#my social skills are really bad sorry

[agent-tempest]

Time, date and place love

Gold Rush.

Remus Lupin x fem!reader

"You keep a manual on how to turn down a girl?"

"Do you really want to talk about other girls on our date? I mean, I am fine with it if that's what you want, but it's rather uncommon topic for dates."

based on a request.

warnings- literally nothing, this is just pure fluff.

6,1k

author's note- no use of y/n. i kinda like this but also don't? but i definitely enjoyed writing this. english is not my first language so beware <3

The weather was warm, and the Sun was hugging you under its heat. A light breeze would caress your hair occasionally, reminding you that you were still laying on the grass.

You should move under the tree’s shadow, but there was just something too peaceful about laying down on the green, so close to the lake that wouldn’t let you move an inch.

Your eyes were closed, sun lightening the pitch black under your eyelids. Your ears were focused only on the plashings from the lake. Your senses were relaxed, letting the serene sensation take over. You were blissfully oblivious to your surroundings.

Unfortunately, you could only ignore everything till one point. You could ignore the blaring screams, but you couldn't ignore the brooms whooshing next to your ears.

Your eyes fluttered open, brows furrowing in discontent. You narrowed your eyes to adjust them to sunlight and propped up on your elbows.

"Do you ever stop, Potter?" you yelled at James, who was soaring high in the sky. You heard him laugh before disappearing mid-air.

"He doesn't," a distant but familiar voice said.

You turned at it, watching Remus walk to you. His frustratingly long stature towered over you, blocking the Sun.

You exhaled, readying yourself for another identical conversation with him that you both craved and despised.

"Lupin," you offered him a tiny smile. 

"May I?" he asked, but before you could reply he laid next to you. Sunlight gleamed in his amber eyes. Your smile grew as a counter to the irritation building up in your core.

"You already did."

"Is that a problem?" he asked with a sheepish smile, narrowing his eyes from the Sun.

It wasn't a problem with you; you enjoyed having Remus close. The problem was something entirely else that you abhorred to even think about. 

"I don't mind."

"What were you doing out here alone?"

You sat up and involuntarily stroked the grass, all while Remus watched you, laid down with one palm under his head. You were conscious of his gaze all of a sudden.

“I liked the weather today. So here I am,” you said, suppressing the urge to fix the skirt of your dress.

“You look nice,” he cleared his throat. You caught him glancing at your bare legs before averting his eyes to the lake. 

You hated the red rose blossoming in your chest after his mere compliment. You reminded yourself that you are not the only girl that dressed nice today.

“Thanks,” you said, not letting yourself dwell in racing thoughts., “What were you guys doing?”

“Nothing of importance. Sirius and James wanted to play Quidditch.”

You looked around, finding James and Sirius easily. They were loudly laughing and screaming at something in the sky.

“Where’s Pete–”

“With his girlfriend, I wager,” Remus cut you off, “I don’t know where he is actually. I just came here when I saw you were alone.”

You cursed at the butterfly in your stomach. He only put several words next to each other and here you were, chasing after your heart that took off the moment his voice mingled in the air. Still, you didn’t let his words stammer yours.

“Did you need something?”

Remus stared into your eyes. You stared back.. His eyes were screaming the words your ears were refusing to listen.

“Yeah, no,” he chuckled dryly, “Just wanted to see you.”

‘Why?’ you wanted to ask.

Sometimes you thought maybe you knew why; maybe the echo in your heart was right. But then you would notice how many other boys and girls also looked at him the way you did and you would listen to the echo in your mind instead.

You hummed and attempted to change the topic.

“Why are you guys in the school today? No Hogsmeade?”

“James and Sirius have detention,” Remus said, watching you observe the lake as if it was the most magnificent thing you had ever laid your eyes on.

“For what?”

“For blowing up all Slytherin students’ potions that were brewing.”

“Why would they even do that?” you laughed. A frog jumped out of the water.

“I think I heard them say they were bored.”

“And now you’re stuck here because of them.”

Remus shrugged.

“It’s alright. I like it here more.”

You turned your head at him, noticing him gazing at your face. 

You reminded yourself you shouldn’t let his intense gaze or implicit allusions confuse you.

He was Remus, “the Casanove of Gryffindor Tower”, Lupin.

Everybody wanted him. How could they not?

His soft, pink lips, perfect nose and messy brown hair were the first things that would alert the attention. His chestnut-coloured eyes with a fey glisten would emulate his whimsical smile, making it impossible to look away. The outworn jumpers would always compliment his hair, resulting in such a sight that a butterfly would slip right into your chest. Whenever he would chuckle, you would fight with the yen for smiling at the sound of his laugh.

And the scars. 

Your friends would sometimes say they were Remus’s only flaws, which you would scoff at. You adored his scars. You loved the way they contrasted with his perfection, yet still unable to outshine it. You loved the way they dazzled under the Sun and darkened under the shadow.

He was beautiful, unblemished and gorgeous. And you wanted him. 

You wanted him, but you were not the only one wanting him. 

So many other girls would stare at him in the hallways; some even would confess their feelings for him. Remus would turn them down kindly but would flirt his way out if needed. Thus, you never gave your thoughts and ardour enough power to befog your mind with hopes.

You didn’t guess why he would smile at you, dressing his words with a charm that would turn your heart upside down. You didn’t guess why he would flirt with you but would refuse to talk to you explicitly. You didn’t ask. You never reacted to his flirtatious words and smiles, refusing to acknowledge them. You simply convinced yourself that he was doing the same thing with everyone. Who wouldn’t if they had his charm?

“I like it here, too. It’s peaceful.”

He hummed and stretched out his unoccupied hand. You watched him get up on his feet, his hand still offering something to you. You accepted it. A daisy caressed the skin of your palm.

“Do you care for a walk, dove?

“Why so formal?” you chuckled as you took his hand, letting him help you to stand. The daisy was between your two fingers, twirling around.

“It makes up for my charm.”

“Ah yes,” you rolled your eyes,”your famous charm.”

“Famous? I wouldn’t say–”

“Oh, please, Remus. We know you’re enjoying the attention.”

Remus’s smirk put a smile on your lips, welcoming the same butterflies you shunned a few moments ago. 

“It does flatter me,” he said, “Why? Does it bother you?”

Oh, it did bother you.

It boiled your blood that you weren’t the only one whose skin was on fire from Remus’s touch. It annoyed you that you weren’t the only one infatuated with his smile. It irked you beyond comparison that you weren’t the only one getting flustered from his drawling but warm tone.

“Of course not,” you shook your head, straightening your back.

“That’s good. I wouldn’t want you to be bothered by me.”

“I am not,” you reassured, “except the times you’re reading your book loudly.”

You were not necessarily alone in this matter. Some days in the middle of your studies, you would get distracted by Remus’s voice, unable to comprehend any word on the pages.

“Library is for reading,” he shrugged, watching the twirling daisy between your fingers.

