#at least not at the age of 23 while still in school for the next decade

[ghoularaki]

baby's breath | 23

↠  summary: Merely by coincidence, Erwin, your father's former friend had crossed paths with you again after nearly a decade. He offered solace once finding out you were struggling with not just school, but your home life as well. His home he shared with another one of your father's friends, Levi, became a sanctuary. Though, the more you came over for study sessions, the more they wiggled themselves into your private life. And like baby's breath, they weeded themselves in so deep you couldn't uproot them.

↠ word count: 1,991

↠ pairing: levi ackerman x reader x erwin smith

↠ genre/warnings: angst, smut, modern au, DARK CONTENT, yandere, daddy kink, forced infantilism, pet play, age gap, emotional manipulation, dissociation, depression, you wet the bed :(, NSFW (noncon, cunnilingus, fingering, slight nipple play)

h grumbled. Outside, sunlight streamed in from the open curtains. It must have been a while as you watched the sun and moon rise over and over, chasing each other over the horizon. You lost all fight in you.

Biting Levi only exhausted you. Your skin was sticky with old sweat and oil built up from refusing to shower. Levi tried to force you up, when was it? Yesterday? It must have been at least, but you started sobbing when he tried to pry you from the sheets. Moving hurt. You didn’t want to wash away the grime, only sleep.

You didn’t even move from your prone position facing the bathroom. It was hard to choose who you were more upset with: Erwin for prostituting you out, or Levi for drugging you. Levi definitely hurt more. Picking at the loose thread on the duvet, you pushed it aside. Why does it matter? They both are awful, there’s no choose between two evils. Levi could stop Erwin if he wanted to, but he won’t. He wanted a pet all the same.

God, your stomach really hurt. Whether it was the hunger or not going to the bathroom in who knows how long, you pushed off the agony. Flipping over, you went back to staring at the sun. From out the window, the leaves had already decayed into beautiful oranges and reds. In piles, they laid under the trees. You never knew how much you took advantage being able to step on them and them crunch under your feet. If you closed your eyes, maybe you could feel the Autumn breeze.

Behind you, Levi stood at the foot of the bed, observing. He had left your leash off all day. You didn’t even notice.

Rounding the bed, he stood in front of your view. Can’t he at least give you this?

Crouching down, the man tilted his head to gain eye contact, “Have you really given up?”

You turned back over to face the bathroom, shutting out him and the warm sunlight.

Laying there in your own filth, Levi and Erwin left you be. The next day in your sleep you had wet the bed, your body unable to contain itself anymore. It was tired, you were tired. What scared you most was neither man was upset. Erwin had the audacity to look concerned as if he didn’t do this to you. He ruined you, tainted you beyond recognition.

And Levi, he washed you with such tender care you wanted to slaughter him. Striped down bare in front of both men, you tried not to vomit. Only bile would come up. Sitting in the tub while the shower head was clutched in Levi’s hand, he sat outside it. Erwin hovered in the background.

Only the rushing water filled the room. No one spoke as Levi dragged the head over your body. Curling up, you refused to let either of them see you. If they wanted you clean, then they should leave you be for once. None of this would have happened if they left you alone.

Erwin broke first. “Say something, Princess, anything.”

“That’s not going to work,” Levi muttered.

He pet up and down your arm like it would help you unfurl. Just wanting to be clothes again, you dropped your arms, but still avoided eye contact. Levi whispered a hushed praise. He hosed you down, taking extra care that no waste was left on your skin. Grabbing a cloth, he hovered over your crotch before handing you it.

“Wash yourself.”

You were going to spit on him. Oh so now bodily autonomy was granted. Staring at his outstretched hand, you glanced as him before going back to staring at the floor.

Levi’s nostrils flared, but he buried down the agitation. He clung onto your stubbornness no matter how tiny. Grabbing your knee, he parted your legs like petals and with no fanfare, washed you. He wanted this done as fast as you. He did not like having a doll, he wanted you. Something that breathed and fought back. From the chill of the bathroom, your skin was so cold. Erwin might like porcelain, he didn’t. It reminded him of a dead body, and he wasn’t ready to bury you quite yet.

Finished with your bath, you were scrubbed clean. All the dandruff and oil collected on your scalp was washed away. You hated it, but you were relieved to no longer be itchy. The film on your face gone and your skin felt brand new.

Erwin had bundled you up in pj's that were fluffy and plush. Little pumpkins danced over the puffy fabric. He was about to pick you up when he stopped mid-way. Levi must have said leave it, and surprisingly he did. Holding your hand instead, Erwin guided you out the bedroom and to the stairs. Down, down you went until you all strolled into the living room.

“Do you like it?” Erwin asked, his tone sickly soft.

The living room was decorated for Halloween. Some point Erwin went out and bought an assortment of candies, snacks and even those cookies with pumpkins imprinted on them. He also put on some fall themed cartoon.

Sitting you down in between them, Erwin sat on your left and Levi on your right. You all sat together like everything was okay. Your eyes flicked across the TV as Erwin chuckled at something silly one of the kids did. With your arms around your knees, you didn’t leave the cartoon. Tears bubbled up and silently spilled over your cheeks. So much time had passed and nothing has changed, besides you. You were still here, but you from June was not the you now.

“Come here, princess,” Erwin cooed, seeing your tears.

Stretching himself out to sit more with his back against the arm rest, he pulled you to his chest. He had your head lay against his clavicle to prop his chin against your crown. Those filthy hands run up and down your sides, dipping too far up and brushing against the under side of your breast.

“We can make it better, if you let us,” He whispered, tempting you like the snake did Eve.

Dropping one hand down to pinch at the hem of your pants, he rubbed into the skin. Going further, he slipped under your panties and cupped your warm pussy.

You didn’t move or look away from the TV.

His middle finger crooked upwards and caught on the rim of your hole. A tiny whine escaped to which he hushed. Pushing furthering in with two fingers, Erwin softly fucked you open. Heat flushed across your face, but besides your heaving chest, you didn’t show any sign of life.

Levi glanced at you two with a disapproving face, “Erwin, how is this helping-”

“We can show her that sex can be used for pleasure, not just punishment,” He explained before letting Levi continue. He rubbed his cheek against your hair before continuing, “She’s finally learned her lesson about disobedience, hasn’t she?”

Levi set his face into a scowl. His eyes didn’t leave Erwin’s thrusting hand under your pants. To entice the smaller man more, Erwin pulled his fingers from you with a squelch. Hooking his thumbs under the hem of your pants and panties, he dragged them down. Levi watched on as he revealed more of your pussy. Completely off, Erwin grabbed one of your legs and pulled it to your chest. Your face pinched at the stretch, but you stilled refused to look.

Your pussy glistened from the little wetness Erwin cajoled out of you. Your clit puffy and begging to be touched, just how Levi liked it.

“Come on, Levi, show her how good you are with your mouth.”

Despite Erwin’s command, he was not doing it because Erwin asked him to, Levi just wanted that dead fish eyed expression off your face. Scooting closer, Levi grabbed your jaw and shook you. “Don’t you dare look away from me.”

His warm breath brushed against your lips. Nowhere else to look, you locked gazes with him. Happy, he nodded and patted your cheek.

Adjusting himself so he half kneeled on the couch, half planting his foot on the floor, he replaced Erwin’s hold. Gripping into the meat of your thighs, he pulled you apart just for him. He wanted to eat you alive, feast upon you until there was nothing left.

Coming closer, he blew against your clit, his lips jumping up at your tiny flinch. Slow with it, he kissed over your inner thighs. Not quite touching where you need it. A hiccup of a moan broke out as he blew cool air again. Using his thumbs, he parted your labia to expose more of your clit. He suctioned his lips around the bud and sucked. You squirmed, overwhelmed.

He released your clit and went further down to lick from your hole back to the bundle of nerves. Repeating this a few times, he tongued against your hole, dipping inside. Surprisingly, Levi was sloppy. He didn’t leave any area untouched. Pulling back, he spit on your bud and went back down you make out with your cunt, deeply.

Your lids fluttered closed, but you keened at the nip to your bud. Levi glared up at you, reminding you to keep looking. As he kept his gaze from betwixt your legs, his eyes screamed, Fight me. Fight me and show me you’re still alive.

Erwin joined in. Tucking his hands from under your shirt, he pulled the fabric over your breasts. Your nipples puckered from the chill air. Grabbing your mounds with his large, hot palms, he kneaded them between his fingers. Tiny sparks of pleasure coursed through your body. You couldn’t focus on anything as Erwin pinched the pebbled flesh between his index and thumb.

Levi only slurped against you harder. Your hands frantically searched for something to hold. Grabbing the couch, you refused to give either of them anything more than this. Little gasping breaths swirled around you. Your back arched as your breasts bounced with each pant. Your toes curled as your eyes clenched. With a sharp inhale, you came silently.

Levi drank up every bit of slick that dribbled out of you. He only stopped when you whined in such a fussy way. Erwin dropped his hands to your stomach, petting over it to sooth you.

“So good, you did so well. Such a good girl,” He whispered.

Levi came back up and wiped the slick off his lower face with his sleeve, “Fuck, that’s going to stain.”

Erwin patted your pussy. Tiny, wet paps clapped from his fingers. “Don’t listen to him.”

The smaller man clicked his tongue and went into the kitchen. Cabinets and the sink flicking on for a moment could be heard. Levi came back with a clean face and washcloth in hand. Sitting on the couch, he shoved Erwin’s hand away. Gently, he wiped away any of your residue on your cunt and inner thighs.

“Don’t lick your fingers, wipe it off, you fucking mongrel,” Levi shot up and threw the cloth as Erwin with a glower.

Your head bounced with his chuckle, “Sorry, can’t help myself.”

Levi grabbed your pants—foregoing your underwear—and threading your legs back into the garment. The goosebumps stayed despite the warmth.

He tried to lock eyes with you again, but you turned your attention back to the TV. You missed a whole episode.

As the warm colors of the show danced across your face, for a moment you could pretend this was like old times. The you sitting here had just met Erwin again after so many years and you were all just having fun, bonding. In this millisecond of the universe, you could pretend. Because you knew, they knew, there’s no truly going back.

[oretskov]

𓇼 i'd wash the sand off the shore . . . the one and only atira has been an active musician for nearly seven years now. her digital footprint? unapologetically herself. her scorpio sun shrines through with her unconventional takes. a gen z bjork or matty healy, if you may! it's become a common joke between fans on her numerous amount of side quests. she's practically everywhere, while still pumping out music yearly, whether it's her own or helping others. the k-pop industry, famous youtubers, and revolutionary artists — she's met them all! ( a.k.a some of atira's favourite interviews/press she's been on )

𓉘 top five beatdown / watcher. . . 𓉝

⠀⠀⠀“ ⠀⠀though atira wouldn't touch anything related to the paranormal with a ten foot pole, she's been a big fan and believer of horror and ghosts from a young age. ghosthunters have knack for faking their finds — the only ones she trusts? ryan and shane. she's been a viewer since their buzzfeed days, and followed them along their journey after.

୧ ranking the 5 best superheroes ft. atira

she may be last, but she's certainly not atira's least liked — ranked at fifth place is oracle/barbara gordon. her next two picks are, ironically enough, characters she's sees herself in — x-23/laura kinney and batgirl/cassandra cain. at second place, many may not know him as a hero, but atira will defend him with her last honour — it's magneto/erik lehnsherr. and to no one's surprise, because she never shuts up about him, atira's number one hero will always be batman/bruce wayne.

𓉘 hearing songs for the first time / drumeo. . . 𓉝

⠀⠀⠀“ ⠀⠀atira's utmost talent manages to shine a spotlight on such an underrated instrument: the drums. her talent doesn't even end there, for she can sing, write, produce, and play the bass and guitar. whether it's live on tour with wallows, or at her own concerts, the reports know to call her one of the best modern drummers.

୧ atira hears marilyn manson for the first time

she's listened her fair share of artists, especially in the alternative scene. though, of course, many can get past her as well. she proved that point when a drumless track of 'the beautiful people' by marilyn manson began to play on set. her execution was almost flawless, bringing her own twist into mix that elevated her style in drumming. finding out whose song she was playing was all the more surprising — she's heard of manson's controversial appeal, but damn, did she enjoy listening !

𓉘 royal court. . . 𓉝

⠀⠀⠀“ ⠀⠀only a few can beat atira in the game of unhinged digital footprints. brittany broski takes that cake. both are equally enamoured by each others' creative content. brittany has mentioned her music several times on her podcast — broski report — and atira has mentioned brittany on quite a few accounts during q&a's.

୧ atira joins brittany broski's royal court

brittany studies her guests as well as nardwuar. paired with the woman's humour and chaotic energy, atira had a blast on set. the host had managed to surprise her with a cucumber salad and the question of "you started worshipping a tree named bob in elementary school. explain." by the end, queen brittany of house broski had welcomed lady atira — bodyguard to duke bob, turned vampire — to the court.

[yuzurins]

# to tell you the truth

23 — concern

smau masterlist ∗ previous chapter ∗ next chapter

tw: not proofread + ky$ joke

“y/n, can you go refill the water?” the assistant coach calls to you.

“yes, one second!” you reply, hurriedly rushing to the water fountain as soon as you finish your previous task. 

it’s been a week since you started as the manager of your school’s football team, but every practice feels like an eternity. at least it was a fun learning experience, despite the constant running around.

the coach finally calls the team in for a huddle, marking the end of practice. a sigh of relief subconsciously slips your mouth; you wish you could be more dramatic about your exhaustion, if only you didn’t sign up voluntarily.

the assistant coach notices however, and walks over to pat your shoulder. “sometimes i think the staff have it worse than the players.”

you smile at her. “i’m beginning to understand why no one was willing to be manager.”

she laughs, but pats your back a little harder this time. “yeah, but you’re not leaving anytime soon. right, y/n?”

an awkward laugh leaves your mouth as you begin to rethink your decisions.

“right?” she repeats, furrowing her brows.

“right!”

“now that’s more like it!” she grins. “i know it’s been extra tiring today, so i’ll you off early.”

you blink. no way this was true—

“after you take all the jerseys to the laundry room. thank you!”

you groan (extra) loudly as you trudge over to the dirty bin of jerseys.

“8, 11, 15, huh, where’s 10?” you mumble while fishing the jerseys out and into the washing machine.

it probably just fell out on the way here. you weren’t really paying attention anyways.

but a wave of anxiety hits you halfway to the field as you remember who wore jersey #10.

itoshi rin. the bane of your existence.

reluctantly, you continue retracing your steps, staying extra cautious in case rin was still around to notice you dropped his jersey.

except the light wind and smell of grass reach you before you retrieve the jersey. in the middle of the field, you notice a tall figure adorning the missing jersey, and of course, you recognized them at a glance.

what is he doing? he shouldn’t even be here now right. isn’t he tired?

a flurry of emotions run through your head. was it surprise? frustration? concern?

whatever the case, you needed the jersey back to go home. it doesn’t matter if he wanted to stay until dawn—you were going to rip that jersey off him if you had to.

“itoshi!” you call out with your hands around your mouth. “don’t you think that’s enough?”

rin glances at you ever so slightly. he looks you up and down, before going back to practice. 

did he just ignore you?

“hello?” you shout louder this time, “i know you can hear me!”

“what do you want,” he responds, rolling his eyes. “can you leave me alone?”

