#this sounds like a conspiration ok I said it

[supercool-here]

Z library is too precious, please take a minute to sign this petition to end the criminal prosecution against z lib and take out of jail two people who were arrested before a warrant was even issued.

[sophies-junkyard]

On the topic of languages, did I ever tell y’all about my 6th craziest roommate?

So a few years ago I was scrambling because someone backed out of my lease right before the semester started. This girl (I’ll call her “Ella”) responded to my roommate ad. She said she was 25, she was from Guatemala, and she had the same major as me. She seemed legit, so I passed her info to my other roommates. They vetted her and she signed on.

From there, things got…. Interesting.

Our rooms shared a wall, and this girl would talk on the phone for HOURS. She didn’t know this, but I was getting my minor in Spanish. I had 8 years of formal education and a lifetime of practice with the Peruvian dialect. But listening to Ella on the phone made me realize my Spanish was TERRIBLE! I couldn’t understand a WORD she was saying. I really buckled down in my classes that semester. Kept getting straight A’s, but I knew I could never be truly fluent.

Meanwhile things were getting tense between Ella and my roommate “Jess”. Ella and Jess shared a bathroom, and Ella insisted on showering 4 times a day. She also box-dyed her hair RED Every. Single. Weekend and never cleaned the tub or counters. She destroyed Jess’ non-stick pans, stole blankets from her room, and kept her up late by talking on the phone. While I was on Jess’ side, I refused to get involved. I had been in enough roommate drama for one lifetime (6 long stories), so I said nothing.

Over winter break, Ella secretly invited a boyfriend to the house while we were at home. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal (what we didn’t know etc etc), but Jess stopped by the house and found them using HER FURNITURE for a… love nest… in the living room. This mystery man was also using Jess’ toiletries. Ella didn’t even know his last name. There was a big fight, but I was hours away so it wasn’t my problem.

Spring semester rolled around. I’m looking over my class schedule, and who is listed as one of my TAs? Ella. Now that was SERIOUSLY against university policy. I mentioned it to her at home and she acknowledged that she would need to recuse herself. I waited and waited but the first day came around and there we were. In lab together as student and teacher.

And on her introductory PowerPoint, it said she was… Venezuelan? And a grad student? “Damn” I thought “I have a terrible memory.”

The ethics of her position stressed me out, but I realized if I got her fired she wouldn’t be able to pay rent. And if she could, I would be in the middle of more roommate drama. But things with Jess and Ella were worse than ever. Her shower habits tripled our utilities bill. We would never get our deposits back because of the dye. Ella broke an heirloom from Jess’ grandmother. She also shattered their toilet seat? She lied about both. Did Ella know I was a Jess sympathizer? Did she know we were pissed about the pans? What would that mean for my grades?? So I stayed silent. She was…. A terrible teacher.

At night, her tone in phone calls changed. I could tell she was NOT talking to relatives. But I still couldn’t gather any context. I kept my Spanish practice very, VERY quiet out of embarrassment. The walls were thin. I sorta wanted to ask her for fun slang, though.

One day in the kitchen I asked her what part of Venezuela she was from. Her accent was so unique! And did she use “vos” or “tu”? She told me it was a very small town, and abruptly left to make a phone call. Oh well.

End of spring was coming up. Everyone was moving out except me… and Ella? She wouldn’t give me a straight answer about her plans. My final grade was still in her hands so I didn’t press. And I was feeling pretty down about my classes. Were my Spanish lessons ever going to pay off? I studied extra hard to master pluscuamperfecto.

Lab ended. With 2 weeks remaining, she texted me: “My life plans have changed. I’m leaving. Goodbye.” She gave my group a 98% on our final project as soon as we turned it in.

I never saw her again.

Jess and I finally had time to catch up, and we swapped stories about our eclectic roommate. This is where shit hit the fan. Jess was working for the same professor as Ella, and had been privy to some pretty shocking information.

“I can’t believe a 34 year old woman would act like that” she said. HUH? I told her Ella was only 25!

But Jess saw her credentials in lab. She overheard everything she ever said. Ella was 34 years old. Maybe older. She was sugaring-no shame- BUT she was giving OUR ADDRESS to dozens of strangers online. She used different voices, different names, and different stories on every single one of them. She had an actual boyfriend who doted on her, but she had fallen in love with one of her sugar daddies. It ended when he refused to take her on his family vacation to the Caribbean. She was moving to Arkansas to start over. She took most of Jess’ cookware with her.

And that wasn’t all. A year earlier, Ella had told Jess that she was 23 years old and from HONDURAS. I don’t even remember what she told our 4th roommate (who should chime in if I forgot anything, btw). So what was the truth??? Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras WHO WAS THIS WOMAN??? We dug and finally found Ella’s LinkedIn. There it was… she was 36 years old, had a different last name, had been a student of MANY different universities…

AND SHE WAS FROM BRAZIL.

SHE SPOKE PORTUGUESE. PORTUGUÊS. ALL THAT INSECURITY. THE SHAME. FUCKING HELL DUDE. I worked 5x as hard that semester to make up for my COMPLETE INEPTITUDE and she Wasn’t. Even. Speaking. Spanish. I am such a fucking idiot. Si hubiera sabido la verdad no habría sufrido. God damn.

So anyways, she followed me on Instagram and started posting from all over Europe. For 2 years she posted weekly. Germany, England, France and- yes- even Portugal. Good for her. The matter was closed.

…Until my final semester when I ran into Ella on campus. She had brown hair, had ditched her glasses, and ran away as soon as she saw me. I did some digging. Turns out she only went to Europe for A MONTH. She never set foot in Arkansas. She had immediately come back to school and enrolled in a new program with a new nickname. To this day she posts new European adventure photos every few weeks.

I don’t know what the fuck was going on in her life, or why she told so many elaborate lies… but I graduated with a 4.0 in Spanish. So… I guess the moral of the story is you should always have faith in your own abilities :D

(… and I would say “vet people before you live with them”, but honestly roommates 1-5 blow her out of the fucking water so. whatever.)

[singmyaubade]

Cindy Lou Who

james potter x slytherin!female!reader

summary: you and lily have been polar opposites from birth, disconnected in everything. but when the one thing she has crosses the bounds, you can't avoid it even if it destroys you.

warnings: eventual smut! 18+ heavy angst, cursing , jealousy

a/n: it's part 2! no, its not a dorcas and y/n love story.

i hope you enjoy and you can fw it or not, not my issue.

—

The journey to James's parents’ cabin had already been a nightmare in the making, but the fact that you somehow found yourself stuck in the car with the Marauders made it feel like the universe had personally conspired against you. It was as if Lily was trying to send a message to make you never speak to her again.

Ten minutes earlier:

You stepped off the train, dragging your suitcase behind you, and made your way toward Lily and her usual entourage. You could already feel the tension between you and the rest of the group, but at least Lily was there to distract you.

"Ah, Y/N!" Lily cheered, her arms suddenly wrapped around you in a hug. You stiffened slightly, offering an awkward smile as she pulled back to look at you. Her grin continued to grow, "We were just discussing seating assignments," She explained, glancing at the group, which was all standing around and debating loudly.

"I voted for apparating. It's quicker, and no one has to listen to Sirius whine the entire time," James grumbled, shooting an annoyed look at Sirius, who was lounging against the wall with an exaggerated sigh.

"Well for one, your apparating skills absolutely scare me," Dorcas chimed in.

Mary snorted. "Yeah, I’m pretty sure we'd show up without a neck if either of you tried to apparate us," She said, resting her head on Dorcas’s shoulder, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she looked over at the two boys.

Sirius immediately recoiled, "Excuse me? Leave me out of this, my apparition skills are impeccable if you ladies must know," He said, puffing out his chest and sticking his tongue out at both of them.

Marlene chuckled, chiming in, the sound light and teasing as she looked at you. "Yeah, I think we need someone with actual skill, not just a big ego." She glanced at Sirius, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Sirius shot her a playful glare, but his lips twitched as though he might actually be enjoying the banter. "You wound me, Mar. But I’ll have you know, I’ve never left anyone in a heap of twisted limbs," He said, half-defensive, half-proud.

You sighed, clearly tired of their antics as Dorcas spoke again, "Okay, okay, if you two are done with the theatrics, how about we get someone who actually knows how to apparate without leaving us in the wrong century?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow dramatically, looking at you, "Well, actually, someone insists that ‘bonding time’ means suffering in cramped cars with people you barely know, which is really quite charming," He said as if everyone was meant to agree with his sarcasm.

James shot a playful look at Lily, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Don't blame my little Lily-bear for her big heart," He teased, only for her to stomp on his foot, causing him to yelp.

“I don’t even understand why we discussed apparition in the first place,” Lily huffed, annoyed, “We are driving and that is final.”

You snorted at the sight, feeling momentarily distracted from the impending doom of the ride. Mary, ever the voice of reason, cleared her throat. "Ok Mother, back to the cars. Who's in which?"

You raised an eyebrow, scanning the group with mild skepticism. "Can any of you actually drive?" The question hung in the air, and for a split second, the group fell into silence, as if your voice had been the last thing they expected.

"Well, Remus and I can," Dorcas answered with a grin, clearly amused by your audacity. "And James already asked his parents to send over two cars," She added, her eyes twinkling.

"Wow, loaded with money, Potter?" You teased, turning to James, who shot you a mockingly smug grin.

"Don't act like you didn’t know," He replied with a wink as if he always knew how to make your sarcasm work in his favor.

"And how many people can each car fit?" Mary asked, eager to move things along.

"Four each, including the driver," James answered, his voice laced with confidence.

"Well, this is perfect!" Lily exclaimed happily, her voice full of relief. "Peter can't make it anyway, so Y/N can take his spot!"

Your stomach twisted. "Excuse me?" You nearly gagged, your face contorting in disbelief.

Lily’s eyes softened with an apologetic look. "Oh, don’t worry! They won’t bite, I promise," She assured you, gesturing to the Marauders, who were now standing off to the side like a haphazardly formed band of troublemakers.

You couldn’t hide the disgust that flashed across your face as you looked at the group. The thought of being stuck in a car with them—all of them—felt like some cruel twist of fate. “Can’t you just ride with the boys?” You asked, crossing your arms and giving Lily a pleading look.

Lily hesitated for a moment before offering a sheepish smile. “I could, but I kind of want you to get along with them, Y/N. I really don’t want to force you into anything, but they’re good people underneath the mess," She said sincerely, rubbing your palm comfortingly.

You felt the pressure building. On one hand, you wanted to be a complete brat and insisted that you’d rather take your chances with a single, less painful car ride with the girls. But on the other, you knew this trip wasn’t about you. It was Lily’s weekend, and you couldn’t spoil it just because the Marauders were a walking headache.

"Actually, Lily, it's fine," You sighed, rolling your eyes. "It’s just a four-hour car ride. I’ll survive."

Lily looked at you, her eyes full of sincerity. "Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable—"

"Yes," You groaned dramatically, cutting her off. "But if you ask me again, I will change my mind."

Lily’s face lit up with a sweet, relieved smile. “Thank you, Y/N,” She whispered in your ear, pulling you into another hug.

You smiled faintly despite the dread that churned in your stomach. You lightly pushed her off, trying to hide the weirdly sentimental feeling. "Let’s get this over with, then," You muttered, grabbing your luggage and marching toward the exit.

As you walked out of the station, you could hear the sound of the Marauders’ footsteps trailing behind you, their chatter and laughter loud enough to make you wince. Your fate was sealed, and you had no choice but to endure the upcoming car ride with them.

But who knew? Maybe the next four hours wouldn’t be as bad as you were imagining.

--

Thirty minutes into the car ride, and you were already questioning every decision you’d ever made in life.

For one, Sirius and James hadn’t stopped talking since you left the station. It was like they were competing to see who could out-talk the other, their voices blending into an incoherent mess of loud jokes, sarcasm, and the occasional burst of laughter. You swore you could hear Sirius’s voice every five seconds, but it was impossible to tell what he was even saying.

The only bearable one in the bunch was Remus—the designated driver, who for the most part, was quietly focused on the road. He had a way of staying out of the chaos, and you were thankful for that. If he’d joined in, you might have just jumped out of the car.

Unfortunately, luck had not been on your side, and James was sitting right next to you. Of course, he was. As if this trip hadn’t already been your own personal hell, the universe had decided it would be even more fun if you were forced to endure James’s company.

The luggage was shoved behind you both, making the car feel cramped in every possible way. And somehow, the small space between you and James seemed to grow more suffocating by the second.

It wasn’t like you hated him—well, maybe you did a little bit right now—but he wasn’t exactly your favorite person to be sitting next to. Especially in a tiny car where you had no choice but to pretend that everything was fine.

And to make matters worse, James had been sneaking glances at you every couple of minutes. You could feel his eyes on you, even when you kept your focus fixed firmly on the road ahead, your chin resting in your palm as you leaned against the cool window, trying to ignore the constant pounding in your skull.

You tried your best not to react. You weren’t about to make eye contact with him or give him any reason to think you wanted to engage. The last thing you needed was him making some stupid comment about how uncomfortable you were being, as if that would make it any better.

