#i didn't think they'd take it that far and actually make it WORSE SOMEHOW

[zorthania]

so i actually posted this comic yesterday on twitter and I um... don’t come at me after today’s episode please, i couldn’t have known.

[appleblueberry-pie]

OOOHHHH, OKAY HERE MY REQUEST FOR YANDERE MILE MORALES SCENARIO! I imagine him being the type of guy to break into the reader's locker and leave a CD(the song is probably cheesy like Radiohead-creep) while leaving a sticky note like “I really, really, like you. And I wanna get to know you more, can you meet at [insert abandoned building here] ❣️”~secret admirer (*cough* it's Miles *cough*) This freaks the reader out, cuz they've been dealing with this bs for 3 months and the authorities can't do shit, can I request the reader confronting their “secret admirer”? 🥺

N/A: I hope you heard me evilly laugh when I first read this. Boutta spill all of my delusions on this. Also i've never written worse luck than the reader had in this one.

Be Mine? Yes or No.

It's about ten minutes before first period begins and you've already spent five of them rereading the 20th love letter you've received over the course of a few months. You felt the hairs on the back of your neck rise as you continue to find more and more things to worry about in this letter. You'd think that this person would stop pestering you, but they really weren't. At all whatsoever. The same little sweet names they'd compliment you with. The same main idea they had in the previous note continuing into the next one. This has been happening over and over.

And it was so, so sweet when this fiasco first started. When you first opened your locker and it was placed so nicely in the center as if someone carefully placed it there. It was definitely spritzed with some kind of cologne, because no scent from someone just rubs off onto a letter like that. The beautiful envelope it was put in, the paper on the inside. The neat handwriting that was clearly practiced just to put some love onto the paper for you to hopefully absorb. And it worked the first three times, but it just kept getting weirder from there.

The way they wrote to you was extremely genuine, something that was hard to find in relationships nowadays. It really made you want to meet this person. They mixed in casual sweet names in Spanish into the writing in a way that wasn't hard for you to understand at all. They definitely had a crush on you. But then they began mentioning you in ways that seemed to make you borderline uncomfortable. Mentioning your beautiful hair, your eyes, your lips, the way you spoke, how you smelled. How they'd watch you and your friends in the park. Slipping in a few mentions of you walking to and from a corner store nobody in your school but you knew about.

They would write about how they could help you with specific classes that they knew you were struggling with. What foods they theorized you don't like(they were right), your type of man and how they fit that exact description, if not, more. How he knows he's the one you'd want and need. How the two of you are meant to be, he'd love you the way you need to be loved and he cant wait to actually meet you. How he'd bring you to the address of your favorite breakfast spot that no one should know about and he'd buy you that plate you always wanted to get that you couldn't afford. How he'd spoil you and-

All of this tension he built up on his own, which was all fueled by his own delusions, drew you to the conclusion that this nigga needed to be put in his place. You wanted a boyfriend. Not a fucking perverted stalker. Whoever this was, he was taking it too far, and was ultimately scaring you. It took you fifteen of these letters for you to realize that he wasn't actually slipping the letter into the locker between the cracks, but he was putting in the real code of your lock to properly unlock it. How he found it out, you have no idea. You didn't know what this guy was capable of and didn't know if he'd hurt you if you said no. But it had to be done somehow or he'd take shit too far and kidnap you or some crazy shit like that.

None of the school officials would help you because they're pieces of shit. Your friends tell you to bag him like dumbasses, and what the fuck are your parents gonna do? Yell at the dean and stand by your locker all day to wait for the guy?? You were all alone in this. So the most reasonable thing you came up with is to bluntly write to him to meet you after school at the park you and your friends go to often since he knows the spot already.

And quite literally the day after, you sat at the bench at the park after school, and he showed up.

You remember being so damn scared. What if he was big and burly and angry? What if he was one of the popular boys and would record the entire interaction? What if he follows you back home? What does he plan to do once you try to tell him off? You shouldn't have done this. The setting sun wasn't comforting you. The abandoned playground that usually was bustling with squealing kids was just making you more nervous. It was silent and cold today, but your mind just wouldn't shut up. Suddenly, the school uniform you wore wasn't as comfortable and you clutched your backpack closer to your body.

The wind blew gently on your bare knees and you heard someone call out your name. You flinched and felt your heart drop and turned to see the source of the voice, hoping for the worst. There was a boy sitting on a bench right next to yours. He was staring at you. It made you feel....unsettled and something else you couldn't put your finger on. To calm yourself, you listed his characteristics in his head. He was....reasonably attractive. Light brown eyes. Sculpted face. A light Spanish accent to his voice exactly how you'd imagine. Neat braids on his head. But something about his aura messed with you. He wasn't as good as he portrayed himself to be. You didn't want to speak and watched him stand from his spot to sit next to you on your bench. You clutched your bag to your chest as you watched him try to calmly approach you without making you too nervous.

With nervous eyes on him, he sits down next to you, letting a small smile grace his lips. "Hey, ma...how you doin'?" He sounded like he was trying to lure a scared dog into his arms. But it was awkward because he was trying to act normal with his dream girl and it was an actual human being and not a dog. "....fine." You respond. He scratches his nape and averted his eyes for a quick second. He really wanted to know why you wanted to talk to him. You gave no context within your letter, and it was a blessing, nonetheless. You actually responded to him. He predicted that he wouldn't get one for another good three weeks to two months almost. But this must be serious. He prepared himself for all possible scenarios that this could end up being.

"So....why'd you want to meet all of a sudden? It's getting late and I don't want you going home in the dark, you know?" You nod and take a deep breath, scared as fuck for how this could end. "Yeah.....so....I just wanted to tell you that I just- I don't want to be with you." It felt like you had to pull the words out of your throat for him to hear. You saw his face drop and decided to explain before he did anything else. "Like....I don't know you. I just realized that. You know so much about me and about my friends and the places I go to. I don't know a damn thing- Are you stalking me??" You turn to face him and stare into his wide eyes. He almost seemed as if he was caught doing some weird shit. And it was weird.

The silence started to make you angry when you realized he probably has been following you all this time. He shakes his head and sits up. "No...no, I haven't been stalking you at all, ma, I promise. I never want to make you uncomfortable, ever. Where are you getting that?" Oh, so now he's gaslighting you. If you brought all of his envelopes to this meeting, you would've dumped all of the evidence on his lap. You roll your eyes, grab your bag, and stand to leave. He stands at the same time as you when he sees you're trying to leave and stands in your way. "Wait, wait, wait, that's it? You not gon' give me a chance?" "A chance? Nigga, you lost your chance when you started being weird and fucking acting like you wasn't being weird this entire time!"

It was hard to get mad at you or reason with you. You were too pretty to get mad at even when you were nearly yelling in his face. And he had no logical reason to behave the way he was behaving, either. So, he might lose you unless he does something risky. And to risk your trust and love is something he doesn't want on the line.

You watch him watch you leave and he picks up his bag as well. The street lights turn on once it gets dark enough and Miles interrupts you walking away. "I'm not letting you walk home in the dark, Y/n." You flinch at his voice and growl a groan in fuming anger. An older lady passes the both of you and praises the mystery boy for being such a good gentleman and how 'there needs to be more of you out on these streets'. You almost slapped the fuck out of her for even hyping him up. He gives her a beautiful smile and tells her to get home safe, while walking you in the direction of your home.

He turns back to you and almost laughs at the face you're making. "I wonder how your mom would feel about you going home in the dark." "Mind yo fucking business." He happily leaves it there, continuing to walk with you down the street. Maybe this way, he can have more than one excuse to continue walking you home from now on. "Ion even know yo name." You mutter under your breath and Miles smiles at you. "My name is Miles. Great to finally meet you in person, Mami." You scoff and gladly let him scroll on his phone. You tried to speed ahead of him in hopes he'd stay at his slower pace, but he always caught up to you. You inwardly groan, knowing he'd probably make it to your door before you get rid of him.

"Glad to know the name of the person who's been stalking me. Now I can report you officially." You smirk at him and he gives one right back. "Just a name won't cut it, ma." "I got photos." "Where?" He hands you your phone back and you snatch it, realizing he was scrolling on your phone the whole time AND deleted your photo evidence. Before you can shove him into the street for a car to run him over, your mom bursts the door open and eyes the boy next to you. "Girl, you finally brought someone home with you." You didn't even realize you were on your street, better yet, your house. And your mom liked him already??

Your face dropped as you approached the front door. "No, no, no, it's not like that-" "What's your name, sweetie?" Miles steps up to the door and holds out his hand for her to shake, a beaming smile on his face. "My name is Miles Morales, ma'am." She shakes his hand before scrunching her eyebrows. " 'Morales'? You know Rio??" "That's my mamá, right there." Horrifying, how quickly a new relationship between the two bloomed right before your eyes as they continued to converse.

How are you going to get out of this? Your stalker is making great friends with your mom, no one can help because he deleted the evidence, and you would soon find out the next morning at school that your locker was clean of envelopes as well. Nothing was working in your favor and you realized that there was no way to escape. He included himself into your life so easily, when you wanted him out, out, out. You hated this shit, but he seemed to love it, sending you a look of appreciation as you both stepped into your abode.

Miles was so grateful for having you as a part of his life. The stars aligned and allowed you both a chance at beauty and growth. He wouldn't let this opportunity waste away like he had done many times in the past. You were his chance at redemption for all of the things he had done and the things that he planned to do later on. You were finally his.

[necrotic-nephilim]

Even if they’re similar ages Jason hanging around stephs house just being awkward yet casual but bc I’m Jason headed he would do something *nice* and Steph, the best, is like okay buuuut it doesn’t matter that you’re being kind to my mom while she’a obliterated (and Steph feels protective but also embarrassed of her but Jason was kind) because you’re still doing bad things and working for a bad guy. I’m just rolling around in it like the feeling of going to someone’s house and being left there with someone you don’t know who lives there

(based on this post) YES YES you get it, i think it makes it so fun! bc Steph's primary concern is her mother, and she's also almost sensitive about her living situation and who her father is. she'd be so stressed about a stranger around who could judge and scrutinize all the little details she can't control. especially bc, she's not going to trust *anyone* who works with or for her dad. while other ppl may see him as an almost dismissable threat, she's been up close and personal with all his crimes so she doesn't like when others diminish him. so for Jason viewing Cluemaster as a "lower villain" to compromise his morals for, is almost insulting to Steph. at first. she doesn't care about his sob story (even if she does deeply relate) or the logical reasoning he has for this. she's angry he's associating with her dad in the first place. and now she has to deal with him in her house constantly, "protecting" her as if she can't do so herself. (even more so, the humiliation that her dad felt the need to hire someone but didn't put enough effort into hiring someone *actually* dangerous, bc is she supposed to believe this scrawny teenage street kid is her new bodyguard? he's practically her age.) her whole life is cracked open for a stranger working for her dad. i think it could be a fun "enemies to lovers" sort of vibe, where it takes a good while of forced proximity before Steph really starts to understand Jason.

esp bc Jason rarely feels like explaining himself, he's closed off and doesn't think he owes strangers explanations for why he does what he does. i think it'd be fun if it would be a very slow, awkward relationship that has a deep foundation of mistrust and hatred for a while. neither of them enjoy this forced vulnerability and sure Jason's not doing the questionable stuff like punching cops or moving weapons now, but somehow this almost feels uncomfortably worse bc it's more personal. he actually has to exist around people he can't fight his way out of being around. he knows he's invading. it feels better morally but it's not something he's enjoying to any capacity, esp when he feels like Steph has her points in hating him. and everytime he's forced to actually protect her from real danger, it's that fun sort of cliche of "oh shit i care A Lot More about the idea of you getting hurt then i thought i did, wtf is up with that" and i think that's how they'd finally bond, through those shaky moments where their lives get threatened and Steph sees how far Jason will go to save her.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

No pressure ifbyou arent taking writing requests, but i would love to see what you could do based off the song Battle Cries by The Amazing Devil

It gives me Skyward Sword vibes

Link stared at the loftwing feather held gingerly between his fingers.

The last few months had been... difficult. In some ways, they'd been more difficult than his actual journey to rescue Zelda and stop Demise. The pain of pushing his body past its breaking point, the anguish of never seeming to be enough, the heartache of always missing Zelda... they had amounted to such invisible wounds that he was still fighting the repercussions.

Somehow, that was worse. How was one supposed to move on when such a life altering event happened? How did one jolt out of the keep moving keep going don't ever stop or falter for a second and not just... collapse? How did one get back up after doing so?

The world continued to move ahead. His academy still had classes, though chatter of the Surface and its exploration was still a hot topic, even six months after the cloud barrier's disappearance.

The first month it had been acceptable, even understandable. Link had nearly died from his final fight, it had been one thing too many in a collection of wounds and exhaustion. Despite the healing affects of the life fruit he'd been given, he'd still slept for nearly a week upon his return to Skyloft. And after that, the headmaster had ensured he didn't have any kind of workload. Zelda had been at his side constantly, and the two had silently enjoyed each other's company, seemingly cut off from the rest of their people.

