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Gilded Constellations | wolfstar x reader

Series Masterlist | Previous episode

Pairing: Wolfstar x Reader Word Count: 8.5 K Warnings: none Prompt: The divination classroom becomes an intriguing nexus for forging new friendships amidst revelations laden with enigmatic symbolism. Meanwhile, Defense Against the Dark Arts delves even deeper into the shadows as you struggle to grasp the imminence of the ever-looming wаr. This IS a wolfstar x reader fic, but it's incredibly slow burn. They won't start all dating each other until we're very deep into the story, but I promise the long wait will be worth it.

Chapter 9: The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroкe

September 24, 1976 - Friday

Your race with Sirius, Marlene and a couple of other students who decided to tag along and prove their worth would be next week. The broom race was basically the talk of town. James had talked to the other Quidditch Team Captains, Lyonel Aldridge, Delilah Moss and of course Dmitri Volkov, and they all reached to the conclusion that it would be a great way to boost their team’s morale before the first match.

You woke up early like you had been doing the past couple of weeks, but you and Sirius had gotten a lot more competitive, so competitive you’d already gotten on James’ nerves. Which was something pretty hard to do when you were talking about quidditch. Every day you’d go on mini races, inventing new challenges to fulfill and you always pestered James regarding who’d gotten there first.

“My hand reached the line first,” Sirius said.

“Yeah, but it’s not about hands, it’s about brooms, my broom reached the halo first.” You argued back.

“It’s not about brooms, we said whoever gets there first, and clearly I did.”

“Sirius you can’t bend the rules so you win all the time! Besides, if I had stretched my hand I would’ve reached first so it doesn’t count.”

“It does because you didn’t!”

“James tell him!” You said.

“No James, tell her!”

James sighed exasperated and hit his head against the handle of his broom “Just fucк each other already,” he mumbled, not that either of you heard it.

“What?” You asked with a frown.

“You know what?" He snapped, sitting straight "Neither of you won! And your mini air races when practicing? They’re OVER! No more broom races until official race day and then you’ll admit the other is a faster flier and this bickering will be forgotten.”

“But James!” Both you and Sirius argued.

He gave you both a stern look, and you shot your mouth. “Fine then, till the race we’ll know.”

Sirius nodded “Truce?” He said offering you his hand. You took a deep breath and shook it.

Once you were back in the ground Sirius called you with a smirk “Hey (Y/N)! Bet I can get to the common room before you do.” He then started running.

“You wish,” you said running behind him.

James sighed again “We said no races!”

“You said no flying,” Sirius shouted back.

You then turned to James with a smile as you ran “He’s right, this is running.”

James rolled his eyes but took off running behind the two of you anyway. The only thing that sometimes shut the two of you up, was when someone else won, and he had the longest legs. In the end, he was indeed the first one to arrive, letting himself fall on the couch as you and Sirius fought your way inside.

“Prongs, you’re here?” You said out of breath when you saw him laying on the couch, regaining his own breath.

He frowned “Since when do you call me Prongs?” He asked amused.

“Oh… um… sorry, it must have slipped,” You said as you sat down “I blame Sirius for it.”

James laughed “No, it’s fine. You can call me Prongs.” He took a long breath, “But stop blaming Pads for everything.”

“In my defence. It really is ALWAYS Sirius’ fault.”

He made the face of a man that agreed with your statement. “James!” Sirius complained he noticed.

James grimaced in return “For fucкs sake, take me away from these two,” he said grabbing a pillow and placing it over his head dramatically.

You and Sirius exchanged a glance, yeah, you may be bickering all the time now, but it was all friendly banter, James was overreacting.

“Morning,” you heard Remus say as he came down the stairs “Just got here from practice?”

You nodded “And they’re getting on my nerves Moony,” James grumbled.

Remus raised an eyebrow at the two of you “We just asked him to decide who’d been the winner of our mini race,” you said innocently.

He nodded, understanding. “Leave poor James alone, he’s been doing so much to prepare your race that… he might actually be sick of quidditch by the end of it.”

James instantly reacted to Remus’ words, removing the pillow from his head “I would never!”

You were sweaty from so much running so you excused yourself and went for a short shower, Lily was preparing her backpack when you walked out of the bathroom, using your wand to dry your hair. “Today we’re picking the fluxweed together, right?” You asked her.

She nodded “Just wait for me, will you? We’ll walk to the greenhouse together, don’t think of going by yourself.”

“Of course, I’ll wait for you Lils, don’t worry about it,” you told her with a smile and finished both closing the buttons of your shirt, and shoving your stuff quickly in your bag "Ready for breakfast?"

Lily nodded and the two of you walked down to the common room together. The boys were secretly talking to each other on the corner close to the fire, looking all conspiratoriall as they did. "You coming for breakfast?" Lily asked them. Remus turned to look at her, his brown eyes seemed more golden than usual, you wondered if it was because of the lighting in the room.

"Yes, we’ll be down in a minute tho, we’re helping Peter finish his Divination essay.”

You raised an eyebrow at that statement. Since when did they help Peter with essays? Well, Remus definitely would help Peter, he’d probably help anyone that asked nicely. But the rest? Sirius? That was a bit sus, to say the least. But Lily was already walking out of the common room, so after giving them one more look, you followed her. Maybe they were planning another prank like the rain on the main hall.

Once you were downstairs, the two of you walked towards the great hall. Mary, Marlene, Beth and some others were already there, having breakfast. You greeted them all with a smile “Good morning!” You said as you sat down.

“Morning,” responded Mary as she looked up from her copy of The Daily Prophet.

“Anything new?” You asked her, nodding towards the paper.

She shook her head “Just the wаr,” she replied somberly “Apparently some deatheaters went on a кiling spree. They’re trying to get the muggle-borns.”

“An older lady was кiled,” Marlene continued “Marsha Allenty, she was a muggle-born auror.”

You shuddered at the thought. Muggle-borns first, half-borns next, it wouldn’t take them too long to destroy half the wizarding population if they kept going. Someone had to stop them. You were about to say something when the owls started coming in.

Your family owl, Barnaby, flew down, dropping a package in front of you. You looked at it. The (Y/LN) family seal was stamped over the elegant wrapping. It had to be from your mother. You opened the package, it contained several things. Some galleons, sweets from your favourite bakery back at home, which instantly told you they’d been travelling. A box filled with different potions, and some ingredients to brew shampoo and other beauty-related things. A special potions booklet and a small velvet box.

You opened it and there was a ring inside, a thin metal piece with some engravings on it and a gem at the top, held by 4 small pieces of metal, two shaped like a star and two shaped like a moon.

“What is it?” asked Beth, leaning into you from the side.

“A gift from my parents,” you responded, taking the reins out of the box to show it to her.

“It’s stunning,” she told you. “Do you know what that is?” She said pointing at the stone.

“Moonstone, isn’t it?” You asked, Beth nodded. “Mom cares a lot about the magical properties of stones,” you explained.

“And the metal is silver,” she said turning the ring around, taking a look at the little seal on the inside.

“Silver?” You frowned, taking a closer look “You’re right, that’s different. She’s never given me a silver piece before.”

“Maybe she thinks you’re old enough?” She asked with a shrug.

You nodded, but it wasn’t that. Your mom always gave you gold things. She said the protective value of it was a lot higher than any other metal. Even the necklace Sirius had given you in the vacation, made of brass, was turned into gold with a special spell she had, a spell that would leave all the magical properties of the item intact.

“Well, whatever the reason, she did pick a beautiful ring,” you said, finally sliding it through one of your fingers.

“Do you know what magic it’s got?”

You shook your head, looking through the box to see if your mom had written any kind of letter. You didn’t find any and shrugged it off “Maybe she just thought it was pretty…”

“What was pretty?” Asked Peter, who appeared almost out of nowhere along with the boys.

“(Y/N) was gifted a new ring,” said Mary before taking a bite from her eggs.

You raised your hand so Peter could see it “Got it on a package from my mom.”

“Moon and stars, eh?” He asked with a raised eyebrow “Interesting choice of symbolism, isn’t it?”

You looked at Peter and shrugged. He was right, it was an interesting choice of symbolism. Your mom, like you, had an affinity to divination. Maybe she knew something you didn’t “My mom loves that stuff,” you told him, and lowered your hand back to the table, taking your fork to dig into a sausage.

The boys sat further down on the table. Just close enough to still be able to talk to everyone already sitting there. You left early to go check on the fireworms. Remus and you had decided to split the days in which you had to feed them, and today was your turn. When you arrived at the tunnel entrance you looked around to make sure no one had followed you and entered as quickly as possible.

“Lumus,” You whispered, and your wand lit up, making the dark tunnel navigable. You looked through the pockets of your robe and found the scrap of parchment Remus had made for you. “Revelio,” you said as you moved your wand over it, revealing a tiny map of the tunnels. You were sure you’d learn the way soon enough, but for now, the little map was indispensable.

You used the map to navigate the tunnel until you arrived at the little nook in which you’d hidden your fireworms. You grabbed some of the food in your backpack and gently placed it on the food trays you’d created with a couple of pumpkin juice caps. You looked at the little fireworms satisfied when you noticed one of them was shining, like a firefly. But the light travelled from the end of the tail, all the way through his body and towards his head, then with a small little sound, almost like a fairy burp, the fireworm caused a small ball of fire to come from his mouth. You looked at it amazed, and quickly put the small fire out with your wand.

You grabbed your backpack and took out your charms book, trying to find a flames stopper or fire preventive spell as soon as possible. Soon enough you found something that could work and cast it all over the little fireworm habitat you and Remus had been building. After the spell was ready, you stayed for a couple of minutes to make sure they wouldn’t cause a fire that’d burn the entire castle down and once you were certain you let out a long sigh, not even realizing you’d been holding your breath.

You were thrilled, your fireworms were doing excellent, the way you and Remus had taken care of them allowed them to develop in less time than the standard, which would guarantee the two of you really good grades. You had to tell Remus about it. Maybe you could tell him in divination. Shiit, divination! You were supposed to be in divination. You ran out of the little nook and used the map to find a shortcut towards the divination tower. Once outside you knocked on the door a couple of times and waited. Professor Spellman opened the door, letting you inside with a displeased glance.

“I’m sorry for being late,” you mumbled as fast as possible. You walked inside and started walking towards Remus, who luckily, hadn’t been paired with anyone yet.

“Miss (Y/LN),” Professor Spellman called, you turned to him “You will be working with Sybil today,” he said, pointing towards the small Ravenclaw girl. You swallowed but nodded and walked towards her table. You knew who she was, Remus had told you about her, and her story, and you’d probably exchanged a couple of words with her in the past, but you’d never really talked to her.

“Hey,” you waved as you sat next to her, she waved back, with a small smile, and absentmindedly nudged her glasses back to their place. You looked at her for a minute, her hair might be messy, and you heard she wasn’t very popular, but she was very pretty non the less.

Professor Spellman started talking and with a flick of his wand opened some cabinets, floating a teapot in front of each table, Leaf reading. You and Sybil brew the tea together, using some of the herbs suggested by the book for more accurate readings. And started chatting to each other after you served your respective teas.

“Do you like divination?” She asked you.

“I… uh… not that much, I’ve had some experiences,” you stuttered.

“Sad readings?” She asked, with a sympathetic expression.

You nodded, taking a sip of your tea “It’s always negative stuff with me,” you explained “Accurate, but negative.” You shuddered, “What about you? With your legacy and all?”

“I don’t dislike it,” she told you with a smile, “I don’t like getting sad readings either but it’s fun to know bits of the future, for example, the other day I had these feeling that it was going to rain, so I put on some rain boots before going to Care for Magical Creatures, some Hufflepuffs and even other kids from my year were throwing looks at me, but when it started raining and everyone’s shoes got ruined, but mine didn’t, it was completely worth it.”

You smiled at her story “I don’t get those kinds of feelings,” you said “But it’s nice to meet someone that enjoys it, maybe you could help me enjoy it too.”

Eventually, you both finished your teas and exchanged teacups. You took a deep breath and eventually leaned over to look at her cup, hoping there would be something good in there. You exhaled when you saw a small little butterfly on the cup. Butterflies were good, they meant change, they meant personal growth, they meant… Images flashed through your eyes, and you breathed heavily a couple of times, trying to regain composure.

Sybil knew exactly what was going on, she’d been through it several times before too. So she looked at you with concern. “What did you see?” She asked in a steady tone.

“Nothing bad,” was the first thing you managed to muster, “just… you’ll give a prophecy soon. A very important one, I saw Professor Dumbledore, he seemed really interested in what you had to say.” She nodded at your words, writing everything you said down on a piece of paper, then you looked at her, placing a hand on her arm “Sybil, this prophecy… it looked like it was going to be dark,” you said “but it’s one of those that will change the world.”

She nodded, taking in all the information you’d given her. She did not doubt a single word you said. And you were glad she did, sometimes visions as such were hard to comprehend, and that’s if the person even cared for it.

“Are you ok?” She asked then.

You nodded “I– uh…” you looked at her tea “You will have a period of transformation and positive change, like the metamorphosis of a butterfly,” you told her, making an effort to read the rest of her tea leaves “You should, uh… embrace the opportunities that’ll come your way and also let yourself spread your wings.”

She laughed in response “That’s my fortune?” She asked motioning towards her tea cup.

“Yeah,” you nodded, sounding very certain about it “You must accept your uniqueness,” you added for good measure, after all, humor is one of the best ways to cope with such things “And me? What’s my destiny?”

She adjusted her glasses and took a peak at your cup “I see… stars, the moon, they’re surrounding something,” she said “A small animal, maybe a hare, or… a wildcat?”

You looked at her with a frown “Did you say the moon and stars?”

She nodded, tilting the cup towards you. And she was right, the moon was there, the stars too, and… the small animal? That was a fox. You took a deep breath and showed her the ring your mom had given you “My mom sent me this,” you told her “also moon and stars symbolism.”

