#punch out frank jr

[doomstonee]

I wholly believe that zombies or the undead exist in the Punch Out universe because of Arm Wrestling since the unnamed challenger/Mr. Dream and Bald Bull are both in it and Frank Jr exists

Anyways Frank Jr would make a silly gimmick character that comedically keeps changing appearances but still gets recognized or nobody knows him apart from Bald Bull

[darkita11]

Bald Bull is so babygirl cutie patootie in these frames 🥺

[rhytmrocket]

heyy….. sorry im late

in summary, production of the play my theatre department is doing has ramped up extremely and very suddenly due to losing so many days to the hurricane, so it’s kinda just been kicking my ass this past week (saturday rehearsals my beloathed)

but i still made art!

im not gonna categorize all of these bc all of them could fit 15 (mad clown) 16 (taunt) or 17 (narcis prince) so uh just have them (also ignore the written numbers i was dumb when i wrote them ok)

maybe i’ll get caught up with the ones i missed, but can’t guarantee it. i’m still gonna move forward with the prompts as best i can, though!

have a reference-less frank jr as apologies or sm (not counting this as the prompt, this is mainly just practice)

[s3v3r3dh3ad]

With @goferwashere 's PO monster AU going around (LITERALLY IN LOVE WITH IT BTW I ADORE VAMP KAISER 😭🛐) I think now is the perfect time to show my appreciation for the only canon PO universe monster FRANK JR‼️🗣🔥 (This is for the 2 Arm Wrestling fans out there 💀😭)

[babiebom]

Would I Give Them Head(dbd edition)

A/N:I did a Stardew valley version and thought that it would be cool/funny if i did it for all of the things I write for! Again this is only for the males! And it's just for fun! Both killers and survivors

Tw:sexual content,cursing

Genre:headcanons? Shitpost.

Wc: 2+ for each character!

The Mastermind/Albert Wesker

Only in a hate sex situation

I severely dislike this man

I do not care that he is blonde and British I HATE him:(

The Dredge

Absolutely not wtf

I don't wanna hear tortured screams thanks

The Blight/Talbot Grimes

No

I do not enjoy his drippy face

It's icky

The Ghostface/Danny "Jed Olsen" Johnson

Yes

I think we have already established that I'm a Ghostface girlie

Would give him the best sloppy toppy I could

Is allowed to kill me after I do not mind

The Doctor/ Herman Carter

Not unless I had to

His face scares me and I hate his laugh

I would also dislike him as a person

The Clown/ Jeffrey Hawk

No

And when I say thia I mean all the disrespect

But i hate this stupid clown

He makes me want to be violent

The Trapper/Evan Macmillan

I feel like he doesn't wash himself properly

So no

Probably is filthy

The Wraith/Phillip Ojomo

Not my favorite but due to his backstory I feel bad for him

So maybe a friendly handjob

The Hillbilly/Max Thompson Jr

I say this with NO disrespect

But he does not bathe

And while I love him I am not putting that anywhere near my mouth

Will give him a handjob tho

The Oni/Kazan Yamaoka

Yeah sure

He is large and in charge

Also has to be clean? I think he might be clean

The Nightmare/Freddy Kreuger

No

I would however like to punch the side of his head so hard it caves in

He deserves to have it cut off

The Twins/Victor Deshayes

No

This is a child

The Cenobite/Elliot Spencer

The chains are kinda kinky

So yeah

Also him tummy out and I think its cute

The Nemesis

No

Stinky dead man

His tentacle things make you sick he needs to stay away from me

The Executioner/Pyramid Head

YES

he is one that is allowed to be dirty

He is so attractive and he doesn't even have a face

He just walks around with that big ass sword knife thing and his hips amd im sold

I'm down bad

The Legion/Frank

Probably not

Isn't he like 18?

Too young for me

The Legion/Joey

Again too young for me

So no

Like im sorry but they're literally described as teens

The Cannibal/Bubba Sawyer

Like Maxie

Its not that i hate him its that he's stinky

So handjob it is

The Knight/Tarhos Kovács

For the following i think they're all stinky

BUT Tarhos is different

Simply because I do like the Knight x Princess trope and I would like to be the princess

So I guess yes

The Carnifex/Sander Rault

No

Hate him

Wanna smash a pallet on his bead

The Assassin/Durkos Malecek

No

Stupid man

Always is mean so NO

I will scream if he appears one more time

The Jailer/Alejandro Santiago

Maybe a handjob because I like his name

Its very cute

The Shape/Michael Myers

Unfortunately yes

Though I do hate the man because he literally instakills me

I cannot deny that I am attracted to him

The Deathslinger/Caleb Quinn

No

Peepaw does not get his Dick sucked by me sorry

He needs to be in a nursing home and have his shooting license revoked

The Trickster/Jiwoon Hak

Yes

Very attractive but also very annoying

The one killer I main

I would give him one the punch him immediately

The Demogorgon

This is bestiality

So no

Doggie does not get head from me

Does get head rubs tho

Maybe some belly rubs

The Singularity

I have no idea who this is where did it even come from

Is this a man or woman someone tell me

Also while I am a robot fucker I would have to say no

Jake Park

Yes

I had an immediate crush on him

He is also a loner type so yes

Absolute hawtie

Dwight Fairfield

Yes

Sweet sweet boy probably needs one

Would be so thankful that I HAVE to

Leon Kennedy

YES

is this even a question fr?

Sexy sexy man

Only cop I will get on my knees for

David Tapp

No

Reminds me of family members

William "Bill" Overbeck

Naur eema

Maybe a handjob because why not i like his get up one time free perk

David King

No

Gives off bestie vibes

Would give handjob tho

Steve Harrington

Okay don't kill me

But I have never watched the tinger strangs

Aren't they in middle or high school

Absolutely not

Carlos Oliveira

I like his name it makes him seem attractive

So yes

Ace Visconti

NO

Have a love hate relationship with this man

Will not have any part of me close to him in that way at all

Quentin Smith

An adult?

I think?

I have also never seen this movie I am so confused

Yes if adult no if younger than 21

Adam Francis

Ummmmm

Sure I guess

I think it would be okay?

Jeff Johansen

He looks stinky but idk

I would give him a handjob

He seems cool and mysterious

Ash Williams

NO

I do not find him attractive at all

I kinda dislike his face

Jonah Vasquez

No

He just seems stinky

Yoichi Asakawa

YES

I had a big crush on him when I first played the game

Will get on my KNEEES FOR HIM

WILL GET SACRIFICED FOR HIM

Felix Richter

Yuh

Gives off sugar daddy vibes

Vittorio Toscano

Yuhhhhh

Also gives off sugar daddy vibes

Why is be so attractive is it the hair?

Jonathan Byers

Again i have not watched the show

Are they not all teens?

I am so confused

No

[oneluckygoose]

House of the Rising Suns

Info post about my Marauders era fanfic! It will be edited and added to as things about it change, so if you plan to regularly read, I suggest checking in every once in a while to see if something's changed.

It will be posted on Ao3 exclusively, so if you see it anywhere else it means someone has stolen my work. Don't be afraid to report it.

Here's a link to the first chapter: Dear Minerva

It is a fic starting in 1971 and ending 1981 following the Marauders, the Slytherin Skittles, and the Valkyries through their journey through Hogwarts and the First Wizarding War. I don't yet know if it is cannon compliment or not, but I will figure it out with time. All posts I make about it will be tagged with "#house of the rising suns" and "#house of the rising suns oneluckygoose"

Here are the characters that will have POVs: Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon, Dorcas Meadowes, Mary MacDonald, Regulus Black, Barty Crouch Jr., Evan Rosier, Pandora Lovegood (Rosier), Frank Longbottom, Alice Longbottom, and (ew) Severus Snape.

For the shippers out there --- Endgame ships: Wolfstar (Remus and Sirius), Jily (James and Lily), Dorlene (Dorcas and Marlene), Rosekiller (Evan and Barty), Fralice (Frank and Alice), the Lovegoods (I don't actually know their ship name, but it's Pandora and Xenophillious). --- Ships in the story: Jegulus (James and Regulus), Marylily (Mary and Lily), Pandalily (Pandora and Lily), Remus and Marlene, Sirius and Mary, and characters with OCs that I've added (none of them will be endgame or treated like well known and endgame ships, they're all destined to end eventually).

NO SMUT AT ALL! I'm asexual, I do not feel comfortable writing it. It'll happen eventually, but it won't be explicit. When it does, though, it will be fade to black or very very vague descriptions. They're teenagers, I get that, but I refuse to write it in detail. Sorry, but no.

There is a greater description of it all under the cut! (and in the reblogs, this got really long)

!!!!Disclaimer: The last one is extremely important, so if you don't want to read all of these, at least scroll down and read the last bullet point (which will be in the reblog)!!!!!

Scottish and Desi James; Welsh/Jewish Lily; Welsh Remus, and Severus; French/English Blacks; IRISH Peter; SCOTTISH Marlene; Dutch Dorcas; French Mary; British Rosiers; and British Barty, Italian/British Frank, Taiwanese/British Alice.

Jegulus, personally I think Jegulus is a very important thing for James’ growth and for Regulus to distance himself from his family’s ideals, but I also don’t think it could ever last. It will probably be a 5th-6th year arc and they break up after Regulus gets the Mark beginning of James' 7th.

Endgame Jily because their story is one of my favorites, and if I do make it a canon compliment ,then I would need to write it with natural progression. Also I just love Jily.

Get ready for a lot of 70's music. It becomes a big deal when Lily brings her record player in second year and then when Queen debuts in 1973 and Sirius falls in love.

I’m on the fence about making it a canon compliment because I choose to be HAPPY, but I don’t need to make that decision now and so I won’t (also I like the idea that Peter is good, screw me)

Aroace Peter, my little boy loves his friends and doesn’t understand why he doesn’t love like they do. A dating spree probably in 5th year but he just cannot figure out how to do the romance thing.

No sex, sorry guys we’re keeping this M rated. I’m asexual and do not feel comfortable writing that in the slightest, it would all be fade to black

Asexual Lily, to whoever HCed that, can I marry you? I love ace Lily and I think it just adds an arc to her story that is normally extremely sexualized. My girl will punch you in the face if you look even a tiny bit lower than her eyes.

*Side note* Lily's taste is also so funny. Like it goes: badass, rolemodel, stunning woman to badass, loving, protective, also stunning woman to badass, ethereal, insane, overwhelmingly beautiful woman to that one guy over there making love eyes and doing finger guns. God I love Jily so much. *End of side note*

Asexual Regulus. I am sick and tired of seeing Jegulus being completely sexualized in every single piece of content I encounter. I firmly believe their story can be extremely compelling and beautiful without falling into sexual stereotypes and just literally making everything about them sexual. All that aside, being asexual makes a lot of sense for Regulus' character, in my opinion. I want to make it clear I'm not doing this just to change Jegulus, I genuinely believe that Regulus' character is compelling with him being asexual, and I don't see a lot of asexual representation in the marauders fandom, so why not add in something good? (There'll be a lot more to Regulus' character though, trust me.)

