#so if you have any appetite to I would recommend reading the thing through when it’s finished

[elapsed-spiral]

I know I’m getting ahead of myself because there’s one chapter of Restructuring to go but I’m also aware that I’m probably going to melt into a weary puddle as soon as I post it so I thought I’d write this oversharing-y post now. Chances are a version of this will appear in the final A/N too.

I don’t know how obvious it is to people reading Restructuring because it still contains my usual volume of Silly Ha Ha Jokes but this fic has been the hardest thing I’ve ever written. If you read it for the laughs, that’s cool and I hope you liked them, I always enjoy writing funny stuff. But this is the first time I’ve ever started writing a fic with the goal of exploring my own past and trauma and while it’s been a very, very helpful exercise, man it’s been hard work as well. Almost makes me miss the days where I just wrote stuff, wondered why it was making me feel kinda sad, shrugged and moved on. This trying to heal business is rough, I want a refund etc.

If you read anything in Restructuring and it struck a chord, I hope things get better. And if you’ve already left a comment to that effect, thank you, it really helps me to feel less alone.

#P.S. this is the first fanfic (as opposed to book) I’ve written where I wrote a proper plot beforehand #albeit I’m still posting as I write so there’s no overarching editing #I ain’t being paid enough for that #so if you have any appetite to I would recommend reading the thing through when it’s finished #there’s a lot of callbacks and links in there etc #I don't want to alarm anyone but this fic was never actually about corporate restructuring

[kybelles]

beautiful boy

read on ao3

~

He hears it just as he’s retiring after an extended dinner with Kyros Heiron, more than ready to go to sleep: the constant, shrill and bitter cries of a baby. Next to him, his personal slave Jase freezes up as he recognizes the sound as well. “Exalted–”

Theomedes starts marching towards the noise before he has a chance to speak further, fear slowly rising under his skin. How hard can it be, he thinks, to make sure one infant is well cared for?

The guards who stand in front of the door open it without any instruction needed. Theomedes quickly passes the threshold and takes in the view. “Why is the prince crying?” he asks loudly, booming voice suppressing Damen’s cries for a moment.

There are three people in the room. Phoebe, one of the slave girls who look after Damen; Agapetus, the court physician and Liviana, the wet nurse Agapetus recommended for Damen. His son is hanging from Phoebe’s arms and he looks absolutely miserable. His little face is red and bloated from crying, his eyes swollen, his lips quivering. He looks so sweaty and exhausted and when his gaze finds Theoemedes, he begins crying even louder. Theoemedes feels his fury rise second by second.

“Exalted,” Liviana starts after she gives him a deep bow. “The young prince is teething. That is the reason why he’s so distraught.”

“Distraught doesn’t even begin to describe his current state!” Theoemedes snaps. “His cries are probably audible from all over the palace! At this rate he’ll definitely have a sore throat by tomorrow. Is that how you take care of my son? My heir?”

Both Liviana and Agapetus bow their heads in apology but Phoebe’s arms start shaking after she hears his angry voice, her gaze trained on the floor. Theoemedes feels a lick of guilt for frightening the slave girl but at the moment, he is more concerned with her ability to hold Damen. Wordlessly, he reaches out and pulls his son into his arms in one quick motion.

Miraculously, Damen’s loud cries turns into weepy sobs as he leans his head against one of Theoemedes’s biceps. He puts a small kiss to the sweaty curls on the baby’s head.

“I don’t remember Kastor ever being like this when he was teething,” he says quietly. When he runs a gentle finger through Damen’s cheek, he notices his son is running a slight fever. An icy shiver passes through his spine. “Surely this isn’t normal.”

Agapetus sounds like he’s picking his words very carefully when he speaks. “Every child is different, sire. Fever, lack of appetite, restlessness, crankiness… These are all normal signs of a baby who’s teething. It doesn’t mean our prince is unhealthy.”

It doesn’t mean our prince is unhealthy. Theomedes used to hear sentences in similar context over and over again, back when he was still coping with the shock of losing Egeria and grappling with the possibility of losing Damen as well. His son was born too small . The first two months after Damen’s birth, Theoemedes would wake drenched in sweat; convinced Damen’s small heart gave up when he was indulging something so trivial as sleep. He commanded Damen to stay in the room right next to his at first and whenever he went to check up on him at night, he would find one of the palace physicians by his son’s side and they all would say the same things to him. Our prince is a bit smaller than usual. It doesn’t mean he is unhealthy.

Eventually, Damen’s condition improved and he began to fill out considerably. Nowadays, anyone who looks at his rosy cheeks and chubby arms and legs can see he’s a happy and healthy baby.

But whenever he’s in Theomedes’s arms, he feels impossibly small.

Theoemedes was blessed with the chance to be a father twice, but Damen only has him as a parent in this big, cruel world. The realization brings a knot to his throat sometimes.

“What can I do to help?” he eventually asks.

If they are surprised by his question, no one dares to show it. “A warm bath would be good to soothe his fever, Exalted.” Agapetus says.

“Go, prepare it.” he says to Phoebe, who practically runs out of the room after a deep bow. “What else?”

“Holding a cold spoon to his palate.”

This time, he simply stares at Jase; who’s standing at the door sill. He disappears after a bow as well. Now that there’s nothing to do but wait, he gently bounces his fussy son, thankful he’s mostly calm now. He notices Damen’s gaze fixated on one spot and when he looks that way, an amused huff falls out of his mouth. “Hand me that blue fish.”

Liviana dutifully walks over and retrieves the toy. “Our little prince is very fond of this toy.” she comments as she gives it.

“Kastor gave it to him.” Theomedes says in a distracted manner, placing the toy in his arms. His amusement grows when Damen immediately puts it into his mouth. “Do you like the toy, cub? Your brother carefully picked it for you. Because he loves you.” I love you. I love you so much that sometimes it feels like my heart is going to burst open.

Damen’s big brown eyes find him again and without a warning, he pulls the toy out of his mouth, biting Theoemedes’s finger instead. He allows as his son chews on his finger to relieve his aching gums and cover his finger in slobber.

“You’re alright now, Damen.” Theomedes murmurs after another kiss to Damen’s dark curls. “Everything is alright. Baba is here.”

#📝 #idil writes #captive prince #i saw an incredibly adorable art and had to write this #theo and damen dynamic can be smth so personal...

[pascalsangel]

The Greenhouse Keeper

authors note: this is my first time writing fanfic 🥹 so please be kind!! i'm hoping to make this into a series, i'm trying to go for an enemies to lovers, but i'm not sure how strong it's coming across. it's not proofread 🥲so sorry if there are any errors. any feedback or comments are greatly welcomed!!

pairing/AU: joel miller x female!reader - jackson era

word count: 1,708

summary: joel got a reassignment and that’s where he meets y/n

also, if you are reading this, then please do your daily click:

Tommy and Joel had recently been out for their usual patrol run with a small crew when things quickly turned south. Joel had accidentally veered off from the group to check the surrounding wooded area. He didn’t hear the single infected that had snuck up on his right side. He acted as quickly as he could’ve when he finally noticed the infected running up on him, but it was too late. 

He had got a good shot which killed the infected, but he had lost his balance when he pulled back to avoid being bitten. He tried to catch his fall, his right ankle ended up taking the most damage as he rolled it. The makeshift doctor at Jackson had given their best guess of a sprained ankle, but they couldn’t say how severe. They recommended a minimum two weeks of rest and elevation which Joel rolled his eyes at. Now, he was at dinner with his brother trying to figure out how soon he could get back to patrols. 

“Tommy, we both know that this is a bunch of bullshit. I don’t need to be reassigned. I’ll be fine to go back on our next patrol shift,” Joel sighed out. He pushed his plate away, losing his appetite from his frustration. “I mean for fuck’s sake where is she even thinkin’ of putting me?” 

Tommy looked at him with disbelief. “Joel, we both know that you can barely walk on your fuckin’ leg right now. You’re not ready for patrols. You were grimacing in pain just walking on your way for cryin’ out loud. Maria is doing what’s for the best.” 

Maria overheard the last part of their conversation as she pulled the seat next to Tommy out to join them. “What am I doing for the best?” she said. 

“I was just telling Joel here how much he’s going to love his reassignment to greenhouse till his ankle heals.” Tommy said through a smirk. 

Joel leaned back and crossed his arms. “You're joking, right?” He said, as he slowly looked between the two. 

Maria looked over at Tommy, seeking out any sort of help to console his brother, but his grin just kept getting wider. “Joel, listen. I know the greenhouse is probably the last place you’d want for reassignment, but it’s just until your ankle heals. There are no other role openings at the moment, so this decision is final.” 

“Fine, but I’m not happy about it,” he grumbled. 

You were pulling out your set of keys to the greenhouse to open it up when you heard your name being called behind you. You were there a bit earlier than your scheduled time, so you were surprised that someone was stopping by already. 

Maria approached you with a small wave. As you looked past her, you noticed Joel Miller was slowly making his way over to join you guys. You knew who Joel was, everyone in Jackson knew who he was, but you’ve never actually met him. You were a bit flustered that he was here right now since you’ve noticed him around the commune and have always found him to be attractive. He commanded each room that he stepped in, and it was hard to ignore him with how much space he took up with how broad he was. His hair has grown out since the last time you’ve seen him and had more white peppered throughout it. You hid your smile at his attempt of growing out a beard and the small empty patches throughout it. You desperately wished that he would spare you a glance, but he rarely interacted with anyone that wasn’t Ellie, Tommy, or Maria. Butterflies were fluttering in your stomach at the possibilities behind his appearance. 

“I’m so glad that I remembered that you tend to open earlier, I caught you just in time.” She said, just as Joel finally reached her side. She gestured over to him, “Joel, this is Y/N, she’s the greenhouse keeper. He was recently injured on patrol, so I’m reassigning him to work with you for the next couple of weeks.” 

You were hoping that a friendship could blossom from working closely with him. He seemed like the no-bullshit type, he would make it apparent if he truly wanted to be friends or not. His friendship would be a secret into getting to know the real him, the person that he is around those that he loves. It is no secret that you’ve struggled to make genuine connections with others since arriving at Jackson a year ago. As the greenhouse keeper, people have tried to take advantage of being acquainted with you. It was hard to tell if you people truly liked you or because they thought you would sneak them more potatoes. You were envious of the tight knit group that Joel had. 

“It’s so nice to meet you, Joel. I’m sure that we can find a way to accommodate your injury.” You said as you met his eyes, you were surprised to see so much frustration reflected in them. 

He simply stared at you and gave a curt nod. He was acting as if you were the one inconveniencing him. 

Maria cleared her throat to air out the silence clinging in the air, “Well, uh, I’ll leave you two to get to know each other and to figure everything out.” 

You watched as she walked away, hoping she would turn around and free you from this awkward moment. You have been fantasizing about this very moment, finally meeting him, but the version in your head was slowly crumbling to the harsh reality. He was being very short with you and the two of you had just met. You always try to believe in the best of people, but you have been burnt too many times by others. It felt naive to give him the benefit of the doubt and think that he was just frustrated with the situation and not you. 

  “Right, um, if you just want to follow me inside, and we can get everything sorted. I noticed you walking up, is it your leg that's hurt?”

“My ankle, probably just a sprain.” He grumbled.

“What happened?” You asked, hoping that this would open him up to share some small talk. 

He sighed, “listen, if you could just set me up somewhere and give me a task, then I’ll be out of your way till I’m done with this reassignment.” 

“Oh, yeah um, I can do that. I don’t know how much you know about greenhouse work, but I’m sure I can find something that you can do.” 

You looked around to see what projects you were working on in preparation for summer. The easiest thing that you could think of for him was repotting the seedlings you had into bigger pots, they still weren’t ready to be transplanted into the garden. You started to move one of the tables out from the corner when you felt a hand on your wrist. You were shocked at the contact.

“I got it,” he said. He started to pull on the table when you stopped him by pulling on the other end. 

“It’s okay. I can do it, I don’t want you to hurt your leg anymore than it already is.” 

“I’ve said I got it.” He said with a sternness while giving you a nod to move out of the way. 

“Don’t get mad at me when you have to be stuck with me for longer than what you thought.” You crossed your arms and watched as he moved the table around. He looked at you expectantly, waiting for a sign on where you wanted it.  “Over here is fine,” you said, as you pointed out an area for the table to end up at. 

“Let me go grab you a chair. Or do you want to do that yourself, too?” You hadn’t meant to be snarky with your last comment, but he was being frustrating. 

You went to the storage closet in the back to grab the chair and a small soil bag for his ankle and stood in there for a moment trying to collect yourself. You had never had someone get on your nerves as easily as he did. You took one long breath and stepped out. Joel was leaning against the table and looking around the greenhouse when you came back with the supplies. He was surprised with the attentive care and transformation you have brought to the greenhouse. He remembers briefly glancing around when the previous keeper was here, and it looked like the space had never been touched. You had everything  neatly organized, labeled, and growing in vibrant shades of green. He quickly stood up when he noticed you coming back down the aisle toward him. He reached out to help with what you were carrying, but you leaned away from his aid. 

“My plan was to have you working on repotting. I also brought an extra bag of soil over here, so you can rest your ankle on it while you work, if you want. Take a seat, and then I can show you how to repot the seedlings.” You said as you looked him over and offered a small smile. The moment in the supply closest helped a bit, and you were excited to show someone your passion for planting.  

His gaze finished scanning around the greenhouse and landed on you. “Oh, that all won’t be necessary. If it’s just repotting, then I don’t think I need your help.” 

“Are you sure?” You couldn’t believe him right now. He was just going to openly deny your help. “It’s really not a big deal for me to show you the process. I know it seems straightforward, but there are some tricks that I know of to make sure they get the best transfer.” 

“Nope, I think I’m good. Just going to finish out my time here, if you don’t mind.” 

“Fine. I guess I’ll leave you to it.” You turned around to go outside to start watering the plants in the garden. You wanted to scream or throw something. He was acting like a pompous ass. You couldn’t wait for the day to end. 

#joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller x y/n #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fic

[luckyshotwrites]

What I'd Do As My Enemies Wife (Widfali AU)

Chapter 2 - Home Sweet, I'M STAYING HOME!

Contents (Warnings): Lynette's refusal to go leave the house (Shenanigans with Alexander and Lynette).

Wordcount: 1,800+

Side note: Thank you, @novorehere for being the menace that made me draw them going on a date and @aramastus for suggesting this AU idea in the first place! Love you guys! AGAIN, this is a goofy what if scenario. If you haven't read Widfali I'd recommend reading it first! That being said this is going to be much lighter and sweeter than what's been going on in the story thus far, hope you enjoy!

__________________________________________________

Alexander

He dropped the book onto the table and swiftly grabbed her upper arms. His hands firmly held her, and he succumbed to the compulsion to lightly shake her. 

He vividly pictured scenes he never wished to conjure because she said it was worse. 

"YOU-" He thought of all the names he could say: moron, idiot, little shit, but none of them conveyed his embarrassment or relieved frustration.

He stopped shaking her and continued when she faced him. "Why the fuck were you even trying to hide that from me? Do you think I'd care whether the other you was willing?"

"Because we-" Lynette abruptly shut her mouth and averted her gaze.

His head sank further in his hunched shoulders. "What?" He followed her leer that didn’t face him, which watched their reflections in the flat screen T.V. Once she noticed he looked there too, she closed her eyes. "We what, shrimp?" His emotions slowly settled at the bottom near his soles, and his hunger rose again like a devil on his shoulder. 

It whispered its woes about his inanition. 

His fingers locked onto her tighter. Fuck, no. Focus. Alexander tried to deafen any other feeling except his original question. What happened today? He ran over the events and, through his easy, jumpy awkwardness, landed on their discussion with Ceram.  

"You must act as your married counterparts."

His mind finally flicked on its light bulb. A mischievous curl broke into his grin—a look he hadn't shown her in a long time. "Ooooh."

Lynette turned back to him. A mewl scampered from her vocals, "Xander," she shook her head and tried to pull away. "You said you wouldn't say anything about it!"

"I didn't say yes to that," Alexander unknowingly leaned in closer, "Now, Ceram did say we have to act like our counterparts, didn't she?" 

His tease toward her backfired. The possibility of Lynette saying yes heightened the thrill of his near-rapacious appetite, which he tried and failed to impulsively quell.

"Ah! No way! I'm not agreeing to that!" 

It knocked him from his delusion, and he realized how close he had her. Their faces were so close that he felt her warm breath brush his lips. His thoughts entirely dispersed like cockroaches in light when he saw the fret in her green orbs.

Alexander's hands loosened enough for her to escape. 

He had the reflex to grab her but didn't. He tore his eyes to look elsewhere, not at the television as it outlined her short form. He stared at the seams of the white couch as if he could accurately count every stitch. 

"You're insane," he said, throwing up his arms, like he argued with the leather and not her, "who in the hell thinks that is worse than being willing." 

“I do."

Alexander did a double take. His wide eyes looked at her again in disbelief. "ARE YOU SAYING YOU'D PREFER THE OTHER THING?!"

She frantically covered her face as it flared with so much heat that Alexander swore he saw steam. Then, she turned her body and looked like she was about to be sick. 

It'd be an insult to most people, but Alexander expected it. He knew he wasn't sought after nor ever would be. That's how it always was. 

Her gags at least took his mind off his cravings. "Do you need a bag or something?" His sight moved from her to the kitchen in the next room. He took a few steps in that direction, and she threw her hands from her face and wrapped her fingers around his arm.

It was brief but stopped him nonetheless. "I-I didn't mean that to be rude." She pulled her hands back and made space between them. Her left foot touched the front of the armchair. "I just-" He partially looked back at her with a confused eyebrow raise. What? 

She softly met his stormy eyes. "I get queasy thinking of dates or relationship stuff with people I'm not comfortable with." She began to tug at her curls. 

"People scare you that much?" Alexander asked. 

She shyly looked away, "I don't know why." She slouched, and let out her timid, lack of confidence response, "I don't mean to do that, nor throw up. Not that I always throw up! I've only thrown up once," she grumbled under her breath, "no, twice."

"Because you dated someone?" 

Alexander found himself intrigued. I knew she was an oddity, but throwing up? He didn’t understand why.

Lynette collected her hair then moved it in front of her face. "W-well, I, there was this," she chuckled, "a guy, he uh, you know, uh, we went-"

Alexander sped it up, "On a date?"

She nodded, patted the sides of her cheeks., took a deep breath, and explained. "I was so nervous on my first date I threw up on the guy when he got close, then when he said it was fine and wanted to continue the date back at his place, I threw up again."

She left him speechless. He thought about every time he came in close contact with her. Hell, he could have received a face full of vomit holding her earlier. So if I pick her up next time, just fucking eat her. 

Lynette fell back on the armchair with a huff and wrapped her arms over her chest. She sank further into the chair's comfort to attempt to suffocate her humiliation. 

"Does it happen often?"

"NO!" The redhead slammed her hands on the leather armrests. "It's when people that I don’t know take an interest in me. I don't find them repulsive or anything like that," She clarified. "I just don’t like them that way.” She let her hands fall back into her lap. “I haven't really liked anyone that way before."

Alexander answered without a pause, "I guess not liking someone is something we have in common.."

She sat up in the armchair. Her feet didn’t quite touch the ground. She stared at Alexander questionably.

He bit his lips, let it roll past his teeth, and back into place. "I didn't like Mara in the beginning. I didn't even know her. Sure, she was good-looking, but she convinced me to like her,” he faintly smiled, though it wasn’t happy. “and it wasn't even…real." Alexander didn't like hearing what he said aloud. Why did I say that? He never talked about it with anyone, not even Drake. 

All the other words he had left to say retreated back like they were marionettes told to leave the stage. His eyes staggered to meet Lynette. 

"I-"

He quickly and abruptly interrupted her. "I gotta eat, so unless your next words are you offering yourself, we're going." He grabbed her wrist, a usual mistake, but his mind was too preoccupied to act upon it. 

"Going where?" Lynette asked and followed up with a slight bounce when she realized it. "I'm not going to watch you eat someone again!" 

She uselessly tried to cling to the armchair as he pulled her along. He got her up. 

"Again?" Alexander questioned as she squeaked in retaliation. He steered her from hitting the coffee table or couch. 

"At the festival," her hand tried to pry his fingers off her wrist, "you dragged me along just like this, remember!" 