Sybil raised an eyebrow “Does she have an affinity with divination?” She asked. You nodded in response “Then it must mean something…” she said, picking up her book and flipping through it “But I can’t find anything about the moon and stars in the book.”

“Interpret it,” Said Professor Spellman as he walked by, looking at Sybil with a stern face.

She nodded, sliding towards the back of the chair, Professor Spellman was imposing, to say the least. “I uh… I see the moon and the stars, they’re close, to a… it’s a–“

“It’s a fox,” you told her “The animal, it’s not a wild cat, it’s a fox.”

“A fox, right!” she agreed, “and I– are those flowers?” She asked looking deeper into the cup. By then your little interaction had piqued the attention of some other students from the class, they were watching the two of you intently. “I– I may be getting things twisted but… according to your cup, the moon and the star will find a blossoming love with…” she hesitated “with the fox.”

Everyone around the classroom laughed, but the professor raised a hand to quiet them, looking into the cup himself “Sybil’s reading is accurate.” He said, “Maybe (Y/N) has an idea what those symbols might mean?”

You sat straighter, looking at the professor “I seem to be surrounded by symbolism today,” you told him “But I’m sorry sir, I’ve got no idea what it may mean. Perhaps I’ll adopt a fox or something? Shower it with love and stuff,” You lied. While you may have not been able to understand the whole symbolism, there was one thing you knew for certain: you were the fox.

The Professor nodded, even if he didn’t look convinced, and moved towards someone else’s table. You exhaled, only then realizing you’d been holding your breath. “He can be very intimidating, right?” Sybil asked you.

You nodded “Definitely.” She looked like she wanted to tell you something else “What is it?” You asked her.

“Just.. be careful, yeah? The moon, it– it looks a little mennacing on your cup. Like… like it could be dangerous.”

You frowned “As in, maybe I shouldn’t go out tonight dangerous or…?”

“No, no,” she shook her head “I don’t know how to explain it, just… keep that in mind, will ya?”

You nodded, placing a hand on her arm to reassure her “And you’ll be a famous fortune teller soon,” you told her with a smile “How does that feel?”

She shrugged “I always expected to end up as one, I guess it’s nice to get a prediction of what you’ll be, makes it a little more certain.”

“And you trust my predictions?” You asked her with a shrug.

She nodded furiously “Of course I do! It’s not every day a fairy tells you your fortune.”

“I’m sorry?!” You asked her, shocked.

“I saw it in your cup,” she explained “I didn’t mean to pry, but it made sense… your divination affinity, your charm and magnetism, your talent while flying… You’re part fairy, aren’t you?”

You looked at her mortified, your parents had done so many things to keep that hidden and now Sybil just guessed it, “You can’t tell anyone,” you told her in a very serious tone.

She smiled at you “I wasn’t planning to, your secrets are safe with me.” You smiled at her after that, you trusted her.

Once the class was over you stood up, but she stayed in her seat “You don’t have another class?” You asked her politely.

She shook her head “I’ve got arithmancy next, I took it as an optative.”

You hummed in response “Have fun then,” You told her with a smile “I’ve got Magical Theory.”

“Good luck, I heard Professor Pendragon, can be very strict.”

“No worse than Spellman,” you whispered, so that the Professor in question, who was talking to some other students wouldn’t hear you. Sybil laughed and you finally pulled your backpack from your seat and started walking outside but you were stopped by Professor Spellman.

“Miss (Y/LN),” he said, and you walked closer to him “Be very careful tonight,” he warned, “there was something odd on your cup, and as you may know, today is Full Moon.”

You nodded “Thanks, Professor.” Clearly, he saw the same thing Sybil had seen, which was mildly disturbing, but alas, your day had to continue.

Once you were outside of the classroom you spotted the boys a few stairs down. Peter was walking with the girls, you assumed towards their Ancient Studies class, while James, Sirius and Remus walked together, they were walking towards the east wing, to Magical Theory, the class you shared. You had the intention to catch up with them, but they were looking as suspicious as they had looked earlier in the common room, talking in whispers to each other, heads so close they could easily bump together. You decided it was best to let them be, you’d been hanging out with them so much lately, they probably needed some space. So you slowed down your pace, just far enough so they could get their much-needed privacy.

Eventually, you reached the Magical Theory classroom, and when you arrived you found James waiting at the door, he quickly pulled you towards him and said “She’s gonna be my team.”

You looked at him with a shrug “Your team? for what?”

Remus, who was close by responded “The teacher said we’ll be working on a team project, Sirius and I are working together, so James was waiting to claim you as his team.”

“Besides, I really need your help,” James added.

You frowned, and asked, a little confused “With the project?”

“No, with Evans!” He whispered.

Realization down on you and you looked at Remus “He didn’t even ask you to be on his team, did he?”

He shook his head in response, mouthing a “nope.”

You laughed, “All right then, we’re a team,” you told James “You can ask me all you need when we–“ You cut yourself off “Wait, Remus! I’ve got to tell you something…”

“All right, if you gave your teams, please take a seat, class will start.” You heard the teacher say.

“Nevermind,” you told him as you turned back since James was pulling you into a table near the back “You’re not planning to pay much attention then?”

“Don’t scorn me like that,” he complained “We’ll pay attention, I just– really need your advice.”

"In this project, you will embark on a captivating journey to craft your very own magical artifact. Channel your imagination, drawing inspiration from the likes of invisibility cloaks and rememberalls, as you fashion an extraordinary creation of your own making," the teacher commenced, igniting a spark of curiosity among the class, even James, who had been mortified about Lily just minutes earlier was paying attention.

"Each artifact should possess a distinct purpose, serving its intended function with finesse. You will delve into the depths of your creativity, meticulously designing a blueprint that brings your vision to life. Fear not, for guidance shall be provided, I will walk with you every step of the way“ the teacher reassured, yet a chorus of playful groans filled the air in response to the mention of project design papers.

"Ah, I understand your sentiment," the teacher chuckled, acknowledging the students' apprehension. "But worry not! The journey shall be as enchanting as the destination itself. These project design papers will serve as a canvas to weave together the threads of your imagination, showcasing the brilliance of your creation. Embrace the opportunity to bring your ideas to fruition, weaving magic into the tangible realm. Who knows, you may be the next creators to hold the rights to an incredibly useful device that will sell millions.“ With these words, a wave of anticipation and excitement rippled through the classroom, as students began envisioning the magical artifacts they would soon breathe life into.

“Well, that’s an interesting project,” you said as you started writing down some ideas in your notebook.

“It’s brilliant, we could ask him to help us with the map!”

“What map?” You asked while raising an eyebrow.

“Oh… sorry,” he said “I thought for a minute that you– nevermind. You need to help me with Lily.” James had gotten so used to hanging around you and the boys at the same time for a moment he thought you already knew about the Marauders Map.

You sighed “Of course James. Tell me what happened,” you said, turning to him “but please write some ideas down as you do.”

He nodded, and started scribbling on his piece of paper “You see, since we kissed back at Marlene’s party–“

“–James that was a game, you can’t be hung up on that.” You interrupted.

“No, you don’t understand, there was a connection.”

You rolled your eyes, while you did think Lily maybe had a little bit of a crush on James, you also knew she wasn’t anywhere ready to admit it. Especially with James’ incessant flirting since like 4th year. Marlene had told you about it. “James, it sounds ridiculous. I kissed Remus then too, and I’m not hung up on it.”

He narrowed his eyes at that “but you seemed to enjoy it.”

You shrugged “Can’t say he’s a bad kisser.” And Remus is handsome, you thought “But that’s not the point anyway. What happened?”

“Lily seems more willing to talk to me lately,” he explained.

“Well, that’s lovely, just give her enough space so you don’t make her feel pressured. Be kind and nice… and stuff.”

“I was thinking of making this very grand gesture on the quidditch–“

You shook your head “James Potter,” you warned “If you so much as try something like that you will scare her away. She’s barely realizing she might like you, don’t do THAT!”

“What did you just say?”

“Don’t do it!” You insisted.

“No,” he shook his head, “before that.”

“I said that she’s barely realizing she might have a c… fuck.”

“You think… You think she likes me?” He asked, in a very small high pitched tone.

“I– wouldn’t go as far as to say that…” he looked so sad, “…yet.”

“Yet?” He asked, perking up as a surge of excitement ran through his body.

You nodded “I… think she’s warming up to you,” you told him sincerely “Just don’t do anything that could scare her away, please.”

“Like what?”

“Like a scary grand gesture for example.”

The professor walked toward you “Any ideas so far?” He said looking at James’ messy writing.

James nodded “A confetti cannon that, after using it, leaves confetti wherever you go,” he said, and read another idea “a pair of shoes that make the wearer constantly trip, a teapot that won’t stop whistling, even without any tea on it, and a buble liquid that makes ticklish bubbles.” He said proudly.

You stared dagger at him and covered his notes with your some parchment “It’s still a work in progress,” you told the teacher with the most charming smile you could muster, “James and I are still looking for better ideas.”

The professor nodded and kept walking around the classroom.

“Tripping shoes?” You asked in desbeilif “an ever whistling teapot? Are you for real–“

“–In my defence, I’m not great at multitasking.”

“No shiit Sherlock,” you told him.

“The tripping shoes could be funny tho.”

“Yeah, and the tickling bubbles are useful, for pranks, but Professor Pendragon wants us to invent the next invisibility cloak, I don’t think he’d be too satisfied with any of those options.”

“What about a ring that’s also an invisibility cloak?”

You rose your eyebrow at him “You mean like in the Lord of the Rings?”

“What’s the Lord of the Rings?”

You gasped, offended, you too had grown on a pure-blood wizard family but at least you knew the Lord of the Rings, “The hobbit?! Does not ring any bells?” He shook his head “It’s a very popular muggle book, you should really brush up on your muggle literature. Perhaps you should have taken muggle studies instead.”

“Hey!” He complained, “Don’t bash me for not being a literature genius like you and Remus.”

“I bet even Sirius would know about The Lord of the Rings.”

“How much?”

“10 sickles?” You asked.

“Oh, I’m really, really sure Sirius won’t know either,” James said “Make it 20.”

You rose your eyebrow at his challenge and nodded “Deal,” you said raising your hand to shake his, successfully closing the deal.

“So… the magical ring’s off the table?”

“No, I… I don’t think it’s a bad idea, maybe we can make a magical ring, just, with different powers instead.”

“Like…?”

You shrugged in response “We could make two rings that always find each other.”

“Ohhh, and I could give one to Lily!” James said excitedly, you threw him a look “Like… not now... When we start dating… obviously.”

“Love the confidence of that statement,” you said with a smile, thinking of how James had used when instead of if.

He winked “What about a bracelet that lets you communicate with someone else, like a… muggle telephone.”

“Or a walkie talkie…” you agreed.

“A what?” He asked.

“You’re joking, right?”

“I- uh… yeah,” he replied, not confidently at all.

“Damn it, James, you urgently need some muggle classes.” You said and started drawing a pair of walkie-talkies on the notebook, trying to explain their use, and how they worked, even if you weren’t entirely certain of how they did. “Can’t believe none of you thought it’d be useful to have some of them around. Especially for your pranks.”

“Yeah, me neither,” he agreed “You know smoke signals aren’t really the most effective.”

“Surely you didn’t try that,” You said confidently, his expression gave him away “You did?!?”

He shook his head, letting out a long sigh “We were in detention for days.”

You chuckled at that “At least you have the little paper planes now,” you said, remembering the day Remus had sent one to the boys, same day he took you to the lake because you were feeling upset.

“They’re useful, but they can be intercepted.” He explained, “Not very good for top secret plans.”

You laughed, of course, James would consider his prank plans worthy of the Top Secret title. “What about a bracelet?” You asked then.

“A magical bracelet? Sounds good, also with walkie-talkie abilities?”

“Could be more convenient than a ring…” you responded, “Not really sure about it tho."

“What about a pair of glasses that can help you see better in the dark?” He asked, “For those times where you can’t use lumos, maybe you lost your wand, or you wanna be inconspicuous.”

“Night vision googles, I dig it.”

“Exactly, but smaller, more practical to carry around.”

“Well, I guess we’ve got a few solid ideas then,” you said as you started picking up your things, you and James had stayed brainstorming together for a little longer than you realized “Class is over?”

James nodded “Moony and Pads left already,” he said as he looked towards the table your friends had been sitting on, “probably to the great hall, we said we’d eat together.”

“Peter too?” You asked him, he nodded.

“Wanna join us?”

You shrugged in response, “though you were planning a prank or something,” you said as you walked towards the door with him by your side.

He frowned “Why?”

“All the secretive talks? You’ve been awfully suspicious today.”

“What? No- that’s… it’s not. We’re not suspicious.”

You gave him an incredulous look but nodded “No, not at all,” you added sarcastically.

Once you were in the hall you spotted Remus and Sirius walking ahead of you and remembered you had to tell him about your fireworms so you picked up the pace. You walked behind him, for a minute, but he was so entertained in his conversation with Sirius you decided it’d be funny to tease him, so you extended your arms, and standing in your toes –because Remus was actually pretty tall– you decided to cover his eyes with your palms “Guess who–“ you started, but didn’t even get enough time to finish since Remus practically jumped out of your grasp in seconds, hissing as the silver of your new ring came into contact with his skin. It didn’t leave a mark but it did hurt him like hell.

Sirius, being quick to figure the new ring you wore had silver on it, looked at you with panic, but you didn’t notice, you were too concerned over Remus’ reaction. “I– I’m sorry Rem, didn’t mean to scare you…” you stammered “I… I was just trying to tease.” James and Sirius finally relaxed when they noticed you’d thought Remus was just scared.

“It’s ok…” he said with a forced smile as he extended his hand, a safe distance between your ring and himself “I wasn’t expecting you to come up from behind like that.”

