#they lost a double duel.

[froody]

Imagine you hired an obscenely drunk Union soldier in a saloon to kill your husband. He manages to accomplish the deed by removing the bullets from your husband’s gun through a sleight of hand trick before challenging him to a duel. This is somewhat impressive but what is more impressive is his strong work ethic, ingenuity, Irish accent, subtle chivalry and big brown eyes. You marry him and move onto the 15 acres of semi-arid land on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert he stubbornly wants to farm. He wants to name your firstborn daughter after his cavalry horse in the Civil War and your firstborn son after his commanding officer. He calls you widow woman as a term of endearment. He’s a good shot, he’s a good cattleman, a great husband and a subpar father. But what else can you ask from a man who lost his entire family in the Famine and came to this country alone at the age of 14?

Imagine you are a former Union soldier. You are 22 years old. You were only 19 when you enlisted, an Irish immigrant who worked in a livery stable in Cleveland until the outbreak of the war. You fought valiantly. You survived. In lieu of wages, you accepted a parcel of land in New Mexico territory. You’ve never had anything that was truly your own. Except for, perhaps, your horse. You arrive in New Mexico for the first time in your uniform, your horse goes lame the second you step onto your parcel, it’s so dry and rocky and red and you do not think it’s arable. You have to put down your horse. She dies with her head in your lap and you cry so hard you think you’ll die with her. When you’re done giving her a wake, knowing you have no ability to bury her, you begin walking in the direction of Las Cruces. Maybe you can sell this cursed land. Maybe you can get a job. First, a toast to Lula, the mare, the closest thing to family you have had in this country.

You’re seeing double by the time a little woman with an appraising expression approaches you. She is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, perhaps even better in double. A little older than you. Long, dark wavy hair that cascades over her shoulders, a perfect round face, a warm brown complexion and the most troubled eyes you have ever seen on a woman. What is most miraculous is that she wants to talk to you. You, drunk, sunburnt, covered in dust, the blood of your horse soaked into your pant leg. She motions to your pistol. She says she will pay you to do a job, pay you handsomely, enough to buy another horse. She says her husband is rich, he enticed her away from her family when she was very young, he holds her captive in his hacienda, he hurts her. He must be killed so that she can return to her sisters and live without fear. You will do it, you must do it. You do not care how much of the story is factual. You do not care if she intends to have the sheriff string you up after the deed is done. You do not care if she cannot pay the money she promised. You would do anything to remove the sorrow from her eyes. You kill her husband and sleep fine afterwards.

You do not buy that horse. You stay in the hacienda while she is out selling the bits and pieces of her husband’s life. You meet her sisters when they come, you help her pack away the pieces of her life so that she may start anew. You tell her of your own plans to start anew, of the patch of rocky soil that is your own. She tells you she grew up on land like that, tells you that it has always been her dream to work it. When her sisters leave for the mountains, she leaves with you.

[pirateprincessblog]

prefects and t(h)reats

𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫.: you haven't been lurking the castle at night since the day you cost your house a lot of points and the slytherin prefect scolded you. long enough has passed, and you might want to start doing that again. 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: park seonghwa x f!reader 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 6.6k words 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: harry potter universe, slytherin!seonghwa, hufflepuff!reader, smut, bit of angst (seonghwa being a piece of shit(basic slytherin) towards the reader and her friends) 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: spanking, hair pulling, choking, finger sucking, fingering, oral (f!receiving), voyeurism, unprotected sex, semi-public?

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: idk, cursing i guess 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: something got fucked in the process of posting this so if you see any repeating paragraphs do let me know my eyes aren't working anymore :D !everyone is of age, regardless of the year they are in. also, i may or may not have a finger sucking kink or whatever you call that :) also, i so did NOT use a twd negan reference here. just ignore that.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲.

"ugh! that snape will be the reason i get sent to azkaban, mark my words! i spent ages trying to perfect that mood colour changing sweater, and he just confiscated- wait, what?"

"what, what is it?"

"did our bloody house points get deducted again?"

just your luck, you need to pass by them to get to your next class. you wish you had perfected the disillusionment charm, it would be very helpful right now.

"you."

ignoring the voice that speaks clearly to you, you hug your books to your chest and quicken your pace, attempting to ascend the stone stairs and vanish into the divination classroom. suddenly, your elbows are seized by two familiar pairs of hands, drawing you back to stand before the house points display. indeed, the hourglass under the hufflepuff banner is noticeably less full than it was just the day before. and it may or may not be your fault. again.

"listen to me, honeydukes." wayne, your fellow housemate warns.

"don't call me that!" you still struggle to understand how you acquired that nickname, especially since you rarely visit honeydukes these days. that habit faded after your teeth nearly succumbed to decay from all the cotton candy and chocolate frogs.

"if you keep this up, you are going to be the reason i end up in azkaban. got it?" he points a finger at your face, causing you to stumble back.

"you have a week to get at least twenty points back. if you don't..." the other one, justin, also points his finger at you, "...i'll make your remaining years at hogwarts miserable. we are the lousiest house anyway, why do you have to make it worse?"

"yeah, what do you even do to make us lose house points?"

"i bet she pisses off prefects."

"or bothers professors outside the class, the know-it-all."

"i don't care if you have to duel harry potter himself, you'll get those points back."

"and when you do, you'll get double and triple that, and make sure we win this year."

"it is only fair, since you're costing us so much."

with each accusation hurled at you, you retreat, hoping to flee the verbal attack before tears betray you and worsen the situation. a high pitched noise invades your ears, drowning out their voices. so intent on avoiding their accusing fingers, you fail to notice the brink of the top stair until your foot falters and balance is lost. you gasp, eyes shut, bracing for the impact of cold stone against your skull.

"levioso!"

yet it never comes. your body is stuck in the air, right above the stairs. all the noise and fuss has left the main hall, resulting in you being too scared to open your eyes.

"accio."

but you are forced to open them, ears picking up quiet murmuring, mainly coming from girls. your eyes meet dark brown ones, stone cold with a serious expression. his black swirly wand is directed at you, levitating your body through the air until you're brought back to the top of the stairs. you finally regain control of it, hands hurriedly fixing the robe and covering yourself.

"you fools." he speaks, eyes not leaving yours.

your lip trembles, and eyes well up with tears. park seonghwa is the one person you do not wish to anger and disappoint. your admiration for him hasn't stopped growing since the day he came to this school. park seonghwa, the slytherin prince. slender frame, porcelain skin, high cheekbones, sharp jawline, plump lips, dark eyes, and an immpeccable posture. he walked the castle with such grace, his cloak following him and flowing in the air behind him. whether it was magic or not, you found yourself utterly captivated, not just by his cloak, but by his very essence. he was, in a word, beautiful.

"i'm- i'm sorry-" you stutter, the sentence not yet formed in your brain. is this really how your first encounter with him will go?

"you absolute fools." he turns around, facing the two boys.

wayne and justin are now the ones stumbling back, audibly gulping. "we're sorry, seonghwa."

"all that over house points?" seonghwa scoffs in disbelief, "well, guess what? you just cost your own house fifty points."

the entire great hall gasps, not used to seeing the prefect this enraged and stern. he avoids public confrontations, curious eyes and gossipy mouths, always opting to pull the troublemakers aside to scold them. he also mostly deducts five points, ten at most. but fifty?

"show is over. go to your classes." he orders to the crowd, and they waste no time in continuing their journey to their classrooms.

overwhelmed by the unfolding situation, you find yourself unable to move. your gaze fixes on seonghwa's polished black shoes, unsure of your next action or words. your first encounter with him wasn't supposed to unfold this way. you intended to sweep him off his feet, exuding confidence and the like. embarrassing yourself and struggling to hold back tears while avoiding his gaze was never in the plan.

"hey, honeydukes. are you alright?"

"i'm fi- honeydukes?" you look at him, brows furrowed. "you know about that nickname?"

he tilts his head, chuckling. "i gave you that nickname."

"you... you gave me that nickname?! do you have any idea how freaking annoying it is..."

"okay, calm down now."

"...to be called that all day every day? even when i've stopped visiting that bloody shop..."

"listen to me."

"...it's haunting me! how dare you?!"

your protest is silenced as he steps closer, cradling your jaw in the palm of his hand to lift your face towards his. the way his dark eyes look down on you makes you feel small and fragile, only being safe because he's holding you. you swallow hard, lips pressed tightly together, not yet trusting yourself to speak.

"i gave you that nickname when i first saw you. in hogsmeade, at honeydukes. i had never seen anyone eat cotton candy so cutely, and nobody would tell me your name until recently i heard it myself. so you became honeydukes. not my fault the rest heard it from me and decided to make their own version of it."

"still..." you are stubborn, not willing to let go so easily.

"tell you what..." he reaches into his pocket, taking out something shiny. you notice it is one of those wrapped chocolate balls, and coincidentally your favorite flavour. "accept this as an apology, and stop sneaking around the library at night. you're going to cost your house more points. and us prefects our sanity."

"a candy? you're bribing me?" you scoff.

he chuckles, then puts one end of the wrapper between his pearly white teeth, while his other hand still holds your jaw. he tugs at the opposite end of the wrapper, loosening it and making the treat more accessible. letting the wrapper drop to the ground, the shiny chocolate appears all the more enticing between his slender fingers.

"open up for me."

lips slowly peeling open, you allow his slender fingers to slip past them and place the treat on your tongue.

"that's a good girl." he purrs, eyes focused on the way your tongue swirls around the chocolate and his fingers. he takes them out, and catching you by surprise, puts them inside his mouth. "well, then. you better get to class."

you nod, gulping and hugging your books to your chest. not knowing what to say to that, or what to say at all, you turn around, ready to get to your next class. but he stops you once again, playfulness evident in his voice.

"and i mean it. stop sneaking around the castle at night. not that i hate other forms of punishment, i don't think it's something you'd enjoy. besides, you need sleep, especially with the upcoming exams."

"okay."

"what? didn't quite catch that."

"yes, sir!" you yell, annoyed and already running up the stairs, almost tripping on your cloak.

"atta girl." seonghwa smiles proudly, walking in the direction of his next class.

you used to love hogsmeade. then you hated it. now, you love it again. winter has wrapped the village in a festive mood, with christmas just around the corner. streets are dripping with decorations, lights and christmas trees. enchanted instruments are singing songs on the street, people are rushing to buy presents already, and hermione and ron are bickering as always. harry walks by your side, mesmerized by the amount of lights decorating the balconies of the villagers.

"we always go get stupid butterbeers. let's try something else for once!" the girl complains, growing sick of the habit the four of you have formed when arriving at hogsmeade.

"yes, but... it's butterbeer. what else is there to try?" the ginger says, opting for the simple routine.

"merlin, i don't know! just- ugh. what do you say, honeydukes?"

ever since you told them about the incident at the great hall, they've called you nothing but that. you don't hate it anymore. if anything, it reminds you of the slytherin prefect every time you are called. and you don't hate that either.

"i think..." just as you are about to agree with hermione, your eyes notice a group of slytherins entering the three broomsticks. thus, "...ron is right. i mean, butterbeer is butterbeer."

"so bland. fine, let's go."

upon entering, you realize that you have to fight your way to the seats. it is crowded, as though all of hogwarts has chosen the same time and place for drinks. ron is stubborn, tugging hermione, who tugs you, who tugs harry. the wizard chain somehow makes it through the singing and dancing crowd, reaching the end of the tavern and big table where you usually sit. only to find the place occupied.

"hey, that's our seats!" ron complains, pointing at the slytherin boys.

"oh, no. how dare they take our unassigned assigned seats?" the girl rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

"go on, honeydukes. say something."

you look at the boy who remained silent until now, confused. "me? why me?"

"well, it's your little boyfriend sitting there. maybe he'll listen to you."

"harry-!" before you can protest, you are nudged in front of the table, prompting all the boys at the table to halt their conversation and turn their heads to look at you. seonghwa raises an eyebrow, amused.

"what is it, half blood?" draco snickers, glancing over at seonghwa for approval. but when seonghwa doesn't acknowledge him, he settles down, hiding behind his half full glass of butterbeer.

"uh, my friends and i... we were just wondering..." you look behind at the three of them, who stand waiting politely as if you were their mother arranging a play date. "...if you could scoot over and let us have one side of the table? since it is a sharing table... and there's only four of us... and four of you. or not. i mean, if you want to. if you don't, that's fine. i'm not ordering you, i'm just... actually, we don't need it. sorry for bothering you. we'll leave now."

you turn around, cheeks and tips of ears ablaze with embarrassment. the trio looks at you with mouths open wide, wondering just what the hell happened to you.

"what the bloody hell was that?" ron says, eyebrows furrowed.

"i-"

"honeydukes?"

your body responds to his voice immediately, turning around and eyes locking into his. he smiles at you, then waves towards the seats that are now empty.

"ah, sweet!" harry cheers, and the two boys throw their belongings on the chairs and rush to the bar to order.

hermione takes a seat first, choosing a spot as far from them as possible. this leaves you with only one option: the chair next to blaise zabini, the boy who, after Seonghwa and Draco, had the most admirers. he doesn't acknowledge you, nor does anyone else, until you start gossiping with hermione and she abruptly stops mid-sentence.

"he's looking at you."

"what? who is?" your head starts to turn itself before thinking, but hermione is quick to slap your arm. "ow!"

"don't look! that prefect, seonghwa. he's looking at you so intensely. it's scary."

"like, scary scary or hot kinda scary?"

"well, i-" she stutters, not yet used to being this open with anyone yet. "the latter."

the boys arrive, ron holding the drinks and harry holding bowls of snacks. they almost throw them on the table, and ron doesn't even wait to sit before taking a big sip of his drink. harry digs into his loaded chips, not intending on offering anyone a bite or two.

the conversation at the other end of the table ceases, causing ron to set his glass down and harry to stop trying to fit the entire bowl into his cheeks. you look at both ends, the situation looking funny, especially with hermione looking embarrassed next to you. the slytherin boys exude sophistication, taking delicate sips of their drinks, sharing a bowl of spicy chili treats, conversing in hushed tones, and maintaining an overall neat and respectful demeanor. the gryffindor boys are a complete contrast; ron with his butterbeer moustache, harry with sauce smeared on his cheek, both flushed and almost reeking of sweat already.

"wufnt sum?" harry says with his mouth full, nudging his half empty bowl towards the other group.

they all look at the prefect, as if he decides whether they can have some or not. "no, thank you, potter. you seem to be enjoying it too much for me to take it away from you. i'd feel bad."

 the groups snickers, and something twitches inside of you. seeing the prefect's cocky and arrogant smile, your interest in him falters. he's no longer looking at you, not even sparing you glances. entertaining his group and bullying the gryffindor boys seemed to be way more interesting. and you've had enough of it.

"so... nice moustache weasley."

"right, we get it." you almost yell, causing them to stop and turn their heads at you. "you're all so smart, and perfect, and purebloods, and we are just laughing stock. i don't need to listen to this, and neither do they."

"oh, feisty." draco comments, earning a glare from seonghwa.

"right, honeydukes. i apologize for my behaviour." the dark haired slytherin smiles at you, but your face stays the same.

"it's not me you should be apologizing to."

"are you dense? how dare you talk to him like that?" the young boy doesn't give up, wanting to fight you no matter what.

