#or human remains burnt and charred beyond recognition???

[rockpaperscissuhs]

The Pacific Episode 7: Peleliu Hills

for HBO WWII Rewatch: Week 10 - Black

[claymoresword]

I Choose Her | Stand Alone Series Chapter: 2

Hermione Granger x Slytherin Fem!Reader

Summary: Y/n and Hermione attempt to deal with the emotional and mental turmoil that came after the 'Battle Of Hogwarts' & everything else that led up to it.

Pairing: Hermione x Reader

Wordcount: 1.6k

Warnings: angst, depiction of cutting & self harm, death & violence, a bit of fluff somehow

Note: this one gets pretty graphic so please approach with caution. like stated there is mention of self-harm and a depiction of it so i have indicated that section with asterisks. if that sort of thing is triggering for you please skip and stay safe! but other than that, hope you enjoy. <3

Taglist: @aweidlich @xxsekhmet @poppyflower-22 @cocoyeehaw @blackbirdv98 @arcturusseer @cherryflavoredcoke @js-a-writer @baylegend6 @puta1 @t-wylia @raven-ss @unexpected-character @brocoliisscared @aki-ham @theheartwants-what-itwants

(comment to be added to or removed from the taglist)

You cover your ears, a feeble effort to dull the incessant ringing.

Squinting to find your way through the courtyard, the dust began to make your eyes water. Yet the sting was a welcomed distraction from the near deafening noise that reverberates through the air.

You gaze up at the sky and it only helps to disorient you further.

The sun is out, but there is no light.

“Harry Potter is dead!” A voice dulls the noise, his voice.

The large snake that slithers past your foot makes you recoil, it circles you continuously, as if stalking a prey.

You reach for your wand on instinct, but you find that it is not in your pocket.

Your breath catches in your throat as Voldermort advances towards you. Half of his body deteriorating into dust, yet a spine-chilling grin remained.

You attempt to call for help, but you have seemed to forget how. So instead, you take a frantic scan of your surroundings.

Your stomach turns as you catch sight of a bloodied arm, sticking out of a pile of rubble to your left. You shift closer, motivated by a curiosity that you quickly learn to regret.

What you once thought was rubble, turns out to be a mountain of corpses.

They lay limp and lifeless atop one another, some nearly burnt to ash– others bloodied beyond recognition.

Your schoolmates, reduced to pieces of charred flesh and bone.

The urge to wretch overcomes you again.

“Harry Potter is dead.”

Voldermort's voice again, now only above a whisper, still makes you wince. You followed the arm he has left outstretched, pointing to the highest point of the mountain.

There you spot Harry, laying on the top of the pile, unmoving.

Dead.

The noise that leaves you is involuntary when you notice Ginny pinned underneath him. Then there is Fred, Neville, Seamus– Ron.

All dead.

“No!” You cry out, this time your voice does make it past your lips.

At last, you are able to locate your wand, you retrieve it swiftly as you point it at Voldermort.

His face has changed again. This time he appears to you younger, human.

You are left staggered for a heartbeat, still you continue to aim your wand towards the man standing before you.

“The snake, y/n, you have to kill the snake.” Her voice carries through the courtyard. Hermione's voice.

Still, you can't see her.

You just barely manage to bite back a sob.

Her absence is like a dagger to your chest, twisting relentlessly.

“I will try.” You respond to no one.

The man's head morphs into one of a serpent, and soon, a bright flash of green erupts from the tip of your wand. With a large thud, the man before you drops to the ground.

It leaves you unsettled– killing still feels unnatural, it made you sick, and you vow to always feel that way. To never let it be a part of who you are, you cannot allow it to be.

You stand over the body now only to realize there is a serpent head no longer.

The corpse now bears a resemblance to someone you recognize all too well. A blade twists in your chest again, hacking away at your heart.

Hermione remains motionless as you kneeled over her. Frenzied, you pull her head onto your lap, feeling her pulse.

You did wish to see her, but not like this.

How can a sight you desperately yearned for, so suddenly turn into something you utterly dread?

“No, no. Wake up, my love. Please, wake up.” You beg in anguish, clutching her body close.

She is so cold.

The only bit of warmth you feel comes from the uncontrollable flood of tears that escape your eyes. You cannot sense the dagger anymore, and soon, you cease to feel much of anything.

Your chest– your very being, vacant.

You have killed Hermione, and the last bit of your soul in the process.

-

When you open your eyes again, you are in bed. You wake, alongside the familiar blinding ache in your arm.

All you can hear now is your quickened breathing, and the pounding of your heart as you sit up.

“Shit–” You mutter, clutching your head, your shirt sticking to your frame from sweat.

It wasn't real, only a dream.

The Dark Lord is gone, and you are safe.

Instinctively, you reach for Hermione, only to find the empty space next to you.

Panic sets in once more as you climb out of bed.

It can't be– it was only a nightmare.

“Hermione?” You call out into the darkness, but you receive no response.

You know she is alive. You spent the day with her and you went to bed with her.

It has been that way for weeks, you concede.

That is unless, you've managed to escape one nightmare only to wake up to an equally bleak reality.

The thought makes you shiver, you wrap your arms around yourself as you call out once more.

“Hermione?” You speak slightly louder as you enter the kitchen, still, she is nowhere.

You swallow uncomfortably, rubbing your throat when you realize just how parched you are.

You quickly approach the sink, retrieving a clean glass. “Aguamenti.” You watched silently as water started to fill it.

Soon you throw your head back, entirely emptying its contents.

You attempt to set the now empty glass down but a sudden sharp pain in your arm causes it to slip out of your fingers.

Before you can save it, the glass shatters across the counter.

The sudden noise causes you to flinch, but any shock you experience quickly morphs into pure anger as you observe the dark mark etched in your arm.

Truth be told, after the battle you had expected it to become dormant, obsolete. There is no use for it now that Voldermort is dead. but to your dismay, the effects only got worse and far more agitating.

Still driven by hot rage, you carelessly reach for a piece of glass, clutching it firmly.

Simply desperate to put an end to it all. The wretched memories– the pain and anguish that you carry with you every waking moment it is a result of this symbol in your arm.

***

Without another moment's thought, you run the sharp edge across your skin. You groan at the pain, but a queer sense of relief sets in as you watched the blood trickle down your arm.

The warm, red substance defaces the dark mark, you began to relish in the fact that you could hardly see the symbol now. So you decide to cut again.

You have no intentions to stop until it has been carved out of your arm entirely.

***

Although, you are only allowed to continue for a moment longer. You are caught by surprise when Hermione distrupts your plans. She wretches the piece of glass out of your hand in distress, it makes a loud crash as it lands it in the sink.

“What on earth are you doing?” Your girlfriend exclaims in horror. She immediately grabs a wash towel, quickly placing it over your arm to stifle the bleeding.

You don't respond for a prolonged moment, you can only afford to stare at Hermione. She is safe, she is alive.

You have not harmed her.

“Darling..” Hermione coos, you only realize you are crying when she gently wipes the tears from your cheeks.

“I just wanted it to stop.” Is all you can manage to utter, and your girlfriend's expression only grows more concerned.

She averts her gaze, lifting the towel to inspect your arm. Whereas, you mantain your stare upon Hermione– you cannot bear to acknowledge the damage you've inflicted upon yourself.

“This.. that was not the way to do it. What if you had cut too deep? Please, y/n, you can't do things like that. You frightened me half to death.” Hermione reprimands, her frustration entirely justified.

You nod in resignation, the fact is you weren't thinking, you simply acted, as you always do.

“I'm sorry.” You say with real remorse and Hermione swiftly wraps an arm around you.

She kisses the side of your face, embracing you tightly. The both of you remain like that, without speaking, for a while, simply taking comfort in each other's presence.

“Where were you?” You finally mumble against Hermione's shoulder. She pulls back to look at you properly before speaking.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I went out onto the balcony.” Your girlfriend explains, loosely gesturing to the sliding doors in the distance that remain open.

“I lost track of time because I was reading.” Hermione adds, more sheepishly, and it only makes you smile.

“Of course you were.” You quip.

Your girlfriend shifts her eyes away from yours once again to look at your arm. You observed as she set her bottom lip in between her teeth, always a sign that she was thinking.

“You know, I think it's almost romantic.” You say suddenly, and Hermione blinks at you in confusion.

“What is?” She asks but you don't allow her to ponder on your statement for too long as you reach for her left arm.

You lift it up. It is tough to see under the moonlight, but you could still somewhat make out the scarring on Hermione's forearm.

Her flesh once carved until bloody with the word ‘mudblood’, now fully healed, leaving only a thick scar.

“Now we're the same.” You remark with a smirk, an effort to make light of a otherwise grim situation.

Hermione scoffs, retracting her arm.

“You are an idiot.” She claims, but there is no bite to her words, and you catch a faint smile playing on her lips as she rolls her eyes at you.

“Come on, let's get you cleaned up.” Your girlfriend coaxes, tossing the bloodied wash towel into the sink.

[mychoombatheroomba]

Blood Upon the Snow

Disavowed (Krauser x GN! Reader/Krauser x Leon) - Chapter 4

1998

Krauser finds what remains of the base in Finland . . . and its sole survivor.

(Cross-posted from Ao3)

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Chapter Index

CW: gore, description of corpses

January 30th, 1998

08:15

Dorne Base, Finland

He could see the smoke before anything else, a plume of black against a waking sky. 

The storm had left the world that stretched out beneath the chopper a pristine, untouched white, the snow contrasting harshly against the smoke and the blood red of the sunrise. Against the fires that still burned, albeit low.  

“Holy shit . . .” one of his men breathed, voicing aloud what Krauser was thinking himself. When the base had gone silent, they’d assumed it was the storm interfering with communications equipment. Then that storm had cleared . . . and still no word had come. No all-clear. So, the brief reprieve that Krauser and his men had been on had been cut short. They were the closest to check in on the base, and the most qualified if, somehow, something had gone wrong. 

And when Krauser heard where he was going, he’d known immediately that something had indeed gone wrong. 

Dorne Base in Finland. The very same he’d had on his mind a few times in the last month, all thanks to a proud and paternal Captain promising him a tour, should Krauser ever make his way that far north. A Captain who would have sent the all-clear, if he was able. 

A Captain who, Krauser realized as the chopper landed, was likely burning with the base before them. 

He set out running as soon as he was able, boots crunching against the fresh snow. His men were close behind him, each of them going with the same orders: search for hostiles and check for survivors. More help was on the way, Krauser had called it in as soon as the base came into view, but he knew that if anyone was somehow alive in there, he and his men were their best chance of survival. 

It didn’t take long before that pit in his gut grew wide enough it felt like he might collapse in on himself.

A pile of bodies greeted them as soon as they entered the walls, just under a dozen men, their corpses charred beyond recognition. The smell of ash and burning flesh lingered in the biting winter air, and as Krauser stared down at the remains, he thought only of the smiling faces he’d seen just over a month ago. One familiar and creased with age, the other new and proud. A face that Krauser had thought of more than a few times since you’d waltzed up to him at that bar. 

Was yours among the burnt bodies? Or Reynolds? 

He tried not to let those thoughts in, but it became more and more difficult as the collapsed buildings of Dorne base were searched. 

Shrapnel, debris, portions of buildings that had collapsed, others that had been blown outwards . . . no simple fire could have done this. No natural blaze would have resulted in bodies piled in the yard though, either. This was an attack, the evidence of it written in the burn marks, in the bullet casings he and his men found. Krauser had his weapon in hand, ready if he found the hostiles responsible for this, moving cautiously in case there were any more explosives left behind. Clearing an area was something he’d done dozens of times. Preparing for a fight was almost as easy as breathing to him, now. 

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of melted, misshapen flesh they found, peeking out of the rubble of a collapsed building. 

It . . . it was human. Or had been, once. Even with the way the fire had been at it, though, Krauser could make out the two legs and two arms, the round skull . . . but his mind could scarcely make sense of the huge, knife-like claws at the ends of those arms. Nor the sharp teeth that sprouted from its mouth. 

“What in the fucking ‘Thing’ is that?” Krauser’s Lieutenant had never sounded so utterly terrified, beholding the corpse like it could reanimate and slice them to ribbons in an instant. 

Krauser couldn’t blame him. 

He’d seen horrors, or, at least, he thought he had. He’d seen death. Not like this. Never like this. Because things like this weren’t supposed to happen. This was the stuff of those stupid horror movies, where men turned into monsters but were always stopped in the end. The heroes won most of the time in those movies, didn’t they? 

Krauser didn’t think anyone won here, though.  

“Leave it,” he said, even if he could see the dog tags wrapped around the thing’s throat. A soldier, once. Now . . . Krauser didn’t even want to guess. Whatever it was, he wouldn’t have his men touching it. Not that, nor any of the other twisted corpses they found. 

With each one, the Major had to ask himself the same question over and over - one that he knew may never be answered: what the hell happened here?

Corpse after corpse they passed, and the Major gave in to that dread choking him. No sense fighting that losing battle. 

No sense in hoping, when at last the parts of the base they could get to were cleared, and Krauser stepped out the opposite entrance from the one they’d come in, beholding the red on white of the sun . . . and the dark shapes lying in the snow in the distance. 

