#i dunno. i just figured that would be one they'd want to keep secret for a while longer

[gamebunny-advance]

Rotating her in my mind.

[russilton]

Heyy, hope you’re doing well! I was wondering if you had any more thoughts on Brake Balance gewis? Do they start dating eventually?

I’ve tried to answer this like three times but tumblr kept deleting it, then it sat in my drafts for 8 months because you know what, it's been a year, it really has.

Brake Balance, my longest fic, for anyone new here, and probably what I'm best known for? I dunno, 25k of porn-age gap-one night stand-trans-fic tends to define people.

Originally the fic was actually supposed to have a mildly different ending. It really was meant to end with a much more open question as to what they were- I even wrote that ending! The plan was to delve into a sequel all about how their fling would continue across the following season as George adjusted to his Williams seat, Lewis winning his 6th title, and how their friends with benefits style relationship would continue and effect those things, while Lewis pined quietly and George also pined, but handled it much better.

But as I was finishing up the original I realised just how much I was committing to with that, when this fic had already months to wrap up, and that writing the open ending actually made me kinda sad. It just felt a bit cruel, to leave them hanging like that, especially when a sequel actually happening was a bit of a low likelihood. So I changed it and made lewis kind of lean instead into a more open ended acceptance. I didn't really need to define WHAT they were going to be, because...don't make major life decisions post coitus, but they're going to be something.

Eventually they'd sort of start texting over the off season very casually, and let that evolve into hanging out casually when the season resumed and Mercedes has them in the same place. It would be weird! George is so young and Lewis is uncomfortably aware of that at times, he feels excruciatingly aware of how he has routines and things he follows through a decade on the grid and George is fresh and new and just.. not accustomed to that. Lewis feels a bit like he's not letting George develop on his own, and George worries somewhat that Lewis find him cumbersome or a drag. They'd talk about it, because you kind of have to, and Georg would reinforce firmly Lewis can't make his choices for him, but also that he accepts he's gonna need to do some stuff on his own.

The more he DOES go out and seek on his own, the more relaxed they actually start to feel. George has stuff to share and talk about when they do fall into bed together at various races, and Lewis doesn't feel like he's robbing a cradle or... grooming George in some way. It works better. They don't really have a label for what they are, but Lewis stops sleeping with anyone else, much to the general surprise of the paddock, though nobody is sure why (and they won't figure it out for a long time, bc I think those two know how to keep a secret and I hate that trope). At most Valtteri knows, because he's watched George go tumbling out of Lewis' motorhome at 5am in Silverstone, but frankly he wants to know as little about what's going on there as possible. He just rolls his eyes when Lewis asks Shov casually not casually where George finishes in any given race in debrief.

And it continues like that! Casual until it's not casual anymore, and the older George gets, the more comfortable Lewis feels. Until they do eventually have to tell Toto, and he turns a colour Lewis has never witnessed before eventually telling them to be adults about it. Neither of them tell him quite how long they've been together.

[ratcandy]

so I love your sozo hcs and art a lot. I also love theorizing a bunch over lore and stuff in the game and... idk? I had to share this idea with someone about the cordyceps.

So, in one of the secret messages it does say the skull that Spore Grotto is built in and around was the skull of a supposed ancient god. Probably one of the "first gods" even, and it has a mushroom similar to the one that was on Sozo growing out of it, but the face is old looking... So what if the cordyceps is some divine fungus the Mushroomos worship and the one on Sozo is an offspring or rebirth of the ancient one that requires a host to mature? Fungi will often eat and kill other species so perhaps that adds into why Sozo eats the Mushroomos? For a food source to gain power and the cordyceps is a more powerful species of fungi?

Plus maybe Dr Sozonius has a bit of a grudge with them for forcing it on him. Idk? Just some theories I've had when analyzing everything.

Oh worm thank you!! I'm glad you like my art n rambles <3

The idea that the fungus is itself a deity is one that's been tossed around here a bit yeah!!! And seeing as it managed to take down a God (assuming it is the reason for that Ancient God's death and it didn't just show up after, which I can't imagine why it would for something evidently parasitic) it would make total sense if it is/was!

AaaanD the idea that the Mushroomos specifically worship that Big Shroom is interesting! And using Sozo as a sort of host for their God's rebirth would be in-line with typical cult stuff, so hey!! I could totally see it!

My only uncertainty lies in the fact that the Mushroomos seem almost confused by what's going on with Sozo? At least, they don't make any mention of what's going on, and just claim that he's growing more unpredictable and cruel, and that they fear for their safety around him. And they run away horrified when he tries to eat them, which is a total reasonable response on its own, but not if they would expect it to happen for their God to reach maturity, right? You'd think that'd be like. I dunno, an honor? Noble sacrifice type thing? If their death aids in their God's rebirth?

They even question why he whispers to himself, which you'd figure they'd know if they put that God in him sdghSDKJGH

It's possible they're playing dumb to keep Sozo/outsiders unaware of their intentions, though. That or perhaps the Mushroomos did indeed intend for Sozo to be the new vessel for their God but they just had no fucking idea what that would entail sdghKSJDGH.

Like, here they were expecting their God's offspring/reincarnation to treat them with kindness or whatever for being the ones that brought it back, only for SURPRISE!!!!! It wants to EAT. and it wants to eat THEM

Who knows!! I don't think the Mushroomos' intentions are ever totally made clear, so anything is possible. Though we do know they didn't give much of a shit about the Bishops ("Leshy was slaughtered! Never liked him, anyway" and "Shamura has died. It was probably for the best") so hey for all we know they hate these new Gods and want their old one back. Doing it in the middle of a new God's territory (Anura) might not have been the best idea tho

[undergrounddweller89]

SO ANOTHER CHAI X KALE RAMBLE TURNED HALF DRABBLE I GUESS

Consensual half choking

Kale is bottom and he loves when Chai visits the office

You can kinda tell my mind went all over the place I guess but here just dunno enjoy?

❤️

insert evil laughing gif xD man can you just imagine Chai sauntering into Kale's office though.

Kale swallows thickly and watches him, his body is drawn to him, it's like an addiction, he wants to go to him, feel his warmth , his hands, but he stays seated, good and obedient.

He has nothing he can bribe Chai with to be there, Chai could and can leave any time he wants and that's what scares him and makes him feel completely wonderfully weak, in a way no one else ever has before.

He has to submit to this being, if it were anyone but Chai he’d obliterate them, but he’d seen what he could do, for all the times he called him a defect...he was...had been jealous. Kale had made so many complicated plans and still...he’d lost because Chai had always been to the point, made the best of what he had and made to admit Chai’s talent was natural... wonderful and unique...one of a kind.

Chai had told him he’d noticed the musical puns he’d been using specifically on him, a fleeting moment when he’d visited him in the prison Korsica was keeping Chai in at the time , Kale had blushed and tried to deny it at first until the idiot had told him he thought it was cute...they’s shared a kiss and he’d felt like someone with their first crush the way he’d turned from confident to bashful in matter a of moments under Chai’s watchful stare, the calls they’d already shared...

(NGL kinda wanna ramble write a prison cell ramble about these two)

He hadn’t aimed the robots lasers at Chai, he’d aimed them at Korsica.

Had he fired her for failing to keep Chai in place where he could reach him whenever he wanted, or had he been jealous she was so close to what was his? He figured Chai would survive, he seemed to have a knack for surviving the impossible...of course he called that night just to make sure.

Watching Chai move in closer he still couldn't believe that in that last moment as he'd been flying through the air, sure of what would be his end , despite all the flirting and the secret kisses , the hidden dark corners where desire had taken over them and they'd become one , hurried moments of passion he'd always seen one of them dying as if it was in inevitable truth...

But that day he'd felt something grab onto him and pull him back before Chai’s feet in a crumpled heap and before he’d passed out he’d heard Chai shouting at Peppermint.

‘You were just going to let him die...he’s your brother... he’s not perfect...you really think you’re better than him? You weren’t even gonna give him a chance to be better! I changed why can’t he?’

Finally...he thought as he passed out, someone cared about him.

It was still a marvel after everything that Chai had shown him mercy...he’d never told Chai that a part of him had been alright with the idea of dying so long as it’d been by Chai’s hand...his Rockstar truly had no idea how much he was committed to him even more so after that moment when the world had turned black and he’d awoken to find him sleeping by his bed side and holding his hand.

Kale couldn’t help but smile, god Chai always seem to sleep in the most uncomfortable positions.

Now here he was again waiting patiently for him, watching his every movement, that beat in his step...he remembered also the first time Chai had shown him a trick that nearly blew his mind...and knew he’d found the perfect drug.

Something called a beat thrust that he’d never fully understand but when Chai hit it perfectly his back would arch and legs would tighten around his lovers waist he’d torn through all the layers of clothing the first time Chai had pulled it off and cum embarrassingly early, while leaving scratches that thankfully hadn’t been deep along Chai’s back.

Now Chai was kneeling on his chair, one knee between his thighs and metal fingers playfully around his neck

Placing small lingering kisses along his cheek bone along his jaw and whispering against his ear

“You miss me baby?”

Kale had power, money, influences connections, good ones he’d made sure to change to be better after Chai had given him the chance to...and what made him so intoxicating was that Chai wasn’t interested in any of his power, the sole reason he was there was because of him, not for the name or all the treasures that could come with it, it was him and in that truth Kale knew he was Chai’s...and if anyone tried to take him away

...well he might just simply have to kill them... he could have his little group of friends...but there had been a few disappearances...sometimes he wondered if Chai knew...or was that level of idiot cute... nodding as Chai placed his thumb against his bottom lip he answered

“My world is nothing when you’re not in it Chai...you know that, can I kiss you?”

Chai smirked at the breathless voice of his partner and turned Kale’s head to look at him as he playfully booped his nose

“Magic word old man.”

“Please?”

Chai paused a moment and it was those moments Kale loved , those moments Chai made sure he was okay when he was in charge

“Not being too rough am I?”

“No...if you were I’d say that stupid word you made me promise to say.”

“Kale safe words are important.”

“Yes but I’m not saying it so a little rougher if you p-“

Chai’s confidence was back as he forced Kale harder against the chair so that his head tilted back.

