over its grudge of being thrown away. Sounds familiar? Raven found it roaming at night during their first week on the streets and the two have been together since.

Next up, Trubbish/Garbodor, a friend that Raven made years ago when they frequented the same dumpsters. Yes, it is sentient, poisonous garbage. Yes, Raven will cuddle it.

Bisharp takes third for being very sharp and stabby. Insanity Raven goes through the work of evolving it into Kingambit. Therapy Raven keeps it a Bisharp.

Number four is Doublade. Why have one stabby sword when they can have two? Insanity Raven keeps Doublade that way, happy to watch the twin blades slash foes to ribbons. Therapy Raven evolves it into Aegislash, deciding that more defense is worth slightly less stabbing.

Their trade pokémon is Haunter. Raven raised it fully planning on trading with MC. This pokémon is almost as clingy towards MC as Raven. Keeping up with both of them is an exercise in patience.

And finally their route specific pokémon. Insanity Raven gets Spiritomb, 108 spirits trapped into a stone as punishment for their misdeeds, with Raven often making cryptic comments about “making” a new Spiritomb. Therapy Raven, for their part, gets a Maushold to remind them of their goal to have their own family with MC.

S:

S’s starter is Sandaconda. Ground types are common in the desert and its Sand Spit ability turns out to be way more viable when their opponents aren’t used to dealing with sandstorms.

Revavroom is a must for S. A motor pokémon that canonically gets used to power up vehicles? S has built a dozen starmobiles for their Revavroom.

Cyclizar looks like a bike, of course S would have one. It is their main ride when Sandrider is not available. S makes it wear Safety Goggles to protect it from sandstorms.

Their fourth pokémon is Vanillite, because ice cream jokes. S only got it after coming to the academy, which is why it is not evolved and low level. It grows into a Vanilluxe eventually.

For their trade pokémon, S has a Rhydon. They did not originally plan to trade it, nor where they interested in evolving it further. MC is the one to suggest a trade and S ends up deciding that Rhydon is the one they should trade away.

Now, both of their path exclusive pokémon are pseudo-legendaries, because S deserves it. Speed Devil S goes for Garchomp, a land shark capable of going at speeds equal to a jet fighter plane, the perfect Ground-type for a speed devil. Troublemaker S, for their part, gets Tyranitar, an insolent mobile disaster and their best partner in crime after MC.

P:

P’s starter is obviously Blaziken. Fire/Fighting, solid ability in Speed Boost, and an overall solid starter choice. P has trained it since it was a Torchic, maxing out its speed and attack stats.

P gets Ninetales to match with their twin. P caught it as a Vulpix and was very quick to evolve it via Fire Stone.

To represent P’s interest in cooking, they get Garganacl, the rock salt pokémon. Its Purifying Salt ability makes it immune to status conditions, while its signature move, Salt Cure, helps ensure its opponent will not last long on the battlefield. P doesn’t use it much, not being used to its typing, so Garganacl often comes as a surprise to their opponents.

Annihilape takes fourth. A pokémon that got so angry that it died and came back angrier. P and their Annihilape act so similar, it is funny. Rage buddies refuse to chill until they kill one (1) shitty dad.

Their trade pokémon is Gurdurr. They insist they hate it and only traded it with MC to get rid of the damn thing. It has maxed out affection. Regardless of what MC trades back, P will act underwhelmed and mentions it will takes ages to train it up to their standards.

Path exclusive time, with two sword-themed pokémon to distance P from their father’s spears. Competition P has Ceruledge, representing their growing resentment, its dex entries state, “The fiery blades on its arms burn fiercely with the lingering resentment of a sword wielder who fell before accomplishing their goal.” and “An old set of armor steeped in grudges caused this Pokémon’s evolution. Ceruledge cuts its enemies to pieces without mercy.”. Cooperation P gets Scrappy Sirfetch’d, a chivalrous knight with a versatile movepool, which can make it a viable choice in both double and single battles.

M:

Spheal is M’s lovable starter. Their father was hoping M would dominate the battlefield with Walrein, but Spheal has refused to evolve so far. It stays small and cute on Alt M’s path. It finally evolves all the way into Walrein in Maso M’s path.

M gets Alolan Ninetales to match with their twin. They didn’t catch it and instead got it as a gift (from a relative? a suitor? who knows). Took ages for them to evolve it, even though they could have easily gotten an Ice Stone.

Their Komala is next, a pokémon that stays asleep its entire life. They are nap buddies.

Their trade pokémon is Dusclops. It evolves when traded while holding a Reaper Cloth, a nod to M’s planned use of scythes.

Path exclusives are both bangers. Maso M gets Baxcalibur, a pseudo-legendary Ice/Dragon; its signature ability, Thermal Exchange, boosts its attack when it is hit by a Fire-type move, which parallels Maso M needing to be hurt to be at their most effective. Alt M, for their part, nets Slaking, a ridiculously strong pokémon with attack and HP on par with legendaries, but held back by its Truant ability that forces it to only act every other turn; this matches M’s own strength being held back by their sleepiness and forces them to plan around it.

F:

Their starter pokémon is Serperior, a Grass-type that can stop its opponents’ movements with just a glare from its noble eyes. A smug grass snake for the smug forest royal.

Scolipede takes second. F likes to harvest its deadly poison to use in assassinations. It is a soft baby when it comes to F, though, happy to curl up at their feet while they are working.

Third is Drapion. It produces potent poison yet prefers using its physical strength to overpower foes. F’s loyal bodyguard that uses its force to intimidate anyone who might pose a threat to their trainer.

Next up is Parasect. Parastic mushrooms that take control over their host until it is nothing but an empty shell with nothing more to take. F loves their fungus zombie.

Their trade pokémon is Phantump. A child who died while lost in the forest and possessed a stump. F caught it during a rare moment of pity, they trade it with MC, claiming they got tired of babysitting. They will occasionally mention missing their Phantump, only to immediately scoff and pretend they never said that, what are you talking about?

For their route specific we have two interesting options. Royal F catches Tsareena, embodying F’s own cruel heart, with its dex entry stating, “In victory, it shows off by kicking the defeated, laughing boisterously.” Royal F loves when it does that. Peasant F gets Volcarona, a pokémon said to be the rage of the sun, a deity of fire, made to save people and pokémon from cold, and symbolic of F’s more heroic role in the Peasant path.

BONUS:

While it would be impossible to plan a whole team for MC, I believe their father would determine the available starters.

Papa Strom took MC to a military daycare center and had his kid choose from a hand-picked selection of starters. The options are:

Oshawott (Water): its final evolution, Samurott, is based off samurai. Since a Storm MC can have a katana, this seemed fitting.

Chespin (Grass): its final evolution, Chesnaught, is based off the concept of knights and armor.

Charmander (Fire): it seems fitting for a STORM MC to have a starter that can actually fly later on, not to mention how knights and dragons often appear side by side in stories.

Razor didn’t get to give his kid a pokémon. Luckily MC managed to steal one from a totally-not-fake pokémon professor that just so happened to wander on a poorly lit part of town with three starters on his belt. The options are:

Froakie (Water): ninja pokémon, perfect for a sneaky thief.

Rowlet (Grass/Flying): ghost archer with a Robin Hood theme, fitting for a more heroic Razor MC.

Tepig (Fire): its final evolution is based off a man who was assassinated by his own subordinates, foreshadowing MC’s own connection to assassins.

Dad Xero brought home a trio of pokémon he had been considering training for use in his lab. MC bonded particularly well with one of them and Xero decided to let his kid keep it. The options are:

Piplup (Water): evolves into a Water/Steel type, which is immune to poison. Having a pokémon with poison immunity is essential to many lab setting with dangerous chemicals abound.

Bulbasaur (Grass/Poison): the other side of the coin, a Grass/Poison type. Greatly useful for studying both antidotes and bio weapons.

Cyndaquil (Fire): its official category is the fire mouse pokémon, so it makes sense one would end up a lab rat.

Pops Scurra just sent a pokéball via mail one day, alongside a handful of trinkets. E’s mom may or may not have *gently* convinced him that his kid was old enough to get their own pokémom and mentioned a particular one she was sure MC would like. The options are:

Popplio (Water): a darling singer to provide musical accompaniment to MC’s performances.

Sprigatito (Grass): a magician ready to provide an enchanting performance alongside its trainer.

Scorbunny (Fire): its final evolution, Cinderace, has this tidbit on its pokédex entry, “It gets pumped up when cheered on. But if it starts showboating, it could put itself in a tough spot.” A good reminder for any performer.

[lancermylove]

Date with Belphie (Scenario)

Fandom: Obey Me

Pairing: Belphie x gn!Reader

Warning: None

Requested by: Anon

Prompt: Hi! This is my first request, idk if I over did with the million ideas 🐌 hope any of them are good enough! Fandom: Obey me! I'm thinking about an oneshot or scenario of taking belphie to a date with a rich GN!mc, something like clothes shopping for him - going to a theater with a dramatic story and mc crying with the end like: IF IT WERE US I WOULD HAVE SCAPED TO BE WITH YOU!! - going to a big masquerade but preferring the balcony to see the stars - them visiting a festival and belphie buying flowers for them from a walking seller that called them a cute married couple. Or maybe them taking ball dancing lessons together 🥺💕

A/N: Thank you for sending in the request! I am sorry for taking so long to finish it. 🙇🏻‍♀️ There are a lot of ideas for just one date, so I picked a few. Hope you like it!

