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#specifically because something happened with another student who i know i managed to make upset
astriiformes · 1 year
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Talked about this with the counselor I've been seeing at school earlier today but my intense, desperate need to leave a mark on the world (not even in a fame way, in like a "I need to leave this place better than I found it in a big, tangible way" one) and the fact that I only value myself when I feel like I'm adding good to it paired with the fact that I've been an insane perfectionist since I was a very young child and tear myself to shreds and lose all my confidence over tiny mistakes is literally going to kill me some day
#had been thinking about applying for a leadership position in our university ostem chapter for a while now#but psyched myself out of it last night before applications closed#because with everything that's gone wrong in the student group i was involved in this year i no longer trust myself to be a good leader#or frankly even a good person#i also had a slightly soul-crushing talk with a professor yesterday about my grade in her class#because even though she clearly thinks i'm brilliant (and basically said as much) i missed like two weeks of class#specifically because something happened with another student who i know i managed to make upset#(on accident. but it seems like she found my apology wanting)#and i feel so awful about it that i decided the only way to handle this was to avoid her so i didn't make her uncomfortable#so now my grade is suffering in a class i could've gotten an 'A' in#and it's just like. what am i even doing#i care so much about making the world a better place but i feel like such a bad person and trying makes it worse#and i know i'm under no obligation to put myself through this kind of stress but i don't know how to value myself if i don't#lately i feel like i'm beating myself up for being too fragile and unstable to even make a good martyr#and i know it's not healthy but if i try to step back i just get sad#like how now i feel awful about not sending in that application. and at least half dozen other similar things#i just want to make a real impact but it feels like the only thing i'm good for is making things worse#i'm not even fun to be around most days. i'm just.... sad
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bobamilk-obeyme · 1 year
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Playing Devil's Advocate - An unnecessarily aggressive informal essay written by someone who doesn't like Diavolo
I wanted to take a moment to rant about something that's been bothering me since I first played Obey Me in 2020-Specifically something pretty important to the build up to the shitshow that is lesson 16. I've ranted to friends in dms about this topic a lot so I figured it was about time I actually wrote it all down properly. I’ve actually mentioned this as a joke before here on tumblr but now everyone gets the rant no one asked for.
Side note before I continue: I'm not quite at Lesson 16 yet in my Obey Me replay so a few details may be off/I may remember some things wrong. I'm 90% sure my point still stands either way but if anything shifts my mind at all as I replay I might return to this and clarify things.
Considering there’s four seasons of Obey Me, 11(?) lessons on Nightbringer which has only been out for like-a month, and people still want more-I don’t think I have to recap everything but I’m still going to do my best for the sake of proving my point. Pretty much everything in season one (I have admittedly never even finished season 2 so this is just going to be strictly up to lesson 16 and maybe mentions of a few minor things after-Nightbringer is also being ignored for this) is caused directly by the trauma the brothers struggle with from the war. Lilith fell in love with a human, who if I remember correctly, grew sick and was on death's bed. In her grief and denial, she fed her lover food from the celestial realm to heal them-breaking the rules in the process and causing Lucifer to lead the brothers into a war for her sake. During the war, Beelzebub had a moment where he had to choose between saving Belphegor’s life or Lilith’s, and he ended up saving Belphegor’s. Beelzebub blames himself for this and thinks Belphegor does as well, while Belphegor turned his anger towards her lover and humans as a whole.
God knows how many years later, when Diavolo brings up his plan for the exchange program, Belphegor throws what I would consider a temper tantrum. He threatens-key word there is threatens-to go to the human realm and kill all the humans as he still blames them for the death of his beloved sister. And i'm not saying I condone this at all-like Jesus Christ man you all need some serious therapy and maybe a pizza night with a movie and ice cream-but all Belphegor even gets the chance to do is throw a tantrum and threaten to commit murder before he’s locked up in the attic by Lucifer to prevent Diavolo from locking him up properly. First of all, I feel like there was a much better way to go about that entire situation instead of leaving him alone to fester and lying to everyone, but we’re not here to judge Lucifer we’re here to prove how Diavolo’s a fucking hypocrite so thats a rant for another day.
Skip to the first few lessons-the player gets in contact with Belphegor, starts making pacts with the brothers in an attempt to help him, growing close to each brother and going through each arc, yada yada-until shit hits the fan. Belphegor manages to seemingly magically escape in a turn of events that I will never fully understand and the truth behind Belphegor being a “human world exchange student” is revealed very, very bluntly. Beelzebub, Mc, and a currently seemingly harmless Belphegor run off to Purgatory Hall to get out of the House of Lamentation-understandable considering the secret reveal. This doesn’t last long however, as Diavolo and Barbatos quickly come and arrest Belphegor on counts of treason and everything comes spiraling to the grand reveal.
Which brings me to my entire point. I’m not upset that Belphegor gets arrested, it’s extremely reasonable considering he was threatening to kill off an entire fucking species because one non-immortal human happened to fall in love with his sister. That’s. Not ok. Get some therapy man. No, what bugs me in this entire situation is Diavolo-specifically the hypocrisy. If we look back at previous lessons, Belphegor really should’ve only gotten a slap on his wrist and maybe some time out. House arrest or something. Let’s assume previous lessons actually do show Diavolo’s logic and by extent, Devildom law-Belphegor shouldn’t be arrested. Period. After the time travel bullshit, though, is another story but I’ll mention that later on.
Belphegor’s threat would’ve ruined the entire exchange program, sure-but so would’ve so many interactions in the series, some actually being worse than Belphegor’s threat. In the first few lessons alone, Mammon threatens to eat us multiple times and puts us in direct danger by leaving us unattended at RAD before we know how to protect ourselves, Lucifer passive aggressively threatens our lives multiple times, and Leviathan straight up attacks us and most definitely would’ve killed us had Lucifer not stepped in. All before we even meet Belphegor. Purely from memory as I’m still replaying Asmodeus’ arc (Nightbringer distracted me for a while and I forgot I had the original game on my phone), I’m 90% sure that Beelzebub is the only demon brother to not outright threaten your life at some point. Love that for him.
Then of course you have the situation with the missing chihuahua-which, while yes, is on a much smaller scale than Belphegor’s threat, I feel is far more personal and far more detrimental to the exchange program-Since 1) Lucifer is far more powerful than Belphegor and has far more say in the Devildom, and, 2) effects not only two exchange students that are currently actively in the program, but one of them is a literal child. That’s not even mentioning the fact that he was also threatening his own brother-less related to the exchange program but still really fucked up. But Lucifer doesn’t get arrested and locked up-Diavolo gives him a slap on the wrist and a comforting conversation saying he understood why he casually tried to kill 3 people in a murderous rage. One of which being one of the people he was trying to protect in the first place?
I’m sorry Lord Diavolo, sir, but being gay for the pretty fallen angel is not an excuse to be a fucking hypocrite.
What makes me more frustrated is that this isn’t even a hard fix from a writer's perspective. I’m not saying I’m more talented than the people who do this shit for a living-I’m a 17 year old in high school who writes found family fanfics and is obsessed with enemies to lovers-but it still feels like an easy fix. Have Belphegor actually kill someone. Have Lucifer find him spiraling while covered in blood and laughing and talking about how he was going to wipe out the entire species. Have him say he’s avenging Lilith or something of that sort-show his instability and grief in a way that makes his arrest actually make sense while still giving room to forgive him because the player can see how broken he is. Maybe that’s a bit too dark but he quite literally strangles the player to death. I don't think having a proper murder is too much to ask for. Just something to give Diavolo an actual reason for arresting him.
Going back to canon though, when Belphegor actually commits a crime, he’s let free and is able to live in the same house as the person he just murdered with no repercussions. I know there’s all this shit about being connected to Lilith-the entire thing makes me very uncomfortable, it’s the whole reason why I’ve been rewriting certain scenes with my personal mc-but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t attack us again at any moment. We’re still human, we’re still the species he blames for his sister's death-being related to her reincarnation does nothing to change that fact. It already makes me deeply uncomfortable how quickly he’s forgiven and cuddles up to us. If he’s going to be arrested it should be after the murder, not before it. None of this makes sense to me. Diavolo’s logic makes no fucking sense.
Lesson 16 could’ve been avoided entirely if Belphegor got the same biased treatment as Lucifer and/or was given the ability to grow to trust humans healthily alongside Mc and some supervision.
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zafirosreverie · 3 years
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Must be the eyes (Teacher!Agatha x Fem!Student!Reader) part 2
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(Part 1)
a/n: this is long, like, really long. Uppsies
- - - - - - - - - - -
Salem ... you were going to Salem !!
Nick laughed at you when you jumped out of happiness, before wrapping your arms around him and spinning him around. You were quite excited.
"I see someone is excited" he laughed as you let him go
"Sorry" you laughed "I just can't believe it! We’re going to Salem, Nick!" you screamed with excitement
"Yes yes, I was in class too, history girl” he laughed again "But it doesn't seem a bit strange to you that just last friday you mentioned that you wanted to go, and today, monday, they tell us that they will take us on a field trip precisely to Salem? Not to mention that Ms Harkness doesn't seem like the kind of teacher who wants to take her students on trips. "
"So?" you asked. You knew exactly what he was implying, but you decided to play innocent "Maybe the universe thought it would be a good time to pay me what it owes me"
"Suuuuure. And Ms Harkness totally wasn't looking at you during the entire announcement" He said
"She wasn't" you agreed, making him roll his eyes.
Except that she totally was. Nick was right. From the moment the older woman had walked into the classroom, you could feel her eyes fixed on you. At first you felt like you were in trouble, but when she started talking about the trip she and professor Maximoff had planned, a part of you (a small and somewhat selfish part) couldn't help but think that maybe she was doing it for you.
It was silly and you knew it, why would a woman like Agatha Harkness go to the trouble of planning a whole field trip, getting a hotel, food and transportation for almost 30 students, just so that you specifically could fulfill one of your dreams? Not to mention, there was no way she knew about it.
But the feeling that you were something special to her, even if it was only in your imagination, was enough for you.
You sighed "Nick, if you're still upset about the project, I'm sorry ok? But don't get me in your business with her"
"Hey! I didn't sleep all weekend to finish it, okay?" he defended himself "I didn't even go to the movies with Dalton, Y/N. Do you know what that means? I missed a date with him!" he pouted, making you laugh
"First of all, you had almost the entire month to do the project, you shouldn't have put it off until the last minute. Second, it wasn't even a date! You haven't been able to confess your feelings to Dalton in two years"
"So? At least I'm making progress with him, you've been drooling over our teacher since the first day of college and all you've done is have these tense discussions with her."
"Shhhhh" you shut him up "shout it out to everyone, would you?"
"Hey, you started"
"It's different and you know it Nick" you sighed "You're only a year older than Dalton. There are at least 10 years between me and Ms Harkness, not to mention that she is our teacher!"
"Pfff, 10 years? Come on Y/N, we both know she's probably twice your age" Nick scoffed
"She's not that old" you blushed "And that's not the point anyway"
"Right" he nodded "the point is that your girlfriend is going to take us all to a haunted town just to make you happy" he smirked.
"My what- she’s not-" you stuttered.
Nick laughed and you flushed with both embarrassment and anger. You ran after him to try to hit him, not noticing the pair of blue eyes staring at you from a window.
________
Agatha sighed to herself as she watched you walk away with that little friend of yours. She had watched all the interaction and when she saw you blush she wished she could listen, but you were too far away.
However, what she did hear were your screams of excitement and she couldn't help but notice that her heart leapt a little at the thought that it was she who had made you so happy.
Again, she would never tell anyone, but the only reason she had agreed to accompany Wanda was because of the conversation she had overheard, when you told Nicholas that you didn't have money for two trips.
At first, it had been easy to lie to herself, saying that she was simply killing two birds with one stone: Wanda could have her field trip and you could visit Salem at no expense, that way you could save up to go elsewhere in summer.
However, when Wanda asked why she had specifically chosen your class, she hadn't known what to answer. She wanted to see you happy, she felt you deserved everything in the world, but she couldn't say that to the redhead, so she had given a bad excuse that your group was the least problematic. Wanda hadn't believed it, but at least she had the decency not to comment on anything.
She told herself that she had to be more careful. She couldn’t let anyone, student or teacher, find out that perhaps it was no longer simple affection what she felt for you.
When she walked into your classroom, however, she couldn't help staring at you from the get-go. She didn't want to miss your reaction to the news. From the sparkle in your eyes, the way the corner of your mouth lifted, how your nose wrinkled, the way your shoulders tensed, and how you clenched your hands to avoid showing your emotion.
She wanted to see all of that.
But that had made her look at you the whole time. She never once had she taken her eyes off you, almost forgetting that it was supposed to be a school trip, for all of her students, not a surprise gift specifically for you.
Even if that's what it really was. As she had told Wanda, she was more than capable of teaching Salem's history without having to take you there, but she did it for you. And a small part of her wanted to tell you, she wanted you to know what she had done, she wanted you to understand how much you meant to her, without having to use her words.
She wasn't sure if she'd made it, but your excitement was enough for her. She just wished she could be the one receiving that crushing hug, instead of Nicholas.
"Earth to Agatha" said a voice behind her, making her jump
"Maximoff" she sighed "No one told you it's rude to approach people like this" she crossed her arms and frowned.
"In my defense, I've been here for about 15 minutes, it's not my fault that you get lost in your thoughts so quickly" the redhead teased as she handed her a coffee "It must be age"
"I'm going to ignore the fact that you called me old, just because of the coffee" the brunette growled, taking it.
"Lucky me" the youngest smiled "So, ready for the trip?" she asked
"There's still a whole month to go, cutie" she said
"Don't even remind me, I was hoping they'd let us go sooner" sighed the redhead.
"Wanda, I know they are university students, but not all of them have the income, no matter how little the school charges them. We have to pay for transportation, meals and hotel, not to mention that many of them will want to buy souvenirs or do another activities" Agatha reminded her
"It's a field trip, Aggs, not a vacation."
"Try to convince 30 students of that" scoffed the older woman
"... fair enough" sighed Wanda "and we still need another chaperone"
"What do you mean?" Agatha frowned "Isn't that why I'm going?"
"Yes, but as we also take male students, by law we must bring a male teacher too"
"That’s bullshit"
"I know, but I'm not going to complain and risk losing my permit."
The brunette thought about it for a moment before sighing. Wanda was right. And she wouldn't risk having the trip canceled either, not after seeing how happy it made you.
___________
It was the longest month of your life! You were too excited, you could hardly think of anything other than the trip. You had worried a bit that it was too expensive, but were pleasantly surprised when you realized that it was less than half of what the trip would cost you alone.
Besides, Nick had told you that he could lend you money if necessary. It wasn't that you were broke, far from it, but being a college student, living alone in a rental department and with a part-time job, was difficult.
However, you had managed to save enough money to pay for the trip and still be able to even spend a little on souvenirs or other things, which would be necessary to thank your boss for giving you permission to be absent for two weeks and your friend Alisha for covering you.
"Hello" you smiled at the secretary
"Good afternoon" she replied, a little serious but at least she smiled back at you "can I help you miss?"
"Yeah, uhm, I'm here to pay for the trip to Salem, group 203" you said
"One moment please" she nodded and pulled out a couple of lists "Your name, queen?" she asked kindly
"Y/N  Y/L/N"
The woman scanned the names with her eyes, searching for the letter of your last name, but you felt your stomach drop a little when she frowned before looking at you.
"Are you sure, dear?" she asked
You blinked in surprise before nodding.
"How strange" she said "it appears that it is already paid"
"W-what?" now you frowned "It must be a mistake"
"No, Y/N  Y/L/N, paid. Are you sure you didn't forget? It usually happens" she assured you, smiling at you.
But you knew that was not the case. You hadn't paid before because you didn't have the money. Damn, you were sure you were the last to pay! You were supposed to leave in three days!
"No" you said softly "I'm sure I didn't pay for it"
The woman was about to say something when you heard a rather familiar pair of heels coming up behind you. You didn't even have to turn around to find out who she was.
Agatha smiled as she stood right next to you, her hand pressed to your lower back. She smiled at the secretary before speaking.
"Good afternoon, Lu" she said to the woman
"Good afternoon, Ms Harkness"
"Is something wrong? Or why the long face, Miss Y/L/N?" she asked, smiling at you
It took you a moment to answer, too stunned by the warm touch of her hand on your back and the smell of her perfume filling your air.
"Someone paid for my trip" you said simply
"Excuse me?" she asked confused
"Someone paid for my trip" you repeated "it wasn't me, miss"
"Well, I still don't see the problem" she smiled at you "maybe that little friend of yours paid for you, or someone is trying to win your heart" she winked
The way she said the last part sent a chill down your spine. It felt too intimate for some reason.
"Either way, I wouldn't worry about it" she said, pulling you out of your thoughts "take advantage of it, Miss Y/L/N, not all of us are lucky enough to be given a free trip, right Lu?"
"Absolutely Ms Harkness"
You weren't so convinced, but you weren't in a position to argue with a teacher and a secretary, they were two against one. That and the hand on your back was too much of a distraction to think properly.
You nodded and thanked them before turning on your heel to go find Nick, hoping it was really him who paid for you. You immediately missed the warmth of the hand on your back.
____________
Well shit.
You cursed yourself while running around your apartment. You were sure you had set the alarm, but it hadn't gone on. If it weren't for the fact that you had left the window open and the sun hit you in the face, you wouldn’t have woken up.
When you looked at the clock on your desk, you jumped up. You noticed that your phone had not charged at all and was, in fact, turned off. Double shit.
You tossed it along with the charger in your backpack, after getting out of a quick shower and bouncing around the room as you put on your floral dress and a pair of tennis shoes. You did not care about the mess you left, you would fix it when you returned.
You had 20 minutes to get to school or you were saying goodbye to Salem.
_____________
Agatha tried to appear neutral as Wanda took roll and Jimmy helped the students put their bags onto the bus as they arrived.
She supposed it could have been worse. Of all the male teachers in the school, Jimmy Woo, the chemistry teacher, was the most educated and one of the few that Agatha actually liked a little. At least the students listened to him.
Not that she was really paying attention to that, if she was honest.
Actually, the only thing on her mind was you. Nothing new, but this was different. You hadn't arrived yet and they were 15 minutes away from leaving. She was beginning to worry.
She didn't understand what was happening, you were the most excited about the trip, she had paid for you, and yet you weren't here? She had thought you would be the first to arrive. Have you regretted it? No, you would have told her or Wanda. Something happened to you? Surely Nicholas would have said something when he arrived.
So why was there no sign of your precious face? The brunette could convince Wanda to wait for you a little longer, but she wasn't even sure you were going to come. That made her sulk quickly.
She had agreed to take this trip, for you. If you didn't show up, she would have done everything in vain! She didn't even want to go to Salem to babysit! So you had better arrive in the next 10 minutes or you would be in serious trouble when they come back in two weeks.
"Smile Harkness" Wanda laughed, seeing her partner with her arms crossed and a frown "We're almost gone"
"Good, because we still have five hours of travel and I'm already starting to get tired of the voices of these children" she growled.
She really did hope her concern wasn't so noticeable.
____________
You sighed in relief when the taxi finally arrived at the school, seeing that the bus was still there. You did it!
You walked quickly, smiling at Professor Woo, who kindly put your suitcase on the underside of the truck.
"We were waiting for you, miss Y/L/N" he said kindly, helping you up the steps.
"Oh no, am I the last one?" you asked, blushing with shame.
"That's right" said Professor Maximoff, smiling at you as you went upstairs.
Well, at least no one had noticed. The rest of your classmates were all talking to each other, laughing and some flirting, not paying attention to the fact that you had just arrived. Excellent.
Except ... oh no.
You looked for Nick, to go sit with him. Sadly, it looks like Dalton was ahead of you and your best friend was too busy flirting to have saved you a spot.
"Take a seat please Y/N" Wanda told you
"Uhm ... where?" you asked, pointing to your companions.
The red-haired woman followed your gaze and realized that you were right. All the seats were taken. That made her frown. They were supposed to have all seats counted, so she, Jimmy, and Agatha had taken the liberty of using two seats each. But it seems they had miscounted.
"Well, I suppose you will have to sit with one of us" she told you.
You nodded, but didn't move, not knowing exactly which of the three to sit next to.
Fortunately for you, you didn't have to make the decision.
Agatha had kept a sigh of relief from escaping her lips when she saw you and Jimmy getting on the bus. She had been biting her nails nervously.
Your choice of clothes had not gone unnoticed and she, taking care that neither Wanda nor Jimmy caught her, let her eyes roam your body. The dress fit too well on you, hugging all the right parts, and ended just above the knees, allowing her to observe your beautiful legs.
She was so busy scanning you with her gaze that she almost missed Wanda's comment. "I suppose you will have to sit down with one of us." Her reaction was almost automatic.
She got up and motioned for you to sit in the window seat. "Take a seat, miss Y/L/N" she said, a little anxious, but with a frown so that the others would think that she was simply desperate to leave.
You blinked before nodding and scooting into the seat. You tried not to show any emotion when the older woman sat next to you and her thigh brushed yours.
You didn't know if you wanted to curse Nick for abandoning you in favor of flirting, or if you wanted to kiss him. You had five hours to think about it from here to Salem.
Wait. Five hours. Five hours trapped between Agatha Harkness and the window and without the possibility of distracting yourself with your cell phone. Oh shit.
___________
"It's not as bad as I thought" said Wanda "You were right Aggs, it's the least troublesome group" she laughed
The older woman rolled her eyes without answering. Her friend was right, most of the students were behaving quite well. There was no excessive yelling, no one was getting up from their seats or causing trouble, everyone seemed more interested in catching up on gossip.
But that didn't mean she liked being there. Her head was already spinning and there were still another three hours to go. The only good thing she had was that you were next to her.
Sure, she had to act nonchalant with you, just trying to get you talking a few times (which didn't work, but at least you had smiled at her and that was enough for her), but she couldn't help stealing glances from you every now and then.
She had given you the place by the window with the excuse that she needed to be in the hallway so she could throw death glares at others and make sure everything was in order, but the truth was, she just wanted you to be able to see everything. So that you don't miss even the entrance to the town.
It had worked for a while, because you looked quite entertained. Until that moment.
When the brunette looked at you sideways, she could see that your eyelids seemed to weigh and how you were starting to nod. Agatha had to admit that a sleepy Y/N was probably the cutest thing she had seen in a long time.
You struggled to stay awake, but after two hours of staring out the window (you were definitely not looking at your teacher through the reflection, thank you very much) your eyes felt tired. Maybe, you could sleep for a while, and hopefully when you woke up, you would be arriving in Salem and you wouldn't have to deal with the blush on your cheeks caused by the mere presence of your crush by your side.
It seemed like a good plan.
Sighing and careful not to kick the older woman, you settled into the seat better, closing your eyes and blocking out the noise around you. It didn't take you long to fall asleep.
Agatha knew the exact moment you had been lost from the world of the living, when your head began to tilt a little. She inwardly cursed you for being so cute.
However, she froze when she realized that little by little, you were sticking closer to her.
At first it was just your head leaning in her direction, but then you were leaning on her shoulder. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling (actually, it was perfect), but it did make her pulse race, especially when you kept falling more and more on her, until you ended up with your head on her chest and basically using her breasts as a pillow.
"Ok, okay, don't panic, everything is fine" she thought "act normal, you are a teacher taking care of her student, nothing to see here"
But she could feel her heart racing at a thousand kilometers per hour and as much as she didn't want to wake you up, she doubted you couldn't hear it, you had your hearing just above it!
She was too busy trying not to move, not to bother you, that she didn't notice the knowing looks and smiles that her two colleagues shared.
When Wanda stood up to supervise the students in the background, she raised an eyebrow, smirking at Agatha. The older woman rolled her eyes and mumbled something about not wanting to wake you up out of mere politeness, but the truth was that her arms burned with the need to hold you and pull you closer to her.
____________
Wanda giggled and motioned for Jimmy to take a look at Agatha's seat. When the man did, he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud.
At some point during the trip, the brunette had fallen asleep too, probably bored of not moving so as not to wake you up. However, it seemed like her precautions weren't working on autopilot, because the moment she fell asleep, she leaned on you, portraying a cute scene with you on the older woman's chest and Agatha's head on top of yours.
Wanda took out her cell phone and quickly took a photo of you two.
"This is gold" she whispered to Jimmy "this is valuable blackmail material, Harkness will have to do what I ask for at least a month"
"I guess I owe you 10 dollars" said the man.
When they were discussing the details of the trip, the redhead had told him her theory about how the brunette felt about you. Surprisingly, Jimmy hadn't been shocked, he didn't think the other woman had a crush on her student, but he wouldn't look down on Agatha if that was the case. They had both gambled on how long it would take for the woman to start being more obvious.
"And a coffee when we get to Salem" Wanda reminded him.
_____________
Agatha woke up when a particularly loud sound from the movie they were playing in the bus sounded from the speaker above her head. The woman blinked several times, before looking around her.
Jimmy seemed absorbed in the movie and Wanda was asleep. And God knew what the students were doing behind her.
But that was not the important thing. What mattered was the bulge in her arms.
Your hair had fallen over your face, so the older woman gently brushed it away, letting her fingers brush against your skin. You were a beautiful sight. You always were, sure, but just like that, asleep and vulnerable, you were just breathtaking.
Looking at the clock, Agatha knew that they were about to arrive in town, and although she didn't want to wake you up, really enjoying having you like this, she also wanted you to see everything. So she gently started shaking you to wake you up.
You groaned a bit at the annoyance, but in a few more moments your eyes began to open. It took a moment for your eyes to adjust to the light, but when they did, you frowned.
Why were you so low? You remembered falling asleep almost glued to the window, so why weren't you there? And why did you have a pillow? You hadn't brought a pillow with you.
It wasn't until you caught a familiar scent that you realized you weren't on a pillow. You were on top of your teacher. More specifically, on her chest. Shit.
You got up quickly, muttering an apology and trying desperately not to look at her. You just used Agatha Harkness as a pillow! What an idiot! She sure hates you now.
The older woman was a bit surprised when you jumped up, almost hitting her in the process. If it wasn't because you looked adorable with a red face, she would have tried to comfort you. Besides, she couldn't risk any of her colleagues finding out about her feelings for you.
