#enough for writing to re-commence

[ziipzeepzop-eez]

if you still do them, is it okay you do like one shots with ROTTMNT boys and a little sibling reader?

but here’s the thing, the reader is a little pink gecko with yellow spots, they’re around 10 or 9 years old and can run just as fast as sonic the hedgehog and basically have the energy of a golden retriever, they’re like a tiny dragon and it’s adorable yet SO. FREAKING. EXHAUSTING!!

❝ pink bubbles and banana laffy taffy!! ❞

₊˚꒰🥞꒱‧ — 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐱 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠!𝐠𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐨!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

｡˚ 𓂋 🍋﹒✦﹒✿ ˚

❝l ɑׁׅ֮/ꪀׁׅ : okay i had to squeeze this one out because OHMIGOSH it is SO. CUTE!!!! i literally got soso excited when i read this because how did you know i'm legitimately obsessed with geckos?! 😭 i literally downloaded picsart to make that collage and wrote this in the span of a day or two because i got so excited aausghshdh !! fluffybun24, fluffy, darlin'. grips your shoulders and brushes your cheek tenderly. thank you. also, i'm just now realizing you asked for one shots after the fact ajsjjhd I AM SO SORRY I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL AFTER RE-READING IT after writing this whole thing out XD DX but foremost, i must tell you that i mostly do my fandom writing in headcanon/reaction formats !! :(( one shot(s) aren't really my forte . . . albeit, i do hope this is just as good !! o7

(honorable mention: @agentturtlecupcake *HARSHLY NUDGES YOU* HEY. HEY LOOK. LOOKLOOKLOOOKLOKKOKLOKOOOKKLLOOOOOOOK. IT'S the, k-KID-🩷💛)

˙🍋 ̟ !! ─ oh my goodness me, you are the simultaneous love and light, the bane and exhaustion, of everyone's respective lives.

don't get me wrong, your family absolutely adores you!!

especially since you're :(( the baby :(( aww :(((

it just, kinda freaks everyone thafuq OUT when you zip and zoom and flash everywhere

just. a maniacal streak of pink and yellow.

they don't know peace because of you. (affectionate!)

like they will be mindin' their whole business in its entirety and here you come

"*walks into the main living room* heeeeeyy, anybody seen my jupiter jim issue— [*nyooom!*] SWEET MOTHER OF G O D–"

it's not like you ever have ill intentions, tho 🥹 so it's okay.

"they're cute so it's okay!" — all of your siblings at one point, probably

while they do accept your golden retriever tendencies, it be givin' them gray hairs fr 💀✋

especially because you're so f a s t

you're there one moment then next thing they know you're halfway across the entire lair, tittering and chirping happily away.

˙🍋 ̟ !! ─ so, over the course of your life, they've all developed their own designated role when keeping up with you:

raph . . .

being the oldest definitely feels the most responsible for you and acts on it! he himself has developed a sixth sense for when you zoom by and can catch you with (relative) ease every time, and has definitely saved your butt from like. accidentally crashing into a wall or smth sjsjsj

but big bubba can't prevent everything :\ so you have gotten some owies !!

but you can always count on him to be there to help you feel better.

he's your biggest bro 🥹 he always makes you feel better.

but i imagine u're also a maniacal little shit (*cough* thanks leo *COUGH*)

so sometimes you just, str8 up run away from him like ACTIVELY escape his grasp

it deffo takes some effort 😮‍💨 (petition : #saveraphfromhissiblings /lh)

"[NAME]?! Get back here, you little speed monster!!"

*cue toiny baby gecko squealing and The Daily Chase commencement*

oh yeah. it's a daily occurrence.

you stress him out 🤣😭 but it's okay. :))

(after catching you in his hands, holding you up to eye level): "Alright, you little goober. That's enough outta ya today." "But Raaaaph!!"

and then you can't really do anything because raph knows your sweet spot, your little switch, that melts you like putty - a little patch riiiight in the center of your upper back, a well-pressurized scritch is all it takes really, and oh. there we go. down for a nap !

however you simply must have your grand rebellion moments and give him arm gummy bites the entire time but he's the just personification of "😇😌"

ain't no doubting he loves you tho. adores you, really; your bright bubbliness is what makes him smile most days, and even tho your energy is a bit much for him to keep up with, and he'd really like it if you stopped fighting him for afternoon naps sometimes, i don't think he'd change it for the world.

leo . . .

is one who's fairly on par with your hyperactivity, so he's the one we all turn to when your excitement is bubbling over into something a liiiiittle too much :'))

playing tag when you're zooming to and fro is one of you guys' favorites.

but sometimes he doesn't play fair and uses his odachi to teleport >:((

and if you get genuinely upset, he just scoops you up and blows raspberries on your soft lil tummy.

he's the only one who can wear you out so he's an essential part of everyone's lives asksksjd

but bc of this

HE PROBABLY USES YOU AS COLLATERAL TO GET THINGS HE WANTS I'M NOT EVEN PLAYIN

"LEO!!! Ugghhghhh, can you please handle them?!"

"Mmmhmmmmmmm....."

"L E O ಠಗಠ! For the last time, you are NOT choosing for movie night tonight and the kind of pizza!! You've had it all week!!!"

"Ohh, suddenly I have no capability for one very specific baby cotton candy-banana pudding gecko..... Shame. Woeful, horrible, terrible, shame—"

"LEO!!!"

he's a jerk, but he's highkey your idol and he would give the entire world for you in a heartbeat, so :))

donnie . . .

acts like your hyperactivity is an inconvenience...... but in reality, he doesn't mind it.

(only when it compromises his tech. you've only had one to two incidents involving his lab before permanent damage control was done and it's been this way ever since. 😭✋)

sure, sometimes your wild nature can make him cringe on bad days, but what's a sibling if they don't get tired of your antics once every while?

it's healthy development !!

plus. he himself has his moments where his lowkey descent into madness shows its peak, so he can't really talk.

you've all got your quirks, y'know? (/ref)

in truth he accepts it as a part of you, and he loves all of you - i mean c'mon, you're his baby sibling.

and even tho he doesn't openly admit it nearly as much as the rest of your family - he really does think you're adorable.

and in more truth: donnie takes care of you a lot. like- as soon as you started showing signs of your speediness and just-consumed-five-bags-of-candy excitement levels, he completely baby proofed the lair 😭

and you can't tell me he didn't know you'd possess those superhuman levels of speed bro you CAN'T

that man is a scientist and he leaves no stone unturned, especially when it comes to his family.

he has you microchipped too sjjsjdh

[ i just thought of this just now, actually: he and leo are a team when it comes down to your genetics/biological health. donnie researches with his stem-augmented brain and studies your dna down to the very microfiber; leo adapts with his medical affinities to make sure you're the healthiest little gecko mutant kiddo you can be. <3 ]

WE MAY HAVE MADE FUN OF HIM AT THE MOMENT, because how much harm can one baby gecko do Donnie you silly fool honhonhonhon BUT HE'S THE ONLY 👏 ONE 👏 WHO CAME IN CLUTCH.

very much "who's laughing now?"

certainly donnie. my bet's on donnie.

"THEY ALL LAUGHED. THEY CALLED ME A SILLY FOOL. BUT FEAST YOUR EYES, BRETHREN. EATETH THY WORDS!!" "..... Raphie! Bonbon's doin' that crazy scientist shtick again!!" "[NAME]. >:("

on another note, i feel donnie would extend that branch of 'baby-proofing' and relate it to the gift he created for you. [ ref: s1/ep2 — "donnie's gifts" ]

maybe it was something like . . . a malleable sludge, some sort of putty, that melded perfectly over your legs whenever you were starting to get too speedy.

you were initially excited over the cute little metal band anklets gifted to you by your older brother, buuut once it activated .... :((

it made you big sads. :((

being a little speedykins was your most defining trait !! why would donbon try to take that away from you?? :(( donnie :((( donbon why :(((

.... what you don't know, (and me either tbh, we never got that 'explanation' from the inventor himself), is that donnie made it with your specs in mind.

geckos are able to climb vertical surfaces (with some exceptions of course, but for the most part !!) — when activated, those little "putty bands" would've aided in that.

because donnie knows how much you love to run around, especially climbing up the walls, but you can't stick up there forever.

was it made to simultaneously slow your ass down? yes. 🤣😭

(he's only one man what do you want from the poor guy ☠✋ your drive by's were enough to send him into cardiac arrest every time)

...... was it made to adhere to nearly any and every surface texture known to man & mutant kind? for an unprecedented amount of time? with the intentions of you having so much fun with it? also yes.

was it made with intricate care and with, overall, your best interests at heart?

yes.

but after the whole ordeal, he really did mean it when he says you're great just the way you are. :))

in your calmer moments, he likes to have you wrap around his shoulders like a fashion designer scarf and taps at your cute little tail, half as a stim, half as a gesture of affection, while he's in the lab focusing on his latest project

or even just. vibing. y'all are primetime vibey.

he finds your weight comforting. like a tiny weighted pillow.

and he'll never admit that he feels his heart nearly burst with love and pure fondness when you yourself happily curl up into your brother and fall asleep there, cooing softly into his ear.

he built a little comfort bed/pillow extension for you in his battle shell for such occasions <3

but he prefers the sibling cuddles without his shell on.

he trusts you, after all.

(i will never financially recover from this aksjddh SOBBING)

mikey . . .

is exceptionally good at matching all of your moods: your bubbly hyperactivity and bringing you to a calmer, serene state !!

how does he do it. 🧍

he catches you in his arms and strokes/scratches your back to calm you down, and it works like a charm every time !

he never has to use dr. delicate touch on you. despite being the closest in age, surprisingly, you listen to mikey very well !

call it survivor's intuition 🫠 orrrr just the fact that you and mikey are very close and in-tune with one another,

whenever he calls it quits for you - no matter how much you might whine and pout - you genuinely do tone it down.

i know i said this for leo too but i feel like mikey just has that magic touch. yenno?

no pun intended. ha.

but en ee wayz !! yusssss, mikey and [name] are the cutest little goobers.

y'all deffo get roped together being the "babies" of the family,

and despite mikey wanting to outfit that mold — mostly by means of appeasing to raph's overprotective tendencies — he babies you a bit too !!

you like to poke fun. you're observant, clever little thing. you call mikey out on it, going so far as to call him a hypocrite,

and whether you guys have a serious discussion or not is completely up to you !

but for the time being he just pets your head and affectionately tells you to hush, and keeps right on babying you.

he likes being your older brother !! so sue him !!

dynamics change the older you guys get =] so who knows what the future has in store?

you're one of his favorite muses. your color palette never fails to strike inspiration within him 🎨✨

when he catches your pink n' yellow blur in passing, he can come up with an entire idea for murals to tag around, don't play w him

he likes to do body paint on you too !! :))

(completely safe + free of harmful chemicals wbk)

probably makes flowers out of your polka dots (he definitely calls them that) or connects them to make a bigger picture.

he made an entire field of flowers and koi fish pond encompassing your back one time and you absolutely loved it.

you'll always be his little muse 💔

"[Nameeee]!!~ C'mere, polka dot! You wanna see if I can make a constellation this time?" "YAY!!!!" "Wait- waitwaitWAITWAIT SLOW DOWN—" [ *cue wii bowling ball strike sound sequence* ]

˙🍋 ̟ !! ─ ahaaa. overall, you're their cute little ball of sunshine. their little sugar carnival. their little pink bubblegum and banana laffy taffy gecko baby! and — while you being.... you, can get just shy of unbearable sometimes, they wouldn't trade you for this world and all the others.

after all, what's a family if you don't accept every part of them? no matter how exhausting it is. <3 you're a handful, but that's why you've got six pairs. and as the years go on, it only grows.

@chachachannah + @sweetparty for the dividers 🩷 @cureqt for the cute emoji combo 💛 & pinterest for the pictures! [the collage is by me!!] 🥰

⟆ ˙🍋 ̟ !! ─ further author notes . . .

™ : as always, susceptible to future editing for grammatical/formatting corrections !!

i absolutely loveddd writing this!! and for the intricacy, this is the quickest i've ever pulled a request-bun fresh from the oven!! :o kudos to you, fluffy! <3 i do hope you like this as much as i did aaaa!! now i've got polka dot gecko sibling brainrot. 🥴 it's true: you never know it's a good idea until it's presented to you !!

a couple of fun facts: "sugar carnival" is a term coined by me, in reference to one of my free verse poems a while back! i, also, consider myself a sugar carnival being at most times ˶ᵔᗜ ᵔ˶ & i came up with the title on the spot after hearing + envisioning "pink gecko with yellow spots". ideal color combo, criminally underrated. fluffy your brain deserves a pedestal and i will personally create it for you with my bare hands.✋🩷💛

╰┈➤ tues. jan 23, 9:18 pm, '24.

[blackswan446]

worth it - two.

→ pairing: yan!knj x reader

→ wc: 1071

→ cws: mentions of abusive ex boyfriend showing up

→ notes: before writing: i have a feeling i'm gonna write this whole thing and be very unhappy with it :( after writing: okay! it's not bad i think :')

days became weeks, which slowly turned into an entire month, of namjoon coming over almost everyday of the week. he was there so much, he seemed to be assimilating into your family life. and the fact that namjoon only started coming over because he was a school-assigned tutor for your brother would easily shock anyone who saw them together-by now, they were practically best friends, the two having formed a close bond within the short period of time. sometimes namjoon wondered, would jiwon still be his friend if he knew the real reason he kept coming around?

technically, he didn't have to be there anymore. your brother's math grades had improved tremendously, so there wasn't any real need for him to stick around. of course, there was no way he'd be going anywhere anytime soon. his friendship with jiwon was like a one-way ticket into your private life, and despite your mysterious demeanor and your refusal to say anything regarding life outside of your house, his mere presence was enough to collect the pieces of the puzzle. all he had to do was put it together.

he wondered, whether observing people was always this easy, or if you were more of an open book than he thought. i mean, he had pieced together your entire schedule within a month! a month full of you speaking to him for 10 minutes a day, tops. the idea was laughable! sometimes, he couldn't help but feel bad. you tried so hard to fly under the radar, to stay hidden from the eyes of others, to remain a private individual. and he had come in and thrown a wrench in your plans, and you had no idea.

in a way, he felt some strange sense of heroism. he had managed to barge into your life first, and instead of it being some villain who was out to hurt you, it was just him, someone who cared deeply about you. it was obvious that you needed someone to protect you from the outside world, since you couldn't do it yourself, and since he had already broken in, it would just make sense for him to stick around for a bit (re: forever) and play the role of the heroine you so clearly needed.

as for actually getting you to trust him, it wasn't easy. you acted so closed-off, you weren't going to be receptive to any acts of affection yet. but he couldn't let his undying adoration for you go unfulfilled! he knew all your favorite things, of course, and couldn't help but leave spreads of flowers, and notes, and gifts, in all your usual spots. all the while, he was slowly (trying) to weasel his way into your life. it was going to take time, and he knew that, but for you, he was willing to dedicate his life.

one particular afternoon, when namjoon and your brother had commenced their usual hours of homework, followed by TV or a video game, the entire day was entirely ruined before it even started. the alarm bells in his head started going off immediately, when he walked in and saw your sleek black shoes in the same place they had been yesterday.

trying to move on with the day, namjoon ignored the obvious problem; the first of many stupid mistakes on his part. he should have known that something serious had happened when he saw your water bottle, the same one you brought with you everyday, on the kitchen counter. and finally, the cherry on top of this disaster of a day, you didn't come waltzing through the door at the usual time you did every single day.

head reeling, namjoon managed to keep his worry under wraps as he unfolded the possibilities in his head. were you sick? seeing as he was still able to come over without being sent home by your brother, probably not. on vacation? unlikely, seeing as your wallet was sitting in a basket by the front door. just stayed home from school? that seemed the most probable, though it worried namjoon more than the other theories. he knew, from the way you came home with armfuls of books, to the advanced classes you talked about taking, that you weren't the type to just skip school for some reason. no, something had happened.

looking at the clock briefly, back to his computer, namjoon spoke. "so, uh, where's your sister? i mean, she's usually home by now, right?" he asked, not looking up from the text on the screen. the lack of response prompted him to glance up, and meet your brother's worried eyes. "sorry, did i overstep?" he said innocently, a fake look of concern gracing his features. jiwon shook his head.

"no, it's not that. it's just..." he paused, quickly glancing down the hallway, towards your room. "she's been having some trouble with her ex boyfriend." he said, tone much more hushed and cautious compared to a minute ago. namjoon, with his eyebrows knitted together, looked shocked. what ex boyfriend?! "oh god, that's awful." he said, matching the concerned boy's quiet voice, "what...uh, what happened?" he said carefully.

jiwon sighed. "she's been getting all these gifts, lately. we thought they were from him, so we just ignored them." he explained. namjoon's heart dropped at the mention of the gifts. his gifts. the same ones he chose out with his own two hands. "anyways, he showed up here late last night, and saw the flowers and note in the garbage, and he just...went berserk. we had to call the cops, it was that bad. she's been pretty shaken up since." he said sadly, a pained expression on his face.

for the first time in his life, namjoon truly felt stupid. stupid, for not finding out about the thorn in your side. stupid, for buying all those gifts and treats and launching you further into your little bubble, and stupid, for not being there to protect you. he was supposed to be your guardian angel, that was his whole reason for doing what he's doing, and this is how it ends?! even worse, it was his fault!

masking his panic and guilt with a sympathetic look and comforting comment, the realization of what was next crept up on him. namjoon was a smart guy; he knew what he had to do. the only question was, would he be strong enough to do it?

taglist:

[chemos-factories]

Trazyn anon (i guess?) here again, re: people actually wanting to read it. I'm happy you guys share my enthusiasm towards that old man. I can confirm I will be writing said porn, however I must first study the loml in question. Death before dishonour/mischaracterisation. However, once the 'study' period is over, rest assured the fucking and sucking will commence

I'm going to blow his back out so hard he'll have to go back to sleep like the rest of his necron buddies. That's enough excitement for you grandpa, let's get you back to bed

🫡🫡🫡🫡

Do u want to borrow my paperback of TIATD I have the audiobook and the SE as well so I don’t mind loaning it out as long as u give it back

[multifandominfj]

A New Beginning: A Supergirl 6x20 Re-Write

Chapter Nine: Let The Planning Commence

The next day had come a lot quicker than Lena had anticipated. But she wasn’t feeling nervous; okay, she was feeling a bit nervous because she was about to ask a pretty serious question to Kara, but she was feeling excited above all else.

It was a Saturday, and the perfect day to start planning a night Kara would never forget.

