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#‘match’ only by the ‘mum and dad’ link which isn’t really a match BUT STILL
triffany-lottablog · 11 months
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I’m sorry I know it’s not canon but Cheddarboardle will always be Triffanys boss snack to me
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Pebble Skipping 
Fluffuly 2023 | 🌝 @fluffuly2023 | Day 19: Pebbles
Peter Parker Bingo 2023 | 🕠 @pparkerbingo | Bodega
2023 masterlist :: (ao3 link)
RATING: General WARNING: Waking up early after being jet lagged.
Waking up in the lakehouse is exactly what Peter needs. It has more benefits than his apartment in Boston, and it’s the holidays, a perfect time to get away. | peter parker/harley kenner
luffuly 🌝 2023 | ptpkb 🕠 2023
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It’s cold outside, which is because of the winter holidays, Peter is sure there is snow but to actually know that he would have to wake up and move away from the excellent, warm, comfort he has found in his bed. His bed at the lakehouse, his (third?) home.  
Peter ultimately prefers the lake house, it is quiet compared to Boston, and New York has always been his home even if he isn’t in Queen’s anymore. Just out of New York, the lakehouse allows for quiet and a small working farm that Gerald likes to eat from, a perfect match. 
The lakehouse also comes with some added benefits that his apartment in Boston doesn’t have. 
“Peteeer,” Morgan whines from the bottom of Peter’s lake house bed, she’s adorable and Peter’s little sister, but it’s not really the best noise to wake up to, “Harrrrleeeeyyy,” but hearing his boyfriend's name along with his does bring a small smile to his face.  
He can hear Pepper’s laugh from the doorway, the laugh that he has come to love after not hearing it for 5 years, “Morgan I think the boys are still jet lagged from their flight last night, let them sleep.” Peter thanks the gods that put Pepper Potts in this world because she just gets it, she lets them sleep when needed and still forces them to participate when necessary, it is a great balance. Especially when it comes to Stark Industries' work. 
The frown on Morgan’s face can be heard by the two boys waking up slowly, holding on to each other, because they know the little girl better than herself. She squints, “But Daddy said they were here so they can play pebbles with me,” Harley giggles from the bed. Pepper shoots them both a look that Peter catches but shakes his head at, Morgan much too interested in her mum (and her dad being in trouble) doesn’t notice. 
Pepper bites her tongue, not knowing if she will laugh or berate when she finally comes up with her comeback, “Did he?” She asks, to Morgan’s continuous nodding, Tony should be proud of his honest daughter. 
Both boys know for sure that Tony is in trouble from the sound of Pepper turning around and heading out of the bedroom, little feet following closely. Knowing they’re gone leaves Harley and Peter to burst out into loud laughter. The laughter that they are sure Morgan can hear, but is much to focus on her dad being told off to care. 
“You feel like throwing some pebbles today,” Harley asks Peter turning to lie so they are facing each other. Pepper is right, they are jet lagged and they only touched down at 10 pm last night, but they are both MIT students who aren’t aware of what a bedtime is and so the small tiredness they feel doesn’t seem that extreme.  
Peter smiles holding onto Harley, prepared for the day, “sounds like a great day.”  
The lakehouse is perfect for Peter, it has a lake they can skip pebbles across and a great family to go with it, a brilliant selling point. 
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Every-Marveler-Ever Navigation | Bingo Masterpost
Cards: (🌝 2/31) (🕠 5/25)
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minetteskvareninova · 2 years
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Because the show gave me literally nothing when it comes to Daemon and Rhaenyra’s love life, we can only speak about it in heacannons, and so headcannon I shall, untill I am proven wrong. This is my story and I am sticking to it.
Basically, the main outline is this - Daemon loves Rhaenyra, and Rhaenyra doesn’t love Daemon.
Daemon, as of episode 6, is married to Laena, but seemingly already in the “going trough the motions phase of their relationship”. They have children, and I am not sure whether Daemon is a good father or not, because even what little we have on that is confusing as fuck. Like they have a cute scene of him teaching his daughters Valyrian, but then Rhaella complains about him not paying enough attention to her. Also on screen, he leaves his daughters hanging after Laena’s death, but in a deleted scene he actually hugs them, which, okay, maybe they changed their mind about that... But then they posted the deleted scene on twitter, which, why would you make public a deleted scene that says the EXACT OPPOSITE of what is supposed to be the show canon?! Basically, the only way I can kinda make sense of that is if I just conclude Daemon is a somewhat neglectful father that kinda loves his daughters, but also only spends time with them whenever he fancies actually being a dad. I don’t think, as many have just assumed, that he’s outright depressed. He’s heartbroken, but also bored and aimless. After he lost Rhaenyra, he probably thought getting married, having children and moving to Pentos will make him happy, but even if that worked, his happiness clearly didn’t last throughout all of those years. Why did he marry Laena? God knows. It’s unlikely anyone would make him do it if he didn’t want to. Maybe Corlys offered him a handsome dowry, maybe he just wanted this match to happen, because Daemon is his buddy and Laena clearly wants him, so why not? It’s also possible Daemon wanted to prevent Viserys from arranging another marriage for him, because if Daemon hates something more than his wife, it’s being told what to do (and those two are probably linked, not that it’s in any way fair to Rhea, who probably wasn’t wild about this match either). It’s also possible he just wanted a family, but more as a whim than a genuine desire; it certainly didn’t satisfy him in the long term. He also likes Laena, but doesn’t really love her, and I get the sense that he’s getting bored of her too. And like, he’s Daemon, so I don’t feel sad, but considering the shit he usually does to cheer himself up... And since he’s now almost free to pursue the love of his life... Yeah, poor Laenor.
