#please ignore the edit i'm so bad at doing that shit pretend it looks nice

[mrs-theirin]

5 times Astarion makes Reverie's heart race, and one time he makes it stop.

When she wakes after the fall, she has a knife to her throat and the face of an unearthly beautiful man blocks out the first bout of sun she's seen in days.

“Speak,” he says, and her heart thumps in her chest.

“Who–” she starts to ask, but the man presses the blade harder against her purple skin, and she swallows the rest of her query.

I | II | III | IV | V + THE END.

[aithusarosekiller]

Trans Reggie black brothers fic:

NOT EDITED (will be before it goes onto ao3)

Words: 2239

Warnings: outing (sort of, Sirius figures it out and asks him about it but nobody is told against reg's will), reference to bigoted parents

-

The light twittering of birds was silenced as Regulus strode across his room and pulled the window shut with a slight thud. If he wanted to get any work done before he was due to return to school he would have to do it now, or he would put it off until the last minute. It was a bad habit picked up from Dorcas but one he had come to keep under control for the most part. So long as nothing else disrupted him, he should be okay to continue. His parents were at some important function and Kreacher was out collecting shopping so there wasn't too much that could distract him.

He had managed to sit down at his desk and unscrew the lid of his inkwell by the time his bedroom door slammed open behind him. He heard the unmistakable sound of his brother's heavy-footed stomps come up behind him and had to force himself not to snap right then and there.

“Yes?” His tone was clipped but Sirius either didn't notice or actively chose to ignore it.

“Are you busy?” Without waiting for an answer he attempted to sit down on Regulus’ desk, only stopping when he received a murderous glare and shark smack to the arm; he narrowed his eyes petulantly and tried to hide his irritating grin. “Move and I'll sit in your chair then, my legs are tired.”

Regulus pretended to have not heard him and returned to the introduction of his Defense essay. After a few moments Sirius stood and walked over to the bed, sitting down silently and waiting for a few minutes to see if Regulus was going to say anything. Nothing happened.

“Turn around, you little brat.” Nothing. “Please.”

“Don't call me that,” The reply was quiet but Sirius still heard it.”

“Merlin, I try to be nice once,” He grumbled under his breath, trying to keep his composure and her to the point. “I want to talk to you about something.”

Regulus looked at him as if to say ‘go on’ so he did.

“Look, can you just come here? I'm trying to be nice to you and do sibling bonding or some shit so the least you can do one nice thing and not stare at me from across the room? I'll distract Father so you can visit your friends on Sunday if you let me have this.” He let the suggestion sink in for a moment, then watched as Regulus pushed away from his desk, stretching out the time it took to close the ink and place down the quill, then made his way over to his bed to sit at the opposite end to Sirius, his posture perfect and his hands clasped in his lap.

“Posho.”

“Sorry, do you or do you not have a pair of 35 galleon shoes in your wardrobe as we speak?”

“First of all, I got them in muggle London so technically they were £170, not galleons. And secondly, that is a very good price for a well-made, hand crafted, long-lasting product you intend to use frequently.”

Regulus couldn't help but laugh at that. “You sound like Narcissa.”

He didn't stop laughing when he was slapped on the arm or when Sirius snapped at him to shut up, it was only when Sirius attempted to redirect the conversation that his face fell back to his typical moody stare.

“I wanted to talk about school.” He managed to ignore Regulus’ sigh, having grown fairly immune to the constant dismissals by now, even if it still made him feel a little hurt when he thought about it late at night. “Over the summer term and a little bit before that, I've heard-”

“Oh for Salazar’s sake, if this is going to become one of your anti-Slytherin, ‘you're all evil' rants, I really want nothing to do with-”

“It isn't that!” He hissed, almost laughing at Regulus’ affronted reaction to being cut off halfway through his sentence as if he had not just done the exact same thing mere seconds ago. “Stop coming for my throat and give me a change to finish my sentence before you assume you know what I'm going to say.” He took a deep breath and started again. “I have recently been hearing your friends talk to you while you're in the corridor and then again while they're alone. And I noticed a few things.”

It was then that Regulus finally picked up on what the conversation was going to be about.