“Kara?” Lena had already gotten up and dressed and made coffee.

“I’ll have the article on your desk by the end of the day, Miss Grant.” Kara groaned, rolling over in bed, conveniently the side Lena was standing on.

“Kara.” A warm chuckle accompanied with a kiss on the cheek did the trick to waking her sunbeam up.

“Lena.” Kara graciously accepts the warm, caffeinated liquid gold sitting up in bed. “Why are you up so early?”

“I have to run to the office today unfortunately. It’s nothing major, Sam is filling in for me today and I have to give her the rundown.” Sam was in town, that was true. But Lena would be meeting up with her and Alex to plan the engagement.

“Oh! I didn’t know Sam was in town. Maybe we can grab a bite some time? I haven’t seen her in ages, and I miss her.” Kara sipped her coffee with excitement.

“I will definitely ask her that. And in the meantime, you enjoy some me time. I won’t be long.” Leaning in to meet the perfectly peach pillows that were practically made to fit like a puzzle piece with her lips, Lena gives Kara a kiss just long enough to make her think about her while she was out. “I love you.” Immediately followed with her signature, room brightening smile.

“I love you too.” Like the Human Golden Retriever that she is, Kara bashfully laughed and grinned right back. “Now go, I don’t want you to be late.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll see you later.” A blow of a kiss, and the door shut behind her….

RING? RING!

“Did she buy it?” Sam asked with a surprise call.

“First, are you sure you don’t have any remaining powers? Second, she did.” Lena’s grin was permanently plastered across her face. “Are you and Alex at the Café?”

“She just placed all of our orders. So they should be ready by the time you get here.”

“Thanks Sam. For helping. I know it’s been a while since…” Lena started.

“Everything with Reign, and you helping me get my life back? Lena, please. I owe my new life to you. Ruby and I are the happiest we’ve been in a long time. And we both miss Kara and the rest of the group. So two of us coming back into town…it was perfect timing. And can I just say, it's about time for you and Kara.”

“I would have to agree with you on that.” Lena’s cheeks turned a bright shade of magenta.

“Seriously, Lena. I could tell you and Kara had something special. Had my fingers crossed for a long time.” Sam’s smile could practically be heard on the other line.

“Then I knew I asked the right person to help plan the perfect engagement along with Alex. I’m about to get in the car. I’ll see you in ten minutes.”

“See you then, Lena.” Her line ends, and Lena begins her drive to the Café.

And, as soon as she pulled up, both Alex and Sam were at a table, with her order already. “Fast and efficient as usual.” Lena smirked.

“Something as important as your news, requires efficiency.” Alex joked right back, handing Lena her order.

“So, what did you have in mind for the special night?” Sam pulled out a pen and paper.

“Well, I had this idea in mind where we would go for a Helicopter ride around the city, then…we’d have dinner at the restaurant where we first became friends.” Lena looks at both of her friends.

“I think my heart just turned to mush.” Was Sam’s seal of approval.

“Lena, that sounds perfect.” Alex was overjoyed. “Kara is going to love it, especially because those are both times when you met Kara for the first time.”

“Good.” Lena takes a deep exhale of relief. “What I’m going to need help with is you two making her day as easy as possible, taking her to do her favorite things; walk on the boardwalk at the waterfront, visit her favorite bookshop, that pottery shop where you can paint your own mug, plate, etc…” She then realizes. “I have to get Miss Grant’s approval.

“Go.” Sam urges.

“We’ve got everything under control. We’ll start the arrangements.” Alex gets up to give Lena a hug before she leaves.

“You guys are the best.” A warm grin and a returned hug was Lena’s response. With her sandwich and coffee in hand, she zoomed off to CatCo to see if she could catch Cat Grant to ask the blessings and permission of Kara’s biggest hero.

I really do hope you all are enjoying the story. It really means a lot, and I’m glad I’m finally sharing it. If you have any favorite parts so far, please, let me know. I’d love to hear them. 🥰

Anyway, here is Chapter Nine! Enjoy. 🙏🏻

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

The Other Evans Girl [Part Twenty One]

Fandom: Harry Potter [Marauder’s Era]

Pairing: Sirius Black x Original Female Character, Sirius Black x Daisy Evans, James Potter x Lily Evans

Characters: Sirius Black, Original Female Character, Daisy Evans, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Harry Potter, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Alice Fortescue, Frank Longbottom, Marlene McKinnon, Albus Dumbledore, Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix LeStrange, Walburga Black, Orion Black, Jasper Thicknesse, Barty Crouch Jr, Mulciber, Walden McNair

Word Count: 5380

Rating: Mature

Summary: Hogwarts is a safe haven, a home for many, but it’s often a place where heartache, love and complex emotions dwell and none know that better than the Marauders. Lily Evans just wants to make it out as a successful witch though the oncoming war and the ongoing advances of James Potter threaten that. Daisy Evans, her twin, has other goals. Join the Evans sisters as they make their way through Hogwarts, prepare for war and eventually find love.

Tags/ Warnings: Hogwarts, Friends, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Marauder’s Era, Teenage Angst, Babies, Weddings, Dating, Crying, Loss of Virginity, First Wizarding War, Love, Kissing, Teenagers, James Potter is a bit of a dick, Hogsmeade, 1970s, Fighting, Loss of Parents, Grief, Babies, Injuries, Gore, Harm, Christmas,  The Potter’s Mansion // Daisy’s Dress // NYE Lily’s Dress // NYE Daisy’s Dress // Lily’s Ring // Daisy’s Ring

Notes: Okay so I’ve been working on updating this and I’ve finally gone through all the chapters already written before I start writing more. It’s changed a lot so I’ve decided it’s just better to completely re-upload it.  

If you want tagging let me know

LINK TO AO3 // LINK TO PINTEREST // LINK TO ALL PARTS

Despite advancing into N.E.W.T subjects the commencement of Daisy’s sixth year felt just the same as ever, school wise. Being back in her on dormitory after having spent the better part of a year living with four rambunctious teenage boys however was another story. It was different but nice enough. Whilst Lily had caught her up over the summer on most things that she had missed when they weren’t speaking she still felt like she was lagging behind and so the majority of the first couple of weeks back at school she and the girls were inseparable. Which was just as well as the boys seemed distant though she tried to chalk it down to the fact they weren’t sharing a space now and that Remus’ transformation had landed that first week back.

What she had noticed was that despite the distance between her and her friends Remus and Lily seemed closer than ever. Though they had been prefects together for the last year Lily’s resentment towards his friends had stopped her from pursuing anything with the sandy-haired boy. Now, after Daisy had made them write to one another instead of through her they had found that they were actually good friends. Trying to get both of her friend groups to exist in cohesion aside it was Remus had another shoulder to lean on if needed. Lily too she reasoned given that she’d lost Snape who, thankfully, had decided to keep himself to himself and most importantly, out of their way. Though she had taken note of his new found confidence, which she chalked down to his new cronies. Lily however seemed determined not to mention it.

And in a turn of events that surprised absolutely no one, Lily and Remus decided to knuckle down and do as much work as humanly possible despite being in the first few weeks of a new term. Of course this was beneficial to their projected grades but not so much for their friends who were constantly nagged into doing homework or frowned at when they acted up in class. Because of this Daisy was happy that some of her electives were now without her sister. Muggle studies, for example, was one of the only classes she had respite and it was made better by the fact that she cohabited a desk with Sirius though he’d felt even more distant than the rest of the boys since they got back.

‘Now, this term we are moving onto the study of technologies! And to understand this we need to start by looking at the industrial revolution,’ Professor Burbage said, turning to the blackboard so she could write the topic upon it. Unlike the other teachers Professor Burbage wrote manually, enjoying the novelty of the task, as did Daisy who found it reminiscent of her time at primary school. The topic however wasn’t one of her favourites and so she grumbled to Sirius, who was busy focusing on a doodle he was doing on a piece of parchment, ‘ugh, I hated this topic at school. So boring.’ ‘Huh?’ he asked though he didn’t look up to signal he was listening to her. ‘This… you know this topic,’ she said, watching him to see if he would at least appear interested. ‘Yeah right,’ he said noncommittally, causing her to become irritated. She knew he’d been distant since they’d gotten back to school and like with every problem he had she figured he’d tell her eventually, but whilst it was easier to ignore when they were in a group once they were alone it felt more isolating. And if he didn’t knock it off soon she was going to get impatient. ‘What’s up with you?’ she asked, pushing the quill out of his hands and causing his doodle to go awry. ‘What’s up with me?’ he asked incredulously, scowling as he added, ‘what was that for?’ ‘That was because you’re being weird,’ she said, going quieter as she realised a couple of classmates had turned their heads for a second before looking back to the front of class, pretending they weren’t listening, ‘you have been since the start of term.’ ‘No, I’ve not,’ Sirius said defensively. ‘Like shit, you’ve not,’ Daisy said, slapping her hand down on his parchment as he tried to ignore her and return to doodling, ‘now I thought it was just because of what happened you know over the summer but I don’t think it is. I mean you haven’t said anything about your parents-’ ‘I just have a lot on my plate okay,’ he grumbled, hoping she’d drop it.

To his surprise she did, not saying anything for a moment. That was until he felt her slink her arm around his, her head on his shoulder as if hugging him as discreetly as possible. It made his stomach fill with butterflies.

‘Oh Pads,’ she sighed pulling out of the hug, ‘I get that but you can’t bottle it up and be all catty okay?’ ‘Bit hard to be catty given I’m a dog,’ he said instinctively, making her burst out a laugh which caused Professor Burbage’s gaze to immediately transfix on them and a scowl plastered on her face in warning. Daisy dropped her head, yielding to the other witch, though it was mainly to conceal the giant grin on her face as part of the normal Sirius shined through. As the teacher turned her back again and continued with the lesson she looked back to her desk mate who was watching her with a smile.

‘But you know what I mean don’t you?’ she whispered. Sirius nodded.

She was right. Since his revelation, he had tried all means of dealing with his feelings. Distancing himself didn’t work because he just wanted to be in her company more than before. Being around her and being cold and angry caused just as many problems. So in the end he had to try and quash the feelings just enough so that he could carry on as normal. And before now he had though it was working, apparently not. As she watched him worriedly he knew he had to try a little harder, to be the friend she’d come to know.

‘Or you could tell her,’ a little voice in the back of his brain whispered but Sirius shook that thought out as quickly as it had come. He couldn’t. He couldn’t do that because it would risk losing her and he had already lost enough up to now. His parents, his brother, his home. If anything his friends, especially Daisy, were the only things getting him through it all. So he couldn’t risk it.

‘Honestly, I’m fine,’ he lied, ‘it’s just being back here. There’s so much work-’ ‘Since when has school work bothered you?’ she questioned, raising an eyebrow. ‘Well, it’s not just that. I mean it’s hard to think of potions homework when there’s an impending war. And seeing Regulus swanning about with his new death eater pals,’ he grumbled. That too had become a new concern though he hadn’t voiced it aloud yet. Daisy frowned, ‘I hadn’t thought of that. Are you okay?’ ‘Yeah, I mean we’re not exactly close, we drifted apart as soon as I went to school but he’s still my brother you know,’ he shrugged. ‘Yeah, I guess,’ she said, his words rattling round her brain until she blurted, ‘you don’t think he’s…recruiting do you? ‘It’s a possibility,’ Sirius admitted, making worry flash on her face. Panicked Sirius chimed, ‘but I wouldn’t think any of them are well you know.’ ‘Why not?’ she asked. ‘S’pose he doesn’t wanna get caught. I mean I don’t doubt they’ll be laying foundations but if Dumbledore finds out he’s got followers on the inside there’d be hell to pay,’ Sirius said. ‘Yeah, yeah you’re right,’ she said, feeling only an ounce reassured. He had a point. War or no war who’d be stupid enough to try and infiltrate Hogwarts under Dumbledore’s nose. Though before she could dwell on it any longer there was a cough beside her that got her attention. Only one desk away was a very irate looking Professor Burbage, who as soon as she got their attention, ordered Sirius to move across to an empty table up at the front leaving Daisy by herself. Neither of them argued and soon enough he gathered his things and headed to the front not bothering to mention that from where he was sitting they could still see one another, sharing a smirk or an eye roll every so often.

When class was over Sirius waited by the door for Daisy to gather her things and the pair of them walked towards the great hall for lunch. Yet as they reached the top of stairs to the entrance hall they heard a commotion occurring just around the corner, and curiosity sparked, they followed it. For Daisy it was hard to see what was happening due to the gaggle of sixth and seventh-year boys huddled in a circle but from what she could see was that most of them were Slytherins, and not any of the nice ones. Sirius however seemed to get the picture, privy to more due to his taller stature, and he strode forward, parting them like the red sea until he was at the centre. Daisy scurried behind him and once in the middle she found Peter, pinned against a wall, wand pressed to his throat by a boy with a flock of curly black hair. He was tall and slender but as Daisy moved to the side she could see his steely grey eyes.

Regulus.

He was flanked by Snape and another boy from the year above who she thought was called McNair. None of them looked up as Sirius got near, not until he said, ‘let him go,’ with a gravitas that caused a shiver to go down Daisy’s spine. As did the look on his face, dark and gloomy, that was met with a menacing smile from his brother who swivelled around, his hand keeping Peter in place as he said, ‘Sirius. Come to join the party eh?’ ‘Whatever you’re doing, stop it now,’ Sirius warned, causing his brother to straighten up. Spying his opportunity Peter darted out of the way, scurrying behind Sirius. Daisy pulled him back, allowing Sirius to act as their shield, her hand slipping into Peter’s who was still shaking. It was cold and clammy as if he had been pumping sweat out by the bucket. ‘I’d like to say we know what you’re on about,’ Regulus said feigning innocence. ‘And I don’t see what it matters to you,’ Snape said with a snide grin. ‘He’s my mate and you’re-’ Sirius stared. ‘What? What am I Sirius?’ Regulus said with a quirked eyebrow, his smile widening as Sirius clenched his fist by his side, his knuckles turning white. Panic flowed through her. He couldn’t take the bait. Not here, not with so many of them. She cleared her throat, hoping he’d see sense or at least look her way, so that she could try and pull him back from doing something stupid. His head turned a fraction of an inch but he didn’t look at her, instead he unclenched his fist and said, ‘never mind. Forget it lets go.’

And before either Peter or Daisy could disagree he turned around, forcing them to walk back through the gang of Slytherins and away from this ugly mess. Relief flooded through her but it was short lived because as they got to the fringe of the group a jet of light flashed by her, knocking her to the ground. And before she even had time to figure out what was going on it was over.

As she turned herself over she found several Slytherins starting to scatter, forcing her to shield herself from the flurry of legs so that she didn’t get trampled. And when she looked up she found Sirius and Regulus were being prised apart and held several feet away from one another by a flick of McGonagall’s wand. Sirius’ eye was red from a fresh hit and Regulus was sporting a fat lip yet both had steely glares and set jaws as McGonagall came toward them ranting and raving about how irresponsible they were. She was only forced to look away as Peter appeared at her side, helping her off the ground. By the time they got close to the action they only caught the end of McGonagall’s tirade.

‘Hexing other students in the corridor! Fighting like Quidditch hooligans! You’re brothers for Christ’s sake and if that’s not something to deter fighting I don’t know what is,’ she said shaking her head. ‘He’s no brother of mine,’ Regulus said with spite. Daisy watched him, the glare on his face hard and unbecoming of a fourteen-year-old boy. It was only then did she realise how far gone he was. How his parents ‘regime’ had truly brainwashed him. It made her sad, as did the way Sirius replied, ‘likewise’ with less conviction or hatred than his brother. ‘Well, in any case, maybe two weeks detention would suffice as a deterrent,’ she said sternly, earning nothing but a nod from each boy indicating they’d accepted their punishment. ‘Very well you may go,’ McGonagall said, sighing as Regulus stomped off, shoving past Peter and Daisy as he headed to where his friends were waiting. McGonagall’s stare followed him and then landed on Sirius where her expression changed and it became more pitiful. He pretended not to see it, looking instead to Daisy and Peter and muttering, ‘come on.’

As he headed off in the direction of the great hall they followed behind, sharing uncertain looks behind his back but keeping quiet. Fortunately none of the Slytherins had come to dinner but James and Remus were there when they all slipped into their seats, their faces growing concerned as they took in the state of them. James’ concern however didn’t last all that long as Lily appeared, sitting down next to him, ignoring how he practically vibrated with excitement and instead looking at her sister with worry as she said, ‘what happened to you?’ ‘It’s nothing Lil,’ Daisy mumbled, feeling guilty as her sister looked accusingly at Sirius and Peter. ‘Dais, you do realise you’ve got blood all down your neck right?’ James said, making her hand fly up to her face, finding her chin and wand damp and sticky. With a sigh, Lily flourished her wand and uttered a cleanup spell. ‘Not going to lie but you don’t look much better mate,’ Remus said, looking at Sirius who was scowling. ‘What happened?’ Lily demanded. ‘It’s my fault,’ Peter said much to everyone’s surprise, ‘some Slytherins cornered me outside ancient runes.’ ‘What Slytherins?’ James asked angrily. ‘Reg,’ Sirius said, looking at James who frowned. ‘They wanted me to tell him where Sirius had gone after he left home. Or if he’d been telling us anything about why he went,’ Peter explained, Sirius winced, ‘I said I didn’t know but they didn’t believe me. Threw me up against the wall and hexed me and well, that’s when Sirius and Daisy appeared.’ ‘Oh God what did you do?’ Lily asked. ‘Nothing,’ Daisy protested, irked by her sister’s lack of trust, ‘we were leaving I swear.’ ‘So how did you get that?’ Lily asked, gesturing to the fading gash on her sister’s neck. ‘Regulus hexed her,’ Sirius said grimly, turning to look at Daisy, ‘to be honest I thought it had missed you.’. ‘I think it did for the most part. Feels like it caught my ear,’ she said, trying to reassure him she was okay with a look. ‘What was it?’ James asked. ‘Dunno,’ Sirius shrugged, ‘never heard it before.’ ‘Ever?’ Lily asked curiously. ‘Don’t think so,’ Daisy agreed. ‘Do you remember what it was called?’ Remus asked intrigued. ‘Septumsemper? Sectumsempra something like that,’ Peter butted in. ‘Hmm,’ Lily and Remus said at the same time. ‘Well at least Sirius hit back,’ Peter said. ‘I should bloody hope so,’ James said, though as Lily rolled her eyes he change direction adding, ‘I mean only if he was gonna hurt Dais again.’ ‘Yeah well I punched him in the face,’ Sirius said. ‘Well, I suppose that’s not as bad a flinging curses about,’ Lily said, ignoring the wry smile on James’ face. ‘Yeah I guess,’ Sirius said. Daisy placed a hand on his thigh under the table, making him look at her as she said, ‘you didn’t have much of a choice. I’m just glad it didn’t get any worse.’ ‘The fighting is not the concern here though is it,’ Sirius said, making all eyes fall on him. ‘What do you mean?’ Lily asked. ‘I mean they’re not fighting over some name calling in the yard or some quidditch squabble. They’re fighting what they see as enemies. On behalf of him. Like soldiers,’ Sirius said gravely. And as that sunk in, no one uttered a word.

