#like none of the links are but he’s the one to be the Loudest about it

[wilds-ponytail]

Legend, at the slightest provocation: I came into this earth screaming and covered in someone else's blood and and I'm not afraid to leave the same way.

[1800-fight-me]

An Experiment in Desire

Aemond Targaryen x Female!Reader

Rating: E (EXPLICIT - MINORS DO NOT INTERACT)

Warnings: Explicit sex, takes place in a brothel

Word count: About 2k

Synopsis: You find yourself in a brothel and have an unexpected encounter with the one eyed prince.

Author’s note: So uh... that brothel scene in the last episode really did a number on me,,, this is the filthiest thing I've ever written and I make no apologies thanks @arcielee for the inspo! and also i borrowed this beautiful gif from @aegonx i hope that's okay!!

I do not have a taglist! Instead if you would like to be notified when I post new fics follow my side blog @jo-writes-fanfic and turn your post notifications on! Here's the link to my Aemond Masterlist if you want to check out my other stories! Also my requests are open, please send me some more!!

You weren’t quite sure how you found yourself in this particular predicament. Despite your loud and frequent complaints throughout the night, you had none to voice now. 

It was a night out with your friends to celebrate the impending marriage of the loudest of your friend group to the baker’s boy. It was a good match, you were happy for her, she liked him well enough and he would be able to provide for her, which was as much as anyone could ask as smallfolk in King’s Landing. 

What you did object to however, was when the group decided that leaving the tavern, after entirely too many rounds of surprisingly strong beer, and heading to a brothel was a good idea. 

She had expressed nerves about her wedding night, and some of the others in your party overruled your protests and decided that bringing her to a brothel so she could ‘at least see what it’s all about’ was the perfect idea. 

You needed no such education, having laid with a man once before, well the word man was a stretch, it was a couple of years ago and he was a boy not much older than you who worked in the stables of the Red Keep. It wasn’t anything to write home about, but it had been sufficient, and your interest in sex had decreased since then. 

Now, you wondered if you had been wrong to not explore other options. The dark rooms were filled with incense, curtains, and moans of ecstacy. Many fornicators weren’t even hidden by curtains, but were completely out in the open for any and all to see. 

Your friends gasped and giggled, watching and whispering as a woman on her knees choked on a man’s cock. You were surprised that she seemed to be enjoying it, and it made you wonder if it was something you would enjoy too. 

A hand slipped into yours and you let your friends tug you along, this time you bit your lip to withhold your gasp as a man licked and feasted on a woman’s cunt. This was something you knew immediately you would enjoy, as a rush of heat filled you and you felt the desire to not just observe anymore, but to participate. 

There was a bit of commotion as a group of loud men filtered into the room and in an effort to get out of their way as the silver haired leader of the group stumbled through yanking back curtains in search for someone- your hand slipped from your friend’s and you were separated from your group. 

One of the men in the group slapped your ass, which startled you so much you stumbled back and pressed yourself against a wall in order to get away from the rowdy intruders. 

Some of the crowd paused their copulation, to look at the disruption and there were whispers. 

“What did you say?” you asked the unclothed woman walking past you. 

“That’s the king,” she replied. Then she looked you up and down, an innuendo in her eyes, and held out a beckoning hand to you. It took all your self control not to slip your hand in hers and follow her anywhere. 

Instead you politely declined with a small shake of your head, and she shrugged and continued on. You stuck to your post guarding the wall, and wondered where your friends had drifted off to. 

You decided you should wander into one of the adjoining rooms to find them, when a man stomped out of the enclosed curtained area the king and his man had gone into. 

The man was completely nude, that was the first thing you noticed. It was difficult not to notice. He was difficult not to notice. He looked like a carved statue, long hard planes of muscle everywhere on his tall form. Long flowing silver hair and an eye of sapphire also caught your eye.

You heard him mutter something to the king, “One whore is as good as another.” The king laughed, but Prince Aemond seemed to shake with anger. 

His presence was intoxicating and you couldn’t look away, especially not when he noticed your attention, and looked directly at you. 

You suddenly forgot how to breathe, how to stand, how to blink as he pinned you within his intense gaze. He stopped his stride as he approached you, standing closer than would ever be considered appropriate for a stranger, and looked you up and down. 

You resisted the urge to squirm as the nude prince dragged his gaze up your body and made you feel laid bare. 

He held a hand out to you, “Come with me.” 

Your pulse jumped and your hand itched to slip into his. 

“My prince, I am not a whore. I am here with friends…” 

He pursed his lips, “Even better. And you appear to be alone. Will you come with me or not?” 

His voice was rough with an unnamed emotion and you wanted to please him, to be the reason for relief from his torment, and you threw all caution to the wind. 

You placed your hand in his, his callouses scraping against your own, and you shivered as he brought your hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to your knuckles, as if you were a proper lady and not the bastard daughter of a blacksmith. As if this were a courtship, not a fuck between strangers in a brothel. 

He then slipped his hand across your back and down to your waist and led you out of the large room filled with others. You were quiet, but the same could not be said of the pounding of your heart as a prince of the realm led you to a room with a door. 

“What is your name?” he asked as he shut the door behind him, sealing the two of you alone in a small room with only a desk and chair within it. 

You answered and when he murmured your name back to you, your breath caught in your throat. 

“My Prince,” you breathed out as he took a step towards you. 

“Aemond,” he corrected. 

“Aemond, this is out of character for me, I-“

He raised his brow at you, and you acted rashly, fearing you were losing him, this opportunity, and decided not to talk anymore, and practically threw yourself at him. 

He groaned as his lips met yours, and as he stepped forward to meet you, your bodies collided and he guided you back a few steps until your back hit the wall. 

His tongue was inside your mouth and it was better than any kiss you’d ever had. He moved it with expertise that made your clit throb and you wondered if he would indeed want to use that tongue in other places. 

You realized there was nothing preventing you from touching him, not a single scrap of clothing, and so you let your hands explore. Down from his muscled chest, to his toned abs, lower… 

Aemond gasped in your mouth as your hand grazed his now hardening length. Your hand

continued its journey, cupping his balls and he ripped his lips from yours, a wild look in his eye. Before you could blink, he was ripping the clothes off you, baring you completely. 

You had half a second of feeling insecure as he took a step back and surveyed your naked form, before the prince murmured, “Perfect.” 

His lips and body crashed into you again, your back slamming into the wall, but you didn’t care, didn’t care, didn’t care as his bare skin brushed against yours, as all your curves pressed into his firm muscle, as his cock pressed against you, begging for attention. 

And as you reached a hand between your bodies to once again touch him, his lips pulled from

yours and he looked you in the eyes as his hand followed the same journey as your own. 

He ran a hand from the side of your throat, down your breast, taking a moment to gently squeeze and fondle which had you gasping. His thumb circled your nipple as your hand gripped his hard

cock. 

You both moaned in tandem at the action, and then his hand drifted lower, lower, and lower still, until his large hand cupped your mound and found you soaked beyond belief. 

He groaned as those nimble fingers spread your lips and explored your soaked cunt, quickly finding your clit, just as you rubbed your thumb across the sensitive underside of cock. 

“Fuck,” you panted as you both pleasured one another with your hands. You gripped and pumped his cock as you stared into his lust blown gaze. 

This, you’d never felt so wanted, so attractive, so powerful as when you held a prince

of the realm’s pleasure in your hand. 

His fingers drifted, and with a smirk, he plunged two inside you. You gasped, pleasure unlike

any other as your cunt squeezed him. 

And you could see that release was barreling towards you both, you knew he could tell the same as he batted your hand from him, yanked his hand out of you, and pressed you back against the wall. 

His lips were on you again, consuming you, as he lifted you up, using the leverage of the wall and you followed his lead as you wrapped your legs around his trim waist. 

His tongue tangled with your own as he plunged his cock inside you. 

His impressive length hit you deeper than you’d ever experienced before and you let out a whine. He chuckled, a cocky sound, and gripped the flesh of your hips tightly as he began thrusting in and out. 

You let your head fall back against the wall as you submitted to the waves of pleasure he brought you. 

His lips pressed against your throat, his

tongue and teeth, taking turns to make you whine as he continued to thrust inside you, his tempo hard and punishing and rough and everything you needed. You tried to grind down on him, to meet his thrusts, but he growled and gripped you tighter, pressed you harder against the wall, and you submitted control to him completely and let him use you. 

One hand tangled in his hair, the other gripped any muscle you could find, as his lips traveled down your throat to your breasts. 

As he licked and sucked your nipple, his cock hit the deepest part of you, and his groin ground against your clit, you shattered completely. 

You practically screamed his name as you came harder than you’d ever experienced before. 

This only encouraged him, and his grip on you tightened, you knew you would have bruises tomorrow, and you clenched down his cock as his thrusts increased in pace and intensity. The unholy squelching sound as he pounded inside you was music to your ears, you had no room to be bashful, not as you felt full, deliciously so. 

The frames on the wall shook as he pounded into you, and just as he was about to reach ecstasy, he pulled out of you and put you back on your own two feet. 

You watched as the prince touched himself, that large hand gripping his even larger cock, and your cunt throbbed at the sight. He moaned as his come splattered all across your stomach and breasts. 

You both watched each other, panting, coming down from unbelievable heights. You looked at his beautiful form and thought he was carved by the gods. 

He lifted your head with a finger under your chin, and as you met his gaze once more, and he pressed a swift kiss to your lips. 

“Perhaps we’ll meet again,” he murmured. Then he dropped his hand from your face, turned and left the room. 

You stood there, alone, completely naked, and covered in a royal come and wondered how you found yourself in this situation, but also hoped it could someday be repeated.

[withwritersblock]

That Place Above

~Heaven by Calum Scott~

Author's Note: Requested! I already have a story titled Heaven so I used a lyric, also this song gives wedding vibes and it's wedding season soooo. Summary: Luke goes to Y/N's sister's wedding Warnings: none? Word count: 1,426 Luke Hughes x fm!reader

There was something about weddings that Y/N adored. Maybe it was the love in the air, maybe it was the hours of dancing, maybe it was the way people get reminded of what being in love looks like. She’s always gone to weddings single, never once experiencing it with someone by her side.

Except this time. Her sister was getting married and she was the maid of honor. The maid of honor with a date to the wedding. It took a bit of convincing since Luke has only been around her extended family once before. He was nervous to spend the ceremony alone but her brother promised to keep him company. 

She linked arms with the best man, Brandon, as they began to walk down the isle together. Y/N was teary eyed all day, fighting off the tears of joy as she watched her sister get ready for the biggest day of her life. 

The satin pastel pink dress looked stunning on her as she began walking down the aisle with all of the eyes on her. Brandon and Y/N were the last pair to enter the church before the bride and her father came out. 

She was smiling towards all of the familiar faces of her extended family and friends. Many were teary eyed but had wide smiles on their faces. Her eyes landed on the boy that was her’s a few aisles up. He was fighting off a wide grin on his face as he bit his bottom lip. His cheeks were bright pink as he kept his gaze on Y/N. He was the only one ecstatic to see Y/N and not the bride.

He stopped fighting his grin once she was closer. Her hand was dangling beside her as she reached it slightly towards him. He reached his hand over, squeezing it as she walked past him. She looked towards him, smiling widely towards him. 

Meeting his gaze, she felt her eyes get more teary as she looked towards him. He let go of her hand almost as quickly as he took a hold of it. She continued towards the front of the church, parting ways from Brandon as she stood beside the other bridesmaids.

Waiting for her sister to walk down the aisle her gaze switched over to Luke. His lips were curled up in a soft smile as he was staring towards her. Y/N met his gaze and winked towards him as she brushed a piece of hair away from her face.

The music began to play and the guest stood up, she watched Luke stand up and adjust his dark brown suit jacket. Y/N shifted her gaze towards her sister and her father as they began to walk down the aisle together. 

It was a gorgeous ceremony, Y/N was crying the whole time. It was impossible not to be overjoyed over her older sister finally marrying her high school sweetheart. 

“You may kiss the bride,” the preacher said as Joshua gladly took a hold of Lila’s waist and pulled her towards him. He kissed her urgently in the most romantic way. Everyone erupted into applause and whistles as the couple shared a dramatic kiss. Something the couple was always known for, they always had the flair for drama. 

The ceremony was beautiful, but Luke was only paying attention to Y/N. She was the most gorgeous she has ever been. And that was saying something because every time he’s seen her she looks more and more beautiful. But standing up there, holding a boutique of flowers, a soft grin on her lips, she was so stunning. 

The reception was beginning and the bridal party as well as the bride and groom were making a grand entrance. Lila and Joshua couldn’t do anything simply. All of the bridal party began charging into the reception, dancing and putting on a show. Luke was sitting beside her brother, Mason, and the pair were laughing hysterically at the dances. 

It was nightclub music, dramatic Pauly D style beats. The guests began to cheer the loudest when Lila and Joshua entered the reception, the music slowly faded into regular wedding dance music. The bridal party began making through way through the party. Y/N would be lying if she said that she didn’t head directly to Luke.

Her smile widened as she saw him stand up and walk towards her. She quickened her step as she excitedly lunged towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled widely as he wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up. “Hey beauty,” he whispered into her ear as he slowly placed her back onto the ground. 

“Hey Lukey boy,” she mumbled as she pulled away from him. He delicately rested his hands onto her waist. “Did you survive without me?” she asked teasingly. He rolled his eyes as he pulled her towards him. She rested her head onto his chest as she stared towards her little brother. Before Luke became Y/N’s boyfriend, Mason was obsessed with the Hughes brothers. So he didn’t mind one on one time with Luke.

“You’re brother kept me company with his sobbing over your sister,” Luke teased. 

“I wasn’t sobbing,” Mason defended as he stood up slapping his hand onto Luke’s back. “It was emotional watching my big sister,” he mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

“It was pretty sweet, right?” Y/N offered as she lifted her head to meet Luke’s gaze. He pressed his lips to the top of her head as he slowly pulled away, pulling out her chair. She gladly accepted as she sat down. “Are you boys ready to dance?” she asked teasingly as she watched Luke sit down beside her.

His face scrunched up, “I agreed to that, didn’t I?” Luke mumbled as he shifted his gaze towards Y/N. She rested her hand onto his thigh as she smiled towards him.