You didn’t seem convinced but nodded, concern still evident on your face. “I uhh… I was trying to catch up to actually,” You finally changed the subject. James had gotten in between you and Remus as you walked, so you leaned a little towards the front to see your friend better “It’s about our fireworms, they’re already breathing fire.”

“What? I thought they wouldn’t do it until they were like a month old,” said Sirius.

“Exactly!” You nodded excitedly “They weren’t, our caring must have been phenomenal. Our babies are overachievers.”

“You’re keeping them together?” James asked.

You nodded “Co-parenting,” you paused “We split tasks and that way we make sure we don’t burn down the school by accident.”

Remus nodded in agreement “It’s easy to remember to feed them when it’s only a couple times a week instead of every single day.”

“And we found an excellent spot to keep them too, away from stress and anything that could make them nervous.”

“Well, the overachievers are not the worms,” Sirius said giving you and Remus a look.

James agreed “We just gave ours to Peter, in exchange for some other homework.”

“By the way (Y/N), mind taking care of them tomorrow too?” Remus asked politely.

“Sure thing,” you said, not thinking much of it.

You had your lunch with the boys, the girls and Peter joined you a bit later and you all walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts together. Professor Nightshade was elegantly leaning on her desk when you arrived at her classroom. She looked a little tense. Like she wasn’t too excited about the class to come.

Once most students were inside she shut the door with a wave of her wand “Today we will be going through the unforgivable curses.” She said, looking rather dejected “and while is not of my favourite classes to teach, we must delve into the subject, especially in dark times like these in which you might need to defend yourselves from one of them.”

The entire class was silent, everyone was paying attention to every single one of her words. It wasn’t uncommon to hear about the war, it was on the paper every single day, but most students chose to avoid and ignore the subject, so even if the war was going on, it was outside, Hogwarts was safe. But being confronted with it, so upfront, felt, well, it felt eerie and scary.

“Can someone name the unforgivable curses?” She asked.

Lily raised her hand “The кilling course, Imperius curse and…”

“The cruciatus curse,” Finished Sirius with a heavy breath.

“Correct!” Seraphina said, “10 points for Gryffindor… Indeed those are the three unforgivable curses, and they are unforgivable because…”

“Because they violate the rights of whoever is being cursed by them,” you responded.

“Can any of them be avoided?”

You shook your head “Only very experienced wizards can resist Imperio.”

“And countered?”

“Physical barriers might block some of the curses, but there is no known spell that can do such a thing.” Said Remus.

“No one has ever survived a кilling course either,” Imogen Potts added.

“Seems like you’ve been doing all the readings accordingly,” the teacher said satisfied “Now, you know the theory, but today we will have a small demonstration.” The students gasped, but Seraphina nodded heavily “You must know what you’re up against,” she pulled out a box and opened it, a butterfly flew out of it, about the size of your palm. Seraphina let the small insect fly freely for a minute before pointing her wand straight at her and whispering “Imperio.”

The butterfly started flying around, making circles around the class before landing on Marlene’s nose. She was sitting beside you, so you looked at her in awe as the butterfly batted its wings softly near her face. But then Seraphina changed the course, whispering “Cruicio.” The butterfly fell from Marlene’s nose and onto your table, right next to your book as it batted its wings helplessly. You looked at it with concern, Seraphina herself looked mortified as she inflicted pain on the small creature.

You gave her an imploring look, and that was all it took for her to stop. The small butterfly was released from the pain and started flying all around the classroom, desperately looking to get away from the place. Once the butterfly was close enough to her, she whispered the last curse and after a green flash came from her wand, the butterfly stopped flying, slowly falling to the ground, like a leaf from a tree.

The whole classroom was quiet. You stood up and carefully picked up the small butterfly from the floor. Looking at it pitifully as you handed it over to Seraphina, who held the box out for you to place it inside. “As you’ve seen, these curses are not only lethal but terrifying as well. There is a reason why, whoever dares to infringe them, will never be forgiven.”

“They will go to Azkaban,” whispered Peter.

“What a pitiful destiny,” agreed Sirius.

Professor Nightshade sighed heavily “I think this is enough for today, you may go.”

Students nodded and started placing their things into their backpacks. When you stood up, you walked towards her “I want to be in the duelling club.” You told her “I… I don’t want to end up like the butterfly.”

Seraphina looked at you, a sorrowful look in her eyes, she understood the implications of what you’d said. She knew how heavy your statement was. And she nodded “Of course darling, you’ll be a brilliant addition to the club.”

You nodded, satisfied and finally caught up with your friends. You went straight to Lily “At what time must we go get the fluxweed?” You asked.

“It’s supposed to be when the moon it’s at its highest point,” she told you “I checked the astronomy section of the paper in the morning, apparently at around 11:30 pm.”

“All right, we can totally hang out together till then, right? Do you have any plans?”

She shook her head “We had study club, but we cancelled it today, I was thinking of maybe going to the library to get some stuff and then studying or just chilling back at the common room.”

“It’s settled then,” you told her with a smile, walking alongside her towards the library. Since you had already finished most of your assignments you decided to walk through the long bookshelf to see if you found anything that caught your eye, while Lily looked for some more specific books. And as you walked over the edge of one of the bookshelves you bumped into Nina, the small Ravenclaw girl from the study grup that had a crush on Remus. “Hey love,” you said politely.

“Hi,” she replied quietly. To be fair, Nina really wanted to dislike you when she first encountered you. She was jealous of how close you and Remus had gotten in such a short period of time, but you had always treated her with kindness, genuinely willing to help her, if she had any questions, or needed help with a particular spell; that, in the end, she couldn’t help but like you instead. In fact, she’d go as far as to say she admired you. She’d seen you practicing spells and she even went to one of the quidditch trainings, with the intention to ogle at Remus who had gone too, but she was far too entranced by you when you were flying that she almost completely forgot about her original reason for going.

“You looking for Rem?” You asked her politely.

She shook her head “He cancels study sessions at least once every couple of weeks,” she told you “Originally, only Lily held the sessions by herself but she got very stressed without him to help her with the younger students, so they decided it was best to cancel them altogether.” Remus cancelled them? You thought, that’s odd. “What about you? Are you looking for a book in particular?”

You shook your head “Just something to entertain me while I hang out with Lily.”

“Oh, I think I can help you with that,” she said with a smile, bringing her backpack in front of her and opening the zipper “I actually got my hands on this book out last week, I read it in days, it’s about a werewolf who falls in love with a wizard.” she explained “It’s not very accurate with the actual nature of werewolves, but the key points are there. It’s a very fun romantic novel If you’re into that kind of stuff.” She said taking a book out of her bag and placing it on the table. “Oh and this one,” she grabbed a smaller book “It’s filled with simple yet practical spells that we don’t have in the curriculum, such as ways to fix glasses and open locks. It’s fantastic if you want something a bit more educational.”

You looked at her with a smile “These are fantastic Nina, thank you!” You said with genuine excitement.

She smiled at you, blushing just a little at your reaction “It’s nothing. I’m– I really like books,” she told you with a smile “If you ever need new recommendations, I’m down.”

You smiled at her “You’re the best!” You told her picking the books up from where she left them “It was lovely seeing you.”

She nodded, and was about to say something when Lily showed up, looking for you “I’ve got the books, ready to go?” She asked, and then noticed you weren’t alone “Oh, hey Nina! What’s up?”

“She lent me a couple of books,” you said, raising the books you held in between your arms so Lily would notice.

Lily nodded “Oh, Nina is really good at picking out books, trust me.” Lily said, “Mind if I take (Y/N) with me now?”

Nina shook her head “We were just doing some small talk.” She said, with a bit of a blush as both you and Lily waved your goodbyes.

As you walked outside the library Lily gave you a look “So… you’re friends with Nina now?”

You shrugged “She’s pretty nice actually. I don’t know when it happened, but she stopped hating me over Remus, and now she’s really kind, she even recommended books!”

“You probably just charmed her with your personality and looks, like you did with pretty much everyone,” Lily teased with a smile.

“Oi, shut up Evans, you’re probably more charming than I am,” you said nudging her in a friendly manner. She nudged you back and the two of you walked together towards the common room, chatting about your due assignments, and your favourite books. Since Lily was a muggle-born, she knew even more about muggle books than you, and it was fun hearing about all of them, from her favourites to those she didn’t like all that much.

Once you arrived at the common room you both found a comfortable place, she sat on the small round table by the stairs and you went straight for one of the couches, letting yourself comfortably lay on it while opening your backpack to pick one of the books Nina had recommended, you grabbed each on one hand, staring at the covers, trying to decide which one to go for first. After weighing both of them in your head, you decided to read the spell book and leave the romance novel on the side table.

Nina hadn’t been lying, the book was indeed practical, and you tried casting some of the most complicated or useful spells as you read, practicing the wand movements and incantations as Lily focused on her homework.

At some point Mary and Marlene went in, they were giggling about something that happened so you decided to leave your book next to the others and join their conversation.

“Oh my god, (Y/N)! You won’t believe what happened.” Mary said.

You smiled “Oh, do tell”

“We were talking to Moaning Myrtle, she said she overheard Holden talk about Marlene with some other boys, that she was an incredible beater and stuff.”

“Really?” You said smiling wider “I mean, no doubt, she’s amazing! But he said that?”

Mary nodded “According to Myrtle, that is… She also said some boys have been saying you’re part Veela because of your charm, be careful they may try and throw you into the water to see if you’re a good swimmer.”

You laughed at that, you were a good swimmer, but they couldn’t have been more off with their guesses. “So… what are you waiting for Mars? You have to make your move!”

“Make my move?” She gasped.

You nodded “Well, at the party you seemed pretty close, admit you like him or–”

“–Kiss him unexpectedly,” completed Mary.

“Yeah, that too.” You nodded.

“Well…” Marlene said taking a deep breath “I’m thinking I could– I wanted to invite him to Hogsmeade over the weekend, actually.”

“That’s brilliant!” You told her “Isn’t that tomorrow?”

She nodded in response “You coming too? I heard Sirius and James mention they wanted to show you around.”

“They haven’t told me anything about it, but I guess I’ll tag along with ya’ll anyway.”

At that point Lily stood up from her place and stretched, yawning softly “What time is it?”

“10:30,” answered Marlene after looking at her wrist watch “You done?”

She nodded “But we have to stay up for at least an hour,” Lily complained.

“Why?” Mary asked.

“We’re going to harvest some fluxweed,” you responded instead.

“Oh… because it’s full moon,” Marlene acknowledged.

You nodded “When are you getting yours?”

“Marlene ordered them from a fancy potion supply store.”

“That was allowed?” you asked, surprised.

Marlene shrugged “Not sure, but I highly doubt Slughorn will find out, if anything, we can say we picked them out with you.”

“Sure,” Lily said, sitting down on the sofa next to you, placing your feet on top offer lap to make some space. You made a move to bring your feet down but she shook her head “It’s alright, rest up, you’ve been awake since like 5 am, haven’t you?” You nodded, letting your feet on to lay over her lap “You should just tell James to screw off and sleep in, I can tell you’re not a morning person.”

You laughed “I wish, but I want to be in top shape for the game and… to be honest, I’m still getting used to my new broom, that’s why I’ve been flying every morning.” Out of nowhere, a pillow was thrown towards your face “Oi, what was that for?” You asked looking at Marlene, who’d been responsible for it.

“Show off,” she said “I need time to practice with my new broom,” she teased “and then she goes and flies like a professional every single damn time.” You opened your mouth to try to speak but closed it soon after, Marlene continued talking “James has been making the training even tougher so we keep up with her.”

“Sorry,” you said then “I guess I just really like flying.” After all, it’s in my blood, you thought. You wondered if you’d ever trust them enough to tell them about it, the answer was pretty simple, you already did, and you wanted to, but you knew how dangerous it was.

You stayed talking with the girls for a while, Marlene told you about the time she got on the quidditch team, Lily talked about being exceptionally good at potions and being invited to an exclusive party with Slughorn and Mary told you about the private classes she had been taking with Madam Pomfrey, about all the new potions and spells she had learned.

“It’s finally 11,” said Lily when Mars finished the story about the worst date she had gone on, she’d been invited to a magical restaurant, that had been jinxed by an angry customer the previous day, it had been absolute mayhem.

You stood up, stretching yourself “We should probably get going,” you said with a smile. She nodded and picked her backpack up, taking out a piece of paper and handing it over. You looked at her puzzled.

“It’s a nigh pass, I asked McGonagall for it,” she told you “We can go out and Filnch won’t say a thing.”

“Oh nice,” you said looking at the paper, boy, how easy would it be to make duplicates of it, with different dates. “Shall we?” You asked tilting your head towards the door. She nodded and the two of you walked towards the portrait of the fat lady.

“Good luck girls!” You heard Marlene shout from behind.

“Yeah, we’ll be back in the bedroom.”

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stargirlstudio · 2 years

Text

Dmitri recognizes you from his dirty magazines

Dmitri "Enzo" Antonov x fem!reader

Warning: graphic smut (praise, teasing, dirty talk, slight sub/dom dynamics, switch dynamics, thigh riding, fucking on the floor, unprotected sex)

Summary: Your modeling days have been over for about 5 years now, but who knew you would be loved internationally, especially the Russian guard you've been trying to find. Maybe you can make his dreams come true...

18+ ONLY. DNI if under 18.

The moment Dmitri set his eyes on you, he knew you looked familiar. With Joyce and Hopper having their reunion, all he could focus on was you. With only a few days to get back to the states, he tried to get that thought out of his head.

I'm being ridiculous, I don't know her.

You mostly kept to yourself, opting to take in scenery and contributing where you could. It was a spur of the moment decision to come over after you saw your neighbor Joyce trying to smash a doll. You even helped a little with the Russian translation, albeit not by much. Community college courses helped with that and your career helped with that.

