#‘its too dangerous’ and its not too dangerous to instruct him to try and die for arthur p. five days a week eh?

[morganadismay]

bedridden today due to agonies hence why im yapping about bbc merlin again but god balinor was such a wasted potential. they had to kill him bc otherwise there would have been one (1) sane adult present. picturing whenever merlin would be like “gaius said that uther is good for the economy actually and so i must protect him from being assassinated by this grieving mother” balinor, eye twitching, “son he sentenced me to death which left your mother destitute and would burn you on the pyre next morning if he knew i found the time to father you while running for my life. and that traitorous old geezer said what again”

[vandme12]

I barely see Ronin as a mechanic! Headcanons/Oneshots!

This was in my drafts for days..

You're not exactly sure how it happened. One minute, you’re flopped on Ronin's couch, droning on about how bored you are—how you could die of it, actually, right here, right now. The next, he's dragging you out to the garage like a wolf with a chew toy, all sharp teeth and brighter eyes, muttering something about “if you’re gonna whine, might as well make yourself useful.”

Useful, apparently, means learning how to fix cars. Because that’s what he does when he’s not busy tearing people apart. A little hands-on therapy. Take something broken, make it purr again. You guess it fits—devils need hobbies, too.

“I still think you should just let me die of boredom,” you grumble, arms folded as you watch him prop the hood open. It groans like a corpse stretching in its grave, metal rasping against metal.

Ronin snorts. "Dramatic much? C'mon, darlin', ain't gonna kill ya to learn how an engine works. Might even save your pretty ass one day."

You give him a look that could peel paint. "Or you could just fix it for me. That's what boyfriends are for."

That earns you a low, wicked laugh. The kind that slides under your skin and stays there. "Oh, sweet thing, you're in for it now. Open up those pretty hands—time to get 'em dirty."

He hands you a wrench, and you hold it like it's a foreign object. Ronin leans over the engine block, sleeves shoved up to his elbows, revealing forearms streaked in grease and little healing scrapes. He’s beautiful in the most ridiculous way: all messy burgundy hair, shark-teeth grin, and a nicotine burn low on his wrist. A devil working the bones of a machine.

And, lucky you—you get to be his little apprentice.

“So, what are we doing?” you ask, mostly to fill the silence. Ronin's in his element, already half-lost to the work. Fingers curling around bolts like he could coax the car to life with touch alone.

“Changing the spark plugs,” he says. Then, when you give him your best bewildered expression, he chuckles. “They help make the magic happen, baby. No spark, no fire, no joyride. Same as people, really.”

“Poetic,” you deadpan. “So, where do I start?”

Ronin tilts his head toward the engine. "Get in here, darlin. I ain't gonna hold your hand the whole way."

That is a lie, by the way. He absolutely will.

You squeeze next to him, shoulder brushing his. The garage smells like old oil, sweat, and something sweetly metallic underneath—not quite blood, but close enough that your stomach flips. His heat soaks into your skin when he leans in, hands guiding yours over the metal innards.

He explains things in that lazy drawl of his, a little smug every time you mess up. And you mess up a lot. Your fingers slip, your grip's too weak, you curse when you almost drop a spark plug into the engine. Ronin just watches, like he's enjoying the spectacle of you struggling.

“Y’know,” he murmurs, breath warm against your neck, “you’re real cute when you’re useless.”

“Fuck you,” you snap back, except it comes out a little too breathy. Which, of course, he catches. His smile goes sharp enough to cut.

"Careful, darlin'. Keep talkin' like that, I might start thinkin' you like it when I'm mean."

Your hands falter, and you feel his gaze crawl over you. Heavy, hot. You don't answer, because what would you even say? He's not wrong.

“Alright,” he says, voice softer but no less dangerous. “Tighten that one, yeah? Let’s see if you can follow basic fuckin' instructions.”

You try. You really do. But the angle's weird, and your fingers keep slipping, and why the hell is everything in a car so awkward? Your knee bumps against the wheel well when you lean in deeper, and suddenly you're halfway sprawled over the engine like a sacrificial offering.

Perfect. Exactly what Ronin wanted.

He catches you before you can slide further, one grease-slick hand curling around your waist. His other hand plucks the wrench from your grip with infuriating ease.

“Clumsy thing,” he drawls. “What am I gonna do with you, huh?”

“You could start by letting me go,” you say, but you don’t mean it. Not even a little. And Ronin’s the last person alive to fall for your lies.

His fingers press harder against your waist. "Nah," he says, low and rough, “I like you right where you are.”

He kisses you before you can fire back. Messy, claiming, dragging the breath from your lungs. His teeth catch your lower lip and tug, pulling a noise from your throat you weren’t planning to make. The taste of him is familiar—smoke and something darker beneath it, something that’s always felt a little like danger. Like sin in the shape of a man.

When he pulls back, you’re half-dizzy. Your hands are still braced against the edge of the car, and you can feel how tightly he’s holding you, like you might slip away if he isn’t careful.

“See?” he purrs. “Told ya fixin' cars could be fun.”

“I hate you,” you mutter, but you press closer anyway.

He grins, blood-red and wicked. "Nah. You love me. Now, quit slacking and hand me that wrench, sweetheart. We got work to do."

Head canons!

"Bored, darling?" If you so much as hint that you’ve got nothing to do, Ronin’s dragging you to the garage. He’s already got his coveralls half-unzipped, grease smeared across his jaw like a smudged halo—saint of the scrapyard, king of the underworld. He’ll plop you in front of some busted hunk of metal and call it a “bonding experience.” (Translation: watching you struggle is his favorite form of entertainment.)

Zero discounts, actually. If anything, Ronin charges you extra. Call it the “boyfriend tax.” He’ll fix your ride, sure—but only after making you bribe him with a kiss (or several). You’re not getting off easy. If you try to sweet-talk your way to a lower price? He just leans in, smirks against your ear, and murmurs, “Ya know, darling, I could break it worse if you wanted somethin’ new. Keep me busy.”

His garage is your second home. He doesn’t just let anyone hang around while he works—this is sacred ground, baby. But you? You get to sit on the workbench, legs swinging while he’s half-buried under an engine. He’ll toss you snacks from his stash (suspiciously all junk food) and occasionally drag you over just to “hold something.” (Spoiler: he just wants you close.)

Oh, sweetheart, you thought you were getting a discount? Cute. Ronin charges extra for you—calls it the “Tax.” Every time you ask, he tuts like you're breaking his poor, mechanical heart. But let your car actually break down? Suddenly, it’s "Nah, baby, I got this." He’ll fix it before you even notice, no charge—he just likes making you owe him. (And oh, you owe him plenty.) "Ain’t about the money, darlin’. It’s about makin’ sure you need me. And you do, don’tcha?"

Every. Single. Time. You visit the garage, he’s sweaty, just to make sure you suffer. Bonus points if you’re there in the summer—he’ll stretch, flex, and wink while holding a wrench like he’s posing for a calendar shoot. Loves to call you his “little assistant”—but gives you the most pointless tasks. "Hold this bolt. No, not like that. With love, babe. Jeez, where’s your passion?" If you complain? You’re getting pinned against the nearest surface with grease-smudged fingers trailing down your jaw. "Maybe if you were good, I’d give ya the easy jobs. But nah, you like it rough, don’tcha?"

He makes you “help” with repairs. Even though you suck. But he’s patient—weirdly patient for someone with blood on his hands. He’ll guide your fingers over the engine, teach you the difference between spark plugs and fuel injectors like it’s the most romantic thing in the world. And if you mess up? He just laughs, leans over you, and drawls, “Cute try, baby. Maybe leave the hard stuff to me.”

Car rides are a whole other game. After fixing your vehicle, he insists on a “test drive” with you in the passenger seat. He drives one-handed, the other resting heavy on your thigh—like he’s claiming both the road and you. “Gotta make sure it’s runnin’ smooth,” he says, voice thick with innuendo.

Grease-streaked kisses. You always leave his garage marked—fingers on your waist, motor oil smudged along your neck from when he drags you close. And if you complain? He just grins. “Looks better on ya than it does on me, darling.”

Your vehicle has an unofficial VIP pass. No matter how busy he is, if it’s your car in trouble, everything else can wait. Doesn’t matter if it’s a busted tire or the whole engine blowing out—he’ll fix it, grinning like he lives for the chaos you bring. Just don’t expect him to let you off easy: “You keep breakin’ shit, sweetheart, I’m gonna start thinkin’ you just wanna see me sweaty.”

His garage playlist is insane. Half industrial metal, half bluesy rock—loud enough to shake the walls. You pretend to hate it, but there’s something weirdly attractive about watching Ronin, sleeves rolled up, half-cursing along to the music while elbow-deep in some Frankenstein engine. (And if you’re lucky? He’ll pull you into a grease-streaked dance right there on the oil-stained floor.)

[callingitquits]

Johan Kisses Headcanons

Whole headcanon dump about how he gives and receives kisses. It covers everything from how he likes to be kissed, how he kisses you, and all the little ways it shows through. Super self-indulgent.

His Kisses Are Slow and Measured

Johan doesn’t rush. His kisses are deliberate, almost too gentle, like he’s tasting a memory. He likes to savor things. When he kisses, it’s like he’s studying you, committing every angle to memory. He doesn’t lose control easily, so even if it’s passionate, there’s always a quiet intensity beneath it. A silent calculation.

He Kisses Like It Might Be the Last Time

There’s always something final about the way he kisses you, something that feels like goodbye even when it isn’t. He’s certainly not clingy, but there’s a sort of grief behind it sometimes, like he’s mourning you in advance.

First Kiss

Johan had obviously never kissed anyone before. When you finally bared your true feelings to him that one fateful night, he surprised himself by stepping forward. His approach was stiff, hesitant. Much like a soldier learning an unfamiliar dance. He closed the last inch with a soft, questioning touch of his lips to yours, barely more than a breath.

The moment was much too brief for anything passionate, but it was electric in its awkwardness. A slight, almost imperceptible tremble in his fingers as he held your face with both hands. His eyes fluttered open at once, searching yours for instructions. There was no practiced grace. He drew back almost immediately, as if unsure he’d done it right, and then froze.

He stared at you, eyes wide and shining, like a young fawn stepping onto dew-drenched grass. Trembling and vulnerable, utterly caught between wonder and fear. A fragile mask that truly belied the calculating predator beneath.

His Favorite Places to Kiss

• Your eyelids when you’re sleeping or pretending to be.

• The corner of your mouth after a real kiss, as if he isn’t done.

• The pulse on your neck, like he’s fascinated by the fragility of it.

• Your wrist, especially when you’re anxious.

• Your forehead, always unexpectedly soft…like some remnant of the boy he used to be.

His Favorite Places To Be Kissed

• Behind the ear, the one place he’ll never flinch.

• His jawline, especially when done without thinking.

• His forehead, softness where the bullet went.

• The back of his neck when he’s seated or turned away.

• His hands, if you kiss his fingers and knuckles he’s somewhere else entirely.

The Forehead Kiss

It’s the most intimate place someone could touch him. And it’s the place where he nearly died. Was meant to die. By the hand of the only person who’s ever truly known him. The scar may have faded, but his mind remembers. That spot carries weight.

The first time? He won’t flinch. That would give too much away. But his entire body will stiffen. Just for a second. He might close his eyes, not in peace, but in calculation: Do you know what this means? Why would you do it? He may leave after. Not abruptly. Quietly. The kind of retreat that looks casual, but isn’t.

If you do it when he’s unguarded (tired, distant) He won’t stop you. But when he notices, he’ll feel exposed. There’s something unsettling about kindness applied to a site of trauma. It makes him feel almost forgiven. And forgiveness is dangerous to Johan. It suggests he was wrong. It suggests he’s human.

If you do it during a vulnerable moment (after an argument, or while he’s silent and spiraling) This is when it sinks deep. A kiss to the wound he was never meant to survive. It confuses him. Angers him even. Not at you, but at himself. Because part of him wants it. Wants to feel healed. Wants to belong to someone gentle enough to do that and not flinch.

He may stare at you too long afterward. Like he’s trying to find a reason not to care. But he does. Deep in there. Somewhere. And that terrifies him.

Sometimes, after you kiss him there, he dreams of his sister’s hand trembling around a gun. Of lying on the floor. Of blood. And then of you, brushing your lips against the place death tried to enter and didn’t succeed.

It almost makes him feel like he lived for something.

Almost.

[playboybugbear]

Frostbek Part 8

Torbek is always comforted when he has nightmares, panic attacks. frost is really good at keeping a level head….until he isn’t.

(Spoilers for episode 46 of OUAW)

It had been months since they faced the jabberwock, and though the events seemingly weren’t real. Any mention of the beast sent a sting through the hearts of the group. That is everyone but Frost.

Whenever the subject was uttered, Kremy and Gideon would always look to eachother, the latter usually mumbling about how he was ‘going to kill the son of a bitch’.

Gricko always looked towards Hootsie, trying so hard not envision her running away, only to see her slain as his own life faded away.

Torbek was more horrified on his friends behalf that he couldn’t summon the other to bring the beast into submission. Yet everytime it was mentioned he didn’t have much reaction to it, after all it was not the worst thing that had happened to Torbek.

Frost never commented on the matter, since the day it had happened all he had said on the subject was that they should be prepared in case they come face to face with it once more. But in that battle, he was the last to die.

He had seen the beast trample over Gideon, the sound of his bones breaking echoing through the woods. He had seen Kremy rended and hoisted away as he tried to protect Gideon’s corpse. To make matters worse he had seen that dastardly thing swipe at Torbek with its tail, Kremy still attached as it struck him down. Gricko and Hootsie…that thought he had blocked from his mind. To even try recount what happened to them would send Frost over the edge.

Of course Frost never spoke of this to anyone, how he pleaded with the monster. Throwing his prized possessions, letting his whole collection explode at the beasts side. How he fell to his knees in despair as his worst fear became realised, nothing had made sense…and he was alone. With his meditation and extreme efforts of mindfulness he was usually able to whisk the thoughts away into the void of his mind. So as the drifted off to sleep in a distant part of Yon, he paid no mind to those thoughts, simply making efforts to will them away as he slipped into a deep slumber.

Torbek was a light sleeper, having always been in some level of fight or flight made the bugbear incredibly reactive, so it was no surprise that he shot up awake to the sound of Frost’s screams. He immediately scanned the room for danger before turning to Frost who laid beside him in bed. The tabaxi thrashed in his sleep, yelling out for help, pleading. Torbek desperately shook the tabaxi awake, that did not seem to ease Frost as he too sat bolt up right. His breathing fast, his eyes wide as tears spilled from his eyes. On reflex he jolted away from Torbek, still too disoriented to distinguish his nightmare from reality. Practically flying off the bed as he backed himself into the corner of their shared tent.

“Frost it’s just Torbek!” Torbek exclaimed, not getting any closer to the sorcerer for fear of scaring him further. He pointed to the cannisters on his back, touched his own face, held his arms out to try show Frost that it was just his lover stood before him.

“There was nothing I-“ Frost tried to speak through panicked breath, “e-everyone” His neck straining as he desperately tried to push his words from his mouth.

Torbek saw that he was no longer disoriented, “can Torbek come and comfort you Frost?” He asked apprehensively. Frost always asked the same thing of him when he was panicking. Frost nodded frantically as his breaths became more akin to gasps, his fur stood on end as the tears continued to fall.