Word Count: 916

———————————————

The city was alive with the hum of evening chatter, glowing streetlights, and the sweet scent of blooming flowers planted alongside the street. You smiled at Belphegor, who seemed curious and mildly annoyed as he tried on another coat. You had spent the past hour browsing through clothes racks, insisting on finding the perfect outfit for tonight. Belphie, while generally indifferent to fashion, appreciated your enthusiasm and played along.

"Do I really need to try on another one?" Belphie asked in a playful whine.

You grinned, taking a step closer to adjust the lapels of his coat. "Just one more. You'll see, it's worth it. Besides, you look amazing."

A faint blush colored his cheeks, but he rolled his eyes. "If you say so, but you're lucky that I am willing to forgo sleep for you."

The two of you stared at each other before laughing. While the laughter echoed softly in the quiet of the upscale boutique, no one bothered to look at either of you. After a few more minutes of indecisiveness, you finally settled on the midnight blue coat paired with a sleek black shirt. It was perfect for the evening you had planned—a night of theater and a festival under the stars.

As you entered the theater buzzing with anticipation, your arm looped through Belphie's. The venue's grandeur, with its gold trimmings and velvet curtains, only heightened your excitement. The play you had chosen was renowned for its intense storyline and emotional depth. You couldn't wait to see his reaction to the emotional rollercoaster and secretly hoped he wouldn't fall asleep in the middle of the play.

As the play progressed, you were drawn into the story—a tale of love, betrayal, and sacrifice. When the climax approached, you were on the edge of your seat while your heart pounded. By then, you forgot to steal glances at Belphie to see his reaction and ensure he wasn't asleep. The lead characters, caught in a forbidden romance, were forced to make an impossible choice. The tension built until the final act, where the lovers chose to stay bounded to their responsibility instead of escaping and living freely together.

Tears welled up in your eyes, and you gripped Belphie's hand tightly. The passion in the characters' voices and the anguish in their expressions were overwhelming.

"If it were us," you whispered, barely audible over the dramatic crescendo of the music, "I would have escaped to be with you."

Belphie turned his head, his gaze softening as he looked at you. His thumb brushed against the back of your hand in a soothing gesture. "I know you would. And I'd do the same for you."

The play ended in a whirlwind of applause, but you remained seated to compose yourself. However, Belphie gently tugged you to your feet, his smile warm and reassuring.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get some fresh air."

The night air was cool, and a gentle breeze carried the sounds of laughter and music from a nearby festival. The lively atmosphere was a welcome change from the heavy emotions you experienced in the theater. Colorful lights twinkled overhead, and the air was filled with the delicious aroma of street food. If Beel were with the two of you, he would have downed every last crumb available in the stall—the thought made you giggle. Belphie also seemed relaxed in the vibrant environment as he scanned the area with a soft smile.

You wandered through the stalls, sampling various treats and admiring the artistry of local vendors. The festival was a beautiful mosaic of cultures and traditions, each corner offering something new and exciting. When the two of you walked past an elderly flower seller, her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Flowers for the lovely couple?" she asked, her gaze shifting between you and Belphie.

"Yes, please," your boyfriend smoothly said as he selected a small bouquet of white lilies. Handing them to you, he paid and thanked the seller, who was quietly studying your expression.

"Such a cute married couple," she murmured before returning to the other side of her stall. From the smile she gave you, it was evident that the woman was only teasing you, but your cheeks burned red. Belphie also picked up on the mischievous tone in her voice, but his focus was on you. Seeing your flushed face and attempts to hide behind your face behind the bouquet, he chuckled.

Belphie smirked and wrapped an arm around your shoulders before pulling you close to his side. "Should we explore more of the festival, my dear wife/husband?"

Despite your shyness, you laughed and nodded. "There's a lot more to see."

As the night drew on, you found a quiet spot away from the crowd and sat together on a bench beneath a canopy of stars. Belphie leaned back, gazing up at the sky with a content expression.

"Thank you," he said after a while. "For tonight. For everything."

You leaned against him while the lilies rested in your lap. "Thank you for coming with me. I had a wonderful time."

He turned his head to look at you, his eyes reflecting the soft glow of the festival lights. "I'm glad. Because there's no one else I'd rather be with."

As your heart swelled at his words, you leaned closer to kiss his cheek softly. "Me neither, Belphie."

Under the vast, starry sky, you sat together, enjoying the peaceful silence between you and your boyfriend—a perfect ending to a perfect night.

———————————————

➣  Please visit my website for the full masterlist!

[wth-if]

Humans have made their peace with the supernatural a long time ago.. all of them, except the demons.

Ten years ago Archangel Michael swooped down from the Heavens to give humans a new salvation, a solution to their pest problem, a little thing they called H.E.L.L. - Heaven's Eradication of Lethal Lowborns.

Ever since then the demons have been under control. Until recently -unexpected, right?- after a series of kidnappings conducted by a cult calling themselves The Morningstar's Children. Ever since, H.E.L.L. has been cracking down hard on the lowborns.

And well, Lucifer Morningstar (The President of Hell Themself and Michael's sibling) is having none of that.

In retaliation, she sends you, a demon, to infiltrate H.E.L.L., and take it down.. from the inside!

OR, a celestial sibling rivalry goes a bit too far.

FEATURES (May Change!):

Play as a lowborn/demon! Male, female or nonbinary (including cis/trans options); gay, straight or aro/ace; be the vessel for Lucifer’s revenge against her sibling by.. hunting your own kind? What?

In-depth character customization! Hair color & style, skin color, body type, markings, piercings, etc!

Choose how you got chosen for the job! Are you a demonic assassin or are you just an average joe who happened to be walking by?

Romance one out of four unique romance options! Your demonic co-worker, a demon hunter and TWO archangels (that’s right!)

Cause chaos and shenanigans! Get Michael’s coffee wrong, mess up an investigation and let demons escape H.E.L.L.’s grasp! It’s what you’re here for!

Discover the mystery behind the disappearances, and who's really behind The Morningstar's Children!

Help Lucifer Morningstar win her election against her son Satan, or sabotage it!

Levithan (He/Him): Demonic Overlord, Son of Lucifer, Sin of Envy. You'd expect a guy with that description to be pretty full of himself, but instead he seems pretty tired and over-worked. He's been tasked by Lucifer to infiltrate H.E.L.L. alongside you- why? It's anyone's guess at this point. (Possible Tropes: bickering couple, tired x energetic, tol x smol)

Yavhi Gupta (They/Them): Stubborn, rude and cold-hearted. They've been working for H.E.L.L. since they were able to join, and they're one of the toughest, roughest demon hunters around. They don't joke or play around, they go straight for the kill each time. Unlucky for you then, that you've been assigned to train underneath them for the foreseeable future. (Possible Tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, black cat x golden retriever)

Raquel (She/Her): Fierce, witty and loyal to the end. When her best friend left Heaven, she followed right after. Now, she works as a detective alongside him and they've been hired by an outside source to investigate The Morningstar's Children, as H.E.L.L. can't seem to do anything right, and she'll do anything to find out the truth; even if it means teaming up with a lowborn like you. (Possible Tropes: fwbs to lovers, smart x dumbass)

Gabriel (He/Him): Quiet, yet lethal and dangerous. He left Heaven for a reason, but now works alongside his friend as a detective. He's the brawn of the operation, but just as willing to do anything to get the truth... even if you get the feeling he knows more than it seems. (Male MCs only. Possible Tropes: Mutual pining, star-crossed lovers, quiet x loud)

Lucifer Morningstar (She/They): As the Sin of Greed, she's the father (mother?) of all the other deadly sins, and the current President of Hell- though with reelections soon, and her subjects looking in their son's, Satan's, favor, that might change soon. Which is why they sent you on the quest to take down H.E.L.L., so her rep would get a serious boost. She's conniving, scheming and pantsuit wearing, and will stop at nothing to keep her spot on top. (And I love her.)

Michael (They/Them): The most powerful Archangel of them all, it was obvious that one day, they'd become the humans savior, their saving grace.. uh, not really, but they love the praise. Recently however they've been under fire from the human media after a slip-up resulted in the deaths of six people, but they managed to save grace by capturing and promptly executing a few lowborns connected to The Morningstar's Children. (Which, In Raquel's professional opinion, puts them right at the top of her list of suspects.)

Shae (She/Her): A vampire and the one who hired Raquel and Gabriel after the kidnapping of her son Damien at the hands of The Morningstar's Children.

LINKS :

DEMO POST (TBA) R/O INTROS (TBA)

Asks about the R/Os, the characters or the story in general are always welcomed!

