#but the directing and writing aren't serving them well and you can see the drop in quality from the beginning to now tbh
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doux-amer · 1 year ago
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Revenant is soooo mid which is disappointing because I was looking forward to it due to the actors and writer (this isn’t a flop like Jirisan, which I gave up on after 2–3 episodes, but it’s not really good). BUT. BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m suffering from “poor little meow meow middle-aged man” deficiency and Professor Yeom Haesang suffers so much. I can’t believe I was like “Oh...okay” about his casting because I’m planting my palms against his windows, peering at him in his little cage and being fed because he’s had the worst life ever and it keeps getting worse. HAESANG *____*<3
#why are we not talking about him more on reddit/twitter/tumblr and why are there not enough gifs and pics of him breaking down#or looking slutty in his all black ensembles complete with a turtleneck#watch as this man's life continues to deteriorate! ep. 7 and 8 provided such rich sustenance for me#a simp for ajusshideul who are miserable#he's so small and sad and he can't catch a break#yeah okay hongsae is great too and he's a cutie but LOOK AT THIS 40-YEAR-OLD MAN!#technically i wouldn't even count that as MIDDLE age middle-aged but his actor is 46 so whatever#in all seriousness revenant exasperates me a little because you can see how it can be good#especially because there's a frame of reference to base that hypothesis on: signal. lol.#signal wasn't without its flaws but the characters and relationships actually had development and the main partnerships were intense#and the tension was high throughout#revenant is the same thing every episode pretty much#the first three episodes were pretty to really good and i loved the setup#and you have kim taeri hong kyung and oh jungsae and they're great actors#but the directing and writing aren't serving them well and you can see the drop in quality from the beginning to now tbh#there's only so much they can do if they're not being given enough from both#though the little bits that are good are the reason i'm sticking around to the end lol. that and haesang i'm going to be real#like haesang and sanyoung's relationship needed to be parallel soohyun and haeyoung's in a way in terms of how much#they grow to rely on each other and care for each other but we don't really get that
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lighthouseofstories · 1 year ago
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Wanted to drop in and say how much I'm absolutely adoring your writing! The cat post had me absolutely dying and your angst is just... so wonderful! The Ace fic hit me so hard and your portrayal of Zoro and his social obliviousness yet still meaning well enough was so spot on it hurts 😭
Was also curious if you might write something where the reader (trans masc or gender neutral if you're not comfortable with that ) is a new member of the crew (Whitebeard, Red Force, Strawhats, and Hearts separately) and they're really wanting to prove their worth on the crew because they're scared they'll be ditched and left behind. But in doing so, they go overboard and end up getting hurt or messing up the plan that had been laid out for everyone. How would the different captains/cremates react in the moment and afterwards when they find out reader maybe has some past trauma involving people making them feel like they weren't worth keeping around if they weren't useful in some way? And they aren't sure how to help most of the time when everyone around them is alreadyso capable and stronger without them. All the crews have such different vibes and dynamics, makes me curious how everyone would try to help the reader overcome these insecurities and realize that their worth isn't based on how strong they are/aren't and they were asked to join because they're a friend, not a tool to be used.
I hope that makes sense? Totally understand if you don't feel comfortable doing this request and want to say thank you again for your awesome writing!! Hope you have a wonderful day 💓
The Crew's Rookie
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(30.08.23)
Platonic Red Hair Pirates x Rookie Reader (Trans Male)
TW: *Mentions of injury and blood. *The feeling of not being good enough and being desperate to prove yourself.
OOf, I ended up going in some random direction here, I hope it touches on the idea of the crew interacting with an uncertain reader. There was tons to unpack here so I condensed it into a one-shot. Also, sorry this is so late! I haven' felt too good under the heat we've been having!
Finishing re-tying some ropes on the ship, you wipe the sweat from your brow with the bottom of your shirt. The temperatures in this summer climate are so high that everyone is sweating buckets for the past few days. Not much that can be done about that except to keep showering and staying hydrated. 
Yassop closely inspects your work to check it won’t pose a safety hazard and you anxiously hold your breath in wait for the verdict. 
He then grins and pats you on the back. “Good job rookie! You’re learning quickly! Can't believe you've only been here three months! Man, it feels like you've been one of us for longer!” 
You sigh in relief and give a small smile as thanks. It’s only been about three months since you joined the crew and it’s been hard work to learn everything you can about being on a ship and even harder trying to find your place on one. You've also affectionately gained the nickname rookie or rookie y/n and you can't say you minded.
You’re beyond grateful for the opportunity that Shanks has given you that day, an opportunity to get away from your monochrome-filled world. 
You were working as a waiter in an almost-dead town and a half-dead tavern when Shanks and his crew strolled in laughing and chatting in a boisterous way. You felt trepidation at first, knowing that some pirates aren’t to be trusted, but seeing the charismatic captain politely inquire whether they’d be able to take over the tavern for the night you felt your fear slowly ease out of you.
You enjoyed serving them that night, their friendly behaviour and wild stories of the sea entertaining you throughout the night. When they left you felt sadness and emptiness fill you, missing the life they brought with them.
When they returned the next night for more partying you felt a grin spread across your face. You spent another night weaving between tables or just sitting with them and listening to their stories.
At one point the captain intently stared at you and you just furrowed your brows in confusion. “Hey, hey, why don’t you come and join my crew?” 
The crew around him laughed and someone shouted “Drunk recruiting again captain?” 
You felt your heart skip a beat at the proposal, but seeing how Shanks was so drunk he could barely sit up on his own, you forcefully shoved that feeling of hope deep down again. 
But the next day Shanks returned to your tavern alone. If it was anyone else you would have told them the tavern is closed and politely sent them on their way. But this was Shanks who you’ve grown a respect and admiration for upon seeing how he treats and interacts with his crew. 
“You never gave me a response to my question last night. There’s potential in you and it would be a shame to waste it by rotting away here. We’ll be setting sail tonight, so if you wish to come with us be at the dock by sunfall.” 
After Shanks left, you spent the whole day rapidly packing whatever essentials you deemed you’d need and a few mementos. You then scrawled a hasty note to the tavern owner saying you’re quitting in lieu of finding a better work opportunity and that you pushed the keys through the letter flap, he has spares after all. You then took a deep breath and saw the sky starting to change.
After you pushed the keys through the postbox and Slinged your backpack over your shoulders you take a deep breath and begin to sprint towards the docks. 
When you arrive at the dock you’re panting and out of breath, but feel the excitement buzz in your veins. 
Some nearby men spot you and grin, before shouting for the Captain to come and see who it is. 
When Shanks appears and looks down from the ship he grins wide and asks, “What are you waiting for rookie? Get on board before we sail without you.” 
“Yoohoo earth to Rookie y/n. A return to the ship would be great.” You return to the present to see Yassop waving a hand in front of your face. 
You blink and smile sheepishly. “Sorry, Yassop. Lost in thought.” 
He just lightly shakes his head and flicks your forehead. “You’re working too hard, no wonder you're so spacy. Go take a break and do something, anything, non-work related.”
You tried to protest but Yassop was having none of it and even gently pushed you in the direction of some crew members just relaxing around the ship, so you reluctantly went to wander around in search of something to do. 
“Rookie, come sit with us!” An older member of the crew cheerfully waves at you from his place at a table full of cards. Coming over you recognise some of the officers like Lime Juice and Howling Gab. 
You grin when you approach and see the scowls on some of the pirates’ faces. “Who’s winning?” You teasingly ask.
“Heh, for a change I am.” Lime Juice responds and places a winning hand of cards now with a grin that irritates those around him.
“I’m still not convinced that you aren’t cheating.” grumbles someone else at the table.
Lime Juice chooses to ignore them and turns to look at you as he passes you a hand of cards for a new game, his shades ever present on his face. “How are you settling in Rookie?”
You sit down at a nearby barrel and shrug as you accept the cards. “Alright, I think. I managed to remember everyone’s names and I’m no longer getting lost on a ship.”
“You’re faring better than some previous newbies, they spent most of their first weeks or months throwing up and falling over in search of their sea legs.” Another pirate at the table laughs.
“Yeah, I suppose this is better then.” You quietly say to yourself. Before you can say anymore a loud rumble of thunder and a flash of lightning spread across the sky. Following it immediately was a strong downpour accompanied by hale. The Grand Line weather really was unpredictable.
Curses erupt all around you and shouts to get the ship prepared for a storm are heard all around. 
“Oi rookie! You’re a pretty good climber! Climb up the rigging and roll up the sails!”
“On it!” You shout with determination happy to be put to use. 
Once you are up on the rigging, carefully helping to roll up the sails so they won’t be damaged in a storm a new shout spreads across the ship. “Hostile ship approaching at four o'clock! Captain they’re trying to pick a fight with us!” 
Barely a few moments after the warning, the sound of cannonballs shooting through the air is heard and the ship violently rocks with the combined attack of the strong storm and the cannonballs hitting water. 
You just about manage to grab onto a nearby rope to stop yourself from falling down, but it is proving to be difficult with the violent swaying of the ship. 
With the enemy ship not swayed by your captain’s Haki (which you miraculously just about managed to get used to) they are now next to the Red Force and a battle begins to commence. 
“Oi Rookie get down! It’s far too dangerous up there right now! Go and support from the back!” Someone, you didn’t see who yells at you from below. 
You grit your teeth and are about to descend before you have another idea. If you manage to help in this battle you can prove your worth, that you deserve to remain here as much as anyone else. 
With that thought made up, you carefully move to the end of the rigging and take out your gun. You carefully scan the enemy pirates and watch for an opportunity. Your eyes widen as you see one of them aim a gun at a fellow red-haired pirate. Without thinking you take aim and shoot. 
You grin victoriously when you see the pirate fall down dead, the surprise clear on his face. The nearby pirate of your crew turns in your direction. His eyes widen and he screams a watch out, but it comes too late as you feel a sudden pain at the back of your head, and the next thing you know you’re falling until the cold sea envelopes you, afterward, your vision turns black.
“Man overboard! Rookie fell in!” Comes the shout and Shank’s eyes widen from where he is fighting the captain of the crew stupid enough to attack them. 
“Beck!” Shanks shouts for his first mate, scanning for him through the crowds.
“I’m on it!” Beckman shouts back to his captain and then after tying himself up with a rope to the ship immediately dives down to the stormy sea. 
It takes him a moment of desperately searching around but he soon notices your unconscious form, blood flowing from your head. It’s a miracle it hasn’t attracted any sea kings yet. 
He firmly wraps a strong hand around you and swims to the surface. “Come on Rookie, you better hang in there.” He tells you as he tugs on the rope to be pulled towards the ship as in these stormy waters even a seasoned sailor will struggle to swim, let alone whilst holding an unconscious body.
Once Beckmann is safely back on board with your unconscious form, the fight is already coming to an end and so you are immediately brought to Hongo to be looked over. 
Shanks listens to Hongo carefully, all the while looking at the bed where your feverish body is currently resting. He has to admit the stunt you pulled was incredibly stupid and reckless and could have killed you, but it was also impressive. Shanks can’t be too mad at you because he’s also done his share of incredibly stupid stuff in his younger years on the seas. 
“The fever isn’t serious and should be gone by tomorrow. The knock to the head doesn’t look too bad either, Head wounds always just bleed like crazy and if I’m right about everything, he should wake up at the latest tomorrow. Once he wakes up I’ll give him some painkillers, for now just rest.” Hongo finishes as he writes down the incident in your patient file. 
Shanks nods in understanding and then turns to Beck. “Quite the troublesome rookie we have on our hands Beck.” he grins at the older man.
Beckman just bites on the unlit cigarette in his mouth, respecting Hongo’s no smoking in the infirmary rule. Eventually, he sighs as he responds, “No worse than you Cap’tn. At least he didn’t leave a blood trail around the ship like you and others have a tendency to do.” 
Hongo snickers at this comment and Shanks just sulks at his crew’s teasing of him. 
With nothing else to do Hongo excuses himself leaving Shanks and Beck alone with you. 
“You stayin to watch over him or should I?” Beck asks 
Shanks sighs and sits down on the chair next to the bed. “You happy managing the crew?” 
Beckman nods in response and leaves to see how the ship and crew are faring post-storm and battle.
Waking up, you attempt to sit up, but a sharp pain in your head makes you cry out. Rough hands come to your shoulders and gently push you back down. 
“Woah Woah y/n, I wouldn’t get up so fast. Quite a nasty bump you’ve got there on your head.” 
You blink a few times to clear the blackness from your vision and you raise a hand to your head and feel the bandages wrapped tightly around it. Then you slowly turn your head to see the owner of the familiar voice. Your eyes widen when you come face to face with the concerned face of your captain. 
“Captain! I-” He raises a hand to silence you and you look down at your bed sheets in guilt. 
Let’s get Hongo to look you over now that you’re awake and also get some food into you. Afterward, we can talk about what happened.” 
You lightly nod your head and let your thoughts run wild as you wait for Shanks to come back.
Once Hongo has checked you over again and declared that with rest you will recover, Shanks and Beckmann sit down and you sigh knowing now is the time for an explanation. 
Shanks looks at you seriously and you hang your head in shame and worry. “Would you like to tell us what prompted you to ignore orders to return and make you continue acting on your own?” He asks seriously. 
Your hands clench around the bed covers as you try to arrange your thoughts. “I’m sorry. I understand that by not listening I put the crew in danger, even more so as I had to be rescued, further endangering everyone. It’s just that, I wanted to be useful like everyone else! I don’t want to freeload on this ship and become a burden. If I keep going like this, being a burden, not improving, not contributing in any significant way, there will be no point for you guys to keep me around. You will probably decide the crew is better off without me dragging everyone down. I don’t want that to happen, I grew fond of the crew and being free, I don't want to go back to that mind-numbing life I used to have!”
After you say everything that is weighing on your mind, you realise your outburst and feel guilty for snapping at your captain and vice-captain. “I’m sorry.”
It’s deadly silent for a while, you being too terrified to look up, but then a small sigh can be heard in the silence. 
“Do you think so little of your captain? I wouldn’t dream of throwing someone who’s working so hard to learn off the ship. I told you I see potential in you and I wasn’t lying. But this potential won’t be realised overnight. You’re slowly learning from each member of the crew and improving by the day. But if you act rashly by jumping into the fray, you very quickly won’t live to see this potential realised.” Shanks says with a serious voice. 
You bow your head even lower and tightly close your eyes. “I acted out of line and for that, I will accept whatever punishment you see fit Captain.”
Shanks leans back in his chair with s thoughtful look on his face. “Any punishment huh? First, I order you to rest until you are fully recovered. Secondly, the crew will give you some chores and jobs to do. Thirdly, the crew is worried about you, so if you’re feeling up to it they’ll want to come and see you.”
This last line made your head shoot up and your eyes widen. 
All Shanks has to do is open the door and shout, “The rookie is awake.” and loud enthusiastic voices can be heard gathering outside of the door. 
You just stared at the door in shock as Yassop was the first to push in and bring you into an enthusiastic side hug. “Rookie! We thought we lost you when we first laid sight on you when Beck brought ya back! Should of seen the blood coming out of your head!”
“If you smother him like this he’ll open up his wound again and then you can deal with a pissed-off Hongo.” Lime Juice tells Yassop seriously as he pulls him off you so you can breathe. 
Lime Juice then looks at you and grins. “Glad to see you’re still sticking around in the land of living Rookie.” 
You smile at them, feeling touched by their concern. Your eyes then move back to your captain who just nods at you.
 Maybe you made a place for yourself on this crew after all. You thought to yourself with a small smile under everyone’s fussing.
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hologramcowboy · 2 years ago
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I’m so sorry that this is long, but I just wanted to put my two cents in. This is just my opinion by the way:
To answer your question on why Jensen would pass up a breakthrough role, Jared said at a con that it was tough filming a movie while filming Spn and Jensen agreed saying how both of them were tired and that Jensen didn’t want to do another movie and Jared said the same thing. But we also need to took at it this way, Spn was a very cushy job. 15 years of job security, payed very well, and getting to do what he love. Then, Spn was over and he needed to go out and audition for jobs again, which is something he hadn’t done since 2004. And according to him, his wife didn’t want him home and wanted him to look for a job. So let’s break down all of his roles he had so far: a guest role on TB courtesy of asking his former boss and having to correct his audition tape a couple times before submitting it to Amazon execs, a role on Rust that he got because the original actor dropped out and the movie is looking incomplete at the moment, calling up an old friend and asking for a guest role on BS because he knew he was out of the job and the friend ending up writing a role just for him, that can connect to the storyline (per his own words). And I’ll be honest with you if the producer had half-assed Jensen’s role, Jensen’s character would’ve been like Danneel’s role on Spn: Written just for him and didn’t serve any purpose to the storyline. A nepotism role that wouldn’t have gone anywhere and would be unmemorable. A job he couldn’t get on his own merit. And I’m pretty sure he only signed on to do 1 season on BS, which it’s been rumored that this season will be its last. Then there’s TW, that he was hoping would get a back order on season 1, so he could direct and line more money to his pocket (again his words), but that didn’t happen. Which led to him live tweeting for the very first time and not even using the hashtags. Then there’s the super secret Berlanti project that no one has talked about since March, and now he’s back to voice acting. Hearing him speak, he isn’t happy with how his career is going so far, and I don’t blame him. It’s been hard on him, but name dropping and sounding like a bitter has-been actor isn’t going to make it any better.
Then there’s Jared who seems very happy with everything going on, because essentially he got what he wanted. He hopped into another lead role, he’s filming in his backyard so he can come home to his family every single night, hanging out with his family and friends, and EP for 2 successful projects. And when asked about the possibility of cancellation, he gave a very mature answer saying that whatever happens he’s going out doing what he loves and that it was ok. He’s not desperate, like Jensen potentially is because he had talked about retiring and spending time with his family. Jensen claimed that Danneel wanted him to keep working, and that he wanted time off to spend with her and the kids, but I don’t necessarily think that’s true now. It might’ve been true in the beginning, but I don’t think that’s the case anymore and it hasn’t been for a while.
Oh, he never planned to take a break because for an Actor like him taking a break means fading into oblivion. He cannot afford to take a break. That's the harsh reality. People make choices based on their true priorities, Jensen's choices reveal his priorities do not lie at home but rather he still has levels of fame he wants to reach, his values aren't centered in family so you are spot on with your observation. People can lie with words but their choices always reveal their priorities and often their priorities can even be unconcious when they don't know themselves enough to consciously choose things in alignment with their core values. If Jensen's core values were being a dad or family man he would build his life around his children now that he's a dad yet we see him more interested in chasing down bigger roles and more fame and we even see his wife supposedly pushing him into it(to her he's her ticket to fame after all) so as much as the Ackles preach happy, loving family, at the end of the day they make business oriented choices. Jensen could work in voice over and spend pleeenty of time with the kids, IF he wanted.
Jared on the other hand is coherent with his values, stuck by his family and by his dreams, built both, supported both and continues to do so wholeheartedly, he moved the show to shoot where his family was because it was important for him to be near his kids for him to be able to continue his career. With him there is no disctepancy between what he declares and what he actually then chooses to do. He is in alignment with his values and his values are a mix of both family centered as well as career centered.
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eleteo125 · 3 years ago
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Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Naughty Wolf (m)
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Wolf!Baji x Red Riding Hood!Reader
18+ fic minors dni
Red Riding Hood is a title given to those with the duty of delivering food, crops, livestock, etc. to the wolves in exchange for the protection of the village. But what if you met one of those wolves?
CW: Sexual Content, biting, hair pulling
Word Count: 15,010 (yeesh haha)
A/N: I haven't written anything in a loooong time haha. Also forgive my smut scenes they aren't my forte when it comes to writing. English is also not my first language so have mercy if I made any mistake haha. And lastly @kazutoraholic here's the result of that little thirst post you had about Wolf!Baji hahaha hope you enjoy this too.
In a map of a far away kingdom, there is a dense forest that not many have travelled to. There have been so many sightings of large monsters and predators out for prey. Beasts so strong even the strongest knights cannot defeat. Said beasts has been observed to only reside in the forest not wandering outside so they just left it be. But in the middle of said forest resides a quaint village. As most would assume how could this village survive in such an environment where beasts of great magnitude reside? Well they don’t. They’ve enlisted the help of the “wolves” of the area whom have taken the responsibility of protecting the villagers from outside intruders from entering the village.
Mighty generous some would say but alas, their services are not for free. They have demanded to be provided some crops and livestock from the village every two weeks. And that’s where Red Riding Hoods enter. They are responsible of dropping off said supplies at a certain drop off inside the forest. Red Riding Hoods must be able to easily navigate through the dense forest for faster delivery of the supplies. They don a red hood as an indicator that they are allies to the wolves so as to not to mistakenly attack them.
One of those Red Riding Hoods happens to be your grandmother. She would be leaving for quite a while and come back with great stories of her adventures through the forest. It could be as great as catching sight of the mightily beasts or as mundane as finding a rare herb, you soaked it all up earning you a great curiosity what’s beyond those dense forest. She even mentioned coming across a wolf pup who wouldn’t let her go until she gave him some food. You both laughed at the story while also telling you not to tell anyone and it’ll be your little secret. She emphasized how the wolves are very private creatures and doesn’t really like interacting with humans. She brings life and wonder of what’s beyond the forest and not just a habitat of dangerous beasts.
But one day, your grandmother never made it home. She disappeared. She never came back from delivering the supplies. There’s a rule where once a Red Riding Hood haven’t returned in a week, they are presumed dead and a new Red Riding Hood is titled. A rule some would say is absurd, but considering how dangerous the forest is it seemed to make sense. And most cases where Red Riding Hoods not returning, they either end up found dead or still missing.
Your grandmother’s disappearance could be enough to drive you away from the forest, but you still have hope that she’s still out there. So you resorted to ways where you could go into the forest without trouble. Become a Red Riding Hood.
The only knowledge you have of the forest is your grandmother’s stories which does give information but not enough to get you to be a master navigator. SO you spent the rest of your teenage years studying about navigating and studying the on the forest that is available. After years and years of studying, you finally find yourself fit to be a Red Riding Hood. Teachers and Professors are willing to put in a good word for you when you applied to be a Red Riding Hood. And after going through a tedious process of paperwork and testing, you finally did it. You are now a Red Riding Hood. You may be doing it because you want closure on your grandmother’s disappearance, but you still felt that childlike giddiness now that you’re just like your amazing grandmother.
And here you are at the village gates waiting for the gates to open to enter the forest. Nervous and excited, that’s what you are. You’ve always been a curious little bean, so seeing more of the forest beyond just illustrations and books is beyond exciting. But you’re also nervous because who wouldn’t be when the most dangerous forest in the kingdom is right there where wild beasts could maul you anytime. So yeah, nervous and excited. To calm your nerves, you resorted to count the supplies and double…well triple check in this case.
“Nervous?” a man in knight uniform approached you.
“Atsushi! Yes. Seeing the forest up close like this is…”you looked up and took a view of the forest “pretty intimidating”
“Ah I told you Akkun is fine. Might as well get familiar with each other since I’ll be escorting you to the gates from now on. And if it’s any consolation, this is my first time being near the forest too.”
You chuckled at his nervous face when gazing at the forest which you can definitely relate too. Knowing someone else might relate to you comforted you a little.
“Welp! Off I go then!” you said cheerfully trying to ignore your nerves.
“Take care okay. And thank you for your service to the village.”
“An honor to serve the village. See ya!” you said before taking off.
You’ve been travelling for two days and you came to one conclusion. You were definitely being followed. You don’t really have any evidence you were being followed but you can just feel it. You barely slept last night, but at least you’re already at the drop off point. So you quickly did your tasks so you can travel back home already and hopefully not get mauled by a beast.
Just as you were thinking of that, you heard leaves from a branch rustle. Your face paled and your body was paralyzed. ‘Not on my first day please not on my first day” you pleaded with your eyes closed. You slowly opened your eyes and turned your head towards the direction of the rustle.
You came into eye contact with a guy. No wait, uh, he has dog or maybe was it wolf ears. He must probably one of the wolves. But when learning about the wolves you assumed they would look more…wolf-like and not human-like.
“Hey.” The guy? Dog? Wolf? Said trying to get your attention
“Uhm, can I- can I help you?” you hoped you said that loud enough for him to hear you still were shocked of what you came across.
“Ya got food on ya?”he asked and stepping out from the bush.
“Yea, I just locked it in the drop off point.”
He looked at the drop off point and looked back at you. “That’s great! But what I mean is a spare food you guys have a lot of those right?” he said with somewhat an excited look on his eyes. You even caught a glimpse of his wagging tail behind him.
“Well the food on me is for me while I travel.” You explained while patting your bag.
“Aww. How about a bite then?” he asked stepping near your bag and sniffing a little which caused him to drool a bit.
“No can do, sorry”
“A nibble then?” he asked crouching down next to your bag and looking up at you giving you the puppy eyes. You almost cooed out loud because admittedly he looked cute looking like that. You shook your head “N-no” you faltered.
As you said that, his face turned into a frown and his ears started to droop down. ‘Oh no not the ears, not the ears! Hhnnggg those cute ears and those fluffy hair aagghh!’You sighed and reached for your bag “Alright, fine”
“Hell yeah!” he stood up and took the sandwich you handed him with bright eyes. It isn’t a problem really; you made extra the amount of food for your travels to gauge how much you’ll need for next time. As the guy devoured the sandwich, you started to observe him. Long dark hair one of the noticeable trait of his after his ears. Sharp canines which he made great use of while eating, and amber eyes which were now looking at you. ‘Oh’ how long have you been staring at him? You felt yourself blush at the thought of getting caught but brushed it off.
“So, I hope you enjoyed it!”you tried making conversation
The guy gave you a smile that showed off his canines. “Definitely! It was just as good as your grandmother’s haha.” He said while patting his tummy.
“Wait-huh? My grandmother’s?”
“Was she not your grandmother? There used to be a nice old lady who gave me food all the time when she goes here.”
‘Could it be?!’
“A-are you by chance talking about my grandmother?!” you asked enthusiastically getting close to him in the process…well maybe too close judging by the fact that he stepped back a little.
“Yes…” he said now the one thinking you’re strange
“H-h-how do you know my grandmother and I were related?” your thoughts were going a mile a minute that turning those thoughts into words is a bit of a struggle.
“Well, you both smelled similar.”
“Eh?”
“Your scent.”
You stared at him before backing away and covering yourself “Have you been sniffing me?!”
“Wha- I was sniffing your bag I just got a whiff of you!”
“And how were you able to do that?!”
“I’m a wolf!”
“Oh” you realized feeling a little bit dumb. But at least you got a confirmation of what he is.
The guy in front of you sighed and said “Why don’t we start over. I’m Baji Keisuke, one of the wolves defending you village from the forest a pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand for you to shake, which you accepted. “Gotta say, didn’t expect for you guys to change the Red Riding Hood so soon.”
Feeling like some tension was taken off, you decided to be friendly. “What can I say, I guess I impressed the village head with my top notch navigating skills.” you giggled at your faux arrogance which also earned the now named Baji a chuckle.
“So… you knew my grandmother?”
“I knew her as that nice lady with good food, other than that I don’t really remember much, was just a pup after all.”
Ah, you remember now. You recall your grandmother telling you stories about a wolf pup always bothering her until he gets food. With how he acted earlier, you definitely can connect the dots now.
“So how is she? Haven’t seen her for a long time.”
At that you felt yourself get sad for a bit. “I was hoping you would know something about it actually.”
He raised his brow at that statement “What do you mean?”
You looked at him before saying “She…she went missing. Here in the forest.”
“Oh. I see.” He said while looking down having a guess on what happened
“Don’t look so down, I still have hope that she’s still somewhere out there!” you declared full of confidence, you were determined to get to the bottom of your grandmother’s disappearance and Baji could sense that.
“Mind if I join you in that little quest of yours?”
You looked at him in surprise and delight you grabbed his hands and looked at him with bright eyes “Really?! You would do that?” you asked brimming with gratefulness.
Baji blushed a little bit at the sudden contact and proximity but you were just so excited to get help from someone that has a connection to your grandmother outside of the village that you failed to notice his flustered face. “Of course. Consider that as payment from the snack you gave me.”
“Oh you don’t have to worry about that.”
He smiled at you at that “Still, I would love to help you. She’s been a part of my childhood too albeit not as much as yours.”
“Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!” you said while continuously bowing.
“H-hey save your thanks for later once we actually made progress.”
“Oh r-right, ehehe”
“You better get going. You’ve got quite a long journey back home.”
“That’s true. I’ll take my leave then! It was very nice to meet you!”
As you were about to leave you felt him tug at your sleeve prompting you to look at him “Hey what do you say I escort you back to your village?”
“Really?” you asked though you find it hard to say no to a little extra protection from the forest’s dangers “Would that be ok?”
“Of course! Besides I like you!” he declared which made you blush heavily “No-wait uh, that didn’t come out right. What I was trying to say is that uh, your grandmother talks about from time to time so I kind of got an idea of what you were like so yea.” He let out a nervous laugh and though ‘The hell was that explanation, did it even make sense???’
“W-well I’ll be in your care then!” you tried to change the subject since this conversation is making you more and more flustered.
“Right!” he gave you a mock salute and went off to lead the way.
Through your journey, the sunset came about you. Baji stepped forward and held his hand towards the setting sun. He seemed to be gauging something before saying “We got a an hour or so before the sun completely sets. Let’s settle right here and set up camp.”
“Ok ok, I’ll grab some firewood not far from here.”
“Hmm, got a tent with you? I can set it up while you’re gathering.”
“Yes! Yes I do.” You answered handing it to him “Thank you very much.”
“Not a problem. Off you go now make sure to gather enough before dark.”
“I’ll be right back then.” Just as you said that, Baji noticed something move in his peripherals.
Finding firewood wasn’t that difficult and you find yourself content with the amount you have gathered. As you were finishing up, you heard a rustle to your right. “Ah Baji you didn’t have to come here I was…just…” it wasn’t Baji. And judging by the fact that this creature was eyeing you up as its next meal, it was safe to assume that it wasn’t gonna be as friendly as Baji was.
You tried to keep steady so as to not provoke the creature, but that didn’t matter since it started to approach you sizing you up. You’ve had training where you were taught how to defend yourself from these beasts and escape quickly but facing off with the real deal like this caused you to have a mental block.
You tried slowly reaching for your weapon—which is a measly knife—but it’ll have to do. But even the smallest of movements is enough to provoke it and was now charging at you in full speed. You were about to run but in the blink of an eye the beast’s head was crushed. And right on top of that crushed head is Baji’s foot. You were about to approach him but then he started stomping on the beast’s head flattening it to the ground. He then went towards its body and started to slash at it with his claws that you didn’t notice until now. He slashed and diced until all that’s left was just minced meat.
He took out what looked to be a handkerchief and wiped his face and hands before turning to face you. What he saw wasn’t exactly pleasant. You had a pale face with your trembling hands in front of you. He hopes he didn’t scare you too much, but what he did was necessary lest the creature go limping without its head. He took cautious steps towards you and you seemed to be rooted where you stand.
Who wouldn’t be intimidated at such a display? You knew it was necessary for both your survival but that was just too much for you to handle right now. On your first day no less. When you noticed Baji stepping towards you, you didn’t know what to do so you just stayed there. You were so lost in thought that you were surprised when you felt warmth around your hands. You looked down and saw him holding your hands. It was so big and warm and so…comforting.
Baji held your hands tenderly trying to calm you down. Once he felt your hands stop trembling, he asked you softly. “You doing ok now?”
His deep voice was enough to ground you to reality and be at the moment. “Oh I’ll….I’ll be fine. Just trying to process everything really.” Seeing one of the said protectors of your village in action is a lot, add on the fact that you were just in grave danger it’s a lot to take in. And he understood that.
“Why don’t we head back to the camp and rest there for a while then?”
So that’s what you two did. Seated by the campfire while you both stare at the bonfire, both of you not really knowing how to break the ice. You decided and went for it though so blurted out “That was impressive.”
“What is?”
“You overpowering something thrice your size. Didn’t even had a chance against you, you just stepped on it like a small bug.”
“It’s technically our job to get rid of those guys fast and efficiently.”
“Was mincing it really necessary? I mean you destroyed it’s head surely it must’ve died by then.”
“It’s mostly just a precaution really. That thing found us quite near our camp so I didn’t wanna take any chances.”
“I see.” As soon as you said that silence overcame the two of you once again. It wasn’t a comfortable silence nor was it an awkward silence. Just silence.
Baji got tired of it though. He looked at his surroundings before letting out a grunt as he stands up. “Come on, I wanna show you something. It’s not far from here.” He said as he offered you a hand to help you up.
You let him lead the way. You two walked for about two to three minutes until you ended up in a grass field where he stopped in his tracks. Was this the place, there isn’t much to see around here.
Baji suddenly bolted and ran through the fields in different patterns. You looked at him incredulously wondering what the hell he was doing. Before you could ponder on what purpose of his running was, you suddenly see a trail of gold light following after him. It didn’t take long for you to realize “Fireflies!”
They looked oh so beautiful with the moonlit night. As beautiful as they are your attention was on something completely different. Seeing Baji jumping and hopping around somehow made your heart skip a beat. ‘I don’t know maybe it’s his handsome mug?’
“Hey! Come on run with me!” Didn’t have to tell you twice. For the next ten minutes all you two did was run around while also trying to catch fireflies and letting them go not long after. It’s a cute activity except when Baji started to catch them with his mouth asking if it makes him glow. Which you firmly said no and proceeded to scold him, except it happened more than once so now you’re chasing after him to free those poor fireflies.
You managed to tackle him down but when you looked at him there was nothing in his mouth anymore. So here you are lying on top of him. You blushed at your position and quickly got off him for you to then lie down beside him. He was still laughing from the experience doing his best to calm his laughter down. You two are now staring at the stars while lying down and surrounded by fireflies.
“Beautiful place isn’t it?”
“Yeah” you sighed in contentment
“The forest is a scary place. It’s full of dangers and predators ready to pounce on its prey. But at the same time it can also be beautiful. It’s little wonders like these that give life to the forest. What you experienced earlier is a terrifying experience, but I ask you not to let that incident define how you view this place after all, it is my home. And maybe…your grandmother’s too.”
You sat up from your position and turned to look at him. “Thank you.” You chuckled after saying that “How much did I thank you just for today?”
“Don’t know wasn’t really keeping count. Besides,” he sat up “nothing wrong with being grateful.”
“We should take our rest; we still have quite a lot of land to travel through tomorrow. Especially you, you just went berserk just earlier.”
“Are you kidding I could easily take one of those guys again right now with ease.”
“Don’t jinx us.”
“Hahaha my bad, my bad,”
Your two day trip was shortened to a day and a half. And now the village walls is in your view already.
“Woah! Thanks for the help and of course for escorting me all the way here.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. Managing to trek through these forests to the drop off point in only two days is commendable. You’re a Red Riding Hood for a good reason.”
“Oh come on you’re making me blush from those praise.” You muttered while holding your cheeks.
“Oh you got a thing for praises then?”
“What?”
“Huh?”
Baji cleared his throat and said “Well uh looks like we’ll be seeing each other quite often huh.”
“Oh yeah yeah.”
“Until next time then?”
“Of course!” you answered quite enthusiastically
“Save me some snacks for next time then!” he waved at you before disappearing in the forest.
A very interesting first day you must admit.
