#but yeah it's possible and the longer i teach and the more students i have. the more possible it becomes

[pocketramblr]

How would you feel if one of your students (assuming they're old enough to actually do this, I don't know what type of children you deal with) read your fics and liked them?

I teach high school seniors, so 17-18 years old, and the chances of one of them having read my fic is possible and terrifying. My friends sometimes tease me by reminding me. I just hope every year they don't, because even though there's some in the same fandoms as me, I feel like the kids all have bad tastes and wouldn't like what my fics have tagged

[annie-creates]

Fool me too

Pairing: Lady Lesso x reader

Genre: fluff

Words: 1000

Note: Happy April Fool's! And Easter Monday! This day just calls for a fic like this.

You could have expected it. Should have, really. As the freezing cold water slowly seeps into your clothes being watered down from head to toe, you’re more disappointed in yourself rather than your students. They were the offsprings of pure evil after all, rotten to their very core. After the salt and sugar switched in your morning coffee, stinky mushrooms exploding in your office and poisonous vines sneakily hanging from the hallway’s ceilings, you should have known better than to step into your classroom without checking it out first.

April fools was after all a very popular concept amongst the nevers so you would be almost let down if they didn’t try to achieve some misdemeanors this week. And it was only Monday. How are you gonna get through the whole week you had no idea. Maybe it’s time to put on one of those scary armors that roam the corridors or just take a vacation. That however would be a sign of weakness and cowardice and that was foreign to you as a fellow never.

So you teach the lesson proudly in your wet clothes and at the end leave after all your students. You carefully turn every corner, looking out for any clues on their next trap. You spend the rest of your day watching over your shoulder and rather carefully tasting everything you’re about to eat or drink. You’re determined to not let them fool you even one more time, the score already being too prone in their favor. They keep teasing you a little longer and you’ll come up with a payback so severe they could never see it coming.

Clearly you weren’t observant enough tho because as you’re walking over the bridge talking with Dovey after today’s dinner, she steps on a wire that activates a mechanism which pushes you both over the edge into the muddy water. As if you weren’t soaked and humiliated enough for today, as you crawl out from the water to the small beach by the castle, a thrower full of confetti and glitter explodes over you. The laughter of your students fades as they run away, hopefully at least a little scared of your possible revenge.

You make your way into your bedroom, luckily without any other stupid pranks in your way. Your wife is already comfortably sprawled over the sofa in front of the lit fireplace and the flames dance over her face making her ginger hair shine more than usual. You sigh heavily as you close the door and she looks over at you from the book in her lap, clearly finding your state very amusing.

“Shut up.” You warn her before she can even say anything.

“I wasn’t going to laugh at you.” Leonora says but her face betrays her.

“Yeah, very funny. This is all your doing anyway.” You pester her.

“How come?” Lesso questions with her head tilted slightly to the side.

“You raised them like this. Audacious and impudent. You’re responsible for their stupid jokes.” But even you knew you couldn’t blame all the student’s effrontery on their dean.

“Why don’t you rather go clean up in the bathroom?” She offers instead.

“If YOU try to fool with me I swear to heavens I’m gonna divorce you.“ You warn your wife as you make your way to the sink.

Lucky for you, or more for her, she didn’t play any childish pranks on you and you took a long shower without her interrupting. It took a lot of effort getting all the mud and confetti off yourself and you’ll be lucky if your dress is still gonna be washable and wearable. There was still some glitter in your hair and skin you couldn’t get rid of, but it’ll have to be enough for now. When you return to the warmed-up bedroom, your wife is still sitting in the same position reading her book.

“If it’s going to make you feel better, I’m gonna threaten them all with a good long stay in the doom room tomorrow.” She proposed as she extended the blanket draped over her legs for you to sit under it next to her.

“It’s fine. I’ll just have to be more alert. It’s a good practice.” You admit, not really mad at your students anymore. “You should see my office, it’s a disaster.”

“It can’t be that bad, can it? I’m sure you won’t let them fool you again.” Leonora comforts you as she kisses your forehead.

“It’s not bad, it’s even worse. This morning they switched the sugar and salt, so my breakfast was ruined. My office stinks like a hundred years old troll and I had to spend a whole hour teaching soaking wet. I could hardly get a word out over the teeth chattering. Which I’m sure they found pretty amusing.” You explain all that happened in your horrendous day. “Mother-fucking stupid April fools.”

“Well it sure will be better tomorrow.” Lesso instinctively tries to warm you up.

“I should probably be proud of them for succeeding, but they better watch out tomorrow cause I’m coming back after them.” You admit, picking on the loose strands of the blanket.

“I’m sure it will settle down, they just got too excited for today.” She admits, if there’s anything that bores the nevers it’s repeating stuff they already succeeded in.

“Yeah yeah, whatever. I’m tasting the sugar before I put it in my coffee this week though.” You remind both yourself and her reaching out for your own book that was waiting for you on the coffee table.

You settle down next to Leonora leaning on her shoulder as you get back to reading your own unfinished book before going to bed. A cozy, calm, silent evening was what you needed right now after a day full of surprises and pranks. Little did you know she wasn’t really paying attention to the words in her book anymore, already planning her revenge on her students for tormenting her beloved wife.

[flurrys-creativity]

Panacea

Panacea - a solution for all problems

Pairing: Bang Chan (Skz) x Fem!Reader x Han Jisung (Skz) x Kim Seungmin (Skz); Genre: Fae AU, Romance, Smut, Angst; Rating: nsfw, MDNI, 18+; Warnings: Fae!Chan, Fae!Seungmin, Fae!Jisung, Human!Reader, being hunted/chased, usage of magic, supernatural powers, kissing, SMUT -> penetrative sex, unprotected sex, biting/marking, predator/prey dynamics, blood play, knife play, magic manipulation, magic play, masturbation, foursome, anal (f receiving), double penetration, manhandling, slight free use, creampie, multiple orgasms, oral (m and f receiving), slight overstimulation, suggestive flirting; Wordcount: 6.901

Collab: Thrill of the Hunt by @cultofdionysusnet (if you have time check out the others stories by all these fantastic writers)

Summary: As Chan teaches younger Fae the rules of The Hunt he had asked you to assist him. You willingly agreed but soon enough you questioned your choice as you got chased through the night by not one but two Fae.

A/N: This is the second entry for the collab! Due to some health issues (a.k.a my wrists were not functioning) it came out later than intended. Thanks to @sanjoongie for being so patient with me AND hyping me up as well as brainstorming when I got stuck! Also @potatomountain for some very intriguing ideas that got incorporated here as well! Also a slight warning: This might be intense for some.. so proceed with caution.

Gentle shaking pulled you out of your slumber. You blinked several times before your eyes finally focused on someone crouching right before your bed.

“Aren’t you adorable, babygirl”, Chan chuckled softly as he tilted his head and looked at you expectantly. He waited a moment longer for you to wake up completely.

“Is it time?” You asked and rubbed over your eyes with the palm of your hand. You sat up on your bed and swung your legs over the edge, stretching your stiff limbs.

Chan nodded, his expression turning serious all of a sudden. “Almost. Do you want me to run you through everything once more?”

You hummed quietly and leaned forward, wrapping your arms around his neck - careful of his dark wings - and pressing yourself against his body for some comfort.

It was strange to think a Fae, who found you wandering through their realm after you got pulled through a portal, was the source of your comfort. Yet, you depended on Chan wholeheartedly - not even considering returning to your own world.

Chan chuckled again and wrapped his own, strong arms around your middle. He kissed your temple. “You’re way too good for me, babygirl.”

You shook your head and mumbled into his shoulder: “Am not.”

He pulled you closer against his body. “Oh, you are. You’re such a blessing. Especially for agreeing to help me teach these young Fae! I know I can trust you, so not having to resort to a human I don’t know is extremely helpful.” His hands wandered down your sides, caressing you ever so gently. “There’s just one downside to this.”

“There is?” You questioned him, a tinge of nervousness washing over your being.

“You won’t be with me all the time!”

You snorted and rubbed your face further into Chan’s body, trying to hide from his cheesy-ness. “But you’ll be with me all the time, won’t you?”

“Right. Okay, babygirl, let us go through this one last time. For my own sanity, yeah?” Chan gently pushed you away from his body, ignoring your soft whining. “Tell me what you’re supposed to do.”

You inhaled deeply and closed your eyes, searching for your memories of what Chan had told you. “I’m supposed to leave the town the second I step out of the door.”

“And then what?”

“Hide and sneak around to make it as hard for your students as possible.”

Chan snickered and patted your head. “Yeah, we wouldn’t want them to have it easy. Jisung and Seungmin are both from different courts though. Do you remember what that means?”

You sighed and pursed your lips, looking at Chan with an expression that told him he didn’t need to act like you were a dumb little child. You knew that each of the three courts had different approaches when it came to humans and The Hunt.

While the court - Latha - where Chan came from saw humans somewhat as equals and treated them with respect, the other two courts didn’t have the same standards. 

A shiver ran down your back when your memories travelled to the rare occasions where you met full fledged Fae from other courts. If you added the horror stories that got murmured around in the dark, you truly got nervous about the whole ordeal again.

“Could you mark me again?” You asked and looked hopeful towards Chan, batting your eyelashes and jutting your lower lip out to make your request especially appealing to him.

Chan tilted his head and brushed some hair away from your face. “I just marked you a while ago. You can still see it.” He glanced down at your throat - a thumb brushing over the healing bite mark. “Even if it was healed, the other Fae would know you belong to me.”

“Please”, you begged him and pressed yourself closer against his body. “It gives me a sense of safety even when I can’t see you.”

He chuckled softly and nosed along your jawline, whispering sweet nothings against your skin while his hands travelled along your body. 

You shivered again - this time from the anticipation of pleasure. You tilted your head to the side, giving Chan better access to your throat. Your chest moved up and down from your trembling breaths and you barely kept your eyes open to watch him.

“Aren’t you the sweetest little human for me”, Chan mumbled and pushed you down on the mattress again, crawling right over you until his strong body captured you beneath him. His black, feathery wings added to the feeling of being caged in, some of the feathers brushing along your bare legs.

One of Chan’s hands wandered between your legs, grabbing the flesh there and pushing your thighs apart so he could slot himself between them. He rolled his hips into yours, grinning mischievously upon hearing your needy whimpers.

You didn’t need to beg much for him, sensing he was just as eager to be inside you as you. 

Chan pushed his own clothes away and ripped at the sheets that covered half of your form. With a hard thrust he pushed inside of you, keeping a relentless pace while he fucked you.

You weren’t even able to breathe properly, gasping for air like a fish out of water. All your senses got consumed by Chan’s dominating presence and you easily submitted to him, willingly doing anything he wished for. 

“You’re so fucking gorgeous”, he grunted out while kissing along your neck. Chan littered your sensitive skin with licks and kisses, wanting to soothe it from the oncoming pain. 

“Please.”

Chan kissed your skin one last time before he opened his mouth, revealing his teeth. They were sharper than a normal human’s teeth. Though that didn’t make the bite less painful - just easier for him to bite through your skin.

You groaned through clenched jaws, trying to focus on the pleasure surging inside of your body that formed a knot in your lower stomach. The tingles spread further through every nerve until it consumed you completely. With an outcry you came. You barely registered how Chan helped you through your high and came soon after as well.

“As much as I’d love to stay in bed with you and cuddle you until you can’t stand my presence, we have to move.” He sighed deeply and pushed himself up. His wings ruffled nervously behind him while he helped you up too and walked you over to a small washing basin. 

Once you were cleaned up and ready to leave, you opened the door to Chan’s home. You stood on the threshold and looked outside, your heart clenching painfully at the thought of leaving your only source of comfort for who knows how long. 

Chan stepped behind you and wrapped his strong arms around your form, pulling you against his chest and resting his chin on your shoulder. “There won’t be a second where you’re alone out there. I’m with you for every step of this adventure.”

You relaxed slightly, new determination settling inside your mind. You turned around in his hold and brushed your fingertips over his face with the softest smile. “I trust you nothing bad will happen to me. I know you’ll step in.”

Chan nodded along. His eyes implored yours yet again, trying to find a hint of discomfort in them but as you were set on helping him, he found none. With yet another sigh Chan kissed you one last time before he let you go.

You straightened your shoulders and followed the path, which led you out of town. At the first cross section you decided to head towards the forests, hoping underneath its canopy you’d find more than enough hidden spots when you had to rest.

You jumped in surprise when a large raven cawed above your head. Its shadow rushed over your figure as it circled you several times. 

You bit on your lower lip, trying to suppress the grin spreading on your face. “So he’s already shadowing me”, you mumbled before you picked up your pace again. 

Soon enough you vanished between the trees, following the path deeper into the thick forest until the sunshine nearly vanished completely. You turned around your own axis, making sure you’ve gone far enough, before you left the road and carefully moved through the bushes.

You dug underneath low hanging branches and climbed over protruding roots. Every now and then you saw Chan’s raven flying from one tree to another, its dark gleaming eyes intently following your every move.

The first night came and went by with nothing happening. Just like several more nights. 

And it made you nervous.

You knew you were being hunted but so far you hadn’t noticed any sign of your pursuers. Except for Chan’s raven, who followed you everywhere.

On your fifth day of running and hiding you finally approached a clearing in the middle of the forest. Before you tried to stay away from them, fearing you’d be easily spotted from the air but you needed something that only grew there.

With careful steps you walked closer to the sunlit area. Your eyes darted around nervously and your ears were strained beyond comparison, just to make sure you’d hear even the smallest sound. You looked around over and over again, halting every three steps until you finally reached a patch full of clover.

You leaned down in slow motion, eyes still darting around the area. Only when your hands touched the soft ground did your focus shift on the clover beneath you. Hurriedly you brushed your fingers through them, searching for a four-leaved one. 

Unbeknownst to you, you already got watched - not just from Chan’s raven.

Seungmin sat on top of a large branch of an nearing tree, using his glamour to merge with his surroundings. He actually had no interest in The Hunt nor in humans in general. It annoyed him being forced to learn the ways of The Hunt and participate in a mock one. Yet when he observed you, his interest peaked.

You cheered quietly and held a four-leaved clover up in the air, squinting your eyes against the bright sky. You hoped one would be enough for the trick Chan told you about. Ever so quietly you mumbled your thanks, knowing how peculiar Fae were about nature and how you interacted with it. You lowered your arm again and stared at the clover in your hand for a second longer before you squashed it between your fingers.

Seungmin stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he watched you rub the green paste across your eyelids now.

You blinked several times, getting used to the feeling of the smashed clover on your eyelids. Slowly you turned your head and took your surroundings in once more. Your eyes widened in surprise when you saw the dryads - half tree, half Fae watching you with great interest. 

While they meant no harm for you, it still felt unsettling knowing you’ve been running around the forest for days without having seen them before just now.

A movement at the corner of your vision caught your attention and your head snapped into the direction, seeing a Fae standing atop a tree and staring at you with narrowed eyes.

You jumped up without looking away, fearing the second you’d lose eye contact you’d be captured in an instant. Only when you reached the edge of the forest again, you turned on your heels and rushed away. While it was wishful thinking the thick canopy would keep the Fae away, you still hoped it helped your case.

Seungmin silently watched you disappear between the trees. He pursed his lips in amusement, thinking The Hunt - even a mock one - might be more interesting than he thought.

You ran until you couldn’t anymore, crashing down on the forest ground. Your body heaved for oxygen, trembling like a leaf in the wind. Your ears rang loudly and your mind felt fuzzy from the sudden exercise. 

With your last strength you pulled your body to a protruding root, half crawling underneath it in hopes of staying hidden until you regained some of your strength again. You breathed deeply and closed your eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of being watched. You wanted to tell yourself it was only Chan’s raven that watched you but the second you used the paste you just knew you felt more than one pair of eyes on your form.

Once you opened your eyes again a lot of time must have passed. The sun wasn’t up anymore - the limited light within the forest was gone now that it seemed to be the middle of the night. Even though there should be moonlight, it wasn’t strong enough to shine through the thick canopy.

To your surprise though you noticed a bluish glow to your side. You pushed yourself up into a crouching position, slowly looking over the large root you hid behind.

Your mouth formed a natural o upon seeing the blue glowing orb floating in the middle of the forest. You looked around, trying to see anything in the dark despite the orb.

At the back of your mind you remembered Chan calling them Devas. At least you thought them to be that since Will O’Wisps usually appear around water and not in the middle of forests. Either way these ethereal beings guided humans through dangerous areas, aiding them in need.

You finally stood up completely. While you still looked around warily, something inside of you begged you to follow the orb, hoping they would guide you to Chan who you missed dearly.

Whenever you came closer to the Devas they disappeared into thin air, only to reappear a little further down - naturally guiding you through the dark forest.

Soon enough you heard the soft splashing of water ahead of you. Getting closer to what seemed to be another clearing with a small creek running through it, you slowed down again. The Devas danced around the clearing, beckoning you to step out as well.

Yet, you stayed behind a tree. You scanned the area slowly. If it had been Chan guiding you there, he wouldn’t have hidden from your sight. A shiver ran down your spine as the fear of having run straight into a trap crawled over your skin.

“You don’t seem as dumb as I thought a human to be.”

You nearly yelped from the sudden voice behind you, if you hadn’t slapped your hand over your mouth. Your heart raced inside your ribcage and you turned around almost mechanically until your gaze met the shadowy figure of the same Fae from earlier.

“Still dumb”, he said - eyeing you from head to toe and back again - “but not as dumb as what I heard humans to be.” He gracefully walked around you, his gaze never leaving your form.

Somehow you felt naked under his watchful eyes despite wearing several layers of clothes. You pressed yourself against the bark of the tree. So far you couldn’t tell from which court this Fae was, making it difficult for you to calculate your next move.

“Why don’t we have a chat over something to drink?”

“I neither drink nor eat what a Fae offers me.”

His eyes widened in surprise, before he composed himself again with a chuckle. “Chan taught you well, I see.” He shook his head and stepped away from you, walking onto the clearing and into the moonlight. “Of course he wouldn’t make it easy for us.”

You watched him silently. His translucent wings were folded on his back, slightly shimmering in the blue light of the moon. He didn’t appear threatening and you wondered what exactly his goal was with him talking so casually.

“I assume you haven’t met Ji yet.” He turned back to you, his eyes taking in your reaction closely. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be that calm around me.”

“So you’re from Ciaradh.”

His eyes twinkled in delight before he bowed exaggeratingly. “You can call me Min. At your service.”

You narrowed your eyes and scoffed playfully. “If you’d truly be at my service you would have told me your whole name.”

He laughed out and placed his hands behind his back, tilting his head as he stared at you. “You know quite a lot about our species for a human.”

Feeling bold, you stepped out from behind the tree and followed the Fae onto the clearing. “I should be upset about you mocking my species but I do get why you’d think all humans would be horrendously stupid.” Your eyes widened momentarily as you thought back to your time amongst humans - the stupidity unfathomable.

Seungmin walked around you, his movements almost resembling steps of an intricate dance. He kept you talking, listening intently to every word you said. While you lacked the grace of a Fae you didn’t trample around the area like a newborn troll - much like lots of other humans had done before.

Even though he didn’t have much experience with humans, not until he had reached a specific age to get one on his own, Seungmin had observed them and the Fae responsible - mostly the Fae responsible, which made him question why they’d go through such a hassle of dealing with almost primitive beings.

You followed him further onto the clearing, unconsciously mindful where you stepped. Somehow you imitated his movements, joining him in the silent dance. Entranced by his hidden curiosity you forgot about The Hunt, your movements pulling you closer and closer towards him.

The Devas floated around the clearing themselves, making the situation even more dreamlike than it already felt. Your eyes searched his own, trying to figure out his intentions but to no avail.

“How did you end up in Chan’s care?” Seungmin asked, getting closer to you. If he’d outstretched his arms he’d be able to grab you and pull you in but the fact you willingly got closer yourself made his heart soar from excitement. He didn’t use a lot of magic, guessing you’d pick that up easily from having lived with Chan for quite some time, but he used enough to pull you further into his enchantment.

You laughed in embarrassment and turned your head away, trying to hide it from the Fae. “I wanted to be beautiful”, you sighed and shook your head from your own naivete. “There was a rumour about a stream in Scotland. If you’d keep your face under water for seven seconds you’d be graced with ethereal beauty from the Fae.”

Seungmin stopped in his movements, watching you silently as you turned back to him. A hidden sadness danced in your eyes. “I slipped when I wanted to try it and fell into the stream, getting pulled through a portal into your realm.”

