#unfortunately i do not have what it would take to survive those conditions and that is okay

[bardic-irritation]

maybe unpopular opinion but I'm kinda loving Elias so far? like as a Person I would hate him but as a Character? kicking my feet and giggling everytime he makes a stupid joke or menaces someone. slayyyy old man. terrorizing your employees is so good for the Plot.

[chaotic-archaeologist]

https://nypost.com/2024/08/28/world-news/boy-4-accidentally-smashes-bronze-age-jar-that-was-at-least-3500-years-old/

Your thoughts?

Personally, I'm kinda sick of museums being required to cater to kids so much. If you're going to do this open air exhibit, kids who don't know how to keep their hands to themselves just shouldn't be allowed in. The glass is there for this very reason.

Actually, I'm with the museum on this one. Is it unfortunate that the vase was broken? Yes. Was the vase a valuable piece of the past? Also yes. But I think the museum did something very cool by not having the artifacts behind glass and are handling this with good grace and the sense to make this a learning opportunity.

Sometimes we overlook the fact that museums often attempt to arrest or freeze artifacts in time. They are kept in controlled conditions to prevent them from deteriorating and even treated to reverse damage. Many things on display on museums are elevated beyond their original value, alienated from their original purpose, and closed off from interaction.

It's incredible that this jar survived as long as it did—and its age is what makes it special—but at the end of the day, it is still a jar. It has now experienced the thing that happens to pretty much every jar that has been or will be. After all, decay is an extant form of life. (If you want to read a very well written and interesting take on decay and archaeology, check out this article by Caitlin DeSilvey.)

The article I linked above provides some important context and the update that the museum is planning on using this as an opportunity to teach about the conservation process. The jar's story is not over; it is being pieced back together and in this next chapter in its life it will be able to tell two stories: one of its life and the other of its rebirth. The museum's approach embraces that, exactly like the Japanese art of Kintsugi.

I also agree with the museum's decision not to punish the child or his family. Things go wrong in museums all the time despite their highly controlled environments, and this is why they have artifacts insured. Sometimes the thing that happens is a child, and by and large museums do not seek damages.

I would encourage you to rethink your stance on museums and children. Museums are for everyone. Children have a right to experience museums and what they have to offer just like anyone else. There are also many studies that discuss how going to museums benefits children.

In this case, perhaps the exhibit design was slightly flawed, but the four year old boy accidentally knocked the jar over because he was curious about what was inside and wanted to investigate. Curiosity is exactly what museums should be encouraging. In an ideal world that curiosity would have been channeled into some other kind of engagement, but the folks who work in museums have a lot on their plates and cannot plan everything perfectly all the time. Even if they could, they often do not have the resources to do so.

Finally, the AP article mentions that the boy and his family were visiting the museum to get away from Hezbollah rocket fire. Regardless of your opinions on the current conflict, everyone deserves to have a safe place to exist. That museums can serve as those spaces is an honor.

I commend the Hecht Museum and the people working there. They 1) successfully provided a place of learning and refuge, 2) opted not for a punitive approach—which is often the default Western model for justice—but a compassionate one, and 3) are using this twist of fate to create programming that will further engage the public.

@museeeuuuum and @museum-spaces would you care to comment?

-Reid

[shiny-jr]

Have you ever thought of the imposter au with the staff of raven College? I could just imagine Crewel being the reason the reader is summoned to twst while not fulling knowing it (Probably coming in at the end to safe then after realize shits going down). That and maybe Crowley and Vargas going full mad dog and just chasing the reader like crazy. Maybe Trein tripping over his cat while chasing and reader/imposter feeling bad about it. Along with Sam using shadow creature to track the imposter down. Just a fun ideas I've been having, feel free to ignore.

I have thought about it before. I believe I even once mentioned that I would make a separate post for it eventually. Recently been thinking about platonic yan staff, so like fatherly type stuff for those of you with daddy issues.

Platonic yan Crowley! Wants to be your father figure so bad. Why won't you let him take you under his wing? You'd be his little fledgling! Ah, he must do his best to protect you! He is the headmaster of a prestigious school with unfortunately many arrogant troublesome students. Often he'll dramatically lament, inquiring why you don't wish to spend time with your dear old father? When you reply with a deadpan, "You're not my dad, Crowley." He'll break out into a melodramatic wail, oh woe is him that his own child does not wish to partake in any activities with him! Ah–– a way home, you ask? Well, during one of his many hours long searches in the library to find you a way home, something he adamantly assures you he's been doing, he had the most profound idea which he shall so graciously share with you! Why not stay in Twisted Wonderland and allow him to formally adopt you? Then you shall be his child and he will be sure to provide you with all the love and care you need! Isn't he a genius with such boundless benevolence?

Platonic yan Divus! Probably believes the whole world is out to get you. You poor little thing, far from home, lost and afraid, with no where else to go. Eventually he'll begin to doubt that Crowley is taking proper care of you, and deem his efforts as inadequate. Look at this wretched place, an old dorm filled with cobwebs and ghosts is supposed to be your home? An old oversized uniform and a handful of cheap worn clothes from the shop are all you have to wear? And your classmates, his own students, oh he knows what they're like. A bunch of ruthless mischief making pups! This is unacceptable! Divus will spoil you like his own. He has a soft spot for you, so when he's improving your conditions and getting rid of the old dirtied items, you hold up that feral monster cat and go, "Can I at least keep Grim? Please?" Ah, the puppy eyes. How could he say no to you? But that cat is getting a bath first. Oh, and he's incredibly wary of all the students. In his eyes, none of them are good enough to be your friends, and he's beginning to suspect all of them of trying to take advantage of you. Listen here, darling, you are not to trust any other men besides himself, are we clear?

Platonic yan Vargas! Oh god, not another one. Somehow, he's worse than the other two dads you've acquired. Especially because he thinks your escape attempts are some sort of crazy athletic training regimen. He's come to think of your monthly escape attempts as survival training, so not only is he enjoying himself but he's more than capable of keeping up and capturing you. Then dragging you back to NRC with a proud grin, boasting about how you got so much further than last time! "Let me go! Let go of me!" That's the spirit, he cheers. Seems like you're raring to train again, but now's the time regain your energy for next month! Eagerly tells you stories about his youth, how he was the strongest and most popular! He really wants you to look up to him, and he likes to think he's your favorite dad. Especially when it comes to Crewel, let's say they have differing opinions on how to properly care for you. While his counterpart prefers to pamper you, Vargas believes you need more activity and excitement in your life! Wouldn't you agree with him? Come on, give him a smile now!

Platonic yan Trein! The only real dad on the list. He has two sons that are already full adults now, and he believes you'd get along wonderfully with them. You would be their new younger sibling. "That's kinda... dumb. I'm not their sibling though." You comment, as he responds, it is not foolish to want all three of his children to get along. It's a bit annoying that you can never really get on his nerves, despite him being notoriously strict and a little intimidating with his stoic look. But like most of the dads on this list, he too has a weak spot for you. He still expects you to be a well-behaved though. No matter what you're like, he can handle it. After all, he's been a professor at NRC for so long, that he's seen and taken care of countless students. If you're looking for quiet time, he's probably the best to be with by far. He'll let his feline familiar Lucius sit on your lap as he serves you a platter of cookies with a hot beverage. When you do try to get on his nerves for whatever reason, it never works, so you end up plopping down beside him on the couch in defeat, angrily opening a magazine as he calmly continues to read a book. Now that the opportunity has present itself, he'd like to have a word with you. You should know that you are his pride and joy. That being said, should any of his students be pestering you, inform him immediately and he'll handle it promptly.

Platonic yan Sam! Most likely the best one to be with. It doesn't even feel like he's trying to be your dad, he's more like a cool but still concerning weird uncle. But if you had to classify him as a dad, he'd be the chill one. Although it is scary that he seems to know way more about you than you ever told him about. You suspect it has something to do with his friends on the other side. Whenever you're not with him, you have spied an oddly moving shadow or two... But the upside about that is, he always seems to know what you want. If it's small, he'll offer it for free. If it's a bigger item, he'll let you have it if you work the shop with him for a few hours. What's say you, huh? Sound like a deal? He'll entertain you a trick or two while you're here! Sam likes to call you his little good luck charm, because you tend to bring in more customers and just put him in a good mood. He choses to trust you, more than the other dads, probably because he knows you can't escape because he's always watching you somehow. You go on ahead, just be back by dark, you hear? He wouldn't want to send his friends to force you back home if you stay out late, m'kay?

[shunin-gumis]

Designs of Happiness - Track A03

L4mps Main Story Translation

Title: A drink at Nightfall

Characters: Yodaka, Daniel

Summary: Yodaka skillfully mixes a new drink for the protagonist. With one line from Daniel, they understand his true intention of bringing them to this bar...

JP Proofreading: aca @463ce6 on twt EN Proofreading: jes @arcanecrayonn on twt

Location: “Ten Nights of Dreams” BAR

Momiji: Wow… Just look at that elegant mixing skill… His handsomeness is only accentuated by the serious expression he wears while working… I can’t seem to take my eyes off of him…

Yodaka: And an orange slice to top it off– Thank you for waiting.

Momiji: Thank you!

Momiji: What a beautiful gradation from blue to orange… The lighting of the bar reflecting off the surface of the drink makes it look like it’s rippling with gold… It’s like I’m holding the ocean in my palm.

Yodaka: I made this mocktail with you in mind.

Momiji: Huh?

Yodaka: Like a ripe fruit that’s been beloved by the sun, your eyes shine, full of life. The serenity you exude with your entire being gently envelops those around you.

Yodaka: I’ve decided to name this mocktail as “The Ocean’s Golden Coins”. I hope this drink will enrich your spirit. Here you go.

Momiji: …!!

Momiji: I can feel my face heating up…

Momiji: Thank you for the drink… Oh! It’s delicious!

Daniel: Right? Yodaka’s skill is the real deal. Well, it’s good enough that it’s worth overlooking the fact he’s a natural-born seducer. 

Daniel: Don’tcha think it’d be just fantastic if we could get to drink this every day over at HAMA House?

Momiji: …..

Momiji: I was wondering why he brought me to this bar but…

Momiji: I see, so that’s what you were after.

Daniel: Yep, glad you caught on.

Yodaka: What’s the matter?

Daniel: Go on, explain it to him. For the sake of our peaceful home-bar life.

Momiji: Your real motive is plain as day… Anyways, Yodaka-san, please take a look at this.

Yodaka: This is…

Yodaka: Hm, how unfortunate that this looks too corporate to be a love letter.

Momiji: A l-love letter…?

Yodaka: My apologies, a little lighthearted flirting goes a long way in my line of work, you see. Putting the jokes aside, this seems to be some sort of work proposal.

