#madhouse service

[colorfulfoxengineer]

[thegreatbuttoneer]

Top reasons why I hate myself right now

Poor decisions were made

it is 4 in the morning

I should not have drank that coffee I threw together at 11pm

I have to wake up early tomorrow

but instead I’m sitting here on my phone giving myself carpal tunnel drawing this

I love him but seriously I need to sleep somewhere in the next 30 minutes

[charliemwrites]

Sniff, sniff…. Woof.

Content: Voyeurism

“Johnny? Johnny, baby, come here!”

Your big wolf boy comes bounding in from the living room as you shut the front door, immediately rearing up to sniff at your neck and face and hands. Satisfied, he licks your cheek and drops down again.

“Alright, listen up, handsome.” You grab his cheeks, scritching along his jaw and grinning as his big blue eyes go dopey. “My sister and her husband are going to stay the night. You are going to be a polite boy because you love me and don’t want to give my sister anything to talk shit about. Yes?”

A sneeze that he (for once) aims away from you. You laugh, drop a kiss between his eyes.

“Good talk.”

As usual, he follows you through the house as you shed clothes and shoes and bags. You ramble about the grocery store and your day, mostly just to get it out so your headspace can be clear for the evening. Helps to have a little (relatively) listener following at your heels.

He camps out in the bathroom while you shower, licking the glass door until you scold him - per usual. And again when he tries to lick the clean water off your leg. Only starts getting restless and grumpy when he sees you change into “outside” clothes rather than pjs.

You groan as he tries to herd you away from your own closet. Must be mixed with a shepherding dog because he’s a damn pushy jerk.

“Enough, bud,” you sigh. “Look, I don’t wanna go much either. But it’ll be worse if I don’t.”

He mouths off at you, a new thing he’s started up that reminds you of a husky. Maybe you should get one of those doggy DNA tests.

“I know I know,” you coo, shimmying into a pair of pants that your sister won’t be able to tease makes your ass look flat. “I’d rather snuggle up and watch 90s vampire movies too. But I already said I’d go and this means I’ll be able to skip seeing her on her birthday.”

More grumbles, but at least he climbs up on the bed to pout. You finish dressing and head for the vanity - no way you can go out with your sister without makeup.

As you pass, you roll him over to scratch his belly - politely ignoring his reaction. God, you really need to get him in for a neutering. If you catch him humping one more pillow—

When it’s time to go, you drop down to give him one last hug.

“Be good, baby. I’ll be home soon with some new friends. I love you.”

—

After dinner, your sister’s husband suggests a bar. And, of course, it’s a sports bar. Man can’t go more than an hour or two without.

You and your sister chat while his eyes stayed glued to the screens. Well, she chats. You mostly just provide the audience she constantly craves, the validation she always needs.

At some point your excuse yourself to order another drink, weaving between the patrons and sighing at a chance to let your face rest for a moment. While you’re waiting, someone brushes up close behind you, startles you.

“Och, sorry, hen. Madhouse in here.”

You blink, tilt your head back to see a gorgeous pair of blue eyes shining down at you. Takes your breath away.

“Oh! Um, no problem, I get it.”

You try to scoot as much as you can - but it really is packed, especially at the bar - and the man takes the opportunity to occupy any free space you have.

Not that you’re complaining. He’s got the type of face they put on magazines with hooks like “sexiest man alive.” A killer grin as he winks down at you, arm bracing on the bar.

“Buy ya a drink for bein’ so rude?”

You’ve barely gotten the start of, “oh it’s alright,” out before he’s signaling the bartender. His stature and presence gets him instant service though, so you let it go, fidgeting restlessly.

Even his voice sounds like a sin worth committing. He’s too attractive. Too handsome to not know it; and definitely too handsome to be chatting you up and ordering you a drink.

“You here with anyone?” he asks with an edge that makes your spine prickle. Yet you almost feel like you imagine it. His tone is normal, his expression hasn’t changed and yet. Something subsonic in the timbre of his voice, maybe.

“My sister and her husband,” you reply.

“No husband of your own?”

You try to laugh, it comes out strained and awkward. “Ah, the only man in my life has four legs.”

Instead of looking annoyed by the brush off, his eyes spark.

“Dog?”

“Yup!” And okay, alarms in your head aside, you’re always happy to talk about Johnny. He’s a safe topic. You fish your phone out of your back pocket and show him your lock screen.

The man takes a quick look at the screen, an odd, private smile flicking across his face. There and then gone, before those intense eyes are locked on you again.

“He friendly?”

You laugh a bit, perk up as the bartender returns with your drink. “Not with men. Thanks for buying!”

as you turn to go, he grabs your hip. Not hard, or even too low. But you gasp quietly, the heat of his palm searing through your clothes.

“Name’s soap, by the way.”

Infinitely more nervous now, you stutter out your own and then retreat to your sister and her husband.

Spend the rest of the night pretending not to watch Soap. He doesn’t return the courtesy, eyes trained on you, lurking around the bar. So visible it seems to only you. Something about the way the light catches his eyes reminds you of when Johnny senses a threat. When he gets low and growly, hair standing on end, eyes focused.

Soap looks like he’s hunting you.

Thankfully, your sister complains about the noise after an hour or so and the three of you leave. You’re relieved to be going home.

As you step inside, you call for Johnny again.

“Wait, who the hell is Johnny?” your sister’s husband asks, an odd look on his face. “You’re living with someone?”

You snort a bit. Does he seriously not remember you talking about your dog?

“Yeah,” you joke, “he’s the love of my life, my one and only—”

You hear the clack of the doggy door and call out again. Johnny trots in panting.

“Did you just come in from a run?” you chuckle, putting a hand out in greeting.

He comes right up to you, presses his nose to the spot where “Soap” grabbed you and snuffles.

“I know, I smell wrong,” you soothe.

He grumbles and licks at your shirt, but you gently nudge him away, turning as your sister scoffs.

“You still do that thing where you talk to them like people?” She asks. “Don’t you think that’s… childish?”

“Johnny’s basically a person in a human body,” you reply, laughing. “You’ll see.”

“Dogs shouldn’t have human names,” her husband pipes up, reaching for Johnny.

“No, wait—”

Johnny snaps just shy of his fingers and puts himself bodily between you two.

“Easy!” you yelp, hooking your hand in his collar. “Sorry, I meant to warn you - Johnny’s shy with men.”

“He almost took my bloody hand off!”

“He’s just protective. Johnny, heel.”

He stops snarling, but plants himself at your feet right there, eyes sharply trained on your brother in law. Your sister snorts.

“How are you supposed to get men back here, then?”

You jump as Johnny barks, a full deep one that your rarely ever hear. Your sister startles too, then scowls.

“I don’t,” you answer, shaking your head. “Anyway, let me just get the sheets for the spare room and we can call it a night.”

Johnny stays close at your heels the entire time, though you swear he throws a nasty glance back at your sister’s husband.

First | Previous | Next

Masterlist

[oizysian]

22 // Masquerade // On The Inside

Summary: Wanda is an undercover cop who does some things she wouldn’t expect while in prison.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader

Warnings: forced kissing, pussy eating, dirty cop

Word count: 1.1k

Kinktober masterlist

Wanda’s POV:

I had never been in trouble in my life, but now I was in prison as an undercover cop, and it was terrifying. I had to pretend to be tough and brave, which I was normally, but being in an unfamiliar situation put me off my game, and this wasn’t exactly the best situation to be in. All I had to do was watch and possibly extract information from one of the inmates, but I was barely here a whole week and I was being harassed - and I had to do my best to not act like a cop.

I tried to stand my ground, but these women were in here for a reason and without authority, I was outnumbered and outgunned.

I was a new inmate - fresh meat, and they made it very obvious that they were all very hungry.

I was cornered by two bigger women; pushing me around, touching me and I knew I was in deep.

“Back off.” I growled and one of them grabbed me, pushing me up against a nearby wall.

“Hey.” A voice called out.

A girl with a scar on her eyebrow and deep, dark eyes walked up to us, interrupting the woman’s assault on me.

“That one’s mine.”

The woman swirled around and laughed, letting me go and turning her attention to this other girl.

“Yeah, pipsqueak? Says who?”

“Says me. Just ask the last bitch that thought she could take something that belonged to me.”

The woman looked from the girl to her accomplice, and from the look on her face, let me go. I fell back against the wall and gritted my teeth, knowing I couldn’t do anything to blow my cover.

“Get lost.”

The two women scurried off and I was left alone with the girl who said she owns me.

“I don’t know if I should be thanking you or not.” I said softly, standing tall to appear less meek.

“You should.” She walked up to me and closed the distance between us, pressing her lips to mine and shoving her tongue nearly down my throat.

I put my hands up to her chest and pushed, huffing angrily. She smiled and wiped my spit off her mouth, winking at me.

“That’s just a taste. Wait until tonight.”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Think about it? I’ve been ready for it since I first saw you. It’ll be easier for us both if you just let it happen.”

I did my best to make myself look bigger and scarier than I was, but she just laughed and looked amused.

“Cute. But remember, if it’s not me, it’ll be someone else.” She looked around and nodded her head at me. “Not sure if the other broads around here will be as gentle as I will.”

Something about this girl was alluring and attractive, but this was an insane notion. I couldn’t just be used and passed around like that … right?

“It’s a madhouse in here. If you have nothing to offer,” she gestured to my body. “They’ll take something else. You need protection and I’m offering my services.”

“For what in return?”

She smirked.

“You know what.”

I frowned. Maybe it would be beneficial to team up with this girl. Teaming up was so much more different than what I would be doing, but it was the best way to describe it.

“Okay.” I whispered and she tilted her head at me in confusion.

“Okay?”

I nodded.

“I’ll sleep with you.”

“It was that easy?”

“It was that easy.”

“C’mon.” She took my hand and led me down the hallway towards the laundry room, where she led us in and then closed the door behind us. “Nice and cushioned.”

She sat on and pat a pile of sheets and I took that as an invitation, sitting next to her awkwardly.

“How often do you do this?” I asked meekly and she snorted.

“Never. I’m all talk.” She leaned back onto the sheets and looked up at the ceiling. “Make sure to make some sexy noises so the others think I’m fucking you good.”

I stared at her for a moment before taking her hand, smiling slightly at her.

“I really appreciate this.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She swatted my hand away from hers and I shook my head, smiling. “I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to use me for other things too, y’know.”

“Yeah?” I smirked, picking up her playful tone.

“Yeah.” She looked over at me and I bit my lip.

“I’ve never been with a woman before.”

“No?” She sat up. “I’ve only been with girls.”

“Are you a lesbian?”

“I don’t like labels.”

She sighed and I watched her face, her expressions saying more than her words.

“You wanna try it out? No strings attached?”

“None?”

She shook her head. “None.”

I leaned forward and tentatively brushed my lips against hers, testing the feel of her lips against mine. Her lips were soft and surprisingly sweet and I obviously took her by surprise because she didn’t respond right away. After a moment, she responded in full, kissing me hard.

“You wanna …” she whispered against my lips and I hung on her every word. “You wanna ride my face?”

I blinked at her bluntness and nodded. I pulled off my pants and underwear and climbed her body, sitting on top of her as she grabbed my thighs and guided me down onto her face.

Her tongue was strong and soft as she explored my wetness, and I could feel my legs shaking as she fucked me. She was definitely good at what she did. I braced myself on the laundry cart in front of me and bit my lip, my hips rolling in time with the movements of her tongue.

I had never felt like this with a man, or even with myself. I couldn’t believe this was even happening. What got into me?

My brow furrowed as her tongue found my clit, swirling circles on it and flicking at it teasingly. I was losing my mind. One hand grabbed at her hair and pushed her face against me, the other still attempting to balance myself.

“Oh, fuck!” I cried as I came, my whole body tightening then releasing all of its tension at once.

I could hear her hum, satisfied, from under me as I got up and crawled off of her.

“Guess it was as good for you as it was for me.” She joked and I smiled shyly.

“I can’t believe I did that. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“I can tell. Little miss straight laced.”

“Shut up.” I laughed as I got redressed.

“Make me.”

Who knew I’d enjoy myself more as a criminal than as a cop?

[ineedhaikyu]

Chapter 4

Summary: It was a bittersweet moment when Inarizaki lost to both Inarizaki's manager and Karasuno’s ace. What will happen next? Do the feelings stop there?

Word Count: 11.7K

Warnings: A lot of fluff. The slow burn is intense. This chapter is long because I wanted to add meaningful conversations. Spoilers for Season 4/Chapter 291! Dialogue from both sources. I don’t own anything. Haikyu belongs to Furudate Haruichi! Also, I added a scene that I found adorable. The Tiktok creator (astrq.ella) translates the fanmade manga into English and it's so cute!! Go check it out!

A/N: Obviously, the dialogue of the twins, Aran, Kita, etc are from the anime and manga. I tried my best to keep the flow of speech going throughout this chapter. Lol idk if I can keep up but I’ll do my best! When am I going to edit that dialogue in the previous chapter? Well, your guess is as good as mine! Also, I apologize for the sudden hiatus, my life is crazy but I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

The match ended with a score of 30-32. With each team winning a set, the third and final set was their last chance to win, to advance, to stay alive in Nationals. The hunger to win was there. The sheer determination to win was there. The will, the passion, the… Well, everything. Each player on the Inarizaki had it all. They played with everything they had.

Atsumu proved to everyone, whether they were familiar with volleyball or not, how his setter skills were top tier and worthy to be labeled as the best high school setter. With his opponent being a setter that attended the same All-Japan Training Camp, he was pushed to another level to become a star setter.

Osamu covered for any tiny mistake his brother made during the match. The unspoken intuition between him and his brother every time he scored a point through their version of Karasuno’s quick attack. Never before had he felt so hungry during a match.

Aran played his role as the ace more than ever. With each difficult pass that was made, he made sure to call out for the ball and with his strength he scored a point for his team. The title of ace suited him as he proved it with each service ace and spikes that broke through Karasuno’s blocks. Gin followed his senpai’s footsteps closely as he scored points through difficult blocks and receiving difficult passes. 

Omimi kept up his blocking skills all throughout the match, turning Karasuno’s possible points into their points through his blocks. The same can be said with Suna. The middle blocker, despite his deadpan expression, didn’t slack off as per usual. He lived up to his title as one of the best middle blockers in Nationals as he kept his sharp game sense and surprised his opponents with his wide-range spike.