Rhaenyra, on the other hand, does not and never did love Daemon. She had vague feelings for him in her youth, like a vague crush and stuff, but after he left and she got married, she mostly forgot him. Considering Harwin Strong isn’t the most logical choice for the father of her children, especially after the first one was very clearly his, I can only assume she stayed with him trough all those years out of love. Again, we don’t see much of their relationship, which is a pity, but we certainly know it existed and that it was probably very loving. Rhaenyra is a devoted mum, not much to comment on here, and her relationship with Laenor isn’t as friendly as she used to be, but she still likes him somewhat. Her relationship with Alicent also leaves much to the imagination, like we know she probably tried to reach her before in the decade we didn’t see, but that’s about it. Does she know the reasons why Alicent hates her now? Did they actually talk about it? Did Rhaenyra tell Alicent that it’s none of her business, and did Alicent tell her that she sacrificed herself on the altar of propriety and “good behavior”, and that it’s a personal offence to her that her own best friend isn’t able to do the same? And did they have a heated argument about this, which ended in Alicent finally admitting that she doesn’t REALLY care, but she does love Rhaenyra and is in agony every day as she watches her openly sleep with and love another man behind her husband’s back, while she wishes for nothing more than to be in Harwin’s place...?
Ahem. All of this rambling is basically my way of processing my feelings about these two and their relationship. Because the shippers are everywhere in this fandom and I just can’t avoid takes both good and bad. Anyway, fuck the timeskip, and long live rhaenicent.
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Eyes, Bodies, and Potions
The Golden Trio was always meant to take down Voldemort.
Perhaps, if things happened a bit differently, if the pieces managed to link together in another way...
(Dark Golden Trio AU)
********************
Harry Potter only knew violence growing up.
The young boy hidden away in the cupboard under the stairs would sit in fear and anticipation as heavy footsteps pounded above and rattled the dust onto his tiny bed. He had a single mirror in his cupboard that Aunt Petunia had given him as a Christmas present after his uncle had slammed his head into it hard enough to cause cracks to run through it like an overzealous spiderweb.
No matter how many times he tried to avoid it, Harry always ended up watching himself in the dingy glass. In anything remotely reflective, really.
Everywhere Harry went, people commented on his eyes. On how pretty they were, how they made him look respectable, how much they stood out against the darkness of his skin and the heavy bangs that resembled a rat's nest at the best of times.
It had jump started Harry's obsession.
Everywhere he went, Harry would stare at eyes. Brown ones, blue ones, grey ones, green ones, and every mix you could think of. He liked the emotions that ran through them, how they told stories that faces and bodies would never reveal.
He could see the happiness when a couple held hands.
He could see the fear when a man gripped his girlfriend's arm a little too tight.
He could see the joy in a father's eyes when his baby snuggled further into his neck.
The fear was nice sometimes. When it was someone who deserved it. Like when Dudley's friend Henry punched Harry hard enough to take out his baby tooth and split his lip. Harry had launched forward and kept hitting and hitting and hitting until Henry was crying too hard to make noise and he was covered in reds and blues that never blossomed on Harry's deep skin.
(Henry's eyes were grey. They were scared. It was nice.)
(Henry's parents also moved their whole family far away from the neighborhood the very next week. Harry chalked it up to coincidence.)
Harry liked the happiness a lot more than the sad or scared ones. He liked sitting in the little park far from the Dursleys' and letting the long cuffs of his torn hand-me-downs scrape below the swing, watching the happy families laugh and jump and run around with one another without caring about anything else.
For as long as Harry could remember, he had wanted that. He longed for it. He would sit in his tiny cupboard on the last night of July and beg and plead whoever was up there for someone to find him. At first, Harry wished for someone to take him away. Now, Harry would be content with someone approaching him to just talk. It was a far-fetched dream, something he only dared to dream of in the quiet darkness when he pretended that his parents weren't worthless drunks who cared for the bottle more than their son. That he had a mother that took the time to tame his bird's nest of a head and read to him at night, that he had a father who taught him how to play chess and cook breakfast for his mum in bed, and maybe even an uncle that bought him secret ice creams that ruined his dinner and taught him how to talk to pretty girls at school and maybe even a sister who laughed too loud and grinned too wide and let him wrap her up in soft blankets when she was too cold to ask for it.
But for now, Harry would settle for their eyes.
********************
Ron Weasley, in Ron Weasley's opinion, was not very special.
He was the sixth child of seven in his impoverished family. He got hand-me-down everything, and was expected to do as well as his brothers, if not better. It was nothing special if he could do this, because Percy could too, and if he could do that, well, Bill already had years before.
Sometimes Ron wished he was an only child, if only for the attention he would have.
(He never wanted his siblings dead, Merlin no. He loved them all and wished them the best, even if he was a bit jealous of them.)
Perhaps this was why he was often seen hanging on Harry or Hermione's arm, spending every bit of his free time with the first things that were his, and only his.
They weren't things, and Ron knew this. He knew that they were people, and he knew that they were their own people. He never claimed them aloud, and especially didn't hint at it to Harry. He was already treated like a Thing by his muggles. They locked him away and took him out when he was of use. Ron wanted to be with him all the time, even when he didn't listen and remained as stubborn as an ass.
But they were still Ron's. He didn't like when Fred or George or Ginny would try to covet Harry's attention, or tease Hermione until all the blood rushed up to darken her cheeks to a deep blue. She would hide behind her massive hair that curled around her wildly in a way that she wasn't.
Later, Hermione would shyly admit that she'd never felt wanted, and that she quite liked the way Harry and Ron so openly expressed their need for her. Harry would say the same.
Ron Weasley liked watching people.
He saw everything he needed to from a distance, even if he wanted to get closer. He liked watching quidditch especially, how their bodies moved so gracefully and held no hesitation in their gestures. (This did not extend to his brothers and sister. He actually didn't like watching them in particular, even if he could never pry his eyes away from Harry twisting and turning and reaching as far as he could.)
Every quidditch match was exciting. Ron would emulate certain things, ever since he could remember. Bill's easy-going swagger. Charlie's big hand movements. Percy's chin tilt he did when he was trying to make a point, or the seamless weaving and bobbing Fred and George had mastered together. He'd mostly out grown it before Ginny came along, but sometimes he even ran his hand through his hair like she did. His dad did it, and it was a small thing the three of them shared, and Ron coveted it.
