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jpitha · 1 year ago

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Between the Black and Grey 33

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Gord... floats.

He lays on his back in the pool, staring up at the window. Beyond is the deep blue-black of space, with the interior lights of the room blocking all except the brightest stars.

Suddenly, he flips into the water, pushes off the wall and swims laps. Three, then Five, then Ten. Back and forth, back and forth. When he can swim no more, he rolls back onto his back and floats.

He does this two or three more times, and a woman enters the pool room. She's very tall, over two meters, with long silver-white hair and an imperious expression. Her lips purse and she crosses her arms. "Gord you are going to rust if you don't get out."

Gord's eyes flick to her, and he turns his head. "Don't be racist, Chloe."

Chloe harrumphs. "You've been swimming for more than an hour Gord. It's time to come back to the world of the living."

Gord stands. The shallow side pool is only a meter and a half deep, he's in the water up to his head. "Chloe, you can't have come all the way down here to just to bother me into getting back to work. What's wrong?"

Chloe snaps her ankles together and dives into the deep end of the pool. Her form is tight, controlled. When she enters the water there is barely a splash and she dolphin kicks up to him. She surfaces behind him and puts her arms around his chest tightly. Her head rests on his shoulder. "Please Gord. Come out."

Gord turns around and returns the hug. Chloe doesn't seem bothered by her wet clothes. "Fine."

They both climb out of the pool and Gord throws Chloe a towel. She peels off her sopping wet dress and dries off. She wraps up in the towel and grabs another for her long hair.

In the locker room, they get dressed. Chloe's locker has a change of clothes in it already. When Gord sees this, he raises an eyebrow, but says nothing.

Gord makes his way up to his office. As he passes people in the hall, he greets them and makes conversation. The more people he talks to, the more agitated Chloe seems. There aren't too many of them yet, but more than Gord has seen in centuries. It's important to him to say hello and ask after them.

Finally, they enter Gord's office. Chloe rolls her eyes. His office is an anachronism, just like him. In the center is a large desk, made of real wood. She has always wondered where he got it. Soon after they arrived and he started up his operation it appeared one day. The rest of the office is done up in muted tans and browns. A carpet quiets their footsteps, the walls are colored in an innocuous tan color, like a pale beach sand. The lighting overhead is muted and diffused, and there is a lamp on his desk. In the corner is a coffee machine.

Gord walks over and makes a cup of coffee. As it hisses and bubbles Chloe grows more impatient. He takes his time. Once it has finished, he pours it into an old battered mug and carries it to his desk.

As he sits at his desk a small grunt escapes his mouth. He takes a sip of the steaming brew and nodding to himself, puts it down on a coaster. He takes the pad and glances at it, while Chloe sits at one of the comfortable seats on the other side. She waits while he looks at his pad. He continues to look while Chloe tries to find something to do with her hands. She puts them together on her lap, then takes them off and grips the arm rests. She shakes the damp hair off her shoulder. Her leg twitches. There's an antique mechanical clock on the wall in the office. Every time Chloe sees it she shakes her head. It's always running but never at the correct time. As she sits and waits for Gord, the ticking grows louder, and louder, and louder. It feels like it's ticking on her skull.

A small smile escapes Gord's lips.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you, Gord." Chloe says testily.

"You were always so easy to wind up Chloe. Good to see time hasn't changed that." He looks up from his pad. "I'm also waiting for Spyglass to arrive. She pinged me while we were walking up to my office."

Just then, there's a knock - a real, knuckles upon the door knock - and the door slides open. A woman enters, shorter than Gord, much shorter than Chloe. Her dark hair is tightly curled naturally on her head, and she's wearing the inner suit from a spacesuit, form fitting and leaving nothing to the imagination. Chloe's stare could melt tungsten, but the woman doesn't seem to care. "Hey Gord, hey Chloe. Sorry if I kept you waiting!" She takes the seat next to Chloe without waiting to be invited to sit.

"Gord puts the pad down. "Hey there Spyglass. How's the body?"

She smiles and shakes her shoulders and it jiggles - just a little bit. Chloe rolls her eyes again. "It works great Gord. I'm just distracting enough that people don't look too hard, but not so distracting that I'm attracting too much of the wrong attention. That's actually why I came back, I have news from Sol."

"Oh? Something too important to send in a beacon?"

Spy shrugs. "That and I got sick of all the BIs. I need some time off."

Gord smiles and leans back in his chair. It squeaks slightly. "Well then, give us a debrief and you can have a few days off."

Spy nods and unfolds her own Pad. "So rumor on the Floating Cities is that the Empress doesn't have her powers anymore."

Gord's relaxed posture falls away. He leans forward. "Her powers are what?"

"Gone" Spy's eyes flick up to meet his. "No official word of course, and everything coming out of the Floating Cities is that everything is fine, but there is talk."

Chloe nods to herself. "Sounds like it's time to attack. We should prepare immediately."

Spy looks at Chloe, and then at Gord. He makes a face at Chloe, but doesn't reply. Spy continues. "Anyway. Word has been swirling around for a little less than a month before I left. If it's true, it's just happened. They're trying to keep it as quiet as they can, but she has attendants, and they talk." Spyglass winks. "Especially when properly motivated."

Chloe makes a horrified face.

"Pillow talk has been a source of intel for millennia Chloe, you know that. You think you're above the humans and all of their biological impulses, but it's still a valid source, and has provided us some of our most valuable insights." Spyglass shrugs. "Plus, it's fun."

Gord leans back in his seat. "We need people of all kinds, Chloe. Spyglass's up front infiltration as well as your behind the scenes management. We're more than three people now. We have to cover all our bases. That said-" Gord flips through his pad. "-We are still fewer than five hundred Chloe. We're in no shape to retaliate. We have to be more subtle. Spy, do we know why the Empress lost her powers? I know the Nanites are fickle."

"No insight into that yet Gord. I've put feelers out, but the galaxy is a big place. Speaking of that, turn to the other report I sent." Gord, Chloe and Spy all look at their pads. "The pirate Hemmi Navarren has started operating again. Looks like the coup against him was overturned. The Heap has moved twice in the last month, and we're getting reports from Imperial vessels that they're being targeted."

"So?" Chloe scoffs. "What do we care about one K'laxi pirate?"

Spyglass turns to Chloe. "What is with this attitude Chloe? We're all on the same team and we're all moving in concert towards the same goal. I don't need you scoffing and rolling your eyes - yes I can see that - at everything I say. We care because Hemmi seems to be attacking Imperial ships nearly exclusively and because of his daughter."

Chloe opens her mouth to reply and then stops. Her expression softens and she tries again. "I apologize Spyglass. I was in a mood from something earlier and I let that color our interaction. I will do better in the future. Why is Hemmi's daughter important? I thought the K'laxi didn't think of their progeny that way?"

"Thank you Chloe, I accept your apology. We all have bad days. As for his kids, Hemmi is different, apparently. He doesn't mind who the mother is, but he has paternity tests done on all the kits and gives special attention to 'his.' Zherun Navarren is his oldest and current most likely person to take over his organization."

Gord puts the pad down. "That's all good intel Spy, but I think I have to agree with Chloe here. Why do we care about one mid-tier K'laxi pirate and his daughter?"

"Because of who Zherun is currently with. She's been seen as the one of the commanders of a new mercenary group." She grins wickedly. "A group that's headed by Fenchurch Whitehorse."

"Hah!" Gord slaps the top of his desk. The sharp noise causes Chloe to jump in her chair. "Fen! I knew she'd turn out all right. She's got her own ship?"

Spy nods. "Yes, a former Imperial frigate. It's legally registered in her name, and we can't seem to figure out how she got it. It passes all cursory and even most in-depth checks of ownership."

Gord whistles low. "Nice work Fen. I'll have to ask her how she got it one day. Any other news about Fen?"

"She's running with a small group. Her, Zherun, an AI an a few other K'laxi. They're sticking to small jobs, trying to build networks."

Chloe's head snaps to Spy. "Who is the AI?"

"It's Northern Lights." Spy looks up at Gord.

Gord isn't looking at them. He was staring off into nothing. "Northern Lights is still alive. Holy Shit. It's been..." He blinks and looks at them both. "Sorry, I haven't heard from Northern since before the purge and I was sure she was gone. To find out she's not only alive, but active in this day and age? Shit. We have to find them. I want to say hi to Fen, but I really want to talk to Northern. Where are they?"

"As of a week ago they were on their way to Picaresque. They're probably still there."

Gord stands. "Come on Spy, Chloe. Let's go visit a friend."

#humans are deathworlders #humans are space orcs #sci fi writing #humans are space oddities #humans and aliens #jpitha #writing #humans and ai #humans are space capybaras #humans are space australians #Between the black and gray

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dustdeepsea · 9 months ago

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Writer Interview

Tagged by @my-favourite-zhent nearly 3 weeks ago and I've entirely missed the wave.

I've enjoyed reading so many interesting ones by my mutuals! Tagging (only if you're keen) @graysparrowao3 @coreene @say-lene @luvwich @grossestjay —and if I've missed your interview somehow, tag me in the comments!

Q&A after the cut—

When did you start writing?

I wrote my first fanwork at age 12. It was self-insert fanfiction with me and 2 of my friends in the Slayers anime universe, which meant it was several comedic sketches strung together with with lots of actions denoted by asterisks and emoticons. You know the ones ^_^ ^____^ @_@ T_T *slaps you gently with a trout*

We printed it out on someone's home printer and bound copies in plastic school folders with a two-hole punch. I've lost the original file ages ago, but I would love to read it again.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

When I was younger, I actively sought out "difficult stories" because I wanted to experience things beyond my day to day life. I read Nabokov at 16 because everyone kept saying Lolita was a dangerous book. I also read a lot of Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis without really understanding them.

My pretentiousness definitely peaked in my university days. My dating profile at the time listed: Herman Hesse, Kazuo Ishiguro and Mikhail Bulgakov.

Now that I'm older, I read and write stories primarily to make myself happy.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I'm not remotely at the level where I get compared to any published writers.

My favourite contemporary writer is David Mitchell (of Cloud Atlas fame), and my favourite book by him is The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.

My favourite "classic" novel is The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I type at my desk, in a study shared with my partner. Sometimes if the scene is particularly spicy or they are gaming too loudly, I take the laptop to the living room.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Bouncing plot bunnies off others on Discord, talking a walk or a long train ride, playing an immersive video game and rotating characters in my head for hours afterwards.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

According to my lovely readers:

"Romantic and sweaty"; "two silly sausages frying in a pan" (thanks to my long time beta-reader @littleplasticrat)

"Purity, temperance, glimpse of [the] ability for real love / real forgiveness" (thank you @tellmeallaboutit!)

These did surprise me a bit when they were first pointed out but it makes sense—I've been accidentally writing Regency romances and repressed idiots in love without setting out to do so explicitly.

What is your reason for writing?

I put aside hobbies for many years because of my work (no matter what advertisers want you to believe—doomscrolling is not a hobby). Started doing more creative things during my sabbatical last year, and writing was one of the things that saved my broken corpo soul.

Nowadays I'm really into bread making and cooking in general. I'm trying to balance work and creative pursuits and I'm much happier overall.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Any and all comments are received with love <3 <3 <3 I really enjoy it when people let me know what lines really resonated with them or point out motifs I'd snuck in.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Friendly and approachable! Not entirely hyperfixated on That One NPC from a Video Game with Five Lines (that one might be harder now...!)

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

A fairly broad vocabulary, including anachronisms, which is useful for fantasy story settings. Writing characters who are actively lying to themselves (thinking one thing and saying/doing another).

My writing tends to be on the more contemplative side and a bit sadder and slower paced, so if you enjoy A Great Deal of Yearning along with your smut, then it would appeal to you :)

How do you feel about your own writing?

I'm pretty happy with it! I write very, very slowly, with constant edits as I go, and would probably starve if I ever had to rely on my fiction writing to be paid. Luckily, I get to do this as a hobby.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

I write for myself, but I am also super blessed to have a very small but vocal audience that I can interact with directly. I guess my best advice is: Write for yourself and your 10 friends who want to read your hand-bound home-printed self-insert fanfic <3

#tag game #my writing

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jhsharman · 1 month ago

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"Mistaken Identity", "Who's Zoo?"

The arbitrary decision making keeps “death sentence” regarding the prospects of a boxing match with Reggie but –

switches “kill” to “hurts”. An anachronism for sure, high school boxing – as too any PE instruction. Then too, escaped gorillas aren’t happening much these days either.

Kids today don’t know from Gene Autry.

Uncle Steven?

So, the problem comes in that they ret-conned Jughead as Bingo Wilkin’s cousin, meaning they both share an uncle Herman. And now they share an Uncle Steven. The would-be inventor of a handful of 1950s Jughead comic book stories who’d get sent to an insane asylum here and there. See a reference to such here.

Curious, though, this allusion to prison made instead.

So. Uncle Herman / Steven thinks he turned Jughead into a gorilla. And – intoxication not allowed in Archie Comics this century?

Send the call. Where did the bubblegum blowing note-taker go?

Yes. The inmates are running the asylum. Curious both ways, in that the revision – I guess – just hints at a desire for wacky stuff around the desk. The propeller beanie makes all the difference. And, revised, the story ends. Leave one side character in the 1950s --

And not wanting to show the offensive to psychiatric ailments classics.

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petermorwood · 2 years ago

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“E” or “O”...?

A comment in the “It Was Sugar!” post wondered if "castor" with an "O" was the American spelling for caster sugar, or a typo.

It’s a typo, but one with an interesting history.

*****

“CastOr” is the spelling when referring to castor oil (pressed from castor beans) and, even older, a hat made from felted beaver fur (Castor canadiensis).

Fans of historical fiction might occasionally read that a character “doffed their castor” - meaning, raised or removed their hat in a token of good manners to ladies or respect to superiors.

"CastEr" is the spelling for a container (or its contents) for strewing, sprinkling or throwing, as in "cast aside" or “cast a shadow”.

In homophones (same-sounding words) such as sow / sew, rein / rain, peal / peel, breach / breech etc., just one letter gives the different meaning.

Words like “cast”, however, depend on context - cast a spell, cast a bell, cast a role, arm in a cast, cast in an eye, cast of the show...