“Torbek needs you to breathe with Torbek” the bugbear instructed as he knelt down in front of Frost, “like this” He spoke once more before taking slow breaths.

In

Out

In

Out

In

Out

Frost began to breathe in sync with Torbek, who had now taken his hands into his. Shoulders rising and falling, slowly becoming more steady as Frost’s panic slowly ebbed away. He jumped into Torbek’s lap, his arms wrapping around the bugbear as he listened to his heartbeat, he felt Torbek’s arms wrap around his as he continued to sob into his chest.

Torbek just let him cry, to cry until he couldn’t cry any more. It was not often that he saw Frost cry. He knew better than to try stop him, only intense emotion could force tears from Frost in this way.

Eventually Frost pulled away from Torbek’s chest and met his eyes.

“I’m sorry for waking you Torbek” He stated, as if he had just been some minor inconvenience.

“It’s okay, Torbek just wanted to make sure you were okay” Torbek replied, his hands cupping the tabaxi’s face gently as he spoke.

“It was stupid, it was just…I was back in the forest..we were all fighting the jabberwock and I had to watch you all-“ Frost began to explain, feeling the lump in his throat as he tried to recount it.

“I had to watch you all die” He finally managed to spit out. He tried his best not to let the tears fall as they welled up in his eyes once more.

A look of shock painted Torbek’s face before he spoke, “Has this happened before?” He asked as he slowly tried to guide Frost back onto their bed.

“Never like that…I think about it a lot but it’s never…never like that” Frost stumbled over his words as he replied. Torbek’s shock turned to concern as Frost provided him with more clarification.

“Why didn’t you tell Torbek? Torbek could help you in the same way you help Torbek” He said, guilt washing over him. Had Frost truly been able to conceal this right up until this very night?

“I don’t know, I’m supposed to be logical and I help others” Frost began to explain, stuttering his words and trying to rationalising neglecting his own feelings as he laid in the bugbears arms.

“Frost it is ok to need help… you help Torbek all the time, why would Torbek helping you be any different?” Torbek pressed Frost, it was true that the sorcerer had helped guide Torbek through a lot of struggle.

“But bad things have happened to you Torbek, real, horrible things that you carry with you every day. I’m not even sure what happened with the jabberwock was real in any way” He rationalised, and to him it had made perfect sense.

“Torbek doesn’t care if it was real or not, if you are struggling that is just as real as anything else you help Torbek with” he explained as he stroked Frosts fur, and though the tabaxi wanted to protest he knew deep down that Torbek was right.

“Thank you Torbek…I will seek out your comfort next time the thoughts accost me” Frost looked up to face Torbek, the bugbear planted a kiss on his forehead.

The two laid together, Torbek holding Frost in his arms. Stroking his fur and keeping him close as the sorcerer’s eyes began to flutter, letting himself drift off to sleep once more as he felt secure in the arms of his lover. Only when Frost had fallen asleep did Torbek allow sleep to overtake him.

The rest of the night passed them by, Frost’s mind calmed by Torbek’s presence. Torbek’s mind for once comfortably silent.

————————

Had to pull an old switcheroo. As much as I’m a sucker for Frost comforting Torbek, Frost losing his grip on his emotions is just 😫😭😭😭😭😭

I think I’m gonna do two more Frostbek chapters before starting the big story that centers around the whole group. I’ve been planning that one in my head a lot lately so I can’t wait! Hope you guys enjoyed this one!!

[televised-uhhh-nerdistry]

currently thinking about how ages ago my friend sent me a long-ass explanation about why saltburn is an adaptation of the myth involving theseus, the minotaur, and the labyrinth.

nobody asked but here’s some of the fun proof that exists of this:

first and foremost, icarus, the boy who flew too close to the sun. during the party scene, it is evident that felix symbolises this poor ill-fated youth, and the symbolism here is potent. he flew too close to finding out what oliver truly is. he discovered something he shouldn’t have, and dressing him up in icarus cosplay is the perfect showcase for his fate and his mistakes. it’s also brilliant in terms of what icarus actually did to “deserve” death. realistically, he was told not to go too high or too low, but in actuality, such cryptic instructions were difficult to follow mid-flight, and it resulted in catastrophe. felix is trying to navigate the responsibilities of being a good friend with his baggage as someone in a family of rich pricks. it’s hard, and in flying too far away from his background, he “flew too close to the sun” and discovered things he shouldn’t have. as a small nod to further the icarus imagery, felix’s body is discovered under bright and direct sunlight as he lays motionless in his winged costume.

secondly, saltburn is in the center of a labyrinth. the labyrinth lore runs deep in this movie, because not only does the labyrinth function as symbolism, it has lore that runs adjacent to the lore of the actual labyrinth. in theseus and the minotaur, the labyrinth is a construct of greek architect and inventor daedalus, who was conscripted by king minos to create the maze. in saltburn, the labyrinth is constructed upon special request from james catton, the owner of the estate, and a very wealthy man (almost like a modern day king).

the labyrinth (in the original myth) is dangerous to all characters that reside within it. it keeps all in within a chance for escape, and those that get close die tragically. in saltburn, the labyrinth functions as an ode to the ways in which riches and fame poison those that reside in the walls, keeping them locked within its dangerous talons, or in this case, cleanly trimmed hedges. it’s suburbia on a larger and more internal scale. even those that do not have riches themselves, namely farleigh and annabel, do everything they can to remain on the estate and in the good graces of those on the property with immense money. it affects how they act and how they are expected to act. farleigh, as a good example, is very stuck on the particulars of rich people’s behaviour. as mentioned above, those that try to leave the maze die tragically, and icarus is a prime example. felix, in his attempt to be better than the riches of the estate socially allow, flies too close to a possible escape from the confines of the labyrinth and is murdered as a result.

in the story of the labyrinth, it is unsolvable, unless you are clever and quick witted (manipulative), which theseus luckily is. the same is true for oliver. oliver, like theseus, gets into the heads of multiple characters, manipulating his way to the top of the food chain. the scene where oliver views the wooden counterprt of the maze through the head office in the estate, he is told that he shouldn’t be there, and a sense of ominous foreboding takes place. we feel that he has seen something that will change him. however, i believe this is simply symbolism for the fact that oliver has figured out the secret to the maze: a secret that he, an outsider and a poorer, less sociable man should not be aware of, as he is a representation of theseus, a character who has no right being king.

thirdly, oliver is juxtaposed with imagery if the minotaur during the party scene, and though this costume doubles as a reference to the changeling in a midsummer night’s dream, it is still highly important. in the original myth, people are sacrificed to the minotaur on a yearly basis. at first, felix fits the profile for the minotaur: a rich, wealthy man in a labyrinth who is regularly described as going through friends the way a young boy would go through toys. it is also true that the minotaur has often been seen as a controversial figure, one that begs the question “is a monster just a tormented creature fated to behave according to the will of the gods?”. felix’s behaviour, or namely, his attempted deviancy from the behaviour he is expected to show, is a major prt of his character arch. we expect oliver to be the victim of felix’s behaviour exactly because of this. but he isn’t. an easy explanation is that oliver is the minotaur, going through the family members as though they were victims in a maze. however, oliver is NOT the minotaur, as the myth is a lot more complex than the minotaur being the bad guy. despite what we expect, director emily fennel is leaning into the concept that the minotaur’s storyline is that of fate versus free will. the minotaur is cursed by the gods to fall into certain patterns and to be punished for its behaviour, despite it doing exactly what was expected. felix attempts to deviate from what is expected, but ultimately he fits in well with the rich and social, and his death is a punishment at the hands of a sort-of theseus who believes he is more deserving. rather, oliver is also seen to be theseus, who famously invaded the maze, manipulated its dwellers in order to navigate it, killed the minotaur, and then manipulated his way into becoming king as a result. sound familiar? it is because of this that the imagery of oliver as the changeling is particularly important. the horns can be evocative of the minotaur, offering us a red herring, where he is truly disguised as the opposite. it’s a fake out.

fourthly, king minos (owner of the labyrinth) did not die directly at the hands of theseus, he did eventually meet his downfall and was boiled to death in a bath. james catton, head of the estate, dies of a supposed suicide, also not directly by oliver’s hands, but still implicitly connected to the events of the story, much like king minos’ death.

the lore in this film is incredible, and though emily fennel has not said that the film is an adaptation of greek myth, the parallels are deliciously undeniable. saltburn is fascinating, and truly one of the best films of 2023. there is so much stuff jam packed into it, and it’s one of those films that takes a few watches to fully grasp its depth. i love it!

[sherbertilluminated]

Watched Babylon Berlin S2E7 tonight and I have some predictions. This show is about police violence and the fall of the Weimar Republic.

This episode was probably the climax of the Prangertag storyline. At least, it feels like something definite has happened and a new/unknown condition has been established.

Namely: Although Operation Prangertag was halted, the influence of its aristocratic/high-ranking architects prevents them from facing consequences for their plots. Benda—and Gereon, who since Stefan's death has become Benda's right hand—has continuously stymied in his efforts to prosecute the nationalists. All he can do is play defense as the attacks come.

On the other hand: assassination attempt #13 has been foiled.

Benda and Gereon have succeeded on a mission together. Through their combined efforts, the republic has been preserved, and Benda has made good on his narrative function as "only guy in the room who cares about preserving the republic." Which among other reasons is why I'm scared he's going to die soon.

It looks like Greta is going to kill him too.

This episode she's contacted by a friend of her creepy boyfriend Fritz, who returns his effects to her and directs her grief toward Benda, despite the identity of Fritz' killers being carefully obscured last episode.

This is the same rhetoric that Fritz has used throughout the last few episodes: he reminds her that Benda's position as Regierungsrat/leader of the "politische" implicates him in the state violence against communists, especially during the May Day Demonstrations.

This would be a compelling rhetorical tack, if Fritz' character were not consistently framed as an aggressor. Every time they meet up, he a) violates one of her boundaries, b) tries to play it off as mischievous sticking-it-to-the-man, and c) reminds her that Benda is complicit in the violence of the state.

But Fritz' persuasive tactics have been mostly been orthodox communism. His friend throws some antisemitism in.

Notably he says "seine Leute," which implies a looser epistemological association than the hierarchy implied by "his men". Either way, the conversation priming her for ideological violence based on sweeping divisions between societal groups.

So Greta, whose arc since getting hired by the Benda family has been about small tests of loyalty—Fritz's needling, Mrs. Benda's instruction of "no meat!" vs. Mr. Benda asking her to fry a sausage, the secrecy of the household, etc.— is probably going to turn against them.

Another person with reason to dislike Benda is Bruno, who is shown at the end of the episode sulking and smoking in the sun sets.

But it's more likely that Bruno will go after Gereon in the next episode; they've been fighting all season, and while I do like this show I don't think they're so innovative as to avoid doing "good cop vs. bad cop" character things.

And since he's already murdered Stefan and tried to kill Streseman in this episode, killing Benda would make it seem like he's a unique danger to the stability of the Weimar Republic. That's not the kind of story the show wants to tell. It's interested in representing a diverse array of people with unique motivations who inexorably contribute to the changes in their society.

\In Greta's case that might mean being (figuratively) seduced into ideological violence which, although urged by the death of her ostensibly-communist boyfriend, is terribly convenient for all the nationalists Benda is trying to hinder.

But if that's to be their arc, I don't think it can come to a satisfying end without a response to Fritz' argument. Benda is portrayed onscreen trying to prosecute nationalists and prevent political violence, but his complicity or lack thereof in violence against communists is almost deliberately obscured.

The most we actually see of him in conjunction with police violence is in Season 1 Episode 3, where he's seen introducing the police president Zörgiebel

and afterward in episode 5, where he discourages Zörgiebel from using force against the protesters.

So we get the argument that Benda is complicit in police violence only from Fritz and his antisemitic friend. But now Fritz is dead. And his argument remains unresolved.

And if Greta is going to kill Benda, who has proven himself to be such a pillar of stability that his death would destabilize the narrative enough to distinguish seasons 2 and 3, that resolution needs to come soon, probably in the next two episodes.

Here's how.

At the end of S2E2 Gereon is approached by Dr. Völcker for help in clearing the names of two women whom police killed on May Day.

Gereon refuses. Because he's a cop. But last season he also threw out the false testimony which would have implicated the women. So the guilt of the police is a matter that remains both unresolved and on his mind.

It's a matter that directly pertains to the question of Benda's own guilt that day, and that acts in narrative parallel.

Now that the plotline of the attempted assassination is resolved, there's a little space to pick up running threads. Including Gereon's own guilt (for violence he definitely did commit) and Benda's role in the institution of police.

Gereon and Benda have been working together all season to foil a coup that a large number of cops were involved in. It might make sense for Gereon to turn to the one authority figure he respects for advice about individual responsibility and institutional corruption.

Any response that Benda gives, from "I've been urging deescalation for years but you see how little power I have to change this institution" to "I completely endorse violence in the name of preserving the Republic," would provide closure to this question. It would move Gereon's character development re: being a cop and make his eventual death hit harder.

I want this scene to happen because it would make sense, and because like Greta I don't like the dissonance between the show's portrayal of a soft-spoken champion of democracy/mentor figure and the rhetoric of a man who is personally really creepy. The show is good enough that I want narrative closure for Benda.

But I don't want him to die. And I suspect I'm running out of time.

[pluvpluvpluv]

Someone to Call Mine

18+ || MDNI || Content Warning: Mild language, just some smooching

Word Count: 1.9k

Adeline was having the worst day. She woke up late, missed transfiguration - and breakfast, but that felt less important than missing class with her favorite professor. She couldn’t find her tie anywhere, and her hunt for the article of clothing that seemed to have grown legs and left her dormitory of its own accord had almost made her late to potions. She still looked disheveled as she hurried in, and of course she was the last to arrive. Even Professor Sharp looked up from his desk as she walked in. She just smiled, hoping that if she ignored the fact that she looked a disheveled mess, everyone else would too.

”You look like shit.” Sebastian Sallow, her potions partner, leaned down and whispered in her ear.

”Wow, Seb. Thank you. I hadn’t noticed.” She grumbled out, pulling her notebook out to get prepared for class. “I slept through transfiguration, and I hardly made it here in time. I don’t have the patience for your attitude today.”

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “My apologies. Don’t want to be on the bad side of the Hero of Hogwarts, now do I?”

”I swear to Merlin, if you don’t knock it off.”

Her friend just chuckled as Sharp began class.

”Today, you’ll be brewing amortentia. Can anyone tell me what this potion is known for? Mister Thakkar?”

”Amortentia is the strongest love potion to exist. It has a mother of pearl sheen and the steam comes off in perfect spirals if brewed correctly. It’s meant to smell like what someone is most attracted to. If consumed, the person is in a lovestruck trance until an antidote is administered.”

”That’s correct. Points to Ravenclaw.”

Addie grinned, shooting her housemate a thumbs up from across the potions station. At least one of them was a good representative of their house today. Amit returned her smile, giving her a slight wave as well.

”The recipe can be found in your textbooks, each pairing will be required to brew a batch of amortentia. You’ll be graded on its appearance. I’d recommend you get to work.”

Sebastian was immediately off with half of the other students to gather the necessary potion ingredients, well the ones that Sharp would provide them with anyways.

”Well, good morning Adeline.”

