#make it like their whole thing to act like they’re another professor

[halfelven]

horrible little vindictive spirit that lives inside me so pleased when i bring up a question i am planning to ask the teacher (our assignment) in small group discussion and one of the other students starts answering in a way that is not only not answering my question but ALSO assuming i know Nothing about writing papers. like yes thanks i do know that we have set spacing and margins.

and then i ask my question anyway and not only is it answered the teacher proves i was not asking at all what that student tried (multiple times and all wrong) answering and also the answer was something most of the class didn’t know and were happy to hear. like the teacher Literally put another slide in her class slides specifically to answer this question because she realised it was an oversight

have you heard such a reason to be insufferably smug?

[thatnonameuser]

A Wonderland Of Yanderes

World Building is here Part 2

It all started with that class.

The final class for the first week of the first semester. After all the chaos of coming to Twisted Wonderland, of being thrown into a world you don’t understand, a quiet weekend to start finding a way back is something you’ve been awaiting.

The classes here were chaotic but fun, and even interesting as a human from a world without any magic. 

Making potions that could do so many different things in Alchemy. Speaking with animals or a cat that can't talk like Grim in Animal Languages. Riding broomsticks in Phys Ed. Even the boring classes like Magical History, learning of this world full of wonder and mystery, and Arithmancy, math was boring, but it was fun to learn that it’s the same in this world. 

But out of all the classes this was the weirdest one of all. 

It was called The Art of Ensnaring Hearts. About ‘darling control and protection’. It’s a weird sounding class, but even weirder, it’s a mandatory subject for all first years, which seems weird for what sounds like an elective. Still it’s just odd, not anything too weird.

The name is nothing that you’ve seen in any fantasy book or tv show in your world. But by now, you knew weird being dropped head first into an unknown world. By now anything new and weird should have been expected, understood, brushed aside as something to accept and move on.

So here you were sitting between Ace and Deuce in the lecture, Grim fast asleep on your lap, waiting for class you knew nothing about.

“I can’t believe they’re making us take this class.” Ace complains.

“Stop complaining Ace. It’s a really important class!” Deuce objects.

Ace whined his butt off the whole way here, complaining about how stupid it was that they had to attend it. Deuce on the other hand, was incredibly enthusiastic and you are completely in the dark for what this class is even about.

Ace shrugs, “Still, my folks and brother taught me all about this stuff. It’s a waste of time.”

“Not everyone has parents or siblings who can teach them about darlings, Ace.”

“Nothing personal Juice, but this class is going to be as boring as Magical History.”

“Well, if you know so much, what exactly is this class about?” You joke and they both look at you like you’ve grown a second head. "What?" you say, now uneasy.

 “You don’t know?” Ace asks.

“What part about ‘I’m from another world’ keeps slipping your minds?” Your attempt at a joke falls flat, as they look at you in incredulity.

Deuce practically reels back in surprise, “N-No it’s just that it's so normal here. You don’t know what darlings are?”

You shake your head, “No, not really.”

A crack of a whip onto the blackboard calls your attention to Professor Crewel, "Alright pups, I have to do this every year so let's get this out of the way now. This class will provide you with any and every method, skill and technique to find, capture and control your future darlings, including evading the law in your respective homelands." Now, you're confused, why exactly is a school teaching students how to break the law?

"As you know Sage Island makes special accommodations for NRC and RSA students, all acts that may be forbidden in any of your hometowns, with the exception of Darling murder, will be pardoned and forgiven. In the case of a family investigation, the school will stage an accident so please do not butcher them beyond repair." No words or sounds slip from your lips, with you stunned silent in pure horror.

What pools in your stomach is hot dread mixed with cold fear. Just what exactly is this world? Murder can be excused here? It can be covered up, with only a slap on the wrist. You need some explanations and you need them now.

A student raises a hand, "Professor?"

"Yes, pup?"

"Why are there no darlings enrolled in Night Raven?"

"One too many murders on campus. A few too many mutts ran around unneutered and decided to draw blood." You smother your gasp a few seconds too late, as more than a third of the room turn to you, confused.

"Something wrong, pup?" Crewel raises an eyebrow at you. His eyes drill into your soul, inspecting, calculating.

"N-Nothing! I'm fine. Perfectly fine." Crewel doesn't push you on the subject, returning to his lecture.

You lean back in your seat, and the cold sweat on your body makes you shiver. Right now, you'll bite your tongue and hold back your horror.

You need to see Crowley, as soon as possible.

[slytherinsimp12]

♡𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓲𝓷’𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓫𝓸𝔂𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭 ♡

Pairing : James Potter x fem!reader

Summary: You had a one stand with your long term rival, James potter, before Christmas break.

Now back at Hogwarts, James becomes more annoying than usual ; cock blocking you from seeing any other guy besides him.

Warnings : 18+, !minors dni! ,Jealous James potter , Angst , dramatic confessions, smut, oral (f receiving) , body worship , p in v. First time writing smut.

(Let me know if I missed any!)

A/N: This is the clean version of the same story.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────

The snow covered windows blocked any trace of sunlight from entering the dimly lit Potions class room. The smell of powdered sage and fresh wormwood wafted in the air , creating a perfect ambiance for potion brewing. Students were filled with more energy than usual ; having just returned after Christmas break.

You take a seat at the very front of the classroom, excited for professor Slughorn to start the lesson. All the excitement drains from your face when an all too familiar figure plops down on the seat next to you. His messy black hair covered his forehead, making his Hazel eyes appear brighter and larger.

“Psyched to be back, are we?” James Potter said, flashing you that famous grin of his.

You were dreading this moment since last night; having to see James again after what went down before break. How was he acting so normal?

“What do you want, James?” You asked, annoyed, refusing to make eye contact with him.

“It’s lovely to see you too, y/n. My holiday was great, thanks for asking. How was yours?” He said cheekily.

“Piss off , Potter.” You mumbled.

The conversation was cut short, thankfully, after Slughorn entered the classroom.

You didn’t understand why James was being so nice. He was never exactly unpleasant towards you, but you and James were rivals in all the things that mattered. Whether it was Quidditch or the Grades you got, you both always had to be better than the other in everything you did. This lead to you both exchanging snarky remarks now and then , James teasing you whenever he had the chance. Sometimes, he would take it as far as publicly humiliating you in-front of the whole class by playing practical jokes on you. That’s why you hated thinking about what happened before Christmas break.

It was way past curfew, and the library was empty , except for an exhausted James Potter , sitting at the table across yours. You made the awful mistake of joining him for a cup of coffee. One thing lead to another, and the next morning you found yourself tangled in the sheets of the arrogant gryffindor boy. However, you thought that was the end of it, neither of you would acknowledge what happened and go back to usual. But, James clearly had other plans.

A month had passed and you noticed the fact that James had gone back to normal. Back to being your annoying rival. Nothing else. You didn’t understand why it bothered you so much. This is what you wanted.

One morning, during breakfast, you received a box of sweets from honeydukes and a bouquet of enchanted flowers that turned into butterflies at your touch.

“Who are they from!” Lily said, jumping with excitement by your side.

“I don’t know… there’s no note.” You said as you blushed uncontrollably.

“Someone’s got herself a secret admirer! I personally think they’re from that Ravenclaw boy, Marcus, she’s been talking to.” Marlene shouted, too loudly for your liking.

At this comment, James’ head jolted up, his eyes meeting yours and his expression almost… hurt.

That evening after dinner, you made your way back to your dorm, when you were greeted by a distressed Marcus. His face was badly beaten, a large bleeding gash was across his forehead and he had an enormous black eye.

“Oh Merlin! Marcus what happened!!??” You yelled.

“Y/n… just to be clear, I did NOT send you any gifts this morning. I think it’s best if we stayed away from each other.” Marcus said, as he practically ran away from you.

“Wait! Marcus! Atleast tell me who did this to you!” You shouted after him, but he was already 10 feet away.

The day after, in charms, a kind boy from Hufflepuff was teaching you the right way to hold your wand while performing a certain spell.

“So you want to hold it at an angle of 45 degrees, whilst making a ‘S’ motion with your arm.” He explained, guiding your hands with his. You couldn’t help but smirk, because obviously he was flirting with you. From the side of your eye, you caught a very irritated… almost jealous looking James, staring daggers at the Hufflepuff boy.

About an hour later, you went to Madam Pomfery to get some cream for your finger; you nicked it during potions, when you found that kind boy who had just helped you in charms, lying on a bed. His face was swollen ten times the normal size, and his body was shaking uncontrollably.

“Madam Pomfery! What happened to him?” You asked, worried.

“Nasty Hex. He claims one of the Gryffindor boys did it.” She explained.

Weeks went by, but you noticed something extremely unusual. Every single guy from your year was avoiding you. Even the ones you thought were your friends. Something wasn’t right.

“Lily! Wait up!” You called after the red headed girl as she walked to class.

“Hey y/n! How you holding up?” She asked, a pitiful expression plastered across her face.

“How am I holding up? What do you mean?” You sounded almost offended.

“Oh sorry… I thought you noticed by now-“

She countered.

“Noticed what? Noticed the fact that every single boy is avoiding me. Yea. I have bloody noticed that. Do you happen to know why the hell that is? “ I questioned.

“Oh… erm. I really shouldn’t get involved but, James has been beating up and threatening every guy who speaks to you.”

She told.

“What. The. Actual. Fuck?” You hissed through your teeth.

“I’m sorry, love. I thought you already knew. I’ve got to get to class…. I’ll catch you later!” Lily said, as she walked away.

You were furious. Where ever James Potter was, he better watch out, because you were going to END him. You burst into an empty class room to make sense of everything, and thats when you saw him. James was sitting on a desk, with a few books spread open in front of him.

“INCENDIO” you pointed your wand at his books, setting them on fire.

“What the fuck are you doing!?” James shouted, as he jumped up and away from the flames.

“Who the actual fuck do you think you are, potter? You pathetic piece of shit. Beating up guys who talk to me? It was a one night stand. Get over it. You are NOT my boyfriend.” You said, practically up in his face, with your wand poking at his chest.

“How oblivious are you? It may have been a casual thing for you, but it was not bloody casual for me!” He spat back.

“You think you can just exist. Exist being so perfect. Looking so beautiful, that it physically pains to be away from you. I ACHE EVERY MINUTE I AM NOT WITH YOU!” He shouted, pushing your wand aside and getting closer.

Whatever gap there was between your faces was closed by James smashing his lips into yours. You gave in. You finally just gave in, and kissed him back. Oh,with each kiss you were wondering why you resisted for so long. You kissed his jaw then his jaw line and then his ear, leaving hickeys as you went. James trailed a finger down ur spine, giving you shivers.

