#my prof is ready to tear everyone a new one

[nimbus-tatze]

.

#i'm losing it #my prof is ready to tear everyone a new one #his first goal: unjust systems #he is RAGING and now i understand why he started smoking in the middle of our last zoom lecture #i'm gonna need a therapist he is exposing too many hard truths

[nodameshield]

how are we doing? have the tears dried yet? I know mine haven’t :: 

let’s start light : research fellows count ! (also, lady, only ten years old? - I resent that).

Goh understands this?? he’s got a silly proud smile and it’s following Ash’s butchered storytelling??? love 

research fellows count ! 

perfectly attainable dream 

sure, go for it.  (look at both of their supportive lil smiles, we love best friends) 

we all know the scene that’s coming ahead, but I thought this was a beautiful demonstration of growth already on Goh’s side.

Listen before the sad part begins let us appreciate for a moment how Ash and Goh were smiling at EACH OTHER after the interview was over. cuties. 

behold : the last frame we have of baby Sobble. I’m going to miss you, bean. thank you for everything<3 (he was so proud of his good deed as well!! my very heart) 

just how fast the night changes, indeed.

Drizzle went through shock and pain at record speed and swiftly landed on anger - only to fall into ✨depression✨ just as quickly.

and then we just stayed there.

someone 

is 

(oh hey Cinderace ! good to see ya)

having  

a rough morning

 (I’m sorry, this scene was just fucking funny - the drama)

Cinderace’s proud big bro moment was just too sweet to leave out - let us not forget, he’s been a big bro since he was Raboot (and even as a temperamental Raboot, he was always gentle to Sobble). And now his baby bro has evolved as well. precious ! 

Goh handled this situation very maturely from the beginning. And here’s when the build up starts. He’s saying ‘hey, let me help you how I think you need to be helped” and he genuinely doesn’t mean any harm! naturally, his reaction is to help his Pokémon, in the way that has worked in the past.

but then he starts to understand maybe that’s not the best approach this time around.

and he’s ready to respect those new boundaries (of course, there’s no blame on Cinderace, either. Much like Goh, he - and everyone, really - was just trying to help in the way he thought was the best).

shoutout to the animation on this bit because Pikachu’s ears darting down was a delightful detail. Chloe’s expression and Grookey’s simmering down drove the point home as well.

ah, you coy little thing. Did you forget how your trainer almost left you behind because of how rebellious you were??? Because you made him feel as though you’d be better off without him?? (Cinderace has selective memory, you can’t change my mind, don’t be miss-leaded by the cuteness)

this build up was wonderful - we begin to hear all these reasons why, yeah? maybe he just wants to be alone.

maybe he’s still very afraid and careful of his surroundings, and his evolution made it worse? (he’d been popping up in random places in previous episodes, hiding, which was also great foreshadowing for this episode !) 

maybe he’s cocooning himself until he’s ready to evolve again? (which, considering his disappointment and how badly he wanted to be Inteleon already, is a very plausible reason)

but Prof. Cerise gets it right when he says ‘we can’t really know for sure’ (which ties greatly with Goh’s upcoming scene) - is it your Drizzle’s quirk? are they all like this? who cares? Isn’t wonderful how he’s a living creature? how he’s got nuances and a personality? shouldn’t that be enough of a reason to look after him, and try to help him right now?

my child, still thinking he’s got to do everything on his own.

and these two are just like ????? Goh ??? watchu talking about ???

can you imagine how MUCH this moment means to him?? he was ready to keep going alone (it’s what he knows) and even when Ash and Chloe prove him, time and time again, that he’s not alone, there’s still something in Goh coded to believe others won’t care as much/won’t be there when he needs them. and that’s why he insists: I’ve got this. I can do it alone.

and, sure, but you don’t have to. that’s the beauty of friendship.

you tell him, Chloe. (actually, without Chloe calling him out, he might have taken longer to figure out where Drizzle was. so...) // but also, it gives us a glimpse into the fact that, while Goh might have felt very lonely, Chloe has been observing and caring for him - in her way - for a long minute as well.

my very point above. 

HEY, LISTEN: he doesn’t know, either. he’s a child, words are hard, and you rotate along the four moods of childhood (happy, upset, scared, hungry (?)) and don’t ponder much on anything else because you are a child, there’s no emotional intelligence to speak of, no need for it, you’re being shaped by your environment and all the stimuli of the world being a new place. things like loneliness, confusion, anxiety... we can’t put those into words - hell, they’re fucking abstract and confusing even when we are adults.

and Goh’s stimuli and environment was, given what we know of his family life, a rather lonely one. Did his parents have a lot of spare time to take him to the park? I don’t think so. Was he good at going out there and asking other kids to play? ... probably not. 

Chloe doesn’t strike me as an extrovert, either, so even if she wanted to get close to Goh or invite him to hang out, perhaps she was too shy as well. Heck, perhaps Goh’s reaction would’ve been like the one above, he simply didn’t know. Maybe he didn’t want to ! and that’s perfectly fine as well.

am I forgiving the anipoke team for making Goh cry? no, never. but this was beautifully executed so I can grow to live with it.

“why are you depressed?” “you have nothing to be sad about!” “look at all the wonderful things you have!” “just be happy again!” - sound familiar? yeah, this was incredibly well done.

as adults, perhaps we see this and think ‘shit, how cool that they’re prodding on these topics, it’s important’ and it is !!! so important !! but if it’s this impactful as young-adults/grown-ups, imagine how impactful it must be as a child to see this and feel perceived. I’m honestly so proud of this moment, this whole episode. I’m grateful they took the time to look into this maturely. and even if children don’t do a full-fledged analysis on it, if they relate (like I know so many of us did) they won’t forget it. and that’s beautiful.

darling I’m blanking on your TW handle I’m so sorry - but someone in a tweet SO RIGHTFULLY pointed out that these are the words Goh would have needed to hear when he was younger. saying them to Drizzle it’s a full circle moment for him, he’s hearing them as well, and it’s helping both of them grow.

He’s not forcing himself as Drizzle’s trainer. Goh bears no entitlement here. He’s saying ‘Hey, if you’re comfortable, if you want to share , I’ll be here’ / as a kid, people did care for him, they kept wanting to know what was going on, but Goh couldn’t put that in words and people pestering him only made it worse, but if someone had said ‘hey, when you’re ready...’ then,,,,yeah,,,,maybe it would’ve been different. 

he’s offering that safety now to his Pokémon, something he didn’t have, but he grew to understand is what he (and now Drizzle) needed. If that doesn’t have you breaking down in a teary mess then you are stronger than I’ll ever be, because my glasses were cloudy by this point.

why, why, why. because you needed to hear all that as well, baby! so did a number of us. thank you.

I’ll say that, however it was that you connected with this moment, that’s yours to cherish. 

Personally, I too had a lonely childhood marked by parents who overworked, and I too spent a lot of time alone in kindergarten and through elementary school because it was hard to make friends (turns out i’m an extrovert, ha, talk about breaking out of your shell...) so, obviously there were easy common grounds for me in this episode.

but I LOVED to read the reactions and realize so many people still connected with it, one way or the other. So many of us felt seen and understood and acknowledged in emotions that are so hard to put into words !! 

so, again, if you identified with Goh or Drizzle or any of the topics in this episode, that’s very beautiful, and I hope the underlying message that you’re not alone gets through.

With Sobble, and now with Drizzle as well, Goh is very adamant to remind us that, however we are, that’s fine. there’s something that makes us special, regardless of other people’s opinions, or their ideas of how we *should be* // that’s the message I’m taking with me, at least.

 and i can’t wait to see how this story line evolves !! I have no doubts that, when the moment comes, Inteleon will be a wonderful addition to the team, but Drizzle is here now, and he’s plenty wonderful already x

Bonus: 

ha ha, yes. I watched this episode three times. And all three times I was a mess.

side note but a very important one: the animation, the voice acting, the dialog, the scenery of the starry night - the entire scene was so beautifully executed. so  carefully crafted. ugh, amazing. just perfect. so happy.

#all right this took forever #if you are still reading thank you #anipoke #pokemon journeys #ep 62 #we won't be forgetting this one now will we #journeyshipping #Pokémon Journeys: The Series #SatoGou #Firstfriendshipping #Goh #satoshi #Chloe #ngl Chloe was the mvp #calling Goh out on his bs #we love to see her #Goh I'm so proud of you #please keep growing #you're beautiful and i love you

[demonslayedher]

What years does KnY take place?

Ready for more nerdiness?

I picked up this book, which is NOT an official Shueisha or Gotouge related publication. Instead, retired Shizuoka University professor, Owada Tetsuo, wrote this fandom deep-dive and nerdy flex called "Japanese History of Demon Slayers." It takes little bits and pieces of full KnY canon lore and explores wider historical roots, like drawing comparisons from specific characters to folkloric demons and making deeper speculation about the blue spider lily and such.

I'm looking forward to tearing through this nerdy material as it's right up my nerdy alley, but I must resist while I must focus on studying for a different nerdy test, blah.

But here is one tidbit to share, especially for people who have way too much of a preoccupation with canon accuracy, like me.

As part of the analysis of why the anime was such a hit (he draws the comparison of it marking the turn of an era, similar to how Japan recently entered the Reiwa period), he breaks down hints from canon (specifically, the declaration of it being Taisho at the start, Nezuko referencing letting the kids eat tasty things for New Years, and the Hand Demon's very detailed recollection of time) to arrive at the following estimate:

--The story begins in Taisho 2 (1913)

--The Final Selection takes place in Taisho 4 (1915)

Again, this is UNOFFICIAL, but it is based on sound historical reasoning I'm too lazy to translate at the moment. 

EDITED NOW WITH TRANSLATION!! You can read my longer rambles about messy calendars and why you can’t make any assumptions about birth-years here. Pages 134~135 of “Japanese History of Demon Slayers” by Prof. Owada Tetsuo, published 2020/10/24 (non-official KnY) Translation Note 1: I’ll be leaving “Nengo” untranslated. This is the term for naming different periods of Japanese history. You may be familiar with the recent tradition of changing the Nengo according to the changing of Emperors’ rule, but it used to be changed for many more reasons than that, and they could be very long or very short. Furthermore, it’s easy shorthand to refer to centuries-long periods like Heian or Edo by simply those names, but there were many, many Nengo contained within those periods. Translation Note 2: The conclusions are Prof. Owada’s, not mine. (As part of the “Why Has ‘Kimetsu no Yaiba’ Become Such A Big Hit” section) “Kimetsu no Yaiba” is a story that takes place in which year of the Taisho Period? ~Based on the words of the “Hand Demon” at the Final Selection~ The impetus for “Kimetsu no Yaiba” becoming such a big hit was the anime which began airing in April of 2019. Prior to the anime’s release, the manga had sales of 3.5M copies by March of 2019, but by the anime finished airing that September it had suddenly risen to about 12M. I believe this has something to do with the change from the Heisei Period to the Reiwa Period which occurred on May 1, 2019. That’s because the setting of “Kimetsu no Yaiba” is when the era has just changed from the Meiji Period to the Taisho Period. Let’s start by considering exactly when the story gets its start. The official website states, “Set in the Taisho Period, Japan” and from Chapter 1 we know it’s in the Taisho Period. In Chapter 7, during the Final Selection which takes place on Mount Fujikasane, the “Hand Demon” asks Kamado Tanjiro, “What year of Meiji is it?” To which Tanjiro responds, “It’s Taisho now.” At this, the Hand Demon shrieks, “The Nengo!! The Nengo changed!!” and goes on to say, “Urokodaki was the one who trapped me” and “I’ll never forget what happened 47 years ago” and “It was back in Edo times… around the time of the Keio Period.” 47 years prior to Taisho 1 (1912) was Keio 1 (1865). Since the Keio Period was only four years long, the Final Selection had to have taken place between Taisho 1 and Taisho 4 (1915). Seeing as Tanjiro spent two years training under Urokodaki prior to battling the Hand Demon, we can assume Chapter 1 took place sometime between Taisho 1 and Taisho 2 (1913), and the Final Selection took place sometime between Taisho 3 (1914) and Taisho 4. In Chapter 1, snow is falling, and Tanjiro mentions, “I want to let everyone eat their fill for New Years’ Day,” so you can infer that this takes place in early February before the New Year on the traditional calendar. Since Taisho 1 started on July 30, the start of the story is Taisho 2*, which makes the Final Selection set in Taisho 4. That makes “Kimetsu no Yaiba” set in a world that just entered a new era, just like 2019. *Simply put, the Japanese calendar is a mess, and it was even messier back in the Taisho Period when you were still between official changes to the Gregorian calendar in Meiji and the wide-scale, more enforceable adoptions of the Gregorian calendar in Showa. Officially, July 30-December 31, 1912, would be Taisho 1, so Taisho 2 began January 1, 1913. The traditional/agricultural/semi-lunar/Chinese/what-have-you New Year in 1913 was February 6.

#kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #KnY Translations #KnY nerdery #KnY references

[id-rather-be-an-outsider]

Take Your Time

Bertholdt Hoover x nb!reader

word count: 2360

summary: the warriors are in uni together. reader gets the news their older sister’s cancer is back, bertie boi tries to be a grounding presence for them. did I say it’s a modern/college au? it’s a modern/college au. fluff, angst???

a/n: yessirrr it’s another fic I wrote to cope w not having a good support system irl, we love moving away from toxic home environments :))) also there will be a part 2 to this for a happy ending. if there are any pronoun inconsistencies LET ME KNOW!!! I would like to fix that, reader uses they/them uwu

tw: cancer mention, pre-mourning, poverty??? if that’s triggering for u

masterlist

Professor Erwin begins taking attendance, and I can’t help but feel like something is off. Missing. Annie nudges me and whispers, “Have you seen y/n?” I shake my head, no.

Reiner mentions, “Last I saw them, they got a phone call and looked like they’d seen a ghost when they answered it.”

Annie’s face drops. “It might’ve been something about their sister.”

“Something?” Reiner asks. “Or cancer again?”

Annie quickly elbows him in the gut. “Don’t talk about it like that. You know what they told us last time.”

His tone shifts. “O-Oh. Right.”

I rise from my seat. “I’m gonna go check on them. Can I copy notes later? I’ll be back soon, hopefully.” Annie and Reiner nod, content to take studious notes. I know I’ll owe them favors.

As soon as I’m out the door, I run all the way to y/n’s dorm. It’s across campus, and I have all my stuff with me, so five minutes later I’m sweating and out of breath as I reach their dorm. I can already hear their sobs. My heart drops.

I knock on their door as lightly as I can, cringing at the thought of interrupting them during such a private moment.

“I’ll be right there!” I hear them call as they weakly try to quiet themself down. As they open the door, they stare at their feet and say, “Hey Hange, sorry I’m being so loud, I know that’s-“ A gasp strangles its way out of their throat midsentence- “Probably why you’re knocking, I just got some bad news, but I’ll try to tone it down a couple notches.”

I’m not quite sure how to respond to their apology, so I stand there awkwardly until they look up at me. Their eyes have never looked so dark, and I’ve never seen their face look so sorrowful in the entire time I’ve known them. They stand there for a moment in realization, then launch into me with a hug that knocks me back a step and start sobbing again.

I return their embrace, and walk them backwards into the dorm they share with Annie, closing it behind us. They start to sink to their knees, but I pull them up. “Stay with me, y/n.” I guide them to the couch and they slump, beside themself, only held up by my arms around them. I push their hair back behind their ears, unable to say anything as their cries echo through the room, splotches of salty tears staining my pant legs and shirt. Their crying cuts off, turning into a coughing fit for a minute.

“It’s back.” They finally whisper, voice hoarse, neck muscles straining. “And it’s in her heart. We-“ They let out another breathy sob. “We can’t afford to buy her a heart. Even if we sold all of our things, it wouldn’t add up to a heart.” Their crying starts again, and another one of their gasps breaks off into a cough. Suddenly, their cough stops, and they cover their face, hopping up and running to the bathroom. I follow them, and watch with gritted teeth as they lose their entire breakfast in the toilet. They keep crying, using toilet paper to wipe the puke from their mouth, blowing their nose with another strip. I see blood and puke on the second strip and almost hurl myself, but I steel myself and keep it together. Coming undone right now will only make it worse.

“Y-you got vomit in your hair. Let me help.” I offer my hand and pull y/n up to their feet, flushing the toilet for them and maneuvering them around to the bathtub. They kneel, and I turn on the faucet, instructing them to tip their head over. I run the warm water over their head with a cup sitting on the side of the bathtub and pretend not to hear their whimpers. They either don’t realize the roaring water in their ears isn’t actually drowning them out, or they don’t care. Perhaps both.

Once the mess is gone, I turn the water off and grab a nearby towel, helping them wrap their hair in it. They sit on the bathtub edge, looking absolutely miserable and empty of all happiness, so I head to their bedroom and rummage through their drawers until I find the softest pair of pajamas they own and a pair of plush fuzzy socks. I bring them back to them, and they shut the door to change.

In the meantime, I text Annie to tell the profs I’m gonna be absent today, and y/n will likely be absent the entire week due to a family emergency, I order their favorite pizza, and find their favorite movie on Disney+. I peel back the covers of their bed and change into my own pajamas (they’re nice enough to let everybody in the group keep a pair in the extra dresser drawer in the event of an unexpected sleepover) and head back to the bathroom, tapping lightly.

Y/n opens the door, fully changed, so I help them remove the towel and comb through their hair as gently as I can, not wanting to yank on their scalp. I try to apply their serums and creams like I remember, but they step in after I almost do the wrong order. I just grab the towel and their dirty clothes and toss them in the hamper.

A knock at the door tells me the pizza’s here, so while they handle their curly mane, I find their favorite plates and serve us up slices. Chicken-bacon-spinach alfredo, just how they like it.

When they finally exit the bathroom, they eye the smaller serving almost like it’s poison, and whisper in a tone barely audible: “I don’t think I can eat right now.”

“That’s okay. I’ll come grab it if you get hungry later.” I say, sticking their plate in the microwave and putting the box in the oven to lock in their heat. I lead them into the bedroom and plop down on the bed, inviting them to sit between my legs. When they’re settled in, I pull the covers up and grab their stuffed animals for them when they can’t reach them.

The movie starts and eventually I find myself holding y/n and their head tucked into my chest. If I’m being honest, I’ve watched this movie with them a million times, so I don’t need to see it to know what’s going on. Good thing, too, because I can’t keep my eyes off their face even though it pains me to look at them. How can someone so beautiful know so much pain?

And their sister. They have two. I’ve seen them before, in pictures. Even when they’re mad at them, the way they talk about them, you can just tell how much y/n loves them. They’ve always been protective over them both, especially so their younger sister, but since their older sister’s first run-in with cancer, y/n almost talked about her like she was fragile, to be handled with care.

I can’t imagine what their sister’s feeling right now. Anguish, for sure. I’m sure losing your own life is worse than mourning. At least when you’re the one alive, you can remember them.

“Thank you,” Y/n says, voice barely above a murmur, “For helping me. I... I think I’m going to need a lot of help to get through this.”

I say, “It’s no problem, really. That’s what friends are for. I’m here for you, and so is everyone else.”

They wince. “Everyone else already knows?”

I shrug. “Well, maybe not everyone. But me, Annie and Reiner connected the dots when you didn’t show up to class.” They nod in understanding. “I don’t think they’ll tell anyone, though. Not unless you want them to.”

They suggest, “I think I should be the one to break the news. I’m probably gonna take time to visit, spend as much time with her as possible.”

I rub their back supportively. “We can visit you while you’re away. Or, if you’d rather, we can wait here for you to come back. When you’re ready, of course.”

“One of the two.” They murmur. They look up at me, eyes glassy. “I’m really glad you’re here, Bertholdt. You’ll never know how much it means to me.” We share a look, communicating what words don’t want to, and suddenly I feel myself leaning in, and I see their eyes fluttering closed, I feel their breath lightly fanning my face, then my lips as I get closer, until-

“Y/n!” Annie’s voice rings out as the front door all but slams open. We both sigh quietly, scooting away from each other. “Y/n, I’m so sorry, I came as fast as I could after class got out, where are you?” She pushes the bedroom door open, dropping her bag, then looks over and sees us, but not the tender moment we nearly shared. She runs over, sinking to her knees and pulling y/n into her signature crusher hug. “Y/n, I love you so much, you have to know that, and I’m here for you. Roommate or not, I’m here for you. You’re my best friend, don’t forget that.”

Y/n quickly finds themself and returns the hug with only half as much power, weakly saying, “Thanks, Annie. I love you too. Today’s been... tough.”

“It’ll be tough for awhile. The important thing right now is figuring out what you need and doing that.” Annie reassured them. “Also, if you’re worried that Reiner’s going to barge in here and say something stupid-but-well-intentioned, he’s not.” She pauses, looking y/n in the eye. “He’s waiting outside to do that.”

A knowing smile passes between them, and y/n actually huffs, the happiest noise they’ve made all day.

“Well.” Y/n says, “I can’t keep him waiting out there forever, now can I?” And pushes themself up off the bed. I follow, hoping against hope Reiner manages not to say anything insensitive. When they pull the door open, lo and behold, Reiner is indeed waiting outside awkwardly. He dips his head in greeting to me and pulls y/n into the gentlest hug I’ve ever seen him give.

“I’m so sorry, y/n. I don’t know what else to say to make you feel better, but I’m here if you need me.” He says, and his eyes reflect the sincerity of his tone.

Y/n sniffs again. “That’s all you need to say.”

Annie interrupts, “I hate to be a downer, but there’s a pizza box in the oven and me and y/n had a movie night planned. Unless you’re not up for it anymore?” She turns her gaze to y/n questioningly.

“No, yea, a plan is a plan. I could never skip our movie nights!” They respond, cracking another small smile.

Annie returns the smile, then fixes Reiner and I with her signature cool stare. “Get out. Roommate night is commencing.”

Reiner mutters, “Don’t have to tell me twice.” And slips out the door, while I linger. Annie looks at me and arches her brow.

“I’d like to get a word or two in with y/n.” I input. She sighs, walking into the bedroom to afford us some privacy. She does mother y/n a lot, I think.

Y/n looks up at me expectantly. I start, “Y/n, I- I want to- I really like you. But I don’t want to push you into anything you’re not ready for.”

They nod, frowning a bit. “I figured you’d say that. But you’re right. Realistically, it just doesn’t make sense for us to jump into anything when I’m probably about to leave. But?” They perk up again, hope in their eyes.

“Eventually, yes,” I say, nerves making my stomach flutter a bit. “I’ll be waiting for you. But I only want to explore that when it’s the right time. I want you to *take* your time.”

They grab my hand. “And I will. I will take my time. Just- don’t forget about me.”

I laugh, the smile impossible to wipe from my face. “I can’t ever forget about you when you’re always on my mind.”

“You guys disgust me!” Annie calls from the other room. “Hurry up! The movie’s starting!”

Y/n laughs. “You better go, you know how serious Annie is about our movie nights.”

I give their hand a squeeze and say, “Try to have fun, okay? And eat some of that pizza. It was expensive, as far as pizza goes. Don’t neglect yourself.”