More in reblogs

[tonitheloftwing]

Punch-Out!! Characters: Youngest to Oldest

This is intended as a resource, not strict guidelines that must be followed :p

If characters have different ages across games, their most recent appearance with a labeled age will take priority! For example, Mr. Sandman was 28/30 in SPO, but is 31 in Wii, so I’m going with his age in Wii.

Little Mac: 17

Heike Kagero: 19

Kid Quick*, Disco Kid, Narcis Prince: 20

Mike Tyson (in Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!): 21

Dragon Chan: 22

Aran Ryan, Don Flamenco: 23

Mario*: 24

Piston Hurricane: 25

Donkey Kong*: ~25

Bob Charlie: 26

Mad Clown, Super Macho Man: 27

Piston Hondo: 28

Great Tiger, Masked Muscle: 29

Mr. Sandman: 31

Bear Hugger: 32

Soda Popinski: 35

Bald Bull: 36

Glass Joe: 38

Von Kaiser: 42

Gabby Jay: 56

Mike Tyson (as of today - June 23rd, 2024): 57

Doc Louis*: 58

Hoy Quarlow: 78

Alice, Ape III, the arcade/Arm Wrestling Challenger, Carmen, Frank Jr, Kabuki, King Hippo, the Super Punch-Out Challenger, Money Holder, Mr. Dream, Nick & Rick Bruiser, Pizza Pasta, Wii’s referee, Bear Hugger’s squirrel, and Texas Mac all do not have any references to their age.

*Ambiguously Canon:

Kid Quick’s age comes directly from Disco Kid’s age. While there is no canon information on Kid Quick’s age, or a potential connection to Disco, we know from external factors - like Disco’s data being labeled “kidquick” in Wii, and the fact they’re from the same location and weigh the same amount - that they’re pretty much intended to be identical. Therefore, I believe that their age would be the same, too.

Mario’s age comes from a 2005 interview with Shigeru Miyamoto.

Donkey Kong’s age can be guesstimated around 25 years old, since in Yoshi’s Island DS, Mario & Donkey Kong are babies at the same time, although DK is delivered by the storks slightly before Mario. However, we don’t know if Punch-Out’s DK is the same as that DK, and DK has never had a canon age confirmed, period. So this is guesswork.

Doc Louis’s age comes from a Japanese translation of some Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! merchandise, which you can find here. However, his age is never mentioned in any of the games.

[alaffy]

Riverdale 7x04 - Love and Marriage (are not to be found in this episode, also spoilers)

Normally, I write these things as soon as the episode ends, but Christ on a Cracker I needed a break. This is going to be painful.

So, Jughead and Ethel are arrested for the murder of Ethel’s parents.  Veronica talks to Jughead at the station and they realize that all they need to do to prove, at least, Jughead didn’t do it is to get the Coroner's reports and find out when the parents were killed.  If it was during the dance, well, there are several witnesses to the fact that Jughead was there the whole time.  Veronica gets the reports, but no Dr. Curdle Jr. (he’s Betty’s special friend).

Archie finds out Cheryl has told her family that they slept together.  However, she tells him that her little lie is protecting her from her family and he chooses to play along.  Of course, as soon as he gets home, he finds out that his mom has talked to Cheryl’s mom and now they’re all going to have dinner together to fix this mess.  

Betty wants to have sex.  Kevin wants to wait until marriage.  They break up.  Later, Toni will take Betty to the underground Coffee Shop, where Betty will see Kevin dancing with Clay.  Betty goes home and has a talk with her mother who...fuck me...well, I was right that Alice suspected Kevin.  She’s not at all shocked about Kevin dancing with another man, says men sometimes have urges, and presses Betty to steer Kevin back in the right direction.   

Veronica gets Jughead out of jail and they go to Pop’s to celebrate.  Jughead tells Veronica that he was able to find out that, after her fight with her parents, Ethel did leave the house and...God, long story short, Julien Blossom was a witness to Ethel’s whereabouts when her parents were killed.  And Jughead convinces him to tell the truth by punching him in the face.  One of the few good moments of the show.  Ethel is released back into the care of the Cooper’s.  

Meanwhile, The Blossoms and the Andrews have their dinner.  Oh look, Clifford’s back and, apparently, he’s the Mayor.  Clifford insults the memory of Fred by saying that Archie reminds Clifford of Fred.  Then, Clifford and Mary decide that Cheryl and Archie must get married.  And, just cutting to the chase, it seems like they’re going to get married.  And then Archie thinks they can Elope and run away and maybe they learn to love each other.  And, in the end, Cheryl backs out because Toni talks her out of it.  Cheryl suggests Archie write Betty a poem, which he does.  Toni gives Cheryl a book.  And Archie goes to give Betty the poem...only to find Frank standing in the dining room.  Fuck.

Ok, a little bit of honesty here.  I checked out halfway through this episode.  Here’s why.  See, They decided Fang’s needs a storyline.  How about knocking up Midge?  Except they don’t know if she’s truly pregnant.  But don’t worry, Toni has a way to tell.  So they.....I need a moment.

They all meet in the biology room that night and Toni tells them....that the surefire way to find out if Midge is pregnant is to inject Midge’s pee into a toad and if the toad lays eggs overnight, she’s pregnant.  

Everyone, I present an accurate representation of what went through my mind at this moment.  

Seriously, this scene from RWBY Chibi encompasses everything I feel about this episode.

Anyway, to wrap this shit show up.  Betty talks with Kevin, but it seems she’s going to be a friend and not listen to her mother’s advice.  Betty starts to fight back against Alice, who demands to know where Betty got the sex book.  Ethel admits it’s hers.  Later, we find that Alice has burnt the book and sent Ethel to the Sister of Quite Mercy (Ethel can’t ever catch a break).

Meanwhile, Jughead finds his place trashed and Hot Dog gone.  Veronica lets him stay in her apartment for the night.  Then, she helps him get back Hot Dog and does an Extreme Home Makeover on his Train Car.  At the end of the episode, Jughead and Veronica end up kissing.  Which, compared to everything else in the episode, is...it won’t last, but it will be interesting.  At least, it’s one thing that’s interesting.

[idgivemyeyesfor-mattmurdock]

⋆⁺₊⋆ Chérie ⋆⁺₊⋆ Matt Murdock X Frank Castles sister

Summary: What happens when Mercedes Castle looses her brother and sister, all within a year? What happens when she tries to re-connect with Frank while, then, meeting an oh so familiar lawyer.

TW: DEATH, mentions of depression and suicide. Mentioned abuse, (if can get triggered by any of these subjects or subjects related. PLZ DO NOT READ. it is an ongoing theme.) Smut, but that will be later. ;) ;)

Wattpad Link for cast & playlist(s):

Chapter One:

⋆⁺₊⋆ Chérie ⋆⁺₊⋆

"They say this house is haunted 

But all these ghosts I've grown with

As it slips away from me

I still hold on hopelessly

I lay my head to sleep and say goodnight" 

- Holly Humberstone

Playlist Recommended for reading:

Oct 21st 3am

MERCEDES CASTLE WASN'T A BAD PERSON. She just wished she saw the world through rose pink tinted glasses.

It would have been nice if Mercedes thought that everyone was innocent until proven guilty. Rather than seeing innocence, she saw guilt until proven innocent.

It was a harsh way to see life, but god did give her charcoal gray tinted glasses. It wasn't her fault. Lord, did she want to take them off for one day. For one day, she hoped she would rip the glasses off and see people for the good they truly had inside.

Though sometimes god would let Mercedes take those glasses off, and when she did oh lord, did she see good. Christ, was she attracted to it.

When she saw goodness, grace, and hope— she wanted to bottle it up in a jar, put it on a shelf, and just take a look at it every day just to remind herself that it still existed.

As Mercedes drove her knuckles into the punching bag, she wondered what truly kept the world spinning.

Was it love? love was something that kept her afloat. Maybe some people, but love to Mercedes was like happiness. She didn't have it all the time.

If love didn't keep the world spinning, what was?

Well, it was grace.

As Mercedes watched her world move positively and negatively, she realized how grace affected it.

Grace and her's relationship was complicated because— grace kept Frank out of jail. But grace also forgave Billy when he murdered her sister.

Grace was there when god gave Yanelis a second chance at being happy, but grace wasn't there when Yanelis couldn't protect herself from hate.

Grace was there when Yanelis and frank were in the front lines, but, grace wasn't there for Maria, Lisa, and Frank Jr.

Good or bad, grace kept the world spinning.

Well, at least her world.

It was funny because being a detective she saw grace being tossed around to everybody. She saw it being given to murderers, adulterers, predators, the list goes on— Until it was needed, Grace was given to everyone.

Grace didn't go to her sister when she died a year ago.

Grace didn't go to her sister-in-law and nephews.

As Mercedes drives her foot into the scarlet plastic-covered bag, "Mama" by My Chemical romance plays in the background.

Silently, she whispered the lyrics to herself.

"Mama we all go to hell"

if Yanelis were alive, this wouldn't be happening. Instead, her and Mercedes would be binge-watching "Gilmore Girls" for the billionth time. Then after watching five or six episodes, Yanelis would play an old murder documentary and have Mercedes pinpoint everything wrong that was done, and why they didn't catch the murderer the night after. But instead, Yanelis was gone, and she was in an abandoned gym driving her knuckles into a plastic bag.

Frank didnt care. Maybe if he bothered he could be there with her— but, hell he was dealing with his problems. Frank didnt even show up to Yanelis Funeral. Instead, he showed up a week later at her tomb... what a guy right?

Frank was gone, murdering drug dealers off in hells kitchen and Yanelis was— Yaenlis was six feet under.

And then, Mercedes was just there.

This wasn't how their lives as siblings was supposed to go.

This wasn't the plan.

As Mercedes sweat falls down the curve of her forehead, the faint scent of lavender shampoo fades and its overcomes by the harsh scent of water, salt and blood— which fills the room entirely.

In a crime scene, its not really ideal to leave your blood on the premises, so she usually cleans equipment. hence, why a certain man has never noticed.

Crime had been low in Hells Kitchen. there was no need for a Daredevil, or a punisher. Now, the police were actually taking care of it. Sometimes Daredevil would be seen in alleyways but that was only if something truly needed to be taken care of.

Now, Daredevil spent his nights in fogwells, and his days in a law office.

The problem with Matt coming to Fogwells tonight was that rock music was played by millions of people at three o'clock in the morning, so her doing so wasn't something new.

As Matt placed his hands on the rusted doorknob, he listened for her heartbeat. 

He heard the golden cross that was hung around her neck, bounce off her chest as she drove every punch and kick to the bag.

As he unlocked the door, he heard the muscles in her neck shift towards his direction.

A guy, great.

Matt didn't carry a cane, but by the time he entered the complex, he had already folded it. By the time he was up the stairs, the glasses that hung on the tip of his nose were in his duffle bag.