“It’s okay, once you get a few shots in you, you’ll be dancing up a storm,” she teased. He rolled his eyes playfully as he leaned towards her, pressing his lips to her cheek.

“You’re probably right,” he mumbled as he pulled out his phone to take a quick photo with Y/N. She smirked as she tilted her head to the side and rested it onto his shoulder as she smiled softly. He took a few pictures before he pulled it back into his pocket.

~

It was several hours into the reception and Y/N was right. Luke had no problem with dancing after a few shots. Y/N and Luke were always at the center of the dance floor. The music began to slow again as the slow dance for everyone began to start. It was a slow Zach Bryan song began to play.

A grin slowly formed onto Luke’s lips, “Come ‘ere,” he mumbled as he excitedly rested his hands onto the small of her back, pulling her towards him. She excitedly rested her hands on the base of his neck as he pulled her towards him. His thumbs slowly rubbed small circles as he loosely held around her waist. 

Her fingertips ran into the short ends of his curls. Their eyes connected as she felt her lips curl upward softly. 

Weddings were always magical to her but something about being at a wedding with a partner was a different level of magic. Maybe it was the idea that one day, they would be the ones celebrating their marriage.

“I’m happy you invited me,” he mumbled as he scanned her features excitedly. 

“Yeah?” she offered, “You put up a good argument as to why not,” she teased as she tilted her head to the side. He pursed his lips forward as he rolled his eyes.

“We’ve been together for almost a year, I was worried you didn’t want me to come because it’s your sister’s wedding. That’s a big deal. What if I become that random guy in all of your family’s wedding photos. That’d be weird right?” he explained as they swayed along to the music.

“Not weird at all, unless you’re planning on breaking up withe me soon,” she offered half jokingly. 

“Now why would I ever want to do that?” he said jokingly as he leaned towards her, asking for a kiss. She smiled softly before she leaned towards him, kissing him for a few moments. “I love you,” he mumbled against her lips before he leaned towards her kissing her urgently again.

[avoxrising]

The Feral One • Ch 10

Finnick x Y/N

Series Masterlist Link

I don’t know if I’ll have time to post tomorrow so I’m posting an extra chapter tonight. Sorry in advance for this one…

Content Warnings - Death, violence, mayhem, people get captured

After you calmed down, Finnick carried you down to the beach to spend the afternoon with the rest of the group. They all kept their distance but you were too exhausted to try anything. You ended up sleeping for the first real time in the arena.

You were asleep for so long, you woke up to find a fresh bandage on your arm and some bread from District 3 being split amongst the group. Finnick brought you some bread and water as he sat down to watch the sunset with you.

You can’t talk anymore, not even to him. It’s like your voice has run dry and nothing will come out. You don’t even know what you would say though. He seems content enough to just sit in silence with you.

Nighttime falls and the group makes the trip up to the tree again. Finnick lets you walk in front of him but he has to help you at some of the steep parts. You fight the urge to claw at him every time he touches you, despite the fact you are telling yourself that he is safe. He wouldn’t hurt you.

At the tree, Finnick helps Beetee with the wire. You sit down close by, waiting for something bad to happen. The game makers haven’t had a death in awhile.

You emerge from your thoughts as Beetee hands the spool of wire to Katniss and Johanna, instructing them to take it down to the water.

“I’m going to go with them as guard,” Peeta states.

“No,” Beetee states. “You’re too slow.”

They continue to argue a bit before Peeta relents and let’s Katniss go with Johanna. Splitting them up must be part of the plan.

They don’t question why Beetee doesn’t split you up from Finnick. He’s the only one who can control you. None of them want to go anywhere with you if he isn’t tagging along.

Finnick and Beetee are whispering to each other, putting you and Peeta on edge. What are they planning? They seem to come to a consensus when the wire goes slack. Someone must have cut it.

“Stay with her,” Finnick tells Peeta. “I’ll go find them.”

Peeta goes to protest but Finnick has already bolted off into the jungle.

“Do you think they’re ok?” he asks you.

You shake your head no.

Moments later you hear a zap and see Beetee sprawled out in the grass. He must have made contact with the force field. There’s a cut on his arm that you didn’t notice before. When did that happen?

Seeing Beetee, Peeta quickly takes off towards where the girls went, scared that you’ll be set off at any moment. A cannon goes off and all you can hope is that it wasn’t Finnick.

You can hear people yelling and screaming. People must be fighting. You’re too exposed here.

You make your decision, you have to hide before you go rogue. Bolting into the trees, you look for one that would be easy to climb. You find one a few minutes later but quickly realize that you can’t climb it with one arm. Instead, you huddle down at the base of it, hoping people will go towards the fighting and not you.

It’s minutes later when you hear the loudest boom you think you’ve ever heard in your life. Finnick is screaming for you but it must be a trap. Why would he want you to go close to the explosion?

Pieces of the arena fall from the sky and you realize this must be the plan Finnick was talking about. He must be calling you to the pickup point.

At this revelation, you start running towards him, colliding with someone in the process.

“Where’s Katniss?” an out of breath Peeta asks you. You point towards the explosion, guessing that’s where she is headed.

Peeta makes it two yards before a dart flies into his neck and sends him to the ground. You want to scream but are cut off by a sharp pain in your neck, followed by darkness.

You wake up to a white room, the cuffs digging into the bandaged cut on your wrist. The smell of this place is recognizable. You must be in a capital hospital.

The door to your room clicks open and Snow approaches with his guards.

“Miss Y/L/N,” he states. “I’m disappointed to see that not much has changed since the last time I saw you.”

You glare at him, which only makes him smile.

“Tell me what you know about the plan,” he commands. You shake your head. You really don’t know much.

Snow furrows his brows and a sudden pain flashes through you.

“Miss Y/L/N,” he states. “You know how much I value honestly. Tell me what you know about the plan.” You shake your head again and feel another pulse of pain, darkness creeping in at the corners of your vision.

“I see you’ve decided to be difficult again,” Snow chuckles. “Very well. Plan B it is.”

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[hairstevington]

Teleplatonic

Summary: Robin starts hearing voices in Click's class. Well, it's one voice. A dude. Some douchebag jock who Robin's unrequited love has a thing for. Could high school be any worse? (5K words)

Warnings: Not much just Steve and Robin being platonic soulmates, mention of Steddie and Stommy backstory, Click's class and Scoops Ahoy era Stobin, the coming out scene (my beloved)

A/N: Many thanks to my discord ( @strangerthingswritersguild ) who encouraged me to take my silly idea and turn it into a cute lil fluffy one shot about the power of platonic loveeeee. Ao3 link here for those interested!

----------------------------------

At first, Robin thought she was going crazy.

Honestly, it wouldn’t have surprised her. She was already a closeted lesbian in the eighties, so she was doomed anyway. Might as well add schizophrenia to the list. 

Click’s class was a mixed bag. On one hand, Tammy Thompson. On the other, Steve Harrington.

Ugh. 

Robin had been in love with Tammy Thompson since the fifth grade, when they split a candy bar the day after Halloween. Robin wasn’t allowed to eat much candy growing up, thanks to her father being a dentist. Tammy extended an olive branch by means of chocolate nougat, and Robin had been smitten ever since. 

This was their first class together in high school, and it was supposed to be amazing. Robin was going to work up the courage to really talk to Tammy and maybe even be her friend. Yeah, it might torture Robin even more, considering the crush that was clearly not going to go anywhere - Robin had watched Tammy date enough guys to know there was no chance, and even if there was, Robin was far too anxious to do anything about it. 

But still.

The first day of Click’s class came, and it was perfect. Robin was paired up with Tammy to discuss an assignment, and they were getting along beautifully. Robin even made her laugh! 

Robin was an idiot who got her hopes up, and those hopes were immediately dashed when Steve “The Hair” Harrington rolled into the classroom, late, and plopped himself down right in front of Robin.

Immediately, Tammy’s eyes were on him, and they stayed on him the rest of the year. It didn’t matter when he got bagel crumbs everywhere, or asked stupid questions, or laughed along when kids were being made fun of. None of that mattered, because Tammy didn’t care. 

Robin hated Steve Harrington so much she never stopped thinking about him. She thought about how much she hated him, how much she wished he’d flunk out, and she even thought about ways she could sabotage him so he would flunk out.

But Robin was a good person, and she could never do something like that. 

Anyway, thank goodness she was smart, because she barely paid attention in that class and still got an A. The problem was, she started hearing voices.

Well, no. She heard one voice, singular. A man, no less. 

At first it was so soft, she figured someone was whispering behind her. She couldn’t even make out the words most of the time, so it didn’t matter. She’d look at Tammy, and she’d look at Steve, and everything else was a blur. 

Over time, the voice got louder, and then Robin couldn’t ignore it anymore. 

This class is such a snooze. 

Honestly, it was. Robin would have been thinking the same thing, had she been paying attention. But then, the voice started saying things she didn’t agree with. Things she would never think. 

Napoleon looks just like Aunt Margaret’s baby. Ha, that’s funny. I’m funny.

The voice continued, saying even stranger things. Usually very sexual things. Sometimes, downright offensive things. It was maddening.

Mrs. Buckley was a psychotherapist, so Robin grew up surrounded by literature about psychology and the human brain. She was aware of crazy people that heard voices, and she had no option other than to accept that she was on the road to becoming one of those people. It was just…it was weird though, because she only heard the voice at school. And it was always loudest in Click’s class. 

The possibility that she was reading someone’s mind did occur to her, but that seemed impossible. It was impossible, so she had a hard time even letting herself think that. Yeah, Robin would have rather found herself crazy than let herself believe she was a superhero. Her mom would have had a field day unpacking that one with her.

Anyway, she finally put all the pieces together a few weeks in, after another particularly boring lecture in Click’s class. 

I’m so lost.

Literally how? They were just reviewing information they’d already learned. She wondered if maybe this voice was a manifestation of her low self esteem or something. She wished she would have been able to tell her parents without worrying about being sent to the loony bin.

“Steve?” Mrs. Click called. “Can you name the four presidents depicted on Mount Rushmore?”

The voice continued.

Oh, shit. Shit shit shit. I’m screwed. Why is she asking me of all people? Do I look like I know the goddamn answer? 

It was the first time the voice was responding. Robin’s head started reeling.

“Uhhhh -” Steve began. “Well, it’s, uhhh….” Okay, four presidents. I can name four presidents. If they’re wrong, she’ll move on.  “George Washington…”

“Very good,” Mrs. Click encouraged.

Right on, okay. Shit. Is Benjamin Franklin a president? He seems like he should be. 

Robin’s breath hitched as she froze, recognizing the two voices as the same and officially coming to terms with her predicament. She gasped, cupping her hand over her mouth. A few people turned to look at her, including Steve, who only glanced at her before looking back at the front of the classroom.

Steve cleared his throat and sat up. “Uhh, what about all the presidents that aren’t on Mount Rushmore, right? Like - like Teddy Roosevelt. That guy was a total badass.” Steve folded his arms, as if he’d made an incredible, life changing point.

“Theodore Roosevelt is one of the presidents on Mount Rushmore, Mr. Harrington,” Mrs. Click said.

“Oh,” Steve replied, caught off guard. Fuck. “Oh, right. I mean, that’s what I was trying to say.”

You’re an idiot, Steve. A goddamn idiot.

Robin couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, in a way. She hated him, but still. He was a person with feelings. He couldn’t help that he was an idiot.

She raised her hand.

“Mrs. Click, I know the answer,” Robin announced. The teacher gestured for Robin to take over. “George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson.”

Thank God for band geeks. 

Robin sighed. Sure, she’d helped him. But he was still a douchebag.

-

The class carried on like this. Any time Robin felt any sort of connection to Tammy, she’d get distracted by the idiot who’s hair wasn’t even that good. It certainly didn’t warrant a whole nickname over. Steve “I don’t care” Harrington would have been more accurate. 

That’s the part that drove Robin the most crazy. He didn’t care about Tammy. He didn’t care about school. He didn’t care about history. Why was he there? Why was his one true talent being the absolute bane of her existence?

I have to stop thinking about it. 

Robin’s ears perked up, which was a silly phrase considering she wasn’t hearing soundwaves. The whole, “I’m hearing Steve Harrington’s inner thoughts” had lost its luster. Like, she thought she was going crazy, then she thought she was going crazy in a different way, and then she realized she was just cursed. 

Worst. Superpower. Ever.

Especially because she couldn’t hear anyone else! What made Steve different? Why him, of all people???

Grow up, Steve. It doesn’t mean anything.

The voice sounded much more somber that day. Robin leaned back, closer to Steve’s seat, even though the idea of her being physically closer was a bit arbitrary.

Ugh, but Tommy looks so good today.

Wait, did he say Tammy? Was he finally giving Tammy the time of day?

What I’d give to kiss him again…

Robin’s eyes bulged out of her head. She practically fell out of her chair, causing alarm to the rest of the class. 

‘Him?!?!’ Steve wanted to kiss ‘him?!?!’ Wait - Steve had this friend - Tommy H - and, ugh, that guy was even worse than Steve. He was meaner, and stupider, and - 

STEVE WANTED TO KISS A GUY?! AGAIN?!

Robin scrambled back into her seat, muttering a quiet apology, and everything around her returned to normal. 

She didn’t, though. Nothing would ever be normal again.

-

Robin survived Click’s class. Steve started getting a reputation. She didn’t talk to him, but there was nothing discreet about the way he was seen prancing through the halls with his arm around a different girl every week. 

None of them were Tammy. Robin hated how relieved that made her. 

It was strange. He was drooling about Tommy in his mind any time Robin was close enough to hear it, but on the outside, he was pretending to be something completely different.

For the first time, Robin realized she and Steve had something in common.

The following year, she avoided him at all costs. They didn’t have any other classes together, so she really only had to worry about casually passing him in the halls or sitting near him in the cafeteria. It just felt too real to be around him. She knew something she wasn’t supposed to, and that made her feel…icky.

Of course, they were at the same school, so they did run into each other a few times. Once, he literally bumped into her when he wasn’t paying attention.

“Woah, sorry,” he said with a laugh. Do I know her?