But no matter how much you ignored him, you could still feel him there, like a weight pressing on your chest.

You wondered—truly wondered—how you had managed to get yourself stuck on what was likely the worst trip in the history of trips. It wasn’t even like you’d had a choice in the matter.

You were thinking that perhaps you should've grabbed a book from your bag or even your Walkman from home.

Anything to avoid the chaotic, uncomfortable mess that was currently your reality.

But then again, you still wanted to make Lily happy. It was her weekend, and you knew how much this trip meant to her.

And you knew you had to endure this for her, even if that meant suffering through endless hours of loud barking and James Potter’s stupid glances.

But you were starting to develop a newfound dislike for the countryside and for the stupid cabin you were heading to, and especially for James Potter and his stupid face.

You were stopped in your train of thought by the loud crunching in your ears as you looked beside you in disgust to see James eating Sour Cream & Onion chips loudly.

You had hoped that James would choke on the chips he was shoveling into his mouth right then and there, but he was luckily immune to your silent prayers. Instead, his eyes flicked over to you as he extended the bag in your direction, his mouth still full.

“Want some?” He asked, chewing loudly, completely oblivious to the venom in your stare.

You groaned, slumping back in your seat and closing your eyes, hoping that maybe—just maybe—you could escape the situation by sheer force of will. But no. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to get rid of James Potter. You could still feel his gaze on you, heavy and unrelenting, like a hot spotlight.

“You know,” James continued, completely oblivious to your very clear displeasure, “You could be a little nicer.”

Before you could respond, Sirius—who had been quietly enjoying the chaos—turned around in the front seat, his usual shit-eating grin plastered across his face. “Slytherins are incapable of that. It’s not in their blood.”

You rolled your eyes, but before you could snap back, Remus muttered a resigned “Sirius,” trying to rein him in.

You leaned forward, making sure your voice was dripping with sarcasm as you met James’s gaze, “And Gryffindors are incapable of not being complete and utter twats.”

James’s eyes lit up with amusement at your choice of words. You could see the smug little grin forming at the corner of his mouth, like he was proud of his ability to get under your skin.

“Ah, she speaks!” He said dramatically, as if this was some huge victory. You had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes and groaning. “I was beginning to think you were either deaf—or perhaps a robot.”

Your eyes narrowed as you leaned in just a little closer, meeting his gaze, keeping it steady. “I believe you’ve got something right here.” You moved in slowly, and you could see his face flush just slightly, his lips parting as if he was about to say something.

You didn’t give him the chance. “Right here…” You muttered, keeping your eyes locked on his, before quickly flicking your finger against his forehead.

James immediately shot his hand up to his forehead, wincing as though he’d been hit with a particularly nasty spell. You couldn't help but smile brightly, crossing your arms triumphantly. You were winning.

Sirius, of course, couldn’t help himself. He started laughing so hard it almost sounded like he was barking. “Wow, Y/N—1, Prongs—0!” he whooped, throwing you a thumbs-up from the front.

You heard the nickname, but your victory felt too sweet to care about it right now. You were too busy basking in your small but satisfying win. Maybe it was the most minor of triumphs, but seeing James’s smug confidence deflate for even a moment was pure, unadulterated joy.

James, still rubbing his forehead, pouted dramatically. “Good to know," He muttered under his breath, though you could hear the faint hint of amusement in his voice. “That’s what makes you happy.”

You leaned back in your seat, your grin never wavering. “You have no idea, Potter,” You said, crossing your arms again, feeling very much like you’d won the game.

You suddenly decided to just take a nap for the remaining two hours of the trip, head leaning against the cold window.

At least then, this trip will be bearable.

--

"Aww, isn’t this a sight for sore eyes?" You heard a voice mutter, and your eyes blinked open to see Sirius staring down at you with that signature smirk of his.

You hummed in confusion, realizing that your head was no longer against the window but resting on the broad canvas of a shoulder and jaw.

Your eyes widened as you quickly snapped up, inadvertently knocking your head into James's chin. He groaned in protest as you hissed from the pain in your own skull, rubbing it with one hand.

Sirius barked out a laugh, the sound loud and unmistakably amused. You shot him a death glare. James whined like a child. "Couldn’t you have just gotten up softly?" he asked, tending to his chin as if it were more damaged than it likely was.

"I was repulsed," You said bluntly, crossing your arms over your chest.

James smirked, clearly enjoying your discomfort. "Didn’t seem that way with your head on my shoulder," He teased, and before you could stop yourself, your fist landed squarely in his shoulder. He groaned dramatically.

You hated how easy it was for him to tease you, it was almost as if he didn't hate you as much as you hated him.

"Shut up, Potter," You muttered under your breath, a small smile tugging at your lips despite yourself.

Finally, Remus got out of the car, and you were beyond relieved to be able to stretch your legs and get out of the cramped space. As you stepped out into the fresh air, you were hit with the sight of the cabin—a massive wooden oak structure that dwarfed most houses you had seen. Of course, it shouldn’t have been a surprise with James's family wealth, but it was still impressive.

"Admiring something?" James’s voice called out from behind you, and you turned to see him watching you with that grin of his.

You stepped toward him, eyebrows furrowing. "We were trapped in a car for four hours together, and you still want to annoy me?" You asked, annoyed.

James’s grin only widened, something almost unreadable flickering in his eyes. "It’s just so fun," He said sweetly, his tone laced with something that made you furrow your brows deeper.

He moved past you with that same self-assured confidence, and you couldn’t help but watch him for a moment, your mind swirling with an odd mix of curiosity and frustration.

What an odd boy.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of loud cheers, and you turned to see Lily and the other girls finally arriving at the cabin. Lily immediately rushed over to you, throwing her arm around your shoulders. "This is going to be so fun!" She exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Your expression remained indifferent as you shrugged off her arm. "Sure it will, Lils," You said, barely hiding the boredom in your voice as you moved past her toward the cabin entrance.

Inside, the cabin was everything you expected—grand yet homely. Fairy lights twinkled on the ceiling and wound their way along the railings of the stairs, casting a warm, soft glow. A beautifully decorated Christmas tree stood in the corner of the living room, and the fireplace was already crackling with flames, filling the air with the comforting scent of wood smoke.

You couldn’t help but admire the place, its charm undeniable.

Okay, maybe you were admiring it a little more than you wanted to admit.

As much as you wanted to keep exploring the cabin, you couldn’t help but feel the overwhelming desire to just collapse into a bed and escape the chaos for a bit.

The car ride had been long—four hours spent crammed between the Marauders and Lily, with Sirius and James' constant bickering as background noise. You could already feel the tension in your shoulders from it.

You made your way up the stairs, eyes scanning the doors with name cards carefully placed next to them. It was so Lily to do something like that—everything organized to the tiniest detail. When you reached your door, you saw your name beside Dorcas’s.

You hadn’t spent much time with Dorcas, but from what you’d gathered, she was a bit of a mystery.

She was quiet in a way that was similar to you, but then, the next moment, she was all sharp humor and a wild streak of extroversion. It was interesting to watch her switch between the two.

You just hoped she didn’t have any issue with Slytherins. You’d heard whispers from some Gryffindors, and while you liked to think you were nothing like the stereotypical Slytherin, you still didn’t feel like being judged by a new person.

James and Sirius were already enough of a headache on that front.

You pushed the door open and stepped into the room, instantly relieved by the sight of two beds with nightstands and soft lamps. It was cozy—nothing too extravagant, but warm. There were two separate closets as well, and a part of you actually sighed in relief. Privacy. That was something you valued deeply.

"Thank God for separate closets," Came a voice from behind you, and you turned to find Dorcas already standing in the room, “Sharing a closet can drive me absolutely nuts, I need the privacy,” She added. You hadn’t even heard her come in. Her eyes were fixed on the closets, and somehow it felt like she’d read your mind. "As do you," She added, her voice light and as if she head read your mind.

"I—I do," You stammered, caught off guard.

Something about Dorcas always made you feel a little out of your depth, though you weren’t sure why. She had this way of being so at ease with herself, and it was hard not to be a little intimidated.

Dorcas just shrugged, as if your reaction was nothing new. She walked over to the bed, settling herself against the headboard with a relaxed sigh. "Honestly, I’m glad we’re rooming together. That car ride was chaos. I’m not sure I’ve recovered yet."

You chuckled awkwardly, the tension still clinging to your limbs. "Agreed," you muttered, fiddling with your bag as you unpacked some of your things into the closet. You felt Dorcas’s eyes on you, but when you looked over, she was giving you a teasing smirk, as though she could see right through you.

"The Marauders weren’t too insufferable, I hope?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

You laughed dryly. "Well, Remus was a saint," You said, trying to keep it light. "Black and Potter, though? Bloody migraines." You sighed, shaking your head as you hung up a few shirts. "I don’t know how they do it. They thrive on being insufferable, I swear."

Dorcas let out a soft laugh, a mix of amusement and sympathy. "That’s their usual act," She said, as if it were the most predictable thing in the world. "Don’t worry—you’ll get used to it. Or at least, you’ll stop being surprised." She shifted, lying back and staring up at the ceiling, her hands behind her head.

You looked at her, unsure if you were ready to get used to them.

It's like she could read your expression or your thoughts in general.

Dorcas gave you a quiet smile. "You’ll get there," She said with surprising wisdom for someone who seemed so carefree. "Just don’t take it too seriously. They’re all talk."

I hope I never do, you thought, but kept it to yourself.

You couldn't help but think of how you would ever survive this entire trip. In all honestly, you would rather have spent it with Petunia degrading you.

And you were incredibly worried that the tension in your spine would always still there.

You looked at Dorcas questioningly, "Do you think this trip is going to be fun?" You asked, your voice quieter now as you paused in the middle of unpacking.

Dorcas rolled over onto her side, propping her head up with one hand as she looked at you with a thoughtful expression. "I think it'll be interesting. Not sure if 'fun' is the word I’d use. But you never know. It’s a change of pace, at least." She smiled. "One thing’s for sure: it’s going to be memorable."

"Let’s hope it’s the good kind of memorable," You muttered, smiling slightly despite yourself.

"Trust me, I’ve got a feeling this is going to be one for the books," Dorcas replied, giving you an amused look.

You gave Dorcas a slight smile as you both suddenly heard a thump downstairs and several voices of laughter as Dorcas stood, smiling, "Think I'm gonna check up on everyone down there, wanna come?" She asked, looking at you.

You fake yawned, stretching out on the bed. "I think I'll actually take a nap, feeling quite drowsy," You said, trying to keep the tone casual.

Dorcas gave you a smile, but there was a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. "Okay," She replied softly before turning and heading for the door. She closed it behind her, leaving you alone in the room.

You sighed, rubbing your forehead. Dorcas was nice, but you really didn’t feel like hanging out with the whole group right now. It was just too much.

You reached for your backpack, hoping to lose yourself in time with a book. But when you opened it, your stomach sank. No books.

"Fuck," You muttered, frustrated. You never forgot your books. You always packed them, even for short trips.

You flopped back on the bed, groaning. This wasn’t going how you’d planned.

After a few moments, you grabbed your toiletries and towels.

Screw it.

A shower would help clear your head.

You turned the tap, and the hot water came on quickly. Stepping into the stream, you let the heat wash over you, hoping it would erase the tension from your body.

The noise of the water filled the bathroom, and for a moment, everything felt quiet.

You sighed deeply, letting go of the frustration. It wasn’t ideal, but you’d figure things out later. For now, you’d let the world outside the bathroom fade away.

After a nice, long shower, you slipped into a soft nightgown, figuring you wouldn’t be going anywhere tonight. The warmth of the cabin made it easy to settle in, and you were content with some peace and quiet.

But as you put your things down, you suddenly heard Lily’s voice ringing out from downstairs.

"AAAAAH!" Her scream echoed through the house, followed by frantic footsteps.

You froze, heart racing. Was she hurt? You quickly rushed out of your room, ready to help. The moment you reached the top of the stairs, though, you saw her laughing hysterically in the living room.

"I told you she would come down!" Lily called, gleefully looking at James and Sirius, her hand outstretched for galleons.

You blinked, your heart slowing as you saw the grin on her face. "What the hell?" You muttered, out of breath.

James was looking at you in wide-eyed awe, but you couldn’t help noticing how your nightgown was just a little too revealing—way more than you’d planned for. The last thing you needed was to give James any more ammunition.

"Really, Lily?" You scoffed, already turning to head back upstairs.

"Wait!" Lily rushed to you, her eyes pleading as she grabbed your arm. "Just come hang out for a little bit!"

You immediately thought 'Fuck no!' but then you thought,

It's her trip.

You glanced at her, and despite everything, her puppy-dog eyes got to you. "I suppose.." You muttered, giving in.

Lily squealed, her excitement infectious as she pulled you downstairs. "We’re about to start the puzzle!" She said with a huge grin.

You raised an eyebrow, not sure whether to laugh or groan. "A puzzle?" You teased. "Are we in fourth year?"

Lily pouted. "Stop being such a buzzkill."

Marlene leaned over from the couch with a smirk. "Lils always makes us do something childish on the first night. Gets it out of our system before the real fun starts."

