#which sent me down a spiral a few days ago

[whizzing-fizzbee]

I have a doozy of a work week coming up, so I don't anticipate having much time to write. So enjoy this little Valentine's Day angst-fluff-smut combo I’ve been sitting on for a while. Thank you for reading and have a splendid Valentine's Day if you celebrate - regardless, you are loved! ❤️

XOXO, Anonymous

Sebastian Sallow x F!OC

Rating: Explicit/MDNI (smut, profanity); all characters are 18+ Words: 6,323 Tags: friends to lovers, Valentine's Day, love letters, misunderstandings, mutual pining, angst, fluff, Seb is extra stupid in this one

Summary: Sebastian Sallow has been hopelessly in love with Annalisa Lark since the day they met during fifth year. So when he discovers a love letter to Ominis seemingly sent from her, he begins a downward spiral. Once the truth comes out, he'll realize actions sometimes speak louder than words.

Notes: This one's split into two parts in case you want to skip the smut. Part I is angst and fluff. Part II is smut. All characters are 18-year-old seventh years. MC in this one is a Ravenclaw named Annalisa Lark.

Read on AO3 or both parts below the cut.

Part I

Sebastian Sallow trudged into his dormitory, exhausted after a particularly grueling quidditch practice. The room was empty, presumably because all his roommates were already elbow-deep in their dinners. 

Sebastian would have gone straight to the Great Hall to join them, but he’d been neglecting a Potions essay that was due in the morning. He just needed to grab a book and he’d head to the library for a few hours of writing.

Except Sebastian’s Potions book was nowhere to be found. He cursed under his breath as he realized he’d left it in the locker room. With no desire to make the trek all the way back to the quidditch pitch, Sebastian decided he’d merely borrow Ominis’ book. Surely Ominis had completed the essay ages ago.

The book sat on the desk next to Ominis’ bed, resting on its back atop a neat stack of parchment. Sebastian picked it up and moved to gather some parchment and quills of his own when a folded sheet slipped from the book’s pages. It fluttered to the floor and landed face-up, open, as if its contents were meant to be seen.

Typically, Sebastian wouldn’t dare read his friend’s mail. He would never willingly violate Ominis’ trust, not after it had taken him two years to regain it after the events of fifth year. But a few choice words scrawled on the parchment caught Sebastian’s eye as he bent down to retrieve it. He paused, his hand hovering above the letter until he finally gathered the nerve to pick it up and read it.

His tired pout morphed into a full-fledged frown.

Dearest Ominis,

Your last letter made me smile. You have such a way with words that I always find myself re-reading your letters over and over again. I hope they never stop, even if we can one day be together.

Speaking of, have you given any further thought to discussing our potential relationship with Sebastian? I know you’re worried it could sever your friendship, but please don’t. He cares about both of us far too much, and I truly believe he merely wants to see us happy.

I love you, Ominis. I love you, and I’m tired of pretending I don’t. After everything that happened to me during fifth year, I’ve realized life is far too short to be separated from the ones we love.

Please give what I said some more consideration. See you soon.

XOXO, A.

It took a moment for Sebastian to realize his hands were shaking. His palms were sweating and his stomach churned. He couldn’t even pinpoint which emotion had taken charge of his body – disbelief, surely, but what about the betrayal? And the pain… my god, the pain. It slammed through Sebastian’s chest, knocking the wind from his lungs.

He read it again. Call him a masochist, but he had to be sure he understood correctly. He prayed his eyes had somehow managed to trick him, that it had all been a projection of his own deepest fears, or perhaps some cruel prank Ominis cooked up.

But Ominis wasn’t a prankster. And he would never joke about something as complex as Sebastian’s feelings – not when it came to her. Or so he thought. 

Sebastian had loved Annalisa Lark since the day she absolutely dismantled him during a duel in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She was stunning to him in every sense of the word, and while their friendship was sometimes turbulent, Sebastian flocked to her like children to candy. He’d never admit to it, though. The only person who seemed to understand was Ominis.

But now, it seemed Ominis understood more than he’d let on. Sebastian stilled himself, the letter still in his hand. Had his best friend really stolen the love of his life? Perhaps that was a bit dramatic. She wasn’t Sebastian’s to steal. He was certain she didn’t even have those kinds of feelings for him. Still, surely Ominis knew about that unspoken gentlemen’s rule about not romancing your best friend’s love interest.

Sebastian’s shock shifted to fury. His conniption swelled as he mulled the situation over. His best friend had swooped in on her. The one and only girl he couldn’t bear to lose. 

He had to toss the letter aside to stop himself from crumpling it into a ball. Knives clouded his vision. He could choke Ominis until the life left his eyes. She said she loved him. She told Ominis the only words that could likely save Sebastian from a tragic demise.

And worst of all, they’d kept their romance a secret from him. They didn’t deem him worthy of sharing their secret. They thought it’d be easier to keep him out of their equation. He wasn’t meant to be a part of their secret society. 

Sebastian sank onto his bed, his gaze wavering in and out of focus. He didn’t know what to do. Should he storm down to the Great Hall and demand answers from them? Should he keep quiet and pretend he didn’t know? Should he make a last-ditch effort love declaration in hopes of stealing Annalisa back to her rightful place?

All of those options made sense in Sebastian’s mind, but Sebastian Sallow rarely made sense when it came to the most important matters of the heart.

Dinner and Potions essays be damned, Sebastian decided to retreat to the Undercroft.

---

“Sebastian! There you are.” 

For the first time in nearly three years, Sebastian was dismayed to find Annalisa in the Undercroft. She was curled up on a sofa she’d conjured during their fifth year, a book open across her lap.

Even from where he stood, Sebastian could see it was a romance novel. She was always reading those, as if she enjoyed the escapism into a world of longing stares and declarations of desire. She didn’t know she was living inside one of those novels; though this one was currently creeping toward an angst-ridden, tragic ending as far as Sebastian was concerned. The trope of his life was morphing from secret pining to the one that got away.

“There you are,” Sebastian replied. It was their routine greeting, a symbol of their bond since they were fifteen. Even in crisis, he wouldn’t stray from it. He needed its familiarity. 

“Where’ve you been?” Annalisa asked curiously as she shifted to one side of the sofa to make room for him.

“Quidditch practice.”

“Did you eat? I didn’t see you at dinner. I have some apples in my bag.”

Sebastian shook his head as he took the other half of the sofa. His posture betrayed him. He typically slouched into his seat, his knees parted while his hands absentmindedly twirled his wand. But tonight, he was rigid, his spine far too stiff and straight to fool her. “I’m not hungry.”

Annalisa frowned, her book now forgotten as she set it aside. “Since when have you ever turned down a meal?” she demanded with narrowed eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Sebastian lied.

Annalisa scowled at him. “Sebastian Edward Sallow, do not play with me.”

Sebastian nearly barked a laugh at the irony of it all. If anything, she was the one playing with him; sneaking around behind his back with his own best friend, penning him passionate love letters while Sebastian had been none the wiser. 

He wanted to be disgusted with her, to lash out and demand answers. He wanted her to know how hurt he was by her decision to omit him from such a significant portion of her life. Even if she didn’t choose him, she could have at least filled him in on her stirring new romance – especially since it involved their mutual best friend.

But Sebastian could never be repulsed by her, even if he felt slighted. She was too much of all the good things Sebastian admired in life – a stunning little spitfire compressed into five feet of fearless conviction. She was compassionate and complex; she didn’t view the world in black and white the way so many others preferred to. She understood the frayed seams between good and evil and light and darkness. 

That realization was the moment Sebastian was certain he loved her. She stood by him after Solomon’s death and offered him unwavering support, because she knew the nuances of right and wrong. She had blood on her hands, too. The difference in their bloodshed was hers was an effort to quell darkness; Sebastian’s bloodshed had embraced it.

Still, Annalisa understood Sebastian at a level that transcended mere friendship, and because of that, Sebastian had grown certain she was his soulmate. But now, he wasn’t sure he knew her at all.

“Sebastian…” Annalisa was still peering at him expectantly. 

“Nothing’s wrong,” he insisted, his tense posture still exposing his discomfort. “I’m just exhausted, is all. 

Annalisa opened her mouth, fully prepared to interrogate him into a confession, but the entrance to the Undercroft clanged open again, revealing Ominis’ arrival. Sebastian stiffened even more.

“Ominis!” Annalisa greeted. “Sebastian here was just about to tell me why he’s so moody.”

“Sebastian, moody? I can’t imagine,” came Ominis’ dry reply.

Sebastian was in no mood for teasing remarks. Not when he was the third wheel to the two people he thought he trusted most. His irritation surged, and before he could suppress it, he was on his feet.

“I’ll just leave you two to it then, yeah?” he snapped. 

“Sebastian, what-” 

Sebastian brushed past a stunned Ominis and sulked from the Undercroft.

---

Sebastian hated Valentine’s Day. What a stupid, sordid excuse of a holiday, he thought. He slouched over his corner of the Slytherin table in the Great Hall as he watched his classmates exchange jovial greetings and giggles over romantic gifts. It was positively nauseating. The arrival of Ominis taking the seat across from him didn’t sweeten the day.

“Brooding in the corner on Valentine’s Day,” Ominis mused. “How very cliche of you.” Sebastian didn’t reply. Ominis sighed and set his stack of books on the table between them. “Going to share with the class what’s had you so bent out of shape?”

Again, no reply. Ominis was no stranger to Sebastian’s tempestuous moods. They always became particularly stormy when Annalisa was inundated with attention from their classmates. Today, she sat at the Ravenclaw table with a short stack of valentines and an assortment of sweets surrounding her. Truthfully, Sebastian could cope with that – he’d witnessed their classmates’ attempts to court Annalisa on countless occasions. He was used to that. He wasn’t used to the nauseating knowledge that his own best friend was the one who had secured her heart, and in secret nonetheless. 

“Alright, mate,” Ominis sighed as he gathered his books again and stood. “But Cupid’s arrow isn’t going to find you while you’re commiserating by your lonesome self in a corner.”

As he retreated toward the doors of the Great Hall, Sebastian considered chucking a potato at his head. But something else stole his attention.

Another letter. Ominis must have left it accidentally in his haste to flee Sebastian’s orbit of agony. Sebastian snatched it off the table immediately, took a quick glance around the Great Hall, and read.

Dearest Ominis,

Happy Valentine’s Day, love! Thank you for the gorgeous flowers. They look positively stunning at my bedside. I look forward to gazing at them as the last thing I’ll see before I fall asleep. You are always the last thing on my mind at night anyway.

I am so looking forward to seeing you tonight. I hope it will be just as special for you as it is for me. See you at 7:00.

XOXO, A.

The edges of the parchment curled inward as Sebastian’s hands shook. They had a secret date planned for the night. They were going to have a romantic night together and neither of them felt any obligation to tell him. Their friendship was no longer a trio. They were a pair, plus one, single fool.

Sebastian crumpled the letter and stashed it in his pocket. He prayed Cupid would choke on a pumpkin pasty.

---

Sebastian’s sour mood didn’t stop there. It devolved by the afternoon, until all who crossed his path were at risk of a terrible lashing. 

Finally, Annalisa found him pouting beneath the Transfiguration Courtyard fountain.

“Sebastian,” she said sternly, her green eyes drilling him with impatience. “What is the matter with you? Ominis says you’re positively insufferable. What has happened?”

Of course Ominis called him that. Ominis was a treasonous, back-stabbing traitor who was too cowardly to even admit he was in love. If Sebastian had Annalisa, he’d tell the whole world, and would burn it down if anyone dared to question him.

“Ominis knows exactly what he’s done,” Sebastian snapped. 

“Clearly not,” Annalisa challenged him. “All we know is something has you upset. Stop isolating yourself and tell us. Tell me, at the very least.”

How rich. She was begging him to tell her, when she hadn’t bothered to tell him about her new little love affair.

“Tell you what,” Sebastian said, rising to his feet as he gazed at her with a pointed stare. “I’ll tell you my secret when you tell me yours.”

Annalisa blinked at him. “Secret? Sebastian, I don’t know what you’re on about.”

Sebastian slipped past her to head inside the castle in search of someplace more secluded. “Then neither do I.”

He wasn’t proud of his prickly behavior. It was reminiscent of his fifth year, when his obsession with curing Anne’s curse pushed him into a manic state, void of any logic. He wasn’t that far gone now, but he certainly was allowing his emotions to control him.

Fine. If Ominis and Annalisa were so into writing silly little love letters, he’d do the same.

Sebastian retreated to his dormitory, where he was relieved to find himself alone. He sat at his desk with two blank sheets of parchment in front of him.

Ominis,

It has come to my attention that you have entered into a romantic partnership with Annalisa. To say that I feel betrayed and slighted is an understatement. I thought you were aware of my feelings regarding our mutual friend and would use better judgment. It’s clear the two of you have chosen each other over me, so consider this my resignation from our friendship.

Sebastian E. Sallow

He snatched the parchment up and crushed it in his hand. This was meant to be a deeply personal declaration of deception and distress, not a polite invitation for afternoon tea.

He tried again.

Ominis– 

I know your secret. Consider this the final fallen pillar of our friendship.

See you in hell, Sebastian

Much better. One down, one to go. But the second one wasn’t as simple. 

Sebastian was certain he could be romantic, right? He’d been on his fair share of dates, had plenty of experience with girls. In truth, he had his pick of most girls at Hogwarts. Sure, he didn’t have the family name and wealth that Ominis had to offer, but he had a bright future as an early acceptance into the Ministry of Magic’s Auror program. He was charming and intelligent, charismatic enough to sway most people he encountered to his side.

Surely he could pen one simple love letter. But for as silver-tongued as he was when it came to getting himself out of trouble or convincing his classmates to help him with various endeavors, Sebastian had no idea how to tell a girl he loved her.

He sat glued to that spot for a good hour until the reject pile of letters not good enough for Annalisa’s eyes had formed a small stack on the desktop. No words could convey what he felt for her. No words were pretty or poignant enough. 

Annalisa,

I know you’re in love with Ominis and I don’t want to stand in the way of the happiness you deserve. But if there’s any chance I could ever compete for your heart, please know that I won’t go down without a fight.

I’ve loved you since that first day in Hecat’s class. I know I haven’t made life easy on you, but loving you’s been the easiest thing I’ve ever done. 

Tell me I have even the slightest shot at being yours and I promise you’ll always have my full effort.

Forever yours, Sebastian

It wasn’t good enough, but it was the best he could manage. He wasn’t meant to craft eloquent prose like Annalisa’s favorite romance novels. Because this was real, not a fictional work intended to entertain the masses, and Sebastian wanted to be sure she knew that. This was his brutal honesty, raw and real.

He sighed as he decided these two letters would have to do. He pocketed Annalisa’s and placed the other on Ominis’ nightstand before slinking off to the kitchens to eat dinner in solitude.

By the time he was finished, his pocket watch indicated it was 6:30. Ominis and Annalisa would be heading off to their date soon, likely at some romantic restaurant where they could cozy up to one another away from prying eyes. Sebastian couldn’t stand to picture it.

He had originally planned to send Annalisa’s letter via owl, but impulse control was never Sebastian’s strength. So in an act of desperation, he trekked up to Ravenclaw Tower and lingered outside the common room.

In a serendipitous act of fate, Samantha Dale was just returning from dinner.

“Samantha,” Sebastian breathed in relief. The Ravenclaw stopped in her tracks and lifted an eyebrow at him.

“Sebastian? What are you doing here? Meeting Annalisa?”

“Oh, er, yes. Except I was hoping to surprise her,” Sebastian said, hoping he was convincing.

“Ooh, are you finally taking her on a date?” Samantha squealed. “It’s about time.”

“Oh. Um, yeah, but it’s a surprise. Can you let me into the common room?”

“Of course, right this way.” Samantha led Sebastian inside and gestured toward the girls’ dormitories. “Pretty sure you’ve been up here before, yes? You remember the way?”

Sebastian nodded and thanked Samantha, who continued into the common room. He strode hastily toward Annalisa’s dorm, praying she’d still be there. He knocked gently and felt his stomach contort at the sound of her voice inviting the visitor inside.

“Sebastian?” Annalisa blinked as he creaked the door open. “What the hell are you doing in here?”

Sebastian was more confused than her. She was wearing pajamas and she sat up in bed, cozied beneath the covers with a book open. She certainly did not appear to be preparing for a romantic date.

“What are you doing here?” Sebastian asked stupidly. Annalisa snorted.

“Sebastian, I live here.”

“But… you have a date.”

“I do? That’s news to me.”

That’s when Sebastian also realized there were no flowers on her nightstand. What was going on? Was this some sort of prank? A bizarre dream – perhaps an astral projection? He felt sick.

“But… but you and Ominis…”

Annalisa tilted her head, perplexed by the entire interaction as her eyes narrowed in concern. “Ominis? What does he have to do with this? Sebastian, what is going on? You’ve been acting so strange lately.”

“I…” Sebastian’s entire frame deflated, his shoulders slumping forward and his knees threatening to buckle. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

Annalisa motioned for him to sit on the side of the bed. She watched him carefully as he did so, his hands resting atop his knees. He looked exhausted. 

“What’s this date you were talking about?” Annalisa asked as she tossed her book aside.

Sebastian sighed. There was no recovering from this. Even if he wanted to get out of this, to sweet talk her with some excuse, he knew he’d only leave with despair in his heart. “I thought you and Ominis had a date,” he said.

Annalisa looked like he’d slapped her. “You’re not serious.”

“I saw the letters. Your letters.”

“What letters?”

“The ones you wrote to Ominis.”

Annalisa felt dizzy, which was alarming because she was certain Sebastian was the one who’d gone loopy. “I didn’t write Ominis any letters,” she said. “Why would I? I see him every day. I don’t need to write him.”

Sebastian’s chest constricted. A flush crept from his neck into his cheeks. His lungs screamed for air. He didn’t understand.

“You’re not dating Ominis?”

“What?!”

Oh no. Had he really gotten it all wrong? How? He’d seen the letters with his own eyes. It all added up in his head. Had he really let himself spiral into an episode of assumptions and self-doubt? 

“Sebastian,” Annalisa continued, her voice a breath of laughter and perplexion. “What the fuck are you on about? Who told you I was dating Ominis?”

“No one told me. I accidentally saw letters written to him – love letters.”

Annalisa was clearly intrigued, another indication that she had nothing to do with said letters. “Love letters? To Ominis? From whom? And what made you think they were from me?”

“I only saw two of them, but they were both signed by the initial A,” Sebastian explained. “And one of them talked about a date tonight.”

“Well, clearly it wasn’t me,” Annalisa laughed. “This book is my hot date for the night.”

“But then, who…” 

Annalisa giggled, her eyes glinting with a facetious, knowing smile. “Sebastian, come on,” she said. “Think.”

“But I don’t-”

“Anne!” Annalisa continued.

“Anne?”

Sebastian froze as all the mental pieces shifted in his brain. Merlin. It made perfect sense – more sense than Ominis and Annalisa.

“You mean Ominis and Anne are in love?”

“Yes, silly,” Annalisa snorted. “Anyone with two eyes can see it.”

“But Ominis has two eyes and can’t s-”

“Sebastian, that’s beside the point.”

“Right, sorry. But… you knew? About them?”

