#however! it can also look like giving them your undivided attention while they ramble about a webcomic you’ve never heard of

[artemisiatridentata]

As an educator it never fails to floor me (and, often, nearly bring me to tears) how kids react and open up when I give them positive feedback. Often it seems like no adult has ever bothered to engage with them and center them in the conversation. Maybe it helps that I still enjoy “childlike” things like drawing and star wars and dinosaurs, but like. still. any time I treat them like the complex, fully-formed human beings that they are, any time I ask questions that get beyond the surface level, their eyes light up and they transform.

Like once on a five-day field program, I complimented a shy, quiet kid’s watercolor painting, told them I liked making art too and asked them more questions about it — what their favorite medium was, if they found watercolors tricky like I do, etc. — and it was like a switch was flipped. They told me all about their art classes and what they liked to make, what techniques they were struggling with, AND we found out we both were interested in herbalism! The kid stuck to me like glue for the rest of the week and kept showing me all the art they were making, as well as asking me all about the edible and medicinal plants in the region. And all it took was me saying something like, “Whoa, that painting is amazing! The detail on the trees is so realistic, and you really captured the texture of the sandstone! I like to paint, too, but rocks are really hard for me. I can never get them to look right. How did you make them look so 3D?” instead of just “wow that’s pretty!”

And that happens over and over. A little boy who didn’t really talk to anyone saw me drawing a mandalorian with sidewalk chalk and the next day he brought a bunch of his drawings of clone wars battle scenes to show me, and after I told him how impressed I was with his creativity and attention to detail, he wouldn’t stop talking to me and asking me how to draw various characters!! Recently I had a long and delightful conversation with an 8 year old about his favorite species in the ceratopsidae family. I’ve had hours-long discussions with teenage boys on the various merits and minutiae of legends vs. canon star wars material and the ways that universe mirrors our real-life sociopolitical landscape. 9 year old girls talk a mile a minute when they find out I like horses and ask them about their favorite breed, and shy 18 year olds suddenly can’t stop smiling and bouncing on their heels when I ask them to tell me more about their favorite music artists and mention that hey, my 25 year old best friend is also into K-pop, just like you!! Who’s your favorite group?? 12 year olds have asked me if they can have more free time instead of a structured lesson and are shocked when I say yes, and then confess to being stressed and sad because they’re already so exhausted and burnt out from the school-homework-extracurriculars grind and they can’t imagine doing it for six more years and then working for decades like their parents. and then they ask if I want to come see the fort they’re building out of fallen branches and maybe help them build it? or would I like to come catch crawdads or build a little snail hotel?

Kids of all ages are dealing with so much stress and negative feedback. They’re often made to feel — whether directly or indirectly, by their parents or teachers or peers or bosses or church elders, etc. — that they’re not doing enough. That they’re lazy and always on their phones and that their interests are frivolous and that they’re too loud or in the way or annoying. Hell, I was made to feel that way when I was their age, and it breaks my heart that many kids are still not getting the positive feedback they need to thrive. So I make a point of giving them the level of respect and autonomy and engagement that I give adults.

The least us adults can do, especially those of us who teach kids or are otherwise around them a lot, is show them through our words and actions that we genuinely value their interests, opinions, and presence in our lives.

consider: teenagers aren’t apathetic about everything they’re just used to you shitting all over whatever they show excitement about

[thebibliosphere]

There’s a youtuber I watch, I won’t mention her cause I don’t want people giving her shit in the comments (not that I think most of you would, but y’know, it’s the Internet) and she’s recently got on this really... anti-tech bend in which she is referring to her enjoyment of cell phone usage as an “addiction”. And while for sure being constantly wired and “on” is harmful, especially doom scrolling twitter, the things she is describing doesn’t sound like addiction to me, but rather ADHD brains seeking dopamine feedback. And honestly? Making broad, sweeping comments like “cell phones are so harmful, and if you can’t just sit still and be present in the moment you have an addiction” is... making me very uncomfortable.

Like, you want me to pay attention to something? Sure, I can do that. For limited amounts of time. You want my sustained attention for hours? Not gonna happen. Unless I’m hyperfixating, nothing is going to hold my attention span for hours on end. And generally speaking, people enjoy the initial upswing of my fixations, but they don’t enjoy the prolonged outcome of me neglecting to self care for eight hours straight because my brain decided this is the only thing I’m going to focus on to the point where I forget to eat, drink, sleep, or even go to the bathroom. So when people tell me they want my undivided attention, I like to tell them they really don’t.

What I can give you however, is a rational amount of attention with the aid of things like stim and fidget toys to keep my brain from wandering for the duration of whatever we’re doing. Sometimes that can even look like scrolling mindlessly on my phone. Speaking personally, most of my attention will be on what you’re saying. I’m just giving my brain background noise to focus on while I actually process what you’re saying/doing.

And you know what? Learning to both do this and accept that I need to do this and I’m not a horrible person for not being able to 100% focus unaided, has been actively helpful and healthful for my mental health. I get fewer ADHD meltdowns, which yeah, can occur with both over stimulation and under stimulation as well. 

My brain needs some of that instant gratification because it’s dopamine starved. And what might be a problem for some people, and I genuinely believe it is... Making these sweeping statements about addiction, which is a very serious mental health issue, and making it part of your “I shun technology” spiel you’re on while running a business through YouTube is... not as sincere as you perhaps hope it is. But of course, it’s the shunning of technology as evil, so the comments are just filled with “god, you’re so right, we should all go back to before we had smart technology”, inevitably posted from an iphone with absolutely zero self awareness or sense of irony.

And then when I brought up ADHD and neurodivergency in the discord it was liked I’d just asked “who wants to kick puppies?!” and ended up muting the thread because it was easier to peace out than listen to the whole “you don’t have ADHD, sweety, you’re just highly sensitive” bullshit that is becoming more and more common in these types of groups.

Idk, the whole thing just... rubbed me the wrong way. Especially because the things she were labeling as “signs of addiction”, said in such a scandalized manner, were actually hallmarks of what I now recognize as neurodivergency. And while addiction is a major problem with ADHD—specifically with unmedicated and undiagnosed individuals who have been forced to try and rectify their lack of dopamine on their own—shunning what are honestly harmless coping mechanisms is not going to help those people. 

So you check twitter while watching TV. So what? Oh, you checked your phone ten times a day? So what? Is it actively harming you? Is it harming your mental health? Are you doom scrolling? Is it harming those around you? Are you idealizing Instagram too much and putting yourself down? Then yeah, those are bad. Maybe work on that. 

But also maybe consider you might just blaming the phone for other problems in your life you’re not addressing cause it’s easier to blame technology than it is to even consider for one second you might have ADHD.

Idk. Thanks for coming to my rambling TED talk. I’m off to read a book while listening to a podcast about a different book.

[the-bugs-under-ur-skin]

Yandere Aubrey + Hero HC’s - Omori

(sorry these are so messy, i ended up writing them late at night)

[yandere Aubrey x reader]

-Aubrey is the totally the cliché of being cold and mean to everyone else but soft for her darling

-everyone else is met with harsh words and cold glares, but with you it’s completely different

-she’ll talk a little more quietly so she doesn’t startle you and her eyes will soften ever so slightly whenever she happens to meet your eyes

-Aubrey just doesn’t want you thinking you did anything wrong, you’re never the bad guy

-she thinks of you as a genuine angel

-Aubrey felt like she was completely abandoned, but when you stick around it makes her feel appreciated and loved

-she was just so desperate for any bit of happiness and you’re like her own personal serotonin dispenser 

-my girl carries a bat around with her and you best believe that she’ll strike someone who even looks at you wrong

-unfortunately, she acts on blind rage so she’ll probably just beat someone to death right in front of you

-hopefully you can get used to it, there’s probably nothing that can calm Aubrey down in the moment

-but once again, she wouldn’t hurt you, so there’s really no reason to freak out!

-Aubrey would definitely kidnap you, but only if she knew you would get over it eventually

-she’s wants you and would do anything to have you, but she also wants your love and devotion

-she’s also very cool with not kidnapping because while she would like you to devote every minute to her, she also likes showing you off to everyone

-if she were to go through all of the trouble and hard work of stalking and kidnapping you only for you to completely ignore and reject her, she wouldn’t be able to keep her cool!

-(she might even cry if you refuse to look at her)

-however, Aubrey is still very clever, so she’ll probably be able to prevent that from happening

-she will get stressed if you don’t seem interested at all, though

-everything that she does is for you, and she tries so hard for you

-so if you if you barely give her the time of day she’ll snap

-it’s honestly very easy to make Aubrey snap though

-she has anger issues and is definitely the jealous type

-it makes her completely livid when you spare your attention to someone else

-if you wanted to, you could probably get away with making her jealous if you just want feral Aubrey, but afterwards you need to give her your complete and undivided attention otherwise she’s going to burn the entire neighborhood down

-(on the note of burning the town down, i could imagine her daydreaming about you and her just kissing and holding each other while something completely destructive is happening in the background. it just seems like something that would give her butterflies)

-Aubrey will hover over you 24/7

-in some cases her clinginess is nice, but in most it’s just her smothering you

-on the plus side, you’ll never need to worry about getting hurt or ganged up on

-i can promise you that if any of her gang accidentally messes with you, you’ll never have to even see them again

-she wouldn’t care about the consequences, she no longer cares for anyone in her gang

-but even if she’s with her gang or not, if you’re getting hurt Aubrey will be the one to take them out

-she just cares about you so much, even if you are just getting mildly upset with someone Aubrey will get super worked up

-she loves that your guys’ new reputation is completely destroyed

-no one will come near the two of you, everything can finally be perfect

-it’s like her morbid fairytale ending is finally coming true

-Aubrey wouldn’t know what to do if you suddenly vanished

-she thinks about it a lot, especially since all her other friends left her

-when she thinks about it, she’ll understand why you did it

-she’s honestly kind of insecure and worried that you’ll turn around and completely forget about her

-but she knows she’s not the best, she knows that there are so many better options out there and that you leaving her is kind of inevitable

-unfortunately, if it were to happen in real life it would not go down that smooth

-but it’s fine, right?

-i mean, you would never leave Aubrey, so it’s not like she needs to even think about that

-...right?

[yandere Hero x reader]

-honestly,,,, like he gives me worshipper vibes

-he’s always complimenting you

- whether it’s you looks, talents, or personality, most words that come out of his mouth is just praise

-he just thinks you’re so perfect, he literally can’t imagine anything he doesn’t like about you

-like, with the smallest push in the world, he might actually consider you a deity of some kind

-he’d also probably wait on you hand and foot

-he’s always ready to serve you anyway he can

-if he’s able to, he’ll probably insist on carrying you around everywhere

-he’ll remind you every single day how much he loves you and he has to say it at least 3 times

-every opinion, thought, and feeling that you have, he’ll back you up completely

-Hero also gives me loyal dog vibes

-he follows you around, will do whatever you say, and his life basically revolves around you

-(mini imagine but i think Hero isn’t as involved with his family as a yandere Kel would be. he still loves his family, it’s possible for him to forget about them completely with enough of you in his life)

-Hero will pick up on your cravings or what you frequently want just so he can carry around a little bag for you

-he can cook and i can just imagine him keeping some snacks he personally poured his heart and soul into just for you to munch on

-he’d probably feed you it, too

-he imagines you guys as a loving married couple, to the point where he might accidentally call you his spouse or something

-he’ll get whatever you need, but he’ll feel super insecure if you ask for a store bought snack

-Hero just is super sensitive to everything you do, even if you don’t mean to do anything

-but i can also imagine Hero being super bashful or something

-it’s super easy to make him blush

-like just looking you in the eye makes his cheeks burn

-you get his heart racing from sitting next to him and no matter what you say he’ll always be happy by your side

-and whenever you compliment him, no matter how often you do it, it always catches him off guard

-it’s so unreal too him, even the thought of someone like you praising his heart beat fast

-i think Hero actually would daydream often

-he likes imagining typical romance clichés, like knight x princess or soulmates

-Hero is also protective of you

-i don’t know if he has the heart to kill, but he can do anything else that you want!

-honestly, he’d feel bad if you did want him to kill

-but i just don’t think he’s even a good fighter

-he would give a few good punches, though

-but at the end of the day, the best thing he can do is ramble and rant to you about how much he wants to protect you while holding you close for the whole day

-Hero would be an obsessive texter

-whenever you aren’t around he’ll keep trying to call you and the moment he gets even a little worried about you he’ll spam you with texts

-whenever he texts you, he’ll just do nothing but wait until you respond

-so if you normally leave people on delivered, try to get out of the habit

-since Hero is basically an adult, he’d try his best to get a place to live with you

-it’d be very difficult, considering he’s a college student, but i wasn’t lying when i said this man would do anything for you

-he couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life with anyone else

-and he won’t have to, right darling?

[jaskiers-sweetkiss]

The Mercer Legacy - Part 2

Pairings: Reggie x Luke x Reader, Willex

Word Count: 2.4K

Warnings: swearing

a/n: ahhh here’s part 2 of The Mercer Legacy!! I have been super busy and also told myself I wouldn’t write more of this until Sunset Swerve was finished (which it’s technically not bc it’s still missing an epilogue but shhhh) but I’m really excited to share this with y’all!! As always, please let me know what you think and comment/send me an ask if you’d like to be added to my taglist!! Oh, let’s all pretend that Luke and Reggie are in their concert blacks backstage at the event from Part 1 in the second edit, thanks :)

Part 1  Masterlist  TML Masterlist 

___

You met at the place where your front lawns touched, both of you storming out of your houses at the same time to confront each other.

“I can’t believe you lied to me!”

“I can’t believe you tricked me!” 

You both paused, having yelled at each other at the same time and needing a moment to comprehend what the other had said.

“Really?” You spoke first, quirking a brow and pursing your lips as you stared down your best friend. “You’re going to whine about a harmless prank when you’ve been living a freaking Hannah Montana double life?!”

“A Hannah Montana double life?” Alex repeated as if he couldn’t believe those were words that had just come out of your mouth. 

“Yeah, asshole. You’ve got secret cute friends, you’re in a secret band-“

“Actually can we talk about this inside?” He cut you off, looking around frantically as if he just remembered that you were outside and anyone could hear you. 

You glared at him for interrupting but turned to lead the way back towards your house. 

“Now I understand how Lily felt,” you grumbled and you could practically hear Alex roll his eyes. 

“You’re ridiculous.” 

“Oh, fuck off!” 

___

“So what I still don’t understand is why you didn’t just tell me all of this to begin with,” you finally spoke after Alex explained to you everything about meeting the guys and forming the band. You were sat across from each other on your bed, normally you’d sit side-by-side against the pillows or cuddle but this was serious. “Do you not trust me?”

Alex snapped his head up at that, looking you straight in the eyes as he spoke. 

“No! Y/N, of course, that’s not it! You know you’re my best friend, I’d trust you with my life!” He rushed to reassure you. 

“Then why not this?” 

Alex sighed. 

“I don’t know, it just...it all happened really fast and telling you slipped my mind and then it seemed too late to tell you and I just- I didn’t want you to be mad at me,” he rambled and you shook your head fondly. 

“You’re an idiot, you know that right?” 

“That’s why I need you, you have all the brains,” he was quick to respond, breaking out the innocent look he usually reserved for parents. 

“Kiss ass,” you grumbled but gesture for him to join you against the pillows anyway. 

“I’m glad you know now,” Alex said quietly as he settled next to you, slinging an arm around your shoulder and pulling you into him. “Don’t replace me with Luke and Reggie though.”

You laughed at that, quickly reassuring him that you could never before pulling out your phone. 

“What’re you doing?” Alex asked curiously, trying to get a look at the screen. 

“I’m changing your contact name to Hannah Montana,” you answered simply as you tapped away on your phone, doing just that. 

“Oh my gosh, seriously? You’re never gonna let that go are you?” He groaned. 

“Listen, I really don’t think you’re appreciating how clever that was. I’m a genius.” 

“Of course, my genius best friend,” Alex teased, hugging you closer to him briefly. 

You nuzzled your head into his shoulder, grateful for the show of affection. You knew Alex wasn’t a very physical person so the fact that he was comfortable enough with you to express his affection in this manner was huge. You always joked that he was the brother you’d never asked for and it was like he caught the cuddle bug when the two of you hung out. You’d spent many an afternoon or sleepover cuddled up just like this. 

“Oh! I should probably text the guys and let them know you’re alive,” you spoke after a moment, reaching for your phone once more. 

“The guys,” Alex repeated in disbelief at the casual reference to Luke and Reggie before the rest of your statement registered in his mind. “Wait, let them know what?!”

“Shhhh, it’s fine,” you waved him off as you sent a text in your group chat. “I just might’ve threatened your life for lying to me.”

“You threat- y’know what, I shouldn’t even be surprised anymore,” he sighed exasperatedly. 

“You really shouldn’t,” you laughed. “Luke says you’re late for band practice.”

“Oh shit!” Alex exclaimed, sitting up suddenly, the movement forcing you to sit up as well. “I gotta go- wait, do you wanna come with? I’m sure the rest of the group won’t mind.”

“Do I want to come... y’know I was joking about me having all the brains in this friendship but now I’m starting to think it’s true,” you huffed as you followed your best friend out of the room. 

___

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late!” Alex apologized as he rushed into the garage where the band apparently practiced. 

Upon entry, you found the garage had been converted to a well-lit and nicely decorated studio, equipped with everything you assumed a band of high schoolers could need. As you followed Alex in he gestured over to a couple of armchairs and a couch clustered across from the band setup for you to sit in before he quickly made his way behind the drum set. 

“No problem man, we know you were making up with- y/n!” Luke exclaimed, catching sight of you seated in one of the chairs in front of him. 

“What’re you doing here?” Reggie blurted out, having spun around to face you when Luke had said your name and you felt your cheeks heat up in embarrassment. 

“Um, Alex said I could come watch you practice?” You tried to explain but it came out as more of a question in your flustered state. “He didn’t think you guys would mind but if you do I can just head back home...”

You moved to stand up from your chair but the boys were quick to stop you. 

“No!” They shouted simultaneously. Thank goodness for guitar straps because each boy nearly dropped their instrument in their haste to keep you from leaving. 

“You just... caught us off guard. That’s all,” Luke explained, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you heard Alex groan from the back, drawing your attention. 

“What’s up?” You called back to him, settling back into your seat and sending Luke and Reggie a grateful smile before giving your best friend your undivided attention.

“Huh? Oh! I, uh, one of my sticks looks like it’s starting to crack,” he excused, sounding like he hadn’t meant to be heard. You narrowed your eyes suspiciously at him, knowing he was leaving something out but you wouldn’t push it. At least not in front of Luke and Reggie. “Anyways, where’s Jules?”

“She just ran inside to grab some water,” Reggie answered, and if on cue the studio doors opened and a smaller girl carrying an armful of water bottles who you assumed must be Julie stepped in. 

“Y’know, one of you guys could’ve offered to help,” she huffed, walking over to each of the three boys to hand them a bottle. 

Like Luke and Reggie, it took her a moment to notice your presence as she jumped slightly when she turned around and spotted you. You smiled sheepishly, feeling that embarrassed heat rise into your face once again. 

“You must be Y/N!” She exclaimed, grinning at you. “I’m Julie. Do you want a water?” 

You graciously accepted the offer from the curly-haired girl, thankful that she didn’t seem to mind that you were there. After making sure you felt welcome Julie was all business, getting the band started on their rehearsal. The same could not be said for the guys. 

Luke was the first to start goofing off while Reggie had been pointedly averting his gaze whenever you looked at him. It was a complete tone shift from the confident boy who had winked at you at the debutante ball but Luke’s showing off seemed to empower him. The brunet, on the other hand, hadn’t wasted any time doing silly rockstar moves and adding in guitar riffs that you could tell weren’t typically apart of the songs by Alex and Julie’s fond but exasperated expressions. Not long after, Reggie joined in on the shenanigans, the two boys competing for your attention. 

For his part, Alex did seem to be doing his best to maintain his professionalism but, well, once Luke and Reggie started acting out you weren’t surprised that he followed. You thought it was cute, your best friend was jealous. Whether it was because he thought you were stealing his friends or they were stealing you was yet to be seen, but you thought it was endearing despite knowing that he had nothing to worry about. 

Well, maybe he had to worry about you stealing Luke and Reggie. Despite not knowing them for very long the two boys had quickly grown on you and you were grateful for opportunities like sitting in on band practice to get to spend more time with them, even if you weren’t talking or interacting with them directly. You got the feeling that music was a language of their own, especially for Luke. Even as he did everything in his power to gain and keep your attention you could tell that each song was important to him. 

You were surprised and bummed when they finished rehearsing, your personal mini-concert over. However, you hadn’t realized practice being over didn’t mean you had to go home. Apparently, the guys often stayed late in Julie’s garage just hanging out. 

“So, what exactly do your parents think you’re doing when you’re here?” You asked Alex much later, having just noticed the sun had long since set and wondering how the boy had escaped his parents’ curiosity and strictness for so long.  

You had migrated to the couch at some point in the evening, your legs draped across Luke’s lap as you stretched out on the sofa. Reggie and Alex occupied the two closest armchairs. 

“Usually I just say I’m at your house,” Alex shrugged and you sat up abruptly, staring at him as if he were insane (which, by the way, he was). 

“And you never thought to tell me that I was your alibi?” You questioned in disbelief. “What if they had checked in?!” 

“They wouldn’t have checked in.”

“They’re helicopter parents!” 

“But they trust me,” Alex smirked and you huffed. 

“Right. How could I forget you’re the Golden Boy. Every parent to ever exists trusts you immediately by default,” you groaned, flopping back onto the couch dramatically. 