"malfoy, sit back." seonghwa says, putting a hand on draco's chest. "potter, weasley. i apologize for my comments."

"'s alright."

"yeah, no worries." they mumble, gazes locked on the table.

awkward silence swallows your corner of the tavern, with the people only staring at the middle of the table and only breathing. seonghwa then slides the untouched bowl of chili treats in the middle, causing the group to look at him.

"how about a game? you know, that muggle one, never have i ever? for each thing that you did, you need to eat a handful of these. you in, gryffindor?"

eager to prove themselves, they straighten their clothes and backs, and focus. hermione sits back, arms stubbornly crossed over her chest. ron nudges her with his elbow, and she rolls her eyes and joins in.

"hufflepuff?" the dark eyed boy tilts his head.

"sure, whatever."

"alright, then. game on."

it starts with innocent questions, such as cheating on exams and gossips. then, it progressively gets more serious and more...

"never have i ever made out with someone in the astronomy tower?"

sexual.

you are not shocked to see that blaise and seonghwa are taking a handful of the spicy treats, but your jaw drops when ron and hermione do the same, exchanging a single glance before blushing and shoving the handful in their mouths. harry shares his surprise with you, jaw equally hanging.

"well, well. little miss granger." seonghwa teases. "good job, ron boy."

"never have i ever... done more than dry humping in an empty owlery?" harry surprises the table with his question.

"what?! you've done that?!" hermione is almost in his face, surprised how she didn't know this about her best friend.

"i might've..." the chosen one smiles, wasting no time in burning his tongue with the treats once again.

your side of the table seems to retreat after that question, the slytherin boys asking about things you didn't ever think of. things that would have dubmbledore kick you out of the school, through the very same astronomy tower everyone seems to mention. the game eventually grows into a conversation, discussing who their favorite partner was, what their most risky situation was, and who they have an eye on recently.

"what about you, honeydukes?" blaise asks, using seonghwa's nickname for you. it just doesn't hit the same.

"what about me?"

"nothing to share? no risky business, no partners, no bad sexual experiences? i mean, have you had any experience at all?"

"of course i have. i'm not a virgin, if that's what you're implying. i've had more bad ones than good ones. having me jerk someone off under the desk while learning about amortentia wasn't exactly my cup of tea."

"oh, you poor thing." draco coos, mockingly.

they all eventually let go, and when you realize that seonghwa hasn't made a comment about you in a while, you look at him. he is already observing you, his expression unreadable. his eyes roam your face, then your hair, and finally your clothes. you feel small under his intense gaze, and you find yourself squirming on the wooden chair. when his eyes catch yours, he blinks, then looks away.

after a morning of intense studying, practicing flying, and rushing to hogsmeade for potions supplies for the exam tomorrow, you end up sleeping the entire afternoon. when you wake up, it is dark. you hate wasting days, especially because winter ones are so short. you haven't done anything fun for yourself these few weeks, only studying and avoiding the slytherin prefect.

he might've noticed, or perhaps not. you've noticed a few glances here and there, but the hogsmeade encounter made your feelings for him fade. it wasn't a major crush after all, just simple admiration. maybe liking. regardless, he doesn't get in your way. meaning, it might be safe to have one of those late night adventures through the castle. your disillusionment charm has improved, and you'll finally put it to good use.

wearing nothing but your yellow sleeping attire, you slip out of the dormitory and head to the library. the ghosts don't bother you, even if you didn't cast the charm yet. they must've found another victim, especially peeves. that bastard.

no prefect in sight either, which makes you wonder if you're really being that subtle and successful in your late night escapade. perhaps they're toying with you, letting you reach the doors of the library just to stop you and punish you.

yet, it doesn't happen. not when you reach the door, not when you slip past them, and not when you reach the restricted section.

"lumos." you chant, then put the handle of the wand between your teeth so you can see the shelves better.

how sad, you think, sneaking out at night only to come to a library.

mid book browsing, you hear footsteps. hurriedly twirling your wand around yourself, you cast the charm, and crouch.

"nox," you whisper, the wand no longer emitting light from its tip.

the footsteps get closer, with faint whistling being heard. whoever it is, they're either completely oblivious, or they're just keeping you at the edge before revealing themselves.

"little pig, little pig..." the voice sings, and you gasp.

the slytherin prince himself roams the library's forbidden section, each footstep sounding closer to you. you get on your hands and knees, crawling among the shelves in search for a way out. but from this perspective, everything looks different. after all, this isn't your usual view.

"let," step, "me," step, "in."

a hand grabs your hair from behind, pulling your head back just enough to make you yelp. the disillusionment charm wears off, and you groan, defeated.

"well, well. if it isn't the innocent little hufflepuff. no wonder i've been craving sweet since i entered the library."

"will you let go of me?"

"oh, sure thing." he softens his grip, giving you just a taste of freedom before yanking your head again, "what's the magic word? you know, that muggle one?"

"please, please!" you yelp, hands wrapping around his wrist in hopes of convincing him to let go.

he does, then steps back to give you space so you can get up. fixing your sleepwear, you fail to see his amused grin as he stares at you. when you finally look up at him, he has his usual prefect serious face on.

"now, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"sorry, it won't happen again." you should tattoo that on yourself next time you're in muggle world, it comes like a good morning to you. "i'll see myself out."

"oh, no, no." the man stops you, grabbing your elbow. "you don't get away with a sorry. not anymore. remember what i said last time?"

"uh... something about different forms of punishment?" you remember.

"that's right. good girl." his voice seems to drop a few octaves, causing you to subconsciously squeeze your thighs together. "now, how many?"

"what?"

"how many?"

"how many what?"

"spanks, sweetheart."

"you're-" you choke on your spit, "you're going to spank me?"

"oh, would you rather lose points? again?" he tilts his head, fake worry painted on his features.

"well, no, but-"

"deducting points doesn't seem to work on you anyways. i'll have to try a different approach. usually works." he steps towards you, making you step back.

"usually? you uh... you spank other people?" you dare ask.

"why?" he continues his slow steps.

"just asking."

"jealous?"

"why would i be?"

"i don't know." he shrugs, then looks around checking for intruders. "a little bird told me you have a crush on me."

your back hits the shelves, and you gasp. he stops in front of you, still maintaining a small distance. you stutter, not knowing what to say. do you have a crush on him?

"i certainly don't."

"oh." he furrows his eyebrows, "you sure?"

"yes." your voice comes out raspy, and you clear your throat. "yes, absolutely."

"honeydukes?"

"yes?"

"are you trying to convince yourself, or me?"

"i don't have a crush on you, seonghwa." you try to sound as convincing as possible.

"good. then, this interaction won't have any side effects besides teaching you a lesson. now, how many?"

you want to say a small number, like two or three. but if it happens to feel good, you won't have the guts to ask for more. oh how foolish, how can spanking be good?

"tick-tock, hufflepuff. if you don't decide, i will for you. and trust me, you do not want that."

he isn't touching you, hell, he isn't even looking at you. yet he has power over you like nobody ever had before, making you stand still against the bookshelves and wait for his instructions.

"ten," you simply say.

"ten? not one, two?" seonghwa is surprised with your answer, figuring you'd choose a smaller number.

"i didn't think you'd accept one or two. or would you?"

"smart girl. no, i wouldn't. now, what was your favorite subject again? charms, herbology?"

"dark arts," you reply, catching him off guard once again. of course he didn't see it coming. you're sneaking out to go to a library, you're a hufflepuff for merlin's sake, and you stand here in front of him, looking up at him with those wide innocent eyes of yours. who would guess dark arts?

"well, then," he swirls his black wand around both of you, turning you invisible once again, "lead the way, honeydukes."

and you do, having him follow you all the way to the defence against the dark arts classroom. you'd be lying if you said nervous sweat hasn't washed you over three times by the time you reach it. when the door closes, it's like time stops. this is it.

"won't umbridge hear? what if she's still in her office?" you whisper.

"muffliato." he simply casts, sparks flying between the desks, up the staircase at the end of the classroom, and through the doors of umbridge's office. "go on."

you keep walking, all the way to her desk. seonghwa plunges on the comfy professor's chair, then motioned for you to step closer. you barely step close to him, and he pushes you over his lap, causing you to squeak unintentionally. you hold onto his thigh, the position not the most comfortable one.

"count." the slytherin prefect demands.

his big hand lands on your bottom, making you jolt. "one."

his other hand rests on the small of your back, keeping you still so you stop squirming. only three more spanks later, you're already shuffling uncomfortably.

"two, three, four," you say, voice slowly cracking.

"but i'm barely halfway there yet, my hufflepuff princess. don't break on me just yet." he coos, voice soft and comforting, a great contrast to his actions.

you sniff, hand hurriedly wiping a tear that threatened to escape. seonghwa doesn't halt, even if he saw that. instead, he spanks you harder and harder, sparing no inch of your skin of the burning sensation.

"five, six, seven." you shudder, bracing yourself for more. only three more.

"almost there, sweetheart. you're doing so good for me." his other hand caresses your hair, removing it from your face and letting it fall aside. seeing you all teared up and flushed, something new sparks inside of him. "so pretty."

he can't help himself, his hand abusing your sore bottom, exceeding the amount that you both agreed on. you keep counting, not asking him to stop. he lands a final one, deciding it is enough once you let out the first cry.

"t-twenty," you sob, hiding your face in his black slacks.

when his hand touches your bottom again, you expect it to be another hit. instead, his hand caresses it, helping to soothe the pain. it lasts mere seconds, before you feel him raise the top of your pajama, then pull on the bottom. he exposes your red bottom to the cool classroom air, and you can't help but whine at the loss of contact.

"you did so good, my love." seonghwa coos, fingers running through your hair as he waits for you to collect yourself.

once you do, you realize that the burning sensation isn't only on your butt cheeks. you also feel it between your legs, briefs soaked with arousal.

"did you learn the lesson?" his hand finds its spot under your chin, raising your head so he can look at you properly.

"yes." you say, failing to maintain eye-contact with him. maybe it's the guilt, or maybe simply the way he looks at you. either way, you opt to stare at his perfectly ironed and buttoned up prefect attire.

"want me to make it feel better?"

you shrug, not quite sure what you wanted anyway. his hand slips from under your chin to your neck, catching you off guard, his fingers squeezing the sides of it. he presses lightly into your skin, the other hand adjusting your bottom so that it is higher up and your core easily accessible. a moan escapes your lips, feeling his digits find your clit so easily.

"oh, you poor thing. you're absolutely soaked. is that why you're crying? not from the pain, but from lack of attention?"

when you don't reply, he only chuckles, pressing into your neck more.

"i'll take good care of you, honeydukes."

he moves your briefs aside, digits circling your clit softly, before slipping into your aching hole. you bite into the fabric of his pants, but he stops you, instead offering his finger to bite on. he still holds onto your neck with his thumb and the rest of the fingers, his index finger popped into your mouth to muffle any noise you have to offer him.

hearing your own hole squelch as his fingers pump in and out of you makes a new rush of arousal wash over your folds. his fingers are long, very long. he curves them, spreads them, then removes them from your hole, only to spread your slick all over your clit and abuse it.

you're a drooling mess on his lap, eyes turning back at the pure pleasure he is gracing you with. your hips hopelessly push back, looking for anything to fill you up. he notices, removing his hand from your core, before standing you up and pushing you to sit on the desk. with a single motion, he shreds your briefs to bits, stuffing them into his pocket and attaching his mouth to your aching core.

you fall back on the desk, head hanging from it and overlooking the empty classroom. your brain creates various images for you as seonghwa's hot tongue swipes across your folds, imagining the classroom full of students as seonghwa feasts on you in front of them. were you weird for that?

"not at all, princess."

"stop reading my mind, prefect." you tug on his hair, a form of punishment for intruding your thoughts.

"can't help it, not when you're dripping all over my face."

his fingers find their way into your clenching hole again, curling upwards and finding a spot nobody ever had before. a moan escapes you, echoing through the classroom, and your other hand pushes seonghwa's head further into your cunt.

he chuckles against you, his own hands holding your thighs so you don't suffocate him. you feel yourself inching closer, hips desperately grinding on his mouth and nose, eager to feel a proper orgasm. he pulls away once again, making you whine and groan.

"my, i've spoiled you." he raises an eyebrow, amused at the glares you're sending him. he stands up, working on his zipper. he doesn't take his pants off, deciding to keep his prefect uniform on. it only makes the situation hotter, your brain finally realizing just what you're doing.

you're messing with a prefect, in the middle of the night, in a classroom, right under a professor's nose.

"kiss me." you ask, voice small. red paints your cheeks; you wanted to sound more confident than that.

"you want to taste yourself on my tongue, princess?"

"yes, please."

"since you asked so nicely."

he helps you stand again, hands firm on your waist, and lips finally attached to yours. your arms wrap around his neck, hungrily bringing his body closer to yours. you indeed taste yourself on his tongue, seonghwa not wasting a second in pushing through your soft lips in search for your hot muscle. the sound of kissing echoes in the classroom, the setting hotter than your wildest dreams. seonghwa is a dreamy kisser, making you feel wanted, hot and appreciated at the same time. his lips never leave yours, not even when your fingers tangle in his hair and pull at it with ecstasy. he only moans softly into your mouth, giving you a wave of confidence.

your hand slides down his chest, to the button of his pants, and finally to the zipper. you reach into it, pulling his hard cock out, before giving it a few slow pumps. he sighs into your lips, pulling away for a few moments. his forehead rests against yours, his body falling in control of your one hand. your thumb swipes over the tip, collecting the slick and spreading it over him. his hips rock with your hand, whines and moans deliciously filling your ears. it feels powerful to have him tremble in your hands, desperate and yearning for your touch and attention. this must be what he feels on a daily basis. and it must feel fucking amazing.

"you're full of surprises, aren't you?" he teases, and you tease back by squeezing his cock. he gasps, but chuckles regardless. "you're just a little brat, waiting to be stuffed like a bad girl. i know it."

with a swift motion, seonghwa turns you around, your still clothed tits pressing against the hard wooden desk and head pushed on the side. he slides into you without warning or teasing, so easily and perfectly. he wastes no time in holding your hips still, smashing his own into you and burying his cock deep in your hole. your walls swallow each inch he offers you, having both of you moan and groan at the pleasure.

"fuck-" he curses, eyes planted on the place where the two of you connect. "fuck, honeydukes- you're going to be the death of me."

"do you- ah!" he snaps his hips into yours once again, each thrust more forceful than the other, "do you do this with others sneaking out at night?"

"i knew you were jealous. so you do have a little crush on me?" he chuckles breathlessly.

"maybe. and maybe." you groan, hands gripping the edges of the desk.

"no, baby. i don't. you're the only one whose cunt i'm going to fill up, again and again. until you've learned your lesson properly."

it is your turn to chuckle now. "if this is your form of punishment, i might start sneaking around while you're on duty more often."

"oh, my hufflepuff princess. if you want me, you can have me any time you want. all day, every day. all you have to do is ask."

the conversation stops, as do his hips, when the doors on top of the stairs open.

"who's there?"

you try looking back at seonghwa, eyes full of fear. his cock twitches in your hole, the riskiness of the situation arousing to him.

