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issytheamateurnerd · 13 days

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Hi Issy! For your Madeleine Timeline:

What was Madeleine up to during the Ambrose Island mission?

Thanks for the ask Mythy! I hope you enjoy this! Big thanks to @cajunandfire for helping me with this one!

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Madeleine had a talent for finding places to hide. They were places where she could read or enjoy a nice view with no one ever knowing she was there.

This time she’d found a cozy spot under a balcony, behind the large electricity generator. Perfectly out of sight if someone were to pass by, yet still overlooking the vast Andaman Sea, with it's warm, salty breeze washing over her.

For security reasons, she was not allowed to interact with any of the ship’s crew. They couldn't know she was on the ship at all. However, staying in the dark quarters for an extended period of time made her nauseous.

She did feel a bit guilty for needing so much time to herself. It was overwhelming dealing with everything going on in the ship. The cramped space, planning for her father to infiltrate the Ark Society, and now having to take a detour to eliminate one of Grey’s ex-operatives. She was constantly retreating to her room or her hiding places to wind down.

Perhaps after years of living with her parents, she found it hard to fully trust her uncle. She was never really around other adults for so long, and they especially never knew her real name and identity, it felt like she was doing something wrong just by speaking to him.

Madeleine let out a silent sigh, allowing herself to melt into her book with the hum of the generator serving as white noise. She had found a way to avoid the arguing and stressful planning occuring within the ship's walls.

Perhaps this was her talent, finding peace among chaos.

That was until the slow hum of the generator abruptly stopped.

It hadn't been turned off manually, no one except her was anywhere near it, likely a malfunction.

After a few minutes, she could feel footsteps hurriedly approaching, it was Lucas's assistant, Ms. Hall.

She had barely seen Olivia, let alone spoken to her, after they met in Berlin. She spent almost all of her time with her computers, and Madeleine wondered how she wasn't horribly seasick.

Olivia mumbled angrily as she stomped over to the generator. Madeleine stayed quiet and watched her pull the cord in an attempt to restart it. When that didn't work she reverted to kicking it while swearing under her breath. Olivia hadn't noticed Madeleine sitting in the corner, and part of her didn't want her to notice. She had no clue what to say, so she said nothing.

The angry woman knelt down and pulled the generator’s panel open. She was less than four feet away from Madeleine, and yet as far as she could tell, still hadn't noticed her. Madeleine stayed completely frozen, wanting to see how long she could remain unnoticed.

Olivia dug around in the generator for a moment before ripping out the battery. After a quick examination, she tossed it aside.

“Hey, kid,” she barked, “hand me that battery behind you, this one's busted.”

Madeleine jumped and embarrassingly looked away. How long had she known she was there? Had she been trying to avoid her as well?

“The battery, behind you.” She repeated with frustration.

“Right, sorry.” Madeleine quickly tossed a bookmark in her book and grabbed the battery. It was heavier than she expected but she still passed it to Olivia.

“Thanks.” She grumbled.

She impatiently attempted to shove the battery in, but grew more agitated when it wouldn't fit properly.

“Ugh, come on! I don't have time for this.”

Madeleine stood, book still in hand, and peeked over at Olivia's attempted handywork.

“Fit! You stupid son of a-”

“You're putting it in backwards.” Madeleine commented.

“What?” Olivia turned to face her.

“The battery’s facing the wrong way.”

Olivia looked back and examined the battery. She was, in fact, trying to put it in backwards. With a soft blush of embarrassment, she rotated it. It fit perfectly with a satisfying “click.”

“Uh…thanks.” She mumbled, pulling herself up.

With a few pulls of the cord, the generator began slowly humming again.

“Maybe I have been working too hard,” Olivia sighed, “you’ve got the right idea, hiding away out here, it's nice.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” She replies somewhat awkwardly.

“What are you reading?” Olivia asked, glancing at the book in Madeleine’s hand.

“Oh, 1984 by George Orwell. It's kind of a comfort book for me.”

Olivia looked at her with a puzzled expression, “That's an… odd choice for a comfort book.”

“Well, I don't find the subjects comforting, but it's a story for me to get completely invested in. I think that's why I enjoy darker stories.”

Olivia shrugged, “Yeah I guess that makes sense.”

There was a short moment of silence between them, when Olivia suddenly said. “I could use a cup of coffee, do you wanna get something to drink?”

Madeleine was stunned for a minute. The two of them had barely looked at each other for the past few weeks and now she was offering to go hang out? She wasn't sure how to respond at first, but Olivia seemed genuine. What could it hurt?

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

Olivia turned and left with Madeleine close behind her. The kitchen was just down the hall from where they were, so the walk was short.

“Do you like those Cassandra Snow novels? I feel like everyone's been talking about those for years.” Olivia asked.

“Ugh, not at all,” Madeleine replied disgustedly, “Dad had to read those for an assignment once but I could barely make it halfway through the first one.”

“What kind of assignment was that? How does reading a crappy book series help kill someone?” Olivia chuckled.

“You'd be surprised what comes in handy.” Madeleine replied vaguely. “One time he had to dress up as a clown.”

“Oh, I also know about that flamingo costume 47 wore back in Miami. I wouldn't have guessed that robot could be so amusing.”

Olivia huffed in laughter but Madeleine was silent. She avoided eye contact with Olivia even when they got to the kitchen. Madeleine sat by the counter while Olivia dug around in the pantry.

“Do you want some coffee?” She asked. Madeleine kept her eyes fixed on the counter and didn't respond .

“Hey,” Olivia snapped her fingers to get her attention.

“Don't….call him that.”

“Huh?”

“My dad, don't call him that.”

Olivia looked surprised, “Call him what? What are you talking about?”