The most ingrained thing about Ron was probably his tactile nature. His mum was the same way. They were probably the most expressive, always ready to give out a hug and kiss on the cheek or just to hold someone.
This came in handy later in life.
Hermione likes to stand on her toes.
It's a small thing that he's sure she isn't really aware of. She'd mentioned offhandedly that her parents had forced her to do ballet when Ron mentioned it, and it became more and more clear. When she stretched she pointed her toes perfectly, and when she turned to speak she'd often spin around on the tips of her feet. It was endearing, especially even when she went on her long winded tangents about anything and everything.
When she talked, her smile lit up the room and her hands flitted about excitedly. When she saw something that caught her eye, Hermione would stretch out her neck and raise her eyebrows high into her uneven bangs.
Hermione was also very awkward. She hid behind her big kinky curls, which Ron soon learned were in that weird frizzy stage because of repeated failed attempts at straightening it. (He quite liked her hair just the way it was, but Hermione didn't, which was disappointing.) Ron would shake his head and teasingly pull on one of her coils so it bounced tightly. She would flush, and when they first met she absolutely despised it. It wasn't until they'd known each other for so long that she would allow him to do so. He was the only one other than Harry that was allowed. Soon after she began to grow comfortable with his casual touches.
So when she would awkwardly put her hand forward to shake Ron's, he would push it away in order to wrap her up tightly in his arms. She'd tense at first before hugging back tentatively, then tightly, as if she never wanted him to let her go.
Harry tugs at his sleeves when he gets nervous.
He does it a lot, actually. When they ride up, he pulls the cuffs down to grip in his palms.
When adults speak to him, he squeezes himself inward to make himself smaller. When they raise their voices, his head drops down ever so slightly, as if it's an instinct he's trying to fight. When they get too close, his body twitches away as if it has a mind of its own.
Ron soon noticed that Harry couldn't handle yelling. Ron and Hermione began to fight about Merlin-knows-what one night by the lake. It wasn't until Ron's voice was slightly hoarse and he paused to take a breath that he remembered that Harry was still there. He was sitting on the damp grass, completely still with his hands muffling his ears and his head tucked between his knees.
Ron always warns Harry before reaching to him. Always asks if its okay. It's soon obvious to Ron that no one has truly hugged Harry, and does so whenever he has the chance. And Harry absolutely clings onto Ron, which is really nice. No one's really done that. His siblings weren't always the touchy-type and his parents were always too busy with this or that to dedicate so much time to the Least Favorite.
(Ron knew that they loved him. He never doubted that. But he was nothing if not a realist.)
But Ron's favorite thing was when Harry would jump on him. Harry never talked much unless one prompted him endlessly, and it was even rarer for him to initiate a conversation or reach out for anyone or anything. So when Harry would get so excited he tackle-hugged Ron into the grass or the floor of the common room, and Hermione would burst into giggles beside them, he'd feel his heart burst open for these two people that truly appreciated him.
Watching people fall was pretty fascinating.
Their bodies would turn and prepare for the inevitable, bracing in fear before the impact came.
They showed something real, in those moments. The shock, the resignation, pure, unadulterated fear that overtook their entire bodies dominated Ron's attention when it happened. And when the fear happened, he saw who they were. How one handles the fear, the harsh reality ready to break their nose it, shows who they truly are.
When Hermione fell into the Devil's Snare, and Ron and Harry were stuck in the stage of fear, he could see Hermione's brain turn over. He saw the way she went straight from the fear to the calm determination of someone who was not ready for the end. He could see the clear fuck you on her face before she sunk below the vines.
When Harry's broom began to shake and throw him off in a violent rage, Ron saw the fear. He saw the clear fear outline every bone of his body before his grip tightened and his body swung upwards. He could see the resignation, and he could see the acceptance of what would happen. But that wasn't standing out as much as the look that overtook his entire face. He could hear it from the stands, the way he was telling himself - not without a fight.
Ron quite liked the fear. He liked seeing them panic and squirm. He liked knowing who they were, if only for a moment.
When he punched Goyle in the face, he saw it. When he beat him over and over in the empty corridor, Ron knew. He didn't have that fight in him, the way his best friends do. He was pitiful, really. Ron felt no sympathy afterwards, merely watched as the larger boy scrambled away bloody and terrified.
And later, when Ron let Harry bandage his knuckles in a way that no eleven year old should be able to do with such ease, he watched the blood swirl down the drain with morbid fascination.
His knuckles were swollen and bruised, and Harry was endlessly careful with them.
Goyle had gotten a good punch in, and Hermione's hand flitted around his cheek worriedly for a good two minutes before calming down.
And the next day, when Goyle's bruises were yellow with some kind of accelerated healing potion, Ron was quite disappointed that the colors had left so quickly. He felt put-out, robbed even, of the satisfaction he'd wanted. That he'd earned.
But when their eyes met, and Goyle flinched to look down with shameful fear, Ron decided that he could settle for that.
********************
Hermione Granger had always been a smart girl. It was something she had always prided herself in. Top of her class, always on time, always perfect.
Her parents had made sure of that. The Grangers would not permit their only child to fail. They refused to have a fuck up for a daughter. It would disgrace them beyond belief, leaving the family humiliated and shame-faced for all of the world to see.
Hermione Granger was used to the low expectations. She had long since grown accustomed to people looking down on her. From her buck teeth, to dark skin, to her frizzy hair, not many expected much from her.
They were proper people, the Grangers. Practical and no-nonsense types that expected their child to achieve a level of success that they were never able to reach.
So it was quite a shock when one day a severe-looking woman appeared on their doorstep in a tall pointy hat and bright green bathrobe that smelled faintly of cat treats.
Hermione had had an inkling about the magic. Strange occurrences, things that logic simply could not explain.
"It snowed once," she had murmured under her breath.
The three adults stopped their snapping, which had been quickly escalating into a fully-blown argument, to look towards the girl.
"What was that?" the professor had sniped quickly.
Hermione looked towards her parents, their lips pressed together tensely as they stared down their daughter through narrowed eyes.