English is like that.

*****

Besides sugar casters for sprinkling sugar, there were “sand casters” of wood, ceramic or metal, which contained the powder used to blot ink before or instead of blotting-paper.

This powder might be fine sand or ground sandarac resin (two reasons for “sand caster”) but also ground cuttlefish bone, or ground pumice which was called “pounce” - the French for pumice stone is “pierre ponce” - in which case the container was called a “pounce pot”.

Blotting a letter with sand or pounce may even be the origin of the phrase “done and dusted”, meaning “job all done”, though that might just derive from a room or house completely cleaned, so YMMV.

Its use is often seen in historical films, though they often get the end of the action wrong by showing writers blowing or shaking the powder off onto the floor.

In fact blotting powder was re-usable, and was poured off the paper back into the pot, whose top was often funnel-shaped to make that easier.

Using sand or pounce continued until fairly recently: here’s a silver writing set - inkstand with matching inkwell and pounce pot / sander - hallmarked 1908.

Fountain-pens were already in use (mass-produced since 1880) though prone to leakage until that problem was fixed in, surprise,1908, so it’s not surprising that this handsome set relied on dip pens. Also, it was probably on the desk of An Important Person who had to write little more than signatures.

The pounce pot is a curious anachronism; I’ve read one source suggesting pounce and sand continued in use because they was cheap, but penny-pinching doesn’t seem an issue here.

Maybe used blotting-paper was considered unsightly, whether as a sheet or mounted on one of those rocker-blotters still used occasionally when signing treaties.

Or maybe pounce was considered more secure; if blotting-paper picks up a good reverse impression of the writing, it can be mirror-read; there’s no way to mirror-read anything from powder.

Writer Note; a fantasy story could mention a spell which makes the pounce or sand reassemble itself as the words it blotted, so re-use is done for more than mere economy. Each time pounce is poured back into the pot it gets a thorough shaking, that world’s version of a micro-cut paper shredder or multi-pass disc wipe.

This was originally about spelling variations, so yet again I seem to have wandered a bit off-topic

I do like the silver desk-set, though.

#social history #sand caster #pounce pot #writing instruments #fun with english #homophones #same sound different spelling different meaning

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scattered-shadows · 25 days ago

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As seen on my FF.net Also seen on my Ao3

Following the events of fifth year, a new adventure awaits for Norah Lee. Boys, exams, school events, common room parties, and old foes outside of Hogwarts. Even battling pensieve guardians was easier than this.

Main Pair: OC / Ominis Gaunt Genre: Adventure/Angst/Fluff (it's a little of everything, tbh)

KEEP IN MIND: Characters are aged up (even if the story's got them in sixth year) to make it more appropriate. Time period is leaning towards the modern day so in case you might find anachronisms in the dialogue or references, this is why. This may also be quite a lengthy fic too.

BE WARNED: Social anxiety, mentions of blood and injury, grief, drinking, kissing but nothing more than that, death (this is Hogwarts Legacy, after all)

P.P.S: Hardly proofread, but a lot of things are happening for Norah in this chapter! With added girl bonding with Norah, Anne, Natty, and Henry's sister Rosalie.

Masterlist

Chapter 36

The Abbotts in Paris lived in a spacious apartment, at the third floor of the building that turned out to house fellow wizarding families. It was simply hidden in plain sight, as Norah and everyone else seemed to learn as they arrived at the steps of the building. There wasn't time enough for them to talk since arriving, and only when they stopped in front of the door of the Abbotts that they managed to start catching up. That was where they also met for the very first time, Henry's parents.

It was clear, to all of them, including Francesco and Gauthier, that Henry's parents, were undoubtedly a very beautiful couple. If they had simply been muggles, Norah could've seen them on covers of magazines or in the movies. They could've graced the covers of Witch Weekly, even. Both of them were tall, with Mr. Abbott having blonde hair and green eyes, while Mrs. Abbott had brown, almost black hair, and brown eyes.

Henry's father, Maximilian Abbott, was a renowned ministry liaison, especially between the British and French ministries of magic. His mother, Rebecca, came from another pureblood family, the Diggorys. Rebecca also worked at a desk job in the same place. The two of them met in Hogwarts, with both of them getting sorted into Hufflepuff like most of their family members.

"It's so nice to finally meet our son's friends at last," Mr. Abbott flashed a smile as he greeted each of them, while the towering Beauxbatons boys moved past and sat themselves down in the living area. "And you must be Norah Lee, in the flesh," He turned to the Slytherin girl.

"Y-yes, it's very nice to meet you too, Mr. Abbott. This is a very nice place, thank you for having us over," She said, noticing the family portraits that decorated the walls. Mr. Abbott nodded in thanks.

"Your reputation precedes you in this house," Mrs. Abbott chimed in, giving kisses on both cheeks. "The Hero of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade in our home."

Henry wasn't sure whether to tell his parents off or not, the secondhand embarrassment already kicking in. "Uh mum?" He tried to control the urge to stop them. "I think Norah's heard enough about that."

"When I learned Henry was friends with all of you, we actually kept asking if we could host a little party here," Mr. Abbott tried to say with a chuckle. "It's very rare for us to learn about him having friends that aren't just Franco and Gauthier over here. I'm sure you've all met them when they came with Henry to pick you up."

Henry was getting flustered, sensing the quiet snickers coming from his Beauxbatons friends. "Dad-"

"Arnaud! Try not to finish the crudites. Wait for your guests to arrive!" Mrs. Abbott told the boy who was Henry's youngest sibling and the youngest brother overall. Arnaud had light brown hair and blue eyes, with freckles on his cheeks. He was a third year and was unsurprisingly, in Hufflepuff too.

"Yes mum," Arnaud said with a defeated sigh as he put back the platter he took, while Henry patted him on the shoulder. "What else is there for me to eat?"

Mrs. Abbott sighed, the excitement on her face never wavering. "Please help yourselves to food and drink. The rooms are prepared for you. Norah, Anne, you'll have to share a room with Natty and Rosalie. The rest of you boys will have to squeeze in with Henry's and Ethan's rooms. Merlin's beard, this house has never been so full, this is so exciting-"

As if on cue, Mr. Abbott began to play some music, the sounds bouncing off the walls and ceiling. It was a similar mood and atmosphere as the common room parties, except for the colored lights that seemed to make the entire house look like a set of a Mario Bava giallo movie. Gauthier and Francesco had gotten up, opening bottles of soda they got from a cooler, taking it upon themselves to put out already chilled bottles of the same type of soda.

Soon after, Henry's other siblings, Rosalie and Ethan, appeared in the hall, both of whom were just as dressed to the nines.

Rosalie looked very much like Mrs. Abbott but with blue-green eyes like Mr. Abbott, as did Ethan with his dark hair and brown eyes. Only Henry and Arnaud seemed to have lighter hair colors like their father. Just like their parents, the Abbott siblings were all beautiful. For the little get-together, Rosalie already sported sparkly eye makeup, with gems on the tops of her cheeks.

"You look beautiful, Rosalie," Mrs. Abbott was quick to notice her daughter. Rosalie simply smiled, basking in the praise.

Ethan, whose good looks seemed to soften with his very friendly nature, was holding a soda can, casually taking a sip as he waved to greet them. "I'll sleep in Arnaud's room so my room's for the rest of you," He said, grabbing his younger brother to playfully ruffle his hair. Arnaud let out an annoyed grunt to pry himself away, his ears turning red.

Norah chuckled, amused at the banter. "Why don't we get ourselves settled and ready? We've got some makeovers to do!" Natty excitedly led the charge, pulling her and Anne to follow Rosalie down the hall and into the pink door that was her room.

Rosalie's room was warm and cozy, and had a view of the busy city streets below. There were twinkle lights in different colors strewn above her bed. The futons that hinted where they would be sleeping were just as draped with nice pillows and linens that matched the overall color scheme. Her vanity was an antique art nouveau one, decorated with several enchanted photos of her and her friends, along with makeup, brushes, and her perfume collection. In a nicely decorated stack were boxes of assorted chocolates and tarts next to a tea tray.

"Make yourselves comfortable, this is so exciting," Rosalie giggled.

"Are you sure we can sleep here? Anne and I won't be staying very long," Norah said with some reluctance, letting Anne choose one of the futons first for her to sit down in case the pain from the curse flared up again.

"Of course! I won't have it any other way," Rosalie was trying to stifle her excitement. "I'm sharing a room with the cool girls in Hogwarts..."

Norah and Anne wrinkled their noses at the remark, the former shaking her head as she carefully unpacked some of her things, including the bottle of champagne they agreed on bringing for their hosts. From outside the room, they can hear the song change.

It's 2:45 Just a casual night Glancing eyes, more tension, yeah A subtle distance A hidden sign This unfamiliar emotion that shakes me

Rosalie and Natty cheered as they swayed in their places, Norah laughing in amusement yet was also swaying a little to the beat of the song. "I'm guessing that song's been playing for a while now?" She brought out her own makeup kit and camera.

"It's Ethan's favorite but it's really a good song to listen to," Rosalie revealed. "He likes to control the music now especially after the house party."

Norah was impressed, taking her camera to take some random photos of the room and of them. Anne was carefully taking her time to unpack and get comfortable, as she observed Rosalie seating Natty down in front of her vanity to help her put makeup on.

"So, what do you think about Henry's friends?" Natty suddenly asked Norah. Rosalie was also grinning while Anne was intrigued.

"Henry's friends? Which ones? Amit's alright, Garreth and Leander too, I guess" Norah took a random picture of her getting eyeshadow swiped on her lids.

"You know, Francesco and Gauthier," Natty was trying not to giggle. "They seem good-looking, right?"

Anne was amused, yet could see where Natty was going with what she was asking. "Oh, those two cute guys you were standing with at the station earlier," the Sallow girl added.

Norah suddenly felt her cheeks heat up. "Well, they are good-looking, I'll say that. They seem alright," She shrugged. "Why'd you ask?"

"Because, if I may speak," Rosalie said, until Natty nudged her. "Well, they're Henry's friends, we've known them for years, really. Gauthier lives in the flat downstairs with his family, and Francesco's from Parioli but he stays in a flat overlooking the Seine while he's attending Beauxbatons. It's just for smaller holidays, though. His parents come in every summer holiday to bring him back to Parioli."

Norah seemed impressed. "So they must be like big brothers to you, Rosalie," She said.

"Yes, they give me advice sometimes if we ever see them," Rosalie hummed in thought. "But I'd rather not listen to them. They're just like my actual brothers, the advice they give is useless."

The three girls laughed as they nodded, knowing what she meant. "Bang on with that one," Norah wiped her eyes from laughter.

Natty and Rosalie exchanged knowing looks again, remembering the plan. "Norah, would you ever consider dating a Beauxbatons boy?"

Norah stared at them, Rosalie giggling as she swatched a few shades of blush on Natty's wrist. The Gryffindor girl picked a color, amused at her friend's reaction. "I never even thought of that, to be honest. I'm open to it, but I'm not expecting anything, I guess..." She shrugged, seeing how pleased their reactions were.

"Well it's hard to know, isn't it?" Anne suddenly spoke. "What if they're only interested in her for what she's done, instead of who she is as a person?"

"That's true," the two girls at the vanity agreed. Norah understood as well. "That's why we're here to sort it out, sift through possible love interests and get rid of the undesirables," Natty declared with a renewed confidence.

Norah looked down at her camera, thoughts going back to Ominis instead. All the pining went down for nothing, it seemed. If it was time for her to move on, then this was probably a new opportunity. "It's not like I'll be regularly meeting Beauxbatons boys or anything, or even boys from Durmstrang and even I know that they don't take kindly to witches like me. At the very least don't admit people that are the same as me."

"Strong, powerful?" Rosalie was puzzled.

She shook her head. "Muggle-born. I mean, wizard-born, but still, I may as well be considered a muggle-born."

"Oh."

Rosalie paused swiping some highlighter on Natty's cheekbones and turned to her with a smile. "If it makes you feel better, know that Francesco and Gauthier are most likely not like that. And if they are, they will hear from Henry. And from mum. And from dad."

"But that's because your whole family are purebloods," Natty pointed out.

Rosalie's expression dropped. "Oh yeah."

What am I supposed to do? Under the gaze, a different flow A touch left still, touch Every motion feels so honest Smoothly, pull me close It feels like I'll let go of everything in one moment This is a battle I've been tryna fight for you so

The boys, including Francesco and Gauthier, were already dispered throughout the flat. Amit was by the window, looking at the view of the night sky, while Garreth, and Leander already stood by the food and drinks, peering over what was being served. Sebastian was looking at all the titles of the books on their bookshelf. Mr. and Mrs. Abbott were dancing in each other's arms to the music, that Ethan was controlling thanks to an enchanted music player.

Mr. Abbott twirled his wife and dipped her, Mrs. Abbott bursting in a fit of giggles. "Franco, Gauthier, this is probably the first time you two are meeting this many people from Hogwarts, eh?" Mr. Abbott teased the two boys.

"Mr. Abbott, it's always refreshing to meet people from another school," Francesco chuckled.

"Very," Gauthier nodded, opening another bottle of soda. "We recently ended our exchange program with Koldovstoretz."

Mr. and Mrs. Abbott were impressed. "It makes me wonder if Hogwarts will have that. It lasts a year, yes?" She asked.

"Wicked," Garreth mouthed at the thought to Leander. "Maybe we'll have that with Beauxbatons," He said, just as Sebastian went over to them. "Hey, Sebastian, what do you think of a Hogwarts-Beauxbatons exchange program?"

Sebastian nodded. "That's brills. I'm always up for learning other cultures."

"I heard there's another one that's going to happen in the next term," Francesco heard them. "Maybe it'll be between our schools."

Just then, the girls had come out of Rosalie's bedroom, all of whom were now dressed and made up. As soon as Henry saw his girlfriend, he went up to her. "Rosalie, you did it again," He gave his sister an approving nod while Natty was beaming.

"And can we appreciate the work she's done on Norah and Anne too," Natty eyed him knowingly, gesturing to the two Slytherin girls behind her. Norah had a very glittery green eye makeup while Anne had sparkly silver with some face gems in the corners of her eyes.

Henry smiled at the two of them. "You outdid yourself Rosalie. You two look stunning."