Akagi did his best as lead libero. He saved the team on multiple occasions through his receives. His eyes focused on the ball more than anything as he commanded his body to follow after it. With each received he made, it brought a sense of security to his teammates to continue playing. He was the cornerstone for his team’s defense and wasn’t about to slack off, not even for a second.

Kita kept his plays consistent all the while keeping the rambunctious second-years in check. But ever so often, the match brought out a side of him that hasn’t been felt for a long time. Karasuno wasn’t like any other team. Every player on that team pushed his teammates to their limits so many times that it made him crack a smile or two throughout the game. Karasuno were worthy opponents.

Even the first years challenged themselves to play. They didn’t hold anything back. 

And yet… 

“It’s a madhouse in here!” The announcer’s loud voice filled the arena of the crowd’s uproar. “The entire Tokyo gymnasium is shaking with the roar of the crowd!”

The Inarizaki manager was the first to snap out of it. She didn’t realize how loud it was before until now. The last sound she heard was the sound of the ball hitting their side of the orange court. Everything after that felt muffled in a sense as she stood there motionless.

(Y/N) looked at her team. With the exception of their chests moving, no one made an effort to walk off the court. Whether they were too tired to move or they were in disbelief at their loss, (Y/N) knew that her friends were taking this loss harder than usual. 

They were so close…

“We lost.” It helped saying those two words out loud. It didn’t lessen the sting obviously, but it confirmed her reality. 

Even more so when she saw how unbelievably happy Karasuno looked. Her eyes automatically looked for Asahi. When her eyes landed on his jersey number, her wounded heart swelled up with admiration. Under the bright gym lights, Asahi looked unbelievably happy as his arms wrapped around his teammates. He, along with his friends, were hugging the two first-years that made the incredible block against the twins’ attack. 

The scene made her smile bittersweetly. While she was sad that her team was no longer able to advance, losing the match to Karasuno didn’t feel too awful. The match was almost like a battle of wills. Everyone was fighting for a point. No one gave up, not even when the odds were against them. 

There was no way around it, Karasuno won fair and square and while this didn’t mean the end of the world for her… Today marks the end of her Spring Tournament journey… Wow. Third year brings out a different perspective more than anything.

(Y/N) reminded herself to breathe. She looked for Kita. Unsurprisingly, the captain’s observant gaze was on her already. He always had a knack in knowing what she was feeling. It has been like that since their first year. The two smiled at each as they were thinking the same thing.

They couldn’t be any prouder of their entire team.

“It’s time to line up.” Coach Kurosu instructed with Coach Ōmi following behind.

She nodded and wordlessly grabbed the white picket sign that showed her school’s name. The manager waited for her captain to step next to her. Once he did, she gave the sign in his hands. Their eyes met and (Y/N) knew he was going to be okay. 

Everyone lined up on either side of the net; their Karasuno counterpart right in front of them. (Y/N) looked ahead and she smiled when she was met with Kiyoko’s teary-eyed expression. She hoped those tears were of happiness and not of pity for her and her team. In unison, everyone bowed down and thanked each other for the game.

After standing back up, the players stepped forward to shake hands. (Y/N), along with the coaches, did the same. 

“That was a great game.” (Y/N) told her when they shook hands. “Anyone who says Karasuno’s a fallen powerhouse is kidding themselves.”

Kiyoko wiped away the tears that threatened to fall at her new friend’s words. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to us.”

(Y/N) let out a good-natured chuckle. “You have a great team, Kiyoko. Take care of them because the competition is going to be even fiercer.”

“I will… And (Y/N)?”

“Hm?”

“I’m sorry-

“Don’t be.” The Inarizaki manager cuts her off. “Don’t apologize. You never know what’s going to happen. All we can do is our best and keep moving forward. Okay?”

“Okay.” 

“Good.” 

The girls smiled at each other. To Kiyoko’s surprise, (Y/N) gave her a tight hug. It took her a second but Kiyoko managed to hug back. The loud cheers of the arena along with the announcer’s voice almost made it impossible to hear (Y/N)’s next words but she still heard them all the same: “Keep winning.”

Kiyoko pulled away first as she gave her friend a determined nod. “We will.”

(Y/N) smiled at her one last time before following her teammates. She stood next to Kita in front of the Inarizaki cheer section. She scanned the crowd to see her fellow classmates and friends. They had tears streaming down their faces but it didn’t stop them from clapping or shouting words of encouragement. 

In the corner of her eye, she saw how frustrated Atsumu looked. Anyone who had eyes can tell by the expression he wore. 

With furrowed brows and a small pout to accompany it, Atsumu muttered under his breath, “C’mon. Boo us. Losers don’t need no consolation applause.”

To his surprise, one of the older fans called him out. “Shut yer mouth, Atsumu, ya little dimwit!”

(Y/N) smirked when her underclassman was taken aback; he’s probably thinking how on earth did the man see right through him. 

“It’s scrawled all over yer face, ya idjit!” The fan yelled at him, confirming (Y/N)’s theory from before. She didn’t miss the way Osamu smirked at his brother, most likely thinking he was a idiotic moron.

“A GOOD GAME’S A GOOD GAME, AND WE’RE GONNA TELL YOU IT WAS A GOOD GAME! YOU GOT THAT?!”

While the loss did sting, the fan’s words gave her a sense of pride. Everyone rallied behind the fan’s statement. The claps became louder. They shouted each member’s names, including her own, telling them it was a great game. They even brought out the hand-made signs that had their names on it and carried them proudly over their heads. (Y/N)’s eyes swept over the crowd until she was met with Kita’s grandmother’s gaze.

She met the older woman before on multiple occasions. Kita Yumie was the ideal grandmother as she wore a gentle smile that matched her kind eyes. The fact that she showed up to their game only proved how much she cared for her grandson and his team. Not to mention she wore a hand-made sweater that said ‘Good Luck Shinsuke’.

It didn’t help when the elder woman mouthed, “I’m proud of you all.”

(Y/N) could feel her tears well up around her eyes. She blinked rapidly to gain control but there was always that one tear that ended up escaping down her cheek. Her hand quickly wiped it away before her team saw. But, as always, the Inarizaki captain was watching.

He patted her back and gave her the same gentle smile that he shared with his grandmother. The smiles were almost identical. 

Wordlessly, everyone bowed to the Inarizaki cheering section and shouted, “THANK YOU VERY MUCH!”

~

As Coach Kurosu and Kita delivered their post-game interviews, (Y/N) busied herself with packing everything up. Once she deemed everything was accounted for, she zipped up her bag and took one last look at the orange court. It was bittersweet to say the least. 

“Can’t forget this.” Aran came up to her, her maroon Inarizaki jacket in his hand. “Y’alright?”

(Y/N) smiled at her friend and nodded as she put on her jacket. “I should be asking you that, Aran.”

The ace shrugged. “It hasn’t sunk in yet, y’know?”

She hummed in agreement. “I keep expecting to wake up but I pinched myself enough times to know this is real.”

The two third-years walked towards the crowd of journalists where their friend/captain continued to answer questions. As they waited on the sidelines, Aran couldn’t help but steal glances at his manager. Which of course didn’t go unnoticed by her. 

“Something wrong, Aran?”

He took a moment to find the right words before he spoke, “That samurai guy… He made some great plays.”

“He did, didn’t he?” (Y/N) recalled Asahi’s top moments of the match. A smile graced her lips when she remembered the moment Asahi feinted a spike that surprised both Aran and Akagi. She can tell by the look of his face that he didn’t mean to do that, all the while Inarizaki’s ace and libero glared at him. “Even our own fans cheered him on at one point.”

“I know right? But I couldn’t blame them for cheerin’.” Aran sighed as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He mentally winced as he recalled the time Karasuno’s #3 received his spike with his shoulder. He didn’t want to brag but he knew for a fact that his spikes were strong. No doubt Azumane is going to have a bruise that will last a few days. “He’s definitely a strong ace.”

“You guys shook hands, right? Did you tell him something?” (Y/N) asked her friend, curiosity getting the best of her. 

Aran nodded. “Yeah, I told him something.”

(Y/N) waited for him to continue but when he didn’t say anything else she stepped in front of him. “Well? What did you tell him? You didn’t say anything mean, did you? He’s sensitive and-”

Her mini interrogation was cut off when Aran laughed and said, “Relax, (Y/N). I didn’t say anything mean.”

“Then what did you tell him?” She asked again, getting slightly annoyed by Aran’s secrecy.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a guy thing.”

Oh, you suck.” (Y/N) pouted as she punched his arm repeatedly. “And here I thought you were the one guy that I can trust unconditionally. Guess Kita is the only one.”

“Aww. Don’t be like that.” Aran swung his arm over her shoulder and brought her in for a side hug. “After all we’ve been through these last three years, you’re just gonna toss me away like that?”

(Y/N) let out a small yelp when she felt Aran’s hand ruffle her hair. “Hey! My hair! It took me all morning to make it look good.”

“Oh?” Aran gave her a teasing smile that could rival the twins’. “You never do your hair for matches. You tryin’ to impress samurai guy?”

“S-Shut up! What’s wrong with me trying to look good?” (Y/N) defended, hoping Aran didn’t see through her tough act. “Are you really not going to tell me what you told him?”

Aran laughed and shook his head. “Nope!”

“Fine. I’m sure Kita would tell me.” She said before pulling away from the ace’s embrace. She wrinkled her nose before covering it. “You stink.”

(Y/N) opened her bag and gave him a clean towel. Aran huffed but didn’t argue because he knew he didn’t exactly smell like roses. He wiped away the sweat around his face and neck when he noticed his captain coming towards them.

“Looks like Kita’s done.”

“You guys were waiting for me?” Kita asked his friends. “You didn’t have to.”

“It’s tradition.” Aran pointed out. “We always walk together off the court.”

“It’s been like this since our first-year, Kita. Remember? Why would we change it now?” She added.

Kita hummed as his heart stirred at his friends’ words. “I guess not but let’s go. The next match is going to start soon and we shouldn't get in the way.”

He walked forward, missing the way his friends shared a knowing look. Together, the Inarizaki captain, ace, and manager made their way to the rest of the team that were patiently waiting for them.

Along the way, (Y/N) took the chance to ask the same question she asked Aran and hoped he would give her the answer she was hoping for. To her dismay, Kita gave her a soft smile and said, “Aran only told your friend the obvious.”

(Y/N) sighed. “You wound me, Shinsuke. I thought you were my friend. My best friend who would tell me everything. My good friend who should have my back after everything we went through. My-”

“Give it up, (Y/N).” Aran laughed at her attempt to guilt trip Kita. “I told ya it’s a guy thing.”

“That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard.” (Y/N) complained as both captain and ace smirked at her. 

The third-year trio met up with their team and together they departed to the sub-arena. As they walked down the stairs, (Y/N) could practically feel her underclassmen heavy stares on her back. It was only a matter of time before someone said something.

It’s almost comical how she was able to call stuff out before they even happened, especially when the twins asked for Kita. Judging by the guilty expressions on their faces, it wasn’t hard to figure out what they were going to say.

In unison, the twins began their apology. “Um… We’re sorry-” 

But, as usual, Kita was one step ahead of them as he interrupted their speech. “What? Gonna apologize to me so you can feel a bit better about yourselves?”

Standing next to the captain, (Y/N) shivered under her jacket at Kita’s seemingly ice cold words and she wasn’t the only one who felt the effects. The Miya twins straightened up their posture and with similar embarrassed expressions they yelled, “Wha?! N-No! Course not!”

(Y/N) grinned at the second-years’ panicked response. She’s going to miss those two when she graduates in a couple of months. 

Kita smirked to himself and waved his hand in dismissal. “I know, I know. Sorry.” His expression changed into a pensive one. “But… I think you should save the apologies for when you’ve done something wrong.”

Atsumu and Osamu’s eyes seemed to glimmer under the light, taking their captain’s words to heart.

Kita continued. “I don’t think you made a mistake by choosin’ to do that quick set right then. I thought you were gonna score too… Though I hafta say I hate the idea of tryin’ stuff in real games that we ain’t done in practice first.”

The twins grimaced as their eyes looked at the ground with great interest. They looked so guilt-ridden because they knew Kita had a point. 

“Still,” (Y/N) spoke up, causing everyone to perk up. “The fact you guys were able to copy that quick attack on your first try was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Aran nodded. “And that last rally there… We probably just picked the wrong guys to try it against.”

“I agree.” Kita said as he recalled the match’s final moments. “When you two get all fired up and gung-ho-like… You usually leave everybody else back behind you in the dust.” He paused, recalling Karasuno’s so-called ‘freak’ duo before continuing. “But this once, the other guys were just as fired up and gung-ho-like as you two… It was amazin’ right?”

The captain couldn’t help the smile that grew on his lips and (Y/N) couldn’t help but smile as well. It was a rare sight to see her friend smile but it never failed to warm her heart. Kita began his descent down the stairs but not before saying, “It ain’t every day you get to play a game like that against a team like that. We got real lucky… Good for you.”

(Y/N) chuckled at how her underclassmen looked so shocked after hearing Kita’s touching words. They must have thought he’d be his stoic self. They don’t realize that he’s happy that his teammates found worthy opponents in Karasuno.

“Wait…” Atsumu said. “Kita-san was smiling just now, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah.” Osamu confirmed, his eyes following his upperclassman.

Riseki stepped beside Atsumu and added, “I caught him smiling bunches during the game.”

“Bunches?!/Yer kiddin’.” The twins exclaimed at the same time, not believing the first-year’s statement.

They looked at their manager, mentally asking her if it was true. Their jaws dropped when she nodded and said, “He’s not a robot, you guys. Kita can smile. Don’t act so surprised when he shows his feelings.”

Kita stopped in his tracks when he heard his manager’s words. He stood there in silence, contemplating his next words that could leave a lasting impression on his team. 

After a moment, he admitted his feelings, “Still, for some reason I’m awfully frustrated. Now, I did everything I could proper and I did it right. I can say I don’t have any regrets and mean it as the honest truth. Results like winning and losing, they’re still just side effects that happen when I’m doin what I oughta be doin’. But… It’s funny.”