“Not for sure,” Annalisa said. “But it’s always been pretty obvious that those two love each other. They share everything and they really only trust each other… they’d do anything for each other. Of course they’re in love.”

“Oh.”

Annalisa stared at him with exasperated eyes. “You really thought I’d date Ominis?”

“I mean, the two of you adore each other.”

“Yes, because we’re great friends. Surely you know we’d never consider each other romantically.”

“I didn’t think so, but then I saw those letters and… I just thought maybe I’d overlooked something between you two,” Sebastian explained.

“Well, you thought wrong,” Annalisa said. “Obviously I’m not on a hot date with our mutual friend. I didn’t have a date tonight, so I’m enjoying a cozy night in.”

“Oh.”

Annalisa’s brow furrowed as her gaze locked in on the folded parchment in Sebastian’s hand. “What’s that?”

Sebastian swallowed. There was no going back, he reminded himself. But this wasn’t how he wanted to tell her. He wanted to woo her with melodic words and grand gestures symbolic of his feelings. He wanted to make a case for himself she couldn’t refuse.

But if he had to convince her to love him, it wasn’t the right kind of reciprocation anyway. Still, his nerves were getting the best of him. 

“It’s nothing, spare bit of parchment,” he tried to say with a shrug. Annalisa shot him a look. 

“What is it?” she demanded. 

Sebastian frantically scanned his brain for the right words. He only had one shot at this. He had to get it right. 

“It’s a letter.”

“One of Anne’s letters to Ominis?”

“No. A letter from me to you.”

Annalisa tilted her head quizzically. “What do you mean? Why? What does it say?”

Sebastian averted his gaze, his eyes on the parchment in his hands. “Before I hand this to you, before I allow you to read it,” he started. “I want you to know that it was a result of a severe misunderstanding. When I thought you were in love with Ominis… I felt like I was going mental.”

“Is that why you stormed out of the Undercroft and have been sulking so much?”

“Yes.”

“Sebastian, why didn’t you just say something to us?”

“Because I thought you were trying to keep it a secret from me.”

“Why would we do that?”

“To avoid my wrath, apparently. Judging from the letters, it sounds like Anne wants me to know but Ominis is afraid to tell me.”

Annalisa’s lips curved in another knowing smile. “To be fair, I can’t say I blame him,” she said. “This is your sister we’re talking about here.”

“I know, but if there’s anyone I do trust to date my sister, it’s Ominis. He’s the only person I’d trust with her.”

“Well then, it sounds like you both have been making some inaccurate assumptions,” Annalisa mused. 

“I suppose so.” Sebastian raked a hand through his hair. “Look, when I thought you and Ominis were together, I didn’t handle it well, and I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, Sebastian,” Annalisa laughed. “I just don’t understand why it had you so upset.”

“Because I don’t handle jealousy well,” Sebastian answered.

“Jealousy? Sebastian, don’t tell me you’re struggling to find a girlfriend. You-”

It was a good thing Sebastian was absolutely smitten with Annalisa, because for as brilliant as she truly was, she could be quite dense when it came to personal matters of the heart. “I thought Ominis had taken the only person I’m interested in,” Sebastian cut in. He maintained his gaze on the parchment, terrified to watch as the understanding settled within Annalisa. 

“Sebastian,” she breathed.

“Here,” Sebastian said as he extended his arm to offer her the letter. “Now you can have this.”

Annalisa reached tentatively for the letter, as if she knew reading it would change everything. Sebastian didn’t look as he listened to her unfold it. The room fell silent as her eyes scanned his penmanship. When he heard her inhale sharply, Sebastian considered flinging himself out the window.

He wasn’t prepared for her reaction. He had long accepted the reality that she could never possibly love him mutually. She might love him as a close friend, but she’d never understand the magnitude of her presence in his life. She was more than his shoulder to lean on and partner in crime; she was the gravity that grounded Sebastian to this world. If he lost her, he’d lose the anchor that kept the sea of dysphoria from sweeping him away again.

Sebastian decided he’d start by apologizing. He’d tell her he never meant to jeopardize their bond. He hadn’t even meant to fall for her. But he wasn’t sorry for loving her. It was the most genuine emotion he had. 

Then he’d assure Annalisa that their friendship didn’t have to change. He was determined to maintain it. He’d fight every one of his emotions tooth and nail for her. She had to understand that he’d never expect anything more from her than the privilege to merely be a part of her life.

“Sebastian,” Annalisa breathed. He finally turned to look at her and was stunned to see tears welling in her eyes. “Sebastian, why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s not really a casual topic for dinner discussion.”

“Sebastian, really.” Annalisa sniffed. “You should have told me.”

“I’m sorry.” Sebastian averted his gaze again, riddled by guilt and fear. He fiddled with a loose thread on the blanket while both seemed to be at a loss for words.

“Sebastian,” Annalisa repeated. She slipped from beneath the covers to sit next to him. Sebastian fought desperately to think about anything other than the way her silk pajamas clung to her body. “Sebastian, look at me.”

He exhaled slowly as he turned to face her, awaiting his fateful sentence. He assumed she’d let him down gently, tell him they were better off as friends. She was far too kind to raise her voice at him, though she was also fiery enough that she might slap him.

Instead, she threw her arms around him. Sebastian’s lungs deflated as he stilled, stunned by her sudden embrace. 

“Sebastian, you fool. You know I love you too,” she mumbled, her words muffled against his neck. It ignited a new heat that coursed through his limbs. He swallowed as her words clashed with the feeling of her soft lips against his skin. It was a staggering juxtaposition of sweet relief and untamed desire.

She loved him? Had he really managed to overlook that major detail in his life? Had there been signs? Sebastian blinked in disbelief. He'd orchestrated his fair share of stupid events, but this one took first place.

Annalisa closed her eyes as she continued to cling to Sebastian. “You really thought I was in love with Ominis?”

“Ominis is brilliant,” Sebastian offered with a shrug. “Girls seem to like that whole polished and proper thing he has going on.”

Annalisa snorted against his neck and Sebastian couldn’t help but smile in spite of his nerves. “Sebastian, when have I ever been the prim and proper type?” she murmured. The more she spoke and the more her lips buzzed vibrations across his skin, the more Sebastian squirmed.

“That’s true,” he answered, forcing his words until they sounded steady. “You do seem to have a proclivity for chaos and dramatics.”

Annalisa drew away just far enough to peer upward at him with a pointed gaze. Her green eyes gleamed with coquetry. “It’s not like I go looking for chaos,” she huffed. “It just seems to find me… sort of way you found me. Sometimes it’s good to attract chaos.”

“Are you calling me chaotic?”

“Are you denying it?”

Sebastian chuckled. “No. Can’t deny that.”

“Sebastian?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you so tense?”

“Because I just confessed to being in love with you and now you’re pressed up against me.”

“Sebastian?”

“Yeah?”

“Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”

Oh. Oh.

“I… don’t know.” 

Annalisa offered him a bemused smirk. “Boy, Seb, between that letter and all of this, you sure have a way with words,” she teased. “Lucky for you, you won me over years ago.”

“Years?”

Annalisa rolled her eyes, her impatience evident. “Yes, years,” she said matter-of-factly. “Which is why you should have told me.”

“You could have told me!”

“And ruin the absolute spectacle of you making a fool of yourself because of a couple love letters to Ominis? Never.”

That was enough talking, enough words for one day. Sebastian had spelled it all out, albeit rather awkwardly, but the swell inside his chest made it all worth it. He finally kissed her, which told her more than any stupid letter ever could.

Part II (Smut warning)

“Sebastian,” Annalisa whimpered. “Sebastian, please.”

Her hands were presently tangled in Sebastian’s hair as her legs were tossed over his shoulders. 

Annalisa was quickly learning that Sebastian may not always have a way with words, but he was certainly skilled with his tongue. His letter to her lay on the floor, having fluttered off the bed amid the frenzy of hungry hands and greedy kisses.

“Sebastian, don’t stop,” Annalisa begged as his tongue pressed patterns over her clit. He hummed in response, certain he’d go mad by the way she begged him for more. Her whimpering pleas, the taste of her arousal and the aftermath of their declarations of love had Sebastian teetering on the edge of an insanity that could only be stoked by adoration.

Sebastian’s tongue traced tiny heart shapes across her clit until Annalisa’s thighs tensed and the pitch of her moans spiked. “Oh fuck, Sebastian!” she cried as her nerve endings seared with pleasure. Her back arched off the bed and her fingers tugged at Sebastian’s hair until her orgasm subsided, leaving her chest heaving and her entrance soaked.

Sebastian, still stunned by the day’s revelations, sat back on his heels to admire her. She wasn’t in love with Ominis – his own sister was. But he’d wrap his mind around that part of the story later. The part that mattered now was Annalisa had been his the entire time, and she was eager to prove it to him. After he kissed her for that first time, she had practically climbed into his lap until they were tearing their clothes off.

Once she had caught her breath, Annalisa sat up to pull Sebastian into a long kiss. “Stand up,” she ordered. 

Sebastian blinked. He was enthralled by this bossy new side of her. Of course, one doesn’t save the world from a goblin rebellion by being a timid pushover, but Sebastian hadn’t anticipated this level of dominance from her. It made his cock twitch desperately.

He obliged and scrambled to his feet, holding his breath as he watched Annalisa fall to her knees on the floor in front of him. She took him into her mouth and tightened her lips around his shaft. Sebastian had to lean one hand on the back of her desk chair to support his weight. The suction pulling against his cock was dizzying.

“My god,” he groaned as he gazed downward to watch her work. Her hands snaked their way to the backs of his thighs, fingers pressing into his flesh as she used only her mouth to make him moan. 

Annalisa’s lips released their vice grip to make way for her tongue. She dragged it from the base of Sebastian’s cock upward, over and around the tip, leaving it slick with saliva. Sebastian whimpered at the sight of it. 

“Annalisa, please,” he begged. “Let me have you.”

Annalisa nodded in understanding and rose to her feet to pull Sebastian into a kiss. She nudged him backward to guide him toward the desk chair. 

“Sit,” she commanded. Sebastian obeyed and dropped into a seated position. Annalisa climbed over him, hands clutching his shoulders as she lowered herself. She held her breath, astounded that her quiet Valentine’s Day was ending in such a way. Much better than any of her romance novels.

Sebastian’s fingers dug into her waist as he felt his cock make contact with her entrance. He tensed as she sank slowly, a low whine escaping her throat as she stretched around him. “Sebastian, you’re big,” she whimpered.

“Take it easy,” Sebastian said gently, though every nerve ending in his body was electrified. The scorching heat surrounding his cock was surreal.

Annalisa lifted herself and dipped downward again. The friction made both of their breaths hitch. Sebastian fought to control his body’s response while Annalisa found a steady pace, her cunt gliding over his cock until the room echoed with the sounds of their slick union.

“I love you,” Annalisa whispered, her eyes meeting Sebastian’s as she studied his expression to ensure he was content. 

“I love you too,” Sebastian growled, his hands still pressing into her sides. He marveled at her; the way her full breasts bounced, her cheeks flushed, and her tight walls embraced him. He was desperate to feel her release. He had to know how she’d feel when she collapsed on top of him, her thighs shaking and cunt swollen from the intrusion of his cock.

Annalisa’s eyes fell shut as she worked, her hips rising and grinding as she rested her palms flat against Sebastian’s chest. The chair creaked beneath them. 

“You feel so fucking good,” Sebastian breathed.

She rocked her hips and let out a sharp moan as Sebastian’s cock speared her soft, sensitive spot. “Oh, right there,” she groaned. She repeated the motion, her teeth tugging at her bottom lip as she lost herself in the sensation stimulating her core. “Sebastian, I’m close.”

Poor Sebastian was hanging on for dear life. His mind was presently reviewing spell patterns he’d learned in Charms class to divert his attention. He didn’t find himself in such a drastic dilemma very often, but this was pure desperation.

Annalisa slammed herself hard down onto him, driving the depths of her walls around Sebastian’s cock until she could feel the familiar flutters. She squeezed and rocked until her walls gave way to her climax, throbbing with relief as she wailed and threw her head back. She collapsed her full weight into Sebastian’s lap, allowing the tip of his cock to settle deep inside her until the final twitches of her cunt evoked his orgasm. He swore as he gripped her hips and spilled within her, earning one final moan from her.

The room’s erotic echoes were replaced with their recovering breaths. Annalisa slumped against Sebastian, her body exhausted from bouncing on top of him, and her head hazy.

Sebastian was utterly spent. His forehead rested against Annalisa’s bare shoulder as the weight of the day’s overwhelming epiphanies settled within him.

Things had taken a turn for the better; a monumental shift in events that he never could have predicted. He felt foolish and guilty for his presumptive behavior, but elated that, finally, for once, things had worked in his favor.

Annalisa was watching him with soft eyes. “Alright?” she asked. Sebastian grinned, his hands tracing light lines up and down the small of her back.

“Alright,” he answered. “Just… thinking about how mental this day was.”

“Only because you’re mental,” Annalisa said as she climbed off him and began fetching her pajamas from the floor.

“Sorry,” Sebastian said with a sheepish smile. “I guess I owe you and Ominis an apol-” He froze, his eyes widening until Annalisa drew back in alarm.

“What is it?” she demanded.

“Ominis,” Sebastian said hastily as he scrambled to his feet and began redressing. “I- I wrote him a letter too. I have to go. I have to get rid of it before he sees it.”

“Surely it can’t be that bad.”

Sebastian flashed her an apologetic grin as he buttoned his shirt. “I might have told him we were no longer friends and to go to hell.”

“Sebastian!”

“In my defense, it was all for you, love.”

“It was downright foolish.”

“I know. Apologies, love. I’ll just go fetch and destroy it and then I’ll come right back, yeah?”

Annalisa sighed and crawled back into bed. “Yes, alright. I’ll be here.” 

Sebastian pressed a kiss to her forehead and sprinted back to the Slytherin dungeons.

[ainulindaelynn]

MUSIC SHUFFLE GAME

Rules: Shuffle your ‘on repeat’ playlist and post the first 10 songs, then tag 10 friends to do the same.

Tagged by the wonderful @friendly-wizard-bibliothecary :)

I always love to hear new music, so no pressure tagging @ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian @ithinkthiswasabadidea @brasideios @leofrith @findusinaweek @whereforartthoumisthios @aeide (recent ask aside.. I'm always curious!) @vikingnerd793 @apocketfullofhobbits (hello from the main blog!) and @semperintrepida

I'm trying to lean toward youtube more lately, so have video links!

My 4yo is in a phase of asking me what songs 'mean' lately and I sort of boil them down, summarize the metaphors, etc. This one was a, "Well, kid... [insert 30 minute ramble]." Also that line, I'll weather your storms for the stillness in you, breaks my brain every time.

Mollymauk has a firm hold of my mind at present and likely for the foreseeable future. Taliesin Jaffe and his uncanny ability to create characters I have no initial interest in and am fully, wonderfully unhinged about by the end...

Spaces between the happiness and the hardness is a concept I'm working on atm. And always.

This may be a lot of Taliesin's Molly playlist. We'll see. *awkward cough*

I told you there was a lot of Molly in here. You were warned.

Love. Just love. I have a lot of 'end of Vox Machina' feelings about it too. Pulled from one of their playlists and it's the background track for the entire last episode in my mind.

Gifted this gem to a friend the other day. Can't recommend it enough.

George Ezra reminds me of time and a person I will forever miss <3

Deeply, deeply internalized lmao. Noah Kahan always kills it as far as I'm concerned.

An OC song that always makes me smile :)

[gayfrasier]

hey everybody. been a while! i would apologize for dropping off the face of the earth but it will happen again. thought of you all often.

[ohsohoney]

When it comes to love you're just as blinded.

Part Sixteen

Eminem x Musician

Summary: It starts with a drunk embarrassing video, it spirals into something a whole lot more.

Note: Probably best to go back to the previous update, it's been a while! Ended off on our fav duo making a couple headlines... Now onto the start of the aftermath!

| Set in 2014, just after the release of LP 2

taglist: @thelastemzy @helloitsme1223 @geekchic48 @antisocialsocialclub5

Masterlist

“Yeah.” Marshall grunted out, then there was another hum. His eyes were darting across the monitor perched before him whilst he listened to Paul and whoever else that had been patched through to the call. 

I listened halfheartedly, my own mind captured on the fact that Lottie had yet to text or call.

Danny had messaged me though, still stuck at base, his army mates all too smug over the fact that they’d known before the rest of the world about Em and I. Not that they actually did. They just put two and two together, figured four, though Dan had assured me that he’d smacked some sense into the pair of them the second they’d started acting up, decidedly worried about me but otherwise trying not to actually show it. Sibling things.

A couple other people had continued to message too, my mum having been one of them. I’d read it and not bothered with a reply. Same went for most of the remaining family I had, the very same I’d only seen in passing as a kid, the ones who only ever appeared to crop up when things were looking up. 

Not that they were. Looking up, I mean. 

This whole thing was a right mindfuck. I didn’t know where I stood with Marshall, what his team would end up saying, if I’d be better off booking the next flight out of here or speaking up about what had been dragged through every gossip rag from this side of the world to the next. Mila was my only saving grace there, working diligently behind the scenes to calm whatever storm she could. 

Lottie was my main focus now though.

Messages  To: Lottiebug 🐞 You’ve not answered my last few texts Are you able to call me? It’s been a stressful couple days, would be nice to hear a familiar voice Msg me when you can

I’d sent that last message about half an hour ago, it had to be something like three o’clock over in London round about now so I could only guess that she might've been busy, but I knew the kid better than that. She was avoiding me. A task which was all too easy to achieve when stuck an ocean apart.

Messages  To: Lottiebug 🐞 Fancy a shop? Scroll through a couple websites with me? Know you’ve been looking to make a dent in my account for a while now…

My bargaining attempt was utterly shameless, sue me. But I knew it would be a hard thing for Lottie to say no to; if there was anybody that could put a stop to the next occurring World War simply because there was a chance to shop, it would be my sister. At this point, I would try just about anything to get a lousy text back, even if it was just a meagre ‘K’.

I startled in the chair I’d taken to slouching in the second a set of familiar three dots popped up at the bottom of the screen. Em’s head snapped over towards me at the unexpected jump, eyes intense even as he continued to keep the phone pressed close to his ear. He raised a single brow.

Glancing down at my phone just as it vibrated, I swallowed thickly and hurried to my feet. Eyes flying over the few words that had come through. It was only as I backed away from the chair, careful not to trip over it in my haste, that I mouthed Lottie’s name to Marshall, earning myself a small nod before I slipped out of the office door. Uncaring for the business side of things if it meant that I had to make Lottie wait.

I was wary about the way the heavy lock clicked though when I left, trying to lessen its sound before I retreated into the kitchen, grabbing the laptop I’d brought down with me earlier that  morning when I searched through news outlet after news outlet.

There was a light murmur coming from the living room that reminded me of Rosie’s presence and the fact she had yet to eat, Em’s promise of pancakes forgotten in the midst of his many phone calls. I set the laptop back down on the counter and grabbed the random hoodie that had been slung haphazardly over one of the barstool at some point, tugging it on as I padded back out the backdoor. 

The phone seemed to ring incessantly as I held it to my ear, longer than usual anyhow, before it finally stopped and a silence echoed down the line.

