#puzzling potions event

[fandomfrenzy97]

🌈 Taste the rainbow, mugglefuckers ☺️😜😂

Update: I decided to name my Jackalope “Jaheira”

[agatharkn3ss]

Lilia's premonitions theory (contains spoilers)

Well, my brain has been in overdrive and I love puzzles so... "buckle up!"

If it's too long for you - you can jump straight into the last section titled "How does it all fit"... I really think there could be something there.

OTHER THEORIES

There have been many theories about Lilia's powers and her moments of visions. Some think it's just some loose wiring on most part, some think it's past traumatic events catching up with her, some think they are predictions of the future, some even went as far as suggesting that Lilia (loosely) predicts the last words of the next person who's going to die (based on the fact she said "Get off me!" in ep.2 and we hear Sharon shout "Don't touch me!" in ep.3). But we keep seeing more and more of Lilia's blips in ep.4, they make less sense to any of the above theories, so personally I am not sold on any of them.

There is also a possibility that her premonitions could just be linked to the events that follow - but the words aren't accurate because Lilia can't quite see the "full picture". So her screaming in her shop could be linked to Teen's reaction when Salem Seven attacked in that same episode. Or when she says "Alice, don't", we see Agatha pleading "Don't" with Rio.

BUT then I saw people discussing that maybe these are actually "misplaced" moments in time - from the future AND the past. And that they will make sense if they were said in the correct moment, but somehow got lost and sent to a different time. For example - when Lilia talks about the vampire by the campfire "You know, we really kind of hated each other in the beginning, but now..." then zones out. We could assume she's still talking about the vampire, but this pause could actually be easily filled with "I love you guys!" from the "botox" scene in ep.3, because she was actually touched by their campfire stories. Or when she shouts "Get off me" in ep.2, it could be taken right out of the ep.4 scene where she's burning on the floor, shouting "Get it off me!".

WHAT WE KNOW

All those theories got me mighty intrigued, so of course I made a list of all of Lilia's apparent 'blips' and tried to make sense of it! I believe there are two types of Lilia's visions - one where she has "wrong messages" and one where she exclaims names of tarot cards.

The tarot cards she mentioned so far:

Three of Pentacles - right after she wrote the coven names down

High Priestess - when she meets Jen at Agatha's house

Three of Swords - as Jen is trying to heal Teen

The "blips" are:

shouting and flailing her hands - when Agatha and Teen ask her to join the coven in ep.2

writing the coven names (same scene as above) - this is the only premonition where we see burst of power - the electricity flicker around her, the water boils and it all seems really intense.

shouting "Get off me!" and looking like she was pushing someone away - just before the witches begin summoning the Road

"I love you guys" - when Jen questions Sharon about her poison symptoms in ep.3

"Try to save Agatha" - when she and Agatha are searching for potion ingredients

"Which is it, am I wispy or am i kooky?" - when talking to Alice about her mum during the trial in ep.4

"Alice! Alice don't" - shortly after the one above

Zones out - during the campfire scene when she talks about the vampire scar

We also know that her Air trial will be all about tarot (confirmed by Patti herself) and the promos show Lilia in some sort of princess dress and tiara, Agatha as the green Wicked Witch of the West and Jen looking like the Evil Queen from Snow White but in the old hag form. This makes me think in her trial she will have to confront all those stereotypes about witches that she always said she hated so much. She will likely have to do a tarot reading too. There is also a room with ceiling full of swords that could fall down on them. And finally, in that same room there is a brief shot with her and Salem Seven, flowing mid-air.

One promo also shows one of Salem Seven (Vertigo) opening her mouth to release a swarm of cicadas (her spirit animal).

We know the witches slowly regain their powers once they passed their trial.

There is also this thing about Alice (I will need to make a separate post to explain this) - where my prediction is that in ep.5 she will try to protect the coven by attacking Agatha while she's in her "possessed" form. Unfortunately, Agatha will (willingly or not) completely syphon her powers and Alice will die.

HOW DOES IT ALL FIT?

Well. I think we will potentially get some answers during or after Lilia's trial, once she starts regaining her powers. I think Lilia will try to send a message to the witches in the past, but she will still be struggling with getting the times right.

I could almost see a scene where she sits at her crystal ball or does a tarot reading and talks, not realising that EVERYTHING she says is "sent out" without any filter.

Something like...

.........

Lilia is in a room with other witches, it is a high pressure situation because the Salem Seven are chasing them. Her task is to send the names of the witches to her past self so that Agatha can form her coven - they realised that without the list, they would've never gotten there. Maybe their existence or memory depends on it.

So Lilia starts a tarot reading and begins "tuning in" to her memories, saying the names of the revealed cards out loud - "High Priestess" (she says it in a surprise voice as her vision suddenly flickers to the moment of meeting Jen), "Three of Swords" etc. Maybe one of other witches in the room starts antagonising her kookiness, so that she would just hurry up, because this is not working and Salem Seven are close. So Lilia responds in annoyance "Which is it, am I wispy or am I kooky?!" But then she realises she is standing in front of Alice from the fire trial (in spirit anyway, Lilia is still physically in the scary room). She exclaims in relief "Alice!" and realises this is also her chance to warn Alice so that she doesn't die. She begins saying "Alice, don't try to save Agatha!", but mid way through, her spirit gets transported to the first trial, searching for potion ingredients. So Alice only hears "Alice don't..." and Agatha hears "...try to save Agatha". At some point Lilia is transported to sitting in front of the campfire, reminiscing their stories. This is a fond memory so she starts saying "You know, we really kind of hated each other in the beginning, but now.." and before she can finish, she gets transported back to the "Huge tiny lies" house "...I love you guys".

Maybe at some point Salem Seven break their way into the tarot room and one of them attacks Lilia. She screams "Get off me!" and pushes them away (while her spirit is transported to the moment before they opened the Road). Vertigo releases her cicadas, flying around Lilia's head. She flails her hands and screams, while her spirit is inside her shop where Agatha and Teen just approach her. She realises she's close, focuses all her energy and channels her spirit to write the list of names herself. It takes enormous effort to stay focused on that one moment, hence the energy around her is bursting. She either doesn't have enough time to finish writing Rio's name or feels cheeky and draws a black heart instead. She finishes by revealing and naming the last tarot card: "Three of Pentacles". She completes the task, the End!

....

So..... What does everyone think?!!!!!!

[janearts]

Roisia Lydgate: Character Overview

This is really more of a background introduction to her character, but I'm trying to put as much information in one place for future reference or for anyone who wants to get a better idea of her character. Details underneath the cut!

Meta-Knowledge

Roisia is my Source Hunter from Divinity: Original Sin, but I recreated her in Baldur’s Gate 3 as a way to continue her story albeit in a completely different universe. The story and events of DOS have since become part of her backstory, and tweaked to fit the world of Faerûn.

Name Pronunciation

I’m honestly none too fussed about pronunciation. Her name is an 11th century mediaeval name that would later become “Rose” in Middle English. Roisia is probably meant to be pronounced something like /ɹɔɪːsiːɑ/ (Roy-see-ah) based on other name variants found around the same time. Her nicknames, as given to her by her parents, include: Rose, Rosie, petal, pet, rosebud, bud, so on and so forth.

Personality

Roisia is charming, adventurous, with a voracious curiosity, and a deeply analytical mind. She believes that taking care of the dead and providing a voice for the dead is her life’s calling. She was formerly raised to be a Cleric of Kelemvor, but believes that her god has disowned her since she reanimated her father. She now believes herself to be deemed among the Faithless. She’s compassionate to those in need and is willing to break rules (and the law) to help others. While she is generally a law-abiding citizen, she is dogged in pursuing the whims of her curiosity and will likewise do whatever it takes to solve a puzzle, a mystery, or a murder… or simply answer a question that has occurred to her. She is sociable, prefers when everyone gets along, and will try to talk her way into and out of most situations. This includes charming, reasoning, intimidating, and/or deceiving others to get her desired outcome. Ultimately, she finds solace and comfort in the company of animals, the dead, and books. Her favourite animal is the noble spider, and she breeds and raises some species in her spare time.

Spells and Such

I tried as best I could to replicate Roisia’s DOS character. In DOS, she was classed as a Witch. Witchcraft spells in DOS are a mixture of Necromancy spells and Enchantment spells, and I chose my spells in BG3 to imitate the ones that you get in DOS. As a witch in DOS, Roisia also had the ability to talk to animals and summon a spider. (I cheesed this in BG3 with the Find Familiar spell—technically a Conjuration spell—and having her drink a potion after every long rest.) To be more in keeping with her backstory, I gave her a Guild Artisan background and invested skill points in skills like Medicine.

Backstory

Roisia grew up in Eastway of Baldur’s Gate. Her father worked in the Gray Harbor shipyard as a shipwright and her mother was a Mortarch, running the Eastway Cemetery & Lydgate Funeral Service. She was raised to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a Cleric of Kelemvor, and specifically as a Mortarch, from an early age. She assisted her mother in managing the burial customs and rites for the Lower City’s diverse community (from embalming to ritualistic cannibalism to poisonings), comforting grieving family members of the deceased, and tending to the dead buried in the cemetery.

Her life took an unexpected turn when her father drowned during a sea trial. Grieving for her father, Roisia made her first attempt at Necromancy. She unwittingly used a wish spell in the process and reanimated him as a skeleton. Because it was the wish spell, not her first attempt at a necromantic ritual, that bound the soul of her father to his bones, Roisia is determined to master the School of Necromancy and truly resurrect her father.

She is interrupted in her early studies by the appearance of Eustace, who recruited her into the Source Hunters, an organisation dedicated to eradicating dangerous magic users (like… Necromancers). “We need you,” he said. “… and you need us.” Roisia & Eustace (or Roy & Stacey as they became known to each other) investigated the mysterious murder of a town counsellor and uncovered a Necromantic cult in the process. As they adventured together, Roisia began to develop feelings for Eustace, but as their adventure concluded and they returned to the Source Hunter Academy, Eustace did not return those feelings. Dejected, Roisia left the Source Hunters and returned to her home in Baldur’s Gate.

To “cure” herself of her heartbreak, Roisia drew up a list of lifelong goals for herself. They are:

1. A cemetery or plot of land of her own to oversee. 2. “Tenants”/”Residents” (aka The Deceased) to house and tend to on this land. 3. To master Necromancy such that she can extend indefinitely her own life and the lives of her loved ones. 4. One (1) Spouse (*not of the squeamish variety) 5. Children (*ideally 3-5)

Refocused aggressively on her list, Roisia returned to her duties during the day and her studies during the night. She was abducted by the nautiloid one night while she was off to dig up a new test subject.

Playlist

[rendy-a]

If your interested i would like to request a self aware au where the player instead of possesses Ramshackle instead of Yuu

My first thought is that I don’t understand this request.  Possess the actual building of Ramshackle?  Then I thought it might actually be funny if the Player were stuck in the building Encanto-style.  Feel free to drop in a new request if this isn’t what you were looking for.  Until then, enjoy this silly idea.

The Dorm Magical

All the characters in Twisted Wonderland had an innate sense for when they were being observed by the Player.  It was a feeling so sublime that it was the only thing a character craved.  One day, they stopped receiving that feeling as they did lessons, went about the storyline and even engaged in event stories.  These were all the Player’s favorite times to grace them with their notice!  It was deeply disturbing to them (could you have quit playing the game?) until they noticed that feeling again within the walls of Ramshackle Dorm.  Now this unique dorm isn’t just the home to the odd students Grim and Yuu but also the only place left on campus to experience the notice of the Player. 

Nothing matters anymore unless you can do it in Ramshackle or take it to Ramshackle.  Riddle brings every perfect-scored test to casually hold up to the walls, hoping you’ll take notice.  A suspicious number of movies being filmed by the Film Club seem to use old houses as a setting.  If any odd floorboard squeaks or movements of doors happen, all the club members merely clap and declare that the Player is so good at ad-libbing. 

Epel bursts into the lounge of Ramshackle and Grim nearly chokes on a bite of tuna.  “Nya!  What’s the big idea barging in here like that?” he asks between coughs.  Epel holds up a spelldrive trophy enthusiastically, “We won the tournament!”  Yuu smiles at him indulgently, “Great job.”  Epel shoots him a puzzled look as though to say, ‘Why are you talking to me?’  Then he turns about the room, holding the trophy aloft until a beam of sunlight from a window seems to shift and hit the trophy perfectly.  Epel grins as though the Player had personally awarded him that trophy.  “Awe, shucks!” he beams while grinning like a fool.  Then, he suddenly seems to recollect somewhere he needs to be.  “I…I should probably get this trophy back now before Leona notices its missing.  See you later Player!”  He makes awkward eye contact with Grim, “and…I guess Yuu and Grim too…”

It’s not just students, so many classes seem to be held in Ramshackle dorm.  The same students that used to try to sweet talk teachers into holding class outside on sunny days are now suggesting they can concentrate so much better in the quiet Ramshackle dorm.  Staff are surprisingly fast to agree.  There is now a sign-up sheet in the faculty lounge to reserve a Ramshackle day.