“Why would you try it? You are beautiful.” You were close enough now for him to brush the back of his fingers over your heated skin. Seungmin noticed how your breath hitched but you didn’t make any attempts to bolt otherwise. Quite the opposite in fact - you leaned into his touch, even closing your eyes.

“Thank you”, you whispered almost inaudibly. “It’s nice to hear that.”

Seungmin cupped your cheek and moved your head until you properly faced him. “It sounds like you’re not believing me.”

You giggled softly and shook your head. “No, I do believe you. After all, a Fae can’t lie.”

Seungmin scoffed but failed to hide his own amusement, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. He leaned down to your face, his breath fanning over your skin. His eyes darted from yours down to your lips and back up again. 

Another few heartbeats passed until he finally pressed his soft lips against your own. Your eyes fluttered close as you melted into his touch. You felt one of his arms snake around your middle, keeping you stable while his hand still cupped your face and held you in place for him to explore the kiss.

You couldn’t indulge in the kiss as an earth shattering scream filled the clearing and a supernatural force pushed you away from Seungmin.

While Seungmin caught himself with the help of his wings, you stumbled backwards until you landed on your behind. Your eyes searched the area until they landed on a figure engulfed in shadows hovering above the clearing.

His wings - that resembled wings of a moth - slowly brought him down to the surface of the earth. With one last dramatic movement of his wings, he tugged them behind his back and glared at Seungmin. “I want a duel with you!”

Seungmin sighed deeply and crossed his arms in front of his chest, letting his head hang so his eyes got covered by strands of hair. “Ji, you know full well I never agree to duel you.”

As the two Fae argued with each other, the earlier enchantment on you slowly faded again and you realised the situation you found yourself in. You were still in the middle of The Hunt and right now you betrayed Chan by making it way too easy for both his students.

You scrambled back to your feet and dashed away from the Fae, ignoring the sense of deja vu overcoming you. 

The second Jisung noticed how you bolted, he dropped his argument with Seungmin and rushed past him, following you as quickly as possible. He had to fold his wings the second he reached the edge of the forest as well, not wanting to tear them apart on some of the low hanging branches.

You heard the maniac snickering close behind you and the sense of deja vu you had just a second ago vanished. With trepidation you realised what it meant to be hunted by a Fae of the Oidhche court. They hunted for pleasure, hunted for fun. Humans were nothing but playthings in their eyes.

The blood in your veins froze when you heard him sing-song behind you, calling out for you in a sickly sweet voice.

A scream tore its way through your lips as you lost your footing and rolled down a hill, dry leaves and twigs churning underneath your weight. You barely got on your knees when a cold hand grabbed your ankle and pulled you down again, pinning you under a body.

“Got you”, he breathed down your neck, making the small hairs stand on edge. 

You tried fighting his weight, writhing underneath him. All you needed to do was reach the iron ring you kept in your pouch, all you needed was a second of distraction for you to flee again, all you needed was to get away from him so you wouldn’t disappoint Chan.

At that moment you heard the caw of a raven nearby. Your desperation grew even more but when the weight of you shifted, it only did so to spin you around and on your back.

Jisung straddled you again, staring down at you with wide, crazy eyes. “You’re quite pretty for a human”, he whistled through his teeth. His eyes slowly raked over your body, he nodded appreciatively along what he saw. “I can get what Chan sees in you.”

You writhed underneath him again, trying to push him off but roots that seemingly appeared out of nowhere wrapped around your wrists and pinned them down above your head.

“Ah, ah, ah, little human. Don’t make me mad now.” Jisung laughed as he grabbed behind his back and pulled a blade into your view.

Your eyes widened and panic scorched through your whole body. “You can’t do that”, you whispered, feeling your heart pounding violently inside your chest. Your mind screamed for Chan, begged for him to appear and push this Fae off of you. Your mind begged for Chan to save you but nothing happened.

Jisung leaned down, whispering some unintelligible nonsense as his blade cut through your clothes and revealed more of your bare skin. 

“You can’t hurt me”, you tried again, fighting against your restraints and his weight. You stilled just as quickly as you tried to escape when he pressed the sharp edge of the blade against your chest.

“Who said I’d hurt you?” He tilted his head and looked at you, appearing almost innocent with his wide, dark eyes and puffy cheeks.

You ignored his question and glared at him. The thought of Chan coming to your rescue, fueling your spite. “I am marked. For I belong to Chan. So you can’t harm me unless you want to face his wrath.”

Jisung blinked several times, simply staring down at you. “I wonder which will get you killed faster - your loyalty or your stubbornness.”

You swallowed harshly, about to retort something when he pressed the blade into your skin. The sting of the cut made you hiss and your eyes widened from the shock he actually cut you. “You hurt me!”

“Did I?” He laughed crazily as he leaned down and licked over the thin cut on your skin, collecting the droplet of blood. 

A gasp escaped your lips. With horror you realised something else mixed with your shock, something more primal and needy.

Jisung noticed the shift in your eyes. His grin widened and he immediately ripped your clothes apart, leaving you completely bare beneath him.

Your breath hitched as the cool night air brushed over your exposed skin. You involuntarily trembled and your nipples hardened while your eyes followed his moves intently.

He traced invisible patterns along your skin, cutting you every now and then with a soft giggle. Jisung grew bolder upon hearing your needy whimpers, making deeper cuts that drew actual lines of blood.

You gasped from the pain but your back arched nonetheless, wanting to receive more. At the edge of your consciousness you heard the caw of the raven again. As you tilted your head to the side you noticed Chan standing there with wide eyes. You moaned from another cut on your skin and your eyes fluttered from the pleasure coursing inside of you.

Chan stopped in his movements. He saw his student cut you up and appeared to stop him from hurting you further. So it came with quite the surprise to hear you moan so lustfully in the middle of the woods. Chan swallowed loudly, feeling how his own length hardened inside his pants.

You opened your eyes again, seeing how Chan had pulled out his dick. He slowly pumped himself as he watched you from the sidelines. You bit on your lower lip, another wave of pleasure burning through your body. You wanted more, you wanted him to touch you too. “Please”, you begged breathlessly.

A chuckle from the other side caught your attention and you turned your head around, seeing Seungmin leaning against a tree just a few feet away from you. He watched you with a tilted head, smirking when your eyes met. “Guess I joined the party just in time.”

You couldn’t help yourself but moan at the thought of having three Fae pleasuring you at the same time.

“Is that the reason why you keep that human around?” Jisung trailed his knife down to your core, pressing the cool blade against your clit and watching you twitch helplessly from the stimulation. He glanced at Chan, who only looked at you, completely forgetting about his two students as he zoned in on your expression and exposed body. 

“It seems like there aren’t as many downsides to owning a human as I thought”, Seungmin hummed as he pushed himself from the tree and walked closer as well. “Could a mere human be the solution to all problems between the courts?”

You looked up at him, not entirely able to understand his words. Instead your focus moved to his extremely tight pants, letting you imagine the hard cock trapped in its confinements. 

Jisung’s eyes switched from Seungmin to Chan and then down to you. While he caught you and wanted to take you himself, a curiosity - sparked by Seungmin’s question - coursed through his mind. 

Would a human even be able to handle all of them at once?

He turned his attention to Seungmin, his eyes narrowed to a glare. “The one who cums first loses the duel.”

Seungmin raised one eyebrow, amusement playing all over his features. He curled his lips knowingly. “Deal.”

You watched him move his hands and murmur something under his breath. Magic circles appeared around your body, glowing mysteriously and lifting you up into the air - resulting in Jisung falling down on his behind and cursing at Seungmin.

Jisung quickly got back on his feet and stepped closer to you, just like Seungmin did. They didn’t entirely focus on your naked form, half glaring at each other and trying to figure out ways to best one another.

The tension thickened and you were sure you’d easily cut it with a knife. It heightened your senses and spiked your arousal. 

Ever so slowly you turned your head again, looking at Chan through half lidded eyes. He still stood on the same spot as before, silently jerking himself off. His movements appeared calculated, as if he tried to drag on his high. 

Your eyes were trained on his thick cock, noting how hard it looked, how the tip already leaked glistening pre cum and how Chan squeezed himself at the base before moving up again. A whine ripped out of your throat, feeling needy and impatient.

A sudden slap to your tit made you jolt in the air. Reluctantly you brought your attention back to the other two Fae. You struggled to see past the glowing circle around your middle but you felt their intense stares on your skin. 

Jisung pushed your legs apart, his eyes immediately drawn to your heat. He licked over his lips and raised the hand with the knife to your thigh. A groan escaped his throat when he saw you clench around nothing the second he drew the blade along your skin. “Fuck”, he breathed out, forcing himself to look at your face, “you’re really down bad for this.” He moved the blade to your clit and slapped it with small motions.

You barely heard his delighted laughter as your body involuntarily jerked from the sensation, making you all fuzzy inside your head. Air got stuck in your throat when you felt the cool tip of the knife protruding into your hole.

“If you hurt her, Chan will rip your head off”, Seungmin murmured towards Jisung. Despite his warning, he couldn’t help his own sensation of arousal coursing through his body. He palmed himself through his pants, watching for a moment longer.

“I covered the blade with a spell”, Jisung told him snarkily, pushing the knife further into you. “Unless I pull the magic away, this weapon won’t cut her.”

You clamped down around the blade, the coolness of the metal making your body react on its own. You arched your back and threw your head back, the desire consuming you whole.

Seungmin grunted something under his breath before he moved to your head. His hands gently caressed your skin, tweaking your nipple on their way down to your throat. He grabbed your neck with one hand, holding you in place.

Unable to move your head, you were forced to watch him undo his pants, pulling them away until his dick sprung free. He grabbed the base and shuffled in front of you until his cock perfectly aligned with your lips. Seungmin tapped against your mouth, smearing his precum all over your lips. He used some pressure on the base of your skull, forcing you to open your mouth.

You garbled around his shaft, involuntarily swallowing and choking on it in the process. Tears sprung to your eyes and you helplessly raised your hands to his thighs, searching for some sort of leverage. 

Despite your struggles, Seungmin continued to push his dick into your wet mouth, thrusting into you without a second thought. 

You tried to relax your jaw, tried to breathe shallowly through your nose. Still, you gagged every time he hit the back of your throat. Saliva and tears dripped down your face. Yet, you still wanted more - needed more. You clawed at his thighs, pulling him closer.

At the same time Jisung used the slick of your pussy to cover his fingers and length. He was about to pull his knife out, when Chan interrupted his movements.

You hadn’t even noticed how he had come closer to you. You barely even saw how he had grabbed onto Jisung’s wrist. “You can fuck any opening but her pussy”, Chan growled from deep within his chest, “that one belongs to only me.”

The lust and desire coming from him hit you like a tidal wave, making you whine for him even more.

Jisung huffed, trying to hide his pout but nodded nonetheless. While he knew Chan was from a court he himself considered as soft and weak, Jisung knew better than to fight Chan.

Therefore Jisung kept the knife inside your head and started to play around the rim of your ass.

You exhaled with a shiver upon feeling his fingers protrude, stretching you until he deemed it enough. You cried out around Seungmin’s dick when Jisung pushed his cock into your ass. The foreign feeling had you writhing before the pleasure hit you.

Chan grabbed one of your hands and moved it away from Seungmin’s thighs. He cupped your hand and wrapped it around his shaft, guiding your movements to jerk him off.

Both Jisung and Seungmin fucked into you with a relentless pace. They followed their needs up until they remembered the duel.

All of a sudden they pulled away from you at the same time, panting heavily and staring at your body with wide eyes. Their magic started to waver as they concentrated on keeping themselves from releasing.

Chan caught you before the magic circles holding you in the air vanished and with a flick of his wrist he threw the knife away into the dark before the protecting spell would disappear. “You’re doing so good, babygirl”, he whispered into your ear, cradling you to his body. Chan kissed your temple and wiped over your face with his thumbs. 

You whined softly and hid your face in the crook of his neck. You felt the knot inside your body - the tightness keeping you on edge. Your hands already found their way to Chan’s cock, wrapping the fingers around the shaft and pumping it eagerly.

“Always so needy”, Chan snickered and pressed you against his chest so you were unable to move at all. He turned his gaze to Jisung and Seungmin, silently noting they were still hard. “Your duel isn’t over yet. Not until there is a clear winner or the both of you agree on a truce.”

“I’ll never agree to that!” Jisung spat immediately, shooting daggers with his eyes towards the other Fae.

Seungmin sighed exasperatedly. “I do refuse to lose to such a hot headed fool.”

Chan nodded shortly, accepting their stances on the matter. He looked down at you, trying to hide his grin from your desperate wiggles in his hold. “Babygirl, we’re trying something new today.” 

With that he lowered himself on the ground, sitting cross legged with you on his lap. You tilted your head in curiosity, receiving one more kiss on the tip of your nose, before Chan grabbed your sides and turned you upside down.

You yelped out in surprise, followed by a short laugh. This position - with your legs over his shoulders, your pussy right in front of his face and your face aligned with his dick - was foreign and you felt how the blood slowly but surely moved to your head. 

“Tap my side twice if it becomes too much”, Chan instructed you.

His breath fanned over your wet folds, making you shiver in delight already. You couldn’t hold your desires back any longer, needing it to take over your body again. 

Chan cursed when your lips latched onto his dick, sucking him into your mouth. For a moment he relished in the feeling. He held you tightly, groaning from the sensation you gave him.

After a while Chan beckoned the other two Fae to step closer. “You can share her ass”, he told them matter of factly, “the pussy is still mine.” With that he latched his lips onto your clit, nibbling and sucking on the sensitive nub while pressing his big nose into your folds.

You moaned around his dick, your body jolting from the pleasure. For a second you stiffened as you felt fingers playing around the rim of your ass again, stretching your hole and pushing in and out off beat to each other. You could only imagine both Fae having their fingers inside of you, refusing to fuck you the same way like the other. 

“She’s loving this”, Chan grunted against your folds, “her body is crying out for more.”

You whined and desperately tried wiggling your ass, agreeing with Chan’s words. You were so close to your release but you needed an extra push now.

You gasped upon feeling both Fae pushing their dicks into your ass at the same time. They held onto your legs now, grunting as they descended down on you.

Jisung immediately started scratching your leg, marking it in dozens of red lines before starting his own rhythm to fuck your behind.

Seungmin’s pace contrasted with him. It was slower and with more intention. His hands caressed your skin, appearing almost like soft little tickles.

You gagged around Chan’s dick, the sensation of being so full - so filled with pleasure and brought to the edge so quickly - made you cum instantly. Your whole body spasmed while your vision blacked out. Your head spun, fuzzy and light, as if you were on the verge of passing out. 

The boys continued to fuck into you, getting you through your orgasm and continuing even afterwards. They ignored your garbled sounds and your whining, knowing if you truly wanted them to stop you’d tap Chan’s side - but you didn’t. 

You felt another high approaching from the way they used you for their own pleasure. You cried out again. The force of the second orgasm ripped through you like a tsunami.

This time the Faes came as well. The way your muscles squeezed them so tightly, neither of them could hold back.

Chan shot his load down your throat, cursing against your clit as he still held you tightly.

At the same time Jisung and Seungmin came inside your ass, shooting ropes and ropes of cum into you and painting your inside white.

Once they stepped back from you, Chan carefully turned you in his arms, holding you now in bridal style. He brushed strands of hair out of your face, admiring your fucked out form.

You hummed softly, focusing on simply breathing after such an intense orgasm. You felt how Jisung and Seungmin’s cum trickled out of your ass. You had your eyes closed, yet you felt the stares of all three Fae on your body. 

“You’re so beautiful”, Seungmin whispered and Han agreed with a hum.

“I can’t wait for a real Hunt with my own human now.”

Chan chuckled softly as he gently nosed along your throat and jaw. “You learned how to hunt and how to claim a human - in theory - since I won’t let anyone claim my baby girl.” He kissed your temple and then looked up at the two Fae. “What about your duel though?”

Seungmin and Jisung eyed each other - one even shrugging his shoulders. “Technically your human came first”, Seungmin mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Chan.

Jisung quickly agreed. “So your human lost the duel and that’s it.”

You scoffed and turned in Chan’s hold, moving away from his two students and hiding your face in his chest. “I didn’t even agree to join any duel”, you grumbled.

Chan caressed your hair and whispered a few praises into your ear. After a moment he dismissed Jisung and Seungmin, accepting their decision on the result. 

Technically he couldn’t care less about their little feud. The only thought on Chan’s mind was having you all to himself again after six painstakingly long days of not being near you at all. 

“You’re too good to be true.”

“Am not.”

“Yes, you are”, Chan chuckled and kissed your temple again. “Let me get you home and show you how good - no, how perfect - you actually are.”

You giggled softly and hit his chest. “You just want to fuck me again without your students present.” You turned in his hold and cupped his face. “I never thought you’d be the sharing type anyway.”

Chan’s eyes darkened. Without a warning he pushed three fingers into your cunt and cupped your clit, pressing down on it with his palm until you squirmed in his hold. “That needy pussy belongs to me”, he growled again, “I’ll never share that with another being.”

You cursed under your breath, the arousal crashing into you with full force again, as if it never left to begin with. You pictured Chan fucking you on the forest floor from behind like the needy bitch you felt like at the moment. But that image quickly changed when Chan spoke up again.

“Hold on tight, love.” He smirked down at you. “Flying might not be the only high you get on our way home.”

© all rights reserved

Taglist: @xavi-in-kpopland​

[messedupfan]

The Phoenix

Summary: Jean misses Y/n.

A/N: Hope y'all enjoy!

Masterlist | All Chapters | All Stories Taglist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jean was experiencing strange symptoms. Had been for several days now, things including loss of consciousness and gaps in her memory. There were a few other symptoms, but she couldn’t quite describe them. She felt that something was wrong but she didn’t know how to seek help. So she dealt with them as they came, avoiding anyone near her as much as possible when they did. Some close friends were starting to take notice of her odd behavior, but trusted that she would come to them if it was serious. Jean didn’t think it was, until an incident when a voice in her head that wasn’t her own was whispering some strange language she couldn’t recognize. She didn’t like what it was doing to her mutation. She felt a panic rise inside of her and soon her abilities got out of control and every object in the room she was in began to float. Including the students that she was teaching. 

That’s when Charles Xavier made the suggestion that she should isolate herself until they could figure out what was going on. Not one to want to put anyone in danger, Jean agreed to be observed for the time being. Hopeful that they could fix what might be wrong with her. They hooked her up to some machines to monitor the symptoms she described, but there wasn’t anything to treat them. How could there be? It’s not as if there is a doctor properly equipped for such a situation. 

She was having nightmares and had dealt with them in the past but never anything like this before. Never with the same monster coming after her. Part of her wanted to believe she was simply sleep deprived. That whatever was causing these lapses in memory was connected to the lack of sleep she was experiencing lately. 

There was a theory that she might just be grieving. It made some sense to her. But they had lost you nearly a year ago. Isn’t it late for her to be feeling such strong effects of grief? When she asked this question to Raven, her mentor, she didn’t have much of an answer. 

“Grief doesn’t have a timeline. I sometimes get hit with the reminder that a friend I cared for is no longer here. It’s hard and I still manage to get through the day. But I wasn’t nearly as close with them as you were with Y/n.” She looks down at her hands in her lap as she thinks about how good you were for her friend. “I miss them a lot too, you know? They were… they were something special,” she says with a deep frown and apologetic eyes that she flashes to the girl in the hospital bed. Your death impacted many at the school and to many, it still hadn’t made any sense.  

You wouldn’t have killed yourself. Jean still strongly believes that. Other’s have accepted that was the cause. The evidence was there. You were hanging from the top of the steps, there’s no mistaking it. Everyone saw it first thing that morning. The footage from the camera’s in the halls, though distorted, only show you making that decision for yourself. Jean argues, to this day, that it’s clear you were struggling against something. No one sees it, or believes it. 

Some were pissed at you for making that choice. Even more upset that you had done it in such a public manner, knowing that there were children that struggle with depression every day at that school. Another reason that leads Jean to believe it wasn’t you. There were a few people at the institution that weren’t great with the students, but you weren’t one of them. You cared deeply for each and every student and staff member. You just wouldn’t have killed yourself. 

No one even considered that you had faced many types of monsters head on, none of them able to kill you. Survived many missions that plenty of others wouldn’t have. Yet, they believe a rope was all it took. It didn’t sit right with her. 