They walk me to the door as they say, “I’ll try. Don’t let Reiner get into any trouble. I’m pretty sure Annie’s not the only one eavesdropping on us right now.”

Annie calls again, “It’s impossible to not hear you guys! Learn to whisper!”

“You’re no fun!” I retort, a bit louder for Annie. “And I shall do. When can I see you again?” I ask y/n.

They smile. “Whenever you want. I’m gonna need the company now, anyway. Goodbye, Bertholdt.”

“Goodbye, y/n.” The door clicks into place after they shut it behind me. I’m feeling such a mix of emotions right now. Longing? Sadness? Sympathy? Happiness? It’s all so jumbled up. There could’ve been much better timing for me to admit that. Much better timing for everything, though I suppose just because there’s a better time for something doesn’t mean it won’t happen when it wants to.

There’s a slight bounce to my step as I meet Reiner who’s already halfway down the hall after he got all his juicy details. I’m not sure where everything is going to go from here, but I know my next step is going to be taking life as it comes, and doing what I can to be supportive of y/n. I smile to myself, ignoring Reiner rolling his eyes and saying something about me being lovestruck. As terrible as today’s news was, it wasn’t all bad. At least the person I’ve crushed on forever feels the same way. The hope I feel in my heart sparks something in me.

“Reiner... we have to help them.” I say, determination running through my veins.

“How?” He asks.

“We have to help them get their sister a heart.”

#outsider writes #aot #aot bertholdt #bertholdt hoover #bertholdt x reader #bertholdt x y/n #attack on titan #annie leonhart #reiner braun #aot annie #aot reiner #college au #modern au #snk bertholdt #snk annie #snk reiner #snk fanfiction #aot fanfiction #fluff #angst??? #nb!reader #shingeki no kyojin #aot x reader #snk x reader

[devnicolee]

Into the Light (1)

Warnings: none yet! 

Summary: Wesley Parker is a smart, political genius with years of policy experience. After working at the Wakandan Outreach Center in Oakland for over a year, Erik Stevens, Wesley’s longtime friend, offers her the opportunity of a lifetime: move to Wakanda and serve as an international policy advisor to King T’Challa alongside him. For reasons even Erik doesn’t know, she jumps at the chance and immediately leaves her Oakland life behind for a new one in the elusive, secretive nation. Like her friend Erik, she is a recluse and a loner, determined to focus on rebuilding her life and keeping her secrets her own. However, when she meets a certain Mountain king, she realizes that her life in the darkness doesn’t always have to be so. But is stepping into her light that easy? Or will the fear of trusting others keep her stuck? 

Word count: 4,509

Enjoy!

***

Wesley took a tentative step down the ramp of the Royal Talon, the smoldering African heat immediately hitting her in the face. 

“Parker!”

Her face immediately lit up when she saw him, standing separate from the rest of the Royal Family. She hadn’t expected all of them to be waiting to greet her. 

“Stevens.” 

It came out as almost a quiet sigh of relief instead of the upbeat, jovial tone she usually had. After days on edge, the reality of seeing him, stepping her feet on Wakandan soil was like stepping under the warmth of a thousand suns. She couldn’t even hide how relieved she was. It certainly felt better than her impromptu move back to Oakland a year ago. She quickly fixed her face to mask her relief and put on a neutral smile, more of an expression he would expect. 

As soon as she was in arm’s length, his strong arms wrapped around her midsection to pull her into a tight hug. She hesitated for a moment, surprised at his greeting, before her arms rested on his broad shoulders to return it. Even after rekindling their friendship over the past year, she still wasn’t used to this new version of him. He was more inviting… more warm than he used to be. Wakanda had changed him, just not in the ways he originally intended. 

He pulled back, eyeing her up and down as if she had managed to acquire some injury in the last week without his watchful eye. 

“You good?”

“Yea, the flight was great… you know, I just slept through most of it.” 

Her eyes tried to take in everything: the silent planes whizzing above her head, the guards lining the landing pad around them, the grandiose palace towering above them, the sounds of bustling city streets outside the palace gates. Wesley had done a decent bit of traveling in her time and this was truly unlike any city she had ever seen. 

“Aight. Good, good. Come inside, sis… get you situated.” 

After a quick introduction to the Queen Mother and hellos to the rest of the family, all of whom she had met and worked with at the Outreach Center, Erik ushered her inside to show her the room she would be staying in. She knew the accommodations were only temporary, until she got settled and could find her own place. But she certainly was not complaining. 

She tried to listen to Shuri as she rattled off information about the different areas of the Palace, what her new bracelet did. But Wesley knew she would retain none of it. She was too excited, too anxious, too nervous.  

Her professors and old colleagues called her a budding prodigy. Everyone knew Wesley Parker was going places. But she knew what they all also called her now: a waste of talent. After graduating from Harvard, she spent years working her way from government office to government office, trying to work her way up to the upper echelons of the political sphere. She was poised to be a leading voice in foreign policy, one of the few young Black women in the field. And then, over two years ago, Wesley just walked away. From her cushy life in D.C., her high-paying position, a new job offer with the U.N. She abandoned her dream, leaving it stranded in the road for an unexpected detour. And she always looked back, always wished she could get back there. 

And here she was, as she walked down the opulent halls of this palace tucked away in Africa. This was the break in the trees illuminating her path back to her dream. This was her chance, her shot to rebuild what she lost… and this was the only place in the world she could do it. She couldn’t mess it up. She wouldn’t. 

****

“You like it?” 

Wesley laughed, rolling her eyes, “Yea nigga… this is bigger than my whole apartment.” 

Her feet sunk into soft taupe carpet blanketing her bedroom floor. She shuffled her feet, feeling the plushness between her toes. She flopped down on her bed, which felt sinfully good and soft. She propped herself up on her forearms to look at Erik, who looked amused by her childish antics. 

“Good. How you feeling?” 

Wesley sighed, rolling her eyes as she pushed herself back to her feet. The question was vague, as many from Erik were, but she knew exactly what he was referring to. She walked toward him, arms folded in annoyance at his overprotective and overbearing nature. 

“Stevens… you gotta stop asking me that. I am fine. That was, what? A week ago? I’ve been through worse, I’ve seen worse. I am good - I’ve moved on.” Her beautiful face scrunched up in a frown, “I am honestly sorry I even brought you into all that. It’s not a big deal.”

His eyes widened slightly, “The fuck? Wes. That was a big fucking deal. And lying to me about it don’t change that. You need to talk someone… you need to talk about it. And you need to tell me what ha-” 

“Erik. I am begging you… drop this. Leave it alone. Please.” 

She knew he could hear the exasperation in her words, the pleads. She didn’t like thinking about it, one of the many things from her past she flew halfway around the world to escape. The thin fraying ropes holding her up were starting to unravel again, and it took all her power not to collapse, fall right here in front of him. 

He nodded, raising his hands in surrender, knowing that she was serious if she chose to use his first name. 

“Fine. I’ll let you keep your secrets… for now. We all got ‘em. When you’re ready, I’m here. You know, I’d kill for you. I gotchu always, Wes.” 

And that’s the problem. 

“I know… you’ve killed for less.” 

Wesley was one of the few people, outside of his new family, that knew about his past, knew the road littered with blood and bodies he traveled to reach his paradise… his home. 

After her parents died in a tragic accident, 15-year-old Wesley was sent from her home in Charlotte to live with her aging grandmother who had little time or interest in raising a rambunctious teenager. However, she did have time for her friends, Ms. Louise and Mr. Franklin, the old couple in their building who had been fostering a 17-year-old boy, Erik. 

She and Erik became fast friends, developing a close brother/sister bond. Already exhibiting a penchant for violence, Erik was a good friend to have around as a young girl. He was always there to fight for her, protect her. Even when he left for MIT, everyone in the neighborhood knew she was the wrong girl to mess with. 

He looked after her when she joined him in Cambridge during his last two years at MIT. Harvard and MIT were demanding for the pair but they still spent as much time together as they could, studying their respective disciplines. As she kept her nose to the ground and worked on the Hill in D.C. after graduating and Erik started his career in the Navy, they still remained close, talking or seeing each other anytime Erik was available. For every high and every low, Erik was the one constant in her life. 

However, when Erik decided to fall deeper into the life of espionage and violence, the calls came less frequently and, eventually, stopped all together. And there was no one to call, no one to check in with to see if he was ok. And so, Wesley lost the remaining family she had in this world, the only family she thought she would ever have. 

When their paths fatefully crossed 12 months ago outside a black-owned coffee shop near the Center, both thought they had seen a ghost. They hardly recognized each other, mere shadows of the teenagers that ran through the streets together. Part of her wanted to be angry with him, but she couldn’t. One brief conversation reminded her what it was like to have family… someone who cared. And she jumped at the opportunity to have him back in her life - with the promise that he would never leave her again. And it was clear how much his life had changed. He had found home and safety while she was still fumbling in the dark, desperately searching for both. 

It didn’t take long for him to “convince” her to take a position as a consultant at the Outreach Center, lending her policy experience to help them bridge the gap between them and local policymakers in the state. It was better than what she was doing before, preparing to apply to a bookstore to pay her bills.

“Fair enough. See you for dinner? I’ll come by and scoop you… you’ll be lost in this place for days tryin’ find it yourself.” 

“Yea, yea. That’s cool. Thanks. See you then.” 

Wesley chewed her bottom lip as she watched his back retreat out her door. She hated how overprotective he was… how much he actually cared. Most people heard “I am fine,” and accept it as fact. Not Erik… he wanted the truth. 

She flopped back down on the bed, this time out of frustration and guilt, not childlike amusement. Her hand covered her face as tears stung the back of her eyes. 

“You are not fine,” she whispered out loud. But she couldn’t bring herself to tell him that… or the real reason why. 

****

“Does this look ok?” She smoothed the front of her dress. 

Erik told her dinner was casual and she tried to follow that but she also refused to look like an idiot in front of the Royal Family. This was casual enough but still stylish and cute. And purple, paired with gold jewelry, as Erik told her those were the colors of the Panther Tribe. While her relationships with Erik, Shuri, and Nakia extended beyond professional pleasantries, she could not say the same about King T’Challa, who she had only really spoken to a handful of times. She couldn’t show up to dinner looking any type of way. 

“Yea… I told you it was casual tho?” 

And he looked casual and comfy, sporting a pair of black joggers and a t-shirt. 

“This is as casual as I am gonna get. Some of us aren’t royalty, Stevens… Or should I call you Prince N’Jadaka?” 

He rolled his eyes.

“Nah you shouldn’t if you wanna know where dinner is.” 

“Stevens or Erik, it is,” she vowed quickly, not wanting to smart mouth her way out of a meal. 

“The tribal leader of Jabariland gon’ join us to by the way. Name’s M’Baku.” 

Wesley tilted her head, racking her brain for the bit of knowledge about Wakanda she learned from Shuri, Erik, and Nakia during their long sessions at the outreach center.  

“Jabariland, Jabariland… Jabari… Oh, that’s the group in the mountains right? Gorilla god, snow, just started talking to y’all again like last week?” 

“Tribe,” he corrected. “But yea, that’s the one. He is cool people tho. The only council member I like.” 

Wesley didn’t really understand why she was so nervous. After a year helping them launch the Outreach Center, she was, at least, friendly with everyone at varying degrees. But here? She was a stranger, feeling an intense desire to prove herself and fit in.

“Ms. Parker!” T’Challa stood as she entered the dining hall. It was set for seven, four of the people already seated and waiting. 

“King T’Challa,” she rose her arms in the X she had seen others do around him for a year. He smiled brightly, an encouraging sign on her end. “And you can just call me Wesley or Wes.” 

“Of course, of course. And just T’Challa will do as well. Please sit. We are just waiting on Lord M’Baku.” He gestured toward one of three empty seats available, the one with a mysterious small gift box sitting on the chair. 

“You all did not need to get me anything,” she muttered as she picked up the box. It felt heavy as she fiddled with the edge of the wrapping paper. 

“Nonsense. We are so excited to have you here. N’Jadaka and Nakia believe you will be a great asset as we determine how to situate ourselves on the world stage and I concur. This is just a token of our appreciation for your willingness to join us here and we hope it makes your job a bit easier.” 

“Thank you. And believe me, I am so appreciative of the opportunity.” She prayed no one could see the light tremble in her hands as she started to tear the paper off. However, before she could, the double doors to the hall burst open. 

“Apologies for my tardiness, my king! Issue in the mountains.” 

Wesley looked up to find a giant walking toward her, that was the only way she could think to describe him. She almost wondered if he was an enhanced person, like T’Challa. For she had never seen a “regular” man quite his size. 

You’ve never seen a man as gorgeous as him either. 

If she could have, she would have rolled her eyes at herself. It was true, he was a sight to behold. He entered the room with an aura of power and strength that would have, once upon a time, had her lusting after him. But that was hardly what she was there for. 

“No worries, M’Baku. We were just welcoming our guest, Wesley Parker. This is Lord M’Baku, tribal leader of the Jabari.” 

Wesley smiled brightly, offering him a polite wave. Her smile wilted slightly under his unreadable gaze. She watched as his eyes traveled up and down her frame, lingering on her for a few moments before he seemed to catch himself and the awkward silence filling the room.

“The American… Welcome to Wakanda, Ms. Parker.” 

Wesley bristled slightly at his words as if being called an American was an insult to her, and in many ways - it was. She turned her head to her right where Erik sat, rolling her eyes and mouthing “the American?” sharing her disdain with the only person in the room who would understand. To which he just chuckled lowly and shook his head. She fixed her face to hide her annoyance before turning back toward him as he sat down in the seat left of her. She supposed she should ready herself for that reaction.

“Uh.. thanks? I guess.” Her voice trailed off a bit as she spoke. Turning her attention back to the half opened gift sitting in her lap, she ripped the rest of the wrapping paper off. 

She gasped as she pulled a shiny, state-of-the-art tablet out of a box. 

“Oh… I can’t accept this! Thank you but I can’t.” 

It was sleek and beautiful, she had seen them all with it over the last year. And she knew no amount of money would afford her something as high tech as this. But she didn’t feel right accepting it.  

“Really, it is nothing.” Shuri waved her hand dismissively, completely ignoring the woman’s protests. “And it will work better with our tech here. It syncs to your beads, the easiest file transfers you have ever seen. You will love it.” 

“It’s a losing battle, Parker. Just say thank you,” Erik whispered out of the corner of his mouth. 

“Thank you,” she responded meekly. 

T’Challa motioned for a servant to take it from the dinner table, letting Wesley know it would be brought to her room. 

“Thank you! It’s too much, really. But I appreciate it. I am sure it will work better than mine.” She thought back to the broken and beaten iPad tucked in her bag, the screen partially shattered and many years past its prime. 

Small conversations commenced throughout the group as Wesley sat watching. Shuri and M’Baku were engaging in a lively debate about the merits of vibranium vs. Jabari wood? Whatever that was. Hushed whispers past between T’Challa and Nakia on the other end of the table. And Erik listened, albeit reluctantly given the look on his face, to the Queen Mother chastise him for missing yet another council meeting.  

Wesley sat, eating her second course of only God knew how many, just listening to all of them laugh, bicker, and poke fun at each other. 

This is nice, Wesley thought. She knew they weren’t her family. But even being in their presence lifted her spirits more than she could have known. More than sad for what she didn’t have, she was filled with joy for what Erik found. She was curious how they found a way to accept him, forgive him… love him after all he did. But she was glad they had. He deserved it. He deserved happiness after losing so much for so long.

And you don’t. 

She shook her head lightly, as if she could shake the negative orator out of her mind. But she knew she couldn’t. That voice was always there, always reminding her to never get attached. Everyone leaves, everyone hurts you. Because nobody wanted her. 

“Wes. Wes!” 

At the sound of her name, Wesley pulled herself out of her thoughts, directing her attention at Shuri. It was clear the young girl had tried and failed to get her attention multiple times. 

“S-sorry, princess. I-I got lost in my own thoughts there. What did you say?” 

“No problem. I just asked how the date with Jason went?”

Wesley blinked a few times in confusion before it hit her. Fuck. Jason was a gorgeous and accomplished volunteer at the Outreach Center who taught engineering to the students with Shuri. He had his eye on Wes since the day she literally ran into him in the staff lounge but Wes never really paid him much attention. Shuri had tried incessantly to play matchmaker with the pair. Wesley had almost forgot she lied and told Shuri she had agreed to go on a date with him. She had no intention of doing such a thing; she just didn’t want to be asked about it again. 

“O-oh we ended up not being able to get it scheduled before I moved. Y-you know, it all happened so suddenly.” 

Shuri seemed crestfallen for a moment but immediately perked up. 

“Oh, well good thing there are soooooo many eligible men here. And cute too! Nakia and I will find you someone, don’t worry.” 

She wasn’t worried or interested. But she appreciated Shuri’s enthusiasm and good intentions so she just nodded and smiled. 

“It must have been hard, moving away from home so quickly,” the Queen Mother interjected, thankfully moving the conversation away from Wesley’s nonexistent love life. “We were surprised you wanted to move so soon.” 

“I-I hadn’t been in Oakland long. Just a year so I hadn’t put down too many roots. Wasn’t too difficult to make the move.” 

“Still, your friends and family. It must have been hard to say goodbye so fast?” Shuri asked. 

“Yes, it was.”

She picked up her wine glass, taking a long sip, which confirmed the finality in her clipped and short response. This conversation was over. 

Everyone returned to their separate conversations and their food. Awkwardness slowly seeping into her as she questioned whether she should have just lied to keep the conversation going and be polite. 

“Do not feel awkward. Shuri and the tribal leaders in Jabariland have been trying to play matchmaker with me for the last year. I just ignore them.” 

Wesley laughed, directing her attention to the owner of that deep baritone voice. “And they haven’t caught on yet?”  

M’Baku brought his glass of wine to his lips. “Of course, not.” 

“Well, I could use some of your tips then. The Princess is quite persistent. But I suppose that is what makes her the genius she is,” Wesley mused. 

“Happy to share my insights anytime.” 

“You live in the mountains, right? I didn’t even know it could snow here.” 

M’Baku smirked, “I imagine there is quite a lot you do not know about Wakanda yet.” 

Wesley took the bait, he was not wrong. There was so much she didn’t know about this country she was now meant to help lead. 

“Well, tell me something about Wakanda you think I should know.” 

And his answer to that question carried them through the main course and on to dessert. She mostly listened as he talked about his home, Jabariland, and the people there. It was very surface level, but it made her want to learn more, as much as she could. He explained the differences between the Jabari and the rest of the country. As he spoke, Wesley felt at ease for the first time since she sat down at the table, felt glimmer of her old eager and passionate self peaking through the thick walls she had stacked up. Talking to him felt like talking to an old friend, someone she had known all her life. 

“So you come down here often?” 

“A few times a month. T’Challa and N’Jadaka lean on my counsel often.” 

Wesley nodded, “So we will be seeing quite a lot of each other then, I suppose?” 

“Oh, I am counting on that.” 

The flirtatious tone in his voice was not lost on Wesley, even if no one else at the table was paying them any attention. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, seeing him wink at her before smiling. If her deep, warm brown skin could, her cheeks would have turned a rosy pink. There was a lot about this face that was gorgeous beyond belief. But his smile drew her eye, pulled her in. She could tell he frowned a lot, his resting face throughout dinner had looked generally disgruntled. However, his smile lit his whole face up, made him look even more beautiful - as if that were possible - and more youthful.

“All, I must retire for the evening. Attend to some tribal business. I will see you all in the Council meeting in the morning. My king.”

He saluted T’Challa who returned it and offered him a head nod. He offered Wesley a lingering glance and and a small smile before leaving.

What the fuck was that? She imagined he did that with a lot of women. Harmless flirting that meant nothing at the end of the day. She knew a man like that would never go for someone like her. 

“U-uh I should head to bed as well. I have quite a bit of reading I wanted to do before bed, actually. Thank you for dinner. It was amazing.” Wesley wiped the corners of her mouth before folding her napkin and placing it by her dirty plate. 

“Let me walk you,” Nakia offered. “I am headed in that direction anyway. T’Challa and Erik have some business to discuss.” 

A sense of longing washed over Wesley as she watched the intimate, subtle touches that passed between the pair as T’Challa kissed her hand and squeezed it before letting her go. Once again, she shook her head, internally stamping down the emotions that did not serve her cause. 

She offered them all thanks again and said good night before following Nakia. There was silence for the first minute or two as the events of dinner tumbled through her head. 

Was he actually flirting with me? 

Does it really matter? She debated with herself. Even if he was, which seemed highly unlikely, there were about 1,000 reasons she couldn’t pursue him. Wesley pushed that aside quickly, deciding that he was simply a flirt and she was simply a fool so starved for love that she would fall for his flirtatious nature so easily. 

And then that awkward moment with Shuri and the Queen Mother. Wesley hated questions about her personal life. Not because she found them intrusive, but because she did not have the standard cookie cutter answers people actually expected when they asked those questions. She couldn’t tell the truth and all that left her with was lies and she had enough lies… enough secrets for one person. 

“I can almost hear you overthinking, Wesley.” 

Nakia broke their silence, stopping in front of a large bay window that looked out into the palace gardens. The moonlight illuminated Nakia’s face, which carried a concerned expression on it. 

“Dinner went well. Everyone is excited to have you here, truly. Don’t stress over tomorrow. The Council will like you.” 

The tension building in her chest dissipated almost immediately, thankful that this was the path the conversation was taking. 

“Y-yea I’m sure you’re right. I’m good, really. Just need to get some of the nervous energy out I guess.” 

Nakia nodded before turning to resume their trek back to her quarters. More turns and long hallways than Wesley could count later, they were standing outside her bedroom. 

“You and M’Baku seemed to have hit it off.” Nakia’s face was filled with interest and excitement. “And that is saying something… there are few in Wakanda as cold as Lord M’Baku. Pun intended.” 

Wesley chuckled, tucking a stray black hair behind her ear. Her small frame leaned against her closed, deep mahogany doors as they talked. 

“He was nice! Well… everyone here is nice. But I am sure he is like that with all the ladies, just a charmer.” 

“Oh I can assure you, he is not. He likes you.” 

Wesley’s face must have been a lens into her inner skepticism for Nakia immediately started to laugh. 

“I am serious!” 

Wesley’s hand fumbled for the door knob, slowly opening it before saying, “I doubt it but it doesn’t really matter. I am here to work, I don’t have time for much else.” 

Nakia tilted her head, almost examining her. She imagined it was from all the spy training but Nakia was almost impossible to read, which frustrated Wesley to no end. Half of being good at politics was simply being able to read people. Nakia always made her question that skill. 

“I find that people only make drastic moves like you have for two reasons. They want to start over or they are running from something. I don’t know which one brought you here, Wesley. But you won’t find your escape or new start behind a mountain of paperwork. It is out there.” Her hand pointed behind her at the stained window across across from her door. 

“What are you saying?” 

“I am saying is that Wakanda is more than its political agenda. Wakanda is its people, its culture. To succeed here,” she gestured around her, “You have to know what’s out there. You have to experience what is out there. You have to live, Wesley.” 

Silence. 

“Just something to think about. Good night, Wesley.” 

***

Tag list: @muse-of-mbaku​ @allinhishands​ @ms-reader​

A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list. 