“Bruises like last time gorgeous? People will be wondering why you’re wearing scarves in summer Vandelay.”

“None of their business...I want your marks...for the days you can’t be here...”

Kale ground out between clenched teeth, only to then bite his bottom lip , looking up at the younger man with pleading eyes, his hips shifting, eager to get some friction from the knee that was sat between his thighs.

Chai couldn’t help but smirk, looking him up and down slowly, thinking how good Kale looked when he allowed himself to be at his mercy. Leaning forward lips lingering just a breath away.

“Both hands later or just the one today?”

Kale whined trying to close the gap and kiss him only to feel Chai’s grip tighten and keep him in place.

“Just...one today.”

“Good boy, you know I like it when you communicate with me.”

Chai praised him and closed the gap, kissing him slow and steady, eyes closed , he’d missed his taste, the way Kale could grow so desperately hungry for him, feeling Kale’s teeth biting softly at his bottom lip, oh Vandelay was eager today. Pressing his fingers in just enough to mark him, just how he liked, how he wanted, easing enough to let him breathe when he needed to.

Sinking further into the kiss he moaned deeply as he felt those claws finding their way under his clothes and onto his hips, Chai was completely aware of the danger they held and the control Kale had over such power...it was a sin and yet divine all at once, he couldn’t believe how barely a year ago how unhappy they’d been only to find happiness in each other.

Kale thought about how close to death and almost taking over the world he’d been to now , it was almost unreal and dreamlike , if this was a dream he hoped never to wake and he fell repeatedly into Chai’s wants and desires without a fight, he was wanted for him and with that he would submit himself always and willingly to him.

Chai ended up ravishing Kale on his desk, all through a phone meeting, no video calls of course but Kale had to keep his composure, which had failed him in the end, Chai he made him come undone a whimpering mess over the surface of his desk, moaning his lovers name, knees together and the warmth of Chai’s human hand wrapped around his cock as his metal one pulled at his hair, he loved every second and the person on the phone had to pretend like nothing was happening because the meeting was too important to hang up on, breathless with seed dripping from his cock, splashes under the desk , he could feel Chai still in him, long after he’d pulled out, Chai fucked him with what felt like within an inch of his life and he LOVED it.

Here came his favourite part, the soft kisses and tender touches, the comfort that came after the roughness he asked for , the fond cooing and making a fuss of him, clean up and how they would snuggle in his giant office chair for hours until one of them fell asleep, they always made one promise in this that the other would never wake up alone, that a kiss goodbye would be given in a promise of always returning.

The world might know they were together but it was still fun to pretend they were sneaking around just like the first time Chai had ever talked dirty to him...and he'd realised the only way you could spell

Perfect was by spelling it D-e-f-e-c-t , for what was a world without flaws, with out it’s peculiarities? Boring ...that’s what it was and Chai was anything but.❤️

[titlemewickedwonderland]

Mr. Sandman (Chapter 10)

Summary: Felicity Burgess, the adopted daughter of Alex Burgess and Paul McGuire lived a sheltered life from the dark secret that lay beneath her feet. But what happens when that secret is now her's to keep? Will her love for her family keep her from doing the right thing or will Mr. Sandman bring her a dream worth sacrificing everything?

Chapter Triggers: Slight fluff, maybe slight OOC? I dunno!

“I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?” -John Lennon

Click here for Chapter 9

Wonderland's Workshop

The water felt delightful against her skin. How long had it been since she'd indulged in something so simple as a shower? Well, time did move differently between worlds so she didn't even have the compacity to figure it out; like shooting into a dark room for answers. She wanted to stay here forever but of course, she could not. She had a friend waiting beyond the bathroom door for her and the answers that she seeks from him. So, with a regrettable hand, she turned off the shower head and pulled back the curtain realizing the steam of the bathroom made everything so foggy; a nice sort of sauna effect as she stepped out onto the old bath mat and grabbed one of the towels hanging off the door hook to wrap around her. 

She faced the mirror and wiped her palm against the cold glass to look at her reflection. She looked a bit better; perhaps in need of some sleep but otherwise, she looked like she was just any ordinary girl. But she wasn't normal, there wasn't anything normal about her or her life anymore. 

When she opened the door the steam from the bathroom nearly audibly hissed when the cold air greeted it and Felicity peered around the room taking a moment to look around since she'd sort of been quickly escorted into the shower when they'd arrived. The room was rather meticulous and pristine; as if no one truly touched this space even Corinthian which would make sense since he was not human, he didn't need sleep or food as mortals would. She wondered why he even rented the large studio apartment if he barely lived here. 

"Feeling better?" her head twisted to see the blonde man leaning against the open door frame of his bedroom; nursing a tumbler glass filled with an amber liquid. 

She squeaked and clutched the towel to her chest giving him a 'what the fuck?' look. "Turn around! Don't you have some sort of decency Corinthian!" she rushed out 

The blonde only grin and tilted his head as he raised his glass to his lips. "Aint nothing I haven't seen before honeybee, but if it makes you feel more comfortable." he drawled lazily turning himself around so that he was facing the hallway 

"I threw your clothes in the washer and drier for yah. You can pick something out of my drawers if yah like," he added 

Breathing a sigh of relief now that he wasn't staring at her Felicity padded over the soft carpet to a single dresser where she began opening and closing drawers to look at the clothing inside. 

"Sheesh Inthy, do you ever wear anything that doesn't make you look like candyman?" she teased seeing brown, tan, and green shirts "I half expected to find some pinstriped stuff in here," she added as she picked out one of his long-sleeved brown sweaters and tugged it over her head; it was long enough to go mid-thigh so she kept some sort of modesty from that at the least. 

"Aw, you hurt my feelings darlin'. I'm a simple man who enjoys some sort of comfort yah know!" Corinthian tilted his head over his shoulder to check to see if she was dressed. 

"You certainly aren't the little girl in your dreams that I'm used to. Since when did you grow a pair of legs like those?" Felicity felt the heat rise to her face as she tugged the shirt down further and glared at him. 

"Stop it!" she chided. "Aren't you supposed to be gay?" she added giving him a pointed look.

A toothy grin was her only answer before she turned away to rummage for a pair of pants. She found white sweatpants so she quickly tugged them up her legs covering more of her modesty before she turned to the man. 

"You know, it's been a very long time since you called me Inthy," he commented as he swirled his amber liquid in his glass watching her from behind his glasses. 

She shrugged with a sheepish smile that hid some sadness behind it as she slowly sat on the edge of his bed. "I'm not a little girl anymore Corinthian. The lenses that I wore have been ripped off my face long ago." she heaved a sigh and rubbed her face.

There was a pause between them; an oddly comforting silence before the man set his glass down on the edge of the nightstand in favor of walking over to her and sitting beside her on the edge of his bed. 

"No, I suppose yah ain't a kid no more honeybee. You've grown up into a fine young woman who hopefully has made something of her life," he said staring out the colorful glass window across the room. 

"Hardly. But it's mine...did you hear Alex died?" she turned her head to look over at the blonde who nodded slowly 

"I did. Not much gets past me nowadays."

"Yeah, I would imagine so if you're going around killing boys and running from your creator." the redhead quipped with pursed lips. 

Corinthian stilled beside her before his face slowly grew back that damned smile. "How'd you figure that one out?" he drawled a careful tone in his voice. 

She laughed, the kind of laugh that spoke of experiencing much of the unknown. "Nearly a year ago I would have told you that you were crazy and probably have called the cops on you; which you'd probably have killed me before I could. But then again, The sandman is real. Talking ravens exist, realms not of our own are somewhere beyond the veil and my best friend growing up who I thought was imaginary is a Nightmare created by the Dream King himself." she tilted her head giving him a small smile. 

"Trust me Corinthian. It's not a surprise to me anymore. My old roommate and friend is an exorcist and I grew up with the sandman in my basement. I shouldn't be surprised you go around killing guys around town and plucking their eyeballs out. Why I don't know. But there's one thing that I do know." 

the girl shifted to sit cross-legged next to him and her hands reached up toward his face and his own large hands shot up to grab her wrists to stop her movement. Instead, she rested them on his cheeks and smiled at him softly. 

"Your beauty," she said softly "Never scared me Corinthian." she stroked right below the dark glasses with her thumbs "You were the only friend I had, imaginary or not. Am I disappointed that you go around killing humanity, yes? But that is who you are. That is what Morpheus created you for. Without nightmares, there cannot be dreams, and vice versa. So you are important even if you think you are a monster." she told him firmly 

he snorted and leaned back on his palms. "So you know Morpheus hmm? Been playing hooky with the Dream lord now have yah?" 

She punched him in the arm. "He was stuck in my basement until I helped free him and then he found me months later with my friend Johanna searching for his sand. Sort of dragged me along with him in that endeavor." she defended falling onto her back with legs dangling off the edge of the bed. 

"Oh so you're the one I should thank for having to run for my life." there was a small amount of spite in his voice as his tight-lipped smile leaned over her. 

She squinted looking up at him and staring at her reflection in his dark shades. "You did that on your own when you chose to go rogue mister. Lucienne told me everything. Partly why Morpheus didn't return sooner."

"You worship the man!" her gawked and reached out to smack his arm again but he caught her hand 

"I do not! Don't be ridiculous! It's just circumstances that drew us together you know?" she shrugged watching as the nightmare played with her fingers. 

"Hey, Corinthian. Can I ask you something?" she asked watching him

"Hmm?" he hummed; head rolling lazily on his shoulders as he turned to look at her. 

"When you first appeared in my dreams as a little girl. Were you planning on killing me?" the question hung heavy between them 

"That was the plan." he finally replied "But I couldn't kill yah after I saw them purdy green eyes of yours." he reached out to stroke along her brows.

"But isn't that your thing? Eyes." she teased

"Not yours, honeybee. Something about yours made me not want to see them close; ever."

A warm smile graced her features as she reached up to grab his hand in her own and press it against her cheek; nuzzling into his palm like a kitten. 

