#possibly a sophie twin

[unfortunate-arrow]

@endlessly-cursed’s HP Next Gen Appreciation Week | Day 1: Favorite OCs

⤷ DECLAN RYAN O’DONNELL-LEE was the first of my next gen ocs. born on september 1, 2001 as the eldest son of sara o’donnell and barnaby lee, declan has had many iterations before his current form came to be. he is obsessed with quidditch (and really, all sports), which makes him an outlier in his creature-obsessed family. well, that’s not completely true, ‘cause declan’s mother is a healer and not as into creatures as his father and siblings. that doesn’t do much to change declan’s feelings of being an outsider, though.

⤷ LUKE PERCIVAL BATTERSEA & SOPHIA JOSEPHINE “SOPHIE” PEMBROKE came about together, a packaged deal more or less. born on july 21, 2000 as a descendant of simon battersea and edmund kennedy, luke’s a strong kid with a tragic backstory. he’s going to find out who killed his family… and be the one to solve a centuries old mystery of the kennedy family. born on january 7, 2000 as a descendant of william devlin and max pembroke, sophie’s also a strong kid with an air of tragedy. being a primary person her family relies on after her father’s stroke, sophie is doing her best to hold everything together. this also means befriending and falling in love with luke.

⤷ QUINN ACHILLES POWER was another recent creation. another kennedy descendant, this time from minerva, quinn has a difficult backstory. born on december 1, 2004 as the middle of five children, quinn was bitten by a werewolf at the age of 6. it’s added a very frustrating complication to his life, which in turn, caused quinn to become private, withdrawn, a loner.

⤷ JUDE THOMAS COZENS is the most recent edition, and my hp hockey boy. born on june 13, 2005 as the only child of a single mother, jude spent the first decade growing up in canada, an hour and a half outside of toronto. he is obsessed with ice hockey, having played the game since he was 4. his team is the toronto maple leafs. jude also moved to england at the age of ten after his mother married an englishman.

[you-have-been-frizzled]

i didn’t actually think i would write this au when i posted this but here i am, with a kinda outline and the intention to post it sometime in the future

i wouldn’t have even thought of writing it if people didn’t express interest in it

i wonder a lot why Sophie doesn’t have a identical twin. the frokles did a ton of research on twins and i think it’s odd that they didn’t give Sophie a twin. they could have been SUPER powerful cognates. they could prove that twins can do good things. the frokles could watch identical twins get to have their own identities. they could have a backup in case one dies or turns evil.

maybe they left her in the neutral territories with a permanently banished family, too get a different point of view on the world. i wouldn’t put past the black swan they don’t have much of a problem with putting their moonlark in a situation where she may get hurt.

i really don’t think it will be in the series, but i wouldn’t be surprised if she has some long lost twin or something.

[tylerjeauxburreaux9]

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Pairing: 𝙹𝚘𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚡 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚏𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

Summery:you and your husband Joe finds out that you’re pregnant again with your six child ,your husband Joe does everything thing he can to make sure you’re comfortable during your pregnancy and the events of your pregnancy.

Warning: fluffy & cussing (std is mentioned)

Word count: 3,911

(Part I)

You wake up, stretch your arms, and yawn. Next to you was your husband Joe who was sleeping, as you watched him sleep you place a kiss on his lip, while watch him sleep.

you get out of bed in your all-black silk pajamas which were a matching set, that you bought for you and your husband, it’s a button-up top and shorts.

both shorts and button top had white stitched in them at the end and they both had your initials stitched into the set.

As you get up and slip on your cream Uggs that Joe had brought for the both of y’all. You walk in and enter the bathroom.

open a pregnancy test and pee in the cup and put the pregnancy test in the cup, while waiting for the test results you wash your hands brush your teeth, and do your skin care routine.

When you're finished you take the clear blue pregnancy test out of the cup, you look at the results with a shocked face and your hands over your mouth “ah Joseph you won’t believe this” you say screaming out loud.

“what the hell is going on,” Joe says. Your scream had woken him up from his sleep. Joe got up out the bed, put his cream Uggs on, and walked in the bathroom.

placing a passionate kiss on your cheeks “Good morning baby” he says while grabbing you from behind and hugging you.

He lifts up your hands while giving them a soft rub ,while looking at them,he looks at your right hand .

To his surprise he sees the clear blue pregnancy test in your hand.

”BABY YOUR PREGNANT,” he said in a shocked tone “Yes baby we’re having another baby, “ you say “Well this is just a big ass family” he teased turning you around and picking up off your feet and giving you a passionate kiss on your lips, hugging you once more, he smiled in your face, you smile back then put your head in the creek of his neck placing a soft kiss on his neck.

“ Well, I guess we have to tell the kids that they are expecting another baby brother or sister, “ you say “Yeah let’s go tell them,” Joe says. Before walking out of the room Joe brushed his teeth and used the bathroom.

y'all left your bedroom walking all the downstairs into the living room , with the pregnancy in your right hand in , as soon yall get downstairs yall ,you call the kids downstairs “Joanna,Joseph, Christopher ,Gracelyn, Sophie.!! Come downstairs me and your dad have to tell y'all something !!” You say as they make their way downstairs in the living room.

Moments later the kids are downstairs and y’all were all sitting in the living room on the couches, you and your husband were sitting on a couch across from your kids “we just found out today “ you say hold up the pregnancy test in your hand in front of your kids “and I and your father wanted to tell y'all that we’re expecting to have another baby so yall might have a baby brother or sister soon”.

KIDS POV:

Christopher:I was in my room just waking up ,brushed my teeth then got on my game .

When I heard my mom say” Joanna, Joseph Christopher, Gracelyn, Sophie. come downstairs me and your dad have to tell y'all something “what could they possibly want, what was so important that they had to disturb me?

I went downstairs to see what mom and dad wanted and what was so important , meeting them down stairs in the living room,as I sat down on the couch waiting for my other siblings to show up on the couch next to me,moments later my sisters and brother made their way down stairs.

Joanna and Joseph:we were in our room. I was watching tv while on my bed laying down with my feet in the air and my body facing the tv ,watching my favorite tv show and my twin brother Joseph was on his phone in his gaming chair texting in his friend group chat.

All of a sudden our parents called our names “what could mom and dad possibly want “ Joseph say” Right what could they possibly want to ruin my good show I was watching” I say.

We made our way downstairs with Sophie and Gracelyn behind us coming downstairs,moments later we all sitting in the living room waiting for what mom and dad had to say to us.

Sophie: I was in my room playing with my baby dolls when mom and dad called me and sisters and brothers to come downstairs in the living room “mommy and daddy I’m coming “I say with excitement, following Gracelyn Joanna and Joseph downstairs in front of me

As we all walk down stairs, as we got downstairs we saw Chris in the living room sitting on the couch across from mom and dad, we sat next to Chris on the couch waiting for what mom and dad were going to say.

Gracelyn: I was in my room practicing my cheerleading skills until ,I heard Mom andDad, called me and my siblings names, saying to come downstairs , they needed to tell us something.

“Umm yes ma’am, I’m coming downstairs, “I say as I leaving from out of my room Following Joanna and Joseph downstairs, My little sister followed behind me, making our way to the living room, to see what my mom and dad wanted to tell us, we sat down next to each other to see Chris who was already there in the living room, waiting for what mom and dad had to say

“we just found out today”mom say while holding up a PREGNANCY TEST ��no way mom and dad are pregnant again” I thought to myself “six kids are you kidding they could have just had me first and I would be the only child “ I thought to myself ,looking at my mom and dad,blinking and staring at them constantly.

”So you might be expecting to have another baby brother or sister “mom said,after constantly blinking and staring I looked at Chris ,Chris was staring at me ,looking at me like I’m crazy, his thumb was on his jawline and his index finger was on his cheek, he looked confused.

while the twins walked out the living saying “not another baby”and Sophie dancing and singing “I’m going to have another sister or brother yayy”.

Christopher: I was waiting for what mom and Dad to say the news they had for us, until I heard Mom say “We just found out today “holding a pregnancy test in her hand, a PREGNANCY TEST! Me and I look at each other crazy with a confused look on our faces.

while mom finished her sentence “so yall might have a baby brother or sister soon” still looking crazy and confused with my thumb on my jawline and my index finger on my cheek of my face looking back at Gracelyn she was confused too, I was sure we were thinking the same thing.

”another baby,they could have just stopped at me and Gracelyn would could been the only two “ I thought to myself still confused looking back at mom and dad,the twins leaving out the living room say”not another baby “

Sophie singing and dancing “I’m going to have another sister or brother” I get up going back to my room Gracelyn following right behind me to her room , I opened the door, slamming it closed

“HEY WE DON’T SLAM DOORS CLOSED AROUND HERE “ dad yelled “sorry dad “ I say.

All I could think about was mom and dad having another baby “6 freaking children “ I thought repeatedly

END OF KIDS POV

Still sitting in the living not surprised by you’re kids reaction of course they would react to the pregnancy test that way, (for god sakes you had six kids well almost)

”well that was not surprising “ you say “well what else did you expect,very un surprised “ Joe said “ at least Sophie is happy,right huh soph” you say “ I can’t believe I’m having a baby brother or sister yay “ Sophie says “ yeah daddy and mommy are having another baby “Joe says.

All the kids were leaving out of the living annoyed and confused except for Sophie because she was still dancing and excited about having another baby.

moments later you hear a door slammed “HEY WE DON’T SLAM DOOR CLOSED AROUND HERE “ Joe says “sorry dad “ Chris says .

Chris was the oldest so of course you would get this reaction out of him,he was the first born , when he first found out you were pregnant with Gracelyn he was happy to have a second sibling, but when he found out you were having twins he was not so happy about that.

He was the only child of course but all that had changed ,he wasn’t the one child anymore,so you understand why he would act this way.”

I understand he’s upset that he’s having a another sibling for the fifth time,and that he’s not the only child anymore, but shouldn’t be taking his anger out by slamming doors around here “ Joe says as we got up from the couch in the living room , Joe helping you up from the couch with his hand.

“ I know baby,but you got to give him a breather,he’s the first born he’s allowed to act like this for god sake he has 4 siblings and one on the way “you say as you walk your way to the kitchen to make breakfast.

“You’re right baby he’s the big brother he’s allowed to act this way,he’s the big brother ,so I’m sure he can handle the six child and be a big brother again “Joe says walking in the kitchen to you.

wrapping his hands around you,one hand on your waist and the other hand or your wrist as he helps to mix the pancakes mix together,you both begin to stir together.

Joe kisses you on your cheek while helping you prepare breakfast.a slight smile forms from your lips ,while you continue cooking with Joe .