The guys all laughed at that and you smirked victoriously to yourself, proud that you were able to do that. The boys led the conversation after that with you jumping in occasionally, just content to be there. You weren’t sure how much time had passed before your eyelids grew heavy and you decided to close them, believing you could still listen and participate in the conversation with your eyes shut.

The boys didn’t realize you were asleep until Luke felt you shiver, your legs still laying across his lap. He looked over to find you with your eyes closed, a peaceful expression on your face, and goosebumps all over your arms. You were freezing. 

Realizing that there were no blankets nearby, Luke began to slowly shrug off his flannel so as to not disturb you. The same flannel that Alex had made fun of him for wearing because “It’s June in LA and it’s a million degrees out.” Well, suck it, Alex, because now he was able to drape it across your torso. 

A warm, fluttering feeling erupted in his chest when you unconsciously grasped onto the fabric, snuggling further into the material. 

At this point, Alex and Reggie had caught on to the fact that you had fallen asleep and while the boys did resume their conversation, there was a noticeable shift in volume. Luke flinched the next time he felt you move, thinking their talking had woke you up. However, he looked to see that your eyes were still closed, no signs of consciousness to be found in your features and he let out a small sigh of relief. 

“Hey, Reg can you go grab a blanket from the loft?” Luke asked, looking away from you to give his friend his signature puppy dog eyes. 

It turned out he didn’t need to though as Reggie had already jumped up from his seat and started making his way quickly and quietly to the ladder. He made it up and down from the loft with no troubles but it didn’t last. Barely two steps away from the ladder Reggie tripped, falling into Alex’s drum set. Luke and Alex watched with wide eyes as at the last minute the boy attempted to launch himself in the opposite direction, not wanting to damage the drums and he nearly managed to save it, until he knocked the high-hat over with his foot. 

The cymbals hit the ground with a loud crash and you startled awake, eyes flying open and heart racing at the sound. 

“What the fuck was that?” You gasped, sitting up as you tried to make sense of your surroundings. “Was I asleep?” 

“That was Reggie knocking over the cymbals and yeah, you were knocked out,” Luke chuckled, smiling lightly at you. Alex had already jumped up, rushing to the back to make sure his high-hat and friend were okay. 

“Oh my gosh! Are you okay Reg?” You asked, your head snapping to the band set-up just in time to see the boy in question stand up, brushing off his pants before carefully making his way back to you. 

“Yeah, I’m all good,” he replied cheerily before handing you the waded-up ball of fabric. “I was grabbing you a blanket, you were shivering in your sleep.” He explained softly and your heart warmed at the gesture.

“Aww babes, that’s so sweet,” you cooed accepting the blanket from the blushing boy even though you were no longer sleeping. As you set down the blanket you noticed Luke’s flannel already laying in your lap and you felt heat rise to your cheeks at the realization that he must have placed it over you in your sleep. 

“Babes?” Alex repeated as he walked back, looking at you funny and you sent a puzzled look back. 

“What? I used to call you babe all the time before you got permanently relegated to ‘asshole.’” Alex rolled his eyes at that while Luke and Reggie chuckled. 

“Okay, it’s time to go,” Alex huffed, pulling you off the couch and you pouted. 

“Well, bye I guess!” You whined, waving at the boys while Alex tried to forcibly remove you from the garage as quickly as possible. “Asshole.” You cursed him quietly under your breath. 

Part 3

___

JATP Taglist: @meangirlsx @morganayennefertyrell @n0wornever @bright-molina @reg-peters @calamitykaty

TML Taglist: @bright-patterson @marinettepotterandplagg @everyonesannoyedwithme @dream-a-little-bigger-x @percico-heronstairs @starjane312 @ifilwtmfc @jatphatones @cherrymaybank @sorrowfulfragmentation @stargazing-dreamer-girl @daisybutterlions @mynameisntluke​

[mysterioushogwartsrequests]

Hey i wanted to ask if you could write a reader x fred fic where they learn about the mirror of erised in class and then the reader has to step in front of it to say what they see and they say smth like "fred could you step aside" or "could you get out of the frame, you are in the way" and it turns out he wasn't even close to being in the mirrors view and so they just announced that their deepest desire is fred, ik it's very specific but please🥺❤

I’ve actually been thinking about writing something like this so I am very glad you sent this in!!! And, honestly, really specific requests are always welcome because I know exactly what you all want! I love any request you send my way :).

Title: The Desired Slip-Up

                                         ϟ ϟ ϟ

Fred and George’s Sixth Year at Hogwarts had already started off with a bang. The announcement of the Tri-Wizard Tournament had everyone in high spirits, and they all waited impatiently for the Winter holiday celebrations. Sure, they were dealing with an unpleasant scammer by the name of Ludo Bagman, but the Twins were certain they would get their way eventually.  

Like any other year, Fred continued his usual school-yard scheming with his brother, occasionally stopping to view the petrifying tasks of the Tri-Wizard Tournament where Harry Potter managed to avoid the clutches of an irritated Hungarian Horntail. Despite having excellent marks, the Twins often found themselves bored with the courses at Hogwarts and were often discussing ways to avoid attending them. However, the possibility of their mother finding out about their misbehavior urged Fred and George, despite their grievances, to attend their classes.

Professor Moody currently held the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and often introduced unorthodox items in his teachings. Well, what could really be considered unorthodox at a school for Magic?

On a particularly cold Novembers’ day, Fred sauntered into the classroom, tailed by his brother, and at once caught sight of the ornate mirror at the front of the room. The students were gathered around each other’s desks, exchanging whispers as to what the mirror could do. Waiting for his students to settle, Professor Moody rapped his fingers against his desk, his blue eye ardently scanning the room as two more girls trailed in.  

Fred and George took their usual seats at the center, roughly setting down his belongings behind Angelina Johnson, who turned to face the noise with a hint of annoyance.  

“Making sure everyone hears you arrive?” She asked teasingly, swinging her legs over the empty space beside her.  

“You know us, Angelina-” replied George with a thumbs up  

“Always putting on a show” finished Fred, shooting his friend a wink before acknowledging the empty seat, “And (Y/N)?” asked Fred, earning a shrug from Angelina. However, before Fred could ask anything else, Mad-Eye Moody rose from his seat and tapped the edge of the mirror with his wand, effectively silencing the class.  

“Now, I’ve prepared a very special lesson for you lot and I expect your undivided attention” Moody declared, his good eye trained on Fred Weasley, who was doodling product designs on a spare bit of parchment. George, noticing Mad-Eye’s intense stare, jabbed Fred’s side and gestured for him to look forward.  

Begrudgingly setting his quill down, Fred rested his cheek against his palm as Mad-Eye cleared the first row of desks nearest to the mirror. It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested in Mad-Eye’s teachings, Fred just found it rather difficult to concentrate when he was plagued by thoughts of (Y/N)’s absence. Although (Y/N) (L/N) was quite the prankster herself, she was not one to miss classes, especially if the Professor was known for dealing out harsh punishments if he caught you.  

“I want a nice, clean line facing the mirror” Mad-eye announced, gesturing towards the empty space he had cleared, “This isn’t your ordinary, everyday mirror so don’t let me catch you fixing your hair and makeup in front of it” He warned, eyeing the group of giggling girls lining up beside him. With a sigh, Fred pushed himself off his seat and followed George and Angelina towards the front of the class, gaze trained out the window as he wondered what it would feel like to fly through the cold-wind at this very moment.  

Paying no attention to the lesson, Fred narrowed his eyes at the shape whizzing meters from the window. “Is that a person? Flying towards the castle?” he thought, subtly inching towards the glass to get a better glimpse of the robed figure, but they had already vanished. Scratching his head, Fred directed his attention towards Mad-Eye Moody, who was pointing at the calligraphy above the mirror which read:  

“Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi” or “I show not your face, but your heart’s desire” as Mad-Eye translated.

“When you look into this mirror,” Mad-Eye began, stepping in front of the line so the students could only see his reflection, “You will see what your heart most desperately desires, but be careful” He added with a wicked grin, his eyes trained on his reflection, “Some of you may go mad if you stare for too long…”  

Fred eyed Moody suspiciously, it seemed like he himself was transfixed with what he currently viewed in the mirror, only stepping away after giving his head vigorous shake. Bearing the same wicked smile, Professor Moody gestured towards the mirror, “Any volunteers?” he asked nonchalantly, but the prospect of going mad spooked the usual eagerness to participate out of his students. The Sixth years looked around at each other, trying to see who would be brave enough to face the Mirror of Erised.  

At that moment, the door to the classroom slammed open and the sound of running footsteps filled the room. Gasping for air, (Y/N) (L/N) looked up at Professor Moody with disheveled robes and a broomstick gripped in her right hand, her satchel hanging loosely over her shoulder as she set her broom against the wall.  

“Professor, I am so sorry. I lost track of time while at the Quidditch Pitch and—” but Professor Moody cut off her rambling excuses with a swift raise of his hand.  

“As a result of your tardiness,” Moody growled, his good eye trained on (Y/N) as the other whizzed from her broom and back to her, “And flying around the grounds without permission” he added and (Y/N) bowed her head in shame, setting her satchel down beside Angelina’s before walking towards the front of the classroom.  

“You will be the first to demonstrate the effects of the Mirror of Erised,” Moody finished, his eyes glinting with anticipation as he urged her in front of the mirror, “I’ve already explained what the mirror does, but unfortunately, you were late so you will find out on your own” he explained, looking back at the group of students behind him, “And none of you runts will tell her, got it?”As he snapped, a couple of frightened Ravenclaw girls nodded intensely causing Fred to roll his eyes for the third time in the hour.  

Feeling increasingly nervous, (Y/N) looked towards Angelina with a sheepish smile, then towards the Weasley Twins. George shot her encouraging thumbs-up, but Fred only grinned at her, urging her forwards while mouthing, “This is your punishment.” She and Fred had not always been great friends, she actually despised him during their second year when a balloon full of ink fell on top of her head, spilling its contents all over her new robes. Despite being increasingly furious that day, (Y/N) found herself laughing at the prank after Professor Flitwick removed the stains of her clothes and Professor McGonagall scolded the Twins in the middle of the Courtyard. After seeing the embarrassed looks on their faces, (Y/N) went up to them and declared the beginning of a prank-war, therefore igniting the first flames of the friendship.  

At the end of their second year, (Y/N) was crowned Prank Champion, complete with a parchment crown and colorful ribbon Lee Jordan had prepared for the winner. The summer after that, the Twins invited (Y/N) over to The Burrow where they spent the hot months of July playing Quidditch in a clearing and enjoying Mrs. Weasley’s delightful cooking. It was not until the 1994 Quidditch World Cup that (Y/N) realized her feelings towards Fred were more than friendship. She often recalled the late-night talks they would share in the Astronomy Tower, neglecting the homework they promised they would do that evening. But she really couldn’t help it, Fred was so easy-going that it was no arduous task to get lost in conversation with him. Now, they were in their Sixth year and she had collected an assortment of sweaters gifted to her by Molly Weasley, as well as many joke-shop prototypes from Fred and George.  

With the announcement of the Yule Ball, (Y/N) immediately imagined herself in a beautiful gown, circling a ballroom with Fred Weasley at her side. As she stepped up to the mirror, she took a deep breath with her eyes closed, the image of Fred’s infectious smile fresh in her memory as she opened her eyes. 

Well, it was not difficult for her to imagine Fred’s wide grin because it was staring right back at her, standing beside her with a singular rose extended towards her. Blinking rapidly, (Y/N) leered at the mirror, stepping towards it with her eyebrows furrowed, frustrated by Fred’s overconfident grin shooting towards her.

As the minutes passed, her annoyance only grew. Not only did she not know what the mirror was supposed to show, but she also had Fred’s playful gaze trained onto her. With a large huff, (Y/N) crossed her arms over her chest and moved towards the right, trying to cover Fred’s presence in the mirror.  

“Something the matter?” coughed Mad-Eye, whipping the droplets of his drink away from his face and stuffing his flask into his robe pocket, “Tell us what you see.”  

Without taking her eyes off the mirror, (Y/N) clicked her tongue in frustration, “I really can’t see anything with Fred in the way,” she admitted, “Can you get out the way? You’ve been grinning at me like a mad man”  

Fred registered George’s snort of laughter beside him, his ears flushing red as he replayed (Y/N)’s words in his head, “(Y/N), sweetheart” he spoke up, raising his hand up in the air to show how far back in the line he was, “I’m over here, love. How could I possibly be blocking your view?” teased Fred, stepping out of the line as (Y/N) whipped around to face him. 

With her mouth agape, she locked eyes with Fred and realization dawned on her, it was impossible, Fred was too far away, and he was the only one the mirror was reflecting... She should’ve at least seen the rest of the class or even Mad-Eye!  

Turning back towards the mirror, (Y/N) noticed Fred’s smiling face again, but also noticed the green dress robes he was wearing and how she was wearing the most magnificent purple gown she had ever laid eyes on, “I don’t understand” (Y/N) uttered out, turning her head towards Mad-Eye, “I- only see Fred and I… going to the Yule Ball together…” she admitted, lowering her voice as she did so.  

“Well, Mrs. (L/N),” Moody began, “The Mirror of Erised shows your heart’s most desperate desire and it seems yours is to be Mr. Weasley’s date,” he said matter-of-factly. (Y/N) blushed furiously at his words, her eyes darting towards the real Fred, who bore the same smile as his reflection. She could verbalize the relief that washed over her when the bell, signaling the end of class, rang and immediately taking the opportunity to bolt out of the classroom, leaving her broomstick in her wake. The rest of the students exchanged whispers as Fred and George exited the classroom, making jokes about what they thought they would see in the mirror.  

“Would you like some alone time?” asked George mischievously, handing Fred (Y/N)’s forgotten broom, “I’m sure there’s plenty the two of you should talk about” George then waved his brother off and ran down the corridor to join Angelina.

Fred looked down at the broomstick in his hand, his thumb trailing over the initials she had carved into the wood. A small smile appeared on his face as he caught sight of his own initials in her broomstick, the ones he had carved during the summer after (Y/N) lost the bet at the World Cup. With a newfound sense of courage, Fred strode down the corridor in search of (Y/N), determined to find her before she could hide in her common room.  

                                        ϟ ϟ ϟ

(Y/N) halted once she reached the Training Grounds, her hands placed over her knees as she took deep breaths, the crisp, frigid air filling her lungs, “Way to go!” she exclaimed angrily, stomping her heel against the ground out of pure embarrassment. Sinking down onto the snow, (Y/N) covered her face with her hands as she racked her brain for any sort of excuse she could give to Fred, but ultimately came up empty.  

“You know,” called a familiar voice behind her, “If you wanted to go to the ball with me, all you had to do was ask…” stated Fred, stepping towards her curled up frame. Jumping at Fred’s words, (Y/N) pushed herself off the ground, wiping the snow off her robes before pointing a finger towards her crush.   “Listen here, Fred” she stated defensively, “I-I have a perfectly clear explanation for this…” (Y/N) tried to explain, her voice wavering as he stepped closer to her, the scent of his cologne mixing with the chilly air, effectively weakening her resolve.  

“I’m all ears, love” He added, a playful smirk playing at his lips as he stuck out her broomstick, “You forgot this on your way out, it’s nice to see my initials are still there” Fred winked, letting his hand rest above hers as she attempted to retrieve her broom.  

“W-Well, I did lose the bet after all” muttered (Y/N), the blush returning to her cheeks as their fingers brushed together.  

“And I’m sure you’ll lose this one too” added Fred casually and (Y/N) raised an eyebrow at him, “What do you mean by that?” she asked cautiously as he laughed.  

“Well, I bet that you want to go to the ball with little old me, but you’re too afraid to ask” Fred stated confidently, smiling at the look of shock on (Y/N)’s face. He was not surprised by her reaction, not at all, it was what he had expected to see, to him, she was so easy to read. Fred understood what it meant when she scrunched up her nose during their late-night study sessions, how her leg would bounce underneath the desk when she was itching to go play Quidditch or the cute frown she bore when something did not go her way. It was not difficult to understand that this expression of shock meant he had been right on the mark.  

“Am I wrong?” He asked, his hand snaking around her waist, pulling her closer to his taller frame. Closing her mouth, (Y/N) looked down at their closeness and then up at Fred, “You’re not.” she admitted, swallowing her pride for once in her life.  

“Then, allow me,” whispered Fred, stepping back, and pulling out his wand before uttering the word, “Orchideous.” At that moment, a large bouquet of roses popped out of the tip of his wand, which Fred then took and dramatically brought himself down to one knee.  

Clearing his throat, he raised the flowers up and said, “(Y/N) (L/N), would you do me the utmost honor of accompanying me, Frederic Weasley, to the Yule Ball?” he asked, his grin growing wider than she ever thought possible.  

She would be lying if she said she had not imagined this moment playing out in her head, but never thought about it actually happening. However, there was no denying that the real thing felt better than her usual daydreams...  

With her heart beating against her rib cage, (Y/N) delicately wrapped her fingers around the bouquet and brought them up to her nose, the intoxicating smell of roses easing her nerves, “I would be delighted to accompany you to the ball, Mr. Weasley” she replied with a grin, slipping her hand into his extended one as he stood up.  

“Brilliant,” He whispered, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, “But you know, you did lose a bet…” Fred muttered, his thumb trailing over her cheek as a faint tinge of red appeared over them once again.  

“Yes, that is true,” (Y/N) admitted with a nod of the head, “I suppose there is something you want me to do?”  

“I wouldn’t say that,” added Fred, stepping closer to her, and placing his other hand on her cheek, “I think the winner deserves something sweet” He stated huskily, his face dipping closer to hers, “Don’t you agree?”  

(Y/N) nodded, their proximity sucking the air out of her lungs and her blush darkening as their lips brushed against each other, “I do, why don’t you show me then?” she asked teasingly, a smile appearing on her lips as the smirk on Fred’s face grew.  

“Alrighty, then” With that, Fred closed the distance between them, one hand cupping her face as the other pulled her towards him by the waist. This, too, was better than anything Fred could’ve daydreamed, and he wondered why it had taken him so long to finally kiss her. He recalled the many occasions he could have kissed her, but never committed to it, afraid she might turn him down to preserve their friendship. But after the altercation in Mad-Eye Moody’s class, he knew there was nothing left to lose.

Fred Weasley had always loved (Y/N) (L/N), but it took a magic mirror for him to realize that… Not that he was complaining, better late than never.  

Pulling away from their first kiss, Fred tapped his finger against his chin, “You know, I don’t think just one was enough” he admitted, sliding his arm behind (Y/N)’s knees and scooping her up into his grip, “Wouldst the fair lady grant me one more?” He asked, wagging his eyebrows at her, making her burst out laughing.  

“As many as you want, My Lord,” giggled (Y/N), placing her hands on his cheeks and pulling him in for another passionate kiss.  

As the snow began to fall around them, Fred carried (Y/N) out of the training grounds, both bursting with excitement for the upcoming Yule Ball and the new memories they would make together.  

[barbecuebabybackribs]

 Being Bella’s little brother and Seth Clearwaters Imprint:

When the two of you met he had no idea Bella had a little brother, let alone that you were his imprint

But when he catches your eye for just a split second- he nearly chokes on the sandwich he had been eating

Suddenly nothing else around him matters, his whole world shifts and he want’s to stay in that moment forever, holding your gaze.

You had only been there to drop something off, Jacob had apparently left something at Bella’s- probably purposefully hoping Bella would come over to drop it off but boy, was he glad you came instead.

The whole packs eyes shift in between the two of you

“Well, he’s not what I was expecting.” Quill snickers, bumping Seth’s shoulder snapping him back to reality.

“Is Jacob around?” You asked, feeling a little uneasy at everyone staring at you, “Bella asked me to drop this off...” You trailed off shifting uncomfortably.

“He’s out on a run- but you can wait here.” Sam said, a smirk on his face as he listened to Seth’s racing thoughts

“Oh, that’s okay, I’ll just drop it off with you if that’s alright.” 

Seth’s shoulder’s dropped hoping you’d accept Sam’s offer and he’d be able to actually talk to you

You put Jacob’s wallet down on the table, hoping to get out of there as quickly as humanly possible because at this point the stares were deeply disturbing you

Paul threw his shoe at Seth, yelling at him in there heads to say something.

“Uh! Hi!?” He said a little to loud and obviously panicked

You just smiled at him, a little awkwardly but it was enough to get Seth hyped up

“I’m Seth Clearwater, Did you just move here?”

Ah, maybe that’s why they’ve been looking at you so strange, you think to yourself, A random stranger walks into your house and drops off there friends wallet. You assumed Bella had mentioned you coming over, apparently you assumed wrong.

“No, well kind of, I moved in a week after Bella got here.”

“How do you know Bella?” 

Oh so they don’t know about you at all, you laugh slightly, oh course she didn’t, she was such a nice sister but damn, not even mentioning her own brother. 

“She’s my sister...”

Suddenly everyone else was the one’s falling silent and Seth was chatting away about how you should come to there bonfire they were having tonight- they technically weren’t going to be having one but he was gonna be damned if he let you just walk away

You reluctantly agreed and then took your leave

You thought he was nice but were still unsettled by the awkward encounter

Seth however was over the moon, rambling about how nice you seemed and how they needed to throw the best bonfire, when Jacob came back he was attacked with hundreds of questions about you- Most of which he hardly knew the answer to like, what’s there favorite color, do they like muffins, what’s their favorite food, ect.

All the other pack members slightly dread having to listen to this forever.