“James…” I trailed off.

“Oh.. do you not want to?” He asked

“No! No.. I definitely want to , but I don’t have-“ you hoped he’d get the hint.

“I have like an entire pack of condoms in my bag ,over there.”

“wow. Way to make a girl feel special…” you rolled your eyes , but also felt kind of sad , because why did he need so many condoms? Who were they for?. You were spiralling in a train of thought and just then James’ voice snaps you out of it.

“Y/n…. These are the ones i share with the boys… Remus got them from the muggles and this bag here is his.” James said holding up Remus’ bag.

That made you feel so much better.

James picks up where you left it.

James trails kisses from your mouth to you abdomen. You couldn’t help but let out a soft moan, earning a small smirk from him.

“James, what if someone comes in?”

“Colloportus” James said as he pointed his wand towards the slightly open door.

“There. No one is going to be coming inside, but there will be a lot of cumming inside…” He smirked as he made his lewd remark.

“Yuck James! That was corny even for you.” You complained as you threw your cardigan at him. “Unfunny freak” you sniggered.

After kissing for about 10 minutes, James unbuttoned his shirt, and then goes to remove your clothes.

“Is this okay, love?” James asked

You nodded.

“I need a verbal ‘yes’ y/n.”

“Yes.”

Now both of you were in nothing but your underwear. James started kissing you and slowly made his way down. Oh how you’ve missed this! Once he reached your lower abdomen, he gave you a look and removed your panties. He slid his tongue between your slit.

“Oh Merlin! James!” You gasped, clutching a fistful of his hair.

“Does that feel good , love? Wanted to get you a little excited, but it seems to me you’ve got that covered.” James grinned.

You reddened at that comment.

“Don’t be ashamed, love. Let me try something. You just relax and spread your legs. Thank-you.” James instructed as you spread your legs apart.

He stuck one finger, then a second , curling them inside. Oh.my.world. This felt so good, you wanted to scream. He bought his mouth down to your clit and started sucking it.

“Potter… I’m so.. c-c-close” you barely managed to say.

With two more thrusts of his fingers, you finished in his mouth.

“You’re so fucking sweet, darling “

“Ok darling, I need a verbal yes for this part” James said as he slid a condom on.

He aligned his length with you. “Darling?”

“Yes. Please James. I need you.” You begged.

“Oh love, you look so beautiful, begging for me like that.” He said as he pushed himself in.

Your eyes practically rolled to the back of your head due to the intense pleasure you were feeling. This was so much better than the first time. Maybe because both of your feelings are out in the open this time.

“Y/n , you feel so good my love. “ James cooed.

With a few more thrusts you could feel a knot coming undone in your stomach.

“Hold on for just a minute, darling” James said.

“I’m gonna cu- James-“ you pleaded

And just like that, both of you finished at the same time.

James cleaned you up, and you both redressed. As you were leaving the empty classroom, James grabbed you by your wrist. He placed a kiss on your forehead.

“Next time Potter, when you send me flowers, make sure to leave a note on them. Don’t want people to get beaten up for no reason.”

You teased.

“Next time Y/L/N , be better at acknowledging my feelings” James joked.

“Next time , be better at fucking showing them!” You countered.

You both laughed, as James pulled you in for one last kiss before class.

[pikachic]

Hi it's me again. TMA/POKÉMON AU??? YES HELLO PARDON ME I NEED TO THROW MYSELF AT THIS OCCULUS AU YOU'VE GOT GOING ON IF YOU DONT MIND

*BUSTS DOWN THE DOOR* I’M SO GLAD YOU ASKED

I’ve had this AU simmering away for a while and but haven’t posted that much about it, so thank you for the excuse to scream about my extremely self indulgent Pokémon x The Magnus Archives AU

*ahem*

Introducing:

POKÉMON OCULUS

(Here’s an illustration I did after getting your ask - Champion Jonathan and his ace Pokémon, Vigitera!)

This AU is set in the Ervenis Region, a relatively small island region off the coast of Galar. It closed its borders two years prior to the main storyline, shortly after its Champion went missing during a series of attacks in its major cities and his predecessor was found murdered. Since then, an acting Champion has been instated and the borders have been reopened, but the Champion still has not been found. Most Ervenisans believe he is dead.

However, the Ervenis Champion isn’t as dead as everyone thinks, and his disappearance is only the first in long chain of events that will shake Ervenis to its very core, orchestrated by a man who aims to rule over a ruined world governed by nothing but his own will and the fear of people and Pokémon alike, and who will stop at nothing to bring that goal into reality.

More lore under the cut!

(Some of the AU-specific names and terms might be placeholders in that I haven’t been able to come up with anything better lmao)

(Also some of the art might be a bit old)

General Lore Stuff

Jon is the Champion who went missing, and Gertrude is his murdered predecessor.

Martin is Ervenis’ Pokémon Professor

Martin being the Professor is literally perfect.

Be. Because.

All of the Pokemon Professors (except for the newest ones) are named after trees.

And Martin’s last name is BLACKWOOD. Which is an ACTUAL TREE.

(My first rough attempt at drawing Jmart in the Pokémon art style)

Also jmart are extremely married

They’re Ervenis’ favorite power couple

(Professor Blackwood for half of the main plot: *sighs.* …I miss my husband. I miss him a lot. I’ll be back.)

Their Pokémon ship name would be Londonfogshipping

Martin has a Galvantula (most likely a regional form), a Sinistea, a Frosslass, and a Togekiss

Jon, in addition to AU-specific Fakemon, has a Gardevoir and a Luxray

Jon also has a shiny Appletun on his team and Martin has a Flapple. Make of that what you will :D

Also yes there are Fakemon in this thing

I have never designed any Fakemon before except for one thirty-minute period of time from when I was ten but I’m not going to let that stop me

(Initial Fakemon sketches! Three guesses as to which characters get Sqwyrm and Manickregus and the first two don’t count)

(Also Ervenisan Yamask has another form, which evolves into Ervenisan Cofagrigus which is inspired by the Do Not Open coffin)

(I have a whole list of Fakemon designs I want to make but 90% of them aren’t fleshed out at all)

Tim and Sasha are Professors in their own right, and also Martin’s assistants/fellow researchers

Tim has a Houndoom because I saw another TMA Pokémon AU that gave him one and I really liked the idea, he also has a Ludicolo because I lost a debate with my friend who is also into both TMA and Pokémon

Sasha has a Dartrix and a Meowstic

Most of the Avatars are gym leaders

(Yippee gym leader designs!)

(Not pictured because I ran out of steam before I could draw them: Michael and Helen, who run a double Electric-type gym; Daisy, who runs a Dragon-type gym; Karolina, who runs a Ground-type gym; and Jared, who runs a Normal-type gym)

Elias is the acting Champion in Jon’s absence and the secret leader of Team Chrysalis

The current Elite Four consists of Peter, Simon, Maxwell, and Annabelle

You might have noticed that Jon and the gym leaders are all wearing (mostly) black pendants/brooches

This is part of the Ervenis’ region’s “gimmick:”

Metafestation (which is. Almost definitely a placeholder name)

Skilled trainers can use special items called Metalenses to tap into the psyches of Pokemon and Trainer to manifest the shape of their desires and the power of their emotions in reality.

You basically give the Pokémon a JoJo Stand

Each Metalens must be specially shaped and cut to suit unique trainers and Pokémon, and since using poorly made Metalenses may have disastrous consequences on its users, only a handful of people have the qualifications and legal authorization to do so

(Gerard Keay is one of these people!)

Metalenses are usually worn as pendants or brooches so they’re close to the user’s heart

For the Metafestation power-up to be strongest, the trainer and Pokémon must have a shared goal/desire and a deep bond

(This bond does not have to be a positive one. It just needs to be strong.)

These Metafestations have their own typing system, though no one’s been able to figure out exactly what it is yet.

It’s the Fears. The Fears are the typing system.

Though most users of this system aren’t aware of it, Metafestation comes from achieving a delicate balance of both desire and fear.

When I first came up with this idea, it was JUST Fear, but I felt like that was a bit dark for frickin POKÉMON so I added the desire aspect

After all, what we fear and and what we desire often go hand in hand

You desire safety because you fear its absence, you desire light because you fear the dark, you desire freedom because you fear being confined, etc.

For example, Professor Blackwood desires companionship, and fears being forgotten. Most of the Metafestations he and his Pokémon create are foggy and cold, but in a way soothing at the same time.

Though a small handful of them are spindly and laced with puppet strings and reflect his desire to wield his cunning for good.

(However, he hasn’t been able to properly use his Metalens in years. The first and only time he tried after his husband vanished, it backfired horribly, consuming both him and his Pokémon in a chilling fog and sending them spiraling into unconsciousness. It took weeks for them to recover, and Professor Blackwood bears a physical scar of the incident in the streaks of stark white in his hair.)

Of course, most people don’t have just one desire/fear. The Metalens just channels the strongest ones, and most users don’t achieve more than three separate tertiary types of power-ups.

One of the biggest exceptions is Jon.

He desires many things: Safety, love, knowledge. He also fears many things: Being manipulated and controlled, abandonment, the unknown.

When he was a child, something happened to him that scarred his psyche in such a way that he could channel all of his desires and fears.

It’s what makes him such a potent conduit for the power-up system, and what makes him a prime target for:

Team Chrysalis

Team Chrysalis is a criminal organization/sort of cult disguised as something innocent: The Magnus Institute, the region’s main research institution that Professor Blackwood works at

The AU’s main plot gets kicked off when Professor Blackwood finds evidence that his husband, the missing Champion, is still alive

If this were a real game, the main story on the side of doing the gym challenge would be helping Professor Blackwood look for clues about Jon’s whereabouts and about The Magnus Institute’s hidden goals

Professor Blackwood also figures out that it’s very likely that Elias had a hand in Jon’s disappearance

(Professor Blackwood for the other half of the main plot: *slams down the Do Not Open coffin in front of Elias* It’s a coffin. There’s a name engraved on it. “WHORE!” IT’S EMPTY!! *grabs Elias by the collar* AND YOU’RE GOING IN IT!!!)

The Elite Four are also part of Team Chrysalis and fully on board with its plan

Though Annabelle might have her own machinations going on

Team Chrysalis plans to reshape the world as they see fit by summoning a Legendary Pokémon that’s a warped physical manifestation of the fears and desires of all living creatures, and simultaneously embodies and feeds on those fears and desires

(It’s basically all the Fears mashed into one eldritch monstrosity)

(I’m mildly worried this sounds too similar to some existing legendaries but at the same time I’m just spitballing and having fun here)

To summon this Legendary, they need a lynchpin capable of channeling all of those fears and desires

This lynchpin is Jon because of course it is.