"hush, love." he whispers, hand pushing your head down against the cold wood again.

his hips start moving gently, slowly stretching your hole again. you're in shock, not believing that he'd actually continue as the professor walks down the stairs in her own sleeping attire. her eyes skim over the room, trying to find anything unusual. but the silencing spell seems to be working, just like the disillusionment one, making umbridge unaware of your presence. a very... lewd presence.

"merlin, i can't take it anymore. i'm sorry, love."

not giving you a chance to ask why he's apologizing, you soon learn as his hand pulls your hair back and his other one grips your bruised bottom. his hips snap into yours with speed and accuracy, hitting the right spots and bringing you closer to release.

"seonghwa-" you moan.

"yes, love?"

"i want-" you moan again, then beg, "i want to see you, touch you."

he pulls away, helping your limp body in a different position. the professor is ignored, even when she comes dangerously close to the desk. it sends a new wave of arousal to your core, just in time for seonghwa to slide into you again.

"look at that," he sighs, looking at your belly.

you follow his gaze, seeing the outline of his cock on it. your hands bring his head closer so you can kiss him, with equal hunger as before. he continues pounding into you, chasing his own orgasm.

"right, there better not be anyone. i'm not in the mood for any tricks!" umbridge threatens, causing both of you to chuckle into each others mouths.

"this is kind of hot," you admit.

"as much as it is, i want her to go away as soon as possible. i just can't cum when i see her face."

you laugh, glancing at the professor one more time. as if she heard, she listens, angrily stomping upstairs and slamming the door shut.

"uh, speaking of temperatures, i know this is crazy, but i am feeling a bit chilly." you admit, the winter air entering the classroom and hitting your naked skin. after all, you were only in your thin sleepwear, having heavy covers on your bed that kept you warm. seonghwa wastes no time in taking off his prefect cloak, helping you put it on and planting a kiss on your forehead.

"you look beautiful in green, my pretty hufflepuff."

blush paints your cheeks, his scent enveloping you and sending a fresh batch of butterflies to your stomach. you never noticed it before, but he smells of forest moss and after rain stone, with a hint of potions ingredients. it is intoxicating, entering your organism and threatening to never leave.

"oh, merlin," seonghwa throws his head back, lost in pure pleasure as your hole swallows him, the outline of his cock on your belly adding to it all and helping him get closer to his goal. "fuck- fuck-"

he's absolutely dashing, a thin layer of sweat shining on his face and making his dark locks stick to his forehead. his lips are plump from you biting and sucking on them, slightly parted and letting out little gasps and moans. he unbuttons the first few buttons of his uniform, not having a problem with the cold. you're a moaning mess, just like him, completely letting go of every thought you had until now, simply giving yourself to him and admiring him.

you feel full of him, and just when you thought you couldn't feel fuller, seonghwa hisses, spilling his load in you and creating more squelching sounds as he rides out his orgasm, pushing in and out of you sloppily.

it doesn't take long for you to reach your own, the knot in your stomach exploding as his tip slams mercilessly into your soft spot, making you grip his arms, shoulders, hair, anything you could reach. he works you through your high, not missing a single face or sound you make.

you're exhausted, struggling to catch your breath. the recovery lasts longer than usual, seonghwa having wrecked you inside out. his hands gently remove your hair from your face so he can take a good look at you.

"you're good, love. breathe." he coos, caressing your cheek and blowing into your face to cool you off.

"thank you," you blurt out.

"what for?" the slytherin prefect laughs at your innocence.

"i don't know. this, i guess. i've never enjoyed sex, always saw it as a chore. and i never felt desired, just objectified."

"well," the dark haired slytherin pecks your forehead, then your nose, and finally your lips, "you don't have to worry about that anymore. i've never desired anyone the way i desire you, and i think i just proved it to you how much. you don't have to fear those things with me anymore."

"park seonghwa, are you subtly asking me to be your girlfriend?" you shyly ask, knowing that you might be wrong and embarrass yourself in front of him. to your relief, he pecks your lips once again.

"perhaps. only if you want to. if not, then i'm not asking."

"perhaps i want to."

"perhaps that makes me happy."

"you're crazy." you laugh, and he joins.

seonghwa does one more thing no other partner has ever done for you; he helps you get cleaned, then dressed, and walks you to the doors of your common room.

"if you do decide to sneak off again, please do let me know. wouldn't want other prefects to find you and steal your heart."

you nod, and with a longer kiss, finally part ways with him. he waits until you finish your usual rhythmic tapping on the barrels, until the doors open, and finally, until you disappear into your common room and back to the dormitory.

you notice the sun already rising, and hurry to jump back in bed.

"excuse me? is that a slytherin cloak on you?"

you freeze in your tracks, the cloak ready to slide off you and hide under your pillow. the girl on the bed to your left doesn't give up, now sitting up and staring at you wide eyed.

"and a prefect one too?!" the voice on the right joins, waking up the rest of the room and bringing attention to you.

fuck.

taglist: @hongthoven @itza-meee @onedumbho3 @chngbnwf @mxnsxngie @yunhowooyo @m3chigo @trivia-134340 @sanniesaur @shiningpaint-marbleheart @hyphenen @iweirdthingsblog @moonm1st @hwxbibi @jjoongstar @dawn-iscozy @callmeagardengnome @arson1893 @n1k1mura @ishz @hwa-stars @prettyjewel93 @hongjoongsprincess @fireseo @milkandoranges @kibs-and-bits @kitten4sannie @yuujismom @dianadiaries @teawithcherrypie @morethingsfandom

[nanintell]

Well i only dueled him to spam traps and he gave me this. Maybe I annoyed him too much lol.

Ps. Got it from lv.20 btw

[cadaveerie]

Here are the transcriptions of the Backstory for Rook's factions in the Character Creator (with the different pronouns available + surnames):

GREY WARDENS

Surname: Thorne

BACKSTORY

Shield Against the Night

When innocent lives were at stake, Rook led the charge, saving a village from a monstrous nightmare--no matter the cost to herself/himself/themselves.

During a large darkspawn incursion, Rook was ordered to hold the line with other Grey Wardens until reinforcements arrived. Rook argued that by then, villagers under attack would be dead. She/He/They disobeyed orders, leading the squad into the incursion and sealing the tunnel to the Deep Roads. This turned the tide, and the darkspawn were driven off, which saved the villagers. Rook's heroism was popular among the younger Wardens, but others with connections to noble families resented her/his/their independent streak. Rook chose to step away while tempers cooled.

VEIL JUMPERS

Surname: Aldwir

BACKSTORY

Hunter of Secrets

When lives were at stake, Rook defied orders to rescue people from the mystic perils of Arlathan.

On an expedition to ruins in Arlathan Forest, the Veil jumpers found ruins that contained important lost lore and deadly danger. Barely surviving the ruins' ancient magical defenses, Rook's small team recovered and invaluable map leading to a hidden area of the forest. Although the team escaped, other Veil Jumpers found themselves trapped. Rook chose to return to the ruins, saving her/his/their teammates' lives, but losing the map. She/He/They was/were lauded for her/his/their bravery, but the map's loss caused some resentment among Veil Jumper leaders.

SHADOW DRAGONS

Surname: Mercar

BACKSTORY

Breaker of Bonds

Rook risked everything to liberate the enslaved people of Tevinter, even knowing it would anger the ruling elite.

The foundling Rook was adopted into a military family and joined the Shadow Dragons to fight from the shadows for change in Minrathous. While guarding a visiting dignitary who was investigating a slavery ring in the nearby city of Nessus, Rook concluded that the mission would fail without throwing caution to the wind. Alone, she/he/they sneaked the dignitary deep into Venatori-controlled zones and brought him back, along with the rescued slaves. These actions brought Rook to the Venatori's attention, and the Shadow Dragons decided to keep Rook out of sight.

LORDS OF FORTUNE

Surname: Laidir

BACKSTORY

Seeker of Gold and Glory

When a corrupt Rivaini noble double-crossed Rook, Rook escaped a collapsing ruin, turned the tables, and destroyed a dangerous artifact.

A rising Lord of Fortune, skilled at breaking into lost tombs and ruins, Rook killed a corrupt Rivaini noble to prevent an ancient evil from being given to the Venatori. Her/His/Their actions were correct and saved the lives of expedition members, but some Rivaini nobles were resentful. Because the success of the Lords' expeditions relied on Rivaini authorities looking the other way, it seemed wise for Rook to step away while tempers settled.

MOURN WATCH

Surname: Ingellvar

BACKSTORY

Defender of the Dead

When restless spirits threatened the inhabitants of the Grand Necropolis, Rook took the decisive action to protect both the living and the dead.

Discovered by undead inside a Grand Necropolis tomb as an infant, Rook was raised by Mourn Watch necromancers, eventually joining the order. During a "civil war" between undead nobility, known later as the War of the Banners, she/he/they led a daring attack on the rebellion's dueling leaders. It was a success, quelling the war and saving lives. But Rook's destruction of these undead nobles was controversial. Some Mourn Watchers feared Rook had offended the order's aristocratic patrons and encouraged her/him/them to travel for a while.

ANTIVAN CROWS

Surname: de Riva

BACKSTORY

Assassin Extraordinaire

When the invaders of Treviso took people captive, Rook was determined to free the prisoners at any cost.

A talented new Crow recently promoted to full membership, Rook chafed at the cautions of her/his/their commanders, especially with her/his/their city occupied by brutal soldiers known as the Antaam. When Rook saw a patrol herding along captives one night, she/he/they leaped into action. Despite saving lives, however, Rook had unknowingly compromised a larger Crow operation against the Antaam. Rook's superiors were incensed. Sidelined for her/his/their actions, the young assassin searched for new ways to prove herself/himself/themselves.

source :)

[lil-beanz000]

I woke up an chose violence for xmas eve~ LINE UP BOIZ

I kinda just went nuts on this....I am sorry no one asked for it haha Gunna share what I have thought out so far tho. ~ more below!!!!

Virus started in Draxums lab, Zombie are mutated yokai/human undead affected by the Oozesquitoes. The events of the apocalypse start before the pilot episode of rottmnt, So the boys do not have the Ninpo and the weapons they get from draxums labs. The boys never learn about it before Splinter dies. (this is to give more of a challenge to the story an fun 0w0 no tech an no powers. We SURVIVING BABY) This also means that the boys dont understand the hidden city an yokai as they would in the show. This is all silly fun so its not that serious~ I just wanna have some fresh angst an zombies yo

~~more of the injuries -Mikey, he's mostly Deaf due to an accident with a bomb created by Donnie. To close to the explosion and the whole thing was hectic but that's why Mikey has a large scar on the right side of his face/neck as well. He is the most un "damaged" of the 4, as his brothers fiercely protect him. Mikey is more emotionally distant due to the trauma of the undead and people dying around him. -Leo arm goes chop chop pretty early on in the apocalypse due to a bite, he duels with one katana an his arm in close combat. He's less humorous in this AU, a bit more stricter. I don't have much information on him XD He leads along with Raph. -Donnie, no tech, still wears battleshell but it no longer functions. Its heavily modified due to it being the same size when the apocalypse started. Left leg was bitten in a food/supply run with Raph (Raph also lost his Tail as well during this time((bite)) Donnie is a much more tactical fighter, distance an smarts. Uses staff to impales undead head at safer distance. Donnie is much more cruel spoken in this au later on in life, he's not very optimistic but finds humor in it. Almost switching rolls with Leo's personality, not completely but almost like a trauma response to the apocalypse. -Raphie~ Uses double barrel gun as a last resort, He relies on his Sais an his thick skin to protect his family. His right eye is blind due to yokai zombie attack.(was zombie big mama 0w0) he lost a large portion of his tail along with Donnies leg the same time. (Will go more into detail of that later) He is much more protective of his brothers, untrusting an weary of strangers.

[shenspeaker]

Circle of Sports Homebrew

Have been wanting to whip this up since last week's episode. I love the circle of sports. Used the circle of stars as a base, even though circle of spores is the more obvious typo lol. Enjoy!

 Druid: Circle of Sports

Since the first being aspired to test their might, hone their skill, and chase the thrill of victory, the power of sports has shaped the planes.

None understand this better than the druids of the Circle of Sports, students of the Plane of Sports. These druids have balled since time immemorial, dunking with primordials and discovering lost secrets in the ancient temples of gains. By honoring sportsmanship, competition, and the purity of the big man taking the rock all the way to the points hole, the Circle of Sports pursue teamwork, self-betterment, and a dynamic universe full of excitement and challenge.

Many druids of this circle keep records of the Great Games of the world, feats of strength and sportsmanship that ring forever in the legendary Hall of Fame at the heart of the Plane of Sports. They contend these records hold the spirits of those who came before, and can serve as markers, clues, and guides to what is possible. Shrines, gyms, trophies, trading cards, or artifacts signed by heroes long passed are both defended and sought after by these sages, scoundrels, and adventurers alike. Other druids seek to place their own names in the Hall of Fame and pave the way for heroes yet to come.

Sports Trance

When you join this circle at 2nd level you form a link to the Plane of Sports that grants you proficiency in Athletics and doubles your proficiency bonus for any check made using Athletics. If you already have proficiency in Athletics you may gain proficiency in a different skill of your choice.

Additionally, you learn to ascend your consciousness to the sequestered Plane of Sports and enter a sports trance. While in this trance your body becomes a Tiny sports-related object of your choice, with resistance to all damage, that can be used as a simple melee weapon that deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage and has the finesse, light, and thrown properties (range 20/60).

While in this state you are unconscious, but can be roused as if from sleep, ending the trance. You can complete a long rest in 4 hours, if you spend those hours in this trance.

Circle Spells

The pure energy from the Plane of Sports grants you access to some spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Circle of Sports Spells table.

Once you gain access to one of these spells, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn't appear on the Druid Spell List, the spell is nonetheless a druid spell for you.

Druid Level - Spells

2nd - Compelled Duel, Catapult

3rd - Kinetic Jaunt, Spiritual Weapon

5th - Motivational Speech, Haste

7th - Freedom of Movement, Staggering Smite

9th - Conjure Volley, Greater Restoration

Sports Form

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to harness the power of sports to alter your form. As a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to take on a sports form, rather than transforming into a beast. Changing into a sports form ends any other active Wild Shapes.

While in your sports form, your clothes take on the appearance of appropriate sports attire, and appropriate sports-themed music plays. The form lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you dismiss it (no action required), are incapacitated, die, or use this feature again.

Whenever you assume your sports form, choose which of the following styles you embody; your choice gives you certain benefits while in the form:

Fastball. A series of sports-themed balls and projectiles appear in orbit around you. When you activate this style, and as a bonus action on your subsequent turns while it lasts, you can make a ranged spell attack, hurling a ball or other projectile that targets one creature within 60 feet of you. On a hit, the attack deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier.

Nike. An incredible set of appropriate sports footwear appears on your feet. While in this style your walking speed increases by 15 feet. You gain a swimming and climbing speed of 30 feet. If you already have a swim and climb speed, you can instead increase that speed by 15 feet. When you jump, you may add twice your proficiency bonus in feet to the distance in any direction.

Roughhouse. Your muscles bulge and glisten as if oiled. In this style you can add your Wisdom bonus to Strength checks, Strength saving throws, and Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration. In this form you can make a grapple or shove attack as a bonus action.