Krauser made his way forward, his men at his heels. “Two more bodies outside the perimeter,” he reported over his radio, hearing chatter from the men still inside. 

He’d seen comrades die over the years. It was a part of the job. He’d made his peace with it as much as any man could. 

Still, he felt something twist in him as he beheld the scene in front of him. 

What was left of Simon Reynolds’ face stared up at him, his remaining eye wide and white as the snow he rested on. Once handsome features were torn asunder, blown apart by bullets, the final blows to a body that seemed to have already taken so much punishment. Krauser glimpsed red staining Reynolds’ fatigues on his stomach - another gunshot wound - and a chunk torn free of his arm. Like something had bitten him. 

Reynolds, who had been there after Krauser had endured a blanket beating in the form of initiation on his first day of training. Who had patted him on the shoulder and told him he’d dealt with the same shit, that Jack couldn’t let it get to him. Reynolds, who had spoken so damn fondly of the men under his command. Who had shared a drink with Krauser not so long ago. His wife wouldn’t be able to see his face one final time, because there was so little of it that remained. Gone without a goodbye. Dead without the chance of aid. 

It ate Krauser alive, knowing that there was likely no scenario in which he could have helped. No way to save the man who’d been a guiding hand for him, once. 

The second body lying in the snow, several feet away, was just salt to his wound. 

“Not like I won’t be twenty-one in a few months anyway. I could die between now and then, you know.” 

Krauser had laughed at your words, back at the ball, writing them off as a smartass trying to get a drink. Now, they gave him nothing but a bitter taste in his mouth. 

Your eyes were glazed over, staring up at the dawning morning. Some other idiot might have thought you looked peaceful, but Krauser knew better. There was nothing peaceful about the way your belly was torn open, red soaking your uniform and pooling beneath you. Nothing beautifully tranquil about the pistol clutched in your gloved hand. There was no peace in whatever you had suffered, that much was clear, and Krauser felt his throat constrict at the sight of you. 

He moved closer, staring at the eyes that had been so bright-

Eyes that, he swore to God, blinked weakly against the morning light.

Krauser was on his knees in the snow in an instant, ripping his own glove off and pressing fingers against the side of your throat. 

When he felt the weak beat of your heart, his own nearly stopped. 

Alive. 

“This one’s still alive!” He called to everyone and no one, but he didn’t wait another second. Not when he wasn’t sure how many you had left. “Get a med kit ready! Now!” 

He stayed by your side as the medic stitched you up, grimacing as he saw the wounds on your stomach - he knew stab wounds and burns well enough from a lifetime of seeing both to recognize them in you. A botched cauterization job, it looked like. 

You should be dead, by all rights, but you held on. 

He hoped the hand he rested against your shoulder gave you further reason to fight on. 

When the stitching was done, he didn’t let himself breathe easy because even if the wounds were closed properly, you weren’t safe. 

You whimpered weakly when he lifted you into his arms, making him all the more careful of your wounds. “You stay awake,” he ordered, hoping his voice reached you in your delirium as he carried you through the snow, cutting as quick a path back to the chopper as he could. 

He almost smiled down at you as you muttered something he couldn’t even catch. Whatever it was, it was a sign of your life. Of your fight. That was enough. 

“That’s it, Sergeant,” he nodded, pressing on. “You make it through this, I’ll buy you all the bourbon you want.” 

You hissed and cried out, your head lolling against Krauser’s shoulder and then falling backwards, eyes blinking heavily. “S-s-” you struggled, but the word that finally formed just deepened the ache in Krauser’s chest. “Simon . . .” you called feebly to a dead man. One Krauser wouldn’t let you join. 

“Just hang on, soldier. That’s an order.” 

He was nearly there. Nearly at the chopper. One step closer to saving your life when- 

“Leave me.” The words were slurred, but Krauser could still make them out. A plea, desperate and empty. He wasn’t even sure you knew what you were saying, but it chipped away at him all the same. 

“You’re a fighter,” he said, shaking his head, knowing it in his heart because you had to be to have survived this hell. You had to have a goddamn heart of fire. He wasn’t going to leave you. He wasn’t going to let you die, because someone had to make it out of this, and based on what Krauser had seen all those weeks ago, Reynolds would have wanted it to be you. That was what he was sure of as he neared the helicopter at last, giving you one final order. One he willed to sink into your very bones. 

“So fight.” 

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Chapter Index

A/N: Yes the title is a Hozier song, and yes there was a reference to "The Thing" 1982 in there, what of it?

You guys got to be happy and unbothered for exactly 1 chapter - but hey, Krauser will get no better

[helltownohiohq]

𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 — 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩

B R E A K I N G N E W S

on july 12th at six fifty six am, helltown native richard ortesky, better known as scooter, reported to the helltown police department that he had found what he thought to be a body located just off the staford road — the main road that leads in and out of town. when police arrived to the scene, it was confirmed that what he had found were indeed HUMAN REMAINS.

the body of an unknown JANE DOE.

the identification of this individual, if there was one, has not been made public information, but the following notes were released to the public:

the body appears to be belonging to that of a woman in her early to late thirties.

the skin was burnt beyond recognition, down to the bones, though it appears what remained of JANE DOE'S lips was stitched shut post mortem.

only scraps of material were left of JANE DOE'S clothing, and the materials the clothing were made of are noted to be a blend of cotton, polyester, rayon, and spandex.

besides the skin being entirely charred, there were no other injuries found and no observable damage to the skeletal system.

the cause of death is undetermined.

there were no tire tracks or footprints found at the scene, so the body was not transported by a vehicle and tracks, if any, were covered up.

the body was not burnt at the scene where it was found, it was moved post-mortem.

detectives claim there were no personal artifacts or identifiers found with the body. any findings were deemed irrelevant to the case.

there is no name for JANE DOE at this time.

[kazimakuwabara]

Don't Be Scared, I'm Right Here

Summary: Koenma helps a wayward spirit. I got the idea from here: https://hellsdemonictrinity.tumblr.com/page/5

***

“Easy… easy… it’s alright… it’s alright,” Koenma soothed, speaking in low tones to the huddled spirit in the remains of a burned-down temple.

The lonely peak of a cliff, with its tall green trees, and the low-hanging clouds, could have once been described as picturesque. But someone, bandits, or superstitious folk, or anyone really, had decided to take it upon themselves to burn down a little temple of worship, with its young caretaker inside. The why, Koenma didn't know, and he doubted it mattered. Human cruelty never made much sense to him. He'd been informed of the act, and of a small spirit who would not let the spirit guides approach him.

And while not normally his business, Koenma had decided to descend to the human realm. The blackened cliff, ruined temple, and noxious air ruined the once beautiful scenery. And it was here he had spotted the little spirit.

A little wisp of cloud.

A white wisp, with light that flickered between intense starlight, and a dull gray fuggy color, had been circling the burning temple. Koenma had called out to it, beckoning the little spirit, but the little flicker had sped back inside toward the ruined framework of the still smoking shrine. He followed, walking easily through the ruined as only an older world being like himself could. He watched as it pressed itself to what looked like blackened wood in the shape of a human form. The fire had twisted and burned the huddled mass to a point beyond recognition, but Koenma knew it to be a body.

“Your body is gone little one… I’m sorry. I’m sorry you were killed, but there’s nothing for you here…” Koenma gently soothed, extending his hands out, his palms up submissively. “You are dead now… but you shouldn’t linger here. It would be too lonely to stay here alone.”

The wisp curled towards Koenma, floating in an anxious circle before pressing itself back against the body it had once belonged to.

Koenma shook his head, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I know you had a lonely life, I know you struggled in your short years with the living. It was unfair… your end. I couldn’t do anything for you while you were alive.” Koenma smiled gently at the little wisp. “But I can promise I’ll be with you now. Come on. Let’s not linger here. Come with me. You can stay with me, alright?”

The wisp hovered near its remains for a bit longer, before finally the twinkling little cloud glided away from its remains, past charred and blackened wood. Slowly, it exited the remains of the burnt shrine, and into Koenma’s arms.

Koenma embraced the spirit, smiling as he held the little cloud to himself. As he held it, the wisp began to glow, twinkling and winking between soft and harsh light. A body began to form in Koenma’s arms, and he stroked a hand down the back of what would eventually be a person’s hand.

“There we are… there we are, my dear. Can you tell me your name?” Koenma asked as the wisp resolved itself into a humanoid form.

A woman, dressed in a dull kimono, with long loose hair, and large luminous eyes looked up at him. Her thin fingers were curled into Koenma’s robes, and her cheek rested on his clavicle. She blinked several times before she found her words, and managed to speak, “B-Botan.”

“Botan?” Koenma repeated, smiling at the woman, “It’s a lovely name. Just lovely.” 

The woman trembled again and Koenma gently shushed her, stroking a hand down the back of her hair and neck, “Shhh, shh… Botan, you don’t have to be afraid anymore. It’s going to be okay. I’m here now… you’ll be safe with me.”

She looked up at him, her large pink eyes filled with tears, and Koenma smiled.

“Botan, don’t be scared. I’m here. It’ll be alright.”

[coyotescribbles]

...This was supposed to be a drabble but it got a little bit out of hand :’)

----------

Gradually, the scenery below changed, becoming less and less familiar to her.

It wasn't that Azrael hadn't been interested in exploring Cybertropolis before - but it was a vast city, covering a significant percentage of Cybertron's northern hemisphere, and the nature of her work had meant that she hadn't had time to do much wandering. Even before the botched reformatting that had left her grounded for kilocycles, most of her limited travel had been work or education-related, and had taken her further south and east, and this...

This was in the opposite direction of all of that.

In the midst of her musing, she caught sight of a section of city that looked oddly different from the rest. Even from her altitude, it looked... flat, and unsettlingly dark, in stark contrast to the cold neon nebulae surrounding it on all sides. A yawning black hole in the middle of a sea of stars.

Curious, she banked into a sharp dive, swooping low.

It was the smell that hit her first, once she was close enough: The unmistakable sharp, sour stench of burnt infrastructure. Though the main fires had long ago burned themselves out, the smell lingered, clinging like the soot and ash to every surface she could see as she swept past. By the time she reached street level, the acrid chemical stink was almost overwhelming - a thick, plasticky miasma that she could taste. It was almost enough to make her gag.

What happened here?

(She already knew the answer, of course...)

The pavement crunched underfoot when she finally landed, her wings kicking up a cloud of fine dust and ash that made her intakes itch and burn until she forcefully sneezed it out; even then, it left a film that tainted the smell of everything with charcoal.

Folding her wings and flicking her ears back, she looked around to survey her surroundings.

Everything around her was charred, reduced to slag, charcoal, and rubble. Pools of once-molten glass sparkled faintly on the ground beneath the yawning voids of empty windows. The skeletal remains of countless vehicles littered the streets, some overturned, most piled up as if shoved aside by some greater force. Flakes of scorched black metal came away from the heaps with every breeze, pattering softly against brick and concrete...

Something soft squished under her forepaw as she passed by one burned-out pile, and Azrael reflexively vaulted back, scanning the ground where she'd just stepped.

What she saw there made her recoil further, her fuel tank seemingly icing over as the horror of where she was finally crashed over her.

Where else but the Xeno Quarter would one come across a human child's stuffed toy.

The tiny figure was burnt almost beyond recognition, hardly more than a lump of blackened fabric and stuffing, but something had shielded part of the toy's head, leaving a tiny swatch of sooty, singed pink synthetic fur clinging to a long oval shape that might have once been an ear.

Her eyes flickered between the forlorn little lump on the ground, and the ominous dark heap that loomed over it, and for a brief moment she could picture it all too vividly in her mind's eye - the tank drones shoving the vehicles into one another, the roar of cannons and the shrill hiss of plasma rounds, the screams and shrieks of so many trapped and helpless humans as everything burned including them...

Without even consciously realizing what she was doing, Azrael backed away from a nightmare that only she could see, head low, ears plastered to her skull, wings half-unfurled-

"Bit far from home, aren't you, kitty-cat?"

Hissing furiously, she all but somersaulted away from the voice that had yanked her so rudely back into reality, stirring up another ashen cloud as she flailed gracelessly into the street. Every inch of fur stood on end as she turned to glare at whoever had decided to sneak up on her.

...Of course it was Thrust. Still in his alt mode, he tilted his head quizzically at her, and she could have sworn that the purr rolling from his engine had a questioning lilt to it.

With an indignant huff, Azrael settled her wings back into place and smoothed her hackles down.

Then she made the mistake of sniffing.

"Primus! Don't-" she sneezed repeatedly; "-don't do that!"

"Sorry, figured you'd hear me comin'." Shifting to his robot mode, he rolled forward to meet her. "Then again, didn't think I'd run into you all the way out here."

"I could say the same." She shook her head and scrubbed at her muzzle with her wrist. "Ugh... I didn't plan on ending up here, it just sort of. Happened. I didn't even realize where 'here' was until, well..."

"Where is 'here', anyway?"

She looked up at him in disbelief for a moment, before realizing that he wouldn't have any reason to know that information. With a heavy sigh, she started off down the street again. "It's - it was the Xeno Quarter," she replied quietly, "it's where all the non-Cybertronians lived..."

