#i SEVERELY regret not having this idea in october...

[daily-ron-fnf]

Day 278

[makeyoumine69]

Flesh n' Bones | Hospital AU (INTRO)

PAIRING: Doctor!Patrick Bateman x gn!Nurse!Reader

SUMMARY: My name is Patrick Bateman. I'm 27 years old. I live in the American Gardens building on West 81st Street in New York City. I work as a surgeon at St. Pierce's Hospital—one of the most upscale medical centers in Manhattan—which happens to be owned by my father. And even though I hate my job, sometimes I can find a little bit of fun in making the experience of my patients in the hospital really unforgettable. Not to mention the dozens of missing nurses who definitely regretted crossing the threshold of St. Pierce's Hospital, but who cares—I was the best thing that ever happened to them.

CONTAINS: Swearing, medical procedures, evil plans, gaslighting, pain, blood and injury, interns & internships, power dynamics, flirting, perversion, pet names, Patrick Bateman's POV.

WORDS: 2.4k

A/N: Hello my dears! This story is based on Hospital AU by @peepoo79! Since the first day I saw her Hospital AU comic I was obsessed with this idea so I decided to write it! Since I am not a doctor myself, some things might not be that accurate to medical standards, but I am always open to critique. As always, I hope you enjoy it! Also, many thanks to @mothhmannn for the amazing Patrick art!

LINKS: [MASTERLIST]; [AO3].

October 28, 1987.

Today started so shitty that I didn't even want to go to work, but how could I? I was a fucking surgeon who was supposed to save lives, and when I finally arrived at St. Pierce's Hospital, several nurses crowded around me and started bitching about some shitty stuff I didn't even care about.

"Dr. Bateman, your intern has arrived and is waiting for you in your office," one of the nurses said, handing me a folder of papers. "They seem to be very shy, so please treat them right."

Scowling, I took the papers and nodded. "Uh…Thank you."

Without further ado, I walked past another nurse and down the long corridors, avoiding all of my coworkers as I tried to concentrate on the music blaring from my Walkman headphones. Stopping at the door to my office, I made sure my hair was neatly slicked back before opening the door and stepping inside to see a beautiful person sitting in the chair. The blue medical uniform fit them so well that I even wanted to compliment them, but I stopped myself and just offered them a handshake instead.

"Well, hello there, my name is Dr. Bateman," I smiled and continued to examine my new plaything. "It's...uh...nice to see some young blood in our hospital these days."

You were embarrassed so quickly, probably from such a warm welcome, which was more of an exception for me than a regular thing.

"Thank you, Dr. Bateman...it's an honor to be your intern," you replied politely, trying to hide your nervousness as your hands visibly shook. "This hospital is so...amazing! Literally everything I have seen so far is amazing...including this office!"

The office did look luxurious. Everything screamed wealth and prestige, including the wooden desk and a high-end clock on it, the way you looked at the white leather couch in the corner of the room probably sent shivers down your spine, and somehow I really hoped it did.

"So...when can we start?" You asked as you watched me flip through your portfolio, my face stoic, blank, and absolutely unreadable.

As I stopped flipping through the documents and frowned to add some tension between us, I looked at you stealthily out of the corners of my eyes, and when I saw you chewing on your lower lip, I smiled in wicked satisfaction, but that smile never reached my eyes.

"It's very inspiring that you're so eager to get started," I said, placing several pages on the desk, then picking up my Montblanc pen to make some notes. "I see you've been studying pretty well...considering your grades."

Another shy chuckle fell from your lips at my words. "Oh, I did my best," you replied, settling more comfortably in your chair. "Although I didn't really want to reflect on my college years."

"Why?" I asked, writing down all the personal information I could get from your file, including your address, phone number, blood type...

"It was..." your voice wavered and you paused, causing me to look up at you again. "...hard as hell."

"As it should be. Our jobs require hard work as we carry a huge responsibility on our shoulders," I grinned, closing the folder before I could see the name of the college.  "So where did you study exactly?"

Just as you were about to answer, a loud knock on the door rang through the office and I couldn't help but grumble in anger.

Can I have a break, for fuck's sake!

"Come in," I almost barked, my attention shifting away from you as I saw a nurse - one of the hottest hardbodies in our hospital - walk in. "Courtney? What happened?"

"Dr. Bateman..." She walked over to my desk, completely ignoring your presence. 

"Yes, Courtney?" My patience was about to explode if she didn't answer right away.

"I know you told us not to bother you with non-emergent cases, but other surgeons are busy," she stammered as our gazes met, her blue eyes seeming to brighten even more. "We have a girl whose hand is so full of broken glass, can you please examine her?"

I sighed before glancing quickly at you, a little impressed that you still hadn't said a word. "Does she have insurance? How old is she?"

"Uh," Courtney hiccuped, looking at the patient's medical card. "I checked her insurance, it's valid and... she's nineteen."

"Nineteen?" I replied, suddenly feeling excited. "Well, I think this can be a good start for your internship. What do you think?"

Courtney seemed to finally notice that we were not alone, her plump lips pursed back into a thin line, and I really wanted to laugh at her reaction, but I told myself to stay professional. 

"I'm ready when you are, Dr. Bateman," your suddenly confident voice sounded so challenging that it struck a chord in my chest and brought back a long forgotten feeling of thrill. "I'm sure we'd make a great team under your guidance."

How sweet.

I managed to hold back puke at such a silly, saccharine statement. It reminded me of the cliché every doctor used whenever someone asked them why they chose to work in a hospital.

'Oh, we want to save people's lives! And we're not doing it because doctors have almost the highest salaries in the country!'

I grinned insistently, reveling in my own sense of superiority.  "All right then," I stood up and put on my doctor's coat over my custom-made scrubs with my initials on them. "Courtney, give the medical card to the intern."

The woman froze in shock. "But...but I thought I would assist you..."

I rolled my eyes as I checked myself in the mirror, adjusting the collar of my scrubs and pulling up the sleeves a bit to reveal my Rolex. "I think I made it very clear that your help won't be needed this time.”

If we were alone, I would probably just boff her before doing my work and that would help me get rid of her until the next time, but hell no, now I had a pain in the ass. And why should I have to teach an intern when I didn't even ask for one?

Meanwhile, you were waiting for me at the door, holding a medical card to your chest as if Courtney or I were about to snatch it from your hands. After I was completely satisfied with my appearance, I pinned my ID badge to my chest and walked to the door, trying not to stare too much at Courtney's ass while she was doing something at my desk that I never really bothered to know.

"You know what," I stopped suddenly before leaving. "Wait for me here," the blonde nurse turned to look at me, still bent over the table. "We'll discuss your new assignment."

A few minutes later, we finally entered the Surgery Division, and since you were a newbie here, I had to guide you all the way, telling you some things from time to time, and at some point I realized that I didn't really hate it, because I could blather on about being a super professional surgeon, and this whole place being mine.

Just like the whole hospital.

"I think this is our ward," I muttered and opened the door to let you in. " C'mon, don't be shy." I pushed you forward a bit before closing the door behind you.

The patient—a young red-haired girl with big green eyes whose tight top stuck to her chest so that her nipples poked out—looked at us the moment we entered the ward. 

"Oh, finally," she mumbled in sheer annoyance, her right hand covered in blood-stained bandages. "I was beginning to think everyone had forgotten about me."

Still nervous, you cleared your throat and quickly looked down at the medical card. "Sorry for the long wait, Miss...Miss Ray," you managed to smile, even though you looked like a patient who was afraid to get treatment, but not her, "My name is (y/n) and this is Dr. Bateman, he's one of the best surgeons in this hospital."

One of the best?

Your slightly incorrect comment made me furrow my brow, but in the next second I was smiling seductively at the girl whose scrutinizing look I couldn't miss. She was pretty attractive, hell, just the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra made her attractive. 

With practiced ease, I put on medical gloves after washing my hands very meticulously. Then I glanced at the patient's medical card, not taking it in my hands, but letting you hold it for me.

"Can I take a look?" I finally asked, taking a seat next to the examination table and putting the mask on. Carefully I began to unfold the bandages, the little whimpering the girl made gave me undeniable pleasure. "Well, that doesn't look too bad," I said when I could finally see the wound, and several pieces of glass had sunk quite deep into her flesh. "How did you manage that?"

The girl blushed as I began to examine her forearm, moving higher up to her shoulder, though it wasn't really necessary. I just loved how soft her skin was, as much as I could tell by feeling it through the elastic material of my gloves.

"I...I accidentally broke the mirror." She replied, her breathing uneven and her pulse quickening as I took a moment to check her. "My name is Liza, by the way."

I chuckled charmingly before turning to look at you, as you stood behind my back, watching my work very intently. "Can you bring me forceps? And...a scalpel?"

"Scalpel?" You replied a little confused.

"Yes," I confirmed and repositioned Liza's arm for better access. "And I'll also need a suture kit."

The girl tensed at my words that I would need a scalpel. "Is it...necessary?"

"Hmm?" I hummed, asking her a silent question while you busied yourself with preparing the instruments. 

"A scalpel...are you going to make an incision?" Liza asked, giving me a pleading glare, her fear was palpable in the air and I couldn't help but savor it.

"I just want all the instruments to be close by in case I have a need for them, that's all. Now please relax." I murmured this with fake sympathy before resuming the examination, pressing down on one of the shards and making Liza whimper. "Shh, it's okay."

The redhead frowned in pain. "It hurts...doctor...it hurts so much!"