Team Chrysalis’ whole plan actually only serves to grant Elias immortality and make him king of a ruined world but shhh none of the team members know that

I have zero idea what the Legendary would look like, I just have the fact I want it to have “Pan” in its name

The climax of the story comes when Team Chrysalis starts their ritual and the end of the world. In order to stop them, their Vessel and the Legendary must be defeated.

You are challenged by The Archivist!

The Really Self Indulgent Part

I started working on this at the same time that my friend was watching through XY for the first time

So at some point when coming up with all of the story stuff my brain went “what if I stuck Ash Ketchum into the story?”

So Ash is there now. For some reason lol

He’s 19 now and is just doing his thing and traveling the world

As usual, he takes on the player’s role, challenging gyms and helping Professor Blackwood in his investigation and eventually helping him take on Team Chrysalis

(I made this shitpost in like. Less than an hour lmao)

Ash is so done with these evil team leaders trying to destroy the world

Greninja is also there because tHIS IS MY AU AND I DO WHAT I WANT *MANIACAL LAUGHTER*

And I think that’s it for an overview of Pokémon Oculus!

I have a bunch more stuff for this AU, mostly spitballs and WIP writing snippets, and I do plan on making more art and Fakemon designs eventually (especially now that I’m getting better at emulating the Pokémon art style)

Thank you for reading this far, and feel free to ask me anything about this AU! :D

[thefairestandherfavoriteguy]

Ok. I read the pinned post and I'm just genuinely curious about how Ashton Vargas and Neige LeBlanche work as a couple here?

Neige: (smiling warmly, clasping his hands together) "Well, it all started after I graduated from Royal Sword Academy, about four years ago. I decided to pursue acting full-time—I really wanted to bring magic and joy to others through my performances. That’s when I met Ashton. I was searching for a personal trainer to help keep me fit for the demanding roles I was taking on, and there he was."

Ashton: (cutting in with a proud grin) "Let me just add, I wasn’t just some random trainer. I’m a professor at Night Raven College—teaching PE, flight classes, and the whole athletic curriculum—but I also work part-time as a personal trainer. When I first saw Neige walk into the gym, I thought, 'Great, another celebrity trying to survive my training regimen.' But he surprised me."

Neige: (laughing softly) "Oh, you were so intimidating at first, but I liked that about you. You pushed me harder than I’d ever been pushed before, and as we spent more time together, I realized how kind and caring you were beneath all that muscle." (glancing affectionately at Ashton)

Ashton: (blushing slightly, rubbing the back of his neck) "Yeah, well… you showed me a side of life I didn’t know I needed. Neige isn’t the kind of person to date someone casually, and let me tell you—he made it pretty clear early on that we were in this for the long haul. And I wouldn’t have it any other way."

Neige: (nodding earnestly) "That’s right. We’re definitely getting married someday. I mean, how could I not, with someone like Ashton? He’s my everything. I even like borrowing his clothes—his jackets are so comfy—and I love surprising him with little things, like the sweaters I knit or the pies I bake for him."

Ashton: (smirking) "And don’t forget that floral perfume you bought me. Neige loves the scent. Me? I think it’s a little… unmanly. But I wear it anyway because it makes him happy."

Neige: (giggling, his cheeks turning pink) "Oh, Ashton, you make make me happy no matter what you wear. You should see the photos of us online—there are so many where we’re just smiling at each other. My fans… they’ve basically united to become our 'shippers.' They even gave us a mini fanbase!"

Ashton: (grinning proudly) "Yeah, they’re our number-one shippers, all right. Neige made sure to give me a cute alias before we revealed my identity to the public. He’s full of surprises. And those pet names he gives me?" (his voice softens) "Dove, angel, darling, ma chérie… Even if they’re unmanly, I can’t help but like 'em. One time, he called me 'absolutely darling,' and, well… it changed me forever."

Neige: (beaming, leaning closer to Ashton) "It’s true! When we decided to go public, Ashton became so popular—he started getting invited to interviews and even got modeling opportunities. I didn’t think he’d enjoy it as much as he did, but it was lovely to see him shine."

Ashton: (chuckling) "Why would I deny Neige the chance to model with his beloved? The camera loves us—though I also act as his bodyguard during interviews and photoshoots. Can’t let anything happen to my angel, after all."

Neige: (giggling softly) "My old friends the Seven Swords adore Ashton! They instantly made him part of our family—um, friend group. And Ashton… he’s such a big cuddler. My little cuddle bunny." (giggling softly) "He’s also so affectionate in public. He’ll just hold my hand or stand close to me, and it makes me feel so loved."

Ashton: (leaning back thoughtfully) "For me, it was definitely a case of opposites attracting. Neige has this warmth and gentleness that softens my more... rough edges. But I’ll admit, the age gap was something I struggled with at first. Thirteen years isn’t nothing, and I was afraid to take the risk. Honestly, I thought Neige might break my heart. What if we couldn’t make it work?"

Neige: (reaching over to place a comforting hand on Ashton’s arm, his voice gentle and reassuring) "Oh, Ashton, your feelings are valid. It’s normal to feel uncertain, especially in a May-December relationship. But I hope you know that age doesn’t change how much I love you—or how much we mean to each other. You’re my heart, and I’d never hurt you."

Ashton: (smiling softly, taking Neige’s hand) "Thanks, dove. That means a lot." (his expression shifts to a confident grin) "And don’t let his appearance fool you—despite how delicate he might look, Neige is surprisingly strong and fit. I mean, look at him: well-proportioned, toned—those thin arms and legs, those slim shoulders, and that narrow waist… impressive, right?"

Neige: (blushing slightly, chuckling nervously) "Ashton!"

Ashton: (laughing) "What? It’s true! And I make sure he takes care of himself, too—stretching and taking breaks from sitting at his desk when he’s working. We even do couples yoga together. There’s something satisfying about lifting him and popping his back—it’s practically therapeutic."

Neige: (laughing nervously) "You’re not wrong about that. And Ashton’s always so helpful when we go grocery shopping, especially when we need to buy a lot of supplies. He’s great at carrying everything."

Ashton: (nodding firmly) "Of course. It’s important to keep the fridge stocked with protein—especially eggs. A solid diet makes all the difference." (he says with a wink)

Neige: (pausing, then with a shy smile) "But speaking of things Ashton helps with… I spend a lot of time writing and drawing my own little romance story, and Ashton reads it. It’s kind of a hobby."

Ashton: (cutting in, smirking) "You mean your amazing BL manga called ‘Someday My Prince Will Come?’ Don’t get all modest on me!"

Neige: (flustered, his cheeks turning pink) "Ashton! I wrote that for myself—it was supposed to stay a secret. And it’s not very good compared to other manga…"

Ashton: (grinning proudly) "Not good? Are you kidding me? I already asked Sam if he’d sell your work at the student store. It’s doing great!"

Neige: (blinking in surprise) "It is? I had no idea."

Ashton: (nodding) "Oh, yeah. Even Crowley’s taken an interest in your work. Can’t deny talent when it’s right in front of you." (he chuckles)

Neige: (beaming, his tone growing serious) "Ashton’s supportive like that, but he and my agent… well, they butt heads a lot."

Ashton: (shrugging, his tone shifting to a somber one) "What can I say? I don’t see eye-to-eye with them on how to handle Neige’s career. But speaking of not seeing eye-to-eye, we broke up once—or I thought we broke up. It was the darkest time of my life."

Neige: (interrupting, his voice filled with warmth) "Aww, honey bunny, we’ve been over this. I didn’t break up with you—I was on a trip, and I couldn’t take you with me."

Ashton: (blushing slightly, looking sheepish) "Yeah, well, when you left, I thought it was over. I didn’t go to work, I couldn’t work out… my muscles felt heavy, and I couldn’t even get out of bed."

Neige: (smiling gently) "And when I came home, I found empty ice cream tubs on the floor and Ashton sobbing on the couch, singing along to ‘Look Away’ by Chicago. I felt so awful for him."

Ashton: (clearing his throat quickly, his tone shifting) "Okay, okay—enough about that." (he smiles) "Let’s talk about how we hike and jog together. And how Neige makes me coffee with little hearts, birds, and even squirrel shapes in the foam."

Neige: (resting his head on Ashton’s shoulder) "It’s my way of saying I love you every morning." (snuggling close, his voice soft yet playful) "Life with Ashton is an adventure—and every day feels like a new chapter in our story. Thank you for letting us share a bit of it with you."

Ashton: (grinning proudly as he wraps an arm around Neige pressing a soft kiss to his forehead) "And trust me, our best chapters are still to come."

[mariacallous]

When Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) told the New York Times, “Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face. I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that,” one of his top aides quit, and his alumni asked him to apologize. A political science professor at Tufts threatened to embargo his students from interning in Moulton’s office.

To end where we started, this is all, in one sense, way off base. Moulton’s notion that trans kids playing sports is one of the “challenges many Americans face” is ludicrous. Kamala Harris didn’t campaign on trans issues at all, Republicans did. And Republicans will always be able to find some quote or bill cosponsorship or association or even just some wacky activist to portray Dems as scary, alien, and perverse.

But in another sense it underscores how political and ideological differences on the left can make the whole Democratic, pro-democracy project uninviting.

It isn’t wise to paint Moulton as a heretic for this, even if his defensive crouch is unbecoming. By contrast, it’d be perfectly fair to ask him to make clear that, whatever he thinks about this issue or any other, he wants no part of the far right and its gratuitous cruelty.

I’ve spent most of this newsletter teasing out one way progressive thinking is at odds with big-tent politics; the flipside is that Democrats really do need to be governed by some fundamental principles.

Building a bigger coalition that can reliably defeat the reactionary right can’t mean playing dumb about who’s most at risk. In different iterations, fascists have assailed different minorities; today’s American formation appears most fixated on brown-skinned immigrants and trans people, with a high tolerance for rogue acts of violence against Jews, Muslims, and others. I don’t believe this is because the MAGA movement harbors a precise hierarchy of hatred. It’s that pretexts for cruelty to illegal immigrants and trans people are easier to justify to a naive public. Some Trump supporters revel in the hatred; other can convince themselves they’re just on the side of fairness: The immigrants broke the law; trans equality is a trojan horse for inviting men into women’s spaces.