"Non-Cybertronians? You mean-"

"...Yeah. Organics. Humans and other aliens." Her ear flicked at the sound of crumbling concrete crunching underneath his tire. "I'd only ever been here once before, when I was just a sparkling..."

...Her mother had been meeting with some university professors - for what, She couldn't remember, but it probably had something to do with her cultural studies. She'd been left to her own devices, and had ended up playing with a group of youths at a nearby park...

"But..." She faltered and flattened her ears back again, feeling that icy chill creeping through her fuel lines again.

"But...?" She didn't have to look at him to know how he was tilting his head at her.

"My youngest sister, she..." Azrael's mouth suddenly didn't want to form words; she swallowed hard and tried again. "She spent a lot of time here. She liked the people - she -"

She was almost certainly here when this happened.

Something hot and cold and crushing coiled around her spark. The thought of sweet, gentle little Leisergeist trapped here, at the mercy of those murderers-

"...Az?"

She blinked, and gave her head another shake as she drew a shaky breath through her intakes.

"She was spending a few solar cycles with friends here, when... when everything went down." Her voice was trembling, barely more than a whisper, but the bitter, strangled laugh that managed to escape her throat was anything but; tears blurred her vision and cut tracks through the soot and ash as they rolled down her face. "Just before Megatron sterilized the whole area..."

She couldn't bring herself to look at Thrust. It wasn't his fault, she knew that. He hadn't even existed when this had happened, but she knew that she would only be able to see those drones, mindlessly carrying out their creator's murderous intent, slaughtering and burning everything in their path. All these people, dead, because of him...

"Maybe she got out before that happened."

"Leiser wouldn't have left her friends like that." A knot of tension ached between Azrael's wings. "She would have tried to protect them..."

"Look, if she stayed, then-"

"Don't," she snapped, a dangerous edge forming in her voice. If he noticed, he paid it no heed.

"I'm just sayin'-"

"I'm saying I don't want to hear it!" Azrael rounded on him, eyes and teeth flashing bright in the light of his headlamp; he reversed so hard that it seemed like he might fall for a moment. "I don't care what excuse you have for this! I care that tens of thousands of innocent people died here! I care that my baby sister, who never did a damned thing but adore everyone she ever met, might have been one of them!"

A strange choking sound cut her off, and she was so wrapped up in grief and anger that it took her a moment to realize that it came from her.

She tried to breathe, but could only manage another ragged sob.

"I care that we're stand in the middle of a fucking graveyard and you - you aren't even bothered! Primus, it must be nice to be so heartless-"

"Az, stop."

Bristling, she started to turn away, but the sickeningly familiar squish of something soft underfoot stopped her cold in her tracks once more - but only for a moment. With a raw, guttural sound of grief and rage, she swatted the ruined toy into Thrust's face even as she wheeled and lunged away, wings unfurling with an audible snap. Their powerful downstroke kicked up a storm of ash and soot and flakes of corroded metal that followed in her wake until she was high enough to shake it off.

She had to get away. From this place. From him. From everything. And she pushed her own limits to do just that.

By the time she reached the landing of her borrowed apartment, her entire body ached and it took every ounce of energy she had to drag the sliding door open and haul herself to the shower instead of just collapsing in a heap right then and there. Under the curtains of near-scalding hot water, though? She couldn't have cared less about collapsing, then, and for a long time she just lay on the intricately-tiled floor, shivering despite the heat.

Would those drones have extinguished Leiser's spark for getting in their way? Or would they have torn it from her shell before burning what was left of her to ash?

Had she been afraid? Had she cried out for her sisters? Mothers?

Had there been bitterness, in the end?

Slowly but surely, guilt crept up to twine itself with the grief - guilt for not being there, for not knowing...

Guilt for lashing out at someone who had just been trying to help.

Azrael tried to push it back, but it was in vain.

Even when she finally dredged up the will to get up off the floor, shake the water off, and plod back out to the common area to crawl into the sunken area piled with cushions and blankets, those awful feelings continued to gnaw at her, keeping her awake when all she desperately wanted to do was sleep...

And just when she thought she'd finally quieted it enough to get some rest, the insistent thud thud thud of someone knocking at the door shattered the silence.

Azrael flattened her ears back and buried her face in a soft cushion.

"Az, I know you're in there, please open the door."

Go away, she wanted to say, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she just let the silence drag out.

"...Azzy, c'mon."

Well. That was new...

With a sigh, she reluctantly left her nest to go unlock the front door, but turned back before he could open it; as much as she didn't want to shut Thrust out, she wasn't entirely sure she was ready to face him just yet.

As if sensing her conflict, he didn't approach her right away, instead taking the opportunity to go rinse the dust and road grit from his frame. He was still radiating heat when, half an hour or so later, he awkwardly but carefully settled himself into the nest nearby - close enough to be felt, but not so close that he was crowding her - and she distantly wondered just how hard he'd pushed himself to get there as quickly as he had.

And when he finally spoke, his voice was soft.

"...I ain't heartless."

"I know," she whispered, a new lump forming in her throat; "I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Or done... that. I'm sorry..."

"You were upset."

"That doesn't excuse it." Azrael's voice was hoarse.

"Nah, but I get it. I might not have a family like you do, but I think if somethin' like that happened to 'Storm... I'd probably be in a pretty bad place, too."

Fresh tears rolled down her face; how could he be so damned understanding...

"'Sides, it's not like at least some of the blame ain't mine," the end of one clamp lightly traced along the edge of her ear, and she found herself leaning into that despite herself; "I kept runnin' my vox when I shoulda just shut it."

"You were just trying to help."

"Yeah, well..." She could hear the shrug in Thrust's voice, then, after a short pause, "...hey, c'mere."

Lifting her head, Azrael turned to see him holding an arm out to her; after a moment's consideration, she climbed over the blankets and cushions to tentatively curl against his side. He settled his arm across her back, and she closed her eyes to the gently idling rumble of his engine.

She still hurt, but... having company helped.

"...Thanks for not, you know, hating me," she murmured.

"I've dealt with worse." He laughed once, quietly; "'Storm ain't got a filter, either."

[flameleadsarc]

Anonymous asked:

Hellhound leashed, you fire-spewing dog. How does it feel? To see the carnage again? Do not avert your eyes, the images will only slither beneath your lids. How does it feel? The scent of burning flesh? You may desperately avoid it now, such a painful reminder, and yet you smell it in your dreams. A dog's nose is keen, and every step of the way you will be reminded of your reeking sins. The cookware crashes to the ground, your ears perk up. Gunshots. A bone gives out underneath your ash-caked foot; Snap. Death. But before death, agony. Dog teeth are not meant for mercy. Dog teeth are not meant for love. You know. This is why you are their weapon, the leash a silver chain. The same chain you keep safe and warm within your pocket. You want this. You always have. Perhaps it was fate, and we all know how fate goes. So, why do you hurt? You kill because you are good at it. Let that be enough. Now, look. Lower your hand, the deed is done.

Lower your sight and behold - your son of bloodshot golden eyes, a scream carved into his frozen features as the rest of his body burns. That bullet alone would have been a more peaceful death. Dog teeth are not meant for love. Will you pull them out? Or will you keep destroying everything you care for? Will you lay down your arms and accept your punishment before you harm him so? Will you wrap that silver chain around your neck and step off your sinner's path into the fall? You know well there is no other escape. Not for you, and not for him. They will take your sons from you. Only fair, to save them from such a monster. You had no right to ever make them believe loving you was okay.

So, hellhound leashed, you fire-spewing dog, without teeth you can still speak, but will the words come out right - when you sin your last and still tell them you love them as the chain rattles against the rain-slick wood until it straightens with a jolt and then -

Snap.

...You had no right to make them watch this.

Scare the Flame Colonel  | Currently accepting.

How cruel this voice was to find him when he thought he was safe. Inside the four walls of his home with his family, he let his guard down just enough. A pair of gloves sat in his pocket next to the pocket watch inscribed with a single word: Flame. No, he didn’t need either of them here. Surely he could put them away where they belonged, somewhere out of sight where he needn’t look at them or acknowledge their existence. Yet, the first two words he heard had him reaching for them without thinking. His weapons---he needed to be armed.

A soldier still at war, still fighting, still breathing despite Death surrounding him on all sides.

                        Hellhound leashed.

Leashed, yes. So very careful, he never let it loose after the war. Hadn’t he? He left that demon behind where it couldn’t hurt or kill anyone ever again. It never should have come to life, known how the desert sun burned everything it saw, what sand dunes felt like under military issued boots. What killed hundreds of soldiers and civilians alike allowed the beast to thrive as it left destruction in its wake. As it calmly marched forward, it took the last breaths of the innocent as their own and used the oxygen to kill again.

                    SNAP.

And again.

                              SNAP.

And again.

                                              SNAP.

His body sat on the edge of his bed, but his mind transported him to the desert. He wasn’t in Central anymore.

Standing in the midst of rubble and decay, he looked to the ground. Ash was all that remained of a once tethered leash. Following the trail, Roy dared to meet the beast’s gaze. Eyes formed out of obsidian, volcanic glass acting as a mirror, glared back. Blood dripped from its mouth as it growled, heat emanating from its body while it threatened to burn him too. Another feast, something to satisfy the bloodlust nestled deep in the demon’s belly.

                                  "They’re demons.”

All State Alchemists bore that moniker. Every single one of them slaughtered hundreds, if not thousands, in minutes compared to the hours or days it took other battalions. The Flame Alchemist, though, was the one who wielded hellfire. Their precious Hero of Ishval, the hound born in hell, followed orders and left no survivors. Corpses charred beyond recognition, filling the air with their pungent odor with skin that clung to the skeletons that remained.

Roy remembered it. His breathing quickened as that keen sense of smell didn’t allow him to forget, color leaving his face as his stomach churned. How it reeked. Gunshots fired in the distance had him gripping the watch and gloves with one hand, his other extended and poised to transmute. It shook in the air as his boot crushed bone with ease. Bones couldn’t be broken that easily---they shouldn’t be.

Cremation, if done by a professional, happened at thirteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit and lasted for hours. Two fingers creating a spark with proper ignition between them made the process take seconds.

             What a good killer you are.

And he was. He followed orders, and he followed them well. Why though? Why did he continue killing when he knew he shouldn’t? That it was wrong, abhorrent---he knew it in his very soul, one that wept in his tent for all the lives he took. Why didn’t he stop?

“You want this. You always have.”

Flame alchemy was his and his alone. No one else could claim its power, its beautiful, symphonic destruction. He didn’t want to share it. It belonged to him. Civilians, soldiers, killers, Homunculi---the targets didn’t matter. The hellhound bared its teeth and killed, and it reveled in a job well done. Fighting real monsters Killing made him feel alive.

Even if the person he killed was one he swore to protect, cherish, love. His son with eyes and hair of gold looked back at him, and he recoiled. He backed away as he lowered his trembling hand. What had he done? What did he do? Leashed hellhound---it wasn’t leashed when it hurt his son, biting him with the intent to sink bloodied teeth in further, to eat the heart the bullet missed.

He let it loose. He let this happen.

                                   “Dog teeth are not meant for love.”

That was all he was: a dog of the military. The Hero of Ishval. Amestris’s hellhound. As such, he wasn’t designed for love. Weapons couldn’t receive it, and they certainly couldn’t give it.

Heart racing, he struggled to breathe, choking on the smell of burnt flesh as he should. One hand still clutched his watch and gloves. This chain was the leash, one that might be strong enough to hold the dog back. If he coiled it around its his neck, he could hold it himself back. He could still save his family, his precious sons. Save them from the monster.

“               You had no right to ever make them believe loving you was okay.”

No, he didn’t, but he let it happen. Edward and Alphonse believed loving him was okay, the former even going so far as to counter that logic.

                      “You don’t think yer worthy'a love but you don’t git ta decide that.”

No, he didn’t.

Alas, that didn’t stop him from believing knowing he wasn’t meant to have it. Gloves dropped to the floor in front of him, he held his pocket watch in both hands and stared at the chain. A gun would be quicker. His alchemy would be quicker, and he deserved to feel the pain he inflicted on others. Two thousand five hundred degrees Fahrenheit---he deserved to know what that felt like. But, he never managed to use a gun on himself, and he could never turn his fire on himself except to save his own life.

How fitting. How cowardly.

That same cowardice led his hands to wrap that chain around his neck. He ignored the tears that ran down his cheeks. These hands knew how to kill better than most. They knew the human body well, how to hurt it, how to kill it in multiple ways. This was for the better. He needed to keep his sons safe from him, from the hellhound. It continued to snarl, preparing to unleash another attack. Quickly, before it was too late, he needed to---

                   “You wanna know what ta fuckin’ do? LIVE.”

Edward Elric’s voice was what he heard as his pocket watch, the second one he received after the first caught a bullet, clattered and hit the floor. God, what was he doing? What the hell was he doing right now? If Edward knew---if his sons knew what he just started attempting, they’d... they couldn’t... he couldn’t...

“I was accepting my punishment,” he thought to himself, not daring to say it aloud. He deserved to be punished, didn’t he? He and the hellhound were one in the same. Before it hurt anyone else, he needed to put it down. It wasn’t supposed to live this long. Again, though, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. For the umpteenth time, these useless hands of his couldn’t kill the one person, one thing that---

Out of the desert and back in his home, his body shook as he sobbed. Was his door closed? He didn’t check. Didn’t matter. He couldn’t do anything about it now. The leash wasn’t around his neck, but he was, for the time being, immobilized.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” The words looped in his mind. “I’m so sorry. Don’t Forgive me.”