Momiji: Yes, that’s right. Allow me to explain.

~~~

Yodaka: … I see. From my understanding, HAMA Tours is offering “Package Tours” to ensure the survival of HAMA as a designated tourism region.

Yodaka: You’ve been recruiting to fill the positions of the 18 ward mayors, and have managed to find 14 so far.

Momiji: Yes, that’s right.

Yodaka: As for the final Night Team, you want to find members who can provide tourists with a more relaxed experience, with the conditions being that “They must own a store” and that “They must have roots in the local districts”.

Momiji: Yes, those are the terms that our Company President had come up with.

Yodaka: After you were unable to find Nagi at Flower Laundry, a person you already had friendly relations with, the two of you came here at Danny’s suggestion and decided I was the next best choice. I think I’ve grasped the situation.

Momiji: I’m sorry if this seems like it came out of the blue. On top of that, we might have given the impression that we chose you because we failed to obtain our first choice… But please know this– 

Momiji: I was convinced the moment I tried your cocktail earlier.

Momiji: This bar, “Ten Nights of Dreams”, is the only place that could provide weary travelers with the best drinks that would heal both their body and soul.

Yodaka: …..

Momiji: Please take your time to look over the documents carefully and decide-

Daniel: Seriously, why do you always gotta be so uptight? Just listening to you droning on is making me all tense.

Daniel: Yo, Yodaka. This is the 17th ward, right. You wanna be this ward’s Mayor?

Yodaka: I wouldn’t mind doing it.

Momiji: Wha– 

Yunyun: WHAAAAAAAT!?

Momiji: Y-Yunyun-san!?

Momiji: Somehow he’s more shocked than I am over how casually Yodaka gave the okay…

Yunyun: Just, hold on a sec! This is way too sudden… Nope! This isn’t happening!

Yodaka: What’s wrong? Did you want to be a Ward Mayor as well?

Yunyun: No- That’s not what I was…

Daniel: Weird. I thought you’d be the first one to push him out the door, wanting to spread your wings and all.

Momiji: So that’s how he sees Yunyun-san… 

Yunyun: …… A lot of customers come in here hoping they get to talk with the Boss.

Yunyun: If he becomes a Ward Mayor, won’t he be too busy to work here anymore?

Momiji: Ah, you don’t have to worry on that front. We’re planning to have the Package Tour happen right within the stores, so your business would remain the priority.

Momiji: I will take responsibility and take care of the arrangements so that your work won’t be affected. Please rest assured on that end.

Yodaka: Did that manage to convince you?

Yunyun: …..

Yodaka: Danny and Nagi are both good friends of mine. I’m more than happy to take on this request.

Yodaka: …Ah, though we aren’t sure if Nagi will agree to it yet.

Momiji: Now that you mention it, you seem familiar with Nagi-kun. Are the two of you already acquainted? 

Yodaka: Oh, I should have said this sooner– Those flowers over there were delivered by Nagi. He drops by once a week to change out the arrangement.

Momiji: I see! So that’s how it was…

Momiji: ……

Momiji: Erm, I lost the timing to react because it took me by surprise but, Yodaka-san agreed to be the 17th Ward Mayor just now, right…? Does that mean… 

Momiji: We successfully recruited him!?

Daniel: Looks like it.

Yodaka: I’m Natsume Yodaka. Let’s get along well.

Momiji: Y-yes! Same here! Woohoo!

Daniel: You’re way too pumped up, your face is bright red right now. Welp, at least this means our job’s done for the day.

Momiji: I mean, I didn’t know we’d succeed so soon! I’m sorry for being so noisy!

Momiji: But I couldn’t help it, I really am happy… Thank you so much for agreeing to it!

Yunyun: …..

Yodaka: …..

Yodaka: Don’t worry, I won’t cause any trouble for you.

Yunyun: —Aw what? I wasn’t thinkin’ that at all! 

Yunyun: Right, we gotta settle this with a bang!  The treat’s on Hiroshi!

Daniel: The heck?

Yunyun: We got in some rare Japanese whisky recently…  You’re a whisky guy, right? Why don’t you book a bottle?

Daniel: Hoo~ A 25-year-old whisky from Koku Province* huh! How much for it?

Yunyun: Aw don’t be so stingy now~ Just agree to buy the bottle ok? Pretty please~

Daniel: How am I supposed to when I don’t even know how much it is, huh?

Momiji: Putting aside Daniel-san getting baited, I’m glad we could cross one thing off our checklist. I think this is a good sign, hopefully the next one will be just as easy…

Yodaka: Those two seem to be having their own fun, so let’s talk, just the two of us.

Momiji: Sure, let’s!

Yodaka: Your straightforward honesty is adorable. Well then, what should we talk about?

Momiji: Um, well… Would you happen to know the places where Nagi-kun might frequent?

Momiji: I suppose it’d be a stretch if the two of you are only business friends… 

Yodaka: How exciting, you’re just like a detective. And detectives always have a favorite bar to get their info from, don’t they?

Yodaka: Then I suppose I should provide you with some information, just like a classic bar owner.

Momiji: Does that mean you know where he is…?

Yodaka: Unfortunately, trying to find him would be much more difficult than trying to find a bird that’s lost its way. After all, we’re talking about the man who somehow found himself on the coasts of the Pacific Ocean while trying to get to the convenience store.

Momiji: The Pacific Ocean!?

Yodaka: It seems there is some mischievous God that loves to play pranks on him. I suppose that’s just the kind of star he was born under.

Momiji: Now that I think about it, the pet robot at his shop called him a magnet for trouble… And the last time I met him, he was pinned underneath his own bike… 

Yodaka: But speaking of finding missing people, there’s a shop that specializes in taking requests such as these. What’s more, it’s situated in the 15th ward that has no Ward Mayor. Does this information interest you?

Momiji: Woah, please tell me everything you know about that!

Yodaka: My pleasure, Detective.

Yodaka: I heard this story from one of my regulars… Let’s call him Kinniku Morio-san*.

Yodaka: One midsummer night, Kinniku-san was on his way back home from a business trip, carrying a large briefcase in one hand.

Yodaka: As he walked down a quiet path, he came across a peculiar-looking manor. He couldn’t help but draw close, scouring his memories as he tried to remember if such a building had existed here in the first place– And that was when he sensed a presence, shrouded within the shadow cast by the manor.

Yodaka: He approached, quietly, carefully… And then he finally laid his eyes on “it”.

Yodaka: When it noticed the presence of an intruder, it turned around, capturing Kinniku-san’s form within the gaze of its “only eye”. And just as suddenly, it turned its back on him and fled into the dead of the night.

Yodaka: That place is known as–

Yodaka: Angel’s Eye.

Yodaka: Did you know? Amongst the angels, there is one that has only a single eye.

Yodaka: Perhaps, what he saw was an angel.

~~~~~

Location: Fortune Teller’s Parlor “Angel’s Eye”

Momiji: -And that’s why we’re here, at the “Angel’s Eye”. I didn’t know this before but, apparently this fortune-teller is pretty famous amongst the spiritual community. Kinniku-san is also one of their regulars now… 

Daniel: That so… It’s pretty big for a fortune-telling place, I’ll give them that. Still shady as hell though.

Momiji: Really? I don’t think it looks suspicious… 

Momiji: Let’s see…The entrance is over there.

Momiji: We ended up losing daylight because we got lost on the way here. It’s late now, but I wonder if the parlor is still open… 

Men in White Robes: Over here! We’ve found them!

Men in White Robes: Surround them! Don’t let them get away!

Daniel: —…..

Momiji: What’s going on…!?

Notes:

The only hint I got for “Koku Province” is that it’s a region from a Japanese light novel “Saiunkoku Monogatari” set in fictional ancient China.

Kinniku Morio seems to be a play on the name Kintaro as the kanji used mean “gold” and “meat” but put together they pronounce “kinniku” which means “muscles”, terms that are used to describe Kintaro. I thought it was interesting to note as Yodaka seems fond of history and historical figures like he mentioned in his Tanabata voiceline.

Translation Masterlist

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Oooh! I think I got a fun one. Can I have some headcanons for the lamb? He was walking around one day and encountered a tall human who wears a cloak with lamb horns? He doesn't know their human until they remove their hood (Also the reader is nonbinary because gender gets boring sometimes :]) (Also I headcanon that humans are either nearly extinct or the all of them live underground.)

- Kneecaps Anon

Aw I adore this idea!!

Also this will take place in the early days of Lamb's cult (where they're still getting the hang of managing followers, rituals, etc...definitely long before slaying and indoctrinating all the bishops)

...........

While Lamb was crusading through an unknown part of the Old Faith, they came across the ruins of a village that looked most peculiar. Much unlike previous ones they've discovered.

The homes, although desecrated, were far bigger than ones Leshy's followers would live in. They could barely reach the doorknob!

So they continued to investigate, before noticing someone emerging from the bushes with a bag and bloody dagger.

It's you, a mysterious tall figure wearing a cloak and sandals. But what intrigued them the most were the horns that poked through your hood.

They were unmistakably a lamb's horns.

At first they were hopeful that another one of their kind survived the slaughter...although when they called out to you, you stopped and stared at them in bewilderment.

"W-Were you talking to me?"

"Of course! Are you a lamb, too?"

"...ah...I'm sorry to say this, but no. I am not." Realizing who this was upon seeing the Red Crown, you uncovered your hood, revealing that you were in fact human. "I can understand why my "horns" led to you to believe that."

"That's too bad.." They frown, before expressing surprise that a human was still living in these lands...believing that they've all gone extinct.

But you politely corrected them on the matter.

"There used to be a lot of us, living in villages just like this. My ancestors had treaties with the Bishops until they were attacked by the One Below. And for whatever reason they chose to take their anger out on us, demanding that we go live in their domains or perish. Obviously we refused and, well...now this little village is the only proof we ever existed here."

"I see.." Lamb grimaced. "I'm sorry to hear that. Are you the only one left?"

"Yeah. This place thrived for generations, invisible to the eyes of the Bishops, but all my friends and family either died off or fled to some other land, unable to cope with the constant feeling of danger all around us. Though I wanted to stay because I didn't want those false gods to scare me away from my home." You end your somber tale with a determined huff, still smiling. "But yeah...it sucks, but I've managed to survive for this long...so.."

Seeing as your views aligned with theirs, Lamb immediately invited you to join their cult, promising you safety and better living conditions in exchange for your devotion.

But unlike the more simple-minded animal followers they've wrapped around their finger, you weren't so easily convinced.

Although you admired lambs, you didn't like how this one was basically giving you the same ultimatum the Bishops once did to your ancestors: Join or perish. It seemed quite hypocritical.

In the end, you request to see the cult first and decide for yourself.

They oblige..but unfortunately for them, that means they can't just warp you there and use omnipresence to return to the temple grounds quickly.

But they knew they'll have to earn your respect and make a good first impression--and dropping you through a demonic portal's not exactly the best way to do that.

When you finally arrived, you were impressed by the architecture and the temple...

As well as all of Lamb's followers who flocked to you, awestruck at a newcomer like yourself. Some were familiar with your species, others have never seen anything like you before.

Regardless, they shook your hands in greeting, being fascinated by your cloak and how your hair looked, asking you so many questions that they nearly overwhelmed you.

You haven't gotten this much attention in years!

Lamb was lowkey jealous and pushed them all back to give you some breathing room.

The adorable creatures won your heart over, and you agreed to follow Lamb's teachings faithfully.

They simply changed the colors and symbol on your cloak to match those of the followers. You still kept the horns, as they found no reason to get rid of them.

Afterwards they showed you around, only to realize that you'll need some major accommodations if you were going to spend the rest of your life here.

You couldn't exactly take the mattress from your village here, and the little beds/shelters were too small for you to comfortably sleep in; and grassy gruel and berry dishes weren't going to sustain your hunger for long.

Nevertheless, they vowed to meet your needs, though they also worried about how well you'll fit in and get along with everyone--considering you're the only human.

Later around sundown, you noticed one follower (the only one who didn't greet you this morning) sitting in front of a makeshift grave with a depressed expression.

Lamb explains they've been stuck that way since their indoctrination several days ago, being the sole survivor of a massacre. The grave was that of their lover, who was murdered right in front of them by one of the Bishops themselves.

The sheep learned what happened via mindreading..but apparently it was so traumatic, they spared you from the details.

However, they expressed frustration in failing to convince this follower to move on and start contributing to the cult.

They've exhausted every possible effort at motivating them: inspiration, random gifts, even a funeral service was conducted (and for someone who wasn't even in the cult)..but nothing worked.

Lamb was starting to get angry, but quickly calms down and just reassures you not to worry, instead trying to show you where you'll be sleeping.

"Wait, do I have permission to approach them, Leader? Maybe I can help them out."

"....I doubt it. It's like talking to a piece of stone....but you have my permission to try." They allow you to go, wondering what you'll do differently.

You just went over to the follower and introduced yourself, sitting beside them for a few minutes in the hopes your presence would comfort them.

At first Lamb thinks you're wasting your time, but somehow....you got that silent follower to actually talk about their lover and all the good memories they had together, getting choked up by the end.

You offered them a hug, which they accepted as they buried their face into your chest, sobbing their little heart out and wailing over the cruelty of the Bishops.

It filled you with both sorrow and anger, wanting nothing more than to see their blasphemous empire crumble because of the grief they brought upon this one follower alone.

Meanwhile, Lamb's standing there just..completely shocked, especially after you calmed down the follower and bring them over to them.

"F-Forgive me, my Leader, if...I was being a nuisance by not listening to you." They apologize. "If you want me to start working right now, then I shall. I feel okay enough to do so. Whatever you need, just say the word."

"Wha...??? But....n-never mind. You're forgiven, [F/n]. For now just get some rest." Lamb dismissed them, and only after they've gone to bed do they turn to you with comically-wide eyes. "By the One Below...how did you do that???"

"Dunno." You shrugged. "I guess all they needed was a hug."

"...then why didn't they just ask me for one???"

"They probably didn't know they needed one until now. But I figured your mindreading powers would've anticipated that."

"...are you insulting the might of the Red Crown!?"

"I mean no offense, Leader." You chuckle, patting their wooly head. "Now, where will I be sleeping?"

Although a little irked, Lamb quickly got over it, relieved that you were able to help that follower...how ever you managed to do it.

You had a selfless heart, and that was a good asset to have in the cult.

Why were they ever worried? You'll fit in just fine.

[wundersmith-squall]

ramble about your Ezra Squall redemption arc please?

Absolutely- id be very happy to! I'm quite aware that im about to sound like this:

but you asked so this is what you signed up for /j

Soooooooo it basically wormed its way into my head because of the one time where Squall said something like 'We're wundersmiths we take all of the blame and none of the credit' and I was like, okay sir are you speaking from experience? What was the 'credit' of your actions? And also the mention of the shared enemy, which I at the time took as meaning partially something in the republic that threatens Nevermoor, and partially something to do with the system, the Wunderous Society and like, all the people in charge who are against wundersmiths and are trying to hold Mog back.

Along with these two things, I'd like to think that 100+ years of banishment are long enough to rethink your actions and become a better person.

So, I'll explain it in a way that wont take an entire essay to write out. Basically it goes in my head that, Courage Square was, at least partially an accident, and over 100 years the story got skewed, and the current population turned against Ezra and the Wundersmiths, while the population at the time knew how, Wundersmiths ultimately were trying to help Nevermoor. Courage Square was bad, which is why Ezra was banished, but he wasnt killed. After a tragedy, it would be expected that he'd be punished, but at the time, the Republic as we know it didnt exist, and so being banished out there was a very bad fate, but it was definitely better than death.

Ezra went through a, lot of bad mental states during the first few decades of his banishment, but as he grew older, he came to terms with both his past actions and his current situation, though he still feels guilty about it.

In my head, the Wundersmiths were originally established to protect Nevermoor from the weird creatures of the darkness that the Wunderous Society takes care of now. Those creatures are attracted to Wunder. When Ezra was banished from Nevermoor, there were no longer any Wundersmiths in there, and so WunSoc had to step up and find a way to cover for him. Meanwhile, Ezra, who still loves Nevermoor, establishes Squall Industries, partially to improve conditions in the Republic and partially to provide a bigger, brighter beacon of wunder to attract the majority of the dangerous creatures to a place where he could still handle them. In this same thought, the Hunt of Smoke and Shadow werent something he created, but a group of these dangerous creatures that he managed to tame.

On the same subject are the other cursed children, those who, gather wunder but are unfortunately dont have the gift to control it. The creatures of the darkness, who chase wunder, hunt down these children to take the wunderous energy from them, which they dont survive. Ezra does his best in this situation, but one man can only do so much, and the creatures are relentless.