“Bug?” I tried, wincing at the evident lack of reply that earned. “Lotts, you there?”

A heavy sigh.

“Card details can be accepted via text, you know.”

My eyes slipped closed at the sound of her voice, pissed off as it sounded, whilst a small smile wavered across my lips, “Security thing. My accountant would have a stroke.” I retorted, though even I noted how timid I sounded. She must have too because she sighed again, the exhale causing my shoulders to hunch further.

“I only answered ‘cause you promised me a bag and a new pair of shoes.” Lottie said in turn, and I could almost picture her slight shrug as well as the way she was probably picking at the hem of whatever pair of jeans she had on. She was aiming for nonchalant, but had sidestepped it by a mile. 

“Do remind me of when this supposed conversation happened.” I quipped back, though I noted I sounded a little more on equal ground now, even with the slight chatter the Detroit winds made of my teeth. “Last I checked this was supposed to be a bit of online browsing.”

Lottie never missed though. Kid knew when to throw her punches. 

“Happened when you decided to sneak off to America without telling me you were dating Ken Kaniff.” Lottie sniped right back, a real sting to her tone. “I mean, of all people, Lia.”

I went to reply, opened my mouth to exactly that actually but struggled to find the right words. I didn't want to lie, but to be honest, I was unsure of the truth.

“I came here to work.” I told her after a moment, and it was as honest as I could start, letting go of the breath I’d been gripping onto. “We started speaking a little while ago, he wanted to write together. At first, I didn’t believe him– I mean, why would I? Why would anyone? But he wasn’t lying, Lotts. Made a plan for me to fly out here after my trip to New York. Figured we should keep it under wraps. I didn't tell you because–”

“‘Cause you’re a liar?”

Ouch.

“No,” I attempted, brow wrinkling with the effort it took not to react to the heat of her accusation, “I’m not a liar, I just evaded the whole truth a little. I am here to work, Lottie, that wasn’t a lie. But you didn’t ask who I was with, or what I was up to. I would have told you then, mentioned that I was with a friend–”

She cut me off, “A friend?”

It was almost a high pitched screech.

I sighed. “Yes, a friend, Lotts.”

“So you’re telling me, if I had thought to ask, that you would’ve just casually name-dropped Eminem? And told me that the two of you were ‘friends’ now.” Lottie asked, voice full of contempt, maybe even some resentment. “Then what would you have told me after today, Lia? Seeing as you would have told me.” She added snarkily, a jab just because she could, “That those photos were nothing? That it wasn’t what it looked like? That the media are exaggerating it? Because you’re forgetting I know you!”

I stumbled on my retort, stunned by her evaluation on the whole scenario, long enough for her to actually barrel on over me when I did finally make an attempt.

“You’re more than just my sister. I know you better than you know yourself. Which is why I wouldn’t have believed you even if you had tried to tell me that the two of you were just friends. After those pictures? Elia. You avoid the postman! Duck past the cashiers at the local Tesco’s. Run from all our neighbours– and their many, many newsletters– to the point where I’m sure that they actually reckon you’re half-deaf, what with how you never ‘seem’ to hear ‘em whenever they pass us by.”

She hardly even stopped to take a breath whilst I was struck still.

“You’ve never once introduced me to any boyfriend of yours, or even a fling! All of your friends have been forced upon you, or are the same ones you haven’t managed to shake since school.” She continued on, somehow having worked me out to a T, “I have zero clue as to how you’re as famous as you are, honestly, Mils must work overtime, ‘cause you are the furthest thing from a people person. So no, you might think you’re friends, El, but I know you. There is no way you don’t feel something for the guy, because you actually looked happy in those photos, you looked at peace. Looked like, I’ve never actually seen you look like that before– and,” She paused, stuttered almost then, and when she did speak again it was more air than anything, “and I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

God, I had to be the world’s worst sister.

I actually had to bite back the sting of tears that welled and the heavy lump which formed in the top of my throat upon hearing her tirade. “I wanted to.” I murmured, and there was real truth there. 

She scoffed quietly.

I sniffed against the cold air, trying not to let a tear fall. “I did, Lottie.” I tried again, firmer this time, hand fisted by my side. “I wanted to tell you, of course I did. But, there was just so much going on and then…” I sighed softly, guilt multiplying by tenfold, “And then I just didn’t know how you’d react.”

A silence lingered after the words had escaped me. It lasted so long that I almost couldn’t bear it, that I thought she’d gone and hung up on me. 

“I’m sorry.” I heard myself say into the quiet, words forming a trail of icy smoke in the air before me. I swallowed thickly again, “I really am. I should have mentioned it before. I should have broke it to you better, than having you–”

“What, having me find out in this shit storm?” Lottie finished for me, tetchy enough that it had my cheeks wrinkling around the first beginnings of a small smile. “Yeah, no shit, Lia. I know I’m a fan and all, I probably would’ve freaked out. Okay, backtrack, I definitely fucking would have– I’m not gonna deny that. But still!”

I huffed a faint chuckle, that familiar warmth I held for her pooling in my chest. Growing. Expanding. “I’m sorry.” I repeated again, just for the sake of it, because I knew that I should and I couldn’t not, then licked at my lower lip, the cold slowly drying them out. “I’ll tell you whatever you wanna know from now on.”

Lottie went to speak, breath hitching with it, but I was quick to cut in, “To a degree!”

She huffed in reply, “Boring.” Dragging the word out.

I rolled my eyes all too fondly, “This mean I still have to buy your love back?”

“Duh.” Lottie deadpanned, “It’s therapy. And I don’t know how long I’m going to be reeling from this slight, in truth.”

“Lottie.” I scolded halfheartedly, shaking my head as I gave her a sweet chuckle.

“What?” She questioned in a false reverence that had my eyes rolling once more. “There’s this new brand I wanted to check out anyway! They sell these really cute jeans that I’ve been eyeing for weeks now.”

I’d really put my foot in it here. Though I had no time to regret it, not when Lottie was ranting away in my ear again, like nothing had even occurred, whilst I finally moved to step back into the house, glad to be escaping from the cold once more. My eyes widened at the sight of finding Rosie halfway in the fridge though. 

I blinked.

“Reckon it’s colder in there than outside, lovely.” I found myself teasing her just as the backdoor shut behind me, either my voice or the slight slam had her jumping in surprise.

“What?” Lottie retorted in my ear, confused, whilst Z gifted me a sheepish sort of grin.

“Dad’s taking forever.” Was her only explanation. 

I snorted, rounding the kitchen island to meet her, holding the fridge door for her just as she stepped out from behind it. “I can see that.” I assured her with a slight smirk before I pointed to the phone. Rosie caught on rather quickly to that and her eyes lit up at the prospect of who it could possibly be. “Sorry, Lotts.” I mentioned to my sister, eyeing the tyke before me, “Walked into a robbery in the making.”

Lottie’s laughter trickled down the phone, a sound I’d desperately missed, but her confusion was evident when she replied, “What are you on about?”

Her answer had me pausing and I pursed my lips in thought for a half a second before I thought fuck it– two birds, one stone and whatnot. “I’m gonna switch to a Facetime call, that alright, Lotts?”

Rosie’s head tilted from where she’d since settled herself into a barstool, watching still, and I smiled at my sister’s curious tone, “Um, sure?”

It took a second or two, but soon enough I’d fallen into the seat beside Z and had my phone propped up so that we could both see the clear picture of Lottie. She was in her room at mum’s, it seemed, at the desk stationed in the far corner and from the looks of things I’d caught her just as she’d finished doing her lengthy makeup routine. 

Rosie, bless her, appeared a little bewildered by the sudden change in pace I’d started but Lotts was able to do what she did best the second she caught sight of the other girl I was sat beside, “Oh my God, you’re actually so cute, what the hell– and I love that top! I have one just like it, I think. Might have stolen it from Lia at some point though. So really, she has one just like it, only now it resides in my wardrobe.”

I shook my head at her rambling antics and tried my best to hide the sly smile that was growing at Rosie’s somewhat stunned expression. The girl in question looked up at me with wide eyes for a brief second, appearing unsure, before she turned back to my chaotic little sister, who seemed to have added a streak of bright blond through the front of her fringe since I’d last seen her.

My eyes zeroed in on it, but I’d deal with that later.

Clearing my throat and letting my gaze trail between the two, I moved to introduce the pair,  eyes darting to and fro. “Z, I’d like you to meet my baby sister, Lottie. And Lotts, this lovely girl right here is Rosie. She’s been looking after me whilst I’ve been in the States.”

Lottie’s stare lingered on me for a short second, likely linking up all of the pieces of the puzzle she’d been given and figuring out exactly who Z was. But before I could try and break the stilled moment that had since settled, Rosie surprised me by leaning against the kitchen’s island to peer closer at the phone, “I love your hair,” She murmured, smiling softly, “It’s like El’s, but curlier.”

“And longer!” Lottie felt the need to tack on, prompting another eye roll from me, before she was prattling away again, answering each and every question Z asked about the blonde in her hair as well as the few piercings she had in her ears, before eventually spinning a couple back on Rosie herself, who seemed all too eager to have someone new to talk to.

I honestly began to feel a little left out, though I was incredibly happy about the whole thing so I couldn’t complain much. Instead, I got set on whipping up a batch of pancake mix for the hungry girl whilst Rosie explained the last few days away to Lotts, who appeared to be all too invested in every detail Z had to offer. Oddly, it reminded me a little of the phone call we’d shared with Ayla the day prior.

Z was quick to point me in the direction of a cupboard that housed a couple boxes of batter mix once I’d mentioned starting breakfast, reminding me of the goading Em had griefed me with when I’d mentioned baking days earlier (something I’d have to annoy him about later). Only, it was there that a couple of dry ingredients caught my eye. So I figured I’d give them a try instead, moving about the kitchen with ease whilst conversation flowed between the two girls, me piping in where and when I could.

I’d managed to create a fluffy mix of batter quick enough which I separated into a couple other bowls, having found a carton of blueberries and a bag of chocolate chips that I wanted to use up. I divided the mixture into three separate batches, starting in on the plain pancakes before moving onto the remaining two. 

It was just when Lottie had caught onto what I was making, whining about not being able to remember the last time I’d baked her a batch (it had been her birthday), when another set of footsteps wandered into the kitchen. Probably haven been lured over by the smell.

I looked up as he poked his head round the entryway, eyes flying over the open space, from where I stood at the stove to the first pancakes I’d plated up, then over to where Rosie was still sat explaining the whole cake fiasco she’d walked in on that week to Lottie. If Marshall seemed surprised by the sudden change in pace that had taken place, he didn’t show it, instead he watched me for a long second, as though trying to make sense of something or other, before he trailed on over to soothe a hand over Z’s head.

My breath appeared to catch just as Lottie’s did, it seemed, swallowing at the way Em’s warm smile was then directed towards my sister and how genuine it appeared when he gave her his gentle hello’s, allowing her to stumble through something of a reply before he settled into my previous seat beside his daughter and asked after school.

It was something that threw my entire being through a loop, in truth, and the only reason as to why I almost set the fire alarm off. I managed to catch it just in time, well, after Z’s nose had twitched and Marshall had said, “Burning.” Having glanced back just in time to catch me staring before I’d clumsily tried to save the bastard thing.

To no avail. Still, there were plenty more pancakes to go around. Said as much, even as I wandered over to stick the burnt attempt in the bin, trying not to let any embarrassment shine through. Em was smirking the whole while though, his stare locked on me.

The only good thing to come from it, yes only (my brain just wouldn’t relent to it, content to buzz happily under Marshall’s sharp gaze), was the fact that my baking shame had allowed Lottie to bounce right back into being her bright old self. The fact that her favourite rapper was sat right there before her was lost amongst the chaos of showing up her older sister. 

Marshall enjoyed the quick triad of stories Lottie dished out, actually cracking up over a few, before he eventually moved to join me with a smug smile, divvying up the food between the three plates I’d set out after having scolded him for trying to pinch a pancake before they were all done.

“They’re gone go cold.” He muttered in complaint, even as he moved to grab the syrup and whipped cream I’d asked after.

Rolling my eyes, I flipped the last cake on the pan, this one dotted with blueberries. “They won’t. But if for some reason they do, then I hate to break it to you, but you do own a microwave. You know, that box thing over there in the corner that rumbles and beeps?”

Marshall pinched my side in retaliation to my smart mouth when he passed by, squirting a plethora of whipped cream into his mouth as he did. He came to perch at the counter beside me as he released another swirl of the canned stuff onto the back of his hand, hitting his wrist at just the right angle to have it go sailing up towards his mouth, hitting the side instead and barely making it in.

“You’re a child.” I scolded around a short laugh, unable to help my vague amusement even as he jumped at me to wipe the remaining cream that sat on his cheek onto the side of my face, missing by an inch and managing to swipe my shoulder instead. 

I gasped, trying to escape and he snickered at the mess he’d made of the hoodie I wore when he stepped back, but then I simply smirked in turn.

“Jokes on you, it’s yours.”

Em’s shoulders slumped and before I could jump away, hot pan be damned, he was spraying the whipped cream once more, only this time it was in my direction. 

“Marshall!” I screamed, mouth agape and eyes shut tight as he covered me from head to toe.

Rosie was snickering away happily by the counter, her laughter only increasing as I shook my head, allowing more cream to fly everywhere. It was then that I made a leap for my attacker, capturing Em by the arm just before he could escape. There was enough momentum in the haul to send the pair of us spinning around until we eventually went slipping and sliding over the cream that had made its way onto the floor. 

We ended up in a heap beneath the sink, Marshall half on top of me.

“Fucks sake.” I muttered before I could think to stop myself. Blowing out a heavy exhale.

“Dollar!” Came Z’s heedless giggle before her rosy cheeks popped into view right above us, my phone still in hand. I guessed that Lottie had been able to get a real taste for everything that had been happening over here after all.

Marshall’s snickering had me glancing his way after a huff and I was rewarded with a grin like no other when he finally raised his head to meet my gaze. I softened instantly, eyes darting between his own. He steadied himself on his palms, slipping only once before he settled above me, arms either side of my head. I didn’t think much as I reached up to wipe away at the mess he’d made of his face, swiping at his cheeks and then the corner of his right eye.

“They’re definitely cold now.” I heard myself say, voice just above a murmur.

Em’s grin simply widened, “Microwave.” He reminded me just as the girls’ voices started to trail over the pair of ours.

I couldn’t not smile back at him, I was helpless.

…

“Is that what that Snap was about?” Lottie gasped suddenly, seemingly just having connected another set of dots to the larger picture at hand here.

I chuckled softly, content to listen to the muted conversation that could be overheard from where I now sat in the living room, having been sent off right after breakfast had finished. “The cook never cleans.” I’d been reminded as Z had ushered me out of the kitchen, leaving her and her Dad to clear away the mess we’d made of the floor and counters. 

I’d felt bad for a second, before Marshall had shot me and my phone a look, obviously wanting me to use the spare minute I had to talk to Lottie a little more. A horde of appreciation had swarmed my chest at the thought and I carried it still, even as I’d allowed Lottie to pester me with question after question.

“What snap?” I asked, playing coy.

She was having none of it though, her face clear enough to state that she wouldn’t be backing down from this without a fight, knowing that she’d missed a large majority of this massive drama that had taken place. Her words, not mine. I’d like to state that I very much preferred it when my life didn’t coincide with some sort of tv drama.

“Spill.”

“It wasn’t what you’re thinking.” I eventually said, rolling my eyes, “It was with Rosie, she gave me a peck on the cheek before she left for school one morning. It felt like a monumental moment, you know? Well, I don't really know, but anyway, me and Em just made a thing of it. Wanted to capture it or something. Was just us messin’ around.” I shrugged it off, as though my words were simple enough to do exactly that. But even with Lotts being fourteen, the expression she wore told me that she knew better. Thankfully she let it lie, for now.

“What else did I end up missing then?” 

So with that question, I caught her up. She mentioned bits and pieces that I accidently left out, filling in the blanks after having heard them from Z, I supposed, and wondered over this and that, pestering me for more details on The Shetler and then the aquarium Marshall had taken me to, knowing just how much I loved shit like that. 

“Alright, nosey. Tell me about you then, what’s been happening back across the pond?” I asked when there was the shortest of pauses, relaxing a little further into the sofa as Lottie began to regal the tale of events that had transpired since my departure. She sang poetry over Danny’s Irish friend, Tagh, who she’d briefly been introduced to on one of their calls, then spoke of how school had been going, her next big science project and then some drama she’d caught wind of, until we looped back around to…

“Dad’s gonna take me to the West Ham stadium next weekend, said he knew a groundskeeper that could get us in. Might get to meet Cresswell.” She fawned, whilst my stomach churned.

West Ham? My mouth twitched downwards at the thought, knowing full well she didn’t support them. Still, I relented, not wanting to fuss.

“I can buy a couple good seats for you, Lotts. Don’t want you getting into trouble.” I attempted to try and weigh in, chewing on the inside of my cheek at the thought of it all. “I mean, makes sense don’t it? And besides, that way you’ll definitely get to meet him.”

She wrinkled her nose a tad and the gesture reminded me of Z, which made me blink. “I dunno. Dad seemed excited, don’t wanna ruin it for him, you know?”

“Right.” I forced out, staring off to the side just so that I didn’t have to look at her when I eventually asked, “You’re callin’ him that then?”

“What, Dad?”

I picked at the edge of a sofa cushion and nodded.

Lottie blew out a light chuckle, “It’s what he is, ain’t it?”

I swallowed. “Right.”

Another chuckle followed suit and I finally looked back at the phone screen, she was shaking her head around an exasperated smile, “What is up with you?” She laughed, “Hit your head when you were ice skating over whipped cream with Marshall?”

The use of his name made me smile slightly, glad that she found him easy to refer to. “Yeah, might have.” I replied cautiously, using the excuse for what it was. 

Lottie tutted but still carried on grinning, I wondered what it was down to, this happy glow that she’d taken on. “I’m gonna have to drop off in a sec, Shan’s coming round.” She explained, “But can I call tomorrow?”

My forehead wrinkled at the stupidity of her question, “Of course, Bug. Don’t ever have to ask.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know! Just bein’ polite, ain’t I? Raised me well didn’t you?”

“Tried.” I corrected, laughing.

“Exactly!” Lottie exclaimed before she was smiling away again, “I really did love talking to them.” She mentioned softly in reference to Marshall and Rosie I presumed, eyes flickering back and forth between mine. “They seem good for you.”

“What’s that meant to mean?” I chuckled, though not unkindly. Wanting to understand her words.

Lottie just shook her head though, cheeks dimpled and eyes watching, “Means I’m glad you’re having a good time.”

That was fair enough.

“Me too.” I reassured her, “Make sure to keep me in the loop. Please?”

Her smile warmed that much more, “Promise. Say bye to Rosie for me, won’t you? And don’t think I’ve forgotten about that shopping spree, alright? We’ll get round to it soon, maybe when you're back home!”

A strange feeling settled in the pit of my stomach, but I brushed it aside in favour of saying goodbye, “I will do, and I won’t forget! Just be good, okay? And phone me if anything happens.”

“I will!” She huffed goodnaturedly, chuckling ever so. “Love you!”

“Love you too, Bug.”