“Library is for reading silently.”

“I don’t scream, do I?”

He grinned at your scoff, stopping in his tracks.

“So, listen,” his smile ebbed a bit into something jittery. “I wanted to ask if you’d like to–”

“Remus!”

Your focus left Remus’s voice, changing direction to a feminine voice from a few steps away. 

“Here you are!” she said, smiling as wide as her mouth went. 

Lacey Green.

You’ve seen her multiple times next to Remus, smiling wide, stroking his arm or tilting her head as she was talking. She was an objectively attractive girl, successful in her studies and surely popular in her house, Hufflepuff.

But for some reason, you didn’t like her.

Maybe it was the way she would always beam, or maybe it was she would call Remus’s name. 

“Hey, Lacey,” Remus greeted her, visually disappointed at getting interrupted.

“Oh, were you busy?” she asked innocently after throwing you a mere glance.

You suppressed the urge to roll your eyes. You were there, weren’t you? It shouldn’t have been that hard to take a guess.

“I–” Remus looked at you for a moment, turning back to Lacey. “We were just talking.”

“Would it be all right if I borrowed him?” she asked you, smiling as she linked arms with Remus, almost ready to leave.

You arched a brow at Remus, ignoring the annoyance luring under your skin. He looked at you, clearly weighing his options.

“It won’t be long,” he said.

Lacey let out a small chuckle, dragging Remus away.

Remus didn’t come back that day.

Professor Slughorn could be a total menace sometimes. As if the five pages long essay weren’t enough, you needed to brew a potion. Fortunately, you managed to complete everything, albeit you were now sleep-deprived. 

Someone needed to tell this man that his subject was not the only subject being taught in Hogwarts.

“Don’t you look nice?” you heard your friend’s sarcastic tone as you sat beside him. 

“How do you even look decent?” you asked Tom, looking at his combed hair and perfect attire in awe. “You and I both did that homework together.”

“No. Your dumbass was up until five in the morning. I was dreaming about flying cats in my bed at that hour.”

You grunted, rubbing your temples to soothe the ache. "I hate potions."

"That makes two of us," Tom announced, making you wince at his tone. “If I don’t get a nice twenty points from this, I will start strangling professors in their sleep.”

"You're a bit loud, Tom."

"Button it. Your man is here."

You looked where Tom was pointing, observing a group of four boys entering the classroom. Your eyes found Remus almost immediately.

He was walking up to his partner– Lacey– while joking with his friends. His brown eyes caught yours, offering you a wide smile.

You merely nodded and turned back to Tom, who had an extremely mocking expression on his face.

"What?”

“You’re acting like you’re not going to giggle and blush just because he smiled at you,” he smirked. “You can’t fool me. I know you too well.”

When you rolled your eyes instead of giving Tom a reply, he continued.

“He still hasn’t approached you?”

“No. I bet on my last galleon that he’s probably forgotten about it.”

Tom made a noise in his throat to let you know he wasn’t appreciating Remus’s behaviour, either.

You didn’t mind that much; you were used to it. You were used to being the centre of Remus’s attention for a moment and being totally forgotten the next day. It was simply how it had been working for quite some time now.

It would be a lie to say it never bothered you because it did.

You hated how Remus would occasionally let you soar in the sky with joy, only to crush your wings afterwards. You were sure he wasn’t even aware of what he was doing. For him, you were simply another girl that fancied him.

You stopped the train of thoughts in your mind before they dived deep, focusing on the starting class. Focusing on the class instead of Lacey’s impossible-to-ignore laugh.

As much as you wanted to prevent Lacey and Remus’s dynamic partner relationship from getting into your head, under your skin and leaving a bitter taste in your mouth, your ears wouldn’t stop hearing.

Apparently, Remus had good humour. He must be given the noises arising from his desk.

And he had finished his potion yesterday, too. Lacey made sure the whole class knew that.

You were messing up with your potion; you knew that. And you did feel guilty that Tom was clearing up the mess you’ve been making, but you were tired. People needed to cut you some slack. 

You were half into the lesson when you felt shivers next to your ear.

“Psst.”

Remus’s warm breath hovered over your jawline as you refused to acknowledge him. How did he even get here?

“I have to ask you something.”

“Mr Lupin, what are you doing there?” Slughorn’s tone almost put a smile on your lips. Almost.

“I’m just borrowing some ingredients from this sweet lady.”

“Stop flirting and be quick then.”

You heard Remus’s ‘Yes, sir,’ and felt him nod before feeling his breath again.

“I don’t have any ingredients.”

“Didn’t ask, dove. I came here for something else.”

“You lied to a professor.”

“Will you come to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?”

Your heart dropped to the ground or maybe skipped a beat; you weren’t capable of telling the difference. Your mind let the words sink in before raising questions behind your eyes. 

“What?” you turned to Remus, stepping away from him, from an almost nonexistent distance.

“Will you come to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?” Remus raised his voice, thinking that you didn’t hear him well. His change in  tone attracted a few heads to the conversation.

“Why?”

Remus parted his lips, readying an answer for you. You watched him falter for a moment.

“Because I’d love you to?”

You winced at his explanation. “That’s not an answer.”

If it was some other time, you would smile at his confusion and ineptness. 

“I think it’s a good answer.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it is not!”

“Yes, it is, I want you to let me take you out on a date.”

“A date?!” you blurted out, eyes widening. 

You knew Remus could be awkward sometimes, but you didn’t guess he sucked at proper communication. 

You couldn’t even comprehend that your heart fastened or that your pupils dilated, or that your fingertips went cold. Your mind was rounding around the word ‘date’ out of Remus’s lips.

“Mr Lupin! Please take your flirtatious nature and get back to your desk!”

Remus nodded at the professor but didn’t budge, still waiting for your answer. You, on the other hand, were extremely conscious of the looks fixated on you by the students.

“Mr Lupin, I will not repeat myself!”

Remus sighed, raising his eyebrows at you before returning to his desk. You shrugged at Tom’s questioning expression before focusing on the liquid before you.

Your head was throbbing at the end of the lesson, sleeplessness mingling with irritation somewhere in your temple, letting you know that the ache was not leaving anytime soon.

“Damn, you’ve been so helpful today,” you heard Tom from your left.

“Cut me some slack, come on.”

“Yeah, my apologies. I forgot that you were running on pure caffeine.”

“I love you, Tom, I really do,” you turned to him,”but please shut up.”

“It’s official, you’ve gone crazy,” he said, packing up his things. “I’ll let Mr Lupin handle your headache today.”

Without letting you a moment to ask what was going on, Tom nodded to you and someone behind you before leaving the class. You turned away to call after him, but Remus’s towering frame stopped you.

You watched him sit next to you with indifferent eyes. 

“I heard you had a headache.”

Hearing his voice tingled your inside, but you stayed stone-cold on the outside. 

“It was a disturbingly loud class today.”

He let out a chuckle. You liked when he did that, but it was neither the time nor the place to think about that. 