With the one glance she got, Mercedes noted:

Male: white, five-eleven athletic build- seen at fogwells gym at three o'clock in the morning.

Under the shadows she could tell this wasnt his first time here. Or, first time doing this.

As Matt sat down the duffle bag on a bench, he noted where he assumed the light was coming from. Though, three wasn't much light because it had been raining. So the light that radiated through the glass was more of a moonlight. He wouldn't want her to see his eyes, so he stayed within the shadows.

With another glance at Matt, Mercedes saw the silver cross that hung in the middle of his chest, the black tank top that gripped his torso, and the gray sweatpants that hung loosely down his legs. Though, as she looked down, she saw how his socks were carefully tucked into his pants.

As he walked closer towards Mercedes, the scent of fish and foil increased tremendously.

Though, with blood along her knuckles, she kept in contact with the bag.

"You're bleeding, aren't you?" Asked the man.

She looked back at him, and noted the bruises that nearly wrapped around his forearms.

Her eyes went back on the bag, and ignored him.

"You should probably stop."

His voice was raspy, something as if he had been yelling for too long... or maybe he hadn't spoken in a while. 

she continued punching.

In a low tone, he said, "This is probably the best time to stop."

Matt heard her heartbeat calm, and her knuckles slowly retract from the bag.

As she paused, she stretched out her fingers and noticed the tissue that hung out of her knuckles, the tape that used to be wrapped around her knuckles was now only hanging on by a thread. as cold air slowly entered in her flesh, she silently cursed at herself.

she bit her lip as the pain registered in her brain, and then walked over to the phone, she squatted down and paused the music.

As she remained squatted, she looked over to where the man was and said, "Thanks."

she hoped he at least gave a slight grin, but from where he stood, she could only see his silhouette.

As she remained on the floor, she grabbed some leftover black tape and began wrapping her knuckles.

Matt heard her silently say, "fuck" as she wrapped her knuckles.

"Sorry, I knew that probably other people came here, I just... lost track of time... place is all yours."

As she tightened the tape around her knuckles, she said to the shadow:

"I'm Camilla" Usually when someone provided their name to a stranger, it made the other one feel comfortable around the other one.

Though, her electric heartbeat gave away her lie.

He nodded, and said, "Matthew."

Mercedes pressed her lips into a fine line and mumbled; "...Biblical"

"Yea well, I just dont go to church on easter, if thats what your insinuating."

She paused as she registered the tone of his voice. She noted how it reminded her of someone who she had heard of before. maybe at work?

"Never insinuated anything. Just noted that you could be named after a bible character. Just like how how you could have insinuated that i'm named after Prince Charles's mistress... just an observation.. nothing to be taken seriosly."

She continued to wrap the tape between her fingers.

"Were you?" asked Matt.

"Was I?"

"Named after Camilla?"

She took in a deep breath, her mind then traced for a story as to why her parents named her 'Camilla'.

"My dad had just broken the news to my mom that he had gotten another women pregnant... she didn't take he news very well, but she had my sister and she wanted my sister to have that experience of meeting her baby sister. So, when my mom and sister got to the hospital, my dads mistress asked my sister what her baby sisters name should be. after waiting a couple minutes, my sister couldn't think of anything that wasn't related to elmo, so my step mom said to my sister, 'why not Camilla?'. My sister liked the idea, but she just didn't know the meaning."

Matt heard her heartbeat escalate as every word flew out of her mouth.

Boy did she know how to lie.

"The meaning?" asked Matt as he began to walk over to the ring.

"Well, I broke the family. Just like Camilla."

He noticed her hadn't buzz as she finished tying the tape around her fingers.

"are, if you mind me asking— are you okay?"

Her eyes deviated from the tape at the thought of the question.

her eyes went back to the tape as she continued to wrap it, she replied; "I'm not a fan of lying."

"Me neither."

a moment passed as Mercedes contiuned to wrap her knuckles, slowly the aroma blood and sweat escaped, and the scent of salty tears entered....

The trim of her lash line clumped up her tears as the man said, "You dont have to answer."

from the showdown, she saw his knuckles. They were too also painted with blood.

His neck, which was bare from any bruise, had a stubble creeping from the mid of his neck, the up his jaw.

though his jaw was loose, it was— relaxed.

she read his lips.

Calm, but not bored.

She couldnt see his eyes, but from what she felt, she knew they were calm.

no pain circled them, and no creases were formed.

"You caught me on an off day."

Matt heard the tear drip down her cheek as he said, "if you come here, you probably have more of 'off months'"

the tips of her mouth curled as she thought: Its not like he's wrong.

as she went down on her knees, she unzipped her tote and took out a white cloth.

from the scent of the towel, Matt knew that the cloth had seen better days.

"it's been an 'off year'." She said as she began to wipe the bag.

"I'm listening." 

she continued to wipe the bag, now noticing the amount of blood she shed in the time that she was there.

No wonder you're feeling dizzy

"Family... um, problems."

she contiuned to wipe down the bag and said, "...sister died about a year ago."

"I'm sorry." said Matt as his nose twitched at response to inhaling the scent of the room.

There was no indication that she was there, or had ever been there.

she wiped it perfectly, not a single implication that she was there.

No blood had dripped on the wooden floors, not even a drop of sweat.

All her sweat and blood stuck to her sports bra, which was made out of some material that rubbed against her skin so hard that now rashes were being formed on the sides of her back. those rashes made he muscles tense, but she'd been used to it.

"Since we're getting all 'forgive me father for I have sinned'.. Ikilled her. well," she paused and said, "I was the reason why she died."

he listened for her heartbeat.

a lie.

He heard her fingers tug the material of her short down, now they were covering a bruise she got from the bag.

"Couldnt get to her on time."

"your a nurse?" he asked.

"No, um,  ex military, detective and psychologist sort of three in one deal" 

He nodded as he crossed his arms around his abdomen and Mercedes said, "he wasnt treating her... right and I kept my mouth shut because-"

she thought about it: if that didn't say red flag, she didn't know what did.

"My sister um.. she had depression, an and i only saw her truly happy when she was with him. so, i—"

her eyes defocused, and soon her eyes were being covered by the palms of her hands.

In agony she continued saying, "didn't say anything" her voice was muffled. "then, he killed her."

she paused for a second, now her eyes were not aligned by tears but filled with them.

though her voice being covered by the palms of her hands, she said, "when you study to be a detective you're taught to not let your emotions get in the way of your judgement but i— i only saw my sister being happy so i didn't say anything.. and now, now, my sister—" she sighed, "she died because I didn't say anything."

his mind traced back to a year in time when he was crashing into a girl's apartment because he heard screams, but when he got there, that girl was dead.

Both of them didn't make it in time.

From experience after experience, Matt silently said to her, "dont kill yourself in attempt to bring her back to life."

"I killed her." she tugged at her lip and said, "for one year I've only heard one thing, 'Agent Ante, your sister has been murdered by one Billy Russo.'"

As she tried to continue, her voice became strained, "He killed her, and he's still out there— christ, he got innocent in the fucking courtroom!"

Tears overwhelmed her eyes as they began to fall down her cheeks.

"I couldn't save her." she said, "I. Killed.Her."

Her head shook, making the the curls that framed her face fly in different directions.

sweat fell from the strands and they dissolved in the air as she then said, "this is stupid, i'm talking to a stranger about my problems. sorry— I should be going."

"No." he said. He spoke softly, clamly, and steadily. "You put more tape on your knuckles, right?"

With hesitation, she responded. "...yea"

He replied, "well?"

As she wiped the tears away from her face, she said, "how do I know your not going to kill me?"

He bobbed his head from side to side and said, "Don't kill."

"Bullshit. How do I know that."

"The name, the cross--"

"Just because you have a cross around your neck doesn't mean I'm going to trust you. How can I trust you?" She walked over to the ring and slipped herself through the bands.

"Don't I look trustworthy?'" asked Matt as he did the same.

"Maybe." said Mercedes. As they both got into first position, "But, I can't judge because i haven't even seen you yet, because your doing some batman shit—" she swung at his jaw with her foot and said, "and standing in the shadows."

He laughed as they landed in opposite directions of the ring. However, he still stood in the shadow.

Fe felt the blood trickle in his jaw as she came back at him with quite a few more punches.

He slowly fought back. he noticed she was trained for combat.

He assumed by the way she fought, she wasn't just fighting to let steam out. she was there to train, or to maintain.

He noticed the way her legs hit his torso that they were not just muscular but built for one on one combat.

When her arms hit his chest, they were used to holding weapons, they were meant to kill, meant to hurt.

but then, she realized that when he maneuvered between his moves that he was trained as something other than for self-protection.

more like self preservation.

his body was trained to defy gravity, to slice, to torture in the most unexpected way. he fought almost as if a string were being attached from his head, though he was the one pulling it.

In the midst of slashing against one another, he pinned her down. He listened for her heartbeat but it was overcome by loud her breathing was. . 

"You okay?" he asked. He slipped his hand around her waist, wrapped his arm around her troat, and pulled herself close to him.

"Never better," she said as she wrapped her hands around his head and slammed him down to the opposite side of the ring.

By the time his senses picked up her location, she was already on top of his torso, laying all her body weight on him, along with both of her hands pressed against his throat.

she visibly saw him lose air, concentration, sense.

She nodded his jaw tense, the sweat trip from his temples.

his forearms, now tense and fixated on her next move but, she let go, legs between each side of his shoulder, she stood up, and put her hand in front of him, "game?"

his body relaxed, his eyes now focused, his breath suddenly now on tempo.

He grabbed her hand but then kick her feet to which she was now on the ground and he was in the same position he was.

With a smirk and a buzz fro her heartbeat, he replied; "game." 

It was in that moment where Mercedes realized that the guy whom she fought was daredevil. 

[renee-writer]

What If It Were Brian Chapter 28

AO3

When he comes to himself, he lays in the front entrance of his house. His head is ringing and he feels queasy as he sits up. What happened?

 

He tries to piece it together as he fights the nausea off. Something to do with Claire. Oh right! She left. Had the gall to leave taken his son with her! He retrieved a lawyer to get Brian, every time he thinks of the bastard ‘s name, he feels a dull rage. First thing he is doing is getting his name changed. He will be Frank Jr, no matter what his bitch of a mother says.

 

He shakes his head and immediately regrets it as a wave of nausea raises up. He drops his head between his legs and tries to recall what occurred immediately before him coming to. What put him out? Had he stumbled, hitting his head? He is drinking to much, something he will work on after getting his rightful heir back.

 

Fallen? No. He remembers seeing that man, that nasty boy, in his yard. Others as well, people he doesn’t know. One, a mere boy, says something, approaches him, and then nothing. Had he hit him?

 

He feels his head wincing at feeling a sore spot, right over his eye. He makes himself raise and heads to the loo. There he looks in the mirror.

