#maybe that just means (hey youre not supposed to feel bad about him dying this tiiiime)

[nihiltism]

ok so while my ds is getting sand poured into it at alarming rates I'm thinking about how jrpgs in specific have a really weird desync with How Important Death Is. like some address it better than others but it very frequently happens where if you take a step back youll go "am I wild or is everybody just like, Really down with murder in this game". and consequences for said murder, especially in a characterization sense but even just actual physical consequences, don't really happen? unless it's a vehicle for conflict but like. when it is a vehicle for conflict it feels weird because why are These Guys actually taking the fact we killed somebody in broad daylight seriously and coming after us for it while all the other npcs and even the main party took it like it was another saturday evening

see I Think where the issue lies is in the fact that everything is in its own little world when you're in a battle? like. when you fight an enemy and you get leather out of it it's seen as something the enemy Drops and not. their hide. when you defeat a character in a battle it does just feel like you Defeated them. unless there's dialogue afterwards that says otherwise you don't even mentally assume you killed em you just wounded them enough to make them flee or dissolve or whatever. and it's Weird to just. have that assumption there because for a lot of games it really isn't clear if you're killing them or defeating them !!

that last point is extra important when you have the specific brand of Skittish Hero / Noble Hero Who Doesn't Kill People / Rational Hero In Way Over Their Head or whatever where you really don't think they Would kill a guy just to get them out of the way. in that case it's REALLY weird because it's hardly brought up. even if it Is brought up that that guy Sure Did Die the mc doesn't tend to actually have a reaction ??? and I don't know why this is ???? like Any written reaction would be more interesting than nothing even if the guy doesn't have a full on crisis about taking another life having them go "oh shit, The Consequences" would be nice. really anything except (oh cool we can advance the plot now).

I will also mention that Some deaths do matter plot wise but very frequently what makes them matter is how much of it is linked to an in game battle I think. if your mc just finishes a fight and comes back to the overworld and the guy's Disappeared or Dissolved or whatever it means they don't matter. if the guy's still around after the fight it means it's more significant, especially if they're still alive but wounded or Really Shaken Up. because this clears up the indistinguishable line between if a battle is lethal or not and if a character decides to deal a finishing blow now it's Way more telling of their character. even though this is basically the same thing that happened in the (killed In A Battle) scenario. just with more dialogue. I will also mention that the person who deals the finishing blow is Rarely Ever that good hearted protagonist and often they'll even go :0 at somebody else committing a murder despite them instigating and helping murder quite a few people. just. In Battle. so it's less bad. I guess.

this is leaving out the fact that in party deaths are often a Major Major Blow because like. ok that's fair. that's A Guy You Knew that's understandable. anyway I don't really know where I'm going with this I just think it's interesting how in these types of games death can swap from not mattering at all to mattering a Lot and if u don't think about it too hard u don't even question it. I'll probably be putting some examples in the tags idk

[synthetickitsune]

Mingyu (SVT) | Bath bombs fluff | 0.7k | gn!reader

You believe in humor. 

He believes in cuteness.

So that’s how you ended up facing a dilemma that you’d never think you’d have - whose bath bomb will get used first?

His, naturally, is honestly too pretty to be allowed to just fizz out into nothing. A little beige fluffy looking puppy. Adorable, beautiful, perfect. You’d feel like a monster pulling it under water.

And yours is a toaster.

It’s funny, okay? And cute too, just in a different way. Maybe you should’ve just gone bath bomb shopping to the store together instead of shopping online where the options were limitless.

Mingyu chuckles when he sees you pout looking at the two options. He hugs you from behind, leaning his head against yours. You know he finds it funny - and honestly it is. Every second standing in front of the two options you commit into your memory because you’re happy and life is good, and you get to have little breakdowns because of something as silly as a bath bomb.

“Let’s use yours when we’re having a bad day, hm?” he suggests and you laugh out loud, finally releasing the tension in your body, and nod.

“So you mean right after we finish this bath, right? Because my day’s about to get significantly worse if we’re sacrificing this beauty,” you sigh as you run a finger over the puppy’s snout. It fits so perfectly into your palm - how are you supposed to kill it?!

“It’s his fate, baby,” Mingyu reminds you, a smile in his voice, because he loves how deeply you appreciate the little details of everything. He hugs you tighter.

“He doesn’t deserve it. He’s a masterpiece,” you insist. 

“No, you are,” he coos into your ear and chuckles when you roll your eyes and call him cringy. You sigh softly. If only you could stop time right now. With your boyfriend pressed against you, squeezing you like he can hold you together, come what may, little puppy in your palm, and the prospect of a long, hot bath in front of you.

“The water will get cold,” he nudges his nose into your cheek, “Let’s get in.”

You give Mingyu a stern look when you hand him the puppy to safely join him in the tub. He just watches with his dumb smile and lip between his teeth, his eyes basically heart shaped and never leaving your body. He does hold the bath bomb above the water though, so you let him get away with being cheesy despite the heat rising to your cheeks that has nothing to do with the hot water.

You stifle a moan when you let your shoulders dip below the surface and the warmth that envelops your tense muscles begins working its magic. All thoughts evacuate your mind. There’s just the feeling of your bones turning into jelly and your legs brushing against Mingyu’s. The only thing that could elevate this experience to perfection would be some nice, relaxing scent…

“Love? It’s time,” he says gently, chuckling at the frown tugging at your face upon your moment of peace being disrupted, “We need to let him go.”

You reluctantly straighten up and look at the puppy still resting in your boyfriend’s palm. Giving the bath bomb one last pat, you guide his hand down and watch as the puppy starts floating and slowly dissipating. It feels strangely like a funeral full of colors and bubbles, and the bathroom fills with a fresh scent. Are you a monster when you melt back into the warm bath again after sparing one last thought for the puppy?

“Better?” Mingyu asks, leaning back himself. You just give him a nod.

“I promise I’ll be less dramatic with the toaster one,” you hum. He gives you a sceptical look. “I’ll just throw it in. You’ll be dramatic and act like you’re getting electrocuted.”

“Hey!” he pouts, kicking you lightly under the water, “Why am I the one dying?”

“To make me laugh?” you flutter your eyelashes at him with the sweetest smile. He opens his mouth and closes it just as fast, the pout remains on his lips but his eyes soften. Victory.

You laugh and lean forward, easily catching his lips in a kiss. He sighs against your mouth, but as always he’s already thinking about the best way to execute the scene. Because he’s wrapped around your finger like that.

[hyunnie04]

puppy love

inspired by that one scene in skip and loafer where mitsumi pets shima's hair;; not my best but its cute jskfdh

kim seungmin x reader

genre: fluff, non-idol au

you have been staring at seungmin the entire day. not because of anything bad, it’s just that there's this one thing that has been bothering you lately. propping your fist against your chin, you let out a burdened sigh.

ever since he had dyed his hair this captivating caramel color at the start of senior year, which was only a few weeks ago, you can’t seem to get your eyes off him. 

the change was refreshing, like seeing him in a completely different light. it had suited him so well, the blondish gold complemented his features like it was supposed to be like that from the start.

whenever you would place your curious gaze on him, the gears in your mind start turning, unable to place your finger on what it reminded you of. it had definitely started to become sort of a routine for you.

you’re also pretty sure seungmin had figured out you have been burning holes at the back of his head during lectures or lunch. he would sometimes look back at you with a quirk of his lip and a questioning gaze, making you shift your focus to somewhere else, cheeks reddening like a child catching glimpses of their crush.

but now you are sure he looked like someone. but who? you’re trying to figure that out yourself.

you don’t know where this sudden fascination with his hair came from, was it because it made him look so handsome? or maybe the way it looked very cute whenever it flopped around when he moved? 

confused feelings for the caramel haired boy aside, you decide to let it go.

you were hanging out with the man himself and a bunch of other friends one afternoon and started scrolling through your phone. they wouldn’t mind, seeing as to how all of them were currently preoccupied with playing a board game.

“hey, you can’t just do that! you have to give me money!”

“i can do whatever i want!”

you subconsciously block the noise coming from your rowdy friends, very much used to the chaotic nature. your thumb landed on a really adorable picture of your sweet little puppy back at home, already missing him. a thought instantly strikes you.    

you look up from your phone. and then to seungmin. and then back to your phone. 

it’s the exact same?!

you’ve finally cracked it. he looked exactly like your family dog. comparing him to an actual dog sounded mean, but you meant this genuinely as a compliment, you absolutely adored your golden retriever puppy- haru, more than your own family. the longer you thought about it, it’s sweet demeanor and honey colored coat resembled kim seungmin right in front of you.

after thinking about this revelation, you kept it to yourself, out of context it could sound mean. the last thing you wanted was to offend someone when you meant it in an endearing way.

so upon walking home one day, hurried footsteps trailed behind yours, prompting you to turn to see who it was. it was seungmin himself, his hair flopping in the wind, resembling the cutest pair of puppy ears.

he finally stopped, panting heavily after chasing you for a good while now. he straightened up, opening his adorable mouth to say something to you.

you couldn’t help yourself, the thought of wanting to feel his soft looking hair.

“haru-” you cover your mouth as soon as the words left it, extremely mortified to have said it out loud.

“haru? who’s that?” seungmin teases your increasingly flustered state. “are you mistaking me for someone else?” it was too late, you have to explain now.

“no...its...my…family’s dog…” you blurted out, embarrassed of saying it in front of him. you had fully expected him to get mad but he doesn’t. instead, seungmin lets out a chuckle, his eyes crinkling in what seems to be delight.

“well, my hair is really soft.” he watches your face morph into confusion as he tucks his hands coyly into his pockets. he wasn’t mad?

 “do you want to touch? you've been staring at it all week.”

seungmin wasn’t known for being touchy with his friends or anyone for that matter so you can imagine the shock on your face when he leans down to your level, silently allowing you to do so.

placing a hesitant touch on his honey hued locks with one hand, you slowly bring your other to ruffle his head, really going at it and much like you would do to haru. a grin graces your features as his strands get messed up, absolutely elated that you now know what his hair feels like.

once you were done, he straightens up and pats his messy hair back in its place as best as he can. seungmin quietly wraps an arm around your shoulder, as if nothing happened.

“got it out of your system?” you nod gleefully.

“good, now i can ask you out for a date.”

[shizuturnspages]

The poor child reader khaenri'ah since she was unlucky to meet her new yandere caretakers, they have her locked in her new room and restricted of her abilities, it will be possible that the Member fatui or Knights Favonius, (bennett?) (Razor) (Columbine?) (arlecchino?) (pulcinella?) (¿childe and teucer?) (Signora?) (dottore? Sounds crazy, but you might be interested in his experiments) (mika?) , (sacarosa?) (diluc?) or (Klee? ) (There are quite a few options and scenario) meet reader by orders or chance escape and feel bad with her, play with her or manage to at least establish a relationship (such as teaching her something or reading her a story) ??? Being locked up would eventually drive her crazy xD. Basically the yandere who have been trying to get along with her for months or years? They observe how suddenly out of nowhere the reader stops causing chaos and obeys, years of effort just for nothing. Are they jealous? Bad influence? Or will they use it against you??

The Light That Found You, The Shadows That Cling

Synopsis: You had fought them for so long. Kicking, screaming, resisting—you never surrendered. Every locked door was a challenge. Every restriction was a test. They thought they had all the time in the world to break you down. But then, one day… you simply stopped. You didn’t try to escape. You didn’t fight back. You listened. You obeyed. At first, they were suspicious. Then they realized—it wasn’t because of them. It was because of someone else. And that? That was unacceptable. Pairings: [Separate] Yandere Dainsleif, Pierro, Kaeya, Albedo, Capitano x Khaenri'ahn Child

Diluc – The Unintended Saviour

He hadn’t meant to get involved.

He didn’t agree with how they treated you, but interfering? That would make him an enemy to powerful forces.

But when he saw how lifeless you had become, he couldn't ignore it.

He started small—slipping you books, warm meals, quiet moments of freedom in the dead of night.

He expected you to be wary… but you accepted his kindness so easily.

Too easily. As if you had been waiting for someone—anyone—to treat you like a person.

That realization made his blood boil.

Klee – The Little Spark That Lit Your Soul

Klee was never supposed to meet you.

But when she did? She saw a lonely child.

You weren’t mean like the adults said. You weren’t dangerous.

You were just sad.

"Let's play, okay?" she had said, pulling you into a game of knights and treasure hunts.

And for the first time in years—you played along.

You smiled.

And Klee never stopped visiting after that.

Bennett – The Unlucky Hero Who Became Your Light

He met you by accident. (Or maybe his bad luck led him to you on purpose.)

"Woah! You’re the kid everyone keeps locked up? That’s rough, buddy."

He expected you to snap at him. Instead, you just stared.

You weren’t scared of him. You weren’t angry.

You were just… tired.

And that? That wasn’t fair.

"Hey, I’ll tell you an adventure story! Ever heard about the time I fell into a pit of slimes?!"

You didn’t react at first…

But then you laughed.

And for Bennett? That was worth every bit of bad luck.

When the others saw how you changed—how you smiled for him but not for them?

They hated it.

Columbina – The Softest Lullaby in the Dark

She always found you fascinating.

But this? This was something new.

You let her brush your hair, sing you to sleep, and never once did you flinch away.

It was almost too easy.

"You trust me so quickly, little star." Her voice was honeyed, but her mind was calculating.

Who had made you like this?

And how could she use it to keep you forever?

Signora – The Moth Drawn to a Dying Flame

She had seen the worst the world had to offer.

