#fiancee of the wizard

[beneaththetangles]

Reader’s Corner: Rooster Fighter, Zom 100 (Vol. 7), and A Galaxy Next Door (Vol. 2)

Zombies, wizards, alien princesses, and rooster superheroes? It’s just another week here on Reader’s Corner. Scroll down to see the eclectic mix of manga we’re reviewing for you in this edition.

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The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague, Manga Vol. 1

I didn’t think there was another josei manga that could exceed the wholesomeness in A Sign of Affection, but I have been proven wrong with the digital manga The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague! I truly don’t even know how to talk about this manga without squealing from excitement and giddiness because it literally is one of the most wholesome manga I’ve read! Himuro, our male hero, is a descendant of the snow woman from Japanese folklore, and as a result, he ends up expressing his emotions through blizzards, melting puddles, and snowmen. Although he has a fairly “chill” personality, his emotional “displays” become more prominent when he starts to fall for his cool (but clueless) coworker Fuyutsuki. The more she shows kindness to him, the colder the office gets and the more he falls for her! I absolutely loved this first volume! Literally after every chapter of this episodic story, I would giggle or smile and say, “They are so cute!!” This manga excels at creating all the warm fuzzy feelings, notwithstanding that a blizzard forms if Himuro focuses too hard, or he completely ices over if he gets too nervous. I am so very desperate for Fuyutsuki to see how much he likes her and deeply thankful that her coworkers have asked subtle questions that get her thinking (such as if she will give him chocolate on Valentine’s Day or what she thinks of him). Truly, this manga is so very enjoyable, and I highly recommend it to those who like office romcoms and slow burn romance! ~ Laura A. Grace

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague is published by Square Enix and is available to read on ComiKey.

Fiancée of the Wizard, Manga Vol. 1

It’s a manga/anime fantasy romance story. Except there’s no actual romance, just the narrative telling us the two leads like each other. The wizard goes out of his way to avoid seeing his so-called “fiancée” for SEVEN YEARS. And when he finally does start coming to see her again, all he does is insult her. And he keeps postponing their wedding to prioritize work. The girl apparently likes the rude wizard, but the story totally fails to convince me why she would feel that way, nor does it explain why she would put up with this jerk for so long. Another shortcoming of this volume is that it progresses through time weirdly quickly (like, 8+ years in one manga volume is a lot), and yet nothing meaningful happens in all that time! This is the garbage fire titled Fiancée of the Wizard. I know I’m not the world’s biggest manga reader, so take this with a grain of salt, but this was seriously the worst manga I’ve read yet. Don’t repeat my mistake by wasting money and time on it. ~ Jeskai

Fiancee of the Wizard is published by Yen Press.

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Manga Vol. 1

I absolutely love “female villainess” manga, and the new series Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke does not disappoint! Claire Martino is not your typical “villainess,” even though her story matches plenty of others in which the protagonists are living their “best lives” with loving family and friends, wealth, and prestige. Her life takes a turn when her half-sister (whom she was genuinely close to—at least in Claire’s eyes) lies about her, thus making her a “villainess” to those in her kingdom. Rather than “suffering” in scorn from those around her, she goes to a convent up north. But somewhere in her travels, the lines become unclear between her new reality and past life, because why does her life seem to match the route of an otome game her friend once told her about?! While I confess the “info dumping” at the beginning (and feeling overwhelmed as a result) had me concerned that I might not enjoy it, I appreciated how adventurous Claire’s life is. The subtle magic, her mysterious childhood, and the fleshed out world-building made this story stand out from other manga in this genre. Claire also reminded me of Shirayuki from Snow White with the Red Hair, in that she is not one to let others decide for her and instead makes a life for herself without her past title (or other people’s titles). There was also a great cast of characters (including a female knight!) that I really enjoyed getting to know. I think if you like Snow White with the Red Hair and villainess isekai stories, this is a good one to try! ~ Laura A. Grace

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke is published by TokyoPop.

Rooster Fighter, Manga Vol. 1

When the world is in danger from giant demons, who you gonna call to save the day? Superheroes, buff and cocky OP characters with spiky hair, or a rooster? Well, this time it’s the latter, so get ready for a wild ride! This manga is as ridiculous as the cover looks; a rooster standing up to gigantic monsters and taking them out in one hit “One Punch Man”-style. The puns are all over the pages, as this rooster often takes himself more seriously than he should and gets into all sorts of silly trouble. Like when he tries to eat a bug that made him sick, or when he fights a one-eyed sea turtle on the beach. The art has lots of detail, and even though it’s a gag manga, this would certainly make a great anime. I will be back for more! ~ Samuru

Rooster Fighter is published by VIZ Media. Volume one releases on August 16th.

A Galaxy Next Door, Manga Vol. 2

Two volumes in and I am now fully charmed by A Galaxy Next Door and its cast of lovely and warm characters, led by the earnest alien princess–turned–manga assistant, Goshiki, and her now-boyfriend, the kind mangaka, Kuga. With all the surprises involving Goshiki’s background and her unusual power and anatomy out of the way, volume two takes the time to develop the relationship between her and Kuga through a zoo date, the winter holidays, and a follow-up trip. The two are falling for each other quickly, and yet their relationship remains so cute and chaste that it almost makes this old man squee (yes…almost). Part of the reason that the relationship keeps this pure feeling while advancing through the couple’s emotions and words for one another so quickly is because it always involves family. In fact, out of all the lovely confessions and actions by Goshiki and Kuga in these chapters, the greatest is Kuga explaining how he plans to care for both her and his younger siblings always. It’s these moments of tenderness and sacrificial love that remind me that in the right hands, a blend of romantic fufu and familial care can work together to create a series that is as full of “be still my heart” scenes as it is “aww” moments. And I’m further engaged by how the supporting characters aren’t archetypal, a feature which not only makes the story feel more genuine and lovely but also has me guessing what the next major conflict will be. I’ll certainly be looking to the next volume to see how this story progresses. ~ Twwk

A Galaxy Next Door is published by Kodansha.

READ: A Galaxy Next Door Vol. 1 Review

Shortcake Cake, Manga Vol. 3

I’ve already really been enjoying Shortcake Cake, but with this third volume, I am officially hook, line, and sinker! The “love triangle” is underway with feelings on all three sides as Ten and Chiaki continue the dating façade for the sake of Riku’s brother Rei (so he will hopefully leave Ten alone), and Ten and Riku having an amazing moment where Ten begins to view Riku in a way she hasn’t before (aka potentially romantically). Not only do we see Chiaki affirm to Ten that despite Ten’s rejection of Riku’s confession, Riku does still like her, but we also see a new vulnerability in Ten. Thanks to this, Ten can lower her barriers around Riku, and they have this moment where it looks like the #TeamRiku ship could sail here soon. I am all board that ship sailing and have no qualms; as the volume goes on, we see Riku act like an amazing gentleman, and I could not help but get deeply excited that Riku has a chance with Ten. That’s not to say that Chiaki isn’t a gentleman too, because he is! In fact, I’ve really appreciated his “struggle” because it’s obvious he does have feelings for Ten, but he’s thinking of Riku and his feelings. I really respect him for doing what he can to get Riku and Ten together. I can say that from this point forward, I will be desperate to see more sweet Riku and Ten moments like we had in this volume! ~ Laura A. Grace

Shortcake Cake is published by VIZ Media.

READ: Shortcake Cake Reviews: Vol.1 // Vol. 2

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Manga Vol. 7

Zombies meet…sci-fi? Zom 100 has played fast and loose with varying genres and conventions as it keeps its zombie apocalypse story fresh; this time, after a chapter that takes the central group of survivors all the way to the north of Japan, that means moving into the world of robotics. I love sci-fi and I adore robot stories, but at first this new mini-arc felt kitschy. After hitting it out of the ballpark volume after volume, the story of Akira and the rest stumbling onto Japanese technology at its best felt like the rest of the story at its worst: meandering, pandering, and filler. But by the end of volume seven, I came to appreciate what Haro Aso has done with these chapters, crafting a story that works as sci-fi and features an endearing new character (and also an awesome zombear). Though these chapters largely exist to give the readers a fun break after the previous tense chapters and cross a few items off the bucket list, they remain an engaging read. That’s the magic of both the incredible artwork by Kotaro Takata and the writing by Aso, who (I discovered through a bonus chapter in this volume) is also the author of Alice in Borderland, another series that takes a standard genre and bends it in a novel way. I hope that like that series, this excellent one will receive an anime adaptation (preferably before the impending zombie apocalypse). ~ Twwk

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is published by Viz Media. Volume six releases on August 16th.

READ: Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6

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“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

#Manga #The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague #Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi #Fiancee of the Wizard #Mahoutsukai no Konyakusha #Formerly the Fallen Daughter of the Duke #Moto Ochikobore Koushaku Reijou desu. #Rooster Fighter #Niwatori Fighter #A Galaxy Next Door #Otonari ni Ginga #Shortcake Cake #Short Cake Cake #Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead #Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto #Reader's Corner #Articles #Author: Laura A. Grace #Author: Jeskai Angel #Author: Samuru #Author: TWWK

[sailor-brunette]

Hey,y'all. Went to the bookstore today. Let me tell you about my haul! Villains are Destined to Die manwha volume 1,7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to her worst Enemy manga volume 1,Fiancee of the Wizard manga volumes 1,3 and 4 (they didn't have volume 2) And The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World manga volumes 2 and 4. (I have volume 1 and they didn't have volume 3) But I'll order the volumes I'm missing when I can.

#Brunette ramblings #Bookstore haul #Villains are Destined to Die #7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! #Fiancee of the Wizard #The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World #Shoujo #Shoujo manga #Shoujo manwha

[theotakufiles]

Fiancee of the Wizard Manga

"Fiancee of the Wizard" takes viewers on a magical and enchanting journey that blends romance, fantasy, and adventure. In a land where wizards, witches, and mythical creatures coexist with humans, we follow the extraordinary tale of Emma Stevenson - an ordinary young woman destined for an extraordinary fate.

Emma's life takes a fateful turn when she unexpectedly meets and falls deeply in love with Gabriel Blackwood, a powerful wizard feared by many. As their relationship blossoms amidst the backdrop of swirling spells and mystical landscapes, Emma discovers her own untapped potential as she becomes engaged to Gabriel.

However, their path is far from smooth as they face shocking revelations about dark forces lurking within the magical realm. With danger mounting at each step, Emma must learn to navigate treacherous schemes plotted against her and unravel ancient secrets that could determine the fate of both worlds.