Alexander pulled her near the front door and by the staircase. He only remembered a little of the festival besides the small snippet of events and their talks. He rarely remembered the people he ate besides her. He did eat her often enough. 

"Don't watch then, weirdo." Alexander groaned. He got the knob with his other hand, "You don’t have a choice. I don't want you far away from me if something happens."

"Like what? A burglar breaking in?" 

Alexander threw open the door. The cold, stale wind whisked over him and helped rid the air of her scent. 

He lugged her along. "You always get into some kind of trouble, and since you want to make this difficult and say I can't eat you, you're coming." 

Lynette grabbed the outer door rim, "I'm not going to agree because I don't want to spend most of my day inside you, NOR do I wanna watch you eat someone. It's gross!" 

I know you won't. Alexander said in his head with attitude, "You're coming then."

"No, I'm not!" Lynette clung tighter to the grooves of the house's door rim. 

He had let her wrist go and grabbed her by the waist to pull her off. If anyone were to pass by their house at the moment, he'd look insane trying to drag her out. 

Her fighting worked up his edacity. He plucked her off, and she squealed. "No, no, Xander, quit it!" 

Lynette’s soft disapproval finally extinguished the fire—he couldn't keep arguing with her. "Fine!"

He put her down, faced her, and his voice left in a snarl, "Call me if anything goes wrong, seems out of place, or odd." He moved toward her, so she reentered the doorway and the house. He grabbed the handle of the door. "Do not answer the door or go outside. If I don't come back in forty minutes, call me. If I don't answer, hide. If someone breaks in, hide." Alexander thought more about the different scenarios that could happen, and he charged the magic in his core. 

His eyes gently glowed as he 'wrote' the protective seal of a cloak over her body with his gaze alone. It was to make sure she'd be safe. 

"I will," Lynette seemed to recognize the feeling of its light weight all around her, "and thank you." 

Alexander nodded, "Mhm." He glanced near the door to a few hooks and grabbed the first pair of keys that looked like his. "I'll be back." He shut the door and put his key to the lock but heard her lock it behind him. 

He turned back, facing the streets—her scent still lingered on him. The clear air with hints of other scents relaxed him. He preferred that over being smothered in the house with hers alone. 

He grumbled, thinking about it as he walked the streets of several other houses. The fine neighborhood did nothing to lower his tolerance for Lynette. It still annoyed him that her taste was so strong, pleasing, and that he couldn't even have her. She had to stay at the pizzeria. 

He finally reached the city outskirts and debated on his next target. He had to find someone alone and someone who didn't look to be in any particular rush. It took him ten more minutes to find a suitable prey. 

He waited for his prey to pass the older couple so he could throw a barrier down, but he never got the chance. His eyes glowed briefly and simmered down when his phone started to ring. He got it from his pocket, expecting it to be Lynette.

He lifted it up to answer and narrowed in on the name. Why the hell is Wicks calling me?

...

Thank you for reading, GOOBERS! :D

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Catch up or check for release dates down below ↓

What I’d do for a Livable Income (Synopsis/Chapter - List) 1

What I’d do for a Livable Income (Synopsis/Chapter - List) 2

#widfali #vore story #vore writing #v.ore #soft vore #v/ore #v/0re #extreme cuddling #goofy ocs

[naushtheaspiringauthor]

~Child Of The Storm~

Nikolai Lantsov x OC

Image by - @brokendreamtale2

Warnings- Bits of violence, ptsd, traumatic flashbacks throughout the chapters

Taglist- @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @sirisuorionblack @nadeleine123n

A/N- I recommend listening to  "A Little Wicked" by Valerie Broussard as you read this chapter. The song is absolutely amazing and I've used it in the chapter

..............................................................................................................................

Ch-9~No one calls you honey, when you're sitting on a throne~

Anaya went through her day with the small amount of sleep she'd gotten. Her eyelids were droopy and small dark lines have began forming around her eyes. No matter how hard she'd try, the haunting memories of her past would never leave her alone. They were always present, in the corners of her mind, telling her that no matter how hard she would try, she would fail, yet again.

They had started affecting her sleep, her appetite and everything that was involved in keeping a good health. Ever since her childhood, she'd been trying all she could to be the best, to be perfect at whatever she opted for. She did whatever she could to meet everyone's expectations from her, but she couldn't stop doing so, because the more she succeeded the more their expectations grew. The only thing she was still unable to excel at, was the gift she had acquired at birth.

                                                                             .................................................................

Anaya had been too indulged in her thoughts to notice Baghra speaking to her. She broke free from her thoughts when Baghra nudged her in the arm with her stick.

"Where has your mind wandered off to, girl!? I'm speaking to you" She snapped at her

"Oh right, sorry"

"What is wrong with you girl? You are unable to even summon a proper current  this week and you haven't even been listening properly. I'm just wasting my time on you. It would have suited you better if you just went with some carnival group instead of coming here, would've made a few pennies at least" Baghra snapped at her

"Fine, yes, yes I am worthless. I am useless, I am not worth your precious time. And no matter how much I try, I will never be enough. I will never meet anyone's expectations. You're right, I shouldn't be here. I don't deserve to be here. I have failed my parents and I will fail you too. I am not worthy of this power, this gift. I am not worthy of anything" Anaya spoke up at last, not sparing a moment to catch her breath.

She'd been getting too overwhelmed to keep it all in. She finally let out the words that have been echoing in the back of her mind. 

She spoke as if she wasn't saying any of it to Baghra, but to herself. Her words finally coinciding with her thoughts.

Baghra glanced at her, and for a moment Anaya could swear she saw a surprised expression on the stoic woman's face.  She suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her outside of the hut that wasn't too less of a furnace.

She led her towards the back of the hut around the area that was unusually inhabited

"Now tell me girl, what are these thoughts plaguing your mind?" She finally dropped her arm

Anaya took a deep breath, allowing the rare cold breeze to fill up her lungs

"I have always succeeded at whatever I set my mind upon, no matter what it was. But I am awful at the gift I had acquired at birth, hell, it doesn't even feel like a gift anymore.

"Being a skillful grisha is no easy deed, girl. You don't expect to start training one day and expect to excel at it the other"

"Yes I know, but I have trying for years, Baghra. Years, but I could never seem to succeed. I shouldn't be here, I should go away"

"And where would you go?" Baghra raised her eyebrows

"Somewhere far from here. Perhaps back to wherever I came from" She turned to leave but Baghra caught her arm yet again

"Have you gone completely berserk? This, is your home Anaya. Whether you like it or not, this, is where you belong. I don't care much for fate, but if you shouldn't have been here then you would've never had the opportunity to come back" Anaya, that was the first time Baghra truly spoke her name, and she could see a hint of sympathy in the woman's eyes

"What would my parents think of me if they could see me now? I am no longer the child they wished for me to be, I am a failure"

"Does that really matter, what they think of you? They aren't even alive anymore"

"Baghra!" Fury spread throughout her body on hearing Baghra's words

"You can yell at me all you want, but that is the truth whether yopu choose to ignore it. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks of you. What truly matters is what you think of yourself. Tell me, Anaya, what do you want?"

For years she had been chasing perfection, striving to meet people's expectations, but she never truly thought of what she wanted. Whom she wished to be. She had failed once, but she'd been punishing herself for that one mistake her whole life.

What did she wished for?

"To be better, better at this. To make myself proud. To make myself worthy of being here, among these people" She spoke up at last

"Then you better work for it"

                                            .............................................................................................................

Anaya began to train even more than she used to. She  started spending her spare hours practicing whatever Baghra taught her. 

"A little wicked"That's what he calls me

'Cause that's what I am

That's what I am

She extracted the water around the atmosphere and brought it around them in a wave, with a spiraling motion of her hands.

No one calls you honey, when you're sitting on a throne

No one calls you honey, when you're sitting on a throne

Beware the patient woman, 'cause this much I know

No one calls you honey, when you're sitting on a throne

"Now freeze it" Baghra told her

She gathered all her energy and attempted to freeze the water but it only small patches of ice formed on the edges, before all of it returned to it's original state and fell down.

One of these days a-comin',

I'm gonna take that boy's crown

There's a serpent in these still waters, lying deep down

Baghra nudged her on the arm with her stick "Try again"

With a sideways movement of her palms, she attempted to freeze the water. The water began to turn sharp and long around the edges and remained still for a moment before falling down.

To that king I will bow, at least for now

One of these days a-comin', I'm gonna take that boy's crown

"Again" Baghra snapped at her

She tried once again, this time, half of the water froze up while the rest fell down.

"What happened girl? Your fragile little fingers can't even form a tide?"

Anaya clenched her fists and let out an exasperated sigh before bringing out her hands. She raised her right palm and moved her left one in an upwards motion. 

Cause I am, I am

A little wicked

I am, yes, I am

Hands red, hands red

Just like you said

I am, a little wicked

Swiftly, the lake water began to rise, so as to form a wall like structure. She then began to move her hand in a circular motion and the water slowly transformed into a cylindrical wave and more water from the sides began collecting at one place, to form a massive hurricane.

No one calls you honey, when you're sitting on a throne

I'll be high up in that tower, he'll be down there getting stoned

Beware the patient woman, 'cause this much I know

No one calls you honey, when you're sitting on a throne

With a sideways movement of her hands, Anaya summoned a small wave of water. She then moved her left palm and froze the water, making it take the shape of a small icicle.

She made a wave dance around her before she turned sideways and focused all her strength into her arms and moved them from the side to front with a tremendous force.

The wave froze midway, forming enormous small sharp icicles. Anaya moved both her arms and made them charge towards the bark of a tree.

Cause I am, I am

A little wicked

I am, yes, I am

Hands red, hands red

Just like you said

I am, a little wicked

She stretched both her arms towards the lake with immense force. The water began to rise as she focused all her strength towards it.

As I lay me down to sleep

I will not scream, I will not weep

It split into two massive waves as she moved her arms sideways. With another flex of her wrists, the waves began to freeze in their place.

If he should die before he wakes

I'll pray the Lord his soul to take

In mere seconds the waves froze as if time itself had stopped for the moment. She finally dropped her arms and the waves transformed back to their original state.

Cause I am, I am a little wicked

I am, yes, I am

Hands red, hands red just like he said

I am a little wicked

"And that, is how it's done"  She tilted her head to the side and grinned slightly.

Baghra rolled her eyes at her demeanor

"I know I'm amazing" Anaya spoke in a boastful tone

.............................................................................................................

She soon got better at forming blades of various sizes from ice, faster and more efficiently. She would usually duel with another Tidemaker, Rabeah. The girl was kaelish born and incredibly talkative. 

Anaya despised her overly polite demeanor but spent time with her anyways as she was a skilled soldier and even better in literally. Which somewhat made Anaya jealous of her, even though she didn't admit it.

#nikolai lantsov x reader #shadow and bone #grishaverse #nikolai lanstov #nikolai lantsov #nikolai lantsov fanfiction #nikolai lanstov x reader #nikolai lantsov x oc

[boxcakeboi]

Gilded Gluttony: Part 1

Hello Hello! If you’re reading this i hope you enjoy the story, I wanted to say a few things prior to the story, that being this is my first really official post i’ve made on this account, I’ve spectated and admired this community for a few years now, I feel now I would like to contribute a bit to it, I also write stories just in general but most are unfinished since I don’t have a motivator, hopefully posting and maybe people liking it will keep me writing it out till the end! I also imagine this first part might be a bit rocky but i’ll make sure to make other installments smoother! Anyways enough rambling! Hope you enjoy! :)

Synopsis:

It’s hard to claw your way to the top in a big city, grit and hard work alone can’t quite get you there, this is what a young hot shot named Keith learns after being skipped on for a job promotion, defeated he turns to his lazy kickback friend Gage for advice. Keith goes through a journey from fit, young, passionate dynamo, to a bear-like hedonist looking to take as much as he wants and some extra just for the road.

*In a modern office was two friends, One named Keith and the other named Gage, Keith had started at this Office and month ago, it was a super swanky office, most people hardly did any work and mostly leisured in the employee lounge, enjoying the games, tv’s, sleeping pods, snacks and Gages favorite the food court, Keith was at times, self obsessed with his body, constantly trying to perfect it to god level, he kept himself well groomed and was extremely attractive, with caramel brown eyes that pierce into ones soul, Gage was somewhat the opposite, he wasn’t a slob (mostly because he would get fired if he wasn’t presentable) he enjoyed food and didn’t mind overindulging, he was scruffy compared to Keith, he had pale skin compared to Keith and had a chubby build due to his appetite and activity level, his hazle eyes always looked very relaxed and his golden brown hair was lazily middle parted and had hair scuff from infrequent shaves, but he didnt mind all that much, his main focuses in life outside of work is gaming and smoking, he wasn’t a bum by any means, he just liked hedonistic behavior.

This has been the same interaction between the two even since they were friends and high school, though college and during this job, they enjoyed each other a lot and there personalities compliment eachother, Keith helps motivate Gage and Gage helps Keith to mellow out when he’s to high strung.

The two where at the food court talking, It was a big day for Keith he was getting ready for his meeting with his and Gages Department Lead*

Keith: *he gripped his fist* today is day! i’m gonna go in there and show Henry Vanberk what I’m capable of! and then i’ll be so close to getting that promotion today!!

Gage: *he chuckled a bit* quite the manifesto there huh? *he took a bite out if his burger he was eating*

Keith: well yeah! this is huge! and speaking of! my meeting is in ten! i’ll see you in a bit Gage! *he dashed off*

Gage: *he shrugged and kept eating*

*in the Department Lead’s Office, the office was quite open and was modern in design*

Henry: *he sat behind he large desk tapping a pen*

*soon a main entrance to his office opened and popped in his secretary*

Secretary: Mr.Vanberk, Keith Findley is here to see you

Henry: perfect! send him in!

Secretary: certainly…

Henry: Thank you Lana

*she popped out and led in Keith and closed the door*

Keith: Mr.Vanberk, Thank you for taking time to speak with me today

Henry: Of course Keith, my pleasure, I do hope your time here has been treating you well…i’ve been watching you and you’re absolutely on fire!

Keith: *this made him absolutely light up* Thank you Mr.Vanberk

Henry: no thank you Keith! you bring such an energy to the office, I was quite hesitant to hire you considering Gage recommended you, but you have shown such great results, even you have increased Gage’s performance just being here for a month and some change, absolutely impressive!

Keith: I deeply appreciate you are seeing my work sir

Henry: certainly Keith, your young vital spirit is what we need here…of course you also know why called you in here

Keith: yes sir…

Henry: The position you desire, Assistant Lead is an important job and you have that strength and endurance to get that job done…but Keith you’re not quite there yet…

Keith: *he stomach fell, and despair hit him, he was white as a ghost at this point*

Henry: You hit every criteria we are look for except one…your not tenured enough, we want you to grow some more in your position before we move you up

Keith: M-mr.Vanberk i dont mean to come off as questioning your decision, but i’ve consistently been dominating in performance, I crank out the most work, I may be young and new but wouldn’t a position like his help me get that experience??

Henry: *sighs* i understand that but the person we gave the position to is tenured and performs well also, look you have all the material and attributes about you to achieve greatness here, but that only happens in its own time…right Keith?

Keith: Right…

*the two thanked each other and Keith left*

*at Gage’s desk*

Gage: *he was leaning back in his chair watching youtube on his computer, he looked up and saw an absolutely hallow Keith* woah! shit dude are you good?

Keith: *he stood there for a moment, his lips quivering and soon a few tears fell*

Gage: *he sprang up and went to Keith* oh shit dude! come over here!

*Gage took him over to one of the closets in the office*

Gage: are you all good? man whats the matter?

Keith: *holding back tears and covering his face* i didn’t get the job…

Gage: w-what no way?? you more qualified than anyone else here! you where top performing in our team just three weeks in! how could there be someone better?

Keith: Henry told me i’m to new and young…he went with someone more seasoned….i came in here like a fireball breaking performance records and all for this…

Gage:i’m sorry dude…you know what fuck this! lets get out of here!

Keith: I can just quit this job Gage!

Gage: no i dont mean that! we’re off of work in a bit, come over to my place, we will chill dude! i’ll give you some advice and we can bash on old ass Vanberk!

Keith: *he chuckled and sniffled* sounds good dude…

*at Gage’s apartment*

Gage: *sitting in his gaming chair* dude from here on out do as little as possible at work and take as much as possible, everyone fucking does it at work, play games in the lounge for most of your shift, take as much snacks as you want, take longer breaks and lunches, and just get the bare minimum amount of work done, you get paid the same at the end of the day

Keith: *sitting on Gage’s couch* are you sure dude? seems…bad…

Gage: dude everyone does it, Vanberk hardly even knows whats going on half the time, take advantage of your surroundings…

Keith: i dont know dude, it seems greedy…

Gage: trust me dude, you wont regret it

Keith: i guess so man, i am pretty pissed about that get that position!

Gage: yesss, sweet man, you’re gonna love it! hey and you deserve to relax, you should chill and watch a movie with me, i’ll order pizza!

Keith: *he laughed* sounds good dude

*the two where waiting on the couch for the pizza to come, Keith took off his over coat, and Gage went into full comfort mode*

*the door bell rang and Gage popped up and grabbed the pizza*

Keith: *he looked at Gage and was shocked* dude 4 pizzas?

Gage: yeah man! i got all kinds of toppings

*the two ate and started watching the movie*

Keith: *he was gorged on 3 slices and he looked at Gage who had finished a whole pizza and was picking at a second one, Keith then noticed Gage put of some weight since college, being once a thinner guy, but now sported a gut, he was so relaxed and happy with his life, enjoying the things he wants with the money he makes, he doesn’t worry about others opinions or expectations, he lives for himself, in a way Keith desires that*

Gage: *he burped loudly* oops ‘scuse me *he patted his gut*

Keith: hey Gage?

Gage: whats up man?

Keith: how do you like?…um live like this?

Gage: Uh like what?

Keith: Like so….chill

Gage: hmm well i guess it come from a mixture of not giving a fuck and trying to be high when i can be, i wanna live my life for me dude you know?

Keith: god i wish i could do that…

Gage: why not?

Keith: I feel too guilty…

Gage: no need to feel guilt man, this world takes as much as it wants from us all time, why not take back for our selves some time?

Keith: i suppose your right…

Gage: hey come over here more often, you’ll get it…you wont wanna bend over backwards ever again

Keith: I guess it would be worth it to learn how to be a bit more chill…

Gage: hell yeah

*the next day a work*

Gage: Imma teach you how to work a bit more self preserving hehehe

Keith: *he was bit sad about getting rejected for the job and he was rather spacey this morning* ……

Gage: Uh Keith?

Keith: huh? oh! sorry my bad, i was drifting off

Gage: are you thinking about what happened yesterday?

Keith: yeah…sorry…

Gage: No! don’t be, channel those feeling into encouragement to take back whats yours!

Keith: *sighs* feels impossible, it’s eating away at me, if i’m not being the best possible why should i even be around…

Gage: *he took a deep breath in and had serious face* Keith just because you weren’t noticed for your frankly back breaking work doesn’t mean there is an issue with you! its the people who chose not to acknowledge the work problem, you did everything you could, thats what matters, you tried! but now you have choice to continue to sacrifice yourself, or do something for yourself for once!!

Keith: *he thought for a second, tighten his fist* show me how you do this Gage!

Gage: perfect…

end of part 1

Hope you liked it! next parts will get into more hedonism, weight gain, slob, gainer and gay/queer stuff, stay tuned!! :))

#fat #chubgay #gay gainer #obese gainer #belly gainer #hedonism #bhm wg #male weight gain #getting fat #overweight #obese #slob #fat gay #gainer stories #Adipophilia #fat queer love

[backwoodbarking]

The Dog-Eared Collection: Book 1

Time to inaugurate this place.

I think Miss Bernhardt would be quite thrilled she's the first thing I'll talk about here.

When I first picked this book up, I took to it with zeal. The premise reminded me of a series I used to enjoy when I was young called The Royal Diaries series and the promise of a "fresh" figure whet my appetite. I knew next to nothing about the book's subject, Sarah Bernhardt, an innovative Jewish French stage actress from the later 19th century.

