#also want canon x oc fics

[theskullkid]

making an ao3 account with the intention to both read and write but also having none of the SLIGHTEST idea where to dive in at on either is currently taking over my mental state rn

[myokk]

before it felt like a sin, ch. 1

pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

word count: 3000

summary: Eloise never wanted to be different.

And yet, her differences are what have defined her life up until this point: growing up as a squib in one of the most prominent wizarding families, being exiled to muggle society, and then attending Hogwarts at the age of sixteen.

She finds herself thrust into the life she should have been prepared for from birth but was denied. As she navigates this new life and her new precarious position in her family, she must come to terms with the fact that maybe what she dreamed of her whole life isn't turning out how she ever expected it would.

a/n: Hi everyone!! I decided to post this here too...I'm slowly going through everything I've written so far, and I want to post each chapter here as I edit them. I'm hoping that this can be a way to a) get back in to writing more, and b) get better at my art as I make full illustrations for each chapter. Let me know what you think!! :)

There is nothing quite as horrible as being a muggle, Eloise thought savagely as she ripped out yet another stitch in the landscape she was embroidering. At least, it was supposed to be a landscape. Maybe with her head tilted to the left and with her eyes almost closed so everything blurred together, it might resemble one. She did just that, trying her hardest to make out some recognizable shape and blast the stupid practice of manually pushing colored thread through a fabric in some sort of -

“And what is this, Miss Babbit?”

Eloise jumped at the sound and looked up at the scowling face of her teacher, and then quickly back down at the tangled thread in her lap. Behind her, she could hear the hushed giggles of the other girls in her class.

“Oh! Er…it’s -”

“How long have you been here?” the woman interrupted.

“One hour…I just -”

“Don’t be smart with me. I mean, at this institute.”

“Five years.” Eloise glared down at her embroidery as if it had personally offended her. It wasn’t like she was actively trying to be bad at everything, but she had the distinct disadvantage - how had it ever come to be that she would be at a disadvantage to muggles? - of not having spent a lifetime being prepared for muggle society and all that it entailed. The last five years had been a monotonous, endless cycle of lessons designed to turn her into the perfect lady: French (a waste of time as Eloise was already fluent), embroidery (a waste of time as the things she embroidered weren’t actually useful), dancing (a waste of time as she was already engaged to be married - why would she bother trying to woo another silly man?), and her most dreaded class of all: etiquette. No matter how many years had been spent trying to assimilate into muggle culture, her thoughts still got muddled when she tried to remember the steps to a dance, or how to properly address the son of a duke.

Did it really matter, anyways, what the other girls thought? She had pretended her whole life to be the daughter she thought her parents had wanted - now she was simply pretending that she hadn’t been thrown into the muggle world without a second thought. What was a bit more pretending - that she didn’t care? That she hadn’t been tossed aside without a second thought?

“Exactly. Five years. And yet, you have shown no progress whatsoever. This -” a finger jabbed accusingly at the embroidery - “is absolutely horrendous. If your parents hadn’t continued to make such a sizeable donation every year, I would have deemed you a lost cause and sent you packing when you first arrived. How your family ever managed your betrothal to the son of an earl is beyond me.”

Eloise grimaced at the mention of her fiance as her teacher clapped her hands together to get the attention of the class - a wholly unnecessary action due to the fact that it was already being given. “Class is dismissed. Please collect your belongings and put them in the correct place. Remember, as future wives and mothers, you must be organized in all aspects of your life. Many of you will be managing important households and the slightest misstep -“ a slight glance to Eloise out of the corner of her eye - “can cause the biggest of scandals.”

Eloise raced to gather her things and leave the classroom before everyone else. No matter how many years had been spent at the school, she couldn’t help but hate sitting through the classes amongst the judgmental stares and snide remarks. Although things had started out shaky at the finishing school - to be expected, really, when you’ve grown up in wizarding society and then are then forced to live as a muggle - it still stung that after all these years, she still hadn’t found a friendly face. She was treated as if she were a pariah: it was as if the other girls just knew that something was different about her. But…wasn’t that the great irony of it all? She wasn’t different than them. She was a filthy squib.

When she first arrived at the school, she was an anomaly. A twelve-year-old girl who didn’t know how to play the piano or who the queen was. It was clear to everyone that Eloise wasn’t the charity case of the school - her parents were obviously quite wealthy - and yet they seemingly wanted nothing to do with her. Whereas the others got regular letters and visits from their family, it was as if Eloise were an orphan. Nothing new to her of course, but to her peers this otherness aided them in her ostracization.

Upon entering her room, she was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts. Something wasn’t right. Everything seemed the same: a twin bed perfectly made opposite a small wardrobe, a plain wooden desk placed between them. The weak afternoon sunlight shone through the window, illuminating her desk. But…there.

That…

Placed on her bed, resting on the pillow, was a letter.

She never received letters.

Eloise shoved her embroidery under her bed and hungrily grabbed at it, pausing when she saw the address. Miss E. Babbit. The Third Bedroom on the Left… It seemed vaguely familiar to her in a way she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

As she read the letter, though, it became apparent to her exactly why this was. Although not exactly the same as the one her brother had received six years earlier, it quickly became apparent that this was a Hogwarts letter. For her. For Miss E. Babbit.