✵✵✵

The first half of the term passed in the blink of an eye. After getting himself in trouble Sirius spent an entire two weeks stuck in detention or in class which meant that he missed Quidditch try outs and though James wanted to have him, McGonagall made it clear he was to pick from those who attended. He was a little forlorn at first as he as he loved playing alongside his best mate but as work started coming in thick and fast he found he was thankful for the time off not that Remus allowed him much time to relax instead insisting they spend almost every night studying.

Thankfully, Daisy provided an adequate distraction and not just because he spent most of his time thinking of her. Since their altercation she had made it her duty to keep tabs on whatever Regulus and his friends did and, having accepted his fate to pine after her from up close rather than afar, Sirius tagged along too. It wasn’t that he wanted to spy on his brother but if there was a chance he could stop him from getting in too deep, from doing something stupid, Sirius still wanted to take it. So, every night after classes had ended the two of them took to scouting about the castle just in case they were lurking about or coming through newspapers looking for anything that might be news about growing unrest. James attended when he wasn’t training and Peter came too when he wasn’t watching James train. Even Remus helped with some of it though he did disapprove that they were going through with that rather than actual work.

On a rainy October night Daisy was just finishing her dinner when she felt a ball of parchment bounce off her head and onto the table. She glanced at it before looking down the table to where the boys were sitting, finding Sirius smirking at her. She rolled her eyes but picked it up anyway, ignoring the girls as they continued their debate regarding spousal spats (Alice had invited Frank to stay with her over Christmas but he’d turned her down stating his mother wouldn’t allow it), and unfurled it, looking at Sirius’ neat scribble that read, Astronomy tower, half an hour?

Daisy looked up and nodded at him, receiving a nod in return. She hadn’t thought it too distracting only when she looked back the girls had paused their debate and were now watching her carefully, their eyes flitting to the note in hand. Daisy tucked it in her pocket and said, ‘sorry what did I miss?’ ‘Lil was just saying maybe I offer him to come for New Year’s,’ Alice said, wondering if the conversation was continuing given the way Marlene was now watching her friend. ‘Yeah that could be-’ Daisy started though Marlene interrupted her. ‘What was that?’ she asked flatly. ‘What?’ Daisy asked, looking at her friend only to find her watching her with a steely glare. Since coming back to school and rekindling her friendship with the girls it had been going well though she couldn’t deny that there had been a definite distance from Marlene. At first Daisy had thought it was because she didn’t want to be around Sirius but now it felt like something else. Like she didn’t like her being his friend though she didn’t know why. After all, Marlene had never had a problem with them being friends when they were together so why would she now?

‘Sirius wants to meet up later,’ she shrugged, attempting to steer the conversation back to Alice and Frank but Marlene wasn’t budging. ‘What for?’ she asked curiously, her eyes narrowed as she looked at her Daisy friend across the table. ‘Dunno,’ Daisy shrugged, ‘he probably needs help with his potions homework again.’ ‘Since when did you even do your own?’ Lily said, making Alice chuckle for the first time that day. ‘I’m very studious I’ll have you know,’ Daisy mused. ‘Yeah, I’m sure all those study sessions with Sirius have really been insightful,’ Marlene said snidely. ‘What?’ Daisy said, looking at her friend with clear shock at her tone. ‘I’m just saying you two have been studying a lot lately,’ Marlene said. From across the table, Alice placed her hand on the back of Marlene’s and said, ‘Mar, don’t.’ ‘Don’t what?’ Daisy said. ‘Nothing,’ Marlene said, standing up abruptly and gathering her stuff with gusto, ‘enjoy your studying.’

And with that, she clambered over the bench and strutted out of the Great Hall with Daisy’s gaze following her until she disappeared through the open grand doors. Baffled Daisy looked back at her friends and said, ‘what was that about?’ ‘Nothing,’ Lily said quickly. ‘Don’t lie to me,’ Daisy said, her eyes narrowing as Alice replied, ‘you should ask Mar.’ ‘Come on Al,’ Daisy said, a niggle in her stomach when she saw the look Alice gave Lily before looking back at her. ‘Look, it’s nothing to do with me. And if Mar wanted to tell you she would but come on it’s not hard to work out is it?’ Alice said. Daisy looked perplexed as if she hadn’t the faintest idea of what Alice was insinuating. ‘You’re not exactly subtle I think is what Alice means,’ Lily said. ‘What are you talking about?’ Daisy asked, still lost. ‘What I mean is that if you’re going to mess around with her ex-boyfriend, maybe it’s not the best idea to do it right under her nose,’ Alice said bluntly, which was totally out of character for her. Daisy watched her agog for a moment before she spluttered, ‘I’m not, we’re not, I mean Sirius and I we’re not…you know.’ ‘Well that’s not what Mar thinks,’ Alice said. ‘Well she’s wrong. Honestly, Sirius and I are just friends,’ Daisy said firmly, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach at the idea of it all. Though she didn’t know why considering it was the truth. She and Sirius were just friends, in fact, she hadn’t even thought of him like that since the start of the year. And even then she’d pushed it out of her mind for Marlene.

‘Well, you need to tell Mar because I think she feels put out by how close you two are now,’ Lily said. ‘I guess,’ Daisy murmured, ‘I suppose I didn’t think she’d mind. Her and Sirius feels like a hundred years ago.’ ‘Yeah but still, seeing him be friendly with someone else must sting,’ Alice reasoned, ‘I mean if Frank and I broke up and he started being chummy with some new girl I’d be devastated.’ ‘I guess but it’s not like I’m just his friend. I’m close with all the boys,’ Daisy said, glancing down the table to where Sirius was laughing at something James had said, making her heart thump a little faster. When she looked back Lily was watching her dubiously. So, before she could say anything else and back her into a corner where she might have to think about something she didn’t want to Daisy grabbed her bag and said, ‘I’ll speak to Mar later. I’ll see you guys in a bit?’

And before either of them could agree she launched herself over the bench and out towards the entrance hall. As she made her way outside though her mind kept replaying the conversation wondering just how long Marlene had been thinking this way. Did it really look like she and Sirius were a couple? It wasn’t as though they acted any differently now they were back at school. Or had they simply grown closer in the months she’d spent isolated from the girls making their presence back in each other’s lives feel even more striking? As she thought about the complicated ins and outs of a female friendship she found herself longing for the easy company of boys. Not that the boys were less complicated to hang out with, she had the scars to prove it, it was just that they tended to shy away from those awkward, deep feelings the way the girls did.

She was still in her thoughts when she got to the entrance hall, running smack bang into Sirius who had gotten up once he’d noticed her leave, and was now looking down at her with a grin as he said, ‘in your own world there Dais?’ ‘What?’ Daisy said, trying to quell the thoughts that were flashing through her mind after her conversation with the girls. Sirius’ brows knitted together in concern which made Daisy automatically divert the conversation. ‘Sorry, I was just thinking about the essay that’s due for potions,’ she said, pulling her arms out of his grasp since he hadn’t noticed he was still clasped hold of her. ‘Oh, thought that was only due next week,’ Sirius said. ‘It is, I just need to get a jump on it,’ Daisy lied. As she started to walk up the stairs, followed closely by Sirius, she tried to navigate the conversation past her lies and started to question him about why he wanted to meet her tonight. He looked as though he was going to answer her but paused, glancing around the corridor they were now on for anyone listening. There was no one there but he placed a hand on her shoulder anyway, pulling her into an alcove which made her heart hammer in her chest, as did the way his voice lowered as he said, ‘it’s Regulus.’ ‘What about him?’ she asked. ‘He’s up to something or at least his friends are,’ Sirius said. ‘Well, we know that,’ Daisy scoffed. ‘I know, I know, but I think he’s trying to tell me what it is,’ Sirius said. ‘What? Why?’ Daisy asked, perplexed. ‘Maybe he doesn’t want to do it,’ Sirius said with hope in his voice. ‘Or maybe he’s luring us in for something else,’ Daisy said, quashing what little hope her friend had almost immediately. As his face changed she noticed how harsh her tone was yet before she could apologise he nodded and started walking again, thanking his lucky stars that they didn’t have to look at each other much now that they had reached the astronomy tower staircase and so were forced to walk single file. But when they reached the top Daisy stopped in her tracks realising that they weren’t alone because there, perched on the edge of the railing, was Regulus.

‘What’s he doing here?’ she asked, whipping around and looking at Sirius who was looking shiftily at his feet. ‘He has a name,’ Regulus said irately. ‘Reg,’ Sirius said in a warning tone. ‘Did you know he was going to be here?’ Daisy asked glowering. ‘Dais, it’s not what you think,’ Sirius said defensively. ‘So he’s not a scumbag Slytherin?’ she said with a quirked eyebrow. ‘Well, I’ll not contest that,’ Regulus chuckled. ‘Let me handle this,’ Sirius snapped at his brother. Regulus held his hands up, feigning self-defence, but Daisy ignored him, stalking off towards the other side of the tower with Sirius hot on her tail.

He didn’t say anything, watching her as she looked over the vast landscape in front of her, but she only let the silence linger for a moment before she looked at him and said, ‘well go on. Explain yourself.’ ‘Well whilst we’ve been investigating them it turns out they’ve been keeping tabs on us. They weren’t concerned but the more we pried the more notice they were taking and this was being relayed to their parents and,’ Sirius said, feeling his throat go dry. ‘And?’ Daisy pressed. ‘And He was taking note of us. Regulus came to me because he was going to tell our parents what when had been doing-’ ‘Charming,’ Daisy scoffed, ‘so much for brotherly love eh?’ ‘Reg only said it to throw off Mulciber. Turns out that letch was going to give Him all our names. Reg didn’t let him though, he told me and that’s why I wanted to speak to you and him,’ Sirius explained. ‘I’m confused,’ she said. ‘What my darling brother is bungling to say is that I don’t want your lot involved,’ Regulus said, hopping down from the railing as they turned around, cutting Daisy off before she could say anything, ‘and before you start it’s not because I think our side is right but because these people mean business. They’re not school kids. They’re soldiers and the more you interfere the worse it’ll be.’ ‘So what you want us to let you crack on and let you do whatever you feel like so we don’t get hurt? Not bloody likely,’ Daisy scoffed. ‘He just wants us to be careful. He’s warning us-’ Sirius sighed. ‘For his own good,’ she snapped. ‘For my brother,’ Regulus corrected, ‘look we’ve not often seen eye to eye, in fact, we never have really, but that doesn’t mean I want him hurt over something like this. Stay out of our business and there’ll be no issues.’

And with that Regulus strutted across the floor and down the spiral staircase. When Sirius looked back at Daisy she was staring at him, her mouth in a tight line. Sirius felt his stomach lurch.

‘So what now,’ she asked, ‘you want us to stop trying to stop the war because the other side threatens us.’ ‘No,’ Sirius said, trying to keep his tone even, ‘I just think we should lay low okay?’ ‘And what let them convince first year muggleborns to off themselves,’ Daisy baulked. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Sirius sighed. ‘I’m not being ridiculous!’ Daisy said, feeling the anger bubbling in her. She didn’t know why the idea of him siding with Regulus hurt so much but it was like a knife to her gut. As he put a hand on her arm she yanked it away making him frown, ‘you don’t get it do you?’ ‘Get what?’ he asked confused, ‘Dais, I’m thinking about keeping us safe-’ ‘Yeah but you’re always going to be safe aren’t you! Because you’re not different. You and James, you can pretend to understand but how can you? You’re pureblood.’ ‘Dais-’ ‘And even if you pretend to sympathise you’ll never know how it feels to be without magic. How mundane life is. You all take it for granted but we don’t and yet we’re still thought of as lesser for knowing something else. And you’ll never understand how scary it is to think of someone wanting to eradicate us all from existence just because of that,’ she said, feeling a lump in her throat. Sirius dropped his gaze ashamedly, ‘so no, I’m not just going to roll over and let the mini death eaters do what they want so He doesn’t find out. I’m not scared of him, you know. And you shouldn’t be either because it’s alright to say we’re friends and that you care about us but what does matter if you’re not going to fight for us when we need you to.’

And before Sirius could do anything she was disappearing down the astronomy tower steps. He bolted after her but he couldn’t keep up and by the time he reached the bottom step he couldn’t tell which way she had gone.

SIRIUS BLACK/SERIES TAGS

@maeisafangirl @mysteriouslydelicateface @caitlin1996 @imthebadguyyy

[screamqueenkrueger]

I meant to post this earlier, but the weekend really sucked the life out of me.

How do I begin something like this? I'm not usually one for writing story times about the things I do. Nothing seems interesting enough for that.

And maybe to a lot of people this isn't either.

But a dream of mine came true this weekend, and this is how it all went down

3 months ago my poor coworker thought he was bringing me exciting news, and he was! I was just not mentally prepared for it.

"Robert Englund is coming to Indy in August!"

"Fuck!" I started to panic, I almost cried, I scrambled to check dates. I was staffing another con at the end of August. Could I make it work? I hadn't saved any money!

Whew HorrorHound was the weekend before the con I staff, I could squirell enough money away for his signatures, now it was time to just stew in the intermitten anxiety for the next 3 months. Would I actually get to meet him this time? Would I make it? Or would I be too little too late again? Would he do another con after this one? Is this my last chance? I don't know the lay out, where he'll be. The VIP passes had already sold out. I got early entry, but would that be enough?

Sooner than I thought possible the time was upon me. I'd had art I'd draw printed out, ready for him to sign, and I had my fursuit head I wanted him to sign as well.

Only one problem. I had to go alone. The Husband had army obligations. The aforementioned coworker could only come with me on Saturday. I had to face this task on my own. Normally I'm a little ball of anxiety, but Robert was all I wanted. I could do it for him.

So Friday I get up, already buzzing with anxiety. Early entry doesn't open until 4 so I have some time to prepare, and as I have a fee errands that could be ran, and busy myself with that, instead of sitting around and staring at the clock. I take, maybe, a little too long. By the time I get to the convention center it's around 3:45 and the place is already packed.

Uh oh.

Well this is okay. As long as I hustle I can make it to Robert's line. It's going to be a long wait, but that's okay. That's what I'm here for.

Nothing else matters to me but getting in front of Robert Englund.

At exactly 4 the line starts moving in. They have a pretty organized and we go in one section of line at a time. As soon as I'm in the vendor hall I hustle my ass as fast as I can power walk to the back. I didn't run. I probably should have, but lord help me if I had fallen.

But there he is! His line isn't cut off! Maybe this is it! My heart is pounding. I love to stand to what I perceive as the back of the line then...oh no...staff are approaching me.

"Are you hear for Robert Englund?"

"Yes" I say, holding my fursuit head tighter to my chest. Please don't tell me I have to leave. I'll wait as long as I can. Is all I can think in that moment.

Thankfully he just gently ushered me and a few others out into the hallway. They were moving the line out there so that the vendor hall wasn't too crowded. I was relieved they would allow me to still wait, and I was near the front of this line! And so commenced the waiting.

I made small talk with a few of my line mates. It was going to be an eternity, so I figured it may be a good idea to make friends. And I do! The group in front of me really liked my fursuit head. I showed them a picture of what the rest of him looked like, and explained how he was inspired my Freddy Krueger, and that I wanted Robert to sign one of his horns. One of the women had actual stills from Freddy Vs Jason in a frame that she was going to have Robert sign. That blew me out of the water. How rad was that!

As a group, we settled in for the long wait. Every inch we moved felt like a mile, and once we were in the line at Robert's booth, it felt like we had cleared a giant hurtle, but the wait was just beginning. We passed the time talking about what we really enjoyed about horror movies, what scared us the most, and what obscure movies we had seen and really liked. It was hard watching those who had gotten VIP tickets wait a fraction of what we had until then, with a mile of a line still in front of us.

At some point, Robert had to leave for photo ops. Some people left, but a majority of us stayed. This group of people were some of the nicest I'd ever met, people were walking in and out of the line, able to come back because their line mates agreed to hold their spot in line for them. While he was gone we were told to get comfortable, so we did.

I think this is one of my favorite memories from this weekend. 3 of us settled down, aitting on the floor, I'd said if my phone weren't half dead I'd play a Nightmare on Elm St. for us. The woman beside me said, "Mine's at 90%!" So she turned on the movie and since I was in the middle I held the phone so that we could watch. At one point another woman peeked through the curtain.

"Which one are you watching? I heard the music!"

We told her the first one and we all laughed that she recognized the movie from the sound ahead of us in line, and that we were watching a movie while waiting to meet Mr. Krueger himself.

An hour later Robert was back, so we got back on our feet. Time was creeping closer and closer to the close of the convention. I was so close by now, about halfway, but I was beginning to get anxious all over again. What if it moved too slow? He had to stop signing at somepoint. There were still VIP people waiting to be seen, taking time away from us, the peasants.

I couldn't be too mad at them, though. I'd have been one of them if the tickets hadn't sold out. We were still moving, so I tried to focus on how close we were getting. The guy in front of us at one point turned around and said, "I think it's going to happen guys."

We were one line length away at this point and my heart was really pounding now. He was there. I could see him. Hear him speak. The friend I'd made in line was so sweet, rubbing my back, telling me I'd be alright. I didn't quite feel like it, but I knew she was right.

Then we were at his table. I paid for my autographs, watching the guy in front of me get his things signed, and knew this was it! He was right in front of me. My friend asked me if I wanted to give her my phone so she could take pictures. All I could say was "no I'm good! I just wanna be in the moment!" Truthfully I was shaking and so scared I'd fumble my phone and drop it. She took pictures on her own phone and sent them to me on Facebook. She was so sweet and I am so thankful for her.

IT HAPPENED.

5 and a half hours later I was standing in front of Robert Englund. I had the art I'd agonized over for months out and when I slid it in from of him I almost couldn't believe this was happening.

"I drew it myself." I told him, so giddy I sounded like a child. I was handing the love of my life my own art for him to sign, and I'd gotten a second printed out to give him.

