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quicksilversquared · 4 years

Text

Superhero Salary

It all started with a joke. It ended with Ladybug and Chat Noir finally getting some of the compensation that they deserved.

After all, fame isn't going to pay the bills.

links in the reblog

It all started with a (mostly) joking comment from Chat Noir, blurted out in a moment of frustration.

"I hate it when that happens," he had grumbled after Ladybug knocked him free from the akuma's control. "Stupid, stupid mind-control akumas. Tell Hawkmoth that if he's going to insist on akumas like that, he's gonna have to pay for my therapy after this is all over!" he hollered after the akuma, who was clearly hopping mad about no longer having a superhero under his control. "A superhero salary doesn't exactly pay enough for it!"

He had been kidding, at least mostly. Kidding or not, though, the complaint was out there.

The moment had been picked up by the Ladyblog, of course, just as part of the bigger fight. But it wasn't long before it absolutely exploded over the internet.

Sure, maybe in comic books it was implied that superheroes always worked for free. But was that really fair? After all, Ladybug and Chat Noir were providing a service to the city. They were taking the time out of their normal lives to save Paris and put things back to rights, and they were doing it often. They had to come out whenever Hawkmoth sent out an akuma, not just when they had a spare bit of time that they could use to fight crime. Just like policemen and firefighters, they were putting themselves in danger by fighting on the front line. And if they were in jobs, or were in school- well, having to duck out regularly had to be affecting them, and not in a positive way.

If they had jobs, they could very well be on the edge of losing them because of all of the times they went missing. Even if they were self-employed- well, then they would still be losing out on some serious work time and having to work late into the night instead. And if they were in school...

Then they would be in danger of falling behind and need help to keep on top of their schoolwork. Tutors and online courses both cost money.

And on top of all of that, there was superhero merchandise being made using their colors and images, clothes and dolls and souvenirs and toys. Surely they should be getting a cut of the profit from that.

With only a few exceptions, Paris was soon in agreement: their superheroes needed to be earning a salary.

Marinette wasn't quite certain what to think of it all.

"Tikki, what do I say if the mayor decides to give us a salary?" she implored, slumping back in her chair. "I mean, even if it would be possible to safely get the money, I just don't know."

Part of her wanted to do the noble thing and say no to a salary. After all, she was Ladybug because she wanted to help! Plus, would public perception of them change if they were technically city employees? The mayor might think that he had the power to call them up on command, which would really stink.

But- well, Marinette was a teenager, and no sane teenager would turn down money, particularly when it was money for work that she had done. Even though she wasn't exactly struggling- she got an allowance, plus money from babysitting Manon and of course commission money, and besides she was a teenager and not an adult with a million living expenses- having more money in her account for fabric or design classes or her future career wasn't a bad thing.

"Well, Plagg and I could certainly set things up so that all of the money you get would be funneled through us and our magic," Tikki told her. "And we would be careful about not matching up the amounts or making them regular! There's ways that we can do it without attracting attention."

Marinette nodded. That was one question answered, but the other?

"As for if you should take the money..." Tikki considered that. "I mean, there's a lot to consider. But I'd like to point out that you don't know how long you'll be fighting Hawkmoth, or if there'll be any other threats after he's gone to deal with. That could interfere with you having a regular job. And if the akuma attacks keep disrupting your school day and you need to hire a tutor to help you keep up but you don't want your parents knowing, having the extra money could help. Or if you decide to sign up for an online school so that you can look up lessons that you missed in class, you could pay for that! But people might have strong opinions about superheroes taking money, too."

"That's a lot of positives and only one negative," Marinette pointed out. "I mean, it could be annoying to listen to people judging, but unless they're in the majority..."

Either way, it was going to be disheartening to hear people judging her for taking the money. But as long as they weren't in her face or spreading lies about her and Chat Noir now not being motivated to take down Hawkmoth because that would mean an end to the money or something ridiculous like that, she could probably ignore it. Maybe she could make some donations with the money she was getting to dispel those rumors.

Honestly, she'd probably do that anyway. There were so many organizations and people in need in Paris, and if Marinette was earning money then of course she would want to support them.

Of course, that all depended on if the officials even offered the salary in the first place, which was honestly looking really likely. It looked like public opinion was strongly in their favor, and the mayor was seriously easily waived by public opinion most of the time. And anything to do with the superheroes- well, it was publicity gold.

And in the end, it only took a week of deliberations- entirely about how much Ladybug and Chat Noir should be making, and puzzling out how much of the profit from sales of their merchandise they should be getting on top of their salary- before the announcement went out that the superheroes would be offered payment. A day after that, Ladybug and Chat Noir accepted their salary and gave the city's head payroll officer the information their kwamis had given them for the kwami bank accounts, so that they could get their paychecks without risking their secret identities.

"I didn't expect things to blow up like this when I said that, about not earning enough for therapy," Chat Noir admitted after they had left. He had seemed put-together and confident when they were in the office- which Ladybug had appreciated, because the sums that were being discussed were absolutely intimidating and having Chat Noir being so confident next to her helped her not get flustered. "I mean, yeah, down the road, I wouldn't be surprised if I get nightmares about fighting all the time and need to get help with that, but- well, I don't think I'd be able to, not unless I sign up as Chat Noir instead of my civilian self. And I don't know if I would necessarily want to do that, in case too much civilian stuff comes out."

Ladybug winced. Yeah, that was a real concern. And- well, she didn't ever admit it to anyone other than Tikki, but she sometimes had nightmares about the fights, too. And Chat Noir was right- a therapist could probably help.

But the identity concerns...

It was more than likely that some personal information would come out if they were talking to any sort of therapist, and that was dangerous. Maybe the chance of their therapists stumbling on their identities was low, but she still couldn't risk it.

Maybe they could go out of Paris to find someone, using the Horse to jump. Then their therapist would be even less likely to make the connection between Ladybug and Marinette, and with the distance from Paris, having the superheroes in their office might be less exciting than it would be for someone who saw the superheroes on a daily basis. But even that wouldn't really be a possibility until Hawkmoth was gone, when they actually got some semblance of free time back.

"I can't deny that the money could be helpful, though," Chat Noir added after a moment. "I mean, depending on how long the conflict drags on, or if we need anything that Tikki and Plagg can't provide to help us, or- well, when I get old enough to move out of my father's place, I want to. There's way too many people who think that they can just barge into my room without warning and poke around, and- well, it's not safe."

Ladybug glanced over at her partner again. He looked like he was her age- in fact, they had shared enough information inadvertently that she was positive that they were probably a year apart at most- which meant that he was facing years of people disregarding his privacy and potentially discovering his secret. "That's ages away, though."

"I know. I can't do much about it right now, though, besides just paying attention to where I'm detransforming." Chat Noir sighed. "I guess the money can't really help with that, not right now."

"Yeah. And that's not great." Ladybug tapped a rhythm against her leg, trying to come up with a solution and finding none. She just didn't have enough information about the situation to find places where they could do something. "I mean, the most I can come up with is a camera that you could connect to and move around to see if anyone is in there before going back in. And you could see if anyone is coming around and poking around that you don't know about. But- well, the problem is that cameras can be hard to hide, and if your father finds out and decides to review footage..."

"It could backfire on me, really fast." Chat Noir glanced around, then back at her. "Yeah, I know. I guess- well, for now, I won't change anything. Maybe something will come up in the future."

"Yeah, I'm not going to be changing much either, I think. But it's nice to have that money there in case I need it." It made her feel a little weird, honestly- after over a year of volunteer superheroing, accepting money for that was just strange- but maybe eventually, it would sink in that she was doing a job and deserved pay for it.

Chat Noir nodded. "Just in case. And, well- if we don't use it, it'll be a good start for my retirement account!"

Ladybug laughed at that, the awkwardness and concerns that she had had earlier flying away in an instant. "Teenagers with retirement accounts. Who would have thought?"

"Well, you can never be too prepared, right?"

Ladybug giggled again, imaging the looks on her parents' places if she sat down for dinner and started asking questions about retirement accounts and for their advice in setting one up. Maybe it wouldn't be completely out of left field- after all, unlike most of her classmates, Marinette did earn money with commissions, and enough that she would not be spending it all- but it was also a strange thing for a teenager to ask about.

Well. At least it wasn't a bad problem to have.

A week later, Ladybug and Chat Noir officially received their first paychecks, with back payments pending. And by that time, the two of them had figured out where those payments were going.

Most of the money, of course, would be held in the kwami bank accounts until it could be trickled into their civilian bank accounts. How much, exactly, could be deposited without being noticed was still being decided- Ladybug could definitely get away with more than Chat Noir, though she figured that varying amounts and not at regular intervals would stick out less than regular payments. They were still trying to figure out how they might get retirement accounts going- even as much as they joked, it wasn't exactly a bad idea.

And then part of the money would go to charity. It was just a nice thing to do, after all, and since they had spare money- well, it would just be a good idea to help out a little bit more. They didn't want to make too big of a deal out of their donations, since it was very possible that people would judge where they were donating, how much they were donating, how often they were making their donations, and how their donations did or didn't change over time. There would no doubt be people petitioning the superheroes to support their favorite charities, which- well, maybe it would be a good way to learn about new causes, but it sounded like more stress than it would be worth. Besides, Ladybug and Chat Noir were private citizens behind the mask, and they deserved to have some privacy about their finances.

All they needed to tell the public was that they were donating anonymously and wouldn't be disclosing the places or amounts for those reasons. It was a simple answer, and should satisfy most of the population. There would no doubt be a few naysayers- there almost always were a few people who just had to be difficult- but it was a reasonable answer.

Thankfully, the person who had interviewed Ladybug and Chat Noir about what they were going to do with their first paychecks- a kind man from a mid-sized newspaper, who had earned the spot of first interview entirely because he hadn't been pushy about asking- had thought that their reasoning was plenty sound. They were hardly going to be millionaires, and so expecting them to donate large amounts on a regular (and frequent) basis was completely ridiculous. Keeping things private- well, that meant that people who were out of touch wouldn't be moaning about donations that they were perceiving as too small.

Just because Ladybug and Chat Noir were famous didn't mean that they were rich.

Marinette hummed quietly to herself as she skimmed the article that the reporter they had talked to had written. While the interview itself had taken place several days prior, the article had just been released that morning to coincide with both their first payment and the start of the month. It was very nicely written, and framed their reasoning in an even more clear and articulate light than they had managed themselves. She didn't doubt that it would get noticed soon, and then the speculation about whether or not Ladybug and Chat Noir would donate some of their earnings would be put to rest for once and for all-

"Wait, Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't donating any of their salary? That's so unlike them!"

-or maybe not.

"I was surprised too, they just completely brushed me off when I suggested that they donate part of their salaries," Lila told her audience as they swept into the room as a- well, as a flock, really, that was the only way to describe it. "It's what I would do if I was a superhero, of course, so I thought that they would feel the same! It's such a let-down, I really thought that they were better than that..."

"I would say that maybe it's because they've donated so much of their time to the city already, but I know I heard something at some point about backpayments to cover their time from the start," Alya commented, her eyebrows furrowed. "So that's not really donated time anymore, is it?"

"Maybe they have bills to pay," Rose piped up, clearly ever-hopeful. "And they need to get caught up with that first, of course. That would make sense!"

Of course, Lila was shaking her head as she headed up to her seat, with the rest of the group following not far behind to keep listening. "They're too young for bills. I met up with them again this morning and was trying to talk some sense into them because really, they could just do small donations, even a little bit helps- I would know, I've seen how far money can stretch and help in a charity! But even now that they have the money in their hands, they just want to keep it."

There were murmurs of disappointment all around the group gathered around Lila at that. Even though donations clearly weren't mandatory- well, they thought that the superheroes should be better role models than that! If they didn't have bills to pay, surely...

"And it's not like they're not getting enough to have both spending money and do a little charity," Lila said, shaking her head sadly. "Plenty of spending money, even! And I pointed that out, but they got really upset with me. I'd hate for our friendship to be destroyed over this really, but it's just- I feel like I don't know them at all now!"

Frankly, Marinette had heard enough. She wasn't going to let her reputation as Ladybug- or Chat Noir's reputation- get slandered by Lila's nonsense.

"Funny thing," Marinette commented in the most deadpan, disinterested voice that she could muster, not even taking her eyes off of her tablet as she talked. "You say that you met up with the superheroes this morning and they weren't interested in doing donations, and yet there's an article in La Trib this morning about an interview they did with the superheroes days ago that say otherwise. It says that donating was in their plan from the start."

The group in the back of the room went quiet.

"Marinette is correct," Markov commented after a moment, breaking the silence. "The article was posted one hour ago, though the paper copy presumably went out earlier. The superheroes stated that they have been looking at charities since they first heard that they might be getting money for their superhero work, as they wish to continue to help Paris. Their donations will be anonymous and private to protect their privacy and to prevent unwanted commentary on their choices."

Marinette glanced back. All eyes were slowly turning from Markov to Lila.

"There is also a video of the interview linked on the online version of the article," Markov added. "And the metadata confirms that it was filmed several days ago."

Several of the eyes pointed towards Lila were getting narrowed and suspicious.

"Oh, that- that's lovely!" Lila exclaimed, somewhat belatedly pressing her hand over her heart. "Maybe they were just trying to wind me up to tease me, then! And I misread the situation and took them seriously. Or they were trying to give me a pleasant surprise! It happens, sometimes- I'm not always great at catching sarcasm-"

This time, not everyone looked entirely convinced.

Smiling to herself, Marinette looked back at her tablet, closing out of the article and opening up their reading for Literature so that she could review it- or, well, finish reading it, because an akuma had interrupted her the previous night and it had been too late to pick it up again once the fight was over. If she hurried, she might be able to finish it before Ms. Bustier called for a start to class, and then she wouldn't get in trouble again for not doing her homework.

Honestly, if Lila's track record was anything to go by, she would probably wriggle her way out of the lie by the afternoon and the whole incident would be forgotten. But maybe this time would end up different- after all, Marinette had never seen that doubt before- and Lila's tower of lies would finally come toppling down. It was long overdue, really, but Marinette wasn't going to hold her breath.

If it happened...well, if their superhero salary was like a surprise cake, then a Lila downfall would be the cherry on top.

#Miraculous Ladybug #my writing #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #superhero retirement fund

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imaginejamesandsirius · 3 years

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Can i ask for teen pregnancy with Sirius being pregnant, doesnt matter if trans or abo. It could be fluff or angst, but about how they would face the problem, would they be happy having a baby young or abort the baby.

((A/N: Fyi, they don't come to a conclusion in this fic. They talk lots and bring up different issues, but they don't decide on anything. This is trans, pregnant Sirius, and (in accordance with the prompt) is a teen pregnancy))

"I am going to commit a murder," Sirius said to himself, staring down at the results from his last hospital visit. The only saving grace in this situation was that his parents hadn't cared enough to ask why he wanted to get a checkup.

"Should I be worried?" Regulus asked, leaning against the doorway.

Sirius startled, hiding the parchment behind his back. "Whatever happened to knocking?"

"Your door was open."

"You should've knocked anyway," Sirius said, even though he knew it was a ridiculous thing to request. Open door meant they didn't have to ask for permission, and that had been the rule for as long as he could remember.

"Uh-huh," Regulus said flatly. "What are you hiding?"

"Do you really expect me to answer that? If I'm hiding something, I'm clearly hiding it for a reason."

"I was hoping that you were hiding it from our parents and not me."

"Well, in this case, I'm hiding it from all of you."

"Does your precious boyfriend count as part of this group?"

Sirius glared at him, hand tightening on the parchment. "Did you need something?"

"Not if you're going to be in such a shite mood."

"Then leave," he said, waving a hand like he could sweep him from the room.

Regulus huffed and rolled his eyes, but he left. He also closed Sirius's door as he went, likely to prove his point about the open door thing.

That was actually a good point. Sirius hadn't closed his door earlier since he'd assumed that the parchment was going to tell him that nothing was wrong and he should just wait it out until he felt normal again-- it's what usually happened when he went to hospital though, which is why he didn't do it very often.

He walked over and locked it, then went back and sat on his bed. Then he read the parchment again.

Pregnant, approximately fourteen weeks. Please schedule a prenatal appointment at your earliest convenience.

He had to talk to James. He folded the parchment and stuck it in his pocket, then shoved his shoes on and headed downstairs. "Hey Dad? I'm going to the Potter's."

"Okay," he said absently, then he looked up. "Everything fine with your hospital results?"

"I'll be fine," Sirius answered, because he would be. It might take a year or so, depending on his post-pregnancy recovery, but he'd be fine.

"Mm." Father looked back down at the newspaper. "Have a good time."

"Thanks," Sirius said, and he continued heading for the floo. It was a good thing his parents only cared about his life in the vague sense that as long as he was alive, they were fine with him doing anything.

He stepped out of the Potter's floo, casting a look around the room. James liked to lounge in there sometimes, so there had been a chance that he wouldn't have to go looking for him and risk running into his parents. Not that the Potter parents were bad. In fact, they were wonderful, but they were unfortunately more involved in their son's life than Sirius's own parents ever bothered to be. If they saw Sirius there, obviously upset, they'd ask, and Sirius, as a general rule, didn't like to lie. He wouldn't be able to brush them off as easily as he'd done to his father.

Sirius chewed on his lip and thought about heading home or just going to Diagon Alley and walking around for a while, but he did need to talk to James about this. And Merlin knew that he'd prefer to get this over and done with than agonize over it all by himself.

He headed to the backyard, assuming that if James wasn't doing his schoolwork for the summer, then he'd be flying. As luck would have it, he didn't run into either of his parents, and James was indeed on his broom in the backyard. It didn't take a full minute for James to notice him standing there, and he flew down to greet him with a bright grin.

"Hey," he said, broom in one hand and grabbing Sirius in a hug with the other. "This is a pleasant surprise."

He moved to pull away, but Sirius tightened his hold so that he couldn't go anywhere.

"Everything okay?" James asked, leaning his broom against the wall so he could hug Sirius back properly.

"I dunno," Sirius said honestly. Was it bad news? He wasn't certain. Was it good news? Well, he wasn't feeling butterflies, that's for sure. It was big news, and he didn't know what he was going to do about it, much less how he felt, so he couldn't be a good judge of if the situation was okay or not.

James didn't push for more information, letting Sirius hug him for as long as he wanted.

As much as Sirius would've liked to stay that way for an hour or so, he did have to do what he came here to do. He let go and pulled the parchment out of his pocket, handing it to James.

James unfolded it, eyes running over the words as he read. It was obvious the exact moment he reached the important information, because he froze. "You're pregnant?"

"Apparently."

"But," James looked up at him, "how's that possible? I mean, we used protection."

"Yeah, but not every time. We did forget once or twice, remember? And we thought 'what's the worst that could happen'?"

"A good reason not to get sloshed before fooling around, I guess," James muttered, looking back down at the parchment.

"Yeah."

"So... am I, like, coming with you to your appointment? When's it for?"

Sirius blinked. "You think I'm much more prepared than I am. I- sodding hell, James, I found out and came straight here."

"Oh. So you don't know what you're doing?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Do you want to figure it out together or do you just want me here for, like, moral support?"

"Oh, you're helping me figure this out. This is your fault, too. You can't weasel out of the decision making."

"I wasn't aware I was trying to weasel out of anything," James said, smiling slightly.

"I was being preemptive."

James leaned in, giving him a slow, sweet kiss. "We'll figure it out. You want to talk about it know or get something to eat?"

"If I say I'm craving ice cream, will you make some sort of pregnancy joke?"

"Er, not if you don't want me to. Non-pregnant people like ice cream too."

"I suppose that's true," Sirius conceded. He felt a lot more sensitive these days, but at least now he knew why. "Don't tell your parents yet, yeah?"

"Yeah, of course. But I mean, how long are we going to try and not tell people? We can't keep something like this hidden for long." He grabbed his broom, and they headed inside.

"Not... very long," Sirius hedged. "Just until we know what we're doing."

"No offense, but what's plan B? Neither of us know anything about pregnancy or babies or giving birth. If we wait until we know what we're doing, you'll have given birth by the time we get around to telling anyone."

"You're making this harder than it needs to be."

James shrugged apologetically. "I didn't mean to. I'm just worried. We can handle most things by ourselves, but this is sort of out of our league, don't you think?"

"Are you kidding? Of course it's out of our league, but I need to know if I'm keeping the baby or not before I start asking people for advice on how to do it."

"Sirius, darling, did I mishear, or are you pregnant?" Mrs. Potter said, making Sirius jump.

Sirius and James both turned to face her with wide eyes. "Erm." There was no graceful way out of this one. He really should've taken a look to make sure they were still alone, but he hadn't thought about it.