 

“Bloody hell, he did hit me! I shall file charges. However he is, he knows Claire. She will tell me who he is. I will make her. File charges on her and that boy who brought her too. He had no right to be in my yard. I will see that he never is again. They will pay for this!”

 

A knock on the Abernathy ‘s door. “Can I help you officer?” He forces himself not to grin at Frank, standing behind him, looking horrible, his left eye bruised and swollen. Fergus did God’s work there.

 

“Yes, this gentleman claims that you are harboring his wife and child. Also that you entered his property and someone with you, a young man with dark curls, Caucasian, preceded to punch him.”

 

Joe does a great job looking startled. “Claire and her son were here for awhile but they aren’t now. The day I entered his property, as he put it, I was returning them home. No one punched him. It was just, Claire, her son, and myself. I dropped them off and came home. You are welcome, officer, to search my house but, I don’t want Mr. Randall inside. The last time we were in a house together, he hit my wife.”

 

The police officer turns and looks at him. “She was taking my son away. I tried to prevent her.”

 

“Stay here. I will search.” He directs him.

 

After looking all through the house and meeting Gail, who still sports a black eye from Frank, he has more then enough of Frank.

 

“No one but the Abernathy’s are present. There is no sign of anyone else at the house.”

 

“He has her somewhere. He wasn’t just dropping her off.” Frank insists.

 

“If they remain missing after forty eight hours, come in and make a report.”

 

“That is all you are going to do!” he shrieks.

 

“As Mrs. Abernathy doesn’t wish to file a report on you for assault, yes.” He dryly says

 

“On me! What about my face?”

 

“As you still reek of booze, I would say it is an accident that caused it. Go home Mr. Randall. Sleep it off.”

 

He is furious. There is nothing more he can do. He waits the required time and files a report. An investigation is done. The police openly suspect him. Dr. Abernathy is a well respected member of society and his word is believed.

 

At the time that Claire and company are entering the ship to sale to America, there is still an open investigation on Frank. The officer who first spoke to him, can’t get Gail’s bruised face out of his mind.

[kudosmyhero]

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #2

Read Date: October 31, 2022 Cover Date: November 1993 ● Writer: Frank Miller ● Penciler: John Romita, Jr. ● Inker: Al Williamson ● Colorist: Christie Scheele ● Letterer: Joe Rosen ● Editors: Ralph Macchio ◦ Pat Garrahy ●

Synopsis: Matt must identify the body of his father. He is able to get the scents of the killers. McHale and Gillian are drunk walking the streets. Matt taunts them and lures them into a dark alley. An hour later a cop is standing over their beaten and bloody bodies. One of them mumbles to the cop that they were attacked by Jack Murdock, but that they had killed him.

Next, Marcello and Slade are at the gym. Slade is training, hitting the heavy bag. The lights go out and Slade tries to find Marcello. He trips over his body, beaten on the floor. A spotlight shines down in the middle of the boxing ring and Matt Murdock is standing there with a mask on. He tosses his bat aside and Slade steps into the ring. Slade towers over him, but Matt takes out his knee and, with a roll of pennies in his hand, punches him in the face continuously. Slade is out. The door opens and Fixer sees what is happening. He makes a run for it, telling his driver Angelo to get them out of there. Matt follows the car from the rooftops.

Matt jumps on top of the car, and the car crashes. Fixer jumps out and runs into the subway. Matt follows him. Fixer has his gun out and pointed at Matt, but Matt just keeps walking towards him. Matt can hear the Fixer’s heart. It’s pounding and fluttering, and then it stops. Fixer is dead and Angelo is the only one left.

Matt tracks Angelo to a brothel. Matt jumps through the window and onto Angelo. Matt is attacked by a number of the women there. Matt thrashes trying to get free and one of the women goes flying out of the window to her death. Matt runs of horrified at what he had just done. He runs back to the gym yelling for Stick, but Stick isn’t there. Stick is a few blocks away talking with Stone. He tells Stone that after the nights events Matt has failed and is of no use to them.

One year later Matt is attending Columbia University. He is consoling his roommate and friend Franklin “Foggy” Nelson, who has been picked on by another student named Brad. The next night Brad is found naked and tied up on the tennis courts with a warning to leave Foggy alone. The next morning Brad apologizes to Foggy for the way he had been acting. A girl named Cathy hits on Matt, but he will have nothing of it and walks off to class.

Later that night, after Foggy has fallen asleep, Matt gets dressed and takes to the rooftops. He is running wild up there, dancing with the night. Suddenly he catches a scent of a woman up there with him. She takes off and he chases. He follows her through the park. She has left articles of clothing as a trail. The cops arrive and detain him. He remembers the woman who fell to her death and decides to follow the rules and not run. They see no girl and realize that he is blind. Elektra is getting dress, watching on and smiling. The cops tell him it was dumb of him to be walking through the park at that time of night alone.

The next day Matt is walking with Foggy. Elektra pulls up in her car and without a word from either her or Matt, he jumps into the car leaving Foggy behind, who is upset that she almost ran them over. She’s driving like a maniac and Matt likes it. It makes him feel alive. She stops and they get out. They are standing at the edge of a cliff. She tells Matt that they are two of a kind, different from everyone else. They live on the brink, drawn to the edge, and sometimes over. She leans back over the cliff and Matt is again reminded of the woman who he knocked to her death.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daredevil:_The_Man_Without_Fear_Vol_1_2)

Fan Art: Elektra by uncannyknack

Accompanying Podcast: ● Dave's Daredevil Podcast - episode 11

[writingreadingdaydreaming]

oooh how does jamie find out?? he find the well hidden birth certificate somewhere?? i’m assuming the secret comes out while they’re adults so frank sr and harry can’t really throw around their authority and try to quiet him down. or does jamie go straight to frank jr about it???

God now I kinda wanna write the actual fic 👉👈

And in terms of how he finds out - yes, it is because he finds his birth certificate. He only finds out after he’s retired while searching for some documents for some kind of form or something idk.

It’s not like Jamie didn’t know he was adopted. He knew he was an adopted baby, but Harry and Sandra had never said a word about his biological parents, let alone that his auntie Frank was actually his mother, and that he actually was biologically related to his dad the whole time. Of course they don’t, because that would unravel the family - Sandra doesn’t even know that Harry is the biological father. She has her suspicions and a concerning amount of evidence but nothing concrete enough to come out and say it.

When he finds out, Jamie basically shuts down emotionally. He completely cuts off Harry and Sandra and the rest of his family (except his older brother Mark) for a good few weeks because he doesn’t know how to process the fact that he’s been lied to his whole life. You also have to consider that at this point Jamie has his own family and is a mother himself; he’s actually 29 weeks pregnant with his fourth child when this all first comes out. He has three daughters and a husband (Freddie Flintoff) who he can’t just stop the world for. It takes him a very long times to process, and Jamie doesn’t speak to his mom until his newborn son is almost a month old. They end up having a long talk where Jamie basically comes to the conclusion that he doesn’t blame Sandra because she was doing her best. She loved her husband and she still raised Jamie as her own even with the betrayal of her husband cheating on her with her sister’s wife.

It takes a lot longer for Jamie to come round to seeing Harry again. It’s not until Jamie’s son is about ten months old that they talk again. And it’s not that Jamie forgives Harry for what he did, but he can’t say that all the love he feels for Harry as his dad just melted away, because it didn’t. And sometimes it’s easier to swallow the ugly feeling and run back into someone’s arms in the hopes that the new memories you make will be so sweet that the old ones don’t taint them.

As for Frank, it’s a bit more complicated. Jamie is very close with his parents, while Frank already has a strained relationship with Snr (Patricia would have passed away by this point). So it’s less of a punch to the gut like it is for Jamie and more just like a dropping feeling of his already low expectations plummeting even further. Kind of like that feeling when you don’t like someone from the get go and you don’t know why, and then they do something atrocious and you have a reason to hate them.

I don’t think Jamie and Frank’s relationship would suffer much though. It would be a little awkward for a while but only because of the identity crisis that comes with finding out that someone you thought was your cousin your whole life is actually your biological half-brother.

[rhytmrocket]

hey hey hey all! happy halloween and happy birthday to me, aaand happy last day of punchtober!! i decided to dump the prompts i’ve done today instead of tomorrow like i usually do because 1, i have rehearsal tomorrow and im gonna be so so tired after, and 2, i thought it’d be better to do it day of bc of the holiday and my birthday, so it’s cool

here are the rest of the prompts, then!

19, hoy quarlow

i'll start with some of the ones i've missed. hoy! uh, i don't think too much of this guy, he's kinda just scrangly grampa idk

20, childhood

this is kinda just a doodle i pulled out of my ass. i think if heike and dragon and narcis were friends when they were kids they'd play like this.

25, kabuki

kabuki i also don't think about very much. but, i know well what it's like to like a character that at most 2 other people feel the same way about, so i shall feed the kabuki fan (and the hoy fan) that i am still certain exists

now for this week!

28, knock out (and also 18, vulnerability but i didn't wanna start with this one so)

so this one's a bit different. i wrote something! in french, so that my poor writing skills can just be chocked up to not knowing french too well! translations will be in parentheses

[gabby has just beat joe in a boxing match. joe lies on the mat, ko'd] joe: « bon travaille! tu me battes! » (good job! you beat me!) gabby: « t’es bien? » (you ok?) joe: « ouais, mais un peu blessé. » (yeah, but a bit injured.) [gabby helps joe get up] gabby: « je n’ai jamais gagné un match auparavant.. » (i've never won a match before..) joe: « maintenant, tu as! » (now, you have!) gabby: « t’as gagné des matchs auparavant, oui?— » (you've won matches before, right?) joe: « euh.. » gabby: « vraiment?! tu n’as jamais gagné?! » (really?! you've never won!?) joe: « non, pas un match vrai. vous élèves, je vous battes car je suis votre coach, mais dans le wvba… » (no, not a real match. you students, i beat you because i'm your coach, but in the wvba...) gabby: « tu n’as jamais gagné. » (you've never won.) joe: « encore! je n’ai pas encore gagné! je crois que je peux gagner! …éventuellement… » (yet! i haven't won yet! i believe that i can win! ... eventually...)

yeah, uh, sorry if the french isn't that great. still learning, yk

29, alice and ape iii (and technically 31, halloween but i have another one for 31)

theyre silly :3 they'd dress up as eachother i believe

30, frank jr

crying i didn't have much of an idea for him. but i do think it is a rare moment when he has a thought

and finally*, 31, halloween!

decided to go back to my roots and draw mahou again! and clown, cuz hes my silly :333 so, i drew them, my two blorbos, dressing up as each other because ermm its my birthday and i can do what i want

so that's it, right?

*oh, this asterisk. the only prompt i haven't done yet is 14, paparazzi. and that's because i want to do an edit for it. but, i haven't had the freetime and motivation this month to make it happen. so, that will come at a later date. can't guarantee when or how soon, but i swear that it'll be a thing. éventuellement.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Kick-Ass (2010)

Kick-Ass is foul-mouthed and violent. Some might call its dark sense of humor in bad taste but it's deliberately shocking. Surprising and funny, it sets to tell a more realistic superhero story… until the end when its objective falls completely out of sight. Since its release, the film’s impact and novelty have diminished considerably but it’s worth at least one viewing.