"It snowed," Hermione'd said a bit more clearly. "When... when I read Narnia." She barely kept from flinching when her mother's fist clenched at the mention of one of those horrid fairy tales, but Hermione looked down and twisted her lips from side to side.
"Why is that?" the woman had asked a touch less harshly.
"In the story the kids went through a wardrobe and found a place where it snowed all year round. I just wanted to visit somewhere... somewhere different. Like..."
When Hermione made no effort to finish the professor made the effort to kneel before her to match their heights.
And slowly, the professor's lips began to pull up ever so slightly into an encouraging (and slightly conspiratorial) smile. "Somewhere magical?"
"Yes," Hermione had breathed out emphatically, nodding her head so vigorously that the beads in her weighty braids clanked together loudly enough to echo around the silent room.
"Well, I think that I may be able to make that happen."
To be entirely truthful, Hermione didn't much like school.
She loved learning. She had always loved learning. It was her favorite thing in the whole world. But the pressure, both from the school and her family, made Hermione want to tear her hair out until there was nothing left. Her parents were terrible about it. They monitored her grades as closely as humanly possible. And it was't enough to just do good, or great, or perfect. She had to be better than everyone in anything and everything she did.
Hermione had done ballet when she was little. It wan't her favorite thing in the world, but it had been fun.
But she wasn't The Best.
So her parents made her quit.
Harry and Ron were different than most.
They were her friends. Her real friends. Most people sneered at her in class when her hand always shot up and she jumped at the chance to answer every question she could and fight to be the first one to demonstrate how much better she was than them. (There had been a period of time where Hermione had stopped doing so. Her parents found out. She began raising her hand again.)
Her boys sometimes did that. When Hermione got overexcited and cut off the teacher Harry would sometimes hide his face with his hand or Ron would groan and roll his eyes. But the second someone else said something to her, they would jump at the chance to defend her and take no prisoners.
The three of them were family. A real family. Not like at home where dinner was tense and silent while Hermione's father picked apart every single sentence of her school progress reports, or when Harry would talk about his relatives in quivering whispers before quickly changing the subject before they could ask about his over-sized clothing and the gruesome pattern of raised skin on his arms.
Hermione laughed more with them in her first year at Hogwarts than she ever had in her entire existence. While Harry had a strange kind of gasping laugh that she could hardly distinguish between joy or pain, Ron's was full-bodied and bright. But they were both amazing. They sounded happy. Safe. Kind of like home.
She had never been so happy in her life.
Hermione loved magic.
It had a strange set of rules to it. Strange. Different. But soon enough, Hermione understood it.
Her favorite was potions. There was a definitive way to it, logic that was always followed. Hermione could follow a method and it would be perfect. Action and reaction. That was all it was. Action and reaction. Action and reaction.
(Snape was obviously terrible. He made her face burn and tears spring to her eyes. But she couldn't stop raising her hand or jumping in to answer questions. She just couldn't. If it got back to her parents it would be a thousand times worse than anything Snape could ever do to her.)
But outside of the classroom, Hermione fell in love with the method of potion-making. It was soothing and gentle and welcoming and just so perfect for her. Outside of the dankness of the dungeons and the harsh bearing of Severus Snape's beady black eyes, Hermione Granger sat in the sunlight of the second floor girls' lavatory and created masterpieces. She used her tools to create art. From potions of brilliant greens to velvety purples to bright blues so clear that she could see the bottom of the cauldron through. It was stunningly beautiful. And it took her breath away.
But she wasn't The Best.
(not yet, at least)
It was early on a Saturday morning.
The sun streamed through the tall window of the second floor girls' lavatory and landed on Hermione and her cauldron at the perfect angle. It was a potion recipe that Harry had found in the restricted section and given to her. (Normally, Hermione would never condone breaking rules. At school, no less. But this was a Special Circumstance.) It caused the consumer's heart to beat so fast that the blood couldn't make it through the arteries quickly enough, causing them them to clog and trigger a heart attack.
Hermione hadn't planned on actually giving it to anyone. It would be disgustingly terrible. To cause someone's death...
But then, the colors were so pretty. Swirling pinks and purples moving like waves crashing upon the sand, splashing against the sides of the cauldron of their own accord. Her eyes traced their movements, transfixed into a deep state of pure calm.
She didn't even notice when some of it had splashed up over the lip of the cauldron. It landed on the tiles with a decisive plink that echoed in the silence.
Hermione hadn't seen the rat until it was too late. She watched in horror as the small rodent moved towards the spilled potion, sniffing at it before licking hesitantly.
Before she could yell for it to stop, the rat began to convulse on the dirty floor. Hermione could do nothing but watch as the poor thing's body shook violently, squealing pathetically and rolling around in excruciating pain.
And then the blood.
There was so much in its tiny body. It was actually quite shocking. Spilling from everywhere from its eyes to its mouth to its ears. It was a horror scene - party of one.
Hermione wanted it to stop. She wanted to save the little rat. It was cruel and unkind and unfair and...
Disgustingly beautiful.
The vividness of its blood threw her off. It was smooth and thick, running through the grooves of the tiles in gentle rivulets akin to that of the rivers that carved through the Forest of Dean.
It was very different to see this kind of pain tearing its course through something. It felt almost satisfying to watch. Like she was seeing her own pain manifest itself within a tiny conductor, forcing everything inside of her inside of it.
And it was Hermione that was doing it. Hermione's potion. Her own knowledge and power transferring into another living breathing thing, wreaking its havoc as it went.
Action and reaction.
Sometimes Hermione would watch others in school with the same lens that she had watched that rat. She would bore holes through the side of Pansy Parkinson's head or clench her hands to avoid tilting the entirety of her scalding potion down the back of Professor Snape's robes during class.
(She would fantasize about it. Sometimes Hermione felt like a monster for doing so, but then she would look at Ron when he dug his fingertips into the desk and glare at Draco Malfoy with a barely concealed type of rage that she Knew meant that they were the same.)