“I didn’t notice. I guess constantly being with Sirius and James had made me immune to their hullabaloo.”

“Oh, it wasn’t James and Sirius, don’t worry.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Then I must be very caught up in my work.”

You scoffed, trying to sound free from sarcasm. “I doubt that. You and your partner were the loudest ones.”

“Ha, sorry about that,” he said, and you marvelled at his bad social skills one more time. “I asked you a question earlier.”

“What question?”

Your heart may be having a race inside of your ribcage, but you weren’t going to let Remus see it. 

“Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?”

“Yeah, sure. I love visiting Hogsmeade with my friends.”

You enjoyed the sight before you; Remus bouncing his leg up and down, averting his eyes around with your every word. 

“No. I mean as a date.”

Here was that word, again, placing itself in your mind, mocking every thought you had ever had. It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel right that Remus was asking you out on a date.

“Why?” you asked, without intending to.

“Why?”

You adored Remus’s wrinkled brows and confused face.

“Yeah, why?”

“I’d like to spend time with you?”

“We are spending time.”

“I don’t want to spend time with you as friends. That’s the whole point of a date.”

In the next two seconds, you lost control of your lips, voice and tongue. That could be the only explanation for your reply.

“So you want to spend time not as friends?”

“See, now you’re getting it,” he said with a gentle smile. The wrinkles around his lips captured all your attention, leaving you no choice but to give in.

“Alright. I’ll go on a date with you.”

You didn’t know how the week came by, you had lost all your sense of time. You were sure you got ten points from Potions; you remembered Tom’s complaints about the points not being enough. You were also sure another girl confessed to Remus her feelings, but he refused kindly; you had heard her weep in the bathroom.

It was finally Saturday, and you were dressed up for your…date.

It felt surreal like you were being delusional, which you were sure was not the case. It wasn’t like you didn’t see yourself worthy of a date with Remus, it was that you had convinced your mind and heart that he didn’t see you; that his flirtatious comments and smiles were nothing.

You were standing in the yard, your arms swinging around your waist as you waited for Remus. Several students were also hanging out near the train for Hogsmeade, while others were seated inside. You saw him make his way to you, offering you a genuine smile. 

“Did I keep you waiting?”

“Oh, no, I just got here,” you said, shaking your head reassuringly. Your eyes roamed his attire, but the only thing they lingered on was his smile, or lips?

“Moony never keeps anyone waiting!”

You frowned in confusion, watching James get on the train. Sirius and Peter followed him, Sirius saluting you. You turned to Remus, your eyebrows raising.

Was this what he had in mind when he said date? If it was, this was a whole new level of social awkwardness.

Remus chuckled at your expression, his eyes narrowing in amusement. “They are not going to be with us, no need to worry.”

Relief washed over you as you couldn't stop your smile, happy that he wasn’t that awkward.

“I don’t know. You four are like a package deal.”

“Not on dates,” he said, “But I had to get them out of my hair when I told them I was going on a date with you.”

Remus offered you his hand as you got on the train as well, walking ahead to find an available roomette.

“Why? Did they mock?” you asked, curiosity tickling your stomach.

“Of course not. What is there to mock?” oh, so did this mean he wasn’t going on a date for a prank? “They simply teased me for it. You know I don’t do this often.” but on another thought, Remus was too good to take out someone for a prank.

“Ah, yes. Why don’t you, though?”

You two finally found a place to sit, Remus closing the door. He sat before you as you chose to place yourself next to the window. You watched Remus lean in and put his elbows to his knees.

“Why don’t I go on dates?”

“Uh-huh”

“Why should I?”

“Because…” you frowned for a moment, not sure what to say. “I don’t know. I asked the question.”

Remus shrugged, his eyes moving to your lips for a moment. “There’s no one to go with.”

You let out a scoff, followed by a genuine laugh. “Are you kidding? A girl was crying in the bathroom because you refused her this week..”

Remus’s eyes widened, his mouth opening a bit. “She was crying? I thought I turned her down kindly. I even made sure to touch her shoulder and give her a smile.”

You make an amused face at him.

“You keep a manual on how to turn down a girl?”

“Do you really want to talk about other girls on our date? I mean, I am fine with it if that’s what you want, but it's a rather uncommon topic for dates.”

Your heart warmed at his words, but you shrugged, hiding the stars behind your eyes.

“I simply asked a question.”

“No, I usually come up with something at the moment. Why? Do you keep a manual on how to turn down boys?”

“I don’t get love confessions as often as you do.”

“That’s unreasonable.”

“Why?” 

“You’re beautiful.”

You didn’t let the pounding in your chest get in the way of your words or your wit. Remus smiled as you started speaking.

“Beauty isn’t everything.”

“That still doesn’t change the fact that you are beautiful.”

“Stop using your irritatingly charming words on me to impress me. It won’t work.”

“That was extremely rude, but I'm glad that you find me charming.”

You arched a brow at his cheeky smile. “I said words, not you.”

“My words represent me.”

You glared at his entertained beam, knowing that you had just let your lips offer the biggest lie you’ve ever said. His words did impress you. They impressed you to the point that your cheeks were on fire, and your palms were sweating. He and his words got you all flustered.

After only a few seconds, you felt the muscles around your mouth create a smile, turning into a burst of laughter after Remus’s consistent beam blazing through you.

“I almost thought you were incapable of laughing,”

“That was just your incompetence at making me laugh.”

The few hours went like seconds as you two enjoyed every corner of Hogsmeade. Remus took you to Madam Puddifoot’s tea shop at first, but you eventually got bored. You wandered around in Honeydukes and almost got kicked out of Zonko’s Joke Shop. 

Who would want to buy frog spawn soap when you can get nose-biting cups?

“They are easy to get rid of!” Remus defended his choice, his hands moving around with his every change in tone. “Frogs, on the other hand, are a nightmare! Trust me, I know.”

“Of course you do. You had experience with every item in the shop, it was scary,” you said, moving his hand before your face as you two were walking in the Hogsmeade streets. Who knew Remus Lupin was a gesticulating person?

“Exactly. I am more experienced, So the soap was the better choice.”

“But nose biting hurts more!” you turned to him, your voice getting high-pitched.

“Sweet, innocent girl…” Remus shook his head, stopping in his tracks, “If you want the target person to suffer, you have to hurt them emotionally, not physically. It is torture to try to get rid of all the frogs without hurting them.”

You groaned in annoyance but let Remus put his arm around your shoulder as he chuckled.

“You’ll learn, don’t fret. I am a great teacher.”

By the time it was dark, you had learned that Remus didn’t like fish, and he didn’t have a favourite colour. You also discovered that no matter how much he wanted to seem brave, he didn’t like spiders. You now knew that his hands were soft and gentle, albeit they had small scars on them. You knew it because he was now holding your hand as you two were slowly returning back to the train. You also knew purebloods had a laughable notion of the muggle world.

“Barbies?”