It was just as she leaned in, reaching out to hang up that she paused, blinking at a sudden reminder that must have hit her, “Oh and say goodbye to your boyfriend for me, it was good to meet him!”

“Hang on, wha–” My reply was promptly cut off by the call disconnecting and so I blew out an exasperated breath, shaking my head as I let my phone drop down into my lap. It was only after I’d slumped that I jumped out of my skin, a light snort bouncing around the room from the man stationed in the doorway behind me.

I whipped around and my eyes widened to see Marshall stood there, propped up against the wooden frame. Lottie must have seen him just as she was about to hang up. Must have done, to have said what she had and then dropped off so quickly. The actual cow. 

I fish mouthed ever so slightly, spluttering really, before I finally sank back down onto the sofa, arms falling across my chest. “She’s insane. Really should get her head checked the second I get back to London, really.” I immediately found myself saying, trying for funny but missing the mark when he pushed off the wall to step a little closer. “I don’t know where she gets it from. Honestly. It’s like her tongue’s too big for her mouth or she just can’t not say what she’s thinking, right?”

Em hummed in retort, standing an inch away from me before he eventually leaned in to prop his hands on the back of the sofa.

I swallowed thickly at the sight of him, of having him that close all of a sudden “Right. Yeah. She just, talks… too much. I ‘spose.”

He hummed again, deeper, leaning in that much closer, a smirk dawning on his mouth. “Like someone else I know.”

Huffing out an airy exhale, I rolled my eyes at the quip, feeling a loose strand of hair flutter at the action. “She’s in her own playing field.” I mentioned quietly, eyes darting between his now, “In a tier of her… own.”

My chest tightened at the proximity we shared. 

“That so?” Marshall practically whispered, his words testing the stretch between his mouth and my skin.

In truth, I’d almost forgotten what we’d been talking about. His stare dropped to my lips, remained there for a beat too long. “Yeah.”

The corner of his sly smile twitched. “Yeah.” He repeated, breath fanning the curve of my mouth.

His kiss was slow. Languid. Different from the last one we’d shared. The first one, I supposed. It was dragging and full of truth. Truths I couldn’t quite decipher right then but which made my pulse tick that much faster. My hand came up to cradle his jaw, thumb skimming the edge of his chin as we took a shared breath. He captured my mouth with his again steadily, pressed close, enough to consume my mind before he slowly, slowly started to retreat. Pulling away carefully.

I breathed in every inch of him that I could.

“What was that for?” I ended up whispering, staring up at the man from where I sat beneath him.

He towered over me, arms bracketing me in on both sides from where he still held onto the back of the sofa’s cushions, but he was so relaxed, smiling ever so as he reached out to tuck my hair behind my ear.

He shrugged softly. “Because.”

[hearts4werka]

Missing

Summary: it’s been six months since your sister went missing, everyone gave up on the investigation but you’re determined to find her no matter what but someone comes along the way… Genre: Stalker, missing person, thriller, horror, crime investigation, dark aesthetic, stalker romance? (We won’t know yet) Warnings: mention of dark topics that may trigger some readers (idk which exactly, write them in the comments) ends on a cliffhanger. Read At Your Own Risk! authors note: this is my first fic and ive always been a fan of horror and stories that have me on the edge of my seat so writing this was a pleasure. English is not my first language so minor grammar mistakes might occur. Hope you enjoy!

This is part 1 of the ‘Missing’ series!

Its been six months since my sister disappeared, vanished out of thin air without a trace left behind.

I tried to get the police to continue investigation after three months but they always say the same thing ‘she’s probably dead’ or ‘there’s no possibility she’s still out there alive’ so I decided to try and collect more information by myself since I believe I can find her and finally reunite which her after so long from being apart from each other.

A month ago on the anniversary of my sisters disappearance, I found out I have a stalker and it started to make my anxiety worsen which only adds onto the struggles in my life I have to deal with and a mixture of thoughts racing through my mind at once, I could feel myself loosing control and desperately trying to grasp reality at times, to deciphering what is real and what lives in my head becoming harder and harder every day. Feeling myself slowly loose my mind in this dark world I’ve been placed in.

My best friend Nora was helping with the investigation while the police was operating but when they called quits on the case, she went with them and left me to be alone on the case.

My brain refuses to believe she’s dead, she’s out there and I’ll find her no matter what. No matter the price I’ll have to pay

| - 🍂 - |

Im sitting in my living room after a long day of work, reading the front page of the mornings newspaper titled “Young adult vanished without a trace in the town of Boston” they ended her investigation three months ago and still write about her in the newspaper since they’re clearly out of interesting stories.

It’s full of conspiracy theories of what could have happened to her, there’s even one that says there’s a possibility she’s been abducted by aliens? I shake my head in disbelieve reading through that article. I call complete bullshit. People still believe in aliens these days?

Ive been through numerous newspapers and articles I could find on the internet but it was always the same thing, she’s probably kidnapped or have been killed by her potential kidnapper. I’ve gathered so many newspapers in the span of the few months that a pile is starting to form on my coffee table.

I push my sliding glasses up the bridge of my nose when a sudden feeling of being observed washes over me. My gaze rips away from the newspaper to try and find something or someone but I find nothing in the darkness while the only source of light is a single lamp next to the couch along with the moonlight pooling through the windows.

Theres no one in the room besides me and the shadows taunting me for still having hope that she’s out there, what if she really isn’t alive anymore? I’m ripped out of the spiral of my thoughts with a single buzz of my phone. Checking what it could be I see it’s a message from an unknown number, by the content of the message there’s only one person that it could be. My stalker.

Unknown : Still searching for that little sister of yours?

Looking around the dark room I once again find nothing, I gaze back down at the message and type out a response, the noise of my nails hitting the phone screen echo and spread around the space surrounding me.

Me : Leave me alone.

After the message got sent, I drop my phone next to me on the couch and return my focus to the newspaper. Flipping through the pages to find anything useful, I’m desperate at this point for any kind of information that might help.

Slowly loosing hope that I’ll find anything in the newspaper, one article in particular catches my eye…

[reasonsforhope]

How can I stay positive regarding the wildfires?

It can be really hard in the face of so much destruction. I don't know how much anyone can specifically stay positive in the face of disasters like this -

but I can give you some thoughts about how to let hope live alongside everything else you're feeling about this, and how to avoid spiraling and remember that this is not proof that we're doomed.

Possibly relevant note lol is that I've lived my whole life in California, so suffice to say figuring out how to move forward among the consequences and destruction of massive wildfires is something I'm definitely not new to.

I remember walking to my classroom in elementary school, about 20 years ago now, and it was literally snowing ash around me. This too shall pass.

Take a few deep breaths. I know it's cliche but it's also important

Zoom out in terms of perspective: Wildfires can make the sky look apocalyptic (like I said, I have lots of experience with this!), but they are regional, and they always end. These wildfires are awful but this specific wave of fires is happening in just one country in a huge, huge world. There's far more land that isn't burning

Canada is about to get substantial international aid in fighting the wildfires - there are already 200 additional firefighters headed over from the US and France, and Canada (Quebec specifically) is also already in talks with Costa Rica, Portugal, and Chile about additional firefighters/resources. Help is on the way and these numbers really will make a big difference, and as the disaster continues (unfortunately it is uh...pretty early in fire season), more help will be sent. People are doing what they can to help, because in the face of disaster, that's what we're wired to do

There are actually MUCH better fire management plans than just about anyone is using, esp in North America but that we COULD implement and increasingly WILL going forward. A lot of the wildfire situation these days is because of the West's incredibly wrongheaded derision toward traditional Indigenous land and ecosystem management practices, including cultural prescribed burns that keep massive wildfires from happening. California in particular is already partnering with several First Nations to revive prescribed burns, to significant success. As fires continue to be terrible, more and more places will get on board with this. We can and will implement practices that will truly change our situation

Cultural burns work because, ironically, the reason for the wildfires is that "is that we've been so good at putting out every fire possible that it has led to overly dense forests and a buildup of burnable material like branches and dry vegetation" that makes wildfires much worse in a number of ways. At lower intensity, however, as with cultural burns, forest fires can actually have huge environmental benefits

Finally, every time a natural disaster happens like this, as awful and destructive as they are, it serves as a wake-up call for thousands of people and adds both ever-mounting urgency and ever-mounting evidence to the importance of fighting climate change, which really does translate into action. For a lot of people, "saving the environment" feels super distant - but you know what feels super immediate? Saving their homes from burning down (or getting flooded or otherwise destroyed, etc. etc.) In 2021, the UN ran the world's largest climate survey, across 1.2 million people and 50 nations, and almost TWO-THIRDS SAID THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS A GLOBAL EMERGENCY THAT WE NEED TO WORK HARDER TO ADDRESS. Imagine that 10 years ago! That other third of people aside, this really is real and massive progress

Also, every time there's a big disaster like this, climate change deniers look more and more baldly ridiculous. Think about it: How often did you hear US Republicans bullshitting about climate change denial 10 years ago? And how often do you hear them doing it now? In fact, there's increasing evidence that Republicans really are shifting on climate change (mind you they're managing to do it in an obnoxiously somehow pro-fossil-fuel way, but it's still a major sea change). Some of them are literally calling for a clean energy transition, and Kevin McCarthy himself (guy in charge of the US House right now) created a task force for to a conservative climate change agenda that acknowledges climate change is real. There's now a conservative climate conference that does active lobbying and a House Conservative Climate Caucus, which somehow has SIXTY MEMBERS. Again, something that would've been unimaginable just six or seven years ago.

Every acre that the fires burn this year is an acre that's pretty guaranteed to not burn next year, for what that's worth. (And I do think it's worth mentioning, esp with such a high number of acres)

The battles are going to be hard, but I truly believe that even the ones we lose often bring us closer to winning the war.

Fires burn, but life always grows back.

[deejayrockz]

PAIRING — teacher!wilbur x teacher!reader

SUMMARY — the grumpy geography teacher gets teased about his slightly obvious crush on the english teacher across the hall.

NOTES — grumpy x sunshine trope, shy!wilbur because i said so, fem!reader (use of miss when referring to reader).

EXTRAS — i am in love with this idea so badly ohmyggoodd, written at 2am so might be sloppy my bad 💔 short little drabble i had, might expand on it tomorrow

Wilbur, or Mr. Soot as his students know him, was currently in his room, sitting in the most uncomfortable teachers chair you could ever imagine. The class he currently taught were silent, as they usually were for him, heads down working on some past paper he had found for them to complete.

Wilbur has never quite understood how teachers had enough time in the day to come up with fun learning ideas for their students, but he never dwelled on it long, as he enjoyed waffling on about different countries and places. His students didn't quite enjoy it (they made that clear after multiple students had called him the 'boring teacher').

"Mr. Soot?" He heard your voice from the doorway, causing his head to lift up, looking at you with a sort of calm expression. This was rare to see on his face, as it was usually flat with the odd smile every now and again.

"I believe these are yours," You walked closer, seeing the printed papers he had sent off just a few minutes ago, in your hand, "English printers are broken, had to use the geography ones, hope I wasn't too much of a bother."

You could never be a bother. Not to him, atleast. Wilbur had decided he had simply admired your teaching skills, nothing more, nothing less.

"You weren't, thank you," He muttered. He could feel his cheeks tingle slightly as your hands brushed when he took them out of your hand and placed them on his desk.

The minute you left he heard small snickers from his students, arguably causing his face to heat up more. He sighed, which had just made the students giggle a little more. He wouldn't deny the embarrassment he felt after realising the whole class had now believed that he and the sweet, caring english teacher had something going on.

After what felt like the most painful and excruciating 10 minutes of his life, the class had finally ended, leaving him alone in his classroom for break. Well, he was alone. Until you decided that those very embarrassing 30 seconds you spoke while in his room weren't enough.

"Hey, Mr. Soot," You smiled, walking into his room and perching yourself on one of the empty desks. He sent you a smile before forcing himself to look away, paying insanely close attention to the paper he was marking.

"Hey," He replied, looking back up at you from his desk

"You seem lonely." Your legs swung back and forth as you crossed your ankles together, leaning back on your palms.

"It's nice, prefer the quiet." Will leaned back in his chair, twiddling with a pen he had in his hand.

"So, you wouldn't enjoy keeping me company during lunch and breaks?" You raised your eyebrows, tilting your head in a mocking manner. He scoffed, as if you were joking. You weren't.

"Don't you usually have students in there?"

"I do, but they wouldn't mind an extra person. Besides, I much prefer talking to someone my age than some 15 year old," You smirked, standing up from your seated position on the desk, and making your way out.

"It'll be nice for a change, I promise," You smile at him and he swears his heart skips a beat. That shouldn't be normal. Should his heart be moving so quickly? He was forced to not send himself into a deep spiral of possible medical problems he could have wrong with him, as the bell had gone off, signalling third period.

Fourth period, with a class of year sevens that had just had a geography lesson, was arguably the worst. It was lunch next, and they were all hungry, tired, and usually annoyed from their last lesson. However, today seemed a little different. They seemed almost relieved, as if their last lesson wasn't so bad.

"Hey, Miss, did you see Mr. Soot today?" One of them had asked, as you paused from writing the date on the board.

"Yeah, I saw him earlier, why?" You turned, facing the smiling eleven year olds in their seats.

"Did you see how happy he was?" Another had asked, "He was standing up, moving his hands around, he even smiled more than three times, that's a new record."

"Oh, right," You smiled, going back to teaching literature as your class kept cutting in to babble about possible theories. A new girlfriend. A baby. God, they even suspected he had a wedding coming up, but that was quickly shut down by another student, claiming (and i quote), "He wouldn't have the guts to get down on one knee."

It was rude, but you let out a small giggle anyway, as did the rest of the students. After a long lesson of gossiping about the geography teachers possible love life, with a side of english, the bell had finally rung, dismissing the students to lunch. If you told everyone you heart didn't almost explode when a certain teacher had come into your room and sat down next to you, ignoring the small side eyes he got from some year 11s eating their lunch with you, you'd be lying.

"Mr. Soot, I thought you preferred eating alone? That's what you told us when we offered you join us," A student had asked, brushing their hands on a small napkin they were forced to clean the table up with after they ate.

He simply shrugged, tugging his chair slightly closer so he fit right next to you. Your knees almost touched. It took everything in him to not give you a slight nudge on the knee, fearing he'd stretch the teacher/co-worker boundaries too far. Those fears of his, however, were soon revoked, when you had moved your leg over to slightly graze his as you sat.

"I've been told by some little birdies that you were extra chirpy third period, any reason why, Mr. Soot?" You teased, placing the empty salad tub on your desk, planning to throw it out later. His face had been tinted a small pink ever since your knees brushed and he had started to realise just how pathetic he was.

26 years of age and he was blushing over some knees touching together. God, he needs to get his act together.

"I don't know what you're talking about," He muttered, smiling when he heard you laugh. Atleast you found him funny.

"Sure, Will, sure," You smirked, standing up and ruffling his hair as you walked past, presumably to go fill up your water bottle in the hall.

He didn't usually enjoy being called Will by co-workers. It always felt too personal. He had never fully had a bond close enough with one of his coworkers where he liked being called Will, but it felt different coming from you. The way it slipped off your tongue so easily would make anyone believe you had been friends for a while. A while as in two maybe three years, not two maybe three hours.

He had known of you, especially when you first joined around a year and a half ago, with all the students gushing about how patient you were with them, but he had never really bothered to get close enough to have a full conversation with you.

"Sir, are you and Miss dating?" A different student had asked, causing small giggles to arise from the few girls sitting around her.

"Uhm," He pursed his lips, feeling insanely awkward, "No, definitely not."

"Awh, I was starting to think we had something," You pretended to frown, patting his shoulder as you came back into the classroom. You were obviously teasing, but it still didn't fail to make his cheeks heat up a tad bit more.

"Shut up," He smirked, looking back down at the papers as the girls had laughed. The blush that coated his cheeks was most definitely noticeable, as you poked at a dimple he had on the left side, causing him to swat away your hand with a roll of his eyes.

Maybe some company during lunches wouldn't be so bad after all.

[missmielyhoran]

Nightmare

in which Harry cheated on you...

[Warning- Angst, cheating, pregnancy, Breakup, crying, Fluff, really bad grammer cause I'm tired and wrote this cause I couldn't focus on studying]

*****

Two years, seven months, eighteen days...

That's how long you knew Harry or so, you thought.

Your relationship with Harry was pure bliss. He cared for you, loved you in a way no one ever had. So, never in your nightmares you thought he would just up and break up with you only to find his arms around some blonde a week later.

It broke the worst way possible. For weeks, you stayed in your bed and ate when your best friend force fed you, which ended up in your toilet anyway.

That was almost a year months ago.

You still were very much hurt, and the sight of Harry still almost sent you down a spiral. So, when Jeff asked you to come back as tour manager, you tried to deny it, but there was a contract, and nowhere in hell did you have 10,000 laying around to break it.

So, you went back and did everything in your power to avoid Harry and his girlfriend.

But fate was never in your side.

Just a few days in tour, and you were already having a bad day. You saw a woman standing in the cafeteria with her back to you. Hair cliped up in a bun, a mask covering half of her face and her hand caressing her huge belly.

You immediately got up from your place on the couch and offered her. Her eyes squinted, which you took as a smile.

Then she removed her mask, and you couldn't breathe.

It was the same woman of your nightmare.

"Thank you so much sweetheart, can't tell you how much this pregnancy has been killing my feet," She said, huffing and laughing.

You couldn't say anything. You just stared at her belly. She was almost 7 to 8 months pregnant, you thought.

Was it an accident or did they planned it? Harry always wanted family with you, he talked and raved about having a little you and him.

Now he was having that with someone else.

You ran when you saw Harry walk in the room from the corner of your eye. You couldn't do this, you didn't care you had to fight in court or you had to pay hefty amout you to get out you just couldn't work there anymore.

Tears streaming down your face, you ran to Jeff's office and slammed open his door. He looked up from his laptop annoyed at first, then concerned when he saw your state. Then realization hit him, and his face morphed into guilt and sorrow.

"I can't do this anymore, Jeff. I can't." You cried more. He got up and took you in his arms, and you sobbed harder.

"I know. I know." He assured you his hand running up down your back consoling you.

"I understand baby, but I need you to wake up now," He said suddenly. You removed your face from his chest and looked at him weirdly, surprised by the nickname and the sentence.

"What the fu-"

"I need you to wake up Baby" He said again a bit harshly this time, his eyes a bit serious and panicked, "Y/N wake up-"

You jolted up from bed heaving. Your body was covered in sweat. Confused, you looked around and found a dark room. Moon was shining brightly from the window, and the soft buzzing of AC and your pants were filling the room.

A large hand came up to your jaw and then the brightest green eyes. Harry looked at you sweetly and smiled.

"There she is. You were having a bad dream, baby." He said softly, wiping sweat off your face. You looked down your hand immediately, going to your belly almost protectively, and Harry's followed right after.

Then you turned around and hit Harry's bicep harshly. His eyes widened, "Ow baby. That hurt." he said, holding your hands in his.

"How dare you" You said angirly, "What did I do-" He asked confused.

"How dare you cheat on me?!" You exclaimed. Harry looked at your wide-eyed and then started laughing hysterically.

At this point, you also realized how ridiculous you sounded and your face turned red with a grumpy pout. Your arms around your belly, you looked like a cute angry baby chicken.