"This is amazing work." He said, silver sharpie gliding his name across my work. I was on the moon. "This one is for me?" He clarified, sliding the second copy out.

"Yes," I told him. My smile was so wide it hurt. I set my fursuit head on the table after he'd carefully set aside his copy.

"Now this is a first." Did I make Robert Englund say that? I sure did! Light of my life! Man of my dreams!

He signed my fursuit head and handed it back. I said thank you, then wobbled off. My dream had coke true! I am just so thankful I got to meet this horror legend. This man helped shape the horror we enjoy today, and I am simply blessed to have been able to share this moment in time with him. I only wish I had been more maybe a decade or two earlier.

[kijew]

Torah Tumble #1

Okay, so when I sat down to write this post, I actually had something entirely different I wanted to write about and that was a specific PIECE of torah I read today and how the various commentaries shaped how I read it and what it meant to me. Now that I've got all the squishy, gushy stuff out of my brain (for now), this is what I was ORIGINALLY going to write.

So, this is part of the weekly torah portion on Sefaria. It's also part of the larger story of Jacob and Esau, which I've been picking at over the course of the week.

I learned the basic story as a child in Sunday School like every other Baptist kid but just like when I re-read a book I loved as a child, my adult mind catches different aspects of the story. In particular, my memory really only held onto the basics: Jacob was the younger twin, the prettier twin and generally the craftier twin, as well as being their mother's favorite. Esau, as the older twin was also hairy and more outdoorsy, less intellectually nimble and favored by their father, Isaac. Jacob tricked Esau out of his birthright by selling him soup when he was too hangry to think it through, then again robbed him of a blessing from their father by tricking the elderly Isaac into thinking he was Esau. As I kid, I remember thinking that while Jacob was really smart, he was kind of mean, too, but he was being held up as the hero of the story. I always kind of felt bad for Esau.

And that's all I could have told you about Jacob and Esau if you'd asked me who they were.

This verse caught my attention today because I had forgotten that Esau held a grudge about this. It makes perfect sense that he would: his own twin stole from him twice. But the idea that he would genuinely desire to KILL his own brother shook me a bit.

So I opened up the commentary to look over what other scholars across the ages have said. Since I still only speak English, I'm limited to which ones I can read about, but what I got made me sit and think.

“Esau hated Yaakov on account of the blessing;” there are some commentators who do not consider the words: על הברכה in our verse as referring to the blessing that Yaakov had “robbed” Esau of, but they consider these words as Esau’s complaint about the blessing that he did receive from his father, i.e. that he would always have to fight for his survival, על חרבך תחיה, “you will live (only) by the sword.” He placed a great deal of trust in that blessing. We would then have to understand our verse as follows: “Esau hated Yaakov, as from now on he had an assurance that by means of the sword he would always survive.” --Chizkuni Genesis 27:41:1

Esau was sure that his father would not live long enough to sire another son who could avenge Yaakov when he would murder him. --Chizkuni Genesis 27:41:2

As much as he might hate his brother, Esau does not blame his father. He places trust in his father's blessing but still feels he should wait until after his father's death to kill his brother. That might be because he didn't want to cause his father pain or from a practical sense to avoid retribution for murdering Jacob, but it shows a depth of thought that I never gave Esau credit for.

יקרבו ימי אבל אבי, "the days of mourning for my father are not far off." Esau referred to the time after his father's funeral when the days of mourning commence. He was afraid to murder Jacob before his father would be buried since the dead are reputed to be aware of what goes on as long as the grave or coffin has not been sealed (Shabbat 152). --Or HaChaim on Genesis 27:41:1

Superstition or more savvy than I thought?

he wished fervently for the day of his father’s death which was expected soon as else why did he already bless his sons? He planned to kill Yaakov after the mourning period after his father would have passed. He did not want to kill Yaakov while their father was still alive, so as not to be responsible for Yitzchok dying as a result of grief over having lost his son. --Radak on Genesis 27:41:1

This supports that same desire to wait so he isn't responsible for Isaac's death of grief. Is that because he loves his father or simply doesn't want the responsibility/consequences of his actions?

I could go on but I feel like my thoughts dried up on me suddenly. I may write more or I'll just leave this one hanging.

But yeah. I'm in love with torah.

[newyorkprelawland-blog]

“Thinking Out Loud”- In Tune with the Law

By Emma Babashak, Columbia University, Class of 2024

July 23, 2023

In a highly publicized copyright case, pop singer Ed Sheeran was acquitted of allegations that he copied Marvin Gaye's song "Let's Get It On" when creating his song "Thinking Out Loud" in May 2023. The federal jury's verdict, delivered after a two-week trial in downtown Manhattan, marks a significant victory for Sheeran and the music industry at large.[1]

During the trial, Sheeran took the stand and testified that "Thinking Out Loud" was independently composed in collaboration with his longtime friend and co-writer, Amy Wadge. Sheeran also explained that the song was inspired by the enduring love stories the two writers had observed among older generations in his and Wadge's families.

The central dispute in the case revolved around a shared syncopated chord pattern in both songs. The family of Ed Townsend, Gaye's co-writer, filed this lawsuit. The family argued that this chord progression was the "heart" of "Let's Get It On" and claimed that Sheeran had unlawfully appropriated it. Sheeran and his legal team, however, acknowledged the similarity in the chord patterns but instead contended that the chords were basic and widely used building blocks in music and in many other songs.[2]

After almost three hours of deliberation, the jury concluded that Sheeran had independently created his song and dismissed the claims of copyright infringement. Following the verdict, Sheeran expressed his satisfaction, stating in a prepared statement read outside the courthouse, "I am obviously very happy with the outcome of the case. At the same time, I am unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all."

Sheeran further accentuated his role as a songwriter and his determination not to be taken advantage of, stating, "I am just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy. I am not and will never allow myself to be a piggy bank for anyone to shake."

The trial, which commenced in 2017 and experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, explored the issue of originality in pop music and its implications for copyright law. In recent years, the music industry has witnessed multiple high-profile cases testing the boundaries between inspiration and plagiarism. This lead to concerns that the distinction between these two concepts is becoming increasingly blurred.

In 2015, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were found to have infringed upon Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" with their song "Blurred Lines." However, in 2020 Led Zeppelin won an appeals court victory over the alleged infringement of the song "Stairway to Heaven." The contrasts with legal decisions in these cases have provided guidance on how copyright applies to works involving "commonplace elements."

In Sheeran's case, the plaintiffs argued that although individual elements like chords might not be subject to copyright protection, the specific selection and arrangement of those elements in "Let's Get It On" were original and distinctive enough to warrant legal protection. Sheeran's defense countered that the plaintiffs failed to meet the high legal threshold required for such protection.

During his testimony, Sheeran grew increasingly frustrated and combative when confronted with allegations of copying. He vehemently denied borrowing from "Let's Get It On" and used a guitar in the witness box to demonstrate that while the chord progressions in both songs were similar, they were not identical.

One peculiar aspect of the trial was that the jury never heard Gaye's original recording of "Let's Get It On" since the case only involved the compositions underlying the songs, rather than their recordings. Copyright for older songs like "Let's Get It On" is limited to the sheet music submitted to the United States Copyright Office. Consequently, the defendants provided a computer-generated re-creation of the song based on the original sheet music, while Sheeran's own studio recording was played multiple times.

According to Jennifer Jenkins, a law professor specializing in music copyright at Duke University, Sheeran's victory is significant for all songwriters, as it upholds the copyright protection of original and creative elements while preserving the fundamental building blocks shared by countless compositions.[3] This verdict helps clarify the legal boundaries surrounding musical inspiration and provides guidance for future copyright cases. The trial has not only highlighted the complexities of copyright law, but it has also shed light on the challenges faced by songwriters when the line between inspiration and imitation is blurred.

______________________________________________________________

Emma Babashak is currently a rising senior attending Columbia University. She is majoring in Operations Research - Engineering Management Systems and minoring in both Economics and Psychology.

______________________________________________________________

[1] https://apnews.com/article/ed-sheeran-copyright-marvin-gaye-52a4f756f070a72f21a943659aeb132e

[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/ed-sheeran-trial-verdict-not-liable-copyright-infringement-marvin-gaye-lets-get-it-on-thinking-out-loud/

[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/04/arts/music/ed-sheeran-marvin-gaye-copyright-trial-verdict.html

[gradientdescent-does-it-all]

Train time has commenced! I have lots of thoughts about this prompt, not necessarily anything coherent enough to put into a draft, but this has turned into a rich vein of inspiration for character motivations. Random thoughts re why an otherwise unfailingly nice guy might hate YOU:

Guy keeps a lid on his feelings in the name of professionalism - actually doesn’t ‘like’ everyone else but only respects you enough to let a bit of true emotion show

You’re amnesiac and guy is the only person who remembers something terrible you did in your past life

Guy is genuinely nice and it drives you nuts so you work really hard to antagonize him

#2 is a nice classic soap opera trope - imagine if Wyll Ravengard somehow was the only person in camp to recognize the Dark Urge from the past?

#1 is very grounded in like… professional settings, where a strong expectation of cordial behavior is in place and every disagreement is expected to be wrapped in layers of etiquette that stifle any expression of one’s actual feelings. Being nice is automatically assumed to be fake but it is the baseline expectation for all interactions with everybody. You can only show any negative emotion to someone you deeply trust enough to let the professional facade slip. I, uh, kinda live this one in my day-to-day but I have no desire to write real life office fiction. I do fantasize about working with someone who I trust enough to say “that’s fucking stupid” when they say something fucking stupid at work, though.

#3 - classic playground shenanigans. I could see Astarion doing this to Wyll. Astarion probably worked pretty hard to earn that infamous “how’s the rat diet” jab from Wyll, if we’re being honest.

I’ve got more Train Time booked next week, so you know what that means: 8+ uninterrupted hours for writing!

Reblog if you wanna help motivate me to finish a thing by publicly committing to this in front of as many strangers as possible.

[slightly-smarter-nat]

If your requests are still open, could you write one where Natasha got really drunk at one of Tony’s famous parties at the compound, and when R helps the Russian to her room. Natasha would ask R to stay tonight, which she does, and Nat reveals she has feelings for R? And then R is caught off guard and because of the alcohol in Natasha’s system, her walls are down and she’s emotionally vulnerable and disheartened because she thinks R doesn’t love her back? But R reveals she in love with her too and hopes she remembers in the morning. And Nat does and it’s a very fluffy ending. Please and thank you! I live your fics!!

Drunk On Love || Natasha Romanoff

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Warnings: Slight angst- ends in fluff; mentions of alcohol consumption; explicit language; intoxicated characters; mentions of painkillers. If I have missed any warnings, please let me know.

Word Count: 9027 words.

A/N: Thank you so much for the request anon, I apologise it’s so late. I kind of went off topic with the request, so to the anon that requested this fic, if you would like me to re-write it more specifically to the request, I’ll happily do so. I hope you all enjoy! Please note this is an au so some character’s behaviours may be different to what is expected.

Please do not repost (on here or any social media platform), copy, translate or take ownership of my work. Reblogs, likes and comments are always appreciated <3.

Masterlist

*Italics/boldness indicate dialogue from the show the Reader and Natasha are watching.

‘Anna please, I-it’s not what it looks like! Me and Martha are-‘

‘What Daniel? Good friends? Platonic or romantic? God, you can’t even make your own mind up until you’re both under each other doing god knows what.’

‘Hey, that’s not fair. You know I loved you, yet you threw me to the curb like I was a piece of trash-‘

“You know what is trash, this show.” You remark towards Natasha as the two of you mindlessly watch TV after promising yourselves to have a relaxing, once in a lifetime day off from being world saving heroes.

Natasha glares towards the screen, concentrating on the drama unfolding in front of the two of you- and attempting to keep up with the current storyline of the show, “You’re the one who put it on, and besides it’s rather entertaining when you figure out what the hell they’re talking about.”

You laugh at her words as you shuffle further into the cushioned couch; throwing your feet up on the coffee table in front of you to replicate the optimum comfort position of complete and total relaxation, “In my defence, there was nothing else on and- wait Martha is walking towards the kitchen where Daniel and Anna are arguing!”

Natasha instantly grabs an Ash shaded pillow from beside herself to hug in support and in anticipation of the drama that is about to commence, “Oh god, this can’t be happening.”

Part of you notices the rare and yet delicate occurrence of Natasha being completely relaxed enough to let out this side of her. A side you often see and cherish; knowing your best friend trusts you enough to see what she’d consider and definitely deny to be her ‘soft side’.

However, escaping from your thoughts, you subconsciously drop your feet back to the carpeted floor as you lean forward towards the TV, losing yourself in the chaotic scenes on the scripted, yet somewhat addictive new reality show playing out.

‘Please, just hear me out-‘

Daniel’s plea is silenced with a deafening strike across his face-delivered by a vengeful hand belonging to Anna.

Having lost yourselves in the show, Natasha and yourself release a gasp in unison; not expecting the rather hysterical character to deliver such a harsh statement through her actions, opposed to her words.

As you study each pixel conforming on the screen in front of you with a newfound interest, you unfortunately start to pick at the skin encasing your nails- a nervous and unbreakable habit you have yet to overcome.

Natasha’s ears pick up on the telltale signs of your destructive actions, knowing the unique clicking sound resounds when you’re in deep concentration or in deep trepidation in concern with something.

“Y/n/n, you’re doing it again.” Natasha gently scolds your habit, causing you to snap out of your TV induced trance and notice your now red and broken skin. You silently curse yourself as the irksome stinging sensation makes itself known on your now raw skin.

Natasha shakes her head as she guides her gaze back to the TV screen, “I thought you were using that nail polish I gave you to stop you from dissecting your nail beds?” You groan at Natasha’s question, knowing she’ll refuse to drop the topic now that she is aware of its occurrence once again.

Harvesting a deep breath, you center your tone before answering the red head, knowing she’s only trying to support you, “I did… but I ended up picking it all off during Steve’s latest briefing on our upcoming mission schedule.”

Natasha smirks at the irony of your conflicting actions with the mechanism designed to refrain you from messing with your nails entirely, “Okay, I’ll cross that one off the list as a failure. What about using bandages across your nails?” Natasha moves through her mental list of ways to help you kick your unwanted anxious habit, knowing it’s becoming an insecurity of yours.

In sync with Natasha, the two of you raise your feet from the ground and bury them underneath your bodies as you move to address each other further, “I tried that one already, they just irritate me throughout the day. Plus Parker thought it was double-sided tape and had the audacity to think I was replicating his ‘sticky fingers’ situation.”

Natasha lets out a low chuckle at your statement, though not hesitating to guide her amused gaze towards your stern one.

However, only a few seconds pass before the two of you break out into laughter; never having a dull moment between the both of you.

“Well, I know one technique we haven’t tried if you’re up for it y/n?” Natasha says evenly, keeping her gaze locked on yours.

You can’t help but fidget under her gaze, long forgetting the show on the TV, but happily becoming lost within Natasha’s ethereal sea of green irises, “W-what is it?” You practically whisper, studying her face intently as you await her suggestion.

Natasha silently reaches for one of your hands, delicately brushing over your skin as she encases her hand with yours in a supportive manner.

You watch her actions in surprise, sure you’ve held hands with her before, but this time you’re convinced that the initial touch of her skin on yours was electric.

Natasha gently pulls the hand taken towards herself to place on the cushion obtained earlier, “This way, if you try to do it again, you’ll have to go through me in order to do it.” Natasha says with a tilt of her head, attempting to ignore but most likely enjoying the heated blush working its way up your neck and across your cheeks from her actions.

You attempt to stagger out a response, knowing your feelings for Natasha are ever increasing, yet part of you wants to deny them in fear that she doesn’t return your affections- in turn the current situation is proving that task difficult. Natasha isn’t exactly the most open book of all, deciphering her feelings towards others is a challenge in itself.

Having words fail you, you allow yourself to bow your head slightly and escape her curious gaze. What she’d do to have a moment to hear your thoughts on her outgoing movement- little did you know, her heart is near enough hammering out of her chest, fearful that you’d reject her motion of love in the most subtle way she can ponder without giving you an opportunity to outright decline her care.

“Y/n-“ Natasha finds it within herself to push you for an answer to silence her tormenting thoughts. That is until she hears the bellowing voices of Yelena and Kate travelling down the hallway and into the living area where the two of you are currently occupying.

Your gaze snaps towards the former Widow and Archer, loosening your hand away from Natasha’s in fear of creating a tense, yet ecstatic questioning session from Yelena at the contact-knowing Yelena is desperate to see you and Natasha become a couple. You’d hate to create a false sense of hope, not only for Yelena, but for yourself too.

Though, Yelena has never shied away from creating ‘coincidental’ circumstances of you and Natasha being paired up for every training session; team task and missions. That cannot work wonders between the fears surrounding rejection surging through Natasha and yourself; but it has made you somewhat closer.

As you turn yourself on the spot to give the two women your undivided attention; you fail to see the flash of hurt run across Natasha’s features at your effort to distance yourself from her in the presence of her Red Room Sister and Kate. Her hands now feel cold from the loss of your warmth that she so desperately craves.

Kate takes quickened steps to reach the back of the couch before Yelena, who wanders over with her hands nestled in a pair of the many pockets decorating her impressive and rather practical hunter green vest.

“Hey guys, what are you two up to?” Kate asks curiously as she goes to lean across the back of the cushioned couch to spy what plays on the screen central to the room.

You smirk as you go to reply to the Archer, “Oh we’re just watching some lame show-“ Before you have a moment to finish your explanation, Kate eagerly and enthusiastically interrupts your words.

“No way! You’re watching ‘Heartbreak in New Asgard?! I love this show!” Kate exclaims as she attempts a graceful clamber over the backing of the couch to lumber herself in between you and Natasha.

You groan in discomfort as she uses a tightened grip on your head to assist herself over- allowing Yelena’s disturbed gaze to land on her disheartened sister, “Sestra, are you okay?”

The saddened features tainting Natasha’s face snap back into that of a stoic nature, displaying an unreadable resting face for the Widow, shielding herself from further pain of sympathetic questioning she’d rather escape, “I’m fine, why are the two of you here?”

Natasha quickly dismisses Yelena’s concern, sending a pang of turmoil through the blonde assassin with her miserly tone. However cryptic Natasha may be, Yelena never fails to notice a shift in Natasha’s demeanour; though she also knows never to push Natasha to open up, she’ll come to her when she’s ready- she hopes.