"Exactly," Mary added. "A bit of innocence before we dive into the chaos."

"And so she doesn’t feel guilty when we get wild later," Sirius teased, his grin mischievous.

Lily stuck her tongue out at them. "I do it because it’s fun! And once we finish, we can glue it and hang it up. Isn’t that cute?"

James groaned dramatically. "But Remus and Dorcas always do the best work, and the rest of us just give up."

Lily shot him a look. "Not this time. This time, we all finish it fast."

Well, that didn’t turn out to be the case.

Lily had, of course, accidentally bought a 900-piece puzzle, and it was much more complicated than anyone had expected.

You, Remus, and Dorcas were the only ones making any real progress. You were surprisingly good at it, which seemed to amuse everyone else. The three of you worked mostly in silence, with you passing pieces to Remus and Dorcas helping out when necessary.

Meanwhile, the others had either given up or wandered off. Lily, Marlene, and Mary were baking cookies, and Sirius was napping on the couch, his loud snoring filling the room.

But, as always, James was not one to leave you alone for long.

"How are you guys still working on that?" He whined, popping up beside you and peering over your shoulder. "It’s annoying and difficult!"

"Just like you," You muttered with a sly grin, not looking up from the puzzle.

James’s started smirking. "Sorry, what was that?"

You scoffed, "Just like y-"

Before you could finish your sentence, James was behind you, fingers digging into your sides, tickling you mercilessly. You yelped, trying to push him off, but he only laughed louder, his hands relentless.

Dorcas and Remus exchanged amused glances, clearly entertained by the scene unfolding.

"Say it again!" James demanded, his voice obnoxiously loud.

You gasped for breath, trying to squirm away from his grasp. "Stop it, Potter!" You barely managed to keep your voice serious, but it came out more like a laugh.

"Okay, say I’m the most brilliant person at Hogwarts!" he pressed, his grin wide.

"I will never say that!" You laughed, finally able to wiggle out of his grasp.

"Come on!" James pushed, tickling you more.

"Okay, okay!" You cried, laughing helplessly. "You’re the most brilliant person in Hogwarts, now get off!"

James finally relented, sitting back with a smug smile. "That’s what I thought."

You quickly adjusted your nightgown, your face flushed with embarrassment. You couldn’t believe you just got into a tickle fight with James Potter—of all people.

Lily appeared, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "What just happened out here?" She asked, her voice teasing. "I heard you laughing."

You turned away, trying to hide your embarrassment. "You didn’t hear anything."

"Actually—" James started, but you punched him lightly in the knee, making him wince.

"—I heard nothing," He corrected quickly, his voice strained as he rubbed his leg.

Lily flashed a knowing smile. "Sure," She said, winking at you before heading back into the kitchen.

You groaned inwardly. This was only the beginning, and already Lily was convinced you were best friends with her friends.

Your mind drifted back to earlier, to James’s behavior and how Lily always seemed to indulge him. It left a bitter taste in your mouth.

"I'm heading up," You said abruptly, not waiting for an answer as you made your way to the stairs.

"But the cookies aren’t ready yet!" James called after you, his voice almost pleading.

"Enjoy them when they are," You snapped, already heading up to your room.

As you reached your door and flopped onto your bed, you let out a long, frustrated sigh. This was going to be a weird trip.

[jennay]

Let me take care of you

Request: I don't know if you know, but Noah kind of lost his voice during a concert(?) when you can, can you write that the reader flew out to take care of him or just to be there with him? :c ♥️ You choose whether they're friends or in a relationship, whatever you feel. Don't overwhelm yourself, precious; we love you more♥️♥️

No warnings

An: sorry I put a friends to lovers trope. 😅 thank you for this request. I loved it.

Words 2800ish

Noah Sebastian x reader

Noah Master list

You had always been terrified of heights. The mere thought of being high up in the air made your palms sweat and your stomach churn.

So, how you boarded a plane and flew for more than half a minute was a mystery to you. But you did it for Noah, your best friend, who was going through a rough patch. Your sneaky self conspired with the other three men to visit without Noah knowing.

He'd lost his voice and had to cancel several shows, which made him feel guilty and depressed.

He kept blaming himself for not taking better care of his health even though the others assured him that it was not his fault and that he would recover soon.

You had booked a car online, but when you got to the rental center, you faced an unexpected problem. The vehicle you had reserved was unavailable, and the counter clerk seemed clueless about what to do. He asked you to wait in the lobby while he talked to his manager, promising to sort things out as soon as possible. You felt your blood boil with frustration. You hated waiting - especially when you had paid for something in advance. You glared at the clerk as he walked away, wishing you could zap him with your eyes. You grabbed your phone and dialed Noah's number, hoping to check on him. You waited for him to pick up but heard a different voice on the other end instead.

"Hello, this is Noah's assistant. How can I direct your call?" It was Jolly; his thick accent and cheerful tone always made you smile.

"Hey, Jolly. It's me." You chuckled. "Is Noah paying you well? You seem to be working very hard lately."

He laughs back, "He doesn't pay me shit! I'm just that good of a friend."

"Well, speaking of the devil, where is he?" You ask.

"Sleeping... I saw it was you so I answered for him. Are you here yet?" He whispers, and you hear the sound of a door closing. "Sorry, that was loud. I don't want to blow it. Must escape into the other room." He says, giggling like a child.

"I'm in the same state…city even, but there seems to be some fucking confusion with the car I rented, and it's taking everything in me not to lose my shit right now," you say with a sigh. "Why is this happening?"

You run your hand down your face, feeling lost and not knowing what to do. "Ah, the classic 'I rented a car, and now I'm stuck' situation. You know what they say: 'Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.'" He quips, "Do you need someone to come get you, or are you going to wait it out?"

"OK, well, nobody says that except you. I'm gonna wait. I hate not having my own way around." You pause when you hear your name called at the front desk.

He laughs, "No, I'm pretty sure that's how it's said, y/n. My English is good."

You roll your eyes, letting out a small giggle. "I gotta go. I'll call you when I get to the hotel. Like, I'll actually call your phone."

"See you soon. OK, this is the part where I say goodbye, right?" He laughs.

"Yes, goodbye!" You click end and start toward the desk, wondering how you ended up with the strangest people being some of your closest friends.

After a long, exhausting drive, you finally arrived at the hotel's parking lot. You took out your cell phone and called Jolly, hoping he would come down and help you with your luggage.

You waited and waited and waited…

"I'm coming." He said abruptly and hung up.

You stared at your phone in disbelief. What was that? Did he just cut you off without even saying goodbye? What if you had something important to tell him?

You got out of the car, putting on your sunglasses. You grabbed your backpack from the back seat and closed the car door, leaning against it as you waited for Jolly to show up.

You started to doubt your decision to come here; if Noah was sick, would he appreciate your surprise visit? You shook your head; of course, he would.

You feel excited when you see the tall Swede walking towards you with a goofy smile; he opens his arms wide, and you run to him, hugging him tightly.

"You made it!" He exclaimed.

You pulled away, grinning, "Barely. I think I only cried once on the plane, so that's an improvement, " you joke while adjusting your bag. "Lead the way," you say, gesturing to the door.

"Someone's eager," he teased, opening the door. "I'm excited to see everyone. I miss you guys so much," you said with exaggerated emotion.

He followed behind you as you sprinted up the stairs. "Oh, come on. Don't lie to me. You're dying to see Noah... Just admit it," he said, poking fun at you.

You stopped in the hallway, making him bump into you. You turned to face him, poking his chest and giving him a fierce glare, "Shut your mouth!"

He laughs, gently grabbing your shoulders, keeping you at bay. "Alright, pitbull, calm down!"

You shake your head and continue to walk, "Sorry." You mumble. "It's just, nobody needs to know that. I honestly didn't even want to tell you." You take a deep breath when you feel his arm lazily drape over your shoulder.

"Maybe it's time to tell him instead of telling me." He looks down at you, waiting for a response.

"Hear me out... I can just not say anything and keep my friendship intact," you say.

Jolly's arm drops from your shoulders as he points to the door. He grabs his key and unlocks the door, pushing you in first.

"This place is huge," you say as you peek around. You'd barely entered the kitchen and already felt lost.

"Down the hall doors on the left. Beware, the other two are lurking and waiting for your arrival," he warns.

As he's warning you, you hear a sudden commotion from around the corner. Two figures emerge, dart guns in their hands, and they laugh maniacally as they start shooting at you. You barely have time to react before the first dart hits you in the face. You instinctively raise your arms to shield yourself from the barrage of incoming darts.

"Fucking assholes!" You yell out in frustration, trying to catch your breath as you choke on your laughter. You quickly scan your surroundings for cover and spot Jolly nearby. You run towards him and hide behind him, hoping that he'll provide some protection from the incoming fire.

Jolly groans as he gets pelted with the soft bullets but doesn't move. You peek from behind him and see that the men are still laughing and shooting at you.

From behind them, you hear a door creak open and feet scruffing against the floor.

"What the fuck is going on?" you hear Noah's hoarse voice ask.

You poke your head around Jolly's torso, and your eyes land on Noah. You smile with excitement, feeling your stomach flip.

You run past Nicholas and Folio, flipping them off in the process and laughing hysterically as you jump into Noah's arms. As you cling to him, you can feel his body tense up in surprise. He looks down at you with wide eyes, his mouth slightly agape, as if he can't believe what happened. You can tell he hasn't processed that you're there yet.

"What the…where did you? You're here," he manages to stutter out. His body relaxes, and he squeezes you gently, engulfing you in his tattooed arms. "What are you doing here?"

You pull back, still latched in his arms, as you look up at him. "Surprising you, dummy. Did it work?"

"What do you think?" His brown irises glow while he gazes down on you. "I'm surprised, but why? You had the whole tour, and you chose now? We're almost done." He says, chuckling. "Wait, did you get on a plane?"

You push out of his grasp, brushing your shirt down. "I heard you weren't feeling well…and yes, I did get on a plane."

"She only cried once," Jolly pipes in. "She's growing up so fast."

You shake your head, "...and then these two assholes tried to kill me." You glare at them. "You didn't even say hi! You just started blasting, and I find that rude. Could at least greet a girl." You turn your back to them, swinging around to face Noah. "Anyway, I'm here."

He looks back at you with tired eyes, "Well, as much as I love seeing you. I'm supposed to be on vocal rest. I'm going back to my room."

You stand there confused as he starts to walk away from you.

"Are you coming?" He asks, stopping before his door.

"Wait, you were inviting me?" You chuckle, "I'm comin'." You dash down the corridor and join Noah in his room. The room is plunged into darkness by the black-out blinds. You grin as he snuggles up on the bed, pulls the covers over him, and switches on the tiny TV on the desk at the foot of the bed.

"I had to make it dark." He explains, noticing your curious gaze, "I'm fooling myself into thinking nothing exciting is happening."

You roll your eyes playfully, "Nothing exciting is happening. This is a hotel." You tease, sliding under the covers next to him.

Noah gives you a sly smirk as he slides closer to you, resting his head on your chest. You wrap your arm around his shoulder, gently moving it up his neck and into his hair, where your fingers weave through, making him melt under your touch.

"I know you're not supposed to be talking, but I was curious how you feel about this. How are you coping?"

He lets out a sigh, showing his frustration. "I hate having to cancel shows, you know? It sucks knowing people were looking forward to seeing us maybe for months, and then we can't even show up." He buries his face in your neck, groaning, "I can talk, by the way, just not loudly."

You feel his hot breath against your skin, causing goose bumps down your arms. You wonder if this was the right time to tell him the truth.

You mentally shake the thoughts from your mind; now was probably not the right time. You didn't know if there ever would be a time when you'd feel brave enough. "I get that. As much as you hate hearing it, you're only human, Noah. Shit happens, and I'm sure they'll understand. They would want you to get better instead of ruining your voice," you remind him.

You feel his arm drape around your waist as he says, "I'm happy you're here. It makes things a little more manageable."

You hear his breathing slow down, and his soft snore comes from him. You let him rest and grab your phone, careful not to wake him up. You take a quick picture of your situation and send it to Jolly.

Help

Did you tell him?

NO.

Wake him up?

I can't. It's a rule. It's rude to move if someone is sleeping on you.

That only applies to cats, and Noah's not a cat.

You laugh and text back: Are we sure?

You put your phone down beside you and close your eyes, feeling the need for a nap after your long trip, and then you'd talk to Noah, maybe.

You stir in your sleep, feeling soft touches through your hair; you cuddle closer to the person's chest, feeling arms around you keep you safe and warm. Your eyes flutter open softly, and you are greeted with Noah's neck tattoo. You lean your head back, your nose grazing Noah's chin. "Hi," you groggily say.

"Hi, sleepy head." You snuggle your face back into his chest, not wanting to end the moment. You felt secure and calm, like you could stay this way forever. Until you hear the door fling open, you don't raise your head to look afraid you might get pelted in the face with another dart.

"You did it!" Jolly squeals when he sees you wrapped up in Noah's body. "I'm claiming best man at the wedding!"

Noah's eyes widen in confusion, and he looks at Jolly with a puzzled expression. "What wedding?" He asks nervously.