The captain of the Inarizaki volleyball team turned to look at his teammates. His eyes met with each one along with his rare gentle smile that surprised the first and second-years. 

“‘Well? Isn’t my team amazing?’ I wanted to say that even more.”

(Y/N) opened her mouth to say something but she was left speechless after listening to Kita’s speech. She tried so hard to contain her tears but it was no use. Her strong facade crumbled with each tear streaming down her face. Kita’s words etched into her heart and she hoped her juniors will continue to work hard in the future. At the thought of her juniors, (Y/N) glanced up at them only to see they were tearing up as well. Suna was the only one who remained tear-free but (Y/N) knew him well enough to know he’s feeling the same way as everyone else.

As she tried to compose herself, Osamu tearfully spoke up, “Please keep saying it, senpai.”

Atsumu followed up and declared, “We’ll be the kind of teammates you can brag about to your great-grandkids.”

Kita looked up to the ceiling with a hopeful look on his face. His smile grew even more after hearing the twins’ promise.

“I look forward to it.” 

And with that, the third-year captain turned around and continued to walk down the stairs. The rest of the Inarizaki team were left spellbound, too stunned to move an inch. 

“Come on. Let’s hurry up and get changed.” Kita advised them. He looked at his friends and his eyes softened when he saw the state (Y/N) and Aran was in. “You guys okay?”

(Y/N) couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped her lips. Automatically, her arms wrapped around him and hugged her friend tightly. It took a few seconds but she soon felt him hug back. Then she felt another pair of arms around them and it didn’t end there. In less than ten seconds, her and Kita were in the center of a massive group hug.

Inarizaki’s motto stated that they didn’t need the memories, but with this heartfelt moment she was experiencing… (Y/N) hoped her teammates would make an exception because she will definitely hold this memory close to her heart.

“You guys are the best. I wouldn’t manage any other team. Thank you for the last three years!”

It went without saying there wasn’t a single dry eye amongst the group.

“THANK YOU SENPAI!”

~Meanwhile in the baggage storage area~

Asahi never felt so exhausted before in his entire life. This match was, without a doubt, on his list of top three most difficult matches. The adrenaline from before seemed to evaporate the moment he stepped away from the court. He was sure he looked like the dictionary’s definition of tired. Despite the exhaustion and the victory under his belt, he felt conflicted.

He hasn’t seen (Y/N) since the final line up and he wondered if she was okay. Her team came close to winning. The last rally was really a battle of wills between his team and hers. He could only imagine the sting of hurtful defeat the moment the ball fell onto their court. And with (Y/N) being a third-year, it was her last chance to be with her team in Nationals.

Now her chance is gone… Asahi couldn’t help but feel a bit responsible for that. 

Which is why his eyes keep glancing at the entrance every five minutes, hoping to see her and talk for a minute. Even after he cleaned up and dressed back into his normal clothes, there was still no sign of the girl that made him nervous yet confident all at the same time.

It didn’t help how tired he felt. He yawned for what seemed like the fourth time today, but his tired eyes kept focus on the entrance. 

“Yo Asahi! You look like the walking dead.” Suga jested, sitting down next to him. “Everything okay?”

“Just tired. My arms feel like they’re going to fall off.”

Suga laughed and repeatedly slapped his aching back. “But you were great out there! You looked so dependable.”

Asahi let out a nervous chuckle. “Thanks. I didn’t want to let the team down.”

“Oh yeah? And here I thought you were just showing off for a certain Inarizaki manager. I caught (Y/N) smiling when you made that awesome service ace.”

“You did?” He hoped Suga wasn’t pulling his leg. The thought of (Y/N) smiling because of him felt too good to be true. 

Asahi wished he could have seen that smile but with how intense each set was he could only afford the briefest of glances in her direction. Thankfully, there was a moment they shared together that felt like an eternity. 

It was during a time out and he was intensely listening to Coach Ukai’s instructions. Kiyoko just handed him his water bottle and a clean white towel to which he gratefully took. He wiped away the beads of sweat that formed on his neck and face before taking a drink. As he took in the cold refreshing drink, his eyes drifted to the other side of the net where the Inarizaki players were huddled together. And there was (Y/N), doing the same thing as Kiyoko as she handed her teammates their water. She just gave her setter his water when she looked up and met his gaze.

His heart began to beat wildly against his chest and it had nothing to do with the high caliber game that was going on. Then she gave him that smile, the same smile that made him all warm and fuzzy on the inside, along with a small wave. His face began to burn bright red and for a few seconds he forgot how to breathe. Unfortunately, during those few seconds he was drinking his water which led to him having a small choking episode. Luckily, it wasn’t too bad so when he looked up and saw (Y/N)’s worried expression, wordlessly asking him if he was okay. Touched that she was worried for him, Asahi gave her a small nod and hoped it was enough to reassure her. 

The interaction lasted about maybe 45 seconds before the referee signaled for the game to continue but those 45 seconds were committed into memory, something he will cherish for a long time. He wondered if (Y/N) thought the same… 

“Are you remembering how you choked on your water when you looked at (Y/N)?” Suga laughed. “I thought you were going to pass out! Then we would’ve been in real big trouble!”

“I-It wasn’t that bad.” Aashi protested though he could feel his cheeks beginning to warm up. Trying to hide his blush, he grabbed a towel and wiped away the nonexistent sweat from his face. “She just surprised me, is all…”

Suga grinned at him. “How is it that you two are so adorably cute yet you guys aren’t even together?”

“Sorry?” The ace apologized with a confused look on his face because honestly he didn’t know what he was apologizing for. 

“Never mind. By the way, did Inarizaki’s ace say something to you when we shook hands?”

Asahi recalled that moment with Ojiro Aran. “Yeah, he did. He didn’t say anything bad. Just wished us luck in the next round.”

It was true…ish. His Inarizaki counterpart did wish him luck as well as some advice, something he wasn’t quite ready to share with his friends just yet.

“Huh, well that’s nice of him. He looks like a cool guy. The kind you want to hang out with, you know?” Suga remarked.

Asahi nodded. His eyes took a quick glance at the entrance, hoping to see the familiar maroon-colored Inarizaki jackets. He tried not to look disappointed when he didn’t see anyone on the team.

“I just can’t believe that Aran guy!” Suga exclaimed. “He was on a roll so many times. I can’t believe he jumped for the ball not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES!”

“Uh-huh.”

Suga furrowed his brow at his friend’s lack of active response. He was just about to ask him what’s wrong when he took one look at his face. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was on his mind.

“Lighten up, Asahi, I’m sure your future girlfriend will walk through those doors any minute now.”

Another wave of heat washed over him as he tried to stutter out a reply. “I-It’s been a while. I wanted to talk with her before we go back to the inn.”

Initially, Suga was going to poke fun at the fact Asahi didn’t deny the ‘future girlfriend’ part but he decided against it. 

“I’m sure she’s with her team right now, Asahi. They lost their place in the Spring Tournament so they must be torn up. After all, they were the favorites to win this whole thing.”

“Yeah, I know. That's why I want to talk with her to see if she’s okay. I mean I know she’s a third-year so this is her last year, so I can’t help but feel bad.”

“I thought you guys agreed on being cool whatever the outcome was?” Suga asked.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t feel bad for her.” Asahi countered. “I mean, I’m happy we won but… I don’t know… I wished it was different.”

Suga sighed but he understood where his sensitive friend was coming from. “I get it, Asahi, but you also need to stand proud for what you accomplished, it’s almost like a slap in the face to her and her team if you don’t. I’m sure if (Y/N)-san was here, she’ll agree with me.”

Asahi slightly grimaced but he couldn’t find any fault in Suga’s advice. After all, he did make an agreement with (Y/N) before the match started that they would stay on good terms whatever the results may be. Still, the thought of her being sad, especially when he was the cause of it, made his heart tighten in anxiety.

The ace was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Suga’s hand on his shoulder, “Just breathe. Everything will work out in the end. So quit giving yourself a panic attack.”

“Right.” 

Following his friend’s advice, Asahi took a deep breath to calm his nerves and to get rid of the worst case scenarios in his head. It was difficult to say the least with each passing minute and there was still no sign of (Y/N) or her team. During the time he waited, he made the choice to sit on the bench closest to the entrance. 

Asahi was very much aware of the stares from the other players but he didn’t take it to heart. Instead, he kept his cool composure while his hands were balled up inside his black jacket. That’s when he felt his phone and an idea formed at once. He quickly pulled out his phone, clicked (Y/N)’s contact, but then stared at the blinking cursor.

‘What should I text her? Something short and sweet? No, it should be something meaningful. But if I do that then it will be a super long text and it might freak her out… Gah! Why is it so hard making a good text?’

“Listen up everybody!” Coach Ukai announced loudly. “We leave in a few minutes. Get your stuff and head outside.”

Focused on the task at hand, his mind wracked for the right words that would check off the metaphorical checklist of the perfect text. After a few rough drafts and deleting a few words here and there, Asahi was more or less sure, 85% sure, he wrote a good enough text. All he had to do was press the send button.

His thumb hovered over the button for a moment and at the same time his heart was beating like crazy. It’s unbelievable how nervous (Y/N) made him even when she’s not physically there next to him. He wished he could at least see her.

“Chop! Chop! Man-bun! Our ride is here!” 

Asahi shuddered under Coach Ukai’s nickname designed specifically for him. Without thinking, he hurried to pocket his phone, grabbed his bag, and joined his team. He looked over his shoulder one last time before following his team to the bus. Once he sat down, he took out his phone and opened up his messages when his heart jumped to his throat.

Message sent.

His message to (Y/N) has been delivered. 

He must have accidently sent it when he was getting his stuff together when Coach Ukai called him out. Maybe it was for the best. He wasn’t mentally ready to send the text but perhaps it was for the best. A little push from the gods to give him a little boost of confidence.

Now all he could do was wait for her reply. The anticipation of her response was suspenseful to say the least. Either way, at least he could breathe a bit more easily now that his text message was sent. He just wished he had another chance to talk with her.

~

(Y/N) stood right next to Suna as they all stood in line underneath their Inarizaki banner. Her attention focused on Riseki who was pointing the camera, ready to take the commemorative photo Kita had asked for. She put on her best smile and placed her hand on her hip, ready for the picture to be taken.

She felt a subtle shift in her hair and automatically her other hand went to pinch Suna’s arm as she knew how childish the middle blocker was for making bunny ears from behind. 

“Really, Suna?” She quietly chided, making sure to keep her smile on for the camera. “Bunny ears? What are you? Nine?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, senpai.”

“Watch yourself, Suna. I know your phone’s passcode. Don’t tempt me.” 

Suna pouted slightly before removing his hand away. He’ll just have to time it the moment the picture is taken. Easy enough.

“Ready? Say cheese!” Riseki called out.

Ding! (Y/N)’s phone alerted her that she received a text message.

Bi-Bip! Kashik! The camera took the picture without a hitch.

Multiple events happened at once the moment Riseki took the picture. What was supposed to be a normal commemorative picture that enshrined Inarizaki’s great volleyball players turned out nothing of the usual. Everyone gathered around the first-year to look at the picture, hoping it turned out alright. It didn’t take long for opinions and excuses to start flying all around.

“What the heck, Samu!” Atsumu exclaimed to his brother. “Look at the camera, wouldja!”

Osamu shrugged his shoulders and offered his excuse, “I thought I caught a whiff of curry comin’ from outside.”

“Curry? You’re imagining things!” Ginjima laughed but he wouldn’t be surprised if the ever-so-hungry Miya was right.

Suna joined in on the banter as he said, “You’re hallucinating smells now? Scary.” 

“Like you’ve got room to talk, Suna!” Aran called out the middle blocker. “You weren’t lookin’ at the camera, neither! Or you, Akagi!”

The libero offered the ace a smile. “I was thinkin’ maybe we oughta go call coach.”

Ōmimi sighed while closing his eyes at his team’s antics. He looked at Riseki, who stared wordlessly at the camera’s screen with a sweatdrop rolling down his face. “Time it better next time.”

Suna took one more look at the picture and his lips formed a smile when he saw his bunny ears hand gesture behind (Y/N)’s head. Even with the silly hand gesture unbeknownst to (Y/N), the manager looked effortlessly beautiful with her smile. He was sure if the president of the yearbook club were to see this picture, he wouldn’t hesitate to put it front and center of the dedicated pages because of their lovely manager that could charm any guy with a smile.

Speaking of their manager, Suna never heard her opinions about the picture. He looked up and his eyes searched for her. It didn’t take long to find her. She was in the same spot as she was in the photo though this time with her phone in hand. Come to think of it, he remembered her phone notifying her that she received a message.

Who could be texting her? He had a pretty good guess.

“Yo.” He called out to (Y/N) before peering over her shoulder. His eyes strained to read the screen before she quickly pressed her phone to the chest. “Is the samurai guy texting you already?”

She turned around and gave him a soft glare. “Quit sneaking up behind me, Suna.”

Suna ignored his manager’s words as he swung his arm over her shoulders. “Don’t dodge the question. I’m right, aren’t I?”

“... Maybe.” (Y/N) smiled up at her friend. “How did the picture come out? Are we taking another one?”

“Nah. I think Kita-senpai liked it. Said it looked just like us or something like that. You looked great compared to the rest of us.”

(Y/N) playfully rolled her eyes, “I would hope so. You guys need a shower. Like badly.”

“I take it back. You looked horrible.” Suna huffed in what was supposed to be annoyance but the third-year manager knew better as she saw the playful glint in his eyes. “Now I don’t feel bad for doing bunny ears behind your back.”

“You’re such a rascal. Just wait, I’ll get even with you.” (Y/N) informed him with a mischievous glint in her (E/C) eyes.  

“I like to see you try.” Suna remarked as he removed his arm away from her. 

Ever the observer, he looked for any signs of sadness that (Y/N) may be hiding. Today’s loss was a harsh reality for the entire team’s expectations to make it far into this competition. He’ll never admit it to anyone but he did try his hardest to help his team win. He wanted to keep playing more matches with the third-years… 

“You okay?” He asked her after sharing a moment of silence. “You can tell me the truth. I won’t tell anyone.”