Hands shaking, she set the letter down on her desk and sat on the edge of her bed. She smoothed her hands over her skirt over and over, taking comfort in the familiar softness as she tried to even her breathing.

How was this possible? She had all but accepted the fact that she was a squib. The shame of her family, a dirty secret to be hidden away and never talked about or mentioned again. Her parents had suspected as much by the time she had turned seven without any signs of magic whatsoever manifesting around her - not even a basic transformation of brussel sprouts to sweets during dinner. It was ultimately confirmed, however, when her own Hogwarts acceptance letter never arrived. She had spent the whole year before her banishment daydreaming about her life at Hogwarts, still optimistic that there could be something magical inside of her. Her brother, Leo, came home every holiday with wonderful stories of his new friends and teachers, and the subjects he was learning at school. Even back then, at twelve years old, Eloise hadn’t been sure if he was actually hopeful she wasn’t a squib, or if he had been trying to prolong the fantasy for her before it all came crashing down.

Although she had had five years to come to terms with her new life, there was still a small part of her that hoped. A small “what if…”. She had tried time and time again to squash that tiny ray of optimism that would escape every so often, tried so very hard to cultivate a hard exterior that wouldn’t let any sort of vulnerability shine through. And that optimism was a vulnerability, after all. It was that vulnerability that had made it absolutely impossible for her to fit in the muggle world, and made it so that she didn’t really want to try.

Five years to come to terms with the fact that she needed a new purpose for her life and…

…not anymore?

Eloise grabbed the letter and greedily read through it again, drinking in all of the words. She paused at the end, thinking. Was this a forgery? Some sort of awful joke orchestrated by her brother? Leo had never been cruel to her in the past; in fact, he was the one who always encouraged her and was the most probable source of the small optimism that remained within her. However, she had no way of knowing how he had changed since she had last seen him. It had been, after all, five very long years. And not once had she heard from him, even though he had promised her through huge sobbing gulps that he would never abandon her. Maybe their parents had slowly poisoned him against her. It would be right on the nose for them, after all.

Looking at the envelope again, however…Third Bedroom on the Left…no. It was too specific. Nobody in her previous life had any reason to even want to contact her again, and nobody in her current life even knew what Hogwarts was, let alone have the ability to convincingly forge a letter just to have some fun at her expense.

A light, bubbly feeling began to spread throughout her body as it sunk in that this was real. She was going to Hogwarts. Soon, a - squinting at the letter again - a Professor Fig would be contacting her and giving her things to study. A huge grin slowly spread across her face and she hugged the letter to her chest as she fell back on her bed. She read through it again. Was it the fifth time already? It felt as though no amount of times rereading the letter would ever be enough.

Eloise got up and walked over to look at the calendar on her desk. She was surprised to see that September 1st was in only two days. The days at the finishing school moved in such a strange, sluggish way. They all felt the same. Monotonous. French and Latin and embroidery and household management and Merlin even knows what else all blending into each other in an endless parade of dusty classrooms and gossip and boredom.

The light feeling left her in an instant as, after years of practice, the optimism was squashed back down. But how will you even get to London? And, her brain added sneakily, you haven’t even shown any signs of magic. Maybe you’ll just be returned back here after they realize their mistake.

No, she thought fiercely, gripping the letter. Until -

A tapping came from the window. A tentative smile returned at the sight of a tawny brown owl with another envelope in its beak. She ripped it open as soon as it was in her hands (again addressed to Miss E. Babbit) and along with the letter a small, purple pouch fell out of the envelope and onto her bed.

Miss Eloise Babbit,

I am pleased to be the wizard charged with such an important task as escorting you to Hogwarts in two days’ time. It is something extraordinary to be accepted in your fifth-year, and as such, I expect extraordinary things from you. I have enclosed a small pouch along with this envelope, and in it are some items that will be vital to you in the upcoming days. I have included books for you to study at your leisure, and a small gobstone that will bring you to our rendezvous point in London. All you have to do is touch it at noon on the 1st and you will be transported instantly.

Your family has not been informed of your acceptance. I am sure you understand why - at this, Eloise scoffed quietly to herself - which is why I will personally be your escort.

I am looking forward to meeting you and bringing you to the sorting ceremony in two days’ time.

Yours,

Eleazar Fig

The handwriting was tiny and spidery and cramped, but it didn’t stop Eloise from reading it with the same vigor as the previous letter and as many times. Finally, she turned to the small pouch that had fallen onto her bed when she opened the second envelope. It must have had an invisible extension charm, because it was filled to the brim with books on basic spellwork and general wizarding history. Professor Fig had no way of knowing, but Eloise had already read many of these books and many more during the year her brother had started Hogwarts, as she had needed to know absolutely everything about what would be awaiting her. A few years may have passed since she had stepped foot in her family’s library, but she couldn’t get the books or their contents out of her brain even if she had wanted to. She had really wanted to forget everything she knew about the magical world when it was confirmed she was a squib but it was a futile effort. As she zoned out during her piano lessons, she would find herself mentally going through the movements to cast different charms.

It was painful to be thinking about things from the life that had been ripped away from her, to know that what she was thinking about would never come to pass, that she would never be able to wield magic - and yet she couldn’t find herself able to stop.

As Eloise picked out one of the books and settled into her armchair, a steely resolve overcame her.