Yelena clears her throat as she eagerly moves her gaze away from Natasha, “Kate Bishop and myself are planning on working on some well needed combat training. Isn’t that right, Kate Bishop?” Yelena teasingly directs towards her newly acquired friend, knowing Kate’s impressive and enhanced Martial Arts are in no way of a comparison to Yelena’s extensive Red Room training-yet.

Kate moves to rest her elbows on her knees, leaning forwards in fondness of the show commencing, “Huh? Yeah, yeah sure whatever you say Yelena. Sounds awesome.” Kate mumbles out in response, not caring to take in the conversation playing out between the Widows, but directing her entire attention on her favourite guilty pleasure.

You wave a hand in front of Kate’s face, laughing at the way her vacant expression signals out your action to follow along the show, “I think we’ve lost her.” You announce, causing Yelena to groan.

“Ugh, you are impossible Kate Bishop.” Yelena lets out, knowing a mass effort will now be required to remove Kate from her current area of fixation.

“Anyway, we wondered if the two of you wanted to join us. You can see how well I kick Kate Bishop’s ass. My current record is under two minutes.” Yelena proudly announces to Natasha and yourself; secretly hoping it’s enough to entice the two of you to join the training session.

You go to respond positively to the question put forward, until you catch Natasha’s eye; part of you wonders if the furrowed gaze is begging you to reject Yelena’s offer and stay with her a bit longer. Having a sudden urge to bask in the lone company of Natasha, you conform your answer.

“Thank you Yelena, but Natasha and I are having a chill day so no training is allowed- Romanoff’s orders.” You say in a light manner, hoping to not offend the younger Widow, but assert your promise to Natasha.

Natasha releases a relieved sigh, though she adores Yelena, she knows she has a better chance of moving things forward with you if the two of you are alone.

“Sestra, maybe another time we can see your self declaration of superiority over Kate’s skillset.” Natasha addresses Yelena, hoping no offence has been caused towards her sister on her part.

Yelena can only smile in response, knowing her offer was likely to be declined in favour that the somewhat undetected, yet mutual pining between her sister and her friend would advance into something more.

“I’ll hold you to that Sestra.” Yelena moves to bring Natasha into a heartfelt hug; striking the opportunity to whisper supportive words into her Sister’s ear in the hopes that she will lift her dismal mood.

The words remain unintelligible to you, until your attention is peaked from Yelena blowing a wave of nuisance air into Natasha’s ear; causing the redhead to shove the blonde away with an amused mumble of ‘grow up’.

Yelena chuckles in giddiness, never passing the opportunity to tease her Sister in the most troublesome way she can muster to think of, “Okay Sestra, okay we’ll get going and leave you to whatever this is-“ Yelena waves a finger between Natasha and yourself, earning an eye roll from her Sister; “Come on Kate Bishop.” Yelena attempts to remove herself and Kate from the situation.

Kate waves Yelena’s words away with a dismissive hand, “Shhh, it’s getting to the good part. They’re about to make up.” Kate lets out with her enrapt gaze remaining upon the TV.

Yelena releases an unamused sigh as she goes to lift the Archer up by the purple collar of her combat gear; causing Kate to follow the forceful tugs from the couch she wishes to remain on.

Kate releases several protests of annoyance at Yelena’s incessant tugs; grasping the message that it was in fact time to leave.

You and Natasha shake your heads at Yelena’s antics, she never fails to amuse the two of you.

Just as the two women move to leave the room and bid you a goodbye, Tony Stark decides to grace the room with his presence.

Yelena moves to nudge Kate, stifling a laugh enough to let her words out, “Oh, look Kate Bishop, it is the grown man that I made cry the other day. How exciting.” Yelena teases, never one to shy away from putting Tony in his place from his vulgar words.

Tony firmly shoves his hands into the compact pockets placed on his custom made jacket, giving his throat a clear in the process, “Belova, a pleasure as always.” He sarcastically remarks as he moves towards the couch; ignoring the shared amusement being vocalised by Kate and Yelena on the way to their destination.

Tony removes one of his hands to bring it towards your head, ruffling your hair into an unwanted mess as he goes to address you, “How’s my favourite Avenger doing on this fine day?” Usually when he directs such a title to yourself it’s because he wants something from you- you dread to think what it could be this time.

You groan in irritation as you slide away from his vexing movements, “I was okay until you showed up Tony.” You grumble as you try to style your hair down from its now hectic state, courtesy of Tony Stark himself.

Tony smirks in response, loving the practical sibling rivalry the two of you unknowingly created from your friendship.

As Tony is an intelligent man, he knows not to replicate his actions of greeting with Natasha, knowing she wouldn’t hesitate to display an unfriendly manner to his pestering ways.

He nods his head in Natasha’s direction in greeting, “Widow.”

Natasha folds her arms with a gentle sigh in response, “Stark.” She simply lets out, loving the way she can intimidate Tony with just her presence alone.

You stare at Natasha in wonderment, “Okay, you’ve got to teach me how you do that.” You say in reference to the successful taming of Tony that Natasha can so easily manage.

Natasha smirks in pride, grasping onto that small essence of rendering you stunned. That is until Tony invades the conversation.

“You love it really, y/l/n. Anyway I have some very exciting news to share with you y/n.” Tony announces as he rubs his hands together in motion of hyping up his upcoming statement.

You twist your facial features slightly in curiosity, and a mixture of hesitancy, “Oh god, what have you done now?” You question in uneasiness.

Tony scoffs at your words, “What makes you think it’s something bad, in fact I am offended at your negative tone towards my ingenious idea-”

Natasha picks up the conversation from her point of view, “In all fairness Stark, as of late, your plans have ended in complete and utter chaos- no offence.”

Tony waves a dismissive hand towards Natasha, “Offence taken. Anywho, before I was rudely misjudged, I’ll tell you what I need you for. Tonight I’m throwing a totally kick-ass, ‘you have to be there’ party and you’re coming; no arguments.”

You drop your mouth in protest, “Wait, what?! No way, why?!” You practically stutter out, failing to recall even putting your name forward for this extravagant idea.

Tony rolls his eyes as though the reasoning would have become obvious to you upon revealing his request, “Okay, I may, or may not have announced that you’d be a guest of honour per se to show off our newest Avenger to some of the board members at some new, rival tech company trying to out-do my image. Regardless, your ass better be there or I’ll have J.A.R.V.I.S wake you up every morning at 2 am for two months.”

You shake your head in annoyance, “Not like I haven’t been on the team for ten months already.” You mumble alongside a dramatic shift of your body and folding of your arms for good measure.

Tony shrugs at your statement, “You win some, you lose some kid. Widow, you are of course invited, and by that I mean you have to be in attendance also.”

Natasha widens her eyes as she goes to object to Tony's offer, “No, I was serious when I told you I would not attend anymore of your ridiculous charades that you so adamantly hold for no reason. I’m not going; in fact, I have plans.” Natasha simply claims.

The ending of her statement catches your attention, causing you to snap your gaze towards Natasha in a questioning manner- she hasn’t mentioned any unknown plans throughout the entirety of the day.

Tony smirks in a mocking manner, “Let me take a wild guess and put forward that it will include something as mind-blowing as your current activity of choice. I would never have thought you’d stoop so low as to resort to watching trashy TV on a weekday Romanoff.” Tony clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth several times to add to his disapproval of Natasha’s refusal to go to the party scheduled.

Natasha shrinks into herself lightly, choosing to contain the thought in her head that she may or may not have been considering catching up on the series later on in her room, “…no, plus y/n put this on. I’m not interested in the slightest.” Natasha firmly rejects the idea of being engrossed with the show, avoiding suspicion.

You turn to Tony with a smile, knowing that if you’re going down in regards to Tony’s party, Natasha is going down with you, “Don’t listen to her, it’s her most favourite show in the entire worl-“ Your exaggerated statement is put to a halt once you feel a firm strike to your chest, originating from Natasha’s pillow being swung towards you in hopes of silencing your teasing.

“That’s enough out of you y/l/n.” Natasha playfully scolds, grabbing the pillow once more to place back on her lap.

Tony shakes his head as he attempts to refocus the conversation, “Romanoff, I can assure you that this party will be one to remember. For all the right reasons of course; give me one more chance to prove it to you. If I’m wrong, I’ll even watch whatever monstrosity is captivating you all so much on the screen. What do you say Widow?”

Natasha bites her lip in thought, part of her wants to join in on the fun of having the team together for some drinks and a bit of dancing. Though she also wants to have an easy night as previously planned with you.

Tony attempts his best pout, unintentionally putting Natasha off the idea more with his odd choice of convincing.

You reach over to nudge Natasha’s knee with your hand to gather her attention, allowing her gaze to fall to you, “I’ll definitely go if you go. That way we can still hang out together and control the hectic levels of fun I’m sure Stark is so desperate for us to have.” You say lightheartedly, hoping to convince Natasha to join you.

Natasha thinks on your words for a moment, deciding that a night in your company will be perfect, no matter the setting.

With that notion in her mind, she gives you and Tony a nod of approval, “Alright, I’ll be there.”

If only Natasha knew what she was getting herself into.

———-

*The Party*

You harshly throw yourself down into a sitting position on one of the many couches decorating the frenzied, yet remarkable party playing out within the Compound.

Through your heavy actions, you earn a distasteful glare from Yelena as she mumbles several curses in Russian before addressing you properly, “Watch yourself y/n, you nearly made me spill my beer; this jacket isn’t cheap you know- well so the guy told me as I stole it from him-“

You raise a surprised eyebrow at her words, earning an eye roll from the blonde, “Oh come on, I am totally kidding… well not entirely, I needed information, he wouldn’t give it to me, blah, blah you know how the story goes.”

You let out a light laugh at her words, failing to see where the story was heading, and opting for the safe option of not asking anymore questions in regards to the topic- the less you know the better, “Sorry Lena, I’m just exhausted. I’ve been here for forty minutes and already I’ve had to display fake smiles; engage in exasperating small talk and in all honesty I’ve lost count with how many strangers I’ve had to shake hands with to please Tony Stark himself. That man is a nightmare.”

Yelena smiles at your dismal tone, allowing your features to cross in confusion, “What?” You ask.

“Oh, nothing, nothing. Let’s just say Stark has a surprise waiting for him in his room upon his return, courtesy of Kate Bishop and myself, that he will truly hate, and in your current predicament, I think you will love.” Yelena proudly takes a mouthful of the bitter and intoxicating beer in her grasp- revelling in the knowledge that through the shared boredom of her and Kate they can produce the most mischievous plots known to the existence of the Avengers.

You release a satisfied breath at Yelena’s cryptic words, allowing a surging happiness to course through your system that all this hassle will be worth it by the end of the night- you hope.

“See, I knew I liked you for a reason Belova.”

Yelena hums in acknowledgment, “What is not to love, I am pretty cool. Though, something tells me I am not as cool as Natasha-“

Without even moving your glance towards Yelena, you send her a warning jab with your elbow, earning a menacing chuckle from her as she goes to take another sip of her beer.

Before another word can be uttered, Wanda and Kate take a seat on the opposing couch- having collected their choice of beverage to get them through the night. You give them a nod in greeting as they direct quick ‘hello’s’ towards you; having seen Maria Hill quickly making her way towards your newly formed group.

“Hey, have any of you seen Carol? I’ve literally searched the entire Compound and I cannot find her anywhere.” Maria frustratedly lets out.

Wanda tilts her head in thought until she opens her mouth in realisation, “Oh, yes she is currently challenging Thor to an arm wrestling match. They’ll be on the third floor most likely.” Wanda reveals with a smile, hoping to ease any worry within Maria.

Maria groans in annoyance, “Of course she is, man she’s a hard one to find when you need her. Um, how do you get to the third floor again?” She asks unsure, knowing the Compound is like an endless maze thanks to Tony’s continuous modifications of the building.

You gather yourself up to stand by Maria, readying yourself to point an arm out to direct her gaze to the concealed staircase used to access the third and fourth floor.

Before you can verbally direct Maria, your eyes land on quite potentially the most magnificent sight to ever be graced upon you.

Natasha slowly makes her way into the colossal room, allowing her viridescent eyes to roam the guests dancing and mingling their way across the open space.

Her image is flawless; her wine red and signature hair perfectly reflects the multitude of colourful lights that easily roam their way throughout the room; her chosen outfit entailing a ravishing black dress that hugs her body to an impeccability that can only belong to Natasha Romanoff herself. However, the detail that traps your attention most is the cherry shaded lipstick blanketing her addictive, plump lips.

Having noticed your engrossed state, Wanda takes it upon herself to guide Maria over to Carol herself; biting her lip at the blaring thoughts your mind can conjure in appreciation for Natasha’s goddess capabilities.

The nearing of clicking heels snaps you out of your own mind, as Natasha spots you from a far and eagerly makes her way over to you.

You allow yourself to close the distance at a heightened pace, refusing to withstand another second without Natasha being near you.

Through your diverted attention, you frustratedly stumble towards Natasha; who luckily stabilises you with ease, “Oh, careful y/n. I’ve not even been here for ten seconds and you’re already falling for me.” Natasha teases with a smirk.

You quickly compose yourself and mumble a ‘thank you’ towards her before finding your voice, “You wish Romanoff.”

Unbeknownst to you, she truly hopes she has such an effect on you.

Filling the silence, a sharp pain strikes you at the back of your neck, producing a grimace from you as you notice a metal bottle cap drop to the floor, beside your foot. You turn to the direction of its supposed origin- noticing the impressed faces of Kate and Yelena at the obtaining of your attention.

“When you are quite finished drooling- I mean talking to my Sister. Would you be so kind as to fetch us some more drinks.” Yelena taps her empty bottle in emphasis of its now drink-free state.

You roll your eyes with a shake of your head at Yelena words, turning your sight back towards Natasha who is failing to stifle a laugh at Yelena’s teasing, “I swear I’m going to kick Barton’s ass for teaching Kate that bottle cap trick.” You rub your neck in a soothing motion from the strike inflicted by the Younger Archer.

Natasha hums in agreement, knowing Clint has the tendency to show certain members of the team the more rebellious tricks opposed to the ones instructed for delivery by S.H.I.E.L.D.

“So, can I get you something to drink? My treat.” You remark, knowing it’s an open bar and hoping to catch a smile from Natasha.

She doesn’t disappoint as her alluring smile forms at your offer, “Hmm, surprise me.” She responds, earning an unexpected ‘oh’ from you.

“I’ll be right back, Miss Romanoff.” You take your leave to collect the drinks requested by your closest teammates; hoping to rush back so you don’t get dragged across the room to meet another one of Tony’s guests that he insists you greet.

Natasha watches you go before finishing her journey to the area of couches you were occupying before her arrival.

As she goes to sit down in a vacant seat, she intentionally ignores Kate and Yelena, who in their less than sober state have taken it upon themselves to replicate yours and Natasha’s conversation- with some additional kissing noises and outrageous flirtation that has Natasha contemplating in the not so subtle act of bashing their heads together, in hope of knocking some maturity into them- hope being the key word.

Luckily for you, but not so lucky for Natasha, a rather giddy and lightheaded Tony makes his way over to her; having made thorough use of his own open bar.

“Widow! Natasha! There you are, I have been searching all over for you, you little minx.” The little filter that Tony had in the first place has completely shattered with each dose of alcohol that he has consumed over the party’s duration.

Tony shuffles over to the seat next to Natasha, causing her to move over quickly to avoid Tony’s lack of awareness of his surroundings to cause him to unintentionally sit on her lap.

As he snuggles his way into the seat, he nods his head towards Yelena and Kate, not caring to strike up a conversation with the two, “Now, Romanoff, part of me thought you’d be too, well your earnest self to attend my little shindig.”

Natasha decides to entertain Tony in his current state, knowing he’ll soon move on once his boredom reaches its peak, “Oh really, why is that may I ask?”

Tony sways his movements slightly to turn towards Natasha, intaking a deep breath to keep his thoughts in check, “Well, to put it quite simply Widow; you’ve lost your touch. You’re not as fun and exciting as you once were. We want the old Romanoff back-“ Tony interrupts himself with a strike of a firm hand towards his leg, directing attention to his apparent plea.

Natasha scowls at Tony, “What are you talking about? I haven’t lost my ‘touch’.” She attempts to defend herself, forgetting that Tony’s mind is not of sober thoughts.

Just as Tony goes to open his mouth once more, you arrive back to the area; passing over Yelena’s and Kate’s drink as they mindlessly take them from you, having lost themselves in their own conversation.

“Hey, what’s going on?” You ask cautiously, noticing the unnerving glare Natasha is directing at Tony- who seems completely unphased and unaware of the impact of his words.

“Oh, just telling Widow here how boring she is now, and how we’re all glad she could join us.” Tony rambles on, attempting to grab at the chilled beer in your hand that you gathered for Natasha.

You swiftly pull it away from him, “Tony, stop being an ass. Nat is probably, actually no, is the most entertaining member on this team. Natasha and boring don’t mix.” You effortlessly defend Natasha, knowing insecurities of her impression towards the others has come up in conversation. Yes, Natasha is a confident woman, though the inflicting damage caused by the Red Room still infiltrates her mind in cruel and vile ways in which she feels as though she has to change the person she was created to be, to be the one the team loves and supports.

Tony obnoxiously blows a surge of air through his lips in disbelief, “Please, we all know I am the most interesting member present. I mean, take this example for instance: if we got a rock, a plain, ordinary rock, I would find it highly taxing and difficult to differentiate between Romanoff and this boring rock that I somehow acquired.” Tony loses himself in his mindless babbling.

You look over towards Natasha, feeling your heart pang in turmoil at her disheartened features. All of her tormenting worries are being announced right in front of her; assisting in the miserable tears cascading down her face.

You go to reach out for Natasha before she abruptly stands up and removes herself from the scene.

The sudden action captures Yelena’s attention, filling her with concern for her sister.

“Nat? Sestra!? What is going on?” Yelena loudly questions, noticing your fuming gaze towards Tony.

Tony sleepy looks over each member present, completely unaware of the hurt caused by his stupidity in the moment, “Since Romanoff has left us in such a hurry, can I have her beer?” Tony reaches out once more for the drink furiously clutched in your hand.

You choose to slam the bottle down on the table placed in front of the couches, not caring over the alcohol now tainting the surface, “You’re lucky you’re not wearing it Stark.” You harshly direct towards Tony, opting to leave and find Natasha in hopes of consoling her.

Yelena watches the scene unfold in puzzlement, Natasha has never walked away in such a manner before, allowing her to conclude that Tony has struck a nerve with her.

Tony lazily moves forth to claim the unattended beer; ignorant to the enraged stares being directed towards him by the two younger Avengers.

——————-

You don’t know how much time has passed, but in the duration you’ve failed to locate Natasha.