(Y/N) couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle, leaning her head back to look at the gym lights. She replayed all the best moments from the match with a fond smile across her lips. There were no regrets at all as she answered, “Honestly and strangely, I feel fine. I know you guys played your best against them so that’s all I could ask for. If anything, I’m grateful for Karasuno because I know for a fact this loss will only push everyone, including you, to become better. ”

Suna frowned at the idea of the extra drills and long practices that will no doubt be inevitable. But before the tiring thought could take over his entire mind, the sudden urge to win against Karasuno grew tenfold. By this time next year, Inarizaki will come out victorious.

“I haven’t lost you, have I, Suna?” (Y/N) asked in a teasing tone. “How on earth are you going to manage your third-year?”

“Don’t ask.” Suna groaned. “You’ve been with us since day one. It’s going to be weird without you and the rest of the third-years around. We’ll miss you.”

(Y/N) bit her lip in order to contain the laugh that threatened to slip out. “I’m not dying, Suna. I can’t stay in high school forever.”

“Not forever. Just stay another year with us.” Suna clarified.

“Tempting offer but this girl would like to step out into the real world. Besides, don’t pretend you aren’t going to send me daily texts. I’m counting on your videos to cheer me up.” (Y/N) smiled one more time at Suna before patting his back. “Now, come on. Let’s get going. We wouldn’t want to keep everyone waiting.”

“Oh? What’s the rush? Eager to see samurai-guy again?”

She could feel herself getting warm from Suna’s line of questions. Though it didn’t stop her from saying, “His name is Azumane Asahi.”

Suna exhaled but still smiled nonetheless. “If he cares for you, the same way you care for him then I guess I’ll remember his name.”

(Y/N) smiled at Suna and nodded. As the middle blocker made his way to follow the rest of the team, the manager slowly trailed after him. She took out her phone and reread the text Asahi sent her.

Hey (Y/N)-san. I don’t know if you want to hear from me or not but I hope you do. I wanted to talk with you face-to-face but I’m about to leave. I was waiting for you but I guess you were busy? I mean, I understand if you were. So if you’re free and if there’s any chance we could talk in person somehow, could you text me back? I want to explain myself to you (if that makes sense). Please… Thanks.

Even with words on a phone screen, (Y/N) can feel how anxious Asahi must have been when writing this message. It was almost adorable in a way. Then again, the fact that he said he waited for her really had her heart skip a beat.

She quickly typed her response:

Hi Asahi! I’m sorry we couldn’t meet up after the match. We were taking a picture and it took longer than expected lol. I’m sorry you waited for me. I wanted to talk with you too. Congrats on winning! It was a great game! If it’s okay with you, do you want to meet up tonight? Our coach is taking us out to eat so I’ll text you when we’re back at the hotel. 

It didn’t take long for another message to show up and she felt herself smile like a fool in love when she opened and read Asahi’s text.

If it’s no trouble then yeah let’s meet up. Enjoy your meal and see you soon.

(Y/N) smiled to herself once more as she held her phone close to her heart. She couldn’t wait to see him again. 

~Hours Later~

“SAMU!! QUIT STEALING MY ONIGIRI!!” 

“IT WAS MINE FIRST AND YOU KNOW IT!!”

(Y/N) sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today but the amused smile never left her lips as she watched the twins continue to bicker. The other third-years sitting next to her also watched in amusement while adding their own comments.

“I’m gonna miss this.” (Y/N) confessed when she took a sip of her drink. “You can always count on the twins for entertainment.”

“Right? It’s going to be weird without hearing their arguments.” Aran laughed.

“Or separating their fights once every two weeks.” Akagi added.

“They’ll be fine.” Kita spoke up from the center of the table. “They all will.”

And strangely enough, no one doubted the captain’s words. (Y/N) had no doubt in her mind that by this time next year, their juniors will make it to Nationals once again and when that time comes, she’ll be there. 

“Hey (Y/N)-senpai? You’re still treating me to dessert, right?” Osamu asked from across the table. Sticky pieces of rice danced around his mouth but still had that hungry look in his eyes. 

“HUH?! If he gets dessert, then I should too!” Atsumu proclaimed.

Yeah. She’ll definitely be there for them. 

~

After leaving the restaurant with stomachs filled with ramen, curry, onigiri, and other delicious meals, the Inarizaki manager took her phone out and texted Asahi that she was on her way back to the hotel. With each passing minute, (Y/N) could feel herself become excited yet nervous at the same time. It wasn’t long until the familiar building of her hotel was right in front of her.

On the walk back to the hotel, she was laughing along with the rest of the third-years when she heard her name being called from outside the group. 

“Asahi!” (Y/N) greeted him with a wave. It was almost natural to have a smile on her lips; the crush she had on Karasuno’s ace was so obvious. She can practically feel her face burn with all the warm fuzzy feelings against January’s chilly air. 

“H-Hey (Y/N)!” He waved at her before giving the crowd of boys a nod of acknowledgement. His mind racked for the right words to say to them, but having ten or so guys staring (were they glaring at him?) made it almost impossible. Still, Asahi found the ability to speak and without stuttering he said, “Hey guys. Er, nice to see you again.”

While the first-years were too scared to reply and the second-years tried to maintain their silent dominance, it was Aran and Kita that finally broke the tension.

“Nice to see you too. Azumane, right?” Kita asked, giving the ace a warm smile. “You played a great game.”

“Oh, thanks! You guys did too.” Asahi returned the compliment, meaning every word. 

“Your receives were impressive, Azumane-san.” Aran followed up. “How’s your shoulder? Hope I didn’t hurt you too badly.”

Funny how at the mention of his shoulder, Asahi felt it throb in pain. Still, he made himself smile and lied, “It’s nothing I can’t handle. I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

“That’s good to hear.” Aran laughed in good nature. “Karasuno is definitely a team to watch out for. Hope you’re ready for tomorrow.”

There were a couple of scoffs and a few mumbles but Asahi was sure he heard someone say, “Day three is always hell.” But before he could ask, (Y/N) clapped her hands together and stood in front of him. 

“Guys, let’s not make Asahi nervous. He doesn’t need the extra stress.” She told her friends, making sure to give the second-years a pointed look just as Atsumu opened his mouth to say something. “Why don’t you all head inside? I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Kita nodded. “Alright, don’t stay out too long. You’ll catch a cold.”

“I’ll make sure she stays warm.” Asahi was quick to say, not realizing the slight innuendo his words sounded until it was too late. “I-I mean-”

Atsumu stepped forward with Osamu right behind him. “Oh, now we’re definitely staying.” 

“No you are not.” 

The Inarizaki setter flinched under Kita’s ice cold words that felt like a punch to the gut. 

“B-But (Y/N)-senpai-”

“Let’s go, you two.” Aran placed his hands on each of the twin’s shoulders before forcing them to the hotel’s entrance. “I’m sure your company isn’t needed.”

“What are you talking about? I make great company.” Atsumu argued.

Osamu scoffed. “Not really.”

“Shut yer trap, ‘Samu!”

Kita sighed before facing (Y/N) and Asahi. “Sorry about them. They mean well. Go ahead and have your conversation.”

“Thanks, Shin.” (Y/N) told him as she hugged her friend. “You’re the best.”

“No problem.” 

With one final wave, the Inarizaki captain followed the rest of his team. He helped Aran push the resistant twins into the hotel, but not before Osamu yelled, “No funny business!” 

“Yeah! What ‘Samu said!” Atsumu called out from over Aran’s shoulders. “(Y/N)-senpai is our manager. Don’t hurt her!”

“QUIT TALKIN’ AND GET INSIDE, YA STUPID TWINS!” Aran yelled as he gave one last push to make the Miya brothers enter the hotel.

(Y/N) sighed before facing her crush. It wasn’t until now she realized how warm she felt until a cold breeze flew by. It was funny how a crush can emit such feelings. She wouldn’t deny she never had a crush before. Perhaps there were fleetings moments of admiration and adoration to some guys at school and an embarrassing fangirl crush on famous celebrities.

But never before have the butterflies in her stomach felt so impactful. Asahi has unknowingly made his way to her heart and caused the warm feeling of love to bloom.

Which is why she couldn’t help but smile up at Asahi. He looked taller up close. Broader too. His hair wasn’t in its usual style, instead it was in a low man bun with a few strands framing his face very well. His eyes remained kind and warm and she could feel herself fall deeper in love with him. 

“So,” (Y/N) began, her hand instinctively tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Your text said you wanted to talk? 

“Y-Yeah.” Asahi confirmed nervously. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything with your team. You guys look close.” 

She smiled at how anxious Asahi was behaving and a small part of her hoped it was because of her. “I could say the same thing about your team, but don’t worry about them. We spent the entire evening together so they should be fine without me for a while.”

“Are you sure?” Asahi asked, the worry in his voice was evident and (Y/N) knew she had to do something to help him calm down. “I-If y-you rather be with t-them-”

Without a second thought, (Y/N) took his hand and held it reassuringly, “I want to be with you.”

Her heart swelled when she saw how Asahi’s eyes seemed to light up as he asked, “Really?”

“Really.” She confirmed, her voice firm yet gentle that washed away all doubt in Asahi’s mind. “Now, come on. Let’s sit down and have a friendly chat.”

Never before has Asahi felt his heart beating so fast against his chest than it was at this very moment. He was feeling hot and cold at the same time. His stomach was in multiple knots with those metaphorical butterflies dancing between his ribcage. Was it weird for his mind to go a million miles a minute yet he couldn’t figure out what to say to the most beautiful girl he’d ever laid eyes on? 

(Y/N) looked like an angel sitting under the strings of outdoor lights. Even while wearing casual winter clothes with her maroon Inarizaki jacket and a red scarf, Asahi thought she looked ethereal. Her (H/C) hair looked so elegant, almost magical in a sense when he noticed tiny snowflakes decorating her head, like shimmering diamonds. Then there was that smile of hers. A smile that made him feel like he could do anything in the world. He wished he could see that smile of hers for the rest of his life.

“So, what did you want to talk about, Asahi?” (Y/N) asked, her eyes were bright and inquisitive. “Your text said you wanted to explain yourself?”

“Y-Yeah, I did.” He admitted, his hand rubbing the back of neck. He took a deep breath to calm down before facing his crush. “I-I wanted t-to apologize.”

(Y/N) furrowed her brow upon hearing this. “What? Asahi, what are you- H-Hey!”

He was bowing his head and before she could ask further questions, Asahi spoke, “I-I’m sorry that w-we ruined your chance to advance. Y-You guys were the favorites to win this whole thing! A-And it’s y-your last year too! I’m sorry we took your chance away. Please forgive me!”

Asahi didn’t dare raise his head after spilling everything he felt ever since the match ended. He could feel his ears beginning to burn against the cold air. The silence was unnerving and it didn’t help when his mind was overtaken by anxiety.

‘Why would (Y/N) ever forgive me?’ He frustratedly asked himself. ‘She probably hates me. No. I’m sure she hates me and probably everyone on my team.’

‘(Y/N) is not like that. She’s kind, considerate…’ The tiny voice of hope spoke up. ‘She doesn’t hate you. You’re friends-’

But the dark voice of anxiety and doubt took over. ‘For now. (Y/N) probably only agreed to talk to you so she can say it’s over. She doesn’t want anything to do with you. Why would she be friends with the person who stole her and her team’s chance to win?!’

“Asahi.” (Y/N)’s voice sounded so soft and full of care. It may sound crazy but just hearing his name in her voice made Asahi feel the warmest he has ever felt. “Please look at me.”

He didn’t want to but something in her voice reassured him, similar to a ray of sunlight after a hurricane. Slowly, Asahi looked up and his eyes immediately found comfort in (Y/N)’s eyes. His heart skipped a beat when he saw (Y/N) was smiling up at him, not an ounce of hate anywhere.

“I thought we agreed that whatever the outcome of the match, we’ll be okay?” (Y/N) asked before taking hold of his hand, the very hand she shook when they made the agreement. “We shook on it, remember?”

Asahi felt himself flush under her words but he still found the courage to speak as he said, “I-I just thought… You would, I-I don’t know…hate me after what happened today.”

“I would never! Today’s match was the result of everyone’s hard work. Everyone played amazing. You guys won fair and square. If there’s anything I should feel, I think being grateful comes to mind. In fact, I feel like I should thank you.”

“Thank me?” Surely, he must have heard her wrong.

But (Y/N) flashed him a bright grin and nodded, “You and your teammates gave motivation to my team the next time they get to Nationals. I’m not sure if you realized this, Asahi, but you guys represent Nationals to a lot of people now.”

“Are you sure? I feel bad. I want to do something, anything, to make you feel better.”

Out of everything that came to mind, Asahi wasn’t expecting to be punched in the shoulder by the girl he has a major crush on. It was just like yesterday, (Y/N)’s punch wasn’t as forceful as Suga’s nor was it delicate and yet it was enough to send shivers and goosebumps all throughout his body. Then when her eyes met his, Asahi swore his breath was taken away with how close she was to him.

“First, you can stop feeling bad. I’m okay, really.” Her hand lifted again and Asahi mentally prepared himself to be punched again only to have her hand on his shoulder. (Y/N) offered a gentle smile before continuing on. “And second, if you really want to make me feel better then take the win. Take it and do the same thing tomorrow. Play each set and win some more. I promise if you do that, I’ll be more than okay because I’ll be rooting for you.”

Just hearing her words of encouragement was enough to make his head spin. All the self-doubt threatening to take over his mind washed away. How does she do that? Say these words so easily that brought him back from the edge? Words that held such meaning that easily helped him calm down and breathe.

“Asahi? You okay?” 

“Ah! Yeah! Sorry! It’s just…” Asahi looked at his feet, his hand scratching his cheek. “You just surprised me is all…”

(Y/N) was taken aback before smiling, “I hope that’s a good thing. But I meant what I said, Asahi. Though if you’re still worried about me being sad and you were serious about making me feel better then maybe… You could do me a favor?”

Asahi jumped at the chance and nodded furiously. “Anything!”

It was hard to hide the laugh that threatened to escape but (Y/N) can’t help how adorable Asahi was behaving. He’s a teddy bear. Ugh! She just wanted to hug this gentle giant!

“Win the next match for us.” 

He opened his mouth to say something, anything really, but his mind was still reeling of how sincere (Y/N) was with him at this moment. His eyes never left hers, searching for any hint of sadness or bitterness. Instead, he felt himself getting lost the longer he gazed into those beautiful, kind eyes. 