#M'Baku #m'baku x reader #m'baku imagine #m'baku x oc #black panther #black writer #black panther fanfiction

[weasleysprincess]

New Flame chapter 2

A/N: I had writer’s block for a good week or so and worked last weekend. But finally I did it, 6k+ word fic! feels like 12k after editing and prof reading. Hope you enjoy and I’m already writing chapter 3! 

Warnings: Cussing, drinking and implied smut(not Y/n and Bill, it’s coming thou), arguing, a tiny bit of fighting. Hopefully that covers everything, if not I’m sorry I didn’t catch it.  

The first task was going to start on Saturday and just about everyone was pissed at Harry for putting his name in the goblet.  It’s odd, Harry is just 14 and the twins are closer to 17 then Harry is.  Something doesn't sit with me about his situation.  It was getting closer to the end of the day, my prefect duty was tonight.  Sorta worried I’ll run into Cedric tonight, but then again I’m not worried, Charlie wrote me and said Bill was coming too.  

I looked at Hufflepuff’s robe and saw a pin  “CEDRIC DIGGORY, THE TRUE HOGWARTS’ CHAMPION'' She grinned, showing the Slytherin girl.  “That’s great, I love it,”  I looked again. “POTTER STINKS” I rolled my eyes and walked along.   “I don’t give a damn about your father, Malfoy!”, Harry yelled across the courtyard.  “Harry”, I sighed.  I walked out, getting a better look.  Suddenly Malfoy was turned into a white ferret.  “Oh my god”, I snickered along with the crowd. Cedric winked at me.  Harry was sitting with Hermoine at dinner,  “Harry”, I said sitting next to the boy.  “What happened with Malfoy?”, I asked.  Harry rolled his eyes.  “I’m not gonna report you, besides Malfoy an annoying git”, I rubbed his back.  “You answered it'', Harry said, with a huff.  I stood up, “Hey, good luck Saturday. I’m pulling for you”  Harry blushed, “Uhrm, thanks Y/n” George pulled me next to him, “Hi George'', I giggled.   Ron had a Cedric pin, I rolled my eyes. “Molly, would be ashamed”, I thought.  Professor McGongall gave me my instructions for tonight, it was 10 not long before I was off duty.  I made the corner and was face to face with a certain Hufflepuff, “You’re joking”, I sighed.  “Sorry”, Cedric backed up a little.  I moved past him, but grabbed my hand.  “Can we talk? Please just hear me out” I looked at his eyes, the ones who charmed me for years.  “Fine, five minutes and I’m out of here”, I rolled my eyes.  “I know last spring, I fucked up hard. You didn’t deserve any of that, I wish I had just talked to you instead. Y/n, you are a wonderful, amazing girl and I treated you like shit. I’m sorry, truly. The next person who gets you is one lucky person and again I’m sorry for how I treated you and did you in the end”, Cedric had tears in his eyes. 

“Ced, thank you for realizing what you did and I appreciate the honesty. Just promise me, you’ll treat Cho better than you did me. I know you two are a thing, don’t lie.  Oh and I guess good luck this weekend”, I said.  Cedric smiled, “Thanks, she’s pretty cool. I’m thinking about asking her to the ball, you have a date?”  “Uh no, haven’t really been thinking about the ball”, I played with my ring on my finger.  Cedric nodded, “Night, Y/n” “Uh night Cedric”, I swallowed.  I came back into the common room, there was a single lamp on.  “Really? We don’t know how to turn a damn lamp off”, I walked over to turn it off when suddenly, a pair of big hands grabbed my waist, pulling me towards them.  I was fixing to scream until their scent filled my nostrils,  “Bill?”, I asked.  “Hi Princess. Miss me?”, Bill kissed my cheek.  “You have no idea”, I smiled, turning to hug him properly.  

I woke up in Bill’s arms around my waist,  “Mhm, I gotta get up”, I mumbled.  “Stay a bit longer”, Bill whined in the pillow.  I smiled at him. His long ginger hair was sprawled across my pillows, freckled toned chest rose with each breath, the warm heat off his body. “I gotta, Billy. If it makes you feel any better, I have a half day today”, I grinned.  Bill had one eye open and a curious look on his face, “Maybe so. What time?”  “I’m free after lunch”, I finally got loose from his grip.  “Meet me at Hagrid’s hut, don’t wear your uniform. I’m helping Charlie, this afternoon”, Bill laid on his elbows, propped up some.  “Y/n, wake your lazy ass up!”, Fred yelled from the other side. “I’m zipping up my skirt, chill”, I said back.  I walked to my nightstand to grab my wand, Bill grabbed my waist.  “Are you mad? Let me go”, I pushed his chest.  Bill smirked, “Just wanted a few kisses, love”  I kissed him, but knew Fred was standing out there.  “I gotta go now,” Bill pouted. I opened the door, “Finally”, Fred sighed.  The curtain facing the door was pulled, no way he could his brother in my bed.  “Morning Georgie”, I smiled.  “Morning, what’s got you in such a good mood?”, George asked.  “Nothing particular, Weasley”, I said, grabbing a piece of toast.   “I’m gonna find out why, you’re usually hateful in the mornings”, George said.  “Oh, you’ll be surprised for sure”, I giggled.  “Who is it?”, Lee asked, wiggling his eyebrows.  “Mind your own, Jordan”, I giggled.  “Freddie, hold me I’m scared”, George hid in Fred’s shoulder.  “Would you knock it off, git”, Fred pushed his younger twin away.  I was coming from Flitwick’s class, when someone pulled aside.  “What is it now, George? Oh Adrian, hi”, I smiled.  “Hi love, how are you doing?”, Adrian asked.  “Pretty good and you?”, I asked, smiling.  “Do you have a date to the ball? I know it’s early but it never hurt to be early”, Adrian grinned, laying his hand beside my head by the wall.  “No, I don’t actually”, I replied.  “Well, how would you like to be my date to the ball?”, Adrian smiled.  Couldn’t deny he wasn’t handsome, because I would be lying or blind.  It isn’t like I can bring Bill, surly he won’t mind. “A slytherin asking a gryffindor to a ball, isn’t gonna cause a scandal, Pucey?”, I smirked.  “I think I'll be forgiven because of your beauty, love. So what do you say?”, Adrian ran his hand through my hair.  “My dress is silver, your dress robes should be able to match”, I smiled.  “Perfect, darling. See ya around”, Adrian smiled, running his thumb over my cheek.  “Bye”, I smiled.  I walked towards the great hall, but decided to go meet Bill and Charlie.  “What do you wear to see dragons?”, I asked, throwing my sweater off.  “No, Y/n! What are you thinking?”, I threw off the yellow sweater.  Finally I decided on, pair of light washed jeans, black sweater and maroon combat boots. “Uh jewelry” a silver ring and my first initial necklace and my ring that always stays on my other hand.  I had to sneak out with a professor or one of the Weasley kids finding me.  “Bill, who are you waiting for? Fred and George are still in class like the rest of them”, I heard Charlie sigh.  “Go see what Hagrid wanted with you”, Bill said.  Charlie stalked off, mumbling something about Bill.  Bill was watching Charlie, “Hi Handsome”, I smiled.  “Well hi there, baby. How’s classes?”, Bill kissed me.  “Alright, thanks for making my bed back”, I smiled.  “You’re welcome, baby. Just habit”, Bill smiled.  “Hello Y/n'', Hagrid stood behind Bill with Charlie, whose mouth was hanging open.  “Hi Hagrid, nice seeing you Charles'', I looked behind Hagrid.  Charlie rushed over,  “When? How? Why? She's still in school”  Bill and I rolled our eyes, “The summer” Bill said.  “It just happened and nobody broke it off before school started”, I finished for Bill.  “Does anyone else now? What about the twins?”, Charlie asked.  “I’m planning on it”, I said, holding Bill’s hand.  Charlie looked at us and our hands, “Bill, you’re my brother and I love you. But if you break her heart or hurt her feelings, I’m kicking your ass”  I smiled, letting go of Bill’s hand.  “I knew you would approve”, I giggled as I hugged his torso.  “Charlie!”, Someone yelled for the tall ginger.  “Do you want people knowing?”, Bill asked. “Yes, I do but not until you’re ready”, I replied back.  “I’m staying until the new year, maybe before christmas?”, Bill asked. “Up to you, love”, I smiled, grabbing his forearm as we walked.  “Have you ever seen a dragon?”, Bill asked.  “No, you?”,I asked.  “Unfortunately, they sent me to Greece for a job. Guy that was also there, we went into a cave, accidentally ran into one. Don’t think I’ve ever ran so fast in life or needed Charlie so bad either?”, Bill grinned.  “I won’t be surprised if Charlie has pictures of the dragons he has raised in his wallet”, I giggled.  It was a couple hours, until the other Weasley children came to find their older brothers.  “Y/n, what are you doing here?”, Ron asked.  “I invited her like I did you guys”, Charlie answered his little brother.  Fred looked like he was trying to piece everything together.  “Can we see a dragon now? You promised”, Ginny asked, looking up at Charlie.  “I promised you, Gin. Boys don’t play around, you’ll scare them”, Charlie said.  Ron and the twins nodded, “Okay come on”, Charlie said, picking Ginny up as he took his siblings.  I followed behind but Bill caught my wrist, “what is it?”, I asked.  Bill leaned down and kissed me, “I needed another kiss”  “Act like we didn’t make out earlier”, I sassed him.  Bill grinned, “Don’t act you don’t like it”  “Whatever, loverboy”, I grinned, walking behind Fred.  Fred looked down at me, furrowing his brows, but he looked back at Charlie.  Charlie had Ginny on his shoulders, letting her pet the Green Welsh’s neck. 

Bill pulled me aside as the kids started leaving with Charlie,  “I haven’t taken you on a proper date, I was thinking dinner”  I smiled, “Sure, why not?” Bill grinned as Fred and I locked eyes for a moment.  I changed into a skirt and switched my boots to black heeled boots.  The twins and Ginny were walking to the portrait hole when Ginny gasped.  “Y/n, why are you all dressed up for? It’s dinner in the Great Hall”, Ginny looked me up and down.  “For you guys it is, me. I have a date with someone”, I smiled back as I threw my black peacoat on.  “Who?”, George asked.  “You don’t know them, they’re already out of school”, I said naturally.  “Okay, come back in a decent time and don’t be drunk. Tomorrow's the first task and we need your help”, George said.  “I promise, Fabian. Go eat before Ron takes everything”, I said, kissing George’s cheek.  I snuck down to Hogsmeade where Bill said he would be waiting.  POV change- The twins followed Y/n bc they’re nosey.  “Hogsmeade? Bill is at Honeydukes”, George said watching Y/n walk towards Honeydukes.  “It can’t be Bill, they barely know each other”, Fred scoffed.  “They did disappear a lot back home, I did hear him walk her back to Ginny’s room one night”, George said.  “Bill’s six years older than her”, Fred ran a hand through his ginger locks.  “Let’s go”, George said walking towards Hogsmeade.  Fred tucked the map in his coat pocket and followed his twin.  3rd pov-  Bill was smiling at the girl, who told him about the niffler she had as a little girl. Y/n’s back was at the entrance, anyone who walked in couldn’t recognise until they got closer.  “Fred! He’s on a date with some brunette”, George yelled, making his twin stop. Fred pulled out the map to see who was with his oldest brother.  “Well who is it, Freddie?”, George asked, peering into the window. “Y/n Brooks, I knew it! They were too cuddly this afternoon, she lied”, Fred furrowed his brows in anger.  “Let’s get out of here, George”  “George! George! Georgie, come on”, Fred grabbed his twin’s hand.  “Why are you mad?”, George asked.  “She lied to us, Geo! Hell, I thought it was with Cedric at first, but Bill”, Fred growled.  “What’s so bad about our brother? It’s just dinner”, George asked.  “He’s twenty-four, she’s a child”, Fred yelled as Bill and Y/n walked out of the three broomsticks.  George smacked a hand on Fred’s mouth and pushed them into an alley.  “Thanks for the dinner, Bill”, Y/n said.  “You’re welcome, princess. Did you get enough to eat?”, Bill asked the girl.  “More than enough”, She giggled. The twins watched as their brother and best friend walked by, Y/n was holding Bill’s arm, looking up at him like he hung the moon just for her.  The couple turned down a different way as the twins walked out of the alley.  “Fred, George! You know you’re not supposed to be down here at this hour!”, a shopkeeper yelled. 

The twins were hiding in the common room as they heard Y/n and Bill talking.  “Come on, I’ll sneak up on you again, Billy”, Y/n whined.  “I can’t, Charlie got suspicious and asked. I’m sorry, love”, Bill said, brushing the girl’s hair back.  Y/n knew she was risking Professor McGongall bursting and finding the pair wrapped up together.  “Alright not tonight. I had a really good time, Billy. Thank you again”, Y/n smiled.  “I’m glad you had a good time now, go get some sleep, princess”, Bill kissed her cheek.  “Okay, goodnight, Weasley”, Y/n caught his lips with hers.  The portrait hole closed behind Y/n as she snuck towards the girls’ dorms.  Fred scooped her up into his arms, throwing her on the couch as George sat on her legs.  “Fred, George! What is the matter with you?”, Y/n yelped.  “How was your date? With our brother”, Fred asked.  “Great actually, How do you know it was with your brother?”, Y/n tried to sit up but Fred’s weight was on her stomach.  “The map and we saw you at Three broomsticks”, Fred said.  “No input from you, George?”, Y/n asked.  “No, just want answers”, George grinned.  “Fine, Godric I hate you guys! Bill asked me to dinner tonight, happy now? Let me go”, Y/n broke down.  Fred and George looked at each other for a minute.  “If you don’t let go now, I’ll scream my head off”, Y/n said.  “Are you sure, Princess? Just dinner with Billy”, Fred smirked.  “Hermione!!”, Y/n screamed, making Fred smack a hand over her mouth.  Y/n bit Fred’s finger, “Oww, you bitch. Okay okay go to bed”, Fred snapped his finger out of Y/n’s mouth.  The twins got off of her,  “Thank you boys, nice working with you”, Y/n smirked as she walked upstairs.  Pov change- Y/n’s 

My date with Bill was perfect last night besides the twins and their nosey selves. Sure, this was our first official date and we’ve only made out a few times. I feel something with Bill unlike another partner. “Y/n, you ready?”, Hermoine asked through my door.  “No just woke up, come in though”, I replied back.  The young curly headed girl walked in,  “Morning” “Morning Moine. Sleep good?”, I asked, climbing out of bed.  Hermione only nodded her head.  “Ginny said you had a date last night” “She was right, I did”, I said slipping a green sweater on.  “With whom I may ask?”Moine smiled, cheeky like.  “You can’t tell anyone, especially any Weasley child, okay? Promise?” I sighed.  “I promise to stay quiet”, Hermoine held her pinky up. I linked my pinky with hers, “Oh Merlin, Bill took me to dinner last night. We’ve been messing around for a couple months” Hermoine looked at me as the gears turned in her head.  “That means you’ve been doing him since the death eater attack in the summer. You lied to me that morning when I asked where you were ``''Moine, look I didn’t know what it meant with him. I would have looked like an idiot, if I told you we were together that morning. I don’t know what we are now, sure he took me to dinner and we’ve made out a few times. Charlie knows that we’re something oh the twins caught me sneaking back in last night. I’m sorry for not letting you know but-“ “It’s okay, I understand. Since I’m here can you give me advice?”, Moine held my hand.  “Of course what’s up?”, I asked.  Hermoine was smiling and blushing, “Um I like Victor Krum and I don’t know how to talk to him. You’re older and have had boyfriends before” I smiled, “The Bulgarian player? The one Ron has a boy crush on? Well, just say hello, I’m Hermione Granger. Wanna go study or something, you don’t even have to start anything just say hi. It worked with Cedric”, I said to the younger witch, on my bed.  Hermoine nodded, “Thank you, Y/n. I’ll keep you updated, cole we’re not gonna have good seats” I couldn’t sneak away for Bill like I wanted to.  Standing next to the twins and Ginny, the crowd cheered as Krum entered.  I looked over to my left and saw a certain redhead, I smiled.  He grinned back and waved, making me blush.  Krum had got his egg after a transfiguration spell.  “Let’s go Cedric!!”, a Hufflepuff student yelled beside Lee Jordan.  

Cedric and Fleur had got their egg and it was time for Harry to come out. My nerves were high, I was pulling for Harry and didn’t want him hurt. He was Sirius’ other god child besides me, Sirius wanted me to update him on Harry since he was still hiding.  “Come on Harry, make Sirius proud”, I whispered.  The dragon tried to burn Harry as Harry flew around the stands.  “Come on, Potter don’t fuck up now!”, Fred groaned. Suddenly, I could smell George’s cologne and the warm smell of cinnamon like Bill. I was hiding in George’s chest as the dragon flew up, tearing some stands as it flew after Harry.  “Well done, Dragon!!”, I heard one of the twins cheered.  “Y/n, you okay? Dragon is gone nowGeorge asked, lifting my head out of his chest.  “Yeah, Yeahh I’m good. Sorry George”, I stepped aside from him a bit.  “It’s okay, love” George smiled, before talking to Fred. Harry finally got his egg and everyone was heading to the common room.  “Hey Brooks!” Draco yelled. “What is it, Malfoy?”, I rolled my eyes.  “Did Adrian tell you?”, Malfoy sneered.  “No, tell me what?”, I walked closer to the boy.  Draco pulled me into his chest, “He asked you out to the ball as a joke, well Cassius betted he wouldn’t ask a gryffindor to the ball”  “Adrian asked me two days ago and hasn’t spoken to me since. Stop being a brat Malfoy and mind your own!”, I rolled my eyes. His hands dropped to my ass, “Get your slimy snotty hands off of my ass or you won’t have them anymore!”, I grabbed Draco’s hand, bending his backwards.  “Owww let go!!”, Draco whined.  “Why? Don’t like being touched somewhere you don’t want to be? Huh?”, I yelled.  “I’m sorry just let go, I still need my hands”, Draco cried. “Get the hell of my sight, Malfoy and don’t go whining to daddy about this!”, I pushed Draco to the ground, kicking dirt near his face.  I got to the courtyard and saw Adrian with Theo.  “Pucey!”, I yelled.  “Oh hi Y/n”, Adrian smiled.  “Wipe that smile off of your face before I do it myself! Am I a joke to you or hell even a bet? Malfoy told me that Cassius made you ask me to the ball as best, I’m guessing you would have been a pussy to ask a gryffindor if you didn’t!”  “Brooks, Draco is being well Draco”, Theo said.  “I’m not talking to you, Nott!”, I spat.  “So did you or did you not ask me out as a bet? I’m only asking once before I whoop your ass”, I stood tall and got in his face. “Cassius did make a bet with me but I’ve liked you since my 2nd year. After you helped me after a quidditch game when an older gryffindor pushed me. We had won that year”, Adrian admitted.  “So you genuinely asked me because you like me or something? I don’t appreciate being a stupid bet”, I asked.  “I want to go because I think you’re pretty, smart and you seem like you know how to have a good time”, Adrian said.  “I’m sorry for being a bitch and amusing what Malfoy said was true. Do you still want to be my date?”, I asked, feeling like a complete jackass.  “Yeah, I do. I’m sorry for being distant and everything”, Adrian smiled. “It’s okay, I’ve been busy”, I said.  “You said your dress was black right?”, Adrian asked. Theo had left by now and it was just us. I laughed, shaking my head, “No Silly, my dress is silver. I told you that last week, pucey” “Okay silver! A black dress robe okay? I can have dad send me a different color”, Adrian asked.  “No black is fine, Adrian. Hey, the common room is probably chaos right now and I need to get back. See ya around okay?”, I said.  “See ya later, gorgeous”, Adrian kissed my cheek.  

Little to Y/n’s knowledge Bill and Charlie saw the whole thing between the young students.  “Bill, it isn’t like she could have brought you”, Charlie said. “I know and we’ve not put labels on it either”, Bill sighed.  “You better go say your goodbyes, Mum is expecting us”, Charlie said.  

I walked into my dorm, Bill was standing at the window looking out. The tournament was finished and an English rainstorm started.  I wrapped my arms around his torso and laid my head on his back, “Missed you” Bill tensed up but relaxed again, “I’m gonna miss you” I frowned, “I’ll miss you too, Weasley”  After some convincing and bringing out my puppy dog eyes, I got Bill to cuddle with me in bed. The rain smacked the window at a peaceful pace, Bill’s heartbeat and body heat was perfect.  “Y/n! Y/nn, wake up!!”, I gasped for air, “Uh what is it? Oh Gin, it’s you!” “Yeah, it’s dinner time. You okay?”, Ginny asked.  “Oh yeah, just a deep sleep and the rain you know”, I sighed, the side where Bill laid propped up was cold.  I followed the younger redhead to the Great Hall.  “Hey sleepyhead”, Fred smirked.  “Y/n”, George said where I was with Ginny.  “Yeah?” “Charlie wanted me to give you a birthday present from last year. Said he found it a year after he left here. You know Charlie is too busy to come home”, George handed me a medium sized box that was wrapped in purple paper with a silver bow on top.  “Thanks Georgie, I’ll write him a thank you later.” Dinner was over and thankfully I didn’t have perfect duty tonight.  “Y/n?”, someone spoke behind me.  “Who’s asking now?”, I sighed, I met the eyes of Draco Malfoy.  “What could you possibly need to say now? Thank you for lying about Adrian”, I rolled my eyes. Draco looked down at his shoes, “I’m not lying, Brooks! He’s really pulling your leg, you're being lied to. Cassius and Adrian were laughing about it in the hall tonight.”, Draco said softly. The first time, he had spoken to me or any other Gryffindor with kindness. 

I looked at Draco for a second, he had an emphatic look and biting his lip.  “I’m not being mean to you either” Adrian and Cassius came out of the hall laughing, “She actually thinks me Slytherin wants to take her to the ball. My parents would hang me by my toes if I took a Gryffindor to a dance”, Adrian snared.  Cassius’ eyes were wide as he stopped beside Draco, “Cass, what are you doing? Y/n, hey! How much did you hear of that?”, Adrian’s face dropped and he gulped.  “You lied to me twice and you actually had me convinced you put the house rivalry away. I thought Draco was being his rude arrogant self when he told last week. I’m sorry Draco for not believing you both times, Cassius you can jump off the astronomy tower for all I care!” I yelled.  People were standing around, gasping, pointing.  “I can’t believe I was stupid enough to believe a Slytherin actually liked me for me”, I shook my head, gripping my nails in my hand.  “Y/n, I’m sorry honestly”, Adrian tried to stand closer.  I saw red as the boy got closer, I felt my fist on his nose. “Fuck you! You’re nothing but a stupid prick”, I screamed.  “Alright alright! Show is over!”  Fred yelled.  Cassius pulled Adrian away as the crowd started to leave.  “Y/n, it’s okay”, George said.  “No, it’s not! I’m gonna be the biggest laughing stock in all of Hogwarts history. Just leave me alone, the both of you!”, I pushed between the twins as I ran up the tower stairs.  The common room was busy, a party was going to start for Harry and today’s match.  I slammed my door open and locked it before jumping on my bed. 

