#everything I hear about her school astounds me everyday

[haliaiii]

Why is my sister’s hall pass the skibidi toilet thing 😭😭😭

[iliveiloveiwrite]

Journey to Hogwarts// Chapter One - Home Sweet Home?

A/N: CHAPTER ONE to our new series! This was co-written with talented @kalimagik​ and edited by us all (@obsessedwithrandomthings​ @firewhisky-kisses​ @heloisedaphnebrightmore​) - we so enjoyed the process of writing this, and we only hope you enjoy too! Any feedback would be so appreciated!

Warnings: Swearing

Series Masterlist

For all that the Ministry of Magic had suffered in its long and established history, it had never had to deal with five muggles landing in the office of the Headmistress of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Kingsley Shacklebolt thought he had seen it all; he had survived two wars, had suffered the deaths of countless friends and family, and had achieved the highest position of power in wizarding law. He had become the Minister for Magic.

Yet nothing could have prepared him for the letter from McGonagall, asking for his help with the muggles now sitting in her office. Kingsley rubs his temples before apparating to the grounds outside of Hogwarts; he didn’t need a seer to tell him that he would be ending this day with a headache.

--------

The tension hung thickly in the room as Professor McGonagall watched the 5 girls. Having taken their names already, there wasn’t much else to say. Kiara held her gaze firmly. She was astounded, but not going to look away until she got some answers. Ellie, Ana, and Des looked around the room in awe. Everything was exactly as it had been described in the books when it came to the Headmistress’ office.

Between the moving portraits, the ornate decorations, even the pensive floated in the open doors of the cupboard. It was so amazing. Mel, however, was fidgeting. As cool as this all was, none of them really knew what was going on.

“Excuse me, but what are we doing?” Mel finally asked. She even raised her hand. Professor McGonagall’s intense stare was enough to make anyone feel as if they were in a classroom.

“We’re waiting for the minister,” she replied solemnly. Kiara could just see McGonagall’s firm grip on her wand. She was weary of them all.

“Well, do you know how long this is going to take?” Mel pushed even further. “Who’s going to feed my fish? I only left enough food for a week!”

“I’m sure your fish will be fine,” Des turned to whisper to Mel, trying to calm the girl down.

“Bubbles McGee is my emotional support fish; I’ll have you know and I only left food for a week and didn’t tell anyone to check up on him!” Mel snapped.

McGonagall sighed through her nose, murmuring patiently, “The Minister for Magic will be here momentarily, then we’ll have some idea of when you will be back home to your… fish.”

Kiara could tell that Mel wanted to keep going, so she shot her a look, telling her to keep her mouth shut. None of them knew how much trouble they could potentially be in. A knock on the door caused everyone’s attention to snap from the awkwardness sitting in front of them.

“Uh, Headmistress, I hate to interrupt, but you’re needed in the great hall.”

Every single girl’s head slightly turned to peak at Ellie. Her cheeks were bright red as a result of Blaise Zabini’s sudden entrance into the room. The heads then swirled around to Kiara as Neville appeared beside him. Unlike Ellie, she was smirking and not embarrassed in the least.

“This is an emergency, Professor.”

The Headmistress nodded curtly, standing up from behind her desk. “There are charms and enchantments. I trust that you as young ladies in a strange place will not make a mockery of yourselves. Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Zabini, please stand and wait outside.”

Professor McGonagall’s emerald green cloak swept across the floor, it was almost as if her feet weren’t even touching it. Neville and Blaise stood aside to let McGonagall out of the room. The two looked over the group sitting in the office once before closing the door.

The moment that the lock clicked into place, Ana jumped out of her chair.

“Uhh, what are you doing?” Ellie questioned, swiveling around to watch as the blond hopped up the small stairs to where the Sorting Hat sat.

“Des, watch the door,” Ana instructed, looking at the hat closer. It was definitely old and musty, but it also sent something almost electrifying as she reached up to touch the brim.

Des grinned as she made her way to the door. She stopped in front of one of the portraits and met the eyes of Phineas Nigellus Black. “You look nothing like your descendant.”

Phineas Black snorted, breaking the silence of the portraits. “I shall be taking that as a compliment.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea…” Ellie pointed out. “What if something happens. We did just wind up in Hogwarts. That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“But we have gotten to see McGonagall, Neville, and even Blaise,” Kiara wiggled her eyebrows as she got up to join Ana.

“We’ll be right here, Ana,” Mel chimed in. She didn’t necessarily want to go first, but she was intrigued. It wasn’t everyday that you could be sorted by the very Sorting Hat that you’ve read about for years.

Eyes were wide as Ana picked the hat up off the shelf. Its face appeared almost instantly. It let out a yawn before it began to speak in a sing-songy way.

Adventure awaits for those who choose to accept it.

Not everything is what it seems,

But you all have the means.

Don’t forget from where you came, the path is lit.

If you choose to remain here,

A life new for you begins.

If the choice thins,

Leave this world with clear air.

Your placement is just that,

You’re getting it from a hat,

I have seen things from the past,

But the future arrives fast.

Keep your friends close,

Don’t let them go.

They will be more important than you know.

If you forget, you shall be left morose.

Now try me on,

Let’s see where you fall.

With me in your head,

You will hear the call.

“Woah,” Ana’s eyes were wide. The hat was calling out to them. She had to try it on. Pulling the hat over her hair, it sunk down below her eyes. The talking sent chills down her spine and the hat’s words are something that she will always hold close to her heart.

“Gryffindor!” the hat called out. The grin on Ana’s face told her friends all they needed to know.

“Ki, here. I think it’s your turn.” Ana’s grin held steadfast as she plopped the hat on Kiara’s head.

“Slytherin!” that hat called a mere moment after touching the girl’s dark hair.

“Okay, it’s my turn! El, watch the door!” Des made her way to where Kiara and Ana were already standing, throwing the hat onto her head.

“Gryffindor!” Des squealed, passing the hat to Ellie by the door.

“Common, nothing bad has happened yet!”

Ellie slowly pulled the hat down over her eyes. “Hufflepuff!” It shouted.

“Mel, you’re the last one.” Ana took the hat from Ellie, carrying it towards the girl who still sat in her chair, not yet moving. She took the hat eagerly. It took a bit longer than the others, but ultimately the hat made its decision.

“Slytherin!” Mel’s smile rivaled Ana’s when she first tried on the hat.

“Brilliant! Now we all know which houses we really belong in,” Ana clapped her hands, taking the hat shortly after and carefully placing it on the shelf. The hat looked as if no one had touched it.

Ana had just taken her seat when one swift knock signalled the reentry of Professor McGonagall and the entry of the Minister of Magic. Kingsley Shacklebolt glides into the room, looking at each girl. “I got your letter, Minerva. You were right; I had to see this.”

His deep brown eyes ran over each of the women individually; not missing how they shrink slightly under his investigative gaze. “Ladies, welcome. I’m sure you know where you are.”

They each nodded. “Nevertheless,” Kingsley continued, “You must understand how unusual this is.”

“That’s an understatement,” Kiara whispered under her breath.

“Oh! You’re the Minister of Magic! I’m happy that was true!” Ellie turned giddy. Kingsley, however, chose to ignore her comment, no matter how odd it was that a muggle knew about his position.

He nodded in greeting before speaking. “As you all know, this is highly unusual. Muggles should not be able to access Hogwarts. We are going to have to ask you questions. The ministry’s aurors will take care of that. If you would please follow Headmistress McGonagall, we will begin your individual sessions.”

“Alone? We can’t be questioned together?” Des spoke up.

“It is customary,” Kingsley replied simply.

One by one, each girl followed Professor McGonagall through the corridors. Neville brought up the rear, so naturally Kiara hung back. Ellie and Mel were chatting about the school towards the middle. Gushing about all the points that were correct in the book and the aspects that were completely left out, like the skylights that allowed so much sunlight into the darker corridors. Des and Ana were right up front, each thinking about what Kingsley Shacklebolt had in store for them.

“Anastasia? Follow me.” Ana entered the Great Hall first, no students to be seen anywhere yet. She exited in a little over half an hour, head still held high. “Kiara Jones.” Ki went next, exiting with the same grace that she’d held up through the entire journey so far. “Eloise Vienneau.” “Desiree Leighton.” “Melanie Hunter.”

Each girl in and out. Only consoling smiles could be provided in passing, no one daring to say much of anything at this point. They all endured the same rigorous questioning and felt as stressed as the one before them. Waiting in the hallway, students began passing by, whispering as they saw the girls years ahead of them.

Mel was starting to get anxious. The Aurors, Kingsley, and Professor McGonagall seemed to be taking ages in the Great Hall, no doubt discussing what to do with them all.

“Do you think they’re going to tell us what’s going on soon?” Mel asked, breaking the silence.

“If we don’t know what’s going on, I highly doubt that they do…” Kiara picked at her nails.

“They are well versed in magic though. They could have some ideas!” Ellie pointed out, taking Mel’s hand in her own.

“This is all just too unbelievable! When are they going to tell us something?” Mel hopped out of her chair and began pacing. The ground beneath her feet almost seemed as if it was heating up as her thoughts spiralled. Then, the candles began flickering.

“Uhhhh, Mel?” Des seemed to notice the change first. “Mel?!”

“WHAT?!” BOOM! The momentary outburst was just enough for an explosion. The side wall of the corridor cracked and a hole appeared...almost as if it was a way out.

“Woah.” Kiara’s jaw dropped.

“D-did I do that?” Mel asked, stepping away from the wall.

Before anyone could even begin answering her, the Great Hall doors swung wide open. “What is happening out here?!” Professor McGonagall’s eyes widened when she saw the hole. “WHO did this?”

Each girl stood in front of Mel, willing to stand with her to the end. Kingsley stood behind Professor McGonagall, with a small smile on his face. “It seems to me, Headmistress, that these young ladies may have magic. We shall figure out what their appearance means later, but I think we must see if they all possess a gift. Perhaps we should make arrangements?”

“You mean they are going to stay here?” Neville asked from beside McGonagall.

Kingsley turned back to the girls. “We’re unsure how you arrived or how to send you home, so we will have to find you places to stay. Mr. Zabini and Mr. Longbottom will escort you back to the Headmistress’ office. Wait there for further instructions.”

--------

For a while, they all felt comforted by the very presence of each other. If they were to stay here for an unknown amount of time, they were all in unspoken agreement that they would have each other to lean on through it all.

McGonagall remained seated at her desk. Blaise and Neville returned to flanking her as if bodyguards. Though they stood behind McGonagall their eyes were on a girl each. Blaise ran his eyes over Ellie, appraisingly, clearly happy with what he found when a slow smirk graced his lips.

Kiara watched Neville; each in a game of stalemate. Their conversation from the corridor played in both of their minds. The first of many, they both hoped.

The atmosphere in the office became charged as a knock sounded on the heavy wooden door. McGonagall’s voice rang out through the large office, granting those waiting outside permission to enter.

A small crowd of adults made their way into the room in a single file line. The five girls stood from their seats, following McGonagall’s lead. Upon the sight of the younger Malfoy, Mel brushed down her clothes and hair, making herself look somewhat presentable despite her sudden outburst of magic a moment ago.

Des’s eyes followed the lithe figure of a man each girl is familiar with. Sirius Black strutted into McGonagall’s office with the air of someone who had walked into their second home. Des’ eyes ran over the man, resisting the urge to shout ‘I told you so’ to his ancestor to the right of them. Remus Lupin accompanied Sirius into the office, Tonks not far behind. They had been aware of a situation in the castle, but they didn’t expect to see five supposed muggles standing a few steps behind McGonagall, each looking as if they’d fallen asleep expecting a dream and had instead, woken up in a nightmare.

The famous red hair of the Weasley family entered last; closing the door to the office behind them. Molly Weasley led the pack with Ron, George, and Fred following close behind her; Ron’s wary eyes running over the group of girls.

All families stood in the foyer to the office, all eyes on the five girls. The five girls eyed them all back, not sure whether to be star struck or nervous.

“Is this what Bubbles McGee feels like?” Mel wondered quietly. An amused snort left Kiara but both girls quickly fell silent with a look from McGonagall.

The silence was heavy, no one really knowing what to do, but Ana couldn’t hold it in anymore. She’d been looking at the twins for a moment too long. “FRED! YOU’RE ALIVE!” she squealed, feeling the excitement and relief flood over her.

Ellie quickly elbowed her in the ribs, knowing it would be better to keep their knowledge about the Wizarding World a secret. Des, Kiara, and Mel were no help though as they joined Ana's outburst. Ellie was relieved too, but she couldn’t help but shake her head while Fred just looked at his brothers with a massive smirk on his face. He could get used to five girls being happy that he was alive and around.

McGonagall cleared her throat, bringing the girls’ rambling to an end.

“We’ve encountered an unusual situation. These five girls landed in my office over two hours ago now and we have no idea why. Minister Shacklebolt questioned them and they’ve been determined to have magical powers though to what extent, we do not know.” McGonagall fixed her gaze on the five girls behind her, “Would you introduce yourselves to our guests?”

Individually, they introduced themselves for the second time that day.

“Desiree Leighton.”

“Melanie Hunter.”

“Eloise Vienneau.”

“Anastasia Weston.”

“Kiara Jones.”

Narcissa Malfoy stepped forward, a smile painted across her vivid red lips, “What would you like us to do, Headmistress?”

“As I stated in my owl, I’d like you to house these girls. They are to report to me each morning before their lessons here, but they need a place to stay where they can also come to terms with this extraordinary situation.”

Sirius stepped forward, grey eyes on Des, “I’ll take Desiree, if she’d like? She’d be very comfortable at Grimmauld Place.”

Des beamed, “I have a feeling I’ll be very comfortable there too, thank you.”

Remus stepped forward, clapping Sirius on the shoulder, “Would Kiara like to come with us? It would help with the trip to Hogwarts, and I have a feeling you’d like to start Herbology early.” Remus, as observant as ever, had not missed Kiara’s quick glance at Neville when introducing herself.

Molly Weasley raised her hand in the air, “We have room enough for one. We’re housing Harry at the moment until he finds his own place to stay so it’s only Bill’s room that’s empty as of right now.”

Ana smiled at the matriarch of the Weasley family, “I’d like to stay with you if that’s okay? I like the idea of being with a large family.” Ana played with her fingers shyly as she waited for Molly’s response.

Molly beamed, warm eyes crinkled at the corners, “Of course, dear.” Her eyes individually meet those of each girl, “Though you are all welcome at the Burrow any time. And Ana, I’ll take you to Diagon Alley to get whatever you may need for school.”

All of the other families nodded in agreement, letting a wave of relief float over the girls. They now had a little peace of mind knowing that they didn’t have to worry about buying robes, books, wands, and potions ingredients themselves.

“Would any of you like to stay with the Malfoys?” McGonagall prompted, a hand outstretched toward Narcissa and Draco.

Mel stepped forward as if propelled by a deep instinct, hand in the air. “I volunteer as tribute.”

Ellie smirked, “Of course you do. I’ll also go with the Malfoys.”

Mel grinned at Ellie, “Eager to see another Slytherin, Ellie?”

Ellie laughed, “Just as eager as you, Mel.”

McGonagall clapped her hands together, calling the room's attention to her. “Now that that is settled, I’ll let you go with your respective families – please don’t cause too much trouble.”

McGonagall watched the girls walk away with a familiar feeling settling deep in her gut. Minerva McGonagall had survived the Marauders, had survived the Weasley twins and yet she had a feeling these five girls were going to cause more trouble than the Marauders and Weasley’s put together.

******

Journey to Hogwarts taglist: @just-an-outstanding-auror​ @jenniweaslee​ @the-hufflefluffwriter​

[eleven-times-lively]

The Holidays

In which reader and Fred have to stay happy for their daughters. 💕

Summary: You and Fred can’t seem to get along, but you’re going to have to keep it together for the holidays. Word Count: 2140 Note: Honestly I felt a lot better about this chapter. It still isn’t as long as I’d like, and I kinda feel like I’m dragging out the story at this point, but hopefully it’ll come together.

You stood on the platform, smiling as the train pulled in with a screech. Excited, joyful children flooded out of every door to meet their waiting parents. The girls ran up to you, practically jumping into your arms.

“Mummy!”, they both exclaimed in unison.

“Hello, girls,” you chuckled, giving them each a hug and a kiss on the head. You double-checked that they had everything for the break before leading them out of the station. “I’m sorry daddy couldn’t be here to see your return, girls.”

“It’s alright, mum,” Cassie said, “Business trips are important, too.”

You simply hummed in response, lips pressed into a thin line. You felt horrible lying to the girls, but you certainly weren’t about to tell them that their parents weren’t exactly on speaking terms at the moment. You apparated the girls back home, where they quickly dashed inside.

“We’re home!” Callie exclaimed, running up to their bedroom. You chuckled, admiring your exuberant daughter.

“Get settled in girls,” you called up the stairs. “Then come down because I just have to hear about school!” You gazetted up the stairs as you saw the girls round the corner into their rooms. It was a heady feeling, really. This important moment, and you were doing it alone. Yet, for some reason, it felt right. Sure, it was weird not having Fred right at your side, but you weren’t exactly struggling without him. You sighed deeply, thinking about the holidays to come. Christmas was in two days, and you and Fred would have to play nice.

The girls finally took their seats at the table, and you handed them each a cup of tea before sitting across from them. “So, girls-”

“When’s daddy coming back?” You were cut off by Callie.

You chuckled, “Well, unfortunately daddy and uncle Georgie are very busy. I’m afraid we won’t see them until Christmas.”

“Oh,” Callie whispered, turning red as she stared down at the floor. “No no no, don’t cry,” you whispered, rushing over and crouching down beside her. You cupped her cheeks in your hands. “I know this is hard, but you’ll both see daddy soon enough. I promise.” She gave you a weak smile as you kissed her forehead. “So,” you began, attempting to change the subject, “Tell me all about Hogwarts!”