She would prove that she deserved to be there, and was just as capable as any of they were. She would make her parents regret ever discarding her like she was nothing.

She was worthy. She was capable. And she would prove it.

The morning of September 1st dawned cold and rainy. Absolutely perfect.

Eloise had pretended to be sick the night before, and no one had suspected a thing when she stayed in bed long after all of the other girls had gotten ready and headed to breakfast. As the last of the chattering faded away down the hallway, Eloise finally got out of bed and prepared herself for the day. It was difficult to sit still long enough to braid her hair. Her fingers wouldn’t stop trembling and she had to restart countless times. Finally, she tied the black ribbon at the end into a neat bow and turned to the drawer of her desk to retrieve the small purple pouch she had hidden away.

Everything she deemed important enough to come along with her had already been placed inside: the books from Professor Fig, the hair ribbons gifted to her by her brother many years ago, and some clothing. Nothing else was coming with. She needed the fresh start. Besides, anything else she might need would be supplied, as her acceptance letter had specifically stated that any school supplies would be provided to her.

Waiting the hours before noon came along proved to be more difficult than Eloise had imagined. Time seemed to be moving slower than the molasses that had come with the breakfast sent up to her, the steady patter of the rain becoming a sort of metronome keeping time as she paced back and forth. Wasn’t there anything that could distract her, even for a bit? She glanced at the clock. Only five minutes had passed since the last time. 10.35.

The second hand ticking away in tandem with the sound of rain splashing against her window.

What if this was all a trick? What if she arrived at Hogwarts, and they turned her away because they realized they had made a mistake? After all, why would they admit a sixteen-year-old? Surely she was too old; every other student had started Hogwarts at the age of twelve and had shown signs of magic much earlier than that. She still hadn’t shown any signs of magical capability whatsoever, and didn’t feel any different than she had before receiving the letter. It had to be a fluke.

As her thoughts started veering into the melancholy she was prone to, she shook her head. No. Today was a happy, exciting day. She wasn’t going to squash the optimism down today, not when she needed it most. All of these thoughts she was having were simply that: thoughts. Not reality. Hogwarts never made a mistake, and in all of the history books she had read, she couldn’t recall an instance of someone being turned away at the door. Granted, she had also never heard of someone being admitted so late. But, better to focus on what she did know, which was that she had gotten the letter. It must be right in its assumption that she had magic.

Trying to pass the time was easier said than done. She ended up quizzing herself on all of the charms she had memorized in the books sent by Professor Fig, moving an imaginary wand in the precise movements needed to successfully cast and focusing on her pronunciation. She had studied all of these forms late into both nights she had had the books, and when she would eventually close her eyes to sleep, the wand movements were all she saw.

Eloise was determined that she would receive pity from nobody. Nobody was going to look at her like she was lacking. She had gotten enough of that to last a lifetime, and now that she was given this opportunity she wasn’t about to waste it.

When noon finally struck, Eloise was ready and waiting. She eagerly grabbed the gobstone that was sitting on her desk and felt the familiar tugging sensation in her navel as she was whisked away to London and the beginning of her new life.

next chapter

[shroomerr]

You guys ever read the most beautiful, jaw dropping, feet kicking, leaves you with a feeling of yearning fic that it possesses you? yea that was me anyways here’s vampire Kyle and his annoying assigned bodyguard who’s also a witch

(ALSO IF YOU WANT TO READ SAID FANFIC ITS A KYLE X READER FIC CALLED ITS FALLING FOR THE IDEA BY FEDOSAURUSREX ON AO3 THAT INSPIRED ME TO WHIP THIS WHOLE AU UP)

[venbetta]

Mild blood warning

Thought of that one scene from Monsters Inc... but it's werebear!Freddy

[cezlock]

says man who is worse

[aces-naughty-corner]

There needs to be more pegging/bottom and sub Zoro fics

[trixibebe]

oc x canon - Greeting That first kiss in front of everyone*

*technically Ichiban wasn't there at the moment

[devotedlystrangewizard]

sometimes i still go back to my shaytham fics just to read the comments because nothing makes me feel better as a fanfic writer than "whoa ur characterization is so good i love how you write them" multiple times

[myokk]

before it felt like a sin, ch. 3

ch.1, ch.2

pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

word count: 2300

summary: Eloise never wanted to be different.

And yet, her differences are what have defined her life up until this point: growing up as a squib in one of the most prominent wizarding families, being exiled to muggle society, and then attending Hogwarts at the age of sixteen.

She finds herself thrust into the life she should have been prepared for from birth but was denied. As she navigates this new life and her new precarious position in her family, she must come to terms with the fact that maybe what she dreamed of her whole life isn't turning out how she ever expected it would.

a/n: this is how I wish the duel could have gone in the game...😇🙏

I also want to reiterate that this fic is REALLY CANON DIVERGENT!!!!! I will NOT be following the game’s plot at all really with this (it really starts to diverge around chapter 6/7 maybe I don’t remember), and I don’t see Eloise as the game’s MC either.