When I heard you return, I removed my fingers from the wound. "All right, no nerve damage and that's good." I smiled, obviously lying, my hand was already extended, ready to take the forceps.

"Your forceps, doctor," the way you said 'doctor' made my eyes glow with a mischievous spark. "Clean and sterilized, just like the scalpel and suture kit."

"Very well," I replied, feeling a chill in the metal in my hand. "Put them here," I tapped the spot on the examination table, wondering how you would do that. "And where's your mask?"

Confused, you stuttered. "Oh...yeah...sorry," you mumbled in embarrassment before putting on a mask. "I'm still a little nervous."

Liza knitted her eyebrows in a skeptical way that almost made me burst out laughing.

Okay, now I'm really starting to like this.

"Don't worry, my pill fairy," I watched you place a metal tray with instruments on the spot I showed you. "It's your first day in the hospital...it's...always a little nerve wracking."

As soon as I said it, you stopped in your tracks, and even though your face was covered by the mask, I was pretty sure you were so damn embarrassed that I was going to burn my finger off your cheek. You didn't make any comments though, which made me a little frustrated, but I didn't show it, I took the forceps more comfortably in my hand and began to remove the broken glass from Liza's shaky arm. The way I used the instruments was always mesmerizing - a work of art - as some nurses said, including Courtney, but today I was trying my best because I wanted to impress you. Shard by shard, I took them all out without causing any pain, something I usually couldn't find anything to be proud of.

"Done," I muttered, throwing the last piece of glass into the steel bow. "You took it so bravely."

The redhead smiled tiredly, trying not to look down at her hand. "Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," I allowed you to clean the wound with the antiseptic and dab it with a swab. "It's my job, after all. Now, (y/n), can you please show me how you were taught to make stitches?"

"Of course, Dr. Bateman," you replied without hesitation, and this kind of obedience seemed to become my personal drug.

Standing up, I took a moment to admire how your uniform accentuated all of your curves, especially the roundness of your ass and the arch of your hips.

Shit, maybe I shouldn't have let Courtney stay in my office?

With these thoughts I leaned against the white wall and took off my mask as I suddenly felt a strong urge to smoke, luckily I still had the box of cigars my father had brought me from Cuba. I imagined inhaling the sharp scent of snuff when Liza's sudden whimper pulled me out of my trance.

"Can I have an anesthetic?" She asked, squirming in her place as she watched you prepare a suture kit.

"Just a local one," I muttered, a bit annoyed. "That will be enough. (Y/n), what should you do before using anesthesia?"

My question made you freeze. "Ask the patient about any allergies?"

"Right, but in this case you can find all the information on the medical card," I took off the gloves and took the card in my hands. "Well, I don't see anything that would prevent us from using bupivacaine."

As Liza sighed with relief and I watched you take a syringe, I had to admit that I was amazed at how carefully and attentively you worked.

Maybe you're not gonna get kicked out of the hospital as fast as I thought.

P.S. Thank you for reading until the end! I don’t have a taglist. You can follow my side blog @makeyoumineagain and turn on notifications to know when I update!

[merulanoir]

(my arm is in a sling, but i have too many story ideas rattling around in my head so i'm typing this one out here before it escapes)

The thing is: Ghost doesn't help Soap in Las Almas.

He makes his way out of the city, and when he receives Soap's comms, he agrees to wait for one hour before being on his way. Against all odds, Soap makes the RV with something like three and a half minutes to spare, nearly delirious with pain but still alive.

And the thing is: Ghost can tell Soap is hurt by the fact that Ghost didn't wait for him. They both know it was the tactically sensible decision: one of them had to live to get word out to Price, and Ghost made a call. Ghost knows why Soap isn't his usual chatty, confident self on the drive. It could be the exhaustion and the gunshot wound and the blood loss, but Ghost has seen Soap with multiple broken bones and still cracking (hah) jokes.

Ghost knows Soap thinks himself expendable. They all are, as soldiers, ultimately, some more than others. Soap thinks that Ghost thinks so; he did, in a way, and as they drive to the safe house, Ghost admits to himself that he feels a twinge of guilt. He thinks his call was the right one, but he likes Soap.

(He hasn't let himself examine the feeling yet, that comes later: to be exact, it comes about a day later, when he sees Hassan dragging Soap towards the broken window.)

Ghost has worked solo for several years, and even after the joined the Task Force, he still spent a decent chunk either on his own and/or dark. Instead of diving right back, he pulls Price aside in Chicago and makes an off-hand comment about Soap, something that would sound casual to anyone who didn't know him and his shtick.

Price does understand what he's not-requesting: I wanna work with Soap.

Ghost spends almost a full year with Soap attached to his hip and trying to...not make amends, but to show that he doesn't consider Soap expendable. Anything but, because by October 2023, Soap has started calling him Simon and they're on the verge of something neither of them is brave enough to put a name to. It bleeds through quiet, tired moments, when Ghost consciously lets himself relax obviously enough that Soap can't not notice, and it's heavy in the air during downtime spent at the pub, Ghost's mask hiked over his nose to sip his drink, pretending he doesn't notice how Soap steals glances at him.

Then: Makarov escapes.

They race to Urzikstan, to the Mediterranean, to Siberia, Kastovia, and finally to London, and Ghost is unable to shake the creeping feeling that he's out of time. That he made a mistake, somewhere, and didn't notice, and now it's too late to fix anything.

He and Gaz are too late.

For the first time during his military career, Simon Riley doesn't fight it when Price tells him to take time off.

Here's the thing: Ghost started to regret leaving Soap behind when he realised Soap wouldn't have made the same call in his shoes. Soap would have stayed and helped Ghost. Not because it was the tactical or clever option, but because it was the right thing to do. Probably also because Soap had decided they were friends.

Thing is: Ghost was a coward. He feels like he was robbed; after a year of working together, he and Soap were almost there, Ghost had been dropping hints for months, wishing that Soap would be bold enough to finally assume the interest was mutual and...

He doesn't let himself think about it, but it returns to him when he manages to trick his body into exhausted sleep. He had a year to get his shit together and apologise to Soap, to tell him he was essential instead of replaceable, to confess he didn't want to work alone anymore because he had finally found something better. That he didn't want to live alone anymore because...

He's expected back at the garrison the next day. He goes to bed not expecting to catch any rest like most nights. He has a fleeting sense of surprise when his body grows heavy and consciousness slips away.

He opens his eyes to catch raindrops through his mask. The air is heavy with thunder he can hear rolling closer. Ghost blinks, disoriented, until there's a rattle on gunfire in the distance. Instinct makes him crouch behind a car, melt into the shadows.

When he looks up, he sees the lit tower of the church. For a moment, it blurs into nonsensical mess of gold and black, until...

"This is Bravo 7-1 in the blind, how copy?"

Soap has been dead for fifteen days, and now he's not: his voice is back where it belongs, in Ghost's ears. Maybe Ghost has finally snapped and gone insane. He's back in Las Almas, Soap is alive, those are the immediate facts.

"Ghost, this is 7-1, do you copy?"

Last time, Ghost didn't respond until he got away from the city. He just ignored Soap until he was reasonably certain he got away.

This time, Ghost reaches a shaking hand to the headset.

"Johnny?"

He doesn't know if things are predetermined. Maybe he'll only make it worse by responding and abandoning his initial plan.

All he can think about is that this time, he won't look Johnny in the eye and know he had to survive alone.

[neonghostcat]

Cultivate anniversary

October 27th will mark exactly one year of me posting Cultivate.

It's difficult for me to wrap my mind around this. The idea of "Wow... been an entire year?" conflicts directly with the idea of, "Wait, it's only been a year?" (Granted, I'd been writing it off and on for awhile before I started posting it, so that does mess with time perception... but still.)

I have to laugh that I've spent the last year getting excited about the idea that once I finished the fic I could sit back and get to read in the SVSSS fandom for a bit before starting to write again (thinking I would finish the rest off over Christmas and have several months of guilt-free goofing off) and yet... because of IRL being such a PITA this year, all I've been able to do is stay afloat by writing one chapter a week most of the time. I never got to get ahead and finish it as it developed... cultivated, if you will... into a bit of a monster of its own.

Zero regrets, though.

The story is a different beast than it would have been if I'd written it entirely behind closed doors, but I love the way it grew based on the reactions of the readers.

The way the reactions (and fanart) of readers brought certain characters (Mu Qingfang especially) more into the story than they were originally intended. (With full pleasure on my part - you know I love writing the platonic relationships as well as the romantic!)

The way reader speculation made me connect the dots on two unrelated pieces of information LONG before I would have connected them on my own. (Sometimes just because the reader said something off-hand and it sparked a connection in me, and sometimes just because they're clever, clever beans who figured something out even without as many clues as I had.)

The way I went ahead and pulled the trigger on some things I wasn't so sure about because enough readers seemed positive enough about the initial hints it might go that way for me to commit to it.

You all indulged me this entire way, continuing to read even as I made the story longer and longer as I put more and more things I liked into the plot. (And so many of you did more than indulge me, but egged me on.)

Cultivate isn't (quite) over yet, but in all sincerity and to the fullest depths of my heart: thank you for reading. Thank you so much for commenting or creating. I don't think I can say how much it's meant to me and how much it will always mean to me. 🥰

[starry1avender]

Why I Don't Like the Idea of An Eclipse Redemption In SAMS Canon (Opinion)

Spoilers for today's SAMS episode "Eclipse has a PURPOSE in VRCHAT"!