And she was, by most accounts, amazing. Gortner highlights her various talents, such as sculpture (ever seen this Ophelia? That's her work), painting, and, naturally, acting, as well as her tenacious spirit. For example, she converted the Théâtre de L'Odéon into a military hospital for wounded soldiers during the Franco-Prussian war. He also draws attention to her various eccentricities, such as keeping exotic animals (wouldn't recommend) and sleeping in a coffin. And it was all good fun to find out these attributes of the Divine Sarah.

But by the halfway point, I could only read it in small doses.

Gortner specifies in his acknowledgement that, "[his] intent wasn't to depict Sarah's life in its entirety [...] but rather to create a fictional portrait—based as closely as possible on the facts—of her rise to fame as one of the era's most exceptional figures." As a result, he admits to "certain liberties" and use of "personal interpretation" although any errors are not deliberate.

And with someone like Bernhardt, well, I just don't know if a fictionalized account can be more entertaining than the truth.

Life has its ups and downs. You expect that in a biography or a memoir. But, here, the natural fluctuations of life end up as stumbling blocks in this "fictional portrait."

Figures come on to the scene with some flourish only to leave with a footnote, while others receive more attention than they're perhaps due (Comte Émile de Kératry), the pacing fights Gortner almost the whole way through, and the "actress" aspect can feel waylaid. Often by the myriad love affairs depicted.

Granted, I haven't done the research that Mr. Gortner has done. So, I may be off base. But if I understand his depiction correctly, the Sarah he crafts doesn't put great stock into some of them. As a result, I don't know why he did.

At some point, I did pause to wonder what the ethics are of writing a fictionalized first person account of someone's life. Even with biopics, you have some degree of separation because you're external to the subject. You have to watch them after all. But here, you're viewing the world through "her" eyes.

I certainly wouldn't appreciate someone doing that to me. But if Gortner's work is to be believed, Bernhardt might have thought it a great form of flattery. Or an even worse insult. Hard to know.

None of that is to undermine Gortner's work. There is care here and I appreciate the inclusion of a partial bibliography in his acknowledgements. I'll also admit that I did feel somewhat emotional while reading the last chapter.

It's not a book I'll be re-reading and I wouldn't recommend it if one were looking for something prosaic or heavy in the history department. However, it can be a fun jaunt, particularly if you want something to ease you back into reading or need a cursory introduction into the incomparable Sarah Bernhardt.

#C. W. Gortner #Gortner #The First Actress #Sarah Bernhardt #the dog-eared collection #literature #theatre history #historical fiction #history #19th century

[mercerislandbooks]

The Return of Cookbook Book Club!

As many of you know, it has now been several years since our Cookbook Book Club has been able to meet. I wasn't in the area when it initially began, so I am thrilled to be able to participate in our first returning book club meeting next Thursday, February 16 at 6:30 PM. To whet our appetites, I interviewed Lisa Odegard, author of our featured cookbook and a long-time member of the book club! Cast Iron Desserts: Indulgent Recipes for the Modern Kitchen is her debut cookbook and full of delicious-looking recipes I cannot wait to try.

Becca: Laurie tells me that you are a long-time member of our Cookbook Book Club. What do you love most about it? Lisa: I love being part of Cookbook Club. A friend recommended it to me and I’m so glad I joined! I love Island Books' warm and cozy atmosphere, and it’s wonderful to meet other people that love food as much as I do.

Becca: What are you looking forward to the most with your cookbook being featured this month? Lisa: I love that my book is being featured, but I’m most excited to meet the cooks who are interested in cooking from this labor of love. Becca: I know my husband and I are really looking forward to making the strawberry peppercorn donuts, as well as several other recipes. How do you go about coming up with such unique flavor combinations?

Lisa: I adore desserts, but I lean more towards savory so trying new flavor combinations with a little bit of savory and sweet is my jam. For example, my marionberry pie has a subtle hint of rosemary. I grew up in the Willamette Valley so marrying these two flavors was second nature for me as I learned early on in my cooking career that what grows together, goes together. That rule applies to land and sea, which is why pinot noir is a perfect complement to wild salmon, and steel fermented sauvignon blanc is a fantastic foil for goat cheese and hazelnuts. The bright acidity in both applications compliment and cut through the richness of each pairing.

Becca: What set you on the path of writing your own cookbook, and why cast iron? Were there any other themes you tossed around?

Lisa: I’ve always loved cooking from as far back as I can remember. Often cooking with my mom, stuffing pasta shells, making lasagna, baklava, chicken cacciatore, Pasta e fagioli, homemade pizza and fried egg rolls. Food is the one thing that consistently interested me, so naturally, I graduated with a B.S. in Nutrition in Business and three years after college, I graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in New York. I knew I would eventually write a cookbook; it was just a matter of the right timing. 

I currently work for a cast iron company out of Portland and often while visiting my accounts, I’m asked the common question: what can I make in cast iron besides meat and eggs? There are so many things you can make, but that is when I discovered that desserts are often overlooked. I couldn’t find much past the standard apple crisp, Dutch baby pancake, or a cobbler. I stumbled into an underserved niche that I never would have noticed if I did not work with cast iron every day. Because I couldn’t find the kind of recipes that piqued my interest, I decided to make my own and that is how writing this book began.

Becca: I love that! And I've heard so many times that you ought to write the kind of book you want to read. What was the most challenging part of producing a cookbook? Lisa: The most challenging thing about writing the book was something that I didn’t see coming. Dealing with imposter syndrome and near crippling self-doubt. I initially brushed it off because a chef mentor of mine told me that if I wasn’t a little scared before dinner service, I was underprepared, so I let the uneasiness fester. I have 25 years of professional cooking experience and know that I’m fully qualified to write a cookbook. Throughout the writing process, I talked to other authors that are traditionally published and self-published. All of them told me that they fought the same internal battle, though most authors don’t acknowledge it publicly. Becca: I believe that. I'm honestly impressed by anyone who manages to get a book out into the world, since it is such a process, creatively, logistically and emotionally. Do you have a favorite recipe in the book, or is there a particular one that you're especially proud of? Lisa: My favorite recipes in Cast Iron Desserts are: Mexican Hot Chocolate Soufflé, English Cream Scones, Hazelnut Ba-Bombs, Yuzu Thyme Cookies, Strawberry and Pink Peppercorn Donut Holes, Pear and Ginger Coffee Cake, and Marionberry Pie w/ Rosemary. Becca: And was there anything that you loved that didn't make the cut? Lisa: Creme brûlée. For the life of me, I couldn’t get the right consistency. Becca: Having done it once (writing a cookbook), would you do it again? Lisa: Yes, I would absolutely write another cookbook. It was a great learning experience and I’m so thankful I pushed myself to finish it.

We're glad she finished it too, since everything inside sounds amazing. Lisa will be in attendance for the Cookbook Club meeting to chat with us and sign books while we sample some recipes from her book. If you haven't joined us before, visit the Cookbook Book Club page on our website to sign up! Pick up a copy of Cast Iron Desserts, make a recipe that catches your eye, and bring it to share. We can't wait to see you all again!

— Becca

#island books #becca oman #lisa odegard #cast iron cooking #cookbook book club #cookbooks #local author #cast iron desserts #book club #indulgent recipes #events

[gingerbreadmonsters]

i shall be mr seek

or: it's not as easy as it looks, to live in a detective novel.

as gregor samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed into a gigantic beetle. entering my body horror era and ooh, it feels good. once again, i owe much to @house-of-laminations for inspiring me with their wonderfulness - i thoroughly recommend their blog if you’re interested! gn!reader, is this angst? it’s definitely horror, one mention of mc eating spiders if that’s a dealbreaker for you. when i say body horror, i really do mean it - there’s blood, scratching, losing control of your own body, all of that stuff. please stop reading at any point if you become too uncomfortable or upset. reader discretion is advised. it was no dream. satan wandering in the uncanny valley for 2000 words or less.

there’s something very wrong with you, and it’s starting to freak satan out a bit.

it had only been little things at first. you’d look a bit dizzy after coming home from RAD, mumbling some half-baked nonsense about your PE teacher being particularly harsh lately. you’d laugh quietly at his muttered jabs about lucifer’s stupid haircut, even though he’s not sure you’ve studied enough infernal to know exactly what he’d said. you’d started to prefer eating devildom food to human food, going so far as to choose red spider sandwiches for lunch instead of your usual pasta, and even though demonus shouldn’t affect humans, you’d definitely looked a bit wobbly when you and asmo came back from that perfume launch party the other day. 

the others don’t really seem to have noticed, or if they have then they don’t think it’s that important. beel loves how your appetite is growing and getting more adventurous, seeing how he gets to share even more of his favourite foods with you. 

belphie thinks your sudden growth spurt is adorable, and he’s wasted no time in buying even more blankets to accommodate your longer limbs. mammon finds it hilarious that you’re so much more aggressive when you’re elbowing your way through the corridors at RAD, unafraid in a crowd full of demons so unlike yourself. 

asmo won’t stop crowing about how shiny your hair and skin have been, saying that he knew his self-care treatments would do the trick, mmmm, didn’t i just tell you so, darling? lucifer never says it out loud, but it's so obvious how happy he is when you say that you really feel like you belong here, in the devildom, forever…

and yeah, satan’s not going to complain about the fact that you’ve been spending a lot more time with him lately, is he? it’s… nice, to have you curled up next to him in the library, to feel you wrap your arms (ow, when was the last time you cut your fingernails?) around his waist and settle your head under his chin. it’s nice, to run his fingers over your pact mark when he’s alone, and feel the thrumming of your bond, stronger than ever.

but that’s not all, and now that this has been going on for a few weeks, satan’s getting more and more worried that something is seriously wrong.

you’ve been complaining about headaches, stumbling around like a zombie and clutching your head when you think nobody’s around. sometimes, you’re scratching at your scalp hard enough that he’s surprised there aren’t holes in it already. sometimes, you’re shaking your head like you’re trying to empty your brain out through your ears. it’s… disturbing, to say the least, and he’s sure that you didn’t do that before.

it might have been the firelight in the library, but he’s sure he’d seen your shadow moving just a fraction of a second before you did. perhaps it was the faint sound of music from lucifer’s study, but it had almost sounded like you were muttering to yourself, something so quiet as to be nearly inaudible, something harsh and menacing and dark. it could have just been his tired mind at 2am trying to make sense of what he was seeing, but he’s sure that a human’s eyes shouldn’t be able to do that.

maybe it’s nothing, but your marks at school have been going up lately, even for subjects you normally have real trouble with. conjuration, curses and hexes, alchemical studies - your casting ability is through the roof right now.

your seductive speechcraft professor had even commended him on his tutoring ability - “almost like a proper demon, now, i can hardly believe it!”.

he hasn’t practised seductive speechcraft with you in months. 

it might be a bit personal, but satan can tell that your scent has changed lately, and he’s not convinced that that’s supposed to happen. demons have much better senses of smell than humans, which he remembers was definitely a learning curve for you when you’d first arrived, so you probably can’t tell that something’s wrong. 

your scent changes naturally from week to week and month to month, as happens to all humans - something or other about hormone fluctuations? and yeah, he’d kind of got used to your scent and the little ways that it ebbed and flowed over time, but it’s never been like this. 

it’s like… you don’t smell like you any more, at least not as much as you used to. does that make sense? he’s finding it harder and harder to pick you out of a crowd of demons, and while he might have brushed it off as a side effect of long-term habitation in the devildom, he’s asked solomon a few, ahem, research questions. 

he’d been a bit surprised at satan’s decidedly niche area of interest, but solomon’s been known to stay in the devildom for extended periods of time before and apparently nobody’s ever told him that his scent had changed because of it. 

he’s even gritted his teeth and gone to asmo to check that solomon was telling the truth, and while it had resulted in some rather awkward questions, asmo had confirmed that he’s never known solomon’s scent to change like yours is doing now. and, given what satan knows about his… lifestyle choices, he’s inclined to believe that asmo knows what he’s talking about.

nowadays, you’re so tired all the time, drooping over your dinner plate even though he knows you’ve been spending half your time asleep in the attic with belphie. levi’s started bulk-ordering human-safe energy bars for you off akuzon, ever since you’ve started falling asleep two episodes into an anime marathon that you’d once watched twice over in a single sitting. 

it’s less of a problem when you’re actively playing games together, although satan did think it was strange when levi told him how proud he was of how good you’re getting at immortal kombat - apparently, your reaction speed is getting so fast that you’re almost able to consistently land a “lethality” on him.

and it’s weird, but sometimes when he says hello to you in the corridor, you get this momentary, terrified look on your face, staring up at him like you’ve never seen him before. it’s almost like how you were right at the beginning of the exchange programme, back when you were still tiptoeing around the house like you thought he’d decapitate you on the spot for breathing too loudly. 

you look at him like he’s your lord, like he’s your master, like he could give you an order at any moment and you’d obey, not out of the love he knows you hold in your heart but out of fear, the fear of him. he’s not that scary, is he? not to you, not any more? he tries so hard not to be, to be more than that for you, and he’d thought it was working - that the sweet little smiles and late-night cups of tea and fingers brushing his when you’re walking home meant that you might feel like he does?

it all comes to a head on a quiet, saturday morning.

he likes to get up early on saturdays - his brothers are usually still in bed, sleeping off the long week just gone, and if he’s lucky you’ll be awake, and let him sit in your room with his mandragora tea (thank you, barbatos) and your glass of blushberry juice. you haven’t let him in for the last few weeks, calling out to him when he knocks and saying you’re going to sleep in, but maybe today will be the day.

he’s just coming up the stairs, drinks in hand and book tucked under his arm, when he hears it.

it’s your voice, talking to something. no, someone. but who’s there? you sound terrified, frantic, like you’re trying to reason with them. are you being threatened? how could anyone else have even got in to your room in the first place? his steps are getting faster, he’s running now, when all of a sudden you cut off sharply. a hiss of breath, a savage choke like you’ve been punched in the stomach, he can almost hear your diaphragm spasming - and then you speak again.

…what?

now, you sound terrifying, vicious, all sharp teeth and sharper tongue. as he gets closer to your room, the magic spilling out from under the door gets stronger and stronger - it’s like a thick haze of power that muddles his brain and turns his insides to liquid. it sounds like you’re having an argument, and it sounds to him like you could spit venom if you tried, for a minute he doesn’t notice but then - yep, you definitely don’t know enough infernal to say that, what’s happening to you? 

he’s definitely spilt his drink on the carpet, but he doesn’t care. as soon as he sets his hand on the handle, the electric feeling in the air spikes. it’s a wonder he doesn’t take the whole damned door off its hinges with how fast he opens it, but now he’s looking at you, properly looking at you for the first time in weeks, and you-

you look fine.

the same, unfortunately, can’t be said for your room - there are magic circles in bright green chalk across what must be every flat surface in the room, lots that he recognises but a few he doesn’t. the walls and bedframe are covered in scratch marks (are those claw marks?), desperate and unhinged. the mattress looks like it’s been sliced open, gutted of its springs and stuffing and filled with paper talismans, an empty space in the centre just right for someone of your stature to lie inside. 

sickly green spellcraft candles drip wax onto your desk, unearthly flames of all colours and long plumes of sweet-smelling smoke everywhere. there are photos nailed to the walls and floor, some of you, some of him, green runes scribbled all over them. some of the circles even look like they have active elements in them - little cups half-full of herbs, stones, soil, blood, hair- wait, that’s not yours, is it?

he pauses for just a second, dumbfounded, to stare at you in confusion, and that’s when he sees it.

“...satan?” 

two little points, bloody and sharp, peeking through your hair.

this can’t be happening.

“satan, i- hahhh, you need t- nnnng!”

it’s like you’re fighting to get the words out, tripping over your own tongue like it doesn’t belong to you. you’re standing up now, unfolding your crossed legs from the floor, and you’re smiling at him, but it- it’s not quite you, and all of a sudden everything falls into place.

“possession.”

“yes.” that’s not you speaking.

“how long?”

“it’s almost over.” that’s not good. he looks into your eyes, into that precious face he loves so much, and he finally sees what he’s been missing this whole time.

he’d always thought you were sweet. well, now you’re peeling open, like the most delicious shadow orange, pith and rind and strings spilling out of you, scraped hollow and empty. you’re sharp, acid and bitter, citrus on his tongue, your sweet perfume filling his mouth and condensing on the inside of his skull.

“i’ll kill you.”

the… thing inside you laughs a little bit, and it hurts because that’s the sound he craves, the sound of happiness he’s given you, the sound of lightness and warmth and floating. it looks down at your body, soft and warm, and reaches up with your hand (the fingers are too long) to cup your jaw (the teeth are too sharp).

“no you won’t.”

this is an original work by @gingerbreadmonsters - please do not repost or misattribute

masterlist

...

...hey, what’s this?

chek(hov’s )list

or: all of the things that satan should probably have seen coming, and that you might have noticed while reading, in 450 words or less.

the title! it’s robert louis stevenson’s “strange case of dr jekyll and mr hyde”, and in context it’s gabriel utterson (whose perspective we see the story from) declaring his resolve to find mr hyde (who we don’t yet know is the same person as utterson’s good friend dr jekyll). a fitting tribute to not only our classic-literature-loving satan, but also to our poor darling mc.

when a human is possessed by a demon, it is possible for the demon to induce infernal conversion in the human’s body. this is done by continually flooding the human’s body with infernal magic, forcing it into the human’s dna in order to make it adapt to the influx of demonic energy.

demonic conversion can theoretically be initiated by a demon of any sort, but if the demon does not have the capacity for a sufficient quantity of magic, they will burn themselves out in the process and the possession will end.

depending on the possessor’s own skill, inclination, and magical ability, demonic conversion can take anywhere from days to years to complete. for most demons it generally takes just less than 6 weeks - about 40 days or so.

it takes a lot of energy, on the part of both the demon and the human, for a successful conversion to take place. a human host may feel unusually lethargic, requiring greater amounts of sleep and nutrients in order to remain functioning.

the official language of the devildom is infernal, which is known by all demons (albeit with some regional variations in phrasing, spelling, and accent.

devildom food contains more of the nutrients needed to support a demonic body than human food does, including much higher concentrations of magical energy.

it is physically impossible for a human to become intoxicated from drinking demonus, as the necessary receptors are differently structured in human and demon brains.

the average demon is approximately 1.25 times taller than the average human.

keratin is a protein found naturally in the human body, most notably as a necessary component of the hair, skin, nails, and various internal organs. it is also a vital component of demonic horns.

in much the same way as celestial energy is connected to light, infernal magic is innately connected to shadow.

demons’ brains operate differently to those of humans, and as a result demons generally have much faster reaction speeds. levi has been playing immortal kombat for a very long time.

all of the runes and candles and markings in mc’s room are green. satan has been feeling a much stronger bond with mc than normal for the last few weeks. 

as i was saying:

this is an original work by @gingerbreadmonsters - please do not repost or misattribute

masterlist

#satan x reader #obey me x reader #satan x mc #obey me satan #obey me angst #obey me x you #satan x you #shall we date? obey me! #swd obey me #ginger writes #gingerbreadmonsters #ginger after dark

[lilxberry]

Hardly Burglar Material - Bilbo Baggins

Requested by: @donniethescienceguy​

Helloooooooo! Can I have a Bilbo x hobbit wife reader where after Thorin insults him (in the beginning when he arrives) she defends him and Thorins like: are you sure it’s the male Baggins we want?

I mean, I still did as what was requested but man, did I not know where tf this was going lmao

I followed quite a bit of the manuscript of the film, the only alteration is when reader confronts Thorin

Warnings: Nothing really. Asshole Thorin. Terrible writing lmao. 

Words: 1,796

Pairings: Bilbo Baggins x Reader (female reader) (wife!reader)

_______________

You hadn’t expected your quiet evening meal with your husband to be interrupted but when a dwarf, a big, burly, tattooed, balding, towering one at that knocks your door, there certainly isn’t much you can do.

After the dwarf, who introduced himself as Dwalin, had entered your home and devoured your husbands fish dinner, to which you offered Bilbo your own meal, more and more knocks sounded at the door, each one miffing your husband further and further until he had finally had enough.

“There’s nobody home!” he shouted as another sound came from the front door, arms holding up the abundance of weapons the two brothers’, Fíli and Kíli, loaded on to him.

You felt terrible, watching as your husband becomes frustrated, not knowing what to do other than spectate in concern.