"So, we are still friends then? You aren't going to kill me for whatever reason now that I'm not a cute little girl who pulls at your heartstrings?" Felicity said teasingly but secretly she wanted to know

She and Corinthian were not the same in many ways and she no longer held the innocence of a little girl. So whatever kept the nightmare from killing her every night he visited her in her dreams may not apply to her now that she was an adult. Corinthian studied her for a long moment with a contemplative look on his face before he shifted his palm on her face to boop her nose with a finger while never breaking contact. 

"No darlin', I don't believe I'd have the heart to do that. Metaphorically speaking at least. I don't own a heart." he snorted

"Liar." she rose to shove at his chest playfully. "Heart is not always a physical organ," she replied with an air of grace as if she was telling something grand to a room full of onlookers. 

Her dramatics pulled a smile from the man but their attention was turned to the window as a small shadow appeared and frantic tapping rapt at the glass as if a bird was trying to break through. There was a muffled voice shouting on the other side and Felicity scrambled from the bed to open the window. A black bird nearly hit her in the face as it hustled inside out of breath. 

"Matthew?! What are-" she began spinning around

"Boss!" the bird fluffed his feathers. "Morpheus is on his way to find you! He's close!" 

Her eyes widened and she looked over at Corinthian who had already risen. A lecherous smile on his face as if he was pleased to know his creator was coming to visit. 

"Wait, what are you doing with the rogue nightmare?" Matthew piped up realizing just who stood in the room with them. 

"He's a friend." at the raven's caw she waved frantically "Doesn't matter, long story. How far away is Morpheus?" she demanded wondering just how much time he had until the dream king came storming in here to collect her. 

She should be mad at him for the way he treated her but right now she was scared. If Matthew was in a panic then it meant Morpheus was mad. Pissed. Kind of mad.  

"Corinthian you gotta hide before he gets here or he'll take you too. Don't you want your freedom?" she turned around to look at her childhood dream friend but before he could reply the room suddenly got darker and a voice so soft yet so cold spoke from the inkiness of shadows 

"My creation. Taking what is not yours to take. Let the girl go."

Felicity spun around to see the white pinpoints of starlight eyes staring from behind her and she gasped, stumbling backward into Corinthian's tall frame. He rested his palms on her shoulders to hold her steady as he stared at the man slowly approaching. Morpheus was shorter than the nightmare but he was a lot more intimidating by far. Unfortunately for the Dream king. The nightmare had been in the waking world for too long and he no longer coward to his lord's feet begging for mercy as he would have done once upon a time. 

"Morpheus-" Felicity began swallowing the dryness in her throat but the Corinthian didn't allow her to speak; instead one of his hands slid up to her throat and squeezed enough to stop her words but not enough to stop her breathing as if silently telling her not to speak. 

The action only succeeded in making Morpheus even more infuriated. Did he care? Did he think the Corinthian would harm her? Did he not truly know? The man of dreams who controlled and created didn't know that his nightmare had been tramping within her mind since she was a little girl but never to harm?

"Unhand the girl Corinthian, you do not know the power you hold." Morpheus's figure slowly regained a physical form as he stepped forward; his blue eyes darkened with barely concealed wrath. 

"Boss...." Matthew looked nervously between them. "I don't think this is a good time-"

"Power? What power? You mean the power I have of life and death with this pretty thing in my hands?" he was taunting Morpheus and it was working. 

Felicity swallowed; finding it rather terrifying to be between the immortal beings in a fight but she did not understand what Morpheus was talking about when he spoke of power. 

"W-what are you talking about?" she managed to breathe out looking over at the dream lord

"If you waited as I had told you to you would have been informed." the raven-haired man bit out before reaching with slow purposeful movements for his pouch of sand "Now, I think it is time we all returned home to the Dreaming."

"I'm not going." Felicity blurted as she reached up to grab Corinthian's arm that was resting around her throat. "You can't make me Morpheus. The Dreaming is not my home." 

"Felicity...listen kid we gotta talk! Don't make any hasty decisions ....just hear him out will you?" Matthew piped up trying to diffuse the situation. 

She inhaled a shaky breath and shook her head. "He had his chance to tell me what's going on. A-about me, about where he's been...what's been going on. I've been left in the dark about everything; we are supposed to be friends weren't we?"

she lowered her gaze to the floor; grip tightening around Corinthian's arm. "If he wants to keep the damned ring then so be it; if it means more to him than me. But I'm done listening." 

Morpheus stared at the girl. His jaw clenching as the unbidden tears glistened at his waterline. 

"Do you truly think an object means more to me than you ever could?" his voice was soft with disbelief. 

"Well, you haven't given me a reason to think otherwise Dream." the girl slunk from beneath Corinthian's grip who had been silent this entire time more just watching than anything. 

"Very well..." the ruler of nightmares replied slowly as he lifted his bag of sand and allowed the grains to pour down onto the floor. "Come Matthew. Hell awaits." 

The sand swirled around like a desert storm; a pale tornado that whipped Felicity's hair around and fluttered her clothing. She lifted a hand to her face to block the grains from entering her eyes but it was no use and she could not stand the strength of the cyclone of tiny particles. She crouched with her arms over her head thinking this didn't seem normal. The sand normally did not extend this much. But when the sand finally started to disperse she looked up hearing the odd sounds around her. 

Her heart sank. Sank low to her stomach because she wasn't in Corinthian's apartment anymore. No, she was standing in a wasteland of foul-smelling space. Rotting trees and stumps crumbled all around her and the way the ground seemed to wail every time she shifted her weight was something she felt in her very bones despite not truly hearing an audible sound. This land is a curse, this land is evil. This land is damned. What was worse than being transported to Hell? 

Whatever the hell her body was trying to tell her. Her lungs breathed in the burning air and it stung like acid in her chest. It was hard to breathe and it felt as if the fire of the condemned coursed through her veins. The longer she stood there the more her body weakened and she didn't understand. This was something entirely different than the energy The Dreaming held when she first entered it. Her human body thrummed with electricity that seemed to thrum with the land when she was within the Dreaming. Something like kinship the longer she stayed in that realm. But this place. It was utter poison to her body; that much was clear as she raised a shaky hand in front of her face to see her veins were turning dark as if black ink was injected into her bloodstream. 

When she took a step forward her knees crumbled and she fell on all fours into the dust. Choking on the air that would not circulate through her system. Blood thundered in her ears and her vision was growing blurry as she struggled to rise on weakened limbs. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear someone calling for her. A black shadow appeared in her foggy sight in the shape of something small. Matthew? Matthew was here. He was trying to say something to her but his words were not registering. Then another appeared in her line of sight. Morpheus kneeled quickly in the dirt his cold hands were a relief as they pressed to her face; lifting it so that he could see her face. Her ashen gray face was as if all color was being drained from her very body. 

He propped her up in his lap as he hastily dug in his coat pocket for something and produced the silver chain with the ring dangling off of it. He was quick to place it over her head. As soon as the ring rested against her feeble heartbeat it glowed a bright red. Little by little the color returned to the girl's face and her hand rose to shakily grasp the jewelry as if her life depended on it. Her lungs opened up and she gasped out a harsh breath as if she had been drowning and her body flailed as she tried to sit up.

The dream king's arm bracketed her back and pulled her against his chest; one hand sinking into the softness of her auburn locks to keep her head pressed to his neck as he allowed a sliver of relief to race through him. He did not realize his heart was beating erratically until it began to slow to match the pattern of Felicity's breaths that ghosted against his pale skin. Matthew cawed lightly and craned his head to peer up at the two with worried beady eyes. 

"You were not meant to be here." Morpheus's voice was soft as he stroked her hair. 

"The sand seemed to think otherwise." her whisper was hoarse as her free hand played with the lapels of his jacket.

"Well, now that we're all safe and sound...where are we going?" Matthew asked hopping into Felicity's lap.

Her head lifted from the dream king's neck to look up at him with a slight frown. "You're going after the demon who has your helm aren't you?" she said sounding defeated.

"I have to if I am to rebuild my realm. I cannot turn back now." 

Morpheus watched as the teen struggled from his lap. Staggering back to her feet before looking around seemingly out of breath before turning to look at the man still crouched in the dust. 

"Okay, Dream. Lead the way. You've been here before right?"

The man rose slowly to his feet; head shaking as he drew near. A frown pinched his brow. "I am taking you back to the Waking World. You are not safe here-"

"As long as I have this thing I'll be fine." she interrupted holding the necklace up. "Whatever magic it possesses is keeping me alive in this -literally - god-forsaken land. So, where to?" 

"What happened to you saying you will stay in the Waking World?" one dark brow rose on his forehead making him look a little condescending as he questioned her

Felicity blew a breath out "I'm a redhead Dream. I change my mind like girls change clothes." she snorted with a teasing smile on her face before she held her hand out to him; the smile was now gone. "Besides, I told you earlier didn't I? We help each other."  

He studied her a moment before his larger hand grasped hers and he began to lead her down a path. "You mortals are confusing," he grumbled under his breath 

Matthew cawed in amusement as he took to the air above them and his laughter was met with Felicity's as she squeezed the dream king's hand in hers. "No, not confusing. Simply good at teaching people hard-learned lessons," she replied airily

The Endless's blue eyes shifted to her with a bemused glint in them as he kept silent after that and instead chose to scan the surroundings for any threat. Never once allowing his hand to slip from hers in fear she would slip away somehow. Hell was not a place for mortals but Felicity was not a mortal. Should he tell her that now? It would be terrible timing but what if something happens and he does not get a chance to tell her of his findings about her? That is, after all, the deal they had made had they not?

"You're broody right now mister. Care to share what's on your mind? Perhaps, I dunno, tell me what you found and caused you to act like a dick earlier?" The girl tugged at his sleeve

"I found your birth father."

"Oh." 

"He is an old friend of mine...but his tales are...troubling and confusing." the king replied in the vaguest of ways. 

"What's that supposed to mean? Did he like sell my soul to the devil to get this fancy schmancy piece of jewelry or something?" Felicity laughed but when her companion did not her smile fell and she cocked her head. 

"Sorry. Tell me what he said." she urged 

"Another time; we are here." The man replied much to her dismay but she looked ahead of them 

"Where is here?" she asked looking at the odd-looking cavernous space they had entered in.