Mrs. Potter, because she was a kind woman, took in their shocked and somewhat frightened expressions, and said, "I'm guessing you didn't want anyone to know yet."

Sirius gave a tight nod. If she told his parents... well, he wasn't exactly sure what would happen, but he'd like to be the one to share the news, when the time came. If the time came. After all, if they decided not to have a kid right now, then telling them he was pregnant wasn't really important.

"Okay. I'll pretend I didn't hear a thing." She turned to leave, then paused. "However, if you had any questions, I wouldn't mind answering them, and you know that I wouldn't judge either of you, right?"

Sirius nodded again, not quite as stressed as the last one had been. Then, because that seemed insincere, he said, "I know. Thank you."

Mrs. Potter smiled and left the room so they were alone again.

"Bloody hell," James muttered. "I thought for sure she was going to lecture me about being irresponsible. I think it's because you were around. She really likes you, you know."

"I know," Sirius said with a smarmy grin. Then he got worried again. "I know that she said she wouldn't tell, but what if-"

"But nothing," James interrupted.

"I guess," he said, sighing.

"Ice cream?"

"Please."

They walked to the kitchen and James scooped a bowl for each of them, but he gave Sirius a much larger portion. Then he grabbed sprinkles, because Sirius liked his ice cream with a bit of crunch. He put one bowl and the sprinkles in front of Sirius where he was sat at the table, then grabbed his own bowl and sat down next to him. He gave it a couple spoonfuls before he said anything. "So do you want to keep the baby? I know you've mentioned wanting kids."

"Yeah." Sirius took his spoon and chopped at the ice cream. "It's not like I had any career plans for after Hogwarts, so it wouldn't be the worst thing if I had a kid right now." He stopped poking at the ice cream and sighed. "To be perfectly honest, I always thought that I'd have to convince you to have kids before we're thirty. You've got so many plans for what you want to do, you know? I know it sounds regressive or- whatever, but I want a family of my own. I want to run a household. I have a couple ideas for how to spend my time before all that happens, but it's not like they were dreams or summat."

"So you'd really be happy being a father this young?"

He played with his ice cream some more. "I think so. Wouldn't you?"

"Equal parts happy and terrified. Aren't you worried about doing it wrong?"

"A... little," Sirius said, frowning. "But it's normal nerves; I wouldn't describe myself as terrified. That'll probably come later, when the kid actually pops out. I think that's normal, though."

James didn't say anything for a while, mulling it over. He finished off his ice cream, gave it a few more seconds then said, "It sounds like you want to give this a try."

"I do," Sirius said immediately, "but there's so much to think about. You and me, for one. We still live with our parents. We're not married. I think trying to move out and have a baby at the same time would be a disaster. The sort of disaster where I yell at you for leaving your socks around or summat, and we never get better. And what about school? I wouldn't be able to finish my seventh year, and yeah I don't plan on going on to be an apprentice or a professor, but I'd still like to graduate."

"Mum might be able to answer that one. And we could both live here, couldn't we? I doubt my parents would mind. Dad's been telling me that he'd like it if I stuck around for a few years after I graduate, anyways. Not to mention, with how much they like you, they'd probably be over the moon if you were here all the time."

"I'm not going to assume that."

"We can ask." He saw Sirius tense up a little at that, so he revised it. "Or I can ask. My parents, our house, after all. If we were talking about living in your place, I would sort of expect for you to ask."

He expected for Sirius to agree, but instead, he shook his head. "We're in this together, so we should ask together."

"And that's only if you decide that you'd rather put off kids for a couple years. I mean, we don't have to rush this, but we don't have to wait another ten years either. If the only thing that's worrying you is school, then we could start trying to have a kid after we graduate. Or if it's the living situation, we could move in together after we graduate, and then give it a year so that we know how to be together when we're not still living with our parents. This isn't an all or nothing situation."

"That's true," Sirius said, adding more sprinkles to his bowl and stirring it all together. "I just- this might sound horrible, but I don't want to wait. I still want to graduate without worrying about making all my classes, but I don't want to put off having a kid because of it." He sighed, shoulders hunching in slightly like he needed to protect himself.

James chewed on the inside of his cheek, stomach churning. It's not like he disagreed with Sirius's decision for his life, but, "I don't know if I'm ready to be a father. I know that we've talked about it before, but I thought I'd have a couple years to get ready-- read parenting books and shite, y'know? I don't want to be a bad husband or a bad father, and I'm just- I'm sodding terrified, Sirius. What if we have a kid now and we're not ready? I'm not saying no," he added quickly, "but I'm worried."

"I know what you mean; I'm worried too. Again, I think it's normal, but if you disagree, you can talk to your mum about it. Hopefully she'll be able to tell us."

"Yeah. I'm sure it's a good thing that she found out so she can answer some questions, but I'm still... I dunno," Sirius said with a sigh. "I have so many questions, and they're all twisted around each other. Like, do I really need to know about where we'd live if there's no way for me to graduate early or take my exams late? Because if I can't do that, then I wouldn't need to know about where we'd live, but there's no point in asking about exams unless we have a plan in place for where we'd go from there. And even if there was something in place for me, what about you? I wouldn't want to have the baby and then you go back to Hogwarts every day for classes."

"So we should see if we can both graduate early," James said, but Sirius shook his head.

"I'm not going to ask you to do that. Besides, what about Moony and Wormtail? They'll die if we both vanish."

James was about to say that their friends would be perfectly fine without their presence, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn't know how he had missed it before-- likely he was too busy from his own thoughts about Sirius being pregnant and the possibility of raising a baby within the year-- but Sirius didn't want answers right now; he wanted to talk about every eventuality and complain. The solution would come later. "Well, to be fair, anyone would die if they suddenly had to live without you."

"Don't think you'll make me feel better by flattering me," Sirius said, but it was obvious that he was fighting a smile.

#prongsfoot #marauders #fanfic #sirius black #james potter #no voldemort au #filled #established relationship #hogwarts time #siriuslystarbucks

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cozycornerwritings · 3 years

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Hello!! Could I get a matchup for my oc please? I'm bad at appearance descriptions so sorry that it's not the greatest!! She's 5'0-5'1 (like sorta just in the middle), has curly dark hair and lighter brown eyes. She also has vitiligo spots all over, but they are most prominent on her face and arms. Also she is African-American (transfer student to UA as well) She's very energetic and loving, always there to lend a hand. When she isn't doing schoolwork she's bouncing around and talking to everyone she possibly can, offering to listen to their problems or help them in some way. She's like a super energetic mom friend that never ever stops moving. Her main hobbies are gardening, sewing and she often bakes cakes. They don't always go as planned (cake sets on fire haha) but she still enjoys doing them. Life will never ever be boring when she's around. Quick mention!! She is pansexual with no gender preference!! Her quirk is called Macrocosm btw, she uses an extreme amount of energy to create small pocket dimensions where anything is possible. Though most likely it won't ever be put to it's full potential because she will not realize it herself, and it would take a l o t of energy. Sorry this was so long!! Ty!!

Sorry about the late response! I’ve been thinking hard about this! I was stuck between Mina and Deku buuuuuut since I can’t decide I’m just going to do a little bit of both!

Your oc with Mina: When Mina met her, they instantly became best friends because of the shared talkative energy. Mina was always very touchy with her, happy to cuddle when watching movies. One night, they were dancing together in her room, showing each other whatever moves they could come up with depending on the songs on the radio. When a random slow song came on, they went with it. Mina fell for her slowly for months, then all at once while dancing.

Together, they are the ultimate power couple. Mina could give anyone a pep talk and your oc would make tea and sweets to accompany it. Some rumors went around about and soon the two of them were getting called the ‘Cozy Couple’ cause anyone in the world could feel safe when with them. Mina sometimes needs to be reminded about schoolwork and your oc sometimes needs help with her confidence. More often than not they are amazed at each other’s skin, taking time to just gaze at each other in intimate moments. Baking is a fun hobby they share (even though Mina always wants the frosting to be pink).

Your oc with Deku: Deku was shy around your oc for quite a while, but was always fascinated by her and her quirk. They got closer because of study sessions and your oc offering to help sow Dekus hero costume. What started with curiosity changed into a crush when deku saw how kind she was. He accidentally confessed while they were baking cakes together. They decided to decorate a cake each to look like the other person. Your oc noticed how much detail went into Deku’s. When she asked him to explain it he rambled on, blushing and stuttering. Like this- you see I chose this frosting because blah blah blah and this reminds me of that one time and blah blah and I put this one cause it reminds me how cute you are. B-but I promise I’m not being creepy blah blah blah I just know this cause I like you so much you not because I’m creepy blah blah blah

Honestly people are jealous just seeing them walk around together because they make such an aesthetic couple. She appreciates his sensitivity and takes care of him, while he treats her like a princess. He like to help her garden, even making her raised garden beds and helping with the heavy work. They study together well, despite the flirting and footsie under the table.

#mha #bnha #mha matchup #bnha matchup

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spookybreadstick · 3 years

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I'm sorry, Breadstick. I will be praying for your grandmother, for sure the doctors will be taking good care of her. Family fights are inevitable but everything will get better, at that moment they are the closest people physically to you so enjoy, stay close and take care of each other. Family is one that is united even in the most difficult moments.

about your important decisions, I know you made the best possible choice, sometimes there are decisions that destroy the heart but fix our lives, so always try to look on the positive side of things

I'm going to take my afternoon off to study some school subjects that need my attention too. I went through the height of humiliation last week, I cried while studying because I couldn't understand the subject that the teacher taught in class. When I finished I just put my things away and went to take a nap

I had a lot to do at the restaurant that I work at last weekend. I take the orders for delivery (I don't think I've ever taken so many orders). And when the shift ended I went to help organize the invetory

my face was bruised after the shift, I have to wear two masks together (a simpler hospital one under and a thick fabric one over it) and a face shield

my classmates made fun of me at school this morning because i have a huge red mark on my forehead and my hair is still not big enough to cover it (at least the mask covers the bruise on my nose)

I have plans for tomorrow, I'll take my little sister to see the sunset in a clearing nearby, I'll take the opportunity and draw a little bit

I think I talk too much, sorry.

I'm sending you kisses and hugs! 💖💕💓💜🧡💚💖❤️💜💛🖤❤️

good luck with your schoolwork! I'm sure you'll be able to catch up. Don't demand too much of yourself

ily 💖💕💞💝💖💞

-dancing parrot 🐦🎶

Aw, thank you so much dancing parrot!! This means a lot to me <3

1) It is extremely kind of you to pray for my grandmother, so thank you. I will give an update under the cut on her health, so anyone who doesn’t want to hear about it can skip that.

2) Yes, my family and I have all made up by now! It’s just hard when you’re living in the same tiny house and there’s nowhere to go.

3) The more I think about it, the more sure I get that I did make the right choice. Whatever happens next is out of my control, but I did my best to make the best decision possible and I know that I’ve done what I can on my end.

4) Oh God, raise your hand if you’ve ever cried in school✋✋✋✋✋

I cried once in fourth grade because I didn’t understand and once in seventh grade. I also cried once in third grade, like full on sobbed, because my mom was sick and the doctors didn’t know why (it was like a really bad flu, except it wasn’t the flu and it lasted a while, and to this day the doctors aren’t sure what the hell that was but it certainly scared little-me). I’ve also very nearly cried in class, like I had to leave the room, for math-related issues a couple of times in the past. And I’ve cried not in class, but in the school building, for anxiety reasons, many times. I try my best not to do in front of people, but sometimes people know that I’m tearing up and need to leave because I’m about to have a panic attack. Shit happens. I know it’s really embarrassing, but crying is a natural human reaction and you know, like I said, shit happens. Crying it out isn’t the worst thing in the world when you think about it. And sometimes you just gotta stop and take a nap after. Rest and refresh.

5) I have a friend who used to work at a pizza place as the person who handled the delivery and to-go stuff, and she quit after a week, so props to you! She told me that she’s never been so stressed and also her manager really sucked and didn’t teach her how to do the job properly so she had to figure things out mostly on her own. The final straw for her was when the manager wanted her to train the new hire after she hadn’t even been here for a week yet. She was way too stressed so that just sent her over the edge and she quit. I feel for those who work in the fast-food or restaurant industries. I could never do that. When I had my pre-pandemic job at the grocery store, I got stressed out when it got busy, but grocery store busy is nothing compared to fast-food or restaurant busy.

6) If people were honestly making fun of you, then fuck them honestly. You’re working hard and they probably don’t even know the definition of hard work. A bruised face from the masks just means you were being responsible and caring for the safety of others while you did your job. Nothing wrong with that at all.

7) I hope you and your little sister had fun!! Sounds like a great little trip for the two of you!!

8) Sending you kisses and hugs back!! And don’t worry, you don’t talk too much :)