Ordinary teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) decides to become a real-life superhero, calling himself “Kick-Ass”. Not particularly skilled at crime-fighting, he nonetheless becomes a viral sensation after one of his more successful heroic attempts is caught on camera. Soon after, he meets eleven-year-old Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her father, Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage). Unlike him, the duo are well-equipped vigilantes with advanced weaponry and proficient hand-to-hand combat skills. Unfortunately for Kick-Ass, crime boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong) and his son Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) think the teen is responsible for all the trouble Hit Girl and Big Daddy have caused their criminal organization.

Based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., the film differs from it in significant ways. Most obviously, the characters in this film are likable and the ending diverges wildly - we’ll get to it in a moment. In some ways, it’s a big improvement. I sensed a deep self-loathing from the book that's all but absent in this adaptation. Even so, certain problematic or unbelievable elements remain. It’s pretty obvious that an eleven-year-old who goes around cursing and slicing off limbs at the behest of her vengeful ex-police officer of a father is funny to a certain extent but once the dust settles, it’s not heroic. Then, there’s the “chick-flick” element. Dave has more than one secret identity; he pretends to be gay to get close to his longtime crush, Katie Deauxma (Lyndsy Fonseca). That story's conclusion marks a turning point. At first, we’re introduced to a story that feels grounded in reality. The film opens with a man suffering from mental illness donning a costume and jumping off a building - to his death. When Kick-Ass hits the streets for the first time, he is beaten up, stabbed, hit by a car and sent to the hospital - not exactly a glamorous beginning. We’re told that trying to be a superhero is sure to get you killed because bad guys are not like those in the comics; they’re not going to pull their punches so readers can make it to the next issue. By the time we get to the end, all semblance of real life has disappeared, which in one way is fun because you know, it’s a movie. You want an escape from real life. In another way, it feels like a major cheat. I’m reminded of Super which did everything Kick-Ass did but even darker and more deranged. I think it’s the better film.

Despite the mixed final act, there’s a lot to enjoy in Kick-Ass. A lot of it is so shocking you can’t help but laugh. Director Matthew Vaugh, who co-writes the screenplay with Jane Goldman, makes Dave into a delightfully foul loser who is also endearing. Out loud, you cheer for him. Secretly, you also get a kick out of seeing him get beaten up and overwhelmed by this world he's jumped into. As the pre-teen vigilante, Chloë Grace Moretz will have you picking your jaw off of the floor and as her father, Nicholas Cage is terrific. There’s a lot of humanity behind his bizarre obsession with revenge and the scene where he truly, finally opens up to his daughter might be the picture’s best moment.

The action scenes are well-choreographed and satisfying - even the ones that just have Dave getting punched and beaten over and over. I criticize the ending for pulling us into a realm of pure fantasy but I must also admit that seeing all of these bad guys - who are a lot of fun to hate - get slaughtered is deeply satisfying. There is something relatable in Dave, who obviously makes a pretty lousy superhero - even his costume is lame - but decides to go for it anyway.

Since its release in 2010, we’ve gotten so many more superhero films that the satire in Kick-Ass… feels a little off. Deadpool has given us fouler, more R-rated action, we've seen dozens of “no budget” superhero films, Avengers Endgame killed Iron Man (among others) and The Batman showed us a Bruce Wayne who was full of uncertainty get his own ass kicked. Kick-Ass is less funny and less edgy than it was back then but its cult following is well-earned. Who knows? This might just be exactly the bit of vinegar your palette has been waiting for after all those candy-colored, CGI-heavy superheroics that regularly arrive on the big screen. (August 17, 2022)

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

The Other Evans Girl [Part Forty Seven]

Fandom: Harry Potter [Marauder’s Era]

Pairing: Sirius Black x Original Female Character, Sirius Black x Daisy Evans, James Potter x Lily Evans

Characters: Sirius Black, Original Female Character, Daisy Evans, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Harry Potter, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Alice Fortescue, Frank Longbottom, Marlene McKinnon, Albus Dumbledore, Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix LeStrange, Walburga Black, Orion Black, Jasper Thicknesse, Barty Crouch Jr, Mulciber, Walden McNair

Word Count: 7335

Rating: Mature

Summary: Hogwarts is a safe haven, a home for many, but it’s often a place where heartache, love and complex emotions dwell and none know that better than the Marauders. Lily Evans just wants to make it out as a successful witch though the oncoming war and the ongoing advances of James Potter threaten that. Daisy Evans, her twin, has other goals. Join the Evans sisters as they make their way through Hogwarts, prepare for war and eventually find love.

Tags/ Warnings: Hogwarts, Friends, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Marauder’s Era, Teenage Angst, Babies, Weddings, Dating, Crying, Loss of Virginity, First Wizarding War, Love, Kissing, Teenagers, James Potter is a bit of a dick, Hogsmeade, 1970s, Fighting, Loss of Parents, Grief, Babies, Injuries, Gore, Harm, Christmas,  The Potter’s Mansion // Daisy’s Dress // NYE Lily’s Dress // NYE Daisy’s Dress // Lily’s Ring // Daisy’s Ring // Sirius' Watch

Notes: Getting close to the end now but I will be doing some one off with what happens up to the end of the second war

LINK TO AO3 // LINK TO PINTEREST // LINK TO ALL PARTS

‘No, absolutely not. Not a chance,’ Lily said, barely looking up as she skimmed through the Daily Prophet, absorbing the angst and anguish of the day. Daisy sighed.

Since they had arrived back at school everything had felt rather dejected and bleak. The last of the summer sun had disappeared the first week in September, replaced by bitter winds and nipping cold, and the atmosphere in the castle wasn’t much better. After the initial thrill of being back in the castle a subdued atmosphere seemed to encompass all students. It could’ve been the onslaught of work that had gotten them down though it was more likely the continued reporting of horrible incidents that the Daily Prophet had finally caved to publishing after unending criticism from its readers. Every day felt like a new tragedy, a punch to the gut to go with your tea and toast. Sirius was particularly bad for monitoring it, as if he could read between the lines of what was published to find the truth. He scoured every page for a hint of Regulus or his family’s names becoming more morose as he found nothing. It was why he was so insistent on rebuilding the club. Daisy had been apprehensive when he’d mentioned it but he had assured her it would only be people they could fully trust. Though she could see it could be just them two and he’d be up for it. If only to feel like he was doing something. And so she’d agreed as had the others when they’d broached the subject at dinner, that was until Lily swung the hammer knocking it all to the ground.

‘Oh come on Lil!’ Daisy begged, seeing Sirius’ face fall as he stabbed his fork moodily into his steak pie. James dropped his gaze as did the others who’d started to agree the minute Sirius floated the idea at the dinner table. ‘No,’ Lily repeated firmly, ‘McGonagall said no so it’s a no.’ ‘Dumbledore said yes,’ Sirius reasoned, his jaw set as he challenged the redhead. ‘He insinuated,’ Lily corrected. ‘You can get away with a lot on insinuation,’ James reasoned, receiving a glare from Lily though to everyone’s surprise he didn’t back down and agree with her. Instead he sighed and looked at Sirius, a reassuring expression on his face as she said, ‘okay what did he actually say, verbatim?’ ‘That panicking people and preparing yourself is not the same thing,’ Sirius explained. ‘See!’ Lily said. ‘He didn’t say we shouldn’t be preparing ourselves,’ Sirius said hotly. ‘Yeah just that we shouldn’t be as careless,’ Daisy agreed. ‘You’re looking for excuses where there are none!’ Lily snapped. ‘And you’re missing the point,’ Sirius replied just as curtly, causing an uneasy tension from the group. James swallowed thickly, staring between the pair of them though their gaze never broke. As Daisy caught his eye he pleaded with her to intervene but she offered a minute shrug in response because she wasn’t on the fence about this one. Sirius was right. She may have been content to live in her bubble of ignorance over summer but dawdling through this year wasn’t going to help anyone.

‘I just don’t want anyone to get hurt,’ Lily said after a moment, glancing at her sister in a way that made Daisy’s stomach swirl with nerves. She hadn’t thought about that. Sure they’d been through the attack but they’d been shrouded in bliss for the last couple of months which made it all the easier to ignore the real world. It made it easier for Lily to push what had happened down inside her and carry on as normal instead of throwing herself into whatever emotions she was having like Daisy would. Emotions that seemed to engulf her as Sirius said, ‘you think I do?’ ‘She didn’t say that,’ James said quietly. ‘No but what else would a Black want right,’ Sirius said through gritted teeth. ‘Mate,’ Remus said sympathetically though the argument didn’t break. ‘It’s just not going to be someone like you caught in the crossfire is it,’ Lily said, standing firm in her sentiments. ‘Lil!’ Daisy hissed but it was no use because Sirius had already stood up and climbed over the back of the bench and was storming out of the great hall. Even James seemed to be in a huff about her views, looking away from her as he started angrily eating his dinner.

Lily said nothing, taking a sip of her drink and ignoring the looks she was getting of which Daisy’s was particularly disdainful. Lily merely said, ‘you can look at me all you want but my answer isn’t going to change.’ ‘Fine,’ Daisy said, standing up herself, ‘Dumbledore might not have said carry on protecting ourselves but he also didn’t say anything about pushing away the only wizards who are on our fucking side.’

And without another word Daisy strutted from the great hall, hoping she could find Sirius in less of a state she was feeling.

✵✵✵

Whilst the temperatures of the Scottish highlands dipped for everyone in the castle they were significantly lower for those in Gryffindor House as the rift between Lily and her friends didn’t patch up even as October descended. Sirius and Lily did not speak and though James and Daisy were slightly more lenient there was an obvious tension between everyone at every interaction.

The thing was Daisy understood how oblivious purebloods could be. She knew that once upon a time James and Sirius hadn’t even fathomed them suffering or being treated any differently because in their eyes muggleborns were as equal to them as anyone else. They wanted to help everyone and they were scared on their behalf, knowing that their pureblood status wouldn’t always shield their loved ones when it came down to it. That was why they wanted to know they could defend themselves. So, against her sister's wishes Daisy and Sirius had taken to practicing defensive spells and counter curses solo.

It was a nice break from revising and homework, not to mention just being the two of them meant they could escape the thick, tense air of the common room or library. Yet it made Daisy nervous, not that they would be caught but that should something happen, something bad, Daisy would be able to handle herself when her sister couldn’t. That thought made her shudder and so just like her sister she decided to avoid thinking about it instead of keeping it at the forefront of her mind.