Rally the Team

When you reach 6th level, you learn to channel the power of sports to your allies. As a bonus action, all creatures you choose within 30 feet may either gain 1d8 temporary hit points or immediately roll a save to end any continuous negative effect that could normally be negated with a successful saving throw. They must be able to hear or see you to gain this benefit.

You cannot use this ability again until you finish a short rest.

Welcome to the Jam

At 10th level, the styles of your Sports Form improve. The 1d8 of Fastball becomes 2d8. While Nike is active all opportunity attacks have disadvantage against you. While Roughhouse is active you can grapple or push creatures of any size without penalty.

Moreover, at the start of each of your turns while in your Sports Form, you can change which style you embody.

Hall of Fame

At 14th level, your connection to the plane of sports has become something of legend. While in your Sports Form, this legacy grants you a kind of immortality, giving you resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

[nknoxe-n]

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Carmel Hearts·˚ ◌༘₊· ͟͞꒰➳

The morning rush at the coffee shop was in full swing when Barou stormed in, his presence commanding attention even in the bustling crowd. You, the barista, had seen your fair share of intense customers, but Barou was a different breed. He approached the counter with a determined look, as if about to challenge you to a duel rather than order coffee.

“One double shot venti caramel macchiato with extra caramel, extra whipped cream, and a shot of vanilla,” he ordered, his tone as fierce and commanding

You raised an eyebrow, it's not what you were expecting, but you nodded trying to hide the dumbfounded look on your face “Coming right up...?”

As you prepared his drink, you couldn’t help but glance at him. He'd become a regular sometimes ordering more than one drink which is how you learned he had two younger sisters, one that really seemed to like pink-drinks and the other usually taking some sort of lemonade. 

The rate he would drink caffeine was worrying though while his sisters seemed to get some of the less caffeine heavy drinks Barou's regular was some sort of double shot coffee with caramel, it struck you as weird, someone as masculine as him ordering some of the more 'femenine' drinks at Starbucks or maybe the government finally put a chip in your head to think like a sexist person.

“Hey, uh, are you sure you don’t want to switch to decaf?” you suggested gently, handing over the drink.

Barou glared at you, his intensity unwavering. “I need the energy. Got a lot to do.”

You nodded, trying to mask your concern. “Just… you know, moderation is key.”

He scoffed, taking a long sip of his macchiato. “Moderation is for the weak. I need to be at my best, always.”

You watched as he found a seat, the brightly colored drink looking almost comical in his large hands. Despite his gruff exterior, there was something endearing about his dedication—even if it was just to his coffee.

The next day at the coffee shop started like any other, with the usual morning rush of customers and the smell of freshly brewed coffee and fruity sugars filling the air. You were busy behind the counter, taking orders and preparing drinks with practiced ease talking with regular customers, sharing a few laughs here and there. 

Just as you were wiping down the counter, Shoei Barou strode in, his presence as suffocating as ever. He approached the counter with a determined stride, though today there was a slight nervous energy about him that you couldn't quite place, he seemingly refused to meet your eyes.

“One… uh, surprise me,” he said, his voice a touch softer than usual.

You raised an eyebrow, noticing the departure from his usual specific orders. “Sure thing, Coming right up.”

As you prepared his drink, you couldn’t help but steal glances at him. He seemed to be lost in thought, his usual intensity tempered by something you couldn’t quite pinpoint, you decided it was time to give him a break from the large caffeine intake, making him an Iced Black Tea Lemonade.

When the drink was ready, you placed it on the counter. “Here you go.”

Barou looked at the drink, then at you, and hesitated for a moment. With a swift motion, he handed you the money for the drink. “Keep the change,” he muttered, his cheeks tinted with a faint blush, before quickly turning to leave.

You blinked in surprise, unfolding a piece of paper hidden amongst the yen, scrawled on it was a phone number, followed by a hastily written note: 'In case you ever need a break from coffee.'

Your heart skipped a beat as you looked up to see him heading towards the door, his usual confident stride slightly awkward now. He glanced back once, meeting your eyes briefly, before disappearing out into the bustling street.

A small smile graced your lips, it was a cute gesture, and you couldn't help but tuck the piece of paper into the pocket of your pants instead of the apron, completely ready to save it as a contact in your phone. 

[fictionfixations]

secret yanqing avatar

okay so this is for the people who didnt know (i just found out) that you can unlock a yanqing pic by dueling his boss fight and having specific characters do the last hit (from this post)

below is the chat he has with you after you do everything to unlock it (scrolling down will show what you need to do to unlock it)

Yanqing: Trailblazer, do you have time to chat? Trailblazer: I'm quite free right now. Chat away Yanqing: [pleased yanqing emote] Great! Thanks I don't know if it's because of the pressure of the Wardance ceremony or something else I keep dreaming about dueling different opponents ...I don't remember much about the dreams, but... I think I lost so many times Yanqing: Trailblazer, do you have time to chat? Trailblazer: I'm quite free right now. Chat away Yanqing: [pleased yanqing emote] Great! Thanks I don't know if it's because of the pressure of the Wardance ceremony or something else I keep dreaming about dueling different opponents ...I don't remember much about the dreams, but... I think I lost so many times Trailblazer: This is a manifestation of being overwhelmed by stress Yanqing: I see Even though I was dreaming, the opponents each time were different I remember there was a spear trial, an épée trial, a greatsword trial, a glaive trial... I even fought myself once But no matter which trial it was, I keep feeling it had the vaguest of connections with you, Trailblazer It's like you brought these opponents to face me... Trailblazer: I admit, I sent all the opponents you faced while dreaming Yanqing: Trailblazer, you're such a joker It was just some hazy dreams that I had "That which one thinks about during the day is what one dream about at night" These dreams must be a projection of my desire to spar with you, Trailblazer So, I'm thinking... Can you... Trailblazer: I completely understand now. You want me to come and give you some guidance Yanqing: Exactly If you have the time, please enlighten me It feels so much better to say what's on my mind. Thank you. I shall bother you another day Trailblazer: Sure. Talk next time

LOOK AT HIM HES SO CUTE

he is precious bby

so anyway its (idk if you can use 5 star dan heng, i used 4 star him because i didnt feel like doing it twice if 5 star didnt work)

Wardance...? Use ally Yanqing to deal the final blow in a victory against Yanqing.

Wardance: Soulsteel Trial Use ally Jingliu to deal the final blow in a victory against Yanqing.

Wardance: Greatsword Trial Use Sushang to deal the final blow in a victory against Yanqing.

Wardance: Épée Trial Use Luocha to deal the final blow in a victory against Yanqing.

Wardance: Spear Trial Use ally Dan Heng to deal the final blow in a victory against Yanqing.

Wardance: Glaive Trial Use Jing Yuan to deal the final blow in a victory against Yanqing.

Wardance: Armament Trial Use ally character Feixiao to deal the final blow in a victory against Yanqing.

i dont think it counts if you fight like a low level yanqing cause i tried like against lvl 50 i think for sushang cause i didnt have her built but the achievement didnt appear so i had to pray she didnt die (i tried using aven but he kept killing yanqing before sushang could cause of his follow up so i used double harmony for more dmg and prayed that sushang wouldnt die and it WORKED 😭)

..apparently it can count on lower level? i dont know. in any case i didnt face any trouble after switching to a higher difficulty instead so 🤷 idk i guess. uh. if you do decide to do a lower level be cautious? you might need to do it multiple times for it to register that u did it and give the achievement??

[inkblot-mirror]

Pomefiore Dorm Headcanons:

-Lights out at 9pm. Period.

-Like Diasomnia, which is also an on old castle, Pomefiore has many hidden nooks and shortcuts and passageways, all of which Rook discovered and committed to memory the first day he transferred. It’s also how he gets around the place so quickly and pops up most unexpectedly, still giving even older students a scare.

-Students quickly learn not to sneak junk food and other forbidden snacks and stuff into their rooms because Vil always. Finds. Out. (It’s Rook—nothing ever gets past him)

-As Epel demonstrated, a common punishment in the dorm is cleaning: washing and wiping all the windows by hand, dusting the vases, sweeping the rugs and mopping the hallways and making sure everything is absolutely spotless. Without magic (it’s to build character ofc).

-The beautiful gardens and apple orchards outside are perfect for afternoon tea. Vil has, on more than one occasion, hosted a photoshoot in the gardens.

-Said apples in the orchards are also cursed to make whoever eats them violently ill. As a result the garden remains picturesque and pretty.

-Peacocks roam freely outside. They are surprisingly aggressive to outsiders.

-Entire dorm smells like fancy flowers and floral perfume.

-While not an official club on campus, but some Pomefiore students have made their own fashion design club. They hold fashion shows, showcasing their own creations every so often and Vil always attends.

-Has a potions lab in the basement where the housewarden duel is held.

-Mandatory ballroom dancing lessons! Pomefiore has three ballrooms in total.

-There’s a big white grand piano in the lounge that no one is allowed to play.

-Decently insulated, not too hot or cold, since both are bad for your skin.

-Lot and lots of stairs! Also easy to get lost in.

-Vil (and Rook) had to teach all the first years how to put their dorm uniform on properly.

- Lots of movie nights in the lounge. If one of Vil’s movies are being played, he expects full critique (and praise) afterwards.

-Vil is more accommodating towards beastman students with wings, tails, fur, and or ears that need more specialized care or attention.

-Kitchen is stocked only with healthy snacks and artesian bottled water.

——————

Scarabia Dorm Headcanons:

-So. Many. Parties. Parties to kick off the start of the school year, parties at the end of the week, parties to celebrate end of the semester, parties for the sake of partying.

-Second to Octavinelle, the dorm has lots of musically inclined students. One can hear lots of musical instruments being played day and night, such as the sitar, flute, oud, tamborine, or drum.

-Merfolk students like to cool off in the oasis or the courtyard fountain. This environment isn’t exactly the best for them… good thing there aren’t alot of them in Scarabia in the first place.

-Sand everywhere!!!!!! Even with magic, sand still finds a way to slip in. I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.

-Occasionally there are powerful sandstorms outside.

-Even rarer is when it rains (without use of Kalim’s UM)—when it does, everyone dashes outside to dance and sing in the rain with joy (everyone minus Jamil)

-Dorm is home to Kalim’s menagerie of exotic wild animals allowed to roam freely: tigers, monkeys, camels, parrots, etc…

-They’re all tame (mostly), but you can still occasionally see Jamil and a student or two wrangling a monkey or chasing after a runaway pony.

-It’s nearly bug free for the most part (thanks Jamil!) but you can still find the lone scorpion or snake hiding in the corners.

-First thing new students are taught is to always always always double check and empty your shoes and clothes first before putting them on.

-Entire dorm smells of incense and spices and exotic perfumes. It’s very heavy on the senses.

-Very dry and hot as one would expect! Its gets chillier at night, but not by much.

-Students help out Jamil with the cooking. It’s a communal event, and recipes and stories are often swapped.

-Before Kalim, Scarabia was a pretty studious and academic dorm. Now they have a reputation as the party animals of NRC and curious students from other dorms like to sneak into their many parties or banquets. Not like Kalim minds: the more, the merrier!

-DONT TOUCH JAMIL’s SPICES!

[toomanythoughts2]

I don't know if anyone else fucks with AU's but I have put so much thought into a Metalocalypse AU where Dethklok gets sent into a universe were Toki never makes it to the band/never leaves Norway. So Dethklok, in that universe, never reaches their full potential and they are on the path to world destruction because Dethklok needs all 5 members to defeat Salacia. So the band has to go on an adventure to get Toki into the band so that they can all go home/set the universe back into place.

The problem I keep running into to is who is Toki in this world without Dethklok? And I have a few ideas.

Toki stays home and becomes the next Reverend after his father dies. He secretly sneaks out to go play guitar under a persona in a few towns over and leads a double life essentially. He's very unhappy but has to be the dutiful son to his parents.

Toki stays home, becomes deeply religious, but fully believes that God will send him angels to rescue him from his family. When Dethklok comes to get him, he is convinced that they were sent as a answer to his prayers. He constantly refers to Dethklok as his Guardian Angels.

Toki is forced to stay at home (due to manual labor needs) but has plans to escape on his own. Dethklok technically ruins his plans to escape on his own by announcing his escape, but he does escape. The whole congregation and his parents know though, and they plan to track him down and bring him back home. So it becomes a race to see who will get to Toki first. This Toki is very desperate for freedom and has lost a fair amount of childlike whimsy in exchange for survival techniques.

Toki becomes a "copy cat" guitarist for hire, where when a band just needs a stand-in guitarist, he can come in and play their guitarist's part perfectly. He has a hard time expressing his own original work and is a serious loner, despite wanting to desperately connect with band members and people.

Toki becomes a black metal guitarist for a local band that plays gigs in clubs to make ends meet. Toki fully recognizes the full reach of his sexual and gender identity and dresses more feminine. Personally, this universe would be Toki's "Snakes N' Barrels" complete with glam and gender non-conformity. He's pretty happy here and has respect within the community but wants more/not fully understood by people. I think this version of him would be the most expressive.

Toki ends up having to become a prostitute since he was kicked out at such a young age, gaining reputation for his natural gift for guitar. It became what he's known for.

Toki gives up guitar and picks up keyboard/piano instead. Particularly, becomes a college student after a influential professor hears him playing one night to get some cash for a room. He ends up going to school on a scholarship and learning under said professor to play piano. Though, Toki's heart is always set on the guitar but because of his Father, he has some serious PTSD when handling it. I also like to play around with if the professor is a good guy or has some kind of ulterior motive.

Toki is unable to land a role in the band but is able to help out producers and musical engineers "under the table" and learns the ins and outs of the business. He ends up giving up on the guitar for the chance at a life that will take care of him, while also being a little bitter that he was never good enough for people to play. He ends up becoming the youngest rising musical producer. He is very serious in this universe, having completely given up everything to survive. Think about it is Abigail and Charles had a baby but make it a little bit meaner and unhinged. That would be this Toki.

This universe actually splits into two directions:

Toki becomes a producer on his own and the band has to find him. Either by being the "under the table" employee and learning by watching, or he takes a more active role and helps make decisions.

Toki never makes it into the band/too scared to duel Skwisgaar but is able to work directly under Charles as an apprentice and finds out that is he talented in music producing, becoming Dethklok's producer and not their guitarist. I like this version because this keeps all of the members together but they are still not where they need to be. Also, this version of Toki is very serious, very hard, very stubborn. He had to basically give up everything that our Toki is known for in order to do the job he was being given. He's talented in it and he has never failed Dethklok or Charles, but he doesn't play around. He doesn't play guitar because of his bitterness at being taken advantage of by other musicians or lack of response.

These are just a few that I can remember, but I just love the idea of playing around with "Toki if he never joined Dethklok" and "Dethklok desperately trying to get Toki" I particularly love the religious ones and the music producer one. Though the Black Metal one has my heart because I picture Toki being the most "Toki" in that universe and not afraid to take center stage and be himself. UGh, I love Toki <3

[to-eat-laugh-love-in-peace]

I wouldn’t be surprised if there were at least a few people who didn’t believe the general consensus that Vash the Stampede was the villain behind the July’s destruction and the deaths of 90% of its population just because he’s Vash the Stampede, the Humanoid Typhoon, the man who will slaughter the innocent, who does the most evil of evil deeds for the price of 60 billion double dollars on head, because in Tristamp, even before Lost July took place, there were a couple of details about Vash that didn’t seem to add up like how the stolen Plants were being brought to July City when it was the same city that put a bounty on Vash’s head for supposedly running around stealing Plants from all over the planet in the first place as seen in the city’s symbol stamped on the corner of his old wanted poster.