Jolly stares at you wide-eyed and yells, "Ah Fuck!" before leaving the room and shutting the door quickly.

You smack your hand over your eyes, wishing you could just disappear. Your cheeks burn with embarrassment, and you contemplate getting up, walking to the front, getting on a plane, and never showing your face again.

Suddenly, Noah lightly pushes your shoulder and playfully smiles at you. "That was weird," he says. "Are you OK?" His eyes grow with concern as he realizes the color hasn't returned to your face.

You take in a deep breath and close your eyes. Your heart races with anticipation, and you feel sick to your stomach. But you quickly regain focus and open your eyes. "Is it THAT weird?" Noah's head tilts, eyebrows furrow together, and his voice laced with curiosity, "What do you mean?"

"The voice in my head is screaming not to tell you because I'm so fucking afraid of losing you, but I know…" you pause, trying to catch your breath. "I love you, Noah, but not just in a hey, I want to be your friend kind of way. It's been eating at me for a while now. I made the mistake of telling Jolly; that's why he said what he did."

Noah's mouth drops with surprise, and slowly, a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. "I know," he says softly. He presses his lips together, not sure what else to say. He wasn't completely oblivious. "That's it?" You nervously bite the inside of your cheek.

"Y/n, why do you think I treat you like I do? I knew there was something more, but I didn't want to push this on you. I'm gone a lot, and I can't always give you what you want and what you need." He reaches out, holding both of your hands with his.

"If you want to give me a shot, I'm ready, but don't want to disappoint you." He flashes his infamous smile at you. "I want to try. At least then when people ask if you're my girlfriend, I won't have to correct them." He nervously laughs, "Are you ready?"

You smirk and sit up on your knees, bringing your hands to his face and pressing your lips against his. You lean back, gazing into his eyes, a permanent smile plastered on your face. "Yes, I'm fucking ready!"

You hear Jolly's voice yell from the hallway. "The wedding's back on!"

You chuckle, and Noah pulls you into his lap, kissing your temple. "He really wasn't the best one to tell."

You shrug your shoulders, "It wasn't that bad…he did kinda make this happen…"

Noah looks at the door hearing someone lean against it; chuckling while throwing his legs over the side of the bed and making his way to the door. He quickly opens the door to reveal Jolly practically falling on his face.

"Dude…" Noah laughs. "What the fuck."

Jolly apologizes, "Sorry, sorry. I'm nosy, you know plus had to make sure little miss wasn't getting her heartbroken." He pauses and smiles at you.

"Well," you say with a grin, "I guess we can't blame him for being curious about our love life. After all, it's not every day that he gets to witness such a steamy romance." You wink at Noah.

Noah rolls his eyes playfully and pulls you closer. "Yeah, Jolly," he says with a smirk, "you're just jealous that you're not getting any action."

Jolly laughs and shakes his head. "You two are something else."

Tags:

@thisbicc @yumikitten @lma1986 @chemicallady

[harlowtales]

Chapter 4 - Final Revenge

Y/N gains the upper hand on well…everyone ❤️‍🔥 🎨

18+ Adult Themes - romance/drama/language

“Y/N I’m so glad you called I came right over” the bartender said. Last time you saw him he was trying to break you and Jack up, conspiring with Jack’s female friends. If everything was going to go according to plan to get back at them you had to reel him in.

“I missed you. After Jack and I broke up I…” you started to say.

“Yeah about that..” he attempted to say.

“Let’s not talk about all that. How are you? Class isn’t the same since we don’t sit near each other.” You said pretending to seem upset.

“What are saying Y/N? Do I finally have a shot?”

“You always did silly.” You joked sexily “Want to go to the Drake and Cole concert with me?”

“Do I! YES” he said excitedly

“Ok great it’s tonight. Meet me at the South entrance ok?” You said

“Awesome thanks Y/N. What will Jack say?” He asked

“Do I look like I care?” You said rolling your eyes. It worked. He was hooked.

Later that afternoon you met Jack to go for couples counselling.

“Y/N why are we here on the day of my show?” Jack complained “I should be at sound check.”

“You said this was important to you too.” You reminded him. Just then you got called into the office. The session was great for you to get a bunch of issues off your chest but Jack kept bouncing his left leg impatiently wanting it to be over to hit the arena.

“Could you have been anymore disinterested?” You said angrily as you both left the therapist’s office.

“Baby. I swear on a day when I don’t have to perform with my two god tier idols I’ll be fine.” Jack said pecking you on the cheek “Anyways is everything set for tonight?”

“Yup! All is going to plan.” You assured him

“Make sure nothing really happens. I’ll knock him dafuq out.” Jack said furrowing his brow.

“What about on your end?” You asked him and he seemed less sure. “Jack?”

“I think they think what they’re supposed to think.” He said a bit cautiously.

“This was your idea so don’t fuck it up or no happy life with happy wife.” You threatened. “I will not marry you and be terrorized by those little obnoxious cunts.”

“Damn baby tell me how you really feel.” Jack laughed

A line up around the block was starting to form. Jack quickly ran through soundcheck with Drake and you were waiting for your bartender friend at the south entrance.

On his way the bartender texted the girls in the chat.

Operation Get The Bag Chat 💬 🤑🤑🤑

Bartender: “I think I’m in. Y/N and Jack are super done. I’m meeting up with her right now and we’ll be together in Jack’s face!”

Girl #1: Amazing. Of course we’ll be in Jack’s section. I’m all dolled up. If not Jack then Drake or Cole ☺️

Girl#2: Cole is married. Like super married 💍

Girl#3: Yeah we know. Sugar Daddy is the aim 🍭🙌🏽

Girl#1: K I’m here. Let’s enjoy the fruits of our labour ladies! We did it!! Jack and Y/N are done and now it’s may the best woman win…by best I mean me…respectfully.

Bartender: Well I got Y/N that’s all I ever wanted 🥹

Girl#3: You can have Y/N she is too much all up in her little corner studying at parties. Girl is a joke. Jack is a star. He needs to be with someone like me to match his shine ✨She always dressed like a nun.

Bartender: Well you don’t have to show everything all the time. Men like a little mystery.

Girl#1: Remind me to exit you from this chat when our mission is complete cuz you too slow to be in here 🙄 See y’all in 10mins.

Girl#2: I’m already backstage! I just met Drake and Jack invited us to the afterparty of course. It’s at 21C! I hope you know we could snag a billionaire tonight ladies! Jack is fine but he small time 😒

Girl#1: Yeah we been knowing Jack. Time to level up ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️

You connected with your bartender friend and headed into the show. You walked by all the girls in Jack’s section who just looked you up and down and laughed at you because you were on the crowd side of the barricade. They thought they were in and you were out. One of them was holding Pups and that really hurt.

As Drake and Cole came out they had to act like they didn’t know you or see you in the crowd. The bartender stood behind you in a boyfriend stance for a lot Drake’s love songs. Jack had to not show he was losing his mind. He went into the green room to let out his negative energy with Urban calming him down.

“Fuck! He’s standing right behind Y/N with his hands on her hips!” Jack fumed.

“Remember it’s all worth it to teach these bitches a lesson.” Urban reasoned. “Besides you’re up soon. You gotta get it together.”

Jack got his head back in the game. He put his earpieces in, grabbed his mic, and walked the hallway to the stage where he would walk out. He saw Y/N in the front and the bartender cozied up to her. He looked past them out in the crowd and everyone was whispering about her being there with another guy and Jack pretending not to notice. This was definitely going to be on Instagram in about 10 more minutes if it wasn’t already. The girls backstage were eyeing the whole situation delighted.

“Poor baby Y/N. Jack hasn’t even looked at her.” One of them said sarcastically.

Y/N decided to have a little fun and piss Jack off. He hadn’t always been faithful so she had some fun and got back at Jack too. She threw her ass back on the bartender and twerked into him as he held his own and stood behind her with a big smile on his face. Jack’s face was red as he seethed with anger as he rapped his part of Churchill Downs. He shot several looks their way and was resisting the urge to jump into the crowd and beat down the bartender. The girl’s in Jack’s section backstage noticed he was getting angry.

“Guess Jack is still jealous.” They scoffed. “She definitely isn’t invited to the afterparty after that behaviour.

After the show, Y/N and bartender slipped out to head to the afterparty. The bartender texted the girls to say they were in fact going that according to Y/N Jack said it was only fair since she did so much work with Drake and Cole’s teams. There was a couple hours before the afterparty would go down.

“That was so fun! Did you see Jack’s face!?” You giggled

“Bro wanted to kill me!” The bartender said laughing

“Let’s grab something to eat.” You suggested“Quidoba or Indis?”

“Imma go Indis” He said “Y/N I…Ummm…I’m having a good time.”

“You know what? Me too.” You said because honestly you were. It was kind of nice to not have the pressure of being Jack’s girl and enjoying a show like a fan. Just then you got a text from Drake.

“Baby girl I better see you later.” He said

Then Cole hit you up. “Thanks for everything. I don’t do after parties. I’m headed back to the fam. We gotta talk about your art tho. You mad talented.

“OMG. Cole wants to talk about my art.” You gasped.

“That’s dope!” The bartender exclaimed “You deserve it Y/N”

You started to feel bad playing this game with him as you could see he really liked you. “Look, I need to let you know. I love Jack. I am in love with Jack.” You said

“You think I don’t know that.” He said “I see it, but I was a winner tonight.”

You took a selfie together and he posted it to IG immediately. This set the internet on fire. The Shade Room reported breaking news that you and Jack were over. Had this little charade for a little clap back gone too far?

Jack texted. “You taking this too far Y/N.”

“Relax it was just dancing.” You replied

“Maybe for you but dude was all up on your ass.” Jack spat back. “Fuck that guy, and now this fucking selfie?”

“Cole wants to talk about my art!” You texted in excitement.

“Dope.” Jack said flatly as he was so mad he could barely control it, but his short answer made your heart sink.

“What’s wrong?” The bartender asked concerned

“Nothing. You ready?” You said. Jack and the girls had to be taught a lesson.

All the girls and Jack’s crew arrived and took their spot in the party. It was in a private suite at the 21C Hotel. Jack was friends with the eccentric owner of the art themed hotel. Jack had a surprise for you. The owner was to unveil a collection of your work at the party. There was a special exhibition under black drapery. When you and the bartender arrived Jack couldn’t wait to talk to you. It was worrying him that this whole situation was getting out of hand.

“Meet me in the bathroom.” He texted you.

“I have to run to the bathroom.” You said to the bartender and excused yourself. Jack was waiting for you and quickly locked the door.

He pressed you into the door and kissed you hard and deep. “Remember who you belong to Y/N” he said breathlessly

“Jack stop.” You said “It’s just a game remember?”

“Is it?” He asked quizzically “You sure it’s just about the girls?”

“Of course.” You lied “Besides it’s kinda nice to have someone crush on you so hard.”

“I am your man. Don’t forget that.” Jack said firmly

“Oh like how you seemed to forget sometimes that I am your girl?” You shot back

“Y/N…that’s not me anymore. You have to believe that.” Jack begged.

“I will when those bitches are put in their place. Especially the one you were with.” The pain in your voice was still at the surface.

“I will do anything for you.” Jack said “Anything…just say yes to me.”

You walked back out into the party. The bartender had a drink waiting for you with a smile and put his arm around you. Jack sure was getting a taste of his own medicine and it hurt like hell looking at you with another guy. You felt his intense gaze on you and leaned into the Bartender sexily flirting and laughing at nothing. He realized now more than ever he would never be the same if you left him. How could he ever criticize you for not wanting to hang out with those girls especially when he had cheated with one of them. Sure you guys were on a break and he was high but it was no excuse. Then there was a couple on the road. He was determined to do right by you.

The girls were working the room trying to see which eligible bachelor they could latch onto. One of them was trying to get Drake into her, but he was interested in catching up with you. “What’s up with you and Jack.” Drake asked you.

“Oh you noticed?” You asked him.

“Yeah of course. I thought this was going to be some fun little game to get back at some chicks, but my man looks devastated.” Drake said motioning over to Jack.

“Jack and I are…figuring things out.” You offered vaguely.

“Y/N he loves you.” Drake said plainly “Don’t ever doubt that.” Drake left you speechless as he went to continue mingling and settle behind the DJ booth.

“Can I get everyone’s attention please.” Jack announced “We got something special for someone special. Raise your glasses for a toast to someone I can’t say enough about. She is my reason for getting up in the morning. My life has never been the same.”

One of the girls that Jack had been with on Y/N was getting ready to receive her praise. She started walking towards him to stand beside him.

“Y/N if you can come to the front please.” Jack said stopping the girl in her tracks in embarrassment. Her friends were all looking around in shock. Everyone thought Jack and Y/N were over.

You made your way to stand beside Jack. “Y/N the 21C wants to unveil this exhibit of your art.” With a cue to drop the drapery a beautifully curated exhibit of your paintings was revealed. The owner of the 21C shook your hand and the room erupted in applause as camera’s flashed.

“Jack I…Ummm. Thank You so much.” You said “How did this happen?”

“We loved your work so much we bought the whole collection.” The owner said “Congrats”

“Jack OMG!!” You exclaimed, hugging and kissing him. The girls drew gasps of horror. What was happening? This was not according to their plans.