But that had been understandable. It had been a long journey. They would never be the same.

However, that didn't excuse this exhaustion lingering for so long. By the fourth month, Link was nearing a point of despair. It wasn't until Commander Eagus spoke to him candidly, told him of the affects on his mind after such an event (no one on Skyloft truly comprehended what had happened on the Surface, but some had put more pieces together than they probably should have). After all, Eagus had become commander when his own commanding officer had fallen in battle. Eagus hadn't fought as Link had, but he still understood to a small degree.

It had helped. To a point. Knowing that his mind needed time was good, that he wasn't just defective, but... it still didn't make it any easier to bear sometimes.

And that was only covering half of the issue. Eagus only spoke from a soldier's perspective. Link had seen more than battle. He'd watched his best and dearest friend become someone else entirely, he'd been told that their friendship was a carefully constructed plan, that he was a weapon as much as Fi had been.

He still hung around Zelda. She still hovered close to him. She'd said it herself, she was still his Zelda. But it... wasn't the same.

He tried not to think about it. After all, he did still love her. After all, she hadn't known any of the plan their entire lives.

But it stung. It stung. Because now... if he had been chosen for this purpose, and if Zelda had been born in the right circumstances so as to befriend him... now what?

What was his purpose now that his journey was over? Now that Demise had been defeated?

Link had never really had much of a plan for his life, honestly. He'd daydreamed his time away, relaxing and just enjoying being with Zelda and his loftwing, enjoying sights and smells and warmth and comfort. He was in the knight's academy, so becoming a knight was obviously a goal, but he had never felt particularly motivated for major life goals. He wasn't much of a planner, certainly not that far ahead.

But now... all he could think about was the future. All he could think was now what?

He knew, though. He knew what to do next. Because six months was enough time to let himself float in this haze of existing and not existing. He also knew it probably wouldn't get entirely better. But life wasn't going to stop just because he had, and for once, that meant something to him.

Link carefully wove the feather shaft into the leather cords, tying it in its place. He'd added beads to the headdress already - his loftwing's contribution was the final touch.

Because yes, he was tired. And yes, he wasn't entirely sure if his mind would ever clear of the fog that had crushed it since his journey's end. But no matter how he felt, his perception of hte world didn't change how it was.

Zelda was still there for him. The Surface was vast, endless even, and so, so new and different. The Triforce needed protecting. Zelda had already made plans for a settlement, and, with Groose's help, was in the process of setting foundations, while Link cleared the area of threats. There was hope, there was new life and a future and things beyond Link's comprehension.

His loftwing purred, bumping his beak against Link's forehead.

Link chuckled, nuzzling into his companion's feathery cheek, melting into the softness of it. "Yeah, I know. Let's go for a flight and then I'll go to her."

Crimson chittered excitedly, moving quickly towards the edge and diving off the island. Link stood there a moment, alone, and then smiled, tucking the headdress into his pouch. He felt anxiety hold him hostage a moment, and then he broke free of it, running full speed to the island's end and leaping with every ounce of energy he had.

The air whipped and whooshed around him, slamming into him layer after layer as he crashed through the sky. His wounds and worries were left behind, and he yelled in excitement and joy, he screamed in defiance at everything that weighed him down.

At the end of the day, nothing could clip his wings. Not even himself. He refused to let it.

Putting his fingers to his mouth, Link whistled shrilly, and his loftwing immediately came. He could always rely on Crimson. He knew, in the end, he could also always rely on Zelda.

And that headdress, alongside a traditional dance, would be the start of a physical representation of that.

In the meantime, his mind and heart soared with his loftwing, and he laughed as he flew through the sky.

[captainsophiestark]

Always Be Prepared

Poe Dameron x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2023!

Fandom: Star Wars

Day 21 Prompt: "Just in case this doesn't work."

Summary: Poe and his SO are supposed to be completing a simple, subtle reconnaissance mission, but a complication might make the 'subtle' part challenging.

Word Count: 1,073

Category: Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"This is... not good."

My boyfriend, Poe Dameron, and I stood shoulder to shoulder, tucked into our hiding spot as we watched First Order troops crawl all over the ship we were supposed to be escaping on. We'd come to this world on an intelligence gathering mission. Unfortunately for us, we apparently hadn't gone completely unnoticed.

Poe shrugged, nudging his shoulder against mine. "I don't know, it could be worse. We could've been in the ship when they swarmed it."

I huffed a laugh. "I guess that's true. So what do we do now?"

"Hmm. Did you see any other ships around here that we could take off with instead?"

"Not unless you count the ships the First Order came in on. And somehow I don't think we're gonna have much luck taking one of those."

"Then we need a distraction. Something big enough to draw them away from our ship, so big that we actually have half a shot at getting past those troopers."

Poe and I hummed in thought, each scanning our surroundings and staring off into space to try to get some inspiration. We'd spent enough time studying maps of this place and actually combing through it in the past few hours that if there was anything to be done, we should've been able to figure it out.

My eyes wandered over the door we'd just come from, leading to the heart of the building, including its power core.

A crazy, stupid, terrible idea hit me like lightning. I turned to Poe and found him staring back, the same spark of insanity I'd fallen in love with glimmering behind his eyes.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked, a manic grin growing slowly on his face. I shook my head.

"I kind of hate to say this, but yeah, I think I am."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

A better, less dangerous idea, I thought, but didn't say it out loud. Poe and I had done and survived all kinds of crazy things in our time with the Resistance, both together and apart. If we'd made it this far, then odds were good that we'd keep making it. Right?

As one, we turned and headed in the opposite direction from our ship, back into the heart of the facility we'd stolen information from. With the discovery of our ship, security had surely been tightened, but we still made it to our target.

The building's energy core hummed before us like a giant glowing weak point. If someone were to blow it up, they'd certainly cause a distraction worthy of attention from a bunch of First Order stormtroopers.

"You know, I feel like it's concerning that we're so in sync about stuff like this," I said as Poe and I moved around the room, quickly identifying weak points where we could do the most damage with just a few charges.

"I think we should be more concerned about why you bring explosive charges with you every time we go on a mission."

I shrugged. "It's working out for us so far, isn't it? You never know when a fast and easy sabotage method might come in handy in our line of work."

"I... guess I can't argue with that," said Poe with a chuckle. We worked together to place the charges, then I hooked up a remote detonator while Poe watched the door. Once everything was set, I gave him a thumbs up and went to meet him by the door. We ducked and dodged through the ever-increasing security measures, thankfully, finally making it back to our hiding spot in front of our ship.

It seemed like another group or two of storm troopers had made their way over, and I knew it was only a matter of time until they started expanding their search radius. It wouldn't take them long to find Poe and I if we didn't do something soon.

"Alright, should we go for it?" I asked, holding the detonator up in question to Poe. Suddenly, this plan felt a lot riskier than before we'd actually been ready to implement it.

"Hold on, one more thing first."

With that, he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him. He kissed me, hard, and after a second's surprise I melted into him, kissing him back just as hard. After a few long, savored moments, Poe pulled away, leaving me a little breathless as I subconsciously trailed after him. He grinned.

"Just in case this doesn't work," he said by way of explanation. I just smiled and shook my head.

"Get ready to run to the ship and go like hell, Flyboy. Once I press this button, it's mostly on you to get us out of here. I'll watch our backs."

Poe winked at me, and I smiled back at him. I took a deep breath, trying to steel myself as best I could, then pushed the button on the detonator.

A moment later, an explosion rocked the building. All the stormtroopers in front of us dropped what they were doing to look up in shock, and as the chain reaction of the explosion continued, they started shouting and rushing towards the building to try to do something. As a result, our ship was left almost completely unguarded.

In perfect sync, Poe and I took off running. I let him get a bit ahead of me, then turned as I ran, ready to shoot at anyone who tried to stop our escape.

Lucky for us, the distraction had worked even better than planned. With a First Order facility literally going up in smoke, even the few people left on the other ships in the yard were too distracted to notice Poe and I taking off until it was basically too late to stop us.

Once we made it to Hyperspace headed back for Resistance HQ, I let myself relax all the way. I put a hand on Poe's shoulder and kissed him on the cheek, then flopped back in my seat to watch the stars streak by.

"Nice work," I sighed. "We should start giving classes on pulling off insane shit like that."

"I hate to break it to you, but we're not out of the woods yet, sweetheart."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"One of us still has to explain the mess we left behind us to General Organa."

"Not it!"

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury

[thessalian]

Thess vs Narrative Choices

Not that I'm against them, no. Just ... this is where I shake my head aobut people in general and also remember that sometimes Reddit isn't good for my blood pressure.

So, Veilguard. Someone worked out that if you don't do anybody's companion questlines, the big bads at the end of those questlines are at the final fight - Aelia from Neve's as the powerful Venatori mage, Hezenkoss' giant skeleton as the juggernaut thing, the Dragon King as the head of the Antaam forces, stuff like that. Their comment: "This feels like the better way for it to go, because it's way better when it's personal at the end!"

Which is bad enough, honestly. Thinking from first playthrough terms, depending on who you have in your party, you might not understand why this particular bad is so important beyond it having a name. Like, you don't even see what Hezenkoss is up to until Emmrich's final companion quest! How is that somehow more powerful unless you have Emmrich in your party and get a throwaway banter line that might get missed in the fighting noise? Plus ... how is getting multiple fighting forces taking on your personal bullshit going to feel more powerful than facing down something that's haunted you for years and telling it to go fuck itself? This from people who seem to complain about a lack of time with their companions, now saying that it'd be more powerful if their beloved companions didn't get a chance to shine.

But, worse yet, is the one who added, "Actually, this feels like the better ending, because if you don't get that far into Emmrich's questline, Manfred never has to sacrifice himself, so Emmrich never gets forced to choose between saving Manfred and becoming a lich! And Shathann might actually still be alive if you don't do Taash's quest!"

Sooooooooo ... these people, who complain about how "sanitised" Veilguard is, about how they're not obliged to make any really tough decisions ... now want to take away more of them? They'd deny Emmrich the self-reflection to determine what he considers most important to him. They'd deny Taash the self-reflection to determine how much their mother meant to them, how she shaped them, what she actually meant by "shokra to ebra" ... and frankly how to stand up on their own. Taash's whole deal is that they're trying to figure out who they are under the weight of so many expectations and instructions and restrictions, and is so used to those things that they can barely make a move without turning to someone else and treating it like Shathann would a research project. As sad as losing Shathann is, in the end ... it brought things to a head that Taash needed. As for Emmrich ... well, self-reflection is never a bad thing, and determining what's worth facing your worst fear for is a big part of that. And since he was mostly trying to become a lich because of his fear of death...

HOW THE FUCK IS NOT SEEING CHARACTER DEVELOMENT BETTER?!?

I don't get people. There's a reason that companions die when you don't finish their questlines. It's not just arbitrary, it's not just "keeping the companion's mind on the job" - it's forging a bond of the type you need in combat. They complain that they don't feel like they're bonding with companions and then complain about the places where they do bond with companions? What do people want, seriously?

...Oh right. They want the game they've been playing in their heads for ten years.

[msommers]

1, 3, 11, 14, 19 for riya, meredith and ellana?

ok so like. ignore the time it took me to get to these. i was in fact thinking of them constantly but the act of actually typing?? horrendous. // oc asks: roots edition

1. How many living parents does your OC have? If they're alive, where are they now and what's your OC's relationship with them? If they're dead, how did they die?

RIYA — two! both of Riya's parents are still living in the ancestral Clairmont estate back in Cumberland, thank goodness. Riya is the biggest daddy's girl known to Thedas, they've been nearly attached at the hip since she was born as she's Loren’s only daughter and youngest child. they had matching outfits, practically a language of their own with all of the in-jokes and references, and she felt safe talking to him about anything and everything. she's not nearly as close with her mother, but their relationship is still good. i think Riya sometimes perceives it as being a little worse than it is, but that's just because she's somebody who craves frequent displays that show how somebody feels about her. Priscilla sacrificed a whole new palatial estate to the Circle of Magi just so Riya could grow up in the comfort she was used to, never truly punished her for shunning her studies and responsibilities, and started pulling on every resource to protect her after the frame job. there's no doubt they love each other with all of their hearts, but Priscilla has trouble with vulnerability and emotional expression, and Riya struggles with the high standards/expectations from her. 