Her eyes snapped up to Amit’s potions partner, and they immediately narrowed into a glare.

”Weasley. I don’t have the patience for your nuisance today.”

He clicked his tongue in amusement, his facial expression nothing short of antagonistic. “And all I was doing was wishing you a good morning.”

“I can hear the gears trying to turn in your skull from here. You weren’t just wishing me good morning.”

Whatever snarky reply the redhead was going to give her seemed to die in his throat as Amit and Sebastian returned.

“I see you’re all settling in. I want to ensure everyone is putting forth their best efforts with this potion, as it can be dangerous if brewed incorrectly. Without switching potion stations, switch partners.”

Adeline hardly had time to process Sharp’s instructions before she heard Sebastian speak.

”Addie, I am so sorry. Amit, you’re with me.”

Once her brain finally caught up, the realization of what Sebastian was apologizing for dawned on her. He had taken Amit for himself and left her to be partners with Garreth. She hadn’t felt this betrayed since the night he had deigned to call her ignorant. Unfortunately, she’d have to deal with her traitorous friend later. 

”Look at us, Adeline. Why, I don’t think you’ve assisted me with potions since your first class when you so graciously grabbed that fwooper feather for me,” Garreth spoke cheerfully as he and Sebastian swapped places to stand near their new partners.

”And we both know how well that turned out. You made a right mess and I ended up in hot water with Sharp.”

“And it blew over immediately, you charmed the socks off of him. I don’t even think it cost you any house points. I was the one stuck behind cleaning it up.”

It hadn’t, thankfully, but there were a lot of things Adeline would do before telling Garreth Weasley he was right. Facing Ranrok again under the school without her wand made that list.

”Whatever, we don’t have time to be bickering. I assume you are capable of following instructions on a potion as precarious as this one? Or are you going to throw an errant ingredient in there to see if you can change the shape of the steam?”

”I am quite capable, thank you for your unwavering belief in my abilities. Surely you know Ravenclaw doesn’t house the only smart students in this school.”

She simply nodded, not saying another word as she began preparing the ingredients for amortentia. One of the perks of not losing her adventurous spirit after fifth year was she never had to go looking for potion ingredients to complete assignments. She always had a backstock of them - especially since she invested in hopping pots to keep her own potion stock filled.

“The ingredients will go bad if you prepare them now. We need to go find them, Adeline.”

“No we don’t. I have what Sharp doesn’t supply. Are you just going to sit and watch me or are you going to contribute?”

She was pleased with herself when he silently moved closer to what was now their station and took over prepping another ingredient.

—————————

“Miss Redferne. Since you and Mister Weasley seem to have accomplished brewing your amortentia so quickly, why don’t you both demonstrate how this potion smells differently and tell us what you smell.” Sharp’s voice boomed throughout the potions classroom, and suddenly every student’s focus was on her and Garreth.

She took a step closer to the cauldron, holding her hair back as she leaned over and wafted the steam to her nose.

“I smell something sweet, like fizzing whizbees. And smoke. And the library? It smells like books and parchment.”

Upon realizing the smell she had described, her face paled. Her amortentia smelled like Garreth fucking Weasley. Fizzing whizbees from her trip through the secret passage to get him the billywig stings. Smoke from the several potion failures he’d had in class over the two and a half years she had known him. Old pages and parchment from the nights they’d been the only two in the library, sharing a table so they could taunt each other about who would get top marks without getting scolded by Scribner.

Without another moment’s hesitation, she turned and fled from the classroom, forever grateful she and Sebastian had wanted to be as far from the professor as possible. By the time she regained her sense of self, she was near the fountain in the transfiguration courtyard. She sat on an empty bench, burying her head in her hands as she started to embrace the crisis this development was pushing her towards. However, that was swiftly axed as she apparently couldn’t even panic in peace.

“Fizzing whizbees, smoke, and the library, hmm?”

Her head lifted slowly, hoping to Merlin her ears were playing tricks on her and she wouldn’t see who she thought she heard by the time she was looking at his face. Merlin was no help. She found herself looking into the green eyes of Garreth.

“Sod off, Weasley. Can’t you let me suffer in solitude?”

“And what if I was coming to embarrass myself like you did?” He questioned, still standing above her.

“I’m not that interested in hearing what you smelled.”

“Oh Addie, don’t be like that. Surely you could make a guess. Aren’t Ravenclaws meant to be smart?”

“I am smart! My mind won’t work when you’re around!” She shouted at him, no longer caring that they were in the middle of the courtyard and had an audience.

Even if she could think properly, her brain was broken almost the second she finished speaking. If her eyes hadn’t still been open, she wouldn’t have believed what happened. Garreth Weasley had practically flown at her, closing the distance between them until his lips were pressed to hers. His hands were holding either side of her face, and the moment she caught up, she relaxed. Her eyes closed and her hands fisted the front of his robes. The only thing she could think at that moment was that she wanted to freeze time.

“Excuse me!”

Adeline leapt back, her eyes falling on Professor Weasley who was standing and looking at the two with her arms crossed. Her own hand went up, feeling her swollen lips beneath her fingertips.

“Aunt Matilda…” Garreth rubbed the back of his neck, looking at her sheepishly. “I can explain?”

“I tried to get your attention three times. Three. You two cannot just be acting like this in the middle of school property.”

Both students reacted to the statement with flushed cheeks, and it seems they missed the gleam in the woman’s eye.

”Don’t let me, or anyone else for that matter, catch you two behaving that way again or else it will be detention and points from both of your houses.”

The pair answered in unison, only looking at each other once Professor Weasley had left. It was a long moment before either said something, and the first to break the silence was Garreth.

”Mallowsweet, a thunderstorm, and the library.” He looked at her with a soft smile, a stark contrast to the smug boyish grin he usually had plastered on his handsome face. “Mallowsweet, because you’re always carrying an absurd amount of it everywhere you go. The library because it’s where I see you most often. I believe the thunderstorm comes from that wondrous ancient magic of yours. I’ve seen you practically summon lightning.”

Her mouth felt dry as she processed what he was saying, but her mind didn’t seem to want to work with her mouth.

Y-you smell me?” She asked, her tone incredulous as her eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes! Merlin, for someone meant to be the brightest witch of our generation, you’re awfully slow.”

His signature grin made its way back to his face and he stood in front of her. She was still frozen in place, part of her unsure of what to do and the other part concerned about the threat Professor Weasley had leveled at them. Luckily for her, Garreth took her silence as an invitation to keep speaking.

“I’ve known since the first time we spoke. Well, alright. I didn’t exactly know then. I just knew I liked pressing your buttons, after you got short with me over putting you on Sharp’s bad side. I knew for certain at the end of fifth year. I heard some things I probably shouldn’t have about what happened under the school when I was heading to talk to Aunt Matilda.” He paused to take a breath, a soft laugh coming from his lips on the exhale. “All I could think was how I wish I had known and been able to be there for you. To help. Because there is nowhere you could go where I won’t be close behind.”

She opened her mouth to talk, to try and figure out where this grand statement was coming from, but he held up a hand to silence her. “You won’t interrupt me. Let me finish. I want to be there for you, Adeline. The earth could break apart, and as long as you’re alive, I’ll shoulder every weight for you. Hell, I’d hold up the bloody sky. I just need you to be alright.”

“Garreth Weasley.” Her voice was thick with emotion. “I cannot stand you.”

This time, he was the one with hardly any time to react as she talked closer to him, pulled him down by his tie, and smashed her lips to his. House points and detention be damned.

[cantsomeoneelsedoit]

Ch 37: Undead + Unluck

Little fanartist

This cover is super sweet and the little details like the stubby crayon and the way the socks gather are so wholesome! I love the blending of genres, too. Little Fuuko has drawn a sports manga scene from You-Me and has a magical girl on her shorts, and the cover itself is a time travel.

Space soccer club invasion arc sounds like a real page-turner, tbh. I'd read it.

The panels we're shown all match up with something that happened during the Acks battle. ⬇️

They point out several times that To You, From Me has 101 volumes, which corresponds with the tablet that keeps track of penalties.

Something that bugs me here is that Juiz gives them instructions without explaining why doing those things is important.

I wish she would give them more context like what she thinks they might find. It feels like she's still keeping some of the important info to herself.

Andy concludes that they'll need to make a manga to get into Shueisha HQ. Which is just an absolutely delightful thing to happen after the heavy Unbelievable Arc.

Fuuko has every fanfic author's dilemma:

Andy mentions Osamu Tezuka, the "Father of Manga," whose famous works were created in the 1950s-80s. One of his later works was Black Jack, and the main character has some similarities with Rip.

Black Jack also has some chapters that have been changed or removed from publication, much like You-Me.

Tezuka used what he called a "Star System," which was his rotating cast of recurring characters that appear in works in his universe, similar to looping in UU using the same character types for each loop.

Andy tells Fuuko to write what she knows best.

Fuuko says she's especially interested in learning more about herself through writing the story, so that she'll be able to summon even greater strokes of Unluck, which takes us back to Chapter 4, when Andy was trying to do the exact same thing:

BUT, now that Andy knows he won't die even if the world ends, what's the point of Fuuko trying to give him the best death??

What's the point of Andy's big dream to have a wicked sick death? What's the point of him staying with Fuuko? Unless, of course, he's developed feelings for her!

Andy gathers a team of helpers (except Shen, whose power is too dangerous for this project, but it's nice to see him speaking Chinese) and says he'll do the storyboards. Mico even brings Fuuko a set of robot arms to help her draw more quickly. Tatiana gives her some interesting advice on how to use them...

"Imagine looking down at yourself from above." BECAUSE THAT'S HOW FUUKO'S GONNA WRITE THE STORY! She's looking down at her own life and putting it on paper. She's writing what she knows!

There's even a panel of her drawing her manga!

Having Fuuko write her own manga is fun in a Bakuman kind of way, but I also think it's a comment from the God/Author. This is just one of the many ways the God/Author is making them suffer and toil, and of course the author feels that this is a real test of character and strength. They're making the characters suffer as they have.

It also gives the IRL author Tozuka a chance to throw in some light gags about the manga business and let Andy wear a fun hat.

No, he doesn't look like a shoujo manga artist--- he looks like Osamu Tezuka!

Poor Andy, he tried!

The Shueisha rep tells her a lot of very specific feedback that's probably the same kind of things Tozuka heard when he submitted Undead Unluck! The manga Fuuko submitted, with its wilder-looking Andy, matches up pretty well with the one-shot that started UU. I hope she left out the gropey parts.

Anyway, the manga impressed the Shueisha rep enough that she agreed to let Fuuko see the original manuscript for To You, From Me.

Now we know why we've been hearing so much about this manga, starting from page 1, chapter 1 where Fuuko is holding it while standing on the bridge over the trains. It's not just an "artifact" in the story. An ARTIFACT was used to write it!

Masterpost

[crystal-verse]

FFXIVwrite Day 1 - Steer

(More under the cut for length purposes)

You do not know this kind of creature. It is -- large, and strong, and a skittish prey animal and oh, you are going to die, you are going to fall off and then this horse will trample all over you until your bones are broken and you are dead--

"Don't worry so much." Assures Buqatai, the Mol who had offered to teach you. (Had been told by Fate to teach you, or one of the other gods that spoke to the Mol, some times. So said Temulun Khatun, she who hears the gods' voices clearer. She hears your voice most clearly of all, you being in the flesh to speak, your soul bound to that Tower with its spires reaching into the heavens.)

"Horses can be very dangerous." You point out, not illogically.

"The horse will not hurt you." Buqatai replies, evenly, with a hint of laugh in his voice. "You are far stronger than it."

"This body is not." You stress, sitting in the saddle as if the horse would suddenly toss you off. It might. You don't know. You've never ridden a horse before -- and riding horses is much different from riding chocobos, or other creatures. It's terrifying! The horse is taller than you are!

"It will be easy," Buqatai reassures, "once you have gotten used to the act."

And, thinking logically, Buqatai is right. But you are not thinking logically right now. Raha, you wonder, have you ever suffered something like this? (Probably not. Or -- maybe. He'd made quite a surprised noise when you first had him ride chocoboback with you, those many years ago. How softened the memory is, by time.)

"If you are sure." You say, instead of lingering in your thoughts. "Remind me again what to do?"

The instructions that Buqatai gives are easy, and simple to follow. Were you any more prideful you'd perhaps be embarrassed -- but you are a god in mortal flesh, and you know better than to be embarassed by being unused to things you'd never tried before. Why should you be embarassed for struggling to ride a horse? You've never gotten practice at such a thing. You know this. The Mol know this. There is no judgement, or mockery, only patient, gentle teaching. As it should be. (The Mol are your favorite Xaela tribe, and have been for quite some while. Fate, and the other gods that you once shared the skies with, speak and the Mol listen. They are good people, the Mol. Kind-hearted. Gentle. Willing to wander whither you or your kin would direct them. You do not do such a thing, not anymore -- in a mortal vessel, the act seems different, like something you are not to do. Perhaps that is why you do not steer them with your words, why you smile softly but do not answer their questions with much other than vagueness. You do not want to give things that could be heard as orders.

With you in mortal flesh, it puts you at too much of an advantage to your kin. The Mol are to hear all of their old, still-remembered gods, that share the sky. You are the oldest god, and they remember you much, and you would not want to prevent your kin from saying their pieces. Would not want to smother their authority with your own. If Temulun asks, you will share your thoughts, but only as thoughts. You are a god but you are also mortal, in the present moment, and so 'tis not your place to steer the way the Mol live.)

"May I try, now?" You ask, gently, as you ease yourself out of that musing, and recall the advice that Buqatai had given you. "I can do it, I think. The horse will not hurt me."

"The horse will not hurt you." Buqatai confirms yet another time, a smile on his face this time.

Gently, you urge the horse to move forward. It does. And so, for this brief moment -- you are not a god, nor are you one of the two Warriors of Light, nor are you someone fighting to save Doma from Garlemald's clutches -- no, for this moment you are just K'pheli Tia, a person riding a horse, and who is one of the Mol, taken in alike to a long-lost cousin. It is a nice thing to be.

[mccdreamys-writes]

smiles for miles – 13. found.

and if i could turn back the clock, i'd make sure the light defeated the dark. - Calum Scott, You Are The Reason

S E P T E M B E R   1 8 T H   2 0 1 1 continued.

I paced restlessly outside the shed, feeling like a caged animal trapped within invisible walls. The frustration of constantly hitting barriers and retracing my steps was overwhelming. It was like being stuck in a nightmare where someone I cared about was in danger, and I couldn't do anything to help. Even though my team was inside, working hard to save her, I couldn't shake off the feeling of powerlessness.

Each passing minute felt like an eternity as I anxiously waited for any sign of progress. Finally, JJ emerged from the shed, and I rushed towards her with a flood of questions in my eyes.

"We need you inside," she said gravely, her tone serious and urgent. "You were right. This whole situation is about you, and we can't move forward without your help."

A surge of urgency shot through my body as I followed JJ back into the shed. My mind was buzzing with a whirlwind of thoughts, considering all the possibilities and potential outcomes of the situation.

As we entered, I observed the team gathered outside the concealed room, their expressions a mixture of determination and uncertainty. They weren't outright arguing, but it was clear that there was disagreement about the best course of action. Some seemed to advocate for caution, while others appeared more inclined to take swift and decisive steps. You could feel the tension in the air as everyone debated their best plan.