You’re currently at your home taking your rest until the next excursion in the forest. You’re gonna have to set a routine and a new lifestyle so you can get used to your new job. As you’re taking your rest, your mind started to wander to that wolf you just met. He’s very energetic but you had a feeling you haven’t gotten the full experience just yet.
Now that you think about it, was it normal for wolves to escort Red Riding Hoods? It would make sense since they’re carrying something that the wolves need but that doesn’t explain the continuous disappearances of them. Maybe it happens occasionally. When you were studying, you haven’t come across any accounts that states they’ve been escorted by a wolf before. The only explanation you could think of is that since wolves are private creatures they don’t want them talking about how they are. Well the best way to find answers is to ask someone who’s been a Red Riding Hood before.
“Who did what now?” the man in front of you asked, shock written all over his face.
“A wolf escorted me home and I was wondering if that were normal for us.”
“Y-you came across a wolf?” he asked still in disbelief. He then stood up instantly “Do you realize what this means?! No one has seen any of the wolves for decades now!” The man then started to mutter and spouting details you couldn’t really make out so you just slowly backed away. Well now you know it’s definitely not normal. He was probably just helping you out cause he was familiar with your grandmother…and the food, can’t forget about that.
After all that deliberation here you are again nearing the drop off point to of course drop off the crops and livestock. You’re sat beside a large tree near it taking a little bit of rest before travelling back home again. When you felt well rested enough, you reached for your bag to take off only to find out it’s not there. Well that’s worrisome, but said worries were set aside when you heard someone clear their throat from above you.
“Looking for this?~” Baji asked while holding out the bag as he sits on a tree branch.
“Baji! Come on give it back!” he lowered the bag to you but pulled it out of your reach went you went to grab for it which made you chuckle. You tried to grab it from him multiple times jumping up and down. “Hardi har har Baji, now give it back or else I won’t be able to give you your snacks.” You persuaded which surprisingly worked on him as he jumped down from the tree branch.
He held out the bag to you but went to a sprint before you could grab it. “Catch me first! Hahaha” run after him you did. You figured that he wasn’t running in his top speed as you were able to easily catch up to him. No way were you able to outrun a wolf and you weren’t exactly the fastest either. Just as you thought you were close to him, he jumped up and onto a tree.
He turned to you and held his hand out “Upsy daisy!”
That caught you off guard “I’m not exactly a tree climber.”
“Don’t worry I got you!” he smiled at you with that wide smile where his sharp canines were on display. With such a charming smile, you couldn’t bring yourself to say no so you took his outstretched hand. You were much surprised when he was able to lift you up with just one hand.
He then handed the bag to you and climbed up higher and reached his hand out again. “We’re going higher?”
“Yeah I wanna show you something”
“How will we get down?”
“I’ll carry you down.”
You gave this a thought if it would be a good idea. You concluded that seeing the forest from a bird’s eye view can be very helpful especially in travelling. “Alright then.”
The higher you two get, the tighter the grip you had on Baji. He couldn’t help but silently smile at the thought that you trusted him in such a situation. Not long after, you two were at the top of the tree where the view of the large dense forest came to greet you. “Wow!” you gawked at the view while Baji basked in viewing the wonder in your eyes. “Look! I can see a little glimpse of the village’s gate from here!” you exclaimed pointing at its direction.
“They are pretty tall.” He acknowledged
You continued to sightsee and take in the large display of trees. You were taken out of your attention when you heard howling. You turned to Baji whose back was on you. You saw his flattened ears on his head, so you adjusted yourself to look at him and confirmed that it’s him who’s howling. “What are you doing?” you asked curiously
He turned to you and gave you a smirk. And that view got you blushing, his smirk along with the wind blowing his hair back with the large forest as the backdrop. After giving you the reassuring smirk, he continued to howl towards the forest for a few more seconds before pausing, waiting for something. Suddenly you heard howling coming from different directions of the forest.
Baji barked out laughter when he heard them. “THOSE ARE MY PALS!” he declared proudly. “You wanna meet them someday?”
“Can I?!?!” you asked excitedly. The idea of getting to know more about him and his friendships excited you.
You realize that your spot right now is a nice place to eat. So you fetched the food that you prepared for him. You decided to cook two servings of stir fried noodles since you figured that this man most likely had a gigantic stomach judging by the fact with how he devoured your sandwich last time.
Baji being the ever vigilant wolf that he is, smelt the food you took out and quickly sat beside you waiting to be handed the delicious smelling food. You even caught a glimpse of his wagging tail.
You held out the container to him but quickly pulled it back as he went to grab for it laughing at his pouty face paired with droopy ears. “Payback time.” He went and grabbed for it again but you managed to swipe it away from his reach. He tried again and again until your entire arm was outstretched while he was leaning on you as he tried to reach the container. It didn’t take long for you two to realize that he was basically hugging you with both his hands stretched out to reach the container and you in between his arms.
Both of you were quick to separate and sat there a little embarrassed flushing at the thought of how close you two were. “Here” you placed the container on his lap.
“Th-thanks”
A few moments has passed and you heard him starting to eat. Baji thinks that it’s delicious! It even reminded him of a certain food he loves back home but his mind is currently at how close they were earlier. You felt warm he could cuddle you all day just stay in your arms basking in its warmth. “Do you like it?”
“Mmfff!” He answered while also nodding his head. “We have something similar back home too!”
“Glad you enjoyed it. So uh,” you looked down from the tree “How exactly are we gonna get down?”
“Hmm? Oh, I’ll just carry you down.” He offered you his back “Just hang on to me and I’ll do the climbing down.
You appreciated that he was willing to do something like that but the thought of hanging on his back at such a height makes you scared that you’ll accidentally let go of him.
Baji sensed the anxiety you were currently having and thought of something else. “Th-then how about hanging from my front then.”
“Huh?”
“You clearly didn’t like the first idea and this is the only alternative I can think of.”
That was quite a smooth move whether it was his intention or not didn’t matter. Nevertheless clinging or basically hugging him until you get down didn’t seem like a bad idea. And you like being in his arms from earlier.
“That’ll do then.”
“Alright! Come on over here then.” He opened his arms with a wide smile trying to hide his fluster.
As you two got into position, both of you couldn’t help but focus on the breathing that’s right next to your ears. You give a pretty tight hug too. He lifted your thighs and guided them to wrap around his waist. The position was admittedly quite suggestive but he didn’t have any complaints and as he’s observed it seemed to be ok with you too. “Hang on tight.” He said as he started his descent.
As he was descending, you couldn’t help but pay attention to the breathing and grunts coming from him. You felt shame for thinking such thoughts so you just focused on the wind in your hair as he jumps from branch to branch and in no time at all you’re both back to the ground.
Once your feet were on the ground, you leaned back from your embrace with Baji. You still had your arms on his shoulders and his hands on your waist with you two just looking at each other. You caught a movement from his head and saw a caterpillar on his hair which made you giggle.
“What?” he asked concerned if he somehow looked silly.
“Nothing you just got a friendly guy hanging on you.” You reached for the caterpillar and let it crawl to your hand. As you wait for it to get to your hand, you felt how soft Baji’s hair actually was. You only assumed when since it looked like it, but getting to feel it it’s even softer than you expected.
The whole time Baji was just admiring you since he didn’t usually get a close look at you so he’s making the most out of this situation. He watched you place said caterpillar on a nearby bush letting it go in its merry way.
After that little encounter, you both agreed to start your journey back to the village. And thus another delivery as a Red Riding Hood has finished.
The both of you developed a routine where every time you are to do your duties, he would meet you at the drop off point, eat whatever you had prepared for him, and then show you a part of the forest he believes you would like. He never failed to bring a smile on your face when touring you through the forest. Then he’ll be on his way when you’re near the village. You’ve had this steady lifestyle for months until one day…
You were waiting for Baji because you just know that he’s on his way to get his precious snack. Your relaxed stated was disrupted when you smelt something burning. ‘That’s not good’ you thought It definitely wasn’t the smell of burning bonfire. You immediately rushed towards the direction of the burning hoping that it wasn’t the start of a forest fire.
Arriving at the scene, you were relieved it wasn’t a forest fire, but that relief was short lived because what you saw was somehow just as bad. There Baji was holding down a beast which is burning. “BAJI?!”
Your call made him turn to look at you. The sight of you made him widen his eyes in surprise “Stay back! I’ll handle this!” he said as he smacked the beast with a flaming torch before jumping away. He grabbed you in a hug and hid behind a tree where you only heard the flames getting bigger before silence.
You tried to look behind the tree but Baji only tightened his hold on you. The sound of something blowing up then overwhelmed you as you buried you head in his chest. A few more moments after that, Baji then loosened his hold on you. Once again you tried looking behind the tree only to find ashes everywhere. Nothing in the surrounding seemed to be burnt; the only evidence of there being a fire was the ashes and a missing patch of grass.
Before Baji could say anything, you smacked him upside the head. “What were you thinking?!?! You could’ve started something disastrous doing something like that!”
“But I didn’t~” he said before letting out a nervous laugh.
You went up real close to his face and said “You better NOT do this again or no more snacks for you!”
“Yes ma’am!”
You sighed and decided to take his word on it for now. “What even drove you to burning that beast?” you asked rubbing your temples
When you looked at him, he was guiltily looking down at his lap his ears droopy too, a clear sign of his guilt “I was hungry.” He said while in a pout.
“Come again?”
“I was hungryyyy” he whined “I easily get riled up when I’m hungry. That beast just attacked me at the wrong time.”
You sighed again not wanting to explore the topic any further. You took out a handkerchief and proceeded to wipe at his face “Look at you, you’re covered in soot.”
“So are you.”
“You know a place where we can wash up?”
Baji was silent for a moment trying to think of any. After a few moments, his face lighted up “I remember, there’s a river near hear with a small waterfall. I remember taking a bath there once.”
“Let’s head there then. Besides, a meal is much better after a bath after all.”
It wasn’t that long of a walk until you two came about the river he was talking about. The water in the river was crystal clear and the breeze around the area was refreshing thanks to the waterfall. You dipped your hand in the water to gauge its temperature which was just right it’s cold enough to be refreshing but not too cold that you’ll freeze. Maybe a little dip won’t hurt.
Unbeknownst to you, while you were observing the river, Baji was already shedding his clothes and was now running towards the river taking a dive. Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard a splash near you. You instinctively tried to cover yourself from being splashed. It doesn’t take a genius to deduct what was the source of that splash. “Baji!”
Baji resurfaced from the water and pushed his hair back all while laughing at your reaction “My bad, my bad.”
“You have to be mindful of others…around…you…” you drawled out after seeing Baji’s shirtless figure. Thank goodness for the sun’s reflection on the water or you would’ve gotten a full frontal view.
“You like the view?” he said with a big smirk on his face while also raising his eyebrow fascinated at how you were ogling him.
You were quick to turn your back to him to prevent yourself from staring. “Wh-why yes, this river is wonderful.”
“Not exactly what I’m referring to.” He teased
“Oh would you just shut it.” You blurted out in frustration. You were flushing so hard right now; you can’t bring yourself to face him like this.
“Oh well, it’s your decision to not take a dip. I mean it would be a shame for you not to experience the very cool river.” He sarcastically said while swimming over to the waterfall and washing his hair thoroughly through it. “ Ahh~ feels like I’m washing my problems away.”
You tried your best to remain firm but you find yourself turning to look at him curious as to what he was doing. And the sight of him washing his hair underneath a waterfall was such an enticing sight that you wanted to join him right then and there, but you were still embarrassed. You haven’t been naked in front of anyone, but the thought of being naked in front of Baji didn’t really bother you, you just felt shy.
Baji finished washing his hair before turning to look at you again. When he saw you still rooted in place, he swam over to you. “Come on take a dip, the water’s great. And weren’t you the one who said that a meal is much better after a bath?”
Few moments has passed of you just pondering the situation before answering “T-turn around.”
“Huh?” he asked in disbelief
“I said turn around. Don’t really feel comfortable being watched while getting naked.”
“Oh, OH right right! Uhh ok!” you heard a few splashes before you turned around to make sure. And there he is, his back turned to you—goodness even his back is such an eye candy.
You quickly make work of your clothes before taking a dip. In Baji’s opinion, the sound of your clothes rustling is much worse for him instead of just outright watching you get naked. Imagination is a powerful yet troublesome thing.
The soft sound of the water rippling as you stepped into the water rang in Baji’s ears refraining himself to look at your direction. “You should give the waterfall a try. It’ll also speed up the process if need be.”
Step under the waterfall you did. And to quote what Baji said, it really does feel like all your worries were being washed away. Baji then went back to washing himself once he was sure that you were settled nicely. Him minding his own business was quickly thrown to the side when he heard you let out a squeal. He quickly turned to look at you and he low-key regretted it. The sight of you and your pretty figure with water running down your body was more than enough to rile him up even more. He wanted to pounce on you right then and there. He clenched both his hands and his jaw trying to maintain what little is left of his self-control. But try as he might, he can’t make himself to look away from you his eyes stayed glued to you and you only, he was starting to have tunnel vision.
That tree branch sure did surprise you, now you felt silly for reacting such a way. You brushed that little incident off and went back to washing yourself which was paused the instant you felt an intense gaze on you. You turned to look at Baji since he’s the only person you knew who could be looking at you.
“Eep!” you squealed—yet again—out of embarrassment, not wanting to see his reaction to how you look so you quickly swan to the other side of the waterfall where he couldn’t or vaguely see you.
The second squeal you let out was enough for him to break out of his aroused stupor. Now with only concern in his mind, he swam near the waterfall but didn’t cross it. “Hey you ok in there?”
“Y-yeah!”
“Why’d you squeal earlier then?”
“You were looking at me earlier and I was embarrassed!”
There was a pause from his side “S-sorry about that I didn’t mean to. I was just concerned. Are you ok by the way?” he asked. You can hear the worry laced in his voice, and he did apologize so you decided to let it go.
“O-o that I was just-uh” you paused a little embarrassed to admit “A branch brushed my leg and I was startled. N-nothing to be concerned about.”
“That’s good.”
There was a pause once again. You only stared at each other’s figure albeit being distorted from the waterfall between you. “You’re beautiful.” Baji blurted out
“Huh?” you blushed at the sudden confession.
“I’m sorry, you were so irresistible to me I couldn’t help but stare I-I…” you saw his figure hold his face in his hands as if in shame “You’re a grown woman, surely you have an idea on what I’m feeling right now.”
You didn’t really have any words, you were speechless. But that’s not to say you disliked the knowledge that he saw you that way. In fact, it excited you. You reached out your hand to his side and took hold of his hands which were still holding his face. “No need to feel ashamed, I’m flattered actually.” You said as you then cupped his cheeks “Besides, you weren’t the only one staring.”
That admittance caused Baji to tense up. The thought of you looking at him the same way as he was looking at you was enough to rile him up again only this time, you were only a step away from him with you touching him. Once again he clenched his fists and jaw to maintain what’s left of his self control “Stop that. You don’t know what you’re doing.” He said with a slight tremble at his voice due to him trying to keep himself in place.
“What if I do know what I’m doing?” right now at this moment, you wanted to be as close to him as possible let him hold you close and do whatever he wants.
You felt some sort of vibration on your hands on his cheek. Was he growling? “You sure know how to rile a man up.” You heard him say through clenched teeth.
You realized you’ve made him wait long enough. You pulled your hands away from him and stepped back further in the waterfall to make room for him. “Come on over, must be lonely out there on your own.”
At first Baji was worried that he scared you off when you pulled you hands away, but you inviting him over excited him even more that he just knows how dilated his pupils were. Good thing the water was above the waist too or you would’ve gotten a view of his tail wagging aggressively.
You watched as he slowly stepped through the waterfall between you and seeing him all wet with some of his hair sticking to his in his naked glory brought you to arousal already.
Baji could say the same too. The sight of you all wet shyly covering yourself out of shyness from him was too much for him that he ended up caging you between his arms and the wall.
You two were close, too close with just a few inches between you as he pinned you. And yet it wasn’t close enough to your liking so you decided to fix that yourself. You threw your arms around his neck and brought your lips together with his which he gladly reciprocated. You felt how he was still trying to be gentle on you so you decided to rile him up. In the middle of your kiss, you gave his lips a long lick making him suck said tongue in turn. He then went to focus on your lips again sucking and biting which made you moan. Said moan turned Baji on even more as he shoved you further into the wall and dove to your neck giving it a hard bite pulling yet again another moan from you. The bite was hard but not hard enough to break skin yet hard enough to leave a mark that’ll be there for days. He gave the bite mark a lick before trailing butterfly kisses from your neck all the way up to your ear.
“I should’ve warned you earlier.” He said kissing your ear “I bite” he then proceeded to nibble at your ear while his hands were now roaming all over you feeling you up.
You didn’t want to be the only receiving end, so you proceeded to feel him up as well. You hands going to places you’ve always been curious about. First being his hair. You ran your hands repeatedly through his hair feeling how soft it is despite being wet. The next is his back; you’ve wanted to feel it ever since you caught sight of it earlier. You traced your hands on every muscle you could feel on his back starting from his shoulder blades and lower. You couldn’t help but wonder what it’ll be like when he’s thrusting into you. Third is his ears. You’ve always wondered if they were sensitive since it always seem to react to the tiniest bit of sound that not even you could pick up. You gave it a tentative touch and watch it twitch. You played with it for a while until you felt Baji’s nibbling to go harder.
Baji pulled away from your ear and dove for your lips making out with you as you both felt each other up. You were indulging in Baji’s kisses too much that you didn’t notice his hands going for your chest until he started playing with you nipples, pinching and twisting it while also squeezing your breast from time to time. The whole time he was doing so, you’ve been whimpering at the sensation. Baji was quick to put your breasts into his mouth sucking and nipping. As he does so, you started to feel something hard between your legs.
Naturally, you went and grabbed for it giving him slow strokes which earned a growl from him. A very welcome surprise for you, so you gladly kept doing it while his bites on your chests grow harder and harder. Eventually, Baji had enough of it. He grabbed your hand that was busy and pinned it to the wall next to you as he buried his face to your neck. “Careful now.” He growled
“Careful of what? I’ll welcome anything you have to offer, Baji.”
He gave you a tender look before going to kiss you again. As he was kissing, his free hand snaked down to your private parts and began to rub at it. Your moans from the action were swallowed by Baji as he kept kissing you. “You’re quite wet already aren’t you.” He said in between kisses.
“You sure it’s not just the water?” you teased
“Why don’t we find out ourselves.” He said with his signature smirk while inserted a finger in you making you gasp in surprise which he took advantage of tasting every bit of you through the kiss. Baji started to pull his finger in and out of you feeling your very slippery walls.
“I don’t know, it seems to me that the wetness is from you not the river.”
You didn’t even bother to answer, only focusing the feeling of Baji’s finger in you. You waited in anticipation as a second finger went up in you pulling a loud moan from you.
“Was two fingers too much for you, babe?” he swirled his fingers in you that made you squirm against him. “How are you going to handle me then?”
“B-baji please!” you pleaded as you looked at him with glossy eyes.
Baji would’ve loved to tease you more, but the sight of you begging and being putty under his hands is the straw that broke the camel’s back. He pulled out his fingers from you and grabbed your legs to lift you up against the wall. While in this position, you can feel his tip rubbing against you. Baji not wanting a moment to go to waste, entered you waiting for you to signal him to enter more until he is fully sheathed within you.
For a while you two stayed like that, basking in this very intimate embrace until you get used to the feeling of him in you. Once you felt ready, you called out to him.
“Keisuke”
“Hmm?”
“Take me.”
Baji gave your lips a peck “Anything my lady wants.”
He then pulled out from you leaving only the tip before slamming back in you. The act caused you to moan and squirm against him spurring him on even more to do it again. The first few moments he gave you slow and heavy thrusts but over time his hips started to move faster and faster leaving you a moaning mess against him. You can hear him growling and snarling as kept thrusting into you bringing you bliss every time. Baji only seemed to get turned on even more as he make love to you. The combination your sounds the feeling of your body against him and the feeling of your insides was driving him over the edge.
He dove for the space between your neck and shoulders and bit you his primal instincts taking over. The feeling of him biting you caused you to grab hold of his hair as you clenched around him.
In turn, the feeling of you clenching around him and pulling his hair only caused him to bite even harder. The act making you clench around him again. And thus it became a cycle throughout your session with his thrusts only growing harder as you two came near your climax. All you could hear was his muffled grunting and growling against your neck, his mouth still occupied by biting you. Not long after the familiar feeling of climax came upon you.
“Keisuke please! I-I”
He paid no attention to your words as kept his pace steady already knowing what’s going on. It didn’t take long until he heard you moan out his name out loud and feeling you cream all over him. He paused for a bit letting you take a breather. He went for a kiss making out with you before continuing to thrust in you again. You let him have his way with you as he chased after his high. A minute or so has passed of him just thrusting up to you until you hear his stuttering moan before feeling him pull out and rubbing himself before shooting out his load. You mimicked his action from earlier and gave him a kiss after his orgasm.
He let you down from your position before pulling you into a hug which you gladly returned. Being in his embrace after such an intimate endeavour felt romantic for you for some reason.
“How are you?” he asked as he strokes your head with so much tenderness you just wanted to melt into him.
“Amazing. I don’t know how else to word it.”
“I wasn’t too rough on you was I?” he asked looking at your bit marks in concern.
You noticed where his gaze was before smiling at him. “I would’ve smacked you upside the head if I didn’t like anything what you were doing. And I told you I’ll take everything you had to offer.”
“That’s good to hear.” He sighed in relief before kissing you. Said kiss started off innocent but eventually grew in fervor where he was now nibbling at your lips.
“B-baji?”
He pulled away and asked you “I know it’s too much to ask of you, but can you handle one more for me?” while caressing your waist.
“H-huh? Already?!” you gaped at him in surprise
“I told you, you’re irresistible to me. And I’ll only do it If you’re ok with it.” He emphasized
You were tired and winded from your first round, but the thought of a second round only aroused you despite what your body feels. You were definitely lying to yourself if you told yourself you didn’t want more.
As an answer to him, you jumped up and wrapped your legs around him again which he swiftly caught. “I’ll be in your care.
Baji definitely lit up hearing your answer. He gave you a deep kiss and said “I promise I’ll take good care for you the whole time.”
And just like that you were once again overwhelmed by the sounds of waterfall, your moans and his grunts inside the shallow cavern from behind the waterfall.
Just as he promised, he took good care of you drying you off, and dressing you up before cuddling you in a soft patch of grass beneath the shade of a tree. His arms felt so warm around you that you couldn’t help but fall asleep.
When you awoke, you realize you were lying down on his lap. The view that greeted you was Baji eating his serving of stir fried noodles. He swallowed the food in his mouth before speaking “Hope you don’t mind me eating while you slept. After all that I got hungry.”
“It’s ok you don’t have to worry about it.” You said as you slowly sat up “Besides better that than waking up to you burning yet another beast. And whose fault was it I was this tired?” you teased
Baji only laughed at your teasing before holding your chin and guiding you to him to give you a kiss. “I’d gladly do all it again if I’m being totally honest.”
You looked at him and said “No one is exactly stopping you.”
He went near your ear and whispered “Is that an invitation?”
You playfully pushed him away “Not right now you doofus.” You said chuckling.
Baji scooped you into his arms and onto his lap hugging you tight “I just wanna gobble you up all day.” He said nuzzling his face on your neck before looking up and giving you another kiss. After having a taste of you he just couldn’t get enough. He wanted to go back for more and more. Baji’s feelings were translated into the kiss where he continued to deepen it while also beginning to nibble on your lips.
You knew where this was going you wanted more of him too, but unfortunately you decided against it tapping on his shoulder before pulling away saliva still connecting you both. You wiped your lips before speaking “Very tempting really, but we should rest. We still have the journey back.”
Baji’s face turned into a pout before burying his face in your neck again his droopy ear tickling your cheek. The sight was too adorable you couldn’t help but pet said soft looking ears. Baji hummed in content as his ears perked up again, taking pleasure in your attention. “Come on, Baji up we go. We still have to set up camp before nightfall.” You coerced while patting his back.
He let out a low whine before standing up picking you up with him which made you giggle while giving him a kiss on the cheek. Once your camp was set up, you two settled for the night, lying down next to each other. It didn’t take long before you’re all over each other again. Both of you agreed not to go further than kissing tonight, after all you still need energy to go home. Who knows how long you two were kissing until you both fell asleep in each other’s arms. Baji holding you close and you holding his fluffy tail.
As you enter the village gates, Akkun happily greeted you “Welcome back! I hope it’s been a safe jou- WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?!” he looked you over in concern
“What’s wrong?”
“Look at your neck! You’ve got bites on you! You have to go to a medic right away!” he frantically said while pushing you to a carriage that was supposed to drive you home.
Oh goodness gracious. Baji’s bite marks didn’t even occur to you. You stepped away from his pushy hands and tried to reason with him “C-calm down Akkun. This isn’t anything fatal; otherwise I would’ve been rushing here. It didn’t even break skin, look just bruised.”
Akkun only looked at you in disbelief “A-are you sure sure? Those look pretty gnarly. Might be safer to get it looked over.”
“I’ll be fiiine~ It’s just some troublesome creature that didn’t let go until he was satisfied.” You said looking back at you and Baji’s intimacy. He really didn’t let you go until he was satisfied. You only chuckled at the memory.
“Sorry if I’m a little bit pushy, but are you sureyou don’t want that looked over?”
“I’m sure. It’ll disappear in a few days.” You then remembered how hard Baji was biting you and concluded that a few days might be too short “…maybe.”
You opened the carriage door before turning to the knight “Thanks for the concern Akkun, but I’ll be fine.” You said before boarding.
“Take good care of yourself. I wouldn’t want the reason for a new Red Riding Hood to be appointed because the last one died.” He jokingly said before closing the carriage door and signalling the driver that everything’s ready.
Akkun watched as the vehicle went off still a little bit concerned. Just then a knight came near him and said “I sense that our little Red Riding Hood has been having fun in the forest.”
Akkun gawked at the statement before giving said knight a light punch to the stomach “Get your head out of the gutter, Makoto!” he scolded one of his subordinates.
“I don’t recall any creature that can give such a bite and not break skin.” A knight with glasses stated.
“Not you too, Yamagishi! Takuya help me out here!” Akkun turned to the person who seemed sane along with him in their little team.
Takuya only turned to him and shrugged “I’m somewhat of a biter myself and those looked familiar to me.”
Akkun gave up, these three can be stupid in their own way at times, even more stupid than Yamagishi.
Seasons come and go faster than we realize and before you knew it, winter is upon the land. Since winter is a very harsh weather for travel, Red Riding Hoods are only required to deliver supplies once a month. As much as you’re happy at the little break from your job, you can’t help but be sad too. Seeing Baji less brought your spirits a little down, but a job is a job and you must see through it if you wanna live comfortably.
So here you are the lone red in a backdrop of a harsh white, like blood in snow. It’s not supposed to be there. You hope that thought coming to your mind is not some kind of bad omen.
Sadly fate followed through with that omen. You being the only red thing among the snow, you are very noticeable and a winter beast has been eyeing you for a while now. You noticed that someone or something has been following you, but you assumed that it was just Baji, but when he didn’t turn up you figured that it wasn’t him and now you’re extra vigilant.
As much as you would’ve loved to run, doing so in such a situation can only provoke what’s been following you into chasing you so you did your best not to make any sudden moves.
You were too focused on not spurring whatever’s been following you that you didn’t notice that you’ve already arrived at your destination. You make quick work of locking in the supplies in the drop off point since you suspected that whatever is following you is after the food.
Just as you were locking up, you heard a loud roar which likely came from the beast that’s now making a beeline towards the place containing the food. You tried to jump out of its way but it was still able to reach you and pushed you out of the way quite harshly. You ended but getting scratched by its claws but at least you landed on the soft snow.
You looked at the beast trying to claw at the container, but failing to get it to open. You took that opportunity to run away and put some distance between you and it. The beast having found the container futile, decided to go after the running prey. Just as you think you have lost the beast, you heard it coming near you. So you continued to run away trying to think of a way to shake it off you tail. You were so lost in thought that you didn’t see the branches that you ran into it. You were quick to get up but wasn’t able to run away since your red cloak got caught. You tried to make quick work on it, but you noticed that the beast is gaining on you. You pulled as hard as you could to your cloak that when it was free you stumbled back and hit your head to a nearby tree.
Now feeling a little dizzy, your run was slowed and a little wobbly. You eventually ran into a dead end. The wall didn’t seem to be too high; you know it’s within your abilities to climb it. But with your dizzy state, you were seeing double and that climbing said wall can result to even more injury.
You looked back and saw the beast slowly coming towards you. All you could do was close your eyes and hope that it won’t be painful. And so you waited…
And waited…
Until warmth envelopes you. You didn’t know what’s going on but you welcomed said warmth. It reminded you of the warmth Baji provided whenever he held you close to him. Oh how you so badly wanted him to be here right now.
You opened your eyes and was greeted by red against white. It was the blood of the beast flowing down onto the snow. You processed that someone was holding you and you were greeted by the comforting dark locks and amber gaze of Baji. He looks at you in guilt as if blaming himself of what just happened. You couldn’t stand the look of him bearing the sins of a mindless beast.
You reached out your hand to cup his cheek and gave him a grateful smile. “Baji, thank you. You saved me you have nothing to be guilty about.”
Baji tightened his hold on you and kissed your forehead. “I know, I just felt responsible since you’re very special to me and I want to protect everything that’s special to me.” Baji leaned down and pecked your lips “You’re one of my treasures. I can’t bear to lose you.” He said his eyes on the verge of tears.
“And I’m still here thanks to you. You protected your treasure.” You returned his kiss before hugging him “Baji, I’m tired. Can I go to sleep?”
“Not yet, we have to get you looked over.” He said worry laced in his voice as he gently stroke your head as if trying to push your dizziness away.
“I’ll be in your care.”
You didn’t remember much that happened after. All you could recall was the cold wind against you as Baji rushed through the forest, the sight of a cave above you along with a lilac haired man with matching ears before everything went to black.
Once Baji is sure that you’re settled, he put on his coat and started to head out.
“Where do you think you’re going?” the guy tending your wounds asked.
“Don’t stop me, Mitsuya. That beast’s body is still intact; I’ll go finish it off.”
Mitsuya stood up from beside you and took hs coat. “No you won’t, I’ll handle it. You watch over your precious. She’d be more comforted if she saw a familiar face when she wakes up.”
Baji clenched his fist, his eyes full of vengeance. “I’ll destroy every bit of that beast. I’d make its soul suffer if I could.” He muttered in clenched teeth his rage leaking out.
Mitsuya knew that Baji being in this state will only be bad for him in the end, so he decided to slap some sense into him. Mitsuya grabbed hold of Baji’s face and made him turn to your sleeping state “Look at her! You want to leave her here just so you could satiate your hunger for revenge?! You already killed the thing, she’s already in a safe state now go take care of her. I’ll handle the beast’s body.”
The sight of your peaceful face was enough to soften Baji’s intense anger and admittedly he really didn’t want to leave you here. If he could he would stay with you forever to protect you from ever being harmed again.
Mitsuya sensed that Baji has calmed down and let go of his face. “I’ll be off now. Take care ok?”
Baji only gave out a nod before kneeling down next to you. Mitsuya smiled at the sight of this Baji not having seen it often. But he’s glad that he has someone special that he can be himself with. No wonder he’s been in a good mood lately. And like that he’s off to the forest to leave the two be.
Morning came, and you roused from your slumber taking comfort in the warmth next to you. It was so familiar that you’re sure that it was who you thought it was. You looked up and saw Baji’s sleeping face his hair cascading across his face that he looked to ethereal. You wish you could burn the image into your mind. He’s as handsome as ever. You lifted your hand and slowly pushed the stray hairs on his face to behind his ears, but the action caused him to stir awake.
You waited for him to open his eyes, before flashing him a big smile “Sorry for waking you.”
Baji stayed silent just looking at you before his eyes widened and sat up quickly and leaning on to you. “Y-you’re awake?! Are you feeling ok, you feel anything unusual, hungry, thirsty?” he bombarded you with questions in concern.
Before you could respond, he dove for the bag right next to him and pulled out a canteen and handed it to you. Now that you’re looking at it, you did felt thirsty so you gladly took it and took a big gulp sighing in relief after quenching you thirst. Baji took the canteen from you as you were finished and handed you a container filled with food which you gladly devoured.
Baji only watched you closely trying to see if there’s anything to be concerned about. So far, you’ve been fine but he couldn’t help but worry after yesterday’s display. “How’s the cut on your arm?”
“Hmm?” you swallowed the food still in your mouth and felt around the bandaged wound. “It feels just fine. It’s like it’s never been there in the first place.”
Baji smiled at the information and gently grabbed your arm. He started to remove the bandages causing you to pull your arm in surprise “What are you doing?”
“You’ll see.” He held out his hand waiting for you to place your arm there. You trust Baji so you gave your arm to him.
He continued to remove the bandage and you were expecting to see a nasty wound, but what greeted you was your clean smooth skin which caused you to stare at your arm incredulously. Baji chuckled at your surprised face finding it cute. “A friend of mine patched you up. He’s no medic, but he’s very well prepared for situations like these.” He explained while caressing your healed arm. “He had an ointment on him that medics back home created made from herbs found in the forest. With a forest so big, there are a lot of things unexplored.” He looked up at you “It would seem that your village hasn’t discovered such a thing just yet.”
“That’s amazing!” you said still looking at your completely healed arm.
“I’d teach you to make it if I could, but sadly medicine isn’t a field I’m very knowledgeable with.”
“Then how about your friend? I wish I could’ve met him too.”
Baji chuckled “He doesn’t know how to make it too. He only carries it around because the rest of us can be muscleheads sometimes.”
“Well I get to learn it someday.” You said leaning into him as he hugged you “It would be a great asset to our village.” The thought of your village made you realize something. “How long was I out?” you asked concern written in your eyes.
“You’ve been out for a day. Why, is something wrong?”
“I-I have to get back home quickly!” you said quickly standing causing your vision to swirl. You wobbled but Baji caught you.
“H-hey calm down. Why in such a rush?”
“I have to get home quick!”
“W-why you shouldn’t even be moving too much. The ointment may have healed you but your body is still recovering from healing external wounds. You can’t be out and about right now especially in this cold weather.”
The reminder of the season caused you to shiver, suddenly feeling the cold. Baji tightened his hug when he felt you shiver. “I have to go home.” You said
“That sounded like there was an ‘or else’ was supposed to follow it.”
“I have to go home or… or I’ll be declared dead.” Baji tensed at that statement.
Baji pulled away from you to look at you but still close enough to hold you. “You’ll be declared dead?” he stared at the distance trying to figure it out but came to no reasonable reason “Why?”
“Being a Red Riding Hood is a dangerous job. We’re aware of what we’re getting into. They have a rule set in place where once a Red Riding Hood has not returned in the designated time, they will be declared dead.” You looked at Baji to see his reaction and he is infuriated. You could see his jaw clenching and his body tense ever since you started to explain the situation.
“Why don’t they send out a search party to look for missing Red Riding Hoods? Surely some of them only got lost.”
“Think about it Baji, you yourself are very familiar with the dangers of the forest. Do you think that those who went missing only got lost?”