“Yeah, they were,” she says quietly. As she thinks about you, the symptoms are triggered. She begins to feel dizzy and loses consciousness, objects in the room begin to float, and Raven presses the button to get assistance. Jean is sweating profusely, cracks in her skin glowing, as her body starts to shake. The voice returns, seemingly trying to gain control over her. Thinking of you was where the Scarlet Witch found weakness in Jean Grey’s mind. That’s when she was most able to access her mind, to try and use her. To help her reach her fullest potential in order to consume that power for herself when the time came. 

However, while in her trance, Jean managed to get a sense of what was happening to her. Because of you. You had helped Jean find her strength in her abilities. Taught her a control over them that she otherwise wouldn’t have. As she caught a glimpse of this person that was in her head, she saw a version of you. One that wasn’t hers. Floating in a red bubble around this witch's body. Something was telling her, this wasn’t her first visit. 

Once Jean breaks free of the Scarlet Witches manipulation, the objects return to their places with loud crashes. Her friends, who had come in to try and pull her out of it, collapsed to the ground. A couple landing on top of one another. Jean is breathing heavily as she removes the wires from her body. “I know what’s happening!” She cries out. 

They stand up, waiting for her to explain but she doesn’t. Instead, she rushes out of the hospital bed. “Woah, hold on. It’s not a great idea for you to leave,” Dr. McCoy tries to stop her as he steps in her path. 

“No, let her go,” Raven defends. “I’ll watch after her.” The Beast doesn’t want to put Raven in harm's way, he still believes Jean is very dangerous and this last outburst only proves as much, but he knows that the shapeshifter won’t let him stop her. So he nods and steps out of the way. “What did you see?” Raven asks as she follows the girl through the corridors. “Was it Y/n?” This causes Jean to come to an abrupt stop. “I heard you whisper their name when you were levitating.” 

“I was levitating?” She asks, confused. She didn’t like not knowing what happens during those episodes, it left an unsettling feeling in her stomach. But she couldn’t dwell on it much longer. She has a mission. Jean shakes her head to find her focus again. “Raven, what do you know about the multiverse?” 

Raven’s eyes soften in pity for the telepath. “Jean, I know you miss them. But you can’t take their variant out of their universe and you can’t go to theirs and expect them to be the same person.” 

Jean shakes her head, “No, that’s not – There’s something going on. We have to warn others. We have to travel to other universes. We have to stop her. She’s dangerous and could take over everything. She isn’t just a myth you read in a book. She’s real.” 

“You’re not making any sense, who is real? Who do we need to stop?” 

“The Scarlet Witch.”

The Visit

Taglist: @madamevirgo @wqndanat @thisischaismagic @artisannat @olsensnpm @evenbeingcrazy1998 @bentleywolf29 @awkwardmandalorian @agaymilflover @sayah13 @princessprudy  @likefirenrain @tearsofglitter @feltlikethat @piningismymiddlename @the-writer-arcane @diaryoflife @natashasilverfox @karsonromanoff @lovelyy-moonlight @red1culous @jovialsublimecomputer @natasha-maximoff @iliketozoneout @doudouneverte @aloneodi @druggedduck @notbornbutforged @when-wolves-howl @lifespectator

[decarbry]

I made myself sad, if Aizawa got taken before the sports festival then that means he probably never even met shinsou let alone trained him, and shinsou probably never makes it into the hero course 🥲

Part of me wants to believe he’d still find a way, because he’s definitely determined enough to keep trying. But Aizawa was such a key part of him making it…

So many peoples lives are changed by Aizawa not being there 😭

Yeah, Aizawa's absence from the story comes with HUGE consequences. Like even if we don't consider him existing as a Nomu and his eventual rescue/return. We have individuals whose lives are altered. He isn't there to take Shinsou under his wing and teach him how to be successful with his disadvantaged quirk. He isn't there to help contain the chaos at the summer camp, leading to more students injured/taken/possibly worse. He isn't there to be one of the few people Bakugou respected enough to help him on his journey to being a legitimate hero-in-training. He isn't there to help speed along the raid on the Shie Hassaikai, resulting in Overhaul escaping with Eri or, if they caught up to Overhaul in time regardless, unable to be there to stop Eri from losing control and killing Midoriya. He isn't there alongside Mic to trigger Oboro's temporary awakening in order for the heroes to locate Garaki and the correct hospital housing Shigaraki. He is LITERALLYYYYYYY the biggest opposing hard counter to the story’s major villain(s). Those are just the obvious things off the top of my head

That's not even mentioning the overall major consequences of AFO/Garaki now possessing Erasure. It takes time to copy/integrate quirks into Nomu so it's not an immediate impact, but in relation to this AU specifically it theoretically means that Yabureme is not the only thing wielding Erasure any longer. Considering how much AFO wanted Erasure it's basically a given. How do you come up against that? Having Aizawa on the heroes side is the lynchpin keeping society together and it's not acknowledged nearly enough in canon

All of this is why I have the song Earth by Sleeping at Last on the Yabureme playlist:

There was an earthquake There was an avalanche of change We were so afraid Cried ourselves a hurricane

There were floods Tidal waves over us So we folded our hands and prayed

Like a domino These wildfires grow and grow Till a brand new world takes shape

[charliedawn]

The Squib Witch part 4:

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

The next day, Severus went about his day as usual, brewing potions and teaching students who dared to speak out of turn. His thoughts however, often strayed to Miss Pacino throughout the day. He recalled the sight of her on the broom, her face filled with determination yet clearly weighed down by her struggles.

He then scolded himself for being so distracted.

He didn’t have the time to worry about Miss Pacino. He had enough problems as it was.

That night however, he somehow instantly knew where she would be. Severus found himself walking towards the Quidditch training grounds, his long robes swishing behind him. He knew that, by this time of night, she would likely be there. And he was right. As he approached the training grounds he saw her, perched on a broom, attempting to fly once again. She was jumping in the air desperately—her eyes riveted towards the sky.

Severus watched from the shadows as she continued her futile attempts to fly.

He observed her determined expression and how her eyes were fixated on the sky, as if trying to will herself to take flight. Yet, despite her dedication, she was making no progress. He knew that she was trying hard, that she knew her case was most probably a lost cause, but here she was: trying her best nonetheless.

He should say something, stop her before she hurt herself, but he was captivated by her perseverance. She tried to jump in the air once more and after a few more tries, Severus noticed droplets falling down her face. At this point, he couldn’t tell if they were tears or drops of sweat from her efforts. He stayed in the shadows, watching her silently for a while longer before finally stepping out of the darkness.

"Didn’t I tell you that practice was forbidden after dark, Miss Pacino ?" he called out in his usual monotone voice. She didn’t expect to hear his voice and as a result, fell to the ground once more. Severus with a highly unimpressed expression watched as she fell to the ground.

He walked towards her, his robes billowing behind him as if they were two black wings ready to take flight and taunt her.

"Are you alright, Miss Pacino?" he asked nonetheless. Her face was flat against the ground and she took a second to look up at him. Her nose was red and her face had dirt on it. She sighed.

"Yeah…"

Severus looked down at her, his eyes lingering on her disheveled appearance. He was tempted to scold her for her recklessness and foolishness, but a part of him was impressed by her unwavering determination. He shook his head. Nonsense. Whatever determination she possessed didn’t matter. She was just a reckless student with a lot of issues and he had to put an end to her repeated broom incidents…

"You really should stop these foolish attempts," he said, his voice stern as he stood before her. She was panting from exertion as she clumsily stood back up.

"…Never. I know it’s there. I want to find my magic. I want to feel it and use it. I didn’t spend all my education at Hogwarts not to be able to use it at least once."

Severus narrowed his eyes at your stubborn determination. He admired your tenacity, but it was now bordering on obsession.

"You’re getting yourself hurt in the process," he commented, his voice stern yet showing a hint of concern. "It’s not going to accomplish anything if you don’t even know what is blocking your magic in the first place."

She huffed.

"I know that but…where could I possibly find the answers I seek ?" She sighed in defeat. At this point, she had read every single book on the subject and tried everything she could to unlock her magic…Severus frowned as she expressed her frustration. He understood her desire for answers, but he also knew that this was a complex issue that wouldn’t be solved by jumping in the air and hoping for the best.

"The answers don’t have the habit of just popping out of nowhere," he chastised her, his voice a bit sharper. "You are wasting your energy, running around on your broom until you break a bone."

She chuckled and addressed him a cheeky grin.

"At least I know you will be there to heal me up, right sir ?"

Severus crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at her comment. Was she really being insolent at a time like this ? And what did she expect from him exactly ? For him to drop everything and come to her aid whenever her brainless self would require it ?

"Do not mistake my duty as a professor as some form of personal invitation for you to endanger yourself," he said coolly, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Her smile widened.

"Danger finds me." She quipped back.

Severus let out a small huff of frustration at her response, though he could not help but be slightly entertained by her complete lack of self-preservation.

"Perhaps it does," he conceded. "But it seems you are also quite skilled at looking for it."

She laughed.

"Touché, professor. Touché."

Severus felt a small twitch of a smile at the corner of his lip as she laughed. But, he quickly schooled his features and cleared his throat.

"Regardless," he continued. "You need to cease this foolishness. You'll only end up hurting yourself further."

Al looked up at him with widened eyes in surprise and couldn’t help wondering if maybe…

"Are you worried about me, sir ?" She grinned.

Severus felt a pang of irritation at her words, but quickly tried to hide it by looking away promptly.

"Hardly," he scoffed. "I am merely fulfilling my duties as a teacher, making sure you do not end up in the hospital wing."

Her grin faltered into a small disappointed smile. She should have expected it. But still…

"Ah. I see. I apologise for the inconvenience then."

Severus looked at her disheartened smile and felt a strange pang in his chest. It was…unusual. He quickly composed himself and glared at her instead.

"Your sarcasm is not necessary, Miss Pacino," he replied, his voice growing firm and authoritative. "Nor is your blatant disregard for your own safety."

She glared right back at him.

"It wasn’t sarcasm."

Severus observed her expression, trying to gauge the sincerity in her words. He was not used to students apologizing, especially for something as simple as getting injured. He sighed and uncrossed his arms, his tone less rigid now. "Regardless, you need to take better care of yourself. Continuing to throw yourself off that fool’s toy will do you no good."

She sighed. He was right of course…But. She looked up at the sky wishfully.

"I just…I would like to know what it feels like to fly. Just once. Just…" She didn’t finish.

Severus followed her gaze as she looked up at the sky. He was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. He knew what she meant. Flying was a freedom like no other. Feeling the wind and the power of being high in the air...there was nothing quite like it. He used to enjoy it. Once. Before becoming a teacher. Before the wars. Before losing Lily…

"It is a unique experience," he confirmed, his voice a quiet whisper at the recollection. "A feeling of liberation to soar through the air with the wind in your hair...But pushing yourself like this, only to continuously fail. It will bring you nothing but disappointment and more pain."

She closed her eyes and raised her arms on either side of her—as if preparing for take off.

"…Just once, professor. Just once I would like to feel the air soaring around me as I fly."

Severus looked at her for a moment, his expression torn between sternness and understanding. He knew that her desire to fly was genuine, but he also understood the futility of her efforts. She was nothing but a…

He looked away.

A squib.

He sighed, his voice firm as he seethed—desiring to break her hope-ridden dreams before it was too late. "And what exactly do you expect me to do, Miss Pacino ? Wave my wand and magically fix the problem ? Fix you ?"

She was surprised to hear such mocking words from him all of a sudden. She thought that he understood. Her jaw twitched in annoyance and she took a deep breath.

"Why is it that you seem so hellbent on meddling with my life, Professor Snape ?" She asked with a frown.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her sudden irritation, his expression growing stern again.

"I am not 'meddling' in your life, Miss Pacino," he replied, his voice cold and firm. "I am merely trying to prevent you from further injuring yourself with these foolish attempts at flight. And as your professor, it is my duty to ensure the safety and well-being of my students."

She huffed mockingly and crossed her arms over her chest.

"And yet, you smile whenever a student fails. Your eyes lit up with mirth when you see someone fall. You find some sort of sadistic pleasure in the way you teach and the way you inspire fear into other people’s hearts. So tell me…why do you keep coming back to me ? Always me. To tell me that my enterprise is bound to failure ? To torture me ? Have I not already served my sentence during all those years ? Do you wish to finish me off ? Is that it ? Are you my executioner ?"

Severus froze. Her words hit a nerve. He was not expecting her to bring up his methods of teaching and his own personal demons so suddenly. For a moment, he was speechless. His mind whirled with different responses, but nothing seemed right.

Finally, he managed to find his voice again, but his tone was low and tense.

"You presume a lot, Miss Pacino," he seethed, his dark eyes fixed on her with a quiet rage brewing in them. "And you know nothing of my motivations."

She frowned and felt guilty about talking to him the way she did, but it was too late. And it was his own fault for poking at her insecurities and making her doubt herself.

"And what do you expect me to do then, professor ? Give up ? Admit that I will never be able to find my magic ?" She looked up at him challengingly.

Severus clenched his jaw, his expression firm and unreadable. She was beginning to get on his last nerve. But her words were also making him uncomfortable, hitting him in a way he didn't expect.

"I expect you to stop this foolishness," he replied shortly. "You are wasting your time, and quite frankly, mine as well."

She gritted her teeth and glared at him.

"Never…I will never give up. I will keep trying and trying. And if it displeases you to watch, sir ? Then I invite you to look away."

She then took her broom and started running and jumping again—not caring about him watching her.

Severus watched as she stormed off in frustration, a mixture of anger and irritation overwhelming him. He clenched his fists, his jaw twitching and his eyes were glaring daggers at that ridiculous show she was offering…He wanted to tell her to stop—but he knew it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t listen anyway. Instead, he stood there, watching silently as she leaped up on her broom and launched herself in the air again—only to fall once more.

He needed to break her foolish hopes.

She kept trying and trying…until she finally seemed to stay up in the air. Her eyes widened in shock and were suddenly full of irrepressible joy. She looked back at Severus to make sure he was seeing it as well, but her expression immediately crestfallen and disappointment took over as she realised that the professor had his wand drawn out towards her. She felt a knot in her throat. He was the one who was holding her up in the air…

Severus saw the excitement in her eyes as she thought she had finally managed to stay up in the air. That face of pure unadulterated joy made him almost want to let her have this moment…this hope. But then, he watched her look back at him, he saw the disappointment flash across her face as she realised he was the one who had cast the spell to keep her up. And he felt a pang of regret in his chest…

His face remained expressionless however as he lowered his wand, causing her to fall again. She fell to the ground and laid down on the grass—motionless. Severus slowly walked up to her and looked down with that sort of all-knowing condescension so typical of him.

His voice was tight when he spoke, his tone bitter and condescending. "Are you satisfied now, Miss Pacino ? Did your brief moment in the air bring you any closer to solving the issue at hand ? Or have you just wasted your energy and my time ?"

She felt the knot in her throat worsen at his merciless words and her eyes watered.

"…The others were right. You are cruel."

And with that last sentence, she stood up and walked away to get back to her common room in a hurry. Severus watched as she ran away, her expression filled with anger and disappointment. His stomach twisted at her words. Cruel. It was a word that he had heard many times before, but somehow it stung even more coming from her.

He stayed silent. She was right. He was cruel.

Dumbledore had been a fool to think Severus could ever be anything other than the cold and condescending human being that he was…Severus couldn’t be sensitive, and he certainly didn’t have the patience to deal with other people’s feelings or problems.

Severus Snape was, is and would forever remain Severus Snape.

[mephinomaly]

[TL] PYSCHOBREAK/Chapter 7

[ This post uses Ois~su ♪ ]

Time: That day, in the middle of the night.

Location: In a dream after taking sleeping medication

Rei: Fumu.

Seems I have safely made my way into the world of dream once more.

Rei: Hmmhmm ~...♪

Rei: There is old me, walking along bursting with confidence. He seems well.

Nay, rather I am attempting to shake off my sorrow by acting tough. How pitiful.

This is… This is the truth, I am drifting overseas.

I am away from my home, troubled, full of grief, searching for something entertaining.

You won’t find your bluebird of happiness like this, young me.

Anyhow. According to the AIIE experiment manual, if you can remember the keyword before entering a dream state—

It is possible for one to interfere with the dream state you are in, or rather, interfere with yourself.

However, I do not have the freedom to move as a video game character would.

Though it is multides better than simply standing on the sidelines.

I am no longer a silent reader.

I am alive.

Location: Livehouse

Koga: ♪~♪~♪~

~...♪

Rei: —Yo~, Rei Sakuma-chan has returned.

Koga: Sakuma-senpai.

You- uh, I um uhhh.

Rei: W-what’s up? Your whole body’s twitchin’, you comin’ down with somethin’...?

Haha. You’re a weird kid, Wanko.

Koga: S-shut up… Don’t talk to me.

I was tryin’ really hard to stop myself from huggin’ you and goin' “waaha! Sakuma-senpai! WooOO!”

Rei: C’mon, no need to hold back. Good boy～♪

Koga: …eH!?

Rei: Goo~d boy, good good boy… You were lonely without me, weren’t ya? Sorry, Wanko.

Haha. When I was younger, I used t’hug my lonely little bro like this all the time.

Koga: ...! ...! ...!

G-get off me… You’re someone who everyone admires ‘n shines from afar, you don’t hafta be nice t’me.

I’ll get you dirty.

Rei: What are you talkin’ about, stuuupid. I can hug who I want when I want, yeah?

That was a real sad story, wasn't it?

Koga: ...?

Rei: Anyway. This sort of sixth sense—Nah, more like a weird feelin’ that told me I hadta hurry back home.

So I came back as quick as I could. So, what’s happenin’?

Were you able t’exterminate those “vampires”?

Well, it’s kind of my job but ya know.

Koga: Uh, nothin’s really changed…

They quietened down for a bit but then when you left, they startin’ actin’ all crazy again.

Now they’re still non-stop complainin’. It’s fuckin’ annoyin’.

But don’t worry about it. Hasumi-senpai’s is usin’ the Student Council to put school rules into place, ‘n creatin’ an environment where people don’t turn t’do shit like that.

But if you ask me, I don’t really get it. Don’t think shit like that is gonna make a difference.

Rei: Right. Just ‘cos you put a sign up doesn’t mean anyone’s gonna read it. It’s like an annoyin’ little fly at most.

Koga: At the moment, not even a magic card could change anythin’.

Rei: Magic card? What are you on about?

Koga: Uh, um, it’s uh. I like card games. That’s all.

Rei: Yeah? Is it fun? Next time you got some free time, teach me how to play ♪

I’ve been so fuckin’ bored lately, I’ll take anythin’ at this point.

Koga: That’s not… Sakuma-senpai, please do something. Glasses is way out of his depth.

Rei: “Way out of his depth”? Haha, wish that was true.

He’s got a long way t’go. Even if he ain’t enough on his own, until he can be my playmate again—.

Koga: ...?

[ ☆ ]

Chapter 6

Chapter 8

[frizz22]

The Wooing of Melissa Schemmenti Ch. 5 Quality Time

Read on AO3

NOTE: sorry for the delay. I was sick for a week, then on vacation. Hope you enjoy! I plan to have this finished by next week (hopefully)! 🥰

This was her second favorite, Barbara decided, not so discreetly watching the other woman out of the corner of her eye.

Time outside of school, time alone, time away from that damn camera crew.

No, she would never take time alone with Melissa for granted.

Which was how, earlier that day, Barbara found herself packing up her bag as the last of her students filed from the room with a frown and mentally chiding her young, naive self for thinking that teaching kindergartners would mean less grading.

Slinging the bag onto her shoulder, Barbara had looked up to see Melissa similarly burdened.

“Pizza, beer, and grading at mine?” She offered, knowing the unpleasant task of grading would be infinitely better with Melissa there; as everything was.

Nose scrunching, Melissa adjusted the bag in her shoulder. “Leftover ziti, wine, and grading at mine?” She countered, leaning against the door frame.

Brightening at the thought of Melissa’s home cooking, Barbara immediately agreed.

So, now, now they were settled on Melissa’s couch after dinner, a dinner that probably went on longer than it should—given their plans to grade after—but Barbara wasn’t going to complain. And maybe it wasn’t the perfect kind of quality time, since they were still technically working, but it was still time together.

A small, confused noise sounding next to Barbara about twenty minutes into their grading broke into her thoughts and she glanced at the woman curled on the couch next to her.

“What do you think this word is?” Melissa asked, having noticed Barbara’s attention and shifting the papers in her lap so Barbara could see the one on top.

Peering over the top of her glasses, Barbara frowned. “Oh my.”

A low chuckle rumbling through her, Melissa shook her head. “Right?”

Barbara reached for the paper so she could look at it more closely. “Are those even letters?”