So she didn't say anything, as if nothing had happened. But she was loving the nervous version of you more and more.
_______________
When you entered the city, you completely forgot the whole incident. Your mind quickly entertained with the landscape and you could see how all those witch tales came to life in front of your eyes. Definitely better than Disneyland.
Agatha couldn't help the pang of pride she felt when she saw your excited face. It was a good choice to sit you by the window. If anyone deserved to have the best possible experience in Salem, it was you.
She just hoped the rest of the trip would go without incidents. Not that she thought falling asleep on her was a bad thing, it was just that she trusted herself less and less to keep herself under control.
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tags: @midnight-lestrange @everythingmarvelsherlockspn (tag not working) @amethyst-bitch @juliejules-089 @powerfulmagicalgirl (tag not working) @novohyde @annie-mit-ie​ @agentbrownierso​
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itsclydebitches · 3 years
Text
I am briefly pausing my normal RWBY content to talk about something completely different: Kang Soo-Jin. 
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I binged True Beauty recently. As in, “I haven’t managed to watch anything new in half a year, discovered this drama, and promptly marathoned 14+ hours of content,” so to say I’m enjoying it is an understatement. I might do another post sometime about why I think the show works so well, but for now, like many (drama only) viewers, I’m specifically grappling with Soo-Jin’s descent into antagonist territory. At first I was just as shocked and disappointed as others seem to be, but upon reflection I don’t think this is badly written in the way many fans are claiming. To frame this as, “I can’t believe they would make wonderful Soo-Jin suddenly OOC and bully Ju-Kyung over a guy!” is ignoring core parts of her character. I’m as sick of the girl-hates-girl-over-guy plotline as the next viewer, but in the interest of acknowledging that there are exceptions to every rule, I think this is one of the times where that choice makes perfect sense. 
Soo-Jin has been abused throughout her life and I’m not simply talking about the fact that her father hits her. Though that’s obviously horrific, what I think is more pertinent to this conversation is the intense competitiveness her parents have instilled in her. The physical abuse comes about because Soo-Jin fails (in their eyes) to be the best, which is where Ju-Kyung comes in. The Soo-Jin we knew in earlier episodes wasn’t faking. She isn’t an inherently evil person who was just waiting for the right time to show her true colors. Rather, at the start of the story Ju-Kyung—crucially—was not in competition with Soo-Jin. Or rather, Soo-Jin did not perceive her as competition. She’s after the best grades in the school and Ju-Kyung is notoriously at the bottom of the class. All she has going for her are her (new) looks and her easy-going personality that makes her popular, two things that Soo-Jin isn’t interested in. Even if she were, those things already come naturally to her too. She’s already friends with Soo-A and, as is commented on multiple times, naturally beautiful without any makeup on. Soo-Jin has been taught—literally had it beaten into her—that she must be the best and in the beginning of the show she pretty much is: popular, mature, confident, smart… just not the smartest in her class. Ju-Kyung doesn’t threaten any of that, so friendship initially comes easily for Soo-Jin, the sort of friendship that allows her to chase perverts off busses or hide her friend’s real face. 
This changes once Soo-Jin’s “perfect” mask begins to slip. They’re heading towards college, she’s running out of time, and she still hasn’t managed to take the top spot in the class. Worse, she drops out of the top ten. This exacerbates the abuse to the point where, as we see, she’s constantly in the bathroom trying to cope by washing her hands. Any tiny deviation from that “perfection”  — like, say, leaving your tutoring session when you realize your lifelong friend just got devastating news — results in the sort of yelling/physical abuse she can only escape from via a locked door. While things get worse on her end, they get better on Ju-Jyung’s. Her grades go up some and she becomes even more popular, attracting not only school-wide attention, but the attention of the two hottest guys too, including Soo-Ho. For a while this is still fine from Soo-Jin’s perspective, but things really take a turn when Ju-Kyung changes Soo-Ho. Meaning, she helps him come out of his shell and teaches him how to be a kinder person… which includes being a better friend to Soo-Jin. The Soo-Ho who suddenly lies and announces that they have to go study just to get Soo-Jin away from her father’s insults, all of it stemming from a small tick he paid attention to, or comforting her while she sobs over the abuse… that Soo-Ho didn’t exist at the story’s start. He was too wrapped up in his own grief and has been that way for a long time. They may have known each other since childhood, but Soo-Jin and Soo-Ho don’t appear to be particularly close in the past—all Soo-Ho’s flashbacks are with Seo-Joon and Se-Yeon. But that starts to change once Soo-Ho himself changes. Soo-Jin’s ability to keep it together is unraveling, Soo-Ho is opening up and becoming more emotionally available (something Soo-Jin even comments on), then her whole class starts eagerly talking up how good they would be as a couple… so Soo-Jin sees a lifeline. Soo-Ho will care for her even when no one else will. Of course he will. She’s already seen him be that person multiple times. 
The problem is that Soo-Ho has his own life and his own problems to grapple with. Between grief over See-Yeon, panic over telling Ju-Kyung how he feels, and the initial rush of dating—what couple doesn’t want to spend all their time together at the start?—he doesn’t have much energy for Soo-Jin. Which from his perspective is fine. They don’t normally hang out together outside of study groups, so yeah, he can put off a conversation with her… not realizing that Soo-Jin is now putting all her emotional eggs in his basket. By the time her feelings are coming to light, Soo-Jin is actively sabotaging her own attempts to get attention and compassion from Soo-Jin. By manipulating them—here’s a new scrunchy to remind you that you’re my best friend and you can’t ever betray me, here I am showing up unannounced at your apartment and guilting you into not spending more time with me, etc.—Soo-Jin has put Soo-Ho (rightfully) on his guard. He’s wary of having a private conversation with her about something she won’t name when he knows Ju-Kyung has been a mess over losing her friendship. He has no desire to listen to her confession of love after she’s just tossed Ju-Kyung’s beloved necklace into the fire. In her efforts to ensure that Soo-Ho pays attention to her, she only succeeds in driving him away. 
All of which makes Ju-Kyung the enemy in her eyes. The new competition. To her mind, friendship and love cannot co-exist because Ju-Kyung stands in the way of that love, therefore one has got to go. (In contrast Seo-Joon, coming from a loving family, is in time better able to accept that he can be friends with Soo-Ho even though he likes Ju-Kyung. We can discuss the problems inherent in giving one plot to the girl and the other to the guy, but as they are, these characters have concrete, in-world reasons for their different reactions to what’s essentially the same situation.) And why does love (“love”) win out over friendship? Because Soo-Jin has latched onto Soo-Ho being her boyfriend as the way to finally “win” at life and fix all her problems. It’s fine if she’s not the best provided she’s dating the best, just look at how much Dad fawned over him. Second place academically is suddenly an option provided the top student is on her team, so to speak. The fact that Soo-Ho is also one of the most handsome, a great athlete, super rich, and one of the few people to provide her with feelings of safety certainly doesn’t hurt matters. And the only thing that stands in her way of securing this life-saving “win” is Ju-Kyung. Who is she? No one compared to Soo-Jin. Her grades are terrible. She’s not wealthy. She’s pretty… but oh, only with her makeup on. 
Soo-Jin doesn’t need makeup, so why not win this competition by showing the whole school—showing Soo-Ho—what a fraud Ju-Kyung is? 
From Soo-Jin’s perspective she’s done the math and come out on top. Everything that (supposedly) matters she either has equal to Ju-Kyung, or is superior, therefore it’s obvious that Soo-Ho would choose her in the end. She says at much: If I had confessed first you would have loved me first, so now that I have confessed you’ll break up with her. Hell, even Ju-Kyung believes this. She has the nightmare about Soo-Ho learning that Soo-Jin has feelings for him and immediately, publicly breaking up with her. After all, if he suddenly has both as an option the winner is obvious, right? It’s all about competition, what they’ve been taught to believe is a competition: Ju-Kyung through her bullying and Soo-Jin through her abuse. The difference is that Ju-Kyung has had the whole series with Soo-Ho (and others) helping her slowly unlearn this mentality. Soo-Jin had the rug pulled out from under her in an instant. 
Soo-Ho says no, I wouldn’t have loved you if you had confessed first and I’m not going to date you now. It’s important to realize that this shatters Soo-Jin’s entire world. It’s not about a girl being upset that she can’t get the guy — not even about Soo-Ho as an individual, really —  it’s about an abused girl not knowing how to grapple with the fact that she finally did everything “right” and still couldn’t “win,” coupled with losing the last bit of security she had. Soo-Ho broke the unspoken rules Soo-Jin’s father beat into her and she doesn’t know where to go from there. She literally has no one else to turn to. So she falls back on the only way she does know how to handle a situation like this: by still trying to win. If Soo-Ho won’t admit that she’s better, she’ll force him to realize that by plastering Ju-Kyung’s “ugly” face all over social media. Which, to be clear, isn’t an excuse. This isn’t meant to be a way of absolving Soo-Jin of her absolutely horrific actions, only a means of explaining them. Her descent, while shocking to those of us who loved her initial character, is well written because it’s a nuanced look at what can happen when you abuse a kid her whole life and teach her that competition is everything. Oddly enough, she’ll apply a competitive outlook to everything and deal with her stress in unhealthy ways. Ju-Kyung is a victim of Soo-Jin now, but Soo-Jin is a victim too. Her home life has ensured that she does not know how to accept failure—or what true failure even means—so it was inevitable that when things got bad, she’d  try to fix it in ways that hurt both her and those around her. It’s all she knows how to do. 
So far less “Perfect girl goes ooc and abandons her friend over a boy” and far more “Abused girl falls into a terrible, but predictable cycle that the other stressed high schoolers around her are not equipped to break.” Soo-Jin’s story isn’t bad writing, it’s tragic. Thanks for coming to my three page TED talk ✌️
***
2/4/21 FINALE UPDATE! 
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skellebonez · 3 years
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okay i know you probably have lots of prompts already but. listen; 28 and 41 with my Phantom Thief MK AU (well its more of a phantom thief everyone au but yeah)
So I maaaaay have been a smidgen inspired by one very specific post you made about this AU and Sun Wukong's first successful heist... I couldn't resist, it was just too funny.
You call this luck? No, this is all skill./Can you teach me how to do that?
"Can you teach me how to do that?"
The question wasn't an unusual one between the two of them. MK had asked this of Sun Wukong on more than one occasion as successor to the Monkey King as the Monkie Kid himself.
No, what was unusual was that the question came from the opposite person.
"Teach you... what, exactly?" MK asked, trying not to feel too smug about the swap in roles between mentor and apprentice. After all...
Someone had to teach Sun Wukong the finer points of Phantom Thievery.
"You know what," Wukong said with a half scowl, gesturing to way that his student (or, for the moment now that the question was asked, his teacher) was rolling an large pendant between his fingers. "Not the... you know, what you're doing now, but what you did with the pendant on your last heist where you threw it at a guard and it kind cracked in the middle with the smoke and light and stuff."
"OH," MK laughed out, tossing up and catching the coin in his opposite hand. "That's not really a trick or anything, just some incredibly strong flash paper, and other stuff, that's activated when you open it the right way."
In demonstration the young Phantom Thief did something in the way he held the pendant and one end slipped up with a soft cracking sound. Then he did something else and it open like a clam shell. He held it out to the elder, letting him see the inner workings and how it had latches and some kind of folding wall between the two sides.
"Opening it causes a chemical reaction between the two compartments. The real trick is getting everything inside without accidentally activating it on yourself, practicing the opening motion, knowing when to open it, and aiming it just so that it blinds your target at just the right moment. You know, this is probably just the right time to teach you how to use lines to keep this stuff in your sleeves and retract them too! So..."
As MK launched into a lengthy explanation on how this particular bit of his Phantom Thievery repertoire worked he failed to notice the slowly growing smirk on the Monkey King's face.
~
"What, uh... what ya got there?" MK asked, very obviously trying to keep an impassive and non-judgemental expression. And failing.
"... smoothies," Wukong answered, absolutely not hiding what he was holding in his tail behind his back as he offered one of the two drinks in his hands to the younger.
It was a poor attempt at lying, which was odd because MK knew that Sun Wukong was pretty good at lying. He had managed to convince the other that he had no idea his successor was a phantom thief for so long after all. But why in the world he seemed to be hiding a... pillow of some sort behind his back was anyone's guess.
"Why'd you bring smoothies?" He chanced asking instead, and he watched as the other's face lit up in pure victory and jubilation.
"They're victory smoothies, Bud!" Wukong exclaimed, shoving one at MK until he took it from the other. "I just completed my first successful heist! And I did pretty well, if I do say so myself." The Monkey King smirked, puffing out his chest in a show of confidence as he took a sip of what was obviously a peach smoothie. "Oh yeah, tastes like a job well done."
"Really!?" MK exclaimed, his own pride welling up knowing that he had a hand in this since he was the other's mentor in thievery. He'd told the other to start small, something that would be missed but not something that would gather immediate attention from the whole city just in case something went wrong. "That's great! What did you steal?"
"I'm not telling."
This made the younger pause, raising a brow as the elder not so subtly tossed the pillow into a nearby bush.
"... should I be concerned?" MK asked, knowing that with Wukong's reputation... he may have bitten off far more than he could chew. This was the immortal who went on a spree through Heaven that ended up with him eating a ton of immortality peaches, drinking immortality alcohol, and taking immortality pills. Among other things.
"No way!" Wukong assured, chugging more and more of his smoothie with seemingly no regard for the possibility of brain freeze. "Trust me, bud, this went off without a hitch. You have nothing to worry about."
~
Those words came back to to bite Sun Wukong in the ass.
Or, rather, they came back to throw Sun Wukong through MK's window at "way too early for this o'clock" in the morning right after he had finished sleepily getting ready for another day at work and accidentally nodded back off on his bed.
The weight of an immortal stone monkey slamming into you was much more effective than any alarm clock he'd ever used before.
"WHATWHOWHERE!?" MK wheezed out once the Monkey King climbed off him, looking around in confusion until his eyes finally fell on a third party in the room. "M-Macaque!?"
"Where's my couch you wanna be Phantom Thief!?" Macaque yelled, completely ignoring the person who's house he had just inadvertently broken into. He brushed bits and pieces of broken glass and window frame out of his fur with a scowl of anger. "I actually paid for that."
"You really think I would tell you where I stashed it?" Wukong snarked back, smirking wide as he crossed his arms. "A Phantom Thief never reveals the location of their treasure trove to their marks."
"Wait wait wait-" MK said, holding up his hands and finally grabbing the attention of the two fighting immortal monkeys. "You just crashed through my window... because... You were his first heist mark... and Monkey King's first successful heist was your couch?"
"Got it in one, Bud!" Wukong said with a laugh, not seeming to care that Macaque was slowly stewing in more and more anger and frustration. "I wouldn't have even been noticed if he hadn't come home part way through either, he's normally out later than that."
"You sent me a calling card you dumb ass!" Macaque yelled, falling into a fighting stance. "Just because you got lucky enough to get away last time-"
"You call this luck?" Wukong yelled back with a laugh, smirking as he pulled something out of his sleeve and tossed it at Macaque. "No, this is all skill!"
MK barely had time to register what happened before Wukong grabbed him and covered his eyes and a tiny explosion and a pained yelp sounded behind them as they jumped out his broken window.
"SUN WUKONG YOU GET BACK HERE BEFORE I CAN SEE AGAIN OR ELSE!" Macaque yelled, right before another pained yelp was heard. "Holy shit, Kid, why do you have so much stuff on your floor, who lives like this, I can't even WALK in here!"
MK never got to answer or be offended at the immortal before he was tossed over Wukong's shoulder as he made a break for it running through alleyways at breakneck speed before Pigsy's Noodles was no longer even in sight.
They stopped eventually, the immortal monkey putting MK down before looking around to make sure they hadn't been tailed by the other immortal. After a couple minutes it was clear that Macaque had either not followed him due to the blinding effects of the flash paper or had not been able to catch their trail. The two of them each breathed a sigh or relief, looked at each other...
And immediately burst into laughter.
They couldn't help it! It was just... so ridiculous! All that over a heisted couch. Pigsy was sure to be upset at the damage to MK's apartment but given Mystic Monkey Business and all he was certain that the fact it was only a broken window this time would be a decent balm on the damage.
"Macaque is going to get you back for this," MK managed to get out through laughs. "We lost him and now he's going to find another way to get you back, I know it."
"What's he gonna do, steal my couch?"
~
"HE STOLE. MY COUCH."
"How'd he even get to the mountain?"
"HE. STOLE. MY. COUCH!"
"I think you're missing the bigger issue he-"
"HESTOLEMYCOUCH!"
"I KNOW STOP YELLING!"
MK slapped a hand over Wukong's mouth, only barely cutting off and muffling the scream of disbelief and frustration that the Monkey King let out at the state of things.
"Why are you focused on the fact that Macaque stole your couch and not the fact that he somehow got into the part of Mount Huaguo that we have to let someone into, BROKE INTO YOUR HOUSE. and for some reason he ONLY stole your couch?"
"Oh, he's broken in before," Wukong answered once he pried MK's hand away from his face. "But I can't believe that asshole! I stole his couch as a joke, stealing mine back is just petty."
"What do you mean he's broken in before?" MK continued, voice tense and high and totally not at all feeling suddenly very anxious about this new knowledge. "Macaque's just been able to come and go as he pleases this whole time?"
"Yeah, kinda. Not exactly as he pleases but he can just come in I guess."
"These are the kinds of things you need to tell your student- I thought we talked about proper communication as one of our first lessons!"
"... oops?"
~
"When did you get a new couch?" Red Son asked with a raised brow, watching as the immortal monkey lounging on it swished his tail back and forth in contentment.
"Heisted it," Macaque answered with a smirk. "Totally worth it. But next time I'm stealing Peach's tv too, this is so comfy I could use some proper entertainment."
"YOU STOLE SUN WUKONG'S COUCH???"
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heliads · 3 years
Text
Second Best
Based on this request: “a Zoya Nazyalensky story where she and the reader are friends and one night they get into a fight and Zoya confesses her love?”
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The task before you is simple. All you have to do is use your abilities as a Grisha Squaller to pick up the metal spear before you and launch it across a clearing into the awaiting target. It’s almost offensively easy, something you’ve been training to do since you arrived at the Little Palace all those years ago. It’s very simple, although the fact that you’re now next in line to complete the task makes it seem strangely harder.
However, the eyes of the rest of the Squallers are upon you, so you can’t exactly back down now. You step forward, lifting your hands in the traditional gestures used by the Etherealki whenever they have it in their minds to do something particularly interesting, and the spear lifts before you. You let it hover there, suspended in the air for a second, and then you fling your hands forward, palms facing the target. The spear flies in unison with your movement, burying itself halfway through its length in the target. It’s almost a perfect shot, maybe off by a hair’s breadth. You breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
You can hear applause from behind you, the usual aura of surprise that comes with the feat you’ve just accomplished. With a casual gesture of your fingers, the spear yanks itself out of the target, with only a few sparse pieces of straw falling to the ground as any sort of damage. Well, that and the gaping hole in the center of the target, although that is quickly mended by the Fabrikator kept on hand. You can’t help but grin to yourself as the spear returns to your hand. Let’s see anyone else match that.
You may have spoken a little too soon- seconds after you’ve returned the spear to its awaiting position near the front of the courtyard, it’s hurled again through the air, shooting with the precision of an arrow to land in the direct center of the target. You thought it might be impossible to improve upon the slight difference in your shot, but this latest Squaller has managed it with ease.
Normally, any other blue-garbed Etherealki would be looking around in horror and dismay, upset as to what would cost them the first place spot in the class and curious as to who could land a perfect shot such as that. You, however, are somewhat used to this now, and just keep walking with a grin. You can hear footsteps approaching behind you, and don’t even have to turn around to acknowledge the girl now matching your strides.
“Nice one, Zoya.” The girl beside you smirks. “I should hope so. If I so much as missed the center by a hair, you wouldn’t let me forget it for a week.” You laugh. “Of course not. How could I let go of the chance to not tease Zoya’Best In Class’ Nazyalensky? It would practically be  a crime.” Zoya nods, pretending to be serious. “Absolutely. The Saints might invoke their wrath upon you if you didn’t act upon such an opportunity.” You fling your hand over your heart dramatically. “Here lies Y/N L/N, dead after the Saints wanted to see her make fun of her friend and she let them down.”
Zoya snorts graciously as you pretend to faint on her, shoving your mock limp body aside. “Oh, you consider us friends?” You catch yourself easily, rolling your eyes. “Zoya dear, I know it would bring you no greater pleasure in the world to consider yourself a lone wolf, forever at the front of the pack, but I thought you’d realized by now that you simply can’t get rid of me. We’re friends.” 
You can hear Zoya grumbling, but when you glance over at her, there’s an ill-concealed smile dancing behind her eyes. “That’s an interesting way to convince people to like you, annoy them and make sure you don’t ever leave you alone.” You raise an eyebrow at her. “And did it work, yes or no?” Zoya huffs. “It did, but we’re not talking about that.” You grin. “Of course we’re not.”
You pause by the halls of the Little Palace, ready to part ways as usual. Although the Etherealki and Squallers specifically all have their quarters around the same area, Zoya’s rooms are a ways away from your own. This is typically where you split up, where you go your way and Zoya returns to her own devices, where she’ll most likely plot how to take control of the next lesson and prove herself the best of the students yet again.
However, Zoya shakes her head, continuing to walk next to you. “There are too many people waiting by my doors. I’m staying in yours instead, if that’s alright.” You nod, unable to keep a teasing grin from your face. “Of course it’s alright. It must be so hard, having to deal with suitors and fans so often. I imagine it to be simply exhausting.” You’re expecting Zoya’s vexed scowl and smack on the arm, so you’re able to duck out of the range of both.
This is how it is to be close friends with Zoya Nazyalensky, after all. You laugh with her, develop a thick enough skin to stand the constant scathing remarks that must of course be exchanged, and do your best to keep up with the neverending flow of power and possibility that always seems to come her way. That’s how it has always been, and how it will always be.
It’s not that you mind this, of course. You learned early on that no matter how hard you try, she’s always going to come in first in the class competitions and Grisha displays of strength. Being second out of so many Etherealki is pretty damn good for you, and you can tell that there’s a slight sigh of relief in Zoya’s eyes when you never seem to mind her showing off or ruining what might have been a first place finish for you. Hey- you never came to the Little Palace to always be the best, you came to learn and laugh, and you do that with Zoya. You would never trade what you have with her for fierce competition, even if it meant that you’d start besting her in contests.
This isn’t to say that you wouldn’t change slight aspects of your friendship, of course. For some reason, your heart decided to join the scores of other Grisha and even otkazat’sya that were foolish enough to fall in love with Zoya, and you’re just as hopeless as the rest. It’s just the way that she laughs when she wins, the glimmer of competition and spirit in everything she does, the undeniable thrill in your chest whenever you spot the familiar blue-clad silhouette heading briskly your way. No, you don’t think there was ever a way that you wouldn’t fall under her spell, even if you tried your hardest to fight it.
You could have told her you loved her, you think. You could have mentioned it to Zoya at any point, but you don’t. You’ve seen the way she watches potential friends for their weaknesses, having to always second-guess why they’re talking to her. Is this latest Corporalki approaching her because he truly wants to be her friend, or is it because he instead desires the secrets of her skill in Grisha abilities or as another girl in his bed? For anyone else, you think the constant doubts would drive someone mad, but it doesn’t for Zoya. She’s able to tuck it inside herself, bury it until you wouldn’t even know it was there at all.
She told you once, when the night was dark and long and Zoya couldn’t stop herself from having slightly too much kvas after a hard mission, that she sometimes terrifies herself over the fact that she might always be alone. You can still picture her there, curled up in a chair by your fire, the haunted look in her eyes. You know something happened before she came to the Little Palace, something that made her never trust another soul unless they worked to prove it, but it’s hovering in the back of her mind right now.
So, you nodded at her, and gave her another one of your sapphire blankets to help the way that she won’t stop shivering, and you listen. When Zoya looks up at you again, as if expecting to leave like the others or at least shoo her from your rooms, you simply offer for her to stay the night and not have to go back to her empty quarters. You think that was the moment when she finally accepted that you weren’t going away, when she really started to trust you.
This is precisely why you cannot say a word about how you feel- if Zoya finds out, she’ll begin to wonder if your entire friendship was just borne of a lie, the same as any of the other heartstruck Etherealki who think themselves brave enough to tame Zoya. So, you make sure to direct your lingering glances towards the woods and the scenery around you instead of her, and you force a joking smile instead of a soft look. She would know what you meant if you didn’t hide your heart, so you must do your best to deceive her. 
You’ve arrived in your rooms by now, tossing your outer coats to the side and warming your hands by the fire in the corner. You talk for a while about the class and the other students and the way Marie won’t stop staring at Sergei, a Corpoalki who she most certainly should not be associated with. Zoya stays until the candles burn low, and then she says goodbye with a smile. You return her smile. You always do.
You have a most interesting conversation over the next week. It’s not with Zoya, as it turns out, but General Kirigan. Truth be told, you weren’t expecting it at all. He’d caught you unawares in the library one night, while you were studying the particulars of the making at the heart of the world for a class lecture the next day. He hadn’t been there one second yet appeared the next, looming over your book with a shadow that seemed too tall and menacing to be real.
You had looked up in surprise, but he held up a hand, quelling any doubts that you’d accidentally done something wrong. He spoke to you about a regiment of Grisha in one of the backwater towns, some part of the Second Army that was asking for far too many supplies in exchange for the lackluster job they were doing to protect the potential Grisha in the city. For some reason, he asked your opinion of what to do about them, and you gave it. He thanked you with a smile, then left.
This happened twice more. All three times, he showed up, talked with you for a little bit, and asked a question on what you thought of a particular issue. Sometimes, it was still with the Second Army, and sometimes it was with the opportunities presented to the Grisha at the Little Palace itself. He seemed intrigued to hear what classes were like, saying how he had heard you were one of the best Squallers there were. You had smiled at that, and his eyes had glinted like a hound about to take down his prey.