“Turn to page 101 in your textbooks.  Today we are covering proper methods of distilling potions,” Crewel begins his lecture.  A hand raises, “Professor, couldn’t we learn this better in Ramshackle?”  Crewel lets out a long-suffering sigh, “There aren’t even potion making facilities in that dorm.”  Another hand raises, “But Trein got to have history there twice this week already.”  Crewel pauses for a moment considering that petty argument.  “Screw it,” he finally replies in an arrogant tone, “Grab your things.  We are moving this class to the kitchen of Ramshackle.”  A cheer erupts from the masses.

Rules had to be made preventing transfer to Ramshackle.  Crowly is very firm on this; if he can’t live there, no one else can either!  The few times in the main story where people stay over are the highlight of those student’s year.

Vil slides his hand gently down the banister of the staircase as he descends and lets out a satisfied sigh.  “Stop stroking my house,” Yuu retorts in an annoyed tone. “For the duration of the VDC training camp, it’s our house,” and continues to lightly run his fingertips along the wallpaper with a dreamy smile.

The guest room is the most coveted invitation on campus.  Students would gladly jump over any number of couches and tables for the honor of being trapped in the corner of the Ramshackle guest room.  Even Riddle is happy to cut class, dress up in his Halloween costume and stand idly by. 

Deep in the corner of the room, Sebek stands on two small squares of open space.  He paces a single step backwards and forwards.  He’s been trapped there for at least an hour, yet he still sounds at the peak of happiness as he exclaims, “THIS DECORATION REMINDS ME OF THE THORN FAIRY HERSELF!  WHAT A MAGNIFICENTLY APPOINTED ROOM!”  The door blows open slightly in a breeze and Sebek preens as though receiving an approving wave from the great Player themselves.  Ah, what a moment to be alive and trapped in a room.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Sky having asthma, or some kind of breathing issues? For the prompt event?

Link had always known his lungs were… sensitive.

For the longest time, it had been a minimal issue. Sure, he didn’t sprint as well as others—he typically struggled with stamina anyway. But he could hold his breath longer than many, he could exercise well enough, and he still fought better than any of his classmates. Just because he had a propensity to getting respiratory illnesses didn’t mean he couldn’t handle things. It was nothing a little air potion and stamina fruit couldn’t fix.

That was the case. Before he’d gone to the Surface.

Nowadays it seemed like anything and everything could make him sick, could take out his ability to breathe. During his journey he’d compensated with air potion after air potion until his fever had climbed so high he’d passed out. Thankfully, he’d been in Faron Woods, and the kikwis, while not the most experienced on the matter, had at least thought to bring him water and nuts and let him rest in the shade until he could drag himself to the Sealed Temple.

He hated it. He felt like anything could knock him down. He kept trying to reassure himself that he’d still managed to keep up, to save Zelda, to end the war before it could restart. But he’d nearly died afterward because he’d ignored it for so long, pushed himself too hard, and everyone treated him like he was practically made of glass nowadays as a result.

Link wasn’t a particularly rebellious teenager. He was fairly lazy by his instructors’ standards, and he preferred to rest. He could cause problems when he wanted, though. He didn’t go out of his way to cause problems, of course, but… nothing was going to stop him from doing so, either.

So when he got a little too antsy to linger on Skyloft being watched by everyone, he flew his loftwing farther into the sky than he had in a long time.

The Great Sky was vast, beautiful and terrifying in its infiniteness. While the Surface’s enormous scale was overwhelming because it was all inhabitable, the Sky was more akin to a void to get lost in, a fabled sea where its depths could never be fully explored. Islands speckled the air in varying pockets, but there were enormous swathes of open air with nothing as far as the eye could see. It was said some knights died trying to explore, their loftwings tiring out and plummeting through the cloud barrier to their doom.

Link wanted to test his limits, though. Not because he felt particularly ambitious, but simply because he felt like he was going insane. He used to be content daydreaming on Skyloft, but nowadays if he stayed too still in one place he felt like he was missing something. As much as he loved to lay about, and as little energy as he had that sometimes forced him to lay about, he couldn’t sit still for long unless he was caught in a spiraling slump.

So here he was, pushing Crimson to tear into the sky farther than ever before. He recalled seeing a small pocket of islands in the far distance a little over a year ago when he’d last tried exploring like this before the knights had reeled him in. Now that he’d earned his knighthood due to his adventure, he wouldn’t be stopped.

The nagging pain in his chest was nothing to worry about. That was just nerves. He just needed to move.

The cold wind snapped around him, flushing his cheeks and biting at his nose. He clutched the leather around Crimson’s chest more tightly, glaring into the sky, and his loftwing squawked, reflecting his defiance with a loud seeming battle cry. His companion was filled with as much energy as he was, and had been scraping at the edges of Skyloft the entire day before Link had finally plummeted off its edges.

The pocket of islands grew larger. One in the center was entirely square shaped, seeming endless in its crevices and walls that inhabited its center.

A maze?

Link smiled. A puzzle. Perhaps he’d find something useful in its center. He wondered what Hylia might have left for him here. Perhaps he’d missed a goddess cube? It wasn’t like it made much of a difference now, but his curiosity was piqued nonetheless.

He flew directly overhead before jumping off his loftwing. As he crashed through the air, the pressure in his chest continued to build, but the thrill of skydiving overruled it. Link maneuvered his body left, right, rolled, flipped, and laughed. He loved this.

Eventually, just before he could hit the stone floor in the labyrinth, he deployed his sailcloth, letting himself gently land before looking around eagerly.

This was going to be fun.

XXX

It was getting dark.

Zelda looked out at the sky worriedly. Link had gone flying around noon. She’d let him be, as she was busy figuring out plans for the Surface, but she was growing worried now. Where could he be? She’d investigated all the usual local islands, and when the best lead she’d gotten was that someone had seen him fly beyond all of them, she started to wonder if he’d gone to the next community over.

Skyloft was their largest settlement, but not their only one. Still, if Link had visited Nestout, Loftwing Roost, or the Dragon Spire, he should’ve been back by now.

Well. Loftwing Roost might distract him more. But… maybe that was all it was.

When Zelda asked Groose to help her investigate to cover more air, though, it quickly became apparent that he wasn’t anywhere they knew.

“You think he went to the Surface?” Groose asked as they looked out at the vast expanse from the Dragon Spire. It was the farthest out island in the usual communities, and it boasted the most dangerous territory.

That would be the most likely explanation, Zelda supposed. But Link didn’t usually go down there alone. “I guess…”

“Don’t worry, Zelda,” Groose assured her with an easy wave of his hand. “Airhead probably lost track of time or something. I can check Faron and the Sealed Temple, you go back to Skyloft.”

Telling Zelda not to worry about Link was the most pointless venture imaginable, but she didn’t bother correcting Groose. Instead, she nodded, watching him take off on his loftwing before looking back out at the sky.

He wouldn’t… why would he go to the Surface alone?

Zelda squinted at nothing, wondering, listening. She tried to focus, tried to remember how to use magic to track others. She’d been able to do it before, back when…

Closing her eyes, she inhaled and exhaled steadily. The world around her changed, pulsing and colorful and tasting of sensations she couldn’t even describe. Everything felt so alive. Her loftwing chirped a little, fluffing and rubbing her beak against Zelda’s face.

“You can sense it too,” she whispered, eyes still closed, feeling the connection to her partner.

Her loftwing chirped a little, feathers flattening in anticipation. Then she took off, and Zelda dove after her, and they were as one as they tore into the farther expanses of the Great Sky.

With the cloud barrier gone, daylight lasted a little longer, allowing Zelda more time to fly. But she knew she wouldn’t make it back to Skyloft before dark. She would either have to make camp somewhere or risk flying in an environment she was still not entirely trained to navigate.

Instinct drove both her and her loftwing forward, tracing Link’s presence. When they neared a squared shaped island, her loftwing circled it, indicating that this had to be their destination.

What in the world was Link doing here?

Furrowing her brow in determination and trying to ignore the gnawing worry in her gut, Zelda leapt off her bird and descended into the stony structure below. She maneuvered her body as her eyes scanned different passages from above, honing in on a feeling that chewed at her fraying nerves.

A speck. Small, still, green.

Her eyes widened. Link.

Zelda tipped herself forward, making her body more stream lined so she could move faster. She didn’t pull out her sailcloth until she was seconds away from touching down. The harsh winds helped her steady herself, and she felt breathless as she ran to her beloved friend, who was laying motionless on the floor.

“Link!” She called, falling to her knees, voice carrying on the winds. She shook him, surprised at the heat radiating off his body.

Sick. He was sick, he was sick, they were out here in the middle of nowhere and he was sick.

Despite the gales howling, she could hear distinctive whistle and rattle, ominous and horrible and far too familiar. It sounded off rhythmically with every heave of Link’s chest, and she could see how his belly moved paradoxically to his chest, trying to assist his exhausted body in every way possible to move air.

This was bad.

What was she going to do? What could she do? Link got breathing illnesses so easily, but usually an air potion, warm food, lots of rest and even more coughing would help fix it. He’d only gotten truly, desperately sick for the first time after their adventure, and that had been from infected wounds rather than anything in his lungs. Her friend was no stranger to pneumonia, but they’d never been this far from help when it had struck.

Surely with all this wind, she could figure something out. Zelda moved to sit him up, knowing that laying as he was would do him no good. She tried not think about how there was barely any light left in the sky, how they could potentially be trapped here the entire night with few supplies.

There was no way she could fly him in this state.

Gritting her teeth, Zelda braced her feet on the ground, pulling him to sit up by his tunic and dragging him to lean against the wall so he could remain that way. Link’s head lolled with the movement, and she noticed with alarm that he looked beyond exhausted. How long had he been struggling to breathe? How much longer could he last? She’d heard nightmarish scenarios in the past, when he’d gotten particularly ill, warnings of how he had to rest, how working too hard to breathe could make one’s body give up altogether, and then nothing but forced air could save them.

Zelda dug through her pouch and then Link’s, desperate for anything that she could use. She herself was carrying a stamina fruit, and Link seemed have half of one in his pack—clear evidence that he’d been nibbling on one throughout the day in an effort to keep going.

She felt frustrated and terrified at the same time. Why would he run himself down like this? Why did he always run himself down like this?!

Her gut churned uncomfortably, guilt nibbling at the edges of her mind. You know why.

She shook her head. Then she pushed against Link, tapping his cheek. “Link. Dove, wake up. Please.”

She had no air potion to spare, but if she could just get him to wake up, she could at least feed him the last of the stamina fruit he’d been carrying. Hopefully it would help. Then perhaps she could investigate this place to find somewhere more suitable for him to rest. The sky glowed crimson, and she knew it was too late to leave this place.

Link groaned, bringing her some relief, though his breathing still sounded wretched. Sluggishly, his eyes fluttered open. There was hardly any recognition in them - he was exhausted.

Zelda held the stamina fruit out in front of him, having peeled it into smaller pieces. “Eat.”

He took each piece one by one from her, chewing slowly. A flush returned to his pale face, and he stared at her for what felt like half a minute before seeming to come to himself. “Z-Zel…?”

He could hardly get her nickname out for all the rattling in his lungs. Zelda could hardly breathe just listening to it. “We need to get you out of here, Link. Get you somewhere warmer.”

Was there even anywhere warmer on this island? Was there an indoor area at all? The place looked strangely familiar, but she couldn’t place why - she’d definitely never been here before.

Oh. That meant… she knew why.

Looking around, she tried to recall something, anything of whatever memories Hylia had to show her. But try as she might, she couldn’t recall this place.

Perhaps exploring wasn’t the option right now. Perhaps they just needed to hunker down and deal with it where they were. But the more she thought about it, the more she was certain that she could find a centralized location, which would be far better shelter for Link in his state.

“You think you can glide with me?” She asked, raising her voice to be heard over the wind.

Link tried to reply and instead fell into a coughing fit. It was a wretched sound, heavy with phlegm but not able to move anywhere. He clutched his chest, grimacing a little, and nodded.

That was not reassuring. “Link. I can’t carry you, don’t lie to me if you can’t do it!”