There was a knock on the door and Mrs. Abbott answered it. Just as Henry figured, his siblings invited their friends over and all of them were just as dressed and made up. "Now it's really a party!" She declared with excitement.

With Norah sticking close to Anne in case she might not feel well, she didn't notice Francesco and Gauthier casting glances at her from their spot in the room. The two Beauxbatons boys soon moving out of the way, smiling and waving in between when Arnaud, Rosalie, and Ethan introduced them to their friend groups.

Mr. and Mrs. Abbott, seeing how the place had gotten even more crowded, went around and cast silencing charms on the windows and floors to keep the neighbors from hearing them. Smiling to themselves, they quietly left the house, having told Henry in advance that they'd be going back to Scotland for the rest of the holiday.

Henry smiled, giving them a wave as Mr. Abbott closed the door. He turned to Natty. "Well then, we've got this house to ourselves," He looked back at the scene that was unfolding in front of them.

"What an Easter holiday!" Ethan suddenly yelled, making everyone cheer.

I can sense it all, feel it Through countless people Only we know this sense I hope the walls don't talk So that no one knows, keep that Go ahead and call the shots So that nothing distracts us Let's hope the walls don't talk

Norah leaned against the counter, standing next to Sebastian, Leander, and Anne. They took it upon themselves to be the ones refilling the drinks and pointing to where the other food that Mr. and Mrs. Abbott prepared. Thanks to Mrs. Abbott - whom they learned was especially good at Charms - the ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky, like what they'd see in the Great Hall, including some shooting stars and constellations. Because of this, Amit had gotten easily distracted with the number of constellations that would make themselves visible every now and then.

"Watch out later, there might be fireworks," Henry told them before the music grew louder.

"That's amazing, Henry," Anne smiled, the gems on her face twinkling even at the low lights.

Henry suddenly remembered his idea, yet wondered who between his friends would he introduce to Norah. But just before he could decide, Gauthier suddenly approached them, smiling at Norah. His rather angular features casting shadows on his face. Norah smiled back.

"Hello," He greeted them.

"Hi, Gauthier, was it?" Sebastian said. "I'm Sebastian Sallow, this is my sister Anne, this is Garreth Weasley, Leander Prewett, and," He gestured to Norah. "I'm sure you already know Norah."

"Who wouldn't?" Gauthier held out his hand for her to shake. "Your reputation precedes you, Norah. Stories of how you defeated the goblin warlord reached us, the entire continent, I think."

"Oh," Norah shook his hand. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to that but word really does travel faster than I thought."

"She's always so modest, isn't she?" Sebastian joked.

Gauthier chuckled. "It keeps you humble," He turned back to Norah. "So, Hogwarts hero, can I have the honor of dancing with you?" He asked.

The Slytherin girl could feel her cheeks heat up. Getting flustered, she glanced at her friends, who were all nodding. Henry was even more enthusiastic, gesturing them to dance together. "Alright, Mr. Beauxbatons boy," She said, and followed him to the throng of people. Looking back at her friends, all of them were giving her a thumbs up.

Norah didn't notice that even Rosalie was excited upon seeing them together as she approached their group. "So, it worked," She said to her brother.

Henry nodded, unable to hide how impressed he was. "Gauthier isn't usually this direct, but I didn't even need to say anything more. He must've been really interested. Thanks, Sebastian."

The Slytherin boy grinned. "I saw a chance and took it. It's time for Norah to be happy for once."

"What about you, Sallow? You holding up alright, mate?" Garreth asked in between refills.

He nodded. "I'm alright."

"Great, go on and enjoy yourself," Leander assured him. "Who knows when we'll go to an Abbott house party."

Don't hesitate, go deeper Guard down, lead me No need for overthinking Let it all go, go A necessary secret turns so easily to gossip And when they ta-talk, baby, we're the topic So no one can easily speak of it, on the low, the low

Gauthier and Norah were sitting outside the door of the Abbott flat, both of them holding their drinks. It still took them by surprise at how quiet it was outside the flat. "So, Hogwarts hero, how did you come to be friends with Henry?" He asked curiously.

"He's Natty's boyfriend, that's how," Norah replied, looking back at the door. "And he was trying out for Summoner's Court. I won it in fifth year."

"Summoner's Court? We used to play a few rounds of it whenever we could. Our Summoner's Court in Beauxbatons would get crowded. I love that game."

Norah let out a snort. "I find that game frustrating. But Henry was up against a really good player, and that's why he lost. I heard that you've known Henry, well, him and his family for years."

He nodded. "Childhood friends. Even when they moved back to Scotland, we've contacted each other from time to time. We even go fishing together in their country home."

"Fishing? That's an interesting hobby to have," Norah was intrigued, and Gauthier simply shrugged. "But that does sound rather peaceful."

"It is," Gauthier looked over at the door behind them and then back to her. "Are you with anyone?"

"Hmm? Me?" Norah felt her cheeks heat up again, and she shook her head, trying to keep her cool. "No, at least I don't think so."

"You don't think so?" He was amused.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm dating anyone, I know I'm not dating anyone, but," She said. "There's this boy, a friend of mine, we admitted that we liked each other after months of not saying anything, but he didn't us want to be together. He says its for my protection, and now he's-" Norah paused. "I think he's doing all he can to avoid me. He didn't want me to wait for him either. That's that."

Gauthier's smile faded and he looked down as he listened. "I'm very sorry," He said. "That can be quite difficult, no?"

"Yeah," Norah finished her drink, making him do the same. "But, I can assure you, that's the least of my problems."

Even she wasn't sure if what she said was true, and Gauthier noticed, but chose not to pry further. With a gesture asking if he could sit closer, Norah nodded, moving a little to make space, which he occupied. "I can imagine that it would be. So, what does it mean for you now?"

She sat up, hugging her knees. "I suppose it means I move on, like he would want me to. He's incredibly stubborn, so that's it, really," She shrugged. "To force him would be wrong, and I don't want to do that to him. He's been through a lot, as have I."

"Hogwarts really seems like a place where many things like that happen, no?" Gauthier chuckled. "In Beauxbatons, not so much. Even people that get together, they seem to break up in a very nonchalant manner. 'We break up' 'okay' that's how it goes for some reason. It's painful, but it doesn't last very long."

She was intrigued. "Really? So, holidays are when you can be really casual?" and he nodded. "Whoa."

Gauthier leaned in close to her ear. "But there was one time, Franco was almost caught smuggling a few bottles of absinthe from a nearby village. People in his quarters had gotten absolutely drunk, but that's because they drank it by the bottle."

Norah gaped. "Why would he even bring absinthe into the school?"

He shrugged. "The color seemed nice to him, and I agree. It really is nice, but it would taste even better if prepared properly. We should get a drink sometime."

"Intriguing, I'm in," Norah nodded. "Not at the moment though, I'm only staying here for a night. We're going back to London in the morning."

Gauthier's smile faded a little. "Then, we should go out for that drink now, no?"

"Aren't we drinking something now?" Norah pointed to the cups they were holding. In a moment of confidence, she turned to him. "You must be quite a popular guy in Beauxbatons, hmm?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Have you looked in the mirror recently? You and Francesco must have been the objects of many girls' affections," She teased.

Gauthier laughed, yet his ears were turning red at the compliment. "Franco? Yes, he gets a lot of attention."

"And you?"

"I," Gauthier leaned closer. "I don't care for the attention that much, except for certain people."

Same space, different flow This bolder and lingering touch Every motion feels so honest You and I, pull me close I don't want to stop here This is a battle I've been tryna fight for you, so

The party continued, with everyone drinking, eating, dancing, and talking. Francesco made it a point to mingle with Sebastian, Garreth, Leander, and Anne. Rosalie was already busy with her friends, talking and giggling amongst themselves while looking over at Ethan and his friends as well as Arnaud's friend group.

"Mate, it's like we've become the seventh-years," Garreth observed in between more refills from other people they recognized that approached them.

They shrugged. "You're feeling it too, no? We're all growing out of it, it seems," Francesco said. "We're approaching our last year in Beauxbatons too, Gauthier and I."

"Any plans on what to do after everything's done?" Anne asked curiously.

"Yes, I plan on taking a long summer vacation, and then I'll make a decision. I think I might be traveling around the continent a lot," He said.

They were impressed, as Francesco held out his cup for a refill, which Garreth obliged. "That's amazing."

Francesco nodded. "It is. I don't have to decide what to do just yet. I'm sure the same goes for all of you?"

They shook their heads. "Well, Anne and I are moving back to our old house in a nearby hamlet to Hogwarts. Norah's got a shop to help manage-"

"And I'll be able to focus on creating more batches of my brew to sell in Norah's shop," Garreth suddenly chimed in.

"I heard Natty's traveling back to Uganda to visit some family," Leander said. "Sounds like I'm the only one who isn't doing anything for the summer holidays."

Francesco chuckled. "You people from Hogwarts are always that busy? Henry's practically saying the same thing. Something about a ministry position."

"He's taking after his father, I reckon," Leander replied. "Now that you mention it, I haven't put a lot of thought into what I plan to do after Hogwarts..."

"I think I might take Norah up on her offer earlier," Anne nodded. "I might help work in the shop after all whenever I can."

"Don't force yourself, Anne," Sebastian reminded her.

Francesco smiled. "Are you all close with Norah?" He said, casting a glance over at the door.

"Yeah, we're in the same house, her and me," Sebastian nodded. "But she's just as close with the rest of them. We've been through a lot."

"A lot is quite an understatement," Leander eyed him knowingly, and they laughed.

Despite having some drinks from the party, Gauthier and Norah found themselves walking down the street that night. They didn't get far, just far enough to be able to turn around and make it back. There was a comfortable kind of silence between them as they walked, glancing at each other every now and then and smiling afterwards.

"This is your way of sobering up?" Norah broke the silence as they looked around the shops that seemed to still be open at that hour, just as everything else seemed to be closing down for the night.

Gauthier nodded. "Yeah, a walk certainly helps, as well as some hangover tonic," He replied, gently bumping his shoulder to hers. "You know, to tell you the truth, Henry really talked you up to me."

The revelation made her pause and stare at him. "Henry? What did he say about me?"

"Nothing I haven't heard before," Gauthier grinned.

"Oh?" Norah was intrigued. "What have you heard about me?"

He burst into laughter. "Just the stories. How you defeated a goblin warlord. You even befriended a graphorn and rescued a phoenix."

"Ruby and His Lordship," Norah smiled. It made her wonder if they were doing fine without her. She made a mental note to write to Deek once she returned to London. "I would've brought them with me but it's only a short holiday so they're back at Hogwarts. Are you interested in beasts?"

Gauthier shrugged. "I think they're fascinating, but that's about it. I much prefer spell-casting. Franco's good at potions."

"You probably enjoy a duel, don't you?" Norah mused.

"Yes, but I'm not part of the dueling club at Beauxbatons, though," He chuckled. "I like to watch them duel."

Before they knew it, they were back at their building. Gauthier seemed to take the lead, stopping in front of the door below Henry's family's flat. "Henry and Francesco might be looking for us," Norah said.

"Yeah, but I just wanted to spend more time with you," Gauthier smiled.

Norah laughed, shaking her head, yet her cheeks were heating up. She thought of Ominis for a moment. It seemed like a hard thing to do, to suddenly forget and move on. How can one just forget and move on from something that never got a chance to start?

But Gauthier noticed the hesitation. "We don't have to if you don't want to, it's okay," He said. "We can go back to the party if you don't want to."

Norah studied his expression. His face seemed to soften. "I'm sorry," She said.

"It's alright," Gauthier assured her. "Let's go," and they climbed up the stairs.

Give you a lot to say Let's hope the walls don't talk This is a battle I've been tryna fight for you, so We're gonna misbehave Let's hope the walls don't talk

"Ah, and they're back," Natty pointed out to Henry, seeing Norah and Gauthier quietly slip inside as everyone else seemed to be absorbed with dancing, eating and drinking, talking, and laughing with and at each other. "So? Where did you two run off to?"

"We only went out for a walk, nothing more," Norah replied, Gauthier nodding. Noticing Henry's still-questioning expression, she eyed him. "Really, Henry."

Henry eventually nodded, feeling assured by her answer, while Gauthier pretended to be offended at the glance the Ravenclaw boy made towards him. "Alright, I suppose. Well, the party's still going on." There's always our rooms if you want to spend more time together, but I think they're currently occupied..."

"Anne was getting tired, so she'd already turned in," Natty immediately pointed out. "We'll see you all later," She eyed them again before walking off with Henry to go dance along with the rest of the crowd.

With the two of them being left alone again, Norah watched the rest of the people dancing before turning back to the taller boy. "Care to dance?" She asked.

Gauthier's soft smile grew wider. "Yes, mademoiselle," He said, following her into the crowd. But just as they approached the throng of people dancing, Ethan changed the song to something a little more...sensual. The two of them chuckled, facing each other as the lights changed, contrasting with the enchanted ceiling showing the night sky.

Norah looked up, in awe of how the ceiling looked. Gauthier did the same, seeing a faint shooting star. "Make a wish," He said, his gaze shifting to her, his expression softening again.

She closed her eyes, and before her mind could register anything else, she felt soft lips over her own in a soft kiss. Norah opened her eyes, seeing Gauthier smiling at her, even as his ears were turning red. She cleared her throat, her cheeks turning pink. "Uh-uh, was that your wish?" She asked.

"Maybe," He winked, before bursting into laughter. "I hope I wasn't out of line."

She shook her head. "No, I-I appreciate it," She said.

Little did Norah and Gauthier knew, everyone in their friend group was watching them, a little slack-jawed in surprise at the kiss that happened. Francesco broke into a satisfied grin, while Natty and Henry were pleased. Even Amit, who had been distracted by the constellations the whole time, was surprised.

"Finally," Garreth grinned.

"If Grace finds out about this-" Leander muttered.

Sebastian tilted his head. "They don't look too bad as a possible couple," He nodded.

"I have to admit, Henry," Francesco turned to the blonde. "I was a little skeptical on whether they would hit it off, but I'm glad to see they did."

Henry looked proud. "I think I might have a knack for matchmaking after all, eh?" He glanced at his girlfriend, who laughed.