Supported by a diverse cast of intriguing characters - including mischievous fairies, loyal familiars, wise elders, and wicked sorceresses - "Fiancee of the Wizard" creates a rich tapestry where love is tested through captivating quests and mystical trials.

Through breathtaking visual effects and compelling storytelling, this series combines magical elements with raw emotions to explore themes of sacrifice, loyalty, power dynamics, and self-discovery. Each episode transports audiences into a beguiling world where love defies the boundaries imposed by convention or magic itself.

As we witness Emma’s remarkable transformation from an ordinary human into an awe-inspiring sorceress who ultimately holds the key to restoring balance in both realms – this thrilling tale will captivate viewers' hearts while leaving them spellbound episode after episode. Join us on this fantastical odyssey as "Fiancee of the Wizard" explores what it truly means to be bound together by love... in one whirlwind adventure after another.

I kindly urge all manga enthusiasts and avid readers to extend their support to the talented author of 'Fiancee of the Wizard Manga' by purchasing a copy directly from gekimanga.com. By doing so, we can express our appreciation for their incredible work and enable them to continue creating captivating and enchanting stories that have captured our hearts. Let us come together as a community and rally behind this talented creator, ensuring the continuation of this beloved series!

#Fiancee of the Wizard #Manga #animes #mangaartist #mangastyle #mangas

[miraworksstuff]

Add this complete series to the booth.

#fiancee of the wizard #Masaki Kazuka #Syuri Nakamura #Keiko Sakano

[sleepinglionhearts]

What chrestomanci house are you? (Do they have those haven't read em.)

[tosses books at you]

Well they don't have those but they do have a lot of other stuff so read and find out >:3

I am now forcefully recommending a book series to you >:3

#replies #so yes i was actually looking for alternatives to the Popular Wizard Books and found those #a lot of recommendations and all #and since I'd just finished reading howl's moving castle i was like oh more diana eynne jones stuff? sign me the fuck up #anyway i have no one to talk to about it and im currently getting fiancee to read the books with me #but now it is my mission to do to yall what i did w claymore and just nonstop recomment it and hope some of u read it #on another note fiancee has said perhaps it's good i got into those books now #if I'd been reading them during my younger and more impressionable years I'd be even more insufferable than i already am

[biterflies]

the wizard in my dnd campaign turned another players character into a frog for one reason or another using polymorph (not that serious, has happened before and is an on going joke, all players think its funny and dont mind) but my new character percivil who has talked with the party maybe three or four times previous to this interaction and decides to lecture the wizard about usage of magic on allies and getting consent to use magic on allies and kinda just consent in general. the rogue then pops up like "careful he might turn you into a frog" (joke from the player cause as i said, ongoing joke) and percivil responds "better to be a frog then not stand against injustice" and like. hes so knightly and noble and heroic which is how he is supposed to be being a yknow, knight and all. but he has also been a official knight for like a few months at best. he is a rookie knight he was a squire like last year he is brand new and yet he is talking to the wizard who is like really really powerful ( dont want to get into naming feats because we would be here all day but like. he SOLO'D a DRAGON once) like this because he has such a code regarding this. and also he is DEEPLY uncomfortable about the wizards simulacrum because the idea of a magical duplicate of someone freaks him out deeply but when the simulacrum asked for him to protect it after hearing something (it is the wizards FORTH simulacrum and is afraid of meeting its horrible demise like the previous ones because the wizard likes to give the simulacrums personalitys) he protected it without a thought and the only damage he took that entire combat was from jumping infront of hits meant for the simulacrum (another knight from his order was able to jump in front of hits and take the damage himself if he was close enough to the person the hit was meant for so we translated that to percy as a thing all knights can do) because he so deeply knightly that he will even protect things that unsettle him and are by definition not actually real (its made of snow. its a duplicate of a person and as it says in the text of the spell NOT REAL) because he is doesnt actually understand what a simulacrum is and also because he is of the belief that if someone asks for protection you protect them and even if you do not like someone it does not exempt them from this. and hes just so KNIGHTLY and GOOD and i LOVE HIM.

#his rants about proper consent to the wizard hit so hard considering he is in a forced engagement #and a forced engagment to a MAGE no less #she is literally a noble who has connections in the tower of high sorcery where mages go to LEARN magic #and she used her noble blood and connections to force him to get engaged to her #without a choice on his part #and yet he is so in his idea of chivalry that he doesnt think he can speak ill of his fiancee #because that would be disrespecting of his spouse and he is firmly against that #nevermind the fact that he DIDNT WANT TO BE HER SPOUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE #and if he saw someone else in his position he would speak and argue and cajole on their behalf until his throat was raw and red from overus #and yet #he refuses to complain because he is of the impression there is some sort of duty he has to her #point being percivil is in a DEEPLY unhealthy relationship where his consent is never asked before ANYTHING #and even better is that out party wizard actually DOES respect it #once he made it known that magic being used on him without forewarning and oppertunity to give consent was a big no #the party wizard made a point to ASK him and make him aware before hand #point being percy is going on this adventure and when he comes back he should hopefully be able to escape his horrible relationship #because he will realize that his situation is still just as wrong when it happens to him as it is when it happens to others #and wth that realization will be able to seek help or find a way to escape it by himself now that he has realized that he does #infact #need to leave this situation #dnd #my dnd characters

[itsmearia01]

Imagine being Claude's fiancee. Seeing him fall in love with someone else (Diana) and ran away when you know that Diana is pregnant. He marry her, didn't even think about you at all. Just Diana, all Diana. You become an alchemist and a great witch, you have friend, Lucas, who often talk with you with magic device. You don't know who he is, you know just him as 'asshole but cute wizard,' slowly in love with him and sounds that he into you too. It happens trought years. One day, Lucas said he want to meet you, he want you to go to the princess's debudante.

You know about her, athanasia or athy. Of course, how can't you? She's the daughter of your Ex-fiancee and Diana. So you come, with disguise, you change your appearence (welp- it's just colour of your hair and eyes) and you go there. You watching the Princess and Claude dance, and in the middle of it, you can hear telepati from Lucas.

"Come meet me at the garden," he said.

you're so excited, you finally met him, he blushed so much when he saw you (and the fact that he finally have you for his own can be with you, he knew you back when you were still living in the palace as Claude's fiancé. But you never even knew his existence. Basically he's obsessed with you.)

"it's been awhile... It's been a long time, I've always loved you but you never glanced at me, didn't even know that I existed"

you're confuse, "w-wait, what-"

"Y-YOU!" someone shouted from behind you, a very familiar voice… you looked at Lucas scared. you and he know exactly who it is…

You turned around and looked at him, very scared. its him, your ex fiancé.

He pulled you from Lucas' arms and hugged you, you tried to escape from him and looked at Lucas in fear, trying to ask for help. But I was even more afraid when Lucas said… "I'm sorry, this is the only way to have you always near me, forever."

"Please don't leave me again.... i'm so sorry, i'm sorry"

you cried, especially when claude talked about how he missed you and apologized, when claude managed to kiss your lips… your vision went dark, you fainted because of lucas' spell.

it seems like you forgot that even though lucas is cute, he's still a powerful jerk who can cast a spell on you.

this inspired by @cassanderasblog wmmap series tho.

#yandere #who made me a princess #claude de alger obelia #yandere manhwa x reader #claude de alger obelia x reader #claude wmmap #lucas wmmap #yandere x reader

[writing-intheundercroft]

Wreck My Plans - S. Sallow

AO3 Link

Word Count: 8,734

Rating: E (Smut, Oral Sex, Fingering, Pregnancy, NSFW, MDNI)

Summary: You try to share some life-changing news with Sebastian, but it seems he has other plans. Specifically, recruiting you to join one of his missions.

A/N: Auror Seb is back! I've been writing this one in the background for a while. Who was going to warn me that writing action sequences was hard??? Next one for auror Seb is a prologue to the series :)

“You’re sure?” You ask, swallowing thickly as you process the information your fellow healer has just told you.

“Very.” She smiles broadly. “By the looks of it, ten weeks or so.  You never noticed any of the symptoms until now?”

Your hand flies down to pet your stomach, and the tiny bump that now seems obvious.  How could you have not known?  

“I figured I was just hungrier,” you admit. “Tired from the transition to the day shift, adjusting back to the time zone after traveling.”

“Yes, well no more international travel for you.” the healer advises. “Not until the baby is born.  I daresay, you might not be traveling for quite some time, especially with a young babe in hand. How’s that house in Marunweem coming along?”

You’ve been bragging about your fixer upper for months now; Sebastian has really made a dent in the work, adding another bedroom and fixing up a porch on the backside of the house.  During the week, Sebastian is poised and collected, proving time and time again to his superiors just why he deserved the promotion to senior auror.  On the weekends, he has his sleeves rolled up, shirt unbuttoned as he hammers away at the wooden planks.

More often than not, you’re ripping his shirt off for him, or situated below him on your knees.  He works so incredibly hard for the two of you and the life he wants to give you; it's hard to keep your hands to yourself.

You start piecing together the timeline, what you’d been doing all this time; when you remember where you were at, you blush at the thought.  Ten weeks ago, you and Sebastian were in Sicily, enjoying your first real holiday as a couple.  He spared no expense, renting a palazzo from an Italian wizard he’d met through a contact in the department of international magic affairs.  You’d spent three glorious weeks by the sea, eating fresh seafood and exploring every inch of Sebastian’s body at night.  

“Sebastian!” You swatted at him.  

He grinned at you, his fingers plunged inside of you.  It was positively deranged the way he began fucking you with his hand, the seed he’d just spilt inside of you pushed further in.

“What?” he asked nonchalantly. “You did agree to have my baby a few months ago, if I recall correctly…”

Sebastian’s swollen lips descended upon yours, hungrily kissing you.  To your surprise, his thick length started to swell again, clearly aroused by your whimpering and the wet sound of his spend being manipulated, pushed even closer to its goal.

“You’re incorrigible,” You laugh against his lips as he situated himself between your legs again. The room was dimly lit, only deeply burnt candles illuminating the room you’d called home for the past few days.

“What can I say?” Sebastian whispered, teeth grazing your chin. “I’m insatiable for my fiancee.”

You took in a sharp breath when you felt the blunt head of his cock pressed against your heat again. “That’s the third time tonight,” you gasped as he slid into you with ease.  Your body knew who it belonged to–Sebastian was no intrusion. Your head tilted back against the pillows, moaning as Sebastian laved his tongue up and down your sweaty throat. 

“I don’t care,” Sebastian grunted, slowly rolling his hips against you. “Three–fucking–weeks–ungh, all I want to do is have you in bed, naked, for three whole weeks uninterrupted.”