He tossed the items down out of his arms as he stormed towards the door, shouting at whoever was on the other side. “Go away and bother somebody else! There are far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is.”

Bilbo closes in on the door. “I-I-If this is some plotheads idea of a joke,” he laughed in disbelief before grasping the door handle in his hand. “I can only say, it is in very poor taste.”

With that, he pulled the door open and in comes tumbling through the doorway a cluster of dwarves, all grumbling and whining at the other to get off of them. Bilbo and yourself, who stood a few steps behind, looked down at the mess of moving bodies on the floor before his feet, dumbfounded expressions on both of your faces.

Movement behind the pile up caught both yours and Bilbos’ attention, and once the tall figure bent down ever so slightly to reveal himself, your face twisted into that of utter confusion as your husband sighs in exasperation.

“Gandalf.”

_______________

Although you were concerned for your husband, you couldn’t help but find the whole situation quite amusing. You found some of the dwarven folk that had invaded your shared home to be quite a fun, entertaining bunch.

Of course, you were concerned about the possessions within your home, hoping that the dwarves leave your home relatively untouched and that your husband wouldn’t have some sort of mental breakdown.

Your uninvited guests had pillaged the pantry of its food. The race of dwarves certainly did have quite an appetite. Even Gandalf had nibbled on quite a bit of food.

The rowdiness of the dwarves had calmed slightly, if only for moment when they downed whatever drink they had. Even the ridiculous and frankly disgusting belching afterwards was calmer than their initial arrival.

Yet that was quickly replaced with plates, platers, knives, forks, and spoons were tossed from one dwarf to another as they sang a merry tune. Bilbo was quick with demanding caution and for things to be put down. Even you were slightly worried for your kitchen utensils.

The dwarves released hearty laughter when you and Bilbo peered into the kitchen and had seen that everything was clean and stacked, Gandalf chuckling along with them as both you and Bilbo simultaneously release sighs of relief.

Then, the atmosphere became tense as three, loud knocks sound at your front door for a final time that night.

The laughter died out instantly and Gandalf spoke quite ominously. “He’s here.”

_______________

You couldn’t really pinpoint what exactly was unsettled you so much when it came to the dark-haired dwarf who sat at the head of the table. Maybe his stature. Possibly his stoic expression.

Most likely the look behind his eyes.

Well, you certainly didn’t like him all that much whenever he addressed your husband.

Most of the conversation between the dwarves and Gandalf became muffled when reaching your ears, certainly seeing no point in listening in on their talk. The second your husbands voice rang out through the room though had piqued your interest and your attention was brought to the conversation.

They spoke of The Lonely Mountain, the dragon Smaug, how they were on a quest to reclaim their home. Gandalf had produced not only a map of some forts but a key, a key the dwarves seemed to become quite excited about.

You also happened to admire the young dwarfs’ courage. Ori.

Then, the topic of a burglar arrived.

“That’s why we need a burglar,” Ori spoke.

“Hmm, and a good one too. An expert I’d imagine.” Bilbo moves back from peering down at the map, holding on to his suspenders.

“And are you?”

Bilbo glances around to behind him before looking towards the dwarves once more. “Am I what?”

“He said he’s an expert!” Oin spoke cheerily. Of course, the dwarf with the horn to aid his hearing would say as such.

“Me? No, no, no, no, no,” your husband started, eyes darting to each dwarf, hoping his point would get across. “I’m not a burglar. I’ve never stolen a thing in my life.”

You nodded your head in agreement. As much as you love your husband, he is quite the stickler for following rules.

“I’m afraid I have to agree with Mister Baggins,” Balin was next to speak. “He’s hardly burglar material.”

You supressed a chuckle as Bilbo, although relieved that someone agreed, looked the tiniest bit offended.

The group of dwarves began to chatter and raise in volume, no words could actually be comprehended by yourself, it all a jumble of noises. Then Gandalf raised out of the seat slightly, his voice booming over the racket the dwarves created.

“ENOUGH! IF I SAY BILBO BAGGINS IS A BURGLAR,” he lowered his voice with each following word. “Then a burglar he is.” Bilbo looked as if he wanted to protest but no words left his mouth.

“Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet,” he continued. “In fact, they can pass by unseen by most if they chose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of a Hobbit is all but unknown to them which gives us an distinct advantage.”

The whole discussion about your husband was unnerving for you. You disliked how your husband was talked of like a ploy in some silly game.

“This quest is no place for gentlefolk.” Thorins’ tone was as if the words left a vile taste in his mouth, clearly showing his disgust for your husband. “He probably wouldn’t last 5 miles away from his precious little home. Look at him, Gandalf! He isn’t made for such things, it’s as clear as day. His big feet and rounded belly would slow us down. Your little Hobbit would cry out for home within a day.”

Your blood boiled with each word he spoke, an anger rising in you which you desperately tried to keep down. Your nails dug into the palms of your hands and your jaw was clenched tightly shut, but enough was enough.

“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF MY HUSBAND LIKE THAT?! NO LESS WHILST YOU ARE IN HIS HOME AND IN HIS PRESENCE!”

Your outburst caught the attention of every soul in the dining room around the table. Their eyes settled on your figure that stepped closer and closer to them up to the point where you stood glaring down at Thorin right beside his seat. Even Bilbos’ eyes were wide and looked almost ready to pop right out of their sockets.

“My husband may not be a fighter like you…you BRASS DWARVES! But he deserves no less respect. I will not stand for someone speaking down on my Bilbo in such a manner, even if they are some king,” you all but spat out.

Some of the dwarves looked offended that you spoke to their leader in such a way, others looked thoroughly shocked, surprised that a small thing as yourself had such a fire in you. Gandalf smirked as Bilbo looked like he genuinely feared for your safety. He had witnessed outbursts from you that scared him before, which were quite rare, you barely losing your temper, but for once, he was terrified of the consequences seeing as it wasn’t at him nor a fellow Hobbit.

But it was Thorins’ reaction that had you confused. He seemed…impressed?

Thorin turned towards Gandalf, a smirk of his own forming on his face. “Are you sure it was Mister Baggins you had wanted to join our quest?”

Gandalf chuckled and looked towards you and your husband, you now joined your side, who was silently scolding you with his eyes but nonetheless remaining the concerned, dotting husband. “I was certain on Mister Baggins being the 14th member of your company, but I would highly recommend you take a 15th as I believe Misses Baggins certainly has something of her own to bring to the quest.”

“They both have a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including themselves. You must trust me on this,” Gandalf finished.

Thorin looked at Gandalf and Gandalf at he for a moment, Thorin evidently mulling it over within his head before finally, he spoke. “Very well. We’ll do it your way. Give them the contract.”

Both yourself and Bilbo began to protest as Balin produced the document. He handed it over to Bilbo who unravelled the parchment and began to scan over the words, your eyes peering over his shoulder to read it for yourself.

As Bilbo and you busied yourselves with reading over the document, Thorin had leant over towards Gandalf to whisper within his ear. “I cannot guarantee their safety.”

“Understood,” Gandalf hummed in acknowledgement.

“You’ll be left responsible for their fate.”

“Agreed.”

Bilbo began to read aloud the text, brow furrowed out of concentration, your own face screwed up slightly, straining to peer at the words.

“Terms; cash on delivery up to but not exceeding 1 14th for total profit, if any. Seems fair, uhh-“

“Shouldn’t it be changed to 1 15th if I were to join?” you questioned aimlessly.

Bilbo nodded his head in agreement before continuing. “Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a government, thereof including but not limited to; lacerations. Evisceration?” He unfolds a piece further, reading before looking towards the group with a look of disbelief. “Incineration?!”

“Oh, aye. It’d melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye,” Bofur quipped with ease.

Many more ‘encouraging and reassuring’ words were spoken by Bofur, unnerving both yourself and Bilbo, though you hid it extremely well. The moment your husband passed out, was when Bofur seemed to finally relent.

“Oh dear.” You looked towards your husband laying on the floor unconscious with concern before turning towards the others with a worried expression.

Valar forbid you allow him to go with those dwarves and that conniving wizard alone.

_______________

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I mean, I don’t really have anything to say sooooo

If you want to be added to a taglist lemme know

Anywho, I hope you enjoy

As always, constructive criticism and requests are welcomed and greatly appreciated :D

_______________

LOTR / The Hobbit taglist:

@iwazoomingouttahere​ 

#bilbo baggins #bilbo #bilbo x #bilbo x reader #bilbo baggins x #bilbo baggins x reader #x reader #x fem #x fem!reader #x female reader #x fem reader #x wife reader #x wife!reader #bilbo x wife!reader #bilbo baggins x wife!reader #the hobbit #The Hobbit fic #the hobbit fanfiction #fluff #the hobbit fluff

[randomshyperson]

The Scarlet Witch Prophecy - The Fourth Year (Part II) - Chapter 5

Gif is not mine, blessed are the gif makers.

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

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

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

Chapter Words:  11.433K (they keep getting bigger and bigger don’t they?)

Authors note: I told myself i would only updated this once i finished writing two chapters ahead, but here we are. I hope everyone has a good reading, please let me know what you think and if you have any questions regarding the story i’m as lost as you are but i believe everything will make sense at the end.

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

When you woke up in the morning, you were really irritated.

Not having slept very well, both because of the time you went back to bed, and because of the strange dreams with red lights that you kept having, you were really sleepy when you had to get up.

And well, the first class was History of Magic, so the universe was not in your favor.

But you were quite surprised when you reached Professor Okoye's classroom and found a small crowd of students waiting at the door.

"What's going on?" You asked Quill as soon as you identified him in the crowd, Mantis right behind you. 

"I don't think we're going to have class today." He replied while looking into the room. You copied his movement, and could see the teacher moving the tables and chairs in the room away to the corner, leaving a nice clear space. When she was finished, she waved for everyone to come in.

You stood with Quill and Mantis and the rest of the students scattered around the room, and the teacher in the center. She closed the door with a wave of her wand as they all entered, a small smile on her lips.

"I have an announcement to make, students." She begins. "According to the traditions of the triwizard tournament, the host school must organize a winter ball during christmas night after the first task." She tells and has to raise her voice a bit because the students start talking to each other excitedly. "And as head of the Gryffindor house, renowned for its chivalry, I was made responsible for organizing dance class sessions." She pauses briefly, looking at the students until they fall silent. "I also expect the Hufflepuff house to behave as respectfully as my Gryffindor students, since the honorable Helga Hufflepuff was known for her great charity balls."

With a wave of Okoye's wand, a cabinet in the corner of the room opens, and out of it flies a small music organ to the corner of the room. When she waves it again, a soft melody fills the entire room.

"Let's begin."

//-//

It is only at lunchtime that you get to talk to Wanda. And your feet still hurt from the times Quill stepped on them during the dance class.

You throw your bag on the Slytherin bench and sit down next to Wanda, looking at her expectantly. The girl makes a confused frown.

"What?" she asks with a slight humor in her voice.

"Really, Wands?" You reply in the same tone. "I want to talk to you."

"About what?"

"The tournament." 

Wanda rolls her eyes, turning her attention back to the plate in front of her. You frown at the way she is being casual about it.

"What about the tournament?"

You let out a short laugh.

"What do you mean “what about the tournament”? You're the champion of Hogwarts! The underage champion of Hogwarts!" You clarify, but Wanda doesn't look at you. You blink in confusion, and reach your forearm down on the table, touching her lightly so that she looks at you. Your chest aches as she pulls her arm away. "What's wrong?"

Wanda sighs, running her hands through her hair lightly.

"I just don't want to hear about how I'm an irresponsible cheater or how dangerous the tournament is." She replies looking at you.

"I wasn't going to say that." You retort, and Wanda rolls her eyes, which irritates you. "You haven't even heard what I have to say and you've already drawn your own conclusions."

Wanda clenches her jaw, her cheeks slightly reddened.

"And what do you have to say about it then?"

"I was gonna offer to help you practice for the tasks!" You clarify angrily. And Wanda blinks in confusion. You turn your face forward next, crossing your arms. Arguing with Wanda was absolutely the worst. 

It takes a moment, but her posture softens completely and she sighs, reaching out for your arm afterwards.

"Hey." She calls tenderly, but you continue to stare straight ahead. "Hey, I'm sorry. Look at me."

You slowly turn to the side, looking down at your lap. Wanda waits for you to look up, and when you do, she gives you a weak smile.

" I'm sorry." She repeats, and you sigh, nodding. Wanda bites her lip, looking at you for a moment. "I need to tell you something. Is about..."

Wanda falls silent as your friends arrive at the table, commenting excitedly on the news of the dance that has already spread throughout the school. She sighs softly, straightening herself to look forward. You bite the inside of your cheeks, curious to know what she was going to say, but not wanting to press her.

When Nebula and Gamora sit across from you, you strain to pay attention to their conversation.

"But Wanda, tell us, what is it like to be a Hogwarts champion?" Gamora asks after the topic about the ball closes. Wanda tenses momentarily, and you want to ask why Pietro is sitting at the other end of the table with boys you don't know instead of with his sister, but the brunette forces a smile and you don't.

"I don't recommend the experience, if you ask me." She retorted with slight irony in her voice, making the group laugh. "After the selection, the principals of the other schools were not at all happy about my participation."  She counters twisting her fingers lightly. "I think they were questioning the security of the Goblet choice. But Principal Harkness stood up for me, in her own way at least. She insisted that nothing could be done, because the magical contract with the goblet can only be broken with the end of the tournament."

"I imagine you had no idea this was all going to happen when you put your name on the goblet, eh?" Nebula asked wryly, making the group laugh. But Wanda frowned.

"I didn't put my name on the goblet." Wanda declared. Her friends gave a short laugh, thinking she was joking. But the other girl's serious expression makes them look at her in surprise.

"Wait, are you serious?" Gamora questions and Wanda nods, sighing. She exchanges shocked looks with Nebula and Mantis. Next, Gamora looks at you. "I guess that goes on your list of weird things this year, huh?"

You shake your head slightly, not wanting the girl in front of you to mention what happened in the cup, but Gamora is already commenting on your nightmares the next moment.

Wanda turns to you next.

"What nightmares?" She questions, and you sigh, losing your appetite. "And why didn't you tell me about what you saw in the cup? And well, if you were worried, you could have asked if everything was okay with me, we've been at Hogwarts for a month now and..."

"Wanda." You interrupt with a short smile. "Calm down, okay? I was just trying to find the right time to talk to you about everything."

"I am calm, I just want to know why you are hiding things from me! " She hits back and you frown in surprise.

"Look who's talking!"

You regret the way you speak, because Wanda gasps in surprise, her gaze hurt. Your friends witness the discussion intently.

"What did you mean by that?" She retorts angrily.

"You know very well what I meant." You reply in the same tone, feeling your stomach turn in nervousness. "You always hide things, whether with your family, or with your magic! And you won't tell me what's going on with us!"

Wanda looks at you in a mixture of surprise, anger and hurt, and you feel your heart racing. Some students are looking at you curiously, but Wanda's lack of response only disappoints you. You cast her an angry glance before getting up and leaving the hall.

//=//

You feel bad that you have accused Wanda the moment you reach your dorm. You don't know if she has the answers you seek. But you are tired, because it seems that everyone is keeping secrets from you.

Throwing yourself down on the sofa, you sigh as you close your eyes. You don't feel like studying right now, but soon you have a Defense Against the Dark Arts period and you need to get up. You don't rush, though, using all the remaining time at lunch to calm yourself, trying to push out the thoughts that you and Wanda would no longer be friends.

Mantis meets you at the door to the communal hall as soon as you leave, and you thank her for bringing your backpack back. 

"Are you okay?" She asks as you both walk toward the tower.

"Yeah, it was just a silly argument." You mumble clumsily.

"Wanda was pretty upset after you left." She counters, and you mutter in understanding. "I hope you two can make up soon."

"Me too."

When you arrived at the D.A.D.A. room, few minutes later, you grumbled softly because you could only find chairs in the front, and students who sat near Professor Fury were always called in.

The professor entered soon after, his long black cape dragging across the floor, and the customary eye patch hiding a scar on his face.

"Good afternoon, everyone." He announced loudly as he entered, and waited until everyone was seated to begin. Drawing out his wand, he charmed the chalk on the blackboard to write the subject of the day. Some buzz began to circulate as the words "unforgivable curses" formed on the board. "Who here can tell me what the unforgivable curses are?"

The room was completely silent. Fury walked between the tables.

"No one?" He asked. "How disappointing."

You knew that no one answered the question because it was a huge taboo in the witch community to talk about the dark arts so freely. Professor Fury seemed to know that too, and that only seemed to make him angry.

“Unforgivable curses are three of the most powerful and sinister spells in the world of magic.” Fury explains next. “Their use is forbidden in all magical communities, and if a wizard or witch casts any of them on another wizard or witch, they will receive a sentence in Azkaban.”

Fury made another motion with his wand and the closet at the back of the room opened, a small cage secured in an iron compartment with wheels crawled to the front. 

You and the rest of the room let out exclamations of surprise as you observed the creature inside. A large, hairy spider, very scary. Mantis shrank into the chair beside you.

"As an antidote to your ignorance, I recommend that you read the book of this subject before the next class, and bring me two scrolls about the first three chapters, specifying the history of the prohibition of unforgivable curses." Professor Fury then announced, drawing an unsatisfied buzz from the students. The room fell silent the next minute, however, as the professor opened the cage.

The spider moved on the iron, looking practically startled and shrinking into the cage. 

"The first unforgivable curse is the command curse." Fury explained, pointing his wand at the bug next. "Imperio."

You and the rest of the students watched in shock as the small crystallized flash came from the tip of the wand to the creature, which stretched its legs and then moved outward. It wasn't hard to deduce that it was Professor Fury who was controlling the spider, since from the movement of his wand, it was moving.

"The Imperium curse consists of absolute control of another living being." Fury told as he moved the spider around the room, drawing exclamations of fear and shock. "You see, during the last witch war, many sorcerers claimed that they were only fighting for Mephisto because of this curse." 

The mention of Mephisto made everyone hold their breath, but the professor didn't stop talking.

"The ministry found an efficient way to find out who was lying." He counters with a short smile. Bringing the spider back to the front of the room, to his desk for all to see, he holds it still. "You will find out eventually, children, that moral lines are usually broken during wars."

You exchanged a look with your colleagues, all clearly surprised and frightened. Fury cleared his throat, pointing his wand at the spider.

"Crucio" He spoke and unlike the other, no light came out. The spider cringed, making a high-pitched noise that filled the entire room. You understood that it was screaming in pain, and you felt your stomach clench. Before you knew it, you stood up abruptly, the noise attracting everyone's attention.

"Stop it!" You shouted angrily. "Can't you see you're hurting her?"

The teacher stopped, and you tried to control your uncompensated breathing. He cleared his throat, ignoring the buzz in the room as he extended his hand to the spider, which obediently climbed into his hand.

He turned to you, placing the animal on your desk, and you swallowed dryly, keeping your gaze on the back of the room, knowing exactly what was coming. Professor Fury looked at the creature with contempt. 

"The last unforgivable curse is the killing curse." He explains. "Avada Kedavra."

You close your eyes for a moment, feeling your body tremble. When you look down, the spider was dead. The room in complete silence.

You look at Professor Fury with watery eyes.

"No one should survive this curse." He tells you. Before you can say anything, he softens his expression, looking around. "And none survived, of course. Now, why aren't you guys writing down what I said?"

You don't feel very well for the rest of the class.

//-//

The vast majority of the students seem far more impressed with how dark Fury's classes have become than afraid. You can't say the same, because it seems that every time he has to explain something about dark magic, you feel sick. Gamora tried to cheer you up by joking that auror wouldn't be the right profession for you, but you've been so upset about the absence of Wanda that you've barely been able to smile.

As the first assignment approaches, you want to forget that you fought and apologize, but the girl also seems to be avoiding you, so you do the same.

Pietro has also been distant, and Nebula told you that he and Wanda were not yet on the best of terms, and Pietro was spending much more time with Monica and Darcy than with you all. 

When the day of the first task finally arrived, you ignored the fact that you were fighting and went to look for Wanda, unable to ignore the feeling of worry that took over your whole body.

