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himeryu · 10 months

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– Love Rivalry: 46. stay gold

kaveh x reader

"So, that's the story."

Kaveh sits there in shock, eyes wide. Maybe you shouldn't have told him. Your past with Alhaitham is heavy; it is not something to take lightly. If one word could describe your past with the man, it would be regret. You regret looking for him; you regret hoping; you regret expecting.

Alhaitham was a cruel lesson to learn. It took you a long time to return to normal; however, you were far from "normal." Your wounded heart tried its best to bandage itself, but the wound inflicted on them was too much to bear. If it wasn't for your friends, you wouldn't have recovered.

"I'm sorry," you bitterly chuckle, avoiding his gaze. "It's quite heavy, right?"

Fear takes over your body. What if Kaveh leaves you because of your past? Would he leave you like how Alhaitham did that day?

"Why are you apologizing?" Kaveh says softly, the gentle tone of his voice stuns you slightly. "I should be thanking you for opening up to me."

You look at him; his gentle ruby eyes make your heart skip a beat, washing away all your worries. Kaveh, the man who entered your life out of nowhere. Meeting him wasn't part of your goals, but you're glad you did. Who knew you'd be this fond of the blonde man?

You giggle as Kaveh looks at you intimately, "You're right."

Suddenly, Kaveh places his hand on top of yours. You blush. "What are you doing?" You ask in a shakey voice, but there was no response. Kaveh clumsily fiddles his fingers with yours, his face flushed in a deep shade of red akin to his eyes. "My dad used to do this to make me feel better."

You listen intently, "My emotions usually get the best of me, making me immature at times. But every time my dad did this, I'd calm down." He says with a bittersweet smile as he recalls his childhood. You stare at Kaveh in worry. 'He must've had a rough childhood,' you think; However, you stay silent, not uttering a word.

"I've never done this to someone else, so please tell me when you're uncomfortable." Kaveh bashfully smiles. Butterflies flutter your stomach at the physical touch, almost like you're a teenager again. It's childish, feeling flustered over hand-holding. But, isn't it cute?

"It's fine," You whisper shyly, "I don't mind."

"You know," His grip on your hand lightly tightens, "I'm very emotional. Like, I cry a lot. Every time I get too mad, I cry; Every time I get too happy, I cry. I might become a burden to you."

He inhales deeply, preparing his words as you wait. "Despite that..." He continues, "I want to be by your side."

Your mouth is slightly agape, speechless by his words. "Am I allowed to?" Kaveh meekly asks; his face goes warm from embarrassment, shading itself in light pink.

Your face-- too-- flushes. Bystanders look at your table with pleased expressions as they repeatedly think of youthful love. However, you and Kaveh pay no mind as if you two are the only ones in the restaurant. Your heart beats quickly and loudly that you swear the waiter who just passed by most likely heard it.

Ah, since when was the last time someone other than your friends made you this happy?

"Of course," You agree. Kaveh's eyes sparkles like gold by your words.

Then, Kaveh smiles once again. But this time, it's different. His smile radiantly beams his surroundings, making the lights of the restaurant pale in contrast to his smile. His smile is sweet like candy, something you will never get tired of.

How pretty.

It's nearing 2 AM, and you and Kaveh are just returning home. It was fun, the date. At first, you thought it was just a whim, something small. You never expected your relationship with Kaveh to grow oh so quickly. Though your time spent with Kaveh is short, you treasure those moments with him.

From this day onward, you're determined to know more about Kaveh. Meeting him was like a siren bewitching you with its voice, making you want more. Or a succubus seducing you with its charisma, reducing you into their slave. Some wild metaphors, but you can't deny it.

Kaveh charmed you.

Sure, you're a bit scared, but Kaveh means no harm. You trust him, but your trust in him is still small; it has yet to reach unconditional trust. You can't help it. As much as your relationship with the man is fast-paced, you wish to take your time.

Finally, you arrive at his apartment complex. You shift to your side to see Kaveh sleeping. The dim light from outside lightly kisses his face, giving it a soft shine. You notice the eyebags under his blonde eyelashes-- most likely caused by his sleepless nights as an architecture student.'

A small smile finds itself on your face as you admire Kaveh. You can trust him. It would be different compared to him.

Because Kaveh is different.

You bring your hand on his arm, slowly shaking him to wake him up. Kaveh grunts, shaking his head. You chuckle, "Kaveh, we're here."

"Mhmm," He frowns, turning to look the other way. You remove your grip on his arm. "Are you okay?" You tenderly say.

Kaveh nods. Though, his eyes are still shut.

"Kaveh, open your eyes."

"Don't wanna," he murmurs.

You sigh, running your fingers through your hair as you think of a solution to wake this sleepy man. Then, a thought crossed your mind making you smirk mischievously. You carry your torso closer to the passenger seat. You smirk-- not like he can see it.

"What? Do you need a kiss to wake up?" You whisper gingerly.

Kaveh's body tenses. Blood rushes through his cheeks, making them shade a light pink. However, he refuses to open his eyes.

You grin, "How cute."

main m.list | series m.list | previous | next

SYNOPSIS You’ve been rejected by your academic rival, alhaitham, without even confessing or having feelings for him. You decided to go to a party to fix your damaged ego, so why are you suddenly making out with his roommate?

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decolonize-the-left · 1 year

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I really appreciate your post about whiteness. I spend a lot of time thinking about my own whiteness - I pass and identify as white - because I have native ancestors (my great-great grandma and grandpa) who were kidnapped from their families as babies with the explicit goal of socializing and intermarrying them with white folks to dilute their nativeness out of existence. I look white. I was raised in white society and culture (or lack of culture). I am white. Which means their genocide succeeded in our case. Those kidnapped babies have no living descendants who can't pass as white. So for me, whiteness feels like something that was done to my family. Forcible assimilation. The rest of my family is Irish (potato famine refugees), and they weren't considered white until they assimilated either. And it feels gross to talk about "diluting bloodlines" (which you usually hear in terms of "white genocide"), but it's really not about percentages or the fact that I don't look native. It's about slipping into this category of whiteness through culture loss.

"whiteness feels like something that was done to my family"

F e l t

And honestly that last part about culture loss, too. The first thing colonizers did was split up native families and put the very impressionable children in Catholic schools where they were abused regularly for speaking their native languages or practicing any of their culture. "kill the native, save the man" was the motto back then. And kids were raised and conditioned to think it was bad or they'd get punished for it. A lot did just stop.

Culture loss was quite literally part of our assimilation into white society.

So again. Very different but not...entirely.

And you know I'm glad you sent this in cuz as a mixed native who's reaching for my culture, of course it occurred to me that there are people who are too far removed to justifiably reclaim it. That there are a group of white people who exist who are Barely white and have to learn to embrace that. And that likewise that there is a group of white people who exist only because somewhere in their bloodline a white person wanted to harm natives.

But I never really thought about how that would impact someone's identity. And I think now, as natives grow passed the era of outright colonialism, we're seeing the descendents of our abusers grow up too. And it certainly is a bizarre place to think about.

Having native ancestry, knowing it isn't yours, but not feeling tied to the culture you do have cuz you're aware enough to know that it's really just a punishment that ran it's course.

....I'd want a culture and identity too holy shit.

What if we redefined American from Loud, Privileged Racist? What if it meant Loud, Community-driven Ally?

We are melting pot after all, right? That's America's whole gimmick? Well that means we all could all be better allies to someone else since there are certainly a lot of beautifully diverse communities here.

Embrace the new American identity I just made up. Create art and dances and myths about it. Creating a culture around community and allyship would be dope af. Be American instead of White™. Get rid of race as a part of your identity all together so the rest of us can do the same.

Just an idea~

#sometimes anons make me sad #asked #answered

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musette22 · 6 months

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I just spent the whole evening reading what I thought was a stucky fic (from the tags), but it ended up with Bucky with someone else, and a heartbroken Steve. It was an old fic, and the author had recieved a lot of comments from other readers who felt decieved, but they were dismissed with the argument that fic readers are spoiled with tags and should learn that a story like real life can be unpredictable. The author had originally set out to write stucky but changed their mind half way so the end pairing came out of nowhere and didn’t really make sense with the build up. I didn’t comment, but I’m sitting here asking myself if I’m wrong to be angry. Obviously writers invest a lot more time writing a fic than I do reading it, but it still was my whole evening wasted on the opposite of what I wanted. What was supposed to make me feel good made me feel like shit, and I obviously really wanted to avoid that. I have always trusted tags, but from now on I might have to skip to the end before reading to make sure. Am I entitled?

Oh darling, I am so sorry that happened to you 😔 That is so sad and disheartening, especially if you were looking for something that would make you feel good. I 100% percent understand that it made you feel frustrated and even a little angry, and no, I don't think you're entitled in this case. I do believe that tagging is a courtesy and not a duty, and I also believe everyone is allowed to write and post whatever they want, regardless of what other people may or may not want to read.

Having said that, though, I personally think that making sure that a story is appropriately tagged, at least for major triggers and pairings, is the decent thing to do. The author of this fic could have easily updated the tags to have them reflect the plot twist for any future readers, and in doing that, they could have prevented a lot of people being left disheartened or sad at the end of it. However much I want people to read my stories, I personally would not want someone to read my fic and be triggered or saddened by something it contained. In that case, I'd much rather they just skipped it and read something else.

The idea of almost intentionally disappointing my readers is so counterintuitive to me, because a huge reason why I personally read fic is to feel better, so that's what I hope to offer other people with my own fic too, you know? Of course, I know lots of people love angst and even unhappy endings, because they're cathartic or just because they make them feel things, and that's perfectly fine, too. But in that case, reading those kinds is fics is a choice - and if a fic isn't properly tagged or if it professes to be something that it's not, then a potential reader is not able to make an informed decision, and I think that's misleading and quite disrespectful of the audience. It's not a crime, but it's not very nice, is what I'm trying to say.