“Oh, for-”

“Shush, let me finish. I heard you and your friends talking quite a few times and I heard that they called you a different name.” He looked at Regulus knowingly. “You might disagree but I'm not stupid. I mean my grades speak for themselves really, I don't think I did any revision before the day of for my exams and I still…anyway. Your friends were calling you Regulus and they were calling you he and I'm no idiot. I know what that means.”

“You understand names, well done. Maybe you aren't a complete imbecile after all.”

“Alright, you're being rude because you're nervous so I'll let that slide. I know that it means you don't want to be a girl anymore. And that's great! That's okay. I just wanted to give you the chance to talk about it. With me. If you want.”

Regulus looked at him blankly for a while. He opened his mouth to speak at least four times before closing it. Eventually he picked up the courage to actually say something.

“I'm not a girl.” Sirius nodded along. “Your eavesdropping was right there.” Sirius frowned in disapproval but did not get the chance to interject. “I am a boy. My name is Regulus. Yes, like the star. My friends are okay with it because they aren't completely despicable people despite what you Gryffindors may like to think. And you didn't have to interrupt my homework to talk to me about this, you haven't spoken to me besides polite greetings since November.”

“Actually, it was your birthday.”

“December, then. My point still stands, Sirius.”

“Is it rude to ask when you knew?”

“A little bit, yes.” Regulus snapped. “I didn't always know.” He seems to consider telling the story for a second, then decided not to. “I don't want to talk about it.”

“Okay.” Sirius nodded. Maybe if the rest of the conversation went well he would tell him another time. “It's a nice name. Bit long but not bad.”

“Thank you.” It was robotic and almost cold but Sirius was not deterred.

“I might shorten it to Regs. I've heard your annoying friend call you Reggie but you'd probably kill me if I called you that to Regs it is. It's short, efficient, and probably won't get my ears cut off and fed to Kreacher.” Regulus couldn't help a smile like that, which seemed to get Sirius out of his tentative, unnaturally calculated state and make him grin himself. “I'll take that as a yes.”

“Sure.”

“I have a brother,” He mused to himself. Whether it was with shock or glee neither of them could say.

“You can't tell anybody.”

“I won't! I'm great with secrets. Really, name one secret I haven't been able to keep.” He took in Regulus’ meaningful look and recalculated. “Yeah, alright, but I won't tell anyone this. I promise.” He attempted to look as sincere as possible. When he looked down at the sight of movement, he saw that his brother’s hand was extended, palm up and waiting.

Sirius couldn't help but smile when he was it, moving his own hand to place on top before taping each of their fingers together as he muttered the words 'I swear on my life’. It was a silly way of making a promise that Andromeda had taught them when they were younger and caught her writing to her muggleborn boyfriend. They knew not that she had just made it up to get them to stay hushed but they had never really grown out of it. Without a word, they both retracted their hands, but Sirius was now smiling and Regulus seemed at least somewhat more relaxed so it was worth it even if it was a kids thing.

“I just wanted to say that I am glad you were honest with me,” Sirius began the little speech he had prepared in his head. He had gone over it time and time again, attempting to eradicate any signs of his usual self to form a kind, welcoming speech that would soften the situation. “And I am glad that you have been able to find yourself like this.” Regulus groaned into his hands and swore under his breath. “I am here if you want to talk about…this and I would be really happy if you trusted me to talk about you being….a guy now.”

“Oh Merlin, this is humiliating. Stop. Stop. Sirius, stop.” He waited for him to trail off awkwardly before letting out a relieved sigh and beginning his own explanation.

“Okay; thank you but I really don't need a lecture on my ‘validity’. I am aware of it. And I didn't not tell you because I was scared, it was because we haven't spoken properly in months and I doubted that you'd even care. It would be weird, that's why.” He grasped around for another point to make while he had the silence to be able to get a word in. “And don't you think I should have been able to tell you this in my own time instead of just barging in and asking me about it.”

“When would that have been?” He wasn't expecting an apology, but the bluntness of the reply still caught Regulus off guard. “Would you have told me? Would you really? Hm?” He got no answer. “Reggie.”