What she first thought were some twisted branches of decaying trees actually began to move and she gawked; stumbling backward into the dream lord as she clasped a hand to her mouth as her mumbled words muffled behind her hand spoke in horror 

"Are those...."

"Body parts of mortals who were condemned to hell? Yes." the way Morpheus said it sounded almost funny to her but she did not laugh and instead looked over as the Endless reached out a hand to what looked like a mean made from the wall and took a stick from his hands.

There was a beat of pause before Dream hit a drum in front of him with the end of the drumstick and Felicity shuddered as the wails of the souls stuck within the walls sounded in her ears making her cringe and tuck herself further against Morpheus's side. Hell was not made for her. She never could stand gory films and this was as morbid as it got. 

There were thunderous footsteps slow and purposeful as they began to move closer to them on the other side of a gate that they now stood in front of and out of the fog came a tall giant. A gravelly deep baritone voice akin to what Felicity could only imagine a demon sounding like spoke words of what? Prophecy or scripture of some kind? Did hell have its biblical scripture they followed or something? 

"Greetings Squatterbloat. I have come to seek an audience with your sovereign." the girl turned her attention to Morpheus. He was so regal despite speaking with a demon and a part of her wanted to swoon but then those demonic eyes turned to her and she shrank partly behind her black clad companion.

"What business does an angel have in hell?" 

Felicity blinked a bit surprised at the words and her hand tugged at the back of Morpheus's coat as she rose on tiptoes to whisper in his ear from behind. "What's he talking about Dream?" 

The man barely even gave an inch as he refused to look in her direction as he began to address the gatekeeper once more; completely ignoring her question and the gatekeepers altogether as well which made her kind of salty as she looked down at Matthew like 'what in the hell?'

Her attention was drawn back when the screech of the gates opening to allow them to enter; she was quick to keep a hold of her companion's jacket as she nearly tripped over his heels with how close she was pressed to him as they entered. Oh trust her, she didn't miss the way Sqautterbloat eyed her and even leaned down to sniff her hair as she passed. 

"Creep." she whispered thinking no one heard her. 

But with the demon leading the way several feet ahead Morpheus did hear as his hand slipped into hers once more; keeping her close. A squeeze to her fingers told her that he'd heard her; noticed even when he pretended not to and for that Felicity felt a little better.

Click here for chapter 11!

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[gone-series-orchid]

What do you think would change if Astrid and Diana swapped places? Like Astrid had gone to Coates instead of Diana and became friends with Caine?

ooh, what a fun question! i'll admit, though, it's a bit difficult for me to see astrid being friends with caine...maybe academic rivals or something? maybe they're not friends pre-fayz, but astrid ends up falling in with caine and drake after the fayz begins, figuring that gaining powerful, if unsavory, friends would be essential to protect little pete. i think caine and astrid would have an icy relationship, if an artificially polite one; astrid would find his sliminess and ambition distasteful and caine would find her genius intelligence and steadfast moral code threatening. drake would find her even more off-putting because of course he would. the idea of them all trying to work together/undermine each other as a trio interesting!

since diana has the power to determine power levels, that means drake and caine would have to sort out which kids have powers using only astrid's potential-determining power (which for the sake of this au is once again canon), which would be difficult. astrid, being a smart cookie, would get suspicious as to why caine wants to find out the identities of all the powerful kids in the first place (something that they'd probably be markedly less successful in doing, since astrid's power is more vague/symbolic), so she might start lying to caine and drake in order to protect the remaining kids from becoming targets...of what, she probably has only a slight idea, though that depends on how good she is at dissecting caine's true motives. which, let's be real, she probably is very good at it. but here's the question: how much is she willing to look away from for the sake of securing little pete's safety? especially if it means little pete himself may be in danger from caine?

and there's a question! what about little pete?? if caine finds out about his powers, who knows what he'll do! maybe astrid could try to pretend that little pete's a normal and keep him sequestered away somewhere, hoping that caine and drake quickly lose interest? regardless, they'll still know that they could potentially use petey as leverage for keeping astrid on their side/keeping their secrets lest she ever tries to join the townies. but why would they want astrid on their side, you ask? i dunno. maybe caine wants a girl in their squad bc he's worried about optics. maybe he thinks it's funny that drake dislikes her so much. maybe he finds her christian devotion endearing, despite it all. or maybe he just wants someone to complain to about drake.

but i can see astrid's loyalty to the terrible twosome very tenuous and strained. once the coates academy kids get to town and drake starts acting up, she might defer to the townies' side, especially once she sees sam be all heroic and save the little girl from the fire.

then again, she might be suspicious of the townies, especially diana. and she might be worried about caine having a personal vendetta against her if she defects. and if astrid stays with caine and drake through hunger, maybe because she feels she has no other choice/doesn't trust the townies/thinks she can effectively manipulate caine, then she's in for a bad time.... poor girl.

i think diana would be positively impacted by allying with sam, edilio, and quinn! though she wouldn't have the same motivation as astrid does for doing so. maybe she wants to manipulate sam in the same way she manipulates caine, but eventually starts enjoying his company for real. the townies might be prejudiced against her for being promiscuous and a bully, but sam and edilio and quinn are good guys; they'll protect her. i think diana would be in much better hands than she is in canon. maybe she finds it in her to be a good person.

thank you for the question! this is an interesting au! feel free to ask me more about it!

[despairforme]

Ikkaku mirrored Nnoitra's grin. Was he sure? Seemed like Nnoitra was giving him an out at the last minute, just in case. But Ikkaku had never been known for backing out of his offers and he wasn't about to start now. So he nodded as he peeled the tape from his hands. "'course I'm sure ! Like I said.. Got the place to myself." And even when Yumi had been home they'd shared a bedroom, so he had a spare anyway. Though he was sure Yumichika wouldn't be thrilled to have a roommate. So.. He supposed the offer was only good until Yumichika returned. Better make sure Nnoitra was aware of that.

"Can't give ya a good timeframe, though. Could be months, could be a year.. Dunno exactly. Kinda depends on how well Yumi does, I suppose." Shamefully, Ikkaku had found himself wishing Yumi would just fail at times. Just so that he would return home. But he'd get over himself again every time and make sure to text him lots to make himself feel better about it all. "But hey," he continued, "at least it'll give ya some time ta get on yer feet while ya figure out whatcha gonna do with yer livin' situation an' stuff.." Moving out when you'd been living with your partner for a while.. That must be such a hassle..

Something else occurs to him, but he grabs his bottle and gulps down some water instead of addressing it. Maybe Nnoitra would change his mind anyway.. He'd made it very clear he didn't want to be associated with anything 'gay', right? Living with a guy that was attracted other guys { or, well.. One in particular, really }. That didn't mesh well with that. Then again, maybe Nnoitra just wanted to keep it a secret if they lived together. That wouldn't really be a problem..

"So, whaddaya say?"

     It was a really generous offer, and Nnoitra was going to take it. It didn’t bother him that there wasn’t an exact timeframe, because months was PLENTY of time. There was no way he’d spend that much time finding a place for himself. But, at least now he didn’t have to rush to find somewhere to live. He could take his time and be a bit more picky. ❝ Then ya got yerself a roommate. ❞ Nnoitra grinned. It was surprisingly nice to have a friend who thought enough of him to actually want to help him out like this. He hadn’t thought him and Ikkaku were that close, but - apparently they were. A nice surprise.

     ❝ I’mma tag along after work ‘ta’night ‘n check out yer place. ❞ To see how much of his stuff he could bring. Not that he really HAD much. He had no furniture or large objects so it should be fine. He was curious to see where Ikkaku lived. Hopefully it was closer to work than his and Grimmjow’s place had been. Not that Nnoitra minded the walk. When he looked for a new place, should he try to find someplace close to work? But that would mean it would have to be in the not-so-great part of the city. He had kinda gotten used to a nicer part of town, and it was certainly great for his paranoia not to live in a dangerous neighborhood. Of course, it would also be a matter of what he could afford. He hadn’t checked his finances in ages, so he didn’t even know how much money he had. MAN what a fucking hassle this would be. More so than he had thought. It made him really thankful that Ikkaku was helping him out. ❝ Yer a real life saver. ❞ His way of saying thank you very much. 

[thewidowsghost]

The Unknown Muggleborn - Chapter 12

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

3rd Person POV

The days creep by, and there is no doubt that Fluffy is still alive and well behind the locked door.

It is sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.

They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watches them turn a mouse into a snuffbox - points were given for how pretty the snuffbox is, but taken away if it still had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while Harry, Ron, and Hermione remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion, and when they finish, watch as (Y/n) practically sweats her whole body weight as she is instructed to make a Fire Protection Potion.

(Y/n) walks out of the Potions classroom an hour after everyone else and trudges up to lunch, her robes sticking to her. When (Y/n) slumps down at the table between Hermione and Harry, the other five look at her.

"How'd it go?" Hermione asks as (Y/n) grabs a peanut butter sandwich.

(Y/n) sighs. "Well, Snape didn't exactly say anything good or bad about it, so," she shrugs. "I could have failed or just achieved the highest grade of any first year ever." (Y/n) pulls a vial of blackish purple liquid out of the pocket of the robes. "I could set myself on fire and then drink it."

"Not a good idea, (Nickname)," Fred says, passing by and sitting across from her. "Everyone might not like you much, but you don't need to solve that problem by setting yourself on fire."

"For once, my brother's right," Ron says.

"If my potion worked, I wouldn't be setting myself on fire," (Y/n) points out, smiling for the first time in weeks, and everyone else seems to cheer up at the smile.

Over the last few weeks, (Y/n) and Harry had been trying to ignore the stabbing pains in their neck and head, respectively, which had been bothering them since (Y/n)'s trip into the forest. Neville thought Harry was having a bad case of exam nerves because Harry couldn't sleep, but the truth was that Harry kept begin woken by his old nightmare, except that is was now worse than ever because he was now seeing a hooded figure dripping blood in it that (Y/n) had described.

Maybe it is because they hadn't seen what (Y/n) had seen in the forest, or because they didn't have scars burning on their necks or foreheads, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Harry and (Y/n). The idea of Voldemort clearly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they were so busy with their studying that they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.

Their very last exam is History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invested self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful wee until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns tells them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Harry can't help cheering with the rest.