Madeleine replied with a slightly more agitated time, “You know, a robot. You talk like he's some kind of machine.”

Olivia bit her lip, “Look, I don't mean anything by it he's just…”

“Just what?”

“Oh come on, you know what I mean…emotionless.”

Madeleine crossed her arms, “It's not that he doesn't feel emotion, he just expresses it differently. He's still human.”

Olivia sighed and leaned against the pantry door, “Yeah, you're probably right. He's just so damn intimidating. Having him as a father must be terrifying, right? Hell, I bumped into him in the hallway and he looked like he wanted me dead.”

Madeleine’s posture relaxed, “Well, don't take it personally. He's like that with most people, but he's actually really sweet once you gain his trust. It’s just hard for him to open up to others, he never really trusted anyone other than my mom and I before you and Uncle Lucas showed up.”

“I guess I can understand that.” Olivia turned back to the cabinet and pulled a jar of coffee grounds out.

She prepared some water and started spooning the grounds into the coffee machine. “You never answered my question, do you want some coffee?”

“No thanks, I can make myself some tea.”

Madeleine moved to get up but Olivia dismissively waved her hand. “I can get it. We only have peppermint and lemon, what do you want?”

“Peppermint, please.”

She nodded and turned on the coffee maker. The kettle hand been left out from that morning, so Olivia filled it with water and put it on the stove.

“You know,” Madeleine began, “I could say something similar about Lucas.”

Olivia leaned on the counter. “In what way?” She asked.

“I just feel like he hates me. He's never rude or anything but the way he talks to me, or doesn't talk to me I should say, feels very dismissive. Although, I guess…I don't blame him for wishing I wasn't here.” Madeleine looked down at her hands.

Olivia sighed, “You definitely shouldn't take that personally. It's not that he hates you, he just…doesn't know how to except you, I guess.”

Madeleine raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“Well, think of it this way: Grey spent decades hunting Providence and tracking his long lost brother. The entire time he assumed his brother was alone, working for the ICA against his will, and killing to survive. Come to find out he's actually got a stable job, a girlfriend, and you. It's just jarring for him.”

This gave Madeleine a lot to think about. “I never considered that way. He must feel like such an outsider.”

Olivia smiled, “Give him time, he'll come around. Just know, he really does care about you. I can tell.”

A soft smile crept across Madeleine's face. Before she could say anything, the kettle whistled loudly at the same time that the coffee pot filled. Olivia turned of both appliances and poured the drinks into two mugs.

“I never liked tea that much.” Olivia commented. Even the caffeinated ones don't wake me up. It's kind of just bitter and boring.”

“Don't let my mom hear you say that. Tea is how we all relax after a long day.” she replied with a chuckle.

Olivia smirked, “Oh, right, the whole ‘British-tea-thing.’ I wouldn't want to get myself involved in all that.”

For the first time in weeks, Madeleine laughed. Suddenly she realized something. She was enjoying Ms. Hall’s company. Conversation came naturally between the two of them, and she found herself wanting to hang out with her more. It left a warm feeling in her stomach at the thought of them actually becoming friends.

Olivia handed her the mug of tea, “Here you are, your royal highness.” She said in an exaggerated British accent.

Madeleine laughed again, “Thank you, Ms. Hall.”

Olivia sat down beside her, taking a long sip from her coffee. “Please, my friends call me ‘Liv.”

Madeleine took a sip from her tea, a warmth filling her chest.

“Thanks, ‘Liv.”

#hitman #hitman fandom #hitman fanfiction #Madeleine Burnwood #Olivia Hall

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cryo-lily · 1 year

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Theron [Looks up from a datapad toward RE-M1]: Hey Rem, Have you seen Issie? I have a report she needs to see.

RE-M1 [Happy beeps]: I think so! Last I saw this way.

[Theron gets led down a mostly abandoned hallway, RE-M1 stops near a specific door]

Theron [Pauses briefly and squints suspiciously at the muffled un-identifiable sounds beyond the door before knocking]: Uh... Is?

[Loud crashing & scrambling noises followed by a loud thud before the door slides open as Isadola steps out from a dark room]

Isadola [Out of breath, clearly disheveled. Hair down, mask loosely put on & crooked, no gloves or bracers, jacket with only one sleeve on, tube top pulled dangerously low, missing belt & only one boot on, lipstick markings trailing down her neck & beyond]: THERON! uh... Hi... What’s up? [Pauses to catch breath] Did something happen? Wait... Did Taskar piss off Hylo again or something?

Theron [Grimaces as he takes a step back]: Something like that... Listen it can probably wait...

Isadola: No, what is it? I can-

[Isadola gets pulled back in to the room by an unseen force swiftly before the door slams shuts and locks]

Theron [Turns back toward the small scout droid now emitting laughter like beeps as he begins to walk away]: You knew they were in there didn’t you?

RE-M1 [Indignant beeps]: I did not, how dare you even assume such?

Theron [Looking at the small droid now riding on his shoulder]: You’re a terrible liar for a supposedly sentient droid.

RE-M1 [More indignant beeps]: Don’t be such a sourpuss... Well If you’re feeling lonely I can holo your partn-

Theron [Pinches the bridge of his nose]: Please don’t... They are- You’re the worst you know that?

RE-M1: [More beep like laughter]

#swtor #swtor oc #oc: Isadola Ardeen #theron shan #lana beniko #REM1 is a little shit of droid and I love him #I have no shame posting this #I'm in a mood today #Theron having the worst timing when trying to talk to Issie & Lana will never not be a funny running gag #Left Theron's SO mention open to interpretation for extra lulz #Also yes Taskar the smuggler is the bane of Hylo's career in the Alliance #friend's oc mention #Oc: Taskar Tendoora #That impatient feeling when your bottom insists on answering a knock at the door

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lynnbeth5172 · 8 months

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Blood’s In The Wine

Aemond Targaryen/Daenerys Stormborn

Daenerys Targaryen died in the arms of the man she thought she loved whilst being branded “The -Mad Queen”…or did she?