Eloise was being woken up altogether too soon for her tastes. Something soft was hit her face, and she sat up groggily, pushing it away. She blinked as she looked around, not recognizing her surroundings. It was disorienting not knowing where she was, although, as she rubbed her eyes, it was slowly starting to come back to her…Something happened yesterday, she thought. I…

“Come on, sleepyhead!” exclaimed Imelda, throwing more clothes on top of Eloise. “The house elves left these last night at the foot of your bed while we were sleeping. If you don’t hurry up, there won’t be any more food left for breakfast. And, you know that the first day of classes is the most important…”

As she continued rambling on, Eloise got up and started putting on her school robes. A dark grey tartan skirt with dark green and silver stripes, a cream button-up with puffy sleeves that she tucked into the skirt, a black ribbon to tie around her neck, and her Slytherin robes on top. She didn’t know how to feel about the day that was ahead of her; she felt a strange mixture of elation and apprehension.

“…you’re taking too long. I’ll wait for you in the common room,” Imelda concluded, giving Eloise one last look before striding out of their dormitory. All of the other girls had already gotten ready and left for the morning, which wasn’t really a surprise to Eloise. As soon as her head hit the pillow the second time, she had fallen into a deep sleep and hadn’t heard the bustle of the girls preparing themselves for the day.

She finished lacing up her boots, and after one last glance in the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place, headed out to find Imelda.

When Eloise walked into the atrium, she was struck by how different it felt in the morning. It was truly as beautiful now as it had been eerily peaceful the night before. Once again, light piano music playing in the background - Eloise smiled to herself, recognizing the Gymnopédies by Satie. Her piano lessons had been the only bearable classes at the muggle school, and she had excelled at the instrument, often practicing during her free time.

The piano music blended in with the murmurs of students standing or sitting in small groups around various tables filled with breakfast foods and scrolls of parchment. The greens and blues coming through the windows felt refreshing, and the whole room was glimmering under the reflections of the water playing across various surfaces. She could see plants swaying under the water, with schools of fish weaving between them. It felt…magical.

Eloise’s eyes were drawn to Ominis and she started walking to him, standing by the same window where they had been sitting earlier. Instead of being in shadow, however, he was now illuminated by the rays of sun shining through the water. He was smirking to himself as he listened to the two first-years next to him. As she got closer to them, Eloise heard them speculating about the possibility that they would get to see a mermaid.

“Oh! I think I just saw one!” one shouted at his friend, pointing out the window. “Oh, wait…it was just algae.”

Eloise walked up to Ominis, smiling despite herself. 

“Is this your idea of a good time?” she asked him, while he was simultaneously asking her how she had slept. They both paused as soon as they heard the other start talking, and then both started speaking at the same time after an awkward pause.

“Oh…I’m sorry. I…I slept well,” Eloise said, blushing. “And you?”

“As well as I ever do,” he replied. She noticed that the dark circles under his eyes were still very prominent, although they didn’t look eerie in the morning light. He indicated the first-years with a jerk of his head, changing the topic. “I doubt mermaids find us that interesting. I rather think they purposefully avoid our common room so as to not be treated like creatures in an aquarium.”

Eloise laughed at that and tilted her head playfully. “And just where did those two even get the idea that they might see a mermaid?”

“That, my dear, is a mystery. I surely have never seen one before,” Ominis said, standing up straight and taking his wand out. “I have been hearing a lot of chatter about you this morning, you know. It seems like reality has been mixed with fantasy in the tales of your journey here, and nobody knows the full truth.”

“Except for you,” Eloise pointed out, stepping into place next to him as they walked through the common room. She spotted Imelda, supervising some students playing chess and instructing them on the moves they should be doing. Imelda looked up and saw Eloise, and interrupted her own advice mid sentence.

“Eloise!!” Imelda bellowed as she practically ran across the room. Was this girl ever not purposeful in everything she did? The students around them looked up from what they were doing to watch her, and maybe get the chance to hear a first-hand account of what actually happened to Eloise. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were attacked by a dragon last night?”

“Oh, er…” Eloise couldn’t figure out how to respond to the other girl. Imelda didn’t seem worried or scared about what Eloise had gone through the previous day; rather, she seemed indignant that she hadn’t been told about the attack. Beside them, Ominis was laughing.

“It must have been terribly exciting,” Imelda went on, ignoring any response Eloise may have started giving. “A real dragon and all. I wish I was with you guys, I’ve actually prepared for what I would do in that very situation. I would definitely have diverted its attention away from you on my broomstick, and actually the best strategy would have been to…”

“I doubt you really would have been able to do anything,” Eloise interrupted. “It was terribly frightening, but at the same time the whole thing was over so quickly that I haven’t had time to process it yet.”

“Well, you can tell me about it on the way to breakfast. Maybe once you learn how to ride a broom, we can practice what to do together. You have first-hand experience, after all!” Imelda looped her arm through Eloise’s. She shot a look to Ominis. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking her now. We have a long day ahead of us, lots to do you know. The usual. Anyway, Sebastian’s coming over so it’s not like I’m leaving you completely alone.”

Before Eloise could even react, she was being marched up the spiral staircase that led out of the Slytherin common room and they were off to breakfast.

“Duelists, take your mark,” Professor Hecat said to the two students standing on top of the platform in the middle of the room. The duelists in question looked at each other warily, steadying their wands. Eloise was exhilarated. This was the type of class she had been daydreaming about while she sat wasting her time embroidering landscapes.

