#time to reread it and make sure i like it

[poespetraven]

Hiiiiiii hellooooooooo hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii so uh funny story I haven’t watched the new episode yet…

LET ME EXPLAIN

(!!!spoilers for both the X-tale comic and series below!!! (I’ve never tried using the “keep reading” line thingy ooh this is exciting! Heehee look at me being all tumblr proficient! (I still have no idea as to what I’m doing (shoot sorry I got distracted.))))

I DID REREAD THE X-TALE COMIC AND REWATCH THE X-TALE SERIES THO AND OH MY GOSH I FORGOT HOW MUCH I HAVE FEELINGS ABOUT THE X-TALE COMIC, ESPECIALLY THE 2ND HALF OF IT LIKE OH MY GOSH I FORGOT SO MANY LITTLE DETAILS THAT MAKE IT SO MUCH MORE DEVASTATING BRO WHY DO I NEED REREAD THIS MORE OFTEN WHAT AM I DOING?!?!

Anyways, that was fun! I guess in a way it was kinda fun having not read it in a while cause like I got to be surprised by some things I forgot. Like Cross almost killing Frisk in the very beginning and then panicking about it and feeling awful. The slow build up of his suspicion of Frisk. And the whole deal with Papyrus secretly protecting Cross from his blasters to make Undyne and Frisk think he killed Cross. I had been thinking that Cross saved himself for a while now. And you know what? You know what that does? YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MAKES EXTRA DEVASTATING?! YOU KNOW WHAT OTHER KNIFE TWISTING DETAIL I FORGOT?! CROSS INITIALLY SPARED PAPYRUS! DO YOU REMEMBER THAT?! DO YOU?!?!?!? CAUSE I DIDN’T! I FORGOT! BUT AFTER CROSS KILLED EVERYBODY HE LEFT PAPYRUS TOTALLY UNHARMED AND WAS LIKE “Papyrus wants me happy 🥰” AND PAPYRUS IS JUST LIKE STANDING THERE AND THEN HE’S LIKE HES LIKE “yeah but like maybe you went like a little too far-“ THEN BOOM HES FUCKING DEAD. CROSS KILLS HIM! LIKE URGHHHHHH IT HURTS IT PHYSICALLY HURTS ME! AND THEN LIKE WHAT HAPPENS DIRECTLY AFTER? LIKE I FORGOT ABOUT FRISK TRYING TO GIVE CROSS THE HEART LOCKET AND THEN CHARA ACCIDENTALLY KILLING FRISK!!! LIKE I HAVE I ROBBED MYSELF BY NOT REMEMBERING THIS ANGST! IT MAKES CROSS’ REALIZATION THAT HE CAN’T ACTUALLY BRING EVERYBODY BACK EVEN MORE DEVASTATING!

So uh yeah I had a very fun time rereading the comic. And then I rewatched the X-Take series like the next day and OH MY GOSH IT WAS EVEN BETTER HAVING JUST READ THE COMIC LIKE IT JUST HITS SO MUCH HARDER AND I should probably stop there before I jump into another rant. This post was not supposed to be this long oops. I’ll just summarize what I was going to say by saying that this series gives me Feelings and Emotions.

BUT I STILL HAVENT WATCHED THE NEW UNDERVERSE EPISODE! I’ve being holding off for a day when my family is out of the house for long enough for me to rewatch all of Underverse Season 2 plus the new episode cause I want to try and see if I can put it on our television. BUT GUYS I DONT KNOW IF I CAN WAIT ANY LONGER! I THINK IM GONNA CAVE! LIKE I DON’T NEED TO WATCH IT LIKE THAT! LIKE ITS A NICE IDEA SURE BUT LIKE WOULD I REALLY ENJOY THE EPISODE LESS IF I DIDN’T WATCH IT LIKE THAT? NO! WHY AM I DOING THIS! I DONT KNOW! WHY AM POSTING THIS ON TUMBLR? WHY AM I STILL TYPING? WHO IS EVEN GOING TO READ THIS? HEY YOU THERE! YEAH YOU! WHY ARE YOU READING THIS? WHATS GOING ON?

…well I think I have officially decided that I am not going to wait until the house is empty to watch the new episode cause that’s stupid. I’m going watch it on my laptop with my headphones and a cozy blanket on my bed the way it was intended and it is going to be fucking fantastic.

UNDERVERSE 0.8 PART 1 Premiere

[ottosbigtop]

king what do you think of comic #7 :D

I JUST finished it like 30 minutes ago so i definitely need to reread it a couple hundred times like i did iwth the other ones but. Highlight moments

PAULING NAME REVEAL. That was awesome

pauling and engineer are FRIENDS they are FRIENDS and he wants to make sure she does the right thing but hes not going to stop her from doing what she wants

Pauling and spy are also friends. I like htat :)

the spy face reveal made me like leave my seat and pace around my room. He looks exactly how everyone expected him to look but the fact that they did that at all was so unexpected.

ZHANNA AND SOLDIER HAVE KIDS !!!!!! LOVE WINS!!!!!!!!

i love scout being a single dad i think thats beautiful. I wish his mom had shown up in the final panel.

on the whole i think it was just a very solid conclusion . It did exactly what it was supposed to and it tied things up, which i did not expect at all. i like that the answer to what the Administrator was doing was.. not all that much, really. At the end of the day her goals were just as aimless as any of the Manns. It definitely feels more like an epilogue than a full issue, and with that theres kind of some lingering disappointment that there wasn’t more to the comic after 7 years of waiting, but ignoring the wait time, i think it did what it set out to do well. In all its clunky and unserious tf2 glory.

If there’s one critique i could give, i would say i really wish we had more of the mercs interacting with each other. We didnt get to see them meet up with Engie properly again which felt kind of underwhelming and for the most part they just kind of did a lot of standing around, behind or next to Pauling. like, it was a good ending, but definitely more for the Administrator and Pauling and the Mann characters stories, not reaaally great for more content of the mercs. But they’ve all been a sideline to Pauling as shes been the mc through most of this really. Its not necessarily new to want more of them dicking around, but i still miss it.

at the end of the day. 10/10. God this style is gorgeous. Im SO happy they moved away from the style of the 6th edition to get closer to the style that was more like what makani did in the other previous issues. And im glad we dont have to stare at a grey box on the comics page anymore yearning for issue 7.

[freyadragonlord]

Recently I’ve been thinking about the different types of love languages in Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, The S-Classes That I Raised, and Lout of the Count’s Family…

Not to say that each of the stories describes only one single kind of love language; they are, after all, all novels that focus on Found Family, with many different types of relationships between characters that express their love for each other in as many different ways.

Yet, I’ve noticed how at the core of each of these three stories there is one specific act of love that recurs more than others, and that becomes the true Theme each novel revolves around.

In Lout of the Count’s Family, the main love language is providing food and a home.

“Home” is such an important concept in LCF that Cale collects houses like they were pokemon cards. The source of his trauma when he was a child as Kim Roksu was that he was not given sufficient food, and that where he lived was not truly a shelter where he could feel safe, just a place he was trapped in.