[chewingonsneakers]

ALL FOR THE GAME IN-DEPTH CHARACTER CHEAT SHEET

@themaxbox you asked for this

[MAJOR SPOILER WARNING]

ALL FOR THE GAME:

THE FOXHOLE COURT, THE RAVEN KING, THE KING’S MEN - NEIL JOSTEN AS MC POV

THE SUNSHINE COURT, UPCOMING TSC SEQUAL - JEAN MOREAU/JEREMY KNOX AS MC SPLIT POV

~~~~~

AUTHOR - Nora Sakavik (pen name) She/Her

~~~~~

TIME PERIOD - 2006-2007

~~~~~

CHARACTERS:

Neil Abram Josten -

He/him. The narrator, from a limited 3rd person POV.

Neil is 19 years old, 18 at the beginning of the books. Neil has naturally auburn hair and chilly blue eyes, both of which were covered with black hair dye and brown colored contacts throughout the first and some of the second book. Neil is 5’3”.

Neil Josten is not his real name, at least not until he had the FBI legally changed it in book three. Neil Josten is his twenty-second name ever used.

Neil Josten’s father is a serial killer known famously as The Butcher of Baltimore, or more realistically, Nathan Wesninski. Nathan works under a large and very wealthy Japanese Yakuza gang known as the Moriyamas. Nathan is named for his method of killing, usually chopping or skinning people using a butcher’s cleaver. He also had a wife and a son; Mary Weskinski and Nathaniel Abram Weskinski. Nathan and Mary’s marriage was likely arranged. Nathaniel was born in England to Mary and Nathan, though spent the next few years in Baltimore, Maryland, so his father could relocate and hide better. Nathaniel then grew up alongside the yakuza leader’s son, Riko Moriyama, and Riko's brother Kevin Day. They played on a little league Exy team run by the Moriyamas. The Moriyamas had trained them every day to become the greatest Exy players to live, in order to gain money and control. When Nathaniel was ten, it was decided that if he couldn’t prove his athletic potential through a solo practice session in front of the Moriyamas, he would be executed. The night of his solo practice, Mary stole five million dollars from the Moriyamas and took Nathaniel to flee through hidden tunnels. They spent the following seven years bouncing through countries and identities, all throughout Europe and America, most notably Germany and some time in France. They each had multiple fake passports and identifications, new appearances each time. Nathaniel cycled through 22 different identities, including the names Alex, Stefan, Rafael, etc. But when Nathaniel was seventeen, Mary had been found and captured by Nathan. He had begun to slowly kill her before she managed to escape, but she only made it halfway across California before she bled out and died in the driver's seat of their stolen car. So Nathaniel said his goodbyes to his mother, took the duffel bag of money and supplies from the backseat, left his dead mother in the front seat, and set the car on fire with a can of gasoline and a match.

He put his mother’s bones in a backpack and buried it under the blacksand of a California beach.

Nathaniel walked along the road with his bags for the next two days and made it to Salem before he collapsed and vomited, the shock of what happened catching up to him.

While a young child still under watch of his father, Nathaniel did not lead a happy life. His father’s hideous blonde henchman, Lola, forced him to kill small animals, skin, and gut them for practice, training him to become like his father in the future, to carry on the legacy. Nathaniel, Riko, and Kevin had once found Nathan messily chopping an innocent man into hundreds of pieces of flesh right on Moriyama property.

The first book starts immediately off with “Neil Josten let his cigarette burn to the filter without taking a drag. He didn’t want the nicotine; he wanted the acrid smoke that reminded him of his mother.”, a first look into his mind as he sits on the bleachers of the Exy court of a small community college in Millport near the house he had been squatting in illegally. A man named David Wymack approaches him and tells him he’d like to recruit him for the Palmetto State Foxes Exy team. after a brief conversation, afraid of how this man knows of his existence and what it could mean, Neil attempts to run up the bleachers and into the locker room to get away from the potential danger. He is stopped by an Exy racket slamming into his stomach. Wymack catches up, once again asks to recruit him, Neil looks to the side and spots his old childhood friend Kevin Day watching him. It scares him, he is worried Kevin may recognize him all grown up under the hair dye and contacts. Being previously caught by his Millport Exy coach sleeping nights on the locker room floor, supposed evidence of abuse going on in Neil’s “home”, this is used against him to convince him to come along and join the Foxes.

More personal info abt him:

He has zero style, from life on the run. faded and mellow colors were best and he took what he could get. A running joke is how he wears raggedy jorts quite often. Neil still has millions of dollars left that he keeps in his duffel bag, which he brings absolutely everywhere and never lets out of his sight unless safely locked away. Neil has only kissed one girl before during his life on the run but upon his mother finding out, she beat him to teach him the consequences of connecting with people or falling in love. He once wore a bulletproof vest for ten days straight out of fear and only stopped wearing it because after his mother cut it off him to wash it. He used to sleep in the same bed as his mother, with a gun under each of their pillows. Neil’s favorite color is gray. Neil still remembers the names of the two boys he stood by as he watched his father kill a man, and has a binder full of information, magazine cut outs, printed interviews, and pictures of Kevin and Riko to keep tabs on them. Neil loves fruit but hates vegetables because of what was easily available during life on the run. Neil dislikes sweet foods. Neil doesn’t drink or do drugs because he doesn’t want to lose control and let slip some important information about who he really is. Neil only buys cigarettes so he can light them and hold them to smell the smoke, only actually smoking them very infrequently. He doesn't care for the nicotine. He just smells the smoke and thinks of his dead mom. Neil is covered shoulder to toe in a war zone of scars from his father and his henchmen and the Moriyamas’ workers and life on the run. Some of these include a very large road burn scar that spans from his left shoulder to right hip from when he rolled out of a moving car, a healed gunshot wound on his left shoulder, and a large burn scar on his right shoulder in the shape of an clothing iron from a time when his father lost his temper. Others include smaller or longer or thinner ones covering some of his arms and most of his legs and torso. Neil has never had a friend before. Neil doesn’t consider anyone to be like family to him besides his mother (this changes eventually as he comes to terms with how his mother was not good with him). Neil has zero social skills but in a kind of funny way. He doesn’t understand slang, is in the dark on most pop-culture, and is sort of strange to talk to. Neil is unaware of having any sort of sexual orientation; it’s never been something he's spent time thinking about before. Neil’s skin color is a couple shades tanner than the twins’. He is jersey number 10, a striker on PSU’s Exy team.

Andrew Joseph Minyard - [TW: SA, SH]

He/him. 19 years old at the beginning, 20 by the end. Andrew has short light blonde hair and hazel (almost yellowish) eyes. Andrew is 5’0”.

Andrew is identical twins with Aaron, who I will introduce afterwards. Andrew and Aaron were placed into the foster care system after birth, but after only two weeks, their mother (they had an absent and unknown biological father) felt guilty and decided to take back only one of her babies. She randomly picked and chose Aaron. So for many years of his life, Andrew was a foster child. not a happy one at that. Andrew jumped from family to family, and he only says that none of them were good homes.

When Andrew was seven years old, he was raped by a male member of his current foster family. In the third book he admits during a conversation with Neil that the reason he hates the word “please” so much is because the man who raped him, Stephen, had told him he would stop if Andrew said it, but then didn’t stop.

— "Who said 'please' that made you hate the word so much?"

Andrew gazes at him in silence for a minute. "I did… He said he would stop if I said it."

"You believed him," Neil guesses.

"I was seven," Andrew says. "I believed him.” —

We know that similar incidents happened multiple times after that from different men of his following families, (Jesse, who liked to choke Andrew so he’d be quiet. Samuel, who called him a whore and told him he liked it.) but the most noteworthy is another absolute monster named Drake Spear. Drake, who found out Andrew was ticklish and used that against him.

Drake was a member of his final foster family. He was supposed to be an older brother to Andrew. Drake was in the military, he was this big muscle-y tattooed guy who was perceived as kind and gentle by his mother and the only foster mom Andrew had ever cared about, Cass Spear. What happened is that when Andrew first joined this foster home, he was twelve years old, and Drake was away at his station. After lots of trust gained, he grew to love Cass and see her as a real mother. She was very kind to him despite his bad behavior, which made him feel loved and act out less. One spring, she told Andrew that her son was coming home. Andrew didn’t like that but he trusted Cass so he didn’t make an argument. The day Drake came home, he was kind to Andrew, giving him candy and keeping his distance. But he wasted almost no time in destroying that trust and very quickly began the abuse. almost every night, Drake snuck into Andrew’s room to take advantage of him. It became too much quite quickly, and Andrew eventually took blades to his wrists to try and make his body his own again. While living with the Spears, Andrew first learned that he had a twin brother from a cop named Hidgeons who mistook Aaron for Andrew. The cop, who was confused as to why “Andrew” was with a woman besides Cass and ended up learning about Aaron’s existence, told Aaron about Andrew and then told Cass to tell Andrew about Aaron. Aaron, wanting nothing more than to meet his brother, wrote him an excited letter asking to meet him. Andrew responded with a simple “fuck off”. What Aaron doesn’t know is that Andrew did want to meet him as well, but refused to let that happen due to sexually violent and disgusting twin fantasies Drake would tell Andrew about after he found out about Aaron. Soon meeting his breaking point, Andrew snapped and got himself caught breaking the law just so he could get into juvie and could finally be away from Drake. He was saddened by the loss of Cass, though, who he considered a true mother to him. In juvie is where he finally met Aaron, during visiting day, where his twin came to see him for the first time. Long story short, Andrew wasn’t too kind to Aaron the first time they met. After serving his sentence, Andrew finally came to live with Aaron and their mother, Tilda. This is when Andrew found out that Tilda has been beating Aaron and is a drug addict and got Aaron hooked on drugs alongside herself. Andrew’s response? To take their mother for a lovely scenic drive where he reached over, grabbed the wheel, and steered the car down a hill wrecking it with intent to kill. Tilda died. Andrew survived. He's not so sure he wanted to. But anyways, it was considered a simple accident and he wasn’t caught. So the twins get a new guardian, now living with their cousin, Nicky. Nicky buys a house in Columbia and houses them both with little money and little support from the twins. While under Nicky’s care, Andrew tries to get Aaron sober, and his method of doing this is by locking Aaron in their bathroom for eight days and sitting in front of the door the entire time, only leaving canned food inside for Aaron. Andrew tried to ignore his twin’s screaming, banging, and vomiting from withdrawals and yes, it did actually get him sober in the end. Andrew is offered a PSU Exy scholarship because of the goalkeeping talent he displayed while playing in juvie, but refuses until they eventually give Aaron and Nicky scholarships as well as a deal. Nicky got Andrew and Aaron jobs as bartenders at a club/bar joint called Eden’s Twilight, lying about their age to do so. Andrew formed a small connection with fellow bartender Roland, and started hooking up with him in the employees-only back room. However, it was technically stautuatory rape, as Andrew was only seventeen and Roland was 23. Roland knew this and he still agreed, which is why i have many words on how much i hate his guts.