This author's argument about how readers should learn that stories, like life, can be unpredictable is mind-boggling to me as well, because hello, surely it can't be news to them that reading (especially fanfiction) serves as a much needed escape from real life for lots and lots of people. I'm sure there are some who read books with the purpose of being surprised or caught off guard, but I think they're a minority tbh. And again, that should be a choice. Long story short: I don't think you're wrong to be frustrated in this case, and while I'm glad to hear you didn't comment and rant at the author like some people would, if I were you, I would personally steer clear of them and their work in the future. Sending you hugs, lovely, and I hope you find something new to read that gives you everything you're looking for soon! ❤️

#stucky #fanfiction #minnie answers

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lifmera · 2 months

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Heya, I was wondering if I could have a matchup for Hazbin Hotel? Male please x

My pronouns are she her, I'm fairly average height for a girl and my favourite animals at the moment are either cats or goats!!

I have black hair, dark eyes and pale skin, my hair goes just above my breasts and is layered. I wear a lot of black and hardly own any clothes that aren't!! (It’s just so flattering) I have a few large tattoos as well and am definitely getting more. I also have a lot of ear piercings, a nose stud and 🍒 piercings. I’m also English (northern, not southern) so I do have an accent

In terms of personality, l'd say l'm rather outgoing, witty and a bit nerdy. I wear a lot of studs and chains but I think they look badass, however I wear them causally so I guess you could also say I’m pretty bold? I've often been told l intimidate people, however I like to think they don't know me well enough to judge. Ive been told I can be quite loud, and I have some blunt, dry sense of humour which my friends seem to like. I'm an ENTP through and through and am currently in law school, stereotypical as fuck ik. I can sometimes struggle to trust people due to past experiences, however I think I’ve got the hang of reading people now to know when they’re my kind of cunt or not.

I can have a short temper and struggle with my emotions sometimes, (diagnosed bpd/adhd, looooove to see it) but am in the process of learning to manage them quite well.

Hobby wise, I enjoy drawing, painting and going out with my friends to concerts and festivals. I Love music, specifically Goth, Metal (Death, Goth metal, Nü metal, all sorts) and a little bit of rock obviously. I'm tempted to start learning how to play the drums or guitar but am not sure where to start, plus school takes up so much of my time.

There's of course no rush to reply, I adore your work I think your matches are always spot-on and I'm really curious !!

-🕷️🕸️

HEY 🕷️🕸️!!!

Honestly I was so TORN between these two. So i decided lol… why not both?

Its okay hun!! I major Pre-Law right now 🩷

I’ve decided to pair you with… VOX & HUSK

Vox first though. Cus i read this and i was like.. VOX but then when i showered i was like .. wait husk… and then i was like FUCK… anyways

He’d definitely talk to you more because you reminded him of Velvette. And what probably went thru his head was “ooh new model :)”

But he LOVES ur personality. If you intimidated VOX? He would literally purr at ur feet and BEG you to join the Vee’s.

Even if you are dry, its okay, cus everything else makes up for it to him.

He definitely isn’t surprised if you don’t trust him at first, but he’s think that “nothing a little hypnotizing cant fix ! ;)” (take that as you wish.)

Vox is kinda pretty shitty himself- and probably doesnt really care much about you unless you blow a fuse on him. But honestly he’d like that.

Though he’d also be glad that you are managing your emotions! He HATES tantrums . (Cough cough Val)

He would probably make you draw you guys together lets me honest. He’d think it’d be funny. Till he actually enjoys it.

He would make fun of ur music taste. Then he would love it. Cus hes such a LOSER like that……

Honestly he’d love it sm he’d have them as theme songs D:

If you learned any instruments it’d probably cause him to want to as-well….

Ok Husker time…

Not gonna lie. You guys give off the same vibe, and he’d probably like you the most out of everyone at the hotel.

Especially at first glance?? Like finally… someone normal

Says him anyways.

Husk HATES cats, and obviously… i think he would also let you pet him or brush his fur… after becoming in a relationship. Otherwise he’d literally bite you.

I think he would talk to you first at the bar, and man is he good at finding shit out???

I think you guys would become close friends within a finger snap-

And honestly become inseparable. Totally have backhanded shit to say and it would be so funny. (Great duo)

He definitely would be super proud of you for seeking help! He would say that not much people have enough balls to do that.

Honestly i also think Husk would enjoy painting too. He seems like a gambler but i think in his free time, something like painting would relax him?? Or atleast looking at paintings and analyzing them.

Your music taste? Probably same as his. He’d love to listen with you, and Everytime you are at the bar he’d ask if you wanted to play a song you both enjoyed.

If you learned the guitar he’d be SO IMPRESSED. Like “okay dayum… ❤️”

I HOPE THIS WAS OKAY HUN!! And AWUGHS THANK YOU SO MUCH?? i always try to make the characters accurate because i feel like if they are ooc .. its just.. weird ?

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soleilnomoon · 2 years

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Hello!

I see that's a Zoro thirst era so here I am 🥴

Can I request a headcanon of him, Law and Ace? (separately) About how they would react to a small sized reader?? With like the cute moments and the feisty ones 👀

Lol from when I was little and still to this day I always was the "little" "cute" "short" friend that when cusses everybody goes like "OOOH! 😲" and I'm like Bruuuh!!!

Lol I hope someone can relate to this!😭

Could you make it a fem!reader?

Thank you in advance if you happen to accept the ask!

I really would like to know if this is also your situation or if you have friends like me! 🤣 (If you don't mind of course!)

i’m glad the zoro thirst train is still going strong lmao i love those three (obvy) — i’m actually 5’2”! i know that short life very well, no one takes you seriously until you snap ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡ also since everyone around me has more or less been taller than me, it feels like a conspiracy. anyway, this came out longer than expected (i feel like i always say this lol) but i had fun <3

2.1k words, (short) fem reader, fluff, a tiny hint of angst, and a splash of nsfw stuff (hand job, public sex, spanking, yk cute stuff like that).

the day you meet, he doesn’t take well to your presence at all; franky says he’s being too serious, and jinbe agrees, sanji doubling-down right after and reiterating what the first two say. it irks him, . you earn your spot; while you might not have the same physical capabilities of some of the others, no one can take away your tenacity. it’s a quality that luffy admires; he explicitly says as much, in front of everyone, that he wants to bring you into his group. make you one of them—and his decision is always final.

eventually, you grow on him; he fights it tooth and nail, sometimes making you feel like you’re permanently going to be on his shit list. it’s a ruse, fortunately; he can’t quite make himself admit it, either. someone so small, so seemingly innocent—cute; even though zoro will never openly say that—so easily likable, everything about you intrigues him. it’s when you get into a silly argument with usopp and luffy, with a lot of misunderstanding—using words incorrectly (luffy, alone, is guilty), and before long, no one even remembers the original point of the argument. then zoro laughs out loud. the sound startles you; you’ve never seen him laugh that hard, his eye closing as he doubles over, and because of this, everyone else laughs too.

for some reason, the seamless way he was able to cut the tension, it warms you significantly. and it’s after that moment, that you become inseparable. you’re curious about his training and he doesn’t think when he says he can help build your endurance—enhancing your stamina will only make your crew that much stronger, he decides. through all of the sweat, the accidental tears, and the oppressive workout regimen, you learn more about his real ambition and he learns that you’re not just a cute, short, helpless person. you’ve got more bite than people realize. and he likes it.

and on a night where the sky is clear, you collectively decide to have a feast—to celebrate life, to mourn over fallen allies, to simply exist together. the music and laughter are loud enough to snuff out any extraneous sounds—but, this doesn’t mean you won’t try to keep quiet. after drifting away from your crewmates, drunk off of the party’s atmosphere, you end up on the balcony talking and joking with zoro. and maybe it’s because your presence is calming, or that you smell like warm vanilla, a hint of coconut, but he pulls you closer and kisses you. your lips part, his mouth devouring yours hotly, tongue thrusting inside recklessly. it leaves very little room for you to breathe, or for your brain to stop melting. when you do finally pull apart, you pant softly, hands shaking as they land on his chest; he has a knowing smile on his face, and even though your face flushes terribly, you can’t wait to kiss him again.

he finds it impossibly inefficient of you to be this short; he likes to remind you of it whenever he can, evoking your wrath, eyes narrowed in anger. it’s appropriately adorable, which further proves his point that it is impossibly inefficient for you to be this short. everything is much too high for you to reach—you stomp your foot repeatedly when they take their time to help you. and even though law sternly told you not to try and climb things, you do it anyway. the first time he catches you, you nearly fall—your knee slips on the counter. if he hadn’t been close by, you would’ve hit your head pretty hard. as the ship’s captain, he finds it irresponsible of you; and as the ship’s surgeon, he thinks you should be placed in a small bubble where you can remain unharmed.

the second time he catches you, an unstoppable impulse shoots through him. taking long strides, he reaches you quickly; he plucks you off of the counter and unceremoniously tosses you over his shoulder. your mouth falls open in protest, face burning with embarrassment—you snap and tell him that you can walk your own damn self to whichever secluded area he wants to lecture you in. and, try as he might, law keeps his composure, until he just can’t anymore. you think you have the upper hand now, want to taunt him about it, but then his hand makes contact with your ass—giving it a nice, firm slap.

you lose your train of thought, stumble over your words, and grab the back of his jacket. a soft moan comes out of your mouth and before you do anything else that’s shameful, you clamp your lips shut. it’s amusing to him, you trying to have some restraint—but he knows better. you’re defiant, fearless, and a pain in his ass; but somehow you’ve tethered yourself to him, anchoring his heart, a calm he’s never really experienced before.

he finds this all annoying, and yet he can’t stay away from you.

bepo’s already gotten on him about how he’s much more strict with you than he is with the others. barely blinking, he simply shrugs it all off, not needing or wanting to explain himself to his friend. besides, he hardly understands any of this himself. law refuses to acknowledge that he has feelings for you, because giving it a name will veer him off course. he can’t afford to let that happen.

still, he takes you to his office as you try to regain your logic; as he locks the door behind him, his hold tightens around you before he perches you on top of his desk. staring up at your captain, you eye him sharply, hating how much you want him to spank you again—and doubly hating how your thighs keep rubbing together. your expression is priceless; a smirk makes its way onto his lips, as he rolls up his sleeves.