"Oh sweetheart, what will I do of you?" He said, lovingly leaning down to take your lips into a sweet kiss.

*****

Hehehehehe...I was bored

Taglist- @tenaciousperfectionunknown @that-daydream-look @harryspirate @tiaamberxx @lomlhstyles @vmpellie @sunshinemoonsposts @jayde515

Please Like, Comment and Reblog!

I will be back with posting from next monday♡

[pyropsychiccollector]

Arkham Knight: IF

I've been doing a lot of Ace Attorney reworking lately... I figured this gives me the perfect excuse to dive into a one-shot for Arkham Knight. One of my fav games, in spite of the criticisms against it. (人◕ω◕)

As a forewarning: this universe is set apart from comics and established game universe (despite there being some similarities in the game's lore). I'm not an avid comic reader, so it is not my intent to upset anyone. I'm merely presenting a possible universe based off information I learned through the Arkham games and any tidbits I pick up from elsewhere.

And if you're wondering why I'm skimming over Jason being saved? Or a retelling of Arkham Asylum? Well, a good buddy of mine wrote a couple fanfics on those events a long time ago. I don't feel like treading the same ground as him, and I'm skipping Arkham City because it's just the major catalyst of what I wish to really muse on. Maybe one day I'll circle back and muse on it, but for now I'll focus on Arkham Knight. (人◕ω◕)

But I'll give a brief rundown of the events that led up to this. Batman manages to save Jason from Joker after a few months. Tim Drake still joined on as Robin because Bruce needs backup out there and he was making too many careless mistakes because of his tireless, relentless search for Jason. Moreover, Barbara was shot by Joker during these few months, which is why she couldn't step up as Bruce's sidekick in Jason's absence.

When the second Boy Wonder is saved and brought back to Wayne Manor, things are... tense. Jason has to recover physically and mentally from Joker's brutal torture, and he doesn't take it very well that Tim stepped in as Robin. However, Tim steps aside gracefully to let Jason reclaim the mantle of Robin since it's so important to him. Not that Tim quits as a member of the Bat Family - he just transitions to the title of Cardinal (may become Red Robin at a later date; for now Tim's thinking of Jason's feelings). Jason... isn't completely satisfied with the pity shown to him, but he hashes things out with Bruce and establishes that he's still Robin, that he still has a home at Wayne Manor. Barbara, Tim, Alfred, Bruce, they all still care for Jason. (人◕ω◕)

Arkham Asylum progresses similarly to canon, just with Jason tagging along as Robin and wrestling through his hatred for Joker. Doesn't help that Joker knows he broke this Robin, and uses every opportunity to steal him back... But it never pans out. Joker is prevented from a Titan transformation at the end of the night - Jason snipes it out of Joker's hand before he can inject himself. Keeps the events on the island from being televized, at least. And also - Scarecrow still gets devoured by Croc to some extent. That doesn't change. Dr. Young is spared from dying... though she does have much to answer for in developing Titan... (人◕ω◕)

Arkham City as such progresses with a healthy Joker and a mentally spiraling Jason. (人◕ω◕);;; He's starting to feel that keeping these crooks alive isn't worth the pain if they're just going to bust out again and be terrible human beings. But right now it's Joker he's focused on... because he targeted Bruce (and himself) on Arkham, and the Clown's being given all this freedom in Arkham City... He's not happy.

Bruce tries to keep him out of the Arkham City fiasco, but he slips in with Tim when Cardinal brings Batman the line launcher. Jason not hooking up with Bruce does bring a wave of uneasiness, and it complicates the mission to bring down Arkham City. Bottom line? Batman and Oracle still stop Protocol 10 after it's initiated, but Jason kills Joker before Clayface kills Talia. Batman, Robin, and Talia then take Clayface down together... But after Bruce blows up the Lazarus Pit, there's the matter of Jason taking a life and having to own up to that to GCPD.

Ultimately, Jason is arrested and sent to prison, but the lawyers manage to argue it was in self-defense, which shaves off years of his sentence. Being too invested in Jason, Bruce is kept in the dark about his son's rehabilitative process; Alfred is allowed to know certain details, but for some reason Bruce is kept out of the loop. They tell him their hands are tied due to Jason being uncovered as a member of the Bat Family, but even Batman can't... get anything out of Gordon. It's clear that something is amiss, but Bruce doesn't press too hard, even as Batman confronting Gordon - Jim begs his old friend to trust him, and Bruce...grudgingly backs down. (人◕ω◕)

So already, we see some stark differences in this timeline: Joker never became terminal because of the Titan, so he didn't infect all those people (including Bruce) with his blood. This means no people to cure of Joker's blood. Which in turn means when Scarecrow makes his move against Gotham, Batman has no excuse to keep Tim away from events, as much as Bruce would like to tackle this all on his own because of his failure to keep Jason from crossing the blood red line. (人◕ω◕) Alfred, Barbara, and Tim can tell that Bruce's guilt is gnawing away at him, but they won't let him face this night alone. They're also aware of some things that Bruce will... likely react negatively to.

But when Scarecrow has so much of the criminal underworld collaborating on a scheme to kill Batman and ruin his reputation...? Well. They can't treat this night like any other. (人◕ω◕) Batman's going to war, so the Bat Family is joining him on this crusade. All of them. (人◕ω◕) And not just the Bat Family... Gordon, Cash, GCPD, and some new faces that will throw Bruce for a loop. Scarecrow is relying on Deathstroke to run a militia in the hopes of overwhelming Batman with gear, weapons, and sheer numbers. On this night more than any other, Bruce needs an army of his own. (人◕ω◕)

The first stretch of the night involves Batman tracking Scarecrow down and stopping his plans at Ace Chemical, turning the facility into a bomb to spread his toxin across the entire eastern coast of America. That goes about the same, with Deathstroke remotely piloting the helicopter to kill Batman while he's searching for hostages. And his militia move to occupy Gotham while Batman is busy with Ace Chemical.

But as he's wrapping up the mess at the factory, Bruce is cut off from Oracle abruptly and this alarms him - believing somehow Deathstroke got to her. He demands Tim go check on the situation, and focuses on shrinking the blast radius since it's too late to stop the factory from detonating. Bruce manages to apply the four canisters of the neutralizing agent, and then ride out of there in the Batmobile. Outside, he gets updates on the city's situation from Alfred, and contacted by Gordon. Feeling Barbara's life is at stake, Batman requests to meet up and confess everything.

... When he rendezvouses with Jim, Bruce is given his first major shock of the evening: The Commissioner already knows Barbara is working for him, and he further already knows who Batman is. Gordon didn't want to say anything until preparations were complete, and he assures Bruce that only the people Jim trusts with his life know Batman's identity. They've been preparing this past year, ever since the incident in Arkham City. Preparing for a threat too large for Batman to contain by himself. As it stands, they're not as ready as Jim would like to be... But the criminals of Gotham have made their move, and all they can do now is react accordingly.

It's revealed that for this past year, Jason has been training a small militia of his own under the strictest supervision by GCPD. Trained them in everything he knew about how Batman fights and passing on the techniques and, to some extent, the gear. And through his knowledge of the Bat Family, of his connections with Wayne Enterprises and Lucius Fox, GCPD has been rebuilding Arkham Island without the city's council (or anyone) being any the wiser. It's difficult to ask the people of Gotham to keep trusting in the police when they keep letting things spiral out of control; Arkham City wasn't completely on them, but the public only sees the disaster that happened there. It still falls on GCPD's shoulders to do... something, anything...!

Hence, they're trying things this way. The public appreciates Batman to some extent, so if they have a task force that can operate like him and cut down on crime in the city... It should help in tackling the gauntlet that Scarecrow has thrown down with this alliance of Gotham's underworld. Batman won't be alone out there, and they won't just be using the GCPD's holding cells until the nightmare is over, Arkham Island's reopened... for the most part (a year is hardly time to fix everything wrong on that island). They can worry about the courts and the public's reactions later. Right now? Barbara's stationed there with a few of Jason's most trusted men. He's been making great strides in his rehab, though that could also be attributed to the friendships he's made with the personnel they've brought in - former soldiers of all ranks and sizes. Soldiers that were abandoned by their countries and left with nowhere else to go. The numbers may not compete with Deathstroke's army, but it's something.

Though he's troubled with Jason leaking secrets to Gordon and GCPD, Bruce is nevertheless thankful they've tried to contain these endeavors to people they trust without question. It still complicates things with more people knowing who Batman is, but for now Bruce will trust in Gordon, Lucius, Alfred, and everyone who spun this into motion. They're really trying to help Batman... And only time will tell how Jason's "army" will pan out after tonight.

Focusing on the here and now, free of having to worry about Barbara, and only the concern of Tim and Jason acting on their own in the city, Bruce lets his allies handle Bleake Island and make that their stronghold. He turns to Miagani to tackle elements of Deathstroke's militia and confront the Penguin with Dick swinging in from Bludhaven to help share intel on North Refrigeration. Knowing better than to even try sending him away from Gotham, Bruce allows his oldest son to keep tracking trucks so that they can destroy all of Penguin's caches.

Shortly after losing track of Penguin, Batman follows up on a lead that brings him to Stagg's airships and Jason hooks up with him, bringing along a few of his men to fight off Deathstroke's militia. The two of them finally chat after a year's worth of silence. Jason reveals that he was the one to come up with the idea of forming a "Bat Army" after the snafu with Tyger operatives in Arkham City. He hated feeling so overwhelmed in Arkham City, wondered if they would really survive the ordeal. Jason knows that by all accounts he betrayed Bruce by killing Joker; but to this day he still doesn't regret putting the Clown in the dirt. Jason is doing his best to power through rehab, to understand the gravity of ending lives... It's just, the Joker was deeply personal to Jason. After suffering for months under that sadistic torture, after stewing in so much anger and hatred over what that Clown did to Barbara and what he could do to Bruce, to Alfred, to Tim, to Dick... Jason has no regrets about that kill. When Jim came to him with the idea of working together to help Batman, Jason gave in without question.

Because... even if he and Bruce don't see eye-to-eye on everything, Jason doesn't want him to die. He's still loyal to the Bat Family, and he's felt capable and useful training these guys. It's a rush to be the Commander for once, to plan and make contingencies... He's not just Bruce's "underling" anymore. Jason needs Bruce to understand they're working with him, not for him. ... And yes, Barbara helped him iron out these feelings of his. Those were her words, and he agreed 100%.

It's sobering to see his son so grown up, to see all his "sidekicks" acting independently and yet so cohesively. What they're doing is bold and reckless, but it's no different than what he's been doing for years as Batman. And perhaps it's for the best they're operating as a team - for all the weaknesses that come with more people knowing their secrets, it's made up by the fact they have a reliable network of people looking out for one another.

Bruce and Jason confront Scarecrow together... But Deathstroke extracts his boss with the Cloudburst and escape. Still, they take Stagg into custody and Jason has a few more men collect the defeated militia members left on the airships. While they work on a strategy to counter the Cloudburst (approaching Ivy for assistance), and a strategy to mount an assault on Founder's Island... Some threats are knocked out by their allies.

When Two-Face starts hitting banks, Tim personally handles that one with Barbara offering remote backup. Dick tracks another refrigeration truck and takes out another of Penguin's weapons caches. Before he proceeds to Founder's Island, Bruce is asked to help restrain Firefly, who's attacking the fire stations across the city; Jason makes sure the pyromaniac stays down after the first loss. Jason's men go about tracking the missing firefighters, and investigating Professor Pyg's murders. As for Riddler, Talia resurfaces and takes him down with her sister and her faction of the League of Shadows; they leave Nigma for GCPD to collect. This liberates Catwoman without a need for a massive scavenger hunt.

With all of this taken care of, Bruce moves onto Founder's with Jason and his men providing backup with APC's. Bruce eliminates the Cobra Tanks, and then they go about combing Founder's Island, taking out Deathstroke's militia meticulously and searching for the Cloudburst. It's a slog with so many criminals and militia working together, but it gets easier as the night progresses because of the minor threats getting chipped away at. The firefighter's are rescued by Jason's men, including the Chief; Professor Pyg is taken down by Tim; Dick tracks down the last few of Penguin's caches and brings him down personally; Azrael is confronted by Talia and Nyssa, and freed from his brainwashing; the Man-Bat is identified and administered a cure by Jason with Oracle's help; Blackfire and his cult are taken down by Tim and Dick collaborating...

It's a long night. Deathstroke still rides out in a tank and sets off the Cloudburst... Bruce works with Ivy to quell the threat after dealing with Deathstroke's tank, yet the assassin does slip away after suffering defeat. Ivy disperses the cloud left hanging over Gotham, and because of their quick reaction time to the main threat she's left close to death but ultimately saved and hospitalized. This leaves Bruce and allies to chase down Scarecrow and Deathstroke, who do everything in their remaining power to fight back. They rely on distractions that Harley, Hush, Killer Croc, Freeze, Mad Hatter, and Ra's create to take Jim hostage. The threats are all eventually incapacitated or convinced to leave Gotham... But Deathstroke mounts a final massive assault on GCPD with drones and tanks, and has a final clash with Jason, while Bruce goes after Scarecrow and Jim.

In the end, Scarecrow doesn't even come close to winning, even with holding Jim hostage. He gets a dose of his own medicine and is left a twitching, paranoid wreck as they haul him in at last. Batman's identity isn't unmasked publicly, so there's no need to enact the Knightfall Protocol. GCPD is tangled up in court proceedings with all the crooks they rounded up, but the new Arkham Island proves to be a decent enough prison to hold them all. The important part comes next - turning the prison into a proper rehab center, nipping all corruption in GCPD's ranks before it can become a problem again. Working more intimately with the Bat Family from now on... that seems doable. Especially with Jason's trained militia being the main guards for the foreseeable future. The fact that Ivy helped Gotham after all her years of hating it... Rehabilitation is possible. They just have to keep trying; hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.

It's a lot to adjust to moving forward... But Bruce isn't alone in his quest to protect Gotham. (人◕ω◕)

[ninaworkingatsams]

I Really Want to Stay at Your House (Jamil X V! Reader, Cyberpunk AU)

This fanfiction contains mild spoilers for character interactions in Cyberpunk 2077.

In Cyberpunk 2077, the main character is V. they're currently a mercenary trying to survive in the chaos of Night City.

If you' re wondering about Johnny—well, he’s the personality living rent-free in your cyberware implant. Johnny Silverhand was a legend in Night City, known as both a terrorist and a rockstar, and he died decades ago. Now, he exists as a digital ghost in your head. He can talk to you and even appear in your vision sometimes, which is… an experience, to say the least.

Over time, Johnny and V build an unlikely friendship, leaning on each other to make sense of all the chaos and sacrifices that come with life in Night City.

This fanfiction references the in-game event I Really Want to Stay at Your House and the moment when you let Johnny take control of your body for a day. Unsurprisingly, Johnny being Johnny, he goes overboard—drinking too much, hitting up a strip club, picking up a stripper, and then crashing your car. Yes, all while in your body.

Trust me, listening to I Really Want to Stay at Your House will hit differently after reading this.

The door to V’s apartment slid shut with a dull thud, and she exhaled slowly as if releasing the weight of the entire city from her shoulders. Each step felt like wading through quicksand. The day—or rather, the day Johnny had taken from her—was a blur of flashing lights, noise, and pain. Her head pounded, and the sour taste of alcohol lingered on her tongue, making her grimace. She rubbed her temples, willing herself to focus.

Empty. The apartment was mercifully empty, or so she thought. Relief washed over her. The last thing she wanted was for her partner, Jamil, to see her like this—hungover, bruised, and barely standing. She kicked off her boots, the sound echoing in the stillness. Just a few steps more, and she could collapse into bed and forget this nightmare ever happened.

“Didn’t think you’d make it back in one piece.”

The voice, low and deceptively calm, sent a chill down her spine. V froze, her eyes darting to the dimly lit kitchen. There he was, leaning casually against the counter, arms crossed over his chest. Jamil Viper. His dark eyes, always sharp and unreadable, watched her with an intensity that made her stomach churn. His hair, dark and slightly disheveled, framed his face, casting shadows that only made him look more imposing. The soft glow of his tech implants along his forearms pulsed rhythmically, like a predator’s heartbeat along the oversized jacket she had seen him wear so many times.

“Jamil…” V’s voice cracked, and she winced at how pathetic it sounded.

He pushed off the counter with a grace that belied the tension in his movements, taking slow, deliberate steps toward her. His gaze swept over her, taking in every bruise, every unsteady breath. “You look terrible.”

“Thanks,” she muttered, forcing a weak smile. “Really needed to hear that.”

He stopped a few feet away “Care to explain?” His tone was deceptively mild, but she knew better. Beneath it lay a storm waiting to be unleashed.

V ran a hand through her hair, wincing as the motion sent a fresh wave of pain through her head. “It’s… a long story.”

“I’ve got time.” He tilted his head slightly “I’ve had plenty of time, actually. Watching your biometrics spike and crash in real-time tends to do that.”

Her heart sank. “You were tracking me?” She should have known better. The Top Netrunner for the Asim Corporation’s Counterintelligence Division didn’t just sit idle when his partner was out self-destructing.

He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t act so surprised. I had to know you weren’t dead.” His voice dropped, soft but deadly. “Imagine my surprise when I saw you spiraling into alcohol poisoning, adrenaline surges, and then flatlining in a crash. Care to enlighten me?”

He was close now, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him. His dark hair fell around his face, framing eyes that burned with a mix of fury and hurt. She’d seen him angry before—sharp-tongued, sarcastic—but this was different. He was quiet and controlled, and that made it infinitely worse.

V took a deep breath, steadying herself. “I… let Johnny take control.”

Silence. The kind that felt like a knife pressed against her throat.

“Ah,” Jamil said finally, a hint of bitterness creeping into his tone. “So, you handed your body over to that ghost in your system. To drink, to gamble, to crash your car. Am I missing anything, or is that the whole highlight reel?”

V stepped past him, moving towards the couch, needing to sit before her knees gave out. She dropped onto the cushions, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. “It wasn’t supposed to go like that.”

Jamil followed, his footsteps slow but deliberate. He stopped in front of her, then leaned down, placing his hands on either side of her head. “Then how was it supposed to go, V?” His voice was low, almost a whisper, and his breath brushed against her ear. “Tell me.” Each syllable turned into ice piercing through her.

She didn’t flinch, meeting his gaze head-on. “I thought he needed a break. I thought giving him one day would… help.”

Jamil’s jaw tightened, and he pushed off the couch, pacing. The controlled movements betrayed his simmering rage. “Help? Him?” He turned back, eyes blazing. “At what cost? You come back like this—hungover, bruised, and broken—and I’m supposed to accept that you did this for him?”

“It was a mistake,” she said, her voice firm. “One I won’t repeat.”

“Damn right, you won’t,” he snarled back, but there was no satisfaction in his tone. Slowly, he returned to the couch and sat, inches away from her, his elbows resting on his knees. 

“You don’t get it, do you?” His eyes softened, the harsh lines of his face relaxing ever so slightly. “Every time you throw yourself into these situations, you drag me along for the ride. I can’t… I won’t stand by and watch you destroy yourself.”