"If I'm so 'lonely', what should I do then?! It's not like anyone's gonna accept me back" god I fucking hope not-

(Rant about why I don't want an Eclipse redemption under cut)

(Please note that of course, you don't have to agree with me at all or take it too seriously. Everyone has different standards when it comes to who they can and cannot forgive, and who they believe deserves a second chance. It's perfectly fine to feel bad or pity him as well. Hell, I do at times. At the end of the day, I'm just some goofy ahh teen ranting about why I think a character from a FNAF roleplay shouldn't be vindicated, so really everyone loses-)

I'm just going to say it now: As much as I like Eclipse as a character and as much as I enjoyed seeing this side of him, I really hope that they aren't trying to set up a redemption arc for him or to have him be spared and just let him get away with everything. I really don't. I don't care if he feels lonely or even a bit of remorse for his actions, he doesn't deserve redemption or a second chance or any sort of mercy by any of the cast. It'd just be...Kinda yikes. Doesn't help that I'm sick of the whole "It doesn't matter what you did or who you've hurt!1!1!1!11! As long as you're willing to change you can be vindicated!!!1!1!1!!11!" Trope a lot of media pushes out, which is a whole other can of worms I won't open today.

First of all, the obvious atrocities. He's literally abused and tortured the main cast, changed the ENTIRE UNIVERSE'S MEMORIES, sent Sun and Moon to life-threatening dimensions to try and break them mentally, killed people directly and indirectly (Bloodmoon), and October speaks for itself. Eclipse has severely fucked up so many lives on so many levels and that should not go unpunished. Furthermore, the fact that he does all of these things ON-SCREEN and that it’s portrayed in a (naturally) negative light does not help my pathos as a viewer when the idea of a redemption appears. Eclipse is an abuser, manipulator, and overall war criminal who deserves nothing less than death, even if he genuinely wants to change or has any regrets, it’s too little too late.

Eclipse has also had CHANCES to change. Sun and Moon have repeatedly given him the option to make a deal with them. Mainly in the beginning, They gave opportunities to just stop and come to a mutual agreement. Every single time, he rejected out of anger and pettiness. He’s had a choice this entire time. He’s not like Moon, who was heavily under the influence of his programming (the Kill Code) or Lunar who didn’t know any better due to being under Eclipse’s command. Eclipse has had a conscious decision in every action and knew damn well exactly what he was doing. It’s been almost 500 videos of this and only NOW, When he’s already caused so much pain and suffering, is he finally having second thoughts. Once again, too little too late. That sentence pretty much sums up my entire thoughts. His arc just needs to be done and over so we can move on to the next thing.

In conclusion, Eclipse has done too many horrendous things to the cast despite several opportunities to stop to make him redeemable in my eyes. He’s gone too far too many times, and once again: Too little too late.  In my opinion, the ample way to end off his arc is to kill him for good. Be it through his own means or others, I’m not too picky. Just please for the love of fuck-

[autonomousxselves]

𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐒 / 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄: often any variation of poppy or kat or in a couple circles ari/arii/アリー, i would go out to the new nickname store again but you dont really give yourself nicknames do you? my real nickname is [REDACTED]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘: October 15

𝐙𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐂 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍: Libra

𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓: 5'3

𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐒: Reading, gaming (mainly rpgs or puzzles or psychological horror), crocheting my touys and such, and sometimes when im not lazy learning languages such as Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, and now Spanish

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑: Pink :3

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊: The Bible. and also Stravaganza: City of Masks (the whole series). and also The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. and also

𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆: technically In The End but if you count what i purposely chose and not just let spotify run, The Killing Kind

𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐄 / 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖: Smiling Friends / Hamilton (sister watched it back in the day so we had a few drinks and she explained the fandom the whole way lol)

𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃: a lot of persona manga for icons on this blog, i think the last physical book i read was either...Riverstar's Home or Persona 5 anthologies....i sound like a loser

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: Things™. i dont really know what inspires me regarding character choice or rp ideas, it could be reading something else or seeing something irl or just daydreaming/dreaming. just imagine yusuke sitting quietly and suddenly shouting "I MUST DEPICT THIS ON CANVAS" and thats me. although something that does tend to happen is my brain shyly asking "which character isn't currently being played?" it feels like I get to enjoy a character i like and fit a nice niche for others or fill out a team (example: in an Omori rp group there was no Hero so i played him and have not regretted it once.) it leads to fun vast differences where i can enjoy both popular and uncommon characters such as Aigis and Nanako in the same place

𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐔𝐑𝐋: i was looking for words regarding jungian psychology that fits persona games, i really liked the phrase autonomous self but knew this would be a multi blog. i originally planned this to be a placeholder until i found a better, easier name but i had already given my url to my good friend quillheel who shared it and i got followed by tons of kind rpers before i could think of something else, and i didnt want to confuse everyone who followed by immediately changing lol. i almost still want to change it but never looked into a better name

𝐅𝐔𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓: my favorite characters to write somehow tend to end up being aus/canon divergent/heavily headcanoned/spin off versions of canon characters. Personality only faintly matters as i care about that character at some point. i dont know how i havent written anyone on this blog like this yet (i have mentioned them before at least such as sees ryoji), but i do have one new thread with shadow op Ken lol. this is a cry for help.

Tagged by: several people saying "you do it" on my dash lol

Tagging: @quillheel as a callout for my url thing /j /lh ❤️ and @musesofthesun for fun. whichever of you who reads this part and needs an excuse to do it can either tag me or just steal it :3

[moonlight-tmd]

(so late for Halloween but idgaf)

bee carving a pumpkin! :D

or team prime doing silly crafts for Halloween w/ Sari :3

Oh yes absolutely!

he would carve a cartoony bee into his for the lols. X3

Bulkhead would defo help make decorations for the base- paper bats on the strings, ghosts attached to the ceiling n stuff. He tried to carve a pumpkin too but he crushed it on accident :(

Prowl would defo go to a harvest festival if there was one. Bee and Sari tag along cuz there was supposedly a contest for the biggest vegetable/fruit. They were not wrong. Here you have a (different user's) post from that trip. Also Prowl would try to make a pumpkin pie for Sari from Bulk's squashed pumpkin, it turned out good by Sari's words. :D

Optimus is not really keen on the whole ordeal. The spooky theme and costumes- even the silly ones- make him uneasy (especially the spider decor). He doesn't want to ruin the fun so he just stays quiet, it's not a big deal.

Speaking of costumes- Bee would absolutely go trick-or-treating with Sari in his own costume. He loves to dress up! One time he made himself look like that black taxi from that one horror movie- while in his root mode he looked like a pitch black monster with red LEDs as eyes. Optimus was on patrol in that time and he thought it would be a great idea to give him a spook. So he made some ruckus near where OP was driving and jumpscared him with the scariest screech he could do. He regretted it shortly after because Optimus whipped out his axe and smacked him with the blunt side as an impulse reaction for being spooked+that looked like a decepticon/NOT friendly creature. Bee was send flying to the other side of the parking lot... Yeah, Optimus had to make a very awkward call to Ratchet cuz Bee was having severe ache in his tank and coughed up a little bit of enegon. Later Ratchet scolded both of them for being idiots, Bee had internal damage and couldn't leave medbay for 2 days and missed trick-or-treating. Optimus felt so bad! He apologized several times and even went and got him some home-made treats to make up for the missed treats on halloween. Bee took halloween costumes easier from then on- he dressed up as classic things like a mummy, witch or vampire. I like to think he made a costume of Blitzwing for fun at one point and just happened to bump into said 'con when he was out spooking young teens. Blitz still has a selfie of him holding the startled wannabe and him smiling widely. Also Bee really wants to know how the whole pumpkin spice thing tastes like cuz apparently it's good. Also candy- oh well, at least he got the joy of collecting it for Sari.

Ratchet, per usual, doesn't care. Although if he was feeling funny he would get fluorescent pink paint and splatter it in his workshop or himself just to mess with the others. He's the kind of guy that would play morbid jokes like that if given a chance- he is a medic after all.

Sari is having the best halloween with them. She comes up with those cool games for them to play and watches scary movies with them, She would absolutely be the type to pretend-gag when seeing christmas decor in the middle of October, Bee does that too- it's way too early, damn it! (i hate it too)

Hope this answer satisfies you and Happy (late) Halloween!

[slightlyaboveaverageiq]

Connor and the Brat {Part 5}

A/N: Connors well meaning visit with Goodwin is about to cause some problems with Brat. Lots of angst in this part because Brat is difficult and so is Connor.

Connor had several idea of how this conversation with Brat was going to go. To say her seeing him walk into the psych floor and run the opposite direction was not one of them would be an understatement. He followed after her and found her sitting on the floor arms carefully tucked into her sleeves like she didn’t want him to see. “What you got there?” He tried pulling on her arm playfully and she scooted further away from him curling in on herself. His eyebrows furrowed and he tried once again to gently pull her arms away from her only to be met by a small nip of teeth.

“Just leave me alone! All you do is make things worse!” Her voice was icy but her eyes were wet with unshed tears and he wondered what could have possibly happened between the time he left Goodwins office until now. That’s when he noticed the blood that was starting to drip onto the floor from underneath her sleeves. She seemed to notice what he was staring at and quickly wiped the blood drops away with her socks. “It’s nothing it’ll stop in a little bit.” This time she didn’t stop him from grabbing her arms and he drew a deep breath in when he saw these wounds were deeper than the ones she had originally come in with.

“What happened?” She clenched her jaw and looked away for a moment but she looked back her eyes were burning with anger. Anger at him, anger that he had no idea what he had done to deserve it.