Robin rolled her eyes, and then she saw his gaze drift. Ugh, Carol. Why is he even dating her?

She ran away without another word, like a scared little mouse. He probably thought she was this weird, hyper, super-nerd, but whatever. It didn’t matter what he thought of her, and she wasn’t going to stick around long enough to find out.

Then, one day, she saw Tommy and Steve running off to talk in private, and curiosity got the best of her.

She had to know what was going on, okay? She was borderline obsessed with Steve at this point. She was far past trying to figure out what was going on in her head, so she settled for learning more about what was going on in his.

Besides, if they really wanted the conversation to be private, they would have gone somewhere that didn’t have a spot nearby prime for snooping.

She listened in from behind a wall.

“What are you on about, Harrington?” Tommy asked.

He’s not even listening. I don’t know why I’m surprised anymore.

“I’m just saying, she’s - like, what are you doing, man?”

There was a slam of a body against a locker. 

“I got a girlfriend,” Tommy drawled. “You should try it sometime.”

God, his lips are so close. I could just lean in and - no. No, I have to get over this. I can’t keep doing this.

“Maybe I will,” Steve said.

About a week later, he was dating Nancy Wheeler.

Their paths didn’t intersect much at all after that. Robin did think about meddling or investigating the situation more, but it wasn’t her business. Steve kept telling himself he had to move on, and she did too.

She still thought about Steve constantly, but it was hard not to. He was literally in her head. Sometimes she’d pass by him and hear total nonsense. I’d rather be fighting a goddamn demodog than go to math. Most of the time he just thought about what superpowers he’d have. 

And then, mercifully, he graduated.

-

That summer, Robin got a job slinging ice cream at a nautical-themed store in Starcourt Mall. She had to wear a stupid outfit, but, like - she was in the marching band, she was used to that. The job was fine, albeit boring. It gave her extra money so she could save up for…something, eventually. She didn’t know what yet. Maybe college? Every penny counts and all that.

But one fateful day in June, the voice came back.

No, no, no. I can’t go in there, not like this. It’s humiliating. I’ll - no, get over yourself. It’s just a job. You stupid pathetic loser, can’t even get into college. No, shh. This will be good for you. Just - oh my God, just go in!

Robin didn’t even look up from wiping the counter when her new coworker approached. She didn’t have to.

He was different than when he’d been in high school. He was sadder. It was even more miserable to hear him ramble on about his innermost insecurities than it was to hear him think about boobs. 

Like, at least Robin also thought about boobs. She was insecure too, but that meant there was no space in her brain to hear anyone else’s thoughts about themselves. 

The weird thing was, he didn’t think about Tommy at all, and he was flirting with every woman that came in. Unsuccessfully, but still. 

It was…incredibly surreal, her becoming friends with someone and hearing them become friends with her at the same time. Robin could hear him trust her more and more as the days went by. She could hear him change his initial assumptions about her. She could hear him soften up, open up, and show her that he’d changed. He was different than he’d been in Click’s class. He’d left his high school persona behind.

She could hear him slowly fall for her.

That was the worst part of the whole thing by far. Worse than Click’s class. Worse than holding his secret feelings for Tommy, worse than the stupid questions and musings that made no sense. He was starting to love her, and she was starting to love him - but, she knew the types of love weren’t the same. She would disappoint him, and she’d lose him. 

How strange it was to fear losing something she used to loathe having at all.

-

Honestly, by the time they were stuck in that elevator, she’d been prepped on everything based on Steve’s thoughts alone. There was too much going on for anyone to question her lack of freaking out. Besides, it’s not like Steve or Dustin were the poster children for good decisions under pressure. 

At least, she figured they wouldn’t be. 

Erica was strong and capable, but she was a child. So was Dustin, but it was abundantly clear to Robin that this wasn’t his first rodeo. Same with Steve, but she knew that already. Over the few weeks of them working together, she’d heard all kinds of things. Things she’d once brushed off as nonsense, that became too specific to ignore. The Upside Down. The Russians. Eleven. The Mindflayer. 

Robin thought it was part of some game, at first. Dustin was into Dungeons and Dragons, right? She was pretty sure the Mindflayer was from that, but no. Steve wasn’t into Dungeons and Dragons at all - she checked - and she started hearing more about experiences rooted in the real world. She heard about what really happened to Barb, and how it ripped Steve and Nancy apart. She heard about how Nancy ran off with Jonathan, and how Steve let her. She heard about Steve becoming a babysitter in the thick of it, because he had to. She heard about how he got himself beat up in the name of protecting them. 

And then she watched him get beat up again, in the name of protecting her. 

She did love him. Yeah. It was against everything she’d ever believed, but she loved Steve Harrington. She just didn’t love him like that.

-

She tried to tell him when they were on the floor, tied to the chair, and seemingly with only hours left to live, if that.

She started laughing. She wasn’t sure what else there was to do.

Fuck, that hurt. Oh shit, she’s crying. “It’s okay, don’t cry. Robin.” Ugh, the way he was trying to comfort her even in the worst of times. It made her ache. She kept laughing, louder now. “Wait, are you laughing?”

Yup.

“Yeah.”

What the hell is wrong with this woman? 

“Jesus.”

“I just can’t believe,” she began, “that I’m going to die in a secret Russian base with Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington. It’s just too trippy, man.”

It was trippy for even more reasons than he could ever know.

Yeah, you’re telling me. We’re screwed. “We’re not gonna die,” he said. Another annoying consequence of this whole mind reading thing was that she would always know when he was lying. “We’re gonna get out of here, I just gotta think for a second.”

“Sure, please do,” Robin insisted, still laughing. Him thinking consisted mostly of, shit shit shit oh my God shit what do we do?  

But Steve rarely let that side show. He was so much different on the inside, all the time. 

“Do you remember, um - Sophomore year Mrs. Click’s history class?”

Oh, shit. That just slipped out. Then again, they were gonna die, so…

“What?”

Robin continued. “Mrs. Clickety-Clackety. That’s what all us band dweebs called her. It was first period - Tuesdays and Thursdays - so you were always late. And you always had the same breakfast. Bacon egg and cheese on a sesame bagel. I sat behind you two days a week for a year. Mister Funny. Mister Cool. The King of Hawkins High himself. Do you even remember me from that class?”

No. 

He didn’t say it, and he didn’t have to. “Of course you don’t,” Robin continued. Thoughts of that year came flooding back to her like a tsunami. “You were a real asshole, you know that?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“But it didn’t even matter that you were an ass, I was still obsessed with you." The words were pouring out of her now. "Even though all of us losers pretend to be above it all, we still just want to be popular. Accepted. Normal.”

His thoughts were a mere buzzing in the background of her confession, but she did pick out him lighting up at her mentioning her obsession. She immediately wished she’d just been totally honest, because now she was being misconstrued. 

“If it makes you feel any better, having those things isn’t all that great,” he said.

She knew that by now. She’d learned it through him. 

“Steve, I -”

“I wish I’d known you back in Click’s class,” Steve said. “Maybe you would have helped me pass.”

“I did,” she confessed. “Or, at least I tried.”

“What?”

A buzzer shook them away from their conversation. She’d missed her chance. It was over.

And then came the truth serum. That damned, terrifying, life-changing, blessed truth serum. 

Well, that and Dustin saving their asses with a cattle prod.

After that came more laughter and terror and running and even more laughter and more running and then they were in an elevator back up to the real world again. She was with her friend and she was ecstatic. It was like she was floating. She’d never so much as had a sip of alcohol, but this is what she always imagined musicians felt like when they wrote all those songs about being on drugs.

Popcorn. Back to the Future. Laughing, laughing, laughing. You know, the weird part about that truth serum was that she stopped hearing Steve’s thoughts, if only for a bit. He said everything he thought, so it really just sounded like an echo, and everything sounded like an echo to her. The colors were bright. The noises were loud. And Steve was - 

Oh, no. Steve was her best friend. 

They both got sick and ran for the bathroom. There was that rare moment of calm that, up until that point, she never thought she’d have again. 

“You think we puked all that shit out of our system?” he asked.

Well. There was only one way to find out.

“Maybe,” Robin responded. “Ask me something.”

If he could read her mind, he would have heard something like - Ask me if I’m gay. Please, do this for me like I did for you. I don’t think I can say the words.

Instead, he asked her when the last time she peed herself was. She answered truthfully, but that wasn’t a truth she was scared to admit. They were being tortured earlier - peeing herself was the least of her worries.

“Alright, my turn,” Robin said. She took a deep breath and pondered the question, knowing that whatever she asked she likely already knew the answer to. But it wasn’t about knowing. It was about getting to the conversation she needed to have. If she didn’t do it now, she never would. 

“Have you ever been in love?”

Steve answered quickly. “Yep. Nancy Wheeler, first semester, senior year.” 

He didn’t mention Tommy, which was intriguing. From Robin’s point of view, he had dated her for show. Or, he’d dated her because Tommy rejected him.

“Really?” Robin asked, amused. “But she’s such a priss.”

Yeah, until she threatened to shoot me. “Hm,” Steve replied. “Turns out, not really.”

Woah. Okay. Evidently, Robin didn’t know everything yet.

“Are you still in love with Nancy?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I think I found someone who’s a little bit better for me.”

Robin took a deep breath and put her head in her hands. This needed to happen, but she was still so scared. Even if he wasn’t homophobic, he loved her, and she was about to turn him down. How could their friendship sustain that? What would happen if he hated her guts, and she had to hear him think it every time they interacted?

She listened to him list off all the reasons he liked her. She was funny. She was smart. She was cool. Beautiful. He said all the things she’d heard him say in so many ways on the inside, but now it was real. 

She couldn’t find any words to respond.

“Robin, did you just O.D. in there?”

“No,” she replied, her voice shaking. “I am still alive.”

He slid himself under the stall against the disgusting floor so he could face her. Oh, great. This wasn’t going to help at all.

“So what do you think?” he asked.

“Steve, I have to tell you something,” she said. “That thing I told you earlier, about being obsessed with you in Click’s class - it wasn’t - it wasn’t because I had a crush on you.”

He listened so intently his mind went quiet.

Robin told Steve about Tammy Thompson, and she saw him process it in real time. It didn’t take long, once he understood what she was referring to.

“Oh,” he finally said. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Holy shit.”

This is huge. I should tell her about Tommy. I should - I could - I finally have someone I can talk to about it.

“Steve, did you O.D. over there?”

“No, just thinking.”

I - I can’t. I can’t do it.

So instead, he did what he did best, and he made her laugh. And then the entire moment became focused on that, and how insane it was for them to be on the floor of the Starcourt bathroom after having spent days underground being tortured by Russians. 

She didn’t get to tell him her other secret that day. They were quickly interrupted yet again by Dustin and thrust back into the madness. 

But it didn’t matter. She knew she’d still have a friend once they saved the world.

-

After Starcourt “burned down” (Robin had to admit, she kind of loved officially being a part of the inner circle. She was now involved in the madness, and even though it was terrifying and awful and traumatic, it was so much more exciting than her world used to be), Robin and Steve decided to keep working together, because of course they did. 

He had her secret, and she had his. He still didn’t know about that second part though.

They got a job at Family Video, thanks to her excellent ability to think on her feet and ramble until people gave her what she wanted. Keith was relatively easy to persuade. 

After she came out to him and they became best buds, reading his mind developed into more of an echo all the time when it was just the two of them, because he told her everything he was thinking exactly the way he thought it. 

There was only one thing he left out. 

Tom Cruise is so hot. Oh God, do I have a kink for dudes named Tom? 

Then, after Eddie Munson came in a few times - Huh, okay. There goes the Tom theory.

Robin couldn’t take it anymore. So, one day, when Steve was driving her home, she blurted it out.

“Steve, I can read your mind.”

He laughed at first. “What?”

“I can read your mind,” she said. “Just yours.”

“Uhhhh, is this some kind of weird joke?” he asked.

“No,” she replied. “I’m - ugh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you, and I - I’ve felt really awful about it, but I’ve been hearing your stupid thoughts ever since Click’s class, and I tried to tell you that day, but then I ended up telling you the other thing, and this felt like too much, and then we became really good friends and honestly it’s barely a thing anymore because we tell each other everything except for -”

“Wait, what??!” 

Yeah, she knew she sounded crazy. 

“Remember that day Mrs. Click called on you to ask which presidents were on Mount Rushmore? And you totally bombed?”

“No,” Steve said. “That kinda thing happened to me like three times a day.”

“Ugh, okay, well -” Robin stuttered, at least grateful he wasn’t kicking her out of the car. “Never mind. It’s just -”

“It’s only me?” he wondered. His voice was different now. “What am I thinking about right now?”

Robin honed in on his inner voice. “You just thought about how you accidentally stepped on a copy of The Breakfast Club and smashed it, and instead of confessing to Keith you told him that John Dover stole it and never gave it back, even though John Dover isn’t real.”

Steve’s eyes went wide.

“Hoooooly shit,” he said. 

“Yeah.”

“Holy shit!” he repeated.

“I know!”

“Oh, my God!”

“I know!”

“Robin, this is insane!”

“I KNOW!!”

The car went quiet as Steve continued to wrap his brain around this. Well, it was quiet to anyone but the two of them. 

Why is it only me?

“I don’t know,” Robin answered.

“Will you quit doing that?”

“I can’t help it!” she shot back. 

Steve took a deep breath. “Okay, so you’ve been reading my mind for years. Got it. Cool. Totally cool.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“For not telling you.” 

Steve gave a comforting smile. “Oh, yeah. You should be sorry for that.” Robin smacked him in response, and suddenly they were laughing again. 

“Jerk!” she exclaimed. Once their laughter died down, he hummed in amusement. 

"You know, it's really not fair you can read my mind and I can't read yours."

Robin nodded. "Agreed." There was another moment of silence between them.

“Huh,” he said. “Do you think we’re soulmates?”

Robin cocked her head and furrowed her brow in confusion. “What? Ew, Steve no -”

“Not, like, sexy soulmates,” he clarified.

“Sexy soulmates? Really?” she teased. 

“Give me a break, Buckley,” he replied. “I just found out you’ve been in my head for two years, alright? It’s weird.”

She couldn’t argue with that. “Yeah.”