You clutch onto him, teeth sinking into his shoulder as you flutter around him again. 

“Ma’am, are you listening?”

You blink out of your daydream, looking back up at your healer. 

“What did you ask?”

“I asked if you’ve been doing any strenuous activity lately.” The healer asks.

You turn bright red, brushing the back of your neck with your hand. You’ve been bedding Sebastian nearly every night, at least when the two of you aren’t exhausted from work or feeling ill.  Neither of you ever minded to track your courses, considering they’d been tricky after years of an off-kilter schedule at St. Mungo's. 

“I’ll take it easy,” you assure the healer, who doesn’t seem all that convinced. She lets you off with a blood renewing potion and some vitamins, and you leave St. Mungo's in a daze.

Your first instinct is to run straight to the ministry, barreling into Sebastian’s office with the news.  But on second thought, it’s probably news best saved for home–you’d rather not have the most important news of your life shared in front of his colleagues. Instead, you make your way to Diagon Alley to pick up supplies for dinner, stopping by the owl post office to send a note to Poppy.  You haven’t heard from her in a little while, but you know she’ll be over the moon when she reads the news.

All is well in your life, you think.  You’ll have to move the wedding up–Ominis and Anne have been insistent you wait until the next spring, once the frost has thawed and you can have a May wedding.  You’d really rather not host your newborn at your wedding, so late autumn will have to do.  Perhaps you can sneak away to Feldcroft for the weekend with a few friends in tow, take an unbreakable vow in the center of the hamlet–

“I’m home,” You hear a voice call out.

Dropping the ladle, you wipe your hands on your skirts as you rush to greet Sebastian at the fireplace.  Skidding into the living room, your smile falters when you see the gruff expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

Sebastian shakes his head, hanging his coat on the rack next to the fireplace. “Long day,” he mumbles, sliding past you to go straight into the bedroom.  You feel a bit deflated–Sebastian is rarely one to avoid your touch, but tonight is different.  You hear the bathroom door slam, the faucets turning as he fills the bath.  From what you can remember, Sebastian is only ever this grizzly after a bad day at work.  Either bad news on a case, a perpetrator that’s gotten away, or the most dire, losing a colleague. 

You tiptoe up to the bathroom, rapping your knuckles against the wooden door. 

“Come in,” Sebastian sighs.

You slip past the door, kneeling next to the clawfoot tub.  Sebastian is submerged in steaming water, bubbles dissipating in the water.  Work has been particularly stressful–he’s gone a few days without shaving, dark stubble coating his chin.

“What’s wrong?” you ask gently.

Sebastian lolls his head back against the edge of the tub, staring at the ceiling. “We’ve got a real pain of a case on our hands.” he mutters, tilting his head to look at you.  It’s an unspoken question, one that doesn’t need asking–he should know by now that nothing he ever shares about his cases ever leaves the four walls of your home.

“International dragon breeding ring.” He states, the water splashing as he pulls up his knees under the water. “Seems like they were trying to raise some Hebridean Blacks in the highlands.  Clearly didn’t know how to handle their dragons, so the crew was burnt to a crisp by the time we got there.”

“That’s horrible,” you shake your head.

Sebastian wrinkles his nose. “I never, ever want to see bodies like that ever again.” he gags. “The worst part is now that they’re all toast, we’ve lost our only lead to the larger gang.”

“I’m sorry.” you pout, stroking his hair.

Sebastian sighs. “It’s okay.  I’m just quite tired for the day; I had a sausage roll on my way home from the office, I think I’ll just tuck in to bed early tonight.”

He notices you visibly shrink, knitting his thick eyebrows together. “What’s wrong, pet?”

“I made dinner.” you say sheepishly. “Your favorite.”

Sebastian gives you a wry look. “I’m sorry, love.  Rain check?  I really do just want to get in bed.”

Sebastian can’t see the way your hand hovers over your abdomen under the lip of the tub.  And while you’re desperate to share the news, you’d rather do so when he’s in a better mood. The last thing you want is the happy memory of your pregnancy announcement being marred by troubles at work.

“It’s fine, really.” you assure him. “I’ll pack it all up so you can take it to lunch tomorrow, bring a bit for the boys.”

Sebastian snorts, beads of water dripping from his arms as he lifts them out of the water. “I’m sure Everett and Andrew will love that.  Those two rarely ever see a home cooked meal.”  

“I’m not sure what those boys would do without me.” you say sarcastically. “Ominis was right–I have to stop feeding them so often; they’re coming back week by week like stray cats.”

“Oh please, you love babying the two of them.” Sebastian rolls his eyes. 

The word has your smile faltering, and Sebastian tilts his head, giving you a sympathetic look.

“It will happen, you know.” he puts a hand under your chin, tilting it up towards you. “I know it’s upsetting that it’s taken this long, but it’ll all work out in time.”

“Oh, that’s not–”

“Perhaps we should wait until after the wedding,” Sebastian suggests. “I mean, that’s surely the more proper thing to do. Plan it out, do it the right order.”

You turn bright red, swallowing thickly; Sebastian really has no clue. “We’ve never been proper, the two of us.”

Sebastian lets out a low chuckle, eyes darting down to your lips. “No, I don’t think we have.” The pad of his thumb traces over your lips, slipping between them.

“Tell you what,” Sebastian breathes. “I finish washing up, and I meet you in the bedroom for a cuddle.”

“Something tells me we’re not going to be cuddling.” You raise an eyebrow, eyes darting down to Sebastian’s free hand, which has slipped underneath the water and between his legs. 

“No, we’re not.” Sebastian says, voice low and needy.  Your eyes flit down to the surface of the water, rippling with every stroke of his hand. “Get in the bed, now.”

You smile, biting down on your lip as you do what he says. After all, it won’t be long before two becomes three, so you want to relish these nights for as long as you can.

You wake up when Sebastian presses his lips against yours.  He’s never been very good at kissing softly–almost always, your fiance kisses you with enough fervor to wake you. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, nosing your cheek. “I wanted to kiss you before I left.  Got a message that I need to be in the office earlier than usual–all hands on deck.”

You open your eyes, blinking up at him.  He’s fully dressed in his suit, auror badge pinned to his coat pocket.  His work bag is at his feet, last night’s carefully wrapped leftovers next to it.  From the window behind him, you can see the sky is still black, a smattering of stars filling the sky.  It has to be four, maybe five o’clock in the morning.

“Send Everett and Andrew my love,” you yawn. “Tell them to enjoy the short rib.”

Sebastian snorts, mouth descending upon yours once more. “I’m starting to think you like them more than me,” he teases, nipping your lower lip with his teeth. “Have a good shift today.  I’ll see you at home tonight.”

You don’t follow Sebastian to the fireplace, instead electing to fall back into your bed for a few more hours of sleep before your shift at St. Mungo's. You’ll tell him tonight, you think, putting together the plan while you dress for the day.  Perhaps roast chicken and potatoes for dinner, and a cake with the good news on it.  You’re buzzing, eager to execute your plan once you’ve gotten home. So much so, you completely miss the owl sitting in the window, clucking at you while you hum over your cooking.

It’s only when the owl threatens to bite you that you pick up the note, deflating the minute you see the DMLE logo.  

Urgent case.  All hands on deck–we’ve been ordered to stay in the office until further notice; might be traveling internationally too.  I’ll send an owl when I know more. 

xx Sebastian

You shrug off your worries; this isn’t exactly unexpected. Given the high risk of Sebastian’s job, he’s often sequestered to the office or traveling for a case, sometimes days at a time. Perhaps the waiting will make your reveal all the more special.  You can picture Sebastian falling to the ground in front of the fireplace once you tell him after much time away from home.

After two days, you’re worried.  Come five, you’re irritated.  Ten days later, you’re thoroughly mad that this case has wrecked your plans.

It takes nearly all your willpower not to break down the doors of the auror office.  On the bright side, Sebastian knows well enough to reassure you of his good health via owl post. Per usual, he can’t say much, except that there had been a considerable development in their dragon breeding ring case.  He’s been bunking up with Everett and Andrew in the office (the two bachelors also sending thank you cards for the feast you’d cooked) and he’s quite miserable without your company.

Sebastian’s owl post gives you some peace over the miserable days, especially considering the onset of your morning sickness.  It seems that since your brain has accepted the concept of being pregnant, your body has decided to follow suit.  You’re lucky that there are plenty of other mothers working at St. Mungo’s beside you, each of them offering a sympathetic smile or a packet of crackers once you've emerged from the bathroom.

You’re just returning from a trip to the porcelain throne, wiping the corner of your mouth, only to hear your name once you pass the ward matron desk.

“Oi, ministry man is looking for you,” one of your fellow healers says, jerking their thumb back towards the ward matron’s desk. 

You whip your head around to see a sharply dressed man standing at the desk, seemingly annoying your ward matron.  He’s older and gray; there’s something familiar about his face.

It clicks–he’s Sebastian’s superior officer.

The blood drains from your face as you walk towards him, hands clenched in fists. “Can I help you?”

He says your name, bowing his head slightly. “Augustus Green, we’ve met before. You’re Sallow’s fiancee, aren’t you?”

“Is he alright?” you ask, panicking.  You instinctively press a hand to your stomach.

“Oh goodness, I should’ve started with that,” he admits sheepishly. “Sallow is fine, no cause for alarm.  I’m here to summon you for an appearance at the office.”

“Summon? Me?” you gape up at him. 

“All the information is here,” Green says impatiently, handing you a manilla folder. “And a letter for your matron to excuse you from your duties.”

It’s all a blur from there, the ward matron clicking her tongue disapprovingly when you hand over the letter.  With that task out of the way, Officer Green starts herding you to the closest floo flame.  It feels as if he’s got you by the back of your robe, pulling you into the green fire. You grip the manilla folder tighter, swallowing down the vomit in your throat.  Floo travel is safe while pregnant, but certainly not comfortable. 

When your eyes open, you’re standing in an unfamiliar office.  You know where you are though–the ministry, the DMLE office specifically.  The furnishings match Sebastian’s office, except this one is clearly larger.  There’s a woman organizing files in the corner, quickly standing to greet Officer Green on his return.

“Marlene, put a kettle on, why don’t you?” Green huffs, walking over to his chair. “And summon the task force team.  Meeting in my office.”

You cross your arms over your chest–it’s Marlene of all people, one of Sebastian’s former flings.  She gives you a phony smile, eyes flitting down to the diamond ring on your left hand.

Well, you suppose the crestfallen look on her face makes the trip to the ministry worthwhile. 