“don’t move,” he instructs, his eyes darkening, keeping you rooted in the same spot. you sit there, holding in a breath, trying to figure out if this is a very long dream, or if it’s actually happening to you. after taking off his hat, law grabs his desk chair and sits right in front of you. there’s a charged energy in the air around you; it has you sinking your nails into the palms of your hands, leaving behind angry crescent moon shapes behind. he settles into the chair comfortably, brushing his thumb against his lower lip before saying, “take it off.”

the command propels you in action, you clumsily peel your clothes off, pausing only once you’re in your bra and panties. he fixes you with a hard look, fingers twitching slightly. “all of it.” his gaze unnerves you, makes an ache grow within you, your thighs rubbing against one another as he raises a brow at you. without thinking about it too much, you unhook your bra and toss it onto the floor. he watches you carefully, almost obsessively, afraid that if he blinks he’ll miss something crucial. you hastily tug your panties off, goosebumps traveling along your skin. you’re very aware of how law is watching you and when you finally spread your legs, he admires the way your arousal drips from your pussy, slow like honey, his cock hard and painfully trapped behind his jeans. he has every intention of showing you just what happens when you defy orders from him, and you know in the back of your mind that you’ll do it again just to push him to his breaking point, hoping he’ll fuck the bratty attitude out of you.

because he’s much taller than you, he runs into you; a lot. so much that you ask him one day if he’s doing it on purpose. now, ace, being impossibly ace, will never willingly admit that he watches you more than he should; he will also never admit to liking the height difference between you two. he watches you struggle to reach things, laughs at the way your crew mates tease you endlessly about needing to grow an inch or three, and sees your temper shoot venom every time the jokes go a little too far.

after docking on a small island, you explore around, hoping to burn off some of your anger. the large ship is an impressive beast as it drifts in the water, acting as a landmark for you to return back to once you’re done. a few of your crew mates offer to explore with you, but you wave them off, seemingly annoyed with everyone, not wanting to lash out more than necessary if you can help it. you get turned around and end up in a clearing, the sound of water enticing you to get closer. because you’re so focused on the beauty in the fauna in the forest, you never hear him walk up behind you.

he wraps his arms around you, affectionate and demanding. and even though you know it’s him, you let out a distressed shriek anyway. he grins behind you, laughing at your theatrics, spinning you around until you start laughing too. “i hate you.” it’s not even remotely true; you doubt you could ever hate him, no matter what, but he doesn’t need to know that, does he?

ace doesn’t believe you, even says that as he drags his lips along the side of your neck, smiling playfully against your skin; you inhale sharply, fingers grabbing his forearm desperately, your stubbornness crumbling when he starts leaving kisses behind. your skin burns; each kiss eviscerating the remnants of your anger. you whimper softly before turning around in his arms, eyelids half closed, your arousal getting the better of you; he’s not much better, his cock stiff and bothersome, begging him to do something. a groan slips out of his mouth when your hand tugs on the waistband of his shorts, deftly unbuttoning them and freeing his cock after sliding the zipper down.

you’re not sure what possesses you, but you just want to touch him repeatedly—maybe get it out of your system so you can carry on with your afternoon. you know, deep down, that that won’t exactly do the trick, but you want to try anyway. his mouth finds yours, giving you messy tongue kisses as your hand wraps around his cock and strokes it slowly. you might actually be the death of him one of these days; the pace is agonizing and even as his hips jerk forward, you won’t give him what he wants. yet. he sucks on your tongue and all of your restraint dissipates.

your thumb rubs around the thick head, precum dripping out of his tip, and onto your hand. he’d be embarrassed if he hadn’t dreamt of having you like this — and in other ways, too — but when your hand tugs faster, his moans get louder, throatier, more desperate. he brings a hand to halt your movements and he pulls you to a nearby tree; when step out of your panties and hike up your skirt, he picks you up, using the tree trunk to hold you steady. when you wrap your legs around him, the length of his cock glides in between the folds of your pussy, pulling soft, pleading moans from you until you tug on his hair roughly.

he only chuckles at your ferocity, angles the tip of his cock with your needy entrance, and slides inside of you, pausing so that you can adjust before sliding in deeper. your nails sink into his shoulders, breath warm against his chest, his hips rocking against yours slowly as you call out his name. he never knew how much he needed to hear you come apart like this until now; his fantasy is dull in comparison; you’re so much more vibrant than his dreams portray. still, his hands are all over you all the same. you don’t even remember why you were so pissed in the first place, instead ace and his disrespectful mouth have temporarily muddled your memories. and you know that you should probably keep your voice down, but with each thrust, ace drags out sounds you didn’t know you were capable of making.

as you lose yourself in him, his strokes get shorter, faster, terrifyingly addictive; he pounds into your pussy mercilessly, loving the way you clench around him whenever he hits a certain spot. he whispers filthy promises in your ear, your cheeks flush deeply, but you’re too preoccupied with the way he’s fucking you to care. the roughness of the tree bark digs into your skin, but you don’t care—you really, truly don’t. all that matters is this; you, ace, this sliver of time together, since there’s barely any privacy on your ship to begin with. you kiss him senselessly, lips swollen, the noises that your pussy makes as his cock slams inside of you turns you on so much that you almost don’t want it to end. so you whisper against his lips—tell him to keep on going and he fulfills that request until your voice is too hoarse for you to say anything, with tears staining your cheeks as you can hardly stand on your own without his help.

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smittenbyvillains · 9 months

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Hi! Could you do the Wizards of the black circle meeting and falling in love whit someone who has a really strong magic ability, and learned magic at hogwarts? They use a wand for spells and stuff. Their also kind of silly and unhinged, like they use the unforgivable curses, like avada kadabra(I think thats what its called) on a regular basics. They killed a lot of people, mostly on accident. They tend to accidentally use spells when explaining things as they move their hands a lot accidentally pointing at things and people. If you seen "Its a me, Silvia"s "If I was at hogwarts" videos on tictok, then their basically like that.

They dont really care for the winx they just kinda hangs around them. Nor do they really care that the wizards are villains or dangerous, they talk to them like if they were regular people. Unlike the winx who gets ready to fight them they just continue doing what they were doing unless they're attacked or dissrupted.

Sorry If its a bit long, and you absolutly dont have to do it if you dont want to.

I love this request <:

You were glad to be out of Hogwarts. You didn't like your classmates much besides Draco. You were sad to leave him but you had to against your will. You had done a few questionable things that were close to going to Azazban. After completing your schooling you were on the platform and grinned at Draco.

"Have fun without me but not too much my ferret Boy!" You exclaimed with a laugh kissing his cheek. He rolled his eyes.

"I'll miss your crazy ass for sure." He said sighing. You skipped away accidentally throwing a few spells since your emotions were high. You giggled to yourself. You ended up going to Gardenia.

You were laughing to yourself. You were wearing a black skirt and green tank top and high boots with your wand safely hidden in them. You were just walking when a car almost hit you. You had wide eyes.

"Watch it muggles!" you snarled rolling your eyes. The wizards turned to you. You weren't fazed? You skipped away again walking to yourself. You ended up working at the fruity music bar. Not many liked you. Only a few. You noticed the group of girls always coming by talking with the owner's daughter. Surprisingly you got along with Roxy. She was different from anyone else here. Your ears perked up hearing Roxy upset. You went over.

"Are they bothering you Rox?" You asked tilting your head and looking at them with a glare. Roxy didn't get time to speak. A girl with blonde hair spoke.

"Roxy is friends with you? You don't even have good fashion sense." She said. You raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have the space to judge me." You said smirking. The girl looked shocked. The girls were quite shocked by how you were acting. "Rox, come help me with getting a few things down your dad forgot how short I am." You scoffed. Roxy nodded and smiled.

"Of course Yu." She said. You just grinned and laughed skipping away to that side again. You had no idea that the wizards were watching you from afar. They could tell you were something. You weren't from around here.

You muttered to yourself about the perky girls. You accidentally caused Stella's chair to pull out and you heard a whine.

"Who did that!?" Stella said. "My skirt is dirty!" She said. It reminded you of a few nasty purebloods. You looked at them and snickered. Stella looked at you. "It was you!" she said pointing at you. You laughed.

"Me? How could I? I am over here!" You said. "Maybe you are just clumsy." You said. That girl huffed.

A few days later Rox convinced you to apologize against your will. You walked with her and were talking about the ferret boy without mentioning the magic parts. No one knew about magic here. Figures as they were muggles. You reached the group of girls.

"Why is she here?" The blonde said. You rolled your eyes.

"Because I can't go against Roxy asking me to say sorry. So I'm sorry for being a bitch to you." You said crossing your arms. You watched Stella's hair turn green. You tried to keep a straight face and just giggled. The other girls were confused but Roxy who watched as well shocked.

"Stella your hair!" Roxy said.

"WHAT!!" Stella exclaimed as her hair was green now. You just giggled. "you witch!" She said straight at your face.

"I already know I am one." You grinned. They were shocked. "I wouldn't mess with me. I can do much worse." You said casually.