He wasn’t made for love, and he couldn’t have forgiveness.

[meanwhile-on-spn]

Meanwhile...

Season 1 Ep. 2 - Wendigo

Previously on Supernatural: A demon waited for Sam to come back so he could start his BBQ.

___

“Why are you guys just sitting there!?” A young man demanded stomping up the slope to a campsite fire. An older man and woman sat, in dingy folding chairs, passing food and beer to one another. “We should be looking around.”

Laura turned to him giving a indulgent smile as she finished the last of her beer, tossing into an air tight container to avoid scavengers, “For what? It was a bear, Kevin.” Kevin was not happy about that, the tiny bear bells on his pack giving a jangle, as he stomped his feet in frustration.

“Guys, you said you would take this seriously.” He whined, an actual high pitched whine.

“Yeah” Jeremy popped in, around a mouth full of his trail mix, “and we seriously think that was a bear.”

Kevin scowled, throwing his pack to the ground and started to dig through it, “This is why I don’t invite you out on hunts.” Finding what he needed, Kevin pulled out a battered composition notebook that was bent, stained and had dozens of loose sheets of paper falling out of it, “We are supposed to find evidence of this thing.”

“No, We agreed to do this because we wanted to get out of the city and drink in the woods.” Laura restated, watching as her companion took the final folding chair for himself. Once seated, Kevin opened up the notebook, leafing through pages of what looked like internet printouts, crude drawings and gibberish written in what wanted to be organized text. “Come on Kev. We’re having one more beer and calling it a night.”

“How many times do we have to go over this!?” The agitated young man said, stomping his hiking boot, the dry foliage underneath giving a crackle. He hunched over more, trying to read the writing in the low light. Laura looked over his shoulder to see the name Wendigo, scratched in like a saw victim would their will, with jagged pen strokes. “Rumor is that this thing makes human noises. What kind of Bear makes human sounds?”

“Yogi?” Jeremy snarked, pulling out his vaping pen. Laura leaned in closer, actually reading Kevin’s notes.

WENDIGO

A Cree name for the Monster common in folklore of the First Nations Algonquin folklore, this creature is created when a human, usually in desperate need of food, starts to consume other humans. 

Mostly sited the northern forests of Nova Scotia, the East Coast of Canada, and Great Lakes Region of Canada and in Wisconsin, United States.

Tall, lanky, smell bad, superspeed, Cunning, Can mimic human voices. Under that were several crud drawings and multiple new clippings  about missing campers in the woods. The one Kevin was currently reading though, had just been published last week.

FIRE!! IN THE OLD SILVER MINES OF BLACKWATER RIDGE

Volunteer firefighters were baffled this week as a fire erupted from the long abandoned silver mines deep in the backwoods of Blackwater Ridge. The mines, built back in the 1870s, had long been lost to park rangers until the emergency forest fire that took out 2 acres led them to one the shaft openings. As for what started the first, experts are still looking for answers but are suspicious that it somehow sparked within the mines. Rangers want to remind everyone to practi... ropriate.... Afe... 

The lower half of the news article was jaggedly ripped. In the right hand corner there were coordinates scribbled in red ink and circled multiple times.

“Why the hell do you even want to ‘find’ this thing Kevin?” Laura was aghast, if she even believed in it for a second she would have already hightailed it out of the woods. 

“Come on I have one more place to look. Come with me.” Laura looked in his eyes and saw that unbridled excitement that she saw in her 6 year old sister. With a huff, she agreed, standing up to join him.

“Fiiiiiiine.” Jeremy groaned, lifting himself out of his seat. “Let’s get this over with so we can drink.”

Laura And Jeremy were behind Kevin as he led them through the woods, guided only by a coordinates app on his phone. Everything looked the same to them, charred, burnt and destroyed. Finally, after several minutes of stopping, inspecting his app, spinning in circles then reinspecting the app again, Kevin announced that they had arrived. The trip stood at the edge of a small ravine that was once probably covered with copious small plants. Now though, with the fire destroying everything the entrance to the mine was left bare and exposed to the world.

Carefully they slide down the ashes sides, coughing as the dust is kicked up into the ravine.

The entrance to the mine was completely blacked, ominous scorch marks from the inferno that birthed from its entrance leaving a lasting impact. Kevin pulled out his flashlight and slowly inched towards the entrance. The camera hanging around his neck banging about his chest in a rhythmic beat.

The insides of the mine smelled like a confusing mix of dry burning and musty dampness. It made Laura sneeze almost instantly and made Jeremy’s eyes water in irritation. They weaved through the labyrinthian channels of the mine so quickly Laura was scared they would be lost forever inside it. Just as she was about to demand they head back to the came Kevin froze. Laura and Jeremy both slamming into his back as he stood stock still, his flashlight frozen on a mass before them.

It was black and massive, laying prone like it was dead or asleep.  Kevin started to inch closer, even though Laura tried to lank him back harshly hissing him to come back. Kevin forged ahead walking a slow circle around the prone figure. “Is it dead?” Laura asked. To answer their question, Kevin sticks out his foot, jabbing at the body.

“Dead.” With a relieved sigh, his courage back, Jeremy walks over inspecting the body as well

“What the hell is that thing?” Jeremy pointed to what looked like a charred piece of jerky, tough, wrinkly, and smelling vaguely like a cookout. Laura picked up a stick and started poking at the corpse. “Hey, don-”

“It’s a bear?” She said with the absolute confidence of a person who had no clue what they were talking about.

“With no fur!?” Kevin's incredulous loud voice bounced off the stone walls, echoing down the chasm. 

“Burnt off probably. Or it’s got mange.” Jeremy added, then melted into uncontrollable giggles. Poking harder at the charred remains, “Hey look, it’s Smokey!”

“Oh for the love of god!” Kevin threw his hands up

“Come on guys,” Laura looked around her, uncomfortable with just how much noise this supposedly abandoned mineshaft was making, “let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.” Jeremy hummed in agreement, dripping the stick and instantly giving up on his probing of the corpse.

“Hey, it's okay, man. Who knows maybe we will run into the moth man, he can give us a ride home.”

“That’s not funny.” Bending down lower, Kevin inspects the head of the creature. It was burned beyond recognition but he couldn't shake the feeling that it didn't look like a bear's head. It almost looked human.

“It’s a little funny if you let yourself laugh.” Jeremy said, giving the body a kiss. Which managed to splatter some disgusting black goo on Kevin's face. Sputtering, Kevin hell back into the dirt, scrubbing at his face.

“Yeah, Kev. You’ve got to relax. It’s not about the monsters you find, it’s about the friends you make along the way.” The trio left, none of them noticing the luminous red eyes tracking them from a dark corner of the mines.

Onscreen Body count: 6

[cloudphillips]

Three: Act I

"Dragons?!"

 Seungwan shrugged off the invisibility cloak as she stared completely horrified at the scene before her. Just a few distances away, a large lizard-like dragon, with black scales and razor-sharp bronze spikes portruding on its tail, thrashed wildly against its metal cage but the iron shackles tethered around its limbs prevented it from escaping. Sensing that its efforts were futile, the dragon unleashed a fiery breath towards its captors. Thankfully, those humans managed to escape the blast and avoided getting roasted to death. Unfortunately, the surrounding foliage within fifty feet away got burnt to ashes. It was a terrible sight. "That's the first task?!"

The Ravenclaw gaped incredulously at the half-giant standing beside her. For the record, Hagrid didn't seem quite perturbed. In fact, he looked fascinated to have witnessed that magnificent display of power from the beast. "Oh don't worry about 'em, Seungwan. They're seriously misunderstood creatures." The horrendous dragon roared into the night sky and its sound shook the very earth that Seungwan wondered if it reached Hogwarts too. If the students even remotely knew that a freaking dragon was being smuggled inside the castle grounds. "Although, I have ter admit that Horntail is a right nasty piece of work."

 "You're joking right?" The blonde shook her head in denial. Hopefully, this wasn't some kind of twisted dream. Maybe the dragon was just for show. Some scare tactic to convince the Triwizard champions into abandoning the tournament or just a weird display of power from the joint forces of the great wizarding schools in Europe. Either way, Seungwan was scared shitless. Dumbledore wasn't kidding about the fact that this tournament really weren't for the faint of heart.

 "'Course not Seungwan. Tis' a matter of serious business. That's why I called ye here to warn--" Hagrid wasn't able to finish his statement because the dragon suddenly breathed out flames and aimed its attack towards the direction where they stood. "Incoming!" Both Seungwan and Hagrid dropped to the ground when the fire blazed above their heads and completely missed them. A charred beetle fell dead just a few inches near the Ravenclaw and by the looks of it, the poor insect wasn't able to survive the flames and was incinerated beyond recognition. The smell of burnt flesh permeated through the air and lingered in her nose. It's safe to say that Seungwan won't be forgetting that scent anytime soon.

 Once the coast was clear, they rose from the ground and dusted off the dirt from their clothes. Seungwan felt uncomfortably warm, like the heat from the flames clung to her skin and caused her to sweat. Her blonde hair was sticking out in all the wrong directions and Hagrid, bless his soul, good-naturedly patted it down and tamed it with his large hands. "Anyways, the dragons just arrived this morning. Seulgi's brother helped shipped them ter Hogwarts. Didn't she tell ye that?" The half-giant sounded like he was speaking to a toddler and maybe he was, considering their great difference in height, but Seungwan didn't let that bother her since she had more things to worry about. Like the fact that Seulgi withheld such a vital information from her.

 "No she didn't. Seulgi didn't tell me a thing." Seungwan said through gritted teeth. When she gets the chance to see her best friend, she will definitely strangle that Hufflepuff to death. Of course, she'd have to face Sooyoung and Yerim and maybe brave through the barriers of the whole student body in order to even touch Seulgi. Damnit! Why did this have to be so difficult? Suffocating the Hufflepuff would've been so much easier if she wasn't adored by everyone.

 The half-giant remained oblivious to her growing frustration as he fidgeted in place. That's when Seungwan noticed something rather unusual. He combed his hair and his clothes were neatly pressed with no visible wrinkles anywhere. His eyes kept on darting around the surroundings almost like he was searching for something. Hagrid was certainly acting odd.

 "Hagrid~~~"

 Both of them froze at the sound of a melodic voice echoing through the forest. Hagrid nervously glanced at Seungwan and sent her an apologetic smile. "I think it's time for ye ter go. It's getting late." He coughed awkwardly and the blonde narrowed her eyes at the suspiciousness of it all.

 "Hagrid. Are you seeing someone?"

 At her deduction, the half-giant gasped in shock. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights and it looked like his entire life flashed before his eyes. If the situation wasn't so dire, the Ravenclaw would've laughed. "How did ye know that I'm seeing Olympe?" He whispered, sounding completely scandalized, but immediately realized his error and his eyes widened in horror. "I shouldn ter said that." He groaned in annoyance at his accidental confession and clamped his mouth shut, determined not to reveal anymore secrets.

 Now, it was Seungwan's turn to be surprised. "You're courting the Headmistress of Beauxbatons?!" Really. Hagrid and Madame Maxime were going out? Seems like a hard pill to swallow. The Ravenclaw took a few moments to let the information sink in before she tapped her chin deep in thought and voiced out her approval. "Not bad. I wish you could've told me though. I'd be a great wingwoman."

 "What'ser wingwoman?" Hagrid looked confused and Seungwan would've taken the liberty to explain but they were pressed for time. By now, the voice sounded like it was getting closer and closer and it seemed like they only had a few minutes to spare.

 "Nothing. Anyways, did you bring her something to give?" Judging by the blank expression Hagrid sported, he didn't and it took all of Seungwan's will not to berate the half-giant. She rubbed the growing headache on her temples and breathed in and out to calm her growing nerves. Geez! It wasn't even her date but she was already getting this anxious. "Seriously? You brought nothing? Not even some flowers or chocolates?"

 "I didn't know ter was some courting etiquette I need ter follow." The half-giant, for the record, seemed pretty clueless and the Ravenclaw felt sympathy for him. He was probably as nervous as she was and her nagging wasn't helping alleviate his worries. She decided to soften her approach and help her friend have the best night of his life.

 "First rule of dating Hagrid. You always bring a gift on the first outing."

 Seungwan bent down and grabbed a few rocks on the ground. With a small flourish of her wand, she transfigured the pebbles into an elegant bouquet of white lilies. She uttered a few spells and tweaked the bouquet here and there before she was completely satisfied with the appearance. It was magnificently presentable. Madame Maxime would surely adore this simple gift. It's amazing what a little magic could do to perform miracles.

 "Give her these." She handed the flowers to Hagrid then proceeded to adjust his clothes to a more aesthetic fashion so that he'll look irresistibly attractive to the eyes of Madame Maxime. She also dished out some dating advice to guide the half-giant with his date. "Don't forget to compliment her every now and then. Women like to be wooed with sweet words." She smoothed out the lapels of his collar and fussed over the dirt that somehow lodged into his hair. Once she was satisfied, she took a step back to observe his appearance. Hagrid looked pretty dashing. Seungwan felt her heart swell excitedly, like a proud mother about to send off her son to his first day of school. It was ironic since Hagrid was pretty much older than her. "Most importantly, never forget to be yourself. She will only like you more if you're being genuine."