- breadstick 🥖

~~~~ Update On My Grandmother’s Health Under the Cut ~~~~

Unfortunately, the doctors gave a diagnosis: Stage 3 Lung Cancer.

It doesn’t come as a huge shock, she’s been a HEAVY smoker for decades, but it’s still somehow surprising too :( Like even though we all kind of knew at the back of our minds, it’s still unexpected in a way. She will be undergoing treatment, and that will give us hopefully a few more years. But it could potentially be a few months, depending on how her body reacts to it, which is a scary thought. The doctors are learning towards a positive outlook with a couple more years though, so that’s good. It’s just sad to know that like, this is what will kill her. There is no cure, and the doctors are certain that one day the cancer will kill her, whether it’s in a few months or a few years. It’s weird, because the last time I saw her she was fine. She’s been so careful about pandemic, and really never leaves the house, so we got to see her every couple of weeks since we’re both not going anywhere and being safe. And our last little visit, she was totally fine. It feels sudden and not real, but I know the reality will set in soon. I think it’s like that for my dad, too. We’ve never been super close to my grandmother, not like some people have deep bonds with their grandparents, but we’ve been close enough and she’s our family, you know? So it’s just sad. Trying to be hopeful about it, but there’s also just the facts that we need to face, too 💔

#dancing parrot #🐦🎶#🐦#🐦 dancing parrot anon #dancing parrot 🦜#dancing parrot anon #dancing parrot <3 #<3 #🥖#breadstick speaks #breadstick 🥖#spookybreadstick

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burnt-tomato · 4 years

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Hey, so ngl University got me hella stressed atm, i was wondering if i could get a oneshot with Daichi where their s/o is struggling with the uncertainty of university and are drowning in work? And he tries to like take her mind off it etc?? Just reallyyyt fluffy stuff feel free to roll with whatever your feeling! I really appreciate u thank u🥰🥺🥺

♤: aye aye sorry for hella late answer yeeee, hope you feel better soon

Daichi x Reader

Anime: Haikyuu!!

Genre: fluff

Warnings: cursing

»»--------------------------------------------------►

Fuck homework. Fuck this shit. When will teachers give us a goddamn break?? All week, every single fucking day, they give us homework that obviously can't be done in a fucking day. School ends at 7 fucking PM, and they give us what? 3 assignments per subject? And don't even get me started with fuckin English, that stupid Professor wants us to write 2 1000- worded essays? Are you for fucking real? And maths just looves to torture children who can't keep up. History is going to fucking end me, the teacher doesn't even want to discuss it properly because she keeps saying "You all need to learn to be responsible and independent" and shit.

You decided to stand up and actually do something despite there being like 8 more to go and it's fuckin 2 AM. You knew that ranting to yourself won't change anything, since there's no one really to talk to. Every college student is on their own, and helping someone will mean yOUR ass getting shouted on by the stupid ass teachers.

Your phone starts to ring.

Of course alot of people are still awake by now. No one barely gets sleep. You're lucky if you even get 30 minutes.. This fuckin university I fuckin swear I'll-

"Oh? Daichi? Why the fuck is he calling me at this time?" You ask yourself in surprise. You were confused. Daichi was never the type to get distracted especially now bc.. college.. plus he concentrates really hard on his studies. Damn I sure hope I also have the same patience he has. So getting a call from him this late plus all this fucCin homework, this is quite the surprise.

Turns out he was done [ ♤: ha. NeRD ]. And asked you if you needed any help. You were jealous of him, no, you ARE jealous of him.

How does he remain calm during college? Clearly every student is hella stressed and is on the verge of breaking like me.

The next day you arrive to School, it's the usual. All the students either face first on the table and snoring,or still doesn't have the will to continue on anymore. You're both.

"Uh, y/n,, wake up. Class is about to start. The teachers are gonna be mad again. I'm still trying to wake up the others who fell asleep." Says a familiar voice. You didn't have any energy to lift your head but it sounded like Daichi.

Mmmmmm of coursee, the teachers are going to get mAd because we fall asleep during classes yAY. Just what we all fuccin needed, another session of teachers screaming their vocal cords out for nothing and they know that this doesn't do any good. Students who're excited for school don't exist anymore, so they should stop getting their hopes high that we still have the will.

Math comes and shit. You were planning on doing math last, but you fell asleep on your desk this morning. You didn't have the homework to pass in. All you could think about was fuck I hope I'm not the only one. And you just jinxed yourself. Everyone planned on doing math first, and you were the only one who doesn't have anything to pass in. Just great. Like I didn't need more screaming. Just wow, as if I'm not getting anxiety from all this homework, now Im getting humiliation and private screaming from the teacher.

I wouldn't even elaborate what he said. It's what he says to the students who didn't do their homeworks, it's just the same. The usual "You should learn to be responsible for once!" No shit Bimbo.

You felt like disappearing. [ ♤: but ain't that what we feel on a daily basis? ]. It's a different kind of anxiety when you're being shouted at and everyone's either staring at you or minding their own businesses. And they say school is a place to make you feel comfortable and accepted. Amazing. After Class you didn't even feel like lifting your head for the next class. Actually, you just passed in the homeworks and placed your head on your desk. You were facing your right, where Daichi was seated. He was 2 seats away from you. You shot him a look that he understood quickly.

[ I was lucky enough for someone like Daichi to have mutual feelings for me honestly. Despite this hell of a School, we still have each others backs all the time. He was that one reason I still go to school. What worries me is that he's picked me up when I fall countless times, and I've barely helped him emotionally and mentally at all. Maybe I'm being to dependent on him... wow the teachers are right for once. ]

Holy shit finally fuckin lunch comes. Took that long enough.

You both climbed the stairs to the rooftop for lunch. I feel sick in my stomach.

You felt really sick and ill. You were on the verge of crying, and Daichi noticed.

"Hey, hey y/n, are you okay?" He said softly as he brushed your hair aside. You tried to keep it all in. You've been trying so fuccin hard to stay strong. You didn't want to break down, especially infront of him, because that'll just mean that he'll have to pick you up again.

"..." You stayed silent. You tried to avoid eye contact, which was hard because he had both his hands on your cheeks, trying to catch your eyes.

"Is this about awhile ago? Look, it's not your fault that they got mad for you not being able to do you homework. It happens to everyone, even to me. The pressure got to you and there was just too much work." He said. You couldn't pay any attention to what he was saying because the only thing on your head was to 'hold back'.

Fuck.. you bit your lip. Fuck fuck fuck fuck.. not now.. please.. don't let this happen now, not to him. I'd rather do this alone, but not now please.. hold back y/n.. please hold back.. please.. don't do this now. Hold back hold back hold back hold back hol-

Pathetic. You started to cry quietly, tears running down your cheeks. You were worried because your tears were making his hands, still cupped to your face, wet. But he didn't care. You started to cry a bit louder, your hands running through your own hair, covering your ears and eyes shut.

You felt someone's hands travel to your back and pulling to closer, your face then buried on his chest.

"Let it out. I'm here." He said. "I'm here to listen. Don't worry it's just the 2 of us here, so it's fine. Cry as loud as you want, say all what you want, I won't leave." His words slowly calmed you down overtime. One arm on your back and one hand on your head, your face on his chest. You started to not care getting his uniform wet. He pressed soft kisses on your forehead, and you understood what it all meant.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry for crying so suddenly. You've picked me up so much, and I've barely done anything for you. I'm.. sorry. I just-"

"And what makes you think that? Youre enough and you make me really happy okay? I can't really say that the school is wrong even if they are, but I'm here to comfort you okay? You can always open up to me. Regarding School, how 'bout I stay over to your dorm to help you with your homeworks and schoolwork in general? And we can open up to eachother too.." His voice trailed.

You felt bad making him deal with you being so pathetic and weak. Sure school sucks and you're sick and tired of it, but at least you both have a shoulder to lie on.

Whenever he stayed by your place, you'd sit on his lap while working on calculus lol. He also hugs you all the time when he notices you getting stress. He was also dependable when it comes to accidentally falling asleep and waking you up. You'd take small breaks when you finish a subject, like a long as heck hug or a nap. As time flew you sort of stopped cursing your school tho you still do it lol because he kept you calm and happy.

That day he started to stay in your dorm alot and with both of you helping each other, you got passed everything you thought was a job alone. You still get anxiety and other problems because of School, but at least now you knew, that There's someone to help you stand up again

There are also times that'd when you'd get way too pressured, he'd ask you to play something with him to keep your mind off school even for s short amount of time.

You were happy. He made you calm. You weren't afraid to open up to him anymore.

»»--------------------------------------------------►

Yeeeeeee sorry ik this is bad lol I'm not that good with comforting and stuff lol Also sorry bc it's short lmao

Aye aye feel free to request anything requests are still open lol

-♤

#haikyuu #haikyuu!!#hq #Sawamura Daichi #Daichi x reader #haikyuu Daichi #hq Daichi #haikyuu Daichi x reader #hq Daichi x reader #haikyuu oneshots #asks #♤#yeE I'm not good in writing lol

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avis-writeshq · 4 years

Note

1 to 15 and 41 to 50 for the self ship asks!! :3

Avishi Self-ship Asks

Not at me forgetting to answer this ;-; okie here we go! Buckle up because this one’s pretty long hehe

1. where was your first date?

A cafe or just somewhere we can go talk 😌 I love cafe dates so we probably went to a bubble tea store or Starbucks hehe

2. who normally plans the dates?

It’s mutual haha depending on the situation, I might plan one date and Akaashi might plan the other! I try to make things as mutual as possible if I’m in a relationship (not that I’ve ever been in one LMAO)

3. what type of dates would you two mostly go on? do you guys have a “date spot”?

Not so much ‘date spot’ than ‘go-to date’. Busy people lead busy lives so any time where it’s just the two of us spending time together can be considered a date (to me, at least hehe). We typically go on small, quiet dates like cafes or picnics. There is the rare occasion when we go to loud festivals or carnivals though!

4. what kind of date do you think both of you would enjoy together the most? why?

Honestly, I’m fine with anything as long as there isn’t any strenuous exercise LMAO >.<

5. how do you think your friends would feel about them being your bf/gf/partner?

I asked my friends to answer this LMAO

I’m 98% sure that they’re very happy about Akaashi being my boyfie bahaha

6. how do you think their friends would feel about you?

UHHHH I think they like me??? I sure hope Bokuto-san likes me at least just a little bit hehe

7. who would most likely help the other study when they’re struggling in a class?

KEIJI WOULD HELP ME 100%. Mathematics isn’t my strong point and Akaashi is a good student so I don’t doubt for a second that he would be above average at maths $￣︶￣*$)

8. how would you know them? ( ex: same homeroom, same route to school, etc.)

Oh! I answered this question here but I basically said:

“Hehe, I’m feeling same homeroom vibes? Either that or Shirofuku asked for me to become a manager bahaha >.< I also like the idea of taking the same train or going to the same cafe after school! So basically, anything to do with school XD”

9. what do you think your first impression of them would be?

UHM: Mah boy who gave you the right to be this perfect ASJKDJA *insert me fangirling to my friends*

10. what do you think their first impression of you would be?

“What a dumbass lmao.” NO IF IT WAS I’D CRY T^T it would probably be: “ah, she’s quite active in class.”

11. who’s more awkward in the relationship?

OKAY THIS- OKAY LISTEN. I’m awkward because I’m shy and I’ve never been in a relationship before and I think Keiji might be awkward because he’s new to relationships. BUT Keiji anon has been smooth af so I think I’m the more awkward one BAHAHA ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

12. who initiates verbal affection more?

Probably Keiji. He’s very good with speaking and his words, so he’d be great at showering me with kind words. Of course, I love to express my care to others with words as well, but probably not as much as him hehe

13. who initiates physical affection more?

ME. I’m not even afraid to say it BAHAHA I love cuddles and I love to be held. Honestly, I’m pretty touch starved so-

14. who gets more embarrassed by verbal affection?

Me haha self explanatory >///<

15. who gets more embarrassed by physical affection?

Probably Keiji because self explanatory 🤪

41. what are traits they have that would annoy/upset you?

UHHHHHHHHHHH maybe working for a long period of time and not taking breaks? Schoolwork is hard to get through, not to mention that he does volleyball as well. Both being extrememly strenuous and tiring, I’d worry for his health and well being :’)

Post timeskip, being an editor is a pretty demanding job and again, pulling all nighters isn’t healthy so maybe just not paying attention to their own health is something that I’d be upset about.

42. how often would you guys probably fight? what would they normally be about? would they be big or small?

I’m a mediator, so I try to find a compromise in situations and Keiji’s pretty logical in his thinking! I don’t think we’d have huge shouting matches, but more like discussions about how to move forward. Big arguments would probably just be us snapping or losing our temper because we held all our emotions in for too long

43. who would probably get sick more often? who would baby the other when sick? who acts like they’re dying when they get a stuffy nose?

OoFt I think we get sick the same amount? Honestly, I don’t get sick that often, but when I do it’s REALLY BAD. Like... really concerning XD Eh, we’d take care of each other I think lmao

44. who has the worst patience? does the other balance this out?

I have... okay patience and Keiji has the patience of a SAINT. LIKE HE’S SO PATIENT??? WHAT??? I have average patience I think

45. which one suggests trips to stores at 3am?

............................................... probably me. no comment.

46. who is a morning person? who is a night person?

We’re both night owls >:)

47. out of the two of you, who would be the one to kill / get rid of the spider?

I have arachniphobia i didn’t come here to get attacked ;-;

48. who reminds the other of things? ( ex: appointments, tests, etc.)

I’m forgetful AF thanks Keiji for taking care of me :’)

49. what is the pace of the relationship? ( ex: started dating after a few weeks, takes months/years, act couple like right off the bat, need time, etc?)

I feel like we both took the time to get to know each other and then we started dating hehe. I like getting to know people first before jumping into anything, and I think Akaashi would agree! Not gonna lie, we’d probably only tie the knot like... 3-5 years into dating sooooooooooooooooooooo (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

50. who said the first “ i love you”? was it immediately reciprocated, or did the other person wait?

I’m chicken, but I feel like it would have slipped out by accident 😳😳 i feel like he would have been like “😀 what” before processing and then saying it back haha

I hope I didn’t bore any of you guys! Thank you Rina for the ask!

send in a selfship ask? ✉

@gwiy-omi bc i was talking to you about this bahaha

#avishi 🕊🏹#ask avis #rina 💐

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fullmetalscullyy · 4 years

Text

the way it was - chapter 14

summary: what if riza never went to war? riza hawkeye has just married the man she loves. six months into their marriage, an unexpected surprise stops her from following roy to the military. a canon divergence au that explores what might have happened had riza been unable to join the military. there will be plenty of family fluff, angst, and royai.

rated: m | warnings: no archive warning apply

chapter 13 | read on ao3

1914

anywhere the sun shines

anywhere your love goes

you will find me

“Moving to Central?” Riza asked in surprise. Roy had mentioned the move before but that seemed like a far-off thing – something not happening until the end of the year, or in the new one.

“They liked how I handled the Scar situation so much that they promoted me.”

“A promotion too?”

“Don’t act like it was so unlikely,” he grinned cheekily.

“No, I’m just… This is great for you.” Her expression softened, her lips curving upwards as he grinned at her. “Well done. I’m proud of you, and this is a step in the right direction.”

Roy’s arms looped around her body, locking together on the small of her back. “It’s all thanks to you.”

Riza snorted lightly in disbelief. “I doubt that.”

“No, it is,” Roy urged as she tried to pull away. His grip tightened and Roy held her in place. “You’ve pushed me to keep going. Plus, now we have baby number two on the way, we have to get a bigger place, so this is the perfect excuse,” he winked. Roy chuckled as Riza swatted his arm, making him loosen his hold on her waist.

“What happened with Scar, by the way?” she enquired.

“He’s still on the loose. He’s far too fast for us to catch but at the moment, the threat has passed.”

“Just be careful, okay?”

“Always am,” he reassured her with a grin. Riza promptly rolled her eyes at him. Says the man that fell off her roof while trying to impress her.

But still… Riza bit her lip. She knew Scar was an Ishvalan man. Roy had expressed his strong desire not to use alchemy against him, not after what he did. Riza reasoned that he had to protect himself. He had a whole country depending on him. Once Roy started making moves with the changes he wanted to see in the world, the Amestrian people would need him. He couldn’t get himself killed with the first step he took.

“Did you use your alchemy against him?”

There was a pause which caused Riza to glance at him. Roy’s gaze was off to the side as he answered.

“No.”

Riza felt relief wash over her. “How come?”

“It was raining all day.”

Riza blinked at him, then burst out laughing. She couldn’t help it. A memory from their past came to her mind unbidden, and it always amused her thoroughly. It involved smug Roy trying to show off and some petrol. He’d been trying to get the old barbeque they had going in the damp, wet air. It wasn’t working, so Genius Roy, with all of his fifteen years of wisdom, thought that pouring a few drops of petrol on the barbeque would get it going. It did. The inferno claimed his eyebrows. Riza had to draw them on for days after so her father wouldn’t find out.

She’d never laughed so much in her childhood before.

“It’s not funny,” he glared.

“I’m sorry, dear. I wasn’t laughing at that,” she giggled, trying to calm herself down.

Roy moved to sulk on the couch instead. He placed his face on two closed fists, his elbows resting on his knees. Mia was lost in her own world as she played with her toys on the rug in front of them.

“Okay,” she admitted. “I was.”

“Before you say it,” Roy interrupted her. “I’m not useless,” he spat out, the word obviously leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

“I bet you didn’t even realise it was raining that day, did you?” Riza grinned from behind the couch. She perched on the back of it, running her hand through his hair. There was a soft sigh from Roy, and it made Riza’s smile grow.

“No,” he muttered sullenly. “Listen,” he jumped in, his spine straightening. “When you’re faced with a serial killer, you’d have bigger things to worry about than the weather, all right?”

“Not when it affects my ability to use alchemy, the only way to defend myself,” Riza retorted. His defensive argument was a strong one, however he could have been killed when fighting Scar that day. That was the reality of it. Riza tried to let it go. She exhaled slowly and quietly, letting that anxious energy drain out of her. He was fine. He was alive. He was still breathing, and his heart was still beating.

He was okay.

Roy huffed, returning to his sulk. “Yeah, yeah,” he muttered.

“Daddy?” Mia asked, not looking up from playing with her toys. Her brow was furrowed as she still played, confused about something.

“Yes, Mia?” he asked. His mood perked up as soon as their daughter called him. It made the smile return to Riza’s face.

“What’s a serial killer?”

Riza snickered as Roy stiffened underneath her hand. She patted his head twice then bent at the waist to whisper in his ear. “I’ll let you deal with this one,” she stated, oh so kindly. Their daughter had quite the inquisitive streak and was a sponge – she picked up everything.

“Gee, thanks,” he deadpanned.

“Dinner will be ready shortly Mia, okay?” Riza called during her retreat to their kitchen.

“Okay Mummy,” she called as she clambered up onto her father’s lap.

“Make sure all your toys are tidied up, okay?”

“Yes Mummy,” she replied dutifully.

“Thank you, Mia.”

Riza smiled and left the two of them to their lesson, snickering at the thought of Roy explaining to their five-year-old what a serial killer was. In all honesty, she shouldn’t know, but Mia would never let things go. If they put it off, she’d just ask again and again until she got her answer. Or worse, she’d ask someone else, stating she heard her parents talking about it. That had happened before, and it was an awkward conversation with the adult afterwards.

Ten minutes after their impromptu lesson began, Roy entered the kitchen alone and kissed her cheek in greeting.

“As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted.”

“Are you talking about me, or our child?” Riza asked dryly. “Choose wisely.”

“Um… None?” he squeaked with a forced grin. Riza rolled her eyes, and the forced smile on Roy’s face fell, leaving a real one in its place. “Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that it was you who saved me with Scar.”

Riza scoffed. “Hardly.”

“No, you did. Honestly. I don’t know what I’d ever do without you.” He stopped for a moment, tilted his head then smiled softly. “Watching out for me even when you’re not by my side,” Roy grinned. “I knew I married you for a reason.”

“To stop you from inadvertently getting yourself killed?” Riza asked, raising one eyebrow.

“Something like that,” Roy smiled, angling his head to kiss her temple.

“I believe Maes calls your ability to still find yourself alive “sheer dumb luck”. Emphasis on the dumb.”

“Well, Maes is always talking out of his ass.”

“Daddy?” Mia piped up suddenly, appearing in the doorway. “What’s an ass –”

“Oh! Mia!” Riza announced quickly and loudly, distracting their daughter with her food. “Dinner is ready! Daddy will help you into your chair.”

Mia grinned and ran over to him, holding her arms up in the air, signalling she wanted up. It was like she was two years old again.

Riza shot him a pointed look that said, “no more swearing in front of the kid.” The last thing Riza needed was for her to repeat that. Hopefully, she’d caught it early enough that Mia had already forgotten all about it.

“So… Central?” Riza stated as they retired to the living room for the night.

“Are you all right with that?” he asked, an undercurrent of uncertainty in her tone.

Riza nodded. “Of course.”

“I just knew it meant you’d be able to pursue your career and Central would give you so many more opportunities to do that than being here does.” From his tone it was clear he’d already built up a case to try and persuade her, but there was no need. She was already ready to go. It was the packing up of all Mia’s toys that would be the nightmare part of it.

“Roy, I’m ready. This is a step in the right direction for you.”

“But it’s your life too,” he stressed, turning to face her. “I can’t just assume you’ll uproot your life just for me.”

Riza smiled and cupped his cheek. “You’re sweet. But don’t worry. I already told you I had something lined up in Central for this year and you’re also my husband,” she stated, as if it were obvious. “I’d follow you anywhere.”

That seemed to settle some of his fears and his nervousness. His shoulders sagged in relief.

Riza wondered if he was like this every day at work. He seemed to be calm, cool, and collected in front of his colleagues at the ball, but when it came to her he was always uncertain and sure she was going to turn and run away from him at a moment’s notice. It may not be intentional, but that was the vibe he gave off to her. Riza wasn’t worried about it, per se, but she’d married him, and loved him with all her heart. He owned it completely. What else could she do to prove that she wasn’t going anywhere?

“There’s nothing to worry about on my part. And Central will be good for us. Plus, Maes and Gracia are there too, so we’ll be able to see them more often.”

“Oh no.”

“What?” His tone was filled with dread, and worry began to pool in Riza’s chest.

“I won’t just get phone calls about his kid and Gracia, I’ll have to deal with it in person.”