"You have magic?!" They all exclaimed. You looked bored. You had accidentally done a few of the unforgivable in front of them after this and different spells.

"Duh," You said. You laughed a bit before skipping off. What you didn't see was the wizards in hiding watching you. You decided to be nice and fix Stella's hair. From that day forward Roxy had to hang around them. You didn't want to but you knew something was up with them and wanted to see what it was. Soon you found out they were fairies. You just laughed and held your stomach.

Over the next few days, you started to talk to the wizards as they blended in. You enjoyed the attention. One day the Winx figured out who they were as you talked to them as they were blending in. You were confused when Bloom started to yell at the boys talking to you.

"Why are you yelling at them?" You said annoyed.

"There they are girls. Step away from them Y/N." Musa said. You frowned.

"Who are they exactly." You said.

"the wizards we are after," Stella said and the girls transformed. You just rolled your eyes and walked away. After that, you still talked to them as their normal selves. The girls were not pleased but you clearly were unstoppable. You were close to the wizards and they started to really like you. They wondered why you avoided anything violent even though it seemed to always be around you.

"Hello, little witch," Ogron said smirking. "Would you like to go somewhere with us today?" He asked you. You were about to say yes when you saw your best friend enter. You gasped and ran to him and hugged him. You missed Ogrons jealous face watching you embrace the young boy.

"Ferret!" You said grinning and laughing. He hugged you back.

"I wanted to stop by and see if you caused any trouble," Draco said.

"Of course I have!" You laughed and dragged Draco's hand to meet Ogron and his gang. "Meet the wizards of the black circle." They introduced themselves to Draco and Draco introduced himself as your best friend. You chatted with Draco for a while as the Wizards watched and muttered to each other. They did not like how close you were to that boy.

Draco left a little later to go to his work in the ministry. You ended up saying yes to Ogron. You were an insane mess the whole time. They felt like it was a date but you hadn't realized. Over time you realized you really liked them.

"Will you be our girlfriend," Gantlos said and you grinned giggling nodding.

"Of course, I will!" You said each gave them a kiss. They had fallen for you first then you fell for them.

#x reader #winxclub #winx club #x reader stories #villains #winx ogron #wizards of the black circle #winx gantlos #winx anagan #winx stella #winx flora #winx bloom

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nalyra-dreaming · 9 months

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Hello! I wanted to ask something that can start the fight, so ignore me if you want! Do you consider Louis good parent? Because I noticed (and maybe it's just me not following people who discuss it) that fandom generally paints Louis and Claudia relationship pretty simple. But there's many little things that show how not that good Louis and Claudia relationship, which culminates in him choking her (for some reason almost no one remembers that) Starting from first scene with him taking her to be his redemption, then begging Lestat to turn her and basically damn Claudia for a hell. (Before anyone says that Lestat is to blame too, I know! Of course he is, but people constantly talk about it but not about Louis) There was interview with Jacob when he said that Louis liked to dress up Claudia like a doll. Comparison with doll stucked with me, because while I genuinely believe Louis loved Claudia, you can't say he loved her instantly, since rescuing her from the fire. Basically I wanted to say, dynamic between Louis and Claudia is unhealthy. I didn't see anyone mention that falling into depression because your child left the house is not normal. Personally, I think he was too dependent on her which is unfair to Claudia. There's also whole ep6 where Claudia is RIGHTFULLY against Lestat but Louis acts like she's unreasonable "what are you doing?" "I'm enduring" "Do more!" or "You look ugly like this" I understand that Louis is victim but come on! And as I said him choking her... Claudia looking betrayed and terrified... Basically choosing Lestat over her and over her safety... There's also angle with him being a pimp and Claudia being "girl with no home". Maybe if she was a little older, she would be one of Louis' workers.

I'm starting to ramble here, I apologize, I just thought about Claudia recently and got very frustrated! Love your blog!

Hey! Glad you like :)!

I think Louis was a good parent, yes, in a sense by definition, because he so desperately wanted to be a good parent. And I do think he succeeded to be a (very) good parent for Claudia in the first years, even though his reasons for "having her" were selfish ones, ultimately. But then, parents always have to be selfish in that regard, I mean, what is the wish to be a parent? You want something... and then decide you want to have it. (At least if/when you can choose, obvs.)

Unfortunately Claudia did not stay the child he wanted (her to be) though, mentally. And that friction was something Louis couldn't quite follow, imho, and to large parts did not wish to follow.

He did not wish to acknowledge she was not on a hunger strike, he did not wish to realize she was torturing her victims. He did not wish to think these "ugly" things of her.

And I can understand that, btw. No parent wants to learn things like that about their child, wants to learn just how much they've failed them (and it always pains me when he talks about that in Dubai). How different they are to what they believed, and hoped for.

I think Louis was not the best parent for her later. He stood by often, he let Lestat do the hard parenting, and then tried to negotiate between them, or argued with Lestat afterwards behind closed doors (which Claudia noticed, too (and which would have driven me mad, btw)).

And no matter how easily he acquiesced to calling her "sister"... she was still his child for him, and yet he betrayed her (and will betray her again in s2), by choosing someone else over her.

And that is what that choking scene is all about, btw, and you can see it in Claudia's face, too. Louis betrays her in that moment. And their relationship after will never be the same again.

I agree it is not entirely healthy even before, because Louis does defer to both Claudia and Lestat (who are quite alike, too), however, I think it will not ... be as ... lets call it problematic as in the book, I think they won't go there.

Now... I disagree with the depression, Louis did not fall into depression because Claudia left, though that was certainly part of it.

Louis (and Lestat, who talks about setting himself on fire!) fell into depression because they lay low for seven years. And because a big part of the illusion of immortality (and the safety of it), and the state of them had been shattered. He puts it quite perfectly there: Claudia had exposed them. To the world (almost at least), but, worse, to each other. And that exposure was a very hard pill to swallow.

So no, I do not think Louis' and Claudia's relationship was simple. And it won't be simple in s2 either, and as mentioned before, I believe there will be ... interesting diary entries incoming, too.

And, last but not least - there is also the tale to consider.

Louis chose to omit things, editorialize, Daniel has been calling him out on that since the beginning. (And Armand apparently editorialized the diaries, too.) We only have seen a part of "Claudia", and as such of the relationship he had to and with her, namely the part he wanted us to see. (Well, apart from the two scenes that Daniel literally broke out of Louis at the end.)

Now in season 2... we will have Armand's POV, and I'm quite sure we will get to see some of the cut out pages come back, too.

It will change it all a bit still (and as has been mentioned "all will be revisited", so it will be interesting which aspects will change and which will only be enhanced)... though I do think that most of the things pertaining to Claudia will be "only" an enhancement - except the parts leading up and to murder night... because there... something different was going on (book canonically) and I really don't think they'll skip that twist.

Because it's a very heavy one, and literally a... errrrrrr.... dream for a show like this, script- and story-wise.

Tldr: :) I do think he tried to be a good parent, and there were times he succeeded... and times he did not. Which is something that all parents share I think. Unfortunately his failures had dire consequences though - but... in a way, that is something you cannot really blame him for though - because how should he have known?

And both he and Lestat learn from their mistakes with Claudia... and they will apply that later with another child, a child Claudia's backstory has been aligned to fit to on the show, which is something I find extremely interesting btw. But that just as a note.

#Anonymous #asks #ask nalyra #amc iwtv #iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire amc #iwtv amc #iwtv 2022 #interview with the vampire #iwtv louis #louis de pointe du lac #beautiful one #iwtv claudia #claudia de lioncourt #parenting #good parent

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m1xieup · 8 months

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Hey, i wanted to say that i follow your thoughts and theories about Nevermore for a week now and i have the feeling that your questions are quite perceptive !

SPOIL FAST PASS EP 80 (i think)

[[MORE]]

On the topic of Will, i cannot forget the conversation between Lenore and Annabel in 🌟 the closet 🌟 and more precisly the part about currency. Every time i see a character now it just pops in my head : What do they trade ? What do they expect to receive ? What are their character mental traits for them to think like that ? Why ?

I exposed this because it would be so cool to hear your thought on Will and Montrashor !

Spoilers for Nevermore (specifically 76+), read at your own risk!!!

Hi! Let me say first of all I’m flattered, and I’m glad you’ve been enjoying my thoughts/theories! Now this is quite the interesting question and one I need to give some thought, so I'm sorry it took so long! I hope you enjoy my interpretation though! (strap in though this is long)

What does “Currency” stand for?

What this character wants to receive/how they desire to be treated/ what they desire to be given (and by whom)

What they prioritize when it comes to gain → what do they risk/give things up for (what do they give up?)

Questions to be answered

What do they trade (what is their currency?)

What do they expect to receive (also for consideration; what are they willing to give in order to receive this)?

What are their character/mental traits for them to think like that? Why? (How could their personalities/experiences influence their currency and actions [their motivation]?)

Will

Ok Will. I’ll start with him as he’ll most likely be a focal character for the next few

episodes, and we’ll probably learn more about him. A quick reminder! I am not an expert and these theories/opinions are all based on my personal reading. Now, to the best of my understanding Will’s primary ‘currencies’ are security, and companionship. Will is indecisive, and a bit of a pushover. While his actions could be described as cowardly, I think that is simplifying it to a certain accent. He seems to face significant distress at the thought of Monty not being around to tell him what to do, and implies that he needs someone to control/decide what he does. I personally think this comes from indecisiveness, fear, and low self-esteem. Will consistently gravitates towards strong personalities-- people who will tell him exactly what to do so he can’t mess up, and so he can’t make the “wrong” decision. So what he desires from a relationship is security. A person to provide a sense of safety and comfort. He staunchly believes that Monty has a plan, and has complete faith in him. Now when understanding the meaning of ‘currency’ in this context it’s important to understand that this is what someone wants/needs, and is specifically a tool for manipulation. Will also seems to put a lot of stock in the fact that he and Monty are friends, and that they are companions. Will has been shown to be largely ignored/lonely outside of Montresor, and if my reading of him is correct, he is not someone used to kindness. He seems to be a fairly isolated person, so it seems that Will, in addition to security in the face of his fears and low self-esteem, desires friendship greatly. He states that Montresor is his friend so of course he’ll help Will when he needs it. Not only is he very loyal, in a desire to protect the security and companionship he gets, but he is willing to excuse a lot of mistreatment- both towards himself and others. Because if his friend is threatened, his stability is threatened. This obviously makes Will a very dependent person, which does align with his spectre.

