#she's here now!!!

[shadowtriovibes]

the waves won't break my boat

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

Rating: G

Word Count: 2K

Summary: request: "okok what about like Seb telling reader he has a surprise to show her and then sneaking her out at night to take her for a ride on the boats toward the castle like first years do bc she missed it as she wasn’t there during first year and he wanted her to see such a beautiful sight?? just pure fluff"

“Sebastian,” you whine a bit pitifully. “Where are you taking me?” “It’s a surprise,” is all he offers. “Don’t get your wand in a knot, we’re nearly there.” You trail after him in the darkness until he comes to a sudden stop next to a concealed doorway you’d never stopped to investigate. Upon closer inspection, you realize that it’s actually a lift, and from there you deduce that Sebastian means to take you deep underneath the castle. “Absolutely bloody not.”

“Oi! New fifth year!”

Frowning, you glance up from the Ancient Runes textbook you’d been pouring over for the last hour by the fire in the Gryffindor common room.

“Me?” you ask dumbly.

Across the room by the Fat Lady’s portrait, one of the sixth-year girls who always seems to have a sour expression on her face rolls her eyes.

“Yes, you,” she calls out with a sneer. “Your little boyfriend is outside looking for you. Brown hair, Slytherin, bit of an arse?”

You slam your book shut and narrow your eyes, willing yourself not to go red while the handful of other Gryffindors studying nearby start to giggle and whisper to each other. Then you awkwardly shove your book back into your school bag and weave through the common room’s array of plush armchairs and couches toward its guarded entrance.

“Thanks for that,” you mumble as you shove past her into the tunnel behind the portrait.

(You don’t bother telling her that Sebastian is not your boyfriend, because it’s very much not her business.)

When you emerge from behind the Fat Lady, you find Sebastian pacing in the empty hallway. He looks a bit nervous, but as soon as he notices you, his usual air of casual confidence settles onto his shoulders like a fresh set of robes.

“Good, you’re not busy,” he says simply.

You raise an eyebrow at him skeptically. “As a matter of fact, I was doing some reading on runes. Did you want to join me?”

Ever since your adventure in the not-so-abandoned mine outside Upper Hogsfield, you’ve been trying to learn as much as you can about the rune symbols that the two of you had encountered in case you come across them again. You assume that Sebastian has been doing some research as well, though he seems to be most interested in that ratty spellbook you’d found in the Scriptorium.

“Not tonight,” he says, his fingers twitching nervously at his sides. “Actually, there’s something that I’ve been wanting to show you for a while now, and I’ve just found out that tonight is an excellent night to make it happen.”

Now you’ve shifted from merely skeptical to outright suspicious.

“I promise, you’ll love it,” he says quickly. “There’s no danger to life or limb, I swear.”

“Does it involve any active goblin mines?” you ask dryly.

“Not this time,” he answers with a grin. “In fact, we won’t even be leaving Hogwarts.”

“Really?” you ask, surprised.

Of course, he hesitates. “Well, not technically. We’ll be on the grounds, at least.”

You roll your eyes fondly – you should have known it couldn’t be that simple when Sebastian is involved.

“Isn’t it nearly curfew?” you ask him knowingly. “Won’t we get detention if we’re caught?”

“You know I have ways of not getting caught,” he reminds you. “But I wouldn’t worry if I were you. I’d even wager that we won’t see a single living soul where we’re headed – not this time of year.”

Damn him, he knows that throwing in a tease of a hint like that is bound to tempt you.

“No living souls?” you repeat.

“No dead ones either,” he laughs. “But it’s clever of you to notice that bit of wordplay. I suspect the Sorting Hat must have sensed some Slytherin in you.”

(Even if he’s right, you’d never admit it to him while he’s being that cocky.)

You quickly glance around to make sure there aren’t any other stragglers lingering in the hallway before you start to follow Sebastian toward the marble staircase. While you make your way through the mostly-deserted castle, Sebastian earnestly quizzes you about what you’ve learned on the subject of runes since your last outing. This leads to a conversation all about Isadora and her journal entries, and before you realize it you’re following him outside into the Viaduct Courtyard.

The cool autumn air feels bracing after you’d spent all evening curled up by the fireplace, and you drape your scarf a bit closer to your face as Sebastian casts Lumos from the tip of his wand and leads you toward the far end of the courtyard.

“Sebastian,” you whine a bit pitifully. “Where are you taking me?”

“It’s a surprise,” is all he offers. “Don’t get your wand in a knot, we’re nearly there.”