Once it was quiet, Dmitri took it upon himself to ask you “Do I know you from somewhere? I apologize it's just you seem so familiar?" He asked.

You laughed. "Hm, maybe? I guess if you’re a big reader,” He was still a little confused. “Do you read magazines?” Oh. Now he’s remembered. He's thankful that you two have taken refuge on the east side of the safe house. Grateful that the American man and his woman aren't here to witness his embarrassment.

I mean how could he forget, your pretty face in one of America's greatest contributions. Honey, was one of the most popular adult magazines aside from Playboy, finding their niche within amateur porn. The much more scandalous shots was easy money for Dmitri, selling magazines to guards and others alike. In fact, you were a fan favorite amongst the inmates.

"Didn't take you to be a pervert," You joked.

Dmitri shook his head, "I'm not a pervert. I didn't even look at your photos that much!"

"Naughty Dmitri, and I thought you were a scary guard," You whispered. Fuck, why did you have to say it like that. "Did you like them?" You asked. He nodded. So maybe he did lie, he loved them. You had no idea how many times he's jerked off to yours specifically. The special shots of you on your knees, fingering yourself with one hand and the other reaching out. He could imagine you palming him through his pants as you got wet, saying whatever he wanted to hear.

Please fuck me, I’ve been so good,

You’ve been very bad, do you think you deserve it, princess?

Cum inside me, please Dmitri I need you

You inched closer, “Do you have a favorite?” He turned his head, seeing you sitting on your knees. There’s too many photos of yours that were perfect, he didn’t have a favorite. Your hand, on his knee, moving incredibly slow.

“No uh,” He started. “They’re all very good,” Eyeing your hand. “I uh thought I was scary?” Dmitri joked. You smiled, coming closer to his ear.

“Maybe I was mistaken,” You whispered. “Maybe we can get to know each other? Only if you want,”

Dmitri placed both hands on your hips, “I want to,” he shifted you over his thigh as you kissed him, a soft moan coming out as you moved back and forth. “Take these off, I want to see you cum in your panties. Make a mess all over my thigh,” He helped you take off your pants, throwing them somewhere across the room. Guiding you across his thigh once again, he let your set your own pace. Groaning at the feeling of you soaking him through his pants.

"Fuck...these are cute aren't they," He said toying with the lace. "It's got a cute bow too. Fitting," Dmitri teased as he flexed watching your soft whimpers get louder. "You sound so pretty. We should get this off too," Lifting up your shirt. He reached for the clasp of your bra until you pinned his wrists against the wall.

You shook your head, "Take your shirt off. It's not fair if I'm the only one who's shirtless. I'm already ruining these for you, I wanna see all of you too," He complied. Dmitri would do anything for you. "For a man who hasn't seen a lot of my photos, you sure are eager,"

"I lied," He said quickly. "I've seen a lot more. Kept a lot more," You scoffed.

"I know," You said. "You're not good at lying," You got off, sitting on your knees in between his legs. "So selfish," You whispered as you palmed him. He groaned, he never expected this. He loved every second of it, trying to meet more of your touch. "You shouldn't have lied to me. I don't take kindly to liars love. So from now on, you do as I say or you won't cum," You helped him take off his pants.

"Please I want to cum, fuck...I need you," He pleaded. You laughed, taking off your panties, holding them in your hands. "I want you to ride me. I don't care if I don't cum, I just want to feel you. I've never wanted something so bad in my life" He continued. "Make my dreams come true,"

He looked good when he's desperate. The way his face is flushed and his soft moans. You couldn't get enough, he craved you. He needed you, it felt too good. "Do you think you deserve it?" You asked. He nodded vehemently, but you needed a verbal answer. "Yes or no?"

"Yes yes, fuck, please please darling I deserve it. I promise I'll listen, I won't lie anymore," bucking his hips up. You tapped his lips, stuffing your panties in his mouth. "Good, I need you to keep quiet okay. We can't wake anyone up. I can control myself, but I don't know about you," You told him, positioning yourself over his cock. The muffled moans reaching your ears as you sink down, your gasps making it harder for him to control himself. "Ah..you feel so good, where have you been all my life?"

Dmitri needed you to meet his thrusts, he went a little faster. Eyeing how beautiful you looked, fucked out as your tits swung in his face. He needed them in his mouth, but wanted to obey you. He held you closer, caressing every part of your body. It's everything he's ever wanted, he never thought in his life this would happen. Now you're here, he needed to prove himself. Just to make sure you wouldn't think of anyone else. He reached down, rubbing circles on your clit making you moan louder.

You took the panties out of his mouth, "Is it better than your imagination? Am I making your dreams come true?"

He gripped your hips harder, laying you on the floor with your legs over his shoulders, "Yes princess, shit, this is much better than my imagination. I didn't think you would feel so good around me. I can't get enough of you," He took one hand, holding the side of your face. You moved your head, licking his thumb and taking it into your mouth. "You're heaven sent aren't you? What happened to me staying quiet huh? You said I couldn't control myself," He said thrusting faster. "But here you are making a mess on my finger and my cock, angel,"

"I just needed to hear you," You whispered. Fuck, how could he resist you? Not when you say it like that. He moved faster, continuing to rub circles on your clit. "Right there, Dmitri! I'm gonna cum please don't stop,"

"Come on, cum for me angel," He whispered. "I'll make you cum as many times as you want, I need to feel you baby,"

You came, with his finger still in your mouth and his hand gripping your hips. "Where do you want me?" He asked you. "Need you to answer fast because I won't be able to hold out for much longer, you feel too good-"

"I want you inside. I need you to cum inside me Dmitri. It's okay," You whimpered. He positioned your legs at his hips, moving down to kiss your neck and your lips. "Please cum inside,"

He groaned into your mouth, whispering how pretty you are as he came inside you. "Thank you for making my dreams, reality,"

#dmitri antonov x reader #dmitri antonov #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #fanfic #enzo x reader #enzo stranger things

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eldest-sibling-tournament · 1 year

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eldest sibling tournament

here is the bracket for the eldest sibling tournament!

since round one contains 32 matches, it will be split into two parts. the polls for round 1, part 1 will begin tomorrow, march 17th, at 11am EDT.

this post will be updated throughout the tournament with links to the polls! feel free to submit propaganda through asks/submissions/reblogs/tags; i'll try to post/rb all of it.

all polls can be found at #tournament poll

full list of original matchups under the cut!

left side of bracket, top to bottom:

Sokka (Avatar: the Last Airbender) vs Kate Sharma (Bridgerton)

Dmitri Fyodorovich Karamazov (The Brothers Karamazov) vs Tina Belcher (Bob's Burgers)

Jane Bennet (Pride and Prejudice) vs Robb Stark (A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones)

Raphael Hamato (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) vs Wendy Darling (Peter Pan)

Nani Pelekai (Lilo and Stitch) vs Meg Murry (A Wrinkle in Time)

Itachi Uchiha (Naruto) vs Wirt (Over the Garden Wall)

Meg March (Little Women) vs Jesse Cosay (Infinity Train)

Kendall Roy (Succession) vs Anthony Bridgerton (Bridgerton)

Declan Lynch (The Raven Cycle/The Dreamer Trilogy) vs Elphaba Thropp (Wicked)

Nancy Wheeler (Stranger Things) vs Franziska von Karma (Ace Attorney)

Candace Flynn (Phineas and Ferb) vs Gawain of Orkney (Arthuriana)

Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100) vs Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

Jiang Yanli (Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed) vs Violet Parr (The Incredibles)

Boromir (Lord of the Rings) vs Bianca di Angelo (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)

Mycroft Holmes (Sherlock Holmes) vs Elsa (Frozen)

Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist) vs Tzeitl (Fiddler on the Roof)

right side of bracket, top to bottom:

Maedhros (The Silmarillion) vs Justin Russo (Wizards of Waverly Place)

Elektra (Oresteia) vs Louis de Pointe du Lac (Interview with the Vampire)

Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) vs Kai Smith (Ninjago)

Connor Roy (Succession) vs Callum (The Dragon Prince)

Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) vs Mia Fey (Ace Attorney)

Sophie Hatter (Howl's Moving Castle) vs Cain (The Book of Genesis)

Rodrick Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) vs Jazz Fenton (Danny Phantom)

Violet Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events) vs Isabela Madrigal (Encanto)

Dean Winchester (Supernatural) vs Rodya Raskolnikov (Crime and Punishment)

Thor Odinson (The Marvel Cinematic Universe) vs Éponine Thénardier (Les Misérables)

Edyn Tidestrider (Just Roll With It) vs Maddie Buckley (9-1-1)

Fiona Gallagher (Shameless) vs Gregor Samsa (The Metamorphosis)

Vi (Arcane) vs Tadashi Hamada (Big Hero 6)

Peter Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia) vs Vera Rostova (War and Peace)

Mako (The Legend of Korra) vs Sarah Williams (Labyrinth)

Dick Grayson (DC Comics) vs Julie Molina (Julie and the Phantoms)

#mod.txt

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grumpy-aino · 9 months

Text

✨Little S2 Musical Analysis✨

You guys remember when Aziraphale forgives Maggie's debt in the first episode in exchange for some records?

Those records are by none other than Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich and I know LOTS about this man (and why the choice to include him may have something to do with Aziraphale's character arc in s3!)...

Shostakovich's life is usually characterised by his tricky relationship with Stalin. During the 30s, the musical freedom enjoyed by Russian composers came to an end, Stalin clearly preferring more traditional classical music. Although Shostakovich had been criticised for his more adventurous works in the late 20s, his 1936 ballet, Lady Macbeth of Mstsensk got him officially denounced by Stalin's official newspaper (Pravda).

Composers who refused to comply with the standards were denounced as formalists (including Western elements in their art) and risked deportation to a remote area of Russia, imprisonment and even death.

On to the record in question! The Symphony No. 5 was written after this denunciation. It was a success, being to Stalin's liking and praised as a "Soviet artist's practical and creative response to just criticism". Shostakovich was back in Stalin's good books.

Who else do we know to be once denounced and hated by a regime who has just recently got back into their good books?

This might just be a neat reference to Shostakovich's life in comparison to Aziraphale's, but Shostakovich's story doesn't end there: In 1948 he was denounced a second time for his Symphony No. 9, which was promised to be large and triumphant to celebrate the USSR's victory in WWII, but was completely the opposite - playful and cheery, mocking Stalin.

The second denunciation was in a way more serious than the first. Shostakovich (and other composers who were accused of formalism) were made to give quite a public apology. Many of his works were banned and he was expelled from the Leningrad Conservatory.

Although he was put to use again by the government in 1949 at a New York press conference, it had been remarked upon by Nabokov that Shostakovich was "not a free man, but an obedient tool of his government." Even after Stalin's death, Shostakovich still had a strained relationship with the government. They still largely controlled art and in 1960, Shostakovich was devasted when he joined the communist party.

Of course, all of this information could be completely irrelevant and it could just be Aziraphale buying some classical music. especially because the Symphony No. 5 is NOT 21 minutes long like Aziraphale implies (in fact, it's a little over an hour). But so much of this media is intentional and the PARALLELS are insane.

The second denunciation could mean a whole lot for season 3. Aziraphale is probably likely to 'go along' at first with Heaven (Shostakovich wasn't really on board with the heroic nature of his symphonies - the 5th, according to one musicologist, is a love symphony), but might be plotting something. This second denunciation appears like it could be entertaining.

What's more! Shostakovich also had a best friend who died before they could have their post-war reunion (as Shostakovich talked about it his letters). Honestly the whole thing's really tragic and hurts to think about; Shostakovich promised he'd never write another note again after his friend's death, but instead wrote his incredibly painful Piano Trio No. 2.

✨Anyway hoped you liked that✨

tagging @neil-gaiman bc why not?

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens season 2 #good omens 2 spoilers #aziraphale #crowley #aziraphale x crowley #good omens season 3 #good omens theory #good omens thoughts #good omens spoilers #good omens shitpost #go2 #neil gaiman #shostakovich #classical music #classical composers

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rookofthekingom · 2 months

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Hi, I’m Rook :)

& first of all I’d like to apologize, as if you are reading this, then you have somehow stumbled across my blog. im incredibly sorry. (you are, however, more than welcome to stay☺️)

𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔

Christian : she/they : queer : i play the violin : music is my passion : i think a lot : it kinda sucks ngl : uhhh : I’m learning Italian! : and whatever part of my personality isn’t lost to music is lost to that : i’m also learning Spanish but i’ve been learning italian longer so im a lot more passionate about it : i love love books : Pisces : infp : borderline intp tho : i love all forms of art : i sometimes write :

𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔

~Music~

My favorite artists: [Queen] [Måneskin] [Marco Mengoni] [Mahmood] [Billy Joel] [BLANCO] [Palaye Royale] [Irama] [Michele Bravi] [David Bowie] [The Beatles] [Green Day] [Mötley Crüe] [Eagles] [NEEDTOBREATHE] [Phil Wickham] [My Chemical Romance]

My favorite composers: [Shostakovich] [Bach] [Dvorák] [Rachmaninoff] [Tchaikovsky] [Vivaldi] [Grieg] [Holst] [Borodin] [Rimsky-Korsakov]

My current favorite songs: [Welcome to the Black Parade-My Chemical Romance] [Gravità-Irama, Rkomi] [Holiday-Green Day] [Abandoned-Benjamin William Hastings] [Petrolio-Irama, Rkomi] [Migliore Di Me-Marco Mengoni] [Sexy-Irama, Rkomi feat. Guè] [The Sharpest Lives-MCR] [The Gadfly Suite-Dmitri Shostakovich] [La Paura Del Buio-Måneskin]

𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔

~Literature~

I love books so so much-

‣ Im currently trying to expand my reading taste a bit more—up until now I’ve mostly read fantasy and romance but I’m gaining interest in classics & philosophy :)

‣ as for right now I’m kinda obsessed with Dostoevsky 🫣

‣ uhh idrk what else to put here bc if I were to list any books fandoms/books I like it would take forever

‣ so ig if you’re curious just ask?? very open to talk to ppl!