Link swallowed, sitting up a little straighter, more energized after the stamina fruit. “I… I think I can. J-just… not for long.”

That meant she had to figure out the route first.

Zelda went to work quickly, hugging Link and whispering in his ear that she would be back. He slumped against her, letting himself rest in her arms, and it made her heart ache. She wanted to just stay and hold him, to protect him and let him find some relief in her, but she had to figure this out quickly, while there was just enough light left.

With another promise of coming back quickly, she pulled away, leaping into the air. The wind smacked against her, and she quickly pulled out her sailcloth to let it guide her around the walls of the labyrinth. She tried to go by instinct, remembering each turn, at one point rising above all of it to get an overhead view. Eventually, she found the central area, which promised some relief from the harsh winds. It wasn’t hard to retrace her path, and she quickly found Link once more.

Her beloved was asleep again, shoulders rising and falling with his breaths in an attempt to help air move as best it could. It was an ominous sign, and Zelda felt nauseous at the sight of it. She nudged him awake, gave him half of the stamina fruit she herself was carrying, and helped him stand.

Link was unnervingly shaky on his feet, but he again insisted he could handle it. She had him hold her hands to ensure his grip was tight enough to hold the sailcloth and maneuver. Although he clamped down on her hands with enough strength to prove his point, she still worried.

There wasn’t much else she could do, though. She just kept assuring herself that if he slipped, she’d dive down below the maze with him and call her loftwing. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d caught him in midair (she tried not to guiltily think of the last time that happened).

Together, the pair stood at the edge of the platform and then Zelda counted down quickly so Link wouldn’t lose what little strength the stamina fruit had given him. Her heart nearly stopped when they jumped together, eyes never leaving Link, but he managed to hold on as his sailcloth rode the winds around them. Zelda had to lead at that point, but her head felt like it was constantly swiveling to keep track of her friend while they moved through the air.

The journey back to the center felt infinitely longer this time around, but they made it nonetheless. Link’s knees completely buckled when he landed, and though he tried to wrap himself in the sailcloth Zelda had gifted him so he wouldn’t lose it in the wind, but it slipped through his slack fingers as he felt. Zelda caught it as nearly an afterthought as she rushed to help him to the ground.

She pulled Link to her, letting him sit up against her chest so he could breathe better. “Link, what were you thinking coming out here when you were sick?”

Link’s breath rattled in reply as he grew limp with exhaustion. Zelda just buried her face in his shoulder, feeling his head loll against hers.

This was going to be a long night.

Zelda prayed to Farore for help as she counted Link’s breaths. Time crawled by, agonizing in its length as Link’s entire body heaved. As the sky grew black, and the stars twinkled in their excellent fervor, her beloved’s breathing eased a little, having recovered from flying. However, he coughed often, in harsh, horrible fits that hardly moved what it should, and those left him completely depleted. Zelda would rock back and forth, taking him with her, strengthening her back so he could sit against her as tall as possible, watching his ribs become more prominent as the night progressed.

Just when it felt like this nightmare could never end, the stars started to hide behind a shroud of pale pink, and Zelda thanked all three of the ancient goddesses that they’d survived the night.

The instant she determined it was light enough, she leapt over the nearest edge and called her loftwing. When she flew over the maze, she saw Link’s crimson companion circling the area, trilling worriedly. She wondered if he’d been there the entire night - she hadn’t heard him. She probably should have looked, but she was too terrified to think straight. In either case, she whistled sharply at him.

Link’s loftwing eyed her. Zelda whistled again. No loftwing was obligated to listen to someone who wasn’t it’s bonded partner, but Zelda and Link were close enough now that their birds would occasionally tolerate commands from each other, and Link’s intelligent friend could tell he needed help. Crimson followed Zelda and Indigo as they dove towards the center. It hardly had enough space for a loftwing, but Crimson spotted Link and maneuvered easily into place, swooping in and grabbing him with frightening precision.

Zelda hoped the position wouldn’t make Link’s breathing intolerable. But they didn’t have any other option.

The pair flew back to Skyloft at breakneck speed - the other settlements didn’t have the same medical care that Skyloft did. Zelda rushed to Link when his loftwing gently placed him on the ground.

Her friend was awake, cheeks flushed, hair a mess, and he clutched his chest. Zelda slid to her knees beside him. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ve had… better flights…” he huffed with a tired smirk.

Zelda wanted to punch him. “This isn’t the time for joking! What were you thinking yesterday?!”

“I… didn’t think… it was…” Link tried to argue only to have to pause to catch his breath, bracing his hands against his legs and leaning forward a little.

Zelda’s worries overrode her frustration, and she waved down the first person she saw, as many had noticed their arrival. Pipit and Groose both came running, as well as Professor Owlan. Thankfully Pipit had an air potion, and the relief on Link’s face was immediately apparent.

Zelda let the men take Link back to his room in the academy, giving them a moment before she checked on him. She found him sitting up against multiple donated pillows, two air potions at his bedside table, bundled up and in comfortable clothes. She smiled in relief, feeling her own chest steadily unclench at the sight.

She offered a quick thanks to Farore before kneeling on the floor and resting her arms and head on the bed. She was exhausted.

She felt Link’s fingers run through her hair before he settled his hand over the back of her head. “Zel…?”

Zelda reached blindly, fingers finding Link’s tunic before she jabbed his chest with her finger. “Don’t. Do that. Again.”

Link let out a sheepish huff. “Sorry, love.”

“This isn’t—your journey is over, and—Link, why—” Zelda shot yo, suddenly agitated, tears stinging in her eyes.

Link looked adequately schooled and apologetic, clearly upset that he’d worried her. “Zelda, I… I’m sorry. I just… I’m used to… to pushing through it. I don’t notice sometimes.”

Used to pushing through it. Zelda felt guilt crush her. She knew why he was used to it.

“Please rest,” Link requested softly. “I’ll be right here. I promise.”

Zelda sighed, reaching over to stroke his cheek. “Only if you rest too.”

Link nodded, offering a tired smile. Zelda wasn’t inclined to kiss him since he was sick, but she gently hugged him instead.

She still worried this would happen again, though.

[invissimp]

fear me, you filthy-

sirius black x reader

summary: you take man out of black, but can’t take the black out of him.

it’s fucking angst with no comfort and i don’t apologize. it’s all based on the song “end of beginning”

You first noticed it when the fellow gryffindor would send glances at you from across the common room, then from down the table at the great hall.

Then it started happening in classrooms. Whenever you talked to Peter or James, it happened less with Remus for some reason?

Mary and Lily claimed it must be, absolutely positively that he liked you and thought that it was because you liked James or Peter so he got jealous.

There was no reason for Sirius to be jealous though, even if it was just a friends with benefits situation you both agreed to stop if any one of you started catching feelings for anyone.

Sure, you had feelings for Sirius but it wasn’t like it was the type where your bloody heart would start pounding. But Sirius made it very, very, so very clear he would never catch feelings in this situation.

So yeah maybe it hurt your feelings a teeny tiny bit, but that’s what being a teenager was for. To get your feelings hurt by your first crush, at least you got to know what it was like to shag Sirius Black.

It made absolutely no sense that Sirius would be sending glances at you in the middle of potions. You got paired up with James, somehow(he walked over to lily but the girl pushed you towards him)

You were getting frustrated by it, the shagging stopped in April, now June with just a week left until the summer Holidays. It would officially be Sirius’ second summer with the Potters and living with them.

You did spend some time over there during the holidays, Effie was a absolute delight and always would tell you old wizarding family stories since you were a muggleborn and your parents frankly, had no idea how to understand the wizarding world.

James and you were making plans on which week would be the first you hanged out, settling on the third before a voice, a familiar one broke out.

“No, just me and James.”

“What?”

“You heard me Y/N”

Sirius was now looking like it was taking everything in him to hold it inside of him. His teeth grinding against each other, looking like. You couldn’t tell what he looked like. Sirius had never, ever looked at you or anybody like that.

Remus was obviously confused, his head going back and forth trying to piece it together like a puzzle. You could picture it his brain working like gears spinning.

Apparently the whole class heard it since even the Slytherins stopped talking, Peter had to work with one of them. Her name Dorcas? Yeah that was her name.

Even she looked in shock and she hasn’t even interacted with any of you until today somebow, and that was just with Peter for a fucking potion.

But James, oh he looked downright disappointed in his other half, as him and Sirius would call each other. There’s only ever been one time that James looked at the old gryffindor beater like that. The unspoken event, the time he betrayed Remus.

And the only one who would hear him out, was of course you. All those nights you spent with him in the common room. Listening to him cry and that it was a mistake and didn’t think it through.

Of course he wouldn’t mean it, just like how he didn’t mean to snap at you in the middle of potions class, the same class you were brewing a potion that smelled of the person you were in love with. Which conveniently smelled like Sirius.

All just a mistake.

Nodding your head at Sirius before finishing your potion and getting Slughorn over to dismiss you.

•

Now two days before the end of sixth year, you and Sirius still haven’t made up with each other. It was fine. Absolutely fine, it wasn’t like he was now sending glares your way every three minutes.

Now it didn’t matter who you were with. He would send them if you were just reading a bloody book.

It all happened in the great hall. Sitting across from him and both of you just so happened to reach for the last bread roll.

Sirius let out something that was like a growl, the padfoot in him coming out, that’s what it was surely. But no he just couldn’t keep his words to himself.

“Save some for the rest of us, huh?”

“You’ve been a real bloody git, you know that right?”

Sirius just sent a glare, no a death glare your way. He didn’t even care that your eyes shimmered down some. No he just smirked at your fear showing.

James and Remus now paused their conversation from beside Sirius, and Peter oh Peter, he paused chewing and his fork mid air while looking at you with his blue eyes with concern written all over and in them.

Giving him a soft smile, he had been more on edge now for some reason, especially when Sirius was around.

You heard a snort from Sirius across the table, turning your head to look at him.

“What is it, what could make you so annoyed that you send me a glare anytime I bloody breathe!” You exclaimed now throwing your hands up in the air, food now forgotten.

The boys eyes across from you simply drained any emotion from them, before a devilish smirk got on his face.

He planted both of his hands on the table and leaned over the table, over the empty bread roll plate. His face inches, away from your own.

You could only see his face now everything else was blocked since he was so close to you. Peter’s leg was shaking, you could feel it hitting the table again and again.

It was pointless to try to hide your fear now, it was obvious to anyone. It seemed like the great hall became quiet, just quiet whispers trying to guess on what was happening at the Gryffindor table.

Sirius opened his mouth and let two words roll out of his mouth like it was simply saying a easy first year spell, except it wasn’t. It was a simple phrase you heard mainly from Slytherins say. Never ever a gryffindor would say it.

“Blood Status.”

Now. Now the great hall was in complete silence, nobody dared to speak. There was no whispers on the guess what would happen, surely no one would guess it, the words that came from the blood traitor himself.

“You-You don’t mean that, no surely, this isn’t a funny prank-“

“But it isn’t, I don’t get why I’m even bothering explaing myself to your kind, maybe it would help calm your pathetic mind.”

The friendship you grew over the years with Sirius Orion Black. Destroyed. Destroyed with just one sentence like it was nothing. Like all those late nights with him when everyone didn’t dare to speak or look at him, and you were the exception. Apparently that didn’t matter to him.

You briefly heard Peter let out a chocked sob beside you, Remus letting out a gasp and, oh.

Oh, James. You could hear it, his glasses falling off his nose, then his hand clamping over his mouth.

His eyes were surely watering up now, now it made sense why Peter and James were acting weird. They were both pure bloods so Sirius obviously voiced his thoughts to them.

That’s when it came to the realization, it wasn’t a prank. Sirius just told you what he thought of you for the past six, almost seven years. All those nights you stayed up trying to convince everyone that it was a mistake from the one night.

All that, down the drain. All those late night cuddles, where his hair would tickle your neck like feathers. The studying sessions which he went along with, after complaining forever about.

Walburga Black would be proud of her son.

“That’s right, be scared. Fucking fear me you dirty mudblood.”

That’s when the great hall silence was broken, the gasps came out of students mouths, footsteps were heard. Multiple, a pair from the Proffesors table, three from down the table, and one from beside you.

If the devil was in disguise, his mask would infact be Sirius Black.

——

um so yeah!! honestly this just came to mind after listening to the song “end of beginning.” and i remember seeing a tiktok a few months ago and it was about andromeda with ted and how even though she tried her hardest she still thought of him as a lower status. very very sad:(( i was thinking of making this a 2 parter but nah

[myguiltyartpleasure]

Cozy games recommendations!