“Then how about your grandmother, do you believe she’s dead too just because people who are too lazy to look for them declared that they’re dead?” he raised his voice which caused you to flinch a bit. He reached for your hand and you let him “I’m sorry, but you yourself have experienced the loss of someone out here. You still have hope to find your grandmother remember?” he reassured recalling one of your first conversations.
The rule has always been stupid in your eyes, but after years of studying of being a Red Riding Hood, they must have somehow buried that thought deep in you. Brainwashing you into thinking that said rule is a reasonable one. But thinking about it more, said rule is the reason you’re not with your grandmother anymore.
Too much emotion was going through you that you held on to Baji for comfort. In fact, it was too comforting that you ended up falling asleep in his arms. Baji gave the crown of your head a kiss before laying you back down and letting you rest. You need all the rest you can get because he just knows that you’ll insist on getting home once you wake up. He might even just carry you all the way there.
By the time you woke up, it was already evening. You smelled something good and saw Baji roasting something over the fire.
“Well rested?” he asked when he noticed you sit up.
“Like I could run a marathon!”
Baji sweatdropped and tried to reason “M-maybe not to that extent.”
“Well I technically have to run for a long time until I get home.”
“No need for that, I’ll just carry you. You can just enjoy the ride.” He said with a smirk no doubt confident in his abilities.
You chuckled at him “You know, when you say it like that something else comes to my mind you know.” You said blush slowly forming on your cheeks.
There was a slight pause as Baji processed what you just said just staring at you with wide eyes. He then smirked and said “There you are again riling me up.”
“Do you not like it?” you asked teasingly returning the smirk
“Never said such a thing.” He said as he took out whatever he was roasting off the fire.
You stood up and walked over to him not playing around. You lifted your leg over him and sat on his lap facing him. “Getting bold now are we.” He said his smirk growing bigger anticipating what will happen next.
“Are you still taking me for a ride?” you felt up his chest lacing your voice with a sultry tone trying to get him in the mood.
Baji placed his hands at your waist caressing it and occasionally wandering down to your butt. “In what context.” He teased
“You know…ride you.” You went close to him and gave his lips a kitten lick.
“I’m gonna need you to be more specific, darling.” He said before diving into your neck licking you there before giving you the first hickey of the night while also giving your butt a light smack.
“Please Baji! If you don’t take me right now I won’t be feeding you for the next month!”
“You treat me as if I’m some food motivated animal.” He said kissing you
“You sure act like it sometimes.” You responded in between his kisses.
Baji pulled away and looked at you with very dilated pupils. “Oh really? Then…” he lifted you up from where he was sitting and laid you down on your makeshift bed in the cave. “how about I eat you up. You’ll be my delicious meal for tonight.”
He went in to kiss you and took comfort of his tongue intertwined with yours. He indulged himself on your lips for a few more minutes before working to undress you and himself. Not long after, you two were passionately making out in the nude his hair cascading around you acting as sort of like a curtain, your only privacy.
Baji then slowly trailed kisses down to your neck where he placed a few more hickeys before proceeding to your chest. He took hold of it appreciating the feel of it against his hands before suckling on your nipples alternating between the two. After a few bite marks were given to your chest, he gave your tummy kisses.
You gasped when you felt Baji’s breath near your private parts. He adjusted himself and made room to slowly spread your legs. Guess you really were is meal, he looked starved when he caught sight of your glistening folds. Baji sat up and took a hair tie from his clothes and tied his hair back “Gotta make sure nothing gets in the way of my feast.” He placed your legs over his shoulders, held you down and gave your thighs a few bite marks.
Moans came out of your mouth as you felt his tongue give you a long lick tasting. Oh how he loved hearing those sounds knowing that he was the one to cause those. Baji gave her repeated licks savouring the taste of her burning it to his mind because he couldn’t get enough of it.
Baji was relentless, his tongue overwhelming you with sensations completely new to you. His pliant tongue a completely different experience from his thrusts back when you two were behind that waterfall. He was precise and you felt him everywhere, well it felt like it because the feel of him is the only thing you could feel and focus on.
After spending a while tasting your wetness, indulging himself in your taste. He figured he has tasted you enough that he should pay attention to your needs now. But you’d have to disagree as just his curious exploring was pleasurable as it is. Baji went to look for that bundle of nerves, and as soon as he came in contact with it, he felt you squirm away. Baji took hold of your legs on his shoulders and pulled you back and pinning you down. Now you’re a squirming and moaning mess underneath the mercy of his tongue. The stimulation was too much as you tried to squirm away once again but his tight grip on you prevented you from moving even a single inch from him.
The cave you two were in was filled with your moans and his slurping echoing across it which brought you an ounce of embarrassment and arousal. Just hearing those sounds excited you more, there’s something primalin the act of doing it in a cave, the thought bringing you excitement.
You felt around you trying to look for leverage to hold on to ground yourself from these sensations, but you settled at grabbing his hair and pulling occasionally. Since you couldn’t do anything but receive Baji’s actions, you were curious as to what he looked like and so you propped yourself on your elbows and peeked. What greeted you were Baji’s amber eyes staring at you intensely. The sight of Baji staring at you as he ate you out caused more wetness to gush out of you thoroughly aroused at the thought that he’s been watching you from the start.
Baji has been watching you, anticipating every single reaction he pulls out from you. He must know everything about you and how like to be pleasured, learning every single thing that brings you pleasure and excitement and exploiting them. Maybe even take advantage of it for the next time you get intimate. Everything about you just drives him crazy. He was in a daze he couldn’t stop and before he knew it a loud moan greeted his ears as fluids gushed out from you. He licked off every single drop off you clean before sitting up and licking his lips. He admired you and your limp and heavy breathing form, taking pride at his work.
As you were trying to catch your breath, you felt Baji lean over your figure and placed a kiss on your lips. Soon you felt something prodding at your entrance, but not right now. Not just yet. You sat up and pushed Baji into a sitting position with you leaning close to his face.
“That can wait. I have a different plan for now.” You said as you reached your hand behind his head and pulled his hair tie off his hair. You showed the object to Baji before using it to tie your hair back “Gotta make sure nothing gets in the way.” You quoted Baji from earlier which earned a chuckle from him.
You started to mimic how he went down on you. First kissing his neck and also leaving your little hickey before going down to his chest licking and tasting him. You took your time at his abdomen admiring it while also teasing him making him think that you’ll finally go down on him only to lick upwards again. You gave in after hearing him growl. You looked at him and his size seemed to lean on the bigger side. You weren’t sure if you could take all of him in your mouth, but might as well try.
You gave his tip a kiss and a lick before putting it in your mouth, swirling your tongue around just his tip. Trying to tease him more, you licked from the base of his cock all the way up slowly and flicking your tongue as you got to the tip. That seemed to be what caused Baji to snap. He grabbed you by the hair and shoved himself in your mouth. You giggled at his desperation before you started bobbing your head up and down your tongue still working in action.
Baji moaned loudly, throwing his head back as he indulged in the feeling of your mouth sucking him off. But he wasn’t one to pass up the sight of you and your face stuffed with his cock. He looked down and the sight almost made him come. He would’ve been done for if you were looking at him. Baji was quick to pull you away from him and kissing you. All the while kissing you, he pushed you down and hovered over you just appreciating in your beauty.
You could never tire of the view you have above you right now. Dishevelled hair around you both, his glistening lips, and the warm light of the bonfire made him appear even more sexier. It’s like everything around you was adjusting to you and Baji. Nothing else mattered except this moment between you two.
“Be a good girl for me and lie on your stomach, would you.”
Anything for him. You repositioned yourself and waited for Baji to make a move. You felt him kiss the small of your back his loose hair tickling you and made you squirm a little causing your butt to brush up to something hard.
Baji chuckled “Eager now, are we.” Ah, looks like he mistook it. No matter, you’ll both feel good later on anyway.
Baji’s hands explored your smooth back appreciating the feel of it against his hands and how you react to his every single touch whether it be a slight twitch or a whimper out of you, it excites him even more.
He leaned down to your ear “You ready?”
Once he saw you nod in response, he bit at your neck whilst inserting himself inside you. The feeling of each other’s closeness had you two letting out hot breaths, calming yourselves and letting you adjust to him. When you gave him the go ahead, he started ramming his hips into you. He couldn’t help himself from ravaging you, he’s been holding himself back ever since from the start.
You felt him lean down and felt his chest come into contact with your back as he continued to thrust into you. His pace started to quicken even more so you grabbed the nearest thing to you as leverage which happened to be Baji’s coat.
As soon as he saw you clutching at his coat, it sent him into overdrive standing on his knees and elevating your hips and holding your head down. He gave your butt a few smacks then proceeding to drive his hips into you once again. Baji pulled your hair up causing you to be on all fours.
“Look at you taking me so well.” He moaned out biting your neck once again “This is the third time I’ve been in you, right? You took me so well all times. Made me feel real good I couldn’t stop thinking about you after that.” He said between grunts.
Just as he said those words, he felt you clench at him “A-ahn~ you r-really do like praises huh.”
“You remember that? When I brought you back for the first time. You liked it when I sang you praises. Guess it carries over here too huh. Agh!” your insides clenched at him again. He grabbed your chin and made you face him “Driving me crazy here.” He kissed your lips tongue never failing to explore you.
After a few minutes of you two going at it, you eventually arrived at your climax which had you plop down on the makeshift bed ass still up. Baji rubbed himself a few more times before covering your back in white letting out a sigh of satisfaction.
Your back covered in his cum aroused him again; it makes him want to cover you with even more. But he knows he can’t, you still have to rest for tomorrow’s journey. He leaned down at your shoulder and bit down as his last ditch effort to satiate his current hunger, but sadly it only turned him on even more as he heard you moan in response to his bite.
You can tell that Baji is still raring to go but is holding himself back. “Keisuke,” you called in a breathy voice still trying to catch your breath “What’s stopping you?”
“Tomorrow, you need rest for tomorrow.” He kissed you again finding your dazed look to be irresistible.
“I thought you offered to carry me all the way home.” You teased
“I did say that.”
“And speaking of rides,” You sat up and sat on his lap, your cunt sliding against his already semi hard cock “I haven’t gotten my ride for tonight.”
Baji relented, grabbing your waist and guiding you to hover over his cock. “Do as you please.” He said with a smirk licking your collarbone.
Slowly, you sank yourself onto him with Baji’s arms stiff on your waist restraining himself from just slamming you down on him. It’s your ride, you do as you please. But goodness you sure are a good way to train his self-control because you keep testing him. By the time he’s fully in you, you caught sight of his knitted brows and a few droplets of sweat on his forehead.
You decide to spare him and slowly bounced yourself on him with Baji groaning in pleasure in response. You felt his hand on your waist go tighter. You can tell that he wants more, but you decide to just go at your pace going slowly. You low-key anticipate the impending rough treatment of you when he gets fed up with your ‘teasing’.
It didn’t take long before he’s biting on your neck and is now the one bouncing you on his cock. Baji laid on his back and continued to thrust up into you. You were glad he took initiative in this situation because you weren’t sure if your thighs could hold you up any longer considering his treatment of you in your first round.
Soon enough, you billowed out a moan your body twitching ever so slightly before collapsing on his chest. Baji pulled out of you and closed your thighs together and thrusted in there instead. The feeling of your soft lower lips and thighs rubbing him was what brought him to his second climax of the night. He felt you slowly dozing off on him. He pulled the blanket over the two of you before repositioning you into a much more comfortable sleeping position. He made sure to clean up the both of you before going to sleep himself.
You were woken up with Baji shaking you. When you woke up you were already dressed. “Time to go.”
You yawned and stretched before getting up preparing to leave. Travelling through the forest on a wolf’s perspective is a very new experience. You can’t help but close your eyes in bliss as you felt the wind in your hair blowing against you from the speed Baji was running. You vaguely remember this feeling when you were still injured after he saved you from the beast. You’re just happy you get to experience it again more clearly.
Baji suddenly came to a stop and when you looked ahead there are the gates of your village. On a normal circumstance you’d be happy at the sight of your home, but right now you’re only filled with dread. The gate lock was adorned with a red ribbon.
You hopped off Baji and approached said ribbon. “We’re too late.”
“What?! But you still have the rest of the day to return!”
“I know. They sure are quick to claim my death. Guess that’s that then.”
“You’re just gonna let them do that?!”
“Baji, once the ribbon is set there’s no way they’ll let me in anymore. It’s another one of those stupid rules. I’m not welcome here anymore.”
After all the work you did for them, they’re gonna dispose of you just like that??? Hell no, fuck those bastards, you’re not going back there. “You still have another place you’re welcome to go home to.”
Baji held his hand out to you “Come home with me. You’re more than welcome there. The pack would love you!”
You immediately took his hand. “If I’m being totally honest, I would prefer to be with you rather than stay in a place where not a lot cares about me. I missed you a lot when I couldn’t see you.”
Baji pulled you in for a hug and kissed you. “You’ve always been in my mind too. Now we don’t have to be apart anymore. We can be together whenever we want, wherever we want.”
“Let’s go to your home then.”
“Our home.” He corrected
“Yes, our home.”
And with that the two of you ran into the forest ready to start a new chapter in your lives where a new companion is by their side.
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deltas-writing-corner · 3 years ago
Text
Courtship (4): The Gargoyle Graveyard
Fandom: Twisted Wonderland (Malleus x GN!reader)
Author note: Again, thank you all for being patient with me and I apologize for having a very inconsistent writing schedule. I'm going to make it my goal to update on a bi weekly basis instead of leaving you all in silent limbo. Also a reminder I suck at figuring out which warnings to put so if there's something that needs to be forewarned that I failed to disclose please lmk!
Warnings: Mentions of heavy bodily injuries | childhood trauma/neglect | discussions/mentions of discrimination | mentions of virginity/sexual history
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AO3 version
Clay. Stone. Porcelain. Plaster. Metal. There are even gargoyles carved entirely of wood! Some statues are stand-alone works of art while others are part of a clear collection or series of similar inspiration. They even come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; as small as an apple or a towering height to rival Malleus himself. No matter what, each grotesque has been crafted with the utmost consideration, by well seasoned and knowing hands. Even the ones that have clear defects and cannot serve their intended purpose are free of overabundant ivy, weeds, or dust. There’s a clear degree of love and care the family who makes these statues has for their craft that makes him feel less alone in his interest in an uncherished form of art.
“It should be around here somewhere,” you muse aloud. Ever since he expressed interest in seeing more sculptures made with non-traditional materials, you’ve been keeping your eye out for a particular one that would fulfill his yearning. You eventually find it and eagerly point to it. “There it is!”
Malleus watches as you approach a massive-sized statue covered with a thick and half-wet tarp. He helps you remove the cover, revealing a winged and slightly humanoid canine. There are many more grotesques with a similar design, but what makes this one stand out the most is the material it’s made out of.
“Amazing!” Malleus awes. “I’ve never seen a grotesque of this size made entirely of glass! They’ve even managed to maintain their attention to detail despite such an abnormal material choice.”
“You can even see the inner channel where the water would flow in and redirect out of its mouth,” you notice.
“They even went out of their way to make it functional despite it being unfit for actual installation?” Malleus inquires with disbelief. “Such a shame.”
“If you’re looking to buy anything here, I’m afraid it's a lost cause. One of the first warnings the grandfather gave me is that none of these are for sale.”
“What was his second warning?”
“If we damage anything, even as small as a scratch, he’ll kill us.”
“How charming,” he chuckles. “I cannot blame him. These statues must take weeks to complete. Time is a human’s greatest enemy.”
“For some, sure. But when I went to visit the family and talked to the old man, he was lunging around all this heavy equipment like he was still in his prime,” you recall. “He lives for his craft. If there’s anything humans are at risk of their entire lives, it’s a lack of motivation and reason to live.”
“I suppose that’s true, but the lifespan of humans and the inevitable effects of aging is difficult to live with, especially once it begins to hinder one’s ability to do what one could previously do without issue. ”
“You’re not wrong,” you acknowledge. “But I think I’d rather live a short life with fulfillment than a dull, long-as-shit life.”
To show that he’s entirely on your side, Gunter lets out a guttural bark while his tail rapidly wags and thumps the damp ground, coating the ends of his bushy tail in specs of dirt and dirtied, remnant snow of the north that has managed to stay frozen on the isles warmer south end.
“You’re only agreeing with them because you’ve been promised food,” Malleus chastises. “Don’t think I didn’t pick up on your grumbling stomach.”
“And don't think I didn't pick up on your stomach rumbling either your highness," you quip back at him. "The family has a small cottage nearby we can use. We'll settle down for a bit and eat before sightseeing some more."
Before you turn and walk in the direction towards the aforementioned lodgings, you reach your hand out for Malleus to take and he latches onto you with restrained enthusiasm. He's taller than you, but he takes care not to take his normal strides as to not leave you struggling to keep up with him. Gunter doesn't know the way, so he trots beside you every step of the way up until the destination is in plain view. The cottage is small but well-attended. There’s a rustic flair to its construction that makes it feel familiar and safe despite never stepping foot in it before.
"Those gargoyles were something, huh?" you remark to him while you tap and shake off the gunk wedged into the soles of your heavy boots against the frame of the door.
"Indeed," he nods, taking your cloak off for you and hanging it on the wooden rack nearby. "I don't think I've ever seen that many gargoyles in one day. Just when my eyes land upon an intriguing one, there's several more that catch my attention."
The way he gets all wide-eyed is outright adorable. It makes you grin just as enthusiastically too. "I bet your club is going to have a field day once you tell them about this!"
His child-like smile turns into one of disappointment. "I'm certain they would, if I wasn't the sole member that is."
Your hands halt from pulling out and setting down all the premade food out of your pack. "Seriously? You're the only one?"
When he nods his head, you feel a twinge of hurt in your heart. Poor guy. You can only imagine how disappointing it must be to go through all those lengths to start a club (you would know since you're technically a staff member of the school and have been given a rundown on some of the school's functions and regulations) only for no one to show interest. Of course, you completely understand that gargoyles aren't exactly all the rage within the minds of teenage boys. Still! He goes through so much effort to build relationships with his peers but they always cower away, either due to his status or even because of the way he looks. You won’t deny that he does come off as rather intimidating at first glance, but he's a sweet guy once you give him the chance to speak.
But to expect teenagers going through social pressures and demanding academics to be as understanding and willing to understand someone like Malleus is an impossible demand. Given that everyone in the school can be a bunch of self-centered and easily agitated bunch of pricks, it's understandable that most of the student body isn't keen on trying to take into consideration the proper etiquette one needs to consider in the presence of a young and noble fae. Deuce has met and talked briefly with Malleus on one occasion, but even he visibly shakes whenever his name is mentioned, even in casual passing.
Wait until they found out who you've gone and gotten buddy-buddy with behind their back. They probably think they're slick or that their intentions are well swept under the rug, but it's clear they feel some semblance of responsibility for your well-being, as both a magicless individual as well as a close, albeit older, friend. You dread the day people begin to make the connections between Malleus and you, but you still can’t help but wonder what their reactions might be. You also dread the high probability those two idiots are going to find out and embarrass the living hell out of you, which you know you do not have the patience or tolerance for.
Gunter jumps up and sits himself down in one of the wooden dining chairs, pushing the small ceramic plate towards you with his nose, as if telling you "Alright, I’ve done what I said I'd do, now feed me what I'm owed." You tell him that you'll give him what he's well earned after you get a small fire started in the brick fireplace. Just because it's warmer near the southern half of the island and not as heavily blanketed with snow, doesn't mean the cold has completely vanished, Winter is still winter after all.
"Where did these scars come from?"
Malleus' unexpected question and closeness nearly make you drop the iron rod you've been using to stoke the growing fire. You've since taken off your boots and rolled up the bottoms of your pants just above your knee as the room starts to warm up enough for a thin layer of perspiration to accumulate and roll down your skin. The scars he's referring to are the ones on your right leg, both side by side at an awkward angle and discolored. You have a lot more scars than these, some much more gruesome in appearance than these two. Malleus has never asked about your scars, but sometimes you catch him looking in the general area of some that peak through your clothes. He likely keeps quiet about their existence out of courtesy.
Yet out of all the markings on your body, why did these two stand out enough that he'd finally ask about them?
"It's a long story," you say in an effort to stall the topic. "Sit. I'll feed you two once the fire is stable."
He doesn’t push you for an answer, instead simply doing as you say and lets you poke at the burning logs until they're properly aflame on their own. You made mostly some of your morning favorites; Creamy and thick potato stew with diced carrots and peas and some eggs, ham, and crispy hash browns sandwich between homemade halved croissants. You teased him about having picky taste buds earlier, but Malleus is content to eat anything you serve him so long as it is not comparable to the likes of Lilia's atrocious cooking.
(Seriously, how does a man as old as Lilia not know the basic fundamentals of cooking? And why does everything he makes end up burnt and tasting like something rotten? You will never understand.)
"Don't eat too quickly," you warn Gunter as you pour a bit of light-colored soup onto his designated plate. Your words are ignored, as the equally marred wolf sloppily slurps and munches on the few bits of potatoes and vegetables you generously scraped out of the thermos. His food is gone as quickly as it’s put in front of him and he looks at you expecting more.
"No. The rest is mine," you scold. "And don't beg Malleus for some either! I know you do it behind my back, you little shit!"
He turns to look at Malleus with an accusatory glare, thinking that he ratted him out to you. Malleus’s response towards the silent imputation is to turn and look out the window as if something caught his interest all of a sudden, cup raised to his lips as he politely sips away at his meal without an air of calmness. You have to slap a hand over your mouth to hide the amusement that overtakes your senses.
"Malleus, stop that!"
"Stop what?" he innocently asks.
"Stop making me want to laugh!"
He sets his cup down onto its matching serving dish. "It's not my fault you have an easily satiable sense of humor."
"Wow!" you say incredulously and put your arms up in offense. "And here I was thinking we were friends!"
His distant demeanor breaks and you both devolve into a fit of laughter together. Gunter unfortunately takes advantage of your joint distraction and slips away with a warm sandwich between his jaw, your sandwich in particular.
"That damn wolf!" you curse. "I knew I should have trusted my gut and pack extras.”
Malleus pities your distress before moving over to sit closer. "Worry not. I'll split mine in half with you,” he reassures.
"No, it's fine," you immediately dismiss his offer. "Have it for yourself."
"I'm not taking no for an answer," he firmly states. “Don’t be stubborn. It’s far too early for that.”
"I thought you liked it when I was stubborn?” you pout.
He shakes his head with a smile. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t”
"At least someone likes my attitude,” you say after chewing and swallowing a mouthful of soup. “Sebek certainly doesn’t."
"The boy is stubborn as well. When two equally stubborn individuals cross paths, you will witness nothing but discord between the two."
"Add the fact I'm human into the mix, and we'll be exchanging fists instead of words sooner or later," you scoff. "I get that some faes don't like humans, but what's his deal with acting like he’s got a vendetta against me?"
"Sebek doesn't hate humans for the reasons you might think," Malleus admits. "It’s more like he finds them difficult to think that highly of. Did you know that he is half-human?"
You nearly choke on your own breath over the sudden revelation. "Really?"
"Indeed," Malleus finds amusement at your disbelief. "Have you ever wondered why his ears aren't pointed like Silver, but his eyes are like mine and Lilia’s?"
"Damn,” you scratch the back of your head with embarrassment. “Now I feel stupid.”
"You aren't. Given the way he speaks, not many would assume he had human blood in his veins. His mother was highly regarded within her social circle, but her marriage to a human man tarnished her reputation a great deal. She's happy and does not seem to care what others think of her these days. However, when Sebek set out to be a knight, his mother's marriage and his lineage were often brought up as a way to scrutinize his character and capabilities rather than any of his actual shortcomings as an individual."
"Poor kid," you sigh. "Lilia told me those sorts of things still happen in The Valley, but it sounds so outlandish that I couldn’t take it that seriously."
"Many faes hold old traditions above all else, to a degree that the purity of one's blood stands above all other merits." His eyebrows pressed together in annoyance. "Even my grandmother thinks it's archaic, but as the reigning queen she has to embody a persona of neutrality between the social divide."
"It sounds like you have your work cut out for you in the future," you say, almost apologetically. "What do you plan to do about it once you're the king?"
There's a brief flash of surprise over your question, but Malleus easily answers it as usual. "I think my first course of action as king would be to properly knight Sebek and Silver."
"Bet my rifle that Sebek is going to cry the entire ceremony!" you remark with certainty. "That's all he ever goes on about, being a knight and all."
"He's devoted countless hours and efforts since he was a child. If there's anyone who deserves to join the knighthood, it's him."
"Definitely," you nod to further cement your agreement with him. "He could stand to lower his voice a bit. He'll give you tinnitus before long.”
"At least we won't have to worry about losing him in a crowd," Malleus jests.
"That's to say we'll lose sight of him to begin with," you remark. "He'll gladly lose me in a crowd. You? You'd be lucky to get out of arm's length."
"You underestimate me, dearest," Malleus smirks. "Ever since I've met you, I've perfected the art of avoiding Sebek's insistent searches."
"Have you now?" you razz back. "Don't let him catch onto the fact. He'll have my head."
He reaches over and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. Each second his skin touches yours makes you tingle. Time slows down ever so briefly if only to savor the small instance of physical connection for as long as possible. "What of your aunts?" he inquires. "Are they as overprotective of you as Sebek is of myself?"
"They’re a trio of mama bears," you proudly admit. "I'm old enough to drink and well equipped to fend for myself, but in their minds, I'll always be the little tyke that couldn't even eat their meals without looking at them for approval. Especially my aunt Gia."
You have three aunts. There's your aunt Marisol, the mother of most of your cousins and the main caretaker of the household. Your second aunt Lucia was well into her studies at university when you came to live with them, but her stress and long hours of mulling over her course materials paid off in the long run. Your gardening skills wouldn't be what they are now without her expertise in agricultural botany.
Then there's your aunt Gia. Oldest of the three. An absolute tank of a woman. No spouse. No kids of her own. She lived off the land like an absolute titan. The woman raised you as if she was the one that carried you for nine months and not your actual birth mother.
How would you describe your parents? If your parents were told to list out their priorities in life, their careers would be at the top of the list and you would be put at the very bottom. Why they carried you to term is beyond your understanding. You later learned that Gia had even offered to take you under her care well before your birth, knowing that your parents might not be well-suited to take care of you in the way she thinks would be beneficial for you. It was a convenient offer that would have saved everyone the trouble years down the line when you had your accident. They worked in a cutthroat industry and were constantly moving up the executive echelons. They had no time for you, yet their pride as a pair of young, successful business magnates made them incapable of seeing past the reality of the situation. That left you mostly in the care of last-minute caretakers and your aunts, but only if they had time from their own busy and preoccupied lives to come out into the city and visit.
You were eight years old when things started to get better, but it was upstarted in the worst possible way. Your parents had to go away for the upcoming weekend for work and left you in the care of a babysitter as per the norm. The babysitter never showed up however and your parents apparently couldn’t be bothered to check up on you even once the entire trip. Their silence wasn’t surprising. You just went on about your business for the next three days on your own like nothing was wrong. Your aunt Gia had even called at one point to check up on you, but you didn’t bother to tell her that your parents had left you to fend for yourself. She would have exploded if you did, but not as much as she did when you woke up in the hospital after falling down the stairs and lying helplessly on the ground for several hours with a dislocated shoulder and a compound-fractured leg. You were lulling in and out of consciousness due to all the medication pumped into you, but what little you do remember seeing and hearing when you regained consciousness will forever stick with you for the rest of your life.
If people think your level of swearing is bad, they should have heard your aunt that day. She swore so viciously that it could set an innocent bystander's eardrums on fire. What will forever stand out the most to you was the fact that your parents didn’t even look the least bit apologetic or regretful. They didn’t even approach you once your aunt was done giving them a piece of her mind to check up on you. They simply talked with the awaiting social worker and doctors and then left. It was for the better, but the small part of you that continued to hold onto the desperate belief that your parents would come around one day sent you into a thrashing frenzy and you had to be sedated before you could hurt yourself anymore.
The next year was spent recovering from your injuries, meeting regularly with your caseworker, and going through therapists like a pack of cigarettes. By the time you were back on your feet and the legal proceedings of your custody case were concluded, all you wanted was to move on with it all. Nearly a decade of neglect left you this unattentive, uncertain husk of a person who couldn’t take a single step forward without looking for some sort of guidance or assurance. Your family was exhausted by the entire ordeal and over speaking with third parties. Your aunts took it upon themselves to help you regain your sense of self in the comfort of your new home, no matter how difficult or demanding it was going to be.
“It took some time, but eventually it clicked in my mind that I was in a better place and I started to get better. As for my parents, I have no clue what they’re up to these days.” You lean back into your chair and let out a shaking yawn. “I like to think they’re getting on well like I am.”
“I don’t understand.” Malleus looks at you with unbelievable confusion. “Your parents treated you poorly, yet you don’t sound the least bit resentful. Why is that?”
You shrug your shoulders. “What’s the point? I'm in a better place now, so I've let bygones be bygones. 'Doesn't mean I don't harbor any anger against them anymore. I do, but getting upset won't change what's happened to me."
Gunter, having sensed your discomfort over the matter, trots over and rests his head on your lap. You gratefully rub the top of his head, carding your hands through his thick, coarse hair. "I'm just glad they let me go without a fuss. Family court was hell for my family.” Your eyebrows knit together. “Expensive too.”
Crackling wood fills the momentary silence that befalls the small cottage. What you've recollected to Malleus is a lot to take in, and if you're being quite honest you'd prefer if he just dropped the subject and talked about literally anything else right now. You hope he doesn't say he's sorry or any other type of apologetic comment. That's all you were ever told that entire year it all happened, during court proceedings, your rehabilitation, by both strangers and distant family members alike.
"I'm so sorry. What happened to you was unfortunate. You didn't deserve it."
No shit you didn't deserve any of that. You were a kid. You don’t need one pity party after another to realize that what took place then had fucked you forever. But as you said earlier, you're in a better place now, with a loving and supportive family that's moved on alongside you. A family you need to get back to as soon as possible.
"I love you."
Well, if he was hoping to take your mind off the past. that certainly did it. How can it not? It came out of nowhere and as good as you are at holding your composure when need be, you're sure you look no less like a gaping fish when warm and plush softness presses right against the corner of your lips. A kiss. His kiss.
"What's wrong?" Your voice sounds shaky. You’re nervous.
"Nothing," he smiles reassuringly. "I simply said what I felt needed to be said."
"Fair enough" you concede easily. He was going to say it sooner or later. He already has actually, now that you think about it. Yet here you are trying to process his words like it’s rocket science.
"Am I going about this too fast perhaps?" he genuinely asks. His hands that have been busy massaging your calves that have settled across his lap somewhere during your long retelling gradually slow down, but his hands never go completely still. "This is my first time experiencing something like this."
"What?" You sit up a bit straighter. "A relationship?"
"Yes."
Your head tilts to the side. "Really?"
He nods hesitantly "Yes?"
For a moment, you go completely quiet. "I don't believe you,” you doubtfully say, head shaking to further showcase your refusal to believe him.
He must not have liked your remark, frowning with clear offense in his eyes. When he dislikes something, the vertical slits in his eyes contract into a thin line. "I cannot lie, yet you still doubt me?"
"I know you can't lie, but I find it hard to believe you haven't been with anyone else before," you explain. Before you can consider the appropriateness that was your newfound curiosity about Malleus's apparently non-existent love life, you blurt out, "Are you still a virgin?"
You slap your hand over your mouth the moment those words come out of it. He's equally caught off guard and nearly drops his warm cup of coffee. Even Gunter is surprised by your question, olive-colored eyes looking at you as if you've lost your mind. It's an invasive question, inappropriate even. You and Malleus have been dating for a little over two days. A question like that is way too early to bring up just yet.
"You don't have to answer that," you tell him behind your palm. "I shouldn't have even asked it. Forget I ever brought it up-”
"I'm not," he interrupts you, leaving you even more shocked than you already are. You’re practically gaping like a fish by now. "I'm not a virgin,” he further insinuates.
A deafening silence, but it’s eventually broken by yourself. “I still don’t believe you.”
Malleus gets further annoyed at your refusal to accept his truth. "I'm not lying!" he insists.
"Bullshit!"
"Do you want me to recount my history to you?" he asks, exasperated as you are at the shift the conversation is taking. "Will that satisfy your doubts?"
"You know what? It will!" you loudly declare. "Who'd you sleep with?"
"He was a young page at the time,” he reminisced. “It happened before I was a century old.”
Your eyebrows raise with intrigue. "Was he cute?"
"Yes," he hushedly agrees. The disconcerting admittance paints his face a pinkish-red glow. "But that's not why I bedded him."
"But surely his looks are what made you interested in the first place?” you make blatant regard of the fact.
“You’re not wrong,” he acknowledges, expertly avoiding agreeing with you outright. “But his looks aren't the sole reason I was drawn to him. He was bright-eyed and ambitious, to the point you’d think him insane given his position in the court. It was also the first time I ever truly met with a group of humans, and my young mind was eager to get a more accurate perspective of humans that wasn’t through the lens of my tutors.”
“An ‘accurate perspective’?” You make playful air quotes, eyebrows wiggling because you know the fact that he knows what you’re implying. The playful comment is met with a sharp pinch on your leg that makes you jump and shriek out in pain. Did he have to dig his nails into you? Apparently so, and now you have small crescent indents on your skin. “I bet Lilia had a good laugh when he found out.”
“He doesn’t know, actually,” he admits to you with what is obviously a proud smile.
“Now I know you’re lying to me,” you scoff. “Nothing escapes the old man’s radar.”
His hands begin to rub out the marks he’s left on you as a form of apology. “Lilia is sharp, but he had lost most of his vigor by the time I was born.”
You go wide-eyed again. “You mean his hearing and eyesight was better than it is now?”
He nods affirmatively. “From what I’ve been told, terrifyingly so.”
Lilia is already frightening as is. His short stature and boyish looks make him perfectly unassuming to those who don’t know any better. You once watched him beat up a couple of bulky, twice-his-height students from Savanaclaw without breaking a sweat, yet moments before he was jokingly scolding himself for dozing off so easily. You never once thought he was ever out of his elements. A cold chill runs down your spine thinking how much more perceptive the older fae may have been back during his prime years.
“Wonder what Lilia’s gonna think,” you ponder out loud in a quick effort to banish out the skin-prickling mental imagery your mind was invoking. “About us, I mean.”
Malleus seems surprised that you would change the topic to that of all things, but his initial shock goes away as quickly as it came. “As you may have guessed, he’s an open-minded individual, but he’s also very realistic and unafraid to say what’s on his mind.”
“So what does that mean for you and me?” you question with a bit of hesitation.
“Well,” he trails off and ponders for a moment. “He’ll surely like the scandal our relationship would invoke. However, as my caretaker and mentor, he won’t hesitate to put an end to it if he feels it necessary.”
Had it been anyone else sitting beside you, you’d have found that comment way too extreme and outright ridiculous. However, you are not speaking to anyone ordinary. You are not sitting before someone normal. It doesn't matter how well you get along with him. It sure as hell doesn't matter how deeply in love you are with him, and him of you. The moment you have been deemed a shortcoming, the outings, the closeness, it all stops. All of it will come crashing down and both you and him will be left wondering what could have been done differently.