I do wonder though not only how much Meryl decided to or was able to include in her article following Lost July assuming she was even able to get her article published but also how she’s seen and treated by the general populace in Tristamp because not only is she a reporter in this iteration but also its one thing for her to defend Vash after he blew a large crater in the fifth moon. It's another thing for her to defend Vash after he blew a large crater where the wealthiest and largest city in No Man’s Land used to be. I mean in the dub the radio host even outright says that if they were the demon who turned the city into a crater overnight, they’d hide their face too because they doubt that the mob of mourners who had gathered to pay their respects to the friends and families they’ve lost for the two-year anniversary of the incident would be so quick to forgive while she's in the truck on her way to the memorial she put up for Roberto.

And in Trimax and even 98’ Vash had people actively going after him because of what happened in July like that fancily dressed Plant engineer who sent an assassin after him and then later locked him in a room with a soon to be exploding Plant to kill him even if it meant endangering an entire city, the old lady had hired an assassin to kill Vash in volume 6 chapter 5 because her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild had been one of the many who died in July, and Brilliant Dynamites Neon had revealed to have been prepared to kill Vash for some time since July during their duel on the sand steamer in volume 1 chapter 8 with Vash even outright asking him if he had folks who lived in July when the incident took place after he asked him why there weren’t any corpses to be found in the ruins of July City.

So I wonder if Meryl has had even a fraction of the ire those who’d lost friends, family, loved ones in July had towards Vash directed towards her during the two years Vash spent in hiding with Lina and Sheryl as Eriks because not only did she likely go around No Man’s Land literally being the devil’s advocate during that time, as she'd said so herself that its her duty as a member of the press to clear his name if proves himself innocent, but she had also been announced on the radio in episode four to be a possible accomplice of Vash’s who the military police were looking to bring in as a person of interest alongside Roberto, with Roberto mentioning how if word of this got out to HQ then they’d be sacked.

Speaking of Brilliant Dynamites Neon, I think that he and Meryl could be set up to have a confrontation in S2 for this very reason. Which would be very cool to see since these two haven’t interacted much outside of her and Milly disguising themselves as members of the Bad Lads Gang to later back up Vash and Kaite when they’re cornered and then identifying Vash as the Vash the Stampede during the Bad Lads Gang's heist on the sand steamer in the ‘98 and Trimax

and leading to, in both iterations, Neon taking the time to ask Vash about what exactly happened in July that led to the city being destroyed and, in '98 its residents being left alive but homeless unemployed and impoverished leading them to fight and kill each other to survive in the fallout of the incident, and in Trimax being swallowed by a black hole leading to no survivors or even any corpses left to be found, which led Vash to ask him if he too had folks who were in July at the time of the incident and then admit that he just didn't remember much about July when asked if he had anything to do with it which Neon was forced to accept before the two had a duel

and then after Neon shot a rock about to crush Vash's head during their duel he was revealed to have been prepared to kill Vash for some time since July

only for him to decide spare him, for now at least, not having let go of his reasons for wanting revenge post-July to stay true to the terms of their duel.

Whereas in Tristamp Meryl was not only in July when the incident took place but also was there to witness firsthand what exactly happened that led to the city getting completely demolished and more than half of its population to have been killed by a large explosion. On top of that Meryl unlike Vash in '98 in Trimax and possibly in Tristamp didn't develop partial or complete amnesia following the traumatic incident and then there's also the fact that she's met the Bad Lads Gang when they took her and Roberto with them to the sandsteamer to take pictures of them during their heist to publish in the paper and this was a day before July 21st, meaning that those Bad Lads Gang members who were clearly shown fleeing by the time the ion cannon was being powered could identify her if they came across her again or even tried to find her two years later.

Like I imagine in S2, when Vash is brought back to the scene and he finds himself in another situation at a sand steamer where the Bad Lads Gang are involved, only Brilliant Dynamites Neon himself has made an appearance this time around (I’m not even going to begin to imagine just what details Studio Orange is going to keep or change about their first meeting, they’ve already changed a lot about how and when the Bad Lads Gang were introduced-) at some point a scene similar to the original where Meryl with Milly come to back Vash up while he goes up against Neon and his gang, and one of his goons recognizes Meryl as that woman who they got to take pictures of them during their heist on the sandsteamer a day before Lost July, who's been going around vouching for Vash the Stampede for the past two years after the incident, Neon connects the dots, asks about what happened in July, Vash doesn’t remember so he can’t answer, but Meryl does so she can.

Which would make it the first time Neon has ever gotten an answer to his question, whether or not he believes her is anyone’s guess since it just seems so impossible doesn’t matter. The fact that there isn’t a scene in either 98’ or Trimax where Neon and Vash meet up again to talk about July after Vash recovers his memories of the incident makes this a big deal as is. I do think that Vash met up with Neon off-screen to talk to him about it and that Neon might have gotten some form of closure from that, or maybe he hadn't and he still wanted Vash’s head on a silver platter, who knows, I certainly don’t, which is exactly why I think it’d be really cool to see in S2.

Also I do wonder why Neon wasn't on the ship at the time like he was visiting his folks in July only to be pulled away when he heard that the heist was a bust because the ship was taken off course and its ion cannon was locked and loaded to fire at Hopeland. And if Neon did have folks in July in Tristamp then what's their deal since while July seems like the perfect city for someone like Brilliant Dynamites Neon to have folks in, seeing as it’s big, it’s bright, it's opulent, able to afford all the bullets it wants thanks to having a monopoly on Hydro-Plants, as was described by Wolfwood, additional background info on the seven major cities posted on Studio Orange’s twitter having said that its citizens have to contribute to the city's development and pass a screening process in order to obtain citizenship, which is what keeps the city’s Plants from overworking themselves to a Last Run. @tristampparty

[envysparkler]

Trick or treat!

(Can I ask on multiple blogs?)

In the spirit of that holiday whose purpose is to exhort as much as you can out of strangers, yes.

_____________

The doorbell rang.

"Trick or treat!"

"And what are you guys supposed to be?" Jason drawled, looking at three definitely-not-children. Past ten o'clock, the only ones still out were teenagers, determined to eke out every last bit of candy they could.

"The Three Musketeers," one proclaimed, waving a cardboard tube and pointed to the mustache he'd drawn on. Jason rolled his eyes at the lack of effort, but dropped candy in their pillowcases anyway.

"Hey, man, is that all?" another one said, injured.

Jason narrowed his eyes. He was dressed in his usual Red Hood getup, since that he could pass it off as a costume, and he shifted to bring the full weight of the intimidating getup to bear. "You wanted more candy, you should've put more effort."

The kid looked like he was going to keep complaining, but one of his companions grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the stairs. At least someone had sense.

Jason plopped the near empty bowl back on the keystand and stretched. He had candy left for a couple more people and then he was going to turn his lights off. He still had to run patrol tonight.

The doorbell rang.

"Trick or treat!"

This time, it was a group of preteens, all of them giggling at his costume, and they were dressed up as various Bats so Jason had to draw them into a mock duel to defend his reputation. When Batgirl, Black Bat, and Spoiler had defeated him, he let them have their spoils.

"Time to call it a night, then," he mused, setting the empty bowl back in the kitchen. He double checked his gear and headed for the window.

The doorbell rang.

Jason growled. The lights-on system had to be respected goddammit, and he stomped his way to the door, intending to tell whoever was there to get lost--

Death-pale skin. Green hair. And a bright-red smile.

"Treat," the Joker grinned, "or trick."

[lou-0111]

Waiting for you

✿❀ Clarisse La Rue x Reader ✿❀

you find peace in your troubled relationship one night with someone you never thought you would.

considering breaking up with your boyfriend, you go walking one night, to the docks, your safespace, unknowingly someone joins you and helps you diecide what to do.

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿

As you followed Sam to a nearby sparring area, the tension in the air was palpable. Sam, always observant, glanced at you with a concerned expression, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. "You alright? You keep spacing out?" His voice carried a hint of worry, something unusual for him. 

He was typically confident, bordering on cocky, but when it came to you, he seemed genuinely concerned, or he used to. When you had first got together he had been the perfect boyfriend, but as time went on, that title started to slip.

"Yeah, of course. I'm just tired," you replied with a nonchalant shrug, trying to downplay any concern he might have. You didn't want him to think you couldn't handle yourself.

Sam studied you for a moment, his eyes scanning your face as if searching for any sign that you might be hiding something. "Yeah, ok then," he said, finally letting out a small chuckle. 

He doesn't care anymore, he’s lost all feeling, he used to ask how i was daily, with genuine care, listening to my every word. The tension in his shoulders eased as he added with a smirk, "Now let’s do this thing.” He says picking up a sword, assuming a fighting stance. His movements were fluid, practised, like someone who had trained for years.

You mirrored his stance, your eyes locked on his, both of you focused and ready. The sparring area was quiet, the only sound being the rustle of leaves in the breeze. The world seemed to fade away as you prepared for the fight.

The first jab was swift, aimed directly at Sam’s chest. He dodged it easily, his movements smooth and calculated, like a predator toying with its prey. "That's the best you can do?" he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You'll have to do better than that to defeat me."

Undeterred, you quickly followed up with a double jab. Sam dodged those as well, his movements becoming more and more effortless. He was clearly enjoying himself, almost toying with you as he kept avoiding your attacks. "Come on, I know you can do better," he said, sounding almost bored as he danced around your sword.

But you had anticipated this. You threw another jab, this time feinting to the left before quickly redirecting your punch to the right. Sam didn't see it coming—he was caught off guard. Your sword connected with his chest, and he staggered backward, his expression momentarily one of surprise.

"Ha!" you exclaimed, feeling a surge of triumph.

Sam quickly recovered, though, a smirk spreading across his face as he steadied himself. "Not bad," he admitted, rubbing his chest where you had hit him. "But I'm just getting warmed up."

You could see the respect in his eyes, though it was laced with the competitive edge that always seemed to drive him. "Come on then," you challenged, your voice low and determined.

Sam stepped closer, his confidence seemingly unshaken by your hit. "You sure you can handle more, tough girl?" he asked, his playful smirk returning as he prepared to attack again.

"Are you sure you can, pretty boy?" you shot back, the nickname slipping out before you could stop yourself.

Sam chuckled, clearly not expecting the cheeky nickname. "Oh, I can handle whatever you throw at me," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Without swords this time.”

The fight continued, with Sam clearly having the upper hand most of the time. He was stronger, more experienced, and his movements were almost too fast to track. But you held your own, landing a few solid hits that made him respect your abilities even more. The two of you moved across the sparring area in a flurry of punches, kicks, and dodges, neither willing to give up.

Finally, the duel came to an end when you tripped over a loose stone, losing your balance and falling backward. Sam, distracted by something in the distance, hadn't noticed at first. Only moving to help when he heard a groan come from you.

“You alright?” He asked offering you a hand to help you up.

"Thanks," you muttered, trying to shake off the pain.

"No problem," Sam replied, a small smile on his face as he dusted himself off. He glanced back behind you, his eyes warm with admiration. 

You turn to see what he’s looking at, only to be faced with a group of giggling girls from Hera’s cabin. What a prick.

You scoff, drawing his attention back, “I’ll see you at dinner, i’m gonna go change.”

“Yeah ok, see you later.”

You turned to walk away, but as you did, your eyes caught sight of Clarisse, who had been watching the pair of you spar. Her eyes were sharp, her expression unreadable as she stood in the shadows, partially hidden from view. The moment your eyes met, she quickly looked away, pretending she hadn’t been watching. 

But unknown to Y/n the jealousy was clear—Clarisse wasn’t just watching out of curiosity; she was envious that it was Sam fighting you and not her. Sam that close to you. He didn’t deserve you, she knew that, he should know that, the whole camp should know that.

Y/n knew it too, she didnt believe she should be treated like this, she knew Sam had been looking at other girls, he always did, he also didnt care Y/n knew. He only kept her because she was seen as one of the nicest girls at camp, although she belonged to aphrodite, she knew how to wield a sword and boy could she. He stayed with her to make the other girls jealous, jealous taht Y/n had what they all wanted, he liked the attention from the others, and didn’t care anymore whether it hurt Y/n.

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿

Later that evening, as the sun set and dinner time approached, the camp was bathed in a warm, golden glow. The smell of food wafted through the air, making everyone’s stomachs rumble in anticipation. You sat at the Apollo table as usual, with Sam beside you, his presence once comforting and familiar, now strange and unkown.

From across the dining pavilion, Clarisse sat at the Ares table, her eyes fixed on you and Sam. There was a tightness to her expression, her jaw clenched as she watched the two of you together. The jealousy she felt was almost palpable, a bitter feeling that twisted in her chest. She hated that Sam had you, the one thing she wanted but couldn’t have.

You were in the middle of laughing at something Sam had said when you felt eyes on you. Glancing up, you met Clarisse’s gaze from across the pavilion. This time, neither of you looked away. Instead, you offered her a small, almost knowing smile before turning back to your conversation with Sam. Clarisse’s heart twisted at the gesture, a spark of hope flickering inside her despite her best efforts to suppress it.

But reality quickly set in, and Clarisse looked away, focusing on her own meal. She tried to ignore the way her heart ached every time she saw you with Sam, laughing and smiling like you didn’t have a care in the world. It was like a dagger to her heart, reminding her of what she could never have.

She knew you were happy with Sam, but that smile... it seemed to say more than just a polite acknowledgment. It was like a tiny crack in the wall she’d built around her feelings, allowing a sliver of light to break through.

Throughout the rest of dinner, Clarisse found herself stealing glances at you, watching the way you interacted with Sam. Each time you laughed or smiled at something he said, it felt like a small dagger twisting in her chest. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be the one sitting beside you, sharing those moments.

As dinner drew to a close, Clarisse couldn’t bear to watch any longer. She pushed her plate away and stood up, making her way out of the dining pavilion with a heavy heart. She couldn’t bring herself to watch the two of you any longer. The sight of your happiness only served to remind her of what she couldn’t have.

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿

Instead of going straight to bed, Clarisse decided to take a walk around the camp, hoping the cool night air would help clear her head. She wandered past the various cabins, each one holding memories that only served to remind her of you and Sam. The pain in her chest grew with every step she took, but she kept walking, hoping that the motion would help her forget, even if just for a little while.

Unbeknown to Clarisse, you had the same idea. After Sam had walked you back to your cabin and kissed your cheek goodnight, he had stopped kissing you on the lips sometime ago, it was just normal for him to not show affection anymore, you had gone to your room, and waited. When you were sure everyone else was asleep, you quietly climbed out of your window and made your way to the docks. It was a place you often went to when you needed to clear your head—a place that held special meaning for you.

And that’s where Clarisse found you, standing at the edge of the dock, staring out at the water as it rippled under the moonlight. She hesitated, unsure if she should approach or just leave you to your thoughts. But something compelled her to move forward, her feet carrying her towards you before she could stop herself.