@dualcordie asked for recs, I have quite number of them, so here it is.

It turned out to be stardew-like collection, but I'll do more posts for other types of games. I added only those, which I personally played and liked

Stardew Valley

PC, PS, iOS, Xbox, Nintendo switch. (I've played for 390 hours 😅) Classics! Kind of created a new game genre of "stardew-like" games. But In case you haven't played: you're a new farmer in small town. It's not just farming, you can also make friends with locals (and even date someone), mine gems, fight monsters, discover forest spirits and fight evil corporation. Also you can find out about townfolks' secrets, depressive problems and subtle stuff. It has a huge community with lots of mods, so if you missed this game - you should really try it!

Haunted Chocolatier

WIP by SV developer and release date still wasn't announced. Still worth mentioning. I guess concept is in its name

Coral Island

PC, more platforms announced. (mine ~260 hours before official release in early access) Developers of this game were HEAVILY inspired by Stardew Valley, so it's basically the same idea, but you're on the island. Additionally to previous game's activities you also have diving, healing the ocean, adopting pets and more interactive annual events. It was officially released on November, 14 this year. It is still fresh and developers listen to players' suggestions. Some of the most popular SV mods are implemented in this game officially. Highly recommended for those who miss something stardew-like

Potion Permit

PC, macOS (mine ~ 36 hours) Same concept, but you're an alchemist. You're creating potions by solving puzzles, healing locals and environment as well. Same with romances, monsters. Probably something else, but I haven't played it for some time and stuff were added since then

Slime Rancher

PC, PS, xbox, Nintendo Switch (can't find amount of hours)

You're on another planet and you're running.. well, slime ranch! You need to catch them, breed different kinds, feed them and collect plorts to sell. There are some dangers in the wild, but not much and you can switch it off. Be careful - they can destroy the whole ranch and create chaos! No social aspect, it's just you, cute hungry slimes, chicken and some guy's logs

[rose-of-the-grave]

The Great War: Chapter 1

Pairing: Mattheo Riddle x Reader

Hey everyone, this is the first chapter of a fic that I have been thinking about writing for a long time. I have no clue how long it is going to be. As for timeline, the story begins on the train at the start of 6th year. Hope you like it! I'm the author (please don't repost) <3

Masterlist. Series Masterlist Read on Ao3

Warnings: canon events, minor blood, amortentia, slow burn, enemies to lovers eventually

Word Count: 2301

Description: On the train to Hogwarts they all discuss the possibility of Draco being a death eater before sitting through another start of year speech. The first day of school starts with potions where everything gets a little more complicated.

Taglist: @sylveryfire

“Don’t you see, it was an initiation. A ceremony.” Harry insisted.

“What are you saying?” Ron asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Harry is under the impression that Malfoy is now a Death Eater.”

“Don’t you see, it all makes sense! Hermione saw it with her own eyes!” Harry exclaimed.

“I'm telling you, I'm not sure what I saw!” Hermione said, defensively.

“What would he even want with a tosser like Malfoy?” Ron asked.

Y/N butted in, “I think I’m going to have to agree with Harry on this one. Malfoy is friends with Riddle. It kinda makes sense for him to join if he's a part of that group.”

That silenced them. For the past five years Harry had managed to ignore the presence of the son of his parents’ murderer, Mattheo Riddle. While Malfoy constantly antagonized them, Riddle kept to the Slytherins. He picked fights with others, leaving them alone. Even on the Quidditch pitch he let his teammates occasionally swing a bludger straight at Harry but he stayed more focused on the game.

“I need some air.” Harry said, having just grabbed his invisibility cloak. Ron, Hermione, and Y/N all watched as he snuck out of the compartment, puzzled.

“Where do you think he’s going?” Y/N asked.

“Who knows?”

Conversation soon resumed, the three of them discussing what classes they wanted to take this year. Hermione, naturally, wanted to take them all..

Y/N had a feeling that this year everything was going to change..

She looked out of the train window out into the darkness, the moon was barely visible. In the distance loomed Hogwarts, home. For some reason she had missed it more this summer than any other. Last year had been a shit show with everything that went down with Umbridge and Dumbledore being gone for so long but the worst part was that now the whole wizarding world was in a panic now that it was official. Voldemort was back.

Y/N’s parents had been unsure about letting her return this year. Especially given her friendship with Harry. Being friends with the boy who lived didn’t exactly scream your child will be safely out of harm’s way.

The train started to slow down half an hour later, signaling that they were about to arrive. As they were leaving they all looked for a glimpse of their friend but none of them spotted Harry.

“Where’s Harry?” Y/N asked.

“He must have gone ahead.” Hermione suggested. She seemed unconvinced.

Knowing that they couldn’t wait out there forever they all climbed into the carriage and let the thestrals pull them up to the castle.

Pushing their way through the crowd the three of them soon reached the Great Hall where they all sat together at the Gryffindor table. Scanning the crowd, Y/N saw no trace of Harry. Worry didn’t really start to hit her until Dumbledore started his speech. Once the first years were sorted into their houses and the food appeared, everyone dug in, including Ron.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be here any minute.” Ron promised through a mouthful of food.

Hermione hit him with a newspaper, “How can you possibly eat while your best friend is missing?”

If Y/N wasn’t so worried she would have been amused by Hermione reprimanding Ron for starting to eat when Harry was missing only for him to come strolling into the Great Hall with blood on his face.

“Oi. Turn around ya lunatic!” Ron said.

There he was, strolling in late with blood trickling down from his nose that somehow didn’t look broken.

Ginny asked, more to herself than any of them, “Why is it he’s always got blood on him?”

It was a fair question. In the past five years of friendship he had somehow managed to get in trouble several times, usually resulting in him taking a trip to the hospital wing. He took a seat next to Ginny who used a napkin to help with the bleeding.

“Thanks.”

“Where have you been? What happened?” Hermione questioned in a hushed yet urgent voice, leaning across the table.

“Later.” He said, taking the napkin from Ginny who sat right next to him and held it to his nose.

At the front of the hall, Dumbledore approached his podium. “Very best evening to you all.” The room went silent, turning to face him. “First off, I’d like to start off by welcoming our new Potions Master, Professor Horace Slughorn. Now, not to worry. Professor Snape will be taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts.”

There were scattered claps throughout the room, mostly from the Slytherins. They all exchanged worried looks.

“Now you were all searched upon your arrival and you have the right to know why. Once there was a young man, who, like you walked these very corridors, sat in this very hall, slept under its roof. He seemed like a student like any other. His name, Tom Riddle. Today of course he is known by another name.” There were scattered murmurs. A handful of people glance over at the boy with dark curls who sat with the Slytherins, waiting for his reaction. Y/N glanced over herself, unable to stop herself from doing so. There he sat next to Malfoy and Nott and Parkinson. He remained stony faced, staring into thin air.

“As I look out tonight at all of your facesI am reminded of a sobering fact. That every day, every hour, every waking minute dark forces attempt to penetrate these castle walls. But in the end, their greatest weapon…is you.”

Y/N found herself looking at the other students, wondering just how many had felt the school was unsafe enough to not return this year. She couldn’t exactly blame them.

Snacking into her dinner, she wondered what school was going to be like this year if Snape was going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. He couldn’t be worse than Umbridge was last year, she didn’t even teach them any spells. But then again, he had it out for everyone except his precious Slytherins. Maybe this year she could at least enjoy Potions now that they had a new professor.

After the feast ended most of the older students hurried up to the Gryffindor common room, hoping to get there ahead of the first years. Y/N wasn’t all too surprised by how small the new group of first year, some parents had most likely elected to try to send their children to a different wizarding school, away from Voldemort.

Usually the Gryffindor common room was full of laughter and conversation but now there was something hanging in the air. Murmurs echoed through the once joyous room. The older students had grave expressions on their faces, wondering if a war was on the horizon.

“Hey Y/N, are you still planning on trying out for the quidditch team?” Harry’s question pulled her out of her thoughts.

She nodded, “Yeah.”

“Hopefully we’ll both get on.” Ron chimed in. He had recently mentioned trying out for keeper. Maybe this year all three of them would be on the team.

“Hopefully!” She agreed, smiling. Yawning Y/N said, “I’m off to bed. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight!” They all said.

Y/N went up to her room and plopped down face-first on her bed. As expected her trunks were beside her bed and her clothes were already folded and put away. Her books were on top of her dresser, a photo frame placed next to them. She turned over to look at it. The photo was old, from when she was just a kid. Y/N had just turned nine so for her birthday her parents had taken her to the zoo. That had been and still was her favorite memory form when she was a kid.

She missed those days when she didn’t have to stress out about classes and an impending war. Her only worry had been whether or not she would be able to convince her parents to get her ice cream.

Sighing, she sat up and looked around at the empty room. The rest of the girls in her year, like Hermione, must still be downstairs. For a minute she considered going back downstairs but thought better of it. If she opted to hang out with her friends she would probably stay up until the early hours of the morning. Y/N was determined that she would be well rested for her first day of classes even though her first class of the morning was her least favorite, historically. She dreaded Potions.

Changing into a set of pajamas, she pulled the blankets over herself and closed her eyes, willing sleep to take over. Y/N must have fallen asleep quickly because when she awoke it was still dark out and everyone else was in bed asleep. Despite her best efforts, she could not go back to sleep.

When she finally fell asleep she awoke a minute later to light streaming through the windows of the dorm room. Hermione was already up and dressed.

“Morning, sleepyhead. We need to get to Potions.”

“Huh?” Y/N asked.

“We’re in the same class for Potions. Come on, get up.” Hermione said, impatiently.

“What about breakfast? I need food.” Her stomach grumbled.

“You slept in. I tried to wake you up but you kept on saying that you needed more sleep.”

A few minutes later the two girls were both dressed and ready to go, walking to Professor Slughorn’s classroom. Once inside they walked over to a table together, setting their potions books down at their station.

Professor Slughorn had just started his lesson when Harry and Ron burst into the classroom. Staring at them, bewildered, Y/N wondered why they were here. She thought that they both had a free period.

“Harry my boy, I was beginning to worry!” Slughorn greeted, “And you’ve brought someone with you!”

“Ron Weasley, sir. But I’m awful at potions so I’ll probably just…” He jerked a thumb towards the door.

“Nonsense. We have room for two more. Get your books out.”

“Oh, we don’t have ours.”

“Not to worry, grab one from the cupboard.

While the two of them were grabbing their textbooks from a cabinet, she exchanged a glance with Hermione as if to ask why are they here? only for her to shrug in response.

“Now, can one of you tell me what this one here is?”

Hermione, as usual, raised her hand way before anyone else in the room. She was one of the few who already knew the material.

“Yes…?”

“Granger, sir.”

“Right, Granger. What is it?”

“That one is Veritaserum. It’s a truth-telling serum.”She said, pointing at the first one. “This one’s Polyjuice Potion.” All four of them had used that one back in second year. It had taken weeks for the taste to go away. “It’s terribly difficult to make.”

She approached the third potion, “And this one’s Amortentia. The most powerful love potion in the world. It smells different according to what attracts a person the most. For example, I smell freshly mown grass, parchment, and…”She paused. “Spearmint toothpaste.” Hermione went back to her seat.

Are you okay? Y/N mouths.

She nodded. Unconvincingly.

Slughorn continued with the lesson, “Now Amortentia doesn’t create real love, that would be impossible. It does however create a powerful infatuation or obsession.” All of the girls in the front started to drift closer to it before he put the lid back on. "We will have a more in depth lesson on it later in the year."

Some girl in the front pointed out, “Sir, you haven’t shown us what’s in that one.”

“Ah, yes. A curious little potion. Named Felix Felicis or more commonly known as…”

“Liquid luck.” Hermione blurted out.

“Yes, Ms. Granger. Liquid luck. Tricky to brew, disastrous should you get it wrong. One sip and you will find that all your endeavors shall succeed at least until the effects wear off. One vial is what I offer to the first person who, in the hour that remains, manages to successfully brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death. You will find the recipe on page 10 in your books. Good luck to you all, let the brewing commence.”

Y/N pulled out her book and turned to page 10, ready to start. She could really use some luck this year.

All throughout the room her classmates started to prepare, cutting up ingredients.

“How did you do that?” Hermione asked accusingly.

Harry shrugged, “Crush it, not cut.”

“No. The instructions specifically say to cut.”

"Trust me."

Harry continued making his potion. Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. Taking the cue from Harry, Y/N also crushed it instead. After all, she didn’t plan on doing anything with potions later in life anyway. If there was a later in life to look forward to.