When he first discovers Morrigan, he's not exactly sure what to do. He tries to just get her as an apprentice through the usual means in the republic, but after a certain mad ginger got in the way he sent the Hunt after her, himself being busy trying to help the other cursed children, but we all know that that attempt didnt work. Ezra, knowing about the wunder critical-mass gather-too-much-without-using-it-makes-bad-things-happen thing, so he used the gossamer to get back into Nevermoor.

Having to enter and view Nevermoor again, even though not physically, took a bit of a toll on him, plus having to interact with someone new while being himself, which is not something he's had to do in a long time. He's also never, had to teach anyone before.

From there, I imagine he goes from frustrated and angry, to irritated but starting to get attached to Mog, to actually being a genuinely good teacher (aka the floof you saw in my drawing, who doesnt sleep nearly enough but still tries his best to be a good person), who is Tired™ and also just as chaotic as Jupiter when he wants to be.

Thank you for listening to my ramble- I can happily expand on anything if anyone happens to like this train of thought. I have further specifics on, basically everything, but this is a solid overview.

[the-great-papyru]

He wasn’t too far into the resets when he got the idea. Late enough that the thought of death didn’t make him blink. Early enough that any real “experimentation” with it was only to involve himself.

And boy, did Flowey—Asriel have a lot of questions. What was the quickest method? (Hotland’s lava) Could he do it at the same time as a SAVE? (No) How long would people miss him if he were to “suddenly disappear?” (He’d gotten bored after a week)

Recently, though, what interested him more was the concept of life. Specifically, how long he could make it last in the harshest of conditions.

That was what led him to Snowdin.

Asriel didn’t have a real reason to spend any time there—the only people there were some snowdrakes, bunny monsters, that armless kid, the deer girls, and those two skeletons. All of them incredibly easy to give a happy ending. Their “problems” tended to resolve themselves as he fixed everyone else’s.

Even so, wouldn’t do any harm to figure out how long he could survive Snowdin’s cold. He was bored. This was a thing to do.

Unfortunately, this was still pretty boring. At least Asriel didn’t feel cold—no skin!—but that just meant he was waiting out in the middle of the forest to die, with minimal indication of how much longer he had to wait.

He’d picked out a spot he knew no one would visit. He had everyone’s routes mapped out. Snowy, Chilldrakes, Ice Caps, that one really annoying guy he could never remember the name of (Jeremy?) would all walk right past him. Sentries tended to stick to their posts. The dogs would patrol where they always did, far from this spot. The perpetually positive skeleton (Garamond? Times New Roman?) had a more erratic patrol, but Asriel had seen where he had patrolled today last reset, and was far from there. The annoying one (Serif? Sans.) was far from a problem. It wasn’t easy to find someone when you were napping.

Speaking of napping, Flowey bit back a yawn. He was beginning to feel quite tired. So that was how freezing to death felt. Not a bad way to go out. How long had it been? 13 hours? He closed his eyes, ready to meet the cold blackness of the reload screen when he awoke.

Before Flowey even opened his eyes, he knew something had gone wrong. This was not the reload screen.

For one, it was much too bright. Warm lighting lit up wherever he was in lieu of the darkness he was anticipating. For a brief moment, Asriel thought he was back in Toriel’s house, sitting by the fireplace—but no, the light wasn’t flickering, it was constant. And rather than putting him to sleep, it seemed insistent on waking him up. Groggily, he obliged.

He was in a warm room, a tv in front of him playing what was probably a movie. He was wrapped in some sort of fabric and steam was rising next to him from a mug of hot cocoa placed on a wooden table to his left. The air smelled heavily of cinnamon and chocolate. Beneath the dramatic music coming from the television, Asriel could hear soft humming coming from a kitchen to his right. That tall skeleton (Candara? Bodoni?) exited and grinned when he spotted Asriel.

“OH! GOOD, YOU’RE AWAKE!”

Now that he’d seen the owner, Asriel vaguely recognized this place. He’d been there once, early on, when he decided to look in every room in the Underground. The hyper skeleton (Merriweather? Abril?) had come in when he was in the middle of exploring. Flowey had been discovered immediately, of course, and he’d quickly reloaded before the skeleton could even say anything.

“YOU SEEMED VERY COLD OUT THERE. SO I DECIDED TO TAKE YOU HERE. I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND.”

Flowey—Asriel narrowed his eyes. There was no logical explanation as to why the skeleton had come past him. It was possible that he’d messed something up, changed a variable. He’d have to try again, in a different location where he wouldn’t be found.

As for now, though… this was new. Maybe he could talk to this skeleton. For whatever good it would do him.

“I don’t mind at all! Thank you so much…” Asriel said. Why was he out there, he needed a reason to be out there,

“I was out exploring, but I must have taken a wrong turn and gotten lost… I really can’t express my gratitude at being saved…” Was that laying it on too thick? No, the skeleton was puffing with every word.

“IT WAS NO TROUBLE!! SURELY ANY OTHER PASSERBY WOULD DO THE SAME! HOWEVER, YOU ARE QUITE FORTUNATE THAT I WAS THE PASSERBY PASSING BY. SNOWDIN FOREST CAN BE QUITE DANGEROUS, AND IT’S REALLY MUCH BETTER TO PASS BY THAN PASS THROUGH IT. A MUCH GREATER PLACE FOR PASSERBY TO PASS BY IS MY HOUSE!! WHICH YOU ARE CURRENTLY PASSING THROUGH! NYEH HEH HEH!!!”

Asriel blinked. Those were definitely words that meant something.

“AND THOUGH I AM CERTAIN YOUR HEART PINES FOR ADVENTURE, THERE ARE MANY BETTER PLACES TO FIND IT THAN AMONG THE PINES. YOUR WILD SOUL CAN FIND BETTER PLACES THAN THE WILDS.”

That. Also meant something. “Was… that a pun?” Asriel got out, bewildered.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” the skeleton replied straightfaced.

“…nevermind.” Asriel used one of his roots to grab the mug of cocoa. As he brought it to his mouth carefully, it slipped out of his grasp and landed on the ground. The mug shattered, spilling hot liquid all over the ground. Asriel bit back a cuss.

Darn it, darn it, darn it! The skeleton would be so— It was fine.

There was a shard of mug right in front of Flowey. He could pick it up and reload right now. He got ready to grab it. This time he wouldn’t be clumsy.

“OH NO! YOUR DRINK!!” The skeleton rushed in with a broom and dustpan before Asriel could make a move. “DON’T WORRY! WE CAN MAKE A NEW ONE!!”

What? “You’re not angry?”

“OF COURSE NOT! WHY WOULD I BE ANGRY?”

“I broke your mug.”

“NONSENSE! YOU DIDN’T DO ANYTHING. GRAVITY BROKE IT!!”

“That’s stupid! I—”

“I’M NOT ANGRY.”

Asriel looked at the skeleton’s face. There wasn’t a hint of anger or even disappointment in it.

“I CAN GET A NEW CUP, AFTER ALL!! I CAN’T GET A NEW TEMPORARY HOUSEGUEST.”

Huh. Maybe he’d stick with this timeline after all.

By the end of the day, Flowey had learned the skeleton’s name, (Papyrus) learned the skeleton’s favorite font, (Papyrus) and found his new favorite person (Papyrus).

Unfortunately, he still had an experiment to perform. He finally reloaded, chose a different location, and tried again.

When he woke up to warm lighting and the sound of humming, he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t with a smile.

[treacheryinblue]

Chapter 5/?

× Elysium (noun) : a place or condition of ideal happiness. type of: fictitious place, imaginary place, mythical place.

Word Count: 8.1k

Masterlist

A Noah Sebastian x OC Series

× Summary: Noah and his new found (sort of) friend, Persephone, battle the trivial ins and outs of being teenagers in a world that doesn't accept you. They survive together all the way into adulthood - with bouts of loneliness included - where the world is still a fickle bitch.

× Warnings!: smut (chapter 4 and beyond), language, violence, slowburn, friends to lovers to enemies back to friends, rinse and repeat (not even in that order), sexual themes, etc. Each chapter will have its own set of separate warnings.

× Author Notes: ( 1 ) I'm sorry that this took so long! I had majority written for awhile but it just didn't feel right. I'm not even sure if it finally does but I'm going with it!

× Chapter Warnings!: smut (oral - m receiving), language, talks of mental illness, drinking.

Happy reading! xoxo

SPRING 2016

PERSEPHONE

“What are you doing?”

Noah yawned out his words as he stirred in bed, an inked hand lifting to scratch at his chest. She didn't even look up from the little comic-like scene she had been doodling - this being what she had chosen to throw herself into hours ago when she couldn't sleep and needed a distraction. 

Sleep. What a foreign thing that was to her nowadays. It infuriated her beyond belief, much more than anyone around her could've guessed. Seph had taken to not talking much about the issues she was having because she knew Noah would only fixate on them and try to help. And while she appreciated his attempts, she couldn't stop herself from wondering if they were doing more harm than good. 

Maybe their lack of full on intimacy didn't sound like a huge deal, but to her, it was making her lose her mind. Although, not because she was aching for it (even if she was); this was more so due to all the thoughts it was causing her to have. The worries. The overthinking. It was becoming almost unbearable up in her brain. 

“Hmm?” Noah hummed curiously when she didn't yet give a response. 

“Just some drawing.” 

Seph allowed her eyes to flicker up to him, a slight smile being forced across her lips. She was sure he wouldn't believe it, but she didn't have it in her to dwell on that right then. 

“Did you have breakfast?”

Jesus fucking Christ. Why couldn't he ever stop? 

It's not his fault. Don't take it out on him. 

“Yeah, I made some peanut butter toast awhile ago.”

A small lie, although not completely. She had made said toast, but unfortunately, she only took a single bite of it before the texture assaulted her senses and she had to swallow it down with the help of a leftover Sprite in the fridge. No idea who it belonged to, but it was flat as hell. 

Noah nodded, again yawning as he shifted onto his side to face her. A long arm snaked around her waist and gave a firm tug, forcing her to set her sketchbook aside so she could be pulled into his warmth without issue. Now that his chest was pressed into her back, he nuzzled into the crook of her neck and released a sigh of content. 

If only she could feel as carefree as he did right then. 

“You okay?” 

“Yeah, I'm good,” she softly spoke, fingertips trailing along the top of his hand that closed around her. 

“Just tired because I didn't sleep well.” Seph elaborated a bit, just so Noah wouldn't further worry about her. If she blamed it all on being tired, then there would be no issue, right? 

“I’m sorry,” he murmured against her skin. 

“We gotta shoot that video today, so I'll be gone for a bit. Did you want to come?”

Aka 'do you need a babysitter?’

Seph forced those thoughts to pause. She couldn't assume this is what Noah meant all because he was asking if she wanted to tag along. Who's to say he didn't actually want her there? 

Adjusting within his arms, she angled herself back a bit so she could see his face. She then smiled and shook her head, just before placing a light kiss to his awaiting mouth. Morning Noah was always the most adorable to her. His heavy lidded eyes and pouty lips were something she could stare at all day if given the option. 

“I have therapy, so I can't. You need some time with the guys without me cramping your style, anyway.” 

Noah rolled his eyes and tightened the hold he had on her body, his face then burying back into her neck where he began to lightly kiss a couple of times. 

“You give us our style. You know that.” 

Slender fingers slithered along her side, dropping over the curve of her hip before managing to slip beneath the fabric of the t-shirt she wore. Noah rubbed gentle circles into her skin, this soft sensation causing her eyes to flutter closed and her lips to part to allow a small exhale through. 

No, she couldn't let herself fall victim to this again because she knew exactly how it would end. Since Noah struggled to keep his hands off of her, he would either continue to caress her body until she made the move to progress further, which he would reject in his own way. Or he would sink his fingers between her thighs, quickly get her off, then carry on as if he wasn't hard and pressed into her lower back. 

While the latter option sounded far better, both actually sucked. 

“Is everyone coming back here tonight?” She figured changing the subject and focusing on something else would help distract not only her mind, but also those damned fingers of his. 

Noah made a small sound that told her yes, nodding slightly. 

“It'll be another not so chill night.”

There was a disdain in his voice that she hadn't been expecting. Did he not like when everyone piled into his shared place for a night of drinking and nonsense? 

Reaching for his hand to stop him from taking things further, she laced their fingers together and folded their now intertwined digits into her chest. 

“At least you'll have me there,” she shrugged. 

× × ×

“Persephone…if we adjust your medications again, this will be the third time within a year. In my professional opinion, I don't think you're really giving them a chance.”

Professional. Right. What a jackass. 

This was the statement that finally broke her that day. Her shoulders dropped and her head bowed, heavy sobs immediately beginning to escape her. A hand lifted to cover her mouth in an attempt to muffle the sounds, though she knew the older man wasn't so blind that he hadn't witnessed her oncoming break. 

“You don't get it. No one gets it.” She choked out while tugging down the sleeve of her (Noah’s) hoodie so she could wipe beneath her nose. 

“I hate the way all of the meds have made me. I'm not myself. I don't feel normal. I mean…who I was before wasn't so great, considering, but at least then I felt something that wasn't just…emptiness and anger and this sadness that's been eating away at me.”

Trembling hands cradled her face after dropping it into her palms, the tears not yet ceasing. It felt like a dam had broken within her - or maybe it was just a patch. Something told her this wasn't the breakdown she had brewing inside.

“I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't even enjoy my time with the guy I fucking lo-” she paused before finishing the sentence, cutting herself off with a shake of her head. 

Nope. She wasn't going to admit that for the first time to her goddamn therapist. 

Seph took in a deep breath as she wiped the tears from beneath her eyes. She was hoping she could get herself together now, though mostly because she didn't want to return to the public with red and puffy eyes. 