And I don’t think there are ever more than 2 chapters in a row without a character offering food to others, or asking if they’re hungry, if they’ve eaten, why haven’t you eaten, here have some apple pie!!

Cale uses his newfound money and power to make sure his loved ones are provided for. That’s how he adopts bonds with most of his new family.

The first thing Raon does after he’s freed from the prison he’s been trapped in all his life, is to leave food for this hopelessly weak human.

Choi Han, who has lived alone in a dangerous forest for decades, would do anything to protect his home.

The Crown Prince, who has been isolated and untrusting of everyone ever since his mother died, makes sure to always have cookies in his bedroom in case guests “break in” for a visit at any time of the day or the night.

I love you, you’ll never be hungry again. I love you, my home is your home.

In The S-Classes That I Raised, the main love language is words.

Yoojin’s powers are literally activated by telling people “I love you”. Because all he ever wanted was to say “I love you” to his brother one last time.

Because the tragedy that starts the story happens because Yoohyun loved and protected his hyung in secret for years. Silence creates misunderstandings, it creates distance, it leads to loss.

Loving someone isn’t enough, tell them! Reassure them. Remember what they say, because their words are important!!

Ever since the regression, Yoojin always let people know when he loves them and appreciates them. “You’re perfect, you’re cute, you’re so talented, you’re so handsome, you are loved.”

And as the novel progresses, whenever Yoojin is in pain, or doesn’t know what to do, he turns to Sung Hyunje because he needs to be reassured, he needs to know he did well, he needs to hear he is still important to the people he loves.

I love you, please know that I love you! I love you, please tell me you love me back.

And finally, in Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, the main love language is time.

Time is one of the greatest sources of horrors in ORV. Eternities upon eternities of suffering, being trapped for ages in the same, hopeless loop, wishing for everything to just stop.

And yet, time is also the greatest gift characters give to each other.

Because the wounds Dokja suffered as a child, and then again and again through his whole life…. They need time to heal. They need so much time. They will probably take forever.

So let them take forever.

Despite how much pain and worry he causes his companions by giving up on himself over and over again, his companions never give up on him. And he doesn’t understand why!! He doesn’t think he’s worth it. But it’s not his choice, it’s theirs. And they will go through as many tries, as much pain, as much time as it takes, before they can finally save him.

I love you, so I will wait fifty years for you. I love you, so I will live through thousands of lifetimes to find you. I love you, so I will read and reread your story for the rest of time, just to keep you alive.

[official-sonic-team]

my suggestion for a oneshot would be sonic and knuckles having a heart to heart about what sonic's appearance on the ruin walls meant for knuckles growing up alone

“Ah ha! Found you!”

Knuckles jerks back into a fighting stance, spines prickled, fists raised. Intruders rarely managed to get past the defense system, so this one must be a large threat to have evaded every single one, and manage to sneak up on him!

“Woah-ho! Did I manage to sneak up on the great guardian of Angel Island and it’s precious Master Emerald?”

Knuckles relaxes. It’s just this jerk again. “Sonic, I told you to warn me before you showed up. One of these days you’re going to get skewed on one of my traps and I’m going to laugh at you.”

“You’re just mad that I’m too fast for any of those traps to catch me!”

“How did you find me, anyway?”

“Oh, you always seem to be down here.”

Here was the hidden palace. The dilapidated ruin had been long rumored to have been the home of the chief of the Knuckles clan for generations before their ruin. It was one of the better preserved pieces of architecture on Angel Island, and Knuckles had spent many lonely nights beneath the roof of this place, when rain or snow or other temperamental weather shooed him from his usual shrine.

“What does that mean?” Knuckles mutters, feeling oddly defensive. It was sometimes odd to be reminded that his friends noticed his habits, his behaviors. Even after all this time, it was strange to be perceived, to know that people thought of him even when he wasn’t around. 

“Just noticed that you tend to hole away here whenever you’re not at the main shrine.” Sonic shrugs. “I don’t get the appeal, personally. Would much rather be outside, napping under the sun.”

“I don’t nap. I’m a vigilant guardian of the most sacred and powerful artifact man has ever learned the existence of.”

“Uh huh,” Sonic teases. “Right. And I’m the king of the Kingdom of Acorn.”

“Oh, shut it!”

Knuckles turns away from him, back to facing the mural he had been studying. Perhaps that had been a bad move, for it reminded him of his earlier thoughts. The mural of a blue creature surrounded by gold attacking a mustached creature who had captured the Master Emerald. 

“What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Oh, I wanted to make sure I knew how to fly a plane. Borrowed the Tornado, did a few barrel rolls, and realized I was nearby.”

Knuckles snorts. “Is it borrowing if the plane was originally yours?”

“Oh, you and I both know it belongs to Tails. Even if I wanted it back, he’s not going to be letting go of it anytime soon.” Sonic hums, placing his hands behind his head as he stands directly next to Knuckles. “What do you do down here, anyway? Feels like you’re always here.”

Knuckles frowns. “I… like to reread the ancient scripture that accompanies these murals. I’ve read them a thousand times already, but… I suppose it just helps me feel connected to my ancestors.”

Sonic hums. “So the Knuckles Clan made this?”

Knuckles crosses his arms. “Yes. It’s a similar style to many of their other carvings.”

“Do you think there’s anything on this island that once belonged to the Ancients?”

That was certainly a thought Knuckles had chewed on for a long while. When he had been a child on this island, and had begun to properly hone his skills in artifacts and manuscripts, he had noticed parts of Angel Island’s ruins often appeared… mismatched. He simply assumed there had been a civilization before the echidnas that lived on this island, who may have even inspired the echidnas in their own culture and religion. The statues in Hydrocity, for instance, had always bothered him as being stylistically different than much of the other stylized statues the Knuckles Clan would create, and he wondered on occasion if they influenced the mural they were currently staring at.

“There’s a lot of ancient technology on this island. I’ve always wondered how the Knuckles Clan could have possibly created it if the god of Chaos had detested them so much. And they had sworn to protect the Master Emerald so no one could make the same mistakes as them… it always felt counterintuitive for them to be using it’s power for their own gain, even if its a harmless one.”

Sonic whistles. “Interesting.”

It clearly wasn’t. Knuckles had long ago tried to explain the intricacies of archeology and treasure hunting to Sonic, but he was firmly uninterested in the subject. No thrashing and bashing? No dice. If Knuckles talked for too long, Sonic would dip out from the conversation and disappear.

Knuckles turns his attention to the mural. He was taking a big leap with this one, but… Part of him was itching to scratch Sonic’s brain about this. “This was my favorite mural, growing up.”

“Oh?”

“Much of the inscription is lost to time and erosion. But what I can make out details a great hero coming to save the world.” Knuckles takes a deep breath. “It had meant a lot to me as a child alone on this island, to think that someone might one day come to save…” This felt to vulnerable to admit, to finish the lingering me he was going to add. “... the Master Emerald, and I would no longer be alone.”