You had no idea what the first task was going to be, but Miss Harkness had asked the whole school to go to the Quidditch field on Saturday, and there were tents set up at the north end. You told Gamora that you would join her in the stands in a moment, that you needed to talk to Wanda first, and you snuck through the crowd to reach the champions' tent area.

"Psst." You called out from between the canvas of the tent, recognizing the gloomy figure sitting in the corner of the place as you entered from the back. Wanda looked around, and then stood up, frowning when she could see your shadow.

Opening the tarp, she looked at you in a mixture of surprise and irritation.

"What do you want here?"

"I didn't come to fight with you." You let her know as you realize the tone in her voice. You bite your lips for a moment, and then sigh. "Damn, I missed you."

Wanda looks away, her cheeks reddening as she crosses her arms. You swallow dryly, ignoring your uncompensated heartbeat.

"Is this what you came for?" She asks half-heartedly, staring at the floor.

"No." You say. "I needed to make sure everything was okay, and I wanted to wish you good luck."

"Why do you care?" She hits back in defiance, and you roll your eyes.

"I'm still your friend, Wanda." You reply. "We fought, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you anymore."

Wanda looks away again, and you switch the weight on your foot.

"Well, that was it." You say. "Good luck to you."

"Thank you." She mumbles without looking at you. When you turn around, her arms wrap around you in a tight embrace. Wanda rests her head on your back and sighs, and you recover from the surprise, caressing her hands resting on your belly with your thumbs. Before you can turn to correspond properly, she releases you. "Now get out of here before a teacher sees you."

You smile at her before walking away.

//-//

Wanda would confront a dragon. You think you're controlling yourself pretty well despite everything.

She was going to be the last to do so, but your heart was already racing from the moment Principal Harkness walked to the center of the Quidditch pitch and after making the general announcements, nodded toward the locker room area that had been enchanted so that the beast could hide inside. The next minute there were witches bringing a dragon into the stadium and the crowd screamed with excitement and fear.

The champions needed to capture the golden egg for the second task, and well, everyone was curious to know how they would do it.

Gamora handed you a small booklet, and you frowned when you realized that it was an enchanted betting chart. She gave you a little smile, waving to someone behind her, and you noticed that almost all the people were betting on the winners, and the game flyers were circulating around the stands. You felt your stomach turn as you watched the enchanted drawing of a dragon spit fire at the image of three witches. 

You ended up handing the flyer to Mantis and didn't bet on anyone, focused on watching the task.

Jean Grey captured the egg in fifteen minutes. She took on the Common Welsh Green dragon, and everyone was impressed to watch her use a mirroring spell to confuse the dragon about the true location of the golden egg. She finished the task unhurt, and unseen and you joined the crowd in cheering, watching her receive the perfect score.

Maria Hill was injured in her ordeal, but this certainly brought a lot more entertainment to the audience. She faced the Norwegian Crested Back, and tried to bewitch the dragon with a sleeping spell, but the creature awoke as soon as she reached for the egg. 

The audience screamed with excitement as the dragon began to spit fire everywhere, furious. Fortunately, Maria only had minor burns, as she was able to charm the beast again. Her score was lower than Jean's, but still high.

When Wanda's turn came, many of the Gryffindor students began to boo, and you clenched your jaw. 

You relaxed momentarily when Wanda looked around the audience, smiling at you before focusing on the creature in front of her.

"That one looks bigger than the other two, huh?" you grumble to Gamora with concern as you observe the beast in the center of the field. 

"Maybe he's more docile." She remarks, but it's not true, especially since the next second the creature roars ferociously as it notices Wanda approaching.

The Ukrainian Iron Belly moved his long tail around the field, the iron chains swinging as he did. Wanda was holding her wand, hiding behind a rock. You can barely hear the crowd with the ringing in your ears, your heart racing a thousand an hour in your chest.

As Wanda approaches again, trying to bewitch the beast, the Iron Belly roars, raising its tail in the air to strike her. You blink in astonishment as you watch a shield spell form around Wanda. She rolls across the field, faster than the beast, and runs to reach the egg.

She casts a spell on its snout that leaves it bewildered long enough for her to grab the prize.

On the way back, the creature wags its tail rapidly across the field, roaring with irritation, and hits Wanda in the back, throwing her a few meters forward.

"Y/N what are you doing? Put that away!" Gamora warns you at the next second. You blink in confusion, realizing that you have your wand in hand, raising it in front of you. Gamora lowers your hands, and because of all the commotion, no one else seems to notice. She looks at you with concern, but you feel your mouth go numb; you need to help Wanda.

"Let me go, Wanda needs me." You grumble pushing her hands away, and hurrying to get down from the bleachers. Gamora calls out to you but you don't turn around.

The test continues on the field next to you, but you have to look forward to get down, pushing people aside as you rush to catch up to Wanda, your wand vibrating in your fingers as the rest of your body.

Professor Heimdall stops you at the edge of the stands.

"I need you to focus on my voice, Stark." He asks as he places his hands on your shoulders. You gasp in surprise, trying to turn your head to look at the field, but the firm grip holds you in place.

"Let me go." You ask panting, a pain beginning to well up in your head. "Wanda is in danger."

"Look at me." He commands as he lifts his thumbs to your cheek, pinning your face to look at him. You stare at the yellow irises feeling your breath hitch. You need to help Wanda. But somehow, as the seconds tick by, the yellow eyes are all you can think about. "Pull yourself together. Can't you hear the celebration from the audience? Wanda has completed the test. She is safe."

You choke on the professor's words, feeling an urge to cry with relief. He keeps his expression serious, though.

"Pull it together. Keep your wand away." He commands. "Don't tell anyone about this, not everyone is your friend here."

"W-what?"

But Professor Heimdall lets you go, quickly taking your wand and putting it back in your cloak pocket. He looks around, and smiles at someone behind you. Only now you notice the celebratory noise around you, and you turn around. The crowd is descending, and Principal Harkness is announcing the final scores.

Your friends are coming toward you, happy and smiling. Professor Heimdall steps aside to join the teachers' group, and then you are being dragged with your friends to the center of the field, along with the rest of the crowd celebrating the end of the task. You hear fireworks and shouts of victory, but your gaze is searching for Wanda.

She is shaking hands with the Minister of Magic, Johann Shmidt, and you gasp when you catch sight of her. She has barely turned toward you, smiling and waving shyly when she realizes that you and your friends are coming to greet her, when you run toward her, throwing your arms around her when you reach her.

"Wow." She gasps in surprise, but hugs you back, chuckling softly. You don't let go, and soon your friends are hugging you two too. And they are laughing and celebrating, and you are holding back your tears, not understanding why the possibility of losing Wanda seems worse than death.

//-//

Things get better after the first task. After you left the Quidditch camp, you joined the celebration in the Slytherin communal hall, which was filled with people from all the houses.

All the students who had stood against Wanda before she defeated the dragon now seemed keen to become her friends, praising her and congratulating her on the way she killed the beast. 

You still don't understand what exactly happened, but Wanda used some spell that hit the creature in the heart, and well, killing the dragon earned her first place. The other directors were not happy with the judge's decision, but the rest of the school certainly liked it.

You are in the corner of the room, surrounded by your friends and Tony's friends, trying to stay sociable while ignoring how tired you feel.

"Why are you so quiet?" Gamora asks you softly, noticing your lack of enthusiasm to join in the explosive snap game that Quill has just suggested to everyone. 

"It's nothing." You lie forcing a smile. Professor Heimdall's words still echoing in your head. "I'm just not in the mood to party. I guess I'm sleepy."

Gamora murmurs in understanding, assessing your face for a few moments. But Nebula is pulling her sister over to look at the items Tony got on his last trip to Hogsmeade, and you don't join in the conversation. 

Your gaze searches for Wanda, who is locked in conversation with a seventh grader who has never spoken to you guys before, but seemed very willing to become Wanda's friend now that she has become a champion.

You were thinking of waiting until Wanda had finished talking to the girl to say good-bye, but then you felt irritation boil up in the pit of your stomach as you watched the older girl toss her hair to the side, her hand running up Wanda's arm, as Wanda gave her a wry smile. 

You really didn't want to watch Wanda flirting with anyone, so you hurried out of the dorm, hopefully everyone would be busy enough with the party to notice.

Outside, as you turned the corner, you saw something you didn't want to see.

Tony and Steve were kissing against a wall, your brother's hands inside the other boy's shirt. You let out a loud exclamation of shock, covering your eyes.

"God, get a room!" You complained loudly with your eyes closed, feeling your cheeks very hot. You heard Tony and Steve giggle, and waited a moment to open your eyes, only to find Steve very red, looking away, and your brother with his arms crossed.

"Don't be such a baby." He teased. "One of these days I'm going to find you like this."

You choke lightly, letting out an indignant laugh.

"Excuse me, but I don't want to hook up with anyone in the corners of the castle." You mumble in embarrassment, and Tony exchanges a look with Steve, letting out a chuckle.

"Damn, do girls go through puberty later or something?" He teases and you look at him wide-eyed. "I'm teasing you little sister, no need to freak out about it." He mocks as he pulls Steve by the sleeve, when he is walking away, he turns his head to you again. "Let me know if you change your mind, I bet Natasha that you were going to propose to Wanda this year!" He shouts before turning down the hall, leaving you behind with cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

You figure you'd better get back to the dorm before you run into some teacher.

//-//

You have another nightmare during the night. As real as the vision you had during the quidditch cup. You see the graveyard and the red light, but this time, it is you who is attacking. You wake up in fright, but feeling absolutely exhausted, you go back to sleep almost immediately afterwards. This time you dream of someone holding your hand.

//-//

"Have you decided who you're going to ask to the dance?" It is the first question Gamora asks you during breakfast, and you choke on your pumpkin juice. She ignores your reaction and continues talking. "By the way, where were you last night?"

"I told you I was tired." You reply wiping up the juice you spilled with a napkin. "I went back to my dorm."

"You missed the best part of the party." She retorted excitedly. "Some Ravenclaw kids conjured up a fireworks dragon and someone handed out candy from Honeydukes to everyone."

"Sounds amazing." You grumble before going back to eating. Gamora looks at you expectantly, and you sigh, understanding that she is waiting for you to answer her first question. "I don't know if I want to go to the dance."

"You’re not going to the dance?" It is Wanda who asks as she arrives at the table. You almost choke again, but just roll your eyes at the insinuating look Gamora gives you as Wanda sits down. 

"Oh, she's just saying that because no one invited her." Gamora teases with an insinuating tone, and you try to hit her but she laughs as she moves away from your grasp.

"You know, you can ask someone if you want to. You don't have to wait for the invitation." Nebula then suggests, and you are surprised because she wasn't even paying attention to the conversation, a spell book laid out in front of her. "Unless you're afraid of rejection."

"What is it with you guys today?" You mutter irritatedly, feeling your cheeks flush with embarrassment as you observe the insinuating glances of the two girls in front of you. "Besides, why are you talking about invitations, Gamora? Who invited you?"

Gamora lets out a shy giggle, and then looks away. She nods toward Quill, and you let out a surprised exclamation.

"And you're just telling me this now?" You retort excitedly.

"You're the one who left the party yesterday!" She replies. "He invited me last night, and I was going to tell you, but you left without even looking back."

You roll your eyes with amusement.

"Are you really waiting for someone to invite you?" Wanda asks next, and you look at her, feeling your heart miss a beat. What the hell is going on with you lately?

"I... well, I don't know." You answer clumsily. "I haven't really thought about it.”

"But you want to be asked?" Wanda inquires and you swallow dryly. 

"I don't know, maybe."

"But if someone were to invite you now, would you like it?"

"I..."

"God, just ask her at once!" Gamora interrupts impatiently, causing you and Wanda to look at her wide-eyed. Nebula lets out a chuckle, without looking away from the book on your desk. Gamora gestures in Wanda's direction. "Sorry, girls, I just got a little carried away. Please, Wanda, continue with your embarrassing attempt to ask the dumbest person in this school to the dance."

You mumble clumsily, feeling your cheeks warm. Wanda giggles.

The brunette next to you pokes you lightly in the ribs, and waits for you to look at her again before speaking.

"Gamora's right, actually." She says shyly, and you feel your heart speed up. "All champions need to dance at the ball, and well, the first person I thought of asking was you." She confesses quickly. "But it's okay if you don't want to go..."

"No!" you interrupt quickly, feeling your face hot. You smile next. "I'd love to go to the dance with you, Wands."

Wanda looks at you for a few seconds, and you look back. Your stomach flipping with nervousness.

"I'm getting diabetes." Nebula comments next, breaking the moment. Gamora laughs, pushing her shoulder lightly against her sister as you and Wanda look forward uncomfortably.

"Stop it, they're adorable." Gamora hits back with a smile, you clear your throat, feeling embarrassed as you pretend to pay attention to the daily prophet lying on the table and not the presence of the brunette next to you or the comments of your friends.

//-//

Things go well between you and Wanda after that. The discussion you two had is long forgotten. You imagine that Gamora and Tony think that as you begin to help Wanda try to decipher the egg, that you have mentioned to her the connection you have been feeling, but you have not yet found the moment to speak up.

You told her about the other things, though. About the sky mark on the Quidditch canopy, and Tony's investigation of your father and the followers of Mephisto. Wanda was also surprised to learn that Howard and Erik had been friends in school days, but she knew as little as you did about all the issues. You felt bad for having accused her of hiding things from you, and bought Honeydukes candy to apologize.

And so time passed, and the day of the winter ball finally arrived.

To say that you were looking forward to it was an understatement. And you weren't the only one, as during the whole day, the vast majority of the students talked only about this.

Your prom outfits arrived the same day during breakfast. You had written to Jarvis to buy Gamora's and Nebula's costumes as well, and they were very happy to receive the dresses. Tony had a piece of toast in his mouth when you left his suit that arrived in the same package as yours on the table, before you turned to check your own outfit.

"It's very nice, isn't it?" You commented to Gamora as soon as you held out the material aloft. The girl let out a sigh of excitement.

"My god, you're going to look beautiful!" She exclaims, and then gives you an insinuating look. "In fact, you're already a cutie." She teases with a wink, making you laugh. 

"Good morning." Wanda said as she joined you, she widened her eyes slightly when she realized that you were looking at the ball costumes. 

"Great, you're here!" Gamora speaks to the brunette excitedly. "I want to see your dress!".

Wanda smiled awkwardly.

"It's in my room." She informs you as she sits down next to Gamora. Her gaze lingers on you for a moment, but when you notice, she deflects. "You can see it when we go to get ready."

The conversation eventually went in the direction of comparing outfits and forming combinations, and then you thought it best to put your clothes away before they got dirty with some of the delicious food from the breakfast.

//-//

You were a little surprised to hear that the girls were going to start getting ready for the ball as early as the afternoon, but you didn't object to joining them in the Slytherin communal hall, taking your costume package with you.

"Are you going to wear any makeup?" Gamora asked you as you all stood in the Slytherin dormitory bathroom, which had several girls in it. Fortunately the communal hall was the most luxurious in the entire school and had enough space for everyone. You were sitting on one of the sink benches, after showering and putting on your prom costume, waiting for the girls to finish.

"I don't know how to wear makeup, Gamora." You respond by looking at her. She smiles, looking away from the mirror to look at you. 

"If you want, I can help you." She says and seeing your hesitation, she smiles. "Only if you want me to, honey."

"I don't know." You say. "Maybe just lipstick."

Gamora laughs lightly, nodding in agreement. Nebula starts complaining loudly next, not being able to button the zippers of her dress properly, and Gamora gives a giggle, stepping aside to help her sister. 

"Stop moving." Gamora warns Nebula, and you chuckle at the scene. Wanda is coming out of the cabin she had come in from to put on her dress, and you feel your breath hitch when you see her. She is adjusting the straps and smiles shyly at the look you cast at her, and you do your best to cover it up.

"You look pretty." She comments as she approaches, looking at you for a moment before looking away to the mirror.

"You look beautiful, Wanda." You retort the next moment, half out of breath. Wanda smiles, her cheeks reddening as she keeps her gaze on her own reflection, fixing her hair.

"Wanda, help Y/N with her makeup, I think Nebula messed up her zipper." Gamora asks the next moment, pulling out her wand to concertize her sister's clothes, who fusses impatiently. You and Wanda share a giggle at the scene, but your giggle dies as Wanda approaches you, a lipstick in her hands. 

"I think this color suits your costume." She comments with a smile, opening the lipstick and lifting it to your face height. You feel your breath hitch, watching with slightly wide eyes as Wanda stands between your legs and touches your face with her other hand to hold you in place. "Stand still so it doesn't smudge."

You want to tell her you're not going anywhere, but she's putting the makeup on you in the next second. You keep your mouth ajar, trying to ignore the tingling sensation you feel on your skin where Wanda's fingers are touching, or the way your heart is racing. Wanda is concentrating on her task, and bites her lower lip as she puts on your make-up. 

"There you go." She whispers as she pushes the lipstick away from your lips, her gaze lingering on your mouth however. The dark glow in her irises makes your stomach do a flip-flop. You think Wanda is going to kiss you, because she is so close and her fingers are still on your chin, and you wish she would.

But Gamora lets out an exclamation of satisfaction as she manages to tidy up her sister's dress, and Wanda frowns, shaking her head slightly as she steps back.

"You look gorgeous, Y/N!" Gamora says as soon as she glances at you, making you smile awkwardly. You're feeling a little out of breath from all the interaction with Wanda, so you just keep your gaze on your own lap, waiting for the girls to finish the finishing touches. Nebula remarks something about a funny story in the Daily Prophet next and you get distracted.

//-//

You are a nervous wreck when you all reach the main hall. 

Gamora nods to Quill, standing in the doorway in his dark brown suit, looking very handsome with the tie that matches his eyes. He flashes her a contented smile as they greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. You see Pietro and Monica have entered the room as well, their arms intertwined. Darcy is right behind, accompanied by a girl you don't know.

You clear your throat, turning to Wanda as you stop at the entrance, but Professor Okoye catches up with you before you can ask if Wanda wants to come in yet.

"Maximoff, dear, there you are." Okoye announces sounding rushed. "The dance of champions is about to begin, I imagine you'll be the partner, right miss Stark?"

"R-right, professor." You reply and the woman nods in agreement, grabbing yours and Wanda's arm to drag you to a corner, where the other champions were already waiting. She hurried out the next moment, signaling to the students outside to come in that she needed to announce the start of the dance.

"Are you ready?" you ask Wanda ignoring the nervous feeling in your stomach. The brunette smiles, her hand slipping into yours and making your heart soar.

"I hope I don't stumble." She retorts with a shy smile, you think she looks absolutely stunning.

"Don't worry." You say looking forward, the other champions straightening up to get in line. "I won't let you fall."

//-//

You twist Wanda in your arms to the rhythm of the music, a laugh escaping your lips. This is already the fourth song in a row that you have danced to together, and the feeling is so incredible that you think you will dance all night.

Two more songs later, you feel thirsty and approach Wanda to tell her you'll get a drink for you two, completely oblivious to the way the girl's cheeks flush when you whisper in her ear.

At the drinks table, Gamora approaches you, her cheeks rosy.

"I just kissed Peter!" She announces and you almost knock over the punch.

"What?" you ask in surprise and your sister laughs, maybe from nervousness or excitement, you can't tell. "Did you like it?

"Sure." She assures you with a smile, looking pleased. You make a mental note to tease her about her blushing cheeks another time. "It was weird the first time, but the sensation is really good when you get the rhythm right."

You nod in understanding, not knowing exactly what you can add in this matter.

"And what are you doing here with me? Go kiss your boyfriend!" You tease next, smiling encouragingly and making Gamora laugh. She turns to leave, but then decides to tell you something.

"Don't forget to tell me how it was with Wanda. I think kissing a girl must feel different."

She then leaves, laughing lightly at your shocked expression. Your heart is racing because the only thing you can think about right now is the possibility of kissing Wanda.

Your gaze returns to the dance floor, and you feel your nervousness increase. Wanda dances timidly to the rhythm of the music, her hips swaying and her eyes closed. She looks beautiful. She is beautiful. Out of your reach.

You shake your head to push these thoughts away, and you take a deep breath before walking over to her again with the drinks in your hand.

//-//

After drinking and dancing to three more songs, the band finally changes to a softer melody, and you smile shyly at Wanda as you hold out your hand to her.