As Marlene passes through the doorway, a group of aurors makes their way inside.  A few unfamiliar faces, but then three of your favorites–Andrew Larson, Everett Clopton, and Sebastian.  Sebastian is giving you a proud grin, chest puffed out.  You haven’t seen him in nearly two weeks, and his once sparse beard is now growing thick.  It takes all of your self control to not throw yourself into his arms, relieved to see that your fiance is still well after being away for so long.

The aurors line up against the wall, awaiting instructions.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why we’ve asked you here,” Green states, folding his hands on his desk. “We’re assembling a task force team to work on a sensitive case. We normally wouldn’t operate on foreign soil, but considering the abductee is a British citizen–”

“Pardon, abductee?” You interrupt. 

“Yes, details will be in your briefing.” Officer Green states, pointing down to the folder in your hands. “Our officers have spent the last few months tracking the smaller units of an international dragon breeding ring.  They’ve gotten sloppy since we’ve started apprehending their top breeders, and have since retreated to their home base in Norway. A British citizen has been abducted by the ring leaders of the operation, likely due to her expansive knowledge on Norwegian Ridgebacks.  Miss Sweeting is a well known magizoologist–”

Your throat goes dry, and for the first time in days, your stomach is churning from anxiety, not from morning sickness.

“Miss Sweeting was abducted from her home–sign of forced entry, her wand and personal effects were found littered throughout the property.  Our auror department has uncovered evidence that leads us to believe the criminals are keeping her on hand with the dragons to provide guidance in their breeding efforts.”

Officer Green carries on. “The task force comprises several of our best aurors, some of which were classmates of Miss Sweeting and have a personal interest in her safety. You were recommended to join the task force by Officer Sallow,” Green continues. “Considering your relationship to Miss Sweeting, and experience with dragons in the past.”

You blink at the senior officer, mouth agape. “But I’m only a healer, sir.”

“A healer will be extraordinarily important for a mission like this,” Green points out. “With the imminent danger–”

“You saved half the department once,” Andrew Larson blurts. “Rather have you on our team if we’re facing dragons and dark wizards in one go.”

The room dissolves into nervous giggles as Green swats at Andrew.  Sebastian, however, is completely unphased, smiling at you as if he’s signed you up for a field trip, not a mission across international lines to save one of your best friends.  If Poppy wasn’t the one in danger, you probably would’ve wrung his neck by now.

“As I was saying before Mr. Larson so rudely interrupted,” Green rolled his eyes. “We need a healer on the task force. We will pay you for any days missed at your regular shift, and a bonus upon return.  That, and all accommodations in Norway–”

“I’m sorry, Norway?” you ask, dumbfounded.

“Yes, where we believe the perpetrators are keeping Miss Sweeting to assist in the breeding of their dragons.” Green interjects, tapping the briefing folder again. “We have a portkey scheduled to depart in an hour. Please review your folder beforehand.”

You hardly listen to the rest of the briefing.  The rational side of your brain is screaming at you to tell the truth–you’re pregnant, the healers just said to limit international travel, and you hardly think you should be jumping into battle with a dragon breeding ring in your condition.  Is portkey travel even safe during pregnancy?  

Your thoughts scream at you as Green dismisses the room; before your brain even registers movement, your feet are scuffling towards Sebastian’s office. He’s standing at his desk, two large duffle bags side by side. You shut the door with trembling hands.

“I took the liberty of purchasing some things you’ll need,” he says cheerfully, digging through the bag. You hold out your arms as he pushes a pair of trousers and a shirt into them. “Some wool stockings and your base layers, it’ll be cold, that’s for sure…” he trails off.

“Sebastian,” you swallow thickly. “Sebastian, I–”

“I’m sorry if this is coming across as a surprise.” Sebastian shucks off his jacket, unbuttoning his shirt. “That, and for being gone for so long.  It was all hands on deck with the case; I’ve been bunking up in here with Larson and Clopton.  You have no idea how badly I want to be home.” he groans, slipping a new undershirt on.

Your brain is frazzled. You want to be angry at him, to be worried, but your heart is thumping in your chest.  It’s been too long since you’ve seen him, and you’ve been worried sick.  Your body’s first instinct is to wrap your arms around him and inhale his familiar scent.

Sebastian laughs when you do so, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “I know, Pet. As soon as this is done and dusted and we’ve got Poppy home, things can go back to normal.” he murmurs against your hair.

You nuzzle your face deeper into his chest, inhaling his cedar cologne. “Are you sure this is safe?  I'm not in dueling shape.” you admit sheepishly.  In your youth, you would’ve charged into combat headfirst without warning–years of working in St. Mungo's has you untrained.

Sebastian laughs, his beard tickling your face. “Safe? You’re the best duelist I know–besides myself, of course. You’ll be fine.  Besides, we mostly need you for healing purposes.  That magic of yours works a trick on burns.  Remember–”

“In the Undercroft, when you accidentally blew up a barrel of mead.” you snort at the memory.  It hadn’t been funny then, watching Sebastian writhe on the floor from the burns.  You’d fallen at his side, instinctively using your ancient magic to siphon the pain. He was healed in a matter of seconds, and it set you on the trajectory to become a healer.

“Precisely.” Sebastian licks his lips. “That, and to be with Poppy. I’m sorry, I wish I could have told you sooner, but we weren’t allowed to say.” He pulls a wand from his desk–Poppy’s wand, white ash wood with a swirling handle–and presses it into your hands. “You should hold on to it, for safekeeping.  You can give it to her once we rescue her.”

You look up at his chocolate brown eyes, lids dotted with freckles.  You want to tell him–you need to tell him–

“What’s wrong?” Sebastian pouts. “You’ve always said you wanted to come to work with me.”

You open your mouth, trying to find the words, but you can’t.  You’ll be fine, you think.  What’s one more trip?  Besides, you’ll do anything to ensure Poppy is safe.

“I don’t like your beard.” you blurt.

Sebastian roars with laughter, rubbing his jawline. “I knew you’d hate it; Clopton and Larson were egging me on to grow it out.  I don't have a razor here; I promise I’ll shave it when I get home.  Now, come on, let’s get you dressed all warm and snug. We've got a portkey to catch.”

“I’m sorry–I thought I had your size memorized.” Sebastian mutters, helping you unlace your corset.

You wince, a low hiss coming out from your lips as you let the offending garment fall to the ground.  Assessing your torso in the blurred mirror, you can see lines from the whalebone pins left in your skin.  Your hand instinctively rubs over your stomach silently apologizing to the babe inside of you for being squished all afternoon.  

“The portkey couldn’t just drop us off here, at the inn?” You complain, slipping one of Sebastian’s clean shirts over your head.  

“We couldn’t draw attention to ourselves, you know that,” Sebastian tuts. “Besides, I thought you enjoyed hiking?”

“I enjoy hiking when it's planned.” you groan, falling back against the bed. “Almost thought I’d ask Andrew to cart me up the mountain.”

Sebastian starts unlacing your boots, letting the heavy shoes fall to the floor.  Your woolen stockings are peeled off next, laid out next to the fireplace to stay warm.  He carefully unlaces and works your trousers off your legs, draping them over a stool.  

“I am sorry.” Sebastian says, climbing into bed next to you.  Your muscles are sore, legs like jelly after the long trek.  Knowing this, he pulls your legs into his lap, working his thumbs into your calves to massage them. “I thought it might be fun.”

You snort. “Fun? Sebastian, we’re on a mission to find Poppy, who's been taken hostage by dragon dealers. That hardly sounds like fun.” Your head falls back against the pillows, which have definitely seen better days.

“I know, but they were looking for a healer to join the force, and I knew you were the right person.” Sebastian reminds you, nimble fingers moving down to massage your sore feet. “Besides, it’s kind of fun to work together, isn’t it?  Reminds me of the good old days.”

“Ah, yes, the good old days.” you parrot back to him. “Us, running like vigilantes around the highlands. Stealing bounty from old chests, blasting away at acromantulas.”

“What can I say?  We were spirited teenagers.” Sebastian chuckles.  His fingers slow, making deliberate circles in the arch of your foot. “I wanted us to have one more good adventure before we settled down, got married.”

You prop yourself up on your elbows, raising an eyebrow at him. “We won’t have adventures after we’re married?  Thanks for the vote of confidence.” you jest.

“You know what I mean,” Sebastian shrugs. “After we’re married and we’ve got kids in the house, we’ll be boring old parents.” he wrinkles his nose. “Might as well bank up a few good stories for the children while we still can.”

Your smile falters. “Do you really think we’ll be that boring?”

“We’ll have to be, won’t we?” Sebastian sighs. “I’ll probably take some time off after the baby is born, of course.  And when I’m back to work, I’ll ask to be reassigned to low risk cases.  So, in the meantime, I’ll enjoy all the tough stuff while I still can.”

You should tell him.  You really do need to tell him.

You don’t.

He sounds so glum, trading in a life of adventure and danger for nappies and lullabies.  Perhaps his interest in fatherhood was just spurred by the renewal of your relationship. It makes sense that he’d start thinking more clearly now that it’s been nearly a year together.  Merlin, maybe he’s already bored of the little life you’ve created together–the house on a hill, far from the bustling city.  The logical side of your brain reminds you that Sebastian loves you, dotes on you, hand and foot (quite literally, the man is still massaging your feet).  Yet the irrational side of your brain, likely flooded with pent-up hormonal energy, reminds you that he hasn’t been home in days . 

“You still love me, right?”  Gods, the words sound pathetic coming out of your mouth.

“Of course I do.” Sebastian’s eyes widen. “How could you think otherwise?”

“It’s nothing.” you say quickly, waving him off. “Just a stupid intrusive thought.”

Sebastian clicks his tongue, pushing your legs from his lap.  You stay, perched on your elbows, watching him move in between your legs. With a mischievous smile, Sebastian picks up your foot, pressing a kiss to your ankle.

“Then it seems I’ll have to work extra hard to put those thoughts to bed,” Sebastian whispers lowly.  His tongue laves circles up your calf, eyes trained on you while his mouth moves up, up, up your thigh.

“You colleagues are in the other room.” You croak.

“We have magic, don’t we?” Sebastian teases. “ Silencio should do the trick, unless I’ve made you forget basic spellcasting.”

“Shut up,” you mumble, trying to hide the laugh bubbling in your throat.

It’s against your better judgment, but you reach over to the side table to grab your wand.  Flicking it at the door, you mutter the silencing charm under your breath.  The room suddenly feels like a bubble, no noise from the outside world permitted in, and vice versa.