With endless apologies and light shoves, you make your way through the crowded room; eyes scanning frantically in hopes that you’ll find Natasha and attempt to fix the mess created by Tony.

Frustration gets the better of you, as you rub your hands across your face to centre yourself, you’re running out of not only ideas, but places to search.

As your hand moves to cover your mouth, you spot Wanda, Maria and Carol clambering in a drunk manner up a set of stairs; releasing bouts of roaring laughter as they desperately clutch onto each other to avoid a nasty fall.

With your luck thinning out, you push your way towards them rapidly, considering the possibility they may have seen Natasha.

“Guys, have you seen Nat?” You breathlessly ask, feeling the effects of not only the exertion to travel throughout the compound as quickly as your legs can take you, but the rising heat of the hectic room.

Carol pouts in thought, “Urm, Nat? Which one is that again?” She asks Wanda and Maria, who find her fake confusion comedic.

“Carol-“

“Oh, the one with the shield huh? Or is it the bow and arrow set? I can’t quite remember-” Maria dazedly asks you, struggling to maintain focus on your features as she sways towards Wanda for stability.

“Can you all stop acting like complete and total jackasses and answer my question?!” The raise in your voice snaps a partial moment of sobriety into them.

A flash of red passes through Wanda’s irises as she attempts to assist you with her mystic abilities, “She’s at the minibar, you know the one where Thor stores the Asgardian liquor?”

Your eyes light up at Wanda’s answer, finally being one step closer to finding Natasha, “Wanda, you’re a lifesaver. Thank you so much!” You shout as you jog towards the specified location.

You make it across to the minibar in record time, refusing to waste one more second. As you release that final push through the remaining guests that stand in your way, that’s when you find yourself witnessing the rather destructive behaviour Natasha is displaying.

She readies herself another shot of what can be presumed to be one of Thor’s many alcoholic delights that decorate this area of the room.

With one quick swirl of the liquid filling her miniature glass, she releases a breath and quickly downs the shot in one; barely flinching at the burning sensation making its way down her throat.

As you near Natasha further, the drunken features that have progressed are obvious: her usually impeccable posture is slouched across the bar as she desperately raids the supply available to her; her eyes are glazed with a depressive shine- a battle between the red strain of her tears against her vivid green eyes highlights her sorrow further.

Just as Natasha goes to pour herself another drink, you place your hand slowly across the opening of the glass; preventing her from serving another round of regret and earning a scoff from a displeased Natasha.

“Move your hand, I won’t ask again.” Natasha grumbles, her voice carrying a huskiness to it that is most likely from the continued burn of each drink she has ingested.

You use your hand to slide the glass away from her and across the bar, “Natasha, maybe you should slow down. I know you’re upset, but Tony had no right to-“

Natasha staggers back more forcefully than the two of you would have expected, causing you to reach out to keep her in balance, “God y/n, I’m fine. I’m doing what I’m supposed to at parties, getting wasted and having fun. Since, I-I apparently don’t know what that is-“ Natasha rambles on her drunken words, quickly dismissing your concern.

You sigh at her state, hating the fact that she truly believes drinking her problems away will bury them- though they always find a way to re-surface, usually in the morning with a hangover on the side.

“Nat-“

Natasha shakes her head to silence you, “No, I didn’t ask for your help or your pity. Now you either join me and have fun, or you can go away.” She releases a heavy breath at her own words, knowing the alcohol is catching up with her and flooding her bloodstream.

As you move to grab the bottle Natasha is choosing to hug close to herself, a tightened grip is placed on your shoulder, “Ahhh, there you are Widow, we missed you over in our little corner-“ Tony decides to implement himself in an unwanted scene.

Natasha picks up the bottle of liquor and takes an immense gulp from its contents as she storms away from Tony. You try to follow her, until Tony stops you once more, “That reminds me, I need to introduce you to-“

You audibly groan at Tony’s incessant disregard for Natasha’s feelings, “Tony! I do not give a fuck about who you want me to meet. I’m trying to clean up a mess that you caused since you’re clearly too self absorbed to deal with it on your own tonight-“

Tony turns his features down in a rare calmness, seemingly taking your sour words towards his behaviour.

That is until Yelena rushes towards you, “Y/n, where’s Natasha!?”

“She was just here until-“ Your words are drowned out by the thunderous beat of the speakers placed around the room, as they begin to blast out a steady beat belonging to the iconic song ‘Hypnotize’ by The Notorious B.I.G.

Tony releases an ear-splitting set of whistles as his eyes land on the scene that the crowd around you eagerly rush towards.

As Yelena and yourself look towards your left, you’re met with quite frankly a horrifying scene of Natasha hoisting herself up on a steel table.

Without a second thought, you rush towards the edge of the table. Having to listen to the crowd now encouraging and cheering Natasha on for her drunken performance.

Natasha effortlessly moves to the beat resounding throughout the Compound, playing up to the chants of her name as she swings her arms in calculated movements to the rest of her body.

Each sway of her hips allows her to sink further into her routine, losing herself in the music.

Yelena attempts to catch Natasha’s attention, though the music easily overpowers any protests made, not that Natasha would listen to reason anyway.

Natasha rubs her hands across the darkened material of her dress, accentuating her features concealed by the tailored covering.

You can only watch in disbelief from the side, mortified that the situation has escalated so quickly.

As the music continues, so does Natasha’s movements. She picks up in confidence and drops her knees to surge back up into a twirl, earning a chorus of cheers.

As Natasha drops to her knees completely in front of you, she uses her focused gaze to study you; choosing to thrash her arms and body in rhythmic ways. You shake your head at her behaviour, especially when she chooses to caress your face with a gentle hand before pushing it away suddenly, attempting to get a reaction out of you.

Failing to do so, Natasha shrugs and manoeuvres herself back on her hands and knees, using the flat surface of the table to assist her movements easily. She lazily lets her hair dangle down as she continues to move her body to the music.

With a forceful flip of her head, she resumes a standing position, allowing her feet to mindlessly move for her. Though, the surrounding crowd heightens as the song goes on, causing spillages from glasses to splash wherever they may please. Natasha’s foot catches on a spillage of Vodka, causing her to slip off the table.

You instantly unfold your arms and catch her before she can hit the floor. The crowd failed to notice her fall, too engrossed in the music and atmosphere.

Natasha wraps her arms around your neck as you attempt to stand her up. However, from her drunken state and constant twirls, her head takes a turn for the worst and sends her vision spinning. She chooses to fully relax into your arms, refusing to stand.

Yelena grabs Natasha’s arm in order to pull her up some more, “This is not like her at all, I do not know what to do.” Yelena announces, worried for her Sister.

“Lena, I’ll look after her and make sure she is okay. You go find the others and try and get everyone to go home.” You offer to Yelena, knowing her increased worry may not be the best for the situation regarding Natasha currently.

Yelena nods and gives you a grateful smile; briefly hugging Natasha before making her way across the room.

Having time to ground herself, Natasha stands up slightly. You move a steady arm under her as she wraps one arm across your shoulder, giving her the guidance needed to stagger out from the crowds.

As Natasha is incredibly unsteady on her feet, her constant sways and staggers resort to you practically carrying her to the elevator; deducing that stairs to the Avenger’s living quarters may not be suitable for Natasha at this moment in time.

Taking the last steps towards the elevator doors, you tighten your grip on Natasha as you use your free arm to press the ‘call’ button for the elevator.

In the distance the music slowly dies down, allowing you to hear Natasha’s words, “That was such a good party, we should do more things like that, huh y/n/n.”

You find yourself agreeing with Natasha, hoping to keep her awake enough and in light spirits to make the journey back to her room easier.

As the doors open, you guide Natasha forward, until she refuses your help and leans against the bar fixed onto the wall of the modern elevator. You make a point to stay close to her, knowing her confidence in her own balance is greatly misjudged.

“J.A.R.V.I.S, can you take us to the living quarters level please?” You input your desired floor choice to the A.I. system, receiving confirmation.

“No, let’s go up to the roof, the stars will be out and we can look at each and every one of them.” Natasha slurs out.

You shake your head at her words, “I think what you need is sleep.” You direct towards an unimpressed Natasha.

She pouts her lip in challenge at your words, “Well maybe sleep needs me, did you consider that y/n?” Natasha asks seriously, causing you to chuckle at her confusing remark.

“I do apologise Nat, how silly of me for not considering that option.” You play along, allowing Natasha to rest her head on your shoulder at your agreement.

“Mhm, very silly. Hey J.A.R.V.I.S, did you see me dance?” Natasha sleepily questions the A.I. as the elevator shifts in movement to journey upwards towards the correct floor.

“Indeed Miss Romanoff, it was rather… splendid.”

Natasha closes her eyes and beams at J.A.R.V.I.S’ words, earning an eye roll from you, not forgetting the stress it caused to Yelena and yourself.

As you arrive at the designated floor, you whisper to Natasha in order to not disturb the serenity created from the sudden silence, “Hey, we’re here.”

Natasha intakes a sharp breath through her nose as she goes to move forward, though this time she reaches out for your help- which you gladly provide.

You pace yourself towards Natasha’s bedroom door, only experiencing the odd trip from her unsteady feet.

Once you make it, you’re stopped by Natasha’s curious questioning, “Why are we here? This isn’t my door.”

You frown at her words, “What do you mean? This is your door Nat.”

Natasha shakes her head defiantly, “No, this isn’t my door, my door is charcoal coloured.”

You look towards the charcoal door in front of you, smirking at the realisation that the alcohol isn’t done influencing Natasha’s serious nature.

“Well if it isn’t your door, who’s is it?” You question.

Natasha studies your face intently, quite possibly attempting to gauge an answer from you, “Hmm, I guess we’ll never know.” Natasha sighs out eventually.

You hum in agreement as you input Natasha’s passcode on the Lock Screen sealing the door- having exchanged each other’s passcodes for any late night visits the pair of you have picked up on along the months of your ever-growing friendship.

Once the code is accepted and a successful beep is heard, you push down on the handle of the door and enter Natasha’s well organised room.

Natasha gazes in astonishment at the tech, apparently never having seen it before- rejecting the possibility of her daily use of the tech to enter and lock her own bedroom.

As she slurs out her pure amazement at the action carried out, you guide her into her room and gently allow her to sit on her bed, moving to switch on the closest light.

As the desk light partially illuminates the room, Natasha flinches at the bright source, grumbling some curses at the pain straining her eyes.

She uses her hands to rub at her eyes in an attempt to work out the pain, unknowingly smudging her once perfectly kept mascara across her eyes.

As she looks up at you, you notice her make-up predicament and move towards her en suite to fetch several make-up wipes to remove the excess marks now smeared across her face.

“Come here.” You say as you sit next to her, guiding her gaze towards you as you gently move the damp wipe across her face delicately.

Natasha closes her eyes and relaxes into your movements, not having the energy to do much else and feeling the initial buzz of the alcohol wearing off.

As you continue to clear her face, she mumbles out a quiet ‘thank you’.

“What for?” You speak gently as you concentrate on your task.

Natasha opens her eyes once she feels your movements stop, reaching for another wipe to remove her lipstick, “For looking after me, for always being there for me. For being you.” She lets out slowly.

“Always Nat, you’re one of the most important people in my life, I’d do anything to be there for you.”

Natasha’s head suddenly lolls to the side, causing you to put your hands up either side of her to prevent her from falling until she steadies herself- tiredness settling in.

As a few seconds pass for Natasha to regain herself, she speaks once more, “I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier when you tried to help me.”

You wave a hand to dismiss her words, “Don’t worry about it, you were upset and Tony was being an asshole. I get it.”

As you go to bunch the used and now dried out make-up wipes, Natasha suddenly finds herself asking, “W-would you maybe stay the night?”

Her eyes widen momentarily in fear of rejection, until you smile at her words, “Yeah, of course I will.”

Natasha feels a bubbling of excitement in her stomach, with having you taking care of her and willing to stay, she uses her missed opportunity from earlier in the day to fuel her newfound confidence from what she can only assume to be the alcohol, “Y/n, I have feelings for you. Not like a best friend kind of way, more of a I want to spend every waking minute of everyday loving you kind of way.-“

You freeze in your place, never expecting those words to ever leave Natasha’s mouth- of course you’ve hoped for them, but to hear them out loud is everything you could have dreamed for and more.

Unfortunately for Natasha, she doesn’t have insight to your mind and fails to notice the now heart fluttering thoughts bursting with the idea that Natasha reciprocates your love clouding your mind.

Natasha retreats into herself, silently scolding herself for being so careless with her emotions. How could she be so naive to think you’d feel the same way, she should have never assumed you’d automatically understand her love for you. She should have never got into this state because now she could have cost herself your friendship.

Natasha continues to torment herself, unwillingly reliving the haunting lessons and words originating from the Red Room itself.

That is until you speak up, “Natasha, I have feelings for you too-“

Natasha meets your gaze with tear filled eyes, to which you instantly move closer to wipe away any that dare to escape.

She can’t help the sobs that escape her, pure relief of knowing you feel the same way about her as she does for you.

You steadily bring her into a hug, choosing to shuffle the two of you back towards the headboard of the bed and seeking a more comfortable position.

Natasha moves herself to lay against your side as you draw soothing circles across her arm. From the mixed emotions of the night and the alcohol, it was bound to end in tears, she’s just thankful to have you here to comfort her.

“I was so scared you didn’t feel the same way.” Natasha sniffles out, causing you to give her a reassuring squeeze.

“Nat, I’ve always known how much I love you. Everything about you is so captivating. You never fail to make me smile or laugh; you’re always there for me when I need you. You make me want to be the best version of myself Natasha. I know I’d be lost without you, because without you Nat, life would lose all meaning. You give me so much to look forward to, it was just being able to hang out with you and see your mesmerising smile in the morning; that or some sarcastic remark that I should probably take offence towards but you’re so quick witted, I’ll let it slide. Though now, I get to look forward to so much more, like-“

You choose to look down and come to the realisation that Natasha is asleep, soft snores sounding from her as she uses half of your body as a designated pillow.

Refusing to disturb her peacefulness, you relax your body into the mattress and allow a form of slumber to overcome you, not before whispering a soft ‘goodnight’ to Natasha, finally knowing that the woman that stole your heart all those months ago, is the woman you’ll happily love for the remainder of your days.

———-

A soft heat spreads across your cheek as your eyes flutter open from the sunlight that trickles through the gaps of open blinds across the room from you.

In your sleepy haziness, it takes you a moment to register your surroundings, until the events of the previous night come rushing back to you.

A slight shift from the woman beside you catches your attention, as does the sticky note attached to her shoulder. You slowly move to peel it away, successfully not disturbing Natasha as you move to read the note.

‘It is about time you two declared your undying love for each other!

Y/n, thank you for taking care of Natasha and always being someone we can all rely on.

Sestra, I have left some painkillers and water on the side for your undoubtedly raging headache- and yes I will be back in the morning to remind you of all the embarrassing things you got up to.

Lena. ’

You smile at the handwritten note, looking over to see the stated painkiller and water combo for Natasha’s awaiting hangover on her desk- Yelena must have come in to check on Natasha after everyone went home.

Your thoughts are disturbed when a rather groggy Natasha speaks, “My head feels as though the Hulk himself has played football with it.”

You chuckle at Natasha’s words, loving the way she snuggles further into your embrace. As you are about to ask Natasha how she is feeling, she beats you to the mark with her own question.

“So, you love me huh?” Natasha suddenly asks.

You look down to see her eyes now fixated on your face, “I wasn’t sure if you would have remembered.” You let out, relieved beyond compare that Natasha recalled the conversation from the night before.

“Of course I do, when you love someone for all that time and they say it back; you make a point to remember it y/n/n.” Natasha smiles up at you, admiring your beauty up close, desperate to stay in this moment forever- despite the throbbing head and burning throat.

“Now, if you really do love me, then you’ll get me some painkillers and-“

“Already taken care of.” You pass Natasha the note left behind by Yelena. She squints furiously as she attempts to decipher Yelena’s note, widening her eyes and closing them several times to work the tiredness out of them.

Natasha groans in displeasure once she reaches the end of the note, “Oh god, was I really that bad last night?” She asks as she uses the note to cover her embarrassed features.

You tilt your head in pretend thought, “Well… yes, you were very soft and it was quite the experience but don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

Natasha playfully smacks your arm, moving herself to hide her head under her pillow to mumble out a false ‘I hate you’.

You laugh as you remove the pillow from her face and lean down to see her, taking care not to disturb her pained head too much, “I love you too.” You reply in the same manner as Natasha, allowing her to lean up and place a soft, yet well worth the wait kiss on your lips.

As you pull away, you fail to disguise the blush spreading across your face; using Natasha’s tactic of using the pillow to shield your face from her teasing manner.

A few stolen kisses; many whispered ‘I love you’s’ and unlimited heartwarming hugs later, you could finally admit that life couldn’t be more perfect.

It’s safe to say that you’re officially drunk on love.

————————

Taglist: @beefromanoff

[thefanficmonster]

Hey can write one fic about Rebal D with gf reader

Sure thing dear! I've been super busy so I'm really sorry I haven't had the chance to reply to you sooner but I hope you enjoy this drabble regardless! Love, Vy ❤

What a View

Rebal D x Reader (Female)

Warnings: Suggestive Wording/Flirting, Swearing (?)

Genre: FLUFF, Humor, Suggestive Themes, RPF (Real Person Fic)

“He’s a 10 but all his insta pics are thirst traps 😪“

“What the hell is this?!“ Y/N just about chokes on a sip of water, laughter bubbling up in her chest when she hears the whiny and distressed yell that emerges from hers and Rebal’s shared bedroom.

Within seconds, he’s relocated to the living room which was not at all enough time for the girl to compose herself and is still caught up in fits of laughter as her boyfriend stands in the middle of the room, one hand on his hip, the other holding up his phone. His face scrunches in displeasure as his eyes trail and re-trail the single line of text that is Y/N’s most recent tweet - one she had the audacity to tag him in, no-less.

“What the hell is this supposed to mean?“ He asks, looking at his giggly mess of a girlfriend as she wipes tears from the corners of her eyes.

“Seems pretty cut-and-dry to me, babe.“ She replies while still in the midst of catching her breath. “I’m allowed to complain, ok? Especially when I’m the one who has to take those pictures! You’re a real nuisance to photograph, you know.”

Rebal’s eyes narrow at Y/N as he leans down ever so slightly as if to appear more intimidating. It’s no use when he’s very evidently fighting back a smirk, “No, you’re not allowed to complain. You get this view, there’s nothing to complain about there. In fact, you should be thanking me.”