‣ and that goes for everything, not just books ofc :)

Just finished: [Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky]

Currently reading: [What If It’s Us by Adam Silvera & Becky Albertalli]

𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔

~Fandoms~

Marauders—I ship Wolfstar, Dorlene, Jily, and Rosekiller (and Jegulus & Pandalily if I’m in the right mood lol) & imma be honest this is really the only one I’m at all active in :)

Young Royals—I’m currently rewatching it and I AM SUFFERING

Heartstopper—because I deserve to be happy sometimes 😃

Percy Jackson—uhh idrk what else to say; ig I’m a daughter of Apollo?

Umm probably more, again just ask—chances are I’m not very active in them tho 👀

𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔

only if you want to listen, this is just a playlist of songs that just like FEEL like me, idek how to explain it—it doesnt necessarily even make them my favorites just asjkdsjk idk:

𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔

“We are unusual and tragic and alive” -Dave Eggers

𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔 ˖ 𖥔

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karamazovposting · 2 months

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I didn't know if I wanted to add this little afterthought to this post in the post itself or maybe in a reblog but I didn't really feel like it fit in there so I'm making a completely separate post because I can't stop thinking about it.

I find it very telling (and interesting) that after being told that he's exactly like his father, Ivan finds himself in a very similar situation Fyodor found himself in when he was younger, but said situations have opposite outcomes because Ivan is, in fact, not exactly like his father. Ivan finds a vulnerable man alone and decides to help him, saving his life; Fyodor finds a vulnerable woman, Lizaveta, alone and decides to hurt her in an incredibly vile and disgusting way, which also leads to her death months later.

Ivan gets many chances to redeem himself and prove that he's not like his father (just like Dmitri does) and to me this instance feels like the most important one out of them all; he manages to do good even in madness, even when no one was there to watch and condemn him if he had chosen not to. That's because Ivan doesn't fear anyone's judgment, not even God's, but his own (after all it's his own judgment of himself that makes him spiral, Aleksej and Pavel did nothing but feed into his confirmation bias), and that situation is the ultimate proof of his true character and of what he thinks of himself. He says everything is permitted, yet he still chooses to do good because he thinks he's just like his father and he doesn't want to be. Which automatically doesn't make him like his father.

He does share some personality traits with Fyodor because all the brothers do, but that's not enough to prove he's rotten to the core because he just isn't, and "goodness" is something people actively choose to do, not an inherent trait. Ivan is a good person because he chooses to be, but he thinks he isn't because he thinks his blood is tainted and he can't escape it. But he did.

I'm not really good at explaining this kind of stuff but I hope you get what I'm saying.

#I'm very fond of redemption as a theme so I think and talk about it a lot sorry #and yes I don't think human beings are inherently good or evil #the brothers karamazov #ivan karamazov #fyodor karamazov #thoughts #mine

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aralisj · 5 months

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So I went to see the Mexican production of Anastasia and I have a lot of feelings and thoughts:

Like the tour and international productions, there's a cut from Learn to Do It, and Crossing a Bridge is replaced with Paris Holds the Key (Reprise)- which is a damn shame because if there ever was an Anya that could do justice to Crossing a Bridge that's Mariana Dávila (apparently, she has an almost three octave range? The fuck?!)

Javier Manente (Dmitry) is 1.86m (6'2'') and Mariana Dávila (Anya) is 1.56m (5'2'') which is just insane.

And so Javi honors the ancient Dima tradition of being more of a mover than a dancer, way too tall, handsome and with the voice of an angel 🥰

Mariana is a powerhouse - her voice is stunning and her rendition of In My Dreams will haunt me for months.

Christy and Derek's dynamic was very confrontational for Act 1, very movie Dimya, while Mariana and Javi are more of a hopeful/cynic vibe which also works very well.

Manuel Corta's Vlad is more of a tenor than a baritone so that makes some of the harmonies sound a little hollow but that's me nitpicking because his voice is lovely.

He is short, taller than Anya but shorter than Lily - which makes for a few comedic beats to hit harder, mainly choreography and the line "from the first moment I saw you, I knew I was beneath you".

Carlos Quezada's Gleb is probably the slimiest I've seen yet (Ramin, Max and Constantine). In the scene in his office, instead of grabbing Anya by the arm to stop her from leaving, he grabs her by the waist and talks into her hair?!?! It doesn't help that the translation of Still emphasizes how childlike and innocent Anya is (yikes 😬). The vibes are fatal attraction and the last confrontation feels very much like Anya would rather die than be Gleb's which is a different take for sure.

Even if I didn't love his take on the character, his voice was incredible, he played up the growl at the end of Still into an almost metal/rock thing that I loved

(I just found out that he previously played Scar in The Lion King and Javert in Les Mis which makes so much sense in retrospect)

All song translations are the same as the Madrid production, except for Journey to the Past where they use the translation from the movie (God I wish they had done that for Once Upon a December too)

In the almost kiss for In a Crowd of Thousands they got so close 👀 Christy and Derek left a little room for Jesus between them and usually grabbed each other by the forearms. My boy Javi went straight to cup Mariana's face and touch her hair while she touched his hands and tugged at his shirt!!! Real romantic stuff

Their voices sound so nice together (if you haven't heard their cover of Hadestown you should)

Lily was fucking incredible. The dance scenes! I always thought it was crazy that she had two consecutive dance heavy numbers and she delivered!!! Her singing was superb at all times.

The ballet number was so good!!! All the dancers got a big ovation

Experiencing Stay I Pray You live? I felt it inside my chest, I was so close to tears! (I missed Constantine's voice though 😩)

Irasema Terrazas as The Dowager was amazing, she has that old timey, 1940s starlet quality to her voice that is just mesmerizing.

The costumes are very pretty, lovely quality, and almost the same as Broadway's. If I remember correctly, the ones that were markedly different in terms of fabric were Lily's Neva dress and press dress, and Gleb's coat. The silhouettes are pretty much the same (though The Paris Holds the Key dress was very much a maxi skirt on Mariana 🤭)

#i felt like a seasoned professional but also like a little kid <3 #anastasia #anastasia mexico

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dameronscopilot · 2 years

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unbound

Dmitri Antonov x f!reader

Summary: The sad state of your unfulfilling marriage with an officer at a Russian prison doesn’t go unnoticed by one of his subordinates, Dmitri Antonov.

Dmitri finds himself concerned by your indifference over the actions of your cheating husband, and thus he takes it upon himself to show you the types of pleasure that a woman like you deserves to experience.

Rating: Explicit, 18+ ONLY

Word Count: 4k+

Content: NSFW, SMUT, porn with minimal plot, infidelity, unprotected p in v, creampie, choking kink, spit kink, anal play, thigh riding, masturbation, spanking, oral sex, slight breeding kink, dirty talk, daddy kink

“He’s cheating on you, you know.”

You turned your head around to meet the steady, calm gaze of the prison guard Dmitri Antonov, who stood a few paces away smoking a cigarette. He took one last drag before dropping it to the ground, crushing it into the snow beneath his boot. You both glanced across the courtyard to where your husband Andrei was animatedly waving his rifle in the air, red in the face and wheezing in laughter at something another guard was saying.

You brushed away the gently falling snow that had begun to accumulate on the shoulder of your plush jacket and shrugged. “I don’t really care where he puts his little cock. The less it’s inside of me, the better.”

Dmitri narrowed his eyes at that, taking a step toward you. “Then why do you stay with him? Why not go back to America?”

A self-depricating laugh escaped your lips. “How? I have nothing back there. I have no money to my name, no family. I may be married to a narcissistic pig, but if I look past that, I should truly want for nothing else. I am fed, I am clothed, and I live a comfortable life otherwise.”

Something unreadable crossed Dmitri’s features before he smoothed his expression and leaned closer to murmur, “There are other pleasures in life that a woman like you deserves to want.”

Warmth bloomed in your lower abdomen, but before you could say anything else, a bell signaling the next shift change began to sound, and Dmitri was gone.

Later that evening, you lie awake in bed, alone with your thoughts. Your marriage to Andrei one year ago had afforded you the promise that you could finally call it quits in the losing battle to provide for yourself, something that had proven incredibly difficult in recent years as you found yourself alone with nowhere else to turn. You didn’t particularly care for the man, but there were few other options available to you at the time, and so you had agreed to his proposal. As a high ranking officer in the prison, Andrei worked long hours, which afforded you ample time away from him anyway. And when he wasn’t there, he often chose the company of other willing, naked women that were happy to spread their legs at the mere sight of his uniform. Let them enjoy his pathetic 15-second stamina.

Your thoughts drifted to Dmitri. While it wasn’t uncommon to catch some of the guards staring at you when you visited the prison—eyes brazenly raking over the teases of your feminine body underneath your coat—Dmitri was the only one who dared to speak to you. If Andrei was otherwise occupied, Dmitri would often sidle up beside you, unbothered by the way your lipstick would stain the cigarette you typically shared while conversing. His company was a breath of fresh air, and you weren’t ashamed to admit that you sometimes made excuses to show up just for the sake of seeing him.

You closed your eyes, and the memory of blue eyes looking into yours imploringly appeared unbidden. Burrowing into the cool silk of your sheets, you slowly undid the buttons of your nightshirt, sliding a hand across your bare chest to tease at your stiffening nipples. Biting back a breathy sound, your other hand trailed down to slip inside your underwear. You drug a finger down the center of your folds, which had become slick and wet as you thought about the way Dmitri would often run his tongue along his bottom lip before giving you a rueful grin. Massaging your breasts, you thrust a finger inside of your hot core, eliciting a moan of pleasure from your lips.

As you inserted another finger, you imagined that Dmitri was between your legs, blazing a trail of open-mouthed kisses up the inside of your thighs. He would deftly slide his hands beneath you, cupping your ass and brushing his nose against your clit before slipping his tongue inside your hot mound. You shamelessly bucked into the digits that you were earnestly pumping in and out of your cunt, fantasizing over Dmitri’s satisfied expression when he would realize that you were dripping with arousal for him. His name would leave your mouth desperately, and his lust-blown pupils would steadily hold your gaze as he sheathed his cock inside of you and fucked into you with reckless abandon. Your orgasm punched through you as you cried out Dmitri’s name into the quiet darkness of the room.

This wasn’t the first time that your hands had been left sticky over thoughts of your husband’s subordinate.

And it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Two weeks passed before you were able to think of another excuse to take a drive down the long, winding road leading to the prison. The guards posted at the entrance waved you through without incident, used to the frequent appearance of your red sedan.

Well aware that this was a shift that Dmitri normally worked, you not-so-subtly made your way through the various areas of the prison that you could access, hoping that you would be lucky enough to find him before crossing paths with Andrei. You eventually found yourself in a quiet, dimly lit hallway, and before you could turn to head back the way you came, you nearly shrieked at the feeling of a hand on your shoulder.

“Hey, hey! It’s just me!”

You relaxed at the sound of Dmitri’s amused voice, whipping around to see him grinning at you. Shaking your head, you shoved him weakly and groused, “You can’t just go around scaring a girl in a prison like that.”

Dmitri raised his eyebrows, his mouth turning up playfully at one corner. “This is a restricted area, милая.” (Darling)

You shrugged. “Perhaps I felt like getting into trouble today.”

Dmitri nodded thoughtfully and began to circle you, eventually coming to a stop behind you as he leaned forward to whisper in your ear, “Well, a bad girl must be punished.”

The delicate hairs on the back of your neck rose at the feeling of his lips ghosting over your skin. Though your nerves were thrumming with anticipation, you willed your voice to remain steady as you challenged, “What are you doing to do, Dmitri, spank me?”

The sound of Dmitri’s dark chuckle went straight to your core. You could hardly breathe as you heard the sound of metal clinking in Dmitri’s pockets, and a gasp escaped your mouth when he pulled your arms behind your back, slipping a pair of handcuffs onto your wrists. His nose brushed the shell of your ear as he murmured, “Would you like that, принцесса?” (Princess)

Before you could respond, the sound of footsteps and raucous laughter echoed down the hall, and Dmitri quickly threw open the door of the cramped supply closet beside you. He pulled you inside the tight space, where you found your chest pressed nearly flush against his as he gently placed a finger to your lips. You darted your tongue out to lick the tip of his finger, and he dragged it down your bottom lip in response. The digit continued its path from your chin and down your neck, eventually coming to a stop just before the swell of your breasts, which were generously on display, courtesy of the plunging neckline of the blouse you were wearing. You unconsciously pushed your body toward Dmitri’s in response, and you nearly lost your balance in the process, unable to steady yourself with your hands still cuffed behind your back.

Leaning against the wall behind him, Dmitri’s hands fell to your hips to keep you from falling, and you felt the brush of his thigh against your center as he readjusted his stance. A small whine escaped your lips, and in the darkness, you could see the faint outline of Dmitri cocking his head in observation. He shifted his thigh again, this time deliberately pressing the strong, thick muscle of his leg against your core, and you dropped your head onto his shoulders.

“Go ahead,” he murmured encouragingly, and you nuzzled your face into his collarbone.

You relaxed into Dmitri’s waiting thigh, straddling him as he hiked your skirt up to your waist. With only the thin fabric of your panties and Dmitri’s pants between you, you pushed up into his leg, pleasure thrumming through you at the drag of friction against your sensitive mound. His strong hands gripped your hips tightly as you began to increase your pace, dizzy with the blissful sensation of the rough push and pull against your folds. Your cunt throbbed at the sound of Dmitri’s shallow breaths, and you brought one of his hands up to cup your breast. He ran his thumb over your hard nipple as the peak of your pleasure began to lick a blazing hot path through your body. You threw your head back, jaw falling open as a desperate moan punched out of you, and Dmitri tightly clapped a hand over your mouth.

“Cum for me, beautiful.”