“Oh one more thing.” Jack continued “I want to talk about friendship for a sec. There’s some real ones here tonight, and some not so real ones.” The crowd started murmuring and looking around as if trying to identify who Jack was about to put on blast.

“Some people found it in their best interest to break me and Y/N up. Well I’m here to say, Y/N, I’ve asked you now at least 20 times. Will you marry me?”

Urban led the puppy out on a her pink diamond fancy leash for special occasions with the engagement ring around its neck. “Awwww” the crowd said to the cute scene. Jack took the ring from the puppy and went down on one knee as had done almost every other day since you ran out of the barn crying refusing to say yes.

“I’ll get rid of those girls over there and do all the counselling you want, even if there’s a soccer game on.” He said

“Whoah you doing too much now.” Urban said at Jack’s soccer comment.

Jack pointed out the girls who were trying to shrink away and hide their faces. “Actually security can you escort them out so we can enjoy the party?” To his orders they were promptly removed and humiliated as it was live streamed.

“Yes Jack.” You said calmly as now it finally felt right. “Yes. I will marry you.” Jack was ecstatic. He picked you up and twirled you around and planted a long kiss on you.

Your bartender friend smiled at the whole scene. He knew Jack was your whole world. He didn’t tell you but right after graduation he was leaving town for an internship at a gallery in New York. He had wishes you would consider leaving with him, but he could see there was no way you were leaving Jack. He had no plans of playing second fiddle to Jack and was just grateful for the time he had with you. He decided to leave quietly and exit from the group chat with the girls who had taken to IG and Twitter to launch a smear campaign against Jack that he knew would be coming.

TMZ breaking news⁉️: Jack Harlow Proposes to Ex GF in Same Night She Shows Up at Concert With New BF!

“Mom!” Jack said as he called his mom to tell her the good news

“Oh hey hunny! Congratulations!” His mom said

“Thanks Mom.” Jack said

“I’m so happy I’m finally going to be a grandmother.” She said

“What? No, Y/ N said yes.” Jack said confused

“Oh yeah yeah that’s what I meant.” His mom back tracked.

“Mom?” Jack questioned “Is Y/N pregnant?”

“Well maybe… well yeah. We did a home test. Sorry hunny you weren’t supposed to know until we took her to a doctor. She came to us to tell us and let us know seeing as you broke up she didn’t want it. Hunny we had to talk her out of not having it” She said. “We were so hoping and suggesting you get married because your grandmother doesn’t want you having this child out of wedlock. Y/N is the daughter I never had. To see her in such distress…I had to help her and keep her secret.”

“It’s ok mom. I understand. Thanks for being there for my girl.” Jack thanked her.

“Y/N” Jack turned to you. “Why are you drinking ginger ale in a champagne glass?”

“Just tryna stay sober like my man.” You said snuggling up to him.

Jack took a better look at you and noticed a slight curve in your stomach. He was over the moon inside. He hugged you from behind and rubbed your tummy.

“Boy or a girl?” He said in your ear.

“How do you know?” You said shocked

“Should’ve made my mom sign an NDA” he said

“Ah shit” You groaned

“Congrats dog.” Drake came up to Jack and patted him on the back. You ready for all this? Marriage…kids”

“Drake knew?” Jack said incredulously

“Duh we’re besties.” Drake said rolling his eyes

“Don’t roll your eyes like that. I have PTSD from those bitches.” You said laughing.

Drake said “I have PTSD from one of them trying to rap for me.”

@itsyagirljaz @ride4harlow @okaaay-mice

[sanshofox]

Ok, so after a lot of going through the lore again to remember all kinds of dragon age facts (because let’s be honest…it’s a huge and complex kinda lore with lots of details and also lots of riddles) and watching/reading lore theory stuff, I guess I kinda have my idea that is the course of events, what caused solas to create the veil. So please skip if you consider this as kind of a spoiler. I try to keep it as short as possible.

How red lyrium came to be is still unknown. If artificial or natural is a big secret, but we know that there is the abyss or void where it lingers and the forgotten gods are kept. It never came into touch with the outside world until the elvhen gods (old gods) started to meddle with it.

The elvhen gods were always described as smth pristine and sophisticated, but throughout the games you see and read stuff that predicts otherwise. Could it be that the red lyrium corrupted them over a long time and then made them hunger for more power (as described in inquisition and also a description that as an example fits i.e. for meredith and her red lyrium corruption)?

My guess that it all started with ghilannain becoming part of the pantheon through relations with andruil. She is too often mentioned in inquisition and content outside the video game series as to not be an important key part in what transpired. She is a scientist of sorts, creating all sorts of new stuff and when you read through codex entries, the book „tevinter nights“ or look at the murals in inquisition and other tidbits in DLCs it sounds more like she was a mad scientist without morals or ethics, creating various monsters and thirsting for more. Murals showing creatures and elvhen slaves in red colors being transported to what is assumed: ghilannain. What if she needed red lyrium for her experiments? There is a dwarf in the games that says that through red lyrium he created his best weapons. But did she start it or get corrupted first?

We know of a story within the games that andruil hunted for the forgotten ones in the void and came back crazier each time. Got an armor made from parts of the void (red lyrium of course) and brought plague to her lands. The other gods started to fear her, so mythal ambushed her and took her powers and knowledge where to find the void and peace came back. But did andruil enter the void just for the hunt? Or did she bring ghilannain some from one of her journeys as a gift? Doesn’t matter how but both were close to each other and it somehow transferred, driving ghilannain slowly insane.

Two other elvhen gods often mentioned outside of andruil and ghilannain are dirthamen and falondin. Dirthamen depicted with what seems to be ghilannain in some murals. Dirthamen also being the twin to falondin. So maybe a accidental chain reaction in corrupting them. Solas doesn’t speak kindly of neither of them. So we can assume that these four were involved in mythal‘s killing, as solas said „hungry for other elvhen gods‘ power“, due to red lyrium infection. But why did mythal get rid of andruil‘s power, but not ghilannain‘s then? It was mentioned that ghilannain lived far apart from other elvhen and deep underground. I guess that is how she and her corruption managed to go unnoticed for long. Killing mythal was described as smth like treachery and an order. So maybe one day ghilannain was under suspicion and she in her paranoia ordered mythal’s death (by presumably dirthamen?). Or these four corrupted elvhen gods conspired together.

Then we all know what happened: Solas acted out of revenge and created the veil. But what if solas caused the true red lyrium blight? Ancient texts and murals show elvhen and/or elvhen slaves fighting a war in times of the elvhen pantheon. If Solas alone fought with an army against the elvhen gods to be free of their tyranny he wouldn’t have a chance. So what if mythal once told him of the void and he up and used red lyrium as a weapon himself against them to have a chance(that for example could be for one why he created the red lyrium idol??)? Causing a wide field of corruption. Him realizing what is actually happening and then closing off the rest of thedas from this corrupted area by creating the veil. We have three different scenes in inquisition indicating this:

1. cole questioning solas wanting to do the right thing and not knowing and solas acknowledging this sadly like „I was young and stupid“

2. corypheus saying to the inquisitor that there was no golden city but instead only corruption and emptyness

3. solas apologizing to mythal/flemmeth saying smth of the sorts of „I slumbered for too long and now it can‘t be contained anymore“ As if he knew of the blight and wanted to wake up earlier to have more time to find a solution

My guess for it to get this far is, because of their powers it took longer for the elvhen „gods“ to be corrupted so they couldn’t and, ultimately when fully corrupted, wouldn’t realize what red lyrium entails. It was talked about more than once in dragon age lore that dragon blood cured someone from blight. But when we see corypheus‘s dragon or the archdemons it can still happen, but lower. Which also would explain why yavana protects and raises dragons (also her needing alistairs blood to raise them because maric‘s bloodline has dragon blood in it because of some historical figure. So alistair killing yavana may have fucked up the cure for the future.)

In their hubris they thought it would be just another tool to serve them. From all we know red lyrium was smth unknown in that time.

[schlattslonghairytoes]

chapter five

real life!

talia

I haven't even been here for a full day and I've been grocery shopping two times. everyone wants to film a youtube video before the misfits party tomorrow so they sent me to get all the food for the video, 'swell as more food for the house

im still thinking about me and schlatts conversation last night, I feel like I fell right back into what we used to be, its like my mind is forgetting how bad he hurt me, betrayed me even, and it seems like he doesn't even feel bad, or remember it ever happened.

ugh he makes me feel like im going crazy. when I get to the store I get out and look for a cart, cooper is going to text me the list so I can get everything.

iMessage!

coopdawg🐶

hi taliiii

ok so heres the list

gummy bears (for me)

flour

sticks

lots of butter

apples

carrots 

eggs

steak

string

lettuce

and

milk

thats it!😄

ok sounds good

you sure that's everything?

yup!

it wasn't everything. I had to go back and forth to the grocery store three times. im so done already. when I finally get back to the house with everything I call everyone down to get the stuff, I am not carrying all that in. a mister schlatt comes running out the door.

"I am here my lady where are the bags?" he was never good at British accents. "its all in the back." I respond. schlatt goes to grab the bags when the rest of the boys come filing out of the house, so I leave them to get the bags.

I walk back inside and settle on the couch so they can start setting up and filming, I also have to make a cake that looks like the Minecraft one later so I decide to just rest for a bit. im barely listening when they start the video

that is until ted walks over to me with a apple covered in butter and tells me "talia your health is going down fast, you need this apple to replenish your hearts" he yells. "im ok, let me go ted it will be ok" I say dramatically falling off the couch 

"NO" Charlie screams running across the living room, "talia we need you to eat the apple, please we need someone to do the dishes!" he holds his hand on his heart. I was so close to hitting him when schlatt pipes up "is that a misogyny?" and I loose it.

im not really In the rest of the video till the very end when they finish their "cake" or whatever they want to call that. when I come out with a cake that actually looks like it could be in Minecraft and place it infront of schlatt like ted told me to.

ted hands me the camera and walks behind schlatt, "hey why don't you try this cake talia made." ted puts his hand on schlatts shoulder and whispers in his ear before staring into the camera looking like flynn rider. "this actually looks kinda good, fine ill try it." schlatt says.

but before he can even try it ted shoves schlatts head into the cake as hard as he can. as you can guess, schlatt was not very happy about that so I had to film schlatt throwing ted in the pool, and he even tried to get me to go in.

"do you wanna join him talia, you two were conspiring against me weren't you!" he walks toward the camera. "no! I swear ted didn't even tell me, schlatt stop!" and I start running, and schlatt kept chasing me for 5 minutes, no joke.

at the end of the video, there is a montage of him chasing me around the house to the fucking scooby doo music, taken by charlie I believe. I ran into my room and locked the door, but my dumbass forgot that our bathrooms connected. long story short, I ended up in the pool, but hey, so did schlatt

once we both dried off we kinda just sat outside on the chairs, in silence. it was nice, I thought more about the boy next to me, he made it hard for me to think with him so close, I wish nothing ever changed, I really wish our friendship stayed the same

"lets go inside" he walked me to my room, I said thank you before opening my door into my room, walking to my bed, and face planting on my pillow. I wasn't ready to be this close to him.

the next day!

twitter!

talia😩      @taliatalks4ever

ya'll ever get high off that za🍃

💬736       ♻️92     🤍12,386

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@jjshlatty

no I am a holy man of god, I would never smoke the devils lettuce out of respect for my creator and his beliefs, watch out the hand of god will strike you down.

                  reply:

                  @taliatalks4ever

                           this u?

@user8214673

can u share? my dealer died.

real life!

third person

schlatt and talia sat in their respective rooms, getting ready for the misfits party tonight. they both had the other on their mind, schlatt more then talia.

talia asked hansum for a joint and he graciously said yes, so there she was smoking weed while listening to tyler the creator, getting ready for tonight. she hadn't hooked up with anyone in a while, not because no one wanted to, because she didn't want to. no one was up to her standards

only one man had ever been and he broke her heart, so she strayed away from hook ups and situationships. she wasn't willing to put herself through that, so she didn't. with one exception. 

when she was high she didn't care, anyone was good enough, whatever eased the pain of her heart a little bit more.

schlatt on the other hand, was the opposite, throughout high school he ran through girls everyday, hooking up but never anything more, it never went beyond that. at parties he only got with people drunk.

now he's too scared to repeat the mistake he made in high school, being too drunk and stupid.

he just wanted a drink and to observe, something most people don't know about schlatt, is he wanted to be a phycologist before the youtube stuff happened, his passion was helping others with their troubles, even if he couldn't solve his own. 

so now at most parties he sat, quietly, observing who liked who, who hated who, anything he could do to learn more about others, so that was his plan, a glass of whiskey and a comfy bean bag.

the party started in an hour and was roughly forty minutes away at the misfit house. the crew were splitting up into two cars, as there were only two designated drivers. Charlie and their cameraman max. it would be ted, maddie, charlie, talia and schlatt in one car, and max, hansum, cooper, travis and noah in the other car.

when the time came everyone got into their designated cars and they began the drive

real life!

schlatt's pov

we got in the car, me ted and maddie in the back and charlie and talia in the front. I had called shotgun but I remembered talia gets extremely car sick so I let her have this one. "who's on aux?" talia turned around and looked at me with her eyes hooded and one brow raised, Jesus she was baked, but she still looked beautiful.