“what i want is your stupid jersey,” you swiftly pick up a towel on a bench nearby and wave it at him. “i can’t leave if i don’t finish this.”

he grunts. “well you aren’t getting it anytime soon, so just leave. i doubt the assistant coach would care if there’s one missing.”

you purse your lips and walk closer to him. “i don’t care. take your jersey off, it won’t feel right if i leave without it.”

but before you could finish your sentence, rin’s already running across the field, dribbling the ball faster than you can comprehend.

the fucking audacity this guy has.

guess he doesn’t know you could run, too. you didn’t join track in primary for nothing. still holding the towel, you sprint after rin, to which he responds by speeding up.

the two of you end up running 5 laps around the field until rin finally slows down.

after catching your breath, you question him. “why are you still here? practice ended ages ago.”

“can’t you just,” he pants, “mind your own business? don’t you just need this—damn jersey?”

you scoff, furrowing your brows as you hold yourself back from throwing the towel at him. “don’t let it get to your head, itoshi. it’s an obligation as the manager to care for every member on the team.”

still hunched over with his hands on his knees, rin glares at you, his gaze colder than ice. “yeah, then you shouldn’t have joined if you can’t handle it. must be hard saying no to whatever your boyfriend says–”

the towel hits rin’s right cheek before he can finish his sentence. you would’ve been fine if rin was only shit-talking you to your face, but once he brought up isagi, the last of your patience had finally let out. you didn’t even remember the reason you came here in the first place.

“wow,” rin laughs out of spite. “did i hit a nerve there?” 

“isagi is NOT my boyfriend.“ you mutter. “and i joined because i wanted to. there must be something wrong with your head if you can’t understand something as simple as that.”

“fine, now can you just get out of my face?” rin sighs before turning around to resume his routine of endless drills.

you frown at not being able to have the last word, but turn away in anger as you storm off to the club room. 

you’re done trying to get through to rin. all of this could’ve been done and over if he had just taken off his jersey and changed into another shirt. if he can’t perform even the smallest act of human decency, than he isn’t worth your time.

the orange from the setting sun peaks through the hallway window, reminding you just how long you’ve stayed after school today. weren’t you supposed to leave early today, anyways?

after cleaning up and finishing all your work for the day, you reluctantly go back to check on rin. you’ve stayed longer than expected, and the sun has fully set now. all the other students who stayed back for clubs have left, leaving just you in the empty hallway. 

you can’t help but feel frustrated that you still care for rin even after all your terrible interactions with him. 

you want to hate him, but you can’t. you want to ignore him, but you just can’t.

an unexpected silence looms as you approach the corner before the football field. you stop in place in an attempt to listen more closely in case any sounds happen to slip your mind. 

but still, nothing at all.

your heart drops, and you sprint to the field. the only explanation behind the eerie silence is that rin stopped practising, but you knew that that wasn’t the case.

frantically, you scan the field as you try to locate rin. the sound of your heart thumping fills the air, sounding loud enough to be an earthquake. after what feels like minutes, you finally locate a lump of blue towards the net. 

“rin!” you exclaim, the adrenaline causing you to overlook the usage of his given name.

trying your best to stay calm, you check his pulse immediately and sigh in relief when it’s still beating. carefully, you do your best to pick him up and drag him over to the bench on the side of the field. you take your jacket off and place it around him as you run back into the school to find the school nurse. 

as you sprint down that same hallway, you thank your past self for taking that first aid class for fun during freshmen year. 

your hand hastily grips the door to the nurse’s office. “miss—are you still—here?” 

the nurse, with her jacket and purse, jumps in surprise from the other side of the room. “my, y/n, you scared me! why are you still at school?”

the fatigue from your sprint finally catches up with you, and you pant as you barely manage to get your words out. “rin’s passed out in the field—he’s unconscious, he—needs help!” 

quickly processing your words, the nurse drops her stuff and runs out. you turn around to follow her, but she puts a hand on your shoulder. 

“y/n, you’re out of breath. i know how stressful this was, and i thank you for responding so earnestly. but i’ve got it now, so you sit down and take a break.” 

the nurse smiles, telling you more before you can reject her advice.

“everything will be fine, i promise. now just breathe, and drink some water, would you?”

you nod, seemingly mesmerised by her reassurance. your legs finally give out, and you fall to the floor.

note: hi its been a long time pls don't mind if my writing sucks u get the point

pairing ∗ itoshi rin x f!reader

synopsis — all you wanted was a peaceful and productive uni life, but despite your pleas, your plans start crumbling when the star of the football team, itoshi rin, begins to beat you in every aspect possible. as you confront the inevitable, what happens when you uncover secrets behind an unforgettable event from the past?

taglist ∗ send an ask / comment to be added or removed

@kitorin @yunxbin @simeonswif3 @pookiebear16 @mellozhi @biaonww @supahumbreon @rijhi @matchablossomsss @kiiruv @pinkismyfavcolor @tamimemo @linmabbe @toffeeeez @hahausernamegobrrr @iuspired @neneletter @gigiiiiislife @bl3uc0r3 @csbnova @raidenshogunmommy @saeskiss @shironagi @y-sabell-a @hotdogkongmalaki @kitsunetori @kryscent @brainrottingforhotpixels @tojirin @thomatri @urslytherin @iheartpinky @sus0daddy @simplyvyn @cayl33n @court-jester-stuff @kascar-chronicle @kokoiinuts @ceramic-raven @xoxojisu @totallytatum @mikashisus @evry1luvssm @imheretobeinvisible @fairyystar @blissblossom @ghostjoohoney @wooyeouu @saechiro

[littlecrittereli]

Random WK Headcanon dump

Here's a silly list of headcanons I have about team Wild Kratts, in no particular order other than what comes into my head first:

Heights:

Martin and Chris are based off their real heights and I filled everyone else in based off how they look standing next to each other. I exaggerated Aviva and Koki's height a little bit, just for some variety.

Koki is the tallest at 6' (182.9 cm)

Martin is 5'10 (177.8 cm)

Jimmy is 5'9 (175.3 cm)

Chris is 5'8 (172.7 cm)

and Aviva is the shortest at 5'3 (160 cm)

Reference:

Ages:

Martin is definitely the oldest at 25

Aviva is 24

Jimmy and Koki are both 23, Jimmy being a few months older

And Chris is runner up at 21

The reason for the small age gap is because Martin was ultimately the person that put together the Tortuga team when he graduated college, and he picked students that were also close to graduation at the time. Chris would have just been starting college, but would join them upon graduation because of his connection through Martin. Other freshmen at the time would not have qualified for the research grant.

Birthdays!!!

Martin: Dec 23rd (he's a capricorn)

Aviva: Nov 4th (She's a scorpio)

Jimmy: April 20th (He's a taurus)

Koki: August 27th (She's a virgo)

Chris: July 19th (He's a cancer)

Identities:

(Disclaimer this is referring to the fictional Wild Kratts animated characters ONLY. Not the actual people they are based on.)

Martin: he/him, bisexual. But his preference is women.

He's probably had a handful of girlfriends and a couple of boyfriends throughout high school and college, but unfortunately had too big of ambitions to settle down with anyone.

Aviva: she/her, bisexual. She doesn't have a preference.

She has probably been on like... 2 dates max. She has always been much more focused on her education and bettering her inventions than dating. Her only standard for a partnership is someone who can keep up with her intelligence. Or at least someone she can learn from and grow with.

Jimmy: he/him, straight.

He literally does not care, but he would probably kiss a man if the opportunity arose. Had a girlfriend in kindergarten and they spoke twice, but since she moved schools and they never officially broke up, he's still technically off the market.

Koki: she/they lesbian. SHE LIKES WOMEN

tried to date a man. regretted it. Has probably been in a couple semi-serious relationships, but didn't work out for various reasons. She's content to focus on her career for now but someday would love to be a mom.

Chris: he/they aroace

only proclaimed to have a crush on a girl in high school because everyone else was talking about crushes and he didn't want to feel left out. Doesn't really like to be touched in general. Would rather cut off his hand than be forced to hold someone else's in a non platonic way. When someone has a crush on him, he does not know how to respond so he literally just ignores them.

Silly Stuff:

-As a zoologist, Martin knows more about animal behaviors, classification, and identification. Meanwhile, Chris as a biologist knows more about the anatomy and general science of animals. For example, Martin would be able to explain the reasoning behind a firefly's glow while Chris would be able to explain the chemical reaction that makes the glow possible. And they are constantly sharing and learning from each other as well.

-Chris has glasses, he just doesn't really use them very often. They would get in the way of creature adventuring so he only wears them if he's reading or something. They aren't super crucial, it just helps with small words.

-Game nights are VERY serious on the Tortuga. Jimmy is suspiciously good at card/board games. He pretty much always wins. It's to the point where everyone else is on a team against him. Sometimes he lets them win and it has sent the entire team into a fight. Sorry has been banned in the Tortuga because of this.

-Koki's a huge theatre nerd. She participated in plays recreationally throughout high school, and will often hum or sing while she's doing a task.

-Martin plays the guitar and has a mediocre singing voice. It's nothing spectacular but he can carry a tune. Sometimes when the Tortuga is parked somewhere remote for the night, they will make a campfire and sing a few songs.

-Aviva has roller skates built into her shoes (SIDE NOTE: This is something we see very often in season 1 but they seemed to have forgotten about it??? or retconned it??? BUT I HATE IT BECAUSE THEY WERE SO COOL PLEASE BRING BACK THE ROLLER SKATES)

-Martin is a terrible driver. (The oldest sibling curse) He knows he's a terrible driver, but pretends he's not. Chris will usually try to take the driver's seat to prevent Martin from driving, but sometimes Martin beats him there. Will deflect any evidence of him being a bad driver. "That curb shouldn't have been there" Someone please revoke his license, he's a danger to society.

-Jimmy is definitely the best cook out of all of them. He makes food for the team most of the time, unless they are on a longer flight and he has to pilot. Koki and Chris are pretty competent chefs "Just read the recipe it's not that hard". Martin's basically limited to ramen noodles and microwave mac and cheese. Aviva, try as she might, can NOT cook. She will BURN water. (she always overcomplicates the recipes by trying to utilize an invention or something)

-Koki likes to crochet. She likes to keep her hands busy so whenever she's doing a rather boring task, like monitoring for bad weather/villains while the bros are out, she crochets.

-Jimmy gets insane jet lag, and since they are bouncing from different time zones all the time, he can never really catch up. Not to mention he has to stay up for irregular hours to fly the Tortuga. This is why he's always napping, and why the others usually leave him alone to sleep unless it's important.

[pollymorgan]

Teacher Negan - The Football Game - Part 1

Warnings: A very large age difference and of course, smut

Oh, and very important: It's all fiction of course! Please, my dears, use condoms and don't go with old men! :-P

That my mother has to move several hundred miles away with my aunt to open a beauty salon, especially before the last year of my high school, was initially a big shock for me, but now I also see the advantages it brings. First of all, I finally get out of my little town, and there's also the immediate proximity to my cousin. Cassady is 5 years older than me, to be exact 23, but we have always gotten along great. Another advantage is that I no longer have to see my ex-boyfriend every day, since we are no longer in the same class. Plus, I still have almost the entire summer vacation ahead of me to enjoy life to the fullest, like now at this football game. If I were to say I love football, that would be an understatement, because it feels like every American does. For me, it's an absolute dream to live in the city of my favorite team. That's why I'm wearing the appropriate hoodie over my dress and, of course, the matching cap at the game.

The atmosphere in the stadium is absolutely insane and totally captivating. Even if my cousin doesn't really see it that way and only came along because of me.

Now we just have to push through a horde of men to get to our seats. And then hopefully it will start soon. Even though the game will really become secondary. Because the atmosphere alone is reason enough to be here.

Getting to our seats, however, proves to be more difficult than expected. We each have two large beer cups in hand and somehow have to get through this crowd. But the line at the drinks stand was huge, and I didn't want to spend the start of the game waiting in line. So we planned ahead. I almost managed to get to my seat unscathed, when suddenly this guy turns around in a flash. Everything happens so quickly that I can't react anymore, and so I spill half of the beer on him and myself. The tall stranger initially looks at me very angrily and is about to scold me, but then his look suddenly changes as his dark eyes meet mine.

"What the hell.. oh, sorry.. I didn't mean to spill your drink, ...can I offer you a new one? Of course, only if you're already 21.." He starts to grin, and his perfectly white row of teeth shines through his silver-black beard.

I'm still a bit overwhelmed by the whole situation and look bewildered at the large wet spot on his black shirt under his dark jacket. Guys my age are never dressed so well. Only maybe for a funeral or a prom, and I've never been to either.

"I'm already 22.." I say somewhat defiantly, and according to my fake ID, that wouldn't even be a lie.

"Perfect.." he concludes.

He turns around to hand me a full beer from the drinks available behind him. I take it gratefully, and finally my cousin and I can sit down exhausted in our seats.

Immediately she whispers excitedly in my ear, "Did you see how that guy looked at you? He's at least twice as old as you and basically undressed you with his eyes .. pretty cringe..".

I look at her innocently, "Cringe? I actually find him quite cute!"

"Cute?" she asks in surprise, rolling her eyes.

The stranger sits down in the seat right next to me and toasts us.

"Thanks," I say again.

"No problem, pleasure to meet you, i’m Negan!"

"Sam.." I stammer somewhat clumsily.

Then everyone turns back to their groups. After a while, I'm engrossed in conversation with my cousin again, but the guy next to me has put on such an intense cologne that it lingers in my nose the whole time. It smells so ruggedly masculine that it almost drives me crazy. Whenever I have the chance, I shyly glance to the right, but he doesn't look at me anymore. I'm strangely disappointed, so I try to push that thought aside.

The game is running fantastically. My team is winning, which makes me so euphoric that I even infect my cousin with it.

After the game, as we're getting ready to leave, someone roughly grabs my arm. I startle briefly, then look back into the dark eyes that send a pleasant tingling sensation through my entire body.

"Do you and your friend maybe want to come with us to a bar to celebrate the victory a bit?" he asks with a deep tone, and I feel my stomach vibrating at his words.

Suddenly, my cousin's voice snaps me out of my trance. "No, sorry, we have to get up early..".

I look at her puzzled.

"Um, actually... apologize for us for a moment!".

The stranger seems to be thoroughly amused by this situation.

I turn to her and whisper in her ear, "That sounds fun... come on, let's go with them!"

"With these guys?!" she says a bit too loudly.

Startled, I turn around, but he is engrossed in a conversation again and apparently, thankfully, hasn't noticed. After a seemingly endless discussion, we agree that I will go to the bar with them without her. But only with the promise to be reachable on the phone at all times.

Reluctantly, Cassady bids me goodbye with a hug and whispers in my ear, "Take care of yourself... and don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Since my cousin has quite a bit of a checkered past, I don't even feel guilty promising her that.

When I agree to go with them, the stranger firmly takes my hand to guide me through the crowd out of the stadium. I'm initially a bit shocked by this strange situation, but fearing to lose him among the crowd, I interlock my fingers tightly with his and let him lead me out of the stadium.

The three of us, along with another man, take a seat on the backseat of a large black Audi. The men in the car are engaged in lively conversation about the game. Fortunately, I understand quite a bit about football and can engage in some discussion without sounding dumb, even though everyone else present is probably 30 years older than me.

After a short ride, we park in front of a small bar.

As we enter, the smell of smoke and alcohol greets me. The men take a seat at a round table, and I excuse myself for a moment to go to the bathroom.

There, I take off my sweater and am quite glad that I'm wearing a short black dress underneath. I take off my cap and let my hair down, then adjust it and try to fix my makeup a bit. I take a deep breath a few more times, looking at myself in the mirror. Then I go back, determined. But the table is empty. Startled, I look around, a thousand thoughts racing through my head.