After what felt like a lifetime, Asahi found his voice and for the first time his voice did not waver, “We will.”

(Y/N) smiled before nudging her shoulder against his. “That’s the spirit! Plus look on the bright side, Karasuno is getting popular. I’m sure after today you guys earned some fans cheering you on. You’re definitely going to have fans cheering you on.”

Asahi let out a nervous chuckle. “I guess so. I just hope I don’t disappoint them tomorrow.”

“Hey!” A series of soft pats made their mark on his shoulder and Asahi could feel himself flush under her touch. “Think positive! Remember you’re not alone. You have your friends and the rest of your team that you can rely on.”

There was a moment of hesitation. He can see it in her eyes though it was gone because (Y/N) smiled at him and said words he won’t be forgetting anytime soon, “And if it helps, you have me too.”

She didn’t physically hug him but she might as well have with her words that filled Asahi’s whole being with warmth. 

“It does. Thanks, (Y/N). You-” Asahi stopped himself when he realized he was about to say something embarrassing. Instead he said what he always thought since yesterday, “You’re amazing.”

This time it was her turn to flush under his gaze. His warm brown eyes had her melting in her seat. Out of habit, (Y/N) let out a nervous laugh before playing with a strand of her hair, “I’m not as cool as you, Asahi, but thank you for saying that.”

The two high schoolers sat in comfortable silence underneath the twinkling lights and while neither one of them said a word they found themselves gazing at the dark sky full of stars. Maybe there was a stolen glance or two but no one said anything. 

“Hey, Asahi?”

“Yeah?”

“This is going to sound a bit weird but… What’s your star sign?”

Asahi furrowed his brow but he answered nonetheless. “I’m a Capricorn.”

For some reason, a childhood memory played in his mind and the thought of it made him smile. It was a bit silly thinking about it but it was a precious memory all the same. 

“You know, when I was a little kid I used to spend all my time looking for the Capricorn constellation.”

“Oh? Any reason why?” (Y/N) asked with genuine curiosity.

Asahi looked up at the sky full of stars. It was a shame they were in Tokyo as the bright city’s lights made the stars look faint, almost dim.

“Well, I thought that if I could find my constellation in the sky and make a wish it would come true.” The ace felt his neck grow hot when he confessed the next detail. “But whenever I couldn’t find it, I would go crying to my grandma.”

“Aww, Asahi.” (Y/N) cooed though there was a faint glint of amusement in her eyes. Her imagination took over as she thought of how cute Asahi must have been as a kid. He must have been the sweetest little kid with the biggest heart. “That’s adorable. Do you still look for your sign or did you grow out of it?”

“Will you think it's embarrassing if I admit I still do?” Asahi asked.

“Course not. I think it’s sweet to carry on your childhood tradition. I hope you made a lot of wishes.” (Y/N) looked back at the sky and sighed. “I wish I could see my star sign right now. I don’t even know what mine looks like.”

“Really?”

(Y/N) rubbed her hands together, trying to bring back some warmth. “You can’t really see the stars well back in Hyōgo.” 

Asahi rubbed his neck. “Well, if you want… I could show you.”

Surprised, (Y/N) looked at him before asking, “You would do that for me? You know you don’t have to, right?”

“I want to. You did a lot to help me. Besides, after looking at the stars for so long I’m sure I can find your star sign.” He looked at the sky and his heart physically deflated when he saw how faint the stars looked above the Tokyo city’s lights. “Though I won’t have any luck seeing any constellations tonight. I’m sorry.”

(Y/N) giggled before nudging her shoulder with his. “You really like apologizing, don’t you Asahi? It’s not like you could control the weather or light pollution. But it’s nice of you to offer. Maybe one day I can visit Miyagi and see what the stars are like from your perspective.”

Asahi felt his heart skipping a beat at the sound of her laughter and the smile in her eyes. While he only met her literally yesterday, he felt comfortable enough to relax around her, even if his heart was going a hundred miles an hour and his skin felt like lava.

He didn’t know where he found this extra boost of confidence to say, “I could show you around if you want. Miyagi has a lot of hidden gems that only locals know about. We can hang out i-if you want to.”

“I’d like that. Can’t wait for the tour.” (Y/N) said as she clapped her hands together in glee. “Maybe one day, you could visit Hyōgo and I could show you around too!”

“If it’s not a bother to you then yeah, I could pay a visit.”

“Great!” (Y/N) exclaimed. “Hyōgo has a lot of tourist attractions we can visit. I’ll show you all my favorite spots! Oh, like the Kobe Port Tower! It’s 108 meters high and it's designed to look like a traditional Japanese drum. It has an observation deck where you can see for miles! It even has a revolving cafe! Or if you don’t like heights, there's the Himeji Castle. It’s a very popular tourist spot because of its architecture-” 

It was only then she realized how much she was rambling. She glanced at Asahi only to find him already staring at her with those warm brown eyes, as if she did something amazing. Embarrassed, (Y/N) tried to hide herself behind her red scarf.

“Sorry.” What was she apologizing for? (Y/N) didn’t know. Maybe Asahi’s habit of excessive apologizing was starting to rub off on her. “I got excited for a second. I ramble whenever it’s a topic I’m passionate about. I know architecture is a bit boring to some people but I think it’s so cool to see the different kinds of designs buildings can have and- Oh. Sorry I’m rambling again.”

“I don’t mind.” Asahi told her along with a soft smile. “I think it’s cute.” 

(Y/N)’s eyes widened when she heard her crush calling her cute. Did he realize what he just said? Or did she imagine it? So she had to ask, “Did you just say cute?”

The look on Asahi’s face quickly morphed into one of panic as he tried to jumble out a reply with an obvious blush painting his face, “I- Uh? No? I mean, I did. B-But I-I meant you’re rambling. N-Not you specifically. W-Wait! I think you’re cute too! P-Pretty even!”

(Y/N) couldn’t hold back her laughter at how panicked Karasuno’s ace was currently behaving. So strong on the court and yet he was practically shaking like a fall leaf. 

“Asahi, it’s okay. Breathe.” She placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping it offered comfort. “It’s just me.”

“I-I know.” He took a deep breath before facing her. “But I meant what I said. A-About you.”

There goes her heart again, beating like crazy against her chest. “Thanks Asahi… I… I think you’re pretty cute too. And you’re an amazing player.” She sighed longingly. “I just wish I can see you guys play again.”

“Wait,” Asahi furrowed his brow, concerned . “You aren’t coming to the match tomorrow?”

“I…I don’t know. I heard the coaches talk about it during dinner. Apparently, the principal called. He expected us to place further along in the tournament and since we didn’t… Well, there’s a chance we might go back to Hyōgo tomorrow morning.”

“Oh.” He couldn’t hide the bitter disappointment in his voice. Now more than ever, he didn’t want this night to end. It might sound a bit silly but he wanted to keep seeing (Y/N). Today’s victory dimmed in comparison now that he learned this might be the last time he’ll see (Y/N) in a long time. “Sorry again.”

“Hey, come on, Asahi.” (Y/N) got up from her spot and stood in front of him. “You don’t have to keep apologizing. There’s nothing to forgive.”

“Are you sure?” His eyes pleaded for the truth. 

(Y/N)’s light chuckle pulled his heartstrings and the vibrations sent warmth from his chest all the way to his fingertips. He can feel himself falling in love with her all over again when she surprised his soul out of his body the moment her hands touched his. She pulled him towards her and he was so anxious he almost tripped over his own feet as he stood in front of her. 

Then Asahi felt it. Her arms wrapped around his torso bringing him close. It was a hug that sent a huge swarm of butterflies in his stomach. She was so close, closer than he has ever been to her. Wait… That’s not exactly true. Yesterday, when he saved (Y/N) from getting hurt, he was able to pull her aside just in time. (Y/N) stood right next to him with his arm around her. It was the first time he ever did something that brave and he remembered every second of it in that short moment.

But that moment of (Y/N) being next to him so close only lasted a minute. Asahi thought nothing could top the moment he met the girl that made his heart race. 

Boy, was he wrong. Maybe his so-called bad fortune from his new year shrine visit was wrong. Or maybe the gods thought it was time to cut him a break. Perhaps he did something in his past life that granted him this moment right now. Whatever it was, he didn’t want this moment to end.

(Y/N) had her ear pressed into Asahi’s firm chest as she continued to hug him. She could hear how fast his heart was beating and she smiled to herself because of it. It was cute that she had this kind of effect on her crush. 

“(Y/N)?” His deep voice reached her ears and while she couldn’t see him she could imagine the nervous expression on his face. “Is this okay? You hugging me? I mean, w-we only met yesterday…”

“Are you uncomfortable with me hugging you, Asahi?” 

“No!” He was quick to reply. “I just meant… You don’t have to hug me.”

“You’re my friend and this is my way of showing you that there’s really nothing to forgive. You don’t have to apologize anymore.” She pulled away and smiled brightly up at him. “Deal?”

“Deal.” 

“Good.”

“Great.”

“Amazing.”

“Awesome.”

“Cool.”

“Uhh… Warm?”

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow at him. “What?”

Asahi let out a nervous chuckle. “I-I don’t know. You’re warm so I said what was off the top of my head.”

The two high schoolers stared at each other before they laughed together. They were still in each other’s arms but they made no movement to separate. If anyone were to walk by and saw them together, no one would have any doubts about how genuine young love can be.

Which is why they were surprised to hear a familiar voice that broke the calm, soothing atmosphere around them. 

“Oh? Asahi-senpai! I didn’t know you had a girlfriend!” 

(Y/N) pulled away but she didn’t stray too far as she stood her ground by Asahi’s side. Her eyes met with the innocent yet excited eyes of Karasuno’s #10, Hinata Shoyo and not far from him was the other half of the terrifying duo, Kageyama Tobio. Well, at least no else was here- Oh. Wait. Was that Tsukishima on a bicycle? 

“Hinata!” Asahi shouted before turning back to (Y/N). “Sorry about him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

The manager smiled and reassured him that it was okay. She then turned to face Karasuno’s first years and introduced herself. They did the same and Asahi was just about to sigh in relief when-

“So are you Asahi-senpai’s girlfriend?” This time it was Kageyama who asked.

(Y/N) felt her neck warm up and it wasn’t because of her scarf. Out of habit, she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before answering, “No, I’m not. I’m just a friend.”

Hinata and Kageyama looked satisfied with the answer. However, Tsukishima looked unconvinced. His calculated eyes looked at his upperclassman as if asking for the truth. Asahi tried to convey the silent message to leave them alone to the middle blocker, hoping they could leave them alone. Preferably before the duo could ask any more embarrassing questions.

“Hey, Asahi-san, why are you holding hands-”

“Come on, you two,” Tsukishima, Asahi’s savior right now, grabbed their collars. He bowed before his upperclassmen before dragging his teammates. “We finished your nightly jog. It’s time to get back.”

“Ack! You’re choking me!” Hinata cried.

“You don’t have to push! Besides, Asahi has to come too!” Kageyama argued, clearly frustrated at how he was being manhandled by the snarky middle blocker.

“No. Asahi’s right where he has to be.” Tsukishima stated. “You idiot.”

“HUH?!”

(Y/N) watched in amusement as the trio of first years entered their little inn. “They sure are interesting.”

“Sorry about that. They can be a bit much.”

“Oh, that’s okay. The Miya twins are like that too. But I think… I should let you get back. It’s getting late and you need your sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day for you.”

“Right. Tomorrow…” Asahi wished there were more than 24 hours in the day. “So I guess this is it?”

��Yeah...”

Her hand was still interlocked with his but did not make the effort to leave. She still wanted to spend time with him. Instead, she said, “So, um, good luck tomorrow. I might not be there in person but I’ll be cheering for you.”

“Thanks. That means a lot.”

“You got this Asahi.” She gave him one last hug. “I know you do.”

The ace hugged her back one last time before he awkwardly pulled away. (Y/N) cleared her throat before smiling.

“Keep in touch?” She asked.

Asahi nodded. “Of course. I’ll call you before and after the match.”

“Okay… You know, Asahi, I’m glad we’ve met each other. You’re not like any guy I’ve ever met.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

(Y/N) laughed but nodded. “Yes. I’m glad we've become friends. I would have hated for you to be someone I used to know.”

“Me too… So I guess, this is goodbye?” Asahi couldn’t hide the sadness in his voice. His eyes landed where their hands were still connected. 

“Mmm, it’s more like see you later. We’ll see each other again.”

It was a silent promise under the endless night sky where the moon and stars were the only witnesses to see how enchanted Karasuno’s ace and Inarizaki’s manager were with each other. 

~ Meanwhile inside Inarizaki’s hotel room~

“Say Aran-kun.”

“What’s up, Osamu?”

“I wasn’t going to ask but (Y/N) brought it to my attention so I’m curious. What did you tell Azumane when you shook hands?”

“Oh that?” Inarizaki’s ace smiled to himself as he recalled that specific moment. “I just gave him friendly advice.”

“Which was?”

“Please don’t hurt my friend.”

~

Next: Chapter 5

[allwaswell16]

A One Direction fic rec of fics where at least one of the main characters has trust issues as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

🌊 Love After the End of the World by @mercurial-madhouse

(E, 162k, dystopian) When staying alive is already a constant battle, the deadliest weakness is to be in love. For Harry and Louis, finding each other sits on top of the endless list of What Else Could Go Wrong.

🌊 Saving Symphony Hall by @helloamhere

(E, 124k, omegaverse) “That’s the attitude,” said Louis, “I’ll tell you tomorrow. Tonight, I need to do some research. Zayn, give me your number. I’m gonna save our symphony.”

🌊 And What If I Were You by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom

(E, 109k, famous/not famous) For Louis, will losing his sight give him the clarity to realise what is right in front of him? For Harry, will losing the love of his life give him the strength to finally open his heart? And can they find their way back, before they lose each other forever?

🌊 Say Something by @kingsofeverything

(E, 105k, age difference) At fifty years old and recently divorced, Omega Harry Styles isn't interested in dating. When his doctor suggests a heat and rut matching service, he signs up out of necessity. It’s the only use he has for an Alpha in his life.

🌊 Emperor's New Clothes by sunsetmog / @magicalrocketships

(E, 92k, famous/not famous) Harry’s a pop star and Louis isn’t, and there’s a non-disclosure agreement where there used to be a relationship.