Minutes later you and Joe are preparing breakfast for your kids “breakfast is ready “you say while Joe put the plates on the table ,filled with breakfast on the plates,it had pancakes,egg, French toast and turkey bacon on the plates and grits as option if you want it if you were still hungry for seconds.

your kids come downstairs from their rooms and from whatever they were doing and eat their breakfast, you finish eating breakfast with your family.

Later when you get ready for work you start by taking a shower,you turn on the hot water letting the water run.

You began to take off your clothes, you take your unbuttoned your shirt,take your shorts ,then your bra then your panties ,you walk into the shower,grabbed the loofah of the shower rack, you grab the lavender dove wash bottle and pour the soap on the loofah,you start to wash yourself.

Moments later you step out of the shower, turning the shower off the water,then grabbing the towel, wrapping the towel around your body.

You blow dry your wet curls,while combing them out,you finish blow drying your hair,plugging up the flat iron,then start to straighten your hair,when you are finished you start to put your clothes on.

You put on your light blue strapless bra with your matching panties,putting on your white short sleeve blouse which had ruffles on the end of the sleeves and on the collar the blouse was button up,you put on your black suited pants,you began to put on your makeup,first prepare your face with primer ,concealer, then foundation,light blush,little bit of eye shadow ,you curl your eyelashes , then apply your red lipstick.

After doing your makeup you look at yourself in the mirror,hazel eyes shining so beautifully and you look stunning as ever.

You hear knocking on the door “hey babe it’s me, I’m about to lea-“ Joe says as he gets cut off by how gorgeous you look,he drops dead stare at you ,he walks up to you giving you a passionate kiss on your lips ,while grabbing your ass,wrapping his other arm around your waist pulling you closer .

You smile,giggling in between the kiss ,you wrap your hand around his neck,playing with his hair,his beautiful wavy curls,you always love the way they smelled, especially after a shower he had to,his scent was so fresh that it could make you drool and so wet .

“stop it babe “you say,returning the kiss,while playing with his hair “you look so damn hot,baby,so beautiful,so stunning “he says looking you in your eyes,kissing you again for the last time .”

Thank you baby “you say,returning the passionate kiss “you welcome baby girl “ that shit made your heart warm when he said that,you always loved when he called you these nicknames they made you smile,when he said that all you could do is smile and melt inside .

”Alright baby, I gotta go ,see you later ,I love you ”Joe says,releasing his hand from your waist, giving you a kiss on your forehead, then walking away from you,leaving out the door.

“I love you too baby,see you later “you say as he walks out the bathroom .You finish getting dressed you put your black blazer on, then your black strappy heels,before leaving you looking yourself in the mirror for the last time.

Before leaving the house you grab your car keys off the knight stand to your all white Lexus(2024) ,which has cream seats in the inside.

You walk downstairs making your way to the front door ,you walk outside to your car,you get in your car,start the car off and pull off out of the driveway.

You connect your phone to the radio,playing your Taylor Swift playlists,the first song plays is “vigilante shit”On the way to work “so high school” plays as you start to sing in the middle of the song “Truth, dare, spin bottles,You know how to ball, I know Aristotle,Brand new, full-throttle ,Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto, It's true, swear, scouts honor, You knew what you wanted and boy, you got her,Brand new, full-throttle, You already know, babe”

In the middle of the song you’re phone starts to ringing ,you see that it’s your mom calling, you pick up your phone and answer it

“hi mom “you say “hi honey,you’re okay , was just checking on you “Mrs.smith replies “mom ..I’m pregnant”you say in a calm tone “again,honey,wow just keep blessing me with more and more grand babies you and Joe”Mrs smith “yeah mom ,you know, I just keep giving birth,and keep blessing you with grandchildren so,yeah “you say

“You know y/n Smith-Burrow ,what I’m going to do with,you’re just so perfect,you’re the most amazing,best daughter I could ever ask for,you’re perfect like how god made you,not just that you’re a amazing mom and wife, and just a nice person and person,I guess I didn’t do a bad job raising you “Mrs smith say.

What your mom said made you smile through the phone ,your mom was always a lovely kind woman,who made the world smile .

The way she was ,the type of woman she is, it really just was her personality who made her who she is today, she is always doing good for the world either it’s helping out the community or just being nice in general she was amazing.

She was the best mom you could ever ask for ,she was more than just a mom and grandmother, she was something else ,she was special, very special.

When it came to her grandchildren there’s nothing else that she would rather spend time with because she loved no matter what,she loved them with all her heart.

“Aw thanks mom, I love you so much and I know you did a very good job raising me infected you did a wonderful job mom, and I love you so much , you taught me so well, I love you so much , I gotta go talk you later “ you

“I love you too much honey, and you welcome,talk to later “Mrs smith says as you hang up the phone continuing your drive to work .

You arrive to work greeted by your assistant/your best friend Lacey “HI LACY” you say “hi bestie “ lacy

you give each other air kisses on both sides of checks and hugs.while walking in the building of your company that you and your husband owns.

“How was your morning” Lacy “ good and how was yours”You “mines was good “ Lacy

“Lacy,I’m pregnant!!” You “again,you and Joe just be going at it in the bed”Lacy

A smile creeps up on your face,while looking at lacy at the corner of your eyes of your eyes shaking your head your head ,but you don’t feel ashamed, when it comes down to your sex life because you know it damn good one (hehehe) “mmhmm and you get down and dirty too “ You

“Ew,y'all just nasty,yall sum super freaks “ Lacy says, shaking her head “ahh stop it” You say but you’re hands over face ,giggling.

JOE POVS:

After finding out my wife was pregnant again, I decided to get ready for practice.

I put my back sleeves compression shirt on and black shorts on , my Nike socks, and my black and white Jordan one cleats.

I brushed my hair back with my fingers,putting on hat backwards.Before leaving to go to practice I knock on the bathroom door to tell my wife goodbye

“hey babe it’s me, I’m about to leave-“ I say walking into the bathroom ,because she was looking to damn fine ,my wife is very gorgeous,the wife of my five kids and one on the way.The amazing incredible y/n Burrow I love her so much .

I walked up to her giving her a passionate kiss on her,put one hand on her wrist ,pulling her closer to me .Grabbing her ass “stop it babe” y/n says smiling and giggling in between the kiss.

While wrapping her hands around my neck while playing with my hair,returning the sweet passionate kiss.

“You look so damn hot,baby,so beautiful,so stunning “I say,looking into her eyes ,kissing her again for the last time .

“thank you babe”y/n say,while returning the passionate kiss, “you welcome baby girl “I say. I could see her blushing through the kiss ,after I said that,she always loved when I called her nicknames .

It made her smile and fall deep over heels in love with me all over, I can just see her falling out inside. I love her so much,she’s just so beautiful and so sweet, she will always be my baby girl .

“Alright baby , I gotta go ,see you later ,I love you ” I say, releasing his hand from your waist, giving you a kiss on your forehead, then walking away from you,leaving out the door.

walking down stairs ,making your way to the front.

I open the door ,walk outside to my car ,I get into my car,start the car and back up out of the driveway,start driving to Paycor stadium .

I arrive at Paycor stadium, get out of my car, and start walking with the boys to the practice field to start practicing.

After a couple of long practices and throws I finally make it the locker room.sitting down at my locker, I whip my face with my towel.brushed my hair back with my hands..Tee and Ja’Marr sitting next to me

“It sure was hot as hell today “ I say “hotta then a mother-fucker” Ja’Marr “Shit had me sweating bricks”Tee.

We were all sweating bullets. “That sun hit us with a damn 360 , how hot it was today “ I say

“Yuh damn right it did” Ja’Marr “Anyway how was y’all boys morning “Tee

“Mines was eh,just a regular routine ain’t nothing new “Ja’Marr

“So,this morning I find out y/n was pregnant again, her scream woke me up,other than that my morning was amazing “ I say

“My morning wa- Again, she’s pregnant again,damn Joe ,how many kids y’all going to keep having 10,11,13,20”Tee

“Y’all haven’t caught a std yet, damn , y’ all just keep getting at it “ Ja’Marr jokes

“No, hell no!!” Shaking my head “ we not having over 6 kids the one she’s having is the last one, we’re never getting a std , besides we’re married,so it doesn’t matter how many kids we have or whatever comes after “ I say

“Mmhmm” Ja’Marr

Moments later I was on my way home to my wife and kids.

END OF JOE POVS

NINE WEEKS LATER

you were nine weeks pregnant with the baby.

It was midnight,You and Joe were in the living room together, there was a little bit of a light shining through.

Joe's hands were wrapped around you ,his hands roaming your body ,one hand at the bottom of your belly and the other rubbing the top,as his lips through trials of kisses for your jawline to your collarbone, worshiping your body.

You laugh and giggle while he continues to kiss your body, when got to your belly he starts talking to the baby. “Hi baby,it your daddy,can’t wait to meet you,my little angel “Joe says

Birds in the feather by Billie Eilish playing in the background as Joe began to twirl you around with one hand . “

“Birds of a feather, we should stick together, I know

I said I'd never think I wasn't better alone

Can't change the weather, might not be forever

But if it's forever, it's even better” Billie Eillish singing

ONE YEAR LATER

“And I don't know what I'm crying for

I don't think I could love you more

It might not be long, but baby, I

I'll love you 'til the day that I die”Billie Eillish sings

“'Til the day that I die

'Til the light leaves my eyes

'Til the day that I die”Billie Eillish continues to sing

One year later you’re in the living room again,this time you had your baby.

Hold your baby in your arms hands while Joe hugs you from behind “hi baby girl “ you and Joe say talking to your baby while you hold her in your hand .

Joe gives you a twirl while you hold the baby in your hands ,giving you a kiss on the forehead.

While Sophie was playing with her baby dolls,Chris,Gracelyn and the twins were upstairs looking from the balcony with smiles on their faces.

watching you and Joe in the living room as Joe began to slowly sway with you in his arms while holding you and the baby,as you hold your baby in your arms,as you both smile.

TO BE CONTINUED

Author notes: This was supposed to be out in June of Father’s Day…shoutout to all the fics writers and the anons for waiting patiently 😊 @slimshiesty @joeys-babe @burreauxsworld @bengals-barnesbabe @multiflcs @joebrrrrrr9 @bxrroweditz

[moo-siala]

I STILL LOVE YOU — MAX VERSTAPPEN

PAIRING: max verstappen x ex-wife fem!reader

SUMMARY: max’s ex wife finds out he’s getting married again

CONTENT: mentions of divorce, angst, sadness, cheating

NOTE: get ready to cry. i did while editing it + this is a repost from my old blog too but this one got slightly revised. some errors got fixed but it’s not 100% proof read.