“James thinks only perverts would want to have a small version of a woman in their hands.”

You laughed loudly, closing your eyes. You didn’t see Remus’s long glance at your laugh. 

“What about lava lamps?”

“They would probably ask if they can drink it.”

“It does look delicious.”

“It looks like lava.”

“There are people who want to taste lava.”

Remus scoffed, making a face at you. “No, there isn’t.”

When your expression didn’t budge, he nodded firmly. “There is.”

“Yes, there is. What about...can opener? They’ve never used it before, no?”

“Only once. We were trying to open a can of worms, and Sirius pitied the muggles that they had to come up with things like this to open a can.”

“A can of worms? Worms?” you crunched up your face in disgust. “What would you even need it for?”

“For fishing! What else?” Remus was smirking, despite his words. You were smart enough to know the meaning behind the smirk, so you glared at him. He shrugged, “Barty Crouch’s birthday was coming, and the Marauders are kind boys.”

“Aha, you sure are,” You chuckled, nodding several times in sarcasm. “What about eyelash curlers?”

Remus stayed silent for a few seconds. “It curls eyelashes?”

“You don’t know what that is either, don't you?”

“I have no idea.”

You giggled, greeting another boy with your head as you were close to the train. You turned to Remus, opening your eyes wide.

“Look at my lashes,” you pointed at them with your finger, stepping a bit close so Remus could see clearly. “I made them with an eyelash curler.”

Remus narrowed his eyes, leaning in. “They’re just lashes.”

You sighed in disapprovement and pulled back. “For you, maybe. I spend quite some time on their happiness, though.”

“I never do.”

“And yet you have more gorgeous lashes than I do. It’s not fair.

You felt a hand on your chin. 

Your heart jumped in your chest when Remus’s fingers turned your head to him, pushing your chin up. You felt anticipation and confusion run in your veins, messing with your heart and mind. Something burst into flames when he leaned in, breathing against your lips.

“What are you–”

“Admiring your lashes,” Remus said, so casual that you almost thought you were delirious for getting jittery and impassioned. “Yours are way more beautiful.”

“Thank you,” you said, grateful that you managed to voice the words. You felt intoxicated by the lack of distance, golden sparkles rushing around your soul.

Your heart took a pace when Remus’s eyes lowered to your lips.

“You’re not looking at my lashes, Remus,” you whispered, offering him a way out. A way out if he decided that he made a mistake, if he thought that he didn’t actually want this.

“I know, I’m admiring your lips now,” he drawled.

His tone erased everything around you from your mind. The people, the street signs, the footsteps and casual laughter among friend groups. You were lost in his voice and taking shelter in that one warm breath that hit your lips.

“Let me kiss you,” he whispered.

The four words poured cold water over your body, lit a fire in your heart, and starved your lips.

You closed your eyes and parted your lips slightly. 

“Kiss me.”

You felt Remus’s thumb graze your lower lip, his other hand caressing your hand, intertwining them. You tightened your hold on his hand, pulling yourself closer to him.

He leaned in, his nose on your skin, his lips ready to crash into yours. 

“Remus!”

You pushed yourself away, the heat of your cheeks visible under the street lights. Remus frowned, averting his head to the voice. He didn’t let go of your hand, holding it tightly as if he was going to lose you if he did. 

You steadied your breathing and heart as the voice walked up to you.

Anger sent white and red flames down in your core, your heart screaming in annoyance when you saw Lacey’s bright smile getting closer and closer. As usual, she wasn’t even looking at you and wasn't acknowledging your feelings. 

“Lacey?” Remus asked. You could pick up the complaining tone in his voice.

“What a nice surprise. I thought you weren’t gonna be in Hogsmeade today.”

“I said I was going to be with someone else,” Remus said, his voice kind but firm. 

Only then, Lacey glanced at you, her smile growing even more.

“What are you two doing here?”

You didn't reply, knowing that if you did, there was no way you could be kind. Thankfully, Remus did.

“Just hanging out.”

At that moment, you wished that you replied to her. Just hanging out? Like friends? Like mates? The way James hung out with Sirius? The way you hung out with Tom?

You felt annoyance itching your skin, your throat aching from the rude words building up in it. You pushed your hand back from Remus. Of course, Lacey noticed it. Her eyes peeked at your hand for a quick moment; it would be impossible to catch it if you weren’t already glaring at her eyes.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt something…?”

That was the last drop that your patience could hold.

“Is there something you need?” you asked, your manner being the exact opposite of Remus’s. 

“Oh…no, actually. I simply wanted to say hi.”

“Well, Hi. Goodbye.”

You were now contemplating if you would be sent to Azkaban were you to strangle the girl. 

She smiled, turning back to Remus. 

“Your friend must be tired, Remus. You accompany her to the train, I’ll see you later,” she beamed, turning on her heels back to her friend group after earning a nod from Remus. 

You started walking, an uncomfortable silence lurking in between your hands. You’re irritated, not only with Lacey but also with Remus. Thus, when he attempted to hold your hand again, you didn’t let him.

You didn’t acknowledge any of his attempts to get you to talk or react until you were sitting face-to-face in a roomette on the train.

“I thought this was a date,” you broke the silence at last, alerting Remus’s focus in a second.

“It is, dove–”

“Then, why didn’t you say that to her?”

“To whom? Lacey?” Remus asked, his eyes confused and his voice surprised. 

“Who else?”

“Because it is…none of her business?”

“What?” your brows drew together in annoyance. “Remus, are you blind?”

“No?”

“She likes you!”

Remus scoffed, shaking his head several times. He leaned back to his heat, a mocking smile greeting you on his lips.

“She doesn’t. I would know if she did.”

“Remus, she can’t be any more obvious.”

“No, dove. She’s just a partner.”

“She just interrupted us when we were in the middle of something!” you threw hands, trying your best to make him understand.

“Yes, but-” Remus started but shut his lips for a moment to think. He exhaled. “I would know if she did.”

“And how do you know it exactly?”

“When I get a confession?”

You groaned in your seat, turning to observe the road from the window instead. You marvelled at his communication skill. It made your blood boil, all while confusing you about what kind of words you should choose to speak to him.

“Are you angry with me?”

“Why did you ask me out on a date?” you blurted out, determined to get what you wanted from him this time. This time you weren’t going to let his social ineptness and bad charm with words prevent you from him. “You said you didn't go on dates often, so why did you go with me?”

Remus’s forehead wrinkled, his mouth readying to talk. When he did, his tone was like he was speaking the most obvious truth, the most casual conversation. You, on the other hand, felt like he was opening the locked door to your mind, welcoming the warmth in your heart.

“Because I fancy you.”

You let his words’ affection embrace you, relieving your every troubled thought, reviving your every buried hope.

“You fancy me?”

“Wasn’t that obvious? I was always smiling at you, trying to talk to you, flirting with you, hopping in every opportunity where I could have you close.”

You smiled at him, butterflies invading your stomach. “You didn’t confess, though.”

