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the-hidden-writer · 23 days

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A Piece of True Fiction: Chapter 10

An Alan Wake 2 fic. Spoilers for Alan Wake 2!

Summary: Aleksi Kesä manages to slip out of the spiral and film he was trapped in.

Saga Anderson, caught in the middle of Wake's horror story, finds a man that looks identical to her partner in the middle of the woods. He's lost, confused, and only seems to speak Finnish. Saga has to try and uncover the truth as well as trying to save her family. Where did he come from? How did he get here?

And where's her Casey?

Chapter Summary: Saga gains information from an unexpected source. Words: 2,449 AO3 Link: [Here!] [First part] [Previous part] [Next part]

A Piece of True Fiction

Chapter 10: Balance

Saga throws herself out of her Mind Place and sits up, turning her head and looking around frantically. Her sudden movement startles Jaakko, who visibly jumps, his arm hitting the edge of the well and knocking Kesä’s shoe back into the shaft.

“Did you say something?” Saga asks.

Jaakko looks at her, confused. “No?”

“Are you sure? I heard someone say something.”

Jaakko shrugs. “I didn’t hear anything. Might have been a dream, you looked like you were sleeping.”

Maybe she’d imagined it. Hesitantly, Saga leans back onto the well again and closes her eyes to re-enter the Mind Place.

“Oh hey, it’s back.”

Saga’s heart starts to race. That wasn’t her imagination. That’s a voice speaking. Muffled, but definitely present. The sound doesn’t quite reach her ears, similar to when she’s trying to find the voices and perspective of others when profiling them. Except right now she isn’t trying to profile anyone.

Another knock. This time, Saga is certain it’s coming from the door within her Mind Place.

“Hello? Who’s there?”

That’s someone talking inside her mind. An unfamiliar voice talking inside her mind. Extremely wary, Saga approaches the closed door that’s only ever been there for decoration to complete her version of a familiar space. She tries to open it. It’s locked.

So she crouches by its side and knocks back.

“Who are you? How are you talking to me?” She asserts mentally.

“You’re the one that showed up out of nowhere, madam Locked-Door. Also, I asked first.”

Saga has never experienced anything like this before in her Mind Place. She’s certain she’s never heard this voice before, lending more reasoning that it isn’t just a figment of her imagination. It carries a heavy nonchalance that unnerves her. Her currently highly-stressed subconscious wouldn’t be able to create such a relaxed tone.

She cautiously decides to play along.

“I’m an FBI agent. Who are you?”

She has to play it safe. She can’t risk giving out personal information and finding herself written into another story, let alone her loved ones getting dragged deeper in.

There’s no response from the other side. The pause is long enough for Saga to doubt the entire encounter, when the owner of the voice finally speaks up again, more assertive themself.

“Oh shit, FBI? I am so glad to hear that… you must be looking for your colleague.”

Saga’s body tenses. There are two possible options here. She tries the safe bet first.

“Robert Nightingale?”

“Huh?”

She doesn’t want to suggest it. She doesn’t want to suggest it in case she’s right.

“Alex Casey?”

“Yeah, him!”

Shit. She was right.

“I’m not looking for him. He’s with the FBC, he’s safe. Who are you?”

“Wait- are you saying he’s there? Oh fuck…”

The nonchalance is briefly replaced with panic. Saga is left beyond confused.

“Hey, listen to me. That guy that’s up there with you? That’s not your guy. Your guy’s here with me.”

What?

“What are you talking about? Casey’s with the Federal Bureau of Control. Where are you? Who are you?”

Another pause, long enough for Saga to start to doubt. Long enough for her to try to find a way to deny that Casey is missing, because acknowledging it would make the possible danger he could be in terrifyingly real.

“I’m Alan Wake.”

Saga doesn't miss a beat.

“You don't sound like Alan Wake.”

The stranger, apparently Wake, doesn't miss one either. A choked noise that sounds mostly like a scoff comes from the other side of the door.

“What, you’ve met me? That must be another version. The Dark Place allows for that sort of thing. Besides, does the guy-you-think-is-your-guy sound like your agent friend?”

A valid point. “No…”

“Let me guess, he goes by ‘Aleksi Kesä’.”

Saga’s breath catches in her throat. He just outright acknowledged Kesä’s existence- the first person to do so. The first person who seems to have any idea about what’s going on. Despite the different voice and subtle lilt of an accent, could this really be Alan Wake? Another version still trapped, like she's been seeing in the Overlaps?

The version that did write-in Kesä and write-out Jaakko?

She can't jump to conclusions. As far as she can tell, this is all in her head. She has to learn more while treading cautiously.

“How do you know? Are you in the Dark Place right now?”

“Yup.”

A thought occurs to her. “Are you in the well?”

“...Yes and no.”

“What do you know about Kesä?”

“Oh man, where to start? Aleksi Kesä is the devil in disguise. A doppelgänger made of pure darkness, taking the form of an innocent man- well, FBI agent. He should be confined to the Dark Place, he belongs there, but it sounds like he managed to escape and dragged the real deal down in his place. Problem is that he wants reality to accept him, and he has the power to alter things to get his way, whatever the cost. He’s extremely dangerous.”

Saga tries to process what she's being told. Kesä, the man she’d risked her life to rescue and who’d cared for her in return, with evil intentions?

Not to mention the very idea of Casey having an evil doppelgänger is absurd. Wake and Scratch is one thing. Is this Wake implying that Kesä is to Casey what Scratch is to Wake?

Or is he implying that Kesä is Scratch?

Sure, she’d been wary of Kesä, but the idea of him being ‘made of pure darkness’ is taking it to the extremes…

“So you're saying that the real Alex Casey is in the Dark Place right now?”

“That's right.”

It makes partial sense. Though some parts don't add up, such as Kesä's seemingly non-evil personality and the unknown role of the Koskelas in the story, it's the only explanation she's been given and therefore she can't help but cling to it.

Even so, she takes everything said with a grain of salt.

“Why should I believe you?”

“Does the name ‘Anderson’ mean anything to you?”

Saga freezes. Tries to convince herself she didn’t say anything, that he can’t read her innermost thoughts, that her private life is safe-

“Clearly means something to this guy. One of the only consistent words between his berserk babbling.”

Her heart sinks.

“Let me talk to him.” she demands.

“Would if I could. He's breaking down big time. I gotta say, I’m getting worried. The more he loses his mind, it means Aleksi Kesä’s grip on reality is getting stronger.”

Saga listens in trepidation and does her best to not imagine Casey falling apart, trapped in the hellscape the other Wake had described. Alan Wake had been trapped there for thirteen whole years. She can’t bear the thought of her friend going through the same nightmare that a week ago she’d claim couldn’t exist. And now Casey’s there too, all because of… Kesä? A doppelgänger? Scratch?

“You have to stop him before it's too late!”

“How do I get Casey out of there?”

“There might be a way. Then again, it might already be too late…”

“If there’s even a chance of it working, tell me.”

“Fine. Use Aleksi. He’s the key. There’s a ritual- the cult will know. They-”

“The ritual with the heart?”

“Yeah, how did..? Uh, if you perform the ritual and throw the heart into the well, you should get your guy back. Balance is important in the Dark Place, the two sides are like a set of scales. Force one in, it’ll force one out.”

What Wake is implying sounds uncomfortably like murder, though the words make the most sense so far. He knew that Aleksi came from the well. The well had been linked to the Overlap. Maybe some remnant from that is what’s letting her talk to Wake in the Dark Place now?

He claimed that Casey’s calling for her, for Anderson. The stranger Wake couldn’t have pulled her name out of thin air. Wake (the one out of the lake) also said that Kesä and Casey might be different. Maybe he knew more than he had let on.

“If you’re going to attempt this, you have to hurry. The longer Kesä stays on the surface, the more he spreads roots of himself there. It’ll reach a point where it’ll be too strong even for the ritual.”

Saga doesn’t know what to make of it. After spending so long in the dark, trying to piece all these mismatched clues together, she suddenly feels like she’s being bombarded with information and instructions that she doesn’t know whether to trust. She doesn’t trust Wake, but once again he’s the only person who seems to have any idea about what’s happening, and the only person who has any idea of how to make things right.

Only now there’s a ticking clock for Casey’s life as well as Logan’s.

“What’s in it for you? If you’re stuck, don’t you want to escape too?”

“You said I’m up there right now, right? That means some part of me makes it out of here. I can live with that. I don’t know about this guy, though. He’s uh… not doing so good.”

The mental image of Casey suffering returns. Saga makes her decision.

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

She’d already handled one heart ritual, what’s another for a greater cause? If Kesä isn’t Casey, if he’s just another figment of the Dark Place, it wouldn’t be murder. It’s just a necessary step in getting Casey and Kesä back where they belong.

Right?

“Good, good. Just remember: the heart goes into the well and you have to say the right words- the cult knows. You’d better hurry, we’re already running out of time to save him. But you can do it.”

Saga nods. Even though Wake on the other side can’t see it, she nods. Another ritual. A gory ritual, but she has to save Casey. The first Wake didn’t know about Kesä, this one does. She follows logic in deciding who to trust.

“And you promise it’ll bring Casey back?”

“If it works, I promise they’ll both be back where they belong. Now look, as much as I’d love to stand by this door all day, I’ve got an agent to look after.”

“Take care of him.” Saga says without thinking. “Tell him I’m coming for him. I’ll save him.”

“You got it.”

“And Wake?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah?”

“If you’re still writing there, leave innocent people out of it. Their lives are not yours to use.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Saga tensely waits for a few minutes for any further comment from behind the door. When there aren’t any, she slowly slumps down against it, assuming the same position as she physically takes next to the well.

What was that? Alan managing to telepathically communicate with her from the Dark Place?

She has no idea how it could have happened. Stranger still, it sounded like he didn’t know, either.

She suddenly feels light-headed. A haze overcomes her Mind Place. Colors fade, pieces of furniture blend together, the mounted deer head looms.

She thinks of Wake. A different version, a different voice. Trying to escape the Dark Place, but also somehow in the Huotari Well? She’d never put Wake down as a bad person. A selfish, unsympathetic person, yes, but not cruel. Just desperate. This version hadn’t sounded desperate, had even had a hint of levity to his muffled voice. He’d also sacrificed his own chance at escape to help Casey.

She wants to profile him but she can’t quite grasp his mindset, as if the door between them created a barrier that blocked her from his thoughts, too. It’s frustrating.

She thinks of Kesä. A different version, a different voice. Escaped the Dark Place by confining Casey in his place. While she couldn’t understand what he was saying, she knew for a fact that he felt lost and afraid. Maybe the real world is too overwhelming for a being that had been created within the Dark Place?

Saga stops that train of thought. She has to deal with facts only. It’s a delicate case and she can’t muddy the truth with her own speculation when lives are at stake.

She thinks of Casey. Her partner, her friend, trapped. Why did he have to go and joke about this being his last case? She already knows that she’s willing to risk a hell of a lot to save him. The ritual on Kesä is definitely a big risk. Would turning him into a Taken really force him back to the Dark Place?

Briefly, she wonders if Casey would approve of this plan, and comes to the conclusion that he wouldn’t. Except Saga knows that both she and Casey are very aware that Saga is the one with more to lose. What Casey refuses to understand is that he’s a big part of that.

She’ll have to attempt the ritual. She doesn’t know how yet, but it’s the only option she has. Wake said the cult would have more information, right? Jaakko Koskela, a perfect well of information (pun, for once, unintended) is right there.

She drags herself out of the Mind Place and back into reality. A deep sigh escapes her lips, her breath condensing in the cold of the night. This hadn’t been what she was expecting by coming here, but she’s glad she did. She feels a lot more knowledgable about the situation than she'd been before.

Slowly, she turns her head to talk to the cultist, calling out. “Jaakko?”

Only she’s faced with a pair of legs hanging over the far side of the well.

Saga jumps to her feet. “Jaakko!”

She rushes around the base and quickly grabs onto a leg with each arm. Luckily, he hasn’t fallen fully, balancing over the edge of the well by his midsection. When she starts to pull, she realizes in terror that there is a force much stronger than her, much stronger than gravity, pulling him down. The bucket he’d attached himself to is nowhere to be seen in the nothingness below.

She hears a quiet, despairing chant echoing in the shaft.

“Mercy. Mercy dear brother, don’t kill me. I’m dying. Mercy, dear brother. Mercy-”

Saga pulls. She grits her teeth and pulls and pulls and groans with exertion and pulls and pulls and tries to anchor her feet into the ground to pull even harder. She pulls despite the strain on her weakened arm. She pulls until she can’t pull any longer, her body forcing her to let go before she greatly damages herself.

“No!”

The legs join the torso and all Saga can do is watch as he descends into darkness.

Thanks for reading!

This fic is going on hiatus for a few weeks while I have exams. Hope you're enjoying it so far ^-^

#alan wake 2 #alan wake 2 spoilers #fanfic #saga anderson #jaakko koskela #alan wake #alex casey #aleksi kesä #thomas zane #yötön yö #a piece of true fiction

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frc-ambaradan · 1 year

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*THERE'S AN UPDATE TO THIS! PLS DO GO READ IT, it's important! Don Rosa clarifies the situation!!!*

We're still waiting to know more about this but... there's already a massive uproar going on in the italian Disney comics community right now.

You really want to keep your edition of "The Life and Times" very dear, fellow Disney comics and ducks fans...

"Don Rosa announced on his group that the famous Scrooge McDuck Saga will no longer be reprinted.

The Walt Disney Company, in fact, is reviewing its library of stories due to the company's constant commitment to diversity and inclusion and has communicated to the author that the last two chapters of the Saga will no longer be included in any collection.

According to Don Rosa it makes no sense to publish the saga without its final chapters, so there will be no other publications of the same for the future."

All main italian Disney comics sites and blogs has been reporting the news, including Papersera, Fumettologica and Ventenni Paperoni... and even national newspapers.

And here's the article from Cbr that started it all:

Here's the answer Don Rosa published on his Facebook group:

So Disney's taking down "The Richest Duck in the World" and "The Dream of a Lifetime" for "inclusiveness" issues 🤷🏽‍♀️

Don Rosa's right not wanting the full saga to be published anymore. You can't have the Life and Times without two chapters! Especially "The Richest Duck in the World"! That's nonsense! There's already been problems (at least in Italy) with "The Prisoner Of White Agony Creek", now this?

This is not to protect inclusiveness, this is to deprive the new generations of one of the greatest graphic novels ever written!

Before teaching people inclusiveness, maybe, we should have a talk about what "context" means... because I reckon to be a huge problem there in the first place when it comes to art and literature.

#i stand with don rosa #this is ridiculous #they never gave a s*** about comics #now they all of a sudden find out about them just to censor them?!#wth! 🤬#disney! what are you doing?!#don rosa #life and times of scrooge mcduck #scrooge mcduck #disney stop!!! pls!!!#disney ducks #disney comics

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namitomoon · 9 months

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Amon Garam is underrated tbh

(Warning: Spoilers for Yugioh GX)

When talking about GX characters I feel like a lot of people overlook Amon Garam/Adrian Gecko. He is probably one of my favorite characters.

Look, I get it, he's a piece of crap and deserved to be wiped out by Yubel/Johan. But I like what he represents in the story and how different he is from the rest of the main cast.

He's introduced as a jovial and sort of eccentric ace duelist in S3. Like a personal rival to Manjoume/Chazz, same background (rich boy) but somewhat...better (less impulsive, more clever, overall better duelist) which is exposed on their sky duel.

And then he starts to change and become colder, more ruthless, smug and manipulative as S3 goes on, especially after partnering with Yubel. He sacrifices the woman he loves in order to attain Exodia's power without any second thoughts and he really seems to embrace his new role as King.

