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sprout-fics · 10 months

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sometime after the kerfuffle with the 141 and Kortac is done, I'd like to see Konig's reaction to Maus going missing when trying to recover. I think man's would be terrified out of his mind that his sniper just up and disappeared while injured, meanwhile her whole team is just like "ffs not again, get the net and blanket and look in the vents"

Ohoho see I think the team would have so much fun with Konig, would send him on a wild goose chase just to get back at him for all the grief he caused them in the past. (Messy little drabble, not exactly a oneshot)

It had been three hours since you’d gone missing.

Four, technically, because König had arrived at the infirmary an hour after your disappearance, encountering a fatigued medic who had tiredly informed him of your sudden absence. She’d merely raised a single eyebrow to König's frantic efforts to get more information, and had eventually waved him off with a jaded comment of ‘This happens all the time.’

As if that somehow made him worry less.

You couldn’t have gone far, he theorized. With a sprained ankle, a broken arm, and a mild concussion, it was unlikely that you could have made it to the other side of the base by the time he had started searching for you.

That was three hours ago. Now, as the afternoon slowly crept towards evening, König could feel his panic rising at the idea you had simply vanished. He had searched everywhere. Your room, the mess hall, the rec room, the gym, the firing range, the training course- He’d even checked Price’s office, wondering if you had sought refuge there instead of being in your bed where you belonged.

When he had knocked on the door Price had leveled him with a look, wondering why the newest member of the newly formed SpecGru dared to darken his doorstep. Yet when König had belayed his concerns to the captain, Price had lifted his report to his face and idly told König to once again check the mess hall.

(König didn’t see the wry, sadistic smile that sprawled across Price’s lips)

Yet with the mess hall still empty, he had instead found Ghost, who tilted his head at the Austrian as König tried to explain why he was all but racing around base trying to find you. Ghost made a strange little huffing sound in response that, If König didn’t know better, he might almost mistake it for laughter. He then suggested looking into the women’s barracks to see if you had somehow disguised yourself as one of the recruits.

(That venture went over rather poorly)

As he’d been chased out, König had run into Soap, who had cackled at the Austrian’s misadventure and consequent flowery aroma resulting from one of the women throwing a shampoo bottle at him.

“Rookie?” He’d echoed, looking surprised. It took him a moment to understand, at which point a peculiar smile pulled at his mouth, sly and amused at König's quest.

“Aye.” He intoned, eyes averted so Konig couldn’t see the utter glee in them. “Y’know what? I saw her over at the training grounds climbing up into the tower. Bet you anything she’s still there.”

König had thanked him profusely, had darted off in the direction Soap had spoken of, unseeing of the way Soap hid his laughter until he was gone.

(The training grounds were empty, of course.)

As daylight darkened König resisted the urge to tear at his hood in frustration. It seemed, to him, that you were exactly where the men said you were, only to seemingly read his mind and vanish to a new location every time he drew near. Maybe they were alerting you, for whatever sadistic reason, sending him on a wild goose chase for pure entertainment.

Eventually, when he had run into Gaz, König had all but fallen at his feet pleading for assistance, trying desperately to find you and haul you back to bed so as to not injure yourself further.

“She has a habit of hiding in the vents.” Garrick told him with a straight face, not an ounce of deception in his eyes. “Usually over by the armory, or the officers quarters, or the kitchens, or the infirmary…” He trailed off, looking nonplussed, and eventually offered König a small shrug. Then Gaz had brushed past him with a small excuse, and as König rushed off towards the locations Garrick had suggested, Gaz sent a small message to you:

“You owe me one.”

(You were nowhere in the vents, naturally)

König spent until dark asking every person he ran into if they had spotted an injured soldier running around earlier that day. It took several explanations for them to understand, and when they did König inevitably saw a weary, annoyed expression cross over their faces before they shooed him away in favor of their current task.

Eventually, König had collapsed against a pile of crates in one of the nearby warehouses, shoulders slumping as he desperately wracked his brain for any other possible location where you could have hidden. Half a day had passed since your disappearance, and not once had anyone seen you. To his knowledge you hadn’t eaten, hadn’t taken your medication, had failed to be present for your check-in-

König couldn’t stop the dark, churning thoughts that in your weakened, vulnerable state someone might have taken it upon themselves to abduct you. The fact that the team didn’t seem to share his concerns only made his heart drive higher in his throat, stifling the air in his chest as he pleaded with the heavens to return you. You drew his gaze upwards, to the rafters of the warehouse, wondering if somehow the heavens could hear his prayer.

A small shape, just above the upper walkway, not entirely obscured by one of the long steel beams that supported the roof.

“...Maus?”

The shape stiffened.

König scrambled to his feet, eyes locked on the figure lofted high above the warehouse floor, on a flat, wide beam that effortlessly supported you. As he called once more, a chagrined expression turned down towards him, a guilty smile offered in apology.

“Hi, Konig.”

Distantly, König could hear the sound of something in his mind fracturing.

“Maus, get down here.” He nearly bellowed, voice thundering upwards. Yet far from scaring you, you only offered him a little pout and replied with a small:

“Mmm, no.”

“Maus!!”

You giggled, and the audacity of your refusal was nearly enough to send König onto his ass once more. Cursing under his breath, he realized the only way to get you down from the precariously high perch where you lay was to come get you himself.

Two ladders later, and 50 feet up in the air, König could see you facing him, blanket draped over you, cheek propped on one hand, and snack wrappers littered about you. It was like you had made a little nest up here, intent on avoiding anyone who may pester you.

“Not a Mouse.” He thought wearily. “Perhaps a baby bird.”

You refused, initially, to leave your little loft that remained just out of his reach, even as König clung to the railing and tried to reach for you. Yet eventually when his frustration had given way to a near frantic, pleading whine, he could see genuine guilt color your gaze, and eventually you had performed the delicate maneuver of scooting yourself forward so he could hoist you into his arms.

Yet rather than immediately try to take you down and back towards the medical wing, König instead slumped against the railing of the walkway, his arms fastening around you and a heavy sigh of relief tickling across your hair.

“Please.” He begged, gathering you tightly to him, a protective hold to refuse your escape as much as it would protect you. “Please don’t ever do that again, Maus.”

Warm, wrapped in his scent, you smiled, nuzzled against his chest with a weary little murmur.

“I won’t.” You promised, feeling your boyfriend completely and entirely relax against you, head falling gently back against the railing in satisfaction.

(He didn’t see your fingers crossed behind your back)

#oc: maus #fic: little mouse #konig x reader #könig x reader #drabbles #my writing

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maniculum · 6 months

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Bestiaryposting: Wutugald Results

All right, time to see what everyone came up with for the Wutugald! Again, if that statement confuses you, you may find an explanation at https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting . If you want a refresher on the description the artists were working with, here is the original post:

This was a pretty good creature to start with, I think; the random number generator did us a solid with this one. It laid to rest some concerns I had: will people be able to put aside their real-world knowledge of these animals and draw as if they had never heard of them? Yes, apparently -- a number of comments and notes indicated that several participants had guessed what the Wutugald was, refrained from sharing that information, and drew something that fit the description while being nevertheless a fully distinct animal. I was also concerned about some of the upcoming entries that specify a type of animal (bird, serpent, &c.), wondering if that constraint would be a problem -- but a number of people drew some Very Good Birds for this one, so I feel reassured that future entries that are Explicitly A Bird will still be material we can have fun with.

So, let's see what people created. I'm putting these in roughly the order in which they appeared, below the cut:

@cosmic-flora (link to post here) produced this in Paint pretty shortly after the original post went up, and posted it with a brief explanation of their design decisions -- they were the first but not the last to interpret the rigid spine as spikes and the single tooth as a beak, and also to provide the creature with claws for digging.

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) was also quick off the mark, posting this the same evening along with an explanation of their design process. I'm genuinely impressed by how quickly they were able to draw something so naturalistic -- this went up within like four hours of the original post. This was also the first (but again not the last) to include an apparent reference to the Wutugald's ability to change sex by including both male genitalia and noticeable teats. Also, I wonder if the coat pattern on the baby is a sneaky reference to the animal this is based on, as Silverhart does indicate that they figured it out.

@elodieunderglass (link to post here) created this rendition, which I think does a good job at capturing the vibe in the bestiary entry, of a creature that the medieval author clearly sees as discomfiting and somewhat sinister. That is a grin that makes me worry about the critter's intentions.

@geeoharee (link to post here) posted this along with a brief explanation of their design decisions. The human face and the speech bubble are great, I think -- it makes me smile. I think this is the first non-mammalian Wutugald, but several more come later.

@sweetlyfez (link to post here) drew this with a dip pen, apparently, which is cool. Also this might be the cuddliest-looking version, but my desire to hug it probably says more about my own sense of self-preservation than anything else. That is a cute face, right? It's not just me?

@cinqueform (link to post here) produced this wonderfully medieval-styled image. We can see here the ruler-straight spine and the depiction of the Wutugald's sexual ambiguity, as well as a human-like face for imitating speech. Also a very nice stylized letter W.

@rautavaara (link to post here) has also done a medieval-style rendition, which is excellently sinister in presentation. That is a Worrying Creature. It's also the first (but again not the last) avian interpretation of the Wutugald, which I think really works. Also I'm not sure if this is a sneaky nod to what the animal actually is, or just a case of "great minds think alike", but Rautavaara's interpretation of the rigid spine is very similar to the one in the actual Aberdeen Bestiary illustration I will show y'all at the end of this post.

@spontaneousmusicalnumber (link to post here) posted this along with a brief explanation of their design process. I think they're right about the side pattern being appropriate for a bestiary critter.

@strixcattus (link to post here) did another avian rendition of the Wutugald complete with a fantastic lengthy reinterpretation of the bestiary entry through the eyes of a modern naturalist. Seriously, go check that out, it's very good.

@fidgetyhands (link to post here) provides this image of the Wutugald along with an explanation of their design choices. They also note that limitations in terms of artistic material are probably relevant to a lot of bestiary drawings.

@jamiethekeener (link to post here) gives us this Wutugald in the act of digging. She instructs that we should not ask why her interpretation of Wutugald ended up being so unsettling, which I cannot deny that it is. (That smile... that damn smile.) I also want to highlight the interpretation of the rigid spine as a shield-like plate along the back.

@thewhetherman (link to post here) gives us this rather-frightening-looking creature, along with a brief commentary that definitely ups the spook factor on this whole thing.

@bruncikara (link to post here) also went with a medieval stylization, with a very period-appropriate pose and frame. We can see again some digging claws and a nod to the animal's sexual ambiguity. Wicked-looking single tooth, also.

@mobileleprechaun (link to post here) has given us what I think is our only invertebrate Wutugald by interpreting the rigid spine as a shell and the single tooth as a radula. Shown here with its half-lion offspring.