You didn’t notice her at first, too lost in your own thoughts to hear her quiet footsteps on the wooden planks. It wasn’t until she was standing just a few feet away that you realized you weren’t alone. You turned, surprised to see Clarisse there, her expression unreadable in the dim light.

"Hey," she said softly, not wanting to startle you.

Clarisse’s heart pounded in her chest as she looked at you, sitting there in the moonlight, your face illuminated by the soft glow. She wanted to say something else, anything, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she just stood there, her emotions warring inside her as she tried to figure out what to do.

You noticed the conflict in her eyes, the way she seemed to be struggling with something. "Hi, you okay?" you asked gently, your concern genuine. You had never seen her out after curfew before.

Clarisse nodded, though she didn’t trust her voice to speak just yet. Instead, she took a deep breath and walked up to you, stopping when she was close enough to reach out and touch you if she wanted to.

"I’m fine," she finally said, her voice steady but low. "Just needed some air."

You nodded in understanding, your eyes searching hers for any hint of what she might be feeling. "Me too," you admitted.

“Do you mind if I join you?” She asked, her words coming back to her. You nodded scotting over on the dock so she could sit next to you.

For a moment, the two of you just sat there in silence, the only sound being the gentle lapping of the water against the dock. The tension between you was thick, but it wasn’t the kind of tension that came from anger or dislike. It was something deeper, something unspoken that neither of you quite knew how to address.

"I didn’t think I’d find anyone else out here this late," Clarisse admitted, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between you. "I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to take a walk, and well... I ended up here."

"This is where I come when I need to think," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "No one ever checks here, so I’m never caught."

Clarisse nodded in understanding. "It’s peaceful here," she agreed. "A good place to clear your head."

"Yeah," you murmured, your gaze drifting over the dark water. "I’ve always felt at peace near the sea. Even when I was younger..."

Clarisse noticed the way your voice trailed off, and she couldn’t help but feel a surge of curiosity. You rarely talked about your past, and she knew you never talked about your past, not with anyone but Sam.

Clarisse looked at you, her expression softening with curiosity and empathy. "You used to spend a lot of time by the sea?"

You hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, where I lived… if I snuck out my window, it was just a few minutes’ walk to the beach. I used to go there at night, to escape."

Clarisse listened intently, sensing the weight of the memories behind your words. She could tell that talking about this wasn’t easy for you, but she appreciated that you were sharing something so personal. "It sounds like the beach was your refuge."

"It was," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. You paused, considering whether to share more, but the words seemed to catch in your throat. The closeness of Clarisse, the way she was looking at you—it was overwhelming. Your fists clenched in your lap, fingernails digging into your palms as you tried to steady yourself.

Clarisse noticed the tension in your body, the way you seemed to be wrestling with your emotions. Without thinking, she reached out, her hand hovering just above yours. She hesitated, then lightly placed her hand on yours, a gentle touch meant to offer comfort.

The contact startled you, and your head snapped up to meet her gaze. The intensity in Clarisse’s eyes surprised you, but it wasn’t unwelcome. There was something raw and vulnerable in the way she was looking at you, a side of her you hadn’t seen before.

For a moment, the world around you seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of you sitting together on that dock, connected by something deeper than words.

She took a step closer, her concern palpable. "What happened?" she asked softly, her tone gentle and encouraging. "You can tell me if you want to."

You hesitated, your mind racing as you struggled to articulate your thoughts. Being vulnerable was not something you were used to, especially not with someone you were still getting to know. The proximity between you and Clarisse suddenly felt overwhelming. You started to fidget, digging your fingernails into your palms, the crescent-shaped marks a testament to your anxiety.

Clarisse noticed your discomfort and the physical signs of your unease. Her heart ached for you, sensing your internal struggle. She reached out a tentative hand, placing it gently on your clenched fist, trying to offer some comfort.

"Hey... it's alright," she said soothingly. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to. I won't judge you, I promise."

Grateful for her understanding, you managed a weak smile. "Thank you. What about you? Why are you out here?"

Clarisse offered a soft smile in response, appreciating your attempt to shift the focus. "I couldn’t sleep either," she admitted with a slight shrug. "Just had a lot on my mind and couldn’t turn my brain off. Thought a walk might clear my head. And, well, here I am."

You noticed how her voice softened as she spoke, and you moved a bit closer, intrigued. "What’s on your mind?" you asked gently.

Clarisse felt her heartbeat quicken as you inched closer. The space between you seemed to shrink, and she could feel the warmth of your body. "Oh, you know, just the usual things," she replied, attempting to sound casual despite the growing tension. "Camp duties, the ever-present threat of monster attacks, you know, the usual."

You glanced at her, noticing her attempt to mask her true feelings. "Oh, right," you said, but the vague response didn’t sit well with you.

Clarisse noticed the skeptical look on your face. "What? What is it?" she asked, a hint of teasing in her voice. "You don’t believe me?"

You shook your head, slightly amused. "No, it’s just surprising. I’ve never seen you out here before."

Clarisse raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk forming on her lips. "Oh, so you’ve claimed this dock as your secret spot?" she teased. "I guess I just have a knack for being stealthy."

She chuckled, clearly enjoying the light-hearted banter. "Well, I hate to break it to you, but I guess we both have the same secret spot tonight. Looks like we’ll have to share."

The two of you sat in a comfortable silence, the soothing sounds of the water lapping against the dock and the rustling of leaves creating a serene backdrop. Clarisse glanced at you, taking in the soft glow of the moonlight on your face. She couldn't deny the attraction she felt, even though she knew you were with Sam.

Her mind raced with conflicting emotions—excitement, guilt, and uncertainty. The cool night air made her shiver, and without thinking, she moved closer to you, seeking warmth and comfort. The proximity between you was intoxicating, and she tried to push aside her fears and doubts.

"I think I’m going to break up with Sam," you blurted out after a long silence, breaking the spell.

Clarisse's heart skipped a beat at your unexpected confession. She quickly masked her surprise, wanting to keep her emotions in check. "Oh, really?" she asked, striving for a neutral tone. "Why’s that?"

You sighed, frustration evident in your voice. "He’s not a nice person. He talks about other girls in front of me, ignores me when I try to have a serious conversation, and gets annoyed when I talk to another guy. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I don’t deserve to be with him, or maybe I’m just terrible for not giving him another chance."

As you spoke, Clarisse's heart ached for you. She silently cursed Sam, feeling a surge of anger on your behalf. "You deserve so much better than that, Y/n," she said softly, her tone sincere. "You’re not horrible. You’re not the problem."

She wanted to comfort you, to hold you and make everything better, but she restrained herself, not wanting to overstep. "You deserve someone who is kind, who values you, and who treats you with respect," she continued. "Someone who doesn’t ignore you or dismiss your feelings. You deserve someone who loves you for who you are, flaws and all."

You nodded, a touch of sadness in your eyes. "I really thought Sam was the one. He was so different when we started dating. I thought no other guy here was like him, but now I realize that maybe no guy at camp is right for me. I’ll just wait until I leave camp, I guess."

Clarisse’s heart ached for you once more. She understood the pain of being let down by someone you thought was perfect. "It’s okay to feel that way," she said gently. "Sometimes people change, or we don’t see their true colors until later. Love can surprise you when you least expect it."

"Really?" you asked, your voice filled with a hint of hope.

Clarisse nodded, her smile warm and reassuring. "Really. You never know when you’ll meet that special someone."

As you continued to talk, you both unconsciously drew closer to each other. The space between you dwindled, and Clarisse could feel the heat radiating from your body. It was exhilarating and nerve-wracking at the same time.

You hesitated before mentioning, "Yeah, maybe I’m just done looking for guys in general."

Clarisse’s heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t hide the flicker of hope in her eyes. "Oh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You’re done looking for guys?"

She tried to keep her tone casual, but the underlying excitement was hard to conceal. Her palms felt sweaty, and her mind raced with thoughts of what this might mean.

You shrugged slightly. "Yeah, they’ve all been the same." You hesitated before adding, "or maybe I’ll just have to find a girl."

Clarisse’s heartbeat quickened, her pulse racing with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. "A girl, huh?" she said, her tone light but filled with a new intensity. "You’d consider that?"

You nodded, your gaze meeting hers with a mix of uncertainty and hope. "Well, the guys here have let me down, so maybe I will."

Clarisse’s pulse raced at your words. "Yeah, guys can be pretty disappointing," she echoed, her tone now carrying a deeper meaning. "But girls… girls can be different. They often have a unique way of connecting and understanding."

"Have you been with a girl before?" you asked, your curiosity evident.

Clarisse’s heart skipped a beat at your question. The conversation had taken a more intimate turn, and she struggled to find the right words. "Me? With a girl?" she repeated, her voice soft. "Yeah, actually. I have."

"Really? What’s it like?" you asked, genuinely interested.

Clarisse took a deep breath, trying to articulate her thoughts. "It’s different," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "There’s a tenderness and vulnerability that’s unique. It’s like a new way of experiencing intimacy, where you’re both giving and receiving at the same time."

As she spoke, Clarisse reached out, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear. The touch was tender and intimate, and she couldn’t help but notice the blush that spread across your cheeks.

"You’re blushing," Clarisse observed softly.

"I’m just cold," you said with a smile, though the lie was obvious.

Clarisse chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Cold, huh? Your cheeks are as red as a ripe tomato."

You looked away, flustered. "I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but I don’t like it."

Clarisse’s teasing tone softened. "Oh, come on, don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m suggesting. Your blush gives you away."

She laughed gently, her heart pounding with anticipation. "Well, if it’s true, it means you’re either embarrassed or attracted to me."

The words slipped out before she could stop them. She hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but she couldn’t deny the excitement building inside her.

"What if it was the second one?" you asked, your voice filled with a hint of vulnerability.

"If it was the second one," Clarisse said, her voice dropping to a husky whisper, "I would be very, very happy."

She took a step closer, their bodies almost touching, her heart racing. "Really?" you asked, your voice trembling with a mix of hope and nervousness.

"Really," Clarisse affirmed, her eyes locked with yours. "I’ve had a bit of a crush on you for a while now. And if you were attracted to me too…"

Clarisse’s admission hung in the air, a mix of excitement and nervousness palpable in her gaze. She took a deep breath, feeling exposed but relieved to share her feelings.

As you leaned in to kiss her, Clarisse’s heart raced. She had not expected you to be so bold, and her emotions were a whirlwind. Before she could second-guess herself, she met you halfway, their lips gently touching.

The kiss started soft and tentative but quickly grew more intense. Clarisse’s hand found its way to the back of your head, pulling you closer as she deepened the kiss. The world around them faded, replaced by the sensations of their connection—soft sighs, gasps, and the mingling warmth of their bodies.

As their kiss deepened, Clarisse’s fingers tangled in your hair, and she explored your body with a growing sense of urgency.

Despite the passion between you, you pulled away, a hint of hesitation in your voice. "We can’t… not until I’ve broken up with Sam."

Clarisse took a deep breath, her heart sinking at the reminder. "You’re right," she said softly, her voice tinged with disappointment. "We can’t until you’ve ended things with Sam."

She reached out, cupping your cheek gently, her thumb tracing the line of your jaw. "But I want you to know that I’ll be here for you, no matter what. When you’re ready, we’ll figure this all out together, okay?"

Clarisse offered a reassuring smile, giving your cheek a tender caress before letting her hand fall back to her side. "Good," she said gently. "Take all the time you need. I’ll be here, waiting for you." As she always did, wait.

[c-cw-f-saeko]

tesso's bingo card for infinite wealth

i will explain each category as if he was in ichiban's party 💔

__________

Life Hack: Acupressure

Tesso says acupressure can help with some types of pain and a good alternative to acupuncture. In his opinion, knowing certain pressure points is a good thing to keep in mind in a pinch.

Surprising Fact: Has a daughter

I've said this before (LOL) but Tesso has adopted one of the kids of Restaurant Row. Her name is Yua. This isn't quite expected from an assassin of the Liumang...

Bad Habit: Cooks everything on high heat

Literally cooks on a fire engine. It looks scary the first time you see it, but he assures to have never come close to burning down his house. Seonhee doesn't like this at all.

Likes: Playing Mahjong with Seonhee

She's a though match and tends to win often. Tesso tries very hard to beat her.

Special Skill: Can fall asleep anywhere

Tends to not sleep at night, so, he tried getting rest anytime he can during the day. He even fell asleep standing up one time (without falling).

Currently Hooked On: Manga

He checked out what one of his subordinates (probably Yeona) was reading and he ended up really into it. He recalled giving manga not much attention when he was young, so he regrets missing out on it a bit.

Hobby: Gardening

Grows radishes and cabbages on the rooftops of some Restaurant Row buildings. Uses it exclusively for Seonhee's kimchi, Yua's dishes or meals for his subordinates (so he's not selling these, family only!).

Wants To Learn: Dancing

He got curious from hearing Yagami being an advisor at Seiryo. He thought it might be worth trying as a workout since it looks fun.

Last Thing He Bought: A drone

Kaito and Yagami gave him the idea. Totally frivolous since he has no real use to it, but worth it since he had never seen Restaurant Row from above.

Kid Tesso: Had a Hip phase

Long ago, he was all about dressing stylish and a so-called streetwear enthusiast. Took good care of his shoes even to a ridiculous degree ("Gotta keep my AirForce Ones white no matter what"). Looking back, he finds it funny that he doesn't really care about that sort of things anymore.

When He Can't Sleep: Goes on a long walk

On nights he can't find sleep, he just walks the streets of Yokohama to clear his mind. He challenges himself to memorize as many details about the streets as possible. It's useful at times.

Embarrassing Moment: Bleached his hair blond after losing a bet

Sugiura dared Tesso on a drinking duel out of the blue and lost terribly. To celebrate his win, Sugiura suggested Tesso tried out his hairstyle just for fun to see if he liked it. It was supposed to be dark brown but ended up leaving it for too long, so he was blond instead (like a #27).

Tesso hid his head under his jacket hood the entire following week, waiting long enough to dye his hair back to black. Since no knows it happened (Sugiura kept a lot of pictures though), they both could laugh about it. Tesso is just glad to not have gone bald.

Knows A Lot About: Shops in Yokohama

As per the long walks, he memorized many shops of Yokohama. For most things, he can always give a recommendation of where to look.

Favorite Food: Anything Zhao cooks

Seonhee is trying hard to make him admit it, but he just can't do it. Between her cooking and Zhao's cooking, deep down, Tesso likes Zhao's a little bit more. Nostalgia is a bit at play here since his food is very reminiscent of his uncle's old restaurant. However, Zhao is just that good of a cook, what can he say!

Current Dilemma: Buying dinner for all of his subordinates

Since the merge of the Liumang and Geomijul and being the second officer in charge, his number of subordinates pretty much doubled. It's nice since he gets along with them well, but it can be tricky and hard on the wallet to treat them all to dinner. Finding out something everyone will like is always a challenge.

Chronic Illness: Early-stage arthritis in his fingers

He is quite young for arthritis, but his gloved claws and stiff articulations of his hands make things worse. It's bearable for now, but he's unsure of how he will handle it in the future.

kasuga and tesso would get along so great actaully! im dying on that hill!!!!