"I hope they continue this, they seem to get along so well," Natty observed the way they were dancing closer to each other.

Back on the dancing area, Gauthier and Norah were giggling to each other as they danced. "Can I see you during the summer? Why don't you come back to Paris by then?" He held her hand and kissed the back of it.

Norah shrugged. "I don't know, my cousins will be coming, and we're helping Sebastian and Anne move houses. So I'm going to be quite preoccupied by then."

"Then bring your cousins to Paris," Gauthier said. "Or perhaps, I could see you in London?"

"Perhaps," Norah chuckled. "We can write to each other too, you know. So we-" She took a breath, her already pink cheeks turning a darker shade, as were Gauthier's red ears. "So we can still keep talking even when we're a long train ride away?"

"Perfect," Gauthier leaned in, his forehead touching hers for a moment before leaning in fully to kiss her. The two of them lingered, pulling away when they saw more shooting stars overhead, followed by the appearance of certain constellations.

Norah could swear she heard Amit squeal in excitement and it made her look over to where her friends were. All of them were quietly cheering and giving her a thumbs up, including Francesco. There was a kind of excitement she hadn't felt in a while, over the prospect of something romantic happening with the boy she was currently holding hands with. It was unfamiliar but familiar at the same time, especially when they had only just met. It seemed like going into uncharted territory, with someone like Gauthier immediately taking an interest in her. Even more so, knowing that a relationship was for once, possible.

Know we're on to something different When we trust our intuition Hope the walls don't talk The walls don't talk But we can let 'em listen No, we got no inhibition But a whole lot of ambition Hope the walls don't talk The walls don't talk But we can let 'em listen

The party soon ended in the early hours of the morning, with everyone seemingly staying over for the night, crowding around every inch of space in the Abbott residence in conjured sleeping bags and cots if the couch was fully occupied. For Gauthier and Francesco, however, they bid their goodbyes and goodnights, with the former taking a longer goodbye to Norah. He had even promised to see her off at the train station when they head back in the evening.

"So, you and Gauthier seemed to be really getting on well," Natty was grinning as they were in the process of getting ready for bed, taking off their makeup.

"Well," Norah stepped out from the bathroom, hair up in a towel and already dressed to sleep. "Maybe we are. He said he'd see me off when we go back to London later."

Anne was also beaming. "I wish I was there to see what happened, but it's nice to know that this is happening for you," She said.

"Tell me about it," Rosalie chimed in, and Natty conjured a blast of air from her wand to dry the blonde's hair while she used a tonic. "You and Gauthier have chemistry, Norah. I swear everyone could feel it."

Norah laughed as she sat down at her futon, taking her own wand to dry her hair. "I don't know, we'd only just met-"

"And that's exactly why people could feel it!" Rosalie was close to squealing, and the three girls laughed. "This is making me think, since we see the boys at our school a lot so it can be tiring to always see the same faces, maybe seeing a Beauxbatons boy wouldn't be far from the possibility. Perhaps we should ask them to bring their friends the next time mum and dad let us throw a party."

"Rosalie, you're one of the prettiest girls in Hogwarts, and I haven't been back at the castle in a while," Anne pointed out. "I'm sure there's someone who's caught your attention, just as much as you've caught many boys' attentions. Just not my brother though, he's already a lot to put up with."

They laughed. "And you, Anne? What's the situation with you?" Rosalie turned the conversation around, the rest of them looking at her.

Anne and Norah exchanged knowing looks. "Well, there's already someone. I met him over the Christmas holiday."

"Oh? Hogwarts too?"

She shook her head. "No, he's from..." She eyed Norah again. "Mahoutokoro. He's Norah's cousin, Naru Hiiragi."

Rosalie gaped. "Mahoutokoro? Norah's cousin? That boy who was hanging around the Summoner's Court board?" She turned to Norah.

"Mhmm, we had only just met then too. I'm not very close with my relatives until he visited," Norah replied. "And I can also confirm, Naru fancies her too."

"Hmm," Rosalie had a look of determination on her face. "Then, perhaps a boy from Durmstrang? Or Ilvermorny?"

"Easy now, Rosalie, you have all the time to think about that," Natty said after stepping out from the bathroom, the four girls giggling.

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy mc #hogwarts legacy angst #hogwarts legacy fluff #sebastian sallow #ominis gaunt #garreth weasley #leander prewett #amit thakkar #natsai onai #anne sallow #norah adele henry caleb #naru takashi katsuko

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twig-tea · 2 years ago

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Absolute Zero ep. 1 First Thoughts

Absolute Zero already has me in a chokehold. This is everything I want from New Siwaj. It's beautiful, it's sad, it's cinematic, the background music is orchestral. People have visible real skin texture, and different skin tones. There is so much good, subtle physical acting (not every reaction is in the face), something New excels at bringing out in his actors.

There is SO MUCH NOSTALGIA! I am drowning in the aesthetics. And I love that two of our characters, the cinephiles, are clearly also quietly obsessed with retro things for their own reasons--the DVD/VCD rental store owner who has a gramophone and cassette deck in 2008 and was still renting DVDs through 2018, and Soon, who carries around a walkman and a flip phone in 2008, past when mp3 players and smart phones were a thing, renting rather than pirating DVDs, and watching films projected from real film on a reel [also was that an old school tape-based voicemail machine on his desk?]. Anachronism is established so early in this show, so quietly but thoroughly. I wonder how many younger audience members would even know that these things are anachronistic (I know it's not just cultural differences because Remember Me confirmed Thailand had smartphones by ~2005). I know we've already established that Soon is stuck in the past because he misses his recently deceased parents, but I am curious about how else these anachronisms are going to interplay with time travel as a theme.

I am also trying so hard not to reminisce, but I had a corner store that I passed on the way home from school and so would stop in all the time and rent VHS tapes from and the old guy who ran it knew me and would say hi and point out new things I would like and would make fun of me for renting the same thing over and over and would give me free gum from the gumball machine at the counter....it was even smaller than the one in the series and it was such a comfort and man I miss it!

And the time pieces! The hourglass, the old school analog alarm clock, the cigarettes which indicate the mystery neighbor [Soon from the future] has been on the balcony awhile, the ticket stubs to indicate the amount of time Ongsah missed Soon, the lack of anything on Soon's wrist (contrasted with the watch on Ongsah's--this might be a stretch but I'm thinking about it), even the stars as old timepieces (this is definitely a stretch).

And the grief this episode! So much and so quiet. We have Soon so overwhelmed he looks like he's choking on his grief at his parents' grave, as well as his general constant air of sadness [Mix improved so much since What the Duck and UWMA!]; Ongsah crying silently at the water for reasons we don't yet know; the DVD/VCD rental place's daughter grieving her father, and Soon also grieving him, and then the preview for the next ep so we know more pain is coming. I really appreciate how different each of these circumstances and depictions of grief have been so far, and it's something I'll be thinking about as the show goes on too (because I'm sure there will be more!).

Anyway. I am really excited that the first episode lived up to my expectations!

@bengiyo you asked to be tagged 💕 Anyone else talking about this show, feel free to tag me too!

#absolute zero the series #bl meta #typed so i can stop thinking it #this show is already so good #don't let me down new siwaj

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shads-shipposts · 2 months ago

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Hello again, tis that time of the week! Chapter day! Our heroes (?) are slowly finding their footing with each other but not to worry. Things are far from smooth from here on out :D

Once again we get an appearance of Soft!Tom as well as Dark!Tom which is oh so fun to write. We stan a complex character. Even if he is being a stubborn jackass in future chapters and the reason I've been stuck on ch 16 for a month. Anyway.

Enjoy! All comments, likes, and reblogs are very much appreciated!

CW: Mention of possible grooming (don't date a 16m as a 13f, dear readers).

Masterlist

Ao3 Version

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Slowly, carefully, I released my grip on Tom. I refused to take my eyes off Allan, however, as he moved past us into the bathroom. Tom also seemed less than keen on letting Allan too close, stepping around to keep himself between me and the first mate.

Allan sent him a mild warning glance, but didn’t comment. Instead, he stopped by the toilet and peered inside. “You puke, kid?”

“Nothin’ came up,” I replied miserably as Tom guided me back to the couch and helped me sit again.

I wonder if you’d be so kind if you knew the truth about Scarlett and my involvement with her.

“Hmm.” Allan came back into the bedroom with us and pulled a chair over from a nearby desk. Sitting backwards, his eyes drifted to my arm. “You never got that looked at?” he asked, gesturing to it.

“What about it?” I peered at the limb only to discover the gash from Harry’s knife remained. Covered in dirt and stained red around the edges, I stared at it in mild disbelief. “I… forgot about that,” I muttered.

It should be gone.

Why is it still here?

Why am I still here?

“Need to get it cleaned,” Allan said. “You’re lucky it isn’t infected yet. Last thing you need is your skin rottin’ off.”

Do you really care? Or is this just some ploy to get under my skin?

I hated how much I wished it was the former.

“I’ll get it,” Tom offered, heading into the bathroom.

I warily watched Allan, ready to square up if he made even the slightest move.

Watch for those long arms. Don’t worry about a gun or knife. Keep him out of range. Your legs are longer than his arms. Quick kicks, parries, blocks.

Do not let him get a hold of you.

You can’t floor fight, he can.

Stay standing.

Stay light.

Stay ready.

Do not let him get a grip on you.

And if he does, make him regret ever crossing your path.

Allan raised a brow at my expression. “You just bit a man’s thumb off, kid,” he said. “I am not touchin’ you unless I get permission.”

That… made me feel at least a little better. Even if the mere thought of that damn finger being so real threatened to throw me into an existential spiral again.

Just… just don’t think about it. Focus on… numbers. Count something. How many colors are in here? How many lightbulbs? What patterns?

Anything but… the reality of the situation.

My heart jumped when Allan reached into the pocket of his dirt-streaked jeans, but he didn’t pull out a knife.

Instead, he offered me a small flask. “Want some?”

A thump sounded from the bathroom, and we turned to see Tom kneeling by the sink rubbing his head. When he saw the flask in Allan’s hand, he abandoned his search for a rag and stormed back in. “Allan! What the bloody hell are you doin’?”

“Offerin’ the kid a drink,” Allan replied, mildly offended, pulling the flask out of his reach as Tom grabbed for it. “It’s not poison.”

“Yes that shit is!”

Wonder what the story is there.

Probably nothing fun if a rough and tough sailor of Tom’s caliber doesn’t drink.

Allan rolled his eyes, holding Tom at bay with a hand on his chest as the other kept the flask out of reach. “Not all of us are as virtuous as you.”

“Speak for yourself,” I muttered. “I don’t fuck with that shit.”

Both men looked at me. “You don’t?” Allan asked, pushing Tom away.

I shook my head. “Never touched the stuff.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Suit yourself. See, Tom?” He waved the flask in my direction. “Kid’s got a spine, she can take care of ‘erself.”

And that’s why we’re in this emotional shithole.

Tom huffed and returned to his search for a clean rag, giving me an encouraging glance as he did so.

Shaking his head at Tom’s back, Allan unscrewed the lid and took a drink himself before screwing the lid back on. “It’s a bad habit anyway,” he told me, slipping it back into his pocket. “Don’t start it.”

“You scream at me then you offer life advice?” I scoffed tiredly.

He shrugged, resting his chin on his arms after folding his arms on the back of the chair. “Olive branch.”

“It’s a withered branch rotted from the inside out.”

“Thought that counts?”

“Hardly,” I growled.

Silence stretched between us, broken only by Tom’s muttering and the clatter of cleaning products.

“Have you ever been a team captain in sports, kid?” Allan asked finally.

What in correlation?

“The last team sport I did was soccer in fourth grade. Since then it’s been swimming, equestrian, and karate.” I shook my head, side-eyeing the bathroom as more bottles rattled. “Those ain’t exactly team sports unless with equestrian you count the horse.”

“What about PE?” Allan asked, waving a hand in my line of sight to bring my attention back to him. “America has that in the future, right?”

I snorted dismissively. “You’re lookin’ at a gal who got picked last for every damn game from elementary to middle school. I wasn’t even on the radar for the fuckin’ team, let alone the captain of it.”

“An outcast, huh?”

“Why do you think I latched on to the background cast of societal misfits?” I mumbled, watching Tom again.

Mumbling a curse, the man abandoned the sink and headed between us for the closet with a switchblade in hand.

Where the hell did he have that?

Allan watched him with me. “The crew certainly can understand bein’ left out, or bein’ seen as not worth havin’ around.”

I glared at the first mate. “What are you gettin’ at, Thompson?”

He held my gaze. “What I’m getting at,” he said, a slight edge to his tone. “Is I’m not yellin’ at you for fun. You have no idea what it’s like to have the expectation of so many riding on you. My men? If I fail, they all fail. Sakharine is evil, sure, but at the moment I’m out of options to keep my crew afloat.”

“What about the…” I made an injection motion towards my arm.

He squinted, most likely trying to decide if it was worth it to be angry, but seemed to think it wasn’t and shook his head. “Tryin’ to leave it behind, payout isn’t worth the risk anymore. I can’t do that without that treasure, kid. I unfortunately need that rich jackass right now.” He tilted his head, voice filled with reasoning and tinged with a hint of desperation. “You can understand that, right?”

“I’m not a total idiot.” A small shout of triumph pulled my attention back to Tom in time to see him cut some old garment from the closet. “I get it.”

“Then you understand why I’m not thrilled you took his thumb off.” He followed Tom with his head as the man slipped between us, headed for the bathroom with a cut piece of cloth. “Though…”

I looked at him. “Though what?”

Dark eyes returned to mine. “Between you and me? I’d have done the same if I could get away with it.” His voice lowered. “Woulda have tied him down and bitten ‘em off slowly, too. One by one.”

That should have been really unnerving. Scary. Frightening.

Not… soothing.

But it was what it was, and as Tom sat beside me with the damp scrap of cloth I let some tension bleed from my shoulders. “I don’t feel any pain, Tom,” I said, but made no effort to move away. “You really don’t need to fret over me.”

Tom chuckled. “Sound like the boys.”

He held a hand out for my arm and I gave it to him. The gentleness in his rough hands amazed me, so out of character for someone of his occupation. Scruffy, scarred, and strong as an ox, but yet so sweet and thoughtful.