MEREDITH — first of all: you're sick and twisted for this. second: zero 💚 they were both casualties of Rendon Howe’s coup. i personally, me myself and i, believe Rendon would have been too much of a cowardly, slimy fuck to be face-to-face with any Cousland when it all kicked off, so i believe that Bryce suffered a fatal stab wound from one of Howe's stealthier soldiers and subsequently bled out in the larder before being found. as for Eleanor?? i'm having a tough time with this one and have been for the whole week it took me to finally get back here. as of right now, i'm fucking with the idea that Eleanor was able to wipe out a small group of the attackers before Rendon finally showed up with his own squad of goons, and she died from one of them stabbing her in the back after she'd gotten far too close to taking Rendon down in a rush attack. i simply find it hard to believe the woman who took down a warship at the age of fifteen would've laid down and died, or been unable to get at least one good strike at the man who filled her with such a powerful vengeance. clearly the fuck didn't die there, but i like to think he spent a good few months recovering from the wound Eleanor left him on her way out.

ELLANA — you'd think after all these years i would have her clan figured out but i kinda forgor 💀 i think her parents would be alive! given who Ellana is, i imagine her family (and clan overall) would hold similar values and they'd lead kinder lives that allow them more peace from outside dangers. i know she'd be a family focused woman so she would have a good relationship with both parents, perhaps closer with her mother just cuz. if i end up making a post in the next few days with a bunch of brand new dalish elves hot off the presses this is your fault (affectionate)

3. How did your OC feel the first time they left home? Why did they leave?

RIYA — answered here!

MEREDITH — first time she left home probably would've been joining her father on teyrn business to visit some bann or other, tagging along because of a young girl's curiosity. likely could have been the first trigger to her becoming interested in politics, bombarding Bryce with questions on the carriage ride to their destination and then somehow finding even more once they were there because she found the business so fascinating. it would have undoubtedly been exciting for her from the jump, and only gotten better the further along they went as she started to learn more and more about the people of the teyrnir and her father's responsibilities. 

ELLANA — her clan is one of the rare groups to engage in occasional trade with humans and i imagine this soft-hearted clown would've enjoyed taking part in those ventures, i'll count that as technically leaving home because i'm sure it was at least a week’s worth of time spent traveling out and engaging. she was eager to go! it would have meant a great deal to her that she was being entrusted to join the journey as a protector for those who were going along, and she wouldn't deny feeling a bit of a thrill at the idea of interacting with non-dalish for the first time. 

11. What was your OC scared of as a child? Are they still scared of that?

RIYA — answered here!

MEREDITH — Aldous doesn't strike me as the type of teacher to censor or lighten history for the sake of a young mind, which i'm sure Meredith would've been grateful for in her young adult years and onward, but as a child she was often worrying herself to sleeplessness over the dreadful—and sometimes downright evil—acts of humankind. the Orlesian occupation and subsequent war to regain Ferelden’s independence was filled with enough horror stories on its own to fuel her nightmares for years on end. this all probably contributes to her later development of paranoia tbh, but let's not examine that rn. i’d say around her origins era that she’s still holding onto those fears, but she has the added fun and lucky experience of getting to learn that her own countrymen are just as capable of their atrocities.

ELLANA — i think she would have been fortunate enough to avoid any serious fears as a child, in part due to her innate bravery and another to her clan having a more gentle history compared to many others. perhaps a fear of heights, which she'd definitely gotten over by the time the inquisition came around (hi mage barrier + flinging self off a cliff to avoid finding a path combo <3) ((she wouldn't like. Literally do that but it's funny)). something super specific but i feel suits her as she's spent so long in the woods: a forest going silent. not something i think she'd have gotten over, and just the idea of it makes her feel on edge. like what the fuck do you mean all of the wildlife and even the wind has gone quiet because Something Is Coming, that’s always scary. 

14. Who was your OC's first love? How do they remember that person now?

RIYA — a noble boy that started training under her brother, Regulus, when she was in her teens. he was a young warrior-in-training with lofty aspirations of gaining glory through acts of altruism and heroics—basically he was a startup version of the heroes she'd grown up hearing stories of from her own family history and other various tales of daring, so naturally she had to pounce on that with all the finesse a 15-year old Riya possessed. it worked because she was pretty and heaped on all of the praises a young fighter would love to hear from a girl (not to mention there's a high chance they already knew each other from running in the same social circles), but it wouldn't have lasted very long. they had a good month or two of a fun and frivolous relationship, but Riya had gotten her first hook-up and that sparked her long-lasting habit of fooling around with a partner until she was abruptly ready to drop them and move on in search of another. she would have been adamant then and would still be now that just because their connection was brief, it doesn't mean her love for him wasn't real (it was a shallow thing entirely based off of her [unsurprisingly] getting horny about a young hero in the making but hey! still counts). i'd say she remembers him fondly because i don't imagine it ended in a Disastrous way. all she's got of him are good memories of early practices for her flirting skills, eagerly observing warrior training, and a judgment-free first sexual experience that probably gave them both a good confidence/happiness boost.

MEREDITH — if there's one thing about me it's that i'm gonna push my “Meredith and Gilmore were childhood sweethearts” agenda whenever i'm handed the opportunity, because i can't be convinced that it's not adorable as hell. a little lady and a young squire?? cuties. babies. must be protected. nothing too serious really but they were in their early teens and had grown up together, having that close bond made it easy to slip into crushes once they hit puberty. he fancied himself her protector and she found it incredibly romantic, as a young noble girly is wont to do. he also knew how to make her laugh, could tell when she was hiding irritation from others to be polite, and took her seriously (which we all know is monumental to a teen girl who has Ideas and Opinions). unfortunately, most of the time when Meredith allows herself the space to remember him, she thinks back to his promise that he would be at her side until she had all of Ferelden wrapped around her finger. makes it harder to face the fact that she’s taking those steps without him, even if she’s managed to find support in others. she’s fond of the times when she can think of him and focus only on his loyalty and courage, rather than the other Horrors which plague her even a decade on. we don’t talk about Fort Drakon <3

ELLANA — the Second of her clan, a girl named Mirisa. a severe case of puppy love that lasted quite a while on both sides. Ellana was practically born with a deep respect and awe for mages, so i imagine that contributed to her developing a crush and subsequently taking any excuse under the sun to be present for Mirisa’s practicing or training so that she could observe the magic. their favored way of wasting the time away and being together was going off to relax under the shade of some tree or other, Ellana with her head in Mirisa’s lap, content listening to the Second ramble on about all she was learning from the Keeper that week. most of the arcane talk went over her head (though she engaged with it as best she could), but her favorite topics were the various tidbits of history that she wasn't learning about in her own teachings. they're probably still friends by the time Ellana is sent to the Conclave tbh and she looks back at their little love affair as an adorable example of harmless, innocent romance. it brings a smile to her face recalling the little moments of sneaking chaste kisses when nobody was looking, or them giggling at nothing simply because they were giddy being near one another. 

19. What traditions or stories does your OC carry forward from their childhood to the rest of their life?

RIYA — answered here! 

MEREDITH — i’m sitting here trying to come up with a condensed list or something but it’s like. take one look at this woman and you know she’s carried and cataloged literally everything she’s ever been told or learned herself through her entire life. she has names of nobility and military figures memorized from wars and conflicts that haven’t mattered in who knows how long. she’s hoarded knowledge on ancient and abandoned Fereldan traditions just for fun. she can recite the entire timeline of the Cousland family back to its origin and give you cute little blurbs on most, if not all, of the family members. she’s a fucking nerd with an obsession to Know Things due to the assumption that knowledge is power enough to keep her safe and in control, she’s not letting anything slip the mind palace.

ELLANA — naturally she carries and maintains the vir tanadhal as both a dalish and a hunter, feeling more attuned to the vir bor'assan (bend but never break. "as the sapling bends, so must you. in yielding, find resilience; in pliancy, find strength.") out of the three. the vir banal'ras (aka dalish calling for a blood debt to be paid) wasn’t something she clung to very much as a kid but the memory of it came rushing back and became very important to her on a handful of occasions during her time as agent/inquisitor. she wasn’t as religious or spiritual as some of the others from her clan, but she still carried out the traditional ways of worship for the evanuris as any good dalish would.

[unsettlingcreature]

RIGHT OK SO thoughts. i have them.

MINRATHOUS. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. MINRATHOUS!!!!

It's beautiful. I want to see more of Minrathous and Tevinter in general, I am SO excited for the environments and buildings and- (muffled screaming).

Also Minrathous? Do you know who else might be in Minrathous? ��🥺🥺 i'm sorry i just want to see dorian again. But also, I hope we'll see Maevaris too! So badly!

edit: actually, I realised what the started segment where you run through the city with demons Fucking Shit up reminds me of! The scene in Origins where you are running across the bridge to get to the beacon at the battle of Ostagar! Having to ignore the carnage around you as you push forwards because the end goal is ultimately more important...

I love that we get a background for our Rook that seems to actually come up outside of the rare dialogue option. And speaking of dialogue, I like that we're keeping the dialogue wheel with contextual icons! I'm not a massive fan of the UI but it's by no means bad.

As they walked through the streets of Minrathous, I was for some reason reminded of Assassin's Creed. But once combat began, I was reminded of Shadow of Mordor...? I think it was the switching between blade and bow.

I can already tell that the combat is not really my thing. I'll cope. I'll suffer through it. I will say that it looks very fluid and makes me hope that we'll get a similar flow of combat (for rogues at least) similar to DA2 (which I think has the best dual-wielding combat of the three games imo). I'll probably still pick a mage for my first playthrough but rogues are tempting me.

The warning lines for ranged attacks is... interesting! I've seen something similar in a few games and it'll definitely make dodging a lot easier to figure out timings, even if I personally hate dodge-heavy combat. Again, I'll cope.

The music... oh my god, it's beautiful. As they approached the ritual site, you could hear the same motifs that were present in the Tresspasser's soundtrack (specifically Dark Solas Theme) (I go feral whenever I hear those strings btw). Very excited by the music, even the song that was present for the countdown before it started was beautiful!

Some of the dialogue was a bit... quippy. It was way better than the character reveal though. For the most part, it felt fine but then now and then I'd pull a face at a cheesy line or the odd sentence that felt stilted to me.

I didn't realise Neve was an amputee! I love the stylised prosthetic. I definitely need to get around to reading the comics.

The new direction with demons is interesting. They seem to be going more wraith-like, with even the pride demon no longer have legs and just kind of floating. The fiery dog-like are what I assume are meant to be rage demons? I actually love them, far more than the weird blobby things we've seen in past games.

The facial expressions are very good. Definitely not having the same issue as ME:A. Honestly, the animation in general is brilliant. I enjoyed watching Rook dart about during combat and his movement was very fun.

Whenever the pride demon teleported away just as Rook went to strike, I kept thinking "nah that would piss me off so much".

Seeing Varric approach Solas, I was like haha wow, imagine if they killed off Varric really early on in the game. I don't think Bioware would but it did genuinely put me on edge for a moment. Destroying Bianca though... Nah, somehow that's worse. Where's he going to get another one? :(

Also, hi Venatori! You're still around after ten years? Fucking hell, you'd think they'd have given up considering Corypheus was dunked on over a decade ago. Learn to take the L.

Finally, that shout from Solas as the ritual was disrupted... I think it's the angriest I've heard him, at least put against how he was in Inquisition. Also are we going to talk about the purple eyes? I think I'd like to talk about the purple eyes. Solas could get it. WHAAAAAT WHO SAID THATTTTT, THAT'S WILDDDDDDD...

[jazlynriddle]

Welcome to your life - Pt 2:

Acting On Your Best Behaviour Ch 10:

Summary:

They'd seen it in their fellow orphans often enough to recognise the pattern and were now forced to admit, despite their hopes to the contrary, that Isidora had likely suffered similar side effects.

No… they'd always known she had. The Keeper had just wanted the power that Ranrok had, enough to convince themselves that they would be able to handle it better than that naive woman.

With the start of the Keeper’s sixth-year in Hogwarts, comes a whole slew of headache-inducing challenges from the most unexpected of places. Between insignificant pests throwing wrenches into their plans and tedious teenage drama, that the Keeper is entirely unprepared for, they wonder if they'll make it to their NEWTs without losing their sanity.

Or worse, Ominis or Sebastian.

Warnings: Sebastian x MC x Ominis! Drug Addiction! Spoilers! Slow-burn corruption! Dark content! Fucked up 1800s orphanages! MC has no love for Anne or Solomon! Dubious happy ending (it's happy for MC, Seb and Ominis at least).

You can also read on AO3! (chapter specific warnings below)

Notes:

Warning: Descriptions of faecal matter!

Now that the drug addiction arc and its accompanying character and relationship growths are mostly settled. I'm going to start laying more groundwork and preparations, and throw in some time skipping to get to the next arc I've got planned xD

Also, I actually started rereading from the start of the series to refresh my memory and wow, it's gotten long enough that it's taking me, myself, days to read up to the latest chapter! By the time I'm done with this series, I'm probably going to be able to read the entire thing as though someone else wrote it. HUZZAH! =D

"So, what'd you get from those diaries?" The Keeper asked as the group settled down around their usual table at the Three Broomsticks.