But then I hear someone call out, "Here we are!" The voice comes from the billiard table. Relieved, I see Negan sitting on a sofa in front of the others. I walk purposefully towards them.

Two are already playing, and the clattering of the balls drowns out the conversations in the entire bar.

Since the couch is already occupied, I take a seat on the armrest next to Negan. He unabashedly looks me up and down and then offers me a beer.

"You look damn good..." he says directly, making my heart skip a beat and my cheeks blush.

After the men finish their game, I challenge him. He accepts with a smile, probably not expecting that I practically grew up at the billiard table. As he takes his first shots, he realizes it's not as easy as he thought, which pleases me.

Watching him concentrate more on the game makes me proud, and he looks even better doing it. As he leans closer to make his next move, he unexpectedly gives me a rather strong pat on the backside.

"Hey, unfair move!" I protest immediately, which only elicits a tired smile from him, but sends a strong tingle down in my lower abdomen.

But I manage to win against him, albeit very narrowly, which clearly annoys him. Afterwards, he has to endure some teasing from his buddies. Resignedly, he sits back on the sofa, and I proudly perch on the armrest again.

During the next round with his friends, we engage in animated discussions about their gameplay and continue drinking our beer. After a while, Negan starts touching my bare shin. At first, he just places his warm hand there, but then he starts stroking it slowly. The touches of his large rough hands are so gentle that they give me goosebumps. I enjoy this feeling and what it does to me to the fullest. I'm disappointed when he lets go of my leg, but only to offer me a vodka shot that the waitress had placed on a large tray in front of us. The drink is much needed, as my mouth feels incredibly dry.

We clink glasses, and I down the shot in one go. The sharp alcohol burns in my throat and then warms my stomach, shooting straight to my head. I can tell that Negan is watching my every move closely.

As soon as I place the empty glass back on the table, he puts his hand on my thigh.

"You look so damn sexy drinking it all in one go, do you like swallowing other things too?" he whispers unabashedly.

I almost slap him out of reflex, but as I look into his grinning face and his lustful eyes meet mine, my whole lower abdomen tightens, and I can't help but smirk. We gaze at each other for a while, and then I decisively say, "Why don't you find out.."

Without warning, he pulls me onto his lap, and before I know it, I'm straddling him, and he immediately starts kissing me. His lips are incredibly demanding. I place my hands on his cheeks to try to control the situation somewhat, while I completely forget everything around me and simply ignore the stupid comments from others.

His fingers trail down my back purposefully, immediately gripping my buttocks tightly. Then he presses me firmly against his pelvis. Excited, I breathe against his open mouth as I feel his penis getting harder and pressing strongly against me.

Sensing my hesitation, he whispers softly, "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Nothing.. it's just pretty big.." I grin, feeling a bit embarrassed.

He smiles contentedly and presses me against him again, then gently kisses the sensitive skin on my neck and says in my ear, "Oh, don't worry, pretty princess, I'll order a taxi for us now, and then we'll go to my place where I'll pamper you so much that your little pussy will get nice and wet for me, and then my big, hard cock can slide into you slowly and effortlessly. How does that sound?"

His deep voice and direct manner drive me crazy. I nod decisively and kiss him again. I then take his right hand off my butt and guide it under my dress, directly between my legs.

"I'm already so wet for you, feel it!" I reply somewhat shyly.

His fingers deftly shift my panties aside, while his eyes scan my face precisely, enjoying every reaction from me. Slowly, he skillfully glides his middle finger through my cleft, causing me to involuntarily flinch.

"You're such a naughty sweet girl!" he remarks amusedly, as his finger leaves my most intimate place again, moistening my lips with my wetness. He then kisses me again, passionately sucking my taste from my lips. "You taste incredibly good.." he says contentedly.

[the-final-sif]

Putting everything else aside for a moment and the fact this is most likely fake it; is buck fucking wild to see twitter losing it and declaring that a 19/20 year old and a 16/17 year old sexting consensually back in 2019 is """pedophila""" and """grooming""" like. Listen. My friends in high school were fucking at that age and the only one who ended up traumatized by it was me because I got abandoned to do the groupwork by myself. I also had to handle at least one of their breakups which was awkward as hell.

In college I had to listen to the 17 year old in the dorm next to mine get her back blown out every goddamn week because she was horny as hell and hadn't been able to get laid before college. I know at least one of the guys she brought around was like 23. Most were around 20 because the 18 year olds were apparently all still fuckboys. She was nice and again, I was the only one traumatized by thin dorm walls while she had several excellent evenings.

Turns out people in the real world fuck and they don't always care about what age the government has decided you should be allowed to fuck at. Teenagers are dumb and horny and sext each other even when it's illegal or a bad idea. In other news, water is wet and it gets cold during winter.

If you're gonna make up fake shit, goddamn, at least make it something I should actually care about. Because while I do think it's fake, I also don't give a shit about what some horny teenagers were doing 4 years ago.

[afro-hispwriter]

Summer Shadows(Camp Slasher Au) Welcome to Camp Paradis!

Levi Ackerman x reader(eventual)

Warnings- late 90’s, Levi and Mikasa are cousins, Levi sorta hates you

Summary- Camp Paradis is back in session after being closed for the past 30 years after the murder of 17 attendees. But that’s OBVIOUSLY not going to happen again!!!

Wc-2.1k

-

It’s too fucking hot for this shit

That's what was running through Levi’s head as he carried his two duffle bags through the sea of parents and children coming into Camp Paradis. 

Fucking summer camp, last time I let Erwin convince me to do this

“This is your fault,” Mikasa says next to him, her suitcase hitting her ankles almost every step. “If you hadn’t lost your job, then that shitty apartment we wouldn’t-.”

“Hey, brat.” He stopped and glared at her. “Do you ever shut the fuck up?”

“I hate you.” She stomped off to the check-in and Levi let out a ‘tch’. 

He walked over to where counselors were supposed to meet up when large hands clapped on his shoulders.

“Levi!” He knew the voice instantly and sighed deeply.

“Erwin.” The blonde moved in front of him, he had that stupid smile on his face. It was his first year as head counselor and Levi already knew he was overly excited. Just like he was when he was Valedictorian for his high school and college class, the best football player in both, and one of the smartest. While still being the kindest guy there was. Someone Levi could call his (best)friend. 

“I'm glad you’re here, let me tell you what cabin you’re being assigned.” Erwin looked at his clipboard and flipped through it. “Ackerman. Ackerman. Acker- ah okay you’re going to be In charge of Cabin G with 10 boys from ages 8 to 16.” Erwin points to the cabin far away. “Oh, and that cabin is next to a girl's cabin so you will have to keep an eye out a bit more often.”

“Great, as if just having to keep them alive for the next two months won't be hard enough.” 

“Hey come on, lighten up.” Levi rolled his eyes and turned his body to walk away but Erwin spoke again. “Made sure Mikasa is in the girl's cabin next to yours.”

“Tch. Why would you do that?” 

“Because she’s your family and you care about her. Regardless of whatever hatred there is between you two.” Levi said nothing and did nothing. Just stared at his friend and walked away.

-

Two steps into the cabin Levi knew what the first job the kids were going to be doing was. It was disgustingly filthy. He didn’t even want to throw his bags down. 

There was a paper to his left on a counter that read

Camp Paradis Cabin G

Head Cabin Counselor: Levi Ackerman(23)

Assistant Cabin Counselor: Furlan Church(19)

Campers:

Armin Arlet(14)   

Logan Beam(9)

Alexander Clarke(11)

Jean Kirstein(15)

Aloy Ramos(12)

Nicolas Shroud(16)

Connie Springer(15)

Jeremy Volantage(10)

Eren Yeager(15, watch closely, can be very troublesome)

Keiko Xu(8)

The rest of it was some rules and ways of communication. 

Levi rubbed his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. Oh, he knew this wasn’t going to be good. Between the mix of a whole bunch of adolescent brats and 2 little kids. He’s not getting a moment's peace, but at least he’s getting paid. 

He dropped his bags at the farthest bunk bed and grimaced at the dirt.

Did they not clean these beforehand?

“Hey!” A voice came from the entrance and Levi turned around. A guy with blonde hair and light gray eyes stood at the entrance waving at him. “Furlan Church and you are?” 

“Ackerman.” The blonde cocked his head to the side.

“Oh Levi. Really? I thought you were a-.” The eyebrow raised from Levi told Furlan it was best to keep that thought to himself. “Anyways, campers should be coming in soon, so what bed are you taking?“ 

Levi looked at the bed he was standing by. 

“Alright, guess I'll take this one.” Furlan tossed his bag on the bed by the main door. 

-

Levi remembered during orientation for counselors that there was a storage closet with cleaning supplies. He grabbed the handle and pushed it down but just as he opened it, someone was coming out. Before he could step back, his forehead rammed into their chin and his chest bumped a whole bunch of supplies in their arms. 

“Oh no I'm sorry, I should've watched where I was going.” Levi knew that voice. That irritating, grating voice. Looking up at her face confirmed his fears.

Y/n L/n. A total daddy’s girl with daddy's money. He went to school with you and the last time he saw you was high school graduation. He hated you. He always hated your stupid smile. He always hated how smart you were. He always hated how stupidly kind you were. He always hated how caring you were. He hated how you didn’t look any different you’re still so beautiful. Your stupid perfect hair hasn’t changed. He hated the stupid tank top you wore that matched your perfect skin beautifully. He hated those pretty shorts that he knew your ass looked great in. 

He hated you

“Levi? Levi Ackerman holy shit you’re here!” You say with a big smile and open your arms out wide. Dropping everything else in your arms. You stepped forward to hug him but he stepped back and out of reach making you stop. “Oh sorry.” You drop your arms but still keep a smile. “How have you been? 

He stared at you and let out a huff.

“Fine. What the hell are you doing here? Didn’t see you at the orientation and this isn’t your usual setting.”

“I’ve been a counselor here for 3 years now so it’s not mandatory, it’s nice though.” You squatted down and started grabbing the things off the ground. Cleaning supplies Levi could see. 

“Tch. Thought you’d be in Italy or some other country with your boyfriend.” That made you laugh, he squatted down and grabbed a bottle of cleaner.

“What boyfriend?”

“That rich guy-”

“Oh Sam!? Seriously? He was so obnoxious and not my type at all.” You stood back up and Levi followed. “I actually liked the whole camping thing and taking care of kids, it's nice. What Cabin are you in?’

“G.”

“Hey we’re neighbors, I'm in F as the Head. Guess that’s why I have Mikasa, she’s your cousin right?” He nodded and you pressed your lips together in a straight line. “Okay! I guess I’ll see you later. Bye, Levi.” You brushed past him and he was hit with the scent of your fruity perfume that made him turn his face to follow it. As he did his gray eyes trailed down to your ass.

-

The kids and parents were slowly starting to trickle in. Parents crying about letting their kids go, kids clinging to their parents, or the parent or kid who just wants to leave or stay to get away from each other. 

In Levi’s cabin, the first boy to arrive was Armin Arlet and his grandfather. He was quiet and settled in quickly. Next was Jean Kirstein, he came in by himself and just by saying a few words. Levi could see this kid had an ego. Eren Yeager came in and Levi and even Furlan were curious about the kid. Armin and he seemed to be good friends since the blonde boy jumped up and ran to Eren screaming his name. Eren’s father came up to Levi and held out his hand.

“I'm Grisha Yeager and this is my wife, Carla, I'm assuming you're Levi.” Their hands met and it ended quickly. “I'm sure they have mentioned our son but trust me on this, my son is a menace, I'm saying he would start a revolution if he could.” Levi sucked in a breath and let it out.

“Sir, I can and will handle your son.” Grisha’s shoulders dropped.

This guy seems disciplined, maybe he is who Eren needs 

“Thank you.” The man says and goes to Eren. 

A long day. A long day indeed.

-

The last boy to come in was Keiko Xu. He was clutching his mother's hand tightly and his other arm held his stuffed puppy toy. 

“Hey there!” Furlan approached them. “I'm Furlan and you are?” He looked down at the small boy.

“Keiko.” He says and he looks around the cabin and settles on Levi. 

“Cool name, how about you choose a bed kid, we still have three available.” Keiko nodded and dropped his mother's hand. He looked around all the beds, the boys smiling and waving at him. He got closer to Levi and Keiko looked at him in slight fear and that glare wasn’t helping. Levi noticed how nervous the kid was and relaxed his face. 

“Mmm, can I sleep here?” The small boy pointed to the bottom bed of the bunk next to Levi’s.

“Sure kid.” Keiko smiled and sat on the bed. His mother came over dropped his bags down and said her goodbyes. After she left, Furlan closed the door and Levi stood up. 

“Alright brats.” He said loudly and the boys all looked up at him. “Get settled in, we’re leaving in 20 for the grand welcoming in the mess hall. Understood?”

“Yes sir?” Connie salutes and Levi rolls his eyes.

-

Furlan stood in front leading the group while Levi was in the back making sure none of them strayed. The boys were already becoming fast friends but Keiko was still shy and almost cried when Levi told him to leave his toy so it didn't get lost. But that also seemed to be the reason why Keiko stayed close to Levi, as some sort of protection and comfort Keiko found in such little time. 

He kept looking around at all the people and some bumped into him making him stumble into Levi. In fear of falling, he grabbed Levi's hand and squeezed it tight. Levi’s eyes widened and tried to draw his hand back but Keiko wouldn’t let go. He just had to accept it.

He sat his group down and told them he would be in the back with the other councilors. There were refreshments and snacks that the adults were taking advantage of before the kids ate them all later. To Levi’s surprise, there was tea, it was in the bags but tea nonetheless. He grabbed a mug and the boiling kettle and started his tea. 

He listened to bits and parts of it. Erwin’s overly happy voice was about to give him a headache. 

Someone bumped his shoulder and pressed theirs against his due to the tight fit.

“Y/n.” 

“Levi.” You smiled at him. “Can I ask you a question?” 

“Mmm?” He took a sip. 

“Do you hate me? Like have I done something to you in the past? I just feel like you don’t like me.” He side-eyes you and takes another sip.

“Sorry if I wasn’t so fucking bubbly and happy.” He spit and you scrunch your nose.

“Guess I have my answer.” You start to walk away and Levi rolls his head back and shoots his arm out to grab your elbow 

“Wait brat.” He pulled you back next to him. “I don’t hate you.” 

“Then you strongly dislike me when I haven’t done anything to you. Tell me why you hate me.” He rolled his eyes and stayed quiet. “Fine if you don’t want to tell me, why don’t we just start over, and then when you have fallen hopelessly in love with me, you will forget why you hated me at all.” 

“Tch.” He shook his head and looked into his tea with a small smile.“In your dreams, but fine.” Keith Shadis, the director of the camp, was talking now about to close out. 

“So after lunch, me and my girls were going to do arts and crafts, do you and your boys want to join us?” Levi thought for a moment and stared at his group. He’d known them for less than two hours and he could tell they would prefer to throw a football or play volleyball rather than arts and crafts. Well, Armin and Keiko seem like they would. 

Fuck it

“Sure, I’ll bring them over.” 

“Fun!” You say and elbow him.

-

There were no directors, no counselors, no campers in the courtyard due to all of them being in the mess hall. 

Nobody knew of the man standing in the trees by the nurse's office. 

Staring right through the window. 

Staring right at Levi and Y/n. 

-

A/n- first time writing something like this!!! Next chapter will have more Levi and Y/n and masked man lore. Lmk if anybody wants to be tagged for this.