I cried in the sheets, my hand ran over some soft material.  Pulling it out from my pillow, the one Bill laid today.  “Oh Billy, you sweet sweet boy! I really need you right now”, I cried, holding his black hoodie.  Bill’s scent flooded my senses instantly, sorta calming me down.  “Just want this year over with, so I can run away with you Bill Weasley!”, I laid the hoodie on the pillow, before laying on it.  The sun was coming up, shining through the window. My head was pounding, not for the reasons the older Gryffindors’ heads are.  Bill’s hoodie laid out on the sheets, I traced tiny shapes on the material.  “I love you”, I whispered, part of me hoped William had heard it at the Burrow.  “Y/n! You up?”, George knocked.  “Yeah, just a minute”, I shot up, throwing Bill’s hoodie in my trunk.  “Come in”, I shut the trunk. “How are you feeling? Your hand okay?”, George asked, gently shutting my door.  “Heads pounding, crying all night feels like. Kinda sorta but nothing I can’t handle”, I smiled. “I’m sorry Adrian’s a prick. You are more than some stupid bet a Slytherin made. Nobody should be a bet, you’re too gorgeous to be'', George said.  “Yeah sure, I was embarrassed in front of the student body and people from two other schools. Don’t forget that, Godric that’s icing on the cake!”, I scoffed. “I bet everyone has forgotten about it! Breakfast?”, George smiled.  “I’m not showing my face not today, Georgie”, I rolled my eyes. The thought of trying to eat while everyone stared and gossiped about my misfortune wasn’t ever appetizing.  George frowned, “Okay so not the day. What do you want? I’ll sneak you some food” I smiled at the tall red head.  “Is there something on my face?”, George rubbed his stubble.  “No, just thinking is all, Georgie”, I said. “I’ll bring your favorites, now go take a shower okay?”, George smiled.  “Okay Georgie'', I grinned. “Love you, Brooks” “Love you too, you big lug”, I smiled as the younger boy walked out.  

Four days until the ball, everyone had let go of the fact Adrian asked me out on a bet. Cedric even put his two cents to Adrian and asked if I was okay.  At this point, thinking about skipping the ball and heading home early.  Great Aunt Sophie, sent the finished dress. It was beautiful but why go to the biggest dance without a date. Nobody dared to ask me to go with them, probably thought it was poor taste or didn’t want to die on the spot.  Fred had asked Angelina, Hermoine got asked by Krum, Adrian and Pansy were flirting so they were probably going together.  I was in the library with George helping him study for potions.  “Y/n, can I ask you something?”, George looked at me across the table.  “Sure Geo”, I decided to revert my eyes from the textbook.  “I know you’re thinking about skipping the ball, don’t lie. You’re in your last year and the Yule ball isn’t an annual thing. I was thinking if you want I could take you. Y/n, would you want to be my date?”, George asked, while holding my hand.  What would Bill think if his younger brother took me? Is it wrong? George is my best friend, who said it wasn’t more than friends?   “You don’t have a date? That’s hard to believe, Weasley'', I laughed it off.  “Y/n, I’m serious. We don’t even have to miss at the end of the night. I don’t want you to miss the chance of something fun and magical”, George said in a serious tone. “Oh wow, you’re not joking. Ah what the hell why not? Sure I’ll go with you George Weasley'', I smiled. George had moved to the seat next to me, “Of course, I’m not joking” “This better not be a pity date, Fabian! One Weasley asking out of pitty is enough'', I said.  “He’s a git!”, George brushed a piece of hair out of my face.  “Definitely git worthy” 

I snapped the last clip in my hair, now I was done.  The dress fit me to a tee, the jewelry mom had sent was perfect! Hopefully George would like it.  Walking down the stairs to the ball, a couple Ravenclaw boys stopped to look.  Cedric looked for a moment,  “Wow” Angelina tapped George’s shoulder, Fred looked with his twin. “Is that Y/n?”   George held out his hand as I got to the bottom, “You look absolutely gorgeous, Y/n!” “Thanks George! You look handsome, see that you and Fred do know to clean up”, I grinned, while holding his hand.  “Come on, McGonagall is making us lineup for the champions' ', George pulled me with him.  “How are you and my dear brother doing?”, George asked.  I bit my lip, “Fine” George’s eyebrows furrowed,  “Just fine? I’ll kick his ass for you”  I giggled,  “We’re good, I’m assuming. We haven’t talked about what we are, you know?” George nodded,  “You can always marry me or Charlie if you really want to be a Weasley”, George smirked.  “If you don’t step on my feet like you did in practice, I might consider you as my husband”, I smirked back at the younger redhead.  “You were going too fast and who said you could lead?”, George playfully hit my arm.  “I was tired and wanted to go to bed”, I giggled.  “Are you still complaining about Brooks trying to lead?”, Fred groaned with Angelina by his side.  “I’m giving him another chance to see if I’ll consider marrying him later in life”, I replied back.  “Did you and Billy break up?”, Fred furrowed his brows. Angelina turned her head in curiosity.  “No! How can you break up if you don’t have labels on it, Frederick?”, I scoffed.  The doors to the Great Hall opened and the champions and their dates entered.  I smiled at Hermione as she passed us with Victor.  The weird sisters were in between sets, I excused myself for a drink.  

“Hey”, Cedric said beside me.  “Hey”, I slightly smiled and got my cup.  “You look beautiful, Y/n”, Cedric said with his famous smile. The one that used to get weak in the knees and sick to my stomach. “Thanks Cedric, you don’t look too bad yourself”, I replied back.  Cedric smiled, “Who’s your date?”  “Uh George, just friends though”, I looked away for a second.  “I’m sorry about  the Adrian situation”, Cedric grabbed my hand.  I looked at our linked hands,  “Uh yeah”, I sighed.  “There you are Cedric! Oh hi Y/n”, Cho grabbed Cedric’s arm.  “Hi Cho, bye Cedric”, I passed Cho.  I noticed Harry and Ron sitting at a table, “Why are we sulking at a Ball that doesn’t happen yearly?”, I stood in front of them.  Ron looked at me with a sad smile and his eyes fell to Hermione and Victor.  “Bands usually start with a fast song, so come on join the crowd for a couple songs”, I stuck my hand out for one of them to take.  They both looked at my hand like it was rotting off the bone.  Harry stood up and took my hand, “Come on, Ron. She has a point” The drummer counted in as Harry and I joined the crowd, “There you are”, George smiled, pulling me closer to him as the singer aparted on the stage.   A couple songs later and a crowd interaction, a slow song started.  “Are you sure?”, George asked as couples started spacing out.  “Yes Georgie, come on”, I wrapped my arms around his neck.  People were slowly starting to leave but there were couples still dancing. I laid my head on George’s chest as he held my back.  “Not to disturb your nap, but wanna get out of here?”, George whispered.  My heels were digging my toes and my feet started to cramp,  “If you do, sure”, I snuggled my head into his chest.  George held my hand as we exited the hall to see Hermione and Ron arguing.  “Next time don’t ask me as a last resort!”, Hermione yelled with tears streaming down her cheeks.  George and I looked at each other,  “He doesn't know girls at all”, George sighed.  “He’s fourteen, George. You and Fred weren’t into girls that much yet either”, I said as we walked up the stairs to Gryffindor tower.  “He’s a git either way”, George held the portrait open for me.  “Most fourteen year old boys are”, I giggled. Fred and Angelina were on the couch making out with a bottle of firewhiskey on the floor.  “I’ll walk you”, George said.  “You think Fred and Angelina might become anything?”, I asked as we stood outside my dorm.  “Maybe, if Freddie plays his cards right and doesn't embarrass himself tonight”, George smirked.  “And if you leave the alone. Thank you for tonight, you were right too”, I smiled.  “Me? Right about what?”, George asked.  “That I shouldn’t have been stuck up here while everyone had a good time at the ball”, I said.  George nodded, “So are my chances of becoming Ms. Brooks still stands pretty good, huh?” I giggled,  “Better than Fred. Now go get some sleep okay?”  “Okay, I will. Night Y/n”, He lent down and kissed my cheek.  “Night Weasley”, I said, letting his hand go. 

I changed out of my dress and headed to Hermione’s room, “Mione? You still up?”, I asked outside her door.  I heard shuffling of feet, “Boys are stupid”, Hermoine opened her door in her pj’s and ruffled hair.  “Yeah they are at this age. Can I come in?”, I asked.  Moine jumped on her bed and started crying again, “Oh love, it’s okay”, I pulled her on my chest and petted her hair.  Hermione cried even more, “Is this just over Ron?”, I asked.  “What kind of person asks someone as a last resort? I expected him to ask me but as a last option, I’m his best friend”, Hermione jumped out of bed and started pacing.  “Some people don’t realise what’s in front of them no matter how hard you show it to them. Ron’s fourteen and it’s an awkward phase for boys. Girls mature way faster than boys, that’s why we’re smarter and more rational”, I said. Hermione sighed, “When do they finally notice?”  I sighed, “Not sure. I thought Bill would see it but he hasn’t and he’s twenty-four for Merlin’s sake”  Hermoine shuffled her feet, “Can you unzip me?”  “Come here”  “Why hasn’t Bill asked you to be his girlfriend officially?”, Moine asked. “Hell if I know, we made out all summer and he took me to dinner. Which I amused was a date, you know? We walked around Hogsmeade and the night before he snuck into my dorm. He left last Saturday without saying bye or he would owl me. Maybe it was just fling”, I fell back on Hermoine’s bed.  “He snuck into your dorm? How, I thought the stairs were charmed to turn into a slide?”, Hermoine asked as she changed into her lounge shorts.  “Oh Hermoine, my sweet Moine! That’s been uncharmed for years now, it knows the reason for a boy to be up here. George walked me tonight and he didn’t bust his face”, I grinned. “Are all the houses’ stairs like that?”, She asked.  “Uh, just know about ours and Hufflepuff’s from personal experience. Your guess is good as mine”, I said back.   Hermione crawled into her bed, “Want me to leave?”, I asked. “No stay and cuddle?”, Hermione mumbled.  “Course”, I pulled her to my chest as she got under the blanket.  Ginny tried to sneak in, I looked at Moine and grinned.  “Do you know what time it is, Ginevera Weasley?” Ginny squeaked, “I’m sorry please don’t report me or tell Fred and George” “Gin, I’m not like Percy as a prefect. Get some sleep, okay?”, I said calmly to her.  “I hate you” “Loves you too, Gin Gin”, I snorted in Hermoine’s hair as she giggled too.  “Night girls”

Sun was shining through the windows, Hermoine and Ginny were still sleeping pretty good. I decided to sneak out and get some food.  After, throwing some light washed jeans and George’s old quidditch sweater on, I headed downstairs.  Fred was sitting on the couch in some flannel pajama pants, “Morning Freddie. Have a good time last night?”, I asked.  “Y/nn not so loud”, Fred winced and rubbed his eyes.  “Sorry, I’ll bring some food up for you. Go to bed”, I said as Lee walked in with a tray of food.  “Here, a greasy pork sandwich served in a dirty ashtray. Just what the man ordered”, Lee grinned.  “Stop being so damn loud, Jordan”, Fred groaned as I walked out.  I reached the Great Hall and Draco appeared in front of me, “Good morning, Brooks. Have a good time last night?”, Draco smiled.  “Are you still drunk, Malfoy?”, I had a confused look on my face.  “No, just being friendly is all”, Draco replied.  “Oh well then, yes I did have a good time. Did you?”, I walked past him.  “I did, my date was actually nice” “Who did you take? Parkinson?”, I asked him.  “Oh a Beauxton girl, Georgia” I nodded, “Nice talking to you, Draco. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to eat”  “Why was Draco talking to you?”, Angelina asked.  “No clue, he’s been doing that more lately. What time did you go to bed?”, I asked.  She looked down and smirked.  “Not exactly, my bed but about two am”  “Room of requirements?”, I smirked.  She blushed, “I’m not that kind of girl, but Fred and I spent the night there”  “Explains the hickeys on his collarbone and shoulders. Pass me the waffles please?”, I grinned.  “Y/n”, Katie asked. “Yeah Katie?”, I asked as an owl went by.  “Letter for you”, she handed me the envelope.   

 Bill Weasley- the Burrow,  Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, England

The prettiest girl, I ever met in life (a small heart was drawn)

I excused myself and sat on a step,  “You better explain yourself, Weasley”

 Dear Y/n, 

I’m sorry for leaving without telling you goodbye, Charlie was admitted about being on time to return back home.  I know I’ve been awkward about what is going on between us.  You’re probably rolling your eyes and saying something smart about me. Yes, I’ve never had feelings for anyone like I do for you. You’re an amazing girl, also gorgeous as can be! Your parents did good with you, why lie? So will you be my girlfriend, Y/n? 

P.s. Hi, it’s Charlie. Bill left this out in the open, but please say yes to being his girl. He won’t shut up about you to me and pretty positive Dad has heard all about you too. Poor lad’s ear probably hurts.  My brother won’t stop talking about you, I get it you’re pretty but I need to sleep at 3am.  Have a good holiday, kiddo and keep the twins in line.  

#bill weasley x reader #bill weasley series #george weasley #Harry Potter #bill x reader

[korra-the-red-lion]

Unnatural Affairs. Chapter 23: And So It Went

Hey everyone, this is the last chapter of the first series! I do have plans for a sequel in the works, however! Thank you for anyone who has read it this far!

(Ally)

Surprisingly, I didn’t fail all my exams.

Actually, I did pretty well on most of them. I somehow passed Drama with a good mark. The sub who took over was pretty chill during the exam and let us bring all of our notes. My other exams weren’t too bad either. All and all, a pretty successful end to term.

I was just about finished with my packing when I got a text from Lyn. Sarah had already gone home, since her last exam had been two days ago. I took one last look around the room before heading out. I could finish packing later.

The weather outside actually wasn’t terrible today. It was a pleasant sunny day with barely any wind chill. I tucked my chin into the top of my coat as I walked across the campus to meet up with my girlfriend. A happy tingle went through my body as thought about that. It was a little silly to still get excited about the thought, but hey, why not be happy?

Lyn stood in the archway that connected Harper and the library together. She was leaning against the wall when I got there, scrolling through her phone. The bandage was off her face now, only faint lines to show where she had been cut. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and she gave me a quick kiss.

“Hey.”

“Hey to you,” I said back.

“Ready to go?”

I nodded. She held her arm out and I looped mine through it. Together we walked over to the big tree in the middle of campus, where Michael was waiting for us. His plane left tonight but he wanted to be here for it. He waved when he saw us, and he laughed when Lyn held her other arm out with a smirk. He wasted no time on grabbing a hold of it, Lyn laughing along with him as he did.

I knew Dahlia was intrigued by what we were doing as we walked together down the path to where the Swan Pond was. I waved to her with my free hand, and she ended up trailing after us, curiosity bright in her eyes.

When we got there, we all untangled from one another and got to work. Dahlia sat on the bridge nearby and watched as we cleaned away snow and ice from a spot under one of the trees that hung over the pond. After all the snow was gone, Lyn put down a bundle of flowers. Michael tucked a stone with a beautiful design cut into it in front of the roots, making sure it was secured. I hung one of our old amulets over the stone and gently nailed a wooden plaque onto the tree. We stepped away and admired our work.

Here Lies The Forgotten Students

We remember who you are, and what you did for us. We know that society failed you when they stopped asking questions. No one should have given up on any of you. To David, we know your story. To Amelia, we know your truth. To Jamieson, we know your tale. To Fiona, we know your reality. To Fredrik, we know your narrative. We’re sorry that it took this long before someone finally learned what happened to you all, but at least you can rest easy now, knowing that the person who did this to you has met his justice. All we can hope for you now is that your next chance at life is better than this one was.

With all our love,

Spook Searchers.

“We really need a better name,” muttered Lyn.

“Hey, we’ve been through too much for us to change it now,” said Michael with a waggle of his fingers. “That would be like, sacrilegious.”

“Besides, it’s a fun name. It hides away all the horrible truths and traumas that were inflicted on us,” I pointed out.

Lyn shrugged indifferently. “I just hope we never have to do something like this ever again. I need it scrubbed from my mind.” We both nodded in agreement.

Dahlia drifted over and knelt in front of our makeshift grave. I could see her mouthing the words as she read along. Her fingers ran over the names of the departed, her eyes sad. She dropped her hands and sat there quietly for several minutes without saying a word. When she looked back at me, she was smiling through her tears.

“This is quite lovely. I’m glad you all did something nice for them, they deserved it.”

I nodded at her. “Of course. And we intend to figure out who caused your death as well. We haven’t forgotten about you either.”

Dahlia’s eyes went wide before she looked away. I saw her brush away the tears from her face and nod slowly. “Thank you. It truly means a lot to me.”

We left her alone after that. I spared a look back as we left and saw her kneeling in front of the grave, her head down and hands clasped in prayer. We walked back to the library together and decided to get one last warm drink together. Lyn paid for all of us, even though we both argued against it. The lady behind the counter laughed as we both tried our best to push Lyn out of the way, which ended in absolutely failure.

“You can’t beat these gains,” Lyn said with a wink.

We sat down at the table in the back and looked out the window. I thought about what a crazy 3 months this has been. I couldn’t believe how so much had happened in such a short time. Not only solving all those murders but dealing with all the school crap on top of it all. I felt like I was the same person I was at the start, but more mature now. Someone who liked who she was, someone who liked that she wasn’t ordinary.

“You’re gonna have some crazy jetlag, you know,” Lyn said to Michael as she sipped her hot chocolate.

Michael sighed. “Yeah, probably for a day or so. It’s not like, a terrible flight but it’s bad enough. What are you doing for the holidays?”

I saw the twitch of Lyn’s eyes before she looked down at her drink. “I’m gonna stay with Olivia for the first bit of the break, but after Christmas I’m heading to Florida for training camp. I’ll be back like, 2 days before the new term. So, not the most relaxing break but it’ll be fun.”

Michael nodded as he looked at me. “What about you, Al?”

“Going home,” I said with a smile. “I’m going to sleep for the entire break. Maybe watch some movies and TV. But me and this brain deserve a big break.” I poked at my temple.

“Yes, it does!” Michael slapped his hand against the tabletop.

We chatted for a little while longer before Michael had to head back to grab his things. His buddy offered to drive him to the airport, but it was a bit before his flight. Still, better to wait in the airport than spend money on a taxi. Lyn gave him a hug and slap on the back. I gave him a big hug and kissed him on the cheek.

“Have a good flight, I’m going to miss you,” I said.

“It’s only for a few weeks,” he said with a smile. “Plus, you can always call me. You know where I am.”

I nodded as we embraced one last time. Michael waved to us as he walked backwards. I gasped when he tripped over his own feet and nearly landed on the casted arm. Luckily, he caught himself and shouted, “I’M OKAY!” before racing back to his room.

I chuckled to myself with a shake of my head. Michael was so chaotic at times. But that was something that I loved about him. He was authentic. I wasn’t lying when I said I would miss him. There was something calming about his presence. He was a good friend, and I was glad to have met him.

Lyn and I walked back to Lukas hand in hand. I noticed she was getting a bit of a far away look in her eyes again, so I squeezed her hand to bring her back. She blinked and looked down at me with a smile.

“Sorry,” she said with a shrug. “I was just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?”

Lyn worked her jaw as she chewed on her thoughts before answering. “Lots of stuff, I guess. Training camp, Christmas with Liv, shit in general. It’s gonna be nice to have a break from it all. Then we’ve got the big championship meet to worry about when I get back. Just tryna make sure I’m organized because there’s a lot to remember.”

“It’s going to be fine,” I said soothingly.

“I know, I just like to be on top of things, you know?”

I laughed. “Nope! I’m pretty sure I only passed some of my classes by sheer luck. I handed in something for Anthro a week late, but I think my prof forgot I was even in the class, so she didn’t take points off.”

“Jesus,” Lyn shook her head with a playful smirk. “I can’t imagine being that disorganized. How’d you get through this term, let alone solve a crazy case? You’re something else, honestly. Like Wonder Woman or Supergirl.”

I blushed deeply. Lyn was always saying these really nice things about me and well…I wasn’t really used to them. I pressed up against her and buried my face in her arm, causing my glasses to go askew. Oh well, it’s not like I could see all that well anyway. Cold weather plus warm breath equals foggy glasses. Also, being compared to one of my favourite superheroes? I’m slightly dying of happiness on the inside.

When we got back to Lukas, Lyn helped me pack the rest of my things. It probably took the same amount of time that it normally would have because we kept stopping to kiss, cuddle, and I even got Lyn to watch an episode of Stargirl with me. It was really peaceful. A much better date than nearly getting killed by an out-of-control spirit. Hours passed by like seconds, and the next thing I knew, we were in bed sleeping.

The room was nearly pitch black as I stared up at the ceiling. Lyn was sleeping beside me, her arm tossed over my waist, snoring softly. I had been sleeping, but it came in fits right now. After everything we’ve been through, especially with that horrible horror realm or whatever the hell that had been, I’ve been having more difficulty sleeping through the night. I mean, I was sort of used to it, but not to this extent. My therapist and I were going to have a field day when I saw her next.

I turned my head slightly to look into the face of my girlfriend. I just wondered how it was all going to turn out. By some strange twist of fate, we got together because of my moral compass and curiosity. Lyn stuck around because she wanted to figure out what happened to her friend. I sometimes wondered what would have happened if she didn’t believe me that day in the café. Would I have gone through with it anyway? Would Michael and I have done it alone? I lightly traced my fingers across the scars of her arm, the ones she got because she protected me. It probably would be a different story then, huh?

All I know is this is how it turned out, and I don’t think I would have done anything differently. We got hurt, we got physical and mental scars. But I really think it was worth it to help those people. They were crying out for so long, waiting for someone, anyone, to hear them. I feel lucky in a way that I was the one who answered.

Finally, I felt my drifting off again. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me away, hopefully to a dreamless land.

XXX

Lyn helped me shove my last bag into the trunk of my dad’s car. I told her she didn’t need to stick around and help, but she told me it was no big deal. My dad nodded his thanks at her, and she nodded back. I stood by the car, fidgeting with the bottom of my coat. Lyn glanced at my dad one last time before she gave me a massive bear hug.

“Have a great break, Ally. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

I squeezed back as tightly as I could. “You too. I hope everything goes well with your sister.”

Lyn nodded, her cheek brushing against the side of my face. “Me too.” And even though my dad was still there, she cupped my face between her hands and kissed me. I blushed from the intensity of the kiss, feeling all the unsaid words. When she pulled away, I could see the emotion shining brightly in her eyes, her cheeks and ears bright red.

I kissed her cheek one last time before we untangled ourselves. I got into the passenger seat and waved to Lyn as we pulled away. She waved widely back the whole time, never stopping until I was out of view.

My dad instantly started to tease me the minute we were on the highway. I moaned and made a big show of telling him off, but I was really happy. It felt good, talking to my dad like this. As long as the topic of ghosts wasn’t brought up, we were good.