“We can’t go crazy,” you whimper as Sebastian takes a deliberate lick, pressing a kiss to your center. A moan slips from your mouth, head crashing against the flat pillows. “We have to wake up– oh, yes, right there –ugh, Sebastian, we have to wake up early.”

Sebastian grins, teeth grazing your skin lightly as he presses a languid kiss to the crease of your thigh. “I won’t keep you awake too long.” he promises, before diving back between your legs.

Sebastian knows you–almost a little too well, you think.  Somehow he knows the sex you need is tender and soft, his hips rocking into yours while he whispers how much he missed you, how he longs to come home to your bed.  His hand ghosts over your abdomen, but you quickly pull it up to your lips, pressing soft kisses to his worn knuckles. When he comes, face buried in your neck, he can't stop telling you how much he loves you. It isn't long before Sebastian drifts to sleep, lightly snoring against your skin with his arms wrapped around you. His beard tickles your shoulders, but you’ve missed him too much to push him away.

You flick your wrist at the candles, quickly extinguishing the fire.  With only pale moonlight streaming in through threadbare curtains, you pull the blankets up to your neck, focusing on Sebastian’s steady breathing.

Steady. Unwavering (except the time that you broke up…well, he’s more than made up for that by now). Dependable, devoted. Sebastian is going to make the most amazing father. You shut your drooping eyelids, reassuring yourself that Sebastian will be excited when you finally get to share your news.

“I'm freezing.” you spit out, shivering from the cold air.

“We’ve been waiting for hours,” Everett complains, recasting an anti-fogging spell on his glasses. “Larson should’ve made contact by now.”

“We have to stick to the plan,” Sebastian bites back. “Larson was to make contact with the dealers, send a signal leading to his location.  If he didn’t by sundown, we’d abandon the post and go back to the inn.”

While Sebastian had kept you busy the night prior, Andrew had gone undercover.  Your sweet Ravenclaw friend is unassuming, and quite the actor it seems–he reported at breakfast to say the breeders had given him coordinates to a meeting point, where he’d be given the opportunity to purchase a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon egg. Poking at his poached egg, Andrew assured the group that he’d send a patronus signal for back up once he’d identified the location of the operation.

Waiting for Andrew’s signal is excruciating, the better half of the day spent sitting around a now nearly burnt out campfire. You were pacing back and forth in the snow, drumming your fingers against your throat.  While you’re sure Andrew can hold his own (he has for years now, Sebastian tells you–a surprisingly astute duellist, much improved from his days in Crossed Wands) you hate the idea of your cheerful blond friend being alone.

Sebastian stands up, brushing snow from his pants. “It’ll be dark soon,” he muses. “We should start heading down to the inn soon.”

Your eyes widen. “And leave Andrew?”

“Andrew is an auror, Pet.” Sebastian reminds you. “One of our best.  He’ll be just fine getting down the mountain on his own.”

“If he needed back up, he would’ve called by now.” Everett tries to assure you, wiping his fogged up glasses again. “Gosh, I hope we’re only here another day or so–I fear my chomping cabbages are dead by now, I’ve been away from home for too long.”

“We can’t possibly leave him,” you gasp, stomping your foot in the snow. “I won’t allow it.”

Sebastian opens his mouth to argue with you, but clamps it shut when the sky darkens.  

“Take cover!” he roars, grabbing you and tackling you to the snow.  You gasp, curling into him as he rolls you behind a collection of boulders. In seconds, Everett has joined you.  His mouth is hanging open, staring up at the massive dark spot soaring above you.

“Sweet mother of Merlin,” Everett gasps. “Is that–”

“A Norwegian Ridgeback,” Sebastian grunts, tucking you in tighter to his chest. “A young one, based on the size, but still dangerous.”

Peeking over Sebastian’s shoulder, you can see a young dragon soaring overhead.  You can see the cracked collar, chains hanging from its neck. The poor beast is clawing at the collar, a high pitched squeal coming from its mouth as it flaps its wings. When its jaw opens, you can see the flames curling up from the back of its throat.  Sebastian backs into you, an arm curling around your waist to keep you shielded from the heat. 

“Protego!” you hear a familiar voice scream. 

“You’re fucking kidding me,” Sebastian spits out.  He peeks around the boulder, eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets as his jaw falls open.  You stand to sneak a peek, equally shocked at the sight before you.

Andrew is running, bloodied with gashes in his clothes.  His blond hair is matted down and you’re not sure if it’s from blood or melted snow.  Wand extended, Andrew casts a shield charm to protect himself from the fire and waves of green curses.  His arm is looped through a short brunette’s, her wrists bound in goblin-forged silver cuffs. It’s Poppy, who is yelling at Andrew to avoid hurting the young dragon. Several breeders are chasing after them, firing curse after curse on Andrew’s heels. 

“A little help here!” Andrew roars, waving his arm the second he spots his colleagues.

The aurors break into action with little hesitation. Sebastian and Everett waste no time sprinting towards their partner. It feels like you’ve barely had a second to blink before the flashes of red and green start clashing around you.  Sebastian jumps to avoid a well-aimed shot, rolling to the ground before firing a countercurse at his attacker. His hair is covered in powdery snow, cheeks red from the cold as he fires off a defensive spell set.  You watch him, mouth agape, barely registering his voice calling out your name. 

“Get Poppy out of here!” Sebastian hollers. “Both of you, before the dragon circles back!”

Right, you think, shaking out of your stupor.  You run, feet slowed by the snow, towards your friend.  She grabs your hands as soon as you reach her, staring at you in a panic.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Poppy shrieks.

Over her shoulder, you can see one of the breeders teeing up a spell.  With ease, you raise a boulder from behind him to knock him down the hill.  In doing so, you’ve drawn attention to yourself, the other breeders realizing that you’re a bigger threat than anticipated.

“Here for you,” you assure her. “Come on, let’s go.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” Poppy panics. “I got your letter, the morning they broke into my flat–”

“That’s the least important thing right now,” you screech, firing off a countercurse; the rebound is so strong, both of you are nearly knocked off your feet.

“But the baby!” Poppy shouts. “This isn’t safe!”

“Now is hardly the time to be scolding me,” you argue, panting as you channel your ancient magic to disintegrate one of your attackers. “The baby will be fine, I’m more worried about you!”

“What the bloody hell are you two talking about?”

Now you’ve really let the cat out of the bag, you think between spell combinations. You pause in place, braid whipping through the wind, to see Sebastian staring at you across the way.  His eyes are as wide as saucers, blinking rapidly as his mouth opens and shuts.

“Congratulations, guys!” Everett yells sarcastically, glasses now fully fogged from the fighting. “Think we can discuss this another time?”

“You’re pregnant?” Sebastian shrieks.

“I’ve been trying to tell you,” you pant, dodging a curse, “but you’ve been gone, I only just found out the day before you left–”

“We have to get you out of here!” Sebastian panics, running towards you from across the field. “You’re pregnant!  This is unsafe!”

“We don’t have time for this conversation!” You roar, casting confringo on the poachers drawing near.

“Careful with the heat, it’ll be bad for the baby!” Sebastian chides, but you roll your eyes.

“You got me into this mess, Sallow!  Both messes, I might add.” You say through gritted teeth.  It’s true–he’s the one who got you pregnant in the first place, and then volunteered you to join a covert mission. Honestly, you might find his rapid shift in attitude hilarious if you weren’t being rained down upon by flames and curses.

“We had sex, is that bad for the baby?” Sebastian asks. “For him? Or her?  Oh Merlin, what if it’s a girl–”

“I’m sorry,” Everett raises a brow, sidestepping a diffindo that had been thrown his way. “The two of you were shagging last night when we were supposed to be preparing for a mission?”

“You two are disgusting!” Andrew spits, casting stupefy on his assailant. 

“Can someone please figure out a way to get me out of these cuffs?” Poppy roars, shaking her still shackled wrists. “And does anyone have my wand by any chance?”

You curse under your breath, wiggling Poppy’s wand out of your too-tight breeches. She grasps her wand with both hands, wincing as you channel your ancient magic into snapping the metal.  Her wrists are rubbed raw from spending weeks in chains, but she shakes them out as she reacquaints herself with her wand.

The sky goes dark again; the dragon circles in the air, flapping wings causing the entire battle to cease while everyone braces in the snow.  

“You need to get out of here,” Sebastian hisses. “I’m begging you–”

“And leave you here, with this lot and the dragon? Absolutely not.” you snap. “The father of my child needs to see another day.”

“Hello!” Everett screams. “There’s still a fight going on here, if the two of you haven’t– ouch !”

Both of you turn your heads to see Everett laying in the snow, groaning.  One of the breeders is stomping towards him, twirling his wand in hand.  Nostrils flared, you push Sebastian aside and aim your wand.  With barely even a flick, the man is thrown back against the snow, a disconcerting crack ringing through the air.

Not your boys , you think.  You plan to see all of these aurors back to London, alive and without injury.

“Poppy,” you yell, firing basic casts at the approaching breeders. “Can you secure the dragon?”

“Working on it!” Poppy’s voice is muffled, her wand between her teeth.  You can see her, your little firecracker of a friend, trying to scale the rocks to get closer to the dragon.  As the country’s leading expert on dragons, you hope she’ll have the dragon under control before long. She’s babbling towards the beast, cooing reassuring words as it snorts steam.

“Bertie, calm down.” You hear Poppy cluck at the dragon, her hands held high. “It’ll be alright–”

Andrew, who has foregone his wand, punches one of the breeders squarely in the nose. Shaking his hand out, he turns back to Poppy. “Bertie? Bertie, who you were droning on about while I was trying to rescue you, is the damn dragon?” he yells. “The one who was trying to kill us just a bit earlier?”

“I was alone!” Poppy shrieks back. “You try being alone with just dragons for two weeks, you would start naming them too!  And he was not trying to kill us, he’s just afraid–”

“Shut up!” Sebastian hollers. “Can you two behave?”

Sebastian is shouting at both Andrew and Poppy, and doesn’t see the breeder approaching from his left.  His arm is raised, a knowing smirk on his phase as he brandishes his wand at your fiance. Sebastian is too preoccupied with scolding his subordinate to notice the flickering red tip of the breeder’s wand, teeing up what you can only imagine is the cruciatus curse.

You don’t have time to shriek.  Instead, you feel your anger bubbling up through your fingertips, the telltale signs of your ancient magic starting to spill from your hands.  You’re running, wand arm raised, about to attack when you feel the wind knocked out of your lungs.  Your body betrays you, losing balance as you crumple to the snow with no control.  There’s a sharp ache in your head, ears ringing as you try to make sense of what’s going on. As if life is stuck in slow motion, you see a sizable boulder plop into the snow next to you.