[nenya85]

hi! im wondering how u feel about the reading that Atem coming back in DSOD ruins the point of his goodbye in the original manga ending

and how Kaiba's final scene with him also seemingly ruins the theme of "letting the dead pass on and moving on" cuz seemingly Yugi moves on (healthy and good!) and Kaiba doesnt (unhealthy and bad!)

i personally dont believe this but im curious what ur take is as a Kaiba head 😭😭😭

I don’t have an argument with how someone else interprets the ending of either the original series or “The Dark Side of Dimensions,” because one of the things that makes Yu-Gi-Oh! so special is that it resonates with people for different reasons.  I support people interpreting the story in the way that is most meaningful to them.  So, I’d rather focus on how I see both the series and DSoD.

The themes in Yu-Gi-Oh! that I really loved were its emphasis on the value of friendship and that it was okay to ask your friends for help, the importance of finding connection, even when it takes the form of rivalry and dueling, and the value of holding on to your life chip above all else. I loved the way Kaiba continually reexamines his own opposition to these themes and the even more destructive one that losers deserve death.  I also love the way, especially in Kaiba’s duel with Isis, the series explored both fate and the belief that it’s up to each of us to create our own destinies and I adored I how Yu-Gi-Oh! explored the effects of loss, abandonment and abuse through Kaiba and the other characters.    

The theme that the dead need to move on was not the theme I was watching Yu-Gi-Oh! for, so I was much less emotionally invested in watching that theme play out as the dominant one in the Ceremonial Duel.  For me, “The Dark Side of Dimensions” was a return to the themes of friendship and the effects of loss that I loved about the original series.

While DSoD does show different models of grieving, I really like how, especially in the original subtitled movie, it is very non-judgmental, rather than dividing it into Yugi = good and Kaiba = bad.  Instead, DSoD focused on how people deal with grief.  Yugi is trying to manage his grief in a way that is most considerate for his friends – never mentioning Atem to them, even when Jounouchi encourages him to talk about it.  I think it’s worth noting that Yugi had already achieved a measure of closure through the Ceremonial Duel, something Kaiba never got to have. 

In contrast, Kaiba not only fails the course in Socially Acceptable Ways to Grieve 101, he marches into the classroom, rips up the final exam and sets it on fire for good measure before turning over a table or two on his way out.  I found this really cathartic, because Kaiba was expressing the raw edge of grief and the movie treated this as real and gave even the harshness and ugliness of his feelings genuine emotional weight and validity. 

I also loved that given a choice between enforcing a pop culture version of the six stages of grief and pure wish fulfillment, DSoD doubles down on the side of wish fulfillment.  In real life we must struggle our way towards acceptance of loss because there is no other option.  Here, DSoD is giving wings (or a dimensional cannon) to our own secret desires to see our lost loved ones again, even if only for the length of time it takes to duel.  I love that DSoD narratively rewards Kaiba for his desire for friendship by letting him see Atem and having Atem smile back. I honestly found that lovely, very moving and ultimately healing. 

Kaiba is chasing connection through the medium of a duel throughout the movie.  And I can’t think of a more fitting ending for a Yu-Gi-Oh! movie than an affirmation that the of the power of unity is the most important thing in this – or any – dimension.

[chickenlizard13]

Too Far Away

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x Reader (gender neutral)

Word Count: 5757

Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Violence 18+

Description: Sequel to Catching Up To Do. Happens in the latter part of your seventh year.

No One Else (Part 3)

You felt bad for her, you really did. The poor girl was trying so hard to get Sebastian’s attention, but you don’t think he’d even looked at her once. She was standing as close as she could without actually touching him, batting her eyelashes as she talked his ear off. 

They’d been partnered up for doubles dueling in Defense Against the Dark Arts, much to Sebastian’s annoyance. Usually the two of you would be partners for these exercises, but Professor Hekate asked you to separate to ‘give the other students a chance to actually learn something’, instead of being knocked out in the first two minutes of class. 

You were fine with it, enjoying the view as Sebastian demolished his opponents entirely on his own, his partner too busy ogling him to pay much attention. Sebastian however, was much less enthused, standing with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, upset that he had to remain on the opposing side of the room. 

Now, he stood studiously ignoring the advances of his partner, who twirled her hair in one hand and, oh Merlin, made the mistake of putting the other on his chest. His head whipped towards her, finally noticing her existence, and bared his teeth, no doubt ready to bite that hand off. 

Thankfully, it was the end of class, and you shot across the room towards them. This girl stood with stars in her eyes, completely unaware of the danger she was in, ecstatic that Sebastian finally looked at her. You watched as his hand yanked her wrist off of him, holding it as he asked her what the hell she was doing. Pushing through the other students leaving class, you finally make it over to them, luckily before it could get any worse. 

“Hi, my love.”

Sebastian immediately turned towards you, completely forgetting about the girl in his grasp as he dropped her wrist to head towards you. She scowled at you from behind him, still clueless about how poor her decision to touch him was. Since his return, he’d opened up quite a bit compared to those first couple months, but was still pretty adverse to other people. There were a handful of individuals he spoke to regularly, but other than that, he wasn’t particularly keen on interacting with the rest of the student body. 

However, the rest of the student body was keen to interact with him. You’d lost count of the times he’d bitten someone’s head off for laying a careless hand on his shoulder, or stroking his arm while they spoke. A few of the bolder suitors had wormed their way between the two of you, vying for his attention. In those cases, Sebastian had used an arm to unceremoniously shove them to the side, never breaking eye contact or halting his conversation with you. No matter how many times it happened, it only seemed to make his popularity grow, everyone wanting a piece of the prickly seventh year. 

It also led to the people who fancied him turning their ire on you, angry that you’d interrupted their chance to talk to him. Most of the time you’d simply roll your eyes, turning your attention to Sebastian’s adoring gaze, the same one he gave you now. 

“Hi, I missed you.” 

He pressed himself against your side, hand finding yours as he interlaced your fingers together. Smiling slightly, his lips find your forehead, and you hear the irate girl behind you stomp her foot, exclaiming to her friend that she almost had him. You had to stifle a laugh, wondering how the murderous expression he’d directed at her translated to ‘almost having him’. The two of you began walking toward the Charms classroom, keeping an eye out for Ominis on the way. 

“Missed me? We’ve been in the same room for the last hour. You could quite literally see me the entire time.” You squeezed his fingers as you teased him, amused at the indignant huff that escaped him. 

“You were too far away.” 

Laughing, you squeeze his hand again. “Well you’re partner probably would have preferred me to be farther. She wasn’t too happy I’d interrupted your conversation.” 

He quirked an eyebrow and looked down at you as you walked. “What conversation? I don’t remember talking to her.” 

Giggling, you smiled at him, placing a chaste kiss on his upper arm in amusement. “Well, it was more like she was having a conversation at you. You were too busy pouting that I was on the opposite side of the room.”

“I was not pouting.” He made the same grumpy face he had in class, proving your point. You shake your head, rolling your eyes in exasperation, voice coming out flat.  

“Of course not, darling. My mistake. You just always look like a troll who’s had his club stolen.”

He glares down at you, offended. He opens his mouth to protest. “I do not-” 

“Oh, Ominis! How was Divination?” Ominis approaches you, and you release your hold on Sebastian to skip over to him, shooting the brunette a teasing look over your shoulder. He huffs in annoyance and crosses his arms, grumbling to himself as he follows behind you. 

The three of you walk into the Charms classroom, chatting pleasantly with Ominis before taking your respective seats. The boys sat at the table in front of you as you took your place next to Natty. Sebastian had tried to convince you to switch seats with Ominis, but you’d argued that Ominis needed to sit in the front to hear better. He then demanded to switch seats with Natty, but you told him that you’d like to spend at least a little time with your other friends, Sebastian taking up as much of your free time as you’d let him. He’d been annoyed, but relented easily, the word ‘no’ not really existing in his vocabulary when it came to you. It was cute, his clingy tendencies, especially knowing that he wasn’t like this with anyone else. You also knew that he’d back off if you really needed space, but you did have to prepare to be smothered with his pent up affection afterward. 

Class started, Professor Ronen drawing some diagram on the chalkboard, which you diligently copied onto your parchment. You startled slightly as you felt something warm reach down and brush your ankle. Instinctively, you jerk your foot away, unsure of what just touched you. Peering under the desk, you see Sebastian blindly groping around, searching for your ankle again. You roll your eyes fondly, making brief eye contact with Natty, who has a hand over her mouth to silence her amused laughter. Shaking your head, you move your foot back over, placing the appendage right into his hand. His fingers move up almost to your calf and shove your sock down, thumb stroking the skin as he holds on gently. You sit like that all class, Sebastian’s thumb never ceasing its idle movements, other than to squeeze your ankle periodically. 

Professor Ronen turns his back to the class, and Natty takes the opportunity to lean over to whisper to you conspiratorially. “What did you do to this poor boy? He is obsessed. One would think you slipped some Amortentia into his pumpkin juice.” 

Laughing quietly, you get closer to her. “I think he’d be a lot more tame if I had. This is all him.” 

She shakes her head in amusement. Shifting away quickly when Professor Ronen faces your direction again, giving the closing remarks to his lecture. You feel a double squeeze on your ankle, Sebastian signaling the end of class, and all you can do is place a hand over your mouth, doing your best to hide the giddy grin forming there.

—-------

Later on, you were chatting with Garreth and a group of your other friends, talking about the poor Hufflepuff first year who’d gotten their first Puffskein tongue up the nose. Poppy stood on the other side of Garreth, giggling behind her hand, the other holding Garreth’s tenderly. You’d said something particularly funny, and Garreth placed a friendly hand on your shoulder blade to steady himself as he laughed. Wiping the amused tears from your eyes, you glance up to see Sebastian glaring at you with a dark look from the other end of the hall. You give him a confused smile, tilting your head, mouthing ‘What’s wrong?’ at him. He glares for a second longer, eyes darting to Garreth’s hand on your shoulder, before turning away and storming off. You’re taken aback, and quickly say your goodbyes to the group, Garreth’s hand patting your shoulder once in farewell. 

Following after Sebastian, you struggle to keep up with his wide gait, dodging around groups of students on their way to class. Eventually, the crowd thins out and you’re able to catch up to him in the Bell Tower Courtyard, grabbing his wrist gently to get him to stop. “Hey, hey, hey. My love, what’s wrong? Where are you going so quickly?” 

He doesn’t face you, but also doesn’t try to move away, simply just letting you hold his limp wrist. “It’s nothing. Go back to Weasley.”

His tone is cold and bitter, practically spitting Garreth’s name in loathing. You furrow your brows more, taking a step to get closer, but stop when you see Sebastian flinch away slightly. He hadn’t done that since the Quidditch game all those months ago, and your heart pinched in your chest, feeling a bit like you’d been stabbed. Letting his hand drop, it falls to his side, but even freed he doesn’t make a move to leave. 

“Sebastian wha- what does Garreth have to do with anything? Why are you upset with him?”

Suddenly, Sebastian whirls on you, chest heaving and teeth bared. His hands are balled into fists at his side, but a pained look rests in his eyes. “I’m upset with you.” 

You look at him shocked, hand flying up to your chest at his aggressive display. Running through all of your recent interactions with the redhead, you can’t think of anything that would cause Sebastian to react this way. “I’m sorry, my love, I don’t- I don’t understand what-”

“You keep flirting with him! Every time you’re together all you do is smile, and laugh, and let him put his hands on you. And I’m forced to sit there and watch, pretending like it doesn’t bother me, like I don’t want to tear his head off every time he even glances at you.” His hand clutches the fabric over his heart, as if to calm the painful ache in his chest. His eyes search your bewildered face as you try to formulate a response, your mind struggling to process all the emotion he just threw at you. 

“Sebastian, he’s courting Poppy. You know that. Why-”

“You think that matters?!” His voice is loud in the empty courtyard, loud enough that it definitely would have drawn attention had anyone else been around. Sebastian doesn’t let you get a word in edgewise, barreling forward in his tirade. “You always look so happy when you’re with him. What if- What if you fall in love with him? Or the next Garreth? You don’t think he’d jump on the chance to be with you? You could show anyone a modicum of interest, and they’d fall at your feet. Look at Leander! You gave him an offhanded compliment two years ago and he still tries to send you flowers.” Sebastian’s chest heaves painfully, the courtyard ringing as his words echo around you. 

Your heart hurts, realizing that he doesn’t trust you, doesn’t trust that you’re absolutely head over heels for him. Tears start to gather in your eyes, words becoming more watery the longer he yells at you. 

“Sebastian, we’re friends. I- Those are normal things for friends to-”

“Bullshit!” 

Flinching at his loud exclamation, you start to get angry as he cuts you off again, his mind already made up as he tries to push you into confirming his fears. Your breathing becomes heavy as the rage bubbles hot in your chest, you don’t appreciate being spoken to like this, and your mouth starts to speak before your mind can catch up. 

“What about you, huh? You think I enjoy watching everyone constantly throw themselves all over you? You think I like knowing you’re the whole school’s wet dream? Because you are! All anyone ever talks about is how badly they want to fuck you.” 

He reels back at your sudden outburst, but it only serves to spur him on. “I don’t care if I’m their wet dream! I only care that I’m your wet dream!” 

“Don’t even try to be cute right now!”

“I’m not trying to be cute. I’m telling you how I fucking feel!” 

You huff in frustration, the conversation just going in circles. “Here’s the difference Sebastian, I trust you. I trust that you’re not going to fuck around with anyone else. You apparently don't share the same sentiment. Garreth is my friend, and I will not throw him away just because you don’t trust me. He’s a good person, and he was there for me when-” 

You abruptly cut yourself off, kicking yourself for letting your mouth get away from you. Making eye contact, you hope Sebastian hadn’t figured out where that sentence was going. However, looking at his face, you knew he had, and you could see the hurt in his eyes. 

“When what? Go on. Say it.” His voice was much quieter now, jaw set and eyes hard. 

You shook your head, staring at him, the tears returning to your eyes as you spoke. “Stop it.” 

“When I wasn’t. That’s what you were going to say, right? That he was there when I wasn’t? Well, I apologize. Please, finish what the two of you started.” Your breath caught in your throat, eyes wide with shock. The tears finally spilled over your lashes as you let out a pained sob. Sebastian’s face changed immediately, registering his words and the look on your face. Regret shone on his features as he took a step towards you, an apology on his lips as he reached for you, but you couldn’t do it. 

“I can’t- I can’t be here right now.” Swiftly turning, you strode away quickly, not quite running but fast enough that you were already through the door and disappearing into the nearest floo flame by the time he called your name. 

—-------

You hadn’t set a firm destination when you’d used the floo flame, but it ended up dumping you by the Beasts classroom. Now, you were inside one of the pens, surrounded by kneazles as you hid your face, crying into their fur. The sun was setting, and the sky grew darker the longer you sat. The beasts purred at you comfortingly, rubbing their faces on you and grooming your hair, turning to growl at the gate when they heard footsteps approaching. 

“Go away, Sebastian.” The footsteps stop, the figure standing outside the gate. 

“What if I’m Poppy? Do I still have to go away?” Raising your head, you sniffle as you look at your friend. Poppy looks at you with concern, mouth turned down in a worried frown. “Can I come in?” 