“Yes, I know–” Remus stopped himself, his words coming to a halt. Something lit up in his eyes, his expression changing into realisation. “Oh, I see.”

You chuckled to yourself, waiting for him to get everything together.

 “Maybe she wasn’t just a partner, after all,” he whispered, still taking something in.

“For someone who holds all of Gryffindor's hearts, you sure are a bit of an idiot.”

Remus’s eyes changed, his brown darkening, his voice lowering. “You’re wrong.”

“What?”

“I don’t want all of Gryffindor’s hearts,“ He leaned in closer, holding your hands. “I want yours.”

The walls of your heart crumbled down, opening their gates to his smile, voice, touch. His affection sneaked into the darkest parts of your mind, soothed the strongest fires in your soul. You let all the voices disappear, trusting your heart to only Remus’s words.

“Remus…” you smiled, your eyes lowering at your linked hands. “But you already have it.”

Before you could grasp the emptiness in your hands, you felt Remus’s hands on your face. They pulled you in, letting Remus put his lips on yours. 

Your lips burned up at the feeling of his lips, your breath taken away from your lungs. His touch both killed you and revived you, both burning you up and drowning you down.

A few seconds were enough for you to return the kiss, devouring his soft and warm lips. You felt his hands go down from your face to your arms, tracing all the way back to your fingers. Goosebumps rose from your body, contrasting your cold fingers with your on-fire chest.

All your jealousy, anxiety, insecurity left your mind, body, soul as Remus smiled against your lips, breaking the kiss only to put his forehead on yours.

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask for you to let me kiss you this time.”

“There is no explanation you can give that will convince me,” James shook his head, taking a bite from a sandwich he had stolen from the kitchen. “There is no way a normal person enjoys having a small body in their hand.”

“Little children play with it, Potter,” you said, smiling at the sound of Remus’s laugh above your ears. You, your boyfriend and his friends were scattered across the Gryffindor common room, conversing about Barbie dolls. 

Remus had you under his arm, your head placed on his chest. You could feel his occasional kisses on your hair or the way he would lean his cheek on your head. You weren’t complaining, you enjoyed having him close.

“They even play with them?!”

“I will get you a Barbie doll on your birthday, Prongs,” Sirius said. 

“You can’t even find your way in Trafalgar Square.”

“That’s only because there are a lot of muggles there, Wormtail.”

You smiled at your situation, listening to the boys banter about something that you didn’t remember anymore. 

You were happy. Remus had made sure that you were happy for the last week since your kiss. You smiled at the memory of him bringing you food, helping you with your homework, and staying late with you because you didn’t feel like sleeping. He had put a distance between himself and Lacey. You loved her face when Remus stepped back so she wouldn’t hug her.

“What’re you thinking about?” Remus whispered in your ear, making you smile with affection at him. You raised your head to him, watching his messy brown locks hug his forehead. 

“You look nice today.”

He grinned, bringing his hand from your stomach to your chin. He put a sweet but longing kiss on your lips before making use of his voice. “You look nice every day.”

I have no idea if this is ooc Remus, but I don't think it is. Let me know if it is.

Thank you for reading! Please share your thoughts so I know if I did a good or not.

Anyways. Stay safe, love you guys <3

[july-19th-club]

ok dean's do as i say not as i do ass in the cassie episode when sam realizes that not ONLY is his supposed playboy brother actually a guy who will drop everything and reveal The Secret to the first girl who spends more than a month with him but . he will reveal The Secret at all, a thing he's spent the past six months loudly saying there is never any use in doing because we can't keep friends in this life anyway

[inkats]

is it autism or is it a symptom of previous longterm social isolation and lack of agency ?

[ryuseitai]

guy that likes being independent when he has to do stuff alone

[poorlittlevampire]

also i was thinking maybe streaming working on art bc i dont really play sekai anymore lol but the thought of 1. talking to anyone 2. showing my art to people is like girl whadda hell NO

[britneyshakespeare]

i have been working with kids for four years and i had to write my first ever note just now about a seventh grade boy being inappropriate towards me. i don't know what the hell this could possibly lead to or what. he was trying to feel my legs repeatedly to the point where i had to stop sitting next to him (and i was subbing for his one-to-one para!!!). he's got high support needs. in that kind of job, you're supposed to sit next to them all day and look over their work.

the teacher whose classroom this was happening in could also tell something was wrong. the whole class was acting kinda crazy because it was the day before school vacation week and there was another class coming in to share projects. so like, he was swamped with keeping order already. but we were sitting two feet away from his podium at the front of the room. the kid was giving him and me a hard time when he wouldn't take out his chromebook as he was instructed. and then when he did take out his chromebook, he immediately, for some reason, places it on my lap. he had been ogling my legs the whole time. he puts his computer ON MY LAP. and i'm just like, stunned, because what the hell? can you not keep it on your own lap, for some reason? i don't even know what to say, i just hold it a little above my lap while i'm thinking why on earth would this be happening? he would NOT do this to his regular para if she were here, would he? this can't be normal.

and the teacher sees this and within a minute places a stool in front of the kid for him to put his laptop on. and i'm like. oh ok. yeah. he notices exactly what's happening and that that's not appropriate. and then when the other class comes in to share projects he tells me "miss b——, you don't actually have to sit next to c—— this whole period if you don't want to." and he grabs me a chair for me to go sit with the other paras in the back opposite corner of the room. like he KNEW. and thank you mr. d—— for recognizing that because i was just kind of shocked and didn't know if i was overreacting in my head to all of this.

when there's a point in the class where the kids are discussing stuff, i privately mention what's happened to the para who's sitting closest to me. and she says that the thing about him calling me pretty is something he's been known to do, but the fact that he kept trying to touch my legs is new behavior. and that's a completely different class of behavior. i was telling him NO, don't do that, and he kept doing it. and the fact that he was calling me pretty repeatedly, even when i was giving him instructions that he wasn't taking. and this is the second to last class before the end of the day, so she says she'll take a walk with him before learning center and talk to him about it, and i'm grateful for that. she does. the kid apologizes to me as soon as i come into learning center. but like. WHAT the hell.

i'm STILL like what the hell. this is unfathomable to me. the other adults who i told about this or who witnessed it were supportive of me. but. what to do??? i wrote a long note to his regular para about this, because i knew she was going to hear about it at least from the first para i told. the second para i told about it after school had a kind of... i'm not gonna say enabling reaction, but i suppose since it had already been "taken care of" (or at least, he had been spoken to and apologized) she didn't really have much to add in the way of discipline. i told her what happened after school and she was just like... a little bit, laughing? like oh, yup, that dog. she at the very least confirmed he KNEW what he was doing, that that was not an accident. she said to me "i had a feeling he was going to develop a crush on you" (me and these other paras were together for most of the beginning of the day too). but it's like. it's not about that.