Malleus is truly your best friend, because already he can tell that your mind is beginning to spiral even when you go quiet. He calls for your attention by gripping his hand around your bare ankle and carefully tugging the end of your limb. “Don’t fret over it too much,” he soothes, yet also sounding like he’s scolding you for letting your mind wander off so negatively. “Lilia is an exceptional judge of character. From what I’ve gathered, you’ve well exceeded all his marks. He trusts you, and to gain such a thing from someone as old and wise as him is an extraordinary feat.”
You brew over the attempted compliment he tried to pay to you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t snub out all these festering thoughts in your head. It doesn’t even give you temporary relief. Perhaps it would have brought you a sense of peace a few months ago, but with everything that has happened thus far, you doubt even Malleus can alleviate the storm that rattles inside you, even if what he speaks is without a doubt nothing but the truth.
Surely he can see that you are still having some hangups. When you lift his hand and plant a chaste kiss on the back of his hand, you hope he can decipher the gesture as a pitiful request for his forgiveness for dampening the once energetic mood. He is not at fault for your loss and inability to think optimistically at the moment and you need to make sure he knows it.
Today is about him, not you. Even if it’s just for today, you’ll put on a pleasant facade and worry about the rest at a later date. It’s just you and him, and for now, that’s enough.
You do a mental countdown starting from three, before finally giving him a late response to the three words he uttered in confidence to you earlier. “I love you too, by the way.”
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You love him. You love him. You love him. That’s all his mind can think of for the rest of the day. He replays your reciprocation over and over like it’s sacred and all-powerful.
He had planned to return to his dorm before the sun began to set, but he found the mere idea of detaching from you deeply unwanted and made the last-minute decision to spend the evening at the Ramshackle dorm. He already has a few articles of clothing and personal essentials set up in one of the many empty rooms, so neither Lilia nor you had any objections at his sudden request.
“Don’t worry!” You shout across the room so that Lilia can hear you over his phone. “I’ll make sure he gets to bed on time!”
“You have my gratitude!” Lilia’s muffled voice responds gratefully. “Don’t cause too much trouble now, you two.”
“No promises~” you sing in jest before Malleus hangs up. Once the call ends Johnny, Benji, Franky, and you turn their attention back to their ongoing game of poker. Malleus watches and occasionally laughs to himself over the friendly banter shared between the quartet. At the end of every round, the winner is assaulted with colorful profanities whilst they take their newly won gambling chips with ebullience. Yet with each new dealing of cards, the animosity goes away and they’re all back to being friendly. He finds your interactions with your incorporeal roommates more entertaining than the book he’s been reading to pass the time.
“Hey, fairy boy,” Franky informally calls out toward him. “Don’t be a stranger now. Play a few rounds with us.”
“I’m afraid I’m not well versed in card games,” he admits, yet he still finds himself setting his literature aside and moving over to join them.
“Don’t worry,” you give him a reassuring smile. “They’ll go easy on you.”
“For how long?” he knowingly asks.
You give him an impressed smirk at his quick uptake. “I give it three rounds before they start to pull back their sleeves.”
Malleus is well-adjusted to the need to quickly learn a new topic and the expectation for him to fully comprehend it in full. None of them are harsh on him for his minor mistakes like some of the tutors he’s had in the past. Answers that he believes may be obvious or not as complicated as he thinks they are being answered with enthusiastic patience. The smallest achievements he makes are met with a proud response. When he makes a surprise turnabout and wins his first game, he’s rewarded with an encouraging round of applause by everyone.
“Not bad,” Benji praises as he shuffles the deck of cards. “You’re a fast learner.”
“So I’ve been told,” he humbly replies. “Is this the part where you all stop going easy on me now?”
“Don’t provoke them,” you half-heartedly warn. “Otherwise we’ll be up all night duking it out otherwise.”
Franky sets his glass of iced liquor down on the edge of the table. “Don’t you little lovebirds worry. We won’t take up too much of your well-needed time together.”
Annoyed at the clear jab at his relationship with you, you throw one of your chips towards his head. It passes through his body and clatters on the floor behind him. Your fawn Blossom jumps down from their spot on the couch and goes to sniff it, thinking it to be food, but walks away with a disappointed strut when he realizes it isn’t anything edible.
“I didn’t tell them a damn thing,” you defensively clarify. “It was so obvious what was going on between us that they figured it all out before we made it official.”
He lets out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “That’s...I can’t say I’m too pleased to hear about that.”
“We won’t say anything,” Franky reassures. “Just make sure to put a sock on the door whenever you guys want some alone time.”
“Franky!” you hiss at him. “What the hell?!”
“What?” he looks at you, unbothered by your clear embarrassment. “Do you honestly expect us to think you guys went out just to look at a bunch of statues?”
“Oh, I’m sure they were looking at something,” Johnny smirks. “It wasn’t made of stone though.”
“I hate you guys,” you growl out, arms crossing and leaning back into your seat with an angry huff. You don’t mean it. He can see the tremble of your lips as you try to contain the urge to grin. “Even if we did end up rolling around in the sheets, I wouldn’t be yapping about it for all to hear, much less you guys!”
“What happens in the gargoyle graveyard stays in the gargoyle graveyard, eh?” Franky winks at both Malleus and you, nudging you with his elbow.
“Exactly!” you affirm, batting the large ghost away from you for some much-needed distance. “Now stop being so damn nosy.”
They cackle one last time and everyone seamlessly goes back to their ongoing game. Conversations like the one that just concluded are commonplace in your dormitory. Even if he contributed next to nothing to the discussion, he enjoys watching them interact. You come from a world where ghosts are hardly as overt as the ones in this world. Ghosts are said to entertain themselves by picking on the living, to the point that it can be fatal. Your ability to come up with witticisms at a moment's notice is something he enjoys seeing in action. He feels great satisfaction not only knowing that he has secured your love but to also see you in a state of tranquility and within your elements.
As Benji and you have a hushed conversation on the sidelines, he reaches over and places his hand on your knee beneath the table. You quietly reach over and put your hand over his, stroking the back of his hand with your thumb like it’s instinctual. Unfortunately, the heart-fluttering moment is ruined by the sudden buzzing of his phone. He has half a mind to ignore it, but when he gives the screen a glance he realizes ignoring the caller is not an option.
“I’ll be out for a moment,” he excuses himself once he sets his hand down and stands himself upright. “This shouldn’t take that long, hopefully.”
They all stop to look up at him inquisitively for half a second. In unison, they ask, “Sebek?”
“Sebek,” he affirms.
There are simultaneous displays of annoyance, pity, and silent wishes of good luck directed at him. He’s tempted to ask where all this contempt for the boy comes from, but then he remembers the many times Sebek barges his way into their dorm at the worst possible moments. It is either when everyone is beginning to settle down after a long day or in the middle of an important house project, the former more so than the latter now that the dorm is much more stable and in need of less restoration. Malleus learned the hard way how ill you and the ghosts will react when your peace is unwantedly interrupted and your space invaded by an unwanted guest.
Sebek is also quick to scrutinize whatever he sees out loud without a filter. You never seem to mind half of the time, merely rolling your eyes and moving past Sebek’s ill-meaning remarks as if you never heard them. As you are someone Malleus highly regards and holds close to his bosom, he hopes Sebek can one day set aside his strife with humankind and give you the due diligence you deserve.
...Though, he completely understands that reaching that point will take time. While you can endure Sebek to a certain degree, there are times where he, unfortunately, pushes you past that threshold and, without flinching, you will tell him to “Shut the fuck up”. Your words, not his.
“Young master!” Sebek's transmitted voice peaks and he has to half pull it away to give his pained eardrums some relief. “I was informed by Lord Lilia that you will be spending the night over at the Human’s dorm. Have you all your accommodations at their estate? If not, I will swiftly-”
“That won’t be necessary,” he half laughs at his enthusiasm over such a small task. “I have enough to keep me comfortable and well for a few days. Your offer is still very much appreciated.”
“Y-Yes, of course,” he stutters. “If there’s anything you should ever find a need for, please inform me at once! I will fulfill your every wishes no matter the hour!”
He’s enthusiastic and ready to act at a moment’s notice, even during the middle of a cold and dark hour. Malleus doesn’t necessarily dislike this part of Sebek, but he’s starting to understand why someone like you would find such subservience difficult to deal with. At any moment, Malleus could ask Sebek to grab some insignificant item of his and tread through the thick snow to deliver it to him, and the boy would do so with jubilation and utmost timeliness. You on the other hand wouldn’t be caught dead ordering someone to do something on your behalf when you believe you are well and capable of doing it yourself.
You don’t put expectations onto the backs of others, choosing to trust yourself first before anyone else. He knows now that it’s a result of the one instance where you expected something from someone, only to be thoroughly let down and left wondering if it was you who did something wrong.
Malleus cannot make up for the pain you’ve been subjected to, but he hopes that he can become the outlier in your life that surpasses any preconceived notions you may hold onto others. He hopes...No, he absolutely will be the one who brings you your well-earned and deserved joy and repose, just as you have done for him and continue to do so.
You love him, and he will ensure he is worthy of every last drop of your fidelity.
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mingoyeob-archive · 3 years ago
Note
17)you look ... Whoa...
52)if you don't stop I won't hesitate to kill you,
56)This was a bad idea,
60)Yup we're doomed,
75)that's it, I am going to kill him,
4)hold on, you aren't jealous, are you?
with Jk, reader, jimin and Tae. Please!!! 🥺👉🏼👈🏼
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under the oak tree drabble game ⚔️🌳 to make up for my delayed release of part 3 of under the oak tree i’ve decided to do a drabble game! send me a number + any of the characters from under the oak tree and i’ll write you a drabble :)
hi anons! thanks for requesting! i did #75 with jjk and tae just because I was already planning to go that route with the other anons request! sorry its taking me a little long to get through these my weekend was so busy 😭 but I appreciate everyone being patient as I'm trying my best to make these enjoyable for you guys :) hope you like it! 💜💜
7. you look ... Whoa… + 52. if you don't stop I won't hesitate to kill you + 56. This was a bad idea + 60. Yup we're doomed + 75. that's it, I am going to kill him + 4. hold on, you aren't jealous, are you? | jjk x reader, ft jimin and tae tae | word count: 2.2K
During the autumn season, everyone had to be on top of their game. No plate, mug nor drape could be out of place especially since Jungkook, the Duke, was back at the castle for the first time in three years. And with the season harvest just around the corner and family members flocking to the castle from every corner of the land, it had everyone at their wits end, including you. Even though this technically wasn’t your first harvest at Uwhen, it would be your first time meeting the Jeon family who saw no reason to come and visit when Jungkook wasn’t here. But now with him back it suddenly became of the utmost importance that you made a good first impression.
Jungkook could sense your nervousness (he seemed to have a knack for that) and it only served to make him even more moody. It wasn’t news that Jungkook hated his family. Most of them were uptight and had judged him for his choice in picking you to marry instead of your sister who was much more admired amongst the kingdom. Not that he cared, but their nagging was a pain in the ass nonetheless.
To curb some of the tension in the castle, Seokjin suggested that perhaps a hunting party would be a good way to blow off some steam and whatever they caught could be used for the feast, effectively killing two birds with one stone. So that was how you, Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung had ended up on horseback out in the middle of the forest.
“Looking good on that horse Y/N!” Jimins loud comment had you looking away shyly, “Hard to believe Jungkookie got you that out of the kindness of his heart. Don’t you agree, Taehyung?”
“Yeah sir, if I come to your bedroom tonight can I have a new horse too?”
The two of them just laughed, bumping shoulders atop their horses before catching sight of the fumes practically radiating from Jungkook as he leveled them with a glare. “If you don't stop I won't hesitate to kill you.”
His words had them shutting up immediately, looking at each other with wide eyes before muttering out half-assed apologies. The rest of the ride ended up being pretty quiet, the boys too busty scouting the trees for game and trying to find something to kill to hold a conversation. You on the other hand were bored out of your mind and not to mention your ass was hurting from riding longer than you were ever used to.
“Don’t you guys think it's time to turn back?”
“Shh!”
Their efforts to silence you had you rolling your eyes and you just sighed, horse trudging behind them. A pout settled on your lips and you glared at the back of their heads hoping that they would pick up on your fury and finally concede. But of course, that didn’t work and they just continued riding on in silence. This can not get any worse, you thought with a whine. But the sudden sound of your horse whinnying, spooked by something on the path, had you eating your words and the next thing you knew you were lying flat on your ass in the dirt. Thankfully all the commotion had snapped the guys out of their trance and they immediately turned around to come to your aid. Jungkook was the first one off his horse, rushing over to you in concern.
“Y/N! What happened? Are you okay? Let me see!” He fired off questions rapidly, barely giving you a chance to respond. You could only sit, dazed and confused at what just happened. Jungkook groaned at your lack of response, “This was a bad idea, I should've never listened to Seokjin.”
Jimin and Taehyung stood to the right of you two, looking down with worry in their eyes. “Jungkook, maybe we should start heading back. It's getting dark outside anyway and we don’t want to be out here when night falls.” Jimins said, eyes flicking up to look at the darkening sky. “Y/N can ride with you and we’ll get her horse.”
His words instantly had you shooting up from your spot. “No! No, I’m perfectly capable of riding back. It was just a little fall. I’ll be fine” you smiled, trying your best to hide the pain in your backside, but you couldn’t stop yourself from flinching when you felt a twinge shoot up your spine. Jungkook disagreed judging by the look he shot at you at your obvious lie and he opened his mouth to voice his opinion, but before he could even get a word out a distant howl rang through the air. The sound had the band of horses rearing back, letting out loud neighs and noises of freight.
“Whoa there!” Taehyung waved his hands up at the animals, trying his best to calm them, but to no avail, and they took off down the path leaving the four of you behind. He could only stare off at them with a look of disbelief before turning around and throwing his hands up in defeat. “Yup we’re doomed.”
The rest of you just shot him a look of annoyance obviously aware of the fact that all of you were in fact doomed. “Thanks Taehyung, I had no idea.” Jimin said sarcastically to which Taehyung just shrugged in response.
Despite the initial shock of being stranded in the forest, the boys didn’t seem to be too worried about how they were going to find their way back. Combined, the three of them had more than enough experience and the skill it took to navigate out of here. You on the other hand were completely lost and had no idea what the hell they were doing. So instead of getting in their way you decided perhaps it would be best if you found somewhere to clean yourself off.
Getting away from the boys was easy enough, especially when they were too busy arguing over which one of them was correct about which way was north. What was hard though was getting through knee high grass and stepping over gnarled branches as you struggled your way over to the creek you could hear just off the path. When you finally made it over it didn’t take long to start pulling off the dirty weighted fabric of your dress that left you only in your sheer white chemise.
“Another dress bites the dust.” you muttered amused as you bent over the water, scrubbing at your ruined dress. You were so preoccupied with the task you didn’t even notice the sound of boots stomping through the woods over the trickling sound of the rushing water.
“Y/N?” Taehyung's voice had your head snapping over to face the man as he stood just outside the brush. His face was full of shock as he looked at you with wide eyes,  “You look..Whoa…”
Immediately you let out a shriek and fell back on your ass, desperately trying to cover yourself. “Taehyung! What the hell are you doing?! Get outta here pervert!” you shouted, throwing pebbles from the shore of the creak in his direction in a futile attempt to try and get him to turn around.
Jungkook and Jimin must have heard you and followed the noise over to you two to see what all the commotion was about. The two of them came crashing from the same spot Taehyung had, swords raised in alarm and surveying the area to try and find the enemy. But when they were only met with the sight of you barely covered on the ground and Taehyung standing there staring like an idiot, they dropped their weapons and just looked back and forth between you two confused. Taehyung could only raise his hands in innocence, “It’s not what it looks like I promise!”
Jungkooks face slowly started to morph from confusion to anger, eyebrows furrowing and his jaw tensing. “That's it, I’m going to kill him!” he shouted charging in Taehyung's direction. Jimin couldn’t act fast enough and rushed after the man, trying to hold him back from actually cutting Taehyung's head off where he stood. You didn’t even have time to think about it before you jumped off the ground to cover him, facing Jungkook with your hands out in an attempt to calm him down.
“Jungkook, stop!” you screamed to which he seemed to ignore, too dead set on killing Taehyung. “It really isn’t what it looks like, just please calm down!” you continued with your efforts of trying to diffuse the situation but your attempts didn’t seem to be working. In a last ditch effort to stop Jungkook's rampage you charged forward, lips sealing over his and hands grasping at his face. Immediately the tension started leaving Jungkook’s body, his shoulders relaxing as he melted into your kiss, his own hands coming up to cradle your cheeks as well.
Noticing that Jungkook seemed to be pacified (at least for the moment), Jimin slowly retracted his arms from around him, backing up and gesturing Taehyung over to him hurriedly. Taehyung took advantage of your distraction and stumbled over to him, hugging the man as if his life depended on it. “Jiminie I almost died, did you see that?!”
Jimins cheeks filled with heat and his face blossomed red at the feeling of Taehyung's arms around him. “Of course I did, idiot. If I hadn’t, you probably would’ve been dead before Y/N got to him.” he mumbled as he pushed the man off him, trying his best to pretend that he didn’t secretly like it (not that he did a good job of it). Taehyung just whined at the thought, shaking his head as he struggled with Jimin to keep him in his hold.
While the two wrestled in the background, you and Jungkook continued your passionate embrace, lips locked and his arms wrapped tightly around your waist. You had completely forgotten why you had kissed him in the first place, too caught up in the feeling of his mouth on yours and how the world seemed to fade away when you were in his hold. The feeling of Jungkook's tongue swiping at your lips is what had you recoiling back into yourself, too embarrassed to go any further. “Jungkook…” you muttered shyly and placed your hands on his chest trying to gently push him away.
He just continued to hold you tighter, lips finding their way to your neck instead and kissing his way down your shoulder. For a second you allowed yourself to get lost in the feeling, a small gasp even leaving your lips. That was until you made eye contact with Jimin and Taehyung who were watching you two with amused smiles and wiggling eyebrows, mocking the two of you by making kissing noises and pursed lips. It made you try and escape Jungkook's grasp even harder. “Jungkook, they’re watching!” You whine, hiding your face in his shoulder in embarrassment.
Jungkook just hummed, “Just ignore them.” he said, continuing to pepper soft kisses along your skin. “I’ll stop once they remember who you belong to.” You could feel the smirk on his lips against your shoulder and you just sighed, eyes begging towards the two boys over Jungkook's shoulders.
Jimin must’ve decided that he’d had enough of yours and Jungkook's show of affection and took pity on you, “She’s a woman not a piece of furniture, Jungkookie! Don’t think she belongs to anyone but herself.” he said with a laugh to which Jungkook just responded with a grunt, shooting the man a scowl over his shoulder.
“Hold on, you aren't jealous, are you?” Taehyung questioned. Jungkook leveled him with a glare upset with the fact that the man had even dared to speak to him. Taehyung took his lack of response as a ‘yes’, “Trust me, sir, I am not after your wife. She’s not even my type!”
“Well what is your type?” Jimin’s question came out of nowhere causing everyone to shoot him a look of confusion. “I mean- see! Problem solved! Now can we head back now?!” He didn’t even wait for a response before turning around and rushing back from where they came. Taehyung hurried behind him, questions flying from his lips at what Jimin had meant to which he received no answer.
“I should lock him in the dungeons for even looking in your direction from now on.” Jungkook seethed, tightening his hold on you. You wheezed out a laugh, struggling to breathe in Jungkook's hold, before pushing on him hard enough that he finally let you go.
“There’s no need for that, love.” The affectionate nickname slipped out of your mouth before you even realized, but Jungkook heard it all the same, a smile instantly stretching across his lips as he reached out to try and ensnare you again. You narrowly avoided his grasp, dodging his hand and letting out a tut, “Ah ah ah! You can hug me all you want when we get back to the castle, but right now I’d like a bath and some clothes that aren’t covered in dirt.”
Jungkook chuckled and reached out again, this time capturing you and causing you to let out a squeak as he pulled you in closer once again. “Fine.” he muttered, bending down to place a gentle peck on your lips before pulling back to shoot you a wink, “But when we get back I’m doing a lot more than just hugging you.”
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sweetestlamb · 4 years ago
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Still, I Rise
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Summary: Damn teenagers and their angst. 
Author's Note: Back with another chapter, if you didn’t already know it I will be revealing our mystery character from the last chapter LOL please put down the bats and weapons (jk take them out it’s hilarious!) With this chapter we are getting closer to the “climax” and I am so excited to write the fun chapters I have planned ahead, one scene that I am really looking forward to writing is the camping trip, I had so much plans and events that I wanted to see that didn’t because TVN woke up and chose basic, we hate to see it. I can’t wait to rewrite history honestly also can’t wait to just move to onto regular schmegular teen problems, I swearrrrrrr. 
"Don't you dare embarrass me this time. You aren't ugly why can't you get these damn little rich brats to like you? Are you truly this useless? Don't come home if you can't make this one fall for you!"
Those had been his father's final words right before his hand split his lower lip open with a razor sharp blow that made his head whip in recoil. His father's footsteps faded as he walked away leaving him crumpled on the ground, anger and embarrassment raging in his blood. He hadn't chosen this life at all, never wanted to be a bargaining chip for that despicable man. First with Eun Dan Oh and now this new girl, Kang Sujin.
She'd initially stood him up and he had felt foolish sitting in the lavish restaurant by himself, checking his phone but no calls or messages arrived.
His father had been livid that night, more vicious than usual his stepmother's weak screams served as the soundtrack for his brutal beating. Why couldn’t she just be quiet? Did it make her feel better when she acted as if she actually gave a shit about him? His brother coming into his room after with those pathetic weeping eyes and a bandage had only made him angrier, he shoved him away slamming the door in his face, refusing his help. He didn't need anyone, nobody could save him from his horrible fate. 
It hadn't taken much research to find out her school and on impulse he'd gone there without her knowledge, watching from afar at first. A tiny girl with short hair framing her face had ran giggling into a taller girl with long dark hair and a classically beautiful face, they walked side by side smiling and laughing and that's when he'd heard her call out , "Sujin we should get something to eat!"
It wasn't love at first sight or anything ridiculous and disgustingly romantic like that, but he felt a connection to the girl for some inconceivable reason as if they were kindred spirits or something, maybe it was the remnant of a bruise he saw on her wrist hidden beneath her sweater. 
It seemed they had more in common then he had initially believed, it was a grim similarity. 
He'd gone home feeling less burdened than before, and his father's smile had been terrifying when he'd told him that he would work hard to win the girl over, only because he knew how quickly that smile could evaporate and his father could become the monster he was accustomed to. He tried not to flinch as the older man clapped him on the shoulder, his body already in fight or flight mode.
His father had merely smirked at his apparent fear.
Bastard.
So he'd taken to following the other girl around, she was going to be his fiancé anyway so he saw nothing wrong with it. And that was how he learned about the other boy, a tall slender boy who looked like someone that would grace an idol magazine cover. They were together more often than he liked, and it seemed more than platonic if the glances and subtle touches were a sign.
He wasn't jealous per se, but this would be a roadblock in his plan that he couldn't afford. He was getting used to not being beaten. 
The day he'd followed them to the hospital presented another challenge for him, he hated hospitals and what they represented with every fiber of his being. He'd spent too much time in them growing up and then again for a girl who couldn't care less about him, she was another reminder that he wasn't worthy of love. He had thought he loved her but still hurt her whenever she disobeyed him, he knew he was no better than his father.
Unexpectedly Sujin had burst through the hospital doors, surprising him and forcing him to hide lest she spot him, peeking out from his hiding place behind a tree he saw her distraught and near tears running the opposite direction. He stood in shock merely watching and waiting to see if the unknown boy would follow her, but thankfully he never came.
Pushing down his own wariness and discomfort he walked into the hospital immediately feeling a cold chill on his skin, he refused to call it trauma that made it sound like something was wrong with him. He was fine and he could do this.
Thankfully the nurses were too busy and nobody noticed him walking by and he froze when he spotted another man who was capable of making him flinch. Doctor Kang, he looked anything but approachable in his gleaming white lab coat and he remembered watching the man laugh with his father as they both sold their children without remorse. Instinctively he hid watching the man glare into a hospital room, he almost feared for whomever was the recipient of the ice cold gaze.
Minutes melted by before the doctor finally walked away, his steps clipped and echoing on the linoleum floors and he finally let out a sigh of relief when the other man disappeared around the corner.
Stealthily he rounded the corner and took the doctor's abandoned spot, peeking into the room through the small window in the door. It was that boy again, the idol wannabe but this time he wasn't alone there was a young girl with a bouquet in her arms and a older woman lovingly patting him on his cheeks.
His mother.
A loving one, at that. 
His blood seared watching the domestic scene, jealousy ripping through him like a tornado. There was no way he was letting this asshole have Sujin too, he already had too much. More than he, Baekyung would ever have.
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                                                                The motorcycle roars under her thighs as they whip down the road. It only serves to remind her of the first time she was on a bike with another boy, his cologne and the scent of leather infiltrating her senses and making her heart jump through hoops. This time she feels nothing but annoyance and extreme frustration, barely holding onto the stranger in front of her as she leans forward to yell above the engine, "Pullover!"
She knows he heard her based on the immediate tension in his body but he continues to ride ignoring her request demand. With a grunt she grabs onto his waist only to bodily drag them to the side not caring if they both crash at this point she cannot stand another second on this bike with him, instantly he straightens them before skidding to the side and finally pulling the brakes bringing the motorcycle to a halt, the moment the bike stops she hops off in a frenzy.
Thrusting the bottom piece of his helmet up he screams at her, "Are you insane? You could have hurt us!"
She bares her teeth at him, ready to unleash her full anger on him now without an audience. 
"Who the fuck are you? And why did you come to my school?" She bellows glaring poisonously at the strange idiot who had single handedly upended her day.
Moving calmer than she's feeling, he dismounts finally pulling his helmet off and then squeezing it under his arm looking down at her. 
With a condescending look he stares at her, "You know exactly who I am, don't play dumb it's beneath you."
He's right. She does know who he is although she had never seen him or known his name, she had truly thought she could ignore him and he would disappear. Just like with her father that was proving to be an erroneous dream that would never come true. 
"But I'll formally introduce myself since we are going to be engaged soon after all, Baekyung. You can call me oppa though."
Engaged soon.
Her head spins from his words, she feels terror shift over her like a thick suffocating blanket.
"You don't even know me. Why would you even agree to this?" She stares at him in disbelief, at a loss to his acquiesce to their tragic fate.
The look in his eyes haunt her, it's like staring in a mirror and gazing back at the person she was months ago. Somehow without her knowledge or consent she'd changed, grown even and therefore started believing that her life was just that, hers.
"You act like we have a choice. Don't be stupid, we have to just do as we're told. It's easier this way for everyone." He repeats those words that she herself had uttered to Seojun not so long ago, a sense of deja vu washes over her. 
"How is letting ourselves be used easier? Don't you have your own dreams or aspirations? Isn't there someone you actually like?" She knows the error of her argument immediately as she says it, his eyes narrow into thin enraged slits and she can practically feel the anger vibrating off him.
"Don't pretend to care about me. This is about you and your little boyfriend," he spits the word like acid and immediately she remembers those chilling words he had whispered in her eyes earlier, "Do you think he'll be safe?" That was all it had taken for her to go with him, he couldn't get hurt she wouldn't allow that to happen ever. She had no idea what those ominous words meant and how this boy could pose a threat to Seojun but she knew she had to hear him out and protect Seojun anyway she possibly could. 
"He's not the only one you should be worried about." The smug bastard continues with a humorless grin on his face and suddenly the dots connect, her father outside of Ms. Han's hospital room and that calculating look on his face. Her stomach drops.
"Leave them out of it!" She screams embarrassed at the urgent plea in her voice but she can't help it, she's so scared more than she's ever been for herself.
"Well that all depends on you doesn't it? Your dear father will have no reason to do anything to them if you listen like a good daughter and date me as expected."
She stands frozen once again feeling helpless, it kills her inside all her growth slipping down the drain in a matter of seconds.
"Why are you doing this?"
He stills at her question, his cold mask dropping and leaving something numb and unreadable in its place. It feels familiar to her, she awaits his answer with bated breath.
"I want to live, even if I have no control over it. I'd rather be alive."
Thunder clashes above them, the previously sunny day shifting into a gray dark distortion, heavy storm clouds ominously loom above them and the first raindrops land perfectly on her cheeks, crying the tears that she refuses to let fall. She has no more left to cry.
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Confusion is an understatement to express Su-ah's true feelings following the mysterious boy on the motorcycle, when she finally gets Sujin on the phone the other girl is quiet and mumbling, evading all her questions and as soon as she mentions Seojun, Sujin shuts down hastily ending their conversation with some nonsensical excuse. 
That was not going to be the end, Sujin might want to play dumb about the true nature of their relationship but she wasn't part of the circus. She was no clown, she had eyes and it was clear that they liked each other and it was only growing the more time they spent together. She wouldn't let her best friend sabotage something that could be great for her, she deserved happiness and Seojun made her happy. So it was truly that simple. 
Stomping up the slight incline to school, she huffs and puffs determined. She was going to talk some sense into the other girl.
Those thoughts come crashing all around her when she sees Sujin coming out of a car, a car that she has never seen before and her questions are answered when the boy from yesterday steps out after her. Every eye in a ten mile radius is watching them, captivated by this new school scandal. Girls already squealing and giggling, envious of Sujin and doing very little to hide their true feelings. 
“Why is he with her? She isn’t even that pretty. He should be with me.” 
The lies people told themselves to sleep at nights, sad. 
Accidentally knocking the gossiping girl to the side with a rough shoulder check, ignoring her dramatic cry she sprints the rest of the way, once again pushing through the crowd to get to Sujin.
Immediately their eyes lock and she begs Sujin for a answers, What happened? Why are you doing this? What’s going?,  she flinches at the cold emotionless stare she gets in response. She watches in dismay as the tall boy bends down as if to hug Sujin and that's when a loud grumble fills the air, she turns around to the all too familiar sight of Seojun on his motorcycle. He revs the handle bar causing the crowd to part like the Red Sea, then he rides slowly until he's right next to Sujin bike inches away from touching her.
With a practiced motion he tugs off his helmet, those sloping feline eyes already on Sujin in a hard stare.
The tension is insurmountable and cloying and Su-ah watches transfixed before Sujin breaks the impasse, tugging her bookbag over her shoulder she stomps into the school without a word to either boys. But then the interloping boy calls out, “Have a good day. Princess,” and Sujin stops immediately at the word, turning around with a ferocious look in her eyes, “Don’t call me that. My name is Kang Sujin to you. That’s all.” Su-ah sees the way that Sujin’s eyes almost subconsciously seek out a certain cat eyed boy and feels like she misses an entire conversation between the two before Sujin finally walks away. 
The mysterious boy glares at her retreating back before shooting a cold glare at Seojun and then promptly hopping back into his car, the backseat as he's chauffeured away.
"Oh my god! That was so hot! Princess?” 
"Who is that? Does Kang Sujin have a boyfriend? Wow, she’s mean to her boyfriend too. What a bitch.” 
Why do you think Seojun looked so angry?"
"Maybe he's worried about losing his bad boy title!"
The crowd erupts around them in loud voices, all curious about what they've witnessed and already creating rumors to appease their curiosity. Suddenly a loud motorcycle screech causes them all to jump silence falling over the crowd before Seojun rides away, the tight clench in his jaw visible even from her distance.
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Lunch is a step above awkward, bordering into painful. The easy conversation that used to be a staple of the table is all but decimated, instead everyone eats quietly chilled by the cold air permeating from both Seojun and Sujin. They only speak when spoken to and avoid all eye contact, especially each others. It's painful to be a witness to and she notes regretfully that neither are eating home made lunch today, opting for the school lunch instead.
Sujin had never officially told her but she knew that they were making food for each other, their smiles watching the other eat made it too obvious.
This was serious. Looking at them now they looked like complete strangers, everyone was too nervous to question the elephant in the room. Everyone except poor Chorong.
"Why is everyone was so awkward today? What did you two fight or something? Why do we all have to suffer because of your lover's quarrel? Just kiss and make up already."
The table all looked on with opened mouths except Suho and herself who both looked worried instead.
And people thought she was slow, how had they all not realized what was happening? It was clear as day.
She flinches at his well-meaning words that are evidently not well received by either teen, watching them both glare at the table unmoving and the silence drags out painfully before Seojun breaks the stalemate. Standing without preamble he glares at Chorong before placing the stare on Sujin, it does nothing to change her unaffected stare. With a loud sigh he stomps away, despite his friends dismayed shouts of his name.
She continues to eat her lunch, watching Sujin in her peripheral.
She looks like she has the weight of the world on her shoulder and Su-ah for the first time in their friendship has no idea what to do.
But when they all start to funnel out of the cafeteria she follows the other girl anyway, tugging her into an enclave where they are hidden from the rest of their classmates Sujin cries out at the sudden jerk but loses her defensive stance when she realizes it’s just her. 
“What?”
“What’s going on? Why are you letting that punk bring you to school and why are you and Han Seojun acting like you broke up before you even started officially dating? Sujin-ah, please tell me what’s going on.” She pleads latching onto the other girl’s arm peering up at her with puppy dog eyes, they have never failed her before. 
“I can’t tell you yet, I’m sorry.”
There’s a first time for everything and she frowns at Sujin feeling like there is a mountain between them. She can’t help the hurt that she feels knowing the other girl doesn’t trust her enough to tell her what’s going on. She thought they had moved past all the secrets and hiding but obviously she was wrong. 
“I really am sorry. But I will tell you everything soon enough.”
She releases Sujin’s arm, ready to walk away. She hates being in the dark. But before she can walk away, she feels Sujin hand on the bottom of her sweater tugging her backwards, she looks back with a perplexed glare. 
“Do you trust me?” 
She stares at Sujin and the soft tilt of her head as she asks the question, and her answer is easy, although she has no idea what’s going on and none of this makes any sense to her she doesn’t have to think about that answer. 
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"You shouldn't do this to him. It's too cruel." Suho expects a biting retort or even a call for him to mind this damn business, so he's shocked breathless when instead the other girl smiles at him, a tiny almost indecipherable thing that makes her lips thinner. 
"You two have come a long way." Sujin responds unexpectedly shaking her head and walking over to the couch, before beckoning him over too.
He stares feeling suspicious but ultimately he follows, curiosity winning.
"I think I'm ready." Sujin expels a deep breath, twisting her hands nervously in her lap. Before he can ask her what exactly she's ready for she continues, "I want to tell your father what happened if you really think he'll help me."
He's too late to swallow the strangled gasp that escapes from his lungs and he leans back in surprise. He wants to continue his conversation about Seojun but he’s scared to do anything to make the other girl retreat or change her mind now. That conversation will have to wait for another day.  
Sorry Seojun. 
"Are you sure? You're really ready to do this?"
There's a long pause and he watches a myriad of emotions run across Sujin's usually expressionless face until something that looks suspiciously like hope blossoms making her glow brighter than the sun.
"Yes. I want to try living just for me."
Blinking away the moisture in his eyes, he pulls out his cellphone sending his father a message.
Please come over.
It only takes seconds but it feels like an eternity before his father replies, he smiles at the message.
On my way.
He stands up to put the kettle on the fire, he knows that tonight will be a long night and he needs something to keep his hands occupied.
When his doorbell rings he's shocked when Sujin stands up looking at him with a serene gaze, "I'll get it." He only nods at her in reply, watching as she greets his father and man recovers quickly at the unexpected visitor, smiling warmly at Sujin before pulling her into a warm embrace.