As y/n sifted through the mail, she noticed a white envelope with "y/n verstappen" written in gold letters. frowning in confusion, she carefully opened it. the moment she saw the contents, she felt her heart shatter. it was a wedding invitation—specifically, an invitation to max’s wedding.

“max and eleanor request the pleasure of your company to celebrate their wedding” was written on the card in gold and black letters.

y/n felt her eyes water and closed the envelope. this could not be happening, she thought. but it’s not like her and max got divorced yesterday.

the divorce was due to his racing career. he wasn't as present as y/n and the children needed him to be, which led to constant arguments, fights, and tears until their marriage ultimately ended. this happened over three years ago, but she still couldn't understand how he had moved on so quickly. perhaps her difficulty in understanding stemmed from her own inability to move on.

she had tried everything, and by everything, she truly meant everything. she had met new people, gone on countless dates, and even ventured into the realm of online dating, hoping to find a connection that might help her move on. but nothing seemed to work. none of those men were him. some were good, hardworking, and loyal, but there was always something missing. each new encounter only served to highlight the void he had left in her life, the irreplaceable presence she couldn't seem to find in anyone else.

"mama, why are you crying?" a soft voice pulled her back to reality. "hey, i’m not crying, i just have an allergy," she chuckled, hugging leon, one of her seven-year-old twins. "julian and i are ready but he is helping emma with her bag," he smiled, hugging her back.

leon and julian were twins—practically mirror images of max. thet shared the same face, the same eyes, and the same cheeky smile that always managed to light up a room. meanwhile, emma was a carbon copy of her mother, with the exception of her blonde hair and blue eyes, inherited from her father.

the twins were only four years old when the divorce happened, and emma was just two. the process was far from easy, but both parents made a concerted effort to minimize the trauma for their children. they navigated the difficult path with as much grace and cooperation as possible, ensuring that their young ones felt loved and secure despite the upheaval. the priority was always the well-being of their children, and they did their best to shield them from the worst of the pain.

“mama! we’re ready!” julian and emma ran out of their rooms with bags in hand, “hey, be careful!” she laughed, “we’re ready!” julian exclaimed and emma giggled, “that’s good, oma will be here in no time” y/n hugged the children, or like max likes to call them, their cubs.

the doorbell rang, signaling sophie’s arrival.

about a week ago, sophie had asked if she could take the kids on a little trip to a lake she had visited with a friend near the city. after looking at the pictures, y/n couldn't say no. the children would love it, and she knew how much they enjoyed spending time with their grandma.

when she got pregnant, max suggested that it would be better to move back to the netherlands so the babies could be surrounded by family. she didn't hesitate and agreed with his proposal. while she loved Monaco, nothing could compare to having her family nearby.

when she looks back at those memories, she’s thankful that she chose to come back. she doesn’t know what could’ve been of her if she had to go through the divorce all alone in monaco.

she walked over and opened the door, smiling warmly. "hey!" she greeted, pulling sophie into a hug.

"how are you doing, sweetheart?" sophie asked, hugging her back as she stepped inside. y/n knew exactly what she meant. "i’m good," she replied softly, her smile gentle. sophie nodded, giving her a sympathetic look just as the three mini verstappens ran over to their grandma, hugging her legs and making her laugh.

"oma!" they exclaimed in unison. "who’s ready to go to the lake?" their oma asked, eyes sparkling. "me!" the cubs chorused excitedly.

they said their goodbyes as she helped sophie put the kids in the car.

“i’ll let you know when we get there” she told y/n, “sounds good, and send pictures, please” y/n smiled in return, “i will. and honey, if you need anything, just give me a call” she pulled her into a tight embrace, “i know, thank you, soph” “no problem”

—

ass the dedicated mother she was, or as max fondly referred to her, the lioness, y/n found herself feeling oddly restless whenever her children were away—simultaneously bored yet remarkably productive. with them gone, she efficiently organized weeks of work and meticulously cleaned the entire house. completing her chores left her with a sense of satisfaction, prompting a leisurely shower before descending to the kitchen to prepare a meal.

while deeply focused on cooking, the doorbell rang unexpectedly. perplexed, since she was only expecting sophie’s visit that day, she set the knife aside, quickly washed her hands, and hastened to answer the door.

“uh, hey?” she said opening the door, “hey, how are you?” max asked, “i’m good. your mom already left with the children so…” “i’m here to talk to you, can i come in?” he asked, “sure…” nodding, she opened the door a bit more for him to come in.

“are you busy?” he asked after you closed the door, “not really. just cooking” she walked back to the kitchen, max followed.

max sat in one of the stools as he watched her wash and chop some vegetables for the salad she was preparing.

“what did you come to talk about?” y/n looked up, his blue orbs finding her beautiful eyes, “i wanted to know if you got the…” “the wedding invitation? i got it today in the mail” she nodded, her tone coming out a bit dry even if she didn’t mean to sound that way.

“are you mad?” he asked, “why would i be? congrats, by the way” she said, adding her favorite vinaigrette to the salad, “don’t be like that…” he sighed, “like what? am i not supposed to congratulate you now?” her eyes found his once again.

“you know exactly what i mean, y/n” he said, “i don’t know what you mean and i’m not in the mood to fight. i’m tired and hungry, so can i please enjoy my salad?” she asked and he scoffed, “i can see it in your eyes, y/n. there’s something you’re not telling me and i want to know what’s going on” he sighed, “we’ve been divorced for almost three years, but remember we were married for four before that”

she felt her eyes water but quickly wiped the tears away.

“i’m okay, max” y/n said while grabbing a glass and pouring some juice in it, “you’re about to cry, tell me what’s going wrong, i want to help” he softly said, and that’s when she broke.

"i don't know max, maybe the fact that once again i'm the one who's going to be all alone?" her voice broke, "the fact i'm the only one who's going to come back to an empty home when the kids are spending time with you? or maybe it's the fact that for some reason i can't move on with my life but everyone else can! you did, why can't i?" by now, she were a crying mess.

move on? he never moved on. his family knew it, his friends knew it, everyone knew it, he knew it.

he was never able to move on from her, the love of his life—the woman who lifted him up when he was feeling down, who cried tears of pride after almost every race, the woman who showed him a new depth of love when he became a father, and the woman he lost because he messed up.

seeing her crying broke his heart, but it also gave him hope. hope that the woman he deeply loves, loved him back still, even if it was just a little bit of it left.

he liked eleanor. she was good with the kids and kind to y/n, but she wasn't her, and she never could be. eleanor, younger than him and eager to settle down, was someone he found comfort in, at least temporarily. he went along with the idea of marriage, thinking he had nothing to lose, until the day she poured her heart out to him. it was then that he realized eleanor could never replace the deep connection he had lost with his former wife.

"i never wanted that divorce," he said softly as he walked over to her. "and you think I did?" she sniffed, wiping away her tears. “you asked for it..." he began. "because I got tired of giving you signals and second chances that were never taken, max," she sighed, her voice heavy with emotion. she looked up at him, hoping he would understand the weight of her words.

max felt like shit, to say the least. hoy could he be so dumb? how could he throw away his family and the love of his life just like that?

“please give me one last chance, i promise i’m not going to fail you and the cubs again”, he sat next to y/n on the couch, grabbing her small hands and squeezing them softly, “max, you’re getting ma-“ “if you don’t want me to get married i won’t. i just need to hear you say it”, he interrupted her.

y/n was in utter shock to say the least. could he really be serious? the gravity of his words hung heavy in the air, leaving her struggling to comprehend the reality of the situation.

“i am serious. you know it” he said, almost as if he could read her mind, “please baby girl, i need to hear you say it”, he pleaded, staring into her eyes.

y/n took a deep breath.

“maxie… please… please don’t get married” she softly said, eyes watering and lips trembling. max sighed in relief and hugged her tightly, “i’m never letting you go, ever again” he grabbed your face and kissed her softly.

“i hope you stick to that promise” “you know i will, schatje”

[frizzle-mcshizzle]

the first 4 kotlc books summarized in the most unhinged way possible, because it’s been like 6 years since i’ve actually read them

Keeper: You’re an elf Sophie, you have to live with your new guardians who have a pet t. rex, have fun being an outcast at school, secret messages from your creators?!? actually you where dumb and went near fire and now your guardians don’t want you :(. oh no child kidnapping!! girls first time almost dying in elf land!! she gets to stay in elf land and gets adopted happy ending YAY!!!

Exile: girl finds a magic HORSE, girl goes to prison to vist a ✨psychopath✨ and make him go 🔥insane🔥 because that’s a job for a 12yo!?! oh no she accidentally causes a man to go insane from guilt (his children hate her now) oh no she’s allergic to MIRRORS, time to go on a field trip on your magic horse and meet a old man in a cave, oh no the bad guys attack!!!, SHE CAN TELEPORT?!?, fixes the man she broke though the power of happiness and 💕 love 💕 the last non cliffhanger of the entire series 

(12 year old girl attacked by 5000 year old man happens sometime in these two books)

Everblaze: time to fix the psychopath you made go insane, oh no, he committed arson and killed somebody important!!! ogre king puts the fun in funeral by announcing his intention to commit mass gnomeocide and the girl commits WAR CRIMES FOR THE FIRST TIME (she should have known better you can’t even blame this on lack of elf lessons), your best friend is tricked into to making a torture device just👏 for👏 you!! the council is making you wear it as a punishment!! your dead adoptive sister was killed by her fiancé!?!, oh no your new dad is trying to kill him, you 🔥destroy🔥your torture device and plan to join a rebel organization, you are 13 years old, this is the start of the series cliffhangers 

Neverseen: children join rebel organization by following a old man through paris, ✨surprise✨ a mother stowed away with them (she knocks the man on his ass), boys fight over girl and end up being forced to basically kiss through their magic breathing tube for a unknown amount of time, T R E E H O U S E S!!!!, children meet the leaders (that they definitely don’t already know under different names), 🦄ALICORN SEX SCENE!!!🦄 the rebel leaders take the kids on a field trip! (it’s a prison brake), OH NO!! one of the hot boys™️ get stabbed by B U G, family puke party while he gets better, the children go to prison school for the man who they failed to prison brake!! Girl set herself on 🔥FIRE🔥 (don’t tell her parents), they meet twins!! one was bansihed for property damage and not because there’s society has no ability to teach overpowered middle schoolers hot boys™️ big brother comes to visit!! they go on ANOTHER field trip and this time Commit MORE WAR CRIMES, oh no!!! the big brother is actually evil!! oh no!! Tree lady activates tree power to save the other tree people!! 

part two

[phdmama]

A small piece of writing...

(Possibly to be archived later, but it feels appropriate to share here.)