You cried out as your orgasm crested, cunt clenching and throbbing while you continued to ride out the waves of your pleasure against Dmitri’s thigh. You collapsed against him, legs trembling so hard you could barely stand, and he pressed a kiss to your temple and ran soothing hands up and down your back.

Wordlessly, you both exited the closet, and he swiftly unlocked the handcuffs. He stuffed them back into his pockets as another set of voices could be heard approaching, and he looked at you with a raised eyebrow, eyes sparkling with mirth, before turning and walking away.

Your mind swam as you trailed your way back through the prison. When you eventually found your husband, you were unable to offer much by way of conversation, as you were too distracted by your damp, cum-soaked panties and the phantom feeling of Dmitri’s fingers digging into your hips.

After your rendezvous with Dmitri in the closet, your self-control snapped in a matter of days, worn thin by the increasing desperation with which you plunged your fingers inside of yourself each night, imagining instead that they were Dmitri’s cock. Your husband didn’t help your impatience by any means, stumbling into bed at ungodly hours reeking of the stale scent of alcohol and floral perfume.

Which is why you found yourself standing in front of the mirror in your bedroom on your husband’s birthday, slipping on a short, tight black dress that dipped low to expose your entire back, your hard, bare nipples peeking through the light fabric. Sliding your feet into a pair of bright red heels that matched your lipstick, you spritzed a gentle cloud of perfume over yourself before grabbing your coat and strutting out the door.

When you arrived at the prison and found Andrei talking to a group of guards, you plastered a serene smile on your face as you handed him the lunch that you had made for him.

He turned to the men with a sneer and barked out in English, for your sake, “You see? This is why you marry an American bitch. They are beautiful, they know how to fuck, and they feed you.” He crudely clapped a hand against your ass, and you cringed. Dmitri watched from the edge of the small crowd, something dark swirling in his gaze.

Andrei turned back to the other men, effectively dismissing you, and you excused yourself, disappearing in the direction of the washrooms. Like clockwork, it wasn’t long before you heard the sound of a determined set of footsteps following in your wake. You turned toward where you knew the laundry room was, assuming that none of the guards would be found in this deserted block of the prison at lunch hour. You didn’t need to glance back to know that Dmitri had followed you into the room, at which time he closed the door and flicked the lock into place. He walked a few steps toward you from behind.

“I should make him look down the barrel of my gun for the way he spoke to you back there,” he said quietly, his tone simmering with anger.

Your eyes roved over the row of washers and dryers on the other side of the room. “He would have you killed before you could even blink.”

He sighed, closing the distance between you and turning you around to face him. Dmitri brought a callused finger to your chin, gently tipping it upward so that you were looking into his eyes. “You’re right. So while that bastard stuffs his face, I can think of no better birthday gift than fucking his beautiful wife for him.”

You bit your lip and smiled. “Show me the pleasure you think I deserve, Dmitri.”

Dmitri brought his other hand up so he could cup both sides of your face, and he leaned in, murmuring, “In a place like this? I can only show you a fraction of it,” before capturing your lips with his.

The burning embers inside of you flared to life as his mouth finally met yours, something you had imagined time and time again in the darkness between your sheets. His plush lips insistently slotted against your own, and you sighed into his mouth, raking a hand through his hair. Dmitri’s tongue teased along the seam of your lips, and you opened yourself to him. He devoured you, licking into your mouth and sliding his tongue against your own with a hungry fervor. Neither of you could be bothered to care about the state of your red lipstick, which was messily smudged like a filthy brand across both of your faces. He swallowed the wanton moan that crawled up your throat as he ran a hand down your side, cupping your ass and pulling your body to his, where you could feel the evidence of his thick arousal straining against the front of his pants.

“Dmitri,” you whined into the kiss.

He took your bottom lip between his teeth, biting down and sucking on it, and you pulled his hair in return. He groaned, grinding his hard, clothed cock against your hip, and a wave of lust poured through you at the thought of him stretching your tight walls open with it.

You gripped his shoulders tightly and continued, “...you still never punished me.”

Dmitri stiffened, and he pulled his lips away from yours, pupils blown wide with lust. He straightened, gripping your chin in his hands as he jerked his head toward the large metal table in the middle of the room.

“Bend over, hands on the table. Now,” he said evenly, the undercurrent of authority in his voice sending a zip of excitement heaving through your body.

You obeyed, and Dmitri followed. He kneeled on the ground behind you and brought his mouth to your left ankle, kissing it gently before removing your shoe, repeating the process on your right foot as well. He continued kissing his way up the backs of your legs, lifting your dress up in the process. You flexed your hands on the cool surface of the table as you felt Dmitri slide your underwear down and off, running a finger over your folds afterward. He hummed, beginning to firmly massage your supple asscheeks and leaning forward to trail hot kisses along your lower back.

Your cunt fluttered in anticipation as he brought a hand to the back of your neck, holding you down against the table, and you cried out as he swiftly cracked his other palm against the waiting swell of your ass. You keened at the pleasurable feeling of your hard nipples rubbing against the cold surface underneath you as Dmitri spanked you harder, your body jolting in response. He brought his hand down again with force, and you could feel your sticky arousal beginning to leak out of your cunt and down your legs. Pleasure rocked through your body as he smacked your reddening asscheeks again and again, and you savored each stinging lash.

Dmitri paused to marvel over the gratuitous amount of fluid leaking out of you, running his fingers through it, and you shivered. “Your pussy is gushing for me already, begging to be filled.”

Your voice was wrecked as you keened, “Need your cock, daddy.”

Dmitri roughly began to palm himself over his pants as the last word left your lips, nearly growling in response. He leaned down to run his tongue over your wet slit, plunging a thick finger inside of you. You pushed back against him, desperate to feel more. Hands roved up your body as Dmitri pulled you back into a standing position, your back to his chest.

Biting and kissing along your neck, he growled, “You want me to fuck you stupid and stuff you full of daddy’s cum?”

You pressed your ass into the solid line of his cock behind you and murmured, “I want to feel your cum dripping out of my hole for days.”

A strangled sound left Dmitri’s lips at your request, and he pulled your breasts out of your dress, groping at them. “Does your piece of shit husband want kids? I’ll fuck a baby into your tight little cunt right now, Лапушка.” (Sweetheart)

Lust pooled deep in your gut in response to his brazen words, and you turned around, capturing his lips in a searing kiss. Without breaking eye contact with him, you sidled over to one of the washing machines, hopping up to sit on top of it and spreading your legs invitingly. Dmitri’s chest heaved in admiration at the view, and he strode over, leaning over you to turn the knob on to a heavy cycle. The machine began to vibrate roughly beneath you, and your cunt tingled in pleasure. Dmitri smirked, coming to stand between your legs as he unbuckled his pants, pulling out his thick, rock hard cock.

You pulled him closer to you, licking into his mouth eagerly as you reached a hand down to stroke him, running a thumb over the arousal leaking from the tip of his shaft. He moaned into your mouth, and you pulled back to ask playfully, “Do you think it’ll fit?”

Dmitri chuckled, sliding two fingers back inside of your wet core. “I’m going to stretch your perfect little pussy wide open with my fat cock, and your pathetic husband will never even be able to dream of pouring his cum as deep inside of you as I’m about to.”

Beginning to feel nearly feral with anticipation, you leaned forward to nip at Dmitri’s ear, exhaling in a sultry tone, “So what are you waiting for? Let me milk your cock for all it’s worth.”

At that, all of the patience Dmitri had been exuding since the moment he first laid eyes on you snapped, and he surged forward, roughly fucking his fingers into your pussy while he latched his mouth onto one of your swollen breasts, sucking greedily on a sensitive nipple. He crooked his fingers inside of your slippery channel, rubbing against your spongy wall while applying pressure against your clit. You choked out a gasp as your body sang with pleasure, clear liquid gushing from your pussy and squirting down Dmitri’s arm as your orgasm ripped through you like a lightning strike.

Dmitri smirked, scooping a finger back inside your creamy hole and leaning down to lick the cum off of it. “Such a good girl. I think you deserve daddy’s cock now.”

Another relentless, hot lick of arousal churned in your gut at the praise as you pathetically whined, “Please, Dmitri.”

He brought his lips to yours as he pulled you to the edge of the washing machine, lining up his cock with your drenched hole. He teased the tip against your slick, glistening folds, and your body trembled eagerly in response. You pushed forward, your slippery cunt engulfing the bulbous head of his cock, and you both moaned in unison as your tight walls stretched against the delicious pressure of his considerable girth. He slid in slowly, his shaft pushing the pool of cum from your first orgasm back up inside of you. Your fingers gripped Dmitri’s shoulders tightly at the euphoric burn of him finally bottoming out in your pussy, his balls pressing tightly against your ass.

With his cock still fully sheathed inside of you, Dmitri lifted you up into his arms, and you wrapped your legs tightly around him. He carried you over to a cracked, faded leather couch, letting his shaft slide out of you as he laid you down on your back. Dmitri pressed a soft kiss to your lips, and then he reached back to bend both of your legs upward, positioning them so they were thrown over his shoulders. He slid back into your wet crevice, groaning in satisfaction at the way your cunt effortlessly engulfed his dick at that angle. You cried out at the brutally slow pace at which he slid in and out of you, quick, sharp waves of pleasure plucking at your nerve endings.

He leaned down, tutting at you as he brought a hand to your throat. “I love to hear you scream for me, beautiful. But do you really want your husband to break down this door and find us here? Do you want him to see me stuffing my cock into his wife’s fucked out hole, dumping my cum inside of her?”

Your cunt clenched around his cock as you imagined it, and he barked out a laugh as he carried on, “Oh, you naughty girl.”

He flexed his fingers over your throat, testing your reaction, and when you pressed down onto his shaft in response, he tightened his grip.

You raised an eyebrow, something molten hot flaring inside of you as you challenged, “Is that the best you can do?”

Dmitri licked his lips as he began to choke you harder, and he brought his other hand up to your mouth. You didn’t need to be told what to do as you opened it, eagerly beginning to suck on the two fingers he held out. He pressed them further inside, and you gagged as you continued to bob on them, drool sliding down the side of your face. He pulled his fingers out, squeezing tighter on your throat, and you moaned.

“Open,” he rasped.

Your lips parted for him once more.

“Wider,” he commanded, and you obeyed without hesitation.

He spit into your waiting mouth, and he was pleased to feel the way your body trembled with pleasure in reaction. You hadn’t closed your lips yet, so he roughly spit onto your tongue once more before nodding, and you swallowed.

He resumed his slow thrusts into the apex of your thighs, and your body was on fire with the exquisite drag of his cock against the walls of your cunt. You felt him tease a spit-soaked finger against the tight ring of muscle between your asscheeks, and you gasped.

“Has he ever touched you here?” Dmitri asked, his tone even, controlled.

You shook your head, biting down on your lip as he continued to shallowly slide his finger over the dip of your puckered hole.

Dmitri’s voice wavered. “Has anyone ever touched you here?”

“No,” you breathed out.

Dmitri let out a shuddering breath as you pressed downward, urging him to slide his finger inside of your ass. As he slipped it in, your toes curled as an electrifying sensation peeled through you. He continued his ministrations until you whined for more, and he pulled out to spit on his fingers, scissoring into your hole and stretching it further with an added digit.

He continued to shove his fingers into your ass as he roughly pounded his cock into your pussy, teasing your sensitive clit with his other hand. Overcome by the intense stimulation in both of your holes, you cried out his name as you came, and Dmitri swallowed your wails of pleasure with a searing kiss as you gushed all over his cock.

Dmitri’s thrusts grew sloppy as desperate as his own orgasm approach, your name tumbling from his lips repeatedly like a prayer as he sheathed his cock to the hilt, spilling hot ropes of cum deep inside of you. When he pulled his spent shaft out of you, pressing kisses along your jawline, you felt the trickle of his seed as it began to leak from your hole.

Afterward, you stood up and reached for a clean washcloth. He shook his head, gently pushing you to sit down on the couch as he slid your underwear back up your legs.

Despite the tender way that he was holding you, there was a possessive gleam in his eye as he calmly said, “When we’re finished in here, you’re going to go out there and kiss that bastard goodbye while my cum is still hot inside of you, sloshing around in your cunt and soaking through your underwear.”

Your hole clenched around nothing in response to his words, and he chuckled as he felt the flutter from where his thumb was pressed against your mound over the outside of your underwear. You nodded, and he leaned forward, capturing your lips in a bruising, passionate kiss.

After straightening your dress and wiping your smudged red lipstick from everywhere it had smeared across yourself and Dmitri’s face, neck, and chest, you stayed true to your word as you went to bid your husband goodbye. You caught Dmitri watching you from across the courtyard, and you could see the slight shake of his shoulders as you tightly clenched your legs together on your way to the parking lot, his cum sliding down the inside of your thighs.

That was the last time that you saw Dmitri before he was imprisoned.

Before the prison fell, before your husband died alongside many of the other terrible men inside of that wretched place.

Before Dmitri Antonov disappeared.

A month later, a plain, small, and otherwise unremarkable package wrapped in brown paper arrived on your doorstep. Inside of it was a handsome sum of money, along with a handwritten note on a small scrap of paper.

“You can fly home now, Птичка.” (Little bird)

A/N: This story runs under the assumption that Dmitri does, indeed, go to Hawkins with Hopper, Joyce, and Murray. After learning why Dmitri wanted the ransom money for Hopper’s freedom in the first place, they insisted that he use it for its intended purpose:

To help a little bird fly.

Comments, reblogs, and/or asks are always appreciated!

