#and it was under such sad circumstances she was able to see them again

[srslyscary]

The Final Breath

contents/warnings: SFW , reader is written as she/her, major angst, mentions of illness, mentions of death, bang chan is named his birth name in the narrative, lowercase intended

including: bang chan x reader

note: I CRIED WRITING THIS. why I got the inspiration to make something hand written? i have no clue. I thought I should start writing more often. seriously had to stop writing this just to cry for one second. this may or may not be ooc (just a slither) because i have problems writing personalities of people I don’t know in person.. please enjoy!

_

chris wiped the sweat from his brow as the final beats of the song faded. practice had been intense, as always, but his mind was elsewhere. his bandmates, felix, hyunjin, and the others, were still catching their breath when chris glanced at the clock.

"hey, guys, I need to head out early today," he said, grabbing his bag.

felix raised an eyebrow. "again? you’ve been leaving early a lot lately. everything okay?"

chris forced a smile. "yeah, everything's fine. just some personal stuff I need to take care of."

the others exchanged puzzled glances but didn’t press him further. they had their suspicions—but ultimately thought he was going home to his girlfriend, whom they were all very aquantined with. little did they know, his destination was far more somber.

chris’s heart ached as he drove to the hospital. YN, his girlfriend, was battling a brain tumor, and the prognosis was grim. the visits had become a daily ritual, a blend of love, fear, and a desperate hope for a miracle.

he entered her hospital room, greeted by the sterile scent of antiseptic and the soft beep of monitors. YN's face lit up when she saw him, her smile weak but genuine.

"hey channie!" she whispered, her voice fragile.

"hey, beautiful," he replied, sitting beside her and taking her hand. "how are you feeling today?"

she shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "same as always. but seeing you makes everything better." she laughed, nearly cringing at herself. “I bet it does.”

they spent the next few hours talking, laughing, and simply being together. chris recounted funny stories from practice, doing his best to lift her spirits. they watched videos on his phone, and he played her snippets of new songs he was working on. for those precious moments, the world outside the hospital room faded away. nothing else mattered to them but the time they spent together.

as the days passed, YN's condition slowly worsened. chris continued to visit daily, his dedication unwavering. the hospital staff began to recognize him, greeting him with sad smiles as he made his way to her room.

one evening, chris arrived to find YN's family gathered around her bed, their faces etched with worry. her mother stood up, giving chris a small, grateful nod.

"thank you for coming, christopher. she talks about you all the time," her mother said, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry we have to meet under these circumstances..”

chris nodded, his throat tight. “It’s fine, really.” he approached YN, who was asleep, her face pale and drawn. he sat beside her, holding her hand and whispering softly. "I’m here, YN. I won’t leave you."

when she woke, she smiled weakly at him. "channie, you’re here."

"of course, I am," he replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I always will be."

as the night wore on, chris and YN talked about their future—one filled with dreams they both knew might never come true. they spoke of travels, adventures, and the life they had planned together. it was a bittersweet conversation, filled with love and an unspoken understanding of the reality they faced. “hey.. do you think.. I’ll be able to see outside again?”

“of course you will. i have no doubt about that, beautiful.”

the next day, chris convinced YN's doctors to let her leave the hospital for a few hours. he wanted to give her a change of scenery, a taste of the usual through the chaos of her illness. “let’s set you in, first time in a wheelchair huh?”

she laughed only slightly, being carried and put into the wheelchair. “yeah, it feels really funny.” and with that chris began to take her outside the hospital, talking a small stroll to the nearest park. he pushed her wheelchair along the winding paths, the spring air fresh and invigorating. YN marveled at the blooming flowers, the chirping birds, and the children playing nearby. It was a simple outing, but it meant the world to her.

"thank you for this, my love." she said, her eyes shining with gratitude. "I needed it more than you know."

chris smiled, though his heart ached. "anything for you, sweetheart. always."

they sat on a bench, watching the world go by. for a few precious hours, they were just another couple, enjoying a day at the park. but as the sun began to set, reality intruded once more.

YN's condition took a drastic turn for the worse. she was confined to her bed, her strength fading rapidly. chris continued his visits, each one more heart-wrenching than the last. he spent every moment he could with her, knowing their time was running out.

then the day finally came, that day both of them never dreamed of happening. as he sat by her bed, YN's breathing became labored. chris held her hand tightly, his heart pounding with fear and sorrow.

"baby.." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'm scared..”

chris leaned closer, his eyes filled with tears. he wanted to keep strong for her, for the one he loved, even through this hard time. "I know, YN. but I'm here. you’re not alone. and you’ll never be alone.”

she looked at him, her gaze filled with love and pain. "promise me... you won’t forget me. live your life, be happy."

chris swallowed hard, his voice choked with emotion. "I promise, YN. i’ll never forget you. you mean everything to me. i’ll love you till the end of time.”

“then promise me one more thing.. please swear you’ll keep this promise.”

“Anything beautiful— what is it?”

“just promise me.. that if you’re not happy, that you’ll find happiness with someone else.” she said, her lips shaking slightly and her eyes barely could keep open.

“no.. no i can’t promise that. i’ll love you and only you. i can’t possibly—“ “chris please.. please don’t do this. just promise me.” YN began to tear up, looking at him.

“…i promise. but.. you’ll make it out of here just fine.. don’t say that.”

she smiled, running her thumb against his hand. “thank you for everything, my love.” and with a final, shaky breath, YN closed her eyes, her grip on his hand loosening. chris felt his world shatter as she slipped away, the silence in the room deafening.

“hey.. hey sweetheart- get up..!” he held her face, kissing her cheeks and tapping her arms slightly. “please.. don’t— don’t close your eyes.. don’t go..!”

but it was too late, she was already gone. chris quickly got up and tapped the call button, screaming for the nurses.

the days following YN’s passing were a blur for chris. he attended the funeral, supported her grieving family, and tried to make sense of a world without her. his bandmates, finally aware of the truth, rallied around him, offering their support and understanding.

chris threw himself into his work, trying to drown the pain with music and dance. But no matter how busy he kept himself, the void YN left behind was inescapable. he found himself visiting her grave regularly, bringing her favorite flowers and sitting in silence, lost in memories.

every night, for two years straight, Chris called YN’s phone. each time, he left a message, his voice filled with longing and sorrow. "hey, YN. It’s me, channie. I miss you so much. it’s hard.. knowing you’re really gone. i wish I could just wake up and come straight to your apartment to see you each morning, like usual. i wish I could take you out on dates at your favorite places, like usual. i want to be angry for you leaving me.. but I know I shouldn’t. i know I should think better about this. it’s just so.. hard. i love you so so much.”

the calling became his way of coping, a connection to the girl he loved and lost. he gained hope for the shortest moment everytime he heard the call go straight to voicemail, the last thing he had left to really remember what you sounded like. “Hi this is YN! Sorry i couldn’t answer the phone. I’ll get to you as soon as i can! Leave a message!”. even as the number eventually became invalid, chris continued to dial, his heart refusing to let go. each call was a reminder of the promises he made and the love they shared.

_

it had been a year since YN’s passing, and chris found himself standing in front of her grave once more. the seasons had changed, the world had moved on, but his grief remained as fresh as the day she left.

his bandmates, who had become his rock, stood beside him, their presence a silent support. felix placed a hand on his shoulder. "we’re here for you, bro. always."

chris nodded, his eyes never leaving the gravestone. he sniffled, trying not to let tears fall. "thanks, guys… It means a lot."

he knelt down, placing a bouquet of YN’s favorite flowers on her grave. "Hey, YN. It’s me, channie. I miss you so much. It’s been a year, but it still feels like yesterday. i feel emotional everytime i come here, knowing I was just fine 3 hours ago. i don’t think you really know how much this affects me. im slowly getting better but.. it still hurts.”

as the sun set, casting long shadows across the cemetery, chris and his bandmates stood in silence, remembering YN and the love she had brought into his life.

through all, chris kept his promise to YN. he lived his life, pursued his dreams, and found moments of happiness. but he never forgot her. she remained a part of him, a cherished memory that guided him through the darkest times.

he found even more solace in his music, channeling his grief and love into his songs. His bandmates stood by him, understanding the depth of his loss and the strength it took to keep moving forward.

on the anniversary of YN’s passing each year, chris visited her grave, bringing her favorite flowers and sitting in silence. He spoke to her, sharing his life and achievements, as if she were still beside him.

and though the pain of losing her never fully faded, Chris found a way to honor her memory in everything he did. she had taught him the true meaning of love and loss, and that lesson became a cornerstone of his life.

in the quiet moments, when the world felt too heavy, chris would close his eyes and remember YN’s smile, her laughter, and the love they shared. and he would find the strength to keep going, knowing she was with him, always.

[cooliogirl101]

edward getting invested is hilarious to me bc when i daydream, it’s almost always a contest to make myself cry and feel as much pain as possible. just smashing my blurbos through terrible circumstances and then build them back up

(Big same, anon)

“Why?” She gasped, staring up at his face uncomprehendingly. How many times had she looked at it, studied it from every angle? She’d seen him happy, excited, furious, scared, and yet in this moment, he was utterly blank. A complete stranger to her. “W-We trusted you. I trusted you.”

He leaned in, the knife lodged in her abdomen twisting painfully as he did so.

“I know,” he whispered. “Thank you for that. You’ve been most helpful.”

Despair wracked her and she sank to the floor, even as blood pooled up in her throat, bitter with the taste of betrayal, anger, hurt, so much hurt, god it hurt so bad—

“What the hell is going on with Chen over there?” Jasper demanded under his breath, quietly enough that only a vampire would be able to hear him. He had his head clutched in his hands and was glaring balefully at the corner of the cafeteria.

The subject of his ire, Mia Chen, was sitting at a table by herself, as she always did, gazing distantly out the window and blissfully unaware of the two vampires currently staring at her. In fact, she looked the epitome of peaceful.

Absently, she popped another potato chip into her mouth.

“Shhhhh!” Edward hissed back, at a decibel significantly higher than required for a vampire to hear. Jasper thought uncharitably that he did an uncannily accurate impression of their cranky 80 year old school librarian, and it said something about how distracted Edward was that he didn’t even notice. “This is the good part!”

“I suppose this is the end, then,” he said. Was she imagining the sadness in his voice?

“Yes,” she agreed. With a deep breath, she yanked the knife out of her stomach. “I’m sorry, I never wanted you to see me like this. But I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore.”

With that, she closed her eyes and reached deep inside herself for a power she’d sworn she would never use again. A power that— dang it, that was the last potato chip!

Alice’s quick reflexes (see: kicking Edward under the table) were the only thing that saved the cafeteria table from a gruesome fate that day.

(Mia, opening her locker the next day only to have like 200 bags of chips fall out: ????)

[sunnysideaeggs]

some criticisms i have of episode 2. read the tags first please.

disclaimer: i am a targtowers’ stan first and foremost. that means: aegon, helaena, aemond and daeron. they’re my favorite characters. that’s where my ‘loyalty’ stands. everyone else (including alicent) comes after.

helaena’s grief should’ve been a bigger point in the episode. this is HER episode and aegon’s (i’m not complaining about him but her screentime was so low). everyone else, rhaenyra, alicent, yada yada is secondary.

alicent can light up candles for her enemy’s son but can’t even attend the funeral of her grandson 🙄 she doesn’t cry, curse the blacks, want to bathe in the blood of jaehaerys’ killers, or can even bring herself to say his name.

i love aegon’s performance. i love all of his grief manifested in rage and anger. he cries but he will kick everyone later. tom go get your emmy.

girl your daughter just lost a son and you want to talk about you fucking your bodyguard. i’m tired of her. helaena is with all right of ignoring her.

once upon a time there was a boy that loved horses 😭 jaehaerys my dear

a larys/aegon scene is all i could wish for. the cold mastery of secrets and torture combined with the unstoppable wrath of a wounded man. i need more of them.

i like how the funeral seems, by all accounts, normal but by helaena’s viewpoint everything is too much. the people claim for her showing support but it’s all noise. the carriage showing her little boy so that people know who to blame but it only reminds her more of what happened. he even looks like he’s sleeping.

tbh this scene shows how rhaenyra doesn’t fucking care about helaena and her children. the first thought she had when she heard of the news wasn’t to have compassion or empathy, but to do damage control and worry about her reputation.

lmao i don’t have a clue what daemon’s intentions and rationality is. he only cares about looking mighty and dangerous to other people even when he does dumb shit, then justifies it. he lives only for other people’s opinions but then everyone hates his ass lol. dilffailure.

also he’s the embodiment of living for a dick measuring contest he ends up losing. all of daemon’s behavior can be attributed to erectile dysfunction.

how the writers found time for an oc prostitute having a mommy kink scene with aemond but didn’t have more time for a longer scene with helaena and literally anyone is beyond me.

aemond talking about his regret for luke but not about the death of his nephew 💀 luke died like three years ago condal pls get over it. aemond would care more about jaehaerys than poor little luke.

some much needed baela character development. i love characters that are like the female version of their dad but then also fucking hate their dad lol

i liked the tidbits of the dragonseeds during the episode. i’d like some nettles too :) but i guess the only female and canonically black character is a little too much for this show amirite :)

of course daemon would never be able to bend to anyone he considers inferior, much less rhaenyra, who under any other circumstance would be seen as ‘lesser than him’. it reminds him of his failures. i’m glad we’re on the same page.

aegon never had a chance right? aegon was literally raised by hightowers in love with targaryens. he never would’ve been able to surpass viserys and rhaenyra in otto and alicent’s eyes. nothing he did could’ve changed that.

otto’s little laugh cost him a job lol. i’m sad we didn’t get his cats.

the focus on rhaenyra in the arryk/erryk fight is too much for me. once again, leave secondary characters have their moments instead of shoving r or a down my throat please. this is their especial moment, their last moment. rhaenyra being all 😨🧍🏼‍♀️ between their shots does nothing for the scene.

otto’s realization of his life’s work being flushed down the drain is so touching and painful in a way to me. he’s like tywin if he lived long enough to see cersei and tommen fuck everything up.