A fucking rock.  You’ll be damned if you let a rock take you out.

Trying to stand, your knees buckle beneath you.  The sharp ache in your head starts pounding, and you can’t stop blinking your bleary eyes. Fingers grazing your temple, you’re shocked at the slippery sensation on your fingertips.  Droplets of bright red dot the pristine white snow, and despite your fuzzy vision, you can tell that it's your own blood on your hands.  

“Oh, shit.” you slur.

It feels like you’re underwater (a sensation you know well from the Keeper’s trials during your fifth year).  Things are slower, soupier almost.  You can see Sebastian’s head turn when another auror shouts at him, and he narrowly misses a flurry of red bolts aimed at him from one of the attackers.  Skidding in the snow, Sebastian fires a counter curse that knocks the breeder off the edge of the cliff.

Someone is shouting your name, and Sebastian turns his head.  You think you’ll remember the look of horror on his face forever, a twisted grimace as he dashes towards you.  You want to sit up, but your body says otherwise–your head is pounding, and perhaps it’ll feel better if you sleep.  Sebastian is patting your cheeks with cold hands, repeating your name like a prayer as you hear the commotion ensue behind the two of you.

“Stay with me,” Sebastian pleads. “I’m sorry–”

You don’t hear anything after that. 

When you open your eyes, you’re in St. Mungo’s.  Specifically, the intensive care unit, your own ward.

“What the hell?” you mumble, leaning up on your elbows.

“Oh thank Merlin, you’re awake.” Sebastian sighs with relief.  You turn to look at the brunette next to you–his head is in his hands, dark waves unkempt and tangled from sleep. His beard is the longest you’ve ever seen it, shaggy and uncombed. After taking in a deep breath, he launches himself to your bed, fingers pressed against your pulse.  Once he’s determined that you are in fact well, he presses a firm kiss to your forehead.

“Is the–”

“The baby is alright,” Sebastian smiles. “Healers have been checking on you two probably twice an hour for the last two days.”

“Two days?” you gape. “I’ve been out for two days?”

“It was a nasty hit.” Sebastian shudders. “I was so worried about you, I haven’t been able to sleep,” he admits.  The chair next to you has become his little nest; bundles of blankets are tossed on the floor, a hospital grade pillow squished into the back of the chair.

“What happened?” you wince as you sit up. Sebastian immediately places more pillows behind your back, handing you a cup of water from the night stand. “Is everyone alright?”

“Everyone is alright,” Sebastian assures you. “Everett broke his arm, but that was quick to mend.  Andrew looked like a champion prizefighter, that’s for sure.  I think he likes the black eye, he thinks it makes him a bit more popular amongst the ladies at the pub.”

“And Poppy?” You ask between gulps. Merlin, you really must have been out for two days–you’re positively parched.  Before you can set the cup down, Sebastian casts aguamenti and you’re happily sipping once more.

“Safe and healthy.” Sebastian promises. “Let’s just say Bertie the dragon really bonded with Poppy while they were imprisoned together.  He made quick work of the breeders.”

You blink at your fiance, brows furrowed as you try to make sense of his comment.  When he bares his teeth and clicks his jaw open and shut, you cover your mouth with your hands.

“He ate them?” you gape. 

“Well, it was us or the breeders.” Sebastian scoffs. “Better them than me.”

“I suppose that’s why the dragon was chasing after Andrew,” you muse. “He thought Andrew was trying to kidnap Poppy, not save her.”

“Spot on.” Sebastian laughs. “Speaking of, there are some people who’d like to see you.”

The door opens, and your friends spill through the door as if they’ve been waiting right outside the entire time.  The normally stoic Anne runs to you, clutching your forearm. Ominis stands over her, pressing a long kiss to the top of your head.  

“I can’t believe the two of you.” Ominis shakes his head. “Battling a dragon in the first trimester.”

Sebastian furrows his brow. “Hey–I wouldn’t have asked if I’d known.”

“And I would’ve gone regardless.” You declare, pulling Sebastian’s hand into your own.

Andrew, Everett, and Poppy file into the room after your sister and brother-in-law. Everett has his arm in a sling, while Andrew still looks like hell.  Poppy has a few bandages on her hands, but she easily slides down at your side next to Anne.  The brunette girl gives you a teary eyed smile, mouthing her thanks.

“First mission and you get taken out by a damn boulder.” Andrew laughs.  His knuckles are bruised and cut, black eye starting to go green around the edges. “I thought you’d be an asset to the team, but you ended up a liability.”

“Oh shush,” you wave him off, pressing your hand to the soft edge of your belly. “You needed me.”

“That we did,” Everett says softly, squeezing your hand. “Thank you.  I would’ve been clobbered off the cliff if it weren’t for you.”

“I can’t believe you volunteered to come along pregnant.” Andrew blurts. “Are you insane?”

“It was for Poppy.” You admit, winking at your favorite magizoologist. “I’d do anything for her.”

“Well, I must demand that you start relaxing.” Poppy declares. “You shouldn’t lift a finger for the rest of your pregnancy.  If Sallow volunteers you for any missions, Bertie will take his head–you have my word.”

“Rest assured she won’t be doing anything but relaxing from now on.” Sebastian says firmly, crossing his arms. “I’ve already had a discussion with the ward matron about your leave of absence–”

You hold your hand up. “Sebastian, I’m not going to stop working. You know that.”

“You’re going to take a few weeks off to rest,” Sebastian continues. “Trust me, the matron told me they’ve had enough of your puking.”

You lick your lips, eyes roving the room as you take in the scene.  It’s all of your favorite people in one room, the people your child will know best.  You imagine your child growing up with them–visits from Aunt Poppy and her wild beasts, dinners with Andrew and Everett. You swallow thickly imagining Anne and Ominis doting over your newborn, and tears begin to prick at the corners of your eyes.

“Are you tired?” Sebastian’s voice brings you back down to ear, his gentle murmur in your ear.

You nod, squeezing his hand.

“We’ll all be off, then.” Ominis announces. “Anne and I will get started on planning your elopement.”

You wipe at your eyes, which are now properly tearing up. “You don’t need to plan our wedding.” You let out a watery laugh.

“You’ll have the best wedding.” Anne assures you. “Certainly better than ours; I still remember Sebastian’s dates fighting on the dance floor–”

“I think that’s a story for another time,” Sebastian interjects hastily. “My wife is tired, she should get some rest.”

The motley crew files out of your hospital room, each promising to follow up with you in the days to come.  Ominis has to practically tear Anne away from you, your sister-in-law spouting questions about wedding cakes while her husband pushes her out the door.  He winks an unseeing eye at the two of you, his best friends, before the door clicks shut.

Immediately, Sebastian is climbing into your bed, wrapping his arms around your waist. 

“We’re having a baby.” Sebastian says softly, his large palm flattening over your belly. “You’re having our baby.”

“We’re having a baby.” You echo, turning to him in the bed.  The hospital beds at St. Mungo’s aren’t big by any means, and Sebastian will have a backache if he sleeps with you–but it doesn’t look like he’s planning on going anywhere.

Sebastian’s eyes are trained on you, hungrily taking in every detail of your face. “I can’t wait,” he garbles out, eyes watery. “You’re giving me a family.  Gods, I’ll never be able to make it up to you.”

“Make what up to me?” You ask gently, pressing a palm to his cheek.  Tears start streaming down his face, sniffling his freckled nose.

“For everything . Dragging you into a mission with a fucking dragon,” Sebastian laughs. “For tackling you on the mountain. Being gone for nearly two weeks, not giving you the opportunity to tell me.  For wasting so much time–for not making you my wife earlier. Merlin, if I hadn’t been such a bonehead five, six years ago, things could’ve been so different–”

You press a fingertip to his lips. “I won’t have them any other way,” you whisper. “I’m so happy. You’re happy, aren’t you? You’re not upset?”

Sebastian laughs harder, shaking his head. “I couldn’t be happier. I’m going to be a father.” he says gleefully. “How could I possibly be upset?”

You chew on your lower lip. “The night I meant to tell you, you said something about us waiting until after the wedding. And at the inn, you seemed so worried that we’d be boring once we had a baby. Rather thought I was ruining your plans for us.”

Sebastian shakes his head. “I can't believe I ruined the surprise.  Darling, I was being an absolute cad that night; I can't believe I didn't see it coming.  You'd made my favorite dinner, and I turned it down for a sausage roll.” he says dramatically, shaking his head. “And I’m sorry about what I said at the inn. Pet, you and I could never be boring. Not while we’re together.”

“And you’ll be okay getting married earlier?” you ask nonchalantly, drawing circles on his chest. “Even if it wrecks our plans for a spring wedding?”

“I’ll marry you tomorrow if you let me.” Sebastian murmurs. “Fuck the plans. The only thing that matters to me is our family.”

You pull Sebastian into a hug, face nuzzling into his beard. He’s whispering into your ear–promising to shave his beard, to finish the flooring in the second bedroom as soon as he’s back home. He’ll take a few weeks off now that this case is over, and perhaps he’ll apply for low-risk cases now that he’s a father. He talks about your wedding, about how you can still get married in the center of Feldcroft if he can conjure enough tents.

Your eyelids are drooping, head resting against his chest when you think back to the topic of weddings. 

“Earlier when Anne was talking about her and Ominis’s wedding–you had two dates?” you ask sleepily. “What was that about?”

Sebastian lets out a roar of a laugh, pressing his lips against your hair. “A story for another time.  It’ll make you laugh, I promise.” he assures you. “I’ll tell you when you wake up.”

You nod, shutting your eyes.  Tucked into Sebastian’s arms, you fall asleep against his chest.

#sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x you #sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow x mc #writing-intheundercroft #auror sebastian sallow #dad sebastian sallow #domestic sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow smut #ngl I love andrew larson in this series #ominis and anne would plan great parties #poppy is a bamf per usual

[chocodile]

I can see younger Hyden like first implanted the crystal age being really mad with current Hyden. I don't know I'm probably wrong but I can just see younger Hyden seeing what he becomes what he's lost (from crystal being cracked now to the only relationship that made him feel normal) and just being angry and upset because I gave you this?! I gave you the crystal implanted perfectly I gave us our strength and you! You went and ruined it! Squandered it! We could've had it all, we could've, had something else for ourselves. And look where we are... Just very "was it worth it?" energy

What an interesting question! His feelings about his future self would be complicated. Like, on one hand, he did succeed--beyond his wildest dreams, in fact! He wanted more than anything to be a powerful wizard and he became the most powerful wizard.

