#the first in a long line of why am i doing this?

[that-stag-aemilianus]

[ID 1. A screenshot of a 4chan post reading:

"I am a 36 year old with a PhD in Philosophy. I am $450k in debt and currently working two minimum wage jobs in order to stay alive. I word alongside 18 year olds and whenever they ask about my background I just tell them I've been in prison for a long time, which is less embarrassing than admitting the truth. I am probably the most well-informed Husserl scholar on the North American continent, perhaps in the world. My 1,500 page biography of his life has been rejected several dozen times. No college will take me on since they don't think Husserl is relevant, and that other applicants are therefore pushed to the head of the line. I have had 6 Husserl-related papers published in different journals and philosophical quarterlies, but have earned no money or recognition for having done so. I just moved to Abbeville, Louisiana since there is a job opening at the university in Lafayette and I decided to do all out in order to get it. But I've just found out that my application was rejected and now I'm stuck working at a Wendy's three shifts a week and a Barnes & Noble the rest of the time. I have no wife, no children, and at this point no friends I'm willing to talk to due to the shameful nature of my existence."

End ID 1]

[ID 2. A screenshot of a 4chan post, continuing the story of the last, reading:

"Sorry for blogposting but I just need to say this somewhere and it's not unrelated to /lit/. Things are finally looking up for me after years and years. I earned a PhD in philosophy a number of years ago from a mid range public university in the midwest and have been on the job market ever since. Frankly it went awfully, with rejection after rejection from every school I applied to (my research in on Husserl, which a lot of departments don't consider terribly relevant). My fiancee, who had initially supported me during my last few doctorate years and two years looking for a position, eventually left me for a Proust scholar on the West Coast.

My parents took me in for a while after that as I kept looking for jobs, but the stress of my massive debt and the knowledge of my own failure made me bitter towards everyone. I can't really describe it, just a huge sense that I had wasted the first 33 or so years of my life. I worked a few odd jobs to make ends meet but nothing lasted. I couldn't interact with anyone. Each time I talked to someone and told them about my life they gave me this pitying half smirk. Poor bastard, they must have thought, but still, it's his fault for getting a doctorate in philosophy. I became rude and this all culminated with me almost attacking my mother when she (completely innocently) asked about an application I had put in to Bennington. They threw me out, the only two people who could even tolerate my presence, and looking back I can't blame them at all.

I moved to a small town in the south and kind of went all in to get a job at the university there, but without any luck. I had to work a couple different jobs, but this time I just told people I'd stolen a car and boon in jail for while. I got less pitying stares and slowly came back to me senses. Still, I was working dead end, minimum wage jobs, and the pressure of my debt was still huge. One of them was at a Barnes and noble (inb4 pleb), and I used to kind of loiter around the tiny philosophy section as some kind of masochistic exercise. One evening an old black guy came in and started browsing in the section, nothing that odd. He picked up some greek works and chuckled, which got my attention. There was an overview of phenomenology that he picked up next, and my heart almost stopped. I felt kind of numb, and while he leafed through it I slowly stepped forward. I do not know why. He looked up and said something about it being interesting. I shrugged, and he smiled. Something in that smile made me say "I actually wrote my dissertation on Husserl."

(1/2)"

"His smile got a lot bigger then, and he invited me over to the little cafe inside the store. It turns out he was a professor at a small Christian liberal arts school in Georgia. We talked, and it was like the anger and resentment and fear of the last ten years of my life melted away. For the first time in a long time I was not afraid to be passionate about Husserl. I even mentioned my giant biography of the man, which I had long ago hoped to have published. He asked why someone like me wasn't teaching, and suddenly tensed up. But I fought through the years of self-loathing and explained how it had just never happened, and he told me he understood. "We're actually looking for someone right now," he said then. He told me the position was really for a generalist, someone to teach intro to philosophy and maybe a class on his specialty. He told me to apply, and I said I'd think it over. He stuck out his hand and I gave it a firm shake. Inside I was alive for the first time since my ABD days. I applied a few days later, interviewed, and, somehow got the job. It still amazes me when I think about it. I'm still deeply in debt but I'm starting to pay it off, I've spoken to my parents for the first time since the incident, and I just don't feel like a waste of life anymore.

I used to browse /lit/, back when I was in a really bad state, but I stopped after that night in the barnes and noble. I just wanted to tell you guys that everything turned out for the best for me in the end, and that you shouldn't give up hope that it'll turn out okay for you too."

End ID 2]

It's never over. You can recover from anything in life, even a PhD in Philosophy on Husserl.

[izzih22]

My favorite trope is bestie to lovers but you already did a story like that before I believe so do enemies to lovers or friends with benefits

Don’t Make This Complicated

Note: I hope y’all like this I wasn’t to sure what to do ngl

Azzi’s breath caught when she heard the lock click behind her.

Paige didn’t say a word.

Just leaned against the door of her apartment, arms crossed, blue eyes fixed on Azzi like she already knew exactly what she came for. Like this had all happened before.

Because it had.

Too many times.

Too many nights where they crossed lines they swore they wouldn’t. Where it was supposed to just be casual no strings, no feelings, no talking about it after.

Paige never asked her to stay the night. Azzi never expected her to.

But still, she always lingered a little too long.

Azzi swallowed hard. “Hey.”

Paige didn’t move. “You said you weren’t coming.”

“I changed my mind.”

Paige stepped closer, slow and sure. “Yeah?”

Azzi nodded, cheeks flushed already. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“You never can without me, huh?”

Azzi didn’t respond, but the way her body shifted, soft and uncertain, gave her away. Paige loved that how easily Azzi came undone, how she never had to say a word for Paige to read her like a favorite book she knew by heart.

Without asking, Paige reached for her, hand curling around the back of Azzi’s neck. Gentle at first. Then tighter. Azzi let out the smallest exhale, one that made Paige smirk.

“Take off your shoes.”

Azzi obeyed.

“Jacket too.”

Azzi shrugged it off, every movement unhurried, almost reverent. She knew the game. Knew what Paige liked. Knew exactly where this was headed.

But tonight felt… different.

Paige guided her to the couch, fingers brushing against Azzi’s waist. “Sit.”

Azzi sat, legs close together, hands in her lap like she didn’t know what to do with them.

“You nervous?” Paige asked, voice low, teasing.

Azzi looked up at her. “No.”

“Liar.”

Paige moved in between Azzi’s knees, hand resting on her thigh. Azzi’s breath hitched again.

“I don’t get you,” Paige murmured, her thumb brushing soft circles over Azzi’s skin. “You say this doesn’t mean anything, that it’s just physical. But you look at me like I’m everything.”

Azzi blinked, caught.

“I—I don’t.”

Paige leaned in. “You do.”

Her lips hovered just above Azzi’s. “You act like you’re mine.”

Azzi whispered, “I am, when I’m here.”

That flicker of vulnerability… Paige felt it like a punch to the chest. She kissed her then, fierce and unrelenting. Azzi melted into it, her hands clutching at Paige’s hoodie like she was drowning and Paige was the only thing keeping her above water.

This wasn’t just about heat or tension or dominance anymore.

It was the way Azzi always gave herself so completely without needing to be asked.

It was the way Paige couldn’t help but want to protect her, ruin her, hold her all at once.

Paige pulled back, lips swollen, eyes searching Azzi’s face. “You drive me insane, you know that?”

Azzi nodded slowly. “You do the same to me.”

“Then why are we still pretending this is just sex?”

Azzi didn’t answer at first. Just looked at her with something raw in her eyes.

“Because if I say it out loud,” she said, voice shaking, “I’m scared you’ll leave.”

Paige was quiet.

Then, she sat back slightly, taking Azzi’s chin between her fingers, tilting her face up.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Paige said. “Not unless you tell me to.”

Azzi’s eyes closed. Her lips trembled. “Please don’t stop.”

“I won’t.”

And she didn’t.

Not that night. Not the next.

And somewhere between the kisses and the tangled limbs in Paige’s bed, neither of them could pretend anymore.

Whatever this was it was already more.

They just weren’t ready to say it.

Not yet.

But soon.

Maybe next time.

Maybe when Paige didn’t leave the room after. Maybe when Azzi finally asked her to stay.

[crow-quilll]

CROW WHAT DO YOU THINK ABT THE S3 ENDING?