“So,” Steve continued. “You knew about the Upside Down stuff before the elevator thing.”

“Yeah.”

“Which means you also probably know…” 

The Tommy thing. 

“Yeah,” she confirmed.

“Stop saying yeah.”

“Okay.”

“I guess I just -” Steve sighed, throwing his head back against the seat. “I guess I’m freaking out a little, cuz like - privacy and all that.”

“I wish I could control it, trust me -”

“No, I know that,” he replied. “I mean, shit, if I could be out of my own head I would be. But, like, I don’t know. It’s kinda nice that you’re in there. Like, if it had to be anyone…”

“It would be your non-sexy soulmate,” Robin concluded with a smirk.

Steve returned it. “Oh, I’m gonna regret that, huh?”

“Forever and ever, babe.”

She couldn’t believe it. Finally, everything was out in the open. It was all up from here, right?

“Okay,” Steve said. “Well. If this is happening whether we like it or not, better put it to good use, right?”

She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” Steve grinned. Robin’s eyes widened as she heard his idea moments before they were spoken.

“Robin, I’m gonna help you talk to girls.”

WHAT?!

-

This was hopeless and humiliating. How Steve was able to convince her this was a good idea, she would never know. 

Tammy had graduated and gone to Nashville or whatever, but Vickie…

They had so much in common! And she was so pretty, and so sweet, and - and they played right next to each other in the marching band!

Of course, Robin could barely squeak a word out whenever Vickie looked her way. Thus, Steve decided she needed to practice. 

He let her take some of the pretty customers instead of keeping them all for himself. At first, it was rough.

Be cool. Act like you don’t even like her.

“I don’t even like you.”

Okay, not like that. 

It got easier, though. Eventually, Robin started to take hold of that classic Harrington charm. She wasn’t getting numbers or anything, but that’s not what it was about. It was their own special thing that they had. A secret mission. An inside joke. A bit they were fully committed to, even if only for their own enjoyment.

It was so weird and ridiculous, but whatever. 

Robin Buckley and Steve Harrington, one-sided mind-reading duo and non-sexy soulmates. Who would have thought?

___________________________

I have no idea who to tag for this (my taglist is based on romantic pairings lmao), so hopefully whoever is interested finds it okay! <3

[faithinus]

Always a Bridesmaid

Relationship: Quinn Hughes x OC Barzal!Sister

Summary: Introducing my first original character NHL AU! I won't necessarily post all of my Quinn x Alayna content in order, but I thought we would start out with how our leading characters meet. Before you read, please read my blog introduction and disclaimers here. Enjoy!

Warnings: none

Word Count: ~1600

--

Alayna stood by the garden arch, her fingers lightly brushing the soft petals of the flowers adorning it. The anticipation in the air was palpable, a gentle hum that seemed to resonate with her own heartbeat. She glanced around, taking in the joyful faces of the guests, the elegant decorations, and the overall ambiance of love and celebration. It felt surreal.

Alayna adjusted her dress for what felt like the hundredth time, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. She grew up in Coquitlam, Canada with her older brother Mat, who now played professional hockey in New York. After he left, she jetted off to college in a distant city. Those years had been a tumultuous time for her, but one bright spot had been meeting Bella. They had run into each other in a bathroom at a house party, and from that unexpected encounter, a deep friendship blossomed. Bella had been her rock during some of her darkest times, and Alayna was beyond thrilled to see her marrying Brock, a man who clearly adored her. Being a bridesmaid for Bella was a privilege she treasured.

As the bridal party assembled, Alayna found herself paired with Quinn. He wasn’t the biggest guy in the room, but still a commanding presence among the groomsmen. She instantly recognized him from living in Vancouver and being a lifelong hockey fan—Quinn Hughes, the famous captain of the Canucks. She was also pretty sure her brother Mat had met him a handful of times. Alayna had only heard good things about him: a steady captain, not the loudest voice in the room, but a dependable guy.

Alayna’s mind raced. He probably gets approached by people all the time who assume they already know him. She decided to just introduce herself as if she didn’t recognize him. With a warm smile, she made the first move.

“Hi, I’m Alayna, Bella’s good friend from college. We met my freshman year and ended up becoming best friends. It’s nice to meet you.” Quinn’s breath stalled as she approached, but he managed to return her smile. “Nice to meet you, Alayna. I’m Quinn.”

For a moment, he seemed to lose his composure, his usually confident demeanor replaced by a hint of shyness. Quinn was struck by her cheeriness, her beauty—a mix of dark brown hair and light eyes that seemed to sparkle with enthusiasm. She was tall in her heels, but he still had the edge, which made him feel a bit more at ease.

She quickly linked her arm with his, before she could give herself time to overthink. “So, Quinn, are you a teammate of Brock’s?”

Quinn chuckled softly, appreciating her casual approach. “Yeah, I am. We’ve been playing together for a while now.”

Alayna nodded, her heart fluttering slightly. She didn’t want to come across as a fangirl, even though she had been to his games and knew exactly who he was. “That’s great. I’ve heard hockey players have a tight-knit community. Must be nice to have that support.”

Heard from who exactly? Her brother, also a professional NHL player. She left out that minor detail.

Quinn glanced at her, struck by her genuine interest and warmth. “It really is. It’s like having a second family.”

As the music played, Quinn and Alayna stepped forward, their arms linked. The garden was a sea of smiling faces, but Quinn’s focus drifted to the woman beside him. He felt an inexplicable urge to keep talking to her, to learn more about the person who had so effortlessly captured his attention.

Alayna felt it too. She was acutely aware of the warmth of Quinn’s arm against hers, the twitch of his hand as he stepped, and his deep exhales. She stole a glance at him, catching his eye, and they shared a brief, knowing smile.

---

The reception hall was a vision of elegance, with lights and beautifully arranged flowers adorning every table. Glasses clinked and wait staff swept through the room gracefully to fill plates and champagne flutes. Alayna and Quinn found themselves seated next to each other at a round table reserved for the bridal party. They were the only two members without a plus one. Their chairs angled slightly towards one another, creating an intimate bubble amidst the celebration.

Quinn's eyes settled on Alayna, a smile tugging at his lips. “So, you’re from Vancouver too? That’s a pleasant surprise.”

Alayna nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yeah, born and raised not far from there. It’s such a beautiful area. What about you? Where are you from originally?”

“Michigan,” Quinn replied, his voice warm. “But Vancouver has definitely grown on me. The mountains, the ocean... it’s hard not to love the place.”

Alayna’s smile widened. “I couldn’t agree more. I left home for college and went inland, but the coast always calls me back. Do you have any favorite spots in the city?”

Quinn took a long, pensive sip from his glass. “Believe it or not, I don't get out much." Quinn rushed to clarify, to keep from sounding too lame. "I’m a big fan of Granville Island though. The market, the views... it’s a great place to unwind. What about you?”

“Stanley Park,” Alayna said without hesitation. “I love going for long walks there, especially in the fall when the leaves change color. It’s like stepping into a painting.”

Quinn nodded appreciatively. “Stanley Park is amazing. I’ve spent a few afternoons there, just enjoying the scenery.”

“So, what do you do?” Quinn asked, curious to learn more about her.

“I’m a web designer,” Alayna replied, her voice perking up with enthusiasm. “I actually wanted to be an author when I was a kid. I thought I’d write books, but now I write a lot of computer code instead.”

Quinn chuckled, intrigued by the twist. “That’s cool. So, you’re still a writer in a sense, just in a different medium.”

Alayna grinned. “Exactly. But I still love books.”

“So do I,” Quinn said, his eyes lighting up. “I read a lot of memoirs. I love learning about people’s lives. It helps me be a better leader.”

“At work?” She questioned.

“Sure, if you want to call it that.”

Alayna’s smile softened, her gaze thoughtful. “I’m more into fiction and murder mysteries. Something is thrilling about trying to solve the puzzle before the protagonist does.”

Quinn found himself leaning closer, his curiosity piqued. “So, any favorite authors?”

“Agatha Christie, hands down,” Alayna replied with a grin. “Her mysteries are timeless.”

Alayna found it especially attractive that Quinn, despite his gruff exterior, had a surprising soft spot for books. He found her witty, intelligent, and captivatingly real. Their conversation flowed easily, a comfortable rhythm developing between them. They talked about their passions, their dreams, and their favorite late-night snacks.

As the night wore on, the music softened, and guests began to slip out into the night. Alayna and Quinn were lost in conversation, their eyes meeting and holding, a silent understanding passing between them. They found themselves stalling, neither wanting the evening to end. He walked her to the door, the moonlight casting a gentle glow on their faces, adding a touch of magic to the moment.

“I had a great time tonight,” Quinn admitted, his voice sincere. “I’m glad we got to talk.”

“Me too,” Alayna replied, her eyes sparkling. “It was nice meeting you, Quinn.”

They shared a lingering look, both wishing they had more time together. But the night had to end, and they parted ways, each left with a sense of what could be. As Quinn watched her walk away, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for not asking for her number, social media handle, or even her last name.

---

The summer break had flown by, and now Quinn stood in the locker room, lacing up his skates. The memory of Alayna lingered in his mind, a constant, pleasant distraction. He regretted not asking for her number that night. Now, he found himself needing to find a way to see her again.

Taking a deep breath, Quinn approached Brock, who was stretching, his attention focused on his core. "Hey, Brock," he began, his voice casual, though his heart hammered against his ribs. "Can I ask you something?"

Brock looked up, a curious glint in his eyes. "Sure, what's up?"

Quinn hesitated, a nervous laugh escaping him. "Do you, uh, have Alayna's number? I didn't get a chance to ask her at the wedding."

Brock's jaw dropped. He stared at Quinn, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and amusement. "You... you were spending a lot of time with Alayna, huh?"

Quinn nodded, feeling a blush creep up his neck. "Yeah, at the reception. We actually hit it off pretty well."

Brock let out a low whistle, his eyes twinkling. "This is priceless. You have a thing for Barzal's little sister."

The words hung heavy in the air. Quinn's heart plummeted. "Barzal's… sister?"

Brock chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. "Yeah, Alayna... Alayna Barzal ... from Vancouver. The one and only." Brock proceeded slowly, watching as Quinn fit the puzzle pieces together. "You didn't know?"

Quinn shook his head, feeling a mix of disbelief and a sudden surge of adrenaline. "No idea. I mean, I knew her brother, of course, but…"

Brock grinned, a mischievous look returning to his eyes. "Well, let's just say your chances of getting a date just got a whole lot more interesting, or a whole lot more complicated."

Quinn felt a rush of conflicting emotions. On one hand, the realization that he had unknowingly spent the evening with Mat Barzal's sister was both exhilarating and terrifying. On the other hand, he couldn't deny the thrill of the unexpected.

Brock, ever the instigator, pulled out his phone. "Here you go. But tread carefully, my friend, or else Mat will have your head."

Quinn took the number, his heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. As he stored it in his phone, he couldn't help but smile. This was definitely going to be interesting.

---

[ginneke]

Worth the Wait

— a @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt - “Hour of Denial”

Characters: Kheel, Genli, Link, Amali, (background: Notts, Kotts, Cree.)

Set very vaguely after the Warbler’s Nest questline, and before Kass returns to Rito Village.

—

"This is taking forever," lamented Kheel, dropping her head on her wings and staring morosely at the stove in the centre of the communal kitchen. Her sisters had scattered back to their chores with the exception of Genli, who was fluttering at the scary-faced Hylian guy's heels while he washed up, asking question after question about the recipe he'd picked out: Wheat and butter and eggs and rich golden honey, and a strange blend of spices that even Mom hadn't recognised. It made the kitchen smell sooooo good, and waiting for it to be ready was taking so long. Surely one little sniff wouldn't be the end of the world...? 

But when she sidled closer and laid a wing on the lid covering the pot, Genli let out a shriek and rushed over to bat her away. "No!" her middle sister shouted. "You can't lift the lid while it's still cooking, you'll ruin it!"

"It's almost been an hour," Kheel pointed out, aggrieved, but she dropped the argument when Genli puffed up her chest in preparation to holler. Genli could shout loudest of anyone when she put her mind to it.

Once satisfied that Kheel had backed off, Genli returned to pestering the Hylian swordsman. Kheel stared at the pot and counted down the minutes until the lid could be taken off. 

Mom came into the kitchen just as Mr Swordsman picked up a hawthorn skewer. "Is it ready then, Link?" she asked, a smile lighting up her eyes. 

Behind her, Notts and Kotts and Cree were all jostling for a better look, none of them wanting to be left out.

Mr Swordsman gave them one of his tiny closed-mouth smiles before gesturing for them all to stay back. He lifted the lid on the pot, and a rush of steam and scent came wafting out. Kheel tried to creep closer, though Mom noticed and put out a wing to stop her. Mom's other wing was on Genli's shoulder, holding her back too.

The swordsman pricked the pot's contents with the skewer, withdrew it, and studied it closely. Then he nodded to himself and gripped the sides of the pot, using a thick, padded piece of fabric to shield his hands as he lifted it down to the reed mat that protected the floor from scorching. With its lid off, Kheel caught a glimpse of the pot's contents and the strange sweet bread-cake the swordsman had opted to make. It looked almost as good as it smelled, and it smelled like the warming scent of pine cones on a hot fire in winter, a smell so wonderful that Kheel could just sit there sniffing it for hours and be content.

Genli darted out from under Mom's wing and tugged on the swordsman's arm. "Hey, hey, we can try it now, right?"

The swordsman's eyes did that little flickering thing. Mom chuffed a laugh and came to his rescue.

"Let it cool first," she said, over Genli's sound of frustration. 

Notts and Kotts and Cree jostled forwards; they were chirping all the same questions Genli had asked earlier, so Kheel tuned them out -- until her middle sister's dismayed voice rose through the chatter: "Ehhhh? A day? We have to leave it for a day?"

The swordsman turned the sweet bread-cake onto a platter and put it up on a shelf, nodding a reply to Genli's question as he did so.

"Aww, but I was looking forward to trying it..."

He paused and glanced towards Kheel and her mom. It was really hard to tell what he was thinking, which was why Kheel used to find him kind of scary looking. Except now she was looking closer, the corner of his mouth twitched in a curious way, like he was trying to hold back a smile.