I didn’t know what next term had in store for us, but I was looking forward to it. We had to solve Dahlia’s murder, but at least we could take our time with it. There was no time limit, and hopefully no creepy murderer. There was a lot about this university, heck, even this town that was hidden beneath the surface. I wanted to learn so much more about it all. Sure, it was bad this time, but usually the ghosts are just lonely people who want to share their stories. I had this special gift, and it was about time I used it, instead of being ashamed of it.

After this winter break, I wanted to see what the future had planned for us.

#unnatural affairs #ua #ally holland #lyn hart #michael yamamoto #dahlia cressman #paranormal #murder mysteries #romance #wlw romance #ghosts #sapphic lead #original story #orginal writing #writing #final chapter

[thepeacetea]

Broken Angels Ch. 5

Hi everyone! Sorry this one came out a little later, but here it is. Though I do have to say, I don’t know where you guys got the idea that Marinette is Jason’s sister. I don’t think I ever remember saying that. Oh well. Anyway, thank you all again for the likes, comments, and reblogs. I tried to tag everyone, but if I missed you, just send me a message and I’ll get you next chapter. You all really seemed to enjoy the last chapter, so I hope ya’ll enjoy this one! Again, if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, let me know. Hope ya’ll enjoy! Peace!

“I swear, if you don’t get out of my way right now, I will kill you! NOW. LET. ME. GO!”

It wasn’t the threat that caused the family to pause. No, they received death threats everyday. Nothing new there. It was the pure rage, desperation, and panic that radiated off Jason that caused them to hesitate. They had never seen him like this. Sure, they had seen him angry, they had even seen him worried. But they had never seen him panicked. Ever. No one, that is, except for Alfred. As he watched the young man yell and threaten his family, his brothers, Alfred was reminded of the one time Jason had displayed that same amount of panic.

It had been three weeks since the boy had been in the hospital. Three weeks since Master Bruce had found him in that ally beaten half to death. Three weeks since he had been in the coma. Alfred had been coming in faithfully for those 24 days like clockwork. He would arrive precisely at nine and leave when visiting hours where over. Bruce would occasionally come for an hour or two and Dick had dropped in once or twice, but most days it was just Alfred. Most days he would just sit in the room and read. Nothing changed for three, long weeks.

It was around 4:00 p.m. on day 24 that the boy woke. The subtle shifting was Alfred’s first indication that he was waking up. The soft groan that followed almost made the old man smile. If the boy was feeling pain, then that was a good sign. It meant he was healing. The boy forced his eyes open and for the first time, Alfred looked into the blue eyes of the newest member of the Wayne family.

The boy blinked a slowly a few time, carefully shifting in the bed to scan his surrounding, muttering something that sounded like ‘Nettie’. Confusion flashed across his face as he surveyed the hospital room before landing on Alfred. For a moment, Alfred let the boy just look at him, giving him a chance to collect himself before speaking. But he never got a chance to.

In a split second, the boy’s eyes went from clouded with confusion to recollection. Alfred watched as the boy’s eyes grew impossibly wide as panic leaped in.

“NETTIE! WHERE’S NETTIE?” the volume of the question was more on tune with a scream then a shout as the boy shot up from his position, fully intending on leaving the bed.

“Sir, you need to calm down. You’re in no condition to be walking.” Alfred stated, rushing forward to prevent the boy from getting up.

“NO! NO! I HAVE TO FIND NETTIE! SHE’S OUT THERE AND SHE WOULDN’T RUN! SHE WOULDN’T RUN AND THEY WERE GONNA HURT HER!”

The shouting caught the attention of the staff. Nurses and one of the doctor’s came running in a panic. They were greeted with the sight of the comma boy wide awake desperately trying to get out of bed, while his temporary guardian was trying to hold him down.

“Kid, listen. You need to calm down. You just woke up from a comma. You’re still healing.” One of the nurses said, rushing to help hold the boy down.

“NO, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! I HAVE TO FIND NETTIE! SHE’S OUT THERE ALONE AND I NEED TO FIND HER! I HAVE TO FIND PIXIE! I NEED TO FIND MY SISTER! NOW! LET! ME! GO!” He ordered, the panic giving him enough strength to throw the nurse and Alfred off him and into the wall.  

The doctor used that momentary distraction to his full advantage. Moving faster then the boy, the doctor injected a sedative into his body. The thrashing he was doing speed up the reaction as his body started to relax.

“No, please. I have to find her. She needs me. She needs me!” The boy said, his voice cracking as tears made their way down his face. “. . . . I need her.” he whispered the last part before his body relaxed. Forcing him into a state of forgetfulness.

As the medical staff buzzed around the boy, Alfred just looked at him. The boy may be asleep, but he wasn’t forgetting. The whimpers proved that. He wouldn’t be forgetting any time soon.

“Jason, we are not going to let you go out to do god knows what until you tell us what is going on.” Master Bruce’s voice snapped Alfred out of his memory. “And I think a good place to start is how you know that girl.”

“Yeah, its not like you’ve cared about accident victims before.”

“Or anyone for that matter.”

The last statement was from Damian, who had said it in an attempt to snap whatever state of panic his brother was in. Though he may not admit it, he was concerned for his older brother. Panicked was not something Jason ever was, and it honestly scared the youngest. He knew that it would snap him out of panic, but no one was ready for what it snapped Jason into.

Jason’s eyes flashed from panicked blue to almost murderous. If looks could kill, then the family would have been turned to ash. Everyone, including Bruce, fought the urge to step back. Jason never was one to keep his tempter in check, and the family had seen many explosive episode, but none prepared them for what they were seeing. To see Jason go from laughing, to panicked, to looking ready to murder them, in under the course of a few minutes, was terrifying.

“How do I know her? Why do I care?” he hissed, his mouth pulling back into a snarl, eyes flashing dangerously. “She’s my f*cking sister! That’s how I know her!” He yelled, his words echoing off the walls of the manor.

“I thought . . .  I thought she was dead for seven years. Seven! Then I see her on the news after almost getting killed by that frecking driver looking like someone’s been beating her! So get the hell out of my way!” he shouted, his voice hitching slightly at the mention of her injuries.

“Jason, think rationally for a moment. It’s late. Even if she still was at the station, they wouldn’t let you in. They would be monitoring everyone who’d go see her. Only her legal guardians could, even then, they would be under scrutiny because of the state she’s in. If you go down there like this, with no form of prof of your claim, they could very well arrest you under suspicion of abuse.” Bruce said, physically putting himself between Jason and the door. He spoke low, logical. It wasn’t quite his Batman voice. No. But it worked better.

For a few, very long seconds, the two men stared at each other, neither breaking contact. Both tense, ready to fight. Jason’s fists shook with pent up energy, his entire body taunt. The silence stretched from seconds to a minute, with no one daring to move.

“ . . . you have a sister?” Dick finally asked, breaking the tense silence with the question everyone had.

“Nettie. My little Nettie.” The confirmation came almost without thinking, Jason’s eyes never leaving Bruce. “She was always so tiny. No matter how much I tried to feed her, she never grew. We were both convinced she had some pixie blood that prevented her from growing. But what she lacked in size, she made up for in heart. Tch, her heart was always too big, ‘specially when I first met her.”

“You look cold.”

The tiny voice startled Jason. He almost thought he had imagined it as it seemed to blend in with the wind. Looking up, he found an incredibly tiny two-year-old girl staring at him, wide blue eyes blinking slowly. The kid’s face was red from the cold as the bitter February wind tore through the streets of Gotham.

“What?” He hadn’t meant to ask that. It just slipped out.

“I said you look cold.” The tiny fairy said, waiting for an answer.

“That’s because I am cold.” Jason growled. He didn’t have the time or the patience to talk with this kid. He was trying to stay warm. He had gotten kicked out of his last place and he hadn’t been able to find a new one to hole up in. He didn’t want to spend time talking with an over curious kid.

A tug on his sleeve brought his eyes back to the girl. She was tugging on his coat sleeves, trying to pull him up. While she obviously couldn’t, Jason was a little impressed at the strength she did seem to have.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his brows scrunching together at the girl’s actions.

“Well, you said that cold so I’m taking you to my house. It’s not very warm, but warmer then out here.” She grunted, still trying to pull Jason to his feet.

“Thanks kid, but I don’t think your parents would be too happy with that.” He explained, gently pulling his hand out of hers. She seemed sweet. And caring.

“Oh, I don’t have parent’s, so they wont mind. An’ I have blankets an’ some food an’ you can stay with me.” She said, a cheer in her tone that caught Jason by surprise. This girl, this two-year-old was on her own and offering him, a total stranger, to stay with her.

“Kid, didn’t anyone tell you not to talk to strangers? And how old are you?”

“I’m five. An’ yeah, I’ve been told not to talk to strangers. But you’re nice. You won’t hurt me.”

“Really, and makes you think that?” Jason asked, momentarily ignoring the question of why a five-year-old looked so small, and focusing on why she thought he was safe. Her answer surprised him.

“Your eyes.”

“My eyes?”

“Yup. You have good eyes. You . . . care even if you don’t show it. You’ve been hurt before, but you still care what happens to other people. And you don’t always follow the rules, but you do what you think is best. You do what you have to do. You’re good.”

That answer shocked Jason. This little girl. This tiny, pixie like five-year-old, was telling him that he was good, that he was worth something. She was too trusting. Too soft. Something tugged at his heart at the thought of someone taking advantage of her.

“Alright you pixie, I’ll come with you. But just for tonight.” The words were out of his mouth before he could even register what he was saying. The smile she sent him seemed to make the air a little warmer, but it fell after a moment.

“I’m not a pixie, though. Pixie’s are pretty, and nice, and magical, and I’m not.”

Seeing how she seemed to shrink into herself, Jason felt that tug again. Smiling, he knelt beside her, gently guiding her chin up to meet his eyes.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. You’re tiny, just like one, you have the most uniquely beautiful blue eyes. And you seem pretty magical to me. You where able to tell I was a good guy just by looking at my eyes. And you’re offering me a place to stay, and that’s really nice. So yeah, I think you’re my pixie.”

For the longest time, the girl just stood there looking at Jason, as if trying to see if he was telling the truth. Finally, that same, heart warming smile made its way back on her face.

“I . . . I guess you’re right. But if I’m your pixie, can you be my big brother?”

‘Big brother?’ Those word caused something to tighten in his chest. He didn’t know how to be one. He had no idea how to care for someone younger. He wasn’t exactly the safest person to be around. He was in trouble more often then not. But . . . she didn’t have anyone to look after her. And she was too trusting. She needed someone to look after her. He couldn’t just leave her after everything he just said. The coil in his chest just tightened, agreeing with everything his mind thought of. Glancing at her, he found her looking at him with so much hope shining in those eyes, that he knew there could only be one answer.

“As long as I get your name, pixie-pop.”

“Marinette, but everyone calls me Nettie. What’s your name?”

“. . .Jason.”

The smile that she gave him sealed the deal. He was going to be her big brother. He was going to protect His pixie.

“Well then Nettie, lead the way.”

 @mystery-5-5 @captainmac6 @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @mochinek0@sonif50 @zalladane @thebananathatwrites @schrodingers25 @kuroko26 @miraculousbelladonna @souleaterlicestein @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @ijustwannabecanadian @ellerahs @ranger-paladinikoe @xxmadamjinxx @derpingrainbow @sassy-spocko @vixen-uchiha @mjisntme @iggy-of-fans @violentbisexualprophecywriter @valeks-princess @crazylittlemunchkin @redscarlet95 @alexzandria-747 @ayuchan07 @whomthefyck @rhub4rb @constancetruggle @rikku052 @kurogaya913 @shizukiryuu @spicybelladonna @zazzlejazzle @luciferge @mewwitch @emotionalsupportginger @grunklestantheman  @my-name-is-michell @northernbluetongue @chez-pezeater @shamefullove @goggles-mcgee @gingerdaile @zebrabaker @tinybrie @bluefiredemon @tbehartoo @god-is-dead-and-so-am-i @shyestofhearts @darkthunder1589 @fridayfirefly @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @yazi-ing @lunar-wolf-warrior @ladylb @vivilakitty @ghostcryptid @casual-darkness @yamadochie @thatrandomfandomgirl @mindfulmagics @myriad-of-passionate-pettiness @violatiger8 @seraphichan @synnesstra @friedchickening @kiara-rose-blackthorn

#maribat #daminette #batfam #mainette #damian wayne #jason todd #jim gordon #big brother jason #tim drake #dick grayson #bruce wayne #ml salt #marinettes class #angst with happy ending #fanfic

[tinyshe]

The global COVID response is simply the exercise of absolute power instead of science For bureaucrats and politicians, gaining power and compelling submission are victory enough, even when their policies fail to vanquish a virus.

Tue Aug 31, 2021 - 2:03 pm EDT  

(American Institute for Economic Research) – Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown champions have perennially invoked “science and data” to sanctify any mandate politicians impose. Hard facts have recently shown that neither vaccines nor face masks provide surefire protection against the virus. But no amount of evidence has yet shaken faith in the magic of absolute power.

COVID policies are increasingly degenerating to the equivalent of sacrificing virgins to appease angry viral gods. New Zealand on August 24 imposed a nationwide lockdown in response to a single COVID case in the capital city. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordered her captive citizenry: “Do not congregate, don’t talk to your neighbors. Please keep to your bubble.” Arden asserted that “complying with these rules, making sure we do all we can to stamp it out, still remains the best strategy in the world right now.” Ardern did not deign to explain why almost no place else in the world, including places with vastly more COVID cases, sought to outlaw everyday conversations.

In Australia, the military is patrolling city streets to enforce the latest lockdown. Daniel Andrews, the Premier of the state of Victoria, recently decreed: “There will be no removal of masks to consume alcohol outdoors.” One Aussie lamented, “My business has been forcibly closed. Everyone has been sent home without pay. We are banned from leaving our homes except for the 5 reasons given by the Government.”

There is no “science” to justify prohibiting Australians from going more than 2 miles from their home. But New Zealand and Australia presume that no one will be safe unless government officials have jurisdiction over every breath that citizens take.

In the United States, many of the same pundits and activists who howled about the evils of “microaggressions” are now cheering for the government to forcibly inject everyone with a COVID vaccine. Biden publicly declared that he is checking to see if he has the power to force everyone to get injected.

Biden endorsed the vaccination passports that some cities have already imposed. Radio host Grant Stinchfield commented, in Los Angeles “you can [defecate] on the street, shoot drugs in crack tent on the sidewalk and even steal anything less then (sic) 900 bucks but now you have to show papers to get in a restaurant or gym!?!?” New York City’s passport regime effectively bans the majority of blacks from many activities of daily life, since they have a much lower vaccination rate than other groups.

Far greater restrictions may be on the horizon. The Associated Press reported that the Biden administration is considering “mandating vaccines for interstate travel” but is delaying any such decree until “Americans were ready for the strong-arming from the federal government.” A top former Homeland Security official has called for placing anyone who is not fully vaccinated on the No Fly list, thereby expanding the list to scores of millions of people and creating new havoc for air travel. Biden administration officials have offered no evidence that such restrictions would end the pandemic but it would permit the president to demonstrate the same machismo that President Nixon showed with his illegal invasion of Cambodia in 1970.

Politicians’ anti-COVID recommendations increasingly resemble frightened soldiers shooting at any noise they hear in the dark. NIH Director Francis Collins recently condemned the “epidemic of misinformation, disinformation, distrust that is tearing us apart.” But much of the misinformation has stemmed directly from the Biden administration’s flip-flops and fearmongering. On August 3, Collins announced during a CNN interview that “parents of unvaccinated kids should… wear masks” in their own homes. He conceded: “I know that’s uncomfortable, I know it seems weird, but it is the best way to protect your kids.” A few hours later, Collins recanted on Twitter, perhaps after other political appointees persuaded him to stop sounding like a blithering idiot.

COVID misinformation started at the top. In a CNN Town Hall last month, Biden declared, “You’re not going to get COVID if you have these vaccinations.” Biden administration officials kept reciting the “pandemic of the unvaccinated” refrain long after it became clear that vaccines were rapidly failing to prevent the spread of COVID. On August 8, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky finally admitted: “What [COVID vaccines] can’t do any more is prevent transmission.” Helluva asterisk. Prior to that, the Biden administration even refused to disclose the number of “breakthrough” infections that had occurred among White House staff. Prof. Eric Topol complained that the CDC’s false statements on COVID risks was a “blatant failure putting millions of vaccinated Americans at unnecessary risk for breakthrough infections.”

On Thursday, a front page Washington Post article castigated the CDC for withholding COVID information from the public, noting that its “overly rosy assessments of the vaccines’ effectiveness against delta may have lulled Americans into a false sense of security.” Tom Frieden, former CDC director under Obama, suggested that the long delays in disclosure led some people to “wonder if the CDC is hiding results.” CDC Director Walensky responded to the debacle by promising “to develop a new forecasting and outbreak analytics center to analyze data in real time,” the Post reported. The CDC apparently did not previously consider it worthwhile to spend any of its $8 billion annual budget on such a project.

The Biden administration has sought to blame the resurgence of COVID on scofflaws who did not submit to every revised command. The Official Enemies List has expanded from those not wearing a mask to those resisting getting vaccinated, and it will soon include those who balk at getting a third (and fourth? fifth?) injection.

 The biggest expansion of the Enemies List occurred on August 13, when the Department of Homeland Security issued a terrorist alert, warning law enforcement agencies that “anti-government/anti-authority violent extremists could exploit… potential re-establishment of public health restrictions across the United States as a rationale to conduct attacks.” Anyone who loudly objects to being locked back under house arrest will be the moral equivalent of the Taliban, or maybe Hezbollah. Previous federal driftnets for potential troublemakers expanded far beyond individuals who threatened violence. The feds may already be compiling vast lists of COVID critics that could come in handy at some future point.

But at least government officials now recognize the real enemy. COVID Czar Tony Fauci recently declared, “I know people must like to have their individual freedom… but I think that we’re in such a serious situation now, that… mandates should be done.” Fauci predicts that once the FDA rushes its formal approval of the COVID vaccines, there will be far more mandates imposed on Americans. The fact that the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine has fallen to 42% is irrelevant. A vaccine isn’t a failure as long as the government can force everyone to get additional injections.

The primary “evidence” for most COVID policies is the job title of the government official issuing the decree. As University of California San Francisco professor of medicine Vinay Prasad wrote last month, “When it comes to non-pharmacologic interventions such as mandatory business closures, mask mandates, and countless other interventions, the shocking conclusion of the last 18 months is this: We have learned next to nothing.”

Prasad slammed his colleagues for failing to do reliable research on key issues of the pandemic: “Anyone who considers themselves a scientist should be embarrassed by our collective failure to generate knowledge, and this failure is once again looming large.”

For bureaucrats and politicians, gaining power and compelling submission are victory enough, even when their policies fail to vanquish a virus. Citizens are obliged to assume “government knows best, even when it knows little or nothing.” People won’t get infected as long as they are groveling to federal commands, right? Unfortunately, the government has no liability for the injections it approves or the freedoms it destroys.

Faith in absolute power is not “science” – regardless of how many scientists pledge allegiance to Washington in return for federal funding. As historian John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza, observed, “When you mix politics and science, you get politics.” There is no safety in submission to damn fools, regardless of their pompous titles.

Reprinted with permission from the American Institute for Economic Research

LifeSiteNews has produced an extensive COVID-19 vaccines resources page. View it here.

source x

[stickynotesandstress]

My Tips for Actually Having a Shred of Motivation in Online Classes

Online classes, some love them, some hate them with fiery passion, and most people are taking them for the first time right now and wondering what the hell is going on. Before the pandemic hit, I was no stranger to online classes as I was one of the two students in my high school who took them. I am, however, a complete stranger to online class in university and online classes at home (we did the high school ones in the library). I’ve figured out some things that work for me, so I thought I’d share them to try and help others.

You don’t actually have to change out of your pyjamas. I’ve seen so many people saying to “get dressed in the morning, it will make you feel so much more productive” and that shit just does not fly with me. When I was doing in person classes, whenever I was back in my dorm studying/writing papers/reading, I was always in my pjs because they’re comfortable and when working you should be comfortable. So don’t think you have to put on jeans to succeed in online classes because that’s not it.

This one will not be pleasant for some people to hear, but set an alarm. Seriously. The first few weeks of school, I was waking up at eleven and rolling out of bed by 12 to get lunch to go to my 1:00 class and I felt like shit. I was over-rested and I just felt sluggish all the time. I’m not saying you need to wake up at the crack of dawn, but set an alarm for maybe 9:00 or 10:00.

After you’ve gotten out of bed, make your bed and go get some breakfast. I’m sure some of you are rolling your eyes at this since everyone says this and three weeks ago, I would have been rolling my eyes right along with you. I’ve never made my bed in my life regularly before now and never in my life have I ever been someone who ate breakfast, even as a kid I wouldn’t eat it. I’ve started doing it and it has made such a world of difference to have a somewhat organized/clean room and to have something to eat in the morning. I’ve been on my own at school being an adult and whatnot for three years and yet it seems like overnight I grew up into an actual adult who cleans and eats breakfast. It’s wild, man.

Drink water!!! You’re going to be staring at a screen all day and that gives you a headache as it is, don’t make it worse by being under-hyrdrated. When I don’t drink enough water, I start to feel really sick and get horrible migraines so it does make a difference.

Get a damn planner and stop checking your class syllabi every day to see if something is due. I don’t know how, but somehow I survived my first year and a half of uni without a planner and never turned a thing in late. I did pull all-nighters to write up a paper I didn’t remember until I checked the syllabus though and it caused me so much unnecessary stress. Take an hour and go through each syllabus and put everything in there. Make sure to plan out days to actually work on the assignments too, especially if they’re due on a Monday and you don’t realize it until you flip the page of your planner on said Monday morning.

If you’re like me and cannot focus when it’s quiet, get yourself some playlists. Here’s a wordless one I listen to when I’m really trying to concentrate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qap5aO4i9A&ab_channel=ChilledCow and here is one I made for when I’m writing papers (if you can work while music with lyrics is playing that is) that exists mainly because the song titles and/or lyrics are things I’m thinking/screaming while writing: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5IcY1fjk8YOtgaBKF9ulj0?si=vGX5xK59R32h6yvqWaLPhQ

If you’re struggling, reach out to your profs. They are so willing and ready to help you (some profs are just assholes who won’t, but most of them are not like that). I promise you you won’t regret it. Also, if your school has a free writing centre, make use of it. I get A’s on the vast majority of my papers and I still go to the writing centre, so don’t think that going means that you’re dumb or you can’t handle college (like I did my first year and a half).

If you’re studying out of your childhood bedroom for the first time since high school (like myself), try to give it a bit of a makeover. I’m not saying to go crazy and paint the walls, but maybe take down the old posters, hang up some of your more ‘adult’ decor from your dorm room, maybe buy a couple of new things if you want to and can afford to, and move some of your furniture around, to make the place feel more suited to your needs now. I lost it one night and started tearing all the posters off my walls here because every morning I would wake up thinking I was seventeen again and I was losing my mind living in the same space as I did in high school. I’ve completely re-arranged my furniture, bought a cool new tapestry for my wall, and actually put some of my posters/pictures in frames and hung them back up and it has made a world of difference.