Just as I moved to enter the room, Hotch intercepted me with a firm grip on my arm. "Hold on, not yet," he instructed, his tone serious and commanding. "You can't just rush in there."

"But JJ said-" I started to protest, but Hotch interrupted me before I could finish.

"Listen," he interjected, his voice stern. "We do need your help, but rushing in blindly won't do anyone any good. You're too emotionally involved right now. We need your clear thinking and your knowledge of this place. Help us strategize instead."

I took a deep breath, mentally bracing myself for what was to come, and then nodded firmly. "Alright, tell me what we're dealing with," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions swirling within me.

Hotch pushed me closer to the group, and I found myself encircled by my teammates. Reid had sketched out a rough blueprint of the building, detailing the hidden room and the positions of Maile, James, and the menacing weapons aimed in their directions.

Rossi's voice broke the tensity. "She's forcing you to make a choice, Alex," he said gravely, his words hanging in the air like a dark cloud.

Reid quickly followed with an explanation. "The guns are rigged so that if you disable one, the other will fire. If you save Maile, the gun pointed at James will go off," he explained.

A wave of dread swept over me, dragging my heart down like a heavy weight in my chest. Despite the lingering bitterness in my relationship with James, the thought of him facing such a dire fate filled me with a profound sense of sorrow. Regardless of our past conflicts, I couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't deserve to meet his end like this.

But the mere notion of Maile's demise plunged me into a deep abyss of despair. The idea of losing her felt like losing a piece of my very soul, a part of me so essential that its absence would leave me utterly incomplete. The thought of her being torn away from me was unbearable, as if a core part of my identity would perish alongside her.

"I refuse to believe this is our only option," declared firmly, the strength of my conviction pulsing through every word. "Ira's attachment to her life with James is too strong. She wouldn't allow him to die. And she's well aware that I'll choose Maile."

I was certain of my conclusion. Ira wouldn't let her fiancé die. It went against everything I knew about her. Her devotion to him was too strong, even if her ability to think clearly was compromised.

"Where is she anyway?" I asked them.

Hotch answered quickly yet carefully, almost scared of what he was about to say. "We haven't found her yet."

"She can't be far," I pressed, a sense of urgency creeping into my words. "She wants a front-row seat. And I have a strong hunch about where she might be watching from."

Approaching Reid's rough sketch of the building, I grabbed the pencil and marked an X where the door to the observation room was. "There's a secret passage," I informed the team. "It leads to a room with monitors displaying live footage from all the cameras in this place."

Reid furrowed his brow in curiosity. "What was that room used for?" he asked.

Glancing up at him, I composed myself. "So he could relive her abuse," I replied calmly, though the gravity of the situation weighed heavily in my words.

"So, what's the plan?" JJ jumped in, breaking the tense silence of the realization that Maile's life was worse than they thought it'd be.

Morgan took charge, proposing, "I say two of us head up there to reason with Ira, figure out a way to disarm those guns without risking anyone's life. Meanwhile, the rest of us brainstorm a backup strategy."

Hotch nodded, acknowledging the proposal. "Blake, any other way into that room?"

"Yeah," I confirmed, grabbing the pencil and mapping out a complex route through a network of tunnels. "Following this path should lead you there as well. Or at least it used to back in the day."

"Alright," Hotch continued, his tone firm. "Morgan, Dave, you two head up there. Keep your communication devices on at all times. We need to stay informed about every move."

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, a tense silence hung over us as we awaited Morgan's next update. Then, at last, his voice crackled through the earpiece, breaking the stillness like a sharp crack of thunder. "Ira Listunova, FBI. We know you're in there," he announced firmly, his tone a mix of authority and caution, signaling their entrance into the room where Ira was thought to be hiding.

We held our breath, hanging on every word, bracing ourselves for what might come next. And then, there it was—the sound of Ira's voice cutting through the tension with unsettling confidence. "Good afternoon, gentlemen," she greeted them, her words laced with a chilling calmness that belied the gravity of the situation.

The weight of her words hung heavy in the air, each syllable laden with unspoken implications and veiled threats. It was clear that Ira was no ordinary adversary; she was a formidable opponent, one who approached this deadly game with a calculated precision that made her all the more dangerous.

As we gathered close, the anticipation in the air seemed almost tangible, each of us yearning for even the smallest glimmer of hope amidst the overwhelming challenge before us. Then, breaking through the heavy silence, Reid's voice rang out, carrying an urgency that demanded our full attention.

"I think I might have something that could help," Reid declared, his tone a mix of determination and nervousness. We leaned in, eager to hear his idea for navigating the dangerous situation we found ourselves in.

Pointing towards the intricate diagram he had sketched out, Reid began to outline his strategy. "We're aware that attempting to untie them could trigger the guns," he explained, his voice steady despite the circumstances. "But as I studied the setup, I noticed something peculiar about the way they're rigged. And then I followed the wires to the control box."

With each word, a glimmer of hope began to shine through the darkness, the possibility of a solution emerging from the depths of despair. "I remembered seeing a trigger lock on the box," Reid continued, his words punctuated by a sense of revelation. "It's secured by a numeric code. Six digits, to be precise."

"And?" JJ prompted, her voice impatient as she awaited the next crucial piece of information.

"Alright," Reid started, his brow furrowed in concentration as he delved deeper into his analysis. "We're aware that Ira fixates on Alex's top two significant relationships, right? So, any big happening related to either of those could be what she's fixated on. She's particularly sensitive about feeling like she's not the first choice, which helps us narrow down the possibilities."

Reid turned his attention to me, indicating it was my turn to speak, to share more about my past, my life experiences.

Then Hotch asked with both urgency and concern. "Can you provide us with any details? Breakups, conflicts, anything that might give us the code?"

Thinking back on my tumultuous relationship with James, I recounted the key moments. "We didn't take any breaks, but we decided to split on May 15th, 2009."

Before I could delve further, JJ interjected with a pointed question, "Isn't that just eight days before-"

I anticipated where she was going and finished her sentence, acknowledging the significance. "Yes. The next important date would be our divorce which was finalized on September 3rd, 2009. But the moment that probably matters most to her is our first major argument about Maile."

That memory was still vivid, like a scar etched into my mind. It was the first time I felt both love and hate towards the same person.

"February 8th, 2002," I added, recalling the date. "Fifteen years after my last celebration with her."

Hotch grabbed his communication device, his finger poised over the button with a sense of urgency "Dave, could you ask her about February 8th, 2002?" he instructed, his voice filled with anticipation.

We all leaned in, our ears tuned to Rossi's voice as he initiated the inquiry. "Hey, Ira," Rossi began, his tone measured yet probing. "I'm curious about something. How does the date February 8th, 2002, resonate with you?"

In the tense silence that followed, every breath felt magnified, our collective attention fixed on the response we awaited from Ira. Though her facial expressions remained hidden, the pregnant pause in her breathing hinted at the stirring of deep-seated emotions within her.

"I must respectfully disagree," she replied with a hint of defiance in her voice. "There's nothing of importance to report." But beneath her words, we could sense the unspoken truth, a subtle evasion dancing in the air.

"I'm going in," Hotch declared. "Stay here unless I instruct otherwise." His words carried authority, but there was also a hint of caution, reminding us to follow his lead and wait for further instructions.

The weight of uncertainty pressed down on me, a heavy burden that seemed to consume my every thought. Each moment dragged on, stretching into an agonizing eternity filled with unanswered questions and lingering fears. Time seemed to warp, distorting reality as we waited for the decision that would determine our fate.

Then, in a sudden moment of clarity, a single beep pierced the silence, breaking through the oppressive atmosphere like a sign of impending finality. It cut through the tension, leaving an undeniable mark on our senses. With held breath, we waited, caught between hope and despair.

Hotch's urgent call for medics shattered the stillness, jolting us into action. Reid and JJ surged forward with purpose, their urgency driving them towards the heart of the unfolding crisis. The arrival of the medical team followed swiftly, their determined strides reflecting the seriousness of the situation.

A surge of emotion welled up inside me, a primal urge pushing me to jump into action, to offer any help I could. But as I tried to move, a chilling realization hit me – my body wouldn't respond. I was stuck, unable to do anything, gripped by fear as I struggled against the paralysis that left me helpless in the face of danger.

As the stretcher carrying my ex-husband passed by, a flood of conflicting feelings washed over me, stirring up memories and emotions long buried. In that fleeting moment, the past collided with the present, weaving together a tangled web of regret and longing. But amidst the chaos, a newfound clarity emerged, breaking through the fog of uncertainty that had clouded my mind.

With a renewed sense of purpose, I pushed myself forward, driven by an unshakeable determination to confront the demons of my past. Questions swirled around me, demanding answers, but I remained resolute. In that crucial moment, my focus shifted, drawn towards the woman whose absence had left a profound void within my being.

As I entered the dimly lit room, my eyes fell upon her form, trapped within the harsh grasp of mechanical restraints. The chains wrapped around her arms, stark against the paleness of her skin, revealing the cruelty she had endured. Her once-lovely face bore the scars of her suffering – dried blood streaked across delicate features, while bruises painted a painful picture on her skin.

Despite the visible wounds, there was a striking resilience in her demeanor, a defiance that shone through the darkness threatening to engulf her. In her battered state, I found a glimmer of hope amidst the despair, a reminder of the unyielding strength residing within her.

Hotch's frustration was evident as he struggled with the stubborn restraints. "I can't get them off," he confessed, his voice tinged with exasperation and a hint of resignation.

Fueled by the injustice of our situation, I said: "Then I'll find that woman myself."

But Hotch's response stopped me in my tracks, his tone laced with a steely resolve that left no room for argumentation. "No," he commanded firmly, his gaze unwavering as he closed the distance between us.

His next words were delivered in a hushed whisper, laden with an intensity that belied their softness. "You stay here," he urged, his voice a gentle caress against the tumult of my emotions. "She needs you... And you need her."

As I silently nodded, a path seemed to open up before me as I moved through the crowd of worried faces, making my way towards her. Despite the pain that clouded her features, there was a certain glow emanating from her, a radiant aura that pulled at my heartstrings. Our reunion was filled with both joy and sorrow, tinged with the bittersweet residue of years lost to separation.

"Hey," she breathed, her voice a fragile whisper that carried the weight of a thousand unspoken words. "I know this wasn't how we were supposed to reunite."

With a gentle gesture, I silenced her, my fingertips brushing against her hair as I cupped her cheek in the palm of my hand. "Hush," I murmured, my voice a soothing balm against the backdrop of chaos that surrounded us. "How are you?"

Her response was a mosaic of emotions, each word imbued with the resonance of lived experience. "A bit bruised. A bit hungry. A bit thirsty. A bit tired," she confessed, her vulnerability laid bare in the raw honesty of her words. "But mostly, incredibly happy to see you."

A tender smile graced my lips as I echoed her sentiment. "Right back at ya," I affirmed. "I'm going to get you out of here, I promise. And then, I'll go to the hospital with you. I'll be by your side every step of the way. I'm not leaving you. Not anymore."

She responded with a touch of self-deprecating humor. "You're going to get sick of me," she joked, although her eyes betrayed a flicker of uncertainty.

But I refused to entertain such thoughts, my resolve unwavering as I met her gaze with sincerity. "Never", I stated. "There is absolutely nothing in this world that could ever make me sick of you."

As the door creaked open, Hotch stepped out followed by Dave, Morgan, and Ira, their presence offering some comfort amid the uncertainty that hung in the air. We all waited anxiously for a solution on how to free Maile from the restraints.

"I'll tell you", Ira began. "But only in the presence of those two." She gestured towards us with a nod of confirmation.

Hotch hesitated, his uncertainty palpable, but I sensed an unspoken understanding flicker in his eyes. "We'll be fine," I reassured him, projecting confidence despite the doubts swirling around us.

With a reluctant nod, the three men reluctantly departed, leaving me alone in the room with the love of my life and the woman who had sought to usurp my entire life.

Our eyes locked, a silent exchange of tension and determination passing between us before she broke the silence with a faint smile. "You look better in person," she commented, trying to lighten the mood with a hint of humor.

Despite her attempt at a compliment, I remained focused on the task ahead. "Enough with the chit-chat," interrupted, urgency coloring my tone. "Get her out of these damn things."

"Sure, fine. Whatever", Ira replied with a begrudging sigh, her movements deliberate as she approached the opposite side of the room in her police handcuffs. She pushed a button and with a resounding click, the restraints fell away, freeing Maile from their suffocating embrace.

But as Maile tried to stand, her strength faltered, her knees buckling beneath her. Without hesitation, I rushed forward, catching her in my arms before she could fall.

In a desperate embrace, she clung to me as though afraid that I might slip away, evaporating like a fleeting dream upon waking. The weight of her fear pressed upon me, a tangible reminder of the fragility of our existence amidst the chaos that surrounded us.

With a sudden shift in momentum, she pivoted us around, forcing me to confront the grim reality in front of me, behind her back. Ira's actions had summoned forth a gun, its presence a chilling reminder of the danger we faced.

Tension filled the air as I prepared for the expected onslaught, but the anticipated gunfire never erupted. Instead, a sickening realization washed over me as Maile's weight slumped against me, her blood staining my hands in a macabre testament to the brutality that was our life.

Instinct kicked in as I reached for my weapon, the familiar weight offering a semblance of reassurance in my trembling hands. With determination, I aimed at the woman responsible for the tragedy, her body crumpling to the ground in a silent acknowledgment of the violence that had engulfed us.

Exhausted and overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, I collapsed to the ground, holding Maile's lifeless body close. Tears mixed with blood as I whispered desperate pleas into the darkness, my words a solemn promise of undying love.

"Please stay with me, Smiles," I pleaded, my voice choked with emotion. "I love you."

[fanvamp]

This is just a fanfic of my transformers OCS, mostly just to jot this story down and get it out of my head cuz im not gonna be able to draw it out like I wanna. Enjoy??

Chapter 1

"You lost HOW many mechs?!"

Starscream's voice carried out even into the hall from behind the shut door. Inside, Abyss stood at attention with his head high, but his eyes on the table before them. He was big, even for a cybertronian standards- he had to be, being one of the few seekers within the Decepticons to have a B2 Bomber for an alt mode. His obsidian paint shone dimly in the room.

Abyss simply stated with a dull defeated tone vibrated his lower jaw as he spoke, " The unit you instructed me to lead was numbered at 150. We lost 136."

He never moved once. His expression gave away nothing but steel resolve, but inside he was screaming. Screaming at himself, at the Auotbots that destroyed his unit, at Primus for allowing this massacre of the very soldiers he promised to bring back.

Starscream stood before a window, but he wasn't looking out at the view, now anymore. His eyes were fixed on the mech that was nearly twice his size. Every single glint of the light that reflected from his optics signaled danger, but he was uncharacteristically quiet. His wings were at their highest point, giving away his anger at his subordinate. "136.." He hissed and his eyes narrowed. "Explain to me how my best trained soldier managed to lose 136 MECHS!!?"

He shouted the last words, making Abyss flinch. But he fell quiet again as he crossed his arms and waited. Abyss looked to the side as he collected the fragments of his tortured memory.