Once during a shift, four guys began harassing Nicky for being gay, beating him to a pulp on the sidewalk outside. Andrew took care of the situation by beating every single one of the guys nearly to death.

This little incident got Andrew on court-ordered antipsychotics and they all quit their jobs. but he’s not psychotic. This caused some extreme side effects of the medication. So for months and months, (this is before and throughout the first two books) Andrew walks around with a big manic smile on his face. He makes dumb little comments and laughs at bad times. His strict filter is completely removed. He absolutely hates taking them, but if he’s caught off of them he will be punished by law, so he made a deal with Wymack which allows him to be off his meds for half of every game before withdrawal kicks in. He also goes off them every night to sleep, and has Kevin keep hold of them. But by the time he begins vomiting and shaking from withdrawal, he begs Kevin to give them to him. In The Raven King, during a Thanksgiving dinner with a few teammates at Nicky’s parents’ house, Andrew has another incident with Drake, who was paid by Riko to find and assault Andrew once more for his own sick reasons. As the assault occurs, Neil and Aaron, Exy racquet in hand for protection, come looking for Andrew and end up breaking down the bedroom door. Almost instantaneously, Aaron enters the room and swings, slamming Drake through the skull and bludgeoning his head in, killing him. Later, following this incident, Andrew is sent to a rehabilitation center to get clean of his improper medication, as it has prevented him from properly coping with what happened to him, instead forcing him to turn it all to smiles and empty laughter. the doctor assigned to Andrew is a lackey for Riko, paid to inflict more pain onto the blonde. Dr. Proust uses everything in his power to destroy every last bit of Andrew’s dignity. In a shocking additional bit of information from Nora herself, we learn more details, such as; drugging him to make his head fuzzy and his body weak, using ward restraints to keep Andrew defenseless with the excuse that he’s a danger to himself and others, biting the scars on his wrists till they bruised, reenacting scenes from Andrew’s own trauma from details Riko paid to dig up, and, most of all, filming every single time it happened and sending the tapes to Riko. Andrew is the one who stops Neil from running away by slamming him in the stomach with an Exy racket.

More random info: Andrew says he doesn’t really care about Exy as a sport, he says he just plays it because it’s less boring than life. This is not known to be true or untrue. Andrew is a goalie with a number 03 jersey. Andrew wears pretty much only black, from muscle tees to turtlenecks to pea coats, basically all black all the time. Supposedly black platform shoes and such. For the first two books, Andrew has never received any consensual sexual touch. Andrew looks identical to Aaron, their only visible difference to most is the black armbands Andrew wears from elbow to wrist. Exy fans think it’s just his way of distinguishing himself, but Andrew really wears them to both hide his self-harm scars and sheath knives underneath them. Andrew smokes way too many cigarettes a day. Andrew’s favorite food is ice cream. Andrew has a very high alcohol tolerance. Andrew is very afraid of heights and sits on the roof of the dorm building to “feel something”. This makes plane travel for away games very difficult for him. Andrew hates the word “misunderstanding” almost as much as he hates the word “please”. Andrew speaks fluent german. Both the twins are very pale. Andrew is an absolute god at goalkeeping. Andrew is the second most buff person on the team, behind Matt.

Aaron Michael Minyard - [TW: substance abuse]

He/him. Same age, height, and appearance as Andrew; they’re identical twins. It is explicitly stated that they look so similar that the only way people can tell them apart is by either Andrew’s black armbands or Andrew’s manic smile.

Aaron is studying to become a neurosurgeon, and takes med classes. In the first book, Aaron begins seeing a Vixen (PSU cheerleader) named Katelyn Mackenzie. When Aaron and Andrew were still living with their mother, they made a deal that they will put each other first before anything, including relationships. Aaron did not break off this deal with Andrew beginning to date Katelyn, and for this Andrew despises Katelyn. Her appearance is not stated, but a majority of the fandom agrees as a running joke that she looks quite similar to Neil, in a funny bit that the twins may have the same type, though her appearance is up to personal interpretation. Most agree that she is taller than Aaron no matter what. She is also planning to attend medical school with Aaron after they graduate PSU. Aaron loves her, and in the future (after the books take place) the author confirmed that they get married and adopt a dog, a pug named Po, but they do not have kids. His mother, Tilda, was very physically abusive towards him. When Aaron was a young teen Tilda introduced him to drugs. She’d take them in front of him, therefore encouraging him to try.

He started taking any drug he could find to get himself high, including drinking cough syrup, but his biggest addiction was to painkillers. Tilda would get angry, but not because he was doing drugs, but because he would steal her cash to pay for them, or steal some of her own. Aaron was hooked and couldn’t quit, so when Andrew killed Tilda and they both went to live with Nicky, Andrew locked Aaron in their bathroom. For days Aaron tried any means to escape, pulling drawers out and throwing them at the door, punching the walls, and was in major withdrawal pain, crying and wailing on the floor and throwing up, he was a mess. He screamed for Andrew to Please let him out, please, but Andrew couldn’t hear that word without silent spiraling into his own mind. He eventually came out the other side clean and he had stayed that way since then. He considers it the worst period of his life, although he’s secretly thankful to Andrew for getting him sober. He still takes one drug, but it’s non addictive (i know, that’s why it’s fictional). Cracker Dust is a fictional drug in powder form that a few of the Foxes take; it is sweet like sugar and gets the user high like a mild version of cocaine, but has non-addictive qualities. He drinks a lot, too. At the team’s trips to Eden's Twilight, Aaron usually gets wasted and takes cracker dust before going off to the dance floor with a couple of the others.

More random info: Aaron has intricate unique handshakes with each of the bouncers at Eden’s. Aaron is 05, a backliner on the Exy team. Aaron blames Andrew entirely for the death of Tilda, and it takes a lot to even consider forgiving him. Aaron can be frequently found in his dorm room playing video games with Nicky and/or Andrew. Aaron wears simple clothes, with the exception of nights he spends at Eden’s, where he wears black clothes, oftentimes with leather. Aaron is quietly homophobic, most likely due to the strong christian views his mother and Nicky’s parents expressed around him, but he tries to get over this in therapy and, post-canon, eventually learns to get over it almost completely. Aaron also speaks fluent German.

Nicholas Esteban Hemmick - [TW: homophobia, suicidal ideation]

He/him. Most often nicknamed “Nicky”. Nicky is 5’10” and 23 years old. He is the cousin of the Minyard twins, and his parents are Luther and Maria Hemmick. Nicky is openly gay and proud, and his boyfriend of multiple years, Erik Klose, lives in Germany. Post-canon, Nicky stops playing Exy to move to Germany and in with Erik and gets a job working alongside Erik at a business firm before getting engaged and married, and adopting a dog together. Nicky is half Mexican, with light brown skin and shaggy almost-chin-length black hair and dark brown eyes. Due to Nicky and Erik’s long distance, they have come to an agreement that they can kiss other people, but do no more than that. Luckily, they stick together in the end because they’re very in love. Nicky is also a backliner, he is number 8 on the team. Both Luther and Maria, who were strict Christians, hated him for his sexuality. They still consider him a sinner and believe he has strayed far from God. They verbally abused him because of it when he was a child, possibly physically, though it was never confirmed or denied.

He was sent to conversion camp for six months to try and cure him when he was a teenager. While in that camp he very nearly killed himself and was horribly depressed. To get away from this bad familial situation, he took exchange classes for two years in Germany and stayed in a house with a family who took in exchange students, where he then met Erik, the caring son of the family. Nicky taught Erik more English than he already knew and taught him to speak fluently, and Erik taught him better German, and after a while of pining they got together. Nicky was uncomfortable and hesitant for a while because he believed everything his parents said about his sexuality, and often would escape to the nearest church in the middle of the night to pray for forgiveness about his “sinful thoughts” until Erik came looking for him, found him in the pews, and took him home. Eventually, Nicky forgave himself as much as he could and let himself be in a relationship with Erik, and it just got better from there. But when Tilda died, Nicky dropped the entire life he had built in Germany with Erik and moved back to America to take care of the twins. He was heartbroken to leave Erik but he loved his cousins more than anything. He treated them like his own kids and worked days and nights to pay for their house and food. He continued to love his cousins despite how badly they would treat him, often getting nasty homophobic remarks from Aaron or plain silence from Andrew. Nicky is sensitive, and struggled a lot with taking care of the twins, considering Aaron’s addiction, and Andrew’s violent stubbornness.