Will’s spectre is interesting to analyze for a couple reasons assuming spectres represent the person in some way. Will is a doppelganger, which already means his entire thing is that he becomes like someone else. This implies that Will may not have a very stable identity, and possibly may act very differently depending on who it is he’s following. Secondly he does not have a face, just a circle of drama-style masks around his head. These masks display his emotions, and even become disorderly when he is drunk. These masks most likely indicate a facade, or the fact Will may be hiding some of his true emotions. His limbs are also surrounded by ribbons. Now, this may not be intentional, but we also know that ribbons are important symbols in Nevermore. They indicate restraint, entanglement, and expectations. They also could function somewhat as strings, so it’s possible they could also indicate manipulation and control. Another interesting detail is that Will is a neutral type spectre- the only other neutral spectre we’ve seen is Pluto, which makes him stand out. If it’s true that spectres correlate with either the circumstances of one’s death, or what they were feeling, this puts Will in a fairly unique place. I feel like his spectre also stands out due to its abilities: duplication. mimicry, and entanglement. Mimicry may be a representation of how he models himself after those that admires.

Now that I’ve discussed what I think his currency is, as well as talked a little about my thoughts on Will’s spectre, I figured I could talk a little more about what I think could lead him to act this way. Now in my explanation of why I chose ‘security and companionship’ I did already talk about my thoughts a little, but I figured I’d talk a little more before moving on to Monty. So I already mentioned that I believe that Will has fairly low self-esteem, and this makes him seek out someone to take the responsibility for his actions, give him validation, and treat him the way he feels he should be treated. Will, at least during the Mystery Manor Arc, blamed himself for the treatment he received from Monty. Now his friendship with Monty involving some part seeking validations may seem counterintuitive, as Monty rarely offers Will any validation, but this may be because he blames Will for it. Will, already thinking he is stupid, and generally negatively of himself, believes this. He constantly asks Monty for validation, and Monty keeps him around with the promise of his friendship and the eventual benefits that would come with that. Will believes in Monty, desperately, I mean he has to. He is so paralyzed by fear about making his own decisions, that Monty seems like a safe-haven. Will seems to be deeply lonely, and may even feel ignored or shunned by his peers. He’s sweet, and yet his peers just do not seem to care-- he’s a background character in his own story! Now this may just be a byproduct of him literally being a side character, but I believe that in episode 80 it was shown that even when the story is being told by him, he’s still treated this way. This would most likely make Will feel deeply lonely. So he seeks companionship, and is willing to give pretty much anything for it. This combined with his dependance, and willingness to put up with mistreatment, makes him the perfect target for Monty. Monty is shown time and time again to be a manipulator, and Will is both willing to be hurt and hurt others for the things Monty will offer him (even if he doesn’t actually end up receiving it). Now what could have made Will into this sort of person outside of just his personality? Sadly, we don’t really know (though we could be finding out soon), but we can theorize! My guess is that growing up Will had an extremely close bond; one upon which he was dependant, one that would have normalized the hostility he faces from Monty, and one that might have made Will into the person he is right now. It’s possible (depending on how closely they follow the source material, which I definitely have thoughts about but I’m waiting to learn more about him) that Will might have lost his parents at a young age, and this might have also influenced him greatly. In summary, Will may not be used to kindness, or to friendships that don’t expect him to fulfill this kind of role. It may be that this is simply what Will is used to and expects, which is sad! I definitely think that Will, alongside Morella, is the most likely to switch sides. In fact I think he’ll have to (see my episode 80 theories). Now I hope this has thoroughly explained my perspective on your questions!

Montresor

Ok, so part of the reason this analysis took so long was that I was having a lot of trouble with Monty. I just couldn’t seem to figure him out- I’d think one thing then think of something that contradicts it a minute later. So after much thought I’ve come to the conclusion that Montresor’s currency may be respect. Now I originally wrote this off as impossible, as in his relationship with Lenore he’s interested specifically because she does not show him respect- in fact she antagonizes him. However, he also states that a large portion of his interest in her is ‘taming’ her (yuck). This may mean that what he desires from this relationship is respect, it's the respect she’ll give him once he breaks her. Monty specifically has a very dog-eat-dog world view, and thinks there are two types of people; winners and losers. He says he himself is a winner, and that the losers are just there to populate their games. Monty may actually be a dark foil to Annabel. Monty views life as a game, and one that is inherently competitive. He also treats others as pawns like Annabel, manipulating and using them to his advantage. He was also the one to first peg Lenore as a true threat in episode 32, where he made Annabel and Lenore compete over Morella. He knew to look out for Lenore, and I think part of what draws him to her is part of what draws Annabel to Lenore- she doesn’t play by the rules of the game. She is a challenge to Montresor, and one he is determined to beat. Another thing I noticed is that while Monty may be reckless, he’s not stupid. He most definitely does have a plan. He is able to compete with big players like Annabel, Lenore, and Prospero and you’ve got to have some sort of strategic ability to do so. He also is very good at picking people. Specifically people that help serve his larger goal- in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if he even has a goal outside of getting that second chance at a life. Monty is a manipulator at his core, and that is part of why it was so hard to understand his currency (I’m still not 100% on the one I chose). Monty often uses different tactics with different people, and acts according to the bounds of that relationship. However, I do feel that what Monty wants ultimately is respect. Annabel gets the best responses from him when challenging his reputation (possibly lowering the respect he receives from others) and when she respects him. He reacts negatively when she disrespects or tells him what to do (such as in the hallway). There is also his track record with insults. He hates them, and takes them extremely personally. He is also very vindictive, and it seems the easiest way to get on his bad side is to disrespect/insult him. He also is one to hold a grudge it seems based on his comments on ‘keeping a ledger’ in the Mystery Manor arc. However, yet again this circles back to Lenore. Why does he keep interacting with her, and is fascinated by her, if he hates disrespect? He wants to prove her wrong. He knows both Annabel and Lenore look down on him, but Lenore does so openly and he is allowed to take out his frustrations on her because she is on the opposite team. Lenore’s respect means more because he had to earn it. In my opinion Montresor suffers from the ever-so-common in toxic men cocktail of an inflated yet fragile ego, ruthless world view, and a deeply buried kernel of self-hatred. Montresor isn’t just fun to hate because he’s evil- but because there is an element of realism to his characterization.

Now we get on to the ‘why are they like this’ portion of the analysis (I would analyze Monty’s spectre but it has less to do with this than Will’s and I’ve already been working on this a few days and I’m tired). The reason I feel Monty wants respect (as well as control) so badly in his relationships, is that there was a period of time where he did not get it. Monty was a cowboy in the wild west, and as much as the image of a cowboy may be glorious, it really was just another working-class job with a ton of physical labor. In fact during the time period (we think) Monty was alive, he’d be in the same category as coal-miners. He would have moved a lot, and had to do some very dangerous jobs. He also would have been fairly poor, as stated before, being a cowboy was not particularly lucrative. He also would have to have regularly come into contact with rich ranchers, who may not have been particularly respectful. This may contribute to why Monty acts with such particular vitriol towards Duke, who epitomizes the idea of east coast/foreigner who disrespects him and his background (particularly by calling him a ‘stupid, backwoods hick’) This most likely was a sore spot for Monty during his life- also side note I noticed that people tend to act in accordance to their lives and experiences in them despite not remembering them fully, which is interesting. The point is that as a cowboy Monty would not have gotten the respect he felt he deserved, and that may have influenced what he looks for in relationships aka his ‘currency’. The reason he wants to gain Lenore’s respect and ‘tame’ her is in order to prove himself. Montresor has been underestimated by almost everyone he’s come into contact with. They assume, due to his personality and hot-headed nature, that he is much less intelligent than he is. I think this even applies to the audience- I mean I underestimated him at first! It’s easy to see that Annabel is intelligent; she is cold, calculated, and a strategist at heart. But Monty? No. The thing is I think this was a common theme in his relationships in life, and he resents people underestimating him due to his background. So, he seeks to earn and take respect from the people he thinks are a threat/look down on him. He also has a very ruthless view of the world, one that usually comes from a harsh life, and seeing as we knew he was a cowboy it's very possible that he had a couple bad experiences that made him think this way. It could also be that someone taught him this was true (such as a mentor, or a combination of the two- someone he cared about betrayed him while expressing this sentiment). This could just be how he is, but I find this unlikely. Something caused him to think in this manner. I personally think that the betrayal angle is very interesting, and plausible. So, we know that Monty believes there are two types of people: winners and losers. He thinks of himself, Lenore, and most likely Annabel as winners. He thinks of both Ada and Will as losers most likely- useful to further his chances. He uses them to advance his plans, but I’m not sure he really cares (I do think it's possible he does care and just doesn’t show it, but based on his behavior… it's not likely.) about them. He keeps them around him for their skills, and possibly to boost his ego, but would sacrifice them in a heartbeat. They give him respect, but it's not the same because he didn't have to earn it. They have a blind faith in him. He wants to prove those he thinks sees themself as above him wrong, and he wants their respect more than anything. This makes Monty a very compelling villain, and a fun character to analyze! His unique combination of a high/fragile ego, and possibly some self hatred in there, makes him hard to predict, and even harder to control.