A few tables away Seamus’ cauldron exploded in smoke like it always did. Sometimes she swore he did it on purpose.

At the end of the hour Slughorn came around testing everybody’s potions.

“Ah, perfect!” He exclaimed. “So perfect I daresay one drop would kill us all.”

He then handed Harry the small vial of liquid luck.

“Use it well.”

“I will, sir.”

Everyone else watched with envy in their eyes. She looked over at some of her classmates that were standing in the back only to make eye contact with a pair of chocolate brown eyes that seemed to be able to peer into her very soul. Y/N quickly turned around to face the front, straightening her posture. A chill raced down her spine. It was hard enough being friends with the chosen one, she didn’t want to provoke anyone into noticing her outside of that.

Chapter 2>>

[savingsallow]

— Meet Valentine Black —

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⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

— TEN (10) FACTS ABOUT MY MC —

1.) Her parents are Sirius Black I and Daphne Black nee Yaxley. When they passed away, Valentine was adopted and raised by her uncle—Phineas Nigellus Black. Total nightmare that decrepit old man.

~~~~

2.) She likes to be called 'Val' or 'Valentine' instead of Black or Ms. Black. Her surname is something she's not proud of. Mind you, she loathes it. So—same Ominis same.

~~~~

3.) Val can change her hair color and eye color when her emotions are intense. In fact, her name is Valentine because she was born with pink eyes and hair. However, after her parents' death, her hair turned jet black and her eyes became emerald green.

~~~~

4.) She was actually considered a Squib who was obsessed with books and potion making (the muggle way) before getting admitted into Hogwarts. You can always find her in their mini library at home and stealing potion ingredients from her aunt's supplies; this was her pastime as she would always be left at home when there was a gathering or an event. Frankly, Uncle Phineas does not want to be seen with her even though she is the daughter of his favorite sibling—Sirius.

~~~~

5.) Instead of being disowned by her uncle (which almost happened), Val was sent to a muggle boarding school at the age of 11. Her school was called Wycombe Abbey, which was located in the mountains, and this is where she met her first best friend. Unfortunately, her friend was sadly taken away from her too soon. This left Val in her sadness hole where she resided for years.

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6.) This kid unknowingly caused a fire incident in her dormitory at the boarding school which marks the birth of her ability to manipulate fire.

~~~~

7.) As aforementioned above, Val has three (3) main eye and hair color combinations. Here are its backstory and mood associations:

✴︎ Pink Eyes & Bright Pink Hair ✴︎

She was born with these features hence her name Valentine. These said features of her were regained after the fire incident in her muggle dormitory.

Furthermore, during her fifth year, she would usually face the world with this combination, for two reasons: (1) this became a reclaiming of her old self moment & (2) this was the happiest year of her life so far during that time, so when she's having positive emotions, this is her lovely duo.

✴︎ Emerald Eyes & Jet Black Hair ✴︎

Witnessing how her parents met their end was traumatizing for Val, who was only 4 when that event occurred. After this said event, her appearance slowly changed into this. This was her combination for years until she turned 15 and got into that fire incident.

To add on, after regaining her original features, she tried her best to hide this part of her. Why? Because Val associated the colors black and green with her past heavily. For instance, she is reminded of her shadows (growing powers, unresolved traumas) and her relation with the House of Black, which she didn't want to reveal to people at first because of her fear that she would be not enough or be too much.

So, this combination is related to her not so pleasant emotions.

The first person to ever see this part of Val was Garreth during their 6th year. And Val got comfortable showing this side of her in her 7th year.

✴︎ Clear Green Eyes & Light Pink Hair ✴︎

(art by: @thursdaymoonrise11 ❤️‍🔥✨)

This is Val's neutral state and mostly of what she looked like during her 6th year. It was the most puzzling year so far for her in Hogwarts. Always caught in between being eternally grateful for what changed for the better and being haunted by the recent occurrences and the ghosts of her past. When she's deep in her thoughts, this is what she would look like.

~~~~

8.) Self-expression is very important to her. Aside from the fact that she hates conforming (ehem, boarding schools), this kiddo aims to be more of her every day and less of what's expected of her (yeah, you heard that right Phineas). A sign of rebellion, if you will. Plus that eyebrow slit? That's made to annoy her uncle.

Val loves to experiment with her fashion. This kid would usually change her hairstyle and hair color at Madame Snelling's and would be Mr. Hill's number one customer. Quality, comfort, and style are what this kid goes for!

'Depressed but well dressed'

— Val on her perspective with looking presentable.

On the darker side, there's a part of her that does these in an attempt to hide the fact that she's a Black. Like I said, she despises her own clan. And hating Muggles? No, thank you. I'm fine.

~~~~

9.) Despite her dreadful past, Valentine still holds on to the fact that there's still goodness in the world—even if she wasn't a constant witness to this. This childlike and almost naive perspective of her is what keeps her sane and feels truly alive. Thankfully, she made lifelong friends and soul family during her time at Hogwarts!

~~~~

10.) Love is one of the biggest themes in her lore. But she doesn't know that yet. Whether it is self-love, love for friends, love for newfound family, love for animals, romantic love, you name it! This kid would always choose love over fear. And I think that's powerful and inspiring.

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Thirty-One HL MC Questions for October by @girl-named-matty✨

[thedrarrylibrarian]

Hi! Do you know of any fics where Draco is a rich/powerful businessman? Maybe muggle au’s?

Hello! Your holds have arrived!

I think I've got the exact kind of vibes you're looking for! I hope you enjoy these fics! And as a bonus, be sure to check out this excellent art by @ano-ka-ba.

Rich/powerful businessman Draco

The Potters' Pool Party by @darcyshire (7,453 words, rated T)

When 12-year-old Scorpius is invited to a pool party, worried father Draco insists on tagging along for the sake of safety. By the time Draco realizes whose family is hosting, it's too late for him to back out.

i stay by @hogwartsfirebolt (9,104 words, rated M)

The darkening sky is dangerous for the shape of Harry’s desire, it makes it seem reasonable, as though it were a natural conclusion of having Draco once again within reach, rather than the mirage it actually is.

Seeking: pet carer for Bartholomew (four-year old rescue greyhound, no special needs) by @gallifrey1sburning (14,694 words, rated E)

When Draco’s boyfriend ends their relationship rather abruptly (and, frankly, extremely rudely), he leaves Draco with full-time responsibility for their rescue greyhound, Bartholomew. Draco loves his dog with all his heart, but the long hours he works at his law firm mean that he can’t possibly be home as much as Bartholomew needs. Enter Sirius Pet Care, an app designed to solve this very problem! When Draco books Harry, he’s relieved at how quickly the man and his dog bond. He’s less relieved by how unexpectedly, distractingly attractive Harry turns out to be… and how Draco’s afternoon meetings keep being “mysteriously” cancelled, meaning that he JUST HAPPENS to be home when Harry comes by. After all, it’s not appropriate to ogle one’s employees… right?

to be where I'm going (in the sunshine of your love) by theweightofmywords (19,080 words, rated E)

"He imagined Draco’s smile, all gums and slightly crooked teeth, his hair slicked back with Pacific water, and he knew: He’d travel as long as he’d need to if it meant he’d see that face. If it meant that Draco would hear the message he’d been carrying for so long. Maybe he didn’t have to travel the road alone anymore."

Draco and Harry go on a road trip together. It's about the journey, not the destination.

Uptown Downtown by Sbpagel (29,134 words, rated E)

Draco Malfoy is the spoiled, entitled, pretentious heir to Malfoy Constructions. James Black is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma and tied together with a puzzle.

it was a bad idea ('cause now I'm even more lost) by @all-drarry-to-me (36,446 words, rated T)

When Draco is told his green card is denied and he must return to England, he does the only thing he can think of and starts a fake relationship with the one available person in the room: Harry. The plan is simple — until feelings get involved.

When Trust and Truth Collide by silvergalaxy (47,374 words, rated E)

Harry meets Draco for the first time in the employee break room on a boring Wednesday morning and they immediately hit it off. Chance encounters turn into dates, and dates turn into feelings.

Oh, yeah. Draco's also Harry's boss. Harry has no idea.

Burn the Witch by @lettersbyelise (95,800 words, rated E)

When Harry Potter is sent in to investigate Draco Malfoy’s successful potions company, posing as Draco’s bodyguard, he doesn’t know the case will launch a series of events that will change his life — and Draco’s.

A story about choices, scars, Chopin piano pieces, and finding all kinds of love in the most unexpected places.

Pages of You by @wolfpants (101,717 words, rated E)

Summer, 1980. Harry is floating between university and becoming a Real Certified Adult. He's not ready. He really isn't.

In a desperate attempt to have the Best Last Summer ever, he takes a casual job at his godfather's bookshop in London, starts an illicit pen pal affair with a wordy posh boy that he's catching feelings for, all while dealing with the son of Sirius's business rival, one Draco Malfoy, insufferable know-it-all extraordinaire.

A story about trying to figure out who you are, where you're going in life, and who you want to take along with you.

❤️ As always, if you find a fic you enjoy, please remember to leave the author a kudos or a comment! ❤️

Lots of Love and Happy Reading!

[catherinemorales]

Forced marriage (at first) Y/N x Regulus Black slight alude to sex but nothing really

Y/N L/N sat at the table in front of her mother and father. Two stark looking people of a harsh demeanor. She had a blank face with her long hair pulled back her robes were black and long. Her fingers dainty with a single ring on her right finger. A ring given to her by her father when she first started Hogwarts. A promise from her to him that she would stay true to her family. And she had.

Her mother was quiet and her father was about to speak. He looked impatient as if he was waiting for something and he was. For the clock behind Y/N to strike 10:00 and the quietness of the room allowed for the ticking of this clock to be heard by anyone with ears. Finally when the hands aligned to make the time stop the doors were pushed open.

Y/N new what would happen soon enough. Her days had been numbered since they started. The boys she played with as a child would no longer be her friends but,

“Y/N”

She looked up.

“This is Mrs. Black and her son Regulus.”

She stood up and bowed. All this old fashioned tradition that had been on display for as long as she could remember.

“Hello Mrs. L/N and Y/N”

Y/Ns mom quickly motioned for her daughter to leave the room and so she did with Regulus falling behind.

She knew that the boy was behind her so she took him not to her room but the manors library. She sat down on one of the fancy leather seats and pulled out her book from under her robes.

“Hmm Regulus?”

“Yes?”

“What dare you say they are meeting about?”

“Do you not know?”

“Know that topic that has been spoken about for only my entire life. The aspect to which I will become anew.”

They stayed quiet for a moment before she got up and walked over closer to the tall boy.

“Yes I know.” She looked up at him. The pale boy she had seen her entire life at every gala and event she could remember. The boy with curly black locks that towered over her. The one who she had seen win quidditch games at school. The one she had been partnered with for tests and potions who she had seen in the library dozens of times. The boy who had been there in the shadow of his older brother only his entire life.

“Show it to me” she demanded as she stared into his deep eyes.

Regulus looked startled. And yet he felt as if he had to give in. As if she was in control of him. He lifted his shirt sleeve up and showed the mark to her.

“Hmm. Takes courage. Tell me did it hurt?”

He looked puzzled was she joking. She rolled her robes up to show her mark as well.

“Only wondering he says it shouldn’t. Of course it’s not like he has one to know how it felt.”

She smiled at him. The first smile he had seen someone with her demeanor have.

“Atleast your good looking. Can you imagine if I had to marry one of the lestrange brothers?”

He laughed. She grabbed his wrist.

“Come sit. Knowing our mothers we will be here a while.”

They sat together on a sofa she pulled her book out again to read. Whether Regulus read or not she would always wonder. She didn’t want to stare to much. She was sure she would have plenty of time for that throughout her life. She truly didn’t care what regulus looked like but had she been given a choice she most likely would have chosen him. Someone with intelligence who, hopefully would treat her slightly decently.

Eventually he left and she was alone in her room. But things were different now. No longer did she have that simple band around her finger on her right hand. Instead a silver ring with a green gem laid there on her other hand her left hand on her ring finger. Her wedding finger.

She was told that they would be married before their 7th year started. That everyone would know and they would share a room. That as soon as school was over they were required to have a child and that her life was officially his. She would no longer be a L/N she was now a Black. She was his Black.

Days went on as normal except her days were numbered. And slowly they started to change. She was forced to try on her wedding gown and look at different so called important items for her future. Of course she didn’t know Regulus was going through the same thing. They were similar in that they were alone at heart.

The days all morphed together until the big day. The ceremony that all purebloods went to. It was the big sacred 28 wedding.