Boy is excited but nervous when he waits for you

You take one step out of your car and he’s standing there practically jumping with joy

He can’t calm down, he’s just so excited to spend time with you

The pack have to warn him not to scare you off multiple times

Once you get over how excited he is you realized he’s actually pretty fun to be around, you spend all night talking about your lives and interests 

Before you leave you both agree you should hang out again soon- you actually suggest it and Seth can’t agree fast enough

When you leave Seth is so giddy- the entire pack is happy for him but they all start to poke fun at him

He doesn’t care, he’s over the moon happy

Since that day he’s almost constantly around you

You two become quick friends, You finally feel like you’ve connected with someone since you moved to Forks

You adore how happy and innocent he can be, loving his long ramblings about random things and interests he has

He loves how you actually listen to him, not brushing him off or just thinking he’s some silly kid

He invites you too the beach almost constantly- completely forgetting your human and you get cold

One time you ruffled his hair and he’s been obsessed with it ever since

Neither of you meant to fall in love

For you, you realized almost immediately you were starting to get a small crush on him, which only grew the longer you knew each other

He however was clueless for a long while, the pack started to suspect by his thoughts that you weren’t a platonic imprint

All Seth knows is one day it finally clicked in his head one day when you were grabbing fast food for eachother- you remembered his rather large order since this was a regular occurrence for the two of you- he was sitting at a table and suddenly it hit him

He was in love with you

Our man panics at the thought- he knew you cared about him but how much? He was clueless.

He hasn’t even told you that he’s a shifter- and you don’t know about vampires so he has no idea how you’ll react

You notice he’s slightly quieter then usual and you put your hand on his shoulder asking if everything is alright- He nearly jumps out of his skin

He assures you everything is fine while reading into almost everything you do or say, wondering if it’s a sign your just friends or that you like him

When he goes back to the pack that night he tries to clear his thoughts but they’re just full of you.

Paul ATTEMPTS at giving him advice

“Look, man, I don’t know what its like to... ya know be in love with a dude... but I am a dude and I’ve been in lots of relationships so If I were you I’d just come right out to her- I mean him- look just tell him you like him, I’m sure they feel the same way about you... I mean I think... probably.”

“Paul, your horrible at this.”

“Well then, you try since your so good at this, Quill.”

Seth thanks them quickly and leaves, he’s thankful that Paul gave him advice but just telling you almost gave him a heart attack to think about.

That night he writes almost a three paragraph text to you, but ends up deleting it- to nervous to tell you

Leah is sitting in the other room trying not to snoop on his thoughts but unable to keep them out

Ends up giving him some advice, that if he loves you to not let you go, to not rush things, and when he feels like he’s ready to ask you out.

He thanks her before heading off to bed

Turns out he feels ready in three days

The entire pack is internally hyping him up when you pick him up- He invited you to the beach, wanting to have you undivided attention.

Ends up rambling for an hour as he talks around his feelings.

Internally at war on whether or not he’s ready to tell you

“Do you want to go on a date?” He blurts out after a moment of silence

...

“Like... a date date?” You ask hopeful but not wanting to misunderstand

“Yeah... you don’t have to if you don’t want- I just thought it might be nice cause I really like yo-- you know what just forget I said anything it not importan--”

“I’d love to go on a date with you.” You answered, attempting to hide the severe blush rising to your cheeks.

Seth does not stop smiling the rest of your hang out- when he get’s home the pack doesn’t even need to hear his thoughts to know.

“Alright way to go Seth!”

You go home that day also unable to wipe your smile off your face

“what’s got you so happy about?” Bella asks, she secretly already know, Edward told her the minute you walked in the door.

She knew you two had become friends but she had no idea you were gay

“Nothing!” You chimed happily grabbing a soda from the fridge

“Okay.. Hey Y/N can I ask you something and you promise to tell the truth.”

“Sure, Bells, what’s up?”

“Are you... gay?

You both just look at each other for a few minutes before you finally answer “Maybe a bit.”

“Oh.. cool.” She says before going back upstairs, reeling from the new information.

Your left confused on what just happened and how she knew, but deciding it would be best to just accept it and move on

The next time you were in the same room it was very awkward

She didn’t exactly care, but she was raised where it was out of the norm

You thought she did care, and you couldn’t look her in the eye

Once Edward told her that how you felt, she decided it was time to talk

“You know, I don’t hate you... right?”

“... You don’t?”

“Uh no, I was just shocked... I’m glad you told me.”

“Well you did force my hand.”

“Yeah, sorry that was wrong of me.”

“It’s alright.”

Things were still awkward but that was your normal- living in a house with Charlie and Bella meant there were a lot of uncomfortable moments

Although you were glad she knew

On the day of your date both of your guys nerves were high

Everything felt very awkward

You went to see a movie, an action film he really wanted to see, you didn’t like it but were glad he enjoyed himself.

Seth didn’t really know what to do on a date, all he had to go off was Paul and romance movies- neither of those were the best things to base your knowledge off

When he saw you shiver slightly and pull your jacket closer he thought he had the perfect idea in his idea

He did the classic yawn and arm move, and you almost jumped out of your skin when you felt his hot arm lay across your shoulders

Unknowingly he timed his smooth moves with a suspenseful scene in the movie- and you were already on edge so him wrapping his arm around you scared the hell out of you

You felt guilty when he quickly recoiled and whispered a sorry

After a few moments of silence you decided you’d pull the same move on him

He was internally screaming at himself for being so stupid when you slithered your arm around him

You stared straight forward to nervous to meet his eye, however you could see in the corner of your eye he was looking at you

After a few seconds he relaxed into your touch, leaning slightly into you

He couldn’t focus on the movie after that, he was far to excited and if it weren’t for the fact that he was in a theater he would have been nervously rambling

You both went home, punching the air you were both so excited

He went to bed thinking about how good it felt to be in your arms

You went to bed gushing at how cute his face was when you left, his face was a red mess

After that day you guys talked everyday and saw each other every other day

On your third date, he works up the courage to kiss you, sweating nervously while he did it

Is so giddy when you press another kiss to his lips

You would’ve liked to continue but he was so excited he nearly pounces on you with a hug

It becomes a common occurrence to steal a kiss or two here and there

You dad was suspicious you were seeing a girl and not telling him

He tried to give you ‘the talk’ because he ‘was a teenage boy to and know’s what its like’

You were uncomfortably sitting on the sofa, wishing to be anywhere else

“Uhm dad... I should probably tell you something.”

“Oh god... is she pregnant?’

“NO! no no no, it’s not that... actually you won’t really need to worry about that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m a... seeing someone who’s not.. a girl...”

“So like a...”

“I’m seeing Seth Clearwater.” You decide it’s better to just rip off the band-aid

“Ah... well that’s good then... he’s a good kid.”

An uncomfortable silence falls and you both sip nervously at your drinks,

“You know you still need to use protection right...”

“Oh my god... yes dad I know.”

“I’m just making sure!” 

Things are a little uncomfortable for awhile but Charlie really doesn’t give a damn- he’s still not happy you were seeing someone behind his back, but he let’s it slide

Next time Seth comes over Charlie makes you leave the door cracked

Not that you minded, you just played games and talked- laughing together whenever you’d see Charlie checking on the two of you

The time to tell you about him being shifter finally come and he is terrified but excited to not need to hide it from you any more

“Hey Seth, Why are we going into the middle of the woods?”

“You’ll see!”

He leads you away from the others, before nervously stopping and turning to you

“Uhm so I don’t know how to say this so I’m just going to show you... uh don’t panic please.”

The words ‘don’t panic’ made you panic, “Oh god please tell me your not a serial killer.”

“No, not a serial killer.”

“A... Cannibal?”

“Uh, also no. You’ll see.”

When he takes his shirt off you get extremely uncomfortable- When he takes his pants off you look anywhere but to him, “Uh... I should... I should go.”

Your about to turn around when in the flash of an eye the man that was standing before turns into a ginormous wolf

You just stare at him for a few minutes, not saying a damn word

You question literally everything you’ve ever known

“Okay.” You sigh, Finally looking him in the eye, “I don’t really know what to say at that but thanks, for not being a cannibal- your not going to eat me right now are you?”

He shakes his head, laughing internally at how that’s your concern right now.

“Okay then...” You trailed off, taking a few cautious steps forward- I mean.. it’s not exactly normal but it could’ve been worse, you thought to yourself.

“Can I... uhm..” You don’t finish your sentence, wearily raising your hand to touch him.

He nuzzled into your hand, you gently stroked his fur behind his ear- it was weird but you were trying your best to accept it, you did love him... all of him and if this is something you’d have to get used to, you were willing to do that.

“Okay,” you say patting his head, “Can you, ya know, unwolf-i-fy please, so I can talk to you.”

He takes a few steps away from you before you shifting, you quickly look away while he get’s changed

“So, what do you think?” Seth asks a little nervous but happy that you didn’t immediately run away

“My boyfriend is a werewolf... I mean that’s cool but, could’ve used a heads up.”

He explains the whole pack history, who is and isn’t werewolves, finally explains what happened to Emily- answering a question you hadn’t dared to ask, when he explains imprints to you, you get lowkey jealous.

“So... who’s your imprint then?”

“...”

“Seth.”

He laughed and motions towards you, it takes a second for it to click.

“... What’s that supposed to-- OH ME?”

“Yep!”

When he walks you back to the pack, Quill groans slightly- he had bet 20 dollars you would’ve ran for the hills

You just squint at the lot of them, not really knowing what to say but deciding you had to say something, “So all of you then?”

“Yes, we’re all shifters.” Sam says, cautious not to say to much.

“Well that’s... cool.”

Seth pulls you away and you decide it’s time to go

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” You asked, and he quickly replied with a “Yep!”

After you take a day to think and process, things basically go back to normal

You get so excited to see him shift that he get’s excited, which get’s you excited, and it just continues to loop

He can show you his strength and agility now so he decides to start sneaking in you window- with your permission

You’ll start hearing little taps on your window almost every night

You’ll look over and see his dopey smile.through the window

Him coming clean to you about his supernatural side means he finally feels comfortable to sleep with you- not the way your thinking

Quite literally cuddled up to you and sound asleep, arms and legs tangled together

Forks is a cold, cold place so you obviously need to sleep cuddled up to your warm boyfriend.

“So you could say your hot in both senses of the word.”

“I-”

He BLUSHES when you flirt with him, he get’s so flustered

When he flirts with you it’s all cheesy pickup lines- if they came from anyone else you’d gag but it’s cute from him

“Are you french?”

“No-”

“Because Eiffel for you.”

He’s a dork but you love him.

It takes a long while for you to get physically intimate

He’ll only be comfortable doing a few smaller things at first, not wanting to go all the way

You kind of expected it, he get’s embarrassed when you kiss him, so sex? Boy would probably die that instant

At the end of the day, he’s so happy he found you and so in love with you it almost overwhelms him

He makes sure to remind you how much he loves you everyday for the rest of your lives together

(SO I THOUGHT I POSTED THIS YESTERDAY MORNING BUT I CLICKED SAVE TO DRAFT AND IM REALLY DUMB. Also this is a request but I lost there request so I’m really sorry and hope you can see this bud. Love y’all, stay safe)

[autumnwritesjojos]

spaceygracey said:Hi there!!~💕🥰 How do you think the each of bucci gang boys would want to spend a lazy with their s/o 💕😘

a/n: hiii gracey!! thank you for sending a suggestion! i had a lot of fun thinking up of things these dorks would do with their s/os, i hope you enjoy!

Bucci gang and their s/o on a lazy day

Don Giorno Giovanna

Technically speaking, Giorno doesn’t have “lazy days.” Being the Don of Passione requires Giorno’s full and undivided attention, he just simply doesn’t have time off like he used to when he was younger. He’s also very goal-driven, he will not stop until his dreams have come to fruition.

That being said, those lazy days have strictly moved to what he likes to call “vacations.” Also known as: he likes to mess around with people sometimes and call off a day to relax simply because he can. Got a day full of meetings and doesn’t want to deal with them? He’ll tell Mista to hold them off for tomorrow. Besides, a day off with you sounds wonderful right now.

Giorno would stroll with you in Naples, partly to see how much the city’s changed since he became Don and also to be with you again. He’s got a pretty big sweet tooth, especially for chocolate, so he knows the local sweets shops by heart. He never got to indulge when he was a child, so he wants to take advantage of that whenever possible.

He’ll gladly share anything he buys with you. Normally he’s keen on keeping them to himself but he’ll make an exception for you. Mista gets upset about it all the time because he always wants a bite.

However, his favorite part of all is the beach. Very big on nature, always has been. He loves the sound of water hitting the sandy shores of Naples as the two of you converse over whatever’s been on your mind. He just enjoys being in your presence.

Bruno Bucciarati

For Bruno, catching him on a lazy day is rare. As Capo, he has to keep up not only with his work but also his appearance, which unfortunately bleeds into his daily life. The man’s worth ethic is ridiculously high too, so it’s difficult to get him to take a day off.

With his s/o, he’s more willing to take a day off to catch up with himself and focus on you two more. He’s an early riser, so he’ll go ahead and make breakfast for you.

Fishing is his biggest comfort hobby. Besides, it’s what he’s grown up with, the inner workings of fishing are nothing but natural to him.

He'll definitely want to show you how to fish, he gets oddly eager when he talks about fishing. You’ll see him all decked out in fishing gear. It's so different from his usual attire, yet he's looking at you gleefully like he's a kid all over again. It’s a good change of pace.

Bruno will gently guide you with his hands, sensual touches are everything to him. If you catch something, he acts like you just won the lottery. He'd tell you all about the fish too, he knows the fish in Naples like the back of his hand.

Leone Abbacchio

Abbacchio will refuse to leave the house. He doesn’t even want to see people. You know it’s a lazy day for him when you walk into the kitchen to get breakfast and you see him already there: messy hair, no makeup, and a cup of coffee in hand.

He’s normally so uptight about his appearance, seeing him in this state lets you know that he can be vulnerable around you. Abbacchio trusts that he can be genuine with you in private, so he’s more willing to have lazy days with you.

He doesn’t really have anything particular in mind either. Whatever he’s doing during the day depends on you. You want to stay in bed all day and bang? No problems there. Anything low maintenance is fine with him, just don’t make him clean.

Abbacchio would love to do his makeup with you. Drinking a glass of wine, messing with each other’s faces while a cheesy 80’s movie plays in the background is the perfect lazy day for him. He would order takeout, there’s no way he’d be in the mood to cook something.

In the evening, he’d want nothing more than to cuddle with you on the couch quietly while playing records, usually opera or relaxing music. He likes to be the big spoon, arms wrapped around your waist tightly to secure you. Eventually, the two of you would drift off to sleep in each other’s arms peacefully.

Guido Mista

Mista would not want to get out of bed unless he really had to. He'd rather be with you and just talk about whatever's on his mind, which are usually random ass theories about food or something.

He’d rub your back, hold you close, plant a couple kisses here and there. He craves your touch, which you happily comply. In the middle of his rambling he’ll suddenly go, “You know I love you so much, right?”

Mista’s also going to be pretty much wearing nothing but his boxers the whole day, can’t be bothered to change. He’s still very warm though.

If by chance you two do get out of bed, he’s sticking by your side. He’ll also order takeout for you both or eat leftovers you both had, since neither of you are in the mood to cook anything.

You two would be lounging on the couch while watching a movie, Clint Eastwood. He’s very big on cuddling, always has his arm around you, just quietly enjoying the movie and your time together.

Narancia Ghirga

Narancia LOVES lazy days. This man sleeps in until noon for sure, and he’s gonna be out. He’s stuck to you like Velcro too, there’s no getting out of his grasp.

Once he is awake, he sounds so sleepy it’s absolutely adorable. He’ll groan if you try to move, you’re practically his personal heater. He’ll say something along the lines of “Can we just stay in today…? Please?” which you cave in because he was just so damn cute, you couldn’t say no.

Expect you two not to leave his room much. Aside from getting food from the kitchen, you two will be either playing video games or he’ll show you some tricks he learned on his guitar. He still wants to show you that he’s a cool guy, after all.

That’s where he likes to win you over in bets, everything is a bet. One moment he’ll say, “Betcha I can beat this level in less than a minute” and the other he’ll go, “Betcha I can catch this popcorn in my mouth”, he’ll even say something like “If I win this round I get a kiss.”

He may not win all the time, but he knows you love him regardless! He’s just happy he has someone to cheer him on.

Pannacotta Fugo

Fugo usually takes his days off to catch up on things he’s been meaning to do, which typically consists of cleaning, reading, or catching up on the news, local or national. He needs something to keep his brain active, so he’s always looking for new things to learn.

One of those new things he’s been meaning to grasp is cooking. That’s where you come in to help! Maybe he could learn a thing or two with you. It gives him something good to focus on rather than dwelling on potentially harming others.

He will get pissed if he’s not fully understanding a recipe. Luckily, you’re patient with him so things can calm down before it gets worse. He trusts your judgment too, so thankfully he listens to you.

Sooner or later, the dish is finished, and it didn’t turn out that bad! Fugo’s pretty pleased with himself, and happy that you had a good time learning the recipe with him.

Afterwards, you two would have a little book club. Both of you would pick a book to read and have a chat about it later. Fugo loves hearing your thoughts, good or bad. He’s glad he gets to spend his time with you doing the things he loves, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

[lovelytarou]

caffeinated love

pairing: nishinoya yuu x reader

genre: fluff, slight angst

tags: coffee shop!au, barista!noya, noya & reader being whipped for each other

a/n: dedicated to my beautiful, loving, sweet and supportive wife @chibishae34 💖💞❤️💕 i hope you liked this surprise and i did your bb noya justice! :c

it was a perfectly sunny day.

it was too perfect, you might add. the scene in front of you could easily fit into a studio ghibli movie, the only thing missing are the animated characters, and the soft piano music that usually accompanied the films.

you don't know what made you look at life with rose-colored lenses today, it might be because you're in a good mood, or you woke up on the right side of the bed, or the wind just brought some positive air to you. whatever it is, you're thankful for it.

you're walking around campus with a skip on your steps, a smile on your face as you grinned at the people you passed and the surroundings. to some people, it might come off as creepy, or even weird, but no one is going to ruin your mood today. not when you're so close to having your coffee.

a bigger smile tugged at your lips, looking up at the café in front you – its bold, intricate sign you're familiar with and the welcoming aura beckoning you in.

Crows' Cabin.

your favorite café that serves the best coffee ever in your campus. you couldn't have asked for more. they got your coffee right, the perfect amount of sweetness, the tinge of bitterness, and the smooth feel of the cream like a warm blanket on a cold day. not to mention, their staff is pretty welcoming and friendly, too.

what you loved most about this place is the fact that you can study in peace and the fast wi-fi that they have. it has the perfect atmosphere to do a little studying while you sip your coffee.

walking inside, you pushed the doors open, letting it emit a small ringing sound as it announces your arrival. the usual silver-haired cheery guy that greets you when you come in isn't standing in his usual post. instead, a short guy with bleached streaks greeted you with a lively energy that almost shocked you to the core.

you can't help but think how cute he looks, and walked closer cautiously to the counter.

“hello! welcome to crows' cabin! what can i getcha, cutie?” he gave you a big grin, leaning on the counter with his arm. you blinked in surprise, taken aback by his ecstatic greeting and chuckling lightly.

“hey, uh...is sugawara not here?” you probably sounded rude, but if there's a new guy on his stead, you could only guess that he's going to get your coffee wrong. at least, that's what you think.

he let out a humming sound, his face scrunching up as he thinks with his index finger and thumb under his chin. your heart skipped a beat. he couldn't get any cuter.

“i heard sugawara changed shifts because of his hectic schedule and all,” he explained, waving his arms about. “but you're lucky you're stuck with me! so, what do you want? coffee, tea, or me?” he gave you a wink after his question.

despite the nag of disappointment at the news of sugawara not being able to take your order anymore, it was quickly replaced by giddiness at the presence of this energetic boy in front of you.

before you could answer, however, the other staff with shaved hair that you quickly recognized as tanaka ryuunosuke, emerged from the kitchen and shook his head at his co-worker's antics.

“oi, stop flirting with the customer and take their order already!” he scolded, slapping the boy with the small towel he's holding on the head, earning a yelp.

“ukai-san won't be happy to know that you're trying to pick up chicks while on the job, you know.” tanaka's quip made your cheeks heat up. although, it seemed like the smaller guy is flirting with you, it was probably how he greets all the customers that comes in the café.

yet, the thought of him asking you out isn't too bad at all.

he's pretty attractive, you'll admit that. he's got mesmerizing, big, brown eyes that looks like it can pierce through your soul the longer you looked at them, and not to mention his fiery personality that greeted you the moment you entered.

“i can't help it, ryuu. they just looked so cute! who am i to deny our pretty customer our special service?” he wiggled his eyebrows at you suggestively. god, you wanted the ground to swallow you whole.

“leave the poor customer alone, idiot. look at them, they're too red already!” it definitely didn't help that tanaka made a comment on how flustered you seem to get over his co-workers flirtatious advances.

“i-i'll get the usual, please...” you managed to croak out despite the embarrassment you felt, immediately sliding the exact amount to the counter.

the boy tilted his head at you in confusion, “the usual...?”

oh, right. he's new.

ignoring your flushed cheeks and rapidly beating heart, you murmured how you liked your coffee all the while his piercing gaze is intently staring at you, giving you his undivided attention while you explain your order passionately.

“uh, no– wait, that's probably too complicated. i'll just get that one instead–” he waved his hand dismissively at your panicked ramblings.

“nah, no need. i already memorized your order, angel face.” with one final wink at you, he went to the back to prepare your coffee.

“why don't you settle in and get comfortable while i prepare your drink?” he called over his shoulder.

tanaka could only watch the commotion with fond, proud gaze as he went back to his own station.

꘎♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡꘎

during the afternoon, the crows' cabin don't have many patrons unlike in the mornings and evenings. usually, they were back in their classes or offices, and sometimes will only grab a quick bite before heading out.

this is the most peaceful moment, in your opinion, in the café. you hummed along to the song playing on the speakers as you typed away for your essay that is due tomorrow. yeah, it might not be healthy to cram when it's due tomorrow, but with how busy you are, can you really blame yourself?

what's important is you're doing it now instead of putting it away and procrastinating like you always do.

your fingers stopped typing as you gazed out the window, thinking of what to write next. amid the staring absently at nothingness, the boy from the counter approached you. he placed the cup from the tray beside you on a coaster.