Grin curling mischievously, Melissa arched a brow. “Well, you had the kid first, weren’t you supposed teach them to write?”

Fighting a smile, Barbara cocked her head at the woman. “Excuse you?”

Mouth pursing in a ‘you know what I said’ way, Melissa dropped her eyes to the paper again and tilted it, as if an angle would help make the letters clearer. “I think it says monkey.” She redirected.

Her face screwing up in disagreement, Barbara leaned in closer to Melissa to see better. “No!” She drew out, “monkey, really?”

“If they spelled with without the ‘e’, added another hump to the ‘m’., and the ‘n’ and the ‘k’ kinda morphed into a single letter…. It’s a possibility?” Melissa tried, voice pitching up uncertainly as she squinted.

An indelicate snort emanating from her, Barbara shook her head. “You’re reaching. Or maybe it’s just those eyes of yours going a bit more.”

Melissa made a face at her and playfully slapped Barbara’s thigh, then, then left her hand splayed there afterwards as she turned back to her grading.

Her chest constricting a bit at the action, Barbara did her best to look outwardly unaffected beyond a small smile she couldn’t possibly contain. While Melissa had become more and more comfortable with her, with them, as time passed and Barbara continued her efforts, she didn’t want to scare her off by calling attention to anything.

~~

Frowning at her phone, Barbara shifted to show it to Melissa as they drank coffee before work as usual. “You ever heard of this show?” She asked, hopeful the redhead would say yes.

Hand coming up to hold the phone steady, Melissa’s covered Barbara’s. “Oh, yeah!” Her face brightened. “It’s really good, the plot twists, the character development… doesn’t hurt it also has a little hubba hubba in it, if you know what I mean.” Her eyebrows waggled as her fingers barely stroked along the back of Barbara’s hand.

Her own eyebrows arching, Barbara shook her head and tried to focus on the conversation and not Melissa’s touch and comments. “Taylor loves it. Keeps talking about it especially with a new season coming out. I, I want to watch it so I can talk to her about it, but I got rather lost in the first two episodes.” She admitted, frustrated with herself. “Any chance I can pick your brain about the episodes before trying to talk to Taylor?”

“I can do you one better, I’ve been wanting to rewatch before the new season releases. How about I come over to yours and give you a play by play of what’s going on?” Melissa offered, finally letting go of Barbara’s hand and phone. “That way you don’t sound like a big ol’ garbanzo when you talk to Taylor.”

She rolled her eyes at how Melissa continued to insist on calling her a garbanzo after Barbara’s failure to use Sicilian slang; but smiled broadly as well. “I would greatly appreciate that, Melissa, thank you!” And Barbara was proud of how well she managed to hide how the offer made her glow inside… she never would have asked Melissa to do a complete rewatch with her, not wanting to annoy the woman with her questions, but the opportunity for more time together, especially at Melissa’s suggestion made her giddy.

Before they could determine any other details, though, Janine and Jacob walked into the break room and with a single glance, the two of them quickly changed the topic. While they’d grown fond of the younger teachers, that didn’t mean they wanted to give them a chance to potentially invite themselves to the watch party.

~~

They weren’t able to watch the show until several nights later, to Barbara’s slight disappointment, but that didn’t matter now, as she and Melissa settled comfortably onto the couch, a pad of paper in her lap so she could write down all of Melissa’s comments and hints.

And Heaven bless the endlessly patient woman next to her, who sweetly paused the show for each and every one of Barbara’s questions and answered them with detail and enthusiasm.

Not once did she suggest Barbara just watch to find out. Not once did she seem annoyed by the constant stops and starts; and there were many.

With Melissa’s lovely insights and explanations, Barbara was following the show much more easily. Though it was a bit hard to focus on Melissa’s words and not the lovely mouth forming them a time or two.

And it was especially hard to focus when, after an episode, Melissa got up for a bathroom break and when she returned, she sat down right next to Barbara, their legs connecting from hip to knee.

Leaning in to peer at Barbara’s notes, her weight pressing softly into Barbara’s side, Melissa pointed to a few spots. “This is actually spelled with an ‘ae’,” she gently corrected.

Barbara hummed in thanks and made the corrections before bringing her eyes up to meet Melissa’s, a bit surprised by how very little space there was between them. Her breath catching, Barbara wet her lips.

Eyes flicking down to watch the movement, Melissa cleared her throat. “Taylor is going to be so excited you did this for her.” She murmured, looking at Barbara so tenderly it made her ache all over.

Yes, for Taylor.

That, that was the original intent behind this, wasn’t it? Unable to look away from Melissa, Barbara managed a slightly rough, “another episode?”

A grimace tugging her lips, Melissa shook her head. “Sorry hon, it’s late and some of us need beauty sleep on school nights. Can’t all be goddesses like you.” She winked and stood, arms stretching above her head, a strip of skin flashing above her jeans as she did and Barbara barely resisted the urge to reach out and trace her fingers along that strip before pulling Melissa back to the couch… despite Melissa’s recent increase in comfort with her and physical touch, she figured that would be too forward.

“Takes a goddess to know one.” She quipped back instead, eyes still tracing Melissa’s movements.

Melissa barked out a laugh as she slipped her feet back into her heeled boots. “Touché”

Standing as well, Barbara walked Melissa to the door. “Night sweetheart, text me when you get home?” She asked as she opened the door and leaned against it as Melissa fished for her keys.

“Of course.” Melissa smiled softly as she finally pulled her keys from the depths of the bag. “Night, babe,” she murmured, leaning in, one hand on Barbara’s hip as she pecked a goodbye kiss to Barbara’s lips. Pivoting, Melissa took two steps before freezing and slowly turning to face Barbara who was still in the same spot

They both blinked at one another in surprise.

It’d been so instinctual, the goodnight kiss in place of the anticipated hug.

Goofy smiles spreading on both their faces, Barbara broke the silence first. “Night, Melissa.” She breathed, though she desperately wanted to pull Melissa back in, to kiss her properly.

From the look on Melissa’s face, she wouldn’t have been opposed, but Barbara wanted Melissa to instigate physical intimacy at that level once she was ready, was convinced. They were getting so close, Barbara knew, this kiss evidenced that, but it wasn’t time, not yet.

Seeming to think the same, Melissa just shook her head at herself with a quiet, ‘night, Barb,’ as she walked out to her car, her fingers unconsciously coming up to touching her lips as she went.

Barbara touched hers as well, stomach dancing and mind replaying Melissa calling her 'babe' over and over as she readied for bed.

~~

Borrowing Melissa’s good mood dance, Barbara sashayed into the break room the next morning and beamed at the redhead.

Eyebrows shooting up, Melissa smiled back at her, even if it was a bit confused. “Oho, good morning, is it?” She asked as Barbara settled next to her.

“Very.” Barbara replied, shimmying her shoulders as she sat. “I texted Taylor about that show, and we had the most marvelous conversation. She hasn’t been this engaged with me in what feels like ages.”

Melissa’s face softened as her smile grew. “Barbara, that’s so wonderful.” She murmured, hand coming to rest on Barbara’s forearm.

Her hand coming up automatically to cover Melissa’s, Barbara leaned in a little. “And it’s all because of you. Oh, Taylor was so impressed with you. I almost gave her your number so the two of you could ‘geek out’” she air quoted the phrase, “but I was selfish and wanted to keep the attention to myself.” She affected a grimace, but her smile was still firmly in place.

It was a good morning indeed.

Taken aback, Melissa blinked and sat up straighter. “You said I made those comments? That we were watching together?”

Patting Melissa’s hand, Barbara nodded. “Of course, I couldn’t take the credit for your clever insights. And besides, Taylor said it was about time someone with sense had control over the remote.” Barbara chuckled and shook her head; she would never be ‘hip’ in her daughter’s eyes.

A noncommittal sound emanated from Melissa as she pulled her hand back. And though Barbara couldn’t be certain, she thought Melissa glanced toward the camera crew in the corner before she changed the topic.

~~

Melissa found Barbara in her room at the end of the day as she was digging through her purse for her keys. A smile stretching her lips, Barbara glanced up at the woman. “Want to watch another episode or two tonight? Taylor said the plot really thickens—"

“What all did you tell Taylor?” Melissa cut in, entering the room more fully and closing the door behind her, fingers twisting around themselves.

Perplexed, Barbara set her bag aside. “That you came over and we watched the show. That you had wonderful insights, and I likely wouldn’t understand it without you….” She said gently, unsure what had Melissa spooked.

Was, was she regretting the kiss last night?

Shifting from one foot to the other, Melissa bit her lip. “Anything else?” She asked, voice jumping up an octave.

Heart fluttering, Barbara slowly closed the distance between them, thinking she understood. “I’ve been hinting.” She offered, watching Melissa closely. “That we’re closer than ever, that I love your company. That I couldn’t imagine this stage of my life without you. I didn’t want to be too blunt, in case it invaded your privacy.” Carefully placing her hands in Melissa’s upper arms, Barbara cocked her head to try and catch the other woman’s eye. “I know how much you care for Taylor, and Taylor for you…. I, I wanted to make sure you were, that you hadn’t,” Barbara exhaled and tried again, rubbing her hands up and down Melissa’s arms. “I understand what I am feeling, finally.” She muttered that last word under her breath. “I understand you need time to process, and I respect that, respect you. I’ve been trying to show you, without being overbearing, how much I love you. That I’m not going anywhere. But I didn’t want to cross certain lines until we reached a point, just in case you,” Barbara swallowed hard now, “in case you changed your mind.”

A wet huff escaping her, Melissa shook her head. “I haven’t changed my mind or my heart in over a decade, Barbara, and lord knows I tried. I just,” she sniffed and wiped under her eyes to catch any potentially streaking mascara. “I just know Taylor is the dealbreaker.”

“Dealbreaker?” Barbara repeated, unsure.

Her tongue running over her teeth, Melissa gave a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “If Taylor doesn’t approve, or this creates a rift between you two… that’s it. I would never come between you and your daughter, Barbara, and I just, I wanted to know if you told her yet. Because then, then, then I could truly and fully let you go. These past months, everything you’ve done for me, all the time we’ve spent together, all, all the lo-, love you’ve shown me…. It’s been wonderful, some of the happiest months in my life, but if it stops now, because of Taylor, that’s the right thing. I,” she sniffed and looked away, “I need to know that this was all the love I get. And it’s okay,” she hurried to add, “it’s right, but I just, I need to know.”

Aching over how Melissa confessed to loving their time together but still believed they had an expiration date, Barbara let go of Melissa’s arms and marched to her desk to snatch up her phone.

“Barbara, what’re you doing?“ Melissa hedged, eyes shining.

A single finger held up, Barbara kept her eyes on the device, scrolling through until she found her daughter’s contact information.

The phone began to ring and before Barbara could even lift it fully to her ear, Melissa was next to her, snatching the phone, and hanging up. “Barbara!” Melissa exclaimed; eyes blown wide in disbelief. “What. Are. You. Doing?!” She bit out each word, panic and anger mixing in her tone.

Nonplussed, Barbara gently took Melissa’s free hand. “Picking you, Melissa. Now and for every moment to come. And don’t say it means I’ll lose Taylor, I won’t. She’s a grown woman, and a good one. While we might gripe about one another’s professions, we’ve never had a disagreement about romantic relationships.”

Tears gathering in her eyes, Melissa shook her head vehemently. “Because you’ve always been married to Gerald!” She cried harshly. “The consequences, I thought you took the time to think like I asked. But this, this is foolish, Barbara! I’m not worth—"

Throwing her whole ‘let Melissa make the first move’ philosophy out the window Barbara shut Melissa up with a kiss.

It wasn’t pretty, or exactly gentle, but it did the job. When Barbara pulled back, she rested her forehead against Melissa’s. “Stop talking about the woman I love like that.” Barbara rebuked firmly but softly, her hand coming up to cup Melissa’s cheek.

Then she deliberately took her phone back, redialed Taylor’s number, and put it on speaker

“Hey mom! Wasn’t sure if that was a butt dial or not.” Taylor greeted cheerfully.

Smiling at the sound of her daughter’s voice despite how Melissa stalked away looking tortured, Barbara swallowed. “Hi baby, no, just a slip of these old fingers. I did want to talk to you about something—"

Excitedly cutting in, Taylor plowed over the rest of Barbara’s sentence. “Oh, you must have reached the fifth episode. I told you it was insane!! What did you think—"

“Baby,” Barbara interrupted, “I’m not there yet but I will be soon. Melissa is helping me through the episodes.”

A musical laugh sounded on the line in response. “Good thing she is! How is Auntie Mel?”

Eyes finding said woman pressing herself into a corner of the room, as if by making herself smaller any pain would hurt less, Barbara pushed on; determined to make it so Melissa never felt the need to be small ever again. “That’s actually why I called. You see, honey, Melissa, she, I—"

Before Barbara could untangle her tongue, Taylor spoke once more. “Is she okay?! She isn’t sick, is she? You’ve never called about her before, what does she need? What do you need?”

Touched, Barbara sniffed and maintained eye contact with Melissa as she answered. “Oh Taylor, no, honey, she’s okay, she’s not sick. I didn’t mean,” hand to her forehead, Barbara shook her head. “I, well, I’m not sure how to go about this other than straightforward and even that’s a bit of wordplay because there’s nothing straight about this situation.” She knew she was babbling, but she was nervous. She made this call to make a point to Melissa, because she was so damn sure Taylor would love them both still, and her daughter’s immediate concern for Melissa validated that. But still, there was no going back after this.

And Barbara wasn’t sure she would survive losing Melissa if Taylor truly did refuse to accept their relationship…. Not that she’d break things off, but Melissa would.

And there would be no changing her mind.

Taylor’s voice cut thought her rambling words and dark spiraling thoughts. “Mom, you’re not making sense.”

Inhaling deeply Barbara smiled at Melissa who was crying silently in the corner, her knuckles pressed to her mouth to stifle any noises; but all Barbara could do, wanted to do, was picture their future together and, so, she jumped off that proverbial ledge. “I am actually calling for help regarding Melissa. You see, I asked her out on,” she swallowed, “on a date and now I cannot decide what to wear for the life of me. You know how fashionable Melissa is, does a hip, young woman like you have any advice?”

The silence was profound for a full minute and Barbara wondered if she got it all wrong, if she was about to lose Melissa before truly having her and then her phone chimed repeatedly with incoming texts.

“Okay,” Taylor’s voice sounded once more. “I just sent you a bunch of pictures. I know you don’t have these things exactly, but you have similar enough clothes and I think if you combine them, you’ll blow Melissa away. You can’t match her cool level, but you’ve got this vintage elegance thing going that’ll be a really awesome counterpoint especially once you start taking pictures together.”

A tear slipped down her cheek in relief and the vice on her heart vanished. “That’s, that’s lovely, baby, thank you so much.” She managed, voice thick, “do, do you have any questions for me?”

Another laugh emanated from the phone. “I mean, I’m surprised, but not? You’ve been talking about her waaay more than usual and your voice sounds different when you mention her now. It gets all soft and gooey.”

Taken aback, Barbara pursed her lips. “I don’t do gooey.” She deadpanned, and now Melissa was trying not to chuckle in the corner, though tears still streamed down her cheeks.

“Yeah, mom,” Taylor teased, “you do. I, I guess I do have a few questions.” Her tone sobered. “It sounds like this is a first date, with the outfit debacle, but when, when did this all start? I mean, we’ve known Melissa for ages, is, did, did you want to date her while married to dad? Is that why….”

Eyes squeezing shut for a moment, Barbara exhaled slowly. “Yes and no.” She grimaced. “Baby, I’m not sure what all your father told you, we did plan on talking with you together and I, well I’ve jumped the gun in my excitement. But I was too stuck in my own head to realize I had feelings for Melissa until a few months ago, until your father, actually, pointed it out to me. I couldn’t have acted on them. But also,” she exhaled again, “also this realization on both our parts is the reason we mutually ended our marriage. It wouldn’t have been fair to anyone involved for it to continue when I feel the way I do.

And as for Melissa,” her eyes found the redhead again, and love surged in her heart. “I can’t speak for her and when her feelings may have started, but she’s an amazing, honest, caring, selfless woman. She wouldn’t have done anything she thought might have hurt our family. Even now, even now after the divorce she’s more concerned about you and I than anything. I, I love her, Taylor, she’s kind, funny, stubborn, strong, brilliant and she’s makes me so unbelievably happy and we’re not even officially dating yet….” Words of affirmation poured out of her, and Melissa turned away with a choked sound.

A sniffle sounded on the other end of the phone and Taylor huffed. “Gooey.”

Ignoring the tease, Barbara wiped at her cheeks. “I, I know this is a lot, and you might not have had time to process it all, so if you have other questions at any time or just want to talk, please don’t hesitate.”

“I won’t, mom, it’s a bit to take in, but I’m happy you found more happiness. I’m,” Taylor paused, “thank you for trusting me with the whole truth, about your sexuality, about this. I know we’ve butted heads in the past, but it means so much that you told me everything.”

Heart swelling with love and pride, Barbara sniffed. “You’re a wonderful, mature young woman, Taylor. And while I may not always have treated you as such, I love you more than anything and your approval means so much.”

A wet chuckle sounded on the phone. “You don’t need my approval, mom, but if you are going to date anyone after dad, I’m glad it’s Melissa. You’ll be good for each other. Let me know how the date goes?” Her voice pitched up an octave and Barbara knew it meant her daughter was getting more emotional.

Smiling broadly, Barbara wiped her eyes. “Thank you, baby, I will, I love you so much, Taylor.”

“Love you too! And,” a sniff, “give my love to Melissa too. She’s lucky to have you.”

Her smile wobbling a bit, Barbara cleared her throat. “I think I’m the lucky one, but I will baby. Thank you, love you.” Swallowing, Barbara hung up the phone.

She took a deep inhale to steady herself and then Barbara turned to Melissa. “Told you s—"

Melissa, cheeks streaked with drying tears, closed the distance between them in seconds and crushed Barbara to her in a fierce hug. “I, I didn’t mean for you to risk—” she blurted, holding her tightly.

Returning the embrace in kind, Barbara shook her head. “I know my heart; I know my daughter. Better than I’ve known either in years, it wasn’t a risk, Melissa. I’m ready, I have been, I love you. I will do whatever I can to further prove that to you. I know you want to be sure of me, before diving in, and I understand. You have to protect your heart. But I’m hoping that, one day, it won’t need protecting from me.” Gently pulling back, Barbara tenderly cupped Melissa’s face and swiped the residual tears off with her thumbs. “I love you, Melissa.”

Emotion choking her voice, Melissa’s hands found Barbara’s hips and held tight. “I love you too.” She managed. “I’m sorry if you felt you were spinning wheels, but I’ve got all these damn walls around my heart and they’re just so fucking hard to break. I—"

Hands slipping further into Melissa’s silky hair, Barbara shook her head. “Don’t you ever apologize for taking care of yourself, Melissa Schemmenti. Don’t you ever. I’m just asking that you let me help take care of you. It’s hard to let others do that when you’re so used to being the provider, the caregiver, but I just want to help. And as for those walls,” she gently rested her forehead against Melissa’s, “I don’t want to break anything, they're there for a reason. I am more than happy to help you slowly take them apart, or I will help you build doors so when you’re ready to let those lucky select few in, it’ll be a bit easier. If that’s something you’d like.”

Melissa nodded tearily, though her forehead stayed pressed to Barbara’s. “I want to take care of you too. I don’t, I don’t want to hold my love back anymore.” Her voice cracked at the confession, and she pressed Barbara back against the desk with a kiss.

Mind melting at finally being able to kiss Melissa like she’d wanted ever since that first night of revelations and touches, Barbara clutched Melissa to her.

And if she shifted a bit to sit on the desk, her legs spreading to welcoming Melissa between them, well, Barbara could hardly be blamed; she’d imagined this exact scenario on her desk a bit too often not indulge it.

Arms wrapping around the other woman’s neck, Barbara sighed when Melissa’s tongue swiped her lower lip, asking for permission. Happily granting it, Barbara melted further as Melissa deepened the kiss and pressed closer against her, hands roaming.

They only broke once breathless. And even then, they didn’t move far, unable to part now that they crossed the final line.

Laughter and tears mixed as they caressed and held and comforted and kissed… losing track of all time.

[randomalistic]

MMMMM i just watched corpse bride and frankenweenie back to back . (Corpse bride was better .) their main characters are literally the same guy and they’re and both named victor LMAOO

SPOILERS. BY THE WAY.