Regulus stood at the altar he had a blank face. His hair was brushed back and he was in all black. There were no chairs there were two sides full of people in traditional black dress robes and dresses a wizard priest and on the very other side was Y/N. She wore a long white dress. It covered her arms and her neck. And she had a vail in front of her face. Her hair was pulled into a long braid. She was hard to see. And she walked next to their dark lord. She eventually got up to the altar where Regulus stood. She looked up and their eyes met. As quickly as they had gone together they came apart.

Of course their lord had a speech and Y/N and Regulus then were forced to hold their arms side by side. Their dark marks next to each other and the a spell was said and the snakes met each other in the air.

And then the part they dreaded the most the seal of it all. When it was said for them to kiss. For them it was this or death. And so Regulus bent down and kissed her. It was fast and yet slow. And for some reason neither one of them wanted it to end and yet it did.

The day had many other rituals and spells throughout it. And at the end was Y/N and Regulus sat together at the edge of a bed. A bed neither of them had ever been in. Or seen. Scared they both were. She wanted to cry. And if he was honest so did he. They had both been told what to do. He knew his job and she knew hers. But now that they were there sat on the white silky sheets in his suit and her gown everything had changed.

“I’m scared.” She whispered.

“So am I.” They turned from each other and slowly discarded their clothes until they were both under the sheets with just their bodies.

“Y/N we don’t have to we can find a way.”

“They’re gonna know if we don’t.” She looked at him. And almost for the first time she really saw him. The boy she had always known was no longer a boy he was a man a pale tall man. And he saw that she was no longer a girl but a woman with long hair and a real body.

“I won’t hurt you.”

“I know” and suddenly they locked eyes. And they moved closer. And although neither of them knew anything slowly he pulled her on top of him. And he pushed her hair out of her face and she put her hands around him and he kissed her. It was gentle and although they had just kissed hours ago it felt new.

They stayed close and he was gentle. He kissed her again and slowly he rolled over. And she was under him and he was over her and he kissed her moth and then her neck and suddenly things became easier. and when the time came that he pushed into her she didn’t cry like she thought she would. And she held onto him. The pain was there like she had been told but it wasn’t the same that had been described to her. The pain was new and almost warm. He wasn’t warm but this was warm.

[fandomfrenzy97]

Another Puzzling Potions event completed and the grand prize was so worth it, I started getting butterflies in my stomach (pun intended)…I guess the first signs of spring are finally in the air 🦋🦋🦋

[draco-dormiens]

THE STRANGEST OF PLACES - Chapter Twenty

draco x fem!ravenclaw reader / postwar au series

warnings: swearing, angst, description of an injury, sleep problems, heartbreak, self depreciation

wc: 4400

masterlist

taglist is now closed - i’ve officially run out of tags! thank you all ♡

Chapter Twenty: The Malfoys, The Greengrasses and The Girl Inbetween

Draco wakes with a numb feeling, a few blissful moments of nothingness in his mind until the throb of his knuckles piece the evening back together. He looks down himself, realising he was still in his shirt, his white and green satin bed sheets now stained with blood from the cuts on his hand. He grumbles softly, muttering how he must have just fallen asleep, exhausted from such an eventful night. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he remembers, from start to finish, just how bad last night went. He runs his hand through his hair, momentarily forgetting about the damage he had done. Hissing from the sudden strike of pain in his fingers, he looks over the spectacularly purple bruise forming over his pale skin.

"Shit," he mutters to himself. His head was pounding from the constant pressure. Draco tried to picture the events as they unfolded, but the one thing he could not forget was his mother's scheming. The fury he felt began to bubble once more as he made his way to the sink of his private bathroom, washing the cuts with warm water, biting his bottom lip to stand the pain. He hadn't realised how hard he hit the cold stone. It was surprising that he hadn't broken anything. Dabbing his hand gently with a soft flannel, he made his way back to his bed to find the box of first aid underneath it. As a lover of potions and brewing things, Draco often dabbled in medicine whilst he was home. It was time he could be alone, away from his parents and their insufferable need to redeem themselves. The manor's garden was home to some fascinating plants, many of which had healing properties, and Draco whipped up a salve for things such as cuts and bruises one afternoon when his parents were away. It worked wonders, but in typical Draco fashion, he kept his little invention to himself. Being as gentle as he could, he smeared some of the cloudy white paste over the cuts, bracing for the sting. Once that was done, he lay back down, still in his shirt from the night before. 

As the salve did it's job, he began to think of you, of course. He wonders if you got any sleep last night, what you might be doing right at this moment, and if you were just as confused as he was. The taste of you was enough to make him feral, the feeling of your body against his, the way your mouths moulded as if missing puzzle pieces. It was all so right, and then Pansy walked in, knowing exactly what she was doing. He places his good hand over his eyes, wishing to Merlin she was just a bad dream, but Pansy had in fact seen him embracing you, and now he had to make sure she kept her sour face shut. He thinks on it, wonders why it's so important to him to keep his true feelings from his mother, and then realises how messed it up all seems. Draco had become so accustomed to being controlled, his initial reaction was to make Pansy swear not to speak a word, even though his heart has promised itself to someone else.

But Astoria's words rang true in his mind.

There was little time, it would seem, for the two of you to remain close. Since his parents had been in cahoots with Astoria's, it was very much looking like the rest of his life had been arranged for him. How convenient, he thinks sarcastically. Time was not on his side, and neither was anyone else, for that matter. Only you. The one person he had to tear himself away from. With effort, he rises from the bed to sit at the edge again, a solemn, sinking feeling setting in as he comes to realise what he must do next. Draco felt so helpless, so lost, and most of all, cowardly. Then he thinks to himself, if the tables turned, would you be brave enough to defy your parents for what your heart wants?

He thinks the answer is yes. He is simply, as everyone has always thought, a coward. A hopeless, spineless coward. 

After some difficulty, with his head feeling as heavy as lead and his hand throbbing like it was constantly tied up in twine, he showered and felt a little more human after it. Breakfast was long over, of course, but the real feast was in the kitchen. He heads towards it, as a familiar brown haired girl rushes past him, head down and sniffling. It takes him a second to register that it was in fact Astoria, but when he turns to ask if everything was alright, she had disappeared. Thinking better of getting in her business, he continues to the kitchen, as Astoria hides behind a suit of armour to avoid speaking to him. She peers after him, a pang of guilt in her chest. 

Draco helps himself, thinking how you would scold him if he hadn't eaten, and then makes his way towards Ravenclaw tower. Surely, that's where you will be. If not, Granger was his back up. He wasn't sure what he would say yet, he just wanted to see you for now. Halfway there and the nerves set in. It would be the first time you had spoken since that kiss. He tries and fails to make a fist in an attempt to ease some of the pressure. Up ahead he sees the giant wooden doors that lead to the stairs heading up to Ravenclaw tower. Of course, he cannot walk through it, but was willing to wait until a cooperative Ravenclaw wanders by. He'd stood, perhaps half an hour or more, when the door creaks open, and out walks a sixth year. 

"Excuse me," he calls after her, and the look in her face is extremely cautious once she realised who was speaking to her, "do you know if Y/N Y/L/N is around?"

She observes him carefully before answering.

"And if she is?" the girl answers, looking ready to defend you if necessary. The look in her eyes is rather cold, as if she was angry at him for some reason. 

"I'd like to speak with her," Draco responds politely, "would you be able to collect her for me?"

The girl scoffs bitterly.

"I think not," she raises an eyebrow knowingly, "she's very upset right now."

Upset. Draco's protectiveness kicks in immediately.

"Who upset her?," Draco's voice lowers an octave, "was it Chambers?"

The girl seems to ease up a little when the concern he's displaying seems genuine. She sighs.

"She's inside, but I doubt she'll want to see you," the girl says, "she's locked herself in her dorm room. Best to wait until she's ready to face the world."

She turns to leave.

"Wait," Draco calls once more, and the girl stops to spin in his direction, "can you at least pass on a message for me? Please?"

The evening rolled by achingly slow. You were sure your body had become somewhat numb, unable to feel a single thing. Astoria's words circled your mind, over and over again, the way she begged you to put an end to your relationship with Draco. All your tears had been spent when the room finally darkened to the point you needed candle light to see. You lit a few lamps, and then sat on the edge of the bed. You had pondered for some time about Astoria's plea, and if you were willing enough to believe her story, and even more willing to do what she said needs to be done. You would like to think it was for the greater good, but then something nasty tells you that she just wants you out of the picture. Either way, what was to come seemed inevitable, and you had no power to stop it. Standing, you move to look in the vanity mirror, wiping your cheeks of dried tears and then splashed cold water on your face in the bathroom sink. Once you looked a little less lifeless, you figured you should do something about the ever growing grumble in your stomach when a very soft knock came from your door. Upon opening it slightly, you see Emilie standing there, looking a little sheepish.

"Emilie," you croak, and then immediately clear your throat, "can I help you?"

"Well, I was going to wait until I saw you, but you never left your room," she says, giving you a thin smile, "I ran into someone on my walk, and they asked me to give you a message." She hands you a small piece of folded parchment, and you take it from her gingerly. Emilie takes your prolonged silence as a cue to leave you be, "I guess I'll see you around. Night, Y/N."

You heard her footsteps retreating, but your eyes were on the folded paper. "Thanks," you mumble, and then close the door, ultimately locking out the cold corridor air. You lean against it as you unfold the secretive little note, to see very familiar writing.

I think we need to talk. I'll be in the little wood outside of school tonight at 7. 

Makes a change, right? 

D x

The last few tears trickle down your cheeks as a weak smile graces your features.

Just outside of Hogwarts was a small wood. Not the Forbidden Forest, just a small, unassuming group of trees that stood firmly in place. Pine trees, you believed. You could smell them from a mile away, and as you edged ever closer to the wood edge, your chest felt tighter with each step. Why he had chosen this location, you were unsure, but when the trees came closer, you could see a little flicker of light. Gut instinct told you to follow it, and so you did. As the small flicker of orange light grew larger against the thick tree trunks, a clearing came in to view, and there you saw a blanket on the ground, a few candles, and Draco at the centre. He looks up when he hears footsteps, a giant smile across his pretty face.

"Hi," he says, standing, "I'm so glad you made it."

"Hi," you repeat back, looking a little awestruck at the view, "what's all this for?"

Draco swallowed thickly. Since you locked yourself away for the day, it had bought him some time to think about what to do. He decided that if he was to be wed to Astoria, then he was going to be selfish. He was going to spend one more night with you, and he didn't care how self centered he seemed. 

"I just thought we deserved some quiet time, away from everything," said Draco, crossing the small space to stand before you, "to be together."

"I-I don't understand," you stutter, "I thought you wanted to talk... about, you know."

He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well, yeah, but I just figured this was nice," he mumbles, then clears his throat, "but, uh, yeah we probably should. What, uh, part do you want to talk about?"

"Are you serious?" you spit, not intending to sound so cruel, "how about the fact we kissed and Pansy walked in on us? Or how about Astoria, she's a big topic as of late."

Draco sighs, throwing his head back and closing his eyes.

"I don't want to argue with you," he said wearily, "I only wanted to have a nice evening together."

You feel slightly guilty. He's laid out such a nice area for you, lit candles, chosen a fluffy blanket for you to sit on. Maybe it can wait...

"Sorry," you mumble, and he returns his gaze to you, "a lot going on at the moment."

He moves to brush his fingers over your hand. You allow him. His fingertips send jolts through your body, and you ache to feel his touch once more. He takes your hand in his, squeezing lightly, as your eyes lock. He's so handsome, with the dim light framing one side of his face. You squeeze back, as he leads you over to the blanket, gesturing for you to sit. You do so, and he joins, as close as he can get. Once more he takes your hand in his, and you notice briefly how he keeps the other hand covered by his sleeve. He begins to draw comforting circles against your skin. It was quiet, until his soft voice broke through the pleasant evening air. 

"That kiss," he whispers, and you look up at him, his face dangerously close, "meant everything to me, you mean everything to me."

"Draco-"

"Please, just," he stops you, biting his tongue before speaking again, "let me say this. I need to."

You remain quiet.

"You're the first real friend I've ever made," he goes on, and you feel the very last string in your heart snap, "and the first girl that, well, that I've..." he hesitates, looking at you for reassurance. You want to hear it, of course you do, but with the near future and Astoria lurking over you like a bad omen, you couldn't allow yourself to hear it. You fear it may be the straw that finally breaks the camel's back.

"Don't," you croak, and his eyes fill with both hurt and confusion, "don't, Draco. You can't say it."