Garreth shrugged. "Not that much, still making my way through them. So far, it just seems like they're some truly sad souls. I almost feel bad for them.

The Keeper raised their eyebrows, the madman actually read them!? Honestly, they were impressed by the Gryffindor's dedication to what seemed like his life’s purpose of pranking. "Is that so? Now I'm curious."

"Well, first off, this is apparently their second time taking seventh year, explains why they can even afford to stalk you so much." Garreth rolled his eyes.

"They failed their NEWTs? Considering their penmanship, I bet the professors simply couldn’t read their test papers." Amit snorted, before taking a drink from his mug.

"Probably would've been the case if they hadn't simply bailed on the week of the exams." Garreth sniggered as Amit sprayed his butterbeer across the table.

"They didn't show up!?" Natty exclaimed and it was unclear if the disgust on her face was from the now lubricated table or the idea of the bullies cowardly running away from their exams.

"Yup, apparently they weren't happy with the girls their parents had signed them marriage contracts with and did so as some form of protest." Garreth shook his head. "Honestly, I think it's kinda messed up that these purebloods don't get to pick who they marry. And somehow they're the superior ones."

"Can't say I have any sympathy for them, but it's rather understandable to not want to marry someone you don't love." Poppy glanced at the Keeper. "Especially if you already love someone else."

"I suppose their families don't approve of a pair of no name hillbilly twin girls." The Keeper hummed thoughtfully to themselves. "They aren't firstborn sons, right?"

"Yeah, they've both got older brothers, that's probably why they could get away with bargaining their Hogwarts career with their parents." Garreth rolled his eyes. "Pureblood politics are so weird."

"Politics…" Amit coughed to clear his throat and vanished away the butterbeer on the table before continuing. "I wonder if we can use any of this as blackmail."

The Keeper shook their head. "Probably not anything they'd dare to write."

"Oh!" Poppy's eyes lit up. "In that case, how about we make them share something they wouldn't write down?"

"What, like with a truth serum?" The Keeper raised an eyebrow sceptically. There was no way something like that existed, even in the-

"Veritaserum is a NEWT level potion though…" Amit frowned.

Seriously?

"Are you telling me that there's a potion that makes people tell the truth?" The Keeper asked incredulously.

"Ah, right, I suppose you wouldn't know since it's not very commonly spoken or written about." Poppy smiled wryly.

"If such a thing exists, why doesn't the ministry just use that on people like Rookwood and Harlow?" The Keeper's face scrunched up in bewilderment.

The table went silent.

"Well… there is an antidote and it's said that those with Occlumency can resist it…" Amit trailed off hesitantly.

The Keeper rolled their eyes. "It's the bloody Government, surely they can use a mixture of confounding spells, torture, and force feeding to convict anyone suspected of criminal activity and obviously not allow them to take an antidote. With enough evidence and compulsion, the truth would always surface. If the serum isn't enough, you could even forcibly extract their memories to back it up."

The group went silent again at the Keeper’s casual advocation of torture. Most of them weren't particularly surprised at the Keeper’s stance, considering the way they fought in battle. Garreth's eyes were the only ones wide with surprise, having never fought alongside the Keeper and seen their violent tendencies.

"I'm not sure that's very ethical…" Natty frowned in concern and disapproval.

The Keeper snorted. "I'd say it's more unethical to allow people to harm others over some vague concept of human rights. If the authorities had used Veritaserum on Harlow after we gave them that incriminating letter, Archie's father would still be alive."

Natty flinched and averted her eyes with a frown. The Keeper ignored it, this was a ridiculous point to be stuck on.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't mind trying to brew it." Garreth broke the awkward silence with a nervous smile and a shrug, clearly trying to move the conversation along. "But I don’t know the recipe and it's supposed to take a month to brew. Even if by some miracle, we get the ingredients, I can't be sure it'll work."

"I think it's worth a try." Poppy nodded. "I don’t think those boys deserve the right to keep secrets."

"We can help with gathering the needed materials and I'll help with the brewing." The Keeper nodded as well. A chance to learn how to brew a truth serum was certainly something they wouldn't pass up. Even if it failed, it was definitely worth the attempt.

"I'll see what books I can find on the subject." Amit offered. "Though with it being a controlled substance, chances are slim that we'll even find the recipe, so I'd keep my hopes low."

"I'll check the Restricted Section if you can't find anything." The Keeper waved a hand dismissively.

"You-" Amit's eyes widened, and he paused. "Why am I even surprised that you have a way to sneak into the Restricted Section."

The Keeper flashed him a small smirk, before turning to Natty, waiting for her response, prompting the rest to do the same.

Glancing around the table, Natty sighed. "Very well, but I have one condition, we'll plan the questions together and I'll do the interrogation. I don't want to violate them more than we need to. We mustn't sink to their level."

"Reasonable enough." The Keeper nodded amicably, it wasn’t like they intended to allow the bullies to be interrogated under Veritaserum anyway. Not while those idiots remained abreast of the Keeper’s own secrets.

"Wait, surely you can't be suggesting that we waste this opportunity!? We could have them tell us anything!" Garreth protested. "Think of the blackmail material or at the very least the pranks we could pull on them!"

Natty glared at her housemate while the Keeper snorted, they were amazed that that one hadn't ended up in Slytherin. Still, ethical conflicts aside, it was admittedly nice to have such a naïve group of friends.

"Hey, are you alright, Natty?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, Poppy."

"If what they said is still bothering you, don't worry too much about it. They mean well, they've just been through a lot. Can't have been easy having three villains after them the moment they entered the wizarding world."

"I know… that's the problem. I don’t agree with them, but I can’t say they were wrong…"

"Honestly, I've been thinking about it too."

"You have?"

"Yeah, and I think it's fine to disagree with them. It's having people like you, that prevents justice from becoming cruelty, and people like them judging evil, that protects everyone. That’s what I think at least."

"...I suppose."

"Chin up, we're definitely doing the right thing. They've been looking so much better since we started helping them last month!"

"...yeah, you're right. Hopefully we'll be able to finish this before the Yule holidays at the end of next month."

"Do you think they'll manage to make Veritaserum with Garreth?"

"They and Garreth are the two best potioneers in our year, and Amit is great at potion theory, so I'd say there's a good chance."

"I wonder how they managed to find the recipe in the Restricted Section…"

"Probably with Sallow's help. He's been caught in the Restricted Section so many times, I'm sure he literally just gave them the title and shelf."

"I'm still surprised he and Ominis didn't agree to work with us."

"..."

"When it turns yellow, stir nine times clockwise at medium heat." Amit read from the open tome laid out on the table, before adjusting the temperature of the fire.

The Keeper nodded, eyes narrowed in focus as they carefully moved the ladle at an even pace.

"Is the unicorn horn powder ready? I need at least a spoonful to add after the potion turns red." Amit asked as he returned to reading the next set of instructions on the tome carefully.

"Almost." Garreth replied as he carefully ground the last fragment of horn into a powder. "Bit surprised you knew where to get unicorn horn."

The Keeper shrugged as the potion began turning pink. "I explored the surrounding region a fair bit last year."

"I'm amazed you managed to pass your OWLs while adventuring and fighting Ranrok, Rookwood and Harlow." Amit shook his head as he carefully collected a spoonful of powder and began to add it to the red liquid. "Now, seven times anticlockwise. Garreth, you can start shredding the Dugbog tongue and I'll prepare the Stench of the Dead."

"Got it." Garreth nodded as he readied the chopping board. "Honestly, after your assistance acquiring Billywig Stings for my last endeavour, I was sure you'd join Sebastian and I, as a frequent guest of the illustrious Detention Chamber."

"Only if I were as sloppy as you two." The Keeper snorted, inwardly apologising to Sebastian as Garreth gasped in mock offence. After all, the last time Sebastian had gotten a detention, it had been to protect them.

The Keeper felt the corners of their lips attempt to curl upwards at the fond memory and quickly shook it off. This wasn't the time to be distracted by their feelings for Sebastian-

"Alright, we've got to add these at the same time when it turns blue." Amit moved to stand beside the cauldron with the disgusting smelling bottle and Garreth joined him with his own shredded tongue strips. "You'll need to wave your wand over the pot after they're in to finish the potion."

"Got it." The Keeper nodded, making the effort to keep their stirring constant as they monitored the potion.

"Aaaand…" Amit held his breath as the potion's bright purple gradually bled into a beautiful sky blue. "Now!"

The potion splashed slightly as the handfuls of ingredients plopped into the bubbling liquid. The moment they sank under the surface, the Keeper quickly waved their wand over the cauldron and the surface of the liquid glowed brightly before a cloud of steam burst from it.

The three jumped back in surprise and the Keeper irritably fanned the smoke away with a hand. When the air finally cleared, the contents of the cauldron were now a surprisingly clear and transparent fluid.

"...did we…" Amit murmured, staring at the pot. The disgusting odour of the Stench of the Dead was completely gone.

"We did it!" Garreth cheered, jumping with a fist in the air.

"Don't celebrate so soon, just because it looks correct doesn't mean its potency is desirable or that it actually performs the intended results." The Keeper chuckled at the Gryffindor's excitement.

"Heh heh, that just means we've got to test it!" Garreth grinned and Amit sighed.

"Indeed. The Yule break starts next week, so this weekend is our last chance." The Keeper took a set of vials out of their satchel. "How about you guys start putting the ingredients back while I pour the potion into these vials?"

"Sure, I remember where to put the remaining ingredients we lifted from Professor Sharp's store." Garreth grinned as he scooped the remaining items and dumped them into Amit's arms. "You can help keep a lookout."

"Why me-" Amit complained as Garreth dragged him out of the room by the sleeve.

The Keeper smirked as the two boys left, quickly ladling out the cauldron's contents into six vials which they placed into a blue box and shoved into their satchel. They then removed a brown box containing six identical vials of clear and odourless liquid, placing it on the counter.

With that settled, the Keeper went about cleaning the potion station until the two boys returned.

"Alright, so we're all in agreement on this list of questions?" Natty asked, holding up a parchment.

The Keeper nodded, not that it mattered. If everything went well, she wouldn't even get the chance to ask them.

"Then, let's get started." Garreth grinned widely as he held up the brown box for Natty and Poppy to take one vial each. "Good luck!"

The two girls quickly left the Three Broomsticks through the front door and the Keeper's eyes slid upwards towards the upper floors. Now, it was up to the girls and all they could do was wait for their signal.

Once outside, Natty and Poppy hurried up the snow covered stone steps and around to the other side of the Three Broomsticks. Reaching the side door that led back into the building, Natty lightly pushed the door open and stepped through it, finding themselves on the second floor.

Looking over the banister, Natty noted that the two bullies were on the first floor, leaning against the railings. The bullies' mugs sat on said railings beside their arms as they looked out over the table on the ground floor, where the group always sat with the Keeper, and all in all, doing a terrible job of appearing as though they weren't blatantly spying.

Quietly, she and Poppy made their way down the stairs, and around the bullies, to stand within view of the Keeper’s table behind the bullies. Once in position, Natty lifted her wand and whispered. "Lumos."

Spotting the light from the corner of their eye, the Keeper stood and began walking under the first-floor platform towards the fireplace. The bullies, predictably, left the front facing banister immediately to scamper to the other side of the first floor and looked downwards over those railings to keep the Keeper within their sight.

At the same time, Poppy and Natty quickly, and quietly, brisk walked over to the two abandoned mugs of butterbeer and dripped three drops of the contents of their vials into each, before quickly returning to their original spot. With their task done, Natty raised her lit wand again.

Spotting the second signal, the Keeper collected a handful of nuts from a bowl on the fireside counter and returned to their table casually.

The bullies again followed them, returning to their original spot, leaning on the railings overlooking the Keeper's table. Natty took a deep breath as she and Poppy watched the bullies pick up their mugs and take several gulps from them.

"Alright. Time to see if it worked." Natty breathed and Poppy gave her a supportive pat on the shoulder.

Mustering that Gryffindor courage that she was so proud of, Natty began to approach the bullies when one of them let out a loud groan of pain.

She stopped in surprise, when the other bully broke wind at an embarrassingly high volume, the sound lasting long enough to draw everyone’s attention to its uneven stutter.

One that sounded alarmingly wet, no less.

The nearby customers began to snigger as the two bullies faces paled and then began turning red.

Without a word, the two boys abruptly broke into a sprint, shuffling down the stairs as fast as their feet could carry them, with another loud and wet fart echoing in their wake. The sound came accompanied by the appearances of brown splotches and footprints left behind by the bullies’ shoes.

Garreth immediately burst into uproarious laughter, alongside several other customers, while Sirona shouted angrily at the two bullies as they rushed out of the establishment.

Giggling, Poppy began descending the stairs as well, taking care to avoid the reeking brown spatter on the wooden steps. Natty shook her head with a sigh before following, slipping around Sirona as the bar owner began to clean away the disgusting stains.