[gracexthoughts]

of violent delights chap 23

arguments

1 november 1996

Euphemia’s POV

I sit across from the Headmaster, morning sunlight streaming in through the windows, and listen to him make excuses after excuses. We’ve been arguing for about 20 minutes now. Harry and the Triwizard Tournament was all I could think about when I woke up this morning, so I slipped out of bed and dressed earlier than I normally would on a Sunday morning. 

 I went to the Owlery first and sent the letters I scribbled out last night to Remus and Sirius and then to Dumbledore’s office, armed with multiple options that I felt were all perfectly reasonable. Every single one has been shot down. McGonagall stands next to Dumbledore’s desk, watching mostly in silence; although I can tell she agrees with me more than she’ll say. 

“The Goblet constitutes a binding contact. Harry must participate in the tournament,” Dumbledore says in the same calm and lightly condescending tone he has spoken to me with since I entered his office. 

“You can’t hold him to a contract someone else signed for him! He is a child!” I respond, beyond exasperated and pissed off. 

“Euphemia, the world has been far too cruel for either of you to still be considered children,” he responds, tilting his head slightly. 

“How can you not see a problem with that? So what, you consider him an adult so you’ll force him through even more trauma for the entertainment of the masses?” I snap back, not believing that the man who has always seemed to genuinely care for Harry and I could be so cavalier about this. 

“Miss Potter, I will ask you to speak to the Headmaster with the tone deserving of him and is becoming of a Gryffindor,” McGonagall scolds. 

“Harry is a minor in the eyes of the law and I am his guardian, not you!” I press on, my eyes boring into the man across from me without acknowledging I heard my Head of House. “I have spent my entire life trying to give him as normal a life as possible and you have the audacity to sit there and tell me it was useless? That you are willing to continually put him through trials that he is not old enough to consent to? Do you care at all that every single year he has attended this school he has been put in danger, almost dying at least three times in three years? How can you sit here and look me in the eyes and tell me that is acceptable in any way?” I’m yelling now but I don’t care. They can give me detention for the next two years if it means Harry is pulled from the tournament. Dumbledore doesn’t speak for a long, tense moment; he just sits still and stares at me as I’m a disappointing child he can’t figure out how to push in the right direction. 

“Are you quite finished?” He says finally but I don’t respond. I just grit my teeth and hold back what I think of him at this moment. “Good. Now I consulted with Mr. Crouch on this issue last night and he stated, as I have already told you, that the rules are absolute. If a person’s name comes out of the Goblet of Fire, regardless of age or intent, they are obligated by a magically binding contract to participate. While Harry must compete, I assure you that I am doing everything in my power to discover exactly how his name ended up flying out of the goblet.” Dumbledore sits forwards and folds his hands on his desk, his eyes boring into me over his crescent moon spectacles. I hold his gaze for a moment before looking up at McGonagall but she doesn’t quite meet my eyes so I look back to the Headmaster, the supposedly most powerful wizards alive. “Now, will that be all, Miss Potter?” 

I swallow a scoff, biting the inside of my cheek so hard I’m sure it's bleeding. After a moment, I stand from my chair and step towards the large desk, now looking down at the man. 

“If anything happens to my brother, I will hold you personally responsible,” I say slowly, leaning my hands on his desk. 

“I have no doubt, Miss Potter. You are every bit your parents’ child, after all,” he says pleasantly, as if we were having a pleasant chat about my goals in life. This time I don’t hold back my scoff as I push away from the desk and turn on my heel, leaving his office and slamming the door behind me. 

I storm back into the Gryffindor Tower and head back into my room, the long walk through the castle doing nothing to lessen my anger. I open the door to my room to see Harry and Mattheo talking very seriously by the fire. At the sound of the door, both their heads whip to me and Harry’s eyes meet mine. 

“Mia, I swear I didn’t-” 

“I know,” I respond immediately, knowing my brother well enough to know glory isn’t something he chases. “I just came from Dumbledore’s office…” I look over Harry’s shoulder to Matt, who’s looking down at the fire. 

“What did he say?” Harry asks, a small sliver of hope in his eyes. 

“He said there’s nothing to be done, I can’t believe it but he didn’t budge,” I sigh and shake my head and the tiny sliver of hope in his eyes fades. I step further into the room and wrap my arms around him, one hand on the back of his head as he rests his forehead on my shoulder and his arms around my waist, the way we’d hold each other when we were little and scared; although now he’s several inches taller than me. 

“I’m so sorry, Haz,” I whisper, blinking tears away, refusing to show him how truly terrified I am for him. “I’m gonna help you, okay?” I say, pulling back to look into his eyes, “I’ll teach you anything you need to know, we’ll get you through this. I promise.” 

“I know, Mia. It’s not your fault,” Harry says quietly. 

“Did they tell you about the first task?” Harry nods. 

“Supposed to test our courage they said but wouldn’t say how. It's on the 28th, we can’t ask for help from teachers and we can only have our wands with us.” 

“Don’t give you much to go on, huh?” Mattheo adds quietly. 

“I’ll put together a list of spells that might come in handy, and I can teach you the ones you don’t know already. And I’ll see if I can find any information on what the tasks have been in the past, see if we can get any idea of what you’ll face and I’ve written to Sirius and Remus,” Harry startles for a moment at me using Sirius’ real name, glancing at Mattheo for a moment but he must not care that I’ve told him because the look faded quickly, “Maybe Dumbledore will listen to them or maybe they have some information about the Tournament, but let's not worry about it today, okay?” Harry nods again, his eyes cast down. 

 “I have to go to this stupid photo thing,” he says quietly and I watch as Harry moves to the door and opens it slowly, like going back into the world is the last thing he wants. 

“Hey, Haz,” I call, causing him to turn around, “Don’t listen to anyone else, ‘kay? We know the truth, what anyone else thinks doesn’t matter.” Harry nods, forcing a small smile my way before stepping out of my room, the door closing behind me. 

As soon as the door closes, all the strength drains from my body and I slump onto the edge of my bed, head in my hands as tears threaten to spill over onto my cheeks. 

“Harry’s a smart kid… He’ll be okay,” Mattheo says softly, as I hear his footsteps coming closer till he is kneeling in front of me, his hands on my knees, rubbing small circles with his thumbs. I drop my hands from my face and look at my boyfriend, his warm brown eyes filled with worry and sympathy. 

“What if he’s not okay? I mean they added an age requirement for a reason and even then they made no assurance of safety. What if he-” My throat tightens as tears spill onto my cheeks and panic threatens to overtake me again but Matt stands and pulls me into his arms, my head resting on his chest, his heart beating softly. 

“He’s gonna be okay, princess. We’ll help him and he’ll get through it just like he always has,” he says softly, rubbing my back and running his fingers through my hair. “It’s gonna be okay.” 

“Why would anyone do this to him?” I ask distantly, only one or two names come to mind but I hesitate to speak them outloud, realizing for the first time in a while that the man standing in front of me is his son, and the second is his uncle. He wouldn’t… No, he couldn’t have, he’s not old enough. Get it together, Euphemia. 

“Mia, I promise I had nothing to do with it,” Mattheo starts, seeming to read the direction my mind went. 

“No, I know,” I say quickly, standing up and cupping his face with my hands. “I trust you, Matt. Promise… Do you think Malfoy’s father might have something to do with it? He did give Ginny your father’s diary a few years back.” Mattheo’s face scrunches up in thought and steps back, shaking his head. 

“I don’t know if Lucius is crafty enough for something like this,” he says quietly. “The diary would have been easy to slip into her things and easy to hide his guilt but… I can’t even fathom how you would trick a magical object like the Goblet of Fire.’ 

“But who else? Do you think…” Mattheo turns to me quickly, a dark look flashing in his eyes. 

“My father is dead,” he says bluntly. 

“Right… No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought him up,” I say, hugging my arms across my core, my bottom lip caught between my teeth as I think. 

“It’s alright, I don’t blame you. It’s a… natural leap, I guess.” Mattheo and I stand there in the tensest silence since he cornered me at the start of term. I take a step forward and pull Matt’s face down to mine, connecting our lips. 

“I trust you,” I mutter between kisses, and his arms wrap more tightly around me, pulling me so close I feel like we might just melt together. 

“I know, princess. I trust you too,” he whispers back, resting his forehead against mine. “It’s all good, baby.” 

✦

13 november 1996

I used to think that my fourth year, when Harry and I were suspected of opening the Chamber of Secrets and treated like social pariahs, was the worst case scenario. Well, let’s just say that this time around, no one is afraid we will petrify them so they’ve gotten much braver. Malfoy, charming as ever, managed to get his hands on a bunch of Hermione’s S.P.E.W. badges and transformed them into buttons which read all sorts of nasty things: Potter Stinks, Support Cedric Diggory, the REAL Hogwarts Champion, Diggory Rules, Potter Drools etc. Half the school is wearing them, much to Hermione’s dismay since barely anyone wore her version of the badges before. 

Mattheo, protective as ever, has spent much of his time glaring at anyone who dares to look at me sideways and has gotten into multiple fights in defense of me. I’ve pulled him out of two confrontations today alone, and we’re barely halfway though the day. Honestly, with how many fights he gets in, I’m surprised they haven’t taken his prefect badge away yet. The Twins have been enacting vengeance in their own ways, mostly through pranks and charming the buttons to say nasty things about the wearer instead. 

Harry and Ron are at odds, also, so Harry has been spending more time than normal with me. I’ve been trying to help with defensive spells and curses to prepare him for the first tasks and he is picking them up quickly, but it doesn’t help much to assuage our anxiety. 

“Hi Potter, how’s your day going? Like the badge?” Elladora coos from behind me in the library, pulling my mind from my studies. Typical that she chose the only period I don’t share with Mattheo today to come taunt me. I’ve got a free period after lunch while Matt is stuck in Arithmancy. 

“Bugger off, Lestrange,” I say without turning or looking up from my Potions essay. 

“What? You don’t want to see my badge?” She says, stalking around me before leaning over the table, but I still don’t look up. 

“Honestly, I couldn’t give fewer shits about anything having to do with you,” I say with a flat tone, flipping through my text book. 

“Hm, well, it’s alright I suppose. I’ll have plenty of time to show it off. Real shame you’ve drug Mattheo into your mess and sullied him with your tainted blood,” Elladora coos cruelly. 

“You do know that he's a half blood, yes? Just like me,” I say simply, finally looking up at the girl. She wears a Potter Stinks badge, her unruly dark hair tied up in a bun so as to ensure the badge is always visible. “So either we are both tainted or neither of us are. You can’t have it both ways, Ella,” I continue, purposefully using her nickname and her lip curls up in a sneer. 

“Half Blood bitch,” she sneers, leaning closer to my face but I don’t back up, determined to not give Elladora Lestrange a single second of satisfaction. 

“Damn, got me there. How’d you come up with your insults? They’re just so unique,” I snark back dryly and stand, grabbing my belongings to push past the Slytherin girl to find somewhere with actual peace. 

“Your brother is going to die,” she calls after me, stopping me in my tracks. “Everyone knows it.” Without even thinking, I drop everything from my arms and whip around, punching Elladora straight in the nose so hard she stumbles back into the table I was sitting at, all the anxiety and anger and stress from the last few weeks boiling over. Luckily, I had chosen to set up in a back corner of the library, so no one is currently around to witness my outrage. The girl sits on the floor, blood beginning to drip from her nose as she glares up at me. 

“Keep mine, my brother’s and my boyfriend’s names out of your disgusting prejudiced mouth, or I’ll do a lot worse next time,” I say lowly, anger coursing through my body as I turn on my heel, summon my belongings back into my arms with wandless magic and storm out of the library, through the castle and up to the Astronomy Tower. 

I’m there nearly an hour later when Mattheo climbs the steps, coming to meet me after his Arithmancy lesson. “Hey, Princess,” he says lightly and I turn my head to face him, offering him a half smile. “Oof, that bad, huh?” he asks, pulling out his own cigarette as I take a drag of mine. 

“Just tired,” I say softly, looking out over the grounds, the trees have almost all lost their leaves and the color seems to be leaking from the world under the gray sky. 

“Oi! Potter!” Theo’s voice echoes up the stairs, accompanied by heavy footsteps. 

“Mia! Are you up here?” Fred’s voice calls and both Mattheo and I turn around to see Enzo and Theo bounding up the stairs, followed surprisingly by Fred and George. While our friends have each, for the most part, accepted mine and Mattheo’s relationship, getting them to all be friends has been a little more challenging. Well just the boys really; Astoria, Angelina, Alicia and I all get on great. 

“Is it true?” Enzo huffs breathlessly, hunching over as he tries to catch his breath.

“Is what true?” Mattheo asks, looking between the three of us. 

“Mia sucker punched Ella! We saw her running to the infirmary with blood dripping from her nose muttering about that ‘stupid Potter bitch.’” Theo says. 

So if it is true?” Freddie asks, recovering his breath. 

I hold up my right hand, knuckles turning slightly bruised already and Theo, Enoz, George and Fred start cracking up. 

“Oh man, what I would’ve paid to see that!” laughs Enzo. 

“Can’t blame you, honestly. I’ve been wondering when the perfect act was gonna crack under the pressure.” Theo responds. 

“Good on you, Phe. She’s been asking for that for years!” Freddie whoops, high fiving George. 

“What happened?” Mattheo asks seriously, cradling my hand in his. I just shrug. 

“She was being a bitch, doesn’t matter,” I sigh, leaning back against a stone pillar and taking a final drag of my cigarette before stubbing it out and flicking it over the edge of the tower. 

“Mia…” Mattheo says, stepping closer to me, holding my gaze intently. the intensity between us causing the other two boys to quiet down for a moment. 

“She said Harry is going to die,” I whisper, barely able to utter the words, as if speaking them allowed will make them a reality. Mattheo’s face hardens before my eyes and I can practically see the battle raging behind his eyes, to stay and comfort me or go after her. “It’s whatever, I took care of it.” 

“Are you okay?” He asks and I nod. “Hand hurt?” 

“Yeah,” I admit, flexing my hand slightly.

“Kinda wish I was there. I bet you looked so hot,” Mattheo mutters, looking down at me, my hand still held gently in his. 

“You’re ridiculous,” I chuckle. 

“Man, Mia, I can’t believe you actually punched her!” George laughs, shaking his head. 

“Listen, we were going to plan a prank on Malfoy for making those bloody badges and now, we can extend the target rage,” Fred says, deviously. 

“We’ll help,” Enzo offers, patting Theo on the back as well. 

“Really?” George questions, looking suspicious. 

“Hell yeah,” Mattheo says, “They need to pay.” 

And I watch as the five boys all smile deviously at each other, and I can’t help but smile as I watch some of my favorite people in the world get completely and totally on the same side for once. 

a/n; im a dumbledore anti if you cant tell lmao also ik we all hate elladora, i hate her and she’s my oc lmao but i do kinda have fun writing her esp this chapter lol

also I’m gonna be traveling for a few weeks so idk how much time I’ll get to write/post but i will let you know day of when i post and if you want to be added to the taglist lmk!! thanks for reading as always loves❤️

taglist; @purplegardenwhispers @somethingswiftandstyles @weasleyreidstyles @mayamonroem @girlbooklover555 @abaker74 @stxrsberkshire

[blackstoneridge]

CHARACTER - BASICS

Name: Kiran "Key" Gupta

Faceclaim: Avan Jogia

Age / Birthday: 33 / February 9, 1992

Gender / Pronouns: Genderqueer / he/they

Hometown: Dallas, Texas

Occupation: Musician & Employee at Vinyl Destination

District of Residence: Ridgeview Heights

Time in Blackstone Ridge: 23 Years

trigger warnings: death/parent death, prison, mentions of drugs/alcoholism

CHARACTER - BACKGROUND

What would you say is your muse’s biggest motivation or desire, and how does this impact their decision-making?