#nevermore #nevermore webcomic #nevermore webtoon #nevermore spoilers #nevermore theory #montresor nevermore #will nevermore

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aquarian-queen · 10 months

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Q: It's been fun to watch Troy and Madison interact with each other. It's like watching a chess match, because each one knows how to play the other one, and Troy may have gotten more than he bargained for with the Clark family, because Madison has been messing with him and keeping Troy on his toes as much as he keeps her on her toes. Daniel Sharman: Absolutely. That was always what was fascinating to me about the script. You never get the sense that either chess player reveals their hand, and what I find lovely about it is that even when Troy is at times surprised or outmaneuvered or outflanked by Madison, there's a kind of respect there instead of an animosity, because he now has a partner that is equal to him. I think that's the first time in his life he's ever had someone who has showed that, so there's a kind of excitement and joy in playing with her. His barometer of when we can be friends is not quite the same as everybody else's. You have to almost kill him to gain his respect. Q: At first you think that Troy is just this sadistic person and that he's doing these things just to be pure evil, but as we learn more about his backstory, it almost seems as though Troy is as much of a victim as he is a villain. Was it interesting to dive into that duplicity as an actor? Daniel Sharman: Yeah, I'm really not interested in playing—I don't think any actor is—two-dimensional characters, so it was never an idea to me that this was just a psychopath or somebody that was totally without a past or a reason for his behavior, so I was really glad that the scripts supported a deeply troubled character, but also the reasons for that trouble—an exploration into a human being and human nature. That to me, as an actor, is always way more fascinating than just playing an "evil" character. Q: Because Troy lost his mom before the apocalypse, do you think that he could almost see Madison like a mom figure in his life? Daniel Sharman: There's a very muddy relationship there. Of course there is an idea of losing a mom, but I don't think it's quite as simple as him wanting to replace his mother. I think he looks at Madison as a strong woman, and is fascinated by someone who cares so deeply for her children and would do anything for their survival, which is so alien to him, because he's never had anybody that's done that. So I don't think it's just a motherly thing, but he's fascinated by blind devotion and this intense love. Because when he first sees Madison, it's not just Madison, it's Madison with Alicia. That's the key, seeing those two together and watching that relationship, which is something that Troy just does not understand. He has a line in the first episode where he says something like, "You love him more than you love yourself." And he's never encountered that. He's quite baffled by somebody who would really, honestly give their life for somebody that they loved.

Honestly, it's because of Troy and Madison's dynamic that helped me write my current Troy x OC story.

#daniel sharman #troy otto

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hphmmatthewluther · 8 months

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Threads of Silver - Chapter 4: Feast or Famine

I'm back! The previous chapter can be found over here!

This chapter features characters from @camillejeaneshphm , @nikyiscreepy and from @endlessly-cursed !

Taglist (please ask to be added/removed!): @camillejeaneshphm @endlessly-cursed @that-scouse-wizard @catohphm @gaygryffindorgal @potionboy3

In the dull orange light of the fires that surrounded the entrance to the Thane of Cawdor’s castle, Lachlann tried to readjust his clothes so they’d be less constricting for what felt like the hundredth time. It didn’t work. He and Rowena had only had a single day to get used to the tower’s new location before they were off on horseback to get here on time, leaving especially early so that they would have time to drop Helena off with Rowena’s friend, Helga Hufflepuff. They did not stay long, but he overheard that she too had decided to find an apprentice. It appeared that Rowena had started something of a fad when she ventured to Ireland, though of course she had had to wait until Lachlann turned eighteen for him to begin learning magic with her. In the time in between, it seemed, such ideas had caught on with those that knew Rowena. He had met those working under Godric already, and was now slightly curious as to whether or not this Salazar person had done something similar.

A loud creaking sound rang through the night air as the great doors before them opened, allowing Lachlann and Rowena to see into the castle itself. The grand structure still seemed incredibly dark and imposing in spite of the many lights that were dotted across the walls and courtyard, guests all around seemingly all too happy to enter the place, which to Lachlann looked almost nightmarish with how it loomed over them.

Rowena seemed to understand her apprentice’s concerns. “Worry not, Lam. While the Thane’s castle certainly doesn’t present its owner as benevolent, he will not want to look too bloodthirsty in front of his guests, especially since he’d like to distract from Helga’s absence.” Lachlann nodded along as they ventured across the courtyard, following the other guests. He was keeping an eye out for Godric or perhaps the Osadas as well, while also listening to Rowena’s advice. He got the strangest feeling that he’d almost certainly need it.

“Now, you’re an apprentice and ex-serf, and so some may not necessarily be welcoming to you. As long as you remain close to me and remain dutiful, deferential and polite to all, we shouldn’t run into any problems. Understand?”

“Yes, Milady.” Lachlann confirmed. “And that’s even if the changelings are here, understand?”

“Yes, Mi-” he stopped to ask if he had heard her correctly, but before he could they had made it into the hall where the feast was being held, being briefly greeted by the Thane before entering, who couldn’t quite seem to meet Rowena’s eyes, despite towering above her and being donned in ceremonial armour.

But the Thane wasn’t what Lachlann’s mind was on.Huge tables were set up across the large space, about as large as the inside of a church, with plates and knives carefully set out, as well as enough space to socialise before sitting down to eat. There was a singular table on the raised part of the hall, which stretched across most of the area, that seemed to have the most ornate chairs and tablecloths. Something else caught Lachlann’s eye as they walked into the room. Most of the knives and plates were either wooden or iron, except for three on the far right of the high table, which glistened in the candlelight in an all too familiar manner.

“They’re here.” Lachlann said bluntly, Rowena nodding. Her face didn’t show any sign of emotion, however, a surprise to Lachlann seeing as she would be eating with the very people who sent someone to kill her. When she heard someone call her name, however, she rolled her eyes.

“Ah, Lady Ravenclaw, I’m so glad you decided to come. And Lachlann! Wonderful to see you again! Luxia, dear, this is who I was telling you about the other day.” Godric laughed, walking over to the two with a woman with dark hair in a red dress by his side, who Lachlann assumed must be Luxia, as well as the Osadas, who both bowed to Rowena and gave a brief nod to Lachlann.

“Lord Gryffindor. Lady Thorne.” Rowena said, bowing in return and trying not to grit her teeth, “And how wonderful to see Gabriel and Rousalie too. Will the baron be joining us too?”

“Yes, though father and mother are with-”

The crowd seemed to be growing quiet and moving away from the door as a group neared it. “That’s what I was going to mention, ‘Wena…he’s just arrived.” Godric sighed, Luxia looking slightly nervous as she too gazed over at the door.

The man gave the briefest of nods to the Thane, who bowed and smiled as he held the door open for him and his entourage. He had dark hair and a short beard in the same shade, and wore resplendent green robes, lined with a material that looked silver, but most likely wasn’t the real thing. What was real, however, was the staff he held in his right hand, that thudded against the stone floor as he walked. His green eyes flitted across the room, Lachlann following them whilst everyone else was seemingly entranced by him. They scanned his seat at the high table, the silver crockery, the many guests, Godric, Rowena, and for the briefest moment he seemed to smirk at Lachlann before completing his venture into the room, the noise returning as both he and the Thane began to socialise, his servants closing the doors to the hall behind them.

“Lord Slytherin, I presume?” Lachlann asked aloud. The Osadas had stepped back a little, and Rousalie nodded as if answering the question.

“Yes, and there’s our parents, just there.” She pointed across to the two people at the edge of Salazar’s entourage; both looked to be in their mid thirties with a different form of Regalia compared to those around them, which Lachlann supposed made sense seeing as they were from abroad. “Goodness, a Scottish feast, how exciting. I wonder how it may differ from English ones…”

Gabriel sighed. “Would you stop pointing? It’s improper and you might attract them over.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Rousalie asked.

“It might be!” he hissed back, Lachlann feeling slightly awkward. “If people see us on the opposite side of mother and father-”

But alas, Gabriel’s worst fear came true. Salazar turned and began walking towards them, entourage included. Seemingly knowing that Lachlann would be more than a little concerned by this, Rowena turned around and nodded softly. There wasn’t much more to say. He’d either sink or swim at this point.

He watched as Salazar approached both Rowena and Godric, bowing as well as kissing Rowena’s hand. He was the only one who saw Godric roll his eyes when that happened. The Thane of Cawdor also bowed, before slipping away to “prepare for the feast”, as if he had noticed the tension in the air. Lachlann tried to reassure himself. It wasn’t like anyone would be wanting to talk to him specifically, after all. He felt far worse for the Osadas, who suddenly found the floor very interesting to look at in the face of their parents.

By this point, some of the entourage had left Salazar’s side, leaving just Baron and Baroness Osada, Salazar himself, and two women who looked about Lachlann’s age.

“Lord Gryffindor, Lady Thorne, and…” he paused for a moment as he stared at Rowena. “It’s so wonderful to see you again, Lady Ravenclaw. The realm of magic simply hasn’t been the same since the last time you graced us with your presence.”

“You’re much too kind, Lord Slytherin.” Rowena replied stiffly, “Returning to being a full-time witch is something I have been eager to do for quite some time.”

“Indeed, indeed…curious how quickly you’ve been able to do so, considering…well, I thought that you must have offered your services to a noble or king, especially when I heard you’d changed address. But no, you’re still up in the Highlands, correct?”

“Correct.” Rowena said, bluntly. Godric quickly stepped in before she could say anything else, however.

“Yes, it’s a truly lovely spot she’s chosen, I was over there just recently with the Osadas. They are truly wonderful travelling companions, Baron Osada. They are exceptionally well-behaved and dutiful.”

