#tamsin winter

[joelfe]

[good-books-to-read]

I’m just going to throw some of my favourites down

Middle grade:

The spider and her demons by Sydney Khoo

Small spaces by Katherine Arden

Girl (in real life) by Tamsin Winter

Zachary Ying and the dragon emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

YA:

Akarnae by Lynette Noni

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Illumnae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Dread nation by Justina Ireland

Adult:

The house in the cerulean sea TJ Klune

The invited by Jennifer McMahon

Does anyone have any book recs? Any genre/format is good, I’m not leaning toward anything in particular I just wanna read something and as we all know asking google is a crapshoot

[oysters-aint-for-me]

books ive read so far in 2024

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers

A Closed and Common Orbit, by Becky Chambers

Record of a Spaceborn Few, by Becky Chambers (are you seeing a theme)

The House on the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune

The Galaxy and the Ground Within, by Becky Chambers

A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers

A Marvellous Light, by Freya Marske

A Restless Truth, by Freya Marske

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, by Becky Chambers

Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Under the Whispering Door, by TJ Klune

Affinity, by Sarah Waters

The City We Became, by NK Jemisin

A Power Unbound, by Freya Marske

Passing Strange, by Ellen Klages

The Fifth Season, by NK Jemisin

Witchmark, by CL Polk

The Obelisk Gate, by NK Jemisin

The Color of Magic, by Terry Pratchett

Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsin Muir

Winter’s Orbit, by Everina Maxwell

The Stone Sky, by NK Jemisin

Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Malinda Lo (5/27/24)

Light from Uncommon Stars, by Ryka Aoki (5/31/24)

Tinkers, by Paul Harding (5/31/24)

Strong Motion, by Johnathan Franzen (6/6/24)

The Magpie Lord, by KJ Charles (6/10/24)

Trust, by Hernan Diaz (6/12/24)

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller (6/16/24)

A Case of Possession, by KJ Charles (6/21/24)

Flight of Magpies, by KJ Charles (6/25/24)

Our Hideous Progeny, by CE McGill (6/27/24)

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by NK Jemisin (6/28/24)

Ocean’s Echo, by Everina Maxwell (6/30/24)

Wolfsong, by TJ Klune (7/7/24)

The Broken Kingdoms, by NK Jemisin (7/10/24)

We Could Be So Good, by Cat Sebastian (7/12/24)

Ceremonial Time, by John Hanson Mitchell (7/12/24)

The Employees, by Olga Ravn (7/18/24)

Crossroads, by Jonathan Franzen (7/19/24)

Ravensong, by TJ Klune (7/22/24)

Harrow the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir (7/31/24)

The Candy House, by Jennifer Egan (8/3/24)

Remedial Magic, by Melissa Marr (8/4/24)

Nona the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir (8/8/24)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid (8/14/24 or thereabouts, i was without wifi for a few days)

The Pairing, by Casey McQuiston (8/20/24 or thereabouts)

Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir (again) (9/10/24)

Lightning Flowers, by Katherine E. Standefer (9/15/24)

Harrow the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir (again) (9/23/24)

The Stars Too Fondly, by Emily Hamilton (9/27/24)

This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (10/2/24)

Comedy Book, by Jesse David Fox (10/8/24)

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, by Ashley Herring Blake (10/14/24)

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, by Ashley Herring Blake (11/9/24)

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date, by Ashley Herring Blake (11/19/24)

Hot Dog Girl, by Jennifer Dugan (11/25/24)

Nona the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir (again) (11/30/24)

Melt with You, by Jennifer Dugan (12/1/24)

Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut (12/4/24)

Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir (again) (12/8/24)

Some Girls Do, by Jennifer Dugan (12/9/24)

(i only decided to start dating when i finished each book when i was like halfway thru the year oops)

[emilybluntt]

imagine a showdown of every emily blunt character. who would be the sole winner?

i am going to be honest and say that i have been pondering this question all day. i wanted to sit and give this some thought because i wanted the answer to be just right. we are going to just include feature film roles ( none animated ), because most of her tv roles have been eh. we are also not going to consider the one short she has been in.

right off the bat emily ( devil wears prada ), harriet ( salmon fishing in the yemen ), baker's wife ( into the woods ), violet ( the five year engagement ), tamsin ( my summer of love ), girl ( wind chill ), mara ( irresistible ), valerie ( the great buck howard ), prudie ( the jane austen book club ), jane ( charlie wilson's war ), norah ( sunshine cleaning ), and elise ( the adjustment bureau ) are immediately dead. they have zero survival instincts.

the real contenders in this show down would be rita ( edge of tomorrow ), evelyn ( a quiet place ), rose ( wild target ), mary ( gulliver's travels ), sara ( looper ), kate ( sicario ), lily ( jungle cruise ), and freya ( huntsmen winter's war ). are all of these characters badass right out the gate? possibly not, but some of them prove to be resourceful enough to stick around for bit, not a long time, but a bit.

i think rita is the one taking this home though. i mean hell she is the full metal bitch after all. she has killed hundreds of mimics by herself.

she was the reason that they started to mass produce the exo-suits for the udf. like?? the angel of verdun deserves the respect on her name.

sorry for that long winded answer, but yes! that is who i think would win an emily blunt character show down. yes, some of the other contenders have some points, but imagine if it was rita that still the time altering ability, no one could stand a chance.

[frstwomn]

it cannot be said that tamsin is not good in a crisis.

from the moment that she was sworn in, it was crisis after crisis. it had only been a month since the attack. the government was still trying to recover. special elections were still underway, the investigation was still in its early stages. at the very least, she had the country rallying around her although pockets of opposition still remained. she wasn't the chosen president, after all.

regardless, tamsin was good in crisis'. thiswas no exception. most of the crisis was over and she supposed she had the other to thank for that.

"I was informed by the National Guard that you thwarted the worst of this." she rubs her hands together in an attempt to warm them through the cool leather. she really should have switched to her winter gloves.

"Is there anyway we can repay you?"

@rubycaped ASKED FOR A POST ATTACK TAMSIN

[justicescreaming]

The man finally let her go and Tannis yanked herself away from him. She watched him back off, her lip curling into a habitual snarl. She took a moment to straighten her clothes and brush her curls from her face. "Tannis," she replied in a very quiet voice. "Tannis Winters."

Tannis instinctively growled at the new comer, baring her teeth and looking a vicious as possible. But the soft voice caught her attention. She stopped struggling against the agent. Though her posture remained tense, she took three deep breathes. "Make him let me go," she snapped.

[libertyreads]

April TBR 2024--

This next month is set to be full of rereads, hockey romances, and new to me books. It is also the month I'm starting a certification program so it will probably be a bit of a struggle to get through this month's TBR. I don't even remember the last time I've thought that about a month's TBR. I really hope I have as much fun with this TBR as I'm expecting to. I've really been in the mood for these rereads and these hockey romance so I'm excited to finally get to it.

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken-- This is just one of a few rereads this month. Book two in the series comes out next month. I originally read this one as an ARC so I definitely need a refresher first. Tamsin Lark is a mortal with no magical talent who was never meant to break into ancient crypts or compete with sorceresses and Cunning folk for the treasures inside. But treasure hunting is the only way she could keep herself and her brother Cabell alive following her thieving foster father's disappearance. Ten years later she's looking for a ring that is supposed to save her brother from a curse. It's based in Arthurian legend.

Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo-- Another reread before a new book in the series. I remember enjoying this one slightly less than Raven's book, but I still enjoyed meeting a new character and getting their origin story. I also felt like it addressed an issue that isn't brought up a lot: male body image issues. We see it addressed a lot in fiction for girls, but there are boys who also go through this growing up. Plus it's beast boy and lots of green animals.

The Score by Elle Kennedy-- A hockey romance! I've been so in the mood for hockey romances this year. I don't know if it's because I found a few new to me authors and bought some kindle books for Christmas or what. In this one we follow Allie Hayes who is in crisis mode. Graduation is looming and she's dealing with a broken heart thanks to the end to her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just one though because even if her future is uncertain it sure as heck doesn't include Dean. It seems like he's going to pursue her after she puts him in the friend zone following their one night stand. I love it when the guy falls first or the guy is pursuing the girl so I'm looking forward to this one.

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu-- The last of the rereads for this month. I'm so excited for the next book too. In this one we follow an international pop sensation named Winter Young who is brought into the world of spies when a major crime boss gifts his daughter a private concert with Winter for her birthday. Sydney Cossette is a member of the elite covert ops group who is forced to work alongside Winter to infiltrate the crime organization's inner circle. This was such a fun and quick read for me last year and I can't wait to go back into this world of glitz, glam, and spies.

Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen (NetGalley)-- This one just sounded so good when I saw it on NetGalley. It's unhinged women at its finest. Saffy Huntley-Oliver is an intelligent and glamorous socialite; she also happens to be a proficient serial killer. Over the course of fifteen years, she's dispatched bad men--rapist, murderers, domestic abusers. But leading a double life has left her lonely. Dating's rough when your boyfriend might turn out to be your next victim. Saffy thinks she's finally found a truly good man in Jonathan Desrosiers, a true crime podcaster. This is a feminist thriller that asks if even a serial killer can have a happily ever after. My hopes for this one? Rich people drama and some mad women.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah F. Whitten (New Release)-- The second book in the series is finally coming out. This series starts with Lore, who has a dark power and a hidden past, as we follow her into the intrigue of the Sainted King's royal court. The king and his priest manipulate Lore and have her spy on the prince in order to determine just who is killing the villages at the edge of the kingdom. We follow on from the events of the first book in this new one.

My Lucky #13 by Piper Rayne (Kindle)-- A hockey player who is going through a scoring draught is worried he's going to get traded before the deadline if he doesn't turn it around. Following a New Year's Eve with a woman, he has a waterfall of goals and knows he has to see her again. She wants nothing to do with him and he feels his has to change her mind. A hero falls first sounding story that I'm so looking forward to. I will say that there's a very obvious hockey error in the synopsis of this one and we all know I'm a little picky about hockey details. But I'll try to keep an open mind on this one.

Just Do This One Thing For Me by Laura Zimmerman (Library)-- I'm going to pull the synopsis straight from GoodReads since it's a Mystery/Thriller and those are hard to explain at the best of times: "'Just do this one thing for me.' Drew's mother says it more often than good morning. Heidi Hill has been juggling shady side hustles for all of Drew's seventeen years, and Drew knows that 'one thing' really means all the necessary things her mother thinks are boring, including taking care of her fifteen-year-old sister and eight-year-old brother. In fact, Drew is the closest thing to a responsible adult they've ever known. When their mother disappears on the way to a New Year's Eve concert in Mexico and her schemes start unraveling, Drew is faced with a choice: Follow the rules, do the responsible thing, and walk away--alone--from her mother's mess. Or hope the weather stays cold, keep the cons going, and just maybe hold her family together."

[sapphiccharacterstournament]

Canon Sapphic Characters Tournament Round 1 (Bracket 6) Master Post

Meh Yewll (Defiance) vs Amae Rali (Vagrant Queen)

Yuri Han (XO, Kitty) vs Leighton Murray (The Sex Lives of College Girls)

Delia Busby (Call the Midwife) vs Carina DeLuca (Station 19)

Nova Bordelon (Queen Sugar) vs Tara Thornton (True Blood)

Anissa Pierce (Black Lightning) vs Queen Maeve (The Boys)

Bernie Wolfe (Holby City) vs Kerry Weaver (ER)

Naomi Pierce (Succession) vs Camille L'Espanaye (The Fall of the House of Usher)

Susan Ivanova (Babylon 5) vs Camille Wray (Stargate Universe)

Kat Edison (The Bold Type) vs Lauren Heller (Younger)

Fleabag (Fleabag) vs Shona O'Keefe (This Way Up)

Josephine Barry (Anne with an E) vs Babs (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Aline Penhallow (Shadowhunters) vs Tamsin (Lost Girl)

Wendy Carr (Mindhunter) vs Hayes Morrison (Conviction)

Chanel #3 (Scream Queens) vs Winter Anderson (American Horror Story: Cult)

Maya St. Germain (Pretty Little Liars) vs Veronica Lodge (Riverdale)

Sterling Wesley (Teenage Bounty Hunters) vs Bess Marvin (Nancy Drew)

[harrycollins]

OC questions tag meme!

tagged by: @bg3 (thank youuu)

NAME: Tamsin Morren NICKNAMES: Tam-Tam GENDER: female STAR SIGN: she was a winter baby so she was born in the month of Ches which makes her star sign Serpent HEIGHT: 175 cm / 5'9ft ORIENTATION: bisexual NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: Tamsin is Half Sun Elf and uhhh Half Human? (her mother is the Raven Queen because I said so) She is also from Neverwinter. FAVOURITE FRUIT: Strawberries. Especially dipped in chocolate. FAVOURITE SEASON: Autumn, its neither too hot or too cold. She also likes cloudy days and rain. FAVOURITE FLOWER: Lilacs. Her father's manors garden were covered with them and she liked to sit under Lilac trees during spring -to read her books while smelling their fresh scent- FAVOURITE SCENT: Cinnamon and apple. COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE: Tea. Tamsin especially likes black and herbal tea. She even makes her own mixtures. AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: She has insomnia so it depends on the day. Its usually around 5-6 hours though. DOG OR CAT PERSON: Dogs! Tamsin had a small puppy when she was a kid -a gift from her brothers- until her stepmother kicked it from the house. Thats why she is so attached to Scratch and pets every single dog she sees on the streets. DREAM TRIP: Other city states in the Sword Coast. She never saw Waterdeep or Luskan for example and curious about it. Also Shadowfell (well pre-game at least lmao) and Letherna in particular. FAVORITE FICTIONAL CHARACTER: I don't know how to answer this lmao I am not familiar with the 'fictional' characters in Faerun. I think she would like Dinin Do'Urden? (I know he exists in the world but shhh) She would find him pathetic and hot. NUMBER OF BLANKETS THEY SLEEP WITH: A LOT. At least five because her body heat is already lower than other humans and she has to warm up her body especially in night. RANDOM FACT: She is good at partnered dances but she can't dance if shes alone... she is bad at it.

tagging: @dirty-bosmer @dekarios @maxthetruman @envergothash and @pinkfey

[hypocriticaltypwriter]

(Since I can't find a post that give me the option to ask you to info dump)

✨️: Do you have anything that you would want to share about your character(s), but just haven't told yet?

SKY YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE UNLEASHING RN BUT I LOVE YOU FOR IT AND IM GIVING YOU SO MANY FACE KISSES

OK OK IMMA USE MY RISE GOOBERS FOR THIS ASK >:D I have so many rambles for them AHAHAHAHAHA

During the colder weather (from late fall through winter and early spring), while the kids brumate, they tend to cling to sources of warmth a lot... Especially after Tamsin and Don go to sleep they share the same bed with the kids through the months to make sure they stay it safe sleeping positions, since the boys don't have shells like their sisters, they curl into themselves and roll onto their stomachs, so Don and Tams make sure they don't get caught in any pillows or blankets so they can't breath.

ANYWAY back to the warmth thing 🙌 Tamsin tends to become a personal heater at night, and most likely wakes up covered in little bodies while getting some of the most awful hot flashes she's ever had in older age+motherhood combined. But can she do anything? Nope.

But you know what's worse than a bunch of little warm bodies adding to your excruciating body heat? Your cold-blooded husband is adding to the bunch. 🙃

-

When Tamsin was pregnant with Galileo, Donnie had noticed how excited and happy she was through the whole thing- not that she wasn't content or delighted with her first few! But she just seemed to glow this time around.

She'd go to town with Karai, and April to go look for fabric for clothes, or toys, or She'd excitedly remind and tell her boys that they're going to have another baby brother she just knew it!

So Donnie couldn't help but ask why she was so chipper from day to night through everything, even the morning sickness and swollen ankles she always seemed to have a smile.

And she looked at him and said: "Cause I get to try again. I getting be a mom all over again... In a better time, in a better life... We can finally add to our family without having to worry about a bigger home, or food rations. We finally have a perfect home, for a perfect family."

-

A lot of people don't know, but when Karai was about four or so, she got super clingy to Tamsin, and would follow her around and cuddle/nuzzle into her armpit or in the crook of her chest or into the plush skin of her stomach. Tamsin was a bit confused with the sudden burst of affection, but wrapped it up to just being a kid, and kids are clingy. One thing that was weird was if Tamsin went somewhere without Kay, (I.E bathroom, shower, missions, ect.) She'd go into a fit- so much so even Donnie couldn't help.

Again, they just assumed it was her being clingy... Until the morning sickness started, and the little sign of menstruation coming around anytime soon. 😳

[selectivechaos]

words and situational mutism

book: ‘Being Miss Nobody’ by Tamsin Winter.

🌹🌹 this book is just-🌹🌹

[sjsmith56]

The Stranger - Part 10, From There to Here - Bucky Barnes One Shots

Summary: An accident while on a mission in 1971 resets the Winter Soldier and he quickly begins remembering things. Determined to get away from HYDRA he is taken in by hippies in a commune.

Length: 6K

Characters: Winter Soldier / James, original characters (Seth, Summer, Tanner, and Tamsin), Winnifred Barnes

Warnings: Memories of torture, fear of capture, sadness, swearing, some violence.