Knuckles chances a glance at Sonic. His expression remains neutral, his eyes centered on the blue figure in the mural. His foot wasn’t tapping, however, which meant he hadn’t been testing Sonic’s patience with something so mushy. There’s a chance he might get a dialogue opened between them.

Ever since Knuckles was a child and had figured out to read, this mural had been one he spent as much time as he could near. Many of the other murals and stories were of tragedy, for the Echidnas had been cast out from the rest of society by their own greed, and were determined to never let their mistake befall them again. And, too, their species began to dwindle, and a hopelessness someday settled deep in their bones, and within their stories.

Knuckles couldn’t blame them for their sorrow. What befell the Knuckles Clan was a tragedy that would lead to their own extinction over one mistake. It was sometimes a bit much for Knuckles to bear, to know that he was the last of his kind, all because of Pachacamac’s lust for power. 

And that’s what made this mural so enchanting to a young child. To see a hero valiantly fighting against an invader, protecting his home, saving his people, saving himself. He dreamed, many times as a child, that this hero would come and rescue him. That the duty of protecting the Master Emerald would no longer be his, that the sins of his forefathers would be paid, and Knuckles's bondage would be broken. Knuckles would be free to live life how he wanted, for there was someone who would be able to keep his home safe. 

It wasn’t quite the case, in the end.

Someone blue and bright and heroic showed up on his island one day when he was twelve to defeat an invader stealing his emerald. An annoying, aggravating, irritating eleven year old boy who toted around a four year old sidekick. Some kid younger than him who made immature and crude jokes and was thoroughly uninterested in the island and it’s history and the emerald beyond keeping it free from Robotnik’s hands. 

Oh, twelve year old Knuckles’s blood boiled at the very thought of that blue prick who appeared on his island one day and turned his entire life upside down.

“My ancestors say it’s supposed to be a prophecy,” Knuckles carefully added. 

That receives a derisive snort from Sonic.

“Do you really believe in that?” Sonic asks. 

“It came true,” Knuckles murmurs. 

And it did, in ways Knuckles couldn’t quite comprehend at twelve years old, but knew well at sixteen. For Sonic, in his irritating, antagonizing, stupid way… still did manage to save Knuckles’s life.

He defeated Dr. Robotnik that day, casting himself in a cocoon of gold and Chaos, destroying Robotnik’s machines and returning the Master Emerald back to Angel Island. And beyond that, it was Sonic who became Knuckles’s true first friend, who taught him how there was more to life than just guarding the Master Emerald, that he could balance his duty and his desires and still live a fulfilling life. 

Perhaps no hero had swept in and took away his duty. But Knuckles was still grateful nonetheless for what Sonic had taught him, even if he’s never truly managed to tell him. 

“Do we even know it was predicting that fight on Angel Island four years ago?” Sonic clicks his tongue. “Why would they bother predicting that fight, anyway? It’s not even the most interesting thing we’ve seen. I mean, why not predict Perfect Chaos re-emerging? Or the End? Or Eggman breaking apart the entire Earth for Dark Gaia? It’s not important, in the grand scheme of things.”

“Of course it’s important!” Knuckles snaps. 

Sonic blinks. Knuckles grinds his teeth. 

He shouldn’t be surprised. Sonic had been going on countless adventures even before the Angel Island adventure. Let alone everything he had seen afterwards. Why would the most important moment of Knuckles’s life mean anything to him, in the end? What importance could it possibly have when it was just a routine battle to stop Eggman? When he had fought greater and mightier powers than just Eggman’s insatiable greed and some plucky twelve year old guardian of an empty home and a powerful emerald?

Sonic looks back at the mural, a thoughtful look on his face. “I don’t believe in destiny, fate, or whatever. I’ve never liked the idea that someone else was pulling my strings. Some people find it a comforting thought, to know that everything happens for a reason. I like to think I make my own choices.”

A silence passes between them.

“I made my choice that day, to chase after Robotnik and show up on this island. I think that us choosing to meet is much nicer than thinking we were fated to.”

Knuckles turns to face Sonic, who’s still peering at that mural.

“I chose to come here, to fight you, to eventually help you. To face down Eggman and bring the Master Emerald back. And I’ve chosen every subsequent meeting as well. So believe, perhaps, that that day was fated, foretold, or whatever. But every moment after hasn’t been. And I think that’s much more interesting.”

Knuckles is quiet. The day they met had been the most infuriating day of his life. But it wasn’t entirely the day that he was saved. It was every subsequent day after, when the two of them crossed paths, when Sonic and his rivalry turned into mutual respect, into friendship. It was a cataclysm, an explosion, and in the rubble the two began to build something Knuckles can not name but knows it to be worth more than gold.

Knuckles turns away rubbing at his eyes. “I’ll never understand you, Sonic.”

“Ha! Now, are we done with this boring conversation?” Sonic taps his foot. Knuckles’s time has run out. “What do you think about me taking you on a flight?”

“Ugh, no way! I’ve seen you fly a plane before, I know you do too many barrel rolls.”

Sonic's eyes sparkle with mischief. “Oh? And you can’t handle a little bit of turbulence? To think you call yourself a great guardian!”

“Bah! I can handle anything you throw at me.”

“Challenge accepted!” Sonic grabs his hand and Knuckles braces himself for a super sonic sprint. “I think our group is ready to board! Let’s go!”

To think this was the same person his people had once written a prophecy for. 

[oaksgrove]

Family comes first.

pairing: platonic!141 x fem!Reader

summary: When an unexpected leave of absence raises questions among the 141, Captain Price and the team uncover the truth: their lieutenant is facing the challenges of pregnancy alone.

warnings: Discussions of pregnancy, mentions of emotional vulnerability, fluff, humor, and strong family dynamics.

word count: 1697

The morning Laswell’s email arrived, Price knew something was wrong.

The subject line was terse: Leave of Absence.

He opened it, expecting one of the usual reports or mission directives, but instead found a scanned note from a doctor, granting you indefinite leave. No details. No explanations. Just a date and a signature.

Price frowned, rereading the note as if it might suddenly offer more information. “Laswell,” he muttered, grabbing his phone.

The call went straight to voicemail.

When he gathered the boys—Soap, Gaz, and Ghost—to break the news, the reactions were immediate.

“She just… left?” Soap asked, brows furrowed. “No goodbye? No explanation?”

“Laswell wouldn’t even tell you why?” Gaz added, his concern clear.

Ghost was silent, arms crossed, but the tension in his posture spoke volumes.

Price shook his head. “All I got was the note. Says it’s personal.”

The room fell into uneasy silence. None of them liked being kept in the dark, especially when it came to one of their own.

“Something’s not right,” Ghost said finally, his low voice cutting through the tension.

Price’s jaw tightened. “We’re going to find out what’s going on.

Laswell’s office was typically a haven of order, but when the 141 stormed in unannounced, it became a battlefield.

Price led the charge, his expression stormy. Soap and Gaz flanked him, while Ghost lingered just behind, his presence menacing as ever.

“Captain,” Laswell greeted, looking up from her desk. Her tone was calm, but the slight tightening of her jaw betrayed her unease. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You know damn well why we’re here,” Price said, placing the printed doctor’s note on her desk. “What’s going on with her?”