—————————————————————————

I’ve officially lost my mind and I have no excuses, I’m so nervous since even though this isn’t my first fic I’ve ever written. It’s the first I’ve published here on Tumblr.

I’m new to publishing here so if I do anything wrong I’m so so sorry.

—————————————————————————-

Daenerys felt confused as Jon lowered her to the floor, her breath came out ragged as she felt something trickle down from her mouth and nose.

It took a moment to realize that she had been stabbed. By the time she realized that; her mind already felt dizzy and everything went black.

She felt nothing…only a small sting where the stab was.

Was this how her brothers and parents felt when they died?

Would she join her family? Her mad father and her poor mother? Perhaps she’d meet her niece and nephew. Maybe even her brother Rhaegar and his wife Elia.

Or maybe her sons, Rhaego, Viserion and Rhaegal. That brought tears to her eyes.

Maybe death won’t be the worst thing for her…the mad queen.

That name wanted to make her laugh at the irony that she didn’t want to be like her father yet she did.

The Mad King and The Mad Queen…maybe insanity did run in her family, Viserys, her father. Now Daenaerys.

A small sharp pain woke her, feeling almost a phantom pain in her chest where she was stabbed. Dany touched her chest and almost immediately got up to see where she was; A dome like place with caves, she heard a small gasp of a few people and realized that there were men guarding the area.

“Qilōni issi ao? Intruder!”

Their words were in Valyrian and Dany quickly got up and put her hands to her side.

“Nyke nūmāzma daor ōdrikagon”

The words slipped from Dany’s mouth as they continued to approach and Daenerys felt her heart moving to her throat.

This wasn’t good at all, she was in a place unrecognizable though she vaguely remembered Viserys telling her that they used to have a dragon pit back in Kings - Landing but she had already burned that place to the ground, plus that was when the dragons were alive during the dance…they were dead for awhile before Dany and her children.

More guards came in from outside of the dome and Dany became more anxious as they looked around and asked the men what was going on.

”Should īlon gūrogon zȳhon naejot se dārys?”

”Se dārys iksos barely nykeā vala! Henujagon ziry naejot se dāria se se ondos.”

To say Daenerys was confused was an understatement. Which king and which queen? Cersei had fulfilled the role as king and queen before she died.

She looked at the men and could only utter a confused noise as the looked at her, she knew that her hair must’ve not been the nicest considering how long she could’ve been on the floor, or her dress had a hole from the stab.

Finally, one of the guards with dark hair and green eyes asked what her name was to which she took a deep breath and said:

“Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen…” She didn’t include her titles in that.

The men’s face contorted from curiosity to confusion, they kept whispering that she couldn’t be because King Viserys didn’t have any other nieces besides the Velaryon princesses.

King…Viserys?

Her mind felt scrambled.

Do they mean her brother or the different ones that he was named after.

She finally held in her breath and asked

“Skoros jēdar iksos ziry?”

To which the man with the spear said that the year was “128 ac”, to which that was when Dany finally felt the nerves get to her as she chewed her lip.

This is wrong…so very wrong, the year was 305 ac…she remembered something happening in 128 ac…or was it 129? She didn’t remember.

“īlon gūrogon zȳhon?”

At that, most of the men muttered agreement and grabbed Daenerys by her wrists.

What will they do to her?

Stress and nervousness filled her body till she felt the screeches of her dragon outside.

Drogon? Viserion? Rhaegal? She didn’t know but as the screeching became more violent she hope herself calming down could help the situation.

They decided to just walk with her and made sure she’d wear, a dark red cloak whilst on her way the the castle.

It took a while but they made it to the Red Keep, with her outside a chamber door, she heard a female voice ask what it was that required of her.

They waited till the door was opened and one of the men brought her inside.

She heard the woman’s small gasp as she looked at her feature’s.

“Oh gods!”

What in the seven hells was going on?

—————————————————————————

So…yea…thank you to @sapphicrhaegon for making the absolute wonderful moodboard for these two and for encouraging me to publish💚💚.

Hope you enjoy and if you don’t then I’m so sorry.

Love…Amy.

#Aemond Targaryen x Daenerys Targaryen #Amys madness #why am i doing this

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raging-violets · 11 months

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Caged Nightingale | Chronicles of Narnia | Chapter 01 - Read on FFN or AO3

Authored by: Rhuben Rated: T

FULL SUMMARY: [REWRITE] Readjusting to his "old life", Edmund finds himself drawn back into a Narnia he doesn’t recognize. A Narnia filled with ruin and loss. Much like himself. Feeling like he betrayed his beloved lands for a second time, and haunted by memories of the White Witch, Edmund will do everything he can to extinguish his lingering doubts of his royal title.

Witnessing the effects of war on her father, Issi has dreamt of a life of healing. Following the honeyed voice only she hears - the spirit that leads her straight into becoming a Telmarine prisoner of war – Issi promises to nurture Narnia (whatever that was) the best way she knew how, but found herself rebuilding a King desperate for some sanctuary, all the while fighting off the growing urge to do him and his family harm.

Excerpt:

“They are ready for her now. Do not keep him waiting.”

“I’ll fetch her right away.”

The whispers of strength, morsels of advice, and mutters of worry all ceased when the sound of the lock being turned clacked loudly. She sucked in her breath, becoming as still as the room suddenly felt with the quiet words of comfort now gone, and pulled her gaze away from the sliver of blue-gray sky she could see from the window of the fortified tower.