Author notes: If the Winter Soldier was "reset" during a mission, he wouldn't be the Soldier anymore. He would be aware he was different. It seems logical that the serum, which constantly regenerated his physical injuries would likely regenerate his brain injuries during this time, restoring the synapses and brain cells that held his memories, allowing them to return. Perhaps the Soldier would take these opportunities to escape and try to get away from HYDRA, knowing in his core that they were evil and he wasn't. What if he could find a community that was accepting of him (even the arm), and would welcome him, being a place where James Bucky Barnes could re-emerge. In 1971, there were already such welcoming communities springing up as young people sought a different life than what their parents had. What if he stumbled onto one and found an environment that sped up the healing of his brain, allowing more of his past to emerge? He would feel part of something good, until they realized his presence would put them all in danger.

The cover of The Hobbit in the photo collage is from the 1966 edition, with Tolkien's own drawing as the cover.

<<Part 9

I woke up with a start, unfamiliar with my surroundings. It was dark, although a full moon was on the rise, and I was soaked. Understandable, considering I was lying on a sandbar in a river. Automatically my hand went to my side holster, finding it empty. My knife sheath was empty as well and I wondered what happened to my weapons. What happened to me? Calming myself I replayed what I could remember, tracking my target, lining him up in the sights, then just before I pulled the trigger an out of control car was on the bridge, aiming right at me and I jumped, landing a hundred feet below in the swift moving current that even with my strength was too much for me to handle. I had to abandon my rifle to stay afloat then the river bashed me against the bridge column, making my head ring like a bell. At that moment I realized something. The Asset wasn't there, it was just me, even though I wasn't sure who I was other than I wasn't him, and perhaps this time I could be free.

Quickly, I did a self-assessment, standing up and lifting my legs to see if there was anything too painful that would indicate an injury. Although I was sore there was nothing that felt broken. Whipping my metal arm around I felt it reset, then I looked at the sandbar I was on. It was long and narrow but near the end of it there was a gap of only ten feet or so to the shore. Stepping into the cold water I carefully waded through, pleased to see it was only a couple of feet deep in this location. It was easy to pull myself up into the brush along the river. Looking up at the night sky I located some constellations, smiling that I remembered them from my childhood. How did that memory suddenly come up? By their position it was after 24:00, if I was still in New York State. I knew that's where I was because they had programmed the optimal location to fire at the target while he had a drink in a golf course clubhouse beside the river, well within range of the rifle I was using.

I took stock of what my mission had been, trying to remember the details. The hit was supposed to be done by 20:00 and I was supposed to rendezvous with my handler at 21:00 at a clearing south of the bridge. The river flowed from northwest to southeast so I was east of my rendezvous site. A search party could already be looking for me. If I was going to get away this time, I needed to find shelter quickly, then deal with the food issue as I was already hungry.

Calming myself again I listened to the night sounds and became aware of a road, perhaps a couple of miles away. It wasn't busy so it wasn't the highway. Perhaps it would lead to a farm and I could hide out in a barn or shed. Heading towards the sounds of the occasional vehicle driving over the pavement I came to a road soon enough and watched for some time before running beside it close to the tree line. I wanted to get as far away north from where I woke up as they knew that I would take my shot from the bridge up river and would track me from that spot. Every time I heard a vehicle approaching my position I hid in the bushes, watching the faces of the people who were in the cars to see if any of them were my handler or the others, the recovery team they would send out after me. So far, the vehicle occupants seemed to be ordinary people. Up ahead I could see a battered sign and stood looking at it for a moment trying to figure out what it meant. There was a name ... Townsend ... then it said "Designed with you in mind." What did that mean?

I kept going on and had to cross over a bridge that spanned a wide but shallow river flowing to the east. While I was on it a vehicle came up behind me without me hearing it. It was obvious my body must be malfunctioning due to a head injury or lack of food, otherwise I should have heard it from some distance. It was all painted with bright colours and the word "Peace" was on the side. As it pulled up beside me the woman in the passenger seat rolled down the window and looked at me with concern. She was pretty, (how did I know that?) with long hair parted in the middle, wearing a head band.

"Are you alright?" she asked, then she noticed my arm. "Oh man, that's some metal arm. What mad scientist put that on you?"

I answered truthfully. "Dr. Zola. I don't feel well." I felt faint. I didn't like it as it made me weak and would expose me to capture.

She looked at the long-haired man driving the vehicle and he nodded his head. "Listen, we don't live too far. Why don't you come with us, and we'll give you some food and a place to sleep."

"Why would you do that?" I asked, puzzled. It didn't make sense.

She smiled. "You look like you need a hand. I'm Summer, this is Seth. What's your name?"

I looked at her and began to panic. It had been so long since I had thought of my name, even though I knew it was important to remember that part of me, and it just wasn't there. I began feeling hot, then dizzy, then everything went black.

🌼

He was being strapped into the machine. After his last mission he had refused to go back with the handler and they used the failsafe word on him, making him pass out. Now as he awakened, he knew what was coming and the dread began to fill his stomach. His mouth was dry, and he looked at the technician who was strapping his titanium arm down.

"Water, please," he whispered.

The man ignored him.

"Please, I need water," he said louder, and the man still ignored him but sped up his efforts to get him strapped down.

He was angry now. He was thirsty and all he wanted was some fucking water. Straining his arms, he ripped the strap off and grabbed the man around his throat, squeezing. The others started yelling but he just wanted his water.

"Water!" he yelled then the doctor was in front of him.

"Let the man go and I'll give you water," said the doctor, Zola. "Soldier, until you let him go you won't get anything."

He let the man go and watched as the technician crumpled to the ground. The others dragged him out of the way, and he watched someone bring a glass of water to the doctor, who held it like a precious commodity.

"Soldier, what is your name?" asked the doctor in that voice of his. "Tell me your name and I'll give you the water."

James, he wanted to say James, but he knew if he did, they would hurt him, and he really wanted the water. He looked at the doctor and whispered.

"Soldier."

"Very good." The water was handed to him, and he greedily drank it down. "Now, let the technicians strap you back in."

He handed the glass back and put his arms into place, keeping his eyes on the doctor. Then a mouth guard was put into his mouth and the head piece was lowered onto him as the whir of the machine started up. His anxiety went up as he knew it would hurt but this is what always happened after a mission. It was part of his life.

🌼

I woke up and panicked for a moment as I didn't recognize where I was. I wasn't in restraints, so I wasn't a prisoner. Then I heard the sound of children laughing and playing outside the window and I relaxed slightly, taking in the room where I was. I was lying in a bed, with a pillow and a quilt. I was also undressed, and when I looked under the quilt, I saw that I was naked. Scanning the room, I looked for my clothes, but they weren't there. Instead, there was a soft tunic and some pants, folded up and left on a chair. Assuming they were for me I put them on, finding them odd but not unpleasant to wear. They were certainly different from my normal uniform and were totally unsuitable for what I did for HYDRA. Then I remembered, I didn't want to be with HYDRA anymore and I smiled, because I had also remembered my name, my given name, James. My boots were still there, and I slipped them on but didn't tuck my pants into them like I normally did. The wide legs at the bottom of the pants would make it difficult anyways. Just as I put my hand on the doorknob there was a soft knock and it opened from the outside. The man who was driving the van during the night was there and he smiled at me.

"Hey, you're awake," said the man. "Come, we have some breakfast ready for everyone. You remember I'm Seth?"

"My name is James," I said proudly and stepped out into the morning sun. "Where am I?"

"Well, about ten years ago it was a place called Townsend, but they lost the only source of work in town when it went out of business, so we pooled our money and bought a couple of sections of land. We call it Eden."

"I saw a sign for Townsend on the road," I replied, as we walked. "It said "Designed with you in mind."

"Yeah, the owners of the factory built it here after the war because the land was cheap but they couldn't get others to live in the town they built because there was nothing else for them. No one wants to live in a town where there is nothing to do."

"Why do you live here then?" I asked, as I didn't understand why they would live in a place no one else wanted to.

Seth laughed, apparently humoured by my question. "We like it quiet. We came to escape the rat race, live a pure life off the land, growing our own vegetables, raising our kids in peace and freedom. We're a commune, man. It's a good life."

Soon we arrived at another building and Seth stood back to let me enter ahead of him. Normally I would have been suspicious of such a move but Seth had given no indication of subterfuge or falseness, so I entered the doorway and was greeted by many of the adults in the room who were helping to put food out on the large table. There were at least a dozen adults and many children of various ages. Normally I would have assessed every single person in there for their threat to me but there were no indications from any of them that they would be hostile to me so I stopped assessing them quickly. At first I felt self-conscious but no one seemed to think there was anything different about me, they just continued to get the meal ready. Seth motioned to a seat, and I sat down. A memory of a similar event where a large group of people sat down to eat came to mind, but it was gone just as quickly. The others sat down with their children close by and they all looked to Seth, so I did as well.