“Maybe I'm just better without the meds. Is that an option? Things in my life are different now, right? So maybe the changes will help me stay level headed. I just need to feel like myself again.” 

“No.” The man was quick to respond. “Stopping medications abruptly is never suggested and you know this. It could make your negative feelings worse, as well as become more physical ailments, too.”

He deeply sighed as he looked at her across the room. It was clear to her that he was at a loss for words, though she wasn't surprised. It's the same expression she received time and time again from every therapist who was unlucky enough to have her land in their lap. Seph knew she wasn't that much of a handful, especially not in comparison to other people in the world. She was just…frustrating. Possibly even incapable of receiving help because she wasn't willing to open up to it. Or whatever the fuck her last therapist had told her parents. 

It was all bullshit either way. 

× × ×

Against her therapist’s better judgment, and possibly even her own, Seph had decided on her way back to Noah's after her appointment that she was going to put her medications to rest. She wasn't going to be so irresponsible as to quit them cold turkey, but tapering herself off was definitely in the works. Any of the effects she may experience couldn't be nearly as bad as how she was currently feeling on a day to day basis. This is what she told herself to justify the decision. 

Merely having put this plan into action was already lifting her spirits. She felt happier, lighter in her steps. Maybe even excited for the night that lied ahead? While parties used to be her cup of tea, it should come as no surprise that she wasn't as lively at them as she once had been. 

Not this time. She thought to herself while getting ready that evening. She was going to be the old Seph that night even if it killed her. 

High waisted shorts that were cut entirely too short in the back? Check. Random t-shirt of Noah’s that she had tied and tucked up at her waist? Check. Secret vodka shots that were taken before the guys arrived back? Double check. 

“You seem to be in a good mood.” Noah mused as he approached her a little later that night. “Therapy go well?”

Seph peered up at him, a grin manifesting over her lips. She assumed he didn't think anything of the cup in her hand that was a mixture of fruit punch and vodka, since the red juice was typically being had by her during any of their parties. Why would he suspect the second ingredient now? 

“It was fine, but we can talk about it tomorrow.” A wave of her hand brushed the topic away. She didn't want to dwell on something like that right then when she was supposed to be having fun, especially when she knew telling Noah about her session and her decision afterwards would put a stop to all the said fun. 

With her cup clutched securely in her hand, she took a step closer to Noah so her arms could link around his waist. Her body pressed firm into his now that her head angled up and her chin could prop against his chest, just so she could get a clear view of his face. 

“What are you doing?” Noah chuckled, a hand of his own rubbing along her back so she knew her sudden affection was welcomed despite the people. 

“Nothin’, I just missed you.” 

Wasn't it funny how she had once been worried about what people would think of her for cozying up with someone like Noah? And now, not only could she not care less about what others thought, she was actually pretty happy to be with him. 

When happiness could be felt. 

Not to mention the night and day difference Noah was to Mason. Her ex would always act embarrassed when she was a little more affectionate and craving his attention, even more so when others were around. But Noah? He leaned into it and gave it right back, sometimes tenfold. 

“How was the video shoot?” 

“Uh…” Noah shrugged, his other hand bringing his beer up for a swallow as the one still caressed along her back. “It went okay. Some creative differences but that's to be expected.” 

At this point in their relationship, Seph believed she knew Noah pretty well. She could tell when he was lying, or at least withholding things from her, and this was one of those times. Not even her vodka goggles could make her blind to it. 

“That doesn't sound too good…” The words were mumbled against his mouth after she had pushed up onto her tip toes to press her lips to his. While the initial kiss only lasted a second or so, Seph couldn't stop herself from leaning in for another, this one lingering for longer. 

How could it not when he always tasted so damn good? Still, she made a mental note to ask him more about the video shoot later. 

“Hey! We're gearing up for beer pong!” 

Folio’s voice cut through the little bubble they had placed themselves in which unfortunately forced Noah to pull back from her a bit. He looked off to the side where his bandmate was shuffling away, giving him a nod and a wave of his hand as a signal that he understood. 

Seph huffed, the pout obvious on her lips from the lack of connection. She so badly wanted to be as close as humanly possible to him, more so than usual. It was hard to tell if Noah shared the same desire, though. Things had been so off with him lately, as well as herself, that it was impossible to know for sure. Obviously she had yet to take Nick’s advice and actually talk to Noah about it. 

“I'm gonna run to the bathroom and then we're getting in on that game.” Noah tilted his head back to finish off what remained of his beer. 

“You're on my team, by the way, since you're oddly good at it…” 

Eying her suspiciously, Noah began to take slow steps backwards until her hand slipped from his. Seph could only laugh and roll her eyes at him, knowing damn well she had explained to him before that she had been playing beer pong almost religiously since she was thirteen. So, of course she was good at it. 

Once he rounded the corner down the hallway, she took in a deep breath, her smile falling. Her frustrations were really beginning to grow and that worried her. How much longer until she outright exploded? 

Goddammit. She couldn't keep letting her inner most thoughts drift to these things. This was supposed to be her fun night. Not her 'dwell on whether or not Noah is over me’ night. 

With pursed lips she glanced in the direction of the hallway he had sauntered down mere seconds ago. No…she shouldn't…right? 

Seph refused to think about it for too long. After all, she had vowed to act like her old self. The version of her that was all for taking chances and doing things that were probably pretty dumb. This little idea definitely fit the criteria. 

After finishing off the remnants of her drink, she found herself following the same path Noah had taken. It was mostly empty in this area of the house now because the other party-goers were either outside or joining in on the commotion in the kitchen and dining room. As she approached the bathroom, she heard the toilet flush and then the sink turn on, which didn't give her much time to back out if she chose to. 

Oh, hell. Why was she so nervous anyway? Noah was basically her boyfriend (relationship defining conversation still pending) and this is the sort of thing they did. What's the worst that could happen?  

Well…he could completely reject her…that was always likely…

Thankfully, the bathroom door opened before she could think any harder on that pesky thought. Noah appeared slightly shocked to see her standing there, though she barely had time to register his expression shift before she was closing the space between them and pushing him back into the bathroom with the force of her body colliding with his. 

“Seph-”

She cut him off after nudging the door closed with her elbow, a hand grabbing the back of his head and pulling his lips down to hers. His own hands were quick to find her waist, firmly clutching at her bare skin and pulling her in closer against him. 

Good. This was the sort of reaction she was looking for. 

Seph tightly grasped his hair between her fingers as she moaned into the kiss, letting him know exactly what she was angling towards. Noah seemed to be accepting of it by the way he guided her back into the wall and then used a singular hand to pin her wrists up above her head. She could already feel the bulge beginning to form in his jeans - and this made her so ecstatic that she barely knew how to contain herself. 

Fuck, she just knew she was about to cum so hard. 

“I don't know what's gotten into you…” he breathed across her skin while biting a trail down her jaw and neck, his free hand dragging along her waist. “But it's fucking hot.” 

Noah pressed himself between her thighs and tightened the grip he had on her wrists, though only for a brief moment before releasing them. Oh, so he found it hot when she took the lead? Noted. 

“Only thing I need getting into me right now is your dick.” 

Seph didn't care how ridiculous that sounded because not only was her brain foggy with only her desire for Noah, but she was also pretty buzzed from the shots and her mixed drink. Not drinking for a year was really getting the best of her. 

The moment her hands were free, they dropped to begin working on the irritating button and zipper of his jeans. Her lips worked skillfully over his as they engaged in another heated kiss; tongues massaged together, moans mixing, both of their primal needs for the other heightening in sync. Noah’s hands were in her hair and then feeling along her body, grabbing and touching at every bit of her that he could. She didn't even care when he drunkenly pulled too hard on her necklace by accident, almost ripping it off in the process. Thankfully the chain remained secure. 

“I knew you'd be hard for me already…” she taunted after slipping her fingers beneath the band of his boxers and feeling for herself just how hard he actually was. The answer: hard enough for his cock to pulse at the first graze of her fingers. 

A few steps forward and she had backed him up to the counter, all while she simultaneously pushed his boxers down and tugged his cock free. Seph looked up at him with a devilish smirk as her thumb grazed along the tip, this slight motion causing his hips to jerk forward and his hands to clutch the counter tight enough that his knuckles turned white. 

“Fuck,” Noah groaned. The sound of his breathing was already picking up despite her having just secured her fingers around his thick cock, slowly pumping along every inch. 

It was the expressions he made that she really liked watching - which now helped her realize why Noah also liked looking up at her as he was eating her out. Being able to see the other person coming undone more and more with every passing second was euphoric all on its own. His eyes closed and his jaw clenched, lips briefly folding in before another moan erupted from his chest. Of course just her simply jerking him off was going to be a show for her - it had been forever since he let her even touch him below the waist last. 

Seph picked up her pace, the grip she had tightening every time her hand would twist up towards the top. She noticed how he was trying his best to stop himself from thrusting forward into her palm, and while she wanted to call him out for it, she decided against it because she knew he wouldn't be able to hold back once she was on her knees. 

Speaking of - that's exactly where she had ended up. 

Heavy lidded eyes stared down at her now, his fingers helping with moving her hair out of her face and gathering it back in a makeshift ponytail. Seph smiled up at him just as she gripped the base of his cock and secured her plump lips around the tip, her tongue swirling around and gathering the bead of moisture that had already appeared. 

Noah did a sharp inhale, and she could feel the way his body tensed while she had him in such a vulnerable position. Since she didn't get to blow him often, she definitely liked to make the most of it. After taking in a deep breath of her own through her nose, her tongue laid against the underside of his cock, her head beginning its tortuously slow bob to take him in inch by inch. 

“Goddamn, Seph,” Noah cursed above her, “your mouth…”

There was no way he was able to finish the statement once she was swallowing his cock down at a faster pace, bringing him as far back to her throat as she could. Her new motions quite the contrast to how she had just been teasing him only seconds ago. Noah’s grip of her hair tightened so he could help guide her, a bit of force being applied in an attempt to push her deeper. 

“Lift your shirt up,” he then demanded, which she quickly obeyed by hauling the t-shirt up to rest on the top of her chest. 

Noah’s eyes focused on her chest, watching as she used one hand to massage her breasts from over her bra, the other still holding firm to his cock. She could see his eyes bouncing back and forth between her chest and the sight of most of his cock disappearing past her lips, since she was still trying her best to keep her sights set on him. 

A low groan escaped him, his hips thrusting forward to further feel more of her mouth. “You're so fucking hot.”

Seph then took it upon herself to tug down the cups of the bralette she wore, baring her chest to him. If his pupils weren't blown before then they definitely were now as he watched her play with herself, both for his entertainment and also to help relieve some of the tension she was feeling. 

Unfortunately, her dream of cumming hard was not in the works of coming true. 

“Dude, what the fuck are you-”

“Fuck! Folio! Get out!” 

Suddenly she was forced to the side and her mouth emptied as he pulled back, Noah’s body turning to shield not only himself, but also her from the intruder. 

“Shitshitshit! Dude! I'm sorry!” 

Seph was quickly trying to pull her shirt down after she had dropped to her bottom on the bathroom floor, while also attempting to see around Noah so that Folio could catch a glimpse of her glare. 

“Shut the fucking door! No! Get out and then shut the door!”

She had been so goddamn close to getting what she wanted. There was no way Noah would've let them exit the bathroom without first making her cum around his cock, but now either of them getting off was a thing of the past. 

“You live here! You have a bedroom!” Folio yelled from the other side of the door, prompting both her and Noah to simultaneously yell for him to ‘fuck off’ - a few other profanities and choice words also added into the mix. 

Seph groaned in annoyance as she continued to work at adjusting her bra and then tying the shirt up at her waist again. When she looked up, Noah had already stuffed himself back into his jeans - albeit a little uncomfortably - and was now extending a hand out to her. 

“I'm pissed,” she exclaimed after taking his hand and pulling herself to her feet with his assistance. Noah heavily sighed, his eyes still focused on her. He began to smooth his hands over her hair, gently tucking strands back behind her ear while nodding in agreement. 

“I'm more pissed that Folio might've seen your tits.” 

A pout and a whine took over her, though Noah only chuckled and pulled her into his chest where she could bury her face for a moment. 

“Don't worry. I'll kick his ass if he says anything about your tits. I already know they're amazing, no one else needs to.” 

“Not funny!” She huffed, the back of her hand lightly smacking against his shoulder. 

“I would see if you wanted to continue, but uh…” he looked down between them, his brows pulling together as if he was concentrating. After a few seconds, Noah released an exasperated sigh and shook his head. “I think the moment is gone…seeing Folio’s dumbass face makes it impossible to stay hard.” 

The moment was so gone that they had no choice but to slyly join the party again. Seph was crossing her fingers that Folio hadn't opened his big mouth to anyone about what he just walked in on, but by the look Alexa gave her, she knew how unlikely that was. 

Thankfully, nothing was said. A few sideways glances weren't going to get her all riled up, not when all of her unhappy feelings were still currently being directed at Folio. She glared at him from over the brim of her cup, though he was none the wiser. Noah, on the other hand, noticed each and every time. Seph could hear his subtle chuckle accompanied by his hand gliding along her lower back as if that would be enough to calm her. It was…kind of…but not fully. 

“Are you drinking?” Noah had bent down so his lips were at her ear, allowing her to clearly hear his inquiry over the sound of mindless chatter around them. 

Uh oh, she had been caught. 

Seph contemplated her response, though she eventually landed on simply nodding. Lying about it definitely wouldn't have been a good idea. If Noah was asking, then that meant he already knew she was. Huh…wonder what it could've been to give her away. 