“The point is that I should've gotten the choice.”

“Well I admit I didn't think it through that much!”

“That's new.” Regulus drawled.

“I was just shocked when you didn't tell me. I was shocked that they knew basic crap about you that I apparently don't. Call me selfish but I care quite a lot about that. You used to tell me everything.” The anger in his voice was barely-veiled. “We used to be best friends but I feel like I don't know anything shoot you anymore.”

“And who's fault is that?”

“Yours! You are the one who got all those amazing Slytherin friends and decided I was the shit on your damn shoe, Regulus.”

“I don't want to do this right now.”

They fell back into relative silence. The sound of the wind against the old, thin window was all they could focus on for a few minutes. Eventually, siris cleared his throat and reached out his hand, patting his brother on the shoulder a few times like he was a delicate animal.

“What are you doing?”

Sirius blinked. “I'm comforting you.”

“Don't do that.”

“Fine, I won't.” He looked away again and waited.

“I can tell you want to ask something else.”

Sirius shrugged noncommittally, then gave in and asked what he had wanted to know the entire time. “Who else knows?” The hint of desperation in his voice was embarrassing but he hoped Regulus hadn't picked up on it.

“My friends,” He provided. “That's all really."

“And…” He didn't need to say it for the implication to be obvious. They both looked towards the doorway despite knowing the house was empty, as if anticipating their arrival. Regulus slouched slightly, seemingly having given up on acting properly.

“Do you think I'd still be here telling you about it if they knew?”

“Don't say that.” Whispering was uncharacteristic for Sirius but he didn't exactly want to say the words that left his mouth, they just sort of did. Giving away the card he held for his brother's wellbeing even after all this time.

“It’s not exactly a shock, is it? The perfect angel of the black family ends up being a man with a woman’s features, guess what happens next.”

“Regulus, stop.”

“...Sorry.” The apology sounded almost forced out but it was better than none at all in Sirius' opinion.

Sirius shook his head lightly. “It's fine. It's not like it's your fault. Hey, uh, if you wanted to, we could go shopping together at some point. Get you some stuff that makes you feel less, y'know.” ‘Girly’ was the obvious end to that sentence. Regulus frowned and turned to face him again.

“I can go shopping with my friends, thank you.” Sirius waited. And waited. Then, “When would you want to go?”

“Why, do you can be conveniently busy that day?” He suggested; Regulus stared silently. “Next Saturday?”

“Okay.”

“Yeah, good, alright. Cool. You're paying for your shit though.” He added as an afterthought.

“What? Why one earth to would you invite me shopping if you're not paying for anything?”

“I'm not your Mum Reggie.”

“You're uglier than her, that's for sure.”

Taking it as the natural lull to the conversation, Sirius pulled a face and turned to leave, spinning back around one step out of the door so he could confirm their agreement.

“Next Saturday, yes?”

“Yes, that is what I said.”

With that Sirius nodded silently and left, leaving the door wide open and Regulus sat on the bed wondering where in the name all of that had come from.

[thealchemyth]

Dancing With Dust

Chapter 1: Indelibility

Genre: Magical Realism

Word count: 1,677

Summary:

Phan is doing fine in his everyday life; studying magic under the tutelage of his eccentric master, hanging out with his annoying friends that he can't live without, enjoying his college life, and probably failing at Potion again but that's fine.

What he last needs is catching feelings for the most annoying sentient being on this planet who also might be his master's new disciple. And admitting it feels like a punch in the gut.

He's not fine.

A/N:

Every character in this story has two names: birth name and chosen name. They usually prefer to go by their chosen name and keep their birth name a secret. The importance of a birth name depends on the wizards themselves; some of them might feel that being called by their birth name is a symbol of intimacy and some feel that it doesn't represent their identity and hence, could be thrown away if they feel like it.

Benefactors or Wizard Masters are well-respected members of colleges of wizardry. They are either professors or grandmasters in said college.

The college the main characters enrolled in is Ganesha college of wizardry. It has four houses: Garuda, Lembuswana, Barong, and Naga.

The first time they met, it was uncomfortable.