Professor Hecat hadn’t wasted any time putting the students to work. Although at first, many of them had scoffed at the thought of Leviosa being a useful spell in combat, Eloise listened attentively and focused on the correct wand movements. Maybe it didn’t actually matter, but she was determined to make sure that nobody would think that she didn’t deserve to be there. She had a lot of catching up to do, but between the books Professor Fig had given her and the knowledge she retained from reading from her family’s library as a child, she already knew a lot. She was quite pleased when the feather levitated as soon as she said the incantation, as there were other students who struggled to get theirs to even twitch in an upward direction.

Now, Eloise gripped her wand tightly in her hand, shifting a bit as she stared Sebastian in the eyes. He had said that she would get ‘a proper Hogwarts welcome’ and she was looking forward to it.

If the rumors she had heard before class were true, Sebastian was the best duelist in their year, and quite possibly at Hogwarts. Although she felt a little apprehensive at the thought of facing him, she hoped that he wouldn’t hold back on her just because she was new. Even if she had fought the guardians yesterday in Gringotts, she wanted to prove to herself that she could keep her wits about her in the heat of battle. 

Maybe her stance was a little too stiff, her movements too by the book. But that could only be changed with experience.

Sebastian smirked slightly to himself, no doubt thinking that this would be an easy victory. In the background, Eloise heard Professor Hecat say they could begin, but she was more focused on her opponent’s face. As soon as she saw him raise his wand and begin to open his mouth, she shouted “Protego!” and the shield blocked the spell he attempted to send shooting her way. His eyebrows raised in surprise - apparently he hadn’t been expecting her fast reflexes.

Quick as a whip, she shouted out “Levioso” and Sebastian was in the air. She hit him with a few more curses before he fell to the ground, breathing heavily. He pushed himself up quickly and went back into position. Wand out, now more wary of her capabilities. He blocked her next attack and went in for one of his own, which hit her shoulder. Eloise hissed in pain and immediately shot out a volley of quick jabs in his direction, a few hitting their mark before he put up a shield.

Sebastian was grinning as they circled each other, looking for an opening. The rest of the class surrounded the platform they were on, cheering them on. Both continued to attack and put up shields, without any clear winner in sight. It was obvious that they were very evenly matched.

“I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said as they were catching their breath between attacks. “I haven’t had a fight this good in a long time.”

Eloise just grinned in response, before shooting off another spell in his direction. It was expertly blocked with a flick of Sebastian’s wrist; in response he volleyed off a jinx towards her.

Eloise crumpled to the ground, yelping as she grabbed her ankle. Sebastian was immediately at her side, crouching down and looking at her with concern.

“Eloise? Are you okay?” He looked down at her ankle and then abruptly looked up and back at her face, a faint pink redness dusting his cheeks. He may have been dueling her, but it was distinctly different to be so close to her like this.

In response, Eloise grinned mischievously and quickly levitated him off the ground, getting to her feet at the same time. With a few quick curses sent his way, soon Sebastian was lying sprawled on the ground outside of the little arena Professor Hecat had erected.

“Not fair,” Sebastian exclaimed, rushing to his feet. He looked at Professor Hecat, who was looking between the two with a pleased smile.

Eloise smirked at him, only responding with, “Slytherin.”

Sebastian laughed and ran his fingers through his hair, making his brown curls even unrulier than they had become in their duel. He held his hand out to her and she shook it formally. “Good duel. You can definitely hold your own and I won’t underestimate you again.”

Professor Hecat clapped her hands together to get the attention of the class. “I hope you all paid attention to these two. Ten points to Slytherin for an excellent demonstration of what we learned today. On Wednesday, we will continue with practical application of the techniques learned during this class. I expect to see flawless wand work and concentration. I demand excellence from my students as I know you are all capable of achieving it. Class dismissed.”

As Eloise was gathering up her things, Sebastian sidled up to her. “Really, that was quite impressive. You seemed stiff at first, but it would seem you have fought before. You definitely give as good as you get.”

Eloise blushed and tucked some strands of hair that had come undone behind her ear. “Well, really, I had only read about the techniques before. Haven’t really had much time to put all of that theory to use yet.” She smiled shyly ad Sebastian, who was looking at her with his jaw open. “You fight really well, too. I had to use all of my focus. It’s kind of exhausting, actually.”

“But exhilarating, right?” Sebastian asked eagerly. The two of them started to head out of the classroom together, dwindling behind the rest of the students. Entirely absorbed by their conversation. “Everything else goes out of focus and the only thing in the world is you and your opponent.”

“Yes! Exactly that,” exclaimed Eloise. “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

“Well,” Sebastian said slowly, dragging the word out as he thought. “You know, there might be a way. To continue. I normally would never do this, but…you know…”

“Know what?” Eloise prompted as Sebastian trailed off.

“You’re a really good duelist. Intuitive. There’s a certain exclusive club of sorts, one that may or may not be unsanctioned, where you can continue to hone your dueling abilities.”

“Exclusive and unsanctioned?” Eloise asked with a smirk. “You can count me in.”

“Excellent,” Sebastian replied, smiling broadly. “Sometimes, to make the most out of your experience at Hogwarts, you need to bend certain rules. They’re more like guidelines, anyway.”