That was the third visit, the most recent visit. You’re walking back to your quarters now, unable to keep a slight grin from your face. This is it, isn’t it? This is how you make your way from the classrooms of the Little Palace to the battlefield, to a real chance to do something different. When you open your doors, Zoya is propped up in an armchair inside, although this does not surprise you. You’ve long since given her free reign of all that is yours.
She looks up at you, a question already bubbling up in her inquisitive glance. “What’s got you so excited?” She’s never been able to miss a detail, has she? You can’t seem to tuck your smile away. “I’ve been speaking to General Kirigan, three times now. I think he might be on the verge of offering me a job in the Second Army.” You’re not entirely sure what you were expecting from Zoya- an expression of surprise, maybe some congratulatory words. Whatever you thought might happen, you were certainly not expecting her to stand up, face twisted in something that looked almost like fear and anger.
“You can’t do that. You should avoid him as much as possible.” Your feet stall from where you’d been crossing the room to her. “What are you talking about?” Zoya shakes her head, almost manic. “You should stay away from him. What did he tell you?” This, coming from your closest friend when you’d been so excited, is enough to make your happiness start to leach from you, replaced by a cold bewilderment and betrayal. “What does it matter? Zoya, this could be my future.”
Zoya seems unwilling to hear you out. “Tell me what he said, Y/N. You can’t trust a word he says.” You scoff. “I’m not a fool, Zoya. I know what he said, and none of it was a trick. He spoke to me like a friend, and last time he talked to me about potential openings within the Grisha ranks. I could have a position. Isn’t that excellent?” Zoya shakes her head once more. “It’s a trick. He won’t give you anything. Don’t tell me you’re actually going to believe what he says?”
You draw back from her now, all traces of excitement gone from you. “Why are you saying this? Maybe I don’t know if he truly means it or not, but you don’t know anything about this. Saints, I thought you might actually be happy for me.” Zoya almost winces at that. “I’m not- I would be happy for you if I thought this was something real, Y/N, but it’s not. Nothing is with him.” You can feel yourself rising up in anger. “Oh, and you would know about that, wouldn’t you? From all of the time you spent with him? Are you truly doubtful, Zoya, or do you just not want me to be involved with him because you don’t want me to have anything that you hadn’t had first?”
The words are coming out faster now, one after the other. Truth be told, it’s almost good to hear them aloud after so long keeping them inside. “I never had a problem with you being first in class, first in everything. I never will, but I assumed that you would extend that same courtesy to me. Why is it that we’re friends in everything, but the second I seem to get some sort of headway, you have to prove it wrong? Can’t I have anything that isn’t yours already?”
Zoya draws back as if you’ve slapped her. “That’s not how I feel. I’m just trying to keep you safe.” You want to laugh. “This is how you keep me safe? By taking everything away from me until I’m only in your shadow and nowhere else?” Zoya flings her hands in the air. “If it means he doesn’t get his hooks in you, yes! I would rather have you stay here forever than lose you.” You look at her, unbelieving. “And why is that? Because we’re such good friends that you’d trade my future for my complacency?”
Zoya’s voice is soft now, barely there at all. “Because I cannot stand to lose you. Because I love you, Saints damn it, and I’d rather have you hate me than never have you at all.” You stand there for a second, then another, then another. Your breath is sharp and harsh in your chest, but you cannot seem to say a single word. You try for a few, anyway. “You love me?” She nods once. “Yes.”
You do laugh now, incredulous. “Why didn’t you say so, you idiot? I love you too.” She looks almost surprised. “I thought- I thought you just wanted to be friends.” You shrug. All of your anger is receding away from you now, washing back into the banks after a flood. “I did, because I thought that’s all you wanted. I didn’t want to make it seem like I was only your friend because I had feelings for you.” Zoya stands there for a moment, then something almost like a sigh comes from her and she steps forward, wrapping her arms around you. “You generous, impossible fool. I can’t stand you.” You laugh, returning her embrace. “Of course not. You love me.”
requested by @villnella​
grishaverse tag list: someone who would be my squaller bestie @underc0vercryptid​, @darlinggbrekker, @cameronsails​, @aleksanderwh0r3​
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butterbeerblurbs · 3 years
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feeling heavy in the strongest arms (f.w.)
💌 : today, your heart felt exceptionally heavy. fred holds your heart gently in his hands, willing to keep you in his arms even if he doesn’t know why you feel that way. as long as it makes you feel a little bit better, that was all fred was willing to take.
📝 word count: 1,786 words / fred weasley x reader / 🌸 ☔️ pretty sad feels but somewhat comforting...? idek
💬: i just pictured, this could be one of the way fred could comfort y/n when she’s feeling upset and there’s no direct reasoning (also bc i see fred as someone who’s sensible to someone’s emotions, especially someone he’s infatuated with ;w;)
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from the moment fred’s eyes landed on you in the great hall to start off his morning, something didn’t quite sit right. sure, you gave him the usual smile that sends the tingles down his spine and the burst of warmth gently combusts within when he’s able to spare you a kiss on your cheek as you take your spot next to him but... still, something’s not right.
“g’morning pretty lady,” fred tries the playful method and anticipates for the usual look of “fake” disgust. it doesn’t happen. instead he gets a small smile, a chuckle, even though he feels like that’s the last thing you want to be doing. 
“good morning, freddie,”
yet, fred doesn’t think it’s all that good.
he lets it slide, deciding not to bring it up in the morning when... maybe, just maybe, you didn’t sleep well? he’s hoping for that to be the case (because then it’s another excuse to take a nap together) but... no. when hermione asks if you slept well, you said you slept like a baby. you slept through angelina’s bloody snoring. that only meant you did sleep well.
if it’s not sleep then... hm... could it be-”oi, what are you doing? thinking about eating your own girlfriend for breakfast instead of what’s in front of you?”
fred turns to a mirror of himself, raising a brow with a smirk, “do you really want me to answer that, georgie?”
george gags and looks away, “merlin, you’re going to make me vomit out what i just ate,”
fred hears your voice laughing at what you’ve managed to hear between him and his twin. but when he glances back and locks eyes with you for a moment, he still doesn’t buy that everything’s alright.
//
said ginger boy is still confused as the day continues.
he’s had hours to ponder upon this and the more he observes from you, the more confused he gets. his answers doesn’t match up with the way you were acting (yes, he has been staring at you for a rather long time than doing actual work). it’s like... you were fine? but not really? fine to the eyes of the public, tip-top shape but... nothing about you gets past fred weasley.
absolutely nothing. not when he’s spent days upon months that gathered into the years of learning about you, still surprising himself how much he’s able to love you more each day.
this... this was new.
he wasn’t sure if it was good or bad. he’ll continue thinking about it if it wasn’t for-”mr. weasley, maybe you’ll be able to produce something of worth if you actually did the work,” snape’s voice stiffen’s fred’s spine, and snape’s hand physically pushes the nape of his neck down to get to work.
he’ll get down to this soon enough... after potion’s, it seems.
//
surprisingly, fred manages to complete the task just in time for snape to barely let him scrape out of his classroom. fred anticipates he’ll have to rush after you as he collects his things but-”you alright, freddie?”
that voice makes him almost drop his book, missing his bag by an inch as he snaps his head towards the source of who that voice belonged to.
he gapes when you’re standing in front of him with a small smile, books to your chest and bag over your shoulder. you came to check up on him. even when it seems like the world has been unfairly cruel to you, you, still proved the world wrong with such kindness fred thinks you must be an actual angel.
“y-y/n,” he gapes, and that’s starting to-”you’re scaring me, freddie, are you alright?”
he runs his hand through his hair and stares at you, bewildered. however, he is thankful that the room is now empty as the remaining couple of students flutter out. “how?”
he hates how you look genuinely confused as your brows knit together, a pout forming whenever you felt unsure about something.
“h-how what?”
“how could you ask me that? how?” he shoves his book into his bag and leaves it on the stool, now both hands freely extending towards you to give you a gentle shake by your sides, “how can you ask me that when you’re the one not feeling okay?”
like a switch, fred watches as the facade you’ve been putting up all morning seems to crumble. he notices it starts with your breath hitching, which then slowly trails off to how your eyes appear sharp, suddenly blurry with the tell-tales of tears glassing over. fred could see himself frowning in them, and he absolutely hates the gut-wrenching feeling that swallows him whole.
even when you’re about to cry, there’s still a smile on your face.
“i-i can’t seem to hide anything from you, huh fred weasley?”
fred takes this moment to slip your books past your hands, nudging them onto the table. you allow your bag to slip from your shoulders as he tries to keep you close. and he doesn’t know if he’s doing that for your sake, or his.
“i... i feel heavy, freddie,” your voice barely makes it out to him, but it does. and each word is breaking his heart as he watches you try to explain your feelings that you weren’t completely sure of yourself. “it’s like... there’s a weight on my heart, pressing me down and i-”you lick your lips, tasting the saltiness trickling down you cheeks-”-i... feel so heavy, my heart feels so heavy,” you’re clutching onto the fabric of your robe directly above your heart, “it hurts so much, and i don’t even know why,” your voice is strained, stretched out across acres of trying to figure out why you feel like this but to no avail.
“i was feeling okay when i woke up this morning,” your lips are quivering at this point, sniffing as the tears can’t seem to stop, “why does it feel like my world has turned upside down all of a sudden?” fred knows you’re not asking him for the answer, rather, if there was a cruel higher up that was playing mind games with you, that was surely where your questions were directed to.
“i-i have everything, maybe not everything entirely but i should be happy,” you breathed in and out heavily, feeling your knees shaking, “and i am, genuinely am, but today,” fred doesn’t know since when you were out of breath, “m-my heart aches so much,”
fred flinches when you blink up to him, tears falling like your heart at the unexplainable weight that made its way without you noticing. he holds you tight, almost crushing you as he keeps you close to him like it’s the only thing he knows how to comfort you now. your hands don’t even make it around him, only going so far up to his waist to clutch onto the material of his robe hanging by his sides. he closes his eyes and gently strokes the back of your head, attempting to ease your sobs against his chest. he’ll willingly soak all of your tears, sadness, any ill feelings if he could. but knowing he can’t, if this could make you a little bit better or ease just a portion of the weight you were feeling, that’s as much as he’s grateful for.
it feels like an eternity ticked by but in reality it’s a mere ten minutes. your erratic breathing has calmed down from the nosedive of emotions you displayed that it’s starting to make you blush a little. fred only notices this when you’ve gone extremely quiet. he leans back just a little to peek at you, not only with red puffy eyes but also red cheeks.
“what’s the matter, love?” he asks softly, dipping down to get a glance at your eyes that seem too shy to meet with his now.
“i... i’m sorry, this was a lot to take in and... i just realised how much it was,” your tone was different this time. it registered to fred that... this was a tone he recognized. one of your hands remain holding to his robe, while the other reaching up to lightly punch his chest.
it may sound ridiculous but fred could hear yourself coming back. he could feel the aura around your changing.
“don’t tell me you’re sorry, y/n. you’re absolutely mad if you feel that now,” he raises a brow at you, “after all you just said? and cried? are you crazy?”
that makes you giggle - a genuine one, fred thinks - hands gingerly crawling around him to finally return the long-awaited hug.
“well... it’s... it’s not everyday you suddenly have to deal with your girlfriend bursting into tears and have no specific reason for it,” your voice is still raspy and sore from all the crying, but fred could pick out the syllables that gesture to him sonically that you were feeling better.
“i’d gladly take all of that in if it means i’m helping you overcome it,” he proudly puffs his chest out with that grin on his face but it also makes your heart swell at how much love you could feel he’s pouring just from the way he’s staring at you.
“thank you, freddie,” you lean forward to tuck yourself into his embrace, cheek against his chest. you can hear him smile as he squeezes you, then sway your bodies idly as he hums back, “don’t need to thank me, love,”
as the pair of you stay like that in silence (only for a few more minutes before you’d have to hurry along for the day), it’s like there’s an understanding that fred can’t possibly lift the weight up entirely for you. these were your emotions, after all.
but that doesn’t mean fred can’t stay with you as you get through them.
hand in hand, chest to chest.
((”promise if you want to cry, you’ll come to me? or at least, come see me after?” fred didn’t give you room to answer as he squishes your cheeks, towering over you with concerned eyes even though you're laughing, “yes, love? is that a yes? if you’re laughing like a goddess sent from above, i’ll take that as a yes!”
he was having a bit of trouble trying to push your cheeks together when you were grinning so wide, it’s making his heart do somersaults. not even the groaning of people at the common room could divert him away. (the both of you were, afterall, just mere steps away from them when you’re just by the stairs)
“yes, freddie, promise.”
“atta girl.” he winks, pressing a quick kiss to your lips before he watches you go up to your room.))
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bookwrm99 · 3 years
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Sweet Dreams pt. 1
So, I've had to switch my medication recently for my anxiety, and it's been a bit rough. I normally have a bit of a problem with nightmares because of stress, but since starting Effexor it's been like... on steroids. One of my ways of coping with my mental health is writing, so I've started working on an Obey Me! series of short fics with each of the brothers comforting an MC who's been suffering from long-term night terrors as a medication side-effect. I debated about whether to post them or not, but ultimately I feel like if they can be comforting reads to someone else in a similar situation to mine, of course I'd want to share them! So, here's part one with Lucifer. Please know this is based on my own personal experiences with my anxiety and medications- mental health isn't one-size-fits-all, and everybody experiences it differently on all fronts. Not everybody will experience anxiety the way MC does in these fics, and that's okay! MC is not meant to be representative of everyone everywhere who has ever dealt with having an anxiety disorder- I personally think such a thing is impossible anyway. That being said, please practice good reader discretion if mental health is a hard topic for you- the last thing I want to do is harm someone else's mental health with my writing. I'll post specific trigger warnings just above the cut, so you'll know exactly what you're getting yourself into before you continue!
Now that the long disclaimer is out of the way... I hope that you enjoy this small fic series, reader! It was cathartic for me to write, and I hope they can bring comfort to others too.
Genre: Comfort with Lucifer x gn!reader (if you squint)
Word Count: 2.2k
TW: Mentions of anxiety and treatments, depictions of anxiety and nightmare aftermath, descriptions of nightmares
Lucifer was worried.
Not that he would admit to it. He was the Avatar of Pride, and as such he had an image to maintain. After all, just because someone fails to reply to text messages and calls- or does something out of their norm, like skipping breakfast- it doesn't necessarily mean there's something dire afoot.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Lucifer tried to school his facial features into something close to neutral as his brothers fretted and discussed (Y/N)'s radio silence, and now their absence at breakfast. Mammon was the first to make a commotion about it, of course, causing the other brothers to slowly voice their own concerns about the resident human exchange student.
"I'm tellin' ya, it's just not like them! We ough'ta check on them. What if they caught some kind of weird human disease and died in their sleep?!" Mammon boomed out, fists clenched and resting on the table as he leaned forward over his plate.
"I highly doubt that, Mammon. I don't know of any human disease with such a quick onset and short incubation period before death. Still, it is a bit worrying. Should we make sure they're alright?" Satan, ever the voice of reason, spoke calmly, looking to the eldest to gauge his reaction to his question.
"Maybe they had a late start? I did suggest a new morning skincare regimen for them; maybe they've taken my advice?" Asmo practically crooned, no doubt preening at the thought of a small success with the exchange student- and probably thinking other impure thoughts related to them getting ready for the day.
"They need to make sure they eat. It's no good trying to learn on an empty stomach," Beel interjected, shaking his head and settling a hand on his stomach, clearly appalled at the thought of enduring that kind of experience.
Lucifer kneaded the small ache that had started to form between his eyes from his brothers' bickering and rapid-fire speculations. A sharp pain lanced through his skull from said place when Mammon brought his closed fists down on the table forcefully, rattling the dishes and forcefully pushing himself and his chair back.
"That's it, I'm checkin' on 'em! If all you guys are gonna do is sit around-"
"Enough, Mammon," Lucifer spoke, commanding the attention of all his brothers. A pregnant silence fell over the room as the Morningstar sighed, casually tossing his linen napkin onto the table beside his empty plate as he calmly pushed his chair back to stand. "I will check on them myself. The rest of you are to go about your days as normal unless you hear otherwise."
A couple of the brothers muttered angrily under their breath, but most seemed satisfied with the decision. Without another word, Lucifer strode from the room, leaving his brothers to clean up and be on their way to RAD.
When Lucifer reached (Y/N)'s room, his superhuman hearing picked up soft sniffles from within, heightening his concern about the human. He rapped his knuckles against the solid wood of the door, calling out their name gently but at a volume where he knew he would be heard. When he didn't hear them stir, and nobody came to the door, he resolved himself to intruding upon a potentially sensitive situation. "(Y/N), I'm coming in."
When he opened the door and took a couple steps across the threshold, he panicked a bit at first, not seeing any sign of (Y/N) in the room. Another small sniff allayed those fears, though, and he closed the door softly behind him, making his way into the space as he looked for the human. He finally found them curled up into a small ball on the floor in a corner of the room, out of sight of the door, their face pressed into their knees as they trembled.
The sight in front of him broke Lucifer's heart. (Y/N) had brought such brightness to his and his brothers' lives, showing them the utmost care and showering them with love they hadn't realized they were starved for. To see them like this- shaking with pent-up sobs and white knuckles as they squeezed their hands into fists- was a blow directly to the eldest's normally ice-cold heart.
"(Y/N)," he breathed, slowly approaching as if he was walking towards a frightened, injured fawn. His entire presence softened as he got down on one knee beside the upset exchange student, fighting the overwhelming urge to gently turn their face to his or pull them into his arms. "What's happened?"
(Y/N) shook their head, their arms tightening around their knees. "It's stupid. I'll be fine. Please don't worry about me- I'll be down for breakfast soon."
Lucifer's face pulled down into an even deeper frown at their words, bothered that they were so quick to invalidate themself and push comfort away. "Well- that's why I'm here. Breakfast was over an hour ago, and my brothers are worried about you."
(Y/N)'s head shot up at that, and for the first time Lucifer got a good look at their flushed, tear-stained face. "God- I'm so, so sorry, I didn't mean to worry anybody- I'm such a burden-"
Lucifer made hushing noises, and unable to restrain himself anymore he sat fully on the ground, pulling the human into his arms as they hiccupped and began to sob. When they didn't push him away and began leaning into him, he tightened his hold, rubbing small circles into their lower back as their tears soaked his left shoulder, all the while murmuring soothing words in their ear. After what seemed like a small slice of eternity, but what in reality may have only been fifteen minutes or half of an hour, the exchange student's tears slowed, then stopped altogether, though silent sobs continued to wrack their smaller frame.
Lucifer lifted his head from where he had rested it on top of theirs, leaning back slightly to see their face as he gently tilted it towards him. Red eyes looked back at him, glazed with exhaustion and something else he couldn't quite pinpoint. Reaching up with a gloved hand, he gently cupped their face in the palm of his hand, wiping away the tears he could reach with his thumb.
"You aren't a burden, (Y/N). You go out of your way for myself and my brothers, doing things nobody asked of you to lift us up and make our lives easier. We've needed somebody like you for a long time now, and if anything we are a burden on you. We worry about you because we care." Lucifer broke the silence, his voice gentle but leaving no room for argument. "I won't push you into telling me what's wrong... but if you would like to talk about it, I promise I will do everything in my power to make things right."
Their eyes wavered, then shifted to the side, a frown continuing to mar their beautiful face. "Lu, I... it means a lot to me for you to say something like that. I just... I don't think there is anything you can do, or anybody for that matter, and not for lack of wanting to."
(Y/N) paused for breath, and Lucifer waited, sensing their internal debate about disclosing their struggle to him. Finally, they sighed, sagging against him as if all the strength had just left their body. "You saw my file," they said flatly, their head against his chest. Lucifer tightened his hold around them once again, pressing his face to the crown of their head and making a small sound of affirmation.
"Did it say anything about my anxiety disorder?"
Lucifer paused. Yes, he had noted that there was a mental health condition in their profile- generalized anxiety, with therapist notes stating it had a strong social skew- but it had never come up in conversation with (Y/N) before, and with how bright and happy they usually were, he thought they might be in remission- either that, or managing it extremely well.
(Y/N) continued on before he could answer them. "Barbatos has been making sure I have my medication- which is great, since of all the SSRIs I've tried it's the only one that seems to help level me out. But, the bad thing is... my doctor didn't tell me that a lot of people experience nightmares while on it, and ever since I've started it, it seems like I'm having them almost every single night." They paused for breath, their entire body tensing up, and Lucifer began to soothingly stroke their bicep with his thumb, where his hand had settled after they shifted. "Most of the time they're really vivid and... weird? Like, I had a nightmare a few nights ago that I was leading an expedition into the far North back in the human realm, and just as we were about to reach an Inuit settlement I got lured over the side of the boat by sea monsters and drowned... which has absolutely no relevance to my life experience. Obviously. But in the moment they're so scary-" They shuddered, then continued, almost as if they couldn't stop themself now that they had started speaking. "And then other times they're those really vague ones- like, running away from something through a deep forest at night, and suddenly you're falling off a cliff. But then there's, like, maybe 25% of them that actually are relevant to me- some of the worst periods and moments of my life- and those-" They almost choked on their words at the end, and Lucifer squeezed gently, worried they might start crying again.
When they stayed silent, Lucifer spoke. "How long has this been going on?"
There was a pause before the human answered, as if they knew he wouldn't be happy. "Since before I was brought here."
Lucifer was shocked. The exchange student had been here for several months already, and he was only just now hearing about this? Another pang lanced through his heart, wondering how many other mornings they had spent like this, and he deeply regretted the thought of them spending so many nights tortured by their own mind, all alone.
"You should have come to me sooner, (Y/N). You didn't have to suffer in silence." Lucifer's tone softened the words, and he again leaned back to get a look at the expression on the exchange student's face.
"I didn't want to be- troublesome. All your brothers have their own commitments and things they do, and you especially have so much on your plate. I didn't want to disrespect anybody's time."
Just when Lucifer thought things couldn't get worse, they did. He could hear their fear of being a burden, even with their carefully chosen words. The exchange student had put themself through months of agony, all because they hadn't wanted to trouble him. The revelation deeply disturbed him. A handful of months was nothing in a demon's life, just a blip, but for a human? That was a very long time.
"You are incredibly important, to all of us. Your struggles are never a waste of our time, even if you feel they're insignificant." Lucifer spoke firmly, trying to put every ounce of the conviction he felt into his voice. He reached up again to gently turn the human's face towards him, meeting their eyes with his own crimson ones. "Please, don't put yourself through something like this again. If I can bring even a small amount of the comfort you've brought me back to you, I would move the heavens to do it. Promise me."
Their eyes glimmered, and their bottom lip trembled. "I promise," they almost whispered, their voice choked up.
Lucifer impulsively brought his face closer to theirs, softly placing a chaste kiss on their forehead. The exchange student sniffled, bringing their hands up to wipe at their face.
"I will talk to Solomon and Satan about any potions they might know of to combat your nightmares. In the meantime, please come find me in the event that they wake you up in the middle of the night. I'm no stranger to night terrors."
When they acquiesced, he smiled, satisfied. "Now, get dressed. I'm informing Lord Diavolo that we're taking a personal day off- no buts." He spoke, already seeing the protest in their eyes and on their lips, which had parted on the start of a word. "We'll do whatever you want. My treat."
Their brows furrowed. "Won't you get in trouble?"
Lucifer stood, bringing (Y/N) up with him. "Not if I'm doing it for the exchange student's benefit. I'll give you ten minutes while I make the call." The softness the Morningstar had displayed was now gone, replaced with his usual composure as he began walking towards the door, fishing his D.D.D. out of his pocket as he moved.
"Lu?"
He paused at the door, turning back to look at the human. Their eyes were glimmering in the dim light of the room, arms wrapped around their waist. Lucifer thought they were about to cry again until he recognized the sheer gratitude in their expression.
"Thank you, for this- and for everything."
Lucifer showed a soft smile, just for them. "Anything for you, (Y/N)."
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Text
Hello everyone! So here is a fic that I left in my askbox for a hot minute lol. This was all submitted by an anon who you may or may not have seen a few times. This is a compilation of all of the asks and the whole story.
My comments will be in green, any notes from the author will be in blue and the rest will be in the normal text color.
PLEAAASEE be careful if you are sensitive to the following subjects:
Tw: Child Abuse, torture, multiple abusive foster homes, bondage(kinda, quirk inhibiting cuffs), Heavy injury, blood, smoking,
im currently running on no sleep and a bottle of pepsi, sour this is sloppy asf I apologize in advance 😗
im in an angst mood, so i come with this.
Tokoyami’s biological parents abandoned him when he was four. To this day he has no idea why, and has very little memory of them. All of his memories take place in one of the seven abusive foster homes he lived in before he entered U.A.. Over the course of that time, Fumikage has accumulated a large variety of scars, from deep, jagged scars, to cigarette burns, to just really, really bad bruises. Out of all the foster homes he’s been in, none of Fumikage’s foster parents have been fond of mutants, or mutant-type quirks. In several of the foster homes, Fumikage was forced to wear quirk suppressant cuffs 24/7, since his parents “didn’t want a monster running rampant in their house.” Between his mutation, and the violent tendencies of Dark Shadow, Fumikage was basically what nobody wanted in a child. His foster parents would yell every possible derogatory insult at Fumikage, saying he should’ve never been born, even though they weren’t even his real parents. Over time, the verbal abuse would mess with Fumikage’s mind. He’d stare at himself in the mirror, wondering why he was born the way he was, and why he’s the monster everyone says he is. And just when he thought the verbal abuse couldn’t get any worse, as he got older, his foster parents would resort to physical punishment. At first, it wasn’t that bad, at least, in Fumikage’s eyes. Just a slap here and there, plus some cigarette burns on his arms and shoulders. It was painful, but he fought through it, knowing no one would come to help him. But over time, the “discipline” would get even more brutal. It doesn’t matter what he did, every little thing seemed to set his parents off. From accidentally breaking something, to giving a snide comment unannounced, it wasn’t often that Fumikage went to bed at night without being beaten sometime before then. He would be pinned down by his throat and violently beaten with whatever blunt object was nearby. He eventually gave up trying to apologize, as it somehow only upset his parents even more. Once, when he was eleven years old, Fumikage was beaten with a glass vase after pushing one of his foster siblings. The glass eventually shattered, and the broken ends of the vase dug into Fumikage’s back, leaving horrible, jagged cuts all over him. Witnessing Fumikage being beaten day after day made Dark Shadow feel overwhelmingly guilty. Fumikage was in quirk suppressant cuffs ninety percent of the time, so Dark Shadow was pretty much helpless in most situations. Those damned cuffs made it feel like an invisible wall was put up between where Dark Shadow resided, and the outside world. A wall that agonizingly sat between Dark Shadow, and Fumikage’s safety. There were nights when Fumikage lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling, his body numbed by pain. Whether he was laying in a bed or not, unfortunately varied by foster home. But it was on those nights where Dark Shadow would apologize profusely to Fumikage, saying that they’re nothing more than the monster that brought misery to Fumikage’s life. Saying that they’re the reason Fumikage gets beaten so often, and yet do nothing to help him. They vow that once they’re in a safer home, away from their abusers, that they will always protect Fumikage. Always. But by then…Fumikage had already fallen asleep.