‘i have sinned’ ‘i do not wish to hear of it’ that’s peak cersei and tywin from that one scene when she confessed the incest.

daeron exists? yay. and once again i’m fucking tired of alicent not reacting to mention of daeron, not comforting helaena, bashing aemond, ignoring aegon. where’s the love for her children?

the scene of otto putting resting his face on his hands? chills. it should’ve lingered there. showcase otto’s regret? grief? idk. pity it just lasted half a second because we needed to see alicent once more.

from now on, alicent is cancelled for me. i don’t care anymore about her. any parent that leaves their child in distress to go fuck can eat shit. i gave that treatment to daemon in laena’s funeral and i’m giving it to her.

we have more sex scenes of alicent than we have of daemon and aegon combined. yet she’s the pious queen and they’re the lechers. condal please write accordingly.

how do i watch a show when i don’t care for the two main characters, because they’re cardboard cuts of women who don’t do anything? i don’t know.

[aingeal98]

Hi, loved your recent Stephanie Brown post regarding the violence, the rage and general ruthless scrappiness that to me is an essential part of her character.

It also however has always begged a question in my mind I'd be curious to see your take on.

Namely, how do you think Stephanie's willingness to potentially kill or let someone die fits into a Stephcass relationship?

Cos, its easy to see how it works with basically any other character, but their relationship is so distinctly unique and Cass's stance on the subject quite iron-clad.

Not in the sense she won't help a murderer try to change, but in terms of not tolerating anyone dying under any circumstances.

That its hard to see how they'd grapple wither with the fact Stephanie would be willing, or more notably if it actually happened. Obviously context counts for a lot, but yeah, just generally curious.

Ooh good question. I think that overall Cass will never stop believing in Steph despite her willingness to kill. She saw that anger during Steph's Robin run when she threatened to kill Penguin but she also saw Steph step in to comfort a crying child when Cass could not on the exact same mission. Steph was also honest with her about where that anger comes from and why it still exists. So I feel like even if Steph did fall to morally greyer moments than Cass could accept, Cass would be firm in her belief that it doesn't define Steph the way Cass's kill defines her. Steph can change, Steph can be better etc. Even if Steph did kill a villain (in self defence) I could actually see adult Cass defending her? Not the act itself obviously but what it means for Steph as a person. Because obviously Steph would have a bunch of conflicted feelings and the bat's judgement wouldn't help with that, and Cass would be able to pick up on that and given where they are in current canon I can see her trying to shut everyone else out so she can get through to Steph and guide her onto a path where this doesn't happen again. Cass could never look at her fully the same but that doesn't mean Cass would love her any less. They would both be very very sad the whole time though and feel like they're failing each other even if they never verbally acknowledge it.

That said I can definitely see tension between them if they fail to save some scumbag's life and Cass is devastated but Steph is just... Flippant about it. Like oh no the pedo rapist got shot. Sucks but at least it wasn't anyone else. And Cass would be furious, likely saying something insensitive and accusatory as a response, which would raise Steph's hackles in return and get her from "Yeah we tried but there was nothing we could do." to "Actually I'm glad he's dead fuck him and fuck you for being an asshole about it."

If we're talking batgirl Steph and black bat Cass I think they're both at the stage where they're not willing to let this come between them, even if they both get their feelings hurt they'll apologise and talk it out within a week. Neither will fully accept the other as completely right but I think they'd be surprised to find that it doesn't diminish their respect for each other as much as they feared it would.

Unless, of course, during the argument, Cass gets so disgusted by Steph's lack of guilt over the death that she says those three little words:

"Batman was right."

Because in THAT case... Yeah this argument isn't getting resolved with in a week. It'll take a lot of stewing in their hurt feelings, dredging up past traumas and arguments, and probably outside intervention from at least one or two other batfam members. I have faith they'll work it out in the end! They'll just need a bit of help with the communication and apologies because if left alone they'd 100% make it worse.

Ultimately I think what it comes down to is that after Steph's first resurrection, their bond is so tight that neither of them are willing to give up on it no matter how it hurts, which is rare for both of them honestly! Anger and pride can cause them to get nasty but it's not going to break them permenantly because they tried that and it was horrible and they both kind of have ptsd about it at this point.

Thanks for the ask!

[spiegelgestalt]

Timebomb feelings because of the Arcane trailer for season 2

So I just saw the arcane trailer for season 2. It's great. I'm so excited. (so sad that Victor and Jayce died in the explosion quite an apprupt ending for them i guess... /s)

but what i really want to talk about is these two pictures:

Because it got me thinking. One of the interesting aspects of the Jinx/Ekko relationship is that they are able to communicate through other means than direct words. And that they are able to create a different image for each other.

Long and rambly explanation under the cut, which got away from me and can be summarized with: Jinx makes Ekko more violent and Ekko makes Jinx more heroic and they love each other your honor and i want to see a team up in season 2:

Song:

Jinx has a few songs (Guns for hire, goodbye, What could have been) but they are usually solos. They are usually melodic rock. And they usually concentrate on how much Jinx was wronged.

And than there is Dynasties and Dystopia. On first watch i thought it was an Ekko song. It's after all in his style (both in animation as in genre) but some words don't quite fit:

"I might just might kick your butt Go run amok then paint my nails Never learned to raise my hand Was too busy raising hell Everything I know I am You should go and save yourself Thought you had my number, huh Congratulations, you played yourself"

this just screams jinx to me. Ekko has yet to run amok. Jinx does it all the time. I don't even know what Ekko's nails look like, but we have several distinct shots of Jinxs' blue and pink nails; Ekko doesn't raise hell, if he's raising something it's paradise. And the line "you should go and save yourself" is a good continuation/rejection of the one thing Jinx says in this fight: Look who it is - the boy savior -> go save yourself! And it forshadows the way jinx will be able to get just a loss instead of a total defeat (look she was defeated- in the aftermath Ekko had a hurt leg, while Jinx needed to be revived with terrible magic drugs there is a clear winner here). Ekko thinks he has jinx figured out but he hasn't and thats why he will hesitate in the end.

But i would also argue that not all of the song is jinx:

Ooh, yeah, he mad I'm racking up white diamonds Throw me in the sky You would swear the sun shining Ooh, yeah, he mad I'm racking up white diamonds Throw me in the sky You would swear the sun shining

this verse is both of them: Basically they are saying: Look how great i'm doing (lie) Aren't you mad about it? (They will never beat the allegation that they are bitter exes.)

And I'd argue that this is Ekkos verse:

In this gothic underground city We all sin If I bring a couple rounds with me Then we all win I came back and brought the crown with me The king's den Break your nexus and your neck 'cause Everybody's on your head

and interestingly enough it's an offer. This makes sense with the visual. Encouraged through Vi who insists that Powder is still in there somewhere Ekko conjures a situation wich is similar to their old games. And it works: It's the only time Powder appears as her young self on screen. And so Ekko makes an offer he probably made before: Trust me, back down, i can help:

He starts with: We all make mistakes - one of the things that bind Powder to the Jinx personality is her guilt over having killed her entire family. But Ekko doesn't blame Jinx he blames their circumstances (something he also does in his Zaun-duet misfit toys)

If i bring a couple rounds with me, then we all win -> this foreshadows his timetravel ability. And even if he doesn't has it at this point this whole scene breaks down time itself so it still works in my head. Ekko brings the crown with him (the hextech-crystal) and he warns Jinx that everyone is going after her.

And the second refrain which I'd argue both sing once again:

Hold still while I bag that, uh Talk bad 'til I snap back, uh This ain't brown, this that dark black This that pitch black, jet black Snap yo' ex watch me give him flashbacks

Meaning: keep still, i've got this, just trust me dude!

This song shows that Ekkos and Jinx's disagreement is far more similar to the disagreement between Vander and Silco than to the disagreement between Vi and Jinx. Vi and Jinx' disagreement is personal. Vi rejects everything jinx has become and just wants her "sweet" little sister back - Ekkos and Jinx's disagreement is political. They disagree about the question what is best for Zaun. AND I'd also argue the Ekko is far less surprised by the jinx personality. He knew Powder was a bit of a shithead. He's just pissed that she's working for Silco.

Well let's finally get to these two pictures:

We see Ekko and we see Jinx drawn as hero of the resistance in Ekkos style* (compare the mural to the video of misfit toys) We know that Jinx gave Ekko a definition that didn't suit him by creating the firefly bombs and recasting him as a terrorist. And know we see Ekko who maybe drew this picture of jinx recreating her from a terrorist into a hero of Zaun.

(see me get proven wrong in the first episode of arcane season 2...)

[ravenrune]

A little Luis x F!reader thing I've been working on for the past few days. I enjoy writing the reader meeting a character for the first time, so here is one for Luis. I went for she/her pronouns this time. I'm sorry I didn't go for gender-neutral. I will again next time! <3

No warnings. Fanfic. Not beta-read. Around 900 words.

The first step

Under any other circumstances, Luis loved to attend parties. The wedding he was at right now, however, had killed his joy very early on. Luis barely knew the couple and didn’t understand why they’d invited him. Politeness, he figured. He used to work with the man, and they had kept in touch after he’d left Umbrella, but to call them friends would be a massive overstatement. Vague acquaintances seemed much more fitting.

Except for this time, anyway.

Initially, Luis had looked forward to the wedding. Not because he cared much about the wedding couple, but because he always wanted to meet new people. This wedding, however, was boring with a capital B. It seemed as if everyone present was in a relationship and didn’t feel like interacting with strangers.

Luis himself had come alone. He’d tried to get a friend to join him, but nobody had been interested. Luis didn’t have any women in his life that he was romantically involved with, so he hadn’t been able to score a date, either. Didn’t matter much, though, because normally, he was pretty good at keeping himself, and strangers, entertained.

Bored and annoyed, he got up from the table, seemingly invisible to the people around him. He’d go out for a smoke, have another drink, and maybe then it would finally feel appropriate to leave. He didn’t think he’d ever be home before eleven after a party, but he really wasn’t feeling it this time.

“Ai, ai, ai,” he muttered, stepping out into the rain. He was pretty sure the weather forecast had promised clear skies, but apparently they’d been wrong again. “How hard can it be to predict the weather?”

“Surprisingly difficult, actually,” came a female voice from behind him. “Want to stay under my umbrella?”

Luis turned around and saw a woman standing there. Relatively young. Nice dress. It was too dark to see the colour of her eyes or hair. She was holding a big umbrella and gestured to him to come over.

“Don’t mind if I do.” Luis flashed her a big smile and stood next to her. “You mind if I light one up?” He held up his pack of cigarettes.

She shrugged. “Nah, go ahead.”

Luis lit his cigarette and placed the pack and the lighter back in his pocket. “Why are you outside? It’s a bit cold, no?”

“Cold doesn’t bother me much,” she replied. “It’s a bit too… crowded inside.”

Luis glanced at her. She had nice features, but he still couldn’t tell what colour her eyes or her hair were. “Is it too crowded, or is it just too boring?” He asked, only half joking.

She laughed and looked around to ensure nobody was close enough to hear her. “It really is very boring,” she groaned. “I kinda regret coming here. I could’ve stayed home and watched a movie. Would’ve cost me less money, too.”

“Yeah… I don’t even know why I was invited,” Luis muttered. “They don’t seem that interested in their guests.”

“Money, probably. They just want gifts. Isn’t that why people get married in the first place?”

Luis nearly choked on some smoke. “People get married for money? Where’s the romance in that, amiga?”

“Romance is dead,” she stated matter-of-factly, “everything is just a financial transaction nowadays.”

Wow. Luis wasn’t sure about what to say. How could someone think that way? He wondered if perhaps something had happened in her past, that someone had hurt her badly enough to turn her away from romantic interactions.

It was hard to imagine, and the thought made him feel a bit sad. His first instinct was to see this as a challenge. A challenge to try and conquer her heart. Then again, he also knew very well that that could end badly. He may consider himself quite the ladies’ man, but he wasn’t in it to hurt people. He didn’t hop from woman to man to woman just to satisfy his needs and move on. Not anymore, anyway. Not like when he was younger.

Luis had gotten so lost in thought, his cigarette started to burn his finger. “Agh!” He threw the thing on the ground and stomped it out. “That hurt!”

“Not the smartest thing I’ve ever seen,” she joked. “Do you need a plaster?”

Luis smiled. “Nah,” he muttered. “I just gotta pay attention.”

He liked hearing her laugh, he thought to himself. He wouldn’t mind hearing it more often.

“You eh… you got a name, amiga?” He asked.