"Welcome to our new friend, James," he said. "We chose to live in Eden in harmony with nature and with good will to anyone who needs a helping hand. James looked like he needed help last night and we're honoured to have him join us today. Dig in everyone."

Watching the others carefully I helped myself to the food, not taking too much even though I was very hungry. Something in me, a memory maybe, said to make sure everyone got what they wanted first before I could have seconds. Summer and another woman went to the stove, and each brought a pot of coffee pouring it out to all the adults. With a start I realized that Summer was very pregnant. While the two women poured, a couple of the men did the same with jugs of milk, pouring it out for the children then leaving it on the table for people to use in their coffee. The coffee smell was amazing, and another memory came unbidden into my mind of an older woman pouring some for me as I wore dark work clothes. Who she was wasn't clear but the thought that perhaps she was my mother persisted. I took a sip of it and savoured the familiar taste as it went down my throat. Eagerly I dug into my food, finding it somewhat plain but hearty. When I finished my plate another man, Tanner, lifted a basket of bread and offered it to me.

"Have some more, James," he said, smiling. "We have lots of food and you look like you're still hungry."

"Thank you," I replied automatically, wondering where that came from, taking the bread and other foods that were offered to me. "I hadn't eaten for a couple of days."

"Where do you come from?" asked Summer, her kind eyes were gazing at me.

"I...I don't remember. Since the war, my memories...."

The others nodded in understanding. "That explains it," said Seth. "You lost your arm in the war?"

"Yes," I replied. "I remember falling from a train."

"Bummer, man," said another woman, Tamsin was what they called her. "I washed your clothes and they're hanging on the line. They're very... military."

"It's all I had to wear," I explained. "They wouldn't let me wear anything else."

"Who is they?" asked Seth, curious. I felt my face turn red and looked away, unsure if I should tell them about HYDRA. They might not like me if they knew what I did for them. Seth smiled. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. The war fucked up a lot of guys. We know that. We understand."

After everyone finished eating Seth looked at Summer and she nodded. He stood up, signalling to the others that breakfast was done, so I stood up with them.

"We have some work to do," said Seth. "We're clearing some brush to build another residence. Would you like to help? You look like you're strong."

Agreeing, I walked with them out to an area where they had cut some trees down. There were stumps in the ground and I could see that they were digging out the stumps by hand. Taking my shirt off without even thinking, I took a spade and began to dig under a stump as Seth explained they wanted to weaken the root system then use their horses to pull the stumps out. Nothing would go to waste as they would cut the stumps apart and stack the wood for their fireplaces and stoves. As I began digging the others were impressed with how I could use my metal arm. I hadn't even thought of the arm when I took my shirt off and no one said anything about how it looked other than most people with prosthetic arms had something much more basic. I kept digging, until a couple of the women brought out jugs of water and mugs for us to drink out of. Seeing some of the other men throw the water on their faces I followed suit and cooled off a little in the warm sun by wetting my head. Returning to my spade after drinking my fill I began digging in another area, undermining the root system. Just before we broke for lunch Seth took a closer look at our progress.

"I think we can harness the horses up after lunch and try to pull it out," he said. "Some of us can start on the next stump and we might be able to get that one pulled out before supper."

"Can I try something?" I asked, knowing I was strong enough to pull the stump out.

Seth nodded and watched as I went over to the stump and stood in one of the holes that we had created. Placing my hands under two of the sections that had been uncovered I began to lift the massive piece of wood. The others watched as some of the roots began to snap then the stump moved up. Seth jumped down next to me along with a couple of other guys and together we pulled the stump up until it was partially free. Then I stepped back, looked at the different parts of it then repositioned my hands and began to push it over. The others pushed with me and with a collective groan of effort the four of us pushed the stump over, freeing it from the root system still in the ground. I stepped back as the others patted me on the back.

"How strong are you?" asked Seth. "I've never seen anyone do that before."

"I can lift about 250 kilograms," I replied. No one said anything about me using kilograms but they did look at each other as if they didn't understand and I realized that they probably didn't know that measurement of weight. "550 pounds about."

"You're a big guy but you don't look that strong and with your artificial arm I wouldn't think it possible," said Seth. "James, did the army experiment on you?"

"Not the army, HYDRA," I replied, without thinking. "They took me captive in 1945."

The other men all looked at each other, unsure of my declaration.

"James, how old are you?" asked Seth.

"What year is it?" I countered. "I wasn't allowed to know."

"1971," replied one of the other guys.

I took a breath and looked around at all of them. The truth was the best thing to tell them. "I think I was born in 1917. That makes me 54."

I could tell they didn't believe me, but I didn't care. It felt good to tell someone. Just being out in the sunlight, with my shirt off, hearing the birds, and feeling the breeze on my skin was glorious.

"When we asked you about the war, we thought you were a Vietnam War veteran," said Seth, trying to understand what was happening. "What war were you in?"

"The war against Germany," I answered, sure of that. "I was a sergeant, I think. My memories are all jumbled. I fell from a train and the Nazis or maybe the Russians found me. That memory is still unclear, but they took me somewhere, gave me to HYDRA. They did things to me, wiping my memory, injecting me with a serum, rebuilt my shoulder and gave me this arm so they could make me do things for them."

"What kind of things?" asked Tanner.

"Killing people," I said, quietly, almost holding my breath. "I don't want to do that anymore. I don't want to go back. They hurt me when I remember things from my old life, and when I don't cooperate. Can I stay here, with you? I like it here. You're all so kind."

The other men looked at each other and I wondered if I had told them too much because they didn't look happy. Their response bothered me and I lowered my eyes, fidgeting with my hands as I suddenly felt anxious.

"James," said Seth gently. "We'll have to talk with the others about what you told us. Are you okay with that?"

I nodded. "I never wanted to be this way. They experimented on me. I don't like doing it and it gives me nightmares."

"It's okay," said Seth. "I'm a vet. I was in Vietnam, and I know I did some things that I'm not proud of." He thought for a moment. "James, the people who make you do this – do they know where you are?"

"No, I was preparing for a target when I had to jump off a bridge to avoid being hit by a car and I was swept away in the river. I came to on a sandbar downstream and took my chance to escape. They may come looking for me."

Seth nodded and put his hand on my shoulder. "Because this is a commune it means all the adults have an equal vote on important decisions. Letting you stay will have to go to a vote. I want you to tell your story to the others, then we'll discuss it and decide."

"I understand," I replied, standing as tall as I could. "If you decide it's too dangerous to let me stay then I'll leave. But if you let me stay, I promise to protect you as if you were my family. I would never let anyone hurt any of you or the children."

We went back to the dining hall and sat down for lunch. No one said anything but I could feel an undercurrent of caution around me. Not that I blamed them as I knew if HYDRA came here, they would hurt or perhaps even kill them, and I couldn't bear the thought of anything bad happening to these good people who had taken me in. When I left to use the bathroom, I wondered if they would say anything while I was gone. On my way back I saw all the children were outside and felt certain that the others waited inside for me to tell my story. My instincts were right, and I didn't sit down when I entered the dining hall. Instead, I stood beside my chair and told them everything I remembered so far. They asked questions about the serum and HYDRA which I answered as best as I could remember. Their faces were at least sympathetic to me, and I took hope from that, but I also knew they had to make the best decision for all of them.

"I'm going back to the other stump and dig at it," I said when I was finished talking. "Whatever you decide I thank you for taking care of me and being so kind. I wasn't expecting it."

Leaving them I walked out to the stump, picking up the spade from where I left it. Then I began digging the dirt from the other stump, attacking it with as much energy as I could manage. The time flew by, and I got half of the dirt from under the stump dug out when I saw Seth walking alone over the field towards me. His face didn't look happy, and I felt my hopes dwindle. When he arrived, he put his hand on my shoulder then sat on the ground, motioning for me to sit with him.

"They're afraid," he said. "We came here to escape war and violence, and they're worried that if these others come looking for you, they'll hurt us for helping you."

"They're right," I admitted. "They are vicious people. They have killed for no reason at all."

"We don't want to leave you helpless," said Seth, "so Summer and I will drive you wherever you want to go. We'll give you some food and money. If I were you, I would try to find my folks but I'm guessing yours might be dead. Is there anyone in the army that might help you? Someone you served with?"

"I wouldn't know where to find them," I said, then I smiled at Seth. "It's alright. Even just being here with you for a few hours has been ... wonderful. It made me remember something my mother would say during the Depression. I can't clearly remember her face, but I remember her saying "Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice."

Seth smiled, a sad but gentle smile. "I think it's one of the Psalms," he said. "Lapsed Catholic. I voted for you to stay, James. So did Summer. Whatever they did to you to make you into their killer, it's not who you are, the you inside. I see a quiet and gentle man who freely helped when he was asked. I hope you are able to stay free. Come on back, have a shower, and we'll look at the map to see where we can drive you tomorrow."