V nodded, swallowing hard. “I know. And I’m sorry. I can’t undo what’s done, but I can promise it won’t happen again.”

Jamil leaned closer, his hands resting on the back of the couch, effectively caging her in. “Do you think I want your promises?” He shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping. “I want you. Alive. Here. Not a shell.”

“I’m here now,” she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “I’m here, and I’m listening. I’m not running.”

He studied her for a long moment as if searching for a lie hidden in her words. Then, slowly, he leaned back, giving her space. “Good,” he said, his tone softer. “Because I’m tired, V. Tired of chasing after you, tired of feeling like I’m one step away from losing you.”

V reached for his hand, their fingers intertwining. “I know.” Her grip tightened. “I’m tired too. But I’m still here.”

He exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. “Next time, you think about him, think about what you’re risking.” He glanced down at their joined hands. “Because I won’t let you go without a fight.”

—————————————————————

The kettle’s soft whistle broke the silence, a subtle contrast to the rain pattering against the windows of the dimly lit apartment. Jamil moved precisely, pouring the boiling water into a mug. The faint aroma of spiced tea filled the air, warm and calming, in sharp contrast to the tension between them. V sat on the couch, her head resting against her hand as exhaustion clung like a heavy cloak. She’d endured plenty of rough nights, but tonight felt different—heavier somehow.

Jamil approached her, the mug in one hand, a medkit in the other. His gaze, sharp and discerning, flickered over her face, taking in the bruises and shadows under her eyes. He handed her the tea, his voice low but firm. “Drink this. It’ll help.”

V took the mug with a quiet thanks, the warmth seeping into her fingers as she sipped. The tea burned her tongue slightly, but the spice and heat soothed her. She glanced at Jamil, who was already settling beside her, opening the medkit with practiced ease.

“Let me see your arm,” he said, not waiting for her to comply. His hands, steady and meticulous, worked to clean and dress the scrapes on her forearm. His movements betrayed no hesitation, but she could feel the weight of his focus—a quiet intensity that always made her chest tighten.

As his fingers brushed against her skin, she winced. “You don’t have to patch me up every time, you know.”

He didn’t look up. “Clearly, you can’t be trusted to do it yourself.”

“Ouch,” Johnny’s voice broke through, sarcastic as ever. His flickering hologram appeared in V’s peripheral vision, leaning nonchalantly against the edge of the coffee table. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a regular househusband here. Never thought I’d see the day.”

V sighed, her shoulders sagging. “Johnny, not now.”

“What? Just calling it like I see it,” he replied, smirking. “Guy’s got more patience than anyone I’ve ever met. Even if he does look like he’s plotting your funeral half the time.”

V shot him a glare, muttering, “Says the man who got us both into this mess.”

Jamil let out a soft sigh, his shoulders rising and falling with the movement. He’d long since learned that addressing the engram only prolonged the chaos. Instead, he fixed his gaze on V, his expression calm but with a hint of weariness.

“You’re talking to him again.” It wasn’t a question.

“Occupational hazard,” V muttered, taking another sip of tea. She glanced at Jamil, her eyes softening. “But he’s not the one here. You are.”

Jamil’s gaze flicked over her, and though his expression remained composed, the faintest trace of a smile ghosted across his lips. “Let’s get you to bed before your occupational hazards get the better of you again.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The bedroom was dark, lit only by the soft, amber glow of a shaded lamp on the bedside table. The rain outside drummed gently against the windows, its rhythm a calming counterpoint to the ever-present hum of Night City’s neon chaos. The air was warm, tinged faintly with the herbal scent of Jamil’s tea from earlier. V stood by the wardrobe, shrugging out of her jacket and letting it fall onto the back of a chair. She glanced over at Jamil, who was already in the middle of changing.

He tugged off his oversized jacket first, hanging it with practiced precision over the arm of a chair. Beneath it, his tank top clung to his lean, muscular frame, revealing the taut lines of his shoulders and the faint definition of his arms. He moved with the same fluid grace that always caught her attention—every gesture measured and precise, betraying the discipline and control that defined him.

When he reached for the hem of his tank top, V couldn’t help but watch as he pulled it over his head, revealing smooth, dusky skin and the faint sheen of sweat from the day’s tension. The sharp contours of his back shifted as he stretched, and her eyes caught on the small, dark insertion port at the base of his cervical spine. The port gleamed faintly in the dim light, a stark contrast against the unmodified perfection of his skin.

He pulled on a clean black T-shirt, the fabric stretching briefly over his broad shoulders before settling into place. The outfit—a plain tee and loose joggers—was startlingly casual for someone who always seemed so put together, but it suited him. He looked comfortable, a rare sight that made her chest tighten.

Jamil glanced at her briefly, raising a brow. “Done staring?”

Caught, V smirked and turned away to finish changing. When she turned back, Jamil was already lying in bed, his back propped against the pillows, a datapad resting on his lap. His legs stretched out beneath the covers, his body relaxed as he scrolled through updates. The glow of the screencast soft shadows over his face, highlighting the elegant curve of his jaw and the faint hollows beneath his cheekbones.

The neon light from the city outside slipped through the curtains, fracturing into streaks of red and blue across his face. He looked almost otherworldly in the mix of colors, his sharp features softened by the cozy surroundings. V took a moment to study him—this rare, unguarded version of Jamil. His brow furrowed slightly as he read, his lips pressed into a thin line of concentration.

Something in her stirred. She crossed the room quietly, slipping into bed beside him. The mattress dipped under her weight, and he glanced at her, his expression softening as she settled against the pillows.

“Work updates?” she asked, nodding toward the datapad.

“Just catching up,” he replied, his tone as even as ever. “I returned early today to… make sure you came back. Now I’m behind.”

The faint rebuke in his voice made her wince, but she saw the flicker of relief in his eyes when he looked at her again. She wanted to say something—something light, something to dispel the lingering tension—but instead, she moved closer, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her forehead to his side.

Jamil froze for a moment, caught off guard, before setting the datapad aside. His hand rested lightly on her arm, his thumb brushing idly against her skin. “What’s this?” he asked, his voice quieter now.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, her words muffled against his shirt. “For scaring you. For making you worry.”

His hand stilled for a moment before resuming its gentle motion. “You say that now,” he said, his tone tinged with a faint bitterness. But there was no anger there—only a quiet, aching vulnerability. “Don’t make promises you cannot keep.”

“I’m trying,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “I’ll try harder. For you. For us.”

His arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her closer. He tilted his head slightly, resting his chin lightly on her hair. For a moment, the only sound was the rain outside and the faint hum of the city beyond the glass.

“Just… be careful. I don’t care how hard things get. Just come back.” he said after a long pause.

V tightened her hold on him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. “I’ll do my best,” she whispered. “I promise.”

He sighed, his body relaxing slightly against hers. They stayed like that, wrapped in each other’s warmth, the glow of the city painting the walls around them in fractured light.

Eventually, Jamil shifted, pulling the covers up over both of them. “Get some rest,” he said, his voice a murmur.

His lips brushing against her temple. She nodded against him, letting her eyes close. For the first time in what felt like forever, the world outside faded away, leaving only the steady rhythm of Jamil’s breathing.

[goldcranes]

might just start screaming into the void here again like i’m 14! bc i cannot go back to twitter, i never seem to find anything interesting on bluesky and threads is (unsurprisingly) a complete cesspit.

anyway i had a baby four months ago, she is the best and most important thing in the entire world but she also hates to sleep with any kind of regularity so i’m not getting much done because i’m a) sleep-deprived and b) hopping up to check on her every two minutes when she does fall asleep, which isn’t conducive to starting and finishing tasks. also i knew becoming a mum would alter my brain chemistry but WOW i did not anticipate the anxiety that steals up over me every time i lie down in bed at night. like there’s probably not an axe-murderer about to break in through my door and the building probably isn’t about to collapse on our heads and i’m probably not going to get in a horrific accident tomorrow but boy if my body doesn’t react like it definitely all will happen. great way to relax enough to fall asleep, brain. 10/10 no notes.

writing-wise, i’ve ended up in a weird schrondinger’s agent situation where i technically still have one, but also she says she’s got too much responsibility to manage me alone now so i have to sell myself to another person within her agency so they can support with my representation. which in theory is great because i do have an agent still, but in practice sucks because i’ve now sent in three separate story beginnings (of like 10k words each) plus synopses and had them all politely but firmly turned down, so i’ve got to the point where i have lost all confidence in my writing and can’t tell what’s good and what’s not anymore and am starting that “what’s even the point” spiral.

on the other hand i think i have a really good ya fantasy idea based on an old concept revolving around evil dragonriders, poison and a revenge-bent 17 year old so i think i might just write that and to hell with it?? but also i wrote the first chapter and i think it sucks. so who knows.

i’m really hoping to get back to fic as well once i can carve out some time in the day around baby (she’s started going to bed at 7ish the last few days so that might be good, although she’s up every hour or so from 1am so usually i just have to go to bed pretty directly after she does). i’m going to start by going back to my lucius/hermione fic i think. i was having fun with that one and i made a pinterest board for the horrible pureblood girls i want her to tangle with so i’m feeling ✨inspired✨

[wheezyseeker99]

Guilty as Sin

Warnings: pining, alcohol consumption (just a little), swearing, smut in many forms aka masturbation (female), oral (female receiving), penetration (fm), and multiple orgasm

18+, MDNI

Summary: based on my interpretation of the song. Also if you can’t tell, I’m obsessed with the way he was as a whole on April 11, 2024.

Anyway, good luck soldiers if you read.

I moved in with my best friend Cam a few months ago. Reason being I wanted to work on the east coast, and he isn’t usually home often. So I take care of the house while he’s on the road, and I get to spend time with him when he is home. It’s a win-win for the both of us.

The longest stretch for when he’s home is when hockey is in its off season, which is supposed to start soon here in Philly. With this losing streak, they are definitely not making playoffs. It’s sad because they really did have a good season up until now.

Tonight Cam has an away game. I decided to stay home since I had to work so now I have the place alone once again. Earlier he sent me a song that reminded him of me, and that made my day so much better. Work has torn me to pieces lately, but today was rougher than others. I’m debating whether I should take a personal day tomorrow just to recuperate.

I’m sitting here putting the finishing touches on graded assignments before the game starts. I’m feeling tense. Sometimes I can’t figure out why I put myself through the torture of teaching children for a living. It’s so hard to do, but in the end, it’s so rewarding. I close my laptop and shove it with the graded assignments into my bag and grab a bottle of wine from the kitchen. It’s a normal occurrence at this point to watch the games with a drink in hand.

Right when I make it back into the living room, I glance up at the tv to see that TK passed the puck to Cam and he scored. I gape at the tv for a second.

My best friend just scored.

I jump up off the couch and shout in excitement. I pull out my phone and pose next to the moment on the screen, sending it to Cam for him to see later. In the heat of the excitement, I sit back down and continue watching the game.

When the first period is over, the score is tied. I think it’s almost safe to say the losing streak is over but I don’t want to jinx it. I finally decide it’s time to eat so I go to the kitchen and make a sandwich. Though, when I walk back I see Cam on the screen doing an intermission interview. I paused my eating mid-bite.

Holy shit. He looks hot as fuck right now.

I stare at him for the rest of the interview, spiraling. This isn’t the first time I thought of Cam in that way. Honestly, it’s always been in the back of my brain, but I don’t have the balls to act on it. Cam has always been the one that’s there for me. He cares about me and he actually listens to me. That’s a rarity for a man. He’s so precious, and I’m not screwing up our friendship because I’m touch starved.

For the rest of the game, I kept thinking of the things that I shoved deep inside my mind. And they all had to do with my best friend. The wine didn’t help with that either. I turned off the game and went to brush my teeth.

Cam probably won’t be home until the middle of the night so I leave a light on for him and trail into my bedroom, closing the door behind me. I lay down and the thoughts are back immediately.

Maybe I should get it all out while he’s not here.

My inner voice usually doesn’t say yes to things so easily, but here I am, thinking about throwing my thoughts to the wolves. This is far too unhinged. Is it bad to think about him in this way? I rack my brain until my phone lights up with a message from Cam.

‘That’s my girl’ with a picture of him cheesing at the camera. My eyes trail over the picture, looking everywhere from his bare shoulders to his lips. It’s safe to say that I metaphorically want to jump his bones immediately. Feral as hell.

I plug in my phone and lay it on my bedside table, hoping that he doesn’t notice that I didn’t reply.

It’s helpless to be this way. I slide my shorts off, leaving me in a big tshirt, and lay down again. When I close my eyes, I see Cam. I let out a deep sigh. What if, just this once, I give in to it? No harm in rubbing one out while thinking about my best friend right?

I close my eyes again and trail my hand up my thigh. My fingers aren’t my own, they’re his. His lips messily attacking my own. I’m breathing hard, swirling my fingers around my clit.

Cam. Cam. Cam.

My mind is running wild with all of the things we’ve never did. The way he’d manhandle me sticks to my mind like glue. He’d mark my body as his. I tilt my head back and gasp when I press two fingers into myself, applying pressure to my clit with my thumb. Cam’s calloused fingers would feel so much better than my own. He would curl them in a certain way that would make me melt into the palm of his hand. I feel my body shaking and soon I’m chanting his name while I’m crashing through an orgasm.

When I open my eyes, I notice how labored my breathing is. I take a few minutes to regain my ability to breathe and fell asleep.

…

My dream is starting to feel so real. It’s like Cam is haunting me. He’s laying behind me in bed, sliding his hands against my bare thighs. I feel his lips against the back of my neck. But it’s not real. It can’t be. I keep my eyes closed while I whimper out his name. It really feels like I can feel his breath against the shell of my ear and hear him softly hum.

There are kisses being pressed down my neck onto my shoulder. The scratchiness of his beard scrapes the sensitive skin. I lean into the fantasy, reaching my hand behind me to grab onto his hair, moaning at the way his mouth feels against my skin. It feels soft against my hand. If only this was real.

I roll over and open my eyes, and the world stops. Blue eyes hold my gaze.

“This isn’t real.”

“It is.” He places a kiss on my jaw and then pulls away to look at me. “You called me and I assumed it was a mistake. I kept my airpods in just in case you just wanted company while you slept.” His hand goes back to stroking my thigh. “But then I heard you moaning and calling out my name. Care to comment on that?”

My skin is on fire when he touches me and his eyes are burning into me. I bite my lip, but he lifts his thumb up to set my bottom lip free from my teeth. I let out a deep sigh, trying to control myself. I have to be honest now. I lay onto my back and stare at the ceiling.

“I thought I only plugged in my phone to charge. I didn’t mean to call you. I’m sorry. I just-”

“You’re sorry for what exactly?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think you’d ever find out.” I cover my face with my hands. “I really embarrassed myself and I’m sorry if it’s going to be weird between us now because of what I did.”

He pulls my hands away from my face and holds them. “I’m glad you did it. I’ve been holding back from this for a long time.”

I stared at him, more shocked than I’ve ever been before. “You’re not mad at me?”

“Think about it. Use that pretty brain.” He taps a finger to my forehead. “Was I not just kissing your skin baby?”

Oh wow.

I’m at a loss for words so I nod my head. He nods back at me, smiling broadly. “Exactly. I love you just as much as you love me. So tell me, may I kiss you some more?”

I nod again and press my lips to his. The world fades around us. Cam’s hands come to my hips and lifts me onto him. I’m straddling his lap and I gasp for air when our kiss breaks. I didn’t realize he’s only wearing underwear until now. My hands settle onto his bare shoulders, feeling his hot skin under my touch. This feels like a fantasy. He licks his lips, silently begging for more. There’s a spark in his eyes when he looks at me. He smoothes down my bed head, and tucks a stray hair behind my ear.

“This is what I wanted for so long.” His voice is low and it sends a shiver down my spine. “I’m sick of sharing you. You’re mine now.”

I gulp and mindlessly nod my head. I’m physically and mentally melting into him. His hands trail up and down my back, like he’s mapping out his territory, until they settle on my ass.

“Come on now baby. Cat got your tongue?” He smirks. “Tell me you’re mine.”

“I’m yours Cam.”

“Mine.” He says through gritted teeth while he smacks my ass. He brings his mouth back to mine. The kisses are growing more urgent and heated, and I grind down onto his lap, needing more friction between my legs. He lets out a strangled groan into my mouth, smacking my ass again.

Cam removes his mouth from mine and moves it to nip at my neck. His beard grazes my skin, making my head tilt back. I moan out his name when he bites down on my pulse point. He reaches a hand between us, feeling my wetness over my underwear while I continue to grind into him.

“Who did this to you baby?”

“You.” I gasp. His fingers pull aside my underwear and press into my clit. I scream out and lay my head on his shoulder.

“Fuck. So pretty.” Two of his fingers circle against my clit until he presses them into me. I rock greedily onto them. “Look at you taking me so good.”

His praise has me clutching onto him for dear life. I have no other coherent thoughts besides him. I’m chanting out his name again for the second time tonight when I slam into the most mind blowing orgasm I’ve ever had. He brings his fingers up to his lips and sucks them, moaning at the taste of me. My hands drop to the waistband of his boxers. I start tugging them down while I give attention to his chest, lips meeting any piece of his skin I can reach.

Once I freed him from his boxers, he flips me over onto my back and takes off my panties and tshirt, leaving us both stripped down to nothing but skin.

Cam’s gaze shows an expression I’ve never seen him have before. It looks like a look of untamed desire. Kind of animalistic. I want him so bad. He’s back on me in an instant.

Our chests pressed together, mouth attacking mine. His hand lifts my thigh over his hip, sinking into me further. His hips move in long strokes. I moan into his mouth as he thrusts into me at a slow and steady pace. He’s taking his time.

We lose ourselves in each other and forget everything else. The feeling of him on top of me, in me, has me at an intoxicating level of ecstasy. Reality feels so far away, but we’re in it. I try to commit this all to memory until Cam moans into my mouth, biting down on my bottom lip as he lets my lips go. He starts going faster. He takes my hands and holds them above my head while he tucks his face into the crook of my neck. I scream out in bliss. The snapping of his hips blurs my vision and my body is aching to release.

“Please.” I stutter out. I’m too overwhelmed to say anything else. It’s too much.

“Let go baby. I’m-“ his voice breaks and he lets out a guttural moan. His desperate thrusts are starting to stagger when I tip over the edge. His mouth crashes down on mine, muting the whine that’s coming out of his throat. A wave of pure pleasure washes over us as we ride out our climax.

“Fuck I’m so in love with you.” He whispers against my lips. His chest is still heaving while he slides out of me. I’m lying here breathless and mind-numbingly blissed out. He looks down at me like I’m the greatest thing to ever happen to him. He bites his lip when he looks down at the mess we made and quirks a brow at me. “Think I need to clean you up now.”

Cam shuffles down the bed until he’s face to face with my soaked pussy. He swirls a finger around, mixing his cum with mine.

Oh my god.

I throw my head back and moan at how sensitive it feels. I try to squeeze my thighs together but he pries them open and lowers his mouth to taste me. My legs start shaking immediately. I grab onto his hair as he shoves his face further into me, licking every place he can before sucking my clit into his mouth which elicits another breathless scream from me. He chuckles against me but continues his assault. I’m writhing in pleasure until I come apart again, breathing hard as he licks me through my orgasm. My hands fall to the bed and he stands to leave. I whimper but he shushes me, saying he’d be back. Cam comes back with a wash cloth and gently wipes me clean.