She knew what cruelty looked like. She had lived it.

But you? You were just a child. A lost thing, full of broken pieces and sharp edges.

And yet, despite everything, you had fought.

Fought them, fought fate, fought against becoming another forgotten tragedy.

Until, one day… you didn’t.

At first, she thought it was a trick.

But then, she saw the way you lingered near Diluc, smiled at Klee, softened around Columbina.

And she realized—you had given up.

Not because of fear. Not because of submission.

But because you had found warmth somewhere else.

That was dangerous.

That was a weakness she would not allow.

"Don't be a fool, little ember," she says one evening, tilting your chin up with one gloved finger. "They won't always be there. But I will."

Her voice is gentle, but her grip is iron.

She won’t let you leave. Not now. Not ever.

The Ones Who Watched It Happen

They had tried for years to tame you.

To break you. To mold you into something manageable.

And yet, the moment you found kindness, you changed.

Not for them. For others.

That stung.

That infuriated them.

That made them desperate.

Dainsleif – The Guardian Consumed by Guilt

He had tried to be patient. To give you time.

But this? This wasn't supposed to happen.

You weren’t supposed to choose someone else.

You were supposed to trust him.

"Did I fail you?" he murmurs, watching you from the shadows.

He doesn’t know if he should feel regretful… or jealous.

Pierro – The Chessmaster Who Lost His Piece

He had calculated everything.

Your resistance. Your defiance. Your inevitable surrender.

But this? This was a variable he hadn’t considered.

"It appears I underestimated the influence of simple kindness."

His expression was unreadable.

But inside? He was furious.

Kaeya – The Smiling Mask That Finally Cracked

He had teased you, pushed you, manipulated you…

And you never broke.

But now? You willingly let someone else in?

"I thought we had something special, little star." His tone was light, but his hands were clenched.

He had to get you back.

Albedo – The Experiment That Yielded the Wrong Result

He had watched you, studied you.

Your patterns, your resistance, your growth.

But now? You were no longer the same.

And that was unacceptable.

"I must correct this anomaly," he murmurs to himself.

You were his greatest creation.

And he wouldn’t let you slip away.

Capitano – The Warrior Who Lost His Battle

He respected your defiance.

He had thought it would take years for you to submit.

And yet…

A few moments of kindness undid everything he had worked for.

That? That was a weakness he could not allow.

"You are still mine," he tells you, his voice heavy with finality.

And he meant it.

[multifariousqueer]

Okay..hear me out

Both of the miles dating a villain hcs? Kinda like Spiderman and black cat type of relationship?

Bet let’s do it.

Miles’ x Villian!reader

Warnings: angst, some fluff, mentions of death and cuts, maybe some toxicity idk, lmk if I missed one

Miles 1610:

At first, you would sneak around with it and make sure he didn’t know.

Miles never questioned how you got fancy stuff, he just thought you had money saved up and we’re working

I headcannon that y’all would have secret identities at the same time, like y’all would be hiding your identities from eachother.

Y’all both sneak in the same dorm out of breath from fighting each other

“Hey babes” “hey what’s up? Why are you so sweaty” “why are you sweaty?”

It turns into you both going back and forth before you make up a lie

“I was… working out!” “You never work out” “are you tryna say something, Miles?” “No! No I’m just saying I’ve never seen you work out before, that’s all” “okay.”

You both get away from each other and sigh a breath of relief

Miles is lowkey afraid he’s catching feelings for the villian(you) but he tries to suppress it

You’re catching feelings for Spider-Man but trying not to say anything

I think he reveals his identity first.

You’re in shock but he doesn’t know that you’re the villain and he thinks you’re just shocked about Spider-Man

“So… what do you think, Mami?” “Wow. I mean wow. I’m proud of you but that’s a lot of information”

He is scared you’re gonna break up with him when in reality, you’re scared he’s gonna turn you into the cops

You still love him and this doesn’t change anything, it’s just you have more information on Spider-Man’s whereabouts 

He finds out you’re the villain during a fight in which you get hurt really bad and Spider-Man(miles) saves you from dying but reveals your identity in the process

“Y/n?…” “yeah?”

You cry because he steps back and covers his mouth with his hand

This man is so shocked and hurt oml

“So I’ve been fighting you this whole time?” “Yep. I’m sorry Miles I hope this doesn’t change anything”

It changes

He’s more protective of you and watches you 24/7 to make sure you aren’t partaking in any of your heists or crimes anymore

Y’all team up against a really bad guy(like the spot) and you learn to use your powers for good not evil

Miles 42:

Like our Miles, he keeps his identity a secret and you don’t realize it because you’re so caught up in your own crimes

He watches you from afar but doesn’t do anything, he just studies you and makes mental notes on your fighting skills

If y’all interact, you’d be very flirty and he would be very cold bc he has a girlfriend(you)

“Sooo the prowler huh?” “Yeah? You gotta problem with that?” “Nope, just wondering”

Is pissed that you’re hitting all of his spots and targets before he can

If you kill a guy Miles was supposed to kill, he wouldn’t be too happy

“That cabròn thinks he can take my money? He has another thing coming that’s for sure”

You sit terrified bc Miles looks genuinely angry since that’s how he got all his money that he used to spoil his princesa

Realizes something is up with you quickly tho

“What’s wrong, Ma? Where’d you get that cut on your face?” “Oh this? It’s nothing, really” “do I have to beat someone’s ass, mi amor?” “No miles it’s okay”

Watches you after school and watches you for the next week or so to make sure no one is bothering you but instead, he finds out your secret identity

He is shocked but doesn’t show it. He keeps it to himself tho

When you realize he’s the prowler, he brings up you being a villain

“So you’ve been the Prowler this whole time??? How could you keep something like this from me?” “It’s pretty simple when your girlfriend is also a villain. No te hagas el inocente, mi vida you’re just as wrong as me”

He is indeed right about that

You help him with some of his missions and he helps with some of yours

Together, y’all terrorize the night(mostly stealing from the rich and helping the poor)

Strengthens your relationship tbh

If something happened to you however, he would never forgive himself though, even if it was your fault

Y’all are Bonnie and Clyde fr 🫶🏽🫶🏽

[allieslittlewritings]

*not my gif <3

Comfort

Aaron Hotchner x Teen!Reid!Reader

Summary: Hotch comforts Spencer's daughter when she's worried about her dad

Set in: Season 14 Episode 1 "300"

Warnings: Reader is worried about Spencer, mentions of a parent hypothetically dying, hints of self-deprecation

A/n: what i'd give to see Hotch in the later seasons :(

When you were little and your dad was in danger, the team kept it from you as long as they could.

The older you got, the more difficult it was for them to lie or stretch the truth.

By now you were too old for them to not tell you.

They spared you the details of the actual situation.

You just knew Spencer was abducted, and, therefore, there was a chance he wasn't coming back alive.

You wondered if this was it.

If this would finally be the time your dad didn't make it out on the other side of a life threatening situation.

You waited at the BAU and sat by your dad's desk, wondering if that desk would belong to someone else in a few months, maybe years.

Hotch exited his office and slowly walked towards you.

He saw the emotionless expression on your face and his heart sank.

"Hey," He said softly.

You didn't reply.

He walked closer to you and leaned against your dad's desk.

"You can talk to me, you know that right?" He said.

The feeling of guilt had started to build up in his throat.

Maybe if he'd been more careful, or more observant, this wouldn't have happened.

You waited a minute before speaking. "You know, even with everything he's been through there's still this weird thing in my head that convinces me he'll be okay."

"He might." Sugar coating things wouldn't help you right now.

"But he might not." You finally looked at him with glassy eyes.

A quiet, bitter chuckle left your lips.

Not becuase anything was humorous, you simply couldn't believe this was happening again.

"I don't know what I'd do without him, Hotch." Your voice shook as you spoke.

"You're not supposed to," Hotch said. "I know that does little to comfort you. I wish there was something I could say to make it better but there isn't."

"This shouldn't happen to people. And I don't mean me, I mean... hasn't he been through enough? Even if he survives, physically. One person can only handle so much."

"Your dad is strong, and he has you to remind him why he has to keep going."

"What if I'm not enough to make life feel worth it to him?" You asked, your voice cracking.

"Enough?" He asked, shocked. "Y/N, on every bad day I've seen your dad have, when he gets to go home and see you, I can see the weight on his shoulders ease. You've been enough for him to keep going since the day you were born. Hell, even before you were born."

You didn't bother fighting against the sobs begging to be released anymore.

"Come here," Hotch said softly, opening his arms.

You gave in and let him hold you while you sobbed.

He wasn't a very touchy person usually, but he felt differently about that when it came to certain people, and you were one of them.

Hotch swore to himself then that if your dad didn't make it back, he would always be there for you.

You would never be alone as long as he was around.

★

You sat in Aaron's office after that.

He didn't go with the others when they went to hopefully bring Spencer back, choosing to stay with you instead.

You sat on the couch in his office, a book you had only read three pages of open in front of you.

Hotch saw your eyes start to falter.

"You should get some rest, Y/N."

"No, I need to be awake when they get back." You insisted.

"I'll wake you up," Hotch assured you.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

You lay down on the couch and eventually fell asleep. Aaron went to get you a blanket and carefully covered you with it.

★

"Y/N." Hotch shook you awake. "Your dad's almost here."

You quickly sat up, "He's okay?"

"Yeah. He's in the elevator now, he'll be up in a minute."

Relieved tears welled up in your eyes.

"Thank you," You whispered, leaning forward to hug him.

"For what?"

"Being here." You said quietly. "And whatever you did that helped get him back."

Hotch tightened his hold on you, "I'll always be here, Y/N."

fin. ♡

[ariesqueencobra]

what we used to be | lV

Pairing: Eli Moskowitz x Fem!Reader

Summary: Your first lessons at Cobra Kai are what you expected, though, what your boyfriend does was the last thing you thought you'd ever see.

Warnings: bullying, name calling, violence

Word Count: 2.1k

A/N: Hawk has arrived! Make sure that if you want to see more of this story to comment and reblog! Comments let me know what you like about the story and reblogs help others see the story! Thanks!

I don't consent to this work being copied, translated or reposted.

“C’mon you saw Miguel kicked ass,” Eli attempted to get Demetri on board with the whole karate thing.

“It’ll be fun,” you placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder before he had the chance to knock down any positive thought.

You stayed huddled together, your shoulder brushing with Eli’s every so often.

“Quiet!” a loud voice shouted and you all flinched, the dojo dying down. “Face front,” he scanned over the group before he began snaking through, taking a look at all of you. 

You felt a little self-conscious when he approached, your gaze trying not to meet his.

“Nice shirt,” he complimented Demetri and you were taken aback. “I’m joking. It sucks,” he was quick to take it back after Demetri thanked him.

He then went on, telling someone he had terrible teeth and calling another a virgin. 

“When I look around this dojo, I don’t see Cobra Kai material,” he began. “I see losers, I see nerds,” he added.

You glanced down, regretting you showed up. If he was just going to bully you like Yasmine and Moon, then what was the point?

“But in my short time as a sensei, I’ve also seen some miracles,” he looked over to his first two students; Aisha and Miguel. 

You smiled slightly at that, maybe you were too quick to judge just like he was.

“So maybe there’s some hope for you yet,” he did another scan. “But first I need to see where everybody is at, so fall in!” he ordered. 

You all glanced at each other, murmuring in confusion. 

“Line up!” he clarified.

Thinking he meant to lind up behind Aisha and Miguel, you followed the crowed. You stood between Eli and Demetri while you awaited the next orders.

“No lines,” he sighed out, running a hand over his face.

“You mean rows?” Demetri spoke up. 

You stifled a laugh. This was exactly what you expected when you decided to join Cobra Kai.

~

The next day at practice, you all managed to get into rows. 

You stood behind Miguel. Demetri and Eli stood next to you in the row. 

“Fighting positions,” Sensei barked.

You got into position, raising your fists and making sure your stance was proper. 

“Jab punch,” he said but didn’t order to go so you waited, though a few didn’t listen. “No, not until I say go,” he added for clarity. “Hiya,” he gave the all-clear.

You followed through with the motion, left fist then right, making sure you used the weight of your body to help. 

He went around, correcting students until he came to the front. “Hey, Lip,” he called out and immediately your blood rushed cold. “Yeah, you. The one with the freaky lip, who do you think I’m talking about?” 

Eli faltered, his gaze dropping. 

“Excuse me, Mr. Lawrence,” Demetri spoke up. 

You inhaled, not knowing if that was a good idea or a bad idea. As much as you wanted to stand up for Eli, your boyfriend for crying out loud, you also knew Sensei was kind of a bully. You didn’t know how to stand up to them yet…

“Sensei Lawrence,” Aisha corrected. 

“Okay,” Demetri chuckled. “You really shouldn’t make fun of someone’s physical appearance,” he explained.

You agreed wholeheartedly but that feeling in your stomach told you he should shut up.

“Is that so?” Sensei’s brows raised. “So I’m not supposed to mention his lip at all?” he pointed at Eli. 

His brows creased together, biting down when the entire class’s attention fell on him. 

“Well, yeah,” Demetri said point-blankly. 

“Maybe that’s what they teach you in school, but out in the real world, you can’t expect people to do what they’re supposed to do,” Sensei pointed. 

You felt inclined to agree but at the same time, you wanted him to stop making fun of Eli. There was no harm in being nice.

“You hear that lip?” Sensei called Eli’s attention again. “If you can’t handle someone making fun of you, how are you gonna handle an elbow to the teeth?” he asked.