It was especially hard when he had to try and go about his day hearing Aaron yelling and sobbing in the bathroom in pain, because deep down he knew he needed to keep Aaron in there until he got better. It got more difficult when Andrew tried to protect Nicky and ended up in court, but he had Erik to call and talk to through it all. Nicky takes cracker dust with everyone else and dances drunk with Aaron and a couple others at Eden’s sometimes. Nicky, although he doesn’t have any romantic feelings for Neil, he is physically attracted to Neil and very open about that in the first book, often stating his attraction in sometimes predatory ways. It gets to the point where he holds Neil in his sleep (Neil does not know this until he wakes up with Nicky wrapped around him), makes out with him drunk despite Neil trying to push him away and telling him to stop, and says things like “Don’t let me get too drunk tonight,” while looking at Neil’s body, to which Andrew responds by holding a knife to Nicky’s stomach. As creepy as his actions were, he later gives an honest apology and Neil easily forgives him. It doesn’t take away what he did, but he understands now that it was bad.

More personal info: Nicky and Erik made a list of the five celebrities they’d each be allowed to hook up with if ever given the chance; Kevin Day, his own teammate, is #3 on Nicky’s list. Nicky is hyper and doesn’t know how to keep a secret (unless it’s genuinely very serious). Nicky can be quite sensitive but stands up for himself in the face of homophobia, unless it’s coming from his parents, where he tries to fight it before tucking his tail between his legs. Nicky is the reason the twins learned German in school. Nicky, although he takes Exy seriously and is a very talented athlete in the game, complains constantly while having to run laps. Nicky hates being alone in silence because it gives his thoughts a chance to catch up to him. Nicky covers up his lingering symptoms of depression with smiles and hyperactivity, though it gets especially hard when he’s really missing Erik.

Kevin Day -

He/him. Kevin is coach Wymack’s son, though he is the only one of the two who knows this until halfway through the third book when he finally decides to tell Wymack. not even the coach knew he had a son. He is 20 at the start of the trilogy and 21 by the end of the third book. Kevin is a striker, jersey number 2. Kevin is 6’1”. With dark hair and green eyes, Kevin is half Irish (thanks to his mother, Kayleigh Day), and half something else (thanks to Wymack).

Kayleigh Day invented the game of Exy before having a son. Kevin grew up with his mother and lived a good life until age five, when she was killed in a staged car crash. He was taken by the Moriyamas who staged the crash and was made to live alongside Riko and Nathaniel. Wymack got Kayleigh pregnant without knowing, and they didn’t stick together for long enough for him to find out, hence why he’s unaware of the fact he has a son. Riko, having the privilege of being the true son of the Moriyamas’ boss (and actually being very very talented at the sport) was given the title of number one. Kevin became known as number two, second best player ever under Riko. Riko was absolutely brutal on Kevin despite them being the same age. When they were teenagers, Riko forcefully tattooed a small number two onto Kevin’s left cheek to match the number one he put on his own face as a self absorbed act of control.

When Kevin was nineteen, Riko, in a fit of rage, broke Kevin’s dominant left hand. Kevin then left and signed with the PSU Foxes. He got an easy scholarship to attend school and play Exy at Palmetto State due to his talent and fame. Having joined the Foxes a year before the first book, he has taught himself to be ambidextrous to more easily play after his broken hand couldn’t heal properly due to lack of medical attention. Kevin has also created a lie to tell to the public when they ask about his hand; he says “I broke it in a skiing accident”. Kevin however didn’t leave all of the Raven’s behind, and is in a long term (and long-distance) relationship with one of their players, Thea Muldani. We don’t know much about her, as she only appears once, but what we do know is that she is an African American woman, often portrayed by fandom with long braids. The author said that later in their lives after the books, they marry and have a daughter. Whether their marriage is born out of true love or simply convenience, we still don’t truly know for sure. I vote for love because i like to be optimistic.

The author once said that although Kevin and Allison are not interested in eachother, if they had to hook up with someone else on the team with would be one another.

Kevin expects a lot from the rest of the team when it comes to their abilities on court. He takes Neil to the court practice late at night (like 10pm to 2am) and Andrew will come along 90% of the time just to watch from the bleachers and maybe once in a full moon join in as goalkeeper. Kevin believes Neil will make it to US court after college, he believes in his skills and abilities.

Kevin got in good with Andrew and his lot almost immediately after coming to PSU and Andrew became his bodyguard of sorts. They have a deal; Andrew will protect him from the Moriyamas no matter what unless Kevin asks him explicitly otherwise to break the deal. Although spending years with Neil when he was Nathaniel, Kevin does not recognize Neil as he’s older and under disguise. Kevin doesn’t realize that Neil is technically Nathaniel until Riko points it out (Riko knew the whole time of course) and mocks Neil for being the butcher’s son and Kevin hears and looks at Neil again and it clicks.

More random info: In earlier drafts of the books, Kevin Day was not dating Thea, and was instead actually dating both Neil and Andrew. A good chunk of the fandom headcanons Kevin Day as a repressed bisexual. The Foxes all know Kevin is really hardest on himself, that’s why they all let him push them to their limits on the court. Kevin Day is an alcoholic, but almost no one acknowledges it and it’s quite sad. It has become almost a joke now when it’s a genuinely serious issue. He most often drinks straight vodka.

Jean Moreau - [TW: heavy abuse, SA, suicide attempt]

French. Tall.

He/him. Jean is another one of the Ravens, 19 years old. Jean was born in Marseille, France. Jean is a backliner and jersey number 3 on the Edgar Allen Ravens. The Ravens’ dorm tower is called Castle Evermore, or more commonly, the nest. With pale skin, black hair, and gray eyes, Jean stands at 6’2”-6’3”. Jean, under Kevin, is Riko’s number three, meaning that he is in the inner circle with Kevin. Jean has a small number three tattooed under his cheek similarly with Riko and Kevin. Jean grew up in Marseille with his parents, but after they failed to pay off debts to the Moriyamas, they quickly decided to give up their only son as a replacement for the money. Without a second thought they gave up Jean when he was fourteen. Jean is a great Exy player, but due to Riko’s strict ratings of people, he’s deemed less worthy than Kevin. Jean’s partner, the Raven whom he must share classes and a room with, was named Zane. Jean has been tortured so much by Riko, it’s horrifying. Under Riko's supervision, Jean has broken six fingers (three that Riko made him break himself), was pushed down the Evermore stairs four times (bashing his head open two of those times), was waterboarded ten times for Riko's enjoyment, and was sexually assaulted five times by other Ravens under Riko's orders while Riko watched and sometimes helped restrain him. Riko didn't order a sixth time because the fifth time it happened, Jean gave up and didn’t protest, so Riko didn't find it amusing anymore. Jean was never given a single day to recover from these injuries before he had to be back on the court. One of the Ravens who assaulted him, Grayson Johnson, who was over eighteen at the time, had continued to hurt Jean after the first ordered assault.

Luckily, in the third book, Renee (another one of the foxes) sneaks into the Ravens tower and takes Jean from Evermore and brings him back to PSU, where he sleeps and recovers in the guest bed of the Foxes nurse, Abby. During his stay with Abby, he considers death by overdose on sleep medication, death by burning, and death in general. He is doing awful mentally, he has convinced himself that he is nothing if he’s not with the Ravens, that it is his place. He gets help becoming less pessimistic with Renee, who stays with him often.

In The Sunshine Court, Jean moves to LA, gets a scholarship in University of Southern California, and joins the USC Trojans. He moves in with team captain Jeremy Knox’s best friends and iconic lesbian couple Catalina Alvarez and Laila Dermott, later rooming with Jeremy when he stays with them once classes begin. After struggling with living without a partner, Jeremy offers his partnership to Jean, which he gratefully accepts. Jean grows close with the girlfriends, letting himself be taught how to cook and how to ride a motorcycle. He slowly learns to build trust with new people and find beauty in his life again. The Trojans help Jean through his trauma and Jeremy teaches Jean how to live and be a human. A ship between Jean/Jeremy is close to being confirmed and 100% expected as a definite thing to happen in the next and final book, though so far it’s just been tension.

More personal facts: Jean still speaks fluent French and has an accent, but Riko hated when anyone spoke a language he couldn’t understand and punished Jean if he heard him speak french. When Riko wasn’t in the room, Jean would teach Kevin French and they would speak to each other using it. While still in the nest, Jean had a solid plan to kill himself on graduation night. This plan was stopped when he was saved by Renee. The author said that the final draft was the only draft where he didn’t go through with that plan at the end of the book. In one of the late drafts, for this idea, he would have killed himself whilst on the phone with Kevin, traumatizing him more as well. The author said that Jean harbors some romantic feelings for Renee that are reciprocated, but Renee has a heartfelt conversation with a silent Jean saying that they’re the right people, but it’s the wrong time. Jean had a crush on Kevin while in the next and thought he was beautiful. It is unconfirmed whether or not Kevin knew about this and whether or not those feelings were reciprocated. Kevin knows Jean has had a crush on Jeremy for a long time now.

Riko Moriyama -

He/him. Japanese. Black hair, brown eyes. 5’5” in height. Kevin Day's “adoptive” brother. Son of Moriyamas’ boss. A striker on the Edgar Allen Ravens, jersey number one. Riko, alongside Kevin, is nicknamed “the son of Exy”. Riko was raised by his uncle, Tetsuji, in Castle Evermore. He was raised to only focus on becoming the greatest. Riko, Kevin, and Jean would have tutors come to them to teach them just so they didn’t have to leave Evermore for school. Riko was inseparable with Kevin throughout their youth, always on camera together. Riko has the number one tattooed on his left cheek, similarly to Kevin’s two and Jean’s three. Riko used a subtle form of control where he would never leave a Raven completely alone at any time. There were always at least two people in a room. This caused Jean great stress and discomfort when he was left alone in his guest room at Abby’s. Riko, as a result of the abuse he himself endured as a child, grew up to inflict the same on the rest of his team. Riko is a narcissist with a god complex, the number on his face symbolizing his supposed greatness as the best player in the history of Exy. Riko would make the team practice until they literally dropped like flies, passing out, and not letting them take breaks no matter the extent of their inflicted injuries.