"That was far easier than I thought it would be," says Hermione as they join the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds.

"We didn't need to study the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or Elfric the Eager," (Y/n) adds.

The two always liked to go through their exam papers afterward, but Ron says this made him feel ill, so they wander down to the lake and flop under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan are tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which is basking in the warm shallows.

"No more studying," Ron sighs happily, stretching out on the grass.

"You two could look more cheerful, (Y/n), Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet," Hermione adds.

Harry was rubbing his forehead, and (Y/n) had her hand pressed to her neck, rubbing slightly.

"I wish I knew what this means!" Harry bursts out angrily.

"Same, my scar keeps hurting," (Y/n) adds. "It's happened before, but not this often."

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggests.

"We're not ill," retorts Harry. "I think it's a warning . . . it means danger's coming . . ."

Ron wouldn't get worked up, it's too hot, "Harry, (Y/n), relax. Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy."

"It's not Snape," (Y/n) interjects but Ron just continues.

"He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."

(Y/n) nods, but she can't shake the lurking feeling that there is something she'd forgotten to do, something important. When she tries to explain this, Hermione says, "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one."

(Y/n) is sure that the unsettling feeling didn't have anything to do with work, though. She watches an owl flutter towards the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in it's beak. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluff . . . never . . . but -

(Y/n) suddenly jumps to her feet.

"Where are you going?" asks Ron sleepily.

"I've just thought," (Y/n) says and Hermione studies her sister, who's face had turned white. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."

"Why?" pants Hermione, hurrying to keep up.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd," says (Y/n), sprinting up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid want more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if they're against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, right? Why didn't I see it before?"

"What are you talking about?" asks Ron, but (Y/n), sprinting across the grounds towards the forest, doesn't answer.

Hagrid is sitting in an armchair outside his house, his trousers and sleeves are rolled up, and he is shelling peas into a large bowl. "Hullo," he says, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

"Yes, please," answers Ron, but (Y/n) cuts him off.

"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

"Dunno," answers Hagrid casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off." He sees the six of them looking stunned and raises his eyebrows. "It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head —that's one o' the pubs down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."

(Y/n) sinks down next to the bowl of peas, "What did you talk about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"

"Mighta come up," replies Hagrid, frowning as he tries to remember."Yeah . . . he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here. . . . He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after . . . so I told him . . . an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon . . . an' then . . . I can'remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks. . . . Let's see . . . yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted . . . but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home. . . . So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy. . . ."

"And did he — did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asks, trying to keep his voice calm

"Well — yeah — how many three-headed dogs d' yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep —" Hagrid suddenly looks horrified. "I shouldn't a told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey —where're yeh goin'?"

Harry, Ron, Hermione and (Y/n) don't speak to each other until they come to a halt in the entrance hall, which seems very cold and gloomy after the warm, summery grounds.

"We've got to go to Dumbledore," says Harry. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak - it might've been easy, once he got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?"

They look around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.

"We'll just have to —" Harry begins, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.

What are you four doing inside?"

It is Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.

"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," says Hermione, rather bravely, the others think.

"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeat, as though it is a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"

Harry swallows - What now?

"It's sort of secret," he says, but he wishes at once he hadn't, because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flare.

"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she says coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."

"He's gone?" asks Harry frantically. "Now?"

"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time -"

"But this is important."

"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"

"Look," says Harry, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor - it's about the Sorcerer's Stone -"

Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she is carrying tumble out of her arms, but she doesn't pick them up, so (Y/n) darts over, picks up the books, and silently holds them out to her head of house, but she doesn't take them.

"How do you know -?" McGonagall splutters.

"Professor, I think - I know - that Sn - that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk with Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall eyes him with a mixture of shock and suspicion.

"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she says finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."

"But Professor -"

"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she answers shortly. She takes the books from (Y/n). "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."

But they don't.

"It's tonight," says Harry, once he is sure Professor McGonagall is out of earshot. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."

"But what can we -"

Hermione gasps softly, and the others wheel around.

Snape is standing there.

"Good afternoon," he says smoothly.

They stare at him.

"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he says, with an odd, twisted smile.

"We were -" Harry begins, without any idea what he is going to say.

"You want to be more careful," says Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"

(Y/n) flushes. They turn to go outside, but Snape calls them back.

"Be warned, Potter - any more nighttime wanderings and I personally make sure you are expelled," Snape then turns to (Y/n). "(L/n), come with me," he says and she nods.

Snape strides towards the dungeons and (Y/n) jogs after him.

Once in the Potions Master's office, Snape sits down at his desk, and gestures for (Y/n) to sit down across from him. (Y/n) sits down nervously as Snape opens a folder and slides it in front of her.

The Potions Master nods encouragingly, and then (Y/n) takes a hold of the folder, gazing down at the paper inside.

Name (Last, First): (L/n), (Y/n)

DOB: October 31st, 19879

Year: 1

Exam: Potions 1

Score: 327%

Next Class Recommendation: Potions 4

(Y/n) stares at the score, "How?"

"You automatically get an extra hundred percent added because you took a harder exam," Snape tells the girl.

"What about the other 127%?" (Y/n) asks doing quick math.

"It's for making a Third year level potion," Snape says.

"So next year I'll be taking Forth year Potions?" (Y/n) asks and Snape nods.

Then the Potions Master smiles, slightly unsettling (Y/n). "I've impressed by your performance this year, (Y/n)," Snape says. (Y/n) beams at the compliment from the teacher that never gave compliments. (Y/n) stands up to leave and when she gets to the door, Snape says something, "You look a lot like your parents, you know? You have your mother's eyes," (Y/n) turns around, a sad expression on her face.

"Nobody's ever told me that before," (Y/n) murmurs her eyes flashing silver, walking back to stand in front of her Professor's desk.

What the two didn't know was that Hermione was waiting outside the door, listening - not on purpose, of course - to the conversation.

(Y/n) sits down in the chair across from Snape and the Potions Master continues. "I was friends with your mother when she was at school." (Y/n) sits straighter in her chair, interest flickering in her eyes. "(M/n), she was a Gryffindor," (Y/n) smiles at the thought. "Even though they were from different houses, you could never separate the two. (M/n), she was best friends with Lily Evans, who married James Potter," (Y/n) could sense her Professor tense at Harry's father's name.

Snape, looking at the girl, notices her eyes slowly turning back to their brilliant emerald green.

"Your mother was a great Quidditch player, and excelled at Transfiguration. She was an amazing friends" Snape's voice turns wistful and (Y/n) studies her Professor with gentle eyes.

"Thank you for telling me about her, Professor," (Y/n) says.

"It was no problem," Snape says gently, he and (Y/n) standing up, (Y/n) grabbing the Potions Exam paper, and the two walk out of the classroom and are met by Thora and Hermione standing on either side of the door.

"What are you doing here?" Snape asks sharply.

"I came to wait for my sister," Hermione answers.

(Y/n) flashes her a questioning look before nodding to her Potion's Master.

Hermione walks slightly behind (Y/n) as they walk up to the Gryffindor Common Room.

The portrait of the Fat Lady swings open and the duo walks in, Harry and Ron turning to look at them.

"I'm sorry, Harry!" Hermione wails from behind (Y/n); (Y/n) sits down on the arm of Harry's chair. "Snape came out and asked us what we were doing, so we said we were waiting for (Y/n). We don't know where Snape went."

(Y/n) groans in exasperation, "You really think it's still Snape?"

"Yep," Harry says.

"So, that's it then, isn't it?" (Y/n) says finally, as a stab of pain pulses through the scar on her neck.

The others stare at her. (Y/n) had turned pale and her eyes are glittering.

"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first," (Y/n) says, a frown on her face.

"You're mad!" says Ron.

"You can't!" says Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"

"So what?" Harry shouts.

"Don't you understand?" (Y/n) asks, her voice softer, her gaze flickering silver. "If whoever gets the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over?" The others gaze at her, eyes wide. "There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it! Losing points doesn't matter anymore?If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to find somewhere else to go," catching Hermione's shocked glances, she continues, "I'm not letting anyone else I care about die for me." (Y/n) swallows thickly, "It's only dying a bit later than I would have. I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you can say is going to stop me!"

"I'm going too," Harry says and (Y/n)'s silver gaze shifts to him. "Voldemort killed my parents too." (Y/n)'s gaze softens.

"You're both right," Hermione says in a small voice.

"We'll use the Invisibility Cloak," says Harry.

"But will it cover all four of us?" asks Ron.

Harry turns to Ron. "All - all four of us?" Harry asks.

"Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?" Ron asks.

"Of course not," says Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful . . ."

"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too."

"Not if I can help it," says Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me and (Y/n) in secret that we got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."

After dinner, (Y/n), Harry, Ron, and Hermione sit apart from the other three in the common room. Nobody bothers them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to (Y/n) anymore, after all. This was the first night she hadn't been upset by it. (Y/n) darts upstairs, and pulls out the small trunk where she keeps extra potions. The only one she had was the fire protection, which she pockets into her hoodie, pocketing her wand and she straps small knife in a sheath on her left forearm, making sure her hoodie covered the sheath.

(Y/n) scampers downstairs and over to her three friends, who were standing around the Invisibility Cloak.

"We'd better put the Cloak on here, and make sure it covers all four of us - if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on it's own -"

"What are you doing?" comes a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appears from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looks as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.

"Nothing, Neville, nothing," answers Harry, hurriedly putting the Cloak behind his back.

Neville stares at their guilty faces.

"You're going out again," Neville realizes, looking into (Y/n)'s green eyes.

"No, no, no," says Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go back to bed, Neville?"

Harry looks at the grandfather clock by the door. We couldn't afford to waste any more time, Harry thinks, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.

"You can't go out again," Neville tells (Y/n), "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."

"You don't understand," says Harry, "this is important."

But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate. "I won't let you do it," he says, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll - I'll fight you!"

"Neville," Ron explodes, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot—"

"Don't you call me an idiot!" retorts Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"

"Yes, but not to us," answers Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."

He takes a step forward and Neville drops Trevor the toad, who leaps out of sight."Go on then, try and hit me!" says Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"

Harry turns to Hermione."Do something," he whines desperately.