“Ellis texted Chad when you got done talking with Ms. Goodwin. A lot of the residents here like Ellis because she focused so much on being mean to me. He made sure to tell them I was the reason she wasn’t working here anymore, now all the residents are going around calling me your whore.” He sighed and shook his head before reaching for his bag and starting to clean up her wounds. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“You can’t do this to yourself every time someone hurts your feelings Brat.” She yanked her arm away and looked at him with a disgusted look on her face before she let out a dry laugh.

“I thought you understood.”

“Understood what Brat? That you were doing so well and now you’re just looking for a reason to have a victim complex? Let me finish cleaning your wounds up.” She shook her head and stood pointing to the door.

“I think you need to leave. I don’t want you here anymore.”

“Just let me clean you up and if you want me to leave I will.” She held her arm back out and Connor resumed what he was doing before she had gotten upset.

“I just wanted someone to talk to. Not a doctor just a friend. Yes I can talk to Dr. Charles and Dr. Reese but I have have to be more careful with what I say so they don’t make me stay here any longer. I thought you were my friend.” His heart broke for her and he instantly regretted what he had said to her earlier.

“I am your friend.” She shook her head and went to go sit in the window sill by her bed.

“Friends don’t tell psych patients that they have a victim complex when they’ve been trying so hard to do better and then they have one slip up due to being horrendously bullied which only happened because you stuck your nose where it didn’t belong.” She wasn’t looking at him anymore only staring at a robin that was sitting on the tree closest to the window. Connor was shocked it was still even in Chicago seeing as how it was nearing October, maybe it had gotten left behind. Kind of fitting that it would find Brats window to sit next to if that was the case.

“Brat I didn’t mean-“

“Yes you did, you don’t strike me as the type of person to say things just for the hell of it. You meant what you said in that moment because you wanted someone to be angry at, and you can’t accept that you should be holding yourself accountable so you found a reason to be mad at me.” He watched as she wiped a tear from her cheek. “I think you should leave now, my arms is cleaned and stitched up and I just want to be left alone.”

“I’ll come back tomorrow for breakfast.” He didn’t want to leave her, not like this. He knew she needed someone but she felt like she only had herself and was closing him out. He just didn’t understand why it was bothering him so much. She was just another patient.

“I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t want to see you right now, and I don’t want to see you tomorrow.” Connor felt an uncomfortable ache in his chest at those words. At one point Connor was the only person she wanted to see. Now she wanted nothing to do with him.

“When do you want me to come back?”

“I don’t know yet.”

[viclinstrings]

where : house of judgement when : mid october cap : 0/4

"HONESTLY, I'M STARTING TO HAVE major regrets about my decision on coming here." It had sounded like a decent idea when it existed as a simple thought, walk through the haunted house to get in the mood for the spookiest time of year and maybe get a photo with a scare actor. "I was kind of expecting this to be one of those goofy ones with little skeletons that popped out of walls, you know? But now that I'm just looking at it from the outside, I think I may have severely underestimated what exactly I'm getting myself into here." Her comments to another person she had found loitering near the entrance were mostly a vocal train of thought. "Have you already gone through it? If so, just lie to me and give me the confidence that I can make it through easily." Her words were clearly joking, even if the need for some inner bravery would be useful.

[casualtydept]

i come bearing a very silly announcement

so you may remember a little thing where i spent several months working on skull face fic for all 31 of last year's whumptober prompts. turns out i had so much fun i wanted to do something like that again. but i didn't want to repeat myself, and finding other -tober events with prompts that clicked with me was a struggle.

so i made my own - all derived from quotes, lyrics, mission titles and general ideas/themes from mgsv

like last year the odds of me actually finishing all of these before the end of october are slim but i'm already ahead of last year because i have ideas written down for every single one of them (and i am Very Very excited about each and every one). there's no theme on the overall tone/content so you can expect the usual from me (angst, fluff, silliness, and yes, there will be a little bit of smut). and plenty more guest appearances.

i'm mostly posting this as a silly way to announce what i'm gonna be working on for the next little while and with literally zero expectation of anyone wishing to join me but if any of these prompts do take your fancy (as many or as few, and in any creative medium) i'm certainly not going to complain :3

also psst here's sources for each of the prompts

Nine Years - "i'm afraid it's been... nine years"

Mess - "any mess you made, i was there to clean up"

The Other Side of Your Coin - "i've long been the other side of your coin"

Going Way Back - "your boss and i go way back"

Close - "very close... to you"

Repay the Favour - "i owe him my life. i'm bound to repay the favour... any way i can."

That Agony is Your Triumph - lyric from here's to you

Weapon - self-explanatory but i suppose "a weapon to surpass metal gear" might be the most prominent reference

Throat - self-explanatory (parasite stuff)

Fixation - "as a boy, skull face's life went up in flames... perhaps that is what fuels his fixation with fire"

Mask - self-explanatory

Hellbound - mission 12

Punished - punished "venom" snake

Tossing Problems in the Fire - "they certainly seem to like tossing their problems in the fire"

The Garden - "and now that i know you're no longer interested in the garden..." (this is how he refers to cipher's parasite research facilities)

Hiding the Evidence - "skull face must have found some secret place to create his precious few english parasites, hiding all evidence like a man cheating on his wife"

Means to an End - "let the world fear us all, it's just means to an end" from sins of the father

Can’t Go Home - "you mean i... i can't go home?"

Of Use to You - "you see, my being here's made me realise i can still be of use to you"

Rain - self-explanatory

Hospital - self-explanatory

Out of Sight - "this 'pain' is ours, and no one else's. a secret weapon we wield, out of sight"

Will - self-explanatory/too many mentions to count

Truth - mission 46 (truth: the man who sold the world)

Flesh - "the word became flesh"

Weakness - "that ignorance is a weakness - the downfall of a need-to-know system"

Regret - "my regret... is this misunderstanding between us"

On the Same Page - "my organisation has many arms. it's... just going to take a little longer before we're all on the same page"

Voices - mission 20

Face to Face - "you're face to face with the man who sold the world"

Free - "i've never had the freedom to choose for myself. but you, right now, are free. do as you will"

[riefki-archive]

Cherubim Sexon Super Peace

13th October 2024 | I SNAPPED my Cherubim on d way back from Jakarta-BSD. ( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ It started before I went home; I phone called Rio, Widi, Diar, & Daffa to see if I could join them to back home and meet at Block A station, yes. On the way to meet them I had noticed my bike felt shaky so I suspected the wheelset was loose, then I checked the wheels but everything was fine! Until I met them at Haji Nawi I asked Rio whether my wheelset was centered or not, he said that at first, everything was fine, but a few minutes later, he said my downtube had split in half (ꐦㅍ _ㅍ) "SIAPA NYANGKA ANJIR FRAMENYA YANG KEBELAH"

&I know it's been a while since the Cheru itself came out LT 2014. But I started using it more frequently in the last two months with a street setup, while previously all setups were keirin-style.

In the last couple of months I have no regrets using it... What I really regret is not using it more often before.

Has any Sentimental value to me? Yes&no.

Why? Because this bike itself is rarely used but has won several #bikeporn_competitions.

In the early 2010s, there were several #bikeporn_competitions, which I think is a stupid idea now; if the competition isn't included in the riders story and is only based on the rarity of the bike.

The best bike is a bike that has history and characteristics with the rider, not only based on how expensive it is or how weird "rare" is your bike.

Cheru was built to be the rare bike, combining Campagnolo NJS and Cinelli NJS (🇮🇹×🇯🇵) parts. These parts are one the rarest on the market, and it's rare for people to make them completely perfect. But still lack with personality of me

Even my Cheru has not been built perfectly "almost". but... still grateful for everything. ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ Pedalroom:

[inboundremblog]

The Finest Pumpkin Patch in Los Angeles: Where Autumn Comes Alive!

Credit: Image by Stephen Andrews | Unsplash

Pumpkin Season Spectacular: Discover Pumpkin Patches in Los Angeles

People often think of Los Angeles as a silver screen city, home of Hollywood glamor and star-studded boulevards. Still, if you visit during autumn, it turns into a spectacular pumpkinville! From the simple pick-your-own spots to the extravagant Halloween events and attractions, a pumpkin patch in LA can satisfy everyone’s preference.

Here, we will learn about the best pumpkin patches in the city- perfect for getting the ideal pumpkin and spending the day having fun!

Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch

Picture this: You are walking into Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch, located at the prestigious end of Beverly Hills, and the moment you enter the place, you find yourself amidst rows and columns and heaps of pumpkins of every shade, color, and size.

It is like walking into a fairy tale in the autumn season! But wait, there is more – it is not just picking pumpkins that one can engage in. It's about making memories. Everything from silly photo shenanigans to summer activities for the youngsters is captured.

So gather your friends, put on your autumn mood, and let Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch become an unforgettable family experience. I promise you, you won't regret it!

Tapia Brothers Farm

Founded in 1973 by the Tapia brothers, this seasonal crop and vegetable farm in Encino becomes a pumpkin lovers’ haven during September-October.

It has all kinds of pumpkins, gourds, and squashes that one cannot even imagine. A pumpkin festival includes a corn maze, probably a pony ride, and several food suppliers annually.

Tapia Brothers Farm is an ideal place to get a real-life feel of a farm, even within the city.

A Bounty of Pumpkins

At the Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Festival, attendees are greeted with a remarkable sight: more than 70,000 pumpkins are grown side by side for picking.

The many options guarantee that guests can quickly choose the best pumpkin for their purposes, whether for carving, cooking, or just for a beautiful look on the porch.