“thanks, uh...” shoot, you didn't get his name. you don't remember tanaka mentioning it, too.

he seemed to have read your mind as he laughed, eyes crinkling at the sides as he threw his head back. you can't help but stare at him, he's such a ball of sunshine. any moment now and you're sure your heart will burst because of this guy.

“my name's nishinoya yuu, nice to meet you, uhm...” he stretched his hand out, which made you chuckle. you accepted it, shaking his hand as you introduced yourself.

nishinoya rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks flushing, “that's a pretty name.” he murmured, eyes casting off to the side as the thought of how warm and soft your hands are overtaking his mind.

before he could get carried away, he cleared his throat and looked at you expectantly.

“anyway, i'm excited about what you think of the coffee i made!” he bounced on his heels from where he stood, excitement jittering his bones.

rolling your eyes playfully, you cracked a smile at his excited expression and brought the cup to your lips to take a sip.

time seemed to have stopped as nishinoya watched you take another sip of coffee. you, on the other hand, couldn't believe that he made it just how you like it despite the first time making it for you. the slight smirk didn't escape your notice as you let out an appreciative hum upon the taste.

“so?” he leaned a little close to you, anticipation written all over his cute face.

“i gotta hand it to you, nishinoya. you did well, maybe even better than sugawara’s,” his chest seemed to puff up at your praise which you found endearing. so he likes to be complimented.

“of course! who else can make your coffee if not also the best barista in crows' cabin?” he boasted, thumbs pointing at himself. you can't help the laughter that bubbled out of you. he's such a refreshing presence in such a familiar place. and you're here for it.

he felt his heart clench as he smiled at your laughing figure, one thought only occupying his mind: he wanted to see you smile and laugh more.

he glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing that it'd be a few hours left before his shift ends and until then he still has a lot to do. even if it makes him sad, he has to go back to work and part from you. although, he hopes not permanently.

“anyways, enjoy your coffee! don't work too hard! and uh, call me yuu.” he gave you one last smile before he went back behind the counter.

yuu.

his name kept repeating over and over inside your head, a smile on your face as you looked down at your cup of coffee.

you're definitely going to keep coming back here.

꘎♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡꘎

the next time you went back to the café, nishinoya perked up like an overexcited dog. his face immediately lit up at the sight of you. the relief that washed over you was something that you kept thinking about as you made your way to the counter, a grin splitting your face.

why were you so glad to find out that he's here?

“hey, it's you again. how are you doing today?” he greeted, already buzzing to life at the mere sight of you.

“i'm great, actually. and you?”

“it's been a long day, but it's all better now that you're here, cutie.” he chuckled at the way you became flustered in seconds after he called you a pet name.

“you're not too bad yourself, yuu. i'll take–”

“–the usual. i already memorized it, remember?” he replied, seeing the puzzled look on your face.

“right. yeah, sorry.” you facepalmed yourself softly, shaking your head at your forgetfulness. “it's just...i've been working too hard so i probably forgot,”

“i have just the thing, now go get cozy and i'll bring your drink!”

you took that as your cue to find your seat. today was pretty hectic for you, especially since you have to catch up to the nearing deadlines. taking a seat, you immediately opened up your laptop and began to work.

not half an hour later, a cup was placed in front of you, along with nishinoya sitting at the opposite chair which made you quirk an inquisitive eyebrow at the boy.

“what are you doing?”

“it's okay, i have my break at this time.” he then placed a bag beside your laptop, “on the house, a little birdie told me that it's your favorite,” he sheepishly rubbed at his nape, avoiding your gaze.

opening the bag, you find out that it's one of your favorite pastries inside. you can't help the soft gasp leaving your mouth at the kind gesture.

“oh, thank you so much! i've been craving these lately.” you gave him a grateful smile, biting down on your favorite treat. it still tasted just as good, but what really warmed your heart was the thought of nishinoya purposely asking sugawara for your favorite pastry and you can't help but add it to one of the things you like about him.

wait...like?

you couldn't help but choke at your own thoughts to which nishinoya shot you a concerned look. once you calmed down, you noticed that he kept glancing back at the wall clock then back at you then down at his fiddling hands.

“what's wrong?” you asked through a mouthful of food. yuu chuckled at the sight and shook his head.

“can i borrow a pen?” confused, you gave him one anyway. he grabbed the bag that your food was placed in, scribbling on it.

“thanks, i gotta go back now. break's over. bye!” he jogged back to his station and you were left weirded out by his actions. not only when you were preparing to leave the café did you notice the small note at the other side of the paper bag.

nishinoya yuu

xxx-xxx-xxx :)

you exited the café with your stomach and heart feeling full.

꘎♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡꘎

“do you think they liked the treat? will they even text back?” nishinoya paced back and forth in their small staff room.

“what if they didn't read the note?!” he gasped, stopping in his tracks as he bites his nails in anxiety.

sugawara laughed at his junior's predicament, “relax! of course they'd love the treat, i did tell you it was their favorite. as for the number, you should probably be a little more patient with that, noya.” he advised, placing an assuring hand on noya's shoulder.

as if possessed by a spirit, nishinoya perked up and his agitated self was replaced with determination.

“you're right. i shouldn't worry about it too much. they'll come around!” as soon as he said that, his phone's ringtone resonated in the small space.

on his screen was an unknown number and he immediately knew it's you.

without wasting another moment, nishinoya picked up the phone and answered the call.

“h-hello, y/n?” he internally cursed at himself for stuttering.

“–john? is that you? how's your mother–”

dumbstruck, nishinoya abruptly ended the call and placed his phone on the table.

“what happened? what did they say?” sugawara inquired, eager to know what happened between the two.

“it's not them.” nishinoya deflated like a balloon, covering his face with his palms.

was he reading this right? what if you don't see him that way? what if he was just forcing himself on you and in reality you don't really reciprocate the emotions he felt whenever you enter the café?

with a little more positivity from his seniors and tanaka telling him that he shouldn't lose hope, nishinoya decided to go home feeling less energetic than usual.

it was not around midnight that he received a call from an unknown number. he hated that he felt excited, that maybe, just maybe at the other end it was you.

picking it up slowly, he breathed in and out, counting to five before he answered the call.

“hello, yuu? it's y/n. sorry i called at a time like this,”

his eyes lit up at the sound of your familiar voice. even through the phone it sounded as beautiful as ever.

he almost stumbled over the scattered clothes and mess that littered his bedroom floor when it is indeed you that called him, landing on his bed.

“y/n? it's really you! uh, don't worry about it. i'm not sleeping yet...totally not because i was waiting on you or anything!”

your laughter brought butterflies fluttering in his stomach, oh how he'd love to hear that sweet sound everyday. it got him smiling too as he listened to it.

“i'm sorry for making you wait. i was just busy with my studies and all...but, i've decided.”

“decided...on what?”

there was a pregnant pause on the other end, he thought that you might ended the call or something. but then you spoke up again.

“i wanna go on a date with you.”

he must be in heaven because there is no way in hell or earth that you'd want to go on a date with him. you, who looks so pretty, beautiful, elegant and charming that he's having a hard time if you're actually real. you, who never fails to make his days a little better at work whenever you waltzed in and decided to grace him with your presence. you, with your complicated mixture of coffee that he memorized in favor of impressing you and in hopes that you come back again to the café.

he couldn't believe it.

“y-yeah? that's great! so, when are you free?”

“i was thinking maybe saturday? if that's alright with you?”

“that's fine with me! i actually have a day off on saturday. same time? at the cafe?”

he can't help the grin that's practically splitting his face in half but he's just so happy. he immediately caught feelings for you the moment you walked inside crows' cabin and he can't get you out of his mind since.

the same thing can be said about you, which the only reason you're actually studying in the café and keep coming back there was for a whole another reason other than coffee. heck, you even find yourself thinking of him whenever you drink the beverage.

with a lovestruck look on your face, you nodded even though he couldn't see it.

“yeah, that would be great.”

꘎♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡꘎

when saturday came, to say that you were nervous and jittery would be an understatement. you can't stop looking at yourself in the mirror or literally any surface that you have a reflection on to make sure that you looked nice and presentable on your date with noya.

and due to that fact, you didn't notice him walking up to you, all smiles and looking as cute and handsome as ever.

“ready to go?” he asked, offering his elbow to you which you gladly accepted.

“where are we going?”

“it's a surprise,” he teased, flashing you a mischievous smile.

you went along with it. the two of you walked, stopped for some food and talked about what you both liked, disliked, and how he got the job at crows' cabin.

“–so i told ukai-san that i really need the money! i was actually just saving up for the new game i saw down the street but i made it sound like it's a life or death situation if he wouldn't hire me. in the end, i loved working there. i mean,” he gestured to the two of you, “because of it, i finally went on a date with a wonderful person!”

chuckling at him, you playfully pushed his shoulder.

“shut up,” you grumbled.

you can't help but admire him. the way he animatedly tell his stories with his own sound effects and grand gestures that never fails to make you laugh and rope you in with the story. he's fun to hang out with, knows a lot of stuff about the neighborhood and won't run out of tales.

“ah! we're here!” he paused walking to stop in front of your designated place.

he brought you to the movies.

“oh, wow...i didn't expect that,” you laughed sheepishly, trying not to offend him.

“i figured we'd watch a movie. ryuu said that there's this new horror movie that's a blockbuster nowadays,” quickly catching on to his plan, you smirked to yourself slightly.

“is that so? well, i'm pretty sure you'll protect me from the scary things in there, right, yuu?”

he seemed to puff up at that, “of course i will! what kind of man would i be if i can't protect you?”

that earned another laughter from you, shaking your head as you tugged his arm towards the direction of the entrance.

he insisted that he'd pay for the tickets and the food which surprised you a bit, but you couldn't really complain since he was being nice all day to you. you decided to just pay him back later.

as soon as the both of you are inside and the movie is playing halfway, you noticed how he's the one who is more scared of it than you. he's trying to play it off by coughing when he'd accidentally yell in surprise or laugh it off when he'd jolt up from a jumpscare.

how cute.

without saying a word, you grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. the feeling of your soft and warm hands brought him back to reality, looking down at your intertwined hands. his cheeks flared up and he thanked himself for choosing a horror movie or else this moment wouldn't happen.

“ah, i'm glad that movie was over!” he cried out in relief. all throughout the movie, he kept squeezing your hand hard like a woman giving birth or hiding on your shoulder when a jumpscare comes on. you gotta admit that you enjoyed his reactions more than the movie itself.

you were both now walking home – he insisted – and your hands are still holding each other, clearly not wanting to let go. by the time you walked out of the theatre, it's already nighttime.

the skies are clear and there are stars peppering the night sky. it's quiet out with an occassional passing vehicles, or a hoot of an owl but it's a comforting silence.

“this is me,” you mumbled, stopping on your tracks once you saw the familiar street your residence was in.

noya can't help but glance at the street behind you with a sad look and down at your still conjoined hands. he knows he should, but he wanted to spend the night with you longer.

“you sure you can make it home okay?” he gave you a pleading look, hoping that you'd let him at least walk you in front of your house.

“yeah, i'm sure.” with that, he let go of your hands hesitantly, linking your pinkies as he gave you a small, content but genuine smile.

“i really had fun today, yuu.” you avoided his gaze when you saw his smile widen in satisfaction. he laughed heartily at that.

“me too, even if i hid throughout the movie.” he rubbed the back of his head, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. he kept rambling about how he probably turned you off because of that and why he shouldn't have taken you to the movies but somewhere exciting instead.

goddamnit, you can't take it anymore.

leaning in, you closed the distance between the two of you and slotted your lips in his, closing your eyes. you felt his breath hitch at your actions, his hands coming up to hold your jaw.

just like everything about him, the kiss was breathtaking.

it felt like hours when you pulled away, his eyes was still closed as he savored the blissful moment you shared.

“thank you,” you whispered, as if any louder can ruin the magic.

you pushed his shoulders away gently, giggling as you walked home. nishinoya was left there, awestruck with a dumb smile on his face as he stared at your retreating figure like he just woke up from a beautiful dream.

“huh...? hey, wait! come back here!”

[limenysnocket]

In The Dirt... Pt. IV

Summary: Why did you leave... where did you go? I miss you. Fuck, I miss you... f u c k.

Warnings: Cursing, alcohol abuse, drug abuse (no real smut in this one sorryyy)

A/N: F U C K I T. I need to finish this series because I don't like having open stories on my pallet that need to be finished. GAWD. Short one for the gals.

○●□○●□○●■○●■○

After many years of destroying the senses, you really stop noticing or awknowledging fear. It just dims out eventually, and no one likes that one Debby downer. So, you just stop. Just like that, with a snap of your fingers. It just... disappears.

You know, I thought I had lost that sense of fear forever. I thought it disappeared, like everyone else's. That all was until I woke up this morning to find the sheets cold except for the spots I had been laying.

Did my fear suddenly return from the dead to replace you? Where did you go?

Why the hell am I worrying?

You probably just went home.

But you're usually here when I wake up? You wait for me, don't you?

Maybe you were just outside of my bedroom door, hanging with the rest of the band.

That seemed more plausible to me.

I get myself together (somewhat fine). It's still not the same without having you politely knock on the door and ask for entry while I'm dressing.

Music is already seeping through the cracks of the walls, since the rest of the band probably had woken up by now (or just didn't sleep the night before). I can feel the bass beneath my feet, sending pleasant shivers down my spine, but the pleasure isn't enough to get you off of my mind.

I feel like I slowly melt into the living room as my door opens, slinking across the floor like some malformed blob until I'm at an angle where I can survey the entire room.

You're not here.

One of the heavy stoners of the group finally notices me after peering through the glossy haze of his high, just for a moment.

"Shit, man, what's got you all squirrelly this morning?" he muses, lifting a plain cigarette up to his mouth and taking a long drag.

I can feel every inch of my body tense up and I shove my hands into my pockets, lips pursed. I sigh and shake my head. "Nothing."

He goes back to whatever he was doing, rambling on to one of the (also stoned) groupies that joined us this morning, while I have another look around. My mates cast me odd looks, but I toss them aside. I must have really been looking awful if those looks started to worsen (which I know they did).

"I heard the hotel door slamming shut last night..." one of them mused, "anyone anger their chick or some shit?" The group that gathered along the kitchenette chuckled softly and shook their heads.

"What 'bout you, Waititi? You piss another one off?" Someone spoke up to me. They knew now. They knew I had done something.

Luckily, I had my back turned to the group in my desperate and frantic search, so they didn't see the pained look creep over my face. "I don't know," I say slowly, not bothering to turn around. They all seem to shrug my answer off. I can't, however.

What did I do last night to really get you gone? Was it something I said? Did I not please you enough? Did you finally decide that the rock 'n' roll life just wasn't your thing, decide not to tell me, and up and leave me dry with no hope left to survive?

I'm being dramatic.

I slip a pair of slippers on and shuffle down to the main floor after awkwardly standing next to a polite family on the elevator. It was obvious they could smell the cigarette smoke on me.

Fuck, it's way too early in the morning to be doing this.

I leap for the front desk before anyone else could take the undivided attention away from me. A young receptionist had just sat herself down with a steaming cup of coffee.

"Did you see a girl come through here last night?" I mumble to her. She looks up at me, nowhere near as excited as you are when I talk to you.

"Sir, I just clocked in. I'm afraid the person you need to be talking to is already on his way out to his car," she says, nose raised up in the air snootily. My looks and manner clearly didn't seem to charm her (or maybe it's the fact that I'm in a fucking stained Purple Rain shirt and sweatpants).

The fact that maybe my last hope may possibly be in the parking lot excites me, so I don't think I could care any less about the way people look at me. My perhaps wobbly legs float me out to the street and I'm searching frantically for any trace of you or this man I'm supposed to find.

There, where the sidewalk ends, there's a man, bellboy cap in hand, waving and shouting for a cab driver's attention.

I slow my speed down to a brisk walk to approach him and not alarm him, but the glimmer of a hovering, yellow taxi catches my eye as it slows down and pulls next to the curb. All of a sudden I'm running. I'm running for you. Fuck, when was the last time that I actually ran?

Sure, it was a bad move grabbing the dude's arm when I reached him. He moved to swat me, yelling in a high voice, "The fuck, dude! This cab is mine!" His hand was about to come down, when I made the first sensible decision in my life and let go of him.

"Wait!" I hollered before we made any more contact. "You worked the front desk last night, right? I'm looking for a girl."

He gives me the most startled look ever, gripping the door of the taxi for fear life. He then recognizes me. "Your Taika Waititi, right? You and your band infested the hotel a couple days ago?"

I nod slowly, gulping and hoping he had some sort of information.

He sighs, looking at the warm seat of the cab, then back at me. He mutters something under his breath. "I did see a girl," he lets out. "But I don't know if she's any person your looking for. There's a lot of women that come and go from y'alls rooms, I tell you." And he shakes his head.

"What did she look like?" I pry at him more, and he cab impatiently honks its horn. He draws another long sigh.

"She..." he trails off, "look, there was one girl that passed by. She was wearing a Hunt For The Wilderpeople shirt, and that's all I can tell you."

"But was she upset?" I shout, just trying to get down to the point.

I receive another glare.

"Look mister," he said, one foot in the cab, "she didn't pay me no mind and I certainly didn't care about her enough to ask her what was wrong. Now, if you'll excuse me." He huffed, and that was the last I saw of him as he disappeared into the cave of the cab.

My heart seemed to quiver as I watched the cab go. I was getting stares from girls and guys alike across the street. A crowd was soon building. I had been standing on the curb for minutes, watching and waiting. As if the cab would suddenly turn around, open its doors and I'd see you inside, but no. Not in the slightest.

I return to the hotel room, tail between my legs, and head down. I should call. I want to know if you're alright. What did I do, my little groupie? What did I...

No.

No, that's not right. I said groupie. But... I also said my... meaning...

I return back to my room and sit on the frigid bed. I think of you with no trace of a smile left on my face. I want you here. I want to see you. I want to fuck this feeling out of me through you. An outlet. Is that all I see you as? But, what do you see me as?

I pick up my phone and search for your number. It's mixed up and I never miss it. I have a little nickname for you too, but I never use I when you're around. My thumb hovers over the call button for a moment. I don't know why I hesitate. After a big, deep breath, I press it. The vibration of it makes my ears ring. My heart is racing. Why do I het so riled up trying to talk to you? It's just you...

And yet you're you!

...

I don't know how to explain it. You're my groupie... my... groupie...

Fuck.

There's no response. There's not even the faintest sound of your voice. All I get is a computer.

I call again and again and again.

The dial tone makes my head spin. I call your home phone, hell, I was even two inches away from calling your parents. But then a text message. A single text message.

'Leave me alone.'

My heart seems to stop. I did something wrong. But I can't figure out what.

Why?

Why are you all of a sudden ignoring me? Why won't you tell me that you're safe? Is it something that I did? What's wrong?

I interpret my thoughts onto my phone in a text message and send it out without a momen'ts hesitation.

'What did I do wrong?'

You read it.