@illogarithmil (link to post here) has also taken inspiration from medieval bestiary art, noting the unusual color and perspective choices typical of the genre. Note the straight tail, the skull, and the doorway in the background -- presumably into a tomb of some sort. The diamond-pupilled eye is striking.

@qwertyprophecy (link to post here) gives us this Wutugald who manages to strike an excellent balance between "cute" and "villainous". Like, I would expect to see these hopping around to signal that the Protagonists have entered the Sinister Fantasy Kingdom, but it's also kind of adorable. I think the gemstone pupil helps with that vibe. Vulture face is for easier eating of corpses, I assume.

@aaclysm (link to post here) provides both a final version and a "messy bus sketch". We can see the stone-like eyes, the single tooth interpreted as a beak, and the rigid spine interpreted as a carapace. Kind of griffin-like vibes, which I'm enjoying.

@scarlettbookworm (link to post here) gives us this drawing, which has some delightful details. I like the lines on the shadow, which I assume is meant to indicate the magical effects associated with it. Also love that the Wutugald's ability to change sex is acknowledged by giving it a little trans-pride flag to wave with its tail. I believe the text in its speech bubble is intended to be word-salad, demonstrating that it imitates but does not understand human speech.

@pachelbelsheadcanon (link to post here) gives us another very cute Wutugald. (More of these than I expected are downright cuddly.) I'm particularly delighted by the attempt to take the whole "single tooth that closes like a casket" thing at its word and make it work. They provide in their post an explanation of what's going on with that and some other interesting zoological details of their creation. I also enjoy the idea that the Wutugald talks like bot-generated spam.

@changeinenthalpy (link to post here) has produced this fairly-intimidating-looking critter. This definitely looks like something that could dig up and eat a corpse if it wanted. Nasty claws on that beast. The shiny gemstone eyes give it an unsettling gaze also.

@aethergeologist (link to post here) gives us this creature, which I both want to pet and also want to keep a healthy distance from because those claws look like they could mess you up. They provide an explanation for their design choices in the linked post.

@karthara (link to post here) has added to our store of avian Wutugalds, and includes a brief explanation of their design choices in the linked post. I like how happy it seems in the side view -- all excited about its corpse-digging plans for the evening.

@moustawott (link to post here) created this delightfully prehistoric-looking beast, and provides a detailed account of their design choices in the linked post. I think the snapping-turtle face really works here, and this is probably one of the most dangerous-looking interpretations of the Wutugald.

@cattorneyatlaw (link to post here) has drawn an unusually porcine Wutugald. Probably one of the spookier pig drawings I've seen. They provide an explanation of their design choices -- including "why a pig" -- in the linked post.

@curiouslyodd (link to post here) has given us a Wutugald with a very unsettling face and an interesting fur pattern. In the linked post, they not only provide an explanation of their design choices, but also a detailed and well-written reinterpretation of the bestiary entry based on the animal as they have drawn it. Go check that out.

@treesurface (link to post here) has done an interestingly chimeric Wutugald, and includes a brief explanation of their design choices in the linked post. I like the head particularly.

And... hm. We're not going to be able to fit all of the images in one post. The limit is thirty, right? Stay tuned for a bit, I guess. The remaining Wutugalds will be in a reblog of this post, along with the reveal of the animal's identity and the Aberdeen Bestiary's interpretation of the creature.

#maniculum bestiaryposting #wutugald

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certifiedlovergirlsstuff · 8 months

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summer blush

pairing: steve harrington x gn!reader

wc: 1.9K

warnings: nothing, can't remember if there's cursing.

summary: pool days and future dates

A/N: WE DESERVED LIFEGUARD STEVE WHY DID BILLY GET THAT ROLE!!!!!!! but I know we got scoops steve, but still!!!!

masterlist / steve harrington

everyone was at hawkins community pool if they didn’t have one sitting in their backyard. the weather was in the high nineties with a slight breeze to cool you off if you were laying out tanning. the dozens of kids were splashing and squealing in glee, screaming as they played marco polo or sharks and minnows. many parents trusted the lifeguards to do their job so they indulged in their books or gossiping with friends.

the lounger reclined at an angle, one leg bent and the other straight. loose shirt and swim shorts as your attire accessorized with sunglasses and a baseball cap to shade your face from the harsh sunlight as you read your book.

a high-pitched yell of your name drew your attention. tilting the book towards your chest you saw your neighbor lucas rushing your way. his running was put to a stop when a lifeguard blew their whistle and yelled no running. you saw a few other kids a little behind, three boys and two girls.

“going for a swim, sinclair?” eyes squinting behind your glasses.

he rolled his eyes and pointed towards his swim trunks, “duh. gonna spend the next few hours getting pruney. oh, also my mom wanted me to ask if you were free on the twelfth.”

one of the boys called his name and lucas told him he was coming before turning back to you. “uh, as of right now i’m an open book. does she need a babysitter?”

“yeah. my parents have a date planned so they need someone to watch us.”

you nodded your head, “well i’ll be happy to babysit. just have her call me when you get home. now go have some summer fun, your friends are getting antsy.” the tweens being all dramatic from their spots close by.

lucas waved goodbye before talking with his friends and then they all threw themselves into the chlorine-heavy pool. the two girls were a step behind with shrieks that carried until they were submerged.

you watched their playful fighting for a bit with a gentle smile on your lips. how lucas would dunk his friend with sopping curly hair underwater or the redhead would slap water at the byers kid. the other girl with shoulder-length hair was just walking around the shallow end with an enormous smile.

deciding to turn back to your book, your eyes took a sweep of the crowded pool and they managed to catch a lifeguard chair change. a girl in the uniform-issued red one-piece was climbing down from the high chair as a boy leaned a hand against the legs. the two chatted for a moment before the girl waved goodbye and the boy climbed the steps and settled into the seat.

and when he was in perfect view you were able to make out the person you were ogling. steve harrington. steve harrington, who was dressed in only red swim trunks as he watched over the community pool. now your book doesn't seem so interesting.

you held the book at a normal height and used the book and sunglasses as your undercover ruse as you observed (stared) at steve. how he seemed comfortable in the uncomfortable high chair, one hand fiddling with the whistle that was sitting on his chest as his head moved around to get a full view. his hair looked naturally fluffy and curled, oh man.

you and steve were in the same graduating class but only had a handful of classes together in the four years of high school, and in only two was there conversation. he was more outgoing and friendly with most of the school population, while you had one friend, robin buckley, who stuck to the shadows and books. and even though you hid in the shadows, that harrington charm always shined brightly no matter what. so yeah, you weren’t unaffected by him, you just made sure not to act like an idiot when he was around.

wishing you had the balls to walk up confidently and start an effortless conversation, you just groaned as you leaned your head back and laid the book on your sunscreen thighs. you don’t even know what he likes, not like you could chat about the weather for twenty minutes before it dies out. “so… this weather….” “yeah, pretty warm. brings everyone out of their houses.” that’s so stupid!

you know what, forget about it. push steve from your mind. push lovely steve harrington from your mind and focus back on your fantasy novel. you did set a goal of reading through the stacks of books you’ve bought over the months. you look through your bag and grab your wallet before pushing off the flimsy lounge chair and heading to the vending machine for a snack.

you look at the different selections of chips and press in c7, your second favorite chips dropping down. you pushed the flap open and managed to grab the goods without twisting your wrist. you looked to the concessions booth and debated if you wanted to pay three fifty for a slushy.

“hey.” you heard someone call but you didn’t think they were calling for you since it didn’t sound like any of the younger kids. head tilting side to side in a silent debate before it came again this time followed by your last name.

you felt like an idiot when you looked over your shoulders to find the source but couldn’t so you turned forward again, which caused the mystery person to say your name once again followed by, “it’s steve, dummy.”

that made you turn around real quick with your brows raised and hands sat on your hips, chip bag crinkling. “what’s with the nickname, mr. lifeguard? i’m a customer minding their business.” sarcasm hiding the curiosity of why steve was suddenly calling for you.

he was twisted in the high chair, one knee up and poking through the hole for the armrest with his arms folded on the top and his chin digging into his golden forearms. his sunglasses pushed to his hair showing his face off without obstruction, though his eyes were squinting against the beating sun. he had a smirk to his mouth and, oh your insides melted.

“i am so sorry to be disturbing,” the sarcasm twisted in his words, “but i was wondering if you’d be willing to buy me a cherry slushy. for a fellow mrs. fray senior english class student.”

lips parting in slight shock, “you…you remember me?” body language changing from defense to sheepish. you meant to say those words in your head only, not aloud where he could make fun of you.

his eyes unsquinted just a bit and you were able to see the smirk fall away and genuine confusion settle in. “why wouldn’t i? i sat next to you all year. and what a lovely view to get me through that boring class.” a flirtatious tone singing through the words.

now you are standing frozen. was he…flirting? was steve flirting with you? when you felt sweaty and didn’t look put together, baggy shirt and hair pushed under a baseball cap. there was no way, right?

“well…i do remember you staring a lot. just thought i was blocking the window view.” trying to flirt, swing and a miss in your head.

steve chuckled. deep and boyish over the volume of the occupants. “nah, view outside wasn’t worth my time.” a cheeky smirk and, oh yeah. he was flirting.

“anyway. would you still be willing to buy that cherry slushy for me? kinda dying of thirst and heat over here.” his body that wasn’t shaded by the umbrella was highlighted bright with the sun. mind traversing to the knowledge he might develop more freckles over his skin and how you wished to chart them like constellations in the night sky.

you looked to the booth and back to steve, working yourself up to try a hand at flirting again. you took four steps closer to the white chair, head tilted up while steve stared down. “would i get anything back in exchange? since, you know, i’m paying with my own money.” hoping he doesn’t say something that billy hargrove wolf whistles at.

steve smiled with his teeth biting into his bottom lip. his head moved just a bit to the side and his eyes squinting a bit harder, you were glad to see his whole face, but you wished to just slide his black sunglasses over his honey-brown eyes. he looked to be debating something for a moment and then he shifted around to climb to the hot cement floor. he stopped just in front of you, right side of his body leaning into the chip painted wood. he was messing around with his red whistle and your skin produced goosebumps from the way his eyes roamed over your face and trailed down your body then back up.