“Y/N,” she replied.

“Good name. I’m Luis Serra.” He extended his hand, which she shook. “Encantado.”

“Same… I think?” She smirked. “How about we go back inside and get something to drink? I’m sick of the rain.”

Going inside for a drink. That seemed like a very nice first step for Luis. “Yeah, why not. I’ll buy you one.”

“Eh?” She frowned at him. “Drinks are free tonight.”

“Oh yes, of course.” Luis laughed. “Well, I’m sure that after tonight you’ll want nothing more than for me to take you out and buy you one elsewhere!”

“I doubt it,” she muttered while folding her umbrella. “But hey… surprise me, I guess.”

Now that was definitely a challenge, and Luis wasn’t the type to say no to one.

[simplydannie]

Velvet & Veneer Fanfic

I Couldn’t Save You

Prelude Here

An infection story I did a while ago! This is an AU I plan on doing, so this story is a separate timeline.

An outbreak of some sort has happened as we saw in the prelude. Those at the detention were separated. Floyd is on a mission to not only find Branch who mysteriously disappeared… but to also make sure if a set of siblings are unharmed.

After a perilous journey, the Trolls had finally made it to Mount Rageous again…. Except this time…. It was in ruin.

Buildings in smoke, roofs caved in….. the infection had made its way to the dazzling city of lights. Knowing that Mount Rageous was populated by teens, the Trolls only hoped they were able to make it home with their families before….well…. They couldn’t even finish the thought.

“Why are we here again…” John Dory asked as he looked at the ruined city with a distraught look.

“… Trying to find Branch.” Floyd said. JD looked at his brother.

“And…” He waited for Floyd’s continued answer.

“…. To see if the twins are alright….”Floyd finished.

Crimp told them that Mount Rageous itself had no detention center. That was located further into Rageous… and that’s where they traveled.

The air was eerie. What was once a lively bustling city filled with youngsters… was now silent, and dead. As they traveled they didn’t pass a single soul, not one Rageoun in sight. How things could change in one year.

“You think they all made it out in time?” JD asked.

“Hopefully. Or maybe isolating themselves…” Floyd responded. As they continued they saw the rest of Rageous for the first time. If it wasn’t for the ruin and smoke… it would have been dazzling: buildings made of precious gems and stones. Floyd would have liked to learn more about the Rageouns if it was under better circumstances.

After what felt like hours, the made it: RAGEOUS DETENTION CENTER FOR TROUBLED YOUTH. Or in Veneers words, prison.

It seemed abandoned and empty…. At least the brothers hoped it was.

“Ready?” Floyd asked. John Dory took a deep breath.

“Let’s go.”

Broken glass and shattered material layed inside the detention center…. But no soul in sight. They checked behind every door, inside every room…empty.

“Okay. This is good. They evacuated, they made it out.” John Dory said.

“Yes.” Hope began filling in Floyds heart for a moment, “But Branch…”

“Maybe it’s better if we didn’t find him…means he’s safe….” JD replied. They were cut off by a sudden sound down within the hall.

They cautiously walked over to a cell….

“Oh man…it’s a kid.” JD said. Both being older, when they meant kid, it was a teen… an infected teen.

Floyd couldn’t make out the face of the young Rageoun…All he could hear were eerie hymns coming from the Rageon’s mouth, rocking back and forth, small burst of cynical giggles. Floyd felt bad.

“…..They’re not immune….” Floyd began to say before he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Floyd?” He heard a female voice call out to him from behind. He turned to see Velvet’s familiar face.

“Velvet? You’re still here? Why? How?” Floyd walked up to the tempered glass cell.

“Me? Why the heck are you here?” She asked. She didn’t seem at all bothered by what was going on around her, by the infected Rageoun right across from her.

“Obvisouly now, here to get you out now! JD let’s get this open….” Floyd began to say.

“NO! No. Don’t. I am not going out there.” Velvet made her way and leaned herself against a wall. Crouched, hugging her legs….She looked a little different… thinner paler. “I’ve scavenged enough supplies…for now.”

“Vels, we got to get you and your brother out. The city is abandoned…we need to get you somewhere safe…” JD began to say.

“I know what’s out there. I was here when all the panic started…but I am not going anywhere.” She said without looking at them. “….I have what I need here…”

“Where’s Veneer? Maybe we can convince him? I know he wants you safe.” Floyd said. Upon the mention of her brothers name, she looked at Floyd with a sad look in her eyes. He could see her eyes begin to fill with tears. Without a word, she glanced at the cell across from her…..at the cell where the infected Rageoun was…..oh no….

Floyd made his way to the cell.

“Floyd no.” Velvet warned. Floyd ignored her warning…He crept closer and closer until he could make out the features of the Rageoun….The porcelain pale skin, the green swooped up hair…

“….Veneer…” He said. At that moment Veneer turned his head and made his way in attempts to grab Floyd. But he forgot about the glass cell. Veneer ran straight into it…it didn’t phase him one bit…Floyd saw the yellow in his eyes, the dark circles under them…He was thinner, and paler, bruise-like spots all around his skin. He didn’t speak, only mumbled and gurgled. He attempted to grab Floyd through the glass..but no success…The thing that stood in front of them… it wasn’t Veneer anymore. John Dory looked at Velvet.

“How long?” He asked. Velvet hesitated to answer.

“…He just got like this about 1 month ago…” Velvet stared at the ground. She spent the entire time here in the cell waiting for the infection to slowly take it’s toll on Veneer.

“Velvet…I’m sorry about your brother…but…we can still save you. Come with us. Maybe we can find a cure, save him before he gets worse…” Floyd was saying.

“STOP IT! No..im not going anywhere. I’m not going to leave him alone…We’ve been inseparable since…forever….” She looked at the creature that was once her brother. He crouched down rocking back and forth, humming some sort of tune. “Me and him are gonna go through his together too.” She pulled up her sleeve….a bite mark.

“No, Velvet!” John Dory exclaimed.

“I don’t know how it works. Veneer just got sick out of nowhere and now look….I was desperate…I just didn’t know what to do…So…I went to his cell and….” Velvet pulled down her sleeve. “I just don’t want to continue life alone…without my brother…”

Moments of silence passed between them….Veneer was long gone, and Velvet would be well on her way….Floyd couldn’t save them…They were just kids….He tried to find something he could say to her…something that would convince her to leave even if she was infected…They could still find a cure.

“Your brother was here…two months ago…before Veneer lost it.” Velvet said. The Trolls ears perked up. “He…he tried to get us out…But Veneer knew he was already infected…He didn’t go anywhere…neither did I…”

“Where was he going? What is he doing?” Floyd asked. Velvet stared off into the distance…a lost look in her eyes…she blinked and looked at the Trolls…

“Floyd? What are you doing here?” She asked. Tears began streaming down Floyds face….her memory was already leaving her….she’d soon be gone too.

“I’m so sorry….We couldn’t save both of you.” He cried.

[vickyvicarious]

I think Jonathan talks to Jack the most out of all suitors before All That since he is the third main record keeper, but their interactions are off screen and alluded like:

"Harker has gone back, and is again collating his material. He says that by dinner-time they will be able to show a whole connected narrative. He thinks that in the meantime I should see Renfield, as hitherto he has been a sort of index to the coming and going of the Count."

And since the impression he gives to Jack is "quiet, business-like gentleman", yeah I'd say he'd use RP!

(in reference to this post)

Agreed! Jonathan also met Jack first of the suitors, he's staying in the guy's house, and of the three Jack is the least overwhelmingly rich. This is also kind of a side effect of Jack being the next main record keeper but in helping Mina go through the records, he may have gotten a bit used to reading his thoughts or even potentially hearing them spoken (depending on whether he was mostly helping Mina organize things she had already typed, or if he ever took a turn listening too) and thus felt a bit closer to him in a way even before much direct interaction. Not to mention, that interaction you quote shows Jonathan's interest in Renfield, which would naturally lead him first to Jack (I constantly curse the lack of Jonathan/Renfield interaction, it could be so fascinating had Stoker not just Forgot He Was There). Those may be a couple additional reasons he might want to or feel more comfortable coordinating with the doctor more directly. Also Arthur is still very sad and Quincey is still very concerned about Arthur so I can see them being a little less likely to initiate much socializing than they usually would.

But Jonathan's mostly offscreen, helping Mina with the records, going off hunting after boxes... Of course there are some offscreen conversations taking place, and they surely wouldn't be only with Jack, but if what we see in the documents is any indication, Jonathan is fairly quiet and only really speaks up about 'business' (AKA Dracula-hunting) matters. And even then mostly only when he has something new to contribute. He isn't going on any epic rants (yet) and he isn't volunteering to be the one to explain everything from his experience, just bringing up relevant points for discussion or connections. And if he is trying to a) be businesslike/professional b) seem as calm and sane as possible under the circumstances of these people knowing what he's been through and how it's affected his mental health c) be polite with people he is not very familiar with yet... then yeah, I totally can see him using RP during all this time.

So his outpouring of utter emotion on October 3 is a big change, to be sure. And dropping into his natural accent while doing so would be an excellent way to illustrate how every other consideration just completely falls away for him as soon as he knows Mina is being attacked. He can't spare any attention towards sounding sophisticated, his wife has been targeted by his former tormentor and he is out for blood (/vowing to be out for literal blood should worst come to worst).

[echo-stimmingrose]

Annabeth opened the door to cabin three slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible so that her sleeping boyfriend wouldn't wake up seeing as it was almost two o'clock in the morning. Her sleeping in his cabin had become normal for them after the war with Gaia. Percy had been nervous about breaking the rule of not having two campers be alone in a cabin together. Annabeth, however, did not care, practically daring Mr. D or Chiron to not allow them to sleep together after all they had been through.

Tonight, while she and Percy were trying to fall asleep a storm had started; a particularly strong one that made its way past the borders that normally kept harsh weather out. Because of this one of her siblings came to get her, asking if she could come help comfort her younger siblings who were scared of storms. Thankfully, after a while, the storm receded and she was able to get her siblings to fall asleep, allowing her to go back to cabin three.

As she walked in she, to her surprise, saw Percy sitting up in bed and what looked like someone else lying next to him. A wave of jealousy rose inside her, quickly making her angry. Calm down, she berated herself, Percy is not cheating on you, take a breath.

Percy looked up, having just then noticed her returning. He smiled at her, bringing a finger up to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. Now confused, she walked up to their bed, taking in the figure- or figures that lay there. She let out a soft laugh, mentally chiding herself again for jumping to conclusions. In her spot on the bed, Piper and Leo snored softly, curled up in each other's arms.

“They came a little bit after you left,” Percy explained quietly. “All the thunder was bringing back some bad memories.”

She smiled sadly, having not considered that. While they were on the Argo II storms pretty much always meant something bad was happening and they’d need to fight. Despite the somewhat sad circumstances, her heart swelled at them coming to Percy (and her) for comfort.

She was about to ask how she was supposed to get into bed when she noticed two other lumps buried beneath the blankets. She pointed at the smaller lump, curled up near Percy's legs, figuring that could only be one person, “Nico?” She asked in a whisper.

Percy let out a silent laugh, nodding, “Yeah, he didn’t even say anything when he came in. Just shadowed and crawled next to me.”

Annabeth chuckled, moving her attention to the larger lump sleeping at the end of the bed, “Who’s that?” She asked.

Percy smirked, gently lifting the blanket to reveal a blond-headed son of Jupiter snoring peacefully. As Percy lowered the blanket back down carefully, she couldn’t help but smile. She knew Jason was not used to going to anyone for comfort and was incredibly proud that he came to them. It may seem small to some people, but it was a huge step for Jason. And by the way that Percy was looking at him, he was proud as well.

“How am I supposed to get in here?” She asked, only somewhat seriously. She’d love to sleep in bed with her family but she would take one of the extra beds in the cabin if needed to allow the other demigods to rest. Percy had other plans, he scooted Leo closer to him and managed to lift Piper with incredible gentleness. She took that as her cue and got into bed, pushing her legs under one of the many blankets. After she got situated Percy set Piper back where she was, this time with her head and shoulders on Annabeth's lap.

Piper let out a satisfied hum, “Annie's home.” She whispered, half asleep. Annabeth couldn’t help but laugh, stroking the younger girl's hair.

She turned to Percy who was smiling, a soft glint in his eyes, one she hadn’t seen much of since Tartarus.

“When did we become parents?” She asked him, causing him to chuckle.

“I don’t think we had much of a choice, they adopted us.”

“Yeah, we did.” another half-asleep voice said, “You’re ours now.”

Percy grinned, pulling Leo closer as the younger boy let out a satisfied sigh.

It may not have been the most comfortable night in the crowded bed but Annabeth could not bring herself to care.

[mc-lukanette]

Everyone knew of the seamstress, famous more for her work than even the glowing fairy wings on her back. She could do anything for anyone and was always willing to help. She could sew any design asked of her, make repairs to have clothes look brand new again, or alter as necessary if someone might need an outfit fitted for them.

It was an experience simply to see her work, fingers deftly working away without any sign of stopping until the job was finally done. Her boutique was lined with her products and sources of inspiration, yet carefully selected so as to not overwhelm anyone. Helping her along was her trio of mice, who eagerly rolled spools across the floor and carried needles to her whenever she requested them.