At least with me.

“Are you always a mother hen?” I asked, watching curiously as he turned my arm over.

He dabbed the cool rag along the cut. “Someone’s gotta be, poor sods got the survival skills of a seahorse.”

“That’s… oddly specific.”

He shrugged, squinting as he leaned over to better inspect the underside of my arm. “Always loved the sea, ya know?” he said. “Can easily kill ya without tryin’, but it’s so full of beauty too.”

“Ever been snorkelin’?”

Tom shook his head. “Always wanted to. Never got a chance,” he sighed, getting up to rinse the rag before resuming his position next to me. “You?”

“Aye.”

Tom nudged me. “What’s it like?” he asked with all the eagerness of a young boy. “Bein’ in the water around all those fishes. Are the corals cool? Did’ja see an eel?”

The influx of questions put me more at ease, and the childlike curiosity warmed my heart.

“Colors sorta fade once you’re under, and only saw an eel from afar. I don’t vibe with ‘em, slimy bastards,” I said as he leaned over to dab at the cut more. “As for fish, some followed me for my colorful shorts, and the others just thought I had food. I did get up close with a barracuda once, though I didn’t know what it was at the time.”

Tom looked up from the cut in surprise. “You swam with barracudas?”

“And sharks, but just little ones.”

“Were you scared?” Tom asked. “With the sharks?”

I shook my head. “No. Triggerfish are far worse.”

Tom gave me a perplexed look. “Triggerfish?”

“Territorial bastards who will chase and bite you if you get too close to their nest. Or on general principle. Like an underwater yellowjacket.”

“Oh.”

“Sharks only attack if they’re desperate or angry.”

I glanced at Allan as he spoke up.

He held my gaze. “They don’t go after prey if they don’t have to. Why waste energy or risk getting injured when the prey fights back?”

Scan him.

Leaning forward, chin resting on his arms.

Hands open and still, not forming fists or reaching for weapons.

Face relaxed, though his gaze is still pretty focused in.

Back and shoulders loose.

Conversational, not confrontational.

He looks… honest.

Or about as honest as Allan Thompson gets.

My eyes narrowed slightly. “This about sharks? Or someone else?”

He gave me a faint smile. “You’re a clever kid. Sure you can figure it out.”

A weak smile ghosted my lips, which caused Allan’s to grow.

“There’s that grin of yours,” he teased.

I glanced away, hiding my face as my smile widened more.

Why must we be so weak to compliments and praise? To words of affirmation? We know he’s not being honest.

He chuckled, the sound forcing the rest of the tension from my body.

But what if he is honest? What if he means it?

Allan Thompson doesn’t mean anything he says. Not if he were real.

That settles it, then. We must still be dreaming.

Yeah, had to be. A… realistic one, but still a dream. That’s the only way Allan would have let my finger removal stunt slide. The only way he’d be genuine in any sense of the word. Only way he’d truly care about me on a personal level that didn’t resemble the care a tradesman had for his tools.

A dream meant no perma-death or perma-damage, which meant I was safe. I could still push these men a little, still let the leash out a bit without worrying about committing some sort of social or authority figure no-no.

I could still… be myself.

Warm relief washed over me, though not without a little bit of sadness.

Good thing about dreams; you eventually woke up.

Bad thing about dreams…

You eventually woke up.

Better make the most of it while you’re here.

I looked at Tom. “How’s it lookin’, Tom?”

“Good,” he said, eyes still on my arm. “May need a few stitches-”

I snatched my arm away, eyes wide as I tucked it against my chest.

Tom reacted quickly, blocking his ribs with an arm and shielding his face with an open hand. When I didn’t strike, he cautiously lowered his hand. “Or not?”

“I don’t like needles.” I shot a glare at Allan. “Use that against me and I will castrate you.”

He stiffened, a hand shifting to cover his groin as he leaned back. “Noted.”

Satisfied with my threat, I looked between him and Tom. “Ya know… kinda surprised you ain’t askin’ every question in the book given what I just dropped on you.”

“I’m… tryin’ not to think too hard on it,” Tom admitted.

I nodded. “Mood.”

“I have questions,” Allan said, standing up. “But I’ll ask ‘em once we’re outside.” When I grimaced, he raised his hands. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”

Not sure how much I believe that. Not sure how much choice I have in the matter either.

“May want to make it a short interrogation,” I muttered, carefully standing incase my legs failed. “Fella named Tintin is comin’ ‘ere tonight in search of his model ship that got stolen, so we need to get the fuck outta dodge ASAP.”

Allan stiffened. “The journalist?”

“You know ‘im?” I asked, somewhat surprised as the movie gave no hints of recognition between the pair on the doorstep.

Allan didn’t even know his name!

We’re not really in the movie, remember. Just a dream variant of your old fanfic.

“Ran into the pipsqueak in Egypt,” Tom grumbled. “Him on the case is bad news.”

Ok, that means they’re smuggling drugs for Ratsty or however you spell it. Or… maybe they were?

Weird.

I didn’t have them working for Rasty in any of my fic universes.

Of course it doesn’t perfectly match. It’s just a dream.

But… is it?

“Not that you’re a pipsqueak,” Tom said hurriedly, thankfully saving me from the riptide of anxiety before it could drag me out. “I think he’s smaller than you are.”

“We’re the same height.”

“How do you know ‘im?” Allan exclaimed.

“The universe jump spawned me in as his next-door neighbor,” I said. “He currently has the second scroll.”

Tom groaned. “Great.”

You ain’t gonna question the term “spawn”?

It’s a self-explanatory term, to be honest.

Fair.

“All the more reason to get Scarlett back,” Allan said, looking at me. “With her powers, we’ll have no trouble comin’ out on top even with him and his dog nippin’ at our heels.”

Ugh… back to the Scarlett thing. Oh well, fuck it. May as well figure out which fanfiction timeline I’m stuck in.

On the… very unlikely off chance this somehow isn’t a dream.

“How… do y’all know Scarlett?” I asked finally as we headed out of the bathroom led by Allan.

“She helped us out with some slavers that hijacked our ship a while ago,” Allan replied.

Not helpful, that’s in both timelines.

“How long did you know her?” I ventured, swatting some dust motes from my path as we walked down a long hall back towards the door.

The sun breached the treetops by now, leaving a precious few rays to stream through the slats in the boarded up windows. The manor dimmed quickly as the sun sank, long grey shadows creeping from the cobwebbed corners in anticipation to reclaim the haunted halls for themselves. The smell of mildew and must stalked alongside them like faithful hounds, ready and waiting for the command to strike.

Creepy. Wonder if there’s a Coraline door in this hovel.

“Not long,” Tom replied, pulling me from my musings. “Few days.”

“Days?” I asked, my feet snagging the floor in shock. “So… she didn’t help get rid of the slavers and Piccas and then lead you through the center of the earth after which she was stuck with the Karaboudjan for two years?”

Surely I wasn’t tossed into an unfinished version of my stories!

Both Tom and Allan stared at me as if I’d grown a second head.

“Uh… no? She was only ‘ere a few days, then vanished,” Tom said with a slow shake of his head.

“And who’s Piccas?”Allan asked.

I blinked. “Yer kiddin’.”

Tom shook his head earnestly. “No, we’re not.”

“You don’t know how we met Scarlett?” Allan asked. “Thought you knew everythin’ about our lives.”

“Hell no, y’all are background characters,” I corrected. “Bad guys. Tintin and Haddock are the stars of the movie, but I fell in love with the oddball lot that is the Karaboudjan because I’m drawn to the outcasts. And cargo ships, apparently. The movie only starts with the marketplace this mornin’.”

“What about knowing the details about Sakharine’s ancestor?” Allan pressed.

“That’s plot relevant. We know literally nothing about your past in the movie.”

“But.. if you don’t know our past, how do you know about Scarlett?” Tom asked.

“That’s what I’m tryin’ to figure out,” I retorted a bit too sharply, and I winced when a look of hurt entered Tom’s eyes.

Think I’d almost rather kick a puppy.

“Sorry, man,” I apologized. “Didn’t mean to be short with ya. I’m just… confused.”

Sympathy replaced the hurt. “Ah, I understand. No hard feelin’s.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, man.”

“Who is this Piccas?” Allan asked.

The insert of my drunkard ex who was three years my senior and most likely groomed me even if unintentionally.

“An ally of Scarlett before she joined y’all.”

“She did have someone she was allied with before us,” Allan added. “A real asshole, but his name was Claudius.”

“Claudius?” I exclaimed. “But… that… that means…” My brows furrowed in thought, only to rise as my eyes flew wide. “Oh fuck me in ass!”

“Pardon me?” Allan sputtered as Tom made a rather odd choking sound, a hand half covering his face as he turned away with his shoulders shaking.

I shook too, but mine was a nervous laugh that bubbled up my throat as I struggled to maintain my sanity.

Oh, this was just… delightful.

Unsatisfied with a roleplay fic from early 2014 between me and my then partner and a former friend, in 2015 I attempted to rewrite it with my improved skills, weak as they were. I only got halfway through before taking the story in a new direction. But the transition was jarring, quick, and left the version with the Karaboudjan half-finished.

And at this point in time… probably left a majority of the men with what seemed like major memory loss.

Of all the versions, of course I ended up in the unfinished one.

Wasn’t this just dandy?

“Do you… need to sit back down?” Tom ventured, a hand partially extended to catch me.

“No no, I…” Laughter spilled out, increasing the concern on the men’s faces. “I’m wonderful! Just peachy!”

They exchanged a doubtful glance.

“Are you… goin’ to explain that psycho smile?” Allan asked.

“Well, ya see… it’s a funny story, really,” I cackled, clapping my hands together. “Main thing is I can still get us through the movie events peachy keen.”

“But…?”

“But, er.” I rested my chin on my fingertips, trying to come up with a coherent explanation. “We may… or may not,” I added quickly. “Be in a… different timeline than what I originally thought.”

“The fuck do you mean a different timeline?” Allan demanded.

Tom gasped. “Al!”

Allan looked at him in surprise. “What?”

“Language!”

“You’re yellin’ at me?” Allan exclaimed, both hands on his chest. “Have you heard the shit comin’ out of Shadow’s mouth for the past hour? She’s as bad as the boys!”

“Don’t make it worse!”

“I’m not makin’ it worse!”

“Yeah you are!”

“How so?”

“You’re bein’ a bad influence!”

“No, I’m not!”

“Yeah you are!”

“Now is not the time!” Allan snapped. He turned to me. “Kid, what do you mean different timeline?”

Think! What can you say that won’t reveal yourself as the creator of Scarlett and grand architect of the hijacking hell they went through?

“A big thing right now durin’ my time is alternate timelines and alternate universes. Piccas is from another timeline, not the one we’re in right now.”

“So we aren’t in the movie timeline?”

“We’re in a movie…” I searched for the right word. “Adjacent timeline. The events in the movie itself shouldn’t be changed, but the backstory of the characters involved is different from the main timeline.”

Allan blinked, then groaned loudly and dragged his hand down his face. “Oh, of course this is a different timeline.”

Sand rats and night bats, I can hear his blood pressure rising by the second.

Mood, Allan.

Mood.

Tom looked between Allan and me. Doubt flickered across his face; evidently he didn’t fully believe what I said, and I couldn’t really blame him for holding onto some shred of sanity.

“Can you… still help us?” he asked.

I nodded firmly, as the urge to stick by these men remained possibly the only certainty in this shitshow.. “I’ll damn well try to best of my ability.”

“We’ll take that.” He nudged Allan. “Won’t we, Al?”

“Don’t much see how we have any other choice,” Allan muttered.

“Then can we finally head back to the ship?” Tom asked, a whine entering his tone. “This place is creepy after dark, and I’m gettin’ hungry.”

As if on cue, his stomach growled.

Allan sighed, but his voice held a note of fondness as he replied, “You’re always bloody hungry.” He turned to me. “You know the movie?”

“Aye, as I have mentioned before.”

“Then what’s next?”

I thought for a moment, running through the movie. “Mmm, murder and kidnappin’.”

“You say that so causally,” Tom remarked with a note of worry, somewhat side-eyeing me.

“Oh, trust me,” I said with a small laugh, raising my hands. “When the movie first came out and I watched it, my eleven year old ass was not ready to see someone get turned into a skettie strainer via machine gun.”

Horror flooded Tom’s face. “You were eleven!?” he screamed.

I thought for a moment. “If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t really become hooked on the movie until I was thirteen.”

“It don’t!”

I shrugged. “Well, them’s the breaks.”

Allan shook his head tiredly, cursing in a language I was pretty sure was German. “Kid, explain what you meant by murder and kidnapping.”

“Right. So, murder is that American FBI agent.”

“And you’re okay with offin’ your fellow American?” Allan asked, although the slight smile suggested he was rather happy about that.

Easier for you to corrupt, huh?

“A, I ain’t a fan of the feds. Libertarianism and all that. B, apparently he survives dependin’ on what source you ask. Though I can’t say for certain. Either way, he gets offed after Tintin comes back and finds his apartment ransacked. Presumably by you lot.”

“We need to go make a mess?”

“Probably not. See, ordinarily I’d say yes because you need reason to kidnap him in the mornin’. Tintin I mean. Without the scrolls, you’d need to go back to nab him. We can bypass all that because I can just tell you that kidnappin’ him is needed.”

“Why does that need to happen?”

“His wallet gets stolen which will then be returned once you guys all make it to Bhaggar. So you’ll have his scroll, Sakharine’s scroll, and the scroll of the…” I snapped my fingers, trying to conjure the title. “Hellfire, it begins with an S.”

“Sheikh?” Tom offered.

“Aye, that! Funnily enough, in the comics he was actually your main boss in the comic you were introduced in.”

Unless we count the revised Cigars of the Pharaoh which would put Rasty as your main boss. Until he went full lemming.

“Right,” Allan muttered, then shook his head as if he could Etch-E-Sketch the existential crisis away. “Our next move from right now is?”

“Head back to town before Tintin shows up here.”

Allan shrugged. “Alright, Tom. You heard the kid. Let’s head back.”

With that we left the darkening building, finding Neil and Harry waiting at the bottom of the front steps along with the rottweiler guard dog. Harry leaned on the banister whittling away at a stick, while Neil sat on the last of the cracked steps rubbing the dog’s belly.