“Merlin, Sebastian,” said Imelda, walking up to them and crossing her arms. “Don’t let yourself fall into any of his schemes. That boy is in detention practically every other day.”

“Or maybe,” Eloise said, “he’s just not good enough at avoiding getting caught. I, on the other hand… Come on, Imelda. Let’s go to lunch.”

She laughed as they walked away, leaving behind a dumbstruck Sebastian. He shook his head in disbelief and headed off to his next class.

next chapter

[nerdstreak]

Hannah finally smiled, outreaching her hand towards Connor, and he met her halfway, as they held each other near their wrists, their way to find comfort in each other. The two then sighed, their anxieties now quelled with this talk. “Thank you, Connor, and especially you, Hank,” she quietly said, resting her head on Hank’s shoulder. “Yeah… thank you both…” Connor echoed, relaxing comfortably into the couch. “You’re both welcome.” After a few beats of silence, Hank spoke again. “So... is anybody getting up anytime soon?” “A few more minutes. This feels... nice,” Hannah admitted. “Alright then.”

breaking in the now somewhat unnecessary new tablet with chapter 10's drawing! unable to relate it to any of the september prompts but its still a fun one because this is technically a redraw after over 3 years! the piece i redrew i pretty much didnt like right off the bat and deleted it very soon after it was posted back then, so im glad to bring it some new life with the chapter art! original is below the cut!

[optiwashere]

The fact that I never wrote the tiefling party for Shadowheart and Asheera is fucking criminal. So here it is. It's expanded from the game, because of course it is, and I had a lot of fun just writing these two talking as I always do.

Gotta use any excuse to make my sweet gay ladies kiss, right?

Rating: T for Touches and Tenderness

Category: F/F

Ship: Shadowheart/Trans Fem Tav

Tags and AO3 Summary under the break.

Tags: First Dates, First Kiss, Romance, Light Angst, Emerald Grove Tiefling Party (Baldur's Gate), Falling In Love, Banter, Trans Female Character, Half-Orc Tav, is the trans character, Gender Identity, very lightly on that topic, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Protectiveness, a paladin uses Lay on Hands to try to fight Shar's vindictiveness, Let's see how that plays out

AO3 Summary:

The survivors of the raid on the grove want to celebrate all they've managed to save. During the bittersweet evening, Asheera finds Shadowheart sitting by herself on the cliffside. There they share wine, bad jokes, and more.

[sillyfriendssharingablog]

UPDATE FOR THE FIC!!!!!!!!!!!

for anyone who cares

so basically i've got everything ready. all the scenes are done even the finale. My problem comes with the fight with that bitchass Snake because I suck ass at writing fighting scenes so I just...left it there for me to finish later. HOPEFULLY for the next week it'll be ready.

I really do not wanna dissapoint you guys with the ending of my "masterpiece" so I rlly hope you'll like it!! (if you haven't stopped carying about it after not seeing it updated for s long)

sorry guys for making yall wait so long :(

[noemitenshi]

Right, anyone up for some backstory on abusive!Serena?

Here's Troy (who, as we all know, survived being stabbed - in this version he got saved by a group of people who are actually concerned with helping people not just paying lip-service to the idea - yes it's a dig at the show amongst them Lee and Ri, and (shock twist!)he falls in love with them (also for those interested how that happened: troy lost his memories as a trauma response after getting stabbed and having to renounce his daughter to keep her save. he stumbled upon lee and ri's group (in keeping with canon since apparently they all just s tumble into one another) and though troy has no memories he feels safe around lee and that's how it starts. currently troy has his memories and his daughter back and he's)) telling his lovers about his past.

*

Troy's all cuddled up with his loved ones and he knows he should talk about his relationship with Serena to them. He feels he owes them that - or maybe he needs it, too. Needs to put these things into words. Even though his throat closes up when he thinks about it, his jaw clenches. But he never surrenders.

"i, i had a wife…" he starts, in this kinda sing-song tone that means he's uncomfortable speaking about it. they nod because they kinda assumed haha that him and tracy's mom had a relationship "and i… i loved her" and he's nodding his head, his mouth downturned. and he repeats it a bit like… almost an invocation "i loved her." his voice is forlorn now and far-away sounding. "a-and…" he grimaces a bit, the next part difficult for him, he really doesn't want to say it. but he also does. "it-" shakes his head a little "it wasn't good between us. n-ot, not for a long time."

and of course they grow concerned for him, touch turning softer, maybe a whispered "oh sweetie" but quiet quiet because they know he needs to get this out. they can react after. they still looked at him softly inquisitive, hoping and at the same time dreading he'd say more about it. "she-uh- serena, she…" and he licks his lips, trying to gather the bravery to say it. he never said any of those things before. "she wasn't… patient. easy to - anger. and when she was, angry, she uh. she said things. and sometimes, sometimes she did things. things that-" he broke off and shook his head "but she loved me. she loved me and i- i understood" (and i think here ri is probably gonna reflexively close her hold on him, tightly, just for a sec bc it enrages her so, for him. saying he understands his wife being abusive from the sounds of it). "i-i'm not easy to be around---"

"no." ri again, a cold little sound and his head snaps to her, probably bracing himself for her anger at him but she just looks like 🥺 "she had no right" ri tells him. troy just swallows. and he repeats