Despite all of that, what she was most known for was her ability to sew emotions into clothes, ranging all the way from joy to anger. People who wore clothes infused with happiness felt better after a rough day, those who wore clothes saturated with sadness would find it easier to cope with their own by comparison, and those who wore clothes instilled with anger—

Well, they were probably gifted those clothes by someone who wasn't exactly happy with them.

The seamstress had a wide range of intense emotions ready when needed. She would imagine munching on a sweet cinnamon roll for happiness, the time she'd found her childhood toy ripped for sadness, and the cruel treatment she'd received from a bully long ago for anger. Depending on the circumstances, the memories she used would vary, but there was one feeling that she'd never been able to put into her clothes:

Love, specifically the romantic kind. Everyone who'd known her or heard the rumors was aware that she'd never had a relationship in her life, which seemed ridiculous to them. She had alluring blue eyes, black hair that was suspected to feel like silk, and most importantly, a big heart. She'd had suitors left and right offer themselves to her, but she turned them all away.

To her, love was important. She lamented the fact that she'd never felt it before and longed to be able to sew love into something one day, but she wouldn't choose just anyone.

Then came the model.

It'd been a stormy afternoon when they'd officially met. She'd been metaphorically trapped under an awning, unable to step outside lest her wings get wet, when she noticed a photoshoot (certainly an unsuccessful one) across the street being cleaned up. The model, his role obvious given that she'd seen him in fashion magazines, had spotted her and crossed the street to reach her. She suspected that she was easy to see with all of her brightness.

He offered her his umbrella without a word and, in the next instant, she heard thunder go off. The atmosphere made it seem weirdly like the perfect meeting, his blond hair glistening from the rainwater soaking it and his eyes reflecting the light of her fantastical wings. Their hands even brushed when she took the offered umbrella, her wide eyes never leaving him until he'd disappeared into his fancy car and drove off. Rain hadn't even been forecast that day and they wouldn't have met without it there.

It seemed like fate, a thought she only became more sure of when another chance encounter came.

She'd been walking to a store for new sewing supplies when alarmed cries alerted her that something was wrong. Following everyone's gaze led her to the sight of the model plummeting from the roof of one of the tallest buildings in the city, a pair of angel wings at his back that weren't doing any work in saving him. She abandoned all other thoughts and flapped her own wings, flying up to meet him and secure him in her arms.

The actual catching process had been rough - he was still bigger and heavier than she was - but all in all a success. She landed him safely on the ground and inspected the damage to what she'd now recognized as a magically-charged pair of fake angel wings, clicking her tongue in disapproval at the poor craftsmanship. Naturally, she fixed them up so he could control them properly and not have them start failing again at the slightest gust of wind.

She caught his emerald eyes sparkling when he thanked her for it, the both of them noting that their meeting had been a coincidence once again and he could've died had she not been there.

This had to be it, she'd thought. She was in love, it was destiny sending her exactly what she'd desired all along, and he would receive her first piece of clothing imbued with love.

A scarf was ultimately what she'd decided on, representing the warmth of their hands in contrast to the chill of the rain. Daydreams of the perfect moment to hand over the completed product flooded her mind, potential confessions playing back-to-back as she sewed away and debated on which would be the best to do. She imagined his god-sculpted face close to hers, either reciprocating her feelings or confessing himself, the mere image making her hands work even quicker for it.

However, an obstacle came when she stopped short of completing it, something that had never happened before. She pinched at the fabric, stretching and examining it every which way to determine the issue, but she couldn't place it. Perhaps the colors were off, or the width was wrong, or a combination of things that made it difficult to pinpoint just one.

She resolved to start again the next day when her mind was fresh, but the same happened again. It became a cycle for her of designing, sewing, and never finishing because she wasn't happy with it.

Her mice did their best to support her, though within reason. If she tried an all-nighter, they would make a tower out of themselves to flick the light switch off, wordlessly telling her to head off to bed when she worked too hard.

Sometimes, she wondered if it was her skills that were lacking. For all her fame and abilities as the fairy seamstress, she couldn't manage a simple scarf for someone she insisted that she was in love with. The model was even more famous than her - even more talented - and anything less than perfection would inevitably bring shame to his very name. She wasn't alone in her adoration of one so beloved by everyone and praised as a light rivaling the sun itself, which meant that she was competing with others for the final place at his side.

Admittedly, it added a lot of pressure, but any time she'd considered giving up, something would happen. She'd see the model's face on something as she passed by, they'd happen to be in the same place and make eye contact, or she'd catch him on television getting interviewed about his incredible life.

Other times, he would come to her, bursting through the boutique's doors like an angel opening heaven's gates. He'd leave her with any manner of things, mostly roses, but he always made sure to leave her with flirtatious parting words and promises to come back soon. They were only minutes of her day at a time, but nonetheless encouragement to continue doing exactly what she was doing.

She'd been doing just that, toiling away at her literal labor of love, on an otherwise normal day when she got a new customer. Looking up from her work, it was apparent that he was not like the model in any way: he wore a guitar case on his back, his hair was pure black with blue at the tips, and his clothes were casual rather than designer. Those aspects with the addition of his black nails and earrings made him the definition of "self-expression."

He left quite the first impression based on appearance alone, but more surprising was what he'd come in for: a rip in his jacket that he asked her to fix. When she pointedly looked him over, specifically at his distressed shirt and pants, he could only excuse that it was different when it wasn't intentional.

The idea was so absurd that she'd laughed, and before long he was laughing along with her. She still agreed to the job, never one to question her customers to the point of chasing them off, and they'd talked while she repaired the rip. It wasn't even about anything special - mostly their jobs and various hobbies - but the mere suggestion that she'd like to hear him play was all the incentive he needed to come back the next day.

And the day after that, then the one following that one. She wasn't sure how it happened, but they always had a reason to see each other again, whether it was not having had time to finish their conversation that day or just because. She learned that his favorite color was blue, he'd dabbled in all types of music throughout his life, and he lived in a shared apartment with his sister. Said sister had even been one of the seamstress's old friends, yet somehow she hadn't crossed the musician's path even once. It amazed her that they'd missed each other so many times before now.

Before long, his arrival had become expected; natural. There was already a place to sit that she often let her customers have if it was a quick job or they didn't have anywhere to go, yet at times she would catch herself thinking of it as his. They never quite defined what they had, only that they liked meeting up and talking to each other.

Once, he'd brought her coffee in the morning, and she was surprised to see that it was her favorite. It baffled her, wondering how he could've known, until he spoke of a "rough morning" story that she'd entirely forgotten about by then. He was even embarrassed when he noticed that she'd already gotten a coffee herself and dared to insist that she didn't need to drink the one he'd gotten her.

She did anyway with whole-hearted appreciation, willing to risk the potential stomach cramps and caffeine overload. For someone with such a carefree air about him, he did put care into remembering little details even if they were ones given casually. In a way, she supposed that she wasn't any different, having made observations on and learned about his whole deal with "rips and tears." She knew which types of clothes he preferred to keep untorn, what skin on his body he didn't mind showing through the various slits, and even that he preferred his accessories to stay new-looking.

Her mice had taken a liking to him as well. If she ever noticed one of them missing from her workspace, she could look over and find them hanging around him, either tickling his skin with their whiskers or using him as their own personal obstacle course. She may've found herself staring a few times, watching his deft fingers adapt, straighten, or flex as needed while one of her mice swerved around and slipped between them.

If he ever caught her watching, he never mentioned it.

There were some days where they didn't talk at all, but it wasn't awkward like one would suspect. Either they were engrossed in their own work or it was simply an enjoyment of the other's company. The musician could be so still and content during such times that she occasionally wondered if he was asleep, but he was always aware of her presence. She'd discovered as much when she lost her favorite spool of thread, even to the point of shrinking down to pixie size so she could look in small spaces with her mice, and he was up in an instant to help her out.

He was just like that. Even when she was struggling with her scarf as usual, he gave her constant reassurances and offered to help however he could. There was no sign of judgment or doubt, only a steadfast belief that she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to.

It never occurred to the seamstress before how nice it was to simply have someone there. She'd fantasized about having a husband eventually, of course, but there was something different about experiencing what she had with the musician. They didn't live together, nor slept over at the other's home, but there were hints that the other had been there. He would take his wristwear off to wash his hands and mistakenly leave one behind, or one of her mice would go with him when it concluded that the inside of his guitar would make a good second home. She'd bring pastries to share from her parents' bakery and send him home with the box, or throw away a sketch in the trash and notice the crinkles of differently-toned paper next to it when he must've tossed a song he'd been writing.

It was the little things all culminating into a reminder that her days weren't just her, her mice, and whichever customers came by anymore. Putting a name to the feeling was difficult, but it was calm, safe, and warm.

Life continued as it was - the musician's daily visits, the model's infrequent ones complete with gifts and compliments, and failed scarves - until she'd wound up trapped in the rain once again. It was her own fault, having seen the cloudy skies but still jumping at the musician's offer to find some new albums with him. They'd gone down to the music store and picked up one album after another, discussing their musical tastes and making jabs about sellouts. Further still came the discussion of instruments as she prodded him for his experience on which he was most comfortable with besides his beloved guitar, all heads turning when he picked up a violin and started to play. Such soft music coming from someone dressed the way he was felt so uniquely him.

But then the fun ended the moment the seamstress turned to leave and noticed the rain outside. It was absolutely pouring, her wings already shivering in anxiety at the idea of being drenched. The musician himself hadn't even known of her issue until she explained, his eyebrows creasing with worry as he followed her gaze to the raindrops hitting the sidewalk.

Neither of them had an umbrella, but he leaned down to whisper a hesitant suggestion into her ear. She blushed, meeting his gaze to ensure that he was okay with it and receiving a resolute nod in return.

It seemed contradictory to shrink down when her goal was to avoid getting soaked, but not when his hands picked her up and settled her at the crook of his neck. He put his hood up next, leaving her in the space between the fabric and his skin whilst vastly lessening the risk of water coming down on her wings.

Sure enough, he stepped outside and only the fabric itself got wet, not the fairy tucked safely out of the rain's reach. She was stunned, not by the fact that it'd worked but that he'd gone through the trouble at all. He'd been willing to walk her home in the rain and, even if he would agree to stay at her place for the night, it took longer to get to her house than his.

When she pointed it out, his response was simple: that anyone would've done it. She shot it down immediately, insisting that he was diminishing himself needlessly and going much farther than protecting her from getting wet.

Then, like the sky after the rainclouds dispersed, everything became clear to her: the relationship she had with the musician, the feelings she had for the model, and the failed scarves that she'd accumulated over all this time.

Anyone could hand her an umbrella or give her shelter from the rain. Anyone could give her a bouquet of roses, and in fact many people did. Anyone could write a card, send her gifts, or even speak sweet words to her.

It took more than that to form a bond. It took getting to know someone and acting upon that knowledge. It took spending time with them even if the activity was simply enjoying their company. It took the ridiculousness of helping search for a spool for hours and not even batting an eye when it ended up being in the dumbest place possible.

It took love.

Looking up at the musician, she noticed the heat on his face despite the chill of the storm's wind. His footsteps were careful so as to not jostle her, but if she put a hand against his neck for balance anyway, she could feel his rapid pulse.

Putting her other hand to her chest, they were distinctly similar, like different instruments playing to the same songsheet or two strings coming together and tying into a neat bow. She suddenly had an urge to design something and it wasn't a scarf, the thing that was never going to get done when there'd been no love to put into it, having instead sucked away her confidence and time like it was a black hole.

No. She knew exactly what she wanted to make.

There wasn't a perfect moment, nor a perfect atmosphere, simply because she didn't feel she needed one. The musician had become a constant in her life and she only needed him to know that she wanted it to stay that way. The task was an effortless one, hindered only by the speed at which she could sew and the time he became available to visit.

When they were at a lull in conversation, she did it. The seamstress took her gift, approached, and held it out to him: a pair of fingerless gloves.

Being a creative force herself, she knew how important one's hands were. The were the tools necessary to sew or play music, and she'd always watched his when he was using them. They were the hands that set down the coffee he'd bought for her, the hands that played with her mice when she was too busy, and the hands that picked her up to place her outside of the rain's range. If he wore the gloves imbued with all her feelings for him, then it would be like he was always carrying her with him, the hands he'd used to express love being protected by her own.

The musician, normally one who always knew what to say, was left speechless by her confession. Even in the time it took for him to feel the gloves, put them on, and feel them again, he was still at a total loss.

Thankfully, as they'd proven over the course of their time together, words weren't always necessary to get one's feelings across. He looked at her, gloved hands cupping her face, and she caught her reflection in his eyes as he pulled her into a kiss. She easily reciprocated, wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging him closer.

He might not have had the ability to infuse emotions into things like her, but she nevertheless felt the full force of his love.

[nightmarerodent]

More angast for Kung Jin! 😈

What would be his worst nightmare, from which he would wake up in a cold sweat, not being able to sleep for the rest of the night?

😈

“All you ever do is cause problems! Not everything has to be a dick measuring contest, you know!” Jacqui’s words clawed at his chest, leaving bloody wounds in their wake.

“For someone claiming to be so smart, the cold reality is you’re as useless as they come.” Frost sneered, “Little more than more useless grandstanding from the pointless Kung’s.”