After he takes the wash cloth back to the bathroom, he comes back and lays down with me. He pulls me into him, both of us still very naked. I lay my head on his chest and snuggling close. I love this feeling. I lift my chin to rest on his chest and look at his face. He has an arm tucked behind his head and the other plays with my hair.

Cam looks so content. He removes his hand from behind his head and lifts my thigh over him. He traces patterns on my upper thigh. It kind of feels like he’s tracing out the word ‘mine’ on it. I kiss his chest and smile to myself as I lay my head back down. I listen to his heart beat for a moment.

“We’re not just best friends anymore, huh?”

“No baby, we’re not. We’re so much more.”

[marymary-diva17]

Growing pains

another crossposting with some changes as well I hope you all enjoy.

Growing up was hard when being a young teenage navi girl and that was the story of lani life right now, she was happy a few months ago with her boyfriend Tsyerio but that soon came to end two day ago when he dumped her. Soon everything else started going down a spiral of doom for lani when she decided to be friends with tsyerio after their breakup nothing was going well for her. She wanted answers for why tsyerio had dumped her and asked her older brother and sister for help but even they wouldn't give her a solid reason for the breakup. Lani thought it was because of her reputation of always getting in trouble, for stuff she didn't do and tried to better herself as student and daughter. She was dealing with on going bullying and finally decide to stand up fro herself which lead to a fight with her bullies and her siting in the principal office. 

Principal " lani sully I'm highly disappointed in news that I have heard today about what had unfolded between you and some other kids” 

Lani " sir I’m sorry I …..” 

Principal " lani will you please explain your side as all blame seems to be going to you … and I need answers to slow whatever is happening” 

Lani “ sir I didn’t I don’t know” 

Conserlor “ young lady it seems like after you breakup with tsireyo and before that the bullying has become hard for you and school as well” 

Lani “ I been doing my best but I don’t know everything has become hard for me lately” there was soon a knocked at the door gaining everyone attention, as they looked as the door opened showing Jake and neytiri. 

Jake " sir we are sorry for the trouble our daughter has caused" 

Neytiri " we will make sure she says sorry for everyone she hurt" 

Principal " mr and mrs sully your daughter was telling me what has unfolded today leading to this situation that had gained everyone attention lani will you tell us more” 

Lani " yes sir this has been happing for a while now and it seems to have gone overboard I had been pushed to my limits, I had to defend myself”  

Jake " you decide to cause a fight I thought I raised you better then that but it seems like I failed that in the end” 

Principal " lani is free to go her grades will not be effected, as it seems like she taken all the remaining tests and assignments as well ... we will be taken a deeper look into this for everyone sake” the sully parents had nodded their heads and soon had taken lani home. Neither Jake or neytiri would look at their daughter or speak with her

Jake " go to your room and stay there dinner will be sent up I can't look at you right now" 

Lani " dad please ...." 

Jake " no you lost all chance to call me dad a long time ago young lady ...no wonder Tsyerio broke up with you" 

Lani " sir...." 

Jake " you are to immature, stubborn, and you cant act you age ... maybe if you change everything will be better why can’t you be like your older siblings for once you in your … dont be someone we have to be shameful of lani I will be speaking with your mother down her to find out a solution for the family” 

Neytiri " just go lani you have done enough pray to eywa for some help" lani didn't say anything else and left for her room as her parents were deciding her faith lani had tears running down her face, she had grabbed the phone and texted Tsyerio. 

Text 

Lani " please tsyerio I need you help or someone to talk to ... I know we end on bad terms but I thought we can still be friends" 

Lani " I'm sorry for whatever I did but pelage tell me what I had done" lani was about to send about text message hoping to make peace when she realizes she had been blocked by Tsyerio by text and social media as well. 

Aonung " lani I'm going to tell you this once but stay away from my brother and family I'm sorry tsyeio broke up with you like that, you are good girl and everything but you need to leave him alone ... we are all tried of seeing you trying to win him back and be friends you need to know and see it over for good" 

Lani " aonung" 

Anon " just stop it please you are making us all go mad and we are disappointed by your actions today I thought you were a better girl then that, but it seems like I was wrong you have disappoint everyone lani" 

Lani " ........" 

Aonung " until you can get yourself and your problems under control it will be the best you stay away from us for while" 

End of text 

Lani " what" lani had soon realized mostly everyone she knew either blocked her or muted her now she was truly alone even when her sibling got home they wouldn't talk with her. She was so alone now, during her suspension Jake wouldn't look or speak with her when she was home. Once her punishment end she was still grounded with her family being so close with Tonowari family, she was not allowed to attend import events and was left with her grandmother. Lani was left home alone this time as her grandmother had gone with everyone else, lani was on her phone when  she came across this very popular video. 

Lani " huh I wonder what this has to say maybe I should watch, it will be fun to try one of these test " lani had watched the video and soon clicked the link leading to the test and took it rights away. She was now waiting for the test results to come, back to her. 

Test " lani your result are : kindhearted, adventures, funny, rebel, calm, misunderstood, and talented is all make up you and many more and you can fit in with any crowd and welcome everyone" 

Lani " wow that sound like fun .... Well maybe everyone right maybe it time to approve my life but the life I want the dream I have dream and goals I wish" two more hours had gone by and there was soon a knock at the door.

neteyam " hey"

lani " hey"

neteyam " ....."

lani " are you disappointed in me as well like everyone else or half of everyone else"

neteyam " I still love you sis but it seems like mom and dad had called a family meeting"

lani " coming" the two siblings had made their way downstairs where everyone was waiting for them.

Jake " good you brought you sister now have a sit as we need to talk about today" the pair of teens had soon sat down and got ready to start this family meeting.

Jake " after today situation with lani it has greatly effected our family and clan, as what happened today should of never happened at all"

kiri " dad where is this leading"

neytiri " I and your father have talked this over today and some other time, we have spoke with your grandmother she she said it will be good for lani to come stay with her"

lani "so I'm going to stay with grandmother"

Jake "yes and maybe your time with her can change you for the better, as we can't deal with this anymore young lady as what has happened today caused enough damage to us all"

y/n " sir ..."

Jake " there no fighting about it young lady you are going and staying with mo'at until you come home. and then we can deal with you going back to school later on"

neteyam " she will be away for four weeks right"

Jake " the school year will be ending as you will be finished the rest online, as it seems and you will be spending the summer with your grandmother"

lani " yes sir"

Jake " when you are away you will leave tisreyo and his brothers alone, I don't want to hear about you texting or calling them when you are gone"

lani " yes sir"

neytiri " we will allow your siblings to have come contact with you when we think it will be for the best same things goes for spider under norm and tsutey orders, you will always write letters of sorry to everyone involve"

lani " yes ma'am"

Jake " You will leave that the end of this weekend I and your mom will take you there, you will need to pack as you will be gone for some time"

lani " what if something else happens dad what if the school doesn't let me come back or something else"

Jake " we will have to talk about that kids if that comes because after today, everything will never be the same"

lani " yes sir" the family had dinner but it was not a happy dinner, mostly a very neutral dinner. That night lani did cry a bit as well tears of sadness and some angry as well, she couldn't believe her parents will not fight for her but she was a bad child to them as well and everyone else. She knew her grandmother understood her maybe this time away will be good for lani. Lani had been able to sleep that night but she was still upset about everything. her weekend was not the better as well she packed her suitcases to be gone for a very long time.

lani " all packed"

Jake " good we will be leaving for the airport now say goodbye to everyone, I will bring your stuff to the car" lani had nodded her head as she had hugged her siblings goodbye, they seem to be upset about the whole situation. Everyone knew fighting about it will not end well, lani was soon taken to the airport.

Jake " here is your ticket and your grandmother will be waiting for you when you arrive"

lani " yes sir"

neytiri " you have enough money to get yourself lunch in airport right"

lani " yes ma'am"

Jake " good your grandmother will call us when you arrive and she pick you up, maybe we can talk for a while"

lano " yes sir"

Jake " please behavior for you grandmother lani"

lani " yes sir"

Jake " this is where we have to leave you lani" lani had nodded her head as her parents soon left the airport, as she made her away through security and to her gate after her bags were checked in. She had gotten some food and soda as she sat by her gate waiting for her plane to come, as she ate her food. She had made the mistake of looking at old photos of the past, and then on social media. she was going to message the group chat but stopped herself, maybe she need to give them time and herself time to see what will happen in the future. After a while the plane soon came and lani got on the plane as, it soon took off to where her grandmother lived and where her new journey will be starting as well.

lani " the test was right after all maybe this new journey will be good for me in the end" after some many hours or traveling and changing planes, she soon arrived at where she will be staying her getting her bags.

????? " lani"

lani " hey grandmother" the pair looked at each other mo'at soon hugged the girl, knowing everything that had happened but she was happy to see her.

mo'at " come on lets get you home we can have a talk there"

lani " yes ma'am and maybe this will be best in the end for me after all changing is good"

mo'at " yes it but I'm here as well for help when you need it" the pair had soon left the airport after they had everything, making a call to the sully family as the drove to mo'at home. As lani was thinking about all the things she had been told and done, she was going to have the time of changing when she was away from home dealing with the growing pains that will soon lead her to the person she will become in the future.

[the-way-astray]

Still on anon because Katie, Isa and Alayda are the only ones who know! Keep guessing, though... I find it fascinating.

Here we are with chapter 4! Good to know I'm the non-cringey-strieefe-fic-writer (also known as the North Carolina anon, Noodles Cold anon, Nutritious Chickens anon, Nearsighted Cows anon, Nefarious Cackling anon, and anything else that abbreviated to NC because Stria apparently cannot use context clues <3 said with love of course)

and naturally, stria, to ease your concerns: you are the first to read these. No, alayda, katie and isa do not get to see it first. These are not beta read and typed directly into your ask box and sent.

—————

Title: Never Change chapter 4

Pairing: Stria x Keefe

—————

Who was Stria, and why was she hailing Keefe?

Sophie frowned at Keefe's imparter, which was the one currently buzzing in her hands. Should she answer? Obviously Keefe couldn't. The thought made another dizzying storm of worry kick up again in her chest, and she glanced over in Keefe's direction, wondering if he'd suddenly wake up to tease her about how concerned she was about him.

He didn't.

In a split second decision, Sophie answered. "Hi... who is this?" she asked.

The girl on the screen, Stria, blinked a few times, as though adjusting to having the sun in her eyes. "You're not Keefe."

"I'm Sophie." She wasn't owed answers about what happened to Keefe. Who was she?

"I know." Stria caught herself, cursing softly under her breath. "I mean..."

"It's fine," Sophie said curtly. Most people recognized her by her brown eyes. "Not to be blunt, but who are you?"

"No, that's a perfectly reasonable question," Stria agreed. "I'm... I met Keefe about a week and a half ago. He'd heard the rumors that I... he'd heard some rumors about me and wanted to talk."

And he hadn't told her about it?

Rumors that she what?

Sophie trusted her boyfriend, of course, but something about how frustrated and furious she was with him right now led her mind to go spiraling down insane roads. "So you talked... and you're hailing to talk again?"

"Well, we were going to grab milkshakes, and he canceled with no notice or explanation, and I was worried something happened to him." Stria looked away. "Especially since the Healing Center is closed..."

Sophie blocked out the part of her mind that was telling her that sounded like a date. She didn't have time for unwarranted jealousy right now. If Keefe had never mentioned her, it was probably because she was irrelevant—not because he was trying to hide that they were talking. It fully made sense that this girl would be worried about a last minute cancel.

"So... is he okay?" Stria asked hesitantly.

Sophie automatically wanted to say yes. But it would be a lie, and Stria, whoever she was and whatever she thought Keefe intended by going to "grab milkshakes" with her, deserved the truth.

But Sophie couldn't say the truth.

There was the fact that she couldn't get into any Black Swan/Neverseen details, but also the fact that recounting Keefe's absolute stupidity before she'd even had the chance to talk about it with him (or just yell at him, which also might become necessary) felt wrong.

Sophie went with, "He's injured."

"How bad is it?"

Sophie glanced over at Keefe. His chest was rising and falling at a normal pace now, though Elwin was still keeping him sedated. Sophie had to look away quickly. The sight of all the bandages... it was worse than it had ever been for him.

Was he ever going to learn?

Or would he keep testing fate until it killed him?

Sophie didn't realize she hadn't answered until Stria whispered, "Bad, huh?"

Sophie turned back to the imparter screen, choking out, "It could be worse." She couldn't talk about this with a stranger anymore. Everything was still too fresh. "I'm sorry, Stria, but I have to go."

"Of course. I... well, thank you for telling me."

The screen went dark.

Stria stared at the blank imparter screen, still digesting the news.

Sophie looked like she hadn't slept in days. Given what she'd read of the books, this didn't surprise her, but she'd been a mess. And the way she'd looked away from the screen, like she was glancing over at Keefe on a hospital bed, recovering from a potentially fatal injury...

Somehow, she could feel Sophie's pain herself, just from the expressions. Stria had a sudden realization in that moment, though she wasn't sure why her brain decided to supply it to her now:

She wanted Keefe to live.

Irrelevant, of course. She wouldn't wish death on anyone, even if she hated that person. But her brain then supplied her with a far worse realization:

If Keefe died, and the last thing she'd ever told him was how much she despised him...

Why should she care?! She did despise him, and there was no reason to feel guilty about it just because he got injured, probably mostly by his own fault!

She should be allowed to think that! Why did it feel awful to think that?

She stood up abruptly, sliding the imparter into her pocket. She needed to go for a walk. She needed food or a drink or something. She needed to walk with a really bad coffee drink that tasted bitter in her mouth to give her a reason for feeling so... whatever this was.

As soon as she stepped out of her appartment, she began to walk briskly through Atlantis. At one point, she passed by a milkshake shop. In the window, they were advtertising her favorite flavor. She was looking for a drink, after all.

She walked past the shop as fast as physically possible.

She focused on her feet hitting the ground, one after the other. She looked down at her feet, watching them carry her along, and then—

—she walked straight into someone.

"I am so sorry!" Stria gasped as he regained his balance. Neither of them had fallen over—thank God, that would have been embarassing for them both—but his sketchbook had fallen to the ground. She reached down to grab it for him. She hardly registered that the book was flipped open to a certain page until she glanced at it, barely thinking about it.

Then she did a double take.

She recognized that art style.

And the guy in the art.

She knew this art style. And that character.

She contemplated telling him that it was a really good drawing of Keefe, just to watch him lose faith in the world for the last time, but decided that was too mean. "Max?!"

Max snatched back his notebook, looking at her warily. "How do you know who I—hang on. You're from KOTLC tumblr too, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Give me a hint."

Stria wanted to say, I depsise Keefe, because she was sure he would get it right away, but the topic was too sensitive right now. "Aldella."

"Stria?"

"Yep."

"What are you doing on this side of the fourth wall?" Max asked, looking oddly perplexed for someone who was also on this side of the fourth wall.

"What are you doing on this side of the fourth wall?" Stria countered.

Max glanced down at his drawing. "He does have short hair. I confirmed it."

"You met Fintan?!"

"He also does follow American politics. And he reads warrior cats. Yes, he is the Fintan tumblr blog."

"So you came over to this side of the fourth wall to find Fintan?"

"What? No, I met Fintan back on our side of the fourth wall," Max explained, "and then I realized walking through the fourth wall was possible, so I thought, why not go get some solid art reference?"

"But you're still drawing Fintan."

Max shrugged. "I think it's in my genes."

"Wait wait wait. If Fintan is the tumblr blog, and he ships himself with Bronte—"

"I'm looking into that as well," Max added. "Now back to my original question. What are you doing on this side of the wall?"

Ouch. She actually had to say this, didn't she? "I kind of... wandered in with a group of people, not realizing this was where we were going."

"What group?" Max asked.

"Katie, Isa, Maddie, Lisa, Alayda, and Katie's cat."

Max blinked. "What were you even doing with that group of people?! I mean, not to say you can't have whatever friends you want, because obviously you can, but—"

"I was talking to Katie!" Stria sighed. "Well, arguing is a better word. But we were having a great time. And then, bam, I was on this side of the fourth wall."

"And you didn't go back because...?"

"Well, I'm not exactly opposed to finding out more about the Lost Cities," Stria pointed out. "I've been going to Foxfire."

"Seriously?"

"Look, I walked over with Katie's mutual circle, does anything surprise you at this point?"

"I think anything short of you going on a date with Keefe," Max said wryly, bringing up her famous hatred. She shouldn't have been surprised.

"Well..."

"You did not."

"It wasn't really a date."

"Stria."

"And he canceled on me this time!"

"Stria."

"Look, he's literally in a hospital right now, so maybe talking about how I'm supposed to hate him isn't the most productive—"

"Remember who you are, Stria!" Max said, shaking her by the shoulders, and wow, yeah, she'd really needed that.

"I think I needed to hear that. It's so refreshing to have another Keefe hater here with me besides Katie's cat," Stria said truthfully, even though it felt alarmingly simplistic to just use the term "Keefe hater" now that she was here and it was real.

But here was her perfect opportunity to get her mind off things. "Want to go get weird gnomish food somewhere?"

—————

I'd actually toyed with the idea of bringing in Max as another Keefe hater to be there with you, and then you brought it up, and I was like, well now I have to do it! Sorry Max. I'm so sorry to involve you in this drama. But I'm also not sorry because it's funny.

I'd love to see your guesses for my identity at this point!!!

Sincerely,

Never Change author

part one, part two, part three for the uninitiated :) i'll stop doing this soon and maybe just start making a masterpost or something. but for now it's not too unmanageable.

"Sophie frowned at Keefe's imparter [ . . . ]" you should know that the second i realized this chapter was in sophie's perspective, i went insane. because like. she's going to hate me :( ugh this is so not worth it. sophie keep your toxic-ass boyfriend it's absolutely not worth it to make sophie dislike me over . . . who was this again???? keefe????

"The thought made another dizzying storm of worry kick up again in her chest, and she glanced over in Keefe's direction, wondering if he'd suddenly wake up to tease her about how concerned she was about him." ooooooh, the plot thickens.

""It's fine," Sophie said curtly. Most people recognized her by her brown eyes. "Not to be blunt, but who are you?"" sophie, who's able to fucking. hex code everyone's eyes. doesn't notice i have brown eyes???? interesting . . . also in my canon the elves have normal eye colors. all of them. including sophie. promptly ignoring this, as i do with shannon, as well :)

"Sophie trusted her boyfriend [ . . . ]" ANON I MAY HAVE TO MURDER YOU. LOOK. I HATE SOKEEFE, OKAY. I REALLY DO. BUT I'D RATHER HAVE SOKEEFE AND SOPHIE SPEAKING TO ME THAN FUCKING. ME AND KEEFE AND SOPHIE NOT TALKING TO ME. BY A LONG SHOT. IF THIS IS A STRIEEFE FIC THAT MEANS THAT THE INEVITABLE SOKEEFE BREAKUP IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT SOME POINT . . . no . . . sophie's going to hate me :(

"Sophie blocked out the part of her mind that was telling her that sounded like a date." if keefe and sophie are still dating in the canon of this fic then why didn't keefe say something like "i have a girlfriend" when i slipped in the second chapter and called it a date (which i would never do by the way)???? like, as much as i despise keefe, he's not a cheater (although shannon did make some weird decisions in the first book by implying he looks up to alvar for being a cheater . . . ).