"We had intel of an autobot camp fifteen clicks from base, and I gathered my unit to wipe them out." His eyes narrowed as Abyss struggled to keep himself from slamming his arm into the wall beside him, before he spoke again. "But I failed to send a scout to properly assess the situation. I failed to take caution, and ran in blindly."

He faltered, for a moment. He never met Starscreams gaze once- he felt he didn't even deserve to look his superior in the optics. He clenched his fist and kept talking.

"I made my soldiers run in blindly into a massacre. I'm entirely to blame" Abyss managed to keep his voice steady, but inside he was relieving the memory of the scattered pieces of his soldiers freshly torn on the ground, the sound of metal tearing and energon bursting free from its restraint, the brutality of the wreckers as they slaughtered the unit he had been tasked to lead- offline, because of his insolence. He hsd watched them die around them and could only feel shame, and guilt.

Starscream simply glared at him. Perhaps it was his imagination, but Abyss could practically hear the gears turning in his head. Thinking of a brutal way to punish him no doubt. The silence was suffocating, especially from the red and white seeker that wasn't known for being quiet. Abyss wanted him to scream, to cuss, to smack (or try to, really) him around. Anything, but the quiet.

Starscream stared at his subordinate. Any other day, he'd probably be letting out his life's frustration on this failure before him. But there was something so... Different about Abyss. He seemed like the weight of cybertron was resting on his shoulder pads. Stoic, almost. What intrigued Starscream was this sudden change. Especially from the recruit a millennia ago- that recruit was brash, energetic, and arrogant- another brute. But a brute that could fight and lead, and had trained under Starscream from afar to lead his own unit. He could hardly believe this was Abyss before him and not some imposter.

After time had stopped it's torture, Starscream finally spoke. " You will lead again. Everything about your stupidy says otherwise, but I am feeling particularly generous today- be grateful." He grit his teeth, glaring at Abyss. "Not because I pity your lack of intelligence, but because you're too valuable an asset. Be a shame to have to destroy someone that can fight. Lead better, Abyss. There are no retakes."

Abyss looked at him for the first time. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. One one servo, he was grateful for the second chance. On the other.. this could happen again. And that thought terrified the steely seeker. Abyss bowed deeply, lowering his gaze to the floor. "Thank you, Commander. I will not fail you again- this show is of my own making."

Starscream glared at him. This went against everything his fury was telling him what he should do. Although he felt smug about the way this mech twice his size bowed so low before he him, he just hoped he wouldn't regret this decision. "Get out." He hissed.

Abyss stood and lowered his head, before turning around and walking out of the room. He would begin again, this time with a spark of stone. Never, never again.

[maelstroumwaterfall]

Hogwarts Mystery Horror AU | Arbormagic Syndrome

Chapter 3

REVAMPED

CHAPTER 3

Rowan watched Snyde slowly walk away, her usually determined steps now seemed almost dejected. A part of him felt like calling out to her, to apologize, to tell her to stay, but a much larger part still could not bring himself to trust her, even in this moment. He was left alone again, surrounded by silence.

His friend's betrayal still weighed heavily on him but that wasn't the only thing that was troubling him. They really messed up with their whole research of the Cursed Vaults and now they might have accidentally awakened something dark and unknown and the responsibility was solely on them. He couldn't just leave it like that, not when someone might die because of his reckless actions.

He took a deep breath, knowing he had to compose himself and gather his thoughts but the pain of betrayal still held him on the spot. With another attempt to wipe the tears away from his eyes and cheeks, he made a reluctant step and looked into the empty corridors of the dungeons. He could still hear Merula's slow steps. It was the first time he saw this unusual side of her. Now, when his best friend betrayed him, she was the one who approched in an attempt to reassure him. He could feel it, despite her trying hide her true intensions.

He didn't want to snap at her like that but the overwhelming emotions were just too much for him this time. Maybe, he'll manage to find her later and apologize. After all, she didn't want to harm him even though her words did little to relieve his pain.

It was clear that Maelström was not intending to solve his own mistakes. Their mistake. All this time Rowan thought that Maelström was trying to break the curse of the Vaults to save Hogwarts from its plague and find his brother, but now as Khanna was left alone to deal with the possible danger, it became obvious that Maelström never cared about anyone besides himself.

Slowly, he started moving down the corridor, trying to focus on coming up with a proper course of actions, even though his mind kept wandering to the good moments shared with Maelström and the harm they caused now. Snape asked them not to mess with what they have found again and Rowan was definitely not going to come back to that cave in the Forbidden Forest but he had to find out at least something about the creatures they saw.

Next class was going to be Flying and almost everyone was already at the training grounds. Rowan arrived last and immediately spotted Merula. She seemed to be trying to put on her usual tough facade but obviously feeling uneasy. Even though he wanted to apologize, he didn't manage to gather the courage to approach her at that moment, especially since the next person he spotted was Waterfall, looking like nothing happened.

Meanwhile, Merula went to the other side of the ground, trying to focus on practicing. And while Rowan was doing the same, at some point they caught each other's gazes, just for a second, but long enough to notice how the tension was still there.

Snyde tried her best to distract herself from the thoughts about her interaction with Rowan. She didn't only make everything worse but also made herself look vulnerable in a front him. That alone made her want to disappear. Every time they accidentally made eye contact, she was the first to look away, making Rowan even more restless. He didn't know what to do, he felt guilty for letting out his frustration and anger on her.

It didn't become any better when he shifted his thoughts to the unknown creatures he and Maelström saw in the Forbidden Forest. He followed their professor's instructions slower than the other students this time though he did manage to come back to reality when he took off into the air. How can he find out something about what they saw without coming back to the cave? These creatures weren't mentioned in any of the books he's read. There was a moment he thought about the Forbidden Section in the library but he doubted it'd be possible for him to sneak in there again. The only option was to get the permission from one of the Hogwarts' professors and he supposed that he could get it from Professor Kettleburn and also ask him about the creatures along the way.

Suddenly, another idea crossed his mind as he got an opportunity to observe his surroundings from up high and noticed Hogwarts' gamekeeper's Hut. He knew that Hagrid helped Maelström a few times during the first years of Waterfall's education at Hogwarts but Rowan rarely ever met Hagrid himself. There was no doubt that Rubeus knows plenty about the creatures in the forest and Khanna already thought about talking to him before but the conversation with Snape and Maelström's betrayal made him forget about it temporary.

Eventually, he decided to visit Hagrid after the lessons and talk to Professor Kettleburn tommorow when they will have Care for Magical Creatures lesson. Meanwhile, Merula was also not going to let the situation go on it's own. If there's a chance to get the gold-obsessed fool in even more trouble, she'll use it. Besides, she was somewhat curious about what Rowan and Maelström saw in the forest. So when Khanna goes to visit Hagrid, she'll pay a visit to Rakepick.

**********

The sun was already setting when Rowan finally headed towards the gamekeeper's hut. He spent a while thinking about the best way to describe the situation to Hagrid and if he should mention where exactly he saw the creatures, why and how he got there. Besides, he didn't know Hagrid well and also didn't want to take much of the gamekeeper's time.

Looking around Hagrid's garden, he found himself being somewhat reluctant to knock at the door but still forced himsel to approach it. He couldn't waste any time, if he came back after the curfew, he would immediately be suspected in sneaking out to the forest again now that Snape knows everything. A few moments later, Rowan was standing in front of the wooden door and he knocked a few times, still uncertain of the idea to visit the half-giant even though he knew that Hagrid is a gentle, kind and loving person.

Rubeus walked to the door and opened it, his giant size immediately covering the frame. His expression visibly softened when he saw Rowan at the doorstep. He smiled and tilted his head to greet him.

- Ah, Rowan! Wha' are yeh doin' 'ere this late?

Even though the young Slytherin expected Hagrid to be towering over him, Rowan almost flinched when he fully opened the door. He had to tilt his head back a bit to look at the half-giant, his usual nervousness increasing at the sheer size of the gamekeeper.

Nevertheless, the kind smile and the sound of Hagrid's voice quickly helped Rowan to feel more at ease. He managed a meek smile as he looked up to speak.

- I.. uhm.. Hello, sir.. I'm terribly sorry for bothering you but I-I was hoping to ask you something..

Hagrid chuckled softly at Rowan's nervous appearance, slightly amused by his awkward behaviour, but he was also quite endeared by the kind and respectful boy. It's not the first time people reacted to him like that, after all.

- Don't worry, no botherin' here, I'm jus' havin' some quiet time. Come on in, lad. - He nodded his head and stepped aside, gesturing Rowan to come inside so he could close the door.

-Thank you, sir. I really don't mean to bother you but.. I-I thought that.. you might be able to help me with something.. - Rowan smiled thankfully, grateful for Hagrid's kindness. He glanced down at Fang, the large, slobbering dog curiously sniffing at him, and gently patted the top of his head. He walked in the hut, taking everything in his surroundings. The interior was as cozy and warm as the man who was living here.

Hagrid closed the door and followed Rowan inside, watching as the boy pats Fang's head. The half-giant couldn't help but felt his heart warm a bit, glad to see his dog be so fondly treated. He smiled and sat down on one of the chairs with a soft sigh. He motioned for Rowan to take another seat across from him. Hagrid then nodded, encouraging Rowan to tell him what's on his mind.

- No need to call me 'sir', jus' call me Hagrid. And don't worry, I'm 'appy to help yeh. What is it that's troublin' yeh?

Rowan nodded silently, taking a seat on the chair opposite. Even seated the half-giant was still clearly towering over him, yet being in his company was soothing. He fidgeted a bit, still hesitating. He wasn't even sure himself how to approach the topic, but he decided to just get it out as soon as possible.

-I.. Well.. I ran into some creatures in the forest and... I'm not sure if anyone has ever seen them before. I was hoping you would know something about them.

Hagrid leaned forward, his usually soft expression turning a bit more serious. His bushy eyebrows furrowed in concern and he nodded slowly. He wasn't glad that Rowan went to the Forbidden Forest once again and he had no doubt that he wasn't alone there but decided not to question him for now and let the young wizard explain everything.

- Forbidden Forest yeh say... Wha' kinda creatures were yeh seein'?

Hearing the sudden shift in Hagrid's tone, Rowan could tell that something was up. He fidgeted with the hem of his robes, avoiding eye contact.

- I'm not.. entirely sure what exactly it was. I've never seen something like that ij the books before. It looked like a centipede. It had this glimmering, white, scaly skin with blue spots.. it had many, too many legs. It was... It was disgusting and... There were so many. - He explained with a shaky voice, Rubeus' expression told him that he might actually know what Rowan is talking about or at least suspect something. At some point, Khanna felt hopeful that maybe, the things he saw in the cave aren't something new and unfamiliar and even if they're dangerous, Hagrid knows how to deal with them. He looked up at the half-giant with a hopeful look, silently asking for the guidance, he just didn't know how to fix this mistake on his own.

- An' yeh said it was in the forest? Where exactly? - Hagrid listened to Rowan's description intently, his expression growing more and more concerned with every second.

- It was.. uhm.. in the southeast area of the forest. I was... exploring that part of the forest and... there was this cave that was barely noticeable like it was hidden away for purpose. It had a thin entrance burried under the stone cliff and the roots of some really old black tree. And these creatures.. they were crawling around inside of it. - He hesitated between sentences, contemplating if he should tell Hagrid about the bodies there too. After all, he came here to ask about the creatures but also, he didn't want Hagrid to be ignorant of the danger. - Are you intending to go there?

Rowan's voice was reluctant but he had to know if the half-giant was going to try and find this place. He had told everything to Snape already and he knew that Severus and other professors will take care of the situation so he wasn't sure if the half-giant should intervene. Suddenly, he had a feeling that Hagrid didn't just ask him the position of the place to know where to find the creatures but there was another reason behind it.

- Aye, I was plannin' to. - He replied with a sigh, his shoulder lowered somewhat. - I don't recognize the creatures yeh described but I have some business with that place.

Rowan looked up at him suddenly as he was clearly taken aback. Somehow, Khanna absolutely forgot that Hageid knows almost every inch of the Forbidden Forest. Still, Rubeus didn't seem to know that there was an actual cave and Maelström was indeed the first one who discovered it. Rowan was yet reluctant to tell him the whole truth.

- Business? What business?.. - He asked wanting to know what business Hagrid has with that place exactly and how much did Rowan and Maelström's intervention affect it? Was there more to it than Rowan had originally thought?

- A strange place.. That's it.. Nothin' you should worry about. - The half-giant mumbled, his brows furrowed slightly as he stood up and hurried to find a way to avoid the topic. Even though he tried to sound nonchalant, the place Rowan described clearly worried him. - Yeh better promise me that yeh won't follow Maelström into the forest again.. That won't do any good.

It suddenly became obvious that Hagrid knew that it was Waterfall's idea to go into the Forbidden forest. There was something in his voice that told him that Rubeus didn't exactly like Maelström and he knew the reason of it. The gamekeeper often helped Waterfall in his pursue of the Cursed Vaults when it came to looking for something in the Forbidden Forest and creatures in there but that was until he found out that Maelström occasionally harmed and tried to hunt down creatures in the forest. Khanna was shocked no less but when he questioned Maelström about the reasons he was doing that, he only angered Waterfall and didn't manage to get any clear response. Actually, Khanna was almost sure Waterfall would be expelled from Hogwarts after that but Maelström managed to avoid that again somehow.

That was one of the reasons why Rowan was reluctant about visiting Hagrid to question him about the creatures in the first place even though he knew that Hagrid isn't known for being a hateful and revengeful person. Rowan wouldn't even think it's possible to do something that would make Rubeus hate someone but he could practically feel how tensed up Hagrid was at the sight of Waterfall after the unpleasant revelation.

He took a deep breath, after all, he had managed to tell everything to Snape, so why was he so reluctant now?

- No it's.. That's what.. That's what everyone should worry about! Besides these creatures there were.. Corpses.. But not common ones, they were all covered in tree bark and the creatures I saw there seemed to.. seemed to be feeding on them. - Although he occasionally stopped between the sentences, these words left his lips in a matter of a few moments. He slowly looked up at Hagrid, sighing heavily as he couldn't proceed that he managed to spit out these words once again.

The half-giant stayed still for a moment, though his expression became more serious and concerned with every word he heard. However, before Hagrid could say anything Khanna suddenly decided to continue.

- I already told Professor Snape about it. I'm sure he'll inform Dumbledore and.. they will come up with a course of actions considering this place.. I don't think it's a good idea to go there right now.. - These words were said in an attempt to prevent Hagrid from going to that place again, especially alone. Even though Rowan knew Hagrid could take care of himself just fine and knew every inch of the forest, the young wizard had a feeling that something might go wrong. After all, it was still not clear what he and Maelström have awakened in the cave.

Hagrid's expression softened a touch as he listened to Rowan's worried voice and saw that the young Slytherin was worried for his safety. His shoulders lowered slightly and he slowly shook his head.

- Dumbledore already knows everythin'.. Not the part yeh told me about, but he knows 'bout the area.. Tha's why he's not present at Hogwarts. He's at the Ministry, discussin' that matter.. - Hagrid stayed silent for a moment, now that there are new, more concerning details about that place, he was sure that sooner or later, students will be warned about the danger. - I found it by accident, magical creatures avoid and act anxious near it fer some reason. Now that yeh told me 'bout what yeh saw there.. I know why creatures act like that. Whatever yeh saw in that cave, creatures are afraid of it.