In frankenweenie I’m a little disappointed that they did a fakeout death for sparky instead of having the Actually impactful message of “sometimes things are only here for a little bit, and then they’re gone” that THEY WERE SETTING UP BY THE WAY. THEY LITERALLY SAID THAT LINE. But OKAY I GUESS. !!!!!!!☹️ THEY HAD TO GIVE IT A HAPPY DISNEY ENDING !!!! But Yeah Duh it still made me cry because I thought it was gonna be more impactful than it actually was LOL and then at the last minute they’re like SIKE THE DOG IS GONNA LIVE FOREVER. Whatever. it was still cute. But like… missed potential man…. Just let the dog rest he’s literally falling apart the poor thang.

Worst part of the movie /LH they made the dogs kiss at the end. I’m so mad at this children’s movie for being light hearted and happy how could they (but also. What if they made it better. Kids movies can be deep and impactful. You know. Ok I’m done hating on the ending I swear ok haha. ……. )

OK FINEEE but I still enjoyed it, the science teacher Mr. Rzykruski was Actually the best part and I loved him so much. He was SO PASSIONATE about teaching his students, he just had a very Intense way of expressing it. But he is such a good person and a truly great teacher . I’m SO fucking mad at the town for getting him fired. THE TOWN LITERALLY DOES NOT DESERVE HIM. Maybe he’s the one that was only here for a little while and then he was gone …. The part where he spoke to Victor about how his experiments must be made with love and passion before he left . that was honestly the most genuine part of the whole film. I’m so glad they were able to depict that..

But erm yeah the ending was a bunch of weird frankencreatures the other Bitch Ass Kids made and they all fought and it was a little bit of a forced Kids Movie Climax but that’s ok. It’s ok. I swear I enjoyed this movie. I’m complaining because I care about it.

Holy shit corpse bride on the other hand they LET HER FUCKING DIEEEEEEE THEY DID IT RIGHT THEY DID IT THE RIGHT WAYYY OH MY GODDDDD THEY LET EMILY PASS ON AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND IMPACTFUL AND PERFECT. THE BUTTERFLY MOTIF HELLO??? Aham … Anyways.!!

Corpse bride surprised me a lot, I was expecting it to be gloomy the whole time BUT NO THATS ONLY THE LAND OF THE LIVING. THE LAND OF THE DEAD WAS SO FUCKING FUN I LOVE HOW VIBRANT AND SILLY AND GHOULISH IT WAS I LOVED THE SKELETONS I LOVED THE WITCHES IT WAS ALL SO SILLY!!!!!! incredible. Emily looks so ethereal when her gown flies through the wind those shots of her were like genuinely breathtaking. AND THIS WAS MADE 18 YEARS AGO! Ugh this movie is so good.

How could I not mention the music until now what is wrong with me the main melody is so beautiful and ITS GOOD ITS GOOD OK ITS GREAT. GREAT MUSIC

The character designs for everyone in the living realm are Fucking Insane in the best way possible. You just have to watch it okay please trust me.

They stretched out the pastor’s features as much as they could get away with . I don’t think he could get any longer and pointier

Anyways yeah great characters Amazing visuals and colors what the HELL!!!??. ALSO THE SKELEONS. The skeletons are the best skeletons I’ve ever seen maybe. these are Top Tier Goofy Skeletons. If you want something silly and fun and spooky watch this movie NOW!!!!!!!!????

THEY HAD GOOFY SILLY DANCE NUMBER WITH BONE SKELETON MUSIC YOU ARE GOONG TO LOSE YOUR MIND OVER THIS. Maybe The perfect Halloween Movie. (I am 11 days late)

Oh also The main villain was a little weak and I saw the foreshadowing coming from a mile away lmao but That’s Ok I think movies are allowed to have a silly goofy evil villain with 0 motives sometimes 💙 like why did he even show up to the wedding at the start . How was he planning all this. Am I stupid

Anyways they LET HER BE SO AWESOME. IM SO GLAD THEY LET HER BE AWESOME BECAUSE THIS WAS 2005 AND THEY EASILY COULD HAVE MADE HER WEAK BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!! I really liked Victoria as well I love how much she didn’t give a fuck about her abusive ass family. Yeah!!!! break out!!! Play the piano!! BE AS IMPROPER AND SCANDALOUS AS YOU CAN!!!! and Victor is a little pathetic at first. but in an endearing way. Awesome movie it’s actually a must watch imo .

Anyways yeah 🥹I enjoyed both movies and I think it’s very cute how frankenweenie was inspired by corpse bride so much . (This movie also had a dead skeleton dog lol) But yeah corpse bride is better Sorry💙 I might also rewatch nightmare before christmush. But closer to christmas .. ehee…

Also don’t even get me started on paranorman I think I maybe already talked about it since I saw it earlier this year but. Holy shitttttt……… please watch that too it’s genuinely fantastic and it doesn’t hold back. It WILL surprise you. and make you cry. I NEED MORE MOVIES THAT WILL SURPRISE ME. GOD PLEASE!!!!! I NEED IT!!!!!!!!

[marshmedow]

The beginning of the Malleus Draconia and Deuce Spade brothers AU:

TW: Thoughts of Worthlessness

“Hey, Ace?”

“What, Juice? Shouldn’t you be focusing? This paper’s due tomorrow and you barely answered the first question.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re right. Sorry.”

“Really, man. You have to step it up. It’s gonna be off with your head, at this rate.”

“Sorry. I’ll try harder.”

“No- wait. I was joking. What’s up?”

“Nothing. No worries.”

“Hey where’re ya going?”

“…Deuce?”

I shouldn’t be here. This is a joke. Deuce Spade grimaced, walking throughout the halls of Night Raven College. Honestly, he didn’t know where he was going, but that’s nothing new, is it? He never knew where he was going to go in life, and now he can’t even figure out what hall to turn down.

Although, wandering around aimlessly got him this far. Why stop now? He’s already known as the airhead who is only good at fixing machines and punching his problems. Maybe that’s the only thing he’ll ever be known as. If that’s the case, what’s the point? He’s fighting a losing battle here. His mother is never going to be proud of him, and he’s just wasting the time of everyone who even dares to help him. He has nothing to offer this school, and no one will ever seek him first for help. He’s as unneeded as he is unwanted.

“Spade.”

And now he’s in someone’s way. So, not wanting this confrontation to last longer than it must, he turns around to apologize…

“Malleus Draconia!?” And now he was being a nuisance for THE Malleus Draconia as well.

“Spade, I was looking for you. I require your assistance.” Malleus said, no hint of a joke in his voice. And of course there wouldn’t be. But, Deuce can’t help but feel he’s being tricked. Malleus Draconia needs his help?

“My assistance? With what?” Deuce just could not understand. What could he possibly help Malleus with?

“I would like for you to teach me basic machine maintenance.” There it is. Deuce can’t even learn on his own, much less teach someone else something.

“I feel it would be better for you to ask an Ignihyde student about that kind of thing.”

“Nonsense,” Of course Malleus wouldn’t take no for an answer. “I see you fit to teach me. You did repair something very dear to me, after all.”

“I really didn’t do anything. I just opened the cover, and you used magic to dry it. If anything, you did the most work.” The only reason Malleus was even impressed was because he’s about as good with technology as Deuce is with math.

“Perhaps, but it was under your guidance that I even knew to use magic to dry it.”

“…Why do you want me to help you anyway? Did it break again?” I guess it’s better to just ask outright.

“Nothing of the sort. I think it would be a valuable skill to have.” I guess I can’t argue with that.

“Alright, fine. I’ll teach you basic mechanics.” Deuce doesn’t know why he agreed. Maybe because he’s been there? Not having a clue on what he’s doing, but wanting to learn anyway. Hell, he IS there, but still. It’s rather funny, actually. To have something in common with Malleus Draconia.

“Thank you, Spade. I shall make sure your efforts are well rewarded.” It’s rather unnecessary, but that’s Malleus for you. “Might we get started?”

“Uh, we probably need to find something to fix first.”

“Oh, right. That would make explaining more simplistic.” Malleus looked just slightly embarrassed. If Deuce hadn’t worn a similar look more times than he could count, he wouldn’t have even noticed.

“I think Cater blew another speaker this morning. I think Housewarden was yelling about it. How about we fix that?”

“Splendid. Let’s head to Heartslabyul, then.”

So, they walked back to Heartslabyul. Deuce knew Malleus was an amateur with technology. He’s mentioned it before. But Malleus still wants to learn. And hell, Deuce agreed to teach him! Knowing that it might take a while for Malleus to grasp the concept. And even knowing this, Deuce doesn’t feel burdened… Because Malleus didn’t learn what he would’ve had his childhood been different.

Deuce Spade walks through the Heartslabyul halls with a smile. Maybe, Malleus and I aren’t so different. And for Deuce, that was the most comforting thing in the world.

[glittertimes]

Listen I get working class solidarity and my parents are teachers I know how overworked they are.

My dad is retiring this year and is extremely burnt out and comes home exhausted these days. I support teachers strikes and higher pay for educators.

However I still have a really hard time feeling empathy towards teachers as a whole. My parents were also abusive, and then I went to school and I was punished and shamed for my trauma symptoms. I was never given any kind of emotional support or counseling as a child, and I learned to shame and hate my trauma symptoms which has made healing from abuse take so much longer.

I’m still in emdr therapy unlearning things that my elementary school teachers taught me, trying to understand that their behaviors were not my fault.

I think the education system is built off of the oppression of children and teens, and many teachers assume that they’re entitled to respect but not all teachers treat their students with respect.

they choose punishment and shaming because it’s easier in the moment, rather than supporting youth to feel their emotions and work through the difficult situations they face.

I’ve always wondered how we expect teens and children to model emotional regulation and intelligence when most adults don’t model it?

And yeah, everyone has responsibility over their behavior and how they respond to their emotions, I take accountability for how I’ve harmed people and I’ve done so much healing since I was kid. But I also know if literally one teacher had sat down with me for a moment to understand what was happening in my life at the time, I’d be a completely different person today.

Obviously there are many teachers trying to fix this and creating more ethical ways to teach, but again they are overworked and overwhelmed with little support.

I also feel like if we truly valued children, teachers wouldn’t be as burned out and stressed and have so little resources. Schools in the US exist in a culture of white supremacy and capitalism, where we spend billions on the military and imperialism and deprioritize education and social services that would ensure that kids could come to school with the food clothes, school supplies and safe homes that make it possible for children to learn.

I’ve said it before but anti-capitalist movements should include the rights of children and teens. Teachers especially should recognize this since their struggle is inherently tied to the students they teach. It’s also incredibly important since teachers have an inherent power dynamic over their students.

[187days]

Day One Hundred Thirty-Two

All the juniors took SATs today. In order to minimize distractions and give them the best test-taking environment possible, the rest of the school operated on an atypical schedule: Blocks 1 and 2 were about half an hour longer than usual, Block 3 was about ten minutes longer than usual, there was no flex block, the lunches were changed so that all the test-takers could eat C lunch... Block 4 was normal, but 

It actually worked out really well for my World students because it gave them more time to finish the rough drafts of their essays. I was really impressed by how well they used the time, especially during Block 2 because it was so lengthy. Did they run out of steam in the last ten minutes or so? Yeah, but they’d done so well up until that point, it was alright.

I had an observer in the room- Mr. Y, a former student and current middle school social studies teacher, who came up to see what a day in ninth grade social studies. Now, Mr. Y was a sophomore when I started teaching, and, while he wasn’t my student, he and I often talked politics because it’s an interest of his. While he was in college, he did a bunch of his observation hours in my classroom, and since he joined the middle school faculty we’ve been colleagues and friends. We have very similar mindsets and beliefs about education, so it was fun for both of us to spend the day together.

It used to be a regular thing that the middle school teachers visited us to observe, and we visited them, but then Covid happened, admins changed, etc, etc... So Mr. Y realized it’d been a while since he’d observed, and he wanted to make sure he’s still preparing his eighth graders well for their experience here, and that’s how this came about. His former students were thrilled to see him, and even the students who hadn’t had him as a teacher were happy to talk to him about their essays. Meantime, I was giving pointers, answering questions, proofreading on request. It was great. 

Then my APGOV students came in to prepare for a discussion-based assessment about Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet.” I asked them to write 8-10 questions about the content, context, and/or style of these texts, and they got right to work. Mr. Y got a look at some of their questions, which was great because he  got to see the level or work students are doing by the time they’re in twelfth grade and in an AP class. He took a ton of notes to share with the other middle school social studies teachers, and hopefully we’ll all get back into the habit of observing each other more regularly.

I missed most of track practice today because I had to renew my CPR certification, and our school nurses were offering a class this afternoon. I made it out for the last ten or fifteen minutes, but that was long enough for my face to get a bit of windburn. And, man, if I had to describe preseason, that’s one of the things I would definitely say: windburn. But, despite the wind, there was sunshine and warmth, and the snow is melting! 

[deusexlachina]

STEMquisition Part 14: Bind myself into the service of a higher power to gain knowledge

In which I fulfill the duty of a scientist, by drinking unknown fluids to learn about the world. And I fail to restrain myself from cracking cheap jokes about student debt.

Solas asks me if the mark has changed my personality in some way, to make me...oh, I don't know...cooler? More awesome? Because my people are savage creatures whose ferocity is held in check only by the rigid teachings of the Qun, which me and my family do not follow.

This is his way of saying I'm cool. Somehow, I managed to get +75 Approval with this guy. Yeah, this is his high approval scene. The least racist he can possibly be against My Guys is thinking I must have been magically changed into something smarter and better. I suggest he might have been a bit misinformed. He doesn't change his underlying views, but it's nice to have an egg on my side, because Morrigan has pointed us towards Corypheus' next target - an ancient elven temple, where he plans to enter the Fade and become a god. Again. It didn't work the first time, but this time for sure.

This will be a large, high-stakes battle, so my advisors spend a montage devising their strategy. They do this by playing with miniatures on a tabletop for several minutes. And that's just the montage length. Implicitly, they were playing tabletop games for much longer. I'm starting to realize why Cullen's tactics are so out-of-touch, and it's not just the fact that he's going through lyrium withdrawal.

Leliana, now Inspired, sends forth messenger ravens and looks very spooky indeed.

Her spies interfere with enemy movements by stealthily walking up to the enemy camp and stealthily setting fire to their tents.

And Josephine...uh, she does diplomacy. That's hard to convey in a montage, but she's writing furiously. This is some really serious diplomacy going on here.

The battle is now underway. A massive army of red templars clashes with our massive army of Chevaliers, plus a few mages from the mages. Fortunately, I studied the power of time magic and also wasted a bunch of time in the Hissing Wastes (oh! is that why it's called that?), so I managed to make Solas a special coat with Lurker Scales that make him faster when he's invisible, which, because he has the Ring of Doubt, is as much as I please. So he just kind of runs past everything.

But Samson and his goofy grin have beat us to the temple! Oh yeah. Bite that lip, hotboy.

Worse, Samson is with Corypheus himself. The only thing holding him back is the army of ancient elves, called Sentinels, and magical traps. He boasts that the elves will "witness death at the hands of a new god," by which he presumably means his own death at his own hands by immediately walking straight into a magical trap.

But he had a backup plan! He retreats into the body of a nearby Grey Warden...wait, what? Why was there a Grey Warden here? The least stupid explanation is that Samson was just lugging around a Grey Warden corpse the whole way as life insurance. "Boss got himself fried again! Go into the icebox and pull out another spare Warden, will ya?"

He summons his dragon, but we defeat them by slamming the door on them.

Having thwarted this ancient darkspawn with tactics worthy of squabbling five-year-olds, we then proceed further into the temple, which is guarded by obnoxious floor puzzles.

I think to myself, "you know, this isn't half as bad as I remember," and then I encounter three more floor puzzles, each of which is more obnoxious than the last. I triumphantly complete one of them, only to learn that there was another part of the same puzzle in another area. Frustrated, I ask Solas to just tell me the answer. I follow his instructions, which he pretends he just came up with, and the ground lights up. So I declare everything is lit.

The Sentinels intercept me, but recognize that I am...unlike the other invaders, who have no respect for the elven gods and/or floor puzzles.

We ally with the Sentinels, who decide we need to destroy the Well of Sorrows to stop Samson drinking it and gaining all the knowledge inside. But Morrigan also wants to do that, so she turns into a bird and races ahead. We run to the Well and intercept Samson, who I defeat with the power of science.

With his armour - the source of his power - destroyed, he's...still pretty powerful? And, actually, it looks like his armour is still very much there. Both the metal bits and the spikes of red lyrium. But I have a gun, and my party has two bars of Focus abilities, so he still goes out like a light.

The Sentinels explain that the Well of Sorrows is full of all the knowledge of the ancient elves. It gives vast knowledge, but at a terrible price. So, really, it's just like University. Anyway, I know elven now.

[prismatranslates-cue]

Chisa [The Princess' Incredibly Busy Day] Part 2

Previously: Part 1

Kirika: Okay, I understand the situation.

Chisa: Kirika-sensei, please help teach them.

Kirika: Firstly, I cannot abide the three of you disrespecting the sanctity of the lesson studio. You know food isn’t allowed in here. Do you see what a mess you’ve made?

Kirika: The three of you will clean this up. 10 laps around the room with dust cloths.

Yuuki: Okee!

Chisa: Why on earth are you so eager?

Yuzuha: I’ll go get a vacuum cleaner.

Chisa: No you will not. You’re doing this manually.

Kirika: Now then, Eniwa-san?

Airi: Yes!

Kirika: To confirm, your high school phys ed test consists of assessing your ability to perform a somersault? That’s all?

Airi: Yes. Each student has to do 3 in a row.

Kirika: Why don’t you go ahead and make them layouts, then?

Airi: I-I don’t think I even could…

Kirika: It would be a lot more impressive.

Airi: A-are we really doing this…?!

Kirika: It never hurts to raise the bar a little.

Yuuki: So true!

Chisa: Again, why are you the one taking point?

Chisa: Anyway, Kirika-sensei. That sounds lovely, but I must remind you the test is tomorrow. There’s no time, maybe we should focus on just getting her up to par?

Kirika: Oh, but this is such a wonderful learning opportunity. I’d like to get as much out of it as possible.

Chisa: I’ll leave it to you, then.

Kirika: I didn’t come all the way out here in the middle of the night just to do things halfway, so you three better not expect me to let up!

Chisa: Good luck, you three.

Chisa leaves.

---

Chisa: It’s been almost 3 hours…are they still not done?

Chisa: Maybe getting Kirika-sensei involved was a bit overboard? I hope everything’s alright…

Wham

Yuuki: Chisa!

Chisa: Can you at least knock?! What’s the matter?

Yuuki: Airi’s in big trouble. Come quick!

Chisa: Huh?! What do you mean, big trouble?!

---

Airi: Hah! Hup!

Kirika: Sigh…No good. Try again.

Chisa: What’s going on here?

Yuuki: We spent so long trying to get Airi to pull off a somersault, but she just couldn’t. Even Kirika-sensei hit her limit.

Airi: Hah, hup! How was that, Kirika-sensei?!

Chisa: Well she certainly seems more confident about these. Oh, Manager, you’re here too?

Manager: I only meant to watch for a little bit and then be on my way, but I think I missed my chance to leave…

Kirika: …Eniwa-san. Let’s try changing how you’re approaching this.

Airi: What do you mean?

Kirika: Perhaps we should accept that you are not quite able to perform a proper somersault. Then, if you do not attempt it, you cannot fail to perform it, yes? Airi: I see…

Kirika: In short, you must instead act like you’ve done the somersault. Well enough that it convinces everyone else.

Chisa: How is she supposed to…?

Kirika: As a seiyuu, your greatest weapons are your voice and your power of imagination. That’s what all our lessons are for, isn’t that right?

Airi: Huh…yeah…

Kirika: Picture it in your head, and then act it out with your voice.

Manager: Will that really work?

Yuuki: It’s worth a shot! Yeah! Imagination Somersault!

Yuzuha: I think it sounds cool!

Manager: …Seriously?

Kirika: Go on, Eniwa-san!

Airi: …Here goes.

Airi: Hah! Ryaaa! Hup!

Kirika: …Well done. You pass.

Airi: Yayyyy!

Manager: …What just happened?

Kirika: That was a seiyuu’s rendition of a somersault. An excellent one at that. Eniwa-san put all her power into it.

Kirika: I’m sure this will suffice for tomorrow. Good work, have a good night.

Chisa: Oh, you too, Kirika-sensei! Sorry again for bothering you so late…

Door closes

Airi: I think I really pictured myself doing it just now!