However, when Neil caught sight of me, he left the dog and eagerly met me at the top of the steps. Encasing me in a firm hug, he laughed and lifted me off the ground. “Happy to see ya still in one piece, Shortie!” he said, his voice shaking my chest. “Almost thought ya weren’t makin’ it outta there!”

I grunted as his grip squeezed some of the air from my lungs. “And you were just gonna let me be murdered?” I coughed. “Feelin’ the love ‘ere, Blonie!”

“Neil, don’t break ‘er,” Allan scolded. “That’s kid’s worth too much.”

“The hell you mean?” Harry said from the bottom of the steps as Neil set me down. His eyes widened. “Also, what the hell is with her shirt?”

Neil turned me to fully face him, peering at the stain in shock. “Is this blood?”

I looked at it. “Ah. It ain’t mine,” I said with a shrug, waving him off as I headed down the steps for the guard dog.

I’d only been able to briefly pet Snowy today, but I was not passing up the chance to pet a big pupper. Big dogs were my favorite, especially rotties, and I was thrilled when the guard dog’s stubby tail started wagging like crazy.

“Hi baby!” I greeted, voice high-pitched as the rottweiler started licking my hands. “You’re a big fella, aren’t ya? Aw, who’s a good boy?” I scratched along his side as his entire backside wiggled with his tail. “You are, yes you are!”

“Don’t think I’ve seen ‘er that bubbly,” Harry muttered. “Don’t think I like it, either.”

“Think it’s kinda adorable,” Tom said.

“That’s because you’re also a sap for mutts,” Allan muttered.

“Shortie, if it ain’t your blood… whose is it?” Neil called from the top.

I didn’t look up from the rottweilers belly as he rolled over and flopped his paws. “I may or may not have relieved Sakharine of his left thumb.”

Neil and Harry both took a step back.

“You bit his thumb off?!” Harry yelped.

“Got all touchy with my face talkin’ bout ‘Oh, I’m sure you’ll see the error of your ways’,” I explained, lifting my chin with a hand and faking a posh accent. I returned to the rottweiler when he whined at me. “Bastard treated me like a dog so I bit ‘im like one.”

Still kinda worried about the concrete feeling of his thumb when I bit it off…

Stay strong. They've done far worse to people, don’t let them think you’re weak.

Neil blinked, then roared with laughter. “Oh, that’s bloody brilliant, mate!” he wheezed, doubled over.

See, Neil finds you amusing. You’re fine. Focus on the puppy.

The rottie certainly liked that plan, head back and tongue hanging out.

Hector, was his name?

“Hector?” I tried.

The dog lifted his head, ears pricked.

Success!

“Ah! Hey, Hector. You’re a good boy, ain’t ya?”

Hector laid his head back down, tongue out again as his leg kicked in unison with my hands as I used both to rub his belly.

“You know the name of that mutt?” Allan asked.

“It’s not a mutt!” I defended, shooting him an angry glare that seemed to take him and the rest of the men by surprise. “It’s a rottweiler, and his name is Hector.”

“How do you know his name?”

I focused on Hector again. “I think Nestor mentioned it once at the end of the film.”

Harry and Neil exchanged a glance.

“Er, film?” Harry asked. “What film?”

I dragged my gaze from Hector. “Want me to give the spiel again?”

Allan stared at me for a moment, then his eyes lifted to the woods. “No. Tom can do that.” He looked back down at me. “I want to have a chat with you. Alone.”

My hands fell still. “Alone?”

Sensing something off, Hector rolled to his side and looked up at me with his head tilted. I rubbed his ears, which he gratefully leaned into.

“Can bring the mutt if you want,” Allan said, coming down the steps and heading for a path on the far side of the motorcourt.

I stood, Hector standing alongside me. “His name isn’t Mutt,” I reminded him somewhat angrily. “His name is Hector!”

Allan rolled his eyes, earning himself a smack on the arm from Tom. “Whatever.”

“Woah woah woah,” Neil said, stepping in between me and Allan. “Why’s she goin’ with you alone?”

“I have questions I need to ask ‘er.”

“Why can’t you do that with us?”

Allan’s gaze sharpened. “This doesn’t concern you, Neil.”

Tension crackled through the air as Neil stood his ground, meeting the first mate’s gaze without flinching.

“Neil,” Harry hissed through clenched teeth, and for the first time I saw worry on his face.

Meanwhile, Tom glared at Neil with a dangerous look in his eyes. Not enough to cause fear for Neil’s life, but definitely his safety.

I didn’t like it…

Tom’s nice to us, but he’s not a nice man. Don’t forget what he does for a living.

I stepped out from behind Neil. “I’ll be alright.”

I knew exactly what Allan wanted to know; exactly the thing I didn’t want to talk about. But I couldn’t dodge it forever, and the sooner I got it out of the way the sooner I could quit fighting off this damn anxiety attack that threatened to overtake me any minute.

The sooner I got this over with, the sooner we could get back to the ship and the sooner I could lock myself in the bathroom somewhere to deal with everything.

Neil broke off his staring contest with Allan and focused on me. “You sure? I don’t like you goin’ alone with ‘im anywhere.”

“I won’t lay hands on ‘er after what she did to Sakharine,” Allan retorted.

Neil glared at him again. “Not all abuse is physical.”

Neil has a good point. Allan do be a manipulative bastard.

It’d suck to live through this segment of what had to be some lucid dream, but I could always use it for story inspiration.

“Neil!” Harry barked, far louder this time. “The fuck are you doin’? Knock it off ‘fore you really step in it.”

Tom didn’t speak, but that cold, almost murderous glint in his eyes said everything.

If I didn’t get Neil to stand down, we were gonna find ourselves in hell.

“Neil, it’s ok,” I stressed. “I’m not alone.” I gestured to Hector by my side, staring up at me with a confused look. “I got Hector to watch my back.”

Neil looked between me and Allan. “You sure, Shortie?”

I gave him a double thumbs up. “Positive as a proton.”

He raised an eyebrow, but nevertheless backed down from Allan.

“C’mon, kid,” Allan said, waving me after him. “Bring the mutt.”

“Hector!”

“Hector.”

At his name, Hector’s ears perked up and he trotted over to Allan with his tail wagging.

Allan glared down at him, stepping away. “Not me, Shadow’s the one who wants you,” he complained, pointing at me. “Get!”

Hector, bless him, didn’t understand and just stared up at him innocently.

I patted my leg. “C’mere, boy.”

Hector returned to my side, tail wagging harder when I rubbed his ears.

Tom came over to us, but not without purposely knocking his shoulder into Neil’s with a warning look. His face relaxed as he knelt down by me. “Cute dog,” he remarked, letting Hector sniff his hand before patting his head.

I glanced at Neil, shaking my head at him when he clenched his fists and took a step towards Tom’s back.

Do not start swinging while I’m this close to Tom. I don’t care if y’all need to duke it out, but let me get clear first.

Neil stopped, but still looked pissed.

Tom continued to rub Hector’s ears, head slightly turned as his gaze strayed behind him. However, when Neil halted, Tom looked up at me and stood. “You’ll be ok.”

A comment, not a question.

I nodded.

“If he gets too handsy,” Tom said. “Poke ‘im in the ribs.”

“Old injury?”

Tom shook his head. “Ticklish.”

I glanced at Allan, only to find the man rolling his eyes as he walked off.

Well, it’s an odd tactic but if it’s effective then why not.

Tom gave my shoulder a light push. “Go on. Best get it over with.”

“You just want to get back for food,” I retorted over my shoulder.

He chuckled. “Guilty.”

Feeling braver, I squared my shoulders and set off after Allan, Hector trotting alongside.

#karaboudjan #tintin 2011 #allan thompson #oc_shadow #tom karaboudjan #anachronism fic #neil karaboudjan #hobbs karaboudjan #tintin

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piercedpressure · 1 year ago

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(sits down across from you) ofc i need to know literally everything about king's gambit.

SLAMS HANDS DOWN ON MY FUCKING DESK!!! OK!!!!!

king's gambit is a quest campaign i gm for my friends :3 the basic gist of the story is that in this country called katinia, a nationwide hunt takes place. the target is the king, and the prize is the throne and the haunted house that keeps it, the Last House. the current monarch, King Halina, has steered the country through war, famine, and civil unrest for 99 years -- and with the very recent announcement of her pregnancy, it seems that she shows no intention of abdicating the throne any time soon.

however, just 73 days before the tournament begins, a deadly earthquake rocks the capital to its core. when its revealed that the epicenter sat in the belly of the Last House, it sets off a chain of events that not only highlight how deep the rot goes, but also leads to the inevitable fall of the House.

and it all falls into the hands of a duty-bound mother and knight, an addict squire bound for sainthood, a handmaiden dragging herself through a suicide mission, and a gardener that tends to the roots of the House.

tragedy. horror. anticolonialism. a fucked up tree that eats everyone you love and hate and dont know. crazy political machinations. nasty transgender gay sex. the fight for a better world. fucked up house that echoes the grief of those who bled for it. ever-changing political landscape. archaeology. anachronism. its got it all baby!

#ori-ohs-and-shame #king's gambit #please do ask more about kg! its been my baby for ~2 years now and im so happy with how its been developing #neverending shoutout to my bestie chrome for developing the schemes and world with me #a fucking trooper for sticking with me through a week of nonstop infodumping just to catch him up #(the players just got through the earthquake.)

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anachronic-cobra · 6 months ago

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I fucking love the differences between Epic and Odyssey Telemachus

Epic!Telemachus: I wanna be legendary! I want to go on adventures and fight monsters! My dad is the coolest! I'm a bit sheltered and naive!

Odyssey!Telemachus: I am going to hang a dozen traitors so they die slowly and then cut off a man's dick and feed it to the dogs. Please don't make me talk to people

#from the desk of anachron #the odyssey #epic the musical #telemachus

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alteregozowie · 6 months ago

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Alastor would find sitting upon his desk something he should be intimately familiar with. A Philco Model 90 Cathedral Radio. Little more than a novelty in current days, or at least until he turns it in.

“OH, and that’s a clean left hook from the Hellhound from Ragesburg, he’s in rare form tonight folks! Lock is still steady on his feet, but you can tell that blows shaken him!”

The narrator has a familiar transatlantic accent, and it’s clear immediately that what is being narrated is the boxing match that Husk and Angel Dust are watching on TV downstairs. No such announcer exists as far as he’s aware, as the match is a purely televised event. Whatever magic fills this old radio seems to put whatever program is on TV into a format the Radio Demon is more at home with.

There is a note set in front of the old piece of technology, written in Saint Michael’s neat script.

Since you refuse to watch television with us, I will insist that your anachronism does not get in the way of Charlie’s own insistence upon bonding time.

I do not trust you, you know that well, Alastor. But I believe as my niece does that any human may repent of their sins, and be made anew. Consider this an olive branch.

Merry Christmas.

Alastor could never have enough radios, from any and all different times, but a Philco Model 90 Cathedral Radio? That was probably the most special.

So when he saw one on his desk just sitting there, his heart almost leaped, a happy warbled tune of feedback escaping from him.

Did it work? He could fix it later, but right now, he was running a claw over the woodwork, which was in pretty solid condition for something out of his own time period.

Upon further inspection however, twisting the knobs, the radio fires up, and the voice emanating from the speakers was a reflection for what Husker was watching in the lobby.

He was almost stunned. He wondered what magic this was, did it reflect to all channels of that noisy picture box? Who got him this?

Michael!?

Saint Michael!? Reading the note, it could only be with that perfectly neat handwritting. Not to mention....the intimidatingly frightening tone of the letter itself.

However, this might be the greatest gift he's ever received and he is absolutely enamored with it. How fascinating, how wonderful.

The Radio Demon proceeds to play around with it for the next two whole hours.

#cast you dxwn #ask reply #Radio Demon Christmas #station: christmas #HE LOVES IT #HOW CLEVER

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charlie-lynchs · 1 year ago

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Well, that hurts like a b***h

Sara Lance x daughter reader

POV: The legends have a mission and Charlie has to save the day, but gets hurt while doing that. It’s 2018.

Warnings ⚠️: blood, weapons, swearing

“Mom I can handle myself.” Charlie said walking behind her mother. “We talked about this now too often. You’re a kid, my kid and I said no.” Sara said not even turning around. “I am 17 years old, Mom. I’m not Child anymore.” She said. They now arrived at the bridge. “Physically yes. Do I have to remind you that you’re born 2007, that makes you 10.” Sara said.

Oliver and Sara went onto the Queens Gambit to hide the pregnancy from everyone. Sara gave birth to her on the ship of the bad guys. When she “died” a second time, Oliver was left with Charlie on the island. Then she got sick and Oliver panicked so he gave her the Mirakuru. Which lead her to the grow to a 8 year old girl in 2008. Now in 2018 she still looks like 17, but is 11 years old. With the Mirakuru she got strong and clever, Nate likes to call her ‘Big Brain’.

“Oh really you play that card, again? But isn’t the Mirakuru an argument for me going to a mission? I’m stronger and harder to kill.” she said annoyed. “That makes not a better case for you. You are not going onto mission. Unterstand?” Sara said starting to point with her finger. Before Charlie could answer Gideon interrupts. “Captain Lance, there is an anachronism.” she announces. “Gather the team. This conversation is not over” Sara said walking to the round board in the middle.

It didn’t take long until everyone was gathered around. “What to we got?” Ray asked standing next to Sara. “There has been a Zombie attack in 1973.” Gideon explained. “Okay, Zari you stay here. Everyone else suit up, we have mission.” Sara said. Charlie sits in the background on one of the chairs. She was really pissed at her mom, pissed that she still treats her like a child even tough she’s been through more then most grown ups. She made her way to her room while Zari moves the Waverider to the right time and place. After Zari did her job and legends are just observing, she made her way to Charlie. She knocks on the door.