Music was everything to Kiran. It was what he lived, slept, and breathed. A lot of core memories included music--his mother singing and playing guitar for him, buying his first CD, picking out his own drum set, playing at his school’s talent show. For as long as he could remember, Key had this dream of making it and getting out of this town for good. It seemed so easy when he was younger, but life had something else in mind for him. He had to repeat his senior year of high school, his weasel of a father showed up back in his life briefly before passing away, his band with his childhood friend was falling apart with their mom's diagnosis. It seemed like Key's dream of being a rockstar was slipping from his grip. Still, he had the tiniest sliver of hope. Now in his 30s and working at Vinyl Destination, he'd been reconnecting with Corey and getting the band back together. Even though they were older, maybe now was finally their time to shine.

What is your muse’s relationship with their family like?

Key was closest to their mother before she passed away when they were 8. She was sweet and gentle, full of love and patience. Key's father was a weasel of a man, stoic and manly, always disappearing for days at a time to drink or deal drugs. He was always looking for the next get-rich-quick scheme till he was involved in a bank job gone wrong, which sent him to prison when Key was 10. Instead of being put in the system, Key's uncle from Blackstone Ridge fortunately decided to take them in. Uncle Luke, their mother's brother, was a quiet man. He had a place in Ridgeview Heights--nothing fancy or big, but it was just enough room for the two of them. It took a while for Key to adjust, but their uncle did their very best to provide a safe environment for them. What really bonded the two was their shared love of music. He had an amazing record collection, and they'd sit together and listen for hours. When Uncle Luke got him his very first drum set and put him in music lessons, Key realized that their uncle only wanted the best for them.

What is the coolest place your muse has traveled to? If they’ve never traveled far, what’s one place they hope to visit someday?

Key always dreamed about moving to California someday. He was a little ambitions, wanting to leave town as soon as he graduated high school. Maybe he should've been more realistic, but he was a dreamer, just like his mother. He thought he'd live it up in Los Angeles, making records in the studios used by the very bands he looked up to. He wanted to follow Corey to LA, but having to repeat his senior year and then deciding not to go to college after his father's death, he stayed. Maybe someday he'd be able to get out. But for now, it wasn't too bad. He had his uncle, at least. And his friends, and his bandmates. The people in his life and music were truly what was holding him together.

[dylanstan1220]

6 'Yes or No' - Q&A with Dylan Wang

Nylon China

2021-04-29

Dylan Wang: Summer Passion

He's been busy promoting his new drama The Rational Life, and at the same time filming Love Between Fairy and Devil. There are also schedules, appearances, and interviews. Lately, Dylan Wang's life has gradually been filled with work.

During breaks on set, he picks up a basketball from the corner and starts shooting hoops, or rides a small prop scooter toward the makeup and hair room. There's no sign of exhaustion, and no complaints. This is just an ordinary day for him.

Q: "Do you pay attention to how others evaluate you?"

Yes If someone tags me on Weibo, I'll usually tap in to see. That probably counts, right? And when a new drama is about to air, I'll look through the comments under the trailer. That's about the extent of it.

That said, I think I've got a fairly even-keeled mindset. Even when I come across criticism, I don't take it personally. On the contrary, I find it interesting, since it gives me an alternative angle to assess whether the feedback is objective. If something truly falls short, I'll wonder if others feel the same, and then I'll start thinking about how I can improve.

Q: "Is the term 'anxiety' relevant to you?"

No. While I wouldn't say I get extremely anxious, I do feel a bit of pressure. It mostly stems from work, worrying whether my performance will measure up. I question myself: Can I really deliver? Can I do it well enough? When work is intense and I’m running low on energy, I definitely feel a little anxious, especially when shooting a new drama or joining a new cast. The first week is always the hardest, but once that passes, I'm usually back on track.

Q: "Has LeBron James always been your first pick?"

YES!!! I've always liked LeBron James. His skills are top-tier, and he brings such positive energy to his fans. I root for whichever team he’s on. That said, I do have a soft spot for the Cavaliers. I own quite a few jerseys with the number 23. Whenever I see "23," I instinctively think of him. I've loved basketball since elementary school; I started playing in Grade 3 and was immediately hooked. I even dreamed of becoming a pro player back then.

Q: "Was there at least a moment when you wanted to take on a major vocal challenge?"

No. Come on, my singing skills are just so-so. It really depends on how things go on the day. I've never had any formal training. At most, when there's a performance coming up, I'll practice and sing more in my spare time. But to be fair, sometimes it turns out alright, decent enough to listen to. Like my New Year's Eve performance of "Love Exists" last year, it wasn't too bad, right?

Q: "Has your Sichuan-accented Mandarin ever been a source of frustration for you?"

Yes. At least a little. I could be speaking perfectly decent Mandarin, but after just one trip back home, where I'd be using Sichuanese every day, my Mandarin would immediately regress. Usually after coming back, I'd buckle down and brush up on Mandarin again for work, but the cycle would just repeat the next time I returned to Sichuan. That back-and-forth pattern made it obvious during filming sometimes, my tongue would feel sluggish, and I'd catch myself wondering why my articulation had suddenly gotten so unclear.

Q: "Have you understood and figured out many things by now?"

No. There’s way too much I still haven't figured out. Let me think of something specific… forget it. Can't come up with a single thing worth saying. Things I don’t understand are, well, things I just don't understand, and for some reason they're always the ones you can't talk about. So that’s my answer.

Fervour

It was around the age of fifteen or sixteen, on a rainy day. A school basketball game faced cancellation due to a sudden downpour that morning. Normally, that was how it went, any sign of rain and the day’s match would almost certainly be called off. It was a common occurrence in Dylan Wang's middle school life. That day was just another one of those, nothing special.

What made it different happened during the lunch break. Staring blankly at the court soaked with puddles, a few boys returned to the classroom, each grabbing a mop, and ran back down to start mopping the basketball court. They had to find a way to let the game go ahead. Restless and eager, the boys were unwilling to let another match slip away. They didn't leave out a single corner, mopping for quite a while. Then, hot with sweat, they scanned the court and grinned, no puddles in sight. In the end, that afternoon's basketball game went on as planned.

This was a rare experience in Dylan Wang’s otherwise ordinary middle school life.

Looking back, many of his memories are connected to basketball. He can't pinpoint exact moments, but basketball seems to have always been part of his life. Boys inevitably like passionate, spirited things; for Dylan Wang, basketball is undoubtedly the best choice. A single basketball can gather a group of people sweating it out together. Whether they know each other or not is immaterial, after the game everyone on the court naturally becomes friends. This is the unspoken rapport left on the basketball court.

Dylan Wang likes LeBron James. When he first started to understand basketball, he already regarded this professional player as his idol. Thus, the number '23' became special. Besides collecting jerseys with 23, he instinctively glances at the number whenever he sees it in daily life. As for teams, he prefers whichever team LeBron plays for, a kind of unwritten rule among passionate boys fixated on '23'. Overall, he probably favours the Cavaliers, the team LeBron once played for, a bit more.

Basketball is clearly special to Dylan Wang. Sometimes before matches, he meets teammates in suits, a rare romantic touch in his life placed at the highest level by basketball. Basketball always easily relaxes him, though it’s not his only pastime. Drawing and singing, which he has shared on social media, also bring him joy. Skill level doesn’t matter; it’s just for fun.

Singing is another memorable aspect people associate with him, such as his cover of 'Love Confession'. People couldn't control their His singing ability has become another memorable takeaway for many. As soon as his cover of "Love Confession" was released, people could not hold back their reactions: "He really is singing live!" He did not mind at all and simply enjoyed himself first.

At this year's New Year’s Eve gala, he performed another cover, this time of "Love Exists." But the discussion shifted—people began to suspect he had secretly put in serious practice. Dylan found it amusing again. "Didn't I sing quite a bit better than 'Love Confession'? But you all look oddly disappointed."

If he's invited to sing again at next year’s gala, he sees no reason to turn it down. After all, it's just for fun. "A Sichuan-accented rap wouldn’t be a bad idea either."

Exhilaration

Once those rare moments of leisure have passed, the rest of his time is almost entirely tied to work, rushing to appearances, joining a production, then back to events, then into another production… and so the cycle repeats. While The Rational Life, which he starred in alongside Qin Lan, was airing, he was simultaneously immersed in filming Love Between Fairy and Devil. The work schedule was undeniably intense, but he rather enjoyed the state of being constantly occupied. Living out the experiences he normally would not encounter through acting felt satisfying. Being able to shape different roles while the entire crew collectively builds a new world—there is something dreamlike about acting.

The characters he has portrayed so far all possess a certain allure. For instance, Ning Que in Ever Night 2 is, to Dylan, the embodiment of a hot-blooded young man's fantasy. He carries a streak of defiance, the kind that says, 'my fate is mine to decide, not heaven's.' Always seen with weapons, immersed in martial arts dreams, yet he never neglects love and friendship. The emotional intensity and personal entanglements in Ning Que are especially pronounced.

Playing Yuchi Longyan in Miss the Dragon offered a different kind of thrill. One action scene required both wire work and running through timed explosions. Dylan felt a bit anxious. "It’d be best to nail it in one take. If there’s a mistake, they’ll have to reset all the explosives. One more take could delay everyone by another hour or two." It was already past eleven at night. Seeing the weariness on the crew’s faces, he silently urged himself on. That take ended up being a success. Afterwards, he could not help but smile. "I actually picked up wire work during Ever Night 2, and learned how to hit explosive marks on Youth in the Flames of War. In Miss the Dragon, I used both." The fact that what he had learned could be applied, and even reused, reassured him that he would not hold anyone back when it mattered. That gave him more joy than anything else.

There are, of course, moments of anxiety, mostly tied to work. He worries whether his performance is good enough. Acting demands a great deal of energy and mental focus. When he feels depleted, he inevitably needs time to process the resulting stress. No special method is required. He just quiets down. Once his mind settles, he slowly adapts. Stillness is a useful technique, and it also helps him quickly enter character. Before filming begins, he usually spends half a minute in silence, emptying his thoughts, forgetting that he is Dylan Wang. Once the director calls for action, he is already immersed.

There are times when he still needs a while to properly process things after wrapping a shoot, though his immersion in a role never comes across as excessive. After finishing Ever Night 2, Dylan Wang would still habitually listen to the drama’s theme song. In daily life, he would even carry on the energy from the show and playfully "bully" the co-stars he was close to.

"We all got along really well off set too. The way we interacted wasn’t all that different from how we did in the show. For quite a while after filming ended, it felt like I was still living in that world."

As for future roles, he now hopes to take part in a military-themed production, ideally playing a special forces soldier. "Boys, after all, always get fired up over that kind of high-octane genre."

The Circle

A circle works like this. Once you’ve been in it long enough, certain patterns will more or less begin to emerge. These unspoken patterns gradually lead to a kind of self-discipline.

In the entertainment industry, the first principle Dylan Wang came to understand was respect. "It’s actually very basic, hardly worth emphasising. No matter what profession you’re in, you need this quality. But perhaps because of its particular nature, the entertainment industry makes people value it even more. You have to respect how people interact with each other, and you have to respect everyone’s work."

In another setting, it might take three to five years to fully understand this kind of norm. In this circle, Dylan grasped it much sooner.

Because of the particular nature of the industry, it can easily lead to a kind of inertia. For instance, during rounds of back-to-back interviews, do you ever feel weary, or even emotionally drained? Dylan Wang does not avoid questions like this. He takes them as they come.

"Not really. Because at different stages, I'm always in a different state of mind…"

He admits that different thoughts can indeed emerge. He also acknowledges his concern about falling into fixed patterns.

"When I respond, for example, am I already blurting out the same sentences the moment I hear a familiar question? Has my mind already standardised it into a default answer? I don't want that. I'm trying to avoid it. I hope I can always stay true to my immediate reactions."

"But if you overanalyse the question, you're unlikely to come up with anything new anyway. Like if someone asks me whether I'm happy, come on, isn't that already written all over my face?"

Dylan cracks up at himself once again.

When he steps out of the industry bubble, he chooses to return home for a while. Back in Leshan, he indulges in the foods he never gets tired of: deep-fried skewers, malatang, Qiao Jiao Beef. Even picking a shop at random rarely leads to disappointment. Still, it's best to bring along a box of digestive tablets just in case.

During moments like these, Dylan moves forward freely, at his own pace. Just like on set, when he rides his BMX across the lot to the dressing room at the far end of the basketball court, or plays a quick round of shooting hoops with staff whenever there's a break. In those moments, he is still that same boy in a T-shirt and ripped jeans, rap in his headphones, easy and unbothered, just like so many of his summers before.

Producer: @Tingsily Photography: @Edwin-Zhang Styling: @Mia-Shen Writer: @E2-12 Hair: @HankChang0629 Makeup: Matt Production: @Leeejo Styling Assistant: Yun Wu Qige Photography Assistant: You Tianrui Robert Location Thanks: Lock Park Beixinjing

[intoloopin-archive]

THE PROJECT.

Boy Of The Week (2017 - 2018) was a year long training project organized by New Wave Music and Blockberry Creative with a sole goal: putting 24 boys to the test until they found the 10 member lineup that would make up the brother group of LOONA.

Weirdly private to this day and age, there's very little the public actually knows about how the group came to be, who was involved and what was done: the timeline given by the companies doesn't quite match up, and with no footage and a single broadcasting record, barely any confirmed trainee names to this day and age, the formative year of LOOPiN remains a well kept mistery.

[THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS BELONG FULLY TO NEW WAVE MUSIC, FORMERLY BLOCKBERRY CREATIVE AS WELL UNTIL THE END OF THEIR PARTNERSHIP IN 2022, AND ARE PROTECTED UNDER SEVERAL CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS. ANY SORT OF ILLEGAL DISTRIBUTION WILL BE PUNISHED BY LEGAL LAWSUIT AND LITIGATION.]

THE KNOWN TRAINEES: SOUTH KOREA.

THE KNOWN TRAINEES: WORLDWIDE.

Despite advertising itself to the public and to future advertisers as holding 24 trainees in their roster, in reality, Boy Of The Week was more succinct, with 16 active recruits at its start on early April 2017.

Receiving over 400 audition tapes from around the globe and going on paper to say they had admitted 12 international Week Boys, only 5 ended up actually joining the project and training under it in the companies headquarters in South Korea. New Wave and BBC failed to provide proper documentation in time for anyone out of the USA, most of Europe and Southeast Asia, leaving the majority of the trainees from any other regions to fetch for themselves, a near impossible task for most to achieve in three months.

Beomseok, the oldest identified Week Boy to this day, was 22 going 23 while Sangjin and Haegon, the youngests known, were both 16 years olds -- however, current LOOPiN member Taesong has alluded in the past to, quote, "ironing out an elementary school uniform" while living in the training dorm, raising the suspicion of there being at least one tween in Boy Of The Week at some point in time.

In fact, the remaining anonymous 3 trainees fell in the age range of 11 to 14, all South Korean.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BOY OF THE WEEK TRAINEE.

Starting off on the accomodations provided entirely by New Wave Music, the designated dorm for the 16 Week Boys to share was a small house, with a maximum capacity of 6. From day one the trainees took turns sharing the five single beds, one couch, as well as the living room and bathroom floors.