I wrote this years ago. This is the epilogue to a longer Larry fic that I started but have never finished. It's a plot-heavy fic, soul bonds, psychic Harry and medium Louis, reincarnation, past lives, etc. I am not sure I'll ever finish it, but this epilogue capture something about life and death that I really, truly believe. I just revisited it and I want to share it with my fellow fans. This fandom brought me writing, and well. Here's one more little Larry thing from me.

I don't think you really need to know anything more about the story for this to make sense? I hope not. This is technically major character death because it's life after death but it's about the life part. Really it's about the eternal nature of love.

This is for all of us, but especially for Liam.

Louis slowly swims to wakefulness and opens his eyes, confused as to where he is. Fluorescent lights that are currently off, the grey of pre-dawn through the window, white sheets, white ceiling, white walls. Hospital then, not his little condo at the assisted living facility. The light in the room has an odd cast to it, and the sounds around him are muffled, as if he’s underwater. He yawns and stretches, noting that for the first time in years, well, decades maybe, his shoulder doesn’t do that painful popping thing. In fact. He sits up, wiggling around. He feels better than no pain, he feels great.

Louis carefully slides out of the bed and stands, and it’s not until he’s almost to the door that he registers the crowd around his bed, that he must have just walked through, but he... didn’t even see them. Weird. There’s Charlie and Mika, there’s Alice and James and Sophie. The grandkids are all there too, JJ with his arm tucked around each of the twins, Rose and Maddie. Michael, his hair is deep and lovely blue this month, Louis notes with a grin, and Nessa, the youngest, with her shining blond curls and vibrant green eyes that she’d inherited from her Granddaddy.

The mood in the room is somber, Louis can tell. Stoic Charlie’s mouth is drawn, while Alice cries softly as James rubs her back and Sophie clutches her hand. The normal “joyful noise,” as Louis has called it for 50 years, is absent. Louis knows this is odd, knows he should be concerned, but he can’t quite connect to that feeling. There's only to the urgent sense that he’s got somewhere else, somewhere important to be.

Then he sees it happen, the doctor in the corner reaches over and flips off the heart monitor that has, Louis notes absently, flat-lined. There’s a shuffle of movement, and the group around the bed parts for a moment, and oh. Oh, there it is, his old body, looking smaller and frailer on the bed than Louis remembers feeling. He looks down at the body he’s in; it feels strong and sure, familiar and solid. 

He looks at his family, and notes something odd. In some of their faces, he sees something almost flickering and shifting. In Charlie, Louis catches a glimpse that reminds him of the pictures of Harry’s dad. In Michael, he sees something of Stan, his childhood friend, lost far too soon. Oddly enough, in the doctor standing somberly in the corner, he sees the shadow of his grandfather who’d died when he was a baby. And Nessa. His breath catches in his throat, because Nessa has turned, and is looking directly at him where he’s standing, paused, with his hand on the door handle, and she’s watching him with his mother’s eyes. How had he never seen that? Nessa is staring straight at him, and then when she sees him looking back, her whole face lights up in her trademark Nessie smile.

“I love you, Grandpapa.” She says the words loud and clear, and the others turn to look, first at her and then at where she’s staring. “It’s okay, Papa, you can go. We love you, we’ll always love you. I’ll miss you, Papa, but it’s time to go.” She makes a little shooing motion with her hands and then blows him a kiss, which Louis pretends to catch and presses to his heart. Her smile wavers as the tears start and then she whispers, “Tell Grandaddy I love him, okay?”

Louis can’t answer her, knows somehow that there’s no way he can speak to her from where he is now, but knows too, that the words don’t matter when he can see the love shimmering in the air, filling the room. The light around them gets brighter as he looks at his family and smiles, and blows Nessa a kiss back, their tradition since she was a tiny child.

The twins have moved to flank her now, and they’re smiling through their tears as well, and then the entire family starts doing that ridiculous two-handed wave that they’ve always done when they’ve sent one of their own off into the world. 

Louis waves one last time, and then turns away. It’s time to go.

He opens the door to the hospital room and steps out — onto the back porch of the old house on the Lake, where Charlie and Mika live now. He sees Alex, one of their majestic, siamese cats curled up on the couch, and drags his fingers through her fur as he passes. She stirs, blinks sleepily up at him in acknowledgement, and then stretches languidly.

He passes through the screen door and walks quickly down the steps, the sense that he’s headed in the right direction solidifying within him, and then when he looks down to the lake and sees who's standing there, he starts to run, marveling at the strength in this body, the way his muscles contract and release as he races towards the water.  No pain, no aches, just fluid motion.

Harry turns, and Louis feels his heart overflow at the vision standing before him. Harry looks to be about 30, his body tall and broad, his face unlined, and when he sees Louis, his eyes light up as he opens his arms, and Louis crashes into him with the force of a tidal wave, wrapping himself around the love of his life, gone these last nine years.

Not gone, though, Louis understands now. When Harry had died, mercifully quick after the diagnosis, Louis had wondered if he’d linger, but he hadn’t seen him, only the occasional sign that Harry was popping in. But now, here they are, reunited.

Harry’s calloused fingers trail across Louis’s cheek and then his hand cups Louis’ face, and he leans down, and presses a fervent kiss to Louis’ mouth.

“You’re here,” he breathes, and tips his head down in that familiar way to rest his forehead against Louis’, “You’re finally here.”

“I’m here,” Louis agrees, hearing the joy in his own voice and he kisses Harry again, because he can. “Err,” he says after another long moment, “Where is here, exactly?”

“Oh,” Harry looks around him and grins, “This is a way station, it’s one of the places where the... barrier, I guess you’d call it, is thinner, so lots of people come here to....” His voice trails off for a moment as he chooses his words. “Where people come to decide.”

“Decide what?” Louis asks, a bit confused.

“Decide if they’re ready to move on,” Harry says, as if this is obvious and all of a sudden, it is. Louis remembers back to one of those first conversations with Harry, a lifetime ago now, and how Harry had explained to him his understanding of the purpose of life on earth. It’s a spiritual boot camp of sorts, Harry had said, We’re here to learn to live in love, to learn to let go of fear.

“Is there, I don’t know, like, a judge or something?” Louis asks, looking around. The water of the lake is clear, and even though he knows it’s February, there’s no snow on the ground, just the lush green of late Spring, and he’s not in the slightest bit cold, even though he’s wearing the skinny jeans that he’d loved when he was young, that haven’t been in fashion for years, decades maybe, and a t-shirt. 

Harry laughs and shakes his head, “No, it’s not needed, because no one chooses to move on unless they’re ready. God, Louis, I have so much to tell you, so much to show you.”

“Wait,” Louis says, “Have you been here,” he gestures around them at the familiar yard, the orchard off in the distance in full blossom, “the whole time?”

Harry laughs and Louis almost starts to cry because it’s been so long, too long since he’s heard his love’s voice. “No, baby, I didn’t stay. I wanted to, but it was time for me to move on, so I did, but I’m back to guide you, to go with you. We’re soulmates, Louis, we’re destined to be together, not only in this life that you’ve just left, but every other life as well. We’ve always been together, baby.”

He grins, the wind ruffling his curls under the ridiculous hat he’s wearing and Louis takes a deep breath, the habits of living die hard, he thinks to himself with a laugh. 

“Oh,” he says suddenly, “Before I forget, as I was leaving, Nessa told me to tell you she loves you. She’s missed you a lot.”

Harry’s face softens and his eyes shimmer. “She saw you, didn’t she? When you left that body, the gift transferred to her, just like it came to you when your Great Uncle Charlie died.”

Louis nods and says, his voice husky, “She told me it was okay to go, and then goddamn but if the entire family didn’t do that stupid wave.”

Harry barks out a laugh, tears still shining. “Of course they did. We did good, baby. No doubt about that.”

“So,” Louis looks around again, noticing now that there are others around them, some ignoring them completely, but a few are paying attention, standing a respectful distance to give them some privacy in their reunion. He looks more closely and then sees, standing a bit further away, a group of three men together, talking and laughing as they wait. 

“Oh god,” he whispers to Harry even as he grabs his hand to tug him down the beach towards them, “Is that them?”

The men turn and then Niall calls out, “Louis” and they come together in a tight embrace. “Couldn’t let this one come by himself to fetch you.” 

The other two men are as familiar to Louis as his own family, even though he’s only known them in dreams, and hasn’t seen them in 70 years. Niall releases him and he turns to them, and as one, they reach for him, draw him in, and Louis can feel the warmth in their hug.

“Zayn, Liam,” he says breathlessly, “You’re here. What are you doing here?”

Liam smiles and finally, Louis hears his voice for the first time. “We’re soul bonded, Louis, the five of us are soul bonded to each other. Now that you’re here and ready, we’re all moving on together. We’ll talk more about it on the way.”

Louis nods, and realizes that he’s feeling once more that sense of urgency, as well as the certainty that he’s learned here what he needs to know. It’s not an anxiety that he’s late or is going to miss it, whatever it is, he thinks, but more that it’s that deep anticipation, like being a kid early on Christmas morning, or waiting for the bell to ring on the last day of school before summer vacation. That thrill, that certainty, that there’s something amazing just around the corner, something that he’s spent his whole life catching a glimpse of out of the corner of his eye, and now he’s almost there, and he just can’t wait.

He squeezes Liam and Zayn one more time before letting them go, grins at Niall and then turns to Harry, holding out his hand.

Harry grabs it, and they give each other a quick squeeze in that old sign to each other, I’m here, I’m with you, I’m not leaving without you.

“Okay,” he says a bit breathlessly, “What now?”

Harry points to the pier and Louis sees now that there’s a small sailboat waiting at the end of it.

“If you’re ready,” Harry says, “We can go.”

The five men make their way down the weathered pier, and climb on board. Harry leads Louis to the front of the boat, while Niall calls out orders to Zayn and Liam, who move with practiced ease around the craft, loosening the lines and getting ready to depart. Niall starts the small motor, as Harry and Louis settle themselves on the cushioned bench.

The boat starts slowly, pulling away from the dock, and Louis looks back one last time, watches the house recede on the shore as they move further out onto the lake. The engine cuts out as Liam raises the sail, and the boat begins to pick up speed. Harry wraps an arm around Louis and pulls him even closer, dropping a kiss onto his head, and they turn as one, away from the past, facing forward as the boat soars across the water.

If you had been on the beach that day, you wouldn’t have seen any of this. You wouldn’t have seen the boat moving away from the shore, sails billowing as she took flight. You wouldn’t have heard the sounds of laughter and conversation as old friends reunited, the joy in each other's company readily apparent. You wouldn’t have seen the flash of light as the boat disappeared off the edge of the horizon, and you wouldn’t have heard Harry speak, the love in his voice palpable.

“I’ve missed you, Lou. Welcome home.”