Overall, Tokoyami’s home life…was nothing worth smiling about. Thankfully, his time at school was less painful. He often got comments about his looks, saying that he was ugly and all that, but by then, he was more than used to it. Eventually, he faded into the shadows (no pun intended) at most of his schools. He eventually was just forgotten about, which truthfully, didn’t bother him. It was a bit lonely, sure, but it was much better than constantly being beaten simply for existing. In Fumikage’s eyes, school was just a break from his disastrous home life. Though, he tended not to talk during class, and had very little interaction with his teachers, for…reasons. Even so, it was actually during his first year of middle school where Fumikage discovered his dream of being a hero. Just because he was spared from the excessive discrimination of mutants, others happened to be less fortunate. Fumikage would witness how his fellow mutants were treated by others. They had their work stolen, their bags dumped out, over were overall just treated like dirt compared to everyone else. So anytime Tokoyami saw a fellow mutant, or anyone really, being bullied, he’d go and help them, telling them that they don’t deserve to take shit for the way they look, or what their quirk is, and that quirks don’t make villains, it’s how those quirks are used, meaning that the people bullying them are more like villains than they will ever be. With his newfound motivation, Tokoyami decided that he wanted to become a hero to show others that they don’t have to fear who they were born to be, or, as he put it, “To not be daunted by their inner darkness. Instead, to embrace such, and with it, become your best self.” Love that for him honestly. One of the students he helped was a tall, slim girl with a head reminiscent to that of an elephant, her most notable feature being her long trunk that was about the length of her entire upper body. She was shy, and avoided any sort of conflict like the plague. At one point she was harassed by another group of girls, before Tokoyami came and stopped them. He gave his long winded, motivational speech to her, and saying she was grateful was quite the understatement, and the next day, as a thank-you gift, gave Tokoyami a red choker, saying that it was just like the one Dark Crystal wore, knowing how much Tokoyami admired the hero. (In other words, he never shut up about him) Tokoyami relayed his gratitude countless times to her, and the two agreed to become friends, even though they wouldn’t see eachother often. Reluctantly, the girl also pointed out the horrible scars and bruises on Tokoyami’s neck, and figured that he’d want to cover them. Tokoyami stiffened at the mention of his scars, but continued thanking her anyway. The two often saw eachother in the halls and waved at one another, on friendly terms, but strangely enough, they never spoke again.
It was also around that time that he became more interactive with Dark Shadow, and began to explore more darker concepts. He founded a love for reading, specifically horror novels and manga. He also became fascinated with poetry (specifically the edgy variety), both reading and writing it. He found that writing poetry gave him an outlet for expressing both himself, and Dark Shadow’s feelings, without having to risk angering his foster parents. Eventually, the tone found written by his favorite poets began to make its way into Fumikage’s speech patterns. He felt more comfortable with it, and it wasn’t something people easily understood, which ultimately meant his foster parents would just ignore him, thinking he was going through an emo phase. And miraculously, it worked. Although he was still physically and verbally abused throughout his middle school years, his foster parents eventually backed off, as Fumikage became more introverted. Now, he’d look in the mirror at all of his scars, and use his past trauma as motivation for becoming a hero. Though, it wasn’t easy. Those painful memories would always come flooding back whenever he looked at those scars. Since he spent most of his life surrounded by abusive adults, he believed that most adults were the same way, and refrained from speaking with adults at all, in fear of angering them. Hearing them yell would make him flinch out of pure instinct, and being stuck alone with an adult would make him an anxious mess. But he did his best to mask this fear with the brooding, edgy side of him. It was his best, and pretty much only way of coping with this fear. He tried his best to overcome his anxiety, but it was never that easy. But he managed to get through middle school mostly unscathed.
And finally, after three agonizingly long paragraphs, Fumikage makes it into U.A.. Of course, that didn’t exempt him from any of his current foster parent’s rules. He had to keep quirk cuffs in his bag at all times, and if he came home without them on, he would be beaten. Tokoyami remained obedient, not wanting to show up to his first day at U.A. beaten half to death. Armed with his scars, his motivation, and of course, Dark Shadow, Tokoyami entered U.A with confidence. And everyone… was so nice???? Almost immediately after he sat in his designated seat in class 1-A, people came up to him, talking to him. He met a variety of different students, some more…mellow than others. But overall, he liked his class. But the teacher? Well…not so much. In Tokoyami’s eyes, the man who dubbed himself their homeroom teacher, Mr. Aizawa, was completely and utterly terrifying. ‘He probably has a machete hidden in that sleeping bag ready to kill us at any moment-‘ Dark Shadow said on the first day. Tokoyami couldn’t help but agree. But not in a comedic way. Something about Aizawa was all too reminiscent of one of his foster fathers, specifically the one who gave him all of the scars on his back, after beating him with a glass vase. Any time he was around him, he was anxious. But eventually, little did Fumikage know, this man who he deemed “terrifying” would eventually become one of the people he trusted the most.
okay okay I’ll stop for now, I’ll write more eventually, but I’ll wait until this is answered so I won’t be flooding your asks, and I promise I will never submit anything this long ever again 😖
part 2 yee yee
also, as you can tell, i have heavily observed canon, and elected to ignore it :)
Fumikage’s year so far was hectic. No, scratch that. It was hellish. It seemed like everywhere the class went together, they were attacked by villains. Aizawa seemed to be getting more and more tired by the day. Fumikage didn’t blame him, as he had a class full of trouble magnets. But following the skirmish at the forest training camp, and All Might’s retirement, things seemed to be looking up, at least a little bit. However, there was rumor going around that U.A. was planning to implement a form system, leaving Fumikage with mixed feelings. One on hand, he was ecstatic. He could finally, even if it was just for a short time, get away from his foster home. The training camp incident left Fumikage shaken more than he’d like, and having to deal with verbal abuse at the hands of his father wasn’t doing him any favors. After being released from the hospital, his father berated him four what felt like hours after hearing that he’d lost control of Dark Shadow. The day he got home, without any second thought, his father grabbed him by his shirt collar (which hurt more than it should have due to the fresh bruises on Fumikage’s back) and mercilessly screamed at him. Even though it only lasted about ten minutes, it felt like forever. He was forced to stand just inches away from his father, the thick smell of cigarette smoke emitting from his breath. Dark Shadow shrunk within him, trying desperately to drown out the heinous comments that they’re directly responsible for. Following the “lecture”, as his father like to call it, Fumikage was put back into his quirk cuffs, but this time, as what his parents described as a “precaution”, he had a thick, tight quirk suppressant collar locked around his neck. It dug through Fumikage’s skin, and it felt like he was being strangled. Even so, just like everything he’d been through up to that point, he had to bear with it. He tiredly trudged back to his room, or, well, it was a linen closet. He had a small pile of blankets that acted as his bed, as well as several books lined up neatly against the wall. He’d read most of them several times already, but other that his phone, it was pretty much his only source of entertainment. The closet was always freezing, and he was rarely allowed out. But Fumikage always forced himself to be grateful for having a roof over his head at all, since he knew there were always going to be people who were less fortunate. With a sigh, he lay down on his small pile of blankets. He curled up within himself, trying his best to keep warm. Normally, one of his siblings slip whatever packaged food their parents gave them under the door. It always tasted like it went bad two weeks ago, but at this point, to Fumikage, fuck it, food was food. But much to his dismay, Fumikage’s parents told him that he was “on punishment”. And while on punishment, he knew well enough, that they refuse to feed him. Over the last 18 months that he’d been living in that foster home, he’d been on punishment five times, and during that time, he lost a very unhealthy amount of weight, and his overall health tanked. But, like he said for every terrible thing that’s befallen him over the past 12 years, he was used to it. So, Fumikage went the next three days without eating a single thing.
But it was after those three days, when Fumikage’s life changed. Whether it was for better or worse, he was forced to wait and see.
One morning, or…was it evening? It was hard to tell when you’re stuck in a dark linen closet with no sense of time whatsoever. But anyway, Fumikage woke up shivering, not that he wasn’t used to that. But he did hear the faint sound of his parents talking. However, there was one other voice. Fumikage’s hearing wasn’t the best, with him being a bird and everything, but he knew that voice. He knew that voice from anywhere. It was Aizawa’s. Fumikage forced himself up. His back was stiff, and the thick collar around his neck weighed him down. His stomach was begging for food, but that wasn’t important. He smoothed out his feathers best he could, and quietly opened the closet door. He could hear Aizawa conversing with his parents, and they talked about the newly constructed dorms. Aizawa explained that for the Fumikage’s safety, he requested that Fumikage lives in a secure dorm system. He’d have his own room, full access to a kitchen full of food, and of course, he’d have a common space to mingle with his peers. To Fumikage, it sounded like heaven, but unfortunately, his parents weren’t having it. They went on and on about how Fumikage would put his peers in danger with his destructive quirk. Aizawa, thankfully, wasn’t willing to put up with them either. He went on to tell them about how Fumikage has excelled with the control of Dark Shadow. Fumikage felt a warm feeling in his stomach after hearing his teacher, that same one he’s so afraid of, speak so highly of him. But there was one thing that left Aizawa’s mouth that his parents really couldn’t respond to. “Well, why not let Fumikage have a say in this? Where is he?” he asked them. There was something about his teacher’s tone that showed that he knew exactly what he was doing. Fumikage looked down at himself. He was still wearing the same black long sleeved shirt and blue jeans that he’d worn three days ago. His quirk cuffs were tight around his wrists, and his collar, though he’d gotten used to the feeling, was madly uncomfortable around his neck. He had two choices. Go down there and let Aizawa witness firsthand the extent of Fumikage’s constant neglect, and risk being punished even further by his parents, or play it safe, and potentially let Aizawa find him on his own. But…the world was never that nice to him, so instead, Fumikage heard an irritated sigh, and footsteps coming up the stairs. Hurriedly, Fumikage shut the closet door and sat back down against the wall. Just moments later, he watched the closet door open, and felt his father’s sultry gaze fall on him. He grabbed his arm and pulled him up to his feet. He took the cuffs off of Fumikage, and let them fall to the floor. Before taking off the collar, he leaned down, glaring daggers at his foster son. “You say anything out of place boy, and I reopen those cuts on your back, god help you.” he said in a low growl. Fumikage stiffened, the memory of jagged glass tearing his skin open flashing through his mind. He nodded, and took a breath of air as the collar was removed. He really didn’t care that all he breathed in was cigarette smoke. That feeling of being strangled by a metal collar was finally gone, even if just for a little while. His father grabbed his wrist, and dragged him down to the living room, where Aizawa sat across from his mother.
Aizawa knew right away that there was something seriously off. Tokoyami had a few feathers out of place, and his shirt hung limply over him. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in a week. But what pisses Aizawa off the most, was something Tokoyami was clearly trying to hide, and that was the dark ring of bruises around his wrists. He really needed to confront his student about how these two were treating him. But for now, he just needed to get the kid to agree to move into the dorms. He watched the avian teen sit down between his two caretakers. The boy looked very uncomfortable, almost afraid. Aizawa felt his gaze soften upon seeing his student in the state he was, but he had to do what he came here for. So he directed his gaze to Tokoyami, and asked him his thought of moving into U.A.’s dorms. It concerned him hearing how fast Tokoyami answered. “I’d be glad to.” He responded almost instantly. “It would be a great opportunity to get to know my peers better, no?” He looked to his mother, who gave him an irritated look. Aizawa held back a smirk. The kid had a way with words, that was for sure. Aizawa cleared his throat, and spoke up. “Well, it seems he’s all for it.” he said, looking at the two adults in front of him. They looked very unamused. The boy’s mother rubbed her temples, and sighed. “Fine, fine.” she grumbled. “But if Fumikage has any issues with behavior whatsoever, so let us know.” She said, giving her son a pointed look. Aizawa nodded, and stood up. “I doubt that will be an issue, he’s very well behaved.” he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear. His eyes fell to his student. He once again noticed the loose feathers sticking out from the sides of the boy’s head. There were only about two or three, but Aizawa took the initiative anyway. He leaned down toward Tokoyami, and smoothed out his feathers carefully. The boy stiffened, but relaxed. Once Aizawa was satisfied, he stood back up. Tokoyami brought a hand to the side of his head, and gave Aizawa a dumbfounded look. The man gave him an amused look, and turned around toward the door. “I’ll see you in a few days, Tokoyami.” he said, laying his hand on the doorknob. The teen nodded in response, and Aizawa left the house.
As soon as he shut the door, Aizawa clenched his fists. Of course he noticed Tokoyami’s disheveled-looking appearance. But there was one thing, one tiny little thing, that Tokoyami did. Since the moment he sat down, to the moment Aizawa left. Tokoyami rested one arm on his leg, and began tapping his knee. Aizawa didn’t think much of it at first, but then he remembered something he learned while he was still in training. Whenever someone did that, no matter the age, it was a warning sign. Tokoyami was trying to get his attention the entire time.
There was something seriously wrong.
And that’s it for part two I suppose. I feel like this part is significantly worse than the last one, but when it comes down to it, consistency isn’t my thing 🙃
i forgot to proofread part two before submitting it so uh….if there are typos to there aren’t <3
Its perfectly fine!! I never saw them~
part 3 let’s goooo
After Aizawa left, Fumikage relaxed his hand over his knee. He really hoped his teacher noticed his warning sign, but whether he did or not, he was still stuck with his parents until he moved into the dorms. A sudden wave of unease fell over him. He knew his parents were staring him down. And he knew they were not happy. He took at deep breath, and met his father’s gaze. The man’s eyes narrowed. “You got somethin’ to say, brat?” he spat through gritted teeth. Fumikage shrugged. He knew he wouldn’t be living with his foster parents for much longer, which made pushing their buttons much more tempting. He held back a smirk. “Me? Oh no. Although, judging by that look on your face, I figured you’d have something to say, no?” the teen hummed. He rested his elbows on his knees, and tilted his head. Fumikage watched his father’s eyelid twitch. It was quite amusing, really. “Just get your ass upstairs, brat. I don’t want another goddamn word outta you.” The man hissed. “And put your cuffs on too.” Fumikage let out a sigh, but nodded anyway. He’d best be obedient now, since, if possible, he’d like to make it to U.A.’s dorms in one piece. He stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets, before trudging back upstairs to his “room”.
After closing the closet door, Fumikage took another look at the cramped area he’s forced to call his bedroom. For the last eighteen months, he was stuck in this hellhole of a house. He had felt more alone than any other point in his life, even with Dark Shadow around. He had no freedom in this house. Hell, he can hardly think of a time he’s ever had any freedom throughout his life. He’s been chained down, locked in cages like an animal, abused in pretty much every way possible…he hated it. More than anything. For most of his early life, it was hard for him to tell if Dark Shadow was really his quirk, or just a voice in his head, given how rarely the two would be allowed to see eachother. But to Fumikage, quirk or not, Dark Shadow was his closest friend. His only friend. And the idea of them getting an entire room, bed and all, just to themselves, with no restrictions, made Fumikage feel more excited than he had ever felt before. Fumikage put a hand to his chest, letting out a relieved sigh, and couldn’t help but smile. Even if it was just for a little while, he, alone with Dark Shadow, could finally be free.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Fumikage’s eyes eventually fell to his quirk cuffs, laying menacingly on the pile of blankets before him, his collar just a few inches away. He felt Dark Shadow stir restlessly within him, not wanting to be trapped by the cuffs. Even though Dark Shadow never got the chance to come out while they were off, it felt liberating to not be bound by what was, in the long run, thick pieces of metal. They’d felt more relaxed for those tense twenty minutes during the conference then they had been throughout their entire time living there. But they knew, for Fumikage’s safety, that, at least until they moved into the dorms, that the cuffs had to stay on. With a sigh, Fumikage grabbed the cuffs, and, after lining them up with his already existing bruises, snapped them shut. Dark Shadow felt like chains held them back the second the cuffs came on. They let out an agitated whimper deep within Fumikage. The teen sighed, bringing a hand to his chest. He hated when his quirk felt like this, but he knew it would all be over soon. He picked up the collar, feeling the cold metal in his hands. With a huff, he threw it aside, and sat down against the wall. He looked up at the ceiling, and reached deep within himself. It was faint, but he managed to connect with Dark Shadow. “Just a few more days, Dark Shadow…” he whispered. “It’ll all be over soon. Not for long, but…things will lighten up. I promise.” That promise was a bit of a stretch, in Fumikage’s opinion. But it would be that promise that got them through the next few days. Fumikage laid down on his “bed”, and reached for one of his books. He didn’t care which one, since he’d read them all about a million times each, but he just needed a distraction. The book he’d ended up grabbing, he knew was more philosophical than he would’ve preferred, but hey, he wanted a distraction. So he opened the book, and proceeded to read.
Fumikage had gotten about 90 pages in before he heard the lock on the closet door rattle. The door swung open, letting a wave of light into the room. Fumikage looked up from his book, and low and behold, his father stood over him, an angry look on his face, as always. “Can I help you?” Fumikage asked, laying the book down on his lap. The man in front of him snorted. “Get up, brat. It’s bath time.” he said, an amused tone in his voice. If he could, Fumikage would’ve raised a brow. That tone in his father’s voice was never a good sign, but Fumikage didn’t have much of a choice. So he laid the book aside, and stood up. His father grabbed his wrist, and dragged him out of the closet. Fumikage had no idea what his father meant by “bath time”, but as the two walked directly passed the bathroom, Fumikage knew, that his parents had something else in mind…
and that’s it for part 3. i never actually have a set plan for these, i just go until I feel like stopping. These also aren’t written beforehand, I just chill in your asks for an hours writing these, making things up as I go along. I basically treat it like my notes app lmao
I'm glad my ask box has served well as your notes app! Just be careful that things save!!
part 4. this was so fucking hard to write you don’t understand 😭 and im too tired to proofread this shit so if you see typos no you don’t. enjoy.
You're doing great!!
Trapped within his father’s grip, Fumikage nearly tripped as he was dragged down the stairs. Being dragged around like a rag doll was uncomfortable enough already, but having thick quirk cuffs clamped around his wrists, digging into his skin, made the whole ordeal more painful rather than uncomfortable, but either way, whatever his parents had in store for him, like always, Fumikage wasn’t looking forward to.
Before Fumikage knew it, the two were in the kitchen. A metal bucket sat in the kitchen sink, hot water running into it. Next to the sink stood his mother, a sultry grin on her face. Thick clouds of steam rose from the basin, and suddenly it hit him. Fumikage’s breath hitched, and he froze in place. He stumbled back, pressing himself against the wall behind him. His father let out a low chuckle. “What’s the matter brat? You were all smug n’ shit earlier. Where’d all that giddiness go?” He asked, leaning toward Fumikage. The man gave a sultry grin, blowing a cloud of cigarette smoke into Fumikage’s face.
Fumikage’s eyes fell to his mother, who had her hand laid against the bucket. The painful reality all started coming together. Much quicker than Fumikage would’ve preferred, given that he’s on the receiving end of yet another one of his parent’s grueling “punishments”. His mother had a heat quirk. Not fire, but heat. She could alter the heat of any object she touches, reaching heats of up to 315 degrees celcius. Fumikage has been burned before. Several times actually. It hurt like hell, but nothing he’d ever felt before compared to the searing, agonizing pain of being touched by anything heated by his mother’s quirk. And here he was, backed into a corner, at his parent’s mercy.
He knew what was coming. As much as he hated what was about to come next, there was no getting out of it. Not with both of his parents right in front of him. As Fumikage watched that bucket of water begin to boil over, and his mother’s grin grow wider. he felt Dark Shadow begin to tremble within him, helplessly. He could feel his hands begin to shake, and without even having to look, he could hear his father chuckle in amusement.
Fumikage clenched his fists. He couldn’t just submit himself to his parents so easily. But then again, at the end of the day, he was helpless. As always. There was no escape, because when has there ever been? Fighting back was pointless. It always has been. Because to him, this wasn’t torture. This wasn’t abuse. To him, this was just another punishment. Another, grueling, agonizing, painful, god-forsaken punishment.
He was used to this.
Fumikage felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He looked up at his father. What was this sudden burst of emotion? Fumikage had never felt like this before. Was it anger? Fear? Whatever it was, it made his head spin. Either way, he planned to use his sudden rush of negative energy for something he should’ve done months ago. And the consequences that came with it?
Fuck the consequences.
A twisted, pained smile forced it’s way to Fumikage’s features. Tears rolling down his cheeks, he locked eyes with his father. “Sick bastard.” he muttered. “You know I’ll be out of this hellhole in two days, so you take every opportunity you have to put me in as much pain as possible.” Fumikage wiped a tear from his eyes with his sleeve. “Sounds like you’re getting desperate, wouldn’t you agree?” Fumikage grinned upon seeing that irritated look wash over his father’s face. Oh, how much he loved that look.
Over the years that Fumikage has been in foster care, he was never liked by this parents. They blamed it on his violent quirk. Funny enough, almost none of them had even seen his quirk. Fumikage never got around to asking about that, since a lot of the time, talking ended up getting him in trouble. Looking back on it, Fumikage realizes just how stupid it was. Talking, of all things, got him in trouble. What was next? Breathing?
And this foster home was no different. If he “talked out of place”, as his father liked to put it, he was punished. It was hard to decipher exactly what was considered talking “out of place”, since it seemed like nearly everything Fumikage said warranted punishment. So eventually, he opted not to speak at all. But there were always those times, now included, where talking back just felt so right. When Fumikage is finally able to stand up for himself, despite the inevitable consequences that came with it.
And boy, were there consequences.
Before he knew it, Fumikage’s head was slammed against the wall behind him, beak first. With how sensitive his beak was, that pain rung throughout his brain, dazing him. Then he was kneed in the stomach, three times actually, right on one of his fresh bruises. Fumikage let out a choked sob as his breath left him. Even if it only lasted seconds, Fumikage felt as though he were suffocating. And as much as he hated the feeling of air leaving him, that just so happened to be the least painful thing he experienced that night.
Through his pain, Fumikage caught a glimpse of something shiny. Because of course he would. It looked to be metal, with a sharp tip. In his dazed state, he could only guess that it was his Father’s six-inch knife. And right he was, because that exact knife tore down the back of his shirt, exposing all of the scars that littered his back. Pinning him against the wall, his father ripped off his shirt, before kicking him to the cold hardwood floors. Just as Fumikage attempted to sit up, he felt another hard kick to the back of his head. The teen brought his hands to his head almost immediately, gripping tightly at his feathers in an attempt to ease his head’s throbbing pain. But at that moment, Fumikage realized, he had let his guard down.
Just seconds later, he felt it.
That agonizing, searing pain.
All over his body.
He let out a gut-wrenching scream as he felt blisters rapidly forming all over his back and arms. He found himself clawing at his arms, in a desperate attempt to ease the stinging pain, only for thin, deep cuts to form on his pale skin. He felt his quirk cuffs reacted to the heat, getting ever more tighter around Fumikage’s thin wrists. Any and all obscenities his parents threw at him were drowned out by this unbearable pain. Through his sobs, Fumikage began to wonder, was it really worth it? Was it ever worth it? He almost didn’t care. He just wanted it all to be over.
He just wanted the pain, the suffering, the torture, all of it, he just wanted it to go away.
Once the pain died down to the point where it was at least bearable, Fumikage forced himself up on his hands and knees, struggling to keep himself stable on the wet hardwood. Between both the burns, and the quirk cuffs nearly suffocating his wrists, his hands were blistered and swollen. Fumikage locked eyes with his father, who looked down at him, satisfied with his work. Fumikage’s breathing was slow and heavy, as he tried to fight through the pain. “Is…is that all you got?” he managed to choke out. “Two kicks and some hot water? Is that your last line of defense? Seems pretty lackluster if you ask me.” His entire body trembling, Fumikage managed to get to his feet. Steam emitted from his entire upper body, and he was throbbing with pain. That satisfied look on his father’s face suddenly turned to one of pure rage. Without a word, the man walked toward Fumikage, his knife in one hand, and empty glass bottle in the other. Pressing any further in this situation, with this many injuries, Fumikage knew, would be incredibly risky. But then again, heroes are supposed to take risks.
Fumikage forced his beak back into that same twisted grin he wore before, but this time, it was more reluctant. Either way, there was no turning back now.
“Bite me.” he muttered through gritted teeth.
It went dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. But that silence was short lived.
Fumikage heard the deafening sound of glass shattering. There was a sudden flash of bright light, leaving as quick as it arrived, and Fumikage’s world became black.
i dont plan on writing any more violent scenes, simply because they’re hard asf to write lmao, so the next part is basically an unneeded time skip because im lazy <3
I'm sure whatever you will write will be perfect!!!
part 5 bitches. or is this part 6? idk this feels like a part 6. anyway proofreading is out the window, it was a long time ago, but either way this might look at but messy. fuck it it’s 3am idc anymore. enjoy.
Fumikage’s eyes opened. His eyelids felt heavy, and his back was stiff, but other than that…he felt no pain. He sat up and looked around. He wasn’t in the linen closet. In fact, it didn’t look like he was in his foster home at all. He looked to be in an apartment. It was on the small side, but it felt…comfortable. The furniture wasn’t dusty, and the air was free of cigarette smoke. Beneath him, was a dark grey couch. He had to have been sleeping on it for a while, as he had shed a single feather onto the fabric of the couch. But either way, Fumikage somehow felt…safe.