Well. Hello all that submitted asks asking about my thoughts on Squid Game season 3 + its ending. I needed a day to. Register. What I just watched. So here are my thoughts, get ready for a rant! WARNING FOR MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SG3 UNDER CUT

Long story short: I hated it -- and justifiably so. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't hate it because it didn't get a happy ending-- we all know I love me some tragedy. BUT. Gi-hun's death was just so.. empty? There was no mention to sae-byeok or sang-woo in the end, or even JUNG-BAE who died like the day before? Nothing to pay homage to how Gi-hun suffered and what he sacrificed. Honestly, his whole role in the season felt so passive. Those first two episodes I enjoyed his more manic side, but then he just becomes a background character. And then he gets stuck with the baby, and that is just a trope that I absolutely despise because it feels so very lazy: You take a main character who has lost the will to live, hand them a baby/kid, and suddenly they've got something to fight for again. Gi-hun's goal was no longer ending the games, it was saving this one kid (which yes, is symbolic of fighting the system, but I hated it). It's just so whatever, you know? All of that fight in him that we saw in s2 was completely disregarded. We never saw him take down the system he vowed vengeance again. He didn't accomplish anything, he never fought In-ho again, never got any sort of victory. He lost. And lost again. And again. And finally, one last time. He failed and sacrificed himself to save a kid that isn't his own (which is admittedly in character for him, but is still so lazy and unsatisfying).

AND we never got the Gi-hun x In-ho confrontation we needed. When In-ho revealed himself, Gi-hun said nothing. Nothing. No big ideological verbal fight between them, no hurt words of betrayal, no "... young-il?" or ".. why?" We got NOTHING. Nothing. And the season was marketed as the big finale to their feud -- we got one scene with them together, nothing was concluded and that was it.

And don't even get me started on what they did to In-ho's character too, who was just as passive as Gi-hun the whole time. Also, the fact that he gets to walk away alive from the island after all he did?? And Gi-hun dies?? And don't give me that "in real life, bad guys get away with everything" spiel - he was too complex a character for that to be a satisfying conclusion to his entire arc. He should've never made it off that island alive - he should've died there, surrounded by the ruins of a system he built and was built by.

There's so much else to say about how bad this season was. The pacing, the finalist choices (Player 100... really?), the arcs of the other characters (im looking at you, Dae-ho), the VIPs (again?). But honestly, I just don't want to lmao. I'm not gonna sit here and tear apart the season because I hated it enough that I don't even care to.

There is a silver lining in the end (and no, it's not that the kid lives, I don't care that was stupid and I saw it coming from a mile away). The silver lining is that we are still here: the artists, the writers, the readers, the animators - all of us. We still hold these characters, we can still write the stories they deserved and never got.

To anyone who enjoyed the season, I am glad you did! Just because I didn't doesn't mean you can't. I'm glad you found a satisfying conclusion to the story. But as a lover of stories myself, I was sorely and completely disappointed -- and that's okay too.

With all of that said, Nobody's Soldier will certainly have a better ending than what we got (although, that doesn't say much considering how bad the canon ending was). I will finish it and it will be more satisfying and truer to Gi-hun and In-ho's characters.

I can't say when the fic will be updated next, but it's coming. Until then, brandish your fanart, your fanfictions, edits, and everything in between. These characters deserve better, and we're going to give them better <33

[w1zxrd]

The Stranger Things writers want byler shippers to feel like Joyce Byers.

(i'm aware this is a long read, but it's worth it i promise! 💔)

- "Joyce, 99 out of 100 times a kid goes missing, the kid is with a parent or relative."

"Well, what about the other time? You said, '99 out of 100', what about the other time, the one? The one!" -

~

since the season 5 release date teaser came out, lot of stranger things fans have made their way back to the fandom!.. delightful! because of that, arguments over certain stranger things topics have gotten more vocal (if that's even possible); like, for example, the wars between byler and mileven and which will be endgame!

mileven shippers, or maybe even just anti-byler shippers, have been mentioning (as they always do) that "byler wont happen", "it makes no sense", and "byler shippers are delusional". as well as that comes a lot of complaints from byler fans; saying mileven shippers have it all wrong, they under analyze, and dont understand the small details Stranger Things writers and directors bring to the table.

with all this being said, as a byler shipper myself, its quite frustrating when some people just dont see what you see and will never believe what you believe, especially on a topic that is pretty important to you.. That sounds a bit familiar, right? 😭 (i'm getting to the point, I swear. stay with me now.)

- "Maybe I am a mess, maybe I’m crazy, maybe I’m out of my mind! But, God help me, I will keep these lights up until the day I die if I think there’s a chance that Will’s still out there!" -

~

this is ALL that Joyce Byers had gone through when trying to find Will in season one. Will communicated to her through the lights, she saw him through the wall, she heard his phone calls.. but because the chances that such supernatural and unrealistic things were happening are very low, nobody believed her.

recently, i saw a comment on tiktok stating something along the lines of, "i have no idea why it feels like everyone is incapable of listening in this fandom. the general audience has a surface level of knowledge on everything that simple analyses can make you feel crazy," and it made me realize something.

maybe, just maybe, that's the entire point. i know that's pretty obvious, but on the topic of byler, it's easy to feel crazy! a lot of people say that the byler evidence we have seen means nothing, and it's all just delusional. a HUGE number of people believe byler won't become endgame and are concerningly very against it, actually. it's like Joyce with the lights. she knew Will was alive, and people argued she was going crazy.

but was she really crazy? nope. she wasn't. after everything, after no one had believed her at first, she was RIGHT. i mean, (this is important) the proof that Will was alive was very obvious to her, she saw it herself! some just didn't agree with her because THEY didn't see it.

~

this sounds oddly familiar to what happens between mileven and byler shippers. we have so much evidence, so much proof, that it almost just feels obvious how the final season is gonna go for Mike and Will, yet we still get called delusional and crazy for it all.

but, this is SUPPOSED to happen. it's no accident. the writers have set this up in such a way that some people will just never accept the fact that Will and Mike could be a potential couple in season 5, the idea almost feels impossible to them: they are basically the people who didnt believe Joyce. they've built it in a way that mirrors Joyce's experience. despite everything, Will was still found alive after he was seen 'dead' and even had his own funeral! sometimes, the impossible IS possible.

in conclusion, byler may feel unrealistic, what are the chances that these male main characters of this show will fall in love? the shows so popular, that just can't happen! well, you know what, people also believed Will wasn't alive, but Joyce did. and she was right.

byler shippers, you may feel crazy. you may feel out of your mind. but maybe we are right, and people will just never believe it until it truly happens.. there will always be the 1 in the 99 out of 100.

~

if youve made it this far thank you so much!

[bbina]

its safe to say you didn't get much sleep

the sheer thought of your new routine starting today wherein your boss would start driving you to and from work just kept you up all night tossing and turning

thinking about how a kind gesture led up to this?

but somehow deep inside, you feel like it's just some fluke. maybe bossman was just tired and cranky last night. the joint meeting did take four hours of everyone's time of day yesterday

yeah. maybe it really is just a fluke. just some in the heat of the moment type beat. chenle probably already forgot about it in his sleep

since you barely slept at all, you woke up a tad bit earlier than your set alarm so you took your sweet time getting ready for the day. for the first time in a long time, you were able to brew your own coffee today. you actually had time to prepare which has become rare these past few weeks

by the time you had finished doing everything, it was already 7:30 AM. you made a mental note to get a move on so you could catch the next bus by 7:45 since it takes 30 minutes to get to work from your apartment

you were taking your sweet time gathering your things for the day when your phone vibrates three consecutive times and then you get a call

your eyes widened when you read the I.D caller

fuck.

letting it ring two more times, you accept the call

"hello–"

"you're late" chenle cuts you off

your brows furrow, checking the time. it's 7:31

"huh? i'm not" you say, "i clock in at 8:30 case you forgot"

on the other end of the line you can hear chenle scoff

"didn't i say i'd be here at 7:30 sharp last night? and i told you not to be late"

your blood runs cold. what did he mean by that? was he actually downstairs?

you run up to your window that was facing the road. you look down below, trying to identify chenle's car and holy fucking shit. he was actually being serious last night

there he was, in front of the entrance of your apartment building. his sleek black car that you've ruined the seats of, parked directly in front with chenle leaning back on the car doors with his phone up against his ear

he really kept his word, huh

"i see you. you're already ready after all. i'll see you down here" and with that, he ends the call

you blink once. twice. going thrice before you let out a strangled scream

your phone vibrates in your hand again. you open your phone to see it was a message from chenle

[7:36 AM] Sir Zhong (Boss): we're going to be late. [7:36 AM] Sir Zhong (Boss): don't make me come up there [7:37 AM] you: ALRIGHT. I'M COMING DOWN ALREADY [7:37 AM] Sir Zhong (Boss): finally. jesus. i'm deducting a small cut from your pay for making me wait this long [7:37 AM] you: for making you wait 5 minutes??? [7:38 AM] Sir Zhong (Boss): time is money [7:38 AM] Sir Zhong (Boss): why are you still texting me maybe if you just get down already maybe we could've had this conversation in real life

chenle sees that you've read his message and pockets his phone. he clicks in tongue in annoyance once more when he checks the time on his watch for the nth time today (it's been 5 minutes)

he thought you had understood his new implemented rule last night. did he not sound serious enough through text?