"she loved me. id have forgiven her anything." ri needs to work very hard not to break down crying, for him. and lee is quietly listening to this, probably holding troy a bit tighter, a bit more securely but he's quiet bc if he starts speaking he's not sure he can stop anytime soon. and he thinks troy needs to say these things first. all of it. troy takes little breaths, grimacing again. His whole face tense since he started speaking, his emotions pulling at it, relentlessly. "then she got pregnant" it's softer said than anything before. it touches their hearts. "and… one day, one day we weren't careful and - she got bit. her arm…." he shakes his head. "i thought id lose her. a-and she- refused to let me cut. she.. and i didn't know what to do, i couldn't lose her, i couldn't… so" he laughed a little, void of amusement "i radioed for help. didn't really think--- but someone heard- and came. alicia." lee knows that name of course and he furrows his brows, squeezing troy gently. "she-she knew what to do. had lost her own arm so.. serena trusted her."

and he does this lip bite thing, like he's hurting and needing to put this into an expression "serena… she changed after that." he tells them how she wanted to be like alicia, help people too. and "she also.. changed her behavior towards me. slowly. couldn't always but--- i could tell she was trying. we… got better, slowly. and i-" he laughs "i was grateful to alicia, you know. for saving her, for changing her. what unbelievable luck i thought." he grimaced a grin "freak luck" Lee and Ri probably share a very concerned glance bc even though this sounds good, he doesn't. he sounds desperate. and they wish they could just take his pain away. "one day she got a call for help she didn't come back from. got robbed, got shot. they just left her there. when i found her… she was dying. i held her as she died. and i thought…. i thought how selfish of me. i'd… i'd been so…."he snarled "so happy about the change in her, i didn't even consider… i should've seen this coming. but i didn't think, didn't think beyond myself. how could i have been so fucking grateful for the thing THAT GOT HER KILLED!?"

[reel-fear]

Okay y'know what? bc I wanna get better at writing, I'm opening writing requests! Just drop an ask for me and I'll write a small fic based off it! Of course no NSFW allowed and if ur gonna ask for smth heavy include a content warning!Besides that gimme me some TFA, Earthspark, Cyberverse or even IDW requests. Ships are allowed and encouraged, any requests I dont want to do I'll simply delete sorry! But don't be afraid to shoot an idea my way! Whether it be tropes or scenerios or otherwise!

[caffeinated-creepshow]

TRATM XIII: The Search for Answers That Could Scar

Chapter thirteen of The Raven and the Mockingbird, a T-rated Deadman Wonderland fanfic from 2013-17. Since this an archive, I am not editing the chapters as they are posted. Follows an OC named Tsumetai and her relationship with canon character, Toto Sakigami.

Word count: 1284 | Original Quotev post | Summary and masterlist

Full chapter below the cut

Lots of time has passed since the catastrophic tag team Carnival Corpse. A lot of time has passed since Toto tried to kill Tsumetai. So much has passed, it seems immeasurable.

Tsumetai hasn't spoken to anyone, other than Sanae and Chaplin on rare occasions, since the incident. It struck a chord deep within her; a chord she thought she'd broken long ago. Remembering her brother, thinking about how angry he'd be at her if he saw her now, thinking of her mother and the disappointment she'd carry, breaks her. Toto trying to kill her only aids the shattering.

Holding herself together has been the hardest struggle Tsumetai has faced since she was put into Deadman Wonderland. It's funny, really. Memories of loved ones usually help prisoners cope, but for Deadmen, it seems nearly impossible for such a thing to happen. Many Deadmen are alone, with no close family to remember fondly. Others have horrible pasts they wish to regret. For Tsumetai, she often wishes she would've died with her mother and brother. None of this would have happened; Toto wouldn't have betrayed her...She wouldn't have to deal with her brother's memory haunting her every single time she closes her eyes.

'No. Stop it. He's gone; so is Mom. There's nothing that can be done now,' she often tells herself. 'You have Sanae, and Chaplin, hell, even Senji! Toto may have betrayed you, but you always knew something was very, VERY off about him. Maybe it's finally shining through?' Often her thoughts circle back to Toto, and his unexpected attempt at her life. What's wrong with him? What's causing this change? No matter how hard she thinks on it, nothing makes any sense. Perhaps a talk with Sanae is in order.

For the first time in weeks, Tsumetai has socialized on purpose. It was, of course, with her most trusted friend and ally, Sanae.

"I need your help," she'd said suddenly, having appeared behind Sanae quite randomly in the packed cafeteria. Someone had won a lot from their Carnival Corpse and was treating whoever wanted to be treated, it appeared.

"What do you need?" Sanae asked, spinning around. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been spooked by the suddenness of Tsumetai's appearance, or the scratchiness of her hardly used voice.

"I can't tell you here. It needs to be one-hundred percent private," Tsumetai answered. Standing, Sanae grabbed her water bottle and led her friend back towards her room. After they entered the room, she shut the door and locked it.

"Now will you tell me?"

Taking a deep breath, Tsumetai asked the burning question, "Do you have any idea what's going on with Toto?" Of course this was about Toto; he had to be the only thing on Tsumetai's mind for all those weeks.

"I could probably take a guess or two, but do I actually know? No, I don't. Why?"