That’s all I have for this post anyway. I might make a post specifically about how I study right now because it is a lot different than what I normally do. I hope these helped in some small way, because distance learning is the worst fucking thing that’s happened to my education since I spent 12 years in grade school and didn’t learn shit. Hope everyone is well and staying safe!

#college #university #uni #university tips #college tips #studyblr #new studyblr #english lit studyblr #online class #online classes #distance learning #motivation

[ssa25]

Scorched - Dancing with the Devil - Sasuhina Month 2020 - Day 3

Rating: Rating T

Warning: Morally grey Sasuke; Not a romantic story

“If you dance with the devil, then you haven’t got a clue, for you think you’ll change the devil, but the devil changes you.” ― J.M. Smith, If You Dance with the Devil...

Her tired grey eyes disinterestedly drifted over the faint cracks in the wall, over and over again. She had turned her body away from her deskmate, who until a few minutes back, was trying to make small talk with her. Small talk that she didn't have the patience to indulge in today. 

She looked at the occupied benches ahead of her, and found mostly everyone chatting, wiling away their time until Prof. Hatake deemed fit to grace them with his presence. He was notorious for being late to classes while not tolerating tardiness in his pupils. The clock on the wall showed that it was already 15 minutes past 11.

"Hey… um... Are you hurt??", she heard Ren, her deskmate speak to her.

She glanced down her hand to find the long sleeves of her black top had rolled up a little to show her pale wrists. In all its undecorated splendour, except for the harsh red chafing marks on them. She chose not to answer the guy and pulled the sleeves down to her palms to hide the proof of the night before.

She had seen this guy only a few times before. He was supposedly new (because he naively sat beside her), and probably smart (judging by his attendance in an advanced lit class).

“I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean to be nosy…”, he said apologetically. He paused for a few seconds before he began again, “I’ve noticed that you always sit by yourself, so I thought of accompa-“

The doors slid open with a loud band against the frame, interrupting the new guy. The whole classroom got quieter too. Those were enough clues for her to know that it was not the Professor. In spite of her racing heart, her eyes looked up to find Uchiha Sasuke staring at her with a less than pleased expression. Her hands grew clammy as she turned her head away from him quickly.

Everyone stared at Sasuke as he climbed up the steps towards her. He was the only person in the whole university that could make the highest authorities quake in their boots. Sole heir to a massive multinational empire, no one could tell him what to do. His story was tragic, his family buried six feet under. Some sympathized with him, others were wary of him. He attended classes whenever he liked, he also walked out of them on a whim. No one could stop or reprimand him. Especially when the Uchiha made the biggest donation to the University every year. His circle of friends included the most dangerous, most loyal and fearless youngsters that roamed the streets of Tokyo.

He stopped right in front of her deskmate. “You’re new here.”, he stated instead of questioning.

The new guy gave a nervous laugh and nodded. His eyes trailed over his inked arm. “I am. I just transferred here a few weeks back! Name’s Ren.”

Sasuke tilted his head and said calmly, “Get the f*ck out of my seat Ren.”

“Y-your seat? But I have never seen you in this class before today?!”, Ren replied with as much guts as he could muster.

Sasuke did not bother replying but fixed him with a glare that made the guy break into a sweat.

Ren turned to Hinata, but she pretended to be unaffected by the exchange that the whole room witnessed.

Afraid to meddle any further with him, Ren quickly picked his books and moved away. Sasuke slid into the seat and sat close to Hinata. He glowered at the onlookers, making them turn away from the couple.

“I thought I asked you to stay put in my room…”, he commented gravely. “Why don’t you ever listen to me?”

Hinata gritted her teeth but refused to look his way. When she spoke, her voice was low but firm, “And I told you yesterday that I did not want to do this anymore.. That I don’t wish to be your girlfriend anymore… But you didn’t listen to me either.”

Sasuke did not even respond to her complaint, but simply pulled her forearm and bared her wrists to see the damage. He tutted disapprovingly, “You struggled too much.”

Hinata was not even surprised to see him blatantly ignore the fact that he was the one who tied her up to his bedpost after their argument. 

He never abused her physically, but the emotional turmoil she went through in the last three months of being his girlfriend was getting to her. He was excessively controlling and possessive, and gave her very little leeway to make her own life decisions. He was dark, dangerous and brooding with the most complex temperament.

Few days back, when she overheard Suigetsu talking to Karin about Sasuke picking out a ring to propose, she grew pale with worry. It was too soon and she was not ready for any commitments, not when she had been having serious doubts about their relationship.

She gathered courage to break up with him, before the situation grew out of control. But he had dismissed her idea, and instead informed her that he planned to marry her, soon after their graduation which was in a few months. She tried to plead him to see reason. But he was firm in his decision and he restrained her when she tried to get away from him.

“Ah, I must inform you… I have fired your dear old Mrs. Sato.”, his voice broke her from her reverie.

Hinata was shocked by his admission. The kind widow was Sasuke’s housekeeper and her saviour that morning. She had taken a huge risk and helped Hinata out of her bindings while Sasuke was taking a shower. Hinata felt guilty because she pleaded with the woman to help her when she came into the room unannounced.

“Why? She did nothing wrong!!”, Hinata said with tears in her eyes. The poor woman probably had nowhere to go.

“Because I detest it when my own people betray my trust…”, he said with zero emotion. “Besides, don’t act like you didn’t know the consequences of your action… You knew it would make me angry, but you still did it… You still wanted her to free you, despite knowing that she would be collateral damage… Hinata, you are more similar to me than you think…”

Hinata was quiet and unable to deny his accusation. She did know that Sasuke would be enraged at Mrs. Sato, but she had never expected him to dismiss her completely.

“I’m the one who should face the consequences, not her.”, she said regretfully.

“People have to be held accountable for their actions… That is what I believe in.”

“Then push me away too… Why do you insist on keeping me?”, she asked him bitterly.

“You are the only exception to the rule, my dear. I plan to keep you by my side, until one of us is on our last breath.”

His words, that sounded like a promise, sent a chill down her spine. She feared not for her life, but for her sanity.

Calling their relationship toxic would be an understatement. And she was fast losing hope of ever getting even a shred of normalcy back in her life.

Prof. Hatake entered leisurely into the classroom right then, and commanded attention from the students.

“Ah, who do we have here?”, the professor looked in their direction and smiled from behind his mask.

Sasuke appeared unperturbed by the mocking glint in the professor’s eyes. That man was his legal guardian until he turned 18, but he was quick to sever relations with him once he became an adult.

“I never knew Uchiha Sasuke had changed his major from Economics to English Lit!!”, Kakashi commented on a lighter note, but his words had an edge that no one missed.

“Mind your own business Kakashi.”, Sasuke sneered at him. 

The students gasped at his incivility, but Kakashi only laughed, as if he was used to insolency from the resident bad boy. Hinata bowed her head to be inconspicuous.

As Professor Hatake started his lesson, Hinata despaired for her bleak future. But she could not blame anyone but herself.

What had she been thinking, she wondered. Why had she ever agreed to go out with him? Why did she let his constant persuasion in the past, bend her will to stay away from him? Had she been so weak to his charms that she had outrightly ignored the alarming rumours about him?

Was it some form of misguided sympathy for him? Or was it some foolish notion in her mind that she could change him? She had been naive and clueless. Because in the end, it was she who had changed.

Hinata swallowed uneasily. She had to get away from Tokyo, because the whole city was his playground. She absolutely had to run away from the devil in disguise. For now, she was only scorched, but she had to save herself from being completely incinerated. 

x

a/n: Was that too much? I really wanted to write something like this, but I feel like I didn’t do it justice. 

#SasuHina #sasuhinamonth2020 #shmonth2020

[thenootshoot]

Professor (Sigma x Reader) Chapter 3

The air was beginning to get crisp against your skin. Fall had quickly approached, meaning you only had a couple more months until winter. There were ten more weeks until winter break, so ten more weeks until your music project was due...Three weeks until your first presentation in social psychology, three days to complete a seven page essay in personality psychology, and you had a speech to give in your abnormal psychology class today. Your least stressful class right now is your music conducting class. The teacher there was rather nice and did more showing videos and checking to see if you were taking good notes.

Oddly enough, Professor de Kuiper was one of the most sympathetic people you had met. He made sure all of his students were okay and did everything he could to help. He had noticed you looking rather stressed as time progressed and offered to help you in the library with whatever class you need help with. Best he could at least. You let him help too. Just, not with your music. You didn't really want him to know you were planning to major in music as well as psychology. Mostly because you had been told most of your life that your dream to be a music major was pointless and you'd never get anywhere with a degree like that.

"Are you alright Miss (L/n)?" The familiar voice of your professor snapped you out of your thoughts.

"Yeah. Just, working really hard to finish this up." You told him, reviewing your speech once more. "You'd think it would be easier to memorize this since I wrote it but I keep finding things that need fixed so I almost start from square one over and over."

The two of you sat in the library, reviewing your speech for next period. It was a well written speech but you weren't confident in it. It always seemed like something was incorrect or inaccurate. That was just your thinking though. You couldn't help but think everything you did wasn't going to get you a passing grade. You were confident you would fail.

"I've told you, (y/n), the speech is fine. I've read it over twice today. Even the grammar is practically perfect." He assured you. "Just, say it to me."

You shook your head. "No, I can't. It's not okay. I-I have to change the ending again."

He placed a hand on your shoulder. "(Y/n). It's fine."

You stared at your professor for a hot minute. He seemed to be rather sincere about this, as he always was. You always doubted yourself and your abilities though. It wasn't like you could help it though.

"Say it. I'll follow along."

You took a breath, deciding not to argue with him. He always won anyway. How he managed to win, you had no idea. You knew almost every psychological trick to win and yet, he still always got to your head.

"O-Okay professor." You half whisper, taking another breath before starting to state, word for word, was was written down on your paper.

God it hurt to do this. It brought back memories from your middle school years; back when your father made you do this all the time. He knew he was doing wrong to you. He knew he was beating you and leaving marks. He would make you write stories to tell. You'd sit in the living room, citing word for word what you had written on a piece of paper. The story you would tell any and every student and staff member to cross your path. If you messed up, you had to add more to it. Not because he wanted you to, but because you would have to now explain the new cut or bruise on your body.

You didn't register the tears. You were too focused on getting this done that you hadn't noticed them sliding down your face. Your professor had though. He didn't say anything, pretending he was still following along. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't concerned. This isn't the first time you've broken down over something like this. Frankly, you break down over the simplest of things. He's seen you silently cry when you get an answer wrong in class, as if it were the end of the world.

It wasn't until you finished that you felt the wetness on your cheeks. You quickly wiped the tears in a poor attempt to hide the fact that you were crying. The last thing you wanted to do was explain to the school guidance counselor what was wrong. You knew that's where he would send you if he felt something was up.

"See? I told you, it's fine." He suddenly said, pretending he hadn't noticed your crying. "I wish I could be there to see you do this but I've got some work to attend to."

You gave an understanding nod. You had been asking him if he could attend when you gave the speech for a couple weeks now. You noticed you did better when he was around, most likely because you knew he wasn't judging you over anything. He knew you were just a student trying to get by.

"You'll do great though." He shot you a smile before looking to his watch. "I best get going. Five minutes until this period ends."

You nodded again, gathering your things for your next class. You felt so unprepared. You'd gone over everything so many times, and yet, you felt as if you'd never even started. Nerves. It had to be nerves. But you shouldn't be this nervous. He's gone. He can't hurt you if you mess up. Not anymore...

___________

"Going first is Miss (Y/n)."

Those were the only words you could register as you made your way to the front of the class. After that, you only heard her voice. You couldn't make out words, just her voice. Your heart raced. The words I'm not ready repeated in your mind. You were going to mess up. You knew it. Everyone would see and hate you. They'd smack you in the back of the head and tell you how much of an idiot you were for not stating word for word what you had written. You knew it.

"Whenever you're ready."

I'm not...I'm not ready.

You took a breath and did your best to stop yourself from shaking. You felt the tears in your eyes and forced them back. You couldn't do this but...you had to. You promised Professor de Kuiper you wouldn't back down and you'd stay strong.

You looked up from the ground, heart stopping for a hot second. Sitting in the front row near the door...he was there! He said he wouldn't be there but he was! Your muscles relaxed just a bit, staring right at him. He looked eager to hear your speech, despite having heart it over and over again. So you began to speak. You began to say what you had written, word for word. Your only flaw; you never took your eyes off him. You were afraid what would happen if you looked away. 

______________

You couldn't believe this was happening. You thought today would be normal. Guess not. You see, after giving your speech, you were asked to gather your things and go with Professor de Kuiper. You weren't sure what was going on.

"Don't look so tense. You aren't in trouble." He suddenly told you. You looked to your professor. He stood at least two feet taller than you so you didn't bother trying to look all the way up. "I just want to talk."

Your heart dropped. No. He was going to get information out of you and send you to the counselor and everything would just get worse! You'd surely be killed for this! You wanted to stop ant just turn around right then and there but your legs kept walking beside him. Why couldn't you stop?

Eventually, you two made it to his office, located near his desk. Inside was really nice, everything being well organized and very clean. There were two doors. One leading to the classroom, the other to his lab. The window on the door to his lab was covered though. In front of his desk was a small sofa, decorated with a couple pillows.

"Sit." He told you, closing the door.

You didn't hesitate. Your father was only a little taller than you and did so much to hurt you. God only knows what could happen if you did something to enrage your professor...

He walked to his desk and sat down, letting out a sigh. "Just know, no matter what you tell me, I will not tell anyone else. Even if I think I need to, I won't."

You've heard that one before.

"But I need to know if you're okay. I've noticed you break easily under the slightest amounts of pressure and tend to stray from befriending any of the students. You socially distance yourself from everyone."

You looked down, trying so hard not to cry. You knew you weren't okay and you knew you couldn't keep saying you were okay much longer. Your body trembled, your mind now flooded with everything. It will never end. You'll never get out.

"No..."

That was all your managed to get out before your emotions took over. Tears poured from your eyes like waterfalls and you struggled to hold in the sobs. You heard him get up and walk to the spot beside you.

"Take your time." He said softly.

You couldn't hold it in anymore. The years of pain. The years of helplessness. The years of torture. You practically screamed, tears coming out faster than before. You didn't realize it at the time, but you had thrown yourself right into your professor, hugging him tight while you sobbed into his chest. Your sobs were muffled, but your trembling body told him this would last a while. He gently wrapped his arms around you, rubbing your back as he hushed you. In all his years of teaching, he'd never seen a student break down like this. You looked at if your world was collapsing. It broke his heart. An all A student, top of the class, never turns anything in late, never late to class, always over prepared, and yet, so broken.

It took nearly half an hour for you to calm down enough to talk. The tears didn't stop though. They kept coming. You hiccuped as you tried to catch your breath. Your professor handed you a box of tissues before getting up and grabbing a water bottle from the mini fridge under his desk. He knew you'd need it.

"If you need a Tylenol or Ibuprofen let me know." He said as he handed you the water.

You nodded, opening the bottle and taking a sip. You had never realized how broken you really were until now. Had you really been hurt that bad? So bad that you were breaking down in front of your prof-

"Oh my God I'm so sorry!" You suddenly yelped, seeing you had soaked the front of his shirt.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You needed to let that out."

You looked down. It felt so nice to be held when you were crying. You felt human. You couldn't remember the last time someone gave you a hug. Had you ever even gotten one? Hesitantly, you reached for another hug, a small smile appearing on your face when he accepted. You felt safe. God you couldn't remember the last time you felt safe.

"I've been abused for as long as I can remember." You whispered. "I can't remember the last time I've felt a hug...Let alone this safe..."

"It's alright. I understand."

"P-Professor-"

"Please, call me Siebren."

"S-Siebren...If I tell you what happened...You won't tell anyone?"

"Promise."

You shifted so you weren't hugging him anymore. You wiped your eyes, sitting straight up as you did your best to catch your breath.

"It all started when mom passed away..."

#siebren+de+kuiper+x+reader #sigma+x+reader #sigmaxreader #sigma x reader #overwatch #overwatchxreader #fluff

[cuthian]

Becoming a Memory, Becoming a Treasure Chapter Three

Hi guys!

Thank you so much for the amazing response to this work! I promise I will continue writing as much as I can, but I'll soon have to return to doing SOME of my uni work too 😅

Unfortunately even a lockdown and a pandemic doesn't stop my profs from assigning essays and research papers.

See you soon!

Love, Annaelle

THREE

“Ein Freund ist ein Mensch, der die Melodie deines Herzen kennt und sie dir vorspielt, wenn du sie vergessen hast.”

—Albert Einstein

LUKE

Luke… Luke was reeling.

He’d always trusted Alex and Reggie with everything and all the while they were—they were keeping something as big as this from him?!

He wouldn’t have cared if they were dating, if they’d… if they’d fallen in love with each other—he would’ve been happy for them.

Really.

He would’ve.

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared out at the waves, pressing his lower lip into a pout.

He would have found a way to be happy if his ex-boyfriend and his other best friend—who Luke had been in love with for… possibly as long as he could remember—fell in love with each other.

They were the most important people in his life.

Luke loved both of them—he’d do anything for them.

He’d have done this too.

He wrapped his arms around himself and dug his fingers into his upper arms, doing his best not to cry. Reggie had been his best friend for as long as he could remember, had been the first person other than his mom that Luke had ever loved, and he’d kind of… he’d kind of taken Reggie’s attention for granted. He’d taken it for granted that Reggie’s eyes were always on him, and now that they weren’t…

Now that Reggie and Alex had something going on—because that kiss, little as it had been, had very clearly not been the first one—and Luke was going to have to let Reggie go. It probably meant something that he was more upset about losing Reggie—who he had never dated or even kissed—than he was over the fact that he was losing him to an ex-boyfriend.

And… and the more he thought about it the less sense it made, because Luke remembered that guy Alex had been seeing before their deaths and it hadn’t been Reggie. And yet… he recalled all the nights Reggie had spent with Alex, supposedly sleeping in his guest room, recalled Reggie getting kicked out because his father had walked in on them ‘hugging’—

God, it’d been right in front of him the whole time, hadn’t it?

“Here you are.”

Luke closed his eyes in exasperation and thumped his head forward to rest on his knees. He should’ve known that one of them would find him here.

He didn’t look up when Reggie sat down next to him, pressed close like he always did, like nothing was different, like he and Luke were still balancing on that razor’s edge between friends and something else, something new and terrifying and amazing.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He rasped, peeking up to glance towards Reggie.

“Because it’s not… It’s not what you think,” Reggie sighed. Luke turned his head a little more, facing Reggie fully. The other boy was blushing pretty badly, but he looked determined to say whatever it was that he had in mind, and Luke knew better than to try to interrupt.

“We’re not dating,” Reggie said, and Luke let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding.

“Then what was that?” He demanded, sitting up straight to look at Reggie properly. “And don’t tell me it was nothing—that was clearly not the first time you kissed. And why… Why were you weird about it?”

Reggie sighed, rubbing his fingers through his hair—something he only did when he was stressed.

“Reggie,” Luke implored, and his friend sighed again.

“We’re not dating… anymore,” he admitted, and Luke let out a noise as though he’d been punched in the solar plexus, but Reggie continued nonetheless. “We… we fooled around and hooked up… a couple of times. Mostly when we were both single, and after a while we just... It was—” he hesitated, and Luke swallowed thickly, anger and jealousy and hurt buzzing under his skin, making him feel like he was virtually vibrating on the spot.

“Okay, look,” Reggie said, rubbing his hands over his thighs nervously. “When I… when I thought I might be into guys too, I… Alex helped me figure it out. Helped me figure myself out. It kind of just went from there, and then we never really stopped, and we rolled into a relationship for a while. But we’re not,” he looked at Luke with a pleading expression. “We’re not in love, Luke. We never were. It’s why it didn’t work, why Alex called it quits.”

Luke felt like crying.

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” He pleaded, glaring at Reggie. “You could’ve told me.”

“It was weird,” Reggie whined. “You and Alex hadn’t been broken up that long when we first—and we didn’t—by the time we realized it was something that was gonna happen more often, something we wanted to be a little more serious about, it’d been years—too long to say anything without things becoming really awkward.”

“Awkward?” Luke echoed. “Awkward?!” He jumped to his feet and shouted, “You spent years sleeping with Alex and you lied about it, Reggie! Of course things are awkward!”

He regretted shouting immediately when Reggie shrank back, but it was too late to take it back, and more than that; he didn’t want to take it back. He was hurt that his friends hadn’t confided in him, that Alex had known how Luke felt about Reggie—more than Luke had, half the time—and had still fooled around with Reggie, that he’d… that he’d not cared enough to stop.

“I’m sorry!” Reggie yelled back, getting to his feet too. “I’m sorry, Luke. I didn’t mean—I know you and Alex were—it’s a big no-no, sleeping with your best friend’s ex, but he’s also my best friend, and I—”

“It’s not about Alex,” Luke cried exasperatedly, throwing his hands up.

“Then what is it about?” Reggie yelled. “Just… Just tell me what I need to say, Luke, and I’ll say it.”

There were tears swimming in Reggie’s eyes, and Luke hated this, hated fighting with Reggie, because arguments terrified Reggie, but he was—he was so angry.

“I don’t care that you slept with Alex,” he exclaimed, stomping forward to poke Reggie in the shoulder. “I care that he slept with you, Reggie.” He exhaled shakily. “You fucking dork. He knew. He knew how I felt, he was the first person I told—the only person I actually told and he… he was fooling around with you the whole time. Jesus, Reggie, I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at Alex!”

Reggie stared at him, wide-eyed and openmouthed, and Luke immediately wished he could take everything he’d just said back.

“How you felt about me?” Reggie whispered hoarsely. “You—you had feelings for me?”

“Have,” Luke admitted quietly. “Reggie, I have feelings for you.”

“Oh,” Reggie breathed. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Luke sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets and scuffing the toe of his Vans in the sand. “I told Alex, and now it turns out you and him were—”

“When?” Reggie demanded hoarsely. “When did you tell him?”

Luke blinked. “I—a couple of weeks after I figured it out. After we helped you sneak into your parents’ house to see Maggie? I think he figured it out then, but we didn’t talk about it until a few weeks after. And then when we got the Orpheum gig, I… ” he said slowly. “I was going to tell you after the show, even thought about just kissing you right there on stage, but then—”

“Then we died,” Reggie whispered.

“Yeah,” Luke whispered.

“We weren’t together anymore by then,” Reggie said softly. “We broke up a few weeks into January. Alex—we weren’t—it wasn’t working anymore. So he didn’t—” he wrung his hands together and whispered, “Nothing’s happened since then.”

Luke blinked.

Oh.

“Oh,” he said.

“Yeah,” Reggie nodded, pushing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “Oh.”

They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Luke asked, timidly, “Are we okay?”

Reggie shrugged and looked up at Luke from beneath dark eyelashes, biting down on his lower lip so hard it was all swollen and red and shiny when he finally released it and Luke could not stop looking. “You tell me,” Reggie told him. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you. We should’ve. Alex wanted to, but I wasn’t—I wasn’t ready to tell anyone, so we kept it a secret. I’m sorry.”

“No, I am,” Luke said immediately, starting forward to grab Reggie’s shoulders. “I shouldn’t have freaked out so badly. I was—I was jealous. I’m sorry.”