"[ . . . ] but also the fact that recounting Keefe's absolute stupidity before she'd even had the chance to talk about it with him (or just yell at him, which also might become necessary) felt wrong." yeah, if keefe did this to himself, that checks out. fucking idiot. why is he so fucking stupid. can he stop hijacking plans for even a second . . .

whatever happened to keefe is so fucking interesting though. someone needs to tell me what happened right this second.

"Was he ever going to learn? Or would he keep testing fate until it killed him?" well if shannon messenger has anything to do with it, probably not. but i have more faith in anon.

"Sophie looked like she hadn't slept in days." classic example of keefe ruining sophie's mental health because he's arrogant as shit!!!! i don't care that his arrogance comes from his abusive childhood!!!! he's still not only stupid, but thinks he's smart!!!! ewwwwww.

"Somehow, she could feel Sophie's pain herself, just from the expressions." not at all what i'd be realistically feeling. i'd be more sorry for sophie, and thinking about how she deserves better than this fool. dump him, sophie. come onnnn you know you want better than someone who will do nothing but ruin your mental health and treat you like shit by taking your choices away from you . . . you know you wanna soooooo bad . . .

"She wanted Keefe to live." inaccurate. with the rage i feel at this idiot right now, he could die and i'd say good riddance, nobody to fuck shit up and worry everyone anymore. *sobbing* he's so stupid . . .

"Why should she care?! She did despise him, and there was no reason to feel guilty about it just because he got injured, probably mostly by his own fault!" i would not be feeling guilty, i'd be feeling angry. at keefe. which is something sophie almost never feels at him, which annoys the crap out of me. come on, sophie, stop pitying him, start being angry with him.

"She needed to walk with a really bad coffee drink that tasted bitter in her mouth to give her a reason for feeling so... whatever this was." fun fact: coffees (lattes) are my favorite drink of all time. unfortunately, the elves probably aren't the coffee kind.

"In the window, they were advtertising her favorite flavor." that would be coffee.

"She contemplated telling him that it was a really good drawing of Keefe, just to watch him lose faith in the world for the last time, but decided that was too mean." this about the first person to tell max his keefe art looked like fintan :)

"Stria wanted to say, I depsise Keefe, because she was sure he would get it right away, but the topic was too sensitive right now. "Aldella."" i'm not fully certain max is aware of my aldella obsession. but a nice thought nonetheless.

"Max glanced down at his drawing. "He does have short hair. I confirmed it."" ANON DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE. NO. THIS IS WRONG. WRONG AND INCORRECT. no . . . you can't make max more valid than me in my own fic . . .

""He also does follow American politics. And he reads warrior cats. Yes, he is the Fintan tumblr blog."" fintan pyren, the kotlc character, is the same as fin, the tumblr user, in this fic's canon confirmed. although i'm hoping that was a mistake and that fin just lied to max. because it would be funny to have not one, but two people that are clinically insane about fintan stalk him in the lost cities.

""What? No, I met Fintan back on our side of the fourth wall," Max explained, "and then I realized walking through the fourth wall was possible, so I thought, why not go get some solid art reference?"" that's hella goofy. also i feel like max should be having a stronger reaction to realizing he's been mutuals on tumblr dot com with the person he's been obsessed with for years now.

""Wait wait wait. If Fintan is the tumblr blog, and he ships himself with Bronte—"" actually, he ships himself with shakespeare. and king dimitar. he's got quite a bit of explaining to do. so realistically i'd say that and max would faint from having heard an allude to finitar. or something.

""I'm looking into that as well," Max added." in character. also fin shipping himself with bronte? also in character.

""Katie, Isa, Maddie, Lisa, Alayda, and Katie's cat." Max blinked. "What were you even doing with that group of people?! I mean, not to say you can't have whatever friends you want, because obviously you can, but—"" i'm pretty sure max doesn't even know who half these people are. but interesting.

""I was talking to Katie!" Stria sighed. "Well, arguing is a better word. But we were having a great time. And then, bam, I was on this side of the fourth wall."" LMFAO NOT OUR ARGUING RUPTURING THE FOURTH WALL. also why were isa, maddie, lisa, and alayda there? i doubt they were participating. they were playing uno while me and katie argued . . .

""Well, I'm not exactly opposed to finding out more about the Lost Cities," Stria pointed out." yeah i need to know more about the pyrokinesis ban immediately actually. and more about the general public's attitude towards shades.

""I think anything short of you going on a date with Keefe," Max said wryly, bringing up her famous hatred. She shouldn't have been surprised." technically it wasn't a date, because keefe apparently has a girlfriend *side-eyeing him so hard right now*

""Remember who you are, Stria!" Max said, shaking her by the shoulders, and wow, yeah, she'd really needed that." hello never change anon, sorry but this made me cringe out of my soul and i'm certain max would never say that. it's so shannon . . . someone help me . . . ack.

[block limit]

""It's so refreshing to have another Keefe hater here with me besides Katie's cat," Stria said truthfully, even though it felt alarmingly simplistic to just use the term "Keefe hater" now that she was here and it was real." i can continue to be a keefe hater regardless of circumstance, because i have magical powers. hope this helps.

""Want to go get weird gnomish food somewhere?"" ooh, weird gnomish food with max chapter???? i still think fin should be a separate person from fintan, and it turns out he's been tricking max the whole time. then max can write this all down in his little detective notebook. or something.

in conclusion, i think quil should be the next one to walk through the fourth wall. hear me out: quil would support my anti strieefe agenda and also be detached enough because of desperate attempts to find everglen and stalk fitz vacker to the point of collapsing on the floor in a keyboard smash manner once successful. also quil's a neutral party that doesn't particularly like or hate keefe so that would be nice to have. or something. idk i'm not writing this.

currently wondering if you know max, like in an interactive way. evidence points to the contrary, since i can't imagine he hates keefe enough to really care whether or not i'm going on smoothie "dates" with him. and i'm officially out of guesses. i have an anon in my inbox that is very certain you are katie and a liar, but i feel like. that would take the fun out of it? like if mr. forkle did turn out to be sophie's bio dad or something. idk. also this reminded me that i've read a fourth fanfic during my time in this fandom by max, which helps exactly nil. so basically i still have no idea who you are. help me, anons.

tagging everyone mentioned (tell me if you'd prefer not to be): @myfairkatiecat @crescentpaws @fintan-pyren @permanently-stressed @queefsencen @lisalovesapplesauce @alaydabug2

[chitty-chitty-bang-bang-bang]

“The Big Kumara”

Word Count: 1,912

Age Restrictions: 16+ (mild gore/vulgar language)

Trigger Warnings/Tags: Horror, descriptions of blood and corpses, anxiety, mental illness.

Synopsis: Your concerned relatives sent a psychologist to your house, so you can finally open up about the incident, that sent you into this spiral in the first place.

Author’s note: This is my Halloween Special for y’all guys. It’s not my usual style, because I’ve never written horror before. But I tried really hard to make it unsettling and scary, because I feel like this is the wwdits fanfic field, that is not explored enough. Anyways, hope you enjoy it. Happy Halloween!

__________________________________________

“February 24th, 2006.” The woman across from you said, after pushing the record button on the dictaphone, only then did she turn to you. “So, tell me the whole story.”

You took a deep shaky breath, feeling cold shivers run down your spine as memories flooded your mind once again and you started speaking.

“It was almost two months ago. January 5th. That day was as normal as you could imagine. I woke up, did my usual routine, marked off the day in the calendar and went to work. I used to work in a call centre at that time. I don’t anymore. Can’t return there… Anyway. I came to work and my friends Sutton and Jean said they wanted to visit some new place that opened during winter holidays and asked if I’d tag along, because they needed a sober driver.

I… agreed. Of course, why not? I don’t drink that much anyways. That’s fine.

The place was called ‘The Big Kumara’. Some student party bar, not the fanciest place. I remember, when we walked in, I was instantly hit with a very strong smell. I thought it might be some cleaning chemical, but it didn’t seem like it. The smell was nauseatingly metallic. I asked if anyone else feels it, but neither of my friends seem to notice, so I thought I might be getting sick and tossed that thought away.

We sat at the table in the corner. We can be a little loud, especially Jean, after he gets drunk, so we didn’t want to disturb anyone. They ordered a few drinks and went to the dance floor, I decided I’ll join them later, because I still didn’t feel very well. The smell. The smell was driving me crazy and I didn’t know why.

The place itself was also not my scene. There were mostly people, who were way too young to be there and some weird goth people, which for some reason seemed to make up the majority of the bar’s visitors. Funnily enough, the place couldn’t be further away from being traditional ‘goth’, so I didn’t know what that was about.

But my friends seemed to like it quite a bit, because about an hour later, Sutton excused themselves to go out for some ‘air’ with a European guy in a big fluffy overcoat and a top hat. Jean and I laughed it off, but some time later he did the exact same thing, giggling and waving at me, as he left with another man, this one was wearing… I think some kind of a cravat tie and a jean jacket, which was a bit weird, considering it was pretty cold outside.

They both promised to be back soon and I didn’t mind. I mean, we’re young, we’re having fun, who cares? And I was sure they would be fine, because it’s not the first time they were up to this kind of things. Heck, I also wanted to have a fun time, but I was way too sober to do it with anyone in that place.

So I waited… And waited… and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. But they didn’t come. It’s been almost three hours. I called them, I texted them and I got absolutely no response. Naturally, I was terrified of what might’ve happened. So I went outside and started looking for them, tried to see if I could spot those guys they left with or anything that could give me a clue of where they were.

Finally, I went into the alleyway behind the bar. Oh fuck… How do I even describe this?…

I heard someone talking in there. They seemed pretty upset about something, maybe even bickering with each other. But when I came over they seemed to notice and the talking stopped. I turned around the corner and saw a cloud of smoke and two bums lying on the ground, fast asleep. At least, that’s what I thought initially. I came a bit closer and recognised the clothes. Those were Jean and Sutton. For a moment I breathed out in relief, because I finally found them. These two dumbasses just fell asleep there!

Then I came even closer to wake them up. I still remember, how I put my hand on Sutton’s shoulder to shake them awake, but felt my fingers sticking to her jacket. There was some weird thick fluid on it, it was half dry and I pulled my hand away reflexively and noticed that this goo was dark. I couldn’t distinguish the colour in almost pitch blackness of the alleyway, but it was blood. I knew it, because now I started to smell that same metallic reek, that I became nose blind to, while sitting in the Big Kumara.

I don’t know what came over me at that moment. I knew, I should’ve called the police right away and leave it to the professionals, but… but something just prompted me to touch it again. I put my hand on Sutton’s jacket, then let my palm glide over to their neck and feel their cold skin with two dents in it. Like a bite. I wiped off the blood from their collarbone with my fingers and smelt it again, just to make sure it was actually real. Then I did the same with Jean. For a few minutes I just sat there in front of their corpses, examining them, as if I was trying to understand what those strangers had done to them, before I made it even worse by picking at their bite marks, making them bleed with stale cold chunks of red liquid.

I soon realised that my hands were now fully covered in their bodily fluid and panic took over me completely. I felt like I was part of it somehow. That I was also an accomplice to their murder. I didn’t know what to do, so I just took off running home. I left my car in front of the Big Kumara and sprinted home like my life depended on it.

I didn’t sleep that night.

I didn’t know what happened to them. I didn’t know how they died. I didn’t know why I let myself destroy what might’ve been the key evidence to how they were killed. I didn’t know why I kept silent about that and didn’t tell the police or even call the ambulance. I was a horrible person. I knew it. So I thought I was next.

The next day, I had to walk three blocks down at sunrise to get my car from the Big Kumara, but the place was surrounded by cops. I was too scared to come close, because the fact that I just randomly left my car in front of the bar last night would be strange, so I left it there for two more days. The weekends passed and at work, I felt even worse.

There were two empty places next to me, where usually Sutton and Jean would be. It seemed like a gaping hole in my life, that would never be filled again. I felt like people were staring at me. Each time I turned to look at someone, I always accidentally met their glance and I was freaking out. It’s like they knew. It’s like they all knew I was there and did nothing. Nobody talked to me, nobody wished me good morning or even waved. They just stared and whispered to each other. Maybe it was all in my head, but sure didn’t appear like it.

Also… each night I felt a weird presence in my room. I live on the fifth floor, but I can swear, there’s somebody at my window, coming in every night and spying on me. I don’t know who it is, but they just come and look at me… and they whisper something, but I can never make it out and I’m too terrified to take a look at whatever is hovering outside my window. I don’t know…

Soon, I became very paranoid. I got additional locks on my door. I flinched at any weird sounds around the house and at work. I couldn’t even focus on my job anymore, because I felt that when I’m not looking, everyone else has their eyes on me. Judging… Knowing…

I left work. I couldn’t be there anymore. Couldn’t sit next to two empty places. Couldn’t take the prying eyes of my coworkers. I couldn’t stay. Not a second longer… Now I’m unemployed. I’m not leaving my house. It’s too dangerous. Whatever that thing is, that goes after me ever since that incident. It will get me, as soon as I’m too comfortable. As soon as I don’t expect it anymore.

I’m not insane, I swear. And it’s not just a nervous breakdown. I know what is happening. I am not stupid. Somebody is after me. They’re after me…” You finally finished.

“But the culprit was found, right? Walenty Nowicki. He’s in trial.” The therapist said, showing that she did quite a bit of background digging on your incident.

“It’s not him. He didn’t do it.” You shook your head immediately.

“How do you know?”

“I just feel it in my bones. It’s not him. It’s something… else. Something abnormal…” You mumbled, realising how crazy you sound from an outsider’s perspective.

“Abnormal? What do you mean by that?”

“I… And this might sound stupid. I think it was a vampire.” There was no way you actually said it out loud.

“Or maybe, it wasn’t a vampire. Maybe it’s just the guilt that you keep suppressing, coupled with high levels of anxiety and lack of a support system?” She leaned on her hand.

“You don’t even believe me. You don’t even want to listen! Just because my relatives think I’m insane, does not mean I actually am! I never asked for a therapist, they just sent you in here! And this is my flat! My place! My temple! And you need to leave! Now!” You didn’t quite understand, why you were freaking out so hard. You shouldn’t be screaming at her, she’s trying to help.

But she can’t, can she?

You ended up forcing her out of your apartment and locking the door on all five locks you had installed. Suddenly, everything felt so quiet. It was already dark outside, but you left little to no light on. Otherwise, someone might see you move inside your house. Someone might notice you. You sat down under the kitchen table as usual, opening up another can of stew. They can’t get you here. You’re safe.

A brief moment of peace made you loose your concentration and that’s when it hit you. A cold hand on your shoulder piercing your skin with sharp claws. You wanted to scream, but couldn’t. Whatever it was, it covered your mouth with its palm. You turned around to see a man. He was there, but wasn’t. It’s like a hallucination or a projection… Scruffy in his appearance, his eyes stared right into your soul, making your heart beat faster than it ever had.

“You will forget about what happened to your friends. You will forget about vampires and you will forget ever going to Big Kumara. You are leaving a completely normal life.” He whispered and you recognised his voice as the one of the silhouette at your window.

What window? What silhouette? What voice?

You couldn’t recall anymore, as your mind drifted into blissful ignorance.

[i-care-bout-things-too]

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

❌ What's a trope you will never write?

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

Love you babe!! I know the answer to some of these but 🫶

Wheezing so hard rn kitty cat you sent like 1/3 the list

Okay so—

👀: I started a Jon/Dami civilian au FOREVER ago, and it’s *this* close to being finished. I really can’t wait to post it because it’s a fun mix of fluffy and angsty (the latter is my specialty), where Jon/Dami have a very unusual first meeting when Damian walks into the veterinarians office Jon works at concussed, bleeding, and cuddling an inured raccoon.

“I am fine.” He says, resisting Jon’s attempts to be seated. He ignores Jon’s bewildered look as well and proffers up the raccoon he’s swaddled and had up to that point been practically cuddling. “Help him. I have grievously injured him and I am at fault.”

While admirable, Jon really wants to point out that he also looks pretty injured and also needs help. “Sir,” He replies calmly, even though this guy can’t be too much older than him. “You’re bleeding. I will help both of you, but we need to call 911 now and get your head checked. If I give you the phone and take the raccoon, could you describe the situation to an operator and explain what happened?”

To Jon’s horror, tears well up in the man’s green eyes. “You’re right. We should call the police, I need to be arrested for taking his life.”

❌: hmmm, now this is a bit of a hard one, I tend to write across a bunch of tropes and don’t really judge people for indulging in theirs… I genuinely can’t think of an answer, you’ll have to tell me something I forgot after I post this.

🎶: I’m always listening to music while I write. My music varies heavily month to months. I tend to find a new batch of songs and listen to them on loop while I write until it’s done or I get sick of them. As you know, I listened to Stranger by Thomas Day for the second chapter of the fic I gifted you, Rook, which is about very sad, angsty stuff centered around Tim and Damian. Click the fic name to end up on ao3!

✨: I actually love my own work sometimes, maybe not *always*, but there are fics I’m especially proud of. I’ll recommend (myself, yes!) Leave a Message, which is a civilian au fic about Damian celebrating his second Christmas ever, while really missing Dick who’s driving a taxi around Bludhaven unable to remember his family who’s waiting for him to come home. Trust me on this one, read it, I won’t let you down.

🛒: Damian running away. It’s a staple in a decent number of my fics, possibly because he does it A LOT in canon too. If I counted the number of fics where Damian was running away from his family or his problems, I think I’d be counting a majority of my fics.

🎢: This…okay look, I’m answering these like I’ve only ever written Batfam fic, which isn’t true, but we’re going to pretend it is to persevere some of my dignity. ANYWAY, definitely going to point a finger at Unimportant and Like We Were Then. Unimportant has spiralled beyond my control, and there are characters and things going on in it that I wasn’t planning for or expecting. Meanwhile, LWWT went from a 5+1 to a 33k word monstrosity with a plot that wasn’t planned either, but I’m actually quite proud of. Hoping to get the epilogue up soon ♥️

🤡: Basically the entirety of I Think I Have A Ghost in which Jason can’t remember his time in the league, and there’s a small child sized wraith who’s been following him around for weeks. These things are not unrelated. I’m proud of both works in the series, but particularly:

He drops a bag of tea in each mug, sits on one of a few stools around the kitchen island, and slides one of the mugs across the table to the side opposite of him.

He waits for the presence to decide what it wants to do.

“It’s going to over steep.” He tries.

It shouldn’t work. What ghost drinks tea?

Apparently, his.

The kid, because it really is an actual child, on silent feet, steps through the doorway to the kitchen and scales the stool in front of the steeping tea. All of this is done without a sound or any indication that this whole situation is really bizarre.

Jason raises a brow at the kid, and takes a sip of his tea. The kid copies the motion, only making the slightest face of distaste.

So not only is he not a ghost, Jason decides, he’s a posh not-a-ghost.

“Cool.” Jason says. “Wanna explain whatever this—” He motions between them, “—Is, kid?

The kid takes a longer sip.

Okay then.

Thank you for asking all these, Kat ♥️