Exploring Educational Findings and Activity Ideas

The festival also includes many educational exhibits and workshops focused on agriculture far beyond the pumpkin patch.

Among them are games and installations that are exciting and educational for the guests, who will learn about various aspects of farming and its relevance to our lives.

It is an excellent and educational segment that augments the festival's value and ensures that viewers are entertained for a significant reason.

Farmer’s Market

In addition to pumpkins, the festival includes activities such as a farmer’s market, where people can source fresh produce from the area. This is the best chance to take home pumpkins and the fruits of the local farmer’s hard work!

Forneris Farms

Forneris Farms is an example of a traditional pumpkin patch with a family-focused theme. The farm's design includes a corn maze, a tractor-trained train, and more games and activities for children. The ambiance of the farm is friendly, and the produce they offer is first-rate, thus making it possible to take anyone there and have a good time on a fall day.

Navigate the Giant Corn Maze and Enjoy Train Rides

One of the main draws of Forneris Farms is its sprawling corn maze, a challenging yet enjoyable activity suitable for all ages. Additionally, visitors can hop aboard train rides, offering a delightful way to soak in the scenic views of the farm while having fun.

Embracing a Warm and Hospitable Environment

Above all, Forneris Farms prides itself on its welcoming atmosphere, ensuring every visitor feels at home.

Whether you're a regular guest or a first-time visitor, the friendly ambiance adds an extra layer of enjoyment to your experience, making your visit memorable and pleasant, regardless of your background or position.

Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch

Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch is a trendy pumpkin patch in Orange County primarily because of its location and additional things to do. It has a train ride, hay ride, pumpkin patch, and children's activities: face painting and familiar games like darts. The beautiful park-like surroundings make it a perfect place to have the family lunch after their fill of pumpkin picking in the morning.

Enchanting Ambiance

The pumpkin patch has a distinguished yet warm atmosphere, where one can get lost in the aesthetics of the space. Since pumpkins are plentiful on the ground, families and friends can have a good time throughout the day.

Traditional Fall Activities

Embrace the spirit of autumn with traditional activities that promise endless fun for all ages.

Hop aboard the train for a leisurely ride through the park, soaking in the sights and sounds of the season. Alternatively, opt for a hayride, a timeless favorite that adds nostalgia to your pumpkin patch adventure.

Family-Friendly Activities

Face painting is missing, as are carnival games such as the lottery, raffles, hula hoops, and so much more.

Calabasas Pumpkin Festival

The Calabasas Pumpkin Festival is an annual event held every October; Juan Bautista de Anza Park becomes an autumn wonderland.

Live Entertainment

It offers a list of local bands, dancing troupes, and performers, thus entertaining the guests all through the night.

Marketplace

It is packed with street and market vendors selling home-baked goods at craft fairs, art shows, pumpkin spice shops, and food stands.

Lombardi Ranch

The Lombardi Ranch is a beautiful sight, especially during the fall in the Santa Clarita area; the place provides fun for every family member.

U-Pick Pumpkins

Pumpkins at Lombardi Ranch are left to mature on the vine until they reach optimal ripeness. This ensures visitors can select from various freshly harvested pumpkins, each bursting with flavor and vibrancy.

Visitors enjoy wandering through the vast farmland, where rows of pumpkin vines stretch as far as the eye can see. With ample space to roam and explore, guests can take their time selecting the perfect pumpkin for their needs.

Scarecrow Contest

It displays residents' creativity in fashioning them, and the voter is given a ballot to enable them to choose the most creative one.

For further reading, visit our website at https://mrbonespumpkinpatch.com/la-best-pumpkin-patch/.

[waterforlorn]

day seven. october 13th.

maybe we shouldn't have shut our phones off. i know why nico said we should, because if we had constant contact to camp we'd be more tempted to cancel our plans and go back. i think part of him misses it, too. it's not the BEST life there, but it's .. got its perks. i guess? i mean i can't complain. it's ALWAYS been good for me.

when i was a kid, it showed me safety for the first time in my life. it never lasted and i think knowing what life could be like ... and coming back home... made home all the much worse, but i got to get away for a little while at least. when i left home and stayed in camp .. they let me despite the state i was in. it wasn't even like i was feral or was a threat to everybody. but .. i came with anger, a bomb waiting to explode and i know it impacted my ability to learn.

controlling water - or earth for that matter when i can't even control myself? yeah nah, that was never gonna work. i joined the army to unleash the rage and maybe drown it in blood.. i ain't gonna lie. that'd been the plan. i was just some kid who didn't know better. i didn't know you couldn't just enroll, get a gun and go fight a war. it'd been a comforting thought though.

i'm still surprised how patient sarge was with me early on. well, always. when i came in the first day and gave him the stink-eye, he came over to me, looked at me right in the eyes and told me i had two options. either i shut the fuck up and get my ass in line or he'd send me home packing to get back to my life as a loser. he didn't know how very right he was with that. but it wasn't even the threat, it was something in his... vibes...? yeah, i think that's what the kids call it these days. VIBES.

something in the way he looked at me made me wanna try. i mean, i know WHY i stayed. i've always had spite and sarge challenged me, so... i never said i was smart. and it didn't take him very long at all to find out how severely fucked up i really was, too. but he never gave up on me.

not saying nico's like sarge, but he reminds me a little of him. or maybe that's just because he refuses to see me for who i am. A LOST CAUSE. which is fine with me.

no idea why that came up today. guess i was lost in thoughts for a bit. whatever. it's been a long day. nico took me to some place he was SURE i'd like and guess what? fucker was right as per usual. it was stunning. maquoketa caves state park. yeah, i thought what the fuck at first, too. but being out there ... being one with nature is just one of the best feelings really. we did a bit of sparring, which was enjoyable and getting to kick nico's ass around a bit was quite fun, too. he's still getting the hang of his new weapon, so i'm gonna enjoy being able to kick his ass for as long as it lasts. i reckon once he's more used to the maul, he's going back to pushing me around.

it was just us there, really, so we had a little fun in one of the caves. nico's not the public-kinda-guy, but i CAN be quite convincing and i'm pretty sure he didn't regret it in the slightest. no idea why, but i went back to the reception after and picked up one of those brochures for tourists and one of them actually had the park in it. nobody's ever gonna see this, so .. i don't know why i did it. EMOTIONS i guess.

i'm having a really good time on this trip. i didn't really go into my emotions today, but i don't really want to either. i'll do it double tomorrow. or .. whenever else i'll do another entry. it's a little funny. i thought that i'd feel CRAPPY if i abandoned my schedule. apparently... i don't. like, i'm still as restless and still as eager to stab some poor schmuck. it's not got worse or anything, so i guess all this schedule shit is just to distract me from the urges or something. unless i'm too far gone to notice. hm. guess i'm gonna find out.

[venturesofabby]

i became a mother at an EARLY AGE.

Abegail Rosal Abad, was the name given to me. I am 17 years of age and currently residing in Imus City, Cavite. In this narrative I will walk you through the mystery and misery of my life. You will encounter how I became a mother at an early age. In the late 1990's my mother Aniceta "Dolly" Abad and my father Efren Abad met in Pasay City, Metro Manila where my mother worked as a Cashier in one of the famous restaurant cafe owned by her aunt in F.B Harrison Street, Pasay City named "Cebuana TJCC Cafe and Restaurant" which is now the Pasay City, Complex and my father was a newly hired Police Officer serving in one of the police stations in Pasay City, Municipal Hall. After few months of dating, they became official as a couple and the restaurant café was later owned by my mother during 2000’s which gave them the opportunity to save up some money as they prepare in building a family. When my mother gave birth to my elder brother, Joshua, in 2004, they decided to put the business on hold and focus more on establishing their dream life. After a year, on July 29, 2005, the first daughter in the family was born, and that was me. Our family of four took up residence in a two-storey apartment in P. Villanueva St., Pasay City together with our extended family which composed of nine other relatives. Upon our four years of stay in that apartment I became closer to my grandmother whom I call “Mamalu” because she was the one who took care of me ever since I was born from my mother's womb. My grandmother is like any other typical and traditional "lola" who is lovable, caring, and culture-oriented person.

When we relocated here in Imus City, Cavite in the year 2008 it was a tremendous adjustment for the both of us since we used to live together, but circumstances have changed, and my parents opted to have our own private life. By that reason, we rarely see each other in a year and the longest time allowed for us to be together was during summer after the end of every school year. Every summer I stay with her for a month, and she always took those opportunity to teach me with house chores such doing laundry, cooking dishes, cleaning the house, and being responsible at home. At an early age she was able to teach me those things and as a child I would sometimes complain about how hard it is to do such responsibilities and chores given that I am only a child who supposed to be enjoying her summer playing "larong kalye" with her friends and she would always response to me this line "Ikaw ang babae, dapat ikaw ang may alam sa mga gawaing bahay!". I had no idea that those words could make a significant impact in my life. When I come back home to my parents they would be astonished that I have learned a lot of things from my grandmother and they would always crack several jokes such "Pwede ka na mag-asawa" and "Kaya mo na pala ang gawaing bahay kahit wala na si mommy" and as a child it did not bother me since I am not anticipating that my mother would leave me with those sort of responsibility given that my mother is a very hands-on house wife.