And then he picked that shiny blue thingy off his belt and tapped at its surface some, and from out of it he took a plate that was really, really similar to the one he'd just put up on the shelf...

Mom took the plate from him, which allowed Link his hands back. He spread them wide as if to say, Ta-da!

"Ah! You meanie!" Genli cried, but she was laughing too. "You already made one! Why didn't you say so?"

"Would you have enjoyed it as much if you didn't get to ask so many questions?" asked Mom, pointedly, and Genli huffed.

Between them, Mom and Link portioned up the bread-cake. It was smaller than the one he'd just made, only enough for a little piece each. Mom passed pieces of it around to Kheel and each of her sisters, who tucked in with gusto.

Kheel was slower to start, still distracted by the other bread-cake up on its shelf. Mom started asking questions about the recipe, particularly the reason why it needed to sit for longer, and Link answered her as best he could with a plate of his own balanced in one hand. Kheel didn't know what he was saying, but he and Mom were both smiling like she'd been in on the plot the whole time. 

Maybe she had been!

But even if that swordsman was a big meanie sometimes, making them think they had to wait such a long time to try it, the cake really did taste good. It was worth waiting after all.

[vexic929]

Aftermath

Chapter 2

Chapter 1: link

Warnings: vomiting

~December~

Hartley took apart his hearing aids with practiced ease. He'd had to repair them more and more often - he'd been hoping to use the money from his next two paychecks to buy new ones but that had been before his unceremonious termination. As it was, he was barely able to keep Hamelin and Erdős and his landlord happy with the money he had left. He'd even considered selling his flute, the only thing he'd managed to keep after being kicked out of his parents' home, but he really didn't feel as though he could bear to part with it, not yet anyway.

Hamelin and Erdős were playing happily in their maze next to his television set which was showing live coverage of the particle accelerator launch. Perhaps it was masochism that compelled Hartley to leave it on or maybe it was only morbid curiosity. He didn't want it to fail, of course. As loathed as he was to be wrong, he'd much prefer it if he was and lives were spared, and a part of him did still trust Harrison's skills - he just feared the man's ego may have gotten in the way. Regardless, he was only half paying attention. He couldn't hear it with his hearing aids removed and it was only visible from the corner of his eye whenever he bothered to glance up. That was probably why he'd missed the moment it all went wrong.

A flash of light outside his window just as he replaced his hearing aids alerted him to the explosion at S.T.A.R. Labs only blocks away but he didn't have time to react as an intense, painful pressure hit his inner ears, followed by the loudest ringing he'd ever heard. He yelped, doubling over in pain and yanking his hearing aids out, assuming he must have done something wrong...but the sound didn't stop. In fact, none of the sounds stopped.

Hamelin and Erdős squeaked loudly in distress, his television still blared the news coverage, the reporter's voice mixing into a discordant mush of syllables with his neighbors' across the hall. Sirens blared on the street below, thunder cracked all around the city, and...and he could hear the distinct, recognizable sound of the alarms at S.T.A.R. Labs coming not from the TV but the building itself. He wanted to focus on that, to focus on anything really, but the pain kept him disoriented and immobile in his chair. What the hell was happening?

Hartley's heart pounded against his ribcage, each beat echoing loudly in his ears, adding to the chaos of sounds assaulting him. He struggled to make sense of the overwhelming auditory onslaught, his mind racing as he fought to regain control. Slowly, shakily, he forced himself to his feet and slammed the TV off, bracing himself on the table next to Hamelin and Erdős's cage.

He'd hardly ever craved silence before - it had never been something he'd needed to worry about, having hearing aids meant he could turn the sounds of the world off at will if he needed to. But now, silence seemed like the most precious thing in the world, something he desperately yearned for amidst the deafening commotion assaulting his senses. It was almost amusingly ironic.

Hamelin and Erdős stuck their noses out of the top of the maze, squeaking incessantly. Hartley wanted to comfort them but he couldn't seem to do anything but grit his teeth and lift his trembling hands to cover his ears, trying in vain to silence the din from the world around him for even a moment. He could still hear the distant rumble of the explosion's aftermath, a constant thrumming beneath the cacophony.

Hartley took several deep breaths before finally lowering his hands to help his pets out of the maze, trying to ignore the piercing ringing in his ears and clamor of the streets below. The rats immediately crawled up his arms and dove for his shirt pocket, their tiny bodies trembling as they huddled as deep as they could go. Was this some sort of side effect of being in such close proximity to the particle accelerator? He didn't know, didn't have any answers, couldn't come up with a damn thing past the noise assaulting his senses.

The chaos outside seemed to grow louder with each passing moment, the wail of sirens and distant shouts blending into a symphony of panic and confusion. Hartley's head throbbed with the intensity of it all, his heart racing as he struggled to maintain his composure. He needed to think, to figure out what was happening and what he needed to do to survive. An ambulance passed beneath his window and the pain accompanying the siren made him collapse hard to his knees and vomit, heaving until there was nothing left in his stomach, stars bursting behind his eyes.

With trembling hands, he wiped his mouth and pushed himself to his feet again, reaching for his discarded hearing aids, hoping to somehow mitigate the overwhelming sounds. He could - fuck, it was so loud - maybe he could alter them, make them cancel out the noise instead of enhance it. He scrambled back to his workbench and fell heavily into the chair, his fingers fumbling for his tools, feeling almost as though the sensory overload was rendering him blind, overriding his other senses.

With a desperate sense of urgency, Hartley began to dismantle his hearing aids once more, his hands moving in a blur as he worked to modify them to counteract the deafening roar assaulting his ears. The pain was excruciating, threatening to overwhelm him again at any moment, but he grit his teeth and pushed through it.

Hours passed in a blur of frantic tinkering, sirens and thunder and the crackle of fire from S.T.A.R. Labs somehow reaching his ears, melding with the occasional squeak from Hamelin and Erdős still nestled in his shirt pocket. Hartley lost all track of time as he worked tirelessly, sporadically overwhelmed by another wave of nausea, his mind consumed by the singular goal of finding relief from the unbearable noise that surrounded him.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Hartley held his modified hearing aids in his shaking fingers, his heart pounding with anticipation. With an unsteady breath, he inserted them into his ears and activated them, counting the seconds as he waited for the moment of truth.

And then, miraculously, blessedly, the noise began to fade away. It wasn't perfect but the sounds were now...bearable, at least. He sagged in his chair, scrubbing his hands over his face. Relief flooded through him, mingling with the residual fear and confusion still swirling in his mind. He took a few deep breaths, savoring the newfound calm that enveloped him like the final notes of a sonata. He glanced down at Hamelin and Erdős who peeked out from his shirt pocket, their beady eyes watching him closely.

"Looks like I was right." Hartley murmured. The rats chirped in response, their small bodies trembling against his chest.

He wondered briefly if Harrison or any of his former colleagues had survived. Not that he cared. Harrison certainly deserved whatever Icarian fate had undoubtedly befallen him. Regardless, he supposed, it didn't matter. Whatever happened next, Central City would never be the same and certainly neither would he.

[kimbureh]

ramble about TBB and the absence of touch, coping, failure

Maybe this is an US American thing, but the sparse use of touching among the Bad Batch is starting to alienate me. Take the episode 'Faster' for example. Are you telling me Tech just won a race against all odds and Wrecker and Omega are just standing there 5 meters away? Have you ever watched a car race? After finishing a race, in any sports race, the driver gets immediately crowded and hugged by his pit stop team because races! Are! Very! Exciting! No matter how reserved you are,, making it through the finish line will elicit in your team more than just a cheer while social distancing.

Touch seems to be something the series doesn't portray very accurately to begin with. These grown man have lived together aboard the Marauder for who knows how many years. These dudes know more about each other than they want to. And I don't mean endearing fanfiction trope things like knowing who snores the loudest (which is, in reality, not endearing at all). No. After a week of cohabiting in such a cramped space, these guys know disgusting, visceral stuff about each other. They know who's farts stink up the place, and which types of food cause them to. They know who has a wet cough each morning and clears his throat of the mucus loudly in the sink. They know who's face will break out in hives if they forget to change the sheets that have been reeking like a badger for a week.

This isn't to say that they'd be disgusted of each other. It just puts some casual touches into perspective. (source: the entirety of nautical literature). People can still be closed up around others, but it's different if you're used to have your personal space constantly invaded by simple nature of the situation.

You just gotta find ways to cope. I can see Tech bury himself in datapads to forget for a short while everyone else exists. Wrecker compulsively deadlifting anything that isn't bolted down. Echo perhaps using his scomp link to dive into zeros and ones to enjoy the machine part of his self for a minute and black everyone else out. Crosshair's role on the battlefield is by design rather solitary, one could assume he fucks off somewhere off duty as well.

And Hunter? So far I couldn't spot any hint as to what Hunter's coping strategy could be. But perhaps that's the point: He has none. He may seem approachable towards his team mates, but the guardedness he displays towards everyone else is much truer to his character. Reading Hunter as a very insecure man who is foreign to himself seems to be quite accurate. I mean, he latches onto Omega as fast as he does because he needs her as much as she needs him, and she is a literal child. Hunter isn't aware of his wants and needs, he simply adopts what he believes to be Omega's. Crosshair sees through that immediately and calls it out from episode 1, criticizing Hunter multiple times for letting a kid call the shots

[iamvegorott]

Let's see if you want. You can write a blurb about some of the gifts Marvin gets at the party!🥳 🎁

Don’t Worry About It

Let’s pretend I wrote this yesterday XD This is a sequel to A Rare Calm Morning;  link

----------

Don’t Worry About It

Marvin was left to his own devices for the rest of the morning and was only interrupted for refills on his tea and lunch delivery. Eventually, JJ, Henrik, and Robbie returned and Marvin got a show of watching Jackie trying to carry everything in one trip. The weight wasn’t the problem, he just didn’t have enough body to hold it all, but he still tried. JJ hid a few items to make the trip a little easier on Jackie and caught Marvin watching. He smiled and waved before scrambling to stop Jackie from walking into a tree, redirecting him toward the front door. 

After that experience was finished, Marvin returned to his reading and was soon joined by Henrik, the two lounging together and talking about everything and nothing. Marvin would be lying if he said he didn’t like a bit of gossip and it was the same for Henrik. JJ often joined the talks but he was busy with cooking and supervising the way too excited Jackie. 

They knew it was time to head in when Wilford quite literally appeared in front of them and practically dragged Marvin back into the House. 

Looks like the calm was finished for the day

As soon as Marvin was in the building, Robbie and Blank were both in front of him and begging for them to do gifts before dinner. Marvin couldn’t say no to those pleading eyes and agreed, getting an earful of happy shouts from the two before they ran off. 

“Told you they’d get him to do it,” Anti said with a chuckle to Mad. 

“Did you tell them to ask me?” Marvin said.

“Nah. They mentioned it and I told them to ask. The worst thing you’d do is say to wait until after dinner. We’re doing the stuff anyway, the only thing that can change is timing.” Anti shrugged, using his thumbnail to clean out under his other nails on the same hand. 

“Happy birthday, Marvin,” Mad said with a smile. 

“Thank you. Are the others-” Marvin didn’t get to finish as Robbie and Blank returned, grabbed his hands, and tugged him to the living room where the other Egos were waiting. 

“Gifts! Gifts! Gifts!” The young Egos chanted, letting Marvin go and running over to the little pile of presents. 

“I think they’ll explode if we don’t let them share first.” Chase chuckled. “Go on, boys.” 

“Gift!” Robbie and Blank finished their chant with their loudest one and pulled out a thin gift. 

“Here you go!” Blank said as Robbie handed Marvin the gift. 

“Thank you.” Marvin made his way to his spot and sat down. He couldn’t tell what it was by feel so he was careful with unwrapping, remembering when Jackie accidentally ripped their drawing and almost cried with the kids since he felt so bad about it. Marvin had a feeling it was a drawing again since they made those often and was proven right when he finished getting the wrapping paper off and was greeted with a framed drawing of himself surrounded by green lightning bolts. 

“I helped them put it into a frame,” Jackie explained with a weak laugh. 

“It’s very lovely, thank you.” Marvin sat the drawing on the end table beside him and smiled when Blank and Robbie giggled happily and took off to sit with Mare and Chase. 

“The Ipliers all chipped in for this collection.” Wilford scooped up an armful of the boxes and dropped them all on top of Marvin. 

“Thank God none of this is heavy.” Marvin laughed, picking the first gift he could reach and unwrapping it. “Oh! I’ve been needing this flower.” He unwrapped several other gifts and discovered that they all had various flowers and plants that were often difficult for him to collect. 

“Took a while to get that one,” Illinois said with a prideful grin. 

“Thank you all.” Marvin laid the boxes on the ground, already having them somewhat organized for his collection back in his room. 

“Our turn.” Anti bumped Illinois away and Mad handed Marvin a gift. Marvin could tell right away with the feel of it that it was a book. He tried to think of what kind of book Mad and Anti would get for him. It would be easy to guess if it was only one of them but the two of them together was hard to predict.

“Holy shit!” Marvin blurted out when he saw the book. “How the fuck did you two get this?”

“There’s apparently a lot of lore to that book.” Jackie laughed.

“This book has only one copy and is kept within a magically secured location that no one knows where it is aside from the author and the author is dead.” Marvin started flipping through the pages. “There is no way this is real.”

“It is.” Anti grinned.

“What did you two do?” Chase asked.

“Don’t worry about it.” Mad and Anti said together. 

“That makes all of us worry more.” Dark sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Happy birthday!” Anti laughed as the others tried to figure out what the book was and why Marvin was so excited about it. But the only response they could get at the moment was;

Don’t worry about it.

-----------

@bookwormscififan

[chaos-has-theories]

WIP Tag/Reblog Game

Thank youuuuu @aidanchaser!

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

WIP TITLES

Specifically 5 fanfics this time around - the things that are loudest about rattling my head at the moment.

Timetravel AU - Septimus Heap After a series of escalating deaths, Marcia and Septimus use the House of Foryx to travel back in time and - hopefully - fix things.