Minwoo, the only Seoul based member that still opted to live in the shared dorm, would occasionally house his fellow teammates in his spare room at his family home, making an exception only to the trainees who worked part time (Seungsoo), were very underage (REDACTED, REDACTED, REDACTED) or fell ill or became injured (Dylan and Haruki).

Their vocal, rap and dancing training fell on the responsibility of rotational teachers, mostly coming from BBC until the still under development New Wave pushed forward a 'possible staff member' -- an inconstant that left most of the basic trainees lost, and kept the advanced ones in any field from breaking trought.

LOSSES, MASS DISMISSALS AND LAST MINUTE ADDITIONS.

By August 2017, 4 months into training, New Wave Music founder and CEO Seo Changyuk began to hold evaluations and dismiss 1 trainee a month in incomprehensible order: the top Week Boys weeks prior were not save from a sudden elimination in the next gathering, creating an anxious and fearful energy that became contagious amongst the trainees.

Unsatisfied with the 10 members left, New Wave and BBC agreed to start emergency street castings and re-open their auditions, putting posters in Seoul and all districts nearby not explicitly tied to Boy Of The Week -- the posters happened to gain some traction on Naver and Twitter at the time, creating speculation if wether or not the future LOONA siblings would ever come to be.

In November, came the first and only public appearance of Boy Of The Week at a local university festival, then a 13 members team. At the event Chen Haitao (2000) and Lee Sangjin (2001) were approached and recruited on the spot by another company, leaving future LOOPiN unexpectedly with 11 trainees, a number that didn't last.

In October, Matsushita Kohei was accused by a fellow trainee of being planning to rob Choi Sangwon, a New Wave Music staff member. Upon checking, Sangwon's personal belongings such as car keys, wallet and watch were found hidden in Kohei's bags in the dorm. While no charges were pressed against him by the casting director's demand, Dallas was immediately dismissed.

In December, 5 new unknown South Korean members were added to Boy Of The Week, but not a single one lasted long enough to count: the massively negative and frustrated response from the older Week Boys drove them away quickly, to the annoyance of the project's superiors.

Easy to say, that marked a sour turn for the relationship between the young men and their responsible staff, who realized too late that they had cultivated a problem.

FIGHT FOR CREATIVE INDEPENDENCE / THE RISE OF THE FACE TRIO / DYLAN FELL ILL.

At that point in time, Boy Of The Week had also produced highly evaluated trainees that fell in the graces of both companies CEOs and were sure to survive all evaluations with Seo Chanhyuk, them being Bang Minwoo, Na Seungsoo and Fukunaga Haruki, fully quoted to get into LOOPiN no matter what -- something later proved as truth.

By the new year, they became known on as the future groups 'Face Trio' -- both an admiring title and a pejorative term, as confirmed by LOOPiN maknae Haegon in 2022.

Minwoo and Seungsoo specially grew overconfident with their status. They felt invensible enough to take over an inactive music recording room in New Wave headquarters and come up with a unimaginable proposition: they were asking for the power to make their own music from their group debut and onwards, something that registered as a joke to staff.

It was thought the song 'Love Hell', made by the duo in early January 2018, sold to a third party company who turned it into a popular drama OST, that they finally managed to make an argument for their desire to be a fully self-produced group. Chanhyuk agreed to grand the two, alongside Haruki, the elevated power to skip the monthly auditions and share their two cents on who should make it into LOOPiN -- an empty promise, they soon realized, set to calm them down.

At the same time, international Week Boy and now LOOPiN member Hwang Chihoon, english name Dylan Hwang, came down with anemia and depression and had to me immediately hospitalized. An intense fight broke between his family in the US, New Wave and BBC about who would took over over his medical care and what would be of his future career: the companies, who delay to notify the Hwangs of Dylan's status by weeks, wanted to transfer him home immediately, something unaffordable for his single mother and grandparents to handle.

With the help of their relatives in South Korea, they filled a lawsuit claiming neglect from New Wave and BBC regarding Chihoon, which they lost before he even recovered.

A formal protest over the handle of his case split the remaining Week Boys into two teams: the ones who vouched to keep Dylan's place save so he could join LOOPiN once he recovered (Beomseok, Minwoo, Seungsoo, Haruki, Haegon), and the ones who wanted him gone from the final lineup (Alexandre, Taesong, Dongwook, Woobin).

Minwoo, Seungsoo and Haruki, 'the favored', joined forces to eliminate each guy from the opposition and make them quit: a mission quickly accomplished in a two week run. Taesong, left alone, bended and complied to have Dylan stay.

It left Boy Of The Week with 6 members, non officially 7 counting the recovering Dylan, as the final lineup set to graduate on upcoming April 2018, not 10.

That New Wave and BBC couldn't take.

THE NON-BOY OF THE WEEK LOOPiN MEMBERS.

Set on Seo Chanhyuk's concept vision of a LOOPiN OT10, mere 3 months away from the end of Boy Of The Week, New Wave and their partner company turned sharp and desperate.

Recruited by the end of January, Wu Zhiming, korean name Oh Jimin, was a promising producer even at his high school age, recruited by New Wave Music to serve as a part time sound engener alongside his unofficial cousin Shin Jooheon, produce allias HEEDAMN. After a physical altercation with Minwoo over his targeting of Woobin, Zhiming was unofficially demoted to temporary trainee, then turned full time trainee and a late Week Boy by choice.

Recruited in mid February, Xu Jiahang, stage name J.J, had already partial experience with Idol training, being a teenage YG model and trainee for little over a year before quitting the industry in late 2016. Both J.J and New Wave Music have publicly claimed that he was individually casted only by his popular Weibo and IG ulzzang accounts, and that the involvement and investment of his father's commercial making studio, Xu Forward INC, came after, but that's utterly false -- although impossible to fully disprove now.

Lee Hanjae, an experience B-Boy, was recruited way past the official graduation of Boy Of The Week, in late May. He was a BBC trainee quoted to join OnlyOneOf and snatched to fill the original LOOPiN quota, transferred to cover for former rapper Dongwook, infamously two months before the debut of LOOPiN 2On1 with Haruki.

And with that, LOONA's sibling group finally came to be at it's original lineup with Lee Beomseok, Park Taesong, Bang Minwoo, Na Seungsoo, Fukunaga Haruki, Dylan Hwang (active only after their official group debuted in 2019), Wu 'O.z' Zhiming (later presenting himself as Oh Jimin after the end of his dual chinese-south korean citizenship after turning 19), Lee Hanjae, Xu 'J.J' Jiahang and Kim Haegon.

WHERE ARE THE ALMOST LOOPiN MEMBERS NOW?

Chen Haitao and Lee Sangjin ended up debuting together under HAPPYGRIN Studio in 2020's 13 membered boygroup Serpentary, which are currently active and have found medium success. Both have not gone deep into their experience in Boy Of The Week, only sharing they've met while in there, but they hold a very public as well as private friendship with Taesong and Haegon.

Two years later in early 2020, Matsushita 'Dallas' Kohei joined MBN Entertainment and trained to join IDOLMAKER's 4th generation in 2022, but was replaced last minute by Im Daewon and dimissed from the company as well. Currently, Kohei has given up on being a singer and it's working as a full time professional photographer. He has never gone into details of his time as a Week Boy online.

Kwon Dongwook went on to debut in MBN Entertainment's Night Child, mostly known under the acronym NTCD, in late 2018, a highly successful act that's regarded as the crowned kings of 4th generation. He's also considered to be one of the most successful soloists acting now, with his debut hit Any Song (2021) and his following comeback BITBIT (2022) going internationally viral. While rumors of his animosity with LOOPiN run free given his dodges about his relation to the group, his recent public friendship with J.J has solidified the idea that they're nothing but gossip.

Kim Woobin, current stage name Wonmiles, is a popular K-Hiphop producer and underground rapper that's still making music. He's the only identified former Week Boy who's alluded to his trainee past the most in interviews and songs, although the general public doesn't fully trusts nor cares for his complains and his raised allegations.

Alexandre Minchul Han went on to stablish himself from 2020 onwards as a popular vlog Youtuber and a low stakes model based on South Korea, only once mentioning his Boy Of The Week past in passing. He reportly fleed Seoul and went back to his hometown in France on March 2022. Alex is currently being reported missing by his family, and any trace of him is yet to be found.

[rbbess110]

WIP intro: The Ring. A comedy in five acts.

Genre: romantic comedy, satire, Christmas comedy

Themes and tropes: fake dating, queer romance, family drama, miscommunication, sibling rivalry

Progress/Target: first draft, 95/~150 pages (see extra notes) More under cut!

Summary:

Sylwester is trying to be the perfect son for once in his life. After lots of experimenting, tons of fails and multiple wrong turns, he finally came out on top. With a stable career and a wonderful girl at his side, he actually might not seem like a disappointment next to his “wonderful” and “always beloved” older brother. Especially when he announces that he’ll be the first to marry out of his siblings! Because he definitely will – he already has a ring, and he is going to propose on Christmas Eve. It’s not like he’s been fighting with his fiancee-to-be for the past couple of weeks. Not at all… Patryk is trying so hard to be the perfect son he's always been. But expectations are changing as he’s growing older, and sometimes it feels like he isn’t good enough anymore. So when Sylwester’s mistake makes his parents think that he’s about to propose to his best friend- Maybe it’s not so bad at all? At least he won’t have to explain why he’s still single. He feels bad about getting Mikolaj all tangled up in this, but it’s not like it’ll change anything… Right? Klaudia has never tried to be the perfect daughter. And fairly, she isn’t planning on changing that. What she is planning on doing though, is watching her idiot brothers make fools of themselves trying to make their parents happy, and enjoy the chaos that unravels. For all she knows, Christmas this year is about to be a mess, but it also will be really fun.

In other words: the Kozlowski family gets back together for Christmas, and it turns out to be messier than anyone expects. With quite cliché romantic comedy shenanigans on one hand, on the other it’s a satire commentary of the expectations many families still set for their children, and the priorities they make them uphold.

Characters:

Patryk – 25 y.o., finishing his master’s degree in Data Science while working 9-to-5 as a programmer. Gifted kid in his childhood and teenage years, now a workaholic surviving only thanks to black coffee.

Sylwester – 23 y.o., working as a party planner and climbing up the ladder surprisingly fast for his young age. Looking forward to stop being second place in the family. Considered to be a bit of a “showman”, but who doesn’t like a tiny bit of drama here and there?

Klaudia – 17 y.o., high school student. The youngest and still considered to be the family’s baby, despite not being that small anymore. Well-known for causing chaos.

Anka (Anna) – 24 y.o., a journalist, known for her sharp tongue both in her writing and personal life. Sylwester’s current girlfriend and soon-to-be fiancee.

Mikolaj – 25 y.o., in the same boat as Patryk career-wise; Patryk’s best friend and co-worker. Too nice for his own good.

Mr. and Mrs. Kozlowski – the parents of Patryk, Sylwester and Klaudia. Can’t wait to have grandkids. They don’t have a favourite child, of course not, but have you heard that Patryk got promoted lately? He’s really amazing, isn’t he?

Extra notes: I’m writing it in a format of a play, in verse, so I’m finding pages a better way to track my progress than word count. I know it’s technically less specific, but word count when writing in verse doesn’t really… work the same way it does with prose, and it’s more confusing than anything. For reference, “The Ring” currently is at 10.5k words, but it’s 95 pages, with three out of five acts pretty much already written. So tracking progress in pages it is, thahah-

Also, this is my first project in a while that takes place in Poland. It makes sense, because I’m Polish, and this is satire, and I’m making a point by ridiculing certain social norms- it would be weird to try to place this in an environment I’m not personally familiar with, or ridicule social norms in a society I don’t personally know? Anyway hopefully all the painfully Polish names won’t hurt your eyes, thaha

[strqyr]

i spent way too much time on this—like, "wrote it in google docs first" amount of time—but, uh. team strq ages let’s gooooooo!!!

first things first, some assumptions™ that i’m basing this on:

1. the remnant school year follows the japanese school year, i.e. begins in april, and ends in march the following year.

2. the years are split based on birth year, nice and clean, since blake (who’s born in january) says ruby is “only two years younger” than wby. this would mean that blake had already turned 18 by the time of V1 (she would have been 17 during the black trailer), while weiss and yang turned 18 during V1-2 and ruby 16 during the small timeskip at the end of V3. (this is also what i’m used to, so it’s easier on my brain. don't @ me.)

the second point isn’t super relevant, but it does keep things simple since we don’t know strq’s birthdays; basically, the year students start their first year, they’ll be turning 18, 19 for the second year, 20 third, and 21 for fourth, with the possibility that some may have already turned 22 by the time they graduate.

so. the year strq graduates, they’re 21-turning-22 years old. since yang is born on july 28th, raven would have gotten pregnant some time around november / december (if i did my math right. i did count with my fingers.) since the school year ends in march, and i’m doubtful raven was already pregnant while still at school, at earliest yang could have been born was during the same year raven would turn 23.

and since yang is currently 19, 23+19=42 <- the youngest strq could possibly be in the present day.

(that is, assuming they were all 17-turning-18 during their first year. depending how you interpret raven’s “and qrow and i were the perfect age”, they could have been either exactly the age they should be to attend beacon (17-turning-18), or close enough for the tribe that they could pass as the right age.)

anyway! next part: figuring out how old they were during the V9 flashback.

first, the kiddos. if we are to take what yang said literally about ruby not being able to even talk yet when summer disappeared, ruby being a 2-year-old at the time is probably the safest bet. does she look like a 2-year-old in the flashback? eeeehhh… while i’d be willing to give a little more leeway there since it’s a short scene, to be extra safe, let’s say ruby is about 2-3yo, with yang being 4-5yo. if the members of strq were 23 the year yang was born, they would be about 27-28 at the time of the flashback.

which, if i’ve done my math right (knock on wood), is cutting it pretty damn close for raven becoming the spring maiden—even more so if she didn’t get pregnant the soonest possible moment after graduation—since as per miles: “As for ‘too old’, we don't like having super hard-fast rules for certain things, but we've sort of unofficially figured that 30 is probably around the cutoff point to become a maiden.” [source]

to be honest, i do think the math checks out. in before the dawn, according to yatsuhashi, theodore is “likely in his forties, maybe older”, and ozpin “had been younger [than theodore] but seemed much older.” per raven, ozpin was already the headmaster when team strq was formed, and prodigy or not, if as the headmaster of beacon he had a seat at the vale council (likely, since both lionheart and ironwood had council seat in their respective kingdoms as headmasters) i’m somewhat doubtful the rest of the council would have been super fine with someone who isn’t even the age of a huntsman graduate being in charge of what is essentially the main defense of the kingdom. so, if theodore is likely in his forties, maybe older (let’s translate that into late 40s-early 50s), and ozpin was younger than him but older than strq by at least 4 years, that would put him at ~45 in V1, and ~47 if he were still alive. maybe subtract a year or two, as a prodigy discount if you so please, but all in all, it fits rather nicely: yatsuhashi’s thoughts about theodore’s and ozpin’s ages are accurate-ish, and raven is just the right age to inherit maiden powers if she did get them during summer’s mission—and similarly, if / when summer joined salem, they’d still have to search for a maiden host since summer is going to reach the unofficial cutoff point of 30 very soon.

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

1 in 5 U.S. adults get their news from social media influencers, according to Pew report (NBC News) Social media influencers were a hot topic during the 2024 presidential race as both parties courted creators ahead of the election. Now, a new Pew Research Center survey reveals just how impactful so-called news influencers are in the current information ecosystem. About 21% of U.S. adults are turning to news influencers for information, with most saying creators “helped them better understand current events and civic issues,” according to the study. The number was higher among young adults, with 37% of people ages 18 to 29 saying they turn to influencers for news.