 "Thanks Seungwan." Hagrid bashfully bowed his head and flashed her a grateful smile. He pulled the Ravenclaw into a warm hug. He sniffed and it seemed like he almost wanted to cry. Awww the big fluffball. Seungwan felt herself melt in his embrace. This adorable sweetheart of a giant. "Yer a great friend for helping me."

 "You're gonna nail this date Hagrid. Madame Maxime will see just how much of an amazing person you are." Seungwan tried her best to reassure the half-giant as she patted him good-naturedly on the back. When they both pulled away, the Ravenclaw grabbed the invisibility cloak from the ground and proceeded to wrap it around her body until only her head poked out. "Have a wonderful time!"

 "Hagrid~~~"

 They both turned towards the direction of the sound and Seungwan decided that it was time to leave. "I should get going." With that, she trudged away from the forest and headed back to the castle. Hopefully, Madame Maxime takes a liking to Hagrid because if anyone deserves a happy ending, it's him. May their date sail smoothly without any hitches along the way and may they enjoy a pleasant night in each other's company.

 ***

 Sooyoung clutched the piece of parchment in a vice-like grip, more specifically the Arithmancy exam her professor graded just this morning, and glared at the right topmost portion of the paper where the big fat D- was written in bold red ink. She failed another test she didn't study for. What a surprise.

 Having good grades in Arithmancy wasn't really a requirement for most jobs in the wizarding world but in order for one to qualify for Auror training, one must have outstanding grades in all subjects, something she failed to do. Her professor adviced her to take a remedial exam if she ever hoped to receive a passing mark but there was no way in hell she'd do that. It was a complete waste of time and she had other things to worry about, like starting fan bandwagon for Seungwan to increase support for her best friend and launching a smear campaign for Rosé in an effort to discredit her. Ain't nobody got time to do some extra studying.

 Sure, all she was doing wasn't contributing in solving the issue but she believes in ignoring the problem until it completely goes away. This unhealthy coping mechanism helped her countless of times and it certainly won't fail her now.

 Crumpling the parchment into a useless ball of trash, she threw her test results away and walked down the path that lead straight to the castle grounds. She still had Flying lessons next and she was running quite late. Her mother would be hella pissed when she finds out Sooyoung failed another exam but what her mother doesn't know won't hurt her. The Slytherin planned to keep this a secret after all.

 "Right! First order of business is to get to class."

 With that, she headed towards her intended destination. The memory of those atrocious test results were already buried deep within recesses of her mind and completely forgotten. It's better to move past and move on for nothing good ever resulted from wallowing in self-pity. There were more important things in life than slaving over grades. Sooyoung vowed to do better next time but for now, she still had a class to attend.

 Little did she know that her failures would come back to haunt her in the future.

 Rosé was going to the owlery with the intention of sending a letter to her father when she noticed a piece of crumpled paper on the ground. She sighed in frustration and rubbed the growing ache in her head. What's with people littering the immaculate premises of the castle? Have they no care for the environment at all? Did they know that for the past few years, there had been a significant increase of carbon footprint and one of its contributing factors is the rapid rise of wastes. The Beauxbatons girl picked the trash and had half the mind to properly dispose it in a garbage container when she decided to see its contents.

 A large D- printed in red ink was the first thing that greeted her when she smoothed out the creases on the paper. Upon further study, she realized that the paper was, in fact, an Arithmancy exam and this embarrassing failure only belonged to Park Sooyoung. The same girl who pranked Rosé a few days ago with a Mimbulus Mimbletonia and the very bane of her existence.

 "Interesting..." Rosé mumbled to herself as she tapped her chin, seemingly deep in thought. So Park Sooyoung was academically weak in Arithmancy. Maybe she could use this information to her advantage. After all, she needed a little payback for what that blasted Slytherin did to her. There was no way she would allow that slight to her pride be forgotten.

 Staring at the crumpled parchment in her hand, a brilliant idea flashed into her mind. Maybe she could embarrass the Slytherin girl publicly in front of her friends. There was no way Sooyoung would be able to recover from that huge humiliation. Yes! Such a brilliant. That stupid idiot would think twice of crossing the line.

 Rosé closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh scent of the wind breeze. Revenge had never felt so sweet. It seems like all her lucky stars have aligned and provided her with this amazing opportunity of getting back at her arch enemy. She will surely not let this chance go to waste.

 Vengeance is at hand.

 ***

 "Wannie!"

 The Ravenclaw was wandering along the halls of the castle when she heard someone calling out her name. She had the sneaking suspicion that the voice belonged to a certain Hufflepuff friend of hers and when she turned around, her hunch was right. Seulgi was waving enthusiastically in her direction before barreling through the throngs of students just to reach the blonde and engulfing her in a tight hug. Seungwan refused to return her warm greeting because she still remembered her friend's betrayal. The audacity! How dare Seulgi hug her at a time like this?

 "Why didn't you tell me about the dragons?" The Ravenclaw hissed in under her breath as she dragged the Hufflepuff somewhere private where no one would be able to eavesdrop into their conversation. Once the coast was clear, she demanded answers from her friend. "Did you purposely plan to leave me in the dark? I wasn't expecting this atrocious act from you Seul." Okay, maybe she was just making assumptions and it crossed her mind that Seulgi might have a reasonable explanation for withholding this vital piece of information from her but what the hell, the pressure from the tournament caused her to become irrational. She can't help but be paranoid.

 "I don't know what you're talking about?" To her credit, Seulgi did a great job of looking confused. It almost made Seungwan backtrack but she remained steadfast. Maybe her friend was just a great actress and had convinced everyone of her innocence but she wasn't fooling the blonde.

 "Really? Coz' Hagrid just showed me a terrifying Hungarian Horntail last night and he said your brother, who is a renowned dragonologist, helped ship them to Hogwarts." Seungwan crossed her arms and waited for her friend to realize. It took a few moments and when everything dawned on Seulgi, she furrowed her brows and appeared confused again. Certain topics seem to register late in Seulgi's mind and the Ravenclaw couldn't blame her. The Hufflepuff had the tendency to become distracted.

 "But I'm pretty sure I told you though. After all, I was the one who informed you that Hagrid was looking for you." Seulgi dug deep into the recesses of her brain in order to recall that certain kind of memory. She remembered going to Hagrid's hut and bonding with the half-giant about magical creatures. Maybe there was a certain point where Hagrid asked Seulgi to pass a message to Seungwan but the memory was fuzzy now, it's hard to recount it accurately.

 "You know what? Nevermind." Seungwan ran a hand through her hair in frustration. The slow pace where this conversation was heading was beginning to take a toll on her patience. Seriously, why does she even bother? What did she hope to accomplish by having this talk with the Hufflepuff? "Just forget about it."

 "Okay!" Seulgi grinned cheekily and remained blissfully unaware of everything else. It's times like these that her obliviousness was astounding. The frustration Seungwan felt for her best friend faded away. How could she stay mad when the Hufflepuff looked so positively innocent. "Anyways, have you made plans on how to deal with your dragon yet?"

 "I don't know." Seungwan shrugged nonchalantly, as if the tournament wouldn't be starting in the next few days and the idea of fighting a dragon seemed like wishful thinking. "I kinda want to go with the flow, you know? Just wing everything at the last minute." Man, what was she even doing with her life? The other competitors were probably formulating a concrete plan to combat the dragon yet here she was, avoiding her problems and ignoring it for as long as she can. She was certainly not living up to the Ravenclaw reputation.

 "Tsk tsk! You need to devise a better approach than that Wannie." Seulgi shook her head in disappointment. It was unlike her friend to be this lax. Seungwan was a meticulous person and knowing her friend, she probably had everything mapped down to the last detail. Always forming a contingency system whenever things don't occur on purpose. Seungwan was a planner. She had a systematic approach on things so it was quite surprising that the blonde still hasn't set an objective until now.

 "I know." The Ravenclaw felt her shoulders slump when she leaned against her best friend for support. All the fighting spirit she had was slowly dwindling away. Seulgi was right. She really needed to do better. The problem was that her mind wouldn't come up with something remotely useful. She was stuck in a mental limbo. It also didn't help that the pressure she felt from being the Hogwarts champion affected her in more ways than she would ever admit. She was tired of keeping up with appearances. All she wanted to do was crawl in bed and sleep for centuries without having to deal with other people for the rest of her life. Her social quota has reached its limit. She didn't know if she could still handle her brazen admirers and cult followers. "Can I turn back time and undo my decision of joining this tournament? This sucks."

 "I feel you Wannie but don't worry. I know something that can help you with your dragon problem." Seulgi declared confidently before taking hold of Seungwan's hand and leading her back to the castle halls where they had to brave the currents as the students moved in raging waves just to get to class. The blonde didn't have the energy to complain and just allowed herself to be dragged. Thankfully, the people parted like the Red Sea and allowed Seulgi to pass. It's amazing how her friend possessed control over the whole student body like some kind of weird puppet master.

 They climbed the Grand Staircase and Seungwan was fairly out of breath when they reached the seventh floor. Seulgi turned towards the left corridor and stopped before an empty wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. The Hufflepuff checked the vicinity for the presence of other students and when she found none, walked past the wall three times looking like she was deep in thought. It was a weird sight and the startling secrecy caused the Ravenclaw to grow concerned for her friend. "Seul? What are you doing?" Though her worries were unnecessary because the once empty wall became nonexistent was replaced by a large iron door that suddenly appeared like magic. It seemed like a passage towards a secret room and at this point, the blonde felt suspicious.

 Could this be?

 No, no. There's no way Seulgi could've found that room.

 The Hufflepuff grabbed the knob and twisted it. Seulgi flashed Seungwan a brilliant smile. "Shall we?" The door squeaked open when they both entered and the Ravenclaw marveled at the sight of a rather large room assembled like a practice arena. It was equipped with winged fire-breathing reptilian dummies and shelves of books about dragons. In the middle of the room, there stood a magnificent statue of a Hebridean Black poised for attack with its razor-sharp claws suspended midair. With a dramatic flourish of her hand, Seulgi announced in a proud voice.

 "Welcome to the Room of Requirement."

 Wait. What?

 Seungwan's brain short-circuited. This is impossible. So this place has been situated here all along? That fateful night where she snuck around Hogwarts, she was pointlessly wandering the ground floor when she should've been searching the seventh floor instead. God! What a pathetic use of her efforts. Sure, she managed to discover the Mirror Erised in one of her nightly escapades but that wasn't exactly her main goal now, was it? Damnit! To think she had to endure all those bullying from Sooyoung and Yerim for failing to find the Room of Requirement when she should've just asked Seulgi for its location all along. Geez! She was such an idiot!

 "The trick to finding this place is to be very specific about what you're looking for. Based on my experience, other people can enter the room and see what you're doing only if they know how the room is being used." Seulgi gushed obsessively as she ushered her friend inside. She made a grand gesture of introducing Seungwan to the various items inside the room and pointing out its uses. "Kinda like right now, I needed a private space to study about dragons and you were permitted entry because you also shared the same need. Had you been seeking anything else, you wouldn't be able to find this place."

 "That's... interesting." The blonde was speechless. This room was wonderful. Had she been really missing out this whole time?

 "I know right? From now on, you could use this place as your training ground. You could learn different strategies to combat your dragon. The Room of Requirement is well equipped to your needs!" Seulgi beamed with so much enthusiasm that it was infecting. Even the Ravenclaw couldn't help but share her positivity.

 "Hey Seul. I found a small passage about Norwegian Ridgebacks and---" Joohyun, the last person Seungwan expected to see, emerged from one of the wooden shelves holding a rather large tome in her grasp. When she saw the Ravenclaw, she stumbled back and gasped in shock. Her mouth gaping like a fish out of water and the blonde would've found the sight funny, if she wasn't so busy being surprised herself. The Slytherin recovered immediately and schooled her features into neutral expression when she regarded Seungwan. "Oh... you're here."

 "What do you mean you're here? I should be the one asking you that considering you knew of the Room of Requirement's location and you never even bothered to tell me!" Seungwan felt scandalized. First, Seulgi kept silent about the dragon task now this? This is double betrayal at its finest and it left her appalled. At this point, she was completely infuriated. Joohyun was the last person she expected to do something like this. "You knew! You knew I was searching for the Room of Requirement! You even caught me sneaking out that night yet you never said anything!" The Ravenclaw advanced towards the Slytherin, like a predator prowling its prey, until Joohyun dropped the book from her grasp when she got cornered to the wall by Seungwan.

 Everything else seemed to have blurred away and even Seulgi's presence in the room went forgotten when their eyes met. Joohyun squirmed under the intensity of Seungwan's gaze and she felt breathless at their close proximity. She tried very hard not to stare at those plump lips but in the end, the Prefect was still weak and was helpless to look away. "Do you have any idea how many times Sooyoung and Yerim threw me under the bus for this? I literally had to lick my wounds for a month."