Yuuki: I guess tomorrow will be all clear as long as you move your body a little!.

Yuzuha: Even just walking should be fine, no?

Chisa: (Well, it’s better than nothing.)

Chisa: I’ll head back to my room then, I’ve got things to tidy up. I’ll leave the rest here to you, Manager.

Manager: Hm? Oh, sure…I guess I won’t be going home for a while longer…

---

Chisa: Voice-acting a somersault because you can’t actually physically do one…

Chisa: Heh. Eheheh, hahaha! Oh, goodness, come on, Akagawa, get a grip.

Wham

Yuuki: Chisa!

Chisa: I thought I told you to knock!

Yuuki: Airi’s hurt!

Chisa: What?! How?! Did she try to do a somersault again?!

Yuuki: No, she just tripped on the stairs.

Chisa: Hey, are you okay? Here, let me see.

Airi: Owowowow. My knee…

Chisa: Oh, it doesn’t look too bad. You just grazed it a little. Come sit here.

Chisa: You did work hard today, it’s no surprise you’re a little tired. Alright, here comes a bandage.

Airi: You’re so nice, Chisa-chan…you’re just like my mom.

Chisa: Next time, don’t leave all your preparations until the night before the test, okay?

Airi: Ouch! Owowow…

Chisa: Alright, good luck tomorrow!

Fin.

[votestaynight2]

9th Day- RAIN (Scene 9)

"――――――――" I'm sure I'll regret it if I lie to myself and keep going.

Where the responsibility lies, existence of good and evil. Losing Sakura will weigh more heavily on me than either of those things. …I don't even need to think about it. I just want to protect Sakura, that's all.

"―――Yeah. It's a matter of course to protect the girl you like. Even I know that, Ilya." "Right? I'm your ally because you're that kind of person."

Ilya smiles delightedly. "――――――――" Her innocence encourages me. …I don't know if this is the right choice or not. But I do know I won't regret it.

"I'm sorry, Ilya. I have to get going." "Yeah. I'll forgive you since you have that expression. Let's meet again, Shirou." "Yeah. See ya, Ilya. And thank you."

I leave the park. I start running to the church as if to shake off my doubts.

「――――――――」 …My answer's determined. I don't know how much Sakura supported me after my father died.

The girl I tried to see as just another fellow student. I kept on deceiving myself because I wanted her to stay by my side. But such deception will no longer work.

―――Emiya Shirou does not want to lose Matou Sakura. That's all. If I can't think things through, I'll just have to trust in the only definite feeling I have.

…But within my determination… 'If you are to protect just one person――'

…I can't shake off Archer's premonitory words.

Rain starts. The winter rain mercilessly shoots down at me as I run.

Interlude 9-2

…Dragging sounds. These sounds are familiar. They are the sounds of crawling worms.

"――――――――" This place is familiar as well. The dark, damp, secret room. An underground mausoleum. This green room is the first room given to her after she was adopted by the Matou family.

"――――――――" A lone figure stands in the center of the room. …It may not be human, but its appearance is that of a human. This figure called for her, commanding her to fight in Matou Shinji's place.

"――――――――" She was prepared for this. At the very least, she accepted the possibility up until two days ago. But now her determination is gone. Once she discovered that Emiya Shirou is a Master, her will to fight left her.

She visited the Emiya household to keep watch over him. But Emiya Shirou did not have the aptitude to become a Master, and he had no knowledge of the Holy Grail War. That fact became clear at once. Thus, there was never a reason to keep watch over him. She stayed as his underclassman, using the role of keeping watch over him as an excuse.

She had an optimistic view that there would be no need to fight him. Although she knew her true identity may be revealed at some point, she never dreamed that they would end up fighting one another. So―――how did it come to this?

"…Grandfather. Do all Masters need to be killed?"

She knows what the old man's reply is going to be. She knows, but she can only ask. But… "Well. You can keep one or two as playthings, if you like. All I want is their Servants. After stealing them, you may turn the Masters into your toys or puppets." The old man's answer is not what she expected.

"――――――――What…?"

"Do you not understand? I said there is no need to kill all the Masters. We will eliminate those that are dangerous to keep alive, but those who will not be obstacles can be spared. It is the wish of my cute granddaughter, so I shall be a bit flexible, even if this is our greatest desire."

Hearing his words, she lowers her guard a bit. …The old man becomes strangely kind sometimes. When teaching her the family's magic, he is an inhuman monster, as cruel as a beast. But sometimes, when they are talking, he becomes just a good-natured old man.

"……"

But she cannot be deceived. She does not know if this is a whim or a calculated act of kindness. Moreover, she knows she will end up fighting him if she agrees. Even if she does not have to kill him, just having to fight him is bad enough.

"Is that still not enough? …My, you are a troubling one. That cowardice will prevent you from ever obtaining what you desire. Look, this is a good opportunity. If you want something, take it by force. Sakura. How long do you plan to remain a mere watcher? Reach out and claim your desire. You have the power and the right."

"……"

She does not answer. First of all, there is nothing she wants. She admires him, but she would never expect him to accept her.

She is impure. She is not suited for him. So someone more appropriate should stand next to him. All she wanted was to be by his side until that time came. It'll all be ruined if she wishes for anything more. …Not only her… He, too, will come to a bad end.

"…Grandfather. I cannot fight. I will give Rider to Nii-san."

She speaks with a trembling voice, prepared for re-education. She knows what awaits her for disobeying him. The fear of being thrown to the worms, of losing one's sensation, is something one can never get used to. The longest she was able to keep her sanity was two hours. She almost goes crazy, thinking that she will have to endure many times that, no, at worst until the Holy Grail War ends.

"……"

Her body trembles. Fear of punishment makes her want to scream. …But it is not the pain that she fears. All she fears is… …That when the pain becomes unbearable, she will do as he commands.

"………Hm. It cannot be helped, I suppose. I cannot force you and lose my valuable successor. I shall remain an observer as well in this war."

"――――――――"

She gasps. She does not know how serious he is, but he has accepted her excuse. The trembling goes away, replaced by a warm sense of relief.

―――But into that defenseless mind… "But it is a bit disappointing. Looking at all the Masters in this war, the daughter of Tohsaka is looking pretty good. The unlikely might happen if luck favors her." …Enters the old man's disappointed voice.

"――――Nee-san is?"

Evil enters at that time. She knows it intuitively. Nee-san will certainly win. She is that kind of a person. She obtains everything she wants and passes through as if it's natural. …Nee-san will take everything she wants without even a glance towards her, the one standing in place. Then――――Nee-san will win.

"――――――――"

Her body turns cold as ice. …She doesn't care about that. She's used to it. She's used to it. She's used to it. ―――She's used to such treatment.

Nee-san will take it all. Nee-san is going to eliminate everything, the pain she went through, the bright future ahead of her, and the only person she can rely on――――

"――――――――"

…The ground wavers beneath her. The words make her dizzy and nauseous. …Her chest is hurting. Something unpleasant assails her. …As if a needle is in her chest.

…It has started raining. The chilly winter rain mercilessly beats against the gutters.

"―――――――" She slowly opens her eyes. …It seems she was dreaming about what happened a few days ago. She is sleeping on an operating table in a room made of stone. In front of her is a black priest she has never seen before.

"You are finally awake. Do I need to explain to you what is going on, Matou Sakura?" "………No. It's my body. I know all about it." She answers simply. She does not focus on him, but on the sound of the rain against the walls.

"All right. Then get changed quickly. Tohsaka Rin and Emiya Shirou are waiting in the next room. We have to explain your situation to them. You cannot run after that if you are naked, right?" "……Are you going to let me run away?" "That is your decision. I merely helped you. It is not for me to plan your actions for you. Well, it was a waste for me to save you if you die. I do want you to remain until the very end, though."

"…Why is that?" "It is more fun that way. Tohsaka Rin and Emiya Shirou will suffer more if you live. It is delightful the more sufferers there are." The priest turns his back after he answers. The priest will go to the chapel now. He does not look back at her, hugging her knees on the operating table.

"Well. Will they kill you, or will they let you live? You may wait here if you are interested in their decision. Though it does not look it, this building has a flimsy structure. For some reason, you can hear all the conversation going on in the chapel." He smiles and leaves.

"……Senpai. What should I do?" She embraces her knees. The quiet weeping is drowned out by the sound of rain.

End of Interlude

―――I open the door. Tohsaka is already here, standing in the corner of the chapel. She's not sitting down but standing there, and I can see her determination. She has the cold face of a magus, saying Sakura will be her enemy if the crest worm isn't removed.

"……" Tohsaka doesn't look at me, and I have nothing to say to her either. ―――The sound of rain echoes inside the chapel. How long has it been?

"The operation is complete. There is nothing more I can do." Breaking the deep silence, Kotomine Kirei appears.

"Eh――――hey, Kirei. What happened to your Magic Crest?" "Hm, you can tell? As you can see, I used all of it on Matou Sakura's treatment." "―――Y-You used it all?" Tohsaka is astonished.

"……?" I don't get it. All I can tell is that something happened to Kotomine's Magic Crest, and Tohsaka is surprised about it.

"D-Do you understand? We're talking about a Magic Crest here! Why does something you built up for generations go away in just a few hours…!?"

"It could not be helped. The Crest I received from my father is not permanent, like the one you have. It is a consumption type that goes away the more I use it. We have never been a family of magi to begin with. You can think of it as a lower-rank Command Spell."

"――――Then you really…" "Yes. I've used up all of it for the treatment. It was the extraction of an eleven-year old pus. It should not be surprising that it took all of my remaining Crest."

"――――――――" …We both gasp. The priest is saying he used all of his Magic Crest to treat Sakura. Tohsaka's expression tells me how valuable the compensation was. Kotomine threw away all of his fortune for Sakura.

"…Kotomine." "What? Do not tell me it's troubling for you. You two are the ones who told me to save her. I merely answered your wish."

"Oh… no. It's not troubling at all. …Um, thank you." "Do not thank me. You will take it back later anyway." "――――Take it back later…?" Does that mean――――

"So, how's Sakura? You did that much, so――――"

"She escaped death, but it is just temporary. I was able to remove most of the crest worm, but some parts were buried too deeply to be removed. Some of it has eaten into the nerves. I can extract it all if I remove her heart, but that will kill Sakura as well."

"All I could do was to remove the crest worm that did not metabolize with her nerves, decreasing her pain and the pressure from Zouken. Her life should have ended tonight, but I prolonged it on a whim. Well, it will all be vain effort if the worm in her nerves start moving again."

"Wha――――then Sakura is…" "It means nothing has changed. She will have no problem living normally, but Zouken can easily drive her berserk. That old man can force her to fight, whether she wants to or not. In short, she is a bomb with a lit fuse."

"――――――――" I'd be lying if I said I'm not agitated. But I'm not surprised or puzzled. I've made my decision already. I chose to be on Sakura's side, no matter what happens, no matter what state she's in.

"I see. Then there's only one thing left to do. I'm sorry for making you use you Crest."

Tohsaka starts to walk. I instantly understand what she's going to do. "Hey, stop, Tohsaka…!" I grab Tohsaka's hand and stop her.

"What? Talk to me later." "What are you saying? Are you planning to kill Sakura?" "Hey, it's something that has to be done. Didn't you come here, prepared for that?"

"I'm not prepared for such a thing. I came back for Sakura. If you're going to kill her, then I'll stop you." "――――!"

"Then what are you going to do…!? Look, Sakura can't live unless she fights as a Master. She has to absorb other people's magical energy to survive…! Don't you see how this will end!? Killing her here is for her own good…!"

"…No way! Why are you jumping to conclusions when she hasn't done anything yet!"

"How could I not? If this were just about Sakura, there'd be hope. But it's not, is it? That damn old man holds her life, and she's his puppet as long as he lives. Do you think he's ever going to let her go?" "――――That's…"

"See, you understand. Zouken will never give her a moment's peace. …Then… If she's going to go through endless torment with no hope of escape, all we can do is kill her here and minimize the number of victims. Sakura and all the people Sakura will kill would be saved."

"Unlike you, I can't endanger everyone while clinging to a forlorn hope. The weakness to delay your decision is going to hurt her even more." "――――――――"

Tohsaka's right. It's not that death itself is salvation, but if our goal is to save people, her solution is the best. Any other idea would just be a selfish mistake.

Ten people will die if we don't do anything. But if we can save nine by sacrificing one, then―――― ―――That's… The reality I have always tried to deny, but have known deep within my heart to be true.

"――――No. You're mistaken." "Emiya… kun?" "I won't let there be any victims. You're the weak one, jumping to conclusions before even trying."

"D-Don't kid me…! Do you know what that means!? Save Sakura? What does that mean!? Are you going to save both her and the people she's going to kill!? Don't make me laugh! You can't do such a thing alone…!"

"――――No, I can't. But I'm going to protect Sakura. I'll think about what the result may be starting now."

"―――! I see, then you're my enemy. …Let go of me. Or you're going to be blown away." "――――Go ahead. But Tohsaka, don't think everything will go your way."

…Our hands tighten on each other. Mine is from tension. Tohsaka's is―――well, I want to believe hers is because of tension too. It's give-and-take, but we can't back down because we both have things we believe in and――――

"What the…!?" "What…!?" Outside the chapel. We hear the sound from the next room and exchange looks.

"Did you hear that, Emiya-kun…?" "――――A window broke. And after that…"

"Running footsteps. The only ways out of here are through this chapel or the back door. What is she doing, breaking the window to go outside? …Oh, I see. Most windows here have fixed fittings. She had to break it to get out. For someone who's still recovering, she's pretty violent."

"Recovering――――do you mean Sakura!?" "Who else? From the room she was in, you can somehow hear everything said in the chapel. I am sure she fled when she heard you discuss killing her."

"Wha-" "Forgive me. It is a structural defect." "Don't lie, you fake priest…! I'm sure it's intentional!"

Tohsaka shakes off my hand and starts running. She runs not to the room, but to the door leading outside.

"Tohsaka――――!" "We'll talk later! Finding Sakura comes first! Geez, where is she going to go in her condition…!?" She quickly opens the door and runs outside. Tohsaka goes into the rain without an umbrella.

"――――!" I don't have any time to lose either. I don't know where Sakura went, but she can't be left by herself now――――!

"Wait. I do not mind if you plan to search for Matou Sakura, but there is something I forgot to tell you." "――――What? I don't have time for one of your long speeches…!" "Do not say that. This is important. I will be troubled if I do not tell you. Rin ran off without listening to me, so I need to tell somebody. Do I not?"

"…Is this about Sakura?" "Yes. She does not have long to live. The crest worm continues to corrupt her body as we speak. It is easy to extract it, but her body would never withstand the shock. It's like pulling out four-tenths of her nerves. She would die as a human being before the pain caused her to die of shock."

"But leaving her alone will lead to the same result. The loss of magical energy is slowly eroding her sanity. Soon she will lose all sense of self. Once that happens, she will be nothing more than a rampaging Master. She will sacrifice many people to maintain her Servant, and when the strain becomes too much to bear, she will self-destruct. ―――In short, you cannot save that woman, no matter what you do."

"――――――――" I feel dizzy, as though I'm looking into a strobe lamp.

"Broken things do not repair themselves, and lost things never return. If you wanted to save her, you should have done so eleven years ago. Do you still intend to save her, Emiya Shirou? She will die in the next few days no matter what we do. Is there a meaning in saving such a person?"

"――――――――" I can't breathe. I can barely stand under the impact of his words.

"…I don't know anything about that. But you saved Sakura. Isn't that reason enough?" "Well. I only treated her out of duty. I cannot turn away someone who came seeking help."

"――――Don't lie. You wouldn't use up your Magic Crest just out of duty. I don't know why, but you wanted to save Sakura. You didn't want to let her die. I feel the same way too." I glare at the priest. …He must understand, because he nods slightly.

"Yes. Then hurry. Rin will surely kill Matou Sakura if she finds her first. Provide that lost child with shelter before that happens." He doesn't need to tell me. Turning my back to him, I follow Tohsaka into the rain.

――――My breath is white. Under the cold winter rain, my breath seems to freeze and blow back against my face.

"――――Sakura." There's no one on the road. The street lamps light up the night in vain, and I run without aim. …I'm going to find Sakura. It's not just the premonition that something terrible is going to happen if I don't find her quickly. I just want to hold her hand right now and feel her warmth.

"Haa――――Haa, ha――――" I run blindly. I don't know where she went. …Sakura no longer has any place to go. There's no place for her at my house nor at the Matou household. She has to be wandering in the night.

"…She shouldn't have gone far. If you needed to find shelter where there weren't any people――――" It's a wild guess. But the only thing I can do right now is to check every one of the possibilities――――

"Ha, haa, ha――――ah." I cross the bridge. Sakura wasn't around the Shinto station, and I didn't hear anything about a girl like Sakura being there.

Even though it's night, it's not so late that places will be deserted. There weren't many, but I saw a few people walking about. But if none of them saw Sakura, maybe she avoided Shinto and went back to Miyama City.

She's probably still in her school uniform, so she would stand out in this rain. If she wanted to avoid attention, she would head to Miyama City―――and that's what I'm thinking as I run through the rain, when…

"――――――――Sakura." I come to a stop. Under the bridge. Sakura is standing alone on the dark, desolate, brick road.

I go down to the park. …Does she notice me? Sakura is looking down while exposing her body to the rain. "――――――――" …I can't think of anything to say to her. All I can do is take her home.

"Sakura." I call out to her as I approach. "No, please don't come…!" And… Sakura refuses with desperateness I've never seen before.

"――――――――" I stop. Sakura is still looking down, tightly clutching her skirt in her hands. She looks like a criminal mortified by her actions. It's heart-breaking. …I can't go any closer. I feel that I shouldn't until she raises her head.

"――――Sakura." "…Please go home. If you come near me right now――――I don't know what I'll do."

Her voice is shaking. She's trembling because of the cold rain and her feelings of guilt. …I can't erase them from her. All I can do is… "―――Let's go home. You haven't recovered from your cold yet, right?" …Extend my hands.

"…Senpai." Sakura's wet hair sways. Sakura bites her lips. "I can't go. Where can I go back to now?" Her voice is heavy with self-loathing.

"――――――Sakura." "It's fine, Senpai. You don't need to force yourself to care for me."

"…Because you know already, right? You heard what I am. You heard what's going on with my body, didn't you? Then――――this is…" …All over. Her white breath tells me the end of her sentence.

"――――Don't say such a stupid thing. What I heard is unimportant. The only Sakura I know is the one I've been with. So why does it have to end because of something like this?"

"…Because it will end. I'm not a virgin, Senpai. I was raped at the place I was adopted as a kid, and my first time was a long time ago. Not only that, my body has been continuously violated by unknown things."

Sakura's nails dig into her elbow. …It's a masochistic action as if punishing the dirty stains on her body.

"――――――――" "That's not the only thing. I'm a magus of the Matou family, and I've been hiding that fact from you. …I didn't tell you when I became a Master, and I pretended not to know anything when you brought Saber-san over. Don't you see? It would've been so much more convenient. And you wouldn't get mad at me that way, right?"

"――――Sakura."

"But I'm really stupid. I shouldn't be able to deceive you, but I thought I could. I thought it's fine even if my grandfather's worm is in me. I thought I wouldn't lose if I held myself firm, but I easily lost. …The stuff that was splashed on me was just aphrodisiac. It's not poison or anything, but it makes my body more sensitive. That's all it took to make me go crazy and hurt you."

"…Tohsaka-Senpai is right. I'm a coward, I'm a crybaby, I'm selfish… I knew this was going to happen, but I couldn't disobey my grandfather or end it myself. I didn't want to be hurt or scared, and I value myself more than others, so I couldn't find the courage to kill myself…!"

…She's crying. Sakura is crying. She's crying and doesn't know what to do, which just makes her cry even harder.

"――――――――" Feeling her pain, I regret what I've done. ―――I have never seen her cry before. The reason behind those tears… Why didn't I realize sooner that she can only cry when condemning herself?

"Don't cry――――Sakura."

"You see――――everything is my fault. I'm just a puppet for my grandfather, and I could go crazy any minute now. Sooner or later I'll do something terrible. So where can such a person go, Senpai…!?"

Sakura corners herself. …Nobody is condemning her. That's why she has to do so herself. She has to say she's the evil one. She has to condemn herself and punish herself.

"―――――So, don't cry."

…Sakura once said it. That she's a coward who needs someone to lead her by force. I finally understand what she meant.