Are those equivalent though? You asked yourself. You bit down on your lip, holding your hands behind you as you watched as a bystander.

“By calling the police,” Demetri suggested.

You glanced at Miguel as he told him to knock it off and you couldn’t help but agree. Still, you didn’t say anything. 

Speaking up will only make it worse.

“Why should I be scared of him? Because he’s got a snake on the wall?” Demetri gestured. “It’s not like he can give us a bad grade, we’re paying him,” he made a note to emphasize. “He can’t actually hurt us”.

The feeling in your gut grew, something bad definitely was going to happen.

You were right.

Sensei stayed quiet but stalked over to your best friend. 

“Are you done?” he came face to face with him. 

Demetri looked confused, the rest of the students circling around. You sent Eli a worried look, one he returned.

“Go on, hit me,” Sensei ordered. 

Demetri got into the stance and attempted to throw a punch but was easily blocked, the hit not even hard.

“Harder,” he said. 

Reluctantly, Demetri did again but failed. The third time, Sensei actually flipped him onto his back. 

Demetri huffed out in pain and most likely embarrassed.

“Let that be a lesson to all of you,” Sensei pointed a finger around. 

You averted your gaze, fidgeting on your feet. You weren’t sure whether or not to call that a close one.

~

“Do you still want to go?” you asked Eli as you sat in study hall.

You felt more at ease now, Kyler not messing with any of you now knowing Miguel would beat his ass if he got caught messing with his friends. 

“Yeah,” he set his pen down. “I think what Sensei says is a little true,” he shrugged. 

“Me too,” you agreed. “I’m not happy about what he did to Demetri though,” you shrugged.

“He quit, so I don’t think that’ll be a problem anymore,” he responded. 

You nodded, deciding maybe it was for the best. He had a bad experience, but it was clear you two wanted to learn self-defense. 

“What about you though? He calls you “Lip”,” you furrowed your brows. 

“I can take it,” he averted your gaze, voice softening. “I want to go back,” he reassured.

You pressed your lips together. 

It was an easy answer, you were going back.

The third time’s a charm, right?

Wrong.

“Okay, everybody, fall in,” Sensei walked out of his office.

You and Eli took your places. 

“Where is everyone?” Sensei glanced around the emptier dojo. 

You glanced over your shoulder as he named out the hurtful nicknames he called out. 

Gee, wonder why they left. 

Part of you was proud of Eli, even after the bullying he received, he had the desire to come back. That took guts and it only made you like him more. 

“They quit, Sensei,” Miguel answered.

“Are you serious?” he dropped his arms to his side. “I mean, good, that was a test,” he recovered. “I wanted to see who the quitters were. Not you guys, you’re in it to win it, right?” he attempted to encourage and you gave in, nodding slightly. 

He went on, saying how you could be doing other things but instead chose to learn how to fight. Which you figured was a good thing.

“Lip. Look. Even Lip’s tougher than those guys,” he pointed at Eli.

You sighed out. This could have been better. 

“Could you please not call me that?” Eli spoke up, which caught you by surprise but your pride grew even though you weren’t sure how this would go again. 

He repeated what he said after Sensei didn’t catch it but Miguel butted in, hoping to diverge the situation.

“No, Lip has something he wants to say,” Sensei brushed off. “Sorry, speak up, Lip. Or is your tongue messed up too?” He taunted.

You saw the way Eli’s demeanor changed but you were unsure how to help. But your eyes widened when Sensei made a comment that didn’t sit well with you.

“Um, the doctor said I could be on the spectrum,” Eli reluctantly responded. 

Your heart fell. He shouldn’t have had to explain himself. 

Sensei made an obscure suggestion for him to “get off it pronto” and then followed with him getting surgery to “fix” his lip.

“I was born with a cleft lip. This is the scar from the surgery,” Eli explained. 

Part of you wanted to go up and kiss him right there to prove to everyone he wasn’t a loser. But you couldn’t find any ounce of courage within you to do it. 

“You mean it looked worse before?” Sensei’s brows rose.

“Can we change the subject?” Eli’s eyes darted across the room, unsure of how to diffuse the conversation. 

“I want to but it’s right in front of me,” Sensei made the situation worse. “If you don’t want to just be a nerd with a scar on his lip, then you gotta flip the script, okay?” He told him, bringing up more suggestions of getting a tattoo or a patch. 

The more he spoke, the more Eli got nervous. Without another thought, he walked out of the dojo through the back.

You hesitated running after him, but you were honestly afraid to face the scrutiny of Sensei. 

You would check on him after class you told yourself. 

And you did. 

You rode your bike to his house first thing after class.

Knocking on the front door, you wrung your lip between your teeth as you waited in anticipation.

“Hi, Mrs. Moskowitz, is Eli here? He left his shoes and bag at the dojo,” you held up his items. “He also hasn’t been responding to my messages,” you pulled your sleeves over your hands after she took his belongings from you.

“Hi, hon,” she greeted. “He’s not really up for company at the moment, I’m sure once he feels better he’ll talk,” she pressed her lips in a reassuring smile. 

“Okay, thanks. Can you let him know I just hope he’s okay?” you asked.

“For sure, but can you tell me what happened? He won’t talk,” her face pinched in concern as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“The teacher is a little tougher than we thought,” you shrugged, not wanting to give too much away since you knew Eli’s mom would blow things out of proportion.

You also knew Eli would rather forget about this ever happening. 

“Thanks for stopping by,” his mom nodded before shutting the door.

~

He wasn’t at school the next day either. 

You stared at your phone, going through the unreceived messages before locking it and throwing it in your bag. 

A few minutes later, class started. 

You were lined up next to Miguel when Sensei walked out in front of you. 

“Three more absences,” Miguel sighed.

“A bunch of pussies,” Aisha mocked.

“No, it’s my fault,” Sensei admitted and you were shocked. “Since you joined, I’ve been hard on you. But Cobra Kai is about strength. If you’re not strong on the inside, you can’t be strong on the outside,”

He went on to say that he once used to be a loser until he shed his skin and became badass.

You nodded along, each word hitting. You knew he was right and maybe that’s why you decided to come back even though your friend and boyfriend decided to quit. 

You didn’t want to be a loser anymore that was an easy target for Yasmine or Moon. You wanted to be the badass who knew how to stand up for herself. 

You knew deep down this is what you needed to do to get to that point.

Just then someone entered.

Your eyes widened in shock, heart rate rising as you stared at the boy with the blue mohawk. 

He radiated such confidence that you gravitated towards him. When you glanced into his eyes, that’s when you realized who it was.

“Eli?” you furrowed your brows, staring at the boy you fell in love with in kindergarten who looked entirely different.

“I took your advice, and decided to flip the script,” he smirked.

The tone of his voice, his stance, his gaze—he was an entirely different person.

You were taken aback…in a good way. 

“Woah, you’re the kid with the lip?” Sensei Lawrence pointed at him. “You see, this is what I’m talking about,” he smiled as he pumped his fist. “Hawk,” he snapped his fingers. “Fall in”.

The name was fitting.

He stood next to Aisha.

Sensei scanned across the room before he opened his mouth, standing in front of Hawk.

“Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?” he asked him.

“No, Sensei,” Hawk squared his shoulders. 

“Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it?” 

“No, Sensei,” Aisha shook her head.

“Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it?” 

“No, Sensei,” Miguel affirmed.

With approval, Sensei turned around before he shouted, “Class, are you ready to learn the way of the fist?”

You all responded firmly.

“Yes, Sensei!”

[tragedy-peanut-gallery]

what are your thoughts (and potential headcanons) about aegon iv's nine mistresses?

Ouffff well I gotta be honest I probably won’t have as many headcanons about them as I did for the daughters in law of Daeron and Myriah- but I’m more than happy to share my thoughts about them!

Falena Stokeworth

Thoughts: Groomer!!! Get lost lady you’re literally his dad’s age!!!!! Should’ve locked her up in Harrenhall and thrown away the key maybe!

Headcanons: Honestly I think canon already kind of spells it out for us given her age relative to his own, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she was preying on Aegon’s whole mommy issues deal in order to get into a relationship with him. Pain and suffering all around.

Megette

Thoughts: Honestly poor girl she deserved sooo much better :( pretty sure her whole deal was supposed to be another commentary on how nobility don’t actually give a shit about the smallfolk even when they’re lovers and all that, but goddamn I just feel bad for her :(

Cassella Vaith

Thoughts: Ngl another girl who deserved so much better- it’s kind of weird how they give her a description but not the other mistresses but hey who am I to judge- makes her easier to draw ig?

Headcanons: Oh she was absolutely psychologically tortured during her time with Aegon because that man is notttt capable of being nice to any woman. I imagine the reason she wasn’t married off after being returned home was because of how traumatized she was

Bellegere Otherys

Thoughts: Okay this may sound stupid as hell given all the shit I talked about Aegon prior to this but like…. Idc, I support her decisions in choosing one of the most rancid men in Westeros to be her lover. In her defense!!!! Pickings for royalty were very slim- her only other options were a former teen dad who’s still hung up on his ex wife and is always busy trying (and failing) to keep his nephews from dying, a member of the kingsguard who’s obsessed with his own sister, and Baelor, of course she was gonna go for Aegon! Bellegere can get the one exception because I think pirate women are really cool and tbh I think she’s also the only one who was with him for funsies before dropping his ass like a sack of potatoes when he got too annoying for her

Headcanons: Ngl I kinda like to think her daughter Nahra took up the whole trading/smuggling/pirating business after her, and Bellegere got to retire and chill in Braavos watching all the shit go down with the Blackfyre rebellions. Good for her <3

Barba Bracken

Thoughts: I mean…. She’s a bitch, but tbh she kinda deserved better too. Even if she is meant to be a bad person, she was also just a teenager when Aegon began sleeping with her and was mostly pushed forward by her own dad, and its sad that she then continued the cycle of abuse to her own sister :(

Headcanons: I kinda like to think she and Daena had a very toxic frenemy-ship, that’s my main reasoning to explain why Aegor was so loyal to Daemon lmao

Melissa Blackwood

Thoughts: I mean, she’s one of Naerys’ only canonical female friends so she gets an automatic like in my books. And also kinda funny that the Bracken/Blackwood slap fight actually caused another Targ civil by just pushing their female relatives in front of a horny king. She absolutely deserved so much better

Headcanons: I refuseeee to believe she died in childbirth, in my head she’s also retired chilling in Raventree Hall with her daughters and occasionally got updates from Brynden about the war crimes he was committing <3

Bethany Bracken

Thoughts: Deserved so, SO much better. Mr lord Bracken sir I will see you in HELL!!!!!

Jeyne Lothson

Thoughts: Only thing I have to say is…. Absolutely gothic horror girlie because holy shit. My god. Was George intentionally writing her story to be horrifying or was it a weird fetish- I’m hoping to god it was the former. Anyways she absolutely deserved so much better than all the adults in her life

Headcanons: For added flavor aka more horror! I do headcanon her to actually be Aegon’s daughter, and I believe Danelle was either her daughter or granddaughter because- well, we do definitely need to sprinkle in some more cursed bloodline shit to the house that’s already doomed cause they’re living in Harrenhall, yippe :))

Serenei of Lys

Thoughts: Boring as hellllll that she died from childbirth like- COME ON!!! Let the lady die from implosion, or slipping on a banana peel or something!!! Also kinda sucks that we barely know anything else about her! I want the lore George!!!

Headcanons: Due to lack of lore, I’m stealing someone else’s previous headcanon that she’s actually a Hightower bastard because 1. Absolutely hilarious and is absolutely the level of hustling scam-artistry that I would expect during Aegon’s reign, and 2. Kinda explains her whole deal- why Jon even brought her to court, why we know nothing about her past, why she’s so distant and kinda secretive. Shout out to whoever came up with that headcanon cause that lives in my head rent free forever now

[stop-the-play]

> Those are just words. I'm not even the one who decided I should say them. In fact, I'm not just going to ignore them—I'm going to drop the monologue entirely. And leave the path. That's also important.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Wh—can you even do that?

...

VOICE OF THE MEEK: It looks like he can.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: I hope, when this is all over, dying turns out to be worth it.

...

VOICE OF THE HERO: I think you've made your point, mate. You can pick the monologue back up again.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Yeah. It's starting to feel... kind of empty. And, I mean, I don't really get how your whole monologuing thing works, but... can't you just ignore what you're 'supposed' to say and narrate however you want?

VOICE OF THE HERO: At least bother to describe the woods as you trudge off into them.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Do you think he's paying any attention to us?

...

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Hey. Can you say something? Anything? Monologue, nonmonologue...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Gloat about our impending death...

VOICE OF THE HERO: Are you... can you even hear us?

...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: You haven't off and died on us, have you?

...

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Oh, god, I think he's actually dead.

VOICE OF THE HERO: No, that can't be right. He can't have died. I mean, we're still. Breathing. Are we?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Are we?

...

VOICE OF THE HERO: He actually is dead.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: W-what do we do now? Can we. Do something about him?

VOICE OF THE HERO: And how are we still here, if he's dead?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: I'm more surprised he managed to die before the end of the world.

...

VOICE OF THE HERO: What are we supposed to do? He's the one who understood all of this.

VOICE OF THE HERO: More than any of us, at least.

...

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Do we just wait here forever?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: No, that can't be right. There has to be a way out of this.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Like what? I'm open to any options you have, but I don't think we're able to do anything like this!

VOICE OF THE HERO: We could die.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED AND VOICE OF THE MEEK: WHAT?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Have you forgotten that dying is bad?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: I think that's the opposite of what we want to do right now!