Then, he caught something from the corner of his eye. Well, not something, rather, someone. A tall figure, their face and body obscured by shadow, stood in the doorway to the kitchen. The figure began to walk toward him. Their hands were tucked into their pockets, and they stalked toward him, almost tiredly. It felt so…familiar. But Fumikage’s world felt fuzzy. It was hard to tell if what he was seeing was even real. The figure kneeled down in front of him their obscured face looking him in the eyes. He watched their lips move, but there was no sound. Fumikage wanted to speak, but all he heard was his own confused, stuttered breathing.
The figure tilted their head, and their eyebrows furrowed. They reached a hand behind Fumikage’s head, ruffling his crown feathers gently. The figure spoke again, yet Fumikage was still met with silence. The figure’s face, as far as Fumikage could see, was painted with concern. But before Fumikage could make another attempt to speak, another figure appeared from a hallway. They were taller, slimmer, and just like the first one, their body and face was completely obscured. The second figure came over, kneeling next to the first, trying to get Fumikage to say something. Anything. But the world around him was completely silent.
Fumikage felt his vision blur at the edges. What was happening? Who were the people in front of him? Why did they look so worried? His mind was runny by a mile a minute, not knowing where he was, who he was with, and why any of them were there. Fumikage looked around desperately for anything that could pose as a distraction. In the midst of his panic, he saw one of the figure’s shadowy hands reach toward him. Fumikage swatted at the hand and tried to back away, but instead was blocked by the back of the couch. His gaze went back toward the two figures in front of him. Once again, one of them reached toward him, carefully grabbing his arm. The touch felt cold, and staticky, much like how Dark Shadow felt. Fumikage squeezed his eyes shut, and he felt tears run down his cheeks, afraid of what’s to come next. But, much to his surprise, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, holding him tight. Through the haze, Fumikage could finally make out what this person was saying. It was a faint, hollow echo that rang through his ears. “It’s okay, kid. You’re safe.” They said.
Fumikage’s breathing slowed as he lay his head on the figure’s shadowy shoulder. “I’m…safe…” he repeated, almost hypnotically. Then he heard the second figure join in. “That’s right. You don’t have to be scared anymore. You’re in a new home, with a new family.” they said. Their voice was slightly higher, and had a softer tone to it. But those words…
Fumikage lifted his head slightly, just enough to see over the figure’s shoulder. His vision was hazy, and he felt as though he were in a trance.
“Family…” Fumikage whispered. That word…that word alone. ‘Family’. It just felt so…right. As though what Fumikage saw as paradise was finally coming to pass. He felt tears well up in his eyes. But unlike before, he felt tears of relief. For the first time in what felt like years, he really felt safe. Fumikage lifted an arm, and whipped away his tears with his sleeve. When his vision cleared, yet another figure appeared. However, this one was…small. Then Fumikage realized, it was a child. His head tilted as the obscure figure carefully walked over to him. They kept their hands in front of them, almost as if afraid to hurt him. Although Fumikage had relaxed, he still felt dazed, and somehow, his movements almost didn’t feel like his own.
Just like when he reached his arm out toward the child. They were just barely out of reach, but in response, they brought both hands to Fumikage’s, and a smile came to their obscured face. They looked…happy. And for the first time in what Fumikage felt like forever…so did he. He felt a small smile form on his beak. He hated kids. Normally, anyway. But right now…this wasn’t so bad.
He felt the older figure pull away from him, still carefully running their hand through his feathers. The second also leaned back, relaxing a bit. Fumikage lay back against the couch with a sigh, before looking over the three figure’s one last time. Was this really his family…? Hell, whether they were or not, he could get used to it. He just couldn’t help it. After years of pain, years of terror, a family, a kind, loving family, was what Fumikage had always dreamed of.
He eventually felt his eyelids, as well as his whole body, become heavy. He felt his grip on consciousness slowly slip, the world around him slowly swirling into a dark grey void. That same word echoed through his mind throughout, becoming more faint each time he heard it. Family. family….family….
Fumikage’s eyes slowly opened one last time, but this time, he didn’t just feel tired. He felt cold, he felt sore, but above all…he felt uneasy. That cold, painfully familiar feeling washed over him. And painful it was. The second he dared to move, Fumikage felt a sharp pain up his back. He sighed, letting his body relax. He looked up at the ceiling, but couldn’t stop the tears from forming in his eyes.
He was home.
and that’s it. i feel like i use too many commas, but fuck it im sleep deprived i do what i want :D anyway the next part will be done…whenever the fuck i feel like writing it idk lmao
Please sleep, you're doing great!! I too suffer from overuse of commas, but I don't think they hurt too much!!
sigh. part 7. maybe. idgaf anymore lmao
toward the end I pretty much forgot how to write, so this is uh, a mess to say the least. but enjoy I guess? yea
Fumikage slowly sat up, and let his hands fall solemnly in his lap. With his level of pain and exhaustion, it was hard to keep himself stable, and his quirk cuffs acting as six-pound weights wasn’t doing him any favors. Which, now that he noticed, wasn’t the only thing Fumikage was wearing. He felt his quirk collar clamped around his neck, even tighter than before. He was surprised that it hasn’t cut off his airflow by now.
Fumikage brushed off the pain, still in awe by his dream. As abstract as it was, it just felt so…real. Everything around him felt as though it were really there. And those shadow figures….he felt their words, their touch…as strange as it was, it just felt right. Fumikage leaned back against the wall behind him. ‘Dark Shadow…’ he whispered. ‘Did you…feel that? In the dream?’ Within him, Dark Shadow stirred restlessly in response to their host’s bewilderment. ‘Mhm…but…Fumikage? Would it be weird to say I…miss it?’ they asked. That restlessness quickly turned solemn as Dark Shadow deflated a bit, wrapping themself protectively around Fumikage’s rib cage. The teen hummed quietly to himself in thought. ‘Well, as weird as it is, you aren’t alone. I don’t know why but…that dream world just felt so surreal. It was…at least compared to what we’re used to, amazing.’ Fumikage replied. He lay his head against the wall behind him as he felt tears in the back of his eyes. Dark Shadow seemed to mimic his movements in a way, as Fumikage felt them curl within themselves, hugging Fumikage’s ribs tighter. ‘I just want a new family…’ they said, barely a whisper. Fumikage felt tears slowly roll down his cheeks, soaking his feathers. It feels like every day that passes, Fumikage feels more and more isolated. More and more alone. It’s just him and Dark Shadow. It always has been. Fumikage thrives off of his quirk’s company. Dark Shadow is the only reason he’s kept a positive outlook on life throughout his last few painful years. If not for Dark Shadow, Fumikage’s life would have ended long ago. But even with Dark Shadow around, Fumikage couldn’t help but feel lonely. He wanted someone else to talk to. A human to talk to, because let’s face it, Fumikage’s social skills are…underwhelming. He never speaks unless he knows exactly what he’s going to say and when. He comes off more confident that way, because otherwise, he’d let his anxiety get the best of him.
Having a kind, caring family around, and having other people in general around, just made Fumikage feel safer. Even his foster siblings. They all despised him, but when they were around, his parents were less violent with him. There was always less expected of him when there were others around to steal all of the attention. But that didn’t mean Fumikage didn’t want attention, he just didn’t want negative attention. And every foster home he’s been in, year after year, has been exactly that.
He just wanted to feel loved, was that so much to ask?
Fumikage slouched back against the wall, only to quickly regret it as he felt a sharp pain shoot up his side. He sat back up with a groan. What exactly happened to him? He knows he blacked out at some point, but it was hard to tell what happened after. His body was numbed with pain; his back and arms were covered in burns that sting when touched, and he had a large, dark bruise right in the middle of his abdomen.
His memory of the previous night was cloudy, among other things, but he does faintly remember that sharp glint coming from his father’s knife. Fumikage put a hand to the source of the pain, feeling around for anything of interest. The closet was nearly pitch black, and as good as Fumikage was at seeing in the dark, he couldn’t do much other than carefully feel his wounds to make sure there isn’t anything too serious. But at this point, getting out of a punishment unscathed would be a miracle.
Fumikage ran his fingers across what felt like a gash along the side of his waist, approximating the length. He winced at the stinging pain, but kept going nonetheless. The wound went from just above his waist halfway up his chest. Pulling away he felt something warm and wet lining his fingers, which he could only assume was blood, given the stinging pain that shot through his body right after.
The teen let out a low groan in response, before wiping his bloody hand on his jeans. Slumping back against the wall, Fumikage looked as his blood stained hand. Even in the dark linen closet, he could still see the dark, smeared blood stain his palm and fingers. Suddenly he felt a surge of negativity rush through him, and he clenched his bloodied fist. Was it disgust? Frustration? Or just pure, justified, rage? It was always so hard, just trying to identify this one, burning, unbearable emotion. Fumikage felt it so often but could never tell what he was really feeling. Dark Shadow growled in reponse to their host, growing increasingly larger, metaphorically, desperately wanting to break free and release this unbearable surge of negativity. It didn’t take long before Fumikage boiled over, and slammed his fist against the wall behind him, causing the paint to crack and a dent to form in the wall. Fumikage looked to the wall next to him, and the result of his outburst. And just like that, he deflated, completely, and utterly, defeated. Defeated from what? It was hard to tell.
The teen choked out a sob, curling up within himself, burying his face in his knees.
Just one more day.
yeah. that’s it. short and painful sweet. no comments, bc i cant think of any. next part coming in uh….idk like a month? who’s to say lmao
I absolutely loved this!! I am so happy you shared this! The writing was phenomenal and this is such an interesting take on Tokoyami’s past. It has the perfect dose of angst~
I hope everyone else enjoys this as much as I did!
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Ozpin Week
Day Six: Day Off/In Battle
@ozpinweek
Description: It’s no surprise that running a Necromancer academy can come with issues. Necromancy is outlawed in many parts of the world after all.
One such issue is the equally unsurprising amount of Pursuers that try to sneak into beacon. Good thing that beacon is made for this, by having what is essentially a maze surrounding it’s buildings. The pursuers most times end up getting lost due to this.
Perhaps it’s also good that a certain headmaster watches his academy and students like a hawk in case of such incidents.
“How upsetting, and on such a lovely day like today.” Ozpin sighed. It would seem that he had been swamped with sorrowful reports and countless uninteresting meetings all day. What he had truly wanted was to be outside or at least to be interacting with his students. But it would all have to wait until these reports and paperwork were finished.
Even though today had started off as it normally would, Him getting up, getting ready for the day, and then heading off to the academy, it still felt like it was particularly monotonous and dull. Nothing interesting had happened, hell even the students hadn’t done any of their usual antics today.
He shook his head, it’s not like any of them could anyways, they had term ending exams to study for. Although he couldn’t help but wish someone would’ve done something.
Knock Knock Knock
A gentle but firm knock was heard at the door. He could tell it was Glynda, it was the small, seemingly insignificant details that he focused on when it came to people. Even the way someone knocked on a door could tell you who they were.
“Come in, Glynda.” Ozpin called out cheerily.
The door opened, “I will never understand how it is that you know whose outside your door even before they walk in.” She quipped.
“I always did pay attention to detail did I not?”
“That is true. Anyways, you look like you’ve had the life sucked out of you. How much paperwork?”
Ozpin leaned back in his office chair “What on remnant makes you think that I know? Absolutely nothing interesting has happened today. Such a shame, it’s such a lovely day too, and here I am stuck doing paperwork.”
Glynda gave a sympathetic sigh, “You aren’t the only one. Despite that, that’s not what I’m here for.”
“Right, To the point. Is it something I should be concerned about?”
“Yes actually.”
His face became stern in response, “What is it?”
“A pursuer has decided to go looking for students to harass on premises.” She explained
“Why haven’t you or the other staff gone to handle the situation.”
She gave an eyebrow raise “Why?”
“My apologies but if they haven’t done anything yet then what would be the point in coming to me?”
“Fair. This one has been…..persistent. He refuses to “take the hint” and stay away from the school. He essentially mocks any staff that tries to get rid of him. Figured you’d be in more luck getting him to leave the students alone.”
Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose. How annoying. Not just a pursuer but a pursuer with the gall to mock his staff and harass innocent students, his students. It’s no wonder she came to him with the issue, she’s most likely more frustrated than he is.
“Also, I figured since you’ve been stuck in here all day that it would be good to give you something interesting to do. Not to mention get some fresh air” Glynda smiled
He smiled back “I appreciate it. Now then, where is he right now?”
“Seemingly lost in the northern wing’s maze.” She said, she handed him a photo taken from security footage.
He thanked her before leaving his office. Sure, pursuers weren’t an uncommon problem at Beacon but that didn’t make their presence any less annoying.
What was more surprising was that none of them whom he himself had dealt with, have had the audacity to actually go to their boss to tell him about his so called “friend” being a necromancer. Although, what pursuer would ever want to admit to their boss that they ran away from a necromancer?
In fact they, to Ozpin’s amusement, started heavily embellishing their stories to the other pursuers about what he was like. Some tales painted him as a terrifying monster, some painted him as a roughed up intimidating man with unspeakable power, and some painted him as a different being entirely.
It had turned into a game for the headmaster, to see what stories the pursuer he was dealing with had heard. At least it made the job of getting rid of those pests more enjoyable.
Without fail though, every pursuer who had heard about him was surprised to see him in person. The man they had heard was a terrifying monster, a roughed up untouchable man, or a different being entirely, was in reality a dapper, polite, and well kept 6’8 man with a northern Atlesian accent and a love and protectiveness for children.
He quickly walked out the main buildings doors and searched around for the northern entrance into the maze. Once found, he set off towards it. As he walked through the crowd he was greeted by students, all of whom were most likely on their way out of the school, he gave a quick hello and wished them well on their way home.
“Of course a pursuer would choose a time like this. Easy targets.” He mentally noted.
Once he entered the maze, the rest was muscle memory. He knew every corner, every corridor, every alley, every brick, stone, and piece of concrete of beacon like the back of his hand. Knowing where everything was at Beacon was as easy as walking itself for the headmaster.
As he walked he also listened. Listening was important in a situation such as this one. Eventually, what he had been listening for was heard. A yell. He picked up his pace and followed what he presumed was a female students yell.
As he listened further, it wasn’t just the one student, it was a group of them, most likely friends, who this pursuer had decided to go after.
This pursuer seemed to be a real colorful one too, throwing slurs and disgusting innuendos at the girls. There were 3 things Ozpin specifically hated, Pursuers, Those who aim to hurt children, and Creeps. Unfortunately for this pursuer, he was checking all the boxes.
He reached a corner and peered behind it. There stood 5 female students, backed into a wall by this disgusting excuse for a man.
“I bet the guards will have some real fun with you bunch once you get to atlas.” The pursuer sneered.
Ozpin appeared out from behind the corner, standing behind and over the pursuer, “Well that’s not very nice, now is it?” He spoke cooly.
The pursuer jumped and turned around. Eyes widening in realization as he looked up at who was standing in front of him.
“Y-you’re the monster all of the pursuers were talkin’ about.”
“Why yes! That is me!” He said cheerily
“I-I ain’t scared of you! You aren’t anything like they make you out to be. You’re just some guy, I can take you!” The man yelled.
“Tch tch tch, none of you ever learn from one another, do you?”
“The fuck you talkin’ about?!”
Ozpin smiled and looked towards the students, “Now students, here are 2 lessons for you all. Looks can be quite deceiving, take this man here for example. He may look threatening, but in reality, he is weak. He is weak because he is letting his anger get the best of him, which is not a wise decision if you are going to engage in combat.
When you are angry during combat, you stop thinking about how to hit your enemy, and instead just think about hitting your enemy anywhere in general. This leaves you vulnerable.”
“Fuck you!”
“Oh dear, and it seems we have quite a vulgar man as well.”
“Why are you bein’ so polite? I thought you were supposed to scary.” The pursuer snickered
Ozpin laughed, a cold, merciless, and wheezy sound, no doubt from his smoking habit. “Well, my friend, What kind of an example would I be setting if I wasn’t polite? I’m the head councilman of a country, a headmaster, and a professor! It’s my job to make sure I’m setting a good example on how to deal with pests such as yourself.”
He looked over at the pursuer, “show time.” He thought. In a simple blink his eye colored changed from a warm, caring hazelnut brown to a cold and soul destroying green.
“Besides, I am a merciful man. I wouldn’t want to make more of a fool of you when you’ve already done most of the work yourself.”
The pursuer visibly froze, he mentally laughed “Everytime, without fail. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it.”
Ozpin turned back to the students and told them to go home. He had business with this pursuer that he needed to attend to. Who was backed against the wall and helpless now?
The pursuer continued to yell slurs and insults at the headmaster. Eventually, he took out a blade an managed to slice Ozpin across the cheek, causing the headmaster to stumbled back some.
Okay, maybe not helpless. But he surely was backed against a wall in a maze with him.
Once he regained his footing, Ozpin ungloved one of his hands as he gently touched two fingers to the wound, “Well, I’m impressed, consider yourself lucky. You’re the first pursuer to ever actually land a hit on me. Even if it was a cheap shot.”
The pursuer laughed victoriously, while distracted by his small victory, Ozpin grabbed long memory. Quickly shifting it into its shotgun form.
“Although,” He spoke.
He harshly shoved the pursuer against the brick wall, leaving the man slightly dazed and confused. Ozpin aimed long memory at the wall besides the pursuers head and stared down at the man.
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to bring a knife to a gun fight?”
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raunchyom · 3 years
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Vices, Not Virtues: Humility
[ Chapter 1 ]
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A/N: I’m leaving it vague as to whether Mc is in a relationship with any of the brothers, similar to the lessons; there’s innuendos and flirting, but no explicit romance on Mc’s behalf. I didn’t intend for this chapter to be so long, it just sort of happened... whoops. The other parts will probably be shorter, but I’m not worrying about it too much. Feel free to read: please reblog or reply; I love knowing what people think of my stuff!
word count: 2.5k || warnings: n/a 
“We need to talk” was never a good thing.
Being summoned to Lucifer’s study was fairly common. He regularly checked on you through private meetings to discuss grades, his brothers, and all manner of things related to your life in the devildom. He also made his fair share of requests for your time as a de-stressor, when he eventually admitted that your presence comforted him. 
He gave out punishments too though, and despite his soft spot for you, he wouldn’t hesitate to call you into his office to remind you of the rules. It was no secret when he was upset, and he would make it very clear what-- or rather, who-- the cause was.
That being said, Lucifer was always straightforward in why he was asking for you. He may not be specific, but he’d at least give some sort of warning. Some mention of grades, his brothers, or your chores. You would at least know whether to prepare an apology or not.
Today though, there was no reason. Well, there clearly was; he wouldn’t call you for no reason. But you only got two texts: “Come to my study after class,” and “we need to talk.”
Anxiety gnawed at your gut. What could he want to talk about? The recent humanities test? You did okay on it-- despite the class meaning something slightly different in the devildom than it did in the human realm-- so it shouldn’t be that. Had you forgotten to do chores? You almost forgot that you were on cooking duty the other night, was he upset about that? Was it how busy you were, not making enough time for him? Or maybe--
Suffice to say, by the time you knocked on his door, you’d already started your mental packing list. If it was serious enough that he wouldn’t even say it over text, you may as well prepare yourself for the trip back home. It would be the best case scenario, even.
“Mc? Come in.” Opening the door revealed Lucifer to be sitting at his desk, the glasses on his face showing that he was doing paperwork before you arrived. At a glance, it didn’t seem like Diavolo was in there, but maybe you didn’t deserve his presence at your exit ceremony. 
“Shut the door behind you.” Lucifer was skilled at conveying a lot in just a few words. It was an unspoken rule that when invited in, you were to enter the room and close the door, then wait for him to tell you what to do next. He knew you were aware of this rule-- rather, he was pointing out your hesitation, and telling you to hurry up.
Lucifer crossed his arms as you carried out his request, watching your movements with an unamused expression. He was impossible to read, but you could tell when you were on your way to the chopping block.
“Come, you may set your things in the chair.” It wasn’t an offer. You tracked the distance using the grain of the floor as you approached, shoulders remaining tense even as you pulled a chair out and dropped your backpack into it. 
Only when the silence felt suffocating did you force your eyes up; they crawled up the desk, over his arms and his chest, until you finally met his gaze. He seemed to tower over you, glaring down his nose, despite being reclined in his leather chair an entire table’s length away. He narrowed his eyes, brows furrowing. Quick to look away again, you decided eye contact was a bad idea.
“You had a humanities test last week.” You flinched, but he continued on, “I know you already got the results back. I recall asking to see your grades from that class in the past. Why haven’t you shown it to me?” Lucifer was a student council member, not to mention had many strings he could pull among the staff-- he could easily get access to your grades if he wanted them. He’d done so in the past, when you dodged his questions about grades one too many times. He was asking you directly because he wanted to see you squirm.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been busy lately, and--”
“It’s alright,” He said, a smile gracing his features. Your eyebrows shot up in surprise, but the relief was short-lived as his smile turned ice-cold. He leaned forwards onto the desk, clasping his hands in front of him. “You can show me now.”
Another command, masquerading as a suggestion. You knew better than to lie about not having it, so you dug the paper out of your backpack and handed it over. He looked down at the test, then up at you, peering over his glasses as if he were a professor himself.
“Color me impressed.”
“I got lucky, it wasn’t anything special. I guessed for at least half of that.” You crossed your arms, though it looked more pitiful than defensive. As if you were trying to give yourself a hug, though the sleeves of your uniform tightened under your anxious grip.
“Mc, you got the highest score in the class. Ninety-five percent is not the result of ‘half-guessing’.” He replied, deadpan. He’d seen the grades beforehand after all.
“I mean, it’s just human studies, it makes sense that I know a little more about it than other subjects. I have an unfair advantage, is all.” Your reasoning must’ve tired him, because it earned you a sigh. He took off his glasses and set them on the desk, appearing less stern when he looked at you again. 
“Do you know why I asked you to bring me your grades from humanities?” 
You chanced a glance at him, but his face gave nothing away. If seeing your grade wasn’t enough to sate him, what did he want from this? You shook your head.
“Because I wanted to give you something to brag about.” Lucifer’s statement brought your train of thought to an abrupt halt. You blinked back at him, confused. “Your grades have been improving lately, especially in that class. I’ve seen how hard you work to make that happen, and yet you refuse to share your successes with me. I first believed it to be fear of failure, or perhaps of disappointment, but even in your best classes, you didn’t dare to broach the topic. You don’t to this day, despite being expressly asked to!” He gestured at the exam on his desk, exasperated. “Why?”
“I…” It was a lot of things, of course, but none were easy to explain. Lucifer gave you a moment to figure out what to say, surprisingly patient-- until you said, “It’s not worth your time. It’s not that impressive.”
Lucifer’s expression dropped from exasperated concern back into one of irritation. “Are you trying to insult me?”
“No.” You answered meekly.
“Then why would you bother to say you aren’t worth my time? I believe I have made it exceedingly clear that I wish to spend time with you. I ask for your free time and you have none. I ask for your grades and you hide them. I give you my praise and you refuse it.” He stood from his chair, working himself up again. Guilt weighed on you heavily, and though you couldn’t place exactly why-- it was definitely about more than your grades.
“I’m sorry.” 
“Why?” He spoke so quickly that he almost talked over you, leaving you floundering for a reply.
“I… don’t know.”
“Don’t apologize if you don’t know what you’re sorry for.” 
“Okay, I’m sorry.” You replied, earning your second sigh from Lucifer. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He was going to need to find a different approach. 
“Mc, I know the lesser demons talk about you behind your back.” The sudden change of direction was shocking enough, but this was a touchy subject. You fought to keep a neutral expression, retreating to your original plan of avoiding eye contact. Lucifer walked around his desk, sliding himself between you and his work area. He somehow managed to find a position that both encroached on your personal space and allowed him to lean against a portion of the surface that wasn’t covered in papers. “I know it happens when you’re around, too. I know you don’t say anything about it, and you certainly don’t correct them. …I know you agree with them.” The accusations were true, but it didn’t make them any less painful.
“Mc, look at me.” You didn’t want to get into any more trouble, this whole experience was already painful enough. But you doubted your ability to hold it together if he delivered any kind of finishing blow while making eye contact.
A gloved hand gripped your chin, surprisingly delicate, and tilted your face up to look at his. You couldn’t imagine what kind of expression you were making, but it must’ve been pitiful; as soon as you met his eyes he softened his gaze, and his grip on your chin shifted so that he could gently stroke your cheek with his thumb. “I’m not mad at you.”
Well, that would’ve been nice to hear before you walked in the door.
“I’m worried about you.” His already low-pitched voice was soft as he said it, words laced with concern. Your heart broke, and you instantly changed your mind-- this was worse. 
“Lucifer, I…” You struggled to find the words, caught off-guard by his sudden change in demeanor. “I’m fine, I promise.” It wasn’t a matter of lying to him, it was a matter of doing anything you could to keep that expression off his face. It didn’t suit him, and it just made you feel worse. 
“I don’t like when you lie to me.” He called your bluff immediately. “Besides, it’s been this way for a long time, hasn’t it?” His hand fell away from your face, landing on your shoulder. He didn’t need to ask, he knew the answer. “When did you lose your sense of pride?”
It was hard to ignore the stinging from behind your eyes; the best you could hope for was that Lucifer wouldn’t notice. It was a worthless hope to have, but he at least had the decency to refrain from commenting on it.
“You’re allowed to be proud of your accomplishments, Mc. Big or small. Even if it comes easily, you can always be proud of a job well done. It applies all the more if you work hard to achieve it. You are allowed to accept that your effort paid off, and you can brag about it. I should know.” He smirked a bit, but the moment passed quickly. “Moreover, you can be proud of yourself. Who you are, how far you’ve come. You aren’t the same person you were a year ago, that’s a sign of progress. And… you can be proud of the way you look.” At his last sentence, he stood up off the desk, stepping further into your bubble. 
Your pulse quickened, but the flurry of emotions you were dealing with made it impossible to tell which one was responsible.
“Turn this way.” Lucifer used your shoulders to guide you towards a corner of the room. Your movements were stiff, but he maintained his grace, easily leading you to a full-length mirror against the wall that you hadn’t noticed until now. He sought to meet your eyes through the reflection, but you averted your gaze. 