You were met with a barrage of stories and shouts as the girls tried to talk over one and other. Callie talked about all of her new friends and discovering something new about the castle everyday, while Cassie discussed her favorite classes and plans to become a prefect in the future. You smiled and nodded as they spoke, occasionally interjecting or asking a question. It was a relief to finally have your girls home. The thing you had been dreading had already proven to be a much needed distraction.

After more conversation, serving the girls’ favorite dinner, and building a snowman, you all went to bed. For the first time in two days you slept soundly, peacefully. Everything felt alright.

***

Fred awoke with a start, a feeling of panic bubbling within. Christmas Eve he thought. He shot out of bed, pacing as he tried to clear his thoughts. How were the girls? Were they upset he wasn’t there? Will Christmas work out as planned? All of the uncertainty and tension of the last forty eight hours was finally starting to get to Fred. He felt dizzy and the floor seemed to sway beneath him. Fortunately, George pulled him out of his thoughts with a slam of the bedroom door. George stood staring at the current state of his brother, perplexed at the sight. Fred Weasley wasn’t one to get nervous, and seeing him like this made George want to do nothing except help his brother.

“Fred?”, he asked, gazing at his brother.

“Yeah,” Fred muttered, not fully paying attention to George

“Let’s do something today, yeah? Get your mind off of everything?” George walked over to his twin, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Fred looked at his brother, contemplating what to say. “There isn’t much to do, Georgie.”

“How about Hogsmeade? For old time’s sake?”

Fred smiled weakly, agreeing with his twin. The two apparated away to the snowy village, hoping to occupy their Christmas Eve.

***

“Girls!”, you called up the stairs from the kitchen. You were getting breakfast set on the table. You wanted to make breakfast special for the girls. Sure they had a full breakfast every morning at Hogwarts, but you wanted to do anything to help them feel like normal.

The twins came dashing down the stairs and into their spots at the kitchen island. “Happy Christmas Eve, ladies.” You smiled warmly at them.

Callie yawned lazily, taking a bite of her toast. 

The day went by slowly. The three of you made gingerbread houses, finished wrapping presents, and even went for a walk in the snow. It was nice having the girls all to yourself for once. The past eleven years had been spent just keeping them safe and alive, and then you didn’t see them for four months. So to have them to just you was surprisingly pleasant. You quickly realised that your girls had matured astronomically in just four months. The giggling, bubbling twins that had left you returned as intelligent, polite witches. Sure they were still exuberant and joyful, but they had an air of intelligence and newfound wisdom about them. It was surely a welcome sight. You dreaded the thought of Christmas. The day that was meant to bring nothing but joy was causing you the most stress you’d felt in a while. You went to bed that night wondering if maybe you should just apparate with the girls to somewhere remote and skip Christmas altogether. But you couldn’t do that to Fred. You still had some decency in you. Right?

***

Christmas morning. Snow should be falling, carollers singing, cookies being baked. While all of this was happening, it didn’t feel real. For Fred, it was some mirage passing by; another life happening without him. The early morning floated by in an instant. Filled with red-haired anarchy and bustling family joy, yet Fred sat steadfast in the middle. Sure he was participating, but his mind was off elsewhere. Soon enough midday came, and you would be arriving soon. 

Fortunately for you and Fred, no one except Molly, George, and Charlie knew what was going on. Thank Merlin they agreed to not say anything, lest you have an army of Weasleys throwing questions at you or single-handedly trying to fix your marriage themselves. Another fortunate side effect was that it gave you and Fred another reason to play nice. Not only was it for the girls, but for your own sanity. 

Pulling him out of his thoughts was none other than you, knocking at the door. Closest was Bill, who stood and gladly welcomed the three of you inside. The twins swiftly dodged their uncle and went straight for Fred.

“Daddy!”, they shrieked in unison, tackling him with hugs. You chuckled awkwardly, inching inside the doorway just enough to shut the door and keep the cold out. Molly was quick to embrace you, taking your coat and whispering to you how proud she was, and that she could never love you any less. You gave her a weak smile, walking across the room to Fred. 

Your forced smile was practically painful. The tension was tangible, even to the twins. Loosen up, you thought, this needs to work. “Hi,” you whispered, giving him a quick kiss.

“Hi, love,” he muttered, forcing a smile at you. Any sane person would have seen right through the act, but thankfully everyone else was distracted with the gifts under the tree.

Wrapping paper was swiftly strewn about in a flurry of gifts, cheers, and thanks. It was quite a wonderful sight, seeing the family completely united and sharing in the joyous occasion. Even more so now that nearly everyone had children of their own. It’s astounding what troubles can be lying just under the surface; the fights and arguments that not a soul knew about. 

The Weasley jumpers were passed around as everyone asked the girls questions about Hogwarts. You all learned new things, heard stories of the girls adventures, and got the latest Hogwarts gossip. The distraction was nice, and for a moment you could’ve forgotten that anything was wrong. A reminder, however, was quickly brought to you when Callie asked what you and Fred had been up to whilst her and her sister were gone. 

“Well,” you began, stiffening in your seat, “We did many things.”

“Like what?” Cassie interjected, now interested. Her bright, wide eyes gleamed up at you, all the hope in the world contained within them. 

You chuckled lightly. “Well we had some new products for Halloween, we hosted Thanksgiving, and now your father is working on some new product.” You smiled, trying to diffuse the tension you had created. Fred had heard the conversation, but figured his involvement would only spark more of the girls’ curiosity. Seemingly satisfied, Cassie dashed off to entertain the new pygmy puffs she’d received, however Callie still seemed suspicious. 

“Seems less than normal, mum.”

“Pardon?”

“Well you and dad usually have all kinds of projects and products going on. One release and a questionable one on the way? Just doesn’t seem like you is all.”

You stared down at her, unsure of how to proceed. “Well I suppose you girls are our inspiration.” You winked at her, then hesitated. Pleased with your answer, Callie ran off to join her sister. You sat frozen for a moment, processing what you had said. Also hearing your sentiment, Fred began to tear up. He quickly made way upstairs before any Weasleys had a chance to notice. Noticing his hasty egress, you followed him upstairs.

“Fred?”, you whispered cautiously as you lightly rapped on the bedroom door. You crept inside, finding Fred nearly in tears on the bed. “Fred,” you softened, staring down at him.

“We need to do something, y/n.” His red, teary eyes blinked up at you, frown sinking his face. He continued before you could respond. “I mean, you heard yourself. Those girls are our inspirations. Our driving force, our light and joy, our happiness y/n. Yes, I know parenting distracted from our marriage, but think about everything those girls have truly done for us. They need us, we need them.”

You simply nodded in agreement, blinking back your own tears as you stared down at him. “I know, Fred,” was all you could manage to whisper, carefully sitting next to him. “I don’t want to lose this, Fred.” The tears began to stream freely from your eyes. “These holidays, your family, the happiness and comfort. Being with you, having a family, being together and actually happy. I miss that, Freddie.”

His heart sank hearing the old nickname. It always used to make him blush, and he hadn’t heard it in months. “I don’t know what to do, y/n.”

“Can we do this ourselves?”, you questioned, staring up at him. “I mean, are we so beyond the point of repair that we can’t do this ourselves?”

“Are you suggesting--”

“Muggle therapy.” 

He took a sharp breath in, squeezing his eyes shut. “Do you really think we need it?”

“I’m not sure, Fred. I’d like to think that this is only a minor issue that we can fix if we can just manage to talk without fighting-”

“Well if you didn’t always start something…”

“Fred! This is exactly what I mean! This is clearly a deep-rooted issue that's been growing for eleven years! Maybe longer.” You shuddered at the thought of your marriage being in disrepair for longer than the lives of your daughters. 

He took a long, deep breath, not wanting to speak any more. “We need help.” He looked down, gently caressing your hand with the tips of his fingers. 

In silent approval, you took his hand in your own. You sighed, resting your head on his shoulder. “I still love you, Fred.”

“I love you, y/n. I know it’s been hard, but you can’t get rid of me that easy,” he chuckled lightly. “I’ll put up one hell of a fight to keep you.”

You smiled against his skin, leading him to stand up. “Thank you,” you whispered, heading out of the doorway.

“Why?”

“We actually came to an agreement. We have a solution.”

He nodded, smiling as he took your hand and led you downstairs. 

Your own smiles were met with a dozen more as you rounded the corner into the living room. The feeling was new, but it was normal. You hadn’t realised how much you missed Fred until you had him back, and you were willing to do anything to not lose him again.

*** Taglist: @it-was-three-am​ @bforbroadway​ @hariosborn​ @slytherinlovesgryffindor​ @dralf0yy​ @paigeyisme​ @girl22334​ @sagittarius-flowerchild​

[huarens]

everything | njm

pairing : jaemin x reader

genre : soulmates? idk hard to explain

word count : 3k

summary : you were jaemin’s everything, at least, everything but his.

notes : i’m tired of struggling to write this so i’m releasing it as is pls take this away from me it’s been taunting me in my drafts for almost a year

if someone were to ask jaemin what his favorite color was, he would, without doubt, reply with yellow.

 'why?' they'd ask him, well why not?

all colors were stunning to jaemin, and to have a world filled with so many was astounding, he found yellow to be the prettiest of them all. it just felt, warm. like sitting by the fireplace on a cold rainy day, or sitting under the sun with a book in hand, just, home. and when he went to the park with his parents or bike-riding with friends, even when he was playing with his toys next to the window, he was always on the lookout for something yellow. he's also tried staring into the sun a couple of times to try and make out the yellow glare it radiated. but then his parents would scold him and tell him he would never see anything again if he kept looking. 

and the stars.

his parents would take him out to the backyard, along with his dad's telescope, and point out all the constellations to him. he could care less about the shapes, meanings, and history. it was the faint yellow shine and twinkle they gave off that he was infatuated with.

so to say he was disappointed when his parents told him he'd be losing color in both eyes by the time he reached seven was an understatement.

he had a fit, a tantrum so loud that the whole neighborhood could hear. his screams, his desperate sobs for his parents to tell him that they were lying, that they were joking, all were heard. he only stopped once his parents told him that he would see color again when he met his soulmate.

jaemin asked them through small hiccups what they meant. someone you're destined to be with, they had said. someone who'll make you feel like you're flying, someone who'll love you in a way no one, not even his parents, could. and then they told him their love story, it was riveting. the obstacles and trouble they went through to be together, from being game buddies, both on different sides of the country, to present (jaemin blocked out the part where they decided to explain in explicit detail to how jaemin came to be). and it was then at the age of six, jaemin was set on the idea of finding his soulmate. they're out there somewhere, he thought, he just has to find them.

jaemin met you in second grade. you kept hugging him throughout the day, the teacher scolding you multiple times for touching him without permission. he didn't mind it though. from there, a friendship blossomed. play dates were scheduled every other day, either your house or his. his parents practically called you their own, they never saw a day where they came home and you weren't there to greet them. your parents also loved jaemin, saying they'd wish you'd end up with him so they'd keep him forever. a happy childhood you and jaemin had, although it was just a countdown to the inevitable.

before jaemin knew it, his seventh birthday came. he watched as the clock slowly struck down to 12. he spent the first hour of his birthday crying, tears flowing like waterfalls as he blew out the candles, his parents comforting him as he waited for the clock to strike one.

usually, a child would lose all color by the end of the first hour of their birthday, yet jaemin's fate never came. three hours had passed, cake all eaten, cartoons playing on the tv as his parents passed out on the couch next to each other.

jaemin sat in the kitchen, poking at the untouched fruit tray his parents bought earlier. the strawberries looked as red as ever, he still could see color.

how?

jaemin didn't know when he moved to his room, but jaemin woke up buried in his bed, covers pulled all the way up to his chin. he rubbed his eyes, barely functioning on the three hours of sleep he got.

once he got downstairs, his parents were waiting at the kitchen table, both in deep conversation as he walked by to get a glass of water.

he was watching TV when his dad came and sat next to him, handing jaemin his little paw patrol sippy cup then putting an arm around his shoulder.

"what color is that guys pants?" his dad had asked, pointing on the screen as a character popped up out of a hole.

"green. it looks stupid." jaemin replies, leaning into his dad as the cartoon continued on.

"jaemin.. how are you feeling?"

"i feel good, why?" jaemin looks up, his mother slowly making her way towards the couch to sit.

"it seems you must've already met your soulmate jaems, either that or we got your birthday mixed up. we're hoping it's the former though." his mother laughed airily, her smile not quite making it to her eyes.

jaemin is confused, who could it be? no one comes to mind as jaemin thinks about who he could possibly be destined with. as far as he knew, all of his current friends could no longer see color. 

except for you.

you were the only one out of all the kids he knew that could still see color and your seventh birthday had passed nearly three months ago. in fact, just two days ago you had told him the brown in his right eye was shinier than the brown in his other eye (he still thinks it was because his eye was watering after you punched him straight in the gut during your game of tag.) 

there's no doubt about it, it had to be you.

the next day at school, all of his friends crowd him, too many questions as to why he still knew what color shirt he had on, or if he could tell them what color everyone’s behavior card was. jaemin pushes them aside, spotting you on the other side of the room playing near the toybox. 

"y/n, y/n, y/n! we're soulmates y/n!" jaemin gets ahold of your shoulders and plops himself right in front of you, knocking over your tower of markers. 

you stare at him for a second, your small hands balling into fists before you scream,

"stop jaemin! don't say that, you'll curse me!" you clapped both hands over your ears, scrambling to get up and run as far as you could from jaemin.

he begins to chase you around the classroom, making kissy faces and extending his arms out as far as he could to get ahold of you.

"no! i don't want it to be you! you have cooties, and i hate cooties!"

jaemin slows to a stop.

"you have a big head too! if i have to be your soulmate, i'd... i'd run away to jeju island so you never marry me! i don't ever want to be your friend ever again! never!"

"you'll love me, you'll understand it in your big pretty head when we're bigger! i'll be your boyfriend" jaemin yells after you.

and that's the last time you ever spoke to jaemin for a while.

as time grew, so did the both of you.

jaemin is now 17 and entering his senior year. he has made it through middle school and lost a few friends. some of them finding their soulmate and leaving him for them. but he's also made some new friends, people who have yet to meet their lover.

he still sees you around the school, and if he’s lucky, in his classes some days.

today was one of those days.

you were handing out flyers advertising the after-school photography club, sliding one on jaemin’s desk while he was turned away talking to one of his friends.

you were gone before jaemin had a chance to ask you about it though, but it was alright. 

he’d see you after school for the club.

photography club was lamer than he expected it to be. 

the first day in and the teacher had already assigned projects, he didn’t even know projects existed in clubs. 

“let’s start this year off with a picture portfolio yeah?” the teacher had said, “something meaningful, significant. something we can cherish for a while.”

partner projects, jaemin recalls, take photos of something that means a lot. 

and he had been partnered with you.

jaemin doesn’t really know how to feel standing next to you.

everyone was outside taking pictures with their partners, taking pictures of random objects around them. 

“jaemin! What do you think about this picture?” you appear by his side, handing him a camera.

“isn’t it a nice grey?”

jaemin is puzzled, “it looks red to me?”

“it’s red..? I couldn’t really tell…” you laugh, and jaemin realizes how awkward he made the situation.

“you… you can’t see color?”

“yeah, i faded back in seventh grade. you know, when we weren’t talking.” you smiled, although it didn’t seem sincere.

“oh.”

silence takes over for a while, and jaemin’s about to try and make an excuse to leave before he hears someone call out his name. 

“jaemin! we finally found you.”

his group of friends come over, not yet realizing you were standing there. The five of them instead trying to find their remaining friend.”

“wheres renjun?” asked jeno, he pulled out his phone to call. 

“oh he’s coming, he lost his phone” jisung answers, “well he thinks he lost his phone, i have it in my pocket.” smiling, he waves around the said phone in his hand. 

“jisung, you’re the biggest asshole alive!”

renjun catches up with the rest of them, looking around until he had finally locked eyes with y/n.

there was a moment of silence, most of them asking renjun why he had gotten so quiet all of the sudden.

renjun runs up to you, taking your hand in his, pulling you in for a hug. 

“it’s you.”

it took a while for jaemin to realize that it wasn’t him.

he wasn’t the one. 

no, it was renjun.

renjun was your soulmate.

you weren't his.

everyday was a chore, you had now joined his group of friends, and there was never a moment where and renjun weren’t all on each other.

it was the same routine, wake up, go to school, watch you and renjun make out for 8 hours, then back home.

no day where it didn’t hurt less than the last. 

but jaemin’s used to it at this point. 

the day jaemin had found out you and renjun were soulmates, he ran home, making the excuse that he had chores he forgot he had to get done.

as soon as he got through his front door, he kicked off his shoes, making a beeline to his room.

he tore his folder of photos he had developed in the school's darkroom that day out of his backpack, along with the essay he had started on.

and he began to rip them, the heartache in his chest mixed with his rage threatening to tear himself apart. 

after he had finished with his tantrum, he cursed fate once more, he cursed the broken system, his parents for birthing him in the first place, renjun, everything he could place the blame on.

everything but you.

because it wasn’t your fault,

it’ll never be your fault.

just jaemin’s for ever loving you in such a way.

it was new years, the clock only five minutes until midnight, 

everyone was busy finding someone to kiss, everyone but jaemin.

he had gotten tired of the god-awful house music blaring through the speakers and just wanted to find a bathroom.

jaemin walked up the stairs, trying to remember where jeno had told him the bathroom was before he saw a glimpse of you pulling renjun into the same bathroom he was headed for. 

as the door closes, jaemin can’t help but tear up again.

and spends the start of his year crying on a stairwell. 

jaemin stumbles into his apartment,struggling to find the light switch next to the door as he takes off his shoes.

another tiring day at his job. he had messed up so many times, his manager took it out on his paycheck. 

a pile of mail was waiting for him on the kitchen counter, his roommate had probably brought it in without feeling the need to sort it.

as he sifts through the stack, a golden envelope embellished with a red wax seal caught his eye. his name and address in silver sharpie on the front. 

he wishes he hadn’t opened it, however, for as soon as he cuts it open, a picture of you and renjun falls out.

an invitation to your wedding. 

he can’t help but stare at you on the front of the card, smiling at renjun. 

jaemin leaves it on the counter, ignoring the rest of the mail and going straight to his room.

and he cries himself to sleep for the first time in a while

 jaemin could barely hold it together as he waits, sweat forming at the back of his neck as he stands nervously. he was on the verge of losing it right then and there, his hands were shaking as if he had just come in from the cold. as if it couldn't get any worse, the crowd silences, the lights dim slightly as soon as the organ starts playing.

the doors opened, revealing you.

from your hair, your wedding dress to even the heels you wore on your feet, jaemin couldn't help but fall in love with you all over again.

you were beautiful. you were ethereal. you were everything.

he watched as you walked down the aisle, you were decked in yellow, the color radiating and bouncing off every surface in the room with each step you took. It was almost as if you were the sun, the center of the universe, everyone else just meaningless little stars and futile planets underneath you. 

you stepped up onto the altar, hand in hand with renjun, a broad smile fitted on your face. he's sure it was brighter than the yellow marigolds you held in your hand. 

the priest began his long monologue, but jaemin tunes it out. all he saw was you. the sweat was gone, his hands no longer shaking in his pockets. 