But you never respond...

~~~~~

17 calls and a single text message. You can't even deal with him. It's like he doesn't even remember how much being just his groupie shatters you.

You've asked for something more so many times. So many gut wrenching feelings as he tells you all over again, "I'm not looking for anything serious. You're just a groupie."

You've finally snapped. You're done. You can't keep getting your heart broken again. Not again.

[justimajin]

It’s a Reverse Basket ◍ Part 19

⇝ Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

⇝ Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Angst

↳ Basketball AU, Crossdressing AU

⇝ Words: 4.3k

⇝ Summary: Basketball is your everything; your passion for it running deep and wanting nothing more then to play the sport. Problem is, the sport isn’t offered competitively to girls and with that, all your hopes immediately fizzle away… …but who ever said that was going to stop you?

⇝ Warnings: pg13; pretty much the calm before the storm

gif credit.

⇝ Previous Parts: Moodboard Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

⇝ Next Update: Tuesday, July 21 

Nationals have left you feeling numb lately.

Although the thrill of playing at a state level and having the earnest training is more than enough, you find yourself eventually growing weary and desperately needing a break.

Which is why once your phone rings and the voice of your best friend comes through, you are extremely grateful to spend the entire evening rambling to her about all your experiences. However she poses a question you’re not sure on how to answer.

“So how come I haven’t met Yoongi yet?” Hyerin speculates, halting your sprawling words with her curiosity, “You’ve been together for a while now.”

“Oh.” You blink, “You’re right...I haven’t introduced you to Yoongi.”

“Do you guys have any upcoming games?” Your vision swings over to your brightly marked calendar, the next impending match being the following week.

“...I actually think our schedule will be free.”

“That’s great!” Hyerin exclaims, “You should bring Yoongi over and I can finally meet him. We could even drop by the school!”

“The school…?” Your voice grows reluctant and Hyerin senses it right away.

“It��ll be great Y/N!” She attempts to persuade you, but you know well enough that Hyerin probably has a more secondary purpose in doing so – namely getting you to come back at least once. 

Although you’re not hugely keen on suddenly reappearing at the school you had left months ago, Hyerin’s constant convincing eventually wears you down. You agree to her wishes with a sigh, wondering to yourself how you’re going to bring this idea up to the other party involved. 

***

Your grip tightens on the basketball, huffs of air leaving you. Your shoes roughly skid against the floor until you come to an eventual halt and push yourself off the ground. The ball ends up hitting the backboard of the basket, bouncing against it and then descending into the hoop. With a sigh of relief, you catch it and lazily dribble, eyes only perking up at the sight of a figure jogging over in your direction.  

Yoongi leans down to grab a towel, whipping away a sheen of sweat from his forehead. You awkwardly linger behind him, biting down on your lower lip. 

You were in the middle of nationals – the most important time of the year for your team. It truthfully wouldn’t take much to simply slip away for a single day, but you’re at such a crucial point in time that you find yourself backtracking on the promise you had given your best friend.

A loud whistle interjects your thoughts, your view drifting over to Namjoon who announces that practice was done for the day. You instantly spin around, abruptly making eye contact with Yoongi as he downs a water bottle.

“I–“

“Good work today Yoongi!” Namjoon pats Yoongi’s back, clearly happy with his performance as the latter simply resumes to quenching his thirst, “Training’s going to get harder in these next couple of days, so make sure you’re all prepared.”

You nod as Namjoon smiles at the two of you, eventually detaching from Yoongi and gesturing for him to follow. A dejected sigh slips out from you, but it’s quickly replaced with surprise once Yoongi tells Namjoon that he’ll leave in a minute.

Eyes widening, Yoongi turns around and furrows his brows. 

“Did you want to tell me something?” His entire interest is pointed towards you now and there’s a faint ray of pink creeping onto your features from the sudden attention.

“I uh, well,” You aimlessly play around with your hands, “My best friend has been wanting to meet you and she thought it would be a good idea to visit my old high school together...”

You dart a glimpse at him, wondering if he was contemplating the idea during the time of the nationals. To your complete surprise though, Yoongi isn’t taken aback with it.  

“Sure, when do you want to go?”

Your eyes are huge, “Really?”

Yoongi shrugs, “Why not? It’ll help to get away from this,” He gestures around to the exhausted set of individuals in your team making their way back to their dorms after yet another prolonged day of practice, “and you said she’s your best friend?”

You nod and Yoongi softly smiles, “Then I’ll definitely need to meet her.”

A huge smile scatters across your features from his response. Here you were petrified about the whole prospect’s ill timing, but Yoongi seems to understand your intentions and you can’t contain the excitement of Hyerin finally getting to meet him.

***

You teeter-totter on your heels, glancing down at the way your bright crimson dress sprays out and frills at the bottom. There’s a black bag tightly snugged underneath your shoulder, the long deceiving locks on your head pushed back into a high ponytail.

Your hair bounces as you sharply turn, the door in front of you revealing your best friend's characteristic smile. 

“You made it!”

You grin, letting her tug you inside, “Wow Y/N, dressing up when you’re with Yoongi, huh?”

A cheeky smile is on Hyerin’s lips but you sheepishly shake your head, “It’s not like that.”

Truthfully, you dress like this more for yourself. It's a bit of a selfish request on your behalf, but since you’re usually adorned in the same jersey and pair of shorts everyday, you eventually discovered how much you’ve missed having a decent choice in between your appearance. However, the fact that you’ve especially put more effort into it because Yoongi will be joining you…perhaps isn’t too far fetched.

“Is it too much?” You abruptly question, wide eyes left deliberating as Hyerin chuckles and shakes her head.

“I think you look nice.” She pushes out a chair for you to sit on, something you’re grateful for when the heels slip out of your feet. Hyerin joins you on the opposite side of the table, planting a hand on her cheek and staring at you with eager eyes.

“Well? What is he like?” The abrupt interest amuses you, eyes soon lost in thought.

“I guess……” You jut out your bottom lip, searching for the right answer, “...cute?”

“Cute?” Hyerin laughs, “Really?”

“Yeah…” You laugh alongside her, wondering to yourself why out of all words – that’s the one you feel describes him the best, “Don’t say that to him though, he won’t like it.”

“So he’s cute but doesn’t like to be called cute?” Hyerin mulls over it and raises her brows, “Didn’t you say he’s the Captain of your team? And that he’s really strict with you?”

You instantly nod, “That’s all true, but he has this side to him that’s very…soft?” A giggle escapes you at the weird word usage again, “Like he’s only gets strict with us if no one’s listening during practice or if we’re all doing something wrong, but behind that Captain side of his is someone who really cares and just wants the best for me.” 

You sheepishly laugh, ignoring the flush of pink spreading over you. It’s strange to put your image of Yoongi into coherent sentences, but you can’t ignore the amount of times he’s been there for you and in turn how much great admiration you have for him. You catch a glimpse of Hyerin’s expression in the midst of your thoughts, noticing she has both her hands planted on her cheeks, gazing at you as if you were telling her the greatest story in existence.

You blink, startled from her undivided attention. She laughs at your reaction and you meekly sink back down into your seat, growing bashful. A soft knock resonates against the door, and Hyerin instantly rises from her spot. 

A smug smile curls at the corner of her lips, “Looks like I get to find out for myself~”

You quickly get up and smooth down your skirt as Hyerin approaches the door. Quietly following behind her, a deep voice echoes through the halls.

“Oh, so you’re Yoongi!” Hyerin exclaims and from the corner of your eye, you see her arm move as if to shake his hand.

She whirls around, “Hey Y–“ You appear closer to the door, still leaning against the wall.

Surprise spreads through you when Yoongi glances in your direction, dressed in a loose white-shirt and a black leather jacket. His hands are wrapped around a bag which he seems to be in the midst of offering to Hyerin. The look his eyes send you throws you a bit off guard, a shy ray of pink brimming on your features.

Yoongi steps in and Hyerin closes the door, spinning around and gesturing for you to sit down on her couch. Planting yourself down, you smile when Yoongi settles in beside you and gives you a sheepish grin, his darting eyes and fumbling hands giving you a clear indication of what he was currently feeling being there at the moment. 

Hyerin soon pokes her head out and sits opposite to you, a giant smile on her lips. However, her eyes then land on Yoongi and for a moment, you could have sworn you could see some displeasure spark in them.

“So.” She begins, “I’ve heard you’re the Captain of the team Y/N’s on.”

Yoongi nods, fisting his jeans in his hands, “I met her during try-outs.”

She hums, “How long have you guys been together?”

Yoongi frowns, glancing in your direction when you begin to backtrack too. It wasn’t something the two of you were really keeping track of.

“A couple of months now?” You warily stare at him and he nods, content with the answer before darting his eyes back at Hyerin.

Hyerin hums again, crossing his legs and keeping a curious finger against her lips.

“When did you find out about Y/N being a girl?”

“I found out before she got selected for the team. I also knew that she was wearing a wig to disguise herself.” You pout when Yoongi grins at you and Hyerin’s eyes light up.

“You knew about that atrocious wig?” 

Yoongi tilts his head and pursues his lips, “I wouldn’t say it was atrocious but strange. Her natural hair is prettier.”

A profuse blush accompanies his words and Hyerin grins.

“What else do you like about Y/N?”

“It’s hard to say,” Yoongi gazes at you and for some reason, you automatically shrink from the attention, “I think there’s too many things.”

“She’s a really determined person.” Hyerin mentions and Yoongi nods.

“When I found out she was disgusting herself as a guy just for basketball...” He chuckles, “I think I first hand saw that determination up close.”

She hums, “But she can be really too shy at times.”

“It adds to her charm,” Yoongi’s eyes turn tender and at this point, you kind of want to just disappear. “And also makes it fun to tease her.”

Hyerin jumps in her seat, “Right?!”

You watch them continue discussing all your little quirks and traits like they were talking about their favourite person in the world and you can only gape at how much Yoongi seems to be enjoying it. But that’s when Hyerin leans forward, becoming daring with her curious inquiries. 

“So you’ve guys only kissed, right?” Your eyes are wide, frozen solid in place. 

“For now.” Yoongi says with the most deadpan expression you’ve ever seen on him. His answer baffles you, his eyes briefly meeting yours and leaving you speechless. You only snap out of it when he lets out a low snicker, breaking into full laughter as he takes in your startled appearance and you resort to sighing at his teasing.  

“Well then.” Hyerin relaxes, leaning back. She crosses her arms, eyes sharply narrowing.

You’re taken back to the interrogation style she was first using on Yoongi before becoming comfortable, the intensity feeling increased this time around.

“I guess it’s only fair for me to ask this now.” Hyerin states, drawing all of your attention, “do you, Min Yoongi, intend on marrying Y/N in the future?”

A cluster of coughs violently escape your body. Hyerin passes you a bottle of water, something you down right away before exchanging wide eyes between her and Yoongi.

“I was being serious.” Hyerin mentions, “I only want Y/N to be happy in the end, so I have to check.”

“We’re in high school.” Yoongi brings up, as if stating the obvious. You hurriedly nod, backing up his words.

“I-It’s way too early for that….”

Hyerin isn’t satisfied though, “Let’s say some time in the future – not now.” She sharply interjects, eyeing both of you intently, “You’re near that age. What about then?”

You shake your head, “That’s really far too off Hyerin, I don’t think–“

“It’s not impossible.”  Yoongi mutters, staring at the ground, “At least, that’s what I think.”

Your eyes are the widest they can be, skin utterly red at this point. Hyerin notices the exchange and bursts out laughing, resulting in you being even more flushed.

“Well, I got my answer.” She wipes away a tear and gets up, “Come on. I think that’s enough questions for now.”

You nod, warily placing the glass in your hand back on the table. Yoongi rises from his seat the same time you do, occasionally taking glimpses at the window outside. In the meanwhile, you can only stare at him in surprise  as you wait for Hyerin, a small unmistaken smile rising on your lips. 

***

It’s bizarre being in the same place you left months ago.

Hyerin’s excited when she shows you around the classrooms and the old cafeteria again, reminiscing on the moments you would spend whispering to each other when you were bored in class to eating lunch together. Although you truly loved the school and enjoyed your time being with your best friend, it almost seems like you’re revisiting a stepping stone that was in the way of what you really wanted to do – and it becomes even more apparent the moment you enter the school’s gym.

It piques your immediate interest, recollecting memories of wandering into it during late hours just to practice playing basketball. It also reminds you of the time you had been stuck with the girl’s recreational team, the rules of the game and all the seriousness being replaced with somber and lazy playing instead.

It’s something Yoongi notices as well, “The gym is really…small.”

“We’re not really a school that focuses on sports.” Hyerin mentions, grabbing a basketball from a nearby cart and tossing it over to you, “Y/N used to practice here though.”

As your hands trace against the rough texture of the ball, you can only huff at the dress and heels you’re wearing. It’s the first time you sincerely wish to be wearing the jersey and pair of shorts you’ve gotten accustomed to and Yoongi smiles when you push off your shoes and throw the ball towards the hoop.

The ball instantly sinks in and Hyerin victoriously exclaims, to which you smile and continue dribbling. Yoongi shifts over with crossed arms, eyeing your best friend.

“They don’t have a competitive team here?” He whispers, still observing you knab another basket.

“No, only recreational ones.” Hyerin sighs, “They gave the title of being competitive to the boys team since the girls team was basically non-existent for our school.”

Yoongi hums and Hyerin gestures towards you, “Y/N was a part of the team for a while but she hated it. That’s when she started practicing on her own though it still wasn’t enough.”

“I can tell.” Yoongi says right away, “Y/N’s too good at basketball to not play competitively.”

Hyerin nods, but then a chuckle leaves her, “It’s actually funny, it seems like just yesterday she was telling me about how amazing Bangtan Sonyeondan’s record is and their statistics. I didn’t think she would want to go to such lengths to be on the team.”

“It was surprising.” Yoongi recollects the moment he had found out about your secret, a million scenarios running through his mind as to why you would do it only to be answered in the simplest way – your love for basketball.

A smile quirks on Hyerin’s lips, “Even more surprising that she’s dating the captain now.” There’s a mischievous glint in her eyes, “So did Y/N confess first?”

Yoongi pursues his lips, sending a glare in her direction, “You just want me to fess up.”

“Hm? So you were the one to take her out on a date first?” Hyerin smugly smiles and Yoongi rolls his eyes.

“She told you?”

“Of course she did, she’s my best friend.” Hyerin retorts the obvious and Yoongi sighs, eyes still lingering on you, “Besides, you’re around her more these days so I don’t know what’s going on with her right away.”

Yoongi raises a brow, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you have to be my eyes.” Hyerin crosses her arms, voice lowering as she stares at Yoongi, “Don’t let her get hurt, okay?”

Yoongi scoffs, stuffing his hands in his jacket’s pockets, “Do you even need to ask me that?”

“Hey, I have to know.” Hyerin presses, needing a clearer answer. “Do you promise?” 

Yoongi glances in her direction, giving her a sincere look. 

“Promise.”

“Good.” Hyerin spins around, ogling at your effortless dribbling around the court, “Damn, how are you still so good at playing basketball in a dress?”

You giggle, mid-way in between taking a shot, “It’s honestly a lot harder than it looks.”

“Here, let me try!” You hand Hyerin the basketball and she takes a flimsy shot. The ball hits against the rim and falls right back onto the ground within seconds. Yoongi snorts, and she glares at him.

“I don’t need any extra sound effects Captain.” She attempts to take another shot but the ball flies up into the air and then descends down, barely reaching the basket. You and Yoongi share a glance, clearly trying to conceal the laughter from brimming up.

Hyerin lets go of the basketball in exasperation, letting it roll as the two of you are still keeping your laughter at bay. The ball continues to roll until it hits a pair of feet.

You glance behind Hyerin to see where it could have gone, the bright smile you were holding instantly dropping.

“Y/N?” The ball is in his hands, his eyes wide and astonishment written over him, “You came back?”

You grimace from his tone, sounding more accusatory than pleasant, “Still didn’t get accepted into a competitive team, huh?” He dribbles the basketball with a shrewd grin, “That’s tragic.”

Hyerin grows furious at your prolonged silence. She’s prepared to march right up to this guy and let him have a piece of her mind, but she ends up being too late.

Yoongi reaches out his hand, “Can we have the basketball back?”

The boy frowns, staring at Yoongi intently until the recognition snaps into him.

He completely ignores his request, “Aren’t you part of that team…uh Bangtan something?”

Yoongi doesn’t answer, instead he swiftly retrieves the ball in the midst of his dribbling and hands it over to you.

“It’s actually Bangtan Sondeyeon.” Yoongi states, “Currently the leading team in this year’s nationals.”

His eyes widen and you could have sworn Yoongi had smirked for a moment, but it disappears as he nonchalantly strolls back to your side of the court.

Hyerin smiles, “Have fun with your losing team!” You watch as he turns with a scoff, shoulders tightened before leaving the gym.

“Idiot.” Hyerin mumbles underneath her breath.

“Who was that?” Yoongi ponders.

“Well our very own lovely competitive team is always lurking around here in some corner.” She sighs, “They're all just annoying and used to bother Y/N a lot back in the days.”

Yoongi glances at you surprised and you shrug, “Not the nicest of people.”

“I bet they haven’t even made it to nationals with their bogus attitudes.” Hyerin crosses her arms and whirls around, “Anyways, you guys want to head out?”

You nod, following her out.

***

“Are you going back soon?” Hyerin questions, standing in front of the door to her house.  

You nod, “We have practice early in the morning for our next game.”

Hyerin hums, “I see….”

“Oh!” You abruptly face her, “How have your parents been? Last time we met, I was getting ready to move.”

“They should be back home by tonight. I was going to actually ask if you wanted to stay over…”

Her voice grows quieter and you pursue your lips. Although you wouldn’t have normally hesitated, you know this isn’t solely your call to make.

“How many practices do we have this week?”

Yoongi darts his eyes up, “A couple. Are you planning to miss them?”

“Just one.” You smile, “Hyerin wants me to stay back but I’m not sure if missing tomorrow’s practice will be great.”

“You’re not going to be here for a while, right?” Yoongi shrugs, “I’d say go for it. Who knows when you’ll get time like this again?”

 You hum, eyes lighting up as you whirl around to face Hyerin with a smile, “Well looks like I’ll be staying for the night.”

There’s a huge grin on her features and she rushes to unlock the door, ushering you inside. Yoongi asks if you can bring his bag back and you leave to retrieve it from the house, leaving the two of them alone at the door frame.

“It was nice to finally meet you Captain.” Hyerin remarks, reaching out her hand for him to shake, “It’s reassuring to know Y/N has someone like you around.”

Yoongi softly smiles, reciprocating the handshake, “It honestly goes both ways.”

Something flickers in Hyerin’s eyes, quickly darting to see you still occupied. Her voice drops down into a whisper, a questioning gaze directed at Yoongi.

“If you could describe her with one word, what would you pick?”

Yoongi raises an eyebrow at that, his attention being whisked away when you abruptly dart your head up from the couch with a huge smile. “Found it!”

He chuckles, leaning closer to Hyerin.

“Cute.” He watches you head over, “Really cute. But don’t tell her that, she’ll get too flustered.”

Hyerin’s eyes are astonishingly wide by the time you make it over, handing Yoongi’s his bag. He leans forward, softly pecking your lips before tugging the bag onto his shoulder.

“I’ll see you at the next practice.” He whispers gently, making his way down the front door’s steps. You remain frozen in place, not expecting him to kiss you so suddenly with your best friend nearby.

Hyerin laughs at your naive eyes, clasping onto your wrist and dragging you inside. 

***

Your best friend sighs, rummaging through her fridge, “Well at least now I know who this Yoongi guy is that you kept talking about.”

“It seemed like you two were getting along pretty well.” You warmly smile, seated at the kitchen counter and watching her with intrigued eyes. 

“Of course.” Hyerin takes out a huge stack of sliced meats, presumably for dinner, “Any boyfriend of my best friend is a friend of mine.”

You quirk an eyebrow, “Probably helped because you’re very similar as well.”

“Similar?” Hyerin freezes, staring at you in astonishment, “Please, I’m much better.”

You giggle and Hyerin closes the fridge, clearly exhausted from hauling out all the ingredients currently layered onto the counter. “Alright, I got everything my mom wanted.” She grabs a glass of water and hands you one as well, plopping down onto the seat beside you, “Now, we relax!”

You smile and take a sip, “So when are nationals ending? Are they running the games till the end of the school year?”

“No, it’s supposed to end before then. I think it’s mandatory for all the different teams competing this year.”

Hyerin hums, “What about graduation then? Any plans for that?”

You pause, wondering what she meant by that until it finally dawns onto you, “Right…graduation…”

“Did you forget? Or did the whole transferring to another school mess that up for you?”

“No, you’re right but–“ You press your lips together, features tense, “I’m not the same Y/N.”

Hyerin widens her eyes, placing her water on the counter in realization, “Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you about that. What are you going to do Y/N?”

“I can still technically graduate…”

But everyone only knows about me being a boy.

“…I-I don’t think I can see anyone after I do though…”

Fear fills your eyes when you glance up at Hyerin. Truthfully, you had been so ecstatic with the prospect of playing competitively at the moment that you hadn’t thought through the ramifications your secret will bring. Although leaving the school shouldn’t be a problem because you’ve only had a mere identity switch, the relationships and friendships you’ve created will all surely become jeopardized once you leave.

“What’s the next step from all this then?” Hyerin whispers, placing her arm on your shoulder, “What’s going to happen after graduation?” 

You don’t answer, only one solution swimming around in your mind that could potentially work. However, you just wonder what type of impact it’ll end up causing.

Is it time you no longer keep your identity a secret?

[what-the-stories-have-foretold]

uwahhh congrats on 200💜💜💜 I'm here for a tbna match up!! (i hope this is on anonymous! im going to use 🥝anon because I don't know how long the limit is)

I'm a bit shy and reserved; I have no qualms about speaking to people or in a group but presenting in front of a class of people around my age and older a bit hard, for example. I also get embarrassed about my interests easily. Not to say I don't enjoy going out and talking to others in moderation-- all in all I think I thrive within my small group of friends, and I talk a lot one on one I find. I also can get fairly excited over my passions easily.

I really love children, and education has always been a passion of mine. I also am really good with them. I am not so good with animals but I love them too. I enjoy cooking as well. I think I enjoy doing a lot for others when I'm feeling bad or stressed (and not procrastinating) as it makes me feel useful and needed.

as for faults, I think im really bad at confrontation. it's an infuriating trait, bit I'd rather much just shut down and not bring up anything over address anything thats bothered me. if I am the one at fault, I'll apologize but when it is an equal issue I have a lot of trouble taking initiative to apologize first. though I am trying now, I still find myself getting anxious and chickening out from ever bringing up anything to others.

I'm not sure if this information is enough, but here is what I've come up with so far. thanks you kindly!

Hey 🥝, thank you so much for the match-up request. 😊 (also, I can relate to the majority of what you wrote. 😅) . I turned it into little headcanons, I hope you don't mind 💕

This was really tough actually. At first I thought Oruggio or Estheath, then when you spoke of education i thought Quiffrey, but in the end I believe Estheath/Ysheath/Esthies (however you spell his name) would be the best fit! It was a really close call though 😅.

I think he is a very patient and overall very calm person. If you have to present something, for example, he would look at you intensely, in a way that tells you: "calm down, I know you can do this"