Merlin Resurrection AU - working title "I Refuse" Merlin has been alive for a thousand years, and he just found out that the rest of the gang is back. The problem is, none of them fully remember anything: It's only just enough to spook Arthur hard enough that he cut contact with all of the others and is trying his hardest to just be an obnoxious college student.

Three is Company - Septimus Heap, role swap AU. Prequel/Equel to The Long Way Home. Answers such thrilling questions as "how did Septimus get adopted by the Queen?", "how much trauma can you put into one freshly-minted EOW?" and "What exactly IS going on between Marcia, Milo and Cerys?"

The Egypt Agenda Part 4: The Distant Goddess I have yet to properly write out my Egyptian analysis of Nona the Ninth! Also I've been meaning to put the other parts on Ao3 for a while

Gideon the Musical Ohhhh boy I just rediscovered this while going through my drafts and?? I mean no there's pretty much nothing in that file yet but now I really want to pick it up again

UPCOMING SECTIONS

I am two-thirds through the scene in which Septimus and Simon infiltrate the Young Army to rescue 412. I'm not sure why I haven't kept working because technically I'm at such a juicy point? 412 thinks he's about to be thrown into DN1, Septimus can't tell him what's really going on, and Simon is being told to do a spell that this-timeline Simon has no reason to know. It's GOOD I think I'm just scared I can't hit the correct balance for it

sgahjhgsshfdg Merlin just met Gwen and the Knights at a metal concert and they made their way backstage to greet Morgana and Morgause but like. Morgana is half-convinced he'll try to kill her again. Gwen is crying. Merlin is inwardly screaming because if THEY'RE all back does that mean Arthur is as well??? I probably COULD skip the explanations and just continue the scene where he confronts Arthur. I'm just.... not sure how to resolve it yet. Stubborn Prince is being Stubborn.

Milo just fished a baby from the river and is walking towards the Palace to greet his wife and newborn daughter. He is about to a) be accosted by a very panicked Marcia b) have to fast-talk his way past the Supreme Custodian and c) find out that his daughter is very dead. Noone is having a good day, except maybe for me, because all of this is setup for some VERY stupid miscommunication.

DID YOU KNOW that there's an actual myth in which "Alecto" runs off to live in a land where "John" has no direct jurisdiction so he has to send "Ianthe" to cajole her into coming back? YEAH. THAT

Act I works pretty well! Even Act II is fine! It gets more difficult after that. Anyway I have decided there's going to be a song called "To the Floor" and then it can have reprise elements in all the other duel scenes. How? I dunno whatever gave you the idea that I know what I'm doing

No way I can think of 10 and I don't know if any of you have already been tagged but hmmmm - @echo-has-queries @into-september @trainsinanime @liesmyth @septimus-heap

[nexttrickanvils]

Trick or treat!

Here's a modern!3ADV ficlet featuring the childrens (including my Threepwood sisters.)

---

Despite Eliza’s insistence that she was old enough to be everyone’s “shappyroam,” mom, dad, and all their friends insisted on having a grown-up with them.

Uncle Winslow and Auncle Anemone were busy getting ready for their big trip, Aunt Vee was taking part in some big Escape Room challenge with Kyle and Larry, Mr. Acorn was staying home for his own neighborhood’s trick-or-treaters, none of Mr. Link’s friends were available, and he and Mr. Graham didn’t trust Murray after last year.

Which left…

“Now Whisper, please make sure you watch the kids closely. We don’t want them wandering off and getting separated. Especially both sets of twins.” Said Mr. Graham

“WHISPER CAN DO IT!”

Lucas winced a little. Mr. Whisper is nice but he can be really loud. And Lucas once had a “who can shout catchphrases the loudest” contest with Chuckie one time. (Mom and Eliza weren't happy even though he totally won.)

All the grown-ups gave Mr. Whisper all the trick-or-treating rules and after some "come on, let's go let's go's" from Sora and Rosella, the group were on their way.

Lucas liked to think that his neighborhood had the best decorations.

There was the house with all the space monsters out front, the house with big plants with sharp teeth, and that one house with colorful banners and orange flowers (they were apparently for a different holiday but the owners still gave out candy.)

Of course with so many neighbors, Lucas, his sisters, Rosella and Alex couldn't decide which one to start at.

Eliza wanted to start at the house with all the scary zombie decorations.

Rosella and Alex wanted to go to the house with the voodoo dolls at the window and werewolfs and vampires in the yard.

Sora wanted to go to the house with the cartoon character decorations (which led to a small fight with her and Eliza about her being a baby.)

And Lucas and Abigail… didn't really care which house they started with, they just wanted to trick-or-treat with their sisters and friends.

Mr. Whisper saw everyone starting to fight and stepped in.

"Now now, little ones, WHISPER SHALL DETERMINE OUR ROUTE!"

With that, Mr. Whisper covered up his eyes and started to spin around while singing "Eeny, meeny, miney, moe."

"Wait… is Whisper making it too obvious which house ends up picked? Whisper shall try again!"

So he did try again with an even longer version of the song (which now included mentions of him.)

At that point, Eliza put her arms around Lucas and Sora's shoulders.

"I think Mr. Whisper is gonna be at this for a while. Why don't we just go to the houses we want and meet up at another house?"

"But Mama and Papa said we need a grown-up to be a chappy-room."

Sora said, ""Chap-a-rone," Abbi. Like you're shushing someone. And…"

She looked at Mr. Whisper, still singing and spinning.

"I think Lizzie's got a point."

Rosella and Alex, who knew Mr. Whisper better than they did, nodded.

Abigail still looked unsure but Lucas smiled and held her hand.

"Don't worry, Abbi. I go out with just Chuckie and Dee all the time so I can go with you."

That looked like it made her feel better.

Eliza then puffed up her chest and took charge.

"Okay, everyone, we'll go to the houses we want to start at and then we go to the other houses near them and meet up at that house!"

She pointed to a house that had what looked like a dummy dressed as a burglar and a paper speech bubble taped to its head that said "ow my blood!"

"But where do we go from there?" Asked Alex

"We go down the street! That's where the big houses with the big candy are!"

Big candy!?

Yes! Lizzie can be bossy but sometimes she can be the best big sis ever!

"Okay, are we ready?"

Everyone nodded and immediately ran off, Lucas and Abigail going with Rosella and Alex, who were pointing their "weapons" to their first house.

This was gonna be the Best Halloween Ever!

[shadow-academic]

Sorting Star Trek: The Next Generation: Part 1

I first discovered the Sorting Hat Chats through @wisteria-lodge’s excellent posts about Elim Garak and Julian Bashir, and they’ve also done a good writeup of The Original Series’s Power Trio (and Scotty), but I haven’t seen anyone do The Next Generation yet, so here I am! I intend to Sort the whole TNG cast, but that’s a lot for one post, so I’m going to split it into multiple parts. 

A more detailed break-down of the system I’m using is right here, but the basics are these:

PRIMARY (ie MOTIVE)

BADGER ~ Loyal to the group.

SNAKE ~ Loyal to yourself and your Important People.

LION ~ Subconscious Idealist. Ideals are linked to feelings and instincts.

BIRD ~ Conscious Idealist. Ideals are linked to built systems and external facts.

SECONDARY (ie METHOD)

BADGER ~ Connect with the group. Make allies, work steadily and well. Be whatever the situation calls for. If you find a locked door, knock.

SNAKE ~ Connect with the environment. Notice things. Tell people what they want to hear. If you find a locked door, get in through the window.

BIRD ~ Collect skills, knowledge, personas, useful friends. If you find a locked door, track down the key or try to pick the lock.

LION ~ Be honest, be direct, speak your truth. Either the obstacle is going down or you are. If you find a locked door, kick it in. 

Worf, Son of Mogh

Worf is perhaps the most straightforward character in the whole show. A Klingon orphan raised on Earth (in Minsk. Minsk.) by adoptive human parents, Worf held onto his Klingon heritage by adopting a Klingon code of honor. Even when he meets other Klingons, almost none of whom take that code quite so seriously, Worf holds himself rigidly to his system, checking every choice he makes to make sure it is honorable. It’s honestly the clearest Bird primary I’ve ever seen.

Worf’s secondary is also very clear. When faced with any problem, his first instinct is to charge in, phasers blazing, mek’leth at the ready. He is unflinchingly honest in all things. He’s got one of the loudest Lion secondaries in the whole franchise.

Lieutenant Commander Data

Bird primaries have a constructed system that they check their decisions against to determine whether something is right or wrong, whether it is constructed by them or something given to them wholesale, and I think Data’s ethical subroutines definitely count as a system that was given to him wholesale. But the ethical subroutines aren’t the whole of Data’s Bird primary. Data is constantly questioning the world around him, trying to understand what humanity is and what it means to be human. He is constantly gathering data (pun not intended) and evolving his system to account for it.

Speaking of gathering data, Data also has a Bird secondary. His knowledge is vast, and on the rare occasions that he lacks an appropriate toolset for a situation, his android brain can learn one very quickly. In short, Data is the Double Bird Spock can only dream of being.

Dr. Katherine Pulaski

Dr. Pulaski doesn’t get nearly as much screentime as her crewmates, only lasting for one season, but I honestly really like her character. She was very obviously conceived as “female Dr. McCoy”: an older down-home Southern doctor who wears her emotions on her sleeve and is brutally honest. But does she house-match him? Well...yeah! Like McCoy, she will go out of her way to help people because they’re people. The best example of this comes in her one and only focus episode, “Unnatural Selection”. (I’m still salty about the fact that not only is Pulaski in only one season, but it’s also the shortest season due to a writer’s strike.) Captain Picard believes the risk of contagion to his crew is too great to help the crew of Darwin Station, but Pulaski refuses to abandon them, because those are people down there. So she ends up beaming one of the patients into a shuttle where the only people aboard are her and Data (because he’s immune to disease) and even though she gets infected and has to be rescued by Chief O’Brien doing some transporter technobabble, she does solve the medical mystery of the day and saves whomever she can.

Speaking of Pulaski and Data, let’s address the elephant in the room. The thing that Katherine Pulaski is most infamous for is her being an enormous dick to Data in her earliest episodes. That’s very much a Badger primary falling into the trap of dehumanization, just like McCoy with Spock, but the big difference in the dynamic is that Data is not Spock. Spock can answer McCoy’s snark with snark and it’s incredibly entertaining to watch, but Data is far too innocent and earnest for that, and it just comes across as Pulaski being mean. But what all those Pulaski-haters pointedly ignore is that Pulaski goes through some really serious character development over her limited screen time. When she gets to know Data, she stops dehumanizing him, and indeed becomes one of his biggest advocates. In the episode “Pen Pals”, when Data has the personal issue of the day, it is Pulaski who argues most fervently in favor of helping him, because Data is their crewmate, he is their friend, he is a person. Pulaski even comes to believe in Data’s personhood in ways that Data himself tends to dehumanize himself. When Data explains how he cannot feel emotions, Pulaski’s like “Really? Because your reaction back there seemed pretty emotional.” Pulaski continues challenging Data throughout her screentime, but she goes from being dismissive of him to asking Data to challenge his limits in ways he hadn’t even considered.

As to Pulaski’s secondary, she has the same uncompromising Lion that McCoy had. She is going to charge in and make sure people get the medical attention they need, and nothing, neither Captain Picard nor getting infected with a fatal illness herself, is going to stop her. (Yes, I’m bringing up “Unnatural Selection” again. It’s just the best Pulaski episode.) At the beginning of “Unnatural Selection”, Counselor Troi even straight-up calls her out as being almost too dedicated to her work as a doctor.

Dr. Beverly Crusher

Speaking of doctors, let’s move on to the Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise for the rest of the show. Beverly Crusher is also a Badger primary. Her priority is her patients, and her patients are anyone who is hurt. She doesn’t care about the context; she sees someone hurt, so she charges in to heal them. (That’s her Lion secondary, too.) She’s very straightforward: charge in and heal people, no matter the consequences, which can honestly cause problems, because on multiple occasions, she ends up doing something like violating the Prime Directive, which Picard then has to call her out on.

Crusher: “I couldn’t just leave them there!” Picard: “Why not?”

The fact that this exact quote is an exchange they’ve had multiple times is, I feel, very telling for both of them. Picard knows that the rules exist for a reason, but Beverly’s not gonna let a little thing like rules get in the way of helping people.

Beverly’s also doing a spot of modeling; she’s got a Badger secondary model that comes in the fact that she kind of holds the role of “everybody’s mom.” Beverly is a caring, nurturing, maternal figure not just to Wesley but to the rest of the crew as well. But it is a model; when the chips are down, Beverly’s first move is to Charge.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Captain Picard is a phenomenally eloquent man. He’s downright famous for his speeches about how humanity can be better than anyone gives them credit for, about standing firm to ideals in the face of adversity, about never hesitating to do the right thing. This shows that he’s put a lot of thought into his own moral system; I don’t think a Felt primary would feel comfortable putting so much thought into examining their morals just to articulate them better. Picard sees value in the systems of Starfleet and the ideals of what Starfleet is supposed to stand for, and his Bird primary has incorporated them into his own personal system of what is right and wrong.

Like Kirk, and indeed like all Captains, Picard has a solid Lion secondary model; a natural necessity of the job is the skill to make snap decisions and judgment calls in the moment, and he’s quite good at them. But he only uses that model when it’s absolutely necessary. Picard’s preferred method of problem-solving is to trust in his crew. When faced with a problem, Picard will call a meeting of the senior staff and possibly the odd relevant specialist like O’Brien, and ask for their input on the issue at hand. What we’re seeing there is a Badger secondary leaning on the strengths of his community.