“well, a slushy is only three fifty, so what i’m gonna suggest is overpriced. but if you're willing to spare some change, i would be happy to take you…” he stopped for a moment, almost seeming nervous before he got his confidence back. “…to take you on a date. movie and dinner, all on me.”

you almost dropped your chips and wallet due to the words that left his mouth. “you’re…this is a joke right? some prank?” self-conscious defense going up.

steve pushed himself into an upright position, hands shaking in front of him with urgency on his face and in his words. “what? no, no! i- i genuinely want to- i’ve wanted to ask you for a while!” words rushed and grumbled.

you were shocked for the third time today. steve harrington wanted to take you on a date. and for a while. “really?” the voice is almost meek.

steve rubbed the back of his neck and you weren’t sure if that was sunburn or blush on his cheeks. “yeah…i know i seem…good at getting dates. but when it comes to someone i like…i can get tongue-tied.” fingers messing around with the back of his hair.

you couldn’t help the teasing smile, “oh…steve harrington gets flustered by his crushes? didn’t realize we reverted to middle school.”

he rolled his eyes, but he smiled anyway. “yeah, yeah. now for the third time, can you buy me a slushy? and would you like to go on a date with me? saturday at seven?”

there was a whistle and the call for steve to get back in his chair. he didn’t turn around or anything, he stayed trained on you with pleading eyes and a nervous smile. you didn’t bother keeping the boy waiting any longer, butterflies fluttering in your belly.

“i’ll get you that slushy. and then i’ll tell you my decision. so, best you get back to your job before you get fired.” taking steps backward then turning on the balls of your feet.

you felt his eye on your back the whole time as you ordered and waited for the drinks. with the two in hand along with your chips, you walked to steve already having your mind made up. you held his cherry slushy up high and he grabbed it with a “thank you.” his fingers brushing your knuckles.

“so, yes or no? hurts to keep a guy waiting.” a fake pout to his lips. you took a sip of your icy beverage and then counted to five. “what movie?”

“the goonies. heard from a birdie you’ve been waiting to see that one.” that just solidified your answer. “food before or after? and where?”

steve took his sip and then answered, “whichever and wherever you prefer.”

you tapped your flip-flop foot and took a few more sips. “seven works. benny’s before and then goonies. maybe milkshakes after. sounds good?”

he smiled down at you, teeth shining in the light and lips turning a bit red. “sounds perfect. can i have your address?”

you began to walk back to your lounge chair, calling over your shoulder, “use the phone book, harrington! very useful information.”

#steve harrington fluff #stever harrington fanfic #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington reader insert #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington blurb #stranger things x reader #stranger things #stranger things fic #joe keery x reader #joe keery imagine #joe keery

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kippykasey · 6 months

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Double Trouble

Summary: Who knew a vampire, Freddie Kruger, and Ghost face could have so much fun?

Word Count: 1021

Characters: Sam and Colby and Reader

More spoops from Kippy's Spoopy Saturdays

Halloween parties aren’t normally a thing you normally do. At lease not since you were younger. Now you are dragged along with your friend to not only a party but a block wide event. One house had a haunted ‘barn’ maze set up in the large side lawn. There was a whole garage decked out as a witch hut where the drinks were being stored and handed out. There was one house specifically set up to entertain the teens. A projector was set up playing the horror classics. Lights, music, smoke effects where everywhere. Which is probably how you lost your friend with in the first hour of arriving.

Your hand clutched onto your drink of choice as you slowly walked around trying to find your unaccounted for friend. You admired the different themes and the fancy technical displays. Every time you thought you seen them it just ended up being a stranger. After a while of looking you just gave up and sat on the edge of a stone wall between the projector set up and the road that was packed with people dancing.

Someone dressed in the black gown and hooded mask of Ghostface, calmly leaned against the wall next to you. “Waiting for someone?” The deep voice confirmed that this was most definitely a male.

Your head tilts to look over at him. “Nah I lost my friend already. Not really used to all this.” You gestured to the surrounding area with the hand holding your drink, the liquid swirling around.

“Well we can’t just let you sit on a wall all night like some kind of gargoyle. Colby.” He stands up straight, his arm draping over your shoulders as he holds up his hand.

You shook his hand and introduced yourself before Colby gives you a nudge to get off the wall. You get off your perch and were instantly guided through the crowd and towards the witch hut where you run into a blonde wearing a signature stripped shirt the recognizable burn scar mask tucked under his arm as he got himself a drink. “Sam I adopted a vampire.” Colby jokes making the blonde turn to look over with a smile.

You introduce yourself to Sam and he passes a drink to Colby who stepped away from you to remove his mask. With both of them not wearing a mask you recognized the two from their ghost hunting youtube channel. “I see why you’re wearing the masks.” You comment looking between them. They looked at each other before turning back to you.

The three of you head off to the side where some picnic tables were set up for the food that was available earlier. You sat around one of the tables each with your own drink. “So you recognized us huh?” Sam looked up at you as he sips his drink.

“Honestly now that I know its you I would have known Colby by his name and face alone but I thought it was a voice changer or something. Not to mention I don’t really know too many people with the name Colby. Realistically I would have overlooked what you guys but I was watching your videos while getting ready to come.”

Colby chuckled and you three talked for a while before agreeing to walk through the fake barn maze. There was a small line which allowed small groups no larger than 6 in at a time. Colby and Sam put their masks into the drawstring bag that was hidden under Sam’s costume as you waited and you all were able to toss your empty drinks in a garbage right before entering into near darkness.

A winding path greeted you three where between the two and a half winding corridors were four automated animatronics that provided a good jump scare before opening up into the first room. The red and yellow lit room was decorated with fake hanging body limbs with the center having a table with delimbed torso. Just as you got around the corner a female whimper drew your attention to a caged area where a disheveled girl was locked inside pleading for you to help her. As you moved closer a chainsaw roared to life behind you as a leather face dressed man charged out of the hidden corner chasing the three of you out of the room and into the next section.

As you made your way through the last 3 rooms you have been positioned somewhere between the two. You swear Sam jumped a foot off the ground when he was caught off guard at the last jump scare. Your thoughts were confirmed when you left and Colby began to laugh and called Sam out on it. From there the three of you bumped into each other as you walked on to the next thing you were off to do, which was carve some pumpkins which really just became a but if a mess of pumpkin guts that was tossed about your table until your group was asked to leave.

The two put back on their masks and you gladly took videos of them going around scaring poor people passing by. When your friend finally texts to meet up, you took a group picture with the two who were enjoying making trouble scaring people and sent it with the location to meet up. Sam and Colby hid them selves and waited until your friend arrived popping out and gave your friend a good scare before the three of you exchanged numbers agreeing to join them on a future ghost hunt before you left with your friend.

“Told you, you would have fun.” Your friend walks backwards, their phone out and up.

“Yeah, yeah.” You roll your eyes seconds before your head is bunched between your shoulders from the flinching reaction of two ‘Boos’ on either side of you accompanies by a Freddy Kruger and Ghost Face masks.

You turn playfully hitting the laughing guys on the shoulders as the turn to scurry away.

“Trouble I tell you. They are trouble.” You comment turning to your friend with a large smile.

#sam and colby #sam x reader #colbyxreader #colby brock #sam golbach #kippys spoopy saturdays

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kizashige · 6 months

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I have recently gotten into Persona 4, and I luckily remembered you also really liked souyo back in 2019. However I cannot find any of your souyo fanarts, so I wanted to ask if you have any of those works achieved somewhere?

When I was very into Corpse Party I was utterly enchanted by your kizashige fanart, and I believe we have had hours long conversations about those two a while ago. I was wondering if you had similar complex and well developed thoughts about Yu and Yosuke’s relationship as well?

Thank you! :)

ah most of my old p4 art is on another blog but whatever I posted was maybe just 1% of what I actually ever drew. persona 4 was my last big interest, I got into it in 2016 so I was really obsessed with it for a long time, but I didn't post my art much back then (and it's so old, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that now).

however last year, I was part of a souyo zine but I never posted my piece. this would be the first time I'm showing this off

I still love persona 4. it remains one of my favorite games of all time and was definitely a major influence towards my current taste.

I think about this often, but one thing that p4 really influenced me now with corpse party is that I've always focused on the metaphorical aspect of the darkening first, that it twists a character's desires rather than it being a completely literal corruption. it's a similar mechanic as the shadows throughout the persona series. shadows in persona are uncomfortable, contorted representations of a person's psyche, that aren't entirely true. the darkening is just as ugly and awful and confusing. it's all about symbolism.

another thing is that I focus a lot on the societal aspects in kizami and morishige's characters, how being neurodivergent and just * being different * affects them in their everyday social life, which is also a very present theme throughout persona. like, yeah, they're fun characters because they're gorehounds, but that's not The Thing that got me attached to them in the first place. I often wonder if I hadn't been into p4 before, if I would have read their characters very, very differently.

ANYWAYS, when it comes to yu and yosuke's relationship, I also had very particular ideas of their characters and dynamic to where I was quite miserable being in the fandom. you've given me the opportunity to rant about this, so as someone who was obsessed with souyo for almost four years straight, I basically hated yu and yosuke's characterization in fandom.

people who hate yosuke, whatever, but people who thought yosuke was just a happy-go-lucky, bubbly idiot who always needed yu to scold him for being homophobic pissed me off so much. souyo fans are basically incapable of addressing yosuke's internalized homophobia in any meaningful way because all they do is make yu their mouthpiece for times where they themselves wanted to scold yosuke while playing the game, thus so much fanwork comes across more as just self inserting rather than writing yu as an actual character with his own personality where he can be just as immature and dumb, even in his own dialogue options. I guess this is just the nature of working with a silent protagonist, but I hated it so much. clearly, I still do.

I related to yosuke a lot as many other people did, but I was a BIG fan of shadow yosuke and cared a lot on what that guy meant for yosuke's overall character. yosuke is so often reduced to his homophobia, that many people miss out on his general issues with wanting to be special and to stand out, and how this makes him a very clear parallel to adachi. I think yu is a parallel to adachi mostly through their narrative roles as protagonist and antagonist and through such symbolism, but the parallels between yosuke and adachi go beyond just that and to the core of their personalities and backgrounds and that always made me crazy.

adachi and yosuke both suffer from constant boredom, masking, resenting everything around them, and feeling so unfulfilled in life. the difference is that yosuke was able to make real friends, instead of becoming obsessed with his own ineptitude and pessimism like adachi did.

and that really, really got to me about yosuke's character. I loved how much he hated everyone and everything around him, I loved that he was basically living his life aimlessly, that he was trying so hard to find some purpose, that he always made mistakes and fucked up and would act out by being an asshole either intentionally or unintentionally. his homophobia was only * one * part of that.

I don't have as much to say about yu individually, but my interpretation of him was always that loneliness was a major part of his character. his implied backstory of always moving around and having neglectful parents leading him to being very apathetic to most people as a result, only to then be terrified of letting go once he finally found people he belongs with. I was obsessed with how the anime ran with his abandonment issues, how he kept everyone in a timeloop because he didn't want to be alone again.

basically, I always saw yosuke as someone who was pissed off deep down and wanted an escape through the tv world, and that yu was someone who wanted to belong somewhere so much, that it scared him. that they were two lonely, socially inept, fumbling teenagers who wanted to mean something to someone. I thought they were obsessed with each other.