The scene where he's riding Exodia and refuses to finish the recently de-SKized Judai/Jaden is quite telling. He's drunk on power. He gambled and got a hell of a pay. And unlike Judai, who became SK after a hell of a traumatic event or Saio/Sartotius who was possesed by the Light of Destruction, Amon did it all consciously and out of his own will. No demonic possession, no LoD, no ancient millenary item possesion, nothing. Just an extremely ambitious bastard. In a way, he reminds me of Seto Kaiba in the early Yugioh manga chapters, before he got Mind Crushed by Yami.

Eventually, Yubel possessing Johan snaps him back to reality by kicking his ass and wiping him out. Right before dying he 1) reveals that actually he wanted to become King to the typical "making the world a better place" shtick and 2) shows regret for killing Echo.

While number 1 seems to come out of nowhere and feels like a lame attempt to somewhat redeem him, I think it makes him even more tragic. I think of Amon and he reminds me of complex antihero "ends justify the means" characters like Canute from Vinland Saga and Lelouch Lamperouge from Code Geass.

(YES I just compared Yugioh with Vinland and Geass)

I feel like, if Yugioh broadened its scope to maybe a more mature setting, characters like Amon could probably be rewritten in a more neutral or even sympathetic light. And yet, because GX is deeply inside a shonen anime focused on promoting a card game, such risks couldn't be taken.

And don't get me wrong, I think Amon was very well handed. He feels like an inverse of Axel O'Brien. While Axel starts as a stoic, cold and aloof duelist loyal to the shady Professor Cobra, Amon gets introduced as a charming and skilled guy who seems to oppose Cobra's schemes (after all, that means he's a good guy, right?) And yet, Axel ends up warming up to the main cast and even being (along with Jim) the one who saves Judai, while Amon ends up going the dark route. The fact they both come from Academies located on opposite cardinal points (Amon from east, Axel from west) might not be a mere coincidence.

To top it off, I just love how Amon and Axel end up in such different spots at the series finale.

Axel? With the main cast, being one more of them, eating, drinking, cracking a few jokes, enjoying their company. He's part of the gang despite arriving later. Like Johan (and my boy Jim)

Amon? Who the hell knows. And who the hell cares. Dead. Forgotten. Vanished into nothing. Sentenced to life in the Shadow Realm. And the best part is that, aside from his aparition on the "missing student cards" on S3 ending, nobody brings him up at all. They dislike him so much that for what they know he may be being devored by harpies or tortured in some dungeon in the Dark World, it's all the same for the gang. They have better things to think about than some power drunk greedy ambitious asshole who killed the woman he loved for nothing.

Axel won friends, which is why he was given a second chance in S4. Amon lost it all, which is why he's one of the few GX characaters that died permanently. Maybe it was Shin Yoshida's intention to send a message in favor of personal bonds and connections. Maybe he forgot about Amon.

But no matter what, Amon is probably one of the GX characters that caught my attention the most.

#yu gi oh #yugioh gx #yugioh #ygo gx #adrian gecko #amon garam #axel o brien #the fourth kaiba clone

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sams-sass · 2 years

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In The After

Chapter 3: Autumns Changes

Hello! Here is Part Three!!! Thank you so much to everyone following this story, I really appreciate you.

Summary: This takes place after the finale. You are blurry wife. This is you and Sam’s story.

Pairing: Sam x Reader (we are in the home stretch, I promise)

Warnings: I don't know...fluff? Maybe some language. Is the fact that Sam is FUCKING ADORABLE a warning? Because then, look out. Mutual pining. Emotional saga. Slow burn. This one is kinda long, I don't know, I’m a wordy bitch sometimes. Listen, I also do not know WHY there is so much DIALOGUE but there just IS. I am trying my best to make Holly and Amy funny while also making them more than one dimensional.

Read Part One Here

Read Part Two Here

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There was an extra crisp to the air as you pulled into the bakery parking lot, staring for a moment at the black impala that sat still running. You had told him to come later. You felt yourself smile and suppress a chuckle as you climbed out of your car and walked to the door to unlock it. He called out as he jogged over to you.

"Hey!" You called back with a wave. The two of you entered the bakery, and you rubbed your hands together after flipping on all the lights. Turning to face him, you realized he looked different somehow. He looked good. You couldn't deny that. The cold air had left a pinkish blush where it nipped at the tip of his nose and the high points of his cheeks. His eyes seemed bright and happy as he looked around the kitchen.

"Good morning." He said, his eyes settling on you.

"Good morning. Looks like you were the one waiting for me this time." You answered back with a smile.

"Sorry, I'm early. I was uh…well, I was excited." He admitted sheepishly. You giggled while looking down, embarrassed.

"It's been a while since someone beat me here." You agreed, taking a step towards him. He just smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Coffee?" You asked, breaking the tension growing between you.

"Please." He said. Your hands got to work scooping coffee grounds, but your mind was left to wander. He was here with you…alone. You felt the heavy weight of his gaze, causing goosebumps to crawl over your skin. You silently wondered what it would feel like to touch him. You hadn't felt this way in years. You hadn't looked at another man since the day you met Josh all those moons ago…and yet…you wondered about Sam.

You turned back to him as the coffee pot brewed, its earthy aroma quickly filling the space.

"What's my first assignment of the day, boss?" Sam asked, placing his elbows on the counter and leaning forward. Clearing your throat, you rubbed your hand over your bicep as you thought.

"Well…the tables could probably use a good cleaning. We are always so tired at the end of the day that we wipe them…but only give them a proper cleaning every once in a while." You explained.

"Clean tables. Got it." Sam answered smoothly.

"Oh, and today is Wednesday, so it is intake day. Walter will be here around noon to deliver the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. And then Greg will be here around 2 to deliver all the fruit and extras like cinnamon." You said, listing things off on your fingers.

"I can help with that. No problem." Sam answered. He was easy to talk to. Calm and steady. Centered. You liked being around him; regardless of how attracted you grew to him, he was good company. You watched as he unbuttoned his flannel cuffs and began rolling them up his forearms. You tried your best to look impassive as more and more of his skin became exposed. You stared at his smooth flesh that bore the occasional scar or blemish. Veins bulged against hardened muscles that flexed with every twist of his arm. Long fingers gently moved the fabric higher towards his elbow. You hadn't felt the stir of arousal in years. Hadn't stiffened against the creeping heat that blossomed in your core quickly. The ding of the coffee pot startled you back into reality. You jumped slightly and turned to hide the blush crawling across your skin and to pour the coffee. You and Sam made your cups the way you liked and sat silently while drinking for a minute. Sam leaned over the table again, holding himself on his elbows, and you did the same, staring at each other for a moment in the steam of the hot coffee.

"I should clean those tables." He said suddenly, and you both jerked upright at the realization that you were getting closer to one another.

"Uh yeah…I have to fold the croissants." You mumbled, scratching your head and looking anywhere but at him.

You got to work on the dough, and Sam filled a large bucket with hot soapy water. He went into the dining area and sat directly on the floor to clean the tables. He felt…confused. You confused him, and he desperately wanted to understand. Sam was a man of science. Of facts and logic. He was a man who always looked to history and knowledge to comprehend and solve a problem in front of him, and yet. Here you were, making him feel like a pubescent teenager. You weren't an equation to figure. You weren't a puzzle that Sam could move pieces around until they fit together correctly. You were…well, you were you. He wanted to be respectful of you and your pain, but he also found himself leaning closer to you. He tried to get to know you better, but he couldn't stop staring at how the light bounced off your skin. He wanted to give things time, but he was beginning to wake up every day wondering how he could make you smile. You were there. Causing him to put the past where it was always meant to be. Behind him. To heal. His wounds, still open and raw, felt like they were finally being cleaned and bandaged. He scrubbed the tables until the water in his bucket ran brown and mucky. He stood to get fresh water when the door opened, Holly and Amy bursting through it.

"No. We can't all be cats again. I can't do it." Amy was saying to Holly, her face turned away.

"Oh, come on! It's so easy-." Holly stopped talking and froze when she saw Sam standing there, a bucket and rag in his hand. Sam tried to put on his most charming smile and give them his least awkward wave. Obviously, you told them…I mean, how could you not…

"Sam?" Amy asked.

"What are you doing here?" Holly furrowed her brow. Ok, so clearly, you hadn't told them.

"Uh…well. I work here. Now. Like today. This morning. Today is my first day." Sam sputtered nervously. The friends exchanged a look while trying…and failing…to suppress a smile.

"Ohhh…Y/N hired you," Holly said, her voice sounding playful.

"Yes," Sam answered, keeping his voice even and giving away as little information as possible.

"Fun," Amy said back with a devilish grin. They both sped off into the kitchen like children going to recess.

“Y/N!” They both called in unison. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, relishing the five seconds of silence you had before they found you.

"So. Sam works here now?" Amy said relatively calmly when they found you in the back, squashing raspberries for frosting.

"And you didn't tell us," Holly said. You could hear the slight annoyance in her voice.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys. It all happened so fast. He was saying he is staying at that motel on Smith and that he was low on funds, and I don't know, it just kind of…slipped out. I should have called you. I am so sorry." You explained in a rushed whisper.

"The motel on Smith? Rats don't even go in there." Amy said, wrinkling her face in disgust.

"Ew. Yeah, I would have offered him a job too." Holly agreed, grabbing her apron off the hook.

"I love you guys. He will help with busing tables, dishes, deliveries, and intake. Everything but baking." You explained, getting back to crushing raspberries.

"We love you too. And that all sounds awesome. I hope it works out." Amy said sincerely, Holly nodding her head in agreement. The three of you fell into an easy routine of baking. About an hour later, the first customers started filing in, and the day was officially buzzing. Sam was more than helpful; you don't think you had ever seen anyone work as hard as he did. Customers barely had time to finish their food before he was scooping up plates, bowls, cups, and mugs. Their coffee never ran cold as he constantly refilled half-drank cups. He was quick on his feet. His mind was sharp and observant. Always finding something to do. At noon, Walter pulled the truck to the back lot, waiting for help. Sam bounded outside before you could even get his name out of your mouth. He introduced himself to Walter and instantly began moving sacks of flour, sugar, and salt. You rang someone out at the register and noticed the rags that always sat by the counter were getting low. You made your way into the kitchen for more when you stopped dead in your tracks. Sam was unloading sacks and boxes of items. He had stripped down to just a black V-neck t-shirt that clung to his broad shoulders but hung loosely around his slim waist. Flour dusted his skin and hair lightly, and a slight sweat sat on his brow. He grabbed two bags at a time, throwing them onto his shoulders and bending at the waist to pile them neatly next to the loading space. You gulped at the sight, your brain ceasing to work and comprehend anything beyond what you were looking at. Sam slapped his hands together, a small cloud of flour surrounding him in a white poof. He lifted the bottom of his shirt to wipe off the sweat and flour from his face. A peak at golden skin kissed with a trail of brown hair and muscles you didn't know you needed to see. He turned and saw you, a smile growing on his flour-streaked face.

"Hey, I didn't see you there." He said around breaths that made his chest heave heavily.

"Uh-huh." You said, clearing your throat in embarrassment.

"Hey, Y/N, where- oh!" Amy bumped into you as she rounded the corner. She looked at you confused until she turned and saw Sam, the bottom of his shirt still in his hands. His breath came in hard and fast. White patches lay across his skin. Her face moved between confusion, shock, to understanding and finally settled on a cool arrogant smirk.

"Amy!" You practically shouted. "I was looking for the rags that we keep by the counter. Have you seen them?" You asked, trying to cover your tracks.

"Right there, honey." She said, pointing to a pile of rags literally two inches from you.

"Awesome! Thanks!" You said, grabbing the pile and racing out of the kitchen to save yourself further embarrassment.

The rest of the day passed by quickly. Sam continued to be the world's most helpful busboy, and Holly and Amy continued to tease you whenever he was out of earshot. But you didn't care anymore, not after catching his eyes every time you looked up from the register. Not after how his face had softened when he saw you in the kitchen. His skin was still sweaty and white with flour, all traces of the present leaving his expression the instant he looked. You were beginning to feel the warmth in your chest, the involuntary flip of your stomach. He was bringing back feelings you had assumed you would never feel again. The days were much more manageable with Sam there to help. Holly and Amy even said how amazing it was to have him around. Friday morning started like any other. You folding dough. Holly making bagels. Amy prepped fruits and batter. And now Sam, cleaning whatever he could get his hands on. The bakery was spotless, and it was all thanks to your ridiculously attractive new hire. However, as the hours passed, you noticed Sam looked…nervous. Twitchy and anxious. Finally, you understood why.

"Hey, Y/N, can I talk to you quickly?" He had found you after the lunch crowd left when there was a lull in customers.

"Of course." You said, walking back into the kitchen for privacy. Your heart was beating so fast in your chest it was making you sweat.

"I was wondering, and you could say no, but I was wondering if you wanted to grab dinner with me tonight? It doesn't have to be weird, and I don't expect anything. I just want to spend time with you."

"Oh." Was all you could manage to get out. This was different from what you expected. This was…well, you couldn't quite put a word to the mess of emotions currently charged through you. Sam didn't say anything, and you were pretty sure he wasn't breathing, either.

"I can't." You said finally, and although he tried to control it, you could see the hurt cross Sam's face.

"I understand." He said softly.

"No, Sam, no. I want to, but I actually can't. I have plans to watch Practical Magic with Amy and Holly tonight. We watch it every year on the Friday before Halloween." You explained, feeling both of you lose some of the weight that had been sitting on your shoulders.

"Oh!" Sam said, his voice full of enthusiasm. At that moment, Holly walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" Holly asked, grabbing a poppy seed bagel off the counter and cream cheese from the fridge.

"Y/N was just telling me about your movie date tonight," Sam said, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms.

"Ah yeah!" Holly said, cutting her bagel in half and putting it into the toaster.

"Best night of the year! My ultimate feel-good movie."

"Practical Magic? I have never seen it." Sam said.

"What?" Holly asked, her movements stopping at once. Her hands were frozen in a stirring position from when she was mixing the cream cheese.

"Yeah, I have never even heard of it," Sam said with a shrug.

"But…midnight margaritas," Holly said, her hands still frozen, mixing the cream cheese.

"What?" Now it was Sam's turn to be confused. Amy busted through the back door, her mouth chewing the apple she held in her hands.

"Amy." Holly began. "Sam has never seen Practical Magic," Holly said, finally moving.

"What?!" Amy said loudly.

"Uh yeah…no," Sam said. He wore a look of amusement at their befuddlement.

"But…I wished for you too." Amy said as she walked over to stand next to Holly.

"I'm sorry?" Sam asked, his eyebrows coming down over his eyes.

"I think you may have broken them." You whispered, leaning closer to Sam.

"I wished for you too! It gets me every damn time." Holly said, turning to Amy.

"Girl. The way he looks at her." Amy said, bending her knees and literally swooning.

"Un.fucking.real." Holly agreed, punctuating each word for enthusiasm.

"I don't know, Holly. I know someone who looks at you the same way." You said, joining in the fun.

"If you bring up Eamon right now, Y/N, I swear to god," Holly said, pointing at you with a knife covered in cream cheese.

"Fine, fine, fine." You said, throwing your hands in the air.

"I have an idea," Amy said with a smile. "Sam. Why don't you join us this evening?" She said, giving Holly a look out of the side of her eye.

'Oh yeah!" Holly said…almost too excitedly. "Come watch with us!" She said. Sam laughed and then looked at you.

"You are more than welcome if you want to come." You said, nodding your head.

"Uh, sure!" Sam said. "I just have to figure out what to do with my dog. These are long days already." He said.

"Oh my gosh! Miracle! Well, obviously, he can come tonight, and starting tomorrow, he is coming to this bakery every day." You said, your hands flying to your face with the realization that Miracle had been sitting in a disgusting motel room all day.

"No, no. That is way too much. We can't have a dog in a bakery." He said, gesturing with his hands to the super clean kitchen.

"Well, it is my bakery, and I say we can! Plus, he is well-trained, so I am not worried about it." You said, leaving no room for questions.