» DMITRI ANTONOV MASTERLIST

#dmitri antonov #dmitri antonov x reader #enzo stranger things x reader #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things x reader #dee writes

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karamazovanon · 8 months

Text

you cannot exhume a soul

— "Either he will rise up in the light of truth, or … perish in hatred, taking vengeance on himself and on everyone else for his having served that in which he does not believe" (The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky tr. McDuff, p. 837)

#the brothers karamazov #ivan fyodorovich karamazov #alyosha fyodorovich karamazov #aleksey fyodorovich karamazov #first line is a lyric from god is dead? by black sabbath bc if im gonna inflict my art on yall then im also gonna inflict my music taste #sorry i keep drawing ivan sweaty and miserable it will happen again #his w/ill g/raham arc just goes too hard i cant help it #also i hate that alyosha cut his hair short and took off the cassock bc now i have to choose between textual accuracy and his objectively #cooler fit from the beginning of the book #the cassock and long hair solos sorry!!!#anonart #ivan #alyosha #also i bought a copy of c&p bc tbk is the first dostoevsky ive read so expect me to be annoying about that soon probably #also also i want to draw ivan w horns and a tail and alyosha w wings and a halo but im scared of fandomificating them.#plus idk what id draw dmitry with #anyway lmk if u want to see that bc i am incredibly susceptible to peer pressure #GODDAMN I TALK A LOT TAGS OVER SORRY

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five-rivers · 1 year

Text

Fractal

This is set in the Mortified-verse

Patterns repeated themselves. That is why they were called patterns. Two things derived from the same source tended to share similarities, though the method of derivation might be totally different. So it must be with shadows and Phantoms, one group cast, the other, copied.

Yes, technically speaking the lair, Refuge, which the shadows were part of belonged equally to all seven Phantoms, but Danny had existed the longest, had been awake the longest, had the most memories, not counting a certain someone who was ignoring the lair with an intensity that could likely make plants wilt.

(Danny, when he thought about Dan and Refuge in the same moment, thought about the fate of Harmony in that timeline. Had it survived, unknown to Dan, or–?)

The personalities of the other Phantoms were starting to come through, most obviously in the creation of Replica, who was more Ellie's shadow than Danny's, but, to an outside observer, those changes were small, and could easily be dismissed as Danny wanting to accommodate his siblings. Fractal was not an outside observer. He could cite exactly who was influencing what at any given time.

All that to say Fractal was definitely a creation of Danny’s, a facet of his needs. He had been made, largely, to act as a non-threatening interface between the lair and any visitors.

All this to say that, despite the above facts, Fractal felt that he and Dmitri had a lot in common.

They were both somewhat more bookish than Danny presented himself, they were both shy, they were both in a position that required them to interact frequently with others, anyway, they both had eye issues, and they both were on the verge of developing an enmity with the current organizational system of Refuge's library.

Before the shadows were made, the lair had sorted books, and other objects, autonomously. That was not to say the sorting wasn't still autonomous. The shadows were part of Refuge, no matter how easy it was for outsiders to forget that. Sending a shadow to move things was, however, a different process than the one it had employed before.

It was easier, but, with shadows also being called to do other things so frequently, it also took longer. Thus, the library was arranged in the same way it had been since Danny first became aware of it. By color.

This was a terrible way to arrange anything except, perhaps, art supplies. Fractal, who had been assigned most of Refuge's sorting problems, hadn't gotten the chance to deal with it yet.

He had been watching Dmitri flit up and down the rows of bookshelves for about five seconds. He’d been aware of his frustration for much longer.

Steeling himself, Fractal stepped forward–

Right onto the hem of his pants–

Causing him to, once again, plant his face on the floor. It was even the same place! Was there something about this one particular aisle? This bookshelf? The act of stepping out into the open? Was he cursed or something? When would he have been cursed? How? Why? Who?

“Um,” said Dmitri. “Are you alright?”

“Yes!” said Fractal. He sat up. “Yes. I am fine. Are you fine?”

“Yes?” squeaked Dmitri, floating far above Fractal.

“Do you need help finding anything?” pressed Fractal, tapping his fingers together. “Perhaps a book?”

Wisps had started to come down out of the leafy trees that grew from the tops of the bookshelves… Or, from another perspective, the trees whose trunks the bookshelves were carved from. They liked it here, but ever since the wisps as a group had gotten scolded for making Danny incredibly high, they were a little wary of getting close. Which was too bad, really, but in ghost form Dmitri was almost the same size as them, so it was maybe just a bit…

Fractal wouldn’t call it funny, but he was quite sure most of the other Phantoms would. Either that or cute.

Dmitri glared at them, making them chime sadly, and dropped lower.

“I’m trying to find books about places,” he mumbled. “About countries and cities and things.”

“Ah,” said Fractal. “We do have several like that.”

“But I can’t find them. I can’t figure out what the order of this is!” He waved a tiny hand at the shelves.

“There really isn’t one, I’m afraid,” said Fractal, folding his hands in front of him. “They’re arranged by color.”

“Oh, no,” groaned Dmitri. “By color?”

“I can help you find them, though. May I ask what this is for?”

“Don’t you know?” asked Dmitri, tilting his head to one side.

“I can guess,” said Fractal. “But Refuge as a whole is still somewhat more aligned with Danny, and we’ll always be more in tune with subconscious needs than conscious desires.”

Dmitri fidgeted. “Dad - Sojourn - said he wanted to take me on a trip once we’re done regularizing relations with the US, and that I should pick out the places to go, but I don’t know any places.”

Fractal, already cataloging the atlases and travelogs held in the library, nodded. “You’ll mostly want places in the Realms, then,” he said. “At least until we start reaching out to the other countries on Earth.”

“Yes,” said Dmitri. “That would be good.

“Okay,” said Fractal. “I think I’ve found a few books that will be useful to you.” He started to walk away confidently, then remembered his earlier spill and changed his gait to something more cautious. The first book wasn’t far away, and then the next one was… and so many atlases were blue of some variety…

“Does it ever bother you?” asked Dmitri.

“Does what bother me?” asked Fractal. He slid another book from the shelf, and passed it off to a wisp that was trying to make itself useful.

“That you can’t leave. That you’re stuck here.”

“I can understand that it would bother you,” said Fractal, pausing, “but why would it bother me?”

“Because you’re not really just a shadow, are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I picked some things up from Danny. You’re based on us physically, too, which means you have a brain, so… Doesn’t that make you a person, too?”

“Hm. Maybe. But even if I do have a brain, it’s function is to be an extension of yours. And,” he added, “I have no intention of pursuing any individuality I might possess. I am a portion of a pattern that is self-similar to the larger, more complete version. That is all.”

“A fractal.”

“I did name myself.” Fractal started walking again. Atlases, atlases…

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Oh, I guess I didn’t. It doesn’t bother me.” He smiled. “After all, I get to travel with you. Let’s find the rest of your books.”

#danny phantom #dannymay 2023 day 4: fractals #dannymay 2023 #dannymay

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youcouldmakealife · 5 months

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Jared (167-169)

In which Bryce finally gets back on the ice.

If you'd like to follow along, the series page is here.

167. Riposte

“You look fine,” Jared says, then, when Bryce’s face falls, “You look good? You look hot?”

“J, come on,” Bryce says. “I’m meeting with the doctors.”

Is Bryce wearing a ‘doctors will take me seriously’ look or not, Jared?

“I need to check my hair,” Bryce says, turning on his heel and retreating to the master bathroom while Jared’s still mid-sentence.

They won’t think he’s a responsible young man who is ready to get back on the ice if his hair’s a mess, now will they, Jared?

He can usually buckle down, push everything but hockey out of his head, but not today, his focus for shit. He’s pretty sure the only reason he doesn’t get yelled at is because Gabe and Dmitry cover his ass.

Dmitry sure covers your ass a lot for a nemesis, Jared.

It is beneath Jared’s dignity to jump up and down like a little kid, but too fucking bad, because he’s doing it anyway.

My favourite moments are when Jared shows he loves Bryce more than he loves his dignity.

Well, that’s what he’s doing right up until Bryce picks him up.

“Put me down right now!” he demands, less about his dignity and more about Bryce not pushing his luck with his shoulder, especially since Jared’s still wearing most of his gear.

But does he love Bryce more than he loves reason, is the question.

(The shower sex indicates probably yes. Or at least that he’s hornier for Bryce than for reason.)

“Make me,” Bryce says, and Jared could, if he really wanted to, but Bryce has a pretty firm grip on him, actually, and he’s more liable to tweak his shoulder if Jared moves, and Bryce really does have the best smile Jared’s ever seen, one Jared can feel against his hands when he cups Bryce’s face, against his mouth as he tastes it.

Bryce kicking reason’s ass right now. Jared Matheson your colleagues are on the other side of a door.

“Eww,” Jared hears, and scrambles his way out of Bryce’s arms so hastily it’s frankly incredible neither of them are injured in the process.

A door that has OPENED.

“The man just got back from injury,” Stevie says. “So I’m going to allow it. Extenuating circumstances.”

Stevie is a very permissive captain.

“Oh my god, is the entire team literally right there,” Jared hisses.

Yes, Jared, because it is their locker room.

“Stop slapping his shoulder, do you want him back in the roster or not?” Jared says.

“Shoulder looked fine to me when he was hoisting your ass, Math,” Stevie says.

Jared can’t argue the point, and he hates that.

I love Jared’s tendency to white out with frustration whenever someone has a good retort to him.

In the corner of Jared’s eye, he sees one of the rookies take a flying leap into their backup’s arms. Jared suspects a dramatic reproduction is currently being performed. An inaccurate one. Jared would have never done a flying leap, that would have been irresponsible.

And of course Jared loves responsibility. But Bryce beats that one out too.

Bryce holds the towel loosely while he blinks at him with shaving cream covered eyelids, looking utterly pathetic.

“Help me, Jared.”

Bryce blinks at him some more. “It’s stinging my eyes,” he says plaintively. “I’m blind, J. I can’t see.”

“Jared, it burns. Will you just stand by while your husband suffers?”

“Oh for fuck’s sakes,” Jared says, and the cooing intensifies as he takes the towel to wipe the shaving cream off Bryce’s face himself.

You’re weak, Jared Matheson.

“Don’t push yourself,” Jared says when they get out of the car, and Bryce just smiles at him, a brilliant, gorgeous grin. Jared’s so distracted by it he doesn’t even notice Bryce doesn’t agree until he’s halfway into his equipment.

“Don’t push yourself,” Jared repeats before they get on the ice.

“Don’t worry, J,” Bryce says, which Jared would like to note is, again, not agreement.

Usually when Jared predicts machinations from Bryce he is wrong because, well, Bryce, but Bryce is totally not answering on purpose because what if he wants to push himself, Jared! (but he promises to do it responsibly.)

Jared keeps an eye on Bryce as Coach welcomes him back, the guys hooting and hollering like they haven’t seen Bryce in ages — sometimes Jared thinks they just like an excuse to yell —

They got one of their leading scorers back, Jared. (But also sometimes I too think they just like an excuse to yell)

“If anyone forgets Bullet’s non-contact at any point today, just remember to take a look at Math’s face,” Stevie says.

Apparently Jared’s face is an important message. He blinks.

It says ‘I will fucking murder you so quick’.

“My face is completely neutral right now,” Jared says. And hopefully well-shaven.

“And remember this is Math’s neutral face,” Stevie says.

Resting murder face.

“I will actually murder anyone who fucks with Bryce’s recovery timeline though,” Jared says. That was the subtext of Stevie’s speech, and, neutral face or not, Jared agrees with Stevie’s main point. They should all be very afraid of him right now.

Stevie gestures at Jared. “Like the man said.”

Bryce looks absolutely delighted by something Jared would be mortified about in his place, but then, he’s pretty sure Bryce is going to be delighted by everything today.

You just threatened to murder anyone who hurt him, of course he’s delighted.

The only time Bryce isn’t smiling is when he’s actively doing the drills, and even then a smile sneaks out once in awhile, this ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this again’ glee crossing his face. Everything about him just feels — looser than it has in so long, in a way Jared can see even halfway across the rink. Bryce is happy, yeah, but he’s also holding himself more like Bryce, period. Looking like himself again.

Back in his element. So much of the final arcs Bryce is out of it his element, at loose ends, and it’s been a thread of…heaviness, maybe, the entire time, even the best moments. But now he’s back. And he’s delighted. And Jared’s delighted for him.

“He’s okay, Math,” Gabe says.

“No, I know,” Jared says.

“Just watching, then?” Gabe asks, too knowing for Jared’s liking.

Just watching.

“I’m not ready to get off yet,” Bryce says wistfully.

“Don’t strain yourself,” Jared says, but when practice wraps up and Bryce doesn’t move, he stays out with him. He isn’t the only one, and it’s not the rookies on puck duty, either. Well, it is, but they get waved off by Stevie, who sticks around, along with Gabe and Dmitry, Bryce’s linemates, and their backup goalie, all putting him through his paces until the zamboni driver stops politely coughing and starts less politely revving the motor.

He finally has a team that’ll stick around for him when they don’t have to. He almost forgot what that felt like.

(Zamboni driver is not feeling the team spirit. He’s got a job to do.)

Bryce doesn’t take a breath the entire drive home, recounting the entire practice, including parts that Jared was physically present for, but Jared doesn’t interrupt, except for one important interjection when Bryce doesn’t realise the light’s turned green.

He hears it all a second time while he makes lunch, Bryce giving Elaine the entire play-by-play over the phone, minus a few of their teammates’ jokes, and with the addition of, “You should have seen Jared’s face, mom.”

Love that Bryce is so excited he has to recount it to his favourite people (even though one of them was literally there). And that he cut all the dirty jokes for his mom.

“It was a completely neutral face,” Jared tells the chicken he’s plating.

“It was not a neutral face, J, you were so down to murder somebody,” Bryce says, then, “Seriously mom, I think half the team’s legit scared of him now.”

No one was pushing him that day.

Bryce has just gotten the okay to take off the non-contact jersey when their final game against the Flames arrives on the calendar, and while the roadie to Calgary is likely going to be the last one without him, the ‘without him’ part is pretty key.