[alaydabug2]

Ok ok ok

I have a headcannon that Sophie and Keefe's kids have heterochromia (two different colored eyes)

Also I feel like they'd have twins

Idk just me

BUT

Can you IMAGINE hiw crazy powerful there kids would be like

Both there parents are gmo

What kind of crazy things will they be able to do when there genes are COMBINED

Actually

Would the council LET them have kids (like the council can actually control that 😅)

Like they already cause enough issues

Would they let these powers combine into something possibly more

Better yet

WOULD they be able to have kids cause of their weird genetics

Kind of like how mules usually can't reproduce cause of their genetics (bad example but you get what I mean)

Also I think they'd be the Fosters not the Sencens

I will actually fist fight someone over this

Anyway this turned into a rant lol

[arrumiekookie]

I've always seen Quentin Quire as truly cynical, broken, insecure yet MAGNIFICENT young mutant with a bi-curious tendency, but very much girl obsessed, young man (canon material is right there, he always TRYING to flirt with all the girls). He has so so much potential, that Logan sees himself in him and basically becomes his adoptive daddy because he is so troubled and powerful that he knows, left unchecked, he is a major problem.

It's sad and extremely funny, in romance he fails every single time. Just like his "daddy" too, but in a way less charismatic way.

Sophie Cuckoo rejected him, died, got resurrected by him after he spiraled and prefered to stay dead than be with him.

He kissed time displaced Jean Grey and got rejected. (These men love themselves some Jean Grey)

Tried to flirt with Laura Kinney and got rejected.

Tried to flirt with Illyana Rasputin and got rejected.

Gwenpool hated his guts, but there still was chemistry, so they hit it off... but then she breaks up with him via text message. Then when he is pinning over her and helping her understand she is a mutant, she just ignores his romantic advances completely lol

Phoebe Cuckoo ( yes, ANOTHER CUCKOO; get the twin sister if you can't get with the first choice I guess ) hides him from her sisters, not because she wants him only for herself, which actually is pretty manipulative to say... because she is embarassed of liking him and entertaining him in front of them. Even when she takes him to Jumbo Carnation, she says he was always great to her, but she had set it all up for a makeover session... something he did not ask for; even while Quentin was venting about his trauma, she already set this up without informing him.

She broke up with him because and let me paraphrase, he cares too much for her and that scares her, making Quentin spiral.

He is unlucky, or makes himself unlucky, he sabotages himself, because the only truly decent relationship, seeing eachother as equals and having mutual genuine interest and attraction, he fucks up. Idie.

Idie thought Quentin was temptation (gurl; stand up 🥴💀) because Hope told her to no matter what, stay away from him, which Idie obviously did not do; Quentin thought she was really attractive and approached her first. Idie and Quentin were friends, they had banter, they communicated openly, they were classmates, they got into trouble together, they saved eachother, they pushed eachother to be better. I dare even say that, after he dated her, he became more selfless and tried to help others against his better judgement. Like when he gave up the remnants of his phoenix force to save Jubilee and re-store her mutant powers.

And their interactions are all bittersweet, because there still are feelings there, undiscloused desires? Mayhaps.

This last one is the least incendiary relationship (when we don't take into account their possible futures) but the healthiest, because the relationship does not radicate in humiliation and denial, I'mma be honest.

Feel free to debate me.

I am really passionate about this.

[ohmygoly]

KotLC Economy

I wasn't gonna post anything, and this probably won't be very noticed, but I saw a poll about the worst part of the KotLC books and now I'm thinking about this.

The way that money is handled in the books is not only super inaccurate and pretty much impossible, it's actually damaging to the story as well. Everyone just gets about 500 million lusters in their accounts at the beginning of their lives and somehow the currency is still more valuable than American/European money? Even though that's not how value works from an economical standpoint anywhere in the world? Just the fact that EVERYONE gets that much money instantly negates its value at all, because no one needs anymore money and therefore any money you possibly could've payed anyone is worthless.

Why do any elves even sell stuff? I get having hobbies, and I get giving it away, but at that point an elf wouldn't even bother charging lusters for it because they would have to ask for so much to match the value while at the same time not needing any more because they have infinite money themselves. Elves would just ask for some other belonging in exchange and life would go back to some primitive form of society where everyone had to pay service with service directly. That or everybody gets everything for free and in that case, material supplies that actually did have value would deplete rapidly and it would destroy the Earth because every resource would be drained for nothing (and that just doesn't happen because any intelligent species should know not to deplete resources and put a value on it. In a free system like the latter describes, elves would actually be doing much worse for the planet than even humans because at least humans know they must preserve some things for more profit).

It's also lazy writing because it's just a way for Shannon Messenger not to have to honestly think about how much a character is spending in the books and it means she can focus more on other prejudices like abilities, twins, or matches without factoring anything else into it. I'll get to that next but for now, it's also a glaring worldbuilding issue because while all elves are supposed to get enough money to last them a lifetime, the books state that elves don't actually know how long they live for. That means that they would have to have an infinite amount of money, to their own knowledge, to last them a lifetime.

Back to focusing on other prejudices, its all well that she came up with creative ways elves would segregate as it makes for a distinct cultural species but money and class is always important in a society because money is always a societal must in any type of advanced civilization. How it's important and how it separates people, as well as how the government controls it, is what makes the societies different. To not have this in here ruins the opportunity for government oppression in the form of labor and money that would amplify the effects of being a twin, a bad match, or talentless. Sure, you could just banish everyone that isn't perfect, I'm sure that has happened, but even then there would be a lot of elves who would be banished and at that point they would be their own society (something else that hasnt really been shown to exist within the elven world).

It also makes being a bad match or talentless less scary because yes society judges you but look at Juline and Kesler, they still live in an ice mansion and have immense wealth. Social oppression and physical oppression are two different things and one is far more drastic and dystopian. Sophie doesn't even need to see it at first. Maybe while not banished, those parts of the elven world are even more hidden than the glittering ones and since Sophie goes to Foxfire she still wouldn't see it right away and it would serve the same effect of what appears to be a utopia to the readers (I forgot who posted it but someone else made a great analysis on this point) but is actually a dystopia.

I think Dex, Marella, and Jensi should've been part of a lower economic class, and I even think Stina should be very close to it. So much so that she has to be mean and bully Dex to separate herself from what is a very possible future for her family. Maybe Sophie meets them another way. Maybe Dex is accepted into Foxfire because his mom is still "noble" or because his aunt is and its very apparent he still doesnt fit in with the rest of the students. Maybe the councillors created a special test to allow only the smartest of the lower class to also join Foxfire, and Marella and Jensi passed. That would make the council seem a little more progressive from the outside at first as well as allow Sophie to meet them as soon as she does as well as give Marella and Jensi a unique perspective.

Jensi is part of the drooly boys but even from the beginning he is clearly not a part of the group because while gross, theyre still noble. Jensi is still poor. Marella's mom getting drunk and getting a disability would be another way for the kids to scorn the lower class, as if its Marella's fault. Maybe even make way for a storyline where a noble elf was at fault for her impairment (because they have a lower class to oppress). Them becoming talentless and a pyrokinetic would be that much worse because they lose a chance to continue schooling at Foxfire. They are faced with the fact that they have to continue the life their families led before them because they don't have what society wants them to have. Because of this they also still work for the rich and they still have no money. That is much better than just "I can't work for the council and am instead stuck with no obligations to them while I sit comfortably in my mansion with my 500 million lusters. But oh no, I'm not noble so it means I'm oppressed"

[cbrownjc]

You know, I was already feeling kind of apathetic toward Season 2 of HOTD, but I was still trying to remain positive about it.

And then I read the Blood and Cheese leaks . . .

Oh.

I mean, look. I get it. They probably didn't want to traumatize young children by doing the scene directly as-is. But I DO think there is a way you could have done it almost the same way as they appear to be doing it, without it losing any of its bite and horror.

Like, you could still have all three kids in bed together, but awake and scared and crying quietly, completely confused as their mother is being threatened in front of them to choose. And, you know, having Alicent there, gagged and tied, so the kids also see their grandmother in trouble as well.

And, you know, have Maelor there too, so the choice is still between the older and younger boys. With Maelor still hears his mother choose his older brother over him.

Then when Haelena makes her choice, they grab Jaehaerys up out of the bed in a quick cut and you don't actually see his murder, just cut away to guards hearing Haelena screaming. When the guards burst in, Blood and Cheese are gone, Jaehaera and Maelor are still sitting on the bed shellshocked. Haelena, meanwhile, is kneeling in front of the bed on the floor, her back to the door, but obviously cradling a little body that is still mostly hidden but causing a pool of blood to spread around her, still screaming.

This way, you obviously don't have little kid actors being visually threatened with knives and swords and such on screen. And possibly traumatizing such little kid actors in any way by doing it the way it was written. Leaving the kids all on the bed also means you can just show them in isolated cuts, where they don't even have to have been filming while things such as Haelena being threatened -- as well as the threats to the kids themselves -- are happening. You only need one or two establishing wide shots to show everyone in the room, and that's it.

And of course, you don't see one of the kids get their head cut off. Just Jaehaerys being grabbed from the bed instead of Maelor (after Haelena chooses Maelor to die and we get cut over to a close-up of his scared face), and then just smash-cut to the guards hearing Haelena screaming.

There. That's IMO how you do that scene without traumatizing little kid actors as well as still giving the scene its disturbing bite. Not whatever it sounds like we are getting instead. Which not only doesn't have Haelena not even offer up her own life for her kids, which, okay, but apparently makes the choice between the twins while they are asleep, and they don't even hear their mother picking between them. And Maelor is just being cut altogether since there was no time to establish him.

If the show is going for another Red Wedding moment with this -- which it very much could have been -- then they failed, and utterly butchered it. Because the true horror of the moment isn't even Jaehaerys losing his head. It was Haelena having to choose which of her children to die, the kids hearing their mother make that choice between them, and then the one she chose to die having to live with the knowledge that his mother chose for him to die, while the one she chose to live got murdered instead.

It is all supposed to be Sophie's Choice but with a crueler twist. And it sounds like they very much like they executed it all completely wrong. It was already going to be hard to get audiences to care since we've barely seen the twins -- and Maelor not at all (which, given that he's been cut . . .) -- but even then, you could have still had the kids hearing the choice made, which is supposed to be part of the cruelty and shock of it all. And now . . .

I'm really trying not to shit on this without seeing it yet. But just hearing how this was done isn't giving me much confidence -- for this or in enjoying the season on the whole in truth.