But it's (Y/n) who reacts, drawing her Alder wood wand out of her pocket, "I'm sorry about this Neville." She raises her wand, "Petrificus Totalus." Neville's arms snap to his sides, and his legs spring together. His whole body rigid, he sways where he stands and then falls flat on his face, stiff as a board.

(Y/n) runs to turn him over. Neville's jaws are jammed together so he can't speak. Only his eyes are moving, looking at them in horror.

"What've you done to him?" Harry whispers.

"It's the full Body-Bind," says (Y/n) miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."

"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," says Harry.

"You'll understand later, Neville," says Ron as they step over him and pull on the Invisibility Cloak.

But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor doesn't feel like a very good omen.

In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looks like Filch, and every distant breath of wind sounds like Peeves swooping down on them.

At the fit of the first set of stairs, they spot Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.

"Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispers in Harry's ear, but Harry shook his head. As they climb carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turns her lamplike eyes on them, but didn't do anything.

They don't meet anyone else until they reach teh staircase up to the third floor. Peeves is bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.

"Who's there?" Peeves asks suddenly as they climb towards him. He narrows his wicked black eyes, "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?" He rises up in the air and floats there, squinting at them.

Harry has a sudden idea. "Peeves," he says, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

Peeves almost falls out of the air in shock. He catches himself in time and hovers about a foot off the stairs. "So sorry, you bloodiness, Mr. Baron, sir," he says greasily. "My mistake, my mistake - I didn't see you - of course I didn't you're invisible - forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."

"I have business here, Peeves," croaks Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, sir, I most certainly will," says Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you." And he scoots off.

"Brilliant, Harry!" whispers Ron, an impressed look on (Y/n)'s face.

A few seconds later, they are there, outside the third-floor corridor - and the door is already ajar.

"Well, there you are," Harry says quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."

"It's not Snape," (Y/n) hisses, never feeling more correct after her talk with her Potions Master earlier.

But seeing the open door somehow seems to impress upon all four of them what is facing them. Underneath the Cloak, (Y/n) turns to the other three.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," she says softly. "You can take the Cloak, I won't need it now."

"Don't be stupid," says Ron.

"We're coming," insists Hermione.

Harry reaches over and pushes the door open the rest of the way.

As the door creaks, low, rumbling growls meet their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniff madly in their direction, even though it can't see them.

"What's that at it's feet?" Hermione asks in a soft whisper.

"Looks like a harp," replies Ron. "Snape must have left it there."

Deciding not to argue anymore about Snape, (Y/n) keeps her mouth shut.

Harry puts Hagrid's flute to his lips and blows. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note, the beast's eyes begin to droop. Harry hardly draws breath. Slowly, the dog's growls cease - it totters on its paws and falls to its knees, then it slumps on the ground, fast asleep.

"Keep playing," Ron warns Harry as they slip out of the Cloak and creeps towards the trapdoor. They can feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as the approach the giant heads.

"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," says Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"

"No, I don't!" Hermione snaps.

"I'll go first," (Y/n) whispers. She steps carefully over the dog's legs. She bends and pulls the ring of the trapdoor; the trapdoor swings up and open.

"What can you see?" Hermione asks anxiously.

"Nothing - just black - there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop," (Y/n) whispers. She swings her legs into the trapdoor. She looks directly at Hermione, meeting her sister's gaze. "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the Owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, okay?"

Hermione nods, a flash of fear showing in her brown eyes.

"See you in a minute, I hope . . ." (Y/n) slides the rest of the way into the trapdoor and lets go. Cold, damp air rushes past her as she falls down, down, down and -

FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump, she lands on something soft. She sits up and feels around, her eyes not used to the gloom. It feels as though she is sitting on some soft of plant.

"It's okay!" she calls up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!"

Ron and Harry follow right away. They land, sprawled next to (Y/n).

"What's this stuff?" are Ron's first words.

"Dunno, some sort of plant thing," (Y/n) rasps. "I suppose it's here to break the fall."

"Come on, Hermione!" Harry calls as something snakes it's way up (Y/n)'s neck and (Y/n) tries to pull away, but whatever it was, tightens around her.

The distant music stops; there is a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped, landing on (Y/n)'s other side.

"We must be miles under the school," Hermione comments.

"Luck this plant thing's here," Ron says.

"Lucky!" shrieks Hermione. "Look at the three of you!" She leaps up and struggles towards a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist, snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.

(Y/n) however, had the tendrils had wrapped around her neck and Hermione watches in horror as the three fight to pull the plant off themselves, but the more they strain against it, the tighter and faster the plant wounds around them.

"Stop moving!" Hermione orders them. "I know what this is - it's Devil's Snare!"

(Y/n), panicking, begins to strain more, and the Devil's Snare tightens around her chest. (Y/n) thrashes around in the plant's grasp and the Devil's Snare tightens painfully around her, the vial in her pocket pressing into her stomach, ready to shatter.

(Y/n) begins feeling faint from the loss of air, hears Ron bellow, "HAVE YOU GONE MAD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

A few seconds later, the three feel it loosening its grip as it cringes away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unravels itself from their bodies and they are able to pull free.

(Y/n)'s chest heaves as she regains her breath, Harry holding up her up.

"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," (Y/n) rasps.

"Yeah," adds Ron, "and lucky (Y/n) doesn't lose her head in a crisis - 'there's no wood,' honestly."

"Only my breath," (Y/n) jokes, once her breath completely returns, though the others could see the dark bruise beginning to form on her neck. "Right, this way," says (Y/n), pointing down a stone passageway, which is the only way forward.

All the four can hear, apart from their footsteps is the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passage way slopes downward, and Harry is reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, he remembers the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon - Norbert had been bad enough . . .

"Can you hear something?" Ron asks in a soft whisper.

(Y/n) listens, hearing a soft rustling and clicking noise seeming to come from ahead.

"Do you think it's a ghost?" Harry wonders.

"I don't think so," (Y/n) answers. "It sounds like wings."

"There's light ahead - I can see something moving," Hermione adds, exchanging a look with (Y/n).

They reach the end of the passageway and sees before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high them. It is full of small, jewel-bright things, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the room is a very heavy wooden door.

"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" wonders Ron.

"Probably," answers Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once . . . well, there's no other choice . . . I'll run." He takes a deep breath, covers his face with his arms, and sprints across the room. He expects to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happens. He reaches the door untouched, and he pulls on the handle, but it's locked.

Hermione and Ron follow but (Y/n) gazes up and around the chamber.

"Guys!" (Y/n) calls, her voice echoing around the room, and the other three turn to look at her. The three catch (Y/n) gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling. "They're not birds! They're keys - winged keys." Her emerald gaze studies the chamber again and she catches sight of three broomsticks. "We've got to catch the key to the door." (Y/n) jogs over to the door and studies the lock.

"But there are hundreds of them!" Ron exclaims.

"We're looking for a big, old fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle," (Y/n) says. "Probably has a crumpled wing," she murmurs. (Y/n), Ron, and Harry grab brooms and soar into the midst of the cloud of keys.

Not for nothing, though, was (Y/n) the youngest Seeker in a century. She had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, she notices a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole. "That one!" she calls. "That big one - there - no, there - with bright blue wings - the feathers are all crumpled on one side.

Ron goes speeding in the direction that (Y/n) is pointing, crashes into the ceiling, and almost falls of his broom.

"We've got to close in on it!" (Y/n) calls, not taking her eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above - Harry, stay below and stop it from going down - and I'll try to catch it. Right, NOW!"

Ron dives, Harry rocket's upward, the key dodges them both, and (Y/n) streaks after it; it speeds towards the wall, (Y/n) leans forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pins it to the stone with one hand. Ron, Harry, and Hermione's cheers echo around the high chamber.

They land quickly, and (Y/n) sprints for the door, the key struggling in her hand. She rams it into the lock and turns - it worked. The moment the lock had clicks open, the key takes flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.

"Ready?" (Y/n) asks the other three, her hand on the door handle. They nod, and she pulls the door open.

The next chamber is so dark they can't see anything at all, so (Y/n) casts the Lumos charm, but then light floods the room to reveal an astonishing sight, (Y/n) extinguishing her wand light.

They are standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller then they area and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, across the chamber, are the white pieces. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and (Y/n) shiver slightly - the towering white chessmen had no faces.

"Now what do we do?" Harry whispers.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" says Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."

Behind the white pieces they can see another door.

"How?" asks Hermione nervously, (Y/n) placing a comforting on her friend's shoulder.

"I think," (Y/n) says, "we're going to have to be chessmen."

Ron walks over to a black knight and puts his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone springs to life, the horse pawing the ground and the knight turns his helmeted head to look down at Ron.

"Do we - er - have to join you to get across?" Ron asks. The black knight nods and Ron turns to the other three. "This needs thinking about . . ." Ron mumbles. "I suppose we've got to take the place of four of the black pieces . . ." The three stay quiet, watching Ron think. Finally, he says, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of the three of you are that good at chess -"

"We're not offended," says Harry quickly.

"Just tell us what to do," (Y/n) says gently.

"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go there, instead of that castle, (Y/n), you take that knight there."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to be that other knight," answers Ron.

The chessmen seem to have been listening, because at these words both knights, a bishop, and a castle turn their backs on the white pieces and walk off the board, leaving four empty squares that Harry, Ron, (Y/n), and Hermione take.

"White always plays first in chess," says Ron, peering across the board. "Yes . . . look . . ."

A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Ron starts to direct the black pieces, occasionally asking (Y/n) for advice, but mostly on his own, the pieces moving silently wherever he sent them.

Harry's knees are trembling, What if we lose?

"Harry - move diagonally four squares to the right."

The first real shock comes when their other bishop is taken. (Y/n) lets out a cry as the queen smashes the bishop - who was beside her - to the floor and drags him off the board, where he lies quite still, face down.

"Had to let that happen," explains Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you to take that bishop, (Y/n), go on."

Every time one of their pieces is lost, the white pieces show no mercy. Soon there is a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed that Harry, Hermione, and (Y/n) were in danger. He himself darts around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

"We're nearly there," Ron mutters suddenly. "Let me think - let me think.