Perhaps it was the way he came up to him and acted friendly and immediately asked for permission to call him by his nickname. Perhaps it was the way he smiled with the hint of amusement hinted at the curve of his lips. Perhaps it was the way he looked at him with raised eyebrows, expecting a response as if he had the obligation to.

It began with him and his friend, Clarity, stuck in an empty lab brewing Inversalius potion, which according to the book, was supposed to have an effect to reverse genetic mutation if brewed properly. But so far, the color of the potion didn't show any indication of being 'brewed properly'.

Professor Adhyaksa gave them a pitying look as he gave permission for them to use the lab earlier. Perhaps he understood that for most of the students, potion wasn't the most favorite subject. And that the amount of students who failed reached the level of outstanding.

The little jars — which mostly contained organs from varied magical creatures and herbs — felt like mocking them. It also didn't help that the temperature was too hot to their liking that even the cooling rune they drew every hour only gave little comfort. Clarity kept tying and untying her carnation pink hair in desperation. Meanwhile, his black with blue highlight hair kept reaching a new level of messiness the more it was exposed to the potion smoke he honestly gave up trying to keep them looking presentable.

It was somewhere during their peak of suffering that someone opened the door to the lab and made him so startled that he almost dropped the mixing spoon. He thought it was Professor Adhyaksa at first; perhaps he came to say their time was up or something. But once he looked up and opened his mouth to form an apology — and maybe beg for another additional time, he found that the one coming in was another student; from the house of Naga if the emblem embroidered on his tie was any indication.

"Hey, are you the one named Phantasia?" The boy asked after he walked over to him and Clarity, suspiciously looking like he already knew which empty lab they were currently using; his head tilted to the side as he looked at him. His hair was a nice combination of gray and brown with some of his bangs falling nicely to hide part of his forehead, and his hand casually wrapped around Clarity's shoulders as he sat beside her to insert his presence and make it impossible to ignore. His eyes, Phan noticed, appeared to be a warm shade of chocolate; and they looked bright and friendly and innocent-looking as if he didn't just barge in uninvited.

"I've heard about you from Clarity. Can I call you Phan?"

Phan frowned, looking sideways to their apparently mutual friend, Clarity, whose shoulder was borrowed, and silently asking who the heck that was and why he was acting so familiar.

Clarity only snorted in amusement.

Phan's gaze returned to the intruder whose face he finally recognized from a few encounters they had before (even if they had never talked) — in the hallways, in front of the classrooms, at the training ground, in the canteen.

Talking to new people was never part of Phan's ability, especially the too-friendly type. His frown deepened as he answered icily, "No." And it was almost venomous too. His gaze slid back to the small, sad-looking cauldron he was using which contained asparagus green potion; and it looked as pathetic as the cauldron itself if Phan was honest.

He did not want to hear about what Clarity said about him to…whoever this guy was. And he did not want to get involved in a stranger's business.

"That's too bad. I'm Vadimas, by the way," the boy continued to say, standing up and rounding the table so he was standing right in front of Phan. "Thank you for the warm welcome."

Phan heard him chuckle. And he sent a glare after Vadimas put his hands on the table whilst leaning into his personal space.

"You're annoying the shit out of him, you know that right?" Clarity pointed out but without a bite and not without a chuckle. "When I said make a good first impression, I didn't mean it like this."

Vadimas pouted, but quickly recovered as he paid her no mind anymore. He crouched down and put his hands on top of another as he sent Phan what people might call puppy eyes.

"So, Phan. Phantasia, apologies for bothering your time. That was rude of me, but could you at least hear me out first, pretty please?"

Phan glanced at him for a moment before sliding his gaze back to check on his potion which almost turned to a worrying shade of gray as he stirred. And the smoke attacking their faces smelled too sour to be called a successful result.

"What do you want?" He said, finally after a long pause, albeit half-heartedly. And somehow, he could imagine Vadimas' expression brightened even without glancing at him. "And how did you find us here?"

"Mmm," Vadimas pretended to think, lifting his hand and touching his chin with his fingers; a silver ring sat comfortably on his pointer finger, giving occasional glint when the light hit it at the right angle. "A little mouse might have blabbered to me that you two would study together for the Advanced Potion exam after class — and oh, she said you're kinda hopeless in that subject, by the way — in exchange for caramel canonball*."