Riza rolled her eyes. “Drama queen.”

“It’s a real problem I suffer with here. I would think as my wife you’d be supportive,” he frowned.

“You’re on your own there, dear,” she smiled sweetly, patting his knee. Before she could remove it, Roy snagged it in his hand. “Okay, so now we need to think about moving,” Riza stated, already planning and making a list of things to do in her head. “We’ll need boxes. I threw out all the ones we brought here with us. I’ve no schoolwork tomorrow and was planning on going to the market with Mia anyway, so I’ll pick something up then.”

“Tell me about it,” Roy requested, immediately after she’d finished her train of thought.

“Excuse me?” she asked, confused by his request. “Tell you about cardboard boxes?”

“Tell me about your typical day. About what you have planned for tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Riza stated after a pause, wracking her brain for what she’d decided to do tomorrow. “Tomorrow the market is on in the square from nine o’clock until noon, so I’ll go there with Mia to collect some fresh vegetables for dinner. Then, we’ll probably go to the park and she’ll play on the swings.” Roy grinned. They made that trip a few times a month on the weekends and Mia would be on those swings for hours if they let her. “Then, I’ll nip into town and get a cup of coffee –”

“Where about?” he inquired.

“Robertson’s.”

“The old haunt.” Roy quipped.

“They do a soup that Mia really likes so we’ll have some of that for lunch then head back. At home she’ll play while I look over my schoolwork, then we play until you come home. Except…” She cocked her head in thought. “We’ll nip back to the market as it closes to see if we can get some cardboard boxes from some of the stalls.”

“That sounds genuinely wonderful. I wish I could join you,” he murmured.

“One day,” she smiled. “Or we’ll do it more often when you’ve got the day off.”

“In a perfect world I like to think we’d do that every day.”

“Oh yeah? What do you imagine our lives being like?”

Roy took a deep breath then let it out in a rush, tilting his head to look up at the ceiling. “If I never joined the military… I picture us in a house out in the country. Not your father’s one, but something new that we bought ourselves with our own money. We’d have chickens, we’d have a cow and a goat.”

“Just one of each?”

Roy nodded. “Yep. Just one is all we need. There would be a little vegetable plot in the back garden where we’d grow our own… It would be perfect.”

Riza hummed and leaned her head against his shoulder. “That does sound wonderful.”

“However.” He heaved a sigh. “This was the path I chose, so I must follow through with it.”

Riza patted the hand on his thigh. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“How about beside me?” he asked, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. “I don’t like the idea of you being behind me.”

“I’m supposed to watch your back, Roy,” she smiled dryly. “I can’t do that from beside you.”

“Then how am I supposed to watch yours, with you behind me?” he queried. “No, beside sounds a lot better, because we’re equals. We look out for each other, and no one is getting put to the back or left behind,” he stated firmly. Riza smiled at his explanation and felt her chest blossom with warmth at his words, along with a little flutter in her stomach.

“That sounds lovely, Roy,” she hummed in agreement.

Silence settled over them, and Riza turned her vision to the future, thinking about how everything was all falling into place conveniently for them. She was loath to damper on the moment for herself, but this seemed too easy. Letting go of her insecurities was easier said than done, but she gave herself a shake anyway. No, she wouldn’t let those fears ruin this lovely moment for herself.

“So, Central, huh?”

“I know,” Roy stated.

“This is a big move.”

Roy nodded. “It will be good for us.”

Riza agreed with him. “Definitely. I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun in the big city,” she joked. “Plus, we’ll be closer to Chris, so she’ll get to see Mia more often.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing,” Roy stated dryly.

“She’s great with Mia,” Riza said, eyeing him like he was crazy. “What are you talking about?”

“I meant for Mia. Poor kid must put up with her. At the best of times, it wasn’t fun,” he joked, mock fear on his face.

“She must have done an all right job because you turned out okay,” Riza retorted.

“Just okay?” Roy asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Riza felt a mischievous streak overtake her. “Yes. Just “okay”. Below average, but a passing grade.”

Something flashed in his eyes and Riza began to laugh as Roy tickled her mercilessly as a punishment.

“Stop it,” Riza gasped. “You’ll wake Mia up!”

“No, you will wake her up,” he grinned, continuing his torture.

“Roy!”

She was silenced with lips pressed hard against her own. Her laughs and gasps turned into moans as Roy’s hands stayed on her body, but began to stroke it instead, lighting a spark within Riza that only he could put out. She moaned his name as he moved down to her neck.

“That’s a better volume,” he quipped.

Riza pulled at his hair gently, guiding him back up to her lips. “Much better,” she agreed.

* * *

The move to Central happened in a blur. Two days after Roy announced it, and was officially told himself, they were expected to move out of their apartment within the week and head to Central. The military had already allocated Roy a new home in the city, so they were expected to be ready to go.

Talk about military efficiency, Riza had thought sourly, exhausted after cramming her packing time into two days, rather than the weeks she thought she would have. Luckily, they let Roy off work so he could prepare too, so she didn’t have to do it all by herself. It made the hectic and stressful time in her life easier to deal with while he was helping.

Now in Central, Riza barely remembered what happened. The move was over that quick. One morning she woke up in their apartment in East City to a fall asleep in a different one.

Except this wasn’t an apartment. It was a house. Roy had specifically put in a request for them to have a house.

“I wanted to save the trouble of moving again, since the family is growing.” He’d shrugged, like it was no big deal. Riza had been touched that he’d been so thoughtful. “I don’t want to drag Mia through all that chaos again.”

Their five-year-old was surprisingly calm throughout it all. Maybe she could sense how stressed her mother was and kept quiet. Of course, the military expected Roy to check in at Central Headquarters the day they arrived, leaving Riza to unpack. He’d been assured it would only be an hour or so, however four hours later, Riza was worrying about where he’d gotten to. When Roy did eventually return, he was extremely apologetic and had even stopped off at a bakery to pick up a coffee and a pastry for her.

“I promise, I’ll make this up to you,” he’d assured her. He didn’t have to, but Roy was adamant. The look in his eye told her that the “making up” wouldn’t be coming until after they’d retired to bed.

She wasn’t annoyed at him. Her sourness was directed more at the military, which was happening more frequently these days. It didn’t mean that the making up for his prolonged absence wasn’t welcome. Far from it. He’d become more affectionate recently, and Riza accepted it wholeheartedly. She enjoyed every second of it. It made her feel so loved, which she was eternally grateful for every time. Roy had that effect on her.

She couldn’t wait to see what their future held in Central. Despite being exhausted from their move she was thoroughly excited. Their home was perfect. It was large, spacious, and had room for them to grow within its walls. It was military owned, but far from what Riza had expected it would be. In her mind it would be beige walls everywhere, with no character or warmth. Instead, it was an old townhouse that had been taken over for military accommodation, which still harboured the old wood panelling in the hallway and plush carpet throughout the ground floor. It was warm and welcoming, just what she’d always wanted in a home.

Mia adored the large back garden and the first day, she’d stood with her face pressed against the glass of the patio doors, mind boggling at the sight of the expanse of grass before her.

Roy had regaled her with his plans for the space. “We can get a swing,” he had explained, casting his hand over the old oak tree at the corner. “We can tie it around the tree branches and Mia can swing from there. When the little one is old enough, they can join her,” he grinned. “In that corner,” he gestured over to the opposite side of the garden. “I can build a small vegetable patch and we can grow our own.”

Riza glanced up at him and noticed the sparkle in his eyes as he spoke about all of this. She remembered the conversation they’d had about their ideal lives, and how Roy said he wanted a vegetable garden. She smiled up at him, catching the bug for his excitement and turned her attention back to the garden as he showed off the space.

Yeah. Riza couldn’t wait.

#royai #royai fic #royai fanfic #royai au #emma writes #the way it was #i forgot to post this on tumblr lmao #whoops

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hphmbang2020 · 4 years

Text

Merry Christmas, Kyril!

@kyril-hphm

From your Secret Santa, @unoriginal2tall

Kyril used his thumb and forefinger to rub his eyes before he returned his glasses to their rightful place. He was exhausted. He'd always kept busy during his time at Hogwarts. Between classes, the vaults, and maintaining some semblance of a social life, he was used to late nights and even the occasional all nighter. But with the start of sixth year came an increase in schoolwork that had seriously eaten into his sleep schedule. Still he opened his eyes and, with a weary sigh, resumed work on his partially finished potion.

Potions class was always difficult when one was tired. The cool, damp air of the dungeons came into contrast with the warmth of the fires used to heat the cauldrons. There was even the risk of pleasant smells and vapors filling the air, though that was dependent on the potion to be brewed for the day. Today's assignment was perhaps the worst offender of all, amortentia. The most powerful love potion in the world. Even some of the ingredients smelled nice on their own. All of these things combined and seemed to drag Kyril's eyelids down repeatedly. He should have taken a wide-eye potion this morning.

Somehow he managed to keep his eyes open and his hands moving. Just a few more steps and then class would be over. As he leaned closer to stir, the warm vapors began to wash over him and threatened to close his eyes once more. Concentrate Kyril. Think about something to keep your mind working. The Christmas holiday approached quickly and planning for that should be enough excitement to drive off his weariness. He glanced aside to his table mate Merula Snyde, occasional thorn in his side and yet somehow still fun to be around. She always stayed for Christmas, but what exactly could the two Slytherins do together? Hopefully something that did not end in yet another duel. Kyril's mind searched and a possibility began to play out for him.

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

Kyril found himself in the warm and inviting Three Broomsticks, its interior decorated in all manner of bright Christmas decorations. He sat in a corner booth by himself near the fireplace, a thick book open on the table next to an untouched butterbeer. Before he had time to consider why he was here, his table was suddenly approached by Merula. She wore a plain green sweater under a heavy black coat and had a butterbeer in hand.

"Vasiley. Spending time with all your friends I see," she quipped while she sauntered up to the table.

"Snyde. Yes, they were just listing all your best qualities," he replied coolly, his face composed and calm as ever.

She set her drink on the table and threw her coat off into the booth. "Well, allow me to interrupt then," she said as she slid herself onto the seat across from him. She eyed his still full drink. "Are you going to babysit that all night or what?" Merula asked derisively.

"I will drink at my own pace, thank you. Not everything has to be a competition between us," came Kyril's retort as he tried to re-focus on his book. For some strange reason he was having difficulty making out the words.

The girl's face became mischievous. "Oh I see. Afraid to lose are we?" she taunted. Merula grabbed her drink and quickly gulped down a fifth of the sickly sweet liquid. "Ahhhhhh!" she let out an exaggerated gasp as she set the mug down and then wiped a bit of liquid from the corner of her mouth.

"Your childish tactics won't work on me anymore Snyde," Kyril said though his eyes involuntarily flickered between her mug and his own. He was not going to fall for this. That was until she began to reach for her drink once more. He was not losing, even in a contest that was objectively stupid and childish. He snatched his own mug and began to chug. With that the race was on.

Some time later both teenagers struggled to finish a fifth mug. A pair of stomachs rebelled against all the liquid and sugar that had been forced upon them. The two locked eyes, each determined not to lose. "Ready to give up Snyde? You don't look so good," Kyril asked.

"In your dreams Vasiley. You're looking fairly pale yourself. Well, paler," she fired back. Damn her.

Both Slytherins knocked back the rest of their drinks and slammed their glasses onto the table at the same time. Kyril waited a moment for his stomach to calm slightly. This couldn't continue, else one or both of them would have to vomit. However he knew that neither of them would want to lose. Then he got an idea. "You know, we could call it a draw. If you'd like," Kyril offered.

"Pffft. A draw? Why would I want to draw? I'm the most powerful..." she began before she paused with a look of unease. "I suppose in the spirit of Christmas I could accept a draw. Think of it as my gift to you," the girl added with false confidence.

"Wow, you are so generous," he sarcastically replied with a roll of his eyes. Still he breathed a sigh of relief that the silly competition had come to an end. "Care to walk back to the castle?"

Merula responded with a shrug and a disinterested, "Yeah, alright I guess." She wasn't quite able to hide the slight twitch of her lips that threatened to become a smile if left unchecked though.

The pair slowly got up, put on their heavy coats, and made their way to the door. Neither wanted to move particularly fast after all the butterbeer they'd just drank. That was until they got outside and began to trudge through the snow, all exposed skin feeling the bite of the bitterly cold December air. A few warming charms helped mitigate this, but still neither wanted to stay outside for any longer than they had to.

"Hey Kyril!" he heard a familiar voice call from behind. He turned towards the sound, but when he did the entire world swirled around him. There was darkness for the blink of an eye and then he no longer walked through the cold snow of Hogsmeade with Merula. Instead he found he had just entered the heat filled Hogwarts kitchens, also decorated for the Christmas season, and was being approached by the lovable rogue Jae Kim in his trademark yellow hoodie. It was then Kyril realized that that was the voice he'd heard.

"Hey Jae," he replied automatically in his confusion.

"What brings you to my home away from home?" Jae asked curiously. "Didn't think I'd get to see you in detention again."

"I'm not sure," Kyril responded honestly, still taken aback by his sudden change in surroundings. "Wait how did you manage to get detention over Christmas?"

"Ah ah ah," Jae said with a sarcastic wag of his finger. "I can't just go around giving away my secrets like that."

Kyril couldn't help a small smile at his friend's flippant answer. Knowing Jae there were any number of infractions that could be the cause of his Christmastime captivity. Most likely it was a combination of multiple offenses. Kyril adjusted the glasses that had become slightly askew on his face before he replied sarcastically, "Yes, well I suppose you wouldn't want anyone to imitate you."

"Exactly. There can only be one Jae Kim in the school or it would never survive," Jae said in a way that almost seemed like bragging. "Say, since you're here, care to help with some dishes?" The Gryffindor's eyes seemed to grow twice as large as he asked, and Kyril swore to himself. Surely he had better things to do than dishes, and yet...

"Sigh. Fine. I will help with some dishes," the Slytherin accepted with a heavy emphasis on the word some. This was not going to end up like the time Jae tricked him into doing all the work for the day.

"Hooray," the shifty Gryffindor exclaimed. "Glad I've got my old work flirt back." With this he gave a wink and headed off to one of the many sinks piled high with dishes, followed by a Kyril who had failed to keep himself from blushing.

They each rolled up their sleeves and got to work scrubbing, rinsing, and drying dish after dish. As they moved around each other to get things put away, Jae began to get playful. He'd bump into Kyril with his hips or run his hand across Kyril's shoulders. The Slytherin couldn't determine whether he was more annoyed or excited by this.

"Would you mind helping me get something from the storage cupboard?" Jae whispered into his ear as they neared the end of their pile of dishes.

Kyril gulped and then watched the other boy head towards the main storage cupboard. After a moment's hesitation he followed. When he got there he saw Jae playfully launch himself onto a large sack of flour, which exploded and filled the room with the white powder. As Kyril attempted to clear the air of flour it suddenly changed to a clump of snow falling from a tree branch right onto him.

"Kyril! Are you alright?" he heard a concerned girl say from nearby. Was that Chiara? His suspicions were confirmed when moments later he had cleared the snow from his face enough to see. As she drew near him she used her wand to quickly dry him off and warm him. Bless her healer training.

Kyril removed his glasses to clean the snow off of them. "Chiara. Yes I am now, thanks to you," he answered her. This earned him one of her big smiles that always brightened his day. She had on a heavy coat with a Hufflepuff color scheme and badger crest. "What are you doing out here in the snow anyway?" the boy asked while he looked at his surroundings. They seemed to be on the outskirts of the forbidden forest.

"Oh, I brought some friends to play with Borf for a bit," the cheerful Puff answered as she gestured to a trio of crups following after her. Two were white with light brown spots, and the third had a coat that was fully chocolate brown. They bound their way through the snow and began sniffing the Slytherin boy. "Come on out Borf!" Chiara called further into the forest, and moments later the large grey werewolf pup came running out of the forest through the snow. He made his way to the werewolf girl and received the pats on his head he wanted.

Kyril bent down and began to pet the crups. They were quite cute and all seemed full of energy, six tails wagged about and occasionally sent bits of snow flying this way or that. It was then the boy had an idea. "Chiara, do you think they'd enjoy playing with me in my animagus form?" he asked curiously.

"Kyril that's brilliant, they'd love it!" she exclaimed as she ran over and gave him a hug that warmed him more than her spells had earlier. Well alright then.

His question answered he used the magic that was now a part of him to change his form. He leaned forward and by the time his hands would have hit the ground they had already changed into large paws covered in white fur. Where once stood a proud and stoic Slytherin now sat the big furry body of a Samoyed. The crups and werewolf pup were confused briefly, before they began to jump around and bark with excitement at the new furred friend that had suddenly appeared.

Kyril had always found his animagus form freeing. It was as though leaving his human form behind also left behind all of his problems, at least temporarily. He hopped through the snow to a nearby tree and began to dig. After a moment he found the treasure he'd been looking for, a large and sturdy stick. He picked it up in his mouth and showed it to the other animals. Then without warning he took off in a run away from the group. As he had hoped there were soon four sets of paws that chased after him.

He didn't know how long he played with the crups and Borf. They'd played keep away with the stick and after that was some basic play fighting that all canines do. Chiara even got involved by throwing different sticks she found for them to chase. What he did know is that he was exhausted by the time he'd transformed back and taken a seat on a fallen log next to Chiara. He took a moment to catch his breath before speaking. "Pant. That was fun. I don't often get the chance to get loose like that," he eventually stated.

"I'm glad you got to enjoy yourself. And that all of them got to have a good time," she added while pointing to the group of canines that had gathered around them to lay down. They too seemed to have been worn out by all the playing. Chiara moved a little closer to Kyril before she wordlessly rested her head on his shoulder.

They sat there in silence for a while, before Chiara eventually stood up and stretched. "Well, I should probably be getting these crups back to Kettleburn soon. I'm glad I ran into you. I think everyone had a great time," the cheerful teen said. She collected the crups and began to make her way out of the sparse treeline they were in.

"I'll join you," Kyril called after her as he rose to join her. As he caught up to her they passed between two trees and the world turned on its head again. He tripped and fell towards the forest floor. Only instead of grass, roots, and snow he found himself on a stone floor covered in straw. He looked about enough to realize he was in the owlery before he attempted to stand.

It was then he noticed he was no longer in his usual sweater and slacks. No he was in a floor length light turquoise dress that hugged his slim figure closely. His white hair had been lengthened to fall past his shoulders, but fortunately he was in matching turquoise flats and not heels. He didn't know how, but somehow Dariah was behind this.

As he made his way toward the exit though, he heard the door open. Damn, someone must be here to send a letter. He quickly looked around and decided the balcony was the best place to stay out of the newcomer's way. Hopefully they'd mail their letter and leave without paying him much mind. He made his way to the edge and immediately regretted the decision as he realized he didn't have a coat on. Still he went up to the railing to look out over the grounds of Hogwarts. He didn't often see the view from up here since his common room was in the dungeon and not one of the castle's towers.

He heard footsteps enter the owlery and then stop in the middle of the floor. Crap, they must have spotted him. Kyril just hoped it wasn't someone he knew. Seconds later, his hopes were dashed when he clearly heard his friend Talbott say, "Oh. Hello. I'm not used to other people coming here for anything besides the post."

"Yes, well I'm just enjoying the view," Kyril replied while he attempted to make his voice higher so he wouldn't be recognized. He moved involuntarily pressed himself to the railing in an attempt to put more distance between them.

This quickly backfired when Talbott worried aloud, "Hey you're getting awful close to the edge there. Careful you don't fall." He came closer and soon stood directly behind the crossdressed Slytherin. His concern was touching, but also a bit patronizing. As though he was incompetent and clumsy.

"I'm not a child, I'll be fine," Kyril snapped in his normal voice because he forgot he was supposed to be disguising it. He leaned over the ledge and looked down to prove his point. It was then he realized just how high they were and he began to wobble some from the sight. The irony of a fall from the tower because he attempted to prove he wouldn't fall was lost on him in the moment of panic.

Suddenly a pair of firm hands grab him by the hips and steadied him. "It's okay. I've got you," Talbott's calm voice reassured him. Kyril leaned back and stretched out his arms. For a second it felt like he was flying. Then he brought his feet back onto the balcony floor and turned to Talbott without thinking. "Kyril?" Talbott asked in confusion.

Before he could answer he began to hear another voice calling his name. This time it was Rowan's, and as he repeated "Kyril. Kyril." in a loud whisper he suddenly felt his shoulder be pushed and the world around him disappeared. Instead he was back in the potions classroom leaned against his table. He must have fallen asleep in class.

His face red from the dreams he'd had, he looked down at his cauldron and his heart sank. Amortentia was not supposed to be gurgling and brown at any point. How in Merlin's name was he going to fix this before…

"Ahem. Vasiley. Normally you are more attentive with your potions. Care to explain how your amortentia ended up in such a sorry state?" Snape droned in his typical dripping sarcasm. On the other side of the table Merula snickered. Kyril put those happy dreams away to think about later. For now he needed to figure out how to explain this.

#hphmsecretsanta2019 #hogwarts mystery #hphm

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writersrealmbts · 5 years

Text

Cotton-Tails

Description: Easter is coming, but things aren’t hoppy in the house for anyone. Shattered Pieces fic, Endangered Species series.

Warnings: Use your own judgement

Posted: 06/03/19

Tags: hybrid bts, yoongi x reader, all members but Jimin,

Angsty with little fluff: 4,624 words

A/N: This was the chapter I was working on when I decided to insert a small fluff piece between, also, I added somewhere close to 2 thousand words to this last night because it just felt incomplete and I because the next part is mother’s day, I had to give a little info before that part. Also, as you can see from the gif, we’re centering on a different character this time...