Together we went back, and I showered, washing my hair and remembering how the attendants in HYDRA did it for me. It was a pleasant experience to do it for myself, and I tried to commit it to my memory, knowing there was a place deep inside that HYDRA hadn't yet broken. It was where my memories went to hide lying dormant until one or more of them would bubble up to the surface of my consciousness. I wanted this memory of being in this place, with these people, to go there. Wrapping the towel around my waist I stepped out of the shower room then went to the room where I slept. There were more clean clothes for me, and I put them on, accepting it would be the last time I would wear normal people clothes. Seth and Summer were waiting in the dining hall, and they had a map out between them.

"You have a Brooklyn accent," said Seth. "Tamsin is from there and she figured you might want to get there, see if your folks are still alive. We can take you to Albany and help you buy a bus ticket."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," I replied then looked all around me at the dining hall. "You have a nice place here. I didn't know there were such things as communes."

"Well, there probably weren't any hippies around in the 1940s," smiled Seth. "If you find your folks tell them that if there weren't bad people looking for you, we would have welcomed you to stay. It's just too dangerous for our children."

For the rest of the afternoon, I sat outside in the shade with Seth and the others, having a beer, watching the children play, enjoying their joyous laughter. It was peaceful and I wished with all of my heart that I could have stayed here with these kind people. After dinner I returned to my room and found my Asset clothes there, folded up neatly on the chair. I stripped down and got into bed, turning out the light and laid there in the dark willing sleep to come. Eventually it did.

In the morning I put the Asset clothes on, but left the holster and knife sheath off as I had nothing to put in them. As I dressed, I became more and more sad with each piece of clothing from my past, knowing they were made for one purpose, to kill people. On the back of the chair where my clothes were was a jacket and I smiled, realizing they wanted me to be able to hide my arm when I left. It might allow me a better opportunity to get to New York.

What Seth said about my folks resonated with me. They might still be alive, might still be in their house in Brooklyn. It was worth it to me to try and find them, just so they knew I was alive. Once Seth had voiced that idea the memories had percolated up from my mind and I was sure I could find my way to them, once I got there. Running my hands through my hair I stood up tall, took a deep breath then stepped out the door to where Seth and Summer were waiting. We had a quick breakfast then after the others said goodbye we went to the van.

Summer slid the sliding door of the VW van open, and I stepped inside, sitting on one of the seats in the back. She and Seth got in the front, and we were soon on our way. An hour later we pulled into the parking lot across from the bus station at Albany. Seth purchased a bus ticket to Brooklyn and came over to where Summer and I were waiting. She handed me a cloth bag that I slung over my shoulder. Inside was food, some hand knit socks, and a book, The Hobbit, for me to read on the bus. That book sparked another memory for me, as it was a book I remembered I liked reading. I put the holster and sheath inside the bag. Seth gave me the bus ticket then with an encouraging nod from Summer he pulled out some cash and pressed it into my hand.

"Good luck, James," he said, with some emotion. "I hope you find peace. I think you are a peaceful man at heart. Be careful."

"I will," I replied, hugging Seth first then Summer. "Good luck with the baby. Thank you."

A call for the bus came over the loudspeaker and I walked to the gate showing my ticket. I stepped on the bus and found a seat near the emergency window, in case I had to leave the bus quickly. Everyone that stepped on the bus underwent my scrutiny, but I didn't feel any sense of anxiety over any of them. They were all just people heading to New York City. When the bus pulled out of the garage, I saw Seth and Summer watching for me and waved then settled back in my seat.

I didn't read the book that they put into my bag because I was more interested in seeing the outside world, at how much it had changed since I was younger. The cars were different, people definitely dressed different and there was more of a sense of hurry as the highway seemed full of vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Gradually the skyline of New York came into view, and I found myself anticipating what it would be like as we got closer. As the Soldier I was sure I had been there to complete an assignment, but I was never given the opportunity to just look at things for the sake of looking.

As the bus drove deeper into the city, I marvelled at all the taller buildings that were now there although I could still see the Empire State Building, pleased to know it was still standing. The bus pulled into a depot, and everyone was told to disembark. Those going on to Brooklyn had to change to a different bus. I followed the others and was directed to another bus. As I walked, I saw a man watching me intently and felt the first indications that this might have been a mistake.

"When does the bus leave?" I asked the driver of the next bus before stepping on. "Do I have time to use the men's room?"

"Sure, kid," he said. "You got ten minutes."

The driver turned to the next passenger and quickly I went to the men's room, stepping into a stall. Looking at the toilet paper I grabbed some and twisted it into a shape that I could insert into my ears to block out the words. I couldn't let them say anything to me, not the failsafe, and not the other words, the ones that would bring out the Asset. Patiently I waited for the man who had been watching me enter the rest room, peering at him through the crack in the door. When the man stopped, I opened the stall door, grabbed him by the throat and head butted him, knocking him out, dragging him inside and sitting him on the toilet. Searching him, I found a gun and a knife, placing them inside the cloth bag. Then I found the man's wallet and took the cash out, placing the wallet back in the man's jacket. After checking myself in the mirror, satisfied that I hadn't cut open my forehead, I left the restroom, and quickly boarded the bus, just before it left the station. No one on the bus took any notice of me and I was satisfied that I was safe once again.

Forty-five minutes later the bus pulled into the Brooklyn depot, and I exited the bus, looking carefully at anyone who looked in my direction. Seeing a couple of men, dressed in black, carefully scanning the passengers at that exit I stepped back, going behind the bus and exited from the bus exit. Looking up at the street signs I oriented myself and smiled. Brooklyn had changed but it was still my old neighbourhood. I knew exactly where I was and where I had to go. For the next few hours, I took a roundabout way to my parent's house, using the alleys and hopping fences. Just before dark I found the street and went into the back of the first row house, jumping over the fences into the yards. Finally, I arrived at the back yard of my parent's brownstone and crept up the back steps to the stoop, looking in the window of the kitchen, while keeping my face hidden in the shadow.

There was an old woman in there and when she turned I gasped, almost to the point of crying, at seeing the aged face of my mother. She was making a cup of tea and I watched as her shaky hands poured the boiling water from the tea kettle into a cup with a tea bag in it. A cough overtook her and she bent over until she caught her breath again. For a second I touched the door handle to open it then she picked up her mug and walked out of the kitchen, turning the light off as she left, shuffling her way to the parlour where I could see the glow from a television. She had a television, something that was new and different when I first saw it at the New York World's Fair in 1939. Slowly she sat in a chair and I withdrew my hand from the door. As much as I wanted to talk to her and hold her I knew my presence put her in danger. This glimpse of her would have to suffice.

Quietly I sat on the stoop and ate the food that Summer gave me. Next, I pulled out the book and cash, slipping the bills inside the pages. Searching the bag unsuccessfully for a pen or pencil I looked at the book smiling at the inscription already written. "To James, May you be free to find your own Eden. Seth and Summer." Perhaps Ma would figure it out. Quietly I put it inside the screen door, along with the hand knit socks. Taking the holster and sheath from the bag, I fastened them on then inserted the gun and the knife into them. Leaving the cloth bag on the stoop I went down into the yard and looked up at the sky, having a brief memory of me and Steve doing it when we were boys. Steve, I remembered Steve. Taking in deep but ragged breaths I savoured those muddled memories that came and went randomly. With determination I hopped over the fences to get back to the street and began to run. They would find me eventually, of that I was certain, but I wasn't going to make it easy for them. I was the Asset, after all, and I knew how to evade capture.

Please like, comment, and reblog if you liked this one shot.

Part 11>>

Series Masterlist

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[cindereleanor]

I saw @serenity-the-firefly do this “nine books I want to read this year” tag and decided to join in (so thank you for the inspiration Lucy!☺️) - I’ve been getting into reading more recently and this seems like a great way of reminding myself to pick up those books I just keep meaning to get to…

1. Carrying the Fire, by Michael Collins (I borrowed this from my dad to read literally years ago oops, I think I’ve put it off because I’m not generally a fan of memoir-type stuff, but I’m absolutely fascinated by the story so really want to enjoy this!)

2. The Whole Picture, by Alice Proctor

3. Marx for Beginners, by Rius (lmao this is another long-term loan from my dad… he keeps encouraging me to read some political theory whenever we get into debates (not that our politics are really divided or anything, he just thinks it’s good to have some of the context behind stuff, and I agree!) , but even this literal “beginner’s guide” apparently intimidates me oops)

4. Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsin Muir

5. Woman on the Edge of Time, by Marge Piercy (4 and 5 are both kind of cheats in that I’ve read a good chunk of each of them during the past year - loved them both so far, but just didn’t have the time to properly sink my teeth into either quite dense book at those points? I think with both it would be best to just start fresh from the beginning now!)