“Yeah…” she glanced down to her drink, then back up to his eyes that had focused on her with quite a bit of intent. “It was a not so great session, okay? I just wanted to unwind. It's the first time in a year, I swear.” 

A smile then pulled up on his lips and he laughed, head slightly shaking. 

“Seph…Seph…stop. It's okay. I was only asking so I'd know. You know your limits, not me.” 

To further prove that he wasn't upset, Noah lightly held her chin between his fingers and met her halfway for a chaste kiss. As they parted, his arm slung across her shoulders, keeping her pulled in close against him. 

“Never Have I Ever!” Alexa suddenly interjected despite whatever conversations were happening. 

The mention of the game made Jolly groan, his eyes, along with a few others, rolling at the suggestion. 

“Oh, fuck off, you big babies. It's fun! No topics off limits, yeah?” The other girl continued with an animated wiggle of her eyebrows, five fingers now being held up. “And we didn't have enough cups left for beer pong so you get what you get.” 

The remainder of the people around the kitchen island begrudgingly followed suit until they all had a hand up, long swallows of their drinks already being taken before the game even began. 

“That's only four fingers…” she called out to Nicholas, whose brows furrowed as his eyes attempted to focus on his right hand.

Oh, someone had definitely had a bit too much to drink. 

“Ah, shit.” He laughed, only to add the fifth finger to stand with the others. “That's my bad.”

“I'll start!” Alexa further announced while her eyes danced around the people before eventually landing on her. She grinned, already erupting into a small fit of laughter. 

“Never have I ever…been to Sweden.”

Seph narrowed her eyes, though opted to lower a finger for no other reason but to play into the joke. At this point, why the hell not?

“Very funny, you bitch.” She grumbled behind her cup, taking a swallow from the sickeningly sweet concoction. 

The only other person to not have five fingers up was Jolly, and he still appeared very lost and confused by the joke exchanged. 

No, she wasn't actually mad about her Sweden trip being brought up, but Noah still gave the back of her neck a reassuring squeeze when his touch traveled down along her back and then up again. The way he was always touching her definitely didn't help the need she still had for him, although she wasn't going to complain. What she was going to do was squeeze her thighs together to hopefully relieve the slightest bit of tension. 

It sure as fuck didn't work. 

As the game began to slide into a full swing, Seph quickly realized that people were playing rather dirty and purposely singling others out. She should've known this by the opening statement being about her, but she had figured that was just Alexa being…well…Alexa. 

During the game, Seph had told herself not to look at the number of fingers Noah had up, or which he had lowered for. She didn't want to know, especially when the questions were geared more towards the sexual side of things. Unfortunately, when she accidentally caught a glimpse of his two fingers up compared to her four that remained, her mind began to wander. 

Which had he lowered for? 

Oh god…it hadn't been the threesome related statement, right? 

Seph was sure he also hadn't lowered when someone drunkenly muttered incoherent words about having sex with more than two people in a night…right? 

Fuck, she was going to be sick. 

“Never have I ever acted like a complete diva on a video shoot.” 

Wait, what? 

Seph’s eyes quickly drifted to the direction of the voice before realizing the words had been spoken by Nick. He was staring dead at Noah, no laughter or the slightest hint of a smile to be seen. Well…this surely wasn't the Nick she was used to. 

That didn't stop Noah from dropping a finger, leaving him with only one. That one was switched to his middle finger, it now being directed to Nick. 

Before she had a chance to question what Nick was talking about, Noah’s voice cut through the silence that had fallen upon the group. 

“Never have I ever told Folio that I think my best friend’s girlfriend is hot.” 

“Okay, what's happening?” Seph pulled back from Noah a bit so she could look back and forth between both him and Nick. Neither responded, or really even paid her any mind, for they were practically glaring at each other. 

“I mean…Seph is pretty hot…” Alexa nervously murmured to cut the tension. 

“Never have I ever been caught by Folio getting blown by my girlfriend!” 

Jolly laughed, pointing to Folio who was appearing as if he wanted to just curl up and die right then. “Bro, you got a big fucking mouth.” 

“Fuck, I’m sorry, guys! Get some drinks in me and I just start saying things. It's not done on pur-”

Alexa gave his arm a tug to silence him, her head shaking. Yeah, they all knew this wasn't the time for explanations. 

“What is going on?! I really just need someone to fill me in on what I missed because-”

“Never have I ever rejected my girlfriend's advances for sex for over two weeks!” Nick continued despite it not being his turn technically, but it was safe to assume all cordial game play had already gone right out the window. 

Nick’s exclamation was loud enough to cover her own protests and demands for them to cut it out. She abruptly stopped talking, her eyes going wide, the entirety of her body freezing. 

But wait, did they keep saying girlfriend? Okay, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. 

“Oh shit…” Alexa whispered in shock at the outcome of her request to play the juvenile game. 

The way Noah tensed beside her was painfully obvious. She was far too scared to look over at him, knowing damn well he would be wearing an expression that screamed how hurt and furious he was. 

“Nick!” Seph hissed. 

It was like her saying his name had brought him back down to Earth, because he blinked a couple of times and then looked at her. His eyes also went wide to match her own and that's when she knew Nick had no idea he had even just yelled that until the reality of it came toppling down onto him. 

“You told him that?”

Noah’s voice had softened, yet there was still an edge to it; and fuck, was it sharp. 

That was when she finally mustered enough courage to tilt her head up, their eyes meeting. She tried to speak but no words would come out, nothing more beyond a couple of syllables that meant absolutely nothing.  

“No, Noah, I- I mean yes, I did, but I just needed someone to tal…can we talk about this in private?” 

“Nah, you want to talk about our private business to Nick every chance you get, so why don't we let everyone listen in too?” 

“It's not like that!” She quickly protested, her head shaking back and forth.

“He’s my best friend, Seph!”

“He's my friend too! I just didn't have anyone else I could talk to and he's always been able to give me decent advice and-”

“Was it Nick’s decent advice that told you to throw yourself at me in the bathroom?” 

This was the moment when people began to clear out. Of course they wanted to linger and listen to the fight, but everyone was smart enough to know better. For the most part, at least. Before she knew it, only her, Noah, and Nick remained in the kitchen. 

“What?” Her face contorted in confusion, very much lost by the question. “No! That's not…no.”

“Don't worry about it. I'll go ahead to my room and you two can gossip a bit more.” 

Much to his dismay, or so she could assume, she wasn't going to let it drop like that. Instead, she was right on his heels, following him back to his bedroom. Nick was calling out behind them, though neither stopped to figure out what he was saying. 

“Noah…” she softly spoke his name after closing the bedroom door, hesitant steps then being taken closer to where he stood. 

“Do you really want to know why we haven't had sex?” A hand was held up that silently signaled for her to stop progressing forward, which she obeyed, swaying body and all. 

“It's because you aren't attracted to me anymore, right?” Maybe Noah’s question had been rhetorical, but her drunken brain was always going to get the best of her. 

“Because you want someone with more experience or someone with less issues or someone who-” her voice was cracking and wavering as she spoke, the tears welling in her eyes threatening to fall over. 

Never before had she been so thankful for Noah cutting her off. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, Seph, stop. Listen to me.” Noah moved towards her, his inked digits grasping onto her shoulders so she had no choice but to stare straight at him. There was a deep breath that he exhaled, and Seph could tell that he was now struggling to find the words of his own. 

“When I look at you…I just want to fuck the absolute shit out of you. I want you begging and taking it and making those specific little moans that you do when you're really into it.” Noah paused and took a deep breath as if simply saying the words was too much for him to admit. Vulnerability wasn't something he did well. 

“But then at the same time I also just want to hold you as close as possible and make sure you're okay.” His voice softened now, just as his hands released the grip on her shoulders so he could instead slowly rub along her arms.  

“I have to know that you're okay, Seph, and that will always trump my physical needs.”

Now, why the hell couldn't he have said these things to her when they were both sober and shit hadn't just hit the fan? Why did a big explosion have to happen before he would express the deeper side of emotions to her? 

“And lately, I just…I can tell you're not okay. I've tried to get you to talk to me about it but you've been closed off, and I know you're annoyed with my questions all the time but I have to be able to say that I did everything I could to help.”

After a brief shift in his expression, Noah dropped his hands from her arms and took a step back. Maybe he had just remembered that he was mad at her and he needed to act accordingly. Or maybe he felt awkward since she had yet to say anything back to him. 

Oh, right, she did need to actually open her mouth…

“I never asked you to do that for me.”

Wait, no. She was supposed to say something nice! What the fuck was that?

Noah appeared both perplexed and offended by how she chose to respond. If he was trying to figure out why she had said that, then hopefully he’d be able to fill her in once he stumbled upon a conclusion. Not even she knew why. 

“You're unbelievable. What were you expecting me to do?” He breathed out a laugh of disbelief with a hint of annoyance - both completely understandable to be feeling right then. “Stand back and watch as you fade away to nothing? Literally and figuratively.” 

“No, no, that's not what I meant. I don't know why I said that.”

Seph lifted her hands to her head to press against her temples. A headache was slowly creeping up, though she wasn't sure if it was a response to her drinking or the stressful night they were experiencing. 

“Then what did you mean, Seph? I'd really like to know.” 

With her eyes closed and her fingers rubbing slow circles around her temples, she still somehow managed to shake her head and heavily exhale. There was too much going on her mind right then; focusing on one singular thought was proving to be harder and harder. 

“I don't know. I…fuck.” 

Noah dropped his hands to his sides in a dramatic smack and then rubbed over his own face, his form shifting back a few more steps away from her. He was aggravated. She would know this in any mental state. It didn't matter how hazy her mind was. 

“It doesn't make sense, okay? Like…why? Why would you think constantly rejecting me would be helping me?” 

“Because I didn't want you to use us having sex as an outlet!” 

“Oh, I wasn't allowed to have a few minutes of happiness and actually feel something because you were worried I'd…what? Rely on it? Become addicted? Constantly need to sit on your dick?”

“It's longer than a few minutes…” he grumbled. 

“That wasn't a fucking dig at you, Noah!” She groaned in frustration. To say that she was annoyed by his childish comment would've been an understatement. Of course that's what he would choose to latch onto. 

“Also, what guy doesn't want their girlfriend, or whatever, to be on their dick all the time?”

Wasn't that supposed to be the male dream or something like that? 

Those thoughts pushed aside, Seph and Noah stared silently at each other. She could see all the thoughts running through his mind, just as she assumed he could see the same for her. There was a lot she wanted to say, but none of it seemed like it would sound right. It wouldn't feel right. This was obviously a conversation they should be having when sober. 

But was that going to stop her? Probably not. 

“I know you were coming from a good place, okay, I get that. But…fuck…you don't understand how doing that made me feel absolutely terrible. Like something was wrong with me because why else would you be rejecting my advances?” There was another crack in her voice as she tried her best to explain her feelings, though that wasn't very easy to put into words. They both struggled with emoting verbally - if that wasn't already painfully obvious. 

“I needed you to be my boyfriend, Noah. Not my dad or my doctor. Or whatever you are, I don't know.” 

“You don't know? The fuck does that mean? What are you talking about?” 

Seph shrugged as she dropped her eyes down, a thumb now at her mouth for her to nervously chew on her cuticles. 

“You don't know if we're together or not?” 

There was now silence coming from her, this being enough of a response to tell Noah that yes, she didn't know. Or maybe she did? It was all very complicated and she was having an increasingly hard time wrapping her head around it. 

“Christ, Seph, of course we are. Why- what even makes you think we aren't?”

Well, now she definitely felt silly and possibly even a little bit ridiculous. She glanced up to look at Noah from beneath her lashes, her shoulder relaying another small shrug. 

“We've never really talked about it…so I didn't know…”

“You practically live here! In this room! With me! We hold hands, we cook for each other, we sleep in the same bed, we…do other things in bed!” 

Seph wanted to remind him that they rarely did other things in bed as of lately, but she figured he already had to know this. It's what had spawned the entire argument to begin with. 

“Well, I don't know, Noah! I'm not here every night so I don't know what you do or with who!”

Noah definitely looked offended now. Oops. 

“And you're about to leave for tour! Maybe you don't want anything serious before then so you can just…do whatever while you're gone!” 

The words were flowing from her at a rapid pace. Word vomit as people liked to call it. 

“You'll be meeting all these new people and seeing new faces and making new fun memories! While I'm sitting back here in Richm-”

“Then come with us!”

Seph abruptly halted her word vomit so she could process what he had just said. Her brows knitted together in confusion, a deep breath then being taken. 

“What?”

“Come with us on tour,” he repeated. 

“It's just a van, so it'll be cramped and we’ll be in shitty motels, and the food will be from wherever we pass, and I can't promise it'll always smell the best with all the other guys, but I want you to come.” 

More silence from her. Noah’s words kept repeating in her head as she dissected them piece by piece, looking for any evidence that pointed towards him just offering this to shut her up for the night. 

Almost as if Noah could sense this, he took a step closer to her, a hand reaching out to lightly rub along the back of her arm. 

“I've been wanting to ask you but I was worried that maybe it wouldn't be what's best for you right now. I was being your doctor and not your boyfriend…I can see that.” 

The hand on her elbow tightened so he could pull her into him, both of his long arms then securing around her to keep her close against his chest. Seph instinctively circled her own arms around his waist, face buried into him as he planted a kiss to the top of her head. 

This was where she felt the most comfortable. Her happy place. 

“Okay,” she finally murmured. The word was muffled but she knew Noah heard her by the way his arms tightened even more around her body. 

“Okay?” He repeated, clearly wanting her to elaborate even though he knew and she knew that he knew. 

“Okay, I'll go with you.” 