It wasn’t booms on the door or urgent fists that would startle her out of her thoughts. With the air sirens, shouts from the street at all hours relaying information about the war, the high-pitched wails of loss, Issi had gotten used to just how noisy noise was. No, it was the quieter moments that put her on edge. The soft knocks on the front door that weren’t expected. The knocks that would lead to the reveal of the telegram:

REPORT JUST RECEIVED THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS STATES YOUR HUSBAND JAMES T WINTERS IS A PRISONER OF WAR OF THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT IN BERTH LETTER OF INFORMATION FOLLOWS FROM GENERAL NICHOLLS

Or the arrival of the little child that needed a safe place to stay. They never had much; one pair of shoes, worn socks, clothes and bits of bread shoved haphazardly into the suitcase they could barely lift. Photographs: glass cracked, and frames splintered littered over the little clothing they managed to pack in what little time they had to do so. Keepsakes of the family the child did not understand they were now separated from. Possibly forever.

The wooden door to the curved room pulled outwards with a loud, sustained creak. Two guards rushed into the room, snapping shackles around her wrists before she could make a move. The taller of the two guards roughly pulled her to her feet with a harsh tug on the chains. “Did you not hear?” the guards brushed past the woman who strode into the room, ignoring her inquiry. The hem of her dress clutched tightly between her thin fingers. “I said I would fetch her. She trusts me. Unhand her this instant.”

“Lord Miraz has summoned for her. He must not be kept waiting.”

Shout out to @purpleyearning for the fic cover!

Tag List: @foxesandmagic @witchofinterest @arrthurpendragon @andromedalestrange @darknightfrombeyond @ocappreciationtag

#narnia fanfiction #chronicles of narnia #fd: narnia #oc: issi winters #fc: niamh walsh #fic: caged nightingale #edmund x oc #authored by: rhuben #by: rhuben #new story #chapter update

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genz420 · 1 year

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The Fire That Burns With Us - Chapter 33: Don’t Hold Back.

Pervious Part - Next Part

136 - Red Keep (3 Months Later)

Aemond keeps his shield close to his face, his body is low, and his sword is ready to attack. He had the height advantage, but he isn’t using it, instead staying low so that he can move around faster.

Visenya swings her sword down onto Aemond's shield. The Valyrian steel cuts through it with ease. She is smart enough not to use a lot of the blade, not wanting to hurt Aemond but showing him how useless shields can be when your opponent has a good sword.

Visenya pulls to the side with all her strength, happy as the shield comes off Aemonds arm but mad when the shield doesn’t fall off her sword.

Now Aemond has a perfectly working sword, while hers is useless.

Aemond stands tall and swigs his sword toward Visenya. She avoids the swords with a smile, unlike Cregan; she isn’t worried about the sword accidentally cutting or killing her.

Visenya takes a step toward Aemond after his sword passes her face, forcing her sword toward his face. The shield hits Aemonds shoulder and breaks apart. Visenya pulls the sword back before it can cut Aemond. She spins it in her hand as Aemond removes it from the hit, then she drops it.

Visenya rushes towards Aemond and tackles him to the ground, laughing as the two falls to the ground. A sharp pain surges through her shoulder as she does so. Before she can enjoy the moment or fully understand her pain, she unsheaths her dagger from her hip and points the tip under Aemond's chin.

“Yield,” Visenya whispers to him, not caring for the small group of people watching them. If the Queen would see them now, Visenya is straddling Aemonds in front of many people, her hair blocking people from seeing their faces, and Aemonds hands the rest on her thighs.

“I yield,” Aemond tells her, giving her a slight smirk before he brushes their lips together. “Mērī syt ao, ñuha perzys,”

Only for you, My Fire.

Visenya pulls away from him and moves off Aemond, sitting beside him as he stands up. He straightens his clothes, and the look on his face would not let anyone know what he is feeling inside. Aemond reaches his hand out for Visenya to take. She does, and pain shoots through her shoulder as he pulls her up.

Visenya lets out a soft groan at the pain and closes her eyes, moving her shoulder up and down to try and work out whatever she did to it. The movements worsen the pain, and she clenches her jaw to make any more noise.

“Issi ao ōdrikagon?” Aemond asks, the worry present in his voice to any who understands Valyrian but those who don’t won’t hear it.

“It’s not your fault, My love. I think I am a bit out of shape,” Visenya tells him as she smiles through her pain. Ben has already started making his way toward Visenya and Aemond, but he picks up his pace as he sees the pain on her face. The slight frown paired with her eyebrows bunched together.

“Let me see,” Ben says as he gets close to her. Visenya takes her hand away from her shoulder, and Ben slightly pushes down on her shoulder Visenya holds back a moan of pain.

Aemond watches the two, no longer worried about Ben taking Visenya away from him in a romantic way. The grip on his sword is tight, and he takes a step toward the two, more worried that Visenya is seriously hurt.

“You should be fine, just no overworking it,” Ben tells her as he moves his hands away. Visenya frowns and looks up at him.

“So, no training?” She asks. Since the wedding, Aemond and her have been training together, besides spending time in bed, with Ben getting back into shape.

“No training,” Ben confirms as he moves away from the two. He has gotten better with Aemond about who gets to spend time with Visenya.

Visenya holds her shoulder as she turns back to Aemond. He is already looking at her, and she can pass what other people would think is anger in his eye, knowing he is more worried than angry. Visenya picks her sword off the ground as she walks closer to Aemond.

“I’m fine,” She tells him, and he gently grabs hold of her arm, drumming his fingers against her red shirt.