***

For Patricia Rakepick, this Hogwarts year has started from her becoming a Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. She was arranging everything in her own new office and a classrom, including the things that some people should never see, particularly Jacob's sibling, when she heard a knock at the door. Patricia didn't have time to answer before she saw Snyde looking into the room.

- Uhm.. Professor Rakepick? - Merula called out carefully, though she could barely hide a slightly mischievous look on her face.

Snyde didn't wait long after she was done with the lessons today and almost immediately headed towards DADA classroom to meet Rakepick, which helped her to shift her thoughts to the trouble she will manage to get Maelström into. She just couldn't understand why they needed Waterfall in their pursue of the Cursed Vaults and maybe, today she'll convince Rakepick that they can manage without the gold-smeared fool.

Rakepick felt a brief wave of annoyance at Merula's unannounced entry but she kept her voice measured.

- Miss Snyde, - She said with a subtle hint of intrigue in her voice. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the edge of the desk, fixing her gaze on the Slytherin girl. - To what do I owe this ...unexpected visit?

- You told me to keep an eye on Maelström and I've got some news.

She eagerly entered the room, not forgetting to close the door behind her. She raised her chin slightly as she stood in a front of Patricia.

- Maelström was in the Forbidden Forest again, with Rowan. He found something that might be related to the Cursed Vaults and obviously wanted to keep it secret. - Even though Merula tried to keep her voice even and composed, her tone kept a desire to get her rival in trouble.

The mention of the Forbidden Forest and possible connections to the Cursed Vaults sparked Rakepick's intrigue even though she wasn't exactly surprised that Waterfall decided to pursue the Cursed Vaults on his own again. That wasn't the first time he thought he could trick her, after all. She studied Merula with a critical eye, noting the subtle hint of eagerness in her stance and the slight elevation of her chin. It was clear that the young Slytherin girl was anticipating a reaction, one that might even involve praise.

- Go on. What exactly did Maelström find in the forest? - She pushed herself away from the desk, crossing her arms and nodding slowly, gesturing for Merula to continue. She would surely be able to tell if what they have found is related to the Cursed Vaults or not.

The young witch took a moment to come up with the right words. Snyde wasn't going to hide any details from Rakepick, except for the fact that she was the one who snitched on Maelström and put him under the risk of expulsion. However, when she remembered what she's heard from Rowan and Snape's conversation, her eager and mischievous attitude shifted to a little doubted one.

- Well, I overheared Rowan telling everything to Professor Snape. He said something about a cave in the Forbidden Forest, centipede-like creatures and.. um.. - She stopped for a moment, unconsciously avoiding Rakepick's eyes. She decided to simply repeat Rowan's words and see what Rakepick has to say about it, after all, she must know better. - Dead bodies encased in tree bark.

The dark witch's expression didn't shift as she listened to Merula, though she felt pretty much sceptical about her words. What Snyde described didn't sound like anything related to the Cursed Vaults but that didn't mean it won't possibly get in a way later. She supposed that Merula was right and Jacob's sibling indeed attempted to deal with the Vaults by himself and to hide information from her but instead, stumbled upon something absolutely different.

At some point, Merula's words sounded somewhat familiar but Rakepick couldn't quite point where exactly she heard, or, possibly, read something like this. Anyways, it was too early to jump to conclusions. The only thing she was sure about was that she'd have a talk with Maelström soon and do what it takes to put him back on his place.

- Interesting, - She drawled, her tone indicating her skepticism. - And what makes you think this cave and its... unfortunate inhabitants have anything to do with the Cursed Vaults?

That question was asked with an intention to make sure that what Merula described has nothing to do with the Cursed Vaults. She needed to know if things have changed over the years, even though it was unlikely. She just couldn't let anything unexpected get in the way.

Seeing the young Slytherin's hesitation and uncertainty, Rakepick pushed away any suspects about Maelstrom's findings being related to the Cursed Vaults. It was obvious that the girl simply wanted to get Waterfall in trouble and didn't really have any proves for her words.

- I thought.. what else would Maelström go to the Forbidden Forest for? He obviously didn't want to tell anyone about it. He said it himself. - Merula suddenly bit her lip. Rakepick would find out that Merula snitched on Maelström sooner or later. Snyde hated how the dark witch always put Waterfall above her. What does she need him for when he's just a gold-obsessed fool? They'll lose nothing if Jacob's sibling gets expelled. So why'd Rakepick be mad at her? Still, Merula felt reluctant about admitting her guilt. - There's.. There's one more thing. Professor Snape said that.. Maelström will get expelled soon. For going to the Forbidden Forest.

She swallowed, waiting for Rakepick's response. She anxiously wondered if she'd ask how exactly Severus found out about Maelström and Rowan's escapade. She supposed Patricia would think that it was Rowan who told him like Merula said a minute ago but she didn't mention that Khanna did that because she snitched on him and his 'best friend'.

Patricia observed Merula's anxious expression and the hesitancy in her voice. She could connect the dots pretty easily. Severus Snape had found out that Maelström and Rowan sneaked into the Forbidden Forest, most likely from Rowan himself. But why would Khanna willingly tell everything and to Severus, of all people? She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, and her tone took on a more stern edge.

- And how exactly did Professor Snape find out about Maelström's unauthorized visit to the Forbidden Forest? - She took a step closer, towering over Merula. Her tone was cold and precise, the hint of an accusation lurking behind her words. It made it clear that Patricia had a hunch that there was more to this story that Merula was withholding. - Who told him, Miss Snyde?

Merula felt a shiver run down her spine as Rakepick towered over her, her look not tolerating any disobedience. The dark witch knew the truth but still demanded it from Merula. Snyde was told to keep an eye on Maelström and help him when necessary, not get him expelled. She thought she needed to prove that she's worthy, that she is better than Jacob's sibling and at some point, today she felt like she finally did it. Until now.

- Professor Rakepick, I.. I only told Professor Snape that Maelström was out during the curfew hours and then Rowan told him what really happened. I just wanted to teach Maelström a lesson so he'd be more careful. - For a moment, Merula's voice trembled against her will when she started speaking. Reluctantly, she looked up at the witch she so highly admired.

Patricia's expression remained stern and unreadable as she listened to Merula's explanation. She watched her struggle to maintain her composure, noticing the slight tremor in her voice. It was fun to toy with Snyde, until she unintentionally started getting in the way of Rakepick's plans.

- You wanted to 'teach Maelström a lesson'? - She repeated slowly, taking a step forward and crossing her arms across her chest. - And did it ever occur to you, Miss Snyde, that perhaps I was the one responsible for keeping Maelström's actions in check?

The dark witch's eyes told that although she was keeping her temper in check, Merula was on a very thin line. If Maelström gets expelled, it'll become more problematic to enter the Buried Vault and use his Legilimency powers. But of course, Merula knew little about Rakepick's real intentions.

- Yes. I-I'm sorry, Professor, I just... - Merula clenched her fists, looking down at the floor. She was disappointed in herself, and she was scared that Rakepick will kick her out and replace her with someone better. Someone who'd never make such mistake.. She raised her head, trying to keep a determined expression. - It won't happen again.

A smirk curled on Patricia's lips as she observed Merula's remorseful and frustrated expression. The Slytherin girl looked desperate, as if scared of Patricia's reaction. The older witch, however, decided to toy with her a bit more.

-You think a simple 'sorry' is going to fix this, do you, Miss Snyde? - She stepped closer, her dark eyes fixed on Merula, studying her like prey. - I expected better from one of my best students.

Merula's face fell as she continued to listen to Rakepick's cold words, which didn't sound gentle at all coming from the dark witch. She clenched her fists tightly, feeling her palms sweating. It was humiliating that she felt the need to explain herself and that she's not just being punished but also scolded. She was one of Rakepick's closest students but now she felt like a disappointment. Patricia's words hurt, and it took every bit of self-control the witch possessed not to look away from the woman she idolized.

- What should I do to fix it?

💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚

That's all for this chapter so I hope you enjoyed it🐱

Gonna be adding more and more characters in the future, also, I'm to keep the size of the chapters in check so they all are about 4000 words cause I noticed that some chapters in the first version of Arbormagic Syndrome were rather very small or too big comparing to the others.

Anyways I hope you all are having a good day and wish you good luck🐍❤️‍🔥

[kralierror404]

I already commented on this but here i am to rant abt Brian now.

First time we hear anything ig..super interesting abf Brian is in the entry Jay goes to wherever Brian was living at the time and man that place is trashed, yet Jay does not seem concerned about that at all to my knowledge, he does look and wonder about Brian but even then its not that long of a focus.

Now i wanna talk about Brian conveniently never being around, and yeah sure maybe the actor, IRL Brian himself was busy but just shh..lemme theorise. Hes either gone to get snacks or hell its unknown where he is because they weren’t paying attention! even despite being at Brians house - he could be actively struggling and nobody noticed a single thing due to him isolating, he knew that was for the best, that he couldn’t spread whatever was wrong with him, couldn’t even talk about it plus i think he “caught” it from Alex so no wonder he didn’t wanna be around the dude.

Now, this brings me to Alex, he killed Brian after realising he was sick, that whole ordeal is ON CAMERA. Jay watches that back and just seems to have almost 0 concern about him, just like he did before - WHY DO THEY JUST ASSUMES HES OKAY!! :C. Now, another thing that no one questioned, Hoodie knowing his way to Tims house from quite far, Brian and Tim live/lived near eachother too so..what does that tell you?? IT IS SOMEONE YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE HOW ALEX KNEW HIS WAY THERE. HE KNEW THE AREA TIM AND BRIAN LIVED IN.

Hoodie or totheark on his own, shoulda been questioned more especially with all his messages literally directed towards certain people, OH AND HIM SIGNING OFF HIS LAST VIDEO WITH HIS OWN DAMN NAME BUT ALL GLITCHED? HOW IS THAT NOT A HUGE GIVEAWAY.

Brian is so forgotten about and Hoodie is seen as dangerous even despite never trying to hurt Jay or Tim physically, he literally only wanted Alex to die but even then he couldn’t do it, couldn’t see his friend die, couldn’t be the one to kill him. He just wanted shit to stop but no one listened, they couldn’t even follow simple instructions and tasks, couldn’t work together.

(Jay and Tim) and then theres Masky keeping things from Tim memory and always failing at stopping Alex.

Forever thinking about Hoodys/Brian's little: do you remember me? I remember you. Messages here and there bcs GHRHGGHHRR.... Why did they never try to wonder who he was 😭🙏

If Brian actually remembered them, and everything they've been through together it must have been SO hard, painful and frustrating for NOBODY to ever wonder where he was, If he's okay, and if he's SOMEHOW the guy behind the mask.

We see Brian's fucked and trashed house with blood in it, we see him getting hurt, we see him get knocked out/killed AND YET THERE'S LITTLE TO NO CONCERN SHOWED FOR HIM. I'd be so fucking devasted.

[pacifymebby]

Hey! Can I request the peaky boys with a reader who has abandonment issues, I just know alfie will give one of his best bear hugs if you tell him about it, I'm wondering how it would work out tho cause of them being gangsters and all

Hi there lovely!! Im so sorry that this has taken me this long to get to, i loved this request so much and i wanted to do it justice? I have abandonment issues ngl so i hope i did manage to do this justice

Tommy

🌿So caught up in his own issues he doesn't notice yours until someone else points it out to him.

🌿 Honestly i think tommy has one of those terrible inferiority matched with superiority complexes that means hes constantly oscillating between "I'm beneath them" and "fuck everyone I'm better than everyone"

🌿Like beneath everything theres this desperation to be loved that isn't calmed but more squashed and silenced by his convinction that he isnt worth loving/ cant be loved

🌿 So anyway between all these issues he has he probably won't notice anything about you to indicate that you have an issue of your own. He's not exactly self centered, more that theres already so much noise in his head...

🌿 And it'll be his issues that push your issues. His convictions that hes a bad man that you shouldn't love... He'll probably do the dramatic thing and try to cut you off or push you away when things in his life get dangerous for you...

🌿And you'll panic and get so sad and he will see he's breaking your heart and terrifying you but it'll take someone like Pol to slap him round the face before he really understands what hes doing to you

🌿 The way him pushing you away just makes you hold on tighter... There will be a bit of relief in him too, he'll like the fact that you don't want to leave him (because of those issues of his own) and there'll be a level of healing there for him, realising someone does think he's worth loving.

🌿But i think when it all comes to a head, you'd be arguing, you'd both say hurtful evil things to one another in the heat of the moment "you can't just fucking leave me!" "its for your own fucking good, are you stupid? Don't go thinking for a second that i want to do this love, im just doing the intelligent thing... Youre an intelligent girl aren't you? Don't be so fucking stupid..." "I don't want to live without you!" "better you died without me than because of me y/n" "Can't you see thats the same fucking thing tommy!"

🌿 And then maybe finally he'd understand, he'd see your desperation, see how hurt you really are and he'd soften and return to you, kiss you, hold you in his arms, change his mind.

🌿 "You don't want to live without me?" "No," "then you won't, you won't..." just gently shushing you... But he does think you're insane and wants to know why you're like this, wants to know what happened to you to leave you so scared of being alone

🌿He'd be angry and bitter about this too, why would anyone treat someone as lovely as you with so little care or heart. He'd want to kill them, take their eyes, do something to take revenge, he would probably exercise self restraint though.

🌿 I think he'd have a whole new complex but it would be slightly healthy in an insane and unhealthy way... His new obsession would be staying alive for you, not wanting to abandon you, knowing his life means he could die any minute, death lurks round every corner, it stalks him through the streets...

🌿 And because of this he'd write you letters every now and then for just in case it happens, explaining to you how he isnt just abandoning you. He'd make sure all his affairs were in order, that you wouldn't be left on your own. There would be instructions for his family on making sure to take you in, he'd tell Polly to treat you like a daughter ect.

🌿 He would make you a promise he couldn't keep. Tommy gives the impression of being sensible but he's always making people promises he can't keep (because he's arrogant enough to believe that he can keep those promises)

🌿He'll hold you so tenderly, tell you he loves you, no one else just you, tells you he'd die without you too. He's being deadly serious too. His biggest fear is something happening to you that leaves him left in this world without you.

🌿He'd make sure you knew you were loved, he'd buy you a necklace or something, something simple, that you could wear all the time, that would remind you he was with you always.

🌿You would get so insecure so often just because Tommy socialises in glamourous circles and often meets the most beautiful women, but he would always know the right things to say and do to sooth your worries and reassure you that you mean the world to him.

Alfie

🐻 If you thought he was soft with you before wait till you see him now

🐻 Alfie is very in tune with your emotions and he can tell when you're worried or feeling down. So he knows that something is getting to you before you admit it to him

🐻 You have been trying to hide your issues too because you're aware that it's just a bad choice to be romantically involved with a dangerous gangster when you are quite so scared of being abandoned or left behind like you are.

🐻 Your way of trying to deal with these issues is to kid yourself that you don't have them, that everythings fine, that you'd be completely fine if anything were to happen to Alfie or if he just decided he wasn't interested in you anymore. So whenever Alfie does try to ask whats wrong you would just shut him out and dismiss him

🐻 And when it does come time for him to go away on business, when his life is potentially at risk, you would try to pretend you weren't bothered... Which would hurt Alfie, because he'd think you don't care about him...

🐻 And then he'd try to pretend like he didn't care...