"I know," his grips tightens, and you can almost feel the fury radiating off him, "but I need to, before-"

"Draco," you say in utter seriousness, standing up from his embrace. You can't look at him, the face you had been dreading was staring right back at you. You weren't ready for it to happen so quickly, but fate had decided on this moment, "you don't need to explain. I know what's going to happen. Astoria has told me everything."

"Huh?" he sounds, now standing to try and face you. You abruptly turn away, "told you what, exactly? Did she upset you? Is that why you were in your room all day?"

You stifle a sob into your jacket sleeve, and took a deep breath before facing him. His eyes were calling for you, begging for you to come closer. It was a pain you wish to never feel again.

"I know about the dinner, the engagement, everything," you mutter miserably, "it's too late, Draco. We've run out of time."

He goes to speak but seems lost for words. His eyes are glossy against the orange hew of the candles. Such a pretty place for such a solemn conversation. Draco wasn't ready either, he hadn't thought it through. He was perhaps being a little naive for thinking he could have one more night with you, but there were no words coming to him. No way of telling you he could no longer be in your life. It was breaking him, but hearing it come from you seemed to break him more than anything ever could. 

"I see," he breathes, "you don't wish to spend another moment with me, do you?"

"That's not it, Draco," you cry softly, "I'd spend every waking moment with you, but I am not the women for you, we've known that from the very beginning. Don't act like you thought things would change... we always knew, didn't we?"

"So, that's it, then?" he snaps, "you don't even want to say goodbye? Have one more moment together, after everything?"

"What's the point?" you stress, feeling like your body might collapse under the weight of your melancholia, "I can't take it anymore, Draco. I can't. I can't keep dragging this out just for the heartache to hurt even more. After seeing Astoria... I... I'm done, Draco."

He chokes on his own sob, but quickly stifles it. He hadn't prepared himself for what it would feel like when he finally lost you, but it had driven him to a dark place in his mind, and when he wanted to, Draco could cut to the bone. Right to the bone.

"Fuck it, then," he spits nastially, "I don't even know why I did all this shit," he launches the blanket and furiously kicks the candles as far as possible, "I really thought we'd at least get a nice goodbye, you know? But fuck me, right? Fuck all of this. And fuck you, Y/N. As if this is how you want to leave things."

"Draco, please," you sob.

"No, it's done. You've made it clear. Just go." He turns from you, rage filling every crevice of his body. He feels like he might implode. The hurt he feels is like nothing he's ever experienced before, and he wants to rip it out of his chest and stomp all over it. 

If this is love, he doesn't want it.

You remain quiet for a moment, looking around at the destroyed evening. It wouldn't be right for you to entertain it, that's what you tell yourself. Draco is heaving, you can see from how rapidly his shoulders rise and fall. The ache in you is unbearable.

"I will cherish you," you then mutter, not knowing if any words will give him peace, but you try anyway, "always. Take care of yourself, Draco."

You couldn't stand it another minute, and dash before he can say anymore. It was done. You'd cut the tie, and along with it severed every piece of hope you had. As you climb the hill back to the castle, tears trickle down your face silently. You had nothing left to feel now, all you had was the empty void Draco left behind. Empty, hollow and broken, you head for the solitude of the same four walls you had seen all day. When Draco finally turns, you're not there, and the forest is now dark and lonely.

Just like he's always destined to be. 

One month passes.

He wakes in a sweat for the fourth time that week. Ever since you left the woods that night, Draco suffers the same recurring nightmare. He's watching through a window, as you marry a faceless man. He's shouting, banging his fists against the glass, but no one hears him. Not even you, and as the unknown man leans in to kiss you Draco wakes, shooting up in his bed, dripping with sweat. Then, your soft, sad voice trickles back in; I will cherish you, always, and he lets out the most awful sob. His heart was breaking, every day, every minute, every hour. Every time he saw you across a room, the hall, the corridor, the courtyard. He broke a little more each time. 

And he could see it in your face too.

He was so foul to you. Said such awful things, and now he can never take it back. He can never make it right. When his alarm clock blares not only a few hours after his last nightmare, he slams his fist down on to it, cracking it slightly. He has no desire to show up for his exam today, but he has to. His education is the only thing he's ever had control over, and he needed it to get a good job and make his own money. He drags himself, like he has every morning since, to his private bathroom to see the delightfully dark circles under his eyes. He makes little effort, throwing on whatever he can find. The letter his mother sent regarding the engagement sits on his desk, opened, with a little velvet box next to it. Inside sits a stunningly silver ring, with a huge green emerald embedded within it. A family heirloom, and worth a small estate, it sits waiting to be placed on Astoria Greengrass's finger in a few weeks time. Draco avoids even touching it. Astoria accompanies him to most exams now, and he doesn't quarrel about it. He simply lets her talk. Sometimes you sit the same exam, and when you're sitting in front of him, he spends more time ogling the back of your head than he does writing answers. 

He skips all meal times, and only goes to the kitchens late. He doesn't spend time outside the common room unless he absolutely has to, and only turns up for Quidditch practice and matches. He doesn't look for you in the crowd, he doesn't get his hopes up. Draco lives for whatever is planned for him and nothing else. Sleepless nights turn into sleepless days, then weeks, until he's so tried he falls asleep at his desk studying. He doesn't even know how he gets through exams, he just drinks barrels of coffee and hopes for the best, drowns himself in Quidditch practice and spends as much time whizzing around the field as he can. McGonagall has offered him some time to talk, but Draco refused politely. Even she can see he's a shell now. 

Hermione tries to coax you out of your dorm after exams. She asks you to the tearoom in Hogsmeade, she asks you to play chess, even just a walk. Each time you decline politely and crawl under your covers, or sit and study at your desk until your hand aches from writing. You, too, have the same recurring nightmare, but instead it's you watching Draco live his life with Astoria as his wife. You go to meals to satisfy Hermione that you're eating, but longly look at the place he always used to sit. You watch Astoria with her friends, and refuse to smile back at her. You go to your exams and go back to your dorm. That's all you have the energy for. That's all that's worth doing lately. Every night before you sleep you hear Draco's harsh words, see him turning away from you as you broke him one final time. And, to top it all off, you've been invited to Ron's for a pre graduation dinner at the same time Draco is proposing to Astoria. How on earth you were supposed to sit through that, you had no idea, but you were determined to try for Hermione's sake. Your parents wrote to you, having no idea what was going on, and you replied like everything was rosey. You zone out in the library, dread seeing him at examinations, and sob into your pillow so much you need a new pillowcase. 

Nothing is right, everything is wrong, and the storm outside your bedroom window rages on and on and on as you scribble notes on parchment. This whole time you've only ever been the girl in the middle. The Malfoys, the Greengrasses, and then you. A powerless, hopeless excuse of a fling, it would seem.

Only four weeks left until you graduate, and yet you've never felt so miserable in your whole life.

Across the castle, at the Gryffindor common room, Hermione wraps a jumper around her shoulders and heads out of the portrait hole. She marches her way down the tower, through the corridors, down and down until she reaches the dreary, dark hallways of the dungeons. She ignores the whispers of passing Slytherins, and makes a beeline for the snakes common room. When she arrives, she's met with a stone cold wall. Irritably, she sighs, and looks for any Slytherin in sight. She paces between the dimly lit corridors, an ever present dripping from the lake above driving her insane. How students live down here is beyond her. Most students wander off as she approaches, and just when she thinks her luck has run out, Malfoy enters the corridor she's wander up. He's windswept, holding his broom and looking absolutely exhausted. She runs, not wanting to shout his name, and grabs hold of his arm from behind, pulling him to the side.

"What the- Granger? What the fu-"

"Do not use that tone of voice with me, Malfoy," she tells him, her voice and eyes cold, "I'm simply here to say a few words."

"What could you possibly have to say to me?" Draco shakes his head lightly, "whatever it is, save it."

He goes to leave, but her death grip returns to his arm again.

"Four weeks," she tells him sharply, "that's all the time at Hogwarts we have left, and then we graduate."

"I'm aware of the timeline, Granger," Draco drawls. 

"Shut up and listen," she snaps at him, and his eyebrows raise, "you have four weeks before we leave here for good. Four weeks until you've run out of time to do what's right," Draco stares at her with black bags under his eyes and a complexion like a ghost, "Ron is holding a pre graduation dinner. Same day you're supposedly proposing to Greengrass. Don't look at me like that, Y/N tells me everything," she waves a dismissive hand at his sudden urge to tell her to keep out of his business, "if you have any brain cells left, you'll show up at that dinner. You've never been a coward, Draco Malfoy. Don't start now."

Hermione lets go of his arm, and her words spark something small in his chest, but it dies before it can become anything more.

"Not a coward?" he scoffs, "then why am I marrying Greengrass in a few weeks?"

"Malfoy," Hermione stresses, "turn up at that dinner. Its your last chance. If you don't, then I'll assume you've gone ahead with whatever this madness is. It's not too late. I know Y/N loves you."

She can see how thickly he swallows at those words, as if he's having trouble digesting them.

"D-did she say that?"

"She doesn't have to," Hermione smiles weakly, "and as her friend I can't bare to see her this way, especially when there's a way to fix this. You're not like them, Malfoy, you can pretend all you like but you know it too," she places a comforting hand on his arm, "I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm trying to help, the both of you."

For once he's thankful for her sharp tone and bossy attitude. If there was even a glimmer of hope, he wanted to take it, but after the way he left things he feared there was no way back. Not to mention how his parents might treat him. He was in far too deep now.

"Thanks, Granger," he mumbles, removing her hand from his arm gently, "but I'm in too deep. I've made my bed, right? Besides, she won't want me after how I spoke to her. Believe me. All I've ever done is run from what was right. I can't change that now."

"Malfoy-"

"Thanks for coming down here," he says as he walks away, "and if you can, please tell Y/N that I'm sorry. Not that she wants to hear it."

Hermione calls for him one last time, capturing the attention of passing students. Sharing a rather thin smile with them, she shuffles back into the wall. Maybe she had just made things worse, but she had to try. As she leaves the damp, cold atmosphere of the dungeons, she hopes, prays, that Malfoy isn't as stupid as she thinks he is. 

disclaimer: i do not own hp or any of the characters in this story

tags:

if your name is bold - i either couldn’t tag you or i’ve hit the tag limit :( sorry lovelies ♡

@lovesanimals0000 @cappgyuccino @lightning1ce @onlygetaway @honeyyypeach @namelesslosers @ghostyv @mikadorbs @redactedhimbo @morganadpl @scarecrowscaresthomas @camille-1019 @valkyrie418 @animeloverfreak310 @budugu @marplest @torresbarnes @bunny24sstuff @champagneesupernova @serafilms @siriusly-parker-main @lovely-maryj @i-bitch-you-bitch @astablacksword @sun-fiower-seed @tinafuentes @venusjustleft @omgitstatertot @aangsupremacy @ilovezy @leclerc16s @aslanvez @talesofadragon @3vasaur @the-skys-musical-echo @yeolsbubbles @idk-dolans @xx-kiraa-xx @sunbruized @vinkiesz @snickersmee @fandomrulesall-blog @astheraa @idkatee @marsanhwa @vintageoldfashion @63sucker @j-n-i-c-o-l-e @anarchistsons @smallsweetvanillabean @newbooksmell777 @tangomangroves @neoteezrenyoung @l0v3lies @delusionally-loveless-by-choice @higanbanagirl @ace152435 @arcanebabe @slythermuf @hea-vin @zucchinimalfoy

[too-much-gacha]

Sweet dreams 1/4

disclaimer: this switches between referring to MC as MC and referring to MC as you, also is this extrovert!MC? I feel like it isn’t but maybe? I’m not sure. Also also, this can be read as romantic or platonic. Except for Luke. Luke is strictly platonic.

It's pretty common knowledge that ever since MC started consciously using magic, their room at House of Lamentation slowly became something akin to a mage’s tower. Though not in a “mansion-size extradimensional space in a kettle” way, but more in a “prevents unconscious use of magic from affecting everything around them” way. In hindsight- a particularly useful feature, when one's aware of how easily magic slips from the human exchange student when they're asleep.