The white queen turns her blank face towards Ron.

"Yes . . ." says Ron softly, it's the only way . . . I've got to be taken."

"No!" Harry, (Y/n), and Hermione shout.

"That's chess," snaps Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I'll make my move and she'll take me - that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"

"But -"

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Ron -"

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"

There was no alternative.

"Ready?" Ron calls, his face pale but determined. "Here I go - now, don't hang around once you've won."

He steps forward, and the white queen pounces. She strikes Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashes to the floor - Hermione and (Y/n) scream but stay on their squares - the white queen drags Ron to one side. He looks as though he's been knocked out.

Shaking, Harry moves three spaces to the left.

The white king takes off his crown and throws it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen part and bow, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry and (Y/n) and Hermione charge through the door and up the next passageway.

"What if he's - ?"

"He'll be alright," (Y/n) soothes, trying to convince herself, as well as Hermione.

"What do you reckon's next?"

"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare," Hermione begins.

"Flitwick must've put charms on the keys and McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive," (Y/n) continues.

"That leaves Quirrell's and Snape's," Hermione finishes.

They had reached another door.

"All right?" (Y/n) whispers.

"Go on."

(Y/n) pushes it open, her wand drawn.

A disgusting smell fills their nostrils, making the three of them pull their robes over their noses. Eyes watering, they see, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they tackled, out cold with a blood lump on its head.

"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispers as they step carefully over one of its massive legs.

"Tell me about it," (Y/n) mutters.

(Y/n) pulls open the next door, the three of them hardly daring to look at what comes next - but there is nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.

"Snape's," Harry says. "What do we have to do?"

They step over the threshold and immediately, a fire springs up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shoot up in the doorway leading onward. They are trapped.

"Look!" Hermione seizes a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry and (Y/n) look over her shoulder to read it:

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind, Two of us will help you, whichever you would find, One among us seven will let you move ahead, Another will transport the drinker back instead, Two among our number hold only nettle wine, Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line. Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore, To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four: First, however slyly the poison tries to hide You will always find some on nettle wine's left side; Second, different are those who stand at either end, But if you would move onward, neither is your friend; Third, as you see clearly, all are different size, Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides; Fourth, the second left and the second on the right Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

Hermione lets out a great sigh, and Harry, amazed, sees that she and (Y/n) are smiling, the very last thing he feels like doing.

"Brilliant," says Hermione.

"This isn't magic - it's logic - a puzzle," (Y/n) continues.

"A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever," Hermione adds.

"But so will we, won't we?" Harry asks nervously.

"Of course not," says Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper, and with our Potions expert."

"Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple," (Y/n) says, then pulls the vial of Fire Protection Potion out of her pocket. "And this. Who knows which fire this'll get us through."

"But how do we know which of the seven we can drink?" Harry asks his friends.

"Give us just a minute," Hermione says, exchanging a look with (Y/n).

The two read the paper several times. Then walk up and down the line of bottles, exchanging soft words and pointing to them. At last, Hermione claps her hands.

"Got it," (Y/n) says. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire - towards the Stone."

Harry looks at the tiny bottle.

"There's only enough there for one of us," he says. "That's hardly one swallow."

They look at each other, (Y/n) fiddling with the top of the vial in her hand.

"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?" Harry asks and Hermione points to a rounded bottle at the end of the line.

(Y/n) walks over and uncorks her vial, studying it. It does look a lot like the smallest bottle's potion, (Y/n) thinks. She drains the little bottle in one gulp. She shivers, it felt like ice. She puts the empty bottle in her pocket and braces herself. She could see the black flames licking her body, but can't feel them. For a moment, all (Y/n) can see is nothing but dark fire, then, she's on the other side, in the last chamber.

There is already someone there - but it isn't Snape like the others though. It wasn't even Voldemort.

Word Count: 6766 words

[silver-wield]

Baby names

"Well, now, there's a figure I ain't seen in a long while. How you been?"

Cloud half-turned at the familiar voice, brows drawn and scowl in place. His expression cleared when he recognised the speaker, and he nodded in greeting. "Sam." He crossed the street, keeping a tight hold on his bag of groceries and sending a glance over his shoulder to indicate where he was going. "Things are good, thanks. You?"

Sam shrugged. "Well as can be expected, all things considered."

Cloud's brow quirked. "That's bullshit," he replied in an amused tone. "With the way fuel's running out you must be raking in the business." He had a dwindling supply for fenrir, but sooner or later even that would be gone. The planet was healing and people were finding more natural ways to live. Strife Delivery would eventually have to adapt too. But not yet.

Sam slotted his thumbs through the loops on his jeans and laughed. "You got me there." The intervening ten years since Cloud last saw Sam were fairly kind to him. With greying hair and a slight paunch, he still carried himself with that reckless air every hardened gambler had. Looking around, Sam gestured at Cloud's groceries and said, "Y'all out with your lady friend? Strange seeing you lookin' all domesticated."

Cloud shook his head and glanced to his right as a couple of boys came running up. "Did you get it?"

The elder one nodded and held up a bag of dumb apples. "Did I get enough, dad?"

Sam's brows shot up. "Well now, that's unexpected." He frowned at the gangly teenager with messy brown hair and a broad smile. "Is my math wrong?"

Cloud scoffed. "Probably." He put his hand on his son's shoulder. "This is Denzel." He pulled the younger boy to stand in front of him. "And this is Zack."

Sam's keen gaze swept over a six year old with black hair and blue eyes. "Looks like his mother," he said at last, looking up and smirking at Cloud. "Said you'd be ridin' to her rescue."

"Yeah, I'm a real Prince," Cloud said in a dry tone.

Zack tugged on Cloud's wrist. "Be nice."

Denzel smothered a laugh. "We should get back before mom's craving makes her eat the bar."

Cloud smothered a chuckle and nodded.

Sam smirked. "Expectin', is she?" At Cloud's nod, he added, "Congratulations."

Raising a hand to the back of his head, Cloud looked bashful, but smug, as he replied, "Thanks."

"Nice little family you've got."

"We got sisters, too," Zack said, then pulled a face. "I want the baby to be a boy, so there's more of us."

Cloud ruffled Zack's hair. "Girls aren't so bad."

Sam looked at Cloud like he was staring at a stranger. "You really Cloud? What, you running an orphanage or something?"

Denzel and Cloud looked amused.

"More like mom collects kids."

"Hey, you're one of those kids."

"I'm not a kid anymore." Denzel folded his arms and tried to look tough.

Sam laughed. "You look as much a runt as this one used to." He pointed at Cloud and grinned.

Cloud rolled his eyes and tightened his hold on the groceries in his arm. "Runt who saved the planet twice," he muttered in a petulant voice.

Zack tugged on Cloud's arm again. "Dad, I'm bored."

Cloud raised his eyebrows and shrugged one shoulder. "Nice seeing you. Come on, boys."

Arriving back at Seventh Heaven, Cloud watched Zack dragging Denzel across the room to where Tifa sat at a corner table with Marlene and Shelke. He proudly presented the bag of apples and grinned at Tifa's praising of them both. While it appeared Denzel was acting cool, Cloud could see he was also happy at Tifa's compliments as she took a bite of a dumb apple and looked rapturous at the taste. Though she'd tied her long hair up, strands already escaped to frame her face. She seemed relaxed, though Cloud recognised the accounting books sitting in front of her, which always put furrows in her brow no matter how good business was. A few customers sat at other tables, with Marlene or Shelke getting up to serve them.

At fourteen, Marlene cultivated a confident attitude similar to Tifa's. She still wore her hair in a braid with a ribbon tying it up in honour of Aerith.

After stashing the groceries, Cloud went to the table and caught the tail end of the girls conversation. Baby names. Great. He and Tifa broached the topic in bed the night before and wound up agreeing to disagree. He felt like he'd missed something during the conversation, but couldn't figure out why Tifa had reservations. It wasn't like when they'd decided on Zack's name. With a catch in his voice, he'd suggested it after a long period mulling it over. The relief on Tifa's face made him realise she'd been thinking something else was going on with him and he'd promised not to worry her like that again. Zack for a boy and Aerith for a girl in honour of their lost friends. It seemed fitting at the time, though Cloud was glad when the baby turned out to be a boy. His guilt over Zack's death lessened with the passing years, but he knew he never lived up to being a legacy. This way he kept his vow and only felt positive things whenever he thought of his best friend. But, when he suggested Aerith's name again this time Tifa seemed reluctant and wouldn't say why.

"What about a flower name?" Marlene suggested, as she sat back at the table beside Shelke.

"Yes, that would be neutral and an homage," Shelke added.

Tifa hummed and shrugged. Her gaze flicked to Zack and she said, "Maybe. I dunno. I feel like--oh, Cloud, is everything okay?" She looked at him and smiled.

He nodded. "Yup." The look on her face spoke volumes and he didn't want to wait until later to work this out. "Guys, give us a minute?"

Marlene and Shelke got up without argument, but Denzel needed a push to move.

"Why? Can't I stay?" Zack looked at Tifa.

She smiled and brushed a hand through his spiky hair. "It'll just be a minute, then we'll go take some photos, okay?"

Zack pouted. "Promise?"

Tifa nodded. "Uh huh." She held her pinky finger out and Zack linked it with his own. They touched thumbs and he said, "You gotta or else."

With a sweet and low pitched laugh, Tifa encouraged Zack to follow his siblings upstairs. Her face grew less animated when she looked up at Cloud. "What did you want to talk about?"

Cloud drew in a slow breath, then slid into the booth beside her and turned to face her. He laid his arm along the back of the seat and took one of her hands in his. "Baby names?"

Tifa tried to smile. "It's nothing, really. I just didn't want to worry you."

He'd figured it out. Because they'd chosen to honour Zack's memory Tifa thought they had no choice but to do the same with Aerith. "You wanna choose a different name for a girl?"

She shook her head. "It's not that exactly. It's just there's so much. Too much for a child to carry."