chenle was about to send another message when you finally walk out of the door

"good morning, boss" you greet, walking up to him while adjusting the straps of your bag

chenle narrows his eyes, "don't 'good morning' me. you're late" he says sternly, fishing out his car keys. "i told you i'd be here 7:30 sharp"

you purse your lips together, walking around the car to get to the passenger side. "i didn't think you were being serious.." you muttered

chenle's eyebrows shoot up and you instantly cower

"you've been working with me for a month and you still don't know when i'm being serious or not?" he says incredulous

"okay fine i'm sorry!" you stomp your foot like a child, "i thought it was just a fluke and you'd forget about it in the morning, turns out i'm wrong and you were being serious after all"

chenle scoffs, unlocking the car and getting in. you follow suit and close the door immediately. when you get in, you realized this was the car which seats you've ruined. he had changed the color of it. it went from brown to black

"well now you know i'm a man of my word" chenle huffs, bringing the engine to life. "you ready?" he asks, turning to you. you nod your head yes and he hums

his hand turns the gear shift to reverse and he starts to back out of the curb and before you know it, you were on the main road on the way to the company

the drive for the most part was silent. save the occasional mutters from chenle about getting caught in a red light or how the radio was playing shitty songs. luckily he didn't strike a conversation

and before you know it, you two have arrived at the company. chenle quickly parks at his designated parking spot and turns off the car but he didn't get out just yet. you two were just in there, in silence, unsure whether to leave already or not

"so who's getting out first.. me or you" chenle starts, staring at the dashboard. if he was being honest, he didn't really mind if people see but he's not exactly ready to explain what prompted him into clocking in at work together with his assistant when he was notorious for doing things alone

hell, he doesn't even come in with kun to work unless it's absolutely necessary like an important VVIP client was visiting and he had to be the first one to open the office

things like that. definitely not things like this

"uhh..." you paused, thinking about a good escape plan. "i think it would be best if i walked out first? since there's barely anyone in the parking lot" you suggest

chenle shrugs, not really caring who gets out first

"okay"

"okay.." you repeat, blinking at chenle who just leans back and whips out his phone. you look down at your lap before you look at the door. taking a deep breath, you put on the straps of your bag on your shoulder and open the door first. "thanks for the ride.. boss"

chenle just nods and continues to scroll through his phone

you take a good look around your surroundings. since it was still kind of early, it was basically a ghost town so you take this time to get to the front doors without any drawing suspicions from any employee whether they were a janitor or interns. word can spread around fast in office settings

when you finally enter the building, it almost feels like you just won a marathon. why did that walk from the parking lot feel like it was 5 kilometers away. maybe your thoughts were becoming excess baggage from overthinking everything

like what if anyone saw you getting out of chenle's car? what if someone found out that chenle had implemented a new rule last night that he'd start driving you home after jeno offered to? what if—

"good morning, my work bestie!" hyuck's voice rings your ears, greeting you at the front desk

fuck. the one person you hoped and prayed you wouldn't bump into first thing in the morning today specifically

"g-good morning!" you stammer, completely fucking yourself over. why were you so nervous for no reason?

hyuck raises a brow, a little skeptical at your reaction. why were you acting weird when the day barely started, let alone you just clocked in at the same time as he did

before hyuck could even ask a question, the man of the hour walks in

"boss man clocking in this early?! oh today is going to be a long day" hyuck exclaims in the middle of the lobby, causing a few visitors to look at him in bewilderment

chenle gives him a look before smiling at his receptionists, greeting them warmly

"good morning everyone" chenle greets cooly, he then nods to you in acknowledgment. "morning, assistant" he teases, smirking to himself when he notices you freeze for a second

you actually can't believe him right now. acting like he didn't just show up at your apartment early this morning to drive you to work. like you two weren't just in the same car for the past hour

you almost forgot that you were with hyuck at that exact moment. because the way he was shaking your shoulder vigorously asking why boss man was teasing you this early on in the morning

"hey what's up with that look bossman just gave you? you two have inside jokes now?! SPILL PLEASE" hyuck shoots out questions every 5 seconds

"what look are you talking about? you mean the same look he torments me with every waking day? yeah.. no" you shut him down before he could even start instigating or worse, making things up

hyuck cackles and pushes you towards the elevator where chenle was currently waiting in

"oh look at that! boss man is still here" hyuck muses, getting in the elevator with you in tow. "feels weird seeing you this early dude" hyuck wraps his arm around chenle's who just chuckles

"figured i need to start showing up more especially to my employees so that they could actually admire their boss" chenle boasts. to you however it almost sounds like a jab towards jeno who boasted (or at least, you think that's what chenle felt when he heard jeno say it last night) about how he treats his employees well

"you got my respect no matter what, dude" hyuck smiles widely at chenle

hyuck suddenly gets a call and excuses himself to the other side of the elevator. chenle takes this time to press the button to his floor. you could've done it for him since you were standing right in front of the elevator buttons but chenle had other plans

chenle leans a little too close for your liking and mumbles something to your ear. just loud enough for you to hear

"don't be late again tomorrow or i'll start charging late fees"

BUSINESS PROPOSAL ᝰ.ᐟ . . . CHAUFFEUR

✎ . . . things aren't going as planned the way you thought it was going to be. especially the part where you find yourself falling in love with your own boss– which was definitely not part of the agreed proposal.

[ PREV / NEXT ]

✎ AUTHORS NOTE . . . chenle is so hot i cry every time i remember

✎ TAGLIST . . . @mrkleelvr @jenodigital @https-dandelion @rik0shii @spacejip @yyangj3lly @multifandomania @taroddori @222brainrot @amouriu @defzcl @va1entinaa @carelessshootanonymous @onlywonb @flaminghotyourmom @do-you-remember-summer-127 @grimlinshere @yayayaiheardyouthefirsttime @hoeingthefuckup @meltinghershey @alwayswook @dutifullyannoyingstrawberrie @dudekiss3r @sibwol @mey-archive @morklee02 @httpsxnox @firydst @yuyita-rosier @ayukas @cottonjaems @monomya @neocults26 @greenyweirdo @cinneorolls @morkleesgirl @jising-jisang-jisung

[dungeon-brat]

Chapter 8: A New Path Offered - Order & Longing | Severus Snape x OC

Go to who? Elodie was not normally one to eavesdrop, yet she found herself lingering for a moment too long outside the Headmaster’s office after overhearing his order to Professor Snape. Who were the hooded figures that they were running from, and why was he being sought out? Hell, it wouldn’t be completely wrong for her to say she was involved now, so she felt she had at least some right to know.

“I know,” came Snape’s muffled reply from the other side of the door. “He’s growing impatient.”

There was a shared silence between them before Dumbledore spoke. “Then you must go. But be wary, there is more on the line this time around.”

Elodie crinkled her brow in concentration as she leaned toward the door to hear Snape’s next words. He spoke an octave lower and his words spilled from his mouth slower than they did before, giving away his apparent irritation with the Headmaster.

“‘More…on the line?’… And how, might I ask, would you define…’more’?” There was obvious underlying resentment in his question.

“You know what I mean, Severus,” Dumbledore remarked. “The boy is in danger, therefore our school…the faculty, the students—“

“Wait,” Snape halted him suddenly.

Another brief silence followed, then a vexing, low-pitched buzz filled her ears, making her recoil from the door. They were aware she was listening in on their conversation. Dumbledore must have cast a charm on his office to prevent any further eavesdropping. She quickly turned and rushed down the stone spiral staircase, not planning on slowing down until she arrived at the staff corridor.

She felt eyes on her from the portraits that hung the walls as she made her way to her quarters. Merlin, were they nosy. It was late, but not that late. She supposed, however, she could call herself nosy as well. But for good reason, she decided. When she reached her door, she flicked her wand at the lock with one last glance down the hall, and entered.

When she stepped into her room, she quickly realized that she had not one feathered friend waiting for her arrival, but two. Perched upon the window sill sat a familiar great horned owl with an envelope tied to its ankle.

“Oswell!” Elodie exclaimed, hurrying to the owl and nearly running into the leather sofa on her way to the window. “What do you have for me, buddy?”

Oswell lifted his foot to allow her to detach the envelope, and greeted her with a hoot. She patted his head gently and fetched a treat from a jar to give him as thank you.

As she rounded the sofa and took a seat on its edge, she slid her thumb under the seal of the envelope to open the letter. But before pulling out the neatly folded piece of parchment, she turned the envelope over one last time to inspect the name scrawled in two capital letters on its front.

EL

She smiled to herself as she took out the letter and began to read the message from her father.

Hey, kid. Thought I’d check in to see how your first week went. Fail any students yet? Make any teacher friends?

Your mother insists you come visit soon (already? I know). Between me and you, I think she is fixing to convince you to move back to France…Things are heating up a bit at work, I am sure you’re hearing your fair share of rumors and speculation from the students. There are a lot of unknowns right now. All I ask is that you are careful, please.