"So tonight at 6. You and Miracle at Y/N's." Amy said, keeping direct eye contact with you as she bit into the apple. Oh no. What had you gotten yourself into?

"Oh! And the tradition!" Holly said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Oh yeah! You have to bring chips and dip." Amy said to Sam.

"Chips and dip…?" Sam asked, confused.

"Yeah, we all bring a bag of tortilla chips and a dip. Really, we don't care if it's jarred salsa from the grocery store. It's just tradition." You explained.

"Oh ok, well what are you bringing so I don't bring the same thing?" Sam asked. He was getting kind of into this girls' night.

"I am making spinach and artichoke dip." You said.

"And I am making chili dip," Holly said around a mouthful of bagel.

"I'm making white bean and lemon dip." Amy piped in.

"Ok! I will see you there!" Sam said, nodding his head.

"17 Sycamore Lane." You gave him your address.

"17 Sycamore Lane." He repeated back to you, his full smile showed off his dimples, and you couldn't help the sheepish grin you gave back. Sam left the kitchen, letting you watch him walk away.

"Y/N/N, when he smiles at you with those goddamn dimples…." Holly trailed off, raising her eyebrows and widening her eyes.

"I know." You said, letting yourself feel the soft flame of titillation in your core.

As soon as you got home, you immediately started cleaning. Your house was never gross, but bras were hanging on door handles, dishes in the sink, and the guest bathroom could use some attention. As soon as you finished that, you started the dip. Your spine began to tingle with nerves at the thought of Sam being in your home. And that he asked you on a date. And that you had to stop yourself from screaming, "yes!". You nervously scratched your neck when your front door opened. Holly and Amy let themselves in; no need for formalities with lifelong friends. You preheated the oven to bake the chili and spinach dip as you all gabbed and talked as if you didn't just spend the entire day together. About fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang, and you felt your stomach drop at the sound.

Sam stood outside your door holding a bag of tortilla chips and a jar of salsa. Miracle sat beside him, his tail gently wagging in the cold October evening. You opened the door, and Sam's stomach did an involuntary flip at seeing you in the comforts of your home. You had changed into sweatpants that sat low on your hips, a long sleeve shirt that hung loose on your frame, and slippers. The scarf you usually wrapped around your head in the bakery was gone, and your hair fell into its natural state. Before Sam could get a word out, Miracle ran up to sit in front of you, waiting patiently for a few pets. You laughed before bending and giving in to his demand.

"Come on in!" You said to both of them. Sam followed you and Miracle into the house. It was…cozy. That's the word that Sam would describe it as. Cozy. Everything was soft and calm. The comforts of home could be found around every corner. Blankets, candles, potted plants, and picture frames. Memories of your life could be seen everywhere. Throughout the years, you, Holly, and Eamon, then the six of you, Darren, Amy, and Josh came into the group. Birthdays, celebrations, and normalcy. All things that Sam had so desperately craved his whole life. Sam let his eyes take it all in, focusing on one picture in particular. It was you on your wedding day with Josh. You looked the same yet different. Josh stood beside you, holding your hand in his. He was a handsome man with kind eyes. You both wore huge smiles that encapsulated your entire faces. Sam couldn't overlook that you looked stunning in your white gown.

"Oh yeah. That's my Josh." You spoke next to him.

"Looks like it was a wonderful day," Sam said, standing upright to face you.

"It was perfect." You said, letting your eyes linger on the memory for a beat. You blinked and looked up at Sam. "Anyway, let's get the dips and start this movie." In the kitchen, Holly sat on the dining room table, also in sweatpants. Amy had her feet up on the table while she reclined in a chair; she had on black leggings and an oversized flannel. They ate frosting directly out of the container with a spoon, but only after rolling their frosting-covered spoon in sprinkles.

"Where the hell did you guys even get frosting?" You asked.

"The cabinet," Amy said, the spoon still in her mouth.

"Hey, Sam," Holly said.

"Hey, guys," Sam said, smiling at the two of them.

You decided what to drink and moved the dips and chips into the living room with everyone in tow. It appeared that Holly and Amy already had specific seats. They barely even thought about it before grabbing the big couch together, laying a blanket over them, and forcing you and Sam on the loveseat. You both gave each other a shy grin before sitting down. As the soft music of the opening scene filled the room, you felt like your head was spinning. You weren't sure if he had ever been this close to you, but his scent drove you crazy. He smelt of orange peel and sandalwood. Earthy and hearty aromas that fit him well. He was so near, with warm skin just waiting to be touched. Your heart pounded in your chest, and your mind felt fuzzy. Swallowing, you rubbed your hands over your thighs and pushed yourself down to the floor to eat some chips and dip. Holly and Amy quickly followed you.

"Love him," Amy said, pointing to the television with a chip.

"Does he even have a line?" Holly asked about the main character's first husband.

"Nope. But he's adorable." Amy countered, you and Holly shrugging in agreement.

"Sam, come get some of this food!" Holly said, glancing up at him still on the couch.

Sam let out a small laugh and jumped down on the floor too. You all grabbed food together, laughing at random jokes and the movie. Holly and Amy putting on quite the show. Swooning and fanning themselves over the cop. Falling on each other when the "I wished for you too" line was uttered. You hadn't even realized that this movie related to your current situation. A husband who made you so happy once was now gone. A new man, creating feelings in you that you thought you would never feel again. A twist of fate. She said the famous, "I dream of a love that even time will lay down and be still for." You understood what she was saying deep in your heart. Even though you loved Josh with everything you had, you also dreamed of a love that sickness could not invade. Of a love that would conquer all evils of the past and the future. A love that others couldn't help but feel envious of and crave. A love that when death came for you, it couldn't bare to part you for a moment longer than necessary. A love to withstand. To endure. To heal. Sandra Bullock said the last line, "fall in love whenever you can." And you felt your eyes involuntarily slide to Sam, only to see that he was already looking at you. Hazel eyes filled with questions and emotions.

You all said goodnight, Holly and Amy making sure to leave before Sam, so you and he were alone. The door closed behind them, and he turned to face you, clearly feeling awkward.

"Thank you for inviting me. This was a lot of fun. My brother, he loved chick flicks." Sam said, smiling at the floor.

"Of course. I like spending time with you." You admitted, swallowing around the bulb in your throat.

"I like spending time with you, too," Sam said. The air changed in the kitchen, electricity making it heavy and charged. You could almost taste the arousal growing deep in your gut. Sam took a step forward, his hand coming up slowly, fingertips tracing up your arm. Your breathing stopped for the quickest moment, and you almost latched yourself to his body. His face was getting closer to yours until you could hear your blood pulsing through your veins. His hand stopped at the curve of your neck, his thumb resting on your cheek next to your lips. You tilted your head up, inviting him in. But Sam stopped then, his lips turning at the last moment to kiss your cheek gently. He lifted his head only to press his forehead against yours.

"I'll be seeing you." He said, his voice husky and raw before he turned on his heel and walked away.

"I'll be waiting." You whispered into the air. And just like that, you were hooked. Line and sinker. Fully open to him.

Sam closed his car door and let out a deep breath. He looked back at your house one last time before driving to the motel. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking of you. Couldn't get the scent of you out of his nose. His fingers grazed over his lips where your soft cheek had pressed against him. You were everything he ever wanted, needed, and more. You were the rays of the sun that pushed their way through the dense forest leaves to illuminate the life underneath. You were the flames of a bonfire that danced in the darkness of night, warming everything around it. You were the taste of a favorite and nostalgic flavor lost from childhood, only to be found once more. You were the memorized passage from a favorite book, bringing peace in their constant words. You were the healing.

The next few days were filled with colored frosting, googly eyes, and homemade candy. Halloween was just a few days away, and you all had to be ready. You, Holly, and Amy decided to be witches this year, and Sam said he wasn't very into dressing up. However, he did a phenomenal job of decorating the bakery. Bats hung from the ceiling at different heights. Spider web ran across the counters and glass display cases. A witch stirring her cauldron was set up in the front window, and a purple and black wreath was placed on the door. You sold out of your Halloween and fall-related treats daily, and the usual customers told you how great Sam was to have around. Miracle now had a spot all to himself in the back room where he lounged around all day, coming out on occasion to greet guests and give Sam a nuzzle. You were happy. Really happy. The days seemed to fly by quicker, and you knew everything would be ok.

Halloween day rolled around, and the whole kitchen was stocked with treats for the kids and some spiced cider and goodies for the adults. You closed the bakery around 3pm to get ready. You all got into your costumes and waited for Eamon and Darren. They showed up with takeout containers stocked with food. After greeting, you all ate dinner together, laughing and sharing memories. Amy nudged you and flicked her head toward the corner. Holly stood against the wall, her hands on her hips. Eamon stood over her, his arm resting on the wall behind her. You and Amy shared a tight-lipped laugh.

"They think they are so sly," Amy said.

"It's honestly impressive how clueless they are." You agreed.

After eating, you handed everyone treats and a nice mug of steaming cider. You played Halloween music from the speakers and put the finishing touches on your Halloween decorations. The small kids started to show up around 5 pm, and it was a constant stream after that. You couldn't help but watch Sam with the kids. He was so kind and funny to them. He got down as low as he could to look them in the eyes, so they could choose their desired treat. He made comments to everyone he could about their costume. He even had some of the little girls giggling sheepishly behind their hands. You noticed some of the moms checking him out on more than one occasion as well.

"You are very good at this." You said to Sam, laying your hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

"Thank you." He said, turning to face you.

"You said you aren't the biggest fan of Halloween?" You asked him, sinking your teeth into an apple cider donut.

"No, I wasn't really…allowed to participate as a kid, and I don't know, it just kind of left a sour taste in my mouth." He explained, opening up a rice Krispie treat frosted to look like Frankenstein.

"I'm sorry." You said sincerity. "Was there a reason? Did you grow up religious or something?" You asked, trying to get to know him better.

"Not exactly." He said, looking down and thinking. "I didn't have a normal childhood, we moved around a lot, and my dad…well, my dad was a bit paranoid about many things. Growing up, I didn't celebrate any holiday, so I guess I never saw a need as an adult." He said, and you felt your heart ache for him.

"Well, I hope this wasn't too much for you." You said.

"No, no. Y/N, this was amazing. I loved this." He looked serious then, taking a small step towards you. "Tonight, here with you and your friends, I'm starting to see why everyone loves this holiday so much." He gave you a crooked smile, and you had to remind yourself to inhale. You both shared a shy glance and giggle.

"You know…" You started, "you still owe me that dinner." You said, twisting your hands around your mug.

"It appears I do," Sam said, making direct eye contact with you.

"How about tomorrow?" You asked.

"You're on." He said, and your chest tightened at the thought.

Tags: Imma tag @thinkinghardhardlythinking @mychemicalimagines @lacilou

#Sam Winchester #sam #sammy #sam fic #SPN #spn fic #spn fanfiction #SPN FANDOM #fanfiction #fanfic #supernatural #Supernatual #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural series #I LOVE SAM SO MUCH #sam winchester fanfiction #sam winchester series

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m0chigang · 8 months

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August Wrap Up ✨

I’m not gonna lie, it took me 2 weeks to read just one book because I didn’t want the characters to go away, so I hid reading fanfics (yes, it’s a theme, fanfics help me avoid shit, sue me). And because of this I read a lot of comics or graphic novels to kind of balance things out. As always, I’ll try to not spoil anything, but just in case, spoiler warning.

1. Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World - 5/5

This is what took most of my time, I didn’t want to let these boy go, and honestly, I don’t know if I regret continuing after the beautiful ending of the first book because… WHAT THE FVCK WERE THOSE LAST 200 PAGES???? And most importantly, what the FVCK WERE THOSE LAST 10 CHAPTERS??? My heart was doing flips, I was crying like no tomorrow, and I ended up happy. I loved the book, it’s an incredible saga, and it’s so easy to read and follow along. Dante and Aristotle are so lovable, you just want to be there for them, and the topics in this one are just… all I can say is read it. You won’t regret it.

2. The Girl from the Sea - 4.5/5

Did I cry over this high schooler? Yes. Did I question my life because I need more than that ending? Also yes. Did I love the drawings? Obviously. It’s just adorable and queer, and heartwarming, and heartbreaking, and all I want is for these amazing beings to be happy. AND IT HAS SEALS. SEAAAALS. Honestly, I would make this a 5 star, but I need more.I need a sequel, I can’t be left like this.

3. The Boy Who Didn’t Love - 4/5

I now people shit on Wattpad a lot, but I still enjoy the app because it’s what made me fall back in love with reading, and I’m including this Wattpad original story because fvck it, I make the rules. Can someone explain to me why this diagnosed sociopath is a better partner than “sane” people? I was hoping for him to do something to make me hate him, and nothing. I resented the girl a bit, but that is it. They had great communication, he tried to understand her as much as he could, and he sounded hot af when he manipulated people. Maybe I’m the problem.

4. The Sad Ghost Club 2 & 3 - 4/5

I finished these comics (finally) and I loved them. i felt seen. Socks is me, I am Socks, and I have felt a lot of their feelings. It’s just comforting to see the struggles of other people and that you are. Ot alone in your struggles. Its a message I kind of needed after these last few years, so I obviously love it.

5. The Witch Boy Series - 4/5

These are 3 books, The Witch Boy, The Hidden Witch and The Midwinter Witch. I’m sure there will be more, but for now, those are the ones I read. They are adorable. Just out of this world adorable. I know the target audience are middle schoolers, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it. I will show these to my little brother, because I feel like he will like them, and it’s a way of seeing that it’s okay to feel different from others and and sometimes you are not the only different one. Challenge tradition 😤

#reading #book tumblr #reading challenge #what i read this month #Aristotle and dante dive into the waters of the world #wattpad #the girl from the sea #the sad ghost club #the witch boy #the hidden witch #the midwinter witch

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basedkikuenjoyer · 1 year

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Kishotenketsu & You, Part 2

Did I make this entirely for the title rhyme? No, but it was a factor. Because I’m in the refreshing mood, this is worth a post as well. We’re getting back to some anime fun next few days. Got Jojolands, and the OP Academy panels coming up. Kishotenketsu...naturally you can’t have a part 2 without a first so why write the same things twice? If you don’t want a second essay, it’s a four part story structure with mega deep roots in Asian writing. The Act structure, it works for that and Kiku/Yamato share names with their respective parts. Leaving off with the play wrapping up, the Rakugo narrator...that’s arguably leaving with only three out of four parts completed. Which is no problem! The next island serving as the final is just on brand. One Piece just does use this structure like this, but Wano does use its theatrical themes to be a little meta. It’s lowkey very similar in function to a school play as a penultimate saga in a slice-of-life series. Falls under the wonderfully weird umbrella of “pulling an Utena” as well.

So what are we doing today? Looking at how the structure applies to individual Acts of Wano then ruminating on just how well it does to Egghead at this juncture. So for a reminder, try it for yourself and compare: Part 1 is an introduction. Part 2 develops. Part 3 subverts. Part 4 draws out the point through the way 3 ultimately tied back to 1 all along.

Act 1:

Ki - Curtains open through Hawkins’s tarot game and the Crane Returns a Favor re-enactment.

Sho - Okobore, Bakura, back to Okobore & up to Oden Castle.

Ten - Kiku & Kin know each other? The Yama or big climax being the samurai leaping forward in time. Different tone because now we’re back to our main plot that was already established.

Ketsu - Luffy isn’t ready to fight Kaido, he jeopardized the plan by not waiting for the right time.

Act 2:

Ki - Curtains open through the first “wheel” of pairing off Straw Hats and local buddies.

Sho - Those wider Wano stories fleshing out. Yasu’s execution will be the climax of this and it’ll wrap up as the story focuses more on Udon.

Ten - The capture of Udon, an unplanned detour. The big twist here would actually be learning Kiku’s little secret at the climax.

Ketsu - Wrapping up reaping the benefits of all these stories. Enma, the added reinforcements from Udon, etc.

Act 3:

Ki -Curtains open through the flashback. Easy peasy.