Laswell’s eyes flicked to the paper, then back to Price. “It’s personal.”

“That’s not good enough,” Price said sharply. “She’s part of my team, Kate. We deserve to know if she’s okay.”

Laswell leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. “She’s fine. She’s taking care of something important, and I’m making sure she has the space to do it.”

“Space for what?” Soap asked, his frustration bubbling over.

“That’s not your business, Sergeant,” Laswell said firmly, her gaze cutting to him.

“It bloody well is when she vanishes without a word!” Gaz interjected.

Ghost’s voice cut through the growing chaos, low and dangerous. “We’re not leaving until you tell us what’s going on.”

Laswell hesitated, glancing at each of them in turn. Finally, she let out a long sigh. “Look, I can’t tell you. She asked me not to. All I can say is that she’s safe, and she’s being looked after.”

“By who?” Price pressed.

“By me,” Laswell said simply. “And Sarah.”

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of her words settling over them.

Price’s eyes narrowed. “If she’s in trouble—”

“She’s not,” Laswell interrupted. “But she’s dealing with something personal, and she needs time. You have to trust me on this, John.”

Price stared at her for a long moment before finally nodding, though his jaw remained tight. “Fine. But if anything happens, you let us know immediately.”

“Of course,” Laswell said, her tone softening. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Long before the boys discovered your secret, Laswell and Sarah had been your pillars. They visited regularly, ensuring you had everything you needed and offering unwavering emotional support.

One evening, as you sat on the couch surrounded by baby clothes and prenatal vitamins, Sarah placed a gentle hand on your shoulder.

“You’re doing great,” she said warmly.

You let out a shaky laugh. “It doesn’t feel like it.”

Laswell, sitting across from you with a cup of tea, raised an eyebrow. “You’re juggling a pregnancy and keeping it together on your own. That’s more than most people could handle.”

You sighed, resting a hand on your growing belly. “I just… I didn’t want the team to know. I’m afraid of what they’ll think.”

Sarah exchanged a glance with Laswell before leaning forward. “Honey, those men adore you. They’d probably build a nursery on base if you told them.”

Laswell chuckled. “She’s not wrong.”

You smiled faintly but didn’t respond.

“You’re going to be an amazing mom.” Sarah said softly.

Tears filled your eyes, and you nodded, unable to speak.

-

Weeks passed. The team tried to focus on their work, but your absence left a noticeable void. Soap still grumbled about your jokes, Gaz brought up your cooking, and even Ghost—stoic as ever—paused occasionally during briefings, as if expecting you to chime in.

Simon didn’t plan to find you.

He’d been wandering the mall on a rare day off, stocking up on essentials, when a familiar figure caught his eye.

It was you, standing in front of a baby store, your hands resting on your stomach.

Simon froze, his mind racing. He followed you inside, keeping a safe distance as you browsed the aisles.

You picked up a soft yellow onesie, holding it against your bump with a small, wistful smile.

She’s pregnant, Simon realized, his chest tightening.

When you moved to the register, he slipped out unnoticed, his mind spinning. Back at the base, he wasted no time finding Price.

“Found her,” he said without preamble.

Price looked up sharply. “What?”

“Spotted her at the mall,” Simon said, his voice low but firm. “She’s pregnant, Cap.”

Price leaned back in his chair, absorbing the news. “Bloody hell.”

“Was alone,” Simon added. “No bloke in sight.”

Price sighed, running a hand over his face. “Probably thought we’d judge her. Or that she’d be a burden.”

“Laswell’s been covering for her, probably didn’t think we’d understand.” Simon added. “What do we do?”

“What we always do,” Price said firmly. “We take care of our own.”

-

It was Price who came to see you first. He showed up unannounced, knocking on the door of your small apartment with the kind of authority that was impossible to ignore.

When you opened the door and saw him standing there, your heart sank.

“Captain…”

“Lieutenant,” he replied, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. His sharp eyes took in the cozy but cluttered space: prenatal vitamins on the counter, a stack of baby books on the table, and a diaper bag by the couch.

“You didn’t want us to know,” he said, his tone even but firm.

You swallowed hard, wrapping your arms around your belly. “I didn’t want you to think less of me.”

Price’s expression softened, and he reached out, placing a hand on your shoulder. “You listen to me. You’re part of this team, and nothing changes that. We’re family, and family doesn’t turn its back.”

Tears stung your eyes, and you nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.

From that moment, the boys rallied around you like a well-oiled machine.

Price took charge of logistics, coordinating your doctor’s appointments and ensuring you had everything you needed. He showed up with groceries, baby supplies, and—on one occasion—a rocking chair he’d built himself.

“You made this?” you asked, running a hand over the smooth wood.

“Figured it might help,” he said gruffly, but the pride in his voice was unmistakable.

Soap became your personal cheerleader, insisting on helping you decorate the nursery. He spent hours assembling furniture, cracking jokes to keep you laughing through the process.

“Look at this wee crib,” he said, holding up a tiny mobile. “This baby’s gonna have the best view in town.”

Gaz, ever practical, took on meal prep duty, showing up with containers of healthy, ready-to-eat food.

“Gotta keep you and the little one fed,” he said, handing you a container of stew. “No arguments.”

And Ghost… Ghost was the quiet, steady presence you didn’t know you needed. He didn’t say much, but he was always there—fixing things around the apartment, carrying heavy boxes, and ensuring you had someone to lean on.

“You don’t have to do all this,” you said one day as he installed blackout curtains in the nursery.

“You’re right,” he replied, not looking up. “But I’m doing it anyway.”

Laswell and her wife, Sarah, became your unofficial wellness committee, showing up regularly to check on you.

“How’re you feeling?” Laswell asked during one visit, handing you a cup of tea while Sarah unpacked a bag of baby clothes.

“Good,” you said, glancing at the pile of tiny socks and onesies. “Better than I deserve, honestly.”

“Nonsense,” Sarah said, giving you a warm smile. “You’re doing great.”

-

When the day finally came, you were surrounded by your team in every sense.

Price was the first to arrive at the hospital, his steady presence calming you during the chaos. Soap and Gaz followed soon after, filling the room with nervous energy and encouragement but Price sent them to the hallway after making you too agitated. Ghost stayed in the hallway, ready to step in if needed but giving you space.

Hours later, when the baby’s cries filled the room, the team let out a collective sigh of relief.

“It’s a girl,” the nurse announced, placing the tiny bundle in your arms.

You looked down at your son, tears streaming down your face. “Hi, sweetheart,” you whispered, your heart swelling with love.

Price, standing at your bedside, rested a hand on your shoulder. “You did good, Lieutenant.”

Soap peeked over his shoulder, grinning. “Look at her! She’s already got more hair than Ghost.”

“Shut it, Johnny,” Ghost muttered, though there was a rare softness in his tone.

Back at the base, the team embraced their roles as uncles with pride. Soap declared himself the baby’s favorite, Gaz perfected his swaddling technique, and Ghost quietly ensured the nursery was stocked with everything you could need.