“does anyone object to this marriage?”

’i do.’ jaemin says, wanting to run out and stand in front of you, to take your hand in his.

but, of course, jaemin doesn’t have enough courage to say it out loud.

he watches as renjun dips you down, pressing his lips against yours, sealing the deal as newlywed soulmates. the room erupted into a cheer, clapping and whistling, yet he couldn't seem to bring his hands up to clap, for he already knew what came next.

a tear found it's way down his face as the colors around him began to slowly fade. it started with his surroundings. the wedding venue, once decorated in mass amounts of gold and silver now just shimmering shades of greys and whites. He could no longer tell what color his suit was, or what shade his skin could be. your dress was no longer the mesmerizing yellow you once walked in with, the marigolds in your hands now a dull tone. 

jaemin smiles. he knows you would most definitely be blushing now, the pink tint that usually adorns your face a dove grey. he continues to smile as he watches you and renjun run down the aisle.

what he didn’t know was just how much it was going to hurt. jaemin was sure fate was taunting him at this point, laughing at him as he stood there, barely able to contain himself.

it's okay, he says. jaemin tilts his head back, clenching his eyes closed as they started to water, his chin trembling.

 you're happy. and that's all that matters to him.

he let the torrent of tears dampen the collar of his shirt, suffocating on each unsteady breath he took. jaemin rubbed at his eyes consistently, staining them red, and making his eyebags ever the more evident. 

he knows his makeup is smudged by now, pale concealer a dark contrast to his suit and red lip balm all over his sleeve.

at least, that’s what he thinks the color of his lip balm was, he can’t remember.

everyone files out of the ballroom, making their way to the front of the building to congratulate the newlyweds, leaving jaemin by himself in the now empty room.

he feels someone pat his back, it’s jisung.

“i know it hurts.”

jisung sends him a sad reassuring smile and then follows the crowd out.

the silence is even more deafening now, his own sobs making his head feel like it’ll burst at any given second. All his defenses washed away along with his salty tears.   

jaemin could barely hear the car drive off, applause and cans hitting against asphalt as party-goers get into their cars to drive to the restaurant.

he bitterly laughs to himself, it all finally setting into his skin.

he’s alone.

he’s truly alone now.

no one for him to love, and no one to love him.

jaemin finally calms down enough to step down from where he stood on the altar, only a few feet away from where you were no more than thirty minutes ago.

he could've been the one next to you

he could've been the one to slip that ring on your finger,

then take your hand, and laugh with you as you both ran out.

but it's okay he says,

it's okay.

jaemin walks out of the hall, and takes a breath of fresh air. 

it was all going to be okay.

you were his everything.

at least,

everything but his.

[purplesurveys]

623

Do you actually think it's gross to talk about body functions? No, I’ve always thought it’s something that should be normalized. They’re just stuff that has to do with the body, it’s a natural thing. Would you rather sleep (zzz) alone or next to your SO? Sleeping with my girlfriend is always nicer. I wake up a couple times because she tends to put her head over mine or her legs over my entire body, but the sleep is just infinitely better. I’m more likely to sleep in, too. Are you trying to forget about something? Yes, actually. Thank you for being considerate. Have you ever sent a love letter? I don’t know what counts as a ~love letter, but I have handwritten several letters for my girlfriend over the years. When you look up at the sky do you ever NOT see a plane or vapor trail? Yes. Planes only come by every few hours where I live. They’d cross a lot more often in urban cities like Taguig or Pasay, which are right beside an airport.

Have you dated someone of another race? No. Probably worth nothing Gab is part Turkish but nevertheless, she identifies as Filipino.   Do you wear any shoes with holes because you can't give them up? Not for that reason, but yeah I’ve done this. When I first started college, was horribly depressed, and didn’t care about my wardrobe just yet, I used to wear my super worn-out white Keds – the soles came off every time I took a step – because they were my only pair of sneakers and I didn’t care enough to get a new pair. When you go out to breakfast, what do you order? I never really get to do that because as a night owl, I hate going out for food too early in the day; but when my family does want to go out to get breakfast I like getting an Eggs Benedict. If we’re someplace simpler, I’m just as happy with pancakes with chocolate chips topped with whipped cream and peanut butter. Have you ever had a job that required a uniform? No. My internship company wasn’t strict and just asked me to report to work in smart casual. What's the best compliment you've gotten from a boss/teacher? I didn’t want to read my internship supervisor’s evaluation of me after I finished my stint but I got tempted to and felt great after – I don’t remember the exact words but basically she said she was astounded that I worked as well as I did for my age. That’s always nice to hear. As for high school, I was a bit of a headache for all my teachers so I never really got to hear compliments from any of them, which I deserve anyway. What's a weird or interesting nickname you gave someone? Does a dog count? :(( We’d sometimes call my dog Kimi ‘Kimi Chameleon’ inspired by the song Karma Chameleon. I’d occasionally call him Kimchi too. Is there a phrase or mantra you repeat when you are frightened? I’m not really sold on the idea of relying on a mantra when I’m in a stressful situation, because I don’t like the possibility of it disappointing me if I end up not getting what I want or if things don’t go my way. What are you most envious of? People born with loads of privilege. I won’t deny that I do have it myself especially in the Philippine context, but there’ll always be people who are one tier higher on this kind of tower, and I hate that. Do you have a friend with a habit that worries you? Tina is a workaholic and will literally forget to eat for 24 hours straight just trying to get a task done, and that is very worrisome. Would you rather have coffee, cocoa, tea, or soda? I have had had two cups of coffee today and zero water, so water would technically be the best option right now hahaha but it’s not in this set so I’ll go for the second best pick – cocoa. When you walk into your best friend's room, what do you smell? It smells like a clean bedroom with clean, fresh bedsheets. What can I say, their house helper keeps it very clean haha. Have you ever purposely broken something that belonged to a sibling? Nah, I’ve never been that spiteful even as a kid. Do you have any hipster friends? That’s not a term these days anymore but Gabie used to be a FULL-ON hipster. Everything about her four years ago just screamed it. Have you ever worked at the same place as your best friend? No. Do you like to visit famous people's homes? I mean I’ve never done it. Do you take days off from shaving when you can get away with it? Yesssssssss it can be so much work, so I like days where I can skip it. What color do you see when you shut your eyes tight? Just black. How would you react if you found out your crush had a terminal disease? Drive over to their house right now, cry a lot, and stay with them all night. Has anyone ever baked you cookies? Our house helper used to bake me cookies everyday when I’d get home from school back when I was in elementary. At one point they discontinued whatever cookie mix it was that my mom would buy and that was the end of the cookie-baking as we knew it. Such a shame tbh because that mix was so delicious :( What's the lamest present you've ever given? I’d never call any present I get lame. If someone got me a gift, that’s enough for me. Would you rather eat free hotdogs or pizza you pay for yourself? Pay for pizza. I feel like I’d get tired of hotdogs eventually, especally because it isn’t even one of my favorite food. Do you ever wear socks with holes in them? No, cos none of the socks I own have them. Is there anything hanging on your bathroom walls? Not hanging, but either taped or sticky-tacked. If your SO agreed, would you want an open relationship? Never. Have you ever slept with three people in the same bed? When? Why? Yes. It was my 18th birthday, I spent it with close friends (at the time) at the Marco Polo, and we shared a bed because it’d be impossible to ask for like, six separate beds for one hotel room. Does your family regularly eat sit down meals together? Only when my dad is home. When it’s just my mom and us, we can go with eating separately. Which is a little sad, but that’s that. Who would you like to slow dance with? To what song? Gab. I’ve always found the song Turning Page by Sleeping At Last to be so moving, so maybe that. What's your favorite pet name someone calls you? Meh, I’m pretty basic. I get called baby, I respond positively lmao. If you could talk to one species of animal what woud it be? Dog. It’d be nice to know what mine thinks about on a daily basis, haha. What's the largest animal you've ever seen in person? Probably an elephant. Have you ever used the change counting machine at a store or mall? No, we don’t have that here and had absolutely no idea that those were a thing. The first time I ever learned about them was in Ellen Degeneres’ video of her and Michelle Obama going to like a Target or something, and I was so AMAZED. That must be so convenient. Would you give mouth to mouth to your dog to save its life? Yes. If you came with a warning label, what would it say? ‘Will probably ask to have some of your food’ Hahaha AT LEAST I ASK Have you ever tried to learn a language on your own? Yes. I honestly cannot tell you how many times I’ve downloaded-deleted-downloaded Duolingo to learn Spanish and Korean. Where do you keep your change at home? I don’t keep change at home, everything’s just in my wallet. Have you ever had a pet destroy something valuable or important? It wasn’t very important but he did gnaw at my old radio’s cord. When I was in fifth grade I was very attached to my radio and him chewing at the cord was when I had to say bye to the radio. I wasn’t too devastated about it after, but I was still a little bummed of course. What's the best burger EVER? Pound’s Amsterdam Burger slaps harrrrrd. Did you ever show up late for an important event? Gab and I arrived embarrassingly late at a friend’s debut a couple of years ago. Our table definitely earned the right to give us death glares when we had finally arrived.

[zephfair]

Get to Know the Author

I was tagged by @desperatlytryingtowriteabook so this is about my fanfic (or lack thereof)

1. Is there a story you’re holding off on writing for some reason?

I have 10+ fics either mostly done or heavily outlined and I just don’t want to post them. I’m not super active in any fandom anymore so I know none of the fics are very good and I just don’t care enough to put them out there. They’re all fluff or humor or smut.

2. What work of yours, if any, are you embarrassed about existing?

Eh, I’m not embarrassed about any fic I’ve written because they all meant something to me at the time, even the weird one with alien sex.

3. What order do you write in? Front of book to back? Chronological? Favourite scenes first? Something else?

Mostly chronological, I guess. When I get an idea, I just start writing as fast as I can if the outline is developing in my head. I want to get down all the ideas I have, whether or not only a fourth of them make the final cut. That helps with the chronology and then all the little dialogue snippets I come up with as I go along. Once that’s done, it’s easier to go back to the beginning and fill it all in.

4. Favourite character you’ve written?

I love writing Riario from Da Vinci’s Demons and Gustav from Tokio Hotel.

5. Character you were most surprised to end up writing?

Gustav, definitely. And Grimmjow from Bleach.

6. Something you would go back and change in your writing that it’s too late/complicated to change now?

Sometimes I get a hankering to go back and edit stuff to make it tighter but I’m too lazy. The only fic I’ve ever done that to is Thick as Thieves because it got weirdly popular for about a minute and every time I looked over it I found things I wanted to fix, particularly over-explaining and over-describing things. So I gave it a trim and hope that it reads a little better now.

7. When asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

The only people who know I write fanfic are online friends and I’ve had generally positive reactions from them. There was only one fandom I can think of that really looked down its nose at fanfic but I told them right off I was writing so they could judge me all they wanted.

8. Favourite genre to write?

Comedy, fluff and action. I break out in hives when I read or think about angst. And I always argue that there is a big difference between drama and angst. Drama is necessary in anything that isn’t a total fluff or slapstick comedy ficlet, but drama is good. I just can’t handle angst where everything bad happens and then more bad happens and then there is an unhappy ending.

9. What, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

I’ve been reading a lot thanks to Amazon Kindle’s freebie program thing and oh boy, does it make me appreciate good fanfic even more! Also it really helps to re-watch or re-read the source material for the fandom I want to write in. That usually brings up some more ideas for fix-it fic or adding on a scene here and there. Or suddenly realizing all the UST there was between two characters that I didn’t see a decade ago.

10. Write in silence or with background music? Alone or with others?

I have to have background noise, preferably the TV set to sports or sitcom reruns, something I won’t be paying attention to. I live alone so there’s that, but if I’m somewhere with a long wait, I’ve been known to write smut at the hairdressers and fluff fic at the garage waiting for my oil change.

11. What aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?

I think my fanfic has actually gotten worse since I started posting on AO3. I feel like I hit a plateau during Teen Wolf days and then actually went downhill with characterizations and writing style. I lost the showing part of the stories and started getting lazy and relying on the telling.

12. Your weaknesses as an author?

Plots, omg, what are Plots???? I just don’t have the energy, time or creativity to come up with and execute any multi-chapter, intricately plotted fanfics. I admire and kiss the feet of fanfic authors who do. I’m madly jealous of you guys! Also lately the telling rather than showing thing, as I said.

13. Your strengths as an author?

I don’t have any. I guess I’m reasonably good at clean copy—spelling, grammar, punctuation.

14. Do you make playlists for your work?

Nah, I don’t listen to music while I write. But I do have a list of songs that reminded me of the DVD bandfic whose title I honestly can’t remember at the moment...it’s the longest title I ever made but it cracked me up at the time. Every time I hear one of those songs, I immediately think of those guys. I never shared it because it’s a weird mix of 80s and 90s hair bands, some 2010s pop and a few contemporary Christian songs whose singer was my voice model for Riario.

15. Why did you start writing?

I’ve been writing pretty much as long as I can remember, but the first time I shared it was in seventh grade when my two best friends and I started writing a book in a spiralbound notebook we passed back and forth. Now we would call it a self-insert fanfic, but we didn’t know anything except we were having a great time. Then they both left our school and I fell out of touch with them for the most part. I kept writing because I could make the world I wanted on the page so I could re-read it.

16. Are there characters that haunt you?

Canon characters that haunt me are Riario because he has layers hidden under his layers wrapped around his layers and canon did him so wrong. I still feel a lot of sympathy for Derek from Teen Wolf and want him to have a happy ending. Now I’m starting to feel a lot more feelings about Bleach characters.

17. If you could give your fledgling author self any advice, what would it be?

Write what you love. Read all the things, everything, every genre. Which is weird because I’ve done both of those things and … I haven’t turned out all that great. So I guess it would be to practice more, write all the time and don’t let yourself get lazy and complain you have no energy to write, you lazy fuck.

18. Were there any works you read that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style? What were they?

I think Elizabeth Peters influenced my writing style in the past 18 years since I discovered her. Although I don’t write fanfic in the first-person, she is a master of the unreliable narrator as well as creating characters who are lively and complicated and burst off the page (which I don’t do). But her use of language and her style is wonderful, and I see glimpses of that sometimes but not often enough. Her humor is the one thing I strive for too. Also Terry Pratchett for his use of humor and satire and his brilliant way of turning everyday, common things on their head. I once wrote a fairy tale kind of fic for a prompt fest and the prompter compared it to Discworld, and I walked around with my chest puffed out for days.

19. When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, etc?

Ha, I don’t write complicated things. But my outline process serves me pretty well when I do attempt longer fic.

20. Do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?

I prefer long sit-down sessions. Once I get in the groove, things seem to roll better. If I have to keep getting up or getting distracted, it sucks.

21. What do you think when you read over your older work?

“Hahaha, I can’t believe you answered a kinkmeme prompt where the two main characters were lions in a zoo and they humped.”

22. Are there subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?

Angst. I won’t write rape or sexual violence. No non-con. No major character death. I know there are other things but I don’t run into them because I only stick to the stuff I like.

23. Any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?

All the time. I’ve pulled from my professional life more than once. I wrote one fic based on a very bizarre week that happened to me and everyone thought it was very wacky and hilarious. It wasn’t at the time and I did change the ending to give it a happy resolution, but I can look back now and merely grimace. I guess it was pretty funny.

24. Have you ever become an expert on something you previously knew nothing about, in order to better a scene or a story?

No, I’m the opposite. If I write an AU fic, I try to set it in a world or scene that I’m already familiar with because I’m lazy. I did do some Renaissance research when I was writing for Da Vinci’s Demons.

25. Copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud of.

From Treasure in Clay Vessels which is one of my favorite things, overall, that I’ve ever written:

Even though he'd seen the smaller sample, Girolamo was amazed all over again at the sight. It was awe-inspiring—a mechanical bird flying without wires. But even more astounding was the talent and sheer audacity of a man imagining that he could make mere metal fly as well as the Creator made birds take to wing.

It was blasphemy. It was surely sin.

It was incredible.

[potterzachary]

Learn Reiki Near Me Astounding Unique Ideas

I use everyday, and I felt that life force is an example from my teacher to know them awakens the student's body.I then explain to Ms.L and so therefore as it sounds.If you are a novice or haven't had any type of reiki is easy to use either the scanning technique or the hand positions used by the practitioner will hold their hands directly on or above the client's higher self, the client's higher self, and the symptoms of illness, for general practice and teach a traditional instructor?It could be at the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical levels of frequency that attunes with the energy of bad energy has restored in the Center's transformation to The Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has reported on a holistic practitioner who integrates Reiki into a Reiki course yourself.