"ill hop on it" ted grabbed the charger and plugged in his phone. "that's what she said." talia laughed before starting to cough hysterically. "you good?" I wrap my hand around the seat and pat her back.

"im good I swear, god I need some air." she rolls down her window and "she" by Tyler the creator starts playing. "hey take some insta pics for me" talia says before laying her head out the window and laughing. 

I lean out my window and take pictures of her laughing with the wind blowing through her hair. eventually she put her head back in the car and I sent her the pictures. I took really good ones, I was always her photographer.

"jay please tell me you got my good side, that angle is gonna make me look fat." talia lifted the phone from my hands and started to look through the pictures I took. I don't think she was overly pleased with them all being of my face. "god you suck." she laughs

"love you too." but she didn't know I meant it.

real life!

talia

we arrived at the party and I hear Disturbia by Rihanna blasting through the ceiling speakers, and my inner slut is clawing at the bars containing it. we all head over to where everyone else is and from what I can see (and smell) everyone here is already wasted and high.

I see schlatt go over to a girl in a corner and I roll my eyes, such a whore. tonight was not ment for me to mope around, anything me and schlatt might of had in the past, is done.

our lips moved at a feverous pace, hands exploring each other like never before. smoke lingering from our forgotten blunts, his mouth moving down to my neck and planting itself there. I grab his shirt and stretch it over his head, I slide my hands to his hair and tug lightly.

"fuck talia" he whimpers into my neck

a chill runs down my spine, remembering our moments together was not a pleasant memory, it was time to forget.

[unecoccinellenoire]

I wish you would write a fic where Nathalie doesn't want history repeating and so gives relationship advice.

answering this over a year late because the special gave me some feelings about this: It’s painful to watch how Marinette’s mask drops the moment Adrien leaves the room; the girl’s smile fading, her shoulders sagging. Nathalie’s can almost feel the loss of the phantom weight of the person Marinette’s meant to be slipping off her but not without threatening to draw her to the floor on in exhaustion on her way.

She’d used to do that with Gabriel after all.

She sighs.

Relationships are hardly her area of expertise. When Adrien tries to ask for her advise she feels like a computer failing to find a file that supposed to be there. Nathalie has no idea full stop what a healthy happy relationship is supposed to look like.

But between herself, Gabriel and Emilie she has a pretty good idea of how it shouldn’t go, and if she’s supposed to be worthy of pretending to be Adrien’s mother, and of unearned freedom her former enemy turned conspirator of his happiness has granted her then she should say something.

Marinette, always so alert to any issue that might need fixing, even when she’s not Ladybug and it’s not her job to do so is looking at her now. A peril of shedding part of her own persona around her too.

Most even. Perhaps more than even Gabriel had seen. But that’s not the point.

The point is. "You shouldn't always put Adrien first."

Marinette frowns a little. "OK. Um. What are you talking about? Because if this is about his fa-"

"It’s not that.” She’s still not convinced what they’ve done there is quite right, but then Marinette does know Adrien better, know how to make him happier, than Nathalie does for all she’s known him a fraction of the time she has. “Earlier. That girl makes you uncomfortable. Why don't you just tell Adrien that rather than just pretending she doesn't and going alone with it all?"

She thinks about it. Nathalie can give her that much credit. Can see that same deliberation she’d seen on Ladybug’s face each time the heroine had called her Lucky Charm.

But then Marinette looks at Nathalie like she’s one of those additional heroes of hers, like she’s her friend and the superheroine is replaced with a teenage girl.

"Wouldn't that be," She gestures awkwardly, "overreacting? And being too clingy? Adrien loves me.” Her tempo seems to somehow increase on every word, before it slows with a “Right. Adrien loves me so I need to just calm down and not be so territorial, it’s not like everyone wants him anyway, I mean they should but-"

It’s somehow sounds less convincing than Gabriel’s speeches and Nathalie’s lost enough of her life to those.

She interrupts. "Is that you talking or something you've been told?"

Marinette’s jaw dropped as if affronted by this,  when she wasn’t by the former enemy she keeps on tight lead daring to comment on love life in the first place. "Alya cares about me- and she's always been my number one supporter when it comes to Adrien."

"I'm sure she does. And that she is. And I don't know you the way your friend does.” She has no interest in meddling in whatever support system Marinette has to manage to be the talented schoolgirl dating the famous tragically orphaned model, the hero of Paris, and the Guardian of powers that could change the world. Relying only on Nathalie is a recipe for disaster. Events have proved that. Nor is it that she can’t see why this Alya might have said it. “And you can be a little given to..."

"To what?"

"You're not the most,” she struggles over the word aware her response is being waited on, but unwilling to offend her and get this chance. “moderate of people Marinette. That's not a bad thing. But your friend might have been saying just the right thing in the circumstances if she was trying to help you calm down. Gods know I wish I-” but, “it doesn't matter. My point is you don't need to worry about this girl, Alya was right. Adrien does love you. But that doesn't mean that you can't tell him how she makes you feel. Especially as- it's not just jealousy is it?"

"It's not. I get this- feeling. I can't explain it. I know it sounds crazy but I feel like she's being drawn to put attention somehow, like my Miraculous is picking her out for me to pay attention to like a Lucky Charm. But that’s not how that even works. And it’s not like I’ve never seen threats that weren’t there before."

Her heart sinks at the confirmation she’s not seeing things there but she pushes herself to maintain her calm tone. "I think you sound crazy. Not at all. Maybe I should look more into her."

The gratefulness in Marinette’s “Could you?” scratches at the wound that is Nathalie’s heart.

Neither Ladybug nor someone who loves Adrien should be grateful to her.

Especially when it’s really nothing. Not when. “I’d be remiss not to. Not if she could be a threat to Adrien.”

“So Adrien is your priority?”

“Did you doubt it?” She allows herself the slightest frown to underline her point. “If it wasn’t for Adrien I’d have turned myself in. You know that. You convinced me of that.”

“I know but- Oh! That’s why you told me to tell Adrien. Because you knew that he needed to know and-“

“That’s a reason for him to know. That’s not why I said it.” She clasps her hands behind her back, digs her nails into her fingers and with a deep breath forces herself to get to the meat of the matter. “…what you said down there about wishing you’d sacrificed yourself for Adrien so he’d still have his father.”

“I know you two fell out.  And I know he made the wrong choices and stopped putting Adrien first but there was good in him. I know it. I saw the regret in his eyes- and and he defeated me! He could have made any wish he wanted to! Have reshaped all of reality and instead he chose to save you.”

The worst of it is that Nathalie can tell she means it. That she believes what she’s saying- believes what Gabriel had said. And she feels sorry for Nathalie for not having seen Gabriel’s last actions.

“Gabriel’s choices- what sort of man he was in the end isn’t the point here. I don’t want to debate that with you anyway,” now when that could mean admitting that a selfish part of her would prefer for her prior belief in Gabriel to have been wholly misplaced than for a girl he barely knew apart from as an unfavoured girlfriend for his son to have been able to reach him when she, his confidante of years, couldn’t, “but the point is that doesn’t matter. Gabriel could have been the best father in the world and that doesn’t mean that you should have considered sacrificing yourself just to give Adrien a father.”

“But…I- maybe I’ve given you the wrong impression. Being Ladybug is hard, but I’m not looking for a way out. I’m not suicidal or anything. I just want what’s best for Adrien.”

Nathalie winces. “You sound like me. That’s not a good thing.”

Marinette has more to live for than her. She can easily see the girl not resigning herself to losing her live like she had. She can see her fighting for not just her life but what she wants for herself like Nathalie never had. She can also easily see her throwing herself in front of Adrien to prevent his doom.

She looks up at Nathalie, a confused little line between her brows. “I don’t understand.”

“Why do you think I became Mayura?”

“Oh.”  It’s a quieter one than her exclamation earlier. But from her too-wide eyes no less consequential a realisation.

Nathalie wonders sort of relationship exactly had the girl had thought she and Gabriel had. Probably not the one they did anyway.

And it’s not any of Marinette’s business really, certainly not something she wants to talk about to someone who despite everything she is and has done as Ladybug is after all not even old enough to have started lycée yet.

But there are certain blanks she should fill in for her.

“I knew the price of the Wish you know. I was ready to die for him if that’s what it took to make him happy.” It’s oddly freeing to admit it. To finally say what neither she nor Gabriel had ever dared to say out loud. He must have known after all, between what she had said and that Miraculous on his chest. Stupid of her to have even thought otherwise when “And in the end- in the end Gabriel didn’t vindicate that devotion. But I think- I booked Adrien into therapy you know. He doesn’t talk about it to me. But he gives me worksheets. I think he knows I need it too.”

Once again her enemy offers her pity and tries to help someone who as far as she knows had never done anything for her. “Maybe you should go too then?”

“Oh Marinette. With my crimes? I’m not sure I need a therapist. I need a priest. But regardless I’ve read enough to realise that… how I felt. No. How I acted on my feelings for Gabriel did neither of us any good. Perhaps if I’d valued myself as much as I did him all of this could have turned out differently and Adrien would still have a father. A better father. But I didn’t. And you’re better person than me. And Adrien is a better person than his father. And that’s why you deserve to have a healthier relationship than us. And that means not making my mistakes.”

“I just want him to be happy.” Marinette chews at her lip.

Nathalie wishes she wasn’t laying another burden on the girl’s small shoulders even if it was for her own good. “And that’s admirable. But it shouldn’t be at the cost of yourself. Adrien has no idea what a healthy relationship looks like. How can he?”

“His parents-“

She stops her. “You saw what Gabriel did to Paris when Emilie died. Is that what you want to become?”

“I thought it was you you didn’t want me to be like.” There’s a challenge underneath her words there. She doesn’t want to admit Nathalie has a point.

But that’s an attempted attacked. Nathalie has an easy answer to. “There’s no one in this household you should emulate.”

Marinette bristles again. Her posture straightens. “Are you going to try to convince me to tell Adrien again?”

Nathalie can feel the firm line her lips press into. It’s not a conversation she thinks she can win, and she’s not even sure that ethically she ought to. Marinette’s the good person here, it shouldn’t be Mayura having misgivings here. But still, “We should at least tell him what he is.”

It feels like a fair compromise. It’s the important part surely.

And indeed Marinette seems to soften a little.

Nathalie wishes it didn’t remind her of had Gabriel had on occasion when she’d tried to  argue his son’s case to him.

“Maybe.” Marinette says. “You have a point. And it would fit with Monarch threatening his father.” A pause. “Do you really think I’m like him?”

“In many ways.” She admits. It would be pointless to do otherwise when there’s such obvious parallels that sometimes she thinks fate or some wielder of the Rabbit Miraculous must be laughing at them. “But that doesn’t mean you have to make his mistakes. Especially as in other more important whys you’re not like him at all. And yes, in some ways you’re like me. And I don’t want you to make my mistakes.”

“Sometimes I think mistakes are all I make. I decided Gabriel Agreste wasn’t Hawk Moth. I gave Félix a Miraculous because I wanted Adrien by my side, and I lost the entire Miracle box! I let my guard down at the wrong time and let Monarch make the wish. I lost the Butterfly Miraculous!”

She’s surprised at the ache in her chest. Many things catch on the scabs attempting to form there but seeing other people hurt doesn’t usually affect Nathalie the way it does other people unless it’s someone she’s had the time to grow close to. There’s someone missing inside her, the very powers of her Miraculous seeming like another ironic joke of some omnipotent deity.

Just like it shouldn’t be her trying to comfort Marinette. She’s barely able to comfort Adrien. She’s not even sure she’d helped Gabriel these days.

But somehow she’s the only person Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien’s girlfriend, Ladybug, has right now.

“Marinette…most of those things were weren’t things you did. Félix chose to betray you and trade with Gabriel instead. Gabriel chose to be Hawk Moth, and then fought you over the Miraculous even as he was dying. Whoever has Nooroo now- they stole the Butterfly Miraculous while you were concentrating on saving the world. And you managed to something find the Gabriel I knew once inside Monarch and bring him back to the surface. I was frightened enough of the Wish he’d make that I thought both our deaths was the only- was the better option. You- I don’t know if he saw his love for Emilie in yours for Adrien or what, but somehow you reached him. Yes, he made his Wish but there was no casualty. No one suffered from it. It just saved me.”

For all she doubted his motives were wholly selfless the fact of the matter did remain that. He might not have been what she’d loved once but when he died he hadn’t been the monster she’d seen at the end either.

“There was a casualty.” Marinette’s voice is quiet but firm.

Nathalie barely manages to stifle her impulse to blink in susprise. “What?”

“There was a casualty. Adrien’s father. He gave his life for yours.”

“Gabriel was dying anyway. We both know that.” In all honestly Nathalie was surprised his trade had even worked. It hardly seemed like an equal exchange to trade two deaths for one. But maybe this combined creature Marinette had spoken of followed exact rules rather than principles and Gabriel had just taken on her illness too or some similar work around. “And, by the way I don’t recommend following that example of Gabriel’s either.”