Price was the first to hold the baby during a team meeting, cradling him with surprising ease.

“Captain’s got the touch,” Soap teased, snapping a photo.

Gaz grinned. “Reckon he’s already training him to take over one day.”

Ghost, standing in the corner, simply nodded. “He’ll fit right in.”

And as you looked around at your makeshift family—your daughter nestled in Price’s arms, Soap and Gaz arguing over who got to babysit next, and Ghost quietly assembling a stroller—you realized you were exactly where you needed to be.

You weren’t alone. You never had been.

[feyd-meowtha]

@middlingmay's Fic Rec Questions

I saw this list and thought it would be fun to give it a go!!

1) Fic that's made you laugh the most

He May Be The Reason by @c-goldthorn. It's a Clegan Notting Hill au and it makes me squeal with delight. So cute that I got distracted while reading it and missed my stop on the train.

2) A fic that made you cry

my kingdom for a kiss upon your shoulder by pillar of our community @swifty-fox. I'm sure most ppl have probably read this one but it's such an amazing post-show continuation that really doesn't pull it's punches when it comes to both PTSD and the realities of being gay in the 40s

3) Fave comfort, silly fic

It's a little rogue but I'm gonna say Awake, Alive by the wonderful @whirlpool-blogs. It's a pet sematary au so not exactly what you would call traditionally comforting but the ending makes me so happy and the whole thing is just a joy. The fact that this came to mind when I thought 'comfort fic' is probably pretty telling about me as a person....

4) The fic that made you try a genre or trope that you don't usually read

This is also a bit rogue but it was tricky since I'll read anything, so I'll go with Strings of the Strings of Life by the lovely @weimarweekly, not because of any of the content but because I don't, as a general rule, read Dune fic that was written after Dune 2 released. I've bored everyone to tears with my complaints about that version of Feyd but it is what it is so I tend not to like any fics written about that version of the character BUT the prospect of a feydpaul Berlin techno au was too delicious to resist and the whole fic is so fun. It makes me miss Germany sooo bad.

5) An author who has inspired your own fic writing

This one has got to go to the anonymous author of both Close And Yet Closer and The Replacement. Both of these fics are god tier and their character psychology and willingness to allow their versions of the characters and relationships to be ugly and messy are so inspiring to me. They were also the first person in the John/Hausman tag on ao3 which is currently just me and them. I think about the replacement all the time and it was a HUGE influence on 3am Eternal. If I can ever write half as well as them I will die happy.

6) What are your fave underdog authors? Those that you feel are underappreciated and deserve a bit more love

Hmmm, this is kinda hard cus the MOTA fandom is pretty small so I feel like a lot of stuff gets decent buzz. Imma shout out @whirlpool-blogs again and especially their fucked up clegans fics, I have read and reread all of their works and they're always so so good. I will also add @steeseman for Up In Our Bedroom. It's another great post-canon fic and while it has a lot of hits, I don't think I've seen anyone talking about it on here.

7) What's one thing you wish writers/readers did more of when it comes to fanfiction.

The obvious one is comment, it really does make my day when I get a nice comment, even just a couple words or an emoji mean a lot. The other thing I would say is writing curt/Kenny fic, there's not much out there and I want more please. Also more fics where characters relationships are like genuinely kind of fucked up and toxic. I love that shit.

8) What's one thing you wish writers/readers did less of when it comes to fanfiction.

Oh man, I really do not know. The only thing I can think of is that I hate the word 'yap' or 'yapping' so if I see it in a fic I shudder. Hmmmm, I guess I also wish that there was a little more consideration when writing Gale's dad as an alcoholic because it's often treated as the basis for him being a shitty person. Addicts aren't automatically bad people and I sometimes feel like it's portrayed that way. @blixabargelds wrote an excellent post on this

9) I'm adding an extra one and that is current WIPs I am reading

Sympathy For The Devil by @blixabargelds, it's a modern ghost hunting AU and the set up is AMAZING. I will also throw Superstar in here even though it's not releasing main story chapters yet, everything Frankie writes is so tailored to my personal tastes it's crazy and I am so excited to read @mildharm's John POV chapters too. Literally foaming at the mouth thinking about it rn. When it starts being released fully, I fear it may kill me.

Love Song From A Dog and The Heart Is A Muscle by @swifty-fox. I've only just started THIAM but I'm so hyped for their take on the tattoo shop/flower shop au.

Hit Me Where The Heart Is by @london-cowboy makes me legitimately insane. I jump for joy whenever there is a new update, these versions of the characters and their stories are, as Paris Hilton would say, beyond. I do not have the words to say how much I am loving this fic. The characters and setting feel so real and it's just so creative. AMAZING.

I need to get around to starting let us not desert one another; we are an injured body and also the time skip fic whose name escapes me by @irregularcollapse and also catching up with @weimarweekly's rodeo fic, Looking For Eight

Writing this was very fun and I encourage anyone reading to give it a go if they fancy it!!

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

I've been rereading your "Gabriel redemption/corruption/canon mess of ideas post", and I remembered an old idea of mine: Gabriel driven insane by the Butterfly miraculous.

This is an artifact that allows you to sense the negative emotions of All of Paris. And then mentally connect to the person in whom the negative emotions are currently strongest.

It's less about "can this power drive anyone insane" it's more about "is there a chance this power wouldn't drive anyone insane?"

Worse, Gabriel uses this power constantly. Gabriel uses this power for shady purposes. Gabriel uses this power when already in an unstable state after losing his wife.

From a storytelling point, this neatly explains:

1) why Gabriel could go worse and worse as time progresses

2) why Gabriel's behaviour may be inconsistent (consistent behaviour doesn't combine well with sensory-overload magical madness and he is saner when untransformed)

3) why Butterfly Miraculous is so powerful (because this power is balanced with the great risk of using it)

At the same time, it is a trope known well enough to work well even in children's shows. In fact, I thought this idea may be canon, but then season 5 happened.

What do you think of this idea?

P. S. As always, thank you for your analysis, you are a treasure for the fandom!

Thank you for the lovely words! I'm flattered that you enjoy the blog so much!

I'm on the record as saying that evil Kwamis are about the only way to fix canon, so of course I love you idea! That post was about fixing canon post season five, though, so let's focus more on the butterfly itself.

Canon doesn't really explain how the heck the butterfly works. We get moments like this one from Sandboy:

Hawk Moth: I feel an emotion of great intensity. So pure… (turns a butterfly into an akuma) Fly away my little akuma and evilize him!

But why this happens is confusing. The butterfly isn't the miraculous of Emotion. That's the peacock. The butterfly is Transformation. Which is silly, so we're ignoring that. The butterfly is absolutely written to be Emotion in terms of almost everything about how it functions, so as far as I'm concerned, it's Emotion. Gabriel senses emotions with it and is even implied to have to pick what powers he gives based on the person's emotions as we see in Risk:

Shadow Moth: I need a villain who will force Ladybug to take risks, and without even realizing it, (corrupts a butterfly into a Megakuma) she'll make a mistake! (Shadow Moth closes his eyes to search for any strong negative emotions.) Extra 1: Great, of course my keys disappear from my bag just when I have to go out. Xavier: Now even benches have empty pigeon spikes on them? Oh, my poor friends... Froggy's Dad: Froggy, come back! It's too dangerous! Froggy: Why are you always scared of everything? I want to ride my bike without a helmet, without training wheels! Shadow Moth: (Open his eyes.) Perfect! Fly away, my Megakuma, and plague that deceived heart!