6. The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K Le Guin

7. The Winter of the Witch, by Katherine Arden

8. Only Human, by Sylvain Neuvel

9. A Closed and Common Orbit, by Becky Chambers (yes those last three are all sequels to books I loved, which somehow I still haven’t gotten round to reading, what about it?😅)

I’m not tagging anyone specifically (I have no idea which of you would want to do this kind of thing!) but PLEASE join in if you feel like it!💕

[haveanotherfandomblog]

Roses and Thorns

Chapter Three: Halloween

Pairing: George Weasley x Fem!OC

Genre: Adventure, Angst, Comedy, Fluff

Word Count: 5.2K~

Warnings: N/A

Masterlist || <<Previous | Next>>

Mid-September brought a slightly less than subtle change to the weather. The sun spent most of its time hiding behind the clouds as the wind ran rampant through the ground of Hogwarts. Gwen liked to spend her free periods outside, soaking in what little bit of sun was left before winter came barreling in and made it near impossible to go outside.

Though she was beginning to miss the warm weather, her mind was kept occupied by her studies and Quidditch. All Cedric talked about for the first two weeks of school was Quidditch--him and Tamsin. Any time spent in the Hufflepuff common room was spent talking about the game, and the pair explaining to her the fundamentals of what they called “the best game in the whole world”;  though she did get a kick out of telling them it was just the wizard version of basketball.

Quidditch tryouts for the Hufflepuff team were on the second Saturday in September. Cedric paced around the common room all morning, wringing his hands until they were a nice, bright shade of red. Tamsin and Gwen sat on the couch, attempting to study, but ultimately just watching as he paced until tryouts.

They all made their way to the Quidditch pitch. It was a large field with slightly overgrown grass and stands that stood high upon stilts. On either side of the field sat three hoops. Gwen gave Cedric a charm bracelet she had made for good luck before following Tamsin up the stands. There were scattered students in the stands, most of them older and using the excuse to come outside. There were a few other Hufflepuff students she recognized from her year: Heidi, Maxine, James, and Arthur. They were seated in the front row, watching intensely for the tryouts to start.

Cedric made his way to the middle of the pitch, clutching a broom in his hand. One by one the players began rising in the air. The Captain, Jenetta Weaver, a sixth year, was in the middle of all the players, directing them around the field. She was a fierce looking girl with long brown hair pulled into a French braid and a serious expression that always made her seem slightly confused.

She blew a loud whistle, then tossed one of the balls in the air. Immediately, the players dove for the ball, tossing it to one another and making a beeline for the hoops. One of the seventh years, who Tamsin said was a Hufflepuff Quidditch legend like Jenetta, was pacing the hoops. She had short black hair kept back by a bandana that Gwen knew was being kept in place by magic. She watched in amazement as she blocked the ball with practice ease, a smirk on her face.

Cedric was floating in the air, watching as everyone played. Another Hufflepuff student was waiting in the air with him. He didn’t do much in the air, just watched the other players.

“Tamsin,” Gwen called, pulling her out of her conversation with Heidi. “What position is Cedric going for again?”

“Seeker. That’s the one that goes after the golden snitch.” Gwen nodded her head as she watched the rest of the players. One boy, a seventh year named Marshall Allen, was hovering nearby Cedric, his hand wrapped around a bat. He had short blonde hair and was big and burly.

A black ball came whirling towards them. Cedric had barely turned half an inch before Marshall was swinging the ball, knocking it clean towards the other side of the field. Gwen gave a gasp as the other Hufflepuffs buzzed with excitement. She went to lean on the railing, more concerned with Cedric’s wellbeing than with the possibility of falling several feet.

Then he began to dive. The girls jumped from their seat, watching as he dove straight for the bottom of the pitch. They waited with baited breath as he slowly pulled the broom up at the last minute, keeping one of his hands outstretched. He slowly turned his broom before he wrapped his hand around something.

Jenetta blew her whistle, waving to gather everyone’s attention. He rode up to where she was and triumphantly held the golden snitch in his hand. Gwen hollered, clapping and waving as she jumped in the stands. The other students murmured around her, giving her odd stares. She didn’t care as he waved back before passing the snitch to Jenetta.

Tryouts continued for some time. She didn’t realize how late these could run, but she was determined to stay the entire time. Most of the other Hufflepuff students had ventured back inside, leaving Gwen, Tamsin, Maxine, Heidi, and a couple of boys from Cedric’s year in the stands.

It was almost dark when Jenetta announced her decision. She would, of course, remain as one of the chasers along with Jaqueline Beck, a seventh year. Malcolm Preece, a skinny second year with brown hair and fair skin was to join them as their third chaser. Marshall Allen remained a beater, and Anthony Rickett, another second year with a round figure and ashy-blonde hair, would join him as the second. Hufflepuff legend Ida was to remain keeper, and Cedric was the new seeker.

Gwen was beside herself, cheering and jumping and dancing. She grabbed Tamsin’s hand and dragged her down the stands, running to where he was dismounting. She tackled him to the ground, laughing and cheering. His second year friends joined her, dog piling him as they cheered. Tamsin let out a laugh before joining in, patting his shoulder aggressively. He let out a laugh, staring up at the darkening sky.

“You did it!” Gwen shouted for maybe the thousandth time as they entered the castle. “Are you going to tell your parents? I bet they’ll be so proud! This is so exciting! OMG, now I want to play Quidditch! Don’t know if I’ll be any good, but it’s always worth a shot, right? You did it!”

He nodded his head, doing the dance to enter the common room. The other Hufflepuff students gave him a round of applause . He bowed his head before collapsing onto the couch. He was still drenched in sweat but he didn’t care. Midnight barked and jumped onto the couch. He made himself comfortable on Cedric’s lap before promptly falling asleep.

“So, when’s the first game?” Gwen picked Midnight up from his spot and set him on her own lap. He provided little protest as she went to scratch his ears.

“Well, the first game of the season is sometime in early November, but the first Hufflepuff match will be mid-to-late November,” he said. “That’s when I’ll get to play.”

“You’ll be great,” Tamsin assured him. “You were like an all-star out there. Before you know it, you’ll be a Hufflepuff Quidditch legend.” He laughed softly, shaking his head. Only time could tell.

***

The rest of September was highly uneventful for Gwen. She spent most of her time studying for her classes. Cedric was swamped with school-work and Quidditch practice, so she hardly ever saw him, and when she did, he was always exhausted. Tamsin spent most of her free-time hanging out with their other dormmates, giggling over things Gwen didn’t understand. They never excluded her, but there was little fun to be had when every joke had to be explained.

No, she didn’t understand their wizard jokes, but she harbored no ill-will. She simply opted to put her focus where her family excelled, in their studies. It provided her with great comfort that Mark was always as eager to study as she was. The only problem was he was selective about which subjects he wanted to study for. Half of their classes fell to the bottom of the list. His favorites consisted of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Charms. He only put in an effort with potions to avoid detention with Professor Snape.

Ava was willing to give each class equal attention, but getting her to sit down and put forth the effort was another story. She would have rather spent her Saturdays wandering and exploring the castle. As fun and exciting that sounded, Gwen knew they needed to do well in school if they wanted to stay. She assured her there would be plenty of time to explore after their work was done, but getting her to focus was like getting a dog in a bath: chasing her around until you lured her with a treat.

The only person who put in the same amount of effort as Gwen was Richard. When he sat down to work, he didn’t stop until everything was done and done perfectly. Every step in his process was meticulously thought out and planned, and while the other three certainly threw more than one wrench into his work, he never left the study group or said anything mean, he simply continued on and reworked what he needed. He also helped Gwen make sure Ava and Mark completed all their work so the pair wouldn’t have to serve detention.

***

Gwen would want her kind personality and academic achievements to be her mark on Hogwarts. Unfortunately for her, her legacy would consist of wit and mischief, and it all began at the beginning of October.

October First marked the start of another school week, and the official countdown to Gwen’s favorite holiday. She and Richard were on their way to class, discussing the homework from the weekend, when two unexpected visitors stepped into their path. Richard latched onto Gwen’s arm, forcing her to stop and pay attention to the people in front of her.

“Hey there, Gwenny ol’ girl,” Fred greeted, an innocent smile on his face. His nose was still slightly swollen, despite the magic of Madam Pomfrey. “Heard ‘bout your friend making the Quidditch team. George an' me got on too, see. Beaters.”

“Congrats.” Gwen moved to step around them, tugging Richard along. Fred stepped to the side, bending his head down slightly.

“What’s the rush?”

“We need to get to class. Have a nice day.” She sidestepped them once again, and he followed suit. She exhaled loudly through her nose, frustration beginning to bubble inside her. “Can I help you?”