VOICE OF THE HERO: Look. Hear me out, okay? It seems to me that right now, our options are hanging around a frozen corpse waiting for the world to end, or quitting early.

VOICE OF THE HERO: We die either way. It's just a matter of how long we have to stay here, doing nothing, before we do.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: You have a point...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: No, there must be a way out of this. We have to be able to avoid dying somehow.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Can one of us take over?

VOICE OF THE HERO: Maybe if we had a living body. But I don't think it'll work any more.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: ...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: ...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: ...Fine. If you think you can get us to die, go right ahead.

VOICE OF THE HERO: All right. I'll do my best.

VOICE OF THE HERO: ...

VOICE OF THE HERO: You... die. You stop existing. The world ends.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: What are you trying to do?

VOICE OF THE HERO: I'm trying to narrate. Like he would. Maybe that's what makes things happen in this place. I don't know, do any of you have a better idea?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Try being more... descriptive? When he was narrating, he wasn't this... blunt.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Okay. Here goes.

VOICE OF THE HERO: As you trudge off into the woods, you find experience... fades. And the further you go, the more your awareness wanes, until you are no longer able to move your legs, to pull air into your lungs.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Eventually, you are left standing still in the middle of the forest, with no one around to watch you die.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Do we not count as 'someone?'

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Ssh.

VOICE OF THE HERO: The world ends. Everything goes dark, and you die.

(This is the end.)

[iris-of-bliss]

Can you write a Steve x f!reader when he caught the reader masturbating? Tyy and have a good day!

ℂ𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 [𝟙𝟠+]

Summary: Steve was out doing a favor while you were too busy playing with yourself. Little did you know you would wind up getting caught.

Pairing(s): Steve Fox/F!Reader

Warning(s): Smut, Fingering, Teasing

Word Count: 1k

It’s been quite a while since Steve had to depart for an errand. You knew little of the details, but there were a couple of friends needing a hand at something. This didn’t matter, though. All that took over your dirty mind were thoughts of sweet lovemaking with him. You couldn’t help feeling this horny at night. Lying down in bed, you only wore a bra while teasing your womanhood. Your eyes were kept shut, letting your imagination run wild. The hottest scenario you could think of helped you become aroused, at the very least. You wish that your fingers were his instead.

“M-mn! Oh, Steve," you release an airy whimper.

The light traces of your fingers over your slit felt enticing. If only it were Steve’s, this would have been better. You go just a bit deeper in between your folds, a seeping slickness escaping you. Pulling the fingers back out, you coat the juices over your entrance as you keep rubbing. Oh, Steve, where the hell is he at this hour?

All of the self-pleasure had been more than enough for you to be less bored. It wasn’t until your lover arrived back home that you were still distracted by your business. He is headed directly toward the bedroom. Suddenly, the door swings open.

“Hey, sweetheart. I’m back-“

He freezes into the doorframe as you gasp after hearing a British accent. You swiftly pull your hand away before closing both legs together in embarrassment. You needed a release so bad. What the hell were you supposed to do when you were just caught? Maybe you could ask for some assistance?

You broke the silence and scrambled for words: “S-Steve! I-I didn’t expect you to return now! Uh…”

A strong touch of heat covers your worried face. Both hands grip the sheets, your head hanging down to look away. The sound of footsteps makes their way toward you. You didn’t budge to lift your head up, but Fox was dying to see you. He knew the scene felt awkward, so he decided to relax you by kissing your cheek. As your eyes widen, you turn to see him until he kisses your lips. He climbs onto the bed while doing so. The pleasant scent of his cologne drew your interest. You move closer to him, only to hear a small giggle. Steve then pulls away to shift himself behind you. He settles you down so you can lay comfortably against him, your legs spread open once again. The blonde caresses both hips while pecking your cheek. A soft giggle emits from you. It seemed that Steve would be more than happy to help his girlfriend out.

“If you want, I can lend you a hand at this,” he suggested.

You ask out of curiosity, “Are you sure? I mean, I never had you do this to me before.”

“S’alright, just relax. It couldn’t bother to try, right?” Steve kisses you again.

His head rests along your shoulder whilst a hand snakes down to your hip. It kneads the skin before moving to your womanhood. You swallow nervously at what may happen next. How good will he make you feel? You wonder. Surely he’ll learn the ropes throughout, right?

You were about to speak before a sharp gasp escaped you. He entered his index and pulled back to stroke your opening. Fox began to work with his middle finger as well, rubbing torturously at the spot. Both fingers move to your clit until pinching it. You pant and arch your back as a result. It felt so fucking sensitive. The index finger then rubbed small circular motions over it instead. You bite into your bottom lip, helplessly holding back your dirty noises.

Steve chuckled, “Luv, there’s no need to hold them back. Besides, I already know what they sound like.”

He trails his fingers downward to the corner of your labia. Your mouth breaks open and spills out arousing moans. The endless sensitivity—you can’t help it. Fox has already gotten good at it. He brings his fingers back upward before entering them inside you, pulling out for the digits to go deeper each time. The touch of your walls causes your legs to react. Steve embraces you with his free arm so you positioned still. His breaths make contact with your neck as he kisses it.

“Mmm, I didn’t expect you to end up like this. It’s no problem though, sweetheart.”

He penetrates his digits deeper and faster. His hand was messing with your clit even. Your legs kept rocking back and forth thanks to his provocative fingering. You grip Fox’s working wrist and the arm holding you against him. You hum in between your breaths, feeling his teeth sink into your shoulder. This felt amazing, especially during the night. Although Steve wasn’t sure of it, he was more than perfect at fingering the hell out of you. You even began to throb and feel hot. Too bad you were already at your climax.

“Ugh! K-keep going, Steve! Don’t stop!” you beg.

Your boyfriend bites aggressively while looking at your abused cunt. The sight of your slickness was already showing up, so he kept fingering quicker. Just the way he liked it. He pecks and bites your cheek for you to share a kiss. You turn to Steve before doing him the favor, releasing moans of pleasure during the exchange. An erection pokes against your rear, which adds to the satisfaction. You were about to reach your high. Every last stroke shakes you to the core.

And then it happened.

A wail of mewls sounded in the room after the kiss broke. Steve’s fingers pull out and are now covered in your ejaculate. He rubs the fluid across the outside of your pussy. Your face stayed red as you panted in exhaustion. You lean your head next to your boyfriend’s, leading him to kiss you.

“I hope that wasn’t too bad, (Y/N).”

“Too bad?”

You stare into his blue eyes and caress the side of his face. His first attempt was way better than what he expected from you. Oh, that sweet release you earned. It should’ve lasted longer than earlier. Maybe another go won’t hurt, would it now?

“I want you to make me cum again,” you said ever so sweetly.

[astrowaffles]

aiming for your heart

general audiences | tomo-chan is a girl! au | for @fengqingaction

“I have something to tell you,” Feng Xin blurted out, coming to a stop.

Mu Qing stopped walking and turned around. “Is it important? I kind of have to get home-“

“I like you,” Feng Xin interrupted.

Mu Qing stared at her.

“No, I-I mean, I love you,” Feng Xin corrected, fiddling with her fingers.

Mu Qing stared harder, narrowing his eyes a little like he was trying to figure out what she was saying. Feng Xin allowed him to scrutinise her, hoping he could see her sincerity or something and praying he didn’t ask a stupid question like ‘why?’.

“Hmm,” said Mu Qing, which sounded an awful lot like the lead-up to a rejection. Feng Xin braced herself as Mu Qing opened his mouth-

“I love you too, bro. Where’d this come from? Are you dying?”

Oh.  He hadn’t understood at all. He hadn’t even considered that this might be a romantic confession, that Feng Xin might have romantic feelings for him, and now he was walking away and chattering about how he wished Feng Xin was dying so he got an excuse to dress up for the funeral, and Feng Xin never really got a chance to explain herself.

She sighed. Well, Mu Qing wasn’t going anywhere, was he? There was always another chance. “Hey! Wait for me!!” she called, rushing to catch up.

Yeah. She could just try again tomorrow.

“THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!” Feng Xin yelled, slamming her head down onto her desk. “He’s such an idiot!”

“There, there,” Xie Lian soothed, stroking her hair. “I’m sure it’s not as bad as it seems.”

“It’s hopeless!” Feng Xin complained, turning her head to the side so she wasn’t face planted into the wood of the table. “I don’t think he even knows I’m a girl!”

“He does,” Xie Lian said, though she didn’t sound very confident about it. “He can’t be that oblivious. Don’t worry, everything will work out.”

“When?!” Feng Xin wailed despairingly. “I’ve been trying for weeks!”

“Maybe he just needs a little push,” Xie Lian suggested. She stopped stroking Feng Xin’s hair in order to pull her phone out from her bag. “Should we google it?”

“No, it’s all stupid advice, I’ve tried.”

“Oh.” Xie Lian stowed her phone away and tried to think. “What’s something super girly that you could do to make him notice?”

“I dunno. I wear a skirt and I have long hair, what else does he need?”

“Don’t be stereotypical,” Xie Lian admonished. “Besides, your hair isn’t that long.”

Well, that was true. Feng Xin had an uneven and shaggy bob, which barely seemed like hair at all when compared with Xie Lian’s shiny, long, straight hair. Neither were her eyelashes anything to write home about compared with the luscious, jet-black ones Xie Lian’s girlfriend Hua Cheng had.

Feng Xin needed new friends. Ugly friends, if possible.

“Well, any suggestions?” she asked. Xie Lian pulled a face that was clearly meant to mean ‘yes, but I’m not sure if you can do it’.

“Just spit it out,” Feng Xin commanded.

“Well- have you tried being, um, a bit .. gentler?”

“What?! I’m very gentle! Just yesterday I rescued a frog from being run over!”

“That was after you’d punched Mu Qing for getting in the way,” Xie Lian reminded her. “Anyway, I didn’t mean literally. I meant- have you tried talking in a prettier way? You know, more feminine, more polite, something like that?”

Feng Xin considered it. “You mean, talk like you?”

“Ah-“ Xie Lian flushed. “No, not quite. But, maybe a little like me…”

“I suppose you’re in a relationship and I’m not, so it works,” Feng Xin reasoned.

“Possibly,” Xie Lian hedged. “We didn’t really have this problem, but…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s worth a try!” Feng Xin sat up just in time for the bell to ring. “I’ll try it as soon as I can!”

“Why are you talking like that?” Mu Qing asked.

“Talking in what way, my fine sir?” Feng Xin replied, trying to choose a sandwich.

“Like an idiot.”

Normally, Feng Xin would’ve punched him by this point, but in the name of being gentler she simply gritted her teeth and tried again.

“I am not speaking this way out of idiocy, my lord, but simply a desire to be more elegant,” she sniffed, grabbing the lunch she’d chosen.

“It’s not working,” Mu Qing told her. He was stood slightly over her, trying to choose food of his own; Feng Xin blushed a little and tried not to move so they wouldn’t bump legs. “Stop talking like a weirdo.”

At that, Feng Xin could almost feel a vein popping in her forehead. “I ask that you refrain from such-“

Mu Qing moved away, allowing Feng Xin to move too; this newfound freedom caused her to swing around too fast and almost fall into Mu Qing.

“My apologies,” she said, a little breathless.

“You sound stupid,” Mu Qing said, completely ruining the mood.

“You’re so annoying!” Feng Xin exclaimed, shoving him away.

“Hey! What did I do?!”

“You were a total moron!!”

Mu Qing looked genuinely offended at that, and reached out to shove Feng Xin back. “I didn’t do anything! All I did was say the honest truth-“

“You’re so insensitive!” Feng Xin whacked him over the head with the side of her hand.

“You’re a brute!” Mu Qing jabbed her in the side.

That annoyed Feng Xin; she drew back her fist to land him one right in the eye.

“Who’s next, please?” the cashier called.

Feng Xin scowled at Mu Qing’s pleased smirk, and moved to buy her food.

Feng Xin carried the despondency from her failed throughout the rest of the day, complaining to Xie Lian through her entire lunch break (after abandoning Mu Qing in the hallway, of course) and moping through the last lessons of the day. Even the weather seemed to agree with her, as clouds gathered in ominous black groups in the once-blue sky.

The last lesson of the day, English, ended with a rumble of thunder. A quick glance out the window proved Feng Xin’s ears correct: it was raining, hard. Thank god she’d brought her umbrella – but Xie Lian probably hadn’t.

“Maybe Hua Cheng will bring her one,” Feng Xin said hopefully, even though she knew the girls didn’t live in the same direction. Not that Hua Cheng would mind walking two ways; she loved to spend extra time with her girlfriend.

With that comforting thought, Feng Xin took her time walking to the lockers, allowing the rest of her class to rush past her and out the door as if leaving faster would make the rain any lighter. By the time she reached her locker and had changed her shoes, only a few students still lingered by the doorway; probably the ones who’d forgotten their umbrellas and were hoping the rain would ease up, Feng Xin thought.

A closer inspection revealed two of them to be Xie Lian and Mu Qing, deep in discussion about something. Feng Xin didn’t know they were that close: they’d all played together as kids, of course, but they’d never really done anything as a duo as far as she knew.

Mu Qing looked annoyed, or at least flustered. Xie Lian looked knowing and perhaps a little smug, as if she had finally managed to prove an idea she’d had for a long time.

“Hey guys!” Feng Xin chirped. “What’s going on?”

“He forgot his umbrella,” Xie Lian said before Mu Qing could say anything.