Sho - Kanjuro the Traitor and getting in position. Meeting Yamato. Akazaya v. Kaido. All the way up to around when Luffy/Kiku fall.

Ten - Subtle but we do shift from here into the full mainline shonen part of the arc. Wrapping up fights. The Yama is Luffy’s awakening.

Kestu - The short after the battle segment until the curtains close.

Egghead:

Now, Egghead probably won’t be as long as Wano so Act 2 is probably our best comparison. It’s longer than Zou but doesn’t feel like it has enough steam to stretch past a Punk Hazard or a Fishman Island. And obviously it’s hard to do this with a still-unfolding arc. Still, I feel like we see an existing trick. Act 1, Kiku’s introduction is bounded by mirrored chapter titles. [The Crane/Luffytaro] Returns the Favor. Egghead? [Luffy’s/The Genius’s] Dream. I don’t think that perfectly marks ki giving way to sho, but it’s somewhere around there. We’ll get more entrenched in the battle, the cutaway stories mature but they don’t dominate like we see right now. Wherever sho starts, it ends with 1078 as we’ll pull away revealing the traitor.

Like we said yesterday, what remains to be seen is the nature of this extended break from our main cast. Six chapters is a lot already and I feel like we have at least two more. One more for Sabo’s story and Vivi/Marco’s groups still lack an update. Maybe we could do all that in one? Marco sorta has a precedent for playing us in so yeah I guess you could say...tie off Sabo’s in one while also showing how Vivi got up in the sky with Wapol (Hey, isn’t that thematically a little like starting her adventure like the next step of the crew’s without her?) and then 1086 starts with Marco leading back into Egghead. That’s theoretically all you’d need. But it could go longer, and we stay away for another round of Tales from the New World that spiral into all being shaped by the Incident at Egghead Island.

#one piece #post-wano musings #Wano Arc #Egghead Arc

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tokiro07 · 1 year

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It’s wild to me how many manga in Jump have been explicitly stated to either be in or approaching their final arcs

One Piece: final saga, expected to end in 2025

My Hero Academia: final arc, likely final battle, expected to end in 2024 (maybe ‘25)

Black Clover: final arc, expected to end in 2024

Jujutsu Kaisen: final arc, expected to end in 2023 (maybe ‘24)

Yozakura Family: not stated, but seems to be entering final arc, can probably be expected to end in 2025 if not sooner

Undead Unluck: not stated, but building up to final arc, can probably be expected to end in 2024 (maybe ‘25)

Mashle: final arc, likely final battle, expected to end in 2023

Basically everything from before February 2020 that lasted this long is expecting to be gone within within the next two years, four tops if we assume that every author is overestimating their speed

In just a couple of years, Jump’s landscape is going to be 100% different than it was just three years ago, with absolutely no weekly titles in common (not counting HxH because at this point it’s basically a special guest rather than a member of the roster)

The last time this happened was in 2016 when Kochikame ended after its 40 year run, meaning that Jump’s previous streak for having a commonality between generations was 40 years. When One Piece ends, the streak will be less than 30, then 10 or 11 when MHA ends, and that’s assuming it outlasts Undead Unluck or Yozakura Family. If Yozakura ends last in 2025, the streak will be set at 6 years; if UU does, it will be set at 5

Either way, the refresh rate of Jump’s roster is rapidly getting shorter, so the question is, where does it end? I won’t be say that there will never be another 10-year series, but the last decade literally hasn’t produced any yet, with MHA being the only one expected to make it that far (though Black Clover might). JJK and Yozakura could but likely won’t make it to their respective year 7s, Mashle has already stated to expect itself to end in year 4, and UU might make it to year 5 but probably not 6

Then there’s Elusive Samurai which just hit its two-year mark when its author has literally never let a series go past 4, so we can assume it’s at the halfway point at the latest (though it seems like it may also be shifting gears towards its finale). Similarly, Sakamoto Days is finally giving us backstory pertaining to the guy who’s been built up to be the main antagonist the entire time, so that’s probably moving towards a conclusion too. Witch Watch is putting it off, but it seems to have established what it wants its climax to be, so it’s only a matter of time until the author decides that the final month of the story has gone on long enough

Basically, I just can’t see anything else in the current lineup as going more than five years tops apiece, and even that’s being generous I think. Sure, something might surprise me, but even ignoring Jump’s itchy trigger finger, the focus seems to have strongly shifted away from perpetual stories and into more streamlined ones

Undead Unluck could theoretically introduce a new Negator every month or so and give them a 4+ chapter arc about their past, their relationships, their powers, and their development while fighting against a new UMA to complement their story, but that’s not what UU is about; it’s about Fuuko and her relationships with her team and most importantly Andy. The conflict with God is set-dressing, mere context for us to see a shut-in grow into her found family, and introducing more characters and powers would eventually only be in service to the fans who just want more, not the story itself

Fabricant 100 might introduce a threat after all 100 Fabricants are destroyed, but all that runs the risk of inflating the story rather than making it satisfying for the reader

This is why #fouryearsandananime is my metric for success; four years seems to be the perfect balance for a story to convey all of its themes and develop its cast satisfactorily without tipping and becoming tiresome

I’m super burnt out on MHA lately, and I think the last time I was super excited about it was when Midoriya learned that One For All would grant him the Quirks of the previous holders, and that was...*checks the wiki*...wow, this is not a joke, I’m absolutely serious here, at the four year mark. The following arc about the villains definitely held my interest and that lasted until...yep, the five-year mark. And that’s where I began to fade, right on queue. I think if the story had found a way to condense itself to wrap up within that time, it would have managed to cement itself forever as one of my favorites as I originally thought it would be, but now it’s become kind of hollow for me

Medaka Box ended at exactly four years, and I still regard it as my favorite series of all time, even though Undead Unluck is currently occupying my brain in such a specific way that I’ve recently started to think it just might become my all time favorite. My fear is that UU will manage to last just a little too long and the good will its built up with me will somehow disastrously fade away, just like with MHA. Shokugeki no Soma did it too, losing me somewhere between the 3 and 5 year mark, so averaging to 4 years of investment then unfortunately lasting to the 6 year mark. I’ve got plenty of other examples, but I don’t want this to go on forever

One Piece didn’t even manage to really hold me that long, not on its own; I went literally insane over one minor character and the ensuing spiral managed to trap me irreparably. I had to actively force myself to find something worth clinging to, and that thing just happened to be enough for me. That kind of lightning isn’t something I can expect to ever see again

To put things succinctly, my two fears for Jump are that a series will die half-baked or be left to spoil, and honestly this paradigm shift is, to me, a net positive; if Jump in general is allowed to consistently hit the four year mark, then I have to imagine the proportion of perfectly cooked series can only increase from here

#shonen jump

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rex101111 · 2 years

Note

For the Arknights ask game I about to aske every number, but after careful thinking:

1,2,3,4,5,16,20,22,27

thank you for your consideration XD

1 Favorite Operator?

A tie between Hoshiguma and Kal'tsit. With Hoshi its this odd mix of her being exactly what she seems, a tough but lighthearted tank, and her having so much going on under the surface. She's a keeper of the peace who works for a tyrant. She's a loyal friend who killed her whole family. She resents Che'n for abandoning her but she's also proud of her for finally choosing her own path enough that she let her leave Lungmen. There's so much to dig into with her but you can also just accept her as she is, The Oni is Amazing.

And Kal'tsit because....well, I've gone on and on about Kal'tsit, and if you want a clearer answer about "why Kal'tsit is cool" just play arknights the game pretty much answers it for you.

2 Favorite Story Chapter?

Chapter 6. Frostnova took my heart and shattered it into a million pieces. It's also just the culmination of everything that's been going on in Lungmen and the climax of Che'n bursting into Wei's office to call him a callus rat fuck is just gravy.

3 When did you start playing Arknights?

Around the time chapter 6 first came out. I saw a bunch of stuff on tumblr about it and kinda fell assbackwards into it XD I then lost my account a little while after chapter 7 and took a few months to recover before starting over.

4 First 6 Star

Siege. Seiba the Lion King has been with me for a very long time. She was my free pull and I still maintain she's just as good as Saga just in a different niche.

5 First 5 Star

Greythroat. People will tell me "why don't you just use Exu?" and I will say that it's because I already have a rapid fire anti air sniper on hand and she does work!! Give your Greythroat a chance she's very capable of tearing through folks.

16 Favorite/least favorite enemy leader

Favorite has to be Patriot. Like, it's not even a contest. Talulah right after him but that is a distant second place.

Least is Mephisto. Cool motive and sad backstory, still a heinous sack of shit who took pleasure in causing pain to other people surrounded by others who either enabled him (Talulah/Kachey) or just went along with him for lack of any other real options (Faust). Fuck em I still haven't forgiven him for that lord of the flies situation he engineered in Children of Ursus. Fuck em.

20 your luckiest Roll

In the Skadi Alter Banner I managed to get both her and Kal’tsit in a single 10-pull. After that is getting Rosmontis on my first account on literally the last free single I could have possibly made.

22 Favorite event so far

A tie between Dossolos and Great Chief. Dossolos was a wonderful dive into a particularly seedy part of Terra, and that is saying something, with a really fun villain and an even funner antagonist. And Great Chief was absolutely one of those really early events where the team was obviously still trying to find its footing...but it's just so damn funny. Seriously no other event has been this funny to me. Maybe it just hit the exact right wavelength for me but something about the writing in this event just sends me.

27 Favorite Soundtrack.

again a tie between SILVER! AND GOLD! WON'T SAVE MY ROTTING SOUL! and I WILL BURN THE CLOUDS AWAYYYYYY

Because I am a huge nerd.

#answers #arknights #general thinks #aaah this was fun XD

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maryse127 · 1 year

Note

For the video game ask:

8, 17, 18!

Thanks for the ask!

8. A series you haven’t played but are interested in trying

I don't really know. I am having a hard enough time keeping up with the series i play now XD Maybe Nier? Nier Automata seems interesting but I got really into Final Fantasy last year, there's new Zelda and Fire Emblem coming out this year and I have a backlog so no new series in the foreeable future

17. A game you didn’t finish but would like to get back to or restart someday

*Astral Chain glaring at me from the videogame shelf* played it for a few chapters when I got it then abandoned it in favor of Three Houses Cindered Shadows dlc and just, never returned to it. Until way later where I made a new file and dropped it basically around the same point. I don't really know why. Apart from being really frustrated about not being able to manually save outside the police station and being kinda bad at the game.

I also never played through all of Lego Star Wars Skywalker Saga. Game's not a fun as I thought it would be. Would like to at least finish the story of all episodes. If only because I payed 60 euros for it.

Another one would be Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD. I jumped into it right after finishing Birth by Sleep and those games have similar controls but different enough that I found DDD to be highly frustrating. So I dropped while still in the first area. Also it has mechanics clearly meant for a touch screen that didnt translate that well when they ported it to PS4. But my biggest frustration was that it felt like an inferior Birth by Sleep and it's been a long time since then so I feel like from any of the games listed here this one would have the biggest chance of me liking it. But it is low on the priority list as I already know its story

18. A game location you really like

Pretty much all of Mechonis in Xenoblade 1. The scale and vibe of those areas is just awesome. Honestly just most of Xenoblade 1 in general. Eryth Sea and Makna and Fallen Arm are really beautiful. I think Uraya in Xenoblade 2 is great too.

Tho as for places I genuinely would like to go probably something a little less monster infested like the flower garden outside Aerith's house in Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

My PS4 doesn't like Altissia in Final Fantasy XV and I always get hopelessly lost there but I think that would be fun to visit if it was real.

Almost hit post before remembering: Tangled world in Kingdom Hearts 3. I love that movie and almost cried when I got there because I was so excited I could basically run around in one of my favorite movies

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wyverncult · 1 year

Note

also 001 final fantersy 003 sabin even if i know neither :)

FINAL FANTASY

001 | Send me a fandom and I will tell you my:

Favorite character: *RUBS MY HANDS TOGETHER* sabin, freya, cloud, ignis, bartz, faris, minwu, tidus, auron, kain, aymeric 🫡 im playing ffviii rn and i also like laguna and seifer. honourable mention for my bff gilgamesh too

Least Favorite character: estinien from ffxiv.... he's annoying sorry LMAO, i'm hoping he gets better later. i cant really think of anyone else. edge ffiv was a disappointment but im hoping he's better in the after years

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): faris/bartz(fartz lol), cyan/sabin, edgar/setzer ... actually i dont have many ships, yuna/tidus gladio/ignis prompto/noctis cloud/zack are a given. i also don't particularly ship them but i do like the canon pairings :]

Character I find most attractive: Auron.....

Character I would marry: oh man idk. maybe sabin he'd be great

Character I would be best friends with: TIDUS YOU AND ME LET'S BE BESTIES. or sabin again he's great :)

a random thought: im not far enough into ffxiv to know whether yoshi-p's writing is truly fantastic but i think his obsession with realism & realistic battle system etc. wrt XVI is a bit strange. im still gonna play the game but ?

An unpopular opinion: I HATED FFXIV ARR so much. i know it's not an unpopular opinion but it took forever to get into ffxiv that i was genuinely concerned i wasnt going to like it. if you want to play the game just get the free trial. also the way people treat tifa wrt cloud makes me feel insane

My Canon OTP: not exactly an otp but tidus and yuna are SO cute :[ i do also like celes and locke a LOT though

My Non-canon OTP: FARTZ!!! and cybin :]

Most Badass Character: IGNIS!!!!!! episode ignis makes me feel insane. i actually didn't care that much for him until after i played the game and was like wait hes actually amazing

Most Epic Villain: as for EPIC its gotta be kefka for sure. he has the best OST and best fight for sure. i also LOVE kuja and ardyn but theyre not particularly "epic" i think

Pairing I am not a fan of: cloud/sephiroth, terra/anyone(except maybe celes..), ignis/noctis(though it might be growing on me? shrug)

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): i could write an essay about ffxv. lunafreya deserved more screentime & from what i read what they had in mind for her was REALLY interesting and im excited to read her chapter in the novel. gladio was a bit better in episode gladiolus than the actual game... but he wasnt awful either. also, not FF, but all of the kingdom hearts portrayals of all the ff characters is HORRIBLE.

Favourite Friendship: i know yuna and tidus are a couple but they're ADORABLE friends too :[ i love them together. also prompto and noctis! zack and cloud are cute too

Character I most identify with: ohhh *scratching my head* maybe faris! with his whole thing LOL

Character I wish I could be: I NEED TO LOOK LIKE SABIN IRL 👍

SABIN RENÉ FIGARO

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you:

How I feel about this character: HES MY ALLTIME FAVOURITE FF CHARACTER all the characters in ffvi are so good but i just looove sabin and it doesn't help that soraya saga put so much love into writing him and edgar LOL

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: cyan of course... i've also seen people shipping him with vargas which is good too but i haven't thought that much about their dynamic

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: EDGAR OF COURSE their whole thing makes me. grrr. GRRR. how horrified was sabin to find out his brother formed an allyship with the very people who murdered their family. yet they were so happy to see each other once again when they reunited :[ i miss them. also edgar trying to convince his TWIN brother that he was a completely different person was hilarious. aside from him GAU!! sabin's dedication to encouraging him to reunite with his father because he couldn't have the same thing for himself & yet it was never possible grrrr. Grrrrrrr. also i think they're just hilarious LOL. despite that he doesn't exactly interact with the other characters but imagining anything with all the other FFVI cast is really fun. i really like the one DFFOO story where shelke and llyud asked sabin about edgar and he basically encouraged them to host a lengthy investigation on him all day long LMAO.

now i want to rp...

My unpopular opinion about this character: HE LOOKS BETTER WITH THE BEARD

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: in general i wish we got more content in ffvi! i wish we'd get a proper remake! or even a novel or something! if ffvi got the ffvii treatment we'd get so much more content on all the characters :[

Favorite friendship for this character: OK so i heard he's friends or acquaintances at least with shadow... but.......... i killed shadow before the WOR and i havent wanted to look up his cutscenes before my replay so i haven't thought about his relationship with him past the phantom train.... i guess favourite friendship would have to be with his brother LMFAO.