Your lip wobbles as fresh tears stream down your face, nodding as another choked cry pushes its way out of your throat. Poppy quickly makes her way in, the kneazles making room for her to sit next to you before surrounding you both once more. 

Poppy puts her arms around you, letting you cry into her shoulder, waiting patiently for you to calm down. It was fully night by the time you stopped, moving back from Poppy with an embarrassed sniffle. “Sorry.” 

Poppy shakes her head. “No need to apologize. What- What happened?” 

Heaving a big sigh, you put your hand on one of the kneazles, watching as you absentmindedly pet the soft fur. “Sebastian and I got in a fight.” 

A surprised noise escapes Poppy’s mouth, head tilting to the side. “You did? But you guys never fight, not seriously anyway. The most I’ve ever seen was a heated argument over who was the better duelist, which is you, by the way.” 

You laugh slightly at her attempt at humor, wiping your nose with your sleeve. “He doesn’t trust me.” 

Now Poppy looked really confused, her hand also petting a kneazle as she processed your words. “Doesn’t trust you? Why not?” 

You only hesitate a moment, worried that Poppy might be upset with the reason, but ultimately decide that she’d understand. “He thinks…he thinks I’ll leave him and run away with Garreth.” 

Poppy let out an indignant scoff, looking at you in shock, bewildered by the notion. “Is he mad? Does he not see the way you look at him? It’s like he hung the damn moon in the sky. What did he even say?” 

You fill Poppy in on the events of this afternoon, her face growing more and more enraged the longer you spoke. Her hands were balled into angry fists in her lap, and her lips were set into a hard line when you finally finished. “That is the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard. He needs to get his fucking act together. Fast. I can’t believe the audacity of some-“ 

Stopping herself, she takes a few deep breaths, trying to lower her heart rate. “Sorry, sorry, not helpful. Well, um, if you’d like, I know of another illegal fighting ring out in the Forbidden Forest we could go destroy. If you wanted to let off some steam? It’s actually why I came looking for you in the first place.” 

Taking a moment, you slowly nod your head. “Yeah, I’d like that.” 

Smiling, Poppy puts a comforting hand on your shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. “Let’s go kick the shit out of some poachers.” 

—————

And you did, in fact, kick the shit out of some poachers. You’d freed several magical beasts, including two juvenile dragons, and were doing one more sweep before retiring to the castle. Poppy had wandered into one of the side rooms as you took one more look around the arena, just as you turned to call for her to head back, you were abruptly surrounded on all sides. 

Readying your wand, it’s suddenly ripped from your hand and your legs are kicked out from under you, your knees hitting the dirt hard. Someone fists your hair, yanking your head back to look at who you assume is the ring leader. “Well, well, well. What’s a pretty little thing like you doing, snooping around here?” 

You see a shimmer out of the corner of your eye, coming from the storage room. Glancing over, you realize Poppy had cast disillusionment on herself, probably planning to fight her way through the poachers solo. While you were confident in her abilities, without your wand, you wouldn’t be able to back her up if something went awry. Making eye contact, you shake your head slightly, warning her to stay away. 

The ring leader notices your gaze, turning to follow it. Your stomach drops and before you can think, you spit directly in his face, bearing your teeth aggressively. “Go to hell.” 

He pauses his movement, wiping the saliva off his cheek, he turns back to you with a wicked grin. “Oh, I like you.” 

His fingers reach to brush your cheek, grabbing your jaw roughly when you jerk away from him. “We’re gonna have so much fun together.” 

You didn’t dare look to see if Poppy escaped, but you prayed she had, based on the chorus of evil laughter surrounding you. Bracing yourself, you hoped you’d make it out alive, that hope dwindling quickly as they closed in on you.

—————

Time was moving so slowly, or quickly, you truly couldn’t tell. You were kneeling on the ground, wrists bound and arms suspended above you, body screaming but too exhausted to do anything other than hang limply. You’d been badly beaten, lip split and bruises forming on your jaw. It felt like you had a few broken ribs and one of your wrists was swelling badly. 

The poachers had left you alone for a moment, arguing about what to do with you as they headed out of the arena. You tried lifting your head to get your bearings, panting as you squinted around the room, everything looking hazy. Eventually your neck gave out, dropping to your chest, hanging loosely. 

Just then, slight tremors began shaking the arena around you, starting off as small vibrations and then building to large explosions sounding somewhere else in the tent. You could hear the poachers screaming, and prayed Poppy had come back to get you, preferably with your poacher hunting boyfriend.

A large explosion rocked the arena entrance, and as you lifted your head, you saw a tall figure stalking forward, dragging something behind them on the ground. As the smoke cleared, you see Sebastian, smoke practically billowing out of his mouth, eyes glowing with righteous fury as they swept over the arena. He looked demonic, especially as he dragged the limp body of a half dead poacher in one hand. 

The poacher pointed weakly at you, arm shaking with the effort to lift it. “T-They’re right ov-ver, over th-there. S-So, so let me g-“ 

Sebastian’s focus narrowed to you, instantly clocking your injuries, his body vibrating with murderous intent. Sebastian yanked the poacher up by the back of his collar, where he was being held, and grabbed his jaw roughly with the other hand. Before the poacher could even finish his sentence, Sebastian snapped his neck mercilessly, never taking his eyes off you. 

He let the body fall, thudding against the floor, and started walking quickly towards you. You could hear his footsteps turn into a dead sprint as he watched your head fall again, neck giving out on you. In a heartbeat, he was on his knees in front of you, gentle hands grabbing your face tentatively. Blinking deliriously, you try your hardest to focus on his words, but your consciousness was fading fast. 

“No, no, no. Come on, baby. Don’t do this to me. Stay awake. Open those pretty eyes for me.” You tried to follow his instructions, black dots dancing across your vision, but it was getting more difficult to keep your eyes open. You hear Sebastian swear desperately, quickly freeing your hands, cradling you to him before you fall to the ground. He hisses as he holds your body, feeling your broken ribs through your clothing, pleading with you to stay awake.

“Not like this. Don’t you dare leave me like this! Please, sweetheart.” Drops fell on your face as his thumb caressed your cheek gingerly. His voice was shaky, slowly losing his mind the longer you didn’t respond to him. Your breathing became shallow, and Sebastian’s panic shot through the roof. 

“Fuck! I’m sorry, baby. I can’t wait anymore. We have to apparate back to the castle. It’s-It’s gonna hurt. I’m so sorry, my love. Please forgive me.” Holding you as tightly as he dared, he shoved his face into your temple, whispering frantic apologies into your skin. He apparated you back to the castle as quickly as possible, straight into the Hospital Wing, startling the nurses tending to the other students. It took no more than a second for them to spring into action, physically prying a reluctant Sebastian away from you and out the door. He tried to fight them, hysterical tears streaming down his cheeks as he begged to stay with you. The last thing you hear is Sebastian sobbing your name before you sink into unconsciousness, the darkness swallowing you. 

—-------

You awoke some time later, unsure if it had been a few hours, or a few days. Squinting from the bright morning sun, you took a moment to take in your surroundings, noting the absence of anyone else. Your body was sore, but your broken bones and bruising had been completely healed. You tried to lift a hand to rub the drowsiness from your eyes, but found it impossible as something heavy rested in your palm. Looking over, you notice one other person in the room with you. They had pushed one of the other beds right up against yours, and were sound asleep next to you, their hand gripping yours like a lifeline. 

Sebastian laid on his side facing you, and judging from the bags under his eyes, had probably just fallen asleep only moments before. You could see the tear tracks streaking down his cheeks, the pillow still a bit damp, a mournful expression painted on his face even while he slept. You hear light footsteps coming towards you, looking over to see Nurse Blainey walking your way, a small relieved smile on her usually stern face. “Glad to see you’re finally awake.” 

Smiling tiredly, you greet her, thanking her for her help. She scoffs at you, waving your thanks away with her hand. “No need for that. You should really be thanking the young man beside you for getting you here so quickly. It’s rare for someone your age to know how to apparate, but it's a very good thing he did, things could have gone much worse if you’d been left for much longer.” 

She looked at him fondly, shaking her head knowingly. “You know, it was almost impossible to get him out of here when you’d first arrived. He fought tooth and nail to stay beside you, even when we told him he’d just be in the way. We tried to keep him out after you’d stabilized, to give your body time to heal, but he’d find a way back in every time, so we just gave up.” 

Chuckling again, she turned her gaze to you, a kind smile on her mouth. “He’s a good one. Make sure you hang onto him.” 

Thanking her again, she turns and walks away, telling you to holler if you need anything. You watch her disappear, rolling onto your side to face Sebastian after she’d gone. He’d laid himself as close to you as he could while still mostly remaining on the other bed, which made it easy for you to brush the fingers of your unoccupied hand through his hair gently. He stirred as you pet him, blinking his eyes open, taking a moment to wake up and register that someone was touching him. 

He closed his eyes again, relaxing into the pillow at your touch, before they flew open and his head snapped up to look at you. You gave him a tired smile, fingers now petting his cheek as he stared at you with wide eyes. His body remained completely still, but his breathing became uneven, hand trembling in yours. Lifting your hand from his face, you held it up, beckoning him forward into your arms. 

“Come on, my love.” 

Sebastian’s face crumpled, a heart wrenching sob escaping his lips as he dragged himself to you, crushing you as closely as he could. You winced a bit, body still sore, but didn’t dare say anything as he wept into your shoulder. Resting your chin on his head, you held him just as tightly, one hand stroking his back soothingly. You repeatedly promised that you were alright, shushing his cries gently, pressing your lips to his hair as you coaxed him out of hysteria.   

He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself enough to speak. “I’m so s-sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn’t- It’s my fault they h-hurt you. I shouldn’t have y-yelled at you like th-that. If I wasn’t so, so selfish then-” 

“Shhh, my love. This wasn’t your fault. I messed up. I let my guard down and paid for it.” 

Sebastian trembled in your arms, head shaking insistently against your collar bone. “But I was s-so cruel to you. If I had just sucked it up, this wouldn’t have-”

“Sebastian, don’t ever hide how you’re feeling from me. I’m sorry I didn’t try to see your side of-”

Sebastian tightened his arms around you, tears finally slowing. “No! Don’t give me a pass. I don’t deserve it. I fucked up. You should be furious with me.” 

Sighing, you hold him quietly for a moment, hand coming up to card through his hair again. “You came to get me didn’t you?” 

He lay there silently, only nodding his head after you squeezed him for an answer. “I made sure Poppy escaped so she could tell you where I was. I knew, no matter how cross you were, there’d be nothing on this earth that could stop you from getting to me. Not a single doubt in my mind.” 

Sniffling, he pulled back to look at you, eyes red and voice hoarse. His fingers moved to caress your cheek, confirming that you were actually there with him. “I was so scared when she told me. She tried to get me to wait, saying it was too risky to go on my own, but I-I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. I flew as fast as I could, terrified the whole time that I’d be too late. I tore that whole camp apart looking for you, going absolutely out of my mind the longer it took. I don’t-I don’t know what I would’ve done if I found you d-” 

You give him a lingering kiss, not wanting to hear the next words out of his mouth. Sebastian kisses you back, the fact that you were safe finally sinking in. Pulling away slightly, he looks back at you with hooded eyes, gaze unfocused as it darts from your eyes to your lips. 

“I’m alright, my love. I’m sorry for scaring you.” 

He didn’t give you the chance to say more, repeatedly pressing longing kisses to your lips. You take each one readily, letting him give you as many as he desired until he was satisfied. Which he never was, if you were being honest, he was never satisfied when it came to you. Always craving more, always hungry. Just like now, his kisses turned more aggressive, and he began leaning over you, pressing you into the pillows. Chuckling, you try to speak as he kisses you. 

“Darling, we’re still in the Hospital Wing.” 

His lips continue to move against yours, uncaring, and a hand moves up to fist itself in your hair. “So?”

Huffing in amusement, you pull away as much as you can. “Nurse Blainey is right around the corner. She’ll most definitely come out here if she hears something.”

Sebastian’s mouth chases you, still not even close to having had his fill. “Then be quiet.” 

Rolling your eyes, you allow him to kiss you a few more times before ripping yourself away again. “Aaaaand, even though I’m feeling much better, my body is still pretty sore and it wouldn’t be a good idea to exert too much energy at the moment.” 

A grumpy look settles on his face as he looks at you, sighing in defeat before flopping down on top of you. “Fine, but you better prepare yourself. You’re gonna be sore for a whole new reason once you’re feeling better.”

Laughing, you wrap your arms around him, enjoying his warmth and weight on top of you. 

—-------

True to his word, a few days later, you really were sore for a totally different reason. As soon as you’d gotten the ok to leave from Nurse Blainey, and repeatedly confirmed your full recovery with Sebastian, he’d pounced. He didn’t let you leave the Room of Requirement for an entire day, pouring his affection into you until you barely remembered your own name, his the only one you’d said for hours. 

Walking the halls again, it was your first day attending classes after being released. Ominis had kindly taken notes for you and Sebastian in your absence, secretly delighted that you’d both been banned from leaving school grounds by Professor Weasley. 

Accompanied by the two boys, Sebastian’s arm wrapped around your waist possessively, you three made your way to the library to copy Ominis’s notes. You heard someone calling your name enthusiastically, and turned to see Garreth hurrying over to you with a big smile. 

“Hey! I’m so glad you’re feeling better! I heard my aunt banned you from leaving the castle. Good thing. I don’t usually agree with her, but you gave us quite the fright when you disappeared.” 

Nodding bashfully, you look down at the floor. “I’m sorry for worrying you like that. Certainly wasn’t the intent.” 

His eyes soften, and his tone quiets to something more private. “I also…really appreciate you getting Poppy out of there. I know it cost a lot.” 

Looking up, you shake your head at him, a small smile sitting on your face. “No need, Garreth. She’s important to me. I wasn’t about to let her stay. I knew someone would come get me.” 

Bringing an arm up behind his back, you wrap it around Sebastian’s waist, squeezing him against you. He returned the gesture, hand stroking up and down your spine afterward. Garreth finally acknowledged Sebastian and Ominis, greeting the latter warmly, before his smile faded as he regarded the former. You’d guessed that Poppy would tell Garreth about your fight with Sebastian, and from the unhappy tilt to the redhead’s mouth, your suspicions were confirmed. “Sallow.”

Sebastian got a pinched look on his face, but surprisingly didn’t glare at Garreth like usual. Instead he kept a cool, even tone as he addressed him. “Garreth.”

Your eyebrows shot to your hairline, briefly making surprised eye contact with Garreth as he mirrored your expression. Some of the ire left him in his shock, simply nodding in response before turning back to you. “So, graduation is fast approaching. Any idea what you’ll do afterwards?”

“Actually, I’d like to take Hekate’s place as-”

“Get married.”

You whip your head to look up at Sebastian, who stands there calmly, a slightly bored look on his face. He turns to you as you gape up at him, cocking an eyebrow. “What?”

Furrowing your brow, your eyes close as you pinch the bridge of your nose. “Why do you always do this? You’re so bad at asking for things.”

He got a skeptical look on his face. “Is that a ‘no’?”

“Well…no.”

A satisfied smile painted his lips, a smug aura rolling off him in waves. “Then I don’t see the problem.” 

“You-…You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

“Yeah, whatever. Don’t act like you don’t love it.”