It would be foolish to blind ourselves to this dynamic, and a moral failure to abandon entire communities to Republican degeneracy. But I do suspect that defeating fascism will require Democrats to remain at odds with the social-justice catechism, and for social-justice activists to recognize the political pitfalls of their beliefs. In the past year, we’ve seen Democrats drift away from their past insistence that immigration reform pair border-security with legal authorization for most immigrants, and part with activists on the precise dimensions of trans rights. I don’t expect them to race back to “woke” views on these matters, and I don’t necessarily think it would be good idea if they did. Certainly nobody should blow up the party over it. By the same token, it would be a disgrace if, confronted with systemic abuse of these or any other classes of Americans, they abandoned the vulnerable and tried to change the topic. Republicans aren’t going to limit themselves to deporting violent criminals; they aren’t sincerely fixed on sports fairness or the rights of prisoners—they’ll come after immigrants of all kinds, and trans health care wherever it’s offered. What will Democrats like Moulton and the activists who condemn him say when these things happen? Will they find it within themselves to speak with one voice? The answer should be yes. Capturing the center can go hand in hand with protecting people from cruelty and rallying the public against oppression. If it doesn’t, we are lost.

The End Of Litmus Tests?

[marigold-hills]

Dunes & Waters, part 4

PART 1 • PREVIOUS PART • NEXT PART

“Lovely, lovely things,” Black speaks to a box filled with jewellery: strands of gems on long strings, little dangling ear studs. Pulls out a silver ring. Slips it on his finger.

“Beautiful boy, beautiful ring,” says the man manning the stall. He looks elated, like he’s won a lottery, and it might have less to do with the sale and more with how passer-by’s look at Black. He brings eyes to the table.

It’s a whole production, going outside with Black. Remus is used to stares – the ever-growing collection of scars on his body gets its share of lingering looks - but the way people are looking at Black? If someone said he was a celebrity Remus would believe them.

Black buys the ring, adds a pair of earrings to his mounting purchases. They’re in the Muggle part of Aswan so he’s carrying them all in bags, without shrinking anything. Clothes and jewellery and little pots of makeup and lotions. Remus feels, viscerally, each frivolous acquisition. The ring itself costs what Remus usually spends on food in a week, and Black buys it without pause. Like it’s a normal thing, to spend that kind of money of a piece of metal.

The next vendor pushes Meshbek into Black’s hands. It’s drenched in syrup, coating his fingers. Remus declines when offered but takes the bags from Black so he can eat as they explore further. Immediately thinks you were meant not to indulge him, but it’s that politeness he’s had instilled in him since childhood and it’s one thing to want to say no when Black acts like he’s already said yes, and another to actually do it.

It’s an explosion of colour and smell, the Aswan market. The air itself is fragrant with cumin and fennel, tastes warm like a well-loved kitchen.

Remus looks at all the stacks of spices longingly, wishes he knew what to do with them – or that his cooking proficiency extended beyond beans on toast. Black chooses things seemingly at random but it’s clear he knows what he’s getting. Speaks to the vendor in fluent Arabic. It changes the way his voice sounds, faster than his posh British drawl. Laughs at something that’s said to him, sudden and loud like a barking dog. Moves from stall to stall licking the syrup off his fingers and stopping to look at every small thing.

Remus is busy looking at a display of fruit and doesn’t notice a child running his way. They almost collide but Black grabs his hand to pull him away.

The burn is immediate and terrible. Remus yelps, pulls his hand away as if from a fire. There’s only one thing that can cause that and Remus stuffs his hand in his pocket, hoping Black hadn’t noticed the blisters he can already feel forming.

For a moment, Black looks confused, but his face hardens quickly. “I’m not contagious, Professor.” He says contagious low and slow, and the implication is clear: you can’t catch what I have even if you tried. “No need to get yourself in a pretzel.”

Remus wants to argue. It’s laughable, what Black is alluding to, the very thought that Remus could have an issue with a man holding his hand. But arguing means he’d have to give an explanation and he’s definitely not about to do that. The pain in his hand is making his thoughts hazy and he really doesn’t want to deal with the volatile storm brewing around Black, an almost palpable aura of anger. Propensity for accidental magic, he remembers.

NEXT PART

@tealeavesandtrash

@moon-girl88

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(let me know if you do/don’t want to be tagged!)

[misfitwashere]

Followers, This will be my last reblog of Professor Reich's newsletters as he now has his own Tumblr. Please follow him.

***

ROBERT REICH

MAR 28

READ IN APP

Friends,

I’m not going to sugarcoat this. We’re in the worst national emergency of our lives. 

It is not coming directly from threats we should be coping with — climate change destroying our planet, another pandemic threatening millions of lives, artificial intelligence taking over our jobs and brains, nuclear proliferation threatening the future of life on earth. 

No. This national emergency is coming from a madman determined to turn America into a dictatorship and from his crazed assistants, including the richest person in the world. 

What can I say that’s even remotely encouraging at this point? 

Six things. 

1. Voters are furious.

On Tuesday, Democrats flipped a Trump-voting seat in the Pennsylvania state Senate. James Malone defeated a well-funded and well-known Republican, Josh Parsons, in Lancaster County. Malone openly campaigned against Trump and Musk and made sure his opponent was tied to them. 

This was a red Republican area that went +15 for Trump in 2024. The last time a Democrat won this seat was in 1889.

Other state and federal districts are showing the same trajectory — away from Trump and Musk. 

2. Bernie and AOC are drawing record crowds. 

Some 34,000 people turned out at Civic Center Park in Denver to hear Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a “Fighting Oligarchy Tour.” As Bernie said: “We will not allow America to become an oligarchy. This nation was built by working people, and we are not going to let a handful of billionaires run the government.”

It was the biggest rally of Bernie’s entire career, including his presidential races. Hours later, the two spoke before a crowd of about 11,000 at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.

Elon Musk was so spooked he started peddling conspiracy theories about inflated crowd sizes and “paid” protesters.

According to YouGov, Sanders is the most popular politician in the country, with a +7 favorability. (Trump is -5, Vance is -8, Musk is -12, GOP is -15. Schumer is -33, and the Democratic Party as a whole is -35.)

3. April 5 protests are planned everywhere. 

On April 5, 2025, Americans are hitting the streets. The “Hands Off!” movement — in response to Trump’s and Musk’s devastation — is the product of a large coalition. You can find the action nearest you by typing in “April 5 demonstration near me” on your browser. General information from one of the sponsoring organizations can be found here.

4. Trump is fumbling on all fronts.

— “Signalgate” — the group chat scandal — isn’t just an embarrassment for Trump and his regime. It also demonstrates that they cannot govern. They can’t even manage the most elementary of steps, like making sure they’re meeting secretly and securely. 

At best, both Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz — not to mention the White House comms operation — are damaged goods. There is no administration in the world, beyond this one, where a blunder of these proportions happens and nobody gets fired or resigns. 

Leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee — Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and ranking member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) — have sent a letter to the Pentagon’s acting inspector general requesting a formal investigation over “the use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive and classified information, as well as the sharing of such information with those who do not have proper clearance and need to know.”

— The economy is in deep trouble. Consumer confidence continues to plummet amid growing worries about inflation and recession. Trump’s tariffs — both those already implemented and those proposed — are already raising prices across the board. 

— The Trump-Musk DOGE is threatening popular programs. DOGE cuts caused the Social Security website to crash four times in 10 days, leaving millions of recipients unable to log in. Office managers are answering phones instead of receptionists because so many Social Security employees have been laid off. Phone services have been eliminated. Field offices are being cut. 

Meanwhile, Trump-Musk DOGE cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency are already causing thousands of Americans who have lost their homes in floods and fires to do without any aid. 

5. Trump’s polls are plummeting. 

As a result of all of the above, Americans are turning on Trump. Although I’m not a huge believer in individual polls, I pay attention when every major poll shows the same thing: 

YouGov poll taken 3/22 to 3/25, Trump’s disapproval (49 percent) exceeds approval (48 percent).

Reuters/Ipsos taken 3/21 to 3/23 is even worse. His disapproval is 51 percent and approval only 45 percent. 

Morning Consult poll taken 3/21 to 3/23 shows his disapproval at 50 percent and approval at 47 percent. 

American Research Group poll taken 3/17 to 3/20 shows his disapproval at 51 percent and approval at 45 percent.

An NBC News poll taken 3/7 to 3/11 shows that a majority of Americans (52 percent) are disappointed with Trump’s appointees — a higher percentage than at the start of Trump’s first term, or at the start of Obama’s, George W. Bush’s, or Clinton’s. 

6. The courts continue to hold Trump and Musk in check, but for how long?

Federal judges are requiring that Trump reinstate 25,000 federal workers he fired; blocking the Trump regime from banning transgender people from the military; stopping ICE and the Department of Homeland Security from detaining several international graduate students for participating in demonstrations or adding their names to dissenting publications; and stopping ICE from deporting people without due process of law. 

All told, over 60 federal courts have halted or pushed back against the Trump-Musk onslaught. Only three have found Trump and/or Musk to be following the law. 

The massive pushback from the federal courts has led Trump to threaten federal judges. It has also led Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to suggest potentially defunding, restructuring, or eliminating the federal courts altogether. “We do have the authority over the federal courts, as you know. We can eliminate an entire district court,” Johnson said.

***

These six morsels of hope are small relative to the damage Trump and Musk are doing, but I wanted to let you know that all is not lost; there is push-back against them. 

The damage is likely to accelerate in weeks to come. 

Trump is gearing up his attacks on lawyers and law firms that during Trump’s first term challenged him or offered pro bono services to nonprofits that challenged him.

His Justice Department is just beginning to target his enemies.

His mass raids on alleged undocumented workers and deportations are just getting started. 

His (and RFK Junior��s) campaign against vaccinations is already costing lives, including those of children who were not vaccinated against measles. 

America has never been subject to this degree of cruelty, incompetence, and disregard for democratic norms. 

My hope is that this horrific experience will lead to a new era of fundamental reform — of our economy, our democracy, and our commitment to social justice and the rule of law. 

I hope this is not too much to hope for.

[runin-reads]

James and Sirius as parents: a list of happy head canons

AU where there’s no Wizarding war.

They have an entire litter of kids because they can’t keep their hands off each other. They cap it at around 5-6 (biological) kids because even they need a break lol.

It becomes sort of a gag when James announces yet another kid to their inner circle. For the first few announcements, everyone goes through the typical motions of saying congratulations and fussing over the new baby. But over time another kid would just a regular Tuesday

James: we got a new kid. Remus: again?

The kids inherent the Potter surname only. Sirius wants to distance his family from the Black name as much as possible, and adopts the Potter surname once he’s married to James

James is the more outwardly affectionate dad. He’s always showering his kids with hugs and kisses, always asking them about their days etc. He never misses a chance to spoil them or say “I love you”. This reflects his own upbringing as an only child who grew up with wealthy, doting parents. He knows no limits when it comes to his babies.