I've said a lot and I could probably say more, but this was definitely an interesting ask as yu and yosuke have sort of just been in the background for me these past few years. I think whatever I wanted out of souyo I saw in kizashige a lot as well, which is funny because to an outsider, they're incredibly different ships. this tweet says it all though.

#long post #as always

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doggoartz · 9 months

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I drew ochako again 💞💞

and this time you get a buncha words with it

so first, I drew a quick little thumbnail (this is a great exercise just to practice and stuff) and then I full sized it!!

Then, I blocked out two different color schemes, originally I was going to have this whole deep meaning behind it. Something about her first her suit representing vulnerability and foolishness or whatever but then I was like

“no, I wanna draw my girl with a visor for fun”

so I just did that

rough sketch (that’s all I have to say)

lines look I wish I had an explanation for this.

I literally sat down for like four hours straight and it was mostly just this, basically just a lot of mark making, slight erasing and then flipping the canvas (LIFESAVER) but I eventually ended up with something I liked. I wish I was kidding about the four hours thing im so hungry

flats + effects + gradient maps + grayscale + finishing touches

your girl (gender neutral) went all out for this one, pulled out a YouTube tutorial I saw two years ago. All for her 💞🪐

The visor highlight is my favorite!!

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jaimebrienneonline · 7 months

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Fun with Fics

Rules: Pick any ten of your fics, scroll roughly to the midpoint, pick a line (or three) and share it. Then tag ten people.

(I got this twice in my inbox, so here goes.)

1. The Wine Is Not Enough

Sam leaned forward and offered Dany some unsolicited wisdom, “Never, ever wear open-toed sandals in a Port-o-Walder.”

2. The Seduction

Jaime lunged forward and pressed his mouth to hers in a sloppy, wet kiss. He pulled back and began kicking off his shoes. "Fine. See. You've won. I yield. You can have your way with me."

3. Vows

He shifted on the bed to lean back against the pillows, angling himself to her. “I left you unprotected in the North. Did that Wildling try to steal you? Did you let him?” His eyes glittered with something she didn’t understand. “Is that why you’re trying to refuse me?”

“No one stole me. Why would anyone even try? I’m not a possession to be stolen,” she huffed.

4. Age Gap

“Seriously though, Tyrion, what’s the point in having a sexy young girlfriend if I can’t have her hold up restaurant menus to prove I can read them from a distance?”

5. The Right Time

He rose from his seat and turned around, facing the bear-like man. With a deliberate swipe of his stump, he knocked the unopened cup to the floor before leaning his perfect muscular backside against the edge of her desk. His voice was like shards of ice as he spoke to the investigator. “Brienne already has plans for lunch. With me.” He then stood straight and took a step closer to the other man. “She has plans today. Tomorrow. Every lunch. Every day. Every dinner, too.”

6. Life's Sweetest Reward

Brienne shoveled a bite of eggs in her mouth and swallowed before answering. “Shuffleboard tournament.” After watching the other couples at parasailing yesterday, she thought she and Jaime were probably the most athletic ‘couple’ on board. “If Jaime manages to get up in time, we’ll likely win.”

Howland drew back from her and his previous affable expression turned into something much harder. Jyana touched his hand, a look of alarm on her face.

“Jya and I have been on ninety-seven cruises. We compete in the shuffleboard tournament every single time.” He leaned in then, his voice dark and low, “And we always win.”

7. The Kingslayer's Speech

No matter how she argued that the first kiss had been an accident, (did you trip and fall into my lips, wench?), he had insisted that he was entitled to a kiss with every goodbye now. It was his due, he said. Just to shut him up, she’d smacked her lips against his and sent him on his way.

8. The Singular Discomfort of Jaime Lannister

He hadn’t thought it possible to be this hard and not explode. “Are you,” he paused, needing to catch his breath, “are you asking me to tell you about the hot, dirty things I want to do to you?”

9. Everyone Has a Price

Aunt Myranda (wife of Stafford, mother of Daven, Cerenna and Myrielle), passed around tequila shots while discussing the benefits of erectile dysfunction medication, but the drawbacks of four-hour erections.

10. Words in the Dark Night

“Or I could warm it on your teats, what little you have, wench. Or perhaps under the sweet curve of your ass.”

Sam watched as the Maid’s gloved hand gripped the hilt of Oathkeeper. He wondered if Ser Jaime planned to die tonight.

----

Okay..this was a lot of fun. Thank you. I haven't double checked all the links, but you can find all my fics by just clicking one and then my user name. I can't always connect writers to tumblrs, so I'm going with the first few I remember. @ddagent @writergirl2011 @seaspiritwrites @glamaphonic @isolacaramella @quizzicalquinnia @ladym-rules @wackygoofball @wildlingoftarth @bussdowntarthiana

#jaime x brienne #jaime lannister #brienne of tarth

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callsign-daydream · 1 year

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A Squadron of Fools

Summary: It's April Fool's Day on base. You know this can only mean one thing for the Dagger Squadron. Inspired by this post.

Warnings: Starred out swearing, yelling, general Navy/Military inaccuracies, Dagger DummiesTM, Mav schooling these punks, general tomfoolery, just some dumb fun really with no plot in sight, OC included

Word count: 1174

A/N: This drabble includes my OC, Hallie "Daydream" A-Jones. You can read about her here. Also, this is my first time sharing any of my TGM writing so be patient if it's OOC/poorly written lol~

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April 1st, 0600 Hours

“I have cannolis!”

Hallie “Daydream” A-Jones waltzed into the briefing room, a tray of non-regulation sweets in hand. The smell of sugar wafted up into the room where a couple of her fellow pilots were already seated.

“Yeah, right,” said Coyote from his seat on a table. “Like I’d eat anything you brought in today. How’d you even get that on base?”

“Suit yourself.” Daydream ignored his question. Instead, she plucked out a cannoli and took a bite.

Coyote raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. Her action drew the attention of Bob, ever the first one there. His eyes ogled the tray, looking wide enough to reach the rims of his glasses.

“I’ll take one,” the WSO said.

Daydream was only happy to oblige. The tray was placed in front of Bob, who eagerly grabbed one. Just as he brought it to his mouth, his beloved frontseater walked in. Seeing the scene, Phoenix's eyes widened to match Bob’s, stuffed full of horror like the condemned cannoli.

“Don’t eat that!”

Too late.

Bob coughed on impact. He was overpowered by the sound of both Daydream and Coyote cackling loud enough to echo around the entire room. Phoenix instantly was patting Bob on the back, shaking her head, though it wasn't clear if it was at the prank itself or Bob's willingness to believe in it.

“Mayonnaise, really, Hallie?” Bob looked up with puppy eyes.

“Come on, Bob,” Phoenix said. “You know better.”

“She ate one!”

Hallie grinned and took another bite of her own cannoli. “Made sure to make a regular one for myself.”

Coyote shook his head. “You’re bad, Daydream.”

“You might say a nightmare dressed like a daydream.”

Phoenix groaned. “Not the Taylor Swift reference.”

The four continued preparing for the day's meeting with absent-minded chatter, Phoenix and Daydream moving into discussing a certain "snack" of a man who’d been at the Hard Deck the previous night, when Payback and Fanboy strode in. Payback marched straight to Coyote and threw a plastic spider at him.

“Not funny man,” Payback complained.

“Serves you right for freezing Captain Kirk in my Tupperware.” Fanboy shoved his squad mate.

Any Payback commentary was interrupted by the stomping boots of Bradley Bradshaw.

“Alright, which one of you chuckleheads thought it was funny to hurt Sharona?!”

Everyone knew Rooster’s beloved Bronco was lovingly dubbed Sharona, and whenever he played “My Sharona” at the Hard Deck, it was an ode to the old truck. To target the vehicle for April Fool’s Day was below the belt.

“What happened?” Phoenix asked, not looking up from her notepad.

“Someone covered her in **** sticky notes! I was raining papers down the freeway!”

The group immediately began chuckling, which only led to Rooster’s mustache turning down further. The only one who seemed to remain somewhat calm was Phoenix, her smirk the exact opposite of the young Bradshaw’s.

“Surprised you missed the one on the side view mirror,” she said. “I don’t leave my art unsigned.”

“Fee, I will–”

Before Rooster could crow the rest of the threat, he was interrupted by yet another victim.

“Whoever did this is ****-ing dead!”

Any other pranks were forgotten in the wake of a red faced and blue haired Hangman. From tip to root, it looked like someone had dunked him in blue raspberry Kool Aid. The only thing louder than the color was the laughter of the rest of the squadron.

Hangman growled in reply. “You better confess now if you know what’s good for you.”

More laughing. Hangman scanned the room, instantly settling on his usual target. Hands snatched the front of Rooster’s jumpsuit. The latter seemed unaffected, tears beginning to form from his laughter. Any thought of poor Sharona’s lost dignity was forgotten for now.

“I don’t know how you got in my place, but you’ll pay for this, Rooster.”

“Lay off, Bagman.” Rooster choked out his defense between chuckles, hands raised. “I wish it was me. But it wasn’t.”

“Well it was somebody!”

“Why don’t you try Mav? Or Fee?”

“Hey!” Phoenix yelled.

“You son of a–”

A chair screeched on the floor.

“Let him go, Hangman,” said Daydream. “I think the blue looks nice on you.”

Hangman stared. Everyone stared. Rooster was released to laugh-cry to his heart’s content, and Hallie simply smiled like a Disney princess, a twinkle in her eyes.

“You?!”

“Uh oh,” Phoenix whispered to Bob. “He can’t punch his little crush.”

“Had it, Trace,” Jake said. He turned back to Hallie. “You’ll pay for this, Dreamgirl.”

“Oh please, tell me more, Bagman.”

"Alright, alright, everyone settle down.” Maverick’s entrance broke the group, though Hangman gave a look to Hallie signaling their conversation wasn’t over. Once everyone was seated, Maverick stepped to his own chair, though he paused with a smirk.

He held up a whoopie cushion. “That the best you got?”

Fanboy let out a curse.

“Let’s get to business." Maverick chucked the toy over his shoulder. "Nice hair, by the way, Hangman, though I don’t think that’s regulation.”

More laughter, and another curse from little boy blue.

“Now, we have a serious mission coming up, and I believe Admiral Simpson is here to brief us. Daydream, I’d hide that tray before he gets in here, and no, I don’t want whatever toothpaste or mayonnaise filling you put in those.”

Hallie quickly shoved the tray under her chair. Bob turned back to stick his tongue out at her, which she hastily returned.