“Can I come in?” she asked and door opens. “You do know she just wants to protect you?” She said sitting down on her desk chair. “Since when do you agree with her?” Charlie said looking up to her. “Since I know that you should worship every minute you have with your family.” Zari said. “She lost so much. She doesn’t want to lose you too.” she said. “I know, but I’m not a kid and I’ve been through worse stuff.” she said groaning. “She would understand if you finally explain what happened to you on the island when you were alone.” Zari said. Charlie just looked at her. Zari and Felicity are the only people on earth knowing what happened in that one and a half year where Charlie was alone on the island. “I can’t. I’m not telling her to protect her.” Charlie said. “But don’t you think she will feel betrayed when you tell her?” Zari said looking at her. There is a silence after that. Suddenly Charlie jumps up. “Betray! Zari you’re a genius!“ she said running to the bridge.

Zari took after her. “Why am I a genius?” she asked when they arrived. “Well I asked myself. How the hell did freaking zombies get into 1973?” Charlie explaining while typing something. “And why did they target a small supermarket, instead of the peace event right next to it?” Charlie said. “Right! Normally they would target the place with the most people.” Zari said. “But what if someone wanted them there, to lure the legends there. Someone who felt betrayed and wants revenge but still has a heart not to hurt hundred of people.” she kept going. “Someone like Jane Bloom.” Charlie said letting the image show on the screen. “Ex-Worker at the Bureau. But got fired after she had something against us.” Charlie said. “So she is angry.” Zari said and Charlie just nods. “Sara we’ve got some news.” Zari said, but there was no answer. Zari and Charlie just looked at each other. “Coms are down.” Charlie said. She types something more. “Fuck.” she said running towards the entrance. “Charlie? Where are you going?” Zari asked running after her. “To them. She is especially pissed at mom. She wants her dead. We can’t warn them. So I go there and warn them.” She said taking her arrows and bow. “Ok but I come with you.” Zari said. “No you stay here be my eyes and ears. We go on my private channel so she can’t stop that to. My mom is not going to die today!” Charlie walking out.

Charlie made her way through the city. Now and then she found a zombie on her way and killed it with a perfect shot arrow in the head. When she arrived at the scene she stayed in the background watching the Legends fight the zombies. “Zari you there?” Charlie whispered. “Yeah Baby Lance. You see here?” Zari asked through the coms. “Not yet.” Charlie said still watching everyone closely. Then she sees Sara being busy fighting a zombie and Jane coming from behind with a sword like weapon. Without thinking twice Charlie jumped between the two. The sword stabbing through her stomach. She fell to the ground. By now Sara noticed and knocked Jane out. After that she immediately runs to Charlie. “Charlie! Oh god.” Sara exclaimed while laying Charlies head on her lap. Ray already trying to stop the bleeding. “Why did you that?” Sara said stroking her hair. “It couldn’t be you.” Charlie just said slowly closing her eyes. “Charlie! Baby stay with me. Open your eyes come on.” were the last words she heard.

Sara run to the waverider. Her dying daughter in her arms. When she walked in Zari run by. “What happened?” she said after seeing Charlie. No one answers, all to focused on her. Sara makes her way to the medby. “Gideon! Tell me what going on.” Sara yelled placing her daughter on the chair and putting the bracelet on her wrist. “It seems like the sword was able to hurt organs of Ms. Lance. If I am able to repair that, I have to put her into a coma.” Gideon explained. “Chance of survival?” Sara asked even though she doesn’t want to her the answer. “15%, Captain Lance”. Sara didn’t know how the act or respond. She goes and takes Charlies hand. “Come back to me Sweetheart.” Sara says while pushing hair out of her daughters face. “She is strong, Sara” Nate says standing behind her. “Can you call Oliver and Felicity? Tell them what happened.” she said not looking at him. Nate walked away and does as he is told.

Gideon was able to repair the organs of Charlie but had to put her into a coma. And like she said, the chance that Charlie wakes up is low. Hours turned into Days and days into weeks.

For 4 weeks Charlie was now in the coma. They changed the chair in the medbay into a hospital bed, also big enough so Sara can stay the nights there. Oliver and Felicity came and visit. Right now Sara was sitting on a chair next to Charlie watching her closely. At the same time the team sits at bridge. Everyone was still down and it’s like with Charlie the good spirit of the ship went into a coma. “It’s weird seeing Sara like that.” Zari exclaimed. “Well she usually doesn’t show emotions to often, but when it comes to Charlie she is always softer.” Ray said sitting down. Suddenly there was a ring and Ava Sharpe tried calling via video. “We can’t press her away forever.” Nate said standing up and accepting the call. “Mr. Heywood. I would like to talk to your captain.” she said without a hint of emotions. “I’m sorry, but Captain Lance is not available at the moment.” Ray says now standing next to his best friend. “You have been reclining my calls for week and stop working. It’s time to start working again.” she said. “We have our reasons and they are non of your business.” Zari said this time. “Is it because of Ms. Lance?” She asked and everyone looked surprised. “I know everything. And it has to be said. She is just another human being. Let it go and get your asses up and work. Now I would like to talk to your captain.” she said. This time Mick stands up. “If you talk one more word about Charlie I will burn down your whole office.” he growls and hangs up the call. Everybody looks at Mick, confused on how protective he got. In the medbay Sara fell asleep in the chair next to Charlie.

Pain is the first thing that Charlie feels when she opens her eyes. Her hands go immediately to her stomach where no longer a sword was in, but a bandage wrapped around. She looks around and realises she is in the medbay, she also sees her mother next to her. “Ms. Lance. It’s is good to see you’re awake.” Gideon says. Because of the noice Sara jolts up thinking something bad is happening. “Careful we don’t want you to fall.” Sara turns around from where the voice came from and sees her daughter awake in the bed. Sara hugs her immediately holding her like she is going to lose her any moment. “How are you feeling?” She asked looking at her. “Good. Well, this hurts like a b***h.” Charlie points at her stomach. Everyone was relieved to see her awake. Her dad also came to visit.

Over the next few days it came out that she only survived because of the Mirakuru in her blood. Recovery was still hard but she had the Legends and her mom by her side always.

Right now she was laying on her own bed watching a movie. There was a knock on her door, with a press of button the door opens and her mom stands there with a plate of food. “Thanks but I’m not hungry.” she says and looks back at the TV. “But you haven’t ate your breakfast or lunch. You gotta eat something, baby.” Sara said placing the plate on the nightstand and runs her hand through Charlies hair. She sits down on the desk chair, next to the bed. It had been standing there since Charlie slept in her own bed again and Sara was there until she fell asleep. Sara takes the remote and pauses the movie. “Hey! I was watching that.” Charlie says looking at her mother. “We have to finish our conversation.” Sara said looking at her with a face Charlie couldn’t interpret. “No we don’t. I understood what you had to say and I won’t bother you again.” she said taking the plate starting to eat trying to get out of the conversation. “You didn’t bother. While you were in that coma I had a lot of time to think. About everything. You’re not a child anymore and you’re more clever than me for sure. You proved that. Connecting the dots between Jane and the attack. It was brilliant. So I decided to let you come onto missions. Little ones in the beginning” Sara said. Charlie smiled and jumped up hugging her. It was not the most clever decision given her wound. “Careful we don’t want you to tear your stitches again.” Sara said but with a smile on her face. She helps Charlie sitting down again. “And don’t forget small ones. I choose, no complaints.” Charlie just nods on that comment. Sara laid down with her daughter and the movie continued. Sara didn’t plan on staying the night in Charlies room but she fell asleep on her chest and Sara didn’t want to wake her up. After Charlie healed completely she went on her first official mission and solved it like a real legend.

The End

#sara lance #legends of tomorrow #sara lance x daughter!reader

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arjunrajsingh · 8 months ago

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Finding the Perfect Budget Hotel in White Town: Pondicherry is Affordable Charm

The French flavoured heart of Pondicherry, White Town, is famous for its colourful colonial architecture, a serene ambiance and a lively street life. Its streets seem an anachronism: tree-lined avenues, pastel colour building, and charming cafes on every corner. It’s a great idea to stay in a budget hotel in White Town and get a taste of this beautiful place without overdoing what you pay. This gives you both convenience and comfort, which allows you to have the best Pondicherry offers in terms of history and culture.

Why not Stay in a Budget Hotel in White Town?

For anyone wanting to be close to the main attractions of White Town, choosing a budget hotel is an advantage. Reason being, the French Quarter is surrounded by picturesque surroundings, popular landmarks, and here they are; not far from the coastline and, of course, where many tourists desire to come to. You can go out and explore attractions such as the famous Rock Beach, Aurobindo Ashram and Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus without having to spend much travelling, as you are located in such a budget hotel.

His nearby location also means that a budget hotel stay places you close to cafes, galleries, shops and weekend markets, so you can spend more time out and about, and less time on the road. White Town is compact enough to walk, giving it a good chance to soak in the views at your own pace.

Affordable Comfortable Stays

It doesn’t mean that you can’t stay in a comfortable hotel in White Town. But this is one of the most budget friendly cities in Europe and most budget hotels here have comfortable, clean rooms with basic amenities such wifi, ac, and 24 hour front desk service. Some of these budget hotels also provide you complimentary breakfast or in house dining options so that you might begin your day with a tasty meal without extra expenses.

White Town’s budget hotels tend to have simple yet charming decor of the sort that you’d find in the French Quarter, minimalistic and often colourful. These hotels are cosy and comfortable hotel for when you are travelling solo, with a partner, or as a family that just need to relax after a day of exploring the city.

Close to White Town’s Best Attractions

Accessing some of Pondicherry’s famous attractions is easy — one of the greatest benefits of staying in a budget hotel in White Town. It’s a few minutes walk to Rock Beach, where you can grace your sunrise walk along the promenade, or sit with the ocean. South India’s charm, its beaches, golf courses, art galleries, quaint book stores and cafes offering both South Indian and French inspired treats line the streets of White Town.

Within walking distance also is Aurobindo Ashram, a peaceful retreat for meditation and self reflection. Among other things they do is visit the nearby Manakula Vinayagar Temple, which, along with being a historic Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, one also uses as a detoxifying ritual. White Town is still within driving distance of these sites so you can actually experience them and see the unique French Indian cultural blend that results from the mixing.

Go out exploring Local Cuisine and Cafes.

If you’re a food lover, then staying in a budget hotel in White Town is a dream. There’s a lot of cafes and restaurants there serving either French or or traditional South Indian dishes. A short walk from your hotel, you can have a coffee and croissant at a French bakery; or dosa and chutney from a South Indian eatery and finish the day.

From high end to street, food is plentiful in Chiang Mai with each of the local dining scene available at whichever price point you are looking for. It’s a budget friendly option to stay in White Town because you can get to taste the vibrant tastes of Pondicherry while staying there.

Value and Convenience

A budget hotel in White Town gives you great value when it comes to not only staying but also while you commute. You can walk to most places near White Town and the variety of attractions means you can avoid having to eat out which can save a lot of money, plus there’re a number of picturesque views to take in on the walk. This area is great since you can enjoy the best of Pondicherry without spending a fortune.

When on a trip to the White Town side of Pondicherry, it is best to stay in a budget hotel there, for it will help you experience the French quarter’s charm and history. White Town offers affordable and comfortable accommodation and close proximity to top attractions while offering helpful travel tips for getting eating options in the area. If you are coming for the heritage sites, the beach or the odd mixture of cultures, but don't want to blow your budget then a budget hotel in White Town allows you to do all without the strain.

#Budget hotel in white town

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scattered-shadows · 3 months ago

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As seen on my FF.net Also seen on my Ao3

Main Pair: OC / Ominis Gaunt Genre: Adventure/Angst/Fluff (it's a little of everything, tbh)

BE WARNED: Social anxiety, mentions of blood and injury, grief, drinking, kissing but nothing more than that, death (this is Hogwarts Legacy, after all)

P.P.S: A conversation between Norah and Professor Ronen (Slytherin head of house, apparently), she steals some gillyweed to bring to Henry and Nerida! I've started laying out some easter eggs, especially for Henry which I will get back to in Caleb's fic, "At Your Service" BTW. Oh! and this chapter is also the official start of Norah's animagus transformation ritual with Natty's supervision.

Masterlist

Chapter 31

It seemed like business as usual the next day, and the days that followed since the standoff between Norah and Harlow in the Hog's Head cellar. The authorities have since tried and convicted each of the Ashwinders and poachers that were caught, and, in a surprising move, Carrow and his friends had gotten expelled for their involvement along with what they tried to do to Norah and her family.

There was no shortage of whispers and comments from the people around Norah except her friends since then. Some were relieved to see some form of justice applied, while others weren't so happy knowing that a muggle-born like her survived the ordeal. Carrow and his friends were sent to Azkaban, never to be heard from or seen again - and not even their families could do anything about it.

Norah and the rest of the group instead turned their attention back to their studies, hobbies, and their relationships. Ominis was being a little bit more distant than usual nowadays, something Norah learned that not even Sebastian knew why. At least Sebastian said he didn't know why.

In the weekends that followed, Norah realized that she needed to do a lot more for her newly-acquired shop. With Penny managing the shop while she was at class, it was her job to maintain a supply of knicknacks for Penny to sell. That also meant she was going to travel all over the Highlands again to hunt for treasure. There was calmness in the air, and people were back to work in their shops and magical stalls. Children played with kites, toy brooms, and other things. Goblin merchants - those who formerly or never pursued a career in metalwork or finance - were out and about selling their wares, including Art and Garnuff.

Norah was on her way to Professor Ronen's office, after her Transfiguration lesson - something Natty reminded her she needed to do well in if she wanted to succeed in becoming an animagus. It was apparently that time in a Hogwarts sixth-year's life that they would be called in by their heads of houses to discuss possible career options. Sebastian and Ominis had yet to be called, which was why she found herself alone at this time.

She climbed up the spiral staircase from the Charms classroom and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Ronen cheerily called out from behind the door, and she opened it. "Ah, Norah, come in, come in, make yourself comfortable," He added, gesturing to the couch in front of her.

Norah closed the door behind her and sat herself down. "Professor, you wanted to speak to me?"

Ronen nodded and got up to stand in front of the desk and lean on it. "Everyone, I'm sure, is aware of your heroics in Hogsmeade not too long ago, and I must admit, as the head of Slytherin house, I couldn't help but feel proud. Us Slytherins, if it wasn't obvious already, tend to have a, well, shall we say, dark, reputation? You've certainly changed it since last year, no?"