At first, Sirius is the more distant parent. On occasion he might unconsciously slip into the old habits his family instilled on him: impeccable manners, high expectations etc. but he’d be very aware of how his tumultuous upbringing differs from James’. Sirius would quickly realise his past is affecting how he acts as a parent and would try to emulate what James does instead.

I think Sirius would be the most hesitant to have kids because he’s not confident in his ability to be a good parent, but he does give in because James’ insistence and faith in him

Overall, their kids grow up spoiled rotten and immensely loved. I imagine most if not all of them have a rebellious streak and become an endless source of trouble throughout their years at Hogwarts. Older professors would see the name Potter on the register and instantly sigh

Since their parents were so popular at school I feel like the Potter kids would quickly gain a reputation amongst the staff. Any time they wreak havoc, their professors sigh and say, both with fondness and burning contempt, “you lot are just like your fathers.”

James’ parents play a major role in raising the kids. They’re even more doting that prongsfoot and are always happy to visit them or to welcome their grandkids into their own home

They spend holidays at James childhood home

If one of them did become a stay at home dad, it would be James. He’d adjust quite easily to it because he knows what a healthy, loving family is like and is confident he can provide that for his husband and kids. Make no mistake, though, he’s hardly alone even when Sirius is busy. I head canon him as very sociable and extroverted. He becomes friends with their neighbours, the parents of the his kids’ friends. He’s the guy that gets stopped everywhere because he’s just so likeable once he’s an adult and he’s gotten more mature. Plus his parents are always ready to stop by if he needs help. He takes the whole “it takes a village to raise a child” notion very seriously.

I think being a dad would force Sirius to do a lot of reflection on his own childhood. He’d realise there are a few merits to the way he was raised as an aristocratic pure blood and this is all thanks to the Potter family. At first he wouldn’t want his kids to have the typical childhood of personal tutors, etiquette lessons, learning multiple languages etc. James disagrees with him though because as a child he did all these things in a fun, enjoyable way. Safe to say the Potter kids do experience a traditional rich kid upbringing, just not in the way Sirius did.

Prongsfoot are like Morticia and Gomez Adam’s in the sense that they’re undeniably and endlessly in love with each other. Of course they argue like any couple does but it’s rare. It’s so funny to them when their kids get old enough to cringe when they’re affectionate with each other. James will even become more touchy with Sirius just to see their faces twist in exasperation.

Sirius is called “dad”. James is called “appa” (short for “appachan”) to reflect his Christian Indian heritage

I think their kids would be brought up somewhat Christian i.e. they have godparents, they go to church if they’re staying with their grand parents and during important holidays, but prongsfoot bother properly instilling religious beliefs onto them

All their kids have first or middle names based on constellations because James thinks the Black naming tradition is too cute to pass up

Harry’s the eldest and resembles James the most out of his siblings. I’m a sucker for green eyed Harry so let’s just say no one knows where that specific feature comes from

When the kids are still small, Sirius has a habit of turning into Padfoot so he can scruff his children like puppies

James loves turning into prongs so their kids can ride on his back

Their kids are banned from becoming animagi until they’re adults. Prongsfoot know that they were way too reckless as teens and would make sure they’re kids don’t make too many of the same risky choices

They’re generally chill as parents but they do draw a firm line between having fun and being down right reckless. Their kids wouldn’t have many restrictions at all so long as they’re not putting themselves or others in direct danger

It’s super hard for the kids to do things behind their parents backs because prongsfoot are already aware of all their possible tips and tricks. Safe to say their rebellious streak in Hogwarts pays off

James has a baby sling that he brings with him everywhere whilst they still use it

That’s it for now but feel free to send me asks if you have a specific scenario in mind and want to hear my thoughts!

[bugeyedfreaks]

Hi! Uhm...I wonder....About the lovely interests of Mojo Jojo and HIM. I mean...I know Mojo was in love with Mono Joko and it seems HIM loves Professor Utonium...but is that true? And they personally take this point clear to us, please?

I’ll answer your question about Him in particular but I’ll also use your ask as an opportunity for me to do a bit of a deep dive into Mojo and Him’s love lives, because……. why not? 😆

So we’ve definitely seen Mojo in love before/knows how he acts when he loves someone. He’s a romantic goofball and absolutely dotes on whoever he likes (which is freakin’ ADORABLE). And he absolutely only had eyes for Moko. You could make some sort of argument that it was for the bit and it was to parallel how the Beatles broke up IRL, but there’s also a whole comic written before that episode where we see Mojo sending in tapes to a dating agency ~for the ladies~. He then gets so desperate because the ladies are afraid of him that he ends up Frankensteining his own bride. So… take all that as you will when it comes to Mojo’s romantic preferences. 😆

Meanwhile, yes, Him definitely has shown, um, interest towards the Professor, which I think is hilarious and great. I think the biggest example of that is the big ol’ wet lick he drags across poor Professor’s cheek in Tough Love. However, did he do it just to antagonize the girls? Is it because he really does think the Prof is a hottie (like any sane person should)? We just don’t know. I feel like with Him being Him, you can see him going aaaaany which way romantically, but how he acts towards the Professor is, like, the only indication in the series of where his romantic interests may lie.

I know I mentioned my dislike of Mojo/Him earlier today, and I feel like I can’t not touch on it while on this subject, so I guess I’ll tack this on because I don’t think I ever explained why I don’t like it. As far as the whole ship between these two… I mean, I get why people ship them. Because, you know, ~they hugged~ that one time. 🙄 They’re both also evil, and people want those evil couple goals. So I get it. But to me, it feels uninspired and just… too obvious, I guess? No real thought behind it aside from surface level stuff like with PPG/RRB. CMC likes to claim Mojo has high respect for Him, and… yeah, Mojo called him “sir” for, uh, ONE EPISODE. Otherwise they’re rivals, often seen sniping at one another, calling each other stupid, maybe occasionally band together to try to defeat the PPGs, and in my perspective? I wouldn’t respect or even love anyone who was lazy enough to just outright steal my evil creations and recolor them (i.e. with the RRB).

That said, I feel like I have to always have a disclaimer whenever I talk about stuff like this, because there’s almost always one person who flips out and screams at me about how, “I can ship what I want!” Yes. I know. You absolutely can. Personally, per my reasoning above, I just don’t vibe with it. But, as evidenced by many things, fandom is an unstoppable force, and I’m not out to stop anything anyway. I just do not dig the thing.

…so, yeah, sorry I went off on a bit of a tangent, but I hope this answered your question! 🤣

[benwvatt]

🍊🍍

thank you so much for the fanfic ask prompts!

🍊 Who’s a character you don’t write for that often, but keep meaning to write for more? (They’re so interesting! But maybe you have trouble pinning them down, or keep getting distracted by another blorbo…)

look, this might make me sound terrible, but as much as I treasure platonic love in my own life, I am terrible at writing it in fanfic. As a fic writer, I want to be validated, and that means writing for two (2) characters in a main romantic relationship in a relatively large fandom so I can get feedback and be understood as a writer. It's a terrible system, yes, and I still do it.

So, characters I want to write more about: Imogen Heaney, June and Nora from RWRB, all of the Murdoch Mysteries main crew, Ava and Deborah from Hacks, Tracy Stevens and Danielle Poole from For All Mankind, Parker and Sophie from Leverage... I have so many fic ideas and not enough time to write. And that's okay, I guess.

🍍 What kind of AUs do you like? Are there any AUs you hate or just generally have beef with?

Oh, thank you so much for asking me this!!! I love writing and reading almost all AUs - college, coffeeshop, fantasy, sci-fi, lawyer, professor, retail. I do have reservations about some AUs because they can be handled in ways that don't necessarily appeal to me (they aren't necessarily BAD, per se, but some AU aspects just aren't my thing.)

Like, I think high school AUs can be a bit melodramatic and hard to take seriously when I don't believe that this is how a teenager would act;

soulmate AUs can be a bit intense in terms of "I WOULD FIND YOU IN ANY UNIVERSE, I WOULD KNOW YOU, I COULD PICK YOU OUT OF A HAYSTACK" when the whole point of canon is often that someone wouldn't know you in any universe. The main character here was lucky to find their partner, but they're not magnets or drawn together by destiny;

social media / texting AUs can sometimes be written in ways that prioritize crazy disastrous moments and silliness over true character depth and growth (like, I love shenanigans, but your story can't JUST be yelling and chaos);

I also have such a moderate pet peeve for AUs that replicate the source material beat-for-beat, scene-for-scene, plot point for plot point.

The point of, like, a Cinderella AU is not to change the characters' names and appearances, substituting X for Cinderella and Y for Prince Charming, swapping one person in for another. The point of a Cinderella AU is to write a transformative story that elevates the characters, provides character growth, and uses the themes/tone/worldbuilding of Cinderella to tell a complex story.

anyways, hope I'm not being too negative! Thank youuuu. Have a lovely day.

[justatypicalwizard]

Wants Within | S. Shinazugawa | Chapter 24

✦ Sanemi Shinazugawa x femReader!, college au, reader is adult

✦ Synopsis: You're a college student taking classes with a very strict lecturer- professor Shinazugawa. Because of an unfortunate event you got on his bad side so now you're trying everything to regain in his eyes. Well, you most certainely didn't expect that kind of attention.

✦ Word count: 1,3k

18+, minors do not interact

You walked slightly past Sanemi, looking at him from time to time but he seemed deep in his thoughts. You wanted to ask if he needed help, if he wanted to vent out, tell you something, but you were not in the position to do it. You were the one that started the topic and destroyed the whole date. You are the one that lied to him. 

‘’I’ll tell you, but only once so you better fucking listen.’’ Suddenly he stopped and looked you in the eye, like a predator spotting his prey. 

You quickly nodded your head, now even knowing what he was about to say. 

‘’I never told it to anyone so you better…’’ He really didn’t know. 

In his eyes you looked so… small. Too small to scold and throw anger at. 

‘’But… should I…’’ You tried to tell him something but it was hard. ‘’Should I be the one to know your… secret?’’ You were still filled with guilt and shame. Right now you felt like the last person to be honoured with his honesty. 

‘’Yes, out of all… you should be the one.’’ The white haired lit up your heart a bit once more. You did not anticipate something like that. ‘’Because you’re the only one that had the guts to admit guilt to my very face.’’

Your eyes traced his features in awe. You never thought he read the situation like that. What human would even make a point like that? You just told him that you’re a dirty eavesdropper and he thanks you for your honesty? What is this? A Monty Python sketch? 