Also, as mentioned before, he was kind of a sickly child. He was well aware that nobody was particularly optimistic about his survival, especially not his own parents. So finding out that he would not only live to adulthood but would become this accomplished, famous, well-traveled person--he'd be downright giddy. From his 20s to his mid 30s his life would be pretty much everything he could have ever wanted--at least from the perspective of his 16 year old self.

But… I think he'd be perplexed and disappointed at where things went after that. He wouldn't understand why he didn't just quit while he was ahead. Why he didn't stop when things were good. Why he, in his mid 30s, couldn't just quietly settle down and enjoy a successful life with his fiancee and his already considerable wealth and fame.

At 16 he would not yet be aware of his own self-sabotaging tendencies, nor his compulsion to constantly push things "a little further" over and over until they break.

#ask #doodle #verse: amaranthine #my ocs #hyden #young hyden #baby hyden #(tags for him in his 30s and him in his childhood/teens respectively)

[myjealouseyes]

Harry x Wolfstar!Daughter and Harry being really protective! Like, some freak thing where Voldemort does come back, and the battle of Hogwarts and everything in DHP1 still exists and everything, Harry would be so protective of her! Absolutely nothing is going to touch his girlfriend! Maybe Voldemort even threatens reader when Harry is “dead”, and that’s when he reveals that he isn’t dead because there is no way this bald-ass no-nosed freaky pennywise-cousin’s lookin ass just threatened his girlfriend (or maybe fiancee at that point?)

YES!

The second wolfstar!daughter sees hagrid carrying harry her first instinct is to get mad as hell!! She starts cursing and swearing at voldermort. (Remus and Sirius are holding her back on instinct.) she does not give a single damn that he’s the dark lord. (And I just KNOW Harry is trying his best not to give himself away out of pure shock. He knows how protective she gets but he didn’t think that counted with the most powerful dark wizard in the world 💀💀)

But then voldermort tells her that she’ll be next (she’s too angry about Harry to care. Like she hasn’t even thought to check his pulse! she’s just mad that he’s bloody and looks unconscious.) but Harry does care!! Very much so!!! That’s when he decides to drop his act.

And I think that when Harry has to go horcrux hunting that’s when they have their first big/serious argument. Because Harry is just outright refusing to let her go but wolfstar!daughter was NOT having it! She’s not going to let him go on a dangerous mission without her. EVER. (She would think that he knows that by now but apparently not.)

They argue back and forth because Harry doesn’t want her to risk her life and she doesn’t want to stand by and watch him risk his. (She does end up winning the argument and she does help him out a lot.)

And yes, they do get engaged shortly after voldermort is defeated they’ve pretty much known from the beginning that they wanted to get married young like their parents did.

#this is like both of them being protective. #but I think Harry’s protectiveness would be amped up times a thousand! #it’s at the point that if someone even gives her a threatening look he’s pulling his wand out. he’s not taking any chances! #knock knock knocking on my askbox #trip to anononia #wolfstar!daughter!reader #wolfstar!daughter #harry james potter x reader #harry potter x reader #harry potter x wolfstar!daughter #harry james potter x y/n #harry james potter x wolfstar!daughter

[elasticitymudflap]

I haven't watched adventure time in so long, I never even finished it tbh BUT I do remember that Fiona and cake was, like, fanfic made by the ice king? How are they now canon characters? Or is it still a story he's writing? I'm just curious about the plot of this sequel/spin off and I figured I'd ask the resident Simon Expert™

OK SO fionna and cake are part of an extended fanfiction universe ice king was writing, usually kidnapping and forcing people to listen to him read it

as of the hbo mini series simon petrikov (the original human guy in the 20th century who put on the ice crown and got all wicked nasty bonkers over the course of 1000 years) has been freed from the curse (by his hot, briefly also wizard-cursed fiancee, betty grof, who he technically teleported to the future where she vowed to save him from the curse when he temporarily turned back into a human, and she did just that by harnessing the power of the crown and merging with the being of all chaos, golb) for around 12 years. fionna and cake are something he wants absolutely no association with, and nobody is listening to him.

humans have returned to ooo and live in big floating city in the sky, where simon seems to be living out the prolonged existential crisis of losing betty, being completely out of touch with contemporary humans to the point that he's LITERALLY a living exhibit, and the complicated trauma of his time as the ice king; he's physically sickened by the mere presence of ice in his drink and the fionna and cake manuscripts he wrote, but also admits to secretly regressing to ice king as a method of coping, finding comfort in the lack of awareness he had in that state. he's overwhelmed with the feeling that there's nothing left in this world for him but a slow march towards a lonely death. worse yet, he's become completely unable to express to anyone close to him the gravity of this growing darkness, even marceline for fear of putting her back in a situation where she was constantly concerned for his mental wellbeing.

now simon's getting desperate, potentially world-breaking desperate, and is using basically fucked up forbidden magic to try to connect with gol-betty again, possibly even summon her (which would probably destroy the world and fucking hell i do not blame him) - but while completing the ritual he was distracted by mention of fionna and cake, and now there are portals appearing in an alternate universe where fionna and cake are real, but non-magic, and coming out the back of simon's head

TECHNICALLY we still don't know how/or why the alternate fionnna and cake universe came to be, if it's a product of simon's psyche or one of those 'infinite universe, infinite possibilities' type of things, but buddy i am SO fucking here for it i am BACK babeyyyyyyyyy

#fionna and cake spoilers

[kuroneko1815]

Imperial Domesticity: Expectant Father

A story about Callisto during Penelope’s first pregnancy. I just want some fluff.

Callisto helped Penelope up and out of the cave as carefully and gently as he could, it wasn’t lost on him that some of his most significant moments with her were in caves. The weight of his sword was a comforting presence of safety as they made the (slightly hazardous) trek back up the mountain and into the little hovel… er house, that Penelope had been living in while she worked for the last few years. He had been there a few times for short visits. He knew the house quite well, though it was quite bare and utalitarian since most of her things was in their shared bedroom within the Imperial Palace.

His fiancee (his pregnant fiancee), yawned tiredly even as she shivered. Callisto frowned at the sight and led her to the bedroom, or at least he meant to. He paused midway as he observed the way the house seemed emptier, the stacks of papers on the desk was higher than usual and he worried that she was overworking herself when she was pregnant. He clucked his tongue and made sure to speak to the wizard who he had assigned to her before he resumed his steps, eventually just sweeping her up into his arms when she almost fell out of sheer exhaustion.

He placed her gently on her bed and helped her strip off the wet clothes before he reached for the towel and helped her dry herself. Then he helped her dress in her nightgown before tucking her in. When he was certain she was asleep, he stripped and lit the fire in the fireplace before returning to the bed. He stared at her for a few moments, happily taking in the beautiful sight of his fiancee illuminnated by the moonlight before his gaze fell from her face and down to her still flat stomach. His hand reached out and gently stroked it before he dipped his head and kissed the womb where their unborn child grew.

‘I would love a girl.’ He thought. ‘But, so long as you and your mother are healthy, I truly don’t care if you weren’t. You would always be our beloved little one.’

And then he lay down and pulled his Princess, no, his soon-to-be-wife, into his arms and let sleep drift into him.

-

-

In the morning, Callisto woke up to the annoying ring of the communication orb that only Cedric used. Penelope groaned as she stirred and he immediately answered it.

“Your Majesty! Where are you?!?” Cedric asked in frantic annoyance.

Callisto glared at the man with quite a lot of spite as Penelope began to truly leave the realm of sleep. “With the Princess.” He answered as bluntly and flatly as he could. After all, where else would he be if he wasn’t in the Imperial Palace?

“It’s not a visitation day though.”

“So?” He was the Emperor, he could do what he wanted. Though he had been good and had been playing nice for Penelope’s sake as he waited for her to finally be ready despite knowing that there was a large possibility it would never happen. That was why he was so happy for their little blessing. He had accepted that Penelope might never be ready for marriage or to start a family. And that it would just be the two of them living as lovers and nothing more. But this… to know that Penelope was finally ready to marry and that they were soon to become parents? No amount of happiness could overcome this.

“There are papers that need to be signed. What time will you be back?”

Porter knew that trying to get him to leave the Princess’ bed right now would only end in him vindictively dumping more work on his desk and was careful not to push on the issue of his returning to the Palace immediately.

“Is there a war?” He asked.

“No.”

“Is there an emergency where lives are at stake?”

“No.”

“Is it something that would go away if I kill the nobleman who was responsible for it?”

The Princess pinched his arm at his words and Cedric stared at him blankly. “No.”

“Tch, then just leave it. I’ll deal with it when I return. Just make sure to have the wizards ready to get the Princess and I when I call.”

He cut off the call immediately and placed it back on the table before he pulled her back to him. His hand tangled itself into soft magenta curls. “We’ll need to start planning the wedding soon.” He murmured into her hair. “I can send people over to pack your things.”

“There’s no need.” Penelope told him.

“Are you planning to just leave them here?” He traced patterns into the soft, unblemished skin of her back and arms. His hands wandered here and there, leaving goose bumps where his hands touched. Could feel her heartbeat pick up. “It doesn’t matter to me, either way. I can just call for some tailors and seamstresses for you.”

The Princess placed gentle kisses on his neck before she looked up. “No, it’s because the house is pretty much packed up.”

“What?” Then he scanned his surroundings now illuminated clearly by the morning light. And he finally noticed that, yes, her clothing was mostly packed away in bags now. And the sparseness of the room was to a different degree.

Though this wasn’t the kind of thing that could have been achieved within a day. “But you only found out about the baby yesterday?”

“Yes.” His Princess confirmed with a chuckle at his confusion. “I found out that I could be pregnant yesterday, but I’ve been preparing my replacement and packing things for the last month.” She explained as she kissed his lips. “I decided that I was ready to get married right after our birthdays. That’s why I’ve been so busy recently. I wanted to surprise you when I went home tomorrow that I’ll be there to stay.”

It always brought him an irrational sense of joy whenever she called the Palace, home. And especially now that he knew that her decision came long before the discovery of the babe.

-

-

The first thing Callisto did when they returned to the palace, to their home, was to set a date for the wedding. Penelope had tried to insist on a small and quiet wedding but he had argued (and won) against it. First, not only was he the Emperor and she, the Empress-to-be, which meant that they needed a formal ceremony so that she could be properly recognized and crowned. Second, people would talk and would perhaps question the legitimacy of their marriage and their child. Third, she was the daughter of the only Duke in the Empire and as such, there would be a backlash, especially by the Eckarts (though he didn’t particularly care for them but had thrown them in for good measure) who would no doubt be upset by it all. And finally, he had waited five years and was going to be deprived of the five-year-long honeymoon he’d been promised.