“I’ve seen the way you act around mirrors. I sometimes wonder how you brush your hair in the morning.” He mused, briefly combing his fingers through your locks. “Why don’t you ever look?”
“I don’t like to.” It was barely a whisper, but he didn’t have to hear you. He knew the answer.
“Look again.” It was hard, but you did as he instructed. He brought his head down, breath tickling your ear when he spoke again. “You’re looking at the most attractive human in the three realms.”
Your heart swelled at the compliment, but it wasn’t exactly easy to believe. “I’m not-- I mean, I think that’s an exaggeration…” You amended, careful to avoid going against what he said.
Lucifer snorted. “Do you really think seven of the most powerful demons in the devildom would fall for you at once if you weren’t attractive?”
You couldn’t fight the blush that rose to your face from that one, though it was comforting to see that Lucifer was affected too. He had the slightest tinge of pink on his cheeks; even the brief mention of his true feelings was a momentous occasion for him. He wasn’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type.
“Lucifer, I-” You attempted to turn and face him, but his grip on your shoulders tightened and he prevented you from moving.
“We aren’t done, human.” The switch had flipped again, and he was back to bottling up whatever emotion had temporarily risen to the surface. You were back to ‘human’ rather than ‘Mc’, which was another sign. “Look back into that mirror, and listen to me.”
You did as he asked, your eyes drawn to his. You caught him looking you up and down, like he was sizing up his next victim.
“You did not come all the way to the devildom to spend a year being virtuous to a fault. We are going to teach you to sin.” He chuckled at your expression, but cut you some slack; he leaned back slightly, though still held you in place by your shoulders. “Rather, you are going to learn how to enjoy life, from demons. I’ve entrusted my brothers with assisting you in their own ways; they will each get one day to teach you how to better take care of yourself. I’ve elected to go first, for a lesson in humility.” 
You could swear you’d just finished your first lesson. This entire meeting had been torture, and now he was saying it wasn’t done yet? No, not even-- he was saying that it had yet to begin.
“Don’t expect me to let you off easy, either. As we’ve established, you have a long way to go. I may only have one day, but I’ll be assigning homework. If I don’t think you’re keeping up, I will require you to attend study sessions. We can start with something simple: find five things you like about yourself-- no, I’ll even let you start with one-- and tell me about it.” Despite suggesting such a basic self-confidence booster, Lucifer beamed-- well, he wore his favorite smile at least, the one that terrified demons and mortals alike. “You can’t repeat anything I’ve told you today, and you have to believe it. Prove to me that you believe it.”
Your head was spinning. He had just bombarded you with compliments-- albeit oddly threatening ones-- for far longer than you could take, and now he was expecting you to keep the work up on your own? Starting now, and lasting until… when? Did you need to add this to your list of assignments for class? 
“I’m waiting, Mc.”
This was going to be a long week.
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saigonharrington · 3 years
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nervous // g.w
Hi babes!
I’m finally posting the George fic that I was talking about and I am so excited for you to read it!
please, reblog if you like it, it helps me grow
disclaimer: my knowledge of werewolves is based only on a little internet research and the tv series named teen wolf, the episode named Anchors inspired me to write this
pairing: george weasley x werewolf!fem!reader
word count: 6k
Y/N - your name; L/N - last name; Y/F/N - your friend’s name
warnings: swearing, mentions of sex, (kind of) panicking
summary: y/n is afraid of who she became, thinking that now she’s unlikable, but her new abilities prove her wrong, making her hear the boy’s talking and... the beating of his heart
“Hey, he’s staring again.” Your friend noticed the boy, who was standing across the hall with his brother and their friends.
Who was she talking about? George Weasley, of course, the person whose heart you could hear from miles away.
You met him a while ago, wandering through the halls at night, trying to sort some things out while he and his brother were bringing their another prank to life. Of all people attending Hogwarts, you bumped into them. 
You never thought that someone, besides Prefects, would be seen in the corridors so you didn’t pay attention, focusing only on your thoughts.  No wonder you got quite overwhelmed when you hit your head with something, and it definitely wasn’t a wall.
“Are you okay?” The redheaded boy asked you, worried about your well-being. “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t take my eyes off that Zonko’s new item. Are you sure you are fine? I can walk you to madam Pomfrey.” 
“Oh, don’t worry about me.” You said, looking at the moon. “I’m heading to my dormitory, don’t want to bother you and your brother.” You nodded at him, so he told you his name.
“I’m Fred. The more handsome one. Also, the funnier one, because I’ve just made out an amazing plan. Care to join us? I swear you will not regret it. ” He encouraged you, and you didn’t want to be rude, finally agreeing to go with them. A couple of minutes more outside the dorm can’t hurt you, right?
The thing is, you spent almost the whole night preparing pranks with them and idly talking, joking about Snape and Filch. 
The problem is, you haven't talked with them since that accident. Sometimes you exchanged a few words in classes you had together but nothing more.
So then why did George have a crush on you?
You asked yourself that question many times since you first heard him confessing his feelings to Fred. Every time this boy got closer to you or touched you accidentally, his heart was beating so fast like a drum. Your heart has been just as fast as his, but he couldn’t know that. You didn’t even know if it was because you shared his feelings, or did just knowing what he feels towards you, made you that anxious. 
“I know. I’m still not able to control these new super senses. I saw him a while ago. Not to mention that his heart makes my ears hurt. ” You admitted, holding your head because all these sounds were giving you a headache.
“Well, maybe if you’d finally talk to him, your senses wouldn’t be a big problem. Perhaps if you can’t manage to control them, you should ask someone who might help you. Go to professor Lupin.”
“But he doesn’t know that I’m a werewolf. I’m still not comfortable when someone mentions that. ” You said, scared of what you’d become. You knew that sooner or later you were supposed to reach for help, but you felt insecure and didn’t want to recall that night when you were bitten.
“He’s coming over here.” Your friend interrupted your thought, reminding you of George. 
“No way, we have to run.” You started packing your bag, standing up from sitting on the bench. 
“Too late.” She added, making you turn around.
“Hello girls, how’s your day?” He asked nicely, staring at you constantly. 
“Bad.” You whispered.
“Getting better.” Your friend interrupted you, because she knew how much you wanted to walk away, and she couldn’t let you, knowing that you have to confront him anyway. 
“Great, I wanted to ask you a question.” He pointed at you, smiling widely. “Would you go on a date with me?” He scratched his back, getting stressed. You heard his heart pounding, which made you even angrier. The sound was so loud that you weren’t able to hear anything other than that, feeling like you could pass out at any moment. 
“She would love to.” Your friend took the lead, which made the boy wonder why you weren’t responding. “She’s just as stressed as you are. Sorry for speaking in her name, but she talked about you for so long. I hope you understand.”
“Oh, no worries. Meet me after the lessons on Friday. I’ll be waiting near to the great hall. ” He explained, addressing it to you, adding a short “see you later” after his brother called after him.
“You should thank me.” Your friend addressed you, asking you to sit down.
“Gosh, his heart was beating so fast. I couldn’t focus.” You told her, relaxing a bit. “And no, I will not thank you. Can’t you understand why I’m avoiding him? I thought I told you.”
“No, I can. I just think that you’re wrong. ” She told you, winking at you.
“Think about it. If he’ll find out who I am, he won’t talk to me again. I’d rather stare at him, being miles away and aware that he likes me too than admitting who I am and getting rejected, him not being able to look at me again.” You admitted, hearing your voice cracking slowly. 
“You idiot. You really think that werewolves are some type of creature that cannot function normally? You’re here for centuries, managing everything somehow, I bet that there were werewolves married to Muggles, to wizards, and many more. Don’t think of yourself as a beast, some kind of unlovable creature. That’s not what you are. You’re perfectly normal. By the way, bold of you to assume that he’s the first one to judge and won’t accept you.” She gave you a speech, trying to cheer you up.
“That’s exactly what I think. Can you blame me? I’m still not used to this, I never really talked with any other werewolves.”
“Then stop! See, you’re also prejudging him. There’s only one way to find out what he’s thinking about you. You’ll tell him the truth. But for now, we have to find Lupin.”
You were not ready yesterday, so after your friend spotted Lupin, you decided to hide. You wanted to be prepared for every topic that he will discuss with you, deciding that you’ll ask him to stay for a little talk when the DADA lesson finishes. 
“Can I speak with you for a moment, professor?” You asked, trying to sound quiet. 
“Yes, you may. What’s the problem, miss L/N?” 
“If you’re going to ask questions, then I might stay here for a little longer than ‘ a moment ’.” You joked, secretly being scared of admitting the truth.
“Anyway. As you may know, I am a werewolf. Before you ask, I prefer not to tell you how it happened. I’m still learning, and you’re the only one that came to mind. I thought that you might help me.”
“You should’ve come earlier. Weren’t you curious earlier about your abilities and how to control them?”
“I was. But I was also too afraid to say something. Werewolves aren’t considered as the nicest creatures, I wanted to avoid gossip. I still want to. ” You started a monologue, watching closely if Lupin is paying attention to you. “The main reason for me coming to have a little chat with you is not only to ask about my abilities. I’m invested in hearing. Because I cannot understand why some sounds are clearer and come to my mind often? What makes them so?”
“Do you have something specific in your mind?” He asked, being eager to help you.
“Someone’s heart beating. I mean, I hear a lot of sounds, but this one is haunting me, even if that person is completely in a different place. Am I losing my mind? Or did this happen to you as well?”
“This person is your anchor, then. The one who can calm you down, who can help you control all of your new skills. But it might change through the years, you don’t have one anchor for eternity. Everything is based on your feelings. ” Remus explained calmly.
“Who was your anchor? You don’t have to tell me if you’re not feeling comfortable with it, after all, I’m just another Hogwarts student. ” You asked out of curiosity, wishing that he will open up to you.
“It used to be someone who was my friend. I don’t think I have an anchor anymore. ” He answered, being rather peaceful and not bothered by it, however, you wanted to comfort him, asking for permission to hug him.
“You’ll find another anchor. You said that we can have it more than once, right? I bet that somewhere there is someone special, whose ability is to calm you down. ” You smiled shyly.
“Um, eh, we’re not here to be upset. Let’s focus on your issue.” He said, wanting to change the topic. “What you need to control your abilities is physical contact with that special someone. I can’t assure you that it will work after the first attempt, but it certainly might help.
 “But that takes time, I think I was able to control most parts of it after months. Still, some things are not under my control. Anyway, don’t worry about that, everything has its flaws. If you’ll excuse me, I have an important meeting soon, I don't want to be late. If you want, we can meet again after one of my lessons.” Lupin bid you goodbye, making you leave his classroom.
As you were left alone, you started thinking about the conversation that happened seconds ago. It did not make sense to you.
How could George be your anchor? 
Sure, you had a crush on him for a while, but nothing ever happened between you two. That one night, which you spent preparing pranks with twins was fun, nothing else. You decided to not make any more friends, because you remembered how Y/F/N reacted when you said that you’re a werewolf. So you drifted away not only for your own good, but also for his. 
Why him? Why isn’t it your friend, or even someone from your family who is  your anchor? And how are you going to explain it to him? “Hey, I’m a werewolf, and you’re the only one that keeps me sane? You have to stay with me forever, otherwise I might go crazy?” 
No way. You couldn’t  see it.
At the same time, George was calmly waiting for you next to the Defence Against the Dark Arts  classroom. He noticed that you stayed for a little talk with Remus, but he also was eager to talk to you. 
Your date was supposed to happen tomorrow, and he wanted to make sure that you’re comfortable with him, and that you have something to talk about. He was afraid that maybe somehow tomorrow you guys will be stressed, so chatting the day before, no strings attached and just getting to know each other might lighten the mood. 
“Hey.” He started the conversation without thinking about it. ‘Hey’? Couldn’t you think about anything better? Something more creative? Now she will think that you were stalking her, you dumbass, he thought, standing in front of you.
Never was he that close to you, or maybe just didn’t pay attention when you were around, but now he noticed the height difference between the both of you. He found it really hard not to kneel down, so he could see your eyes gleaming. Although he considered it cute and funny, he decided not to mock it. Well, not right now, since he had other reasons to talk to you and was so fixated about it.
“Hello George, what could have  brought you here?” You asked, not bothering to look at him, because you would have to keep your head up.
“We just had the same lesson.  I sit in front of you. ” He explained, thinking that you didn’t notice that detail. If the tall, ginger boy can be considered as a detail.
“Oh, I know. But the lesson ended 20 minutes ago. ” You said, wondering if he will say what he has in mind or will just play pretend.
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you. Nothing deep, only to diffuse the tension before our meeting tomorrow. ” He scratched his head, walking slowly by your side.
“Meeting you say, and what’s that?” You teased him a little, finding it funny and adorable that he was afraid to use the word ‘date’.
“You know, when a group of people, two and above, meets somewhere. God, I was scared that I’m going to be the dumb one. Now I can relax. But I have to admit, I expected more from you. ” He joked, coping with his fear.
“Okay, so what’s the pre-meeting topic that made you come to me?”
“Actually…” He began, but you interfered.
“Shit. My friend is there.” You pointed at the end of the corridor, where she was talking with a Ravenclaw from your year. “We have to hide, I’ll explain.” You pushed him to the next door that appeared in front of you, finding yourself in Filch’s office. Great.
“Can you explain now? I thought that you like her. ” He asked out of curiosity.
“I do, but I don’t want her to interject in our conversation. Shh, I think someone’s coming. We should hide. ” You advised, being pretty sure that it’s Filch. Who else would  come to his office? You made George hide behind the huge bookshelf, noticing how little space there was.
“You know, we could also say a spell to make us invisible.” He laughed at you, trying to find a comfortable position.
“Too late. Shut your mouth. ” You both tried to stay silent, hearing the sound of someone opening the door. George was almost sitting, because if he would stand normally, his head could be seen above the bookshelf. 
His eyes were focused on you and your face in general, which made you hold your laughs way harder than you thought it would. If either  of you made a sound, you’d end up in detention, and Filch would make sure that you get the worst punishment. 
Fortunately, he only came to get one thing from his desk, so as soon as you heard the door shut, George suddenly moved, hitting his head on the shelf. 
“Shh.” You said, listening closely to the steps that were getting closer.
“Ah, Mr. Norris, I forgot about you! But you didn’t have to hit the door so hard. I hope you forgive me. �� He said to the cat that stayed in his office, but this time he took it with him.
While they were going out of the office, you had to silence the boy, who was struggling because of pain. It was not your intention to show your werewolf abilities, however, he looked as it really hurt him, wanting to scream. 
“Show me the back of your head.” You demanded, when the two of you went out of the hideaway. You slowly took his head with one hand, the other one intertwining with his fingers. He had no idea what you were doing. It was clever of you to take his hand, making it look like you were comforting him, while you took some of his pain away. Fortunately, you were wearing your long robes, so your veins were not visible. Otherwise, the boy would’ve seen how you were taking the sore, making the veins look blackish.
If it weren’t for your location and the cause of his headache, both of you would be on the way to the hospital wing. But how could you explain that George hit the bookshelf in Filch’s office? Well, you couldn’t. Good for you that the boy did not question your methods, he probably didn’t even notice the thing that you had done. 
“That was weird. But also hilarious.” George admitted, laughing way too loud, when you carefully opened the door to check what’s going on outside the office. After you made sure that no one was staring, you took his hand again, making him go after you.
While wandering through corridors, you noticed it is almost empty.
“Why is no one here?” You asked, not expecting the ginger boy to answer.
“You know, I think everyone is having classes. We’re going to be late.” 
“Oh no, we’re not going at all.” You replied quickly. “Not in the mood to get all the attention today, apparently the world is against me. We gotta be smarter, let’s play truant.” You tried to encourage George, but he already seemed to be in.
“That sounds great! Now I really do feel like we’re soulmates.”
“You doubted it? Wait, you never even mentioned that to me. ” You craved for an explanation, while George wasn’t so fond of telling you more.
“Don’t worry, it’s just a silly word. I intended to ask you something. Why didn’t you say anything when I asked for a date? Is it because you didn’t want to, or find me too intimidating?”
“Do you want the answer that will make you look bad, or do I have to take all the blame?”
“Depends which is the correct one.” He replied teasingly.
“I mean, I did think it was a little weird that you asked me, because after the pranks that night we talked only occasionally… how could I possibly be your soulmate? How could you grow to like me when you don’t know me at all? ” Yeah, you might regret that later, but you had to be honest.
“Merlin, I’m going to sound like a weirdo, but I do know you. At least I think so. You showed the real yourself that night, being careless and funny, besides in most of my classes I’m focusing on you, not the topic. I’m definitely sounding like a psycho, but you always sit in front of me or behind me, joking with your friend and I cannot help but hear more than a little and laugh quietly. I’ve liked you since that damn night and got to know you, in an unusual way, but still felt like we’re similar. That’s why I had to shoot my shot. Please don’t leave. ” He said, grabbing my hand, afraid of the vision that I might freak out.
“Can you shut up?” You replied in a harsh way, later realizing what you had done. “Shit, I didn’t mean… I just… you can speak. I’m just… Can you calm down? It sounds like your heart is going to run away from your body.” 
“Am I sweating or what?” He asked, curious how did you notice that his heart was fluttering.
“Oh no I actually… I can hear your heart beating. Very, very fast. And that you’re swallowing now the gulp of saliva, because you’re scared. I even hear professor Flitwick explaining the cheering charm to the 3rd years. And that Hagrid is coming, I think he’ll appear in this corridor in two minutes.”
“Your eyes have just changed from their natural  color. What is going on? Is something wrong? I am worried, I want to help you darling. ” He tried to comfort you, so you didn’t even notice the nickname. “Are you an Animagus? Metamorphmagus?”
“I’m a werewolf. I’m a werewolf, George. I’m so sorry, I know, I should’ve told you earlier. ” You admitted the truth, now being the one who’s afraid.
“No way! That’s so cool! I’m glad that I know! How many people know? Is this why you talked with Lupin? Can you show me your claws? And your transformation? ” The ginger got way too excited, so your job was to tone him down. 
“Shh, remember that we’re in corridors, when  we should be in classes. No one can know that we’re here. I’m so sorry for saying this, but I can’t show you. Not only is it irresponsible, but.. I can’t control anything since I was bitten. It might be because I’m that creature for the short term. I haven’t  learned to control it yet, no one was kind enough to show me. Oh wait, the only werewolf that I know and trust is Remus and I told him the news just today.”
“But you told me that you hear my heart beating...  It’s one of your abilities, right? ” He asked curiously.
“Yeah, it is. See, I either don’t know how to do things or they’re out of my control. I can smell like everything in this corridor right now, and trust me, when it’s mixed, it’s awful. I told you, I hear not only you, but even what’s happening in the charms classroom that is in front of us,” you took a deep breath, trying to gather your wits,
 “I also see the flying lessons from that window and I can recall every face of the students that are now attending that lesson. The problem is, that I don’t want to. This information is totally not needed by me, but I can’t control it.”
 “I can’t decide yet what I want to smell or hear… it’s really hard. That’s why I couldn’t answer you when you asked me on a date. I heard your heart, and it caused my headache, that’s why my friend took the lead and talked with you that day.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it! Now that I know what was happening, I can relax. Should I say sorry for the sound of my heart? I didn’t want to…”
“It’s okay.” You interjected, comforting him, while it’s you who needed the comfort. “It’s not that bad, since you consider us soulmates, me, remembering how your heart beat sounds, it’s quite romantic.” You smiled shyly, avoiding eye contact.
“Can I?” George started, but took a break, wishing that you know what he has in his mind. You didn’t, so you stared at him with interest. “Can I listen to your heart? I wish I could remember yours too.”
You nodded at him, but the boy was too awkward to start this. You took his hand, leading it slowly to your chest, getting out of your comfort zone. 
“You know, maybe you should rest your head on me. It won’t look as weird as you're almost touching my breasts. ” You started laughing, wondering if you’re  taking this too far.
“Alright then.” He got a little more confident, doing as you told him so. “And I was hoping that we were going to have sex.”
“And you’re my soulmate?? Man, I would never do it in public. In front of the charms' classroom? What if Flitwick or students… I can’t even say it. You’re something else, Weasley.” You patted him on his head, which was still resting on your arm.
“I was going to tell you something really important. But since you got too cocky, you’re gonna have to wait ‘til  our date. ” You started, feeling ready to explain to him about  the anchor. You didn’t change your mind, because you will tell him anyway. Since the two of you got way too comfortable around each other, you decided to tease him a little. 
“Oh please, don’t leave me hanging on. I can give you… something. ” He tried to convince you, taking some sweets from his pocket.
“No way, I know what you’re giving me. It’s Zonko’s hiccough sweet. Won’t happen. ” You replied, declining his offer. The bell ringing made you realize that the lesson has ended and the two of you should hide or at least make an excuse why didn’t you show up to your classes. Not only for the teachers, but for the friends' curiosity. What were you going to say? It seemed easier to just disappear than explain everything. 
“I’m sorry, but Fred is watching us and I think we have something to talk about.” George got up, waving to his brother. “See you tomorrow then? Please, don’t be late” He added, lending you a hand in case you wanted to stand up, but you kindly declined it, deciding to sit for a little longer.
“Where were you? I was freaking out until I noticed that George was also absent. Good for you that it’s the transfiguration you had missed, not potions. Snape would kill you, or make you clean his class. Now, tell me what happened. In detail, please. ” She begged you, making you sigh at that statement, knowing that you two will probably miss another lesson, talking about your new friend, or, more like, soulmate?
The date was about to begin in 30 minutes, you were sitting calmly in your dorm, listening to your friend’s rambling.
“What do you mean by saying that you have ‘a lot of time’? Is thirty minutes a lot? You aren’t ready at all! At least change your shirt.”
“Well, I wanted to dress up. Then I started thinking if I should wear something casual, since it’s just Friday night, and we’re staying in school, or should I wear something elegant, to make this date more serious. Next I had a little panic attack for the same reason. Finally, I decided that I’m not gonna dress up. Too much pressure.”
“So you’re going in the same clothes that you were wearing for the whole day?” She asked you, wishing you’ll decide to change.
“Yeah, I don’t want to make it official. We’ll see what is going to happen.”
“At least brush your teeth for Merlin’s sake! I bet this boy is ready for something more than listening to your heart. ” She joked, making you terrified.
“Damn, what if he really does? What If I won’t be able to control myself and change into a werewolf? That would be so humiliating.”
“No! I’m sorry, don’t panic. I think he’ll be excited to see you in that way. You mentioned that he was very cool about that. ” She tried to calm you.
“No, you don’t understand. I can’t control myself. What If I harm him? I don’t want to... If something like that happens, then for sure he won’t keep in touch with me. ” You said, pacing  around the dorm to not freak out.
“Oh trust me, this boy is weird. And he likes taking risks. I bet that he will laugh about it and get excited. ” She summed it up, wishing that it might cheer me up.
Because of her, you  finally decided to get up and change clothes. You still wanted to be comfortable, hoping that casual clothes would fit in that situation, whatever it may be that George has planned. 
After saying goodbye to your  friend, you found yourself in the corridors, walking slowly, focusing on breathing slowly. There’s no need to worry, right?
A couple of minutes later you noticed George, standing in front of the Great Hall, just as he said to you  earlier, leaning against the wall. He was looking down at the floor, bouncing his head, probably to the song that he couldn’t get rid of. You did not want to interrupt, enjoying the view from afar, but you knew you had no choice.
“Stressed?” You asked him, watching as his eyes slowly looked  upon you. “Not any longer. You came. ” He smirked, asking for permission to take my hand. “Why wouldn’t I? Yesterday was fun. ” You admitted, being curious where the two of you are heading to. 
Before you realized you were outside of  Hogwarts, George led you to the location where everything was prepared. You couldn’t help but wonder what he has in his mind. Is he worried that you may not like that? Is he excited to show you? Is it still a date or just a friendly meeting? 
Seconds later the view was starting to get familiar  the Black Lake was for sure mesmerizing, but what amazed you more was a huge, colorful blanket  with so much food on it. 
“Did you make it?” You asked, noticing that a flower crown was also laying on the blanket. “Which charm did you use?” The boy flushed at this question, feeling embarrassed.
“Oh, I didn’t use any charm. I got anxious after everything was prepared, so I had to get my hands busy. We were making flower crowns when Ginny was little, so I was worried that I might not do it properly, because it was long ago, but I’m actually proud of that one. ” George explained everything to you, starting to gain his confidence back, seeing that you liked what he had done. He helped you put it on your head, and then you sat down, looking at swans swimming in the lake.
“Do you think that we will eat everything? It looks like a feast for the whole school, or at least for one of the houses. ” The food in front of you was disappearing very, very slowly. Although George was eating all the time, the blanket was still full of all kinds of food. At first, you weren’t eager to try this food, knowing that George might have done something with it, but when he reached for the snacks, you followed his actions. 
Talking with him was really pleasant, you felt weirdly comfortable around him, but still the anchor thing was haunting you. Sometimes you couldn’t focus, thinking how are you going to explain it to him. It wasn’t that hard to make words come out of your mouth. What worried you was the commitment. Do you have to be his girlfriend immediately after that confession? Does that strengthen the bond between you two? Or will it mean nothing to him?
You could admit that you liked him. A lot. But those words sounded like you expected him to be more than your friend, and you did not want to rush things. Maybe you’ll consider telling it to him after the date? Depends on if it’s going to be good or end awkwardly? 
You decided to brush it off, asking out of nowhere.
“George, what’s like to prank people? Do you feel excited or embarrassed while making them?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve never pranked someone.” He said seriously, but seeing your face made him realize that you weren’t joking as well.
 “No way. We have to prank someone together. Get up. Plans are changed.” He ordered, making sure that you do what he told you to, and then throwing the spell that made the blanket disappear.
“Did someone get under your skin lately?” Weasley said, probably having the plan already made in his head.
“Filch is yelling at me every day. Apparently Mr. Norris is not fond of my Kneazle.”
“And you’re letting him treat you like that? We gotta do something.” 
Going back to Hogwarts was quick and exciting. You never pranked anyone but you heard a lot of stories about the twins doing it, and having a chance to make it with one of them next to you, made you hope that it’s going to be fun. George decided that you’re gonna make a potion that will make Filch speak nonsense, it is Babbling Beverage. 