“Have a piece then.” George produced a piece of candy from his pocket, wrapped in shiny silver plastic. “Go on. It’s delicious. Toffee flavored.” He stuck his hand out farther, a matching grin on his face.

Something in Gwen’s body pinched the base of her spine and worked its way up to her neck. She glanced over to Richard, who seemed annoyed rather than suspicious. She gently pushed his hand away, reaching back to find Richard’s.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.” She pushed between the boys, tugging Richard along. Once she felt they weren’t going to follow, she took the chance of looking back. Both boys looked infuriated and disappointed.

“What do you suppose that was about?” Richard asked, pulling out his books. He set them neatly in the corner of his desk, spines lining up with the edge and the top sides lining up as well.

“I don’t know.” Gwen frowned, turning back to look at the door. “I doubt anything good.”

Her instinct was right. By dinner time, she saw multiple students, from all the houses, covered in massive blue polka dots, all claiming the same story: Fred and George Weasley had offered them the toffee flavored candy in the shiny, silver plastic wrap.

Ava told Gwen they had received a week’s worth of detention and had lost ten points each. Gwen shook her head and returned to her table. Those boys sure seemed to have a knack for getting themselves into trouble.

Cedric had told her they were just as bad their first year too. Sooner or later they were going to do something they couldn’t come back from, and when that happened, she just hoped they didn’t take half the school down with them.

***

Gwen, Mark, Ava, and Richard had agreed to meet every Saturday in the library to review the week’s lessons and to catch up on any work. The four fell into a routine, and while it was still far from a friendship, Gwen knew that they’d be inseparable by the end of the year.

The only issue came from Richard. While the rest of the group had other friends to hang out with, Richard seemed to be a loner, and not the stare-off-into-space-brooding-bad-boy type. It was more along the lines of help-no-one-within-a-ten-mile-radius-will-come-near-me type, and that bothered Gwen to no extent. He refused to spend time with any of his housemates, including his dormmates. In fact, he only went to his dorm to sleep. It didn’t help that almost all students outside of Slytherin avoided him too.

He assured her he didn’t mind spending time alone, and she knew that some people needed time alone, like her sister Nat, and others simply liked it, like her sister Penny, but the two of them still interacted with other people.

On days Gwen didn’t need to study, and most of the students were just hanging around, and Cedric was busy with his Quidditch practise, her and Richard would spend time walking around the black lake, bundled up as Jack Frost nipped at their noses. He wasn’t much of a talker, like her brother Nick, but Gwen found comfort in having someone listen to her without interrupting. In a family as big as hers, being heard wasn’t as easy as it should have been.

It was a Saturday after a particularly hard week in Potions, two weeks after the candy incident, that Gwen ran into the Weasley twins. Running being an operative term as the four of them had been on their way to the library when a familiar sharp pain entered Gwen’s back and shot up her spine. She stopped in her tracks, furrowing her brows.

“Gwen? What’s wrong?” Ava asked, tilting her head. Gwen didn’t know what to say. She looked around the corridor, but there wasn’t another soul.

“I don’t know. Something just feels… off.”

“I think you’ve been working too hard,” Mark said, turning back around. “Why don’t you get some rest, we’ll catch up tomorrow.

BOOM!

The entire corridor lit up like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Fireworks shot out bright colors into the castle ceiling and produced dancing creatures of all kinds. The loud noise had startled Ava, Mark and Richard, as the three of them quickly ducked for cover.

Gwen, on the other hand, gave out a laugh, looking up and giving out a long whistle as the creatures disappeared.

“Oi! Come on!” Fred and George stumbled from their hiding spot, looking at her in utter disbelief. She gave them a grin, shrugging her shoulders. Her group rejoined her in the middle of the corridor, looking less than thrilled with the Weasley’s.

Of course, Mr. Filch was also less than thrilled with the mess and fire hazard they had caused. She’d never heard such shouting before. They slumped their shoulders as they were escorted to Professor McGonagall’s office, and given another week’s worth of detention, and lost another ten points each.

“I don’t know what their problem is,” Ava said, sitting with her back against the window. “They keep losing our house points and soon wea not gonna have any.” She put three piles onto the table and pulled out her ink and quill.

“Forget the points,” Mark said, dumping his bag’s contents onto the table. “They’re putting everyone in danger with stupid pranks like that. I mean, the  amount of fire hazards from that prank alone could have had devastating consequences.”

“How come you didn’t react? Did you know about it?” Richard sat with his back against the door, moving to put Mark’s items into a controlled space before setting his own books down.

“I didn’t know. I just got a weird feeling. Besides, those weren’t that bad. I mean, you haven’t seen real fireworks till you’ve been to D.C. on the Fourth of July.”

“Wow, you Amaricans are a lot mora tough than I thought.”

As the days passed, Gwen found her excitement for Halloween dwindling. The other students didn’t seem to care about the holiday, seeing as for them, it was always Halloween. They didn’t care for carving pumpkins, there was no way to watch scary movies, and nowhere to go trick-or-treating. The excitement of Halloween was almost non-existent, and that brought her cheerful demeanor down several notches.

Tamsin was the first to notice her shift in behavior. Instead of her normally cheerful jigs, Gwen’s violin seemed to only produce slow and melancholy tunes. Even in the common room, they could hear her sad songs that even made the Fat Friar sad.

She decided that Gwen needed a nice pick me up, and there was no better place for spooky lore than the library. On their way there, another sharp pain shot through her spine, causing her to stop in her tracks. She held out her arm, stopping Tamsin as well. She opened her mouth to protest, but was quickly shushed.

She was not amused by Gwen’s sudden odd behavior and pushed her arms away, placing her hands on her hips. She gave her a pointed look, looking around the semi-empty hallway.

She brushed off her annoyance, watching as Mr. Filch marched down the corridor, Mrs. Norris hot on his heels. He grumbled as he passed the girls, ignoring most of the students as he went to round the corner.

Loud screaming startled the corridor as he fell backwards, legs stuck together like a mermaid. The children’s mouths fell open as Mr. Filch flailed about the floor, yelling and pointing like a mad man. Gwen covered her mouth as Tamsin struggled not to laugh.

It was no surprise when the culprits turned out to be Fred and George. They emerged from around the corner, faces almost as red as their hair. They turned their heads and saw Gwen and Tamsin staring at them, disappointed but not surprised. Fred looked like he could strangle someone as George drew his mouth into a thin line.

“What is going on here?” Professor McGonagall’s voice carried through the corridor loud and clear, effectively silencing everyone except Mr. Filch, who was still flopping around the floor like a fish. She cast an unamused stare down at him before pulling out her wand and giving it a slight wave.

His legs were released and he scrambled to stand up, turning a nasty stare onto the twins. Professor McGonagall held up her hand, silencing him at once. She turned her sharp gaze onto them, releasing a slow and steady breath. 

Of course, with his impeccable timing, Peeves came swooping in from another corridor, laughing and pointing at the pair. Though usually excited for the encouragement, both looked like they wanted to throttle the poltergeist.

“Oh ho ho! Looky what we have here! Silly silly boys!” He let out another rambunctious laugh circling above them. Professor McGonagall simply shooed him away, with threats of Dumbledore and the Bloody Baron. He stuck out his tongue before flying away to cause problems somewhere else.

“Everyone, get to your classes. Now.” The other students scrambled to avoid getting detention. Tamsin pulled Gwen along, eager to leave Professor McGonagall’s war path. “As for you two, after your fiascos this month, I see it only fit that you both receive a month’s worth of detentions. As such, you both lose twenty points-- each.” Gwen felt bad that they kept getting into so much trouble, but she couldn’t understand why they did it. No one was laughing, not even them. Hopefully now they learned their lesson.

When Halloween was right around the corner, Gwen found herself in a sour mood almost everyday. Her sunny disposition was nowhere to be seen, and the entire Hufflepuff dorm was filled with her low and somber music. Even Richard was beginning to miss her chatter. Her mood was a mystery to everyone, herself included.

Halloween had always been a happy time in her life. Her family always went trick-or-treating in Grandpa Dave’s nice neighborhood, followed by a trip to a haunted house, and ending the night with a big party at their house. Yet the excitement for her family’s favorite holiday was nonexistent.

“Oh, chea up Gwen,” Ava encouraged. They had just finished their last class of the day and were going to drop their books off in their respective dorms. “My dad told me tha’s always a big feast for Halloween. Sure to be a sight to see.” Gwen shrugged, fiddling with the edges of her notebooks. “Don’ worry, you’ll feel tons betta when you get some suppa in you.”

“Okay.” Gwen waved goodbye as she continued down to the common room.