 The Ravenclaw's tone sounded huskily low and it sent shivers down Joohyun's spine. Seungwan never showed this intimidating facet of her before and it was making the Prefect lose her mind. Merlin's beard! Having her this close was dangerous. It took all of the Slytherin's willpower not to succumb to her intoxicating scent.

 "A-Are you..." Joohyun swallowed the lump in her throat and cursed herself for stuttering. She never gets nervous in the face of intimidation. It seems like the blonde was the only person to bring out this new side of hers. She twiddled her fingers, taking a few moments to gather her courage and when she finally did, stared deeply into Seungwan's eyes. "Are you mad at me?" Her own voice seemed foreign to her ears. It sounded small and very hesitant, like she couldn't bear the thought that she might've given the Ravenclaw a reason to hate her, and for the love of God, she wouldn't know what to do if Seungwan did hate her.

 Seungwan froze when the simple yet heavily loaded question was uttered. Was she mad at the Prefect? A little frustrated maybe but never mad. Hating Joohyun was wishing for the impossible. It's like asking the blonde to loath adorable bunnies. She cherishes the Slytherin a little to much for that. "I'm not." The Ravenclaw took a step back and hung her head low in shame. "I don't think I have the capacity to ever be mad at you, much less hate you."

 The Prefect was staring at her now, eyes wide with wonder and amazement, and it awakened something deep within the recesses of Seungwan's heart. It just occurred to her that Joohyun possessed such enchanting pools of brown orbs. Huh. Were her lips ever this luscious before?

 "Ahem!"

 Their little charged moment was interrupted when Seulgi pointedly coughed. Returning back to reality, Seungwan separated herself from Joohyun and moved a few spaces to put some good distance between them. Having Joohyun within such close proximity did something to her heart and caused her mind to go haywire. It was better to stay away from her for now just in case that weird tension appears again. She couldn't afford to get distracted. The tournament was only a few days away and she needed her complete focus if she wanted to survive the first task.

 "If you're done arguing, can we get started with the lessons now?" Seulgi looked almost apologetic as she fidgeted awkwardly from where she stood. Seungwan nodded in agreement and shifted her attention solely on the Hufflepuff. She missed the dazed and flustered expression Joohyun assumed. "As I was saying, you could use this room as a practice area. Joohyun and I could teach you a few spells that you can use to combat that dragon. Since the tournament is only a few days away, you better prepare yourself for the tasks to come."

 "I still can't believe you guys hadn't told me this sooner." Seungwan crossed her arms as a pout settled on her lips. This was unfair really. She could've used the Room of Requirement for one of her little experiments. Hopefully, she could try out casting some offensive spells without worrying about destroying the whole school.

 "It was for the best. You wouldn't be able to keep this a secret from Yerim and Sooyoung. If those two found out, they'd be tranforming this place into a frat house in a heartbeat." Joohyun casually stated and the blonde found no fault in her reasoning because she had a point. Those demonic duo, without a doubt, had the ability to turn this beautiful sanctuary into a raving mosh pit. It's better to keep this secret hideout within themselves.

 "Wait. How do you even know what a frat house means?" Seungwan asked the Prefect. As far as she was concerned, her friend was definitely a Pureblood and there was little reason for her to indulge in anything muggle related. Why would the Slytherin concern herself with such terms?

 Joohyun simply rolled her eyes in response. "Really? That's the thing you're most concerned about?" There was a subtle teasing smirk visible on her lips. She looked pretty amused and the blonde figured that she must be in a playful mood. "You need to set your priorities straight Seungwan-ah."

 There was something unique about the way Joohyun called her. Sure, she uttered the name Seungwan-ah countless of times, usually out of fondness more than anything else, but now it sounded different. It was stated with ardent admiration like how one usually does when talking to a loved one. But maybe it was just her imagination. Joohyun was just naturally affectionate like that. There's no need to put more context into that innocent gesture.

 "I agree." The creepy smile that slowly crept on Seulgi's face sent warning signals towards the Ravenclaw. She had the sneaking suspicion that her friend was planning something stupid, something catastrophic that would doom them all. "Which is why a little duelling match will be conducted between you and Joohyun so that both of us can properly gauge your abilities in martial magic."

 See? What did I tell you? Seulgi was definitely cooking some tricks up her sleeves!

 "What? That's not fair! We all know that Joohyun's an expert in martial magic. Why do you think she excels in Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Seungwan started to protest but a hand gently rested on her shoulder. She shifted to see that it was the Prefect who was smiling at her in reassurance. Something stirred within her heart at the sight of that breathtaking smile. The Ravenclaw wondered why she was so mesmerized by it.

 "Don't worry Seungwan-ah." In a flash of light, gone was the reassuring smile on her lips as it was replaced by a teasing smirk. Her eyes flashed dangerously and the aura she exuded changed. Joohyun looked powerful and confident. Definitely not the person you should mess with. Oh god! Her competitive side has awakened. "I'll go easy on you."

 "No time for complaints now Wan. Get in position." The Hufflepuff barked an order and the Ravenclaw begrudgingly took the direction opposite from the Slytherin. Seungwan squared her shoulders and took out her wand. She practiced some flicking motions with her wrists before she adjusted her stance until her weight were equally supported by her feet.

 Joohyun mainly took a step back and stood sideways. She maintained an elegant posture, eyes focused and chin held high, and she consciously protected the areas of her body that were exposed for attack. It looked like she knew what she was doing, as if duelling was a hobby she frequently engages in. That was Seungwan knew that she was in for a great fight. Joohyun will surely give her ass a serious whooping. Seulgi shouted the signal and the Ravenclaw was the first to attack.

 "Expelliarmus!"

 Red sparks erupted from the tip of her wand and sailed towards Joohyun. The Prefect merely smiled, as if she was expecting that kind of attack, and casually deflected the spell by dodging sideways. Seungwan was caught off guard. How in the heck did Joohyun do that so fast? The blonde was pretty sure she had a quick reaction time too and casted the Disarming spell in a heartbeat. There was no way anyone could've avoided that. Joohyun was something else.

 Seungwan was too busy marvelling at the display of battle prowess that she failed to notice the silent incantation uttered by Joohyun. "Stupefy!" She felt the sensation of weightlessness as she was thrown across the room when the spell made its impact. The air was knocked out of her lungs and searing pain blossomed on her chest when she landed on the floor with a hard thud. Her eyes landed on the ceiling and she spotted white spots dancing around her field of vision. Wow! Joohyun was relentless.

 She literally took Seungwan's breath away.

 ***

 Later that night, when they've covered every topic in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms and their heads were literally drilled with various spells, Seulgi went to the kitchens to smuggle some food while Joohyun and Seungwan remained in the Room of Requirement, both taking a breather after their endless duelling.

 It was such an exhausting day and Seungwan realized that Joohyun could be pretty ruthless when it comes to martial magic. The Slytherin even knew some spells not commonly known to wizardkind. Maybe her impressive magical prowess had to do with the fact that she came from a prestigious Pureblood family and she was provided with adequate resources to practice complex spells. Either way, Seungwan was impressed. Joohyun didn't seem like the delicate flower she originally thought. She could be pretty dangerous when she wants to.

 "Merlin's beard Joohyun! I've lost count of the times I lost to you." Seungwan rubbed her sore shoulders as she approached the Slytherin who was casually chilling on the floor, looking absolutely smug with her numerous victories. She lay on the ground exhausted like a useless sack of potatoes and naturally rested her head on Joohyun's lap. A small pout settled on her lips as she regarded her friend. "I've probably broken way too many bones duelling you than I ever did with Quidditch."

 "You did great though. You're quite adept at wordless magic." The Prefect donned an smile as she affectionately ran her fingers through Seungwan's smooth blonde tresses. The Ravenclaw sighed contentedly and leaned closer to her touch.

 "Damn right I am!" Seungwan had an arrogant smirk on her lips and perfectly casted the Patronus Charm without muttering the incantations. A silvery wisp emerged from the tip of her wand before the familiar sight of her magnificent Nightingale patronus flew around the room and left threads of argentine traces in its wake. It briefly landed on Joohyun's shoulder and tenderly nudged her cheek before taking flight once again.

 The Slytherin fondly stared at the spirit guardian and light-heartedly commented. "It's good to know that birdy is here to join us." She giggled in amusement when she noticed the frown on her friend's face as the girl seemingly took offense at her joke. Joohyun would never tell but she truly cherishes times like these, holding Seungwan close and talking about the universe as the world fades into oblivion. She'd give anything just to make this moment last a little longer.

 "Birdy seems a little lonely. She needs a companion. Why don't you try casting the charm?" The Ravenclaw grinned cheekily at the smug Slytherin, who merely declined her challenge. She scoffed and rolled her eyes in mockery. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

 "I just don't want to set myself up for disappointment." Was Joohyun's excuse. The Patronus Charm was a ridiculously advanced magic, something she could only hope to accomplish in the future. It was quite amazing for Seungwan to become adept with a difficult charm at such a young age. She was just impressive like that. Gifted in more ways than one.

 "Just admit that you can't cast the spell."

 "You're right. I don't know how."

 Both of them lapsed into a comfortable silence with Joohyun casually twirling the strands of blonde locks with her fingers and Seungwan sighing contentedly under her caresses. A few moments passed before the Ravenclaw broke the silence with a whisper. "It is said that Patronus forms are subject to change if the caster undergoes an emotional upheaval of some sort, like falling in eternal and unchanging love." The blonde closed her eyes and sunk deep into her thoughts. She had forgotten everything long ago. Only the memories of Joohyun's touch remains. "Can you imagine a love so pure and everlasting that it changes you?"

 The Slytherin froze in her seat. The question sounded innocent enough but she knew that there was a deeper context to it. Yes, she could imagine that kind of love. It came in a form of radiant smiles and warm hugs. It came in a form of enchanting laughter and mesmerizing eyes. It came in a form of lingering touches and silky golden hair.

 Love came in a form of Seungwan.

 "No." The lie easily escaped from her lips but when Joohyun gazed at the sight of a lovely girl resting contentedly on her lap, she knew that she stopped fighting the inevitable long ago. In the end, there was no escape. She could only accept the mysterious works of fate. For the universe may burn to ashes and the world reduced to oblivion but there's no place she'd rather be than here.

 Right beside her.

 "You'll come to the tournament right? You'll come and watch me compete?" There was a hint of desperation in the Ravenclaw's tone. Seungwan rarely resorted to begging not unless it was necessary. She must truly want Joohyun to be present that day. "You won't ditch me for your beloved potions?"

 "Of course." The Slytherin readily agreed for how could she deny such a simple request from Seungwan. Joohyun could give her the world if she wanted to. She ran her fingers through those blonde locks for one last time before uttering a vow and secretly swore to herself. "I will be there whenever you need me."

 Always.

 ***

 "Bets taken! Bets taken here!"

 Yerim shouted on the top of her lungs and waved the tickets high in the air as she moved through the throngs of people aiming to take the front row seats to get a better view of the action. "Step up folks! Who fancies a flutter on today's bloodbath?" A couple from Slytherin were locked in a passionate embrace as they snogged publicly and completely blocked the way. Yerim cursed under her breath because seriously, why is it always her who always stumbles upon this awkward situation? Horny teenagers practically existed everywhere! It's an insult to those who remain single.

 "Smart money's on Bogum to survive! Place your bets!" The Gryffindor literally shoved the couple away and proceeded to advertise the betting pool to a few eager customers. Pulling open the small trunk she was carrying, she tucked the money inside before handing over some gambling tickets to three Slytherins. "Ten-to-one for Rosé. There you go! Don't forget to support our Hogwarts champion Seungwan!" Gambling was an illegal activity of course but the resident Gryffindor didn't care for it was such an exciting day at Hogwarts.

 The first stage of the tournament was about to commence and the selected champions would each battle a dragon in order for them to successfully advance to the next task. No one knew the outcome of the competition and there was a possibility of blood being spilt today. That's why everyone was buzzing with excitement. They were eagerly anticipating for the drama.

 Inside the champions tent where the competitors waited, Seungwan paced restlessly as her mind kept on imagining different scenarios about how her encounter with the dragon would conclude. Ten involved her either dying or getting burnt to ashes. All of which didn't end well. Suddenly, she heard a static ringing echo across the whole venue before the booming voice of Dumbledore announced to the audience.

 "Your attention please. This is a great day for all of us!"

 The atmosphere inside the tent was quite tense. Bogum kept on cracking his knuckles while muttering a few words here and there. His eyes shifting back and forth as if he was anticipating an ambush. On the other hand, Rosé sat primly on her designated cot and stared numbly onto the distance. Amongst the champions, she seemed to be the only one who appeared calm and unbothered but her constant fiddling with the robes was a telltale sign that she was nervous too.

 "Each of the three tasks involves considerable danger. Please keep your seats at all times."

 Seungwan found herself wandering towards the back portion of the tent. For a brief moment, she considered escaping and running the fuck away from here but then she realized that she couldn't do that. Too much was at stake and a lot of people were relying on her. She couldn't afford tainting the reputation of the Ravenclaw house.

 "This will minimize any risks you may be exposed to. I'm sure we wish all our champions the greatest of luck."

 "Pssst!"