You could absolutely take this setup and use it to craft a narrative where Gabriel's actions are at least partially driven by the effects of feeling everyone else's emotions weighing down on him. This is extra true when you remember that Gabriel is supposed to be grief stricken. We are rarely at our best when we are mourning profound loss and the show really failed to lean into that fact even though the writers clearly wanted Gabriel to be sympathetic.

In my own rewrite, I heavily rely on these elements to shape Gabriel and Nathalie's characters. She may not use the butterfly, but she's also supposed to be mourning Emilie (or, at least, she is as of season five. I'm pretty sure that's a retcon, but it's something I changed to make her character work, so I'm cool with it.) That is a much stronger basis for Nathalie supporting Gabriel than the tired old trope of women doing stupid things because of men. (Don't get me wrong, we do, I just find it boring in most situations. It would only work in canon if the love square was supposed to be positive romantic love and Nathalie was supposed to be toxic romantic love, but the love square is toxic as hell and even "ends the world" so bleh )

I will peel back the curtain a little bit and give you one of my favorite ideas for making something like this work: if you have Emilie in a coma and not dead, then her brain would still be active. She'd still be experiencing emotions. Doesn't it make perfect sense for Gabriel to stay transformed 24/7 so that he can sense what is left of his wife, assuring himself that she's still there? And if the magic needs to stay secret, then of course that would mean that he never comes out of his home office because that's the only safe place to transform. And if you add in Gabriel being weak to the emotions of others, well, I think that has potential for something interesting, don't you?

[thatgirlwithasquid]

ooo okay this looks fun (and i am procrastinating like a bitch rn so...)

Hm, I'm not sure. Maybe The Naming of Hobbits by @andhumanslovedstories? It was one of the first fics I read when I got into using AO3 and I remember it giving me a good giggle. I really should go back and reread it. It must've been years since I've read it by now... And yet I still think of it fondly as 'that funny The Hobbit fic' so it clearly left a very good impression :)

So many. So many make me cry. I've reread Time Falls Away by @not-close-to-straight like three times I think? And each time the line 'I don't know this part of the story' has me UGLY SOBBING. Love it. Absolutely an amazing read. I still haven't worked my way up to the third fic in the series cause the emotions are still too strong rn, but I am very excited for whenever I finally do! I also gotta mention All Is Fair In Love by @stranger-awakening cause OH MY GOD nothing has ever hurt me like this fic hurt me. The pain. It just kept getting worse. It was so good but I needed frequent breaks when reading cause the emotions were So Much. I'm also just realising I never kudosed that fic and OMG I AM SO SORRY. I was too caught up in the throes of agony, I apologise!!

My comfort fic is definitely Petey and Wade discuss the proper way to go about vigilantism (and maybe they fall in love too) by @isadancurtisproduction. I have read that fic at least once a year since I first came across it. I love it so much, it's insane. It may even be my all time favourite fanfic

I am gonna have to say Rapture by mia_ugly on AO3. I read it out of morbid curiosity and I have not been the same since. This is the fic that introduced me to this type of time travel fics, where the time travel muddies the relationships and makes everything angsty and confusing and secretive. It is my FAVOURITE kind of angst and I have read multiple other fics with the same trope since. I adore them <3

Oh, 100% @sheena-is-a-punk-rocker. Since I read all your quinnflag fics and loved them so much I started on my own quinnflag wip. Started off thinking 'how would they have gotten together before The Suicide Squad?' like they are in your The Suicide Squad but Rick and Harley are already dating series (which is such a fun read and deserves all the love!!) and my wip has become its own thing from there :)

Lol I'm not the best authority for this since I do not read much fic for either of my main fandoms (sorry Stranger Things and The World of Mr Plant!) but I definitely think @kittyphoenix12-xx's work deserves so much more love. I need to read more of your fics, babes, cause the ones I have read are SO good. I TREASURE that cunningway fic you gifted to me, and getting to beta a couple of your works was such an honour. I especially loved the stars look down and know, cause it's so so sweet!!!

Good question... Commenting, I guess. That's the obvious answer. And I really need to work on it myself (and I'm trying!!) but we could always do with more commenting. Authors love seeing it so we need to do our part more (which is why I'm tagging the authors in this despite being a bit nervous about that lol, cause you guys deserve hearing how wonderful I think your fics are :) )

I really don't know. I don't like telling people not to do things cause I think that's just rude. Fanfic is for fun, and if you like doing something that someone else thinks there's too much of then fuck them! Have fun with it cause that's all that matters. I see people complaining about certain things from time to time and just think 'well... you could just... not?' Maybe that's what I wish there was less of in fandom: people feeling the need to make a fuss when they don't like something, cause most of the time when I see it it's over the most non-problem things.

Alternative Fic Recs

Fic recs are a great way to introduce people to stories you love. But instead of a list, you could try this format instead? I've tried it before and I really liked it, as it made me think about the fics I've read differently.

This isn't a tag game or an ask game. You can copy, repost, reblog, share and edit this at will if you're looking to do a fic rec :)

The fic that's made you laugh the most?

What's a fic that makes you cry?

Your fave comfort, silly fic?

The fic that made you try a genre or a trope you wouldn't normally read.

An author that's inspired your own fic writing (if you're an author), or your TBR list (if you're a reader).

Your fave "underdog" fics/authors in your fandom(s). Those that you feel are underappreciated and deserve some love.

What's one thing you wish writers/readers/the fandom did more of when it comes to fanfiction?

What's one thing you wish writers/readers/the fandom did less of when it comes to fanfiction?

[mugloversonly]

Santa is coming to town

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt: FORMAL wc: 860 rating: G CW: NA AO3 summary: Steve gets an invite to the Band Christmas Party.

It’s Christmas Eve and Steve’s so excited to see Eddie again. It felt like it’s been years since he last saw him, when really it’s been two weeks. The knock at the door startled him slightly. He thought he was meeting up with Eddie at Wayne’s?

He ran to open it to see...a fed? A man in a three piece suit with an earpiece stood on his porch, sunglasses on even though it was getting dark already.

“Can I help you?” Steve asked, barely opening the door. The man stared for a moment.

“Are you Steve Harrington?” He asked. Steel immediately went up his spine. His hand inched behind the door for his bat.

“Who’s asking?” The man didn’t respond. Instead he reached into his coat pocket and handed Steve an official looking envelope and a garment bag.

“Correspondence from, Theodore Munson.” He said before he walked away without a backward glance. Steve furrowed his brows as he opened it.

Steven Harrington,

You are formally invited to the Crossroads Records

Annual Christmas Party, Christmas Eve, 1986.