“I’m so glad you found them that way.” the Baron replied, bowing to Godric. “We are so grateful for your tutelage of them. What an invaluable endeavour.”

Godric shrugged, smiling. “Well, I cannot take all of the credit, Alas. The idea was Lady

Ravenclaw’s, of course…”

“Indeed it was.” Salazar said, smirking, his eyes once again flitting to look at Lachlann for the briefest of moments, before turning back just as the Thane of Cawdor approached. “Ah, it is time for us to take our seats at the high table.” He turned to the rest of the group, with Lachlann, Gabriel and Rousalie all unable to directly make eye contact. “You all should be escorted to your seats in due time. I don’t believe you’ve met my own apprentices, from the Kingdom of Francia, no less. Lady Brunhilde of Cologne, and Lady Mathilde of Coventry, allow me to introduce you to the children of Baron and Baroness Osada, and…Lady Ravenclaw’s apprentice. If you’ll excuse me…” he said, bowing slightly and walking away, his staff tapping against the castle floor, as if signalling the other guests to make way.

Perhaps, in hindsight, Lachlann should have paid more attention to who else was on the high table. But it now fell to him and the Osadas to greet Salazar’s apprentices. Rousalie, with surprisingly quick speed, got her introduction out of the way very quickly, graciously bowing before taking a step back, even gesturing to Gabriel as if to rub it in. Ignoring her, Gabriel stepped forward, and by instinct Lachlann did too. He forced himself to look away from the ground and up at the two women.

The one Gabriel bowed in front of was the taller of the two, and by a decent degree taller than a lot of others in the hall, including Gabriel, but stopping a few inches short from Lachlann’s height. She wore an elegant deep purple dress in the same style as Salazar’s clothing, her hair a deep orange, masterfully styled, and her face unmoving as Gabriel bowed slightly before her, extending his hand. Lachlann tried his best to copy the motion for the woman before him (thankfully Rowena had taught him for moments like this). Unlike the woman in the purple dress, however, the woman before Lachlann wasn’t expressionless at all, and seemed to be making just as many observations as he was. It gave him a modicum of relief.

Judging by the order Lord Slytherin had introduced the two, he assumed that this must be Lady Mathilde of Coventry. She also had incredibly well-styled hair, though hers was blonde, and she was much shorter in height than Lady Brunhilda. Her dress was a similar shade of green to Salazar’s, though perhaps a shade one way or the other, and happened to be adorned with silver linings across the fabric, wrapping around the tightly fitted upper half of the dress, giving her a very sleek look despite the many, many layers that presumably made up the dress. Her green eyes looked down upon him, and he dared to look back up. She remained quiet, but it was clear that she had something on her mind as she looked at the group all the same.

***

Persephone looked between Merula and Matthew for a moment. “So both your ancestors ended up meeting each other a thousand years ago? Boy, no wonder you two got wrapped up in all of that magical destiny sort of thing.” she chuckled.

Merula rolled her eyes at the interruption. “Oh please. Once you’re at the thousand year mark the chances are you’re going to find an awful lot of ancestors wandering about the place. It’s no surprise that many of ours just so happened to come across each other, it’s just that it got recorded because our ancestors are fairly important people.” she said, proudly.

Mayson sighed. “Aw man, that doesn’t mean you're technically a Baroness, does it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Kowalksi.” Merula chuckled. “Possibly. There are several contenders for where the title should be, myself being one of them, though of course I don’t mind too much. My fame will come from what I do, not because my ancestors managed to pass a title down the family line.”

Persephone raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like you, Miss Fourth-Generation-Slytherin. Anyway, when are we getting to this gossip? So far all we’ve had is some weird cutlery.”

“And the general tension between the founders, um…” Matthew pointed out. “It’s crazy to think we know them now as close friends after hearing they acted like this around each other, trying to one-up each other with their apprentices.”

“Well, we’re getting into it now. You want gossip? Fine.” Merula huffed, flicking through her notes once again. “Hm…being a Baroness would be pretty cool…a-anyway… ”

***

Even now, Lachlann could smell the food being prepared in the castle kitchens, the smell beginning to waft in from the doors. The others didn’t seem too bothered by it; perhaps because they had had meals like these all their lives, and so it provided an extra difficulty when it came to socialising like this. Still, he remained determined to represent Lady Ravenclaw in a proper manner. He and Gabriel rose from their bows and watched as Brunhilda and Mathilde both curtseyed in return, the silver that adorned Mathilde catching Lachlann’s eye. He figured this was a result of the changeling’s claim of control over silver only extending to the Isles.

But right now wasn’t the time to focus on silver, even if the changelings were here at the feast. Maybe it would come up with Brunhilda and Mathilde, maybe it wouldn’t. He knew full well the conversation likely wouldn’t be led by him.

The woman Gabriel had bowed before, Lady Brunhilda, spoke first. “How truly wonderful it is to see you all. It is always a pleasure when you visit from your home kingdom, and I am delighted to hear you will be staying in these Isles on a more regular basis.” she said, the words sounding complimentary, but Lachlann sensed no real emotion behind them.

Gabriel, too, sensed the detachment, but seemingly chose not to comment. “Indeed, Bruna, it truly will be a delight for both myself and my sister.” he said. Bruna seemed to glare at Gabriel with some semblance of annoyance for a moment before quickly returning to her blank mask. Rousalie’s face, meanwhile, briefly glowered with anger at being pulled in before composing herself.

“My brother speaks truthfully. It is always a varied experience whenever we are invited to a feast anywhere in these Isles. There are simply so many slight differences in the way the many kingdoms do their feasts!” she exclaimed, smiling.

Bruna smiled as well, but it seemed hollow. “I wholeheartedly agree. It’s much the same in the various provinces in France, wouldn’t you agree, Mathilde?” she droned, looking to her companion.

Lachlann turned to look at her, and was surprised to see that she’d been looking at him. “Oh, of course, Bruna, dear.” she said, her face still in that observant expression. “We’ve both been to so many of these feasts…” she said, her eyes now fixed on Lachlann. “But this is the first time Lady Ravenclaw has come to a feast with an apprentice.”

All eyes in the group were now on Lachlann, Rousalie once again wordlessly gesturing, this time for him. “That’s correct, milady.” he began, though sensed immediately that it’d take a little more than that. “Lachlann Doherty, of Wexford.”

“Wexford, did you say?” Mathilde repeated, her eyebrow slightly raised. “I’ve not heard of that province. Would it happen to be on the other island?”

“That’s correct, milady, by the South East Coast.” Lachlann confirmed. “Though, I suppose the accent gives it away too.” he said as well, unsure where that admission had come from.

Mathilde’s mouth formed a small smile, Bruna continuing to watch on without reaction. “Yes, it does.” she chuckled. “But of course, that’s not why you’ve been the subject of a few rumours.”

“Rumours, Milady?”

“Quite so,” Bruna interjected, “About how despite Lady Ravenclaw devising the idea of apprentice mages, she was the last to acquire one. And while the other sorcerers of her standing took their protégés from their close friends who shared the gift…she went all the way to the South of Éire, only to return with…a peasant.”

“A former peasant.” Rousalie pointed out, sparing Lachlann from thinking about making the interruption. “Or do you prefer “serf”, Lachlann?”

He blinked a couple of times. “Either’s fine.” he blurted out, clearing his throat before continuing, “It’s not exactly something I can hide about myself, after all.”

Mathilde hummed in response, her fingers tapping together. “Fascinating, you seem remarkably frank about your former status…you consider yourself to be among your peers, now?”

Lachlann shrugged, praying that he understood what she’d asked properly. “Well, in terms of us all being apprentices, yes. Though I’m not gonna pretend I’ve had as much experience as any of you, be it in magic or in doing whatever it is we do at feasts.”

Mathilde blinked. Then she smiled. Then she brought her hand to her mouth to stifle a chuckle, which seemed to surprise Gabriel, Rousalie, even the stoic Bruna. “Worry not, I do not blame you for not knowing what it is we do at feasts. After all, sometimes I have similar questions myself at events like these.” The others in the group then took terms politely agreeing with Mathilde’s comments, Lachlann’s eyes being able to glance over at the group preparing to sit at the high table. He saw the Osadas, Godric, Luxia and Rowena on the left side of the Thane, and Salazar and three others on the right. He didn’t recognise them at first, but then realised that these were the ones dining with silverware. There were two who looked to be in their late 20s and seemed to be a couple, and a woman that somehow seemed younger but not by much. But before he could examine them any further, people started moving around the hall.

“The feast is beginning.” Gabriel explained. “Well, technically it already has, but the actual feast portion of the night. You understand.” He confirmed. Lachlann nodded in return as the tables were organised and plates were positioned on top. A servant appeared, gesturing for them to follow, but before he could walk forward, he was stopped by Gabriel. “You’re doing well, friend, but…be wary around those two. They are fully devoted to Lord Slytherin, and they say that-” but he stopped as Bruna and Mathilde walked past, and he was forced to walk along with them.

They were guided to their tables, and ended up passing by Rowena’s group as a result. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head in a way that suggested “Did it go well?”. Lachlann returned the expression in a way that suggested “I think so, at least it has so far.”, aware that there would be conversation during the feast as well as whatever followed it. He tried to calm his nerves, his eyes once again scanning the room. It was during this that he noticed Mathilde and Bruna were talking in hushed voices to Salazar and the three others. The Lord noticed him, but merely smiled, and gestured for the women to rejoin the group before talking with the others on his side of the table, presumably the changelings.

Two others made eye contact with Lachlann from that group. Mathilde, only briefly, and the youngest of the changelings, who gave him a smirk that felt oddly familiar. He sat down with the others, next to Rousalie and opposite Mathilde. The younger Osada also noticed the woman. She had a purple dress, though of a different shade to Bruna, as well as silver linings that absolutely had to be the real thing.