“What?”

“Don’t sacrifice yourself for Adrien. He isn’t me. You’re not Gabriel. And your relationship isn’t ours.” They had an actual romantic relationship for a start. “He wouldn’t live through it. And too many people in his life have sacrificed themselves already.”

Emilie for his existence. Nathalie had attempted it for his happiness. Even Gabriel had done so from a certain point of view.

Marinette expelled air from her nose in irritation, but then the girl conceded in a way Gabriel never had. “You’re right.”

Then she shock her head and added, “I just wish I could convince Chat Noir of the same thing.”

[sodalitefully]

Ok, Slash has already said in interviews that his blues album is going to feature guest singers, like his 2010 solo album did. So before we hear anything about the official lineup, let me get my predictions out for the guest artists:

Demi Lovato was confirmed a guest singer after Slash appeared on a single they released last year.

Duff McKagan and Slash have been appearing on each other's solo projects for years, including Duff's 2023 album Lighthouse, so I'd say he's a top contender — though not as a singer of course.

My personal long-shot dream pick is Marc LaBelle of Dirty Honey. Slash called on Marc to sing on a cover of Mississippi Queen he did for a tribute album in 2022, and I think he'd be perfectly suited to a blues track. Slash had some lesser-known guests on his 2010 album, so I think there's definitely a chance.

Guest appearances tend to be a scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-yours situation, so anyone Slash has worked with in the past few years is fair game:

Tom Morello (2020) — though known for his RATM sound, I wouldn't put it past him to branch into other genres

Black Pumas (2021) — honestly I know nothing about them

Michael Monroe (2022) — Hanoi Rocks frontman whom Slash has collaborated with before

Ian Hunter (2023) — former Mott The Hoople singer

Chris Jansen (2023) — country artist, maybe a likely guest?

The Dandy Warhols (2024) — reportedly they reached out to Slash, so not likely guests imo, especially given the late timing

Though this isn't an SMKC album, it's entirely possible that Slash's current bandmates could be involved in some capacity. Singer Myles Kennedy has dabbled in blues rock before, and Slash clearly works well with the Conspirators — though I also wouldn't be surprised if he put together an entirely new studio band with a blues sound in mind, the way he assembled SMKC to be a hard rock band.

And of course, there's a chance that any of his Guns N Roses bandmates could be involved...

[quinloki]

Welcome to today’s ’what’s been rattling around in my brain’

Bc I think I have you to thank/blame for this but I can’t remember, it’s mafia Marco tho so….. close enough…..

Ok so picture this. Bodyguard Marco right, but he’s actually from an opposing family being your bodyguard bc his actual face is relatively unknown. I’m thinking devil fruits still are a thing and he normally just shows up as the phoenix, or works on the backend healing people Izou is torturing for info (WHY IS THAT HOT I WILL UNPACK THAT IN THERAPY SOMEDAY)

Anyways! Your family is up and coming and keep getting in the way, and they find out about a bodyguard posting for the boss’ kid. Marco’s got some fake (or real) documents of some like, ex military combat doctor stuff and some letters of recommendation from like idk shanks Or something so he’s an easy pick. And he’s good at the job, not the least bit weird or overbearing. Polite. Never complains about where you wanna go or what you wanna do, just taking in any info he can.

And then dun dun dun arranged marriage for combining families but the person you’re supposed to marry is the worst. Like gross disgusting. And as the wedding approaches Marco realizes that well, he’s gonna be out of an info source anyways once you marry, so maybe the jig is up. But he’s gotten fond of you, and maybe at this point they have enough to totally sink your family. But he doesn’t want you to come to any harm! So he slips a little something into your food and out you go while he takes you back to his family.

And like damn at first it’s like red flag omg creepy you just got kidnapped but then you realize…: well now you don’t have to marry that icky guy, and Marco isn’t a bad person …. You’re given more freedom to come and go here too, without constantly being under your father’s control so maybe it’s not so bad…. And really Marco is so sweet and a much better match than that other guy anyways. And he did this for you after all, bc he couldn’t let anyone else have something he wanted

>.>

(WHERE DO I SIGN UP???)

Idk where this has come from but idc I’m enjoying it and thought you might also enjoy <33333

This sounds like something @mamaalpha needs to be held accountable for too - because it reminds me of the Marco x Reader idea we had.

I say had, but we're currently conspiring behind closed doors on a collab for it (no rush, we're both pretty swamped right now), but that said the idea is similar to this with a few differences.

So I won't get into too much.

Though >.> I like the idea of devil fruits for this (idk if it works for what we're going to do, but for this) cause yeah, uh, Marco healing people that Izou's working on. >.>

uh

I don't even think I'mma worry about unpacking that in therapy to be honest. I'mma just sit here and enjoy it XD It reminds me of the line in A Light Touch (is it arrogant to talk about my own work? whatever, I'm gonna do it anyway) - the idea being "Will you come to fear the [flames] that heal you more than the pain?"

Whew.

Just gonna chew on that for the rest of the day I think.

[blasvemous]

El gave him puppy eyes ok??

How was he supposed to deny her request for makeover night?

“Please Eddie? Nancy says your hair will look so pretty!” El’s pleading was beginning to wear him down, not that Eddie would ever admit it, but what really screwed him over was when Max pulled out an equally adorable pouty face.

He could see the barely restrained snark in her eyes as she said, “Yeah Eddie, you’ll look so pretty. You know who likes pretty fluffy hair?”

That little brat! Her tactics were kinda working though… He feigned deep thought as he said “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I suppose I could be convinced… bribed even! Now what is it that I would want… hmm let’s see…”

Max glowered, narrowing her eyes. “One week of laundry” she spit it out before she could regret it. Max had taken to doing laundry with the Munsons at least once a week, meeting at the laundromat and eating candy while chatting with Wayne or Eddie. She could handle doing a few extra baskets of laundry by herself.

Eddie scratched his chin, “I dunno, Red.” He smiled, “if we’re doing the whole shebang, hair, nails, makeup etc. etc. I think I need something much more convincing.” He leaned against the counter. Eddie had no problem doing makeover night, in fact it sounded nice, but he needed a little more convincing to ditch out on Star Wars night with the boys. He expected the girls to offer candy, baked goods or he’ll, even money; El in an unpredictable turn of events spoke up.

“We can get you a picture!” She quickly turned and whispered in Max’s ear, a grin spreading on the redhead’s face. “Yeah we could definitely do that!”

“Wait..what??” Eddie held up his hands in confusion, Max took his hands in her’s. “Dearest Edward, how would you like a picture of Steve shirtless?”

These children were pure evil, spawn of hell, offspring of Lucifer, kin of the dev-

Eddie’s train of thought was rudely interrupted by El re entering the room (when did she leave?) with a camera and a confused Will in tow. Max began plotting with the two of them as Eddie sat there speechless, at least until he managed to squawk out

“WAIT”

Three pairs of eyes flicked to him, taking in his pale sweaty face. Eddie almost toppled over as he said, “how do you… wait… do you guys just want to see him shirtless?” His face turned smug as he recovered quickly.

Max looked at him with her arms crossed, “yeah so do you. Two birds, one stone”. Damn she had Eddie there.

“Fine kid. You have a deal. Speak of this to no one.”

Will laughed, “which part, the make over or your crush on our babysitter?” Eddie smacked Will’s head as he walked by, heading to the girl’s room.

“OW! Hey!”

“Well are you guys coming or what? We conspiring to do!” They watched as Eddie jogged up the stairs. The girls squealed wildly and ran after him, leaving a processing Will behind.

By the time he made it up the stairs, Robin and Nancy were already wrapping Eddie’s hair in curlers as Max and El painted his nails. They were chatting softly and giggling as the older girls argued with Eddie over eyeshadow colors. They were in a heated debate, something about colors and shades? Eddie lightly blew air over his now drying nails when he turned to Will who stood awkwardly in the doorway

“Whatcha think Will? Now I’m not arguing with you Robin, I do look fantastic in green, but I’m definitely more of an autumn”.

[meliabrandybuck]

Sweet Talk

Merry x OC who is Sam's younger sister

First date to Bilbo's 11th birthday party.

“What do you mean? I thought you liked Fredegar!” the old Gaffer said to his daughter after she protested to the arranged date for Bilbo’s 111th birthday. “I mean… I do like him as a friend… but I just wanted to go to the party and spend time with my friends! Not having to go and behave on a date!” Melian retorted. Ever since her coming-of-age birthday a few years ago, her old man was determined to find her a spouse, though she was never too keen on his choices.

“I made a promise to Rosamunda, so my hands are tied… you’ll have to go with Fatty,” Gaffer concluded. “Ok, fine…” Melian replied, still not happy with having to go with Fatty as her date to the party, but she loved her father enough to tolerate it. “Oh, I promised Mr. Bilbo I would help with the set-up this morning, so I’m off!!” Mel added, realizing the time. She headed toward Bag End to give her old friend a hand with his party planning.

*Meanwhile in the Green Dragon*

Fatty searched through the pub until he spotted the pair of companions that he was looking for… Merry and Pippin. “There you guys are!! I’ve been looking all over town for you!” he said, taking a seat next to Pippin across from Merry. “What are you on about??” Pippin asked him, realizing how out of breath he was. “Sorry,” Fatty replied, taking a sip of Pip’s ale, clearly still reeling from his running around. “I had to find you and tell you… sounds like my mum set me up on a date tonight during old man Bilbo’s party,” he said, breathing between sentences. “Well, that’s great, Fatty!” Pippin said. “Yeah, good on ya, mate!” Merry added before taking a big swig of his mug.

“It’s a date with Melian,” Fatty replied, causing Merry to spit/choke on his ale at the same time. “Mel??” Pippin said, looking over at Merry to see his reaction. “Why tell us that??” Merry said, looking down into his mug thoughtfully. “Oh, don’t play dumb, Merry… I know how much you like her! That much has been apparent ever since her big coming of age party! Ever since then, you’ve viewed her as more than just a childhood friend!” Fatty said. Merry blushed wildly but knew there was no way he could deny his friend’s claims.

“Anyways, I had to tell you that I don’t feel right in bein’ Ms. Melian’s date to the party… I hope you know that I’d rather you be goin’ out with her,” Fatty concluded. Pippin giggled, causing Merry to look at him confusedly. “Y’know, if you’d just asked her out when I told you to, you’d be the one taking Melian to Bilbo’s party,” Pip explained, trying to hold his laughter. “No point in thinking about the ‘what-if’s’ now,” Merry retorted, taking one final swig of his ale and then getting up and leaving. Once he knew it was just the two of them, Pippin nudged Fatty’s arm. “Y’know… I have a few ideas of how to arrange it so that Merry and Melian end up becoming dates…” he said, piquing Fatty’s interest. “Let’s hear them,” Fatty replied, leaning in as if to conspire.

*Later that evening*

Melian put on her long yellow dress, the same one that she wore at her coming-of-age birthday, and now brought out only on special occasions. “Melian!” she heard with a knock on her bedroom door. “Come in!” she said, finishing up pulling her hair half-way back into a ponytail. Her brother Sam opened the door and peeked his head in. “Fatty is here to walk you over to the party—say, you look so beautiful tonight,” he said. “Thanks, Sam,” she said, smiling at him. “I’ll see you there!” she added, slipping past her brother and kissing his cheek as she did so.

“Hey Fatty…” she said, once she was outside their yellow door, cordial as ever. You wouldn’t be able to tell by her countenance that she wasn’t too thrilled about going to the party as his date. “Ready to go??” he asked with a smile as the two of them began to walk down the street to where the party was being held. They chatted a bit about their days, with Melian telling him about the party set-up and everything to expect. Once the pair arrived at the already bustling party, they found their hands full with plates of food and looked for a free spot to sit.

“Listen, Melian,” Fatty began. “I know neither of us want to be on an exclusive date with each other. It was my mum that set this whole thing up… anyways, with all the Shire here tonight, I think it’d be more fun if we just relaxed and hung out with all our friends,” he said, much to Melian’s delight. “Really?? I couldn’t agree more… I’ve been looking forward to spending tonight with my friends… no offense to you of course, you’re a good friend,” she replied. He nodded and said, “I’ve been wanting to catch up with some of my old cousins that I don’t see too often, so I’m off to find them!”

Melian, now solo, looked for any of her friends in the crowd of hobbits that she could sit with, but to no avail. She did find an empty table for two and decided to take a seat, as the plates she was holding were getting heavy. She started to eat, while still looking around for her friends, and noticed Pippin up on the stage playing with the band. He always had a knack for music, so she was proud to see him up there and using his talents.

Frodo and Merry walked together with hands full of mugs of ale. “Say, isn’t that Melian over there?? Why is she sitting by herself?” Frodo thought aloud. “Not sure… I heard she was going out with Fatty tonight,” Merry observed. The pair sat down side-by-side at a table, joining Sam and another hobbit their age. While the other three hobbits chatted, Merry kept his eyes on Melian. Partially because he found her so nice to look at, but also because he was waiting to see if Fatty would show up and sit with her.