At that, Phan immediately whipped his head to the side to glare at his friend who, in turn, hid her face behind the second edition of 'Advanced Potion Making' textbook so only a mop of pink hair could be seen.

"As for the first question," Vadimas continued as he grinned sheepishly, saving Clarity from almost being hexed. "I actually need a favor."

Before Phan could open his mouth, Vadimas clapped his hands together in a pleading gesture to halt whatever kind of rejection his brain came up with. "Could you possibly arrange a meeting with your benefactor for me? I need to talk to him about urgent matters," pleaded Vadimas with the hopeful tone coloring his words.

Phan blinked; stunned. It was so out of the blue. "With Master May? What for?"

"My current benefactor is about to work abroad and she recommended that I come to yours. And I really need a new benefactor if I still want to stay in this college. So, please?"

Ah, shit.

Phan bit his lip as he considered the sudden request. Benefactors were essential in wizards' education system. They were the guardian as well as mentor that young wizards' parents sent their children to for learning about basic magic and everything related to it. They didn't have to live with their benefactors, but some of them preferred that for different reasons.

And when the wizards reached age 19, their benefactors would register their disciples to the universities they had affiliation with.

But, out of all benefactors available, why Master May?

"Why didn't your benefactor contact mine themselves?" Phan asked curiously; his head tilted slightly, mirroring Vadimas' gesture earlier. "Surely, discussion between benefactors directly would bring a better result."

"Err, how to put this," Vadimas gave a pause and looked sideways. His hand came up to rest at his neck before running his palm on it as he thought. "My benefactor and yours have a, uh, complicated relationship. She only said that in order to arrange a meeting with Master Mayhem, I have to talk to his disciple. And I only know that it's the guy from the house of Garuda. But luckily, I know an insider."

Vadimas glanced at Clarity, which was then confirmed by her with a nod.

"...How complicated?" Phan inquired. Master May, short for Mayhem as Vadimas pointed, was a bit eccentric. And even that might be an understatement. And, like Phan, he was difficult to approach and didn't have patience for any bullshit. "And if that's so, why wouldn't she recommend you another benefactor? Besides, Master May only accepts one disciple at a time."

Clarity nudged gently at his elbow, pulling his gaze away from Vadimas. "Because his benefactor is Master Salva."

Phan mouthed 'ah' at the unexpected revelation. That answered all of his questions, then. But still. "There's no guarantee that Master May will be willing to accept you, though."

The 'are you sure you still want to try' was left unsaid but obviously understood from the hopeful and determined look Vadimas was giving him.

The other boy nodded firmly. "Just leave the persuading to me."

"...Alright." Phan shrugged, "it's your business, anyway."

"You'll do it?!" Vadimas jumped and reached for his hand as excitement overtook him which made Phan jerk back almost immediately.

Noticing his touch was unwelcomed, Vadimas released his hand with an apologetic look. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Phan lowered his gaze and nodded slightly. "You're welcome," he said drily whilst feeling the heat spreading on his face.

Vadimas gave him an ear-to-ear grin, looking so pleased. "Thank you," he uttered softly; the sincerity that bled from those two words sent a fluttering sensation in Phan's stomach.

"Oh anyway, your potion is incomplete. It lacks salamander eyeball and snotty beans," Vadimas jerked his head toward the small cauldron. "See you later, Phan!"

And then he was out the door. Just like that.

"How the heck did he figure that out?" Clarity grumbled, flipping through the pages frantically.

"Who even allowed him to call me Phan!" He cried and put down the mixing spoon, giving up on stirring the ridiculous potion.

When Clarity was busy checking through the shelves and jars for the ingredients Vadimas mentioned, Phan's right hand rested on top of his left wrist. The weight of someone else's hand still lingered there. Vividly. And hauntingly.

It felt uncomfortable.

So uncomfortable that his ears turned red.

*: Phan and Clarity's favorite snacks. It's a bag of small chocolate caramel balls that would explode once they're inside your mouth.