Not that that was hard after all it wasn’t as though she didn’t have a ream of people she could worry about, Sirius being always at the top of the list. He had pretended that he didn’t care about Lily’s views. He had said he’d understood after all it was her that had gotten hurt in the attack thanks to their laxity but he didn’t agree with doing nothing. And even though he continued to shrug it off she could tell it was bothering him. Just as reading the paper did. Too moral to participate in whatever it was his family was up to, too pureblood to be seen as someone fighting for the right cause. It was as if he slipped through the cracks and Daisy was struggling to keep him from doing so.

Especially as she came down for breakfast the morning before his birthday and found him reading the prophet, as always, with a look that didn’t inspire confidence in her. She took her usual seat beside him, one that was now distanced from where James and Lily were sitting with Remus and Marlene as their buffer and squeezed his thigh as normal before she poured herself a cup of tea. He didn’t respond, too engrossed in the article.

‘What is it?’ she asked, glancing at the page though it was hard to distinguish what article from the bunch he was reading. Sirius pushed the paper towards her and pointed to the large section at the bottom, the headline scathing above it.

WELSH GIRL DEAD AFTER BRUTAL WEREWOLF ATTACK.

Daisy’s eyes dropped to the bit of text below it, trying to ignore the bile in her throat at the picture between the title and text as the face of the sweet girl, who could be no older than ten, beamed up at her.

Once again the ministry has reported a spate of werewolf attacks after the last full moon, one of which has led to the death of a young muggle girl. Though the ministry has yet to declare a list of those attacked it is believed that the current total stands at five victims, with four being maimed but not killed. Of course it is no surprise that these attacks have occurred given the growing tensions between werewolves and the wizarding community as laws and restrictions regarding the control of the population remain lax. One spokesperson for the ministry, who wishes to remain anonymous, said, ‘they have no control. The register is barely kept up to date and those who are on it are not well tracked. No one is safe at a full moon anymore.’

Daisy glanced at Remus who was watching her glumly, evidently already aware of the bile that they’d been pumping into the minds of the nation before they’d even had their porridge. It felt horrible because even if an anti muggleborn rhetoric was shared amongst the other side it was never put in print like this. She thought of Remus, kind, sweet, clever Remus who went through an atrocious ordeal every month being likened to these monsters. She understood that there were bad werewolves, there were bad wizards after all, but to slander all of them like this felt egregious. Especially when she thought of their future which was so close to starting. Would he be left on the starting block, his condition blacklisting him from the life they all deserved?

However Sirius wasn’t finished, he hadn’t even been pointing to the section she’d read rather the one further down which she looked back down to finish. It was a smaller piece, tucked right in the corner but the content was just as, if not more, worrisome.

INFLUX OF VAMPIRES FROM FRANCE

Following a raid on a nest in Norfolk the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures have arrested several vampires over concerns for maintaining the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. The recently relocated nest appeared in the county within the last month creating havoc with the locals of King’s Lynn as several young girls were taken from their homes before being returned with clear evidence of being fed upon. It is believed the group has recently immigrated from France, where Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans are less restrictive and therefore could be the source of the confusion amongst parties involved. It is not yet known whether the vampires in question will be allowed to stay in the country or be deported back to their homeland.

Daisy read and reread it trying to figure out how Sirius could think a nest of rogue vampires was worse than the vitriol about his own friend but as her face fell in confusion he picked the paper up and pointed to the crucial part of info she’d evidently missed.

‘Immigrated from France’

‘You don’t think?’ she said as the thought slotted into place like a jigsaw. Sirius shrugged though she could see the thoughts he had whirring behind his eyes, ‘maybe it’s just a coincidence.’ ‘Dumbledore said France,’ Sirius said, pulling the paper from her hands and folding it until it dropped onto the table with a slap. ‘But why vampires?’ Daisy asked, unable to catch the thread of the yarn his mind was spinning, ‘they’re shunned by wizards aren’t they?’ ‘Even lower on the totem pole than werewolves and muggleborns,’ Remus said from beside them, evidently listening in on their conversation, not that she minded all that much. ‘Exactly they don’t care about half breeds,’ Daisy said, wincing at the word as she looked at Remus’ face, ‘if they don’t see muggleborns as worthy vampires and werewolves won’t be, will they?’ ‘No, but anti-government is anti-government,’ Sirius said, looking between the two of them. ‘Sirius is right. They’d be easy to manipulate given the way the ministry treats them it’s no surprise whatever Voldemort could promise them might be enticing. And even if he doesn’t care about them, they’re still powerful creatures,’ Remus said, chuckling as their faces went worried, ‘don’t worry I’m not going to run off and join them but I can understand why they’d make a move like that.’ ‘Well even if that’s what they’re up to they’re not going to put a bloody sixteen-year-old on a task like that are they,’ Daisy said, hoping she was right. ‘But they’d trust my father with it. He has connections in France through the Lestranges, wouldn’t surprise me if he knows some vampires himself and if Regulus needed to prove himself after last term it wouldn’t be a far stretch,’ Sirius said grimly. With a sigh he grabbed his bag from the floor and said, ‘look I’m gonna go for a walk before lessons.’ ‘Want me to come with?’ Daisy asked though she’d not managed to eat anything yet. ‘Nah, I’ll be fine,’ he said, not even bothering to try and convey to her that it was the truth though he did lean in and press a kiss to her temple, ‘see you later yeah?’ ‘Yeah,’ Daisy said, watching him sadly as he got up and left the hall leaving a gap between her and Remus. ‘He���ll be alright,’ Remus said. Daisy frowned, ‘it’s just hard to be tarred with the same brush even though you’re on the right side.’ ‘Yeah,’ Daisy muttered sadly.

As she turned back to her meal she caught Lily watching them though she turned her gaze straight back to her breakfast, a pink tinge on her cheeks. Daisy scowled and turned away. She loved her sister and she understood her to an extent but fighting between one another was getting them nowhere. If Voldemort could get his act together and use interspecies alliances to wreak havoc then eight seventh years should be able to do the same.

Just as Daisy predicted Sirius didn’t take the news from the morning well. He didn’t treat her any differently but he was quieter and more reserved all throughout their lessons which made them drag and by the end of the day she was almost bored to tears. Well she would’ve been if she hadn’t spent her herbology lesson, one of her subjects without Sirius in her class, thinking about ways to cheer him up.

The first would be to get at least some normalcy back in his life. And if they couldn't stop the war from raging on maybe making his day less tense would help. One way to do that would be to get him and her sister back on talking terms but given the way Lily remained quiet all the way through their lesson, offering little more than polite requests for Daisy to pass something or move out of her way when needed, she doubted that was on the cards any time soon. She supposed she could talk to James, see if the was any way he could talk her round but when she had broached the subject during their walk between charms and muggle studies he had told her that he and Lily had opted not to discuss it, given he was on Sirius’ side, so she didn’t see that as happening either. The only other thing she could think of was doing something for his birthday. She’d already got him a present of course but celebrating the good things when everything seemed so drab felt right.

Which is why the moment he opened his eyes on his eighteenth birthday he found her sitting at the end of his bed, already fully dressed for school beaming at him as he stirred. She was the only one there, the others no doubt sent away by her so that they could have a moment alone which at that moment was the best present he could ask for even if he didn’t feel like celebrating all that much.

‘Happy Birthday,’ she smiled, rolling her eyes as he grumbled and flopped his head back, putting his arm across his eyes to block out the low winter sun, ‘oh no you don’t.’ ‘Dais,’ he mumbled as she grabbed onto his arm and tugged, pulling him until he was sitting up. ‘I’ve got a present for you,’ she said, placing a small box in front of him. It was a simple brown thing, wrapped in a pretty red bow. Sirius eyed it curiously before he picked it up and pulled the ties until they fell to the bed allowing him to slide the lid off. Nestled in a cushion of red velvet was a key with a keyring attached, a small picture of her and him they’d gotten the day they’d gone to muggle London looking back at him behind the plastic.

‘What’s this, the key to your heart?’ Sirius ribbed, earning himself a shove. ‘It’s a key to the flat,’ she said, ‘I robbed it out of your room and had a copy made so we both have one.’ ‘It’s nice,’ Sirius said, running his thumb along the picture of them, Daisy’s face radiantly looking at the lens whilst he was buried in the side of her face, kissing just below her ear. It had made her squeal in surprise hence the beaming smile. ‘I just thought that with you coming of age you'd want something sensible,’ she said. ‘Mmm,’ he said, smiling before he leaned in and kissed her. ‘And I figured I could give you your other present later,’ she said. ‘Other present?’ he asked suggestively. ‘Yeah, at your party,’ she said, watching as his face fell. ‘What party?’ he grumbled. ‘Well it’s your eighteenth we should celebrate,’ she said simply. ‘I don’t need a party,’ Sirius said. He didn’t, if he was being honest with himself the only thing he wanted to do was climb back under the covers with her and not come out. He didn’t want to think of wars and arguments with friends and family members scattered across the globe doing god knows what. He wanted to think of her, their record player and perhaps a slice of cake if they could be bothered going to the kitchens.

‘Since when?’ Daisy challenged. ‘Since there is a war on?’ Sirius challenged making her purse her lips angrily in a way that made her resemble Lily. ‘There was a war on for my last birthday and we still had a party,’ she retaliated. ‘Because James was insistent,’ Sirius countered, ‘besides that’s a celebration for two not one.’ ‘And what if James insists now? What if I do?’ she asked. ‘Dais it just doesn’t feel right,’ he admitted, ‘hardly like everything’s easy breezy.’ ‘True, but we’re still friends. And besides your birthdays the first one, it sets the tone for the whole year and to be honest I’m kind of fed up of being so bloody miserable all the time I don’t know about you,’ she admitted, allowing him to take her hand reassuringly, ‘and it’s not like we've not got a million other birthdays that can be dour and depressing. Might as well make your first adult one a good one.’ ‘Where would we even have it?’ Sirius asked, making Daisy break into a grin as her attempts to crack him finally started to work even if he was pretending to be at a loss as if a problem of mere location would be the issue here. ‘Don’t you worry about it,’ she said, leaning to give him a kiss on the forehead before she scrambled off the bed and smoothed out her uniform, ‘now c'mon. Can’t have McGonagall giving you detention for being late can we.’

All in all his birthday was a nice one. After being woken up they made their way down to breakfast where his friends wished him many happy returns and others did the same, not failing to mention how excited they were for his party later on tonight. Word had apparently gotten out. He even managed to get through breakfast without one ounce of bad feeling though he did notice that Daisy had taken his copy of the prophet and shoved it in Marlene's bag so that he couldn’t gorge on the horrors of the day. Even Lily consented to saying a curt happy birthday though she stayed out of most of the conversation.