Sending lots of love and hope to see you soon,

Dad

Alright, now that’s weird. Elodie sat still in her seat and reread her father’s words a second time to let them sink in before getting up from the sofa. She paced the floor a few minutes, brow furrowed, before spilling the details of her night to Toots, who sat on his perch listening to every word.

“You don’t think the rumors could be true, do you, Toots?” she asked, though she already knew based on what she had heard tonight that the odds were pretty high. “I mean, say they are… what would that mean for us being here?” She paced around her quarters, kicking around a dirty sock as she voiced her thoughts to Toots, “…and what does that have to do with what happened tonight?…and Professor Snape? Ah hell, what have we gotten into?”

She slumped into her chair at the kitchen table, looking down at the letter on its surface with her head in her hands as these new thoughts circulated in her mind. She thought about the hooded figures in the alleyway, and how they said Snape had been seen leaving the pub with her. How though he seemed outwardly composed during the escape, she knew she caught a fleeting glimpse of fear in his eyes as they drew near their hiding spot. What did they want from him?

Just then, a loud slam of a heavy door broke her from her thoughts. She sat up straight and still as she listened for another sound from the hall. Nothing.

Then something. A sudden, piercing clash rang out—a violent symphony of metal striking glass, followed by the unmistakable, echoing shatter as objects crashed against unforgiving stone. She stood up sharply from her seat and went for the door. Creaking it open slightly, just enough to peek into the hall to see that no one was there, she waited for something, anything, to happen so she could pinpoint where the noise had come from.

After about a minute of silence, the door to Professor Snape’s quarters burst open with a sudden force, and he strode back out into the corridor. He slammed it shut behind him and slumped back against the wood, as if the strength had drained from his limbs and he needed its support. His head tipped back, exposing a face tight with strain, eyes hollow, and his brow slick with sweat. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. She watched from the crack in her door as his chest rose and fell in deep, measured breaths in what looked to be an effort to calm himself. Suddenly she felt like an intruder in this moment. It was apparent to her that he was fighting some emotional battle, and she did not feel she should be witness to it any longer. But before she could retreat back into her quarters, Snape tilted his head in her direction, his eyes trailing to where she stood in her doorway. She jumped as their eyes met, and he straightened quickly upon realizing he was being observed, breaking eye contact and whirled in the opposite direction. He stood still, his shoulders tensed for a moment as if preparing to confront her for spying, but instead began to storm down the corridor with wide strides, his robes billowing behind him in a shadowy wake.

Elodie quickly shut her door and locked it behind her. That was enough for one night, she thought to herself. She needed a hot shower and to crawl into bed. Tomorrow she would speak to the Headmaster and hopefully she would get the answers she wanted.

But Dumbledore did not send for her the next day. Not during her free period, not during lunch as she sat anxiously picking at her sandwich, and now she sat at the High Table overlooking the long tables of students eating dinner as the Headmaster’s chair sat empty.

“Where’s Dumbledore?” she asked Professor McGonagall in between bites of her meal, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

McGonagall swallowed a bite of her food and shrugged, “He had a few meetings to attend, is what I was told.”

Snape sat silently as he usually did during meals, however Elodie noticed that his gaze slid sideways upon her asking about Dumbledore’s whereabouts.

“Mm,” she grunted mid chew with a nod. She wondered when he would be back. He couldn’t stay away from Hogwarts too long, she supposed. She was becoming antsy, and had too many unanswered questions to be okay with just moving on from the events of night before.

Minerva looked up from her plate toward the Great Hall’s entrance and her expression hardened.

“Oh goody,” said Elodie when she realized who she was looking at. Umbridge decided to make a late appearance to dinner. “I sure hope she comes bearing news that my temporary position has been revoked by the Ministry,” she said sarcastically.

McGonagall chuckled. “Doubtful, my dear. What the boys did to her was hardly your fault. Besides…”she paused, “I hear Pomona has been considering retirement. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dumbledore offers you a permanent position.”

Elodie raised her brows, “Really? I thought she may have hinted at it in the letter she sent me over the summer, but I couldn’t be sure.” She stabbed another spud with her fork. “That would be great.”

Dolores Umbridge waddled her way up the few steps and around the High Table to sit at her spot next to Elodie. She wore the same fake, tight-lipped smile she always did, and now Elodie was sure it was fake, because she had no doubt Dolores despised the fact that she had to sit next to her every meal. She plopped into her chair, clearing her throat and carefully placing her napkin across her lap. But she did not take a single bite of her food. Instead, she sat and watched over the students with a vigilant gaze for the entirety of the meal, waiting for an opportunity to correct behavior or make yet another unnecessary speech.

“Well, I’m finished,” Elodie announced, scooting her chair back from the table to stand. At the same time, Professor Snape stood up from his chair. She looked up at him, and him seemingly not interested in walking with her again only nodded to the two of them, silently excusing himself to leave the Great Hall ahead of her. She wished McGonagall a good evening after a moment to give him leeway before heading out of the room behind him.

When she reached the corridor, she began her walk toward the staff quarters. She should write back to her father tonight, she thought.

Or…she paused as she realized Snape was no longer ahead of her down the hall. That meant he was most likely headed for the dungeons. Who said that Dumbledore was the only one who could give her answers? Elodie pivoted in the direction of the dungeon stairwell and began her descent into their depths after Professor Snape.

No surprise to her, the dungeons after sunset were ten times more eerie than they were during the day. She found herself slowing her pace and second guessing her trip into the chilled darkness as she walked the narrow corridor. When she reached the Potions classroom entrance, she peered into its emptiness in hopes of finding Snape there. When she only saw an unoccupied desk, it occurred to her that he must have a separate office nearby. Glancing down the hall, she noticed a worn wooden door lit dimly by lantern light and slowly made her way toward it.

Elodie paused outside the door and listened for any movement from the other side. She did not hear anything, but lifted a closed fist to knock.

“Come in,” drawled the low, familiar voice before her knuckles could touch the door’s surface. How he managed to be aware of her presence from behind a closed door was beyond her. She grasped its iron handle and pushed the heavy door open.

Professor Snape sat at his desk blanketed in candlelight, quill in hand, grading what looked to be a stack of essays. She watched him make various marks upon the parchment’s surface before turning it over and grabbing another from the pile. He was a tough grader, she gathered from the scribbling she saw on the completed stack.

She stood in the doorway still, unsure where she should go from there. She didn’t exactly prepare to be in Snape’s office tonight.

He glanced up from his grading between strands of oily black hair, his mouth forming a hard line when he realized she was waiting for his direction. “Are you going to come in, or are you just here to gawk at me?” he prodded.

“No, no. Sorry, sir I—“ she pulled the heavy door shut behind her and stepped further into his cluttered office. She scanned the dusty titles and bottles lining the shelves that surrounded his large round desk before resting her hands on the back of a leather chair that sat opposite him. He did not pause nor look up from his grading at her. “I just wanted to check in…to see how you were doing after last night.”

That made him pause, however. “You expect me to believe that you are here to check on my…wellbeing?” he questioned, his tone caught somewhere between disbelief and suspicion.

She grimaced and replied, “…Yes?” She wasn’t being very convincing.

He finished grading another essay, adding it to the finished pile and gestured to the chair in front of her. “Sit. And tell me why you are really in my office at this hour,” he ordered with clear disinterest.

She did as he said, pulling the chair out and taking a seat on its dust-settled cushion. It appeared he didn’t get many visitors in the dungeon.

“Well?” he said with a sigh. “Get on with it.”

She shifted in the chair and began to pick at her fingernails under the table. “Who were those cloaked figures that were looking for you last night?” she asked hesitantly.

Snape looked up from the parchment and placed his quill on the desk. He crossed his hands over the essay and analyzed her with his gaze. “That, I cannot share. However, I assure you that you are in no danger.”

Without thought she asked, “But are you in danger?”

His eyes dropped to his hands and he considered something before replying. “No. Anything else?”

Fine. He didn’t want to open up to her. She understood, but he wasn’t pushing her away just yet. “Has he returned?”

His face remained unchanged, bored. “You’re going to need to be more specific,” he said dully, picking lint off the sleeve of his robes.

Elodie huffed and leaned back in the chair, crossing her arms. This man was insufferable. “Voldemort. Is he back?” she asked again.

He sighed and stood from his seat, turning to face the shelves behind him. He did not scan their contents, he only looked down as he answered after a moment of silence. “That is a great possibility, yes.”

Elodie wasn’t stupid. He knew something and was hiding it. “Why won’t you tell me?” she challenged him. “I was there last night. I know something is up.”

Snape spun around, slamming his hands down on the surface of his desk, and leaned toward her. She did not flinch. Her eyes hardened as his did when they met hers. “Because it is none. of your. business,” he snapped.

“You’ve made that clear. And why is it ‘not my business’? Am I not allowed to be concerned about the safety of the students? I’m a professor too.”