If he had been back it would have turned into another fucking arc with my luck.

Jared’s just relieved. Relieved that Bryce doesn’t have to hear it, relieved that he doesn’t have to stand in an arena of fans cheering on a team he grew up cheering for, a fanbase he used to be a passionate part of, and hate their fucking guts. It hurts to. It feels like he’s betraying something, even though if anyone’s betrayed anything, they betrayed Bryce.

It’s still his home, even if it isn’t his team.

There are a few jeers when Jared touches the puck, too often to be accidental, too scattered to be all that offensive. It’d be one thing if the entire place was doing it, but every building has loud idiots, and if Jared hadn’t been paying close attention, he might not have even noticed it.

Jared glosses over it, but this one hurts. This is the exact kind of hurt he was trying to numb himself against when they first came out. And he’s started to let his guard down, as time goes on. This one hurts.

“It was a scattered boo,” Jared says. “They couldn’t even muster up a full boo for me. It was so half-assed.”

“You sound kind of offended, J,” Bryce says.

“I am kind of offended,” Jared says. “If I’m going to get booed by my hometown team I want there to be some proper feeling in it.”

If you’re going to hurt him do it with some passion, for fuck’s sakes.

Bryce huffs out a laugh. It’s small, but it’s there. “I guess I have to wait until fall to get booed.”

“I don’t know,” Jared says. “Maybe by then they’ll have gotten bored and you’ll just get the half assed experience I did.”

“I don’t think so,” Bryce says.

Jared doesn’t think so either. He wishes he did. Or, more, he wishes that they wouldn’t. For maybe the first time in his life, he’d really like to be proven wrong.

He’ll be getting a full-throated boo the next time he plays in Calgary. He would have regardless, but it’s impossible to know just how much is because of his sexuality, and that’s going to hurt Jared too, especially because he knows that was Bryce’s worst nightmare.

168. Return to Form

Always weird to get close to the end, because these parts don’t feel distant enough for hindsight, really? Less of a sense of discovery, because this was a path I trod upon recently.

Jared has no idea how Bryce’s very public closet clean-out still left him with a dozen sweaters. That seems like more sweaters than any one person needs.

That’s just one a month, J!

but his parents raised him to be punctual and judgmental, and if he can only be one of them, he’ll double down on the other.

Susan and Don would be so proud.

Shoe emergency? Elaine texts back.

Sweater emergency. Jared replies, and Elaine sends a laughing emoji and tells him she’ll have a drink at the bar.

“Your mom and I are judging you,” Jared says.

Elaine would never. Particularly because she was running late herself due to a shoe emergency.

“I’m judging you,” Jared amends. “Your mom probably thinks it’s cute.”

“I get to play hockey again,” Bryce says, practically wriggling in his seat.

Just because Jared thinks he’s cute doesn’t mean he thinks the sweater thing is cute. He has lines.

“Hockey, J,” Bryce says.

“Yeah, babe,” Jared says, and at the next light he lets Bryce lace their fingers.

You think Bryce and his twelve sweaters are adorable.

(That’s not even that many sweaters, J!)

Bryce is vibrating with suppressed excitement from the moment they arrive, almost bursting. They don’t even have their coats off before Elaine figures it out, smiling at Jared, her eyebrows raised, after she hugs him hello.

She knew the second Bryce walked into the place. Dude’s hiding nothing from anyone right now, let alone his own mother.

Anyone other than Elaine would be smirking. Jared certainly is, though he does try to suppress it, and when he can’t, he aims it at the menu, squeezing Bryce’s knee under the table when Bryce’s vibrating gets a little too vibrate-y.

He’s trying so hard to keep a secret from absolutely nobody.

Queasy, and he’s fucked up his tape job three times, finally threw his hands up and gave it over the second time Gabe politely asked if he wanted some help. The first time Jared may have said some impolite things in response, so it says a lot about Gabe that there was another offer after that.

Jared truly does not deserve him.

Someone kicks his lone skated foot, too nicely to be Dmitry, and it’s all Jared can do not to warn him to stay back, lest he suffer the same fate as Jared’s skate laces. Jared doesn’t want Bryce to snap.

Little tense there, Jared?

It’s not even that, but Jared can’t say that because then Bryce would ask what it is he is worried about — not worried about — and Jared would be forced to admit he doesn’t know. That he wants it to be perfect, even though he knows there’s no such thing, especially in hockey, they’ve all had it drilled in their heads from a young age that striving for perfection doesn’t get you anywhere but stuck. But he still wants that for Bryce. He doesn’t want Bryce to be disappointed. By anything, ever, but especially by this, not when he’s been waiting so long.

Jared ready to fight the world for Bryce, even when there’s nothing to fight against except the ephemeral concept of underachievement.

“Okay, this one’s a fine,” Stevie says. “We need Bullet’s head to keep fitting through the door, Math. And footsie is one-hundred percent off-limits in the locker room, I can’t believe I actually have to tell you guys that.”

Stevie may be permissive, but he draws the line at footsie. There are blades on your feet, gentlemen, please stop brandishing them at one another flirtatiously.

But tonight it’s less a prank than a tribute, and the fans are here for it. At first it sounds like the usual cheer that follows players taking the ice. But it builds, and by the time Stevie nods, lets the first players take the ice after him, it’s undeniable: they knows who’s out there. They know who’s out there, and those cheers are all for him.

“Ready, Math?” Gabe asks, and Jared’s throat is too tight to answer him, so he just nods.

Bryce getting a standing O in his hometown, and the only thing Jared’s fighting right now is the urge to cry.

Jared keeps his distance from Bryce during warmups. His proximity would probably be conspicuous, and tonight’s not about him. He’s sure Bryce would argue, but Bryce is currently making faces at a small child pressed to the glass, so he’s a little preoccupied right now.

Bryce is absolutely living his best life right now.

“What?” Jared asks. “Only one of us can be in the lineup at the same time? You miss being called the cursed line and decided to curse it yourself?”

“It was love tap, you are such a baby,” Dmitry says. “Stop staring at your husband, everyone is taking pictures of you.”

The best description of Jared’s face before Dmitry distracted him would be ‘sappy as fuck’.

Bryce quits making faces at babies long enough to make a face at Jared, then raises a hand in silent greeting, like they weren’t just in the same locker room, getting fined for distinct kicking motions.

Jared is hyper-aware of all the cameras on him right now, but what is he going to do, just leave Bryce hanging? Ignore his own husband’s gesture on the night of his return?

He waves back. Of course he waves back. He doesn’t even half ass it, because Bryce deserves better than that.

“Oh, shut up,” he mutters when Dmitry laughs.

Why must Bryce keep undermining Jared’s reputation?

Bryce looks down at his lap almost bashfully, but he’s smiling like he did that first practice back. Jared probably is too, judging by the elbows and knowing looks he gets from not one but three separate teammates.

Look what you’ve done, Bryce, they’re elbowing him without fear!

Fuck knows Jared is. Now that the game’s over with his brain’s happy to tell him about all the worst case scenarios it had pointedly avoided thinking about, ranging from Bryce playing poorly to Bryce reinjuring his shoulder during his very first shift back to getting booed out of Rogers Arena for some reason.

Jared couldn’t make his brain twist enough to explain why Bryce was getting booed in this nightmare scenario.

Jared’s feeling pretty celebratory all the same.

“Stephen’s ordered a ton of food,” Gabe says. “Oksana and Dmitry and some of the guys are coming over to ours.”

Jared’s not feeling that celebratory. He’s feeling like, go home and nail his hot shit husband celebratory.

I hope you all know you’re delaying the victory fuck!

Dmitry Kurmazov does not figure into Jared’s definition of celebratory. Well, unless the Stanley Cup is involved. And even then he’d probably like, drop it on Jared’s feet or blind Jared with a champagne cork or something.

Pie a guy a few times and now he’s accusing you of Cup vandalism and willful blinding.

“What if we don’t feel like coming?” Jared asks.

“I’d say it’s a shame you aren’t the driver, then,” Gabe says. “But if you want to walk home from ours, you’re welcome to.”

“What if I just like,” Jared says. “Open the door and roll out. What will you do then, Markson.”

I like when Jared decides to be ridiculous for humour purposes rather than it just being, you know, his default state.

“This is forcible confinement,” Jared says, and when Bryce turns to grin at him over the console, “Stop smiling, Bryce, we’re being kidnapped.”

“I don’t mind,” Bryce says.

They have food at the secondary location, Bryce is content.

“He doesn’t speak for me,” Jared says. “I mind.”

“You know, Math,” Gabe says, “you really are a shitty actor.”

They’re throwing a party just for Bryce, he is utterly delighted and Gabe’s not letting him deny shit.

Bryce’s laugh drowns out any protest Jared could make, bright and loud and unselfconscious.

Bryce! Bright and loud and unselfconscious Bryce!

169. Daily Grind

It’s undeniably more fun that it’s against the Scouts, though Jared does feel kind of bad, considering Munroe came over to centre ice at warmups with a couple other Scouts silently backing him up to express solidarity

‘Couple other Scouts’ are Scratch and Willy, to no one’s surprise.

“Just between you and me,” Jared says in an undertone at the bar the Canucks are celebrating at, something that was, ‘not optional, Math’, ‘must come, Mathematics’, and ‘let Bryce celebrate with his teammates after he worked so hard to come back, Jared’, according to Stevie, Dmitry, and Gabe, respectively.

Ignored, ignored with prejudice, grudgingly accepted, respectively.

As usual, Gabe knew the exact thing to say to convince him, probably because he’s had so much practice with Stephen. It’s irritating. Jared hopes it’s even more irritating to Stephen.

It absolutely is, particularly when Gabe knows him better than he knows himself (which is all the time, it feels like).

“Promise,” Bryce says, wrapping an arm around Jared’s shoulders, which still feels — new, Jared guesses. Enough to make his stomach flip, thinking about how much this would have meant when he was seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. How much it still does, really. They’re in public, and Bryce has his arm around him, just did it like it was easy. Like he thought ‘I want to put my arm around my husband’, so he did it. Simple as that.

It was such a long road but they got there.

“No look,” Jared says. It’s frankly embarrassing that this continues to get to him. Jared knows Bryce’s play isn’t all talent, that he’s smart, and driven, and works hard for every single stride he makes. He sees Bryce working at it all the time. This is not news to him.

And yet.

Jared’s got a competence kink and Bryce is very, very competent at what he does.

“Okay, but I was just thinking,” Bryce says, fingers toying with the hem of Jared’s shirt. “We could cut out—“

“Massive fine,” someone says loudly from the table across from theirs, and Jared jumps. “Massive fine, guys!”

“For what?” Jared demands, scowling over at Stevie, but Bryce just sighs and pulls out his wallet.

Stevie is drawing a LINE, gentlemen!

Jared’s not surprised by their interest, really. He’s been out for months, he’s been in the news — and not just hockey news — and his streak of success is a great storyline. He is a little surprised Bryce hasn’t run out of patience with them yet, but he’s had a lot of recent media practice, and at least locker room soundbites don’t involve hair and makeup and endless retakes.

It helps that a lot of the questions boil down to ‘how does it feel to be back’, and Bryce feels fucking great.

“It was all me, Bullet,” Gabe says.

“You’re a good guy, Gabe,” Bryce says.

“Oh my god, it wasn’t me!” Jared says.

Jared can’t believe you think he’s so immature that he would ever conceive of throwing tape balls. Even though he nailed you with a tape ball.

It’s even worse when it hits the public, which it inevitably does. Of course one of the reporters managed to get footage Bryce getting beaned with rainbow stick tape, panned over in time to catch Jared and Gabe, surrounded by cast off tape balls. All the other reporters were busy filming Bryce’s switch from indignant to tragic, so there is no shortage of reaction footage.

If you don’t want people to pay attention, Jared, stop giving them primo footage.

Jared feels like he’s forgotten something important, conjures up his packing list and mentally checks items off until he realises that it’s just the first time he’s gone on a road trip this season without feeling shitty that he was leaving Bryce behind.

Forgot the angst at home. He’ll survive without it.

In warmups that night Jared keeps getting distracted by Langley and Colton, who are taking runs at each other, crushing one another into the boards, acting like the human embodiment of bumper cars, to the utter delight of small children nearby.

These two are fun.

Because only small children don’t realise that’s an injury in the making.

“Quit doing that before you injure yourselves,” Jared calls over. “That’d be an embarrassing as fuck reason to land on IR.”

23 years old and he’s already bitching at the kids like the vettiest of vets.

“I agreed to do a Smash Bros tourney with the guys,” Bryce says.

“Still don’t mind you being social without me,” Jared says. “Policy’s still the same as last season. I’m not going to feel left out or jealous or anything.”

“Okay,” Bryce says. “But like, we need one more dude and—“

Jared groans and shoves the covers back, grabbing his pants from the foot of the bed.

For someone who claims they’re selfish to the core, Jared sure does a lot of stuff he doesn’t want to do because Bryce asks nicely. That was a comfy ass bed.

“I brought J,” Bryce announces as he opens the door to Jan’s room, and Jared gets a chorus of boos and thumbs down from his assembled teammates.

Deserved.

“I mean, Bryce said you were short a guy, but I can go,” Jared says. “Totally cool going back to my room. Would prefer it, honestly.”

“Oh, quit gloating about us needing you and sit down,” Gavin mutters, and Jared smirks and takes a spot on the bed.

Absolutely deserved.

Bryce steals Gabe’s seat on the flight home, with a promise to be quiet, and he’s as good as his word, if only because he falls asleep half an hour after takeoff. Jared glares every single teammate making obnoxious cooing faces at them as they pass on their way to the rear washroom, but he doesn’t let go of Bryce’s hand. If they get fined for it, Jared doesn’t hear about it. He figures it’s worth it even if they do.

You can’t accuse Bryce of being the soft one when he’s literally asleep. This one’s all you, babe.

#liveblogging the end

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