"Well, that went well." Poppy laughed lightly as she and Natty reseated themselves at the table.

"Well? I think that was fantastic! A perfect prank if I do say so myself, so worth the month-long brew!" Garreth shook with laughter.

The Keeper smirked. "I believe a wise man once said, he who hath smelt it hath dealt it."

"And if it was more than just gas, he will have felt it. In. His. Pants!" Garreth continued with an enormous grin, as he punctuated each of those last few words by jabbing a finger in the air.

Honestly, the Keeper was wondering if that grin stretching from ear to ear was hurting his face. It certainly looked like it should.

Natty sighed. "I won't deny that it ended up being a funny and unexpectedly suitable revenge, but I would have rathered it gone according to plan."

The Keeper shrugged. "At least it didn't kill them. In all honesty, if we had messed it up worse, it probably wouldn't have been funny."

Natty's face paled at the suggestion and Poppy shook her head. "Well, it would probably have been obvious if it had failed that badly, let's just be glad we got a good laugh for our troubles."

"Indeed, it was certainly worth the effort, and I am nonetheless glad to have learnt and attempted such a complex potion." Amit agreed with a smile.

Natty sighed but her eyes were less downtrodden this time, even managing a small smile. "You're right, we won't be defeated."

"Just because this plan didn't work out, doesn't mean we won't keep trying till we have a solution!" Garreth nodded, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

The Keeper snorted, they certainly were an optimistic bunch, but that wasn't a bad thing. Pessimistic mentalities were more deadly than most of their wizarding peers realised. If you'd already given up in your mind, no plan you concocted would succeed, and you would have lost the battle before it even began.

That was something they respected in Sebastian, his optimism, dedication, and determination to do the impossible regardless of how many people tried to stop him. Even Ominis, though withheld often by caution and anxiety, was not afraid to use whatever he had at his disposal to protect what he saw as his. A trait they too shared.

The Keeper was proud to have gathered so many people with the right life attitudes, not just as friends but in their partners too. They wouldn't let any of this effort be for naught. Neither this group's nor their partners'.

While they knew that not everyone would agree, the Keeper believed that the way to make up for deceiving their friends, was to make sure that they'd done it for a worthwhile reason.

That's why they sought Sebastian and Ominis' aid in preparing a very specific brew for the replica vials, with the express purpose of letting the Keeper steal the actual Veritaserum while still creating an effect that their friends would appreciate. The liquid in these fake vials was incredibly potent, causing a sudden and urgent need to use the bathroom, with only two drops.

Perhaps it was a bit overkill, it had been almost as difficult to create such a fake, as it was to brew the actual Veritaserum. They were beyond grateful to have had Ominis' skill in potion theory, and Sebastian’s resourceful creativity, for this craft.

Fortunately, it had gone surprisingly well, and the Keeper felt that their efforts had been worthwhile. Allowing them to look forward to testing the actual Veritaserum without too much guilt. A full dose was three drops, so if it worked, they'd have at least ten doses per vial for a grand total of sixty uses. A coil of glee and excitement roiled in their chest.

Excellent.

This wouldn't go to waste. Their friends and partners' efforts would become a firm foundation for what the Keeper would soon build.

“Now. What do we do with the rest of these then?” Garreth grinned as he held up the brown box full of diarrhoea-inducing transparent and odourless liquid.

The rest of the group paled.

Notes:

While I do understand that Veritaserum is not 100% reliable and that memories can be doctored, that doesn't change how incompetent the Ministry is in the Wizarding World.

At the end of Natty's questline, Nurse Blainey says "What sort of world are we in where children solve our problems?" And this is indeed an entirely horrifying realisation to come to when it involves your local law enforcement.

The letter we submitted to Officer Singer should have been more than enough to at least begin an investigation, the fact that it was not, is ludicrous.

In a way the Keeper’s argument on Veritaserum is the age-old "guilty until proven innocent" vs "innocent until proven guilty". Their reasons for vouching for "guilty until proven innocent" are (hopefully) obvious enough, considering their childhood, and accordingly, the Keeper very much ascribes to the Machiavellian philosophy "the ends justify the means".

Also, I'll remind everyone that the Keeper is still a 15 year old kid, and maturity does not equal experience and knowledge xD

Plus, they're mostly uninterested in politics, which is where a majority of the Ministry's incompetence stems from, as such, they don't see how the nuances of ethics and responsibility can be utterly suppressed by wealth and privilege.

Like the way Lucius Malfoy weaselled his way out of Azkaban despite being a Death Eater and even manipulated the Minister in Harry Potter.

[pqrachel]

FlipWitch Review

So I talk about games I've played a bunch on here. I just played a new metroidvania over the last week, FlipWitch: Forbidden Sex Hex, and it was such a strangely cool experience.

Because at first it was like just alright, like it didn't do anything great for a while, but everything in the game was up to a standard that was better than average for metroidvanias. Like I've played so many metroidvania demos that I just never get through because of how samey they all feel; but even though I wasn't initially hooked with this game, it stood out. And not just because of the hentai scenes, though that did help as I've never played hentai game even close to this level.

But as I played FlipWitch more and more, it kept getting better. There were plenty of QoL things that made sidequests and exploring fun. Like having your main upgrades be tied to sidequests was interesting and I don't think I've seen that done that way before. I wish some of the sidequests were like post-game, cuz I kept doing them because they were fun, but by the end of the game I felt really overpowered going into boss battles.

But speaking of, the boss battles are what MAKE a metroidvania and they were of varying quality. Some felt okay, some felt rushed or underdeveloped, but there were a few that were so freaking amazing and felt great. I wish there were more amazing boss battles cuz it's obvious the team is capable of creating them. (Like I'm being critical here but it's because I see the potential.) I really wished they focused on this more for all their bosses.

The soundtrack was great throughout the whole game, it's actually how I learned about the game in the first place. Like Phantasmal Phunk showed up on my YouTube recommended while I was listening to music and it's a freaking banger. That's the easily the best song, but somehow the rest of the soundtrack still surprised me with how good it was.

I kind of mentioned it, but I really wish there was some post-game content. Like extra story scenes for completing all the sidequests and discovering everything. Like I explored and did sidequests as I was playing and I felt like what was left didn't really have too much of an impact. If there was a lot left to discover after I beat the game it'd be even worse, like what would these upgrades be for if there's nothing else left to fight. Like it'd be so great if they had a bossrush mode where the bosses are balanced around you having all your gear and upgrades and you get to experience them again but at your true level. (They'd probably need to take away some of the healing because 11 heals at full upgrades is super OP as I discovered.) But I'd love that so much.

I saw in the dev updates, they were adding QoL stuff for a few months after release. And in January they were thinking about more updates, but so far nothing. Hopefully that means they're working on something a bit bigger for the game, but if not hopefully they're working on something else cuz I'm a fan now and want to see more.

But yeah TLDR: FlipWitch isn't just good for a hentai game, it's just actually really good.

[originemesis]

@chasingrainbcws xxx

For a moment... the briefest of beautiful interludes between his skimming of text and his abuse of the waiter, she thinks that he just might actually be taking the situation seriously after her heartfelt plea... --- she should have known better. Chicken alfredo or --- ugh. He was just trying to wear her down, as he had been for the past hour... as he had during every meeting they'd had over the past six months... but whatever fuming reaction he's prodding for with that characteristic gaslighting, he won't get it. She keeps her composure, pitch lips pursed to a flat line, her brow furrowed with an absolute lack of amusement. He reduced the souls that she reigned over, her people, to slaughter-fodder and job security. She can't help the comeback that slips from her forked-tongue as she leans back in her seat, arms folded under her breast and one leg crossed over the other. ❝ ... Fair point. I guess you have to make yourself useful to Heaven somehow. ❞

For a moment... the briefest of interludes between him condescending to her and singing his own praises --- she looks far too much like her Mother. The first course arrives and, as expected, he pays more attention to the empty carbs than the subject at hand. Despite his claim, she couldn't help but to wonder if this whole situation really was nothing but a fucking joke to him... but when his clawed gloves float the freshly edited proposal back into her line of sight... it isn't a joke. It's the furthest thing from it. There it is, in black and white... never shades of grey. Her frustration, disdain, pride... it all falls from her face like the marble of a weathered statue crumbling to dust. The color drains from her apple-blossom cheeks, her expression falling as her eyes read, and re-read those words over, and over --- as if that could change them. This... couldn't be happening. Severe population control of Hell ?! Preferred by the Council ?! No --- no, no ! How could they do this ?! Why were they giving Adam so much power ?! How could they sign off on something so brutal, so savage ?! She shouldn't be surprised at this point, but... ever the pure of heart, she had hoped... hoped that her plea might have been heard by someone up there, hoped that Emily may have been able to do something... All she had wanted to do was save her people... but all she'd done was make it worse. She sits there in dumbfounded dread and abject horror as the reality of the situation sets in. Her Father's words echo in her ears, grating and sharp like the teeth of a parasitic worm slowly devouring her motivation. Heaven didn't listen to me, and they sure won't listen to you, either ! ... Maybe he was right... maybe they wouldn't listen, with or without proof that this could work, and she knew that it could --- but... now what can she do ? Her choices have been limited to agreeing to let the Exorcists' armies spread their genocide into other rings, or simply kill all of the sinners in the Pride ring in one fell swoop ?! True terror tightens the knot in her stomach at the very thought: Angel Dust, Husk, Cherri Bomb, Niffty, Alastor --- Rosie, the cannibals... ! She couldn't just let them die like that ! And all the while as she's agonizing, he's stuffing his face with empty carbs and reveling in her misery. Who's the devil, here ?

This... was his plan all along. He'd just been stringing her along, toying with her as he sat on the ultimatum. He'd held all the control from the beginning, hadn't he ? And there was some hidden agenda he'd been holding in his back pocket. He was getting at something... backing her into a corner with impossible choices until the only one left was whatever he was about to propose. ❝ ... What do you want, Adam ? ❞

"That so~?"

If her little nip of a dig does anything, he doesn't show any indication of it...at first, anyway. Though by now, she's likely aware that he's not one to show all of his cards at once even if he pretends to just to exaggerate whatever rug pull he had in store later. When it came to going big or going home, he was the fattest cock in the room, after all. He'll give the cherub time to tumble on its ass on its way out while stirring the wine in his cup with a talon tip as the garish yellows of his eyes locate the tint of disdain in hers, and for a moment he could have sworn he was at dinner with his clown fucking ex wife. Well, if that indominable spirit was still kicking around her kid, it was surely watered down a degree with the push over that was her father. Not exactly the most appealing of combinations, he's not going to lie- but to step on and grind it under his heel might be cathartic.

An itch of a smirk is the only indication she gets that he heard her pop off, and after a bit more finger painting in his wine, he lifts his claws to lightly flick the wine over at her in droplets with a pope's poise in anointing brats with holy water. There's a degree of control with his aim in that it falls short of actually splashing her, the fermented drops painting the crystal table top with an array of mahogany droplets. And once his talon tips have been sufficiently dripped, he reaches over to tip the candlestick out of its holder so that it rolled the circumference of the table, flame catching the pinprick puddles of wine on fire as it went until there was a low wall of flames between them.

"And you have to make yourself useful to hell somehow. I'd say we're not so different ~ but hey, I'm not the one with the perma deaths of thousands riding on my shoulders, am I?" Well- that's the nicest way to hint she should shut her fucking mouth before a dick flies in it.

As the fire wall dwindles and she's met with the terms and conditions of the council that shone in gold lettering that one couldn't cross out as simply as she'd scribbled out his propositions and he hers, he basks in the partial panic and flailing of every drowning thought that she fails to hide and leans back comfortably in his chair once he feels the flutter of the cherub waiter returning with a notepad and pen.

"What do I want?" He mocks her with a flash of teeth that a quick swab of his tongue over cleans as if he'd finally found an appetizing solution to their negotiations. Letting the document drift down to the charred bits of table in front of her as if it were a menu itself for her to decide the fate of her realm instead of her dinner for the evening, he tilts his head towards the cherub as it hovers at the corner of his line of sight. "-looks like it's going to be the alfredo. Heavy handed on the parm. If you're not double fisting it, it's not heavy enough. And uh..." A swiveled gaze at the princess and a dismissive wave later, he adds. "One house special for my bitch, here."

Once the cherub has fluttered off again sporting the pink patches of face that accompanies being slapped in the face with carelessly returned menus, Adam rests his chin in the palm of his hand and gives his guest a disingenuous smile. "Come on ~ does it always have to be about me wanting something? Because from this angle, I'd get what I want even if I don't come to an agreement with you. So! Watcha got for me, girly? 'Cause right now, there's not a whole lot of solutions to your problem."

[whitelilynh]

After a day and a half with the nose stuck to my Kindle, I finished reading 'The Duke and I'.