“A temporary professor,” he retorted, rounding the table to loom over her as she looked up at him with disbelief, “A temporary professor that is more focused on inserting herself into other’s business than the education of her students.”

Elodie pushed back from the desk and stood to match his level. “Has it not occurred to you,” she began, “that this is now my business, because you dragged me into it?” she said, pushing her pointer finger into his hard, bony chest.

He looked down at her finger in disbelief and grabbed her wrist in a sudden, tight grasp. “Because you approached me at Three Broomsticks,” he shot back as he threw her hand away from him.

She crossed her arms and raised her brows at him. He definitely wasn’t used to people arguing back. “You’re really somethin’, ya know that?” she remarked. He scowled at her. “Fine. If you want to say it’s my fault, then it’s my fault. But you and I both know that isn’t true. The point is, if he really is back, I want to know what I can do.”

He raised a brow at her, “What you can…do?”

“Yeah, I mean—“

A light knock at the door cut off the rest of Elodie’s sentence, then the door creaked open slowly without invitation. “Mind if I interrupt?” came Dumbledore’s question from the other side, his old hand peeking around its edge.

“You have impeccable timing, Headmaster,” said Professor Snape as Dumbledore entered the room. “I was just assuring Miss Greenbriar that there is nothing to worry about after last night’s—“

Elodie cut him off, “Yes, your words have been so…comforting,” she said sarcastically.

Dumbledore glanced quizzically between the two of them, then clasped his hands in front of him. “While I’d like to agree with you, Severus, right now I would say that is unfortunately not the case.” Elodie shot a look at Snape and at the same time he shot a look at the Headmaster. “Besides, Elodie is right. She was quite literally dragged into last night’s situation. It would only be fair to fill her in on some details.”

The Headmaster began to pace the room in thought, scanning the contents of Snape’s shelves before turning to face the two of them again. “There will be a meeting on Saturday with the Order to discuss some new information regarding Voldemort’s return.” Elodie’s eyes widened at the confirmation she was looking for. “Severus, you will take Miss Greenbriar with you if she so wishes to attend. There she will hopefully get her answers.”

“You can’t be serious,” Snape protested, not even trying to hide his opposition to the idea.

“The Order?” questioned Elodie.

Dumbledore leaned back onto Professor Snape’s desk, ignoring his snide remark. “Yes, the Order of the Phoenix.”

Professor Snape grumbled to himself as he sat back down in his chair and put pressure on his temples. Whatever the Order was, he was making her want to go even more just by objecting to her being there.

“The Order of the Phoenix is not an army, nor a rebellion in the traditional sense,” said Dumbledore. “It is a small group of witches and wizards I have gathered—some gifted, all courageous—united by a single, unshakable purpose: to stand against Voldemort and all that he represents. If you truly wish to ‘do’ something, right there is your answer. I have no doubt that your mind would be of good use in our efforts.”

She paused a moment, chewing her lip while she considered his offer. She wasn’t sure if she really had any qualities that would be useful to this ‘Order.’ “And if I decide after the meeting that I don’t want to be a part of the Order? What happens then?”

Professor Snape groaned again, louder this time in response to her uncertainty. “See, Headmaster. She doesn’t have it in her.”

“Severus, please,” warned Dumbledore with a raised hand. “This is not a path that I would ever force upon another,” he said to Elodie. “Joining the Order must be a choice, freely made. But if you do choose it as your path, know this: you will not walk it alone.”

[gabyiisart]

Deltarune; SOUL promise Theory

To start, we need to assume that, obviously, Dess IS the Knight. We see that the speech bubble of whoever is speaking on the phone is blatantly different. At the end of chapter 4 (weird route) someone talks to Kris on the phone, the way it expresses itself is clearly Carol, in a manner that's very different from what is spoken previously in the other dialogues on the phone in the normal route. The way the black bubble individual is more direct and fragmented; in my view, someone who was missing and without social interactions (Or corrupted) would have it, I am saying that the person speaking on the phone is Dess/Knight.

There's many theories to explain Dess's disappearance, that claim Kris is part of this, even being guilty. In chapter 3 we may have a clue to add even more to this statement. If this is true, then Kris definitely feels guilty about it. Debating this is not the point of this theory in question, just keep in mind that Kris is part of her disappearance yet they WANT to somehow help Dess.

At some point in the story, Kris could have found a way to connect with Dess. And I believe that the PHONE could be their main source of communication. In that regard, Kris KNOWS the knight IS Dess, and is actively working with her since then. We know that Kris has been behaving in specific ways since Chapter 1, as if they were following a plan, a linear path to something. As if they were being ordered to do so. However, I mean the line would work like this: Dess's disappearance > Kris and family falling apart + what was once is no more > Feelings of guilt > Dess/knight starts communicating via phone > Kris promises they'll help her > The promise of the soul.

We don't know exactly Dess' motivations, what she's doing, why she's doing what she does... God, we don't even know if she's ALIVE there. I at least imagine her being corrupted, and most likely dead inside. If she knows something about the prophecy and wants to go through with it, I speculate that she wanted a vessel to become the role of CAGE in the prophecy. Or she's just really upset about being alone in the dark for so long, and Kris promised her they would help... SOME of these options here.

This promise consists of Kris possessing the human soul, to follow the prophecy. Am I implying that Kris knows the prophecy? Maybe, but just maybe they just chose to accept it without knowing the means? Or perhaps, Dess just needed them to possess the human soul for some other reason greater than the prophecy itself.

Throughout chapter 4 we see that Kris is clearly able to survive without the soul in their body, taking it out a few times n' managing to go for long periods without it. Isn't Kris who seals the fountains, it is US, the soul. They DON'T need us to survive, but they NEED us to seal fountains: for the PROMISE. For Dess.

This explains to me why Kris keeps the soul in their body, even knowing that it make bad choices for them. Even knowing the choices it made for Noelle in the weird route, even knowing THE CONSEQUENCES that this brings to their life. They take the soul away for while and put it back as a relief, but want to keep it throughout the day for the PROMISE.

Okay!! So thats the first time I work on a theory like this, I kept looking for evidences and arguments, speculations to explain it- ... My posts are 90% focused on art only, but I also want to give space to theories and cool things I think.

Since it is my first one, it probably has holes and things you might not interpret the same way I do, and that's okay! I feel like I mostly forgot to fit Carol in here, but that's for the main point of the theory, which is to explain the "promise" and the soul and how they might be related.

Anyway, I really appreciate you reading this far, feel free to ask questions, discuss, debate... that's it <3

[goshikisbaee]

Hii !!

I was wondering how the haikyuu boys would relax after a long day ? Like what would they do with you to destress and all

(with goshiki, tendou, koganegawa, basically all the underrated cuties, add whoever you want)

+maybe one or two nsfw 👀 if you do obviously it's gonna be time skip but if you don't want to that's fine

Hope you have a great week byeee <3

Thank you for the request ❤️

🌙 How The Haikyuu Boys Relax After a Long Day (With You)

———

Goshiki Tsutomu

He pretends like he isn’t tired at first (“What? Me? Tired? Never. The future ace NEVER RESTS!”) But within ten minutes of sitting down, he’s laying sideways on the couch, his head on your lap, mumbling about how sore his legs are.

You suggest watching a movie, but he picks something super dramatic so he can pretend he isn’t dozing off halfway through.

You hear him whisper, “you’re the only one I’d ever let see me like this…” before he knocks out completely.

Tendou Satori

Tendou loves to mentally detach after a long day. He’ll suggest something totally random like painting miniatures, building a blanket fort, or watching bad horror movies and giving them dumb voice-overs.

He sprawls out on the floor, legs across your lap, eating snacks and making weird little jokes to get you laughing.

When it gets late, he rests his head on your stomach and gets uncharacteristically quiet.

“I like when it’s just us. It makes the noise go away.”

He likes when you trace soft lines on his arms with your fingers. He says it helps him “reset.”

Koganegawa Kanji

This boy crashes. Like, walks through the door, drops his bag, and just flops onto the bed face-down like a cartoon character.

You rub his shoulders a little, and he groans like he’s dying (dramatic baby).

Once he’s got some energy back, he’ll beg you to play Mario Kart or Just Dance with him—even if you’re both exhausted.

Afterward, he’ll get you both drinks (like hot cocoa or smoothies depending on the season) and give you the softest, dopiest smile.

Sits next to you and nudges your shoulder, whispering, “You’re my reward after hard days, y’know?”

Yamaguchi Tadashi

Yams is the quiet “curl up and recharge” type. He doesn’t need big distractions—just you and something peaceful.

He loves having soft instrumental music or lofi playing in the background while you both cuddle under a blanket.

You read or scroll on your phone, he lays his head on your chest and listens to your heartbeat.

He eventually starts dozing and murmurs, “Don’t move yet. Please. Just stay like this for a little longer.”