Admiral Simpson was right on time. His face set, back straight, uniform pressed. As clean as ever, but with one exception. An exception that, as he passed each set of aviators, caused each of them to bite lips, cover mouths, and shut eyes in a fight for silence.

The sight of the legendary Cyclone walking in, blissfully unaware of the honey and feathers covering the backend of his pants, was almost a harder test than any they’d experienced in the air.

Even as he turned around to brief the pilots, each had to keep up the fight. Bob stared down at his paper. Fanboy chewed his pen, Phoenix inspected her nails. Rooster appeared to be actively pulling out his mustache. Payback and Coyote both appeared constipated. Daydream was about to make her lip bleed from biting it, and even Hangman uncharacteristically had no commentary that morning.

The only party that appeared unaffected was Maverick.

“I’ll take your silence as a sign you all understand the upcoming mission,” Cyclone finished. “Is that a correct assumption?”

Fanboy choked out a weak, “Yes, sir.”

Cyclone’s eyebrows twitched for a moment, but he evidently chose not to question the surprise tranquility of the typically chaotic squadron. With a nod to Maverick, he took his exit, prompting a whole other round of coughing, knuckle biting, and more. The moment the door shut, it was like the room was filled with laughing gas.

“Who did that?!”

“Dude! You’re getting discharged!”

“How?”

Maverick cleared his throat. All eight eyes turned to him, the laughter only mildly stifled.

“And that, recruits, is how it’s done.” Mav grinned. “And I made sure to get pictures of all your faces looking like they’re about to explode for my own personal file. Also, I doubt Admiral Simpson will believe you if you try to say I did it."

Jaws dropped and eyes widened. Maverick’s grin only grew as he strode out.

“Ten minutes. I’ll see you fools on the tarmac.”

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waheelawhisperer · 1 year

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Indra: Damn, you look bollocksed, mate. Rough day?

Me: I just got out of a 4-hour HR meeting.

Indra: Blimey. Wot kinda HR meeting lasts four bloody hours? And wot the hell'd you do to get stuck in one, anyway?

Me: According to Kal'tsit, listing Gavial's bedroom as my location on company social media is considered "unprofessional".

Indra: You're not pullin' my leg, are you, mate? You were there for real?

Me: Yep.

Indra (winking and elbowing me in the side): You lucky dog! How was it?

Me: Indra, it's not what you're thinking. All we did was play video games, as demonstrated by the fact that I am currently walking under my own power and not confined to the medical wing.

Indra: Aw, come off it, mate! We both know Gavial's got a bit of a soft spot for you. Don't you remember how gentle she was when she took you back to see her hometown? That bird treats you like you're made of glass!

Me: When she's not bouncing me around like a pinball. Besides, it's not Gavial I'm worried about.

Indra: Oh yeah? I know she's got some crazy fans, but... Well, in any case, that lot gives you trouble, give me a call. I'll come sort them out.

Me: It's one fan in particular, actually. Do you know why my meeting went on so long?

Indra: Do tell, mate. I'm just dying to hear it.

Me: It was originally scheduled for three hours. It went on for four because Tomimi broke in and tried to gun me down with one of those field artillery pieces we stole from Londinium's defenses and Dagda bodychecked her through the wall.

Indra: What was Dagda doing there? Last I heard, she hadn't gotten in trouble for weeks.

Me: Morgan drew penises on Kal'tsit's paperwork and framed Dagda for it. She'd just managed to clear her name when Tomimi broke down the door and Dagda had to put her in a sleeper hold. I only survived because Blaze knocked me out of the way of the artillery shell. Also, we need a new HR office now.

Indra: Why was Blaze in the meeting with you? Not that I'm doubting she did something to deserve it, I just want to know what the bird did to get herself in trouble this time.

Me: She got drunk last night and sexted me (on purpose) and Kal'tsit (by accident). Kal'tsit banned her from the landship bar for the next three weeks and told her she had to attend the meeting to discuss appropriate workplace relationships.

Indra: Damn, Doctor, a girl puts herself out there like that for you and you're here talking to me instead of giving her a right shag? That's cold.

Me: Indra, do you have any idea how often my operators send me pictures of their genitals? At this point, seeing Blaze in a g-string at 2:00 AM is just a normal Tuesday night. If I tried to close the deal every time someone sent me a booty pic, I'd be dead by now and the landship would exist in a perpetual state of civil war. Besides, I'm too tired to be horny at the moment. Kal'tsit just talked at me for four straight hours.

Indra: Well, ain't that a tragedy, mate? Come on, then, let me get you off to bed. And I mean bed bed, like for sleeping and such, not fun bed.

Me: Oh, thank God. I love you, Indra.

Indra: Yeah, you and everyone else. Come on, off you go.

#arknights #indra #kal'tsit #gavial #tomimi #dagda #morgan #blaze #wife

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mariana-oconnor · 1 year

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The Stockbroker's Clerk pt 2

Missed this until now because I decided to start knitting and then i didn't stop. Whoops.

Also I've read in a couple of places that Mr Pycroft, our victim, is going around using antisemitic language, so yeah... not great. I am not well-versed in slurs, apparently, or at least old timey ones. And I was rooting for him, too.

Nice little bit of history about tomorrow's bank holiday (wooo! bank holiday month. Three four day weeks this year. I suppose the coronation had to be good for something.)

Then Sherlock Holmes cocked his eye at me, leaning back on the cushions with a pleased and yet critical face, like a connoisseur who has just taken his first sip of a comet vintage.

This is the least relatable simile I have ever read, seeing as I don't like wine and have no idea what a 'comet vintage' is. I was going to look it up, but then decided that my first instinct that it was brewed from alien glowing grapes grown from meteor seeds that fall from the sky is far more fun and I'm just going to be sticking with it. Honestly, it feels like a fun worldbuilding idea. Maybe I should use it.

Not the point. Just... I have no idea what's going on with Holmes' face here.

“Oh, easily enough,” said Hall Pycroft, cheerily. “You are two friends of mine who are in want of a billet, and what could be more natural than that I should bring you both round to the managing director?”

Getting a job interview, as always, is a lot more about who you know, it seems. Although this seems easy even by that standard. At a job you've been at for... a month? I can't remember the exact timeline. But maybe you should leave it a little longer before bringing your friends around for jobs. Unless the managing director has specifically asked if you know anyone (and I'm betting he hasn't).

"Or is it possible that—” He began biting his nails and staring blankly out of the window, and we hardly drew another word from him until we were in New Street.

Don't bite your nails, Holmes. Come on now. Also, I find it hilarious that both Watson and Mr Pycroft might just be staring at him, waiting for him to finish. My Dad trails off like this sometimes and when we prompt him to finish his sentence he stares at us blankly and can't even remember what he started saying.

“It is no use our being at all before our time,” said our client. “He only comes there to see me, apparently, for the place is deserted up to the very hour he names.” “That is suggestive,” remarked Holmes.

Yeah, I might have tried following him by this point. That's very suspicious.

I had never looked upon a face which bore such marks of grief, and of something beyond grief—of a horror such as comes to few men in a lifetime. His brow glistened with perspiration, his cheeks were of the dull, dead white of a fish's belly, and his eyes were wild and staring. He looked at his clerk as though he failed to recognize him, and I could see by the astonishment depicted upon our conductor's face that this was by no means the usual appearance of his employer.

This is ominous. Something has clearly gone terribly wrong. Or maybe it's auspicious because we're pretty sure this is the bad guy who is planning Crimes, so maybe we should be glad that he's all dead fish-ified. Lovely graphic description there. ACD is very good at vivid character descriptions. I don't usually picture things as I read them, and I can almost see this guy. I have very strong vibes of him, anyway.

“One is Mr. Harris, of Bermondsey, and the other is Mr. Price, of this town,” said our clerk, glibly.

Hall Pycroft lies like a fucking pro. No hesitation. No thinking, straight out with the fake names and origins. I get that he's already prepped this on the train journey (or before) but he doesn't even pause. Cool as a cucumber, no shame. Mr Pycroft should be the criminal. Genuinely.

“I have every hope that the company may accommodate you. I will let you know about it as soon as we come to any conclusion. And now I beg that you will go. For God's sake leave me to myself!”

That's actually more polite than I was expecting him to be. But wow, sudden heel turn there at the end. Mr Pinner is having a Bad Day. If you're feeling that sick, maybe you shouldn't have come in, Mr Pinner. Surely you, at your entirely legitimate business, have a secretary or assistant or enterprising urchin you could send with a message. I'm sure it isn't just you at this totally real and non-fraudulent company.

All of your assistants must have the day off, I guess.

“You may wait here a moment; and there is no reason why your friends should not wait with you. I will be entirely at your service in three minutes, if I might trespass upon your patience so far.”

Yeah... he's not coming back. Those are not the words of a man who is coming back. I'm not sure if he's going to make a run for it or throw himself out of the window at this point. Watson was very clear about him looking pretty terrible about things.

“Is he giving us the slip?” “Impossible,” answered Pycroft. [...] “There is no exit?” “None.”

I didn't mean it about him throwing himself out the window... Guys... guys?

Although a window would count as an exit, I suppose. But seriously, is he about to kill himself? Do I need to put a suicide warning tag on this post.

"If ever a man was three parts mad with terror, that man's name is Pinner. What can have put the shivers on him?”

In my 'supernatural is real' alternate universe version of this fic, Banshee.

In the canon universe, I can only assume his accomplice in London has been discovered and he is in immediate and definite danger from someone more dangerous than the police. Maybe he double crossed his partner and his partner found out. Maybe both he and his partner are double crossing a third party who likes to solve problems with direct (violent) action?

His words were interrupted by a sharp rat-tat from the direction of the inner door. “What the deuce is he knocking at his own door for?” cried the clerk. Again and much louder cam the rat-tat-tat.

The horror movie vibes are strong in this one. This is just a classic horror movie scene. I take it back, it wasn't a banshee, it was a monster like the ring girl or something and after you hear the knocking you have three days before it comes out of the shadows and eats your soul and wears your flesh.

Time to grab your weapons.

Then suddenly came a low guggling, gargling sound, and a brisk drumming upon woodwork.

Either Mr Pinner dying of self-administered poison, OR a goo monster is disappearing between the gaps in the floorboards. It's 50/50, really.

Following his example, we threw ourselves upon it with all our weight. One hinge snapped, then the other, and down came the door with a crash. Rushing over it, we found ourselves in the inner room. It was empty.

MORE DOOR SMASHING. YES!

Oh my god he did liquefy and dribble through the floorboards. RIP to the cleaners of the offices on the fourth floor.

But it was only for a moment that we were at fault. At one corner, the corner nearest the room which we had left, there was a second door.

Fake out. Seriously? There's a whole-ass door in there, Mr Pycroft. What do you mean no exits. That's an exit. It's a door. Do you even use your eyes?