To do this, you had to sneak into the potions classroom, which wasn’t the easiest task, but definitely the interesting one. 
Joking with Weasley was really easy, this boy was a comedian. Spending time with him opened your eyes, that not everything has to be taken seriously in life. He could make fun of anything, yet you felt comfortable with him, because he knew when he should stop. 
Collecting all the things needed to brew this potion  created a silence between you two,  because you focused on the responsibility to make it perfect. Considering the fact that neither of you were good in potions, doing all of this was a challenge. But you knew it was worth it. For all the things Filch said to you, offending you every day, you waited for the sweet, sweet revenge. 
Finally, feeling ready, you broke the silence. 
“George, I have to say something. Please don’t make fun of me.”
 “No worries darling. I literally came to you and asked you out even though we didn’t talk much. If you didn’t make fun of me, then I won’t do it to you.” He admitted, taking the ladle out of your hands.
“How much do you know about werewolves?” You started slowly, not wanting to get to the point so quickly.
“Not much. Just that you and Remus are the ones. And that something happens when there’s a full moon. Do you want to say that I should learn more? Because I could do that for you. ” He replied, like it wasn’t a big thing, but it made you smile wide.
“Oh, you don’t have to.” You said, not wanting to put the pressure on him. “You know, there’s a thing called  an Anchor.” You started, taking a deep breath to think what you should say.
“And what’s that?” He asked out of curiosity, wishing that you could explain everything now, because he hated living with the unawareness. “You can trust me.” He added, taking your palm in his and rubbing it slowly with his thumb.
“I don’t know how to say this. I’m nervous. It... it’s a thing, or a person... actually, it is a person, who can calm the werewolf. They don’t have to be next to the creature, just the thought of them makes the werewolf control everything, making them able to not transform into the beast... you know. ” You started messing up the words, feeling incredibly stressed, and the fact that George was staring deep in your eyes, didn’t help you at all.
“Sorry to bother you, but we have to wait one hour for this ingredient to get warmer. We can sit in the storeroom then.”   He took off his jacket, putting it on the floor to make the place a bit more cozy.
You sat next to him, staying silent, knowing that when he interrupted you, it could mean that he’s not interested in the werewolf things. “What you said about the anchor... I think it’s pretty romantic. But why did you mention it to me?” 
“Don’t make me say it Weasley. I really don’t want to. I don’t even think I can. ” You tried to make it obvious that it’s him, but he clearly wanted you to admit it out loud.
“No way, is it Snape? That’s why we’re sitting here? Or is it Filch? And you want to show him the affection through the pranks? You're a weirdo, Y/N.” He laughed.
 “And you clearly don’t know what I have in mind.” You said, getting the confidence you gained lately.
“Do you mean you’re going to change tonight? Should I run? Or try to keep you calm? ” He was asking.
“If someone’s going to be that dumb, I might harm him. Just in case. ” You tried to tease him back, not wanting to say those words.
“Can I kiss you? These threats sound so hot when it comes out of your mouth. ” He asked, so you nodded quietly, watching as he was leaning closer. “Just don’t bite me, or do it. I would be the best werewolf, and the most handsome one. ” He whispered between the kisses.
“Your heart is so freaking loud. Maybe we should stop, we don’t want you to die or have a heart attack. ” You replied, showing that you care.
“We don’t? I didn’t know that. Also, I thought that you can’t hear it anymore. Since I am your anchor, and all you do right now is think of me...” he said confidently, admitting the things you were scared to say.
“Glad you finally understood. But it doesn’t work like that...” You were eager to explain everything once more, yet George had the courage to interrupt you again.
“Shh, we will have the time for talking. I’m now stuck with you forever, to be your Prince Charming and hero when you won’t be able to control yourself. But you are able now, and the night is long…”
“Don’t be so sure.” You interjected, moving closer and deciding to sit on him.
As George said, the night was long. The two of you forgot about the potion you were making, focusing on something else.
 The worst thing was how easy the two of you fell asleep.
 Snape seeing you that morning, sleeping, covered with your robes, was quite surprised. And furious. He yelled at you, making you wake up, not knowing where you are and what you were doing last night.
 It was obvious that he’s going to serve detention for you.
 But what could possibly go wrong, now that you have your anchor beside you?
tagging some people: @weasleysandwheezes @nerdyblogger06 @georgeweasley-whore @georgeweasleysbabe @asimpfortheweasleys
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secret-engima · 3 years
Note
Here I am. The anon who enables. The enabler anon. Send forth your RWBY verses' rambles *opens arms wide to receive* (only if you want to of course)
ANON WHO ENABLES. ENABLER ANON. BLESS.
Wolfcury:
-Blake isn’t sure what to expect of her new teammates, but Ruby having a GIANT WOLFDOG is not one of them. It takes- a long time for Blake to not flinch and throw herself onto something high whenever Mercury shows up, even though he TRIES to not be a gremlin and bark or prank her.
-Weiss lasts maybe three days before she breaks out the baby talk. Because while Mercury is big he’s still a dog and we’ve seen how Weiss responds to Zwei. Mercury is annoyed by the baby talk and ignores her until Ruby convinces Weiss to “please just talk normally”. Then he will permit the scratching of ears.
-Weiss and Blake are both going to be SO SHOCKED (and upset) that Mercury is actually a person and they were never told.
-Ruby gets super into prosthetics and the building of them because of Mercury. She knows they can get him a prosthetic human leg, but it’s not going to transform into a wolf leg when he does. That technology just- doesn’t exist in that specific way yet. So Ruby decides at age ten or so that she’s gonna make one.
-Ruby: It’s transform when you do and it’ll be great and it’s also gonna be a *gun*.
-Mercury: Ruby I have teeth and claws, I don’t need a gun for a leg.
-Ruby, excitedly drawing prototype blueprints: GUNLEG.
-She does in fact build him a transforming gunnel with Velvet’s help. Mercury is a goodnatured Sigh.
-MercuryxEmerald is the eventual ship planned, and Yang teases him mercilessly for it once she’s sure Emerald is serious about defecting to the good guys. I’m also dabbling in Rosegarden (is that the ship name? OscarxRuby) because the idea of Ruby going from “ew crushes” to having one of her own amuses the heck out of me.
Always I Dreamed (Raven AU):
-Raven has a propensity for adopting things, as evidenced by Ozpin and later Emerald. But it doesn’t stop with them, and her habits are infectious. At various points in Yang’s childhood, she gets a gruff ex-assassin sibling from Mom (Mercury), two adorable cousins from Uncle Qrow (Ren and Nora), one angry older sister bandit (Vernal), a Cool Big Sister Figure with Fire Powers (Amber), and of also another Big Sister with Many Issues of The Anger that Raven carefully helps her work through. This particular big sister is a fav of Ruby’s because she can make cool toys from black glass.
-Yes Raven is fixit adopting Cinder
-No I didn’t see that coming either, neither did Raven. It just kinda- happened.
-Raven absolutely sings RWBY songs sometimes. Usually “Home” as a sibling lullaby for Qrow and later Team STORQ, then later All Our Days for her kids. But sometimes she can be heard humming other themes under her breath.
Azur verse:
-I’ve mentioned that Ozpin is a former Khara and proceeds to adopt Azur the feral Khara child, but I can’t resist touching on how Azur and Qrow meet.
-Azur is feral bby. He woke up in this world in the wilds and his Semblance (or magic, Oz is still not sure which it is) saved him from Grimm, and Azur tended to follow Grimm everywhere because they kept the other predators away. So this child is very feral when Oz finally coaxes him into his house. Azur is also protective and dedicated and knows that the only two people who come here are Ozdad and Housekeeper Lady.
-So when Qrow, very drunk and newly returned from a mission, decides to crash on Oz’s couch, Azur doesn’t have a clue that this is normal and fine. Cue Qrow being attacked and knocked out by a very persistent and angry 7-10 year old.
-Ozpin comes home to a trashed living room, a very proud Azur, and a Qrow who has been tied up using every bit of rope, string, or wire Azur could find and is nursing both a concussion and a hangover.
-Ozpin unties Qrow and explains he’s welcome here once he’s stopped laughing himself sick.
Dragon Yang:
-Yang really likes Ozpin. *Really* likes him. It’s not a crush or anything, but she went from a world soaked in magic to Remnant which has barely any left and it makes her feel off balance and numb. Then she goes to Beacon and the Headmaster HAS MAGIC. She can feel it. So she starts to heavily gravitate toward him when possible because he feels “normal”
-Ozpin, who has been the object of many school hood crushes, takes a bit to realize that Yang is not yet another student with a crush. And then he’s confused on why she keeps falling into his orbit when possible.
-He has no idea that in this magic-starved world, he is basically the living equivalent of dragon slayer catnip.
-Oznip.
-Ruby also thinks Yang has a crush and is thoroughly grossed out because *Yang he’s a TEACHER*. Yang just laughs at her baby sister’s discomfort.
Noctscar:
-Luna wakes up slowly, in fits and starts and dreams of rain and a knife in her side. She wakes up to the cold, to the loneliness, and then wakes up further because no child should have to deal with this.
-Luna wakes up when she is once again eleven years old and stares at herself in the mirror.
-Weiss Schnee, second daughter of Willow and Jaques Schnee, looks back. And looks *tired*.
-Her sister has already joined Altas academy and is on the fast track to the military, and though she loves her sister, it smacks greatly of Ravus from a lifetime ago and Luna cannot bear to look at Winter sometimes because of it.
-She dotes on her little brother, on poor Whitley who is neither stubborn like Winter or an old soul like Luna and yet is stuck in this abusive, neglectful household. She tries to shield him from mother’s blank stares and father’s sharp bursts of temper. She has lived with bruises like this before, better she take it than Whitley.
-When she is young, she hears on the news in school that there was a mining accident, that a great many Faunus died. While the rest of her classmates titter, one girl who Luna always avoided because she hung out with a crowd Luna didn’t trust, bursts into tears and turns bright blue. The other girls recoil. Luna sits down next to the girl and holds her hand, not hiding the tears falling from her own face at the thought of such massive loss of life.
-She never sees the Faunus girl again, but it is a wake up call. A reminder that something is very likely *wrong* with her father’s company. So she investigates.
-She is twelve the first time she sneaks out in a hoodie and a little painted theater mask. She makes it all the way down to Mantle, and there she reaches for blistered hands and weary souls. She is no longer an Oracle, but magic is of the soul and she remembers it well. When she calls, golden magic answers. She heals until she is exhausted, and somehow she manages to make it home without falling over or getting caught by Klein. She does it again, in between recitals and school and taking care of Whitley, she continues to sneak down to Mantle. Never speaking, never showing her face (they would hate her for her blood if they knew, she knows, reject her help if they saw her white hair and blue eyes), but always helping and healing where she can.
-The people of Mantle name her. Ghost, they call her.
-Moon Angel, the Faunus whisper. Helper, healer, lost soul.
-When she is thirteen, Luna signs up to a combat school despite her father’s disapproval. When Whitley clings to her in fear that she too will abandon him as Winter has (Winter visits to rarely, and always her attention rests solely on Weiss when she does and it makes Luna so *angry*), Luna tells him her plan. She will become a Huntress, and when she has her license, nothing will stop her from coming and taking him away from this place. She will be able to make money to provide for them, to free them from this cold palace of finery and recitals and empty wine bottles and bruises under their clothes in the shape of a man’s hands.
-When she is seventeen she applies to Beacon rather than Atlas, in defiance more than desire. She bids Whitley goodbye and promises once again to come back for him, he just needs to hold on a little longer.
-There is faith in his eyes as he waves her off. Luna died keeping her word, her duty, in another life. She will do no less here.
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bossbex · 3 years
Text
5x06 Reaction
JARCHIE!!! I missed their interactions so much... like honestly in S4 they barely spoke.  I’m loving the “roommates” dynamic.  
Ok the kevin/fangs/toni apartment(?) is... amazing!!
I love how they hired actual teenagers (or close to it) to play the high school kids... since all the “teachers” were playing high school students, what, 3 episodes ago?? 
Ok mechanic Betty is SO HOT
DORITOS I AM CRYING AT THIS PRODUCT PLACEMENT
Veronica’s taking over the Blue Velvet!!! Why not reuse that set lmao
Thoughts on this initial barchie interaction: 
I’ve seen all the discourse about it seeming like Archie doesn’t care about Betty’s problems, or not taking them seriously, and people comparing Archie’s “oof - that sucks” to jughead’s “white noise” speech in 1x08 (which I thought was cringy AF and I even liked b*ghead at the time) and here’s what I’ll say: 
His “oof - that sucks” comment as MATCHING Betty’s tone - she says it kind of matter of factly and with a bit of an eyeroll, she does NOT seem very upset about it, and she is a grown ass adult who DOESN’T need Archie’s condolences in that moment - and Archie knows that. 
She then brings up Polly, and Archie ASKS A FOLLOW UP QUESTION: “didn’t your mom say she does this? Takes off for a couple of days” which shows that he is referring to a previous conversation about this - they’ve BEEN talking about it and he DOES care (not to mention they showed that he had texted her about Polly at the end of the last episode)
She says she’s trying not to panic - because she knows this is something Polly does and may not actually be in danger - SO HE OFFERS A DISTRACTION during a time when she is basically asking for one, and then SHE COMES UP WITH THE IDEA OF WHERE TO GO HAVE SEX
Anyway I have argued with enough people on twitter about this lol.. I feel strongly.  Also, this scene was super cute and both Archie and Betty look so good in it.  
I love Tabitha.  Smart, enterprising, witty... I’m all for the Jugitha pairing. (seriously though, is a ship name decided for them? I’ve seen Tabhead and Jabitha as well, lol.  
Uhhhhh ok this car sex scene? It somehow feels even more explicit than the shower scene?? The moaning and breathing?? HOW DARE THESE STONEWALL KIDS INTERRUPT THIS
LMAO NIGHT JOGGING
Is it just me or is Sheriff Keller looking really hot? Silver fox??  
I have to note that Archie’s hair colour looks SO BAD in this whole episode but especially this football scene with the Reggie confrontation.  It’s like, almost burgundy? But somehow bright orange at the same time? I hate it.  
Ok Cole is absolutely nailing this “down on his luck, beaten down” adult Jughead.  His character is funny all the sudden?? I love that he kept the money in the tip jar like OF COURSE
Ok Chad coming into Veronica’s class HE’S THE WORST!!! And then SITTING AT THE BACK I HATE HIM SO MUCH FOR THIS
Alright, now we have another scene that has people talking, which is where Archie meets Chad.  My thoughts: 
Archie clearly sizes up Chad.  I mean, he dated Veronica for 3-ish years (in the show’s timeline) so yeah, it’s normal to meet your ex’s new partner and size them up.  It read more like “he thinks Chads a douche” as opposed to “he’s jealous of Chad because he wants to be with V”.  
They show makes a point of showing Betty’s reaction to them meeting.  THIS SHOT IS NOT RANDOM.  Yes, I’m sure the show will go there, she’ll get jealous of V at some point.  Betty thinking that Archie is jealous of Chad is not the same as Archie actually being jealous of Chad.  
I kind of loved how Chad just jumps in here to join in the karaoke night - he didn’t redeem himself from the previous scene where he SAT IN THE BACK OF HER CLASS WHILE SHE WORKED but I like how they’re not playing him completely evil
Next scene: BETTY AND TONI ARE TALKING!!! I REPEAT!!! BETTY AND TONI ARE TALKING!!! Seriously, it’s so refreshing that they’re actually letting all kinds of new dynamics and character interactions happen this season.  
Also, NEDSLIST!!!! THIS SHOW!!!!
I am living for Cheryl being completely beautiful whilst yelling at construction workers.  
So like... she actually doesn’t have that much money. She couldn’t really afford the donation for the school... I kind of wish that once she says “I can’t afford it” people would like, not keep pushing? I’m looking at you Toni, whom I absolutely adore, I just wish the writers didn’t make it like Cheryl’s being squeezed dry.  I get that it’s needed for plot purposes but I don’t love it.  
Kevin and Betty are friends again!!! Love it!!! 
Karaoke night thoughts: 
At no point is Jughead hanging out or interacting with the rest of the group.  He stays separate from them - with Tabitha, which I appreciate, but I am just noting this because I’m sure it was done purposefully. 
“She probably forgot it’s Gekko now” uhhhh didn’t Toni announce V as “Veronica Gekko” in the last episode?? LOL THE SHADE
I love Veronica’s voice
Ok so Chad actually comes off so great in this scene?? I guess this is part of his manipulation - come off as such a great guy in front of all her friends to get them to like him? 
Jughead’s reaction to the duet is so me every time I’ve watched people do karaoke lmao
During the “or do you need more? Is there something else you’re searching for” they cut to Archie’s and Betty’s reaction.  Archie is not thinking about V in that moment.  
I am not seeing one iota of jealousy from Archie.  He looks genuinely happy for them.  
This Chad and Veronica bed scene makes me uncomfortable.  But I’m glad they’re showing their softer moments! 
The Archie/football recruitment sequence... Chad in the back of Veronica’s classroom again??? HOW IS THIS HAPPENING I HATE THIS!! Also, this is another scene where Chad looks jealous of Archie... not the other way around. 
Britta!!! I love her.  And I feel like the writers inserted her in specifically for Britta Lundin, former Riverdale writer and acclaimed author (read her book Ship It, seriously, it’s so good), and I love that. BUT THE WAY ARCHIE LOOKS AT BETTY IN THIS SCENE IS THAT EVEN LEGAL
We get the first glimpse Toni’s “Operation Bring Cheryl Out Of Hiding” plan here, when Archie asks her for funding for the football team and says its earmarked for something else (hmmmmmmm... this plan has been in the works for a while... and I’m here for it) 
Ok. This scene where Archie goes to ask Cheryl for money is... a mess.  My first reaction is that it was so OOC for Archie to bring up Jason in that way.  Then I got to thinking... Archie probably would want to honour his dad in that way and was genuinely suggesting that as something that might actually be helpful to her, as opposed to purposely trying to manipulate her.  He knows what it’s like to lose a family member, he just didn’t realize that Cheryl doesn’t grieve in the same way. The boy doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body.  Anyway, now he’s been banished from Thornhill! But don’t we see him (and everyone) there in a bts photo from possibly 5x08? Isn’t that at Thornhill? Will this be addressed or will the writers just forget it ever happened?
I love Betty and Kevin investigating together. It’s so refreshing. 
Ok this place Jughead is going to is legit the creepiest shit I’ve ever seen.  I am having trouble making myself care about this “Mothmen” plot??
Betty’s “Straight to the Point” interrogation style is actually effective in this truck stop stakeout scene.  
Alice again with her wine... I wonder if there will actually be an “Alice is an alcoholic” storyline or is the wine just part of her personality now?
Ok like it’s so inappropriate for a teacher to be wearing an HBIC shirt BUT I AM HERE FOR THIS DRAMATIC VIXENS HALLWAY WALK!! And Toni is correct, Cheer is a sport so sit down, Archie.  Notably Toni adds in “not even Cheryl managed to do that” - I’m thinking she new Ms. Bell would be eavesdropping ;)
WHY IS THIS PORTAIT OF JASON WORTH SO MUCH?? 
Is this Minerva character going to be important?? I keep seeing people talking about how she and Cheryl are going to hook up but is that just because she’s a female character who interacts with Cheryl? I’m not seeing it yet but hey, it’s Riverdale.  
JUGHEAD BRINGING UP THE EPIC HIGHS AND LOWS OF HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL I SCREAMED
Seriously though, since we know Jughead wasn’t there when Archie said that, there’s two options: Either Archie told him he said it, or (my preferable theory) Archie used to just SAY THAT REGULARLY and has said it in front of Jug lmao.
Chad again seems legit supportive when she tells him about her jewelry store plan?? THEY’RE SO UP AND DOWN!!! 
Ok, so Betty is an FBI agent (trainee, whatever) and she JUST NOW THOUGHT OF TRACING POLLY’S CELL PHONE
This scene... when Veronica finds out Chad has been talking to Hiram behind her back... this is where she decides she’s done with Chad. 
Another scene with Archie - I am still getting zero vibes that he’s into Veronica? And zero vibes that Veronica’s into Archie? It makes complete sense that Veronica would want to help the bulldogs.  Chad is a total dick here and is definitely threatened by Archie... again, not the other way around.  Side note: Chad, if threatened by Archie, is a TOTAL IDIOT for suggesting Archie renovates the Pembrooke - like, he’s going to be working? All the time? Where Veronica is staying? And probably taking his shirt off because he’s sweaty from all the working?? WHYYYYY WOULD CHAD ENCOURAGE THIS
This little flirty scene between Jughead and Tabitha (and it’s the first that I would say has any flirty undertones whatsoever) is pretty cute.  
THIS BARCHIE PORCH SCENE I HAVE THOUGHTS
The fact that people are suggesting Betty showed up there because she wanted to talk to Jughead is SENDINNNNGGGGGG
Let’s be clear, she only asked about Jughead so she could make sure he wasn’t home so that she could bone Archie. There is no other interpretation for this. 
THIS IS THE BEST BARCHIE KISS TO DATE
They are playing the song from the porch scene in the pilot... DON’T TELL ME BARCHIE IS MEANINGLESS WHEN THEY ARE USING THIS SONG
I think the fact that this is the first time they had sex and we didn’t see it is meaningful - they are showing that the relationship is deepening and they are more than “just sex”
As Betty leaves, Archie looks like he wants to reach out for her and then stops himself - he is definitely falling hard and he’s afraid Betty isn’t feeling the same way
Ok, Cheryl is straight up wearing lingerie in Toni’s office!!! And the red lipstick is back - notably, throughout the entire show, she has worn the red lipstick as a kind of shield - she never has it for her “vulnerable” scenes.  Seems like that is still happening. AND this is where we see Boss Toni’s plan come into fruition - she started up the vixens and MADE SURE CHERYL FOUND OUT ABOUT IT because she knew that was the one thing that would make Cheryl come out of her Thornhill hiding spot.  Well played, Toni.  
Archie and Veronica announcing the bulldog funding... again, I’m not seeing ANY “romantic/attraction” vibes here? He does react when she says her last name is Lodge again but like, anyone would? 
MS. BELL YOU GOSSIP I’M OK WITH YOU REPORTING TO CHERYL BUT I DRAW THE LINE AT HIRAM
Is Reggie... filing his nails? Lmao
I really hope Polly isn’t dead?? Like I very much want a Polly redemption story!! 
Sooooo I guess Archie and Jughead are both going to die in this fire? Lol... well... they’re main characters so I’m sure they’re good.  
I’m doooone for this week! So far really enjoying the timejump? Obviously because of barchie but also, everyone is just - better. 
Well this turned out to be a novel.  If you made it this far, thanks for reading :) 
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taeminstetrislips · 3 years
Text
School Trip Series-Italy Pt. 1
Johnny, Jaehyun, Xiaojun, Sungchan, and Renjun x (fem)reader
Rome
You finally arrive at the Rome Ciampino Airport. The first official steps you take on Italian soil... or... concrete. Your group from school gathers together for a quick head count and then to the travel bus to pack your luggage. After gathering on the bus, you almost choose to sit next to a random girl you had become acquainted with earlier. This trip was put together by one of your college professors who offered to take the students from his European Art History classes. However, only a few from your specific class time chose to come and most of the people were from other class periods. Before you commit to a seat partner, you hear your name being called from the back of the bus. You look up to see that the voice belongs to Johnny. He’s so loud this early in the morning, probably because he’s already on his second coffee, but you’re grateful for the invitation and choose to sit next to him. He was sort of the class clown and you’re flattered that he remembers you. His group of friends had some familiar faces in it as well. Xiaojun was the one that always got picked on before class started and constantly asked the professor questions during the tests; Sungchan was quiet but you recognized his face and only remembered his name because of attendance every morning; and Renjun was one of the visual arts majors that always offered a really interesting perspective on the composition of paintings.
“Thanks for sitting with me, these losers all ditched me for each other. I was worried I would have to sit with that girl from class who doesn’t shower,” Johnny says, causing the memory to resurface of the girl when you sat next to her the first day. You even had to change the unofficial-official seating chart the next class period to avoid her. That definitely wouldn’t be an issue here because these guys smelled surprisingly good. You couldn’t pin down whose cologne it was that was so nice.
“Is she on this trip?” you ask.
“I thought so. Maybe it wasn’t her,” he responds. You stand up to look around for her quickly but can’t see much beyond the other students loading the bus. Your eyes land on the person sitting next to Xiaojun and realize you don’t recognize him.
“Hi, I don’t know you yet. My name is Y/n.” You hold out your hand to shake his and take in the way his dimples deepen as he smiles and introduces himself back to you.
“Jaehyun,” he says. You sink back down into your seat after releasing his hand.
Johnny explains that all five of them were supposed to take the class together but Jaehyun’s schedule got changed somehow and he had to take it at a different time.
Xiaojun hugs Jaehyun from behind and says, “We missed him but it’s okay because we convinced him to come on the trip with us.”
“He even worked part-time with me at the front desk of the University Center to save up some money,” Sungchan chimes in.
As the bus lurches forward to start your journey, you start up a conversation by asking everyone what they major in and what year in college they were in. Your discussion is interrupted by your professor standing and announcing that he has a story.
“Now don’t be too worried but I may be a wanted criminal at our first location,” he begins. Multiple students interject with sounds of humor and surprise. You aren’t too shocked as he has often told your class stories of his rebellious past. It’s always the 400 level professors. “This happened a long time ago so don’t judge me too harshly. But, when I traveled to Rome the first time, I actually stole a small chunk of it.” A few students gasp. “Yes this is illegal. Please don’t do what I did, dear God. But I did get away with it.”
Some random person asks, “Why though?”
“Well you see there was this girl I was flirting with and long story short, I did it to impress her.” You can tell he’s a little embarrassed and most of the students are laughing at him. He says that the moral of the story is that airport security is better now than it was back in the 80s and you’ll probably be caught and arrested if you try to do it.
The trip doesn’t take too long and before you know it, you’re stepping out into beautiful Rome. You have a bit of a walk before you make it to the first stop: The Colosseum. Johnny stops abruptly and looks at the huge structure as if sizing it up.