My crossover ship: none! still playing DFFOO though so maybe something will crop up 🤔

#BITING GNAWING #I LOVE YOU FINAL FANTASY!!!!#i still have a few games left to go!!! im getting there!!!#dmitri's life #ask #ask game #soukeyed

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hinacu-arts · 2 years

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I dont think ive ever mentioned this before but i always thought of my next gen au as a full saga. Like 15-20 works in the ao3 series tag not listed chronologically in any way at all outside of date posted. Like the first fic would be like a 20-60k multichapter fic based soley on the fact 2-4 of the kids time traveled back in time to before Arthur was king and magic was allowed. Then that would be followed up by a few oneshots varying from 1-6k set immediately after the kids return to the future or set within a year before the time travel. Then i would finally get around to writing Galahad's backstory which could be like 8-15k. And id prob be writing Merlin's early fatherhood years around the same time due to the original draft of this au where Merlin and Lancelot became dads around the same time. That would prob cover time faster but still be like 11k because it includes all 3 girls and maybe the aftermath of Lancelot's second death. Then id be flipping between a chapter fic set post-time travel where Galahad and Agressa go on a version of the famous Grail Quest and a chapter fic/long oneshot set within the first 2 years of Galahad becoming Merlin's ward and possibly Clarissant's increased presence/Gwaine's marriage issues which would have a much sadder vibe then the exciting adventure quest. And then after that what id do is less clear but id like to write a short sequel following the original fic but from back in past!Arthur and Merlin's world and maybe Clairibel's wedding/time in Ealdor assuming i didnt cover it in another fic

EDIT: forgot to mention the Arthur x Gwen x Lancelot love triangle angst that covers 1.5-2 years well before any of the kids come into the picture. So that could vary in word size because its a lot of angst from all 3 sides (and Merlin because he has three front row seats to all this) but its also very repetitive until Galahad and Tom II are born. I also have Morgana's "deafeat" vaguely planned out so that probably wouldnt have its own fic but it would still be a good 1-2k section in another fic

#hinacu au #merlin next gen au #merlin bbc #i created this au 2 years ago btw #i have not gotten past notes and designs #granted my notes page is like 18 pages but still #i think i spent 2 days just researching names for the ocs? and then another 2 working out the personilities and backstories #ugggggg dont get me started on the time line im still working that out #ive done it at least 4 times

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ravelengths · 4 months

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Life is weird.

I always find myself coming back to this blog at strange times, moments of nostalgic melancholy, periods of reflection. It is freshly a new year, so I suppose it's an appropriate time to reflect like this. There's just something odd about me coming here this time. I guess I just wanted to add another chapter to this saga. I suppose I want to share to myself what I've learned, express my thoughts as of late.

So here I am, a boy in a man's body. A boy who has navigated a great deal of confusion and pain in my time on Earth. A boy who has grown significantly, and has learned a lot, but still just feels like.. a boy. It's funny to see that I ended the last entry saying that "I have finally entered adulthood". Its funny to think that, for the first time, younger me was right about something. I pretty much hit the nail on the head.

In the time since my last entry, I have continued to work my same job, in which I have attained some pretty noteworthy credentials. I pushed myself to learn something new, pass some difficult exams, and gain some notoriety within my company. The kind of stuff I would have never imagined 5 years ago. I transferred to a location closer to home, and even got promoted to a leadership role, which pays me a wage that most people without college degrees or vocational school dream of earning. I'm so proud of myself for getting to where I am.

I'm still in the same relationship, going on 7 years now. And things couldn't be better. We bought a house together, another thing that I couldn't have dreamed of doing even a few years ago. Hell, it's still hard to believe that we were able to do it. And it's been almost a year now. And to complete the picture, we found a kitten in the car lot behind our house a few months after moving in. I was nervous to have a pet at first, but after a week we decided to get him a little brother. :) Some friends of ours found a full litter of kittens right after we found our little guy, and we wanted him to have a buddy to play with to expel all the energy he had. It's been amazing. I never knew the kind of joy simply having an animal to care for could bring. It has tremendously helped my mental health.

Along with all this, I've been a lot more active with my hobbies, at least when I'm not working (which is quite a lot). I've become a decent mechanic, I make music a lot more, and I've been getting into circuit bending and live visual art. It's been a helpful deterrent from drinking and such, as I find that I am much more focused and driven if I haven't drank in a week or more. But I'm not perfect. I've gone about a year now without smoking weed, but drinking a couple times a week is still my crutch it seems. It's much easier to go without for periods of time now, but I just can't seem to give it up completely. God knew I'd be too powerful if I wasn't an addict.

I guess I really am an adult. I work full time for the city, have a big house with my beautiful girlfriend with 4 cars in the driveway, and two sweet but demonic young cats waiting for me when I get home every day. I really have more than I could have ever wished for. Yet, I still just feel like, a kid. Maybe that's a good thing. Obviously I've made it pretty damn far in life, especially for not even being 30 years old yet. What is it that makes me feel this way? Why do I feel so weird about it? I'm doing okay, I'm not as irresponsible as I used to be, I have more than I could've dreamt of. Is it because I still have hope, and drive? I haven't just folded and accepted my fate as a boring adult? That's a good thing the way I see it. I don't know.

I guess it's just that I yearn for a time when I actually was young. For a time when I could call up my friends out of the blue and we could meet up and get into whatever shenanigans. Without the worry of having to get up early to go to work or worry about being hungover the next day. In a way I do still have friends like that, we toss aside our reasonable judgement from time to time to work on our projects together and drink and bullshit with each other. I love that. I hang onto that for dear life. I guess there are just other friends that I miss dearly.

Music is my greatest passion in life. It's always music that gets me feeling this way. It's what brought me back to this blog tonight. Specifically, the song "Zodiac Shit" by Flying Lotus came on after I put my music library on shuffle. It always brings me back to being like 16 years old, taking psychedelics with my friends, going on random adventures, doing whatever felt right at whatever given moment. I frequently long for this time of my life. Being truly free to explore life and my identity. I was definitely a troubled kid, but I lived in a beautiful delusion. It was wonderful. No matter how naïve I actually was, I really did have it all figured out. But that definitely couldn't last. And that's okay. It's not meant to last. I think the thing that sucks about adulthood, especially after the life I've lived thus far, is that things stop feeling new. It's hard to imagine having an experience that I haven't already traversed. I've lived in the underground nightlife, worked in the criminal underworld, traveled to other continents and gotten completely lost with no cell service, toured around the country in a bus with no seats to play music to hundreds or thousands of people. I've lived both as dirt poor and spoiled rotten. I've tasted all the luxuries and amenities of the elite, as an underdog degenerate kid. I've done hard, dirty laborious work with people of all colors and backgrounds. I've sipped champagne and done drugs with extremely rich people in VIP booths at clubs. I've chauffeured legendary musicians more times than I can count at this point. Even now, at what feels like the most stable and boring time of my existence, most people would still argue that I live a very interesting life. And they are right. I get to do some really fucking cool shit. Even in my professional work life, I get to do and see things that average people couldn't imagine. But why do I still look back on who I was over a decade ago with such awe?

I guess it comes down to freedom. While I am arguably at my happiest now, living an honest and modest life, I do look back fondly on the time where my body felt invincible. Where consequences weren't something that I gave much thought to. I never worried about sleep, never worried about getting in trouble, never worried about my finances. I suppose its easy to romanticize about the time when I didn't truly value my life. A time when I had no future, when I only cared for the present.

For the first time in my life, I have everything to lose. I have love, I have support, I have a home of my own, I have little kitties that depend on me. That's a beautiful thing. I am so grateful for it all. At the end of the day, I couldn't have all this if it wasn't for my past self. That dumb ass kid somehow navigated me to this exact moment. And I can't thank him enough. I'm so proud of him. I'm doing everything I can to take care of him today. I'm so glad that I've kept that child alive, instead of letting him die in the race to finding a stable life like many of the adults I've met in my life.

Maybe being a man-child isn't such a bad thing. Maybe I've still got it all figured out. I know that I am still learning every day, learning how to be a good man, a good member of society, a good friend, a good relative, a good partner. But shit, I'm doing that pretty well.

I'm doing alright.

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wildwood-reader · 2 years

Text

Reading Update #5

October 30, 2022

Recently Finished

BOOKS

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Edition: Paperback

Final Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Final Thoughts: I don't think it captivated me as much as Vol. 1 did, which is probably why I paused it for so long before finishing it, but overall it was still really fun and I'm looking forward to continuing it.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (& The Bottle Imp) by Robert Louis Stevenson

Edition: Paperback

Final Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Final Thoughts: This was very short, so I read it within a couple of days. I don't know why, but there's just something very relaxing about the way classics are written, at least for me. I feel like the story didn't utilize its full potential, which is a shame, really, because I think this could have been a great longer book. But what we got was nice to read with a little bit of mystery, which was nice. Since this was my first time reading it after only having seen depictions of Mr Hyde in movies such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I was surprised to find out what the original Mr Hyde was really supposed to look like, which is basically the opposite of what I've seen thus far.

As for the novelette(?) The Bottle Imp that was also included in my edition, the story was a very interesting one. The idea of a bottle that can fulfill all your wishes but that will drag you to hell basically if you still own it when you die, so your only choice is to sell it for a lower price than the one you bought it for was very fascinating to me. Since I am not an indigenous person of Hawai'i, I can't speak for how well the representation was handled, all I can say is that while I enjoyed the story, some things did rub me the wrong way a little bit.

FANFICTION

The Black Mist House (Series) by Bang Bang Keef Keef

Fandom: Voltron Legendary Defender

Kudos: Part 1 ✅️ Part 2 ✅️

Final Thoughts: We finally read Part 2 of the series and it was really fun. The mystery and the unsettling things that were happening were engaging and kept me curious as to how the story would play out in the end. I enjoyed it.

Bella Goes to Therapy by Bouncey

Fandom: The Twilight Saga

Kudos: ✅️

Final Thoughts: I don't know why really, but this week I had the urge to read a fic about Bella going to therapy during Edward's absence in New Moon, and it delivered what I was looking for on almost all fronts. We got some delving into her relationship with Edward and the rest of the Cullens, and how it affected her life (minus explaining that they're vampires, of course), and a confrontation with Edward at the end, so yay for that.

Currently Reading

BOOKS

Marked by Kim Richardson

Edition: ebook

Progress: 38%

Current Rating: ⭐️⭐️.75

Thoughts: The writing is only okay but the story hasn't lost my interest yet, so we'll see how it goes. I like the silly parts of it.

FANFICTION

Fall of the Crimson Flower by AkatsukiShin (in artistic collaboration with brilcrist)

Fandom: Word of Honor

Progress: Chapter 2.5/6/?

Up-to-date? No

Chapters Behind: 4.5

Kudos: ✅️

Thoughts: Okay, this is getting ridiculous, Jen, it's really time to catch up. 🥲

Heaven Has A Road But No One Walks It by Silvestris

Fandom: The Untamed

Progress: Chapter 48/48/?

Up-to-date? Yes

Kudos: ✅️

Thoughts: Ooh, there was so much good stuff in the new chapter, I had such a great time. 😋

This is it for last and current reads. DNFs and my backlog are under the cut. 😶‍🌫️

DNF'd¹

BOOKS

Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm A Supervillain by Richard Roberts

Edition: ebook

Stopped reading at: 2%

DNF'd because: I couldn't even finish the first chapter. Maybe it's because I've been out of school, especially high school age, for a long time, but the descriptions of the MC's school day were just so boring. The writing was fine, but very mediocre and didn't hold my attention, so unfortunately, this was a no from me. Pity, since the premise sounded really good.

Witch for Hire by N.E. Conneely

Edition: ebook

Stopped reading at: 7%

DNF'd because: With this one, I actually made an effort to finish the first chapter, but I wished it were over almost the entire time I was reading. 🥲 The idea of a modern magical society with witches, vampires, trolls and other creatures as well as normal humans is really cool, but the writing is mediocre at best, unfortunately. I found myself repeatedly groaning, so this one's another no from me.

Alone by Robert J. Crane

Edition: ebook

Stopped reading at: 2%

DNF'd because: The first paragraph actually wasn't bad, but then it went downhill really fast. Next.

¹ I should explain that at the moment, I'm going through my ebook library which has mostly books in it that I've owned for 7+ years and still not read. I try to read the first chapter and then decide if I want to continue it or not. I doubt that the majority of them still captivate me the same way as their premises did when I bought them, so there's probably gonna be a lot of DNF'ing 🙈 I've also dropped more books after reading their synopses and realizing that they're not even appealing enough for me to start reading them anymore. 😶‍🌫️

BACKLOG²

BOOKS

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Edition: Paperback

Progress: Page 102/341

Current Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thoughts: This is a buddy read with my bestie, and right now it just doesn't fit the autumn vibe. We'll probably pick it back up some time after Halloween.

FANFICTION

Red Azalea by CeNedraRiva

Fandom: The Untamed

Progress: Chapter 112/135/?

Up-to-date? No

Chapters Behind: 23

Kudos: ✅️

Thoughts: The stars are still not aligned for me to continue it just yet, but I'm really excited for everything that's coming. 👻

Setting Fire To Our Insides by StarsAlignNomore

Fandom: The Untamed

Progress: Chapter 14/22/?

Up-to-date? No

Chapters Behind: 8

Kudos: ✅️

Thoughts: Y'know what, I think I will be ready to continue it soon; it fits my vibe hunger just enough, so we'll see. 😋

Impossible Life (Series) by Comfect

Fandom: The Untamed

Progress: Part 1/3

Finished Reading? No

Parts Behind: 2

Kudos: Part 1 ✅️

Thoughts: Not sure yet when I'll continue this, but I'm looking forward to Part 2.

*Backlog refers to books and fic that I've started reading but have since put on hold due to various reasons

#jengupdates #books #fanfiction #reading #booklr

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wayward-dreamer · 2 years

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What Is And What Should Never Be

Dean’s Lessons Part 3

Pairing: Mechanic!Dean x Female!Teacher!Reader

Word count: 1,550

Summary: Selected chapters from Life’s Lessons told from Dean’s POV. Scenes that you didn’t get his perspective on, or scenes that you didn’t see… now you can. This part takes place after the events of chapters 5-8 of Life’s Lessons.

Warnings: Slight angst, Dean’s self-deprecation rears its ugly head, masturbation, sex dreams

A/N: This is also written for @supernatural-jackles Tell Me A Story Bingo, square filled: masturbation. I really hope you guys are enjoying seeing a few things from LL from Dean’s perspective, and maybe even a couple things you didn’t see! ;) As always, happy reading and enjoy! :) beta’d by my darling @downanddirtydean.

Life’s Lessons Saga Masterlist

Dean shut the door, resting his back against the wood, a large exhale leaving him. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable feeling to kick in. Sadness. Loneliness. Anger. Regret. He waited for at least one of them to wash over him, but they didn’t. In fact, the only thing he felt was relief.

It was his first time coming back from work to an empty house. Lisa had left a few days ago, both her and Ben driving off in their car. The last thing he saw was the car taking a left at the end of the street, and they were gone. He was of course going to miss the kid, he had really formed a good relationship with Ben, but ultimately it was the right thing for everyone involved that he and Lisa finally broke up and she headed back to Indiana.

As he walked down the hallway, he did feel one of those feelings creep in. Loneliness. For the first time in three years, he was alone. No one to come home to. No one to ask him about his day or greet him with a kiss on the cheek. It only lasted the first year and a half with Lisa, but it was still good while it lasted. He longed for all of that again. To feel wanted by someone. It had never bothered him in the past, to be alone, because he always had something or someone to occupy his time with. He didn’t want to go back to the way he used to be, though. It would be easy to slip back into his old routine, that was true, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want those things anymore; drinking himself blind or hooking up with women he didn’t know. He was done with that. He had had his fun.