It’s Y/N’s turn to pull the eye-narrowing trick as she too leans in a little, still not bothering to get up from the couch though, “Oh, is that so, you cocky little shit?“

The smirk is no longer being suppressed when he tilts his head, “Will you still call me that when I take my shirt off?”

“Put your money where your mouth is and we’ll see.“ His devil of a girlfriend replies without missing a beat. Leaning back to rest against the backrest, she folds her arms over her chest and enjoys the Gun n’ Abs show that commences when said shirt is discarded. She even has the audacity to whistle, “What a view!“

“It’s not a ‘look but don’t touch’ situation, babe. It’s free real-estate.“ Rebal proclaims teasingly, motioning to his now exposed chest before flexing his muscles.

Mocking and vexing words are on the tip of Y/N’s tongue, but with a view like that to enjoy up close as an option, she’ll bite them back. Just this once ;)

“Now this I ain’t complaining about.“

[svailana]

Sacrificing your Dignity for Gold, It’s More Likely Than You Think

Characters: Hidan Kakuzu

Word count: 1400

Tag: bottom kakuzu, kakuzu pov, in media res, crack?, pwp, monkey’s paw

*explicit*

I was originally writing this for April Fools Day but I’m not really to happy with it. So I’ll post it casually instead of to ao3

“Come on Hidan. We’re finally done with the mission. So hurry up and show me how to make gold.” His eagerness was clear in his voice.

“Alright already! Stop nagging me you old bastard! Man greed really clouds your mind. Or are you secretly some kind of slut?” Hidan snapped at him.

“Shut-up! Like I’d let you touch me under any other circumstance.” Ugh, he was sacrificing a lot of dignity for this, but to unlock alchemy it was worth it. He stripped quickly, leaving his hood and mask on. He ignored Hidan’s whining and unlaced his back. Then sent his hearts out, ordering them to go scout around.

“Oh, Kakuzu-chan… you don’t know what you're getting into. But don't worry, I’ll cure your gold fever.” Hidan’s voice was hoarse. He suppressed any sense of pride the realization gave him. Hidan watching was making him itch, the faster this was finally over with the better, hopefully it wouldn’t hurt. He heard Hidan sigh before dropping his pants.

“I’m not going in dry even if you are a bastard. You’re not burning are you old man?” Confusion was a temporary reprieve from rationalization, but he did need to answer.

“What the fuck are you blabbering on about?” Now Hidan started raising his voice.

“Are you clean? You don’t have a fucking std do you!” Insulted by the insinuation he snapped back.

“Fuck you! Of course not, what do you take me for?”

“How the hell should I know? You’re the slut fucking for gold!” If they weren’t in the middle of nowhere, their argument was definitely loud enough to be overheard. He felt rage building in the pit of his stomach. But before he could yell at Hidan or call it off, he felt something squirting onto his butt. So it began, then he would commence his practice of stoicism, and take it with as much dignity as he could salvage.

He felt Hidan prodding around and noticed with some small amount of satisfaction that his dick was barely the size of a finger. He almost laughed, but remembered he was a stoic. He felt more slimy stuff squirt onto him, but instead of finishing Hidan kept messing around back there.

“What’s taking so long?” He heard Hidan suck his teeth.

“Stop rushing me! I haven’t even started yet. Even if I wanted to, I can’t just shove my dick in. I’m stretching you out first. The way you're sucking up my fingers is really riling me up...”

“Finger?! Why is your finger in my ass?!”

“Do you know what foreplay is? Have you just been going around shoving your dick in people! What the fuck is wrong with you?” This was utterly ridiculous. Why hadn’t he just beat the secret out of Hidan?

“Who the fuck wastes time with shit like this? That’s what’s wrong with your generation.”

“See, I thought the reason you haven’t felt the touch of a woman in decades was because you’re too cheap to pay for it.” He slipped in another finger. “Turns out you're just shit in bed.” Arguing during this was very crass, but he couldn’t let Hidan get the last word.

“Go fuck yourself! I used to pull all kinds of honeys back in my day! Once I hit forty they couldn’t keep up any- ah!” Pleasure shot through him. Evidently Hidan had found a sensitive spot in his butt. He was ashamed to even have one. He tried to return to stoicism and fought against Hidan focusing on that area.

“Ha ha, there we go.” Hidan had the nerve to chuckle to himself. He tried to will his body to resist the pleasure. But despite not having been touched his penis was responding enthusiastically. And even his legs started to tremble.

“Even if you’re trying to be quiet I can tell you love this. You’re so sensitive back here. Are you sure you’ve never done this before?”

“Shut up! Of course, ah ah ah nooot! I have my pride as a ma- ah man” Fuck the bastard had baited him. Hidan slipped in a third finger and focused them all on his spot. Unable to play it off he just returned to being silent. He tried desperately to regain his composure in preparation for the main event. Just because he was skilled with his fingers that didn’t mean he was good with his dick, right? Finally Hidan pulled his fingers out, but seemed to hesitate.

“You’re still bitching? You're taking me in so well though.”

“Shut up! You stupid pervert-” Before he could go into a tirade, Hidan started pushing in, blowing the air out of him. It was too big. At least that fiddling earlier was worth something. The mild discomfort morphed into pleasure once Hidan’s dick pressed past his sensitive spot. It was thick enough that even without being focused on it felt stimulated.

He took a few shuddering breaths, desperate to maintain his dignity. For once his mask was a hindrance, but he’d rather keep it on.

Instead of just going to town, Hidan seemed to be hesitating. He felt him rubbing his back. The touch was entirely too intimate and he wished Hidan would just get it over with.

“Has your body adjusted yet? I don’t want to rip your stitches.” Hidan rubbed his back while he talked. He wasn’t teasing him, yet his pride couldn’t stand it.

“I’m not weak. Whatever you do, I can take it.” Hidan kept rubbing different parts of his body gently.

“Yeah yeah. How about this? If you’re too tense you’ll break my dick in half.” There was no bite to his words, but it didn’t help him calm down either.

“Would you be more comfortable facing me?” Hidan offered, thinking he was being kind. Instantly his guard was up against him.

“NO! Shut-up, just get it over with! Don’t complicate things, I just want my gold.”

“Well this would be faster if I was enjoying it. But even though you fucking asked for this your being difficult.”

“So what? Aren’t you a man? A warm hole should be all it takes. Just pretend I’m a kunoichi with huge knockers or I’ll transform whatever's easier.”

“That’s not the problem!” Hidan shouted, pulling out. “Are you dense or just being bitchy? Fuck it! If we do this, we're gonna do it my way. So you’ll just have to wait till our next break between missions.” It was like a tower of cards were knocked to the floor. Hidan couldn’t back out now.

“Psh, your cute factor can only take you so far.” Hidan said, pulling up his pants. “Besides, taking gold makes a while, it’d be better to be indoors.”

[lovelykhaleesiii]

Newcomer: Chapter 1

PAIRING: Rafe Cameron x Fem!Reader

Words: 2.8k 

Summary: The Outer Banks was a place you’d only heard of until recently. The unfolding changes in your life had led you to this very moment, and it appears you still have much to learn... 

Warnings: swearing, (***) time jumps

A/N - the bitch is back. THIS is a slow ASS beginning to a series, so bear with me please!!! I have no idea if this will turn into a full on series, but I might just continue on with it. It’s been a quick minute since I’ve written anything, so I am very rusty at writing, SORRY x I may have tweaked a few things of the storyline also. 

It seemed as though your mundane life had taken a detour, the moment your father had confessed his plans to migrate the family to the Outer Banks. You’d never heard of such a place up until the current moment in time, and yet its existence was real, and there was no chance you’d persuade your father otherwise. In fact, the time spent apart from your mother after the divorce had been finalised, your father had inevitably met another woman. Neither you nor your younger siblings thought much of it than a mere getaway fling, a woman your father had come across on a trip, a year ago. A few months later, the man was committed. It seemed your family would become not 5 again, however 6… You see, this woman had a young son, close in age, called Topper… You’d never yet met the boy, however, Evelyn, was keen on this new endeavour of rekindling a family. She too was a divorcee, and had confessed she’d never thought in a million years of remarrying, that was until your father came along. 

It felt haste, and despite having countless conversations with your father expressing your apprehension, he seemed unphased. You genuinely wanted nothing more than to support him, no matter how fast or great the changes may be. If it meant sacrificing a few things of your old life, then so be it. You just wanted him to feel some degree of happiness again, you wanted him to feel loved, not just from his children, although in the sense of a partnership. Eveyln and himself had agreed that we’d be the ones moving to the Outer Banks just before the summer holidays had commenced, giving us children enough time to settle in and relax. Coincidentally, your father was very fortunate to find a position as a Constable in the local police department, and Evelyn had the accommodation all sorted. It seemed as though everything was falling into place, like pieces in a puzzle.  

And with all the haste organising and packing that had been ongoing, moving day had finally crept up. 

What had felt like a painful goodbye, taking what would be your final glance of the massive house you’d come to call home, you’d all prepared for the long road ahead. 

You’d planned to arrive by the evening, hoping most of the movers had already unpacked your belongings into your designated rooms, ready to meet who would become your step-mother and step-brother. 

Your younger sister, Anya, and little brother, Caleb, weren’t as great in showcasing their enthusiasm as you were, however, obediently followed by your lead. It was all exhausting and slightly frustrating, that you’d have to re-live the process of being a stranger trying to familiarise yourself in this foreign territory. The need to befriend the locals was the thing you dreaded the most, you found it to be the most draining and yet the most necessary. A minor flaw of yours was being a people pleaser, therefore, first appearances for you was a dealbreaker. 

“God, I hope the people there aren’t as terrible as they were at home-” Anya sighed: she didn’t have the best of times in school, always feeling the pressure of the hgh expectations no thanks to you. You were aware of this, and not to sound cocky, you were quite the golden daughter, sister and student. Your parents had raised you well in a wealthy and stable upbringing, you had access to the best education, best home, food, travels, and all of the above. You felt indebted to repay them at the very least with being a studious, driven person. You see, college wasn’t so far off now, creeping up in the horizon, as you were nearing the of your senior year, you had this entire future planned in your mind with immense detail. 

Study. Graduate. Celebrate. Study. Medical School. Study for quite some time. Graduate. Work. 

It was all very meticulous and not as simplified as it sounds, although it was indeed a life-long ambition.

Nonetheless, you were certain that despite the odds you’d been anticipating yet to unfold, it would be no exception. 

It wasn’t until your eyes had seized the sight of the bold letters, paraded across a large, green sign welcoming travellers to the “Outer Banks” that this distant reality you’d thought you’d been prepared for, had only just begun to sink in. At the very thought it made your stomach churn anxiously. Observing the land that passed by beyond the sign, it was abundantly clear that there was some degree of dichotomy between classes… Social classes. 

How very progressive, you’d rhetorically thought.

The warm, humid atmosphere smothered you completely, it felt dense and yet the greenery, the mangroves and stillness of the water was comforting. 

It was all quite different from your usual metropolitan lifestyle.

“Perhaps the fresh air and water, will be good for us all… What do you think guys?” 

“Yeah-yeah” Your siblings had sluggishly exclaimed, out of tune from one another. You simply smiled in exchange for a chuckle from your father: he was well aware of how much he was asking of you 3 in embracing his new endeavour. 

It made you pleased, knowing that accepting these changes was somehow your expression of gratitude for him, after all these years, and he knew you too well to know this. The relationship with your father with yourself, Anya and Caleb was unmatched: he strived to be the perfect father, and so far had never failed. Whatever he did, he did in the best interests of you 3, and now it was time to repay him. 

“Think we’re here-”

Slowly turning into the long, curved driveway, the massiveness of your new home had left you all in awe. When Evelyn assured you all that there was enough space, you hadn’t fully comprehended exactly how much space she’d meant. It was a mansion, nothing like you’d ever lived in before, with a beautiful view overlooking the serene waters of the Outer Banks. 

As the car had come to a halt, you’d all stepped out, still gazing over every inch of the house, as movers walked by unpacking your belongings to your new estate. The intricate details covering every inch of the houses, and the houses across that would become your neighbours was astounding.  

“Finally, my darling, you’ve all made it!” 

Your head slowly turned towards the entrance where Evelyn’s ecstatic voice echoed through the long hallway, as she power-walked her way through to your father, embracing him for a long awaited kiss, you couldn’t help but smile. 

“Y/N, Anya and Caleb, I hope that drive hasn’t tired you all out. I’d like for you all to meet my son, Topper!” 

You hadn’t even noticed the young man, standing beside his mother by the stairs leading up to the main entrance. He was of average height, dark roots and blonde frosted tips, looked as though he had spent quite some time in the sun: although all the while, he had a friendly face. 

“Hello, Y/N is it?-” 

He was quite timid, although you could tell he was raised posh, reaching his hand out to greet you with a simple handshake. 

“And you’re Anya and Caleb.” 

“Topper, you’re looking well. Been hitting a few rounds at the golf course I imagine-” Your father cordially exclaimed. He was most fearful of not being able to see eye to eye with Evelyn’s son, since their relationship began to bloom, although seeing it now, all was swell. 

“Yeah well, myself and a few of the guys have been meaning to find the proper time to play. Maybe, I can take you guys out as well, now that summer is coming up-” Topper hesitantly suggests, turning towards you 3. 

You had to give him credit, he was trying. 

“Yeah definitely!” You proclaim, on behalf of your meekly looking siblings. 

“Well, let’s get you all inside and have a little tour of your new home!” Evelyn excitedly interjected, as she wavered for you all to enter in before her. 

“This is going to be fun…” Anya sarcastically whispered, only loud enough for you to hear. Instinctively you roll your eyes, gently gripping her forearm, appearing as though you were dragging her to accompany you through the tour.

“C’mon Anya, can you make it look like you at least enjoy something about this place…” 

***

“Y/N, my dear! I was thinking perhaps after breakfast that Topper would take you 3 out for the day, just around the local stores, maybe your father and I can meet you all for lunch at the Island Club.” 

“I would be delighted-” You interject, despite feeling ever so tiresome from the long night of unpacking, you felt you deserved to enjoy whatever the Outer Banks had to offer. 

“Great, I’ll meet you guys outside in 15 minutes!” 

***

“Why is she rushing us, it’s not like we’re leaving anytime soon-”

“Anya, c’mon, she’s only encouraging us so that we get to know the place, and even spend time with Topper. You haven’t even given him a chance, let alone a smile. Now, be nice!” You insisted, as you gently nudged her towards the front seat of Topper’s truck, whilst Caleb and yourself settled in the back. 

“J-Just let me know when you guys get tired, or have had enough for the day. We could just head for lunch at the Island Club. They serve really great food.”

“That’s perfect!” Anya exaggerated: you could sense the sarcasm just oozing from her words, although it seemed Topper was unphased and must’ve taken her mockery for kindness. 

***

Most of the time you guys had stayed in the car, driving around through the streets only to find that nothing had stuck with you just yet. You were too distracted by having to wake Caleb up every 5 minutes, as he’d innocently nudged off into a sleep. Poor kid, you felt it was the hardest for him, although he never really complained. You kept him in the loop of everything, feeling he was mature enough to know… He was 13 now. 

“That road over there leads you down to Figure 8, not really a place you want to wind up in-” 

“Why’s that?” Anya questioned, a hint of aggression in her voice. 

“Pogues. Miserable bunch of people, always complaining about anything and everything.” 

The bitterness in Topper’s voice was trickling out of each word. 

“Pogues?” You confusingly uttered, “What exactly makes a Pogue?” 

“It’s hard to explain, b-but they’re not like us.”

“Well, what does that make us?”

“Kooks-”

Anya turned facing you, a look of bewilderment plastered on her face, and Topper had caught a glimpse of your quizzical exchanges. 

“Listen, the more you guys spend some time out here, the more you’ll figure out about this whole Kook-and-Pogue business, alright...” 

***

“So glad you guys could make it! How was it today?” 

“Yeah it was fine, still a lot to digest but we’ll get there- Thanks again, Topper.” 

His smile was enough to be taken as a thank you. After that whole Pogue-Kook ordeal, things got really quiet before we had some time out exploring the local businesses by foot. 

“Glad to see they haven’t completely ruined you Topper, you be careful of my Anya especially. She’s a feisty one-” Playfully winking at her as she grinned innocently at his joke. 

Your father knew exactly what Anya was like, and despite the tantrums she’d throw , you’d all come to appreciate her. It was her own unusual, protective way of showing affection.

“So is everyone ready to order?” Your father insisted, waving for some waiter’s attention.

“Sir-” 

Looking up you noticed the waiter was a young, blonde boy, most likely closer in Anya’s age. He had these mesmerising blue eyes, with a somewhat cheeky smile streaked across his face. 

JJ-His name embodied across a small, golden name tag pinned to his black vest. 

“Yes, we’re just ready to order-” 

Patiently taking each order one by one, you helplessly felt guilty for JJ, wasting away his time as Evelyn made abundant changes to her order, Caleb unsure of what ingredient was what, and Topper for some unknown reason, had a coldness to his demeanour with JJ around. 

Last but not least, Anya. 

“Anya, sweetheart, you know what you want?” 

“I-uhh- I’ll just have a salad.” 

Anya, stuttering? That was unusual, it was only when you raised your gaze towards your sister, that you’d realised she was blushing, unable to even maintain eye contact with the waiter boy. 

Still, the cheeky grin of his plastered on as he quickly took down her order. 

“And a salad for the pretty girl-” Just above a whisper, JJ uttered these words, only audible enough for Anya and yourself to pick up, as the rest of the table were in their own worlds. 

And for the first time in a long time, your sister was speechless. 

As JJ assured you that the food would be served soon, escaping to the back of the kitchen, it was only in that instant moment you’d seen the last of his blonde hair disappear out of sight, that you began to gush amongst yourself.

“Was my little sister stuttering at the feet of some waiter boy? Surely not-”

“Oh can you not- He was obviously just teasing, must be a thing here with the guys-” 

“Anya, are you so doubtful of yourself?”

“Yes, now drop it-” 

Nonetheless, you could sense her agitation rise, her body tensing as she fell back into a dull silence. It was best not to encourage her about making any moves, although that wasn’t to stop you on her behalf? What are older sisters for, right? 

After the fulfilling meals had been served and everyone had been fed, you strategically gave some time to pass from the JJ moment, so Anya didn’t suspect anything. Politely excusing yourself to the “bathroom”, you made your way to the reception desk, where you asked for JJ, and not to disappoint he showed, although his face failed to hide his confusion of seeing you instead. 