Reggie’s cheeks flushed again, and Luke’s heart skipped a beat when Reggie took a tiny step closer, so they were essentially pressed chest to chest. “I don’t think I minded that part,” he admitted shyly, smiling a tiny, hopeful smile at Luke. “If you’re… if you’re still, I mean, if you—”

Luke cupped his face in his hands and kissed him.

Reggie jerked in surprise, nearly falling over backwards, but Luke didn’t let him go, and then he realized Reggie was kissing him back, and it was—

It was everything Luke had hoped for and more.

Reggie’s lips parted and the kiss deepened, and Luke moaned, a little desperately, pressing into Reggie’s touch eagerly. They were kissing sloppily, Reggie’s arms looped around Luke’s neck and one of Luke’s hands slipped into Reggie’s back pocket, pulling the other boy flush against him and if they weren’t dead and invisible to everyone, it really wouldn’t be appropriate to kiss like this in public.

“Wow,” Luke blurted when they finally parted, chest heaving, staring at Reggie with wide eyes. “Alex did not teach you how to kiss like that.”

Reggie giggled, tightening his arms around Luke’s neck and rubbing their noses together. “How do you know he didn’t? It’s been like four years since you last kissed him, he could’ve picked up some new things in the meantime.”

“Hmm,” Luke hummed, leaning in to kiss Reggie again, softer and sweeter this time. “Remind me to thank him later then.”

Reggie laughed against Luke’s lips, and Luke couldn’t stop smiling either, couldn’t bring himself to pull away from him, couldn’t stop kissing him. Reggie, thankfully, seemed to be in a similar predicament and kissed him back just as eagerly, digging his fingers into Luke’s hair.

It was so easy to fall back into a deeper, searing hot kiss, to slip his arms around Reggie’s waist and open his mouth, to rub himself up against Reggie’s hip, slipping his hands down over his ass. They broke apart with a moan, panting, and Reggie blinked blearily at him.

“Okay, we cannot do that in public,” Reggie insisted. He glanced down between them, and Luke’s cheeks flamed abruptly when he realized just how much kissing Reggie had aroused him.

He breathed a laugh and pressed his forehead against Reggie’s. “We should’ve done this years ago,” he murmured. “We could’ve been doing this all along.” Reggie made a soft, small noise and leaned in to kiss him again, soft and short this time.

“We should go home,” he said. “Before they come looking for us.”

“Yeah,” Luke nodded. “Yeah.”

It took them another hour before they stopped kissing long enough to pop back to the studio.

---------

JULIE

She and Alex were on the couch, her feet on Alex’s lap as they watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S. reruns. Alex had been ecstatic to find out there were more seasons, and he and Julie had slowly been rewatching everything so he could catch up.

It was a nice way to and to get to know each other better.

Alex, for one, hated Ross with a passion that was hilarious to see.

“They’ve been gone a while,” Julie remarked when Netflix queued up another episode, glancing at her phone to check the time. “You think they’re okay?”

“They’re fine,” Alex snorted. “They’re probably too busy making out to notice how long it’s been.”

Julie laughed and shook her head, settling back on the couch to watch Chandler make a fool out of himself in front of a girl. “Is your girlfriend joining us later?” Alex asked after a while, and though Julie couldn’t blame him for the question—Flynn did spend most afternoons with them—she took the opportunity to tease him with both hands.

“No,” she chuckled. “Is your boyfriend?”

As she expected, Alex flushed and mumbled, “No.” She laughed and poked at his stomach with her foot.

Before they could say anything else, Luke and Reggie finally popped in, and Julie had to stop herself from bursting into laughter at the sight of them. Luke’s hair was a disaster, sticking up at gravity defying angles, his cheeks were flushed and his lips were swollen. His top was wrinkled and covered in sand, and Julie was pretty sure there was a hickey just on the underside of his jaw.

Reggie, if possible, looked even more ruffled.

And he was definitely sporting a few hickies.

“Well hi there,” Alex drawled, raising both eyebrows at their friends. “Have fun? Just the two of you?”

“Shut up,” Reggie snorted, shoving at Alex’s shoulder before sprawling on the couch next to him, one leg thrown casually over Alex’s thigh. Luke laughed too and plopped down between Alex and Julie, bumping his shoulder against Alex’s. “I’m sorry I freaked out,” he said quietly, and Julie could tell the words were meant only for Alex.

“Don’t worry about it,” Alex replied equally quietly.

They all fell silent and watched the tv for a few minutes—Julie diligently pretended not to notice the way Luke and Reggie were holding hands over Alex’s lap—before Luke perked up and said, “Oh, right, Alex, I need to thank you for teaching Reggie that thing, you know, where he uses his tongu—”

Reggie shouted incoherently and lunged across Alex’s lap to clamp his hand over a hysterically laughing Luke’s mouth. Alex burst into laughter too and Julie yelped as the boys landed heavily on her lap before they rolled off the couch and onto the floor in a messy heap.

Julie’s phone interrupted the moment, and they all looked at the ringing phone in surprise—Luke and Reggie’s heads just barely popping up over the couch. “Who’s calling you at this hour?” Alex demanded, leaning over to get a good look at the screen.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Be quiet,” she told Luke and Reggie, who had resumed their struggle on the floor, as she picked up her phone and the muffled shouting quieted down immediately.

“Hi, this is Julie,” she said cautiously.

“Hi Julie,” a woman replied cheerfully. “I apologize for the late hour. It took us a while to track down your contact information. This is Josie from Destiny Management. You met one of our managers, Andi Parker, at Beats & Eats a few weeks ago?”

Julie sat bolt upright.

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Yes, I did. Hi.” The boys looked at her with identical, confused expressions, but she waved her hand at them, getting to her feet and pacing across the room.

“Hi,” Josie from Destiny Management laughed. “I just wanted to let you know that another one of our managers saw your video and would very much like to make a personal appointment with you and your band to discuss a potential future partnership.”

“That would be amazing,” Julie said, almost before Josie was done speaking.

Josie laughed again and said, “Well, I assume you’re not available during weekdays as you’re still in school?” When Julie hummed in confirmation, she said, “How is Saturday at 12 at the Water Grill?”

“That’s perfect,” Julie gushed. “I’m not eighteen though,” she added as an afterthought. “Would my dad be required to come along?” The boys were crowding around her, eager and excited, and she pressed a hand flat to Reggie’s chest to keep them at bay while Josie was still talking.

“Not for this initial meeting,” Josie told her. “Your legal guardian is only required to attend and give permission once we make you an official offer and contracts need to be signed.”

“Okay,” Julie nodded. “Perfect. I’ll be there. Thank you so much.”

She hung up and looked up at the boys with a grin.

“Well?” Luke demanded.

“We got a meeting with a manager!”

All three of the boys whooped in delight, and Luke rushed to hug her, lifting her clean off her feet in excitement. “This is going to be great!” He cheered. “We’re gonna be legends!”

-----------

MAGGIE

“Hey miss Peters?”

Maggie looked up from her laptop screen to find Josie standing in the doorway.

“What’s up, Josie?” she asked, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her eyes. She’d been staring at the screen and the Julie & the Phantoms’ various social media platforms for hours and her eyes felt like dry sandpaper. She still wasn’t sure what she was looking at.

It wasn’t possible—but she’d… she’d recognize her brother—and the other boys—anywhere.

“I got you that appointment you asked for?” Josie said hesitantly. “Saturday at 12.”

“Perfect,” Maggie nodded.

She looked back at the screen, frozen on a slightly blurred closeup of the guitarist and bassist. She wasn’t sure what this was supposed to be, or how—

She was going to find out.

---------

Start from the beginning:

Becoming a Memory, Becoming a Treasure:

(1)  (2) 

Or read it HERE on AO3 :D Find the next chapter HERE on Tumblr :)

#jatp #jatp ruke #ruke #julie and the himbos #Julie and the phantoms #Luke patterson #reggie #alex #julie molina #luke/reggie #BaMBaT

[kurtty-drabbles]

Switch au (part 2)

N/A: An idea that punches into my mind without any kindness. So, here we go. I´m trying to make Kitty more mature here and human-not sure if it will be like that, but, hey once you have a literal encounter with an OUTER GOD, you kind have to change and for once to better- So here we go.

@dannybagpipesarecalling @djinmer4 @bamfoftheundead @muninandhugin

The watch hands of the big clock are stuck. Ororo Monroe can glance at the watch and wonder if is worth fixing it. "Is forever stuck 10:20. And yet..." her fingers are touching the teacup gingerly as her blue eyes direct to the young woman in front of her. "We have lots of talks to do, Kitty. And can you let me go first?" and Kitty, wearing a red sweater only nods, Ororo needs to recollect what happened 48 hours ago. Ororo needs to recollect and not let her brain melt by all the shenanigans issued.

"Pheonix and Galaticus show up..." her Ororo let a final exhale of breath and continues to gingerly touch her teacup. "Jean Grey, for what I can understand, did something that ruined Pheonix´s chance to win a bet" there´s a bitterness in her tone that´s not usual to Ororo- at least, not that Kitty ever witnesses the Weather Godness being like that. Then again, when Kitty can´t point fingers- "I´d not know what the bet was nor what Jean did that ruined Pheonix´s chance to win...but I do know that..."

And Ororo closes her eyes and her entire face seems clenched at this mere memory. "If you want ...you can stop...Wanda, I mean, Scarlet Witch gave me the recapitulation of the last 48 hours" noticing the expression. Kitty adds. "I have a story to tell too"

"I need to tell this..." Ororo states too proudly. "Pheonix was angry at us for the failure and would have burned us to ashes...And then, jean, the possible most selfish and arrogant person I ever see in my entire life...made a deal with Pheonix. Her life for ours." Ororo´s head inclined to the right-there´s a photo where Jean Grey possed. There´s some mean expressions and somewhat sadness in the faces of those closer of Jean Grey- "And Pheonix accepted and we´re sent back here"

"I..." Kitty tries to say but Ororo shakes her head. "Logan tried to kill himself via death by Vulcan. It was a total failure. Scott..." she shakes her head. She can´t say how broken this man is. "Prof X was arrested for crimes against humanity and for once, by a sheer miracle, people aren´t hating us...." and Ororo can´t help a smirk plays on her face. "ironically enough, Prof X manages to hate mutants and humans by being the most despicable man in the planet"

And now, Kitty measured, she can share her strange tale. "Ok, Ororo...as I mentioned, Scarlet Witch told me this" an eyebrow rose and bad rumors about Dr. Stranger- he dated and married one of his students before his timeless death- Kitty has to defend Scarlet Witch here. "She´s not peeping on us nor is a pervert" Well, if she has her kinks she sure hides well.

And Kitty tells a story about a dumb girl who saw the boy she liked leaving this dimension with another girl-Kitty is merciful to çeave the part where the girl is not a girl nor human- and how she made a circle summon Zaorva´s Herald. How that leads to a meeting with Zaorva herself and how this change her-in many ways- Her fingers waddle and appear some pink glow.

Ororo let go of the teacup. She pushes her chair and says in a high tone. "You could have been killed. You could have been devoured or worse...and we wouldn´t even know..." her eyes are white as the lightning bolts are playing in her fingers. In her eyes. "Why you did something so dumb?"

"I´m just a teenager...I´d dumb things too...is not only the adults" Kitty jokes and Ororo showing even a fraction of her powers are scary. Ororo hugging Kitty and crying is much worse.

"You could have been killed, Kitten. Do you hear me?"

"I´m so sorry, Ororo." Kitty only notices her own tears as her brown- and puffy eyes- are looking at Ororo´s blue eyes as her hand is cleaning her tears. Both women cry. Both women laugh and the watch arm is still halted.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Kitty saw new faces in the X-men. Betsy Braddock, for example, is a new face and name. And unlike the others never had the chance to form any solid opinion about Jean Grey- Gratitude for saving everyone´s lives is a given. But she doesn´t think Jean is a god nor the worst. Again, Betsy is really new here- and notices the presence of one indigo furry man.

"Kurt!" and she tackles him into a hugging. His fur is so soft like velvet. Kurt is surprised. Kurt is not breaking the hug. His tail wrapped around Kitty´s and his golden eyes lock to her brown eyes. "What happened, Katzchen?"

And she smiles in a lopsided way. "I´m owning to my dumb decision...yes, yes. You´re right...I can be a bit brash. Just a bit. A smidge" and Kurt shakes his head. "How are you, elf?"

"About the whole thing? Confused and grate and confused. Jean saved us...why?"

"Guess even Jean has good days" and she swallows louder and adds. "Elf, I´m here to tell you something...and I need you to be open mind here" and the said elf is listening to the impossible tale. "And now, I have magic..." she should have said she can say- she should. Yet, tales of what happened to those who have this power...no, better be vague now- "and I´ll go to a different school to learn how to use my power"

"I´d not believe in Zaorva. Sorry, Kitty. But, if you have now magic powers...it won´t change our friendship. I promise you...can you visit us?"

"Of course, you silly elf." She rests her head on his chest for a moment. "And you can visit me too. You´re my friend, maybe my best friend and I don´t want to lose you"

"And you won´t...I can promise you this"

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Jubilee is the one taking care of social media for the X-men and so far, she´s doing a great time. People seem to enjoy her posts and are sharing stories. Everyone has struggles-even if some struggles don´t involve flying or any other power- and she turns to see Kitty there.

"Hey, Kitty, what´s the long face?"

"I´m leaving the X-men...for now"

"Oh, is because of what I say about your clothes. Look, it doesn´t need to go to such extremes. You can fix bad taste in fashion" Kitty rolls her eyes at this phrase, in the end, let slide.

"No...I have something to tell"

"OH GOD, YOU´RE PREGNANT?!"

"WHAT? NO!"

And once the tale is finished. Jubilee has questions. "So, you´re no longer a mutant, but, a witch?"

"Jubilee, can you stop being American-Chinese?"

"Of course not"

"There´s your answer. I´m still a mutant. I´m still Kitty...I´m now a witch too, I guess"

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Scott is not taking Jean´s death so well. Yes, she cheats on him. Yes, she cheats with him, and all that adds his demoralization even more.  Kitty, in her past, never understood Scott Summers. Maybe, after all, she saw, she can say she understands a little bit.

"Scott?"

And Scott looks up to see Kitty. Scott remembers vividly how Jean hated Kitty for some reason and in an act of defiance greets her. "hello, Kitty"

"How are you dealing with all this?"

And Scott, if it was any other situation, wouldn´t rant to a child-in his eyes. Kitty is a child- but, Scott can´t help himself. "She cheats on me with Logan, then announced she and Logan are dating and then ends up in my bed...over and over. And I let her stay in my bed because I thought...she would come back to me...but, I never understood why I wanted her back"

Kitty could say how Jean used her powers on him- does she have proves?- but tries to say something else. "Are you thinking of doing something stupid? I did once and is not great...so, please, whatever is passing in your head...don´t do it"

"Speak by experience?"

"Pretty much"

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Rogue and Gambit are talking. Well, more like Gambit is flirting with Rogue and the Southern Bells is playing hard to get. However, as soon Rogue sees Kitty all the playfulness is gone. "You! What are you doing here?" and Rogue put herself in front of Gambit and Kitty-not that Kitty even has any interest to meet this new face- and Kitty can only sigh tiredly- she feels so old lately- and is ready to confront Rogue.

"I want this to stop. Look, I never stole Bobby from you" she won´t voice her suspicions about Bobby. "If he didn´t want to date you...it was his choice. Not mine. I didn´t do anything"

Rogue doesn´t look convinced. "Ah not buying. Ah know you are competing with me"

"Yeah, because it was good for my ego. Someone like you feeling threatening by me? That was good to my self-esteem" she jokes partially. "I meet God, Rogue, I meet God and I realize how stupid somethings are...I´m leaving the X-men now...to study magic" Rogue is shown a real WTF look. "and I want to leave this house without any hard feelings, ok?"

"Ahh, sure. Ah guess"

Remy pipes in. "Ah, you meet Zaorva. Bold call"

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Scarlet Witch is watching as the candles are lighting up on their one. One by one on their own time and terms. "I...think over and I´m ready to learn magic," Kitty said breaking the silence and Wanda watches as the last candle didn´t light up.

"Everything happens on its time"

#Switch au #Kurt Wagner #he doesn´t like magic but has an open mind ...for now #Kitty Pryde #Ororo Monroe #Jean Grey is based on Ultimate but less horrible and she did something noble here #Wanda the sensei #Rogue is confused #Remy knows the Outer Gods #Remy is chill with everything

[evak-elu-nicotino]

A Gio & Marti friendship fic - part I

Okay, so I needed to write a Gio & Marti fanfiction because their friendship is iconic, and I wanted to do something pre-canon.

I hope you’ll like it ! Please let me know what you think of it !

And I’ll never be grateful enough to my wonderful beta-reader, @unfinishedbusinessss. Thank you so much girl, you’re a gem, truly !

Thank you for reading !

Fandom : SKAM Italia

Relationships : Giovanni Garau & Martino Rametta

Words : 4646

Chapter : 1/? 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24143155/chapters/58132195

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I. My life is changing and I’m so lost

Martino Rametta just turned ten when his parents started fighting all the time. He was worried. Staying up quite late at night whenever he heard them screaming in the kitchen, oblivious to the fact that their own son had a whole day at a new school to worry about. Marti slipped through the door to his bedroom and stood in the hallway, eyes tearing up. He hated the fights between his parents. He hated hearing them screaming insults at each other. Fighting about stuff he knew nothing about, hearing words he couldn’t possibly understand. He was ten, for God’s sake. His parents were supposed to comfort him at night when he was having nightmares. Comfort him about changing schools right before junior high, not fight about a woman named Paola. He didn’t know anyone named Paola, and he had a feeling that this Paola wasn’t good news. Either for him, or for his parents.

Martino already heard the word divorce several times at this point in his life, in other discussions, other contexts. He knew what it meant, and he was scared. His dad meant everything to him, and his mom’s hugs were the best. Honestly, he couldn’t possibly comprehend how much a change this big in his life could mean. He laid in bed that night, eyes wide open, silently praying, even though he never believed in God. His parents never took him to church, even though he heard several times that they both grew up in religious families. But since his four grandparents died before he was born, he actually never entered a church in his life.

Elisabetta and Giancarlo Rametta were the only family he had, since neither of them had siblings, and neither did Martino. His parents were his whole world, and seeing them fight like that wasn’t reassuring at all. Martino wasn’t a confident child. Growing up, his parents told him all the right things: he was smart, beautiful, he could do whatever he wanted if he put his mind to it. Martino wasn’t lazy per se: he was just an almost-teenager who wanted nothing more than to play calcio with the kids in his neighborhood, whenever they invited him to join them. So for now, his mind was set on football, comic books, and reading. He was rather a quiet kid. Not really shy, but not really the type of kid you’d describe at exuberant and outgoing. He kept to himself, that’s all. He had a rather large imagination and could spend hours in his bedroom, sometimes drawing (rather badly, in his own words), sometimes just daydreaming, staring out the window. He grew up not having too many friends, and that was really fine with him. He honestly didn’t need a lot in his life, because he had the safety of a loving family and a few friends he could count on. That was more than enough to him.

Giovanni Garau was his best friend. They met on the first day of preschool, exchanged a few words, played football during recess, and that was that. They had been the closest friends could be ever since and honestly he couldn’t quite picture his life without Gio in it. And the fact that they managed to convince both set of parents to change schools a year before going to junior high was a fact he couldn’t possibly wrap his head around. Last year, Martino grew several inches. He got taller than any of the other kids in his class, but not really a classy kind of tall. He was the lanky kid that almost everyone started making fun of. And on top of that, Martino had brownish-red hair. Not the kind of in-your-face red hair, but still. He had freckles from a very early age, freckles that weren’t only on his face, but on his thighs, back, shoulders and neck as well. So yeah, being the tall, lanky redhead kid with freckles wasn’t exactly the most fun thing to live through.

As always though, Gio had his back. He was the one who talked to his parents and told them that Marti was having a tough time at school, kids making fun of him all the time, stealing his lunch, his homework, sometimes even his shoes whenever he was in PE class. At first, honestly Marti’s parents didn’t really take him seriously, but Marti, who was listening from the his own bedroom, door ajar, soon realized that his parents had his best interests at heart, and so did Gio. He talked to them for almost half an hour and when they finally said, “Okay Giovanni, I promise you we will think about it, thank you for telling us.” Martino almost couldn’t believe it. His best friend came back to his room, smiling like a madman. He looked so smug Marti almost wanted to smack his arm, but he was so grateful to him. He got up and hugged him hard. “Let me go Marti, you’re suffocating me,” Gio laughed, crinkled eyes and a smile tugging at his lips. “Seriously, if they say yes, I owe you big time. Those guys just...” Martino didn’t finish his sentence. Gio sat down on the bed and patted the sheet next to him. Marti sat on the bed, head hung low. “Hey, Martino, whatever happens, even if we don’t change schools, I’m always gonna be there for you, don’t you worry. I’ll be by your side day and night if need be. You should know that by now, nothing’s gonna stop me from protecting you.” He had such a serious look on his face. Marti had no other choice than to believe him. Thank God for Giovanni Garau.

II. Being a teenager : where’s the handbook ?

On his twelfth birthday, Martino wakes up to the smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen, and his mother bustling around, moving pots and pans from one side to another. He enters the room yawning, scratching his hair which sticks in every direction. His mom smiles up at him, and kisses him fondly on the cheek. “Happy birthday honey, I hope you’re gonna have an amazing day! Auguri!” He smiles up at her. The divorce didn’t go smoothly, but his dad behaved like a complete jackass. Martino is a little mad at him, to be honest. And most days, his mother is crying in her bedroom and the worst thing is: he can hear her, and there’s nothing he can do about it. So he huddles up into his bedsheets pulling up the blanket above his head, putting his earphones on, and falls asleep listening to some random songs. Being twelve isn’t exactly easy for Martino. Gio is starting to really show interest in girls and Martino just isn’t interested. He really can’t see the point of them: long hair, frilly clothes and pink shoes, sometimes lip gloss or even worse, lipstick. But he sees Gio’s gaze lighting up whenever he sees one, trying to chat them up, strike up a conversation, manage to get a laugh or two out of them. Just being his charming self, and sure, having baby blue eyes doesn’t hurt.

The girls, to be fair, seem quite interested to Martino as well. One or two of them actually talked to him once or twice and Marti’s gotta admit, he kinda understands what Gio sees in them. Some of them are pretty. But at the end of the day, Martino’s better off reading or listening to music. Or better yet, talking to Gio for hours and hours on end. He doesn’t mind that his best friend doesn’t have a girlfriend, to be honest, because when he will, he just knows that everything will be different. He’s not ready yet for their friendship to change. So he clings on to Gio like he’s his rock, which he kinda is.