× × ×

REWIND: THE HILL'S GARDEN PARTY

NOAH

“I’m going to go grab some things real quick since we’re here, okay? It'll only take a couple of minutes.” 

Noah wanted to protest because that meant he would be left alone with the wolves, but he smiled and gave her a nod. She was already leaning in close to kiss him, which he would've been crazy to deny, and even crazier to ruin with his childish pout. 

Only when Seph disappeared into her house did he finally tear his gaze away from where she had been. He took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his eyes now drifting around to briefly study the faces of those around him. Some were still glancing his way but most had taken to acting like he wasn't even there. If they were friends with Seph's dad then he was sure only the nicest of things had been said about him. 

“Enjoying the party?”

Noah turned to see the devil himself approaching, a polite but slightly sinister smile taking residence on his face. There wasn't much that he was scared of but this man…he truly made his insides churn. 

“Can't really say it's my style,” he attempted to joke, a nervous laugh to follow. 

Mr. Hill only held his gaze even as he took a swallow from his drink. “I won't disagree with you.” 

“Listen…” his heavy hand laid against the back of Noah’s shoulder to guide him to the side, away from prying ears but not so distant that people would grow curious. “I thought you and I had come to an understanding.” 

Noah’s fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, his jaw tightening and heart rate immediately picking up. 

“So, why are you here? And why is my daughter still parading around with you?” 

Silence was the only answer he could give. Back when Seph was away in Sweden, her dad had paid him a visit. Their conversation was mostly about the video circulating thanks to Maisie, but it had transitioned to the typical ‘stay away from my daughter’ monologue. Noah had only agreed so that the man would get out of his face. There was no intention to actually follow through with the empty promise, not until her dad 'sweetened the deal'. Initially he had denied all bribes but after the guys heard what the man was offering…

“I gave you the money to pay for that van your little band needed. I talked to my buddy who cut you the deal of a lifetime on your house. I held up my end of the bargain, so why haven't you? Are you not a man of your word, Noah?” 

Just hearing the things he had agreed to made him sick. There was a sting of acid in the back of his throat and he truly considered vomiting on Mr. Hill right then. Noah managed to swallow it down but only because he knew the man's suit cost more than his monthly mortgage. 

Despite Noah's silence, Seph’s dad could somehow read every thought he was having. He lowly chuckled, the grip on Noah’s shoulder briefly tightening. 

“Whatever you're thinking right now, go ahead and shove it all away. What you two have isn't love.” He grimaced through the last word. “It's fascination, rebellion, boredom.” 

“You don't know anything about what Seph and I have,” Noah finally spoke through gritted teeth. “If I could give you back every dime right now, I would. None of that stuff is more important than Seph.”

“No? Then why don't you go on and tell her? Let's find out from Persephone what's important.”

Noah shrugged the older man's hand from his shoulder, although in an indiscreet way that wouldn't draw the eye of others. He took in a sharp breath to attempt calming his nerves before shaking his head to the idiotic suggestion. 

“You want her to know even less than I do because you know it won't only be me she writes off.” Noah shared an intense glare with Mr. Hill, one that his wife must've noticed because she was soon approaching the pair and attempting to diffuse the conversation with a smile and quickly strung together lies. 

“Noah, it really was great to see you again,” Marilyn dramatically gushed while brushing a piece of invisible lint from her husband’s shoulder. “Dear, I think I just heard Bannon mention something about being in the market for a new office building?” 

With a tilt of his head, the man finished his drink and then pushed the empty glass into Noah’s chest for him to discard as if he was nothing more than the hired help.

“Davis,” he grumbled out his departure mere moments before Seph reappeared looking flushed but eager to leave. 

[houseofsnarry]

💚 HoS Members’ Recs: Self Rec ❤️

photo source

*Sorry for the repost! In the process of fixing a mistake, I accidentally deleted the original post. This mod and Tumblr are not on good terms right now. lol BUT! We added one more fic and it's a doozy! Check it out! And hopefully there are no more mistakes. *crossing fingers

- Scarlet It's NaNoWriMo! While we are busy creating new fics and art and rec lists and everything under the sun for our fav ship, what about some self-recs? Here are some of our fav Snarry works made by us! As we look forward to accomplishing our goals, we got to give appreciation to the works we've done in the past. <3

Art

🎨 Little Christmas story - @flymetosnarryland (AO3) with a snippet on Tumblr

🎨 Severus in red + Under the Influence Harry - @ofnightsndsongs (AO3)

Choose Your Own Adventure

🌸 What Comes Next (And How to Like It) - @likelightinglass (AO3) Rated E, Word Count 28.6k

A choose your own adventure fic! You are Severus Snape. You survived against all odds, and now it's time to take life into your own hands. What will you do with this gift of a second chance, and how will you find your happy ending? Your happy ending is pretty much always Harry Potter, but there's so many fun ways to get there.

Fanfic

📚 B.R.E.D - Elffaw Rated E, Word Count 5.3k

“You have been summoned here today,” he said, each word crisp and clear, “to partake in a physical examination required by the Ministry itself; in other words, you will be B.R.E.D.”

📚 Certain Dark Things - @liladiurne (AO3) Rated E, Word Count 50.3k

“You want me. I know you do.” I was too worn-out by then to even deny it. In the light of day, with only the summer wind and the cicadas to hear, it didn’t seem necessary to hide it. “It doesn’t matter, Harry. This can never happen.” He stared at me some more, and I did my best not to falter under those shimmering eyes. “I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he assured me.“ I know you wouldn’t,” I added, insisting on the conditional. I didn’t like the way he’d spoken as if it had already happened. As if I had already lost. Perhaps I already had. In which Severus takes a trip to Italy, thinking he'll have a quiet time at the Malfoys' villa, but Harry has other plans. Written for prompt #182: AU. Harry never lived with the Dursleys. He was adopted by the reformed Malfoys as an infant. He is secretly in love with his adopted father's best friend, Severus Snape.

📚 Contempt - @danpuff-ao3 (AO3) Rated E, Word Count 20k

Harry hates Snape, and he always will. (He will, won’t he?)

📚 Courting Day - wendymarlowe Rated M, Word Count 42.8k

It's Courting Day: seventh- and eighth-year students get the chance to declare their intentions to formally woo each other. The only way for Harry to avoid being a matrimonial target is to put in a declaration of his own. Surely if he picks someone who would never in a million years accept his suit, he'll escape unscathed...

📚 dream a little dream of me - @dandelionstars (AO3) with art by @acydpop (AO3) Rated T, Word Count 4.6k

While Severus was not a strong enough Seer to receive complete soulmate dreams, unfortunately, he had just enough power to catch fleeting moments of his soulmate. These flashes of intense joy were more of a curse than a blessing. Despair was suffocating when his hopes were dashed again and again like carved crystal, inevitably shattered on the floor. A Snarry Soulmate AU

📚 For I Have Found Salvation - @lumosatnight (AO3) Rated E, Word Count 7.1k

Severus is a priest, and Harry is the parishioner who may just make him break his vows of celibacy.

📚 Harry Potter’s Avada Kedavra Wedding - whythehellnothavefun Rated M, Word Count 11.4k

(From The Book of Terms And Their Definitions, page 101) Avada Kedavra Wedding: noun, informal, see also: Avada Kedavra Marriage An enforced or hurried wedding, due to one member being pregnant or under blackmail, potentially to gain access to another’s vault(s) and/or properties. (See also: Muggle Oxford English Dictionary, shotgun wedding/shotgun marriage)

📚 Invisible String - @givereadersahug (AO3) Rated G, Word Count 3.7k

The first time Harry saw Snape's black eyes — him truly acknowledging Snape's existence beyond him being his mean professor — it was the night after Harry killed Professor Quirrell. He was dreaming, and in his dreams, he was screaming. Harry dreams of Severus over the years.

📚 On the Origins of Dementors - DarkTony Rated G, Word Count 2.6k

Amidst the pages of tomes that now remain unread,there a story, a fable, a legend goes of a man made of misery…

📚 Sir Saisir - @coconutice22 (AO3) Rated E, Word Count 27k

Some things that glitter are gold. Twenty years after defeating Lord Voldemort, Severus has a meet-cute at a, ahem, private members' club.

📚 The Beat of Their Own Drum - @aeternumregina (AO3) Rated M, Word Count 2.4k

Harry sees Snape dancing at a bar, and is instantly enthralled by this new, carefree person who barely seems to resemble his old teacher.

📚 The Way Death Clutches At Life - @tax-onomic (AO3) Rated E, Word Count 7k

Death is permanent, unless it is not.

📚 This is not my beautiful wife - Klari Rated M, Word Count 35.9k

What happened after Harry smashed up Dumbledore’s office? With Sirius dead and his plans to run away from the Wizarding World on hold, Harry is on the edge— literally, and Severus manages to learn rather a lot about him at the top of the Astronomy Tower.

📚 Wish not for a soul that is full of sin - @serenaew (AO3) Rated T, Word Count 4.7k

After all, a flighty soul could not return to the water, or to the earth, as they maintained all life eventually should. (What one did not have, they believed, could not be broken.) Prologue to the merman!Snape, amnesia AU no one asked for.

Discord || Recs Lists

[furiousgoldfish]

I wanna talk about specifically the effects abuse had of me during forced labour, because I'm wondering if anyone else is feeling the same, or if anyone has found a way to resolve the symptoms. (tw for forced child labour, abuse during labour, death threats and mentions of injury and violence)

As a kid, I've been forced to work, often in pretty bad conditions, and it would often include further abuse, berating, humiliation, criticism, yelling, I'd even be hit during the work, and I've learned that I have to keep working even if injured or crying, and had to keep those things silent and not complain. I have a specific childhood memory where I had to paint a garage for what felt a whole afternoon and I was crying the entire time, my vision was blurry, and I just thought this was normal, it was nothing out of the ordinary for me. There were also sometimes games played on me where I would be given wrong instructions on purpose, then punished for following them, or would be given zero instructions and a task I've never been taught how to do, only so I could be punished for doing it wrong, and berated for 'not knowing how to do it despite my age'.

I would also often be told that if I don't work, I can't live, and would be threatened to be kicked out and left to die if I don't deserve to be sheltered and fed, so refusing to work was not an option, I would be beaten for it and forced to work injured. It was also why I couldn't walk away from abuse during work, it always felt like a death threat over my head if I refused to do anything, because I would be risking being kicked out and left for dead.

So, the specific after-effects of this are not just severe anxiety during work, but also all of my body functions and sensations completely stop if I'm working. Even if I'm working for hours and hours, I will not experience any hunger, thirst, need to go to the toilet, I won't feel exhaustion, pain, anything. It feels almost like my body is back at the 'death threat' mode and stops everything in order to work, because it's still etched in my brain that if I don't work, I cannot survive, and so our entire survival depends on being fit to work, on stopping all body functions and sensations until the work is done and survival is secured.

And then of course, when I get back home, enter my room, I collapse almost immediately, feeling intense pain in all of my muscles and back, weakness, hunger, dizziness, sometimes tension headache, severe exhaustion. I worry this is because my body was under such severe stress being triggered during work, that it's affected the same as after surviving additional trauma. I had hoped that after a few years of work and nobody hurting me while I'm doing my job, that this would subside, but unfortunately, I'm still having the same symptoms, even working for kind people who offer to me to take a break or bring me something to drink while I'm doing physical work. I don't even notice I'm thirsty until I'm already looking at the drink.

Does anyone else have experience with symptoms like this? And did you manage to resolve some of it, and find a way to work without your body reacting to it as a severe threat to existence?

[choices-binglebonkus]

Wake the Dead: Endings We Should Have Gotten

By now, I’ve made it very, very clear that I found Wake the Dead’s ending supremely disappointing. All those chapters of build-up and hard work for…this? A saccharine, uncharacteristic ending where none of our choices ended up mattering?

Wake the Dead, as I’ve said probably a hundred times now, had a lot of squandered potential. Like, the potential was there. The book itself wasn’t anything to write home about, but the ending really could’ve turned things around. Sadly, it did not, and it actually lowered the quality of the book as a whole in my opinion.

But what if we got a different ending?

More specifically, what if we got several different endings?

As I was eating dinner before class, my mind wandered and out of nowhere, I started brainstorming ideas for different endings we could have gotten in Wake the Dead. Granted, not all of them are practical, as PB has time and budget constraints. It’s a miracle they were even able to make three Endless Summer endings, so I know my ideas would absolutely be out of the question. However, I thought I'd let myself dream a bit. Just for funsies, you know?

I would have implemented four different endings for the book: the best ending, the good ending, the bad ending, and the worst ending. In addition to these four different endings, the five love interests would also be determinant, their fates factoring into the ending the player would get alongside the colony’s stats.

 The LI Deaths

As I mentioned, the love interests’ determinant deaths also have impact on the ending you get. There are two conditions unique to a specific love interest that must be met for them to die.

 Angel: Angel will die if you let her bring her zombie parents to the colony in chapter 4 (eventually causing them to break out and kill Mack) and have a low fortifications stat.

She is killed by the scout zombie that attacks her and the main character in chapter 19 because Mack isn’t there to intervene and draw it away.

 Eli: Eli will die if you choose not to shoot him in chapter 12 (causing him to feel immensely guilty for attacking you) and have a low food supply stat.

He is fatigued from both a lack of food and his bite, which he’s still recovering from, and knows that he probably isn’t going to make it through the Solstice. To absolve some of his guilt from attacking the main character, he opts to accompany Walt in drawing some of the zombies away and taking as many down as he could before the two die together.

 Shannon: Shannon will die if you save Minna over her in chapter 8 (causing her to be traumatized) and have a low research stat.

She is surrounded by zombies and has a heavy anxiety attack before she is overwhelmed and quickly devoured by the horde.