“Aren’t you here because you’ve forgotten yours, too?” Feng Xin asked her. “Do you want to share mine?”

“What are you doing?” Xie Lian whispered. “This is your chance to share an umbrella with him!”

“That’s gonna make us look like a couple!!” Feng Xin fretted.

“Isn’t that what you want?”

“Stop whispering,” Mu Qing demanded. “I’m fine walking home by myself, so you go with dianxia, Feng Xin.”

The childhood nickname made Xie Lian smile a little, but she insisted, “I’ve got one coming for me. You two go on ahead.”

Feng Xin attempted to use her puppy eyes, but Xie Lian’s immunity once again came in useful as she shook her head with a slightly devious grin. “Go on, Xin’er. Look, here’s San Lang now!”

It was true. Hua Cheng was making her way down the rows of lockers, accompanied by the telltale jingling of her jewellery.

Feng Xin winced. She didn’t particularly enjoy Hua Cheng’s company and preferred to leave the two lovebirds alone, but she equally didn’t want to be left alone with her own crush.

“Go on,” Xie Lian repeated, giving her friend a little push. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Well, if you’re sure….” Feng Xin edged over to Mu Qing. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” said Mu Qing, not looking at all ready. “Let’s go already.”

“Alright, alright, don’t be so impatient.” Feng Xin opened the umbrella and stepped out into the rain. “We’re going.”

Xie Lian waved them away just as Hua Cheng arrived at the door, immediately throwing an arm over her shoulder to drag her into a side hug. Xie Lian laughed and allowed herself to be fussed over.

“Disgusting,” Mu Qing commented.

“Huh?! Don’t tell me you’re homophobic!”

“What? No!”

“Then what’s disgusting about it?”

“The PDA,” Mu Qing said, with a slight shudder. “They’re all over each other.”

“I think it’s nice,” Feng Xin defended, leaving out the it would be nicer if it was us instead.

“I guess if you like that kind of thing,” Mu Qing shrugged.

“Okay emo,” Feng Xin teased, and cleared her throat to begin her Mu Qing impression. “’I’m so sad and my soul is so dark. I relate to wilted roses and I love ‘My Chemical Romance’. My favourite song is-‘”

“Shut up,” Mu Qing snapped, but his eyes were laughing. “Hey- aren’t you gonna get under here?”

“What are you on about?”

Mu Qing rolled his eyes. “Your shoulder’s getting wet.”

Feng Xin looked across, and sure enough, her shoulder was outside of the umbrella’s range, and soaked through. She looked at the gap between her and Mu Qing; it was sizeable, but not big enough that she was willing to close any of it. It was already so uncomfortable walking alongside him like this, when normally they’d have the entire pavement to spread out over. She could smell his cologne.

It smelt good.

“Come here,” Mu Qing said, taking hold of her elbow and pulling her in. Feng Xin squeaked as she was hauled in towards her crush. "It’s your umbrella, you know. You should be under it.”

“But you’re the guest,” Feng Xin argued, trying not to think about their shoulders, which were touching.

“What kind of guy would I be if I let a girl get soaked through while I sheltered under her umbrella?” Mu Qing returned.

“So you do know,” Feng Xin noted.

“Huh? Know what?”

“That I’m a girl.”

“Duh??”

Well, this was potentially worse than just not knowing at all. If Mu Qing didn’t know, then when he found out, Feng Xin would have another chance at confessing, she mused. Mu Qing jostled next to her as they walked in step; she tried not to notice as the amount of shoulder touching slowly increased. But if he’d known all along, ever since they were younger, maybe even since they’d met-

“On second thoughts, you can have the umbrella!” she wailed, overcome by the casual contact. She shoved the handle at Mu Qing and immediately set off running.

“Wha- hey! Come back!” Mu Qing called.

Feng Xin heard him set off after her. They’d trained karate together ever since they were little, and once upon a time, Feng Xin could be sure of beating him in every match. Now they were grown up and Mu Qing’s testosterone had kicked in, there was practically no way she could win in a test of physical strength.

Well, she still won the karate matches. Just not the fistfights.

Either way, Mu Qing ran faster than her if everything else was equal, and she really didn’t want him to catch up, even if he was still carrying the open umbrella and slipping a little on the wet pavement. She put on a burst of speed that drew a frustrated squawk from Mu Qing behind her.

“WHY ARE YOU SPRINTING?!” he screamed, umbrella flapping as he ran.

“JUST WALK NORMALLY!” she screamed back, not slowing. She couldn’t go back there, not back to the warm haven of Mu Qing’s scent and casual, almost unnoticed physical contact, walking side by side like they were- like they were dating or something.

“NO!” Mu Qing hollered, speeding up. Feng Xin started to panic; he was gaining on her.

Her legs were beginning to tire, tensed from trying to keep her grip on the slippery concrete and stressed from trying to keep ahead of someone she knew would catch up eventually. She skidded to a halt as best she could, hoping he wouldn’t notice and would just speed past.

To her dismay, he noticed, sliding to a stop next to her.

“What…was…that..about?” he forced out through wheezing gasps, hands on his knees.

“Nothing,” she shrugged.

Mu Qing held out the umbrella and she obediently took it from him, sheltering them both while still trying to maintain as much distance between them as she could.

“If it was nothing….don’t do it,” Mu Qing managed, finally straightening up.

Feng Xin blushed a little at his ruffled hair and uniform. It was rare to see him like this outside of the dojo. “Sorry,” she said, and half-meant it. “Let’s walk the rest of the way.”

Mu Qing opened his mouth, probably about to say something like ‘finally’ with his signature eye roll, when he stopped. A weird sound came from the back of his throat, like he was trying to speak but couldn’t.

“Are you okay? You’re looking a little red-“

Without warning, he took off at a sprint.

“HEY!” Feng Xin yelled, about to run after him. As she turned to set off, she caught herself in the reflection of someone’s window. Soaked through, hair bedraggled, skirt sticking pathetically to her thighs, and- oh. Shirt gone practically transparent with water.

In her mind’s eye, the moment replayed: tips of Mu Qing’s ears violently red and his cheeks following suit, eyes trained intensely on her eyebrows, hands clamped tightly together.

“Hm,” she pondered, evil grin forming unwittingly on her face. “If I can get a reaction like that out of him….”

…maybe she had a chance.

A03 | Exclusives | Tip Me | Commissions

[elvensorceress]

Wednesday WIP⚡️

tagged by @alyxmastershipper @spaceprincessem @jobairdxx @hippolotamus @messyhairdiaz @ebdaydreamer @monsterrae1 @sibylsleaves @911onabc @honestlydarkprincess @spotsandsocks @rewritetheending @wikiangela @buddiearemydads

tagging @heartbeatdiaz @shortsighted-owl @bigassdiaz @rose-buddie @wh0re-behavi0r @babytrapperdiaz @fleurdebeton @cowboy-buddie @eddiescowboy

from Catching Lightning (which is now over 30K 🫠) Eddie returning home from another failed date...

Eddie drives home in the rain to an empty house, and what does he know about any of this? Maybe he’s not cut out for this. Maybe he’s supposed to be alone. The rain is mocking him but maybe it’s not wrong. 

Everyone dies alone. 

He texts Chris goodnight and doesn’t receive displeased messages from Pepa this time, but the raining picks up and turns into a storm that knocks out power to his whole neighborhood and leaves him in the dark. 

There’s lightning in the dark. 

And thunder loud enough to make his house creak and tremble. He curls up in his bed and his hands are fine. They’re not shaking like the house. His lungs aren’t wailing like the wind. His stomach is tight and tense, churning acid and emptiness, but he had a strong margarita and no dinner. Everything tastes like metallic fizzing on his tongue. There’s no flavor to anything. He didn’t want to eat, and it’s probably good that he didn’t because there’s lightning outside and he just feels like throwing up. 

His phone has only 24% power left and he shouldn’t do it. He shouldn’t. He’s a grown man and it’s just a stupid storm and everything is fine. They’re not out in the bad weather. Lightning doesn’t strike twice? 

It doesn’t have to. It kills everything on the first try. 

Eddie was sore and bruised black and burned in a faint fractal for a week or so, but it was nothing like what happened to Buck. 

Nothing is happening to Buck. He’s fine. He’s probably still on his date and fucking his new girlfriend in the middle of the storm. Or something equally stupid. Eddie’s not going to do anything. Because he’s fine and nothing is wrong. 

And somehow his hands have other ideas because he’s picked up his dying phone, typed and sent a text before he’s even realized what he’s done. 

Hey. Did your power go out? Ours went out. Mine I mean. Chris isn’t here. Everything is dead.

It’s stupid. Eddie is being so fucking stupid. And the longer he stares at the words and the little “delivered” under them without it changing to “read,” the worse it is. 

Everything is dead. Everything. Everyone dies alone and lightning kills everything and Eddie doesn’t know how to feel, how to spark, how to chemistry, how to magic, how to build, how to love. 

The things Eddie knows are gunfire. Helicopter crashes. Car crashes. Bombs and explosions. The earth collapsing and burying him alive. Freezing cold water. Drowning. Bleeding. He’s always bleeding. And then he’s ripped in half by cruel sudden nightmarish electricity.

The same kind that cracks and flashes outside his window. The only light that exists anymore. Because everything else dies. 

He has to breathe. Frank taught him breathing. Inhale for eight seconds, hold for five seconds, exhale for eight seconds. 

There are sounds, noises that aren’t thunder. There’s a light thumping near his bedroom door. On his bedroom door? Eddie didn’t lock it tonight. He didn’t need to. He usually doesn’t in case Chris needs something. But Chris isn’t here tonight. And Eddie’s too overloaded to shock or startle when his door opens. He doesn’t look. It’s dark. He can’t see much. 

But he knows who sits next to him and touches him gently. 

Eddie reaches, feels around for that hand resting on his arm. It turns like it might hold his, thread with his, weave them back together. Eddie doesn’t settle on his hand. He finds Buck’s wrist, curls his fingers around it, and presses below his thumb. Until there’s a radial pulse beating steadily against his fingers. 

He has a pulse. His heart is beating. His heart is beating he’s alive his heart is alive. 

There’s a sob that breaks out of Eddie’s chest. And then he’s crying. He’s crying and can’t stop. 

“Hey,” Buck says. Gently. Sweet, soft, worried. Full of something that sounds like, feels like love. He touches Eddie the same way. A hand on his arm, a hand on his side. “Come here.”

Eddie doesn’t know reasons at this point. He doesn’t know arguing. He only knows needing to feel how Buck is alive. 

Eddie sits up and Buck meets him with arms that close around him and hold him tightly. And he’s warm and alive and solid and breathing and real and Eddie breathes in the citrus vanilla coconut that lingers on him, and his own heart beats and beats and beats. 

“It’s okay. I got you,” Buck whispers and rubs a hand over Eddie’s back and then strokes Eddie’s hair as he cradles the back of his head. “I’m okay. I’m right here.”

Eddie doesn’t ask how Buck knew, but of course he did. And with Buck in his arms, holding him tightly, the storm outside isn’t loud anymore. It’ll fade and burn out. Buck is safe. He’s alive. The tension melts away and Eddie is done crying and panicking. He’s not alone. 

“Here. Scooch over.” Buck nudges him gently until Eddie moves backward into more of the middle of the bed. Buck takes his place, Eddie’s usual spot on the right side of the bed, and motions for Eddie to lie down with him. 

It makes Eddie’s heart beat too hard. It’s not used to beating anymore. But Buck tucks his socked feet under the covers and he’s wearing dark gray sweatpants and a long-sleeved navy blue shirt. Clothes he sleeps in. And when Eddie lies down beside him, Buck directs Eddie’s head onto his own chest. Until Eddie can hear the clear, rhythmic thumping of Buck’s heart. 

His heart is beating.

It’s loud and perfect and drowns out everything else. A fresh wave of tears leaks from Eddie’s eyes, too sudden and too much for him to stifle it.

[lumenflowered]

Pelipper mail! A nightmare that isn't yours. For its original dreamer, it was always painfully reoccurring, especially in her youth.

Your duty, your burden, feels too big for your own body. You are nine years old again, with the weight of the world lying right on top of your shoulders, again, without even the decency to wait till you grow a little older, a little stronger, so that maybe everything won't seem so bad through a grown-up's eyes.

"Hello, Princess Zelda!"

You snap out of your daze and look up at the voice's owner— a boy of nobility, accompanied by five or six of his peers. The duke's boy. You know his name is Imos, and he is eleven years old.

"Lovely weather today, isn't it?" Imos says loftily. "But it might rain."

Your face does not shift, and you level a blank gaze with him. "And?"

"Perhaps you ought to return to your study and… what was it? Awaken that sacred power that's going to save us all from certain doom?" The other boys and girls hide shrill giggles behind their hands. You don't mean to curl your fist (it is very unbecoming, after all), but then your nails dig into your palms anyway.

"Look at her," the baron's son shouts with glee. "She couldn't tell a cucco apart from a heron if she tried."

That embarrassing memory floods your mind and your face goes a bit pink.

The count's daughter waves him down. "Oh, spare her! She fails at everything, even the bare minimum!"

"Did you hear she was caught sneaking into the library by her father?"

"Did you hear she got sick from her last fountain trip 'cause the Goddess thinks she's so stupid?"

"Did you hear that his Majesty confiscated all her books because she couldn't stop reading them?"

"Eugh, what kind of princess likes to read so much?"

"Only lunatics with thick-wired spectacles do that!"

"Did you hear that in the past three years, she's done nothing at all?"