🐻 And things would potentially get pretty messy, you both pretending not to care about the situation, both of you trying to ignore the very near future...

🐻 He'd end up going ahead with this meeting or plan and you'd spend the whole time he was away going crazy, biting your nails, pacing and being restless, convincing yourself he's died, driving yourself crazy and drinking to get through the anxiety...

🐻 So that when he returns he finds you a complete mess, sitting on the kitchen floor with a bottle in your hand, you havent slept, you were drunk but you've cried yourself sober and you feel completely broken down

🐻 Alfie would be heart broken to see you looking so forlorn but he'd do his best not to show you that, smiling sympathetically instead, sitting on the stool at the table and leaning down to reach for the bottle in your hand.

🐻 "hmmm yeah right, i see the problem here ziskeit, yeah i see the probpem.. This you're drinking right here, this is Shelby Gin right and although it claims to be "distilled for the eradication of a seemingly incurable sadness" it just don't do what it says on the label yeah... In fact poppet, I'd go as far as to say that it actually makes you feel much much worse..."

🐻 You'd have been in a state of shock when he first came in, not really believing him to be there at all, but maybe at the sound of his voice youd have looked up at him, realised it really was him and instead of looking so sad and broken a little smile would come onto your face and when he smiled, your smile would grow bigger and brighter.

🐻 "Youre not dead," youd smile seeming to forget the misery of your solitude. Alfie would laugh at you a little confused and he'd shake his head. "Last time I checked ziskeit..."

🐻 He'd beckon you up to come and sit with him and hold you snug to his side then he'd want to know why you were so miserable.

🐻 And when you told him about everything he'd not say a word, just hold onto you very very tightly, he'd tuck your head into the crook of his neck and kiss your hair. He would probably hold onto you like that quietly for quite a long time. It would be the cosiest and most comforting of hugs, you'd feel small and snug and so secure held tightly in his big arms as he held onto you for dear life.

🐻 He would probably be a little concerned/upset that you hadn't told him sooner, and he'd want to be careful about understanding you completely.

🐻 But once he did he'd be so reassuring and loving to you hugging you tight in his big arms, he wouldnt shut up about how much he loves you and how its his job to look after you and never ever leave you.

🐻 He would defintely make the promise he knows he can't keep but he'd also tell you he knows he shouldn't make it because he can't really keep it... "now i know its irresponsible to make promises you know you can't necessarily definitely 100% keep however, right now poppet i think its what you need to hear and its what i want to say and i reckon thats as good a reason as any to break my rules yeah? What do you think?"

🐻"now i dont often ask you to torture your old man reminding him that there have been other men in your life but... I what i wanna know right... Is why someone as sweet and lovely as you, could possibly think that someone who loves you very much... Cause i do yeah, i love you very much... Could possibly leave you..."

🐻 "poppet i ain't even gonna leave you when i die right, I'm gonna follow you around everywhere, fucken watchin over you every day for the rest of your life yeah"

🐻 Alfie would take you and everything about your relationship so seriously. He'd do lots of things to remind you of his devotion to you. I kind of feel like acts of service are his love language and like just looking after you and providing for you and spoiling you are how he'd want to show you how he values you.

Arthur

🍂 Arthur definitely has abandonment issues of his own and therefore your relationahip would be intense, perhaps volatile to begin with, before you understand one another completely.

🍂 Once you work out you're both just scared of the same things you'd stop fighting or getting paranoid about one another and you'd come together stronger than ever before.

🍂 You would stick to one another like glue, completely devoted to eachother. Arthur would view you as his saving grace, he'd treasure you and be so protective.

🍂 He'd never want to let you out of his sight. Which would be fine because you wouldn't want to leave his side for even a second.

🍂 He would definitely have his own issues about not abandoning others too so he'd be very reassuring, loyal and determined not to leave you on your own ever, or let you doubt his feelings for you.

🍂 There would be lots of tearful dramatic promises of his love and devotion.

🍂 But it would always be worded like "Its you and me now eh sweetheart, we're gonna be alright, we're gonna look after eachother, we're never gonna leave one another alone, yeah you and me right..."

🍂 Holding your hand super tight out in public. Always having you tucked under his arm

🍂 Coming home drunk and dropping to his knees to confess his undying love for you, as if its the first time he's confessing his undying love for you

🍂 I can't state enough how dramatic and intense this relationship would be. You'd both need one another so hard, but as a result youd both always feel needed. You'd know your worth 100%

🍂 But if you did argue they'd be volatile and you'd both really hurt one another, because you'd both be so scared that the other was going to leave, that fear would make you clumsy emotional and youd both say stuff you dont really mean

🍂 You'd both do lots of crying i guess, but when you do make up again it would be just as passionate as the argument.

🍂 The make up sex would be intense ya know?

🍂 I feel like he'd need lots of eye contact, not just in sex but like just in day to day life, youd constantly be looking at one another only to find the other looking back, so your day would be scattered with these sweet moments of quiet connection, both of you blushing or smiling because youve been caught watching your lover.

🍂 Arthur is actually very good at talking about his feelings, hes just never been given the chance to before. Even tommy shuts down those conversations, so Arthur would be scared to tell you how he feels at first... Once he knows he can though he will always be honest about his feelings and you'll know you can talk to him about anything. The two of you would share all your deepest darkest emotions, trusting in eachother completely. You would be eachothers rock.

🍂 You would obviously eventually have been honest with him about your childhood and your past relationships and whatever it is that's left you with all these issues and fears... And whether its a boyfriend, a father a mother whatever.. Arthurs going to hold grudges against anyone who has ever hurt you

🍂 If it was an ex or a father, he can't promise they'll live much longer...

John

🌼 John wouldnt notice at first, its not as of hes completely emotionally immature, because hes very mature when you need him to be, its just that generally speaking hes still very boyish...

🌼 So your fears go unnoticed by him to begin with. Over time however he does notice the way you hold onto him for a moment longer than is natural, how sometimes you get teary eyed just saying goodbye to him in the morning when he's off to work

🌼 And its impossible not to notice how upset you get when he's a little late home in the evenings... You really struggle when he doesn't come home on time... Your mind starts wandering to all those terrible possibilities... That something could have happened to him when he was out with the lads...he could be injured, lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life... Already dead, abandoned in an alley bleeding out.

🌼 The relief which washes over you when he comes through the front door leaves you shaking and when he pulls you in for a quick kiss he sees the light catch the tears in your eyes...

🌼 "Whats the matter love has something happened?" when he asks you you try to be brave, shake your head and lie, tell him youve just got dust in your eyes as you turn away from him and busy yourself with dinner

🌼 But john doesnt really know how to leave something alone and he'll keep pressing you on it, especially when you say "really john its nothing, just being daft.."

🌼 Hed get all serious then, cupping your cheek in his hand, turning your gaze back towards him. "Nah flower, dafts not like you... Youre not daft.. Talk to me love, whats wrong?"

🌼 "Its nothing really i just... When youre late home like that and i dont know where you are i get worried dont i, you know me mimd starts wandering and i get to thinkiny somet awfuls happened to you... That maybe youre not coming home at all and then i stsrt thinking about how i dont really think i could handle that like, if you didn't come home one day..." youd tell him all about how scared you are of him leaving you alone in this world, that you kind of feel doomed in a way, because everyone youve ever known has left you one way or another and youre so scared that one way or another he's going to end up leaving you too...

🌼 And John would listen to you, quietly, thoughtfully, his brows knitting together because he's concentrating and taking you so seriously.

🌼 He would be so soft with you, holdong your face in his hands, looking you deep in the eyes.

🌼 Like Alfie, super soft, makes you promises he knows he might not be able to keep but can't stabd to see you sad.

🌼 Kind of wants to be around you all the time

🌼 Takes being your man very seriously and will try very hard not to give you reasons to doubt him.

🌼 Imagine him taking your face in his hands, his eyes locked with yours as he tells you "you're the most important person to me in this whole world and I'm not going anywhere, I'm never leaving you flower, not for anything..."

🌼 He knows he shouldnt make promises he doesn't know whether he can keep, but he supposes he'll just have to do his best to keep them.

🌼 Which means being less reckless and more thoughtful, he'd mature a little bit, wouldn't needlessly put himself at risk.

🌼 He would be curious to know what happened to you to leave you with your fears but he wouldn't push you to talk about it. He doesnt like to be reminded that you were ever anyones but his, not just because youre his girl, but because he gets frustrated that there were times in your life when you needed him and he wasn't there because you hadnt met yet.

🌼 So to make up for that he just tries to be there for you as best he can now, as your protector, always reassuring you hes there to look after you and love you whenever you need him.

Bonnie

🍀 The softest most gentle boy in the world. He'd be upset by what you were telling him. It would be a lot to take in and he'd be blaming himself for your fears thinking it was something he'd done to make you feel that way

🍀Wordlessly wrapping his arms around you, pulling your whole body into his lap, tight against his chest, squeezing you reassuringly and lovingly, his face buried in the crook of your shoulder.

🍀 He'd nuzzle into you and the two of you would be quiet, you sniffling into his chest trying to stop yourself from crying. Him unable to cry but feeling like he wants to.

🍀 He'd probably apologise to you which would confuse you...

"I'm sorry little dove,"

"What? Why are you sorry Bon its not..."

"Well i obviously haven't been there for you enough lately if you're getting scared like this... M'sorry if i havent been doing enough to y'know... Show you how much i love you..."

🍀 You'd be so shocked by his words you wouldn't know what to say but you'd kiss him softly and try to explain it isn't really his fault at all, but he probably wouldn't accept that there wasnt anything he could have done... Because he thinks he should have been there for you more, told you he loves you more ect...

🍀He would kiss your forehead and then rest his against yours, promising you the whole world, telling you how much he adores you, how everything he does is for you, how he wouldn't want to live if he lost you

🍀It would be intense but ever so sweet, him playing with your fingers whilst he spoke, lying back and bringing you down with him, letting you calm resting against his chest.

🍀He's so devotional, he is always telling you he's yours and youre his girl, starts saying "my little dove" instead of just little dove

🍀 Makes a point of being just a little more possesive around the fire in the evening when other lads try to flirt with you he'll proudly tell the whole world youre his. He'd want to have you near him at all times and probably stick to you like glue. Always holding your hand or putting his arm around you.

🍀 He would talk to you about your feelings even if its not the easiest thing in the world, he'd lie awake with you at night, playing with your hair and listening to you as you told him what had happened to you in your past, why you're so scared of being abandoned...

🍀 He'll take you seriously... Obviously.. But to hide any difficult feelings stirred inside him at hearing how youve been hurt, he'll make a joke about beating whoever hurt you up, "yeah you just tell em to meet me in the ring my little dove, teach em a lesson they wont forget..."

Issiah

🐀Is a charmer and a flirt and although he is completely committed to you, his girl, he will struggle not to flirt with the odd girl in a bar or smile and wink at someone he catches checking him out

🐀And you dont want to be annoyed at him for it because you dont want him to think youre one of those crazy, uncool, possesive girls

🐀But youre just scared he might actually get bored of you one day and just decide on a whim to abandon you right there in the middle of the garrison in exchange for one of those prettier girls

🐀You would end up arguing about it, you making petty bitchy remarks until he snaps at you, and honestly the second he does youd burst into tears unable to hide your real feelings.

🐀"Please don't leave!" the words would come out before you could stop them and youd feel completely pathetic and worthless, but he'd just look at you with a frown on his face, no longer angry just confused and... Concerned.

🐀"Why the fuck would you say that?" he'd ask slowly, he knows the answer but he doesn't really believe it... Surely you don't actually believe he'd abandon you?

🐀He'd do a lot of realising very very quickly, frowning deeper when he realises that yes, that is in fact exactly what you think.

🐀You wouldn't be able to stop your crying, you'd be so upset and half expecting him to walk out there and then.

🐀"If you're gonna go then fucking do it already Isaiah stop looking at me like that!"

"Like what?" "Like you fucking hate me!"

🐀After that he wouldn't exactly know what to do with himself, sure he's good at charming girls, but he doesn't really know how to get them to stop crying... Or to believe him when he says i love you. Usually they just do.

🐀He'd take your hands kind of hesitantly, not shy but just uncertain, he doesnt want to fuck this up and make it even worse

🐀And then he'd give your hands a squeeze and probably just try to speak from the heart.

🐀"I don't hate you mousy, i dont know why you think that but i dont, i couldnt possibly hate you and I'm definitely not gonna fuckin leave you..."

🐀You wouldn't know whether to believe him at first, looking up at him from under watery eyelashes, sniffling and blushing slightly.

🐀"Ever?" youd ask and he'd smirk down at you affectionately, "Ever." he'd confirm kissing your nose and stroking your hair.

🐀He'd ask you why you thought he would want to leave you, but he can't really say he's surprised. "You know none of that flirting means anything, its just part of the deal aint it... Being one of birminghams most charming criminals..." he'd joke to try and reassure you but when he sees it isnt working he'd be serious again. "I love you and only you and you know I'd die for you so i dont see why youre so scared I'm gonna walk out on us..."

🐀"Dying is a sort of leaving too ain't it Isaiah..."

🐀He really wouldn't know how to reassure you then, he'd chuckle nervously.. "Love you do realise who i am right? What i am..." "You know what I'm involved in... With the Peakys..."

🐀"Even so..."

🐀I don't think he'd promise you he wasn't going to die, i think he'd just try to make sure you knew he wouldn't leave you of his own choice. He wouldn't want to make a promise you'd live to regret.

Michael

☘️ Doesn't understand at first. And i do think you would have quite an intense argument about it. Not loud and shouting at one another but quiet and guarded and trying to be polite

☘️ Because Michael views himself as a gentleman and would be offended that you'd think he would ever cheat on you or abandon you because that would be improper and he views himself as above that

☘️ "is that really how little you think of me? Is that really how poorly you think i view you? You think i have such little respect for my girl that I'd just up and leave her?" his voice would be tight and sharp and he wouldn't be looking at you. He'd be wounded and taking it very personally

☘️"Thats...thats not what i meant its not like that at all..." youd be struggling to get your words out or explain what you really meant, "i just..." he wouldn't be listening to you, instead hed be getting more wound up by the second thinking in stupid circles, worrying that you were going to leave him.

☘️ "Then what is it like y/n cause right now it sounds like youre accusing me of something i havent even thought about doing... Sounds to me like youre the one looking for reasons to leave..."

☘️ Tears streaming down your face as you stare back at him in shock, you're panicking, you can hardly breath

☘️ But michaels just being cruel now, saying it to test you, he's watching you crumble and taking reassurance from it, its evidence enough that you love him, that you don't want to leave him, your fear is genuine.

☘️ "Tell me y/n if youre so scared I'll leave you why don't you do yourself a favour and leave first eh? Save yourself all that heartache?"

☘️ "You... You don't really mean that michael i know you don't..." "Yeah?" michael is a bastard, he likes how much you need him and he wants you to be dependent/scared to lose him.

☘️ So then he'd soften, he'd come close to you, hands on your hips, holding you in his palms as he strokes his thumbs over your hips. "Listen Y/n whoever else you've known before, anyone whose let you down in the past... They're in the past. You're mine now remember? And I'm a good man y/n i really am, I treat you right, i treat you like a princess don't i? Even if i do bad things to other people right, even if I'm one of the worst men in new york city... I'm your man and thats never going to change... So youd better get used to that"

☘️All of this being said, michael knows how to make you feel loved, how to reassure you. Perhaps he didn't realise before how much reassurance you needed, but now that he understands this he is nothing but kind and sweet and good to you. He always was of course but now he makes an extra effort.