(Harry was a little different. He didn't always have that kind of rage inside of him. But he would watch when Ron would fight others, untamed and wild in every aspect. And it would glimmer behind the vibrant green of his irises that Hermione had yet to recreate with one of her potions.)
Hermione wanted to do it. She wanted to drip just the littlest bit of her art onto their wrists. Just a drop. She wanted to watch their skin shrivel and burn, eaten away by the nature of her poison. She wanted to hear them scream. She wanted them to feel what she feels, if only for a bit. She wanted to paint with their blood, tracing sigils of old into her skin and practicing the kind of magic that would have her mother fainting on the front lawn and her father puking into the ugly orange tulips tracing the stark white walls of her pretty little muggle home.
But for now, she'd have to settle for the rats haunting the bathroom floor.
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rbbalmung · 4 years
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Pokemon SwSh GPL AU: Character Headcannons P1
(From this point on, I am calling this Pokemon Sword and Shield AU the GPL AU after the Galarian Pokemon League). Here are my character headcannons! I am going to give each character and age and a general ethnicity even though A) time will pass in this au and B) obviously there are no countries in Pokemon. I will be giving them an age based on when the AU starts, at the beginning on Gloria’s Pokemon League Journey. 
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GLORIA:
-Age: 16
-Ethnicity: Half English, Half Japanese (English father, Japanese mother)
-General Headcannons: 
o  She is an introverted extrovert. She loves meeting new people and making new friends, but she is on the quiet side due to her troubled relationship with her father. 
o  Going off of that, her parents got a divorce when she was 6 years old because her father was negligent. She has not been in contact with him since he left, but he is at the base of some of her social anxiety. That is why she mostly speaks either in short sentences or not at all (going off her interactions in the game). 
o  The thing that makes Gloria stand out as a Pokemon trainer is that she can pick up on her opponents nuances just by examining them. For example, if her opponent’s breathing quickens, she knows that they are nervous and will resort to mainly attacks. That is why it is so hard for her to beat Leon: He has an emotionless mask during his battles.
o  She picked up this strategy by watching GPL battles throughout her childhood. Gloria was often put in front of the television set to distract her from her parents fighting, and since she had to put so much of her attention towards the matches, she picked up on a lot of people’s ticks. 
o  Gloria is very clingy to Hop. She finds comfort in being near him, so she is often latching onto his arm, hugging him from behind, or holding his hand. The closer she gets to people, the more she hangs onto them. This is rough with Bede and Bea, so it takes a bit of work on both their ends to make sure they’re not making the other party unhappy. 
o  Gloria is ridiculously brave. She will go into pretty much any situation, which is why she just goes along when asked to join the dojo/go on an expedition. 
o  Speaking of expeditions, she looks up to Peony as the father figure she never had. She doesn’t outwardly tell him this because A) her relationship with her father really messed her up and B) the fact that he is related to Rose makes her a little wary. She knows how much Rose messed up Bede and does not want to cause more grief. 
o  Speaking of Bede, they actually become really close friends after the League wraps up and during Rose’s trial. Bede is one of the only people that can emphasise with her social anxiety, and luckily for him, Gloria doesn’t give up on people. She has to work on not being clingy with him because he does not like being touched. 
o  Gloria is the first female champion! 
o. Victor exists in this au, but not until way after Gloria’s first year as champion. He is her half brother; her father eventually remarried in Stow-In-Side and had Victor a year-ish later (making him 7 years younger than Gloria). They do not reunite until she is 20 years old, but she accepts him as her brother easily (she knows how terrible their dad is). 
o  Gloria’s full name is Gloria Park. She does not have a middle name. 
(I took the most liberties with Gloria because she is the MC and the game doesn’t give toooo much of a character. I know a lot of people head cannon her as super extroverted and confident, but I preferred this take for this particular AU).
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HOP:
-Age: 16
-Ethnicity: Half Spanish, Half Black (His mom is Spanish, his dad is black)
-General Headcannons: 
o  Hop’s dad died when he was 2 years old, so he doesn’t really remember him. He never really had a father figure since Leon left to become Champion when he was 6. That is where is anxiety is rooted: Both his father (who was a firefighter and treated like a hero after his death) and Leon’s success makes Hop feel like he has to do something grand to live up to them. 
o  Hop actually befriended Gloria through their love of Pokemon battles! His mum invited her mum over for dinner, and while his and Gloria’s interactions were stiff at best during dinner, they really clicked after when they began watching the game on the TV. They’ve been inseparable ever since. 
o  I headcannon that Hop has ADD. He practically never sits still and has a hard time paying attention to things unless he is hyper focused. Hop is really booksmart, he just has trouble focusing. He also doesn’t really see the point in maintaining his grades when he’s just going to become the new Champion.
o  He played soccer when he was little as an outlet for his ADD. He joined the GJPL (Galar Junior Pokemon League), but since he was in a small district, he never made it to the big times like Bede. He did manage to score fairly well with his wooloo, though, making him one of the MVPs in the 76th GPL.
o  Hop is a nickname. HIs full name is “Hipoltio Henry Hoffman”. (Henry was his father’s name).
o Like Gloria, Hop is a really touchy person. They kind of rubbed off on each other, so he shows affection by linking arms, bumping shoulders, ect. 
o  After the GPL wraps up and he gets asked to be Sonia’s assistant, she gives him the opportunity to study abroad until he graduates high school. He takes this opportunity and briefly moves to study other Pokemon in Johto. He does come back to visit in the summer, which is why he ends up on the Isle of Armor around the same time as Gloria. 