I find myself with mixed feelings, in all honesty. First, Simon. Oh, Simon, so lovely, and vulnerable and painfully and dangerously attractive. But, admittedly, he seems a bit unrealistic even for a man written by women. I mean, he's not as dangerously attractive once all he can muster are cheesy and, to me, even cringe-worthy phrases, and that happens soon in the story. If not by the punctual descriptions of his cold aura and the image I had already figured in my head of him, (partially mixed with the live auction's actor because, I swear, he nailed the sweet and tortured eyes of Simon; and partially mixed with one of my fav anime men because his appearance is text book Simon), I'd probably not like Simon that much at the end of the story. Perhaps, he's too much to me, too sweet, too subservient, to an extreme I often find in "men written by women" when I think things have gone too far.

Daphne is... I have not finished to come up with a word for her. I'm a bit fed up with the cliché of "incredibly handsome man falls in love with not-so-impressively looking but nice girl". And there's nothing wrong about that, of course, but I think it is quite overused. And Daphne is, for the nth time, described as "not ugly, not beautiful", yet somehow Simon sees her as the most beautiful creature on earth, challenging all beauty standards. Well, I'm sure that might happen, but not as often as it happens in fiction and I'm a bit sick of it. I'd prefer it to be like the live action and have Daphne as the beauty of the town, so it makes a bit more sense. Because, honestly, Simon is already fixed on her before her, here I'm being honest, funny and lovely personality, even makes its debut. Anyways, past that, Daphne is a rather plain character I think. I must say I liked series Daphne quite much more, because this Daphne is not as maternal, not as polite (this is the only part of her I loved), not as caring and very much... Not as enjoyable, just that.

The romance, well, if the author doesn't say they are madly in love, I might not guess it. It's all so fast, and perhaps that was the way back then, and so lacking of a real stance that I truly don't see a reason why they'd be so deeply and madly in love with each other. Attracted towards each other? Sure. But in love? Mmm no, I don't think so.

The SA scene... Is much worse in the books. And though, I don't consider Daphne to be the monster I've read some people call her, nor I think she was aware, given her ignorance, of the possibility of being SAing Simon, I still mean it. First thing first, is because she might not have been aware of Simon's consent not being exactly valid, but she still was very aware of his desire not to finish inside her, yet she makes sure he does. And that is, also, sexual violence. But what really makes this scene awful, is the fact Simon had just allowed himself to open a tiny bit with Daphne, drunk or not. We had just witnessed one of Simon's most vulnerable moments, and Daphne was painfully aware of that. We read Simon begging her not to abandon him, since everyone has before, and Daphne recognising his hurt inner child... And then, a very unnecessary sexual scene, and SA moreover. I was truly not expecting that, and very much was left with a sick stomach.

The story, in general, seems too easy. It's nice, of course, and entertaining, but the way the events unfold and how the conflict is solved, seems ridiculously easy to me. After years of Simon hating on his father that much and refusing to become a father himself, I would've expected him to actually take his time before he jumps in "breeding mode". And even Daphne says so. As romantic the author might have thought it would be for him to do it, I think it's terribly unhealthy, unrealistic and forced.

Reading this it might have seemed I hated the book, but I truly didn't. I liked it, and had an enjoyable time reading it. But if I must be honest, I'd say I've read fanfiction with more substance. The book is good, but I don't think as much as the hype.

[the-firebird69]

That Doesn't Compute | The Phantom Menace (Episode I) | StarWars.com

The robots don't do very well of trump and they do worse than these. These are bja robots and I usually they're a lot worse and slow and they don't have normal mannerisms. We have to use robots to produce products no we still have a lot of people working. And there are cities still open around 25 people keep saying they're closing and they're banging out tons of stuff and the ship out a ton of stuff and they're doing it for their people and the considered heroes for holding the fort how we do have a couple areas where there's nobody and we're running a couple pilot plants with robots did you send in to try and find us and your annoying the s*** out of your own people so yeah they might be involved and they're making plans and they send out and they try and get stuff going out there and they're making facilities to build things in and they're using robots. And they keep putting up there's robot factories and stuff but it has nothing to do with this they're trying to do it on the perimeter so I can put them everywhere and take over and it's not working but we have several plants that are prototypes and we want to build stuff that's not that simple to show that we can do it and people will be after our technology because they're robots suck right now and we think that they come in and somehow figured out how we're having people do it it's not exactly all us and they say you train the robot that's one of our things and the robot is able to understand stuff to a degree because of the program it's not a mess so try and get the program and they don't really but they go around and they look for others and they actually know how to use it which is very weird you thought they'd know by now but really suck. So we're going to start some pilot factories and they will be making kit car parts for the VW conversion to Porsche 911 and it's awesome and we might start our own kit car line of a brand new kit car and based on the matchbox and that's kind of interest it's kind of what our son is like and people make fun of us but it works and it's terrifyingly effective. It kind of looks like a muscle car I'm really enthused this is a great idea and we need to do it and they're going to want to try and force it and the max too we'll try and have it happen and we're going to put up some examples but really this is the robot and it looks like that they've been talking to us somehow cuz they don't really suck

Thor Freya

Are robots suck very badly I always do they're horrible they don't do anything like this they kind of walk around and they look mean and stuff and you can walk amongst them push them over and they don't do anything and people plant bombs in them without even getting scratched I've had enough of this s*** our robots are very stupid. In this AI should argue with you all damn day long it's so damn dumb and Trump's robots are hell on Earth they're so freaking dumb. I need you to shut off he's encountered a Terminator and his brothers and the damn thing ran them down but now he's messed up the whole police station and we know about it okay I got to tell you something I never thought you could run that fast but I did see him jumping and I mentioned it that he was jumping really far and the guys didn't want to hear it and you pissed me off and pushed me out of the house I said I wonder if it has to do with them jumping incidents and I heard them saying no I see we're going like he was going pretty far like 15 ft and I was going further and they said why I said I don't know we have a good time so they stop laughing and they said I wonder if it's true so call me I apologize and I said he's jumping 30 feet without much effort and you don't know what you're dealing with and we are having a good time breaking trees and he's breaking ones are kind of real. And I checked and some of them were not that rotted and then they said this is good news so they went to look at the video and they tried to find it and they found a few and we're astounded and said it's like some sort of super person came through and they were motivated too to do robots and we want this plants ours suck okay.

Bja

We have a plant up with robots in it and they look kind of Porsche like and it looks like someone copies them and makes a ton of them in New York City and they copy what they look like we took yours and change the body and it's to look human but I swear it looks just like them and it's eerie and it works and it's starting to do a lot of stuff and they're saying it's them and they're such a weird people but we're making this kit with robots and father and mother are tickle pink they can't believe this idea you can't tell them how it came about instead of squeeze it in my accident. They're saying I'm sorry we are for the misspelling but you fixed it we're going to move on but we are going to come in here and fix this place eventually what put a nightmare

Frank Castle hardcastle

We had better print a lot of people want to see this

Duke nukem Blockbuster

Olympus yeah Trump's going nuts and didn't get your message but someone's going to reprogram the robots from below that would be the Giants and the saying there's probably Dave's and he's going nuts because it happened the first time in the revolutionary war and these guys are probably running this plan to do that and to capture him and his stuff because of Saturn everybody's moving now

[flowercrowncrip]

I want to talk about trans healthcare in England, and how it's particularly fucked if you're disabled. I think TERFS and their "think of the poor disabled girls" retorique around trans men have a lot to do with this. My ongoing top surgery saga is a pretty good example of what it's like being a disabled person seeking surgery.

My first top surgery was cancelled 4 days before it was due to happen in 2017. It was cancelled purely because I use a wheelchair. They were totally fine with me using crutches and having conditions that actually impact surgery, but using a wheelchair for a different condition was a step too far. My specialists (experts in my condition) didn't see a medical problem with me having top surgery, but my GIC doctor, (who saw the word wheelchair and googled my new condition for all of ten minutes) panicked.

I fought that clinic for three years. It got silly. Here are some real things a qualified GIC doctor told me:

"maybe you're not trans, and you're just sad you can't walk" (I became totally unable to walk age 18, and transitioned when I was 15... I'll let you do the maths)

The Daily Mail will write mean things about us they find out we let you, a poor disabled little girl trans man, have surgery (because apparently right wing newspapers are the definitive authority on trans healthcare /s)

Although my diagnosed mental health problems weren't an issue for them before I started using a wheelchair, simply being a wheelchair user and wanting top surgery was a symptom of a mental health problem so severe it alone disqualified me from surgery. This was because:

being okay with the truly microscopic chance surgery would make my disability worse is apparently "irrational", and shows a disregard for personal safety (it doesn't)

I, a person with experience of both, said that for me crushing dysphoria is a worse experience than getting round in a chair with wheels on it. And having different priorities than the ones my cis, abled doctor expected was somehow "alexithymia" because if I don't know that using a wheelchair is the worst thing that can happen short of dying, I must be totally unable to recognise my emotions (clearly bullshit).

You, a twenty one year old adult, need to bring your parents to your appointments so we can explain to them how unreasonable you're being. (Suspiciously close to TERF arguments about the age of capacity)

In the end I caused a massive schism in my GIC. The psychologists agreed that wanting top surgery while being disabled isn't a mental illness, that I had clear capacity to consent, understood the risks and benefits and that ultimately if I said I needed surgery, I should have it. The medical doctors (the ones that sign the referral) disagreed on every point. It got heated between them towards the end.

The head psychologist realised I was never going to get surgery if I stayed with that GIC, and that would obviously fuck up my mental health, so she wrote a letter to literally every GIC in England asking if they'd take me as a patient. Only one (out of like 7) agreed to take my case.

So I'm now with a new GIC. They're so far way better than the last one, but the bar is low. They re-referred me for surgery pretty much straight away, trusting that I obviously had a better insight into how my disability and my transness affect me than anyone else.

Unfortunately the surgeon they referred me to turned me down (for genuine reasons this time). Basically in the time wasted arguing with my GIC I developed a few new conditions that will actually have an impact on surgery and we've agreed that when I have surgery there has to be an intensive care bed available just in case. (To be clear, this was not the case when my first surgery was cancelled or for the majority of the fight with my previous GIC). Now I'm being referred (referral number three) to one of only two hospitals in the country that do top surgery have access to an intensive care bed

So despite having a date for my top surgery in 2017, I'm still waiting on it because doctors are transphobic, misogynistic and ableist with awful consequences.

[aonemanarmy]

The explanation Vincent attempted to make for the Turks wasn't nearly enough to sway Sephiroth's opinion, although no one could've really done so considering his mental state. Trying to reason with a madman would always prove fruitless and an exercise in frustration, but it was nevertheless admirable that the gunman had made the attempt. Precious few other people would've bothered to grant Sephiroth even that much consideration, yet it was something that he'd come to except and even accept before long.

“And yet, they signed that contract fully knowing the consequences that would come of it.”

No one had held a gun to the Turks' heads to get them to sign their contracts. They had done so willingly all for the promise of money or power regardless of the consequences, that or they had foolishly thought themselves to be above them. Whatever the case was it all amounted to the same thing – that they had chosen their fate and as such Sephiroth couldn't feel any form of pity for them, not even if he were capable of such an emotion.

…What makes you think I could easily take theirs, when I hesitate to take yours?

He didn't. It was actually one of the things that had persistently bothered him about Vincent's presence. As a creature of logic and instinct Sephiroth couldn't understand why Vincent hadn't killed him yet or at the very least made a decent attempt. He always expected it, but so far it had never come and the fact that it hadn't continued to be a point of confusion for him because it made no sense. After all, why would Vincent not kill him?

Sephiroth already knew that humans saw him as a weapon at best and a monster at worst, so why hesitate in destroying him? Once he'd broken free of the shackles that bound him to Shinra's control he was no longer of any use to humans and had become an active threat to them, which was why he fully expected each and ever one of them that were capable to try to kill him. So why didn't Vincent?

Was it really because the ex-Turk thought himself responsible for had happened to him? If that were the case then he should've killed Sephiroth upon their first encounter, to make amends for the monster he'd released upon the world. There was no reason to keep the madman alive as he could no longer be controlled, and as such could no longer be used either. He was a liability and they both knew it, so why...?

The only logical conclusion he could draw was that Vincent wouldn't kill him because of some sort of deal he'd struck with Jenova, although what that deal was exactly remained a mystery to him. However, even that line of reasoning didn't explain why the gunman hadn't seized upon the opportunity when they'd first met back in the Shinra Mansion. By all means Vincent should've killed him and he didn't like the idea of not knowing why that was, but before he could voice those thoughts aloud the gunman continued in a soft, almost forlorn-sounding voice.

What was with that tone of voice?

Sephiroth couldn't understand sympathy as he'd never been the recipient of it before and as such he lacked the capability of expressing it himself. So when he heard it in Vincent's voice he was unsure what exactly he was hearing and automatically assumed that it was somehow meant to be taken as demeaning. But why ever would a lion concern itself with the opinion of sheep?