As Trump vows mass deportation, polls suggest growing support—but not a mandate (CNN) Support for deporting undocumented immigrants has grown since Donald Trump was last in office, a review of recent polling finds. But the level of public backing for mass deportation varies significantly depending on the framing of the question. Questions that simply ask whether people favor or oppose mass deportations find roughly half or more of the country in favor. But when voters surveyed were asked whether they’d favor deporting those immigrants “even if they have lived here for a number of years, have jobs and no criminal record”—support for deportation dropped to 40%, with 60% opposing. Similarly, a separate question in the Gallup poll found that 70% of US adults favored “allowing immigrants living in the U.S. illegally the chance to become U.S. citizens if they meet certain requirements over a period of time,” with an even broader 81% favoring a pathway to citizenship for those who were brought to the country as children.

1 in 8 N.Y.C. Public School Students Was Homeless Last Year (NYT) When a fire broke out in Jessica Beltran’s Brooklyn apartment last year, she and her two children moved into a homeless shelter while they figured out their next steps. Ms. Beltran, 37, had worked as a receptionist in medical and dental offices, but she had lost her job after she could not find child care for her 5-year-old son, Logan, who is autistic. A year after the fire drove them out of their home, she is still trying to get together the paperwork to apply for government-subsidized housing. This can happen to anyone, Ms. Beltran said. Flooding, fire, the loss of a job—all it takes is one unexpected problem to cause a person to end up homeless. And in New York City, more children than ever are. At least 146,000 public school students in New York City, about one in eight, did not have permanent housing at some point during the past school year, a record number and a 23 percent increase from the year before, according to Advocates for Children of New York. “These numbers are staggering,” said Christine Quinn, the chief executive of Win, the city’s largest operator of homeless shelters. “They are, quite frankly, an indictment of all parts of our city that this many children are living in shelter.”

Venezuela’s ‘Iron Lady’ (NYT) She galvanized a nation to oust Venezuela’s autocrat at the ballot box, spending months surrounded by people and filling avenues with supporters who risked beatings and arrest just to hear her speak. Now, with President Nicolás Maduro accused of stealing the election and his government threatening her capture, María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s wildly popular opposition leader, has gone into hiding—alone. In a series of rare, in-depth virtual interviews since she mobilized millions to vote against Mr. Maduro in July, Ms. Machado said she was holed up in a secret location somewhere inside her country. Because anyone who helps her could be detained—or might lead government agents to her—she said she has not had a visitor in months. Nicknamed the country’s “Iron Lady” for her conservative politics and steely resolve, Ms. Machado is, she admitted, “longing for a hug.” The former lawmaker is working around the clock, taking virtual meetings with foreign ministers and human rights organizations, urging them to remember that a broad coalition of nations acknowledge that her chosen candidate, Edmundo González, won the July vote by a wide margin and should be taking office in January.

Poverty Soars Past 50% in Argentina (Bloomberg) Almost one year into office now, Javier Milei is, to the shock of Argentine pundits, having a moment. Not only does the right-wing disruptor have an ally and fellow traveler in Trump—a crucial development for a leader whose country desperately needs foreign aid—but on the economic front, he’s been racking up victories. Inflation is tumbling from a peak of almost 300%; a long-running budget deficit has turned into a surplus; government bonds, once seen as almost certain to sink back into default, are rallying; and the long-moribund economy is finally starting to rebound. However, poverty in his country just soared past 50%. About 52.9% of Argentines were mired below the poverty line in the first half of the year, up from 41.7% in the second half of 2023, according to government data published Thursday. It’s the result of an aggressive cost-cutting exercise meant to tame inflation that the government warns would have continued spiraling higher in its absence.

Germany’s defense minister says damage to 2 Baltic data cables appears to be sabotage (AP) Germany’s defense minister said Tuesday officials have to assume damage to two data cables under the Baltic Sea, one of which ends in Germany, was caused by sabotage—though he said they have no proof at present. Damage was detected Monday to the C-Lion1 cable that runs nearly 1.200 kilometers (750 miles) from the Finnish capital, Helsinki, to the German port city of Rostock. Another cable between Lithuania and Sweden was also damaged. Speaking in Brussels, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Russia poses not just a military but also a hybrid threat, and that Europe needs to take a broad approach to defense. He said the damage to the two cables was “a very clear sign that something is afoot.”

Putin signs new Russian nuclear doctrine after Biden’s arms decision for Ukraine (AP) President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a revised nuclear doctrine declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country. Putin’s endorsement of the new nuclear deterrent policy follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles. The signing of the doctrine, which says that any massive aerial attack on Russia could trigger a nuclear response, demonstrates Putin’s readiness to tap the country’s nuclear arsenal to force the West to back down as Moscow presses a slow-moving offensive in Ukraine.

A surge in mass attacks in China (AP) Dozens of people have been killed in China in the past three months in a series of mass attacks. The latest on Tuesday saw primary school students struck by a car as they arrived for classes. The attacks take one of two forms—either drivers mowing down people on foot or knife-wielding assailants stabbing multiple victims. Guns are strictly restricted in China and gun attacks are rare. The attackers appear to be taking out their anger and frustration over a personal issue, according to police reports. The victims are often unknown to them. Such attacks are not new in China and have targeted kindergartens and other schools in the past. The recent surge has gotten the attention of authorities and the public.

Hong Kong jails 45 pro-democracy campaigners (BBC) A Hong Kong court has sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists and lawmakers to years in jail for subversion after they planned to organise an unofficial primary for opposition candidates. Their trial marked the largest use of Hong Kong's harsh national security law which China imposed on the territory shortly after the city’s explosive pro-democracy protests in 2019. Beijing and Hong Kong’s government argue that the law is necessary to maintain stability and deny it has weakened autonomy, but activists disagree.

New Zealand’s founding treaty is at a flashpoint (AP) A proposed law that would redefine New Zealand’s founding treaty between the British Crown and Māori chiefs has triggered political turmoil and prompted tens of thousands of people to show up in protest at the country’s Parliament on Tuesday. The bill is never expected to become law. But it has become a flashpoint on race relations and a critical moment in the fraught 180-year-old conversation about how New Zealand should honor its promises to Indigenous people when the country was colonized -– and what those promises are. Considered New Zealand’s founding document, the treaty was signed between representatives of the British Crown and 500 Māori chiefs during colonization. It laid out principles guiding the relationship between the Crown and Māori, in two versions -– one in English and the other in Māori. It promised Māori the rights and privileges of British citizens, but the English and Māori versions differed on what power the chiefs were ceding over their affairs, lands and autonomy. Over decades, the Crown breached both versions.

Israeli Strikes in Lebanon Stir Fears of Sectarian Strife (WSJ) Christians in this small northern Lebanese village keep a lookout at night for unwanted visitors, asking drivers headed up the hill toward the Shia part of the neighborhood what their purpose is. They have installed cameras and often sit around until 3 a.m., keeping an eye on the road. “They know we are watching,” said Farid Sammour, a 31-year-old restaurant owner. “Before we were living together. Now there is no trust.” Lebanon’s religious fault lines—the patchwork of Christian, Shia and Sunni Muslim, and other faith groups making up this country of some 5.5 million people—are straining as Israel’s war with the Hezbollah militant group grinds on. Several weeks ago, an Israeli airstrike hit a Shia house in this village 70 miles from the Israeli border, killing two people the Israeli military described as “terrorist assets.” The broadening air campaign has pulled villages and towns such as Deir Billa into the conflict if they house Shia Muslims, from whom Hezbollah draws most of its support. Hosting Shias has made villages and towns in Sunni and Christian areas potential targets of Israeli strikes. In cities such as Beirut and Sidon, some landlords are refusing to rent to Shias, citing security concerns. Tensions also stem from financial distress. The mass displacement, primarily from the south, is putting further strain on local communities in a country that has been battered by an economic crisis and political paralysis.

Gaza Security Forces Ambush Gang Accused of Looting Aid with Israeli Support (Drop Site News) Palestinian security forces on Monday killed at least 20 members of an organized gang allegedly responsible for looting aid trucks in the southern Gaza Strip, according to a statement by the Interior Ministry in Gaza.  The ambush by local security forces came two days after nearly 100 trucks were violently looted after crossing into southern Gaza in one of the biggest raids of its kind since the start of the war. For over a year, Israel has used starvation as a weapon of war, restricting aid to Palestinians in Gaza to such a degree that a UN-backed panel last week issued an alert, warning of “an imminent and substantial likelihood of famine" across the enclave. The trickle of goods that are allowed in are being increasingly targeted by armed criminal groups, who either force truck convoys to pay exorbitant extortion fees or simply rob the aid. Much of this is facilitated by the Israeli military, who have systematically targeted Palestinian security forces charged with protecting the convoys, and then have allowed armed gunmen to attack aid convoys in areas under its control.

[scattered-shadows]

As seen on my FF.net Also seen on my Ao3

Following the events of fifth year, a new adventure awaits for Norah Lee. Boys, exams, school events, common room parties, and old foes outside of Hogwarts. Even battling pensieve guardians was easier than this.

Main Pair: OC / Ominis Gaunt Genre: Adventure/Angst/Fluff (it's a little of everything, tbh)

KEEP IN MIND: Characters are aged up (even if the story's got them in sixth year) to make it more appropriate. Time period is leaning towards the modern day so in case you might find anachronisms in the dialogue or references, this is why. This may also be quite a lengthy fic too.

BE WARNED: Social anxiety, mentions of blood and injury, grief, drinking, kissing but nothing more than that, death (this is Hogwarts Legacy, after all)

P.P.S: Panic attacks, friendship troubles for Amit, Leander not beating the K-drama lead allegations part 4, some hints to a spicy thing happening. Norah looking so surprised with Garreth knowing the RoR as if he hasn't been inside before...👀

Masterlist

Chapter 23

The next few days didn't sit well for Amit, who chose to keep himself shut up in the Astronomy Tower. He had been trying to avoid Samantha, Nellie, even Norah. Unsurprisingly, the news of what happened spread like wildfire and Amit could only imagine the things being said about him, about the four of them. While he largely tried to avoid Samantha, he overheard some fellow Ravenclaws whom she told the argument to, or at least had some idea of what happened.

Samantha was dealing with this differently compared to Nellie, who had acknowledged some kind of defeat and never bothered to speak about them again. That much Amit knew.

At least there were the telescopes that currently surrounded him. He needed to focus on completing his star charts, and there were still so many tables he hadn't been able to use yet.

"I mean, I know she's the Hogwarts heroine and all, but isn't she satisfied stringing along Weasley, Sallow, Prewett, and Gaunt? Did she have to steal Thakkar too?"

"Didn't know you fancied Thakkar," One of them giggled.

Amit stopped when he overheard a few students talking a little loudly downstairs. He closed his eyes and took a breath, trying to shut out what they were saying. Yet this time he couldn't.

"Poor Nellie, poor Samantha," He heard another one say.

"The next thing we know, she might come after Abbott next? I wonder if Natty would be okay with that, I saw them snogging near the Restricted Section again."

"I love how we immediately think of Henry Abbott, not his equally gorgeous brother Ethan."

"She should be sent to Azkaban if she did try Ethan. It would be so odd knowing she's friends with Henry."

"I just hope Samantha and Nellie get even with Amit and Norah. The two of them need to be humiliated."

Amit sighed as he focused on completing his star chart. He didn't need to listen to that. He didn't want to listen to that. Did they want him to pick either of them? What the hell did they know about him? Even when he explained everything. How could he change this situation?

There wasn't anything else he could do at this point. The only way out was through. Amit took another deep breath before looking into the telescope again. It was making him think. Why did he end up being friends with Norah? Why did he agree to come with her to the mine? Why was he the only one who could speak Gobbledegook? If he could turn back time, he probably would've considered turning her request down.

Knowing what was now going on, Amit's brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to focus on his assignment. The gusts of wind that entered the Astronomy tower didn't seem to help calm him. It was a good thing, he hoped, that he wasn't hanging out with Norah for the meantime.

"There you are, Mahendra's been looking for you," Andrew suddenly appeared, and to Amit's surprise, Poppy wasn't there. "Something about the upcoming party in the common room."

There, the party. Maybe he could focus on that too. "Oh, right, what does he want me for?" Amit asked.

"I don't know, but he just said to Henry and I, if we ever came across you, to maybe go into Honeydukes or speak with Sirona about some barrels of butterbeer," Andrew shrugged. "Henry tried to look for you in the Room of Requirement, but you weren't there."

"Oh, okay then. I heard we're doing a game like the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff parties," Amit recalled, turning to face him as he sat himself down, Andrew joining him.

Andrew observed his expression. "I know you know that I know about what happened between you and Samantha."

Amit sighed. "Come to admonish me too? I really, truly wasn't ready for a relationship, nor am I currently looking for one. You knew that, Everett knows that, bloody hell a lot of you knew that."

"That, I know too," Andrew agreed. "Love is hard. But she'll get over it eventually, and this will all die down soon. And in time, you might look back and have a laugh over it, how silly we've all been."

The brunette nodded. "I've had to overhear those people down there and what they thought of me, of Samantha, of Nellie, and even Norah. They're blaming Norah for something I did, thinking that she tricked me into telling her that."

"I know," Andrew nodded. "I don't quite like how they're blaming her. Henry's had to tell off a few of our housemates for that, he doesn't believe it either."

"Of course he wouldn't, but maybe... it wasn't something I should've said at the time," Amit looked crestfallen. "...I've put my foot in my mouth this time."

Andrew chuckled. "You do tend to do that, but not on purpose."

The brunette groaned. "I shouldn't be talking, at all."

"For now, maybe," Andrew teased. "It's best to let everything take its course. Samantha will be over it eventually, and she'll move on and so will you, and before you know it, it's as if nothing happened."

"It's a good thing I'll be going home for the Christmas holidays," Amit grumbled.

Andrew hummed. "So am I. Poppy's actually coming with me this year. Her gran's allowed her to come spend Christmas with my family. It'll be a chance for them to get to know her and hopefully like her."

The two of them sat up when they heard the group of girls downstairs talk about wanting to get even on behalf of Samantha and Nellie. Amit could only hope that the Christmas holidays could allow this to die down, more so the Yule Ball.

~

Norah was in Hogsmeade, determined to get back to her plan of observing the peculiar tomb in the Hogsmeade graveyard. She stopped by Professor Fig's mausoleum again so as not to be suspicious. Whenever Sebastian, Ominis, or even Natty, Amit, and Henry passed by, they all told her that they've seen more people go in and never go out. That seemed to confirm her suspicions of possibly an underground network of tunnels and secret passages. She wondered how long had they been digging through the ruins, and if they had been down there long, she wondered if it was connected to the Ashwinder lair in the cellar of the Hog's Head.

After dropping off a fresh bouquet of flowers, Norah casually glanced at the tomb again, seeing someone close the iron-wrought door behind them. She looked around for anyone nearby, while reaching into her bag for an invisibility potion. As soon as she was sure no one was nearby, she cast the disillusionment charm on herself while drinking the potion.

Norah crept up to the gate and used alohomora to open it. She could hear a ruckus coming from further into the tomb as she tried to slip inside without making a sound. Norah continued toward the source of the noise and when she spotted an Ashwinder scout approaching, she quickly petrified them. She did the same to a few poachers that were emerging, invoking her ancient magic on a Poacher executioner, who turned into a chicken.