[teabeexo]

I kinda wanna hear more about Vérène… 👀 Baxter MCs intrigue me, ALSO SHES PRETTY AND COOL

OOOUHHH DELIGHTFUL!! Vérène seems to be becoming a fan favorite hehehe. Let’s get into it! Buckle up.

potential trigger warnings: abandonment, alcoholism, implied domestic violence, divorce

So. Vérène moved from Nice, France to Sunset Bird when she was eleven. Her cousins moved alongside her, though they all landed in Golden Grove instead. Preceding the move, Vérène went through a familial upheaval that tainted a majority of her childhood. Her father, Will Alcott, developed an alcohol addiction when she was about three. While it never devolved into outright violence, screaming matches and broken furniture was not uncommon. Often, Vérène felt outright ignored by her father. During that time, Vérène would often spend the day or eat dinner at her cousins’ houses and only really come home when it was time for dinner. On some occasions, dinner would just be her and her mother.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was Vérène’s father yelling at her in front of her mother. It was a quick and messy process, but the divorce was finalized by the time Vérène was 9. Her and her mom moved in with Opal, Maël, and Mina (the twins being 8 at the time) for the two years that came before their move to America.

Following the divorce, Vérène seemed to close herself off from the world. More specifically, she created a security bubble around her — a safe, comfortable place in her imagination where everything was okay. Where nothing had changed. Where her family was perfect.

This bubble was only eventually broken by Winona, Cove, and Luella. Those three broke her out of her tentative shell, begrudgingly or not, and officially became life-long friends. Her adolescence was bittersweet, for lack of a better word. She had great friends, a loving family (excluding one), and a good future. At the same time, communication with her father was practically nonexistent. Three short calls a week faded into two, which faded into two a month, then one, then none. It was a gradual decline, but notable nonetheless.

During that time, Vérène’s mother (named Sophie) was one of her closest allies. Sophie was officially a single mother, and worked two jobs in order to provide for herself and her daughter. Where Sophie couldn’t make ends meet, Verene’s grandparents would help out.

By the time Vérène was eighteen, things more or less had settled. Communication with her father was nonexistent, her mother had a stable income, and she had a strong collection of friends.

Of course, nothing was ever that easy. Around that time, her mother was diagnosed with early onset breast cancer. Vérène picked up a new job in response. Additionally, her father was beginning to crawl back to her, asking for communication.

Now, by this point Vérène had established a subconscious fear of abandonment. She’s very hesitant to start or rebuild relationships because she’s so acutely aware of the possibility of that person dropping her after she forms a connection to someone. I’m sure you can guess where that comes from.

So, choosing to go out with Baxter was a shot in the dark. Vérène can’t quite believe why she did it. Even by her friend’s standards, he was usual. But she found himself gravitating towards him. She figured she can’t hide from emotion forever. Why run when it calls?

And for a while, it was great. For three months, she felt good.

Then Baxter left, with some-less-than-savory commentary, and the cycle started over again.

By the time she was twenty-three, things were looking up again. Her mom’s illness was more or else resolved (thankfully), and Vérène had completely, or more importantly, voluntarily cut her father out entirely. She would not enable him anymore. She has her own business, a local boutique she runs in collaboration with Winona and Luella.

When the events of Step 4 occur, her story primarily follows the plot laid out ingame. She is extremely distrustful and cold towards Baxter, but slowly mellows out in the face of his perceived regret. By the end of the epilogue, her and Baxter are actually not officially together, but agree to slowly try to rekindle things (because Vérène would absolutely NOT forgive what he did within the span of just three days — and she also wants to make sure he’s being sincere). They probably only re-enter a full relationship by the time they’re roughly 24.

OKAY PHEWWW THIS IS KIND OF A LONG-WINDED RECOUNT… I didn’t really get to talk about how Vérène actually is as a person, and the depth of her personality, but that might be a separate post of it’s own if requested!! I also wanted to emphasize that even though I mainly focused on the negative aspects of her life, Vérène is content. Also, her and Baxter have a very cute relationship going forward that I would loooove to explore… if I am allowed ehehe

anyhow! If you read all this… thank you? So much??! I love you. Mwa.

[soulless-angel25]

hi

consider for a moment, if you will. Soulmates being an actual thing in KOTLC, but only the elves. And then consider, most of them never actually get with their soulmate. They just follow the match system

imagine if someone had a soulmate but the two would be considered a 'bad match' because one of them is talentless or a twin or has a 'dangerous' ability????

and like- some people very much Do end up with their soulmate, but only if the other person is on their list or the two are willing to be a 'bad match'

more below the cut since i kind of just go on a rant about this

this very much was started because i had an idea bout soulmate Fitz/Sophie and how that would add another layer of complexity to their relationship, and also thinking about them maybe not realizing that they are soulmates??? Sophie not knowing soulmates are actually a thing because to everyone else that's normal knowledge but not to her... thinking about Fitz hoping that Sophie is his soulmate but not even knowing if it'd be possible because of her being an experiment... and even though I'm not a fan of Sokeefe imagine Keefe desperately hoping that Sophie is his soulmate because she's this light and how could she not be?

But she isn't and the angst potential that could bring??? or what if Sophie just doesn't have a soulmate? what if that's another thing that makes her different from the others, because all the elves have soulmates and she doesn't. it makes her different, it makes her an outsider again. but she doesn't get this because she doesn't know that soulmates exist, and if soulmates did exist for elves it could explain why we as humans have all these ideas of soulmates from when we interacted with the elves???

Like, all the kinds of soulmates are possible for elves and that's why we have so many different types when we write?? Soulmates who have marks on their bodies, we get that from elves. soulmates who have writing, or can hear their soulmates voice or anything we get from elves which would be such an interesting way to explore another dynamic that once existed between the two species. one species ((humans)) who view this as so romantic and wonderful because it means that there is someone out there for you and the other species ((elves)) who view it as annoying because they are matched to who would be the best for them, and so many don't end up with their soulmate because they'd be 'bad' together????

That is to say, KOTLC Soulmate Canon-Compliant AU (oooh, wait i could incorporate this into my kotlc rewrite... waiiiiit.....)

[horizon-verizon]

What is your opinion regarding the leaks of B&C ?

From what I’ve read, it’s going to be extremely different from the book version. No Maelor and no Sophie’s choice, Haelena doesn’t offer her life but offers some necklace and then leaves the room whith her daughter, leaving her son alone with two assassins (so technically, she doesn’t see B&C beheading Jaehaerys), the main target of B&C is Aemond instead of Helaena’s sons. Ultimately, Condal tones it down to the ground.

If all this is true--Horrible. They siphoned much of the emotional weight & horror of that moment by not doing, as you say, the Sophie's choice thing. A kid's death, esp murder, is always terrible and horrific. What made this particular moment so unique and its character of "horrifying" was that Sophie's choice where Helaena is forced into--somehow, someway--value one child's life over the other or risk ALL her kids' lives. What should be an impossible choice becomes very possible. What is taboo, Helaena is forced to be complicit in one of her own's kids' murders (we have to imagine these kids, too, as they look to her for safety in fear, perhaps crying their eyes out or maybe quiet & hoping...). It transforms from one taboo act into another, arguably more viscerally disturbing one: filicide (murder of one's own child) & particularly the filicide of an actual child. (Yes, I know that B&C likely always planned to make her choose, but we the readers AND she didn't...it was supposed to be a twist. Unless you read AWoIaF, which still doesn't include the raw details & dialouge F&B does.)

Yes it was not willful murder on Helaena's part, but again, any loving parent who was told to choose or suffer terrible consequences to another child with no way of knowing how to get out of of said situation/no defense/no strategy, and they decide they have to choose...only for the murders to traumatize the already fear ridden chosen child by making it a point to them their mom was fine with their death for another child even for a second and that she chose...It's maddening. Of course Helaena went mad. Even with her being coerced, she would have to learn how to reconcile with the fact that she made that choice AND thus she would feel she was an actor in her kid's death! And she just couldn't.

The guilt and fear, her already being so young when she had the twins and basically not having that much support from Aegon (yes I know she's a princess and would have servants and nurses take a lot of the care, but the fact your husband can and is doing fuck-all--can't even be bothered to really stay around his kids--presents its own sort of "mental load" on her and most noble women). In terms of how she'd be able to pull herself together, there was a lot was stacked against her and the ability to do that.

Helaena is already a nonperson in HotD, the show fails to actually make her interesting with how they used her dragon "dreams" that are not dreams. In the orig story, sorry to say, this moment was also one of her only distinctive moments. And if it is true that she runs and finds Alicole fucking, she is sharing that already limited reality/space/importance/personal action to a the woman they still don't really know what to do with. Helaena, to me, seems as if she's automatically is either/both not characterized but a device to characterize Alicent & Cole AND loses more of the very little subjecthood she had both in book and show--again, bc that choice she makes is a CHOICE. As much under pressure as it was. A choice that determined how her and the surviving kids lives would look like when faced with those such as Blood & Cheese.

Yes, I don't really "cry" that much over Helaena, but it is more than obvious that she and her kids were totally innocent . Those with the least agency allowed or available to them. Why remove what little there was or take away some of that valence for a tawdry sex-interruption scene/trope that could have been anytime else? (Again, if Alicole fucking at this time exists in the season.)

It seems the writers really don't like their characters making plot-forward or character-affective choices (a few critics, some fans. and I've said this for some time now).

[sea-owl]

I have had a shitty day today.

What has put a smile on my face is your accidental marriage trope.

Tell me, what kind of a shitshow does Phillip walk in to ag his first family dinner?

How does he top the chaos with his twins?

Not going to lie, I kinda want it to end with Violet smoking a cigarette in the garage. Trying to recover

I'm sorry you had such a bad day lovley.

Let's see, I've been debating this for a while but what if the accidental marriage also happened in the Full House au. So now we got the Crane twins running wild but they're being horrible influences on their younger cousins. Meanwhile Penelope is trying to stay calm because holy shit the random man from London aka her baby daddy was also here.

The Bridgertons descend on Phillip's home so they can work out some sort of agreement for the anullment, and they're nosy. They need to see what kind of man Eloise married, even if it's only temporary. Plus, since they're trying to stay on the downlow, it would be more inconspicuous for the family to travel separately to an unknown location to the media than to one of their homes.

One by one, the Bridgertons started to show. First to show was Sophie and Benedict, who live the closest. Anthony, Kate, and Violet were next. Violet just had to scout out the new potential grand babies. She has a gut feeling this Phillip fellow and his family are gonna be around longer than what the others think, no matter what Anthony says. Daphne and Simon follow behind. Gregory and Hyacinth drove all the way from University to see this shit show, some good quality entertainment right here. Colin and Francesca are the last to arrive.