In the beginning, it was small things: the house smelled like melted chocolate, butterflies in the greenhouse would blink at you with their wings or nearby flowers would recite disturbing rhymes. Soon things escalated. House of Lamentation is filled with liquid and everyone jumps at Levi for summoning Lotan again, but it’s not him. The liquid is actually… blueberry jelly? And Henry is outside his tank conversing with Satan’s pencil case about the latest discoveries within curses and hexes and how they relate to raising the prices of brushes for dogs, and after an hour or two it’s gone. Or that one time when suddenly Solomon had to run around Purgatory Hall trying to catch various potion ingredients when they decided to crown Luke as their Princes of The Pot Garden and carry him around. Things got hectic during one of the retreats at Demon Lord’s Castle. The film glitches during one scene and now instead of a dramatic reveal of the murderer there's a seal spinning in circles and a giant goose is chasing Mammon and Asmo and honking about eating cement and stolen homework in the UwU-voice. They are no longer in the Demon Lord's castle but in the car park of a supermarket, or rather the castle is the car park. And Mammon starts screaming bloody murder when the goose catches him in its beak. Then everything vanishes and MC wakes up, assuring they were watching the whole time and didn’t fall asleep. The puzzle pieces started to fall together after that, and that was one mystery solved. But why was MC falling asleep almost faster than Belphie? Well, the poor thing developed something akin to athletic heart syndrome. With so many stimuli, events and tasks happening every day, it became a default to always do something, be somewhere, help someone, play games with Levi, go clubbing with Mammon, pet Devildom cats with Satan bake with Luke, stop Solomon from baking with Luke, tinker with Thirteen, tea at demon Lord’s castle and so many more. Neither of those things bothered MC, they enjoyed each activity, but it became a norm to the point that if MC did something by themselves or just simply did nothing they’d fall asleep. Fortunately, for an identified problem, a more or less optimal solution can be found and everyone has their own idea of what to do when “a wild asleep MC has appeared”.

Lucifer

You were lying on the couch in Lucifer’s study, scrolling through Devilgram, while you waited for him to finish work.

You were planning on playing a round or two of chess after he’s done, but then Lucifer hears a thud. Your phone fell out of your hand.

Lucifer would come and cover you with his coat before going back to his task. He can handle a little unruly magic

But ultimately, when little fire creatures start jumping out of the fireplace and dancing together in circles, he decides that maybe it’s enough for today.

He puts your phone in his back pocket and picks you up, carrying you to your room, careful not to wake you up. Little fire sprites following right behind him.

You get tucked into bed with a little goodnight kiss on the forehead

And maybe just maybe if he will sometimes finish the rest of the documents while sitting in the bed with you

or maybe he’ll just leave them be and fall asleep with you

Satan

A lovely afternoon in the cat café by the park, herbal tea, pastries, whimsical cats and…

And you fell asleep, just as Satan was returning with a new bag of treats

Cats were starting to swarm around you as if you were their personal heater

If you were at HoL, reading together in his room or in the common room, he might have waited a bit, but this was the middle of the Devildom, so it was time to head home, but not before he could snap the picture of you surrounded by cats and sending it to the Cats group chat

As he carried you on his back, he felt something drop on his nose. There was no rain in the forecast for today, but that was chocolate dripping from the pink cloud hanging right above Satan’s head in a comically cartoonish way. Great. Just what he needed

He gets you both to your room, both sticky from syrup

the cloud dissipated somewhere around the kitchen, but it didn’t take all the syrup with it

“Did I fall asleep?” you ask drowsy

“Yes, do you want me to wash your hair? It’s all sticky from the chocolate.”

“Yes, please” he wonders if you registered what he said or was the reply purely automatic.

He washes your hair and does the same for himself. You wake up a bit more.

“To be honest. I’m having some munchies.” you hug him as he towels his hair. “Do you want some crackers and hot chocolate?”

Asmodeus

Nothing like a little self-care day with you putting on masks, styling each other's hair, painting nail–

“MC darling, you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fi–” a big yawn escaped you.

“Aww, I think somebody is sleepy” he accentuates it with a few head pats “I will run you a nice bath, and we can then snuggle up under blankets” you hummed in approval

He returned to his room to you sitting exactly the same, you even still had a hand raised mid-air like you were waiting for him to apply the next layer of nail polish, but the nail polish was applying itself everywhere but your nails

You fell asleep. You fell asleep!?

In other circumstances, he’d ask someone to carry you so he wouldn’t strain himself (gotta keep up the appearances)

But there’s no time for that if he wants his room and cosmetics in one piece and still useful

He picks you up bridal style and tiptoes to your room

He might then finish your nails, but he’d much rather snuggle up to you. He still needs his beauty sleep

Luke

Oh no! You fell asleep, better take the bowl with popcorn from your hands before both of you have a huge mess to clean up

To be fair, Luke almost fell asleep himself. The film wasn’t as interesting as you both thought it would be

But he knew what to do if you fell asleep, he had to ask somebody to take you to your room. Easy!

Except, nobody else was at HoL yet, and Luke heard murmurs from the half-empty bowl. The popcorn people were raising and arming themselves up

He can do it himself. He’s a big, strong boy. He doesn’t need other’s help. If Asmo and Levi can carry you, so can he.

He hooked his arms under your armpits and started dragging you off the sofa. Slowly, carefully so you won’t hit the ground. But the popcorn people started to breach containment, so he picked up the pace

Unfortunately, you were a bit too heavy for Luke and walking backwards did not help. He tripped on the edge of the carpet and fell, and you woke up when the floor met your head.

“Ouch,” you blinked once, twice. The popcorn army crumbled before Luke’s eyes, “Wow, would you look at the time? Come on Luke, we gotta get you to bed or Simeon will have my head”

You took Luke by the hand and started walking away, while he wondered what would happen if you hadn’t woken up. Would he be eaten by popcorn instead of the other way around

[suzukiblu]

current projects’ current progress:

obligatory sugar baby Kon [ assorted; 8.3k/44.5k ]

when I see myself, I always know where you are [ REREAD; 4/4 ]

when I see myself, I always know where you are [ EDITS ch5; 10.2/10.2k ]

Ko-fi subs:

the wet nurse omegaverse [ ducksandswans; 1k/1k ]

Billy adopts Conner and it actually goes pretty good! [ qwertynerd97; 1k/1k ]

a pocketful of Kons [ lottie; 1k/1k ]

Billy adopts Conner and it actually goes pretty good! [ Mango Bat; 300/500 ]

Billy adopts Conner and it actually goes pretty good! [ 🦄; 0/500 ]

the one where omegaverse fucks up Red Hood's life [ miri_tiazan; 250/500 ]

the puzzle trap sex-room [ S; 500/500 ]

a fake cryptid and a real romantic [ Derpsheep; 500/500 ]

mirrorverse!Clark and Kon's daddy issues both get some [ Marina; 0/500 ]

Billy adopts Conner and it actually goes pretty good! [ inkwell; 0/500 ]

think pink [ Paradox; 0/2k ]

Kara gets to Earth on time and the Kents get a two-for-one special on free kids [ Plot Bunny; 500/500 ]

project sidekick [ Plot Bunny; 500/500 ]

think pink [ Cheshire; 0/1k ]

the one where Kon's soulmark isn't fake [ Jan; 0/1k ]

mistaken identities and interdimensional refugees [ Jan; 0/500 ]

Kara gets to Earth on time and the Kents get a two-for-one special on free kids [ videogeek; 0/500 ]

mirrorverse!Clark and Kon's daddy issues both get some [ this-was-a-terrible-idea; 0/500 ]

alpha Jazz, a dark alley, and a very pretty omega [ yesdangerpls; 0/500 ]

the wet nurse omegaverse [ ZepysGirl; 0/500 ]

love potion number nine [ sakoku_decree; 0/500 ]

Clark panic-adopts his teenage clones [ definitelynotaminion; 0/500 ]

TBD x 3 [ EldritchRights; 0/3k ]

Ko-fi thank-you sentences:

YJ packs up and gets pupped [ windcalling; 60/60 ]

the one where omegaverse fucks up Red Hood's life [ miri_tiazan; 24/24 ]

the parasite [ Beatrice_Otter; 36/36 ]

the Gotham Kid [ anon; 200/200 ]

omega!Clark and hungry!Kon [ Ratherbeme; 0/50 ]

the wet nurse omegaverse [ qwertynerd97; 0/34 ]

Clark wakes up alive [ Jan; 100/100 ]

alpha Jazz, a dark alley, and a very pretty omega [ anon; 23/50 ]

Billy adopts Conner and it actually goes pretty good! [ 🦄; 60/60 ]

JayKon soulmates, TimKon datemates, and the wrong Superboy [ likemymask; 81/100 ]

hey I just met you, and this is crazy [ zephrbabe; 0/100 ]

weird amnesia TimBerKon [ Derpsheep; 0/60 ]

Billy adopts Conner and it actually goes pretty good! [ u-h-h-g-h; 0/40s ]

omega!Clark and hungry!Kon [ Nora; 0/24s ]

mirrorverse!Clark and Kon's daddy issues both get some [ dexdefyingstunts; 0/20s ]

Jason gets knocked up and accidentally goes home about it [ Kel; 0/30s ]

mistaken identities and interdimensional refugees [ BernadetteHoule; 0/30s ]

assorted WIP Wednesdays [ kahlee; 14/14 fills ]

wet nurse OR 2-for-1 Kents [ qwertynerd97; 0/100s ]

YJ packs up and gets pupped [ UraniaChang; 0/6s ]

DPxDC events/challenges:

dpxdcbigbang [ 13.5k/5k ]

DPxDC Summer Exchange [ 200/1.5k ]

Women In Comics Mini Bang [ 900/3k ]

konbartzine work [ 0/3 pages inked ]

Invisobang [ claim submitted; released ]

A SECRET THIRD FOURTH DPxDC THING~ [ 0/5 ]

[saika077]

Random HC:

The first years (+Ortho) playing DnD in Ramshackle Dorm

Yuu/MC is DMing of course

Player characters (I won't go too deep into their character details tho)

I feel like Ace'd be a Human Rogue, it kinda fits his personality imo. I personally don't see him as someone who uses brute force or blast magic, so Rogue it is. Specifically, I feel like he'd be an arcane trickster.

Deuce's character would be a Monk 100%. As for the race I can sorta see him being a Tiefling. Now you might be asking, "why a Monk and not a Barbarian?", While I do acknowledge his tendency to go apeshit at times, he actively tries to grow and change from his past habits. Perhaps his character could be an ex-barbarian who is training hard to be a Monk (multiclass)?

Jack's character'd be a Goliath Fighter, the only justification I have for this is that I feel like the competitive nature of a Goliath and their desire to push beyond new limits fits him like a glove, also the fighter class suits him just fine imo.

Given his background, I feel like Epel would be a Druid (they're basically magic farmers/gardeners). However, he'd give his character cantrips like Poison Spray, various spells but no healing spells (yea this party is pretty much fucked). You can fight me on this but post-character arc Epel would be a Halfling, he'd use his size as an advantage in combat.

As for Sebek, I can't see him being anything other than a Paladin. He'd most likely be an Aasimar... or maybe a half-elf? No? Too on the nose? Anyways, he'd give his character enchantment spells, and maybe some healing spells like Cure Wounds.

Ortho is the party's main support, with him being a tiny fairy bard (now you see why I had to bring Ortho in this otherwise the party won't even survive the winter). He's just a little lad who loves berries and cream :). He also provides bgm and sfx for the campaign.

I'm sorry but I have very little to no faith for this party. But I'm sure they'll somehow survive.

Together, the fate of the world somehow lies in the hands of these murder hobos.

Random shenanigans

Ace attempting to steal a treasure/sacred item from a monster's lair, only to miserably fail a stealth roll. Everyone had to haul ass out of there.

Deuce getting emotionally attached to an Npc with tragic backstories and/or noble goal, and then stubbornly tried to save that npc and getting upset at the DM for killing them.

something tragic happens and someone just says "this is so sad, Ortho play the acoustic rendition of Piece of My World"

Ace, to every barmaid bc he's broke: "hey (with rizz)" *rolls a Nat 1 Charisma*

With how hotheaded the NRC kids are it's only a matter of time until an npc taunted or look at them the wrong way and they'd be like "oh that's it, now you're gonna get it! I ROLL FOR INITIATIVE!" completely unprompted (like in the second half of the Halloween event bc I still find it insane how everyone immediately resorts to violence, even some of the more levelheaded students).

The one time Ortho and/or Sebek can't make it to a session, Jack gets knocked out by an enemy and the gang tried to heal him. Ace: "ok but can we try slapping him awake?" Deuce:"oh that's a good idea! Can we, Yuu/MC?" Yuu/MC:"...roll me a strength check" (they forgot that they have a healing potion)

The DM sitting there horrified while watching the party using the "power of friendship" on an NPC

I feel like half of them would brute force puzzles in a dungeon and it works like one out of three times or something.

"why do I hear boss music?"

Yuu, the DM, puts their hands together in front of them, a strange smile plastered on their face as they calmly said; "everyone, I want you to roll for initiative 🙂"