Jin tried to tune out the voice but was instead met with Cassie’s, “What is your problem!? Do you really get some sick joy out of this!? Does watching everyone else fail somehow make you feel better about your sad, pathetic life!?”

It didn’t. That wasn’t true!

“You’re a real piece of shit, you know that?”

No! What did he do? What didn’t he do? His friends, everyone, was turning against him.

“The Shaolin expect better, Kung Jin. You will not be White Lotus this way.” Raiden’s words echoed like rolling thunder, rattling bone.

And then, there he stood. His oldest friend. For the longest time, his only friend.

“Takeda.” Jin’s voice was hollow.

The ninja refused to look at him.

“You really had me going there,” the voice was wet and heartbroken, “Really played me for a fool. I bet you’re pretty proud of that. The Great Kung Jin strikes again. To think I actually liked that about you.”

“Takeda, wait! Hold on! What did-” Jin called out, trying to approach his friend but always seemed just out of reach.

“I should’ve known better than to trust some thief.”

“Tak, you’re my friend. I’m sorry, I don’t-”

“WHY WOULD I EVER BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?” Takeda’s voice echoed and mixed into a cacophony with all his other friends’ cries.

“WhO wOuLd WaNt To Be WiTh A tHiNg LiKe YoU?”

“No OnE lOvEs YoU!”

The voices mixed like maelstrom winds. Freezing. Cutting. Jin covered his ears but it only made them grow louder. Angrier. He was alone. So very alone.

No one.

No one.

No one.

No

one.

Oji?

He shot up in a cold sweat, gasping for air, the sheet constricting him like a python with its prey. He pulled it off him, taking another large gulp of air as he surveyed his surroundings. Dark room. Bed. Night. Where was he?

The door cracked open with a foreboding creek and his head whipped around to see the cause and possible intruder.

Slowly opening the door, as careful as could be was a small four year old girl dressed in PJs, clutching her favorite stuffed T-Rex like her life depended on it, her curly hair an absolute mess from tossing in her sleep, eyes wide with fear. Vee.

It was little Vera. He was at Jacqui’s and Takeda’s. She was pregnant again and due very soon. They asked him to help. They said they wanted him here. They wanted him here.

He let out a long breath, his racing heart finally slowing. He was safe. He was fine. He was safe.

“Oji?” Vee’s voice was small and watery.

“Hey kiddo,” he was glad his voice didn’t come out shaky, “Bad dream?”

She nodded her head and quickly scurried her way over to the guest bed and hoisted herself up. He drew her in and let her snuggle her way into his side. Under any other circumstances he might privately gloat that she came to him instead of her parents, use it as proof that he was in fact her favorite. It didn’t seem very important right now, though. She was as much of a comfort to him as he was to her right now. She needed her favorite uncle and he needed his favorite girl.

“Everyone was being mean to you.” She sniffed.

She had that glint in her eye. The one Takeda has when he uses his powers. She must have read his nightmare and saw it as her own. He felt guilty for the grief it’s causing her. Her powers were developing far faster than her father’s had. He’ll bring it up to them tomorrow. Maybe ask Grandmaster Hasashi for advice on how to block thoughts from leaking out.

“Don’t worry, Vee,” he removed some of the hair from her eyes, “It’s just a bad dream. None of it is true.”

She sniffed again and rubbed her nose, “I love you, Oji.”

“I love you too, little bunny,”

She fell asleep again with him as her guard.

[charliedawn]

The Squib Witch part 6:

Author’s notes: A Harry Potter fanfiction. With an OC who is an ADULT and modifications of my own. It does NOT follow the original story. The original story belongs to J.K. Rowling. It deals with war trauma and the aftermath of the Wizarding Wars. Thank you. 😄👍

The next morning, Professor Snape awoke early, the events of the night before still weighing on his mind. He made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast, his usual stern demeanor firmly in place. However, his thoughts were still occupied by that pestering girl—Alethea. He couldn’t quite understand why he was willing to spend his time researching a possible solution for her, when he had seen countless young wizards and witches struggle with their magic and had never lifted a finger.

He made his way to the staff table, his eyes scanning the Great Hall as he approached. He spotted Alethea sitting alone, an expression of sorrow on your face. He took his seat silently, his eyes flickering back and forth between her and his breakfast. He knew he should focus on his food and the day ahead, but he couldn’t help wandering what was going on in that woman’s mind…

Al sat at her usual spot. She looked around and for a second—her eyes holding a certain sadness into them as she realised that all of her old friends had graduated and moved on. That she was the only student of the great war remaining. The one who was left behind…After so many years trying to find a way to unlock her magic, she had forgotten that time was still running its course. Already two years had past since the war against Voldemort and even though she had wished to help with her magic—she had felt useless. All she had been able to do was distribute healing potions to those in need during and after the battle. Hoping to save as many people as she could…while others had fought valiantly with their wands and magic.

She had felt utterly helpless.

Meanwhile, Professor Snape shook his head, trying to clear his mind, but his thoughts kept returning to Alethea and her wish.

Her magic was inside of her. Somewhere. How could he help her find the key ?

As breakfast continued and the rest of the staff chattered amongst themselves, while Professor Snape found himself unable to eat more than a few bites of his food and couldn’t care less about his colleagues’ foolish babbling. He tried to distract himself by checking over the latest essays from his classes that he had brought with him, but it was of little help. Finally, he set the parchments aside and looked over at Alethea—sitting alone for once. Funny for a girl who seemed so cheerful and friendly, he found himself thinking. The sight of her, so obviously isolated and downhearted, stirred something in him. It made him think of himself—many years ago.

He didn't enjoy seeing Miss Pacino like this. He didn't like how it stirred a memory, a feeling he had tried to forget a long time ago. He did not wish to be reminded of his past self, the sad, lonesome boy who had felt like he didn't belong. He sighed, pushing his plate away. He could no longer enjoy his meal under these circumstances. His mind was too preoccupied by something else. Or rather, someone else.

Al was eating her breakfast when she felt his eyes on her. She immediately looked up and when her eyes met Professor Snape’s—she smiled. Even after the war, she was happy to see that the teachers and members of staff remained the same—remained here. The memories of those who fought and died would live on and be taught to the younger generations. And Al…Al would remain a relic of that time and she would share those memories as many times as it took for it to never happen again.

Professor Snape's eyes widened slightly as she looked up and smiled at him. He hadn't expected that. His usual stern expression flickered for a brief moment, a hint of surprise in his eyes, before he composed himself and returned her smile with a slight nod. He found himself thinking how different it was to see her smile, compared to the angry, frustrated state she was in the night before. The girl could go from night to day in an instant. But, he had to admit that he preferred the smile.

"The young Pacino seems rather happy this morning." McGonagall commented next to him. "It is good. To see that poor girl smile again."

Professor Snape glanced at Professor McGonagall, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He hadn’t expected the other teachers to notice her change in mood as well.

"…Yes," he said after a moment, his voice cold and detached. "One would think yesterday's incident with the books would have dampened her spirits somewhat."

McGonagall frowned in confusion.

"…Severus. What incident ?"

Professor Snape realized—too late—that he had said too much. He glanced at Professor McGonagall, his usual stoic expression back on his face.

"It is of no consequence," he quickly said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just a matter between Miss Pacino and myself. Nothing for you to worry about."

McGonagall didn’t seem too convinced as her eyes narrowed suspiciously at her longtime friend.

"…So, there is something going on between you and that girl ? I knew that there was something from the way you seemed to be looking at each other more often than I’ve ever seen you staring at anyone—and I have seen you glare at Harry Potter for years…"

Professor Snape’s face remained still, betraying no hint of emotion or concern.

"There is nothing going on, Minerva," he replied dismissively. "Just an…isolated incident, related to her studies. Nothing more."

He avoided her gaze, not wanting to get into any further discussion about it. He knew McGonagall was perceptive, but the less she knew, the better.

McGonagall huffed.

"What is it with you and your obsession with my students, Severus ? If I didn’t know any better, I would say that you seem to be more preoccupied by the members of my House than yours."

Professor Snape shot her a glare at her remark, irritation flaring in his eyes.

"I am not obsessed," he sneered, his voice cold. "I am merely doing my duty as a professor. Someone has to keep them in line, or your little lions would tear this school apart."

Minerva chuckled knowingly.

"That is true, but don’t they make it all the more exciting ? Without my students, this school would certainly become rather boring, wouldn’t you agree, Severus ?"

Professor Snape rolled his eyes, trying to keep his annoyance in check.

"Your definition of excitement and mine are vastly different, Minerva. I prefer a calm, trouble-free school, with students who listen and follow the rules. A school without your troublesome lions constantly causing problems and making my life harder than it needs to be."

Minerva smiled.

"And…Miss Pacino ?"

Professor Snape's expression tightened in irritation at the mention of her name.

"I am well aware of her…situation. She is as stubborn as you are, and twice as infuriating. More so than some of your other students," he said, his voice sharp. "I fear sometimes that you deliberately send problem students my way, just to vex me."

Minerva huffed.

"The poor girl has worked hard all these years to be as knowledgeable and successful as her peers—alas—magic abilities cannot be measured if they never manifest…Hence, I fear she might never be able to pass her OWLs. She might be the only student to never graduate from Hogwarts—unlike her other old classmates who have now entered a new stage in their lives…"

Professor Snape's expression softened slightly at her words, his irritation now mixed with a hint of unexpected sympathy. He found himself suddenly feeling guilty for his harsh words. He knew the girl had been a hard worker all these years. It wasn’t her fault she had no magic to show for it.

"It must be a hard burden to bear, for her," he said quietly. "To be the last one here, the last of her peers remaining."

Minerva smiled wistfully.

"You should know a thing or two about being the last one remaining, Severus…" She thought about the Marauders. James, Lily, Sirius, Remus and even little Peter were all gone now…All of her old students—all but Severus—had left Hogwarts. Professor Snape’s expression darkened as Minerva indirectly reminded him of the Marauders. He didn’t like being reminded of those four, or the past they represented. But the memories of Lily…that stirred something within him.

"…Yes," he said shortly, his voice strained. "I am well aware of what it is like. To be the last one left behind."

They both stayed silent for a moment, until McGonagall spoke again.

"Not a pleasant feeling, is it ?" Minerva asked knowingly—glancing up at Miss Pacino.

Professor Snape followed her gaze towards the Gryffindor student and shook his head in agreement. The sight of her sitting alone, eating and smiling to herself, stirred a mixture of emotions in him.

"No," he muttered knowingly. "No, it is not."

Minerva nodded before deciding to change the subject.

"Her lack of magical abilities has always been a mystery. Despite her intelligence and dedication, her magic remains elusive, like a shy animal refusing to show itself." Minerva said.

Professor Snape continued to stare at Alethea, mulling over Minerva's words. He knew she could be intelligent, he had seen evidence of it enough times, and her dedication to her studies was admirable. Yet, her magic still eluded her. It was almost like it was hiding, as if waiting for the right moment to reveal itself…

"It is infuriating," he muttered, his voice laced with frustration and his brow furrowed. "She has the brain, the skills, the knowledge. But she lacks the magic. It’s as if some higher power has decided to play a cruel joke on her."

Minerva hummed in agreement and then noticed:

"It is rather unlike you to bestow such praise upon anyone, Severus...even more upon a Gryffindor."

She hid her smile behind her cup of tea.

Professor Snape shot her a withering glare, irritated that she had noticed his slip of praise. He had not meant to reveal his true feelings about Alethea—he didn't want to give Minerva the satisfaction of knowing that he somehow respected her—despite himself.

"I’m simply stating facts," he tried to deny, his voice betraying his annoyance. "The girl is smart, there’s no denying that. But it’s a waste of potential if she can’t use magic."

Minerva’s smile faltered slightly.

"Indeed. Dumbledore believed her magic to be dormant—asleep. We have tried many a time to awaken it—but all attempts have ended unsuccessfully I am afraid…"

Professor Snape's expression darkened. He was all too familiar with Dumbledore’s attempts to awaken her magic. He had seen firsthand how fruitless those attempts were. He let out a huff of irritation as he could only imagine the countless hours Alethea must have spent at the library. Hours spent hunched over old tomes, searching for anything that could help. All in vain.

Professor Snape gritted his teeth.

"I have seen her attempts at magic, or rather, lack of it," he said darkly. "She has tried every spell she can lay her hands on, but nothing has managed to wake up her magic. It is infuriating—and disheartening, to say the least."

His mind flickered to her earlier failed attempts and her subsequent tantrum in the library.

"Yes. Disheartening is certainly the word for it." Minerva agreed—feeling compassion for the girl.

Professor Snape's expression softened again as he heard the concern in Minerva's voice. Despite his initial annoyance, he, too, felt a sense of sympathy for her. He knew what it felt like to have potential and not be able to use it. It was a frustrating and hopeless feeling. And he couldn’t help but feel an unreasonable sense of responsibility to find a way to help her.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a weak and nervous voice beside him.

"Excuse me ?" A young Hufflepuff student appeared at his side. "Professor Snape ?"

Professor Snape's head jerked up at the sound of the student's voice. He had been so lost in thought that he had forgotten that breakfast was still in progress. He looked at the young Hufflepuff student, his expression neutral. He vaguely remembered him to be in 1st year. A boy named James Royander—if memory served right.

"What is it, Royander ?" He asked shortly.