i have worked with children for FOUR years. children have had crushes on me before; i'm quite unfazed by it. boys from the ages of 5-to-15 have told me i'm so pretty before and asked me to marry them. i've never had them feeling up my legs before. i've never had them making me physically uncomfortable. it's NOT about this seventh grader having a crush on the pretty substitute. he is NOT unusual for that, at all. but i've never had a boy of any age or education level repeatedly touching my knees and thighs. THAT is problem behavior!!!

because what if i wasn't assertive enough with him to tell him to stop? what if i was a girl his age? worse, what if i was an adult who encouraged this behavior? i don't come to the middle school to be a seductress. i had no intention in putting on a pair of tights and a skirt this morning of being viewed as an attractive object, especially not by a pubescent boy. what if i did though? what if his interpretation of me wasn't so incorrect and offensive? what if i let him keep touching me inappropriately and saying flirtatious things to me? me, an adult in my mid-twenties, towards a middle school boy?

in no world would that be ok. if i had been feeling up and overly-complimenting a CHILD at my place of work, holy shit would there be reports about me. so a child acting that way could never be ok either. if it'd be firable for me to be reciprocating that action, then that action should not be happening to me. ever. and that child should never repeat that action again to any other adult again.

like i am simply not there to be treated as an attractive young woman. i put on a skirt that shows too much knee and get paired with a boy, though, and that's apparently just a natural consequence. hooo-ly shit. like i don't know what to do. first of all, the more time passes since this has happened, the more i am just unable to stop thinking about it. i wasn't "hurt" or too emotional in the moment but i'm just still processing it and it gets worse. i'm just more and more disgusted.

i don't know what i expect to come out of this, or the email i sent to his regular para. like, am i gonna have to attend a fucking meeting? what is the precedent that this sets for him? WHY do i feel BAD for him about this? well, because he's a child, of course. a child who has done wrong he may not be able to understand. but he knows WHAT he did. he just doesn't know WHY it was wrong.

and i couldn't even say something to him that was like, "well, how would you like it if i was touching you like this?" because young boys do not understand how inappropriate it'd be. i'm sure this kid thought he was gonna get away with what he was doing at the very least. but probably not unlikely he (being a child with no concept of how wrong it'd be) thought he could get some sort of "positive" attention for treating me like this. either way he was simply doing what he wanted to do, with no perspective of how it would make me feel or that it could be classified as harassment. teenage boys think it'd be awesome if the older attractive woman would reciprocate their affections. they're wrong. i, as the older attractive woman of his affection, cannot be the one to convince him of that, though.

i don't know. i don't know. like it's just so not ok. but if i didn't tell another adult about this, he would've gotten away with it. he would probably do it again. and him being in trouble for it is not the same as him understanding that it was wrong. unless someone has a REAL talk with him about inappropriate attention and consent, it's not unlikely that he'll just repeat the behavior in a setting where he thinks he won't be caught or told on. THAT'S the problem. me, i could just never have to be this boy's para again. in my email, i didn't say that i would never be ok working with or around him ever again. he already knows i didn't like it and i'm not afraid to tell on him; as far as that lesson applies to me, individually, i think he's become too ashamed to repeat that.

i don't know. i don't know. i very much expressed that i, i guess, "forgave" him in the email that i wrote. i clarified that i was writing it for the sake of having it on the record. i think that could potentially be very important for the purposes of preventing further similar or escalating behavior from him in the future. i don't want him to be in trouble. i don't think i will be blamed for this, especially not with how promptly i acted, although i don't know to what extent this will be framed as me thinking i'm a "victim." i'm not... i don't feel victimized. i feel disgusted. i feel afraid for the sake of what could happen to or with him in the future, if he thinks behavior like his towards me today is ok.

i feel like if i end up having to further respond to this, this will be made about me. in a way it kind of was. is? in the moment it was happening, it was certainly about me. because i was the one this boy was giving all this unwanted attention to. but to make the consequences of this about me and to involve me any further, i also don't want. because i said what i said already, i don't care if a student has a crush on me. this isn't about me being the pretty substitute. i'm the pretty substitute all the time, to tons of people. that's not really something i've been concerned about up until now.

but do i have to reexplain my personal embarrassment? that i was wearing a skirt? that he was ogling my legs? really? what more do i have to gain from sharing that, other than having the adults at my place of work confirm or deny me in their heads as the pretty substitute? i don't know. perhaps that's REALLY overthinking it. but i don't want to be the substitute that caused a problem for this special ed kid. i don't wanna be the reason that he can't be around me anymore, the person people think of when they're monitoring how he's acting around girls and young women. i DON'T want to be the one people think of when they think of his past misbehavior. i'm NOT here for that.

that's just fucking humiliating. and in this being a thing that could follow him, i have to be ogled and touched over and over again in people's minds for this to be taken seriously. but for this to be swept under the rug would be even worse, no? i don't know. i hate this. the principal is a nice guy; i wouldn't be surprised if he and/or people from the special ed department reached out to me sympathetically about this. but i don't wanna be reached out to. i don't wanna have ppl i work with tell me "sorry that kid was just so attracted to you he couldn't help himself" like come on. if the kid himself doesn't change then i don't really care to remember this incident. and no one reaching out to me and saying they've talked to this kid will actually prove to me he understands. this is the kind of inappropriate behavior it takes years for people to understand why it was wrong, especially a child who has no idea. i mean come on.

[sassy-hedgie]

in my “tired of masking and wishing i could not have to constantly be on edge at all times but not wanting everyone to hate me” era ✌️

[ikihtoe]

HELLO MY LOVES

it's been so long and I've finally got the time to get on this app omg I missed this place.

i have a few words for my mutuals in the tags so I hope you read it a bit at least—I've decided to post this because, idk sending them to you one by one is a bit time-wasting.

[spinelessfromthestart]

ididjtneven mention it today but when I was walking back into the building I saw the 3 of them trying to get in the locked side door and I was like wtaf!!! you guys are juniors now you have lunch passes...why you doing that. and they all giggled and said they didn't sign out so asked me to run in and unlock the door for them...ofcorse I did I miss them..I miss himmm he's so sweet and lovely.i can't go back to being inlove with him but he is so niceys...he thanked me and kept laughing with me and ohhh.rips my face apart

[whitebalverines]

.