“But—” “No!” You scolded again, firmly, scooping Heiran up and setting her firmly into the time-out. She was in tears, calling you mean with her little hands. You set the timer despite the insults, and walked into the living room to clean up the mess she had made. Jin’s ears were drooping. “She glued it to the carpet.” Jungkook was trying to get the confetti-size scraps of paper that she had pulled from the shredder gathered up. Hoseok was carefully cleaning the not-yet-dried glue from the coffee table. Yoongi, and Taehyung were figuring out the best way to remove the piece of paper glued to Jowoon’s hair in the upstairs bathroom while Namjoon was keeping Misuk away from the mess. “Hey, mom, can you…what happened in here?” Jihun asked, eyes huge, then he shrunk slightly when he heard his sister crying. “Oh. She happened.” “Jihun, did you put the glue away when you were done with it?” You asked, somehow managing to be calm. The guilty look said it all. “No, mom.” You just nodded. “I’ll send Namjoon up to help you with your schoolwork.” “Okay,” He whispered. “Does this mean we’re not dying eggs tonight?” “Depends on whether or not she calms down,” You answered, gently brushing your hand over his head so that he knew you weren’t mad, just…tired. You were always tired recently. He purred softly at your touch, ducking into your side and holding on for a moment before going back up to his room. You turned back toward the room, noticing Jin seemed to be paralyzed by the amount that needed to be done. You went over and gently tugged one of his droopy ears. “Jin, why don’t you go trade with Namjoon so that he can help Jihun.” He turned to you, and his eyes were watery. Dazed. “I can’t do this anymore,” He whispered, gaze drifting back. The others heard him as well, looking over at him. “Jin?” You asked softly. He dragged in a shaky breath, but he didn’t say anything else, and the scent he gave off choked the air with sadness and…something more. Hoseok and Jungkook came over quietly. “You’re stressed,” You started, making it sound more of a question. He nodded. “And tired. And you feel like it’s been years since you hadn’t been taking care of the kids, and yet only days since their parents died.” He made a choking sound, letting his head fall to Hobi’s shoulder. You took a deep breath. “And you feel alone.” He crumbled into Jungkook and Hoseok’s arms, sobbing outright. “I understand,” You whispered. “I understand that this is hard. Especially today, when nothing has gone right.” You moved forward and gently stroked his head and ears. You were honestly surprised that he had held out this long. Jungkook had outlets since he managed to get out and go see his friends pretty often, but Jin had lost his job before Jimin and his mate died. He had lost friends because he associated with a human. There was only so much stress a bunny-hybrid could handle and he’d reached his limit much later than you expected him to. And so very close to Easter. Yoongi had told you back in January that Jin was having a hard time, and since then you both had been trying to make sure he didn’t get overloaded, that he got out a bit, went out with the boys. But you knew this loneliness. It was the kind of loneliness that friends just couldn’t fill. It was the kind that stemmed from both parts of hybrids, that need to mate and be mated. The loneliness you had suffered from until Yoongi. Some part of your mind registered the timer going off, but you were to busy trying to comfort him in what little way you could to care about what the timer meant. Until Heiran was sobbing incoherently, hugging Jin’s legs and babbling. Jin looked a little shocked. Jungkook gave a strangled laugh. “I think she thinks you’re crying because of her.” “Well…” Hosoek hummed under his breath. Jin looked at you and shook his head slightly, trembling. You nodded, dropping down to gently pull her off of his legs. “Heiran, you need to let go. Jinnie isn’t feeling well.” She let out a wail, but wasn’t quite strong enough to hold onto him. But strong enough to kick you in the stomach. You dropped onto your butt, winded, and wincing. Yoongi’s snarl seemed to echo through the living room, which didn’t exactly help Jin’s already wild emotions and caused him to cower behind Hoseok with a startled shout. Heiran was stock still, tears still streaming down her face, but gaze locked onto Yoongi as he stalked over to the two of you. “Sit,” He ordered her. She sat, tears filling her eyes again. He dropped beside you, checking your scent and kissing both of your cheeks. “You okay, baby? She got you pretty good.” “I’m okay,” You whispered back. “Now’s not a good time for them to find out.” “Okay.” He helped you to your feet. “Heiran, what have we told you about kicking, hitting, and biting?” Her head practically dropped into her lap. Jihun had followed Taehyung and Jowoon down, and Namjoon was in the doorway to the nursery with Misuk. “You just got out of timeout. Did you want to go back in?” She let out a wail, sobs tearing out of her little body. Yoongi sighed and picked her up, shushing her softly and carrying her out of the room, especially when he saw how bad Jin was. He shot you a worried look before heading out and upstairs. Jihun was looking at Jin, biting his lip. “Jihun, I think we’re going to take the rest of the day off of school,” You said, your voice shaking slightly. He nodded. “Come on, Jowoon-ssi, we’ll watch a movie.” He quickly led his brother out, seeming to realize that it was definitely adult time right now. “Hyung?” Taehyung murmured softly, a slight whine coming out when Jin flinched away from his hand. “I’m not going to hurt you, hyung.” Namjoon came over without Misuk. “She was asleep,” He explained, then looked at you seriously. “What was that, with Yoongi?” “Right now Jin is more important,” You whispered, turning back toward the man who looked further and further away by the second. Jungkook was helping, knowing just the right things to do as a bunny hybrid himself, but he looked worried and sad himself. You took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to do, but this wasn’t your area and from a predator-prey stand-point you had no idea how to help him. Hoseok looked scared. “His heart-rate is really high.” You gave in and pulled out your phone, dialing the number of a friend and former coworker. “Taehyung, Namjoon, keep cleaning the living room. Jungkook, Hoseok, take him into the kitchen. It’s the cleanest room in the house right now,” You instructed as you waited for her to answer. It took about ten minutes for her to give you clear instructions of how to help him, starting with cleaning the house, making sure he’s warm, limiting the noise, and keeping the predators away from him. Then she gave you some more instructions that she said she’d also text you, before she had to get back to work. Jin was curled up in a ball on the floor, head on Jungkook’s lap, when you peeked into the kitchen. His whole body shivering. You quickly turned up the thermostat, then got the blankets from the closet that were sealed to prevent the tainting of smells and slid them over to Hoseok. Then you and the others started deep-cleaning the house, you checking on them periodically. By the time you all finished cleaning, Hoseok was managing to get some soup into a calmer-looking Jin, though you could see that one of Jin’s ears was bleeding, the cream fur tinged red. Jungkook seemed to be gently nuzzling Jin’s head. Those three were closer than the others, always had been a little closer. From what you understood it was because they had lived together, all working to pay for an apartment that they shared. Taking care of each other. The three prey-species among their predatory friends. Right now, you were grateful for it because you were pretty sure it was the only thing calming Jin down right now. You read over the instructions your friend had sent you, noting which ones were doable and which weren’t. “Hey.” You looked up, surprised to see Jin standing just a couple feet away from you. “Hey.” “Sorry for freaking out,” He whispered. “You did nothing wrong.” “I’m supposed to…they trusted me to…” He swallowed hard. “I know that you need me here, especially the closer you get to delivering.” You looked down at your stomach. “How did you…” “Yoongi is protective, yeah, but he doesn’t normally snarl just because someone falls. It’s a little fuzzy, but it was kind of obvious once I put it all together.” He was tugging on one of his ears, eyes closed, obviously still stressed. “Don’t worry about that. Let’s worry about you.” He winced. “There isn’t much we can do about me. I think…” He took a deep breath. “I think I just need to get some space, breath a bit.” “Okay,” You agreed, nodding. “But…I don’t think it’s safe for you to be alone completely.” He nodded. “I might ask Jungkook to go with me. Another rabbit is easiest right now.” “I’ll go with you, hyung,” Jungkook called over softly. One of his ears swiveled towards the two of you, while the other was focused on Hoseok. “I feel bad, leaving you with the kids and—” “Jin, you can’t help us if you’re hurt. Don’t worry about Easter. Go. Come back when you’re feeling better. We can handle things here.” He nodded slowly, then headed back over to Jungkook, hugging him from behind and burying his face in his shoulder. Hoseok took the chance to treat the injury to Jin’s ear. Yoongi’s tail curled with yours as he joined you. “What happened?” “Jin cracked under the stress. He’s going to head out for bit with Jungkook. Probably a couple days.” You leaned into his chest as his arms wrapped around you. “You’ll have to stop Taehyung from trying to go with them.” He grunted. “He’s already upset, this will really tick him off.” “Heiran?” “Cried herself to sleep. Felt bad because she thought Jin was crying because of her. Forget terrible twos, it’s terrible fives,” He grumbled into your neck. “You sure you’re okay?” “I’m fine, she’s small and I was unbalanced.” He kissed your neck, but he seemed distracted. “Do you think he’ll be okay?” “I don’t know. I also don’t know how well Jungkook will be able to handle the stress of caring for Jin on his own, but I’m just going to have to have faith that they’ll be fine. You better go start distracting Taehyung.” “Right.” He released you and went in search of the younger. You turned back toward the three in the kitchen. “You should go pack.” Jungkook nodded, then whispered to Jin. Jin reluctantly nodded, transferring his back-hug to Hoseok. Jungkook darted upstairs. You headed into the living room, checking on how things were going. Yoongi, Namjoon, and Taehyung were all focused on the spot in the carpet where the glue had dried, with Yoongi instructing Taehyung on how to treat it. Otherwise the room looked remarkably clean. Cleanest you’d ever seen it, and you’d really tried to make it spotless. But with three kids and six men running around it was hard sometimes. Hoseok and Jungkook were your allies, with Jin and Yoongi being tidy, but not necessarily clean. You rubbed your thumb over a dent in the drywall, absentmindedly wondering what caused it, but also wondering how Heiran was going to react to Jungkook and Jin being gone when she woke up. It would be easy enough to tell the kids that the two men had gotten sick and left to make sure they didn’t get the kids sick. It was pretty normal. Just a couple weeks ago Taehyung had had to stay at the apartment he and Namjoon kept because of a cold, another reason why he wouldn’t like Jin and Jungkook leaving. He hated having his pack separated and being separated from his pack. You were inviting nightmarish conditions in your household on top of your morning-sickness. How marvelous. You turned, watching Jungkook carry two suitcases out the front door. Hoseok met your gaze and nodded softly, walking towards the door with Jin still hugging onto him. You waited until Hoseok came back inside and he said that they were gone. He went to check on the kids while you went into the living room to calmly explain the plan to the others. Well, you hoped it would be calm. Taehyung was starting to ignore Yoongi and Namjoon looking around, nose twitching as he sniffed the air. “Where’s Jin?” Namjoon glanced at you. “He and Jungkook left.” “What?” He snarled, immediately rushing toward the door, but Yoongi and Namjoon caught his arms. “Let go of me! I have to get them back!” “And hurt Jin more?” You stood right in front of him. “They’re going to the apartment in town. Jin needed space. Jungkook is taking care of him. You can’t help them right now. None of us can. I don’t even know if they’ll be back for Easter, so I need you at the top of your game for these kids. I know you need your pack, I get it. But right now the health of your pack depends on you keeping it together while they go to heal somewhere else.” He whimpered pitifully, still struggling a little against the two men holding him. “Jin.” “Takes significantly less time to himself than all of the rest of you. He pushed himself too far. He’s still a bunny-hybrid, Taehyung. They don’t handle stress well. I should have insisted on him and Jungkook taking care of themselves better. Go check on the pack pups, Taehyung.” He blinked a couple times, then nodded. “Okay.” You nodded. “Heiran is going to be upset when she wakes up and Jin isn’t here. I’m going to need you reassuring her that Jin was just sick and that he still loves her. You’re the best one for that.” He nodded, then headed toward the stairs when the other two let go. Namjoon checked the baby monitor again, then sighed, rubbing his head. “What do we do?” “Are you working this weekend?” “No.” “Then just…be here.” He nodded. “I’ll go check on Jihun and Jowoon. I’ll keep the monitor while you and Yoongi…?” “We’re going to make a game plan for meals and such and get the dye ready for easter eggs tonight.” Namjoon nodded again, going toward the stairs. Yoongi slid his arm around your waist, other hand resting over your stomach. “You okay?” “I’m worried, but I’m okay. We’re okay. Need a nap, but that can wait. Can you cook dinner tonight? Nothing fancy, just something to fill their stomachs. I’ll get the egg dying supplies out. And the crayons.” “Crayons?” “So they can draw designs on the eggs. The dye won’t take as much to the areas where the crayons were used because of the wax which repels liquids.” “And you learned this…how?” “You do remember I’m a professionally trained teacher, nanny, caretaker and thus I am extremely well-versed in all things crafty that kids are capable of doing?” “Right,” He muttered, seeming a little bashful as he ducked down and kissed your stomach. His ears flicked and tail entwined with yours as you both went into the kitchen. “We can take care of egg stuff after dinner.” You nodded, tucking into his side as you both entered the kitchen, taking the quiet before the storm. “Y/n,” Hoseok came rushing down carrying Heiran, with Taehyung following closely behind. “She had a fever.” You froze, fear washing over you. “Get her into the carriage house, Taehyung go sanitize her room, the hallways, everything. Yoongi, keep making dinner.” You rushed to the closet and grabbed the medical kit, following Hoseok and getting ahead of him to get the door. You all had cleared the carriage house out sometime in January because it was hard to have adult time with Yoongi when absolutely anyone could hear you. Plus you couldn’t take the kids somewhere else if they did get sick, so you needed a space to separate the sick cub from the rest. Hoseok lay Heiran on the bed, tucking her in. “Should I go make soup?” “There should be the ingredients for that in the cupboard over there, make it here, then sanitize yourself and head back in.” He nodded, heading over to the little kitchenette. It made more sense now, her tantrums. Her fever was low enough still that she might not feel completely sick but it would be enough to put anyone in a mood. You gave her medicine, mixed with some special white-tiger supplements to help them fight of sickness. There definitely wouldn’t be any Easter Egg dying tonight. ——— Easter was quiet, but the kids seemed happy enough. Heiran had to have her own seperate Easter and she sobbed for her siblings on and off throughout the day, but seemed a little better once all the adults (except Jungkook and Seokjin) had visited her, and fell asleep to an easter movie while curled up in Hoseok’s arms. Jowoon was beyond excited about everything and kept having everyone hide the plastic eggs (you had Namjoon buy them because life kept getting in the way and they were reusable and you guys just put candies in them to make up for not dying eggs, Jihun was perfectly okay with it) again and again, even though they were empty now. He just really liked it, and you saw no harm in it. It was actually really good for him as he ran through the gardens, gaze scouring the plants and fixtures for his prizes. Not to mention he fell asleep at 7:30 from all the activity. Misuk was in a good mood all day. Jihun had his toy cars set up on the racetrack and played with them for at least half of the day, sending notes to his sister via the other men and reading her notes (carefully sealed in ziploc bags that were sanitized) with a smile. Only when you were tucking him in did he ask the question that was on everyone’s mind today. “When are Uncle Jin and Jungkook coming home?” You fussed at the blankets a bit more as you tried to think of how to respond. “I don’t really know, honey. Jin…he wasn’t doing well when he left. It might still be a while.” He nodded. “Is it because of us?” “No,” You answered immediately. “Never. This has been a lot of things all combining and pressing in on him. This started before your parents even died. It just finally wore him down because he didn’t take enough care of himself. And we didn’t take enough care of him. You know how we teach you to be kind and take care of your siblings when you need to?” He nodded again, gently tugging your hand to pet his head. You complied, smiling softly. “Well, as you get older, you’ll also learn that you need to take care of yourself if you want to take care of others. Some will call it being a little selfish, but it’s not. It’s necessary.” “So, like when you go to bed before we do?” “Yeah, kind of like that. If I’m too tired to take care of you, then I might end up hurting you and I don’t want that. But if the house was on fire, I would get all of you out before myself. Does that make sense?” You stroked his hair from his forehead, feeling the purr that emanated from him. “Yes noona, it makes sense. If we aren’t healthy, we take care of ourselves, but if we aren’t we take care of others, and if something bad happens we help others first.” “I help others first, you just get to safety until you’re older, okay?” He purred a little louder, more amused. “Yes, mom.” You kissed his forehead. “Good boy. Good night, love.” “Night, mom. Love you.” “Love you too.” You turned off the lamp and slipped out of his room, leaving the door open a crack. You went downstairs to relax with a book before bed since Hoseok was taking care of Heiran tonight, but stopped on the bottom two steps when the front door opened. Jungkook set the bags down, then noticed you and smiled tiredly. “Who else is up?” “Tae, Joon, and Yoongi,” You answered softly. “Jin?” “Half-asleep, but better. He was getting stressed being away today, so I thought we should at least come home and see everyone. We can go back if he needs…right?” You nodded. “Of course. We’ve got a strategy planned out. I don’t want him getting too involved if he’s still stressed. And he can’t see Heiran. He doesn’t need a cold on top of everything.” “Heiran is sick?” Jungkook’s ears perked up in alarm. “We caught it quickly and her fever broke quickly. It’s like a regular cold now, but it’s still in the sinus faze. The real treat will be when it moves to her chest.” You shook your head slowly. “Does he need help getting in?” Jungkook shook his head. “I just don’t want to wake him. I’ll carry him if you can turn down his covers.” You nodded and went back upstairs. Jungkook carried the half-asleep man in on his back, and you helped him get Seokjin in bed without too much jostling, taking the shoes off his feet and tucking him into bed. He looked somewhat better than before, or maybe you were imagining a difference. “Jihun, shouldn’t you be in bed?” You asked softly. The boy came darting in, all sleepiness gone as he hugged Jungkook’s neck. “Sorry, noona, I heard Uncle Jungkookie.” Jungkook pressed a kiss to the boy’s head. Jin was just awake enough to smile. “You want to cuddle, Jihun?” His voice sounded rough, like he was losing it. But you knew that Jungkook wouldn’t have brought him if he was actually sick. Jihun looked at you with big, pleading eyes. You nodded softly. Jungkook set Jihun on the bed, then disappeared with a murmured excuse of getting changed and a promise to be back. Jihun crawled under the covers and into Jin’s arms, purring and chuffing softly. “I missed you.” “I missed you, Jihun. Sorry I was gone,” Jin whispered. “It’s okay. Mom explained that you needed to take care of yourself so that you could take care of us better,” Jihun replied, snuggling into the man’s side and tucking his head under Jin’s chin. “It makes sense. Appa wouldn’t want you to get sick because you were taking care of us.” Jin’s eyes filled, and he didn’t respond except to kiss the top of Jihun’s head. “Love you Uncle Jinnie.” “Love you,” Jin choked out as Jungkook crawled in on Jihun’s other side and you tucked all three into the bed. You left them there, heading down the hall to check on Jowoon before poking your head in to let Taehyung and Namjoon know that the other two were home. Then to your room to tell Yoongi. He looked slightly relieved, even after you said that they might need to leave again. “But he’s back. That’s good. Right?” You nodded slowly. “It means he’s getting better. I had just explained everything to Jihun too. And he understood. Basically just reiterated it to Jin. Made Jin tear up.” “They grow so fast,” Yoongi sighed, pulling you into his arms. “Heiran?” “Hoseok said the meds knocked her out about fifteen minutes ago. We’ll have to make sure Jin doesn’t visit her. If he’s stressed his immune system will be weaker. I don’t want him getting sick.” “What about you? You’re pregnant. I don’t want you getting sick.” “She’s my kit. You’d have to put an army between me and her, and even then, I’d go down fighting and take some with me.” He purred softly to comfort you, seeing you get worked up at the scenario. “Alright. At least tell me you’re taking those immune system support vitamin things.” “Yes, love. And we’re sanitizing everything and opening the windows to air the place out every chance we get. It’s gotten to the point where she just sits by the window, trying to smell the flowers from the crabapple tree. But she can’t because her nose is stuffed up.” “Poor babe,” He murmured, nuzzling your neck. He’d mostly been on night duties, taking care of her if she woke up, because you and Hoseok took most of the day shifts so that Taehyung and Namjoon could escape illness for their company and work. “She mewls in her sleep, and it sounds so pitiful and painful that I just want to tear the world apart until I find a miracle cure.” You nodded, humming in agreement as well. “This is going to get harder once our kit is born, isn’t it?” You just laughed softly and he groaned. “So on top of being sleep deprived, I’m going to be super protective all the time?” “At least our kit will develop an immune system normally. Poor Jihun is so desperate to play with other kids but…I mean, risking him getting sick isn’t worth it. Even to him.” You rolled over and curled into Yoongi’s chest. “That is a relief,” He murmured. “We’ll have to set up a sanitation area when Jihun does start going to public school so that he doesn’t bring anything home.” You nodded. “Still have a few years before we need to think about it. Let’s not talk about them like they’re growing up. They’re not. They’re little cubs that will always form cuddle piles.” He purred softly, clearly amused. “Misuk is crawling around like she’s always done it, and standing, but you want to pretend that they’re not growing up.” You groaned in frustration. He laughed for a little while, then got quiet. “Did Jungkook look okay?” You nodded. “Seemed fine. Looked well-rested and didn’t even act like he wanted a break from Seokjin. He’s cuddling with him now, and Jihun.” “Do you think Jin’s really okay enough to be home?” You sighed and wrapped your arms around Yoongi’s waist. “Remember Thanksgiving? When I just needed you to hold me because I felt so alone despite being surrounded by those that cared about me?” He hummed in acknowledgment, kissing the tip of your ear. “Jin’s been taking care of them longer, without nearly as many days off, and with no one to hold him at night. I lasted two months. He lasted ten. He’s lucky his body, his biology, didn’t give out on him. Because he also had been struggling before from what I understand. How long has Jin fought for stability in his life, Yoongi?” He was quiet for a long time, then his grip tightened around you. “As long as I’ve known him.” “Then he may just be starting to break,” You whispered, then nuzzled into his neck as you both silently pondered what lay ahead.

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surveys-at-your-service · 5 years

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Survey #235

“the monster you made is wearing the crown; i’ll be the king and you be the clown.”