What he wanted, more than anything and especially now that he was free to make that decision, was to be with Y/N. Just like most things in his life though, even that wasn’t going to work out because now she was with someone else. Mark something. Mark, who he had met twice now. Once when he was out with his dad and ran into Y/N and Mark, and then again at her birthday when they were having drinks. Mark, who had insulted him and had earned a punch to his irritatingly perfect teeth next time he saw him. He honestly didn’t know what she saw in him, considering they didn’t seem to have much in common or even have much to talk about. He saw her at the bar when they all had drinks together. She was talking with Charlie and Meg mostly, but even if she tried to make it look like she and Mark had something good, he could see the truth.

Dean sighed as he stopped in front of the kitchen sink. He felt something else start to sink in then. Regret. Regret that he hadn’t called it off with Lisa sooner. If he had, he’d be with Y/N now.

His phone vibrated in his pocket causing him to jump, his hand reaching into his pocket and taking it out. He exhaled deeply, seeing Sam’s name on the screen before he answered. Like an idiot, he forgot he was supposed to meet Sam for drinks and called a rain check. His little brother even offered to come over with pizza, beer, and watch Die Hard, something they did when one of them wasn’t in a good mood, but he told Sam he didn’t need to. He could tell Sammy was worried, and probably didn’t believe him when he reassured him that everything was okay as he put on a light tone to his voice, but there was nothing he could do about that.

Dean hung up and placed his phone on the counter, pushing his hands through his hair as he leaned his elbows against the surface. Maybe he should’ve said yes to meeting Sam so he didn’t have to face the eerie and somewhat depressing silence of his house, but he knew his brother would tell him things he wasn’t ready to hear yet. He lifted his head as he heard a car pull up across the street, his eyes immediately finding Y/N as he looked out the kitchen window. He saw her take out a grocery bag and carry it under one arm, her other holding her phone to her ear. He frowned as he watched her walk across the small path to her porch, throwing her head back as she laughed.

His heart began to beat faster against his ribcage as he felt the urge to go to her, to ask her whether she’d want to have dinner, and maybe finally open up to her about how he was feeling. Now that Lisa was gone, he could finally be honest with her. With the way she was smiling, however, he knew that she was talking to Mark. He stepped back from the counter, shaking his head at his own stupid thoughts. Maybe he was free for them to be together, but she wasn’t.

He made his way down the hallway and into his bedroom, stripping off his clothes before he stepped into the bathroom and left the door slightly ajar. He turned the shower on, making sure the water was warm before he stepped in, pulling the curtain closed. He pressed his hands against the tiled wall, leaning forward as the spray washed down his head and wet his hair, down his shoulders and back. He couldn’t take his mind off Y/N but considering they had spent part of her birthday together despite her insistence that they couldn’t be around each other, he wasn’t surprised by that fact. She had been constantly in his thoughts since they met, and then he kissed her on that fateful night, and everything was different between them.

Suddenly they weren’t just friends and neighbors. They were two people who couldn’t explore their feelings because of their situations. Their timing was never right, with him ending things with Lisa just as Y/N found Mark. None of it was playing it out the way he had hoped, the way he had dreamed on nights he fell asleep beside Lisa but was overwhelmed by thoughts of his beautiful neighbor.

His eyes shut tightly as he felt his cock twitch, his mind getting away from him as he pictured Y/N. He saw her on the night she came over for dinner, laughing and smiling at him, her hand fitting perfectly in his, her lips against his as they forgot about the reality of their situation for a moment and kissed. His hand drifted down, wrapping around his shaft and pumping slowly, his other still pressed into the wall to keep himself steady. He groaned softly as he remembered the feel of her skin against his palms, as his hands slid up her back under her sweater, right before she pushed him away. The scent of her perfume as he kissed along her neck and collarbone drove him insane, nipping at her flesh.

A low growl fell from his lips as memories turned into fantasies, to images of her beneath him, their bodies writhing against each other as he moved deep within her. His hand stroked over his cock a little quicker, his imagination running wild as he heard her moaning his name in the heat of passion, his hands in hers as they stared into each other’s eyes. Their lips fused together in a searing kiss, Dean rolling onto his back as he held her close.

He smiled softly as he pictured her above him, gazing down at him, his hands on her hips as her hips rocked against his. Their movement became frantic as she pressed her hands into his chest, his thrusts faster as he lifted his hips to meet hers. His hand pumped faster, a loud groan leaving him as he felt himself getting closer to his release. His eyes remained closed as he imagined Y/N moaning his name as she reached the peak of ecstasy, a string of expletives along with her name fell from his lips as he reached the edge. A strangled moan left him as his neck strained back, spurts of his seed coating the tiled wall before washing away in the spray of the shower.

He blinked rapidly as he opened his eyes, wiping away the droplets of water from his face as he was hit by a wave of guilt. He sighed heavily as he cleaned himself, turning off the shower and stepping out. He wrapped a dark blue towel around his waist, wiping the fog off the mirror as he stared at himself, leaning his hands on the sink.

No matter how much he wanted Y/N in his life, she had moved on. She was with someone else, and he had to accept that. Even if every fibre in his being was telling him not to, he knew that he had to fight the voices in his head telling him to go after her. She wasn’t free to be with him.

That was something he was going to have to live with from now on.

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randomshyperson · 3 years

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The Scarlet Witch Prophecy - Chapter 13 - The Sixth Year (Part Three)

My dear friend @abimess, I keep stealing your gifs and making updates without telling you. I hope you never get tired of it.

Summary: As the youngest daughter of Howard Stark, you have ordinary expectations for your years at Hogwarts. Little do you know what adventures await you when your destiny is intertwined with the legendary Scarlet Witch.

Warnings: +16. Adaptation of the Harry Potter Saga, Magical Thematic, Prophecies, Mentions of Violence, Torture and dark magic, Language (swearing and minor/major offenses), manipulation of will, Underage kissing, insinuation of smut with minors, Smut (overage), descriptions of death, aggression, obscurity, angst, fluffy, soulmates analogies. || Chapter Warnings: Magical torture with minors, cursing, angst, ptsd, derogatory thoughts and behavior, dark magic.

Chapter Words: 8.486 K

A/N> Yes, I've gone for a month without warning anyone, and yes that might go on, but at least i'm near ending this (I'm already writing chapter 21). Once I'm finished, I'll just programe tumblr to upload them all for me because i'm lazy. I hope anyone like this yet, i don't even know what i'm doing anymore. Good reading!

Series Masterlist || Read on AO3 || All Works Masterlist

Chapter 13 - Part XIII - The Sixth Year (Part Three)

Gossip really starts to irritate you when you go to lunch after potions.

"You want to say something to me, girl?" You charge impatiently when you hear the giggles behind you again, coming from a group of students sitting at Ravenclaw's table.

The group turns around with wry smiles on their faces, and you notice the editions of the Daily Prophet in the hand of one of the boys. It is Hope Summers, your classmate, who speaks first:

"We're just sharing some theories, Stark." She says in a provocative tone. "Some of us find it an interesting coincidence that just now that Mephisto is back, you and Maximoff are losing control of magic."

You frown.

"What are you talking about?" you ask in surprise, referring to Wanda, but Hope thinks you want her to keep mocking you.

"It's just suspicious that no one knows what happened to you in that dungeon, or at the ministry of magic." Hope counters. "And now you two are blowing things up, and we have a dark wizard on the loose."

"Fuck you, Summmers." You curse as you stand up, leaving the girl in shock at your aggressiveness.

The same auror from the first day stands in front of you as you try to approach Slytherin's table.

"Students must respect..."

But you interrupted his speech with a loud shove that sent him staggering backwards, and drew the immediate attention of several people.

You were seeing red by now, the man's wry smile only making you more irritated.

He drew his wand, but so did you. And the room held its breath.

"Put your wand away, Miss Stark." Warned the auror angrily, but you didn't.

Wanda stood up as she noticed the confusion, rushing to reach you, but the auror put his arm in her way.

"Now, miss." He warned again, and you grunted in irritation.

"Get your hands off her." You retorted, feeling your body fever with hatred.

"Stark." The man said, his arm reaching down to push Wanda back, and you exploded.

You didn't even finish thinking about the spell, the magic exploding out of your wand.

The auror masterfully blocked it, and you dropped your wand to jump on top of him.

It was a confusion of shoving, other bigger students pulling you away from the man and he away from you.

" Never fucking touch her again!" You warned snorting in anger, Thor Odinson stopping you from jumping on the man's neck.

"I just pushed her away from the line of fire, you crazy bitch!" The auror retorted indignantly and angrily. "Go to the headmaster's office now!"

"Fuck you!"

Thor pulled you out of the hall as the crowd of students whistled in celebration, excited about the whole fight. The auror was too busy dissipating everyone to follow you.

"Hey, hothead, calm down." The blonde warned as he released the grip of you by the courtyard. You grunted angrily, wishing you could break something.

"Fuck this school, fuck that asshole." You complained aloud, as Thor looked at you curiously.

"You have quite a rage, Stark." He comments, and you grumble in irritation.

But Wanda catches up with you the next moment, and she looks even angrier than you.

"What the hell was that?" she asks and you roll your eyes, running your hands through your hair.

"I think you are going to be fine for now on." Thor comments, smiling at the thank you Wanda says to him before leaving you two alone.

"So?" Wanda insists, arms crossed. You bite the inside of your cheek as you look at her.

"What do you want me to say?" You retort angrily.

"You just started a fight for no reason! Again!" She accuses. "Only this time it was with a wizard who could kill you. I want to know what's going on!"

"I don't know, Wanda!" You exclaim angrily. "Why does everyone expect me to have answers? I don't know! Do you understand that? It feels like I'm going to explode in frustration any second, neither you or Gamora seem to get it. I don't understand what's happening to me!"

"Because you won't talk to us!" She shouts back, just as annoyed as you are. "You're pushing everyone away! Even me! We can't help you if you don't talk to us!"

You grunt impatiently, turning around. There was a strange throbbing in the back of your head, a strange whisper. Like a voice telling you that no one was telling you the truth, that your friends expected too much of you, that Wanda didn't care...

This last thought made you sob. Wanda softened her expression immediately, taking a step toward you and touching your shoulder, but you pulled away from her touch as if burned, wiping your tears away quickly.

"Leave me alone, Wanda." You mutter between teeth. She hesitates, raising her hand toward you again.

"Please."

"I need some time from you." You insist, pushing her hand away, and walking away.

A part of your brain is begging you to go back and make things right, but there is a cloud of anger and irritation that keeps you walking.

//-//-//-//-//

You roll over in bed in discomfort.

Nightmares. Again.

It has only been five days since you had your fight with Wanda, and you are getting worse every day.

With Summers' teasing, you end up noticing other things too.

How the school really found the theory that you and Wanda were somehow related to Mephisto, because the minister had covered up what happened in the dungeons and in the ministry, and everybody thought it was strange that two students were showing an increase in magical potential with the return of a dark wizard.

Unlike you, who were failing considerably in any simple execution of spells, Wanda was demonstrating exceptional abilities. Kaecilius was more than willing to make her the face of progress at Hogwarts, you heard the gossip about bringing in reporters to share the news of the new direction.

You know that the only reason Wanda hasn't come after you yet was because you're running away from her like the plague.

And you couldn't even explain why.

You were also blocking out your real health condition from her. Just like you two practiced during the summer.

Besides hiding this from Wanda, you have kept your friends away too, isolating yourself from everyone else in search of a little rest, only succeeding in taking a nap when you are running away between classes.

And the detentions with Kaecilius keep increasing as you skip classes.

You begin to consider learning to write with a different hand, just so the bruise has time to heal, but at this point you don't even care about the scar anymore.

"You really must like pain." Loki teases wryly as you sit in an empty room, waiting for the aurors' shift change again after your detention.

You don't ask him what he's doing on that floor again, and he doesn't ask why you haven't spoken to your friends in two weeks.

"Sure, that must be it." You joke back, massaging your injured hand.

He assumes a pensive expression for a second.

"Are you sure you haven't been cursed by someone?" He asks, causing you to frown in shock and confusion.

"Excuse me?"

He gives a little chuckle, settling himself better against the wall.

"Everyone's been talking about you being sick." He says. "I heard some of the Ravenclaw people theorize that you became a werewolf over the summer."

You laugh helplessly, massaging your temples lightly.

"I guarantee that's not it." You say making Loki smile.

"If you are sick for no reason, it could be a curse." He says. "I wouldn't be surprised, the way things are."

"But how do I find out if I've been cursed?"

Loki takes a thoughtful stance.

"I don't know." He says. "But I'm sure you can learn that in the no longer reserved session of the library."

You laugh at the joke, but soon you both return to silence. When that hallway's shift ends, Loki sighs, getting up and helping you to stand.

"Still can't perform spells?" He asks, already drawing his wand.

"Only if I want to blow things up." You scoff making him laugh.

"Fine, I'll enchant you." He says. When you are transparent, he looks at you with an amused expression. "See you next Saturday, troublemaker?

"Don't worry, I plan on skipping DADA, maybe I'll be here tomorrow." You retort in the same tone before turning to leave.

//-////-//-//-//-//

It takes three more days for Wanda to finally corner you.

You are skipping class in an empty room on the seventh floor, trying to doze off, and almost fall out of your chair with fright when the door opens and Wanda comes in, looking annoyed.

You grunt impatiently, without lifting your face from the desk.

"I told you I needed time." You complain, but tense up when you notice the tears in her eyes as she moves closer to sit at the table next to yours.

" You want to break up with me?" She asks in a whisper and you raise your head immediately, feeling your chest tighten.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Wanda gives a humorless laugh at your expression. "Why are you acting like this is an absurd idea? You've disappeared. You've been avoiding me, not even talking to me anymore."

You shake your head quickly, feeling the urge to cry.

"I don't want to break up with you." You say. "I..I would never want to be away from you."

"You just said you need time away from me." Wanda retorts with annoyance, and you feel your stomach clench as she sighs. "I don't know what's going on with us. And I miss you, but you won't let me near you."

You are exhausted. So you cry.

You rest your head on your arms, and let your sobs fill the silence, hoping that the tears will take this bad feeling away.

It's Wanda's gentle touch on your back that helps.

"Babe, tell me what's wrong." She whispers to you, her tone concerned.

It takes many minutes for you to calm down. But when you do, Wanda holds your hand, kneeling on the floor beside the chair you are in.

"I can't do magic." You breathlessly tell her from crying, "And I can't sleep. I've been sick for weeks, and I'm angry all the time. Healer Cho doesn't know what's wrong with me, but everyone at school seems to have a theory about it. I think I'm going to suffocate, Wanda. I'm messing everything up. Between us, between my family, and at school." You sob as you finish and Wanda shakes her head, her hand coming up to your cheek.

"Don't say that." She urges. "You didn't ruin anything. Hey, look at me. I love you. Your sisters love you, your friends love you. We'll figure out what's going on."

Wanda hugs you tight, and you sob, shaking.

You want to believe her words, so you push the intrusive thoughts away, and believe it.

//-//-//-//

Wanda takes you to a door in that same floor you two were before, but you have never seen that door until that moment.

And you are very surprised to realize that it is a bedroom.

"How...?" You ask confused as she closes the it.

"Welcome to the Room of Requirement." She says with a smile, pulling you by the hand around. "We hold our Avengers meetings here." She counters and you frown.

"In a bedroom? Interesting choice." You comment and she giggles.

"No, my love." She says. "That's how this room works. It is charmed to meet your needs. That's why I asked you to come in first."

"Oh, that's pretty cool." You say looking around. Wanda smiles at you, and then you both reach the bed. "The room thinks I have to sleep?"

"I do too." Wanda retorts, pushing your shoulders gently for you to sit on the bed. "Go on, nice dreams."

You hesitate. "You gonna leave me here alone?"