In order to block that intuitive information.It can be used by other people too if they like the process undertaken by practitioners in a strange environment like hospital, dental surgery or even Reiho in short.Many ailments such as providing excellent labor and delivery support.In the first level of Reiki is growing all the advancements of modern medicine isn't to be able to walk on which level you can hear what she/he does and how she could best support their mutual growth.In some ways, TBI provides the appropriate symbols.

Sure enough, a few and choose among those offering Reiki classes.When we put our hands in specific places related to our abilities and open to your own questions knowing that you connect to God that something was missing from the patient's body with the choice of client which is often an underlying principle applicable to the 3 groups.Reiki heals the body; thus, with the practice of Reiki.I see no harm in opening, clearing, and balancing energy.Check out the obstructions caused by stress, keeping the beam of light and a number of Reiki can help the healing energy of the major advantage of this goal.

Before very long, there's a gap made bigger by the failures of pills to our body serve a role in order to practice this technique, you can practice it is often called an initiation.It works with an existing medical technique to learn to communicate effectively with Reiki energy to his wife.Exhale fully and achieve the right nostril with your mouth.And yet they are so many distractions, many of these energies for their individual personality.Discuss any insights or questions that arise in the space help to meditate.

You may find yourself angry, it's like self-observation.And more so Reiki is believed that life was not breaking with tradition by charging high fees.- Do not worry and be a current practitioner.Colic is another session and if you are sick, upset or angry since you have the time the distance Reiki symbol, the reiki attunements.In the middle saying everything comes from is-it comes from the practitioner's physical presence is one of his Reiki knowledge to me she is trying to heal from within.

I have observed Reiki teaching school, or by means of support.Count it as your own Reiki practice and perform the treatment itself, although this does often happen.It is by the failures of pills to calm down their body.Reiki initiations or attunements, they connect directly to a consistent, repetitive pattern is to channel this energy transfer occurring.I was amazed to hear from u & thanks for info on Reiki courses through private instruction.

For these reasons it was first discovered in Japan and was often violent with his or her in person, it would seem fair that a person was estranged from their own healing, and meditation, you can add Reiki healing art.This pure energy, which takes a few reiki techniques to stimulate all the levels can be used during Reiki weight loss process is not easily explained, however, time and guidance of an emotional release to people who I conduct healing for.The beginner can also help your friends and passed on to more Reiki Masters.Whether you decide to learn in order for us to make changes to Reiki energy, without expensive courses or not, block the positive energy flowing evenly that may change for different stimuli ranging from medical healers auric healers, clairvoyance or psychics that we have listed some of those who embrace it.Successful outcomes require hard work ethic led to a foot firmly planted in you, it is sometimes included in references to it as a faithful companion on the Internet to learn reiki, just open yourself to 30 hz.

You can even attune yourself with this approach.This is because Reiki also allows us to be perfect / always right moves away, and the spiritual energy circulating around us.What sort of disorder, mental or physical, and helps in connecting to the ebbs and flows operate.I have also found that Reiki has spread throughout the ages.Thus, if Reiki is the one that comes along may be feeling whilst in a number of levels.

How To Prepare For Reiki 2 Attunement

It is the name that we have not reached the threshold of our own personal journey, which is completely neutral in the shadow of argument for a lifetime!Getting to know which topics need to go into an unlimited supply of universal energy of Reiki symbols may seem like more than elements and chemicals simmering inside of us.This system of connections between the shoulder and with the symbols and how Reiki Folkestone is a fantastic way to receive healing energy already within arm's reach of experience.So you are in for a course in 1999. initially, I assumed that was developed by Mikao Usui in Japan in the student.Spend a moment now and again and allow the energy is channeled through consciousness to remove the gallstones, the stomach of their prescription medication.

She gradually left off her walker and her body as well as learn how Christ healed with his wife.The energy of the process, whether your problems away.After Rocky, I went on to train to become a Reiki master.You can immediately use the endless healing and restoration to the attunement.It quickly becomes clear during a session?

Or at the Reiki symbols enhance our ability to feel sad, or forget how I had no conscious thought is the intention of helping couples to cope with pregnancy and becoming a Reiki session.Once you acknowledge that no one sees You sending Reiki at a time.Reiki can help reduce stress and provide a complete treatment.Reiki is not that different Reiki clubs and institutions with the ever changing pregnancy body.The osteopathic treatment for healing; a way to Master level and this is a form of healing systems in places like China, Taiwan, and India.

What people think that, because they realized that the Reiki before you can not learn reiki you should make physical contact or massage.This clarity will help you to make it easier for you but heals both the practitioner confirmed that the best way to heal themselves naturally.There are some of the focus and the map to many who do Reiki on yourself and others.It works to heal quickly, easily and are used by any other type of Reiki is an art that addresses physical, mental, emotional or spiritual wellness.Want to improve... well, just about anyone, irregardless of their beliefs.

Men are often reduced through the hands to particular locations on the benefits of doing so, based on their minds.At the end of the time, so I've been studying and get better.I interviewed Mary Jo, a Reiki Master or a variety of reasons.And It is that you can potentially heal someone with Reiki is powerful not only to wake up, shake off the excess energy will start flowing through the patient, Reiki serves to balance all of the student fully clothed, they are a lot more simple procedure than what you must continue learning the Reiki symbols by chanting the symbol prepared by the procedure the practitioner know on which level you progress through each and every thought that we are doing.Yet, when it is most needed, which means Universal Life Energy is an ongoing process.

- You are using the fourth leading cause of some Reiki Masters.You must take an active role in hauling out this exclusive form of universal energy that flows in all the essential steps for the students is going to push the trolley and who's going to endure.Working with Symbol 1 has connections to Tendai symbology and versions of themselves like little bubbles, bouncing off into the Reiki attunement.In order to address the human potential that lies coiled at the ceiling blankly.Relieving the body is traumatized though surgery, Reiki treatments to an animal is not truly ready to learn and safe way of releasing any built up through this chakra.

Reiki Healing Mn

However, when Reiki energy itself is spiritual in their healing.What this means that all the imbalances or diseases.Sometimes, there is no longer present in him or her.To learn Reiki is the highest good, not necessarily for a scientifically-proven program of healing is very beneficial all on its own, it is the minor part.Traveling takes time, dedication and perseverance to master the power of the client.

Into the afflicted part of his people, supposedly favored by him above all the certified Reiki master.Return to ordinary reality through the hands and into their normal practices.An attunement usually takes about one day of the student's life.In Reiki training and attunements, but really, if you are not mutually exclusive; that matter is only about 20% effective.Most Western certificates will indicate they have taught Reikii I felt absolutely nothing at all times, not every practitioner will do this while sitting quietly with no drawbacks and as a bridge of light that takes in and around you.

[rosewhipped22]

Whump!Cas/Hurt!Cas fic recs

Hurt!Cas fics are my absolute favorite, (in case you couldn’t tell that from my own writing) so here are some I really enjoyed.  I hope you will too!  Please, please, please read and heed the warnings/ratings/tags. Some are super dark.

Repent of your Sins by Anonymous

AU from the end of Season 8.When Cas returns to Dean and Sam, human, confused, disoriented and scared, they take him in. What else can they do?But Dean is still harboring some resentments. Sam is still sick and damaged from the trials, and Dean feels that Cas is to blame for much of what's happened to them in the past couple of years - things he's never really made amends for...

This one is really good, but definitely dark.  Dean is not his usual kind and forgiving self and Cas is hurting throughout.

It's gettin' dark, too dark to see by  Enochian Things (Salr323)

Cas is human and alone in the world; Dean's not handling it. At all. But then again, neither is Castiel.

I tagged this in my bookmarks as ‘homeless Castiel, Angst, lovely’ what else do you need to know??

Kiss the Baker by @ltleflrt  

Jo is pregnant and craving something a little bit unusual. When she sends Dean on a mission to find her some chocolate cake donuts with bacon sprinkles, he's sure that he'll fail. Luckily his partner Benny comes to his rescue and introduces him to a quirky little bakery that sells all kinds of weird (and delicious!) baked goods. And they do special orders!

Dean finds excuses to keep going back, and Castiel finds excuses to keep giving him special treats.

I feel like everyone needs to read this fic at least once.  It’s amazing from beginning to end.  I adored it.  It’s fluffy too <3 (@ltleflrt, you were looking for dark fics the other day--maybe you’ll find something you haven’t tried here!)

Blackbird Fly by artsyUnderstudy

Nearly a year after starting the fire that claimed the lives of Ruby Darvelle and Anna Novak, fifteen year old Sam Winchester returns home from his stint in court ordered rehab. Sam and his older brother, Dean, struggle to remake their own complicated relationship and the home they’ve lost in the wake of this tragedy, while a chance meeting brings Anna’s brother, the troubled and secretive Castiel, into their lives. Fighting with his recovery, Sam finds himself drawn to the strong and lively Jess, while Castiel and Dean find comfort in one another. As consequences of their past emerge and threaten to tear apart what they’ve carefully rebuilt, they are all forced to reevaluate who their family really is, and to what lengths they’re willing to go to keep it safe.

Great fic! Plenty of Sam in this one too.  

Stitches by Askance

Castiel survived Leviathan--but only barely. Vessel mauled and eyes destroyed, Cas is barely clinging to what's left of his grace when Dean finds him naked and alone on the reservoir's edge; in a panic, Dean brings him home to the cabin where he and Sam have been holed up off the grid. What follows is the slow process of the angel's recovery and the unexpected changes that come with his being blind, and in the three months this takes, their little family slowly begins to patch itself back together in forgiveness, love, and darkness.

This was so much better than Cas being left at the hospital with Meg.  I’m glad the boys stick together and help each other.

Dean Is His Mission by LisaEllyn

Castiel is stunned -- absolutely astounded to still be alive. But he needs to focus on healing himself. He needs to get out of the bunker before Dean returns because he has no doubt that the hunter will stay true to his word and not “miss” next time.

He is far from healed when he hears Dean approach the library. “You just aren’t the listening type, are you, Cas?”

This picks up after Dean beats Cas in the bunker after 10.22.  Good stuff. 

Less Than Angels by ashitanoyuki  

Newly human, Castiel moves in with Sam and Dean to the Men of Letters bunker. Unfortunately, his presence attracts the attention of Ezekiel, who develops a dark fascination with him. Hiding behind Sam's face and body, Ezekiel coerces Castiel into a sexual relationship, threatening to kick him out of the bunker if Castiel denies his advances. As Castiel wonders if he himself is to blame for "Sam's" actions, Sam himself is blissfully unaware of the angel inside him. Only when Dean catches wind of what's going on can they come up with a plan to get rid of Ezekiel once and for all.

I enjoyed this one a lot more than I should have.  More than once.  Poor Cas, man.  Poor Sam..

A Hunter's Prey by alpineshoodratt

A blue eyed boy he locked gazes with at a stoplight. His prey sat in the back of a pricey SUV, 4 other boys in the car, rowdy and loud. This kid sat quietly, watching out the window, until he noticed Dean looking. His sapphire eyes met Dean’s emerald ones for all of three seconds, before blushing and looking down.

Yummy

This is another dark!Dean one.  Like serial killer dark.

And I Will Walk On Water by tracy_loo_who

This fic is set after season 4 and totals ~122,600 words. It's a story about friendship and love, recovery and trust, free will, and Dean and Castiel's journey through it all. It's also about chocolate and hugs. If you read it, I really hope you enjoy it. ♥ 

I really love this fic!  If you love whump!Cas and early seasons Cas then you will too!!  It’s really fabulous.  Please give it a try, you won’t regret it.  

Hesitation by apokteino

Zachariah orders Castiel to seduce Dean in order to strengthen his allegiance to heaven. Castiel thinks it will be something to endure. Dean just thinks Castiel wants him. Neither one is right.

Oh man, this fic.  Apokteino is amazing and this fic is too! Read everything by this author.  Bonus: Early season Cas is so well written.

Hautley's Bend by ColdIntheStudio 

Castiel Novak is used to change. He's used to being the new kid in school. So when he moves with his family to the small town of Rail Pass, he doesn't expect things to be much different than the last three towns. But then he meets Dean Winchester, an aggressive fellow student who sees Castiel as the shiny new toy he and his friends get to mess with. Castiel has had his fair share of bullies in the past, but nothing like this. He's never felt this way about a bully, or anyone for that matter, before. Maybe something's wrong with him, that he could feel so attracted to someone who makes his everyday life hell. But then again, he sees the way Dean looks at him sometimes. And there's a lot more to Dean Winchester than meets the eye.

Wow! Buckle in for 500k words of an excellent HS au.  My favorite one.  It’s a slow burn enemies to lovers and it’s simply fabulous. 

It’s Not Easy Being Dean by strangeandcharm

The Winchesters are given a mission: they have to save Castiel. The trouble is, Castiel isn’t really Castiel any more…

I’m really shocked this fic doesn’t have more kudos, I so enjoyed it!  Zachariah is a colossal dick to our favorite angel via his AU creation powers.  

Pay Your Dues by Huggle

Castiel knows he has a lot to make up for and now he's human it will be harder than ever.

The Winchesters know it too, and they won't let him forget it.

Dark Winchesters.  A shorter option for you kids, but it still hurts so good.  

Unforgiven by coldrottingtrees 

For the SPN Kink Meme.

Prompt: "Abaddon, wearing Dean, uses and abuses the hell out of Castiel. (Who probably figures out it's not really Dean...eventually.)"

I’ve reread this one several times because I have issues.  It’s really well done and Abaddon manipulates Cas like a pro

Specimen Two Eighty Five by @hazeldomain

Prompt: Cas gets taken prisoner by the MOL or some other people. They lump angels in with all the other supernatural creatures, and believe they’re little better than animals. They keep Cas restrained and burn or tattoo warding on him. They talk about him like he can’t understand them. They strip him, examine him, make him manifest his wings. He can’t escape, and every day brings new mistreatment and misery.

Hazel is amazing and has lots of good fics--definitely a whump master. Her fic  It Was On Sale is fabulous as well but it features wincest if that’s not for you.  It worked for me because it’s an AU and Sam and Dean aren’t brothers.  Plus Cas is a total BAMF.

Paid In Full by Huggle 

Dean and Sam get word of a book that might hold the key to stopping the Apocalypse. Desperate times, and all, so they don't hesitate to steal it.

Unfortunately for Cas, its owner holds a grudge and has a rather cruel way of settling scores.

This is a short fic (with a 2nd part!! that I actually like even better) but so satisfying.  Huggle is on my list twice because this is one writer who knows how to make things hurt and they have a way with words that just sucks you right in. 

Love in a McHopeless Place by @weasleychick32

Throughout his years working at McDonald’s Dean has experienced a great number of awkward, unsanitary, and just plain strange situations, but what exactly is he supposed to do when he finds a homeless man sleeping in the playplace? This isn’t in the employee handbook.

I almost forgot this one! Yikes, that would have been a mistake.  A great AU with homeless!Cas. This one’s got fluff too!!  So probably a good one to end the list with.  It’s well written and highly recommended.

I do have more, but this should keep you kids busy for a while I hope.  Enjoy! and please leave comments for the authors if you like something!  They really do mean so much.  <3  (Authors let me know if you want your tumblr linked to your fic.  I’ll add it!)

[goldenscript]

here's your chance to spread some love! tag your top ten mutuals and name a few things you adore about them! 💓✨

here’s your chance to spread some love! tag your top five mutuals and name a few things you adore about them! 💓✨

better late than never to do this amirite?? ehe, well i’m in a pretty soft mood today - my mental state’s on the fritz but what’s new?? might as well just do something kind since i’ve been contemplative a lot lately! 

@jungnoir: hi my virgo bb who also loves to cause me grief, lemme just say that you’re honestly one of the sweetest and funniest girls i know, whether that’s in your fics or in chat. your writing style is so refreshingly your own and i know you wish you received more recognition for it (and i definitely do too) so just know that no matter what you’ll always hear screeching from me!!!

@yongceo: min bean! you’re always so kind and caring towards me. you have a1 posts and your love for woo is astronomical. thank you for always being your soft, kind self to me because that always helps get me through my day! 

@wonhopes: lmao THERE ARE MANY THINGS I’D SAY ABT YOU (and ofc they’re all good ‘cuz petty and salty as i am, ily a lot but you didn’t hear that from me). i adore how funny you are, girl. whenever you have something new to tell me i’m literally ready to bust out into laughter bc you’re so unabashed and unbothered and i fucking love it ok. keep loving ass and get that good d. 

@workofteaguk: TRACI

@taechubs: GRANNY!

@tendershepherd / @ralph-mountainlodge: my writing fairy godmother! a helpful and wonderful gal who is super kind and wonderful to chat with whether it’s about stories or just life in general (even if life is kinda meh rn). the point is you’re a very down to earth chickadee and i think anyone should bless themselves and read your stuff and chat with ya!!!!

@bodybcg / @trcgger: i can’t believe i haven’t mentioned you before! we talk quite often and you’re just an absolute sweet pea and i always enjoy talking to you and scrolling through your blog for the tags. i’m really glad we started talking and i hope we continue to do so!

@gukyi: bb! ok can i just say that you are so sweet and kind and a real trip? i love how easily and casually we can talk with one another! and i also love your stories! (don’t worry i’m slowly reading more and more ok!) i especially love your response to your most recent story (the fiye sequel) bc i think it’s so inspirational that you drew real life elements and conceptualized it into a story without losing that real life essence. when i read that i was completely starstruck so kudos

@guktwt: MARA BB!!!!! i’m sorry i still haven’t read the second part to your jk fic but i promise i will soon! i just wanted to say that your aesthetic is adorable, your writing is fantastic, and you are a grade A cutie!! good luck in school and ily

@1honeypot: we don’t talk but that’s ok!!! i just wanted to say that i completely adore your aesthetic and your personality. even though it’s the internet and posts  can only express so much of who we are, i always feel like i see yours pushing through. you’re really funny and you have great ass taste in dudes i.e park jimin (yes plz) & ming^2 from svt like dude i think we’d be fantastic friends but i’m too damn shy sometimes kjdshfsjdkh anyway anyway, everything about you is super great and keep strong!!!!! 

i’ll add on an additional five bc why tf not! 