“I should have been more careful. Not so rough,” Aemond tells her in a low tone, not wanting the people around them to hear his words.

“No, because if you did hold back, I would have beaten you up for it,” Visenya tells him. One of the first times they had trained together, Aemond tried to hold back, but Visenya beat him too fast. “Let’s go again,”

“No,” Aemond says. He and Ben might have their differences, but if the knight says that she shouldn’t train, then, Aemond would listen. “He said no training, so no training,”

“Here I thought you would love to go against his word,” Visenya jokes, she has been restless lately, and training seems to be one of the jew things that can get through. “I have fought in battle with worse injuries. I can continue to hold back and train with you,”

At her words, Aemond leans down, his hair brushing against Visenya's face. A playful smile on her face and a sadistic smirk on his. Their noses bump together at their closeness.

“You’re holding back?” Aemond asks, his breath hot against her face, and Visenya holds back a laugh.

“I wouldn’t want to harm my husband,” Visenya answers as she kisses his cheek before stepping back from him. Aemond hums at her words, giving her a small smile at her words. Maybe the two will return to their room; he knows that Visenya would forget about training if they went to their room.

“Princess,” A voice makes Visenya pull away from Aemond. Visenya smiles at Ser Harrold as he walks towards the two, a worried look on his face, and Visenya worries that something might have happened to the king.

“Ser Harrold,” Visenya greets back.

“The dragon keepers have sent word that Morghon has landed, and he is not acting like he usually does,” Ser Harrold tells Visenya. When word had come from the dragonpit, he had rushed to tell Visenya. He knows how much she cares for her dragon. “They are asking for you to go to the dragonpit at once,”

“Is something wrong with him?” Visenya asks, worried for her dragon, and it feels like she can not breathe. What if he is hurt? What if another dragon has attacked him? Or what if she is sick? “Do they think he is sick?”

“They did not say,” Ser Harrold tells Visenya. He wishes they had said what was wrong with the dragon. He doesn’t want to put Visenya through worry if nothing is wrong with Morghon. “Only asked for you to get there as soon as possible,”

#aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen x oc #aemond Targaryen x velaryon oc #daughter of Rhaenyra #daughter of daemon #house of the dragon #The Fire That Burns With Us

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hphmmatthewluther · 1 year

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The Phantom Woes of Matthew Luther: Part 4

Here we go, it’s time for the grand finale!! ( Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3 )

Featuring:

Verna Malinda ( @gaygryffindorgal ) Camille Jeanes ( @camillejeaneshphm ) Rosie Mayfield ( @magicapandora )

As well as characters from: @endlessly-cursed @catohphm @stupendousbookworm

Chapter 4: In the Flesh

The next hour or so happened in moments for Verna. A group of students heard the commotion and wondered what was happening. They were jostled back to Ravenclaw Common Room (she didn’t even catch what the answer to the riddle was). Matthew, Merula, and Rosie tried to explain what they had seen, but before long it had devolved into a shouting match; it was argued that whoever had placed the book for Helena to find was most likely a Ravenclaw, seeing as they knew enough about the ghost to put it in the right place. As a result, with tensions high, things had quickly spiralled out of control.

“What do you mean someone here did it?!” Andre exclaimed indignantly, “When it could be anyone who gets through the door!”

“Oh, come on, it’s fairly obvious.” Tulip insisted. “While other house members can come in, there’s no way they’d do all this to get to Helena!”

“If you ask me,” said Chase, “You, Tulip, are one of the more likely suspects, seeing how much trouble you cause on a regular basis!” “Are you insane?!” yelled Ara Black. “Look, anyone here might have done this-” Cato Reese tried to interject. “That’s just another way of accusing everyone here! Why does it have to be a Ravenclaw?!” fired back Issy Dubois.

Things were only getting worse from there. Matthew had backed away behind Merula at this point, clearly not enjoying the noise or the atmosphere this argument was creating. Camille, too, was too overwhelmed to do much and looked on the verge of tears, while Rosie was trying to calm people down (it was not working.) Verna, however, looked from one side of the room to the other, at her friends, and her face turned into a scowl that Ismelda would be proud of. She stepped forward, past Rosie and yelled:

“WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE JUST STOP?! AREN’T YOU MEANT TO BE THE SMART HOUSE?!”

It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room, like some enchantment had been dispelled. The Ravenclaws who had previously been close to decking each other in the face now backed away like a dog caught chewing apart a pillow. Matthew poked his head out from behind Merula. Camille moved her hands away from her ears as the noise quietened.

Rosie looked at Verna, smiling. “Thank you…that seemed to have worked.”

Verna scanned the room. It seemed that Chase was now nowhere to be seen. “No worries. You guys alright?” she asked, turning to the rest of the group.

Matthew and Camille both nodded silently. Merula looked between the two of them. “...and I thought the arguments in Slytherin could get nasty.” she muttered, sighing. “Ok…yeah, we’re good.” she said finally, as Matthew stepped out from behind her.

“Um…” he began, looking at the now expectant crowd of Ravenclaws. “I know it seems like someone here did it, but…I don’t think that’s the case at all. The book that Helena picked up, The Ramifications of Reflections…it’s not an easy book to find. The only copy of it in the school is in the restricted section…or at least it was.” He held up the book in his hand. “I looked in the front and it hadn't been checked out; whoever it was stole it from the library. No student would ever do that, especially not a Ravenclaw.”

That seemed to be a satisfactory explanation for most of the Ravenclaws. As they started to awkwardly shuffle away, Matthew turned back to the others. “Okay…phew…that was…a lot. Still got ringing in my ears, blimey…”

Camille wiped her eyes. “Why did they have to start fighting like that?” she asked, her voice still shaky.