 The Ravenclaw noticed a silhouette of a person standing behind the tent flaps. With her curiosity piqued, she moved closer until she could clearly decipher the whispering. "Pssst! Seungwan! Is that you?" Her heart leaped with joy for she'd certainly recognize that voice anywhere. She came just as she promised. She didn't ditch Seungwan for those stupid potions.

 "Yeah. It's me Hyun."

 She heard the Slytherin sigh heavily before speaking. "How are you feeling? Okay?" The blonde didn't deign a reply for she would be lying if she said yes. She was far from okay. Her stomach churned anxiously and her hands trembled in anticipation. It seemed like she was standing on the edge of a cliff and preparing to take the plunge. She wasn't ready for this. Was it too late to back out yet? "The key is to concentrate. After that you just have to..."

 "Battle a dragon?"

 There was a pregnant pause, some palpable tension in the air, before Seungwan was suddenly engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. A mixture of lavenders and fabric conditioner overwhelmed her senses until all she could think about was Joohyun. Her chest tightened as her heart wanted to burst out from its cages. She buried her face on those smooth raven tresses and basked in her warmth. "Oh Joohyun." Holding her like this caused all Seungwan's fears to vanish.

 It's like the magic of the Prefect's touch sparked every cell in her body which calmed her troubled mind and soothing her distraught soul. Suddenly, facing that dragon didn't seem so daunting anymore. There's no need to be afraid. Everything will be okay as long as Joohyun was there for she was the lifeline to anchor Seungwan back to reality.

 There was a flash of bright light and the magic disappeared.

 "Ah! Young love." Seungwan and Joohyun jumped apart when the infamous Rita Skeeter entered the Champions' tent and created quite a fuss. Bogum and Rosé stood in alarm at the unwelcome intrusion and adopted a defensive stance. It seemed like no one was happy to see the Daily Prophet journalist. "How... stirring." Rita arrogantly waltzed inside, as if she wasn't breaching private space, and motioned for her assistant photographer to follow. There was a wicked gleam in her eyes when her gaze landed back and forth between the two. "If anything goes unfortunately today, you two might even make the front page!"

 "You have no business here!" Bogum jumped to their rescue and intervened before everything escalated. While Rita was distracted by the Bulgarian superstar, Seungwan surreptitiously moved in front of Joohyun to shield her friend from unwanted attention. The journalist seemed like she was out to wreck havoc and the Ravenclaw wanted to protect the Slytherin from all of that. "This tent is for champions... and friends."

 His gaze landed on Joohyun and for a moment, Seungwan thought she detected a hint of affection swimming in those brown eyes but it was gone as soon as it appeared. The lighting was probably playing tricks on her mind and maybe it was just her imagination. A menacing sneer settled on her lips before Rita responded. "No matter. We've got what we wanted." In a grand dramatic gesture, she flicked her blonde hair and sashayed her way out of the tent with her lackey obediently following her.

 The Ravenclaw released the breath she'd been holding when that little confrontation ended and turned to check over Joohyun. "Are you okay?" The Slytherin merely nodded in relief and sent her a grateful smile "I'm fine as long as you're here." That simple statement alone caused the rapid beating of her heart to increase its pace until it felt like it would burst. Joohyun had a way with words and Seungwan didn't know why it greatly affected her so.

 The doors open and Dumbledore entered the tent followed by the rest of the school heads. "Good day champions! Gather around please." He gestured for the competitors to take their positions and they all circled around him while Madame Maxime and High Master Karkaroff hovered behind their favored students. The Hogwarts Headmaster unlatched the little pouch attached on his belt and removed the knot. "Such a shame the Head of the Ministry of Magic couldn't join us this fine morning."

 The Slytherin stiffened like a rock at the mention of her mother. This odd behavior seemed unlike her. Seungwan reached out to clasp their hands together and sent Joohyun a reassuring smile. Everything will be okay. The words went unspoken but remained understood nonetheless. Joohyun felt the tension slowly ease away until she could finally breathe again. Yes, everything will be okay because Seungwan was there. The Prefect figured that there was no need to be afraid.

 "Now you've waited, you've wondered and at last the moment has arrived. The moment only three of you can fully appreciate." The Headmaster opened the pouch but noticed an extra head within the room and frowned in confusion. "What are you doing here Miss Bae?"

 "Oh um... Sorry I'll just go." The Slytherin Prefect, to her credit, at least had the decency to look sheepish. "Be careful." She spared Seungwan one last glance and proceeded to exit the tent. Never once did Joohyun look back and it seemed like a she took a part of Seungwan with her.

 The Ravenclaw only stared as she left for she was unable to look away. Shaking away the distractions, she blinked twice before allowing her gaze to study everyone in the room. Rosé was deep in thought while Bogum also watched Joohyun go. There was something glinting in his eyes, some barely repressed longing, and it caused Seungwan to frown in displeasure. She didn't like the way Bogum stared at her friend. Maybe it was just her protectiveness kicking in.

 "Right let's start. Champions, please kindly put your hands inside the bag. Mister Park, if you will..."

 Dumbledore held out the pouch to Bogum and gestured for him to reach down. Smoke billowed out from the container and the Bulgarian superstar winced as soon as he took out a little dragon with golden streaks. The creature shot rounded balls of from its nostrils and singed Bogum's gloved hand. The Headmaster marveled in delight. "The Chinese Fireball! Fantastic!"

 It was Rosé's turn and she picked out a dragon with smooth copper scales with black-ridged markings and short horns on its head. What stood out from the creature's appearance was its sharp fangs that could probably cut through rocks. "The Peruvian Vipertooth, poisonous bunch. Really quite notorious for its craving for humans." Dumbledore shook his head before turning to the Ravenclaw.

 At this point, Seungwan felt dread creep up her spine. Only one dragon remained and if her hunch was correct, she'll be battling the nastiest creature of them all. She reached down and internally winced when her thumb got pricked by something spiky. When she pulled out a small black lizard-like dragon from the pouch, the creature glared at her and barred its fangs as a threat. Of course! Of course she just had to pick this monstrous creature! What rotten luck she has. "The Hungarian Horntail. Ooohh nasty!" Dumbledore whistled appreciately and sympathetically patted the poor Hogwarts champion on the back. Great. Thanks for the moral support professor! You've done a wonderful job in alleviating my anxiety. Seungwan couldn't help but inwardly grumble in sarcasm.

 "These represent very real dragons, each of which has been given a golden egg to protect. Your objective is simple, collect the egg" Dumbledore stared directly into their eyes to emphasize the gravity of the situation. The Ravenclaw nervously swallowed the lump in her throat. She was in for the fight of her life. "This you must do for each egg contains a clue. Without which, you cannot hope to proceed to the next task. Any questions?"

 When he was met with silence, Dumbledore pursed his lips in anticipation. "Very well, good luck champions." Then he addressed Rosé. "Miss Park, at the sound of the canon you may--"

 Whatever he was about to say was drowned by the cannon firing abruptly. Cheers erupted from the stands and the audience practically started chanting Rosé's name. Dumbledore briefly closed his eyes and sighed heavily then gestured towards the exit. The Beauxbatons girl paused for a moment to take a deep breath before raising her head up high and strutting out of tent confidently.

 Seungwan watched her go and the pit in her stomach seemed to grow as more time passed. Right. She gave herself a little pep talk. There's only one goal. You only need to collect the egg. In order for that to happen, she has to sneak around, avoid confrontation with the Horntail, and steal the egg. Alright, she could do that.

 How hard could it be?

 ***

 "Stop worrying. Seungwan will be fine."

 Joohyun stopped clenching her figners and turned to address Seulgi, who seemed preoccupied with eating her popcorn as she scanned the arena. For a moment, the dread latched onto her heart seemed to lessen but only just a little. "How'd you know? How could you possibly know that she won't be torn to pieces or get burned to ashes?"

 "We taught her everything we could these past few days and prepared her as best we can. Besides, Seungwan is a clever one. She can handle herself." The Hufflepuff smiled at her friend and squeezed her hand in reassurance. The Slytherin briefly glanced at their intertwined fingers and accepted the comfort her friend offered.

 She could only hope that Seulgi was right. Seungwan wasn't usually mindful with self-preservation and jumped recklessly into chaos whenever the opportunity presented itself. Joohyun lost count of the times she had to patch the wounds the Ravenclaw got from Quidditch. She really wished that Seungwan would remain safe this time and survive this tournament relatively unscathed. Taking a deep steadying breath, the Prefect loosened the tension on her shoulders and steeled her nerves. "You're right. Seungwan will be okay."

 A lot of people came to watch the competition today and the arena was completely packed. Some of the students brought banners to show support for their favored champion.  The Slytherin glanced around and realized that two of her friends were missing. "Where's Yerim and Sooyoung?" She turned to ask the Hufflepuff. Seulgi merely shrugged and munched her popcorn. Where she got the food, Joohyun would never know. Maybe she asked the house elves to cook up some delicacies for her. After all, nobody could resist Seulgi's innocent charm.

 "Yerim's busy making money by creating a betting pool." Sure enough, the Gryffindor flitted along the throngs of people selling tickets and collecting gambling money. Wasn't that supposed to be illegal? Joohyun decided that she didn't wanna know. "As for Sooyoung..." The Hufflepuff pointed at the opposite side of the arena right where the Beauxbatons folks were situated. A lone Slytherin stood in a sea of blue, holding a placard that said Rosé sucks! Down with the bloody Blondie! "She's launching a smear campaign against Rosé." Sooyoung adopted a smug smile as she basked in the glares she received from the Beauxbatons students.

 Joohyun pursed her lips in disapproval. That stupid girl will cost them house points and make Slytherin lose the house cup! Sooyoung was hell-bent on creating war between the two schools. The Prefect scowled in frustration as she mumbled under her breath. "Good lord, give me strength not to strangle that idiot."

 "Two of our champions have now faced their dragons and so each of them will proceed to the next task." Dumbledore announced in a booming voice then resumed. "And now our third and final contestant."

 "Oh look! It's starting!" Seulgi excitedly pointed towards the cavern entrance where the Hogwarts champion slowly emerged. Joohyun naturally followed her line of sight and held her breath in tense anticipation. This is it. The battle has begun. She could only hope that today wouldn't end up in a bloodbath.

 Seungwan stood by the mouth of the cave and surveyed the surroundings for presence of threats. The crowd  was cheering her name but she couldn't care less for her mind was preoccupied elsewhere. She studied the jagged rocks and almost choked on the foul scent of sulfur that permeated around the arena. Her eyes zeroed on the golden egg sitting atop a huge boulder just a few distances away. Right, no sign of that blasted Horntail and the egg was unguarded. She was good to go!

 The Ravenclaw made a run for it, putting to good use her inherent swiftness and flexibility as a Quidditch seeker, as she moved with featherlight steps that only the crunching sound of pebbles was heard across the arena. Almost there! Seungwan huffed. The egg was within reach.

 A fast blur moved within her peripheral vision and Seungwan was too late to notice the creature advancing upon her. She suddenly felt the sensation of weightlessness as the spiked tail of the dragon hit her path and sent her flying to the air. Argh! She fell to the ground heavily and groaned when searing pain erupted on her shoulder. The rough impact broke her arm and rendered it useless. Now, she was left at a great disadvantage.

 "Joohyun?"

 It took the Slytherin a few moments to tear her eyes away from Seungwan and shift her attention towards Seulgi. The Hufflepuff was grimacing but she still managed a strained smile when she gestured at their intertwined hands. "You're cutting off my blood circulation." Sure enough, she was right. Her fingers looked pale. Joohyun immediately released it and Seulgi visibly sighed in relief. She quickly apologized but her friend merely shrugged it off. "It's okay. I understand."

 Their attention returned to the tournament, more specifically on the injured Ravenclaw who was clutching her broken arm as she stumbled and fell around the arena. The Horntail let out a terrifying roar, which shook the very earth, and blasted a stream of fire towards the Hogwarts champion. Seungwan was forced to retreat behind a large boulder. The spectators leaned closer in tense anticipation to get a better view of the action.

 Joohyun clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white. "She's hurt Seul." She pursed her lips at the sight of a wounded Seungwan, with blood dripping profusely from the gash on her forehead and tainting her blonde hair with scarlet liquid. It took all of her willpower not to jump into the arena and gather the Ravenclaw into the safety of her arms.

 "She will find a way Joohyun." Seulgi patted her back in reassurance and the Slytherin Prefect couldn't take it anymore. Her mind formulated a plan and she could only hope it would help the blonde. She cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted on the top of her lungs.

 "Your wand Seungwan! Your wand!"

 Seungwan felt the intense heat on the rock's surface and realized with growing dread that the dragon's flames were slowly melting the stone with its extremely high temperature. Under normal circumstances, she'd be impressed upon knowing this discovery but right now, she was busy trying not to die. Crouching down the small gap on the ground, she took out her wand and summoned her broom. "Accio Comet!" She didn't know if the spell worked but she'll worry about that later.

 Steeling her nerves, Seungwan took off from her hiding place and scrambled around the rocky path. "Depulso!" She casted the blasting charm midair and it hit the dragon square in the chest but it only managed to anger the beast. The Horntail flapped its wings and launched another stream of fire. She was unable to avoid the attack in time and ended up having her robes scorched. Seungwan crouched behind another boulder and smothered out the fire on her clothes. Glancing at the sky, her heart leapt in joy when she saw her broom already soaring towards her. Yes! There was hope! She could still survive this tournament!