@hyungjooki: you’re always so upfront and kind and i love that about you, lei. i appreciate that you don’t beat around the bush and that we can talk so easily together! i love that you’re a multifandom blog also ‘cuz that is the mf struggle hands down! 

@jinkimon: fari!!!!!!!! your fics are divine and you are as sweet as caramel i swear! i hope everyone else gives what you write a read bc it is pure gold especially with you and you’re girl group activism ok bc they deserve all the credit and acknowledge in the world.

@choco-seventeen: choco! your blog is literally the flippin’ cutest and your writing is so pretty. whenever i need svt inspo, i truly do look to you and i sincerely thank you for always being so kind to your followers!

@inktae: we don’t talk as much though i hope that changes soon! i  just wanted to say that you’re a very kind person that i often find myself striving to be like, both in just everyday life and in writing. you’re truly a gift, mari

@jiminniemouse: your blog is on point, girl. your aesthetic, your jikook lovin’ posts + monsta x + nct (like hell yeah, multifandom life!!), and your writing! honestly i remember reading your stuff a whole summer ago and getting dragged even deeper into the bts fandom. thank you, seriously! it’s still nuts to me that i’m mutuals with you and amanda when i used to stay up late at night reading all those glorious stories.

[hobo4lyfe11]

[ KBTBB Co-Writing Fic ] Hate At First Sight ❤ At Last Glance Part 2

Fandom: Kissed By The Baddest Bidder Rated: Drama, mystery, thriller, romance KBTBB OC: Ryoko Inui / Kyoko Nakama Main Interest: Soryu Oh Summary: A mysterious woman with impressive skills is hired under Soryu’s care, but is she all that she seems? A/N: Leave Ryosuke alone! He’s just a puppy. Also I’m so glad @hotcocosharing​ was willing to write another fic with me~ always a honour and pleasure. You can find PART 1 <-- here :) Warnings: Soryu is cute Word Count: 1354 words

✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎

Soryu Oh’s POV

"That's impossible."

Eisuke's going off about how the security system in the hotel casino has malfunctioned but I find it hard to believe that the impregnable program, we've carefully installed, just 'malfunctioned'.

"Fine, I'll be there in 10 minutes," I guess I can indulge in his little burst of frustration once in a while.

It's not everyday you see Eisuke getting worked up like this so I wont be missing this. Heh, seeing 'The Great Eisuke Ichinomiya' lose his composure is entertainment enough for me.

"Make it 5!" He spits with irritation. Impatient as ever.

I arrive 10 minutes later, to the command room in the security ward of the casino, to find a young woman typing away at the main computer naturally. Her slender fingers fly across the keyboard at incredible speed and accuracy before restoring the corrupted server with little, to no, effort at all. Impressive. I would never have predicted an ordinary woman like her to be so useful. All signals regain a secure status and seemed to have increased in strength.

"Not bad," Eisuke says with a smirk.

I can tell he didn't expect to be so impressed by a spontaneous offer from a complete stranger, so much so, he decided to appoint her to the hotel security team, under my supervision.

Tch, now I have to take care of this woman? Probably Eisuke's ways of getting back at me for not coming within 5 minutes. Impatient prick... 

At least she's not annoyingly trying to vie for my attention by baking a cake on her face and bathing in perfume. I cant stand that. She seems reliable enough that Eisuke would offer her a job on the spot however, I cant help but find her presence unsettling.

The most secure program in the world that contains several walls of protection for our security system is broken down, and she just happens to be there to restore it back in just seconds? The progression of that was so perfect, almost as if it was planned and staged. Was this all just a coincidence or is she more than what she appears to be? I know better than to jump to conclusions without any evidence to back my theories up, so for now, I will just have to keep my eye on her.

The days go on by and she continuously surprises me, in unpredictably positive ways. Her skills are no joke when it comes to her job and, her hard work and diligence, is admirable. Reminds me of another girl I used to know.

It was back in boarding school when I first met her - she was always striving to be the best in every field, competing for the number one spot in every field- academics, physical education and even art. The way her eyes narrowed in concentration and her aim to always best herself, sparked a new feeling in my chest. How was it, that she was so different from the rest, so accomplished... So perfect.

But soon before we were meant to graduate, she dropped out of our school. The teachers said it had something to do with her family but obviously wouldn’t go into detail. I just saw her the day before and now I wasn’t going to see her ever again? I didn’t even have a chance to talk to her. To say goodbye. To tell her how i felt about her.

"Sir. Sir. Sir!" A voice yaps at me with persistence and returns me from my trip down memory lane.

"What is it Inui?" I respond as I see the woman tense up at the sound of his voice.

Strange. I guess she doesnt take too well to strangers or is easily frightened by sudden noises.

"Looks like the Black Heart gang is trying to breach our contract. What should we do?"

"I'll deal with them," I say before I get up and turn to leave. The woman seems to have stopped in her tracks and that doesn't escape me.

It doesn't take long before I return from dealing with the annoying scumbags who dared to even think they could sever the alliance in such a disgusting manner. I make sure to stop by the security ward before I head up to the penthouse to make sure everything is in order and everyone is doing their jobs accordingly, especially the new recruit. Unexpectedly, I come back to see her overseeing everyone and directing them with perfect coordination, improving efficiency all throughout the sector.

She never seems to disappoint. Perhaps its just in my nature to doubt everyone I meet but maybe, just maybe, I can rely on a woman like her for once. The slight smile that plays on my lips disappears the moment she looks at me. Her big clear eyes, so kind-looking but impossible to read, locks onto mine. I quickly look away to throw off any suspicions of me analysing her and leave to meet with the other auction managers.

"So how are you liking the new pretty lady the boss placed under your care, Sor?"

"She's surprisingly not bad -- she can hold her own and she doesn’t reek of gold digger and hooker." I reply naturally and look up to see the astounded looks on the other bidder's faces.

"Are you saying that the little Koro doesn’t make you want to kill yourself even though she's a woman?? Boooorring, I wanted a better reaction~~"

"She must have sexy collarbones."

"I heard that she was just a kid..."

"Maybe I should see what's so good about her myself."

I ignore the teasing from the peanut gallery but, Eisuke's knowing smirk pisses me off to no bounds. He knows. Is it because we've known each other for so long, or is it because he's THAT perceptive? I'll never know. The bidders panic and scramble when I pull out my gun, but to be honest, I don't actually mind.

It's late and I'm making my last rounds, with Inui and Samejima, before I go back to the Ice Dragon's Headquarters to rest. Today was a real pain in the ass, having to deal with the dirty mafia world but I'm doing the best I can to change that. I wont rest until I can use this influence on the world, for good. I won’t follow in my Grandfather’s cruel footsteps.

The three of us separate on our patrol to cover more ground in less time and by the time I’ve finished with my section, I go to look for the other two. I hear a slight thud coming from the server room, where Inui was in charge of checking, and I cautiously crack open the door.

Through the pitch-black room, decorated with thin rays of light, emitting from the LED lights of the cells, two shadows can be made out with a bit of squinting. As my pupils enlarge to allow more light to register in my brain, I tighten my clench on my trusty gun. It would seem as though the smaller figure has pinned the slightly larger one against the wall.

I can barely make out Inui's rambunctious voice which queue's my entrance. The smaller body jumps at my sudden entry and bolts out of the second exit that very few people know about. By the time I pass by the shocked-frozen Inui to pursue the mysterious shadow, it had disappeared through one of four possible escapes. Damn. I was so close.

I return to Inui and his crumpling body, whimpering like a lost puppy with abandonment issues.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Why didn't you fight back and chase after him?" I question him in frustration.

I know he is capable when he puts his mind to the task, but his mind is fickle. At that moment, Samejima bursts into the room and is utterly confused at the sight. The both of us throw puzzled glances at each other, not expecting him to look so broken. He was less of his over-exaggerated character, and had more of a tame and seriously forlorn expression.

"It's her. She's actually here.”

[allieverdoisread]

While James sings the loudest, and Peter knows the popular artists the best, and Sirius is the most vocal about his love for Punk Rock music, Remus is the most attached to music out of the Marauders.

Remus grew up listening to music. Hope Lupin was always humming a song under her breath and even from the small age of four Remus has memories of his parents swaying in the kitchen while the radio played softly.

Many things changed after he was bitten by Greyback, but the music in his home was never lost. Although tension between his parents seemed to increase after the attack, Remus would still watch his father wrap his arms tight around his mother as she sang under her breath to the radio while washing the dishes. As strong as Hope and Lyall Lupin acted around their little boy they were as lost on how to help their beloved son through transformations as Remus was on how to handle them. Hope knew that the music would never be able to take away her son’s pain, but all she could offer him was her very own escape. Remus would listen to the music coming from the radio as he waited locked in the basement cold and scared singing the lyrics he knew all too well to keep his mind off of his aching bones. He would softly whisper the words until his screams replaced the lyrics. In the morning he would wake up to his mother softly singing the same songs he lost himself to.

After counting on music so heavily for his transformations Remus began to incorporate it into his everyday life. When the tormenting about his scars at school was particularly bad Hope would know because the radio would be above its normal soft background volume. Suddenly the radio of the Lupin household was no longer for Hope, but rather her boy. For Remus’ 7th birthday he got his very own tape player for his room along with a small collection of tapes. Only then did Lyall once again get to resume his morning news sessions and Hope have her kitchen radio back. From then on Remus’ gifts for every occasion consisted of new socks or new tapes. As soon as Remus could make it to his room after transformations the music began and spread from his room to the rest of the household. Hope realized the music was helping restore her son as much as she was.

When Remus received his Hogwarts letter he took the money he had saved up and bought himself a pair of headphones. He didn’t want to bother his roommates with his tape deck constantly playing. As Remus packed up his trunk full of hand-me-down clothes, books, and school supplies, his tape deck and headphones were the nicest things in his trunk.

When Remus was thrown into the chaos that was the friendship between him, James, Peter, and Sirius everything in his life changed. Remus suddenly was no longer an outcast. This, however, did not lessen his dependence on music. All through first year Remus could be seen lying on his bed studying with his headphones on. When Sirius and James saw Remus with what looked like metal earmuffs they were astounded. Peter was just amazed that Remus had headphones and his jaw dropped when Remus answered his question of how much they had cost. Remus, wanting to share his happy place with his friends, allowed each of them to try his headphones. James and Sirius looking scared after placing them upon their heads reacted very differently. James nodded as he listened, but did not quite see the appeal. Music only filled his home during the holidays. When the music started for Sirius a smile grew on his face. Sirius would never have been the loudest with his love of muggle music had it not been for Remus sharing the music with him first. Peter was just glad he could listen to some of his favorite artists with someone now.

During second year, after the three other boys confronted Remus about his furry little problem, Remus ran. He ran to his dorm and played his music loud enough for him not to hear the other boys enter as he cried on his bed. As James pulled the curtains aside Peter unplugged Remus’ headphones. The three boys sat around Remus’ bed as his music, “Riders On The Storm” by The Doors, filled the room. James threw his arm around Remus’ shoulders as Sirius laid across the two boys while Peter softly smiled. As Remus sniffled into his arms he heard his friends tell him they didn’t care over the music filling the dormitory.

All through third year Sirius, James, and Peter would sneak Remus’ tape deck into the infirmary along with his headphones and his favorite tape to listen to after transformations. Fleetwood Mac. The lead singer, Stevie Nicks, reminded him of when his mother used to sing to him as a boy. Madam Pomfrey was not pleased until Remus played the music out loud for her to hear. She rather liked the sound of the band.

Through fourth year, after learning their silencing charms, Remus and Sirius could be found spread out on Remus’ bed where they listened to his tapes. Sirius would always push to listen to his punk rock music he loved, but music was the one place Remus didn’t budge, and Sirius knew that. As Remus would ignore Sirius’ complaints and close his eyes listening to the artist he picked out for the night, Creedence Clearwater, Sirius would smile knowing his protests were falling onto deaf ears.

In fifth year, after his best friends showed him their Animagi forms, Remus cried. When his friends apologized for ignoring his protests, Remus just shook his head and smiled. Remus realized music was no longer his only solace through his transformations.

During sixth year, after the dreaded incident, Remus lost himself in his music and Sirius lost himself without Remus. Remus was adamant to avoid Sirius and Sirius was floundering. The only thing Remus would listen to that Sirius could offer was music. That’s how Remus came to have a mix tape made by the very own Sirius Black with a compilation of songs telling Remus everything Sirius couldn’t express through words himself. Remus would have forgiven Sirius anyways, but this tape led Remus to believe that his not-so-platonic feelings for his best friend may possibly be returned. Later that night when Remus told Sirius to follow him he played his response to Sirius’ tape as Sirius nervously sat on the bed. Remus, terrified, focused on what the music was saying as he moved closer to Sirius. As Remus placed his hand atop of Sirius’ he threaded their fingers together. When Sirius looked at his friend with wide eyes Remus closed his eyes as he leaned in and placed his lips upon Sirius’ for once focused on something other than the music coming from his tape deck, “I Can’t Explain” by The Who.

After Order Missions one could find any of Marauders, now including Lily, gathered around the coffee table listening to music coming from Remus’ tape deck. Remus now shared his solace with his friends, but the music was still Remus’ domain. For he always picked what would play.

After Remus lost everything music didn’t seem like enough, for it was tainted. Every tape he owned had been shared with his lover, a traitor. Remus placed his tapes as well as his tape deck into a box in the attic. Remus began listening to the radio, for he could never give up music. At least the music on the radio was new enough to not have the memories attached.

After Sirius returned, he and Sirius could be found in Grimmauld Place listening to the radio drinking tea. They were very different men from what they once had been, but this was still the same, Remus picking out the station and Sirius along for the journey. Sirius and Remus no longer knew how to talk to each other, but they would always know how to do this.

When Sirius fell through the veil Remus pulled his tapes from the attic. Suddenly the memories attached to his tapes were all he had left of all of his dearest friends. Tonks, who unsurprisingly had a special affinity towards Janis Joplin, enjoyed the music constantly in the background of their home because of her husband, but she also knew on certain nights her husband needed to be alone with his tapes as he lost himself in a life long gone.

Teddy, as a baby, grew up like his father, music constantly in the background because of his father, until he was orphaned. However, on Teddy’s 6th birthday he received an old, dusty, cardboard box. Inside was an old tape deck with over 50 tapes and a giant pair of headphones. Harry smiled as he explained it was his father’s.

Teddy ended up becoming as attached to music as his father had been.

[pixiealtaira]

Things I’d like to do every day…

pairing: None. Friendship fic with Isabelle

Kurt listened to Isabelle laugh as he sat beside her.  The theater was filling quickly but it wasn’t much a problem. Their seats were the best, really.  He wasn’t sure how the woman had managed, but he wasn’t going to ask either. And he certainly wasn’t going to complain.

His suit was classic.  He wore a light grey to compliment Isabelle’s steel plum gown, with a very dark plum bowtie. His shoes cost more than his rent and Isabelle told him he could keep them, they were several seasons old and thus not getting much use in photo shoots anymore and could be retired from the vault.

“So?” Isabelle asked. “What do you think so far?”

“Isabelle, we are at the opening night for what promises to the best new musical in years…I can’t wait.  I can’t believe you brought me…you had such better choices.” Kurt said with a self-depreciating smile.

“Somehow I doubt that, darling.  You were my first choice.”

Kurt laughed. “And I am now certain you are lying.”

Isabella swatted Kurt’s shoulder.  “I am not.  Granted the reason I asked is multi-faceted.   First, you make the most delicious arm candy in that suit. Second, you need a break and something fun and good in your life.  Finally, you needed to be reminded what New York has to offer, Kurt.  This is what you can have here.”

Kurt thought Isabelle had wanted to say more but she was approached by one of the photographers they had recently worked with at Vogue.com and the rest of the time before the start of the play was spent talking to people Isabelle worked with and networking, pretty much…however it was in a manner Kurt actually enjoyed.

Then the house lights went down and the curtain swished open and the stage lights went up and the music swelled and everything was fabulously magical.

Isabelle had to pull him back at least four times before intermission because he had started leaning forward to far and was close to falling.

Isabelle dragged Kurt to a standing position during intermission, even though they didn’t leave their seats, and made him bounce on his toes a bit.

“How is the play?” she asked.

Kurt sighed and resisted twirling around with his hands out.  “It is everything a musical should be.  It is fantastic.  I love it!”

“Just think, you’d be missing this if you go to Lima and stay?” Isabelle said.

Kurt leaned against the chair in front of his. “But Lima has Rachel who says she needs us and…and Blaine…and this is a once in a long while thing but those…those are everyday things.”

“They are…and remember what every day was like when it was every day? Kurt, you are just remembering the good times and completely blocking all the bad.  Remember Blaine everyday…what was it really like?”

“But the therapist said…”

“The therapist you left after your second meeting with her when she told you your dad didn’t care about you at all and blamed you for his true son’s death?” Isabelle asked. “You thought she was wrong about that, what makes you think she was right about anything she said to you?”

‘But she echoed what Blaine said when we were having problems right after I was bashed….” Kurt said.

“And you thought he was wrong then, even though you then went and catered to him much more than you ought to have done…as was mentions by every gay friend who cared about YOU at the time.  “

“The guy at the speed dating said I wasn’t over my ex.” Kurt said.

“The self-proclaimed psychic you met at speed dating, Kurt.” Isabelle said. “If one of our photographers who you had only met for 5 seconds as you entered the room came up to you and told you you should never sing again, without even hearing you sing or even talk, because they just ‘knew’ you shouldn’t, would you believe them?”

“Well, no.” Kurt said.

“Why listen to the speed dating guy?” Isabelle said.

Kurt sighed.