"Yeah, except become a booky freak!"

On and on the children go and erupt into high-pitched laughter, and rage and shame constricts around your throat— the kind of tightness that makes you want to explode into a million little pieces and somehow still scream at the same time. The kind that makes you want to disappear and not come back.

Tears prick at your burning eyes and you are just about to think, you are not going to cry in front of—

"Hey, your Highness," Imos says in a mocking tone, and he walks up to you, but his smile falls into a serious frown. "It's been however long and you don't exactly have forever to save all our asses. So you need to toughen up. Otherwise…" He shrugs, stepping back to rejoin his friends. "We'll see you on the other side of hell."

You feel your heart twist as they whoop and jeer. "Aww, look! Is the little princess gonna cryyyy?" the captain's son taunts. "Does the little princess want her muuum?"

The other children actually stop and gasp, and he clamps his mouth shut with a slightly guilty look. Before they all burst out laughing, again. Endless nightmare. Blurry, leering faces you cannot discern. Endless, endless laughter.

"Are you going to cry for your mum, Zelda?"

"Put a little doggy treat that says 'Queen of Hyrule' on a stick so Zelda will jump after it like a pet!"

"Mother won't save you now, princess!"

"And your daddy thinks you're a failure!"

You can't stop the tears. You can't stop. And then you're curled on the ground gasping for air like a dying fish and crying for your father who would never come for a failure like you and you just want someone to hear you and to just hold you and it won't stop it won't stop it won't

"I just want my mother," you wail, and their laughter sounds like screaming. "I just…"

and pain will never fucking stop, least of all for you

That i s...

...Children do always know how to be the cruelest. Those of nobility especially; they had many examples to learn from, after all. I suppose that does not vary as much as I thought (or perhaps hoped) it did between worlds.

Zelda, if you happen to be reading this, I am sorry you had to deal with anything approaching... this.

(Urbosa or Link, if you happen to be reading this, would you mind giving Zelda a hug for me?)

[ali-anne-undertale-stoof]

Chapter 10 is now on AO3 and Tumblr! This time, Papyrus takes a journey through what he deems to be the worst place in the underground: Hotland!

Second Half

Chapter 10: Things Are Getting Heated

There's nothing like a quiet day on the couch with your best friend. Well, your brother, but he's also your best friend!

For the fourth time in a row, Papyrus closed and reopened the Undernet app, waiting for something, anything to change. And like the last three times, nothing happened. No new likes, no new followers. It was just the same. One might wonder what he was even doing it for.

Sans, on the other hand, was hastily scrolling through Alphys' Undernet account. He wouldn't call it stalking or anything. He was just looking through her posts to get to know her more. After all, it was only yesterday when they first met. Might as well do a bit of research about her before he saw her again.

Neither brother spoke, but they enjoyed each other's company nonetheless.

"hey, i have a gig at the resort tonight."

I SAID NEITHER BROTHER SPOKE.

"WAIT, WHAT?!"

"yeah, it's a comedy gig. i'm performing stand-up there."

Papyrus' eye sockets sparkled with ecstasy and pride for his brother.

"YOU???"

"yeah."

"SERIOUSLY??!!!??"

"seriously."

He couldn't help a huge grin. "OH MY GOD!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!" He opened his arms to hug Sans, but then sibling instinct suddenly kicked in. "A COMEDY GIG? WITH YOUR TERRIBLE JOKES?!"

"hey, they're not that..." Sans pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket and rips it apart. "tearable."

"SANS!!!"

"what? you're smiling."

"IT'S A PITY SMILE!!! THAT PUN WAS UNBEARABLE!!!"

"don'tcha mean punbearable?"

Papyrus flopped backwards dramatically and elicited a sound that was somewhere between a squawk and a dying cat.

"what was that?"

"MY SECOND DEATH."

Sans snickered under his breath. Good. At least he's happy, thought Papyrus, straightening his spine and cracking every single vertebrae as he does it.

"what are you, an old man?"

"I MIGHT AS WELL BE!!! I FEEL LIKE I AGED 160 YEARS!!!!"

There was that sound again. The sound of Sans' quiet yet hearty laughter. The type of laugh that makes one keel over and clutch their stomach... or ribcage in this case.

What was The Great Papyrus doing, smiling like that? He's supposed to be annoyed at his brother's bad jokes, no? Oh, well. At least now he's putting them to good use. Excitement welled up inside of Papyrus' ribs once more.

Sans wiped a tear from his eye sockets as his laughs finally quiet down. "say, are you gonna watch me tonight? maybe heckle me on stage?"

Papyrus scoffed and crossed his arms, turning away like he still had some semblance of dignity. "AS IF I WAS GOING TO MISS IT, BROTHER!!! AFTER ALL, DESPITE MY GENERAL DISDAIN AT YOUR JOKES, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM PROUD OF YOU." Just to prove that point, Papyrus pet Sans' head. Hands and skulls! They were made for each other!

The littler skeleton couldn't be more grateful. "heh, thanks. for coming, i mean. but, uh, i'm grateful for the pats too."

He's definitely going to need Papyrus' support. After all, this is a big gig! He's going to perform stand up in front of dozens of people... in a big, fancy restaurant... not a casual setting... so many rich people in one place... looking at him... staring at him... being in the spotlight... telling jokes... for ten minutes...

A bead of sweat formed on Sans' forehead. Does he really want to go through with this? He does need the money... Why is the room hot all of a sudden?

He's so so glad Papyrus is coming.

"UM, SANS? SANS??? HEY!!" Like any good brother, Papyrus proceeded to grab Sans' attention by shaking him like a maraca!

Well, that snapped him out of it. "huh? oh..."

"WHAT? YOU WERE SHAKING! SO, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HELPED YOU OUT WITH MORE SHAKING!"

"yup, fight shaking with shaking, heh."

A thought popped into Sans' mind.

"say, you know where the resort is, right?"

The unsure scoff from Papyrus told Sans everything he needed to know.

"it's in hotland. you know, just before the core?"

Now it was Papyrus' turn to freeze.

"HOTLAND? SERIOUSLY?"

"yeah. i'd guide you, but i have to leave early tonight. you sure you know where you're goin'?"

Papyrus sure did like to scoff. "OF COURSE I DO!!! I AM A MASTER OF DIRECTION!!! AND MY SURROUNDINGS, UNLIKE A CERTAIN BROTHER I KNOW!!! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH... HEH."

"riiiiiight."

"YEAH!!! RIGHT!!!" Papyrus let silence fill the room for half a second. "BUT JUST IN CASE, IS IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE THE RIVER MAN THERE? RIVER LADY? RIVER PERSON?"

"as far as i know, the river only takes you to the entrance of hotland." Sans let himself sink into the couch cushions, flipping his phone like it's some kind of fidget toy. "if you go any further, you can reach the core, but at the same time, it'll just take you straight into lava."

A burst of rattling erupted from the taller skeleton's bones. And not just because of the vivid mental image of seeing himself drown in lava.

"WELL... I CAN HANDLE HOTLAND!!!"

"just like you can handle rice pudding."

"EWW, SANS!!! DON'T START!!! I SWEAR ON EVERYTHING GOOD, I WILL BE THERE FOR YOU!!!! EVEN IF I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE LITERAL SIMULATION OF HELL TO DO IT!!! ACTUALLY, NO!!!!! I WON'T EVEN HESITATE!!! I'LL GO THROUGH THE SIMULATION OF HELL A BILLION TRILLION TIMES JUST TO BE THERE!!!! WAIT AND SEE!!!! WAIT!!! AND!!! SEE!!!"

"alright, alright, i believe ya!" Sans laughed. "thanks."

"DON'T MENTION IT!!"

The time has come. Papyrus' quest to watch his brother is underway! Thanks to the river person, Papyrus' journey was a breeze at first. Straight of of Snowdin, all the way across Waterfall, and finally, straight into Hotland.

This is it. THIS. IS. IT. He can do this. He can do this.

He can't do this.

Were the lights really that bright before? Was the heat really that much? Sure, skeletons are very resistant to temperatures, but despite not being able to feel the heat, bones get dehydrated in extreme temperatures. That's why Papyrus carried three large water bottles in his... nonexistent pocket??? The void??? Something like that.

He might as well just carry one around now. But when he pulled it out, the water quickly evaporated.

...

"YEAH... NO. I'M TAKING THE ELEVATOR. SCREW THIS."

Smart plan. Papyrus will just be there early. What? Giving up already? No way! He's just... taking a shortcut! Much like Sans does! Oh god, he's becoming Sans. Noooooo!

The good news was, fate was always there to make sure that Papyrus didn't become like Sans. The bad news was, it did it by making sure that the elevator was out of use, forcing Papyrus to go through Hotland anyway.

"OH, WELL, WOW!!!" Papyrus said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "WELL, I GUESS FATE HAS DECIDED FOR ME! I WON'T TAKE A LAZY SHORTCUT TODAY!"

With that, Papyrus marched back to where he was dropped off. Just before the river, however, he took a sharp turn to the left, which left him facing a large building known as the lab.

"WOWIE!!!!! A REAL LAB!!!!! SANS WOULD LOVE THIS!!!!"

His eye sockets excitedly scanned every inch of the building. Wait, why was the patch of ground in front of the entrance a slightly different shade of orange to the rest of the ground? Aww, no, now it's ruined!!! Papyrus can't unsee that!!!

Nonetheless, he marched inside.

The lab itself was vacant, as it had been for years. There were still remnants of the precious occupant lying around, though. Files on the only desk, collecting dust. Books sat on the bookshelves up above, all filled with history and science and numbers and other stuff Papyrus didn't have time for... But there were also puzzles, which Papyrus could get behind!

This place was amazing! But... there was also this inherent emptiness to it. Looking at this place, Papyrus could almost see visions of what once was. Flickers of something... someone... that was lost to what seemed like time and space itself.

As he passed the desk, Papyrus could almost remember a moment. A tall skeleton and a little skeleton, the former lovingly teaching the latter everything he knew about physics, some of which were of the quantum kind.

He knew the little skeleton well. But the big skeleton... Something felt off about him. What happened to him? Where is he now?

Well, there was no time to dwell on it. Papyrus had a performance to watch!

Warning: Puzzles are in beta right now. Some may still be activated. If any of them are activated, please speak with King Dreemurr, and he will get it all sorted out.

That's what the big red sign outside of the lab said. Papyrus wondered if conveyor belts counted as puzzles. They weren't very creative puzzles. But this is HOTLAND! The most technologically-advanced part of the underground! Surely there's got to be SOME creativity here!

"MY MY!!! IT SEEMS THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS TRIALS TO COMPLETE!! NO MATTER!!! I AM THE MASTER OF PUZZLES!!!! I KNOW PUZZLE HISTORY FRONT TO BACK!!!"

Oh, yeah, because NOTHING says "cool" like a skeleton standing on the conveyor belts, bragging to himself.

"I GRADUATED TOP OF MY CLASS IN PUZZLE-OLOGY!!! YES, PUZZLE-OLOGY!!! IT'S A COMPLETELY REAL THING AND DEFINITELY NOT MADE UP!!!! I DEFINITELY GRADUATED FROM SCHOOL!!! I DID THE THING WHERE YOU GET THE SCROLL AND CAP AND YOU THROW THE CAP IN THE AIR WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS!!! FRIENDS I DEFINITELY HAVE!!!!"

This wasn't sad at all.

Nonetheless, Papyrus couldn't wait to see the puzzles. Despite his animosity for Hotland's intense heat, he's sure the puzzles will... Oh.

"WAIT, WHERE ARE THE PUZZLES? THIS IS JUST A BUNCH OF AIR VENTS!!!! WHERE'S THE PASSION?!?! THE CULTURE?!?! THE SOPHISTICATION?!?!" Papyrus vented to himself. Calmly. "GAHH!!! THE THINGS I HAVE TO DO FOR THE SAKE OF BROTHERDOM. HOOD!!! BROTHERHOOD."

Heaving a heavy sigh, Papyrus reluctantly stepped onto the air vent, then had the reasonable fear response anyone would have if they had to step on those things while there's an ocean of magma just underneath them.

"AAAAAAGGGHGJGJJGJFHF?!?!!!!"

Luckily, Papyrus did NOT fall into an ocean of magma. Instead, he faceplanted on the next platform, his scarf doing a great job at covering his shame.

If one listened closely, they could hear a disgruntled skeleton groaning into the strange mixture of rocks and dry dirt he just splatted on.

"I'M SO GLAD I DON'T LIVE IN HOTLAND."

"WELL, THIS IS QUITE THE PREDICAMENT!"

Papyrus tapped his (presumably "chiselled") chin in thought, trying to bypass this inconveniently locked door. He knew there was an air vent back there, but he didn't feel like risking his life by letting it launch him over a pit of magma. That's just not responsible. None of these puzzles were responsible!

So with that option out of the way... The next step would obviously require some responsible property damage!

"ALRIGHT, DOOR!" The skeleton took a battle stance, summoning his regular bone attacks as if he was ready for a fight. Which, in a way, he was. He even summoned a giant bone the size of a wizard staff, like the ones you see in fantasy movies. Except this staff was just a giant magic bone as opposed to a cool stick with gems all over it. "LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN MATCH MY MAGICAL PROWESS!!!! BONE ATTACKS!!!! CHARGE!!!!"

With that battle cry, the self-proclaimed warrior threw everything he had at the giant, reinforced stone door. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to budge.