Proud boyfriend

He would also realise quickly when you don't speak about your interests etc much and subtly make you talk again. He absolutely loves listening to you rambling, and he listens intently! In the beginning his silence might be discouraging, but after a while you'd know he is just giving you his undivided attention

(He'd think you're the cutest)

He, as well, is introverted. He doesn't have many friends (also, I think he would call his team members collegues, even though Utowin and the others are most definitely his friends)

So, I mentioned before that I think he likes or at least respects children, as a few scenes suggest that. So here too, you are both similar

I think he adores everything domestic, bc I think he doesn't really do pda (unless you want to hold hands or something else lowkey), because "his collegues" would annoy/tease him about it later. He also simply prefers loving you in private.

So, as he likes domestic stuff, cooking with you or watching you cook

👌

Regarding animals, I think he has pretty similar thoughts as well. He himself enjoys watching them, but that's about it.

As for the last bit: He is very patient and he can read you like a book. This means that he either calmly talks about the issue that might exist between you both (He is very understanding and empathetic and fights with him would rarely if ever feel like fights, but exchanges of opinions and the search for a solution), or he'll speak to whoever is bothering you/tell someone to stop doing whatever it is that is bothering you

Overall 10/10 boyfriend in my humble opinion ☺

[keiscait]

Hello! Could i ask for a common room and bedroom match up? I'm a 5'3" straight female and my pronouns are she/her/hers! I have shoulder length black hair and dark brown eyes. I'm an ENFP, a Gryffindor, and a libra. I'm currently studying pharmacy and chemistry, algebra, and physics are my favorite subjects! I like to think im really outgoing and optimistic. My friends tell me im funny and endearing, and I really care a lot about my friends. However, I can be a pushover sometimes and get anxiety when trying to say no, and I try to not show people my negative feelings but Im getting better at opening up! My love language is definitely touch, and I love receiving and giving really nice hugs or holding hands. I also play mutliple instruments but my favorite right now is my melodica, and I'm trying to learn Japanese and am fluent in English, korean, and spanish. I also love musicsls, plays, tv shows, and movies and discussing movies and musicals is one of my favorite things to do. I also watch a lot of anime and mostly play games in my free time. In a guy i tend to look for someone who can banter with me when I jokingly tease him and doesn't take jokes too seriously. I would also want a guy who is somewhat spontaneous like going for a car ride at midnight or a walk in the snow at 2 AM. A guy who doesn't mind both indoor and outdoor dates like just cuddling together in bed or going to an amusement park. Thank you so much for the match up! 💙💙

Hello and welcome, dear! Thank you for visiting me and trusting me with your matchup. Unfortunately, hon, you didn’t give enough information for me to be able to cook up a bedroom matchup, I hope you understand :’(  However, you will be my first ever common room matchup! Let’s get started! ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

Sit back and relax! Here in the common room, a good friend wanted to join us...

Kozume Kenma! 

Our kitty cat Kenma is a reserved yet caring soul. He’s tactical and perceptive, and he’s able to utilize these traits to bring out the best in others. His attention to detail is also one of his greatest strengths, and I think this is apparent even in his relationships.

- I think you and Kenma would be able to bond over both your similarities and differences. Your outgoing attitude would balance out his closed off personality and help him come out of his shell.

- He can relate to your anxiety because of his own reserved nature. He gives you straightforward and logical advice on how to deal with these situations, while you help him get more in touch with his affectionate side

- It may take a while for him to get used to the physical affection. It’s not that he resents it, it’s just not a part of him - he’d eventually get used to it, and might even have moods where he’d like to return the affection

- would be a great confidant. He knows aaaaaaaaaall your secrets, and is excellent at keeping them

- You need someone to talk to at 2AM? Oh you bet he’s up. You won’t have his undivided attention, but you don’t need all of it - he’s able to pay attention to both your rambles and his game. Pro gamer skillz

- a lot of downtime for anime and video games. The one thing you can bribe him with if you want him to get out of his room is if you invite him to play video games in your house/dorm

- You can try introducing him to different movies and musicals, honestly :3 I personally think he’d be into Hamilton, and will do more research about it right after he sees it

- I imagine he shares your love for the sciences (just as with Kuroo), and appreciates the fact that you show a genuine interest in these subjects

- in the end, I just think you would get super close because of your shared interests and the way you guys bring out a side of each other that other people usually don’t see!

~

Thank you for requesting, dear! Please feel free to drop another request for a bedroom matchup - I’d love to cook something up for you! (⌒‿⌒)

Thanks for stopping by! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

[oppressiveliberator]

what age did Ghetsis discover that he had magic abilities? What can he do with his magic?

((Again, if this doesn’t answer!  Because when I start rambling I always, always go off track!!  Feel free to ask for more info!  Hell, feel free to ask for more regardless lol

ALSO ONCE AGAIN PLEASE FORGIVE ME APP USERS THERE IS REALLY A READMORE THERE BUT.  /GESTURES @ TUMBLR

OKAY SO GHETSIS AND HIS MAGIC.

Ghetsis discovered his magical abilities somewhere around the ages of 3-5. When he showed his parents, they were quick and harsh to shut him down for his unnatural and freakish display. This didn't put him off, however, only annoyed him and made him question why this was such a problem when his skill in damn near everything else was praiseworthy, but eventually he skulked off to the Harmonia Estate library and records and began to seek out knowledge on the matter. Between diaries and history books and magic books, over time he learned to use magic on his own.

Ghetsis's magic is tied to his life force. As a result, if he overmagics himself, he's in actual grave danger. So he tries not to overuse his magic considering magical exhaustion has done him dirty in the past.

A Harmonia's powers are typically divided into passive(a usually singular inherit thing that, so long as they aren't completely ignored or rejected and unindulged, typically persist at all times without any conscious effort on the part of the user) and active(powers that need to be used with some deliberation or exertion such as emotional intensity or frustration and so on.)

Ghetsis's passive power is the ability he's well known for--his ability to get his way. Ghetsis is naturally and with minimal effort and based on will and intent, able to talk his way into somebody's head to get his bidding done and to be believed and obeyed--it’s not infallible, but it’s pretty easy to be lulled into it for your average person. He first noticed the passive power when he was singing on stage--I'm not fully certain how it went down, but it was something to the effect of that he somehow managed to sing with such passion that he magically drew the crowd's undivided attention. I mean like. Babies stopped crying to listen to him sing. It was a strange sort of hypnotic ability and simply because he was passionate and wanted to be heard. Not on purpose.

(Ghetsis learned to suppress this ability over time, preferring the challenge of psychological manipulation without magical assistance. At present, it's not usually 'activated' beyond that he's got a fairly intimidating and dominating aura about him, and people feel inclined to listen to him. Believing him, however, is usually simply his own studies of psychology and manipulation at work--not only can he magic his way into your head, but he's gotten to the point that he really doesn't have to and can do it without any magical interference. Dangerous.)

The active abilities vary. Generally I leave it as a sort of vague ability to manipulate the world around him to certain degrees. Ghetsis can do this on his own--manipulate elements, for example. However, he can also call upon/use other things to use their energy/power and put less strain on himself:

The Victini movies I believe introduced the Dragon Force, an invisible energy, that the People of the Vale(whom i headcanon to be the Harmonias) used to cultivate their land and live in harmony and prosperity, until the Twin heroes fought and caused a war. This caused the dragon force to go wild, giving Kyurem the energy for both Twins’ perspectives on the situation to split from it up Zekrom and Reshiram. Unsatisfied with this, the Dragon Force continued to run rampant with the intensity of the Twins's feelings and anger and the disruption of the harmony that had been, even after the war had ended, and began to wreak dangerous havoc and destroy the area, leaving the once fertile land barren and turning it into desert.

Eventually, The King Of The Vale(King Harmonia,) with his partner Victini, moved the Sword of the Vale--a big ass sword-looking building that's kinda part of the Harmonia estate now--to Eindoak town which somehow put the Dragon Force back in check by sealing it up--if the Sword of the Vale were to be moved somehow, then the Dragon Force would leak out again(i still haven't seen the movies and i really really should.) However the dragon force remains in the earth. . .and Ghetsis calls upon it when using magic that affects the world around him to make it easier and less dangerous for himself.

I'll usually describe it as some kind of fog or smoke coming from the ground, usually green or purple. Used unwisely the Dragon Force can make a big mess of the world. But since ghetsis is magically capable, even when he uses it for ill, it doesn't go wild like it did back then. Yet.

He can also call upon the power of legendary and mythical Pokémon, namely Unovan ones, and this is also part of the power of the Dragon Force--rather, he uses it to reach the Pokémon to use power from it. The thing is that Ghetsis doesn't ask for this power. He demands it and commands it to be given.

Fortunately he doesn't do this a ton and, if he does, it's usually for minor things that the legendary won't notice too much if he draws it out--if he went too hard on this, he'd probably be in trouble with a lot of Pokémon, but as it is he's taking like. The equivalent of a shed hair magically, on average if he does this. It’s not something they really notice on average, unless they’re not being acknowledged by other entities at the time--like, imagine that a god hears all these requests and prayers, so one is gonna be a drop in the bucket, but if there aren’t many then each one is gonna be a little more noticeable even when expected, you feel me?

Next is ancestral spirits. Because in the past the Harmonias used magic, the remains of their spirits are magically powerful as well. And with magic remaining dormant in most of his family, of he's near one of them, he can take from the magic they don't use(as long as it isn't too much, given that that would kill them)--but the spirits and remaining of deceased ancestors is more powerful and are more malleable to use to manipulative the world around him. Of course, if they don't like something he's doing. . .well, again. the dragon force can be used to force their compliance, but generally if they don't like it, it’s not easy or advisable to draw on them.

Finally. . .Kyurem. Ghetsis controlled Kyurem without any Pokéballs or anything. He's Kyurem's sort of hero the way N and the Protag are the Heroes of Truth/Ideals--I may refer to him as the Hero of Ambition sometimes just so the naming scheme is complete. So he can call upon Kyurem to a greater degree as well--which typically manifests in the form of STAB if he were using ice. So. Flying and dragon types fuckin beware i guess.

(Hell, he doesn’t really even need to call on Kyurem sometimes, especially since Kyurem is very much dormant--it doesn’t have much better to do and will just kinda support him in general.  But since he’s not usually with it it’s not as strong as it could be.  Still a force to be reckoned with, still a big legendary ice dragon connected to his person.)

His powers are watered down from the powers Harmonias had thousands of years ago due to lack of use, so they aren't Pokémon level strength or anything. But as far as magic goes with Harmonias he's the first to have really mastered it in a long ass time.

Ghetsis’s abilities are pretty immense, but it can also be very, very straining depending on what he does. Again, it's connected to his life energy--if he overdoes it too much in one go, he'll get sick, bleed from orifices he shouldn't be bleeding from, collapse, suffer injury, outright pass out, or even die. Even if he draws on someone or something else for power, he needs to use his own magic to do that and to direct it.

And while he doesn't give a damn about the lives of others. . .imagine if you were pulling on a rubberband that was around something pretty solid. You keep pulling and, whether it breaks or comes loose, it's gonna come hurtling at you at mach fuckin 10 and hurt your hand, if not hit you in the face and take out your eye. Now imagine doing that with a life. Chances are, getting smacked in the face with another life will remove your face and you'd die--same thing would probably happen to Ghetsis if he were to just draw and draw from a source until it was gone. Gradually would likely be less damaging, but magical overload is a thing, too--he can't just infinitely store magic in himself, he can’t just channel magic through himself infinitely without a break, he doesn't have the room for it even though he has such a large and overbearing presence. So he has to be careful with magic.

(I kinda made a messy drabbly thing featuring Ghetsis and @sacriflare a while back in which Ghetsis protects Lys from Yveltal so he can put it in a Master Ball, even though Lys didn't believe this possible at all. After doing so, Ghetsis collapsed though he was still conscious, just in pain and real fucked up and probably drooling blood or something awful. So with enough effort and energy to pull from, he can do lots of things, but on his own he'll tire faster--theoretically holding off the god of death from sucking the life out of him and his friend? Uuuuuuuuuh he was lucky to be alive when he was done. and that Yveltal is a flying type because that ice typing probably saved his ass.)

(In addition to those he also knows more 'witchy' things, like sigils and using crystals and stones and stuff like that. This pulls less from his life energy and more from nature in a weird sort of magical-alchemical way I guess.)

Many things Ghetsis does can be done without flourish--he channels magic through his cane because, well, if it backfired from his hand he'd lose another hand. He'd rather break the cane. That's replaceable. He can use his hands or his voice or his mind but that's more painful and strenuous--and, again, if something goes wrong that’s not gonna be good for his physical body. However, he can also make magic circles on the ground--in fact, he does this in the anime to push fire into the Light Stone to revive Reshiram.

Allow me to reiterate that.

This man revived a sleeping legendary Pokémon, on his own, with his own magic. In a canon material. And all he needed was the legendary's sleeping form, some torches, and a big enough space to make his magic circle in--a magic circle he made with magic, not a physical means.

That! He did THAT!!! (The glowing red obedience brainwashing is from the Colress Machine.  But tbh bringing the legendary out of the rock is a bit more impressive to me. Anybody can command Pokémon.  Most people don’t do /gestures) that.)

(credit where credit is due, tho, colress, you are p gr8.)

So you can probably see why I figured 'okay. He's pretty magically capable. I can OP him if i do it right.'

I'll run down some other canon i drew from.

In the games the Abyssal Ruins tells tales of the king buried within, The Great King Harmonia who ruled and protected Unova 3000 years ago.

Ghetsis's passive ability, aside from other canon instances, is inspired by:

Listen to King's words.

Here we praise King.

King's light shines.

King moves his people

Active abilities are also inspired by some of the contente here, such as:

King's light shines. and Shine if agreed. - Ghetsis can control fire to a certain degree, as well as just generally create light and visual imagery.

Eating is receiving life. - Ghetsis can draw life energy out of others, though this isn't something he really knows how to do at the moment unless he severely injures or exhausts his target--i.e. causes them to already be draining of life or not ‘holding onto’ their life. He doesn't use this much however and this power is more ritual than inherit(if he were to do it there's probably be a magic circle involved or something more elaborate than just magic use.)

Saved all from waves. - the Great King Harmonia saved Unova from a horrific tsunami. Probably caused by a clumsy lugia. Similarly, water is something he can control, though he probably wouldn't be able to stop a whole tsunami by himself.  Maybe a storm.

Act strong if agreed. - buffing and debuffing, some healing, but for the most part his healing is best in the form of like.  Ritual necromancy at best.

In the anime(and I’d include pics for this but I don’t remember which episode it was and I have a lot of frames i’d have to go through to find out):

Anthea and Concordia can slip between planes of existence and live hidden away there with N. This usually manifests as a fog, and entering it takes you off the plane you're on and into another one, seemingly in some sort of forest, though there's a swamp inside too that we've seen, and a whole building, so there's probably way more to the area. There's an invisible source to it from the outside world, which Ghetsis had Team Plasma locate and break through, as the idk source shield thing keeps what's outside out but can be broken through to enter. When you're forced out of the plane and back into the previous one, your surroundings will be completely different, so it's not exactly somewhere that fully corresponds to the material plane.

I’ve decided that Ghetsis can also do this--this plane of existence(i also call it 'slip space') is where Ghetsis is at present day, and he has his own little cabin house hideaway in there where he's recovering and plotting and resting.

What's supposed to happen is that the fog disappears and closes up the entrance. However, Ghetsis opened the space in a bad physical and mental condition. As a result the magic is a bit. . .wonky. it's not usually properly closed up at all, and so if the fog is discovered and walked into, you'll wind up in the woods Ghetsis is hiding in. However, the fog's current existing criteria is something like 'place with a lot of trees and low external visibility' or something like that. So sometimes it isn't even in Unova and you can reach it from somewhere else entirely--and, subsequently, Ghetsis can leave it and wind up somewhere else entirely too. It's mostly connected to him, so it only moves if he's still inside--it'll stay where it is if he leaves, so he can go back to it, unless he closes or deactivates it entirely.

Like I said earlier, in the anime Ghetsis performs the Ceremony of Revival--which, the first(?) time he uses it during N's coronation, causes Reshiram to come and burn down his castle and kill a bunch of people and really piss Ghetsis off because what more do you want reshiram????? The second time he uses it(i assume it's the same thing) he has his grunts set up a circle of torches on some altar somewhere, his cane glows, he makes a massive glowing red magic circle on the ground, he lifts the light stone in the air, and all the fucking fire just goes up to the light stone and into it, eventually giving enough strength to Reshiram for it to come back to life/wake up, and it woke up pissed. He knew it would be angry though. Idk what that says about this process but it says something.

. . .anyway, Ghetsis can do a lot of things with his magic because he has most of King Harmonia’s powers, albeit watered down. But some things are too much for his mortal human body to handle. . .ever. not even just in his current condition but period. So nothing too intensive. . .and for the most part, not a ton of simply benevolent things like healing. But intensity is kinda dependent on how he goes about it.

(On the topics of passive and active skills, N's passive is obvs his ability to communicate with and understand Pokémon. Does he have others? Maybe! Thats for N-muns to decide.  Ghetsis will try and teach him to use anything he finds out that he has, tbh--and see how he can use it for the future haha.) ))

[samwrights]

Homesick // Pt 5

Summary: Tony and Pepper’s daughter Madelyn just graduated from Midtown School of Science and Technology. Without her parents knowledge, she managed to land an internship with her dad’s business to keep her busy over the summer and to prepare her for what she wants to do with her future. But she isn’t the only one with a Stark Enterprises internship—and now she’s stuck working with some overly excited ongoing sophomore named Peter Parker.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Pairing: Stark!Daughter x Peter (OC)

Words: 3k

Warning: Super fluffy dad!Tony??

Loop: start//end // EDEN

I could be the reason we stay up all night. To be someone, all we’ve got is to try and get it right. V.

The work week had come and gone and the two teenagers were now inseparable. They always met up for lunch, which definitely did not go unnoticed by Tony. Elly was currently working in the lab, still programming different things into the Spider-Man suit. Thankfully though, she was finished creating his A.I. assistant, and the supportive mother style robot actually proved to be incredibly helpful. “Is it redundant to have the robot designed for the suit help create the suit?” Elly asked to the program pulled up on her virtual screen.

“A little, Ms. Stark. But, after running an analysis on all of Peter’s online footage, my data should prove useful.” The technology spoke. Dad had his sarcastic, straight laced asshats for his assistants, A.A.R.O.N. was a chill, older brother assistant; for Peter, Elly wanted to make one that was incredibly supportive of him since she knew essentially nobody knew of his secret identity. She would leave the naming to him, however. So far, she had installed web shooters as well as back up stock for additional web fluid. His goggles were completed and installed into his mask as well. Not only did they block out majority of the light, but even came with different settings such as X-ray and infrared vision, and a visual sound detector. In that specific mode, the embedded aides amplified his already sharp hearing and visualized it in his goggles to give him an additional thirty mile radius range of sight with an infrared overlay. Elly was really proud of that one. There wasn’t much left to do on his suit accept just adding on extra capabilities.

“Hey, kiddo. Can we talk?” Elly turned to see her dad standing behind her, his arms crossed and looking very disgruntled.  She turned her swivel chair around to face him fully, giving him her undivided attention. “So you and Parker, huh?” Was all Tony said.

“What about Peter and I?” She inquired suspiciously.

“Are you two...dating now?”

“We’re hanging out.” Elly replied elusively, not liking the way her dad was accusing her. “Is that a crime?”

“Elly, he’s too young for you. He’s still in high school and—“

“Dad. He’s barely two years younger and like I said, we’re just hanging out. I hardly think that’s criminal.” Tony rolled his eyes; she just had to have his sass. He huffed in frustration before he leaned along her desk.

“Elly, cut the bullshit. You’re technically dancing with a crime. Just tell me, are there feelings between you two?” His daughter rolled her eyes.

“I don’t know, dad. I really don’t.” Once again, her father huffed.

“Fine.” Was all he said before all but storming off towards the elevator. Elly resumed her work, slightly agitated with their interaction, but also concerned with what her father was going to do next. He wasn’t always a rational man when it came to his emotions, and she feared what his next move would be. Meanwhile, Tony took the elevator down to the training room to see Peter sparring with Natasha and Wanda. “Take five.” He directed to the ladies. “I need to talk to this one.” His eyes were narrowing in on Peter, instantly making Spider-Man nervous. His arms were crossed over his chest with a scowl on his face.

“Uh, h-hey Mr. Stark, what’s up? And why do you look so pissed off?” Peter added the last part in a very hushed mumble.

“Probably has to do with some punk ass kid dating my daughter without asking for my permission.”

“W-Wait, she said we’re dating?! Really?!” As excited as Peter was, Tony groaned before pinching the bridge between his nose with his fingers.

“No, kid. And you’re not going to be until you clear it with me!” Tony unfolded his arms for a brief second as he paced around the training room before gripping Peter’s shoulders. He used more force than he needed to, exuding strength and dominance. “Elly is my pride and joy, Parker. Everything I have done in my life, I have done it for her.”

“But Mr. Stark, we aren’t—“

“Zip it! I’m talking.” Tony snarled. “I like you kid, you got heart. But she is my daughter, do you understand me? And she has been hurt enough in her lifetime that I don’t need some confused kid playing with her fragile emotions!”

“I don’t want to hurt her, Mr. Stark.” Peter blurted out. Tony was annoyed that he had interrupted him once again, but decided to hear the boy out this time. “I want to be there for her. I-I really like her and I-I...” He trailed off, unsure of what to say next. He didn’t really have a plan on what he wanted, considering they had only met a month ago. But he wanted more, that was for certain.

“You’re going to think this through.” Tony responded adamantly. “You want to keep being Spider-Man? Fine. You want to date my daughter on top of that? Then you have to think about the repercussions that come with being a hero.” Tony opened the door to exit the training room but stopped in his tracks. “Come find me before you leave today.” Peter hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise, a solid frown on his lips as Mr. Stark exited the training room. His training resumed shortly after Tony made his departure, but Peter was constantly getting his ass handed to him by Wanda and Natasha.