When I was 14, exactly October 20, 2019, my mother died because of hemorrhagic aneurysm. That was the most tragic aspect of my existence; it seemed like half of who I am had been taken away, and words cannot convey how devastating it is to lose my mother unexpectedly because she was living healthy and fine. As the last standing woman in our family, I never imagined to be the mother of our home at the age of 14. The responsibility of my mother was passed on to me and now I understand the significance of all the teachings my grandmother has taught me during my childhood. I never regretted spending my summer with house chores than playing with friends. Now, I appreciate how my grandmother encouraged me to experience the finest things during my childhood without making me a spoiled brat child which I am very much delighted because I grew up with so much love, kindness, and act of being responsible because that is where she exposed me the most. She was indeed a significant part of who I am today and how I see and understand things differently compared to other teenagers at this age. With all of the sorrows, grief, and terrible events that occurred to me at a young age, I am grateful to have experienced them because they taught me resilience and responsibility to fulfill my role as the acting mother of our home.

love and tranquil — abby 💫

[matrixaffiliate]

Meraki

New Story! FFN and AO3

It's October and that means Jilytober!!! @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world put out this list of amazing prompts and I've worked a whole bunch of them into this little fluffy piece. I hope you enjoy!

Marlene is done. If Lily and James won't figure themselves out, then she's just going to push them too it. And she's going to pull Sirius along for the ride.

Meraki

"I have no idea what's bothering you." Sirius ghosted his lips down Marlene's neck. "So can you at least give me a hint?" 

She looked around the Common Room. "Let's get out of here."

Sirius didn't need to be told twice. He followed her up the boys' stairs to his dorm where Marlene promptly sat on the floor and leant against the foot of his bed.

"Are you trying to turn me on right now?"

She turned to glare at him, making him smirk back at her. 

"Because it's working." 

Finally she cracked a smile at him, and Sirius let out a breath of relief.

"Really, Marls, what's going on?"

"If I have to watch James and Lily dance around each other for one more minute I might kill them both."

"You'll get used to it. You just haven't had the training ground the lads and I have for the last few years. After a while you won't even notice them doing it anymore."

"Merlin, I hate them." She blew her fringe from her eyes. "Driving me mad for no good reason."

"You're possibly the worst liar on Earth, you know that right?" Sirius relented and sat down on the floor next to her. "You love Lily too much to hate her, and James is almost as much your brother as he is mine."

"Don't ruin this with facts. They won't snog and have it done with only to make me hate them. It's all a plan to send me to an early grave."

"Marly, Marly, Marly." Sirius bright his lips back to her neck. "Let them be idiots while you enjoy that you're ten times as bright because you don't deny yourself the simple pleasures of life." 

She arched into him and Sirius grinned. 

"See, no need to let them upset you."

"I'm going to make them get together." Marlene pulled the tie from his hair and drug her nails against his scalp. It felt so good her words almost didn't register. 

Almost.

"Marlene." Sirius pulled back.

"No, Sirius, we're doing this now." She brought her lips to his, and as much as Sirius wanted to ignore the obvious problem for the gorgeous woman in front of him, Sirius only kissed her for a minute longer before pulling back.

"We can't make them be together."

"Of course I can. They just have to believe it was their idea and not mine."

"Awfully confident aren't you?"

She moved to straddle him. "I mean, history says I kind of have the right to be."

Sirius took a long moment to enjoy the view, really considering if it was worth pushing back.

"Marlene."

She placed a black nailed finger against his lips before bringing her mouth to his. 

"Trust me."

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" He gripped her hips.

"No, one day soon, you're going to thank me."

"I'm always polite, Marls."

He felt her chuckle more than he heard it. "And I appreciate it, but one day soon, you'll thank me for removing a problem from all of our lives."

"And how soon before I can thank you for other things?" He drug his lips along her chin. 

She let him kiss her skin for several moments before turning to capture his lips with hers. "That depends entirely on you."

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

James swung his broom over his shoulder and walked back from the Quidditch pitch as the sun was just cresting the trees. He enjoyed these early morning flying sessions. At first he resented that being Head Boy made early morning the only time he could get a good session in, but after the first few weeks he had come to enjoy these quiet hours of solitude.

But his solitude was suddenly interrupted as he looked towards the Black Lake.

"Lily?"

She didn't hear him as she sat a hundred yards or so from the shore, watching the sun climb the horizon.

He almost left her to her thoughts. He almost walked right back into the castle. 

Almost.

"Wouldn't have thought you're the type to sit alone and watch the sunrise." James sat down on Lily's blanket with her.

"I wasn't supposed to be alone."

James nearly had a panic attack. Was Lily meant to be on a date right now?

"Marlene made a whole todo about wanting to see the sunrise with me this morning. When I woke up, she wasn't in her bed and I figured she was already out here."

James let out an explosive breath. "Marlene is in Sirius' bed."

"I should have known." Lily shook her head. "She went to sleep in her bed last night."

James chuckled. "She came into our dorm around one or so in the morning."

"Well, at least I got to see the sunrise."

"A much better view than Sirius in the morning." 

Lily laughed, a clear and joyous sound that made James' chest ache.

"I'm glad you happened to be out flying. I don't feel as put out now that I'm not on my own."

"You know, I fly every morning." James pushed his hand into his hair. "Anytime you want someone to watch the sunrise with, I'm your man."

Lily smiled up at him. "Maybe I'll make an effort to watch a few more sunrises then."

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

James glared at Sirius as he sat down on James' textbook in the library.

"What, Sirius?"

"McGonagall's looking for you?" 

James frowned. He'd met with Lily and Minnie not two hours ago. What could she possibly want from him now."

"She said she'd be in the Head's Office."

Aggravated at the interruption, James gave Sirius a shove to free the textbook. 

"Honestly, Potter, a simple please does wonders."

"So does not sitting on other people's property." James shoved the book into his bag. Potions were boring, hopefully Minnie needed some transfiguration help. "Thanks for letting me know she was looking for me."

"Enjoy!" Sirius called after him, getting a harsh shush from Madam Pince.

James made his way to the Head's Office but when he opened the door he froze. Lily was sitting at her desk, face down in a textbook, passed out cold.

"Lily?" 

She didn't respond and James briefly considered waiting for Minnie outside the office. She must be exhausted to fall asleep in such an uncomfortable position, especially when a couch sat not five feet away from her. 

Her neck and shoulders were going to kill her when she woke up. He wouldn't be surprised if her legs were already asleep. 

James looked at the couch and then looked back at Lily.

But if he moved her to the couch…

It was a bad idea. He had worked hard this first month of school to be sure that he never made her feel like he was looking at her with anything other than respect and friendship. He had pushed away every desire for something more, locking how much he wished she wanted him the way he wanted her behind iron walls.

But he couldn't leave her asleep like that.

James set his bag on the floor and against his better judgment, moved to where Lily slept. She fit perfectly in his arms as he shifted her gently out of her chair, her head coming to rest against his shoulder. 

"What?"

"Shh. We're just getting you to the couch."

"James?"

"It's me." Reluctant to set her down, James waited for her answer.

But she didn't respond, having fallen back asleep against his shoulder. 

He should have put her down and walked out of the room. 

He should have waited for Minnie outside.

He shouldn't have turned and sat down on the couch with her pressed against him as he cradled her in his arms.

He shouldn’t have brushed his lips across her hairline.

And when Lily woke up, he shouldn’t have told her it wasn’t a big deal that he’d let her sleep on him for the better part of an hour. 

He completely forgot about Minnie.

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

“Took you long enough, I’ve been waiting.” 

Lily looked over at Marlene from the portrait hole. “For what?”

“For you. I need your help.” Marlene pushed off from the armchair she was lounging in. She picked up a jumper from the floor and tossed it to her. “Get this back to James for me, would you?”

Lily felt her blood run cold. Marlene only had a bloke’s jumper for one reason. 

“For Merlin’s sake! Your face!” Marlene laughed. “I grabbed it by accident last night thinking it was Sirius’!” 

Lily gasped as she felt like she could breathe again. 

“Don’t worry, Sirius keeps me plenty entertained. I don’t need to go bed hopping in that dorm.”

“Wait, why don’t you just give it back to Sirius?” She ran her hand along the soft knitting of James’ jumper. 

Maybe she could just keep it?

“Because Sirius doesn’t know I grabbed the wrong jumper and I would much rather not give him the satisfaction of knowing that I did.” Marlene blew her a kiss and then slipped out of the Common Room before Lily could argue with her.

Lily stared at the closed portrait door, her fingers still sliding along the jumper. 

What had just happened?

After getting knocked by a student entering the Common Room, Lily decided to go hide in the Head’s Office. 

Not hiding; she was waiting for James. Not that he usually returned to the Head’s Office after they’d finished planning rounds. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t wait for him there. He’d end up in the Head’s Office. Eventually. 

This was all Marlene’s fault. The day Lily had passed out at her desk, Marlene had kept her up till half four with questions about the Muggle world. It was Marlene’s fault she’d fallen asleep. It was Marlene’s fault Lily had woken up not only in James’ arms but on his lap. If it hadn’t been for that, everything would have been fine. But now, she could barely look him in the eye, let alone hand him back his jumper. 

It was so soft. 

Maybe she’d try it on. James wouldn’t have reason to come back to the Head’s Office. He’d never know…

Before she could realize how bad an idea that was, Lily pulled James’ jumper over her head. 

It was unbelievably soft. How did James focus on anything with jumpers this soft?

“Is that my jumper?”

Lily screamed and spun from where she sat on the couch to face the door.

“James.”

His eyes were locked on his jumper and Lily struggled to find a plausible reason that not only did she have his jumper but that she was currently wearing it. 

“I-” Words failed her. 

She shouldn’t have put the jumper on. If she’d left it off she could have just smiled at James, mentioned Marlene’s predicament, and they could have laughed it off. Now she’d made a fool of herself by putting it on. 