Even more surprisingly Sujin doesn't flinch, allowing herself to be wrapped up.
His father embraces him as well, patting him on the back and again on the head when they break apart. He can feel Sujin's eyes on them and he moves away guiltily. Now isn’t the time to rub his burgeoning relationship with his father in her face. 
"Have a seat Dad, thank you for coming so quickly."
His father lifts an eyebrow at the sudden serious tone of his voice but he follows his directions nonetheless folding his hands on his lap and looking inquisitively between the two teenagers.
"Is there something you both want to tell me? Perhaps you two are....." His father motions vaguely between them and he stares back not comprehending until his father smiles slyly and Sujin beats him to it, protesting ardently.
"No! No, it's nothing like that. There's someone else...I mean no. That's what what we wanted to talk about."
He raises an eyebrow at Sujin's slip and his father chuckles at her stuttering and the red blaze across her cheeks.
His father waves his arms in appeal, apologetic grin on his face. "Sorry I didn't mean to embarrass you both. I just always hoped you two might one day. A father can dream."
He scoffs at his father, "Give up on that dream she's like family to me. We would never see each other that day."
Sujin nods passionately in agreement and his father shrugs easily, now looking even more curious than before.
"So what did you want to talk about?"
Sujin stills on her spot on the couch, the determination in her bones seeming to melt away with every passing minute. He fears this won't go as planned and he has no idea how to motivate her.
Then a loud vibration rumbles from the couch and it takes Sujin a moment to realize it's her phone, he watches curiously as she looks at the message and then a single tear runs down her round cheek. The determination curls back around her like armor, he watches in amazement as she sits taller turning to look at his father with newfound courage or maybe it wasn’t newfound but suddenly uncovered by whatever she had seen on her phone. 
“Suho asked you for help for me. I’m really the one who needs your help.” He can hear the slight quiver and hitches in her words but she gets them all out and instantly she has his father’s undivided attention, he even turns his body to fully face the girl. Pride swells in his chest at the sight, he was worried his father would only be adamant about helping him directly as a way to get closer to him but now he can see that he was wrong about the other man. Genuine concern fills every line and wrinkle of time on his face. 
“What is wrong? What do you need help with and why can’t you tell your parents?” It’s a innocent question, and logical too but he fears Sujin’s reaction, when she feels like she is backed into a corner in the past that has led to her lashing out with dagger sharp remarks, he watches with his heart lodged in his throat.
“Because they are the ones hurting me.” 
His lungs deflate releasing all the air that was trapped in the sacs, she said the truth without hesitation and he turns to glance at his father watching him process the bomb that she has just dropped on him. His father opens and closes his mouth several times, before finding his voice it is but a whisper when he responds to Sujin. 
“That time you needed a doctor.” The statement is directed to Suho and with a sober nod he confirms what his father already knows, with a loud sigh his father sinks into the couch quiet rage on his face. “I should have known, you always seemed so scared of him but I thought it was just his parenting style I never thought...never expected that he would....I should have done something!” 
Sujin laughs, it is pained and small but he hears it and immediately turns to look at her, “He sounds just like you like father like son I guess,” Sujin directs that at him and he blushes in memory, he can’t deny the claims. Then she turns back to his father with surprisingly soft eyes, “Don’t blame yourself, just help me now if you can.” 
“I will use all of my resources to make sure he spends his life in jail.” 
Suho jumps in his seat looking over at Sujin, that is way more than they had ever discussed that was what he truly wanted for the monstrous man but it always seemed like too much to ask for but here was his father saying it as if it was completely plausible. 
“Jail? Do you really think he can go to jail? It would be his word against mine, I never took any pictures. I was stupid.” Sujin berates herself, and before he can dismiss the self inflicted insult his father is already moving closer and putting a large hand on her trembling shoulder, only then does he realize how the girl is shaking like a new leaf. 
“No, it will be my word against his. I will also get that report from Doctor Kim, that could be used as evidence. You’re just a kid and a victim, I’ll handle this you don’t need to do anything else. You’ve handled enough on your own, we got you now.” His father looks over at him as if waiting for his approval and he moves onto the couch with them both, after a moment’s pause putting his hand on Sujin’s other shoulder. 
“We got you.” 
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Jukyeong glances over nervously at Seojun the aroma of coffee thick in the air as she sweeps up the beans she had clumsily spilled on the ground, she waited for Seojun to playfully scold her as he often did when she messed up at work but the reprimand never came and when she glanced over at him he had been staring longing at his cellphone. 
Su-ah had been the first to notice how weird him and Sujin acted around each other and despite not having a lot of experience with relationships, especially those of the romantic kind she could see that they didn’t hate each other as much as Sujin tried to drive the deceptive point home. They were always teasing each other and Seojun found any excuse to be near Sujin and soon he wasn’t the only one, they just seemed to naturally gravitate to each other at times bickering so much it was like they were the only two people in the room. 
But all that had come to an abrupt end with the sudden appearance of the boy on the motorcycle, the entire school was in a uproar over him, Baek Kyung, she had heard the other girls whispering his name. On paper he seemed very similar to Han Seojun, same bad boy persona and affinity for motorcycles and glares. But the biggest difference she noticed was Sujin's reaction to them both, she had heard from some gossiping girls how vehemently Sujin had declared that Baek Kyung not call her “princess”, a moniker she had commonly heard Seojun use to refer to the girl.  Sujin never stopped him these days, instead rolling her eyes and speeding up to escape from him, he would chase after all calling her the sweet nickname all the way. 
When Seojun would use it to refer to her in passing such as, “Are you gonna eat that princess?” Those were times that Sujin didn’t react at all, simply handing him whatever food in her container had caught his eye that she had ignored. 
They were casually domestic in a way that they never seemed to realize and she couldn’t help but categorize. Seojun liked Sujin that was becoming clearer and it seemed like the feeling was mutual, even if the girl wasn’t yet ready to admit it. 
Which was why this new development came as a complete shock to her, why was Sujin suddenly giving her attention to someone else? 
“Did you guys have a fight? Just tell her you’re sorry.” She offers out of the blue, and Seojun turns to her with a puzzled look drying a mug with a cloth, “What are you talking about now clumsy?” 
Thankfully the shop is empty, she quirks at eyebrow at him folding her arm when he continues to play dumb. 
“Sujin. You guys clearly had a fight, you’re both so hot tempered. Her temper is probably worst than yours though so just apologize okay? It’s better than fighting.” 
He stares at her with a blank face before turning away, rubbing firmer at the mug in his hands and she worries for its safety. 
“Why should I apologize when she’s the one who’s with another guy? Don’t worry about me, I will be fine. Clearly this was one-sided. She doesn’t like me.” 
She openly laughs at him now, looking at him like he has two heads. “What are you talking about? If she didn’t like you then why did she follow you to your mom’s hospital? She tried to be all sneaky but Chorong told us everything. Plus she always gets jealous when other girls give you food at school and don’t think we don’t all know that you guys make food for each other!” 
He whips around looking at her with huge eyes, “Wait you all knew? So when I said that someone special made it for me? You knew?” 
She smiles brightly, “Yep. It wasn’t subtle at all.” 
He sighs in annoyance, turning away to hide the pink on his face. 
“I’m not apologizing. I didn’t do anything wrong.” 
She sighs at the boy’s words, knowing that this fight might go on longer than it needs to and she wishes she could just shake some sense into both of them, why were they choosing to suffer like this? 
Damn teenagers and their angst. 
Grumbling she goes to take a customer’s order, glancing over at Seojun with a final sad smile. 
Hopefully they can figure this out without falling apart. 
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Time seems to move slower than usual today and he almost pumps a fist in  triumph when he sees that it’s finally eight and they are free to leave. 
“Do you want to me to walk you to the bus stop?” He offers Jukyeong out of politeness but she shakes her head no, telling him that she is going to meet with her older sister for dinner running out before him and hailing a cab, he smiles at the sight that’s one girl who loves to eat. 
Turning off the lights in the shop, he turns over the “open” sign and locks the door behind him. The cool spring night air brushes against his cheeks and he makes his way to his motorcycle, mounting in one motion and sighing as it purrs to life before he speeds off his destination already in mind. He bobs and weaves through traffic, smirking at idiot drivers who blare their horns at him when he inches too close to their precious car but even they are not enough to rain on his parade. 
When he finally arrives, he bounces off the bike throwing the helmet onto the handlebar carelessly before bounding over to the figure he sees waiting. 
He can’t help the smile that tugs against his lips, ultimately setting it free as the figure turns around at the sound of his boot stomping on the ground. 
“Did you wait long?” He asks moving closer until he can feel the heat wafting off the body in front of him. 
“No, I only just got here too. Why are you smiling like that? You look deranged.” 
He smiles wider, feeling mischievous after what a certain klutz had revealed to him with a smirk he leans closer to her, grinning harder when she leans back looking at him with a confused glare. 
“I heard from a certain birdie that you followed me to the hospital and that you get jealous when other girls give me food. Is that true princess?” 
Sujin growls at him, shoving his shoulder hard before stomping away to the park bench. He eagerly follows after her, throwing his arm over her shoulder smiling at her wearing yet another one of his sweaters, this time a black one that reaches the bottom of her knees and completely hides whatever she is wearing underneath. She looks equally sexy as adorable and it makes his blood boil in a way he has been trying harder and harder to suppress around her. 
“I knew you would try to milk the situation. This isn’t why I told you everything.” 
He smiles recalling what Sujin is referring to. 
Just a day go.....
He stares angrily at his phone in utter disbelief that she would have the gall to call him after what had just happened. She had left on another boy’s motorcycle even though he had asked her not to, he didn’t know what was going on but seeing her leave like that, he wished he knew how to turn off all his feelings for her. No other human should have this kind of power or control over him but here he was ready to burst because she had picked someone else over him. 
“What do you want?” He barks out answering the call with a hard press of his finger and immediately he starts to lose some of his fire when he hears her soft staggered breaths on the other line. 
“Seojun, can you meet me somewhere?” 
He wants to say no, to bitterly hang up on her and tell her that he has someone new too but that would be a lie and he desperately wants to see her and hold her and find out why she decided to rip his heart out and stomp on it.  
Feeling pathethic he answers her with a sigh, “Where are you?”  
Songnisan park. It’s not too far from their school and he hangs up without answering hopping on his bike and riding to her. Maybe it’s stupid but he can’t turn his back on her just yet, he still wants to hear her out even if she’s going to break his heart. 
By the time he reaches the park it’s raining, pouring down in sheets despite the warm weather and he immediately sees Sujin sitting under the downpour while other park goers are running and using picnic blankets as makeshift umbrellas. 
The scenes feels all too familiar and he wonders if this will be their end? Would life be that poetic to have them end the same way they became? 
Sighing he tugs his sweater off, walking quickly to close the gap between them before sitting beside her and thrusting his sweater above both their heads, protecting them from the rain. 
She turns to him with a gasp and he realizes how closely they are sitting beside each other, he can feel her breath when she exhales and it washes over in an intoxicating breeze. He has to forcibly put some distance between them before he does something that he knows he shouldn’t, especially not now. 
“My father knows about us. He saw me at the hospital and I’m scared he saw your mother and sister too. I don’t think I should visit anymore.” 
He pauses to process her words and he feels his chest tighten with anger at the mention of that sub-human, if he ever tried to harm a hair on his family’s head that would be the last thing he ever did. But once the rage passes by he thinks of the rest of Sujin’s sentence, my father knows about us. 
They were an us. 
There was an us for people to know about? 
“Us?” He replies stupidly, unable to stop his heart from fluttering. 
With a sound of exasperation she looks over at him, “How is that the most important thing that I said?” The pretty blush on her face does not go unnoticed but he responds to her statement staying focused, “My mom was discharged today. They said it was just a scare and nothing serious. He can’t do anything to us, if he tries I’ll kill him.” 
He means it, every single word falling from his lips. 
He’s not prepared for Sujin to sob and drop her head onto his shoulder, he drops their sweater umbrella at the sudden pleasant weight feeling the rain drench his hair and shirt instantly. 
“I’m so happy to hear that. I was so worried about all of you.” 
A bubble of happiness explodes in his chest and he’s so close to just letting go of all his anger and holding her, seeing her so worried about his family is almost enough to undo him. 
But, he can’t forget the image of her riding off with someone else. His heart will never forget that ache, that indescribable pain.
“So you care about me now? Is that why you left me like that today? Because you care so much?”
He is being petty, he knows that but he can’t stop the jealousy that is fueling him right now. His green eyed monster is raring its ugly head. 
“That’s the guy you told me to stand up, remember? That’s the guy my father is trying to sell me to. He’s been following us and he knew about you, he threatened you. I did what I had to, I have to do this until I speak to Suho’s father. I think.....No. I’m ready now. I’m going to tell him everything and ask for his help.” 
His heart is pounding erratically in his chest, he can barely hear the rain over the loud thumping of the organ and he can’t believe he ever doubted her, feels guilt twist around him but he pushes that aside to take in everything she has confessed to him, without saying the words she has all but confirmed everything Jukyeong carelessly exposed to him in the coffee shop, she cares about him too enough to want to protect him at any cost. But most importantly she was starting to care about herself, she no longer saw her life as expendable and was willing to ask for help even at the expense of revealing her darkest secret and getting her hopes up. 
Fuck she was the bravest person he knew. 
Without thinking he tugs her into his arms, wrapping her in a tight hug before he realizes what he’s doing but by the time he starts to move back she’s already hugging him back, her arms tight around his shoulder and her head in the dip of his neck and it’s too perfect to stop now. Absently he strokes her wet silky smooth hair and when they finally draw apart, the barest amount of space between them he takes another risk, glancing at her eyes pleading and then smiling when she nods, giving him permission even without knowing what he plans to do, simply trusting him, he leans forward and plants a soft butterfly kiss on her forehead, she hisses in response but instead of moving away she latches on to him tighter. 
“I’m so proud of you baby.” He kisses her again, firmer this time putting all the love and pride he feels for her in that gentle kiss to her brow. 
He expects a lot of things in response to his bold move and the new nickname, a punch, a kick, her loud denial and rejection, he is emotionally prepared for any and all of those reactions, but instead she steals his breath away when she smiles up at him, looking into his eyes and he realizes that she’s looking for permission too and he nods, nervous and anxious to see what she will do. 
With a moment’s hesitation she tugs him down and he goes easily, his heart in his chest and he closes his eyes as her face draws closer to him, his heart is pattering now a crazy thundering mess filled to the brim with anticipation. 
He feels her plush lips against his cheek, the rain making the skin slick and he hums in encouragement as the kiss lingers before he opens his eyes and immediately they are lost in each other’s eyes and he can feel their faces moving closer as if opposite ends of a magnet and he waits for her to stop them, to push him away and run off but she is just as lost as him, moving closer too and when only centimeters separate their lips, a loud crash of thunder booms high above their heads making them jump apart, both flying to opposite ends of the bench. 
“We should...um get out of this rain before we catch a cold.” 
The ride home is awkward and he can barely breathe with how tightly she’s holding his waist but he smiles through the rain, taking care to move carefully on the wet streets not wanting to hurt Sujin and then they are in front of Suho’s apartment, much too fast to his disappointment. 
They both sit unmoving for a few seconds before Sujin releases his waist from her death grip and gets off the bike. 
“Let’s talk over there for a minute.” He states dismounting too and walking over to the scaffold so they can escape the torrential rain for a moment at least. 
They stand awkwardly shivering from the cold in their wet clothes, it’s obvious that Sujin is embarrassed about what happened- their kisses-but he can barely contain his joy, if he were alone right now he would be doing backflips. 
This day as made a complete 180 turn for the better. 
“I have to pretend to date him. We already agreed to come to school tomorrow. He agreed to stop following me if I let him take me to school and go on dates. He has to put on a show for his father too.” She says talking so fast that the words slur together and he wonders absently if she’s nervous? And if so, why? Was she nervous about his reaction? 
He nods in understanding, “Okay. I forgot to say it earlier, but thank you for telling me and not leaving me in the dark. I appreciate it.” 
That’s the logical part of his response, he knows what it took for Sujin to involve him in her plan and how huge it is that she hadn’t wanted him to misunderstand her feelings and motives. But she’s still the girl that he likes and he can’t help the illogical things that flood his mind too. 
“Not on his motorcycle though.”
She looks at him with a deep searching stare and he simply stares back, nonplussed. He knows what he sounds like, a bargaining jealous boyfriend. That’s exactly what he wants to be so he sees no reason to attempt to explain himself, whatever she’s thinking is true and he isn’t the least bit ashamed to admit it. At his unabashed stare she crumples looking away with a barely hidden smile, “Okay. Not on his bike. Even though I never told you that you were allowed to have conditions, this isn’t a negotiation.” She complains but the sting is gone because she has already agreed to his request, he flashes a smile at her. 
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. I will have to act jealous, that shouldn’t be too hard.” He winks at her and this time she does try to punch him, he barely dodges her fist. 
Such a violent little thing. 
“I never said you had to do anything.”
He shrugs, “It makes sense. I like you so it would only make sense that I would be jealous if I thought you were dating someone else, plus he will probably want to see that too.” 
She’s as red as a strawberry as she sprints away from him without another word, waving at him over her shoulder. 
He smiles all the way home, before falling into bed after a much needed warm shower, his toes and fingers were like ice chips when he finally got home. 
Remembering one more thing, he grabs his phone shooting a quick text message. 
Don’t let him call you nicknames. Only Sujin. 
Reading it back he determines that the message is a bit too...commanding and if he wants to keep a certain boot out of his ass he better fix it so he swiftly adds:
Please. 
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Present time....
“I didn't do anything. She just suddenly started telling me how much you adore me and how you can’t live without me and that I should just forgive you and take you back.” He sniffles dramatically watching amused as Sujin rolls her eyes, before angrily pulling out her phone, he laughs suddenly worried for Jukyeong so he snatches the object from her hands, much to her chagrin. 
“I might have exaggerated about what she said, a teeny tiny bit.” He demonstrates the small amount with his fingers and she glares at him biting out, “Liar,” before snatching back her phone and stuffing it in her pockets with a grumble. 
Getting serious he turns to look at her with anticipation, “How did it go? Were you able to tell him everything?” She is staring out at the horizon, despite him boring a hole in the side of her head begging for eye contact. 
“I hesitated. I lost my confidence.”
He can hear the defeat in her voice and without a pause he opens his mouth to comfort her and tell her how strong she is and explain why this is just a minor setback but next time they can go together and if she needs him to he will hold her hand the entire time and give her every last drop of his support and--
“But then I got a message and it gave me courage. So I told him everything and he agreed to help me. He wants to send my dad to jail, not just emancipate me.” 
She did it. 
She really did it. 
He smiles at her wider than the ocean. 
“You did it, Sujin.”
She stares at him in palpable shock, he immediately knows why it’s not often he uses her name and he expects her to be happy that he isn’t calling her the nickname she is always dismissing, she’s always so adamant that she is not a princess much less his princess.  
“Don’t call me that.” She says finally turning to meet his eyes and he stares back confused because he had only said her name, why was that a problem? Wasn’t that what she had been trying to get him to call her since the first time he dubbed her princess? 
“What do you want me to call you then?” 
He is truly asking but the look she gives him makes him feel like the dunce in the corner of the room and realization unfurls in his body like a slow moving tsunami and he smiles unbridled at the epiphany. 
He hasn’t wanted to get his hopes up by making assumptions about what this is but maybe it’s time that he have some confidence now, he was someone important to her. She had already proved that in so many ways these past days. 
Taking her hand in his, he smiles brightly at her. 
It’s the first time that he has held her hand, and he can feel the damaged skin in his own smoother hand. His heart aches for only a moment, her hands are just like her they might look bruised and pitiful at first glance but beneath the broken surface lurked unimaginable strength and power and just like the rest of her, they were imperfectly perfect. He never wanted to hold another hand, this was the only one he needed. 
“Good job, you did it Princess.” 
She smiles up at him, looking gorgeous-heart stoppingly so-and he can’t help the way his chest constricts as if he didn’t know it already he knows it now unequivocally . 
He, Han Seojun belongs to Kang Sujin. 
39 notes · View notes
marsbutterfly · 4 years ago
Text
The Scientist’s Gamble - Part 1
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Summary:  "Attention! Commander Erwin has sent me here today with an announcement! In exactly one month an expedition will take place outside the walls!", Moblit pauses for a second, paying close attention to the reactions in front of him. "The goal of this mission will be..."
Note:  I would like to thank my amazing wife for editing this fic for me, I know it wasn't easy and I love her very much. She has been nothing but supportive from the very beginning and her help is extremely appreciated as I try to find own my writing style in a whole different language. She's amazing and I'm very lucky to have her in my life!
Next Chapter
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"Wait... So we're going outside the walls to capture a titan so that Squad Leader Hanji can experiment on it?" someone asks from the back of the room.
"Well... Yes, but it's for the good of humanity," Moblit says while he holds the bridge of his nose. The expression on his face tells you that he did not agree with this, but he is willing to give it a go so long as life inside the walls could take its next step towards the truth. "The Commander has given his OK, so this operation will be moving forward. Now, how she managed to convince him to agree to this is beyond me..." His voice disappears as he walks out of the room, all the while scribbling on his clipboard.
As soon as his silhouette is out of sight, the room starts to fill with murmurs.
"That's such a waste of resources!"
"We should be out there killing titans, not this!"
From your spot in the corner of the room, you begin to write in your journal everything you might need to prepare for the expedition, such as a new training schedule and what arrangements would need to be done.
"Y/N?" says a disembodied voice, startling you a bit and pulling you away from your to-do list. "Y/N? Are you in there?"
You look up to see Eren waving his hand in front of your face, almost failing to catch your attention.
"Oh, I'm sorry," you say, not looking at him, and not really sorry. "What were you saying?"
He laughs. "You really are hopeless. Would you like to come train with us?" He gestures at the Cadet group as they walk out the door.
"Oh, not today," you say, "I need to head back to my room to collect some of my notes and deliver them to my Squad Leader. I wouldn't want our next expedition to be delayed, you know!" Although you try your best to remain serious, the enthusiasm in your voice is undeniable.
He rolls his eyes and allows his lips to curl into a smirk, "We'll catch up with you later then!" he says while walking towards the door and just like that, you're alone in the classroom. Packing your things, you make your way out. You read the notes in your hands as you walk, making sure you only need to make one quick stop before heading toward the lab.
Once in your room, you look underneath every book, paper, and pile of clothes. You try your best to find your notes on titan deterioration, but quickly realize they are nowhere to be found.
Did you not bring them back after the last expedition? No, you remember seeing them just a couple of days ago. Could they be with old reports? No, you just checked. Did someone take them? At that moment, you realize that just may be what happened. After what happened with Annie Leonhardt, you didn't know who you could trust, and as a result, you've been being extremely careful not to misplace your paperwork.
Yet somehow your most important piece of work is missing. Slowly but surely, panic sets in. "What will I tell Squad Leader Hanji? I don't want to disappoint her," you mutter, taking a deep breath. Panicking won't help right now, so you do your best to pull yourself together, and gather all the other papers you need before making your way towards the lab.
You knock on the lab door rather loudly a couple of times.
"Come in!" Your heart skips a beat at the sound of her voice calling from the inside of the room. You open the door slowly, remembering past instances of her dropping glass beakers when startled. Luckily Hanji is just sitting at her desk, writing reports. Likely about the most recent past expedition, probably where she got the idea of capturing yet another titan to serve as her experiment. At least that would give Eren a little bit of a break. He really needs it.
"Squad Leader Hanji, I brought you all the data I've collected about titans from previous expeditions. The most common sizes, our studies on abnormal..." Your hearts speeds up as you notice her looking at you, but you can't bring yourself to face her as you speak again. "I can't seem to find the papers about their deterioration. All the details we've collected seem to be lost. I'm so sorry, and I'll keep looking for it. If I can't find it until tonight, I'll write you a new report from memory, I swear." You can feel her eyes on you, and it gets a little harder to breathe. Your lungs try their best to keep up with the speed of your rambling.
"Well, Y/N," Hanji says, getting closer as she walks towards you. Tears of frustration well in your eyes, and you expect the worst. You worked so hard to become her assistant, to earn this. The thought of it all going wrong would be enough to break you. You're vaguely aware of her rifling through papers on her desk.
"It's alright, dear! I have them right here. You must have forgotten them here last night. I reminded you to grab them but you seemed to be in quite a hurry." Hanji could sense the uneasiness coming from her assistant, her face softening as she pulls you into a hug, and it's desperately what you need at that moment. You breathe a sigh of relief now that you know you didn't mess this up. At least not this time.
You let your mind wander to last night. You had spent hours copying the indiscernible scribble-scratch of Hanji's field notes. You think of how you called her over to translate a particularly messy section, and you think of the way she gently touched your arm before her hand slid along your skin as she reached for the pen. The hairs on your body instantly rose, and combined with the chills going down your spine, you couldn't help the embarrassment that flooded through you. Before she could've said anything, you got up and ran, wishing her a hasty goodnight on your way out.
Your cheeks burn. No wonder you misplaced your papers.
But realization hit you; Hanji has her arms around you in a warm and comforting embrace. She's holding you, cradling you. The heat in your cheeks spread across your entire face, a dark shade of red replacing your usual skin tone. One of the reasons you wanted to be her assistant in the first place was to spend time with her. Your crush on Hanji isn't something new and has never been a secret. Everyone seems to know about it... except Hanji herself.
"Are you all right? Your heart is beating so fast," Hanji says, breaking the silence between you two. She pokes two fingers against your neck to feel the pulse, but you swat her hand away. You quickly pull away while looking in the other direction, hoping she doesn't notice your embarrassment.
"I'm fine, Squad Leader! Do you need my help with anything today?" you say, gathering enough strength to sound like you aren't melting before her eyes.
"Not for now. Over the course of the next few weeks, I'll be mostly filling out paperwork and preparing the lab to receive our new visitor," she beams, and the stars in her paired eyes with the excitement in her voice is more than enough to bring a smile to your face.
Hanji grabs your shoulders. "All I need is for you to study our past discoveries, but mostly prepare yourself for all the new ones we're about to make!" She begins to gently shake you, rocking you back and forth in her excitement. "Make sure to practice your 3D maneuvers as well, I wouldn't want to lose my favorite assistant!"
You feel your blush deepen, and wonder how she doesn't notice.
"Of course, Squad Leader," you say.
.
During the next four weeks, you spend your days mostly with your friends in the hopes some of their strongest skills rub off on you.
Mikasa teaches you how she handles her blade. You try your best to learn from her, but handling swords isn't your strong suit. But still, there is a noticeable improvement in your form. Thanks to her, your blades can firmly and precisely cut through a titan's nape without any problem.
Eren and Jean argue over who would help you with 3DM air movements until they finally agree that it would be best for both of them to assist you. This plan lasts less than a week until finally after you break up two fistfights and countless arguments, the two of them come to the conclusion that being around each other is worse than a death sentence. You start to practice on your own, but they manage to teach you a few new tricks, like being able to do a backflip before slicing the titan's neck, that way you would be able to move quickly and proceed to another titan in a matter of seconds.
Armin sits with you every day during lunch and dinner, keeping your knowledge on Titans sharp. He shuffles through bundles of cards as well as notebooks full of information. He quizzes you every day and corrects you when you're wrong. He's the most helpful of them all.
Reiner and Bertholdt do their best to train you in hand-to-hand combat. You won't need it, and Annie was better than they are, but they must have sparred with her enough for some of her moves to rub off, and you figure there's no harm in being overly prepared.
Krista teaches you what she knows about how to care for wounds with ingredients you can find in the forest. She shows you how to wrap an injury and how to do it quickly. Nothing new, but she is very good at helping others. Ymir shows up halfway through Krista's splinting demonstration, and you're pretty sure she only stays there so she can play the part of swooning, Injured Scout. Every so often she would let out a long sigh and moan about her fake injuries. "I'm so hurt Krista, please take care of me," she says. "If I survive this injury, please marry me Krista." You don't ask Ymir for help with anything, you know all she really puts effort into is charming Krista.
Sasha and Connie... well, they're certainly a good distraction when you need a break. Sasha tells you her hunting stories, and when she notices you're interested, her stories become much more dramatically performed. She recruits Connie to help her put on a play, and he plays every character in her stories: Sasha herself, the injured animal, even the sound of the wind as it rushes past the trees. They are exceptionally good at making you laugh.
The night before the expedition departs, while you're in your room packing your bags and triple-checking your list making sure everything you might need is in it. Everything seems to be in order. Flare guns, medical supplies, a toothbrush and comb. A sudden knock on your door pulls you away from your thoughts.
"Yes?"
"Y/N, can I come in?" says a familiar voice, and your heart skips. You nearly give yourself whiplash as you turn your head.
"Yes!" you call out, and the door creaks open. Your eyes meet Hanji's, and a familiar feeling overtakes you.
"I haven't seen you in so long. I miss you," she has a gentle smile on her face, and you feel your cheeks reddening as usual. Why must your body do this to you every time she's around? You signal for her to come inside, and Hanji closes the door behind her.
Hanji sits on your bed while reaching for your hand. She takes it and pulls you closer, excitement in her eyes. As soon as you readjust next to her, you impulsively wrap your arms around her shoulders. It takes Hanji by surprise, but she is quick to return the embrace. If only you had the courage to tell her how you feel before you leave tomorrow... but you can't risk clouding her mind with such thoughts. She needs to have a clear head tomorrow, and you need to be there for her no matter what. She may not know how you feel, but you need to remember her like this, just in case. You touch the rough fabric of her jacket, inhale the scent of her hair, feel the cold and hardness of her glasses press against your cheek. You just hold her, needing to feel her like it's the last thing you'd ever do on this Earth.
You wish you could stay forever in her arms, but you manage to pull yourself away after a few seconds. Hanji gives you a soft look. "What was that about?" she asks.
Your face feels so hot you're surprised you don't burst into flames. That familiar feeling takes over your body while your brain processes everything that just happened.
"I missed you too," is all you can say. "So, did you want to tell me something, Hanji?"
Her slight smile disappears. She takes a deep breath, as if the air in her lungs is about to be stolen, "I'm just a little nervous about tomorrow. I thought you might be able to help me calm down, but it seems like I didn't even need to ask," she says, smiling. "Do you feel ready?"
"Yes, I've been practicing to make sure I will not be killed tomorrow!", you say, forming fists with your hands and positioning them on your hips. You're proud of everything you've accomplished with your friends' help during these past few weeks. Hanji starts laughing, and you beam with pride. You hope this is what she needed.
When her laughter subsides, Hanji lets out a contented sigh. "I honestly don't know what I would do without you around," she says.
Your eyes widen, and you get embarrassed again. You can't help but look away. Her soft hand touches your shoulder, "I should get going now. I need to look over some details before we leave in the morning." She squeezes your shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
You nod. "Of course, Squad Leader."
.
"Our mission, the expedition to capture a Titan, will now commence! Give up your hearts for humanity!" Commander Erwin's voice echoes clearly throughout the scouts as the gate opens fully. While screaming, he signals with his arms and the horses sprint outside the wall in formation. The gate closes behind them with a heavy thunk.
The sky is a beautiful shade of blue, with very few clouds. The cold breeze against your skin brings chills everywhere it touches. There are goosebumps all over your body, but the excitement rushing through your veins is enough to keep you warm for now. You've been preparing yourself for this for the past month and you feel like for once, luck is on your side.
Right next to you rides Hanji. Her laugh rings out louder than dozens of thundering hooves and yelling Scouts. The Commander had asked you to stay by her side at all times, mostly to keep her from getting herself killed, and judging by the twinkle in his eye, you could tell that your affections were noticed even at the highest level of the Scouting Regiment.
As the formation rides out, Hanji takes a moment to meet your eyes, and you smile at her. Today is going to be a win for humanity, you think to yourself.
You could not be more wrong.
62 notes · View notes
oikirstein · 4 years ago
Note
Scene:A neighbourhood on a street called Privet Drive. An owl, sitting on the street sign flies off to reveal a mysterious appearing old man walking through a forest near the street. He stops at the start of the street and takes out a mechanical device and zaps all the light out of the lampposts. He puts away the device and a cat meows. The man, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, looks down at the cat, which is a tabby and is sitting on a brick ledge.Dumbledore: I should have known that you would be here...Professor McGonagall.The cat meows, sniffs out and the camera pans back to a wall. The cats shadow is seen progressing into a human. There are footsteps and MINERVA MCGONAGALL is revealed.McGonagall: Good evening, Professor Dumbledore. Are the rumours true, Albus?Dumbledore: I'm afraid so, Professor. The good, and the bad.McGonagall: And the boy?Dumbledore: Hagrid is bringing him.McGonagall: Do you think it wise to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?Albus: Ah, Professor, I would trust Hagrid with my life.There is a motor sound, and the two professors look up to see a flying motorcycle coming down from the air. It skids on the street and halts. A large man, RUBEUS HAGRID, takes off his goggles.Hagrid: Professor Dumbledore, Sir. Professor McGonagall.Dumbledore: No problems, I trust, Hagrid?Hagrid: No, sir. Little tyke fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristol. Heh. Try not to wake him. There you go.Hagrid hands a baby in a blanket over to Dumbledore.McGonagall: Albus, do you really think its safe, leaving him with these people? I've been watching them all day. They're the worst sort of Muggles imaginable. They really areDumbledore: The only family he has.They stop outside a house.McGonagall: This boy will be famous. There wont be a child in our world who doesn't know his name.Dumbledore: Exactly. He's better off growing up away from all that. Until he is ready.Hagrid coughs and sniffles, he is crying. He clears his throat.Dumbledore: There, there, Hagrid. It's not really good-bye, after all.Hagrid nods. Dumbledore takes a letter and places it on the baby, who is now at the foot of the door. The baby has a visible lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead.Dumbledore: Good luck...Harry Potter.The camera pans into the scar and the opening title shows:HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
Almost ten years after the: DURSLEY's home. The camera pans on a sleeping boy, almost eleven, with a lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead.
There is a click, and knocking. Outside, a tall woman, PETUNIA DURSLEY, raps the door.
Petunia: Up. Get up. {Knocks} {sighs} Now! {Smacks door of closet which is the boys bedroom}
A large, tubby boy, DUDLEY DURSLEY, suddenly comes running down the stairs above the closet. He stops half-way down and goes back, jumping on the staircase.
Dudley: Wake up, cousin! We're going to the zoo!
Dudley laughs, comes down the stairs and runs for the kitchen. The boy, HARRY POTTER, tries to come out of the closet, but is pushed back in by Dudley.
Petunia is in the kitchen, where Dudley has gone.
Petunia: Oh, here he comes, the birthday boy!
A larger man, VERNON DURSLEY, is sitting at the kitchen table.
Vernon: Happy birthday, son.
Petunia and Dudley giggle together. Harry comes into the kitchen, dressed in rags.
Petunia: Why don't you just cook the breakfast, and try not to burn anything.
Harry: Yes, Aunt Petunia.
He sets to work.
Petunia: I want everything to be perfect for my Dudley's special day.
Vernon: Hurry up! Bring my coffee, boy!
Harry: Yes, Uncle Vernon.
Petunia leads Dudley over to the family room, where there are a vast amount of presents. Dudley stares.
Dudley: How many are there?