It’s his perfect safe space.

Yaku Morisuke

Yaku gets a little grumpy when he’s tired, so he needs help to unwind. He’ll sigh a lot, complain about his teammates, mutter “Why am I the only one with brain cells?”—but once he sees you, it softens immediately.

You make tea. He brings the heating pad. He lies in your lap and grumbles while you play with his hair and listen.

Then he says:

“Okay, okay, I’m done complaining. Your turn. Tell me about your day.”

He doesn’t fall asleep, but you know he’s the most relaxed when he gets quiet and just holds your hand for a while.

Semi Eita

Semi decompresses by making music—and if he really trusts you, he lets you in on the process.

You sit beside him while he noodles around on his guitar or keyboard, sometimes asking your opinion.

Eventually, he gives you headphones and plays you something he wrote.

He tries to play it cool, but he keeps side-eyeing you for your reaction.

When you smile and tell him it’s beautiful, he blushes and mumbles, “Thanks… I, uh, was thinking about you when I wrote it.”

Aone Takanobu

Aone doesn’t say much, but his presence is so comforting. He comes home, gently pulls you into a hug, and holds you until his heartbeat evens out.

The two of you sit in quiet peace—either drinking tea, watching nature documentaries, or just sharing space.

He likes brushing your hair out of your face and just looking at you.

If you initiate cuddles, he melts instantly.

You once fell asleep on his chest, and he didn’t move a muscle for two hours so you wouldn’t wake up.

🔥NSFW (TIMESKIP/AGED-UP)🔥

Tendou Satori

When it’s really been a hard day, Tendou’s energy shifts. He gets quieter, a little more intense.

He’ll grab your wrist gently, pull you onto his lap, and whisper, “Can I be selfish tonight?”

He wants to feel close. Not rushed, not wild—just slow touches, breathy kisses, and full body contact until his stress melts into you.

He murmurs praise and gratitude the whole time, voice low and genuine:

“You’re the only one who gets me like this. Thank you.”

Semi Eita

Semi doesn’t usually initiate right away—but when he’s stressed and you gently run your hands down his back? Game over.

He’ll pin you against the couch or bed and let out a deep sigh like he’s finally letting himself breathe.

It’s not fast. It’s lingering. Like he’s trying to memorize every part of you to forget everything else.

His hands are confident but never rough, and he whispers, “You always know what I need…” right before he kisses your neck.

The way he touches you—it’s more like worship than release.

———

💋 💋 💋

[oacest]

I am actually intensely confused about the “hey kid did you know today 16 years ago it was you and I for the last time” line thing, if belatedly. when I first heard that song it didn’t even register as odd to me because I wasn’t thinking about the math and was sort of just like “yeah Oasis split up 16 years ago” not realizing that that was completely inaccurate to when One of Us was written, recorded, released. I only realized now that they’re reuniting and it is close to 16 years since the split that that line didn’t correspond to their band breakup. so what do you think gives? why was he so specific about 16 years in 2019? is it conspiracy-level “they always planned to reunite in 2025” shit or is it like, just Liam/his cowriters implying that his and Noel’s relationship was always fraught and fractured from 2003ish on (even though it’s possible to point to post-2003 periods where they’ve been alright or conversely pre-2003 periods where they were more splintered)? or do you think it was just arbitrary? like wth is that line

It definitely was not a hint about a reunion 6 years beforehand imo. As to what it meant -- no one knows. Possible a private reference between Liam and Noel. Assuming it was written in 2018, 16 years would put it at 2002, which is the year Noel and Sara broke up and got back together, and seemingly when things started the long slow slide to souring between Liam and Noel. But that's pure speculation.

It's definitely about Noel, though; even more definitively than the rest of Liam's (very obvious) songs. There's the "you said we'd live forever" line and of course the entirety of the music video, including this shot:

[wanderingskylooker]

Transgender headcanons (Super 4: Headcanon)

It’s 28th June! Do you know what that means? Pride post! But to be honest, I had those headcanons some time ago, but it would be better if I could post them on a special day (for once) which fits the topic. Without further delay I’ll introduce you to my LGBT headcanons of the Super 4 team!

(Almost 100% flat colors and circles because digital drawing is horrible without autocorrect lines)

First of all, I couldn’t do sexuality headcanons because I am simply unable to see them in a 1x1 relationship. I like some ships, but I don’t think of them as having romantic preferences, I think “friendship as the strongest bond is real for them (asexual style)” or in anycase “poly romance (pansexual style)”. So instead I did a “how and why would each of them be trans”. I mean transgender as any kind of transition from the birth assigned gender to any other gender, binary or not. Warning I’ll change the pronouns through the whole post, even inside the same paragraph.

Gene

Gene just gives me the vibes to be incredibly non-binary, just like Technopolis seems to be the place where gender matters the least, in a social/laboral way, so much that Gene would just say “What do you mean male or female? I’m smart”. I think he would use mainly male pronouns, but wouldn’t mind using neutral or female (and Twinkle got confused the first time she heard Gene using “they/them” as she thought they were talking about more than one person). I don’t think they had a moment when they realized they were non-binary, they just knew what they were their whole life without knowing it was less common than what they thought, but when they noticed, it was a strong “Oh, alright. So this gender has special pronouns, okay”, and kept going with their robot.

I also think they would be the most likely member to be trans to the opposite binary gender they have in the series (male to female).

For Gene, gender doesn’t matter, as long as you are not as dumb as a brick.

Twinkle

I have this headcanon in which fairies, due to all of them being female (although they don’t get weirded out by Gene and Alex with wings [Some Like It Magical]), don’t really understand gender and the differences within the binary system. They see themselves as female and know males, but have never understood it as a big difference, because for them it is more important to be a fairy or not.

Twinkle has learnt some things with the Super 4, but mainly to break the few she already knew. She is very non-binary too, but I think she likes being a girl, even without feeling 100% female. I see her as a demigirl, in a: 55% female + 45% I don’t care = Twinkle. She has some outdated concepts about cuteness and gender, but she feels fine using female pronouns.

Ruby

She flows… His element is the water… Ruby would be genderfluid (water pun). But yes. I couldn’t think about female Ruby transitioning into male gender, because even if she dislikes when people call her “girl”, she wouldn’t want to get rid of being a woman; but on the other hand, if Ruby would have been born male, he wouldn’t want to change into female. Non-binary didn’t suit her either, because I see Ruby as someone who has binary genders so present that she couldn’t just get rid of them. He would start with “I know I am a girl, but right now I don’t feel like I want to hear you guys pointing that out”, talking about the female pronouns, and the rest of the team would have a brief talk until they get he doesn’t mean he wants to be a guy, just a time off of being a girl. After a while she would want Twinkle to call her female again.

Alex

Alex is so much a boy that he wouldn’t bear to be a girl. I mean, he would be a trans male. I don’t think Kingsland would be completely backward. Yes, they have the differences between male and female extremely clear, but they are more into the “it’s tradition” than unbreakable iron rules which would get you punished if you break them. Alex wouldn’t face huge problems with social acceptance, even if their tongues would slip a “princess” from time to time, except for Sir Gareth. Alex would want to be a man as his culture dictates and would ask Sir Gareth for help to become manly and learn men stuff, but he would challenge the prince to a fencing duel, which Alex and his lack of fencing class lost, and would dismiss his request. Earning Gareth’s respect was as difficult as learning the difference between being a boy and himself, but he managed to do both with some time.

[razorblade180]

Brave the Lightning

Ei:*cleaning blade*

Miko:Look who’s up earlier than usual. Someone must be in a pleasant mood.

Ei:It’s easy to do when there’s no distractions well into the night.

Miko:Surly you don’t mean me?

Ei:….

Miko:Ah, silence. And after I went through all the effort to hand you these letters personally.

Ei:Letters? *turns head*

Miko:*waves them* Interested? Aether’s little one has been sending them nonstop these last few days seeking advice. Honestly, if she was going through all this trouble then you’d think she’d write to Ms. Hina or-

Ei casually took the letters and started reading them silently. She could feel Miko squinting at her.

Miko:I forget you’re not as playful this early.

Ei:I’m the same this morning as I am last night and the day before. The only difference is you don’t have to bait me for this. It’s not often letters from Aether or Paimon arrive; let alone about trouble. *flips paper* Hmm double sided.

Miko:I told her once we charge by the number of papers sent. She tries fitting too much in single envelope.

Ei:*folds paper* Miko, I’m stepping out for a while. Please-

Miko:If you think you’re going alone then you’re still fast asleep. It’s rare seeing how you problem solve such an unofficial and delicate task. Inazuma won’t fall to pieces in a morning if we step out.