Papyrus huffed and puffed, but he didn't give up. He started making wild gestures and posed dramatically, while the door stood tall and strong. "I SEE... A WORTHY OPPONENT. WELL, YOU PICKED THE WRONG BATTLE, DOOR!!! I ASSUME YOUR NAME IS... DORY!!! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE NEVER BEEN DEFEATED IN DOOR BATTLING, DORY!!! AND I NEVER WILL!!! HERE COMES MY MEGA ATTACK!!!! NYEEEEHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

With an even fiercer battle cry, Papyrus took his bone baton and swung it at the door!

The bone snapped in half. And one half flew into the lava.

"CURSES!!!!" Frustrated, the inconvenienced skeleton decided to try and kick the door instead. He's pretty sure he heard one of his phalanges crack as he did so.

He cried again, but this time it wasn't a battle cry. It was the cry of a very hurt skeleton, clutching his foot and lying on the floor, as if it was the most painful injury he has ever had in his life. It was not.

"OWWWWWW!!!! OWOWOWOWOWOWWWWW..." After the big baby was done bawling his inexplicable googly eyes out, he got on one knee and put a fist to his chest, facing away from the door and shedding a single tear. "YOU... DEFEATED ME... DORY..."

...

And of course he snapped back not even a moment later.

"WELL, TIME TO TRY OUT THAT PUZZLE NOW!" He marched towards the air vent like he DIDN'T just attempt destruction of public property.

...Yeah. No. Papyrus wasn't going to trust an air vent. If you have to get somewhere, you have to do it yourself! And luckily, the sly skeleton had a trick up his sleeve!

He took a big leap across the gap, almost as if he just took flight.

"HUH. WONDER WHY I DIDN'T DO THAT BEFORE." Papyrus pondered as he purposefully approached the lever puzzle on the other side. Sitting next to it is what appeared to be a very miserable Vulkin, sat on the ground beside in the troubled fetal position.

"OH!!! HELLO, LITTLE GUY!!! AREN'T YOU GOING TO COMPLETE THE PUZZLE?"

"No..." The childlike Vulkin whimpered. "I don't knows how."

"WELL, THAT'S A SHAME..." After a moment of thought, Papyrus perked up a kind smile towards the Vulkin. "WELL, LUCKY FOR YOU, YOU'RE IN THE PRESENCE OF A PUZZLE MASTER!!! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM AN EXPERT AT PUZZLES, AND I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TEACH YOU THE ROPES!!!!"

"Reallys?"

"WHY, OF COURSE!!!" Like the heroic figure he is, Papyrus posed and let his scarf flap in the... wind? "IT'S LIKE TEACHING A MAN TO FISH!!!! IF YOU TEACH A FISH TO MAN... NO, MAN TO FISH FOR A DAY... WAIT... THAT'S NOT HOW THE- WELL MY POINT STILL STANDS!!! COME ON, LET'S FIGURE THIS PUZZLE OUT TOGETHER!"

He held his hand out. "I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

After a moment's hesitation, Vulkin took his hand with a grateful smile. Side by side, the duo tried every lever combination, until they finally heard a clicking sound!

The sound of Dora's ultimate defeat!

"AHA!!! YOU SEE?! NO DOOR STANDS IN THE WAY OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!"

"Wows! I can't believe you dids it! Vulkin must thank you!"

"OH, PLEASE, DON'T MENTION IT TOO MUCH!" Papyrus puts a hand to his chest, "humble" as ever. "I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT ALONE, AFTER ALL!" He knew he totally could have, but he wanted to make Vulkin feel special. After all, part of being a good teacher is applying positive reinforcement to students who have done a good job.

"Still! You taught me so much! In return, Vulkin will supply you with health!"

"HEALTH?"

What happened next was quite a turn. The tiny volcano monster, excited as ever, start spawning in bullets that definitely, absolutely, did not look GREEN!

Papyrus' eyes bulge out of his eye sockets. He doesn't have time to spar!

"OH, WOWIE... UM, SORRY, VULKIN, BUT I CANNOT KEEP MY BROTHER WAITING!!! I'LL SPAR WITH YOU ANOTHER TIME!!!!"

"Waits!"

It was too late. Papyrus was already booking it through Dory. He didn't even have time to brag about how he faked the door out and ensured his own victory!

Luckily, the bullets could only go so far before they disintegrated completely.

Further along the path, Papyrus found that it's blocked by a myriad of lasers. The lasers were only two colours.

The blue lasers were consistently sliding up and down the path. It was almost mesmerising to Papyrus, really. He knew what blue lasers meant. He vaguely remembered Sans teaching him what blue attacks do back when they started developing their own magic in Fourth Year.

Blue stop signs. When you see a stop sign, you stop, so imagine blue stop signs.

Sans always had the strangest analogies.

Although, those still orange lasers are new to Papyrus. What were they even for?

"HMM... HOW ODD. IT APPEARS THAT A NEW CHALLENGER HAS APPEARED. HMM..."

...

"I'M GOING TO EAT IT!!!!"

Papyrus quickly learned that lasers aren't edible, just like how lamps aren't edible!

617/680 HP

He attempted to eat all of the orange lasers with the exact same result.

Luckily, Papyrus eventually caught onto the orange lasers' real function of only hitting those that stay still!

609/680 HP

Eventually.

"THANK GOD I DON'T LIVE IN HOTLAND!"

He really wished that Vulkin actually knew how green bullets work.

"STUPID LASERS, STUPID DORY, STUPID LAB VISION THING, STUPID STUPID STU- WAIT... DOTH MY EYES DECEIVE ME?! WELL, YES, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY EYES, BUT OH MY GOD!!!!!"

The elated skeleton proceeded to put his hands on his goofy face and wipe his feet all over the rocky dirt, for the sole reason that there is an elevator! Finally, he can skip everything and go straight to the comedy show!

"HECK NYEH! HECK NYEH! HECK NYEH! HECK NYEH! HECK NYEH!" Papyrus chanted as he stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button that would take him to the third floor. Now, all he had to do was wait and wipe his boots on the metal ground some more.

"ELE-VATE! EVE-VATE! EVE-VATE!"

The elevator began elevating.

"EVE-VATE!!! EVE-FATE FASTER!!!"

Clang! Click! Rumble! The elevator shook just under Papyrus' feet. Startled, the skeleton gripped onto the handrails as hard as he can, half-collapsed against the wall.

"WHAT THE- HEY!!! IS THE ELEVATOR SICK OR SOMETHING? DO YOU NEED A COUGH DROP?"

Silence. The elevator door opened.

"OH. UM... WELL, I HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER SOON!" Stepping out of the elevator, Papyrus turned the corner, expecting a glowing resort. Instead, all he found even more ridiculous puzzles.

"GODDAMMIT!!!!!" The unlucky skeleton stomped on the ground in disbelief, before turning back to the elevator, only to spot yet another inconveniently placed sign.

Our sincerest apologies, but the elevator can only move between two floors right now. We will make sure it's up and running very soon!

One might wonder how a skeleton's eye sockets can twitch. The answer was magic.

"I HATE HOTLAND!!!!!" The frustrated monster kicked up the pebbles in the sand and dirt, only to somehow get some caught in his eye socket. "AAAAAAAAAA-"

The entirety of the second floor was a mess. They made mazes out of AIR VENTS, for goodness sake! AIR VENTS!

"THE BEST PUZZLES ALWAYS HAVE SOME SORT OF... UGH, FIRE INVOLVED!" Papyrus ranted once again, opting out of using the air vents and just jumping all over the mazes. It's definitely more efficient than actually doing them, despite being a puzzle enthusiast himself. "OR SPIKES!!! THE BEST PUZZLES ALWAYS HAVE SPIKES!!! THEY'RE MEANT TO... ARGH, TRAIN YOUR MIND!!! TO TEST YOUR SKILLS!!! HECK, EVEN SOME PHYSICAL PROWESS... NGNGNGH!!! IS ALWAYS INVOLVED IN SOME CAPACITY!!!! THEY ARE PROFICIENT!!! AND VERY CHILD-FRIENDLY!!!! CHILDREN, GRR, LOVE SPIKES!!!! AND FLAMES!!!! I LOVED SPIKES AND FLAMES!!!! I STILL DO!!!!"

Another grunt and he officially leapt over the vent maze. Thank goodness!

...Wait, this was the wrong way.

"AAARRRGGHH, THE ENTIRETY OF HOTLAND IS A MAZE!!!!"

With an overdramatic stomp (that made dust fly into his mouth, gross), Papyrus turned back and decided to just take the conveyor.

The conveyor propelled Papyrus towards an air vent.

"WHAT?!"

The air vent propelled Papyrus back to the conveyor.

"THE?!"

The conveyor propelled Papyrus back to the air vent.

"HEY!!!'

The air vent propelled Papyrus back to the conveyor.

"STOP!!!"

The conveyor propelled Papyrus back to-

"WHO DESIGNED THIS?!?!"

The air vent propelled Papyrus back to-

"I'M SO GLAD I DON'T LIVE IN HOTLAND!!!!!"

Finally! A clear area!

Oddly exhausted for such a hyperactive skeleton, Papyrus took the opportunity to sit on the pavement and try to enjoy the view to the best of his ability, while rocking back and forth.

Back... forth... back... forth...

The action soothed Papyrus, along with the act of rubbing his hands together like a reptilian monster in Snowdin that's trying to stay warm. Never in a million years would Papyrus admit it, but he really needed a break.

Will this make him late for Sans' performance? Maybe not. He still had plenty of time, after all. Besides, Papyrus knew deep down that he will feel terrible if he missed Sans' performance. However, he also knew that if anyone will understand why he's hypothetically late, it's Sans. It doesn't make Papyrus feel any better, though.

The CORE could be seen from where Papyrus was sitting. It's practically in front of his face, albeit at a distance. He doesn't know why, but something about it just feels... familiar to him. It's the same thing as the lab. That weird... deja-vu feeling. That feeling where something, or someone, was missing.

No matter what Papyrus tried, however, his memory always failed him. It's like something was trying to keep him from remembering anything. His childhood was blurry at best. He vaguely remembered... green grass... and trees... and Sans.

What is with Hotland and triggering this kind of feeling? Papyrus scowled at the ground and tried to shake it off. After all, he has a brother to get to.

No more time for dilly-dally! The Great Papyrus cannot be late!

[sugaroto]

Hazbin hotel x ouk crossover

I haven't thought this much, I just thought how some characters exist in both but my only example is Saint Peter

Ok wait, imagine Menippos, dying, and going to hell and he goes to the hotel to go to heaven-

Wait would that work? Gabriel kicked him out lots of times cause he's not a Christian

Well anyway maybe he went cause the rent is free(?) According to Angel at the pilot at least

Hermes and Charon went cause they missed their vacation boat and well its a hotel so it looks like vacation

Charon: this reminds me of home 🥰

Hermes: This shithole is nothing like the underworld

Ch: What would you know you didn't live there

H: oh yeah? Who was bringing the souls daily huh?! Χαραμισα τα νιάτα μου να πηγαίνοερχομαι σε αυτό το αχουρι

... Also he is the kind of person to try to make money out of some shady business so he could become an overlord by bullshiting around and getting souls

And then Charon ruins it stupidly

Oh also he probably goes on a journey to find his soul

BUT before that Alastor tries to make a deal with him for whatever reason not knowing Charon doesn't have a soul, so now whatever the deal was Charon wins and Alastor gets nothing in return

Maybe Charon, sad, tries to copy Hermes and buy some souls as well, "I don't even have a soul, why does he gets to have 25?" But he's pretty pathetic so no one want to sell their souls to him

Also, I feel like Cherri is his type, maybe he tries to flirt with her and she laughs at him

He then tries to take her soul (hey cherri would you give me your soul? I don't have one😭😭😭) but Cherri is smarter than him and he's desperate so it's like a deal that benefits Cherri like, bring me breakfast in bed and do whatever I say and when I want you give me my soul back and Charon is like ok

YAY I HAVE A SOUL GUYS GUESS WHAT I HAVE A SOUL I HAVE A SOUL

The guys call him stupid

Vaggie absolutely hates Menippos

At the start Nifty thinks the dark ripper is a bad guy and tries to get with him

She kicks him when she realizes he isn't

"Ouch! Why did I say ouch I dont feel pain" (he doesn't have muscles or something idk what he needs to feel pain)

It takes a moment for nifty to realize the bad guy is Hermes cause he looks good with his godly appearance or something

Menippos realized Angel dust is a porn star and tries to flirt with him thinking he's a girl and then starts questioning his sexuality when he realizes he's a guy

Hermes fancies Alastor cause he looks like a goat

When they realize what the hotel really is about and whats going on with heaven and hell one of them implies to bother Gabriel about it

And they text him on those I-gios(or what they were called) phones "can u let ppl in hvn??"

And he comes down cause that's how the phones work like "What the-... I mean, what does that mean?"

"ALSO WHY ARE YOU STILL BOTHERING ME HES DEAD AND YOURE STILL BOTHERING ME😭😭"

Gabriel didn't know about the extermination cause hes from a different universe and there's lot of paperwork so he's not sure how to get sinners into heaven but the more the better

This was not actually supposed to be a whole post, I just wanted to throw the peters in here yell crossover and leave, I suddenly had inspiration

[braveclementine]

Chapter 1

Warnings: None, Readers under 18 can read this book. It is solely fluff- nothing sexual

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

.💚💚.