Vernon: Thirty-six. Counted 'em myself.
Dudley: Thirty-six?! But last year last year I got thirty-seven!!
Vernon: Yes, well, some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year!
Dudley: I don't care how big they are!
Petunia: Oh, now, now, now. This is what we're going to do, is that when we go out we're going to buy you two new presents! How's that, Pumpkin?
Scene:
Outside, morning. The happy family is heading to the car. Harry goes to get in but is stopped by Vernon.
Petunia: This will be a lovely day at the zoo. I'm really looking forward to it.
Vernon: I'm warning you now, boy. Any funny business, any at all, and you won't have any meals for a week. Get in.
Scene:
The zoo. The family is in the reptile house, looking at a large BOA CONSTRICTOR.
Dudley: Make it move.
Vernon raps the glass of the cage.
Vernon: Move!
Dudley raps the glass much harder, and Vernon winces.
Dudley: MOVE!
Harry: He's asleep!
Dudley: He's boring.
Dudley and his parents retreat to another enclosure. Harry is left with the snake.
Harry: Sorry about him. He doesn't understand what it's like, lying there day after day, having people press their ugly faces in on you.
The snake looks up and blinks.
Harry: Can you...hear me? {The snake nods} It's just...I've never talked to a snake before. Do you...I mean...do you talk to people often? {The snake shakes its head} You're from Burma, aren't you? Was it nice there, do you miss your family? {The snake turns its head in the direction of a sign which says, Bred in Captivity} I see. That's me as well. I never knew my parents, either.
The now awake snake has attracted Dudley's attention. He rips over to the cage, knocking Harry to the floor.
Dudley: Mummy, dad, come here! You won't believe what this snake is doing!!
Dudley puts his hands on the glass wall. Harry, from the ground, glares at him. Suddenly, the glass disappears. Dudley wretches forward.
Dudley: Whoa! Ahh! Ahh!!
Dudley falls into the snake enclosure, sputtering in a pool of water. The snake gets out of the exhibit, stopping in front of Harry.
Snake: Thankssssssss.
Harry: Anytime.
The snake starts off.
Man: SNAKE!
There is a lot of screaming as the snake heads for freedom. Dudley gets up to get out, but the glass is now back over the enclosure. He is stuck. He pounds the glass.
Dudley: Mum, mummy!
Petunia: {Sees him} AHH!
Dudley: Mum, help! Help me!
Petunia: My darling boy! How did you get in there?!
Harry: {Grins and giggles}
Vernon glares down at him and Harry's grin disappears. Petunia continues screaming: How did you get in there? Dursley, oh, Dursley!
Scene:
Back at the Dursley's. Petunia and a bundled up Dudley come in.
Petunia: It's all right. It's all right.
They disappear around the corner. Harry and Vernon enter. Vernon slams the door and shoves Harry against a wall, taking his hair.
Harry: Ow!
Vernon: What happened?
Harry: I swear I don't know! One minute the glass was there and then it was gone! It was like magic!
Vernon: {Scoffs and shoves Harry into the closet} There's no such thing as magic!
Scene:
Outside, some time later. An owl flies by the house and drops a letter, which zooms in the letterbox. It lands away from the house and hoots.
Harry, inside, goes to collect the mail. He sorts through the letters and sees his, addressed to him. He goes into the kitchen, hands Vernon the rest of the mail, and walks around the other side of the table to see his letter.
Vernon: Ah, Marge is ill. Ate a funny whelk.
Dudley: {Sees Harrys letter. He runs and grabs it} Dad, look! Harry's got a letter!!
Harry: Hey, give it back! It's mine!
Vernon: {Laughs} Yours? Who'd be writing to you?
The family gathers to look at the address. There is a broken seal on the letter. The family looks up and Harry gulps.
Scene:
Another owl flies by with a letter and drops it off. Inside, Vernon grabs a handful of letters and rips them up.
In the closet, Harry hears a whirring noise. He looks out at Vernon drilling wood over the letterbox opening.
Vernon: No more mail through this letterbox.
Scene:
Outside, Vernon and Petunia appear. Vernon is about to head off to work. Petunia kisses his cheek.
Petunia: Have a lovely day at the office, dear.
She stops, looks and sees a bunch of owls.
Vernon: Shoo! Go on!
Scene:
Inside. Vernon is tossing letters into the fireplace. Harry comes around the corner. Vernon grins evilly and tosses more in.
Scene:
Living/Family room. The family is sitting around, Harry is serving cookies.
Vernon: Fine day Sunday. In my opinion, best day of the week. Why is that, Dudley?
Dudley shrugs.
Harry: {Hands cookie to Vernon} Because there's no post on Sunday? Ah, right you are, Harry. No post on Sunday. Hah! No blasted letters today. No, sir. {Harry sees a shadow outside the window. Outside, millions of owls are perched.} No sir, not one blasted, miserable---
A letter shoots out of the fireplace and zips across Vernons face. There is a rumbling and then zillions of letters come shooting out of the fireplace.
Dudley: AHH! Make it stop! Please make it stop! {He jumps on Petunias lap}
Petunia and Vernon: {Screaming}
Vernon: Go away, ahh!
Dudley: What is it? Please tell me what's happening!
Harry jumps onto the coffee table to grab a letter. He gets one and starts to run away. Vernon jumps up as well.
Vernon: Give me that! Give me that letter!
He chases Harry and grabs him before Harry gets into his closet.
Harry: Get off! Ahh!
Vernon: Ahh!
Harry: They're my letters! Let go of me!
Vernon: That's it! We're going away! Far away! Where they can't find us!
Dudley: Daddy's gone mad, hasnt he?!
Scene:
A house, on a rock island somewhere out at sea. The family is sleeping, with Harry on the cold, dirt floor. He has drawn a birthday cake which reads, Happy Birthday Harry. Harry looks at Dudley's watch, which beeps 12:00.
Harry: Make a wish, Harry. {Blows}
Suddenly, the door thumps. Harry jumps. The door thumps again and Dudley and Harry jump up and back away. Petunia and Vernon appear, Vernon with a gun. The door bangs again and then cracks open, and a giant man appears.
Vernon: Who's there? Ahh!
Hagrid: Sorry 'bout that. {He puts the door back up}
Vernon: I demand that you leave at once, Sir! You are breaking and entering!
Petunia: Ooh.
Hagrid comes over, grabs the gun and bends it upwards.
Hagrid: Dry up, Dursley, you great prune. {The gun fires}
All: Ahh!
Hagrid: {sees Dudley} Mind, I haven't seen you since you was a baby, Harry, but you're a bit more along than I would have expected. Particularly 'round the middle!
Dudley: I-I-I'm not Harry.
Harry appears: I-I am.
Hagrid: Oh, well, of course you are! Got something for ya. 'Fraid I might have sat on it at some point! I imagine that it'll taste fine just the same. Ahh. Baked it myself. {Hands Harry the cake} Words and all. Heh.
Harry: Thank you! {Opens cake, which reads: Happee Birdae Harry.}
Hagrid: It's not every day that your young man turns eleven, now is it?
Hagrid sits down on the couch, takes out an umbrella and points it at the empty fire. Poof, poof! Two sparks fly out and the fire starts. The family gapes.
Harry: {puts cake down} Excuse me, who are you?
Hagrid: Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. Course, you'll know all about Hogwarts.
Harry: Sorry, no.
Hagrid: No? Blimey, Harry, didn't you ever wonder where your mum and dad learned it all?
Harry: Learnt what?
Hagrid: You're a wizard, Harry.
Harry: I-I'm a what?
Harry: A wizard. And a thumping good one at that, I'd wager. Once you train up a little.
Harry: No, you've made a mistake. I can't be...a-a wizard. I mean, I'm just... Harry. Just Harry.
Hagrid: Well, Just Harry, did you ever make anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared? {Harry softens his expression} Ah.
Dudley: {whimpers}
Hagrid hands Harry the same letter that has been sent the past while. Harry opens it.
Harry: Dear, Mr. Potter. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!
Vernon: Hell not be going! We swore when we took him in wed put an end to this rubbish!
Harry: You knew?? You knew all along and you never told me?
Petunia: Of course we knew. How could you not be? My perfect sister being who she was. Oh, my mother and father were so proud the day she got her letter. We have a witch in the family. Isn't it wonderful? I was the only one to see her for what she was. A freak! And then she met that Potter, and then she had you, and I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as ... abnormal. And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up! And we got landed with you.
Harry: Blown up? You told me my parents died in a car crash!
Hagrid: A car crash? A car crash kill James and Lily Potter?
Petunia: We had to tell him something.
Hagrid: It's an outrage! It's a scandal!
Vernon: He'll not be going!
Hagrid: Oh, and I suppose a great Muggle like yourself's going to stop him, are you?
Harry: Muggle?
Hagrid: Non magic folk. This boy's had his name down ever since he was born! He's going to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, and he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts' has ever seen: Albus Dumbledore.
Vernon: I will not pay for some crackpot old fool to teach him magic tricks!
Hagrid: {whips out umbrella and points it at Vernon} Never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me.
Hagrid sees Dudley eating Harry's cake, and points the umbrella at his rear. A grey tail grows.
Dudley: Ahh!
All: Ahh! {family chases Dudley}
Harry: {laughs}
Hagrid: Oh, um, I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone at Hogwarts about that. Strictly speaking, I'm not allowed to do magic.
Harry: {Nods} Okay.
Hagrid: {checks a clock} Ooh, we're a bit behind schedule. Best be off. Unless you'd rather stay, of course. Hmm? {Leaves}
Harry grins, looks back, and grins again.
Scene:
Streets of London. Hagrid and Harry are walking.
Harry: All students must be equipped with...one standard size two pewter cauldron and may bring if they desire either an owl, a cat or a toad. Can we find all this in London?
Hagrid: If you know where to go.
They go to a corner store and enter, The Leaky Cauldron.
{Music and talking}
Barkeep Tom: Ah, Hagrid! The usual, I presume?
Hagrid: No thanks, Tom. I'm on official Hogwarts business today. Just helping young Harry here buy his school supplies.
Tom: Bless my soul. It's Harry Potter.
The pub goes silent. A man comes up and shakes Harrys hand.
Man: Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back.
A witch comes up and shakes Harrys hand, as well.
Witch: Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter. I can't believe I'm meeting you at last.
A man in robes with a turban on his head appears. It is PROFESSOR QUIRRELL.
Quirrell: Harry P-potter. C-can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you.
Hagrid: Hello, Professor. I didn't see you there. Harry, this is Professor Quirrell. He'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.
Harry: Oh, nice to meet you. {Puts out hand. Quirrell refuses}
Quirrell: F-fearfully fascinating subject. N-not that you need it, e-eh, Potter? Heheh.
Hagrid: Yes, well, must be going now. Lots to buy. Heh.
Harry: Good-bye.
The two leave into a back room winery in front of a brick wall.
Hagrid: See, Harry, you're famous!
Harry: But why am I famous, Hagrid? All those people back there, how is it they know who I am?
Hagrid: I'm not exactly sure I'm the right person to tell you that, Harry. {Taps the brick wall clockwise with his umbrella. The blocks shift and open up to reveal a hidden, busy street.}
Welcome, Harry, to Diagon Alley.
Harry grins broadly as they step into the street and walk down it. An owl screeches.
Hagrid: Here's where you'll get your quills and ink, and over there all your bits and bobs for doing your wizardry.
Harry is amazed as they pass by shops and owls and bats. The camera pans on a broom store, where a group of boys are crowded around a shiny broom.
Boy: It's a world class racing broom. Look at it, its the new Nimbus 2000! It's the fastest model yet.
Harry: But, Hagrid, how am I to pay for all this? I haven't any money.
Hagrid: Well there's your money, Harry. Gringotts, the Wizard Bank. T'aint no place safer, 'cept perhaps Hogwarts.
Inside the bank, they walk down the shiny aisle, passing tiny creatures working.
Harry: Uh, Hagrid, what exactly are those things?
Hagrid: They're goblins, Harry. Clever as they come goblins but not the most friendly of beasts. Best stick close to me. {Harry sticks to him.} {Hagrid clears his throat as they approach a counter with a goblin in it.} Mr. Harry Potter wishes to make a withdrawal.
The goblin looks up.
Goblin: And does Mr. Harry Potter have his key?
Hagrid: Oh. Wait a minute. Got it here somewhere. Hah. Here's the little devil. Oh, and there's something else as well. Professor Dumbledore gave me this. It's about you-know-what in vault you-know-which. {Hands Goblin letter wrapped in string.}
Goblin: Very well.
Scene:
Racing down the depth caverns in a cartlike structure. The cart stops, a goblin, GRIPHOOK, clambers out.
Griphook: Vault 687. Lamp, please. {Hagrid hands him the lamp and he walks to the vault} Key please. {Hagrid hands him the key and he unlocks it}
The room is filled nearly top to bottom with coins. Harry is amazed.
Hagrid: Didn't think your mum and dad would leave you with nothing, now didja?
They continue on through the cavern.
Griphook: Vault 713.
Harry: What's in there, Hagrid?
Hagrid: Can't tell you, Harry. It's Hogwarts business. Very secret.
Griphook: Stand back. {Slides finger down the door. Clank. Clank. The vault opens to expose a small white stone package. Hagrid hurries in and scoops it up. The eerie light it was shining with disappears.}
Hagrid: Best not mention this to anyone, Harry.
Harry nods.
Scene: Outside in the street, walking.
Harry: I still need...a wand.
Hagrid: A wand? Well, you'll want Ollivanders. No place better. Run along there, but wait. I just got one more thing I got to do. Won't be long.
Harry goes into the store, quietly. He looks around. There are shelves of wands, but no people.
Harry: {Softly} Hello? Hello?
There is a thunk. A man appears on a ladder and looks at Harry. He smiles.
Ollivander: I wondered when I'd be seeing you, Mr. Potter. It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands. {Picks a wand} Ah. Here we are. {Harry holds it but just stands} Well, give it a wave.
Harry: Oh! {waves. All the shelves come crashing down. Harry jumps and hurriedly puts the wand back on the counter.}
Ollivander: Apparently not. {Gets another wand.} Perhaps this. {Harry waves at a vase, which blows apart.} No, no, definitely not! No matter...{gets a wand} I wonder. {Hands wand to Harry. Harry glows under it.} Curious, very curious.
Harry: Sorry, but what's curious?
Ollivander: I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. It just so happens that the phoenix, whose tail feather resides in your wand gave one other feather, just one. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar. {Points to scar}
Harry: And...who owned that wand?
Ollivander: Oh, we do not speak his name. The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why, but I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things...terrible, yes, but great. {Hands Harry his wand.}
There is a knock on the window.
Hagrid: Harry! Harry! Happy birthday! {Has a snowy owl in a cage which hoots.}
Harry: Wow.
Scene: Later, eating supper. The two, Hagrid and Harry, are at a long table, eating soup.
Hagrid: You all right, Harry? You seem very quiet.
Harry: He killed my parents, didn't he? The one who gave me this. You know, Hagrid, I know you do.
Hagrid: {Sighs and pushes bowl away} First, and understand this, Harry, 'cause it's very important. Not all wizards are good. Some of them go bad. A few years ago there was one wizard who went as bad as you can go. And his name was V-...his name was V-...
Harry: Maybe if you wrote it down?
Hagrid: No, I can't spell it. All right. His name was Voldemort.
Harry: Voldemort?
Hagrid: Shh!!
{Harry looks around}
A flashback ensues, consisting off a cloaked man walking towards a house, breaking in with his wand, and proceeding to terrorize. Hagrid narrates.
Hagrid: It was dark times, Harry, dark times. Voldemort started to gather some followers, brought 'em over to the dark side. Anyone that stood up to him ended up dead. Your parents fought against him, but nobody lived once he decided to kill 'em. {Harrys mother, LILY, screams as she is killed by Voldemorts wand} Nobody...not one. Except you. {close-up of baby Harry.}
Harry: Me? Voldemort tried to kill...me?
Hagrid: Yes. That ain't no ordinary cut on your forehead, Harry. A mark like that only comes from being touched by a curse...and an evil curse at that.
Harry: What happened to Vo-...to You-Know-Who?
Hagrid: Some say he died. Codswallop in my opinion. Nope, I reckon he's out there, still, too tired to go on. But one thing's absolutely certain. Something about you stumped him that night. That's why you're famous, Harry. That's why everbody knows your name. You're the boy who lived.
Scene: London Train Station. Up on a crossing bridge, Harry (with cart and owl) walk beside Hagrid.A couple look at Hagrid.Hagrid: What're you looking at? {Looks at watch} Blimey, is that the time?? Sorry, Harry, I'm gonna have to leave you. Dumbledore'll be wanting his...well, he'll be wanting to see me. Now, uh, your train leaves in 10 minutes. Here's your ticket. Stick to it, Harry that's very important. Stick to your ticket.Harry looks at his golden ticket.Harry: Platform 9 ¾? But Hagrid, there must be a mistake. This says Platform 9 ¾. There's no such thing...is there? {Harry looks up and Hagrid has vanished.}Scene: Harry is walking down lane between trains. A man rushes by.Man: Sorry.Harry sees a train master.Harry: Excuse me, excuse me.Trainmaster: {talking to woman and child} Right on your left, ma'am.Harry: Excuse me, Sir. Can you tell me where I might find Platform 9 ¾?Trainmaster: 9 ¾? Think youre being funny, do ya? {Leaves}A woman, daughter, and four boys walk by, pushing carts.Mrs. Weasley: It's the same year after year. Always packed with Muggles, of course.Harry: Muggles?Mrs. Weasley: Come on. Platform 9 ¾ this way! All right, Percy, you first.A tall boy with red hair comes forward and runs towards a brick wall. Amazingly, he disappears right into it. Harry is amazed.Mrs. Weasley: Fred, you next.George: He's not Fred, I am!Fred: Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother!Mrs. Weasley: Oh, I'm sorry, George.Fred: I'm only joking. I am Fred. {He runs through the wall, and is followed by his twin brother.}Harry shakes his head in disbelief.Harry: Excuse me! C-could you tell me how toMrs. Weasley: How to get on the platform? Yes, not to worry, dear. It's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well. {pan to a red haired boy who smiles} Now, all you've got to do is walk straight at the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Best do it at a bit of a run if youre nervous.Ginny (daughter): Good luck.Harry takes a breath and runs at the wall. He shuts his eyes and emerges on the other side a magnificent station with a red train and bundles of people. A whistle blows, and Harry sighs with relief.Scene: The train is traveling through unknown country. Pan to inside compartment, where Harry is sitting. The red headed boy, RON, appears, dirt on his nose.Ron: Excuse me, do you mind? Everywhere else is full.Harry: No, not at all.Ron: {sits across from Harry} I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley.Harry: I'm Harry. Harry Potter.{Ron goes agape.}Ron: So-so it's true?! I mean, do you really have the...the...Harry: The what?Ron: {whispers} Scar...?Harry: Oh, yeah. {lifts up hair}Ron: Wicked.A trolley comes by the compartment, full of sweets.Woman: Anything off the trolley, dears?Ron: {Holds up mushed sandwiches} No, thanks, I'm all set. {smacks lips.}Harry: {pulls out coins} We'll take the lot!Ron: Whoa!Scene: Eating bundles of sweets.Ron's rat, Scabbers, is perched on Ron's knee, a box over its head.Harry: Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans?Ron: They mean every flavour! There's chocolate and peppermint, and there's also spinach, liver and tripe. George sweared he got a bogey-flavoured one once!Harry quickly takes the bean he was chewing out of his mouth.Harry: {picks up blue and gold package} These aren't real chocolate frogs, are they?Ron: It's only a spell. Besides, it's the cards you want. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. I got about 500 meself.Frog: Ribbit. {The frog jumps onto the window and climbs up, then leaps out the window...disappearing.}Ron: Oh, that's rotten luck. They've only got one good jump in them to begin with.Harry: Hey, I got Dumbledore!Ron: I got about 6 of him.Harry: Hey, he's gone!Ron: Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day, can you? {Scabbers squeaks} This is Scabbers, by the way, pitiful, isn't he?Harry: Just a little bit.Ron: Fred gave me a spell as to turn him yellow. Want to see?Harry: Yeah!Ron: {clears throat} Ahem. Sun-A girl, HERMIONE GRANGER, with bushy brown hair appears at the doorway.Hermione: Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one.Ron: No.Hermione: Oh, are you doing
magic? Let's see then.Ron: Aghhhemm. Sunshine, daises, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!{Zap. Nothing happens. Ron shrugs.}Hermione: Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? Of course I've only tried a few simple spells myself, and they've all worked for me. For example...{Hermione goes over and sits across from Harry. He points her hand at his glasses and Harry tenses} Oculus Reparo. {The glasses, which noseband is battered, are repaired. Harry takes them off, amazed.} That's better, isn't it? Holy Cricket, you're Harry Potter. I'm Hermione Granger...and you are...?Ron: {full mouth} I'm...Ron Weasley.Hermione: Pleasure. You two better change into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon. {Gets up and leaves, then comes back and looks at Ron.} You've got dirt, on your nose, by the way, did you know? Just there. {Points} {Ron scratches his nose, embarrassed.}Scene: Darkness, the train blows its whistle and pulls into an outdoor station. Hagrid walks along the side aisle, with a lantern. People begin pouring out of the train.Hagrid: Right, then! First years! This way, please! Come on, now, don't be shy! Come on now, hurry up!Harry and Ron walk up to Hagrid.Hagrid: Hello, Harry.Harry: Hey, Hagrid.Ron: Whoaa!Hagrid: Right then. This way to the boats! Come on, now, follow me.Scene:A number of boats are plugging across a vast lake, where up ahead a huge castle can be seen. People are in awe.Ron: Wicked.Scene: On a higher level, Professor McGonagall is waiting. She raps her fingers on a stone railing, and then goes to the top of the stairs to greet the newcomers.McGonagall: Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Now, while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cupNEVILLE LONGBOTTOM, a scared looking boy, spots his toad sitting near McGonagall. He jumps forward.Neville: Trevor! {McGonagall stares down at him} Sorry. {He backs away.}McGonagall: The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily. {leaves}DRACO MALFOY, a slicked back evil looking boy speaks up.Draco: It's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts. {Students whisper, Harry Potter?} This is Crabbe, and Goyle {nods to thugs} and I'm Malfoy...Draco Malfoy. {Ron snickers at his name} Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair, and a hand me down robe? You must be a Weasley. Well soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. Dont want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there. {extends hand.}Harry: I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks.Draco glares. McGonagall returns and smacks him on the shoulder with a paper. He retreats with one last glare.McGonagall: We're ready for you now.She leads everyone through two large doors and into the Great Hall, where there are four long tables with many kids, as well as floating candles. The roof appears to be the sky.Hermione: It's not real, the ceiling. It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.McGonagall: All right, will you wait along here, please? Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbldedore would like to say a few words.Dumbledore rises from the main table.Dumbledore: I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch {signals to ragged old man with a cat with red eyes} has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you.McGonagall: When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will
be sorted into your houses. Hermione Granger.Hermione: Oh, no. Okay, relax. {She goes up}Ron: Mental that one, I'm telling you.Harry nods in agreement.Sorting Hat: Ah, right then...hmm...right. Okay...Gryffindor!!(Cheering)Hermione jumps off with a smile.McGonagall: Draco Malfoy.Draco saunters up proudly. The tattered hat nearly freaks before touching down on Dracos head.Sorting Hat: SLYTHERIN!Ron: There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasnt in Slytherin.McGonagall: Susan Bones.A small, redhead goes up.Harry looks around and spots a black haired, pale teacher, SEVERUS SNAPE, looking at him. His scar hurts.Harry: Ahh! {puts hand on forehead}Ron: Harry, what is it?Harry: Nothing...it's nothing, I'm fine.Sorting Hat: Let's see...I know...Hufflepuff!McGonagall: Ronald Weasley.Ron gulps and walks up. He sits down and the hat is put on.Sorting Hat: Ah! Another Weasley. I know just where to put you...Gryffindor!!Ron: {Sighs}(Cheering)McGonagall: Harry Potter.Everything goes silent. Harry walks up and sits down.Sorting Hat: Hmm...difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?Harry: {whispers} Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin.Sorting Hat: Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. Its all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness! There's no doubt about that! No? {Harry whispers: Not Slytherin...anything but Slytherin} Well, if youre sure...better be...GRYFFINDOR!!There is an immense cheering and Harry goes to the Gryffindor table.Fred and George are also there, and cheer: We got Potter! We got Potter! Harry sits down.McGonagall: {dings on a cup} Your attention, please.Dumbledore: Let the feast...begin.Food magically appears on all the tables, and the hall is filled with awe and chatter.Harry: Wow.Draco looks at all the food, raises his eyebrows and digs in.Ron stuffs his face.SEAMUS FINNIGAN, a tiny boy, speaks.Seamus: I'm half and half. Me dad's a Muggle. Mam's a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out.Neville laughs.Harry is sitting next to Percy. He leans over.Harry: Say, Percy, who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?Percy: Oh, that's Professor Snape, head of Slytherin house.Harry: What's he teach?Percy: Potions. But everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he fancies. He's been after Quirrells job for years.Ron, having just finished a chicken wing, reaches into the bowl for more, and a ghostly head, SIR NICHOLAS, pops out.Ron: Ahh!Nick: Hello! How are you? Welcome to Gryffindor.Numerous ghosts come pouring from the walls, sailing along.Hufflepuff ghost: Whoo-hoo-hoo!Girl: Look, its the Bloody Baron!Percy: Hello, Sir Nicholas. Have a nice summer?Nick: Dismal. Once again, my request to join the headless hunt has been denied. {Begins to leave}Ron: Hey, I know you! You're Nearly Headless Nick!Nick: I prefer Sir Nicholas if you don't mind.Hermione: Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?Nick: Like this. {Grabs head and pulls it to the side. His head is hanging on just by a thread.}Ron: Ahh!Hermione: Eugh.Scene:Percy is leading the Gryffindors to the staircases.Percy: Gryffindors, follow me please. Keep up. Thank you.Boy: Ravenclaw, follow me. This way.Percy: This is the most direct path to the dormitories. Oh, and keep an eye on the staircases...they like to change.The camera pans up and we see a vast amount of staircases, people walking on them, and some switching places.Percy: Keep up, please, and follow me. Quickly now, come on. Come on. {They begin walking up the stairs}Neville: Seamus, that picture's moving!Ron: Look at that one, Harry!Harry: I think she fancies you.Girl: Oh, look! Look! Who's that girl?Man in painting: Welcome to Hogwarts.Girl: Who's that?Scene:Approaching the Gryffindor dorms. They come up to a large painting of a large woman in a pink dress.Woman: Password? Percy: Caput Draconis. {The woman nods and the painting opens to reveal a gape in the wall.} Follow me, everyone. Keep up, quickly, come on.Girl: Oh, wow.Percy:
{Inside common room} Gather 'round here. Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room. Boys' dormitories, upstairs and down to your left. Girls, the same on your right. You'll find that your belongings have already been brought up.Scene: Mid-night. Harry is sitting by a window in his pj's, with his owl, Hedwig. He pets the owl and looks out the window, sighing with content.
Scene: Morning. Harry and Ron are running through the stone halls to their class. They rush in. In the class, a tabby cat is sitting on a desk.Ron: Whew, amazing, can you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late?The cat jumps off the desk and turns into Professor McGonagall. The two boys are amazed.Ron: That was bloody brilliant.McGonagall: Thank you for that assessment, Mr. Weasley. Maybe if I were to transfigure Mr. Potter and yourself into a pocketwatch, maybe one of you would be on time.Harry: We got lost.McGonagall: Then perhaps a map? I trust you don't need one to find your seats.Scene: Snape's potions class. The students are chattering, sitting near steaming cauldrons. The door slams open and Snape comes rushing in.Snape: There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to enjoy the subtle science and exact art that is potion making. However, for those select few {looks at Draco, who smiles}, who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper {Draco looks on} in death. {Draco raises his eyebrows.} {Snape sees Harry, writing this down, in, his view, not paying attention.} Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confidant enough to not...pay...attention.Hermione nudges Harry in the ribs. He looks up.Snape: Mr. Potter. Our...new...celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood? {Hermione's hand skyrockets. Harry shrugs.} You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar? {Hermione's hand shoots up again.}Harry: I don't know, Sir.Snape: And what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfbane?Harry: I don't know, Sir.Snape: Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Mr. Potter?Scene: In the great hall, probably midday. The students are all working on homework.Seamus is trying a spell on a cup.Seamus: Eye of rabbit, harp string hum. Turn this water, into rum. {Looks in cup and shakes head.} Eye of rabbit, harp string hum...Harry: What's Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?Ron: Turn it into rum. Actually managed a weak tea yesterday, before...ZAPOOF! The cup explodes. There is laughter amongst the students. Suddenly, a flock of owls start coming into the hall from the rafters above.Ron: Ah. Mail's here!The owls soar by, dropping parcels to students. Harry gets nothing. He sees the newspaper Ron has put down.Harry: Can I borrow this? {Ron nods} Thanks.Neville is unwrapping a gift. It is a clear ball with gold around it.Seamus: Hey, look! Neville's got a Remembrall!Hermione: I've read about those. When the smoke turns red {the smoke turns red}, it means you've forgotten something.Neville: The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten.Harry: Hey, Ron, somebody broke into Gringotts. Listen, Believed to be the work of dark witches or wizards unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist that nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. That's odd. That's the vault Hagrid and I went to.Scene: Outside, flying practice. The students, Gryffindor and Slytherin, are lined up in two rows with brooms by their sides. The teacher, MADAM HOOCH, comes down the line. She has short hair and hawk yellow eyes.Hooch: Good afternoon, class.Class: Good afternoon, Madam Hooch.Hooch: Good afternoon, Amanda, good afternoon. {to class} Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say, Up!Class: Up!Harry's broom flies into his hand.Harry: Whoa. {Hermione stares as the class continues.}Draco: Up! {broomstick flies up and Draco smugly grins.}Hooch: With feeling!Hermione: Up. Up. Up. Up.Ron: Up!! {His broom flies up and conks him on the nose} Ow!
{Harry laughs} Shut up, Harry. {laughs}Hooch: Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end. {Class mounts} When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, and then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle...3...2...{tweet!}Neville immediately lifts off. He looks quite frightened.Neville: Oh...Hooch: Mr. Longbottom.Girl: Neville, what are you doing?Students: Neville...Neville...Boy: We're not supposed to take off, yet.Hooch: {Neville begins soaring away} M-M-Mr. Longbottom Mr. Longbottom!Neville: AHH! Hooch: Mr. Longbottom!Neville: {soars away} Down! Down! Ahhhh!Harry: Neville! {shouting}Neville: Help!!!Hooch: Come back down this instant!Neville: AHH!He soars through the sky and hits a wall, conking along it and then swooping off. All the while, he is screaming. He begins to zoom back towards the group of students. Hooch holds out her wand to stop him.Neville: Help!Hooch: Mr. Longbottom! {Neville approaches. The students scatter and Hooch dives out of the way. Neville goes through the scatter and up a tower.}Neville: Ahhhh! Whoa! Ahhh! {zooms past a statue of a man with a sharp spear. Neville's cloak catches on it. He is flipped off the broom and hangs there.} Oh. Ah...help! {He wavers, then the cloak rips, and he falls, catching on a torch, but then slipping out and falling to the ground.} Ahh!Hooch: Everyone out of the way! {She runs through the group, and they scatter.} Come on, get up.Girl: Is he alright?Neville: Owowowow.Hooch: Oh, oh, oh, oh dear. It's a broken wrist. Tch, tch, tch. Good boy, come on now, up you get. {Draco reaches down and grabs Neville's Remembrall, which has fallen. Hooch begins to lead Neville away with her.} Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say, Quidditch. {Exit.}Draco: {snickers} Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd have remembered to fall on his fat ass. {Laughs.}Harry: Give it here, Malfoy.Draco: No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. {hops on broom and soars around group, then through.} How 'bout up on the roof?? {soars off and hovers high in the sky.} What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?Harry grabs his broom and runs to get on it. Hermione stops him.Hermione: Harry, no! You heard what Madam Hooch said! Besides, you don't even know how to fly. {Harry flies off.} What an idiot.Harry is now in the air, across from Draco.Harry: Give it here, Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!Draco: Is that so? {Harry makes a dash for him, but Draco twirls around his broom in a 360.} Have it your way, then! {He throws the Remembrall into the air.}Harry zooms after the ball, speeding towards a tower. Just as he is about to hit a window, from which McGonagall is working/watching, he catches it, and then heads back to the group. The students all cheer and run to see him.Boy: Good job, Harry!Boy 2: Oh, that was wicked, Harry.McGonagall: {appears quickly} Harry Potter? Follow me. {Harry sullenly follows her. Draco and his goons laugh.}Scene: Professor Quirrells classroom. He is inside, teaching, holding an iguana.Quirrell: An iguana s-such as this is {McGonagall approaches the class and stops Harry: You wait here.} an essential in-gredientMcGonagall: Excuse me, excuse me, Professor Quirrell. Could I borrow Wood for a moment?Quirrell: Oh. Y-yes, of course. {a boy, OLIVER WOOD, gets up to leave and Quirrell continues.} And the vampire b-bat...{eerie roar.}McGonagall: Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood, I have found you a Seeker!Scene: Harry and Ron are walking through crowded halls. Sir Nicholas and a lady ghost float by.Nick: Have you heard? Harry Potter's the new Gryffindor Seeker. I always knew hed do well.Ron: Seeker? But first years never make their house teams! You must be the
youngest Quidditch player inHarry: A century, according to McGonagall.Fred and George approach and walk along with Ron and Harry.Fred: Hey, well done, Harry, Wood's just told us!Ron: Fred and George are on the team, too. Beaters.George: Our job is to make sure that you don't get bloodied up too bad. Can't make any promises, of course. Rough game, Quidditch.Fred: Brutal. But no one's died in years. Someone will vanish occasionally... {They break off from Harry and Ron, who walk across a courtyard.George: But they'll turn up in a month or two!!Ron: Oh, go on, Harry, Quidditch is great. Best game there is! And you'll be great, too! {Hermione jumps up from her work and comes to join them.}Harry: But I've never even played Quidditch. What if I make a fool of myself?Hermione: You won't make a fool of yourself. It's in your blood.Scene: The three approach a trophy case. Hermione points at a plaque of Quidditch players. One lists Harry's father as a Seeker.Ron: Whoa. Harry, you never told me your father was a Seeker, too.Harry: I-I didn't know.