[phagodyke]

vent post pls ignore thank u 🙏

re last post like while it is frustrating how tired out i get sometimes, I genuinely like working and on weekdays I don't rly mind just exercising eating and going to bed. the pattern I'm starting to notice is that when I regularly attempt to be social, my mental health starts nosediving, even though I like spending time w friends... 90% of my issues are centred around emotional dysregulation (I do struggle with other things but have pretty solid coping mechanisms for most of them + also hopefully meds will help eventually) and socialising tends to exacerbate that pretty drastically bc I'm frankly very socially insecure/inept + have a lot of deep rooted issues concerning trust + intimacy which make me strongly avoidant so trying to form friendships deeper than surface level is unnecessarily complicated + painful for me to manage. but when I'm socially 'isolated' I do function pretty much fine, even if I miss it. like. I dunno. I don't think isolation is a good habit in the long run bc it'll degrade my social skills further + I don't want to spend my entire life never having truly meaningful relationships with anyone. but also I'm kind of at a loss as to how to balance it with my mental health bc the 'side effects' I get are drastic to the point of intolerable sometimes + no amount of therapy or cbt/dbt skills seem to be able to circumvent that. like don't get me wrong I love my friends a lot I just feel like I have all the wrong sockets and wires to connect to other people so every time I do they start spitting sparks and smoking.. and I feel like most other people pick up on that too and find it really difficult to be friends with me on their end. I just don't know man. I don't think I can deal with feeling like this forever I wish I didn't care so much about everything so it was fine and I could just be satisfied with what I have or I wish I was actually introverted so I wouldn't even rly have the need to socialise in the first place it's just so fucking HARD and I'm tired of fucking up all of the time I can't get it right ever and!!!!!!!

[danveration]

Sleep well, amour.

Parings: Alastor x reader

Summary: You’ve been very intrested in Alastor ever since you met him. He invites you to see his recording studio, which you accept. Then you ask if you can stay and listen to him host! While listening, you fall asleep. How does he react?

Word count: 2844

Warnings: Ummm not really much? Alastor being Alastor! One mention of not being able to sleep sometimes, mention of seeing people in hell doing dr*gs, k*lling eachother, and fighting, mention of reader having bad social skills (?)

part two

A/N: UM!! this is my first time writing for alastor, so apologies if it isn’t the best. Please give me any feedback you want, I’d love to hear it! Also sorry for any spelling mistakes. I hope you enjoy :’)

Alastor the radio demon. You know of the things he’s done, you know that people are quite literally terrified of him. But for some reason... you feel a certain way towards him that you can’t describe, but it’s surely not fear.

You’ve had a some-what odd admiration of him since you landed in hell, only a few months ago. You got spotted by Charlie when you first got to hell. She noticed you looking around nervously and lost, and put two and two together that you must be new. She very kindly introduced herself which was refreshing because.. well.. it’s hell. Everywhere you looked people were fighting, doing drugs, and even killing each other. You were glad there were kind people even down here.

“Hi, you! Uh, you lost?” Charlie smiled you and waved.

“Um yeah! I’m guessing this is hell, huh?” You awkwardly chuckle. Social skills weren’t ever your thing, it seems they haven’t got better after you died, either.

“Yep! This is hell! You must be new? I’m Charlie! Charlie Morningstar. It’s so nice to meet you.” She smiled and stuck out her hand for you to shake.

“Nice to meet you, Charlie! My names Y/n.” You politely smiled back and shook her hand.

After that meeting, Charlie showed you to the hotel in which you eagerly accepted to stay at, her being the only sane thing you’ve seen down here. It was a pretty nice place, no 5 star hotel like back on earth, but it was something you’re very grateful for. Who knows what would’ve happened to you if you haven’t met her.

While she was showing you around, someone caught your eye. He was a tall man, very polite and respectful looking. He was dressed head to toe in old fashioned attire, with a cane to suit his charming look. He was smiling in a way that made you look at him like he was something you wanted to inspect under a magnifying glass.

He glanced at you and smiled larger, stepping over to you and Charlie.

“My, my! What do we have here? Charlie! You didn’t tell me that we’ve got more guests? It’s a pleasure to meet you, my dear! The names Alastor!” He spoke politely.

His voice was sort of.. Radio-like? You found it soothing.

“Haha yeah! I found them wandering around on the street this morning! They’re a newcomer, their name is Y/n.” She spoke back, excited to introduce you.

“Y/n! Well, my, my. That’s quite a lovely name!” He said. “Say.. do you listen to radio? I host a brilliant radio broadcast that’ll give you some real insight on this place!” He said enthusiastically.

“Oh.. haha thank you” You smile. “I do actually! I love radio shows.” You immediately feel drawn towads him. You cant tell if it’s just the new scenery or what.. but you want to just sit and chat with him for hours.

Alastor perks up at that. “Oh you do, do you?” He smiled more.

“Yeah! Back when I was.. uhm.. alive, I actually had a whole playlist of them! What do you do your show about?” You ask.

Alastor is delighted to have you take interest in his show. “Well, dear, I do all sorts of things on there! Yes, yes, you think of it and I’ve most probably done it! Most commonly known is the souls I entrap and prison, as I broadcast their screams of horror all over this horrible place and people get to hear the noises of their never-ending torture and demise. But! I also just made a wonderful segment on my mother’s Jambalaya recipe!” He stated.

While part of those sentences gave you chills, you still seemed to take interest in him.

“Well,” you chuckle. “I will certainly check it out!” You smile.

“Ah! Wonderful news, my dear.” He said while he twirled his cane.

Charlie was watching you interact with him and noticed how you looked at him, as if admiring. She smile and said, “well! We better finish the tour.”

She motions for you to follow her and you do, waving Alastor goodbye.

He waves back and yells, “goodbye, sweetheart! Lovely to have met you.”

After that, you wanted absolutely everything to do with him. You’ve also got to know the other people staying at the hotel. Angel, Vaggie, Husk, Niffty, and Sir Pentious. They were overall kind people. Husk found your interest in Alastor to be no good.

“Yeah, no. That, whatever thing you have created in your mind about him, isn’t true. He’s vile, Y/n. Trust me on that.” He grunts.

Angel thought you had some kind of kink towards “scary, creepy men.” Which wasn’t true because you didn’t even find him scary. You found him charming.

“Ah.. Alastor? Fucking sexy weirdo if I do say so myself. He’s got some reaaal problems but hey, if you’re into that-“ You cut him off by saying it wasn’t like that & that you don’t think anything sexual towards him.

One day, you were talking to Sir Pentious about his “crush” on Cherry Bomb. He completely denied it but you could tell from his blush and his nervous demeanour that he was very interested in her.

You were caught off guard when you heard that radio voice coming up from behind you.

“Y/n, my dear! I have a question for you.” Alastor came and stood beside you, looking down from where you’re sitting.

“Al! Hey, what’s up?” You ask, containing your excitement.

Sir Pentious excused himself quickly, seeing one of his “egg boys” were being played with by Niffty. She isn’t one to be gentle.

“So, I know how you’ve been listening to my radio show as of late, and I was wondering if you’d like to see where the magic happens!” He states.

“R-really? I’d be honoured!” You say, smiling.

“Ah! Lovely. Come now, this way.”

You get up and he locks arms with you and chats about his new microphone that he got.

Once you guys arrive, you’re shocked. It looks very professional and comfortable. It suits him heavily. There’s a big open window, a desk, some chairs and sofas, a bunch of technical stuff on the desk along with his new mic that you recognize from his descriptions, and a deer coat hanger?

“Wow, Alastor. This place is so actually so sick. I love it. And the new microphone suits you!” You say. “Thank you for showing me, really.”