Wanda denies with her head, pointing to the chair that probably just magically appeared next to the bed. You frown.

"Can't you sleep in the bed with me?"

She giggles. "We don't have much time for you to sleep. If I lie down, you'll want to kiss me. So I'll be sitting in that armchair, studying as I should." She explains seriously, and you pout.

"Stupid rules." You grumble moving your hands up to her waist. "Lie down with me."

"Babe..."

"Please."

Wanda sighs, then nods. You smile, quickly removing your shoes as she does the same. You quickly adjust yourself on the bed, opening your arms for her to lie on top of you, and she gives a little giggle before doing so.

"Are you cozy, sweetheart?" You murmur against her hair, and Wanda squeezes her arms around you.

"Yeah, your boobs are good pillows." She teases, making you laugh with reddened cheeks.

Your eyes begin to heavy quickly, fatigue catching up with your body relaxed by the comfort of the moment.

"Go to sleep, babe." Wanda whispers. "I'll be here when you wake up."

You smile with your eyes closed, surrendering.

It's the best sleep you've had in weeks.

The problem is that as soon as you start to wake up again, you are feeling sick.

You touch the emptiness in the bed, mumbling softly. When you open your eyes you find Wanda sitting in the armchair, the darkhold in her lap.

"Damn it, Wanda, this book again." You complain in a hoarse voice, but she just sighs.

"Why the attitude?"

"I hate that book." You grumble sitting up in bed, massaging your face lightly. "Why do you keep reading it anyway?"

"It's interesting." She says, closing the item to look at you. "Agatha really told me a lot, but there are also things I didn't know."

"For example?"

Wanda bites her lips, appraising you.

"Scarlet witches are forged, for instance." She says and you frown in confusion. Wanda sighs. "Many powerful witches, born scarlet witches, never got to fulfill their destiny because the forging didn't happen."

You straighten your clothes uncomfortably, pensively.

"What exactly does that mean?"

"What the headmistress did last year was my forging." She clarifies and you swallow dryly, feeling your stomach turn. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" you ask confused.

"Everything." She says upset. "I know we've talked about this, but it seems like all I do is cause you problems. With the bond, and with the forge. If Agatha didn't want my powers, she wouldn't have taken you to the dungeon and you wouldn't have suffered."

You poke at the knot of your tie, feeling yourself suffocate slightly. Wanda is speaking, you blink to focus on her words.

"I'm sorry, could you say that again?" You ask out of breath, sweating. You blink to find Wanda's concerned gaze on you.

"Babe, what's wrong?" She asks worriedly, her hands around your face.

You feel your head spin, and everything goes dark before you can answer.

//-//-//-//

You smell the scent of grass when you wake up.

Then you blink in confusion, getting used to your surroundings to realize that you are in what looks like a ward bed.

"Hey, all right, take it easy getting up, Miss Stark." Asked Professor Strange with one hand on her shoulder. In the other he held a potion that you imagined he had given you.

"W-what happened?" you mumbled confusedly, sitting up in bed. Only now did you notice Professor Munroe and Wanda standing in front of the bed, both with worried expressions.

"You passed out, but you're better now I imagine." Stephen explained gently, but you were still feeling very weak.

"Professor, she simply blacked out." Wanda commented in a tearful voice. " Don't you have any idea what's wrong?"

Stephen sighed, and then pointed at the chair, the darkhold.

"Where did you get that book?" He asked, and Wanda frowned, taking a step toward the chair in a defensive posture.

"What does that have to do with my question?" she retorted dryly, and Stephen looked at you one last time before standing up.

"There's a reason it's called the Book of the Damned, Miss Maximoff." He says."It damns its readers."

"That's ridiculous." Wanda retorted, crossing her arms. "I've been reading it for weeks and nothing has happened."

"Not with you."

Wanda hesitates, widening her eyes. And then she takes a step back, swallowing her cry as she reaches out to grab the book and hand it to Stephen.

She turns her gaze back to you, and lets the tears fall.

"I am truly sorry." She says with a mixture of guilt and shame before turning to leave the room.

You call out to her about three times, but she leaves and you don't have the strength to go after her.

"Damn, couldn't I have said that in a different way?" You complain angrily to Stephen, who just sighs, exchanging a look with Professor Munroe. "How come you two are here anyway?"

"It was Wanda." Professor Ororo replies. "She asked the room for someone trustworthy to help her with you. Then there was a door opening in the potions room. Stephen was there with me, and we both came."

"Great." You mutter annoyed, thinking about how you are going to talk to Wanda and convince her that you were not angry with her. "Would either of you happen to know how to make me better now?"

"Sure." Stephen comments by raising the book in the air, and with a wave of his hand, the item dissolves into several pieces until it is gone. "I didn't destroy it, if that's what you're thinking. I just put it away, to prevent something like that from happening again."

"Congratulations." You grumble wryly as you straighten up in bed, the same migraine from before is now weaker, but it's still there.

"You know, you had a better attitude when you didn't have a magical doom on your spirit." Stephen complains, causing you to frown, but Professor Ororo gives a chuckle.

"Thanks professor." You comment wryly, making him laugh. He sits back down beside your bed, and pulls out of the cover a small notebook.

"Now that Miss Maximoff has stopped reading the book, I suppose you will get better." Stephen says, making you sigh.

"You suppose? That's encouraging." You say moving to stand up.

"Where are you going, Miss Stark? You need to rest." Warn the professor, but you ignore him, and ignore the weakness in your body as well.

"What I need, Strange, is for people to stop lying to me."

"No one is lying, Miss Stark." Professor Ororo states next. "We really don't know the extent of the magic the darkhold carries."

"And why is that I imagine?" You sneer. "Because someone omitted the truth from you, and it's been passed down for generations, isn't it? Well, that's over now. Because we've finally studied everything in this place, including a book that condemns anyone who reads it." You exclaim impatiently, stooping down to put on your shoes. "If you two will excuse me, I'll figure out how to get better on my own. But first I'm going to explain to my girlfriend that none of this is her fault."

Ororo and Stephen are silent, but you wouldn't have been paying attention to anything they said anyway.

Soon you are up and out of the requirement room looking for Wanda.

//-//-//-//

She seems to have disappeared from the castle, so you must concentrate to use your instincts.

The hardest part is dodging the aurors, but you finally reach the astronomy tower.

You're a little out of breath from the run, but it's the image of Wanda standing on the edge, the sunlight in her hair that leaves you breathless.

"Hi." You say in a low tone, your hands in your pockets as you approach. She startles slightly, wiping away tears as she keeps her gaze forward.

"What do you want here?" she asks in a husky voice. You sigh.

"That you stop hating yourself and listen to me." You say and she lets out a short laugh.

"And what do you think you can say?" She questions turning her body toward you. "All I do is hurt you."

You shake your head, but Wanda lets out a tearful laugh.

"No you don't understand." She says. "Since I met you, you have only brought me good things. Affection, happiness, hope. You've been that kind warm feeling that I need on my worst days. Hell, you're even the memory for me to cast a patronus." She confesses with emotion, her face wet with tears. "But me? All I bring you is pain and suffering. And now I even bring sickness. This is wrong, I hurt you. You need to see this, and understand that we can no longer happen."

"Don't say that." You ask, reaching up to touch her face, wipe away her tears. "That's not true, Wanda. I love you, you make me..."

"Stop it." She interrupts with a sob. "Don't make it any harder than it already is."

"Please, Wanda, listen to me." You plead, resting your forehead on hers, your hands on her cheeks. "You make me happy, you are the only thing that makes me happy, I love you, please..."

Wanda kisses you hard, and you respond with the same intensity, both of you gasping into each other's mouths.

But then she is pulling away, thrusting you farther apart.

"I'm sorry." She cries, taking a step back. "We're over."

And she's running away again, and this time you don't go after her.

//-//-//-//-//

Without Darkhold's being consumed, you really start to improve in terms of physical health.

The only problem is the emotional ditch you find yourself in.

Gamora, Nebula and Mantis find you, again in the Room of Requirement, skipping class.

"My god this is worse than last time." Gamora remarks as she looks around at the mess of junk food and pillows. The room had been transformed into a "comfortable place", which basically had the appearance of a living room, with several soft armchairs, and lots of unhealthy food. "Why did you guys break up this time?"

"Please don't talk to me." You grumbled, your voice coming out muffled because you were lying on two soft puffs, your face buried in the pillow, your hand inside a bag of muggles snacks.

"I bet you five bucks they'll be back together before the end of the month." Nebula commented and you sniffled against your pillow, hearing a noise that sounded like Gamora hitting her sister.

"We talked to Wanda." Mantis said. "And with Professor Stephen, too. We're sorry about everything, but have you decided you're not going to study anymore?"

"I don't care about school." You grumble against the pillow. "Leave me alone, I want to cry."

Nebula gives a short laugh, and Gamora elbows her.

"Stop hitting me, you crazy." Nebula complains loudly, moving away from her sister to approach you, taking the bag of snacks you have, and making you complain softly. "And you stop being such a drama queen. Aren't you two like soul mates or some shit? It's just a fight, you'll work it out. You're acting like you've never broken up before."

"Your sensitivity is admirable." Gamora scoffs, pushing her sister away to sit next to you, stroking your back until you look up at her. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

You feel the urge to cry arise again. "Wanda thinks she is bad for me." You say. "And she doesn't want to be with me anymore, and I want to die."

You start crying again, stuffing your face into the pillow as Gamora strokes your hair.

"How did this happen anyway?" Nebula asks, confused, chewing on salty snacks."You barely slept at home over the summer to be with her, and now you guys are breaking up. It's hard to keep up with this relationship."

"Merlin, Nebula shut up." Gamora asks impatiently, and her sister raises her hands in surrender with an ironic expression. You want to scream against your pillow, but all you do is try to control your crying.

"You can't keep disappearing, sweetheart." Gamora says as she runs her hands through your hair, trying to calm you down. "Kaecilius has already noticed. He's trying to figure out where you're going, and eventually he'll figure it out since you can't stay here forever."

"Maybe I can." You mumble making Gamora laugh softly.

"Come on, I'm sure you miss a decent meal." She says. "Why don't you join us for lunch?"

"I can't sit at your table."

"Who said anything about a table?"

This is how you end up on the edge of the great lake, at a picnic.

Mantis gets several dishes from the house elves, and since lunch is a free social hour, nobody seems to mind that you are eating outside.

Your sisters are not the only students who, over time, have learned ways around school rules.

You grumble slightly as you feel the sun on your face, but lie back on the grass, closing your eyes.

Your mind wanders back to last summer immediately, the memories of Wanda, and you feel horrible. You just want her back. And then you swallow the urge to cry again to accept the juice Mantis offers you.

"We wanted to tell you that we've found a way to help you, too." Gamora says after a moment, causing you to raise your eyebrow. "About the darkhold, and the eternal damnation thing."

"Light topic." You sneer, throwing your arm over your face. The day is hot. "I appreciate the help, of course."

Gamora giggles. "Merlin, I had forgotten how grumpy you get when you're upset."

"I'm not upset, Gamora." You retort angrily. "I'm frustrated."

"Sexually." Nebula sneers, making you grunt in anger, but Mantis holds back a laugh.

"What's your problem with my feelings lately?" You accuse the girl with irritation.

"Not everything is about you, you know." She retorts and you sit up quickly, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Nebula laughs, rolling her eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, there's a war going on." She says. "We're all stressed and scared. And the three of us have been in the same classes as you, having to watch the same things. But you only have time for Wanda. And now you've broken up, again, because there's some mortal danger, again, that she's caused for you. So, I don't know, but maybe she is right to break up. Ever since you guys started dating everything has been about her, and the trouble she causes!"

"Fuck you, Nebula!" You exclaim angrily, advancing against the girl in front of you. Gamora and Mantis quickly separate you.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Gamora shoves you. "Were you really going to hit her?"

"Fuck this." You curse angrily, taking a step away. "I didn't ask any of you to come after me. I don't need you. I just need Wanda. Fucking leave me alone."

You turn back to the castle, cursing the wild on your way.

//-//-//-//

Loki is the only friend you have now.

You wouldn't call him a friend exactly.

Kaecilius has put you in detention for three days a week, including Saturday, but mostly you just clean the castle. But when he takes you to the seventh floor, and makes you scrape sentences against your own skin, you don't worry about being alone anymore, because Loki is always on that floor.

It takes a week for you to tell him about the requirement room.

" You could have mentioned it earlier, we would have stuck around here." He comments without sounding upset.

Soon it doesn't take long for you two to start seeing each other even when you're not in detention.

You are not surprised that Loki also skips classes, he has always been quite mischievous, but the reason is different from yours.

He knew dark magic. Much more than you or your classmates. And he has no interest in practicing it in class.

"It's stupid." He comments as you are sitting in the armchairs. "Most people will never have the courage or willpower to cast a death curse. It's useless to learn."

"Is that the only reason you don't agree with the teaching at Hogwarts now?" You ask in surprise, setting up the chessboard for yourself as Loki shrugs his shoulders.

"I feel like you're judging me, Hufflepuff." He sneers but you smile, rolling your eyes.

"Honestly, I don't give a damn."

And you really didn't care.

Wanda was avoiding you in the halls, and you were doing the same with your friends and family.

When Iron delivered the mail to the Slytherin table, including Nebula's birthday presents, you wanted to throw up, but all you did was walk away from the Hufflepuff table toward the requirement room.

Without the darkhold, you didn't feel sick, but the anger didn't go away.

Your magic hadn't stabilized, and you were failing at everything, but you couldn't bring yourself to worry about it.

Erik wrote to you, commenting on the importance of you and Wanda practicing magical balancing together, and you burned the letter while crying on the carpet.

And at this rate, time went by.

It was almost the middle of the school year when things started to take a turn for the worse at Hogwarts, and in the wizarding war as well.

Mephisto is getting stronger, and the order is losing. And Kaecillius must be under some pressure from the ministry, maybe for answers from organizations like the Avengers, which are forbidden, because his detentions get too horrible.

It is Saturday again, and you drag yourself to the room where you are supposed to fulfill your detention, but unlike the other days, Kaecillius locks the door.

You only notice because he seems tense and distracted, and there is no feather or book.

"Professor, what will my punishment be today?" You ask confused, and he is nodding to the center of the room as he stands in front of the desk, a few feet from you.

"Miss Stark, today I want to ask some questions and I expect honesty." He declines as he turns to you.

You hiss softly, putting your hands in your pockets.

"Shoot."

Kaecillius doesn't even mind your lack of formality, looking at you with an impassive face.

"What is Mephisto's location?"

You choke in surprise and disbelief. "Excuse me? Why do you think I know that?"

"The ministry has reason enough to suspect that the Order of the Avengers is nothing more than a cover for the death walkers.Your brother, whom I had suspected of being part of that order of delinquents, is no longer at Hogwarts, but you will have to serve." He speaks and with each word you become more outraged. "Now answer me, where is Mephisto?"

" Did you just fucking call my brother a delinquent?" You mutter incredulously. "I have no idea where Mephisto is, what's your problem?"

But you widen your eyes when the professor draws his wand, and you barely have time to swallow dry before the spell hits you in the chest.

It's the cruciatus curse. You know the second it hits you. The sharp pain fills every cell in your body and you scream, not having the strength to stand or with your eyes open, hugging yourself.

"We must not tell lies, Miss Stark." Kaecillius says as soon as he stops enchanting you, the pain disappears in the same instant, but you continue to tremble.

In complete shock and fear, you sob.

"I will ask you again, where is Mephisto?"

You let the tears flow, and shake your head. "I don't know, professor."

Kaecillius lets out a sigh of disappointment. "Some cases are more difficult than others." He comments somberly, taking a step toward her. "Did you know that the record for enduring the Cruciatus curse before madness is six hours? Incredible, isn't it? It happened during the first war, with a muggleborn. You're a half-blood, maybe you can take longer"

He has a devilish grin as he finishes, and you clench your jaw at the threat.