After the highly anticipated Ravens vs Foxes Exy game at the end of book three, the Foxes won after no one ever having beaten the Ravens before. After a conversation with Neil, Riko’s brother, Ichirou, decided Riko was just a complicated nuisance who didn’t have any benefit and only made things worse. So he called a meeting at Evermore tower with both Riko and Neil, and had Neil watch as he shot his own brother, Riko in the head. He then placed the gun in Riko’s hand, leaving the rest of the world to believe it was a suicide, burdening Neil with the confidential information about the real cause of his death.

One extra fact: Riko speaks fluent Japanese and taught Kevin and Jean, too.

Natalie Renee Walker - [TW: SA]

She/her. Birth name Natalie Shields, most commonly referred to as Renee, Renee stands at 5’4” with white chin length hair dyed in pastel rainbow colors at the tips. Her race is mostly unspecified though she is almost always portrayed as having pale skin. She is 24 years old in book one. She is the Foxes other goalkeeper, jersey number 09. She rarely wears makeup and when she does it’s very little. She dresses in non revealing, more conservative clothes. Aside from on the court, she is otherwise always seen wearing a delicate silver cross necklace. When Renee was ten years old, her father murdered her mother. Renee ran away and was lured into joining a street gang. She slowly proved herself and went up the ranks, because she had nowhere else to run to and devoted herself to her life in the gang. After a short matter of years, she got into a violent conflict with a fellow member of the gang who had been sexually assaulting her and other girls before her. She knew he would continue on with other girls if she didn’t stop him. She knew the man’s favored weapon was the knife, so she practiced on her own knifing skills and eventually used the learned skills to kill the man in a physical fight. Unable to hide the death of a member, the gang found out about why she murdered him, and the gang leader didn’t get angry. He actually raised her status even more and played it off to the man’s family as if he was murdered by a member of a rival gang.

One day she was caught by the police on the streets for drugs, and put in the foster care system. She was soon adopted by a kind and supportive woman named Stephanie Walker who introduced Renee to Christianity and the sport of Exy, ultimately saving Renee’s life. Playing Exy became an outlet for Renee. She quickly deemed herself a Christian. In high school, her and future Foxes teammate Dan had a long-standing rivalry due to being captains of two rival Exy teams, and continued the rivalry for a little while after being recruited to the Foxes by Wymack. They eventually decided to be civil in order to hold their ground alongside Foxes teammate Allison against the sexist men on the first Foxes team lineup. By the time book one begins, all aspects of their rivalry are long gone and they are kind with one another. Upon attending PSU, Renee decided to major in Religious Studies. Despite her calm and careful demeanor, she is actually Andrew’s best friend on the team, though Andrew would never admit that to anyone else besides her. She says that although her religion won’t allow her to see everything eye-to-eye with Andrew, she respects and understands him more than anyone (other than Neil. She stays out of fights among the Foxes other than to try and mediate and deescalate the situation. She’s often referred to as a “sweetheart” by various members of the Foxes.

More random facts: Renee and Andrew are sparring partners and will spar with each other when Andrew is upset. Renee is never seen drinking in any of the books, likely due to her religious ideals. Renee loves orchestral and classical music. Post-Canon, Renee joins the Peace Corps, where she meets fellow volunteer Emilio, whom she falls in love with and has children with, the youngest of whom having the name Patrick. There are bets among the Foxes that Andrew and Renee are seeing each other in secret, mainly fueled by their close friendship and Renee asking Andrew to the Winter Exy Banquet as friends in book two, though she makes a promise to Allison that she will never date him, even explicitly telling Neil in book one that she “doesn’t date heathens”. After getting arrested, Renee’s father was soon killed in prison.

Danielle Leigh Wilds -

She/her. Usually referred to simply as Dan, she stands at 5’4”-5’7” with brown eyes and short brown hair that never goes longer than her ears. She is African American, age 21-22, and PSU Foxes Offensive Dealer, jersey number 01. She is assistant captain of the Foxes Exy team, under Wymack. She is very passionate about the people she cares about and refuses to tolerate people talking bad about the team. She is strict on the team, but in the way that she just wants them to cooperate (not kill each other) and work their hardest. Growing up, Dan lived in a mobile home with her usually pregnant Aunt, Cathey Wilds, and her Aunt’s children. To pay off their debts and keep from being homeless, Dan purchased a fake ID in high school and worked as a stripper. Her stage name was “Hennessy” and she had such a close relationship with her fellow strippers that she still refers to them as her sisters. Cathey had many men she would take home often, and when Wymack shows up at her home to recruit her, she quickly comes to the conclusion that he is there to sleep with Cathey, before he shoots her down and tells her his true intentions. She is initially in disbelief because she had been told that women do not get recruited for Exy. She was the first woman to be on an NCAA Exy team, and for this the public despised the Foxes even more than they already had (they were considered the worst team in the league) and her misogynistic male teammates insulted her openly. But she was very talented and the rest of the team eventually fell behind her. When the cousins arrive at PSU and join the Foxes, they take Dan to Eden’s to test her loyalty and she gains their trust/respect. Dan initially does not want to join a relationship because she feels targeted by the nasty looks men give her as everyone knows of her past in sex work, but then Matt joins PSU and the Foxes, and after a long time of gaining trust and building friendship, they fell in love. They have a very healthy romantic and sexual relationship, often sharing fierce hugs and kisses on the court after successful games.

More personal facts: Dan sees Wymack as a father figure. She did not like Allison for a long time, but without realizing it, they became close friends and the three girls shared a dorm. Dan treats Renee’s bruises and cuts after sparring with Andrew. Dan admires Neil’s hard work and, post-canon, makes him the next team captain after her graduation. Post-canon, Dan and Matt marry and have children together. Dan does not have a good relationship with the cousins or Kevin, and considers Andrew to be psychotic, although treating him an equal member of the team while on the court. It isn’t until the third book when she’s able to hold a civil conversation with Nicky. But despite her dislike of them, she is rarely overly nasty to them and supports their athletic career. Dan majored in Athletic Training and minored in Coaching.

Matthew Donovan Boyd - [TW: substance abuse]

He/him. 21 years old. Most commonly referred to as Matt. Standing at 6’4”-6’5” with Black gel-spiked hair, brown eyes, and chocolatey brown skin, Matt is a PSU Backliner, jersey number 04. He’s mostly seen with the girls, but upon Neil’s arrival he starts to consider him his best friend. Matt grew up in New York and his parents, Randy and Donald, split up when he was young. Randy, his mother, is a boxer with an irregular schedule which means Matt lives only with Donald, his father, who is a doctor. With Randy’s absence, Donald falls into a dangerous party scene involving drugs and alcohol, and encourages young Matt to join in and take part with him. Because of this, Matt becomes addicted to both cocaine and heroin at a young age, but upon Randy’s return, she decides to stay for a while to rehabilitate him. She taught him how to box and play Exy as a distraction, and over this time they bonded. When Matt is recruited to the PSU Foxes, he struggles to stay clean, and Randy administers Andrew’s help in getting Matt to stay sober. This is done by Andrew, the other cousins, and Kevin, taking Matt to Eden’s and giving him Speedball (a strong drug which consists of a combination of Heroin and Cocaine which is then injected into the skin). Matt suffers greatly from the near-fatal drug and almost dies. This scared him straight, showing Matt the true danger he was in and he quit once and for all. Randy took more time off of work to help him recover during this. Matt, although not happy about how it went down, does not hold a grudge towards Andrew for this as he understands that it helped him and he would be dead without the intervention.

More personal info: Nicky thinks Matt is physically attractive. Matt is buff and built strong but his personality is friendly and he’s the teddy bear of the group. He owns a large blue truck that Neil, Renee, and Allison ride in the bed of during Summer practices. Matt majored in Business Administration. The first time Donald met Neil in the third book, he rudely suggested that Neil have plastic surgery done on his face. Matt has faded but obvious track marks on the insides of both his arms.

Allison Jamaica Reynolds - [TW: ED]

She/her. Age 21-22. Allison is a PSU Foxes Defensive Dealer, jersey number 07. Standing 5’4”-5’7”, Allison is white with long platinum blonde hair and smokey-gray eyes. She often curls her hair. She often wears elaborate makeup and her closet is entirely designer clothes. She is proud and not stingy with money. She was a former heiress to the extremely wealthy Reynolds family, who is rich from owning luxury resorts and worth billions, who cut her off after she chose Exy over the family business. She was disowned and removed from the will. Before and during the first book, Allison is in an on-again off-again relationship with teammate Seth Gordon. She loves gossip, especially revolving around romance. Allison grew up with a severe case of bulimia and was hospitalized for it as a teen. She has since fully recovered as much as possible, with Wymack’s help.

More personal info: Allison enjoys modern pop music. Nicky once called Allison a “catty bitch”. Allison’s best friend is Renee, and although a good chunk of the fandom ships them, the author confirmed that they are just close friends. Allison drives a pink convertible. Allison majored in Fashion Design and minored in Marketing. Post-canon, Allison created and owns her own line of Fashion and makes a lot of money off of it. Post-canon, Allison loves dressing Neil in nice clothes.

Bryan Seth Gordon - [TW: substance abuse, implied suicide]