Typically, Alastor would never show someone something personal of his, including his studio, but you are an exception. He isn’t sure what it is about you but he doesn’t seem to hate you as much as he does with anyone else. At first he was weirded out, but now he just embraces it. He also feels protective of you. He doesn’t know exactly why you’re even down here. For as far is he can tell, you’re an angel. Always being kind even to those who aren’t kind to you, always saying “please” and “thank you,” all that jazz. Jazz! You even like jazz music, his favourite. He told you that he lived on earth the time jazz music was popular. The 20’s and 30’s. That explains his vocabulary and how he dresses. You just find it more interesting and take time to ask questions about what it was like in that time.

“Why of course, my dear! If I’d want to show anyone here, it would be you.” He says, giving you his iconic smile.

You have a thought. “Hey, Al? Would it be alright if the next time you do a show, I could stay and listen?”

You hope he doesn’t think this is odd.

Alastor raises a brow. “Why would you want to do that?” He asks.

You panic, thinking you went too far by asking and now he’s going to cut you off or something.

“Ha! Kidding, sweetheart! Of course you can. I love when my broadcast is wanted to be listened to. Though I love it as well when they don’t want to.” He says.

You’re relieved, a bit scared, but still relieved.

“Say!” He says. “I was going to make one tonight talking about this silly technology box that thinks he is better than me! You know, expose all his lies and secrets to my listeners, and unwilling listeners. Maybe broadcast it all throughout hell!” He starts laughing manically. Then calms down and stares at you.

“Would you want to stay and listen, hm? I can do it now! I didn’t have any plans today going forward and well, getting it out sooner is better than later, I always say.” He asks.

You know he’s talking about Vox when he mentioned the technology box. Him and Vox have a sort of rivalry going on. Though Alastor seems to not care much about him, Vox is sure obsessed. He’s even gone so far as to making posters about him. Which areee.. not much of a resemblance.

This offer strikes you and you immediately perk up. “Yes! I’d love to.” You say.

You don’t think Alastor knows this but whenever you’re struggling to sleep, you put on his radio show and his voice comforts you to sleep. You’re sure if you told him, he would find it weird.

Little did you know, Alastor already knew. He walked past your room one night and heard static sounds coming from your quarters. He immediately was intrigued and put his ear close to your door to hear his voice. He was surprised, but not weirded out. He found it delightful that you found comfort in his voice. It’s not everyday someone does. Usually it invokes terror and anxiety on anyone who hears. This was new, and he didn’t hate it.

“Lovely! Let me get all set up. You can sit wherever you feel the most comfortable!” He says, adjusting his mic and pressing a buttons on his table.

You find a spot and sit down. Feeling honored to even be in the same room as him, let alone HIS room.

“Ahem! Welcome ladies and gentlemen-“ He goes off into his introduction, before winking at you and starting.

After about 20 minutes, you begin to feel tired and put your head on the side of the wall, still listening but with your eyes closed.

Alastor immediately notices and smirks, knowing how his voice effects you. He continues on and after about another 20 minutes, he finishes up. You’re asleep, slightly smiling.

He walks over to you and looks down.

“My, my. You really are an interesting one, aren’t you?” He whispers. He smiles more softly than he usually does and looks around to find a purple blanket hanging on his deer coat hanger, and gently places it on you.

He feels his heart fluttering while looking down at you and he immediately shrugs it off.

“Mm well, my dear.. I guess you can stay here. I’ll just be over there, transferring my broadcast to the other radios around town.” He says and points to his table.

“Sleep well, amour.” He speaks softly.

[gentlenotes-moved]

(vent in tags)

[boneless-mika]

Criticizing one bad aspect of internet culture by using another really bad aspect of internet culture is bad

[darkvveb]

had a really good experience with a little girl at work today where i was able to make her feel safe and understood and. idk maybe i DONT have to kill myself with hammers. wild

[grison-in-space]

Has Biden actually done anything at all? There's evidence going around and I think it's compelling, the alternate to voting is instead doing actual social work and participating in protests and organizing political action, which is a good idea i think

1) Yes. Inarguably this has been the most effective progressive domestic administration since I have been alive, and I'm in my thirties. What in the fuck are you talking about? It's not perfect, but it's better than we've seen in fifty years: Obama tried, but Democratic Congressional organization was just not yet used to working with a completely obstructionist GOP Congress in the wake of the tea party.

Even in terms of foreign policy, this is also pretty much as good as US involvement gets. Sorry. Our foreign policy has been shaped by monsters for decades, and that's even without dealing with our huge and active branch of Christian doom cultists. There ain't a candidate in the world that could stop the entire accumulated momentum of geopolitics with a snap of the finger, and I'm not really willing to pretend that Biden is particularly notable for not managing to fix Israel/Palestine relations.

2) In your own words, anon, what precisely does organizing political action entail without participating in the political process? Do you think that abstaining from the part of the gig where you, the citizen, get to say which official gets the job somehow makes your opinions matter more to your elected public officials? Have you ever organized to get so much as a municipal one-time library project budget expanded? Are you perhaps only skilled at political argument with people who already agree with you on the Internet?

What is your leverage, and could it reasonably be described as "extortion" or "blackmail" or "political corruption?" Because those are pretty much the only things on the table that can work more effectively to drive an elected official than a disciplined coalition of political allies (who can be purchased with, you guessed it, votes) or a reliable bloc of voter support. Your vote matters less than the ones you bring with you, sure. Do you think that not voting yourself somehow helps people organize to drive more votes? Have you perhaps replaced your complex reasoning skills with a rapidly dying jellyfish?

3) Holy passive vagueness, Batman! "Evidence is going around." What a masterpiece of a sentence! How it suggests everything while providing nothing! What evidence? Who collected it? Who is talking about the evidence "going around?" Who is listening? How many of them are there? What did they think before? The more I think, the more questions I have, and damn if they ain't predisposing me to be even less charitable.

Like, this is so catastrophically poorly supported that I have to confess that I not only believe this is probably an ask in bad faith (i.e. by someone who is expecting to piss me off or otherwise engage with me adversarially, probably spammed to a whole host of blogs at once with no expectation of response) but I actively hope that it is. The alternative is to have to grapple with the reality that some people are so uncomfortable with the responsibility of moral agency that they're willing to release useful levers of legal and social power just so that they never do anything problematic with that power. Much better, of course, to wash one's hands of anything that might have the stink of responsibility clinging to it. Might fall from the membership of the Elect if you actually get yourself all muddy by doing things, I reckon.

I don't even believe that voting is the only lever we have when it comes to our elected officials or that votes are necessary to secure change, and I am certainly not talking about the presidential ticket alone when I talk voting. What I do believe is two things: one, that voting is a potential lever of power on the emergent chaos of the society in which we live. And two, that anyone telling me to leave a lever of power on the ground without a damn good reason is either incompetent, malicious, or both.