"I wasn't alone, Professor. Natty, Sebastian, Ominis, Henry, Amit, Leander, Garreth, and Caleb helped me too," she tried to say.

Ronen smiled wider. "For a Slytherin, you are a little too modest about this, if I may say so myself," He chuckled. "But, ah, anyway, I called you here to discuss your possible career options. I am aware that you have enough OWLs to pursue a possible career as an auror or perhaps even a cursebreaker. You could even be a professor here after a few years."

Norah nodded at his explanation. "Ah, Professors Sharp and Weasley probably haven't told you yet."

"Yet?"

"Yes. On the day of the ordeal with Harlow, I acquired a shop in Hogsmeade. Cladwell and Brewster. We opened the same day and we sell some of the clothes and knick-knacks that I acquired on my traveling throughout the Highlands in fifth year."

Ronen raised a brow. "'We'? Who else are you with?"

"Oh," Norah chuckled. "When I say 'we', I mean me and an elf named Penny."

Ronen nodded in understanding, yet his expression fell a little at her revelation. "I don't want to say that it's a waste of skill, but rather, the ministry and Gringotts would be lucky to have someone like you working for them."

Norah smiled. "As much as I can do what I did, I think I've had enough of fighting dark wizards, goblin warlords, and trolls. But I will always show up to help if I'm ever needed."

"The future is owed to no one," Ronen said wisely, but he knew what she meant. "But I'm glad to know that you've made your career choices quite clear. In that case, will you still be taking NEWTs next term? You should know that the exams next term will not be mandatory as some students choose to leave and find work with their existing OWLs."

"Yes. I already missed out on the first four years in Hogwarts, I plan on finishing my studies to make the most out of my stay here. And I think my parents would prefer it that way, keeps me out of trouble or something," She chuckled, Ronen laughing as well.

Ronen stood up. "Well, that's that. You already have a clear future planned out, and that ends this discussion. That's all for now, Miss Lee, you can leave."

Norah stepped out of Ronen's office, making way for some of her fellow Slytherin sixth years who seemed to be in line. Climbing down the staircase and out the classroom, she started thinking of where she planned on traveling to acquire more items for the shop's inventory. That seemed like an idea for the summer, she thought. Maybe she could even travel to Japan and acquire more items for the shop while she was there too, she mused. She'd have to tell Naru about it, of course, and he might also be able to help.

She was on her way to the Owlery when she saw Henry and Nerida conversing rather animatedly. Norah could see a glimpse of the mermish artifact that she retried from the leaky caves in fifth year, with Henry looking extra excited as he kept taking a closer look.

"This is brilliant! Count me in!" Henry admired the chain of the trinket. "And you said this was left for you by the merpeople after corresponding to them?"

"I know! I mean, I didn't retrieve it myself, Norah offered to do it for me, as I can't swim," Nerida said, just as her fellow housemate walked by. "Norah! Norah! Come here! Tell Henry what you saw in that cave!"

Norah chuckled, a little taken aback by the enthusiasm both were showing. "There's a spot several feet away from the boathouse, just outside the underground harbor where the other boats are, and when you see a patch of bubbles, dive down and you'll find yourself inside this cave. There are reliefs of merpeople on the walls, made of stone. It really is fascinating down there. I can show you, if you want."

Henry looked even more in awe. "Excellent. Nerida, this might be the perfect opportunity to learn how to swim, what do you say?"

Nerida's expression fell as she stared at the Ravenclaw boy's hopeful expression and Norah's curious one. "I'd like to think that knowing how to swim is a very basic skill to have in life," Norah shrugged, with Henry nodding in affirmation. "Come on, Nerida, we can teach you how."

"Has Eric tried to suggest teaching you how to swim?" Henry remained hopeful, while Nerida shook her head. "But think about it, Nerida, you might get to meet the merperson you've been talking to."

Nerida observed their expressions. "Well...I suppose if it's the two of you, I guess I'd be alright."

Norah and Henry hit high fives. "Excellent. We can finally meet with some merpeople," The Ravenclaw boy was beaming. He soon turned to Norah. "We can take a look at the cave tonight, what do you think?" He asked.

"Oh, uh," Norah shrugged. "I-I suppose I can show you tonight. But won't that offend the merpeople? Suddenly coming in there unannounced?"

She looked to Nerida for an answer, but she shrugged. "You'd be going back to that cave you got the artifact from anyway, I don't think it should be a problem. Do you think I should write to them again about it, just in case?"

"I think you should. We won't take them by surprise that way, and no one's going to get hurt," Norah pointed out.

"We're taking another step to improving relations with the merfolk! This is going to be momentous!" Henry declared confidently. "Alright then. Norah, I'll meet you at the boathouse after dinner. Sound good?"

"Alright, I guess?" Norah laughed. "Bring a change of clothes with you two, I guess?"

As she walked off, she had another idea, something that could act as insurance for their swimming lesson later. Norah apparated to Central Hall, moving as discreetly as she could past the groups of students that were hanging around, including Cressida and Lenora. There were only two places she knew in Hogwarts that had what she was thinking of getting, and the ways of both of those places were on opposite ends of the main hall.

One was in Professor Sharp's office. The other? Professor Garlick's office. Norah felt around in her bag for an extra vial of invisibility potion as soon as she approached the doors of the Potions classroom. Casting a disillusionment charm on herself and drinking the vial for good measure, Norah crept inside, seeing how the Potions master himself was busy poring over the rolls and rolls of essays submitted by his classes at the desk.

Taking a deep breath, Norah slid inside, immediately looking at the names and labels of the different ingredients. She remembered Ominis saying something about it, actually even wanting to get his hands on some.

Gillyweed.

"Aha," She mouthed, quietly opening the jar and placing some in an empty vial she had with her. Sharp probably won't notice, she thought as she closed the jar and stuffed her vial back into her bag.

Norah crept out of the office and the classroom, breathing a sigh of relief as she made her way down to the dungeons to lift the disillusionment charm, the potion already wearing off the more she went down. Reaching the hallway where another Depulso trial room was, she lifted the charm from herself, sighing in relief as she looked into her bag again, seeing the vial of gillyweed - enough for Nerida, Henry, and herself to eat in case they couldn't hold their breaths underwater for very long.

"Gillyweed. I wonder if I can get some of this during the holidays..." she muttered, smiling to herself as she approached the nearest floo flame, appearing in the Room of Requirement. There's another ingredient to get and perhaps sell in the shop, she thought, moving into the adjacent room to sit down at the desk. The board she created about Harlow, Rookwood, and Ranrok was no longer there, and instead replaced by newly developed photos of her birthday, seeing them and herself, smiling and waving while enjoying each other's company.

Norah smiled to herself and took out the vial of gillyweed, setting it down next to the button Ominis had given her. She was going to take as many photos as she could while she was still in Hogwarts. Perhaps she could take photos of the people she met along the way, those whom she helped during her travels in fifth year and put them together in an album, marking her experiences since discovering her magical abilities.

That gave her another idea. Norah brought out her camera from her bag. "Deek?" She called out, and the elf immediately appeared.

"Yes?" He smiled.

"Can I take a photo of you? I'll put it together with the rest of these pictures," She pointed up to the photos.

"Deek doesn't mind at all," He said, smiling as she took a photo, the flash going off and making him blink a few times. "Oh my, Deek isn't used to the flash of cameras..."

"Sorry," Norah gave him an apologetic look. "Well, I'm sure you'll come out good in this photo."

"If you're hungry, Deek can summon food from the kitchens if you don't feel like eating in the Great Hall."

She shook her head. "That won't be necessary, thank you."

---

Norah had almost forgotten that after dinner was also when her process of officially becoming an animagus was also going to start until Natty came in the Room of Requirement with an empty crystal vial and a Mandrake leaf. Traveling around the Highlands will have to wait until after she was done, and that meant that Valentine's Day - also the day of the Slytherin common room party, still involved her having the said leaf in her mouth by then.

"I have a good feeling about this, and the moon is full outside," Natty moved into the adjacent room, where her friend was. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you succeed in this transformation. You can leave the gathering of the other ingredients to me."

"Hang on, how did you make sure it stayed in your mouth for a whole month?" Norah was curious, flinching a little when Natty pulled out a strand of her hair and placed it in another vial that she already labeled.

"Under the tongue. It was a bit difficult at first, especially when trying to talk to people, but you'd be surprised at how it becomes a habit by the end of the month," Natty chuckled, watching Norah put the leaf in her mouth.

The Slytherin girl wrinkled her nose at the leafy taste before moving it to under her tongue. "I guess I'll just have to be quiet for a whole month, without telling anyone," She shrugged, yet Natty understood what she said. "Oh! right! Henry told you about the merpeople, didn't he?"

"He did, and I had to remind him that he'll have to be the one to do the talking while you're showing him the leaky caves since you won't be talking properly for one month," Natty nodded. "He's probably already waiting for you at the boathouse with Nerida."

"Thanks," Norah mumbled, taking her bag along with her as she approached the floo flame nearby.

She reappeared at the boathouse, seeing Henry and a nervous-looking Nerida already standing by. Henry already had his legs immersed in the water, while Nerida sat by the steps. "Norah! You're here at last, Natty told me the transformation process starts tonight, so bubblehead charms it is for us," He said.

"Oh! Before we start," Norah took out the vial of gillyweed from the bag to show to them. "I thought we'd have something like this just in case," She said, trying to keep the leaf under her tongue.

"Gillyweed!" Nerida stared at the contents of the vial. "Where did you get that?"

"I might have taken some from Sharp's stores..." Norah grinned sheepishly, before putting her bag down next to theirs. "So, do you give Nerida her first lesson or do I show you the leaky caves?" She asked them.

"It might be too dark out to teach Nerida to swim, unless..." Henry tried to think, until he gaped. "The prefect's bathroom! We can start your swimming lessons there, perhaps, after-hours?"

"What about your other prefects? Wouldn't they mind?" Norah was confused, as was Nerida.

Henry shook his head. "Doubt it. They've been talking about what's going to happen at the Slytherin party for some time now rather than patrolling. I'm looking forward to it too, but apparently not as much as they are."

Norah and Nerida chuckled. "It's going to be a sexy night ahead for all of us," Nerida grinned, and they could tell she was already thinking about what was going to happen.

"It's going to be very unsexy for me," Norah mumbled, pointing to the mandrake leaf in her mouth. Henry and Nerida frowned. "Well then, in that case, if Nerida's going to learn how to swim in the prefect's bathroom, we might as well get to it while Mr. Moon doesn't report us to the professors..."

"Mr. Moon wouldn't, especially if it involves you," Henry shook his head. "I doubt the other prefects would either."

"That might be because of you, Henry 'I'm So Handsome People Just Agree to Whatever I Say' Abbott," Nerida pointed out, making the blonde laugh.

"No, no, I'm not that good-looking," He shook his head, although the two girls could see how red his ears had gotten.

"Lies," Norah and Nerida scoffed. "If Henry Abbott's not that good-looking, then Carrow's a saint."

The three of them burst into laughter. Henry cast the bubblehead charms on each of them before holding Nerida as they got into the water. Hand in hand, Henry and Norah assured Nerida that it was going to be okay as they swam toward the small whirlpool by the stone pillar before diving under the water.

For a moment, both Norah and Nerida could see the windows of the Slytherin common room from where they were floating. Henry had spotted the glimpse of it as well as he gestured for Norah to lead the way, making sure Nerida was holding onto both of them while they swam toward the cave-like structure a few feet away from them. Before they knew it, they emerged in the familiar space that included the three moths.

"Wow..." Henry said as they climbed out of the water, removing the charms from their heads. "This is the place you got the artifact from?" He turned to Norah, who nodded. "Where the merpeople left the artifact for Nerida to find?" He asked, and she nodded again.

Nerida was also looking at the reliefs in wonder. "Wow, I'm finally here! I can finally see this!" She said, trying to contain her excitement. "I mean, I was terrified earlier when we dived, but now? Seeing this?" She went around the room. "I think I'm even more ready to swim."

Norah approached one of the moths, the tip of her wand suddenly lighting up, attracting the moth to it. Nerida and Henry followed suit with the two other moths, and as they put the three together on the door, the mechanism turned until it opened. To Nerida and Henry's amazement, what the three of them saw was an altar covered in candles as well as a stone chest.

"Fascinating..." Henry was in awe as they approached the room, while Norah noticed how it was closed compared to when she last left it. "All these reliefs...but how did the merpeople get the artifact in here?"

"I bet I have an idea," Nerida reached into her pocket and took out an envelope. "Before coming here, I wrote a note, telling the merpeople that we'd just come here to make another correspondence. I think I've improved on my mermish by now. They would send their reply by owl, I reckon, or just leave their response here..."

Norah eyed Henry and he went to moving the lid of the chest open. Inside the chest was a shimmering pool of water, a sight familiar to Norah when she remembered how she got the artifact. "Water... It must be enchanted..." He said, attempting to skim over the surface with his hand.

"It must be..." Nerida agreed. With an affirming nod, she laid the envelope onto the surface of the water. To their surprise, the chest suddenly emptied, including the envelope, and leaving nothing behind.

Norah tried to keep the leaf under her tongue as she tried to speak. "The last time, how exactly did you know they responded?" She asked.

"Well, when I first told you about them leaving an artifact for me to take, the envelope kind of surfaced on the water, where we came," Nerida replied. "Perhaps we could keep an eye on the whirlpool above and see if any letter comes up."

"How long do you think until they respond?" Henry asked, moving the lid of the chest back to close it. "Days?"

Nerida nodded. "We'll be another step closer to improving wizard-merpeople relations yet!" She was excited. "Alright, let's go back."

They left the room and approached the whirpool of where they came, Henry casting bubblehead charms over them as they jumped back in and dove out. By the time they emerged, they swam to the edge. Henry got out first, and they suddenly heard a few swoons from the distance as he helped the two girls get out of the water. Norah non-verbally dried their clothes as they went back up the stairs to the viaduct courtyard.

"I'll be sure to tell Natty that leaf was still in your mouth," Henry chuckled as soon as they arrived at the door leading to the entrance hall.

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy mc #hogwarts legacy angst #hogwarts legacy fluff #sebastian sallow #ominis gaunt #amit thakkar #leander prewett #garreth weasley #natsai onai #norah henry adele caleb

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