🌊 One More Taste of Your Lips by @canadianlarrie, MsHydeStylinson / @mizzhydes

(E, 80k, canon) It had been eight years since the hiatus began, and Louis had spent that time writing and recording music, touring and making it safely through the pandemic. When the opportunity arose to go back on tour with One Direction, Louis knew he'd be a fool not to take it. 

🌊 I Walk the Line by Awriterwrites / @a-writerwrites

(E, 55k, uni) Professor Louis Tomlinson is the leading researcher in his field. Harry Styles is Louis’ recently hired grad assistant. Sparks fly between them but something doesn’t add up when it comes to Harry, and Louis is determined to find out what.

🌊 where the lights are beautiful (series) by twoshipsdrifting / @polkadotlou

(E, 48k, omegaverse)  the accidental bonding a/b/o fic.

🌊 To Be Loved and To Be In Love by RealName

(M, 34k, First Dates au) Louis Tomlinson is a thirty-year-old divorcee whose friends have signed him up for the Channel 4 show First Dates. Harry Styles is a twenty-eight-year-old lawyer who has never been in a long-term relationship.

🌊 Compass to my Soul by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 31k, omegaverse) Louis Tomlinson, omega, is 1/5 of world famous boy band One Direction. He spends his time hoping his bandmates don’t notice him.

🌊 A Road To Something Better by @taggiecb

(E, 25k, small town) Louis Tomlinson, famous romance novelist, has just had the rug pulled out from under his feet when his boyfriend leaves him without notice. What's the most appropriate response to this? Move a thousand miles away and seclude himself in a tiny lake town, of course. 

🌊 I Don't Wanna Fall Asleep by therogueskimo / @bravetemptation

(NR, 23k, exes) AU where Harry has trouble sleeping unless he’s wrapped in Louis’ arms. Louis left him 4 years ago.

🌊 let your lights shine by hazkaban

(M, 22k, football) AU where Louis is a faded professional footballer (soccer player) whose career is nearly ruined by an injury. Harry's his physiotherapist.

🌊  Might’ve Took The Long Way by LiveLaughLoveLarry / @loveislarryislove

(M, 21k, exes to lovers) Now Harry is back in town, and no matter how many times Louis tells himself they can’t be together, they keep falling right back into each other.

🌊 He Was a Different League (When I Was Nothing Much) by @afangirlfantasy

(NR, 21k, Marcel) an AU where finding that 'someone new' actually leads to finding that 'someone old,' and Marcel is painfully oblivious.

🌊 A Small Matter (A Matter of Trust) by @kingsofeverything

(E, 18k, tiny penis fic) Harry knows he and his Grindr hookup would be perfect together, if only he could convince him to give a relationship a chance.

🌊 Once The Dark Divides by zanni_scaramouche / @zanniscaramouche

(E, 14k, bdsm) Louis finds out his childhood best friend is a Dom and somehow convinces him it's a good idea to learn about the world of kink with a hands on lesson

🌊 A Silver Lining In A Storm (You Were Lightning, I Was Born) by @fallinglikethis

(E, 6k, omegaverse) after the death of his first fiancé, a man who turned out far worse than Harry thought possible, his subsequent marriage to the man's brother leaves Harry finding it difficult to trust that everything will work out.

- Rare Pairs -

🌊 Bloom by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 28k, Louis/Liam) In early 1970s Oxford, Detective Sergeant Louis Tomlinson has to deal with the dual pressures of a case that hits too close to home, and the arrival of new colleague Liam Payne.

🌊 One by @allwaswell16

(E, 4k, Louis/Tommy Shelby) When omega Louis Tomlinson becomes pregnant after an unexpected encounter, he decides his only option is to flee his pack. But Tommy Shelby, pack alpha of the Peaky Blinders, might not be willing to let him go so easily.

🌊 When We Hold On (To the Past) by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf

(E, 3k, Zayn/Louis) Zayn could drop the subject and keep fucking him, keep the strings from getting attached, pretend that they weren’t getting closer than Louis was comfortable with. Or Zayn could choose the opposite path—which he did.

[boasamishipper]

LARROQUETTE POLL ROUND ONE RECAP

our original pool of sixteen sexy larroquette characters has been winnowed down to an elite eight. if your faves won the fight, congratulations! pat yourselves on the back for a vote well cast and a propaganda campaign well run. if your faves sadly did not emerge victorious, don't worry: the round one losers will have a bracket of their own after this tournament is over, so they'll all have one more shot at the crown.

let's meet our elite eight!

Billy Ace (Choose Me)

though David Bedford (Blind Date) fought the good fight, Billy Ace (of tall dark and handsome, leather jacket, and motorcycle riding fame) emerged victorious with 18 votes to 12. hopefully David will find consolation in his gigantic pile of teddy bears.

Carl Sack (Boston Legal)

his bitchiness, stoic demeanor and steadfast refusal to take part in the Shenanigans™️ around him have bewitched larroquette nation body and soul: Crane, Poole, and Schmidt senior partner Carl Sack beats serial killer-turned-attorney Joey Heric (The Practice) 33 votes to 9. 'no hard feelings,' says Joey amiably while sharpening his knives. sleep with one eye open, Carl.

Jenkins (The Librarians)

this race saw the highest voter turnout, and while things were close in the beginning, TWW's Lionel Tribbey's faithful cricket bat was no match for Jenkins's sword, or his crossbow, or his lightsaber, or his bow ties, or his clubbing outfit. with 36 votes to 24, our beloved caretaker moves onto the next round, and Lionel Tribbey can take a much needed vacation someplace warm, with as many drinks with little umbrellas in them as his heart desires <3

John Hemingway (The John Larroquette Show)

hemingway during the final hours of the race:

it was close, but our favorite well-read bus depot manager John Hemingway emerged victorious over ex cop turned lawyer curmudgeon with a heart of gold Mike McBride. congratulations john! see you next time, mcbride!

Bob Anderson (Baa Baa Black Sheep)

our good baby-faced second lieutenant took the lead early on and maintained it all the way to the end. rip Captain Stillman. back to commanding officer duty at an alaskan weather station you go.

Mark Bannister (Madhouse)

in a race that led many (my dear friend emily @footnoteinhistory) to ask Why Are You Doing This To Me, sexy yuppie driven to madness Mark Bannister (Madhouse) beats nice handsome single father Don Moore (Summer Rental) 26 votes to 9. Mark may be going onto the next round, but does he have a boat? No? Didn't think so.

Roan Montgomery (Chuck)

another nailbiter of a race, but much like rock beats scissors, legend suave debonair secret agent man (Roan Montgomery) beats cigar-smoking businessman with a predilection for child murder (Lawrence Van Dough) every time. off you go to your next assignment, Agent Montgomery. Mr. Van Dough, back to court-mandated community service on the sprawling lawns of the Rich mansion with you.

Dan Fielding (Night Court)

he couldn't beat a dead man, he couldn't beat a spunky blonde, but by god, our favorite ADA absolutely trounced paranormal detective Wilbur Willis (Second Sight) in a battle of sexiness. good work as always, mr. prosecutor - let's see if you've got what it takes to go all the way!

Round 2 will begin at 12pm CT on 9/16.

[darkfictionjude]

what would (deep in the relationship) the ro think of mc who believes they will go back to the madhouse soon enough, jokingly but not really saying things like "I'll probably be trading (makes vulgar gesture) for cigarettes and maybe an extra dessert"

Vulgar gesture as in sexual services? 😭 not out of the realm of possibility in that place sadly.

Imre:

The first few times he would laugh but after you keep doing it he would concerned. He would put his arm around you, press your head against his shoulder and say “well I’ll get myself committed too, then we can take turns every other day with who has to pleasure someone. Of course I might become the more popular one.”

Nia:

Since she knows you so well to make you feel better she’d joke about it too, the jokes becoming increasing more improbably and unhinged on how she’d find a way to infiltrate the hospital and get you out “I’ll go in as a nun, you hide under the bed and in my prayer book I’ll have a grenade…”

Lorcan:

He gets upset. He doesn’t like you even mentioning having to do something like that for survival nor thinking about the possibility that you could be sent back. With his face hidden in the crook of your neck he mumbles something along the lines of “I could just stab your parents if you want.”

————

As you can see the further down you go the more insane the reactions 😭

[x22817]

We went to the store for drugs n nugs and ended up having such a polarized experience I have to document it.

It's Thanksgiving week, so of course it's a madhouse. At the pharmacy, a man and his kid (preteen ish) came into the line behind us. This guy immediately starts explaining to his kid about Bean being a SD. I groan internally until he starts practically reciting the ADA. Not what I was expecting. It really did give me a little sense of pride when he went on to say how obviously "highly trained" and "attentive" Hek is. Walking through the pandemonium, we had one little old lady come up to us, get in Hek's business, and ask me if Hek would bite her. I really wanted to respond, "If she was going to bite you, she already would have," but I refrained myself and just said, "no, she won't, she's a service dog."

Bean made someone scream and run away when we came around a corner to top off the whole outing. I understand the "scary dog" look we have going on, but things like that are a little ridiculous.

The only aisle that wasn't busy was the pet aisle. We took a breather for a minute while Bean got to pick out her pigs ear.

[anjaaagajic]

𝒫𝒰𝒯𝒯𝐼𝒩𝒢 𝒰𝒫 𝒫𝒪𝒮𝒯𝐸𝑅𝒮 𝐼𝒩 𝒮𝒞𝐻𝒪𝒪𝐿

╔═════════════════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════════════════╗

˚₊· ➳❥ Activity title: putting up posters in school ˚₊· ➳❥ Type of activity: service ˚₊· ➳❥ Duration: 1h 30 min

And finally, after hours of working with photoshop, we finished the posters and put them up in school in Psychology HL class. Our goal is to raise awareness about mental health and how people still stereotype patients as wild animals when in reality these patients might need help and want to be better people!

⎯⎯ ୨ 𝐿𝐸𝒜𝑅𝒩𝐼𝒩𝒢 𝒪𝒰𝒯𝒞𝒪𝑀𝐸𝒮 ୧ ⎯⎯

˚₊· ➳❥ Engage with issues of global significance ˚₊· ➳❥ Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively ˚₊· ➳❥ Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions

⎯⎯ ୨ 𝑅𝐸𝐹𝐿𝐸𝒞𝒯𝐼𝒪𝒩 ୧ ⎯⎯

In Psychology HL class, we decided to print the posters we made in photoshop apps about mental health and put it up in school to raise awareness. We thought this would be a good idea because many people usually brush mental health off as they think it’s not a serious issue. There are a lot of misconceptions about people who suffer from mental illnesses – they are usually shown as wild animals who are unable of self-control. Although mental health is approached differently now, it takes time for people especially around these parts to understand mental illnesses and not to categorize patients as “insane”. So we put up posters hoping to show mental health in a different light. I know I did because before I started specializing in psychology, I thought that people who had for instance depression were overexaggerating and doing it for “attention”. This project was somewhat a lesson to me because If I were to become a psychiatrist/psychologist in the future I’d treat patients with compassion and not repeat the mistakes other doctors made in the past when madhouses were still present.

I'm grateful I can be a part of this because I learned so much about the history of mental health which always interested me. Not only that but it taught me not to judge if someone's displaying symptoms of mental illness. In the future, I hope to help people get better with compassionate approach and spread awareness about these issues around these parts.

╚═════════════════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════════════════��

[swordshapedleaves]

Once again it's time for my seasonal anime opinions no one asked for!

Putting it under the cut because it's long as fuck

New Anime I'm Excited About

Uzumaki It's Uzumaki!

365 Days to the Wedding Introvert coworkers fake an engagement to avoid a work transfer. I fucking love fake dating.

Dandadan An anime guy on youtube already sold me on this one by talking up the manga but the trailers look incredible. I'm too stupid to know what's going on and I don't even care because it looks amazing. Science SARU also made Devilman: Crybaby and Heike Monogatari so this should be a treat to watch.

Demon Lord 2099 This looks sick as fuck, very Shadowrun.

Ao no Miburo I am way more excited for this one than it probably deserves but I love historical dramas. This one is about the Shinsengumi before they were the Shinsengumi. I don't honestly believe Maho Film can pull it off but I really want them to.

New Anime I Plan to Check Out

Lockdown Zone: Lv. X: This could be a good horror show but the teaser trailer is leaving a LOT to the imagination though so it's hard to tell if this is gonna be good.

Negative Positive Angler This anime has cute girls AND boys doing a cute thing, the animation looks really good, and the trailer had good vibes. Might be a tear-jerker since protag-kun has a terminal diagnosis.

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer I think this is BL but it's not clear. I will watch in the hopes that the guys kiss.

Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite Grounded historic anime set in Poland isn't a thing I think I've ever seen before. The animation looks serviceable at best but I'm still hopeful Madhouse will give us another gem.

Ranma ½ (2024) I really wanted to like the original Ranma 1/2 anime but I gave up 28 episodes into its 161 episode run out of exhaustion. Every time it seemed like the main relationship might develop a bit, they backslid to the status quo by the next episode. If this is a less faithful adaptation of the manga and it streamlines the story, I might actually enjoy it. It's being made by MAPPA so at least we know it's going to look incredible.

Yakuza Fiancé Isn't an arranged Yakuza marriage the foundation of one of the greatest anime rom coms of all time? I can't remember the name but I didn't like it. I'm not into gangster stuff, but Studio Deen has made some of my favorite romances and the animation has a really fun bold style.

Nina the Starry Bride I read a bit of the manga and enjoyed it so I'm definitely checking this one out. Signal.MD also made MMO Junkie and The Fire Hunter.

New Anime I'm on the Fence About

I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History It doesn't look like a good villainess show but that's never stopped me before! I haven't watched anything by Maho Film before but their winter anime Doctor Elise was supposed to be good. I have high hopes for the other anime they're putting out this season but I'll check this one out as well.

Kinoko Inu Is a story about healing from grief with the help of a fakemon. It says it's heartwarming but the trailer had some sort of last second sting where the guy's house was on fire??? The only other thing I've seen by C-Station is the first couple eps of Yuru Camp, which was too sleepy for my tastes.

Kabushikigaisha Magi-Lumière The premise, that magical girl is just a job you can have and there are start up magical girl companies, is quite charming but the animation is mid and the adult protagonist sidesteps a lot of the emotional core of the genre.