‘’I can’t believe it.’’ You speaked up. ‘’You’re just… one in a kind. How can you thank and trust me after what I just admitted to.’’ 

‘’I’ve already told you, now listen if you can… because I’m fucking sad.’’ He started walking again, at a slightly faster pace. 

Now, the enchanted forest around you turned into a more eerie one.

‘’I met Kanae and Shinobu at the uni, when we were younger. There was a bigger group of friends that some of you may know. We were all on the same track, trying to be future professors at the university that you go to. You do recall Rengoku and Tengen I believe.’’ You nodded your head, their faces appearing in your imagination. ‘’Yeah, they were also in the picture. I guess I kinda flirted with her, ah screw it, I did very much flirt with her and she liked the attention. Shinobu didn’t, she always had THE balls to tell what was on her mind. She didn’t like me from the start. ‘He looks like a punk, he’ll likely be out of the uni in no time, look at Rengoku, he’s so well-mannered.’ That’s what she babbled all the time about. At one point I even argued with Rengoku until he told me that he’s not interested in Kanae. Heh, funny, at that time he also told me that in his opinion, Kanae is not the best for me. Of course I didn’t listen. She was, and still is, beautiful. And that’s kinda all she has, sorry to say that. At least that’s what I think. She has no moral spine and interests of her own. The worst part is that the two of them act like they’re one organism. They also have an adopted smaller sister that’s mannered just like them. Kanao, that’s her name.’’ 

What? Was it that Kanao, the one that shittalked you?

‘’We went to parties together, drinked together, talked at the uni. One thing led to another and I asked her if she wants to be my girlfriend. We started dating and at first it was okay, I just kinda ignored Shinobu. I thought Kanae was the one in charge of their sisterly relationship. Now, I don’t know for sure. It’s not like Shinobu orders Kanae to do things but she has that little, shitty strategy of whispering things to her ear. At first I thought it was just Shinobu being Shinobu, I thought that Kanae disagreed with her, but she didn’t. She very much agreed.’’ A long breath escaped his lips. ‘’They both had a similar opinion about me and Kanae thought she could shape me just like she wanted to, and like Shinobu wanted to. That I would change for her, for them. And guess what? I didn’t want it. I have a lot of flaws, plenty, but I like myself. Before I realised that I already proposed. I bent down to the pressure of their constant talk. ‘He should propose already. You could do so much better. If he doesn’t propose it means he’s cheating.’ Ah, I don’t even want to remember all of that.’’ 

His pace slowed down, mimicking the sinking of his voice and weight in his heart. All of these hurtful memories flashed over him once again like a stormy sea. 

‘’The story isn’t extreme. We just didn’t agree and I ignored all the red flags. I ended things once I was fed up. I thought we would just part and that’s all but once again I was wrong. They can’t get over it, bombarding me time and time again. The relationship got more heated after the breakup. The rest I think you’re aware of because you heard Shinobu talking back then, you know what they accuse me of.’’ 

‘’And is it true? Any one of their accusations?’’ You didn’t know where the sudden courage came from but it did and you asked this question. 

One part of you believed Sanemi, yet, there was a small digit that couldn’t let go of women's solidarity. 

‘’I promise I’m hundred percent true right now.’’ The white haired stopped in his tracks, you faced him. ‘’At that time I did love Kanae, in some way. I never did anything to purposely hurt her. And I never will, I’m better than that.’’ 

Although it was painful to hear him talk about his love for another woman, you understanded him. Feelings change and it may be a good sign that he doesn’t deny his past emotions in the light of the present situation. He’s honest with you and with himself. 

You nodded your head, looking to the ground and started to stroll once more. After a while of silence that helped the both of you process everything that just happened you started once again in a quiet and unsure voice. 

‘’I’m sorry I ruined the date, you must have taken some time to prepare this.’’

‘’You didn’t ruin it.’’ His voice flared up hope in your slightly wounded heart. ‘’Dates are for people to get to know each other. That’s what we are doing. Getting to know each other. You should love not only my hot abs, sexy smile and mesmerising personality but also all of my cuts and scars, baby.’’

‘’Are you sure you’re twenty something, cuz sometimes you speak like a wise, old, old, old man.’’ How come he always made you laugh, even if it was a smile lined up with pain?

‘’Are you sure you’re twenty something because sometimes you act like a fucking brat.’’ He spat back. 

‘’First, don’t steal my lines. Second, aren’t you a brat tamer, hon?’’ You wiggled your stretched pointing finger in front of his face in a pretentious manner. 

‘’Hon?’’ 

You acted as if you didn’t hear it, turning your back to him and walking down the path, hips swaying from right to left in your victory lap. In an instant you felt the weight of his arm around your shoulders. 

‘’I need to say, you would also do good in taming.’’ You looked him in the pale, violet eye, his face inches from your. ‘’Taming me.’’ 

SERIES MASTERLIST

Taglist:

@secretxchive @vesperazhier

[all-the-things-2020]

Continuing the Way - Chapter Two

Summary: Mariana gets some good news at work and the boys eat cake.

Rating: PG-13

Mariana rushed into Professor Ti’lik’s office. “Sorry, I’m late,” she said as she stashed her bag under the table in the corner that served as her desk. “We had a small meltdown this morning when Cabur decided he doesn’t like his gray pants anymore, and of course, they’re the only ones that are clean right now.”

Ti’lik chuckled. Her own offspring were fully grown but she sympathized. Her species went through its own version of the Terrible Twos, known as “the Years of Anger,” in which young ones wrestled with the emergence of negative emotions by screaming and slamming doors and head butting the walls. Mariana was certainly glad human children didn’t go quite that far.

“Not to worry,” Ti’lik said. “We do have a meeting with the Galactic History Consortium this afternoon, but otherwise you have the whole day for research.”

It was the one day of the week that Mariana did not have any classes, and it was her favorite day. She could get lost in her research and get home early enough that she could take the boys to the park or to do some shopping, giving Din a bit of a break from childcare.

“What time is the meeting?” Mariana asked, pulling out her data pad to set herself an alarm. When she got involved in her work, she tended to lose track of time.

“1400 hours,” Ti’lik replied. “I’ll remind you after lunch … unless I have to remind you to eat lunch.” Mariana shook her head. The professor would not let her live down the day she’d worked straight through until 1700 hours and promptly fainted the moment she’d stood up to go home.

“I have a reminder,” Mariana said, entering the meeting into her daily calendar. “Lunch: 1200 hours. Meeting: 1400 hours. There.” She placed the data pad against the back of her table and pulled out the heavy-duty portable terminal she used to access the university servers. It had a larger screen and a keyboard for inputting data, making it easier to use than her smaller data pad. She logged into the university system and immediately lost herself in the minutiae of Rigellian military customs in the fourth century of the Linomatian Regime on the Outer Rim.

*********************** Ten minutes before she and Professor Ti’lik left for the meeting with the Galactic History Consortium, a comm pinged on Mariana’s data pad. Another reminder from the med clinic that she was overdue for her checkup. She’d already missed three appointments because she was just so busy, but she knew she needed to schedule a time to replace her contraceptive implant before it expired in a few months. She flagged the message so she would see it the next time she accessed her pad, and promptly forgot about it as she and Ti’lik hurried to the meeting.

The Consortium was a group of historians from several different universities across the Republic and being invited to meet with them, even just the local representatives, was quite an honor. Mariana was mostly there as Ti’lik’s research assistant, but she was still excited.

Ti’lik was less impressed. “These things tend to drag on,” she warned Mariana. “Some of the older professors like to hear themselves talk. Just smile and nod and act like you’re taking notes. If there’s anything of real importance, I’ll let you know so you can pay proper attention.” 

The meeting did drag, as Professor Dawwinta from the University of Coruscant, the visiting speaker, gave a very involved and rambling report on his research into the history of the ancestral tribes of the southern continent of Naboo. Near the end of the two hours allotted to the meeting, Professor Ti’lik tapped Mariana’s foot, alerting her to the real business at hand.

Professor Kevit Dane, who was most likely to take over as department chair when Ti’lik retired, was the local member of the Consortium. He stood to deliver his own report. “The Consortium has asked our university to coordinate a bibliographic study of the literature of the matriarchal societies of the Old Republic,” he began. “I would like to propose that we form a task force to work on this project, and I’d further like to propose that Professor Ti’lik’s assistant Mariana Djarin take point on this endeavor.”  Mariana was taken aback. “We have a very good cohort of students in the department who can do the bulk of the work, but I think Mariana would be a good fit as project coordinator.”

The others nodded and Dane gestured at Mariana. “Are you amenable to that, Mrs. Djarin?,” he asked.

“Of course,” Mariana stammered. “I’d be more than happy to help, if Professor Ti’lik can spare me.”

Ti’lik nodded. “I think that can be arranged. We’re ahead of schedule on the research, thanks to your diligent work.”

Mariana felt herself blush a little. “I’m just doing my job,” she said.

“And doing it well,” Dane said. “Which is why I’m offering this project to you and not one of our adjunct professors.” He chuckled. “Quite frankly, our current adjuncts are overworked and under qualified.” The others nodded; it seemed to be a common complaint amongst tenured staff no matter which university they worked for.

The meeting wound down after that and fifteen minutes later, Mariana and Ti’lik were heading back to the office.

“That was a surprise,” Mariana said.

“Not really,” Ti’lik salad. “You’re the logical choice for the job. Technically, it should have gone to an adjunct, but as Dane said, they’re overwhelmed and frankly, you’ll do a better job. You have to know, Dane and I have already discussed hiring you as an adjunct the moment the ink is dry on your degree.” She unlocked the office door and motioned for Mariana to enter first.

“That’s very kind,” Mariana said, “but let’s wait to see if I manage to get that degree first.” She started packing up her things. “Between work, and classes, and the kids, I’m hanging in there, but it’s rough.”

“You’ll do fine,” Ti’lik said. “Like I said, we’re ahead of schedule on my project, so you can concentrate on the bibliography for the Consortium. It’ll look great on your resume.” She winked. “Now, go home and play with your babies … you’ve earned it.”

************************************ “Mama got a new project today,” Mariana said once she’d gotten in the door and dropped her bag on the table. “So let’s go buy a treat for after dinner!” Cabur and Ad’ika started jumping up and down.

“A new project?” Din asked. “That sounds exciting.”

“It is,” she said, digging through her bag for her credit pouch. “I’ll tell you the details later.” She kissed him quickly on the cheek. “I’ll take the boys to the park and then we’ll stop at the bakery for something yummy. I’ll get some of those meat and veggie pies the boys like for dinner, so you won’t have to cook. Just relax.” Just like that, she and the kids were out the door and Din found himself alone in the apartment.