 Wiping the blood and grime that obscures her vision, Seungwan took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She planned on jumping into her broom and using her flying skills to her advantage. Timing was crucial for success and she couldn't afford to fail for her life was on the line.

 Three

 The dragon emitted a mighty roar and its vibration could be felt all over the arena.

 Two

 The audience lapsed into a worried silence when they realized that the tournament that was slowly turning into a bloodbath. Would the Hogwarts champion survive? Will they be witnessing the very first death on this dangerous task?

 One

 The Ravenclaw opened her eyes and hurled herself to the air with great effort. A scream of joy escaped from her lips when she successfully landed on her broom and expertly maneuvered it pass through the obstacles. Her fingers traced the familiar outlines of the wood and she sighed in relief. Finally! She could fight the dragon on equal terms.

 Be brave Seungwan.

 You can do it!

 The Hungarian Horntail was fiercely protective of her egg and was not easily persuaded to leave the ground despite the Ravenclaw's numerous attempts of provoking it. Writhing and twisting, she regarded Seungwan as though she was an annoying fly that she's longing to swat. The creature kept on furling and unfurling her wings but seemed too afraid to move far from the egg. Her spiky tail thrashed at Seungwan but she is too high to reach. The Horntail finally reared from the ground, spreading her great black leathery wings at last, and Seungwan took her chance.

 She dove towards the golden egg before the beast can react and tucked it safely within her injured arm before flying off from the arena. The dragon roared in defiance and broke free from its iron shackles. Flapping its great leathery wings, the beast burst through the crowd. Its spiky tail completely laid waste on one of the wooden tents as she chased the Ravenclaw.

 Joohyun helplessly stared as Seungwan and the Horntail disappear from the sky. The whole place became deathly quiet as the crowd waited in tension. She didn't know why but she felt an awful sense of foreboding, like something bad was about to happen.

 Suddenly, the memory of her unfortunate experience in Divination class flashed into her mind. How her tea leaves depicted a bird. It dawned on her that the animal was probably referring to Seungwan. Maybe Joohyun was grasping at straws here but she couldn't deny the fact that the two were connected, considering that Seungwan's Patronus was a Nightingale and she came from a house that symbolized a raven. Both of which were obviously birds.

 There was also the grim.

 An omen of death.

 Dread latched onto her heart when she realized the possible implications of her theory. This could mean that Professor Trelawney's predictions were true and Seungwan was in mortal danger. Dear Lord please don't let it be her! Joohyun closed her eyes to calm the raging turmoil of her soul. Seungwan was out there injured and on the brink of death. Joohyun needed to leave. She couldn't just sit around and wait for the tournament to end while her friend was fighting for her life.

 "Where are you going?" Seulgi grabbed her arm and prevented her from escaping. She adopted a stern glare and frowned at her friend in disapproval. It was unlike the Hufflepuff to be this serious. "You can't leave Joohyun! The others will notice." She hissed under her breath and gestured at the people gathered around the arena who were gradually witnessing the Slytherin cause a commotion.

 "Let me go Seul! You don't understand." Joohyun yanked her hand away from Seulgi's vice-like grip but it was useless. The Hufflepuff kept a firm hold. She felt the stares directed upon them but she didn't care. All that matters now was Seungwan. She'd never forgive herself if she was too late. "I need to find her. I need to keep her safe!"

 "Seungwan will be fine! She will find a way!" The Hufflepuff, noticing the unwanted attention they were receiving, smiled apologetically at the spectators before dragging her friend away and leading her to someplace private. They climbed down the wooden stairs and exited the arena. When they reached a grassy field, Seulgi confronted her friend and scolded her for her recklessness. Surely no one would be around to eavesdrop on them.

 "Have you completely lost your mind? You've made quite a scene back there! Whatever happened to keeping it a secret?" Seulgi crossed her arms and demanded an explanation. "What would people say when they see a respectable Slytherin Prefect like you disrupting the tournament and cheating the rules just because she wanted to save some girl? I know Seungwan is our friend but damn Joohyun! You need to keep in mind that she's also the Hogwarts champion."

 "I don't care what they say! Nothing else matters but her!" Joohyun moved to take a step but her path was blocked by Seulgi. A scowl marred her features. She didn't like her friend's interference. "Move away Seul or I wouldn't hesitate to cast a curse on you."

 "No! Not until you explain why you're so hell-bent on chasing after her!" Seulgi didn't move an inch and remained adamant. Joohyun sighed and proceeded to recount everything back from the unfortunate Divination class and how the omens on her tea leaves foretold a warning.

 "Do you understand now Seul? Do you understand why I need to go after her?" Her voice sounded shaky and the tremors in her hand only increased in intensity. If the omen was right, God Joohyun hoped it wasn't, then she was only seconds away from losing Seungwan. A lone tear cascaded down her eyes when she realized just how helpless she was. Seulgi was taken aback. Joohyun never cried in front of her before. She knew that her friend despised showing vulnerable side. "I need to find her for my heart will never know rest if I don't."

 The Hufflepuff took a moment to process the information. Joohyun was right. She was always right. Seulgi was wrong to doubt her in the first place. "Go! I'll cover for you!" She stepped out of the way and ushered her friend to leave. She understood the gravity of the situation and knew that time was their enemy. Joohyun sighed in relief. "Thank you Seul!" With that, she took off and headed towards the direction of the castle.

 She could only hope that she wasn't too late.

 ***

 Seungwan was flying high speed across the great expanse of the Black Lake with the golden egg tucked safely under her injured arm. Her mind was currently devising a plan on how to defeat the dragon once and for all. "Come on idiot brain! Think!" The Hogwarts castle seemed nearer now and the Ravenclaw needed to shake off the tailing beast.

 With a great roar, the dragon shot a trail of fire in her direction, one that she was unable to avoid, and completely scorched her broom which sent her falling down sixty feet from the air. She lost hold of the golden egg as she was careening towards absolute death. The Hungarian Horntail dove after her and sent fiery blasts which thankfully didn't hit her. The blue waters of the lake neared and Seungwan braced herself for the impact

 When she hit the water, it felt like she was bulldozed by a thousand trucks and crushed like a useless bug. All the air has escaped her lungs and she was starting to lose consciousness due to the significant amount of blood loss. The dragon dove on the water and searched the deep for its prey. Upon seeing the Ravenclaw, the beast relentlessly paddled its limbs and swam after her. It seemed like the Horntail was hell-bent on getting its revenge. Seungwan remained helpless as she drowned. Her limbs ached from exertion and her whole body felt numb. Maybe it was time to stop fighting and just succumb to the water's cold embrace.

 This is it.

 She was going to die.

 She was stupid enough to enter this dangerous tournament and now the consequences of her actions came back to haunt her. Her body will be buried in this lake and she will be reduced to oblivion. After all, the abyss lurks and the deep will always claim its victims.

 This is it.

 She was going to die.

 Her name will never be remembered. She will never bring honor to the house of Ravenclaw. She will never prove that Muggles deserved wielding magic too. She will never live to see Yerim's pranks, never successfully teach Sooyoung the Patronus charm, and never be there to support Seulgi when she becomes a famous Quidditch player. She will never be able to thank Joohyun for their friendship and never get to tell her friend that she was the only Pureblood who cared.

 She didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.

 This is it.

 She was going to die.

 Seungwan closed her eyes and allowed the darkness to consume her.

[kansascityhappenings]

‘It’s not over yet.’ High winds feed California wildfires that have killed at least 31 people

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BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. — As the death toll from wildfires ravaging both ends of California climbed on Sunday, powerful winds swept through the state, stretching firefighting resources to the limit.

At least 31 people have died in the fires: 29 in Northern California’s Camp fire and two in Southern California’s Woolsey fire.

The Camp fire — the most destructive fire in state history and one of the deadliest — virtually burned the town of Paradise to the ground, destroying thousands of homes and structures.

There are 228 people still unaccounted for as a result of the blaze, Butte County Sheriff and Coroner Kory Honea told reporters Sunday evening.

PARADISE, CA – NOVEMBER 10: Yuba and Butte County sherriff deputies sift through a destroyed home to collect the human remains of victim of the Camp Fire on November 10, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 100,000 acres and has destroyed over 6,700 homes and businesses in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at 20 percent containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Woolsey fire continues to be a major blaze, displacing hundreds of thousands of residents as it moves east, including several celebrities. Firefighters on Sunday managed to contain flareups generated by high winds in Los Angeles County. But officials warned that the dry conditions feeding the fire are expected to continue into the week.

“This is not the new normal, this is the new abnormal,” Gov. Jerry Brown said of the role of climate change. “The chickens are coming home to roost, this is real here.”

The toll

Here’s the latest on the fires:

• Camp Fire: The largest of the trio, the Camp Fire has burned 111,000 acres across Northern California and is 25% contained as of Sunday morning, according to Cal Fire.It’s destroyed an estimated 6,700 buildings, most of which were homes.

• Woolsey and Hill fires: In Southern California, the Woolsey fire had spread to 85,500 acres and was 15% contained Sunday night, up from 5% the night before. The smaller Hill Fire covered 4,531 acres and was 75% contained. Together, responsible for the destruction of 179 structures, but another 57,000 are threatened, according to fire officials.

• Massive evacuations: More than 300,000 people have been forced from their homes statewide. The majority of those residents are in Los Angeles County, where 170,000 were evacuated.

Winds, climate change provoking fires

Firefighters made headway in containing the fires Saturday, but the return of powerful winds a day later threatened that progress, especially for the Woolsey fire. Officials warned gusts would peak at around 40 mph.

“Sadly, with these winds, it’s not over yet,” Scott Jalbert, chief of Cal Fire’s San Luis Obispo Unit, said Sunday morning.

PARADISE, CA – NOVEMBER 10: Power lines rest on cars that were burned by the Camp Fire on November 10, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 100,000 acres and has destroyed over 6,700 homes and businesses in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at 20 percent containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Celebrities Neil Young, Robin Thicke and Gerard Butler were among those who lost their homes. Butler posted a photo on Twitter of the charred remains of a home and thanked firefighters for their courage. Thicke also posted a statement on Instagram thanking firefighters and volunteers who “risked their lives trying to save our home.”

In a post on his official website decrying the impact of climate change, Young said “I have lost my home before to a California wildfire, now another.”

Resources, including dozens of fire trucks and thousands of firefighters, are pouring in from out of state.

MALIBU, CA – NOVEMBER 11: A wildfire burns at the Salvation Army Camp on November 10, 2018 in Malibu, California. The Woolsey fire has burned over 70,000 acres and has reached the Pacific Coast at Malibu as it continues grow. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)

Firefighters on Sunday contained significant flare-ups in wind-prone canyons along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and Bell Canyon in Ventura County, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said. Conditions are expected to persist overnight and Monday, threatening new flare-ups that could reach beyond containment lines, Osby said.

He urged those in mandatory evacuation zones to leave, warning that they can get in the way of firefighting efforts

“We must remain vigilant and not let our guard down,” Osby said.

Osby and other officials echoed Brown’s sentiments about the threat of climate change.

The southern part of the state used to be able to rely on help from their counterparts up north around this time of the year, Osby said, when the threat of fire was much less prevalent in those communities. But that’s no longer the case.

“And as evident by the Camp Fire in Northern California — which is larger than this, more structures have been lost than this, more lives have been lost — it’s evident from that situation statewide that we’re in climate change and it’s going to be here for the foreseeable future,” Osby said.

Though the state’s drought has eased slightly, it’s still abnormally dry, according to CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward. That leaves a lot of dry vegetation to feed fires.

Crews searching for the dead

Crews on the scene of both fires are combing through blackened ruins of homes. The number of dead more than doubled late Saturday, and continued to rise on Sunday.

So far, 29 bodies have been recovered in or near Paradise, a town of about 26,000 that’s been all but leveled by the Camp fire. Of the six discovered Sunday, five were in homes and one was in a vehicle.

A burnt vehicle where human remains were found earlier, rests against a tree in Concow, California on November 11, 2018 after the Camp fire ripped through the area. – The death toll from the devastating California wildfire has matched that of the deadliest to hit the state, with 29 people killed, a local sheriff said on November 11. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images)

On Sunday, officials confirmed that two deaths in Malibu were related to the Woolsey Fire, bringing the statewide death toll to 31.

The painstaking process of finding the missing and identifying the dead is challenging, with some of the bodies recovered burned beyond recognition.

“In some cases, the only remains we are able to recover are bones or bone fragments,” Honea, the Butte County sheriff and coroner, told reporters. “I know that members of the community who are missing loved ones are anxious, and I know that the news of us recovering bodies has to be disconcerting.”

Many bodies recovered from the Camp Fire were found inside or near homes or in vehicles, officials said.

Hours after the fire broke out, residents fleeing Paradise became trapped in gridlock traffic as the fire closed in. Some drivers abandoned their vehicles in the chaos and attempted to escape on foot.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2018/11/12/its-not-over-yet-high-winds-feed-california-wildfires-that-have-killed-at-least-31-people/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/11/12/its-not-over-yet-high-winds-feed-california-wildfires-that-have-killed-at-least-31-people/