"I've been thinking a lot about everything that's happened since him and I got together, and I realized something. Once before did Toto try to kill me, but he hid it by pretending it was his kink. Now that what's happened has happened, I realized it wasn't just a kink. There's something wrong with him, and I can't tell what it is. I was hoping you knew." Sanae shook her head, sitting down to ponder the new information.

"Now that all of this is out on the table, it does shape up to be pretty odd," she agreed after a few moments. "In fact, I thought that was just who he was; to be spontaneously murderous with no provocation. But would that apply to the person he cares for deeply enough to threaten death if I were to hurt them?" The revelation Sanae had just uttered paralyzed Tsumetai for a moment.

"He threatened to kill you if you hurt me?" she whispered. Sanae nodded absentmindedly as she mulled over everything she'd been told, as well as her personal experiences, as Tsumetai's head buzzed with even more questions. 'Why would he threaten to kill her for hurting me if he purposely tried to kill me? Did he want to be the one to hurt me? Or is killing me something he's not doing by his own will, but someone else's?'

"I think there's something deeper going on than we can figure out without doing any digging," Sanae finally said after a long pause from thinking. "I can do all I can to look into this, but you'll have to as well. I can't get the information we need completely on my own."

"I'll do as much as I can as well," she promised. "I just need a place to start."

"If I had one, I'd tell you. My only suggestion is an Undertaker or something...If you can even find one." Nodding, Tsumetai thanked Sanae before leaving, locking the door again behind her. 'I hope we figure out what's going on...For her sake.'

Sanae has never been a fan of the Undertakers, for multiple reasons. The chief reason is because they all seem to have the desire to cut her up; considering that would be there job if it were ordered, though, she can't necessarily blame them.

Today is an exception, though. The Undertakers work directly under Tamaki, the director of Deadman Wonderland - or so she's been led to believe. If anyone were to know information only the tip-top of the corporate chain would know, it would be them...Hopefully.

She's set off to find Azuma Genkaku, the only Undertaker that seems even somewhat capable of keeping his urges under control...And even then, she doubts he's very trustworthy. However, her decision has been made, and considering she's already snuck her way to his quarters, there's not really any going back. Taking the deepest breath she can, Sanae knocks very lightly on the door. Immediately, the clammer of someone wading through a messy room can be heard, before the door opens to the very person she was looking for.

"A Deadman? Aren't you supposed to be back in G Ward, where you belong?" Despite the harsh undertones of his words, Azuma doesn't make any moves to harm Sanae.

"I need some information," she started, "if you have it."

Leaning against the doorframe, Azuma quirked an eyebrow as he asked, "What kind of information?"

"Information regarding Toto Sakigami." The name made Azuma perk up instantly, and he ushered her into his room.

"What about him?" he asked when he was sure the door was locked. "And speak quietly."

"A fellow Deadman - Tsumetai, or Raven, I guess - has been wondering about Toto because she's observed some changes in him recently." Azuma sat back, mulling over what he knew.

"Did she know him before he disappeared?" he asked after a while.

"No. She arrived here after he had shown back up, I believe."

"Hmm..." And so Azuma fell into thought and Sanae waited, hoping she would get a lead out of the deranged man. After five minutes had passed, something seemed to click in Azuma. "I'm pretty sure that I don't know what you're looking for, but I know who does."

"Who?" Sanae sat forward, scared but eager to hear the name.

"They're twins; their names are Chan and En. If you can find them, you'll find your answers." Jumping up to her feet, Sanae picked her way to the door quickly before stopping.

"What do I owe you for this information?"

"How about, if the Undertakers ever have to fight you off, I get to fight you. Sound like a deal?"

"Deal." And with the deal struck, Sanae unlocked the door and ran off to tell Tsumetai what their next step would have to be.

[panpanicatmha]

!!Fics For Gaza!!

Hi all! My dear friend rin ( @socalledsomethingorother ) sent me a link about a blog on here that is using fic writing as a way to raise money for families in need in Gaza.

I will be accepting customized My Hero Academia fic prompt requests in exchange for proof of at least a $1 donation to one of the families displayed on https://gazafunds.com/.

My rate will be $1 for 125 words. The more you donate, the more words the prompt will get (ex. if you send proof of a $5 donation, I will write a 625-word drabble/oneshot for your specified prompt).

In terms of guidelines of what I will be accepting in requests, I will need the following:

relationships/characters you want to be included

the specified prompt/topic you want written (prompt must be less than 200 words)

specific details/headcanons you would like included

In terms of what I do not accept/will not write:

NSFW prompts (beyond suggestive jokes/implied sexual themes).

Adult/minor and/or incest ships.

Any character bashing prompts that aren't the following characters: Tomura Shigaraki, All For One, Hisashi Midoriya, Endeavor, Monoma Neito.

Romantic Izuku x Ochako (platonic is completely fine).

Canon x OC, OC x OC, x reader, x Y/N, or self-inserts

Of course, I will also NOT be accepting any prompts that are insensitive towards the atrocious war crimes happening in the genocide in Palestine.

Beyond that, I am more than happy to discuss specifics. Please feel free to send proof of donations to my ask box and/or DMs!

Again, this is in partnership with @ficsforgaza , whose blog I definitely suggest you check out! I strongly urge for all my fellow writer mutuals (and reader mutuals) to join this cause.