☘️He makes a point of telling you he needs you, or telling you he needs to see you. He'll call you into his office telling you its important, then, when you arrive all flustered and concerned, he'll just smile and say he needed to see his girl.

☘️ He'll always have a hand on you somewhere, your thigh under the table, your hand, his arm around your waist. He becomes physically even more possesive in an attempt to show you he isn't going anywhere.

☘️ He will make the promise he can't keep because he is arrogant and truly believes he can promise he's never going to get killed.

[incendiobrock]

The Witches Forest

Request: heyy idk if u do requests but if u aree then can you do one where the reader is a witch and is dating colby so she goes on one of the haunted trips w them and does some reading idkk you can end it however you like <33 tyy! 

A/N: Thank you to the lovely anon who requested this! I loosely based this imagine off the witches forest video on the Sam and Colby channel but instead of the witch from the video giving the reading it was y/n, and instead of Colby getting lost in the forest it was y/n. Hope you enjoy! Also this was loosely inspired by an imagine I read by @annab-nana you can read it here!

Warnings: sexual joke (I think that’s it)

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It was a typical day with the trap boys. Your boyfriend Colby had finally convinced you to go on a haunted trip with them. The only reason you had agreed was because he had promised you, and Corey, that there wouldn’t be any seances. You would all be going to just spend the night there, not summon anything.

In fact, Sam was planning on doing a cleansing ritual that he had done some research on. So, you agreed. You were always super worried about the boys and the trouble that they would find themselves in, especially with demonic entities and spirits. 

One of the other reasons you had agreed to do the video with them was because you knew that the fans have been begging for you to make an appearance. Colby got tweets and comments daily about his “witchy girlfriend” joining in on a haunted overnight video. All the fans knew that you were super into crystals, and tarot cards, and different herbs, and just about anything that you believed would help protect you and connect you to the world of spirituality.

So here you were, sitting in front of the camera, Colby right by your side, his ring clad hand holding onto your thigh, as the rest of the guys surrounded the table. “Okay, who’s ready for the reading?” You questioned, looking around the table. Everyone nodded and agreed to begin. You passed the tarot deck to each of the boys, instructing them to shuffle the deck while thinking of their intention for the trip to The Witches Forest. Everyone did as told and passed the deck back to you, you were the last to shuffle.

“Alright, so I’m going to pick the top three cards and then we can go over what they each mean for us, and for the trip we are about to go on.” You stated, gently flipping over the top three cards, The Tower, The Nine of Swords, and the card of Death.

You felt the room tense as they all read the cards chosen. “It’s not bad.” You said, trying to calm everyone’s nerves. “Uh- I don’t know about you but a card that says death seems pretty bad to me.” Corey said, laughing out of fear.

“Yeah babe, what does that mean besides ‘we are going to die?’” Colby air quoted the last part. “Will you guys just give me a minute to explain it?” You laughed at your boyfriends face as his eyebrows remained scrunched on his forehead, looking desperately at you for answers. You went on to explain that death could signify the “death” of an era and the beginning of something new. The Nine of Swords means that their own thoughts can weigh them down, or cause a feeling of darkness, and The Tower means danger, chaos, but also liberation. 

“See, so nothing is necessarily bad. It actually seems like this might be good for you guys, especially since we are planning on doing the fire ritual too. That way you can begin a new journey and have a nice cleansed path before the next moon cycle begins.” You stated, leaning your head on Colby’s shoulder and cuddling into his side. He placed a short kiss onto your forehead taking hold of your hand, “Alright so let’s get on the road we don’t want it to get too dark before we set up the tent, plus it’s about an hour drive.” Colby said to the group, still holding your hand as you both stood up to go get into the car.

About an hour later you had all arrived at the forest. Colby had parked the car a little off the dirt path in a small clearing between the trees. You were happy to get out of the car to stretch after having to sit between Jake and Corey in the backseat. You brought along a small backpack of stuff like a water, first aid kit, a flashlight, and most importantly some crystals that offer protection. You took out the small ziploc with the crystal and began to give one to each of the boys, telling them to keep their crystal in their pockets for protection. 

Sam had asked you to explain to the camera what all you had brought so you showed him the black tourmaline, amethyst, and the obsidian, saying that they each offered protection and grounding properties. “Alright, now that we got our protection rocks let’s go pitch the tent we will be staying in all night.” Sam said, shutting off the camera. You all stood around trying to help as Colby did most of the work putting the tent together. You were impressed with his skills, never knowing that he could set up a tent with little to no instruction.

“Dang brother, those Cub Scout skills are really showing right now.” Jake joked, sticking the last spoke into the dirt. “Thanks brother, you know I’m skilled with these hands.” Colby responded, sending a wink in your direction. Your cheeks heated up as a small laugh escaped from your mouth. Leave it to Colby to make a sexual joke that makes the guys cringe. 

After a little exploring all together, and almost losing the location of the tent, you had all decided it was time to start the fire ritual. You were glued closely to Colby’s side, hearing a lot of motion within the trees. “Once we get the fire going maybe we will feel better, the light and heat should scare off any animals that are near.” Sam said grabbing the fire bucket that he had brought for this ritual.

Colby lit the fire and you all sat around in camping chairs. “We should’ve brought s’mores bro.” Corey said, trying to alleviate some of his fear. You agreed with him because you knew you felt the same fear as him at the moment. Sam explained what was going to happen with the fire ritual and passed out the objects that everyone was going to be throwing into the fire, in hopes to release any possible spirits that were attached to them. As soon as you guys started to watch the stuff burn Colby flew back, falling with his camping chair.

“Did you guys see that! Right there! Right behind Jake! Sam? Did you see it, it was like a shadow and it moved super fast right behind Jake’s head.” Colby yelled, standing quickly off the ground and shining a flashlight in that direction. “I saw that too!” You said, abandoning your camping chair as well. Colby took hold of the camera and began walking away from the fire and towards the trail. “Colby! Wait for us bro you can’t go alone!” Sam yelled out, chasing after him. “I have to go, I know I saw something I need to see where it’s going before it gets away, I wanna capture it on camera!” Colby said.

“Someone has to stay by the fire we can’t all leave! Jake you stay here with Corey and we will go investigate.” Sam instructed, but Jake hesitated wanting to go too. Corey ended up agreeing on staying by the fire so you three could keep up with Colby who was still walking quickly away from the group. You thanked Corey, worried that your boyfriend would get too far ahead of everyone. You began to jog to the path, already extremely behind the others because of the sudden panic. 

You turned onto the dirt path and didn’t see any of the three boys, but could barely make out their voices in the distance. You began to jog down the path, heading to the left. You had felt like you were getting closer to them but their voices still remained faint and incoherent. You knew that Sam had yelled for everyone to stay on the path in order to avoid getting lost so you kept jogging further and further into the forest, away from the fire where Corey sat.

You slowed to a walk, shining your flashlight all around, hearing tons of branches snapping and rustling. You suddenly felt very alert, almost as if something was watching you. You felt the panic really set in as it became harder and harder for you to catch your breath. “Colby!” You yelled. “Colby! Sam! Jake! Corey!”  You knew you had made a mistake going this far down the path. “Hello?! Can anyone hear me!” You heard a scream off in the distance making your eyes basically bulge out of your head. You turned sharply towards the direction of the noise, shining your flashlight out in front of your face. Your hands were trembling, shaking the light violently. Not only was it freezing out, but you were terrified of what was out there.

You began running back the opposite direction of the trail, your breath almost nonexistent at this point, but you were determined to make it back to the tent. You heaved, feet stomping away at the dirt path beneath. After what felt like a century, you saw the distant glow of the fire. You ran, the victory of reuniting with the boys fueling your return. The fire was now in clear sight as well as the figures of the four boys you were so anxious to see. The noise of you approaching causing them all to turn and look at you. 

You practically leapt into Colby’s arms, tears pouring down your face as you wrapped tightly around his torso. His hand found its way straight to your hair, pulling you as close as he could to his body, swaying you side to side. “Oh my god, baby. Where were you? I was so worried! I thought I had lost you.” He said quietly, running his fingers through your hair trying to soothe your crying. “I-I was running after you a-and then I got lost. I heard a s-scream, I’m so scared.” You sobbed, never wanting Colby to let go of you.

“We looked all over, we were calling your name like crazy but Jake said we should come and wait by the fire incase you came back. We didn’t want to keep moving further away from you on accident.” Sam said, standing closely near you and Colby. 

“Can we please go? I don’t think I want to be here anymore.” You pleaded, looking into Colby’s eyes as his delicate fingers helped to wipe away your tears. “Yes, of course. I love you, I’m so glad you’re safe. Let’s head to the back up plan, the cabin.” Colby said, directing the last sentence to the boys. You nodded gratefully, making your way into Colby’s car while Jake, Corey, and Sam packed up the mess. 

The night was getting foggier as you pulled into the driveway of Jenna’s cabin. You felt relief rush over you, knowing that you wouldn’t have to spend another second in the Witches Forest. You all got out of the car and huddled by the front door, rain beginning to pour down. Sam took off his backpack digging through it to find the spare key Jenna had lent him. “Uh, Colby did I give you the key earlier?” Sam asked. Colby let go of your hand and patted his pockets down, “No I don’t think I have it. Is it in your pockets?” He responded, recapturing your hand in his, knowing that you were still shaken up about getting lost. Sam flipped his jean pockets inside out, no key to be found. He began pulling everything out of his backpack, searching deep into the bag for the key.

“Let’s go back into the car maybe I left it in there.” Sam said, heading straight back to Colby’s car. You all got back in as the rain continued to pour, Sam searching every inch of the vehicle. “I can’t believe you lost the key Sam, first Y/n goes missing and now this?” Jake says from the backseat, obviously frustrated. “It’s not all my fault okay? You think I meant to lose the key?” Sam snapped back, the tension in the car rising. 

After a lot of searching, the key was no where to be found. Much to your dismay, you had to go back to the tent in the depths of the forest. You all huddle into the blue tent, slipping into your sleeping bags. It was only a few more hours until daylight, a few more hours before the suffering would end.

“I’m not going to let anything hurt you. I lost you once tonight and it was the scariest moment of my life. It’s not going to happen again, I promise.” Colby vowed, pulling you into his chest. You smiled at his kind words, despite how scared you were he always knew how to make you feel safe. “Thank you Colby, I love you so much.” You responded, nuzzling further into his chest. “I love you, to new beginnings.” He chuckled, referencing the tarot reading from earlier. “To new beginnings.” You agreed, sealing the deal with a kiss on the lips.

[krrm4]

“can you not?!”

ryomen sukuna x fem!reader

a/n: my first writing! this was honestly just word vomit so i’m sorry if it’s not well thought out.

cw: spoilers! (shibuya arc), mild cussing

word count: 850

synopsis: you’re just a little too in love, and he’s a little too stubborn.

return to masterlist.

shibuya. october 31st 2018.

“hey brat. take a good look.”

“just… die already.”

“just me! just me! die!”

scratching at his skin until red started to appear, itadori looked to his side and saw megumi lying on the floor, motionless. gathering whatever resolve was left inside of him, he brought megumi back to shoko and masamichi, knocking on the door before disappearing into the night.

itadori was tired. very tired. often times when he couldn’t sleep at night, he’d be lamenting. asking god why he was so cruel. asking why he was doomed to die. regretting having swallowed sukuna’s finger that fateful day. regretting having put the others around him in constant danger.

trudging back to shibuya station, he suddenly heard a whisper.

“help...me…please…”

eyes darting around, itadori found nothing and started to wonder if he had finally started to hallucinate.

“who was that?”

before itadori could utter another word, sukuna had appeared on the side of his face.

“hey brat. keep walking, ignore it.”

“shut up dude. haven’t you already done enough?” itadori retorted.

slapping the side of his face, itadori called out to the voice.

“where are you? i don’t see you.”

“down….look down…”

following the voice’s instruction, itadori looked to his feet and saw a disfigured looking creature.

picking it up to examine it closely, he found that the creature was about the size of sukuna’s finger, and was in the shape of a deformed pill. figuring it was the work of mahito, itadori started to conjure up theories of why mahito would even waste time on transfiguring a harmless human.

before itadori could begin to further question the transfigured human, sukuna had appeared again, this time on itadori’s palm and had spat the human out of itadori’s hand.

“didn’t i tell you to leave it alone?”

“what are you, my mom now? why’d you even switch back? aren’t you powerful enough to just continue? what, you wanted to make me feel guilty about the shitshow you left behind?” itadori countered.

“shut your mouth and keep going, you want to save someone, right? there’s no one else you can turn to to perform reverse cursed technique on this thing. your precious gojo-sensei has been sealed and you’d need to face your principal if you were to bring it back.” sukuna mocked, dragging out the word ‘precious’.

“why are you even lecturing me on this? what’s so special that you won’t even allow me to try and save this particular person?” itadori questioned.

“this is a waste of time.”

hearing a second clearer voice, itadori looked up. the transfigured human was… gone? in its place, a woman had taken form. being in a dark alley, itadori couldn’t see that the woman standing in front of him had the exact markings that sukuna donned.

sighing heavily, sukuna retreated back into itadori’s body.

“hey. you.” the woman spoke.

“what are you? why’d you call for help? are you a curse user?” itadori replied with caution.

“i’ll answer those burning questions if you tell that fucker to come out.” the woman replied.

“who? sukuna? what do you want with him?”

“do you not understand english?” the woman responded.

knocking on the side of his head, itadori calls out to sukuna.

“hey sukuna. do you know this thing? she’s asking to speak to you. don’t tell me to shut up! who is she? what does she want with you? can you stop?! i can see you covering your ears in your domain!”

continuing to fight with air, the woman sighed and took a step closer to itadori. itadori immediately tensed up, suddenly sensing the overwhelming amount of cursed energy emitting from her.

“sorry in advance.”

“wha—”

punching straight through itadori’s chest, the woman ripped his heart out and tossed it onto the ground. seeing itadori collapse, she decided to bide her time and whistled a tune while waiting for sukuna to emerge.

hearing another heavy sigh, the woman stopped whistling and grinned so wide that her face looked like it had been split in half.

“it’s been awhile, ryomen.”

“can you not, y/n?! it’s been a thousand years, get over it already.” huffing and puffing like a child throwing a tantrum, it was hard to believe that sukuna held the title ‘the king of curses.’

“are you telling me to get over the fact that we were comrades and you betrayed me? during your thousand-year long sleep, you’ve never contemplated and thought that maybe, just maybe, you wouldn’t have been defeated if you still had me by your side then? we were married for fucks sake, how could you try to kill me?” you said, your voice laced with hurt.

“so what, you stalked me the entire time just to give me a lecture on why a mass murderer who became a mass murderer voluntarily shouldn’t be committing murder? scram, before i actually kill you this time.” sukuna responded, emphasising the word ‘voluntarily.’

turning his back toward you, sukuna started to walk over to itadori’s heart to place it back into his chest.

“i know where the rest of your fingers are.”

© krrm4 do not post, claim, plagiarise, modify or translate any of my work on any platforms.