Mechanical Arms Complicated sci fi set up for what looks like a typical shonen battle anime, but I like that it appears our soft boy protag-kun has a girl for a lancer without any romantic tension. This is either a rerelease or a remake of the anime that was released on Vimeo by TriF Studio in 2018? I think?

The Do-Over Damsel Conquers The Dragon Emperor It's giving "we have seventh time loop at home" if the protagonist went for the evil emperor first thing as soon as she looped and he was actually super silly and chill.

Dragon Ball Daima I love that the synopsis is just "New Dragonball series." Fuck you. Its Dragonball. What else do you need to know? Based on the trailer, it looks like the adults get turned into children somehow and then sent to the demon realm. I'm not really a dragonball guy but this looks pretty charming!

[why-bless-your-heart]

Lunacy and Letters (1901)

A considerable amount of testimony exists to indicate the rather astonishing fact that the British Museum Library, in addition to its multifarious services, discharges a great many of the functions of a private madhouse. Men and women in that vast palace of knowledge go quietly to and fro, ransack the wisdom of the ages and are waited on by the servants of the State, who in a less humane age would have been screaming in Bedlam upon a heap of straw. It is said that it is no uncommon thing for a family which is responsible for a harmless lunatic to send him to the British Museum Library that he may play with dynasties and philosophies as a sick child plays with soldiers. Whether or no this be true to the full extent, it is assuredly true that this colossal temple of hobbies has all the air of containing many tragedies, for, indeed, a hobby often means a tragedy.

There go the loves that wither

The old loves on wearier wings,

And all dead things draw thither

And all disastrous things.

In that library may be seen figures so weird and dehumanised that they might be born and die in the Library without seeing the light of the sun. They seem like a fabulous and subterranean people, the gnomes of the mine of learning. But it would be hasty and irrational to say that all this amounts to madness. The love of a bookworm for musty old folios may easily be more sane than the love of many poets for the sunshine and the sea. The inexplicable attachment of some old professor for a tattered old hat may be a far less vitally diseased sentiment than some light-minded society lady’s craving for a gown from Worth’s. It is too often forgotten that conventionalities may be morbid as well as unconventionalities. Of course there is no absolute definition of madness except the definition which we should each of us endorse that madness is the eccentric behaviour of somebody else. It is, indeed, an absurd exaggeration to say that we are all mad, but it is true that we are none of us perfectly sane, just as it is true that we are none of us perfectly healthy. If there were to appear in the world a perfectly sane man he would certainly be locked up. The terrible simplicity with which he would walk over our minor morbidities, our sulky vanities and malicious self-righteousness; the elephantine innocence with which he would ignore our fictions of civilization—these would make him a thing more desolating and inscrutable than a thunderbolt or a beast of prey. It may be that the great prophets who appeared to mankind as mad were in reality raving with an impotent sanity.

In a large number of cases, doubtless, these literary eccentrics, in pursuing their hobbies, are pursuing the sanest of all human impulses, the impulse that bids us put our trust in industry and a defined aim. There is probably many an old collector whose friends and relations say that he is mad on Elzevirs, when as a matter of fact it is the Elzevirs that keep him sane. Without them he would drift into soul- destroying idleness and hypochondria; but the drowsy regularity of his notes and calculations teaches something of the same lesson as the swing of the smith’s hammer or the plodding of the ploughman’s horses, the lesson of the ancient commonsense of things. But when full allowance has been made for that wholesome cheerfulness which often peculiarly attaches to laborious and useless employments, there does remain a problem of the sanity of scholarship. Books, like all other things which are the friends of man, are capable of becoming his enemies, are capable of rising in revolt, and slaying their creator. The spectacle of a man raving in brain-fever through the mysteries of a trumpery pamphlet of rag paper that he can carry in his pocket has the same ironic majesty as the sight of a man struck down by a railway engine. Man is supremely complimented even in death; in a sense he dies by his own hand. This diabolic quality in books does exist; madness lies in wait in quiet libraries, but the nature and essence of that madness can only be approximately defined.

One general description of madness, it seems to us, might be found in the statement that madness is a preference for the symbol over that which it represents. The most obvious example is the religious maniac, in whom the worship of Christianity involves the negation of all those ideas of integrity and mercy for which Christianity stands. But there are many other examples. Money, for example, is a symbol; it symbolises wine and horses and beautiful vesture and high houses, the great cities of the world and the quiet tent by the river. The miser is a madman, because he prefers money to all these things; because he prefers the symbol to the reality. But books are also a symbol; they symbolise man’s impression of existence, and it may at least be maintained that the man who has come to prefer books to life is a maniac after the same fashion as the miser. A book is assuredly a sacred object. In a book certainly the largest jewels are shut in the smallest casket. But that does not alter the fact that superstition begins when the casket is valued more than the jewels. This is the great sin of idolatry, against which religion has so constantly warned us.

In the morning of the world the idols were rude figures in the shapes of man and beast, but in the civilized centuries they still remain in shapes even lower than those of beast or man, in the shape of books and blue china and quart pots. It is written that the gods of the Christian are leather and porcelain and pewter. The essential of idolatry is the same. Idolatry exists wherever the thing which originally gave us happiness becomes at last more important than happiness itself. Drunkenness, for example, may be fairly described as an engrossing hobby. And drunkenness is, when really comprehended in its inward and psychological reality, a typical example of idolatry. Essential intemperance begins at the point where the one incidental form of pleasure, which comes from a certain article of consumption, becomes more important than all the vast universe of natural pleasures, which it finally destroys. Omar Khayyam, who is for some inexplicable reason often regarded as a jovial and encouraging poet, sums up this final and horrible effect of drink in one stanza of incomparable wit and power:

And much as wine has played the infidel,

And robb’d me of my robe of honour—Well,

I wonder often what the vintners buy

One half so precious as the stuff they sell.

The Persian was a poet of immense fancy and fertility, but the full force of his imagination could not summon from this multifarious universe anything to rival the attractions of a particular red substance that had undergone a chemical change. This is idolatry: the preference for the incidental good over the eternal good which it symbolises. It is the employment of one example of the everlasting goodness to confound the validity of a thousand other examples. It is the elementary mathematical and moral heresy that the part is greater than the whole. Now in this sense bibliomania is capable of becoming a kind of drunkenness. There is a class of men who do actually prefer books to everything with which books are concerned, to lovely places, to heroic actions, to experiment, to adventure, to religion. They read of godlike statues, and are not ashamed of their own frowsy and lazy ugliness; they study the records of open and magnanimous deeds, and are not ashamed of their own secretive and self-indulged lives. They have become citizens of an unreal world, and, like the Indian in his Paradise, pursue with shadowy hounds a shadowy deer. And that way lies madness.

In the limbo of the misers and the drunkards, which is the limbo of idolators, many great scholars may be found. Here, as in almost all ethical problems, the difficulty arises far less from the presence of some vicious tendency than from the absence of some essential virtues. The possibilities of mental derangement which exist in literature are due not so much to a love of books as to an indifference to life and sentiment and everything that books record. In an ideal state, gentlemen who were immersed in abstruse calculations and discoveries would be forced by Act of Parliament to talk for forty-five minutes to an ostler or a landlady, and to ride across Hampstead Heath on a donkey. They would be examined by the State, but not in Greek or old armour, which are their pleasures, and in which they may be trusted as safely as children at cross-touch. They would be examined in Cockney dialect, or in the colours of various omnibuses. They would be purged of all the tendencies which have sometimes brought lunacy out of learning; they would be taught to become men of the world, which is a step towards becoming men of the Universe.

[smolpenguin]

I’m not really fan of the hxh movies bc my brain can't shut up about how it doesn't feel like HxH...BUT...this specific exchange after Gon decided to fight Jet to help Kurapika...

...destroyed me.

I MEAN, if you watch the movie before finished the Chimera Ant Arc, the scene is just a nice fan service...BUT, if you finished it, you can see the little parallelism between this situation and what happened in the anime/manga, and how MadHouse decide to break our hearts once again.

One of Gon's close friends' life is in danger (Kurapika/Kaito) and he need to beat/kill the responsable (Jet/Pitou) so save him, but when Gon look at Killua and says his name, the movie take a different route than the Manga/Anime.

Gon wants Killua at his side, to fight with him, to Killua to support him to helps Kurapika. Unlike CA!Killua, Movie!Killua got what his manga/anime counterpart could only wish for and didn’t got.

Of course, in CA, the conflict have A LOT MORE emotional weight but that doesn't change the fact that Madhouse knew that we knows how much this means/will mean to CA!Killua. The scene destroyed me because I can only see Movie!Killua and say "...I really wish that in a future arc, (canon) Killua could fight along with Gon without doubting his place at his side and how much he means to him".

[ask-de-writer]

WIND MEETS THE ROM : Part 18 of 27 :

MLP Fan Fiction

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WIND MEETS THE ROM

Part 18 of 27

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

Cover art by @wind-the-mama-cat

54212 words

© 2023 by Glen Ten-Eyck

Writing begun 06/01/18

All rights reserved. This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

New to the story? Read from Part 1, here!

///////////////////////

As he got his portions and came down to the tea, Wind smiled at him. To her surprise, he smiled back. “I have heard good things of you, Lady Wind Whisper. Thank you for the tea.”

Over their quiet dinner, Hanar told Wind, “We will be up later than usual with the evening dancing. Tia and Midnight must leave for Canterlot and the service of the rest of the kingdom tomorrow.”

Just after dinner, Tia, Midnight and Marchhare retired to Marchhare's caravan to work through the Kingdom's business that really would not wait for the next day. It was not long before they emerged from the caravan, all the cases sealed and ready for delivery back to Canterlot.

Whitly took the cases and spread his wings, flying back to Canterlot. Midnight took her place in the center of the dancing green, the Skydancers gathered just behind her.

Wind saw Rom gathering at the usual place for musicians and realized with a jolt what she had been hearing during the fair but not all playing in one place. Five different kinds of Rom Lyre, three different flutes, and four different types of the Rom's simple seeming but complex to play drum sets.

They swung into an ethereal and rich version of Wind's Wings. Luna had no coaching for this dance. Her elegant hoof and wing work flowed seamlessly with the brilliant flourishes of her sash work. The Sky Dancers, staying on the ground behind her followed her lead in an amazing display. Wind began to truly appreciate how important her contribution of sways and slides were to the Rom. The Sky Dancers, following Midnight's lead, were even incorporating them into their wing work as she made the sways and slides with her whole body, including her wonderfully big and active wings.

She noticed that even Tia, while playing her beautiful big Moro Lyre, was moving her head and horn in gentle sways.

The whole dance session lasted for nearly the entire night. Wind, watching carefully, caught a few cracks in Marchhare's facade of not being able to dance any but couples dances. Getting carried away by the music, several times, he did very well for a bit before catching himself and suddenly becoming four left hooves again. She chuckled to herself when she saw it.

Hanar saw Wind notice and winked at her.

Finally, they all broke for a nap before full dawn overtook them.

Breakfast was the usual madhouse of horses vying for their favorite treats. All of Midnight's Munchies leftovers were on the board along with the usual fare! Wind was serving the Rom black tea and Hanar was in the serving line with her, as usual.

A pegasus landed outside of the camp and requested, “Permission to enter the camp, Your Grace, Marchhare?”

Marchhare looked up in surprise. “Baron Whitly! Of course, come in and join us for breakfast! What has brought you back from Canterlot?”

He joined the line while replying, “I did know that Their Highnesses will be returning to Canterlot today. Inquiry among the others in the messaging pool told me that they will not leave until the Rom have been packed up and the Rom are ready to leave.”

He sighed, “To make up some for my gaffe yesterday eve, I have returned to see if I may be of some assistance in your chores.

“I admit that, as a baron, I always let my towns manage their fairs and your comings and goings. It was only yesterday that I realized that there is far more to a fair than simply entertainment and trade. I wish to amend that by being such help as I may.”

A smiling Tia reached under the table to a hidden tray and gave him a nice twist with a tan colored topping.

Midnight stared at it in near shock! “Tia! You gave him one of your private stash of butterscotch goodies!”

Tia nodded gently. “When we have a baron this good, some sacrifices must be made.”

Wind listened with amusement and whispered to Hanar, “I heard that getting between Tia and her butterscotch topped goodies was listed as suicide by trampling!”

A giggling Hanar snorted, “Pretty close! Whitly has certainly made a good impression on Tia and Midnight.”

The meal done, the Rom set about tearing down their booths and stowing away the parts. To everyone's surprise, Whitly carefully followed directions and was actually a considerable help in getting everything properly cleaned and stored.

When all was done, Tia and Midnight went into Marchhare's caravan. Princesses Celestia and Luna emerged. They bade Baron Whitly to fly in formation with them on their return to Canterlot.

Wind took her place in the hitch beside Hanar and Pulled as the cadence was called. The serene trance of Road Songs, Pulling and the simple enjoyment of being beside Hanar overtook her. She was actually surprised when the whole caravan pulled into a Wayside to stop for lunch.

She found the others examining the Wayside wood ricks where the free firewood was supposed to be. She saw several stout ribbon like ties hanging from a holder made for them but there was no fire wood in the frame made to hold it. There were recent tracks of a loaded wagon and two ponies leading from rick out to the road.

Wind shook her head and asked Hanar, “Do ponies steal the firewood very often? It does not look like the wayside ran out, not with those tracks.”

Hanar giggled, “The old 'you need firewood, we got some cheap' ploy. I haven't seen that for several years.”

Wind pointed to the ties hanging from the side of the wood rick. “What are those?”

Rose was sort of chuckling as she answered, “Those are called benefice ties. When the wood cutters leave the wood, it is bundled in those ties. The Royal Road Police count them and seal them. That is how the wood cutters get paid. Whoever took this wood took it ties and all.”

Wind looked around and wanted to know, “Why isn't anyhorse upset by this? How will we cook our lunch?”

It was Hoof Dancer who snorted, “For one thing, the thieves will be along directly to sell us some firewood that they “just happen to have to spare,” and for the other, my dear dead donkey of a husband has already gone to fetch the RRP from both the Haymarket North and Haymarket South Road section stations.”

Wind looked around and, as she was watching, she saw old Marchhare sort of fade into view. One moment he was not there, the next he was standing quietly beside Hoof Dancer. And grinning.