Ei:*mild discomfort*…

Miko:You could also ignore the letter entirely. I’m sure a situation like this would be solved with or without you. Go ahead. Ignore a letter from a friend. *smiles*

Ei:….

xxxxxx

Inside the humble abode of a teapot, all feels still. What was the purpose of a journey? Some would say it’s found from the start; hence the reason for it in the first place. Others would argue the meaning is found throughout. Aether thought he understood his, but now, after recent events, he wasn’t sure of anything. He sat on soft sand as his gaze glossed over an endless horizon. It was almost as if he had woken up again. Although, an exhaustion had seeped in somewhere along the line. These days he felt like going back to sleep.

Calm waves stirred below the surface and brought unrest against the shores. How long will this journey go? Will it even have what he wants by the end? That was an answer out of reach, a question that took everything and nothing at once. To say he was numb felt inaccurate. Aether simply existed; for better or for worse, yet a certain stirring didn’t cease. It didn’t bring rest but it wasn’t uncomfortable either. It just…hungered. For what, Aether didn’t know. He did know however that any longer out here might cause Paimon to actually starve. A long drawn out sigh left his lungs. Time for the regular routine again. Aether stood up.

In doing so, the feeling inside grew. Only now it twisted and churned into something more turbulent. Nerves fired and his breath paused as his emblems shifted to electro; a faint but powerful voice rang in his head.

“Stay focused!”

Aether turned around quickly, summoning a Favonius blade mid spin and blocking the honed edge of Engulfing Lightning. The entire ground shook from the impact, planting his feet further in the sand. Whatever daze he was in, Raiden shook right out of him!

“What the!? Ei!? Why-”

“Where the mind fails to find, the body shall answer.” She put more weight down on her polearm. “Enlighten me, former enemy of eternity. Why do you stagnant of all people?”

“Agh! Raiden!?”

Aether’s eyes narrowed, his grip tightening before pushing the spear off. Unfortunately it left him open to receive a kick in the gut that sent him tumbling across the beach and back onto his feet. There was no time for talking. She was already coming right at him with a swing that carved through the ground before slashing upwards.

Ei watched him spin to her right with a blade ready to cross slash. A backswing would easily parry. That quickly became impossible however. Geo crystals rose up between them, temporarily blocking her view of Aether before he spun left and shot a fireball to make her block. He immediately followed up with a kick to the body of the spear, creating more distance to follow up with an anemo strike to the sand right at his feet to create a dust cloud. The back swing was a complete feint. Interesting. Ei dashed away from the dust cloud before swinging down with enough force to part it easily. Aether was gone.

“He’s faster than last time.”

Ei looked up to see him high in the air. Another anemo trick no doubt. Several orbs of hydro manifested almost instantaneously before shooting down violently from multiple angles. A left pivot into a right got her past two. Engulfing Lightning spun from hand to hand between her fingertips to deflect the volley of hydro. One more complete pivot forward put Ei in perfect range to throw her weapon like a javelin right at Aether as he fell. Her aim was perfect and at his skill level, blocking it wouldn’t be hard. However, once again, Ei was left surprised.

Anemo wrapped around his body, twisting him around like a dance partner to avoid the attack. He reached out quickly to grab the spear, turn it around, then throw it back with impressive strength. As Ei watched her own attack come back like lightning cleaving through the sky, her eyes widened and muscles relaxed. Electro manifested in her right hand then projecting out like a shield that bounced the spear towards the sand beside her before it disappeared.

“Ah, I see. Forgive me. I wasn’t aware you found a master.”

It happened in a blink of an eye. Raiden was gone from Aether’s view. If it wasn’t for the sensation of electricity dancing in the air, he might’ve been too slow. Instinct brought his blade blocking left. Sure enough, the resounding noise of thunder came as Musou Isshin made contact with all its radiance. With no ground beneath his feet, Aether was sent flying over the sea while Paimon and Yae Miko watched the fight from the path leading to the beach.

“And there he goes…” Miko looked at the sheer terror of the travel companion’s face. “Why are you surprised? How did you think this would go?”

“What did Paimon think!? Paimon wanted Ei to help cheer Aether up! Not start a fight! She didn’t even talk first! She just walked onto the beach and attacked!”

“What did you expect? You think a little shared sadness is grounds for simple bonding? Since when has Ei ever chosen words over actions?”

Paimon couldn’t even find the words. She could only stare in disbelief with her hands open and slack jawed.

Still soaring sideways, Aether spun himself rapidly to send four hydro tornadoes to shore. He then struck the ocean with his blade hard enough to part his section of the sea, allowing him to fall on the ocean floor to make a geo pillar that rose him up before the water rushed back in.

Ei watched the tornadoes grow in size dramatically as they gathered more water; ultimately swirling together to create a massive waterspout. Both her hands raised Musou Isshin above her head. One single downward strike sent unrestrained power across the water and split the disaster. Glimmers of green shimmered in the electro charged air. Ei didn’t have to squint for long before realizing dozens of bloom cores were now flying her way.

“Hm, how resourceful.” She couldn’t help but smile. It’s been awhile since she had meaningful exercise.

Ei started running along the beach. Hyperbloom was a bit trickier to evade than hyrdo orbs. The guided cores did well to keep up with her at first. The archon did will to create distance between herself and anything worth keeping before turning around and blasting out electro for her left hand, reducing most of the cores to ash. The rest that came after her were far simpler to manage with her blade. Although with further analysis, glints of stone were noticeable.

“He weaved in geo.”

Like before, she spun, deflected, and cut through the salvo of attacks; distinguishing when to cut through a core or block a crystal until there was a cloud of minced elements. Ei went to cut through another core when her attention shifted back to the water. Coming in fast in hot was another fireball, and she was currently in the middle of dendro rich air. She didn’t even have to interact with the flame. Her brilliant Musou Isshin and earlier attack was all the electro needed to turn the flame violently unstable.

A massive overload explosion led to a bigger burgeon detonation. For a moment, nobody could see anything until a flash of lightning several yards away lit up the beach. Ei had reappeared as calm as ever with her blade slowly sliding through her left hand like a sheath. Paimon and Miko were familiar with that stance. They looked at the giant pillar in the ocean Aether was supposed to be on. It was already crumbling before the thunder reached their ears and impact brought more sea water rising to the heavens before falling like rain.

“IS SHE TRYING TO KILL HIM!!” Paimon screamed, not seeing Aether anywhere through the spectacle.

Miko on the other hand was observing as calmly as ever. The lightning in the air lit up the sky, turning her attention straight up above the sand. “Heh, how childish. Perhaps they are similar.”

“What?” Paimon looked up.

Ei had never lost track of Aether. She was staring at him the entire time, witnessing his emotions on full display with how he handled the blade in his hands. Purple and white lightning bathed his sword in immense power that grew rapidly. His eyes were squarely on her as he reeled both arms back further.

“So you dare to brave the lightning’s glow? Very well.” With a single hand, Musou Isshin pointed towards the sky. The realm rattled as the blade let out pure, divine electro in response to Aether. His face remained composed, hands unwavering despite the turrets in his eyes. Ei took a slow breath inwards before raising her second hand. “COME!”

Aether kicked off the air itself, descending like a star dragging lightning across the heavens towards its master. Ei didn’t hesitate. She swung down right when he did, clashing blades with him directly.

Trails of electro shot out in every direction, including towards the onlookers. For the first time since arriving, Miko acted with urgency. Tails sprung forth as she placed Paimon and herself inside her torrents. The oncoming attack curved into each torrent before getting sent out towards the water. Miko looked down to see Paimon clutching her right sleeve tightly, earning a smirk from the kitsune. Just this once, she would allow the little one to remain this close.

The rest of the excess lighting gradually began receding inwards before bursting in a showy display of harmless glowing orbs that surrounded the two swordsmen like fireflies. Seconds seemed to stretch out into far longer before Aether back stepped a couple feet. Ei studied his labored breathing. He remained poised and ready all the same. Truly an incredible feat. More importantly, the light was back in his eyes. One more brilliant than lightning itself. Ei relaxed her stance.

“Seems like the stagnation has subsided, wouldn’t you say?”

Aether was puzzled by the evenness of her tone. “Ei, I know it’s you and not the shogun.”

The archon blinked twice. “…Oh. Strange, I thought I was doing a pretty good job remaining rigid. Tell me, what gave me away?”

Aether’s shoulders slouched. Looks like talking was on the table now! “Your ambush attack at the start. If it was the shogun, I doubt I would’ve reacted fast enough. Meanwhile you manually shifted me to electro right before you attacked as a heads up.”

“Is that what you think? Personally, I simply believe purple is a better look on you. I must’ve subconsciously resonated.”

“She’s such a terrible liar. What’s so wrong with admitting she wasn’t trying to kill me?” Aether sighed heavily. He forgot how fickled Ei could be.

“Anyways…” she continued in earnest. “I actually believe you would block that attack under any circumstance. Even with a clouded head, your senses remain keen. It’s why I didn’t bother holding back.”

Paimon yelled from across the beach. “YOU SHOULD’VE!”