“You’re distracted, kid.” Natasha said after knocking him to the ground once again. “Whatever Tony said to you, you need to either push it aside or use it to motivate you.” Her advice had Peter on his feet once again, ready to fight. But he couldn’t push away his thoughts, so he listened to the latter. He was never going to stop being Spider-Man, that much he knew. But the time he spent with Elly had helped him realize that this crush he had on her was more than just admiring her beauty or wanting to hook up with her. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to hold her hand everywhere they went and to be able to tell people ‘Yeah, that’s my girlfriend’. But was that going to be enough for Tony Stark? Was that going to be enough for Elly? Did Elly even want to date him? He still hadn’t known the real answer. The only way he was going to get that answer was by talking to her, and the thought of confessing his feelings made him want to vomit. It was either that or the fact that Natasha had kicked him in the stomach for the umpteenth time.

After the beating Peter had taken in his hand to hand training session, he went to the communal dining room to have lunch with Elly as he had been doing for the last couple of weeks. She was already there, preparing their meal as she usually did. Peter had already told her once she didn’t need to do that but she insisted she enjoyed cooking. She greeted him cheerily, but her face fell when she noticed his furrowed brows and slight frown. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

“What? Oh, n-nothing.” He responded, forcing a smile.

“You’re a terrible liar, Pete.” She stated, setting their plates on the table. “What’s wrong?”

“Your dad came to talk to me.” Elly froze as she raised her fork to take a bite of her meal, looking like a deer in headlights.

“O-oh. What did he say to you?” Silence rose between them and while she wanted to say it was because Peter was chewing his food, she knew it was because he wanted to hold off on this conversation.

“He asked if we were dating.” He mumbled quietly, but was just loud enough for Elly to hear.

“What did you tell him?” Silence again. But this time, Peter dropped his fork and knife with a soft clang and grabbed her hand that was closest to him.

“I told him the truth and that we weren’t but...I-I wanted to tell him yes.”

“Tell him that we were...” She couldn’t finish her sentence, prompting him to squeeze her hand tighter. She didn’t oppose the thought of them being together as vehemently as she did when she first met him, and she wanted to say that but words were lost upon her. Her lips trembled trying to speak, but she couldn’t.

“He told me to keep being me, to keep being Spider-Man. But that I needed to really think about being Spider-Man if I-I wanted to be with you. I-I don’t really understand what he meant by that.” Realization hit Elly hard.

“Him and my mom…” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she finally spoke. “My dad has kept me hidden my whole life so I would never be in harm’s way, so I would never get hurt like he’s hurt my mom.” A single tear dripped down her cheek as she put the pieces together. Her mom had left her there, only to be across the ocean as she says. But maybe her mom was running; running from the pain and problems her dad was causing by being Iron Man. Both of her parents thought Elly to be too naive to understand that her dad being who he was caused the family strain, but she knew better. Peter took the words in very carefully, analyzing each word to think of his response.

“L-look, Elly. I really don’t know what kind of answer your dad wants from me. All I know is that...that I want to be able to tell people that I’m seeing the most incredible, brilliant, independent girl.”

“W-wow, um...” Peter was preparing himself for rejection, but his rambling thoughts wouldn’t allow him to keep his opinion of her to himself any longer. “Peter, you hardly know me, I-i...h-how…?” She couldn’t even form a question. Sure, she was able to piece together that he had a crush. But this was so much more intense than she could have fathomed.

“All those things I said are what I do know of you, and I know more than just those three words. I-I want to keep learning more, Elly. I-I just...ughhh.” He groaned, feeling frustrating and idiotic as he held Elly’s limp hand as he confessed. “I-I like you, okay? A-and I probably should have let go of your hand a long time ago but wheneverwetouchIjustfeelsomuchbetterand—“ Peter’s words were rushing together so quickly, Elly not only didn’t understand him but also wondered how he managed not to breathe. She needed him to stop and relax for a second before he gave himself a heart attack at fifteen.

“Peter, Peter. Shh. Listen to me for ten seconds, okay?” She finally started gripping his hand back, easing his anxiety ever so slightly. “At graduation, I told you and my dad that us being together would never happen, but I-I love spending time with you. So much more than I thought I would. I feel like I can actually be a kid and not some miniature version of my parents a-and the time I spend with you has been the only thing that quiets my guilt about Rebecca and my parents fighting.” Elly was rambling now, finding the strength to tell Peter how he made her feel. A small chuckle left her lips, making him raise an eyebrow at her. “My dad is never going to accept this, you know. He’s going to write it off as stupid teenage love.” Though the words slipped past Elly, Peter’s heart throbbed at the use of the word ‘love’.

“I don’t want him to hate me!” Again she chuckled before leaning over to peck his cheek, much to his surprise.

“Just be honest with him, like you were with me.”

“H-honest, huh? Okay...” He grabbed both of her hands, holding one of each in his. “Madelyn Joyce Stark, c-can we do this properly? If I ask for your dad’s permission, w-will you please be my girlfriend?” The use of her full name had never sounded so fulfilling.

“Go ask dad, Peter.” Despite the sarcasm in her voice, they both understood that the answer was yes. They continued eating their lunch as normal and Elly returned to the lab afterward to finish her work for the day. Peter had gone back to the training room, this time just for some peace of mind while he lifted some weights. Elly had said to be honest to Mr. Stark, but he was so concerned if that would really be enough for him. He hadn’t even been fully able to express his feelings to Elly, how was he going to face her dad? Thinking things over was not helping, Peter decided. Finishing up his set, he took a quick shower and changed into street clothes before making his way up to the lab. After exiting the elevator, it took everything in him to not go straight to Elly’s work space and hug her to ease his nerves. But he knew that he needed to face Tony Stark sooner rather than later.

“Uh, M-Mr. Stark?” Tony turned to see the kid fidgeting uncontrollably with the hem of his shirt. “I came to talk to you.”

“Whatcha got for me, kid?” Him arms were once again folded over his chest, emphasizing the glow of his arc reactor. Tony’s face was stone cold with eyebrows raised expectantly. Peter took a deep breath before locking eyes with his mentor.

“Mr. Stark, I just have to be honest. I-I can’t guarantee the future, but I am going to do everything in my power to protect her. The only thing that is for certain is that I-I have feelings for your daughter a-and I would like to ask for your blessing in dating Elly.” Silence. A deafening silence. Tony’s lips pursed into a hard line as he tried to think of reasons to deny the boy.

“You are aware that Elly will be turning eighteen soon and is attending ESU in the fall, right? How do you plan on handling that?” Long before Tony had even asked this question, it had been constantly plaguing Peter. He had thankfully been able to give it some thought, but could only hope his response would be good enough.

“I plan on being with Elly for as long as she’ll have me. I want to celebrate her accomplishments, you know with her academic scholarship and all, and I want to be there for a milestone birthday. I-I just want to be there for her and be a part of her life.” Peter said with assurance. It was clear to him now that this was what he wanted. Tony nodded before putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“This is off the record kid and don’t let this go to your head, but I haven’t seen her glow like this in a long time. She was really hurt when she lost her friend, and I don’t ever want to see her like that ever again. So you already know, if you screw this up, I will make sure you hurt as much as she has.” Peter gave a light gulp but nodded. “Other than that, you have my permission, for now.” Tony wanted to say that he was gritting his teeth as he spoke, but that would be a lie. He knew Peter had nothing but good intentions, as he did for his own family.

“R-really? Thanks, Mr. Stark!” Without thinking, Spider-Man gave Tony a hug before running off to the other side of the lab to his now official girlfriend. As soon as he got close enough to her, he tackled Elly. The wind was knocked out of her but she thankfully didn’t fall to the ground.

“What the—?!” She felt Peter’s arms squeeze around her middle; he was completely engulfing her. “Peter! Jesus, what’s gotten into you?”! He finally let her go, allowing her turn to face him.

“He said yes!” It took a minute for the words to process in her mind. “Your dad said yes, Elly!”

“Really?!” Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as they embraced in excitement. It was strange for her. A person as hidden as her to be wrapping her arms around a boy who lived a double life, as her first relationship. The excitement had finally subsided and Peter settled with his arm faintly touching Elly’s lower back as she saved and closed her files that she was working on.

“Hey, I wanted to look at that.” He pouted.

“It’s supposed to be a surprise, Peter.” Though the files were already close, he persisted in trying to sneak a peek. “Nice try, Parker. Are you ready to go?” He nodded in response. Elly got up from her desk and walked over to her dad’s side of the lab to grab her keys from him. At first, Elly said nothing to him, just watching him work. As she watched, her mind took over as his fingers tightened various gears on a cannon he was working on. The manual labor he put into his suit, the labor he was putting into being Iron Man, made her think of her mom’s absence. She’d already been gone a week—not needing to present to see all the work Tony was doing. Her absence proved that her mom never actually saw how much was going into protecting their little family; just how hard he was trying for them. “Hey, dad?” Tony looked over at the two teenagers. “Thank you. For everything.” Elly wrapped her arms around her father, squeezing as if he was going to disappear from her life too. The expression on his face softened immediately before he tucking an arm around his child.

“Anything for you, Madelyn.” The use of her name for the second time today, filled her heart with warmth.

TAGLIST

@xxoerinnoxx @maddieisaacs @araeni @iwillbesmall-promise

[pilawforhire-archived]

@mxladymorgan said:

Law was reading. Morgan was watching him. If this kind of behaviour seemed predatorial, truth was it wasn’t - rather than having her eyes madly fixated on Law, they were aimed at his hands, watching them hold the hardback and turn the pages. She couldn’t help feeling curious about his tattoos, though she hadn’t seen the more private ones of course, and the word spelled twice on his hands had to be the most curious of all. The expression went 'a matter of life and death’, not 'death and death’. Why had he chosen to ink his fingers with the latter, twice repeated? Morgan approached him and politely waited for hand to lower his bow and raise his brow as if to ask what the hell she could want now. Not thinking the gesture might be taken the wrong way, all things considered, Morgan grabbed Law’s hands with her own and slowly checked his fingers one by one, turning them on hers. “Why did you tattoo your fingers like this? Is it a warning to others or a reminder to yourself?”

Engrossed in his reading, Law remained oblivious to Morgan’s interest in his tattoos until her presence, materialising suddenly in front of him, startled him out of his concentration. Law lowered his book and frowned, although he stayed silent in wait of an explanation from Morgan as to what she wanted from him. He stole a glance at the clock, which emitted a soft chime as the hour hand struck midnight. Nevertheless, despite the late hour, Law bookmarked his page, put down his book, and turned to give Morgan his full, undivided attention. Morgan has always been nothing but considerate and pleasant. Moreover, she was a great help and an inspiring figure to his crew. Thus, Law could most definitely give her his utmost respect (excluding the occasions when an irrepressible urge to perform mischievous deeds would strike him).

Legs outstretched on his desk, feet snug in thick fluffy socks, before Law could utter a word, Morgan grabbed his hands and examined his fingers as if she had caught him doing something completely illegal or dastardly and the evidence was all over his hands. Needless to say, Law’s expression contorted with bafflement as he stared up at Morgan dumbly. Nevertheless, Law did not pull his hands out of her grasp.

“Why did you tattoo your fingers like this? Is it a warning to others or a reminder to yourself?” Morgan asked.

Law blinked at Morgan blankly for a moment before he tugged his fingers free. He gazed down at the tattoos over his hands in quiet contemplation. Weirdly enough, she would be the first to dare to ask about the reason behind them. Law raised his eyes to meet Morgan’s. He arched his brows, and then he furrowed them.

For the next few seconds, Law made a show of tilting his head to the sides, left and right. He rotated his neck and stretched his arms overhead. He yawned rudely into Morgan’s face before folding his arms on the desk and resting his face over his makeshift pillow. Law closed his eyes as if he was about to drift off to sleep. However, knowing Morgan would be unsatisfied, Law opened an eye a crack and snuck a glance at Morgan. Sure enough, she looked displeased and annoyed. Would she slap him for ignoring her?

Law flipped Morgan a finger. “So I can do this,” he explained, with a smirk.

But it wasn’t quite right. Morgan would read his tattoos as ‘DEATH’ upside down, since the letters faced the tips of his fingers. Of course, no matter which direction it faced, the message was still clear…

Law closed his eyes again. “Why would it be a reminder to myself?” he muttered.

However, Morgan was close in her guess. Still, Law gave a languid shrug of his shoulders. “…Mm, it looks cool, that’s why I got the tattoos. Wanted to be a badass kid.” Law gazed up at Morgan and smiled faintly. He combed his fingers through his hair and took a long, drawn-out exhalation.

“…But it’s not …in vain, unlike tattoos people regret. I grew to like it, and it grew to like me…” Law averted his eyes and laid his face flat on the table. “If you must know… I was angry…”

His lost, wrathful pubescent self had tattooed DEATH out of pure resentment and despair. He was cursed by DEATH. In that regard, the tattoo could be taken as a warning to others, to stay away, or DEATH would befall them some day. As for why he had tattooed it on both hands, well, for symmetry, of course. He couldn’t tattoo ‘life’ and ‘death’ since ‘life’ was short of a letter…

“…But I don’t regret… the tattoos,” Law spoke up after a spell of silence. “It’s a nice reminder…” Law pushed his chair back and plodded across the room. He flopped down onto his bed and buried himself under the covers, with only the top half of his head peeking out.

“…Throughout the years, I’ve met people. One day, someone reacted differently to the tattoos than the usual looks of distaste… That’s a good idea, they said, gesturing to my hands. Naturally, I was confused.” Unable to feel comfortable, Law shifted on the bed and curled into a fetal position, hugging a pillow.

“So you meditate on it daily too? The guy asks, and gives me an impressed look or something. He tells me he’s just started, but it’s a tough topic to think about daily… death. Gets his spirits down, he says, but he believes it helps because… Why fear something that’s beyond our control?” Easier said than done, of course. To many, their fears were fears precisely because they were unable to deal with the worries of their mind.

“He was a doctor. Seen death all around, for decades. Lost his family, y’know the usual… Devastated, heartbroken, yadda yadda yadda. Until some monk changed his life, helped him turn his grief around…” Law ended up moving to sit cross-legged, leaning his back against the wall with the pillow on his lap.

“Anyway, I didn’t have the heart to deny whatever he thought my tattoos meant, to explain that it was out of a childish desire, so I said yeah, I meditate or whatever… Don’t ask me how it happened but I stayed with him a while… and from him, somehow there was a new meaning out of a tattoo of hatred.” While he wouldn’t give the doctor all the credit, the doctor had taught him a different way of thinking about death. Since Law would have given death thought on a daily basis anyway, instead of only brooding over and lamenting what was lost, over the years, he could benefit from reflecting on death daily in a way that would give his life priority and meaning, perspective and urgency.

“Yeah, I know it seems like I worship death… It’s not like that. A reminder, ‘LIVE’, isn’t as powerful as ‘DEATH’, is it…? We’re all alive, but many take everything for granted. And life… It’s fleeting, vulnerable.” It was a cliché, ‘live life to the fullest’ --- words most and even he would scoff at, but he had to try, right? What else was there if he didn’t try?

“…It’s a reminder, yes… This is my reminder, maraṇasati, memento mori… Go to bed thinking ‘I may not wake up tomorrow’, and wake with ‘I may not sleep again’…” Of course, he was only human. There would be times when he struggled on regular occasion. But Morgan was only asking about his DEATH tattoos, and thus, that was what he thought about them in the present. A reminder to himself, primarily, and if it also served as a warning to others, that was just a wonderful added bonus. Either way, he had most certainly rambled enough for an entire lifespan’s worth of heart-to-heart.

Law chucked his pillow at Morgan and sulked. “You know, you should’ve just stopped me at the shorter answer,” he huffed, even though he was the one who shared freely, of his own will. Was this what women tended to do when they got together? Talk and talk non-stop? For some reason, he felt… he could confide in her. And hence, he had…

“Ah, whatever, I’m going to sleep. You killed my mood. G’night.” Law dived under the bed covers and turned his back to Morgan, shutting his eyes and hugging his arms to his chest.

[mysdrymmumbles]

Andraste’s Witch - Chapter 64 - SFW

Pairings: Slowburn Cullen x F!Witch!Inquisitor

Rating: M for later chapters which will include violence, PTSD, withdrawal,  angst, body horror (think red templars), and possibly other stuff that I will be sure to tag. This is not actually a grimdark story, but I just wanna give people a heads up for stuff that will happen. There will also be fluff and friendship and magic (though to be fair, this is Thedas, so magic will not always be positive and very rarely as adorable as that last statement implied).

Genre: Action/Adventure with elements of romance  

Summary: Finley and her small group head into a rather dismal part of the Wilds that dredges up old memories. 

Thank you so much to everyone who reads, likes, and reblogs! There are days when ya’ll are what keep me going <3

Chapter Warning: Body horror (no human). 

Andraste’s Witch

Of All The Blighted Things

Finley shuddered as she paused, hands poised to pull herself up and over a freshly fallen log. This type of tree was supposed to be a prime candidate for iron bark, with its wood thick and heavy, and yet this tree’s bark felt almost paper thin. She wasn’t even sure if it would support her weight, if she pulled herself up onto it.

They were getting close to the Blighted lands.

Even the areas near the Blight were afflicted, trees growing smaller, plants weaker, animals prone to deformities at birth. Assuming they weren’t stillborn.

That was why it’d gotten so quiet in their travels the last few days. All the inhabitants of the Wilds knew better than to live too close to the lost lands. Her companions had been irate when she’d insisted they fill a ‘ridiculous’ amount of water skins before heading further two days ago, but she wouldn’t drink the water here.

Supposedly the Blight only affected living things and could only be caught from another loving thing, but it poisoned everything else.

It was an infection, a sickness, a curse, all rolled into one.

Sometimes when the wind blew, she felt like a sickness was washing over her, like the ailment caused by the Blight could infect the air itself. She’d often wondered if it did, somehow.

It was a good thing Cole didn’t need to eat. And that he was stronger than he looked. He’d taken to carrying more than a few supplies he would never need, to make sure the rest of them would not go hungry.

She’d been reluctant to bring him, as she didn’t know if he would be alright around the Blight—she’d never heard of a demon or spirit getting hurt by the Blight, but they generally weren’t present to interact with it, were they?

He’d assured her he would be alright, and that if he felt he might not be, he would wait with things that could be left behind.

Finley didn’t like the idea of leaving anyone behind, though. Even if the outlying sections of the lost lands didn’t have darkspawn themselves, there were creatures that had been twisted by the Blight, deer with fangs, bears with wedges of bone protruding from them—the bereskarn—and much worse.

Those sorts of beasts roamed, and it could be hard to predict when they were coming near, especially with the Blight so close.

“We could rest here for the night.”

Alistair’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she hesitated, looking back over her shoulder. Of their group, he looked the worst, though she couldn’t tell if that was because of the Blight in him or something else.

Cole looked as though he could walk forever—he probably could—and Solas and Blackwall both seemed well enough. They were a little worn, but she’d been driving them to go at as quick a pace as they could. It wouldn’t do to take too long out here. There was too much at risk.

“There should be a cliff up ahead another mile or so,” Finley finally said. “I thought we could stop there.”

Alistair took in a slow breath, though some of the color returned to his cheeks as she cast a quiet heal on him. With a half bow, he moved closer to her, a quirky smile in place. “You know, you’re awfully nice for a witch.”

“Then perhaps that should be an indication that I’m not one,” Finley muttered, though she couldn’t stay very annoyed with him. Blackwall and the others knew she wasn’t a witch—Alistair knew too—and now that she was in her home, she didn’t mind teasing so much. After all, there were no templars around to skewer her if someone took the joke too seriously.

Part of her wanted to ask them to stay with her, to go rogue from the Inquisition and use magic to track down rifts and close them on their own terms. With such a small party, it would be hard to keep them out of Orlais because of idiotic politics.

The only thing that made her pause in those fantasies was the fact that she wouldn’t see Cullen again if she did that.

When she tried to pull herself onto the log, it crumbled beneath her weight, as she’d worried it might. It was as though it had started to grow already rotting.

Cole offered her a few cryptic words of consolation as they kept going.

It was so eerie to be here. Since things had gone awry, she’d avoided this part of the Wilds as best she could, though even without being there for years, she still knew it. She could remember what this place had been like before, when there had been noises besides branches falling from their own weight and the lonely rustle of underdeveloped leaves.

“I’ve been meaning to ask…” Alistair was beside her again, his voice oddly loud even hushed as it was. The world made sure that all sound carried here, while somehow feeling smothering all the same. When he spoke again, his voice was even lower. “You know a bit about the grey wardens, don’t you?”

Finley perked up instantly, though she quickly tried to rein in her excitement. Cassandra had scolded her once early on for pestering Blackwall so, and while she was fairly certain he didn’t mind, she didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of the Hero of Ferelden. Looking forward so that she could at least pretend to play calm, she shrugged. “I know stories.”

“You know we can sense darkspawn?”

“That is in the stories,” Finley chirped, a bit too quickly. When she dared a glance at Alistair, he was biting back a grin that made his lips into a U.

He waited a moment to swallow his laughter and then motioned toward himself. “What you sense in me. I use it to sense others like myself, so other grey wardens, and also darkspawn, because they also carry the Blight.” He hesitated before adding, “Even the archdemon, when there is one.”

When she realized he wasn’t going to say anything else, Finley nodded toward him, though her brow pinched together, and she found herself staring at the forest floor rather than him. “You said you did this to yourself.”

“I can’t talk about that,” Alistair started, though he stopped himself. “Well, I’m not supposed to. But…” Finley’s gaze was on him in an instant. “Well, you seem like the sort who can keep a secret.”

Finley nearly tripped over a tree root.

Was this what she thought it was? A grey warden entrusting her with grey warden secrets?

Alistair looked at her a moment like he might be reconsidering what he’d started to say, and she struggled not to look excited. “We do something called a Joining. It’s…it involves exposure to darkspawn blood, and I was wondering if somehow something like that happened to you.”

Finley stared at him blankly. “What?”

“You can sense the Blight.”

Without thinking, she stopped in her tracks, tilting her head. “I’m not a grey warden.”

“No, I know that,” Alistair scratched at his hair and then rolled his eyes. “I’m not that big of an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot at all.”

She hadn’t meant to sound as distressed as she did when she said that, and rather wanted to crawl up one of the nearest trees and hide from the look he was giving her.

“How are you able to sense the Blight?”

Finley shrugged a little, starting to walk again and glancing from him to the way ahead and back. “It’s not…I have wards.”