Michael can't tell who's tenser between his two friends. He can understand why Phillip is tense. The Bridgertons are a powerful family. Hell, he remembers when John first started dating Francesca how big of a deal it was. Now, here was poor Phillip who just accidentally married in on a drunken night. Penelope has a story with these people though, he can tell.

The meal itself goes well. The Bridgertons ask questions. They learn Phillip is a botanist and a part time professor. He's never been married. He's 30. Favorite color is green. His two friends live with him mainly because he doesn't know what to do with this big house he inherited, so why not let his friends live with him. Two of the four children living in the house are his. No one admits that those children are from drunken one night stands. Better to keep that quiet.

Michael and Penelope get asked questions too. More so Penelope than Michael since Michael already knows the Bridgertons.

Things start getting interesting when they discuss the plan for Eloise's and Phillip's anullment.

"We can't do the anullment right away. The media is in a frenzy right now from Eloise's posts," Anthony starts. "That being said, they'll also be in an even bigger frenzy should we do the anullment too soon or if Eloise is spotted living with one of us. Do you mind her staying here?"

Phillip looked from Michael to Penelope. While it was his house, they lived here too, and he was always fair about them getting their say. Michael shrugged, he didn't mind. Eloise could easily keep up with the kids, and it seems like she's developing a fast friendship with Penelope, too.

"That's fine," Phillip agreed. "Just as long as the children living here are kept out of the media."

Anthony nodded. If there was one thing the Bridgertons could do, it was control the narrative. If they didn't want someone to be known, they could do it. I mean, look at Francesca, no one could find anything about her online unless she shared it. "Our family would feel more comfortable if two of us could possibly check in and keep an eye on things."

Eloise raised an eyebrow. "Are you siccing a babysitter on me?"

"I'm sending damage control," Anthony shot back. "You know Colin and Francesca are some of the best at getting the media to calm down."

"Why can't it be Benedict?" Eloise questioned.

Everyone looked towards the said Bridgerton and his very pregnant wife sitting next to him.

"Very well," Eloise muttered.

"Besides," Colin said. "We'll only be checking in. Officially, Fran and I will be visiting Benedict and Sophie to help them prepare for the baby."

Michael watched Penelope tensed further as Phillip agreed to the babysitters. He really needed to get that story out of her.

Then Violet asked to see the children. "I brought some sweets for them."

Phillip and Penelope got up to go get their respective sets of twins while Eloiseled her family to the sitting. Michael follows his friends to give the Bridgertons some privacy, and he figured this was his best chance to talk to his own little family.

Once they were far enough away from the dining room and not in hearing distance of the kids, Michael pulled his friends to the side. "You two need to relax. I don't know who was tenser between the two of you. I bet if we had put some coal in your hands, we could have made diamonds."

Phillip sighed while Penelope shot Michael a dirty look.

Michael shrugged. "Hey the scary part is over. Now we get to watch Violet get the kids on a sugar high."

Phillip rubbed his temples. "Oh lord, Amanda and Oliver on sugar."

Michael laughed. "Oh, I can't wait for my nibblings' chaos. But before that," Michael turned to the short red head. "What was with you this evening? I understand why Phillip was tense. But you were just as bad."

Penelope let out her own sigh. "Do you remember the random man from London?"

"Your drunken one night stand baby daddy? Yeah, what about him?"

"He's in the sitting room."

Both boys jaws dropped. "Which one?!"

"The babysitter," Penelope answered.

Michael couldn't help himself, he really couldn't. He busted out laughing. "So let me get this straight. The Bridgertons, one of the most powerful families in the country, the same people who gave even my perfect cousin John a hard time. You," he points to Phillip, "accidentally marry one, and you," he points to Penelope, " have babies with another. All thanks to drunk nights!"

Oh this was perfect! Michael couldn't wait to see this shit show play out. Couldn't ask for better entertainment.

"Aren't you in love with Francesca? Who's the other babysitter?"

Oh now why did they have to be rude and bring that up?

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Sources of Conflict, Secondary Characters, and Agency in SGE

The supporting cast of the prequels is awful as far as them as human beings with the barest shreds of common decency goes. I'm tempted to say they have no restraint. They are madmen—take the Pan for instance—unlike the Coven, Agatha (not that she's a side character), and even book one Beatrix, who all have some ethical standards and rationality to them. Really.

The brothers are the only "Good" characters, possibly along with Kyma, Midas, and Rufius, albeit, about two of these three don't have the most major impacts on the plot. (And classing either of the brothers as moral is a stretch by itself.)

Literally everyone is against them, if we're operating with protagonist-centered morality. The brothers have a solid relationship, and external factors tear them apart. It's a man vs. society/world conflict with them.

And, nearly all the supporting characters, the jerks in particular, enter the narrative by themselves. They are out for their own personal gain. Aladdin fits this description, to a point; he's on a fine line. And, Vulcan, Marialena, and the Pan definitely fit without question. They are invaders. I'd add pre-reformation Hook to the list, but to be fair, Rafal "recruits" him by kidnapping/human-trafficking.

In contrast, the main series cast of secondary characters are mostly decent people, which makes for a completely different atmosphere, however hostile the Schools may be with Evil Rhian at their head. These side characters were simply trying to live their lives, have a normal school year. Then, Sophie and Agatha arrive, and their appearance creates a major disruption.

Things don't go on as they normally would because they are meant to overhaul the status quo while Rhian and Rafal were meant to uphold it, which is an interesting juxtaposition by itself. The creation twins and the destruction twins. Both forces/freaks of nature, the pairs. Inevitably leading to upheaval and uproar. They're forces of order and chaos, plain as day.

Nearly all the supporting characters in the main series are ambivalent and are dragged into the plot/tale by the sheer force of Sophie's drama. She's the prime mover, with the magnetism of a black hole. She's the will of Man, the engine for conflict. The supporting cast is just trying to stay alive and exist alongside our all-consuming protagonists. They're not truly out to get anyone until they're offered the chance to leap at, until they're given any kind of motivation to take offense. They revolve around Sophie and Agatha and the tale, while the prequel side characters revolve around themselves and their own desires.

The main series' supporting characters aren't active agents in their own stories—unlike Marialena, Vulcan, and Aladdin, all with indisputably ulterior motives—they're along for the ride: the Coven, Tedros, even poor Agatha... The story revolves around Sophie and her decisions/actions. The conflict stems from them, her and Agatha.

Meanwhile, in the prequels, the conflict arguably stems from a wide array, a multitude of sources, and the brothers themselves are only one factor or source of conflict among all the rest. Rhian and Rafal are along for the ride in everyone else's games (the Storian's included). And the brothers are both active and reactive.

Their decisions matter, sure, but the determining factors are often out of their hands. For two immortal School Masters who would/should probably have control over a lot of the Woods/the future of civilization under usual circumstances, they sure don't have much agency on an in-narrative, plot level.

Look at Rhian, even on a lesser, personal level: his soul seems to override his self, sort of, and he ends Fall as if he's been possessed by his own inherent Evil. That's the most obvious example I can point to.

Basically, my point is that, unlike Sophie, unlike even Sophie and Agatha as a duo (and they are mere, seemingly powerless Readers), Rhian and Rafal do not orchestrate the events of their own plot nearly as much. You'd think the brothers, as aware of their genre and the workings of their world as they are, would have the advantage, but no.

They aren't the "authors of their own misfortune," at least not entirely. It doesn't matter how much claim free will seems to have. (It doesn't have much, considering we have a non-negotiable prophecy in play at all.) It doesn't matter how much the narrative claims they have free will (it doesn't really claim that to begin with). They're both far more beholden to the yoke of fate than Sophie and Agatha could ever be.

The dynamics in these pairs of twins are similar, on a small scale, but how they interact with their plots is different. Therefore, Man/free will/choice wins in the main series, and Pen/Fate wins in the prequels.

[a-araiguma-a]

Between the serving and Her smile

Chapter 6. The Slytherins

Fandom: Harry Potter Pairing: Oliver Wood x fem!OC, Charlie Weasley x f!OC, <?> Warning: fluff, mutual pining, friends-to-lovers, drama, first love, jealous

Summary: He was the captain and keeper of the Gryffindor team, and his quest to win the Quidditch Cup became an obsessive goal. All his thoughts revolved around tactics, training and strategies, but sometimes his own heart reminded him of another, equally important side of life. He believed that love and Quidditch could coexist in his life. He swore to himself that he would do everything possible to preserve these two treasures, even if it required the impossible from him.

Start - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4- Chapter 5- Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8

It all started with small annoyances that no one would have paid much attention to—a textbook that mysteriously disappeared from her bag, a trip in the hallway that almost made her fall, or the spiteful whispers behind her back that ceased the moment she turned around.

Margaret's friends noticed how she anxiously checked her belongings but didn’t think much of it, assuming that the twins were behind it or that it was just stress from school.

“It’s probably just a coincidence,” Sophie said as the three of them discussed the missing textbook before class. “Maybe someone took it by mistake, or the twins are up to their old tricks.”

Yes, they used to enjoy hiding things, but they had since moved on to pranks involving levitating objects, and after several months, they’d lost interest in such antics, focusing instead on edible products.

“Or it’s just a bad day,” Emma added, shrugging. “Everyone has those moments when you forget something and then can’t remember if you gave it to someone.”

Margaret tried to ignore it, but the troubles continued to escalate, and it gradually became clear that these weren’t coincidences at all. The Slytherins began to act more openly, and their pranks evolved into full-fledged bullying. It soon became apparent that Margaret had become their target.

It happened repeatedly. Sometimes it was passing, venomous comments as they walked by. Other times, they deliberately bumped into her on the stairs or hid her belongings when she looked away. At first, she couldn’t understand why they hated her so much, but gradually, the words spoken by the Slytherins began to form a clear picture.

“Look who we have here,” a hoarse voice of an older Slytherin student sneered as Margaret once again walked past their group in the corridor. “A half-blood.”

The term was spoken with obvious contempt, as if it were a brand marking her as something lesser and unworthy. Margaret froze the first time she heard it. It didn’t offend her, as it was true—her mother was a witch, her father a Muggle—but hearing it day after day began to feel like a sentence, an attack on her very identity and her right to be there, studying magic. She tried not to show how the label, like a curse, affected her, and she quickened her pace to get away from them, but they wouldn’t stop. They followed her everywhere—in the corridors, in the library, in empty classrooms—continuing their barrage of derogatory comments.

“Do you think you deserve to study here, half-blood?” another Slytherin sneered mockingly.

Over the following weeks, the bullying persisted. It seemed as though their entire world revolved around making her as uncomfortable as possible, becoming a part of her daily routine. Margaret felt her heart tighten with pain and humiliation. She tried to keep her fear hidden and remain calm, knowing they were trying to break her and strip away her confidence, but it was impossible to ignore. Gradually, a small flame began to ignite inside her, growing brighter with each cruel whisper, action, and intention.