“Because they’re afraid.” Merula said. “People get angry when they get scared. Especially when they don’t know who to blame.”

Rosie raised their eyebrows. “That’s a surprisingly insightful point, Merula.” they said, smiling. “So what’s the plan now?”

Matt held up the book again. “We look through this and try to find something on the magic mirror. Then we try and find it again, and we’ll hopefully be ready to take on whoever’s behind this.”

***

“Bingo!” Matt said finally, after a good half an hour or so of flicking through the great tome. At once, the others gathered around him, Merula nudging the other three so that she was right by Matt’s face, leading to Rosie having to stifle a laugh. Once they had all got comfortable, Matt gestured to the page in question. “Here it is…” He pointed at the image on the page; a resplendent mirror with silver and purple decorations around the edge of it.

“That’s the one.” Verna said, looking down at the page, frowning at the image of trapped souls within the mirror.

“The Royal Sovereign Mirror”, Matthew began to read, “Is one of the great treasures of the old Changeling Kingdom. Kept in the Throne Room of the Changeling Royal, the mirror was enchanted to have a separate Reflected Realm in comparison to other mirrors. In short, unlike other mirrors, a person trapped within the Royal Sovereign Mirror is unable to access other reflective surfaces.”

“This damn book…” Merula said, cursing under her breath. “I thought we were done with it after third-year.”

“Third year?” Camille asked. “Isn’t that when Mathieu got trapped in that mirror?”

When Matthew nodded, Verna chuckled. “Didn’t you two kiss when Matt got his body back?”

Matthew and Merula both suddenly went pink in the face. “N-NO! What?! Where’d you- No!” Merula snapped. “Keep reading, Luther!”

“A-Alright, um, When the Changeling Kingdom collapsed, the mirror was recovered and placed in Hogwarts, where the latent magic within the mirror caused it to warp from place to place, normally stored in the fourth-floor corridor, but- Ah-hah! But the mirror’s location can be tracked by following the magical trace left by it! Brilliant!”

There was a sigh of relief from all of them. “Thank Merlin, a solution. That book is most definitely a curse and a blessing.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Matthew said, “It seems to exist solely for luring people into mirrors and then getting them out again.”

“Who even wrote it?” Camille asked, trying to lean over to see the author’s name.

Matthew looked at the front cover. “...Someone named Henri Reign.”

“Doesn’t sound much like a wizarding name to me.” Merula said, frowning. “Weird.”

“Well, we can solve that mystery another time.” Rosie suggested. “Let’s solve this one first!”

“...You’re having an idea, aren’t you Mathieu?” Camille asked as they headed out of Ravenclaw tower and towards the Grand Staircase.

“...Well, I was thinking about what you said about what happened in third year” he replied, pointing at Merula.

“Me? About you getting trapped in a mirror?” Merula had to yell a bit over the sound of the stairs swinging above them.

Verna snorted from behind them, “and then you two accidentally k-” “Yeah, anyway, Luther?!” Merula snapped suddenly.

“Guys, here’s the fourth floor!” Rosie exclaimed, as the group tried to get off the stairs before they swung back round.

“What I’m saying is it might be the same thing. Another-” he was cut off by Verna pushing open the door.

“Alright Matt, showtime.” she said, gesturing to the wall where the mirror was. Matthew took hold of his wand and pointed it, but hesitated.

“I…sorry, it’s just…the handiwork for the spell…and…i’m usually fidgety as-is but here, when m…when Helena needs me, I-”

“Mathieu.” Camille looked up at him, smiling softly, “take it from me. You can do this. You’ve had it rough these past few days, but you’ve managed to pull yourself out of it in a way the rest of Ravenclaw couldn’t.”

“She’s right, Matty.” Rosie nodded, “You’ve got this. And we’ve got you.”

“And when all this is over we’ll be able to look back on all these ups and downs and laugh.” Verna promised.

Taking a moment to breathe, Matthew readied his wand once again. He deftly manoeuvred it through the air, until a faint blue light began to appear at the end of it. “Revelio!” he said, and a faint purple thread became visible, stretching from where the mirror was and out through the door behind them.

“Haha, that did it, Matt!” Merula cheered, “Now let’s kick whoever it was that jinxed us in their sneaky little arse!” With that, she was running after the purple thread.

“Merula, wait-” Camille said, heading after her.

“She has such a way with words…” Verna laughed, following behind her.

“You can say that a-” Rosie began, before pausing, “Did…did she just call you Matt?”

“Uh, maybe? Was distracted. Come on, before we lose the others!” he said, failing to hide how pink he had gone.

***

It was almost night now. The candles illuminated the group as they followed the thread upwards. And upwards. And upwards.

“The Astronomy Tower…” Merula complained, “of course it would end up there. Just our bloody luck.”

“On the bright side, it does give us a bit of time to prepare.” Verna pointed out. “Wands at the ready, everyone.”

They all obeyed her, keeping an eye out for any sign of moment. “I really do hate heights sometimes…” Camille was doing her best to keep her eyes on the thread, and not look down the spiral staircase.

“It’s alright, we can handle this.” Rosie said, having swapped her heels for flat shoes just in case they needed to move quickly. At long last, they came to the top floor. They walked past telescopes and other astronomy equipment, before finally seeing it. The Silver Mirror, leaning back against the wall, rattling a little in the wind. And there, in the glass, they could see Helena Ravenclaw…and Chase the reserve chaser.

“Hang on-” began Merula. “Wasn’t he-” Camille tried to say. “Isn’t that…” Rosie and Matt said at the same time.

“What’s he doing there?” Verna said, shocked. “To be honest with you lot, I thought he was the one behind all of this!”