You trail after him in the darkness until he comes to a sudden stop next to a concealed doorway you’d never stopped to investigate. Upon closer inspection, you realize that it’s actually a lift, and from there you deduce that Sebastian means to take you deep underneath the castle.

“Absolutely bloody not,” you tell him.

“Merlin’s beard, haven’t I proven myself to you yet?” he asks, exasperated. “This is Hogwarts, it isn’t dangerous at all!”

(You may only have been a student at this school for several months, but you know that he’s utterly full of dragon dung if he seriously believes that.)

Regardless, you reluctantly allow yourself to be led into the lift, your wand at the ready as it magically comes to life and starts to sink into the ancient bedrock beneath the castle. However, instead of emerging into another spider-infested passageway or tomb-like chamber filled with Merlin knows what, you take a step out of the lift and realize that you’re standing on sand.

“Where are we?” you ask softly.

Glancing around, it seems to be a hidden harbor of sorts, tucked away inside a rocky cavern lit only by enchanted lamps and the faint strands of moonlight that manage to filter through its crag-like opening. A shallow lagoon stretches out in front of you, and floating atop its placid surface are half a dozen narrow boats tied to wooden docks.

“What do you think?” Sebastian asks you eagerly.

You’re quiet for several long moments as you take a few steps toward the water.

“...Are we about to go out onto the lake in one of these?” you ask, even though you think you already know the answer to your own question.

“Brilliant, you are,” he teases.

“May I ask why?” you counter.

“I was thinking I’d explain along the way,” he replies, easily rebuffing your line of questioning while he walks out onto the nearest dock and starts to untie one of the boats. “Go on then, ladies first.”

You are very cautious as you lower yourself into the boat. Mercifully it stays steady while you take a seat on its narrow bench and wrap your robes tightly around yourself. As soon as Sebastian piles the slack ropes that had previously held it in place onto the dock and joins you inside the boat, it starts to slowly pull away from its resting place and curves toward the harbor’s ivy-covered opening.

The novelty of the self-guiding boat emerging from the harbor onto the lake proper is enough to distract you for a short while, but by the time you round the corner and spot the shores of Hogsmeade in the distance, you refocus on your scheming friend.

“Well?” you demand. “What reason could you possibly have for bringing me out onto the Black Lake well after curfew, in late November, in a very tiny boat?”

He sits back with a smug smile on his face as he starts to explain. “First off, the boat isn’t tiny, we’re just much bigger than its usual occupants.”

You frown. “...House elves?”

“No!” he laughs delightedly. “First years.”

“And why do the first years ride in boats?” you ask.

“It’s a Hogwarts tradition,” Sebastian says simply. “Every new student rides across the lake in these very boats from Hogsmeade Station on their first night here.”

Then he pauses and pointedly adds, “Well, almost every student.”

You feel a wave of wistfulness pass over you just then. There are so many experiences that you’ve missed out on by not starting school at Hogwarts until your fifth year – more than you’ll ever be able to chronicle, most likely. But every time you learn about a new one, the chasm between you and your fellow students seems to grow wider.

“Don’t fret,” Sebastian says softly, interrupting your train of thought as if he could detect that your mind had flown miles away. “That’s why I wanted to show you this. It’s one of my favorite memories of my time here, and you should get to experience it too.”

Occasionally, Sebastian surprises you with how genuinely thoughtful he can be.

“Will you tell me about what it was like?” you ask hopefully.

“Of course,” he says happily. “It starts when you first arrive on the Hogwarts Express. Returning students take the carriages pulled by Thestrals up to the castle, but the little ones all stand around on the platform in little huddles like baby Puffskeins.”

You picture younger versions of Sebastian and Anne nervously clinging to each other on the hectic platform and very nearly melt.

“Then Mister Moon arrives and starts herding all the first years down toward the docks,” he continues. “‘Four at a time in the boats please, no more and no less!’”

“Is that when you met Ominis?” you wonder aloud.

“It was,” he confirms. “He rode in our boat with Anne and me, along with a friend of Anne’s who’s in Ravenclaw now.”

“It seems like you all made fast friendships,” you murmur.

“What can I say?” he says with a cheeky grin. “When I get a good feeling about someone, I’m usually right.”

You duck your face into your scarf to conceal your blush.

A few moments later, the boat gently bumps against the shores below Hogsmeade Station and curves as if to turn back toward Hogwarts.

“Quickly, close your eyes,” Sebastian instructs.

This time you easily comply – he hasn’t led you astray so far, after all.