Dress code is black tie.

William D.

Steve tossed the bag onto the couch and stared at the message for ten minutes before his phone rang. He ran to answer it. “Hello, Harrington Residence.” He said on autopilot as he reread the letter.

“Stevie! Did you get my letter?” Eddie’s voice boomed through. Steve chuckled...he must have timed it.

“Yeah.” Steve sighed.

“So, you’re coming?” Eddie asked hopefully. He wanted to say yes, he assumed the garment bag had formal attire for him, but…

“I don’t want to cramp your style, Eds.” Steve said softly. “I’m just a regular guy, I don’t want to make it weird.” There was a long pause.

“You listen to me Steve Harrington. You are not ‘just’ anything. You are not some groupie or something. You are my boyfriend. And I want the people to know you, to see you.” Eddie answered. Steve’s breath hitched.

“Are you sure?” Steve whispered.

“I want everyone to know, that you’re mine. And I’m yours.” Steve gasped softly as a few tears escaped.

“If you say so.” Steve whispered.

“Thank you, I’ll pick you up tonight?” Eddie asked. Steve agreed on a time and they said their goodbyes.

Steve opened the garment bag on the couch and gasped. A beautiful three piece suit, complete with a silk neck tie, stared back at him. He reminded himself to thank Chrissy.

~~~

Steve stood outside to wait, not willing to give up a single moment of time with Eddie. That turned out to be a great idea when an honest to god sleigh came to a sudden halt in front of him. It was pulled by three reindeer, thankfully it had a top, and it was bright red. The door thrust open and Eddie stepped out in all his glory.

Steve imagined what Eddie’s formal wear would look like, he’s seen the magazine covers, he knew the man didn’t really ‘do’ black tie. But, he was stunning. Black suit pants and coat to match Steve’s but his had glitter in the seams. No shirt underneath, simply a few necklaces with his signature rings on his fingers. Eddie pulled him inside and he was shocked to see Wayne and Robin.

“He send you a fed to invite him too?” Steve asked the two.

“He drags me to this thing every year. I told him don’t bother sending an invite, just the suit.” Wayne sighed; resigned to his fate.

“Yeah! Talk about scary, I mean...who sends a random dude with an earpiece to hand someone an envelope and a fancy suit.” Robin said. Steve smiled at Eddie. He made sure to put Robin in a similar suit to all of theirs. Her tied was a bow tie, though.

“Sorry! I didn’t know he looked like a fed!” Eddie said as if this wasn’t the first time they’ve had this conversation. “Besides, I needed you there, Chris will stress herself out and I figured, you could relax her.” Eddie said slyly. Robin froze at that.

“Chrissy! She’s going to be there? Why didn’t you say anything?” Robin shouted. As she worked herself into a real panic, Wayne reached over to reassure her. Steve took the moment to kiss Eddie softly.

“Merry Christmas.” He whispered.

“Told you, I’d be here.” Eddie said smugly.

“And springing the party on me?” Steve asked with pursed lips.

“I didn’t want you to have time to think through that we’re going to a label party. So, there will be a lot of famous people.” Eddie rushed out.

“You’re lucky, I love you.” Steve said. The three other people in the sleigh gasped, but Steve ignored two of them. “Really?” He asked quietly. But Steve heard it, he heard the insecurity.

“Eds I’ve had a crush on you since 1980. Since the talent show in the eighth grade.” Steve said. “Even if you didn’t do what you do now, I would still want to be right here.” Eddie chuckled lightly. “Of course I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He whispered as he kissed him again. God it was good to have him home.

tags

@katyawriteswhump

buy me a coffee

[ghostpebble]

chapter one is done

[magicicephoenix]

i finally finished reading I see you, Sundrop! by @shirajellyfish and IT'S SO GOOD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO FINISH IT RAAAAAAA

i will be gushing about it in the tags but here's a lil animation i made based on the below paragraph in chapter 6 that gave me such a strong mental image that i had to make it real :)

[nevertheless-moving]

Wind and Truth Stream of Consciousness Reactions: Days Three through Six

Can't express how delighted i am by szeths annoyance with kaladin. Not predicted at all. Trip and fail, bridgeboy

Crying. szeth why do all the voices in your head suck so bad

So szeth was already like that. Sanderson once again with the mental health issues predating the incredibly related trauma

300 cobalt guardsmen? Are those different from the cobalt guard or were a bunch recruited during time lapse?

Oh hes a bit fucked up actually. Not sure how i feel about the first step of guy-who-deceneded- into-mass-murder's journey into murder being killing. Like i thought there would be some lying or something first. Putting this on the list to give too much thought to later

Squire???? Highspren who calls their human a squire??? Sunlit Hmmmm????

Blink an you miss it dalinar limp dick wedding night

Pattern: shallan is good at murder Shalla : pattern please don't say it that way

You could make a neat social deduction game out of the secret ghostblood in vision thing

YESSS near mythological lopen

Tarah L with laughing at Kaladin's dancing :(

Oh!! i do like dancing with Syl! Very pretty and nice.

Excellent adolin and oaths meta! who wrote this?

Anyone with stormlight can command beads???

Throw spoons at the voices inside your head! It's like a metaphor or something!

Honorblades talking?!?! What?!?!

I didnt have my phone for notes so not sure of the order of the rest of these but:

Terrible Moash meta... i mean it's not a complete shock but alas moash what have they done to ye… who wrote this???

HERALD LORE DUMP THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD BRANDERSON

Aww szeth has a good dad that's nice

Chasmfiend developments feel kinda retconny but im down regardless. Did they ever backdown when challenged by people?? Need to reread WOK

sick sigzil moments noice

cannot BELIEVE he actually did a rlainarin vision of them making out.

ah of course szeth is warming up to kaladin. kaladin you bastard can't anyone maintain petty annoyance with you

VALOR?? SHE??!? NAVANI HONOR + ODIUM ASCENSION FORSHADOW IN THE CHAPTER FOREWARD?!?!

Nightblood character growth :)

Wind And Truth Stream of Consciousness Notes: Day One and Two

I'm living. Discussion of syl's lady parts followed immediately by vague agender Kaladin rights??? Whats goin on

Not sure how i feel about firm goodbyes. getting some dread about kaladin going to superhell.

shallan Noticed the hair but not the tattoo/ brand exchange

Shallan jealous of kalodin hug. he's playing with us branderson is playing with us

Fucking adoption confirmation im

Wow this jasnah and wit meta is awesome who wrote this

Really enjoy that kaladin's flying everybody protecting armor is just a him thing. I mean maybe its a windrunner thing but it being just a Kaladin Stormblessed thing is hilarious

New szeth/kaladin dynamic unlocked: never married, extremely divorced

Would die for bippy

Aight they keep mentioning it but i really don't remember Mraize mentoring shallan that much. to be fair it might have happened and i forgot idk.

Dismissing armor when getting shot. nice. Genuinely Classy.

Lift having a crush on sigzil - extremely cute

Oh my god lift checking out drehys ass

LIFT

Renarin having extremely fair reaction to shallan's secret society bullshit. oh you accidentally joined a cult trying to take over the world and forgot to mention it for years? that would be absurd if it wasn't so fucking in character

Lift saying 'Shit' i'm crying this is a blessing 🙌 thank you in the name of fanfic

Didn't know i needed a brutal assessment of kaladin's stew making skills

Kaladin taking meaningful steps to work on his mental health while the world objectively collapses around him. He's just like me fr.

[suntails]

hijo de la luna

[myokk]

It's a clear, beautiful summer's day, the type of day that starts out bright and full of birdsong, that ends looking up at the stars and the moon while crickets chirp and fireflies show soft bursts of light. When the air is warm and full of life and the smell of hot grass and lavender and honey permeates everything.