That had won her over and she finally consented to a proper wedding. Callisto took care of most of the planning, Penelope being too tired from the pregnancy to do much so early in the day, which was when they (he) did most of the wedding planning. Afternoons were set aside for them to do their respective duties with his bride having long ago taken on the duties of the Empress, though in a less official capacity. And the evenings were spent wrapped up in pleasure as the pregnancy inspired new heights to her lust. Which also went hand in hand with why she was so tired.

Whatever free time he had, he spent it having his old palace renovated and prepared for the future Crown Prince or Princess. A project that they had both taken to heart.

The Porters' experiences in child rearing came in handy as they spoke to them quite candidly about their experiences in child-rearing.

And so did the fifty books on parenting he had read, the four hundred testimonials of his staff, and the full medical team he had that was always checking on Penelope and the baby.

He thought he was justified in what he was doing. Between the poison from the Leila, the backlash from using her magic, and the abuse and starvation she had gone through while at the Duchy, he worried for her health constantly.

Callisto also made sure that her duties would be reduced so as not to cause too much stress on her body. Instead, he contented himself with watching her flutter about trying to design the nursery, making toys for the babe, and discussing child-rearing practices from her world, a discussion he gladly took part in. He listened to her talk about all of the novel concepts she had learned from her time working as a nanny for one of the part-time work she had held in her previous life and he found himself drawn to the way things had been done there.

He didn’t want his children to grow up estranged from them, he wanted to be there and be an active participant in their lives, in a way that his father had never been. He wanted to be there for their first words, their first steps, everything! And he wanted to make sure that his child’s right to inherit would never be questioned, especially if the babe was a girl and the only child Penelope would ever have. So he got to work changing the succession laws.

-

-

Callisto stared at his wife in disbelief. Whatever he had expected from his wedding night, it wasn’t this. His new wife was sleeping with a smile of contentment on her face even if she had fallen asleep just as he’d begun his gentle seduction of her for the second time that night. Yes, technically, the marriage had already been consummated earlier as they’d bathed together, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want another, more proper consummation in their marital bed.

Still, he sighed before he let out a gentle laugh as he watched her sleep on. Her face turned to his hand as he caressed it gently. The exhaustion from the festivities of their wedding fell away the longer and deeper she slept.

He pulled away from her for a moment as he went down to her belly and kissed it through the thin fabric of her nightgown. “Good night my baby. Papa loves you so much.” He whispered. “I can’t wait to feel you start to move, especially for the day I get to meet you.”

Then he straightened himself and kissed his wife before he lay down and let her curl herself into his side. “Good night, My Love. Thank you for choosing me.” He murmured into her hair.

“Hmm.” His wife mumbled. “I love you.” She said sleepily before her breathing evened out again.

-

-

Just as the beginnings of the more obvious changes to Penelope’s body began, Callisto decided to call for the tailors and seamstresses to make an entirely new wardrobe for her. It wasn’t just the fact that the baby was now making itself known, it was also the fact that the seasons had shifted and the silks he had dressed her in were now too light and thin to withstand the fall and coming winter seasons.

He lavished his wife with every comfort she could ever want, made it a point to see her at least once an hour if possible, and even put up with the intrusion of his newly reconciled in-laws.

The further along her pregnancy went, the more doubts and fears crept up into him. What if he was a bad father? What if he made the same mistakes as his father? What if something went wrong and he lost Penelope and the baby? What if…

There were too many things swirling around in his mind like a storm that was unable to stop.

And then one day, as the two of them sat down for tea, Callisto had brushed his hand across her womb and felt it. The telltale kick he had been waiting for and bother his wife over the last few months.

It had taken a moment for his mind to understand what it was as he sat there stunned. But then it happened again and again and he found himself laughing in delight. His heart soared with love as he quickly shifted himself to kneel on the floor, one hand on the side of her womb where the baby kicked and his head lay on the other side. Penelope held his other hand as he murmured encouragements and words of love to their little one.

“I love you, Callisto Regulus.” He heard her say. “And I’m very happy with my life here with you. I’m happy that I made the choice that I did, and I’m happy that I chose you.”

Callisto inhaled sharply as something settled in him. This contentment and peace that he had long craved, the connection and unabounding love that he’d lacked and searched for was here, in this very room. His whole world was made of this woman and the child growing in her. His greatest treasure. She hummed a tune softly as she stroked his hair while he waited for his child to move again.

-

-

He stayed with her throughout the whole delivery. His teeth gritted at the way her face twisted with pain as contractions hit her, even as she tried (and failed) to break his hand when she squeezed it tight. He silently prayed that it would be over soon and that his family would be safe.

Even as he wiped away the sweat from her beautiful face as she leaned on him for support, he whispered quiet reassurances. Callisto had broken tradition and had banned any but the medical staff and her loyal maid from entering the chambers while she gave birth so as not to over-tax his wife with the added stress of the many stares of courtiers watching. It was unprecedented, especially the active role he took but he didn’t care. He was the Emperor and she was his Empress, no one stood above them in this empire.

Callisto heard a sharp and loud cry just a few short breaths after the Doctor had announced the babe’s arrival. “It’s a girl, Your Majesty…” The Doctor declared. And from the first moment he had heard that cry, his heart shattered and remade itself. His world grew into two, and is now more tangible.

“But… Your Majesties…” The Doctor was hesitant as the whispers and gasps of the medical team abounded.

His heart sank and he felt his beloved wife begin to shake in his arms.

“What’s wrong?” He demanded, fearful for his daughter’s life and wellbeing.

“She’s healthy.” He reassured them but he was hesitating.

“Out with it!” He commanded.

“She has dragon wings.” The Doctor said immediately as he presented the child to them.

Callisto blinked and shared a glance with Penelope as she reached for the babe, arms a bit shaky.

The two of them looked at their beautiful daughter and he fell deeply in love, as deeply as he felt for his wife, but so very different. And sure enough, their beautiful child had wings sticking out from her back.

There were whispers of prophecies and the second coming of the golden dragon going around the room but that was something for him to think on later. Right now, his attention was on the child that made up the other half of his world.

“Welcome to the world, Judith Regulus.” He said as he grasped her little hand gently. The name they had chosen sat well with their beautiful girl. “We love you very much.” They both whispered to their daughter.

For something that was meant to be a one shot, Imperial Domesticity is now turning into a full on series. I’ll compile this into a proper fic on AO3 when I have the time. Also just me craving for some sweet content between the two. And I wanted a fic about Callisto throughout the pregnancy and just him being so in love with Penelope and the unborn baby and just being so happy but also being terrified of making the same mistakes as his father and being hated by his child.

#villains are destined to die #death is the only ending for a villainess #vadd #callisto regulus #death is the only ending for the villainess #fic ideas #fanfic #penelope eckart x callisto regulus #penelope eckart #penelope eckhart #penelope x callisto #fluff #death is the only ending for the villain

[altschmerzes]

Are you doing a cross stich in the cat picture? You cross stitch?!? Gav are you a wizard?!? You study! and write like a freaking professional and you can cross stitch?!? Is there anything you can't do?? Talented king 🙏

yes!!! i have saved this for a while so that i could add a progress pic of the project i was working on in that picture which i am STILL working on lmaoooo thank you for your lovely words you are too kind to me :')

this is a project that i've been working on for so long that i started it as a gift for my fiancee Before We Got Engaged and we are gonna be married in a couple of months lmaoooo. it is 28 count aida and i didn't have anything resembling a pattern. i modified some font pattern stuff for the size of my fabric through trial and error and just kinda vibed out the rest.

#gav gab #cross stitch #gav answers #NICE TO ME......... #testimonials

[poppies-from-oz]

So back in the early 1900s L Frank Baum wrote a treatment for what would eventually become the Broadway adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. And in this treatment the Tin Woodman reunites with his old fiancee upon receiving his heart, and uh...

I am now unshakably convinced that he calls the Scarecrow his “itsy bitty popsy wopsy” whenever they’re alone.

#the wizard of oz #the wonderful wizard of oz #the scarecrow #the tin man #tincrow

[cloudboundcorgi]

Some recent Dnd art. After (our rogue) Rain's fiancee was kidnapped, the party sneaked onto an island prison that is ruled by vampire lords. They've managed to kill one of the vampire lords so far...after a rough battle in which Falon got mind controlled and the party got beat up by swarms of undead. Rain also found out that one of the vampire lords had been impersonating his fiancee via sending spells in order to lure him here, much to his fury.

But dragon cuddle piles make everything better, right? (Falon, in her dragon form, Pumice, dragonborn wizard, and Dallas, human wild magic sorcerer.)

The vampire lords took the party into custody as their "guests" so we'll see where things go from here...

#dungeons and dragons #dnd #dnd 5e character #dnd art #dragon #dragonborn #wizard #rogue #air genasi #wild magic sorcerer #fighter #Falon #Pumice #Rain #Dallas #ttrpg art

[untitled-gem]

there is something just so extremely sad about when marceline showed simon the old picture of him before the war. that was a man that lived a completely normal life. he had a job and a fiancee and he went on quests to find the enchiridion and other magical objects, and in the photo he’s even smiling and he just. lived such a regular life. he had no idea what was coming to him. in that photo he didn’t even know the crown existed yet.

and then it’s so sad when ice king has just these... horrible moments of loneliness. like when he was crying and shooting ice at the ceiling and yelling about how he just wanted to be loved, and even that moment in ‘the eyes’ where he explains how he’s always miserable and always cries. and when he’s describing all the scary creatures he sees through his wizard eyes, something he has to go through alone because he doesn’t know anyone else who suffers from it. and that moment in elements where he, seemingly out of the blue, appears absolutely terrified of finn’s sweater for no reason. 

it’s just very harrowing and scary to think that somewhere, underneath all of those layers of loneliness and torment, is where simon is really buried. he was just a regular guy and then he got wrapped up in all of this and he was stripped of any normalcy for hundreds of years.

and then you think about how in ‘betty’, simon basically said he would rather die than be the ice king again. he was even telling finn and jake to stop betty from trying to save him.

he was just so full of pain and confusion and it hurts so bad to think about a normal individual being screwed up so badly like that...

#dont take this as an IK hate post btw #love that guy! he's messed up but doing his best #but seriously it just hurts so bad to think abt the pain simon was in #thanks obsidian for acknowledging his coping mechanisms #but in fionna and cake im expecting WAY more of his trauma manifesting #especially since tom kenny was like yeah this is the most emotional thing i've ever ddone!! #im not ready but also i am SO ready #you'll never hear the end of it #adventure time #simon petrikov #ice king