“It’s JJ, right?” You hesitantly enquired, taking another quick glance down at his name badge, hoping you weren’t mistaken. 

“Correct, and you’re Topper’s new step-sister. Sorry I didn’t catch your name at the table-”

“It’s Y/N, uhm- Anyways, I overheard that little moment you had with my sister, and as prideful as she is, I’m not. I was wondering if maybe you’d want me to pass on your number to her? We’re new, and she could really use a companion that’s not me.” 

God, now that you were overthinking the situation in the moment, did you realise how mindless this was.

“Y-Yeah of course, I-I should’ve known better. I’m sorry if I came out like an ass-uhh, here you go-”

A sigh of relief escaped, as you cautiously took down each digit, saving the number under JJ.

“I’ll make sure she calls you by tonight.” 

Walking off, leaving JJ hopeful, you’d thought just to be safe, give the number a call. Turning your head back to where JJ still stood by the desk, awaiting his response, you witlessly walked into what felt like a large, sturdy wall. 

Just as you heard JJ’s voice echo through the phone, you’d humiliatingly apologise to what looked like a man before rushing off back to your seat. 

Not even looking back to see who, you’d only just briefly caught a glimpse of a richly dark, navy blue blazer being too concerned with surprising Anya for what you thought was a thoughtful gesture. 

“Anya, I did the hard work, now all you have to do is text him, look it’s easy-”  And instantly you snatched Anya’s phone off the table, dialling in JJ’s number, with a simple but effective:

“Hey, this is Anya. The girl from dinner.” 

“Fuck, Y/N… He probably thinks I’m this incompetent girl, that gets her older sister to hit on guys for her. It’s sick.”

“Can you just relax, it’s not that bad, he’s interested and let’s just leave it at that!” 

“Fine-fine-” Anya defeatedly sighed, as she closed her phone, desperately hiding her anticipation for JJ’s text.

“P.S that dude over there keeps looking over at you, it’s fucked…”

You were caught off guard, curious as to who Anya was referring to you slowly fixated your gaze on where Anya had signalled: you knew instantly it was the man you’d unknowingly walked into. Even matched the clothing description. 

Although, he was just a boy, no more than a year or two, give or take, older than you. 

“I-I must’ve rubbed off on him the wrong way. Walked right into the guy-” You innocently confessed, feeling the strain of his gaze shift between you to elsewhere. 

“Topper!” A deep, blaring voice boomed across the dining area, and immediately your head snapped in its direction as though your name had been called. 

Just as the name was called, Topper got up from his seat, bellowing out “Rafe!” before excusing himself from the table. 

Rafe, what an interesting name. 

“Wonder who that is.” Anya prompted, before resuming back to her iced peach tea. 

“Yeah, I wonder...”

[anxi-aashi]

smooth lines and chocolate rhymes

atsumu x gn!reader

words: 990

warnings: couple curse words, fluff, kind of good kind of bad pick up lines i found on the internet, atsumu is a dork, TIMESKIP SPOILERS

summary: does atsumu have a plan for this holiday party? yes. will he execute it the way he wants? i think we all know the answer to that

a/n: 10 words under the word max look at me go :) btw theres no actual rhyming in this that was literally just the first title to pop in my head so i ran with it pls bear with me. this is my submission for @lostinwildflowers xmas event!! hope it turned out ok im a bad judge of these things but this was fun to write anyways

Atsumu, for a long time, was a firm believer in the psychology behind The Great Hair Phenomenon: the tried-and-true theory that a single haircut could cause astronomical changes in a person’s psyche. The right haircut or dye job could either make or break a person’s self-esteem in a heartbeat, but if done correctly, the chance was well worth the risk. Though hidden beneath an aloof exterior and sibling rivalry, Atsumu often struggled with self-esteem issues as a kid, wanting more than anything to find a quality about him that set him apart from his brother in a good way. He found one day that a trip to the hair salon did exactly that.

Looking back on it, he could admit that his color choice was not the greatest–Osamu made sure to remind him of it whenever his ego was a little too inflated. But, adhering to The Great Hair Phenomenon, Atsumu soon re-dyed his hair to a more natural blond, and reaped the benefits of endless confidence-boosts by the amount of flattery sent his way.

At the age of 23, Atsumu was in the prime of his life–the top of his game, as the setter for the MSBY Jackals. He had it pretty good: stable income, amazing friends, coworkers and family, a career he’d always dreamed of, and great fucking hair.

But somehow, he still lacked the ability to ask you out on a fucking date.

The bleach was supposed to fix everything. He had no problem flirting with people–never had, even with his god-awful piss-hair. And believe him, he had tried flirting with you. But you and your smile and your eyes and your attentiveness and your intellect and your compassion and your ability to somehow manage to be kind and funny and still make him the butt of a joke always, without fail, stopped the flirtations right in his throat.

This was what Atsumu reflected on as he (in)discretely eyed you from across the room at the MSBY holiday party.

Light music played over mild chatter in the background, matching the warmth of the colorful lights that hung from the ceiling. Atsumu’s eyes flicked over your form for the nth time while you talked to a fellow team physician, re-reading the “ROCKIN’ AROUND THE” lettering stitched around a decorated Christmas tree on your attempt at an ugly sweater. For a moment he imagined what you would look like in a sweater of his if you could make one as simple as that look so good, but he shook the thought away. He had a mission to focus on.

Atsumu straightened up when he saw your coworker leave. You waved them off, a smile lingering on your lips, and made your way to the food table alone.

This was his chance. Atsumu whipped his phone out and skimmed the lines he had memorized in preparation for this moment one last time, cleared his throat, and smoothed down his a-little-bit-too-small sweater. He breathed in and commenced operation.

The first thing you noticed when you turned to face the owner of the finger that had tapped you on the shoulder was that their sweater was not the right size. Just the width of their chest was enough to tell you this was one of the players you looked after. The second was the cartoon.

On the very small sweater was a cartoon mug full of hot chocolate, with a cartoon fox wearing sunglasses sitting in it as if it were a hot tub. Around the design, were the words “HOT FOX-OLATE.” And as you looked up to see who was so brazenly giving you a full display of their sculpted pectorals, your suspicions were confirmed when you were met with the face of Miya Atsumu.

“Hi,” he drawled, mouth pulled into a smoldering grin.

“Hi.” You returned his grin, but still a little curious as to where the sudden suaveness had come from.

Atsumu’s smirk widened and he opened his mouth to speak, while at the same time reaching a hand out to lean against the table you both stood next to. His mouth snapped shut in alarm, however, while his hand only met air, causing him to stumble the slightest to catch his bearings.

You hid your laughter under your breath at his blunder, though attempting to smother it with a neutral expression when he shot back up, hair and eyes holding a little more distress than before. He cleared his throat and started over, this time a little bit closer to the table.

“Are you a really popular chocolate holiday drink? ‘Cause yer too hot, but I’m gonna try an’ pick ya up anyway,” he flourished with another grin and a half-lidded gaze.

Your mouth dropped open in a mixture of hilarity and disbelief, mouth twitching between a smile and agape as if you couldn’t decide which emotion to go with. You choked out an airy “what?” trying to keep your laughter at bay.

Atsumu took that as a bad sign. “Okay, wait, lemme try again–” he rushed, summoning the confidence again– “I didn’t think there was anything hotter than hot chocolate, but I guess you just love proving me wrong, don’t ya.”

“Atsumu, why are all your lines about hot chocolate?” you asked still trying to contain your laughter and preserve his dignity just a little.

He sighed, dropping his act and slumping his shoulders. “Was tryin’ to fit the theme.” He gestured to his sweater half-heartedly.

“Were you trying to flirt with me?” you chuckled.

“Maybe a little,” he admitted, reaching up to scratch his ear that was turning redder by the second. “I think yer really pretty.”

“Ah, I see.” Your face began to heat up a little as well.

“Did they work?” Atsumu asked, albeit a little apprehensively.

A full smile started to bloom across your face and Atsumu swore he stopped breathing for a second as you answered in kind, “Maybe a little.”

[fanfoolishness]

Liveblog: The Book of Boba Fett, 1x05

So. I watched the episode once, and spent much of it literally shrieking, rolling around on my back on the couch like a tipped over crab, and giggling with ever rising levels of hysteria. I attempted to write down live reactions but then basically fell into a hypnotic fugue state except for said caterwauling.

So this liveblog is attempt #2 to watch it.

Let the shrieking re-commence! Spoilers below:

Boba Fett! I wonder if we’ll see him again. (I don’t know *why* they did the episode like this, but they did, and no, we won’t. RIP Boba.)

I freaking love the colors of this abattoir. Is that a bad thing? It’s just such a gloomy, Bioshock type of feel and I DIG IT… ESPECIALLY that silhouette!

*bass recorder toodles*

Sad how the working conditions here are actually far far better than they are in US meat facilities. No crazy mechanized lines! Just leisurely butchering. Like how the workers are just like ‘okay, shiny metal man’s here, that’s nice for him I guess.’

Who’s this bounty? Guy sounds super familiar. Vaguely like Gimli, somehow.

Tracking fobs must have a vibrate mode.

“Are you saying all Kaba Baizes look alike???”

“Let’s discuss our options…”

He’s warming and colding!!!

My brain can’t even handle this whole scene. He got BITTEN? The DARKSABER? HE BURNED HIS OWN LEG?? That yell? When did we ever see Din so frustrated? Or was it pain? Maybe just the effort of lifting the cursed thing. Or maybe the Darksaber is getting in his head… o_O The choreography for this was really fascinating because it was almost clumsy in places in a way we’ve only seen Din be with the Rising Phoenix. Excellent way of showing this weapon is really, truly foreign to him, but he’s also very determined to use it appropriately now that it has come to him and Bo-Katan rejected his offer of giving it to her.

Aw, Din. That limp! It’s terrible! The way his breath keeps catching…. Unnnnnngh the Din torture, fucking love it, gonna write about it forever.

THE TITLE, the blended theme songs!!! BobaDin shippers out there must be exploding

I love this ring space station! So awesome. Reminds me of the Citadel in Mass Effect. The alternating light and dark cycles are just fascinating.

Most awkward elevator ride ever. Also reminds me of Mass Effect!

What is this parrot alien speaking Huttese? This is pretty cool.

Din works to live, not lives to work these days, haha.

Din examining himself in the elevator and trying to stay upright unnnnnngh my heart

I got so freaking excited when I saw the markings! Are they Mando’a characters?? I knew it was going to be a covert, but I had no idea we were going to be lucky enough to see Paz and the Armorer again! HERRRRRR omg this was definitely one of those screaming moments… that and Din nearly falling down the ladder in pain ;_;

What does the Armorer ponder in the long dark? That’s sooo fucking pretty. Also, do you get the feeling she knows way more than someone who hides out in a cave/sewer/understory all day ought to know? Like, kind of a suspicious amount of things?

Still bummed that Din didn’t go for a spin in Boba’s bacta tank.

I could watch the Armorer all day long. She’s magnificent ;_;

Is Din gonna find a Mythosaur on Mandalore? Or is she talking about Boba Fett… now THAT would be a twist…!

Fascinating that she says Mandalorian steel is meant for armor, not weapons. I didn’t realize the spear could pierce beskar, which makes it really scary - almost worse than the Darksaber in that way.

WE GOT THE GREAT PURGE AHHHH

So is she figuring that if everyone on Mandalore had been wearing their armor and helmets they would have survived the Purge? Hence its necessity?

Din rolls up like “I returned the foundling to his people” and in the next breath is literally “But I love him and miss him and need to see him again immediately”

Is she speaking Mando’a??? She must be, right??

I want her to say “You cannot control it with your strength. You can only control it with your will.” Because that’s got to be it, hasn’t it?

I feel like Paz has just always been an asshole and that’s why Din doesn’t even consider handing the Darksaber over to him, unlike his instincts with Bo and even the Armorer.

Love Paz’s little shield for him!

But seriously. WHAT DID SHE MAKE GROGU? I was hoping it was a mudhorn on the silver ball, but the chain mail type pieces suggest otherwise. I loved the parallels of the other forging scenes we've seen with the two of them.

Me at the Armorer asking about helmets: oh FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK THEY’RE DOING IT

Din trying to hold out as long as he can. I had wondered how they would resolve this. If he would say he had to do it for the Child, to find him at the Imperial Base, to get the Child to go with Luke. But once it was out in the open, he didn’t try to explain and they didn’t care what the reasoning for it might have been. And okay maybe we have a quest now for these holy waters, and that’ll be fun I’m sure, but… just, wow. They were so close to being back together again as a tribe. Hoping very much Boba has a heart to heart with him and we’ll see if Din decides to follow the old Way or forge a new one.

Is the Armorer sus? I don’t know! I kinda want her to be! But I love her either way.

At least he got some bacta spray and something for Grogu out of it! But also a great deal of heartbreak ;____;

I can’t believe my man is facing the indignities of a commercial spaceport. I’ll forgive him saying he’s a Mandalorian right now because it’s force of habit and he’s got every reason to be testy right now XD

Fuck yesssss fanartists everywhere are like thank you for the weapon references!!

Din gazing out the window is everything *gross ugly sobbing*

Din sighing at the little kid waving at him is even more

THE POUCH LOOKS LIKE GROGU UNNNGH MY HEART

At least this ship isn’t swarming with Pykes!

*imagines a Love Actually montage as Din disembarks*

AND we got Peli this episode. What a goddamn treat!!! Oh man she’s a terrible shot! I love her dynamic with her droids, they’re all ridiculous! Also, is this the first time we’ve ever actually seen a womp rat?

Peli: “THIS IS NOT HOW I DIE”

BD is adorbs and also I love all the droids being so unimpressed with Din

LOLLLLL Peli’s reaction to Din giving Grogu away was much briefer than the 5000-word fanfic I wrote about it a few months back, but this is good too XD

“Do you have any idea what this is?”

Me: “is it… a fucking pod racer? Is this happening?”

Aw, she called him a lovely man LOL

Everyone who wrote a fanfic about Din getting a ship big enough for a whole-ass bedroom for Grogu and finally a real bed for him, well, it was nice knowing y’all

Bryce Dallas Howard loves spaceship humor and it’s adorable

Is anyone else wondering how Din is going to haul bounties around in this thing? Strap them on the bottom? Dangle them from the back?

Peli’s checkered romantic past is giving me life.

Montage, fuck yeah!

Gonk droid lives!

Din Djarin thanked a tiny droid. My heart is so full. He’s even made peace with Jawas!

This is a really bizarre ship. It’s like a wasp! Again, when will Din Djarin x Queen Size Bed ever become a reality?

Droid just told him to fuck off! Bwahaha

Yes. We all know that bubble is 100% Grogu sized and we cannot wait for their adventures to continue! Though if we do that, then they’ll have to have a lot fewer episodes set in deep space as it would get pretty claustrophobic, pretty quick. Though you could always do a fascinating little bottle episode of Din monologuing to the baby for an hour somehow…

I do love that Peli’s talk is completely earned. She knows what the shit she’s doing.

What is gomp skunk jack? Is that what I heard? What now?

I like seeing these hoodoos and finally Beggar’s Canyon that we’ve heard so much about! Awwww Luke.

Din: unable to keep himself from being adorable to tiny green children

Barrel rolls! Man is so happy right now.

But also fuck the New Republic. I’m so amused that they’re taking this tactic of just being a giant pain in the ass to everybody while completely ignoring things like the Pykes running spice and wiping out native Tuskens and oh shit, it got a lot less amusing than this sentence started. :( But at least Din is fast enough to get away from them now!

Omg “wizard” Din you are such a nerd

FENNEC this might be my favorite Fennec so far, Ming-Na Wen has such the cutest smirks

You have to go see a little friend??? Are we going to see that on the show too? That would be starting to make it a little weird given this is supposed to be Boba’s show, but on the other hand I don’t want them to show us Din and Grogu reuniting off-screen, either… they already didn’t show us Din and Grogu initially reuniting in the Rescue. I’d like to see Din and Boba having a heart to heart if there’s to be more Din time (this is already so much more than I was expecting though), and maybe Din and Boba and Fennec just chillin for a bit, and Din being very impressed by the rancor, and Boba being very intrigued by the Darksaber. It feels like he wouldn’t be interested since he’s happy to be on Tatooine, but who knows?

Whew. That was… a lot. I have some Thinking to do on fanart and fic now! Eeeeeek!

[dru-plays-starbound]

Universe: Starbound CW: Loneliness, dissociation, trapped underground Words: 3,400 Context: This was written during NaNoWriMo 2015, part of a collection of short stories called "Tales of the Starbound". I decided to re-write each story individually. Note: Please read fully on AO3 - I'm having issues formatting it correctly on Tumblr

[Official Guard log] [Solar Rotation 3, Day 046]

Devon Parker, ident c4efac10, reporting on the preliminary day of duty.

I've settled in fine – the few belongings I brought with me have been stowed in the appropriate place. 

I was given a (very brief) induction by a green novakid called Fevertwinkle, who said he's my new boss. According to him, my duties are:

To patrol the immediate surrounds and keep the mineshaft clear of any creatures

To keep the equipment – a small desktop computer and the teleporter – in good working order

To protect the teleporter at all costs

I will commence working tomorrow at 0900h, local time.

[Log Ends]

[Personal log of Devon Parker] [Day 0 of assignment on Virla]

Oh, man. It is good to finally be transferred off that damned Lunar base. I am so sick of the smell of Erchius fluid – it's a sickly sweet smell, almost like rotting fruit. Bleh.

But enough about what's past, and more focus on the future!

Fevertwinkle, my new employer, seems nice enough, even if he has a bit of that 'nutty professor' feel. Beta 61Vir 4657Ia – called Virla by the locals – seems to be a Terran-like planet, though I didn't get much of a look top-side. I beamed directly into Fevertwinkle's office, where I managed a glance of lush greenery out of the window before we teleported directly into my new home. Fevertwinkle intimated that we're very close to the planet's core, and it certainly is warmer than I would have expected.

The bunker here, which is to be my new home, is a simple, utilitarian, metal box. My bunk is much like the one I had on the Lunar mining station - cramped and with limited storage. On the floor below, is a basic table and chair and the workstation I'm using to compile this log. The floor below that is the main hallway and contains a fountain, for some reason. I can only assume this is to be the source of my water. The hallway leads, on one side, to the teleporter and the exit on the other. 

Now I've taken a moment to reflect on my position, I realise that Fevertwinkle never mentioned the duration of my rotation down here nor if others will be joining me.

...

I'm sure it was just an oversight. Fevertwinkle seemed like a very busy person.

[Log Ends]