“I think I could fit that in my luggage,” he says nonchalantly.
Sungchan pipes up, “What girl are you trying to impress Johnny? Y/n?”
“Yes,” Johnny looks at you, “Is it working?” You just respond by shaking your head no. He pretends to be upset by imitating a mad toddler and stomping his foot and pouting. The rest of the group just walks on without him. You can’t deny the architectural beauty of this ancient amphitheater. Smallish groups begin to form as you all start walking and exploring. The few of you choose to break off and head down to explore the tunnels underneath the exposed floor. Surprisingly there weren’t many visitors down there at that time besides you six. After a brief moment of walking and admiring it, Johnny abruptly pushes Renjun on the arm screaming, “You’re it!” before taking off into the distance for an abrupt game of tag. The others take off in different directions, turning behind corners and hiding wherever possible. Renjun complains first about not wanting to play but runs away anyway as soon as he catches a glimpse of Sungchan’s arm. You decide to hang back, letting them be unsure of whether or not you were joining the game. Soon you duck behind a wall and your heart starts pumping with the adrenaline of potentially being caught. Trying not to run too fast and be respectful. However, you end up stopping once Sungchan appears around the corner and chases after you. He grabs your shoulder and turns around to take off before you can tag him back. You take off after him anyway, still looking in each corridor for the other players. He manages to dip out of sight, but you spot Johnny peek his head out of one of the archways ahead. When he turns his head to look in your direction, you’re already running toward him, causing him to turn around another wall. Once you reach the passage that you thought he turned down you slow down to turn into it, only to be met with Jaehyun jumping out and scaring you. Your hands stretch out as if to block him. He must be unaware that you’re “it” because he grabs your wrists and pulls you deeper into his hiding spot, apologizing for scaring you and laughing simultaneously. His voice is pretty low when he laughs and you realize- oh my god- he has a dad laugh. It’s kind of wholesome though.
You ask, “Do you know who’s ‘it’ right now?”
He responds, “No I honestly have no clue,” then turns to look at you to be met with the evil look in your eyes.
“It’s me.” He tries to run from you but you’re already on his heels before you both see your professor walking toward you. You both immediately slow down your pace to a slow walk and do a bad job of acting casual as you pass him. Clearly out of breath, your professor walks past saying,
“Almost time to get going guys. And stay out of trouble,” before continuing on to look for other students. It’s hard to tell if he was judging you or not with his sunglasses on. Trying to hold back laughter, the two of you speed up to a fast walk and try to find the rest of your friend group. When you find Johnny, he’s already rounded up the gang.
You feel Jaehyun elbow you in the side and when you look to him in confusion, he just says, “You’re it,” and keeps walking. You jog to catch up with him pushing him as you pass him to meet up, shooting a look over your shoulder at him. He smirks, knowing this game isn’t over. You’re all guided back to the bus as you make your way to stop for lunch before your second destination. There’s a lingering exhilaration you feel as you never know when Jaehyun is going to “tag” you next. Sometimes he leans over to talk to Johnny, showing how easily he could just reach over and get you. When you get off the bus, he stands back and holds out an arm as if saying “ladies first.” With him right behind you, you feel the need to stay right up behind Johnny on the way out, but run into him once when you aren’t careful. You mutter an apology and he says it’s okay but you can feel a bit of heat run to your face in a blush.
Once off the bus, the large group is told that there are many restaurants and cafes in this area and we can choose whatever we like for lunch. Of course, your group sticks together as you make your way out to observe what looks good.
Sungchan jokes, “ We could always hit the Burger King we saw on the way back there.” You laugh, but Xiaojun is unamused.
He says, “There is no way the first meal I’m having in Rome, in Italy is going to be Burger King.”
“I think we kind of have to have pizza, right y/n?” Renjun inputs.
“I agree,” you say, pulling out the trusty old Google search of “pizza near me” So many options pop up and you offer a place that doesn’t seem to have prices too high. The guys all agree and you start your walk in that direction.
Once you arrive, the five of you are seated at the charming location and decide on two pizzas, one with seemingly inoffensive ingredients and one a little adventurous with pears and sweet gorgonzola. At first, you’re a bit hesitant to try the sweet pizza, thinking it will be like pineapple on pizza or something, but you can’t refuse when Xiaojun tries it and makes such a big deal of asking you to try while holding his slice out to you to take a bite. When you do, you understand his reaction because it really is very amazing. I mean, you should’ve expected this. It is real, authentic Italian pizza.
After finishing lunch, you make your way to the second location: The Spanish Steps. You can see that your group was running a little late because your professor quickly waved you all over toward the large group and explained that he was hoping to get a few group photos here because the location is so picturesque. Of course, you’d all be fighting for a spot but eventually after waiting a while, the professor was able to get someone to take a photo for all of you as you spread yourself out on the steps. He offered to also take pictures for any smaller groups or individuals who wanted a photo. You can see some people start to split off and pose for instagram feed pictures or take small group photos, then offer to take a picture for the guys.
Johnny protests saying, “Nuh-uh, you have to be in the picture too!” You can’t hide the smile on your face from feeling included while Johnny goes to ask your professor to take your photo. You all pose in a nice formation for the picture and then your professor counts down.
After he takes a few, he says, “Okay, now a funny one.”
They all try their best to do something funny or make a funny face. But you never know what to do during these so you look around at them for ideas and you’re just about to copy Sungchan’s peace sign and cheesy smile when you feel someone’s arms grab your back and behind the knees, sweeping you into a bridal style hold. It’s not until Jaehyun’s head sweeps under your arm that you realize it was him.
You look at him with a shocked expression and he doesn’t even glance at you while he smiles for the camera saying, “You’re it.”
Masterlist
There's part 1 of Italy! Let me know if you enjoyed this by liking or commenting on this post! Whichever trip photo and chapters get the most likes or comments are the ones I’ll update first so feel free to give me feedback! I’m thinking this will be sort of a choose-your-own adventure so you can read all the alternative endings with each member.
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faulty-writes · 4 years
Text
Warning: Self esteem issues, Negative thoughts. 
Fandom: My Hero Academia 
Pairing: BirthdayBoy!Tenya Iida x Reader 
[ Hello, it’s your favorite writer here with some Tenya Iida comfort! I wrote this because of a little drama tiff I had with a roleplay server. I will never understand why some people get so angry with honesty. But, when life gives you lemons...write a fic. Anyways. I hope you enjoy, I love Tenya Iida and I couldn’t believe I forgot his birthday. So this is my contribution to his birthday as well as a comfort fic! Happy late birthday, Tenya! Love you. At some point, I must write another Tensei fic. ] 
 [ When Tenya said he was going to visit his family for his birthday, you got a little upset considering you had, with Izuku’s help, planned a special birthday surprise for him. But, as of late, you had been second-guessing your relationship with Tenya. More specifically if you deserved him or not, these thoughts seemed to hit you hard on Tenya’s birthday and much like your friends, you tried to push him away. But Tenya, will not have it. ] 
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Tenya didn’t think much of birthdays, especially his. He didn’t favor the idea of getting presents, for he believed it was better to be happy with what you already had. However, he wasn’t ungrateful by any means, no. He loved being able to spend a celebratory day with his friends and family. In fact, he had just gotten back from the Iida Estate. His family insisted he spend the day with them, though Tenya was rather upset about it seeing as he would have rather spent his birthday with not only his friends but you.
For you were the light of his life, his muse, the one he could not live without. He was pleasantly surprised upon arriving at the student dorm and was greeted with decorations and the friendly cheers of Class A. With your help, Izuku had planned a surprise party and while Tenya was rather grateful for the cake and small pile of presents, he couldn’t help but wonder where you were. “Y/n?” Uraraka repeated and Tenya nodded, “Yes!” he said, enthusiastically chopping his hand through the air.
“I would very much like to see them! For they are always in my thoughts and I quite missed them, even though I was happy to see my family. Y/n is the one I desire to spend time with the most.” he shared and a soft swoon of “Aw’s” filled the room, a few of the girls thought his small proclamation of love was adorable. While some of the boys merely gagged or laughed at his words, something that Tenya didn’t appreciate. However, he remained quiet and focused his attention on Uraraka and Izuku, his two dearest friends who sat with him on the couch.
Izuku looked at Uraraka a moment before turning back to Tenya, “Iida-kun, I’m not sure what happened. But Y/n’s been cooped up in their room since school ended.” he shared, earning a concerned yet surprised expression from Tenya. “Did something happen?” he questioned, though he resisted the urge to activate his quirk and run to you. Uraraka shrugged, “All I know is they left in a hurry, I didn’t even get a chance to talk to them when class ended. They were already out the door.” she explained with a hand to her chest.
Tenya pressed his lips together and his heart seemed to sink in his chest, the feeling of worry beginning to make his stomach twist. In one fluent movement, he rose from the couch. His sudden action caused his friends to gasp, but he quickly raised his hand as if to silence them. “Rest assured, I am alright. I simply feel the need to check on Y/n.” he said, “Perhaps I could see what is wrong,” Uraraka glanced to the side before grabbing Tenya’s arm.
“Wait, Iida, if you’re going I have something that might help,” she said, pulling a cheerful grin before she bounced off to the kitchen. Tenya looked at her strangely before his gaze shifted to Izuku who shrugged. “Hm.” Tenya placed his hands on his hips, almost impatiently waiting for Uraraka to return. However, he didn’t expect to be handed a plate with two pieces of birthday cake. “There!” she declared as she clasped her hands together, her cheeks rosy red. “This will break the ice for sure, no one can say no to sweet treats!” Tenya looked at the cake with a raised eyebrow as Uraraka giggled.
“Well, I...I do suppose that is quite a valid point…” he said before taking a deep breath, “Thank you for the birthday party Midoriya-kun, it was well organized. Please inform everyone that I am most thankful for their presents as well, perhaps I’ll open them later.” he gave a nod before he started down the hall, he knew where your dorm room was by heart. Though in such a small living space, it only made logical sense he knew where your room was. Still, he found himself feeling nervous. The way Uraraka and Izuku made it sound, it was almost as though you were upset about something.
Too ashamed to show your face for the moment or was it that he had upset you? He knew that you wanted to spend his special day together, yet he had informed you that he had other plans. That is spending the free portion of his birthday after school with his family, perhaps he should have made an effort to invite you. After all, he wasn’t ashamed of his relationship with you. Quite the opposite, he loved spending time with you, he loved talking about you. The fact you brought a new meaning to his otherwise dull life was beyond any word of praise.
He tightened his grip on the plate as he stood in front of your door, part of him hoped Uraraka was correct when she stated the sweets would help ease tension. Hesitantly Tenya reached out, folding his hand into a fist before knocking three times. The sound echoed through the hall and Tenya brought his hand to rest at his side. “Y/n? It’s Tenya, will you please open the door? I brought you something I do hope you’ll enjoy!” he called, but got no response. He lowered his eyebrows, “Strange.” you never shut him out, even though he understood at times there were things you wanted to keep to yourself.
He would never push or force anything out of you, but your lack of an answer only caused him more worry. He swallowed and knocked once more, “Y/n, please...my love, open the door so I can see your face.” Tenya’s voice was soft, though there was a hint of anxiety hidden within it. Something the normally calm and collected boy didn’t show. Yet, he continued to get no response. He stared at the door a moment before reaching for the handle, surprised to find it was unlocked. He carefully opened it, however, it gave a loud creak and Tenya was worried he might have startled you because of it.
In actuality, you were laying on your bed with the blanket draped over you. The lights were off, casting the room in a dark shadow which made it tricky for Tenya to navigate. But regardless, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He could faintly see your outline, which honestly just looked like a lump on the bed. “Y/n?” he whispered as he carefully walked over, one hand held out in case he bumped into anything while the other continued to hold onto that plate for dear life. He hated messes and it would be a shame if cake stained the floor.
Once he got close, he carefully placed the plate onto your nightstand and slowly reached his hand out to you. “Y/n…” he repeated as he gently touched your back, but you seemed to shy away from his touch. “Mm…” Tenya grew cross, almost tempted to rip that blanket off. But he knew that would be too hasty, surely not the action of a proper boyfriend. So instead, he took a breath and proceeded to sit on the bed. It dipped and the springs created an eerie sound, adjusting to the added weight.
“Are you well? I’ve returned from visiting my family and I…” he lifted his hand, wanting to touch you again. “I’m afraid I must apologize, for I...I did not have much of a choice in the matter. I would have much rather spent my birthday celebration with you.” honestly, you weren’t upset you couldn’t spend the day with Tenya. Well, maybe a little. You did want to make his birthday special, you had planned the surprise party with Izuku but when Tenya gave you the news he’d be spending the better half of his day with his family.
It hurt, you knew it wasn’t Tenya’s fault. He came from a very rich and heroic family, with standards you couldn’t possibly understand. He seemed downright proud and prideful of his family, the way he spoke about the Iida’s accomplishments throughout the generations was...incredible to say the least. Maybe that’s what was truly upsetting you, the fact that compared to Tenya...you were really nothing. You didn’t come from a rich family, much like Uraraka your family seemed to struggle financially. Your quirk wasn’t as impressive as the other students and you seemed to be lacking in your academic studies.
In other words, you were poor with no heroic lineage whatsoever, and despite being with Tenya. One of the most intelligent students in the class, your grades were slipping. Even Mineta had managed to rise in the ranks above you. It was pathetic. Maybe the best birthday gift you could give Tenya was space, it was a defeating feeling. Something that had been plaguing your mind the whole day and by the end, you wanted to hide away. Maybe it wasn’t right, keeping all this to yourself. You should be open and honest with Tenya and your friends, you knew they cared about you.
But, what if they laughed? Would they think your problems were silly? You knew Tenya took such things very seriously, he wouldn’t rest when he knew someone he cared about was in pain. He’d do whatever it took as a future Pro Hero to make sure everyone, especially those he cared for, were safe and that they had a reason to smile again. Still, you couldn’t help but tighten your hands around the blanket. Knuckles turning white and slightly trembling. “W-Why?” you finally spoke from underneath the covers, taking Tenya by surprise. His eyes slightly wide and he leaned back, confused.
“Why?” he repeated, was the answer not obvious? Perhaps he wasn’t clear, with that in mind. He leaned over, estimating where your head and more specifically your ear was. He gently draped his arm around you and pressed his lips against your ear, though he would have preferred direct contact. The blanket was the only thing separating you from him. He took a deep breath, your scent lingered on the bed covers which he found settled his nerves.
“My love...you are the chaos to my order, the sun to my moon, the one whom I have adored and admired for far too long. The one I cherish with all my heart and want with every fiber of my being. I would gladly reschedule any date or day to spend it with you. Do you not realize that? You mean a great deal to me, for without you. I am afraid I would be lost, forever asking why I must suffer in this life alone. For you are the one that fills my heart and gives me a greater sense of purpose.” he said before proceeding to lean against you, something that caused you to give a soft grunt.
Tenya wasn’t heavy, but his added weight certainly didn’t help you. Still, Tenya nestled his head against yours and you could feel those muscular arms close around you. “I love you and as such, I want to spend every waking moment making you the happiest person on Earth.” the words were whispered softly and you clenched your jaw, eyes squeezing shut. Why did Tenya have to say such meaningful words? In a way it made you angry, it was almost as if he were praising you when you weren't worthy of such a thing.
A deep growl came from your throat, something that caused Tenya to lift his head. “Hm?” he looked at you before your arm shot toward him and your hand pressed against his chest. It had come unexpected and caused him to cry out. His own arms came out, swirling in circles as he proceeded to fall off the bed. A loud thud sounded as he hit the floor and part of the blanket draped over his legs as you finally sat up on the bed. Tenya’s eyes widened and a fearful look spread across his face as he took note of your appearance, how your eyes were puffy and red.
Had you been crying? He frowned, perhaps he made a bigger mistake than he thought. “Y/n...what happened-” another growl sounded and your arms came up, hands curled into tight fists that shook. “Shut up!” you snapped, making Tenya jump from his position on the floor. His frown deepened, “I…I apologize did I-” his sentence came to a halt as a pillow collided with his face, he didn’t quite appreciate that. But he remained quiet as he readjusted his glasses. Feeling a little annoyed at your antics, “Was that truly an appropriate way to communicate what’s troubling you?” he questioned and you sigh before dropping your head, hands coming to hide your face.
Tenya blinked before slowly sitting on his knees, “Y/n…” he said and part of you couldn’t stand it, the gentle way he always spoke your name. “J-Just stop it Tenya…” you said, your voice weak and soft. It made Tenya’s heart sink and he carefully crawled to the edge of the bed, placing his hands on the mattress. “I...I’m afraid I do not understand-” his words came to another abrupt stop when you lowered your hands and slammed them against the bed, though the cushioning softened the blow. You felt your eyes tear up once more, but they stung from the previous amount of crying you had done.
You couldn’t even bring yourself to look at Tenya, though part of you almost felt amused. How many other boys could you get on their knees before you? But Tenya did it because he cared, he wasn’t going to run away. That much you knew, so why did it make you feel guilty? Did you have Tenya under your spell so badly he would continue to push and break the walls you had built? You took a deep breath, wiping your nose before speaking, “Why do you...always put me on a pedestal, why do you always act like I’m some great prize, Tenya?!” you snapped, feeling a few tears begin to slide down your cheeks.
Tenya’s lips parted, a clear look of concerned confusion in his eyes. “I...I do not think you a great prize for you are not an object of personal gain or a trophy I wish to show off, you are...someone I love, very dearly. Someone I find to be beautiful and courageous and wonderful in their efforts.” he explained, his tone turning into that of a more serious nature. He thought his positive words would make you at ease, but they seemed to have the opposite effect as more tears came. He frowned and reached up, having the desire to wipe them away.
But you smacked his hand away, though it didn’t physically hurt him. He felt his heart sink, rejection from a stranger was one thing. But from the one you loved? It stung more than Tenya wanted to admit, he was utterly defenseless against you. He took every word and action to heart, yet that wouldn’t stop him from continuing in his own efforts to figure out what was wrong. It appeared as though you were having doubts about his love for you and he wondered if he had done anything to cause it. Surely he didn’t speak rudely to you or hurt your feelings, so what brought such a reaction about?
“Tenya…I...I am not beautiful or wonderful in any shape or form. I don’t have an impressive flashy quirk, my grades are low and you...you’re this incredible person with heroic lineage and so intelligent and-” you gasped when Tenya pushed off the floor, wrapping his arms around you tightly. Your face was pressed against one of his biceps and though it was comforting. Your hands remained by your sides, but you could feel Tenya press his face into the crook of your neck. His lips tickling your skin as he spoke, “Is this why you are upset? Did my absence bring this on?” he questioned, then again.
You had been acting a tad distant lately, even during training. Those silent cheers you two created between each other were gone. Perhaps he should have seen it sooner, were you feeling insecure? His arms tightened around you, he’d have to fix that. “Forgive me, I believe I may already know the answer,” he said before pulling away, he gently cupped your face. Though you looked away, stray tears still came and your cheeks were dusted red. It was funny, on top of everything else, you felt embarrassed.
You should have known Tenya would jump to conclusions, which at times were correct. “Will you look at me, please?” you could hear the hurt tone in his voice, but even so, you couldn’t bring yourself to look at him...not yet. It was stupid, feeling this way because you were so vulnerable to someone. You knew Tenya wouldn’t hurt you and maybe it was silly to think so low of yourself, but you couldn’t help it. Negative thoughts often consumed one’s mind, despite the positive ones trying to fight back. You heard Tenya sigh and his thumbs slid across your cheeks to collect those tear droplets. “I see…” he whispered before his eyes narrowed, “Look at me!” he demanded, something that caught you off guard and caused you to jump.
Though with Tenya’s hands still holding your face, there was very little movement to be had. Your eyes though holding some fear, finally shifted to Tenya and you watched as his features softened. “Please, my love. Listen well, you know I would not lie to you nor anyone. I find honesty to be the best application in conversations and meanings of the heart.” he explained before leaning close, a soft gasp escaped when you felt his warm lips press against your forehead. He pulled back before reaching down to take hold of your hands.
In his gentle embrace, he stroked his thumbs over your knuckles before bringing each hand to his lips. A soft kiss was pressed to the back of each hand before he cradled them to his chest, right above his heart. “That being said, I’m afraid I must voice my rather strict opinion on your thought process and outlook you hold of yourself,” he said, once more sporting a serious look and it somehow made you shrink. When Tenya was serious about something, he made sure you damn well knew it. “I do not care where you come from, your financial status, your grades, or anything else that may persuade others from loving you,” he said, his fingers tightening around your hands.
“My heart, though I did not know it...chose you for a reason. For I see beyond just petty words and appearances, I know you, Y/n. Inside and out, I find nothing but a shining beauty, a wonderfully bright soul, one truly worthy of becoming a hero. That is what I find most appealing about one’s character, the strength and kindness of their heart, and the true colors of their soul.” you shook your head, no...that wasn’t true. Tenya frowned, “Do not shake your head,” he softly demanded and proceeded to rest his forehead against yours.
“Please.” he added quietly, “Grades do not determine one’s placement in life, you were born to be a hero. Meant to help others, to do anything you must to protect them. While UA is indeed a heroic school, a classroom cannot necessarily teach one how to be a decent human being and you are far beyond that. You are and always shall be, the most incredible, beautifully spoken, intelligent human being I have ever met, and no force or quirk on this Earth will change my mind.” he said, though you began trembling and your fingers tightened around his hands.
Such a thing didn’t go unnoticed by Tenya and he leaned back, his eyes scanning you. “My love...you don’t have to tremble, are you cold?” he questioned, he could be clueless at times. Often trying to find the most logical answer, a struggled chuckle left your lips. "N-No," you said quietly before leaning forward, resting your head against his shoulder. “Hm...well, if I may continue,” he said before gently releasing your hands but you only fisted them into his shirt. Tenya's fingers grazed your cheeks before cupping them, he then guided your head up and off his shoulder. 
Your tears had ceased, though your eyes still appeared irritated. “I suppose you may call me selfish for this, but I do not wish to lose you for you are the most precious person in my life, even my brother Tensei does not compare to how much I care for you. So, please do not think so negatively of yourself. Though I can confidently argue you down, I do not wish for you to be sad. I do not wish to be without you, especially not on my birthday.” he said, giving a soft smile.
“Tenya I…” you wanted to apologize, despite being relieved he hadn’t laughed at you for what you had said. “I-I’m sorry...maybe I was...I’m so stupid…” you wanted to bury your face into his chest, hide away from the world again. Yet, you didn’t want to break away from his touch, “I believe I said I would not allow you to think so negatively of yourself. You are not stupid, you are beautiful and intelligent. If I may be so daring as to state breathtaking as well.” you swallowed, feeling how your heart twisted in your chest. But, his next words caught you by surprise. 
“I would like to celebrate the hours that remain of my birthday here with you, I want to hold you close and whisper positive affirmations into your ear and I will not rest until you believe you are truly loved, wanted and that I desire no one else.” your heart skipped a beat, the lengths this man would go were almost incredible. You opened your mouth to speak, but Tenya spoke first, “May I tell you what I wish for my birthday? I do understand the superstition of wishes ceasing to come true if spoken out loud, but I am afraid I do not believe in such things.” he said and you chuckled softly, yeah...Tenya was more logical and down to reality.
Still, you nodded as you were a little curious to what your boyfriend could possibly wish for. Tenya smiled once again and closed the distance between himself and you, pressing his lips against yours for a brief moment. He pulled back, hands still caressing your cheeks. “My only wish and desire for my birthday is to see you smile.” his words came out soft and it was something you cherished. Still, just as he wished. A smile began to tug at your lips before you jumped and wrapped your arms around him. Yet again, catching him off guard as he fell back.
Luckily this time, he was caught by the mattress and landed softly. Though he looked slightly bewildered, he loosely wrapped his arms around you. “It’s a deal,” you said before folding your arms against his chest, looking him in the eye. “You know what my wish is?” you questioned as you reached up to remove his glasses, even though Tenya was rather protective over his eyewear. He allowed you to remove them, you thought Tenya was handsome with or without his glasses, but without them. His eyes stood out and you found them to be beautiful, almost hypnotizing.
You loved staring into them, even if it embarrassed Tenya. “I um...I do not believe I know what your wish is,” he replied and you chuckled. You reached over, allowing your fingers to caress his cheek. You slipped his glasses back on, though he naturally reached up to adjust them as you suddenly leaned up. Turning your head to see the plate with the two pieces of cake sitting on your nightstand. Your mind suddenly thought of something a little mischievous and you reached over, grabbing the plate carefully.
You took note there were no napkins or forks, which made your little mischievous idea all the better. “I want to see you eat this cake with me,” you said as Tenya sat up and you proceeded to shove the plate toward him. However, he held his hands up. Such an action was a clear indication of Tenya’s need to avoid making a mess, “N-No thank you! I…” he stopped when he noticed the lack of napkins and forks, had he been that careless?
“I do not believe we have the correct plasticware to eat it with,” he began as he rose from the bed, “I’ll go to the kitchen and-” he stumbled back when you pulled his arm, “Tenya…” you said, keeping hold of his arm as you stood up. “It’s your birthday and your birthday is not complete without cake.” you insisted as you once more held the plate up and Tenya turned his head as if the dessert offended him.
“B-But it will make a mess and we do not have any napkins and-” you quickly silenced him with your hand, covering his mouth so the rest of his words became muffled. “Tenya...it won’t kill you and we can always wash our hands after, please...for me?” you said as you removed your hand and reached over to grab a piece of cake carelessly and Tenya shivered as he watched the icing smear your fingers. “I want to do something with you to celebrate your birthday…” you said and Tenya sighed.
“F-Fine, I suppose such a thing is only fair. I did state I wish to spend the remainder of my birthday with you and celebrating with cake is well...I suppose traditional.” he said as he hesitantly picked up the remaining piece of cake, however, he held it like it were glass and away from his body. It was almost funny to witness, but you happily took a bite of yours before stepping close to Tenya. You stood on your tippy-toes to kiss his cheek, which had him stumbling back. “Y-You have icing on your lips!” he snapped, but you only shook your head. “Happy birthday, Tenya,” you said with a playful wink before taking another bite of cake.
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