He/him. Age 24. Usually only referred to as Seth. Standing at 6’-6’2”, his appearance is almost entirely unspecified. There are many different head canons on what he looks like. A fairly common one, and my own personal one, is picturing him as white with a buzzed haircut and sharp cheekbones. Seth was a striker, jersey number 06. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Seth was the fourth of seven sons to parents Bryan and Rebecca, who never married. He was named after his father. When Seth was eight years old, his father left, hence his mother switching to calling him solely by his middle name. Rebecca worked three jobs and his older siblings raised him, but were very troubled and not good replacement parents. Seth was a problem child, and began playing Exy in fifth grade. He grew very close to his fifth grade teacher Mrs. Everetts and her husband, spending many nights having dinner with them, until they moved and “abandoned” him with no warning whatsoever. Between them and his father, when he joined the Foxes, Seth always believed that Wymack was bound to leave him too. Seth is clinically depressed and struggles with drug use. At the start of the books, Seth is the only male member left from the original PSU Foxes Exy lineup. Seth dislikes everyone on the team except for his on-and-off girlfriend, Allison.

He dislikes Neil from their first meetup and refuses to talk to him until Neil scores a goal against Andrew. Seth and Allison’s relationship is not all that healthy, and they have never dated for more than a few months at a time. Their first hook-up took place before the first book, and what happened was that they had gone to a frat party off campus and a man had tried to assault Allison and she had been too drunk to react, before Seth pushed the guy off and carried Allison back to her house and laying her in bed before settling on her couch. They hooked up the day after. When they are dating, they are sweet and just fine, but during the times when they’re not, they’re nasty and insulting towards each other. When they’re fighting, Seth tends to take time away and hang out with Matt. An incident at the end of book one occurs, and Seth is killed by Riko’s doing. It is staged as a suicide by drug overdose, he’s found laying on the dorm bathroom floor choked and drowned to death with his own vomit, but the Foxes have their suspicions as to what really happened. Allison keeps his ashes in an urn and is a mess for the following couple weeks. She eventually has his urn built into the fountain in her front yard.

More personal facts: Seth hated the effect that fame has on a person and said “I’m not worth less just because I’m less talented,”. Seth was majoring in Park, Recreation, and Tourism Management. Seth hated Nicky the most for his sexuality but also despised Kevin for his fame and frequently got into physical fights with the both of them, spewing insults and slurs. Seth was disgusted by the idea of Andrew and Renee becoming a couple due to how much he hated Andrew. Seth was easily provoked, and had a bad temper. Neil assumed his mood swings are the result of drug use. Seth was one of Neil’s roommates in the dorms in book one.

Erik Klose -

He/him. Erik has short dirty blonde hair and, (in my personal opinion bc he’s very lightly described), light stubble on his face. Assumed to be around age 24. Nicky’s eventual husband. They are so in love and it's very sad how they have to be an ocean apart for so long. Erik and Nicky frequently engage in facetime sex on their laptops. Nicky calls from his room in the Columbia house after nights spent at Eden’s with the team, Erik calls from his apartment in Germany. We know this both because Nicky is very open about his sex life. Erik is mostly fluent in English but most always speaks in German unless necessary otherwise. Erik and Nicky mot of the time only speak to each other in German. Erik grew up in a Christian family and continues to love God, but he grew up with the kind of religious family that believes homosexuality isn’t unnatural or a sin. Erik helped Nicky be comfortable with his sexuality and his religion. Nicky still loves God and himself now because of Erik’s support. Erik also helped Nicky recover from his severe depression and suicidal thoughts that occurred following conversion camp.

David Vincent Wymack - [TW: substance abuse]

He/him. Wymack grew up with a violent and angry father. As an adult, he vowed to make his Exy team a safe sanctuary for troubled young adults. His trauma caused him to become a borderline alcoholic and angry, but he makes it clear in the first book that even though he likes to yell and throw things, he will never, ever, hurt anyone without being provoked. His race is unspecified but most, including me, headcanon him as Native American for various reasons. Wymack has tribal flame tattoos on both his forearms. He cares for all the Foxes more than he’d ever say out loud, he cares for them like children. He’s hurt when he learns that Kevin is his son, because he realizes that his own son was getting abused and harmed throughout his childhood (by Riko) and he had no idea and couldn’t help him. Wymack is one of the first people to catch onto Andrew’s physical attraction to Neil, but he just says “this is below my paygrade” and inwardly groans to himself. His father was an alcoholic and started the genetic train of alcoholism that still affects Wymack and Kevin. Wymack’s step father tried to kill his mother, which landed him in prison.

Abigail Marie Winfield -

She/her. Most commonly referred to as Abby. Her appearance is mostly unstated aside from a blonde mid-length ponytail. She is the Foxes Exy team nurse, and Wymack’s former assigned therapist. She is kind and sweet but confident and will not hesitate to order someone around. Abby makes Nicky stop Andrew from drinking while on his meds, but Nicky isn’t great at enforcing this. When she does her first required physical on Neil in the first book, despite reassuring Neil by saying that she’s “seen worse”, she is obviously shocked by the excessive scars on his body. During the cousins’ first year at PSU, she housed the three and Kevin at her place off-campus. The Foxes have bets that Abby and Wymack are sleeping together due to them interacting a lot, Wymack making the passcode to the court Abby’s birthdate, and other various small things. This is confirmed in book three, and they are in a romantic relationship that lasts the rest of their lives. She has motherly instincts and pretty much thinks of the Foxes as her kids.

Betsy Jo Dobson -

She/her. Commonly nicknamed “Bee” by Andrew. Commonly agreed upon that Betsy has pale brown hair that goes to her chin, and she has relatively pale skin and a pudgier build. She has laugh lines on her face and wears narrow-rimmed glasses. She is the PSU Foxes team psychiatrist and the only therapist Andrew has ever trusted. When Andrew was put on his meds, he was assigned court-ordered weekly therapy sessions. He has never trusted or liked a therapist in the past and it started that way with Bee, but after he noticed that she treated him with more humanity and was a more favorable personality to him, he started to open up and now he tells her everything. At the start of every session, she makes both Andrew and herself a mug of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. She has a collection of glass animal figurines on her laptop stand that Andrew buys for her as an apology because during their first meeting he broke the ones she had by knocking them off her laptop stand and throwing them at the wall to see how she would react and felt guilty when she stayed completely calm and didn’t get angry with him. He continues buying her more every time he finds one she doesn’t have. It’s required for everyone on the team to see her at least once a semester, though they can schedule an appointment any time. Betsy previously worked in counseling at juvenile detention centers until she got her job at PSU. In juvie, she worked mainly on suicide watch. Betsy has OCD and her office is very neat and orderly. She is close friends with both Abby and Wymack. Neil does not trust Betsy because he does not trust therapists in general. He is, however, entirely supportive of Andrew’s relationship with her and understands that he needs her sometimes.

Zane Reacher - [SA]

Zane, with an unknown age and appearance, was Jean’s partner in the nest. When you had a partner at Evermore, whether you hated them or not, it was required to share your classes and strictly on-campus dorm room with them. Zane desperately wanted to make number 4 on Riko’s perfect court, directly behind Jean. Zane, fully aware of the sexual abuse Riko was inflicting on Jean, tried to protect him from it although he could not fully stand in the way of it without violent repercussions. He quickly learned about Grayson’s perseverance, understanding why he frequently showed up to their room at night, and he despised him for it. He and Jean had an agreement where Zane would try to keep Grayson away from Jean as much as he could. However, in a turn of events, Zane made the jealously-fueled selfish decision to turn his back and keep quiet when Grayson came to their room the next time, just telling Jean to keep it down. Fell in love with Raven teammate Clarissa, despite extreme hardships when it came to romance in the Nest.

Jeremy Knox -

Jeremy Knox is 23 years old. Shaggy caramel hair, white and tan from the SoCal sun, 6’1”.

Jeremy strongly dislikes being reminded of his last name, for reasons currently unknown. Jeremy’s parents are divorced and he lives in a large house with his mother, congressman stepfather who he separates himself from as much as possible, his sister Annalise, and his older brother Brayden whom he avoids at all costs. It is implied he has another sibling, though he refuses to discuss this even in his own point of view for similar unknown reasons. He also refuses to talk about a supposed incident at his first fall Banquet for which he was the subject of many vague rumors. Jeremy is gay, and it's implied that he has only had quick hookups in the past, no genuinely romantic relationships. On the outside, Jeremy is sunshine on Earth, just a very silly guy. A very silly guy who avoids cops like the plague for more related unknown reasons. We will learn much more about his very ominous past in TSC2.

One extra fact: It is confirmed that Jeremy is a service top.

Jack & Sheena -

you may hear these names sometimes in the fandom. these are two characters only mentioned in the author’s extra content. they are future Foxes, becoming part of the team when Neil is captain. very angry, very homophobic people. always trying to get a rise out of Neil, Jack with his snarky comments and Sheena with her sharp laugh like a hyena. you won’t usually see their names ever except for in fanfiction (same as below).

Robin -

again, another future Foxes member as described by the author’s extra content. Robin had a rough childhood growing up in captivity. when she joins the Foxes she becomes an honorary part of The Monsters (see below). She becomes a close friend of Neil’s when Andrew graduates and she helps Neil feel less alone. i like to forget she exists a lot not because i don’t like her but just because i don’t have really any feelings about her existence.

The Monsters -

the group name for Andrew, Aaron, Kevin, Neil, Nicky. the ones that go to Eden’s and Columbia together.

[mindyco]

I'm bringing back the idol MC because it needs more love! Why can I imagine these scenes so well!!! I just love the love and pride that these boys would give you, fully supporting what you do and love. Honestly, thank you Anonymous for giving me this idea!! ( ´⌣`ʃƪ) Artwork credit: @mys_s3

Scenario: The brothers' reaction to seeing idol MC on TV

Lucifer's pride swells within him as he watches you on TV, feeling a surge of admiration for your talent and hard work.