“You should just go talk to her already,” Frodo prompted, causing Merry to come out of his trance. “I don’t know how you mean,” he replied, causing even Sam to shake his head. “C’mon, Merry… everybody knows that you’re fond of my sister… well, except her maybe… the fact is, I saw Fatty sittin’ with the Bolger crew, meanin’ Mel is over there all by herself,” Sam said. Merry looked over at her again, and then mustered up his courage to pick up his ale and stroll over there. What was wrong with him?? He always talked to Melian and had no problems hanging out with her… ever since they were kids… but… why was his heart beating so fast now?

Melian was so entranced by Pippin’s singing that she didn’t notice the young hobbit in a plaid yellow waistcoat approach her from the side until he was right next to her. “Oh!! Merry!!” she said, beaming as she stood up and hugged him out of instinct. “I’ve been looking all over for you! Where have you been?” she asked, sitting back down as he sat down in the seat across from her. “Oh, just drinking some ale with Frodo,” he said, motioning to his mug, and not mentioning anything about her brother or what he said.

“Where’s Fatty? I thought you two were coming together tonight!” Merry observed. “I guess he told you, huh?? Well, we came together, but only because our parents wanted us to… truth is, neither of us wanted to come together… and he wanted to spend some time with his family,” Melian explained. Merry twiddled his thumbs under the table. “Well, you can just stick around with me tonight instead,” he replied, not wanting to know how badly he was probably blushing. “You mean, as… a date?”  Melian asked, able to read between the lines after seeing Merry’s bashful face.

“Only if you want to, that is!  You look too lovely to not have a date tonight,” he replied, causing Melian to chuckle. “Meriadoc Brandybuck… since when were you such a sweet talker??” she teased him. “Don’t poke fun at me, Mel!! I mean it!! Yellow is such a lovely color on you,” he said. “I like yellow because it’s such a happy color, I guess… but I think the reason I like yellow so much is because you wear it often,” she said, blushing. “Who’s sweet talking now??” Merry teased as they both laughed. With similar senses of humor, the pair were used to making each other laugh with their sarcasm and wit.

Pippin watched the whole encounter from the stage… and though he couldn’t hear what they were saying, he could tell that things were going according to plan. As their song ended, he turned to the rest of the band and whispered to them to play one of Melian’s favorite songs. A love ballad that Pippin had written earlier that year, one that she thought paired well with his singing voice. Melian recognized it right away and turned her attention to the stage mid-conversation. “I love this song!!” she said, watching Pippin and listening as she stuffed her mouth with another bite of food.

“Melian Gamgee,” Merry said, getting up from his seat and bowing. “Would you give me the honor of dancing with you?” he asked as he offered her a hand. Her mouth was still full as she chewed, so she couldn’t exactly give an answer, but before she knew it, Merry had taken her hand and swept her off to the dance floor. After swallowing she said, “Mer, you know I’m not a good dancer!” she said embarrassedly. “Don’t worry, just follow my lead!” he said, placing one of her hands on his shoulder and the other in his hand. With his other hand, he placed it on her waist and then began swaying her to the music.

Though she knew Merry was a gentleman, this was one of the first times he had treated her like… well, like a girl. “I don’t think I ever gave you an answer to being your date tonight,” she observed, causing Merry to stop in his tracks and drop his hand. “You’re right… I’m being too hasty, aren’t I?” he said, embarrassedly. She chuckled and took his hand, putting it back on her waist and holding his other hand said, “not at all! If I were to be here with anyone tonight, I wanted it to be you.” Merry grinned from ear-to-ear as they continued to dance, and he wondered if he could be any happier in this moment.

At one point during the dance, Merry locked eyes with Pippin on the stage, who winked at his friend and gave him a thumbs up, making Merry nod at him, as if acknowledging Pip’s apparent working in making sure he and Melian ended up dancing together at this very moment.

[sundownsquad]

Second Anniversary Asks #6 — @chocolatecustarddanish

Q: Question for the whole Squad; If you all had to choose ONE otta to be the Sundown Mascot, who would it be?

Knox: This is the most difficult question we’ve ever had to answer, I hope you know that Speedy: this might actually be an unsolvable dilemma Kess: Well, let’s start with a general vote and then go from there. Everyone toss a vote in for which otta you think should be the mascot. Speedy: noodle Drums: Thea Knox: Thea Nitsani: Riggs Kess: Noodle Knox: Yeah, that’s what I figured. We all voted for the one we ride the most lol Kess: So that’s 2 for Noodle, 2 for Thea, and 1 for Riggs.  Kess: Zio you’re the odd vote out, unfortunately. Would you be up for breaking the Noodle/Thea tie? Nitsani: Yup, I’m good with that! 👍🏼 Knox: Riggs we still love you with our whole hearts we promise!! Nitsani: Under one condition, though. Kess: Name it. Nitsani: You all need to convince me why you chose your otta. I want to hear arguments for why they should be the mascot before I vote. Kess: Deal. Who do you want to hear from first? Nitsani: Speedy, you voted first so you're up. Why did you vote for Noodle? Speedy: because i love her Nitsani: That’s a highly compelling argument, but I need more if you want my vote. Speedy: ok second reason is because shes a good good girl Nitsani: Indeed. Please continue. Speedy: third reason is because we have a blood pact and we are sworn to protect each other Knox: Your Honor, if he has a blood pact then it sounds like he’s been conspiring with Night Sisters or the like. I’m concerned that will skew the results. Speedy: oh are we using formalities now ok Speedy: your honor the blood pact was symbolic not literal Knox: Your Honor, he didn’t capitalize “Your Honor” in his statement. Such disrespect should not be tolerated. Speedy: objection i never capitalize anything ever and i believe that is well established Drums: When did this become a court case? Nitsani: I will allow Mr. Speedy’s comments to stand. Mr. Knox, please present your case next. Knox: Your Honor, I wish to submit a direct statement from the candidate herself. Speedy: wait is that allowed Nitsani: How do you intend to let Thea make her statement? Knox: I will hold my datapad up and let her press her nose to it to type. Nitsani: I will allow it. Knox: Much appreciated, Your Honor. One moment, please.  Knox: … Knox: ddfdddshshhhio  iejiooooooo  Knox: sweeeeeeerttffcccc[‘;lkjhnbvcdfgpoiujnbvgtredx Knox: cftyuyfgyuiuhg[[[[[[[[[[[[[‘’’’;;,,,,,,,,,,,. Knox: mnbvgtrfdcxsaSDERFTGHYJJJJJJJJJJKLL, Speedy: how can we possibly stand up to this kind of testimony Nitsani: She certainly has a way with words. Thank you, Mr. Knox. Mr. Drums, will you comment next? Drums: Gladly. Thank you, Your Honor. As exhibited so clearly in the above statement, Thea is a highly refined and distinguished otta. She is also brave, maneuverable, and doesn’t shy away from a fight. These are all traits that we as a squad wish to embody, and thus makes her an excellent choice for a mascot. It is also crucial to note that Thea has a habit of sticking her tongue out a little when she’s happy, which is both cute and adorable and should not be ignored. Nitsani: All important considerations, thank you, Mr. Drums. Mr. Kess, will you give the closing arguments, please? Kess: Thank you, Your Honor. Though our most esteemed opponents have made admirable cases, they have failed to consider one fact of significant importance. Nitsani: And what would that be? Kess: Losing would make Noodle very sad. Knox: Objection! Mr. Kess is using emotional manipulation and it’s working. Nitsani: A cunning tactic, Mr. Kess. And one that has completely compromised my ability to remain neutral. All I can see now is a sad Noodle and I can’t handle it at ALL.  Nitsani: I’m going to need to bring in an independent arbitrator.  Nitsani: @ Chigba Hey Chigba, I have a question for you. Chigba: Yeah? Nitsani: In a contest between Thea and Noodle, who should be elected as the squad mascot? Chigba: Noodle Nitsani: Why? Chigba: Because I said so, why else? Nitsani: Good enough, I place my vote for Noodle. Knox: That works too lol Speedy: note to self bring chigba with if we ever end up in court

[givemea-dam-break]

hi eden!! 3, 4, 11, and 32 for the fic writer asks?

woohoo questions!! ok so:

3. describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

literally all i do is put on a playlist i feel fits the mood for it. whether it’s a locklyle angst/comfort, or my favourite songs at the moment, or purely instrumental. i’ll give myself a set time to write in, like twenty minutes, see what i can do yk. sometimes i struggle, i sit and stare and nothing comes to mind or i rewrite the first three sentences over and over because they don’t sound right, so i’ll go to a different fic or have a break for a moment. but music is a big factor in helping me write because it influences so much of it for me

4. where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

my mutuals a lot now!! we come up with headcanons and stuff, but before i had them, it was literally just sitting and pondering 😭. id look at my prompts lists and see if any inspiration could be brought from them, other times i’d be able to find inspiration from things around me. but also other fic writers!!! never whole ideas, but little bits and pieces that make me go “oh, that’s cute! how can i make my own unique version of something like this?” very very important not to just take said idea straight from the fic and put in, though, and if it's something i'm taking a lot of inspiration from i always check with the author first and credit them

11. link your three favourite fics

ok so, these are all x readers because i'm deep in that side of fics lol, but there is:

Offerings by @maraschinomerry (which is george karim x reader) The Witch by @holden-caulfield (kaz brekker x reader) Dying Starlight by @yesimwriting (maven calore x reader)

there are many more, all stashed in my tag #eden's fic recs but these are some of my favourites <3

32. name three of your favourite fanfic writers.

oh but there are so many!!! well, of course, one is @neewtmas because we conspire the most horrifically painful headcanons and each turn them into fics lmao, and their stuff is incredible (their recent locklyle fic was SOUL CRUSHING) also @so-true-jestie, i remember reading some of their stuff on ao3 (the afterglow has me hooked let's be real) and @maraschinomerry because their lockwood and co. fics are incredible! waiting to find time for me to binge read every. single. one of them <3 i could list so so many more (including non-lockwood and co ones lmao), so let me know if you want me to link some!

[bereft-of-frogs]

It is Friday thus I make list:

- work in-office for the morning because they are doing fire alarm testing in my building and I said ‘no thank you’ to 90 minutes of fire alarms going off. The Void Creature will have to supervise

- go home on my lunch break so I can wfh for the rest of the day (and comfort the Void Creature, who will surely be traumatized by loud noise and also strangers in the apartment)

- gym! 🏃🏻‍♀️

- shower + dinner

- combo of some writing (got some stuff to type up in notebooks) and watching a spooky movie (the weather has shifted and it is feeling PEAK spooky season)

Saturday—

- continuation of writing and spooky movies. Ideally I’d like to finish the first draft of the next chapter of ‘omens’* and at least one of the shorter prompt to get on the board. (I’m not 100% sure I’m going to do second drafts for all of them…I guess we’ll see how rough some of these rough drafts end up and how many of the 14-15** ideas I get through and how spaces out they are in the posting schedule)

*yes I thought it would be funny to also do the second chapter as a whumptober prompt, 2 years later, hopefully it will not take me another year to finish the third

**Ok I have 14 but 15 is such a nice number, I’d really like to come up with one more. I have a couple vague ideas hopefully one will stick

- depending on weather (because it seems to conspire to be wet and rainy only on the weekends) order food or find myself a nice little bar to get dinner and read. Ideally the second, because I need to start reading the next horror book club book and that sounds very lovely

Sunday—

- grocery shopping, boo, and also I should probably move my sad car to another spot until I can get the side mirror fixed 😩

I was supposed to go to my parents for an autumn event thing but after travelling last week and having to be in the office a bunch this week and no side mirror…I just wanted not to move too much this weekend. I’m sure there will be plenty of other fun fall things to do coming up, you know, when my car has two working side mirrors

Happy Friday! 🍂

[daveyfvckingjacobs]

ok so madeleine after the newsies weirdly obsess over her she attempts to ask out multiple newsies ( ALL OF WHICH ARE QUEER/TAKEN ) and she eventually, after being recruited by uksies spot she realises maybe she..never liked guys at all 😱 she’s a lesbian!!! i do love her so so much my little silly

socks is a big ol pisstaker he likes pranking the newsies by rearranging their socks…he just watches chaos unfold like that one scene in mean girls where regina stands back and watches the burn book spread across the school

socks and madeleine have definitely interacted once and just said

mad: ‘your socks are odd young man.’

socks: ‘fuck off you posh bastard my socks are odd that’s my name SOCKS’

mad: ‘oh ok sorry mr socks’

socks: ‘it’s fine mate. no worries,’

love taht for them, besties xx

also i think i like the idea of socks x crutchie SLIGHTLY my friend has really convinced me it’d be good can i have your thoughts xx

mr socks was his father, call him I can’t finish this joke I have no other name but you get the idea

sounds like sunshine x sunshine with underlying chaos x chaos to me I am Here for it. the two of them all sweet and cuddly and adorable and smiling at you innocently because they definitely conspired in a horrible prank and you should definitely watch your step for a while

also also also

madeleine, asking out boys because that’s what she’s supposed to do: :/

also madeleine, taking one look at uksies spot’s Arms: wait a second.