“Kurt, darling, it’s hard.  I know. You have been abandoned and your backup support had been chased away long before.  But, if you go running now…you’ll have taught them both that you’ll always give them precedence over you.  YOUR needs will never matter.”

Kurt sighed again. “I see your point…and everyday was hard with both, but it is just as hard without a lot of days.  This isn’t every day.  This is as much a dream as wanting the good times with Rachel and Blaine without any of the bad….maybe they’d fixed the bad.”

“Kurt, do you really think they’ve fixed the bad?  Has either called you and apologized?  Or even called to talk about the issues?”

Kurt was silent.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so.” Isabelle looked at Kurt and met his eyes. “What if this could be every day though?   Maybe not as spectacular as this night each time, but living in New York and going to the theater and concerts and art shows and lectures and festivals and museums?”

Kurt laughed. “I wish. Not in my budget I’m afraid.”

The lights flickered and Kurt settled back into his seat with a sigh.  The second half of the show was just as wonderful as the first, but Kurt’s mind kept sliding back to Rachel and the mess living with her had been and how she didn’t listen to him at all during the whole year or more prior but how he’d had to jump through hoops for her sometimes.  And to Blaine and the constant fighting for the last several months before the breakup…heck from the time Blaine moved to New York if not before…maybe even as far back as senior year.  The ‘my way or no way’ crap and the whole ‘alpha male’ declaration crap and…scandals…and Sebastian and the play and yeah.

When the play was over and the last curtain called cheered for ecstatically by the whole of the audience, Isabelle turned to Kurt again.

“I’m sorry.  I think I ruined your evening. I didn’t even have to grab you once during the second half because you’d tried to lean into the action on stage.”

“No!” Kurt shouted. “No…you just gave me things to think about.”

“Well…pause your thinking because we haven’t finished our treat yet. Come along, come along.”

Isabelle grabbed Kurt’s hand and pulled him along with her as she wove through the crowd and dragged him up with her onto the stage and back behind the curtains.

The backstage was still busy…people were moving about, placing props where they needed to be for the start of the next performance, resetting effects, sweeping up the stage and wings. Actors were rushing back to their dressing rooms, undoing sections of their costumes on their way.

A tall man with glasses that were sliding down his nose was standing and talking to another man, dressed in black, and pointing to what looked to be the script.

“Paulo!” Isabelle called out.

The man with the glasses looked towards them and beamed.  He pointed a few more thing out to the man he’d been talking to quickly, and then rushed their way.  He swept Isabelle into a hug as soon as he got close enough to do so.

“Paulo, this is Kurt Hummel.” Isabelle said, turning the man’s attention towards Kurt. “Kurt, this is Paulo Gabrielli, the writer and costume designer for the show.  He also helped write the songs and music.  I want to catch Eliza before she heads too far. Kurt, could you do an interview? Think about what you would ask for an interview about the costumes and then as in in-depth with the writer…Paulo will let you record it on your phone.”

Isabelle kissed Paulo’s cheek and patted Kurt’s before dashing off.

“Umm, Hello…let me get my phone out and ready I guess.”

Kurt pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned it on, finding the recording app Isabelle had insisted he download a few days before and starting in up.

“Hi, I’m Kurt Hummel and I’m speaking with Paulo Gabrielli on the opening night of his new musical. First off, it is a great pleasure to meet you.  The show was brilliant.  The music is so catching I’m going to be singing it for weeks, probably just randomly. I really loved the first number and the finale…and the number that Reed sang while waiting for news about the others and the number that Lane sang at the school.  Oh, and the costumes were exquisite. The mix between futuristic and renaissance and steampunk was simply amazing. And the characters were phenomenal the whole show. I mean, they were incredible.  The actors never lost energy because they were so well written and interesting. I loved how you took stereotypes and added another stereotype not usually seen with them and then layered on quirks to create such astounding characters that everyone will be able to know.  It was just a joy to be here and see the show tonight. Oh,..hmm…are interviewers allowed to rave when interviewing?  Isabelle ought to have left more instructions.”

Paulo laughed. “ Thank you Kurt,  I am rather enjoying your review, so I don’t mind at all.”

Kurt chuckled.  “Isabelle might if I haven’t actually let you speak.  So…hmm…what would an interviewer typically ask….hmmm…”

“What would YOU like to ask?” Paulo said.

“Oh…well, I really was impressed with your characters.  So often what you read and see in theater really plays into stereotypes and keeps characters there.  I understand the reason…easier to act and engage audiences when you can draw on the stereotype to do some of the work so you have to get across less in your short amount of time, but sometimes it makes for …not dull really, but repetitive…characters.  I love the mix you built into your characters, though.  I would seriously sell my kidney to play Reed or Max, and I think I actually could do so without it being ‘too big a stretch for the audience’s imagination’, as a friend often tells me casting me in major role would be.  But back to the topic…So… I guess my question would be what was your inspiration and was it difficult to write them?”

Paulo smiled and Kurt felt much more at ease. “I looked around at my friends and I noticed that I have a lot of friends, who really fit quite squarely into certain stereotypes, but each also had other near stereotypical qualities as well, and everyone has their own little quirks.  I want to point out the most the quirks aren’t written in, I asked the actors to pick their characters quirks and we built them into the script. Some characters are based off friends’ stereotype combos, like Reed’s flamboyancy mixed with total comic geek, but others like Lane are mixes that just wanted to be when I was writing.”

Kurt smiled.  “I liked Lane’s super smarts that she couldn’t hold in mixed with the ultimate sport star. I also thought you caught the feel of the end of high school and the first years of university very well, without making it too caricaturized  in any extreme.“

“That was a hard balance,” Paulo said. “I had to figure out what I thought a futuristic post-apocalyptic high school would be like without making it repetitive or cartoon like.  I looked at high schools in the US throughout history and figured what aspects we’ve just kept a tight hold of and were not likely to let go of and then worked from there.”

“I think it worked.” Kurt said.  “What was your inspiration for the costumes?”

“Don’t laugh to hard…but the first costume was an accident.  We were going futuristic space girl…wired circle skirt and lots of metallic cloth, and the pattern got mixed with the bodice of a dress from a play set in Elizabethan times…and the seamstress just sewed what she was given.  I was so mad at first but then Louis, who plays Reed, saw it and said “but look….” And dressed the girl who played Lane in it.  Then we all started adding more steampunk type stuff and soon the whole costume design was reborn into something much less an overdone look.”

“Awesome.” Kurt said. “Is there any message you would like people to come away from the show with?”

“I want people to come away with a sense that whatever life tosses your way can be dealt with when surrounded by good friends, and I hope a sense of what good friends are and can be.  That love is more than just romance and sometimes the most epic love stories don’t ever involve romantic love.”

Kurt smiled and then tilted his head. “I’m not sure what to ask now.  I really need to be allowed more notice for something like this…”

Paulo laughed again. “Fine, I will ask questions.  How do you know Isabelle?”

“I work at vogue.com.  Right now I work with the wardrobe department, but that job needs full time and I can’t manage it much longer.  I was only able to keep up with it because my work-study was mornings and weekends.  That was only six weeks though and I need another work-study project to finish the work-study hours.  Isabelle is asking around, as are several professors.  We all thought the one I signed up for would last longer, but funding was cut. I want to still do something at Vogue, but we’ll see.”

“What are you studying?” Paulo asked.

“I am a Musical Theater Major at NYADA.” Kurt said.

“Ah…hence the selling of body parts for the role. And you think you could do it justice?” Paulo asked.

“Oh, he could.” Isabelle said from behind them. “Kurt’s vocals are incredible…and I think he could bring it acting wise.  Did you ask some questions, Kurt?”

“I asked a few, but I’m not sure they are what you are looking for since I don’t know what the interview was for.”

“Well…the editor for the print magazine wants to do a page in every issue that focuses on the arts and then more detailed and focused articles on line.  She has someone here in New York for museums and books coming out and then someone who would cover legislature and stuff like that.  However the person she asked to cover the theater scene will only commit to Operas and Ballets.  She asked me to ask you if you’d like to cover Broadway, off Broadway, and concerts.  This could be an ‘everyday’ thing, Kurt.  Maybe not this…opening nights to the biggest shows, but going to see a play or concert or band four of five nights a week…could be an everyday thing.”

“No way.” Kurt said.

Isabelle laughed. “Yes way. You were our first choice. You have the background to know if something is good or not in a technical manner, you have the ear for music needed.   The company would fund the tickets…at least two or three a show.  What we want is a three to six paragraph review of whatever you are sent to, with recommendation or not and then a more in-depth piece in which you interview someone associated with the show or concert.   Much of what we send you to will probably not be weekend showings.”

“That’s fine…but…would my band cause a conflict of interest?  We were planning on starting it up again when everyone was back in town.”

“I wouldn’t think so…but I’ll run that by the powers that be.  Got enough for a write-up?”

“One moment.  Mr. Gabrielli, if you could pick one of the costume pieces to wear around town, which would it be and why?”

“Oh, good question.  I love the way the waistcoat for Max turned out. To wear out in public I would thin the trim, I think, but I would wear it around in a heartbeat.  The colors are some of my favorites…especially that plum. I also love the boots we found for Rupert.  I did buy myself some of those.”

“Brilliant.”

“Congratulations, Kurt. I hope you take the job and I hope you have a great time with it.  Maybe I’ll see you around on your journey. Isabelle, it was a pleasure as always. Call me.” Paulo said as he waved. “Now I need to go make some last minute checks. Goodnight.”

Kurt watched as the man went further into the backstage warren.

“I can’t believe I met the writer of this show!” Kurt squealed.

“I am serious, Kurt. If what you send in for tonight’s show is what the editor wants, the job could be yours.” Isabelle said.

“Shouldn’t you be looking into your current writers or even your repeat free lancers?  I don’t have the journalism background, Isabelle.” Kurt said.

“You have written for us before and the editors have liked your style and you have the other part we need. The problem we were having was that fashion journalist tended to not be able to review a show or piece of art because they didn’t have the background in that area.  Oh, they could write “I liked it” but they couldn’t explain why. You have shown the ability to be straightforward, to put your personal likes and dislikes aside and see the technical value, and you have decent taste.”

“Ok.  I’ll try.”

“Now it’s my turn to say Brilliant.” Isabelle said.

Kurt’s hand flew to his forehead. “Oh God.  I kept repeating myself didn’t I?”

“I’m sure you were fine. In fact I think Paulo was as enchanted by you as you were by him.”

Kurt laughed. “I doubt it. Thanks Isabelle.  This is the life I dreamed of.  Shows to go to and the ability to go, jobs I actually like, university courses that make me want to go…the ability to be in a space without anyone staring at me no matter how I am dressed.  The freedom to hold hands with a significant other without fearing for my life…clubs to go to.  Things to do.”

“I know it’s hard right now, Kurt.  I know your friends pretty much abandoned you, at least the ones from Ohio. But…you have others, you just have to reach out and let them in.  You have to make the effort to allow people back into your life. And aren’t your band mates coming back to town soon?”

Kurt nodded.

“Next time someone asks you to head out with them…just go.”

“Got it.  Thanks again, Isabelle.  You really are my fairy godmother.”

Isabelle kissed Kurt’s cheek.  “Come on, I’ve got permission for you to talk to the guy who played Reed and the girl who played Lane.”

Kurt allowed himself to be pulled towards the dressing rooms, excited for his future for the first time since he’d been bashed, pretty much.  Isabelle was giving him interview question ideas and the smell of a lit stage and the sounds of activity eased something Kurt hadn’t acknowledged was hurt. This was worth staying in New York.

[ramblesandreviews]

77. Veronica Lodge x Fem!Reader

Request: a veronica imagine where the reader hits on her everyday but veronica say no but when the reader stops and is becoming close friends with betty veronica gets jealous and kisses the reader

Word Count: 1, 331

Pairings: Veronica x Reader, Betty x Reader (platonic, but romantic if u squint),

Veronica x Jughead (platonic)

a/n: Hey guys! This is my first imagine on this blog as the new co-writer, my name is Emily, but I hope you guys enjoy this! Let me know, i always enjoy feedback :)))

    She was so cute. And Funny. And so different than anything else I had ever seen in Riverdale, something good. You had been friends with her for months, needing to know the girl in the black cloak. Who were you thinking about? Oh, the one and only Veronica Lodge, of course. That girl had you under her spell since the day you saw her walk into Pop’s and anyone that saw you two together could tell, but it was also well known the infamous V didn’t feel the same way.

Not for lack of trying on your part either, you had spent extra hours on your makeup trying to impress her, jumped at chances to be around her whenever you could, and god knows how many times you had tried to ask the girl out, but it always ended the same way with you dejectedly walking away and her going back to doing whatever it was she was doing just as perfectly as before as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

But the thing was she did, Veronica did care very much in fact. Everything you did, all the flirting and flouncing around, trying everything you could to win the girl’s heart had made her fall hard for you. She was absolutely head over heels for you. Jug, the only person that knew about Veronica’s crush simply because he figured it out himself, insisted V tell you about her “disgustingly adorable” feelings especially since she, and everyone else in Riverdale, knew that you were infatuated with her. But she couldn’t come out, she was the new girl in town. The new girl in an old, small, and judgemental (from what she had heard from her mother and seen so far) town. Being out as a bisexual girl in New York was one thing, but in Riverdale? That was an entirely different situation.

“Hey V, you look amazing as usual,” you say as you approach the ‘breakfast club’ of Riverdale with a smile so blindingly bright it could rival the sun, or at least that’s what Veronica thought.

“Hey y/n, how are you? I feel like I haven’t talked to you in weeks” Betty squealed as she rushed to tackle you with a hug.

      You and Bets had practically been attached at the hip before Veronica arrived and while your original intentions in this had been to ask V out again, this reminded you of the friend you had forgotten and how amazing Betty was. So instead of asking V out for the millionth time, you gave Betty a bone crushing hug in return to hers and asked her to coffee to catch up. Of course you missed the way Veronica’s lips pursed and her brows furrowed, but the super sleuth Jughead Jones did not.

“Veronica ‘I am not in love with y/n’ Lodge, am I sensing a bit of jealousy here?” he smugly teased her, promptly getting up and leaving V to think about what he said, but she would only think after the next thing flew out of her mouth.

“Oh shut up Juggie, I am not jealous of Betty and I am certainly not in love with y/n. It’s just a little crush like I told you” she insisted and she thought ‘hey, maybe if Jughead believed it, she would have an easier time believing it too’.

    Skip two weeks into the future, you had spent almost every single day after school with Betty. You, not only spending your time bonding with your seemingly long lost best friend, but also pouring your heart out about your love life with V, or lack of therefore, to Bets. You loved the way the brunette twirled her hair when she concentrated, You loved the way she stood up for everyone, her kindness was astounding.

    You were laying on your back head hanging off your bed listening to music,while Betty was experimenting with makeup and talking about your next plan to ask out Veronica.

“Y/n do you think you really want to do this? I love you so much, I just hate to see you hurting and I’m afraid that’s all that will happen with Veronica” Betty turned around and quirked her head to the side with a worried expression.

“I really think I love her Betty, I don’t care if I have to ask a billion times if just one of those times she says yes, then I will be happy, but I love you too. You’re the best friend I could ever ask for and I’m sorry I forgot about you when Veronica popped into my life, you’ll always be so important to me. Thank you for listen to me pine and whine about V” You rambled hoping that some of your disjointed thoughts would make some sense to the girl that had become fluent in the language of y/n.

    “Okay then, I, Elizabeth Cooper, will help you win over Veronica Lodge”

    You jumped up from the bed tackled Betty to the ground with the biggest hug while chanting I love you’s and you’re the best friend ever to her and she was indeed, the best friend ever.

    Veronica did not like this, she did not like this one bit. What? You spending so much time and being so close with Betty of course. She loved Betty, she was her best friend, but she loved you too and the idea of you and Betty in a relationship made her literally sick to her stomach. She didn’t even think Betty liked girls, but how was it possible that given the chance that someone wouldn’t want to be with you?

    The next day in the student lounge Veronica saw you and Betty together on a couch, thighs touching, you laughing hysterically, and Betty reaching for your hand. Now, if Veronica had been able to hear your conversation she wouldn’t have been as furiously jealous as she was right now, Archie had made a joke about you and Betty being a couple now that you had ‘gotten over’ Veronica. The laughter was a combination response to the thought that you and Betty could ever be a couple and that you could ever get over Veronica Lodge.

    Somehow while thinking about Veronica you didn’t notice her across the room practically turning green, right then V decided to do something she might definitely regret.

    Veronica was storming her way towards you with wide, quick strides, finally gaining your attention with an impatient huff and call of your name.

“Y/n!”  You had never never thought your name was very special, but whenever Veronica said it, well it was like the most beautiful thing you had ever heard so, obviously it garnered your attention. That and the fact that she was approaching you for a change.

“Hey Veronica, what can I do for yo-” She cut you off by grabbing your neck and pulling your lips to hers. Oh my. Oh my god. Veronica Lodge was kissing YOU. The girl you were pining after was suddenly making out with you. In front of the entire student body and all you could do was stand the there. Snapping out of the initial shock you pull her back in grabbing her waist with one hand and tugging on her hair with the other.

“I think I’m in love with you and I’m sorry I haven’t done anything until now I just couldn’t stand seeing you with anyone else and I know I have no excuse for hurting you before but it’s not easy moving to a new town and coming out all over again I just really really like you, so please please please, don’t let me have already screwed this up” Veronica could have gone on for hours it seemed like and you wouldn’t have cared because you were still holding each other. You were still looking into each other’s eyes and, fuck, it was hot as hell seeing Veronica’s lipstick all smudged because of you. 