The student fidgeted nervously, clearly intimidated by Professor Snape’s stern demeanor. But he managed to gather his courage and ask: "I…I have a question about the potion essay we are supposed to hand in today."

Professor Snape’s irritation flared as the student spoke. He had no patience for lazy students who waited until the last minute to start their assignments. But he contained his annoyance and responded curtly, "What is your question ?"

The student fidgeted even more. "I…I don’t quite understand the effects of the Wiggenweld potion. Could you please explain it further…?"

Minerva bit back a laugh at the most innocent and rather vague question, as she knew that Severus would certainly be annoyed at it—him who had no tolerance. Professor Snape rolled his eyes, his irritation growing. The question was so basic and vague that it would take an hour to explain the potion's effects in detail. But he forced himself to remain professional and respond in a neutral tone.

"The Wiggenweld potion," he began. "Is a basic medicinal potion which can be used to heal minor wounds and injuries. It's the most common healing potion used in the wizarding world…"

"Yeah…" The student pretended to understand before asking again. "…But what does it do exactly ?"

Professor Snape's irritation flared again, but he forced himself to maintain his composure.

"It is a healing potion," he repeated, his voice strained. "It can close superficial wounds, reduce swelling, and relieve pain. It is not strong enough to heal major injuries, but it can help in a pinch."

He paused, wondering why he was having to explain this to a first-year student.

"…What’s a pinch ?" The student suddenly asked and Minerva had to restrain a laugh.

Professor Snape's patience was now dangerously thin. He had had enough of the student's cluelessness. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, and spoke through clenched teeth:

"A pinch. A difficult situation. If you are in a pinch, that means you are in a tight spot. In a difficult situation."

He was half-tempted to ask the student if they had ever heard of a dictionary. James seemed to think about it, but his mind couldn’t make heads or tails of Professor Snape’s explanations.

"Yeah…Okay. But hum…how can it heal a pinch if it is a situation ?" The student continued and some of the students looked at the Hufflepuff student with widened eyes. Did he have a death wish ?!

Professor Snape's irritation grew with every word out of the student's mouth. He was seriously considering casting a Silencing Charm on him when he spoke again. He could feel the other students watching him, amused to see how he would handle the annoying Hufflepuff.

He forced himself to take another deep breath, his jaw tightening.

"You…You don’t heal a pinch, you idiot. You heal an injury. A cut, a wound. If you are ‘in a pinch’, it means you are stuck, in a difficult situation."

James deadpanned.

"…So a pinch is not an injury ?"

Professor Snape gritted his teeth, his irritation bordering on anger. His jaw tensed even further as he tried to resist the urge to smack his head against the table.

"No. A ‘pinch’ is not an injury. It is a situation. A dilemma. A problem. A challenge. The potion heals injuries and wounds. NOT ‘pinches'.”

His patience was wearing thin with this student. How could they be such a blithering idiot ?

"Oooh !" The boy exclaimed before deadpanning for a second time and letting the words sink in. "…So it is NOT like pinching someone ?"

Professor Snape's irritation flared to an all-time high. He gripped the edge of the table to keep himself from exploding.

"No. It. Is. Not. Like. Pinching. Someone. You blundering idiot," he spat, unable to hold back the insult. "How many times do I have to explain it to you until it gets through that thick skull of yours ?"

The student started crying and everyone turned towards them now. Some gave Severus disapproving stares while others laughed. Professor Snape's irritation deflated slightly at the sight of the crying student. He did not enjoy making students cry, but this one had sorely tested his patience.

He huffed, looking at the students who had turned to gawk. They were all making it out as though he had done this on purpose, as if he had meant to make the student upset. He felt irritation well up within him once again, irritated at how easily swayed the other students were.

He rolled his eyes and shot them all a glare.

Minerva was about to intervene when to everyone’s surprise—Miss Pacino was the one to stand up and walk towards the boy. She used her sleeve to wipe his tears and patted his shoulder.

"Hey ! Don’t cry. It’s okay. You just gotta pay a lil’ bit more attention in class. Or go to the library. Come on. How about I explain it to you later, okay ?"

Professor Snape watched her with surprise as she stepped up to the crying student, offering him comfort. He had expected her to continue eating and minding her own business, but it seemed she had a soft spot for the downtrodden. He watched as she comforted the student, her gentle words and kind actions calming him down. He felt surprised at how easily she had stepped in, and how natural she seemed to be at offering comfort and managing the crying student. The boy finally stopped crying and she wordlessly took his hand and led him out of the Great Hall.

Professor Snape watched her leave the Great Hall, still stunned. He had not expected her to go to such efforts to help the crying student.

Minerva, on the other hand, was looking at him with a knowing smirk.

Professor Snape rolled his eyes when he noticed, his irritation returning when he saw her smirk. He knew what she was thinking without her having to say anything.

"Don’t. Say. It," he warned her. Minerva chuckled and sipped her tea, ignoring his warning. In fact, it seemed to amuse her even more.

"You really should show a little more compassion, Severus…" She teased, her eyes dancing with amusement.

Professor Snape's anger flared at her words. He disliked being lectured about compassion, especially by someone who had none for his perspective.

"Compassion ? I am a teacher, not a babysitter," he retorted sourly. "Besides, that boy was an idiot. He deserved it."

Minerva chuckled again, still unperturbed by his irritation.

"Oh, come on, Severus. You know he was just a bit slow. He's only a first year, after all." She said, her eyes glinting with mischief.

Professor Snape huffed, not appreciating her teasing.

"He was more than just slow. He was clueless. How someone could be a first-year and still have no idea what a 'pinch' means is beyond me." He sighed.

"Ah, but that's the beauty of teaching, isn't it ?" Minerva shot back with a smile. "Dealing with clueless children, teaching them about the world. It's all a part of the job description, Severus."

Professor Snape glared at her. He didn't appreciate being reminded of his duties as a teacher. Especially by someone who seemed to be enjoying this conversation far too much.

"I am well aware of my duties, Minerva. But that does not mean I have to coddle students who refuse to pay attention in my class," he replied.

Minerva hummed and decided to ignore him.

"You know…Miss Pacino is rather good with kids. And potions is a subject in which no magic is essentially required…" She mused.

Professor Snape rolled his eyes, knowing exactly where this conversation was going.

"Are you suggesting that I hire her as a teaching assistant ?" He asked dryly, already suspecting the answer.

Minerva smiled.

"Thank you for suggesting the idea. I am sure the girl will be pleased."

Professor Snape huffed, irritated at the fact that he had walked right into that one. He knew better than to try to outsmart Minerva, yet he had still fallen prey to her cunning.

"Fine. I shall consider it," he begrudgingly agreed, not wanting to admit defeat.

"Great !" Minerva grinned at him. "Maybe working with the girl will help you cheer up and you will understand what Miss Pacino needs to unlock her magic, yes ?"

Professor Snape rolled his eyes again, annoyed at how much enjoyment she was getting out of this conversation. He didn’t appreciate being the subject of her amusement but he had to admit that she had a point. Working with Miss Pacino might be beneficial in more ways than one.

"We shall see." He eventually answered and Minerva chuckled before returning to her breakfast. Professor Snape huffed and returned to his own breakfast, trying to ignore the satisfied look on Minerva's face.

Despite his irritation, he couldn't help but wonder if there was any value in having Miss Pacino as a teaching assistant. And whether she would be able to handle the duties that came with the position.

He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as he forced himself to continue eating as to avoid further conversation, vowing not to let Minerva see that she had gotten him to actually consider it.

When Al eventually returned, Professor Snape found himself stealing glances in her direction. He watched as she interacted with the other students, noticing how easily she spoke with them, and how they seemed to warm up to her after the whole crying Hufflepuff situation.

He felt a pang of annoyance at how much the students seemed to like her all of a sudden. Why was it that so many of them were suddenly drawn to her like flies to honey ?

He huffed to himself, feeling a hint of jealousy at the attention she was receiving. He had never been the type of teacher that children gravitated to—his intimidating demeanor and strict teaching style often kept them at bay. But she seemed to have the opposite effect on them. She could be likable, approachable, and had an uncanny ability to put others at ease.

The rest of breakfast passed in a rather uneventful manner. Severus managed to keep his irritation under control, though Minerva continued to throw him smug glances every now and then. The bell rang, signaling the start of the first period. Professor Snape rose from his seat and began to make his way out of the Great Hall.

As he walked through the corridors, making his way to his classroom, Professor Snape's mind was still occupied with thoughts of Miss Pacino. He gritted his teeth as he walked, his jaw clenching as he tried to push all thoughts of her away. He needed to focus on teaching his class, not on the potential new teaching assistant. When he reached the classroom, he took a deep breath before striding in, his eyes scanning the students who were already seated and waiting.

Al was amongst them—but her eyes were staring at the window. She had already assisted to all his classes last year and even though she couldn’t use magic—she had listened and learnt all that the teachers had been willing to teach her so far…

Professor Snape walked to his desk and paused, noticing Al's distracted demeanor. It wasn't uncommon for her to zone out and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of irritation at her lack of focus.

He took a deep breath, reminding himself to stay patient. She was trying her best, after all.

"Miss Pacino, a moment of your time ?" He asked sharply as he came to stand beside her desk—trying to gain her attention.

She looked at him and smiled.

"Of course, professor. I apologise. Go on. I will listen."

Professor Snape's irritation slightly faded at her apology, but he still kept his stern attitude. He leaned against the edge of her desk, his eyes fixed on hers.

"I have a proposition for you," he said, his voice low and serious. The other students all looked at each other curiously—a proposition for Squib Al ?

Al herself seemed surprised.

"Really ? What proposition ?"

Professor Snape ignored the other students' curious glances, his attention solely focused on Al. He took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. He almost hated himself for suggesting this, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

"I am looking for a teaching assistant for my classes," he declared, his voice low and serious. "And I have been considering offering you the position."

"M-Me ?" She was shocked—but an excited grin lit up her features. "Of course, professor ! That would be my pleasure !"

But then, one of the students snickered.

"Why would you have Squib Al as your assistant ? She can’t even use magic."

Professor Snape shot the student a sharp glare, silencing him immediately.

"Miss Pacino may not be able to use magic, but that does not mean she is incapable of doing the job," he said, his voice sharp. "She has shown intelligence and dedication in her studies, and that is more important than being able to cast a spell."

The other students looked sheepish, knowing better than to question Professor Snape's decisions. Al smiled. Even though Alethea didn’t have magic, potions had always been her one subject where she could actually put her knowledge into practice without having to worry about her…handicap. Professor Snape saw the excitement in her eyes and felt a pang of irritation. Why was she so eager ? It was just a job, after all...Nothing to feel particularly excited or proud about.

He took a deep breath.

"Very well. I will let Headmistress McGonagall know that you have accepted the position. You will start tomorrow. And mind you, I will not tolerate any foolishness or slacking off."

She nodded eagerly.

"Yes, sir !"

Professor Snape nodded curtly, his irritation slightly lessened by her eager response. He was still not sure why he was willing to give her this chance, but he couldn’t deny that he was curious to see how she would perform.

"Good. Now, pay attention, and don't let yourself be distracted."

With that, he made his way to the front of the classroom, ready to begin the lesson. Al was focused during the whole class this time and her eyes ans ears didn’t leave Professor Snape or his words for the remaining of the class.

[sholmeser]

modern au stuffs…more info under cut

full “bios”:

yasuo:

yasuo grew up in a small mountain village alongside his brother, yone. parentless and illegitiamate, he was treated poorly by other children, and was consequently never able to connect with others very well. he grew up quite lonely despite being very gifted, and his feelings weren’t helped by yone, who continuously pushed him to do better at academics and athletics where he attended school about an hour from their home; this made him feel extremely pressured and lonely throughout his childhood, causing him to act out.

he oftentimes did physical labor around the house; among other things, he took care of their house’s piping system. when he was seventeen he failed to notice a gas leak due to being out of the house after a fight with yone, which caused an explosion that destroyed most of their small home and killed their foster grandfather souma. plagued by guilt and shame, yasuo away from home and didn’t speak to yone for several years.

he’s struggling with having yone around again and is uncomfortable with having him in his home, but he feels too guilty to push him away. in recent times he is much more mild-mannered, but suffers from periods of intense, deep depression that debilitate his ability to function; these were alleviated slightly, however, once he met ahri, who he loves deeply but doesn’t quite feel adequate for.

ahri:

ahri’s fun, flirty personality masks deep feelings of insecurity and loneliness; an abandoned child who was ostracized for being both asian and a vastaya, she struggled with substance abuse and an eating disorder later on in life. she’s only had one real boyfriend, who died in a car accident that she feels responsible for: driving him home from work late at night intoxicated, unbeknownst to him, she had driven off the side of the road. all of this means she has found it nigh on impossible to form bonds with others.

yasuo was one of the first real friends she’d ever made; he genuinely makes her feel loved, which is why she feels so sad when she sees her own destructive tendencies reflected in him. she’s immensely grateful for the happiness and community—in the form of their mutual friends sarah, illaoi, braum, and pyke—he’s brought into her life.

in her spare time, she’s attempting to track down her birth parents in order to receive some closure on her family status.