“It, it looks good on you.” His voice was graveled and Lily thought his eyes looked wider. 

“At least it’s not orange.” 

Lily blinked as she realized those words had come out of her mouth. 

James smirked. “I don’t know, I think you’d look great in orange.”

The laughter bubbled out of her and James quickly followed. 

“Here.” She started to pull the jumper off, but James shook his head. 

“Don’t. You should probably just keep it.” He picked up a folded up piece of parchment from his desk. “I’ll see you later.”

Lily watched the door close behind him, not able to keep the smile off her face. 

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

Lily laughed as she walked through Hogsmeade with James. Their friends had been with them, but at some point there was confusion about where they were going and James and Lily had ended up on their own.

"This is nice." She smiled up at him. "I love our friends, but sometimes they're a bit wild, except Remus."

"Remus is going to be so smug when I tell him you singled him out as the sane one." 

Lily shivered as she laughed. 

"Here." James wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "I'll help keep you warm."

"I should have worn your jumper." 

"Yes, you definitely should have." James teased her. "Why didn't you?"

Lily was distracted by a group of third years running down the street, playing tag by the looks of it.

"Lils?"

"I wear it to sleep in." She moved towards the third-years, set on reminding them to behave themselves, when her words registered in her own ears. 

Lily froze.

"I can't believe I just told you that."

James didn't answer, and Lily couldn't bring herself to look at him. They stood there in silence, his arm still partially wrapped around her shoulders, her body turned to where the third-years had been but were no longer.

And then that strong arm was guiding her back around to look at him.

"Do you really?"

"I-" Lily bit her lip and tried to turn away but James held fast.

"Lily."

"James."

"Do you really wear my jumper to sleep in?"

She shouldn't have said anything. She shouldn't have told him. She shouldn't have spent the last two weeks with his jumper under her pillow, pulling it on after she'd drawn the curtains every night.

"Er, yes." She closed her eyes waiting for the teasing she was sure to endure along with James' laughter.

Instead of teasing and laughter, two gentle hands cupped her face and guided her eyes up to his.

"That kind of information gives a bloke ideas about how you might feel for him." 

"It doesn't give a woman any ideas about how he feels about her though." Lily brought her hands up to tangle in his cloak.

"Knowing you sleep in my jumper makes playing the long game immensely harder."

"You're playing the long game?"

There was the slightest hesitation in his response.

"For you, Evans, I'm playing for keeps." He brought his forehead to rest against hers. "Is that enough of an idea for you?"

Lily could barely pull a full breath as she stared into James' eyes, and her answer came out in a whisper.

"I think so."

James tilted their heads until he was close enough to speak against her lips. "And do you think you'd be alright with this?"

"I don't think I'd be alright without it."

She felt James smirk against her.

"Good, because I can't wait any longer." And then he brought his lips to hers.

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

"Now you may thank me." Marlene pushed Sirius back against the wall in the Three Broomsticks while they waited for a place at the bar. 

Marlene sighed into him as Sirius moved his hands beneath her leather jacket. 

“Am I thanking you for snogging me in public now?”

“If you want to, I won’t argue.” Marlene ran her nails along his scalp. “But I’m talking specifically about that problem I told you I was removing from our lives.”

“All they needed was to be left alone in Hogsmeade, eh?” 

“And everything we’ve done leading up to this.” 

SIrius kissed her neck before biting down on her pulse point and Marlene gripped his hair as she pulled closer to him. 

“Not that I don’t believe you, but how do you know they’ve sorted themselves out?”

Marlene chuckled and pulled back just enough to gesture out the window. “James’ tongue down Lily’s throat enough evidence for you?”

Sirius’ smile went soft as he watched their friends snog in the street. It caught Marlene off guard and her heart melted as she watched his face. 

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Sirius looked back at her, his gaze intense as his gray eyes held hers. 

“A woman always likes to be told.” Marlene tried to keep her tone light, but her words came out breathless. 

“How badly do you want this drink?” He rested his forehead against hers. 

“Can you make it back to the castle?”

“Don’t worry, I know a shortcut.”

With one more searing kiss, Sirius pulled her out the door, past their still snogging friends, and down the secret passage back to the castle, where he made sure she knew exactly how grateful he was that she’d pushed James and Lily together. 

And how grateful he was that she was his.

[annabtg]

May Jilychallenge

Working title: The Tournament By: @annabtg Partner: @bookeatingbean Written for: May 2022 @jilychallenge Prompt: I have half of a treasure map and I'm certain I can follow it to the end, except you have the other half and I GUESS we just have to work together.

So it's already the 31st here and I'm nowhere close to finishing even the first chapter of my May Jilychallenge fic... but since I'm not one to shirk my duty to the challenge, I present to you the first part (of I have no idea how many) of chapter 1! Hopefully if people show interest, it will give me more inspiration and initiative to finish it more quickly :) so let me know what you think of it!

Thanks to bookeatingbean for being a wonderful partner and beta!

(2.9K words below the cut)

The return to Hogwarts was usually a happy occasion for the students. Even though it signalled the end of the holidays, it also meant reuniting with your friends, spending your days with them, getting up to all sorts of fun and mischief and enjoying unique magical pleasures not available at home.

This year, however, it held an unpleasant surprise in store.

“I regret to inform you that Hogsmeade visits are cancelled this year,” Professor Dumbledore announced solemnly after the feast.

Indignant “no!”s, “why!”s and “come on!”s echoed all over the Great Hall.

He waited for the commotion to subside slightly before continuing. “Unfortunately, the Death Eater attacks are at an all-time high, and Hogsmeade was hit numerous times through the summer. Under these circumstances, it would be unwise to risk everyone’s safety.”

Pockets of hushed whispers across the tables followed this comment. Professor Dumbledore’s blue gaze ran over the body of the students; most of them looked disappointed and sullen.

“However,” he started again, “rest assured that there are a lot of fun activities planned to take your mind away from this unfortunate development. The Quidditch cup will be held as usual, of course, and your prefects will soon fill you in on the rest. I expect it will be a wonderful year and a growing opportunity for all of us.”

Lily Evans let out a groan and rested her head on the palm of her hand, her elbow propped on the table. Her gaze landed on James Potter, several seats away from her, on the other side of the table, his face glowing at the mere mention of Quidditch, his excited chatter undoubtedly focused on the very subject. It was ridiculous how easily he could be distracted from such a tragedy. Ridiculous, and enviable.

Now that they were starting their sixth year, Lily knew she’d find herself swamped under the volume of studying for the NEWTs. Her perfectionist tendencies would not have it any other way, and she had been looking forward to having these few precious weekends to unwind and draw strength from. Instead, she had a feeling she would be burdened with yet more work, since, as a prefect, she would probably have to participate in, perhaps even organise, whatever those ‘fun activities’ entailed.

She was already not looking forward to them.

--

The following day, a new note appeared on the Gryffindor noticeboard, written in the neat handwriting that Lily could identify as belonging to John Riley, the seventh year prefect and new Head Boy.

TREASURE HUNT TOURNAMENT 1st round: 9-10 October Open to students from years 2-6 Sign up by writing your name under the line by Sunday 8pm.

“What, that’s it?” Lily asked Carla Ford, the other seventh year prefect. “No details?”

“Details will be sorted out later depending on the number of participants,” Carla explained. “But basically, you’ll be given a magical map with hints you have to follow.”

“How come it’s not open to seventh years?” Lily’s friend Gemma asked curiously.

Carla’s expression darkened. “We’ve been tasked with making the maps. Professor Flitwick will be giving out letters of recommendation to everyone who participates. You cannot imagine the amount of work that’s going to go into them.”

Lily could, just by hearing about it, and she inwardly thanked Merlin she was spared.

“Are we doing it?” Gemma asked Lily, her black eyes sparkling.

Lily considered it. “I guess? We don’t have to make up our minds now, though.”

The boisterous group that were their classmates – James Potter and his gang – passed them by and crowded near the noticeboard to sign up, making loud jokes about how they were going to crush their competition, in perfect accordance with how Lily would have expected them to take the news. Gemma nodded towards them meaningfully.

“Yeah, yeah,” Lily conceded. “We’ll do it. Let them free up the space and we’ll go sign up.”

--

Sign-ups closed, and then there was no news about the treasure hunt for weeks. Lily almost forgot about it, too engrossed in her studying to bother checking with Carla or John. Gemma occasionally wondered aloud about it, but Lily only had non-committal shrugs to offer.

Finally, on Friday morning before the tournament weekend, it was announced that the first round would start on Saturday morning at ten. The participants would meet in their common rooms to receive their maps and instructions from the seventh-year prefects. Gemma did a little dance at the news; Lily, less enthusiastic, settled for an approving nod.

On Saturday morning after breakfast, the Gryffindor participants gathered in the common room, waiting for John and Carla. An impatient buzz filled the atmosphere, accentuated by the sixth year boys’ raucous laughter and teasing. James Potter threw jabs at all of Lily’s friends in turn; they were all participating, and were pretty excited about it. He didn’t address her at all, however; and she was not sure whether she should be relieved or offended.

Finally, John and Carla entered from the portrait, carrying a lidded bowl and a stack of parchments, respectively. They put them down on one of the tables and addressed the room.

“For the first round of the treasure hunt, you will be paired randomly,” John started. 

Everyone in the audience exchanged concerned looks with their friends. Lily tensed, a sense of foreboding creeping over her. She glanced at Gemma; she was looking at John and Carla, her eyebrows furrowed. At the other side of the room, the sixth year boys were pursing their lips and looking at the two prefects with suspicion.