“Yes.” There was no hesitation in Sephiroth's voice as his answer came automatically, as if it were obvious, and in his mind it was.

There was no question in Sephiroth's mind that dying would've been a mercy rather than living through what he had. What life could there be for him anyway? The only life he'd ever known was one of suffering, where he spent each waking moment living in fear of what new horrors the next day would bring. Worse still was knowing that he would never be able to escape from it, since when he tried he only suffered more and was left praying to whatever uncaring gods might've been out there to let it all end. Unfortunately for him those pleas for mercy were never answered and even when he tried to take matters into his own hands he found himself incapable of doing so.

Jenova wouldn't allow it.

Sephiroth didn't know it then, but even without meeting his 'mother' in person that Jenova's cells still retained some measure of control over him. As an entity beyond mortal comprehension Jenova was essentially immortal, and as such her cells always sought to survive no matter how harsh and unforgiving the circumstances. This survival instinct was hard-coded into her very DNA, so it required no conscious thought on her cells' part to act whenever their host was threatened, which was why whenever Sephiroth had tried to kill himself his attempts always failed. Either he would find his muscles freeze up and refuse to cooperate or the wounds he'd sustained would miraculously heal themselves no matter how severe the damage. It was as if his own body was working against him and in that regard it was true, and for that his suffering was forced to continue.

If only he'd been capable then he would've died long before ever reaching adulthood or even before he'd become a teenager. Things would've been so much better if that were the case, so knowing Vincent could've possibly granted him that wish and didn't was infuriating.

“What is this life that you speak of?” He spread his arms wide, the smile on his lips a stark juxtaposition to the topic of their conversation. “Forgive me if I fail to see this existence as something worthy of treasuring.”

Dropping his arms Sephiroth walked toward the gunman, only pausing beside of him as he considered the thoughts that must've been running through the other man's head. Did he truly struggle with such a decision? Did he really think that any form of life no matter how awful was worth living? If that were true then it only served to prove how naive Vincent was in spite of all that had happened to him.

“Would you have chosen this existence if you were given the option to chose between it and oblivion?” Sephiroth strode past the other man to gaze up the path winding up the canyon where several figures in black began to appear – the first of Hojo's failed cloning attempts finally making their way here. “If this is what life is meant to be then I want no part of it. Fortunately, mother has granted me an alternative, one which I had not thought possible until recently.”

It was also the only option he had left since Sephiroth knew that death would never be able to truly claim him.

The venom in Sephiroth’s voice was anything but subtle. Sephiroth could lightly regard anyone else’s plight in favor of his own. And while others would have spurned it all in the name of calling Sephiroth a full-bred monster, Vincent could understand Sephiroth’s point of view to some degree. However, he also knew that what Sephiroth knew of the Turks was only from the viewpoint of someone who had no understanding of kindness, of sympathy, a conscience, or simply moral dilemma. One couldn’t have a set of morals without an opposing side to compare it with. There was no point in correcting Sephiroth’s opinions in that respect.

“I cannot speak for the other departments. But as a Turk, the only way to leave Shinra is death. To defy ones orders could also lead to the same punishment.” The Turks were like walking secret databases. They were a huge liability to the company. The only free Turk was a dead Turk. Once a Turk, always a Turk.

Perhaps to Sephiroth, death was indeed a choice. But for mortals, it was the end of everything. Yet knowing this, Vincent had chosen to defy Hojo. He should have been dead. But instead, he had received an even worse punishment. Neither of them had the choice of becoming a monster. But unlike Sephiroth, Vincent did have a choice stepping into Shinra and submitting himself as a permanent employee of Shinra. He had a choice to become complacent and allow Hojo to work unsullied. He would have probably been high up in the ranks, and still be human, well respected within Shinra as head of the Turks. But now he was a killing machine, Sephiroth was a monster, and Lucrecia’s existence hung in the balance. If death could be considered a choice, then technically Sephiroth was correct. Knowing what Vincent knew of the Jenova cells, death was a luxury to even Sephiroth. The man was indeed a prisoner to the inevitable. It was tragic… something Sephiroth was quick to remind Vincent about. What was more blood on top of blood already spilled?

Vincent knew there was little he could do to explain the reasoning behind his motivation to spare the life of another. A soft glare crossed over Vincent’s face as Sephiroth trivialized his past murders. At this point, he couldn’t tell if it was Sephiroth or Jenova trying to worm their way under his nerves. Either way, he could feel a trap once again being laid. It was just a ploy to get him to do even more killings. “…What makes you think I could easily take theirs, when I hesitate to take yours?” Sephiroth had killed more than all the Turks combined. He was the most feared being in the entire planet, outside of Jenova. While one could argue Sephiroth had committed the greater evil, the flip-side could also be stated that Sephiroth saw himself as a savior. The Turks were ‘just doing their job’. Sephiroth was ‘just doing what Jenova wanted’. The sharp gaze from Sephiroth didn’t visually affect Vincent, but he felt it very keenly all the same. It was fleeting, but that response was coming from the depths of a hurt boy buried long ago. As Sephiroth drew his gaze upward, his second comment caught Vincent a bit off guard. Was Sephiroth admitting he had wished he had perished those many years ago…? Vincent wouldn’t have doubted such a dark thought had crossed his mind. It had certainly been one of his own wishes as well. The question made the gunslinger grimace and look away, diverting his gaze towards some of the gaping caverns where the winds were swirling. He wasn’t any better than Sephiroth. But at least he had something to anchor his sanity onto-- For now at least. He was merely a step away from becoming no different. “To kill the son of the woman who loved him” Vincent spoke more to himself than to Sephiroth, his fist tensing slightly at his side. "Or to let him live, knowing he would suffer." The guilt-laden gunslinger lifted his eyes, finally meeting Sephiroth's dagger-like gaze; his own eyes reflecting something akin to sympathy and less malice. "You were robbed of a normal life, yes." "...But should I have deprived you of a chance to live, as well?"

[jazlynriddle]

Welcome to your life - Pt 2:

Acting On Your Best Behaviour Ch 15:

Summary:

They'd seen it in their fellow orphans often enough to recognise the pattern and were now forced to admit, despite their hopes to the contrary, that Isidora had likely suffered similar side effects.

No… they'd always known she had. The Keeper had just wanted the power that Ranrok had, enough to convince themselves that they would be able to handle it better than that naive woman.

With the start of the Keeper’s sixth-year in Hogwarts, comes a whole slew of headache-inducing challenges from the most unexpected of places. Between insignificant pests throwing wrenches into their plans and tedious teenage drama, that the Keeper is entirely unprepared for, they wonder if they'll make it to their NEWTs without losing their sanity.

Or worse, Ominis or Sebastian.

Warnings: Sebastian x MC x Ominis! Drug Addiction! Spoilers! Slow-burn corruption! Dark content! Fucked up 1800s orphanages! MC has no love for Anne or Solomon! Dubious happy ending (it's happy for MC, Seb and Ominis at least).

You can also read on AO3! (chapter specific warnings below)

Notes:

"Oh, Ominis, you're visiting today too?"

Warnings: Kidnapping, canon-typical violence and adorably jealous boys! (And not necessarily in that order xD )

Somehow I suddenly decided to write a bunch of smexy times so, that'll probably be in the next chapter, I miiiiiight need to take a break next weekend buuuut I'll try my best to get the next chapter out on time, sorry in advance if I can't make next weekend!

There's just a lotta work (and triple checking said work) that I gotta do to keep the story consistent and I'm drawing a terrain map for the Keeper's territory to help you guys with visualizing (and myself so I don't contradict myself somewhere) and oh boy, topography, geography, and mountain incline angles, materials and elevation are... ha ha ha fun. x')

At the sound of Poppy's voice, the Keeper looked up from their potions textbook, lowering the spoon in their right hand back into its bowl. As their group of friends entered the infirmary, Ominis gave a heavy sigh.

The Keeper patted his hand sympathetically under the table placed over the cot. While it was nice that their group of friends cared enough to drop by at least once a day during mealtime breaks, it had been five days in a row and the Keeper could understand Ominis' irritation at their time together being interrupted so frequently.

"I could ask you the same." Ominis replied dryly, continuing to run his fingers along his notes dismissively, trying not to show his frustration. He wondered briefly if the Keeper's sympathetic gesture was sincere or merely another attempt to pacify him. They certainly hadn't put much effort into discouraging their ragtag groupies' attention.

Ominis understood that the group was useful and had been helpful, but that didn't make it any less insulting that the clique remained consistently blind to all signs of his and Sebastian's claim on the Keeper. He didn't really have much against the boys, but Onai had been incredibly rude, and Sweeting's bald-faced flirting was just annoying.

"Ugh, Blainey's giving you pottage again?" Garreth grimaced as he peered at the Keeper’s bowl.

The Keeper shrugged, setting aside their textbook, and picking up their spoon again. "At least it's made with milk."

"You telling me that you've eaten oats made with water!?" Garreth exclaimed in horror, and the Keeper raised an eyebrow flatly. "Don't think I could eat water pottage unless my life depended on it."

The Keeper snorted, not seeing the need to respond to the ironic statement, instead lifting their spoon to their mouth again. While it wasn’t great being forced to eat milk pottage every day, the warm and full creamy milk was far better than their rations from before.

"Ah, you're already halfway through your potions essay?" Amit gasped as he spotted the title on their parchment.

This prompted Garreth to actually notice the notes and papers on the table beside the bowl, recoiling further in shock. "You have a free pass from classes and you're studying anyway!?"

"I don't think this counts as a free pass from class." Natty heaved a resigned sigh, shaking her head at Garreth's juvenile perspective.

"Thanks to those two gits, I need to catch up with classes." The Keeper grimaced, before giving Ominis a fond glance. "Ominis and Sebastian have been helping me with that."

"Well, I think that's an excellent use of your time here." Amit nodded approvingly. "I guess I hadn't realised your classwork had suffered. Ah, not that I'm saying it's not understandable. It's completely normal to have a hard time focusing when-"

"I appreciate the thought, Amit." The Keeper chuckled, waving a hand placatingly to derail his awkward spiral. "I'm taking advantage of the safety of the hospital wing to relax."

"I can imagine, though I wish we had better news to bring you." Natty shook her head with a frustrated sigh. "Professor Black finally made an announcement about Sunday in the great hall at dinner tonight."

"Oh? What did he say?" The Keeper asked mildly, taking another spoonful of their pottage.

"He didn't even name Selwyn, just said some vague nonsense about an 'accident' that occurred and reminded us to 'be careful with stray casts, and use our magic responsibly'." Natty curled her fingers in the air mockingly, huffing in irritation and running a hand through her hair angrily. "The nerve of that man!"

The Keeper flashed a bitter smile as they finished their bowl, unsurprised by the Headmaster's behaviour.

"The Daily Prophet published a short article on the incident, so they didn't manage to completely bury it." Amit tried to calm Natty.

"Yeah, on page seven in the corner beside the gossip column." Garreth rolled his eyes, before turning to the Keeper. "It said Selwyn got caned at least, but in private rather than a public school caning."

"I can't believe he managed to weasel his way out of that." Poppy shook her head with a disheartened sigh. "I was under the impression that their parents wouldn't be too happy with them after they flunked their NEWTs."

"A pureblood house would never stand for such humiliation, regardless of the member's standing within the family itself." Ominis shrugged like this was obvious.

"Well, public or private, at least he got some pain in return." The Keeper shrugged, it'd do for now. "All that remains to be seen is if they'll leave me alone after Blainey deems me well enough to leave."

"Hopefully you're feeling better?" Poppy asked with a soft smile.

"Yes, I am. Blainey is just being overly cautious." The Keeper smiled wryly. "I shall be glad to leave my days of plain pottage behind."

"Oh, that reminds me." Poppy's face brightened and she raised the basket she had been carrying, lifting the cloth covering its contents to reveal an assortment of fruits. "I brought some fruit for you, I'm sure Blainey won't mind if you have them as a snack."

"Ah." The Keeper started, unsure how to respond, considering…

"Do you even know what they like to eat or did you just bring a random selection?" Sebastian's dry question made the girl jump and Poppy spun around to see him approaching from behind the group, a similar basket in one hand.

Pushing past the group gathered around the foot of the Keeper's cot, Sebastian placed his basket down on the bedside table. Taking a seat in the chair beside the cot, he gave Poppy's basket an imperious glance.

"I- I wasn't sure so… well, yes." Poppy shifted uncomfortably, slightly surprised by his uncharacteristic tone, she'd never seen Sebastian behave this way. She turned to the Keeper with a nervous smile. "You don't have to eat anything you don't fancy. Really!"

The Keeper lowered their head politely. "I appreciate the gift, thank you Poppy."

"You needn't be rude, Sallow." Natty glared at Sebastian while Amit and Garreth hovered uncertainly as the tension returned.

"I merely asked a pertinent question." Sebastian shrugged dismissively. "Surely you're aware of how much they dislike wasting food."