 Sledge: Sledge will die if you choose not to save Boots and the other survivors in chapter 19 and have a low fighters stat.

She will take the risk to save Boots herself, but since she does it without your help, she gets surprised and killed by the zombie lurking on the ground (the one that wounds your leg if you do opt to try and save Boots) en route to save the survivors. Unfortunately, the survivors then die anyway because Sledge was unable to save them.

 Troy: Troy will die if you have a low morale stat. Yes, I’m aware this makes it easier for him to die, but unlike all the other characters, he’s not really a strong, smart, or crafty fighter. He’s just…some guy. I mean, his weapon of choice is literally a pipe. Plus, none of the hard choices connect to him in any way.

He is incredibly stressed over the Solstice due to the lack of morale, and this makes his already lackluster fighting skills sloppy. After the zombies break through the gate, Troy is one of the first casualties and is crushed by a soldier zombie because he just couldn’t manage.

 The Endings

The Best Ending: Upper-moderate to high levels in three or more stats, achieving at least 55 kills, and all five love interests surviving will earn players the best ending.

The colony survives and thrives and is able to repair the damage from the Solstice as well as begin preparing ahead of time for the next one in seven years. Shannon continues her zombie research, and it’s hinted that if things keep going the way they are, she may find a way to make bites nonfatal: the closest thing the survivors will get to a cure for zombiism.

 The Good Ending: Moderate to upper-moderate levels in three or more stats, achieving at least 50 kills, and at least three love interests surviving will earn players the good ending.

The colony, though it’s been damaged by the hordes of zombies from the Solstice, is still in good shape. There were minimal casualties, but it’s going to take a while to fix all the damage sustained. Shannon, if she is still alive, continues her zombie research, but doesn’t foresee any groundbreaking discoveries on the horizon, but is able to make advancements here and there.

 The Bad Ending: Lower moderate to moderate levels in three or more stats, achieving at least 45 kills, and at least three love interests dying will earn players the bad ending.

The colony is in really, really rough shape. It’s still standing, but barely. Damages are extensive, casualties from the Solstice were numerous, and supplies are stretched thin. The survivors speculate that they may have to abandon the stronghold and start anew elsewhere within a few months, as there is little that can be done to repair the facilities and barricades, and the zombies are still at large. Shannon, if she is still alive, can no longer continue her research due to dwindling resources and more prominent dangers.

 The Worst Ending: Low to lower-moderate levels in three or more stats, achieving 39 kills or less, and all five love interests dying will earn players the worst ending.

The colony has fallen. In the wake of the Solstice, the few who survived decided it was every person for themself and fled, taking whatever remained of the supplies with them. The main character, completely alone, vulnerable, and wracked with survivor’s guilt, exhaustion, and hunger, is bitten and grievously wounded. Though they manage to kill the zombie that attacked them, they have no supplies and no one to help treat the bite and they die alone in the woods with the terrible knowledge that they’re going to turn shortly after their death.

 Again, I thought these were some of the potential outcomes we should have gotten had Pixelberry deigned to put the effort in. As I said, maybe they aren’t the best, and maybe they aren’t the most practical. But I thought the ending we got for Wake the Dead was truly awful and definitely one of the worst book endings we’ve ever gotten. I said it a year ago, and I’m saying it again.

 WtD deserved better.

[philosophicalparadox]

Not to get depressing, but life is fundamentally so much different when you care about whether you live or die.

I just had a conversation with my MIL that brought up this topic, is why I’m posting. That and I feel like there’s definitely people on here that can relate.

But anyway — for context I have OCD, (and relevantly am immune compromised) a horrible fucking condition that genuinely cripples me, and always sort of has, but which has gotten much much more egregious since I came to live here, 3k miles away from the family I grew up with. It’s contamination OCD, unfortunately, which means that yes I am kind of a germaphobe relative to the rest of the “normal” population. (It’s far more complicated than that but at risk of making it too long…) I know far too much about far too many things, and I’m extremely cautious not to spread zoonotic diseases especially, partly because I own and rescue reptiles including an iguana (disease factories that they are) and we have rats on the premises. In short, I tend to ask that people wash their hands with a certain degree of regularity; I grew up where it was a standard thing to wash your hands before you put clean dishes away, so can’t blame the OCD there completely, but other things like washing hands after touching the trash or wiping down the couch every day because of the (unwashed for 11 years) dog that insists on laying on it, etc. are things that I commonly get ragged on for asking my fiancé in particular to do, even though he understands and does it all willingly.

But here’s the thing: I wasn’t like that when I lived in that other place.

I mean, I was to a point. I insisted on cleaning when no one else did, I kept up on disinfecting relevant things especially when there were toddlers around, I mopped and cleaned and cooked to make sure there was minimal contamination because I didn’t trust anyone else to be aware enough of what they were doing not to spread salmonella (which I’ve had four times living with those people) from touching raw meat, etc. etc.

But ultimately I didn’t care to nearly the same extent. One, I knew any attempt at negotiating with these people would fail, two, I was sick constantly but was never actually allowed to rest or be ill, so what did it matter anyway, and three, I honestly did not care at all if something killed me. I didn’t want to suffer, exactly, so I did make some effort to avoid that; but ultimately I actually fantasised about being so ill I had to go to the hospital— in spite of doing that once already and being traumatized for it — simply because it would give me an excuse to rest and be by myself, away from these people. In the hospital I had the power to turn them away; at home, not so much.

I also dreamed about dying, quite often. Dying of sickness, which I very nearly (VERY nearly) did once, and lamenting how I didn’t get to go then. Dying from any number of things that didn’t require me to off myself directly (tried and failed that once; i don’t have the physical strength or willpower to cut that deep apparently). And I was far more reckless comparatively about germs and blood and icky things because I was always going to be sick with something and didn’t care if it killed me ultimately. And should it cause me so much pain as to be unbearable I had the perfect excuse to give into my desires and OD on whatever relevant medication I might have. Or some other such thing. I also lived in an AS state so if i was terminal I had the option to be euthanised by the state.

So, no, I wasn’t like I am now then. I survived because I had to, for the kids in my charge and the animals in my care. I had no other reason to live. And while I did do that, it wasn’t like there weren’t other people who could take my place in that situation, so my death, while massively inconvenient, wouldn’t of resulted in anyone else’s death or anything. Well, not any human anyway.

Now, though?

Now is so much different. I’m engaged. I have a house I can live in where the threat of being rendered homeless on a moments notice doesn’t loom over my head. I don’t have to pay for doctors — the state of NJ has the closest thing to universal healthcare found in the United States. Which means I actually get medical care. My fiancé is the best man I’ve ever known, and he’s sensitive to my needs, and he takes care of me when I let him. He understands that I’m immune compromised, that I am autistic, that I have severe ADHD, and that I physically can not be medicated for that because my body freaks the absolute hell out whenever it meets a steroid. He took me in and under his wing; we have been through thick and thin and I could not be more relieved to have found a home in him.

But it changed things. Oh it has changed things. My perspective is so much different now. I want to live for a future I want to have with him — an utterly impossible dream just five years ago. Five years ago I wanted to be dead. I longed for a sleep so deep I’d never wake. Now I can barely wait to get out of bed knowing my partner will be around to greet me. I used to positively dread hearing a front door open. Now I can hardly contain my excitement when I hear him on the porch. I’m happy to see him every time he enters a room, and it is so different.

And no matter how I try and explain this, people just…don’t get it. My (technically future)MIL certainly doesn’t. It’s so, so hard to explain how massively immensely utterly huge the difference is. It seems such a small thing if you’ve never been there. If you’ve never wanted to die so badly that you get angry that stupid runaway Porsche didn’t hit you when it came up on the sidewalk instead of feeling relieved. When all you feel is crushing disappointment that the car that did hit you in the crosswalk didn’t break your leg. When you look back on the traumatic experience that was dying of influenza and silent pneumonia with a sense of strange longing because it was the only time in your life you were considered sick enough to rest and sleep. When nightmares about catching measles as a kid turn into bittersweet dreams because your mom actually acted like she was sorry that one time she had to nearly drown you to get your fever down.

If you’ve never been there then you don’t know. I don’t normally say that, but it’s true.

But just because things are “better” doesn’t mean the issues went away. I still have OCD, but in the light of my new will to live, it’s become much much louder. The freedom to actually manipulate my environment to suit me has been a strange blessing and a curse, because now I’m much more sensitive to lack of control. I didn’t know what it felt like before, and I realize now that I don’t like it when I can’t do that, in a whole other kind of way than before.

I know now that I am autistic; I can reconcile those broken parts of myself in a healing way now, but the knowledge makes me far more aware of when I struggle to keep up the mask. Autistic burnout and OCD do not play nice together.

But all of it has repeatedly accumulated into the searing questions I’ve actually refused to engage with before: why do I care? What happened to the frigid ice bitch facade? When did it start bothering me that I might get really really sick again? What does it matter?

And in all of this, all of it, I’ve come to realise that the reason I was so different back then, in that place, was because I didn’t care if I died. I didn’t want to live.

But now I do. Now I have something to live for that isn’t dependent on me in the same way. I have a future. I have a future!! I want to scream it from the rooftops! I HAVE A FUTURE!

And I want desperately to live to see it, goddamn it! I want kids! I want a dog! I’m allowed to want things!

Is life perfect? Fuck no. I’d much rather live alone with my fiancé than this weird family-tennant situation so I didn’t have to mask at all. But it’s better than where I was, and I know we can get there! I have, for the very first time in my life, hope. Real hope.

So yes. My OCD is going to totally kick my ass about my status as an immune compromised person, and no, I do not want to get sick! I care now! I want to live!

I want to live!!!!!

And if that means I ask people to please not track rat urine into the house from the garage by washing their damn hands after taking out the trash then so be it. If it means I have to mind my Fiancé and ask him to wash his hands after eating something I’m allergic to, so be it. If it means I throw a fit at people who carelessly bring allergens into the house after I have repeated asked them not to, I will. If I have to keep my own utensils and things independent of the rest of the geriatric household that doesn’t understand these things and doesn’t care, so be it! I refuse to let go! I refuse! I’m going to not just survive anymore but fucking live! I have a life now!

I am alive now! And I’d like to keep it that way for once!

[katzynia]

I am very interested in smolJay, an unfortunately rare sight in fics - what's in "contractSlade+smolJay" ? Thank you :)

Ah, this is a monster of an idea :D Roughly a year ago I wrote a smol!Jay fic and during writing, it became much fluffier and sweeter than I had planned. Lots of my angstier thoughts/ideas for scenes were kind of leftover. Then, somewhere during spring, I saw a SladeRobin week prompt "Robin hires Slade" (or something, I'm paraphrasing) and that got me really thinking...

What if Jason survived Joker's treatment, and during his convalescence hired Slade to kill Joker when he realizes nobody else would do it (for him)?

Well, the idea ballooned from there. Now that's just the starting act, and the actual story happens in Gotham ~5 years later, when Slade comes to town looking for a possible shipment of Kryptonite rumored to be owned by Black Mask. He runs into Jason Todd and recognizes his one-time employer. Meanwhile, somebody is messing with Black Mask businesses... It's complicated as shit, with identity shenanigans and repurposing things from "Under the Red Hood", family feels, and all that jazz. Honestly, not sure if I can pull that off. At the moment, it's waiting for reinspiration and reconfidence, cause I also feel like all my stories are structured the same way and so I'll have to think about it.

I have ~6700 words written. Here's a snippet (don't mind the typos and the weirdness, it's a first draft)

***

“That’s a gnarly scar, kid,” Slade says. And the funniest thing is that it’s nowhere near the most notable thing about him.

The scar on his left temple is fresh. It can’t be more than a week or so since the stitches were removed. The hair around it hasn’t had the chance to grow back yet, leaving him with a weird and uneven undercut. The scar snakes down, ragged and uneven, all the way to the corner of his eyebrow. His skin is pale and yellowish, the black backs under his eyes a stark contrast to it.

And to top it all off, he can’t be more than fifteen. Based just on his side, Slade would guess even younger, but his voice has certain depth that speaks of maturity. And his eyes. Those eyes have seen some shit. They are the eyes of a person who is not afraid because they’ve been through something so much worse.

Slade can already cross over one of the questions he had.

“He did that to you?” he asks, and without conscious contribution, his own voice becomes gruff too. He doesn’t need to specify who.

The kid huffs, but it doesn’t quite hide a quick flash of resurfacing fear in his eyes.

“I want him dead,” he says, “He shouldn’t be allowed to—after he—” He halts in the middle of the tirade. Slade isn’t sure if he’s trying to swallow the words or try to get them lined up properly. He presses his hands on the table, hard, and takes a breath. Faint pink spots appear on his cheeks. They are starkly visible against the paleness.

“And you want me to do it,” Slade says, after the silence stretches. “Deathstroke the Terminator,” the kid says, “Fair deals. Trustfull--dependable.” He smiles a little, crookedly. “Allows for anonymity.” “What about your other conditions?” Slade says. “I don’t work with restrictions.”

Kid huffs. “You’re the professional, figure it out. You don’t leave unnecessary casualties anyway, and avoiding detection shouldn’t be an issue for you.”

“Except he never leaves Gotham”.

“Except when he does.”

“Do you have a way to track him?”

“No.”

“Which means the most likely location is Gotham. “And if I need to choose? Between letting him go and fighting Batman?”

The boy’s hands clench. Something almost horrible shines in his eyes.

“Let him go,” he says, and it seems like the admission cost him something. He takes a breath and briefly closes his eyes. “I don’t care when or how. Just that he’s gone, permanently, irreversibly, and that nobody finds out. Take your time, for all I care, just end that wretched creature.”

”And if I say no?”

“Will you?”