Her heart was pounding, both in nervousness and anticipation for what she might find out. This could prove to be dangerous once again if she wasn't careful, even when it hasn't really stopped her before.

"What makes you think you can be trusted? You're a child," She heard Harlow saw to someone.

"I can be trusted because I am in the same house as her. You know, the one responsible for ruining your lives."

The voice was familiar, and Norah crept closer, petrifying several poachers that passed by her and dragged their stiffened bodies to one corner where an empty treasure chest once was.

"This is quite unprecedented, even for me. Victor Rookwood would've loved to have you as an informant," Harlow was grinning as he said it. "Alright then. What was your name again? I didn't quite catch that."

"Carrow. Nicholas Carrow."

Norah's eyes widened as she spotted the figure of the Slytherin boy himself. Nicholas Carrow was going to inform them of her every move. She needed to tell people about this.

"Carrow, one of them pureblood wizards," an Ashwinder duellist commented, and everyone was evidently impressed. "Why'd you want to turn against someone from your own house anyway?"

Nicholas smirked. "For the simple reason that she does not belong in Slytherin house, much less in Hogwarts. She's the daughter of squibs, you know. They live in Mayfair, her parents."

"Mayfair, one of them posh types, eh? I heard they're swimming in money, that lot," another Ashwinder said. "Perhaps we should pay them a visit."

Norah looked horrified at the suggestion. "See? If you let me help you, we can take her down, and your business enterprise will return while we're at it," Nicholas grinned. He held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

Harlow hummed in his place. "You want something more to this, don't you?"

"No, not really. Just the satisfaction of having...dethroned the Hogwarts heroine. That's what they call her anyway," Nicholas smirked. "I'll be damned if some squib-born is going to succeed in the wizarding world when they've got no place here. Besides, she's already on her way down after an argument between two of our schoolmates happened. They already think she's tricking guys into leaving their partners for her."

Some Ashwinder scouts present laughed out loud. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall..."

"We could visit her parents. Got any idea where in Mayfair?" Another Ashwinder asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do, and I also know when her parents would be home," Nicholas nodded. "But first, do we have a deal?"

Harlow shook his hand. "Deal."

Norah rushed out of the tomb. Taking the disillusionment charm off, she raced toward the Hogsmeade post office. She needed to tell her parents what might happen to them. More importantly, Nicholas Carrow hated her that much to involve her family in what Harlow planned on doing. As she walked inside, she grabbed the nearest quill and a roll of parchment to write what she needed to tell them. It wouldn't be too surprising if someone also tried to intercept her letters at this point. What was important was that they were aware that they may be in danger.

She felt a tightening in her chest, a lump rising in her throat. Norah stepped outside once she paid for the letter to be sent. It felt like she couldn't breathe, and that everything around her was spinning. Norah stumbled to the back entrance of Steepley & Sons, sitting down on the porch as she tried to collect herself.

Breathe. She needed to breathe.

Who could she turn to at this moment?

Norah closed her eyes. It was beginning to get overwhelming, all the sounds she was hearing, and the feeling of spiraling out of control. Flashes of past incidents came to her, worsening the overwhelming feeling she was experiencing. What was happening to her? She kept thinking, trying to ground herself in reality.

"Norah?"

She was rocking back and forth, trying to ground herself with the hopes that the overwhelming feeling would go away.

"Norah? Are you alright?"

Norah looked up, seeing Leander standing in front of her. The tall Gryffindor boy knelt down, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. Norah could feel her legs give in as she tried to compose herself and stand up only to fall over but Leander catching her wrists in time.

"Norah, let's take you back to the castle, hmm? Get some rest or water in you," He said. Leander pulled away and turned his back on her. "Climb onto me, I'll carry you back."

She leaned against him, her arms around his neck as Leander stood back up. "Are you sure?" She mumbled, resting her weight fully on his back.

"Yes, I'm sure," Leander assured her, holding her by the backs of her knees as he carried her to the nearest floo flame. "Slytherin dungeons," he said, and the two of them disappeared.

~

A calming draught and a dreamless sleep potion later and Norah was lying down in her bed. At least, she thought it was her bed as when she slowly sat up, she realized where she was. She was in the Room of Requirement, lying on a bed similar to hers in the Slytherin girls' dormitory. Nearby was a table that surprisingly had some sweets from Honeydukes as well as some pasties and cakes from the kitchens.

"Ah, Deek is pleased to see you finally awake," the house-elf beamed upon stepping inside. "Natty Onai told your tall friend to bring you here and since you looked so shaken, Deek allowed them inside, if that's alright."

"Leander," Norah smiled to herself. "I'll thank him later."

"Your friends also left some snacks for you here in case you wake up. You had quite the panic attack, as what your tall friend told me," Deek explained, a look of worry etched on his face. "Something must have troubled you so badly that you needed to be put to sleep."

The mention of it made Norah look down in embarrassment. "How...shameful. I didn't mean to worry anyone."

"Deek doesn't think it's embarrassing," The house-elf shook his head as he approached her. "If Deek may say something, it's that you need to remember what Professor Weasley told you before. Deek thinks you've been carrying a heavy burden for much too long."

Norah sighed. "I know."

Deek summoned the plate of cauldron cakes over to her. "Deek thinks you need to put some strength in you. Deek heard from the other house elves that sixth years will need to tell their heads of houses about their possible career plans after Hogwarts."

She stared at him. "Deek, you've already known this, it's not news to you since you've been here a long time."

The house elf smiled. "Eat some. Let Deek know if you'd like some more, and your friends will be coming back soon."

As soon as Deek left the adjoining room, Norah sat up straight and took one of the cauldron cakes on the plate. Feeling a kind of fullness start to come up, Norah took a few more bites until she finished it, reaching for another one to devour while she composed herself. She looked up when she heard a bit of a commotion coming from the other side which meant that some of those friends of hers had arrived.

But to her surprise, it wasn't just Natty. Garreth and Leander appeared too. Leander looked relieved while Natty and Garreth looked concerned. "What brings the two of you here?" Norah raised a brow at the two boys. She turned to Natty. "And you told them about this room?"

"Leander had you on his back, remember? Garreth made you the calming draught and the dreamless sleep potion since we were making it earlier," Natty explained.

"It felt like a blur all of a sudden," Norah looked down. "I didn't mean to make you all worry."

"Worry? When Sebastian and Ominis hear about this-" Garreth was about to say something, but paused when Natty nudged him. "I mean, are you feeling better now?"

"I suppose so, calmer might be the best way to put it," Norah nodded. "I hope I wasn't too heavy for you, Leander."

Leander raised a brow. "I said I didn't and I didn't. I'm strong enough," there was a hint of pride in his voice as he said it. "I hope it's okay we're here, Garreth and I, I mean."

"You know what? I'm fine with it," Norah nodded. "Just don't go telling everyone else about this? I've already got some kind of target on my back for what happened between Amit and Samantha. On top of that, Carrow's been suspiciously quiet and now I know why."

The mention of the Slytherin boy made them curious. "What's Carrow done this time?" Garreth questioned.

With the two redheads around, Norah suddenly wasn't sure if she should say it. Or say it all, at least. News did travel fast around the school, and now Norah had doubts as to whether nothing could really leave this room. She gave Natty a knowing look, but then turned to Garreth and Leander. "If I tell you, you two have to promise this never, ever, leaves this room," She said.

Garreth looked intrigued. "...Is Carrow going to be in trouble?"

"Maybe, but maybe not, knowing how Black is," The Slytherin girl shrugged. "Still, both of you, have to swear on your last names that this will not leave this room."

Garreth and Leander raised both their hands. "We promise," They said.

Norah turned to Garreth. "Swear on Professor Weasley," She eyed him.

"Alright! I swear on my aunt," Garreth kept nodding.

"Swear on your last name, Prewett!" Norah rounded on the taller male.

"Alright, alright, I swear on my last name!" Leander nodded, still as concerned. "What did you find out about Carrow?"

"I snuck into that Tomb in Hogsmeade," Norah explained. "I saw him talking to Harlow. He was trying to make a deal to tell them of my every move."

Natty, Garreth, and Leander gaped at her, and from the minor commotion that came from the other room where her, Norah could tell it was likely Sebastian and Ominis. Or at the very least, Ominis. As she expected, the blonde had appeared and immediately sensed the sort of tension that came over the room.

"Deek told me you were finally awake, what's happened?" Ominis sounded frazzled.

"Carrow has offered to be an informant for Harlow," Natty replied. "Norah went into the Tomb we've been observing and she saw them talking."

Ominis' expression stiffened, and the blonde immediately approached the bed. Garreth and Leander still looked shocked. "That's not all. In fact, had Carrow tried to duel with me outside Hogwarts, he would've killed me. At least that's the likely event. He offered to tell Harlow not only my every move, but where I live, where my parents live, and perhaps shake them up a bit like what he's done with Archie Bickle, Agabus Philbert, the Rabes, and Otto Dibble."

"What the fuck is that twat on?" Garreth was trying to hold back on his disgust at Norah's explanation.

"He could get expelled for doing something like that," Leander added, looking just as disgusted. "Turning you over to Harlow and the Ashwinders like an animal for slaughter..."

He stopped when he saw the way Norah, Natty, Ominis, and Garreth were looking at him. "I wouldn't be surprised if he really planned it that way. Frankly, he's only making this much fuss now," Norah said. "Then again, I was almost always away in fifth year so he couldn't have had much of a chance to spite me."

"What do you plan to do?" Ominis asked her. "Do you still want to go through with your plan to catch Harlow?"

Norah nodded. "I have to see this through. I can't stop until Harlow and his ilk are in Azkaban for what they've been doing. Again."

"I don't suppose you can have the graphorn run him over or something?" Garreth suggested.

"I will not let his Lordship become an accomplice to murder..." Norah stared at him. "...He's already run over quite a few poachers in fifth year...Besides, Carrow's family would have no trouble in killing his Lordship if they found out."

Ominis couldn't help but smile at the thought. As amused as he was with the thought of running Nicholas Carrow over with a graphorn, he was also amused at how Norah wouldn't allow it to happen again. "I'm afraid Norah's right. Nothing would thrill that family more than to kill something. If they could easily dispatch muggles and muggle-borns and get away with it, they would."

"This is why our family hates being associated with that blood status nonsense," Garreth fumed. "Because we end up getting associated with people like Carrow. No offense, Ominis."

"None taken."

Leander frowned. "Seems like you're in a tight spot there," He said.

"This just means we'll need to change our plans a little bit. The rest of us will have to move a lot quicker while you try and distract them," Natty seemed undeterred. "I will tell Henry, while you tell Sebastian what's going to happen. Perhaps you can find Amit and tell him too?"

Norah shook her head. "Amit told me he can't hang out with us for a while since his argument with Samantha spread to the rest of the school. It's best not to involve him in this anymore."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I don't want to drag him into this if he doesn't want to. Probably best we don't speak for a while."

The rest of them understood. "The Ravenclaw party is this weekend," Garreth suddenly remembered. "I doubt Carrow would be coming to that."

"Maybe I'll head to the other mine by then, where the other triptych piece was," Norah yawned. "...I wonder if there are still loyalists in that...Or if the Ashwinders found it..."

"You're not going to the Ravenclaw party?" Natty asked. "You promised you'd go to every house party."

"You're with Henry, you'll be fine," Norah teased. "And I doubt anyone would go looking for me? What's going to happen at that party anyway?"

The four of them exchanged looks. "A lot. I just brewed a new batch of my fizz-beer! Everyone's going to get absolutely sloshed again!" Garreth said proudly. "And as for party games, I heard they were going to do this little game called, 7 Minutes in Heaven."

The mention of the game made Norah snort. "I know that. Some people in the muggle school I went to before played that at parties. I think after that party, Ravenclaws are going to see people from other houses come out of their own dormitories."

Her explanation seemed to make the rest of their cheeks turn pink. Even Ominis' cheeks were a little flushed. Norah grinned. "...You don't know what happens in that game?" and she burst into laughter.

[winslet-navarro]

BASICS:

full name: winslet eversley nickname(s): win, winnie birthday: november 16th, 1992 age: thirty one gender: cis-female sexuality: heterosexual occupation: owner of exotic elegance & stripper at bare necessities education: high school diploma location: midtown

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

hair colour: dark brown eye colour: dark brown height: 5 foot 6 inches tattoos/piercings: ‘noah’ tattooed on her left wrist, both earlobes pieced, belly button piercing  scars: c-section birthmarks: N/A

HISTORY:

TW: domestic abuse, sex work Born the second eldest daughter and fourth child overall to a shameless drunk who spent more time on a bar stool than at home looking after his family. The Navarro patriarch just won’t die and for that, Winslet will be forever annoyed. The Navarro Matriarch was useless and liked her illicit substances more than she liked spending time with the children she created. For as long as she can remember, Winnie and her siblings have been alone in the world. Winnie will still speak somewhat fondly of her childhood because she had her brothers and sisters to lean on. Sure, they practically had to raise themselves but at least they had each other while they did it. The eldest Navarro did her best to shield the younger kids, however, with parents like Dick and Kelly they really didn’t have any change of normalcy in their lives. Winslet is a middle child and has always leaned into the middle child syndrome stereotype. She often felt forgotten. Definitely by her parents and sometimes even by her surrogate parental figure - her older sister Michaela. Due to this, she sought acceptance, attention and even love from others outside the Navarro family home. Winslet would openly date any boy who gave her a sliver of attention during high school. Often ending up in toxic and even abusive relationships. More than once, she returned home with a black eye or bruised lip only to have her older siblings and twin question who had done that to her. If she told them, they would grab the closest item that could be used as a weapon and hunt down the boy who dared raise a hand to a Navarro. Winslet would say she would do better, to not seek acceptance in the love of a boy. Yet only weeks later the cycle would start again. This went on until Winslet saw the very distinct pink lines of a pregnancy test when she was only sixteen years old. By seventeen, she’d had her son; Noah and the father was long gone. She was nothing but a warm hole for him. This was the point that she knew she would need to be better. Be a better parent to her child than the parents she had experienced. She would provide in any way she could. Her older siblings were angels in the early years of Noah’s life, helping to baby sit whenever she had to work. Winslet got a job waitressing at the Rizzo’s Diner. She was making barely enough to survive but she was doing her best. One night, older very well-dressed gentlemen had come into the diner and sat in her section. She approached with a smile and spent the next hour filling his coffee whenever it was needed. Chatting to him about his day and his work. Before she knew it, she had an offer. The arrangement was simple. Nothing sexual to start with. Winslet would accompany him on dates. Talk to him about his life and hers. Go to dinners at fancy restaurants. She would be his sugar baby. It was an arrangement that she jumped at and she quickly quit her job. This was the best way she would have the funds to provide for her son and help her family financially. This arrangement went on for several years and she truly became friends with this man. When their relationship did turn sexual, she didn’t even mind. She was attracted to him. He was a silver fox type, dressed well and was always clean. So why not. She had savings, she had financial freedom and she didn’t have to worry. When Winslet turned 23 the arrangement came to an end. By that point, Winslet had some savings but not enough to sustain the new lifestyle she now led. She jumped at the opportunity to work at the local strip club Bare Necessities. She knew what she looked like. She knew she was desirable and she used these factors as a way to manipulate men to her whim. Soon she was raking in the money again. It’s been several years since. Now, she’s a business owner having purchased the local sex shop Exotic Elegance with the savings she had managed to make. She still secretly works at the strip club a new nights a week, keeping this factor away from her family and her son