One morning, Martino’s waiting for his best friend in front of his house, checking his watch every now and then. He frowns upon seeing that it’s already past 8:30 and Gio’s nowhere in sight. He knocks on the door, only to have his mom tell him that he already left for school. And then she adds, with a smile tugging at her lips, the sentence that’s gonna make Marti sad for the whole day. “He was with a brunette. I think her name is Laura, or something like that. Didn’t he tell you?” Marti smiles, nods, and wishes Mamma Garau a good day, before turning on his heel, on the verge of tears. How could Gio have stood him up like that? And more importantly, what was he doing with that girl from their class... Laura? He shows up at school, puts down his bag next to his chair, anger boiling inside of him. He bites the inside of his cheek as the teacher gets up in front of the class and starts the lesson of the day. Ignoring Gio’s repeated whispers to his right, Martino tries to concentrate on whatever la Prof. Marca is saying. But for whatever reason, his ears are ringing, and his cheeks are flush. His hands are somewhat shaking and he knows he has a right to be angry at his best friend for standing him up for some girl he barely knows. Although, deep down inside, Martino has a feeling this isn’t the typical reaction you have when a close friend of the same gender gets a crush on a girl. His stomach drops a little, and he shakes his head, trying to think about something else. Anything else but the fact that the feeling he recognizes in his gut is called... Jealousy. Martino wakes in the middle of the night, drenched in his own sweat, and he frowns, disgusted by his own smell. He gets up, changes pajamas, puts on deodorant, and even takes the time to actually change his sheets. He focuses on the tasks, meticulously. His brain is reeling, heart beating so fast he was actually scared of having a panic attack. He has to forget the dream he just had, nothing makes sense. He goes into the bathroom, glances up at the clock. 4:17AM. And he has a big English test tomorrow. He needs to get some sleep before heading to school, or his mother will let him know how she’s furious with him for getting a bad grade. A grade he knows he’ll get if he doesn’t go back to sleep as soon as possible.

He turns off the lights and lies in his bed, eyes wide open, willing sleep to just come and take him peacefully. Half an hour later, Martino’s brain gone to places he just hates so much. He’s in the middle crisis of self-loathing, when he can’t take it anymore. He gets up, and slips into the bathroom, taking a glass of water, trying to think about something else. Honestly, anything else would be better than this torture.

Marti knows that generally speaking, teenage years are the toughest to get through. Sometimes identity and sexuality crisis can happen. It can be the time of your life when you start to figure out... stuff. But he really can’t wrap his head around the fact that he just had this dream. A dream that makes him recoil every time he thinks about it. God, what did he do in a previous life to deserve such a karma... Honestly?! At 6:30AM, when he finally gives up and decides that he won’t get back to sleep before his alarm goes off, he gets up again and prepares himself some breakfast. He’s in the middle of his second piece of toast when he hears his mom gets up as well. She enters the kitchen and makes a beeline for the coffee machine. Marti would gladly do the same, if only he was allowed to drink coffee. His mom has decided that twelve years old isn’t old enough and that it could mess with his still developing brain and body. She looks over to her son, smiles, then notices the dark circles under his eyes. She puts down her coffee mug and sits across from him, worry written all over her face. “Everything alright honey? You look like you haven’t slept at all...” Martino sighs, and runs a hand over his own face. “No Mamma, don’t worry, I just had a...nightmare, and woke up drenched in sweat. Couldn’t go back to sleep afterwards. Nothing to worry about.” His mom looks worried though. He tries to smile reassuringly, but fails miserably. He’s not really feeling up to going to school today, but he really doesn’t have a choice.

He puts his brave face on, gets up, brushes his teeth, puts on his favorite shirt, and grabs his backpack before giving his mom a kiss on the cheek. “Bye Mamma, have a good day, and please stop worrying. Okay?” She bites her lip, and Marti smiles at her. “Hey don’t worry, I’ll sleep better tonight, that’s all! Nothing to worry about! It’s not the end of the world. Stop worrying and go to work, you’re gonna be late,” he says, before closing the door of their flat behind him. He takes a deep breath and exhales shakily, eyes closed. No time to dwell on his dream from last night, which is still in the back of his mind.

Goddammit, this day is gonna be a long one.

III. Don’t ask me that

Martino’s fourteenth birthday was celebrated a few weeks ago, when his mother drops the topic he certainly didn’t expect in the middle of his carbonara pasta. He made it from scratch, since his mom lost her interest for anything cooking related a few months after his dad left. Martino’s actually quite good at it and his carbonara tastes amazing. He’s enjoying it, when he hears Mamma Rametta clearing her throat, which is NEVER a good sign. Generally it means that she’s getting ready to talk about a delicate subject. He lifts an eyebrow, curious as to what topic she wants to discuss. “Martino, you know, fourteen is an important age. What I mean by that, is that a lot of young people nowadays...” She interrupts herself, clearly not at ease discussing the subject. Marti looks like a deer in headlights; he’s frozen in his seat. He takes a deep breath and braces himself for what’s about to come at him. “You need to protect yourself, honey,” his mom finally says, and he groans from embarrassment. “Mom, please, can we PLEASE not have this discussion?! I beg you!” he says through gritted teeth, closing his eyes. God, this is the worst time to talk about this. He’s already dealing with the million disturbing thoughts he’s having about...well, girls, and the fact that apparently they’re just not that appealing to him. He’s afraid to dwell on that thought, so he just buries himself into drawing and reading. That’s a good enough solution to his problem for now. It works... for now, at least. She shakes her head, the wrinkles around her eyes crease a little more. She looks serious now. “Martino, girls and boys your age are generally very... enthusiastic and go quite far sometimes...without using condoms, or any idea of what they’re doing. So I want you to be prepared, and to never do something you’re not ready for.” “Oh my God Mamma, really? Are we really having this conversation now, in the middle of dinner? Dinner that I made from scratch?” “Martino, come on. You’re not giving me much to go on here.” “No, because I don’t want to! This is my private life you’re hinting at and I’m not discussing it with you.” He pushes back his plate on the table, and inhales deeply. No need to get worked up over this kind of conversation, he thinks to himself, she’s just looking out for him. He knows that, deep down, but he really doesn’t want to think about it. Any of it. Girls, sex, nothing. It’s not like he has a girlfriend anyway. Gio is much more advanced in that area, he noticed. He has had a girlfriend for a few months now, that brunette, Laura. Sure, she’s nice enough, pretty and funny, but what is it with girls exactly? He just can’t see what the big deal is, honestly!

In front of him, Elisabetta Rametta lifts an eyebrow, and just smiles at him, before putting her hand on his. “Is there anyone you like at school?” Martino gets up so fast his head starts to spin a little. He would run away from the kitchen, but the flat is not that big and he has nowhere else to go. “Please stop Mamma, te l’ho già detto, I already told you, I’m not discussing it with you.” She smiles knowingly, and it annoys the crap out of him. “Oh so you like someone, don’t you?” That’s it. He’s had enough of this nonsense. He storms out of the kitchen, leaving dishes, plates, glasses, cutlery, everything on the table, and just stomps into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Thank God his dad actually put a lock on his door, so he’s able to just put his headphones on and ignore his mom trying to talk some sense into him through the door. He puts on music, volume up, and just lays on his bed, eyes shut. God, he wishes he could be anywhere else right now.

IV. Crumbling down

Martino’s fifteen and he’s struggling like hell. Gio’s drifting further and further from him with every day that passes. He’s madly in love with Laura and Marti hates it with every fiber of his being. Terrified to uncover what it could possibly mean, he spends most of his time daydreaming. He avoids his best friend at all costs, which isn’t really hard. Laura and Gio spend all their time together anyway. They seem to be kissing every time Martino looks at them, and it makes him want to throw up so bad. At home, Martino’s mom dropped the subject of sex, and he is relieved to no end. He found a pack of condoms on his bedside table one day after school, with a note folded and taped to it. He opened it to find a somewhat endearing speech from Mamma Rametta, saying how much she understands that talking about it can be difficult, but that she’s here if he needs to talk. And that in the meantime, he needs to look after himself and to use condoms if he wants to have sex with someone. Marti sits on his bed, staring at the piece of paper, puzzled. He notices how his mom didn’t use the term girlfriend or girl, in her note. He might be reading too much into it, but the weight in his chest lifts a little.

Truth is, Martino Rametta has the biggest problem of all time. Last month, he stumbled upon an article which made his breath catch in his chest, and his heart skip a beat. His mom left a newspaper on the table, right before heading to work. It was Saturday, 13th of March. He remembers the date oh so clearly. His eyes fixed on the bold letters of the title: “Italians progressively changing their mind on same-sex marriage: a change incoming?” To his horror, Martino felt tears well up in his eyes, and he closed the paper forcefully. He hated this stupid newspaper, hated Italians, hated himself. He didn’t want to deal with it, with any of it. He just wanted his life to stay the same. He wanted to have a girlfriend, to be straight, to be normal. He wanted to fade into the crowd, not stand out because he was different than his classmates. He didn’t want to really address that question, the one that had been buried in the back of his mind for several months now. It all started in the locker room. They were on their way out of the PE class. Marti sat down on the bench, still catching his breath from all extra running laps they had to do. Only Gio and himself, just because Boccia decided that they were talking too much during class. Everyone had already left, of course By the time they reached the changing room, Gio scoffed dramatically, “Boccia is really a stronzo, making us run all these extra laps! Seriously, who the fuck does he think he is?” Marti chuckled. “The gym teacher, maybe?” he jokes lightly, removing his socks before they get all wet. The floor is disgusting as fuck. The other guys probably got out of the showers still dripping wet. They made a mess and didn’t bother to clean up after themselves. Marti gets up from the bench and his foot starts slipping. He screams, arms waggling, trying to steady himself, but to no avail. An arm slips around his middle, and puts him upright. Martino blushes a deep red when he realizes that Gio is squeezed against him, torso against his back, thighs against thighs, his warm hand right above his boxers. He can feel him everywhere and it’s too much, all off a sudden. Fuck fuck fuck!

“Thanks mate,” he mutters under his breath. He curses internally, almost runs to the showers, eager to drop his boiling thoughts under the water. “Everything okay Marti?” he hears Gio’s voice behind him before he steps into the shower stall. He closes his eyes, back to him. “Yeah,” he croaks, “almost fell and can’t seem to catch my breath! Talk about being in bad shape,” he laughs, trying to drown his shame and guilt. Stepping under the water and cries silently under the shower. He knows he’s known for quite some time now. He just knows that he’s attracted to guys. He just knows. The way he ignore girls and focuses on boys isn’t just a phase. Tries so hard to feel something for girls. Tries to get excited at the prospect of spending some time alone with one of them. But no matter how hard he tries, it’s still not working. Nobody has touched him before Gio. It’s not even a romantic gesture. Gio just caught him before he fell face first on the changing room floor, which could be a metaphor for his whole life, at this point. Gio is being an amazing best friend and Marti’s here, thinking about him that way. He can’t do this. He has no right to. He has no right to imagine Gio in his arms, in his bed, trying to kiss him senseless. Oh, he definitely can’t go there while showering next to his best friend. Naked best friend, his brain not so helpfully supplies. He groans into the crook of his elbow and closes his eyes again. He has to do something, anything, to try and prevent this from happening. He can’t be gay, right?

V. Please send help.

Martino is sitting on his couch, frowning at his biology textbook. His brain hurts, his legs hurt because he played calcio for several hours with the neighbors. His heart hurts because he now has a huge crush on his best friend, and everything sucks, really. Plus, he really hates biology. And he needs help. He grabs his phone, texts Gio, and drops his textbook next to him before closing his eyes. The flat is quiet, his mom has picked up a few extra hours at work and Martino’s grateful for the time he can spend alone. He needs it more than ever these days. His behavior has changed, slowly. He’s falling into patterns he hates, like lying about anything and everything. He’s hiding and he hates it, but for now that’s all he can do, really. Self-loathing has become his best friend; sadly replacing Gio. Gio who is supportive as ever, being the best friend Martino doesn’t deserve. Every time Marti shows up late at school, Gio is at the entrance, waiting for him with a smile tugging at his lips, as if nothing has changed. As if Martino doesn’t blush whenever he thinks about Giovanni. As if he doesn’t want to kiss his best friend as long as he can. As if Martino isn’t betraying their friendship. Marti sighs again, and picks up his phone. A text from Gio. He freezes when he reads it. “I’m on my way, I need to talk to you.” Martino closes his eyes and fights through a panic attack. 

Gio knows, he knows. 

He’s coming here to yell at him, to insult him, to call him names and to ask him to never talk to him again. Oh God, this is the end, Marti thinks, full-on panicking now. He gets up, wants to scream into a pillow, wants to run away from here. He wants to hide and die in a corner, where no one can find him. He doesn’t deserve a friend like Giovanni Garau, and now Gio knows it too. Marti cries into his own shirt, because he doesn’t know what else to do. He hates himself with a passion, and he wishes he could vanish into thin air. A knock on the door, and before Martino can even answer, Gio opens it and finds his best friend sobbing on the couch. “Hey, Marti,” he runs towards the redhead, who’s crying like a child. “Please, don’t hate me,” he says, swallowing his guilt and grief. “Please, don’t leave me.” Gio flops down on the couch next to him and hugs him without saying anything. What the hell happened to his best friend? Who made him this miserable? “Martino, talk to me. You can’t go on like this, you have to talk to someone, or else you’re gonna have a breakdown. I’m here, I’m your best friend, talk to me mate!” Gio whispers against his best friend’s shoulder. “I think I have a problem,”Marti whispered back, eyes still closed, trying to calm down. He doesn’t want to talk about it, not really, but he feels like he doesn’t have a choice. It’s either this or he’s gonna end up crazy.

Life sucks right now, and maybe he shouldn’t do this, maybe he should keep to himself, but the words fall out of his lips before he can even help it. “Gio... I think I don’t like girls.” A beat. Marti looks up at his best friend, who’s still snuggled up against him, body entirely turned towards him, and he can feel him smile against his shoulder. “Okay,” Gio says slowly, his eyes sincere, and full of affection. “Why do you say you have a problem then?” Martino feels tears welling up, and he swallows against the lump in his throat. A weight is lifted off his chest, and he feels like he can breathe again. “Gio, come on. You know as well as I do that it’s gonna be painful. And hard. And people are gonna hate me. And call me names.” Before he can even finish his sentence, Giovanni stands up, looking angry. “Like hell they will, Marti! Do you think I won’t be there for you? Do you think I’d leave you once I knew that you were gay?” Marti recoils. He hates that word. It embodies hate and fear, and he’s scared of it, more than he’s willing to admit. “Don’t say that,” Gio says, softly. He flops back down on the couch next to Martino, and grabs his shoulder. “Don’t think for a second there that I’m gonna leave you alone to fight this through. What kind of a friend do you think I am?” Marti smiles through his tears. He’s exhausted, all of a sudden. Coming out for the first time of his life, to Giovanni Garau, his best friend, was definitely the right choice.

#skam #skam remakes #skam italia #friendship #friendship fic #my fic #fanfiction #fanfic #skam italia fanfiction #martino rametta #giovanni garau #marti & gio #bromance #mamma rametta #part one

[phonaesthemes]

a list of asks

@padawanyugi tagged me in this, but Tumblr decided to eat any notification that I got tagged, so I’m glad I saw it on my dash because I like filling these things out. Thanks for tagging me! I may have typed A Lot.

Favorites: What types of books do you enjoy? Tell about what you’ve read recently (Or maybe about a book you hated recently!)I like spec-fic and sci-fi, although less “hard” science fiction, and I also enjoy fantasy. I read a lot of YA even though I’m in my 30s just because it seems easy to find a story I want to read and I’m not usually in the mood for dense prose.

I’ve been rereading the Wheel of Time series since it’s getting an Amazon TV show; it was my first non-LOTR fantasy series and I love it to death, warts and all, although I love joking about the weak points with other people who’ve read it. I think the last other thing I read was A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, which was a queer YA historical fiction, and it was a lot of fun. I wish I’d had access to all these queer stories when I was an actual teenager, but better late than never.

What types of music do you like to listen to? Share five songs from your music library. I really do like a bit of everything, although I gravitate towards certain genres more often depending on the season or time of day, so I’m going to cheat and pick 5 per season. Summer for me is lots of peppy pop (pride playlists!), punk and rock and punk-adjacent stuff, just upbeat stuff in general. -Weekender, by The Royal They -Break My Heart, by Dua Lipa -Toutes les femmes savent danser, by Loud -Ruby Soho, by Rancid -Womanarchist, by Bad Cop, Bad Cop

In the fall, my inner goth kid craves darkwave, goth rock, dramatic folk, roots rock, and also anything that reminds me of Halloween. -Iuka, by the Secret Sisters -Bela Lugosi’s Dead, by Bauhaus -How’s It Gonna End, by Tom Waits -Under the Milky Way, by The Church -I Put a Spell on You, by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins I could go on about the Christmas music I like at length (Boney M’s Christmas album slaps, ngl) but I’ll just skip that and say that I listen to more classical and piano pieces in the winter. I’m terrible at remembering names, so artists only: -Ludovico Einaudi -Chopin -Debussy -Saint-Saëns -Dvořák And in spring I’m usually just depressed af and listen to whatever. -FML, by K.Flay -Weird Part of the Night, by Louis Cole -Juodaan Viinaa, by Korpiklaani -P.O.H.U.I., by Carla’s Dreams -Marryuna, by Baker Boy

Do you have a show or movie that you can just put on anytime and it’s your comfort? Definitely Star Trek. I’ve rewatched the various iterations (except TOS) so many times. Also Mean Girls and Bring It On, idk why.

Do you have a favorite dessert? Tiramisu or creme brulée! Or macarons. I don’t eat dessert really unless I’m at a restaurant.

Do you have a favorite cold drink? Sparkling water, hands down.

Do you have a favorite game? The hours I have put into the SIms in my lifetime is probably shameful, although I haven’t played in a while. Don’t Starve is another contender for hours played, but I am also really fond everything by Amanita Design

Do you have a favorite part of your self care/beauty/health routine? I haven’t been doing it much lately since I’ve been dealing with some uncertain health issues with my joints (actually have a rheumatologist appointment later today), but savasana after a long yoga workout is borderline ecstasy.

Do you have a favorite type of take-out food? Indian for sure.

What’s your favorite type of exercise/physical activity? I have a love-hate relationship with running. I don’t actually love it but I love how I feel after. I really enjoy yoga. I love playing in the water at the beach, bodyboarding and swimming.

Pick between: (you choose the context)

Cook or bake? (I love cooking A Lot)

Space or ocean? (Hard to pick, but I grew up by the ocean and it’s 100% my happy place)

Chocolate or vanilla?

City or suburb or rural? (I grew up in an isolated rural village and I miss the quiet and the slower pace of life, but I do not miss the lack of amenities and opportunities, or the smalltown gossip. I also don’t drive bc of epilepsy, so I’m fucked as far as transport in rural settings.)

Past or future?

Shower in the morning or evening?

Mac/Apple or PC/Android? (Linux in general!)

Sing or dance?  (I don’t have an amazing voice but I can carry a tune without it being painful, and I love singing along with songs.)

Get up early or sleep in? (I actually love sleeping in but with two kids, early morning is my only time to myself, so I wake up before 6 most days AGGH.)

Shoes, socks, or bare feet? (Hate socks. I’m barefoot at home all year round.)

Marker, crayon, or pencil? Pen!

Tea, coffee, or hot chocolate? (Coffee in the morning, tea later on.)

Random questions:

Have you ever had any pets? (Had dogs and a cat as a kid, and as an adult I’ve had betta fish and cats, and I have a cat currently.)

What is your academic background/job field? I did my undergrad in linguistics, and I am currently a stay-at-home dad lol. I do freelance editing and transcription on the side. I don’t think I’ll ever work in my field bc I really don’t have the energy to go to grad school.

What’s something random that you’re into (even if you aren’t good at it)? I signed up for a Cape Breton step dancing class in university and I loved it.

Are you good at putting away your clean laundry right away? It depends on the day, but generally yes. Mine and everyone else’s. When I lived alone? Absolutely not.

What’s one of your pet peeves? Someone trying to have a conversation with me when they have the radio or TV on. I can’t follow what you’re saying if someone else is speaking! I hate having that stuff on as background noise in general.

What’s something you’re pretty good at? I’m a great cook.

What’s the most recent nice thing you bought for yourself? A new conditioner ig? lol

Can you sew? I can mend a small tear or sew on a button, but it’s been years since I did more than that.

What’s a chore you hate (or a chore you enjoy)? I hate vacuuming so much. So much. Maybe if I had a better vaccuum cleaner I wouldn’t mind it, but I just feel like I’m fighting with the stupid thing, getting caught up on its own cords, caught on furniture, can’t quiiiite reach a spot... HATE IT. I like shoveling snow sometimes, though.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself. I am 20 years older than my youngest sibling, and five minutes younger than my “oldest” sibling.

Never have I ever... Gone fishing, even though I’m from a fishing community.

What extracurriculars did/do you do in school? In high school, I played trumpet in band until the band got dissolved from lack of funding. I played soccer one year, was in a play another year. We had an art club for like a semester that I was in. In university the first time round, I did step dancing and intramural hide and seek  Second time around, I was in the linguistics club to help with assignments. (We were very much encouraged to work in pairs or groups for a lot of different classes. The only thing was that you did need to list your group members on the assignment so the prof knew who you worked with. My first morphology class in particular, we had a whole homework club where a huge portion of the class got together to work through assignments and help each other understand, and the prof would quite often show up. </tangent>

Deeper questions:

How’s your quarantine/last few months been? The cabin fever was really bad before the weather warmed up. I struggle with seasonal depression every spring, and it’s gotten much worse since we moved to Edmonton because of how long the winters are. (Snow from September to May/June? Fucccck.) It’s frankly horrifying to look at what’s going on in the US, but even though we have far fewer cases here, I’m really anxious that we’ll see another wave soon. Otherwise, I think I’ve adjusted. Home-schooling, hand-sanitizing, social distancing, masks...All feels kind of normal now, which should maybe concern me.

What do you think of human nature/society/etc.? I am like the least philosophical person you will meet so I don’t think I really have many thoughts.

What’s something you are insecure about? Writing my L2 if a native speaker is gonna read it.

What do you think is the meaning of life/reason that humans exist in the universe? I don’t think there is one, and that doesn’t bother me.

Do you think you’re better (whatever that means to you) than you used to be? Definitely. My adolescence and early adulthood was rough. I was dealing with a lot of trauma, untreated bipolar disorder, and I self-harmed for a very long time. I could not imagine making it to 30, let alone being stable and happy. I actively avoided thinking about the future because it made me spiral. But I was lucky enough to get help, consistent help from a doctor I clicked with, and it made a world of difference. I think younger me would be disappointed at how mundane my life is, but I’m thrilled to be boring because boring means no life-upending mood episodes. I have a happy partnership and two delightful kids and I couldn’t ask for more.

What are your thoughts on religion? I’m not religious and my own experience being raised in the Catholic church was frankly traumatic, but I know that it’s a source of comfort and community for many others and I think that’s awesome for them.

Do you think that there are aliens out there? I think so, although I think that we may not even know what other kinds of life to look for and may not recognize it even if we find it.

What’s something that’s been on your mind recently? We’re moving cross-country in less than a month (driving, no less, nearly 5000 km) and I still have so much to do to get ready aosjdoajdoasijdoaijsd

#personal #long post #in which i ramble about myself a great deal #@padawanyugi