“Humor me.” The client’s answer to that always reveals a lot. Every job is the most important in the world, until it isn’t and actually Slade is the lucky one for being considered for it, such a privilige it is.

The kid stares at him in silence for a long moment.

“I’d be fucked,” he says bluntly. Slade’s eyebrows shoot up.

“There isn’t anybody of your caliber willing to work in Gotham.” In the boy’s droll tone, it isn’t a compliment, just a fact. Slade had had many clients trying to suck up to him. And it’s the truth: Deathshot is in prison (probably in Walker’s greedy clutches already), Shiva would not agree to a kill like this, and the League of Shadows doesn’t do anonymous (ironically considering their name).

“But you knew that already,” the boy continues.

“No one to do it for you?” Slade asks.

Something moves over the kid’s face. A shadow of anger and sorrow then something like acceptance.

The boy shakes his head. “No,” he says and the expression morphs one more time, into something like determination. “I would need to consider if I’m capable of doing it.”

Slade looks over the injuries. The kid doesn’t seem to steady, swaying a bit even there.

The boy’s smile holds no humor. “I don’t mean physically.”

Some people can’t kill, it’s an indisputable fact Slade has seen true many a times. They can’t do it and still remain themselves. Some would lose some integral part of themselves and never get over it. Some wouldn’t be able to stop once they started, a switch just turning on in their minds.

Something about the boy makes Slade think that he could. He could kill and walk away from it after.

“Alright,” he says. “I will kill the Joker for you.”

***

Thanks for asking!

WIP ask game here

[cloudninetonine]

This is my first time writing ANYTHINGN like this but I desperately needed to write that bloody kiss so here it is finsihed!!

This was bad

This was bad bad

Hyrule’s throat was pulsing it felt like he couldn’t get any air into his lungs and if he so much as tried to talk he would start choking. Everything was going on too fast, it wasn’t that long ago that they had been ambushed by some bokoblins and were caught off gaurd, there was minor injuries here and there the worst being Twilight who had gotten hit in the head after pushing Sky out the way from being hit from behind.

It wasn’t until after that Hyrule had felt the symptoms rising, his mouth being abnormally dry but yet still watering, the constant need to run off into the woods away from watchful eyes and to replenish himself with some blood but he couldn’t they were all supposed to be resting and if he was to run off into the woods it wouldn’t be long until someone came looking for him

That conversation would be a mess.

But he was so thirsty…it felt like he hadn’t eaten in weeks and if he doesn’t get some blood into his system right now he might just pass out on the spot—

“Hyrule?”

He looked up into your eyes completely forgetting his surroundings after being lost in his head, your voice was like heaven to him, every time he heard your voice his day would immediately get better, but today just wasn’t it

He nodded to you refusing to speak in case his voice gave out mid sentence, you didn’t seem to mind though you smiled in his direction and gestured your head next to him, asking if you could sit with him and honestly, who is he to say no to you?

“How you feeling ‘Rule?”

‘Good’ he signs back not feeling up to speak just yet.

You squint your eyes towards him, looking him up and down trying to see any flaws in the way he acts, you noticed how pale he was looking not like him at all. Your eyes widen realizing why he looked the way he did but you couldn’t be certain until you asked him.

“Is it-“ you hesitate not sure how to word your question, you only recently found out about Hyrule’s condition and his deal with blood after a very interesting encounter in the woods…that poor bokoblin, you clear your throat and ask again “Do you need blood?”

He coughs, not really expecting you to ask that question but nods either way although rather shyly as he’s still getting used to someone knowing about him needing blood to practically survive. You look around camp trying to see who’s around Warriors and Four went around camp to scout and see if there are any more monsters lurking about, Sky was sitting next to Twilight fretting over him about taking the hit for him claiming that he would’ve been fine he merely shrugs it off.

Legend is stitching up some clothing that unfortunately had gotten ripped during their battle focusing long and hard and making sure the stitches are perfect, Time, Wind and Wild are all discussing dinner around the fire paying no mind to their surroundings.

This was perfect, no one was paying attention to you two right now so if you got this done quick Hyrule will be back on his feet in no time, you dig into your boot and pull out your pocket knife that you have in case of emergencies and very carefully cut into your hand. The blood slowly oozes out dripping onto the ground you turn to Hyrule as he ogles your hand mouth practically watering at the sight of your blood.

“Drink” you say calm and collected, Hyrule jerks back eyes wide as he takes in what you just said he regains his composure and finally speaks, “I can’t do that! This is your blood! I’ll starve if I have to but I’m not going to drink your blood (Name)”

His stubbornness can be cute at times but this was not one of those times, Hyrule was starving and if he didn’t get any blood into his system soon he could pass out or worse die if he refused to intake any blood. So you resolved to the next best thing you brought your hand to your mouth and started sucking the blood out of your hand, Hyrule stares dumbfounded at what you are doing before he can even get a word out you’re grabbing him from behind his head and pushing your lips onto his.

His eyes widen almost comically wide and nearly choked as you open his mouth with your tongue and force your blood into his the kiss is electrifying he’s never felt anything so good in his entire life, even better than blood itself, he takes the whole thing in with stride if the others are looking then that’s something he could deal with later but right now it’s just you and him and the bloody kiss you are sharing together.

Your blood tastes sweet on his tongue, like sugar water and he easily gets addicted, he kisses back with full force and gets every last drop of blood from your mouth. It ends too soon you pull back leaving him wanting more and chasing after your lips, you giggle at him and kiss his cheek, nose and forehead, pulling back you notice how red he has gotten if you thought Legends tunic was red than you thought wrong because the face of Hyrule’s face was red red.

“You feeling better now?” You ask a slight smirk to your face as you take in his reactions, he stutters as he speaks barely getting out a proper sentence. “Y-yeah! Much better…definitely n-not gonna lose my composure or something cause that would be crazy! R-right? Haha..”

You smile before getting up and walking away towards Sky and asking for some bandages for your hand, Hyrule watches you as you walk away and sighs heavily he didn’t want to taste your blood at all, you were the last person he would want to take blood from but since you had been so kind in giving him a taste well…

He doesn’t think he’ll be taking blood from bokoblins for a while now.

I ONLY JUST NOW REALIZED HOW LONG THIS IS OH GOD I HOPE YOU LIKED IT…

MY FRIEND THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL AND I LOVED EVERY LAST SECOND OF IT

HIM GETTING AWKWARD AFTER IT ALL IS SO CUTE TOO IUWFHFIPUFFW MY BOY

[shadowqueenjude]

The Bastard of Doranelle: Lorcan's origin story @alice-bad-thoughts @yoddhasblog you two got me thinking so ofc i started writing shit lol. ima write more tmrw but this is the first part.

Over 500 years ago There was an infant dropped on the streets. Unfortunately, it was far from an unusual circumstance. Whores often gave birth to children they could not afford to have removed and did not want. Babies were abandoned in this area all the time, so often that people had started calling the place the Baby Tomb. The babies dropped there typically suffered one of three fates: either they died of starvation within a day or two, they were taken and eaten by desperately starving Fae, or a rare third option: they were picked up by somebody to take care of. A girl was watching the Baby Tomb as a young woman in a shawl deposited an infant at the Baby Tomb. A human: those were rare here in Doranelle, and often considered lower-class. It would make sense if she was a whore. It didn’t make the girl any less angry. That was a helpless infant. How could these people just leave them to die? Maria clenched her hands into fists. Her story was a little bit different. She’d had loving parents until last year when they’d both been executed for treason. They had worked for the Queen of the Fae and had apparently turned their back on her. So, the bitch had had them put down and all of their wealth stripped. That had left Maria an orphan just past her 14th birthday. Gone was the lavish lifestyle she had been gifted by her wealthy family. Gone were the parents who had showered her with love and affection. Most people expected that given her privileged birth, Maria would wither on the streets. But those people who believed that failed to consider several important factors: 1. Maria’s noble birth meant that she had strong Fae lineage built for surviving tough conditions.

2. Maria had played rough with males long before she had been forced onto the streets.

3. Her family had kept a small amount of money safe from the queen of the Fae’s clutches. Which meant that her parents had anticipated something like this happening. It wasn’t enough to buy a house or anything, but it would keep her alive for a few years before she figured out how to get a job while avoiding the tag of the “daughter of the traitor.” As soon as the woman left, Maria approached the infant. She looked around to see if anyone was watching her before she scooped the baby up into her arms and peered at his face. The baby was very skinny; most likely he was born prematurely, and the mother was probably not very healthy either. But his night-black eyes were bright and he already had a dusting of dark hair on his head. After a brief visit to the Black Market to acquire baby food, Maria carried the baby over to her little den, where she knew her friends would be waiting for her. As close to friends as you could get when you were all fighting for your survival, anyway. Symphony rolled her eyes as Maria approached. “What a surprise. Maria has picked up another stray.”

“Lay off her, Symph,” Neeraj said. Maria had a surge of gratefulness for Neeraj’s interference. Symphony was an acquired taste, very prickly and irritating at times, and she and Maria often clashed. Maria knew Symphony found Maria’s soft heart insufferable, and Maria felt the same about Symphony’s cold heart. “Really, you’re defending her, Neeraj? Remember that wild dog Maria tried to feed? And now she’s brought home an infant? How long will we survive, do you reckon? A few days?” “I’m not asking you to do shit, Phony,” Maria snapped, her nickname for her whenever Maria thought she was being rude. “I’ll take care of him myself.” “And waste our resources-“ “I’ll remind you, Phony, that most of it is either my inheritance money or money I earned through hard work-” “You mean stealing?” Symphony sneered. Maria ignored her, going on, “So you should be grateful I’m helping you guys out. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed.” She saluted Symphony and Neeraj, walking past Vlain and Petro’s sleeping bodies as she passed.  She found her blanket and nestled into it, peering at the child again. She lifted the baby bottle she had gotten along with the food and placed it in the cherub’s mouth. Within a couple of minutes, the baby had consumed the entire bottle of food. Stunned, Maria placed the empty baby bottle on her other side, fully prepared to fall asleep. The baby reached forward with a tiny hand and grabbed one of her fingers. Maria gently tried to slide away, but found that the child had an almighty grip. Laughing, Maria pried the fingers off, staring at the child. “You’re a little fierce one, aren’t you? I think I’ll name you Lorcan,” Maria cooed at the infant. She could’ve sworn the little face smiled at her words. “You’re going to be like the little brother I never had, once you’re a little older. I always wanted siblings, you know,” Maria said. She was fully aware that she probably looked crazy talking to a baby, but she didn’t care. “We’re going to be the best sibling duo ever. You can even take my last name. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? The troublemakers, Maria and Lorcan Salvaterre.”

[marinaiguess]

if you wanna know about what happened to that sunken ship carrying 750 immigrants (of which around 100 survived), i can tell you but i cannot promise you i can keep my cool.

i’m gonna start biting ohmygosh okay. 

immigrants. refugees is probably the better word. those people took a ship from libye heading to italy. they were trying to leave their country to go to a better place, right? to live under better conditions. but you cannot do that “legally”. i hope you know how it goes. people from that area would travel on road, from turkey and then from greece to wherever they wanted to go. but as of recently, right at the borders of greece and turkey there was a wall built (wish this was a bad joke) by the greek government. the reason: to deter immigrants to pass the borders (since there are a lot of them in our country but that’s no fucking excuse since the EU literally funds the governement for this). and it worked, unfortunately. 

refugees had to find a different means to leave. so? travel overseas. it’s riskier but when you have no other option left, you take what you have. and it’s not the first time this has happened. it’s not the first time refugees have drowned and their bodies were found in greece’s coasts. we’ve mourned many people, many children. 

this time? this time it was different because this is the biggest ship the greek government has ever found “trespassing” their sea borders. (there could be others that were never found you know). the biggest ship with the most people on it. never before have there been 750 people abroad. and never before has a ship like that sunken. 

so what happened? based on what i know and not what the greek media claims, based on the survivors’ and the residents’ claims, the coastguard sinked that overcrowded fishing boat. yeah you heard me right. they towed their ship to that boat, probably in hopes to get it out of the greek sea borders so that malta would have to deal with it. malta’s sea borders weren’t that far away and keep in mind that towing in this case is illegal because it could be fatal (and it was).

so, the coastguard firstly claimed that they hadnt approached the boat until it was near sinking. after the survivors’ spoke their truth, they had to change their initial statement. and they did that quite fast. they said they approached them hours before it sunk in order to maintain their safety and supply the boat with food and water. according to them, the reason why the boat sunk was due to the people who were moving too much and tried to shake off any help given to them. it was dark and it wasn’t windy, no waves big enough to disrupt the boat. 

the greek authorities have lied, twice now, and their claims oppose those of the survivors’. survivors who lost their parents or their children. because governments make their lives harder and harder and when the people try to escape their fate, they realize they dont have the upper hand on the matter. and those humans who dont deserve to be called that, act like they care, announcing a 3-day national mourning. that happened a week ago. i havent seen any government officials talking abt the matter since then. (and ofc the only reason they pretend they care so much is because it’s elections season)

i am so done with the hypocrisy. we know the truth and we want justice to be served. but i really really wish it hadnt come down to this, i wish we didnt have to mourn for all the lost ones.

it isn’t the first time it happened. it isn’t the first time in this year that we have lost people thanks to our government’s incompetency. im tired of this. and im tired of people who vote for them, who back them up and excuse their actions. my heart hurts. it really does. as a kid of immigrants who had to go through hell to move across countries, who risked their lives to have a chance of living peacefully and under better conditions, it hurts. and it hurts even more to know that even if there’s a very very very slight possibility jsutice will be served, those people will never be the same again. justice wont be enough to bring their loved ones back. it fucking hurts.