“I’m not sure what family they are, either.” Rousalie whispered, smiling still. “They certainly seem important, though. Do any of us present have an idea as to their family?”

Gabriel shrugged, as did Bruna and Mathilde, though theirs seemed almost in unison, as if practised. Lachlann wondered if that was something they taught nobles, how to shrug properly. He fought the urge to smile about it. “Ah well,” Rousalie continued. “It doesn’t concern us right now.”

Before any more could be said, however, the food was brought out. More meat than Lachlann had ever seen was piled onto the plates, alongside rich-looking bread and more. It was definitely the most amount of food Lachlann had ever had on a plate, dwarfing even what Rowena gave him. He looked around, and everyone else seemed to be waiting to eat, looking at the high table. The Thane stood up and raised his goblet, a wicked grin on his face. “Welcome, esteemed guests! We are honoured to have so many of the nobility in our presence here in the Highlands, and I am sure his Majesty of this fine region would agree. And so, in thanks for his wise leadership allowing this meeting between those of a magical persuasion and those who are otherwise. To His Majesty the King!”

Everyone in the room raised their own drinks, repeating the toast, before the feast properly began. Lachlann picked up his utensils, his eyes still on the high table. Yes, he was very much hungry, but there was simply so much in front of him, he wondered where on earth he was supposed to start. It was then that Mathilde cleared her throat.

“Something about the Thane’s speech?” she asked, a small smile present on her face as she spun her fork on her food.

Lachlann shrugged. “I suppose a little. It was odd to see him praising the King so much, since I heard the Thane doesn’t like him.”

Mathilde rolled her eyes in a lighthearted way. “Oh, but that’s precisely why. He’s wanted to try and break from the King for a while now, he’s just got to keep up appearances for a bit until the time is right. But you don’t need to worry about all that.” She leant back a little on her seat. “Now, you ought to eat. Your food will get cold.”

He nodded, focusing on the large meal before him. He took a hold of his spoon and started eating what was before him. It wasn’t just food that looked rich. It was the most filling thing he’d ever tasted, a single bite or two of the red meat completely wiping away the stomachache. He had some of the bread, hoping it would be slightly less rich, but no such luck. A few minutes in and he already felt full, and he’d only eaten about half of what was on his plate. He tried one more bite, and it felt as if his stomach was fit to burst. He wasn’t sure how rude a gesture it was to not eat everything on his plate, and so decided to be very careful about pushing his bowl forward, the food left inside hidden to an extent by the goblets in front of it. But, as fate would have it, this would turn out to be the least of his problems.

At first, he thought it was the richness of the food that was causing him to feel a little unwell. But soon, it became clear that the pain was in more than just his stomach. It was as if it was reaching out across his body. He felt sweaty, his head felt numb, it became very difficult to breathe. Once more, he’d observed everything in the hall. He saw Mathilde, her eyes anywhere but him for some reason, Bruna whom she was talking to, who also seemed to act like he didn’t exist all of a sudden. The only one who seemed concerned was Gabriel, who he saw mouth words that he didn’t hear. That was when Lachlann realised his hearing had muffled. The world seemed to swirl around him, and his thoughts were on how disappointed Lady Ravenclaw was going to be in him because of whatever this was…at least until he saw the woman in the dress smirking once more. And he knew where he’d seen it. The last time his life was in danger.

“You.”

Suddenly Lachlann was not in the hall of the Thane of Cawdor, though he heard distorted voices from the feast in the misty air. Instead, he was in a clearing in a dark forest that seemed to be shrinking in on him, the trees covering more and more of the grass. The only other person there stood opposite, looking down upon him.

“Me.” Betwixt chuckled, her eyes now a pale white without irises. “Typical peasantry, always surprised when a changeling they met in armour rocks up in a dress. It’s so fun watching them wrap their tiny little minds around the ways of the Fae.”

Lachlann scowled as he lay on the ground, trying to regain his composure. “...Should’ve known. I just thought you would have spent some time sulking after I threw you in that puddle.”

Betwixt rolled their eyes, though without the pupils it was a little hard to see. “Please. I likely would have sulked a little longer, but when I heard you would be accompanying the thief to this feast, my parents and I agreed that it was simply too good an opportunity to miss.”

Lachlann blinked several times, the mist getting just a little bit thicker. “So, what? You poisoned my food?”

“Do you never listen?!” Betwixt seethed, dusting down her dress, “We are royalty! As if we would ever poison someone ourselves. We simply spoke to Lord Slytherin and he agreed to have his specialist handle it. We’ve used the services of his acolytes in the past, after all.”

“Right…” Lachlann sighed, his mind swimming as he tried to get to his feet, though this time it was not from numbness, but from curiosity as to who had poisoned him. As he thought about it longer, the answer became clearer. “And killing me does what, other than avenging your soggy clothes?”

Betwixt did not show an outward reaction to that jab. “Simple.” she smirked, her skin becoming purple and her hair going from brown to white, “Without you, Lady Ravenclaw will once again be unable to operate as a full-time witch. From there, it shall be far easier to reclaim our stolen silver.”

“You stole the silver first, as far as I’m concerned.”

“It was given to us through Fae law, something you clearly know nothing about!”

“You caught some Lord exaggerating, congratulations, it doesn’t give you the right to-”

“Would you be quiet!” She bellowed, running her hands through her hair. “When I use Legilimency on those who are dying on my orders, it is not for them to insult me! It is for them to plead for their worthless mortal lives! You are doomed! As we speak, the poison works through your veins, causing so much pain that your mind is obscured by a cold, foul mist…until of course, death strikes.” she gestured to the forest. ��That’s why you can only hear my voice. I am here, but the fog in your mind prevents you from seeing any more.”

Lachlann blinked. “...but I can see you. It’s not even all that foggy.”

Betwixt looked like she was about to continue, but stopped in her tracks. “N-No, you can’t.”

“...I’m certain I can.”

“No you can’t! The poison is clouding your mind, you can’t see, you’re frozen in place...”

Lachlann took a step forward. “I can see you, and…” he turned his head, noticing a path leading out of the forest, towards what looked like Ravenclaw Tower. “I think I see a way out.”

Betwixt laughed in spite of herself. “No, no, no!” she said, denying what was happening in front of her as Lachlann started walking forward. “You can’t move! You can’t see the trees! You can’t see the way out! That’s not how this works!” she screeched, stamping her foot on the grassy floor.

“Ah, typical nobility.” Lachlann chuckled as he walked past her, “Something doesn’t go your way, and you can’t wrap your head around it. Who was the blind one again?”

“Stop!” yelled Betwixt, uselessly, “Come back this instant! You’re doing it wrong, you damn peasant!”

Lachlann simply waved as he walked towards the Tower, the trees thinning along with the fog. It was still cold, and he still felt awful, but his mind was clear. He looked to the sky, and lightning came down over the trees. There was a flash, and the forest was gone. He opened his eyes, scanning the hall yet again. He was lying on the stone floor of the hall, with Rowena on one side and Rousalie on the other, Gabriel squatting nearby as well. All eyes were on him.

“Oh, Merlin…” Rowena said, her voice betraying how relieved she was.

“Aah! He’s still alive!” Rousalie exclaimed, backing away in shock.

“Yeah, I can see that, Rou,” Gabriel sighed. “How did…”

“Wena, just where did you find this boy?” Godric chuckled, Luxia holding his arm and the Osadas near him, all looking on in surprise.

Lachlann sat himself up, still feeling numb and sweaty. He looked at the high table, at the Thane of Cawdor who seemed at a loss for words, at Salazar who simply glowered at him, at the changelings who were behind all this (and seemed to be having trouble keeping their chosen forms stable). Then he looked at the table he’d fallen from, at Bruna and Mathilde. The former was trying and failing to keep expressionless, her lips parted slightly. The latter was glaring directly at him, held back by Bruna as if she was afraid Mathilde was going to leap over the table to get at him. Lachlann simply smiled.

“A-Apologies…” he said, grimacing in pain, “...As a former serf, I’m afraid I’m ignorant on the proper way to be poisoned.”

***

Merula paused for a moment, yawning. “Blimey, how long have I been going…Matthew, you’ve got one of those muggle wrist-clock things…what time is it?”

Matthew checked his watch. “It’s…ah…late.” He sighed. “Past midnight, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“You can’t stop now!” Persephone exclaimed. “We were just getting to the good stuff! I wanted to know what everyone was going to do next!”

Merula sighed. “You were the one who wanted us to go to bed in the first place, Palerosine.”

“Sparks is right,” Mayson said, “You’re the best History of Magic teacher I’ve ever had. You actually made it…y’know…interesting! I actually want to learn more for the first time!”

Merula rolled her eyes. “I know you’re playing to my ego, Kowalski…but that’s exactly how I operate, as I’m sure Matthew must have told you. Alright, I’ll tell you about the rest of the night. You’d better get an O on this report, is all I’ll say. The both of you.” she ordered, pointing to Mayson and Persephone.

“Oh, I imagine we will, don’t worry.” Persephone smiled. “Also…did you just call him Matthew?” she asked, pointing to the only Ravenclaw in the room.

“What? N-No. Did I? No. Don’t be silly.” she said dismissively, fishing through her notes and hiding her blushing face. “Ah, here we are, let’s…let’s keep going.” she said, quickly looking at Matthew, who smiled back at her. She blushed a little more, before finding what she was looking for. “Here we are…Lachlann makes his snarky quip, and then…”

#hp founders era #founders' era #hphm #lachlann doherty #mathilde of coventry #bruna of cologne #gabriel osada #rousalie osada #godric gryffindor #rowena ravenclaw #salazar slytherin #sovereign betwixt #luxia thorne

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