"It's alright, Natty, he's right, I should have asked first." Poppy shook her head, placing a hand on Natty's shoulder to soothe her, before placing the basket at the foot of the bed. "I'll leave this here then, please don't force yourself to eat all of them, I don't mind if you share them with others."

The Keeper nodded, and both Amit and Garreth relaxed as the tension cleared a little, awkwardly saying their goodbyes following as Poppy ushered Natty out of the hospital wing.

"What was that about?" The Keeper raised an eyebrow at Sebastian as he cleared the table in front of them and unpacked his basket, removing the cloth to retrieve a plate carrying a savoury array of meats.

"I don't like empty gestures." Sebastian replied simply as he set the plate down and began to cut the meat into smaller portions with some utensils he'd also brought. "If she wanted to give you something, she should at least put some effort into it."

Sebastian then raised a fork with a piece of meat attached and the Keeper blinked at him, feeling a wave of fondness at how seriously he was taking this.

The Keeper hadn’t expected their grimace, when Blainey had given them milk pottage for the thirteenth meal in a row, to propel Sebastian into action. He'd declared that he would get them something better and sprinted from the Hospital Wing before they could ask what he'd had planned.

Honestly, the Keeper was rather touched that he'd noticed their preference for protein rich foods, that they hadn't been able to indulge in during their upbringing, as well as their aversion towards allowing food to go to waste. Sebastian really was overwhelmingly sweet.

"Well, I suppose I can't argue with that." The Keeper chuckled, accepting the offered bite of meat with an appreciative hum, and enjoying the rich flavour.

A pleased glimmer shone in Sebastian's eyes and the Keeper couldn't resist dragging their tongue along the fork to collect the sauce running down its side, their eyes pinning his suggestively. Sebastian swallowed thickly as their warm and wet tongue brushed against his index finger.

The Keeper gave an amused huff as they withdrew, enjoying the sight of Sebastian completely frozen in a daze from their teasing. "Thank you, then, for taking the effort to bring me something I'd appreciate."

"A- ah yes, well, you're welcome." Sebastian cleared his throat, ripping his eyes away in embarrassment and returning to his task of cutting up the meat.

"Did you manage to get a copy of the Daily Prophet?" Ominis asked curiously as he examined the contents of Poppy's basket with his fingers.

"Oh, yes." Sebastian jumped slightly, taking a moment to pull out a newspaper tucked into the side of his basket, passing it to the Keeper.

The Keeper hummed as they unravelled the paper and flipped to page seven to read the article.

"Heh, apparently the Selwyn lawyer argued that an eighteen-year-old didn't realise the consequences of his whimsically cast spell and can't be accused of attempted murder." The Keeper sniggered.

"Literally 'your honour, this kid is too stupid to commit a crime'." Ominis rolled his eyes.

"And somehow the Killing Curse is worse than killing because you didn't care if that person died from your actions or not." Sebastian grumbled.

Ominis flinched while the Keeper nodded absently in agreement. "It's hilarious that the Ministry considers a mercifully painless death worse than other means of murder. It doesn't matter what spell or object is used, killing intent is equal, the only difference is that any means besides the killing curse can be weaselled out of with dishonourable lies."

"I disagree, yours could have been far worse than what my uncle experienced." Sebastian murmured, his hands stilling for a moment, and Ominis' stomach churned, remembering the thick stench of the Keeper's blood.

One that had been comparatively absent as Anne wept over her uncle's freshly dug grave.

The Keeper snorted, not noticing the boys' discomfort as they continued reading. "Talk about dumb ways to die. I refuse to pass in such an undignified manner."

This characteristic comment from their lover drew a snort from both Sebastian and Ominis, releasing their tension without the Keeper even noticing.

"Well, at least they didn't use my name. I'll take that vaguery." The Keeper muttered as they finished reading the article. "Not that it'll help all that much considering how many people saw both Selwyn, and myself, in Hogsmeade."

"To be fair, with this framing, the news isn't likely to go much farther than Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. While yours was particularly severe, magical accidents are rather common." Ominis grimaced, unsure if this was really a good thing or not.

"Good. I don't want too much scrutiny on those idiots. It'd just make things more difficult for us in the future." The Keeper smirked as they set aside the newspaper.

"True, and here you go." Sebastian smiled as he offered the Keeper the fork, having finished cutting up the meat into bite sizes.

"Thanks." The Keeper placed a quick kiss on his cheek as they accepted the utensil.

Sebastian beamed for a moment, before his attention returned to the basket that Poppy had left behind. His brows furrowed again before he reached over to grab an apple and took a bite out of it.

"You don't need these. You've already got food that I brought." Sebastian grumbled irritably in response to the Keeper's bewildered expression and Ominis began coughing behind them.

The Keeper tipped their head to the side in confusion. Somehow, they felt like they were missing something.

"Hold on, I'd like a word with you." Professor Sharp stopped before the Keeper's desk as they prepared to leave the class with their partners.

The Keeper blinked and nodded. "Of course, sir."

"We'll wait for you outside." Ominis gave them a mild smile before following Sebastian out of the Potions classroom's door.

Sharp gestured for the Keeper to relax. "You needn't look so wary, I simply wished to commend your improvement, I see that you have indeed managed to overcome your struggles on your own."

The Keeper’s tension eased as instructed, oh, is that it?

"I've received reports from the other professors that your class performance has returned to the learning curve you exhibited last year, with your written classwork steadily recovering as well." The professor nodded in approval. "Impressive effort, considering that you spent the first week of this month in the Hospital wing."

"Thank you, sir. I've been doing my best and I appreciate the acknowledgement of my efforts." The Keeper smiled politely.

"I look forward to seeing further improvement in the upcoming two weeks before the March holidays mid-month." Professor Sharp responded in an unambiguous dismissal.

"Of course." The Keeper nodded, and the professor returned to his desk, as they gathered their belongings and left the classroom to join their partners at the door.

"Anything concerning?" Sebastian asked as they approached.

"Just some low effort attempts to encourage my educational recovery." The Keeper shrugged nonchalantly.

"I suppose it's a good sign that you're losing scrutiny from the professors." Sebastian grinned as the three of them began to make their way to the great hall for dinner.

"I do wonder if Macnair and Selwyn are going to continue leaving us alone, it feels a little suspicious that neither of them have been stalking us since the Hogsmeade incident." Ominis frowned worriedly.

"I doubt they'll try anything, at least till school reopens. If they have any sort of intelligence, I imagine they'd try to repair relations with their family over the holidays." The Keeper shook their head. "Either way, this has given us ample opportunity to accelerate the development of Dìon."

"I think the underground floors are almost complete, right?" Ominis hummed thoughtfully, missing the sinister smirk that stretched across the Keeper's face. Though Sebastian certainly didn't, and his heart rate spiked at the dark expression.

Swallowing thickly, Sebastian struggled to keep the huskiness from his voice as he replied. "Y- yeah, we've just got to furnish the cel- er, rooms, and establish the wards we decided on."

The Keeper nodded. "We don't need to furnish all of the rooms, just a few will do for now. We can probably work on setting up the wards tomorrow."

"Are Onai and the others alright with you not meeting up with them over the last three weekends?" Ominis raised an eyebrow.

The Keeper waved a hand dismissively. "They seem to understand that I'm owed some privacy after all the stalking. They're mostly convinced that the private caning has scared the two cowardly bullies away and are busy celebrating our victory."

Sebastian scoffed. "Are they really so naive as to think that Slytherins would give up so easily?"

The Keeper shrugged. "I don't really care if they are either way, it gives us time to further our plans."

Sebastian huffed lightly and went silent as the three stepped through the doors to the noisy and crowded great hall.

"So, what's the real reason we left Ominis behind in Feldcroft?" Sebastian asked as he and the Keeper made their way through the dense foliage on the outskirts of their territory, having just dismounted Sepulchria a few moments ago.

"Do you recall the woman whom I paid a hundred galleons for information on Dìon?" The Keeper asked instead.

Sebastian nodded and tilted his head to the side curiously. "Of course, I still can't believe you paid so much for a folktale."

The Keeper grimaced. "Indeed. Now that the wards have been set, I'd like to test our established security on the cells and the overall territory."

"Ah, I see, that's why we furnished three cells in the underground dungeons rather than just two." Sebastian grinned.

The Keeper nodded curtly. "Yes, we can remove the security threat, presented by my having spoken with her about Dìon and her home being nearby, as well as test our internal defences. It'd be far worse for us if Macnair and Selwyn find a loophole in our security when we play host to those most esteemed guests."

"You sure we can just capture her without any issues?" Sebastian asked with a frown. "We don't need to prepare anything else?"

"Her father was accused of a crime, so they fled their town. That's why she's living out here in the middle of nowhere." The Keeper climbed over several boulders, reaching back to help Sebastian up as well before continuing.

"One doesn't bring their child with them on the run unless the kid is too young to take care of herself and there are no available family members to care for her." The Keeper shrugged. "Thus, logically, she has lived here alone since her father passed away, without friends or family."

"No one to miss her or search for her. Lucky for us." Sebastian gave a low chuckle, spotting the small hut just a few meters away, as they hid behind the forest's treeline. The hut itself was rather modest, surrounded by a stone fence and with a small vegetable garden out front.

"Exactly." The Keeper smirked broadly, drawing their wand, and giving it a quick swish. "Revelio."

The spell revealed a single red outlined target drifting back and forth inside the hut. The Keeper noted two exits from the small building, one in front and one behind, and quickly devised a strategy for their endeavour.

"Keep watch round back and be ready to stun her when she bolts." The Keeper muttered to Sebastian, pleased when he simply drew his wand, disillusioned himself and moved towards the back of the hut.

The Keeper made their way across the grass without any attempt to conceal their approach. Bracing their hand against the fence, they swung over nimbly, and made their way towards the front door.

Stopping before the door, they rapped their knuckles against the wood and a few moments later the door opened slightly, revealing the familiar woman's unpleasant face. The Keeper noted a chain lock, holding the door to its frame, hanging across the gap as the scowling woman peered out at them.

"You again. What do you want?" She asked brusquely.

"My money's worth." The Keeper flashed a sharp smirk and slashed their wand in an arc, slicing the chain attached to the door in half with a Diffindo.

Using a hand to forcefully shove the door open further, the Keeper cast a Stupefy through the doorway at the woman.

To their surprise, she managed to counter it with a Protego, despite having been thrown back slightly by the door. The woman quickly grabbed a pot beside her and threw it at the Keeper, who flicked their wand, deflecting the pottery and shattering it on the floor loudly.

Taking the opportunity, the woman ducked behind her couch, casting a Depulso on it and throwing it at the Keeper, who clicked their tongue in irritation when they were forced to cast Protego against the heavier object. With the Keeper halted, she opened her backdoor and sprinted out hastily, followed by a flash of red light and the woman dropping to the floor.

Moving around the grime-coated couch, the Keeper gave it a wide berth as they leisurely made their way out the backdoor, pleased to see that Sebastian had hit her with a stunner as planned and was already casting the Incarcerous spell on the unconscious woman. The thick ropes conjured by the spell wrapped themselves around the woman, binding her firmly.

Hearing their approach, Sebastian flashed the Keeper a broad grin. "Hey there, look what I reeled in."

"A very impressive catch." The Keeper chuckled indulgently, digging out and tossing the replacement broomstick Weekes had made for them to Sebastian. They watched their partner fondly as he cast a levitation charm on the woman and tied her to it.

There was something incredibly satisfying about watching Sebastian work, he was just so in tune with them. Theirs was most certainly the enviable relationship, lacking in the need for compromise or justification, both made entirely unnecessary by the simple fact that the two of them would come to nearly identical conclusions with the same information.

The Keeper doubted they'd ever get tired of that wonderful and thrilling feeling, knowing that they could trust Sebastian to always be on their side. Not because he was persuaded by them, but because he was like them. For better or for worse.

"Try not to drop her." The Keeper teased as they summoned Sepulchria from their Nab-sack, mounting the thestral as Sebastian straddled their broom.

"Already did, didn't I?" Sebastian chuckled, drawing a bark of laughter from the Keeper as he rose into the air on the broomstick. "You needn't worry, I shan't solve our security threat prematurely."

"How reliable." The Keeper purred back as they nudged Sepulchria into flight, Sebastian following them through the air towards Dìon castle.

A wide grin stretched across the Keeper's face. These two March-holiday weeks were going to be fun.

Notes:

While it’s been illegal in the UK since 1998, during the Victorian era in the 1800s, corporal punishment was common in the country. Schools in my country still do that actually xP

I feel like Sebastian would probably be the guy who hates empty platitudes. No doubt he's heard so many "get well soon, Anne" or gifts and he'd be like "if you actually cared about her, you'd help me cure her!"

Duuumb ways to die~ Hope that started playing in your head when you read the line xD

Also, do look forward to some upcoming smut finally arriving next chapter x3