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BEDE:
-Age: 17
-Ethnicity: White 
-Headcannons:
o   He never met his parents, but he was told he was taken away from them by child protective services. This made him really bitter from the get-go because they never came back for him.
o   Bede has abandonment issues, but in a different way from Gloria. While she is willing to let anyone in, he is more prone to shut everyone out. He only starts to open up when he realizes Gloria’s life isn’t as perfect as he originally guessed.
o   Bede reeeeaaaallllyyyy doesn’t like being touched. He got into a lot of fights in the orphanage when he was younger because of his short temper. That is barely the tip of the iceberg: There was a lot of shady things that happened at the orphanage that only stopped once Chairman Rose started showing interest in him. Bede doesn’t talk about this to anyone.
o  Bede participated in the GJPL and made it to the championships two years in a row! He got to travel to Hoenn for one of them and meet the champion there. This was what brought Rose’s attention to him. 
o  The reason Bede didn’t join the league at 16 was because Rose didn’t sponsor him yet. Because of this, he decided to challenge Raihan for his position as gym leader of Hammerlocke. Sufficed to say, Bede lost pretty badly. 
o  He was very convinced that Rose was going to adopt him, which made his dismissal ten times worse than it originally was. He eventually comes to term with the fact that the Chairman used him and threw him under the bus when he realised that he could get in trouble for destroying the monument. 
o  Opal becomes his guardian when he accepts his new role as the Fairy Gym Leader, but she officially adopts him about a year later. He isn’t very good at talking about his emotions, but he does care deeply for the old woman and her acceptance of him brought him to tears. 
o   Bede gave himself his middle name: Steven, after Hoenn’s Champion Steven Stone. His full name is Bede Steven Doe pre-adoption, and Bede Steven Waltz post-adoption. 
o  He is super prickly, but after becoming gym leader, Bede mellows out a little bit. He is still haughty and self absorbed, but he is not as outwardly rude about it. 
o  He ends up forming a lot of unlikely relationships after he settles in his position as gym leader. He and Bea get along really well because of their proximity and similar personalities, Gloria won’t let him not be her friend (he has a soft side for her), and Marnie is one of the less eccentric gym leaders that he likes to hang around with at group gatherings. 
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MARNIE:
-Age: 16
-Ethnicity: White
-Headcannons:
o   Marnie is the youngest of 5 children, and she is the only girl. Therefore, she was always coddled by her family. One of the biggest reasons she joined the pokemon league was to prove her true worth to her family.
o   Out of all her siblings, she is the closest to Piers. She doesn’t agree with his opposition to dynamaxing, but they are both passionate about restoring glory to Spikemuth. He also spent the most time with her when they were growing up because her parents worked a lot (Spikemuth is a poverty-stricken town). 
o   Marnie is quite the little activist. It is a little ironic because she is incredibly soft-spoken and will swear up a storm at the same time. 
o   She gains a lot of fans during her GPL alongside Gloria because they are both favourites to become the first female champion. Instead of forming a bitter rivalry with her, Marnie elects to befriend Gloria because she reminds her of her friend, Primrose. 
o   Marnie LOVES shopping. She never really had the chance to leave Spikemuth growing up, so a lot of her free time when not participating in Pokemon battles is spent in boutiques. 
o   One of Marnie’s special skills is that she can see right through a person’s core. That is why she is initially kind to Gloria, Hop, and Bede. On the other hand, she and Piers both constantly talk shit about Chairman Rose. She isn’t really a fan of Leon either, but she knows that he is a good person so she tries to be nice.
o   Speaking of Leon (to some degree), she immediately decides to befriend Hop when she realises he is also the younger sibling of a famous Pokemon trainer. They bond over their similar roles in life and their shared love of music! (Hop really likes Piers’s music and freaks out when he gets to meet him). 
o   Marnie can play the guitar and the piano! If she didn’t become a gym leader, she could definitely see herself going into music. 
o  I head cannon that Marnie is bisexual, but she is not currently aware of it. I will definitely talk more about this later in the AU or if I actually get around to writing a one shot. 
o  Her full name is Marnie Isla Lewis. 
Next Part: Gym Leaders! 
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Text
A Little Nudge
The world is garbage and I’m writing fluff so I don’t have to think about it. Good Omens one shot. Fluff. Very dialogue heavy, because I like writing Dialogue.
AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26556994
Or you can keep reading below:
Crowley drummed his nails against the kitchen table as he watched Adam do his homework, periodically wondering which one of them was more bored and whether homework was an invention of Heaven or Hell. Crowley hadn't had a hand in it, that was all he was certain of. Seemed like something Aziraphale would approve of, though.
This had been a new Arrangement, and one Crowley had no designs in. But both he and the angel were certain Adam had retained some, if not all, of his powers. And both were convinced their sides were still up to something, so it made sense to keep an eye on the boy. But it hadn't been intended to be so closely. Just a little while after Crowley had started watching him, he started getting phone calls to come baby sit. Aziraphale, on the other hand, just came by every once in a while pretending to need to talk to the Youngs about mundane things like the weather.
Which just further proved Adam's powers were still there. How else had Mr. Young gotten Crowley's phone number? And how else could anyone explain that both Mr. and Mrs. Young always looked wary around Crowley, but still allowed him to watch their kid? Or that they both got a glazed over, bored look whenever they so much as caught sight of Aziraphale, but still always answered the door when they saw it was him?
Crowley could be patient when he needed to be, and he was wondering when the kid would break and admit why exactly he wanted Crowley to look after him. Especially when his parents had previously left him to his own devices. Adding in an authority figure didn't seem like the kind of thing Adam would decide to do.
But today he kept glancing up from his homework, apparently stealing himself for the favor he was about to ask. Crowley made a point of leaning back in his chair, trying to look relaxed. He was curious and also wanted to get it over with. His mind had gone over all the possibilities for why Crowley had been the one selected for babysitting duty, and none of the options seemed good.
It was unlikely, for example, that Adam wanted to know about his father – he made it very clear that Mr. Young was his father, and the biological one could go back right to where he came from, thank you very much. Possibly he wanted to know what hell was like. Or what the limits of his power were. Or how much trouble he could get into with his powers plus the help of a demon.
But what Crowley wasn't expecting was for Adam to put down his pencil, sit up straight, look Crowley in the eye and ask “Why aren't you and Mr. Aziraphale married yet?”
He folded his hands like he was a business man giving a performance review. Crowley crossed his arms. “And why would we be?”