The whole summer had been like that, really. Running outside with abandon, chasing each other through the tall grass deliriously happy and lying down in the fields surrounding their village, watching the clouds float by while they eat cucumber sandwiches. It's the summer before their first year at Hogwarts; the Sallow twins know that their life's about to change and are determined to enjoy their last summer of childhood.

Maybe they're too old for this sort of thing - they are eleven, after all, but both of them know that this summer is a turning point for them and they want to cherish every moment for as long as possible. Their parents have been encouraging them, often sending them out for the whole day, piling journals and ink and quills and picnic baskets full of food in their hands, encouraging them to research and be curious about the world around them as they had always done.

This day, however, their parents are almost eager to push the twins out of the house. Their mum's smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. Sebastian feels nervous about this, but doesn't realize why until much later, when the memory is analyzed and remembered during his dreams. (definitely not while awake). When they leave the house in the morning, she makes sure to kiss each of them on the cheeks which she normally never does and Sebastian pushes her away in disgust, much to his future horror. In the moment, all he can think is that he might still be holding on to the last moments of his childhood, but he's too old to be kissed by his mum.

(but now, Sebastian doesn't know if his memory is faulty and he is adding moments that never actually existed in the first place. the mind is a tricky place)

He never allows himself to think about these halcyon days, the perfect-until-it-wasn't summer before they went to Hogwarts; this day in particular is forbidden to remember. His unconscious mind rebels against his iron will.

They spend the morning looking for the fairies that Anne had dreamed about the night before. She's convinced that it's a prophetic dream and they march around in circles in the little copse of trees - a forest to the two children, who haven't really ventured out of their village - as Anne tries to remember where she had seen the fairies in her dream.

Sebastian is happy to follow her even if (maybe especially if) he thinks it's a futile adventure - what else are summer days for?

They're in that strange junction between childhood and adolescence; desperate to just grow up already and become the people they were always meant to be, and yet just wanting to spend their days being kids, without a care in the world.

"Come on, Sebastian," Anne calls to him, a tiny stream gurgling between them. In one hand, she's holding the map that she drew as soon as she woke up; in the other, boots stuffed with her stockings.

Sebastian huffs as he trudges behind her, arms full with their bags, his shoes, and the picnic basket. Anne had offered to help him carry things, but he refused on principle. Their dad is always doing small things like this for the women in his life, and Sebastian wants to be just like him.

Anyways, Anne has her own role as the leader today, and it won't do to have her bogged down.

And he's eleven, more than old enough to carry everything.

He steps through the tiny creek, mud and slush squishing through his toes, and he smiles. There isn't anything he loves more than being outside, except maybe being outside with a good book.

"Keep your eyes peeled for a tree with a knobby trunk, with lots of knots that look like faces," Anne tells him, glancing over her shoulder, then turns her face back to her map and scrunches up her face. "In my dream, the fairies lived nearby."

They spend the rest of the morning continuing their fruitless search, laughing as they walk in circles, then set up their picnic in the field next to their house.

"What do you think Hogwarts will be like?" Anne asks, a dreamy look on her face.

Sebastian doesn't look at her when he answers. He lies back and stares at the clouds. They've already had this conversation hundreds of times since their Hogwarts letters arrived, both of them have their parts memorized. "Amazing. I can't wait to actually be able to use our magic instead of just reading about it."

Anne rolls to her side and props herself up on her elbow, getting a better look at her brother's face. With a smirk, she says, "I think I'll like Transfiguration the best. I can't wait to be able to turn you into a -"

A huge noise interrupts her before she can continue. Sebastian sees the confusion in her face before he truly registers that something has happened. It's like everything's moving in slow motion and all he remembers clearly whenever he dreams of this day are his feelings of confusion and disbelief and the smell of fire.

There's a huge explosion and the air is full of smoke and he and Anne are scrambling up, the picnic blanket tangled up around their bare feet and -

Hand in hand they run in the direction of the huge black smoke that is billowing up. It coats the air - they can't see anything and the smell of burning fills their noses and the smoke fills their lungs and they're coughing coughing coughing -

Sebastian doesn't want his sister anywhere near the blackened husk of their former house but he is also terribly afraid to be alone. They stand in the middle of what used to be their house, blackened half-walls, charred wood that used to be their table, the old couch they read on every night, it's all smoldering, all gone, the thick black smoke making his eyes water and choking and smothering everything in its wake. His mind can't comprehend what he's seeing. Everything is so familiar and yet so wrong.

He doesn't know how long he and Anne stand there, clutching each others' hands like they are a tether to reality. Which, he supposes, they are. They might be there thirty seconds, ten minutes, one hour, an eternity...

Then, neighbors are running to the twins, coughing, covering their faces in the crooks of their elbows as they conjure blankets with their wands and wrap Sebastian and Anne up and drag them out of what is - was - their home.

This part is always hazy. Sebastian can't remember if he cries. Or if he even says anything. He just stands there with Anne, the smoke thick and oppressive as it pours out of their house. Everything is crumbling apart.

(A hand gently caresses his scalp, fingers light and reassuring as they dance through his hair)

Their neighbors try their hardest to salvage what they can. The daguerrotype that their mother had cherished more than anything, taken a few years before, miraculously survives. Sebastian stares at it, the tiny figures moving and laughing and smiling as though everything is perfect. He wants to throw it and break it or maybe rip it up to shreds but he can't bring himself to do anything but stare.

Their father's wand is also shoved into Sebastian's hand, unscathed. It was found just outside of his father's curled fingers, lying pristine on the ground as if mocking the destruction that it caused.

At some point, their Uncle Solomon, who they've only really seen once a year growing up, shows up with a loud crack and tears through the rubble, tears carving wet tracks through the soot on his face. His voice goes rough with desperation and when he walks up to the two orphans, he is almost unrecognizable.

As if in slow motion - maybe an after-effect of the curse that has destroyed their lives is that the air has turned into molasses - Sebastian watches his uncle stagger over to them. He looks much older than Sebastian remembers.

Later, when Sebastian looks at his reflection in the mirror of his new home, the boy staring back at him also looks much older than he remembers.

Before It Felt Like A Sin, Chapter 14

[lunarharp]

more phoenix wright situations

[ash-and-starlight]

Baoxiang gives sooo much shit to his brother for not thinking about things while absolutely not being aware that he's also pretty damn excellent at Not Thinking About Things