I’ve every intention of doing the rest of the crew at a later date, but this post is already very long, and I want to do more research (read: watch more Star Trek) before I tackle the rest of them. So, to sum up:

Worf: Bird/Lion Data: Double Bird Dr. Pulaski: Badger/Lion Dr. Crusher: Badger/Lion (Badger secondary model) Picard: Bird/Badger (Lion secondary model)

[crybabylisa]

LISA YOUR SELFSHIP WITH KIYOOMI 💳💥💥💥💥💳💳💳💳💥💥💳💥💥💥💥💥💳💳💳

sfw or nsfw, you can choose <3

please fisbdjsdkwkdhwkb i'm so sorry that this took me so long🤡 i kinda forgot that this was in my drafts and as apology i did both🤧

the sfw selfship ask game

-> send me a character out of my selfships and i'll answer these questions <3 please clarify if you want me to do the sfw or nsfw version!

network: @tokyo-ballroom

KIYOOMI X LISA

who is the grumpiest in the morning?

oh definitely me.. he always does so many things in the morning already lmao

who worries more if the other is sick/hurt?

probably me because if he gets sick (which doesn't happen often luckily), it's really bad and i never know what to do... he always has a perfect plan how to deal with me when i'm sick, on my period or hurt. he still worries about me a lot!!

who plays pranks on the other?

i try to prank him sometimes but he never falls for it :( he said i'm spending too much time with his "idiot teammates".....

who is always the first to suggest cuddling on the sofa?

i'm more vocal about wanting to cuddle, omi always just pulls me on his lap or gestures me to do so. but we both love to cuddle, especially after long and stressful days and when he comes back from games. he would just never admit that he loves cuddling..

who insists on creating nicknames for the other?

me! he swears that it's stupid but if i don't call him by his nicknames or pet names he either gets offended or thinks that he did something wrong and worries too much.

who says ‘I love you’ first?

it was kiyoomi!! i was sure to get rejected by him lmao and i was too scared to actually confess to him. he got tired of atsumu and me constantly flirting and told me about his feelings for me when we got into an argument. childhood friends to lovers, slowburn, just to idiots being obviously in love with each other but not noticing it, she falls first but he falls harder

who’s the messiest one?

definitely me😔 kiyoomi is so clean and organized but he always helps me with my stuff when i'm struggling with it.

who feels the most uncomfortable about PDA?

sakusa! he's a very private person and doesn't feel very comfortable with pda. but he always needs to be close to me and links pinky fingers with me or holds my hand.

who’s the funniest drunk?

kiyoomi. he opens up a lot more and even jokes around with atsumu, shoyo and kotaro!

who texts the most?

i do. kiyoomi is a busy man and doesn't have too much time to text me but he tries his best to answer my messages as soon as possible and he really likes seeing notifications from me. it makes him smile and he's worried if there's no message or anything from me after his training🤧

who has the most embarrassing taste in music?

he listens to some weird shit when he's training🧍🏻 i blame atsumu for this.

who reads the most?

mhh probably me. but he always buys me new books and mangas i told him about🥺

who’s better with kids?

we're both not good with kids lmao but a lot of kids look up to him and love him.

who’s the one that fixes things around the house?

none of us :') we need to call someone to fix it.

who cooks and who cleans up?

kiyoomi likes doing both but i always try my best to help him and to learn from him. he's a great cook and there's no house that's cleaner than his lmao

the nsfw selfship ask game

KIYOOMI X LISA

who is the loudest? 

oh definitely me. he isn't really loud when we're having sex but it's really hot and deep groans and he praises me a lot. the first few times i needed to ask him if he's even enjoying it because he was super silent💀

who is the more submissive? 

me! he likes to be in control and loves it when i'm submissive for him. he's a great dom and always makes sure that i'm feeling okay and comfortable.

who is more expirimental? 

probably me

do they fuck or make love? 

make love! but when he's stressed and needs some stress relief, he fucks me stupid :)

lights on or lights off? 

kiyoomi prefers lights off a little more because he feels that it's more intimate like that. but it really depends on the situation and the mood.

who likes sexting the most? 

mee!! i love teasing him like that but he sucks at it tbh :( his text messages can be super dry and boring🥲 it's only good if we're facetiming and can actually hear and see eachother.

who is more likely to be caught maturbating? 

me. he barley masturbates and if he does, it's in the shower and pretty quick.

who is better at oral and who prefers it? 

sakusa is really fucking good with his tongue and loves making me cum like that. he could lay between my thighs, eating me out for the whole fucking day. he also enjoys when i suck him off but he won't let that happen too much because he prefers giving.

who usually initiates things? 

mhhh it's probably me most of the times. he doesn't have that high sex drive compared to me, so it's very often me who begs him to fuck me. he does get turned on pretty fast tho

who has the most/weirdest kinks?

omi might be a secret little pervert but it's still me >:)

[txbbo]

I've been debating making this because this is definitely not what my blog is known for and I was worried that people wouldn't want to see it, but with the amount of shit im seeing on twitter it's compelled me to make this because I'm so frustrated.

I feel like I could make 100 posts about 'Cancel Culture' and it wouldn't be enough, so I'm just going to focus on what caused me to write this tonight - the Tommy situation. *Warning for a VERY long post below*

To be clear, Tommy has been in 'hot water' on twitter for the past couple weeks, roughly starting with the KSI collaboration where he made a joke about dream stans.

Last week, when the SBI 'exposing account' got made and twitter hyped it up, someone made a Tommy account and made a thread of things he needed to be '''educated''' on: https://twitter.com/idktommyinnit/status/1379158964148002821?s=20

I'll let you read it for yourself (and come to your own conclusion) but to me.... half of this stuff does not require a twitter thread? Breaking it down accusation by accusation:

1) 'The Mexican accent' - the clips show he is clearly only doing it when copying big Q (who famously exaggerates his own accent) and there is zero malicious intent (Big Q is also IN the 3 clips mentioned in the thread, and obviously didn't tell Tommy it was offensive). There's debates in the comments from people who think it is offensive and people who don't, so I'm not trying to pick a side. To avoid accidentally offending anyone, maybe it is best for him to stop, but the way twitter acts as if he was purposefully doing this to offend people is just not true.

2- 'Making a slave joke' - Even saying that feels wrong, because it suggests Tommy is doing something awful. Instead, they are referring to the 'bit' that Tommy, Techno, Tubbo and Ant were involved in, when Tommy and Techno took Tubbo and Ant as their slave. People are taking this vod and using it to accuse Tommy of being insensitive to Black people, but I think people are just assuming the worst. Slavery existed long before the transatlantic slave trade and still exists today. This is a role-play server - Tommy 'forced' Ant to work for him and used the word slave, which to me is exactly what was happening? People 'murder' others on the SMP, people 'kidnap' on the SMP, people are 'terrorists' on the SMP, and all happen without issue. To add, Ant is a WHITE man. Tommy taking a WHITE man as a slave is not something uber problematic.

3- 'His reply to Techno's 'murder is bad' tweet'. - I get people saying that Techno's initial tweet was insensitive, but saying Tommy's agreement to this from almost over a year ago is something notable and worth addressing is just super nitpicky and is clearly only in there to pad out the thread. It also makes me wonder what other CC's interacted with it and if THEY should be cancelled too (according to twitter).

4 - 'The saying slurs' tweet / jokes about 'whats the worst word you know' - This one I can kinda see how people might not like it. However, it's clearly a 'poke' at his friends, making them seem like bad people. To me, its in the same vein as 'Tubbo is a Tory' or when Tubbo shoots back that 'Tommy is a Nigel Farage fan'. They're obviously not, but its making fun of your friends by saying they are, and mockingly making them out out to be bad people.

5- 'Covid jokes' - People are taking jokes he made about him 'having covid' and saying he shouldn't joke about this, even going as far to linking it to asian hate crimes. I don't even know how to explain that that this is just? not a 'cancellable offence'? I'm sorry but if I hear anyone in my family coughing I make a little joke that 'they better not have covid' and I know other people do. I have someone in my family who is extremely vulnerable to Covid and if they caught it, would quite literally die, but I can understand that jokes like these are harmless. The whole internet had a running joke that we were in a 'panoramic' or 'Panera' or 'insert any word that sounds like pandemic.

This thread got a lot of attention and anything he tweeted afterwards was spammed with the link and there were so many people upset that he hadn't addressed it. I saw so many people say how 'upset' and 'disappointed' they were in him.

Going on to today, this happened: https://twitter.com/khasiid/status/1380611890104139776?s=20

I get it, it looks bad. But for context (which the tweet doesn't give), the reply was only up for less than a minute. It was obvious to me, even BEFORE Tommy addressed it in his stream (clip here: https://twitter.com/cowrpse/status/1380640046202593283?s=20 ) that it was a mistake. In the clip, he clearly acknowledges his mistake and seems embarrassed. To me, this situation should just be laid to rest because a mistake does not need this much attention, but twitter disagrees.

In case it wasn't obvious by now, the tide is turning against Tommy and people are less willing to ignore genuine mistakes and assume the worst.

Today, during his birthday stream people were clearly already waiting for him to mess up. Around half way through, he started saying 'finna' out of context and Tubbo joined in. This led to tons of tweets telling him he was misusing AAVE, and while there were plenty of people willing to be patient and educate, there were also people seeing this as an example of him being a 'bad person' and someone who should be 'without a platform'. I think people forget that not everyone has the same internet upbringing as they do. In general, I think its noted that the misuse of AAVE is something that has just recently been brought to attention. I learned about it through tiktok and stan twitter, and I don't think it's unimaginable that a British 17 year old boy (who is not active on either) has never heard of 'African American Vernacular English'.

Just for a fuller picture, today has also brought about another 'criticism' that I just had to address.

1) 'Tommy made a KKK joke' - Like the 'slavery' point, saying this is extremely misleading. It makes people think the worst. Here's the clip: https://twitter.com/ghostburz/status/1380673589612011522?s=20

Here, Tommy and Tubbo are both joking about Tubbo's 'bit' of naming his alt streams 'aaaaaaaaaa', 'bbbbbbb', 'cccccc', etc and how it would've been bad if it was 'kkkkkkkk' (for obvious reasons). That is literally it. It is a less than 20 second clip. Acknowledging that people woulda thought about the 'KKK' is not him 'not understanding Black issues', its a throwaway joke about the obvious.

Lastly, someone on twitter has made a tommyinnit (address asap) doc - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tZEZtBzikS-EYYkssfFtwVOoFqOwCK0zhStLe6H1wCc/edit

I've basically already covered everything in this document, but I wanted to mention how extremely 'guilt trippy' the whole thing is. I struggled to come up with the perfect word for the situation, and I am open to hearing other peoples opinion, but as I have mentioned none of these things Tommy has been accused of were done with malicious intent, and some I believe don't even need addressed at all.

'slavery is a source of astronomical trauma for black people, and isn’t something to be taken lightly if you’re to look into the horrors of the slave trade."

and "Oftentimes they are the last words we hear before we die and it really is not Tommy’s place to joke about words that affect us so negatively."

Are extremely emotional words for a 17-year-old boy to hear on his birthday, for stuff that I believe has been taken out of context and blown out of proportion.

I really feel bad for him, because such a large proportion of twitter (which ofc is the loudest side of the fanbase) is angry at him and is demanding (as the document says) ''either a stream or twitter thread/twitlonger to addressing this' and 'a long and serious apology instead of a short statement pre-stream'.

We all know how twitter works, and unless his apology is perfect (which to me means apologising for stuff that he should't have to, as explained in the thread), twitter will continue with this weird hyper focus on everything he does, and it's not going to end well.

Twitter's mentality of 'putting everything this person has done that could ever be considered problematic' into one neat little thread is so unhelpful and counter intuitive. I got overwhelmed reading some of the stuff people were saying about him, I can't imagine how he feels.

I feel like I have more to say but at risk of writing an essay longer than my actual work I have to do, I'm going to end here.

[allthatyoulove]

The Perfect Spot

Fred Weasley / Reader

Summary: You get to stay an extra night at Hogwarts with no supervision. So what do you do? Play hide and seek, of course!

Includes: underage drinking, cussing, fluff, making out

Words: 3.8k

A/N: I’m thinking of doing a part two to this, let me know if that’s something you guys would like! Hope you enjoy the story! Feel free to leave any feedback and please let me know of any warnings or errors I missed! Thanks for stopping by :)

---

Tonight’s the night.

All of the professors and staff of Hogwarts have gone to some motel in Hogsmeade, leaving the 5th through 7th years in the school by themselves for the night. It’s tradition for the 5th-7th years to stay the night in the school without supervision after school ends for the summer.

It’s a new tradition, so we were going to make the most of it before some kids ruin the school and it gets disbanded.

Fred and George snuck in a bunch of alcohol, spreading it around the group and trying to keep it lowkey so none of the other kids snitched or, even worse, wanted us to share.

We were all in the corner of the long corridor that the students decided to sleep in for the night. It was exactly like the dining hall, but there were no tables or stage. The windows were the only source of light as the sun began to set. We weren’t sure what time it was, only being able to go off of the moon from inside the corridor, but either way, most of the group was already plastered.

We were sitting in a circle, in the farthest corner of the room, in this order from right to left: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Me, Fred, George, and Ginny. We each had our own pillows behind us, intending for us to all sleep with our feet in the middle and in this circle formation we had created. There was one huge blanket in the middle covering all of us that George had engorgio-d so no one would fight over it.

We were lightly drinking the bottles the twins had brought at the beginning of the night, then Ginny said she had an idea but we all had to be drunk for it to be fun. So we picked up the pace, and now almost everyone was hysterical. Harry and Ron were extremely smiley, laughing at almost everything. Hermione was almost in tears, telling everyone how much she loved and appreciated them. The twins were making jokes, making everyone piss their pants over what they were saying. Ginny was being the loudest, trying to playfully argue with everyone through her laughter. Everyone was feeding off of each other's energy, which made a circle of laughing and whisper-yelling.

“-and then 50 bloody spiders the size of Hagrid started chasing after us!” Ron finished.

“Ron there were like 3 spiders, mate” Harry said, bursting out into laughter. The rest of the group clutched their stomachs in laughter while Ron’s face turned red, soon laughing along with us.

Tears started to leave my eyes from how hard I was laughing at Ron’s attempt to sound brave in front of Hermione. We all knew he was deathly afraid of spiders, so it made it all the more funny.

I was coming down from how hard I was laughing, wiping my eyes when I felt a hand brush the side of my thigh. I looked to my left, at Fred, to see his eyes on George, who was making a comment to Ron about him being a coward. The knuckles of his hand were brushing the outside of my thigh underneath the blanket.

My entire body heated up, the voices of the people around me being tuned out as I focused on his touch.