Scene: The three are walking up a staircase. A railing pulls in...Hermione looks, but continues walking.Ron: I'm telling you, it's spooky. She knows more about you than you do.Harry: Who doesn't?The staircase shudders and begins to move. The three grab the railings.Ron: Ahh!Hermione: {Gasps.}Harry: What's happening?Hermione: The staircases change, remember? {The staircase stops, in a new place.}Harry: {taps Ron} Let's go this way.Ron: Before the staircase moves again. {They all open a door and walk into a spooky, dark room.}Harry: Does anyone feel like...we shouldn't be here?Hermione: We're not supposed to be here. This is the 3rd floor. It's forbidden.Suddenly, a flame lights on a tall stone support. At that moment, the caretaker's cat, MRS. NORRIS, comes running in and meows. The group jumps.Harry: Let's go.{meow}Ron: It's Filch's cat!Harry: Run!The group runs. Flames are lit as they go. They get to the end of the corridor, to a door. Harry grabs the handle, but it's locked.Harry: It's locked!Ron: That's it, we're done for!Hermione: Oh, move over! {pushes through and pulls out wand} Alohomora. {The door opens.} Get in. {They bustle in.}Ron: Alohomora?Hermione: Standard book of spells, Chapter 7.Filch appears at the start of the corridor with a light. Mrs. Norris looks at him.Filch: Anyone here, my sweet? {meow} Come on. {exit.}Hermione: Filch is gone.Ron: Probably thinks this door's locked.Hermione: It was locked.Harry: And for good reason. {Ron and Hermione turn to stand with Harry. There is a massively huge three headed dog sleeping in front of them. The dog, FLUFFY, begins to wake. It growls, yawns, and growls more...noticing the intruders.}All: AHHHHHHH! {The three bolt, running out of the door. They turn quickly to shut the door and battle against the dog. They get the door shut and run.}Scene:Back in the Gryffindor room. They are breathless.Ron: What do they think they're doing?? Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school.Hermione: You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?Ron: I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three! {they begin to climb the stairs to the dorms.}Hermione: It was standing on a trap door. Which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something.Harry: Guarding something?Hermione: That's right. Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed...or worse, expelled! {turns and leaves, shutting the door to her dorms.}Ron: She needs to sort out her priorities!Harry nods.Scene: Outside, day time. Oliver and Harry appear, carrying a trunk. They put it down.Oliver: Quidditch is easy enough to understand. Each time has seven players, 3 chasers, 2 beaters, 1 keeper and a seeker that's you. There are three kinds of balls. {picks up a red one} This one's called the Quaffle. Now, the chasers handle the Quaffle and try to put it through one of those three hoops. {Points to a faraway Quidditch pitch.} The keeper, that's me, defends the hoops. {throws ball to Harry.} With me so far?Harry: {throws back} I think so. What are those? {points to two squirming chained down balls.}Oliver: ...You better take this. {hands Harry a small bat. He bends down and releases one ball. With an angry growl, it flies off into the air. The two boys watch it.} Careful now, it's comin' back. {The balls comes whizzing down, and Harry cracks at it with the bat. The ball soars off through a statue.} Eh, not bad, Potter, you'd make a fair beater...Uh-oh. {The ball zooms down, and Oliver grabs it, wriggling to get it back in the box. He succeeds and is out of breath.} Bludger. Nasty little buggers. But the only ball I want you to worry about is this...the Golden Snitch. {hands Harry a walnut sized golden ball.}Harry: I like this ball.Oliver: Ah, you like it now. Just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see.Harry: What do I do with it?Oliver: You catch it...before the other team's seeker. You catch this, the game is over. You catch this,
Potter, and we win.{The ball flutters out two delicate wings and jumps into the air. Harry keeps an eye on it.}Harry: Whoa.Scene: PROFESSOR FLITWICK's class. The teacher is very short, and is standing on a bunch of books.Flitwick: One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation the ability to make objects fly. Uh, do you all have your feathers? {Hermione raises hers.} Good. Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing, hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone. {All} The swish and flick. Good. And enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then.Draco: Wingardium Levio-saaa.{All practice.}Ron: Wingardrium Leviosar. {whacks with wand numerous times.}Hermione: Stop, stop, stop. You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, youre saying it wrong. It's Leviosa, not Leviosar.Ron: You do it then if you're so clever. Go on, go on.Hermione straightens up and swishes her wand.Hermione: {crisply} Wingardium Leviosa. {The feather glows and lifts up. Ron puts his head on his books dejectedly.}Flitwick: Oh, well done! See here, everyone! Ms. Granger's done it! Oh, splendid!Seamus begins swishing at his feather.Seamus: Wingard Levosa. Wingard Levosa. {Flitwick to Hermione: Well done, dear.}BOOOM!!! Seamus' feather explodes. Flitwick gasps.Flitwick: Whooaaa! Ooh.Harry: I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor.Scene: Neville, Harry, Ron and Seamus are walking through a courtyard with other students all around.Ron: It's Leviosa, not Leviosar. Honestly, she's a nightmare. No wonder she hasn't got any friends!Hermione bustles past, sniffling.Harry: I think she heard you.Scene: Night, in the great hall. It is Halloween. Everyone is eating candy, and Jack O'Lanterns are keeping the place lit. There is chatter.Harry: Where's Hermione?Neville: Parvati Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon...crying.{Ron and Harry exchange glances. Suddenly, Professor Quirrell comes flying into the room, screaming.}Quirrell: TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON!! {stops and there is utter silence.} Thought you ought to know. {falls over in a dead faint.}The room is silent, and then everyone freaks, screaming and running.Dumbledore: SILLLLLEEENNNNCEEEEE! {Everyone stops.} Everyone will please, not panic. Now, Prefects will lead their houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons.Girl: Hufflepuff, this way!Boy: Stay together!Snape looks aghast, and he disappears through a doorway.Scene: Percy is leading the house down a hall.Percy: Gryffindors...keep up please. And stay alert!Harry: How could a troll get in?Ron: Not by itself. Trolls are really stupid. Probably people playing jokes. {Suddenly, Harry stops and pulls Ron aside.} What?Harry: Hermione! She doesn't know!The two run off, down corridors. They start running down a hall when they stop, because there is a grunting noise. Harry pulls Ron into a doorway and a large, ugly TROLL thunks by into a room.Harry: He's going into the Girl's Bathroom!Scene: In the bathroom, Hermione emerges from a stall, wiping her eyes. She stops when she sees something. The troll is standing there. Hermione backs up, into the stall just as the troll raises its club and smashes the top part of the stalls. Hermione screams. Harry and Ron come bursting in.Harry: Hermione, move!The troll smashes the remaining stalls.Hermione: Help! Help! {The boys start throwing wood pieces at the troll.}Ron: Hey, pea brain! {Ron throws wood and hits the troll on the head. Hermione escapes from the stalls to under a sink, but the troll sees her and goes to smash her. It cracks the sink and barely misses Hermione. Harry cringes.}Hermione: Ahhh! Help!Harry gets out his wand. He runs forward and grabs the troll's club, and is lifted up.Harry: Whooa! Whoa, whoa! {He lands on the troll's head, and is hurled forward, then back, and his wand goes up the troll's nose.}Ron: Ew.The troll snorts, and whips around.Harry: Whoa, whoa whoa!The troll gets Harry off its head and is holding him by one leg, upside
down. It gears up its club and swipes at Harry. He pulls himself up, then down. The troll swipes again.Harry: Do something! {swipe}Ron: What? {swipe}Harry: Anything! Hurry up!Ron grabs his wand. Under the sink, Hermione waves her hand.Hermione: Swish and flick!Ron: Wingardium Leviosa! {flick. The club is lifted out of the troll's hand and hovers above its head. The troll looks up, confused, just as the club comes crashing back down. (Ron: Cool.) It hits the troll's head and the troll wavers, then drops Harry, who crawls away, and comes crashing down, hard.Hermione approaches carefully.Hermione: Is it...dead?Harry: I don't think so. Just knocked out. {He grabs his wand...which is covered in goo.} Ew. Troll bogies.Suddenly, McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell come rushing in.They all gasp.McGonagall: Oh! Oh, my goodness! E-Explain yourselves, both of you!Ron and Harry: Well, what it is...Hermione: It's my fault, Professor McGonagall. {The teachers, and Ron and Harry, gape}McGonagall: Ms. Granger?Hermione: I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Harry and Ron hadn't come and found me...I'd probably be dead.McGonagall: Be that as it may...it was an extremely foolish thing to do. {Harry looks at Snape's leg...which has a large cut on it. Snape notices and covers it up, glaring at Harry.} I would have expected more rational behaviour on your part, Ms. Granger. 5 points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment. As for you two gentlemen I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many students could take on a full grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. 5 points...will be awarded to each of you. For sheer dumb luck. {Snape and McGonagall exit.}Quirrell: Perhaps you ought to go...M-might wake up...heh. {Exit Ron and Harry and Hermione.} {Troll roars.} Ahh! Hehe....Scene: The next morning, in the great hall. The gang is sitting, eating. Harry is twirling his food on a fork.Ron: Take a bit of toast, mate, go on.Hermione: Ron's right, Harry. You're gonna need your strength today.Harry: I'm not hungry.Snape appears.Snape: Good luck today, Potter. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you...even if it is against Slytherin. {Leaves, limping.}Harry: That explains the blood.Hermione: Blood?Harry: Listen, last night, I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that 3 headed dog. But, he got himself bitten, that's why he's limping.Hermione: But why would anyone go near that dog?Harry: The day I was at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was Hogwarts' business, very secret.Hermione: So you're saying...Harry: That's what the dog's guarding. That's what Snape wants.{An owl screeches. It is Hedwig. She is carrying a very large, long parcel. She drops it off.}Hermione: Bit early for mail, isn't it?Harry: But I-I never get mail.Ron: Let's open it.{They open it.}Harry: It's a broomstick! Ron: Thats not just any broomstick, Harry. It's a Nimbus 2000!Harry: But who...?{He sees Professor McGonagall up at the head table, stroking Hedwig. She smiles and Harry nods.}Scene: Inside a Quidditch tower. The Gryffindor team is marching towards the starting gate. They reach it and stop, behind a closed double door.OIiver: Scared, Harry?Harry: A little bit.Oliver: That's all right. I felt the same way before my first game.Harry: What happened? Oliver: Er, I don't really remember. I took a bludger to the head 2 minutes in. Woke up in the hospital a week later.Harry gulps and looks straight ahead as the doors open. They mount their brooms and zoom out onto the enormous pitch. There is cheering. The commentator, LEE JORDAN, is talking from a tower.Lee: Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game Slytherin versus Gryffindor!!!{Cheering. Close-up of Gryffindor students. They are cheering. Neville: Gryffindor!}The players take their positions in the air in a circle. Harry weaves in, highest
amongst. He looks down.Lee: The players take their positions as Madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game.Hooch: Now, I want a nice clean game...from all of you. {looks at Slytherin. She kicks the trunk, and the bludgers zoom out.}Lee: The bludgers are up...followed by the Golden Snitch. Remember, the snitch is worth 150 points. The seeker who catches the Snitch ends the game.The snitch zooms around each Seeker's head, then disappears. Hooch grabs the Quaffle.Lee: The Quaffle is released...and the game begins!Gryffindor takes possession of the ball and a chaser, ANGELINA JOHNSON, zooms past Slytherins towards their goal, and throws the ball, and scores! There is a ding.Lee: Angelina Johnson scores! 10 points for Gryffindor! {He presses a button and a 10 shows up beside a plaque with Gryffindors name.}Harry, in the air, claps.Harry: Yes! {a bludger zooms by him.} Whoa!In the stands, Gryffindor cheers.Hagrid: Well done!Lee: Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle. Bletchley passes to Captain Marcus Flint.Flint dodges people and throws for the Gryffindor hoops. Oliver appears and whacks the ball away with his broom. He smirks at Flint, who glares. Johnson and KATIE BELL pass the Quaffle back and forth as they strategize to score. Johnson takes it, throws, and once again scores!Ron and Seamus: Yay!Harry: Yes!Lee: Another 10 points to Gryffindor! {ding.}Gryffindors: Yay!The Slytherins decide to get messy. They dodge, kick, and try to score. Once again, Oliver blocks.Flint: Give me that! {he grabs a beaters bat from one and whacks a bludger right at Oliver. It hits Oliver in the stomach and he falls to the ground.}Crowd: {Booing}Harry is visibly upset.Slytherin laughs.The Slytherin members head off. One jumps over George (or Fred) and scores. Harry is upset again. Slytherin cheers.Flint: {to other members} Take that side!They box Johnson in and sent her into the capes covering one of the towers. She falls down in and is out. The crowd boos. Slytherin scores once again. Suddenly, Harry sees the Snitch. He starts to head off after it and then his broom starts bucking and turning.Harry: Whoa! Whooa!Hagrid: What's going on with Harry's broomstick?Hermione looks through binoculars at Harry, then at Snape, who is muttering something.Hermione: It's Snape! He's jinxing the broom!Ron: Jinxing the broom? What do we do?Hermione: Leave it to me. {She hands Ron her binoculars and leaves.}Harry is knocked around, then falls, dangling by one arm from the broom.Ron: Come on, Hermione!Hermione is hurrying up a tower. She appears underneath Snape and touches his cloak with her wand.Hermione: Lacarnum Inflamarae.A spark ignites and Snape's cloak catches fire. Hermione leaves.Man: Fire! You're on fire!Snape: What? Oh! {knocks the man back, who falls into Quirrell, who then also falls. Snape bats out the fire and acts as though nothing happened. The broom stop bucking, and Harry climbs back on. The Slytherin seeker is after the Snitch. Harry takes off.}Ron: Go!Hagrid: Go go go!Harry rams the Slytherin Seeker, then is butted out. He returns, smashing the Seeker again as the Snitch dives. The boys follow, but they approach the ground quickly. The Slytherin Seeker backs out, and Harry pulls up his broom as he follows the Snitch, feet above the ground. Harry stands up, and steps forward, trying to grab the ball. He goes too far, and topples off the broom with a yelp, tumbling on the ground. He gets up and lurches.The crowd gasps. Hermione appears beside a tower to see.Hagrid: Looks like he's gonna be sick!Harry lurches and the Snitch pops out of his mouth. It lands in his hands.Lee: He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives 150 points for catching the Snitch!Hooch: {Blows whistle} Gryffindor win!All: YAY!Draco: No!Hagrid: Yes!Hermione: Whoo-hoo!McGonagall: {Giggles happily}Harry raises the Snitch into the air and the crowd, and his team, cheers.Crowd: Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor!
Scene:
Harry, Hermione and Ron are walking along a path with Hagrid, talking.
Hagrid: Nonsense. Why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom?
Harry: Who knows. Why was he trying to get past that 3 headed dog on Halloween?
Hagrid: Who told you 'bout Fluffy?
Ron: Fluffy? Hermione: That thing has a name?
Hagrid: Well, of course he's got a name. He's mine. I bought him off an Irish feller I met down at the pub last year. Then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the
Harry: Yes?
Hagrid: Shouldn'ta said that. Don't ask any more questions. That's top secret, that is.
Harry: But Hagrid, whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it!
Hagrid: Codswallop. Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher.
Hermione: Hogwarts teacher or not, I know a curse when I see one. I've read all about them. You have to keep eye contact. And Snape wasn't blinking.
Harry: Exactly.
Hagrid: {sighs} Now, you listen to me, all three of you. You're meddlin' in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel.
Harry: Nicholas Flamel?
Hagrid: I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that. I should not have said that. {Exit.}
Harry: Nicholas Flamel...Who's Nicholas Flamel?
Hermione: I don't know.
Scene: Christmas. The camera pans up to a snowy castle, then to Hagrid, who is bringing in a large tree. Inside the great hall, students are leaving and ghosts are singing (Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, ring the Hogwarts bell. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas...) Hermione approaches the empty tables, wheeling a cart. She goes to Ron and Harry, who are playing chess.
Harry: Knight to E-5.
A piece moves across the board.
Ron thinks for a moment.
Ron: Queen to E-5.
A queen walks over to E-5 and clinks the knight away.
Hermione: That's totally barbaric!
Ron: That's wizard's chess. I see you've packed.
Hermione: See you haven't.
Ron: Change of plans. My parents decided to go to Romania to visit my brother, Charlie. He's studying dragons there!
Hermione: Good. You can help Harry, then. He's going to go the library for information on Nicholas Flamel.
Ron: We've looked a hundred times!
Hermione: Not in the restricted section...Happy Christmas. {exits.}
Ron: I think we've had a bad influence on her.
Scene:
X-mas morning. Hedwig is perched in the boys' room, and Harry is asleep in bed.
Ron: {calling from downstairs} Harry, wake up! Come on Harry, wake up!
Harry gets up and runs to a balcony overlooking the common room, where Ron is standing next to a tree. He is wearing a sweater with an R on it.
Ron: Happy Christmas, Harry.
Harry: Happy Christmas, Ron. What are you wearing?
Ron: Oh, Mum made it for me. Looks like you've got one too!
Harry: I've got presents?
Ron: Yeah!
Harry: Oh! {Harry runs down the stairs.}
Ron: There they are. {Ron sits on a couch arm and eats jelly beans as Harry picks up a silver wrapped package. Harry takes out the card.}
Harry: "Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well."
Harry opens the present. It is a cloak.
Ron: What is it?
Harry: Some kind of...cloak.
Ron: Well, let's see then. Put it on.
Harry puts the cloak on, and all of him disappears except for his head.
Ron: Whoa!
Harry: My body's gone!
Ron: I know what that is! That's an invisibility cloak!
Harry: I'm invisible??
Ron: {gets up} They're really rare. I wonder who gave it to you.
Harry: {comes over} There was no name. It just said, "Use it well."
Scene:
Late at night. A lantern and hand appear, but nothing else. The ensemble walk through the dark library and into the Restricted Section. The lamp is put down, and the cloak removed. Harry appears.
Harry: {Reading books} Famous fire eaters...15th Century Fiends...Flamel...Nicholas Flamel...where are you?
Harry picks up a book and opens it. A man's face appears.
Man: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Harry slams the book shuts and puts it back.
Filchs voice: Who's there?! {Harry whips around, grabbing his cloak. The lamp falls and shatters.} I know you're in there. You can't hide. {Harry puts on his cloak and creeps around Filch.} Who is it? Show yourself!
Harry runs from the room, breathing heavily. He gets into the hall, where Mrs. Norris is. The cat meows and begins to follow him. Harry runs around a corner, just as Snape and Quirrell appear. Snape pushes Quirrell into the wall.
Quirrell: Severus...I-I thought...
Snape: You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell.
Quirrell: W-what do you m-mean?
Snape: You know perfectly well what I mean. {Snape senses something. Harry stops breathing. Snape reaches out to grab something, but doesn't. He whips his finger back in front of Quirrell's face.} We'll have another chat soon...when you've had time to decide where your loyalties lie.
Filch appears, carrying the broken lamp.
Filch: Oh, Professors. I found this, in the Restricted Section. It's still hot. That means there's a student out of bed.
They all dart off. A door opens, and closes. On the other side, there is a vast, empty room that has a large mirror in the center. Harry appears and walks over to the mirror. In it, he sees two people appear.
Harry: Mum? {the woman nods and smiles} Dad? {nods and smiles. Harry reaches out to touch them, but only gets the mirror. Then, his mother puts her hand on his shoulder. He puts his own hand on his own shoulders, as if trying to feel her there.
Scene:
The boys' room. Harry comes whipping in, invisible.
Harry: Ron! You've really got to see this! Ron! You've got to see this! {pulls back covers. Ron wakes up.} Ron, Ron, come on. Get out of bed!
Ron: Why?
Harry: There's something you've got to see. Now, come on!
Scene:
Back in the mirror room. Harry and Ron appear as if magically and Harry runs to the mirror.
Harry: Come on. Come. Come look, it's my parents!
Ron: I only see me.
Harry: {moves over} Look in properly. Go on. Stand there. There. You see them, don't you? Thats my dad
Ron: That's me! Only, I'm head boy...and I'm holding the Quidditch cup! And bloody hell, I'm Quidditch Captain too! I look good. Harry, do you think this mirror shows the future?
Harry: How can it? Both my parents are dead. {Harry smiles sadly.}
Scene:
Another night. Harry is sitting in front of the mirror. Dumbledore appears behind him.
Dumbledore: Back again, Harry? {Harry turns around and stands up.} I see that you, like so many before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised. I trust by now you realize what it does. Let me give you a clue. The happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see only himself, exactly as he is.
Harry: So, then it shows us what we want? Whatever we want?
Dumbledore: Yes...and no. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desires of our hearts. Now you, who have never known your family, you see them standing beside you. But remember this, Harry. This mirror gives us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad. That is why tomorrow it will be moved to a new home, and I must ask you not to go looking for it again. It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live. {Harry looks back at the mirror.}
Scene:
Daytime. It is all snowy. Harry is out in a main courtyard, bundled up, with Hedwig on his arm. He stops and she lifts off, soaring away into the sky. When she returns, it is spring time.
Scene:
In the library. Harry and Ron are seated, reading. Hermione comes up with a huge book. She thumps it onto the table. Harry jumps.
Hermione: I had you looking in the wrong section! How could I be so stupid? I checked this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading.
Ron: This is light?
Hermione: {glares} Of course! Here it is! "Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"
Ron and Harry: The what?
Hermione: Honestly, don't you two read? "The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It will turn any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal."
Ron: Immortal?
Hermione: It means you'll never die.
Ron: I know what it means!
Harry: Shh!
Hermione: "The only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist, who last year celebrated his 665th birthday!" That's what Fluffy's guarding on the 3rd floor. That's what's under the trapdoor...the Philosopher's Stone!
They all look at each other.
Scene:
Nighttime. Hermione, Ron and Harry are running across the wet ground to Hagrids hut. They knock on the door and it opens.
Harry: Hagrid!
Hagrid: {clad in oven mitts and an apron} Oh, hello. Sorry, don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today. {Closes door.}
All 3: We know about the Philosopher's Stone!
{Door reopens.}
Hagrid: Oh.
{They all come into Hagrid's small hut.}
Harry: We think Snape's trying to steal it.
Hagrid: Snape? Blimey, Harry, you're not still on about him, are you?
Harry: Hagrid, we know he's after the Stone. We just don't know why.
Hagrid: Snape is one of the teachers protecting the Stone! He's not about to steal it!
Harry: What?
Hagrid: You heard. Right. Come on, now, I'm a bit preoccupied today.
Harry: Wait a minute. {Ron and a big black boarhound, FANG, meet. Fang sniffs Ron.} One of the teachers? Hermione: {sitting in a large chair} Of course! There are other things defending the Stone, aren't there? Spells, enchantments.
Hagrid: That's right. Waste of bloody time, if you ask me.
{Hermione looks at Ron, who is being sniffed in the face by Fang. Ron shuffles away.} Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Hehe, not a soul knows how. Except for me and Dumbledore. I shouldn't have told you that. I shouldn't have told you that. {A cauldron over a fire begins to rattle.} Oh! {Hagrid hurries over and grabs something} Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! {puts the thing, an egg, on the table. The group crowds around.}
Harry: Uh, Hagrid, what exactly is that?
Hagrid: That? It's a ... its um...
Ron: I know what that is! But Hagrid, how did you get one?
Hagrid: I won it. Off a stranger I met down at a pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid off it, as a matter of fact.
The egg rattles and cracks. Pieces fly off as a dragon emerges. It squeaks and slips on an egg piece.
Hermione: Is that...a dragon?
Ron: That's not just a dragon. That's a Norwegian Ridgeback! My brother Charlie works with these in Romania.
Hagrid: Isn't he beautiful? Oh. Bless him, look. He knows his mummy. Hehe. Hallo, Norbert. {The dragon squeaks as it looks at Hagrid.}
Harry: Norbert?
Hagrid: Yeah, well, he's got to have a name, doesn't he?
Ron: {laughs}
Hagrid: Don't you, Norbert? {raises fingers back and forth across Norberts chin} Dededede.
Norbert backs away, hiccups and blows a fireball of fire into Hagrid's beard.
Hagrid: Ohh! Oooh, ooh, ooh, well...he'll have to be trained up a bit, of course. {Norbert hiccups. Hagrid sees someone looking in the window.} Who's that? {The person scampers away.}
Harry: Malfoy.
Hagrid: Oh, dear.
Scene:
The three are walking back through a corridor. An owl screeches.
Harry: Hagrid always wanted a dragon. He told me so the first time I met him.
Ron: It's crazy. And worse, Malfoy knows.
Harry: I don't understand. Is that bad?
Ron: It's bad.
They stop as McGonagall, in her nightgown, appears.
McGonagall: Good evening.
Malfoy appears smugly beside her.
Scene:
McGonagall's classroom. The three accused are standing in front of McGonagall's desk, while Malfoy is feet away, smirking.
McGonagall: Nothing, I repeat, nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night. Therefore, as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken.
Harry: 50?!
McGonagall: Each. And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all four of you will receive detention.
Malfoy nods, then his smile vanishes.
Draco: Excuse me, Professor. Perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said..."the four of us."
McGonagall: No, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy. You see, as honorable as your intentions were, you too were out of bed after hours. You will serve detention with your classmates.
Harry, Ron and Hermione grin, and Draco sags.
Scene:
Outside, at night, the four students are being led to Hagrid's hut by Mr. Filch.
Filch: A pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming. {Draco gulps, and Hermione rushes by.} You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the dark forest. {Hagrid appears with a crossbow. He sniffles.} A sorry lot this, Hagrid. Oh, good God, man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?
Hagrid: {sniffs and sighs} Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony.
Hermione: Well, that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his own kind.
Hagrid: Yeah, but what if he don't like Romania? {Filch rolls eyes.} What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby, after all.
Filch: Oh, for Gods sake, pull yourself together, man. You're going into the forest, after all. Got to have your wits about you.
Draco: The forest? I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there. Students aren't allowed. And there are...{a howl sounds}...werewolves!
Filch: There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that. {Draco looks frightened.} Nighty-night. {Exit.}
Hagrid: Right. Let's go.
Scene: In the forest. The group walks along a path to a tree. Hagrid stops, bends down and dips his fingers in a silver puddle. He pulls out his fingers and rubs them together. A silver trail smears with his fingers.
Harry: Hagrid, what's that?
Hagrid: What we're here for. See that? That's unicorn's blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been injured bad by something. {Harry suddenly sees a large cloaked figure walking through the trees. He looks at Hagrid.} So, it's our job to find the poor beast. Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me.
Ron: {weakly} Okay.
Hagrid: And Harry, you'll go with Malfoy. {Draco grimaces, and Harry nods.}
Draco: Okay. Then I get Fang!
Hagrid: Fine. Just so you know, he's a bloody coward. {Fang whines.}
Scene:
Harry and Draco are walking through the forest, Fang leading. Draco has the lamp.
Draco: You wait till my father hears about this. This is servant's stuff.
Harry: If I didn't know better, Draco, I'd say you were scared.
Draco: Scared, Potter?! {Scoffs} {howl} Did you hear that? Come on, Fang. Scared.
Scene:
The group approaches a flat ground with gnarled roots all over. Fang stops, then growls.
Harry: What is it, Fang?
Up ahead, a cloaked figure is crouched over a dead unicorn, drinking its blood. The figure raises its head, silver blood dripping from its mouth.
Harry gasps and grabs his scar, which is hurting.
Draco: {A look of pure fear} AHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHH! {runs away, with Fang} HELP!!!!!
Harry is left by himself. The figure slides over the unicorn and rises erect. It advances towards Harry, who backs up, but trips. He crawls backwards. Suddenly, there is the sound of hoofbeats. A figure leaps over Harry and lands near the cloaked figure. It is a silver centaur, FIRENZE. It rears, and the cloaked figure retreats, flying away.
Firenze: Harry Potter, you must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The forest is not safe at this time. Especially for you.
Harry: {rises} But what was that thing you saved me from?
Firenze: A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure that the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life. A cursed life.
Harry: But who would choose such a life?
Firenze: Can you think of no one?
Harry: Do you mean to say...that that thing that killed the unicorn...that was drinking its blood...that was Voldemort?
Firenze: Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?
Harry: The Philosopher's Stone.
Suddenly, a dog (Fang) barks. Harry looks up and sees Hagrid, Hermione, Ron and Draco appear.
Hermione: Harry!
Hagrid: Hello there, Firenze. I see you've met our young Mr. Potter. You all right there, Harry? {Harry nods}
Firenze: Harry Potter, this is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck.
{Close up on the dead unicorn.}
Scene:Gryffindor common room. Right after 'attack.' The group is around the fire. Hermione and Ron are seated, but Harry stands.Hermione: You mean, You-Know-Who's out there, right now, in the forest?Harry: But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong. Snape doesn't want the stone for himself, he wants the stone for Voldemort. With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll He'll come back. {Sits down.}Ron: But if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to kill you, do you?Harry: I think if he'd had the chance, he might have tried to kill me tonight.Ron: {Gulp} And to think, I've been worrying about my Potions final!Hermione: Hang on a minute. We're forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared?{The boys shrug.} Dumbledore! As long as Dumbledore's around, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched. {Harry smiles slightly.}Scene:Some time later. In the outdoor courtyard. The three are walking.Hermione: I've always heard Hogwarts' end of the year exams were frightful, but I found that rather enjoyable.Ron: Speak for yourself. All right there, Harry?Harry: My scar. It keeps burning.Hermione: It's happened before.Harry: Not like this.Ron: Perhaps you should see the nurse.Harry: I think it's a warning. It means dangers coming. Uhh! {He rubs scar and then sees Hagrid across the field, at his hut.} Oh. Of course! {runs for hut.}Hermione: What is it?Harry: Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger shows up and just happens to have one? {They approach Hagrid, who is playing the Harry Potter theme on his flute.} I mean, how many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pockets? Why didn't I see it before? Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg? {Hagrid stops playing.} What did he look like?Hagrid: I don't know. I never saw his face. He kept his hood up.Harry: The stranger, though, you and he must have talked.Hagrid: Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after. I told him. I said, "After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem."Harry: And did he seem interested in Fluffy?Hagrid: Well, of course he was interested in Fluffy! How often do you come across a three headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him. I said, "The trick with any beast is to know how to calm him. Take Fluffy, for example, just play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep."The three gape.Hagrid: I shouldn't have told you that. {The three take off.} Where you going?! Wait!Scene:McGonagall's classroom. The three come tearing in and run up the aisles between desks. They pass a ghost and stop at the desk.Harry: We have to see Professor Dumbledore, immediately!McGonagall: I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London.Harry: He's gone?! Now? But this is important! It's about...the Philosopher's Stone.McGonagall: {shocked} How do you knowHarry: Someone's going to try and steal it.McGonagall: I don't know how you three found out about the stone, but I can assure you it is perfectly well-protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly. {They leave.}Scene:After exiting McGonagall's class, they walk down the hallway.Harry: That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy.Hermione: And with Dumbledore gone{Snape suddenly appears behind them}Snape: Good afternoon. Now, what would three young Gryffindors such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?Hermione: Uh...we were just...Snape: You want to be careful. People will think you're {Harry glares madly at Snape, who looks shocked} up to something. {Exit.}Hermione: Now what do we do?Harry: We go down the trapdoor. Tonight.Scene: Nighttime. In the Gryffindor Common Room. The three friends come down the stairs and begin to walk across the floor. They stop when they hear croaking.Harry: Trevor.Ron: Trevor shh! Go, you shouldn't be here!Neville: {appears behind a chair} Neither should
you. You're sneaking out again, arent you?Harry: Now, Neville, listen. We wereNeville: No! I won't let you! {stands} You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again! I-I'll fight you. {holds out fists.}Hermione: Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this...{takes out wand} Petrificus Totalus.Neville is frozen and falls backwards onto the ground. Hermione puts her wand back.Ron: {Gulp} You're a little scary sometimes...you know that? Brilliant, but scary.Harry: Let's go. {Walks by Neville} Sorry.Hermione: Sorry.Ron: It's for your own good, you know. {Exit.}Scene: The three are under the Invisibility cloak, sneaking along the corridor.Hermione: Ow! You stood on my foot!Ron: Sorry. {A flame lights. Hermione draws out her wand and points it at the door.}Hermione: Alohomora.The door opens and they go in.Ron: Wait a minute...he's....{a blow of air, and the cape flutters off them.} Sleeping.Harry: Snape's already been here. He's put a spell on the harp. {They approach the sleeping dog.}Ron: Uh. It's got horrible breath!Harry: We have to move its paw.Ron: What?!Harry: Come on! {grabs paw, which is blocking the door.} Okay. Push! {They strain and move it. They open the door.} I'll go first. Don't follow until I give you a sign. {Fluffy's eyes open.} If something bad happens, get yourselves out...Does it seem a bit...quiet?Hermione: The harp. It stopped playing.Drool from one head comes down on Ron's shoulder.Ron: Ew! Yuck! Ugh. {All three kids look up and see Fluffy standing there. Fluffy barks and growls, thrashing. It breaks the harp and dives at the three.}Harry: Jump! Go! {They all jump through the trapdoor.}Ron: Ahh! {gasps as he lands on some mushy black ropelike vines.} Whoa. Lucky this plant-thing is here, really.Harry: Whoa! {The plant begins to move towards them.} Oh. Ahh! {The plant ties them up.}Hermione: Stop moving, both of you. This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster.Ron: Kill us faster?! Oh, now I can relax!Hermione manages a smile as she is sucked down below.Ron and Harry: Hermione!!Ron: Now what are we gonna do?!Hermione's voice: Just relax!Harry: Hermione! Where are you?!Hermione (from below): Do what I say. Trust me.Harry relaxes and is sucked through.Ron: Ahh! Harry!Harry falls through and lands on the hard ground. Hermione goes over to him and he stands up.Ron: Harry!Hermione: Are you okay?Harry: Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.Ron: Help!Hermione: He's not relaxing, is he?Harry: Apparently not.Ron: Help! Help me!Hermione: We've got to do something!Harry: What?Hermione: Uh! I remember reading something in Herbology. {Ron: Help!} Um Devil's Snare, Devil's Scare, {The snare shuts Ron's mouth} it's deadly fun...but will sulk in the sun! That's it! Devil's Snare hates sunlight! {takes out wand and points upwards.} Lumus Solem! {A beam of light shoots out. The Snare shrieks and recoils. Ron falls below.}Ron: Ahhh!Harry: Ron, are you okay?Ron: Yeah.Harry: Okay.Ron: {stands} Whew. Lucky we didn't panic!Harry: Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology.There is a sound.Hermione: What is that?Harry: I don't know. Sounds like wings.They enter into a room filled with golden "birds."Hermione: Curious. I've never seen birds like these.Harry: They're not birds, they're keys. And I'll bet one of them fits that door. {They come upon a broomstick, suspended in the air.}Hermione: What's this all about?Harry: I don't know. Strange.{Ron creeps over to the door and takes out his wand.}Ron: {rattles lock.} Alohomora! {Shrugs} Well, it was worth a try.Hermione: Ugh! What're we going to do? There must be 1000 keys up there!Ron: We're looking for a big old fashioned one. Probably rusty like the handle.Harry: There! I see it! {points} The one with the broken wing! {He looks at the broom.}Hermione: What's wrong, Harry?Harry: It's too simple.Ron: Oh, go on, Harry! If Snape can catch it on that old broomstick, you can! You're the youngest seeker in a century!Harry nods and grabs the broom. All the keys suddenly go one direction, right at Harry. He climbs on, swiping at them.Ron: This complicates things a
bit!Harry pushes off into the air. He flies off, after the key. The others follow him. Harry grabs the key.Harry: Catch the key!He zooms by and throws the key to Hermione, who catches it and heads for the lock while Harry distracts the other keys. Hermione puts it in the lock.Ron: Hurry up!The door opens, and Hermione and Ron rush through, followed by Harry. They shut the door just as the keys slam up against it.Scene:They enter a dark room, with broken pieces all around it.Hermione: I don't like this. I don't like this at all.Harry: Where are we? A graveyard.Ron: This is no graveyard. {sighs} It's a chessboard. {Walks out onto the marble board and flames light, illuminating the board and GIANT players. Harry and Hermione come up with him.}Harry: There's the door.They walk across the board, towards the door. Suddenly, as they reach a line of pawns, the pawns bring up their swords. The three jump and back up.Hermione: Now what do we do?Ron: It's obvious, isn't it? We've got to play our way across the room. All right. Harry, you take the Bishop's square. Hermione, you'll be the Queen's side castle. As for me, I'll be a knight. {They all take their places.}Hermione: What happens now?Ron: {aboard a horse.} Well, white moves first, and then...we play. {A pawn on the other side moves forward. Ron studies the game.}Hermione: Ron, you don't suppose this is going to be like...real wizard's chess, do you?Ron: You there! D-5! {A black pawn moves forward, diagonal to the white pawn. The white pawn raises its swords and smashes the black one. The three jump.} Yes, Hermione, I think this is going to be exactly like wizard's chess!The game continues. Pieces smash each other, boom! Boom!Ron: Castle to E-4! Smash! Ron: Pawn to C-3! Smash! Boom! The Queen turns, and smashes a piece! Harry, Ron and Hermione wince. The Queen turns again. Both Ron and Harry study the game.Harry: Wait a minute.Ron: You understand right, Harry. Once I make my move, the Queen will take me...then you'll be free to check the King.Harry: No, Ron! No!Hermione: What is it?Harry: He's going to sacrifice himself!Hermione: No, Ron, you can't! {Ron closes his eyes.} There must be another way!Ron: {turns to face Hermione.} Do you want to stop Snape or not? Harry, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me, not Hermione, you. {Harry nods.} Knight...to H-3.Ron's horse moves forward, slides and stops.Ron: Check.The Queen turns and advances. Ron breathes faster, clutching the steel reins. The Queen stops. SMASH! Ron goes flying off the horse and lands on the floor, unconscious.Ron: Ahhhh!Harry: RON! {Hermione starts walking to him.} NO! Don't move! Dont forget, we're still playing. {Hermione moves back. Harry walks the diagonal in front of the King.} Checkmate. {The Kings sword falls onto the ground victory. Harry breathes out and then the two run to Ron. They bend beside him.} Take care of Ron. Then, go to the owlery. Send a message to Dumbledore. Ron's right...I have to go on.Hermione: You'll be okay, Harry. You're a great wizard, you really are.Harry: Not as good as you.Hermione: {smile} Me? Books and cleverness? There are more important things. Friendship, and bravery. And Harry, just be careful.Harry nods and stands, walking away.