yone:

yone was seven when yasuo was born and their mother passed away. though souma had loved them deeply, he was too old to do much for their small family; thus, yone started working at an early age to provide for himself and yasuo, after already having taken care of the house for several years prior to then. the circumstances he’s faced and sacrifices he’s had to make—as well as his general feelings of inadequacy stemming from never having finished school and, in that regard, feeling inferior to yasuo—led him to develop high expectations for his brother, who was their only hope for getting a secondary education and out of poverty. yone adored yasuo and only wanted to push him to do his best, but had a difficult time expressing that well; as a result, he failed to notice the pressure he put and borderline abuse he inflicted on yasuo, and was always confused as to why he was so irritable and lashed out so often. yasuo acting up only led yone to be harder on him, which made their relationship worse. yone was heartbroken when yasuo left, as he saw himself a failure given that he believed that the accident had been intentional on yasuo’s part. he’d never laid a hand on yasuo until earlier that day, when an argument about yasuo’s behavior had turned physical. if he had done things differently, he believes the situation could have been avoided.

yone was able to move away from the village when he no longer had two others to care for, and eventually got an associate’s degree from a community college. however, a massive stroke of bad luck—in which he got fired in downsizing and his apartment burned down—meant he was forced to move in with yasuo and ahri as he didn’t have anywhere else to go. the situation is quite awkward, and yone isn’t quite sure how to start repairing the damage that’s been done.

taliyah:

taliyah is yasuo and ahri’s upstairs neighbor, though she only met ahri after the two of them moved in together. like the two of them, she feels a deep disconnect from her peers and doesn’t quite feel understood by anyone, especially due to the fact that she’s a trans girl. she feels very well taken care of by yasuo, though, who she sees as an older brother, and to an extent ahri, who she’s recently been connecting with on a deeper level, finding it easier to express her femininity around her. she’s quite anxious about going off to college and has an irrational fear of yasuo not caring about her anymore when she leaves, given that she relies on him quite a bit, and especially due to the fact that he’s mentioned he’s considering proposing to ahri.

general stuff:

i imagine this whole au as a comic or a cartoon

everyone is about six or seven years younger (besides ahri) than i think they are in canon since i wanted taliyah to be a teenager. thus, their ages are those of when taliyah was still yasuo’s apprentice; in canon i think that she is about 23, he is about 30, and so on.

i’m not really sure where this takes place? i wanna say wherever bilgewater is based on given that that was where the rk gang all met, so maybe honolulu/hawai’i’s big island due to the polynesian influences present in the buhru people’s culture. as for time, this is probably the mid-late 00s/early 2010s. yone tracked yasuo down through social media.

yone is fully japanese, while yasuo is mixed japanese and papuan. ahri is korean. taliyah is egyptian and sunni muslim, but not hijabi.

like in canon, yasuo got the scar on his nose from the final fight he had with yone. it’s also permanently crooked from breaking his nose in that same altercation. yone’s two are from then as well.

though vastaya have some spiritual power and live slightly longer than humans (some 100-130 years), their lifespan and abilities are not nearly as vast as they are in runeterra. like in canon, though, ahri is proportionately about the same age as yasuo.

yasuo and ahri met while yasuo was working at a grocery store.

yone and ahri got off on bad terms when he, subconsciously retaining prejudice from his traditional upbringing, mistakenly believed she was yasuo’s housemaid due to her being a vastaya. she was incredibly offended, almost kicked him out, and refused to speak to him for several weeks. ahri only starts talking to him again for yasuo’s sake—otherwise she probably would never have spoken to him after their first interaction—but, eventually, they form a bond out of their shared love for yasuo. eventually, they become quite close.

riven is still tied to the accident that kills souma. souma kept some small cultural artifacts in his home, which riven was tasked with stealing by the small criminal group she grew up in: she snuck in through the basement, but was caught stealing by souma and forced to leave without her prize; in her haste, she damaged a pipe near where she’d come in and left. she didn’t find out about the incident until much layer and feels horrifically guilty about it, especially because yasuo’s reputation was ruined after it happened (even if he was never convicted of anything).

a lot of other characters are connected to these four. besides the ruined king group, who are friends with yasuo and ahri, a lot are interconnected. some examples are:

sarah knows “t.f.” (tobias felix) and graves from work. graves is friends with vayne, who tobias is jealous of, and tobias dances on the weekends with evelynn, who graves is jealous of. it’s a whole thing. they live together and work together, but aren’t dating. yet. graves also knows the sentinels of light. vayne and sarah have like. a weird lesbian thing going on. and that is pure self-indulgence

yone’s only friend is lillia, who he also met at work. she’s incredibly skittish and shy, but their friendship is rooted in the fact that neither of them talks very much. he misses her now that he’s living with yasuo. i imagine her having deer legs, but not being a centaur like she is on runeterra.

taliyah is friends with ezreal, lux, and ekko, the last of whom she has a crush on. ekko knows rell, who knows seraphine, who knows ezreal. they’re all one big yet loose friend group. she’s also close with kai’sa, who used to go to her school and is a sophomore in college.

usan is yasuo’s ex-boyfriend and i could totally imagine them bumping into each other being a running gag. zed obviously knows shen and kayn, who know akali. akali and kayn are 19 in canon, so they would be pretty young. probably like. fuckass 13 yr olds

[dairy-farmer]

"and i thought, you'd be the last person to ever hurt me." trope on tim.

👀👀👀👀👀

this has such dicktim vibes because out of all his relationships within the family i think that tim really has a close emotional bond to dick. tim's dynamic with the rest of the family is unique and each carry something special but if tim had to believe that one person wouldn't betray him- it would be dick.

and under normal circumstances that's true. dick is a good brother, a good friend, he's even a good parental figure because he was really the only other adult there for tim when bruce was emotionally unavailable. i mean he stood in as a 'parent' for tim during the meeting of all the parents for young justice!

dick has demonstrated he is a good and fulfilling companion in all those roles but...dick isn't perfect.

and when it comes to romantic relationships he just....flounders. he messes up, he does the wrong thing, he gets scared of the commitment, of the possibility of 'forever'.

sure maybe if he examined himself he'd learn that it's the result of an unstable upbringing, of the fact that he often carried the emotional burden of a grown adult when he was a child, of the fact that his desires and needs in a parent-child relationship were never satisfied or fulfilled by bruce. which left him always wanting and yearning for more. and that of all the things that bruce did impart on dick, it was his tendency to self-sabotage just when he was on the cusp of something great because of some deeply self-loathing belief that he didn't deserve or earn his happiness.

tim, more than others, knew dick had these issues. its part of being part of the same family, of sitting down for dinners together, of spending so many waking moments together.

tim understands dick. deeply.

so when he grows older and their relationship boundaries start to warp and they start growing into something more...tim thinks he's different.

he thinks that because he understands those sad parts of dick's brain that he's different from barbara, from kori, from all the people who have been in relationships with dick and been betrayed or abandoned.

but its dick...and so much of dick is so good that people are willing to overlook the...not so good parts.

tim knows this. he's done it too.

but that doesn't make his chest ache any less when he drops into dick's apartment as a surprise and finds him naked and in bed with barbara who just a week ago had ribbed him and dick over comms over their relationship.

tim can see the guilt in her expression, the shame, and the regret.

he knows she will probably never be able to look him in the face again.

but...he understands her. he knows the charm of dick. of the way when he laughs at one of your jokes and flashes a sight of those cute dimples that it's enough to warm even the coldest of hearts. that dick is the kind of beautiful where even the barest idea that he might find you attractive as well has your cheeks warming. that dick with his charisma and undivided attention when he speaks to you makes you feel eight feet tall.

dick makes people feel wanted and desired. he makes them feel proud of themselves and stand straighter and hold their heads up high.

tim knows.

tim knows she must've run into him or arrived at his door and maybe they got to talking and she made another joke about his new relationship and maybe they reminisced about theirs and...and it was so easy to forget that they weren't together anymore because they were laughing and having a good time and leaning in close.

tim knows that's how it went down.

because he knows dick.

and he knows that dick had been acting off every since he received that wedding invitation from an old highschool friend who was getting engaged to his girlfriend of two years. which was less time than he and tim had been together. and tim knew dick probably spiraled thinking about how they should've been married by this point, that they should be living together by this point, that they should be talking about kids by this point.

tim had never mentioned any of that because he knew how it frightened dick. how it scared him to be exploring new territory because bruce had never dated long enough to get married, to move in together, to have a child.

but tim had thought he was different.

it scares tim how quickly all those years of feelings between them just completely drains away at the sight of dick sitting up in bed and staring at tim with huge dinner-plate eyes.

it's like a tub full of water has had its drain plug pulled and all those years worth of love and commitment just flows down and disappears forever.

maybe its just his body compartmentalizing for him. an automatic reaction to the sight of something deeply traumatic.

either way it gives tim the ability to turn around and ignore the frantic calls and scrambling out of the bed by dick.

barbara's voice is pained as she asks tim to please wait that it was an accident, that-

"it's alright," tim offers in return, surprised at how calm his voice sounds to his ears. "you can have him."

like dick was the last ice pop in the freezer. the last brownie on the plate, the last cherry dr.pepper in the corner store.

tim can hear dick's frantic untangling from the bedsheets falter but tim doesn't speed up. he just continues his slow stroll to the front door.

whether dick catches him or not makes no difference to tim. his heart might be ripping apart in his chest but his mind has already run through all the outcomes from this.

he'll forgive dick. of course he will. he loves him.

just like how he'll forgive barbara. of course he will. cass loves her and tim loves cass.

he'll still be dick's little brother. he'll still be the first hero dick ever mentored. he'll still be the boy who inherited his mantle after jason. he'll still be a fellow hero that will have his back.

but...whatever else they'd had is gone. sure tim could take him back, could make dick swear to never do it again and undergo the long and painful journey of building back the broken trust. tim would have to calm is speeding heart when he heard dick was alone with a former lover in a room, will need to train himself to not immediatly suspect betrayal the next time dick and kori share a laugh.

....but why should he?

that seemed like a lot of trouble and a lot of work to save a relationship tim hadn't done anything to wreck. and besides...tim didn't know how he would be able to look at himself in the mirror and have an ounce of respect for himself if he just allowed this to be a 'bump in the road' of their relationship.

tim had been humiliated enough having to walk in and see his boyfriend brazenly cheating on him.

so that string has been cut. but it's not like their connection will be fully severed.

of course he and dick would eventually be able to laugh and joke with each other. eventually they would see each other on patrol and on christmas. but the cuddling? the whispering to each other late into the night? the hand holding and kissing and fucking? the promise of being each other's closest confidant and beloved other half?

gone.

tim and dick, brothers and friends.

but tim and dick, lovers?

no. not anymore.

tim is down the hall from dick's apartment building when dick bursts out in his underwear and babbling so fast he's out of breath. his voice is thick and he sounds near tears. like he might cry.

tim gets no satisfaction out of the idea. but he also doesn't reach out to coo and comfort dick like he normally would.

it's not the first time tim's been fucked over by someone in his family. bruce had done it. jason and damian as well. even alfred had with his tendency to defer to bruce and not put his foot down until it was too late.

but dick...

dick had advocated for tim. he's fought in his corner and stood against the rest of the family so many times in his defense.

dick had done it for years and that's what saves him from tim abandoning him completely.

but still... it hurt.

but not as much as dick grasping his shoulder desperately. when tim turns to face him he's crying. there's snot running down his chin, his eyes are red. dick's neighbors are peeking out from their apartment doors to watch this spectacle of dick humiliating himself.

"p-please tim, don't shut me out. you can scream at me or hit me i know i'd deserve it but please don't ignore me- i thought you swore you'd never ignore me-"

and that hurts. dick had once had a bad brush with madhatter tech. some long-range distance device that covered all of gotham. when he took it down he'd ended up calibrating it to make it so everyone would pretend like he wasn't there. it took six days for bruce to get to the tech in his queue of tasks and end up reversing the effect.

dick had never mentioned it but the experience had been horribly scarring. he'd told tim about it and tim had sworn that he'd never purposefully ignore dick for anything, not even if they were fighting.

it's such a desperate bid on dick's part and tim can feel his mouth opening as he stares into those haunted eyes and feels...nothing.

"and i thought, you'd be the last person to ever hurt me."

[lurkingshan]

Hi Shan!

I hope you're doing well and thank you for all your metas and recs. They are always such a great read!

I have realised that I am quite anxious about currently airing shows not sticking the landing (IFYLITA mostly, I only seem to care about this one recently). You may have previously written about it(?), but which dramas (BL or otherwise), do you think have the most satisfying endings?

Oh, and bonus question, do you have an ending that you approve of, was really good and all, but you would never ever rewatch it because of *too many feels*?

Hey Kat! Thanks for the ask. I totally get the fear of a bad ending, it has soured many a drama experience, and sometimes it really does take you off guard. I feel like when most dramas end I'm just happy if the ending doesn't retroactively ruin anything, let alone it actually being meaningfully good. I had to think about this for a minute, but I do think there are some dramas where the ending is so good it actually enhances the overall story and watch experience.

First, a few that I would classify as having really lovely happy endings that feel very well-earned after lots of pain and strife

My Lovely Sam Soon

This drama is a classic from 2005, and it caught me off guard with how invested I got. It's a pretty standard romcom about a quirky "fat" (*stares into the camera*) woman who gets hired by a chaebol restaurant owner. They start out adversarial before eventually falling in love, with the hero working through his surprising feelings for this woman who does not fit his image of his ideal partner and the heroine overcoming her own body image and self-esteem issues. Sounds basic, right? But something about it just works. At the end, the heroine sings a love song to her beau with her terrible singing voice while he looks on adoringly, and something about it was just so touching that I actually burst into tears.