Most of the students were rushing out of the common room, eager to feast upon the delicious food they’d been smelling throughout the day. She pushed past the sea of hungry students and went to her dorm room, where her dormmates had already deposited their stuff. Heather’s books were piled neatly into her trunk, the lid left open in her haste. Heidi and Maxine had both placed their books on top of their trunks before they’d undoubtedly ran to join Tamsin, whose books laid in a skewed pile on her bed.

Gwen carefully placed her charm book on top of her other books before carefully closing the lid. She shuffled to the common room, which was almost empty save for the other Hufflepuff pets that weren’t owls.

Midnight was amongst them, lazily perched above the fireplace, his tail flicking back and forth. His bright blue eyes watched her carefully as she shuffled through the barrel hole and made her way to join the other students.

Ava’s dad was true to his word, the Great Hall was a spectacle to behold. Candles floated above them, casting a spook-tacular glow around them. The ghosts were floating around as well, moaning and causing quite the ruckus with Peeves. Candy and other Halloween themed food lined all five tables.

Cedric was seated near the end of the Hufflepuff table, chatting with the other Quidditch players. Their first Quidditch game was only a matter of weeks away. He waved her over, giving Tamsin a shove as she chatted with Heidi and Maxine. She moved over without breaking away from her conversation, shoveling her food into her mouth.

Gwen sat between the two, grabbing a fair and healthy serving of food. Cedric returned to his conversation of strategy and Tamsin only offered her a smile. Their plates were piled with delicious food and sweets of every kind, both magical and muggle. Gwen grabbed her fork, but couldn’t bring herself to take anything. She pushed her food around her plate, resting her chin in her hand.

She glanced around the Great Hall. Ava was sitting amongst a group of Gryffindor girls, giggling and chatting. Mark was eating and listening to whatever the other boys in their year were going on about. Richard was seated at the end of the table, a book in his hand as he read and ate silently.

It seemed no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t bring herself to enjoy the festivities like the other students. Even the ghost choir, who were singing a beautifully haunting melody, couldn’t put her in a good mood.

“You doin’ alright Gwen?” Cedric asked, pulling himself away from his teammates. Gwen let out a sigh, stuffing her mouth with mashed potatoes. “That bad, huh?” She shrugged, keeping her eyes on her lap. He gave her back a gentle rub, moving to eat his own food. She set her fork down, excusing herself from the table and turning in for an early night.

She knew that right about now, her siblings were seated in a circle in their living room, negotiating candy trades, with Kate and Lily easily swindling their other siblings out of their fair share. While that was going on, her parents would be seated on the couch, her dad with his cup of decaf coffee and her mom with her cup of herbal tea, watching in amusement as they waited for guests to arrive.

She knew Aunt Penny would have the coolest costume, and she’d have brought the pumpkin pie cupcakes with the white frosting sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg. Uncle Derek would have new ghost stories to tell and games to play.

The only thing Gwen couldn’t figure out was if they missed her as much as she missed them. She  wished she could call them and let them know she wanted to be there. She wanted to hear the new story and have one of Aunt Penny’s cupcakes. She wished she could have gone trick-or-treating and carved pumpkins and gone to a haunted house.

Instead, she was left wandering towards her dorm. Maybe if she hadn’t been so deep in thought and self-pity, she would have felt that sharp pinch slither up her spine. Maybe she would have heard the echoes of footsteps and muffled laughter. But alas, as she wound the corner to the stairs towards her common room…

SPLASH!

Water poured down on her, leaving her completely drenched. Her mouth fell open as she let out a gasp, looking around. Fred and George fell from their hiding spot, holding their sides as they howled with laughter. There were tears in their eyes as they rolled around the floor.

Now, Gwen loved a good prank. Pouring water on someone wasn’t too bad, and on any other night, she might have joined in on their laughter with a promise to return the favor. But this wasn’t any other night. And if they’d taken two seconds to look at her, they’d have seen what they did had a worse effect on her than they intended.

Tears welled in her eyes as her lip began quivering. One of the twins, she wasn’t sure which, hit the other, looking at her. Both stopped laughing as her tears began falling down her face. They glanced at each other before they both ran for it. One of them paused, turning their head back briefly before they disappeared from view.

She took a seat at the bottom of the stairs, bringing her knees to her chest. She rested her head on her knees, shivering as her tears mixed with the water dripping from her hair. This had to be, by far, the worst Halloween of her entire life.

“Gwen?”

She lifted her head to see Richard standing in front of her. His hands were gripping his satchel and his brows were furrowed. He took a seat next to her, eyes darting all over her.

“What’re you doing here?” She let out a sniffle, smoothing out her school robes. She used the back of her hand to wipe away her tears, not that it made much of a difference.

“I saw the Weasley twins leave shortly after you did. I wanted to make sure they didn’t do anything. I guess I was too late.” He reached into his bag, scrunching his nose as he pulled out his wand. “Reverte.”

The water vanished from her and left her nice and dry, though she was still cold and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. She gave a breathy chuckle, using her sleeve to wipe her nose. She thanked him and fiddled with her robe, keeping her gaze down on her robe.

“So, do you want to talk about it?” He tucked his wand back into his bag, scrunching his nose as he fixed his glasses. She shook her head, tucking her knees back under her chin and earning a slight chuckle from him. She turned her head. It was the first time she’d heard him laugh.

“What?”

“First time you don’t want to talk, and it’s the first time you need to. Come on.” He gave her a gentle nudge.

“It has nothing to do with the twins,” she confessed, squeezing her legs. “It’s just-- it’s stupid. Getting worked up over something so silly.” She paused, but he wasn’t giving up that easily. He nudged her again, giving her a pointed look. “It’s just-- me and my family always celebrate Halloween with a big celebration. It’s almost as big as Christmas for my family, and, well, this is my first Halloween I won’t be celebrating with them. I dunno, I guess I just-- I don’t know.”

“It’s okay.” He gave her an awkward pat on the back. “There’s worse things to miss.” She turned her head, giving him a deep frown. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with being upset. It was something important to you.” He drew his mouth into a thin line, furrowing his brows. “Why don’t you just write to your family? I’m sure it’ll make you feel better.”

She mauled over his words. He was right, if not for the reason he thought. Both her parents had degrees in psychology and both would be able to help her. She stood up suddenly, startling him into standing as well.

“Thanks Richard. You’re a good friend.” She gave him a strong hug, which, after the initial shock wore off, he returned hesitantly, giving her back a couple awkward pats. She skipped off to her common room, her mood better than it had been for most of the month. The first thing she did was pull out a roll of parchment and a quill.

Dear Reid Family and Extended Loved Ones,

I hope you guys had a spook-tacular Halloween! Mine wasn’t too interesting. Actually, mine wasn’t fun at all. They threw a big feast and had a ghost choir, but there wasn’t any trick-or-treating or haunted houses or Aunt Penny’s cupcakes. I’m sure Uncle Derek had a lot of cool stories to tell. Surprisingly, the ghosts here don’t tell many scary stories. They’re just really, really, really sad. I guess that’s what happens when you’re dead.

On a happier note, I think I’ve entered my first prank war. These two boys, brothers, have been trying to prank me all month. I’ve avoided it for the most part, but they got me today. It wasn’t too bad, just some water, but now I’ve got to think of a good comeback. (I’m looking at you for help Daddy!)

I was a little upset today because I missed you guys, but Richard (that’s my friend in Slytherin) really helped me today. He was actually the one who suggested I write to you guys. I can’t wait to see you all in a couple months for Christmas! I love and miss you all!

Love,

Gwen

She carefully folded the letter and slipped into an envelope before scrawling her mother’s name on it. It was a quick and uneventful trip to the owlery and back to the common room. By her return, most of the students had returned and were heading to bed for tomorrow’s classes.

“Gwen.” Cedric waved his hand, jogging over to her. “You okay? You left pretty early.”

“I’m okay.” She gave him an affirmative nod and a chipper smile. He smiled too, chuckling. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Well, you certainly look happier. Come on. You should get to bed. We still have classes tomorrow.” He nudged her towards her dorm room before he headed off to his own.

She climbed the stairs until she reached her room. Everyone was already asleep, happy in their candy-induced comas. She changed in her pajamas before also climbing into her bed. Midnight jumped onto her bed as well, snuggling right by her face as drifted off.

[findroleplay]

Hello I’m 18+ they/them! Lit/adv/novella (I match).

I’m looking for EMILY BLUNT movies !

Desperate to find someone who will write as these:

Emily charlton - devil wears prada

Mary poppins

Rachel Watson - a girl in the train

Freya - winter war

Evelyn abbotts - a quiet place

Tamsin - My Summer Of Love

Also any of these:

Vanessa Ives - Penny dreadful

Marisa Coulter - his dark materials

DROP A LIKE IF INTERESTED !

-

[sunlilys]

tamsin abbott. winter house leaping hare, date unknown.