Oh...

OK, I really didn't mean that he was going to kill himself. I... yikes. Well. I'm not quoting the description in here because that's graphic and unpleasant. But I do wonder at the logistics of his knees being drawn up...

I stooped over him and examined him. His pulse was feeble and intermittent, but his breathing grew longer, and there was a little shivering of his eyelids, which showed a thin white slit of ball beneath.

Not dead. Phew.

"Just open that window, and hand me the water carafe.” I undid his collar, poured the cold water over his face, and raised and sank his arms until he drew a long, natural breath.

And Watson is doing his medicine thing, which admittedly seems to boil down to 'he's not dead, we must water him like a plant.' Cutting edge Victorian medicine, ladies and gentlemen! The raising and lowering of his arms, I imagine must have something to do with his blood flow. I don't know if that does any good, though. I doubt it, because I've never seen or heard of it before, but I am not a trained medical professional, so what do I know? I'm sure Watson absolutely knows what he's doing.

“I suppose we ought to call the police in now,” said he. “And yet I confess that I'd like to give them a complete case when they come.”

I mean, modern day, I'd probably call an ambulance rather than the police at this point, but I guess Watson has done all that can be done. It's up to Mr Pinner to survive, now.

Love how reluctant Holmes sounds, though. Like a child who has been told to share their favourite toy.

“Well, the whole thing hinges upon two points. The first is the making of Pycroft write a declaration by which he entered the service of this preposterous company. Do you not see how very suggestive that is?”

That did seem odd, but I'm not sure how that could be used against him. Unless he's being scapegoated. Or unless they showed it to Mawson's. But that would mean that they weren't impersonating him.

"Don't you see, my young friend, that they were very anxious to obtain a specimen of your handwriting, and had no other way of doing it?”

Okay, so it was for the impersonation? Because all Mawson's had of Mr Pycroft to use for validation was the letter he wrote them, so the impersonator is a professional forger who has just been forging Pycroft's handwriting this whole time? That makes a certain amount of sense.

"But in the interval the rogue had learned to imitate you, and his position was therefore secure, as I presume that nobody in the office had ever set eyes upon you.”

Yep yep. Feeling pretty good right now. I didn't think of the handwriting thing, but I already had the rest of the solution, so that's fine. I can live with that.

“Ah yes, they keep a permanent guard there on account of the value of the securities that they hold. I remember hearing it talked of in the City.”

Ah yes, the massive motive for a potential crime they have, which I am now mentioning in passing and which I'm sure has nothing to do with any of this.

“The paper!” croaked a voice behind us. The man was sitting up, blanched and ghastly, with returning reason in his eyes, and hands which rubbed nervously at the broad red band which still encircled his throat.

OH MOTHERF- I was going to quote that bit about him buying a paper on his way to the office and say that I thought the paper must be important, then I decided against it, and my own innate sense of honesty forbids me to go back and add it in retrospectively now. Bugger it all. I really did read that and think 'The paper must be important' but then backtracked in my own head. Gosh and Darn. I'd forgotten about it.

This is very irritating. Like when you're at a quiz and you say the right answer and then talk yourself into changing it to a different one. BAH!

‘Crime in the City. Murder at Mawson & Williams's. Gigantic attempted Robbery. Capture of the Criminal.’

Oh wow, his partner murdered someone and got caught. I guess that would probably be enough to get Pinner the death penalty too for conspiracy. I'm not sure what crimes were punishable by death at that time.

"For some time back Mawson & Williams, the famous financial house, have been the guardians of securities which amount in the aggregate to a sum of considerably over a million sterling"

Obligatory inflation calculation says a million pounds in 1890 comes out to £103,648,764.51 in modern money. So yeah... that's a pretty big motive.

"This person appears to have been none other that Beddington, the famous forger and cracksman, who, with his brother, had only recently emerged from a five years' spell of penal servitude."

Cracksman, I assume means a safe cracker. I definitely prefer it as a term. And I think it should be noted that Mr Pinner was not lying about having a brother. He was lying about him being his own brother... and literally everything else. But he does have a brother. So that's something, right? 👍👍

"Sergeant Tuson, of the City Police, [...] with the aid of Constable Pollack"

These newspaper articles are always so keen to give us the names of the people involved. This is good for the police officers, but not so good for Mr Hall Pycroft, as now his name is not going to be particularly welcome in the world of stocks and banking.

"His brother, who usually works with him, has not appeared in this job as far as can at present be ascertained, although the police are making energetic inquiries as to his whereabouts."

'Energetic' enquiries. I know they mean that they're actively pursuing leads and putting a lot of effort into hunting him down, but this made me think of them doing star jumps or running on the spot as they knock on doors and ask questions.

"Human nature is a strange mixture, Watson. You see that even a villain and murderer can inspire such affection that his brother turns to suicide when he learns that his neck is forfeited."

So he tried to kill himself because his brother was going to be sentenced for murder?

Am I just a bad sibling, because that 100% does not strike me as a thing a person would even vaguely think of doing? That's like... weirdly obsessive and creepy levels of sibling love. 'I can't live without him'? I know they're criminals and at least one of them is a murderer, but I really think these two need extensive therapy to help them become less co-dependent. That's a toxic family relationship, right there. I don't even know what to make of it.

Once again, Holmes doesn't actually solve the case, not really. I mean, he does, but the main crime has already been thwarted before he gets there. It's so weird how that happens.

No idea what's going to happen to Mr Hall Pycroft now. I doubt he's getting a job at Mawson's after he's played a part in that little crime. And like I said, his name's been in the paper associated with the criminals, so I doubt he's getting a job anywhere else, either. He might have to change his name and possibly also his career path. Sucks to be him, I guess?

#Letters from Watson #The Stockbroker's Clerk #Sherlock Holmes #attempted suicide #long post

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lilacwisps · 1 year

Text

the course of true love (never did run smooth)

Ship: Sebastian Sallow x Ravenclaw Female Player Character Rating: T Summary: When Sebastian and Ava get caught stealing potion ingredients from the greenhouses, only one way out comes to mind.

ao3 link

On a crisp yet sunny October morning, the Transfiguration Courtyard was filled with people. Sebastian leaned against the balustrade separating the courtyard from the small pond, resting his chin lazily on the palm of his hand as he looked out on the water. A myriad of tiny silver glimmers just below the water's surface drew his eye - Sebastian looked closer and saw a shoal of fish scurrying about the pond's floor.

Watching fish was not exactly Sebastian's idea of fun. Still, he had about twenty minutes to kill before meeting Ominis, who - after an extended argument - had promised to let Sebastian "borrow" his Potions assignment. Between yet another excursion to the Restricted Section and all of his detentions, Sebastian had absolutely no time to complete all of his homework- and he had told Ominis as much.

"Very well," Ominis finally relented, "But this is the last time I'm letting you copy my work."

Sebastian easily agreed, knowing all too well that it won't be the last - Ominis liked to scold Sebastian for his careless attitude, but he did not want Sebastian to fail any of the classes. Especially not right before the O.W.L.s.

"Sebastian," Ava Rosier's voice distracted him from his thoughts, "There you are. I need your help."

When Sebastian turned to Ava, he instantly knew she must have just gotten out of the Flying Class with Madam Kogawa. She was dressed in blue Ravenclaw flying robes, her long hair was windswept and tousled, and pale pink blush bloomed on her cheeks. Momentarily distracted, Sebastian smiled at Ava before catching himself.

"Skipping pleasantries and going straight to business this morning, huh?" he said, "I like that."

"You are so not the one to talk about manners," Ava leaned back against the granite column and crossed her arms before her, "And besides - I had just seen you not two hours ago. Or have you forgotten?"

Sebastian had not - Ava was the one who helped him get into the Restricted Section earlier that night. Not that he needed her - or anyone's - help - after all, very few students knew the secret passageways of Hogwarts better than him. But after the night he got Ava to the Restricted Section during the first week of school, it became almost a tradition between them to sneak into the library together. It increased the risk of getting caught, of course, but Sebastian always maintained that doing illicit things with someone was at least twice as fun as doing them alone, making the risk worth it. Simple math, really.

Besides, while he did not need her help actually getting into the Libarty, it was helpful to get some external ideas for his rule-breaking routine - such as Ava's suggestion to start all their illicit outings between three and four in the morning rather than just past midnight.

"At that hour, the librarian is most certainly gone, and all the prefects can hardly keep their eyes open, so they are much less likely to investigate anything suspicious," she told him.

Sebastian was not too fond of waking up that early, but after a few night outings, he had to admit that Ava was right.

"See, I always knew we'd make a great team," he told her, to which Ava only smiled.

A loud splash of water pulled Sebastian out of his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder only to see a group of first-years tossing rocks into the lake, each trying to prove they could make their rock leap farther than everyone else.

"No," he said, turning to Ava, "How could I forget? So then, what is it you need?"

Sebastian Sallow liked a few things better than having friends in his debt, which was why he would hear Ava out. And what else could be the reason? Most certainly not the soft half-smile that bloomed on her lips when she thanked him or the pretty blush that rose in her cheeks when they had to run from prefects or the librarian.

Ava glanced at the group of first-years on the other side of the marble pavilion. Satisfied that they were out of earshot, she turned her back to the balustrade and hopped up, settling down on the top rail. It was an odd change of perspective for Sebastian - usually, she was more than a head shorter, but now her face was almost level with his.

"Don't be so loud," she murmured softly, "It's best that no one else hears us."

"Well, now I am most certainly intrigued," Sebastian lowered his voice and shifted closer, "Let me guess - it has something to do with the Restricted Section."

"Not this time," Ava chuckled, and Sebastian raised his eyebrow - now that was surprising. Fortunately, Ava didn't leave him wondering for too long, "I need you to help me steal some Sopophorous Beans from the greenhouses."

The request surprised Sebastian - given their history together, he had expected Ava to ask him to join her on a trip to the Forbidden Forest at the very least - or, perhaps, on a detour to a goblin camp to make sure that filth didn't spread. Stealing from the greenhouses was not something he could have guessed - and that made him all the more curious.

"What do you need them for?" Sebastian asked.

Since Ava mentioned the Sopophorous Beans, he'd been trying to remember if he'd ever heard of them. The name sounded vaguely familiar, to be sure. Still, his mind kept coming up blank on the beans' magical properties - unfortunately for Sebastian, neither Herbology nor Potions were his strong subjects.

Ava tilted her head, looking Sebastian straight in the eye, "I'm trying to brew the Draught of the Living Death."

Sebastian looked at her, blinking slowly as he processed Ava's words. Potions may not have been his strong suit, but he knew just enough about the Draught of the Living Death to understand its dangers. He'd heard from some seventh-year students that this draught used to be taught in the N.E.W.T. level potions class - but after someone poured it into the cups of the entire Hufflepuff Quidditch team - no doubt as retribution for winning the Quidditch Cup - it was removed from the curriculum.