And he had to admit when it came to cheering him up Daisy knew what she was doing. With the attic still out of bounds, she’d informed him they’d checked, her and James had managed to find the room of requirement again except where it had been a cavern of treasures and trinkets the last time they'd been in it was now a party house decked out in everything you would need for a shindig. There was a table full of food and drinks, comfortable seating in one half of the room but enough space that they could dance if they wanted to. A record player was in the corner throwing out tune after tune, all tailored to his taste which he was sure Daisy was behind. And it wasn’t even just his friends who got to celebrate. Most of the year was there with a few stragglers from the lower classes which he wasn't surprised about given that marauders parties were something to behold and most students needed a reason to be happy these days, locking onto the party like a life raft in a sea of glum. Sirius didn’t mind. He understood the need to get your mind off something even if it did mean he was bombarded for a good portion of the night by attendees who felt the need to tell him they hadn't got him a present due to the short notice.

He told them all not to worry about it and he meant it because the presents he did get were sublime. Remus and Pete had gotten him a raft of books about mechanics following a conversation they’d had in the summer about his uncle’s motorbike. He’d skimmed through it and the parts he’d read were thrilling, especially when he had realised it was about magical machinery which would enable him to not only get his uncle’s motorbike back up and running but maybe improve upon it. Marlene and Alice had gotten him some new records of which he sampled throughout the night, alternating between new and old. Daisy had gotten him a new camera which was muggle much to his happiness, something about the still pictures soothing to his soul. But his favourite gift, tied with the simplicity of his and Daisy’s matching keys, was the watch that James and his parents had gotten him. It was a silver thing with dark grey etchings all around the face and strap that gave it an ornate design and his initials were inscribed in the back. It wasn’t overly fancy, though he knew it would have cost a lot, but the Potters were more refined when it came to wealth which wasn’t always in his vocabulary, his flare for the out there and gaudy definitely inherited from the noble house of black. And yet the mere act of getting him a watch in the first place made him feel more at home than any ostentatious gift could. It was a simple thing and yet it meant so much to him to be included in a tradition even if it wasn’t his real family who had included him.

All in all the party was a success though anyone could’ve figured that out as the night ended with the marauders and the girls sleeping in the room of requirement with the idea of tidying up quickly abandoned as they were all far too sozzled. It wasn’t ideal, with people squished onto whatever comfortable surface they could find but nestled into an armchair with Daisy beside him after a bloody good party Sirius found he was happy not to have missed out.

✵✵✵

When Sirius awoke he could barely see. Though the lamps continued to burn on low they were no match for the bleary winters morning which threw the entire room into darkness. He shifted, rubbing his eyes as he grappled with what time it could be. The sun wasn’t up yet but given it was late into the year that was to be expected and it could be well into the morning by now. Given the way everyone around him was still snoozing though he thought not. If anything he was tired enough to head right back to the land of nod himself but then he felt a pressure in his bladder, one that only comes after downing at least fifteen pints, and found himself not able to. Fortunately Daisy had rolled away from him, her face buried into the seam where the cushion meets the chair arm, so he didn’t have to disturb her too much to get himself free. It wasn’t easy to navigate through the floor which was littered with empty cans, bottles and party detritus but eventually he made it to the door and was able to slip out. It was brighter out here, the castle slowly waking up as he trudged through the corridors in search of a bathroom, yet there was no one around, unless he counted the portraits who were looking at him with staunch disapproval for his bedraggled hungover state.

Given he was worse for wear it wasn’t easy to remember where his nearest convenience was so he headed back towards Gryffindor tower, knowing there was at least one on that corridor if not one in his dormitory. However he didn’t get that far because before he could even reach the eastern side of the castle he was distracted by a noise coming from near the kitchens. He lingered by a corner, peering down the long corridor where he spotted two people standing by the large painting of the fruit bowl. Mulciber he recognised even in profile but the other student he didn’t know. She was young, no more than a first year he’d guess, and she was frantically trying to feel her way around the painting as if she was trying to get into the kitchens but didn’t know how, her panic made worse as Mulciber jabbed his wand into her back.

‘Open it!’ he grunted with a ferocity that made her shake. ‘I’m trying!’ she protested, tapping and patting the oil cloth to no avail. ‘Come on!’ he said, muttering something that made static fly from his wand that made her squeal in pain as it connected with the material of her jumper. ‘I’m sorry,’ she cried as another shock ran through her, making her knee give way which didn’t help matters as Mulciber shoved her face first into the photo frame.

‘Oi!’ Sirius shouted, unable to watch any longer. As he emerged from the shadows Mulciber looked up, rolling his eyes as he spotted Sirius striding towards him. The girl said nothing but shrunk back until she was flush against the wall and out of the way of Mulciber’s wand tip. ‘Go away Black,’ Mulciber sneered. ‘What are you doing?’ Sirius asked, looking between Mulciber and the girl though she didn’t seem confident to say anything which he suspected was like prey going still to avoid a predator. Mulciber didn’t pay her any attention, too focused on the distraction. ‘This is house business,’ he said firmly, looking at the girl before he grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and back toward the painting, ‘did I say stop you stupid cow?’ ‘Cursing first years is house business?’ Sirius asked. He was close to Mulciber now, enough to make the other boy nervous as evidenced by the fact he took an uncertain step away from the girl who was standing stock still, too unsure of what to do now Sirius was there. ‘It is when they can't deliver,’ Mulciber said, his eyes going wide as Sirius stood in between him and the girl, who he felt shrink behind his taller stature. Mulciber was the same height as him though and nowhere near as intimidated and so advanced forward trying to get him to move as he snapped, ‘shift.’ ‘No,’ Sirius said, squaring his shoulders and staying still as he tried to get past him. At that Mulciber faltered, his bravado notwithstanding with someone his own size. Sirius glared at him, ‘go on then. Hex me if you think you’re big enough. Or do you only do it to children?’ ‘Shove off,’ Mulciber muttered. ‘Thought so,’ Sirius said, pushing forward so that he stumbled away from them.

As he started to skulk off Sirius watched him go before turning to the girl who he could feel shaking like a leaf behind him. He offered her a smile as he did, a hand on her shoulder as he went to ask if she was okay though he didn’t get a chance as he heard Lily shout, ‘expelliarmus!’

When he looked up she was capturing Mucliber’s wand in her hand and he was looking between the pair of them angrily.

‘You silly little cow!’ Mulciber said moving towards her menacingly though she didn't flinch either and simply replied, ‘I wouldn’t bother considering you’re wandless.’ ‘Give it back,’ he snapped. ‘You can have it back from Slughorn after breakfast,’ she said firmly, ‘or would you like to go and bother him now with the matter?’

Mulciber looked at Sirius one last time, a sneer on his face that Sirius glared back at, before he stormed down the corridor, shoving Lily hard as he passed by her. She winced at the impact but kept her face as straight as possible, ensuring he'd disappeared before she headed towards the pair of them. By the time she got near them Sirius was already checking on the girl, hoping that would still his anger. He couldn’t fly off the handle, not in front of Lily or the girl, he needed to keep calm.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked the girl who was looking up at him with wide eyes that were full of tears. He was waiting for words but they didn’t come. Instead she threw her arms around his torso and buried her face in his chest. Sirius put his hands on her back and patted awkwardly, ‘c’mon now it’s alright. You’re alright.’ ‘I wasn’t trying to help him!’ she sniffled into his t-shirt. ‘We know that,’ Lily said, now by their side her hand on the girl's shoulder in a more comforting manner. Sirius used this as a way to pivot her into the care of the head girl. Daisy crying he could handle, needy first years on the other hand were another matter altogether. ‘He heard me saying I could get into the kitchens and told me if I helped him he’d leave me alone,’ she hiccupped as wet tracks formed on her reddened face. ‘Has he been bothering you?’ Lily frowned. ‘He hasn’t left me alone since the start of term,’ she sniffed, ‘was telling me my family are blood traitors.’ ‘Don’t listen to him,’ Sirius said, the anger he’d managed to shove down bubbling back up. ‘Hard not to when he’s in the same house as you,’ she grumbled. ‘You could tell Slughorn,’ Lily said, rubbing her shoulder soothingly. ‘He won’t do anything,’ the girl said. ‘You don’t know that. Lily’s right and if you want someone to come with you we will right Lil?’ Sirius said, earning a sceptical look he wholeheartedly understood. After all it wasn’t as if the teachers were great when it came to listening to their students but maybe if they spoke up on her behalf it would hold ground. When she didn’t look convinced he opted for another route, ‘okay if you don’t want to do that you don’t have to but then you need to take charge.’ ‘Sirius,’ Lily said warningly. ‘I’m not suggesting anything daft,’ Sirius said, glaring at the redhead for a split second, ‘all I'm saying is don’t let him intimidate you. He’s not some mastermind, especially without his little friends, if you show him you’re not backing down he’ll leave you alone. Show him you’re not scared. Don’t avoid him but make sure you’ve got witnesses around if needed. If he thinks he can get you on his own then he’ll carry on but if he doesn’t have a chance he’ll move on.’ ‘Do you think?’ she said gnawing on his lip nervously. ‘You’re better than he is and I’m sure you can outsmart him. After all he’s been here seven years and still hasn’t figured out where the kitchens are,’ Sirius said, smiling back at her as she laughed, ‘want us to walk you back to the dungeons?’ ‘Actually I think I’m going to go to breakfast it’s nearly time anyway,’ she sniffled, before adding nervously, ‘could you still walk me though, just in case?’ ‘Of course,’ Sirius smiled.

She seemed to perk up on the walk to the great hall so much so he could still hear her chatting away to Lily outside when he finally managed to find a lavatory for the wee he’d been postponing. By the time they got to the great hall her tears were no longer visible and she waved them both off as she skipped over her friend, one of the first stragglers that had started to emerge this early in the morning. Sirius too found his mood improving as he watched her skip away but just as soon as it had come it went, replaced by fatigue and hunger, something that he felt the need to relieve as soon as possible and so plonked himself down at the Gryffindor table with a yawn before he started loading up his plate.

He didn’t even look up from his food in the first few minutes, the growling in his stomach demanding his full attention however as Lily sat down opposite him, now one wand in hand as she’d spotted Slughorn already dining, he glanced at her. For the first time that morning the pair of them seemed to realise it was just the two of them without their partners or friends as buffers and an immediately uneasy tension settled. Sirius tried not to let it bother him, loading extra eggs and bacon onto his place as he tried to put it out of his mind. Her issues were her issues. His issue was getting his appetite satiated.