My Mister

One of my favorite endings of any drama ever. Our heroine Ji An has been through it, and via a platonic relationship with her older boss, she gets the support she needs to turn her life around. I spent half of this drama white knuckling in fear that they would try to turn the relationship romantic, but they stayed true to the purpose of this narrative. Instead of a romance, we end with the two of them running into each other on the street after a time skip. They meet eyes, he sees that she is happy and well and they just smile gently at each other. Perfection.

The Untamed

Possibly a controversial pick, given that this is significantly altered from the novel, which has a much better resolution to the romance. But given the constraints this adaptation was under and the need to keep the relationship ambiguous for censorship reasons, I think this show did a remarkable job of getting the romance across. This ending where they meet again on a hillside, Lan Wangji calls his name, Wei Wuxian turns and we see a smile slowly light his face up is absolutely beautiful and a very romantic note to leave us on.

This second group of endings are more bittersweet resolutions, but ones I thought really added to the poignancy of the stories and made the relationships feel all the more epic

Bad Buddy

Something that always surprises me about the way people talk about BBS is they often seem to...forget that the ending is actually really fucking sad? I guess because the couple is together and still happy with each other, folks overlook the deep melancholy of the circumstances under which they are able to maintain their relationship. So let me remind you! Pat and Pran are in a long distance relationship, they are still not out to anyone but their closest friends, and they are forced to put on a charade in front of their families so everyone can carry on pretending. They are still hiding, their family relationships are irreparably altered, and we know it's a constant strain on them. It's a perfect bittersweet note to drive home the serious sacrifices they are making in the name of filial piety even as they refuse to give each other up.

Crash Landing on You

Switzerland, the true MVP of this story. Se Ri and Jung Hyeok do not have the option of simply choosing one of their home countries to live in together, and both have obligations they cannot abandon at home. And so in the end they settle for being mostly apart, taking time together in neutral territory as often as they can manage. Is it enough? No, but it's better than moving on from each other.

Goblin

This story is a tragedy and it stuck to its guns on that while also finding a way to give the characters (and the viewers) some kind of happiness to hang onto. Shin is doomed to live forever and watch Eun Tak die over and over again, but at least he also gets to meet and be with her before each death. Him meeting her again in her second life, with the looming knowledge that he will outlive her again and be left alone, is a perfect combination of joyful and mournful, very appropriate for this story.

I Promised You the Moon

One of my favorite romance endings ever, because it does what the genre rarely allows in acknowledging that the couple may not, in fact, stay together forever, and that's okay. Oh-Aew decides to take Teh back because he wants to be with him and he hopes they may be better equipped to deal with their issues in the future, not because he feels confident things will not go wrong again. In fact, he directly acknowledges that they probably will. It's a very mature resolution and a fitting end to a coming of age story.

Someday or One Day

This time travel story ends with the leads deciding to break the loop they have been living in, sacrificing their romantic relationship in the process. It's a brave and selfless choice made to protect others, and the narrative rewards them by giving them some hope of another path to each other in the future. We leave them meeting again at a different time with a significant age gap and no memory of each other, and a hope that they will find a way to each other in this new reality.

These next two kind of stand on their own as unique, as I have not seen other dramas that pull off what their endings do

The Glory

The best thing about this drama is that it's a revenge story where the revenge is fully carried out, no one is given unearned redemption, and every character gets exactly what they deserve. That probably shouldn't be revelatory, but in my experience, it is! Asian dramas love to hand out unearned redemption to villainous characters, but this drama was simply Not. Having. It. It was such a satisfying watch.

Utsukushii Kare

The ending of this one pulled off the neat trick of reframing everything that came before it, flipping the perspective so that nothing about previous events actually changed, but our understanding of what it all meant was turned on its head. This is a difficult writing trick that requires deep understanding of your characters' psychology and full command of every detail of your story, and it was incredibly impressive. It instantly turned it into one of my all-time favorites.

Bonus question: Dramas with endings that were fantastic, but that made me never want to watch again because of the feels

I had to think on this one a bit because I actually really enjoy getting into my feelings over dramas and regularly torture myself by rewatching sad shit. But I did come up with two dramas that I probably won't ever watch again for different reasons: The Red Sleeve and Secret Love Affair. With TRS, it's rooted in a specific kind of pain that I found quite brutal as a viewer: the total denial of any moment of happy catharsis, which was an intentional and appropriate choice to underline its message. This is a love story that the heroine did not want or choose, and so she never gives in and embraces it, and neither can we. The show refuses to romanticize the concubine life and I respect it, but boy was it hard to watch.

With SLA, it's more a matter of the anxiety it provokes. That drama was, hands down, the most stressful watch experience of my life, even more than thrillers that are intentionally trying to stress me out! The romance is actually super compelling but you can't relax for a moment because everything is on a knife's edge. And the ending was not at all happy, but somehow still managed to feel like a breath of fresh air for both the heroine and us, because we finally escaped that confining dynamic she was trapped in. A perfect ending to a brilliant drama and also a watch experience I am not looking to repeat.

[mal-urameshi]

Since I have a weak heart, I need you to write the fluffiest fic about our girls.

Maybe about how they reunite after a long time apart… OR maybe they just moved in together 🤔

No rush though, I know you got big things coming for you 😁

A Fluffy fic, for big sis’ weak heart.

Guys I'm slightly tipsy writing this. But you all wanted to be fed. I had to come thru.

Shuri paced around as the Royal Talon Fighter zipped through the sky, “Can you fly this thing any faster, Okoye? Her last examination is going to be called any minute now.”

Okoye rolled her eyes as she concentrated on piloting the aircraft, “We are traveling well past High-hypersonic speeds. We’ll have more than enough time for you to greet her.”

Shuri blew an irritated puff of air.

She was finally going to visit Riri again. It had been almost nine months since she was able to visit her girlfriend. Between the rigorous demand of juggling being the Black Panther and her duties as Queen, she felt as though her relationship with Riri was put on the back burner.

And she never intended it to be! Shuri tried her absolute best to be present for her girlfriend, but it was quite difficult.

She hated that word. Nothing was too difficult for her. No matter if she had to try a thousand times, the task at hand would get done one way or another.

But long distance relationships were a whole different ball game.

Shuri had made it her mission to be able to visit Riri at least once a month. But as the relationship progressed, it was like every and anything tried to keep them apart.

Like when Riri was supposed to visit her for Spring Break, she had an impromptu mission that had her thinking it would postpone Riri’s arrival by a day. Unfortunately what was supposed to be a simple stake-out turned into an almost month long ordeal.

Riri had insisted that she understood. She went into the relationship knowing that dating the Black Panther and Queen of Wakanda would come with Trials and Tribulations. It wouldn’t be easy. But she expressed caring about her too much to let her go.

But Shuri didn’t miss the sadness in her eyes when they’d converse over video call. And the hesitancy to hang up when she insisted that Riri needed rest for classes. Or when she sent those voice messages late at night containing random ramblings, under the guise of not being able to sleep.

Shuri hated, loathed, execrated her circumstances. She wanted to be able to hold her girlfriend. Hug her. Go on dates. Call her at any point of the day. Pop by on a whim. Be comforted by her. Be able to vent about certain things like a regular freaking human being. Be in her presence.

It was so frustrating.

Shuri wanted to be a constant.

Regardless of her current happenings, Shuri wanted to do better by Riri.

So when the semester was coming to a close and Shuri just so happened to be free of any burdening responsibilities, she took it upon herself to drop by the campus to kidnap Riri herself.

She remembered the conversation she had with Riri two weeks prior.

“Are you nervous for your exams?” Shuri relaxed into her chair while she looked at Riri sifting through some papers at her desk.

Riri gave her a look, “Nervous? What do you take me for? This shit is child’s play to me. I just can’t wait for it to be over.” She then placed a few sheets of paper into a folder before moving on to the next pile.

Shuri smiled, “Ever the confident one. So what are your plans for the summer?”

Riri slumped in her chair and looked at the screen, “Go back home. Probably see if I can hustle some highschoolers who have summer homework for some extra cash. Just to keep myself occupied.” She shrugged.

Riri picked up her phone and walked over to her bed. She laid on her side and pulled her phone closer to her face, “I wish I coulda spent it with you though. Cuz I’m still kinda sad I didn’t get to come for Spring Break.” Riri used her bicep as a pillow, “Not that I’m complaining. I know you’re busy. And I get it. But I just miss you, you know?”

Shuri allowed her cheek to fall into her open palm as she looked into Riri’s eyes, “I miss you too. I’m having Riri withdrawals. I miss the way you play with my curls. And nuzzle your face into my neck. Or when you gently rub your finger over my nose. I miss the way you hug me like a koala bear.” She gave a light sigh of longing.

Riri found herself smiling at Shuri’s lamentation, “We'll be able to link up soon. Something will happen.”

Shuri grinned, “I love you.”

Riri softly smiled in turn, “I love you too.”

“Okoye!” Shuri continued her pacing while resisting the urge to bite her fingernails. Her anticipation was through the roof.

“Bast! Ask me one more time, Shuri. I may just throw you the rest of the way to MIT campus.” Okoye grumbled, “Our estimated time of arrival is half an hour.”

Riri walked out of her last final of the semester with a grin. That shouldn’t have even been classed as an exam. The lecturer wasn’t even trying. He couldn’t have been! She was out of there within an hour. She wasn’t complaining though, there couldn’t have been a better way to end the semester.

She was free! Free!

Riri jumped up and clicked the heels of her Jordans together in glee. She walked back to her dorms while contacting Shuri. She knew it was impromptu, but she wanted to tell her about her exams. Hopefully she’d be available. Riri adjusted her headphones as the phone kept ringing. She paused at her door to unlock it, but realized the door was already slightly open.

“The fuck?” Riri slowly opened up the door and walked inside, “I know I ain’t forgot to close my shit.”

She looked down at her phone when she heard that Shuri had finally picked up, but the wind was literally knocked out of her when she was lifted off the floor and into someone’s firm hold.

The sudden attack made Riri’s mind go blank as her heart dropped to her stomach. It took a split second for her to scream and try to beat the assailant off with her fists.

“Let me go!”

“Riri! Ow, ow! It’s me!” Shuri shouted as her shoulders and back were beaten by her girlfriend’s haphazard punching.

Riri immediately stopped and looked down, “Shuri?”

Shuri smiled, “Hi.”

Riri’s legs found their way around Shuri’s waist and her arms around her neck, securing her in a deadlock, “Shuri! What are you doing here? How?”

Riri pulled back and looked over Shuri’s face with unshed tears, “Are you real?” She gently palmed the sides of Shuri’s face and took in her features.

“Yes, my love. I’m really here.” She chuckled.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

Shuri pressed a kiss to Riri’s lips, “I wanted it to be a surprise. I was about to pack your stuff up, but I should have known that you would have blazed through your exams.”

“Wait back up, pack my stuff?” Riri tilted her head to the side.

“You’re coming back to Wakanda with me.” She finally put Riri down, but not before stealing another kiss from her lips.

Riri’s eyes bulged, “Are you being for real?”

Shuri walked over to one of Riri’s already opened suitcases and placed some folded clothes into it.

“I already have your toothbrush in there. And your laptop.” Shuri then picked up the fuzzy black panther slippers she got her, “Can’t forget these.” She snickered and dropped them into the suitcase.

Riri flopped onto her bed, feeling the toll the semester had taken on her finally seep into her bones, and looked on as Shuri shuffled around the room, grabbing what she deemed to be necessities.

“Hm, you ain’t even asked if I had plans or anything.” She excitedly kicked her feet and followed Shuri who was traipsing about her room.

“I know you don’t have any. Need I remind you that you were planning on taxing high school children for doing their summer assignments?” Shuri walked over to the bed and dragged Riri onto her lap.

“I wasn’t going to let another day go by where we were apart. I’m just taking the necessary steps to facilitate us maximizing our time together.” She allowed herself to hug Riri and just bask in her presence.

Riri tenderly grazed her fingertips over the nape of Shuri’s neck, which caused a shiver to trickle up her spine. She still couldn’t believe that Shuri was here. She stroked the pad of her thumb across Shuri’s cheek.

“You look tired. You could have come pick me up tomorrow.”

Shuri shook her head, “No. I wanted you today. I need you with me. I just missed you so much. And everything feels like it’s too much.”

Shuri gulped a deep breath but it didn’t extinguish the quiver in her voice, “I just wanted to hold you again.”

Riri pressed a kiss to Shuri’s forehead, “It’s okay. I got you babe. I got you.”

Shuri pressed her face into Riri’s chest, relishing her comfort.

The couple stayed like that for a while until Shuri pulled herself together. They then continued packing Riri’s things.

Once they were done, Shuri slung Riri’s duffle bag over her shoulder and slipped an arm around her waist.

Riri couldn’t wipe the giddy grin off of her face, nor did she want to as she pressed herself impossibly closer to Shuri’s side.

“Are you ready to go home?”

Riri nodded, “Yup. Let’s go!”

Taggies: @karimwillia @neptoons1998 @pantherheart