“It isn't proper,” Adam insisted, “Mum says people in love get married. That's you two, and you've been in love for a while. Is it cause you're both blokes?” before Crowley could respond “I mean, you both look like guys but that's legal, and my dad says,” And here he adopted a gruffer voice, trying to mimic his dad, “'well, it's uh...it's not for me and I don't understand it but there's uh...there's nothing wrong with it'. And Pepper's mum says it's perfectly natural and ok for two guys to get married if that's what they want,” He paused for a moment and added, almost like an afterthought “Or two ladies. That's alright, too.”
“We're not technically male,” Crowley pointed out. “We're not human. Marriage is a human thing.”
Adam brushed it off, “But you're looking like us and acting like us. Wouldn't it help you blend in more?”
“I don't care if I blend in or not,” as though to make the point, Crowley whipped off his sunglasses so Adam could see his eyes. Adam had seen it before, but he always reacted the same way every time.
“Man, I wish my eyes looked like that,” he grumbled. And just like the last few times, his eyes would take on a snake like pupil for just a moment before flicking back to normal. “But you're trying to 'vade the question.”
“Evade?” Crowley suggested helpfully.
“Yeah, that. It's not right to be in love and not do anything about it when you can.”
“Why does a young boy like you care so much about what an old demon and angel are getting up to? Why do you want us to get married so badly?”
“Weddings can be all right. Wensleydale got to be a groomsmen in his cousin's wedding and he said he got a really big slice of a nice cake afterward.”
“You want us to get married so you can have cake?”
“No,” Adam said, pouting now, “I want you to get married because you love each other. And I want you to let me pick out the cake.”
Crowley chuckled in spite of himself. “That angel would probably never let you pick, he cares a lot about food. Probably already knows who the best caterer is in town for this sort of thing.”
“If you're not going to do it just say so.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you love him or not? Cause I thought when two people love each other they get married. And you're talking about everything else except whether you love him or not. And when Mr. Aziraphale came to trade gardening tips with mum he looked worried and I think he thinks your side's going to attack soon.”
“You want us to get married to take his mind off of Apocalypse 2.0?”
“Ugh, no,” Adam was getting frustrated. To him, it was the most obvious thing in the world – if you're an adult and you love another adult, you get married. Unless you were married to other people, like in that show his mum watched sometimes. Apparently, then you murdered one of the spouses together and then ran off to Mexico.
But Aziraphale and Crowley weren't married to anyone, and Adam had thought it was obvious that they were in love. At first, he thought maybe it was that part of him that just knew things – the part that had lead to that scary day not that long ago where the world had almost ended. But then Pepper had asked him about them, and Brian and Wensleydale had backed her up. It seemed ludicrous that with everything that had happened, they would all end up focusing on the love lives of the demon and angel involved but well, here they were.
“And have you talked about this with the ang-- with Mr. Aziraphale?”
“No,” Adam said simply, “I think he wants you to make the first move.”
Crowley arched an eyebrow. Here some part of him thought he'd been doing nothing but making moves on that angel for the last few centuries. “You are aware we're not a couple, right? Even for humans, you usually don't go from being associates straight to getting married.”
“I think you are a couple.”
“Those weren't the terms of our Arrangement,” Crowley muttered.
“Doesn't matter. Everyone already can see it.”
“You do know that just because people want other people to be together doesn't make it so, right?” Crowley thought for a moment of calling Aziraphale and making him deal with this, but at the same time he wanted to see where this conversation would go. “And that even if we are in love, the way you seem to think we are, we wouldn't have to get married? Even if we were human, humans don't always get married.”
“Not always, but the tax benefits alone usually make it the better choice than just living together,” Adam said with the authority of a child who had overheard that exact argument said by an adult once and was now repeating it with only the slightest glimmer of understanding. “He does know you're in love with him, right?”
“I thought you said we both loved each other,” Crowley was annoyed by how irritated his voice sounded – there was a twinge of longing there that he would like to have been better at hiding.
“Yeah, but I think he needs you to spell it out for him. He knows, but he doesn't know that he knows.”
“I think your parents let you watch too much tv, you know that? I think I should tell them not to let you watch so much of it, and to keep an eye on what you're watching.”
Adam shrugged. “You can try. But I'll still ask you about when you're going to ask Mr. Aziraphale to marry you. I bet you could propose to him with a book – I don't think he'd like a ring. But maybe he would, cause it could match his halo.”
“So you want me to tell him I'm in love with him and then immediately propose to him? That's the long and short of it there, right?”
Adam nodded. “Dog can be your ring bearer. I think I saw that in a movie once. But the dog ran away with the ring and everyone got upset-”
“You just told me not to get him a ring, why would we need a ring bearer if we haven't got a ring?”
Adam thought it over for a moment, cocking his head to the side as he thought. “Ok. So he could be one of the groomsmen with me. And it's not fair to let Wensleydale be one, 'cause he got to be one this year already. But he can be one of those guys who shows people to their seats. And if you ask Pepper to be a flower girl she's going to think I told you to do it and then she's going to punch me, so maybe ask her to be a groomsperson, too?”
“Have you planned out my entire wedding?”
Adam gave a guilty smile that told Crowley everything. “I will take your concerns under advisement,” Crowley had invented so called 'office speak' and this, along with 'per my last e-mail' was one of his favorite responses. It didn't really promise any action, but people responded as though it did.
“You should probably do it now, cause he's on his way over.”
“For what? Your parents won't be back from the movies this soon and he always checked in with them.”
“I told him she'd need help today at 4 o'clock,” he jerked a thumb in the direction of the clock on the wall. It was almost 4 and Aziraphale would either be a little early or exactly on time.
“You lied to an angel. You realize that, right? Literal being from heaven and you lied right to his face.”
“Did not,” Adam shook his head, “I lied to him on the telephone. It's not as bad.”
While Crowley was pretty curious about that particular leap in logic, he didn't have time to get into it with Adam. Aziraphale was knocking at the front door and Adam had jumped up to answer it.
“Hello, Mr. Aziraphale! Crowley's here, too.” Crowley couldn't help notice that Aziraphale always got a “Mr” in front of his name from Adam, but he was always just “Crowley”. He wasn't sure which way he preferred it, to be honest.