With your hands together, you hold Wanda around the waist, and she rests her free hand on your shoulder. She is blushing at the closeness of your faces, so she gives you a shy smile before resting her chin on the hand on your shoulder. You enjoy the proximity as you move slowly to the rhythm of the music.

You close your eyes, feeling quite good this way. In her arms. Peaceful.

When the music ends, it takes a moment for you to move away, your hands remaining together. 

Wanda looks at you for a moment, and then nods her head to the side to signal you two to leave. You bite your lips as she takes you by the hand to escort you out of the room.

You are too busy thinking about the feeling of your hands intertwined to worry about the path, and are slightly surprised when you end up in an empty room.

Wanda lets go of your hand as you enter. And you close the door as she walks inside. She stops walking when she reaches the teacher's desk, and turns around, leaning against the wood. You watch her twist the rings on her fingers nervously as you walk toward her. 

You stop at the desk in front of her, mimicking her motion of leaning against the wood as you risk a glance at her.

"What are we doing here, Wands?" You ask ignoring your heartbeat quickened by the tension in the air.

Wanda looks at you, pressing her lips together for a moment. 

"What do you think?" She retorts with slight defiance, and you bite back a smile, feeling your cheeks heat up.

"You... you know we don't have to do anything just because everyone else is doing it, right?" You say, and Wanda lets out a short laugh, looking at you slightly impressed. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just that's such a Gryffindor thing to say. Very chivalrous." She teases and you chuckle awkwardly, shrugging your shoulders.

"Well, I am a hatstall after all." You mutter and Wanda frowns in confusion. You shake your head, briefly mentioning what the sorting hat told you in first year and drawing an impressed exclamation from Wanda.

"That's pretty awesome, you know, right?" she adds with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm pretty awesome indeed." You joke making Wanda laugh.

"Oh, there's the Slytherin part I see." She teases. "But I haven't found your Ravenclaw trait yet, are you sure you inherited the intelligence?"

You pretend to be offended for a moment with a grimace, and Wanda laughs, unconsciously or consciously stepping forward.

"Excuse me, but I am a very competent sorceress."  You argue smiling, ignoring the nervousness that grows as the proximity between you two increases. "Best charm student in the whole school."

"Oh, really?" Wanda retorts. "Last time I checked I had that position."

"It's okay, we can share first place." You assure almost in a whisper, Wanda is too close for you to think of adding anything else right now.

"There's the Hufflepuff." She says with a shy smile, approaching you one last time. You can feel her breath against your cheek, the emerald eyes fixed on yours. You swallow dryly, risking a look at the lips so inviting. "I'm going to kiss you now, okay?"

"Not if I kiss you first." You breathlessly challenge, and Wanda smiles before moving forward, both of you closing your eyes at the same time as you meet her halfway.

Her lips were soft, just as you imagined they would be. You swallow hard, feeling your whole body heat up. You stood with your mouths together for a moment, before Wanda pulled away, her breathing uncompensated as much as yours, as your lips tingle. 

"Kiss me again." She asks hoarsely, and you move forward. This time it's even better, because Wanda's hands go to your neck and yours to her waist. And when she sighs, you ask for passage with your tongue, following your instincts completely.

The sensation is intoxicating, and sends a shiver through your whole body. Wanda tastes like cherry punch, and you gasp at the sensation of your tongues together, squeezing her waist lightly.

You parted for breath, keeping your foreheads together and your eyes closed.

"Wow." You exclaimed softly breathlessly.

"Yeah, I know." She agrees in the same tone, her hands coming down from your neck to squeeze your shoulders lightly. Wanda kisses you again, her tongue moving against yours slowly, exploring your mouth. You moan softly at the sensation and Wanda pulls away breathlessly, blushing due the sound she has managed to wring out.

"S-sorry." You gasp quickly, feeling your cheeks as hot as the rest of your body.

"Don't be." She says. "That was hot."

You let out a clumsy laugh, and Wanda copies, and the moment dissipates from palpable tension to humorous lightness. You kiss briefly before Wanda circles her arms around your shoulders in a hug that you reciprocate equally.

"Do you want to go back to the party?" You ask when she breaks the embrace, but her hands remain intertwined behind your neck. 

"Not really." She replies with a smile, biting her lips as she looks at you. " I just came to be with you."

"Oh, yeah?" You ask with slight teasing, and Wanda lowers her gaze to your lips.

"Hu-huh. And now that I have you, I don't want to let you go."

You smile, lifting your hands to her neck, caressing her nape lightly as you kiss her again, not as intensely as before, and with a smile on your lips.

When you pull away, Wanda is smiling too.

"Don't worry, Wands. I'm not going anywhere."

//-//

After the ball, there is a new tension in your relationship with Wanda that makes you lose focus on anything other than her. 

Gamora missed no opportunity to tease you about this. And every time she caught you casting passionate glances at Wanda, or the other way around, you got a wry comment to get a room. It was harmless, but it made you and Wanda both blush like tomatoes.

The best change was the kisses. 

They could happen suddenly, or be almost planned. Wanda liked to take you by surprise, you could tell. Stealing firm kisses between corridors that made you blush and clumsy, or kisses when you spent time together with your friends, and her hand slipped into yours. 

You loved all the kisses she wanted to give you. But you had your favorites. The ones that happened when you were alone, and all you could think about was Wanda. They were usually planned, because to have free time, without friends, you need a little organization. So they usually happened when you went to Hogsmeade together, or when you helped her study for the tournament. It was amazing to finish a study session with Wanda's mouth on yours.

But you knew you still needed to talk to her. You were afraid you would lose the kisses if you did.

As the date for the second assignment approached, Wanda began to get anxious, because you all still hadn't deciphered the golden egg clue.

At that moment you were in the Slytherin communal room, sitting cross-legged on the floor with many books around you. Wanda was lying on the couch, a book enchanted to be at her eye level. Gamora and Nebula in the armchairs, also reading. You are trying to find some clue to decipher the egg.

"We've tried the basic open and close spells, right?" Gamora asks without taking her eyes off the book, probably reading about what she mention. 

"Of course." Wanda replies. She sighs in frustration the next moment, taking the enchanted book off her face, and closing it in her lap. You move your hand to hers, trying to reassure her. "I need to figure this out soon, because the task is in a few weeks."

"We will." You tell her with a smile.

"Just out of curiosity, what happens if you don't break out the clue?" Nebula asks and Wanda sighs.

"I won't have any idea what the second task is about and I won't know how to prepare."  She replies. "And then I'll lose and be humiliated in front of the whole school. Feel free to drown me in the great lake if that happens."

Wanda's dramatization makes you all laugh, but then you get an idea and your expression fades. Wanda, who was watching you, looks at you curiously, but you are already getting up, hurrying to get the golden egg that was on the couch.

"What are you going to do?" Gamora asked, as curious as the other girls. You walked over to one of the aquariums and held the egg up high.

"Sorry, folks." You said to the fish, and then opened the clasp. The shrill noise filled the room, but before the girls could complain, you dipped the egg into the water and the sound stopped.

You leaned forward and could hear the low melody.

"I can' believe it." You grumbled contentedly, and then dipped your head into the water. Your friends looked at you with wide eyes.

"Has she finally lost her mind?" Nebula sneered at the other two.

When you surfaced again, you had a smile on your face.

"Girls, it's the merpeople!" You counted excitedly. "That's the clue. I can't believe we stared at the great lake all this time and didn't come up with this idea."

Natasha entered the communal hall next, and when she saw your wet torso, she frowned.

" Should I ask...?" She began with mild irony, watching you take the egg from the aquarium and return to the couches, the water dripping all over the hall.

"She just deciphered the egg!" Wanda warned contentedly, and when you approached, she ran her hands down your neck and gave you a lingering kiss, and you almost dropped the egg on the floor.

"For merlin, get a room." Nat teased before Gamora could do it, and you and Wanda parted with giggles.

You used the wand to dry your body and the floor, returning the egg to Wanda. Nat sat down in one of the free armchairs.

After you finished cleaning up, you repeated the lyrics of the song to them. 

"Does that mean you're going to be underwater for an hour?" Nebula questioned in surprise to Wanda, and the girl sighed.

"I guess so." She replied thoughtfully. "And now I'm going to need to figure out a way to do that."

"If you were an animagus, you could turn into a fish." Nat mocked making the group smile. 

"I thought you'd have a better resistance to holding your breath, Wands. Since you're kissing all the time." Nebula added and Gamora and Nat laughed, while you rolled your eyes awkwardly, and Wanda raised her middle finger at the girl, her cheeks flushed.

"Let's focus, please." Asked the sorceress in front of you, embarrassed by the teasing.

"Yes, yes." Gamora agreed, gesturing. She settled herself in the armchair before speaking again. "I think you could use some plants. I'm sure Mantis must know some herb that will make you breathe underwater."

"Speaking of Mantis, where is she?" Nat asked and you turned your head in her direction.

"She has private lessons with Professor Heimdall, Tasha." You explained. "Of divination. She's pretty good, I think."

Nat murmurs in understanding, and Wanda says she will talk to Mantis about it when she is free. You gather up the books, and decide to spend some time playing chess and drinking tea now that you no longer have to worry about unraveling the egg.

//-//

You miss many opportunities to tell Wanda about your connection with her. That's because you have too many moments alone, between conversations and make-out sessions, and you just don't tell. And the feeling of keeping something from her corrupts you inside, but you bear it.

And then the date for the second task comes, and you're a nervous wreck, and Wanda doesn't understand why you're especially affectionate this morning, but she's not complaining.

Mantis got some kind of plant for her, which would give Wanda enough time to stay submerged as long as necessary.

You and the girls had also practiced swimming in the great lake with Wanda many times since the day you discovered the clue. And the vision of Wanda in her swimsuit was still preserved somewhere in your mind.

"Have you seen Pietro anywhere?" Wanda asked annoyed, looking around as you all had breakfast. The vast majority of the school was already on their feet as well, excited for the start of the task.

"I last saw him last night, after we went to Quidditch practice." Quill counters distractedly, passing jam on one of the toasts. 

"You two had worked things out, right?" You ask as you are sitting next to Wanda, she nods and then sighs.

"I think so." She mumbles. "I wanted to see him before the task."

You bite the inside of your cheek, not knowing how to help her. It was already time to leave, and you hoped that Pietro wouldn't be so stubborn to stay away from his sister on this day. You kept your hand intertwined in Wanda's all the way, trying to assure her, and she was very grateful.

The clue was right after all. The whole school was carried to the middle of the lake through the boats, up to huge iron bleachers that were conjured up during the night. 

"You look so cute in that uniform." You comment in Wanda's ear before bidding her farewell to go up to the bleachers, talking about the Slytherin competition uniform, and smiling at the way her cheeks redden. "Be careful, Wands."

"I will." She assures before kissing you. She joins the champions and you look at her one last time before going upstairs to join the rest of the students.

When Principal Harkness announces the start of the task, after explaining that an important treasure had been taken from the champions and they would need to find it in the lake, you stand with your body tense with nervousness, clenching your hands on the railing as you look down.  The whistle sounds and you hold your breath as you watch Wanda dive in. 

"Hey, are you going to be okay?" Gamora asks next to you, placing her hand on top of yours on the metal. You swallow dryly, looking away from the lake to her.

"I will." You say trying to force a smile. "As long as she does."

Gamora looks at you a moment, assessing your face.

"I'm sure Wanda will be fine." She says. 

You nod, looking down again. Now all that was left to do was wait.

//-//

"Did you hear what Tony just said?" 

You blinked a few times. You were in the circle with your friends in the bleachers, and you got distracted again by looking at the lake. Everyone was anxiously awaiting the return of the champions to the surface, talking among themselves and placing bets on the winners. Tony's friends joined in as soon as the task began.

"Sorry, Gamora." You say. "What?"

"Natasha is missing too." She says and you frown in confusion looking at the rest of the group. 

"What?"

"Pietro and Tasha, Y/N." Gamora says. "Tony just said they were supposed to meet last night, but she didn't show up. And no one saw her, just like Pietro."

You didn't know exactly what to make of that, but when you looked at the lake, you frowned.

"Gamora, you don't think that..."

"That's exactly what we're thinking." It is Tony who speaks now, looking at your expression and deciphering the idea that has gone through your head. "I just talked to the Durmstrang guys. One of their boys vanishes at night too, I think he's Grey's best friend."

You widened your eyes, and then leaned on the railing, looking down. Tony and Gamora mimicked your position.

"That's insane." Gamora commented, and you nodded in agreement.

"What happens if the champions lose the task?" Tony asked and you shook your head, not liking the possibility.

"I'm sure Professor Harkness wouldn't let anything bad happen." You say. "Right?"

Gamora and Tony murmur in agreement, and you find that your words were more to reassure you than to reassure them.

//-//

With thirty-eight minutes on the clock, Jean Grey emerged from the lake. And she was not alone.

The crowd started cheering as she and Scott Lang, as Harkness announced, swam out of the lake. Reporters from the Daily Prophet were also taking several pictures, and you noticed the Durmstrang flags in the hands of some students.

Your friends seemed reassured to see Scott's condition, deducing that Pietro and Natasha would also be fine. You only felt more nervous because Wanda was still at the lake.

Twelve minutes after Jean, it was Maria Hill's turn to step up. The crowd celebrated as they watched the remainder of her transfiguration into a shark before she returned to human form, bringing Nat with her. You and your friends rushed downstairs to Tasha, but you barely caught Gamora's teasing about the redhead being the treasure of the foreign student, as your gaze was on the lake while you were on the edge.

"Ten minutes to the end of the second task!" Announced one of the judges loudly, causing the crowd to cheer. You felt your stomach drop. Where was Wanda? 

And then you saw her. But only inside your head. 

It was another vision, and you felt your body go cold as if you were in the lake. It was dark and blue, and you couldn't breathe properly.

Then you blinked and were back in the stands.

With a sob, you jumped into the lake.

Immediately, as soon as you did, the crowd and the teachers looked at you with shock, but you dove in the next.

It was very cold.

The lake was as dark underneath as you thought it would be. And you were gradually running out of air as you sank, but you didn't care. You needed to find Wanda.

When you began to lose consciousness, you thought you saw a light, and struggled to swim a little further. But then your air ran out completely, and you passed out.

//-//

You woke up in a jolt, feeling like you were drowning. 

But you were warm, and lying on a soft surface. It took you a few seconds to realize that it was the bed in the infirmary.

The warmth came from the comforter at the level of your neck, clearly bewitching judging by the way it shimmered softly.

"Hey." It was Wanda. At your side. Safe. 

You moved out of the covers quickly, your hand reaching for hers on the bed.

"Hey, how are you feeling? You didn't get hurt did you?" The questions escaped your mouth faster than you even thought about them. Wanda had a frown on her face, but she squeezed your hand back and with the other she touched your face, and you leaned into the touch, feeling your body relax.

"I'm fine, I promise." She assures. "I just don't understand why you did that."

"Did what exactly?" You ask confused, trying to remember how you ended up in the infirmary. Had you hit your head somewhere?

Wanda looks at you with confusion.

"Jump in the lake." She clarified. "Why did you jump in the lake after me?"

You blinked in surprise, giving a short laugh.

"What are you talking about, Wands?" you asked. "I was watching you. Are you sure I didn't fall? Maybe I hit my head and..."

"You don't remember?" She interrupts in shock, and then lets out an incredulous sigh. "Okay, now I'm even more worried."

You were feeling your head aching, and you rubbed your fingers over the tip of your forehead a moment, before sighing.

"What happened to you in the task, anyway? You were gone long." 

Wanda looked away from yours, biting her lip.

"It was nothing." She grumbled and you frowned.

"Wanda..." You started. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying." She retorted snidely. But when she looked at you, she didn't keep her gaze and you sighed, letting go of her hand and throwing yourself back on the bed, feeling frustrated. "I just don't want you to think I'm weird."

You frown at the statement, turning your head to look at her again. Wanda takes a deep breath before confessing.

"I've been having visions in my head." 

You think you can laugh at the irony of the facts. Wanda takes advantage of your lack of reaction to continue explaining.

"S-started last year. I... I don't know what they mean, but sometimes they make me too distracted. And well, I had one during the task, and I got lost. So it took me a while to find Pietro, but I was fine." She recounts. "You didn't have to jump in the lake and..."

"I saw you." You interrupt half breathlessly. "In my head. I... I thought you were drowning." You recount recalling, feeling a slight pain deep in your eyes. "It was dark and I felt like I was being pulled under."

Wanda's eyes widen.

"I fought with Grindylows down there for a moment." She says. "They tried to pull me to the bottom, and well, it was quite despairing, but I managed to take them on. It was right after I got lost."

"R-right."

Both of you are silent for a moment, your breaths slightly uncompensated as you try to understand exactly what it all means. You clear your throat deciding to break the silence.

"Wanda, what happened to me?" 

"You almost drowned." She says lowering her gaze to the bed. "I found you on the way back. Unconscious." Wanda counters with watery eyes. "For a moment I thought..."

She sighs softly, controlling the urge to cry by shaking her head slightly and forcing a smile. You feel horrible for worrying her like that.

"Heimtall and Strange jumped into the lake a little later behind you. I guess everyone thought you were playing tricks, but when you didn't climb back up they realized something was wrong. I was trying to carry you along with Pietro when they caught up with us."

"Come here." You ask opening your arms and Wanda climbs on the bed, sinking against you. You both immediately relax from the embrace, and you close your eyes as Wanda buries her face in your neck, running her hands behind your back.

"Please don't ever do anything like that again." She whispers against your skin, and you swallow dryly. Judging from the facts, you can't promise her that.

//-//

Your friends came to visit you in the infirmary too. You had a short episode of hypothermia, so Nurse Cho wanted you to rest and had let only Wanda stay to see you. Everyone had agreed that you would like to see her first. 

Tony told the teachers and judges that he had dared you to jump in the lake, and even though your friends didn't understand why Tony didn't want the adults to know what was going on with you lately, they all backed up the story.

You and Tony ended up with a month's detention for this.

The only relatively good thing about this whole story was that you and Wanda shared the same experiences. You told her about your visions and nightmares, and she told you about hers. Visions of red lights as her powers, and masked witches. 

You talked to Wanda about your connection on a rainy Thursday in May. You both were on your bed in the dormitory, a few spell books between you to finish the lesson Professor Stephen had passed on, and Wanda was concentrating, the strands of brown hair falling down her face as she bit the end of her pencil and read the words in front of you. She was beautiful, and you were in love. And you could no longer hide it.

"I need to tell you something." 

Wanda looked at you with a mildly surprised expression, but smiled, shifting on the bed to look at you.

You watched her expression go from confused, to embarrassed, and then to worried in a few seconds after the words "There's something weird going on with me. I think I'm magically connected to you, and I'm not just talking about liking you" came out of your mouth. And then you told about the way you felt every time you thought of her in danger, and Wanda swallowed dryly, looking away.

"I don't know what to say." She confessed clumsily, and then clasped her hands to her face for a moment in frustration. "Shit, I have no idea what that means."

You sighed, reaching out to reach for her hand on the bed. Wanda watched your fingers together, and you frowned as her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm putting you in danger, aren't I?" She asked in a whisper, and you looked at her with confusion, but she didn't wait for you to speak. "I'm talking about the lake. You almost drowned to follow me. What happens if I get hurt?"

"Wanda..."

"No." She interrupts forcing a smile, and releasing his hand. "Do you realize how dangerous magical connections can be? What happens if, I don't know, the third task is even more dangerous? Will you throw yourself in front of some other monster? How far does it go? I don't want your life to depend on mine!"

Wanda stands up, babbling nervously about things that might happen, and you look at her in surprise, standing up as well. You try to touch her shoulder, but she pushes your hand away.

"Do you even know if you really like me? If it isn't just because of the magic?" She accuses and you take a step back.

"Don't say that." You retort starting to feel irritated and hurt.

"No, I mean it." She repeats in a whiny voice. "How can you be sure your feelings are real? It could just be the magic and.... "

"I am in love with you." You interrupt, but Wanda just shakes her head in disbelief, letting the tears flow. When you try to touch her again, she sobs and pulls away. "Wanda, I really am. Please..."

"Stop." She gasps as she pulls further away. "Just stop." She asks and you hold yourself in place, feeling your face wet. Wanda takes a deep breath, wiping away her tears. "I need time. I don't...I don't know what to make of this right now."