He can't help but notice the way your eyes light up with passion and determination, and it only strengthens his belief in your abilities.

He watches you with a keen eye, analyzing your performance and stage presence.

Deep down, Lucifer is beaming with joy, his heart brimming with affection for you and the way you shine on the stage.

He may not show it openly, but a small smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he watches you do what you love.

Mammon's excitement is infectious as he jumps up and down, unable to contain his pride and joy for your achievements.

He showers you with praises and adoration, constantly reminding you of how amazing you are.

He proudly boasts to anyone who will listen, "That's my MC right there! Look at how amazing they are!"

Mammon eagerly clings to every moment of your performance, capturing screenshots and sharing them with the other brothers, boasting about how lucky he is to have such a talented girlfriend. (teehee (´つヮ⊂))

Mammon may even try to mimic your dance moves, attempting to match your level of energy and charisma.

Leviathan's heart swells with adoration and devotion as he watches you on TV, unable to tear his eyes away from the screen.

Unbeknownst to anyone else, he secretly learns your choreography and practices it in the privacy of his room.

Leviathan sings along to your songs with unbridled enthusiasm, losing himself in the music and imagining himself dancing alongside you on stage.

Satan's intellectual curiosity is piqued as he analyzes every aspect of your performance, appreciating the artistic expression and the underlying messages in your music.

He appreciates the thought and effort that goes into your work and takes pride in your achievements.

Satan secretly researches your music, delving into the history and meaning behind each song, wanting to fully understand and support your artistic journey.

Though he may not show it overtly, Satan silently supports you and may even surprise you with in-depth discussions about your music and performances.

Asmodeus squeals with delight, overwhelmed by the beauty and glamour that you bring to the screen.

He instantly becomes your biggest cheerleader, spreading the news of your appearance to anyone who will listen.

He can't help but imagine all the fabulous outfits and fashion collaborations he could do with you, his mind already spinning with ideas.

He may even invite you to his room to discuss fashion and styling, excitedly suggesting glamorous outfits for your next performance.

Asmodeus showers you with compliments and offers his styling expertise, eager to see you shine even brighter in the spotlight.

Beelzebub's eyes twinkle with pride and genuine happiness as he watches you on TV, unable to hide his genuine joy for your success.

He reaches for snacks to munch on, savoring the flavors as he cheers you on silently.

Though he may not be the most vocal, his eyes never leave the screen, filled with admiration for your talent.

Beelzebub may even find himself humming your songs while doing daily tasks (working out, cooking, etc...).

Beelzebub's heart swells with warmth and love, feeling grateful to have you in his life and cherishing the moments when you bring happiness not just to him but to the whole world.

Belphegor's initial reaction is one of disinterest and feigned indifference.

He lounges on the couch, barely sparing a glance at the TV. However, as he catches glimpses of your performance, a small smile tugs at his lips.

Belphegor may pretend to be indifferent, but deep down, he finds comfort and solace in your music, embracing the calm and contentment that washes over him whenever he listens to your voice.

～𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

[lakka-arts]

HI heres a list of really great mcsm artists (personal recs)

mainly made for my friend @glitxhy-b0yy!!! :D who is a FANTASTIC artist themselves and has some great content on there!!

also partially as a self indulgent post to compliment my friends so lets go!! (yes this does mean that my opinions are going to be bias asf dont come for me--)

this is not a COMPLETE list but its just the artists that i can come up with off the top of my head-- might add more later!

polarized-here

polar's artworks is what i like to describe as comforting as it consists of neat lineart and cell shading with glowing effects! they're probably most commonly known for their admin!jesse au, which is a fucking BADASS au with the coolest concept artwork that i've seen?? like hands down, stunning with a stunning execution of it. polar's artwork are like,,, holy shit man. they're such a cool person :)

terracomets

rusty is a phenomenal artist AND writer who has an au series that i cannot recommend enough called Misfit Mania!! He has a BUNCH of great character designs, including ocs and other medias too! i consider him a jack of all trades bc no matter what fandom, no matter what kind of character it is, rusty always succeeds at great portrayal of them :DD his fav character is axel and as a result, he's got a bunch of fantastic axel artwork on his blog!! :)

mcs-art-etc/lukasdoodles

lukasdoodles has genuinely one of the most unique art styles that i have ever that is both adorable AND menacing /pos at times. their artwork consists of colorful lineart, and INSANELY detailed clothings, like oh my god. they're also INSANELY creative when it comes to it as well, putting in so many ruffles, and belts, and!!! so much more!! not only that but they have a bunch of blaze rods drawings on their blog!! including gill, who i think is one of the underrated characters in mcsm! they also do some animation every now and then, which is always so cool to see!!

zonerz

zonerz is one of those dual part artist and dual part writers with their great artwork and writing! they're really good at putting together lore and is super in-depth when it comes down to the nitty gritty! their armor drawings are really well done and i admire the attention to details with every single one of their drawings!!

zoomire

fel is one of the coolest fucking people i have ever met and #1 cassie rose fan. their artstyle reminds me of traditional paintings that you would find in a museum, like it is so refined and their character anatomy is ON POINT with how they draw muscles and scars so realistically. their aiden design is also one of the most dazzling to me bc of how they incorporate lightning into his scars. ALSO a huge aidrose fan if not THE president of the goddamn ship. they have so many character analysis on them both together and separately and they're always written SO WELL WITH SO MUCH RESPECT TO THE SOURCE MATERIAL.

a lost crow

crow has a bunch of fantastic mcsm content but one of their most fascinating ones is their command!lukas au, which has a whole story to go alongside it but i won't spoil it ;) and their individual jesse au where every single jesse has their own personality traits and they're so unique and well written!! absolutely love both au to bits!

acraftedmistake

acraftedmistake's art is unique in the sense that it is purely traditional and takes great advantage of paper texture as well as textures from markers and pens to make its presence known! to add to that, they do a bunch of mcsm work themed around horror! i do need to put a warning that they sometimes involve gore though it is very artistically done!! phenomenal artist!!

zhezhy

Zhenya has enough content to the point where i can make an entire POST this long to talk about her and the absolutely stunning drawings she makes about mcsm, particularly about the old order of the stone. she excels at drawing ivor, harper, and soren the most, though she has dwelved into other characters that haven't had the most light shed on them. my absolute favorite thing about her artwork is her artstyle because it is this GORGEOUS sketchy style where both the colors and the lines express themselves SO WELL and SO EFFECTIVELY! i can go raving mad about it honestly

offeathersandcube/novatheastropirate

Nova's artwork, i would like to define it, is filled with love and care. Her lineart and coloring patterns are colorful and light, as if they were drawn for the illustration for a book series, filled with so much delight. Nova's specialty is how she both writes and draws Ellegaard with so much appreciation for her character and through her portrayal of her. It's nothing short of dedication and heart. Nova's other works are also great as well and they do a lot to show Nova's artistic talent.

[solreads]

I Was Born For This Review

Title: I Was Born For This

Author: Alice Oseman

Genre: Contemporary

Audience: Young Adult

Format: Novel

Representation: Trans man POV character

Summary: Fereshteh “Angel” Rahimi lives for the Ark, an internationally famous boyband. They show her love is real when she can’t see it anywhere else in the world. When she and her friend Juliet finally get tickets to see the Ark live and meet them in person, Angel knows her life is finally going to make sense; she is finally going to be happy.

Jimmy Kaga-Ricci, frontman of the Ark, is losing control. He loves his fans (really, he does). He loves sharing his music worldwide. He loves the support he gets and the reassurance he gives as a famous, out trans man. He is living his childhood dream alongside his best friends. But the higher the Ark’s fame rises the more his anxiety consumes him, the more he has to play up the persona his fans fell in love with, and the more he’s cut off from his family and struggles with his friendships.

As the concert grows closer, Angel’s friendship sours, and her parents' doubts keep raising questions she can’t answer. Leaks to the press and the impending signing of a new contract widen the cracks in Jimmy’s closest relationships and swell his anxiety and paranoia to new highs. When an act of violence throws Jimmy’s and Angel’s lives together, it sets off a cascade that allows both of them to redefine themselves.

Reflections: I didn’t connect with this one as much as some of Alice Oseman’s other books. In part, I think it’s because I have never really gotten the sort of fan culture that is the main focus of the book. Both the main characters have some interesting internal struggles – Angel with throwing herself into one interest to avoid the fact that she is dissatisfied and doesn’t know what she wants with her life and Jimmy with allowing something he loved to grow into something that leaves him trapped and cut off from everything else in his life. But it was hard initially to get attached to Angel when she was entirely defined by an uncomfortable and unexamined parasocial relationship. It also may have been because I wasn’t fully satisfied with the resolution of their character arcs. The ending started to do a lot rather quickly leading into what’s framed as a happy or at least hopeful resolution for all the characters, but I don’t know, it didn’t feel to me like I fully saw them reaching the place where the ending implies them to be, character-wise. That said, I enjoyed much of the middle section of the book as the characters and the nature of fandom (from its worst to its best aspects) were given more depth. I always feel like Alice Oseman does a good job at giving all her characters complete, rounded inner worlds that draw together their surface behaviors/thoughts/motivations with the underlying ones they might not recognize in themselves.

Warnings: Brief depiction of transphobia.

Notes on Rep: MC identifies explicitly, on-page as a transgender man.