“Well…yes and no.”

All five of them turned around, and there, impossibly, was Chase. But something was off. He looked paler than usual, his hair seemed slightly frayed, his quidditch clothes didn’t seem to fit him as well as they did. “Why couldn’t you just have left him in his room?!” he snapped, pointing at Matthew. “He has made your lives far more needlessly tedious!”

“Tedious?!” exclaimed Camille, “Who are you to say that?”

“Yeah, is that the only reason you put Helena in here?” Verna asked, pointing at the mirror, “Who even are you?”

“Uh…” Matthew began, “I think…I was going to say it earlier, but…I’m fairly certain he’s a, um…”

As Matthew stammered through his words, “Chase” began to change even further. His skin went from pale to a shade of purple, his hair went bright white, when he opened his eyes they were completely blank, and his clothes fell away to reveal an ancient-looking set of armoured robes.

“...he’s a changeling.” Matt said, finally, wincing as he realised how obvious this now was, his face becoming very very still.

The changeling laughed, stretching now they were out of their disguise. “Ugh, you do realise I had to do quidditch practice in order to stay hidden? I had to do those stupid drills and listen to that Orion kid so I could make sure things run smoothly…until they didn’t.”

Merula clicked her tongue. “So you did all this…why, exactly? I thought there weren’t any changelings kicking around anymore.”

“Really?” Camille asked, briefly shaken out of her fear.

“Yes, it came up in History of Magic.”

Verna snorted. “You can stay awake in History of Magic?”

“If you don’t mind!” snapped the changeling. “I have waited centuries for this and will not be talked over.”

“Of course…” Rosie said, piecing things together. “You must have been the one in the mirror at first.”

“Indeed, put in there by his ancestor at the last stand of our people!” they pointed at Matthew, blank eyes full of anger. “I was one of the Royal Family’s advisors and his adorable little family member got the better of me. A truly mighty sorcerer…unlike you.”

Matthew’s mouth twitched as the changeling continued. “I mean really, it was all so easy to send you into a mess just by having the Grey Lady gone for a while. I knew getting revenge would be simple, but goodness…what a disappointment.”

“That’s just-” “Oh you cannot-” “Shut up, you-” “Piece of-”

“SILENCE!” the changeling bellowed, as purple waves emanated from his hands, forcing all of them against the railing, their heads pushed back over the edge. All except Matthew, whose bracelet was crackling with blue electricity.

“Fascinating. So that’s your bracelet that does all of the heavy lifting for you.” they snarled. “Probably looted from us too. What a waste of a wizard. It took four others to get you back on your feet, let alone anything else!”

“M-Mathieu…” Camille whispered, struggling against the magical enchantments, “Don’t listen…”

“You’ve been telling yourself the same thing. They’d be better off solving this without you. You’ve only held them back.”

Matthew’s face grew into more and more of a scowl. The wind howled, and the moon came into view, basking him and the changeling in its blue light.

“You’re right…” Matt said bitterly, looking back at his friends, at Helena. “I have heard it before…that’s probably why you saying it doesn’t mean much to me.”

The changeling laughed a little. “Doesn’t change the fact that it’s true. And it doesn’t change the fact that your friends will suffer, all because you’re nothing but a worthless, woe-ridden, incapable nothing. Sorry that your friends had to find out the hard w-”

What happened next the changeling did not expect. Blue swirls began to dance across Matthew’s arms, the wind flapped through his hair which seemed to shiver in shades of cerulean, his eyes began to lose their green, matching the rest of him, and from his forehead a glowing green began to shine. But what was happening on the inside was far more interesting. Matthew had heard all of this before, but hearing it from a centuries-old changeling who’d manipulated his house and stolen the only real mother he’d ever had was one time too many. Simply put, he had had-

“ENOUGH!”

Several things happened in quick succession. Bright blue lightning shot out of Matthew’s hand; as it flew through the air he heard Merula gasp “Wandless magic!”. The changeling hit the railing, causing the enchantments around the others to shatter. More than that, the image of Helena and the real Chase within the mirror warped and twisted.

“Look!” Rosie exclaimed, “The Mirror! Now might be our chance! Millie, ‘rula! Verna! Help me with this…Merula?”

But the Slytherin’s attention was elsewhere at that moment. Matthew was busy laying electrified blows on the changeling, cracking their armour and sending them into more sections of the railing, lightning crackling off of Matthew’s body.

“Woah…huh? Oh!” she said finally, racing over to help the others with the mirror. “Matthew! Send him our way!”

Matthew turned to look at them, basking in the moonlight, before grabbing the changeling by their cuff. “I knew kicking your arse would be simple,” he said, chuckling in a voice that rang back through the centuries, “but goodness…what a disappointment.” And with that, he ran forward, graciously tossing the changeling forward, where Camille, Verna, Rosie and Merula were waiting with the mirror. In went the changeling, and out came Chase the reserve chaser and Helena Ravenclaw.

“...Matthew?” she said, trying to get her bearings. “There was a mirror…and that awful changeling said he’d do something awful to you…I was so worried…” He looked up at her, sighing in relief, the blue fading away from him as he calmed down.

“Oh, M- uhm, Helena, you’re alright!” he said, grinning up at her, even going to hug her before remembering that was impossible. Meanwhile, Rosie and Camille were helping up Chase. “...should never have trusted that guy in the mirror…” he murmured weakly “...said he’d help me get on the team…”

“Poor guy.” Rosie sighed. “Getting scammed by a changeling must be no fun.”

Camille nodded in agreement, giving Chase a reassuring pat on the shoulder, while Verna was laughing at the changeling in the mirror. “Saw right through you from the start, mate.” she said, smirking.