Scene:Harry walks down a long staircase to an empty room with pillars around it. The Mirror of Erised is in the middle of the room, and a man is standing before it. It is Quirrell. Harry yelps and grabs his scar.Harry: You? {Quirrell turns around.} No. It can't be...Snape. He was the oneQuirrell: Yes. He does seem the type, doesn't he? Next to me, who would suspect, "p-p-poor s-stuttering Professor Quirrell?"Harry: B-but, that day, during the Quidditch Match, Snape tried to kill me.Quirrell: No, dear boy. I tried to kill you! And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded. Even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse.Harry: Snape was trying to...save me?Quirrell: I knew you were a danger right from the off. Especially after Halloween.Harry: Th-then you let the troll in.Quirrell: Very good Potter, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running to the dungeon, he went to the 3rd floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone. {Quirrell turns back to the mirror and Harry's scar hurts.} But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never. Now...what does this mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself holding the stone. But how do I get it?{A raspy voice, VOLDEMORT, calls.}: Use the boy.Quirrell: Come here, Potter, now!Harry walks forward shakily.Quirrell: Tell me. What do you see?Harry looks in the mirror. He sees himself. His mirror self brings his hand into his pocket and takes out a red stone! The mirror self winks and puts the stone back. Very subtly, Harry reaches to his pocket. There is a lump. He gasps.Quirrell: What is it?! What do you see?!Harry: I-I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup.Voldemort's voice: He lies.Quirrell: Tell the truth! What do you see?!Voldemort's voice: Let me speak to him.Quirrell: Master, you are not strong enough.Voldemort's voice: I have strength enough for this. {Quirrell unwraps his turban and on the side opposite his face, another face is planted. It is Voldemort who appears kind of like a snake. He stretches out and faces Harry via the mirror.} Harry Potter. We meet again.Harry: Voldemort.Voldemort: Yes. You see what I have become? See what I must do to survive? Live off another. A mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can. Something, that conveniently enough, lies in your pocket!Harry turns and runs.Voldemort: Stop him! {Quirrell snaps his fingers and fire erupts all around the room. Harry is stuck.} Don't be a fool! Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?!Harry: {shakes his head} Never!Voldemort: Haha. Bravery. Your parents had it too. Tell me, Harry, would you like to see your mother and father again? Together, we can bring them back. {In the mirror, Harrys parents faces appear.} All I ask for is something in return. {Harry takes the stone from his pocket.} That's it, Harry. There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the stone! {Mother and father vanish.}Harry: You liar!Voldemort: Kill him!Quirrell soars into the air and smashes into Harry, one hand on Harrys throat. They fall to the steps. The stone falls out of Harry's reach as Quirrell chokes him. Harry strains and squeaks. Suddenly, Harry puts his hand on Quirrell's, trying to get him off. Smoke furls from under his hand.Quirrell: Ahh! Ahh! {backs up. His hand is crumbling into a mountain of black ash.} What is this magic? {hand dissipates.}Voldemort: Fool! Get the stone!Quirrell: {Walks forward, but Harry puts both hands on his face.} Ahhhhhhhhhh!Quirrell backs up, then his face, which is horrendously burned, crumbles as he walks forward. His whole body is ash. He falls to the floor. Harry gasps. He looks at his own hands and hurries over to the stone. He picks it up and sighs, when he hears something. Turning, Harry sees a dust clouds with Voldemort's face. The cloud rushes forward, right through
Harry!Voldemort: Arrrhhhhhh!Harry: Ahhhhhhhhh! {Voldemort flies away. Harry falls to the ground, unconscious. He holds the stone in an outstretched hand.}Scene:The hospital wing. Harry is bandaged, lying in bed. He awakens, puts on his glasses, and sits up. There are cards and candy all over. Dumbledore approaches him.Dumbledore: Good afternoon, Harry. Ah. Tokens from your admirers?Harry: Admirers?Dumbledore: What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. {Both smile.} Ah, I see your friend Ronald has saved you the trouble of opening your Chocolate Frogs.Harry: Ron was here? Is he all right? What about Hermione? Dumbledore: Fine. They're both just fine.Harry: But, what happened to the Stone?Dumbledore: Relax, dear boy. The stone has been destroyed. My friend Nicholas and I had a little chat and agreed it was best all around.Harry: But Flamel, he'll die, won't he?Dumbledore: {sits on the bed.} He has enough Elixir to set his affairs in order. But yes, he will die.Harry: How is it I got the Stone, sir? One minute I was staring in the mirror, and the next...Dumbledore: Ah. You see, only a person who wanted to find the Stone, find it, but not use it, would be able to get it. That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me thats saying something. {Smile both.}Harry: Does that mean, with the Stone gone, I mean, that Voldemort can never come back?Dumbledore: Ah, I'm afraid there are ways in which he can return. Harry, do you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to have you touch him? {Harry shakes his head.} It was because of your mother. She sacrificed herself for you, and that kind of act leaves a mark. {Harry touches his scar.} No, no, this kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin.Harry: What is it?Dumbledore: Love, Harry, love. {Pats Harry's head and stands up.} Ah. Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. I was most unfortunate in my youth to come across a vomit flavoured one, and since then I have lost my liking for them. But I think I could be safe with a nice toffee...{takes brown bean and eats it.} Mm. Alas. Earwax.Scene:Harry approaches a room where up on a stairwell balcony Hermione and Ron are talking. They stop when they see Harry and lean over the railing.Harry: All right there, Ron?Ron: All right? You?Harry: {shrug} All right. Hermione?Hermione: {smile} Never better.Scene:In the great hall. All students are seated, and green banners with snakes on them are around the ceiling.Dumbledore, at the head table, nods to McGonagall.She dings her glass and the chatter stops. Dumbledore rises.Dumbledore: Another year gone. And now, as I understand it, the house cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus. In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points. {Clapping. Harry and Hermione hide their heads.} Third place, Hufflepuff, with 352 points. {Clapping.} In second place, Ravenclaw, with 426 points. {Clapping.} And in first place, with 472 points, Slytherin House.There is immense cheering.Students: Whoo! Yeah!Draco: Nice one, Mate! {sees Ron looking at him and sneers.}Dumbledore: Yes, yes, well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account. And I have a few last minute points to award. {The Gryffindor students look up.} To Miss Hermione Granger, for the use of cool intellect when others were in great peril, 50 points. {Applause.}Harry: {Pats} Good job.Dumbledore: Second, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess {Ron looks at Harry and mouths, 'Me?' Harry nods, and mouths, 'You!'} that Hogwarts has seen these many years...50 points. {Applause} And third, to Mr. Harry Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house 60 points. {Immense cheering.}Hermione: We're tied with Slytherin!Dumbledore: And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award 10 points to Neville Longbottom.Immense cheering erupts. Neville is unbelieving, and sits there while cheering
gets louder. Draco is downfallen.Dumbledore: Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe that a change of direction is in order. {Claps. The green banners change to Gryffindor red and yellow.} Gryffindor wins the House Cup!Cheering.Hagrid: Yes! {grins}All students stand and throw their hats into the air, except Draco, who smashes his down onto the table.Seamus: Neville! {Shakes his hand.}All rub each other's hair and jump around, cheering and laughing.Lee: Yeah! We won!! {Jumps with Harry, who looks back and grins very widely.}Scene:The outdoor train station. Students are walking around, getting in the train.Hagrid: Come on now, hurry up. You'll be late. Train's leaving. Go on. Go on. Come on. Hurry up.Harry hands Hedwig to a train man, and walks to an open door of the train with Hermione. Hermione waves to Hagrid, who waves back. Hermione gets in the train.Hermione: Come on, Harry.Harry: One minute. {He walks over to Hagrid.}Hagrid: Thought you were leaving without saying good-bye, didja? {Hagrid takes a red album out of his coat pocket and hands it to Harry.} This is for you.Harry opens the album and sees a picture, moving, of him as a baby with his parents. They are all smiling and waving. Harry smiles.Harry: Thanks, Hagrid. {Shakes Hagrid's hand, then hugs him tightly.}Hagrid: Oh. Go on...on with you. {Harry lets go.} Oh, listen, Harry, if that dolt of a cousin of yours, Dudley, gives you any grief, you could always, um, threaten him with a nice pair of ears to go with that tail of his.Harry: But Hagrid, we're not allowed to do magic away from Hogwarts. You know that.Hagrid: I do. But your cousin don't, do he? Eh? {chuckle} Off you go.Harry walks away, back to the train door where Hermione and Ron are waiting.Hermione: Feels strange to be going home, doesn't it?Harry: I'm not going home. Not really.The train whistles and they climb aboard. As the train starts to leave and the camera pans up over the whole scene, Harry waves out the window to Hagrid, who waves back and then waves more to other students as the camera pans far back, then the credits begin.
omg. everyone is going to hate me for flooding the dash. i KNOW i’m gonna lose a follower from this. but yknow what? harry potter is love and harry potter is life.
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theangrypokemaniac · 5 years ago
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There's a sneering attitude that the dub is inherently inferior solely for being a dub, and when I say 'dub' I mean the American one. No one attacks the South American interpretation, funnily enough, or the variety that exist globally.
Why not if foreign languages are so abhorrent?  Do you think it's kewl to hate America?
That's so original you know.
If the moan centres on the dub changing certain things, well that's a pointless stance, because it's impossible to do otherwise.
What's accepted in one country is not always permitted elsewhere, so either you make those alterations or it's never shown. I'd prefer seeing a slightly toned down version rather than have it never reach the West at all.
This is without considering the technical obstacles that a direct translation brings. The words do have to fit the mouth movements, and if they don't, truncation must follow.
America and Japan are different; the population of the former are not going to comprehend the references to the latter's history and culture, which necessitates some divergence from the original to give it mass appeal.
Anime is a branch of entertainment. It has to attract the public's good will to stay in business. If impenetrable, it'll fail, with all the resulting unemployment and finacial losses that brings.
Those in charge of dubbing understandably think they're on safer ground promoting familiarity rather than the strange, but that's not to say Pokémon was stripped of its identity. On the contrary, it was like nothing I'd ever encountered before.
I may have watched Western cartoons then, but the idea of doing so now is silly. I won't give time to any modern animation unless it's Japanese. Growing up on the dub has not produced an ephemeral fan less serious or 'true'.
The 4Kids dub had wit, humour, deep emotion, suggestive comments and flights of fancy. The voices fitted the characters well.
Unlike the current one, where everyone sounds on the verge of vomiting, but then they're clearly working with substandard material on a miserly budget. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear after all.
Dubs can be bad, but the very state of being a dub doesn't confer worthlessness automatically. Considering the work gone into them, attempting to gain your favour, it seems rude not to appreciate the time and energy spent in production.
Knowing a little about history, sub-only fanatics remind me of the kind of folk who opposed an English Bible, because it was too good for the oiks to read the word of God.
Of course it was alright for them, rich enough to be taught Latin, but not so much the ordinary man.
It amuses me how dozens dismiss the dub, but see no hypocrisy in using its evidence to further their ship or anti-ship arguments, so it can't be that revolting.
It's also bizarre that so many hold sacred the sub of a series currently in a frenzy to shed every aspect of its anime and Japanese origins, leaving a vague, rootless ghost, supposedly making it easier to slip down the gullet of the masses.
Pokémon I've seen referred to as a 'gateway drug', as in the anime that introduced a generation to the entire concept. This means the dub. You would not have got enough kids in the late Nineties to read a screen rather than watch it, and even today most would lose interest rapidly.
Where would you be without that dub? Unless you're Japanese, your first experience of Pokémon will have been a dub, and if not the American, the one where you live, which was only made because there was the funds available.
You may have then progressed to watching the sub, but only because that dub stirred love in your soul.
Where would the franchise be without that dub? You think Pokémon would've grown to be a world-wide obsession raking in billions by itself? No, it'd still be a solely Japanese phenomena, and most likely never lasted this long.
Its decades of supremacy rests on the quality of that dub. It sold games and merchandise to kids by the ton, giving an incentive to keep the series going. If you're not a fan from the first wave, then your favourite era would have never existed had it not been financially attractive carrying on.
The team who wrote the first film actually preferred the dub, moved to tears by its emotive use of music, therefore they aren't so precious as the fans.
Where would anime be without that dub? Pokémon brought it to the West. A handful slipped through previously, but made minor impression.
To those who would dismiss Pokémon entirely in favour of more 'worthy' output such as Studio Ghibli, I would say that Pokémon, first the games, then the programme they inspired, must have an integral quality to have caught on in Japan, which isn't exactly short on similar concepts.
To have gained popularity in a crowded market, and so fervently a dub became an option, can only have come about because it held a certain magic.
It was the dub that smashed a hole in the cultural barrier, setting free the tidal wave to engulf the world. In Pokémon's trail followed Digimon, Cardcaptors, Monster Rancher, Yu-Gi-Oh! et cetera.
Without Pokémon, I doubt they'd have been translated, and definitely never broadcast on mainstream television. That came about as channels desperately hunted down anything Japanese to serve as the next craze.
I really appreciated the effort made by 4Kids in converting every aspect of the series to suit American tastes, including changing text on signs, letters and books into English. I assumed this was standard practice until I watched others.
I could never be as involved in them as I was Pokémon because of that block. It was like being denied access to the deeper waters, fenced into the shallows, and implied a rushed dub, with little care shown but to chase the same crowd and money.
If personified, the dub 'n' sub wouldn't be one human being, but rather identical twins: the same to a casual observer, but easy to tell apart by the more attentive.
It's like the games: Red and Blue are versions of a single adventure, but not totally one. Take the dub and the sub the same way. They are parallel dimensions running on separate rails, and beyond reconciliation, and that's before we consider that, sub and dub alike, each generation has only a faint relation to its predecessor, working on its own whims.
Everyone has a favourite, or can like both, and there's nothing wrong in that, but so many are proud of the fact they hate the dub, as if it conveys a revered status of supremacy.
When Disney films are shown abroad, they too are translated, and I'm sure references and jokes are redesigned to make sense to the locals. It's no use selling yourself as a comedy then being surprised when the audience refuses to laugh, having no idea what you mean.
If people prefer that one, for being what introduced them to Disney as a whole, or as a fond memory of childhood, then so what?
I don't mind if their view of a character is minutely at odds with mine, having seen the original, because what they think is canon to their version, so can't be wrong.
I don't go round declaring every Disney dub to be pathetic by its nature, that viewers of them are of a lesser breed of fan for preferring their own tongue, even though more of the world's population understand English than they do Japanese.
If you enjoy one tailored to your country there's no crime in it, just as I like one at least comprehensible to mine. It's not even my culture, but I pick it up mostly.
The choice must be made on which to follow, and this blog runs on dub canon, as that has a claim on my heart. Just because I don't acknowledge what takes place in the sub doesn't mean I'm unaware of it, but it has no bearing on what I write.
The idea that the dub alters things willy-nilly without rhyme nor reason is also mistaken. Often it does it because the original does not make sense.
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In the sub, I know Nanny and Pop-Pop are just a couple of old duffers taken at random and dropped in to a castle, supposedly as James's far away nannies.
Oh yeah, that's a cushy position. You doing a lot of child care from miles off?
Mind you, it used to describe 'em as 'caretakers' on Bulbapædia, as if Nan serves as housekeeper whilst Pop tends to the garden.
That's right. Ma and Pa finally got some work out of this pair of freeloaders.
They're not related, remember? No, no, absolutely not, no way. Of course their style reflects that. They just gave Pop a 'tache, thick eyebrows and a bigger nose, and Nan got a bun and lines in her hair, but there's certainly no connection. Oh no. Such a thing is ridiculous.
They're NOT family. No. Yet Hoenn James still panics they might learn he's joined Team Rocket, spending the whole episode trying to hide the truth.
Why? Who are servants to criticise the son of their employers? Why should their opinion be of any consequence to Hoenn James, especially when his parents, fiancée and butler are cognizant of reality?
Children of aristocrats are usually brought up by governesses, thus develop a stronger attachment to these figures rather than their parents, but that isn't the case here.
James lived with Ma and Pa, not the codgers minding the castle. He would have very little contact with distant employees compared to those who waited on him daily, so why seek out their approval?
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Hoenn James apparently was permitted visits to Nan 'n' Pop, which is strange considering they're not relatives. Why them and not any other house-stters?
That's right, Ma and Pa sent their son to one of their properties without them, entrusting him to the care of two shrivelled pensioners of his size that he barely knew, and who could keel over at any minute. There are no other servants present. Apparently Nan and Pop clean an entire castle by themselves.
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Oh, and they run a makeshift Pokémon sanctuary, but since it's not their home it has to be done with Ma and Pa's blessing, who also have to pay for it, but they're eevul aren't they?
The idea that somehow Nanny and Pop-Pop have not cottoned on to James's occupation by now is risible.
Servants gossip about their masters. I bet the entire household of his home know, and so in turn does the county. That Nan and Pop remain oblivious proves how isolated they are, for no one's thought to inform them.
When it came to dubbing it, they were made his grandparents, removing all the above nonsense. Of course he visits his nan and granddad, it's their gaff and their money funding the place, and it is likely his mother or father would keep James's job a secret, for fear the shock would finish 'em off.
It should do really. If they're not bothered by it that's a sign of where his rapscallion ways were inherited.
They aren't facially akin to Ma and Pa, but display the same additions, so if staff it's bloody lazy, as if nannies have to resemble your parents, but inventing a blood link excuses the slothful characterisation.
Every reference I've seen on Tumblr relating to the coffin-dodgers calls them Nanny and Pop-Pop. Apparently the dub decision is met with universal approval. It does have redeeming aspects then.
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Now the sub writers, rather than ignore this development, took to it too. They aren't exactly bursting with ideas these days and are probably grateful for the lifelines offered.
Remembering James had parents, they forced a likeness between them and Nanny and Pop-Pop. How else do you explain the inexplicable ageing, even when Sinnoh Ma and Sinnoh Pa are younger than Ma and Pa?
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I've also known for years that the sub has this woman as Jessie's foster mother, not Ma Jess, but that's stupid.
I can grasp the idea that Jessie and Ma might have endured extreme deprivation, considering that's what Team Rocket has brought to Jessie anyway, and that they may have lived at the bottom of Mew's mountain prior to Ma's death.
What I find difficult to take in is that social services (or as they're known where I live, the S.S.), however notoriously awful they are, would give a child to a mad bitch in a shack with no running water.
Come on, they have to at least pretend to be concerned for Jessie's welfare.
As Jessie is very young, bereavement can't have befallen her in the distant past, so how can she be happy this soon after becoming an orphan? How could the grieving period be a cherished memory?
If that woman's creaming off the money, why hasn't she fixed the place up by now? Where do the payments go, sniffing glue?
Then there's the depiction. If this is just some daft bint never to be mentioned again, why do they conceal her face? Who cares what she looks like when she's unimportant?
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Here's another figure from Jessie's past. She isn't disguised, and why not when she too briefly appears and is then forgotten?
Who was she?
The only sort of characters they tended to hide were other members of Team Rocket:
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During the early scenes featuring Giovanni, he was enveloped in shadow, adding both intrigue and a sense of menace.
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Madame Boss also got this treatment, even though there was probably no intention to ever feature her in the anime. What's the use in keeping an appearance a mystery if it'll remain masked?
With that pattern, it implies this woman is in the same category, like Ma Jess.
When it came to animation, it definitely was intended to be a foster mother. Not her real one. No.
What did they do?
They gave her Jessie's skin tone and purple hair hanging down her back!
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You know, like Ma Jess?
Any colour would've done. Any at all, and being anime I do mean any colour, but no. The choice was made to give her the looks of the exact person she's not meant to be!
Is it that surprising the dub simplified things?
I don't mind if you like the dub, sub, both, or any from around the world, but I'm tired of the smug condescension, as if we all agree the sub is the only one that counts, and that dub fans are grunting troglodytes, or not 'proper' aficionados.
None of us would be here were it not for the dub. Pokémon would not be here. I think it deserves some respect for how much of a difference it made, to my life and to yours.
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jxwritesss · 5 years ago
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I’m currently writing this on wattpad as well! @jxwritess
This is a Noen Eubanks fan fiction, I’m trying to spread my book around, pls share and help, it means a lot xx, my main platform is wattpad please read it on there if you find this and enjoy it!
New York. The only place in the entire world, where robots were being developed. Robots, that looked exactly like humans, and there being only one distinctive difference, a tattoo. One that said RA-H.
An RA-H. Robotic animated humans. These androids are helping the world as much as it is destroying it. They force people out of jobs, but in doing so create even better things then humans. Thousands of different political views, millions of haters and lovers. And then there's me.
Malia Blanche, 17, I lost my father, and I was the spitting image of my late mother. I only recently moved to LA, where my life was bombarded with these new androids, I get the concept of them, although I don't truly understand it.
Well, on with the story shall we?
-Chapter One.
Sunday, the day before I start college. A new life, a new story and a new beginning. I can finally pursue my dream of being a writer, just like my mother.
My mother attended John Brown college academy  , her department was romance, mine, mystery, ever since I was a child I thrive for solving mysteries, actions, you know in the movies where there's a fight scene, and it goes slow motion and they throw the punch of victory, thats what ignites my fire, the thrive for doing good, but in a dangerous way, I could always figure out who was lying in a movie, or who the murderer was. Maybe I should be a detective, but my flow comes with writing.
Although I was attending my new school in a day, I lazily decided to stay in bed until half 10, I needed to be at Realsons&Co for 11:15, to get my uniform fitted. John Brown is a very pretentious academy, and I'd worked three jobs, and poured my heart and soul into getting here. Only the best attend the Academy. I don't necessarily fit into the 'my daddy got me in here' well, obviously. I quickly slipped on my jeans and jumper, and slid into my most prised possession. Although it had been pre-owned. The Audi was my mother's, she put her heart and soul into the car, and I will respect her decision and keep the car.
I take out my GPS although I already know where my fitting shop is, as I pass it a few times on the way to my grandma's.
Carefully parking in the visitor section I leave my car, and walk up the steps, and enter the shop, the bell above my head dings and an elderly woman pops her head up and immediately smiles at me. 
"Are you Malia?" The woman asks putting her newspaper down and picking up a signing book.
"Yeah, I'm not too early am I?"
"Of course not, dear.  I'm Molly, my grandson Will, he's in the back, he will measure you up if you need anything readjusting or if you can't find anything your size. John Brown, Deanford and Attenwood are in the back left." She says pointing in the direction.
I thank her, and mentally thank that the place is practically empty. I don't like small talk, thanks social anxiety.
Walking through the back I spot John Brown uniform. A black blazer with red linings, a short black skirt and a white blouse and a dark red tie. Not too childish but not suitable enough for adults.
At the corner of my eye I see a tall boy sat on his phone, his eyes flicker up for a second at me, then back down to his phone.
I continue my search to look for the right size for my uniform when I feel a pair of eyes on me, it makes me feel uncomfortable and I start to guess that the pair of eyes is Molly's grandson Will, I mentally scold myself for being so awkward and pretending not to know that he's watching, when I hear his chair scrape my heart decides to do an athlete course and I pray he can't hear it from where he's standing.
I can tell he's now behind me, as I face my social fears I turn around and slam right into his chest, and in result dropping all my stuff, Will snorts, before helping me by picking up some of the clothes that dropped.
"Thanks," I say, grabbing the clothes from his hand and attempting to walk past him, but his arms stop me.
"Was that sarcastic or not?" He asked smiling. I take a second to take in his looks, he doesn't look as bad as I thought he would, but he doesn't act like a arrogant guy either.
"I'll let you figure that one out," I smile politely back, "I'm Will." He says moving his arm in a posh manner to let me through.
"I know, Molly told me," I answer, "I guess you know who I am?" "Yep, how could I ignore a pretty girl like you?" I mentally roll my eyes at the typical boy. "Mhm, well I need to get changed so excuse me" I say speed walking away from him, boys that make comments like that make me feel extremely uncomfortable.
As I turn the corner to the fitting rooms, I hear Will's voice once again, "I'm gay by the way," he says laughing, I stop in my tracks, suddenly feeling a bit stupid.
——
Checking that I haven't left any clothes behind, I pile them onto the counter, where Will is now standing, he starts to put all my clothes in an expensive looking plastic bag, he looks up at me, "Sorry about earlier, I was just messing about." "No, it's okay, I felt a bit silly when you said you were gay."
He shakes his head and laughs, "most people do, well the ones that aren't stuck up with money up their ass usually do." "Well I'm only here on a scholarship, so I'm not one of them people," I say handing him over the small fee I have to pay, as the scholarship covers most of it. "Surprisingly so am I, I got accepted for Athletics at John Brown," I never really though I would but I guess I should thank the Lord, my parents can't wait to get rid of me anyways, being gay has a price to pay, apparently."
"Well, they obviously don't see the good person that you are." I smile at him, although I wish he hadn't of brought it up, I'm not necessarily the best at giving advice.
The bell rings, and a tall, slim girl walks through.
"Tanner" she says walking through right into the back without a second glance.
"I understand what you mean by stuck up," I whisper, Will chuckles and passes me my bag, the girl walks back and stands behind me, not even two seconds later she starts tapping her foot and complaining.
"Since when do we serve nobodies, Will? That's right we don't. Now move, thanks." She says pushing right past me and throwing her uniform on the counter. Luckily it wasn't a John Brown one, otherwise I might've just about died.
I quietly wave at Will and walk out, seeing a shining white Porsche outside. Seriously where do you even get one that looks so shiny from?
I put the bag in the passenger seat, still feeling annoyed about the girl, as I reach my small flat,   I lock my Audi, and read a movie poster about a girl going missing  with her extremely ill dad. Making a mental note to watch the movie later, I walk up my stairs and unlock my door, I make myself a cup of tea and order some pizza, as I walk into my room, I open up my laptop, and have three new emails, one spam, but two from publishers. My heart does leaps as I open the first one.
'Telford Publishing'
- Hello Malia, we are proud to hear that you are following in your beloved mothers steps. I have read your book sample, but I would like to offer you a potential job, and a tour around  the new              T Pub&Co. I know how much it would mean to your mother if you accept my offer.
Many thanks, Gary.
A potential job?? Could this be my genuine big break?  Hearing a knock at the door, I run over, wanting to start up a reply as soon as possible. Grabbing my purse I open my door to an RA-H
"Malia Blanche?"
"Yes, here's my ID." The robots light turns red as it examines my ID. Doing a robotical smile it's arm stretches out, grabbing the pizza I express a thank you and run back to my desk.
'T Pub&Co.'
Thank you for my sample! I will gladly accept your offer, please email with more detail about the tour and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. My mum would be so happy.
Sincerely, Malia.
As I send the email I let out a squeak of happiness with pizza in my mouth. Clicking onto my word pad, I let myself fall into the world of fiction, and let time slip through my hands.
——
And that's how it is now 3.36am on a Monday trying to start a new story, anything to take my mind off the upcoming day, and the extremely embarrassing 'Tanner' fiasco.
I push my chair back from my old, ridden desk, and flop onto my bed, snuggling into my bedsheets, this has been going on for a week, for some reason I have no flow, the biggest writers block, I have stories everywhere across my room, started, just the plot, a thesis, a blurb. But recently I haven't found anything to give me that push. I turn and toss in an unsucsessive attempt to sleep, and as I check my phone it is only 4 am.
Great, no sleep for the wicked.
——
Groggily, I turn over in my bed and look over to my clock, 6.07am. Throwing my bed covers over, I lazily get up and put on the uniform that luckily fits perfectly. Thinking about my email yesterday, there is nothing more that I want in the world then my writing to become known. Realising that I spend too much time daydreaming, and badly making pancakes, i'm late and have no time to see if I have a reply. Already. Typical Me.
Rushing out of my door, checking the contents of my bag to make sure that I have everything that I need I speed walk right into someone walking up my door, crashing everything they were holding onto the floor.
"God I'm sorry, I didn't mean too, wasnt looking where I was going." I look up and realise that, I wasn't even speaking to a human, but none other then an Android. It simply says, "No worries miss," and continues with its day. Those androids are the ones that Robert Morett himself created, word is that his son is attending John Brown. Although i'm here with a writing scholarship, I doubt he'd need any type of acceptance letter. He could just ask, he is one of the most richest people in America.
Pulling my keys out of my bag I speed walk towards my car, carefully throwing my bag in, and starting the Audi, before starting my drive I pull out my phone to the Maps app, although I used to drive past John Brown to get to school I still want to be prepared.
Pulling up at the academy, I notice a few eyes staring at the jet black Audi with the tinted windows, they're probably expected a drop dead gorgeous girl, or the sexiest guy
to walk out, but in all honesty I'm neither.
Turning off my car and stepping out the eyes are suddenly averted to another jet black car, most likely a gorgeous boy or girl in it.
My mind wavered at wondering whether I should stay and stare at the person in black, or be late to my lecture.
Achieving my dream comes first.
I promised my mother that I'd focus on my work, and not get distracted. I intend on keeping that promise.
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azuremallone · 6 years ago
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This is uneducated bullshit.
This policy was written by a stack of marmosets in a suit, that convinced everyone in the tumblr offices that they were the CEO of The World. It attributes breastfeeding and medical presentations of nipples as equated to sex. Then, they define what's appropriate art, which apparently excludes photography. They're also removing the tools that do work, in favor of draconian conspiring with Apple.
I'm now reconsidering my move to tumblr. First it's this, then it's that, and of course, anything else not considered clean think;
BECAUSE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!
Fuck, why not prevent children from getting on tumblr? Why not enforce the self-regulating adult content system? Those posts that are nude, not marked adult content by bot or by human, get warnings or nukes. Why not deal with the bigger issues lurking elsewhere, below the radar?
I could care less. If I want to look at art, and it includes artistic nude photos, that's my business. I don't equate tumblr to a porn site. If I posted nude photos, I'd make sure it was behind an "adult only" marker. I'm responsible for myself. You are responsible for those who aren't. You should nail those who are irresponsible.
Butt fucking everyone isn't the answer!
Yes, you will lose users. You'll lose a lot of them. Google Plus had a similar problem when they did the same thing, and it never recovered. That's why they're shutting down. Twitter has backed off their own draconian antics, and they also have seen a drop in userbase. Go do your research and you'll see.
I'm now conducting research to move to another solution. No, I don't post or reblog nude content. Yes, I write adult scenes. I'm a supporter of Constitutional Rights. Rights you're infringing.
On the perspective of limits of speech, they're well documented in cases heard by the Supreme Court. As a public housing provider, which is what tumblr is, you have right to prohibit illegal content.
ART AND PORN ARE NOT DESIGNATED ILLEGAL CONTENT!
Child porn and hate speech, promotion and support of violence is illegal. Furthermore, you're not a content provider. Your users are. And while yes, you're not a porn site, you're also not morality police.
It's women's nipples, that's the problem. A continuation of the war on women, as men can display their nipples. A conclusion that nudity implies sex. That women require permission to display their body, just makes it evermore a justification that women are too sexual to be presented as art. But then, let's face it, men can't control themselves, so clearly it's a woman's fault...
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This isn't about protecting children from seeing a naked body. This is about censorship. This is about corporatism. This is about redefining morality. It's about power, control, and alleviating people of their personal responsibility. No, it's about stealing their responsibility, and convincing them that you know how to protect them from the world.
That isn't your responsibility. There's a difference between what you can do to your own employees and what you can do to the public you serve. If they don't like it, they'll hop out and go elsewhere. If we need to, we'll make a new place. All you're doing is blasting Moonbase Alpha out of orbit.
You could have implemented features and tools, and avoid a blanket ban that's patently unconstitutional and unconventional. It's the decision to use a 100 megaton nuke to take out a bunch of flies. Again, you had the tools and the right direction.
You just got scared by Apple. You're letting Apple dictate to you what they believe you should do. And nothing you're doing is thought through. It's reactionary. It's insulting. It's the kind of sophomoric, draconian, black and white, childish logic I've come to expect from Jedi.
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Updates to Tumblr’s Community Guidelines
Today we announced some big updates to our Community Guidelines and what kind of content is permitted on Tumblr. Adult content will no longer be allowed here. While we do not judge anyone for their desire to post, engage with, or view this stuff, it is time for us to change our relationship with it.
We expect you may have some questions on how this will affect you, and we’re here to make sure those questions get answered.
When does the new policy take effect?
Our new Community Guidelines will go into effect on December 17, 2018.
Newly uploaded content flagged as adult will no longer be allowed on Tumblr. We’ll also begin flagging and removing existing adult content with the ultimate goal of removing as much of it as we can.
What is considered adult content?
Adult content primarily includes photos, videos, or GIFs that show real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples, and any content—including photos, videos, GIFs and illustrations—that depicts sex acts.
What is still permitted?
Examples of exceptions that are still permitted are exposed female-presenting nipples in connection with breastfeeding, birth or after-birth moments, and health-related situations, such as post-mastectomy or gender confirmation surgery. Written content such as erotica, nudity related to political or newsworthy speech, and nudity found in art, such as sculptures and illustrations, are also stuff that can be freely posted on Tumblr.
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