I have had a crush on Fred since I first came to hogwarts, but in the past year he has flirted with me more than ever before, touching me whenever he gets the chance whether its his knee against mine when we sit next to each other or putting his arm around me while walking through the campus. I’ve noticed it, but didn’t want to get my hopes up or read the situation wrong and make it weird between us.

But with his hand going from brushing my thigh to resting his hand on it, I don’t think it could be read wrong. His hand sat on top of my thigh, with his fingers resting on the inside, lightly moving it back and forth.

He continued to pay attention to the rest of the group, who were engaged heavily in another conversation, darting his gaze to different people and even adding in some things himself. My eyes followed whoever was talking as well, but I couldn’t hear anything they were saying. I was too focused on the way Fred’s hand slowly got closer and closer to the apex of my thighs.

“Okay, listen up you lot. I think we’ve had enough to drink, which means it’s time to share my master plan.”

My eyes shot to Ginny, being snapped out of my trance at the sound of her yelling over the laughter.

The rest of the group followed, immediately snapping out of their laughter to listen and leaning in as if she was going to tell us a secret.

“I was thinking, what if we played…”

She waited a second, as if a drumroll was playing in the background to announce her idea.

“Hide and seek.”

The entire group gasped in shock, frantically looking around at each other and agreeing with how good of an idea it is. Ginny looked proud, nodding her head in confidence as everyone got excited.

“Should we have everyone else play? I think the more people, the better.” Harry said, looking around the group for their opinions.

“Yeah I think if we had a small group of seekers and the res’ were hiders, that’d be better. We could split it evenly so we switch after all the hider’s hv’been found.” I said, getting an adrenaline boost at how fun it was going to be. There were 429 students in the 5th-7th years, but most of them weren’t convinced to stay another day after school had gotten out. So, there were about 150 students in the hall right now that would be playing. It was going to be a good game.

Everyone nodded and agreed in confirmation to what I said, and Ginny got up to yell out the directions and rules to everyone else in the hall.

We all got up, trying to gain our balance after drinking on the floor for so long and giggling when Ron almost pulled George down with him after he started to fall over. We brushed off our pajamas, hiding the bottles underneath the blanket while Ginny was giving her speech.

“Alright I think everyone’s got it. You guys can pick which team you’re on, I think they’re already splitting themselves into groups over there.” Ginny said, coming back to the group as the rest of the corridor broke out into loud conversation. George was the first to speak up.

“I’ll be a seeker with Harry and Ron. You all can be the hiders because you lot can’t even see straight”

Hermione giggled, clutching onto Ginny to stay balanced as Ginny spoke up, pointing at George.

“You’re on, Georgie. I may not be able to see straight, but…”

We waited for her to finish, as she stood there with her finger pointed at him. It was quiet in the group for a couple of seconds before everyone burst into another fit of laughter.

“Let’s just get the game started” Ginny said, turning red and turning around slowly so she didn’t fall over.

We started walking out of the corridor, following the rest of the large group of students that were headed that way as well. Everyone had grabbed their wands to use as light in finding our way around the huge castle.

Fred caught up to me, grabbing my elbow that was holding my wand to get my attention. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, careful to hide what he was saying from the others.

“Have any ideas on where to hide?”

His breath on my ear made me feel fuzzy inside, whether that was magnified by the alcohol or not, and I smiled up at him, knowing that I looked absolutely plastered.

“No clue. What’re you thinking Freddie?”

He smiled his mischievous smile and pointed with his head towards the doors we were about to walk through, leading to the hallway.

“I’ve got the perfect spot. I’ll show you.” He said, rather seductively.

My stomach fluttered as I smiled down at my feet. He rested his hand at the small of my back as we walked through the huge doors together, shuffling into the hallway with the group of kids. They were making a huge half-circle around what we could now see was Ginny, the hallway being lit up by the lanterns hanging on the wall.

“Anything outside of the castle is off limits. No Forbidden Forest or going out to Hagrid’s hut, because no one will find you and the castle is plenty big for everyone to hide. No magic cloaks or spells to see any footprints. The seekers will give you 5 minutes to find a hiding place, so make it good.”

Everyone was quiet, listening to Ginny give surprisingly good and clear instructions with how drunk she seemed to be 2 minutes ago. She was a good leader.

“Those are the only rules. So, let’s do this!”

Everyone gave a quick cheer combined with claps and talk of where they were going to hide. Some kids started to run away right away, squealing in excitement and rushing to get to their hiding places.

Fred, Ginny, Hermione, and I joined with the rest of the group while we waited for the other hiders to clear out.

“You are going down, mr. chosen one!” Ginny yelled at Harry, linking her arms with Hermione and walking off towards the stairs.

Harry blushed a little and laughed, turning in towards Ron and George, who looked like they were already coming up with a plan for attack.

Fred and I looked to each other, smirking. The alcohol definitely did nothing but amplify my attraction towards him. Seeing him in the dim light with his hair slightly ruffled, in a black shirt and plaid pajama pants while I’m drunk was definitely… sinking in. He towered over me and had his arms crossed over his chest, looking down at me with a smirk. If I’m being honest, one word from this man and I would jump into his arms. I had all night to gawk at him, and the low conversation from the people behind us reminded me that the timer was going down and we already spent a good minute just staring at each other.

“So where’s this place you had in mind, Weasley?”

“I thought you’d never ask” he said, grabbing my hand and turning to go down the hall opposite Ginny and Hermione.

We walked until the first turn, turning left and going down another long hallway before coming before a staircase.

“Just up here” He said, guiding me up the flights of stairs.

He broke into a light jog up the stairs and I struggled to keep up, trying to keep my balance. He had taken the same amount of shots I did, but he was also a giant so I’m sure it had less of an effect on him.

We reached the top of the stairs, and Fred looked all around him at the three different hallways in search of something.

“Y’know where you’re going, Fred?”

“Yeah, of course, umm….”

He looked around once more before settling on the hallway to his left, which looked like a last minute decision.

“It’s this way, trust me” He pulled my arm forward so I was now in front of him, wrapping his arm across my back and settling his hand on my waist, using his hand to hold me in place in front of him. I kept walking until he turned me, stopping us in front of a door.

“Go on, open it.”

I reached out and opened the door. It was pitch black inside, and before I could protest against going in, he ushered me inside the small space and closed the door behind us.

“Fred-”

“Lumos.” He whispered. The tip of his wand instantly lit up, brightening up the small room as I looked up at him. He smirked down at me, his gaze wandering over my face.

“Was this your plan all along, Weasley? Get me alone in a dark room?” I flirted, smirking at him as I stood on my tippy toes to look at him closer.

He faked a shocked gasp, “How’d you know, you little minx?”

I smiled at him as I settled back down on my feet, starting to fall back a bit before Fred’s hand instantly shot out to grab me and hold me in place. I didn’t register it in time, instead looking around the space we were in.

The light that Fred’s wand was supplying was rather dim, but perfect for showing the contents of the room.

Filch’s office.

There were a few dressers pressed against the wall, with a desk and chair in the middle. There were small artifacts around the room, but nothing that caught my eye. I gazed over the room, but it was all just a blurry mess to me. I turned back around to Fred, seeing that his eyes never wandered from me. I smiled up at him, looking at his lips and just waiting.

“You’re so beautiful” He said, cupping my cheek with his hand that wasn’t holding his wand.

“Not so bad yourself, Freddie” I said, leaning in.

He smiled at me, meeting me in the middle and pressing his lips to mine. I closed my eyes and leaned as much as I could into the kiss, hearing the faint sound of his back being pressed to the door. I held onto his elbows, deepening the kiss. He leaned his head forward, making me lean back. I stumbled backwards a little, and one hand left my face to wrap around my waist, bringing me in closer to him.

I softly moaned into the kiss, causing him to tighten his hold on me and lift me up completely with the arm around my waist, turning us around so I was against the door. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and both of his hands went to the bottom of my thighs to hold me in place. I heard the faint noise of a student yelling, signalling that they had started to look for everyone now.

Fred pulled away, kissing my neck instead as my hands went to his hair.

“Fred, they’re looking for us now” I said, out of breath, warning him in case he forgot that we were in a game of hide and seek, like I had.

“Mmm” he mumbled into my neck. I could feel him leaving hickeys that I would have to make up an excuse for later. I couldn’t grasp that this was happening, teetering on the line between euphoric and giddy on what I was feeling, what I was doing.

I had waited for this for so long, I couldn’t do anything but feed off his adrenaline and excitement in this moment and meet it with my same feelings.

He picked me up and pulled me away from the door, lifting his head to give me a quick peck on the lips before we were moving. My arms wrapped around his head right away, feeling the room spinning from how drunk and turned on I was right now.

His hand shot to rest across my back, resting on my shoulder as he walked over to the desk in the middle of the room. He sat me down on it, standing in between my legs. It was completely dark in the room again, Fred’s wand being the only thing turned off during this whole interaction.

He reached over and clicked on the lamp that was on the desk, both him and I turning slightly as our eyes adjusted to the dim light that filled the room. I opened my eyes slightly, turning back towards him as he did the same.

He smiled a big smile at me, nodding as if assuring to himself that this was actually happening.

“Wicked.” He breathed out, still smiling from ear to ear.

I let out a breathy laugh, pulling him in by his neck for another quick peck. He pulled away slightly and rested his forehead on mine, looking at me.

“You’ve no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

“Oh don’t be daft Freddie, you’re drunk” I giggled at him.

His expression turned moderately serious right away, scaring me that I had said something wrong or ruined the vibe.

“I’m being serious, you git” He joked, smiling at me and pinching my side.

“Ow- okay, okay! I believe you! It took you long enough to show it” I said, smiling back at him.

“Whaddya mean it took me long enough? I just figured out you liked me 2 minutes ago!”

“Who’s the git now? I’ve liked you ever since I came to this bloody school” I said, leaning up slightly to kiss his cheek and smile at him.

He looked at me incredulously, freezing in place.

“You’ve liked me that long? And never said anything?”

“Well, no… I didn’t want to make anything weird if y’didn’t feel the same way”

“You’re insane” is all he said before grabbing my face and leaning in to kiss me again. I smiled into the kiss and pulled the cord to the lamp again, turning it off.

This kiss was even more heated than the last, both of our hands roaming each other's body. My hands were going from his hair to his face, his going from my face all the way down to my waist, groping and pulling whenever he could. He tasted like cherry and alcohol, and I was getting drunk all over again, this time on him.

He pulled away once again, trailing his kisses from my neck down to my chest, exploring it with his tongue.

All at once, I heard 2 or 3 people’s footsteps running from the stairway down the hallway, towards the direction of the room we were in.

“Fred, fred” I whispered, nudging his shoulder to get his attention.

“Hmm?” He hummed, slowing his actions but continuing to place kisses on my collarbones.

“There's people coming this way” I said, using the hand I had in his hair to lightly tug on it, pulling his face up to meet mine.

He pulled out his wand, aiming it at the door.

“Colloportus” he whispered, making a gesture at it before I heard the lock of the door locking into place softly.

I fake-gasped at him before whispering, “You’re cheating!”

“I’ll make it worth your while, darling” He said, smiling, kissing me before bringing his attention back to my chest.

My hand went into his hair as I gasped out his name, encouraging him.

His hand barely dipped into my pajama pants, messing with the band but never going any further. I was ignoring the footsteps of the people outside at this point, not caring about the game.

“Fred, please” I begged, trying to hint at what I wanted from him.

His fingers dipped just below the fabric when suddenly someone from the outside of the door grabbed at and shook the handle.

“Hey! Someone locked the door!”

I grabbed onto Fred’s shoulders, craning my head to look over at the light underneath the door. He did the same, immediately moving his hands around my waist as if they could burst into the room at any minute. We both sat there looking at the shadow underneath the door as they shook the handle a couple more times before stopping. We froze for a second, waiting for something else to happen before we heard them run off.

He turned to me, and my eyes had started to adjust to the dark enough so I could see him looking at me with his lips swollen and his eyes dazed. His hair was ruffled, and he looked more drunk now than he did before we came into the room at all. He looked beautiful.

We both burst into laughter at the same time, burying our faces into each other's necks. I pulled away, pulling his face up to meet mine and fixing his hair as he looked at me with admiration.

“We better get out of here before someone gets your sister and it gets awkward” I said, looking into his eyes.

He huffed in irritation, dropping his face to my shoulder. We stayed like that for a minute as I ran my hands idly down his back, enjoying his presence. I didn’t want to wait too long, though, and have to walk out with hickeys on my neck to a group of more than 100 students.

He must have read my mind, because he straightened and stood up before backing up a step and holding his hand out to help me down from the desk. I took it, doing a little hop off of the desk as I took a second to regain my balance and brush off my pajamas. I took my wand out, casting “Lumos” to look around and make sure we left everything as we found it.

“You’ve got a little something there” Fred said, pointing at my neck.

I looked at him in confusion, following his eyes to brush my neck before I saw him break into a smile and realized what he meant.

“How am I supposed to explain that, bloke? You better hope it’s dark out there!”

He just laughed as I finished my scanning of the room and came to the conclusion that it looked as we found it.

I scanned Fred really quick, letting out a quick laugh before speaking.

“I think you’ve got a little situation too, Freddie”

He raised an eyebrow and followed my eyes down, before shooting his eyes back up at me and using his hands to cover where I was looking.

“Alright, very funny.” He said, suddenly uncomfortable with the way he was standing.

“Aww it’s okay Fred, it’s totally normal”

He turned red, motioning at the door with his head.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s get out of here”

I laughed and turned towards the door, hearing the sound of him messing with his trousers as soon as my back was to him. I turned off the light at the end of my wand, unlocking and opening the door slightly, peeking out and scanning the hallway. It was still dimly lit, with no one in sight.

I beckoned Fred over with my hand as I slowly snuck out into the hallway. He followed me, softly shutting the door behind me. I stood up straight, looking at him as he scanned the hallway as well.

“I guess we better go get found then, yeah?”

“Let’s do it” I smiled at him as he grabbed my hand, intertwining them. We started down the hall and got to the top of the stairs before Ginny and Hermione came around the corner.

“Ha! Gotcha! Finally, we found you! The whole team of seekers were looking for you guys, you were the last ones!”

I laughed as Fred turned to look at me, our eyes meeting.

“I told you I had the perfect spot”