Lily however did seem preoccupied with the tense atmosphere and for the first time in over a month opted to speak to him, ‘that was brave of you. Getting in between them like that.’ ‘What was I supposed to do?’ Sirius asked as he took a bite of his toast. ‘Well you could’ve hexed him back,’ she said, more unsure than she had been when she’d started talking, ‘hurt him.’ ‘What, like a Black would?’ Sirius snapped. ‘No! That’s not what I meant,’ Lily said hurriedly, sighing as she added, ‘you know I don’t think you’re-’ ‘Like them?’ Sirius scowled. ‘Oh Sirius stop!’ she cried exasperatedly, ‘I know you’re nothing like them. That wasn’t my issue, you have to understand-’ ‘Understand what Lil?’ Sirius asked angrily. ‘That it’s not that I don’t think you’re on our side or that I don’t understand how complex good and bad is,’ she said, hesitating around the words before she said, ‘it’s just that you rush into things like Dais, like James. Only when the hammer falls and everything comes crashing down it’s not going to be someone like you or James that gets hurt is it? It’ll be Dais and I can’t lose her Sirius I can’t.’ ‘Lil,’ Sirius said thickly. He had known that her sentiments had revolved around pure blood privilege but he had seen it more as a general complex, not a direct worry about her sister. ‘I won’t lose her Sirius. And if I can delay her throwing herself into danger by a year I will,’ she said firmly. Sirius sighed. ‘Do you really think I’d risk losing her? I don’t really care what happens to me but a world without someone like her is no good,’ Sirius said, trying to ignore the lump in his throat, ‘that’s what I’m fighting for. Her. A world where she can be who she is without any need to apologise.’ ‘I get that and soon enough there’ll be no choice but to but she’s not as strong as you, she’s not as protected-’ ‘I can protect her,’ Sirius said assuredly, ‘if anything she’s the only thing that makes me stop and think. Yes I charge into things but not when it’s about her, I’d never do anything that would put her at risk.’ ‘But she is at risk regardless and privilege may feel like it extends to friends but it doesn’t. Half bloods wouldn’t be a term if it did. Over summer I could pretend it wasn’t happening and I know we need to plan for the future, I get that but now we’re back you and Dais are ready to charge back into everything.’ ‘I don’t want to fight yet,’ Sirius protested. ‘But training is fighting,’ Lily sighed. ‘No it isn’t,’ Sirius said firmly, ‘it’s preparing, like Dumbledore said. Lil I’m not asking for another club, I just want to keep my skills from going rusty. So we are prepared.’ ‘I just…’ Lily said nervously, ‘I just don’t want to make ourselves targets again, is that selfish?’ ‘No, like you said you’re already a target without doing anything wrong I get it,’ Sirius sympathetically. ‘Half the school is,’ Lily said glumly, ‘and I wish there was some way to protect them, I do. I just don’t want to draw attention to ourselves like with the club.’ ‘What if we could protect them peacefully?’ Sirius asked, an idea clicking into place. He understood Lily’s frustrations. He understood that it wasn’t fair they were treated differently. He understood the need to protect Daisy as best as she could. He understood not charging into everything and putting targets on their back. But he also understood that they couldn’t stop now, that the greater good would need them sooner rather than later and he refused to get rusty. But if they could prolong the inevitable without it feeling like the future was breathing down their neck maybe that was better.

‘What do you mean?’ Lily asked, confused. ‘I’ve got an idea.’

✵✵✵

When Daisy awoke that morning she didn’t feel great. She had a pounding in her head and a crick in her neck from the couch but after a quick check she found everything was manageable. Others had not fared so well. Whilst Marlene and Alice headed back to the dormitory to continue sleeping, Peter went back to his own room though she suspected he was more likely to spend the morning in the bathroom from the shade of green his face was. She didn’t want to go back though and neither did James or Remus, the pair of them both ravenous with hunger. Daisy didn’t feel particularly hungry but she figured it’d be a good place to start her search for Sirius and Lily, both of whom seemed to have risen before everyone else and gone off of their own volition.

Or so she had thought. What she hadn't accounted for was that when they made it to the great hall both of them would be there, chatting amicably over a cup of tea, their breakfasts long since finished with as evidenced by the crumb laden plates in front of them. James seemed just as stunned to see them talking too and rushed over to ask, ‘where have you two been?’ ‘More importantly why haven’t you killed each other,’ Daisy asked, appearing behind him. Sirius shrugged as she took her normal seat next to him. ‘We talked it out, right Lil?’ he said looking at Lily whose smile widened as both James and Daisy’s eyes went wide at the casualness of which he spoke. ‘Well we saved a first year from peril, argued heavily and then talked it out,’ Lily corrected, making the black-haired boy chuckle. ‘And?’ James asked eagerly. ‘And we came to an agreement,’ Sirius said. ‘What agreement?’ Remus said. Admittedly his interest in their reconciliation hadn't been as important as his interest in his breakfast but upon hearing of a truce he looked up. He may not have been on the eggshells his friends were around the pair of them but it would be nice to have everyone on the same side once more. ‘That we can start practicing again, just us,’ Sirius said, squeezing her thigh under the table. Daisy nodded minutely, understanding that it was probably not a good idea to bring up the fact that they already had been practicing. ‘Okay,’ James said, elongating the word to show he wasn’t sure. ‘We don’t restart the club. And we don’t seek out trouble,’ Lily explained. ‘We didn’t last time,’ Daisy reasoned. ‘We kept an eye on the Slytherins,’ Sirius reminded her, ‘we made ourselves targets.’ ‘But what use is it if we’re the only ones who can protect ourselves? I mean what about all the muggleborns-’ ‘We offer them protection,’ Sirius said. ‘What?’ the three of them asked, confused. ‘Think about it. There's eight of us, six pure or half bloods,’ Sirius started. ‘Thanks for pointing that out,’ Daisy grumbled, Sirius sighed exasperatedly. ‘It means they’ve got privilege Dais,’ Lily said. ‘I know that,’ Daisy said, unable to see the point they were making. ‘So we might as well use it as an advantage not for us, for muggleborns,’ Sirius said, ‘think about it pathetic wannabe death eaters don’t start shit with us unprovoked but they do for muggleborns. If muggleborns have us around the likelihood they'd do anything will decrease. And even if they dared, we'd have enough knowledge under our belts to protect them.’ ‘Like a human shield?’ Remus asked. ‘Something like that,’ Sirius said, ‘but we don’t give them an excuse for us to be used. We’re simply there, if we don’t provoke them or give them something to attack over.’ ‘You’re going to keep your cool?’ Daisy asked, raising an eyebrow. ‘If it means keeping others safe, yes,’ Sirius said firmly, glancing at Lily who smiled sadly back at him. ‘And when Mulciber says something horrible about me? Or Lil?’ she said looking at James. ‘We ignore them,’ James nodded. ‘And we force teachers to listen if they do attack. We’re their proof,’ Lily said. ‘And this isn’t putting a target on us?’ Daisy said sarcastically. ‘It’ll piss them off sure but what can they say? What are we actually doing wrong, walking some muggleborns to class,’ James said. Daisy mulled this point over for a moment and then looked to her sister who seemed remarkably calm about the whole thing.

‘And you're okay with this?’ she asked, unable to shake the turmoil they'd been living in the past few weeks fully from her. ‘It’s not antagonising them on purpose. It’s not seeking a fight. It’s helping those who need help. It’s using their own prejudices against them,’ Lily reasoned. ‘Eight of us for the whole school?’ Daisy questioned. ‘We got a full club going. I can't see it being hard to ask people just to do what's right. They don’t even have to do anything, not really,’ Sirius said, watching his three friends before he said, ‘you in?’ ‘Definitely,’ James nodded. ‘Aye go on,’ Remus smiled. ‘Dais?’ Sirius asked. ‘Yeah. I’m in.’

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Ajagba Edges Stephan Shaw in Heavyweight Main Event

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Published: January 16, 2022

VERONA, N.Y.  — The heavyweights boxed instead of brawled, and Efe Ajagba closed the show strong. Ajagba edged the previously unbeaten Stephan Shaw by 10-round unanimous decision (96-94 3x) Saturday evening at Turning Stone Resort Casino.

Ajagba (17-1, 13 KOs) won his second straight bout since a 2021 defeat to Frank Sanchez. He had surgeries on both elbows after that fight and has re-established himself as a contender to watch. Shaw (18-1, 13 KOs) was ahead 58-56 on all three judges' cards after the sixth but was outlanded 62-37 in the last four rounds.

In a battle of jabs, Ajagba landed his with more frequency (90-48).

“I went back to the corner and they told me to let my hands go, keep throwing punches, my jab. I controlled the fight, so that’s how I won the fight," Ajagba said. “He tried to land the big shots. I watched him to see what he was going to do. He kept throwing the jab, using the jab more.”   Rice Shocks Vianello in Co-Feature   The heavyweight, spoiler, Jonnie Rice, did it again. Rice (16-6-1, 11 KOs) stunned Guido Vianello (10-1-1, 9 KOs), stopping the 2016 Italian Olympian in the seventh round. Vianello was cut over the left eye by a right hand in the sixth round, although the referee initially ruled it was caused by an accidental headbutt.  After a conference with the local commission, the ruling was reversed. Rice entered the fight coming off back-to-back victories over highly regarded prospect Michael Coffie. At the time of the stoppage, all three judges had Vianello ahead: 59-55 2x and 58-56.  “I did it again… another undefeated fighter," Rice said. "I’m not here to call anyone out right now. I’m going to enjoy this victory and then see what’s next.” Junior Lightweights: Abraham "El Super" Nova (22-1, 15 KOs) exorcised the demon of last June's knockout loss to Robeisy Ramirez and knocked down Adam "BluNose" Lopez (16-4, 6 KOs) twice to win a 10-round unanimous decision. The first four rounds were razor-thin, but in the fifth, Nova landed a left hook during an exchange that floored Lopez. In the sixth, Nova knocked down Lopez again, creating a wide gulf on the cards. Lopez buzzed Nova in the eighth but was unable to press the advantage. Scores: 97-91 and 98-90 2x.  Lightweights: Haven Brady Jr. (9-0, 4 KOs) dominated early and had to hold off the late charge of Colombian banger Ruben Cervera (13-4, 11 KOs). Brady was clipped with an overhand right at the end of the fifth round, but he weathered the storm and notched an eight-round unanimous decision. Scores: 80-72, 79-73, and 78-74. Welterweights: Local favorite Bryce Mills (11-1, 4 KOs), from nearby Liverpool, New York, had the fans on their feet from the time he made his ring walk. He did not disappoint, shutting out the aggressive Margarito Hernandez (3-4-1) over six rounds. Scores: 60-54 3x.   Welterweights: Brian Norman Jr. (23-0, 19 KOs) made his Top Rank debut and shook off the ring rust with an eight-round unanimous decision over Argentina's Rodrigo Coria (10-5, 2 KOs). Norman nearly stopped Coria in the opening round, but the southpaw veteran survived and even stunned Norman with a lead left hand in the seventh. Norman scored a knockdown with a left hook in the eighth round to secure the win. Scores: 79-72 and 77-74 2x. Featherweights: Undefeated Brooklyn-born prospect Bruce "Shu Shu" Carrington (6-0, 3 KOs) rolled past Juan Antonio Lopez (17-13-1, 7 KOs) but received some much-needed experience en route to a six-round unanimous decision victory. Scores: 60-54 3x.   Light Heavyweights: Cleveland-born prospect Dante Benjamin Jr. (5-0, 3 KOs) prevailed in the battle of unbeatens with a first-round round TKO over Emmanueal Austin (6-1, 6 KOs). Benjamin knocked down Austin with a left-right combination. Time of stoppage: 2:50.

(Featured Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images)