Aether still didn’t understand exactly why he just fought for his life. He got that it had something to do with Paimon most likely. Ei slowly approached him with no intent to attack that he could sense. Once she was several inches away, she smiled softly while presenting her blade.

“It’s been quite some time since I faced a blade that bore the weight of many hopes and aspirations. How does your blade feel in your hand?”

“…Heavy. Really heavy.” He mimicked how Ei presented her blade. “Too heavy at times.”

“And yet you can still swing it. I suppose it’s very fortunate that both of us have those around us to make sure we remember to put it down occasionally; and others willing to draw their blades to make a fight less arduous. Not that I need to tell you of all people that, right?”

The message and care was evident. In a strange way, Aether was on the same page as Ei. His body finally relaxed a little. “Right. I did spend quite a bit of time trying to tell that, didn’t I?”

“My thoughts exactly. Now then, a splendid sparring match like this could only be made better with hard earned desserts. Last time I was in this space, I remember seeing quite the variety.”

With that said, Ei took one of her most cherished possessions and let it pierce the ground in confidence that it would remain safe and sound as she made her walk to the main house. Not once did she look back. Ei did however hear the sound of a second sword joining Musou Isshin, then footsteps that raced after her until they were right beside her own in stride.

Aether couldn’t quite explain it, but he definitely felt a little lighter. Not to mention not as tired. The churning inside had faded too. Perhaps what he needed was to get it all out of his system?

“Ei, thank you.” He said with relief and renewed vigor.

“Think nothing of it. I enjoy sparring against talent and friends alike.” She looked down at his left hand. Aether was slowly opening and closing. “Does it hurt?”

“Tingles a bit. I’m fine. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Splendid answer. Still, never make light of any injury.”

With a sway of her right hand, excess electro pulled from Aether’s wrist and fingers. The energy gathered into her palm like an orb before dissipating harmlessly. Aether shook his hand out in awe. He felt fine!

“Can you teach me that?” He grinned.

“Of course. But first, sweets.”

Miko watched the two walk and talk. “Unbelievable. Not even a glance in this direction. They really are giant children; playing hard and then going to get snacks.” She said to Paimon, who was holding her own hand over her heart. “See? I told you everything would be fine.”

“Next time I’m sending my letters to Ms. Hina directly.”

“Why that wasn’t your first choice, I’ll never know.”

[regretismyconstantcompanion]

Albus listened in stillness.

He didn’t sip his tea, didn’t interrupt, didn’t try to soften the words as they came. He simply listened—with that same grave, open patience that Harry had once seen in the man he would become. And yet, here it felt somehow more unguarded, more human. There was no grandeur to this Dumbledore, no office filled with spinning devices or portraits to impress. Just a quiet kitchen, a phoenix by the window, and a young man carrying too much.

When Harry finished, when his voice fell into the quiet, Albus finally spoke—slowly, carefully.

“I see,” he said first. And then, softer, “I hear you, Harry.”

He sat forward slightly, elbows on the table, his hands folded together. His expression was thoughtful, but tinged with something deeper—regret, perhaps, or the ache of being made to look through a mirror at a version of himself he had not yet become.

“It sounds like he—I—made mistakes,” Albus said quietly. “Significant ones. Mistakes born, perhaps, of fear. Or arrogance. Or the misguided belief that silence was safer than honesty.”

He drew a breath, heavy but steady. “I don’t know the details. I can’t defend decisions I haven’t made yet. But I know myself well enough to recognise the patterns.” A faint smile touched his lips, thin and dry. “I have, in the past, convinced myself that bearing the burden alone is an act of protection. That keeping others in the dark spares them pain. It rarely does.” He looked at Harry again, not as a student, not as a stranger, but as someone who had just confessed a kind of heartbreak most would never voice.

“I believe you when you say you weren’t truly going to kill him,” he said gently. “But that you wanted to… that makes perfect sense to me. Anger, when left unanswered, begins to feel like betrayal. Especially when it comes from someone we trusted.”

A long pause followed.

“As for why he sent you here…” Albus shook his head slowly. “I confess I doubt that he did. At least, not with this destination in mind. From what you’ve said, he was taking you somewhere—back to Hogwarts in your own time. Perhaps to finally give you answers. Perhaps because he realised it had gone on too long.”

Albus was quiet for a long moment. He sat back slowly, the lines of his face drawn deeper in thought, one hand absently brushing across his chin. His gaze had turned slightly downward—not out of disinterest, but focus. Calculation. As though something had just shifted into place in his mind, something delicate and half-seen.

“I don’t think it was deliberate,” he said at last, his voice low, even. “If it was my future self who activated the Portkey, then I am quite certain he would have found a way to tell you. Even if not with words… with something. A note. A token. A memory placed in the magic itself. He would have known you deserved that much.”

His eyes met Harrys again—sharp, clear. “We are, for all our flaws, not men who leave things to chance when it truly matters. No. I think this was a misdirection. Or worse—an intervention.”

Albus’s brow furrowed slightly, his fingers steepled before him. “Is there anyone—anyone at all—who would benefit from your absence in your own time? Someone who might gain an advantage from you disappearing just as you were about to receive answers? Or… someone who might fear what those answers would lead you to do?”

His tone remained gentle, but the edge beneath it was unmistakable: this was no longer idle speculation. It was the start of a theory.

“Tampering with time is no simple feat. But diverting a Portkey? Rerouting an already existing enchantment, especially one cast under pressure—that is possible. Difficult, yes. But possible. If it was someone very powerful and well versed in such magic.”

He leaned forward slightly.

“You were being taken somewhere important, Harry. To someone who owed you the truth. And instead, you were pulled away at the final moment.” He gave a short, thoughtful breath. “Who benefits… from you not knowing?”

Then, after a beat—quieter still, with something that bordered on sorrow: “Or worse… who benefits from your Dumbledore being left without you?”

Harry x Albus D. Time Travel AU.

@regretismyconstantcompanion

( September 1st, 1910)

The very first thing which Harry Potter became aware of, was the deep seated, open wound that was grief. Even behind closed eyes, the image of Sirius' still laughing face flashed within his mind, as the man fell back through the archway. Harry felt as though his heart had been squeezed within a fire-clad grasp. He wasn't sure he would ever be happy again.

The next thing Harry noticed, was that he was lying down. Which was strange, as aside from the death of his Godfather, the last thing he remembered was being sent via Portkey to Professor Dumbledore's office, with the promise of a long awaited explanation from said Headmaster. Instead, he could feel a prickle beneath his hands, as they flexed against what he realised had to be grass. He was outside. And judging by the lack of light trying to assault his eyes as he opened them, it was sometime after nightfall. He groaned as he inched his head to look to his left, blinking groggily until his vision cleared and he could make out the fringe of what he thought was the Forbidden Forest. At least it appeared he hadn't gone too far from his destination.

Forcing himself up into a sitting position, Harry looked more properly at his surroundings. He was facing towards Hogsmeade, which he could see lit up in the short distance. Leaning on a hand, he twisted his body so that he could look over his shoulder. And sure enough, there was Hogwarts Castle, standing magnificently within her vast grounds.

Something about the castle seemed amiss from where Harry sat, but things always did look eerie in the light of the moon, so he didn't pay too much attention to the disquiet forming in his gut.

Instead, he got to his feet, stumbling a little from the effects of the Portkey. He hasn't felt this unsteady since the summer before last, when he had first been introduced to the concept. Once he was sure he wasn't about to trip over his feet, Harry crossed to the gravel and started his way up the path towards his school.

He wasn't sure what had happened to the Portkey, but he was certain Dumbledore would have some kind of explanation. He usually did after all.

[creaturefeaster]

I want to work more on this before I'm gone pet-sitting but I don't know how much more I'll accomplish today so.,.,. I will just share this neow...

[franeridart]

The Housecat Philosophy - Ep 19

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[sea-buns]

Holy fuck, man. What a trip Fearne has been on, huh?

You tell her how grateful you are to have her in your life, you flatter her, you tell her you need her, that you have to do this together. You have her make a promise that has this woman, born of chaos and fey, agreeing through shaking hands and a trembling voice.

You make her deceive your friends; you make her follow where they cannot know; you make her help you into this contraption; you make her feed this thing into you despite the fact that you both have been warned extensively of the risks. You make her watch you crumble and splinter and shatter and fracture and burst and implode. You make her watch you die, over and over and over and over, for a minute in agonizing bullet time.

You make her do all these things, because when she tries to back out, when she tries to not be the one who let you do this—how could you do this—

you tell her, "YOU PROMISED."

Because if there's one thing you know, it's that the fey do not break a promise.

[the-fallen-blue]

In his earliest comments on the television drama, Gunn noted, "It's almost like Game of Thrones with Westeros but with all the inhabitants of Paradise Island."

listen I have a surprising amount of faith in Gunn for a guy in charge of a superhero franchise but that is not a promising pull quote.