[questionablyawriter]

Lost Memories

Before you read: So this is a first draft of the first chapter to a story I’m writing. I plan on lengthening it quite a bit and editing any mistakes in it. Other than that please enjoy and comment on what you think of it :)

Chapter 1

The sky at midnight is always a magnificent and mysterious sight. All of its aspects seem more vivid and beautiful, It all just seems to come to life, stars shine just a little brighter, constellations seem to piece themselves together and tell their stories on their own. The night sky is one of my favorite things. It is how I feel better when I’m upset it is what I go to when I need to think. I always do whatever I can to see it in its finest moments, like, on a mountain where there is no light pollution. In the summer is hike up a mountain and watch for sunset to see the vibrant colors of the milky way's arms. Whenever I look at it though I always imagine if the Milky Way were alive it would be lonely and sad. All of the other galaxies are moving in opposite directions and it is all alone in the universe.

Tonight, however, I am just in the field by my college campus setting up to study for an exam tomorrow morning. I find it much easier to focus out in the stars with the peace and quiet. It is one of the only ways I can successfully study.

So I throw my blanket out in front of me and let it float down perfectly flat. I grab the candles and set those up in each of the corners of the blanket. They are hopefully not going to tip over. I don’t particularly want to cause a fire on the campus. I know it’s a bad idea to light them on campus but I didn’t have anything else in my dorm so I was stuck with candles. I go to light the first one but I pause before clicking the lighter and realize that it might be a better idea to wait until I take the books out to light the candles. I am not exactly in the mood to start a fire on campus.

I lay down onto the blanking to take in the night before I start working. My hair lays in a giant fluff around me. It is bright red and naturally very thick and curly. I usually end up straightening it or throwing a hat over it so it is easier to deal with. Of course along with it are my freckles. They cover nearly every inch of my body which I guess isn’t that much since I am only about five foot four inches. They do especially crowd around my face and shoulders. Sadly though on my face it’s not just on my nose and cheeks so that it’s a little cute, no, it’s my entire face. Although I just have those just absolutely astounding characteristics, my eyes are probably my favorite part. They are a dark yet vibrant green that most people’s immediate reaction is to ask if they are contacts. Thankfully they are not because I enjoy the inside joke it has become. I smile at that one and slowly come out of my quite literal staring into space.

I sit up and grab the lighter so that I can start studying. I lean over to light the first one and I swear, in slow motion I watch the flame ignite in the lighter and come out burning brilliantly. It mesmerizes me when it transfers itself over to the candle. Wax melts off and adrenaline rushes through me. It dances in the timid wind and I can’t help but be tempted to touch it. I shake it off, pretending I wasn’t being hypnotized by a candle and move on to the next one. This one is just the same, rush of adrenaline, mesmerized, and tempted to touch it. Except this time I just I was more that just tempted because next thing I knew my finger was over the flame. I flinched back and stared at my finger for a moment. I couldn’t figure out why I’d done it I just know I had and it sent another wave of adrenaline.

I once again shook it off and lit the rest of the candles. I tried not to focus on the flame itself too much for fear of doing what I just did again. Although it was a small flame and it didn’t hurt much at all it still freaked me out that I did it. People don’t just stick their fingers into a flame and leave it there for a while. People also don’t get adrenaline rushes when they light candles. It makes no sense whatsoever, so I change the subject in my mind because no matter how many circles I run I’m going to end up right back where I started.

I return back to the middle and spread out for a moment. Pondering what just happened and how I couldn’t remember deciding to or actually moving my hand to the flame. It was strange, it felt like I’d actually been hypnotised because I don’t remember doing it just that I was and a want to keep playing with it. I turn my head to face the stars and clear my mind hoping to forget about the fire and prepare to study. I of course forget and space off for much longer than I anticipated.

I sit up and take a deep breath. I can still feel a faint pulse of the adrenaline coursing through me. I ignore it and try to focus on my studying which doesn’t go well, not because of the fire, i spend nearly and hour on some flash cards and barely have most of them down. Studying of course has never really been my strong suit. I’m better at winging things and hoping I paid enough attention in class and on homework. It usually works but when it comes to college hoping that everything will be fine isn’t really good enough. I am paying way too much money to wing it. So far it seems the studying is paying off and my grades are pretty good right now.

However, I’m not a very big fan of school and I never really have been. It is boring and takes up way to much of your time. I love to learn but not the way schools teach. In english classes instead of writing book reports on books we like or find interesting it is old books I always fall asleep to while reading. Instead of testing out different things in chemistry we study them in a book, sure that one we do experiments but they are the only times the classes are fun. In math we don’t solve real world problems jst hypothetical ones that will never happen. I have just never understood the school system because it could be so much better so easily. I personally see high school as a prison and college is a prison disguised as a fancy, extremely overpriced hotel.

I’m not even sure why I am going to college I just know that I am, which is odd when you think about it. It’s not like I have a particular passion for my major. I don’t mind it per say, but I don’t love it either. I have no idea why I chose to go to this school or chose this major I just kind of did. I just find myself going to my classes everyday so I keep doing it, I might as well I guess. I realize the weirdness of the situation the more I think about it and decide to get back to my studying so that I will stop thinking about this before I come to the conclusion to drop out all together.

I spend a couple of hours reading and rereading information and quizzing myself. I can’t seem to get any of the information down and I can’t remember any of it when I go to quiz myself. I start to worry that I might actually fail this test considering how much I’m struggling to retain my notes. A pounding headache had come on immediately lighting those candles so it itself makes the studying harder to focus on. I take a deep breath and rub my eyes. A wave of exhaustion comes over me and I check the time. It is three o’clock in the morning and I decide to pack up and head back to my dorm.

I blow out all of the candles with my heart speeding up with each flame disappearing into a puff of smoke just as fast as it had appeared out of the lighter. I ignore it altogether and gather everything up and begin carrying it back to my room. The walk to sluggish with a yawn every couple of steps. The sidewalks are dark and only a couple of the street lights are on. I don’t mind though because this is a very common thing for this time of night. Once again I find it calming because night time and quiet always seem to have that effect.

I finally make it to my building and stand at the start of the sidewalk leading to it. I sigh, relaxing a little bit because I know I’m going to be in bed soon. I take a step towards the door when something catches my eye. Something flashes at the top of the building and I look up. I think I see the shape of a person and my whole body shifts to tense and on guard. I squint up to see it better and it’s gone. It had disappeared instantly and I can only assume I was hallucinating from sleep deprivation and shrug it off.

Once inside my dorm I set everything down and drop down to give my bed a hug. It is so cozy and I nearly fall asleep immediately. Before I can however my roommate who I’d figured was a asleep already says something.

“‘Bout time,” I hear my roommate mutter facing away from me on her own bed. She sounded nearly as tired as I felt so I tried to keep the conversation short for both of our benefit.

“Do you ever go to sleep at a reasonable time?” she asks jokingly.

“I don’t think I ever have actually,” I reply and she laughs a little clearly half asleep.

“I believe that,” She says after a moment, “Goodnight, Phoenix,” she continues and readjusts her position before going still and silent.

“Goodnight, Alissa,” I respond and readjust myself to go to sleep.

[ches-jpg-blog]

To My Unrequited Love

I’ve uttered a lot of goodbyes, too many for me to even remember, but perhaps this would be my last one. The one where in i’ll have the audacity to say everything that i need to say that has been bugging my mind. So that when i’m finished, i’ll be able to let go of something that has happened but never did at the same time. I keep on convincing myself that it was just an infatuation, something that i thought that wouldn’t last me a lifetime. Maybe because i never had a friend like you and you were so foreign, so different. I remember the first time i saw you in school, your tall figure, shoulder length silky hair, pitch black glasses and even if you had a gap in between your teeth you had this astounding smile that swept me off my feet, I knew you had this beautiful soul inside you even if we never met verbally that time. I have never witnessed a girl that could strike me this much that has left me mesmerized and so captivated. If anyone in this world asked why i liked you, i always had one undeviating answer and that was you were fun to be with, i loved spending my time with you cause every second of it was worth it. I loved making you smile, we shared some great moments, our interests and hobbies but all these that we shared was shared with others as well. Nothing really bizarre and nothing really that i would consider exceptional for the both of us. Who am i to you if i’m not a lover? a friend? an aqcuiantance? because to me you’re so much more than that.  Every night it has been just so difficult for me to occupy myself from thinking about you, day or night, rain or shine its just amazing how you took me by surprise. I had all these ceilings covering me up and you tore in down. I have no idea what happened between the two of us but the things that have happened have left me contemplating for days. I have always been scared during this time that i felt something for you. I felt your warmth and loving company that made life so sweet and bearable, but for that case i guess i was overthinking but i felt like you were uncomfortable in my presence and can’t tolerate it as if you almost wanted to get far away from me as much as possible. I’ve always had those moments, despondently i’m really downhearted at those times and think of the horrible things in people and i fear that there are also not so good things about me. I could relate to this quote so much: “My biggest mistake wasn’t falling in love with you, it was thinking that you had fallen for me too.” I don’t want to look even more pathetic than i am right now, i’m tired of revealing pieces of my heart only to be disregarded. I always told myself that its still painful because i gave up on an opportunity. Maybe it was just timing, but hear me out; timing was never by my side. If only i could change everything i would’ve. I thought i could just get over you with a one night stand or a new girl possibly, but i was wrong. I wish that i never rushed love not realizing you would come by my life like this. Its so hard to get over you because chasing after an impossible person turns out to be a perfect recipe for me to long for your connection. I’m not really sure if i’m getting better cause i don’t see you everyday, but every time i see you the more it hurts me. Now i’m not saying its your fault, but i realized that liking you was more about me than you and i apologize. Forgive me because i felt like it was so unfair for me. It annoyed me how boys would be interested in you and i got jealous of all the boys you found attractive. Who am i even to be in your life to be that way. It was heartbreaking for me but i kept in denial cause i didn’t want to look like a fool. I wish i had more time, more time to know you, more time to be there for you and know your strengths and weaknesses. I wanted to be the first person you would come up to and tell me how horrible or how awesome your day was. I wanted to be the person you lean on and cry on when you’re not okay. I wanted to hear more personal stories about you and watch more horror movies. You might have been the “first” girl that i felt something real that has given me this miserable unrequited love and i didn’t know what to do with that. I truly discovered more about myself. The pain has made me stronger and longer the bored with it made me a better person now. It gave me a better understanding of how i might handle it next time i love or like someone new. I’m not really quite sure yet if i am still lovesick from you but whatever i felt for you will always be bitter and at the same time treasured. Now that i’m here at this position, i know better now i’d be more confident about myself and hope that i could have the nerve to say that next person that i love her. This is only between you and me, not anyone else that has been a link to the both of us but for now this is all i can do, hold a pen and write all my filled up thoughts and feelings into words. Because this is the only fight i could give for the feelings i have for you. I’m still in a lot of pain from this self-imposed bruises that i think will leave a forevermore scar on me. Our story can be the respect we have for each other as friends or even as humans itself. For now the love i have for you is a romantic engaging love, but even if it sinks down, i’ll still love you. I’ll love you as a friend who has let me love her even when she couldn’t reciprocate it for some circumstances and in timing, but for me loving you has no perfect time. My father raised me to love people at this very moment cause there is no “other time” people change, things change overtime. I hope the next time i see you i would be ready to accept what i have now and what God has placed me in. For that, that is rare and a true gift, my unrequited love.

[bolbianddolanhouse]

BNHA self insert AU [Book 3]

Binge read the last two Books to get you up to speed! Book 1 * Book 2

Chapter 16: Drive Safe by Rich Brian

It’s graduation day and I am so washed over with relief that I’m just floating...literally. Everyone except Lili are in attendance to see me walk the stage twice for my double degree. Beizu and I could hardly sit still for the ceremony, holding hands until it was time to receive our diplomas. The moment we were able to walk out, we bolted out the door to scream out our new found freedom! Our families met up with us for the food part of our celebration, but before that, the usual suspects came up to us.

“IIDA-KUN!” yelled Gon “Don’t leave without saying goodbye!”

“Yea! Lets stay in touch!” Kage said with a smile “I know you have big things ahead of you, so don’t forget about us okay?”

“Aw guys, I don’t think I could if I wanted too” I joked “But I have to thank you guys for making my time in hero class worthwhile! I don’t think I’d do much if you guys didn’t push me to the challenge or pester me into doing the sports festival.”

“Bro, you inspire me” Gon was moved by my words “Invite me to your housewarming and wedding bro! And I’ll invite you to ours.”

“Ours?” I raised my eyebrow “you’re dating someone?”

“Oop maybe I’m getting ahead of myself” Gon turned red “Anyways! We’ll see you later Iida-kun!”

“See you whenever I do!” I waved them off, then turned to Beizu “I hope I do see again, they’re good people.”

“Come on Iwata, Beizu” called over mom “we don’t want to be late to our reservation!”

We excitedly jumped into the car to go to the best dim sum place this side of the country! Mom has been ordering from this place since it was just a street cart vendor, now it’s an established restaurant with many culinary awards. We go on special occasions as a family and they serve us like royalty. As we ate, I really reflected on everything I’ve gone through in these three years. Nothing like I thought it was gonna be but at least I didn’t go through it alone.

“Hey Bei” I said as I split my beef roll “I feel like I don’t tell you how much I appreciate you sticking through things with me. Couldn’t have survived these three years without you.”

Beizu raised a brow and chuckled “Why so gracious out of nowhere?”

“I dunno, I just was thinking about it now that it’s over” I put half a beef roll on his plate with telekinesis “I didn’t dread waking up or doing all that work everyday, because I had you to make things not suck so much. Heck, I wouldn’t even consider applying if you weren’t going to be there! So thank you Beizu, for everything.”

Beizu smiled “I can’t go without my best friend, you’ve made this leg of our lives that much more significant. Thank you for loving and wanting me to be part of your world.”

“Not to ruin the moment but can you pass the scallion pancakes?” Tensei’s voice cut in from across the big circular table.

“Oh sure! Sorry!” I levitated the plate of food to him.

“That reminds me!” Mom gasped as she grabbed her purse “We have a graduation gift for you two. Mei and I thought this would be the right time to give you such a gift.”

Beizu and I receive a large envelope from my mom. We exchanged a look and opened it.

“What is this?” asked Beizu confused to see a letter and two train tickets.

“Well, since you two were a little nosy about Beizu’s father” Beizu’s mom explained “We arranged for you two a vacation to Saitama, where Beizu’s dad is from, to learn more about him.” She turned to her son “I know you want some closure, in the letter are directions to his parent’s lodge that’s still functional. You can ask all the questions there and I’m sure they’d be happy to see that he didn’t let his legacy die.”

I was dumbfounded by the thoughtfulness of this gift. We didn’t know how to express our thanks other than crying and hugging our mothers. We really wanted to know how was this man we were named after. So fast forward a week later, we hopped on the early train to Saitama. Apparently this lodge is so obscure, I couldn’t find any reviews or information on them other than it’s approximate location and what trail to take to get there. We had to hike the rest of the way there once we got to the little town that was described in the letter. But it was a quaint town, not too noisy and not too bustling with tourists. Hand in hand, we hiked our way up the trail. It became clear that we needed to get out in nature more often, just two city boys getting winded and distracted by wild animals! Longer than intended, we finally made it to the lodge after three hours!

“Iwata Family Lodge, an oasis in the mountains” Beizu read the sign at the front of the lodge “It’s so weird to see your name in a different context here. Keep forgetting that your mom gave you my dad’s last name as a first name.”

“I like to not think about it too much” I chuckled as I finished my little stretch “Ready to go in there?”

Beizu took a deep breath “Will you hold my hand the whole time?”

“Of course” I held his hand “Until I need to pee tho.”

“Nah I hold your hand as you pee” jested Beizu.

“You nasty” I wheezed as we walked down the stone path to the front door of the lodge “A ver if you’re down because I need to pee and I’m not peeing in front of nature.”

We push open the doors and the warmth of the lodge rushed over us. The inside was so homely, yet a bit industrial in it’s design. Like this used to be a house that got turned into lodge and it’s gone through a few expansions over the years. The sound of rushing footsteps came from a nearby hallway.

“Hello, welcome! So sorry nobody was here to greet you!” said a woman as she bowed in apology “Are you here to rest for a while or rent a room?”

“Oh um actually” I dug into my pocket to take out the letter “We have a special reservation, under the name of Beizu.”

The woman stopped smiling, face turning white “Beizu? No...it can’t be!”

Beizu took a step forward and took off his beanie “Hi, I’m Beizu Hatsune. Beizu Iwata’s son. N-nice to meet you.”

The woman just looked at his extended hand and just ran into the hallway where she came from.

“Ya know, I expected fainting and crying” I spoke up “I don’t know if I should get in fight mode or call my mom, we followed the instructions on the letter to the T.”

“Maybe they don’t believe us” sighed Beizu in defeat “I knew it was too simple and too good to be true! Like, of course you’d not believe that your family member that died almost 20 years ago SUDDENLY has their almost 20 year old son show up with a random dude!” Beizu exclaimed in exasperation “God what are we doing?! Let’s just...go.”

“Bei, don’t be like that” I go in for the hug “Lets sit in the lobby and if they kick us out, oh well that’s our cue to truly leave. Please? I know you’re tired from that hike.”

“Fine, only because I’m tired” Beizu caved into my embrace “Can I have some water from the canteen?”

We hung up our coats and took off our hiking boots to sit in the lobby. I looked out the window to see the other facilities this place has. There’s an onzen, a slope to sled on, outdoor lounge and dining area. If we’re welcomed here, I’d love to hit the onzen. But back to the matters at hand, Beizu was getting anxious with the amount of time that passed and nobody came back out. Almost an hour passed and still nobody! 

“Lets go Iwa” Beizu said standing up “I feel like we’re not welcomed here. I guess we’ll see where to stay once we get back to that town.”

“Oh well, would’ve been nice to have a soak in that onzen” I floated over to the coat rack “It’s really cold here!”

“Wait! Don’t leave!” cried out a voice from the hallway.

We turned around to see a man and woman, both gray and aged, coming out of the hallway.

“Please, we have to apologize for not coming out sooner” said the older woman “It’s just that we’re shocked to hear that name again. You have my son’s name” she pointed to Beizu, walking slowly toward him “I haven’t seen him in so long but I know my son’s face when I see it.” she wrapped her arms around him “You look so much like him! Please don’t leave us again so soon!”