You swallow dryly, looking at her in shock.

"I don't want us to end." You say and Wanda just sobs softly, shaking her head.

"I can't stay with you without knowing if what you feel for me is real." She retorts in a voice hoarse from crying, but her gaze doesn't flinch. Your stomach turns the wrong way, because you feel terrible. "I need time to think. And I can't think with you by my side."

"Wanda..."

"I'm sorry." 

Then she left. And you let the tears flow freely. 

//-//

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#wanda maximoff #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x yn #wanda maximoff x yn #wandaxreader #wandamaximoffxreader #wandamaximoff x reader #wanda maximoff imagines #elizabeth olsen x reader #harry potter au #The Scarlet Witch Prophecy

[juniorgman187]

Any Day Now (Reid Fic)

A/N: Plz imagine being impregnated by season 10 Spencer Reid. WHEWW CHILE

Summary: Reader’s pregnancy finally takes its toll on her, leaving both Spencer and Reader to navigate through rough waters from miles away.  Category: Fluff, Soft-soft-soft angst, One-Shot Pairing: (POV)Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader Content Warning: Pregnancy Word Count: 3.2k

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

At first, it was nothing I couldn’t handle.

Multiplied mood swings? Understandable, her hormones were everywhere. 

An ever-changing appetite? Great, at least now it wasn’t such a hassle for her to decide where to eat. 

A suddenly much tighter FBI vest? Well, that’s what the adjustable velcro straps were for. 

Again, nothing that I hadn’t already planned for. Even before I delved into parenting books galore, I had a pretty good general idea of what to expect. Not only because of JJ’s earlier pregnancy or Kate’s recent one, but more so because of my extensive knowledge of the human anatomy. This made riding the storm of (y/n)’s pregnancy easier ... until it didn’t. 

It was somewhere in her 35th week that things finally got the best of her. 

There was a linear increase of events that suggested things were taking a turn for the worse, so I slightly anticipated a steep decline to occur at any moment. For instance, soon after (y/n) started showing, I began to lose count of how many times I had to insert my hand between her seatbelt and her bump to create a gap just big enough so that the belt wouldn’t have such a suffocating restriction on her. Nor could I fully account for all the hours of sleep she’d lost tossing and turning, just trying to find a comfortable position where she wouldn’t be crushed by her own weight. And I certainly couldn’t remember, not even with my eidetic memory, how many times she’s almost walked out of the house completely barefoot after getting frustrated with her inability to put shoes on by herself. 

In some sad way, I knew she wished to regain some normalcy in her life. Not that she regretted motherhood, but that she wished she didn’t have to experience so many small inconveniences that summed up to something larger than the life she was helping come into fruition.

She just wanted to drink coffee again without running the risk of a miscarriage. She wanted to climb up a flight of stairs without getting winded by the first few steps. She wanted to put on a tight shirt without looking exceptionally overweight. And most of all, she just wanted to keep working.

If she had to go to hell and back to stay in the BAU while pregnant, then to hell and back she went. 

My wife, as stubborn as ever, had made me - and the entire team - promise not to baby her as soon as we revealed that we were expecting. 

“I don’t want any of that ‘but you’re pregnant’ crap, got it?” She narrowed her eyes darkly at all of us, pointing an accusatory finger. “Anything you can do, I can do pregnant.”

And from that day on, she did what she vowed to do, what I knew she could do. She still chased after unsubs, shot all the bad guys, arrested the felons, but eventually - inevitably - it wore down on her. 

The easiest effect I could identify was her drowsiness. It used to take her a while to fall asleep on the jet, and sometimes, she’d stay awake the entire flight. But after the grueling hours she’d endured during her pregnancy, we would barely board the plane before she knocked out. I think falling asleep in the seats gave her the comfort she couldn’t find lying horizontally in a bed. No one said anything, though, because she’d already made it explicitly clear that she didn’t want us to pay her any special treatment, which I understood. Nobody likes to be pitied, but after today’s incident, this went far beyond pity. 

It was just plain concern. 

“The doctor said I’ll be fine.” She grumbled, waving me away with a flick of her hand. However, seeing as she was currently lying in a hospital bed, donning a gown that only partially hid from me all the wires and pads that stuck to her body to monitor her health and relay it to the machines - she wasn’t fine. And I needed her to know that I wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was the team. (I didn’t tell her this because she would’ve quite literally took my head off, but they were all out there in the waiting room instead of working on the case). 

“Emphasis on the future tense ‘will.’ You will be fine, but right now, you’re not.” I prepared myself to deliver the news I knew she didn’t want to hear. My voice became significantly quieter, reaching such a low decibel I wasn’t sure she’d even hear it, but maybe that was by design. She didn’t want to hear it as much as I hated to say it. “Maybe you should consider going on maternity leave now.”

Immediately, my wife shook her head with the biggest pout I’d ever seen. I could see it in the way her lip quivered that she was about to cry, no doubt because of the hormones, but especially because this job was her last piece of normality. She clung to it because it was all she had left to remind herself that she was still, in some capacity, the woman she was before. 

“Spencer, please.” She begged, as if I could do anything. “I’m not ready to leave yet.” 

I pursed my lips and looked away for a second to hide my own emotions. Seeing her cry was never easy, but being the cause for it made this even harder. I felt the formation of a lump in my throat and the pricking of tears in my eyes. “I’m sorry,” I croaked. “But I can’t let you keep risking your health,” I explained, neglecting to voice the final part of that sentence. ‘Or our baby’s.’ But I didn’t say that. How could I? It would’ve only guilted her further. 

“Your blood pressure’s getting higher,” I explained, keeping my eyes steady on hers, not letting them stray to the machine that she clearly didn’t know how to read. But with one glance at the numbers, I already knew they weren’t good. I didn’t lead on just how bad they were, though. “You fainted today, and if you’d landed even a little bit differently, you would’ve ended up with a lot more than just a few scratches on your stomach.” That was the extent of my guilt-tripping. It didn’t feel right coming out of my mouth, but it was the only way I knew she would understand the severity of the situation. 

“You were already planning on going on maternity leave next week, what’s a few days earlier?” I asked, briefly referring back to her obstetrician’s recommendation of not flying after her 36th week. 

We both agreed that after week 36, she’d take her leave of absence since she couldn’t join us on the jet anyway. It was our ‘compromise.’ If she insisted on still going in the field, then she had to listen to the doctor’s orders and not fly for the last month. 

“Spencer,” She whispered again, this time with tears running down her cheeks at the bat of her eyes. With the pad of my thumb, I gently wiped them away, wishing I’d never caused them to be there in the first place. “I can’t do this anymore.” 

She never let on how difficult things had become for her. She never said it’s too much (and it must be too much some of the time). So when she finally admitted the burden her pregnancy had created, I could already sense its arrival. So without a second wasted, I pulled the guest chair right up next to her bed and sat in it while reaching for her hand. Despite the presence of the pulse oximetry on her index finger, I still took her hand between both of my own, not minding the gap that the device created. 

“You are the strongest woman I know. There aren’t many pregnant women out there who can do what you’ve done these past eight months. They wouldn’t even think of it.” We shared a brief laugh, which lightened the atmosphere enough to encourage me to continue. “You are bearing our child, (y/n). Nobody else gets to do that. Not me. Not another girl. Just you. It’s only you who can truly give for our baby right now and you’re -you’re my girl ... and right now, I need you to take care of our girl, okay?”

She nodded rapidly with still glistening eyes. For the first time, that day, she stopped thinking her job was as an agent and started knowing her job was as a mother. 

And a damn good one at that. 

_ _ _

If there was anything I’d learned over the past years, it was that I should never expect my wife to follow the rules. Today was no exception. 

She should’ve been in bed right now, taking it easy, but instead, she was standing right beside the jet, saying goodbye to each and every one of us before we boarded. 

This would be our first flight without her. 

“You take care, mama, okay?” Morgan told her, kissing her cheek before waving goodbye. 

“I’m gonna miss you so much.” Kate sighed, engulfing (y/n) in a hug that I knew couldn’t have been comfortable with each of their bumps in the way, but they relished in it anyway. If I didn’t know any better, it looked like Kate was about to cry. Maybe that’s because their dynamic was different than any other. Their simultaneous pregnancies meant that they knew one another’s struggles far better than any of us could, so granted, it would be hard for Kate and (y/n) to be away from each other. They’d been in this journey together after all, in a way I couldn’t have been.

“Oh,” JJ sighed happily, taking (y/n) in her arms and swaying gently from side to side. “You are going to be the best mother ever.” 

“Said the best mother ever.” (Y/n) remarked, laughing bittersweetly. It was something in her smile that let me know it was just for show. 

Then, in one of the rarest moments of history, Hotch hugged (y/n), earning a slightly more real smile from her.

“Get some rest. You deserve it.” He whispered. 

Not even a second after they pulled away did Rossi wait to take (y/n)’s face in his hands and plant two kisses, one on either cheek. 

“If you need anything, you call us.” He ordered, mimicking a drill sergeant.

And though, I wasn’t ready, I found myself making my way to her, getting ready for one of the hardest goodbyes. 

She wrapped her arms around my torso and let her head press against my heart. “I don’t know how I’m gonna do this without you.” 

For the first time that night, she wasn’t faking a smile or putting on a face. I knew when she was saying goodbye that she was only laughing and grinning for everyone else, but underneath it all, she was experiencing a great sadness that no one else could understand. Everyone was just as excited as we were for this baby, if for no other reason than I was finally going to have a family of my own. That I’d finally found the people who were going to be there for me forever. And maybe it was that knowledge, the knowledge of how happy this baby made others, was the reason she never let it show just how hard it was for her. Otherwise, it’d ruin the fantasy. And so she wore happiness like a mask to hide the profound pain that would’ve wounded our spirits. 

“Hey, I’m not leaving you forever,” I whispered somberly, hugging her a little tighter. “And if anything happens, I’m just a phone call away.” As much as I tried to believe my words, neither of us could find the truth in it. Even I knew I wasn’t just a phone call away. I’d be miles and miles and miles away from two of the best things that have ever happened from me. 

She inhaled sharply and pulled away from me, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the hope that I hadn’t already seen them. “I should probably let you go now.” She laughed lightly. 

Our bodies parted, but I had yet to let go of her hand. I shook it up and down gently as I told her, “I love you.”

She shook my hand back in just the same manner. “We love you, too.” 

A smile crept onto my face after the immediate realization of what she meant. 

My girls.

At last, when I walked up the steps to the jet, I finally let go of her hand at the last moment possible, and even after we released hands, our arms stayed outstretched for a passing second as the distance between them got further and further. With the warmth of her hand leaving mine vacantly cold, I watched as she replaced it on the very top of her stomach, as if to say, “We’ll be okay.” 

_ _ _

“Reid?” 

I refocused my vision to Morgan who was calling my name. From the look on his face, I realized he probably tried to get my attention multiple times before this. 

“Sorry, what did you say?” I shook my head to clear my mind, but it didn’t work. A part of me was still in another world, lingering in thought. 

My mind would never shut up about her, but it seemed like today, it was firing all these things at me at 2x speed. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact event that I felt guilty for, but really - take your pick. It could’ve been anything, it could’ve been everything. 

It could’ve been the fact that I was here and she wasn’t. It could’ve been the fact that in those last moments I saw her, I realized just how strong she was being this entire time, and how I was asking her to be even stronger, as if the weight of the world wasn’t enough. It could’ve been the realization that she was struggling this entire time, but never asked for help, thinking that she’d be a burden - the very thing she made us promise not to let her be. That is the reason after all, that she told us not to let her pregnancy be an excuse for anything. Because if she didn’t contribute anything, then she’d be holding us back - she’d be dead weight. I knew that, and yet, what did I do?

Nothing. I walked away and boarded that fucking jet like a brainless idiot.

I should’ve stayed with her. 

Morgan’s eyes turned to slits while he tossed the manila folder onto the table, seemingly setting it aside so it wouldn’t be a distraction from his question. “What’s going on, man?” 

I shrugged, pretending not to know exactly what he was talking about. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just zoned out, that’s all.” 

Clearly exasperated, he said, “Come on, man. Don’t do that. Tell me what’s wrong.” 

Whether it was defeat or a sweet surrender, I tucked my hands in my pockets and let my head hang low, eyes glued to the ground. Unexpectedly, I was sniffling and wiping my nose before I could register that tears were already coming. “I’m just worried about her.” 

It felt stupid to admit, especially considering I saw her only 8 hours, 37 minutes, and 12 seconds ago. But the absence of her and our baby was growing more and more apparent with every passing moment I spent in this office without her. Usually, she would be here to keep me company, bothering me while I located the comfort zone - not that she ever really did bother me. I quite liked her presence. 

Sometimes, when I was left alone, the room would get too quiet, and it’d just be me and my thoughts. And maybe she knew how scared of my own mind I was when it wandered, so she never let me be alone with it - never let the room get too quiet. She would talk and talk and talk, and I could never get tired of listening. Her voice was like white noise. If she was here, things would be as they always were. I would be standing at the map, and she’d no doubt be sitting in a chair, rubbing gentle circles around her protruding stomach as I felt her watching me intently. 

“Found it.” I would say, drawing a big red circle around the zone. 

To which she would say, “You’re a genius.” 

Sure, I’ve been called ‘genius’ a million times before, but it never felt the same as when she said it. 

Morgan could see the invisible pain in my chest, and he pulled me in by my shoulder to wrap his arm around me. It might not have looked like it, but it was the most reassuring hug he could’ve given me. I can’t explain it, but it felt like (y/n)’s warmth and love had possessed his body and he was radiating it now. 

“I know it’s scary, man, and honestly, we all wish we could be with her right now. But trust me when I tell you she’s not alone.” He treaded carefully with his words, and I could tell there was something he wasn’t saying but that wanted me to figure out.

I didn’t even have to verbalize my question because soon enough, when Morgan pulled back, his phone began to ring.

“It’s Garcia.” He told me, though he didn’t answer the call, which was weird enough. But then he gestured to the computer on the table, and so I half-heartedly watched as the screen changed from the blue background to a video call with Garcia. 

And who else would be sitting beside her but my wife?

“Look who I’ve got with me!” Garcia squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly.

“You’re supposed to be on bedrest.” I playfully scolded her.

“I was! I was, I promise. But after I said goodbye to you guys, I went home and got four hours of sleep, and then I went to my doctors appointment, but then when I was driving home, I thought why would I go back there when I’ve got everything I need right here?” She motioned around Garcia’s lair, even lifting up a hospital-go bag that Penelope no doubt compiled just for her. If there was anyone I trusted to take good care of her, it was Garcia. 

Like I said before, I learned to expect (y/n) not to follow the rules. So naturally, she found a way to still work even on maternity leave. 

At this point, the rest of the team neatly filed into the room, erupting in cheers of excitement at the sight of (y/n) in the bat cave. 

“Is everything okay?” JJ worriedly asked. 

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine! Baby looks good, my blood pressure’s getting better, so we’re doing okay.” She smiled proudly, and so did I. That was her first appointment on her own, and though it couldn’t have been easy, especially this late in her term, she did it anyway. Because that’s my girl.  

“When are you due, again?” Kate asked (y/n), earning an enthusiastic, “Doctor says if she’s on time, New Year’s Eve!” 

It never failed to make me smile whenever she brought up her due date. She was always excited to proclaim that our daughter might be brought into the world at the exact time we brought in the new year. 

“But if I’m early, it could be any day now.” She explained. 

Here’s where I had to cut in. “Hopefully not any day now! I don’t wanna miss it.” 

“You won’t!” She promised through a wide grin.

Something else you should know about my girl? She always keeps her promises. 

And on January 1, at exactly 12:00 - just as promised - I had the privilege of watching (y/n) deliver a healthy 6 pound and 9 ounce baby girl.

The weight of my whole world.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

Can you tell I love it when someone says “my girl”? I think that’s my favorite pet name ever. 

taglist: @rainsong01 @calm-and-doctor​ @inkstainedwritergirl​ @rexorangecouny​

click here if you want to be added to a taglist!

#spencer reid #spencer reid pregnant #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid fluff #juniorgman187 #any day now

[pumpkinspice-prouvaire]

Dude your recs are!!!!!!! You see to be the one to ask do you have any recs that have bitter-sweet endings? (I want to branch out but I’m not ready for total pain or something)

oooh thank you so much I'm so glad you liked them!!! Fanfic reading/writing is like....My only hobby but hey it comes in useful for stuff like this!

Finding bittersweet endings was a little bit trickier because I'm very fussy about my angst, but I hope these ones fit what you were looking for! (If anyone wants to see my fantasy/different reality fic recs, you can find them here)

First, I would recommend the author areyoumiserableyet. Her works have a very distinct tone to them, really soft and lovely, and I've described them as bittersweet before, even the ones with happy endings. For this list, I'm going to recommend Tagged in particular.

Unravelling by tellthemstories- Enjolras has a massive, catastrophic fight with the rest of Les Amis, and he and Grantaire end up skipping town, going on a two month long road trip with no destination in mind.

Stereoscopic by tellthemstories- Enjolras goes on a year long volunteering expedition, and comes back to find things have changed in his absence. This fic was meant to have a sequel, but from what I can tell the author doesn't write Les Mis anymore, but it's a very good standalone anyway!

When the Chips are Down by KikiJ and MostGeckcellent- Fair warning, this fic is ANGSTY, but it's so worth it for the end. Grantaire and Enjolras try to work through their struggling marriage whilst performing in a production of Hadestown.

Cupidon s'en fout by Petr1chor- Please note this one does not have ExR endgame. Aromantic Enjolras decides to fake date Grantaire to get his family off his back- It goes about as well as you would expect

Between Meetings and Midnight by PieceOfCait- Pls note this one is explicit and has mentions of mild BDSM. Enjolras and Grantaire have been having casual sex but not talking about it, but when Enjolras subdrops after sex, they're forced to talk about their relationship

it was like we were already lovers by seravphim- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind AU. Okay, so I will be completely honest here, I haven't had a chance to sit down and read this one in detail yet- I have to build myself up to really angsty fics a lot of the time, because I am a big baby who WILL cry lmao. BUT I have skimmed it, and it definitely has the bittersweet feeling you're looking for!

bon appetit!!! I hope you enjoy this list, and like I said in my last post, if you read any of them make sure to leave a kudos/comment to let the author know as well!!!

#answered #long post #if anyone has any more recs feel free to add them below!!! #fic rec!!! #enjoltaire #exr #exr fic rec #feel free to reblog and share the recs

[flightfoot]

If anyone wants to read a fanfic focusing on Alya’s problems and feelings, centered around her as a person, I HIGHLY recommend “can you keep a secret?” by euphorickiri. 

It starts off looking like it’s mostly just gonna be interested in shipping Alyadrien (which it DOES do very effectively), with early chapters having a good portion of the plot be driven by Alya suspecting that Adrien’s Chat Noir and wanting to spend more time with him, find out more about him in order to become sure of it.

But even then, even as early as chapter 1, you get to see that there’s more going in with Alya than you’d normally see in such a fic. That she can’t get herself to post to the Ladyblog after the Lady Wifi business, that people at school are treating her differently after being akumatized, along with going over her current issues with her friends and family, things that are shown and develop more and more as the series goes on.

In chapter 1:

Nino was her closest friend besides Marinette. They bonded quickly over their mutual love for comic books and have only grown closer since then. Often when Alya felt like she couldn’t talk to Marinette, Nino was always there to lend an ear. This was happening a lot more recently than she wanted to admit. She didn’t know exactly what was going on, but Alya wasn’t stupid. Marinette was hiding something from her. Something big. She showed up to school half-asleep most of the time and when asked to hang out she came up with every excuse in the book to avoid going. There were even certain times she would just disappear without telling anyone. It seemed like it was taking a huge toll on her and Alya didn’t want to add to that burden. So she plastered a smile on her face for her best friend and supported her in any way she could. Still, she couldn’t help but be suspicious about what was going on.

She hated how much Lady Wifi took over her life. She pretended not to see the dirty looks people sent her, ignoring how hurt she felt. Nino was right. They weren’t themselves when they were akumatized. But that didn’t mean everyone sympathized with akuma victims. And she was no exception. Even Chloe was wary around her now. Chloe . The most fearsome person at school. So Alya preferred not to talk about it at all. It was just something else she had to deal with.