Alistair quirked a brow. “Wards?”

“For dangerous things,” Finley pulled her braid over her shoulder and undid it to tidy it up a bit. “Well, I say ward, but it doesn’t really ward? I…it lets me know when something’s nearby, normally. I have one for templars, too.”

As soon as she said it, she wondered why. He didn’t need to know that.

However, he simply tilted his head, watching her. “You can sense when templars are nearby.”

“When they see me.” She wound her hair tie around one wrist and couldn’t help but pick at her hair. “You don’t have magic, so you probably would be bored with the finer details, but the templar one isn’t as good as the one for the Blight. And I have one for demons, too, but it’s still highly theoretical because I’d have to find demons to test it and well, I kind of made a point of avoiding them.”  She grimaced as she realized she was rambling. “The templar spell came first.” She motioned to herself eyes. “They don’t tend to give me chances to prove I’m not a blood mage, so it’s better to know when they’ve spotted me before they’re close enough to do…anything.”

Shuddering, Finley frowned when one of her fingers got caught in a tangle in her hair. As she worked to get it out, she kept talking. “When the Blight hit, some friends thought we could tweak the spell, so that we’d be able to feel them before they came. Darkspawn, that is. It…” She frowned, finally freeing her finger and resuming her braid. “It is a very unrefined spell, but it works well enough.”

“So, if we were in a cave, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between me or a darkspawn?”

“Or a blighted shrub,” Finley admitted. Despite being serious, Alistair laughed at that. The smile that lit up his face was quite becoming.

“Well, I’ve never been mistaken for a bush before.” He paused, still smiling. “So your spell just lets you know that there’s danger nearby?”

“It has its limitations.” Finley tied her hair back and flung it over her shoulder, only to pull it forward again to play with when she saw she still had his undivided attention. “Like I said, I can’t tell the difference between what’s Blighted, and when we get to the Blighted lands, I’m going to have to dispel it because it’ll sort of overload.”

“Because everything’s Blighted?”

“Right.” Her voice drifted fainter before she shuddered again. “When I fell into the Fade, it messed up a bunch of my wards. I didn’t even realize that my Blight one was gone until the darkspawn magister walked up on me.” She took in a shaky breath, hating that memory. “So of course as soon as I could, I set that back in place. Not that I really need it for him—he’s got quite the presence—but…maybe I’ll get a little more warning next time.”

“But you were feeling the red lyrium in him, weren’t you?”

“Because of the templar spell, I think,” Finley explained. “I’m…well, when I heal I can feel different wrongnesses, if that makes sense. A broken bone has a sort of itchy feel, a bruise an ache. When you brush against the Blight, it feels a little like you’re being strangled.”

“You feel that when you heal me?”

“It’s fleeting, really,” Finley frowned, turning more toward him and nearly tripping again. “If it was a problem, I wouldn’t heal you.” Even as Alistair looked skeptical, Finley tried to look more reassuring, “And it’s not…I’m trying to simplify it for you since you don’t have magic. It’s more of a sharp twinge in magic, but you wouldn’t know that sort of thing, I suspect.”

“I’ve never had my magic twinge,” Alistair nodded, mock serious.

Standing a little taller, Finley motioned toward him. “Hence I tried to make it something you’d understand.”

“I apologize if I seem unappreciative,” Alistair offered, one hand over his heart. “This is fascinating.”

“Now you’re making fun of me.”

“I’m not,” Alistair insisted, picking up his pace as she did hers so that she couldn’t leave him behind. “Really. I think it’s interesting.” When she didn’t respond right away, he asked, “Does this ward help prevent the Blight?”

“Just in the sense that you can run before you come in contact with it.”

“Then should you be going out here?” At that, Alistair stopped, and without thinking, Finley did too. “You’re the only one who can close the rifts. I don’t know that you should be putting yourself at risk, when you don’t have any immunity to the Blight.”

“You don’t know where to find the notes,” Finley retorted.

“How are you so sure that the red lyrium and the Blight are connected? If you didn’t have your spell up when you dealt with red lyrium…”

“It was the same twinge.” Finley resumed walking at a slightly slow pace, inviting him to keep up. He did. “Well, almost…I’ve never had ailments have such a similar feel like that. Healing a broken arm and a broken leg have the same similar sort of tug to each other that the Blight and Red Lyrium infection seem to have. They have to be related.”

“But you could still sense red lyrium without the spell.”

“Because I was trying to heal someone,” Finley gave him a stern look. “And red lyrium amplifies the regular templar spell, too. It’s a bit of both, I think.”

“So would you feel red lyrium if it infected someone other than a templar…without the Blight ward, I mean.”

Finley blinked, surprised that he was so willing to discuss the possibilities of her spells. Most non-mages tended to shy away from such topics and the ones who didn’t…

He didn’t seem like the typical ones who didn’t.

Though, she didn’t have particularly good skills when it came to reading people.

When she realized she hadn’t answered him yet, she finally shrugged. “I don’t know.” Then, she shrugged again. “All the more reason to do more research and to get this research.”

Alistair nodded, thoughtful, allowing their conversation to fade as they kept going.

That silence prevailed until they reached the cliff. Finley had known what they would see, but it still hurt as much as the first day.

The trees were withered and lifeless husks, the ground black and any shrubs bare skeletons of what they should be.

It was a wasteland, and even the stars overhead seemed to glimmer a little dimmer.

This area had once boasted a beautiful canopy, stretching off to the horizon, and now…it was a pustule, a blemish on her precious Wilds.

The way down from their overlook was a narrow, but easy path—there was nothing that could grow to clutter it—and Finley reminded them that they’d head down in the morning, after doing a survey to make certain that nothing dangerous was lurking too near.  

None of them slept particularly well, but they waited until dawn to pack up and move again. After dispelling her ward, Alistair told her he couldn’t sense any monsters nearby, and they headed down into that miserable nightmare.

The first two days went without event. They made good time, partially because there was so little underbrush to wind through, and partially because they were all afraid, even if none of them spoke about it.

Well, none save Cole, who was constantly talking about birds and cheese and gentle smiles from long ago to try to remind them all that things were not so dire. Sometimes it was hard to tell who he was trying to comfort, but the rest of them joined in when they took breaks, sharing fond memories that seemed to help themselves and the poor spirit with staving off ill thoughts.

On the evening of the third that they finally came to their destination, an old, half-standing hut.

Memories flooded back to her as she stopped at the edge of what had once been a pretty clearing. She could see herself and another mage or two discussing theory in the sunlight, relaxing as they knew the templars weren’t like to come so far south.

She shivered as a sickly wind washed over them and then straightened up. “If the research is still here, it’ll be in there.”

Solas frowned as they started into the clearing, dead grass crunching underfoot. “Odd.” When Finley tilted her head, he motioned around them. “Would it not have been wiser to do your research outside of the Blighted areas?”

Even as Finley shifted a little, Cole patted her shoulder, giving her a simple smile when she looked at him. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known.”

Before he could say more, Finley nodded quickly, picking up her pace.

“Be careful.” Alistair came up on her side opposite Cole, glancing around. His sword was in hand. “Something’s nearby.”

“Darkspawn?” Finley whispered. She’d known it would be impractical, but she’d dearly hoped that blighted trees would be all they’d see for their time in the lost lands.

“Some sort of ghoul, I think,” Alistair corrected, scanning their surroundings. “It’s off to our left, but it’s close.”

“Can we avoid it?” Solas asked.

“It will probably be drawn to me,” Alistair murmured, adjusting his grip on his sword and then rolling the shoulder of his shield arm. The rest of them drew their weapons as they hurried.

Once they reached the hovel, Finley darted straight to the back of the room, brushing dust and debris away from the floor until she revealed a trap door. The wood practically fell apart as she hoisted it out of place, one of the hinges breaking apart completely. She told herself it didn’t matter as she let it rest awkwardly against the wall.

They slipped into the earth one at a time after she used a spell to reinforce the ladder leading down, and she half wondered if darkspawn would be waiting for them below. Luckily, there was nothing. The room beneath the earth was considerably larger than the one overhead, though parts of it had caved in after so many years of disuse.

Surprisingly, the part that bothered her the most was that there were not spider webs or insects anywhere to be seen.

Even as she considered seeing if the lighting spell they’d used still worked, the orb on Solas’ staff gleamed to life, casting odd shadows across the room.

There were dozens upon dozens of books and journals, stacks of rotted reagents and tainted potions.

One wall even sported gross black and red veins across it. Those awful veins had just begun to crawl their way across the adjacent walls, and she cringed as she started toward it.

That would be where the notes were, of course.

The ground was damp and rotten beneath her feet, a horrid stench puffing up with each step.

She tried to hold her breath.

After digging through damp, half rotted pages, she finally came to the notes she was after, and quickly flipped through them to see that they were all there before turning and stilling.

Alistair had put up his weapons, and he was studying the wall behind her, arms cross and brow furrowed. As she whispered that she’d found what she was after, he stepped past her, putting a hand against the wall and pressing lightly.

“This…this doesn’t make any sense.”

“How’s that?” Blackwall asked, though he seemed to pale at the attention from his fellow warden, who looked mostly annoyed.

“I’ve only ever seen the Blight affect the earth like this in areas where there are high concentrations of darkspawn.”

She’d been prepared to evade any questions he might have, but when he said he wondered if they might camp there for the night to try to gather samples and the like for study, she couldn’t.

“I don’t think it would be wise to mess with that.”

Instantly all eyes were on her, and she shuddered from the sudden attention.

She clutched the research a little closer as Alistair walked back to her. “This was your research, wasn’t it? Do you know what—”

Something creaked overhead.

“Quiet.”

Even as Alistair gave her an exasperated, wary glare, she put a finger to his lips, shushing the others.

For a moment, it felt like the world was almost completely silent save for the sounds of their breathing and the winds overhead.

Then she heard noise overhead again.

An odd wheeze.

A sniff.

The sounds of hooves on rotted wood.

A hissed breath.

This was not good.

Solas slipped closer to Finley, helping her tuck the notes away into her bag. “Is there another way out of here?”

A shadow moved over the hole in the ceiling next to the ladder.

Finley was grateful that the entryway was as small as it was. If what she thought was overhead was actually up there, then…

Looking back at Solas, she nodded, and then glanced around the room.

There had been two passages that wound their way underground from the hut, one going on for almost a mile, and the other opening near the edge of the clearing. From the looks of things, however, both had caved in years ago, and she hesitantly crept toward one.

Just as she considered how much noise and time it might take to try to dig through and see if the tunnel opened up further along, there was a loud snuffling overhead and then…

Silence.

The five of them held their breath, none of them daring to move as they waited for the sounds overhead to indicate whatever was up there had moved on or lay in wait.

Finally, Cole shivered. “They’ve gone for now, but not very far.”

“You know what it was?” Blackwall asked, his sword drawn.

The spirit shivered, nodding miserably to the rest of them. “In pain.” He shuddered, clutching himself and rocking slowly. “Dark. Dark, black and red. Black pain, red anger, twisting, turning, tossing, tumbling. Once there was light. She remembers. Warm and bright. It hurts her now, and she hates it. Hates the memories more. If she could just forget the warmth the cold might not bite so. She hates the things that dare tread here, the ones that can still feel that light. The monsters never came here; she should have been safe.”

Finley flinched at his words, and the spirit focused on her, a pleading look in his eyes. “You didn’t know.”

Alistair was watching Finley considerably more closely than before, though they all jumped when Solas broke the silence, striding to the ladder. “You said she’s gone?”

“Yes.”

“Then we should take this time to leave ourselves. It will be dusk soon enough, and I should like to be far away from here by the time the darkness falls.” Without another word, he hoisted himself up the ladder. Cole followed on his heels, though the wardens waited until Finley was up before following.

Despite being weary, their group backtracked straight through the night, none of them wanting to stay in this blighted nightmare longer than they would need to, and while they continued on, Finley hoped dearly that Alistair and the others might forget what she’d started to explain back before that creature had found them.

After the Blight, she and quite a few other apostates had decided to cure the Blight and restore their beloved home. They had spent four years working together, sharing reagents and spell theory, working tirelessly to try to find a way to change things back to how they had been.

Finley was, more often than not, the courier between groups, bringing notes of new spells or findings to others and checking in on them to see how work was going, namely because of how well she could slip past animals and the like.

She’d occasionally been teased about being a witch then, too, by a few of the other apostates who gladly gave themselves similar titles. She hadn’t minded it so much then, as it meant she was one of them, though she never claimed the title for herself.

It had been a time of hope and relative peace.

She’d originally been heading to share research with a few colleagues to the east when she’d caught wind of a templar sweep and had circled back to where she’d just left to wait out her hunters.

The research she’d been helping with at the time had been promising. They’d figured out how to…move the Blight for lack of a better word. It wasn’t a cure, but they could pull it back from parts of what was infected, focus it. For example, they could force all of the blight into a single branch on a sapling, though they couldn’t cure the branch itself, and it was still contagious and with even a second’s lapse in attention, it would spread back into the rest of the sapling, causing damage at an accelerated rate.

The idea behind it was that a lost limb—or even finger or toe if they could concentrate it enough—wouldn’t be nearly as bad as succumbing to the Blight.

The templars being on the hunt had given her an excuse to go back and help more with said research, and she had been glad of it at first.

When she’d returned, however, having been gone no more than four days, she’d found that the mage she’d left, a man called Rori, had gone and caught himself a blighted wyvern.

There’d been quite the argument as he insisted he could keep the beast docile and test upon it, and Finley had likewise insisted that their spells were still too experimental to try on so large a creature.

And on one that was so much further gone than most of the test subjects people used.

Mostly, they used plants that had been exposed to the Blight, and in some rare cases, mice or crickets, though it was hard to get a good look at changes to the latter.

For him to want to try to expel the Blight from a full-grown wyvern who looked to have been infected quite some time ago was…

It was downright foolish.

Finley had talked him out of it, or at least she thought she had. He’d promised to wait for her to come back with news on other fronts before he would do anything, and after a few days’ time, she’d headed off again.

She’d been on the cliff where she’d had the party stop when it had happened. An eruption of magic that had sent shockwaves through the earth and air, knocking her off her feet and out like a light.

When she came to, she’d cast a quick heal on herself, shuddering as her Blight ward frantically went off in her head, telling her that this place, a place that was miles and miles from where the actual Blight had taken place, was a danger.

Moving cautiously, she’d gone to the cliff’s edge and peered out, horrified by what she saw.

The Blight had swallowed miles of forest, and it seemed to her like it was working its way out still. Like something had amplified the Blight’s ability to spread, and it was going to consume the whole world this time.

She’d tried to go back to where Rori lived, to see if he was alright, but there had been so much damage, so many sickening animals and withering trees, that she’d feared she would catch the Blight herself, and had fled.

Another mage, a dreamer, had gone into the Fade, and claimed that Rori had tried to expel the Blight from the wyvern as soon as he knew Finley was far enough away that she couldn’t backtrack quickly to stop him.

The Blight had left the wyvern entirely, but with nowhere specific to go, it had gone everywhere.

They’d made points to go past the area every now and then to check for signs that it was still spreading, but after almost a month, it had ceased creeping out, though the area around it still suffered from proximity.

Most of the apostates in their group had abandoned the project after that, claiming it a sign from the Maker that their aid was unwanted. One overzealous mage, wanting to wipe her slate clean and still have a chance to make it to the Maker’s side, had burned most of their notes, going to everyone involved and making sure that there was nothing that could be used to cause such destruction again.

Donovan had been one of the few to keep his well enough hidden—and fire-proofed—so that work could go on.

Finley and a few others had persisted, more carefully, restricting their work almost entirely to theory, and the few test subjects they did use to carefully potted plants.

Even so, Rori’s work had been the closest they’d ever gotten to success, and, as their dreamer had said, he had managed to cure the wyvern, even if it did die shortly after in the spell’s backlash.

If they could have had more time to look into his work…

Everyone had been too afraid to go into those woods, though, and the mage who’d sought redemption had declared that she was going to make sure nothing could be found.

While she’d never been heard from after her departure, most of them had assumed that either she’d succeeded and found a new home far away from them, or that something had gotten to her or that she’d simply succumbed to the Blight herself.

Either way, there hadn’t been enough people willing to risk catching the Blight to make the trip worth it to see if the research was still there.

Not until she’d befriended grey wardens.

That they had come with her and that the work had still been there meant the world to Finley.

It gave her renewed energy, and she kept healing the others’ weary muscles to keep them moving as they made their way out of the lost lands.

She likely needn’t have expended her energy so, for even without her prompting, her entire party was quick on their feet, always alert for whatever had been there. While Blackwall and Alistair both questioned Cole and then Finley about what it had been, neither of them responded.

Despite taking two and a half days to get to the hut, they were able to cut down on an entire day by pushing themselves through without sleep, and it wasn’t until they were out of those cursed woods that they finally decided to set up camp.

As Solas and Blackwall debated making a fire, Cole slipped up beside Finley and tugged on her sleeve, eyes doleful as he met her gaze. “I…I don’t like knowing how much she hurts.”

Finley grimaced and then nodded. “I know how you feel.”

“If we could help her…”

Even as Finley nodded, a hand landed on her shoulder and she turned the other way to see Alistair. “I’ve a few questions about that research of yours.”

Though Finley looked back for Cole, the spirit had disappeared, as he so often did. She was getting a little used to him, now, and was having more and more trouble imagining him as dangerous.

However, he wasn’t her primary concern at the moment. Turning slowly back to Alistair, she appraised him carefully. “I wasn’t there when it fell apart, so I don’t know that I can properly answer anything.”

“Not even how the Blight got to an area the darkspawn never marched through?”

With great reluctance, Finley told him bits of what had happened, that a friend had been overzealous, but that she was sure if they were careful, the work could be continued. When she was done, she half expected him to curse her and her friends for having been so stupid, but instead he let out a dry laugh.

“Where were you a year ago?” Even as she wondered why he was asking, he shook his head. “To think…she could have just talked to you.” He scratched at the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing abruptly as his gaze softened. It was the gentlest she’d ever seen him. “Des, that is Warden Commander Des Brosca, took a few of her warden recruits with her and headed out west, looking for a cure for the Blight.”

Even as he backtracked to say her title, Finley knew who he was talking about. She’d heard the stories, and she knew that he and Des had been the two wardens to square off against the archdemon. He had landed the killing blow, but she had been just as important to ending the Blight.

That he would imply she could be needed by the both of them for warden related matters…

“It’s not…really a cure, yet, though.”

“Still, we have a better understanding of the Blight,” Alistair shrugged. “I’d wager Velanna would be able to help with some of that research.” He tilted his head, considering it. “Could you send it to them? If I found out where they were? In one of those bird messages of yours?”

“Likely not,” Finley fidgeted under his gaze, hating herself for having to tell him no. “The birds are good for shorter messages, so I’d have to send dozens to get all the material to someone else via message, and the likelihood that something might go amiss and a message get lost is fairly high when there’s that many of them, and if they lost even one piece, it could do some real damage if they tried to cast the spell or just build off it.”

“Ah,” Alistair crossed his arms and nodded slowly. However, even as Finley started to apologize, worried that this might be too great a disappointment to him, he eyed her. “Could you send her word to come to Skyhold?”

Finley’s finger punched a hole through her sleeve as she fiddled with it, and she paused to free her finger before looking up at him, a little embarrassed that all her spells were so wanting. “I’d need to know where she was, first. Or, if you had something of hers, like a hair…”

“What about a gift she gave me?”

“…No.” It felt like that was all she could say to him. “It would need to be something of hers.”

Nodding slowly, Alistair patted her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. “Alright. Back channels it is. I’ll find a way to contact her. In the meantime…how many people are you intending on sharing those notes with…?”

“Solas.” The elf’s ears pricked up at his name, though he didn’t turn away from the fire he was building. “There’s a rather high margin for error if people are too overzealous, so the less people actively working on it, the less likely that anything…unwanted will happen.”

It was one of the main reasons Solas had come with them. She’d recruited the wardens because they would be immune to the Blight, Cole because he wouldn’t likely be afflicted, and Solas because he was a good healer and they could get started on evaluating the notes quickly—and he could heal if something happened to her.

Though, it seemed like that little bit would be unnecessary, as they’d made it out alright.

Alistair nodded to himself before patting Finley on the shoulder, smile in place. However, just as he said that he was glad to have been able to come along with her for this little excursion, he went rigid, attention snapping back toward the way they’d come.

She followed his gaze, sucking in her breath when she saw the creature stepping out from underneath one of the rotted trees a few yards beyond.

Its fur coat was a dingy brown, with patches and entire swaths of fur missing all together, revealing blistered, rotting skin and muscle beneath. The hair from its main and tail was almost completely gone, save for a few scraggly, limp wisps that made it look more dead than alive, and its hooves had cracks running through them, with black ooze caked upon them.

Worst of all, however, was its face. Its nose had rotted back to the bone, and its eyes were a dull red that bled black ooze which matted what was left of its coat around its eyes.

And there, protruding from the center of its forehead, was a large, curving horn, sharp and covered in red and black lines, much like the tainted wall had been. In addition to its actual horn, rows of small, bone like protrusions jutted out along the top of its head and down its back, twisted and crooked and vile.

The beast let out a low wheeze as it stopped, watching them.

“She needs our help,” Cole whispered, beside Finley again.

Solas and Blackwall were frozen near the fire. Finley swallowed slowly, not daring to glance away from the twisted beast. “Cole, I thought you could sense her pain. You didn’t know she was following us?”

“You said we could help her,” the spirit protested, wringing his hands worriedly, “and there’s but one way left to help.”

Finley’s heart sank at the words, easily putting together what he meant.

With a horrifying, haunting scream, the beast charged.