When she looked away, she was surprised to see Merula had wrapped Matthew in a hug. “You didn’t tell me you could do….that!!” Merula yelled.

“Ssh, you’ll wake everyone!” Camille hissed.

“Oh, worry not, I shall explain to any teachers that come looking.” Helena reassured her. “Thank you all for helping him. I worry for him, but…he is stronger than he knows.”

“You can say that again…” Rosie said, raising her eyebrow as Matthew tried to explain to Merula that he didn’t know what she meant by “lightning hands”. As they headed down from the Astronomy Tower, nobody bothered pointing out how Merula’s hand had slipped into Matt’s, or that his silver bracelet was still glowing faintly. The four said their goodbyes to Matthew, Helena and Chase at Ravenclaw Tower, keeping an eye out for Filch as they did so.

“Thank you. Really.” Matthew said, wiping a tear from his eyes. “I, um…I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Doesn’t mean you weren’t a massive help.” Merula pointed out, smirking. “See you tomorrow, Luther.”

“Actually, it’s past midnight, so you’ll see him today-”

“Oh don’t be so pedantic, Jeanes-”

They laughed until it was time for the Ravenclaws to leave, closing the door behind them, leaving the others to head back to their dormitories.

“It’s like we learn something new about Mathieu every day.” Camille said, shaking her head. “And once again, he completely misses it.”

“I’ll make sure he knows about this.” Merula promised. “He deserves to know he can shoot lightning from his hands. Anyone would be.”

Rosie chuckled. “Aw, you two…you’re adorable together, you know that?”

“Oh…shush.”

Verna snorted. “Gotcha, ha ha. Don’t worry, we won’t tell a soul.”

“If any of you do, I’m throwing you in that mirror-” she said through gritted teeth.

“Oh don’t, I don’t want to have to deal with that changeling again…” Verna fake-lamented. They bickered and laughed along the corridors, the blue light of the moon shining overhead.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #the phantom woes of matthew luther #matthew luther #verna malinda #camille jeanes #rosie mayfield #merula snyde #issy dubois #ara black #cato reese

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charliesimss · 1 year

Note

All of them for hemming

All odds for Issy

Evens for grown up lio

1. When they tap their fingers do they use the pads of their fingers or their nails?

The pads of his fingers, his nails arent very long

2. What textures can they absolutely not stand?

Burlap I've decided to call it, like that scarecrow stuff, its too scratchy

3. How long can they go without showering before they feel gross?

Probably like 4 days

4. Do they leave clothes on the floor or a chair?

If he must leave clothes somewhere it'll be on a chair or his bed, or on top of his dresser

5. Do they sleep with the bedroom door open or closed?

Closed because he was raised correctly

6. Which do they prefer: 3am or 3pm?

3am because it gets dark at fucking 3pm now.

7. If they suddenly woke up with animal ears and tails what animal would they be?

Don't make me answer this mf furry question. He'd be a bunny.

8. If they could only eat one thing for 20 days straight what would it be?

California rolls cause its my default favourite food.

9. Are they the type to re-read a book?

Yes, he's read nothing but A little life since he got it in 2021. He's read it like 5 times. He kins jude, obviously.

10. Would they want to know the exact date and time of their death?

He would!!! Now that you mention it, I've just planned it, but obviously he doesnt get to know until it happens :charlieexplain:

11. What’s their favourite mythological creature?

I only know girl ones, so I guess whatever was in the magic tree house, like, warlocks?

12. If they had to listen to one song on repeat 100+ times what would it be?

🖤🖤🖤

13. Do they believe in an afterlife?

Yes, but he's not ableist, so everyone's disabled in it if they were when they were alive.

14. When they get tired do their eyelids twitch?

Yeah, he squishes his eyes really tight, like a mini sleep

15. What are their favourite textures?

Squishy and soft like a squishmallow

16. Do they crack their joints?

No not really, he doesnt need another body part not working 😵

17. Would they eat/drink something too hot or wait for it to cool?

He'd eat something right away, he be hungry

18. Are they the type to adopt strays? (Animals or people)

Animals maybe, not people, he's an introvert

19. Do they get work done straight away or wait until the last moment?

He likes to do assigned tasks in order of importance

20. How do they bathe/shower? Long or short? Hot or cold?

i love this question and cause only 2 ppl are gonna read it, I'll spill. He prefers showers, more accessible, and just sits on the built in seat of his shower cause its fancy like that, he does his face wash first, and his hair last, usually hot and on the longer side, which is why he only does it every 4-7 days.

21. Are they the type to daydream?

YeS, what else do u do when you dont have friends?

22. Do they work best in a messy space or a neat space?

NEAT, he's good at cleaning.

23. Do they keep any personal photos?

He has a family photo album, but he doesnt keep the photos on his person

24. Do they indulge in anything?

Hot choccy and then he has to be on the toilet for like 8 hours :/

25. Would they do the exact opposite of what someone says just to spite them?

Probably not. he'd be like, "youre probably right" and forget about it. every son of mine will be a doormat, know that.

26. If they’re alone and hear a noise would they go and investigate?

No, he'd accept his fate 💀

27. If they’re lost what is the first thing they would do?

Check if he had cell service to pop up his maps

28. What is that one dream that makes no sense but is absolutely terrifying?

Being recruited for the military! His biggest irrational fear! Biggest nightmare/dream (?)

29. What is the stupidest thing they’ve ever done just because someone said they couldn’t?

did the skate park tricks in his wheelchair without a helmet, boi got himself another head injury from that one

30. Are they stoic or melodramatic about being injured?

Laughs in disabled. He's all brave about it because he has a praise kink.

#oc hemming #oc asks #make my day #<3 <3 <3

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