When they cornered her in the corridors again and she heard their spiteful comments, something inside her snapped. She slowly turned around, mustering all her strength, and said to them:

“Enough. I’m not going to silently endure your attacks anymore. What’s wrong with you? Don’t you have anything better to do than to harass me?!”

The group paused momentarily, surprised by this turn of events. The quiet girl who had always run away from them finally spoke up. One of them smirked, breaking the brief silence.

“Ha! Look at her, thinking she can threaten us,” the voice dripped with contempt, and the whole group burst into laughter. Their laughter was loud and humiliating, as if they couldn’t even take her words seriously.

“Watch your mouth, little girl,” another voice came from beside her as they surrounded her like a pack of predators. “Do you even know who you’re talking to?”

“I don’t care about you or your family. You’re the one who started attacking me,” she replied, holding her head high, though her voice still trembled.

Her words only fueled the fire, and the boys wasted no time. They roughly shoved her against the wall, pinning her so tightly that it took her breath away. Margaret felt her wrist being painfully squeezed, and she knew there would be bruises, but that wasn’t her immediate concern. The group stared at her with smug expressions, and each of her weak attempts to break free was met with waves of laughter. She felt utterly powerless, unable to stand up to boys who were older and stronger.

“Let go! You’re hurting me,” she whispered in a low but threatening voice, trying to wriggle free, but their grip only tightened.

In desperation, she looked around, hoping to see someone who could help, but the corridor was empty—no teachers, no students. She was alone against them, and the feeling of terror seemed to consume her entirely.

“Not so brave now, are you?” one of them hissed in her face, like a snake. He leaned in so close that she could feel his hot breath on her face. “You’re nothing, half-blood. Do you think you can just talk to us like that? Your blood is filthy, just like you.”

The words cut like a knife, and her breathing became erratic as she fought not only the physical pain but also the urge to cry, not wanting to give them even more reason to mock her. But her spirit was broken; it was evident in every part of her body. She regretted speaking up a hundred times over, wishing she had just run away like before, but what was done was done.

“Please, stop,” she whispered, barely audible, but the boys were close enough to hear her.

“Oh, so now you’re begging us? Maybe if you behave, we’ll think about it,” they said as they finally let her go. Margaret nearly collapsed to the floor, barely managing to stay on her feet. Her hands trembled as she stood there, leaning against the wall. The Slytherins turned and left, their laughter echoing off the walls of the empty corridor. Now they knew they could do anything to her, and no one would stop them.

As she slowly slid down the wall, wrapping her arms around her knees, the world around her began to crumble. What had once been a magical fairy tale was turning into a prison.

Trying to hide her distress from her friends, not wanting to worry them, she withdrew further into herself. But Emma and Sophie started noticing that something was wrong with her, though they didn’t get a chance to talk to her before the Christmas holidays began, and Margaret escaped. She knew she could trust them, but she didn’t want to tell them what had happened. Away from Hogwarts, away from those cruel stares and insults, she found temporary peace at home. But the shadow of the humiliation she had endured wouldn’t leave her, replaying in her mind over and over, dragging her into self-loathing. The thoughts burned inside her like cold fire. While trying to hide her emotions, she smiled at the dinner table and participated in conversations, but in the quiet of her room, when no one was around, she let herself release her pent-up emotions, the tears she had held back for months flowing freely, washing away the accumulated hurt and pain. However, this brief respite was only the calm before the storm. Upon returning, the attacks only intensified, as if fueled by new energy. Their cruelty now went beyond mere pranks, becoming more calculated, targeted, and destructive.

To minimize her presence, she smiled less, often staring into the void, spoke little, and tried to stay in the shadows. This became her new strategy—to avoid attention, to become a ghost of her former self, to be unnoticed. If others didn’t notice anything, her friends were certainly alarmed, and no matter how they tried to get her to talk, it was all in vain; she would only remain silent or say that everything was fine.

“Margaret, what’s going on?” Emma asked one day when they were in the library. She leaned in closer to her friend, trying to catch her eye. “You’ve been so quiet and distant lately. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, you seem to be on edge all the time,” Sophie added, her voice full of concern. “You can tell us what’s bothering you.”

But how could she tell them? They knew her only as a positive, cheerful person. What would they think of her afterward—that she was weak and being bullied, that she couldn’t stand up for herself because she was afraid of them? How she had memorized their routes and avoided places where they might see her. No. Her fear and insecurity kept her from saying anything. She feared that if she opened her mouth, even more problems would rain down on her.

“I’m fine, really,” Margaret finally said quietly, trying to smile, but the smile came out forced and unnatural.

Emma and Sophie exchanged worried looks but didn’t press any further. Deep down, they knew something was wrong, but they didn’t know how to break through the wall Margaret had built around herself.

She avoided everyone and everything, trying not to be seen by either her tormentors or those who wanted to help. She left early and returned late, sat apart in classes, and quickly disappeared. And in the silence that surrounded her, in the constant tension, she was losing herself—the light that once brightened her world was fading day by day, and magic felt foreign and distant.

But at some point, she realized that she wasn’t alone in her suffering, and the situation began to change. The boys who had once tormented her were now finding themselves in the spotlight—but not the kind they had sought.

Those who had recently plotted against her were now becoming targets of pranks that seemed random yet were so precise that they seemed specifically aimed at them. Seeing the arrogant Slytherins suddenly covered in bright colors when their clothes magically transformed into something ridiculous and laughable, or when sweets spilled out of their pockets, or their bags became impossibly heavy or completely empty, was surreal. It was like an illusion to see the once-confident boys become the victims of the Weasley twins’ tricks.

Fred and George Weasley, as always, were in top form, directing their pranks at the Slytherin students they despised, and the results were immediate. The Slytherins didn’t seem to know how to handle these unexpected attacks. They spent less time bullying Margaret and the others, focusing instead on protecting themselves from the surprises waiting for them at every turn.

For the first time in a long while, Margaret felt she could breathe freely without constantly looking over her shoulder. She was finally able to relax a bit and take a break from the constant pressure. She even began to feel grateful to those two mischievous pranksters whose antics had become her salvation. But it was so strange to realize that Fred and George, without even knowing it, had become her protectors. Every time she saw the pompous Slytherins fall victim to the twins’ pranks, it made her feel a little lighter.

But no one knew the truth. No one knew that one day, after another round of punishment, Fred and George had accidentally stumbled upon the Marauder’s Map in Filch’s office—a magical artifact that showed everything happening in Hogwarts and the location of every person in the castle. With it, they never got caught, and Filch could only grumble, knowing that the Weasleys were always to blame for the chaos. One day, while casually browsing the map and discussing who to prank next, they noticed that their good friend Margaret was constantly surrounded by Slytherins. It might have gone unnoticed a few times, but over a prolonged period, it seemed strange. Were they up to something suspicious? Following her on the map, they witnessed how the Slytherins bullied her in the corridors, taunted her, and humiliated her. Hiding behind a wall, both were in shock.

“We can’t just leave this alone,” George said, his usually cheerful voice turning serious.

“Of course not,” Fred nodded, already mentally devising a plan for revenge. “We’ll make their lives a living hell.”

Since then, the twins began their discreet campaign against the Slytherins, turning their lives into a series of chaotic mishaps. They used everything at their disposal—magical pranks, traps, and even their own inventions. And although they never spoke about it, they took the mission seriously.

The twins continued to play their roles as jokers and pranksters, and no one could suspect that such a serious reason was behind their antics. They still pretended that their pranks were just a way to entertain themselves and others, but in reality, they kept their true mission a secret.

One evening, as Margaret happened to pass by an empty classroom, she overheard familiar voices. She was about to leave so as not to intrude, but the conversation she overheard made her freeze in place.

“No one should know about this,” George said as they discussed their latest pranks that evening. “It’s our little secret.”

“Of course,” Fred agreed, winking at his brother. “We can’t let anyone think we have a heart.”

“We’ll definitely get expelled if they find out we’ve been using the Marauder’s Map to spy on everyone,” George whispered, his voice full of determination.

“No one will find out,” Fred reassured him.

Margaret quietly backed away so the twins wouldn’t notice her presence. She had felt that someone was on her side, but she never thought it could be them. Discovering what was happening, the twins had decided to act on their own, turning a difficult situation into a joke, thereby protecting her.

The answer to how they knew about it came as unexpectedly as the realization itself, and it remained in her thoughts as a small but important secret she decided not to reveal to anyone. The warmth of gratitude toward the twins grew with each new realization, but this little secret of theirs had to remain a secret. No one should know how they found out, what they decided to do, and even though their actions were motivated by good intentions, it was better to keep it under wraps.

Their plan worked. Margaret gradually found peace, and although she hadn’t fully recovered from the trials she had faced, she knew she had friends she could rely on, who would be on her side, even if they didn’t talk about it openly.

She realized that distancing herself from her friends had been a foolish move. She was a Gryffindor, after all, and that meant she had to stay brave, no matter what her friends might think of her afterward. She needed to tell them so they wouldn’t worry so much. Setting off to find Sophie and Emma, she had no trouble locating them in the common room, where they spent their evenings. When they saw her, they noticed the resolve in her eyes, though her face still showed signs of worry.

“Is everything okay?” Sophie was the first to ask, putting aside her book and looking intently at her friend. Emma sat up on the bed, watching her closely.

“It’s about the Slytherins,” Margaret quietly admitted, lowering her gaze. She finally said it out loud. “They found out I’m a half-blood, and since then, they haven’t left me alone, calling me ‘half-blood’ and constantly coming up with nasty tricks. It started after that conversation about Muggle Studies…”

Emma and Sophie exchanged quick glances, their faces hardening, and a fire of righteous indignation burning in their eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Emma asked, her voice trembling with anger.

“You should have told us—we’re your friends. We could have helped and supported you.”

Margaret felt a wave of relief as she shared her long-held worries with her friends.

“I know, but I didn’t want to involve you, make you worry… or think I’m weak,” she said, still avoiding their eyes.

“Weak? What nonsense! Margaret, weakness is hiding and staying silent,” Sophie shook her head. “Gathering the courage to share with us and tell the truth—that’s real strength.”

“And besides, we’re Gryffindors, not Slytherins,” Emma added. “We stand up for our own.”

“Thank you,” Margaret whispered, not knowing what else to say.

“Now we need to decide what to do next,” Sophie’s voice was serious. She had never imagined that the reason for Margaret’s behavior was bullying. “This can’t go unpunished.”

Margaret nodded. They spent a long time discussing the best course of action, and although they didn’t come up with a concrete plan, she now knew that her friends would be by her side, and no one would think less of her for it.