She wasn’t weak. She wasn’t . She could handle herself.

And with chapter two, it starts laying the foundation of her family situation.

“What do you guys want?” Alya asked tiredly.

“Breakfast,” Ella replied. “Can you make chocolate chip pancakes again?”

Alya ran a hand over her face and looked over at her alarm clock, relieved she had a decent amount of time to get herself and her sisters ready for school. Her parents worked during the day so it became Alya’s responsibility to look after the twins. Make sure they get to school, pick them up from school, feed them, dress them - everything. It could be draining, and as much as she loved her sisters, they were still kids who acted out and refused to cooperate at the worst times. But if she didn’t look after them, no one else would. Her parents, especially her mom, were too engrossed in their work. The one time Nora did come home to visit, Ella and Etta didn't know who she was. That’s how long she’s been gone.

So, this was Alya’s burden to carry. Alone.

“You guys have to eat something other than pancakes every morning,” Alya scolded, reaching for her phone. “I’ll make oatmeal with some fruit instead.”

As the story goes on, Alya’s family situation with her parents fighting and using her as a go-between while pretending everything’s alright, with herself being her younger sisters’ rock, becomes a bigger part of the story and necessary background to the emotional struggle Alya goes through, informing a lot of her character and why her thought process is the way it is.

The rest of the day consisted of Alya trying to get Marinette to speak with occasional assistance from Nino and Adrien. Nothing worked. The only person able to get a reaction out of her was Juleka. The other teen waved passing their table during lunchtime and Marinette waved back. And as worried as she was, Alya couldn’t help but be a little annoyed. There have been days where all Alya wanted to do was yell at anyone who dared to approach her. But she never took it out on Marinette or anyone else. But here they were, the situations revered, and Marinette wouldn’t even look at her . What made Juleka the exception?

No one wants you.

Alya pushed her tray of food away, her appetite gone.

She almost pulled her hair out when Miss Bustier told everyone to sit with their partners during their last class of the day and Marinette bolted out of her seat. Alya tried to hide her irritation when she saw Marinette and Juleka talking out of the corner of her eye as if everything was normal.

“Remember your projects are due tomorrow! I’m giving you the entire class period today to finish up,” Miss Bustier announced. “I’m very excited to see your presentations!”

Adrien slid into Marinette’s empty seat. “We need to find a couple more pictures for the poster but other than that we’re good.”

“I agree.” Alya glared when Marinette laughed at something Juleka said, not paying attention to his words. “We should do that.”

Oh? So quick to replace me? She tensed up as her own words mocked her.

Marinette rested her head on Juleka’s shoulder. Don’t worry, you’ll always be my number 1 partner. You’re irreplaceable.

Wrong. You’re disposable .

Alya’s feelings and emotions are validated by the narrative, even though she has the wrong idea about Marinette replacing her. 

Lady Wifi plays a big role in the story as well, since she’s not actually gone, and serves as a kind of embodiment of Alya’s negative emotions and worst impulses, as well as a looming threat. The tension between her and Alya helps accentuate the emotional heart of the story.

Alya also gets to disagree and talk things out with Ladybug and Master Fu, when she doesn’t agree on their handling of situations, though with them not being demonized in the process either. 

Just... if you want to read a fic focused around Alya’s problems and emotions, but that treats everyone else well too, that gives her a lot of agency and also a lot of support, I HIGHLY recommend this fic.

#ml fanfic rec #alya cesaire #adrien agreste #alyadrien #can you keep a secret?

[alastanor]

In less than a week my feed has been plagued by the "hot takes" of entitled fans of the Hazbin and Helluva universe.

As a result, I know I promised some analytical information regarding what we know of Hazbin's version of hell thus far, which will be included in this post. But there will be some other things added as well to address some of the more frequently expressed "concerns" I have seen being (rather rudely) expressed in posts.

Some of the things I will be talking about in these posts, so while I will be utilizing quotes or things said in @total-mal 's very well articulated response post, I recommend going to read that response post in it's entirety. Like... now.

The complaints I tend to see typically fall along these lines.

So in this post I will be addressing these things and other things I typically see.

Story

As was very well put in the aforementioned post, the series of Hazbin barely has an hour of content. Yet for some reason people complain that it's a mess. How?

The Pilot itself is meant to establish the setting, who the characters are, what their relationships to each other are, establishing dynamic, and establish the premise of future story that is meant to follow. All of these things the pilot did exceedingly well. A pilot is NOT meant to drop dozens of hours worth of world lore and future plot points in one half hour segment. It is supposed to hook people into being interested in and watching the follow up episodes. Which, considering the rather quick cult following that preceded the pilot debut, I would say it did that and more even without the world lore dump people are demanding.

No story is going to give you every facet of the characters and the world they inhabit in the first episode or the first novel. No story worth it's weight in salt, that is. Any good story teller will tell you that content needs to be put on an IV drip as the story progresses, or else you will lose the majority of your audience's interest.

Helluva Boss is it's own standalone project set in the same universe as Hazbin, but it's job is not to provide lore for Hazbin. The kernel of lore we got from episode two was great. But that is very likely not going to be the norm every episode. Nor should anyone expect otherwise.

The comics were also their own projects, meant to strengthen an already existing narrative with Hazbin and establish both Angel and Alastor's motives for joining the Hotel. They are not meant to expand on the lore. Their existence could also very likely be overlooked by fans who only pay attention to what is popping up on Youtube or on their Twitter feed.

As for Addict, that began as a fan-created song Vivzie liked enough to animate into a music video which expanded on Angel and Cherri's relationship. It was not meant to be an entry to any Vivziepop Hell lore.

Hazbin is a story driven by its characters. This is why the characters are the focus and take up the majority of any screen time given to any entry of Hazbin. Mal puts it very well:

World

So this is where we will be getting into what we know so far about the world of Vivzie's hell.

So Vivzie's hell is, from what we understand, loosely based on Dante's inferno with other inspirations and deviations mixed in. For example, there are only seven circles of hell as opposed to 9.

In Dante's inferno only circle two through five are after the Seven Deadly Sins. Whereas in Vivziepop's version of hell, every circle is for one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

From what we understand so far, Pride is the top circle, or Ring. Sinners, AKA those who were alive prior to becoming demons, are only allowed to exist in Pride.

We do not know what "can only exist" means. As this doesn't imply that sinners can't leave Pride. Simply that they cannot exist anywhere else.

And also from what we understand, the big marker that differentiates each of the circles is the colors of the sky.

Pride, from what we have seen thus far, has a red sky.

While Greed has a green sky.

This is further confirmed on Twitter, however whether it was confirmed by Vivzie or one of the other official Twitters, I cannot recall.

Now, I know there are quite a few who keep asking this question.

And there are many who seem to think that this little detail means that the fact dump from official Twitters means the story and lore are ruined. This is actually false. Especially when you consider that Sinners are not a finite population. Nor is their influx a small trickle. So expanding Sinners into other parts of hell is only a temporary solution to a more overarching problem. It may slow down the necessity for purges, but it would also increase the number needed to be purged each time a purge was necessary. Further, it is doubtful that Lucifer would be keen on the idea of angels traveling deeper into Hell just as it is doubtful that he sees a reason to be exceedingly merciful to sinners- the creation he detests and is more or less what brought him to Hell to begin with. It also would erase any place to escape for Hell-born demons.

So in this regard, no. Nothing is ruined. People just aren't paying attention. The devil is in the details, after all.

As for what the difference is between circles and rings, perhaps this will shed some light.

Rings seem to be segments of a circle that separate sinners by the subcategory of their sin in each circle. Whether or not Vivziepop's version of hell follows this, I personally doubt it. Ring and Circle, from observation, seem to be used interchangeably. So the two could very well be the same thing.

The other bits we know are lore facts Vivzie has given previously that may no longer be true as the world exists now. For example, previously Alastor was scared of dogs. But more recently, Vivzie said that is no longer true and Alastor simply just does not like them. So any older facts should be taken with a grain of salt until they are reconfirmed.

Switching gears on the world, there have been complaints popping up that Vivziepop's hell is not "hell-y" enough because there is not enough fire and brimstone.

To take a phrase from total-mal once more, there are countless alternate depictions of hell as hell being other people instead of the place itself. The phrase exists from Sartre's No Exit, but has been revisited numerous times in other media depictions of hell to display that the definition of "punishment" can be broadened to a much larger spectrum than originally imagined.

In the Hazbin universe of Hell, punishment is the constant threat of physical and emotional harm from those around you, not unlike being in prison or living in a ghetto. You have the increased potential to be abused or taken advantage of if you show a moment's weakness.

And while some in the demon hierarchy might have it better than others, there is still the constant threat of being killed or overthrown by someone stronger or someone just wanting to prove themselves.

In the Hazbin universe of hell, you wear clues to your life, your sins, and your death on the outside for all to see (and in some cases, manipulate). You are thrust into a demon hierarchy one wrung up from the lowest class, unless you are lucky and strong enough to become an overlord. In which case, then you are two wrungs up from the lowest class. And your punishment is living every day with the constant threat of those around you. Of always needing to have your guard up because someone will take advantage of you or worse. That isn't even mentioning the annual threat of the purge.

Livestreams

This is another one that I see get mentioned and awful fucking lot in the complaint/concern/hot take posts.

There are always complaints about how the livestreams are useless, serve no purpose, or are just "jerkoff sessions." Mind, these same complaints almost always seem to come from the same people complaining about having no information about the show or having no lore surrounding the universe or the story.

Nevermind that Vivzie and the cast are all under NDA and cannot disclose much that isn't already known about the show and, where VAs are concerned, cannot do any voice lines that go beyond what has already been said in the pilot lines.

The Livestreams serve SEVERAL purposes, however. One of those purposes is to drum up interest surrounding Hazbin and Helluva, as well as to advertise and to disclose any lore that they have permission to disclose to the audience. Something to whet their appetites as they wait for the small Indie studio A24 to finish production of Hazbin's first season in the middle of a pandemic. Because that last bit people seem to forget is still ongoing.

Without those livestreams done by Viv and the cast, many of the impatient fans in this fandom would be practically breaking down the door on Vivzie's DMs demanding to know where Hazbin is or why she seems to have given up on it. Or at least, more than what is currently going on now anyway.

People need to calm down, let the Devs do their job, and pay more attention to the details given in what we have thus far. Vivzie has done a GREAT job at eluding to the bigger picture in her details. Particularly where her characters are concerned. And I for one am here for it.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel fandom #hazbin hotel info dump #hazbin hotel discourse #hazvin hotel discussion #helluva boss fandom #helluva boss discussion #helluca boss discourse #vivziepop fandom #vivziepop #hazbunnies #entitled fans #impatient fans #toxic fans

[beyondspaceandstars]

While You Sleep

Chapter 17

Relationship: Bucky Barnes x Reader Warnings: angst, mental health discussion Summary: Soulmate!AU - Throughout life, you’re given glimpses of your soulmate through dreams. As you sleep, memories flash in your mind showing you the life your soulmate has lived. Everyone around you raves about how their soulmate reads great books or volunteers in their spare time. But you can’t relate as your dreams end up being more like nightmares. Through initial images of death and violence, you come to learn your soulmate is the Winter Soldier.

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

You had no idea where Bucky was taking you. All you did know was that he was gripping your hand tightly and walking slightly faster than you, say, the average human would be used to. He was feeling a lot, you could tell. A million little things going off in that head of his. You wanted to know them all to try to ease them. You wanted to help him again as he had helped you these past few weeks. 

But he wasn’t giving you a chance. Right now, the only thing he was outwardly focusing on was dinner. Whatever this dinner was going to actually entail. 

You almost couldn’t believe it when he finally came to a stop. Your eyes got wide as you read the restaurant name. You lowered your gaze quickly to look in at the familiar decor and seating. 

It’s where you two had met. Where you had that first date. The night you began to consider that maybe the nightmares had been a blessing, not a curse. You wished you still had that attitude. 

“This is where you want to eat?” You asked.

Bucky shrugged. “Brings back good memories.” 

With nothing much else left to say, Bucky guided you into the restaurant. He asked for a table for two and by some weird luck from Fate, you two were seated at a very familiar table. In very familiar seats. All that was missing was a proud-looking Steve to make some smart remarks. Oh, Steve… You worried about what he would think of this situation. 

“You gonna get the salad again?” Bucky asked. His voice was almost on the lighter side, easing some of your concerns - at least, for the time being. You chuckled. 

“Is that really what I got on our first date?” You sighed. “How cliche of me.”

“You were nervous. I was nervous,” Bucky admitted. His eyes danced around the menu. “Hell, I’m still nervous.”

Slowly, you pushed your menu aside, already having settled on the salad again (don’t wanna get too crazy), and reached for Bucky’s hand. He was shaking just ever so slightly.

“It’s okay,” you whispered, your thumb drawing mindless patterns on the back of his hand. He gripped yours tighter, giving a little nod.

Soon after that, the waitress stopped by and took your drink and meal orders. Everything was pretty much cookie-cutter from your first trip here. Bucky with his burger, you with your salad. Both indulge in some ice water. You almost wanted to make a comment about the chicken nuggets, but Bucky looked way too all over the place for much more banter. He let go of your hand, sadly.

Bucky suddenly spoke your name like it was breaking his heart with every syllable. Your eyes perked up. “What are we going to do?” He asked. 

You shifted your gaze quickly. “You heard what Bruce suggested.”

“There has to be something more we can do.”

“He seemed pretty dead set on it,” you sighed. “He’s the expert, Buck.”

“Well, maybe we need to get a second opinion from whoever he was talking about-,”

Your eyes fell on him once more. “Bucky, what’s going on?”

Now Bucky was the one looking away. Your waitress awkwardly placed your meals in their respective spots. Neither of you moved.

“I don’t know if I can give it up.”

“Wh-What?”

Bucky ran his hand through his hair frustratingly. “I always thought that’d be what I wanted, to just stop. No more fighting, no more missions, no more… Anything. Just live a normal life as I should’ve all those years ago.” He let out an exaggerated breath. “But now that it’s actually a possibility, the thought of giving up everything I’ve known is daunting.”

You felt your eyes beginning to water. You dug your nails into your hand trying not to explode in the restaurant. “Bucky, come on. This could help me so much, you know? Please tell me you realize that because right now it looks like you don’t… you don’t care that I’ve suffered.”

“Sweetheart, please, I-I get that. I really do.” Bucky tried reaching for your hand upon seeing how tense they were but you quickly pulled away. “It’s just… What if I can’t do it? What if I can’t cope and then, sure, the nightmares stop but you lose me.”

“Lose you?”

“What if I don’t adapt?” 

The question hung over the table eerily. You didn't really know the answer to this. You hadn’t thought this was going to be something that needed a whole conversation on. In your mind, it was so simple: Bucky gives up missions, the nightmares stop, you two live happily ever after. You never thought there’d be a chance he’d be too nervous to retire. Too concerned about himself, his mind. You had seen him so strong going against the organization that terrorized him. But there was a distraction. An ulterior motive. You. 

He had distractions galore, you just being the newest addition, and giving up work would put him in the unknown. 

“You don’t think you can just exist as a civilian.”

“Possibly,” he confirmed. You closed your eyes, trying to center yourself. Your anger was slowly subsiding as you tried to understand.

With shaky breaths, you dared to ask, “You can’t even try for me?”

As you slowly opened your eyes, you thought Bucky looked like he had been slapped. The surprised yet uncertain reaction he wore made you wonder what you were getting yourself into. What you had been getting yourself into.

But as fast as all those emotions ran across Bucky’s face, he quickly pulled himself out of it. It was like he was suddenly aware of what was going on. What point you two were at here. You felt a slight pull from within you.

He shook his head. “I’m going to have to, aren’t I?”

You sighed, realizing the position you had now put him in. There was almost no winning in this situation, huh? “No, Bucky. Not if you don’t want to. I’m sorry, I’m making this all about me.” 

With shaky hands, you tried stabbing at your salad but your appetite had suddenly gone missing. You wanted to push the whole thing off the table and storm away, completely lost in your anger over the hand you had been dealt. Everyone else got happy, exciting lives with their soulmate - why couldn’t that be the case for you and Bucky?

Bucky gave you a weak smile, his eyes softer at your apology. “I think you’re entitled to do so given…everything.”

“It’s just… This isn’t fair. None of this is fair. Neither of us should have to give up anything to just have a life together.”

Bucky picked at his french fries. “I’ll try, doll. We’ll go to Steve later, let him know.”

“A-Are you sure?” It felt maybe too good to be true. But Bucky nodded, fairly confidently. 

“You’re right, the situation is not fair. But I have a chance to maybe make it a little better.” His voice cracked ever so slightly. “We both deserve a life together.”

You nodded, your heart filling with optimism, something you don’t think you felt so presently since your first time in this restaurant. Close to a full-circle moment, you declared. “Do you think Steve will be okay with this?”

“It was recommended by Bruce. Doctor’s orders, literally,” Bucky chuckled. “Besides, he’s my best friend. He’ll understand.”

***

“I don’t understand.”

Bucky’s eyes widened in surprise. You shifted uncomfortably beside him. “About retirement or…”

“No, no,” Steve shook his head, waving a hand in dismissal. “You could’ve walked away at any point before this, Buck. I mean about the nightmares. I thought they would’ve gone away.”

You both let out sighs of relief. Leave it to Steve to fumble that one. He had seemed a bit different when you entered the room like something was on his mind. Neither of you asked him about it but you knew Bucky would grill him eventually. Especially after that misunderstanding. 

You had been pretty much dreading this conversation as just a while ago you were nervous about what Steve would think. He had been such a key player in this arrangement, having only the best intentions the world wasn’t aligning with. You knew he was always concerned about the nightmares so it must’ve been a bit unsettling to hear improvement wasn’t exactly linear. 

“Bruce discovered our bond has been tampered with,” Bucky explained. It was as simple as anyone could put it and you were actually thankful for that. You grabbed Bucky’s hand, he accepted. 

“A tampered bond?” Steve shook his head. “I’ve never heard of anything like that before. What caused-,”

The words died on Steve’s lips as he saw the dark look that came over Bucky’s face. There was no need to speak of it anymore. Steve nodded in a silent understanding.

He changed the subject, “Well, I think it’s very brave of you, Buck, to want to step away.”

“Thank you-,”

“But this was passed along to me today.” Steve tossed a folder on the table. You didn’t miss the way Bucky tensed in your arms as he stared at the government emblem embossed into the waxy paper. You waited, hopeful, for how Bucky would approach this.

Bucky began shaking his head slowly. “I just got done saying-,”

“You know this isn’t under my control,” Steve said. Hell, even you knew that and this wasn’t anywhere near to what you did for a living. No government orders were coming down about coffee. 

“Why me?” He asked just above a whisper.

Steve crossed his arms, frowning like a man holding the secret of the universe. He ignored Bucky’s initial question. “They said you needed to be included. I glanced over it and it honestly doesn’t look too complicated. I’m still working out who will all be on the team. I just know, well, you’re on it.” He sighed and glanced down. “The government thinks it’s the least you can do given your...history.”

Bucky scoffed but didn’t try to defend himself. Something in your heart snapped at that. He dropped your hand and reached for the folder. You tried looking over information but everything was just jumbled nonsense to you. It probably didn’t help that you were suddenly crying. Neither of the men had noticed but you felt the tears hitting your cheeks. You saw the way your vision was getting blurred. Just one more time, you told yourself as some sort of self-soothing affirmation bullshit. You needed to book a therapy session, stat. 

“Fine,” Bucky agreed without so much as looking at you. But why would he? What were you going to do? This was outside the realm of anyone in the room but that didn’t mean it didn’t absolutely cut you up inside. 

All you could do was hope. Once again, some fueling from good old-fashioned hope was going to get you through it. Hope that the mission will go smoothly. Hope that he'll come back in one piece. Hope that this wouldn’t be a distraction for you to just get whisked away again (you doubted, but hey, life got funny). 

You had one tragedy creeping into your brain every night. You didn’t need another one on top of it. You wanted to communicate this to Bucky but you believed he already had some idea of it by the way his eyes overanalyzed every word on the file’s pages. 

Just this one. The words were unsung but well present in the room. You felt like the world was never going to let you catch a break as Bucky took your hand and began leading you out of the compound, still not looking at you.

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