The quiet was soothing at first, but after about fifteen minutes, Din missed the background noise that always accompanied his sons as they played. Even when they were napping, he was always aware of their presence, his ears tuned to listen for the small sounds they made as they woke up. He had been tempted several times to tell Mariana to take these afternoons for herself, to go out and enjoy herself, but he knew she felt guilty about not helping with the boys, and she liked her mommy time with them every week.

Din lay down on the couch, closed his eyes and dozed off for a while. He woke with a start when the door opened, the boys spilling in and filling the apartment with their comforting noise. “Da!,” Adi’ka shouted. “Cakes!”

“My cakes,” Cabur yelled. “Mine, mine, mine!”

Din sat up. “So, did you get cakes?”

Mariana laughed, juggling three carrier bags in her hands. “Yes, Cabur talked me into getting a dozen of those cakes he loves,” she said. “And I got some of those fruit hand pies you like.” 

Din helped her take the bags into the kitchen and unpack them. The boys hopped excitedly around their feet, clamoring for cakes. “Dinner first,” Mariana reminded them. “Remember what we talked about?”

Ad’ika nodded, but Cabur whined. He was still having difficulty with the concept of patience. Din pulled out some plates and plopped a savory pie on each one. “Here, kiddos,” he said. “Eat your dinner and then we’ll dig into the cakes.” He helped Ad’ika into his chair, while Cabur climbed into his own and reached eagerly for his plate. Before Din could even think of getting forks out, both boys had their mouths full.

He handed Mariana a fork but she was already biting into her pie, holding it with both hands like the boys did. “No manners,” Din chided, tossing a napkin at her. She made a face around a mouthful of pie. Din made a show of eating his own pie properly, with a fork, but his family didn’t care. As soon as Cabur had swallowed the last bite of his pie, he started a chant, “Cake! Cake! Cake! Cake!”

Ad’ika joined in, and Mariana tried to shush them. “Wait until Daddy’s finished,” she said.

“Daddy slow!” Cabur complained. 

“Buir n’iviin'yc,” Ad’ika agreed. Father not fast.

“Oh, fine,” Din said, shoving the rest of his pie into his mouth, which made the boys laugh. As he struggled to chew and swallow the wad of food, he brought the box of cakes down from the shelf.

Cabur stood on his chair, half laying on the table in his eagerness to reach the sweets. “Calm down, ad,” Mariana said. “You’ll get your fair share.” Din placed two of the small cakes on each plate, raising an eyebrow at Cabur, who was ready to snatch his before they touched the plate.

“Okay, go ahead,” Din said once they had all been served. Cabur shoved one of the chocolatey cakes into his mouth, nearly choking himself. “Slow down there, son,” Din said. “Enjoy it, don’t inhale it.” Cabur wrinkled his nose and kept cramming the cake into his face. They were his favorite dessert and they only bought them on special occasions.

Ad’ika was slightly more sedate, but still gobbled his cakes quickly. Mariana ate one, then divided the second one in two, sneaking one half onto each boy’s plate. Din pretended not to see her, and the boys giggled, thinking they’d pulled one over on Daddy. Din made sure they watched him eat both of his cakes.

“Buir me'dinuir?” Ad’ika asked. Father share? Din shook his head.

“Nayc,” he replied. No.

Both boys narrowed their eyes at him, looking as fierce as they could. Din glowered back until he finally broke and pulled two more cakes out of the box and handed them to the boys.

“Elek!,” both boys shouted. Yes!

Mariana shook her head. “And you say I spoil them,” she said. Din just shrugged and popped another cake into his own mouth. Mariana peeked into the box. “There’s only one left! I bought a dozen … you boys are too greedy.” She snatched the last cake and delicately nibbled on it, making it last long after their own cakes were gone. “See, if you take your time, you get to enjoy your cake longer.”

“But you only got two and we each got three,” Din pointed out.

“And a half,” Mariana said, pointing at the boys, who both had chocolate smeared around their mouths.

“Three and a half,” Din admitted. “Well, come on greedy boys, let’s go wash our faces while Mommy clears away the dishes.”

Once the boys were cleaned up, the sugar kicked in and they filled the living room with their squeals and giggles as they attempted to play with every one of their toys at once. Finally, they crashed and nearly fell asleep in the bath. Mariana didn’t even need to tell them a story after they were tucked in; both boys drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

“So,” Din said, when he and Mariana adjourned to the couch, “tell me about this new project of yours.”

Mariana rattled on about the bibliography and how she was going to be in charge of a research team of her own, clearly excited about the prospect. “And Ti’lik said we’re ahead of schedule on her project, so I can take some time off from that to concentrate on getting the bibliography project up and running,” she concluded. “Best of all, she said that once I have my degree, they want to hire me as an adjunct!” She snuggled closer. “I think this project is a trial run just to make sure I’d be a good fit.”

“Of course you’ll be a good fit,” Din said, squeezing her tightly. “You’ve been doing an amazing job, from what Ti’lik has told me when I’ve spoken to her.”

“When are you talking to Professor Ti’lik?” Mariana asked, sitting up to look at him curiously.

“She calls now and then to check on how the boys and I are doing,” he explained. “And sometimes she wants to make sure I get you to relax or eat or whatever. She worries about you, cyar’ika.”

Mariana snorted. “I’m fine,” she said. “She fusses too much.”

Din shook his head. “You fainted that one time,” he scolded. “You work too hard, and for too long.”

“I’m making up for lost time,” Mariana said. “Once I get my degree finished, things will slow down.” She nuzzled against his neck. “And we can start thinking about giving the boys a little brother or sister.”

Din hummed a noncommittal reply as she kissed and nibbled at his throat. “I know you want another one,” she said. “So do I, and I’m not getting any younger.”

Din couldn’t argue with that, and he didn’t want to. “We’d better practice, then,” he said, before escorting her to the bedroom.

[slytherinsimp12]

⋆˚࿔ 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙞𝙣’𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝜗𝜚˚⋆

James Potter x fem!reader

You had a one stand with your long term rival, James potter, before Christmas break. Now back at Hogwarts, James becomes more annoying than usual ; cock blocking you from seeing any other guy besides him.

“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒊𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆”

Angst and a very jealous James Potter

(Happy ending)

Author’s note: Hey everyone! This is the clean version of the fanfic/ story. Here is the explicit version.🤭.

Happy reading <3!

The snow covered windows blocked any trace of sunlight from entering the dimly lit Potions class room. The smell of powdered sage and fresh wormwood wafted in the air , creating a perfect ambiance for potion brewing. Students were filled with more energy than usual ; having just returned from Christmas break.

You take a seat at the very front of the classroom, excited for professor Slughorn to start the lesson. All the excitement drains from your face when an all too familiar figure plops down on the seat next to you. His messy black hair covered his forehead, making his Hazel eyes appear brighter and larger.

“Psyched to be back, are we?” James Potter said, flashing you that famous grin of his.

You were dreading this moment since last night; having to see James again after what went down before break. How was he acting so normal?

“What do you want, James?” You asked, annoyed, refusing to make eye contact with him.

“It’s lovely to see you too, y/n. My holiday was great, thanks for asking. How was yours?” He said cheekily.

“Piss off , Potter.” You mumbled.

The conversation was cut short, thankfully, after Slughorn entered the classroom.

You didn’t understand why James was being so nice. He was never exactly unpleasant towards you, but you and James were rivals in all the things that mattered. Whether it was Quidditch or the Grades you got, you both always had to be better than the other in everything you did. This lead to the exchange of snarky remarks now and then , James teasing you whenever he had the chance. Sometimes, he would take it as far as publicly humiliating you in-front of the whole class by playing ‘practical jokes’ on you. That’s why you hated thinking about what happened before Christmas break.

It was way past curfew, and the library was empty , except for an exhausted James Potter , sitting at the table across yours. You made the awful mistake of joining him for a cup of coffee. One thing lead to another, and the next morning you found yourself tangled in the sheets of the arrogant gryffindor boy. However, you thought that was the end of it, neither of you would acknowledge what happened and go back to usual. But, James clearly had other plans.

A month had passed and you noticed the fact that James had gone back to normal. Back to being your annoying rival. Nothing else. You didn’t understand why it bothered you so much. This is what you wanted.

One morning, during breakfast, you received a box of sweets from honeydukes and a bouquet of enchanted flowers that turned into butterflies at your touch.

“Who are they from!” Lily said, jumping with excitement by your side.

“I don’t know… there’s no note.” You said as you blushed uncontrollably.

“Someone’s got herself a secret admirer! I personally think they’re from that Ravenclaw boy, Marcus, she’s been talking to.” Marlene shouted, too loudly for your liking.

At this comment, James’ head jolted up, his eyes meeting yours and his expression almost… hurt.

That evening after dinner, you made your way back to your dorm, when you were greeted by a distressed Marcus. His face was badly beaten, a large bleeding gash was across his forehead and he had an enormous black eye.

“Oh Merlin! Marcus what happened!!??” You yelled.

“Y/n… just to be clear, I did NOT send you any gifts this morning. I think it’s best if we stayed away from each other.” Marcus said, as he practically ran away from you.

“Wait! Marcus! Atleast tell me who did this to you!” You shouted after him, but he was already 10 feet away.

The day after, in charms, a kind boy from Hufflepuff was teaching you the right way to hold your wand while performing a certain spell.

“So you want to hold it at an angle of 45 degrees, whilst making a ‘S’ motion with your arm.” He explained, guiding your hands with his. You couldn’t help but smirk, because obviously he was flirting with you. From the side of your eye, you caught a very irritated… almost jealous looking James, staring daggers at the Hufflepuff boy.

About an hour later, you went to Madam Pomfery to get some ointment for your finger; you nicked it during potions, when you found that kind boy who had just helped you in charms, lying on a bed. His face was swollen ten times the normal size, and his body was shaking uncontrollably.

“Madam Pomfery! What happened to him?” You asked, worried.

“Nasty Hex. He claims one of the Gryffindor boys did it.” She explained.

Weeks went by, but you noticed something extremely unusual. Every single guy from your year was avoiding you. Even the ones you thought were your friends. Something wasn’t right.

“Lily! Wait up!” You called after the red headed girl as she walked to class.

“Hey y/n! How you holding up?” She asked, a pitiful expression plastered across her face.

“How am I holding up? What do you mean?” You sounded almost offended.

“Oh sorry… I thought you noticed by now-“

She countered.

“Noticed what? Noticed the fact that every single boy is avoiding me. Yea. I have bloody noticed that. Do you happen to know why the hell that is? “ I questioned.