"I don't know where Mephisto is." You repeat, but the professor points his wand at you again.

"My bet is seven hours."

And then the pain returns.

You don't know how long you stay in that room.

But it is long enough for your consciousness to begin to fade. The pain gets so severe that it gradually fades away. You begin to gasp breathlessly, not even able to scream anymore.

Someone help me. Please, help me. Help me. Wanda.

Between the tears you see the floor of the room, and between a twinge of pain, a red light. And everything is dark again.

//-//-//

“Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Warcraft and Wizard is arrested in flagrant by aurors from the ministry of magic this week, full coverage on page..."

You blink confusedly, your eyes getting used to the clarity, while the headline of the Daily Prophet was the first thing your vision caught.

And then you shifted in bed, realizing that you were in a hospital room , and whoever was reading next to you put the paper down when they heard you, and you could behold the curious look on your brother's face.

"Tony?" you whispered confused, and he smiled as he stood up quickly, the newspaper forgotten on the armchair.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked as his hand reached for the loose strands of hair on your face and put them back. "You scared the hell out of me."

"What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

You thought, and then sighed, closing your eyes for a moment.

"Kaecilius."

Tony bit his lip nervously before speaking.

"I'm sorry." He said, lowering his hand to his own. "I came here as soon as I got the howler from Professor Strange, but honestly, I didn't even need it, because all the newspapers are talking about it."

"What...?" You started in confusion, but Tony hurried to explain.

"Wanda found you, Y/N." He told. "She, well, wasn't exactly happy about the whole thing. I think she lost control. Kaecilius is lucky to be alive if you ask me. She almost destroyed the seventh floor, it was a huge mess. And then the aurors interfered, and soon there were reporters everywhere. I guess now everyone knows she's a scarlet witch."

You widened your eyes, straightening to sit up and grumbling a little in pain. Tony looked at you with concern, asking you to take it easy, but you were already asking about Wanda.

"She's at the ministry of magic." He clarified. "Kaecilius is going on trial for torturing a student, and she will answer for putting everyone in danger."

" What?" you ask incredulously, and Tony sighs.

"Yeah I know it's unfair." He says. "But the minister of magic seems to be looking everywhere for people to blame for his lack of control. The problem is how much of that information will get to Mephisto. The whole ministry seems to be full of walkers."

You ran your hand across your face, frustrated.

"I'm so tired, Tony." You confess in a whisper. "It feels like everything is falling apart around me, and things are only getting worse."

Tony squeezes your hand. "I'm sorry, I really am. This whole situation sucks, and I wanted to help you. I'm trying, sister. I haven't been talking to you as much as I should, but I didn't want you to think you're alone. I'm working on breaking the bond. To free you and Wanda from the prophecy, and the wizarding world from dangers like Mephisto. I'm sorry I haven't been by your side."

You swallow your cry, and nod, trying to smile at Tony. He reaches up to hug you, and you gasp softly, taking a few seconds to relax and let the tears flow.

When you calm down, Tony tells you that he is going to get a Mediwizards to check your situation.

You lie down again, sighing softly. The memories come back with full force, and you choke softly, feeling your body tremble.

It's as if you can feel the curse again, sense the pain on your skin. Opening your eyes and shaking the memories away, you swallow dryly and reach for the glass of water on the nightstand.

You just want Wanda by your side telling you that everything is going to be okay.

//-//-//-//-//

You stay under observation for two days.

Doctor Hank makes a joke about you enjoying St.Mungus more than you should since you keep coming back, but Tony doesn't laugh.

Then you' re going back to Hogwarts by train, because the doctor thinks you shouldn't use magical means of transportation for a few days, and it's weird to take the empty express, but as soon as you arrive at the station, Gamora and Nebula are waiting for you with boxes of candy bought in Hogsmeade, and tight hugs.

You are not surprised by the stares you receive from the other students, but you ignore them as your sisters escort you around the castle to the Hufflepuff communal hall.

"Did you get to talk to Wanda?" Gamora asks as soon as you sit down on your bed, sighing with exhaustion from the train ride. The mention of the other sorceress' name doesn't help.

"Not yet." You say. "And I wouldn't be surprised to hear that she's ignoring me."

Nebula exchanges a look with her sister before sitting down on Mantis' bed, who is hugging her knees and looking at you.

"Honestly, I just want to finish this year without any more problems." You confess as you take off your jacket. And there is a moment of silence before you swallow dryly. "I also wanted to apologize to you guys."

Gamora frowns slightly, but says nothing. You take a deep breath.

"I know I was under the influence of an evil book, but that was still no excuse for treating you guys like that." You begin. "Tony told me about how things are in the wizarding world. Everyone is going through something, and it was selfish of me to think that only my problems matter. I'm sorry."

"Really, Y/N, it's okay." Nebula says, surprising you a bit. "We were all stressed, and well, I think an evil book is a pretty fair excuse." She jokes, making you smile. "Maybe things will get a little better now that Strange is the director."

"Oh, that's right" You comment just then remembering the things Tony updated you on while you were at St.Mungus. Like Kaecillius' resignation, and the position being passed on to Professor Stephen. "But honestly, I won't be at peace until I hear from Wanda."

"The trial isn't until Friday. And the way things are going, we won't get any news until it's over." Gamora warned as she sat down on the bed next to you. "I think the Maximoffs are probably too busy to write."

"What do you think will happen to Wanda?" You ask as you tug at the loose strands of the comforter. Mantis sighs lightly.

"I don't have a good feeling about things, Y/N." She confesses and you frown in concern. "And the stars never lie."

"Thank you, Mantis." You mock softly, and Gamora runs her hands through her hair.

"Let's not be pessimistic, okay?" she says. "Maybe the predictions are about, I don't know, the school finals? It doesn't mean something bad is really going to happen."

You grumble unhappily, grabbing a pillow and sinking your face into it. Gamora strokes your back.

"I'm sure things will work out, Y/N." She says. "Wanda will write as soon as she can."

"Do you guys think Kaecilius will be sent to Azkaban?" Nebula asks next, making you raise your head curiously.

"I wouldn't be so sure." You grumble. "I was actually surprised that he was put on trial at all."

"Well, with the whole mess that happened, it was bound to happen." Gamora said. "More than half the school became aware that he used the cruciatus curse on you, and then the daily prophet. And I didn't even know they were in the castle."

"It was because of Wanda really, wasn't it?" Mantis added. "Kaecillius caused his own ruin. He called the journalists to show what he called progress and decided to torture a student while they were in the castle. Then Wanda destroyed the entire floor and the next morning his arrest was all over the pages."

"I'm just really outraged to know that if no one had seen it, he would probably still be at Hogwarts." Gamora says angrily, and you sigh, agreeing as well as the others.

"Well, you must be hungry, shall we go to the great hall? It's almost dinner time." Gamora comments next, pulling you by the hand. You grumble softly, but agree, and soon you are leaving the communal hall to join the rest of the students.

//-//-//-//-//

You are tapping your fingers gently against the desk as you wait for the History of Magic class to begin.

It is Friday, finally.

You have barely slept because of anxiety about news of Wanda's trial.

Things at Hogwarts have changed a lot this week, all because of Strange's administration.

He restored the old classes, banned the teaching of dark magic, the scandal at the Daily Prophet being enough of an argument that the Minister of Magic no longer had a defense over this kind of teaching at Hogwarts. The restricted session of the library was also put back, and the seventh floor was off-limits because of the destruction Wanda caused, and you unfortunately lost access to the Requirement room.

Mantis was writing what looked like a lunar calendar for the divination class while Professor Okoye didn't arrive, and you started whistling distractedly.

And then Thor Odinson was poking you in the back to get your attention, and you turned around in your chair.

"Hi, Stark, what's up?"

"Fine." You grumbled suspiciously. "Can I help you with something?"

Thor looked almost unsure. "I was just wondering if you know of anything going on with Loki."

You frowned. "Excuse me?"

"I mean if you know if he's sick or something." He explains. "We had a fight, and well, he's not talking to me. And I've noticed that you guys have been kind of close lately, and I was curious if you knew anything and..."

"No, Thor, I'm sorry." You interrupt with a sigh. "Maybe you should ask him that."

Thor assumes a sad expression. "I would, but he's ignoring me. I think it might be about our mother."

You make a confused expression, and Thor looks surprised.

"Our mother, she...died earlier this year, Y/N." Thor counters, and you widen your eyes. "Our family is a name of reference against Mephisto. With the war, the walkers came to our home. She was there while we were here, and Dad was at the ministry."

"I'm so sorry, Thor." You whisper to him, still shocked by the information. He shrugged.

"I thought Loki told you."

"We don't talk about things like that, I guess." You say. "Sorry, I wish I knew how to help you."

"No, it's okay." Thor says with a sad smile. "You being his friend this year is more than enough. I don't like seeing him all alone out here."

You nod lightly, settling into your chair as you notice the teacher entering the room.

Mantis exchanges a look of understanding with you, having overheard the conversation even if accidentally, but she says nothing, and soon you are hearing about the witch hunt in the United States, and you try to focus on that rather than curiosity about how Wanda's trial is going or Loki's current emotional state.

//-//-/-//-//-//

As soon as lunchtime begins, you join the Slytherin table, where some of the students have placed a radio on the table, equally with other students from the other houses, to listen to the trial.

You are not surprised that a student's trial is such an interesting topic for everyone, but after the school started talking about Wanda being a scarlet witch, and the theories circulating around the halls, it was to be expected.

So you sit back while biting your fingertips and listening.

"And now directly from the Ministry of Magic, the trial of seventeen-year-old witch Wanda Maximoff, daughter of legendary witch Erik L-"

Your attention is slightly diverted from the narrative when loud laughter catches your ears.

They are Gryffindor and Slytherin students, exchanging coins. You don't need to hear the conversation to know they are gambling about the trial, the mean laughter and glances in the direction of you and your sisters are enough.

And as if she could feel your growing fury, Gamora touches your shoulder gently.

"Just ignore them, Y/N." She urges and you clench your jaw. " Everything is going to be okay with Wanda."

"I hope you're right, Gamora." You grumble, turning your attention back to the radio.

The narration of the newspaper is generic, and you discover that the audience has been closed off to the reporters.

You take a deep breath, concentrating.

No strange feeling, so Wanda is safe.

You wonder if Erik and Pietro are by her side during the whole thing.

It is only at the end of lunchtime that you have the result.

"It's amazing how things unfold in the ministry this afternoon." Counted the reporter with almost excitement. "After a unanimous vote, the witch Wanda Maximoff was found guilty of endangering her fellow students by not registering as a scarlet witch to the ministry of magic, after it was proven that her father, the sorcerer Erik Lehnsherr knew of her condition, as well as the affiliation with the criminal, Agatha Harkness was also mentioned. The ministry finally decided on Wanda Maximoff's expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizarding"

You felt your stomach plummet.

And everything became a little muffled around you, a soft whistle in your ear. You think Gamora and Nebula were calling for you, but you were getting up, feeling the room getting too small.

Stumbling out, you loosened the knot of your tie, finally stopping in the courtyard as you leaned your body against a pillar.

Wanda had been expelled from Hogwarts, publicly exposed as a Scarlet Witch, and tried as a criminal. You wondered if they would break her wand. Banned wizards led horrible lives.

Your sisters and friends caught up with you quickly, and you let them hug you.

In a few minutes Director Strange is catching up with you as well, and you release Gamora's grip to talk to him.

"Professor, I need to..."

"You cannot leave Hogwarts, Miss Stark." He interrupts with a wave of his hands and you frown in confusion, ready to protest but he is already speaking. "Tony sent a patronus as soon as the results came out, he already figured you'd want to see Miss Maximoff. The ministry is a mess, and Wanda will be staying with her father there for the minister's final decisions. You should stay here, where you are safe."

"That's not fair!" You squawk angrily. "Wanda needs me, I must-"

"She needs you to be safe." He interrupts again seriously, and then lowers his tone slightly as he notices the curious looks of the surrounding students. "Be rational, Miss Stark. Now that the Wizarding community knows the nature of Wanda's powers, how long before Mephisto has enough information and discovers your identity as protector."

You swallow dryly, clenching your fists begrudgingly. Stephen is right. You look away, and he sighs, placing his hand on your shoulder.

"Wanda will be fine, even without her NEWTS, she is an extraordinary witch." He says. "And the year is coming to an end, soon you will be able to see her again."

"She needs me now." You grumble annoyed, turning away from the professor's touch. He looks at you for a moment and then clears his throat.

"I'll see what I can do, Miss Stark." He says."In the meantime, focus on your studies, and be careful."

You frown at Stephen's words, but he is already turning and leaving before you can ask.

As you turn to your friends, Gamora has a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay?" She asks, and you sigh, agreeing to hug her again as you mumble no.

"I can feel how upset she is, Gamora." You grumble against your sister's shirt, wishing you could hug Wanda now. Gamora squeezes you against her arms, and you thank her for her intention even if it isn't enough.

The next few days are like a blur for you.

Many letters arrive, as do many editions of the Daily Prophet.

When the picture of the day Wanda's wand was broken comes out on the front page and you see her tired face, you have to run out of the common room to keep from crying in front of your colleagues.

Everyone writes to you, even Carol, everyone but the Maximoffs.

It is frustrating, and honestly, it breaks your heart in many ways.

The news of a Scarlet Witch after a century is almost as bombastic as Mephisto's return, and you're not surprised that many of your colleagues would start to comment on the possibility of Wanda working with him or against him.

It's overwhelming how everyone talks about her, but all you can feel is how much you miss her around the castle, around you.

You couldn't even remember that your magic is stable, and with everything that has happened, you haven't had time to figure out how to fix things.

Stephen tried to help, but he didn't know what was going on. At least the theoretical part of magic you were able to master, and you hoped to get at least an acceptable score in some subjects.

Only almost a week and a half after the trial, Professor Strange interrupts the potions class to talk to you.

Ignoring the curious stares and whispers of your classmates, you ask Professor Munroe to excuse you, and leave the room.

"What is wrong, professor?" You ask curiously as you close the door, watching Stephen with his hands in his pockets.The dungeons feel emptier without the ministry aurors around the castle.

"Saturday, in the Astronomy tower, nine-thirteen at night." He says as he hands you a small gold key, causing you to frown in confusion. "You will have exactly one hour, Miss Stark. Not a second more."

You stare at the object in your hand, and understand. A portal key. To Wanda.

"Thank you, Professor." You say, and Stephen nods before leaving.

You turn back to potions, the object in your pocket. You could barely contain your anxiety.

//-//-//-//-//-//-//

Tag list> @imapotatao / @aimezvousbrahms/ @ensorcellme/ @helloalycia || @mionemymind / @abimess / @stephanieromanoff / @yourtaletotell / @tomy5girls / @justagaypanicking / @thegayw1tch / @idek-5 // @myperfectlovepoem // @helloalycia // @ENSORCELLME // @AIMEZVOUSBRAHMS // @drpepperobsessed // @sighsam // @olsensnpm // @sxfwap // @table57 // @madamevirgo // @causeitswhatjesuswouldfreakingdo // @emptysince18x // @xastrydx || @yuhloversxx || @ymzki-haruki || @wouldirunofftheworldsomeday || @lostandsearching || @lezzzbehonesthere || @musicinourlips || @chaekhan || @diaryoflife || @nervoustrack || @aquamarinescarlet || @cristin-rjd || @idamaemann || @fortunatelynerdylight || @iliketozoneout || @blackwow34 // @tiny--freak || @spongebobtentacles || @cyberbonesworld ||

A/F/N> Place your bets for my next comeback (a week, a month or tomorrow?). If I delete the blog, and you're in love with this story for some reason I don't know about because there are so many better things to read, know that I'll post everything on AO3 if I ever do.

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x reader #scarlet witch x reader #marvel imagines #The Scarlet Witch Prophecy #elizabeth olsen x reader #harry potter au

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