What is your favorite move franchise? The Lion King. What was the last fast food you ate? I had a hot dog from Sonic and one of those pretzel twists things. What is the saddest book you’ve ever read? Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. Do you prefer heroes or villains? Villains. Duh. They're like, always more interesting. What is something you think is overrated? Uhhh coffee, for one. But like what you like. What political cause are you most passionate about? Gay rights. What country would you most like to visit? South Africa. Have you ever considered having children? Literally the only period where I wanted kids was later into Jason's and my relationship. Hell, I wanted three while he was always like "onLY TWO." Now, I don't want a single one, ever. I would be an awful mother for many reasons. If you ever took field trips as a child, which was your favorite? The zoo with Dad, my then-best friend, and her mom. One and only time I've seen meerkats. I was so excited I almost cried. Do you have any weird family traditions? It's not like, a tradition, I think, but we have a unique thing where saying "I love you mostest period" is something Mom, Dad, and my sisters have used for all my life. It's a way of saying "I love you more than you could ever love me, no arguments." Now Sara's been dragged into it lmao. Have you ever considered acting? Nope. Who was the last person you slept next to? Sara. Do you think you can be in love and still cheat on your S.O.? You can't "be in love" with a person and fucking cheat on them, no. Do you subscribe to any streaming services? We have Netflix. Idk about anything else. Have you ever been in a physical fight? No. What is the most embarrassing thing anyone has on video of you? I don't even wanna know. Did you ever get lost as a child? Yep, in a Wal-Mart lmao. This old lady helped me find my fam. What is your favorite condiment? Honey mustard. Or ketchup. Depends. Have you ever had an existential crisis? Very surprisingly, not really. Do you like country music? Begone, demon. It's still so weird to me that I loved it as a kid, but I really just grew up with it. What color are the eyes of the person you love? Brown. What is your favorite kind of flower? I looooove orchids. What town were you born in? Not the best thing to share on the Internet, eh? Do you know how to play any card games? I only vaguely understood/understand Magic: The Gathering. It's honestly really fun, but very complex in rules. It was Jason's thing so he got me into it. I miss my PS3 working because I used to have the "Duels of the Planeswalkers" on there, and doing it digitally is much easier and helpful. I loved it mostly because the art is fucking incredible. It was an old little aspiration to wind up designing the art some day and I don't think I ever saw Jason more excited. What is something about your childhood that you miss? Being more into video games than I am now alskdjf;awe. I'm more of a viewer of let's plays now than an active gamer; meanwhile, as a kid, video games were my favorite things in the world. Did you ever have MySpace? Do you miss those days? Yeah, I had one. Honestly though I can barely remember it (other than the song on my page was "Pocketful of Sunshime" lmaooooo as well meerkat-flooded), so it doesn't matter. What is the best television show you’ve ever watched? Meerkat Manor is my favorite show of all time, but as a proper show could have been better. AP made up their own shit and deviated from the KMP facts A LOT (guess what: Mozart killed a competitor's litter before; not exactly MM's her, right?), and not only was that confusing, but just annoying. Give me the real shit; don't just tweak stuff for dramatic effect. I could list a novel of lies in the series. Now, what I feel is the best show without a meerkat bias and just has an overall good plot. I kinda wanna say Supernatural, but the boys dying five million times got old. Possibly Fullmetal Alchemist. Are there any songs you can’t listen to because they bring back memories? I 110% refuse to hear "Stairway to Heaven." Have you ever saved someone’s life? Funny this is brought up after recent events. My sweetheart online bud had a cerebral aneurysm while having an extremely difficult time talking to me, and no one was home quite yet. Her final message was concerning and she didn't reply to me for a while, so I wound up messaging her again after a bit, and her boyfriend heard the b.net notification sound. Saw it was me and asked what was up. Told him, and he figured out she wasn't sleeping on the couch, she was passed out. He told me he never would have known if I hadn't said something. So does that count, even though I didn't like, physically save her? Have you ever broken any major bones? No. Are there any websites you’ve used for over 10 years? Good question? Idk. WAIT HOLD THE FUCK UP, KM's 10th birthday is coming up real soon. Wow. I know YouTube has been much longer. Idr when I joined deviantART. Maybe there's more, I dunno. Do you have any siblings? If so, what are their ages? My two immediate are 22 (ew) and 26 (double ew). Anything exciting taking place today? No, today was A N X I E T Y !! ! ! !! !! What are you craving? Okay so I have been MEGA in "the mood" lately and it's frustrating especially because I don't masturbate so I have like nO OUTLET. Who did you last hit? Nobody saving for when I was a kid repeatedly slapped my sister's arm for doing something I don't remember. How do you do in school? It depends on the subject, but in anything, I am a MASSIVE procrastinator, and I need to fix that. Schoolwork, good good, homework in the library, good good, but when I'm at home, I cannot seem to convince myself to work. As Sara puts it, home is like my "safe" place, and I don't want to bring school into it. Adjusting to school life again after like... two whole years or so of doing NOTHING at all, almost every day all day, is very difficult. I'm SO glad I picked school again, it's just a lot for a person who was so isolated and void of responsibilities to get used to. What’s your biggest goal? Right now, continue to improve my mental health. Fight social anxiety and AvPD. Who have you texted today? Just Sara. Who do you aspire to be like when you grow up? In most ways, especially in kindness, wisdom, relentless determination, passion, creativity, etc. etc. etc. etc., Mark. I think it's obvious he's Role-Model #1. I would loooove to be like Jane Goddall and Steve Irwin, too, feeling with such ferocious potency for animals and how they should be respected and loved. UM AND ALSO, EUGENIA COONEY IS THE SWEETEST PERSON ON THE ENTIRE GODDAMN EARTH AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE AS FRIENDLY AND PRECIOUS AS SHE IS. Oh, and then there's Shane Dawson. I relate to him SO much. He is the most selfless angel that seems SO down-to-earth and relatable as hell. I feel like he could be like, my best friend. Ahhhhhhh there are so many more, I love talking about my inspirations, but I'll chill here. Do you know if you want to go to college or not? I'm in college right now, and I desperately want it to stay that way. I'm fucking going somewhere in my life, and the education it provides will bring me closer to that. College is far from mandatory for everyone, but I feel it is beneficial for me. Do you like grapefruits? I haven't had one in a LONG time, so I don't really remember how they taste. I just know sour. What do you think of guys who wear eyeliner? *drools in Darkiplier* the fuck do you think Do you like online games? Only World of Warcraft, really. Who’s one person you care about more than yourself? Okay, real talk, and I hope this is everybody's answer. No one. I'm putting my goddamn self and my mental peace first for the rest of my life. Are there any pets you’re wishing for? I want another ball python. When’s the last time you used hand sanitizer? Two days ago when Mom and I stopped somewhere to eat. Wearing anything that isn’t yours? No. What type of bread did you use on the last sandwich you made? White. How many doors are in your house? Uhhh six. What was the last compliment you received, that made you smile? Sara said she was really proud of me, and to me, that's one of the biggest compliments you CAN give me. Think you need to lose weight? How much? ugh When was the last time you watched a VHS movie? I don't have a clue. We kept our VHS longer than most, though. We had too many movies on it. What event would you go back in time to see, if you could? Ummmm I dunno. Do you remember the last thing you said you wanted? To hug Sara. Who was the last friend you hung out with&what’d you do together? Sara stayed for a week. We did a lot. Who is the person, other than a spouse, that you are closest to? Sara. If you watched it, who was your favorite Hey Arnold! character? Oh my god, I hated that stupid show, but one of my sisters liked it. Have any good school pictures? or do they all just suck? There is literally ONE picture from elementary school where I think I looked pretty. Do you like trying on clothes or not? & Why? NO. I try to avoid it if I can. It's just annoying to change clothes for like five seconds. What are your thoughts on marriage? It's sweet, but I've come to find it... kinda needless for the most part? Like I know it has financial pluses and the symbolism is beautiful, but it's just that: symbolism originating from fantasies (imo, don't scream at me). It only adds pressure to stay in a dying relationship and makes splitting much more complicated. BUT, even with all that said, I personally want to get married someday, but only if I am *sure* about this person. It's the symbolism I like. That and it's so ingrained into my head that that's the "end goal" of relationships, so I'm pretty much just conditioned to want it. How long have you lived in the current place you’re living? Two years. Do you plan on moving anytime soon, if so where? I want to, but I am not in the financial position or at a level of independence where I'm ready for that. Are you more of a follower, or a leader? Be honest. This may alter with the situation, but mostly, I'm definitely a follower. Are your dreams/nightmares in black&white or color? I've heard of this condition before and it really intrigues me. I dream in color. Have you ever wanted to be some sort of hero outside of video games? I mean, define "hero." Like an action superhero in a literal way, nooooo. I'd die on Day #1, lmao. As a hero/inspiration as a person, of course; who doesn't? Will you admit that you’re at least somewhat superficial? I mean, probably in some places? How often do you go to the mall closest to you? Almost never ever. Our mall sucks and has experienced too many shootings. Do you still count with your fingers, even if only every so often? Yep. Like, always. Have you ever gone on a road trip with just friends? No. Well, I went to the beach with my friend and her mom, but just for a day or two because my separation anxiety from Mom got too bad oof. Without trying, do you act differently around different friends? Depends on the friend. I don't "fake it," just how reserved I am can move around. What was the last thing you drew/wrote on your own or someone else's skin? Probably a butterfly on my wrists when I was actively part of the Butterfly Project community. The last time you spent money, what was it on & how much did you spend? $1.25 for a drink at school. What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on one piece of clothing? Idk, but definitely not a lot. In elementary school, were you more of the bully or the bullied? Thankfully, neither. Do you like when a spouse is clingy, or can you not stand that? I'm sure to a certain degree it would be annoying, but for the most part, hell, I think it's attractive. Especially since I NEED validation you like me. How much do you say you walk in a week outside of school &/or work? Just around my house if you exclude school. Is there anything you wish your parents did differently in raising you? I wish they'd given us chores. Wish Mom didn't spank us. What would you do if the last person you texted asked you out? Lol yo we JUST broke up like an hour ago. We're not ready to get back together yet, obviously. Don't worry a bit, we're both cool. Still best friends, even. To compress a long story, needed personal growth and distance have brought us to returning to just friends. For now, at least. Have you ever received a scholarship? I think so... but not like a huge one, I believe. Who was the last person who got frustrated with you? Most likely Mom. When was the last time you mopped your kitchen floor? I myself have never mopped it. Or maybe once. What is your favorite work of art? I mentioned the Denialism painting in my last survey. What was the last appointment or plan you had to cancel? Plan, my next one with my psychiatrist. What spur-of-the-moment decision that you’ve made has had the biggest impact on your life? I don't know if any have truly changed my life. The ones that did (that I remember) were pondered over. Do you know anyone who is (or has been) a refugee? I don't think so, What is your best friend’s worst habit? She doesn't have faith in herself for ANYTHING lj;ljalwie Do you like spinach and artichoke dip? alksd;fjwei no Have you ever felt like you were about to pass out, but didn’t? Yep, a couple times. What was the name of one of your childhood imaginary friends? I didn't have any. What’s your favorite phase of the moon? Full. Do you wish you were richer? I physically refuse to be anything less than stable, hopefully even above that, once I'm independent. We've been poor all my life and it is fuck-ing HARD. It's stressful as a motherfucker and I am done with it. Very. What’s a middle name you like? Quinn. Fits a lot. I planned on giving that middle name to my hypothetical daughter. Are you scared of spiders? y e a h Do you weigh the same as your mom? No. Were you a Mary-Kate and Ashley fan? Like the average 90s/early 2000s kid. Coffee mugs, teacups, or water bottles? Uh, aesthetically? Teacups, probably. Bubblegum or cotton candy? Gum. I like the taste and texture of cotton candy, it is just RIDICULOUSLY sweet. It bothers my sensitive teeth sometimes. Do you prefer to drink soda from cans, bottles or cups? Cans. They get the coldest. Game you were best at in P.E./gym? Idk, I didn't excel at any. What do you have for breakfast on an average day? I'll typically just have a meal replacement shake or a Pop-Tart. Favorite non-chocolate candy? Sour Punch Straws (gotta be red). Favorite book you had to read for school? The Outsiders. Most frequently worn pair of shoes? My flip-flops, 'cuz they're easy to just slip on. Ideal weather? Cool but not windy (a light breeze is fine) with a partly-cloudy sky. Obsession from childhood? Webkinz. Favorite crystal? Dragon's breath opal. Favorite activity to do in warm weather? Swim or stay the fuck inside. Favorite activity to do in cold weather? Taking pictures in the snow. Five songs to describe you? "Get Up" by Mother Mother, "That's What You Get" by Paramore, uhhh... I don't feel like thinking over this any longer. My iPod isn't near me to scan through what I have, so yeah. Best way for someone to bond with you? Let's have deep philosophical talks about like the meaning of life 'n shit. Top 5 favorite Vines? Oh my god, this is impossible. To name some that come to mind first, in no order: "It's Wednesday, m'dudes *insert mating call*", "I cOUld'vE dROPPED My croiSSANt," "this is why mom doesn't FUCKING LOVE YOU," that one at a club where a girl is doing smoke tricks and the dude just goes "check that out" (or "wow," idr) or something similar (I couldn't find it), and omfg I adore that Snoop Dogg one with the little boy just semi-dancing to that iconic song???? I LOVE IT??????? Man, there are so so many more. Very honorable mention: "a d a m". Ads you have stuck in your head? None, thankfully. What is the first meme you remember seeing? Uhhh maybe Happy Bunny? Idk. Sci-fi, fantasy, or superheroes? Fantasy. Favorite type of cheese? American. What saying or quote do you live by? There's a lot I've picked up on and cling to. #1 is perhaps "Deal with life, or life deals with you." What are you currently stressed about? Some... things I realized about myself that disgust me. Favorite fairy tale? Shrek is a goddamn fairy tale and I will fight to the death against anyone who claims otherwise. Favorite tradition? I don't really have one anymore, but I remember as a kid, I would NEVER let Mom forget to throw some "reindeer food" outside for them lol. Talent you’re proud of having? One that warrants pride, exactly? Not just random talents? Well, uhhh. I suppose writing. I mean it modestly, I really do, but as a kid, my teachers all the way through high school always thought I was cheating or a parent did my papers at home. Some were only convinced by me writing in the classroom. I don't feel as good about my writing as I did in high school, but I am sill proud of excelling in it and taking writing anywhere seriously. If you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be? I mean, name the game and genre here. Probably like "what the fuck" at like, everything, because I already do that. If you were an anime character, what genre of anime would it be? Like, based on my current life? I dunno. A sad and repetitive one with some bright days to it. Ohhh, and the color scheme and lighting vary with my mental state. Yo that would be dope. Character you relate to? lmao THRALL from WoW for being like "can y'all bastards just chill tf out" until he goes off to an isolated land away from civilization bc he's seen enough shit. Also compelled to help. Any good luck charms? I don't believe in those. Least favorite flavor of food or drink? As far as consistent flavors go, normally cherry or grape. Left or right handed? I'm a righty. Favorite potato food? Fries, when I wish they weren't. Earth tones or jewel tones? Jewel. How many phone numbers do you have memorized? Literally just Mom's. Not even mine.

#survey #quiz #questions #random #bored

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ballofyarn-archive · 6 years

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Can you tell me what iv this is? I think I'm sx/sp, but when I typed it out I started to wonder about sx/so? Anyway: Since I was little I've prioritised a deep relationship over virtually everything else. My idea has always been 'if you have someone you love to go to, the shittiness of life will be less shitty'. Until about a year ago, right after I turned 15, I believed that love was more important than anything else in life, and nothing but that could bring you true happiness. (1/?)

I'm obsessive and passionate about my interests to a point that concerns most. While I care about my wellbeing and take care to make myself comfortable through cleaning, decorating, good food, self care, tending to schoolwork regularly, and working towards getting into a good college, I would sacrifice all of it for those I love if it truly came down to it. I also tend to prioritize my own needs over the group's. Though I care about harmony greatly, if the group wanted me to give up a relationship with someone I love, i wouldn't do it. Also if I need alone time, i will take it despite friends requests and honestly won't be guilty about (though this may just be mostly a douchey 5 thing).

tbh i’m not entirely sure how to answer this... your description sounds pretty general, sort of like what you’d find on info posts anywhere. do you think you’re syn- or contraflow? have you had more specific personal sx experiences instead of hypothetical “i would...”?

eg, i know i’ve discarded “group acceptance” for sticking to my friend (sx over so) although it lead to being bullied, but i cut ties myself when the relationship in itself started to hurt me and couldn’t fulfill my need of intimacy anymore (sp supporting sx) - letting go hurt me too but i knew it just wasn’t the right thing for both of us anymore, and i knew i was capable of finding someone else (typical synflow thought); my sx/so sister has discarded her personal safety so many times for intensity in both people and experiences (sx over sp) and uses loose connections to find those (so supporting sx) - and she has the hardest time letting go off anyone. last christmas she sent greetings to people that were really shitty to her?? and when i asked why she still talked to them, she couldn’t explain, she just has to be like that, she might make up with them in the future, she can’t just cut people off, she can’t help it. contraflow is nonsensical

anyways, this^ was just to give examples of what i mean by personal experiences...

“if you have someone to love to go to (...)” + “believed that love was more important than anything (...) + “if the group wanted me to give up a relationship with someone i love i wouldn’t do it”

my mom’s thought/done all of these and she’s sp/so, so it could be sx overfocus. (also what “group” are we talking about?) it's possible you “learned” it, “that’s how love is supposed to be/feel, that’s what it’s supposed to give me”. it also sounds a bit 2-ish. at that age especially, 15/16, relationships are a big topic for most teens, so it definitely makes sense that it’s on your mind

“though i care about harmony greatly”

harmony amongst whom? the “group”?

“i’m obsessive about my interests to a point that concerns most”

how/why are they concerned??

“while i care about my wellbeing and take care to make myself comfortable through cleaning, (...) and working towards getting into a good college...”

sounds all sp (especially if you actually sorta enjoy it for your own sake); also “getting into a good college” sounds soc/3-ish to me, depending on the reason. do you want to get into a good college because you know it’s good (=because people say it’s good), or because you think it fits your personal needs (””passions””) the best?

“...i would sacrifice all of it for those i love if it truly came down to it”

could be any stacking tbh

“i also tend to prioritize my own needs over the group's”

what needs specifically. what group lol

“also if i need alone time, i will take it despite friends requests and honestly won't be guilty about (though this may just be mostly a douchey 5 thing).”

yeah, could be a 5 thing. personally, i tend to give up my own comfort for a friend, but that could also be a 9 thing lol

this got a bit long... but yeah i’m inconclusive cause you give me mostly general stuff. for the time being, my guess is at least synflow, not quite convinced on sx/sp over sp/so, but pretty surely not sx/so lol. also, you’re 16 (?), so it’s likely you still have things to figure out

#idk how people come to think i'm knowledgeable #i've only started looking into ennea and iv a year ago #so if anyone has anything to object or add feel free #don't wanna spread misunderstandings #Anonymous

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quicksilversquared · 4 years

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The Substitute Ladybug: Chapter 8

After Lila takes things too far and Marinette ends up with a broken leg, Paris is going to have to deal with a different superhero arrangement for a bit. Having to share her superhero identity with her parents before Hawkmoth can be defeated isn’t something that Marinette had planned on doing, but- well, it might end up being a bit of a blessing in disguise.

links in the reblog

Marinette had gotten as far as the gate in front of the Agreste mansion when she realized that, like her house, Adrien's place had stairs. Unlike the Dupain-Cheng household, the mansion didn't have any sort of lifts on the stairs, or an elevator like the school.

She hadn't remembered to consider that. Really, she should have, and then she should have talked to Adrien about it before school let out for the day to figure out what he wanted her to do.

Worrying her lip, Marinette step-hopped forward through the gates as they swung open. She could probably figure out the steps- she had been working on it during her physical therapy, it was just that normally she had people behind her to steady her- or just scoot herself up the stairs on her rear, but neither seemed like particularly good ideas. The first sounded dangerous, and the second-

Well, Mr. Agreste was all about appearances, and scooting up the stairs on her butt wasn't exactly a good appearance. And after it had taken so long for Adrien to get permission to have Marinette over in the first place, she didn't want to do anything that would get her immediately booted out.

With a deep breath, Marinette readied herself to go up the steps. She had only just gotten herself in position to start hopping her way up, though, when two large hands grabbed her shoulders and lifted. Before Marinette could figure out what was going on, she was being carried up the front steps and through the front door as it smoothly swung open. The carrier- it had to be the Gorilla, based both on the size of the hands and the height at which she was being unceremoniously carried- continued forward at an unchanging pace, all the way up the set of stairs in the entryway and right to the door of Adrien's room, where they came to an abrupt halt.

Marinette didn't doubt that if Adrien hadn't been standing in front of his door, cringing as he took in the sight of her getting hauled in by her shoulders, that the Gorilla would have continued straight into his room without missing a beat.

And then Marinette found herself scrambling to get her feet under herself as the Gorilla set her back down, just as abruptly as he had picked her up. He lingered long enough to make sure that she wouldn't fall over, then headed off without a word.

"I am so, so sorry," Adrien murmured as he opened the door to his room, standing back to give her plenty of room to get by. "I mentioned that you might have trouble getting up the stairs, so- well, I was trying to ask about if we have any elevators or ground-level entrances, honestly, but. Uh. He just decided to do that, apparently."

Marinette giggled, unable to help finding it funny now that she wasn't being taken off guard and manhandled up the stairs. "He decided to interpret that as him needing to be a human elevator, apparently. I would have preferred a heads-up, sure, but I know he was just trying to help."

"I think he forgot that even if I'm used to him picking me up and moving me around without warning, not everyone is," Adrien said with a sigh. He stepped around Marinette, pulling out a chair for her so that she could sit down. "Really, I'm sorry about that. We can find some other way for you to get back down the stairs later on."

"It's fine," Marinette insisted. She sat down, scooting up to Adrien's desk. "So, what are we doing first- photos or schoolwork?"

"We should probably at least get out our homework," Adrien admitted. "And get started on it. That way, if Nathalie sticks her head in, we can claim that we've been working on it the whole time. Or that we're just taking a quick break from studying."

Somehow, Marinette doubted that Nathalie would fall for that. Whether or not she would let it slide, though, was another matter. Sometimes it seemed like she was willing to help and cover for Adrien, while other times she ratted him out and interfered with Adrien's attempts to get together with his friends. Which way she went seemed to depend on the day.

How Adrien put up with that, Marinette just didn't know. Having to be around adults who blew hot or cold at random had to be super hard.