To many, that sounded like just another rumor - but Sebastian knew more than his fair share of sore losers, so he believed it.

"What can you possibly need that for?" he asked, frowning.

"I cannot tell you right now," Ava released her grip on the railing to brush her windswept hair out of her face.

"Does it have something to do with the trials you've told me about?" Sebastian leaned in closer so he could speak quietly.

Ava held his gaze, silent and still, then nodded slowly.

Sebastian was sure that he knew Ava better than anyone else at Hogwarts - and yet, so much about her remained a mystery. Still, he did not mind - the draw of the unknown has always been inexorable to him.

"It's a dangerous brew," he cautioned, "I hope you know what you are doing."

"I appreciate the warning," Ava replied, placing her hands back on the railing, "But you do not need to worry about me."

All of a sudden, Sebastian was acutely aware of how close their hands were - warmth radiated from Ava's skin, and if he shifted his fingers ever so slightly, he could brush against the back side of her palm…Which was something he most definitely was not going to do.

Shaking his head, Sebastian chased away the unwelcome thoughts and focused on Ava's request. So, how would they steal Sopophorous Beans? While Sebastian did not know the greenhouses as well as he knew the Restricted Section of the library, it did not take a genius to figure out that a plant like this would likely be in a special area accessible only to N.E.W.T-level Herbology students and Professor Garlick herself.

"Suppose I agreed to help you," Sebastian said, "But what exactly is your plan? If Sopophorous beans are grown in the special area of the greenhouses - as I suspect they would be, given their uses - it would be no easy feat to get to them. Professor Garlick keeps the corridor leading to that greenhouse under lock and key - and always seals it with an anti-Alohomora charm. We cannot exactly ask her to let us in - so what do you propose we do?"

"Well, now I know for certain you don't pay attention in Herbology," Ava chuckled as she tilted her head to the side, studying Sebastian's face. A moment later, she widened her eyes in faux shock and leaned in closer - lowering her voice to barely a whisper as though sharing the biggest secret, "Don't tell me it's because of Professor Garlick. I knew it! Ever since that first Herbology class, you were always so awfully distracted."

Sebastian rolled his eyes as warmth rose to his cheeks. Of course, she'd remember. The night before that Herbology class, Sebastian helped Ava sneak into the Restricted Section of the library for the first time. As luck would have it, they've stumbled upon Peeves, who could not wait to tell Scribner all about their little adventures, leaving Sebastian no choice but to go back to deal with the fallout, all to buy Ava time to continue her search.

He never saw her again that night - the librarian marched him straight to Headmaster Black's office, where he'd been threatened with all kinds of disciplinary actions until Ominis's interference reduced his punishment to detention.

Sebastian became exceedingly worried when he did not see Ava at breakfast the next day. She seemed capable enough to handle all the obstacles she'd faced thus far, but what if he made a mistake leaving her alone that night in the Restricted Section? What if something had happened to her?

When he later saw Ava walking down the stairs into the greenhouse, his heart thumped in his chest. And if he smiled at Ava when professor Garlick introduced her to the class, that was only because he was so relieved to see her alive and well - and not at all because of the way his heart skipped a beat when their eyes met.

Chasing the thoughts away, Sebastian shrugged.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he responded to Ava's jab, "Unfortunately for you, I'll just have to leave you wondering - after all, I can't be going around telling you all my secrets now, can I?"

"No need to say anything," Ava replied, "You aren't half as discreet as you think you are. But, if you were to pay attention in Herbology, you would notice that on Thursdays, Professor Garlick always comes out of the locked section of the greenhouse right before our class starts and doesn't properly lock the door until the class is over. All we need to do is sneak into that corridor before it's locked."

Sebastian nodded along - while this wasn't the most elaborate plan, he's heard much worse in his five years at Hogwrats.

"And it just so happens that today's a Thursday," he said slowly.

"Yes," Ava smiled, "Isn't that convenient?"

Sebastian sighed - if he were to get detention again today, Ominis would undoubtedly be extremely cross with him - all the more reason not to get caught.

"And how certain are you that everything will go as you expect?" Sebastian asked wearily.

"Unlike some people, I pay attention in Herbology," Ava said, looking Sebastian in the eye, "And Professor Garlick has been leaving the door to that corridor unlocked during our class the past three weeks."

Sebastian frowned - three weeks is far from long enough to ensure the plan is foolproof, but he has to admit that Ava certainly put some thought into it.

"So," Ava leaned back on her arms and looked at Sebastian impatiently, "Will you help me?"

"The success of your plan hinges on an awful lot of assumptions," Sebastian mused, running through all the steps in his mind.

"Says the man who almost got us caught at the Restricted Section during the first week, all because he believed that the librarian is "usually" gone after midnight," Ava chuckled.

"But we didn't get caught," Sebastian retorted.

"Technically, we did," Ava said, tilting her head and letting her hair fall to the side. Soft fall sun caught in the dark brown strands of her hair, turning it almost gold. It took a moment before Sebastian realized that he'd been staring.

"Don't start," he said, frustrated by Ava's words and his own disposition.

"If you don't want to help me, you can just say that," Ava shrugged lightly. Next thing Sebastian knew, she hopped off the balustrade and stood beside him, "I could always ask Garreth Weasley - he does still owe me for that time at Hogsmeade… I suppose I better go find him - not much time left until Herbology."

A dark, burning feeling uncoiled in Sebastian's chest as he thought about Ava approaching Garreth Weasley for help. It almost shocked Sebastian how much he loathed the thought - he'd never been all that possessive over his friends. But something about her felt different - ever since they went to Hogsmeade on the first day of class. Ever since she beat him in that duel during the Defence Against the Dark Arts class.

They share a special connection - of that much, Sebastian is certain. He understood her better than anyone at the school did - and most definitely better than Garreth Weasley, of all people.

Ava was almost halfway across the pavilion when he called after her.

"I'd hate to see you get caught," he said, "And if you bring someone like Weasley, that outcome is all but guaranteed. Luckily for you, I'm feeling benevolent today, so I'm willing to help."

"Oh?" Ava stopped and glanced at Sebastian over her shoulder, "And what happened to change your mind?"

"I just pictured professor Fig's disappointed face when he learns that his favorite student is in detention until the end of the semester and realized that I cannot do that to the old man," Sebastian said, approaching Ava.

She studied his face briefly, then a half-smile spread across her lips, "How kind and generous of you."

"What can I say," Sebastian replied, then added, "Now, just so I understand the scope of the problem - what exactly do you need me to do? Do you need a lookout? Or would you rather I come along and help steal the beans? Or, perhaps, you want me to distract Professor Garlick?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you," Ava laughed, "But, alas, whatever designs you have on Professor Garlick will have to wait. I'm assuming you are not at all familiar with the Sopophorous Beans; otherwise, you'd know that there is no way to collect them alone - someone needs to be holding the root leaves to make the plant release the beans in the first place. So you'll need to come along."

Sebastian nodded along - holding leaves sounds easy enough. "And have you thought about how we will get out of the greenhouses?" he asked.

"Hopefully, the same way we got in," Ava replied, leaning against the marble column behind her, "If we manage to keep Professor Garlick distracted long enough."

"I could think of a few spells that could help with that," Sebastian mused. There were several strong contenders, but Sebastian always maintained that it was usually better to go with something simpler in a situation like this one.

"That's what I like to hear," Ava smiled, "Thank you, Sebastian."

"I told you I can help you, and I will," Sebastian crossed his arms before adding, "Even if your plan is a little half-baked. Fortunately for you, I am feeling charitable today."

"Lucky me," Ava chuckled lightly.

The sound of bells filled the courtyard - the clock struck ten, notifying students to hurry to their next class. Ominis must be getting out of his Arithmancy class right about now.

"Ominis will be really disappointed if he learns what we've been up to," Sebastian remarked, watching the doors to the courtyard.

"Then we'll have to make sure we don't get caught, so he won't have to find out," Ava replied calmly, "Worst comes to worst, I'm sure we could make it up to him."

Sebastian could not even begin to imagine what that would entail - any time he'd spoken to Ominis after getting into trouble with the faculty, he'd always gotten an earful from his friend. But Ava seemed to have a way with Ominis - so much so that he'd agreed to help them find Slytherin's Scriptorium after she asked him once, even though he previously refused Sebastian's pleas outright. It's good that his and Ava's interests were aligned thus far.

"I better hurry," Ava continued, "I still need to change before my next class. Thanks for the help, Sebastian - I will see you in Herbology."

Three hours before Herbology passed in a blink of an eye - Ominis came by almost as soon as Ava left, bringing with him the potions assignment Sebastian so desperately needed to copy. Without wasting a minute, Sebastian got to work - the assignment was so lengthy that even using Ominis's work as a guide, Sebastian was only finished right before it was time to head to class.

This Herbology class was dedicated to tending to aconite flowers. After setting up his workstation, Sebastian glanced at the door leading to the sealed-off part of the greenhouses to see if Ava was correct. He watched Professor Garlick appear through the door a moment before the class started - and saw that she did not lock it.

Impressive, Sebastian thought, looking over to Ava, who only shrugged.

To Sebastian's surprise, the lesson passed by with hardly any accidents. Only Everett Clopton had to leave halfway through due to aconite poisoning - somehow, he thought it would be wise to handle the leaves without gloves.

"Five minutes left," Professor Garlick announced as the lesson was drawing to a close, "Please wrap up your tasks and clean up your workstations."

Sebastian glanced over at Ava and nodded. Setting aside his trowel, Sebastian picked up the watering can and brought it to the shelves at the back of the class. Once there, he scanned the classroom to ensure no one was looking before quickly pulling out his wand.

The archway to the right of the shelves opened to a smaller greenhouse room. Looking in, Sebastian noticed six flowerpots hanging from the ceiling with dense green overgrowth spilling over the sides of the pots. Perfect.

Sebastian was already back at his workstation when a loud sound of clay shattering rang through the greenhouse.

"Oh no," Professor Garlick - who'd been checking over Natty's aconite plant - exclaimed as she looked up and saw shattered pots on the ground in the other room, "I knew they were too heavy - I should have repotted them sooner."

"Do you need help, Professor?" Samantha Dale asked.

"No, no, it's alright," Professor Garlick replied, "I would hate for any of you to be late to your next lesson - class dismissed."

With that, Professor Garlick hurried off to the smaller room, musing out loud about which pots to use for replanting. Everyone else was still packing up when Ava caught Seabstain's gaze. "Now's the time," she whispered.

Sebastian and Ava quickly made their way through the corridor leading out of the greenhouses and walked through the door on the left that Professor Garlick forgot to lock earlier instead of heading up the stairs to the exit.