Someone I want to protect. Someone important to me. Someone I never thought I would lose. If I don't want her to cry anymore… I have to take her hand and lead her to a place in the sun, so I should now――――

"…I'm sorry, Senpai. I've been deceiving you all this time. I never really believed I deserved to be with you. Every day I thought about ending it all… just acting like a stranger from that day on. I'd just pass by you in the hallway, ignore you after school, go home alone at night, and forget everything that happened…!"

――――Oh. If she'd done that, I would've gone crazy. I'm sorry I didn't realize that.

"But I couldn't…! My body would tremble at the pure thought of it, and it was really frightening. It was scarier than the time I put a knife on my wrist, and I couldn't stop myself from going to your house. I was scared of deceiving you, scared to stop deceiving you, and everything around me was scary. I couldn't move at all, and I didn't know what to do…!"

But I believe this is for the best. Sakura says I should never have learned about this. But if that were the case, she would just have kept on crying.

"…I'm stupid, right? You would've eventually found out. But it's too late now, and I can never go back to your house. I thought every night that I should get away from you before it happened. It's for your own good, and I knew I would stop crying at night, but――――"

I can't let her cry anymore. If Sakura has to blame herself because nobody will blame her…

"But―――But I still wanted to hide it from you…! I wanted to protect my time with you…! That was the only meaningful thing for me, so why…!"

Even if nobody would forgive her, I would keep forgiving her in her place.

"Oh――――――――" I embrace her cold body.

…My arms are terribly unreliable. I can't hold her tightly, nor can I pull her close. …I can't save Sakura. I want her to be with me, and I can only stay by her side.

…Awkwardly, I wrap my arms around her. Even if this is all I can do right now, my determination is definite and firm.

"Senpai, I――――" "Don't cry. I understand you're a bad person now." "――――――――"

She gasps. Sakura is confused, torn between guilt and regret. To deny those feelings, I tell her what I truly feel.

"――――So I'll protect you. No matter what happens, even if you try to kill yourself――――I'll protect you, Sakura." "Sen… pai." "I promise. I'll be your superhero."

…I hold her a bit tighter. Even if it's just a touch, I do so to tell her that my oath is more firm than anything.

"……" How much effect did it have? The stubbornness flows out of Sakura, and her shoulders relax.

…No matter what she says, Sakura is still the same. Her sensation and her warmth are the same. Our breaths are white, and the pouring rain has turned to a drizzle.

In the freezing night… "No, Senpai――――I'll probably end up hurting you." Her words sound like a confession.

"――――――――" The rain is stopping. The night is cold as midwinter, and Sakura doesn't try to free herself from my arms. …And… "I'm going to hurt you, Senpai, but――――"

――――I want to stay like this. A tear trickles down her cheek as she says it.

――――And with that, the choice is made. Something decisive has ended.

I don't know if this is love or not. But―――a premonition lingers in the back of my mind… Telling me that the end of this love will not be compensation.

The rain has completely stopped by the time we return to my house. …We've been holding hands ever since we left the park. We calmed down as we walked, and by the time we got to the hill, we were actually embarrassed, but in the end we didn't let go even for a moment.

"Huh……? The light at the door is on. Did you come back here, Sakura?" "…Um, I don't think it's me. It might be Fujimura-Sensei."

"Oh yeah." We go to the door, hand in hand. Her cold hand has become warm. I'm relieved to feel the warmth of her life, and I enter my house as if I've just come home from school.

"Welcome home. I know it was rude, but I came in without your permission."

"T-Tohsaka――――" "Nee…… Tohsaka-Senpai."

"Yes. I guessed you would come back here eventually, but I didn't think it was going to be both of you. …Well, I thought it might be possible in your case."

"――――!" I quickly push Sakura behind me and confront Tohsaka.

"Tohsaka, you still…!" "Of course. I can't leave Matou Sakura alone as a magus of Tohsaka. The Association will be after me if I don't punish her as the supervisor of Fuyuki. It'll be too late then."

"I don't care about your circumstances. Sakura hasn't done anything yet. If you still want to do something to her, you'll have to silence me first." "You're right. You're a free magus that doesn't belong to the Association, so it might be good to discipline you here. I'm going to kill Sakura. I'll kill you too if you get in my way."

"……" My senses become alert. …Tohsaka's fingertip. Once it moves, that'll signal the start of the battle.

I'll escape outside with Sakura before Tohsaka can finish her spell. After that―――I'll decide what to do after that on the spot. For now, I'm going to concentrate on getting away from here. The difference in our skills. I can't even spare to think about what I might do against Archer, who should be here.

"――――――――" Tohsaka's lips start to move. When I notice she's merely speaking, not casting a spell… "Stop, please stop, Nee-san…!" …Sakura jumps in between us.

"――――Sakura." "S-Senpai's right. So far, he's the only one I've hurt. So if he's forgiven me, I shouldn't be punished yet."

"――――Hey now. Do you really understand the state your body is in? How can you say that?" "…I can say it. I'm still fine. Are you serious, Tohsaka-Senpai? Senpai isn't a Master anymore. Saber-san's gone, and he's just my Senpai now, but you're saying you're going to kill him?

"――――Of course. It doesn't matter whether or not he's armed. If he's planning to get in my way, I'll have to dispose of him."

"――――Then. If you're still going to fight Senpai, I'm going to fight you. I won't lose to you as Rider's Master." Sakura is trembling, but she confronts Tohsaka with the utmost courage.

"――――――――" …Is she surprised by Sakura's determination, or does she think it's disadvantageous to fight here? "I see. If you can say something like that, then fight on and win the war as a Master. Come to think of it, there is one way that you could be saved. You would easily be able to disenchant Zouken's bindings if you obtained the Holy Grail."

"Oh… Tohsaka-Senpai." "It's not that I'm letting you go. …We'll have our chance to fight as Masters. I'm just saying this isn't the appropriate place."

She passes by us. To my surprise, she doesn't show any enmity as she passes by.

"Tohsaka." "……Hmph. So our alliance only lasted a day, huh? We can't cooperate as long as you're protecting Sakura." "――――――――"

"But don't forget. We don't know when Sakura might run wild. It's your own fault if you die when that happens, but since you took her in, you'd better make sure you're the only victim." She leaves without turning around.

"…Senpai. Um, I…" "Don't look so worried, you idiot. That's her way of being ironic. It's her hobby to make fun of people." "……"

I do my best to cheer Sakura up as we go into the hallway. We're both freezing, so we should quickly get changed and warm ourselves up.

'…Since you took her in, you'd better make sure you're the only victim.'

That means that when she kills me, I have to kill her as well. Tohsaka left, leaving me with what I must do at the very least. "―――――――" …That will never happen. I keep convincing myself as we head to the living room.

…Our clasped hands are really warm. Sakura is here, alive. That's all I care about now. I can't make Sakura uneasy by worrying about other things, but…

"…Hm?" Wait. I think Sakura's hand is too warm.

"Sakura. Did your cold get worse again?" "Huh…? U-Um, how is it? Do I feel hot?" She must not know herself, as she asks me a strange question.

"No, it's not terribly hot, but you're warmer than me. It feels warm when I touch you." "Oh――――i-it's probably a cold…! I think I caught a cold because I was in the rain for so long." …? I don't know why, but Sakura lowers her head in embarrassment.

"I see, you're right. Then you have to hurry and get changed and warm your body up. I'll cook dinner, so you go check your temperature, and if it's high, you're to come back to the living room wearing something warm. I'll make sure to cook something that's easy to eat."

"Oh… N-No, I don't need dinner. Um, I'm going to bed, so you can rest as well…!" Sakura leaves in a hurry.

"…?" Oh well. I'll catch a cold too if I stand here like this, so I should take a bath and warm myself up.

I finish taking the bath and return to my room. Now that I've changed out of my wet clothes, I finally feel like I'm home again.

"―――――――Phew." I sit down and let out a sigh while relaxing my shoulders. …Today was a long day. Many things happened, and there were many ups and downs. I sort out the things I've lost from those I still have.

"…Right. Sakura is Rider's Master." It seems Sakura had given her right to Shinji, but she is Rider's Master now. Then Rider must be nearby, protecting Sakura.

"…Yeah. I've seen Rider a few times already. If she'll be protecting Sakura, I have to go introduce myself to her properly."

…She's unapproachable because of her appearance, but I think she's understanding. I don't know when Sakura will be attacked by Zouken, so Rider is the only one I can rely on.

…Well, according to Kotomine, Sakura's condition will get worse the more she uses her Servant, so relying on Rider is a last resort.

"All right. I'll have Sakura introduce me to her tomorrow. Oh… but she might hold a grudge after losing to Saber." My shoulders slump. …But Rider will be living here too, so I should at least greet her――――

"――――Who is it!?" "……!" I raise myself so that I can jump back instantly and glare at the shouji. …Outside the room. …I can see the silhouette of someone standing on the porch.

"――――――――" …There's no reply. The figure seems to be waiting for my reaction.

"――――――――" …Damn. There's nothing I can use as a weapon here. I guess I'll have to attack first before――――

"――――S-Senpai. Um, are you awake…?" "Huh…? Oh, it's you, Sakura." I sit back down. …Man. She should've said something. What's wrong with her?

"What's up? You can use the bath whenever you like. If you need a change, there's Fuji-Nee's clothes, right?" "…Yes. I've already taken a bath and borrowed Fujimura-Sensei's clothes."

"…?" Now I'm really confused. I don't think there's anything else to ask.

"Um… Senpai. Can I come in?" "Yeah. Why are you being so formal?" The shouji opens. And the person entering the room is…

"――――――――" Sakura, in normal clothes, acting strangely.

"――――――――" I hear someone gulp. I realize that it's me and feel myself heating up. "Uh――――um…" I cover my mouth with my hand and look away.

"――――――――" …This is bad. I looked away, but the urge to look at her is overwhelming. My heart's beating rapidly, and my head is so confused that it might run away unless I keep the reins on.

"――――" In short, I'm about to go crazy. I don't know why, but Sakura is unnaturally beautiful right now.

"……" Sakura just stands there. I finally realize that something else is strange.

"…Sakura? You're acting weird. How's your fever? Do you have a cold after all?" "…No. I do have a fever, but it's not because of a cold. It's not because I'm sick that I'm burning up." Sakura looks down awkwardly.

"――――――――!" The gesture almost makes me let go of the reins.

…Sakura acted like this from time to time over the last couple of days. I thought I'd grown used to noticing parts of her that I didn't know about, and that she's a girl my age. But… I think this is on a different level entirely.

"…Sakura?" "…It's no good, Senpai. I can't suppress it by myself any longer." Sakura blushes and tries to endure the embarrassment.

"W―――What can't you suppress?" "…It's exactly what you're thinking. …The worm in me is eating my magical energy and telling me it's not enough. …It wants more. My body started to heat up just by holding your hand and thinking it's warm."

"――――――――" I can hear the heat in her unsteady words. Sakura is feeling embarrassment and something like joy from exposing her dark side.

"…You know, right, Senpai? I was trained as a magus at the Matou household. …Grandfather tampered with my body so that he could turn a child of another bloodline into a magus of the Matou family."

"…The result is this lewd body that desires men. …My body heats up and goes crazy unless I get semen from a magus."

"――――――――" …I get dizzy. I don't know when I entered another dimension. but the room itself starts to warp and laugh.

But I'm the one who's strange. I should be angry at Zouken, but I can only stare at Sakura's body.

"…Senpai. Why did you protect someone like me? I'm already impure. Even if I like you, I can't do anything for you. So why are you protecting me, going as far as making Tohsaka-Senpai―――Nee-san your enemy?"

Sakura's voice echoes in my head like a clanging bell. …The reason I'm protecting Sakura. I don't even need to think about it. I don't even need to think about it, so I can tell her even in my current state.

"―――You're wrong. I didn't protect you. I just wanted to be with you. I need you, Sakura, and I couldn't think about being separated from you. So I can't give you to Tohsaka, even if she is your older sister."

"Are you saying that as family? Or do you see me as a woman?" "――――――――" There's no way that I can see her as family now. I've wanted Sakura by my side these past couple of days―――no, for a long time. …It's just that I can't lie to myself any longer.

"――――Yeah. I love you, Sakura." I'm still entranced, but I manage to say it. …I know it's something I shouldn't say, something I shouldn't give in to, but I can't fight against it any longer.

"Then please make love to me. Or else―――I'll feel so uneasy that I'll go crazy."

"――――But Sakura…" My voice of reason mounts one last, desperate defense. But… "…Senpai. Am I dirty…?" Her words destroy every obligation in me.

"―――――――, Sa…" My tongue is not working. Proper thoughts freeze in my brain. ―――Sakura's bare legs. I try my best to look away from the spectacle that grabs a hold of my heart.

"Sa… kura――――" Is my mind not the only thing frozen? My eyes keep staring at Sakura, and my body, even the fingertips, doesn't move.

"……Senpai." Embarrassed, Sakura trembles a bit. The motion causes a silver droplet to stream down her legs.

"――――" The smell makes me dizzy. I shouldn't be able to smell it, but seeing the light reflected off of it makes me feel her warmth.

"…Please look, Senpai. Please don't look away and watch my lewd body." "――――――――!" I can't oppose her voice. …I know I'm disgracing Sakura the more I stare at her, but I can't avert my eyes.

The juices stream down. Her bare vagina is more than wet enough. The lewd juice flows out and streams down her legs. Although she closes her thighs bashfully, she cannot contain the flow which is down to her ankles now.

―――The moonlight entangles with the trickling juice. Sakura's love juice does not let go of the light it catches. The light sparkles in between her legs.

―――So… "…It's strange, right? I-It's natural for you to want to look away. …I've been like this ever since we held hands. …It does this just by being near you, and no matter how much I pleasure myself, it won't settle down. I can't take my mind off you, Senpai, and I…" ―――How could I ever call her dirty?

"Why? You're not dirty. You're beautiful, Sakura." "――――Senpai." Her voice flushes a bit. She looked like she was about to collapse, but now she seems a bit more steady.

"…I'm not lying. You're so beautiful that I had to lie to myself so that I wouldn't notice. …So don't condemn yourself like that. It's not your fault that your body's like that."

My heart thumps. I talk as I try to suppress the blood from going to my crotch. It's the last-ditch resistance brought on by my reasoning. To that…

"Then please make love to me. …I want you right now, Senpai." …Sakura destroys it with a heated voice.

"――――――――" It's as if she whispered it by my ear. Sakura's voice seeps down to my bones and destroys my small reasoning. ―――No, there's no way to fight it from the start. No man can stay calm when faced with the naked body of the woman he loves the most.

"――――Sakura." "…You don't have to move. …I'll make you feel good."

Sakura tempts me with words like burning steel. ―――I understand it in my head. I know I want Sakura. My penis is so erect that I can't hide it anymore. Sakura is wanting me, and Sakura's body is needing magical energy―――my semen.

"――――――――" Then there's no reason to oppose her. I can satisfy both if I accept Sakura. …But… Wouldn't that keep the most important reason unclear?

"…Senpai." Sakura's voice is coming from near me. Sakura's body is right in front of me now. …I can't move. Is it because of tension or confusion? Every part of my body is bound, and I can't stop Sakura.

Her skirt falls to the ground. …I hears the sounds of clothes being taken off. Sakura takes off her clothes to get naked, and I'm taking off my shirt even though I can't move by myself―――

"…Please, Senpai… I can't bear it any longer――――" Sakura sounds like she's apologizing. "――――Sa… kura." The zipper on my pants is lowered as soon as I hear her voice.

"――――――――" My reasoning cracks. My head blanks out when I see her young and vivacious body.

"Ah…… Hm……. I'm going to touch it, Senpai…" Sakura's fingers touch my erect penis. She handles it like a valuable object. She entangles her white fingers around my hot and hard penis.

"Ah, s――――――――" There's no way I can stop her. Sakura's fingers are touching my thing. That feels good enough to make me moan. No matter how much my useless mind tells me to stop, my body is already tempted by Sakura.

"…I'm sorry, Senpai… I know you don't like this, but――――" Sakura turns around and slowly lowers her waist. Hot juice drips down onto my crotch.

"Haa… Hmm… Yours is so hard…" …The love juice flowing out of her wets my manhood like honey.

"Mm… We have to make sure it's wet…" Sakura grabs my shaft as if to soak her honey onto my shaft.

"――――Hold, on――――" Her fingers stimulate my body, and I feel something sticky between us. I'm about to fall from just this, but Sakura is… "Haa… Hm, mm… Ah, I can, right, Senpai?" She sighs painfully as if she cannot wait any longer. And she pushes the head of my penis onto her crevice.

"Ahh… ah, mm, fu…" "――――……!" ―――A slight shock runs through my back. My erect head enters Sakura with a sound. Her wet vagina accepts the hard foreign body without resistance.

A wet sound. The tip, which should be too big to enter Sakura's small hole, easily pushes in between her walls and plunges deeper in.

"Hah, ah―――…!?" ―――I don't understand. Just putting the tip in feels so good that I'm going to go crazy…!

"Hold… on, Sakura――――……!" I quickly pull my hips back. But my body is still numb. Sakura doesn't listen to me.

"Mm… ha, it's big… but――――ah, haa… It's coming… in――――" She breathes with her shoulders and slowly lowers herself.

"――――Ah……!" The sound. I can't bear the sound of me tearing Sakura apart.

"Ah, mm…! Ah, fua, ah―――hm… Sen… pai―――Senpai's touching… me…" ―――Sakura's crevice. The red part has accepted the tip of it already. The walls roll up as my penis is pushed in, and at the same time, they try to accept the penetrating object and guide it deeper inside.

"…Haa… Haa, haa, ah…" ――――It's tight, but not, at the same time. Sakura's slit and my penis melt and join into each other. And from behind her too. We're in such a position, but Sakura's the only one moving.

"Ha――――――――" It feels so good that I want to vomit. A woman's back is before my very eyes. Her big butt is squashed in front of me. ―――I'm piercing Sakura from behind. It makes me imagine that I'm inserting it in her butt instead of her pussy, and it's all the more unbearable.

"Ah――――, ah." "Ha, aha… It's getting bigger, Senpai… Does it feel good…? Mm… aha, ah――――! …Ah… It feels good for me too――――"

I'm scared. I bear the welling cum because I'm scared. I grit my teeth and endure the oncoming surges of pleasure.

"Ah… Ah, no… Senpai…? Mm, ahh… um, is it painful…?" Painful――――? No way. It can't be painful when it feels this good. I'm just scared because I can't suppress myself.

My desire is up to my throat now. If I can move, I want to push Sakura down and pierce through her. I'm scared of myself for wanting to fuck Sakura like mad.

"…D-Don't Sakura…! If I continue, I'll――――" I'm scared that I might lose my sanity.

"Ah… Haa, hmm, mm…! …No, I'm sorry, Senpai―――ah, I can't… stop myself――――"

"Hey――――I'm saying… don't…!" ――――There's no way she'd listen to me. My cock is deep inside Sakura. So―――how could she stop now?

"Haa… Mm, the big thing's coming in――――" Sakura moves as she moans in an intoxicated voice. The surge that led me inside is now trying to keep me inside.

"…!" Her walls are pulsing. Her thick walls grasp at my penis and softly wrap themselves around it.

"Ah, aha, hm… Can I, Senpai…? It's in, so I'll move now―――" Her warm pussy has me caught. Sakura slowly starts to move up and down.

"Ah, aha, ahh…!" "……!" I grit my teeth and bear it. I will release my cum along with my mind unless I do so.

"Ahh, fua, ah, haa…! …Aha… Good―――it's so big." I'm caressed with numerous fingers and tongues. Sakura awkwardly moves up and down while squeezing her walls. "Hah, hmm, mm, mm……!"

A sound of liquid. Her love juice leaks out. She's moving as if to taste my penis with her vagina. It's a diligent service that tells me how she feels. She's not good, but she's trying her best to please me, and that fact itself is a pleasure.

"Ah, it's touching me inside… It's coming in slowly… Haa… mm, ah…! I'm glad… I'm so happy――――I'm sorry, Senpai." Her voice sounds like she's crying and intoxicated at the same time. Sakura is apologizing, but shaking with pleasure at the same time.

"Hm… mm, fu, mm…! You can see it, right, Senpai…? I'm connected with Senpai… Mm… I'm happy… I always wanted to do this with you, Senpai…!"

…Sakura heats up and starts to move faster. Her movements were kind, but now they're getting more intense. She's happy. Her movements reflect her emotion by sucking, squeezing, and entangling herself on me.

"…Sa… kura――――" "Ah, haa――――I-I'm going to do my best…! So, you too, Senpai…!"