Wind now understood enough to know that the grin was not a good sign for somepony.

True to the prediction, to the creak and grumble of poorly made wheels, a dray wagon loaded with bundled firewood pulled into the wayside. As the drovers, an off yellow pony and an orange one, sort of sneered, “See you gots you a problem. This here wayside done run outen wood. Tell you what. Give us a big ol lunch and 20 gold bits and we can spare you the wood to cook it up. No coin and no lunch, you gets no wood. Got that?”

Black Lotus pointed up with her horn, just before her magic grabbed both of the miscreants and lifted them off the ground. The pegasus, in the blue uniform of the Royal Road Police, saw that the situation on the ground was under control and spiraled in to a landing.

The drum of galloping ponies could be heard coming from the road. Two RRP ponies entered the south entrance and two more came in from the north. Seeing that the ponies that they were after were going nowhere, they slowed and homed in on the wagon.

They had out their note pads and were already sorting out the load of stolen firewood. One of the five came over to Black Lotus and respectfully asked her to continue holding the crooked ponies but let them down to where the RRP could properly manacle them. She did and they did. After that, she let go of them entirely.

One, with Sargent's stripes, politely asked Marchhare, “Your Grace, we have done assessing the stolen wood and verifying by the tie seals that it came from here. Would your band do us the favor of restacking it into the rick?”

For an answer, they all went to the wagon and even the small foals lifted out a bundle or two and took them to the rick and neatly stacked them. Wind, seeing what they were doing, joined them, sinking her claws into a bundle and carrying it to the growing stack in the rick.

Once the wood was all stacked properly and accounted for, Hoof Dancer used her magic to take two bundles and open the benefice ties. She neatly hung them with the others already hanging there and brought over the firewood.

Lunch was soon cooking over the coals.

Black Lotus took the liberty of speaking to the RRP officers quietly before they removed the prisoners and their wagon. Doing a quiet little happy dance, she told the rest of the band, “I have invited the RRP who just helped us to come join us for lunch as soon as they have finished dealing with the thieves.”

Wind wandered over to the boxed spring that supplied the wayside with water. She began to pick a string bag full of bank sorrel and cresses. Hanar was soon by her side, helping.

“Thank you, Wind. These will make a lovely fresh salad.”

Wind smiled as her hand busily gathered the small bounty. “I am trying to leave some to regrow the patch, like you have showed me. I am puzzled by something though. With as many freight wagons and ponies who use the waysides, why are there any of these plants left?”

Hanar grinned a little sideways as she replied, “Laziness. Comes of being in a hurry. That sounds like a contradiction but it is not. They come in and drop their hitch and get some water and rush back to their camp to boil the oats that they brought for rations. They don't look for anything fresh outside of the grazing meadow. Plus, when they see us picking any, they are too proud to 'eat that Rom stuff. Those horses will eat anything!' That attitude cuts them off from some lovely eating and saves us some excellent salads.”

Wind chuckled at the reasoning but asked, “I managed to sort out what plant makes that delicious Rom black tea. Why haven't ponies stumbled onto it?”

Hanar happily informed her, “They have. Many times. It has to be treated and dried just right. If you don't, it makes all equines sick to their tummies.”

The sheer elegance of the notion nearly stunned Wind! She chortled, “Somehorse among the Rom is a true sadist! If I had not seen how many of the ponies treat us, I would wonder if they deserved it.”

Hanar nodded agreement, adding, “There are a few who treat us well and we do return the favor. We still don't let them know our secrets. They could tell without meaning to.”

Soon they were done. Returing to camp, they busied themselves with preparing and properly dressing the salad.

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[wellpresseddaisy]

Use Any Means pt. 8

Once free of the adults, Hermione and Ron set about enlarging their trunks and finding what they wanted.

“Reckon we should try the day room.” Ron said. “Harry isn’t waking any time soon.”

“Yes, I suppose we should.” Hermione sighed, taking one last look at Harry. He really wasn’t going to wake in the next…probably several hours.

They went across the hall, Ron opening the door first. Intellectually, she knew they were perfectly safe, but her wand slid into her palm anyway. Ron felt about the inside of the doorway and she heard a click. Lights came up slowly.

“Huh.” Ron muttered, moving into the room. “Never thought the Blacks would go in for that system.”

“Which system?” Hermione asked automatically. She peered about, but they stood in the doorway of a perfectly nice and rather large room.

A fire crackled in the grate and a sofa and armchairs were grouped around it, rather like the Gryffindor common room. Bookshelves lined the wall opposite the fireplace with a table and chairs standing before them. Something that looked rather like an old Victrola and radio cabinet combined lurked in a corner by the windows and a telescope stood before the wide wall of window, as if someone had just left it. A small sideboard crowded in next to the telescope with a steaming tea urn on it. A sturdy tea service stood next to the urn, ready for use.

“Er, magical switches. Families with squibs like ‘em because then no one has to be forever asking for lights to be turned on, if they use lightstones.”

“And there are…lightstones…here?” She tested the sofa, remembering Grimmauld Place, and then sat back. “This really is lovely. The light is much nicer than candles.”

A footrest sidled across the floor and bumped her ankles until she put her feet up. “Thank you.” She reached down and patted it.

“And before you ask, the switches work by completing a rune sequence.” Ron sat beside her. “I know that much about them.”

“It’s been such a strange day.” Hermione murmured, leaving the problem of magical circuits for another day. “And that’s saying something for us.”

“Not every day your best friend has a screaming phantasm burst out of his forehead. I reckon it’s better out than in, though.”

Hermione snorted a laugh. “Oh, we really oughtn’t laugh.”

“Hermione, we either laugh or we go mad. Harry would be laughing with you, you know.”

“It’s just…Ron it’s like something out of a gothic novel. Screaming phantasms, mysterious guardians…I feel like I’ve been dropped into the middle of a book.”

“He isn’t that mysterious. He’s probably in what Mum call the ‘stud books’, but only when she’s had a bit of sherry. Mum at least knows who he is.”

“Well he certainly made an entrance.” Hermione huffed.

“You could just see him wondering what the hell he’d got himself into.” Ron snickered. “Between Harry all over blood and both of us looking like we were going to go over at any minute and your Mum…the poor bloke didn’t think he’d get dropped into a madhouse today.”

“At least Mum’s having fun.” Hermione couldn’t hold back a giggle. “She looked like all her Christmases came at once today.”

“If Harry turns out to be related through the Prewett branch, your mum is going to have a spasm.”

“She’ll have six, honestly. Do you think Harry will be…do you think Mr. Du will…” Hermione trailed off, biting her lip.

“Harry’s going to be fine. He’s got a proper paterfamilias now, not that Sirius didn’t try, but Azkaban…he wasn’t healthy enough, really.” Ron patted her hand. “It’ll be interesting seeing Harry come up against that.”

“A paterfamilias?” Hermione’s brow wrinkled as she thought. “Isn’t that a bit…”

“The big families always have one person at the head. We’ve got both since Mum is the Prewett materfamilias and Dad’s the Weasley pater. If Harry is…that could be why he’s always listened to mum as much as he listens to anyone and let her fuss. And why he wanted Sirius to approve of him.”

“And there’s magic bound up in this?” Hermione asked slowly.

“Family magic. It goes both ways. You want the pater or mater of your family to be pleased with you but they also want the whole family content with their decisions. It’s why Mum’s been so affected by Percy. Perce and I were always more Prewett than Weasley.” Ron tried to explain. “We can see if there are any books on Family Magic and relationships? There are limits to it.”

“That would help, I think. You do things your mum would hate all the time, Ron.”

“Well, yeah, because we aren’t mindless. The pater and mater bonds can’t make you do anything, or at least mum and dad don’t use them like that. You just feel extra awful when the head of your family isn’t pleased with you. And they feel awful when you aren’t pleased with them, although mum said that kicks in more as children get older and with adult family members. Family Magic isn’t going to poke at you to fix it when your littles are angry they had to go to bed. It kicks in more for big things.”

“But some heads of families could use them to…to force a member of their family into something?” Hermione couldn’t help but shiver.

“Reckon they could. They aren’t supposed to be used like that, so far as I know. It’s meant to be a good thing. Safe, you know? A pater or mater is there to be relied on.”

“Sometimes I think you were really lucky in your parents, Ron.”

“I know I was. Don’t fret too much about Harry, yeah? He’s going to be fine. Mr. Du…he’s actually used as an example of what can happen with an unplanned succession. Something happens with your magic when you’re the next pater or mater. He apparated from Oxford to Wales, blowing a hole through the border wards, when it happened. His first thought was for the younger children in the family. And Harry already feels safe with him. Did you see the way he curled in?”

“He didn’t do that with Sirius.” Hermione admitted after a moment. “I worry so much, Ron. He’s just so Harry and people want to take advantage of that.”

“I don’t think we have to worry about that here. Not with—” Ron cut off as they heard a decided yowling coming down the hall. “Didn’t you send Crookshanks with Gin?”

“Maybe they have housecats?” Hermione pressed her lips together. “Cats do love Harry.”

A soft tap at the open door had the two of them looking that way.

“I’m sorry, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, but he seemed determined to get here. He came in through the kitchen like he owned the place.” Nell looked down at the ginger tom. “He wouldn’t let anyone else take the message, either.”

“No, I’m sorry.” Hermione crossed to the doorway. “I sent him home with a friend for the evening since we weren’t sure what would happen. Crooksy, did you escape from Ginny?”

Crookshanks, looking inordinately pleased with himself, twined around Hermione’s ankles until she took the note from his collar.

“It looks like he put up such a fuss that Ginny let him out.” She shook her head over the note. “You, sir, have wretched manners.”

Crookshanks purred for a moment and then trotted across the hall to sit outside the sick room door.

“He wants Harry.” Hermione sighed.

“Miss, I don’t know if Nurse will approve.” Nell looked nervously down the hell.

“Well, she’s going to have to if she wants any peace. He likes to sit guard when Harry’s not feeling well. We’ll likely have Hedwig here, too, if Crooksy’s shown up.”

“I beg your pardon?” Nell’s voice came faintly.

“Harry’s owl. She’s uncommonly attached.” Hermione explained, distracted as she opened the door for Crooksy. “Go on and purr for him since you’re so determined.”

“Oh, Nurse won’t like an owl in the sick room.”

“I’ll handle Nurse, if need be.” Hermione promised. “I’m so sorry, Nell. We’re a bit of an odd bunch and we’ve landed on you when you aren’t even ready for anyone, much less our…companions.”

“It’s certainly livened everything up, Miss.” Nell confided. Wouldn’t everyone below stairs be fit to burst that she’d gotten an apology.

“We really are sorry if there’s any trouble with Nurse.” Ron joined them. “It’s just Crookshanks and Hedwig seem to think Harry is theirs. I can ask my mum to explain, if it’ll help?”

“If it comes down to it, it just might help.” Nell smiled at them. “Would you mind if I let everyone know that, er, Crookshanks came all the way from King’s Cross to you and His Grace? And that we can expect his owl this evening?”

Hermione suddenly realized that Nell couldn’t be much older than she and Ron. She looked terribly excited by this turn of events.

“Of course you can. You can tell everyone that Crooksy was so determined to get to Harry that he nearly kicked the door out of his carrier. I don’t know what his trip across London was like, but I’m sure you can manage.” She couldn’t help but grin back conspiratorially.

“Oooh, Miss, thank you! Would you, by any chance, need help with dressing tomorrow morning?”

Ah, yes, the human urge to move up in the world.

“Do you know I’ve never had help from anyone other than my mum? Do you know any hair charms?” She couldn’t help herself. If someone with even a modicum of training wanted to help, then she certainly was willing.

“Oh Miss, do I ever! And you with such lovely hair. I’ll do it up a treat!”

“Thank you, Nell. I would appreciate the help very much.”

“I’ll attend you in the morning before breakfast, Miss.” Nell scuttled off with a story to tell the servants' hall and hope that maybe she could be a proper Lady’s Maid one day. Perhaps Miss Granger would like to wear…oh, she’d look lovely in the pale colors in fashion for young ladies. They had that pale green linen in the attic…they could make up one of those nifty one-hour dresses in no time flat. And she was sure they’d have shoes to fit that would match. Young Mr. Weasley would look dashing in breeches and top boots, she reckoned. Maybe he’d appreciate a word of advice, too.

“What happened to your democratic belief in equality and not being waited on?” Ron teased.

“It went out the window with the possibility of taming the mess on my head, Ron. Without a gallon of Sleakeazy’s. In any case, Nell can practice on me.” Hermione answered tartly, stepping back into the day room. She stopped, blinking, and then went off into a peal of laughter.

Ron bumped her from behind until she moved forward and snorted. A multi-level cat tree now lived near the window on the bookcase side of the sideboard and a well-padded cat bed sat on the hearth, just where it would get the most heat. A deluxe owl perch stood before the window on the other side, between the sideboard and the Victrola cabinet, with an owl pass-through in the lower panes.

They would both swear the room was bigger than it had been only five minutes before. If a room could be smug, the day room managed.

“I think this place loves Harry already.” Ron said unsteadily.

“Well, at least Crooksy and Hedwig are welcome.” Hermione responded.

“Nurse is going to think we’re horribly unhygienic.” Ron snickered.

“Owls in the sick room. Whatever will we come up with next.” Hermione giggled helplessly, dropping onto the sofa as the day caught up with her.

Ron said nothing, but flopped next to her and howled with laughter. Hedwig wasn’t there to be offended, anyway.

They both knew she was cleaner than some Hogwarts students.

[mybikesurly]

Fort Lauderdale Airport is a bit of a madhouse, even at 9:30 pm. Inside is easy peasy, ground services was the mess. Hope on the Tri-rail to head north. I love access to solid public transportation when traveling.

I love how green south Florida is, the mixture of vegetation. Weather dropped from 88 last night to 60 today. Glorious outside.

This mornings been sightseeing the area with my father. The first community we lived in is still there but starting to show its age.

The nudist camp is now a B&B retreat surrounded by farms which grow plants for the big boxes. Still cool, but we did get inside the fence.

Was able to get in a round of DG at Okeeheelee Park. Crazy nice county facility which caters to a multitude of activities..

Off for a family gathering and ceremony for the passing of an aunt. My moms, her sister(who passed), my cousin and papa Joe.