“I can still picture the first time I saw Hogwarts from across the lake,” he tells you, and even with your eyes closed you can hear how nostalgic he sounds. “It will always be one of my favorite memories, especially now that Hogwarts has become more like a home to me than anywhere else.”

Suddenly you’re nervous, even though you’ve already approached the castle from across this very lake countless times on your boom. With one hand covering your eyes, you wordlessly reach for him with your other. He takes your hand in his and squeezes it reassuringly.

“Ready?” he asks quietly. “...Alright, open.”

When you open your eyes, you can’t help but gasp out loud.

From down below like this on the rippling surface of the lake, Hogwarts looks positively enormous. Since you began exploring its secrets and eccentricities, it became all too easy to forget the downright colossal scale of the venerable castle. Here, however, it looms over you like a friendly giant, its storied facade dotted with sparkling windows and lofty turrets.

“It’s beautiful,” you breathe. “Sebastian, I… thank you.”

You manage to tear your eyes away from the castle only to catch Sebastian staring at you instead.

“Worth the trip?” he asks you.

“Absolutely,” you answer, squeezing his hand when you realize he’s still holding yours. “This was… This was amazing. I’ll never forget this, Sebastian.”

“Me neither,” he confesses, and then he blushes. “I – I mean, er. You never forget the first time you see the castle from the Black Lake, is what I meant.”

Easily distracted by the allure of the castle, you mumble in agreement and fall silent until the boat starts to curve back toward its cavernous home.

Sebastian lets you keep his hand in yours until he chivalrously offers to tie up the boat upon your return. You silently reclaim his hand once more when he joins you in the lift, and he doesn’t let go again until he drops you back at your common room.

[artkaninchenbau]

Crocodile finds a strange stray cat an 11-year old Nico Robin (AU where they met 13 years earlier. Robin's been on the run from the World Government for 3 years. Crocodile's 27 and has not set up base in Alabasta yet)

It seems like I have become possessed. By some sort of demon.

Bonus:

[blackpearlblast]

a video call for help from @haya-orouq19 who is in gaza

[Transcript: Please don't scroll if you want to help a family in Gaza. Hey everyone, this is Haya Orouq, I am 18 years old from Gaza City. Today is the 167th day of the war in Gaza City. And through this war we lost our house, my university was bombed. My whole childhood neighborhood area was completely damaged. We have been displaced to three different places in search of a safer place but unfortunately there's no safer place in Gaza. Everywhere there's bombing, everywhere is dangerous, so we are now displaced in Deir al-Balah. And me and my family lost everything, we have nothing left here in Gaza.

And my mom is very sick also, she is suffering from Lupus and because she has Lupus, she is a kidney failure patient in need of an urgent treatment and care outside of Gaza. The hospitals here is so poor and bad and the quality of her treatment is getting worse and worse because the quality of the hospitals is bad, because of the conditions of the war. So please guys, help my family, we deserve to- we deserve a decent life, we deserve to start a new beginning and deserve a new life.

So, here's the link in the bio and you can help me by sharing the video, repost, comment, like, whatever you can do can help. Every one dollar can make a difference. You can make life-changing difference to my family, you can save my family, you can save my mom. I am also trying to reach out to as many celebrities who are interested in helping people like me by making videos about the family that needs help in Gaza, like me. So I will mention them in the comment and please go to them, ask them to share my videos, and to make a video about my campaign and ask them to share my link. This is so urgent, I need your help guys because my account is prevented from receiving and sending messages so I can't reach out with them. I will mention them so please help me, and help my family.

I can't bear seeing my mom struggling with death because she has a dangerous disease which is Lupus and she is a kidney failure patient and I can't bear seeing my older sister suffering from hunger. So please guys, you can do it and please make #HelpHayasFamily. Share this video, whatever you can do can help. You can share the link as widely as possible, you can share the video. End of transcript.]

you can donate to her campaign here!

[knockknockwhosthereartistism]

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(OG AU is by waty_mot on Twitter)

[chloesimaginationthings]

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[beeturtlle]

Maizula nation please where r u

[opikiquu]

iknow my comics are ugly please just hear me out

[hyolks]

nina's a little bit older here but she's still very much a little sister to them!!

[bigfatbreak]

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[brainrotcharacters]

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[tacit-semantics]

Fuck it. Crochet cartilaginous stingray skeleton

[hurlyburlytopsyturvy]

her whack-a-mole game go deadly

[chloesimaginationthings]

Abby let’s Cassidy meet her FNAF movie friend!

[be-an-echo]

✨ girl dad Joel ✨

made for @kokureno

[kazehita]

<3