It didn't take long for them to set up their things, and sure enough, Marinette heard the quiet click of a door as they started work, giving away that someone- Nathalie, probably- had just poked her head in to make sure that they were actually working. Adrien glanced over at the door at the same time, and Marinette knew that he must have heard it as well.

And she had thought that her parents were nosy. At least they wouldn't care if they were actually doing homework or not.

"We should definitely try to study together more often," Adrien said appreciatively as they worked their way through their science and math homework. "It goes really fast with both of us. If I had to work through these problems on my own, I think it would probably take twice as long."

Marinette smiled and nodded. She had been about to say the same, honestly. When she and Adrien hit a snag with a concept that they weren't quite getting, they would either both toss ideas back and forth until they had figured out what they were messing up, or they would dive into their books and onto the computer to find something that explained the concept better if they really had no idea where to start. They hadn't really worked together that much before, so the ease with which they clicked and worked as a team was- well, a little surprising.

Surprising, but definitely not a bad thing. If they were really productive, then hopefully Nathalie would let them hang out together more often, without so much hassle.

"Okay, we have probably fifteen minutes before Nathalie checks in again," Adrien murmured seconds after they heard the third click of their study session. He paused, listening closely, then pushed his chair across the floor to grab a small photo album that had been tucked alongside his desk. "So my mom made this photo album. It's a secret from my father, technically. It's all of the photos that he hates, for whatever reason, but my mom thought were cute or funny."

Marinette's eyes got wide. That- that sounded like the kind of this that Mr. Agreste would probably destroy, if he found out that the album existed. "And it's not been- well, destroyed or anything?"

"No, I keep it hidden. And I have digital copies, in case anything ever happens to it. I don't think my dad would mess with it, though. My mom thought it was cute, and he-" Adrien paused, swallowing. "I don't want to think that he would destroy anything that she liked so much. But it's better safe than sorry with him, honestly." He took a moment, then scooted back to Marinette's side. "There's- uh, okay, there's a lot of baby photos in here, honestly. Just ignore that. But further along..." He flipped through the pages, and Marinette had to restrain herself from trying to catch a peek of what Baby Adrien (or Toddler Adrien) had looked like. If he wanted her to know, then he wouldn't be flipping through so fast. "Aha! Here's the toga."

Marinette took one look and had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from bursting out with laughter. "Oh my god. That- how did you not trip over that?"

"Okay, the first iteration left something to be desired," Adrien admitted. "To be fair, I was nine, and I had no idea how togas were meant to work. And the sheets on my bed- well, I have a big bed. And I wasn't a particularly big nine-year-old."

"The first iteration?" Marinette asked, puzzled. She frowned. "I thought your father would have put a stop to it."

"He tried, but it wasn't like I was just dressing up for fun," Adrien told her. "My mom pointed out that I had a reason for it, and then she got me a smaller bedsheet and looked up how to tie a toga. And she had access to safety pins and everything, so..."

He turned the page, and- oh, that wasn't fair. How did Adrien look so good while wearing- well, just a bedsheet with a belt around it?

"If Father had taken any longer to make cast-friendly pants, my mom and I were planning on ordering some kilts in my size," Adrien told Marinette. "Not for wearing out, necessarily, but to bug Father a bit." He laughed. "I kind of regret that I didn't get to do that, actually. I would have loved trying on a kilt."

...well, now Marinette wanted to make him one. It would be an interesting experience, and maybe she would learn some skills that she hadn't really dealt with before. But that also ran a very real risk of ticking Gabriel Agreste off, and considering that she had already ticked Audrey Bourgeois off this year...

Maybe that was a project for another time. Or at the very least, a project that could not be shown off beyond the confines of her house.

"Maybe Father got mad, but when Mom was here and made sure that he wasn't taking it out on me, it was fun," Adrien told her. "He might huff and puff but there wouldn't be any consequences."

Unlike there would be now went unsaid. Marinette had to wince on his behalf, because that had to be an unpleasant change to get used to.

"Anyway, there were a couple days of togas, and then I had my new cast-friendly pants to wear," Adrien finished, flipping the page. It was another page of him posing in different togas, each made up slightly differently. There were different belts, then a couple brooches to hold the toga together, then a deep red one that was clearly not meant to be worn out, considering that the back dragged out like a royal cape. "But it was fun while it lasted, and it was probably- no, definitely- the best part of having a broken leg."

"There's not much good about being on crutches," Marinette agreed. "I mean, Lila's gone, so that's good. But if I could have just, like, sprained my ankle and gotten a few bruises instead but gotten the same results, that would have been so much better."

Adrien grinned, clearly about to respond, but a noise near the door had them scrambling to hide the photo album and turn back to their books before they could be caught. When they heard the telltale click a minute later, they exchanged conspiratorial glances. Adrien's was tinged with an impish smile, and Marinette was sure that she was no better.

Being around Adrien like this was fun. Marinette had gotten tastes of it before, of course- it was hardly as though she and Adrien never hung out together by themselves- but it had never quite been this side of him, impish and rule-bending and all poorly-concealed grins and twinkling eyes and muffled laughter.

And Marinette wanted to see it more. It was easy to be relaxed around Adrien when he was like this. They could joke around and just hang out and not be thinking too much.

Or maybe she was just more relaxed because she wasn't thinking about asking him out. That had been her mom's theory when they had been discussing Marinette's crush and how it was going a few evenings back, and Marinette had to admit that she made a good point.

(Also, her mom seemed to know a lot more about Marinette's attempts to ask Adrien out than Marinette remembered telling. She suspected that Tikki might be telling her a lot, which- well, normally Marinette would be mad about that, but honestly, Alya could have told them just as much.)

They had brought up another very good point when they said that it might not be the best idea to date while she was still fighting Hawkmoth and Mayura. Apparently her parents had heard quite a bit from Alya complaining about Marinette missing out ("forgetting") on things that they had planned, and translating that to a dating setting...

Well, it wouldn't be a good idea with anyone. And with Adrien, who was already regularly let down by his father promising to show up to things and then simply not bothering- well, it would be borderline cruel, even if she didn't mean to leave him on his own.

Focusing strictly on being friends for the time being would definitely be better, Marinette decided as she re-focused on her work. Next to her, Adrien was tapping a faint beat on his notebook with the end of his pencil as he focused on the next question. She didn't want to lose Adrien's friendship because of her duties as Ladybug pulling her away unexpectedly. Once Hawkmoth was defeated- well, then she would have the time to dedicate to a relationship.

Marinette glanced over at her phone as it let out the oh-so-familiar chirp signaling an akuma attack, then up at her teacher. Ms. Bustier didn't appear to have heard (though maybe she was just choosing to ignore it, considering how many students had that alert on all the time), so Marinette slipped her phone out of her purse and checked the update.

Oh. That- that looked like a difficult akuma. It was flitting back and forth quick as lightning, too fast to spot anything on it that might be the akumatized item.

It would be hard to fight that, even with Second Chance. She just couldn't give out instructions fast enough to keep ahead of the akuma. Marinette puzzled over that for a second, then quickly excused herself to the bathroom and made a break for it, hopping to a supply closet in the hallway instead. One transformation and a Portal later, and Marinette was back at her house.

"Are you getting more Miraculous?" Sass asked as Marinette hopped across her temporary room to the box where she had hidden the Miracle Box. Kaalki was perched on her shoulder, inhaling a quick snack to recharge, and didn't seem at all bothered. "Or are just fighting from here instead of the closet because it's nicer?"

"I want another Miraculous," Marinette told him, pulling the box out. "I thought that the Bee might be a good choice. And- well, I'm not sure if I should give it to Chat Noir or to my mom. In theory, we'll only need one Sting. And if I give it to Chat Noir and he misses, we have Second Chance. But if my mom gets it..." She frowned, pausing with her hand hovering over the Bee's comb. "Actually, Sass, would giving my mom a second Miraculous be a good idea? Master Fu didn't tell us about the fusions right away, so is it not a good idea to have newer Miraculous holders fuse like that?"

"Yeah, it's- well, sometimes it's fine, but new users do have a tendency to tire more easily with fusions," Sass told her. "They're not as acclimated to the magic, and for it to double and for the powers to be used multiple times..."

Marinette winced. "We'll have Chat Bee again, then. I don't want to risk my mom falling ill."

Sass smiled. "That's probably wise."

With that decided, Marinette scooped up the comb and called for Kaalki. With a flash, she transformed, immediately grabbing her horseshoe to find where her mom was. Coccinelle was on the move, which would make catching her next to impossible, but Chat Noir was paused in one place, clearly waiting for instructing while staying a safe distance back from the akuma.

Well. She would just go to him, then. It would be nice to see Chat Noir in person again, even if- well, even if it was only going to be for a few seconds while she handed over the Miraculous.

"And that's a nice flat rooftop, too," Tianma murmured to herself, narrowing her eyes at her map one more time to make sure that she went to the right spot. "Okay, portal!"

The portal shimmered into being in front of her, and Tianma hopped forward on her Miraculous-provided crutches, making sure to jump high enough to clear the (thankfully low) threshold of the portal. She had barely landed when suddenly, her feet were off the ground once more.

"Bugaboo!" Chat Noir exclaimed in her ear, clearly delighted, and Tianma breathed a sigh of relief. He had startled her, but to be fair, she had returned the favor with the sudden unannounced portal popping out of nowhere behind him. "What are you doing out? Is your mom not coming? How's your leg? I didn't expect to see you today! How are you doing?"

"Slow down, kitty," Tianma ordered with a giggle. "My mom is coming, I just had to deliver the Bee. This akuma is super fast, and I think the only way for us to take them down fast is if we immobilize it. And my mom was already headed out when I made that decision, so I came. And my leg is- well, it's healing. Still."

"I wish it would heal faster," Chat Noir told the top of her head. "I mean, the short fights are great and all, and your mom is super cool and helpful, but it's not the same."

"I can't wait to get out again, either," Tianma admitted. "Being stuck at home and not being able to do everything that I'm used to- it sucks. And I have another three weeks before the cast comes off! Initially I had been hoping to have a lot shorter recovery time than more people because Tikki had said that the Miraculous makes us heal faster, but the doctor doesn't know that, so of course he's not going to look at my leg early." She had made that particular realization only a couple days ago, and- well, she still wasn't over it.

Marinette knew that the doctor had said six weeks, but she had really been hoping that Tikki would be able to get her recovery time down to, say, four and a half. Or five. Anything but six.

"Well, it's still going to help you get back out faster," Chat Noir told her, and Tianma pulled back enough to be able to look up at him in confusion. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Bugaboo, you know that just because the cast comes off, that doesn't automatically mean that you're 100% again, right? There's supposed to be several weeks of recovery afterwards, and the bone is still healing. If you didn't have Tikki's healing, you probably wouldn't be cleared to go back to normal physical activity again right away." He shrugged. "Or at least that was what I had happen when I fractured my leg as a kid. It sucked, and it- well, it was just super hard to remember that I still had to be careful after the cast came off."

Tianma's shoulders slumped. She- well, she had been counting down the days to when the cast would come off and she could go out as Ladybug again, but clearly she was being a bit too optimistic. "Oh."

"But like I said, Tikki should help with that part," Chat Noir added. "Maybe she can tell you more later?"

Tianma nodded. She would be questioning her kwami later on for sure. She didn't want to go forward with unrealistic expectations, so- well, she might as well find out sooner rather than later. "Yeah." She let out a long sigh and then, with a start, realized that- well, she hadn't just come out to chat with Chat Noir. She thrust the Bee's box at him. "Oh! Here's the Miraculous. Sass said that it would be better for you to do the combo- I thought maybe my mom could do it, so she would have multiple power uses, but Sass said that she's not used to the magic enough to do combos."

"Right, okay- Pollen, Plagg, combine!" Chat Noir called, and Tianma flinched at the bright flash of the transformation. He grinned at her- and oh, the jagged yellow stripes across his normal outfit would never stop being strange. "I'll do my best."

Tianma nodded, hopping back towards the portal. "Stay safe! And just send the Bee back with my mom. I don't want to have to recharge Kaalki an extra time."

"Of course." Chat Bee paused, then reached out for her, a light hand resting on her shoulder. "Hey, do- do you think we can hang out sometime? Like, for an evening? Not romantically or anything," he added hastily. "But I miss seeing you. It's not the same to just be hearing you."

Tianma didn't even have to consider that before she was nodding, completely on board with the idea. She missed Chat Noir, too, and- well, he was one of her best friends. They didn't get to hang out outside of the suit. "Maybe over the weekend? Not Friday or Saturday, because I don't want to disrupt your patrols with Coccinelle, but Sunday?"

Chat Noir nodded furiously. "Yeah! I'll bring some food- actually, you know what, I'll figure out the details with your mom," he said hastily when a loud explosion went off in the distance. "We've got an akuma to deal with. Back through the portal you go!"

With that, Chat Noir lent her a hand- or, rather, a paw- back through the portal into her room. It closed up behind her, and she detransformed and called on Sass.

"All right, down to business," Vipera announced, settling herself at her desk and getting set up as quickly as possible. She had spent far more time than she had planned with Chat Noir, and now she really had to get going if she wanted to be prepared for the battle.

Still, she smiled. Sunday couldn't come soon enough.

Ladybug (or, rather, Horsebug) Portaled to their secluded rooftop five minutes early, hauling a backpack stuffed with pastries that her parents had packed for her, plus an entire quiche that her mom had made specifically for them. Unsurprisingly, Chat Noir was already there, spreading out a large blanket and fussing with making sure that it was just so.

"I brought more food," Ladybug announced, stumbling a little as she hopped though the portal. Chat Noir was by her side in an instant, steadying her and making sure that none of her weight landed on her bad leg. "And my mom made quiche, she said it's one of your favorites-"

"Ooh, she's the best!"

"I'll not ask how she knows it's one of your favorites," Ladybug added with a sigh as Chat Noir helped her sit down on the ground- or, well, on a pillow on the ground. She released Kaalki and beamed at the kwami in thanks before turning her attention to her partner. "It seems like she knows quite a bit."

Chat Noir winced at that. "I- yeah. I know I've maybe said too much to her about secret identity stuff, but it's just really easy to talk to her, you know? It's kind of like having a mom again- sorry, sorry, pretend I didn't say that bit," Chat Noir added hastily. "But it's nice to have a parental figure that actually listens, so maybe I talk a little more than I should."

...Ladybug was really glad that Tikki had mentioned that she and Chat Noir might be able to reveal their secret identities at some point soonish. If she hadn't- well, Ladybug would probably be panicking about the additional accidental information.

"Honestly, part of it might also just be that- well, what are the chances that she would actually know me?" Chat Noir asked. "Civilian me, that is. She's an adult, she wouldn't run in, like, the same social circles anyway."

"Except my mom known pretty much everyone I do," Ladybug reminded him. "She knows my classmates, she still recognizes my former classmates, she knows my friends from out of class, she even knows a lot of kids . She's not one of those adults that don't pay any attention to kids."

Chat Noir considered that. "...oh."

"I've told her that she needs to be more careful with what information she mentions to me," Ladybug told him, already hating the way his ears were starting to droop. If having an adult who would listen to him made that much of a difference to her partner- well, that could potentially save him from akumatization, couldn't it? That was super-important. "Because she was assuming at first that you and I talked about the same stuff, so she would just refer to it like common knowledge. So she's not going to accidentally tell me anything now. And..." Ladybug worried her lip for a moment, then forged on. "And she- she already knows my identity. She knows that she has to be careful to not get akumatized. If she figures out yours, too, I suppose it wouldn't be the end of the world. It would just be like how Master Fu knew about both of us, right?"

Chat Noir's entire being brightened, and Ladybug knew that she had made the right call. "I- right! Right, yeah, that- that was not the way I thought this conversation was going to go."

Ladybug had to laugh at that. "Honestly, me neither, but I know how much it's helped to be able to talk to my parents about everything in my life. I have Tikki, sure, but it's different, somehow. Tikki sometimes doesn't understand stuff in my normal life very well. And I don't think it's fair of me to deny you that."

Chat Noir pulled her into a wordless hug. Ladybug hugged him back, resting her cheek against his shoulder. She couldn't help but smile, completely content where she was.

"If I ever need to have a replacement Chat Noir, your parents would definitely be my go-to first choice," Chat Noir told her. "I mean, of course I'd rather be out there myself, but if I sprained my ankle really badly, or- heaven forbid- broke something- except I would have to know who they are, wouldn't I? There goes that idea."

"We could make it work," Ladybug told him. "I don't know how, but we could." She didn't mention Tikki's comment, not quite yet. It didn't seem like the time to.

Maybe once she returned to superheroing full-time then she could bring it up. Now, it just seemed too early and like she might be getting her partner's hopes up too early.

It didn't take long for them to settle down and unpack the food they had brought, arranging it across the blanket so that they could see everything. There was a lot- there was no way that they would be able to finish it all- but that just meant that there were plenty of tasty-looking choices. Chat Noir handed Ladybug a plate, and they dug in.

It was maybe a little strange, since- well, she and Chat Noir didn't really do this, hanging out and eating dinner. Patrols- when they did them, when they had the time to spare- doubled as exercise and training. They sometimes came out for speeches or events or dedications, but that was rare and they didn't really chat during those. It wouldn't be smart, not with reporters lurking nearby and ready to pounce on anything personal the superheroes said. And during akuma attacks, obviously they weren't going to be sprawling out on a rooftop and mindlessly chatting.

It was nice, though. Maybe- if they had the time- they could do this more often after her leg was back to normal.

"How's the Snake treating you?" Chat Noir asked as they finished up their slices of quiche and turned their attention to the petits fours that her parents had packed. "I don't think we've asked in a while. We got a few fights in with the Second Chance reset, and- well, now it's normal. But I have to imagine that it's super-tough on you."

"It's gotten easier," Ladybug told him. "I've gotten better at it, rather. It seems like I don't have to reset as often, because I've gotten good at spotting openings and incoming attacks. I've gotten Sass to give me more screens, so that helps. I have more angles to work with and watch."

"You're a regular Mission Control," Chat Noir said admiringly. "I couldn't do it. It sounds super hard."

Ladybug could only shrug sheepishly. "I guess. But I've gotten used to it, and it's a bit of a mental challenge, too. And I like a challenge." And she really, really did. It was like playing the world's fastest-paced puzzle game crossed with a fighting game.

"But aren't all of the resets hard on you? Like, seeing things going wrong again and again?" Chat Noir hadn't touched his petits four, instead fiddling with the end of his tail. Ladybug frowned at the question, puzzled.

Nothing had really gone terribly wrong during the fights when she was the Snake. Most of the time, it was just things not going nearly as well as they could have. So she said as much.

Chat Noir seemed really relieved by that.

Their conversation wandered from there, touching on the different battles and what they had seen from their perspective of the fight, then talking about things going on in the city. At one point, their conversation drifted towards the non-Miraculous side of their life, but they quickly backed off and changed the subject before they could say anything too identifying.

Maybe Tikki had said that they were getting closer to a reveal, but there was no point in running the risk of an early reveal before they were ready just because they got carried away with talking and teasing each other.

"Ah, it's getting late," Chat Noir exclaimed after he went to check his baton for something and caught sight of the time. "We'd better pack up and go home. I'm glad you could come out."

Ladybug smiled, leaning forward as much as she could to help pack up the leftovers. Her parents had definitely over-packed, and Chat Noir had brought more than they could eat, too. "I'm glad, too. This was fun. And it was nice to get out in this suit, too." She plucked at the red supersuit, smiling at the familiar outfit. "I know I've been transforming with the other kwami, and of course it's not exactly the same as my normal transformation, what with the crutches and the cast, but..." She trailed off, not sure how to explain it. Fortunately, Chat Noir knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Yeah, transforming with different Miraculous... it just isn't the same. I can't put my finger on exactly why, because- well, it's a strength boost, and you can just feel the magic, but it's not quite the same magic. It's like..." Chat Noir floundered for a second, his brow creasing. "Like if you're eating something, and the cook forgot one of the spices, or added a new one. But not like a strong spice. Like a really subtle one, and you'd only pick it up if you had it a lot."

Ladybug giggled, reaching forward to poke Chat Noir's stomach. "Talking about food already? You just ate!"

"There's food in front of me, that's why I thought of it!" Chat Noir protested with a laugh, batting her hand away. "Not because I was hungry!"

Ladybug giggled again before sitting back, content to let Chat Noir deal with packing up the food that was out of her reach. "I suppose it's a decent enough analogy. It's something subtle in the magic, not something obvious like the suit itself."

"Speaking of which- your Horse outfit is adorable," Chat Noir told her, pausing in his packing to beam over at her. "That tunic top over leggings? Very fashionable yet also leaning towards comfortable-at-home chic."

Ladybug beamed. "Thanks! I wanted to try something different. My transformation as Vipera has the same silhouette, actually. It's really comfy. And, well, it's not like I'm running and flipping around or anything. I can have a little fun with the design."

"D'you think you'd incorporate any of that design into your Ladybug outfit once you come back?" Chat Noir asked, clearly curious. "I mean, I can't see that particular design getting in your way while fighting. And it's cute."

Ladybug muffled a giggle. He had already mentioned that, which... well, was a clear giveaway that he wanted to see that sort of outfit more. "Maybe? As long as the tunic would stay down. And I would keep the higher neckline that I have now, just for safety reasons." Which honestly might throw off the composition of the entire outfit, since right now, with both the Horse and the Snake, she had a wider square neckline. Getting rid of that would get rid of the loose look that the tunic had. And- "Oh, and the sleeves aren't great for fighting. They're too loose. So- well, I guess that version of the Ladybug suit will have to wait until Hawkmoth is gone."