Dear Harry, Answer your letters damnit Love, Elizabeth

I attached the note to Sadie's leg and sent her off out the window. He wouldn't answer, I knew that. I just kept sending letters, hoping that eventually he'd see Sadie outside his window, and get the hint. I knew Hedwig was locked up in her cage and he couldn't write back. I also knew that someone was stealing his letters. But if he at least saw my owl, then maybe he would remember that he did have friends.

Once Sadie was gone, I wrote a much longer letter to Hermione, the only one who knew, how I knew, why Harry wasn't writing back.

Dear Hermione, Harry still can't answer his letters. For one thing, his Uncle padlocked Hedwig in her cage. I feel bad for both of them. For another thing, someone keeps taking his letters so he doesn't even know we're writing to him. I'm not sure if it's one of his relatives, or something/someone else. I feel terrible. He thinks we're not his friends! But, I suspect Ron will go and get him eventually. By the way, Ron asked me to go and stay with him, I imagine he also invited you and Harry? Are you going? I suspect you're not- at least I'm not seeing you going- but I suppose that could change. I'll keep you updated when I see something- or if I see something interesting for that matter. Love, Elizabeth

I sighed, setting that aside to dry. I pulled over Ron's letter which had arrived earlier that day.

Elizabeth, I said I'd invite you, Hermione, and Harry to stay at my house. I can't get through to Harry at all though! You had any luck? Oh and you can come to my house if you want! Just send a letter my way. Ron

I pulled out a blank piece of parchment, not sure of what to say. It'd be great to go and spend time with the Weasley family, but without Hermione there, I wasn't sure I wanted to go. Ron wasn't really my friend as much as Harry and Hermione were. . . Although, there was the plus side of seeing Fred. . .

The doorbell rang and I set aside my ink and quill. I preferred pens, but when corresponding with wizards and witches, I used my magical items. I ran down the stairs and opened the door.

"Hey Elizabeth!" Trang said, standing there. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." I said, opening the door and letting her through. I led her to the tiny kitchen of the house. "How are you doing?"

"Great!" She said happily.

"How was France?"

She launched into all the details of France and everything she had done there. I listened, a little envious though I tried to push that emotion away.

Hi. My name is Elizabeth Kane Potter. I'm the twin sister of Harry Potter. No one knows I exist, my parents kept me a secret. While this is the case, my adopted father- werewolf Remus Lupin- knows my true identity and also the only person alive to know. (Besides Sirius Black). I don't look much like my brother, I look more like my mum (so Lupin says. Personally, I think I look more like Lupin). I also receive visions of the future that sometimes- always- come true, depending on the actions of other people.

But anyways. . .

"So what about you?" Trang asked, catching her breath after recounting a tale about the ocean shores in France. "Have you done anything exciting? And how was school?"

Trang was my Muggle friend, meaning that she wasn't a witch. And of course, she had no idea where I had gone to school or that I wasn't learning maths or science. That didn't stop me though. Summer and Christmas breaks I would set aside my wizarding studies and start on my Muggle ones.

Trang was incredibly bright- like me if I may be so humble. She had long black hair that she dyed ombre in either gold or silver-blue colors. It suited her, though I usually preferred the gold. She wore glasses most of the time, giving her face a round image. She had bright brown eyes and dressed rather stylishly. She was taller than me by a few inches and beautiful.

"Nah, I haven't really done anything except pick my job back up." I said, twirling a pen in my hand. Not to mention I was grounded for a night escapade at school where I stopped Voldemort from stealing the Sorcerer's stone. But Trang didn't need to know about that. "School was slow but it was all easy."

Trang nodded. "Of course, school in America is a bit different than here in Britain. Their history especially. I had to study extra hard since I didn't grow up knowing any American history."

"American history is probably very fascinating." I said, continuing to twirl the pen in my fingers like a baton. "I'd love to learn it."

"Well you only have one more year of middle school and then you're going into a trade school, right?" Trang asked.

"Maybe." I said slowly deftly sweeping my long brown hair over my shoulder. "I haven't given it much thought."

"Do you know what trade schools you want to go into?" Trang asked, sounding incredulous.

"I haven't given it much thought." I repeated, amused.

Trang rolled her eyes, grabbing the pen from my hand. I glared at her. "If you had to go to a trade school or gymnasium today, which one would you go to?"

I sighed, snatching my pen back, and continuing to spin it in my hand. "Yeesh, I guess something that would help me for a medical program. I don't know. I was thinking about American college instead."

Trang's eyes lit up, "You're kidding? Maybe we could got to the same college!"

I shook my head, being legitimately serious about the subject- or as serious as I would be if magical school didn't exist. "I don't know. They certainly have a better school system." I sighed, leaning back in my chair, "And American hospitals have better pay."

Trang nodded, more serious now. "That is true. The downside of American hospitals though, is that they are open 24-7 so you may work longer hours. Here, the hospitals are only open 9-5."

I shook my head. "That's the downside of European hospitals. Imagine having a heart attack at two in the morning in American vs. Europe. Which country are you more likely to get care at? The one that's open or the one that's closed?"

"Huh, you know, I never thought of it like that" Trang answered thoughtfully, pushing her glasses up on her nose. That seemed to remind her of something because she peered at me for a second and then asked, "Where are your glasses?"

I blushed. "I don't wear them anymore unless I really have to. They were for reading anyways so I didn't have to wear them all the time before. Now, I only wear them if I have to."

Plus, I didn't like how they made my cheeks look fat. Since meeting Fred, I had a very self-conscious body image. I was only seventy-two pounds and very skinny- but still! I had to keep an image. Round glasses make a round face. Though admittedly, being only twelve years old didn't help me look any older. But maybe it would make me prettier.

Trang nodded, "Makes sense."

Our conversations were always intelligent ones, like the "hospital-hour conversation". Trang rarely showed interest in anything that wasn't politics, maths, science, or history. Though she did take out subscriptions to a few magazines, we both had particular cartoons that we fancied and liked to talk about. Sometimes music too, our tastes were very similar; though she'd branched out since she'd gone to America.

We sat in silence for a moment. I was itching to go upstairs and finish my last wizarding assignment before working on my Muggle work. It was for Potions, the subject I'd left for last, and it was about the side effects of a strengthening potion if you took to much of a dosage than recommended for your body weight. I wished I could've talked to Trang about it, but I couldn't.

"Want to go to a café and get something to eat?" Trang asked, looking around the house. "Well, just a malt anyways."

I pushed the thought of homework aside with the mention of dessert. "Absolutely, I just got to go and get some money."

"Sure, I'll wait for you outside." Trang said, standing up, putting her hands in her skirt pockets. "Be quick though. It's always better to get there at four."

I ran up the stairs, looking at how messy my bedroom had become. Wizarding and Muggle textbooks were thrown on the bed and floor. Multiple quills were in different cups on my desk. Pieces of parchment with all my homework lay on the floor under the window, drying. Being grounded hadn't given me a lot of room to roam, so I'd pretty much started living up here when I wasn't a work.

Luckily, my sentence had ended two weeks ago. Also, now that I'd unlocked my Gingotts vault, I actually had my own allowance, which meant I didn't have to feel bad about asking Dad for money or having to pay Trang back for a simple malt or shake.

I quickly grabbed my leather purse, checking to make sure there was money in it. Muggle money, at least. I was in luck, I had about £25. I also put in my wand, under an eye cloth in case of emergency. It was a rule since becoming a student at Hogwarts- don't go anywhere without your wand.

I checked myself in the mirror. I was wearing a blue blouse, a large blue ribbon decorating the front of it by my neck, and a white skirt that ended at my knees. I pulled my hair back into a long ponytail, adding a blue ribbon in it. Then I slung my purse across my body and ran back downstairs.

I locked the door behind me, joining Trang on the sidewalk.

We rode our bikes into town, stopping at a pop shop. It was freezing inside, even for the summer. It was the kind of malt shop that hadn't exited the old days yet. The waitresses still wore poodle skirts, the floor was checkered black and white, the counters were metal, red barstools, red booths to sit in, low-hanging white lights above the plastic tables, large glass windows. We ordered two vanilla shakes, red licorice, and chocolate.

We sat outside a table, drinking our shakes. The candy we were eating now got us talking about the candy we sent each other for Christmas the past year.

"I was shocked that the sugar quills were actually for eating." Trang said, unwrapping a chocolate with Carmel filling. "They looked so realistic."

"Did you try writing with it?" I asked, amused, before taking a bite from the red licorice string.

"No, I didn't want to ruin the chocolate nub with ink!" Trang exclaimed, laughing. "What about you?"

I thought about all the candy she'd sent me. There was a lot to sort through. "I loved the pop rocks." I finally said. "I think they were my favorite along with the warheads. Although, it should be noted that one should only eat a warhead at a time because more than one makes a hole in your tongue. I'm also speaking from experience."

Trang giggled, looking delighted. "When I first had a pop rock, I thought I was going to be electrocuted!"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, also laughing. "That's what I thought too!"

We headed home around dinner time, Trang coming with me.

I made mac and cheese. We waited for dad to come home before we ate. Meanwhile, Trang boiled water for tea. She sorted through the assortment of tea boxes we had in the cupboard. "You do have proper English breakfast tea, don't you?"

I grinned, "Sure. But why not try the Watermelon Lime tea first? Taste better cold, especially as it's summer."

Trang raised a skeptical eyebrow.

I put down the spoon and told her to move aside. I sorted through the tea flavors: Cranberry Apple, Lemon, Raspberry, Red Zinger, Tangerine Orange, Watermelon Lime, Sangaria Zinger, Wild Berry, Sleepytime Honey, Sleepytime Mint, Chamomile, Green Tea, Mandarin Orange Spice, Cinnamon Apple Spice, Caramel Apple Dream, Honey Vanilla Chamomile, Black Tea, White tea, Herbal tea-

"Ah, here it is. English Breakfast tea." I said, finally finding the box in the back of the cupboard. Unlike the other boxes made by Celestial Seasonings, the box was bland looking (to me). The box was gray with a small cottage with dull green bushes. The other boxes were usually much more colourful, in bright reds, yellows, greens, and purples. But I suppose to some, gray is a relaxing colour, and English breakfast tea was fairly calming.

"Why do you have so many different types of tea?" Trang asked, looking overwhelmed at the boxes that had stacked up around our heads.

"Because I haven't tried all of them yet to find out which ones are my favorite." I said with a nonchalant shrug. "Besides, we're British and Dad loves tea. And I'm weird and don't like normal flavors."

Suddenly, before my eyes there was a strange creature with large green eyes, wearing a pillowcase. A house-elf. I blinked, and it was gone. Strange. Perhaps it had been a vision. Of course it had, what else could it have been?

The front door opened, announcing dad's arrival, and I started scooping mac and cheese out into bowls as quickly as possible.

Dad exchanged a tired look with me when he came in the room before greeting Trang. He hugged me, kissed my cheek, and said, "I'm gonna take this up to my room with me, okay sweetheart?"

"Are you okay?" I asked urgently under my breath so that Trang didn't hear my next sentence. "It's not even close to full moon."

"I know. I just need to think about some things, okay?" Dad said, picking up his bowl of mac and cheese.

I nodded and let him go. We had no secrets. If he was having to think about something, he'd probably been let go again. I gritted my teeth. Stupid bias.

Dad turned and stopped, looking at the boxes stacked up, "Tea party?" He asked with a bit of a smile.

I blushed. "Er- something like that."

He chuckled half-heartedly before leaving the room.

"Where's your dad going?" Trang asked in concern. Trang had grown up around him almost as much as I had grown up around her mother (her Dad was usually at work) so she could read him almost as easily as I could. Same with her mother- I could read her fairly easily.

"Sick. He's going to stay in his room." I said dully.

"Oh." Trang said. She looked at the wolf calendar we kept in the room. It was a joke between Dad and I; the wolves decorating the calendar.

I think she was distracting herself from the situation. Then, looking strangely puzzled, she went into the small dining room. We talked a bit while we ate, but we kept our voices down in case dad was trying to sleep. She left around eight and as I had nothing else to do, I washed the dishes, dried them, put them away, and then checked on my rabbit- Sushi.

He was the most adorable bunny you've ever seen. He had gray and white colouring, one ear pointed upwards, one laying flat. He was a lionlop which is a lionhead, English lop mix. Just pure adorableness in other words. He was so soft and fluffy. He also had complete run of the house, jumping up on the kitchen table when we were eating, trying to steal bits of our fruit or whatever we were eating. He liked peppermint tea- if it was cold- and would stick his nose into our tea if we weren't keeping a careful enough eye on him.

He also wasn't allowed upstairs, as Dad fretted he might fall down the stairs or one of us would trip over him one day. And for the most part, Sushi stayed on the bottom floor anyways. I put him in his cage at the moment, filling his water bowl with fresh water, and hay tray with more hay. I mixed in a few pieces of cilantro and made sure that some of his favorite chew toys were in the cage with him. I petted him a few times, feeling melancholy, then closed the cage door, and headed upstairs to my room.

I shut the door behind me. Sadie was back with a mouse. I stroked her head feathers. "Maybe Harry'll have gotten the letter this time." I said with a sigh.

I grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment and quickly wrote my last letter.

Dear Ron, I haven't heard from Harry. I think, knowing his family, he probably can't get our letters or if he is getting our letters, has no way of replying. I can't say yet on the idea of coming to your house. But I do reckon I might see you guys in Diagon Alley. Hermione said she'll send me a date. Take care and let me know if you happen to hear from Harry. Love, Elizabeth

I set that aside and tossed my books that were on my bed onto the floor. I shut off the light and crawled under the covers. "Night Sadie." I murmured. I rolled over and fell asleep.

⬅️➡️