Tifa was right. Even Aerith's name had a heavy burden attached to it. With Zack there wasn't that expectation. It was only a debt to Cloud, something personal between them, that added importance to the name. It wasn't so heavy, and even though Cloud felt that weight at times, mostly it lifted his spirits every time he looked at his son and thought of the memories he carried with him. Still, it seemed Tifa wanted to honour Aerith's memory, but didn't want to burden their child with an entire planet's legacy. He laid a hand on her stomach. The pregnancy was just over halfway and Tifa still didn't have a large bump. Her physique and fitness kept her fairly slim still, though last time she'd seemed to balloon overnight during the last two months. As it was right now, she just looked a little fuller figured. Like their baby was a precious secret only they knew. "What did Marlene suggest?" He'd heard something about flowers and figured Tifa was searching for a suitable substitute name.

After some hesitation, Tifa replied, "Lily." She laughed softly. "She remembered the one from the bar before. I said it means reunion and--" She broke off and took a deep breath. Tears sprang to her eyes and she shook her head. "I think maybe it's a good fit. What do you think?"

She looked at him with earnest eyes that shone with unshed tears. Cloud gathered her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Sounds good to me." It seemed Tifa was sure this baby was a girl the way she'd predicted Zack's gender. "Is this what you were trying to tell me last night?" He'd misunderstood. When Tifa broached names he'd been tired from a day of work and just wanted to hold her close and go to sleep. It was his fault he thought she meant something different to what things really were.

"Hmm." She nodded as she wound her arms around him and hugged tight. "Sorry. I should have explained it better."

Cloud shook his head. "It's on me. I should've thought it through." He leaned back to look her in the eye. "I'll do better."

Tifa smiled at him and said in a teasing voice, "You're already doing pretty good."

"Oh yeah?" He dipped his head towards hers until their lips almost met, then murmured, "Do I get a reward?" He enjoyed how she blushed in the seconds before she kissed him.

Things were okay, and would continue that way.

[cuddlyhawk]

I'm so glad you liked them!! Thanks for taking a look and for giving your own thoughts on them, it's super validating omg... If/When I have enough new ideas for another post, I'll reblog it again and add them. I've already got 2 more small ideas xD Even though I don't plan on turning all of them into stories, I still like to jot ideas down, because you never know when inspiration will hit. And besides, there are quite a few other people who like this AU, so if someone else wants to snag an idea and run with it, I'd love to see where they go with it. @warriorrazor, I know you said you prefer fluff, so part of me doesn't want to take that from you. So if you want to write/draw fluff for after Pump gets adopted, I want to make sure you can make all the fluff you want. That's why I've been focusing more on the angsty stuff from beforehand. I mean yeah, I like angst, but I also really love reading about the soft moments too, they make me all gooey inside haha~

This AU has plenty of both angst and fluff potential to make it perfect ^^

I wasn't sure if Pump's father was the overbearing type, or if he was just as absent from Pump's life as he could be. My parents were super nosy and overbearing, so I wasn't sure if a lot of the stuff they'd do/say would apply to Pump's father. But if I remembered something, I figured I'd jot it down in my notes and alter it slightly as needed for any future stories. It's sad to learn that his father would both neglect Pump as well as think "he's mine and he should do as I say" because that means that Pump's only interactions with his father are on his father's terms, and depending on his mood, he might go easy on Pump or he might be incredibly harsh with him, and Pump's just scrambling to catch up and understand what the rules are. Like, one day going up to his father and asking something is perfectly fine, but another day, even just walking into the room is enough to send his father into a fit of rage. The lack of consistency has to be confusing for poor Pump...

By the way! The nuggets incident was also taken from personal experience. Not the starving before and after, but one day when I was in 4th grade, the cafeteria was serving nuggets. I didn't have any friends so I set my tray down at a somewhat empty table to save my spot, and went to get some ketchup. When I came back, the table was empty and I couldn't find my food. Instead, the tray and all my nuggets had been scattered onto the floor. I dunno why, or who did it, or if it was on purpose or not, but when I looked at it and looked around to see who had done it, feeling hurt and confused, one kid must have seen the expression I had because as he was passing me, he said "It's just nuggets," as if that would help me calm down. Ohhh that's a moment I remember clear as day. So imagining Pump in that situation, where Skid isn't there to keep an eye on his food, and Pump has been starving for a while, only makes it so much worse. It might be ooc for him, but that's why it's in my notes rather than a full story haha

Oh god yeah, some of those things my parents said have stayed with me for years (I mean, technically all of them have, if I remember them after all these years, but a few of them were repressed and I only remembered them when I was really digging back through my memories). The backpack-through-the-glass-cabinet was a powerful one, it was the first time I was genuinely scared of my mom. Thankfully that only happened once. Others, like the "you can't keep secrets from me" is also one I carry with me, and I'm 99% sure that's why I struggle with boundaries and overshare (like these replies... lol it's like I'm trying to prove that I have nothing to hide). I still hesitate to delete texts because my parents would go through my phone to see if there were any texts unaccounted for, and if there were, they'd confront me about it and demand to know why I had deleted a text. To this day, I have to take a moment to convince myself it's okay to delete something as simple as a spam text. My parents would also take away privacy as punishments. If they thought I was hiding something, they'd threaten to remove my bedroom door (and if I remember correctly, they did for a little while. Either that, or it was just my sister, because I know they removed her door for a while. My sister and I still joke about it sometimes lol. But maybe it was both of us at different times...), but I really didn't feel like that'd be something Pump's father would do. Also, my parents would also turn off service to my phone if they were upset with me. I was considering that for Pump's father, but turned it into him just taking Pump's phone altogether. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would go through the effort of going online to stop service to Pump's phone, and then going back in to turn it back on again. Nah, just take the whole phone away and give it back when he remembers to.

For Pump's flashback, I mostly imagined him shutting down and going into an autopilot mode. Raise your arms, stick out your tongue, take a deep breath, we're gonna stick you with four different needles, hold still while this thing squeezes your arm until your fingers tingle... It's a lot all at once, and if he was going through something similar when the social workers were breaking into his room when his life felt like it was falling apart, the only way he'd keep from absolutely losing it would be to mentally detach and just do exactly as they say, so they'd leave sooner. So his brain switches into that mode without even meaning to. Lila would definitely notice his vacant stare and would probably try to move closer to ask what's wrong, but Pump would be too far gone to respond. By the time he's starting to come back to himself, it's probably over and they're in the car heading home. And as soon as they get home, I bet Pump would want to sleep for a few hours to recover from that. Flashbacks are exhausting, and with all the routine shots, his arms probably ache too. Just overall a rough day.

This was a lot of angst, but I promise I have some fluffy ideas too, like the swimming lessons or movie night. Another one I imagined was teaching Pump how to ride a bike! What if he and Skid learn to ride bikes at the same time? I bet Lila would exhaust herself trying to keep up with the two of them, but it would also be super fun for Skid and Pump, since they're learning something new together as brothers. And instead of Skid already knowing something (like how to swim), and Pump needing to try to catch up with him, Skid is just as bad at it as Pump is at first. Oh, imagine how proud of his brother Skid would be if Pump actually managed to learn how to ride sooner than Skid himself did. No jealousy, no resentment. Just pure adoration. That's my super talented brother! He'd think, proud as heck.

OKAY NEW SPOOKY MONTH AU TIME HERE WE GO— -

It is called the Spooky Family AU! I have a few ideas for this, so if I do end up posting several things about it this’ll probably turn into a full blown masterpost.

Very quick and basic summary:

Lila finds out Pump is being extremely neglected by his father. Pump stays at her place all the time and she loves the little guy so she is having NONE of that. She goes through the whole process of reporting child neglect, getting him to a safe space, and swooping in to adopt him. Lila and Skid then proceed to shower him with the love and affection that he deserves, and they become the most loving, spooky, Halloween-obsessed family the world has ever seen.

*****

So that’s a very condensed explanation of this AU, but I’ll probably be posting more stuff about it as I develop it more. While I do, please feel free to tell me what you think about this, literally any comments/questions/asks/additions would make my day!

For now, here are some AU details (fun facts?) that probably vary in importance:

Lila doesn’t want to leave Skid in the dark about the situation. She tries to explain it to him in kid terms. Thankfully Skid is an extremely empathetic kid and while he may not completely understand, he wants to help Pump however he can.

If you think Skid and Pump couldn’t get any closer, oh boy. Now that they’re brothers, they do pretty much EVERYTHING together. They’re inseparable most of the time. They somehow manage to never get bored of each other.

Not only did Pump joining the family bring him closer to Skid and Lila, it also brought Lila and Skid closer to each other. Their bond has never been stronger.

Pump is very touchstarved. Thankfully Lila and Skid are always there when he needs to be held.

Pump was at first shy about calling Lila “mom”, but after many days of Lila assuring Pump it was okay, he now says it a lot.

Because he didn’t always get much to eat, Pump will eat pretty much anything given to him, unlike Skid who would eat candy and dinosaur nuggets his whole life if he could. Lila often explains to Pump that it’s okay to have preferences and he can ask for snacks whenever he wants, both take Pump a bit of time to get used to.

Pump had like, two toys so he finds himself overwhelmed by the amount of toys Skid has. Skid wants to share them all with him.

Pump sometimes has nightmares of Lila and Skid leaving or abandoning him (as well as other things, he’s quite prone to nightmares in general). At first Pump would run to Lila’s room whenever he would have one, but now Skid has gotten good at comforting him too. (They share a room, there is a guest room but Skid and Pump love sharing a room.)

Pico sometimes babysits the boys (not a big part in the AU but I don’t want to leave it out bc Friday Night Funkin’ is what got me into Spooky Month in the first place-).

Posts so far (in the order of the AU timeline):

Hungry - a fic by cuddlyhawk

Spooky Night - a fic by cuddlyhawk

Not Alone - a fic by cuddlyhawk (seriously check out these fics they’re so good—)

Pump joins the family

Finally Together

Weekly spaghetti night

If you’re looking for more, take a look at the comments on this post! Some people have offered some amazing ideas and have helped me already expand this AU a bunch!

*****

So obviously this AU deals with themes of emotional abuse and neglect. I’ll be tagging my posts accordingly, and this AU will also be tagged “spooky month spooky family AU” and such, so please feel free to block the tag if this AU makes you feel uncomfortable, I won’t be offended. Also if there are any tags you want me to add, please let me know!