"Ooh." Chat Noir considered that, then smiled over at her. "Another motivation to take Hawkmoth down as soon as possible!"

"Flirt," Ladybug muttered, her cheeks red. Chat Noir just grinned at her, passing over the Horse Miraculous before helping her- or rather, lifting her- to her feet. "Thanks."

"Only the best for my lady!" Chat Noir chirped cheerfully. He grinned over at her as she put the Horse Miraculous on, the second part of her transformation washing over her. "Sweet dreams, Ladybug."

Ladybug smiled as she called on Portal. "You too, Chat Noir."

With a careful hop, Ladybug left the rooftop behind and landed back in her family's kitchen, her Portal closing up behind her. The basket of leftovers got unpacked into the fridge- except for a couple things set aside for the kwamis- and then Marinette headed to bed, unable to keep from yawning widely.

"It looks like you've had a good time," Tikki commented as Marinette washed up for bed. "Was it nice to see Chat Noir in person again?"

"It was great," Marinette told her, unable to help smiling. "I forgot how fun it is to banter with him. It's not a dynamic that I really have with any of my other friends, and I missed it." She tugged out her pigtails and started combing her hair before pausing mid-stroke. "It seemed different from when I last saw Chat Noir, though. When I last properly saw Chat Noir, before my leg broke, that is. He wasn't really flirting as much- or no, that's not right," she corrected herself. "He wasn't flirting seriously, that's the difference. We always flirt and tease, that's just how we are, but he wasn't trying to confess or ask me out or anything."

A smile flashed across Tikki's face before she hastily hid it. "He's growing up, maybe."

Marinette hummed in response, starting up her combing again. "Maybe. Whatever it is- well, I liked it. I like spending time with him."

"Do you think you're going to do another dinner together before the cast comes off?" Tikki asked. Marinette thought about it, then shrugged.

"If we have the time, maybe. We'd have to end earlier, though- it's super late right now, and I have school tomorrow."

Tikki smiled at that. "So yes?"

"Yeah." Marinette finished combing her hair and started tying it back up for the night, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, I'd like that."

The next morning, Marinette's phone started ringing before her alarm even went off. She groaned, swatting for it blearily, and it shut off. Moments later, it started up again, and this time Marinette sat up properly, picking up the phone and squinting at it to see who on earth was calling her at this time in the morning.

It was Alya. With a groan- she and Chat Noir really should have headed home sooner, she was exhausted- Marinette picked up. "Hello? What's-"

"Marinette! Marinette! Have you heard? Ladybug's been spotted! She's finally back!"

#Miraculous Ladybug #My writing #The Substitute Ladybug #marinette dupain cheng

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littlefaerose · 7 years

Text

walking on a wire through the fear (take my hand, we’ll get there)

WHO: Marley Rose (ft. Olivia Wisteria and Lila Lily)

WHERE: Sciron Square, Room #401

WHEN: Wednesday, April 19th, 2017

WHAT: There’s nothing quite like a spontaneous intrusion, followed by a quasi-intervention. Kind of.

WARNING(S): vague descriptive mentionings of death (??)

She didn’t hear the first initial knock at the door.

She was almost finished writing her final paper for her Sex, Genders and Culture class - while the topic was controversial among her own kind, she’d decided to take on the topic of ‘ace-normativity’ among Fae - and the continuous clacking of her keyboard along with her music playing low had blocked out any other sounds. She paused long enough to skim over the current paragraph she was editing when a second, more insistent banging came, distracting her from her laptop screen. She wasn’t expecting company today, was she?

“Just a minute!” she called as she hastily finished typing out her thought, hoping to get to the door and squeeze her way out to see who was interrupting her, but without warning her door flew open, making her whip around in her chair.

‘Geez, Marley, you’re such a slow- WOAH.’

She recognized the voice immediately. And immediately panicked.

See, the fact of the matter was that while she had been in a somewhat better mood the last week, the tree-like thing in the middle of her dorm room had not shrunk much past the small increment it had the night Mason’s first letter had arrived. It still wound and twisted and had a bit of a life of its own, creaking as it stretched out its roots, expanding or pulling back in depending on the minute fluctuations of her mood. It was manageable, all things considered, but she hadn’t let anyone into her room ever since the thing had sprung to life. And for good reason.

‘What the fresh hell is this??’ Olivia exclaimed as she took a step back from the twist of branches that extended out toward the front door.

“Why didn’t you wait for me to answer??” Marley answered in return, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment as she realized that not only had Olivia seen the manifestation of her lack of control, but that she had not come alone. Just as she ducked beneath a series of roots to reach Olivia, a red-haired woman stepped out and around from behind the taller girl, her eyes slightly widened in surprise as well. Oh Aether.

‘It looks like some kind of tree…?’ Lila offered, then looked to Marley questioningly.

If there was ever a more mortifying moment in the entirety of her life, Marley couldn’t remember what it was right then. This trumped it all.

“Is there a reason you’re both here unannounced?” she brushed past, making quick work of shutting the door behind all three of them. “I was in the middle of finishing a paper.”

‘Well you haven’t exactly been answering my texts or other attempts to contact you for the last - aether, what has it been now, a month? Two?’ Olivia asked, arms folding across her chest as she looked to Lila for confirmation.

‘Sounds about right,’ Lila nodded, the surprise disappearing from her expression and replaced with something more akin to concern. ‘Actually, it was my idea. I’m sorry for us barging in, but you’ve been laying low for quite some time now, it seems.’

Marley huffed but led the way further inside her room, guiding them through a maze of roots and branches back to her desk. “I’ve been busy. Schoolwork, my photography portfolio, the like,” she offered up lamely. She didn’t even really believe herself anymore.

‘And that’s understandable, of course,’ Lila continued, pausing on one side of Marley’s desk. ‘It’s just that we’re a little bit concerned.’

“You don’t need to be-”

‘Stop that,’ Olivia interrupted her. ‘I’m tired of hearing this bullsh-’

‘Olivia,’ Lila cut in, gently but firmly. Olivia’s mouth set into a thin line but she quieted. Lila then turned her attention back to Marley. ‘I know I personally have been meaning to come speak with you about the LNWA. You know - the club you so passionately pitched to me and convinced me to join?’

Marley cringed. “I haven’t had the time…” she said.

‘Actually, I think you have,’ Lila replied, nothing malicious or accusatory in her tone, but Marley couldn’t help feeling like she was starting to get backed into a corner. ‘I noticed that you haven’t been to any of the recent meetings, none at all really since the new year began. And I haven’t heard a peep from you or anyone else about this petition you were working on.’

“I gave that over to Madison McCarthy,” Marley explained. “She was one of the few others who was interested in the activism part of the club, and she was helping me with it before. She’s taking over it if you really want to know more about it.”

‘That’s fine and all, but what I’m really concerned about is the sudden lack of passion for these causes that meant so much to you not that long ago.’

Olivia chose then to chime in. ‘Look, I know losing Millie has been hard and at first you seemed to be making an effort to get better, but… honestly, I’m beginning to wonder if you’re not just worse off than you were before,’ she said.

“I’m-” Marley stopped herself before either girl could tell her to. She’d been saying she was fine for so long and it was clearly getting her nowhere. “Okay, fine, maybe I’m worse off, maybe I’m just not ‘okay’ yet. But I have a full plate and that leaves little room for personal matters like that.”

‘Marley, you’ve sequestered yourself into this room,’ Olivia argued, ‘you’re stuck in here with this massive tree thing - and judging by how out of control it is, I can only assume you didn’t intend for it to even grow here - and when you’re not here, you’re keeping company with the likes of Victoria Violet or those other conservative Fae. Not to mention I can’t remember the last time I saw you hanging out with any of your real friends.’

“It’s complicated.”

‘Everything is always fu-’

‘OLIVIA. Language!’ Lila admonished.

‘Sorry, geez - everything is always complicated with you, Marley,’ Olivia huffed. ‘You’re always making things ten times harder than they should or could be. So why don’t you uncomplicate them and talk to us. Tell us what’s going on.’

Marley looked between both girls and sighed again. Were they right? Was she making this more complicated than it needed to be? And would it really kill her to talk to someone about what had been going on with her since February?

It’s not like she could tell her real friends anything about the Fae… but…

“Fine,” she relented, raking a hand through her hair as she tried to figure out where to even begin. “Here’s what’s going on.”

~*~

‘It’s time to stop acting like a sapling, my Dog Rose,’ Raphaelle drawled. ‘You’ve had your fun but it is time to buckle down and show where your true loyalty lies.’

Marley shook in her spot, rooted (not literally but close enough) to the ground. She couldn’t take her eyes off the strange and creepy abomination of a flower, upon which their ambassador’s face was affixed, upside down. In any other situation, this might be comical. But with Raphaelle Le Fay? It was just downright scary.

‘There is a time coming when you will need to put aside this frivality and face the responsibilities that come with being the Flowerchild of Prophecy,’ she continued, flexing her leaves and petals as she spoke.

“But I’m not-”

‘I have eyes everywhere, Dog Rose. And while you have been having fun with your unorthodox group of ‘friends’, you have neglected your sisters. You have pushed them to the sidelines rather than offering to stand united with them.’

Marley’s cheeks flamed green as she ducked her head in shame.

“My people are no less important to me,” she insisted. “I still want to help… I still want unity…” Just maybe not quite exactly the same unity the Fae had right then. “I promise you, my alignment is still with the Fae. I want to help them.”

‘Then it’s time to start showing it,’ Raphaelle replied. ‘I am capable of many great things, my Dog Rose. I still wish to help you with your fallen sister… I could find ways to bring her back. And… while I shudder to think of such alliances, there could come a day in the future when Fae would not have to worry about the dire implications that come with being with the Humans. I hold the power to bring about such changes, but I need a united front among my most influential sisters. Our future-makers.’ The upside-down face studied her own right-side-up one, and Marley shifted again nervously. ‘I need to know that I can trust our Flowerchild of Prophecy.’

Marley swallowed thickly. “Whatever it is I need to do… I’ll do it,” she promised, trying to ignore the sinking feeling that went with it. “Just tell me what I need to do to prove myself.”

‘The next Promenade will be in May of this year,’ the flower nodded. ‘I need to see a marked change in you, my Dog Rose. Find common ground with your sisters. Show us all who your true priority it is. And if there is not a significant change to be found at that time…’ The sentence ended there and hung in the air, leaving Marley feeling a certain sense of dread. What did she mean? What consequences would accompany a lack of change?

“I’ll fix this,” she answered, “I promise.”

~*~

‘I told you,’ Olivia shook her head, pacing what small space was available for them to move around in. ‘I told you she would use this stupid prophecy business to her advantage. Clearly, she’s manipulating you. For what reason, I don’t know, but there’s no denying it - she wants something from you and she’s willing to do whatever she has to in order to get it.’

“But she was right,” Marley admitted, rubbing the back of her neck as her cheeks flushed. “I was spending all this time fighting for causes that had nothing to do with Fae. I was going to parties and getting drunk and having crushes on people who can’t reciprocate and I… I…” She sighed, leaning forward on her elbows and rubbing her temples. “I wanted to be someone other than me. But that’s not possible. I’m still Marley Rose. I’m still a Fae, and I’m still the Flowerchild of Prophecy, and no matter of glamour potions or learning about human culture or frivolity can change that.”

Lila reached out to take one of Marley’s hands and squeezed it. ‘You’re putting yourself under a lot of pressure,’ she said. ‘You’ve dealt with a lot since coming here and… maybe I’m reaching a bit, but it sounds like you’re holding on to a lot of guilt.’

‘You can say that again,’ Olivia muttered.

“Would you shut up?” Marley snapped.

Lila gave Olivia another warning look. ‘As I was saying, it seems like perhaps you’re taking on the responsibility of a lot more than you’re obligated to. And I don’t quite understand why. The sorts of politics and issues that Raphaelle Le Fay concerns herself with - they are not the kind that I’ve come to know you to support,’ she said, squeezing again. ‘I can understand feeling overwhelmed with the pressure to please multiple parties and find some sort of acceptance among your peers, but… is this what you really want?’

Marley gave a humorless laugh. “What I want hasn’t mattered for some time now,” she said.

‘You may not think so, but it does.’

The truth though was that it was easier to focus on expectations and rules and parameters rather than what she actually wanted. Because… what did she actually want?

“Either way, it doesn’t matter because I already made my choice. I’m working on my relationship with the Fae and I think I’m close to the breakthrough I need to prove myself worthy of this stupid title.”

‘Which, just to clarify, you think is stupid?’ Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow. Marley gave her a glare in return, though the older Fae just rolled her eyes. ‘Whatever. The reason we’re here is because we want to help.’

‘We hope you’ll let us help,’ Lila added. ‘If this is really the road you’re going to choose to go down, then we can’t stand by and let you drown here on your own.’

“I’m not drowning.”

‘You’ve got a massive tree taking over your room and you’ve all but become a recluse,’ Olivia reminded her. ‘I don’t know what your plan is but I already don’t like it…. but I also won’t let you go this alone. So please. Let us help you.’

Marley looked between both ladies, unsure what definition to give the overwhelming feeling that rose within her chest. It was one thing to have Mason offering his help, or even Santana prying in her own intrusive ways, but to have Fae in her life who could and wanted to help? It felt simultaneously like a dangerous idea and like breaking the surface of the water to finally breathe again.

“I don’t… I don’t know how you can help yet,” she admitted, running her hand through her hair again. “But I’m open to suggestion.”

Lila smiled, relief infusing her facial features as they softened and her frame relaxed. ‘We should wait to see what happens at the Promenade,’ she nodded. ‘See if Raphaelle has anything to say about the current political climate and if the Fae have any cooking up moving forward.. But in the meantime… Marley, I really think you should take some time out to figure out what exactly it is that you want. Independent of the expectations of you as the Flowerchild of Prophecy, and separate from what anyone else’s opinions might be of who and what and how you should be.’ She squeezed Marley’s hand again. ‘You can’t base your life off of what others unrealistically expect from you, and you certainly can’t make a decision this great without taking stock of what implications it will have for you in the long run.’

It felt like an exercise in defeat but Marley finally nodded in agreement. “Fine… I’ll think on it.” It felt like Lila was asking the world of her - just like every other person crossing her path - but with finals almost done and the edge of the pressure taken off, she could stand to entertain the impossible, however far out of reach it might seem.

#paras #walking on a wire through the fear #//song lyrics as a title? i think YES

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huhnerhexen · 4 years

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All!

macaroni and cheese: what makes you think of your childhood?

- the Halston Z-14 cologne, the sound of lawn mowers, Sesame Street, salt and vinegar chips, bonfires

spring green: how do you relax when you're feeling stressed?

- I take a bath and watch Moominvalley, sometimes I'll smoke a joint before hand

asparagus: already answered!

bittersweet: already answered!

eggplant: explain your URL and avatar

- huhnerhexen is german for chicken witch, I used to dog sit for my roommate and her dog knew me as "the chicken lady" but I also practice witchcraft and speak a little german so here we are. My avatar is the cover of Frog And Toad Are Friends, I grew up on Frog and Toad and I love them very much.

outer space: do you ever feel like you're an outcast from others?

- frequently

cotton candy: what is your favourite dessert?

- sex in a pan

freckle: do you have marks on your skin? how do you feel about them?

- I have moles, scars, rosacea, and tattoos. I'm fine with all of them, they make me unique

shocking pink: is there a trait that you have that others don't expect from you?

- depending on how we meet, a lot of the holiday hires at work are surprised that I'm as goofy as I am bc I'm very much a "let's get down to business" kind of guy; new friends are sometimes surprised by the amount of passive aggression I can hold inside my tiny body

robin's egg blue: if you were an animal, which one do you think you would be?

- in an ideal world I'd be a housecat, but I think I'd be a dog because I'm so loyal

granny smith apple: what is something everyone else likes that you don't?

- cake

dandelion: already answered!

atomic tangerine: what gets you motivated to do a difficult task?

- a banging playlist and a cup of coffee

wisteria: what's your favourite thing about yourself?

- my style and my moral compass

candy apple: how do you think others view you?

- I honestly don't care how others view me, so I don't pay attention to it.

plum: already answered!

sky blue: already answered!

tickle me pink: how do you try to cheer up others when they're sad?

- I ask them what I can do to help, that way they get their needs met, guaranteed

wild strawberry: do you care what others think of you?

- not even a little bit (okay maybe a little bit)

glossy grape: recommend something to your followers

- Schitt's Creek, it's a Canadian sitcom surrounding the lives of a jewish family working to rebuild their lives. If you were ever a fan of Corner Gas, this has much the same vibe.

world wide web yellow: what's the last thing you looked up?

- rcmp headingley

shadow blue: do you have a darker side to you that most people are unaware of?

- maybe? I definitely have a darker side that I hide from people, but I don't know if people are unaware of it?

electric lime: what genre of music do you listen to?

- literally all except rap/hip hop and edm, I have a soft spot for 80s classic rock, and old school acoustic country

night owl: describe a very interesting dream you have had?

- all my dreams lately have been nightmares, forgive me but I don't feel like reopening that can of worms...

cornflower: what do you think about the most?

- my recovery process and snacks

grasshopper green: describe the area that you live in

- imagine a bunch of queer, millennial, hipsters could afford to buy a house and all congregated in the same neighborhood. It looks like that, except no one living in this area is a millennial or hipster... Lots of colourful houses, lots of flowers, lots of dogs!

misty moss: already answered!

tiny toad brown: do you find beauty in something other people consider to be ugly or undesirable?

- I hope to find beauty in everything, that said some things are just plain gross

sunnyside up: do you like waking up in the mornings or would you rather sleep in?

- I like the romanticism of having coffee and reading a book in the early morning while the sun is rising and getting a headstart on my day, but getting me out of bed to actually do that is a whole other thing

kitten gray: do you have any pets? if so, describe them.

- I have a cat named Mama Cat, she's 10 years old. I got her from my aunt who couldn't take care of her anymore. She's the smallest little lady! Her favourite things to do are sit in my lap while I do schoolwork, lay in front of the heat vent in our bathroom, and sit on the windowsill in the sunroom to watch the neighbor's dog, Phoebe, in the backyard.

I have a rat named Mr. Carlos, he'll be two in February! He's a zippy little guy who really likes baby food and napping. The man snores like a garbage truck and sleeps like the dead, if he's napping you literally cannot wake him up. He really likes head rubs and to play with people's hair.

I also have a snake named Slinky, she's 5 (so still a baby), and if she has a personality I have yet to see it. She sleeps and eats, and is generally grouchy.

rose dust: describe your aesthetic in 5 words or less

- classy, trinket-hoarding, grandma

timber wolf: do you give second chances when somebody has wronged you?

- I give second, third, fourth, fifth, etc. chances. I'm working on building healthy personal boundaries

freshly squeezed: what excites you?

- new music, family get togethers, cranberries

firefly red: what gives you purpose?

- my own personal growth, my studies, my work, my family

tiny teapot tan: do you consider yourself cute/attractive?

- I am THE cutest, idk why y'all can't see it...

raindrop blue: describe the weather outside.

- the sky is grey, the snow has covered the ground, except for the places its been shoveled, it's chilly but not cold. You could wear a big sweater outside and not need a jacket.

sweet pea green: do you have/want children?

- I think I'd like one kid, but I'm not having children until the climate crisis is resolved, I think it's irresponsible to bring a kid into the world that doesn't have a chance of living past 10

pussywillow: do you like being around others or do you like being alone?

- I prefer to be alone

jack 'o' lantern orange: what's your biggest fear and why?

- I'm dead afraid of spiders, something that bony, hairy, and with that many legs makes my skin crawl

baby bunny pink: do you look young for your age or do you look older than you are?

- I look like a 12 year old boy, but I'm actually 21...

mystic maroon: what confuses you and why?

- I don't understand millionaires or billionaires. If you have more money than you could ever spend in your lifetime, why are you hoarding it like a dragon instead of using to help people around you?

cosmic cobalt: what's your zodiac sign? do you think it's accurate?

- I'm a Gemini, Libra moon, Libra rising, and Gemini sun; it's 100% accurate

petal pink: describe your fashion sense as well as what you're wearing right now.

- my style goes from chaotic gay twink to little old man to punk rock teenager and everywhere in between, there is no sense to what I wear, really. I'm presently sporting mom jeans with a big belt, a low cut black button up short sleeve, and a knit sweater with a LOUD pattern.

mountain meadow: do you like taking care of others or do you prefer being cared for?

- I like to take care of others, helping people makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

fuzzy duckling yellow: is there something from childhood that you haven't outgrown?

- the muppets, they're a timeless treasure and I won't ever "grow out" of them

brussel sproutlet: do you have any unhealthy habits?

- several... I have a nasty nicotine addiction, I give too much of myself and have no personal boundaries, and I lose myself in other people. I'm working on it...

razzle dazzle rose: describe an ideal date

- if it's winter, going to a small coffee shop to drink and chat, or going to see the Christmas lights. If it's summer, going for a walk through a park or the forest, and holding hands the whole time!

periwinkle: what's something ordinary that has special meaning to you?

- I have a little brown teapot that is my prized possession; my grandpa gave it to me because he had a matching one, so that no matter who's house we were at we could have tea together after dinner. It's the teapot that started my collection.

mauvelous: do you think you deserve a better life than what you have right now?

- I have a really good life, I have dreams of what my future looks like, but I think it's important to do the work to build that future for myself. I don't think I deserve a better life, but that's not to say I don't deserve nice things, it's just that I already have nice things and people to share it with!

blueberry blue: do you get sad easily?

- I feed off of others' emotions very easily, so I do feel other people's sadness, but I'd say for the most part I'm usually quite happy.

purple mountains majesty: how does someone earn your respect?

- people have my respect right off the hop tbh, just because we're not pals doesn't mean you're undeserving of my respect. Earning my trust is a completely different thing, if you want that you've got to be honest and authentic with me, and respect me as well. A lot of give and take.

#answered

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