…My reason is melting. Her walls expand and contract, matching her movements. They contract when I'm going out, but they suck me in when my tip is reinserted, drawing up my urge to ejaculate. "Haa… ah――――!" It feels so good that I can't keep my mouth closed, and my saliva drips down my chin.

"Mm… Is it too strong, Senpai…? Aha, then… I'll slow down… a bit――――" Her juice covers my cock while her butt moves vertically. "――――!" It's like a simple up and down movement, but it's actually a pot of meat that wriggles around from time to time to stimulates my manhood.

"Ah――――" …This is hard. I never thought it'd be this hard to keep my reasoning and suppress my urge to ejaculate. It feels good inside Sakura. But it feels like torture as well――――

"Hm… Ah, aha, mm…! …Huh? …I'm going slow… but I can't… stop my hips――――hm, ha, haa, nhaa, ahh…!" Sakura's movement does not stop. A shock goes through my abdomen every time her firm butt presses on it.

"Haa――――, guh――――…!" …Her wet meat. Her delicate walls vibrate to invite me into the deepest part of her.

"Guh――――ah." "Hm, nha, why――――!? Why am I―――ah, faa, hm, ah…! …Ah… I'm sorry, Senpai―――I'm sorry, Senpai…!"

Sakura apologizes, but her pussy squeezes my erect shaft even harder. …I could ejaculate any second now. Our genitals are wet with her juice and my pre-cum. Sakura's pussy still has some room even after accepting me. It expands, contracts, wraps itself around me, and squeezes me. The varying movements are like those of an educated prostitute.

"…Haa… Haa… Hm, ahh… Amazing… Yours is amazing, Senpai―――" "――――――Sakura. Please… stop." "…Ah… Ah, no…! …Mm, no, I can't, Senpai――――ahh, mm, I can't stop myself――――!"

…The swirl greedily demands more. …My reasoning is crumbling apart. Her soft walls are like an aphrodisiac. My penis is wet with aphrodisiac, and the pleasure is melting my brain.

"Ah――――Ah――――" The overdosage of aphrodisiac causes my form to be vague. I can only open my mouth and suppress my voice. …I'm swallowed by pleasure. I'm like a bug that fell into a pot of aphrodisiac.

"――――――――Guh." My desire washes away my reason. …This isn't just a pot of aphrodisiac. This is a never-ending sea of pleasure. The body accepting me right now is of the finest quality that any man would be addicted to. That body is telling me to go crazy. I'm telling Sakura to stop for her sake, but she isn't listening to me. Then―――there's no need to―――restrain myself.

"Hm, Senpai… Senpai, please use your hips too… Mm, nha……!"

―――There's only a fragment of reasoning left in me. Sakura doesn't know how I can't retreat and keeps moving her hips to pleasure me.

And… The obscene body that wriggles like a snake…

"Haa――――ah, ah――――!" …Crushes my hindering reasoning.

"Ah――――hau, Senpai…!?" I raise my hips. I grab her butt and sink my nails into her hot body.

"――――! …! Ahh… haa…!! Faa, mm, aha…! Hm―――ha, it's amazing, Senpai, you're so rough…!" I plunge into her without any consideration. I'm ignoring Sakura's condition, but she just shakes her butt in delight.

"Ah―――mm, haa, ii…! I'm glad… More, Senpai…!" She raises her indecent ass. Sakura holds out her body without me ordering her.

"Fuu, nha, ah…! It's big, and thrusting me from behind, ah, hmm……!" Sakura moans. She arcs her back and takes the thrusting meat on all fours.

"…! Senpai, Senpai…! Senpai is so, ah, nha, mm…!!!" I pierce her without hesitation to make up for all the time I couldn't move. Over and over. I violently pull back, push in, pull back, and move my penis as if to oppose the welling urge to ejaculate.

"Ya, mm, ah… Hia, ahhhhh…!!!! Senpai―――ah, hah, amm, ah, fua…!" It might be painful, as Sakura's voice starts to contain some agony.

―――But I don't stop. Our sex turns ferocious. Sakura tries to accept it and raises her butt. "――――, Haa――――" My vision, the only thing not invaded by the pleasure of Sakura, breaks with that.

Her butt is lewdly raised, exposing her excretory organ. ―――It squeezes tight. It's straining as if to bear the pain, and it's closed as if to follow her pussy's example. It is wet with my pre-cum and her love juice.

"Ah――――kuh." The dirtiest place on Sakura is dirtied with our juice. It's so lewd that I want to start laughing, and it makes me all the more crazy.

"Ah―――it's embarrassing, Senpai's, aha, ahh, watching my butt…!" Our juice splatters around every time I push into her, and the juice sticks onto her butt.

"Ah――――, kuh――――" The scene fires up my desire. Sakura's asshole. I see the place where even Sakura cannot see, and a sense of domination assails me.

"Mm, Senpai…! It's good, it's deeper, ahh, nha, it's good, so good, ahhhh…!"

―――I keep thrusting. My thrusts get stronger. My penis is fully expanded, stirring up Sakura's vagina. She accepts it painfully. "It's painful―――ah, move more, Senpai―――please go harder and squash my butt…!"

And Sakura's walls change as if to match my sexual desire.

"Ha, you――――!" The waves of pleasure that I thought were at their limit grow bigger. My brain is filled with Sakura's sensation and is about to explode.

"Haa――――aha, haa, ahaa, mm……!" ―――She desires me without end. But that's not only her wish, as it is also mine.

"Ah… Mm… no… I'll overflow, hmm, if you do that――――" I raise my butt and thrust up. "Mmm, ah――――! Ahh, nha, haa… Ah, fuaaaaa…! Senpai, I'm going to come…!" I don't pull back and rub my tip inside of her.

――――Dry sounds constantly echo through the room. The room is stained with the sound of our moving hips, the sound of the juice splashing, and Sakura's moans.

"Haa, ah――――I like you――――I like you, I love you, Senpai…! I've loved you for so long, nha, I can't keep it in anymore…!"

"Ah, kuh――――!" I keep moving, while Sakura accepts it and shakes. The pleasure changes every second, not letting me rest. Her walls change shape every time she arcs her back and stimulates me from different angles. ――――I feel faint. My mind is constantly being stimulated and is about to escape my body.

"Fua, haa, ah, ahh, ahh…!!! More, Senpai, together, Senpai…!!!!" "――――――――!" I can't end easily. If Sakura wants it, I have to answer her.

"――――――――Ahh." And I want to savor Sakura without end. I don't need my reasoning. I don't care even if my mind escapes my body. I can kick away such nuisances that keep me from being human――――!

―――Our membranes rub against each other. My grotesque member is wet with foaming love juice. Her contracting walls suck on my blood-congested penis.

"――――, ――――" It'll end anytime. I'll ejaculate with the next thrust if I let down my guard. I frantically grit my teeth, wanting this pleasure to last longer.

"Ah, haa… Hm… Does it feel good, Senpai?" "――――, Ah――――" I can't say anything. I'll be unable to endure it if I say something.

"――――If it's good――――please say my name―――haa… I want you… Senpai, to say my name…!" Her pussy contracts with her voice and squeezes me.

"Sa――――kura." I pierce her. She doesn't need to tell me. My head is filled with Sakura and Sakura only.

"Sakura――――" "Yes…! Senpai, Senpai…!" Her back is covered with sweat. My member is covered with both our juices. Sakura's crotch is covered with something viscid and is reflecting light like something about to emerge from a pupa.

―――I'm melting. My senses are so vague that I'm starting to think I'm melting.

"Aha―――Senpai called my name… You properly said my name when I'm so indecent――――nha, Senpai… Senpai, Senpai, Senpai…!!" Sakura responds every time. I feel a definite sensation every time she squeezes on me.

"Sakura――――Sakura…!" My desire gets worse. Her lewd and meaty butt, her smooth back, her messed hair, her sweet moaning. Everything is like a dream, and my consciousness is about to…

"No――――I, I, I'm――――!" ――――It must be the same for Sakura. The body that desired me raises itself, as if drawing on its last power.

"Ahh, ahh――――! …No, I don't want this myself…! I――――I want to feel good with you, Senpai…!"

Her pussy squeezes me with all its might. "――――Guh……!" I thrust it in as if to fight against it. I feel pain as my impulse breaks the dam.

"Sakura――――, Sakura……!" "Nha, ahh――――no, don't let me go, Senpai…!!!" I release the strained power. My restrained desire is let loose as if guided by Sakura's orgasm.

"Ahh―――mm――――mm, Senpai… is ejaculating… a lot…――――" "――――!" My cum ejaculates as if to shoot down her womb.

"――――Wait――――hey――――" ―――Something's wrong. I've let enough out, but it doesn't stop.

"…Ahh… Mm… Aha, ahh…" Sakura takes in my hot impurity. Sakura sounds satisfied and drains her strength.

"Ah――――kuh." A long ejaculation I've never experienced before. My cum fills up Sakura and flows out. I've let out enough, but it doesn't stop ejaculating.

"Ah… aha, amazing, it's still coming in. Senpai… Senpai's hot juice… it's coming in me and flowing out――――" Sakura sounds like she's in a trance. …My consciousness fades. I can't hear Sakura's voice.

―――A never-ending ejaculation. It's more than what my testicles can generate, and it's a pleasure as if I'm ejaculating my organs out.

――――I see a dream after that.

We're both tired and sleep together after having sex. Sakura hesitated with a blush, but she nodded when I asked her if she wanted to, and came into my futon with a red face.

"――――――――" I'm dreaming. I'm sleeping and was so tired that I won't wake up till tomorrow, so this has to be a dream. That's why… I'm still having sex with Sakura.

"――――――――" I'm desiring Sakura even in my dreams. That's how exciting the sex with her was. If it's possible, I want to embrace her and sleep together like this. …I want to tell her that I love her. She was filled with pleasure every time she said Senpai, and I want to respond to her affection.

"――――――――" I'm having sex with Sakura. I'm having sex with her even in my dream. ―――I'm still having sex with her even though we've already made love like mad.

I had sex, but it wasn't enough, so I'd rather fuck her really violently so that I can really destroy her―――― "――――――――Oh." What am I thinking? That's going too far.

"Ah――――" My vision wavers. Sakura's not there. I was holding on to Sakura, but I'm now holding something strange.

"Ha――――, ah……" It's hot. My foothold is melting. I'm sinking into an eternal desire. I'm literally drowning in a sea of pleasure called Sakura.

…I see a violent dream. I see an ominous dream in a sea of hot coal tar.

10th Day - darkwood, sleepingbeauty

"――――――――" …I open my eyes. While staring up at the ceiling, I raise my arm and let it fall to the futon.

"――――It's a bit heavy." I keep my eyes on the ceiling in a daze, not bothering to get up. …My body feels dull. I'm not awake yet, and I feel like I need more rest. Even though it's morning already, I really don't feel like getting up.

"Hm… Why am I so tired?" I try to recall what happened. ――――Then.

"――――――――" At the very least, my sleepiness is blown away in an instant.

"――――Um." I look beside me. No one is beside me. All I see is my lazy arm.

"Oh, so Sakura's already awake." Then she should be in the kitchen. Knowing her, I bet she's preparing breakfast and letting me sleep in.

"Man, she always pushes herself if I don't stop her." I raise myself up. Immediately, dizziness assails me.

"…Whoa. My body sure feels heavy." Maybe I'm tired. A lot certainly did happen yesterday, but, um… I don't think what happened last night would make me this tired. I haven't been training for nothing. It must be because I didn't get that much sleep.

"…I couldn't sleep really well. Well, my blood should get flowing once I start moving around." First of all, Sakura's in a worse state. And she's pushing herself even harder, so I can't be resting just because I feel a bit tired.

Mustering my resolve, I get out from the futon. "――――Ugh." And I get dizzy again. It's not because of fatigue. It's because, um, my appearance is very unique, causing me to remember what happened last night.

"……Um. I have to put some clothes on." I drag the futon with me as I make my way to the wardrobe. …Crap. If this is causing me to blush, how in the hell can I greet Sakura…?

"――――――Phew." I take another deep breath to prepare myself.

"――――――――" It's all right. I've simulated it many times in my head. It's nothing difficult. I've greeted her numerous times before, so it's weird to be nervous.

"All right, I'm going." I put gasoline into my empty tank. I turn the key, kick the gas pedal, and enter the living room where Sakura is.

""――――Oh."" Then. Sakura, who I thought would still be in the kitchen, is in the living room, putting breakfast on the table.

"Uh――――g-g-good morning, Senpai." "Uh――――Yeah. G-Good morning, Sakura." We both greet each other with tense voices.

"Um……… well." "Uh……… um." I try to say something, but my head is blank.

"――――――――" "――――――――" ―――This is bad. It's bad to have silence so early in the morning… no, more than that, as a man, I can't trouble a girl…!

"G-Good morning, Sakura…! The food sure looks good!" I talk stupidly. …Wait, this greeting isn't any different from the earlier one, you idiot!

"Oh, yes! G-Good morning, Senpai!" "――――――――" …Um. I think Sakura's response is the same as well.

She looks at me in surprise, evidently thinking the same thing. To her, I must look the same way.

"――――――――Hah." Thinking about it makes me relax. We were both nervous, but we were looking forward to seeing each other.

"…Phew. This is the third time, but good morning, Sakura." I give a natural smile and greet her again. The instant she sees me relax… "―――Yes. Good morning, Senpai." Sakura returns the smile and responds for the third time.

And so our awkward breakfast starts.

"Itadakimasu." "Yes, itadakimasu." Even though we can do all the usual formalities, I'm still nervous.

"――――――――" I eat restlessly. …Sakura must have gotten over it, as she's eating in a good mood. …Hmm, are girls stronger in this regard?

"…? Is something wrong? Oh, do you want more miso soup?" "―――No, I'm still on my first bowl. But it's good. Yeah, it's really good." "Yes. I'm confident in today's food, so I'm glad you like it."

"――――!" Her smile makes me choke. It's embarrassing to be blushing when Sakura's already composed, so I start eating to hide it.

"――――Phew." I put down the empty bowl. But the side dishes are still untouched. It was all I could do to finish the rice and miso soup. I don't even want to think about eating anything else.

But it can't be helped. Forgive me, Sakura. I want to get away from here and give myself a chance to calm down.

"…Senpai. Um, did you not like the breakfast today?" "―――――――Ugh." Strategic retreat, failed. It seems I'm the only one who didn't notice that there is no escape.

"……" I hand her the bowl silently.

"Oh, seconds!? I made a lot, so please eat up." …I take the refilled bowl and resume breakfast.

"――――――" …I guess it can't be helped. I'll prepare myself. I'll just have to deal with the fact that I'm blushing, and I won't make excuses for looking at every move Sakura makes.

But still… "―――Sakura. Isn't she a problem?"

"…? What do you mean by that, Senpai?" She looks at me in wonder. In other words… It seems that the presence of Rider sitting silently next to her doesn't bother Sakura at all.

"Well, by problem…" I take a look at Rider. She must have realized she's out of place. "You do not need to worry about me. Please go ahead and eat." Her elegance is a match for Sakura's.

"Huh? Were you feeling uneasy because of her, Senpai?" "It seems so. We fought several times, after all. I am sure having your bitter enemy at the table with you is uncomfortable."

"That's not true. Senpai doesn't hold a grudge against you." "――――――――" …This is troubling. I don't have a grudge against her, but she has a rank of A+ in terms of people I cannot get along with.

"…What shall I do? It seems he is not eating much because of me. I can leave if I am annoying him." "I'm saying that's not true! Right, Senpai? You don't mind even if Rider's here, right?"

"……" I'm troubled. I'm troubled, so――――

[tadrinth]

I think you and Balioc and gesturing at two entirely different purposes for tests here.

Balioc is talking about tests used to evaluate teachers.

You're talking about tests used to evaluate students.

I'm only personally familiar with two kinds of tests: tests like the SAT, and Advanced Placement tests. Of these two, the SAT is basically a fancy IQ test (it did not have a writing component when I took it). The AP tests are subject specific.

I do not have any experience with the tests Balioc is gesturing at as actually being used currently for the purpose Balioc is gesturing at, which are tests of basic reading and math used to evaluate how teachers and schools are doing, because so far as I can tell those didn't exist when I was in school. That's a new invention as a way to try to measure how effective teachers are. Back in my day as far as I can tell they just figured you got better the longer you taught, pay was structured accordingly, and that was it, i don't think there were any serious attempts to measure teacher quality.

At some point since then, the education system came under pressure to be more quantitative, or possibly I just dodged the places where this was a thing, and started instituting standardized tests of their student bodies as a way to measure whether students were learning and therefore whether teachers were doing a good job, I believe under the proclaimed justification that the previous system could not get rid of bad teachers, and under a legitimate observation that some schools were having students go through who did not learn basic math or reading.

Probably this was actually an attempt to break either teacher's unions (which, yeah, teacher unions probably did make it hard to fire bad teachers, but also made it so teaching wasn't a horrible job) or to break some perceived liberalism of teachers (by ensuring they would teach what the state specified) or as a bid to privatize education by people who stood to make money. Or just proposed by people selling standardized tests.

The upshot is that schools and teachers are now measured by how much their students improve on standardized test scores. And since standardized tests have a strong IQ component, this is frequently very fucking hard to do without actually measuring changes in the student body by accident.

Say you have a teacher who gets a spectacularly good batch of students. Those kids are the test at the beginning of the year because they're ahead. Then the teacher has them for a year, a good time is had by all, and the kids retake the test and do the same because they already knew all this stuff. That teacher is fucked. Their kids didn't improve, so their evaluation says they failed to teach the kids anything.

So maybe they wise up and get rid of that pretest post test nonsense, and just measure absolute ability. Well that fucks all the students who are just bad at standardized tests, and all the schools and teachers with those students.

As far as tests for evaluating which students should go to which universities, IQ tests are, as I understand it, a very good measure of which students will actually do well, because they tend to identify talented students regardless of background. Yeah, you can get some boost from test prep, but that only goes so far, and the more that test is an IQ test the less far that goes. This is generally better than extracurriculars (socioeconomic metric) or essays (socioeconomic metric) or subject based tests (socioeconomic metric because poorly funded schools don't have a variety of AP classes) if your goal is to find talented students regardless of background.

But if the thing you're trying to measure is the education system itself you're running kids through, you absolutely do not want an IQ test, you want subject tests and you want them to not be speed based at all. You want 90% of the kids to finish with time to spare, and that means some kids should be finishing in 10% of the allotted time.

I've been out of the game too long to have much idea what tests schools are using to measure how teachers are doing, I hope by now they've wised up that trying to stack rank teachers using the test scores of their kids is just a terrible idea, but I doubt it.

I'm glad they're measuring whether kids come out with basic reading and writing skills on some level, because those are important and hopefully measurement is a useful way to go in with sword and torch and burn out any fuckwits who are still trying to teach reading without teaching phonics. But otherwise I suspect these tests are primarily misused for bad purposes.

I've said it before, I'm just repeating myself at this point, but my cries have been swallowed by the winds of discourse and so I feel compelled to try once more --

The tests that get used in the US to measure "student achievement," and thereby "school effectiveness," are close to 100% worthless for the purpose.

I say this as someone who is

(a) very much in favor of using other tests to measure student achievement and thereby school effectiveness, and also

(b) very much in favor of using those tests for other purposes.

Close to 100% of the big-stakes tests, across the country, from kindergarten up through the end of high school, are either timed reading-comprehension exercises or timed basic math exercises. Which is to say: they are barely-disguised IQ tests. They do not demand any particular corpus of knowledge, or for that matter any kind of cultivated skill, beyond the absolute baseline universal standards of "can read and understand written English" and "can execute the most fundamental algebraic and geometric operations." They give points for being quick and accurate, and sometimes for being able to see through simple tricks. You do well on those tests by having a fast, agile, precise, unclouded mind and a capacious working memory.

That is not a thing that any teacher can teach.

It's an important thing. There are all sorts of circumstances where it really matters whether you have a fast, agile, precise, unclouded mind and a capacious working memory. But measuring that, and then using the results to determine whether or not a school has done its job, is pants-on-head insane.

...the trick, of course, is that -- for all the bellyaching and caterwauling about intelligence measurement -- we can all pretty much agree that, wherever they come from, reading comprehension and basic math skills are things that matter. In order to have a sane measurement system for schools, we'd have to come to a similar agreement about anything that a school could reasonably be expected to teach.

This is one reason, of many, that it is good to have an acknowledged cultural canon. But we could at least start with dropping the reading and math, and testing basic scientific and historical knowledge instead.