Sebastian had extensively explored Hogwarts in his five years at the school - and yet, he'd never been to this part of the greenhouses. The short corridor ended, opening into a large room. Soft autumn light poured in through the roof's green and yellow glass panels. In the center of the room were three smaller greenhouses with iridescent, almost milky-white glass walls.

"Do you know what that Sopophorous Bean plant looks like?" Sebastian asked as they approached the greenhouses.

"It's a short, pale green plant with long, thin leaves," Ava responded, carefully studying the contents of the first greenhouse through the glass walls, "And the beans are small and silvery-white - they are very similar to mistletoe berries."

Sebastian nodded and turned his attention to the inside of the second greenhouse. They've gotten this far, but they needed to act quickly, or they could get caught.

"There!" Ava said suddenly, pointing inside the greenhouse on the left, "Next to the Alihosty in the corner."

With that, she walked over to the small door on the side of the greenhouse and decisively pulled it open. Sebastian followed, careful not to touch overhanging leaves bursting from various pots and flowerbeds. Though he recognized some of the plants, there were many he'd never seen before, and he did not feel like this was the right moment to try his luck.

Ava walked over to a small pale plant nested in the tiny pot next to a bigger one with green and red leaves and crouched before it.

"Careful," she said, looking at Sebastian over her shoulder, "Make sure you do not touch Alihosty - even the smallest contact can induce a bout of hysteria and uncontrollable laughter."

Wonderful.

"Thank you for the warning," Sebastian replied.

"Hold these two leaves," Ava said, pointing at the two root leaves at the bottom of the Sopophorus plant's stem, "The stronger you pull, the quicker I can collect the beans, and we can be out of here."

Sebastian nodded, then reached forward, gripping the Sopophorus leaves firmly. The leaves felt warm and almost soft to the touch, but when he tried to pull, they offered a surprising amount of resistance. It took more effort than Sebastian cared to admit to pull the leaves away from the stem.

Ava got a small satchel from her book bag and got to work collecting small white beans that resembled tiny pearls. Keeping the leaves away from the stem was not easy, but Ava worked fast - it was only a couple of minutes later that she looked up at him and said, "All done - let's get out of here."

Sebastian did not need to be asked twice. They quickly made their way out of the small greenhouse and were about to walk around it to head to the corridor leading to an exit when a clear sound of footsteps suddenly came from that direction.

"Not good," Ava whispered, "Do you think it's Professor Garlick?"

"Who else could it be?" Sebastian said, looking to the corridor, "Can't believe she's already finished with all the plants."

He'd thought that making more than a few flower pots fall would make professor Garlick too suspicious - but if he had known how little time it'd take her to replant everything, he would have cast a spell on at least a dozen.

"Should have broken more pots," Ava sighed.

"A little too late for that now," Sebastian whispered, frustrated, then looked at Ava, "So, what are we going to do?"

When sneaking around the castle at night, Sebastian relied quite heavily on the disillusionment charm. It worked well on prefects - but there was no way they could fool a professor with that one.

The steps were drawing closer. Ava looked around, no doubt in search of another exit from the greenhouse - but, to their chagrin, it seemed that the only way out was the way they came in. Finally, she turned back to Sebastian.

"Kiss me," she said.

Sebastian blinked slowly, processing Ava's words. Surely he'd misheard - surely, she did not just ask him to kiss her. His gaze dropped, unbidden, to Ava's lips and lingered far longer than it should have.

"What?" he'd asked, forcing himself to look her back in the eye.

"Kiss me," Ava repeated impatiently.

Sebastian stared at her, dumbfounded. Was it possible that she'd accidentally touched a plant she shouldn't have? Were there any plants that had properties similar to love potions?

His eyes shifted, yet again, to her lips, and his heart raced. Before Sebastian could say anything, Ava's hands clenched the lapels of his robes, and suddenly, she was pulling him forward with a strength that was utterly unexpected for her small frame. Next thing Sebastian knew - she was pressing her lips against his.

Dizzying heat rushed through his body as his heart fluttered against his ribcage, and before he'd realized what he was doing, Sebastian responded to the kiss. Her lips were warm and soft against his, her movements decisive yet teasing - skillful. Clearly, this was not a first.

A sharp, bitter feeling uncoiling in his chest at the mere thought of Ava being with someone else stunned Sebastian. That someone else would dare touch her, let alone kiss her, felt like a personal offense - one Sebastian had no intention of taking lightly if he'd ever found out who it was.

But then Ava's fingers snaked through his hair as she pulled Sebastian even closer, deepening the kiss, and suddenly, his mind was delightfully blank. The few coherent thoughts at the very edges of his consciousness finally put the puzzle pieces together, making Sebastian realize why Ava's kissing him.

Could this really work?

Even if it didn't work, Sebastian had no regrets - not when she was kissing him like that. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer, savoring every intoxicating second of this stolen moment. Between one heartbeat and the next, they would, no doubt, be caught, but he had no intention of stopping until there was no other choice. Not when he'd just realized what he had ached for since the day they'd met. Besides, the plan was to make this look believable, wasn't it?

"This part of the greenhouses is off-limits to students," Professor Garlick's bright voice was almost startling, "Oh my…"

Instantly, Sebastian felt Ava pull away - it took more restraint than Sebastian would like to admit to let go of her. His heart still pounded in his chest, and he could feel a deep crimson blush bloom on his face, but when he looked over at Ava, only the fadest shade of pink rose in her cheeks.

Professor Garlick stood in front of them, clearly embarrassed, almost not knowing where to look.

"I uh…My apologies," she spoke quickly, having regained some of her composure, "But as I said, these greenhouses are off-limits to students. Miss Rosier may be a new student, but you should know that by now, Mr. Sallow."

"It's my fault, Professor," Ava murmured. Between her downcast eyes and a sad smile blooming on her lips, Ava's face was the very picture of repentance, and Sebastian was thoroughly impressed. "I saw an open door in the corridor and didn't realize where it led, and then…"

"I understand," Professor Garlick's replied calmly, "But that doesn't change the fact that you went to the off-limits section of the greenhouses. Just so you know, a punishment for such an infraction is usually detention."

Sebastian could barely suppress a sigh - he'd already had more hours of detention scheduled for this semester than he could count, and now this.

"But," Professor Garlick's voice suddenly softened, "Given the…circumstances, I do not think detention would be necessary. If you both promise me never to enter this part of the greenhouses again, I think ten points off Ravenclaw and Slytherin each would be enough of a lesson."

Sebastian could hardly believe his ears - he had his ways of getting out of trouble with the faculty, but that required spinning elaborate tales. Was Professor Garlick going to let them off the hook just like that?

"Of course, Professor," Ava replied swiftly, "We are very sorry - this will not happen again."

"You have our word, Professor Garlick," Sebastian added.

Professor Garlick looked between him and Ava and smiled.

"Very well," she said, "I am glad that the two of you have learned your lesson. Now I think it's time for you to be on your way."

Neither Sebastian nor Ava needed to be told to leave twice. Sebastian was still surprised that this ridiculous plan worked - and only resulted in ten-point deductions to both their houses. As they walked into the corridor, Sebastian could have sworn that he had heard professor Garlick hum something about "young love." Instantly, Sebastian felt color rise in his cheeks.

The ghost of Ava's kiss still lingered on his lips, spreading warmth through his body and making blood rush in his veins.

"Only ten points deducted - what a bargain," Ava chuckled, walking beside him. Sebastian looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She seemed quite unaffected by everything that transpired - and, for some reason, that thought stung.

"I'm surprised it worked," Sebastian offered, his voice a little hoarse, "Frankly, that was a ridiculous plan."

"You just need to know your audience," Ava smiled, "A trick like this had a chance of working on someone easily flustered, like Professor Garlick, but would never work on someone like Professor Sharp."

The thought of just what they'd need to do at that greenhouse to fluster Professor Sharp set Sebastian's cheeks ablaze.

They walked through the half-empty Central Hall, then up a few flights of stairs. On the third floor, Ava stopped and turned to Sebastian. "Thank you for your help," she smiled, "And I must say, I'm quite impressed: you're pretty good - that was almost believable."

"You weren't so bad yourself," Sebastian shrugged lightly as if his heart did not skip a beat.

"I owe you one for this ordeal with the beans," Ava replied, "So if there are any trolls or goblins or, I don't know…inferi you need help dealing with, just let me know."

"I told you I'd help you get those beans - and I always keep my word," Sebastian said proudly, looking Ava straight in the face, "You're lucky you decided to ask me for help first - had you brought along someone like Weasley, you would definitely have been caught and on your way to detention right now."

"Hmm, I don't know about that one," Ava mused, tilting her head to the side, "After all, that little trick we pulled on Professor Garlick was Garreth's idea."

Sebastian's stomach dropped as blood rushed in his ears, and an all too familiar burning feeling started to uncoil in his chest.

"When I was helping him sneak out to Hogsmeade, Garreth suggested we do this if his aunt catches us - perhaps, hoping she'd be too embarrassed to inflict any disciplinary consequences upon him," Ava continued, "To be honest, I thought the plan silly - Professor Weasley is hardly a blushing maiden, so something like this is unlikely to startle her. But I'd remembered his words just now at the greenhouses and thought that this might just work on Professor Garlick - and, fortunately, it did. Perhaps, I should thank him."

Sebastian hated the idea of Ava sneaking around with Garreth Weasley to his very core. Weasley was charming but a fool and sooner or later would get into trouble - and would get Ava in trouble with him.

"Anyways, the potion won't brew itself, so I'll be on my way. I should have all the ingredients now, but if I encounter an issue with it later, I might have to ask you for help again. That is, of course, if I'm fortunate enough and you are feeling generous again," Ava chuckled, "Otherwise, I suppose I'll have to settle for someone with less expertise in breaking school rules."

"I suppose I have no choice but to keep helping you," Sebastian crossed his arms, "Otherwise, if you get in trouble and get expelled, how will I ever collect on your promise about fighting trolls and goblins and - what was that - inferi?"

"I suppose you don't," Ava replied, "Truly, an unfortunate position to be in."

"Things I do for you" Sebastian shook his head, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

Ava chuckled, then took a step closer. Sebastian's gaze dropped down to her lips for a split second before he forced himself to look her back in the eye.

"You are a good friend, Sebastian," Ava smiled, "I'll see you later in the Astronomy class."

As Sebastian watched Ava leave, a conflicting whirlwind of emotions raged inside his chest. He needed some air - or, perhaps, a butterbeer or two - to gather his thoughts and clear his head. While he did not know what that encounter in the greenhouse meant for them, one thing was for certain - he had no intention of sharing Ava's affections with anyone.

#sebastian sallow x mc #OC: Ava Rosier

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