“Oh… erm. I really shouldn’t get involved but, James has been beating up and threatening every guy who speaks to you.”

She told.

“You can’t be serious.” You hissed through your teeth.

“I’m sorry, love. I thought you already knew. I’ve got to get to class…. I’ll catch you later!” Lily said, as she walked away.

You were furious. Where ever James Potter was, he better watch out, because you were going to END him. You burst into an empty class room to make sense of everything, and thats when you saw him. James was sitting on a desk, with a few books spread open in front of him.

“INCENDIO” you pointed your wand at his books, setting them on fire.

“What in Merlins name are you doing!?” James shouted, as he jumped up and away from the flames.

“Who the bloody hell do you think you are, potter? You pathetic excuse of a man. Beating up guys who talk to me? It was a one night thing. Get over it. You are NOT my boyfriend.” You said, practically up in his face, with your wand poking at his chest.

“How oblivious are you? It may have been a casual thing for you, but it was not bloody casual for me!” He spat back.

“I sent you flowers y/n…. And you thought they were from someone else… I ache every second that I am not with you. I burn for you y/n…”He whispered, lowering your wand and getting closer.

Whatever gap there was between your faces was closed by James smashing his lips into yours. You gave in. You finally just gave in, and kissed him back.

Why did you have to resist for so long? This is what you wanted. This was secretly what you wanted all along. Now you were regretting everything you just said to him.

Pulling away from the kiss, a soft “I’m so sorry…” escaped your lips.

“I know, love.” James said, as he tucked your hair behind your ear.

“Next time Potter, be better at expressing your feelings.” You joked.

Wrapped in the arms of the boy you tried so hard to hate all these years, you couldn’t love him more.

(All rights reserved, ©)

[midorishinji]

Disappearance act - chapter III

Geto observed her more carefully, trying to decide whether she was being serious or not. — Killing non-sorcerers? — It's an option, but I don't take it seriously. Do you? — Yuki pressed him with a loaded question. Suguru Geto thought of them all — Shoko, Nanami, Haibara, Riko, Kuroi, his parents, Satoru — and his chest filled with an unbearable pain, but also an incredibly monumental love, so much that it felt like it would stretch and burst at the seams of his heart that could not contain it. He thought of his father again, reading him "Night on the Galactic Railroad" when he was young, and he thought of Satoru reading his own copy now during his leisure nights. He thought of Giovanni and Campanella, and of the Scorpio of the night sky, and of the nobility of sacrifice, of setting yourself on fire to warm the world.

Satosugu ｜Finalized｜Long fic｜Also being published in Portuguese and on AO3

Chapters: I - II - III - IV - V - VI - VII - VIII - IX - X - XI - XII - XIII - XIV - XV - XVI - XVII

Chapter III: it's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness

A day of work left until the break. Professor Yaga was surprised as to why two of his best students decided to take some time off at the same time, but he rather not question it: he knew they were both overloaded with missions, as everyone was, in fact; Shoko rarely went out into combat, her skill was too precious for her to risk it all in the field, and the younger students could not meet the ever-increasing demand for exorcisms on their own... Most of the burden still fell on the shoulders of Suguru and Satoru, even more so when it came to the most complex missions and the strongest spirits. He let them go, not only because he agreed they were tired, but because he knew there was something behind their sudden desire to rest.

Masamichi Yaga, from the beginning, suspected that the Time Vessel Association had not taken both Riko and Misato's bodies. Riko’s, well, it was possible: she was the target, and her corpse would prove that they had accomplished the mission; but Misato, what did they care about her? She was nothing more than a casualty, another life lost in a senseless war. That whole story was suspicious and weird, and he knew very well about Satoru Gojo's absurd propensity for getting into trouble and doing things his way. Despite this, he trusted Geto, who had always been the more correct of the two; he trusted that they had done the right thing.

The elders pressed him for answers, which he could not provide. And then the cult came forward saying that they had taken the bodies of the two victims. That didn't make sense, but it was enough to appease the elders' anger. Secretly, Yaga hoped that his two best students had not gone astray and were helping the Time Vessel Association. He hoped for this when he smelled burned paper on Geto's clothes one morning, after he burned the letter received by the cult. He dreamed of this when he saw Satoru return, happier, from a mission in Okinawa. He trusted that the respect and admiration with which the other students — Shoko, Nanami, Haibara — still treated them was because they would never be able to take two innocent lives.

The special vacation request was just the confirmation he needed. A small spy doll placed strategically on a shelf caught a phrase that didn't explain anything, although it was enough to fill him with relief: “they’re waiting for us, for Riko's birthday party”. Masamichi Yaga authorized their release.

At that moment, Shoko Ieiri and Suguru Geto were in the Jujutsu High library. Shoko had been studying for hours for her university entrance exams — she planned to continue studying, which would certainly improve her skills with the Reverse Cursed Technique — and her body was buried among dozens of books, papers, and coffee cups that were piling up higher and higher. Geto contributed to that Babylonian tower that was about to collapse by bringing her another cup of coffee, and placing it in front of her.

— You have no idea how difficult nephrology is... — Shoko muttered, annoyed — All those damn ions that need to enter and exit in the right place in the renal tubules, who cares? The Reverse Cursed Technique should handle this on its own, without needing me to know where to place each cell.

Geto still vaguely remembered his biology lessons, although nothing from nephrology, specifically. What he could offer now was coffee and a pleasant smile. — You’re studying a lot these days… You need to rest sometimes.

— Oh, don't worry, I will. I'm gonna pass the college entrance exam and from then on, I'm gonna cheat on every test, I just need a diploma. — Shoko replied, nonchalantly.

He suppressed a laugh, afraid to break the silence the environment demanded. — You're funny, Shoko. The worst part is that I know you're serious... Do you really need to know all this to heal people?

— If you want to do it the right way, you have to, or you'll end up putting all the organs on the wrong side, or when it comes to rebuilding someone's arm, you'll forget to put all the nerves in and leave a part unable to move or feel. — Shoko explained, between sips of her coffee — It's different from healing yourself. You know exactly where it hurts, and what's missing, as if the memory is in all of your cells, so it's not a conscious effort.

This made him thoughtful. — It must be great to be able to heal other people.

She shrugged. — Yeah, but it comes at a cost. When you swallow the spirits you’ve exorcised, you feel that too, don't you? The price.

The price to be paid was disgusting, harrowing, devouring each spirit was like eating a cloth used to clean someone else's vomit. The feeling never gets better, and it never goes away. Everything comes at a cost. — Yeah. — Suguru muttered.

— When I use the Reverse Cursed Technique, I am using the pain of the person who is injured to heal them. I need to take this pain, swallow it all as if it were mine. I need to feel it, or it doesn't work.

— Does it ever get better?

Shoko shook her head negatively. — No. You just get used to it. Before, healing a broken leg was difficult because I felt like it was my leg, my pain. Now I can do it because I feel the pain, but it's no longer the highest point on the scale for me, it doesn't matter anymore, there are worse things to feel, so I can ignore it. That's why healing a person when they're on the verge of death is so difficult... You need to bear what they're suffering and then some so you don't lose control.

— Every technique has its downside. — Geto agreed, kindly.

— I know. Satoru always has a headache because of his technique. It's as if his brain is trying to process information from a hundred realities at the same time, every second he has the technique activated. It's too much, even for him. Good thing he's learning how to use the Reverse Cursed Technique so he can do damage control when I'm not around, or he'd have, I don't know, a stroke before he's eighteen. — she said, finishing her coffee.

That's why he always eats sweets and energy drinks, to make his physical body cope with the information overload, that's what Geto thought. He had seen Satoru faint more times than he could count, but it had become rarer as time passed. Each of them bore their burden in silence.

Getting up from his chair, Geto smiled. — Tomorrow Satoru and I are going on vacation. Do you want something as a gift?

Shoko seemed to contemplate the possibilities for a second. — Um... Anything, as long as it's not sweet. Satoru does this on purpose, you know, he brings back a bunch of sweets saying they’re for me just because I don't eat them, and then he’ll eat them behind my back...

[warpaway]

the dog sounds, and linhardt’s fingers lazily shift through its fur to reach its ears, giving it a firm, rhythmic scratch behind them. they think dogs like that. they don’t really know, but what they do know about animals is that if they don’t like something, they will make it known in one way or another. they don’t particularly want to get bitten, especially not by a dog this large, but if they do the fact that it would be their fault is almost comforting to keep in mind.

for a moment, he’s content to just sit there, scratching the dog’s ears and listening to the gentle thump of its tail. this is a delightful moment. if his anxieties weren’t deterring sleep, he would consider it perfect. he hopes that this isn’t the only time he’ll be able to catch this dog in such a pleasant mood. he’s always wanted a pet to cuddle up to for a nap - this is like a dream come true!

“you don’t mind if i keep talking, do you?” they ask rhetorically, knowing they won’t get an answer. “it’s so much easier talking to things that won’t pass judgments afterwards. even talking to caspar can be troublesome at times…”

he sighs. any problem he would present caspar with would turn into a pep talk. caspar would draw upon his neverending energy to try and “hype” linhardt “up”, and sometimes that in itself was a problem. they didn’t mind the intention behind the act, but sometimes it felt like it just lead to him letting caspar down, too.

they continue shortly afterwards. “i’m worried i might actually have to do it. inherit the title, i mean. even if my parents had conceived a second child, i don’t know if i’d be able to just dump it on a younger sibling… i tried the whole paperwork thing once. i just can’t seem to force my focus on just anything. i kept thinking of crests the whole time.

“ugh. father keeps sending letters. he thinks some class is just magically going to change my whole outlook, but i don’t think there’s anything that can change me. i wish there was. i could be a better person.” linhardt lays his head back on the dog’s fur, his second hand joining its twin on the beast’s head and adding to the gentle massage he’s been giving the dog this whole time.

“but i don’t even know what the alternative would be. i can’t be a crest scholar. i just know the moment i solve one of these mysteries that interest is going to dry up the same as the others have. i wouldn’t be able to bear it if professor hanneman trusted me with his life’s work only for me to abandon it suddenly. that isn’t fair to him.”

they hum, frustrated, turning their face into the dog’s soft fur. it smells like the sun and the grass; like blissful naps with no guilt or apprehension. they wonder if that’s how the beast feels in that moment. they’re jealous.

“being a dog would be preferable, but i do like my apposeable thumbs. sorry.” he punctuates the apology with a small, bemused hum, smiling into the beast’s fur. it feels so much better getting that off his chest. maybe now he can actually take that nap.

two mimir