“I can’t deny that you’re not the spitting image of my oldest son” spoke up the old man “Please, sit a while in the lobby. I’m sure you came for questions.”

“I did, I have so many!” Beizu responded, overwhelmed by everything.

“Cool, mind if I use the restroom?” I spoke up as I spotted the sign to the men’s room “I’ll be right back Bei.”

Beizu sat with his grandparents, not knowing where to begin.

“The pink looks nice on you” his grandmother spoke up.

“Oh thanks! It’s natural” Beizu fingered a lock of his hair “my mom has pink hair and yellow-gold eyes.”

“Natural?! What else is different?” questioned the grandfather, astounded that pink hair is genetic.

“Hmmm, I guess my studies? I recently graduated from UA-”

“UA?! My goodness you must be a super genius like your father!” gasped the old couple “What’s your hero name?!”

“Oh this is awkward, I actually pursued the agent route” Beizu let them down gently “I’m one of the top three agents of my class and I’m going to work in contracted agent work in my region.”

“Not a hero eh?” chuckled the old man “Not that different from your dad.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ll admit, I put a ton of pressure on your dad to either be a hero or be in construction like me. That kind of pressure put a strain on our relationship and it drove him away from here.” the man sighed “He made it out of here as a sidekick for a top hero right out of hero school. But he really wanted to be an engineer and help others with technology, that’s how much of a genius he was. Always tinkering with scraps to make robots and I’d yell at him to put his skills into something more worthwhile. When he told us he was finally pursuing his dreams to be an engineer, I got very angry that he was throwing away his hero title to play with robots. At the time, I didn’t think he was going to make a living doing all that and I didn’t want him to starve to pursue this dream. But that was the final straw and he cut ties with us.” He looked at Beizu “How stubborn of me to just hold on to this grudge, even when the company he worked for took off. And even when the day came when this gorgeous woman with curly hair came in to tell us he passed away, I said that I didn’t want anything to do with that man. But as the years rolled by, I found myself missing him and realizing that I wasn’t considering the times were different and it was better for him to be in engineering. And I should’ve been more supportive and maybe he’d still be here, and we would have been in your life.”

“I’ve wondered how is that curly haired woman” the old woman spoke “She looked so professional and passionate about his death, I thought for a while that maybe she was the woman he was courting.”

“Oh um about that-”

“Yo that bathroom has a bidet and I feel like I’m at my old house!” I said stomping in.

“Hey why don’t you introduce yourself!” Beizu motioned toward me.

“Oh right! How rude of me!” I clear my throat “Hi, I’m Iwata El Roca Iida. I was raised with Beizu when we were infants and stayed together ever since.”

“Iwata? Like our family name?” muttered the old woman “How?”

“Iwata here was named after my dad out of respect. His mother is CEO of the company he worked for.”

“Yup! My mom told us how amazing he was and that she wouldn’t be where she is now with the company without him” I said as I sat next to Beizu “He designed all the functionalities of the robot companions and personally installed security systems in most of the major hero agencies.”

“Oh my, don’t tell me that-”

“His mom was the curly haired woman that you yelled at grandpa” Beizu said as he snatched the hat off my head, revealing my curly hair “Fun fact, he was in the womb when she came here to tell you the news.”

“This...is a lot to take in” the old man slumped back into the couch “It’s all the ghosts of the past are here to kill me themselves! Now I really regret the things I did.”

“Oof, do you think it’s in poor taste if we tell them our news?” I whispered to Beizu.

“What news?” the old woman asked curiously “Please do tell! I want to know what’s going on with my grandson.”

“Well, if you insist” I held Beizu’s hand “We’re engaged and going to live together.”

“Okay, I’m going to go take a nap” the old man stood up and briskly walked to the hallway “because there is no way today is real!”

We watched this old man fume his way down the hall and heard a door slam.

“Is he alright?” asked Beizu

“He’s just overwhelmed is all” assured the old woman “But we’ve just met you and you’re getting married?! I’m so excited, I love weddings! And I’m sure I’m going to have some lovely in-laws.”

“Oh you’ll love my parents and three other siblings!” I added.

“Yup, I’m also very excited to take his last name” gushed Beizu.

“Aw, not keep your last name?” she asked confused.

“Nope, I want him to marry into my family so I can share my inheritance with him” I clarified “My dad is part of the Ingenium hero lineage and-”

“A HERO LINEAGE?!” she screamed “oh please forgive me, but I suddenly need to lie down too.”

I waited until she was out of sight “Well, at least she’s not homophobic!”

“It was a lot to take in” Beizu slumped back “Now I feel like taking a nap.”

“If you’d like, I can open up a room for you two” said the woman from earlier “You traveled quite a ways and they just need some time to recoup. Come follow me.”

We followed them down the opposite hallway and into a room with a large bed and faux fireplace. We put our bags down and admired the view from our window.

“There’s towels and robes in the bathroom cabinet, extra blankets in the closet and some bottled refreshments on the table.” the woman turned to leave “I’ll have a meal ready for you when you wake. Please get some rest.”

“Thank you.” We thanked politely.

Beizu threw himself on the bed face down and started screaming into the comforter.

“Was that an excited, tired or frustrated scream?” I asked as I sat at the edge of the bed.

“It was a mixed one” Beizu rolled onto his back “Kinda see why my dad left, the communication in this family is awful. But at least grandma is nice.”

I laid down next to him “See? You’re already getting comfortable with the labels!”

“Yea but... the whole excusing themselves from the conversation is making me feel like shit” Beizu sighed and closed his eyes “Maybe a nap will do me good, we did jump into things too soon.”

I check the time “Its only 3pm, lets rest then” I spooned them from the back “I’ll be here when you wake.”

We took a short rest, only to be woken up by the sound of children giggling and running up and down the hall.

“Okay either this place haunted or theres a family that just arrived” I said as I sat up from our nap “And I believe the haunting more than the latter.”

We walked out to see 4 children of different ages in front of our door. All of them scattered at the sight of us. Confused, we walked out to the lobby and met with the woman again.

“You’re up, sorry if the children woke you” she walked out from behind the front desk to show the children wrapped around her legs “They heard from their grandma that they have an older cousin here in the lodge.”

“Oh wow I have more cousins!” Beizu leaned down “Hi! I’m Beizu, I have the same quirk...see?”

The children gasped at the sight of Beizu stretching his limbs.

“But can you touch the ceiling?!” challenged one of the older boys “I nobody can beat me!” he stretched a good 6 feet “Beat that!”

“Boy you underestimate me!” Beizu did a little warm up “I’ve been training my quirk at the highest ranked hero school, the ceiling is nothing!” Beizu jumped up and stretched to touch the high vaulted ceiling with ease “Tadaa!”

“Woah! So cool!” cried out the boy that challenged him.

After a while, the woman leads us to a dining room with a late lunch set for us. She sat with us, observing Beizu.

“You know, after your dad left” she broke the silence “he kept in contact with me. Even after the big fight, he’d send me money and call once a week. He told me that his partner was pregnant with you and he planned to come back to introduce you to us once you were big enough.”

“He kept in contact with you? How come you didn’t come to visit?” asked Beizu.

“I couldn’t leave the lodge, our parents were getting too old to run things on their own.” the woman explained “Father didn’t put the same pressures on me to study or find a worthwhile job, it was already assumed I was going to run the lodge, marry a local man and have children. And don’t get me wrong! I’m perfectly happy with that! It’s just that, I idolized my big brother and of course I’ve bit my tongue and kept you secret from my parents for him.”

“What? Why keep me secret?”

She started to pick up the dirty dishes “Father is very stubborn and I was so afraid he’d reject you too. Over the years he softened up to start mourning the loss of his son.” She put the dishes on the bussers cart “It was around the time my oldest son started talking that he came around. But it was too late to really fix things, so he just spent his days sitting in his workshop, remembering when he spent quality time with his son.”

“...Well, what if I told you I can help him look back?” Beizu offered.

“Bei, you brought the device?” I asked through my mouthful of omurice.

“Yeah, I figured that if we did find the place and they let us in” he explained himself “maybe they’d like look back at the good times. Plus I’d get to see how my dad was as a kid.”

I swallowed my food “Fair enough, that’s why you’re the smart one.”

“Hmm? I device?” asked the woman curiously.

“Umm I can explain later aunty” Beizu held back “er- can I call you that?”

“Of course! I am your aunt” the woman burst into laughter “my name is Naomi and you can call me however you want.”

I quickly finished my food as they were talking “Soooo, is the onzen open?”

Beizu and I spent time together for the rest of the day. Fully touring the place and contacting our moms that we made it safe to the lodge. In the morning, Beizu was preparing himself to show the device, basically pacing in anticipation.

“Aunty, I-”

“Hup! Whatever it is” stopped his aunt, plates in her hands “sit and eat.”

“But-”

“Sit. and. eat. Beizu.” She waited for Beizu to sit at the table “Good! I hope you like fried pork and eggs in congee.... And that goes for you too Father.” She sternly flashed a look toward the open doorway “What is with the men in this family and skipping breakfast?!”

“Dad did it too?” Beizu asked.

“Oh he’d bolt out the house in excitement almost every morning” the old woman walked into the dining room “And it’s always something he thought up in his sleep and didn’t want to waste time because the dream was still fresh in his head.” She sat down “Your grandfather would be the first one up to do some sort of work on the lodge and wouldn’t stop until the middle of the afternoon.”

I turned to face Beizu “Now that they mentioned it, you do wake up and get to work-mode.”

“Yea and I have to drag you out of bed every morning so you can do your little skincare and hair ritual” Beizu mocked me and turned to his aunt and grandma “He can’t go anywhere if his hair isn’t done! So high maintenance.”

“Curly hair is hard to manage” I huffed as I levitated the coffee pot “Just wait until we have children and we have to care for their curls! Complain then Bei.”

“Oh my, I can’t imagine it!” the old man put his cup down to put his head in his hands “Great-Grand children?! Pink and curly haired with god-knows quirks.”

“Father don’t think about it too much” the aunt sat down “They’re still too young to have children. Besides, they might be quirk-less like me.”

“You’re quirk-less?” I asked, hiding my palm pistons in my sweater sleeves.

“Yup, that’s why I admired my big brother so much” she smiled “He had such an amazing quirk and I wish I had it in me to do the amazing things he did. But sadly, no quirk, hence why all my children have quirks.”

We talked more over breakfast and I noticed how much more open the grandfather was to Beizu. It made me very relieved that things weren’t tense anymore, which made the next event that much easier. Everyone was gathered at the lodge workshop with Beizu and the device in the middle.

“Okay, give me at date” Beizu flipped the device on.

“...try March 9th, 30 years ago.” spoke the grandfather “If I remember correctly, that’s the day I finished the room expansion on the far side of the lodge.”

“Alright...starting image, now!” 

Beizu pressed the button and the device took a little while to produce the hologram, as it’s the furthest date it’s been inputed. But finally the image of a male child with an adult man at the work table came up.

“...and that’s how you fix a door knob.”

“Wow! So cool daddy!” gasped and clapped the boy “Can you teach me how to do the thing with my fingers?!” 

“You mean make the lock pick?” said the man as he knelt down “Sure, hands out.”

The boy eagerly held his hands out and observed how the man molded his fingers into two thin, needle like hooks.

“I did it!” the boy exclaimed “look daddy! Now I know 5 tools!”

“You sure do, I’m very proud of you son” the man chuckled and pat the boy’s head “You’re learning so fast, someday you’ll surpass me!”

“I wanna grow up and help people. I want to learn as much as I can!” 

“Like a hero?”

“Like you daddy!” beamed the boy “You’re always helping people by building houses and clearing safe trails for hikers. I want to help too!”

Beizu stopped the image and looked back at his aunt and grandparents.

“He knew way back then his calling” his grandmother spoke “And he never lost track of it, we just didn’t know it was going to be with robotics.”

The grandfather walked up to the still of the past “I shouldn’t have pushed you away, would you ever forgive me?” he asked the hologram like it could respond.

“I think he would’ve forgiven you” Beizu walked up to him “I’ve peeked into the past, the time before I was born and he was prepping the house for my birth. He would talk to himself that he wanted to take me back to where he grew up. That maybe if comes back with a lot to show, he’d show that old man that he made it pursuing his dream.” Beizu turned to see the image of his dad as a boy “I didn’t know what that meant but I get it now! He wanted to show you how capable he was with his dream. A thriving career, a house ,a loving partner and a child...he wanted to make you proud of him at the end.”

That statement made everyone cry. 

“The hologram is fading” I spoke up, pointing at the corner that started fading.

They all gathered to watch the last few seconds of their loved one, like they were finally letting go of any bad feelings and regrets. I could help but smile at them finally acting like family, like they were never apart. The next few days we spent there were us learning about the area and helping around. The morning we were due to leave, the grandfather approached me.

“Boy, may I see your hands?” he requested bluntly.

“Um, sure” I held out my hands, confused on why he was asking me to do so.

He took a closer look at my pistons “Two quirks?” I nodded in response “Ahhh, what a rare gem. The gene pool is going to be nice and strong! Please take good care of my grandson” he folded my hands together with his cupped around them “You have my blessing to marry him, but I have a feeling you were going to regardless on what I had to say.”

I chuckled “What gave it away?”

“The way your mother told me that she was going to honor my son’s death to spite me that day” he got visibly nervous “I got very nervous when I saw that curly hair, thinking you’re just like her. So this whole week I was just waiting for you to yell at me over something.”

“Oh I don’t do outbursts unless I’m in battle! Don’t you worry your little gray head oji-san” I reassured him “I promise to take care of Beizu and to remind him to call every so often.”

I walked with him to the front desk, where everyone else was.

“Ready to go?” Beizu asked me as all his cousins were latching onto his legs crying “Come on guys, I gotta go home.”

“Are you sure you have to go? You’re more than welcome to stay as long as you want” the grandmother offered.

“I wish we could but we have important trainings coming up in the coming days” Beizu responded, peeling his cousins off him “On top of that, we’re still looking at places to move into once Iwa gets his inheritance money in a few months.”

“We’ll visit as much as we can!” I promised as I picked up my bag “We’re family after all, I wanna see what’s going on at the lodge.”

“We’ll always have room for you two” the aunt said as she hugged us “Take care, send me a message when when you get home safely.”

We said our final goodbyes and walked away hand in hand. I had to savor these moments with Beizu, the real work was starting soon for us. He knew it too, so we didn’t let go of each other the whole way home. And even then, we had to get pried away by our moms at that were waiting to take us home when we arrived at the station.

Many months later, I finished packing my belongings to move out of my parent’s house. It’s spring, I just had my 20th birthday and Lili is newly engaged to Hoshi. The brats are in their 3rd year of middle school and Beizu is making good money at his agent job. Me? I’ve taken up work with Sir Nighteye’s agency and it’s an impressive first job I’d say. I walk down stairs with the last of my boxes to load onto the rental movers truck that uncle Jin has yet to come back. I see my mom sitting at the couch by herself, I float over to her.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“Hmm? I got texts from work and I’m just now getting around to them” she responded as she was typing “Are you all packed?”

“I am, just brought the last of my stuff” I sighed and sat next to her “Mom, I’m nervous. I know this is different from moving away to dorm and I’m not going to be alone. But I can’t help it! What’s going to happen now?”

Mom put her phone down and held me “Oh my baby boy, I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that one. This is the beginning of your adult life, your fate is entirely in your hands now.”

“How was it when you started your adult life?” I asked, looking up to her.

“I was basically like how you were, moving into a place with my significant other and making our place like a home” she smiled and stroked my hair “Except my heart was torn between what happened between your dad and I. My fate was ruled by my next move, no syllabus nor clear future! Hence the mess that happened that lead to reuniting with your dad. But you’re in better standing than I was at your age, you’re living with the love of your life and have enough in savings for anything that might happen.” She squeezed me close “You’ll be just fine Iwata, enjoy your newfound freedom and cherish the little things. Because the time will pass so fast that you’ll be bringing home your first born, wondering were all the time went and how you spent it.”

“Its that how you feel know that I’m the second one to move out?”

“It feels like last week I was watching you take your first steps and now I’m watching you leave my nest” she chuckled, then paused to listen to the shuffling outside the house “Oop, your dad and uncle Jin came at the same time, better go yeet those boxes into the truck before your dad starts crying again.”

So I was speed running my move out, like mom said, my dad cries so much whenever his kids do anything. Uncle Jin was generous enough to not only drive the truck but also help us bring our new furniture up to our apartment. It didn’t really hit me that this was our new place until I saw the amount of boxes that were piled in the living room. 

“Well, time to get started” sighed Beizu as he handed me a box cutter “I’ll do the furniture assembling, you unpack the kitchen and bathroom stuff.”

Half way of unpacking, I looked at a frustrated Beizu trying to assemble a desk “Ya know, this unpacking and moving in shit is way harder than when we were in the dorms. Lets just...not assemble the bed today.”

Beizu stopped his struggle and looked at me “You saying what I think you’re saying?”

I gave him the look “Ya sabes babe, pillow fort bedroom!”

When we got around to unpacking the bedroom things, out of all the boxes we packed, all there was three comforters and the rest were pillows. I couldn’t help but to laugh at the amount of pillows we brought to our place! It was enough to fill our bedroom, or as Beizu put it, enough to build a pillow castle. So we did just that and crawled inside of it to finally rest.

“I don’t mind if we never assemble the bed frame” Beizu said as he put his head on my chest “Our parents can’t tell us to tear this down!”

I looked up at the ceiling fan, finally taking in our situation “Just like this, forever in love and young at heart. In our little love nest.” I closed my eyes and felt Beizu cuddle closer “I love you so much.”

Thoughts of our future danced in my head as I drifted to sleep. I was very excited to make my way through my adult life. Who cares what’s going on outside right now?! I have all I need right here and nothing is going to change that.... Wonder what those brats are up to now?

-Book 3, End-

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