“Each of you will be handed one piece of a map. The maps are individualised, so no two pairs have the exact same track to follow. Once one task is completed, the next hint appears. Keep in mind that in order for the maps to work, both people have to be holding both pieces.”

This earned John some confused looks, so Carla took a parchment from her stack to demonstrate. “The maps will be cut in two horizontally.” She trailed a jagged line across it with her wand, and it tore in two. “Then both of you have to hold it together like this.” With one hand, she held the two pieces together from one side; John grabbed the other side. “When you hold it like this, the edges will align and the hints will appear.”

Lily drummed her fingers on the arm of the sofa; the long-winded explanations only served to prolong the feeling of impending doom.

“The maps will be active today from 11 am until 7 pm and then again tomorrow, same hours,” Carla continued. “House points will be awarded to all who complete their quests, and the two best pairs from each House will progress to the second round. Your progress will be automatically logged in the back of the map, so we’ll know exactly when and how you fulfilled each task.”

“And now it’s time to assign the pairs,” John spoke again, tapping the bowl. “The names of all participants are in here. I will be drawing by hand to exclude any suspicions of magical tampering.” He took the bowl in both hands and shook it, then put it back down. Carla conjured a black ribbon and tied it around his head, covering his eyes, then removed the lid for him.

“First piece,” she announced, holding up the first piece of the map she had previously torn.

John grabbed one piece of parchment from the bowl in front of him and blindly handed it to Carla.

“Lily Evans,” Carla read, her dark eyes finding Lily. “Come take your piece.”

With a small sigh, Lily rose and approached the prefect. Carla Charmed the raffle and the piece of map together; the raffle merged into the map, leaving a carved imprint of Lily’s name on a corner. Then she handed the piece of map to Lily, who took it and waited a few steps away.

“Second piece,” Carla announced; John reached into the bowl again and handed her a new name. “James Potter.”

Lily’s shoulders sagged, weighted disbelief crushing over her; her dubious stare reached Carla first, then moved to James Potter; his twinkling eyes and the self-satisfied smirk spelled mischief of mythical proportions.

His friends threw him dissatisfied looks as he walked over to Carla to take his piece; apparently they had been hoping that one of them would be paired with him. In all honesty, annoying as he was, he would undoubtedly be one of the best contenders; though Lily could pull her weight just fine – actually, she was a prefect whereas he wasn’t, so there – and would have rather been paired with Gemma or one of the other girls. She wasn’t looking forward to arguing with him about which way to go about their quest; they already argued about everything else.

He took his piece and came to stand next to her, shooting her a meaningful look. At least he seemed to have faith in their pairing.

The draw continued. Gemma was paired with their classmate Mary, Remus Lupin was paired with fifth-year prefect Miri Engelsman, and Peter Pettigrew was paired with Dirk Cresswell, the other fifth year prefect. Sirius Black was paired with the only second-year student who participated – a short, dark-haired girl named Meghan Rolfe – and he was livid. The girl looked extremely pleased, however, rubbing her hands and smirking with such confidence as though she’d already won.

“She’s extremely competitive,” James whispered in Lily’s ear. “She joined the Quidditch team this year too, playing Beater. You don’t want to come across her when she’s holding a bat.”

Lily found this piece of information mildly interesting, and replied with a fittingly mild “Hm.”

Once everyone was paired, John untied the ribbon from around his head and looked around the room, blinking as he became used to the light again. “We’re all set, then,” he said. “The hunt starts at 11. Good luck.”

“Good luck,” Carla echoed, as she and John started to tidy up.

James looked at his watch; Lily stole a glance at it too. It was ten minutes to eleven.

“Good luck,” he said with a smirk to Sirius, who was standing a few feet away from them, next to his partner.

“Sod off,” Sirius replied.

James then turned to Lily, apparently expecting her to share his delight over riling up his best friend; her lips curled into a small smile, more out of amusement at his antics than anything else.

She turned her attention to Gemma and Mary; they were excitedly blabbing away, decided that they were going to have a good time even though they didn’t seem like the strongest pair in the competition. Their other classmate, Artemis, had been serendipitously paired with her sister Danae from fourth year. Lily’s gaze hovered slowly over all the pairs, considering their dynamics and their chances for success.

“It’s time,” James said in a low, conspiratorial voice. He pushed his piece towards her and she aligned her piece with his, holding them both the way Carla had demonstrated. A circle with a number 9 inside it appeared in the center and to the bottom of her piece.

“It’s the Astronomy Tower,” he whispered, hastily folding his piece inside his robes’ pocket. He made a run for the portrait; Lily, taken aback, pocketed her own piece and followed him.

He climbed out the exit and waited for her before speeding away again; Lily managed a half-hearted jog for a few paces before she gave up trying to keep up with him.

“Slow down,” she called to him. “We’re not all athletes.”

He halted in the middle of the corridor and turned round to her. “Sorry.”

She jogged up to him and they continued at her more reasonable pace, all the way to Astronomy Tower and up the nine flights of stairs. Still, she was slightly out of breath when they reached the top floor.

James, unaffected by the exercise, walked forth and looked around, his hazel eyes scanning their surroundings with intense determination.

“Maybe we should check the map,” Lily suggested.

“Right.” He returned to her and they aligned their pieces again. A phrase appeared on the top of James’s piece: We swim.

“We swim,” Lily read aloud, her tone skeptical.

“A view of the lake?” James asked. He walked over to the edge and leaned over the parapet.

“Don’t dive,” Lily warned.

“Not without my broomstick,” he replied with a wink at her, then his face scrunched up in concentration as he looked back to the lake. “D’you reckon we’re looking for something in the lake?”

“And we came all the way up here for nothing?” Lily reasoned. “There should be something to do, or find, before we leave the Tower.”

“Swim metaphorically?” James tried again. “Birds swimming in the air?”

“No…” Lily frowned. Her mind was circling a thought. Astronomy Tower. Astronomy. Astronomy and swimming.

James prattled on; she tried to block his voice out as she focused on her train of thought. Astronomy. Swimming in Astronomy. Swimming in the stars. Stars swimming.

“Pisces,” she said.

“Ah.” James pointed an approving finger to her. “Good thought. But it’s still morning.”

“We can find where it’s supposed to be right now with a star chart.”

“I wonder if it will tell us if we’re right?” James asked, shaking his map.

Lily found it a reasonable thought, and held out her piece; upon aligning the pieces, a star chart appeared on the map.

“We’re right,” Lily said with a grin.

“But Pisces is not in the sky right now,” James pointed out. “We’re looking for something on the floor.”

“I think we need a telescope to look through, anyway. When you’re in the Astronomy Tower, you always use a telescope.”

James frowned, his eyes finding Gryffindor Tower and locking on it as though calculating the distance. Lily found herself noticing the unwavering focus of his gaze; he always seemed to do that. He never just looked; he stared. And even when he was searching for something, there was something very deliberate about the way he looked around; never helpless, never lost.

Perhaps that was why she always found it so unnerving when he looked at her.

She inched closer to him and somehow felt his aura acknowledge her presence, even though his eyes were fixed on an open window of the Gryffindor Tower.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked him, narrowing her eyes towards the same target.

“I think so,” he said with a small nod, then turned to her. “That’s your window.”

Lily released her hold on the map, leaving both pieces with James, then took her wand out and held it up straight. “Accio telescope!” 

A bronze glint shot through the window, zoomed across the distance and neatly landed in her empty hand.

“Nice,” James said, smirking approvingly. Lily couldn’t understand why he had to smirk his way through every expression imaginable. Like every feeling in the world came with a sense of mischief integrated for him. But then, mischief was the very essence of James Potter, she reasoned.

She pocketed her wand and grabbed onto the pieces of the map again with one hand, so that the star chart would be visible. Together they figured out the position of Pisces – somewhere below them – and Lily looked through her telescope after directing it properly.

“See anything?” James asked.

“Not really…”

“Keep it there, and give me your hand.” 

Lily blindly held her free hand out towards his general direction. She felt the pieces of the map being gently pushed into it, then his hand cupping hers – how was it so warm? – and leading it so that they held the map in front of the telescope.

“Ha!” he whooped, but Lily still wasn’t seeing anything. She lifted her eye off the telescope and saw his wide grin, then looked down to see that the map was now showing a tree.

“The Whomping Willow?” she asked.

“No. This one is close to Hagrid’s hut.”

Lily’s eyebrows arched slightly. She knew he was good at Herbology – possibly even better than her, and that was saying something – but was he really able to identify each separate tree in the Hogwarts grounds?

“Let’s go,” he spoke again, shaking her off her pause, and together they headed off.

On their way down, they ran into Sirius going up the staircase, Meghan trailing behind him.

“Is this your first or your second hint?” James asked, startled into a halt.

“The third one,” Sirius replied with a shit-eating grin.

“No fucking way –”

“Come on, James,” Lily said, grabbing his wrist to drag him downstairs, and he obliged her, albeit with some resistance as his gaze was still fixed on his friend.

“Sorry we’re better than you,” Sirius called out.

James flipped him off as Lily dragged him further down the spiral staircase and away from Sirius’s sight.

“There’s no way they’re on their third hint,” he muttered as he followed behind Lily.

“Hint, not location,” Lily reasoned. “They could be. We’re technically on our fourth one now.”

“I’m not losing to Sirius and a second-year,” he said in indignation.

Lily grinned despite herself, then blushed at her reaction; and she was glad he was walking behind her and couldn’t see any of it.