“Oh, hello,” Aziraphale greeted him, but then immediately began to look about for the Youngs. “Adam, where are your parents? I thought your mother needed help with something in the house?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“But that's why you called me,” Aziraphale frowned. “Did you lie to me?”
“Yep!” Adam nodded enthusiastically. “I'm sorry.”
“Doesn't look sorry to me,” Crowley muttered.
“Well, dear boy, you're forgiven, but can I ask why you lied?”
“Needed you to come over so you could talk to Crowley!” Adam admitted, ushering Aziraphale in and practically throwing him into a chair at the kitchen table. The one right next to Crowley. Adam shut the front door.
“Crowley and I talk to each other all the time,” Aziraphale only looked more puzzled now. He gave a small wave of his hand and his coat moved from being on him to being hung up neatly on a coat rack (that hadn't been there when he came in).
“Adam has gotten it into his head that,” And here Crowley stopped. He wasn't embarrassed by the thought that he and Aziraphale were in love. Crowley knew exactly how he felt about that angel. But the idea he had been so obvious that a child had picked up on it was making him uncomfortable. And despite Adam's insistence, he wasn't completely certain where Aziraphale stood on the topic.
“Yes?” Aziraphale prompted Crowley to continue.
“I could leave?” Adam suggested. “Give you two alone time?”
“In your parents' house?” Crowley didn't say it, but he wanted to point out that it wasn't the most romantic of locales.
“I could go up to my room or something.”
“No, no,” Aziraphale shook his head, “It's your house and if it's so important to you that we both be here, we should discuss it. Is this, perhaps, about your uh...non-earthly father?”
Adam pulled a face. “That guy's not my dad.”
“True, very true,” The angel nodded his approval. “But then what did you want us both here for?” He shifted his attention back to Crowley. “I'm sure we'd both try to help, whatever it is. We're both in that unique predicament of no longer being on the side of who sent us, so the three of us are ..ship mates, if you will.”
“Mating's got something to do with it,” Crowley muttered so low that neither of them heard him.
“You're an angel, right?” Adam demanded.
“Well, yes, but-”
“So you're supposed to tell the truth, right?”
“I don't know what you're-”
“And you're in love with Crowley,” Adam finished, his eyes boring straight into Aziraphale's.
“I'm not certain this is an appropriate conversation for us to be having,” Aziraphale sat up, ram rod straight and started dusting at his already spotless pants. “Is there something else I could help with?”
“No,” Adam said stubbornly. “If you're an angel then you should do it right. You have to be honest – do you love him?”
Crowley's breath caught in his throat. It had never occurred to him to press Aziraphale in this manner, though he was pretty certain he wouldn't have, even if he had thought of it. Aziraphale was resolutely looking away from both of them, staring at the floor. He looked like he was having an internal debate with himself. After what felt like an eternity of silence, he finally spoke up.
“Yes,” he said softly.
“Wait,” Crowley jumped out of his seat and flung his glasses off so that he could look Aziraphale in the eye. “You're in love with me?”
“Well, yes...” he admitted. “But aren't you in love with me, too? I had thought you were. Did I misunderstand?”
“Did you misunderstand?! Did you misunderstand?” Crowley paced back and forth in the kitchen. Adam and Aziraphale exchanged glances, both confused about what was going through the demon's mind now. “I didn't bloody think you felt the same! This whole time! How long, angel?” he demanded.
“At least since Germany...possibly further back. I don't know.”
“And this isn't one of those things where you mean like a friend, right?”
“No. I mean, at first, yes, I loved you like a friend and then it ...it became more.”
“And you knew how I felt and you didn't say anything?!”
“I didn't think I needed to,” he shifted. “I thought you knew and that we didn't do anything because of ...well, you come from there and I come from the other side so I didn't see how it could possibly work.”
“And now?”
“Now what?”
“Now what, he says!” Crowley threw up his hands and looked at Adam, giving a 'do you see what I've been dealing with all this time' look. “Now neither of us is with our original sides – heaven tried to kill you, hell tried to kill me and we were both tossed back here. Aziraphale,” Crowley put his hands on the other man's shoulders, “There is nothing holding us back anymore.”
“There's nothing holding us back,” Aziraphale repeated in wonder. “We could ...I could...”
Crowley pulled him up from his seat and immediately went in for the kiss. Adam looked away, trying not to intrude on their moment.
Aziraphale pulled away first. “There's a child present.”
“It's just a kiss,” Crowley muttered, “That kid's seen way worse on tv.”
“That's true, I have,” Adam admitted. “Neither of you has any secret spouse you're going to have to kill, right? I like you two, I don't want you to have to go off to Mexico.”
“What is he talking about?”
“No idea, angel,” Crowley had his arm around Aziraphale's shoulder and seemed intent not to move it.
“So are you going to get married now?” Adam persisted. “Now that you know he feels the same?”
“But we aren't human-”
“Don't even start with him, it's a lost cause, trust me. Look, Adam, we are not getting married. ….at least not yet.”
“Do you think we should?” Aziraphale looked thoughtful. “If we end up moving in together it would seem more proper, don't you think?”
“And it will save you money on taxes,” Adam offered helpfully.
“We'll revisit the question,” Crowley insisted. “You and I have a lot of catching up to do. You'll be all right then, Adam?”
“Yeah, my homework's done. Will you still come sit with me sometimes?”
“Do I even have a choice in the matter?” Crowley pointed out. Adam gave a crooked half grin in response.
“We all have a choice. You just needed a little nudge this time.”
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Text
Lost Part 6
Harry Potter Marauders Era 
Link to Part 5 
Pairings: Regulus Black x Reader 
Rating: T 
_______
The next morning Regulus sat across from his mother as she stirred her tea for the thirteenth time. It didn’t matter that Regulus had arrived home at 4:30 am. His parents expected him down for Christmas breakfast at 8:00 am. As usual, no one was saying a word to each other. It made Regulus wonder why they had to “keep up appearances” and dine together. Clearly, no one liked it.
Regulus glanced at his father. Orion was bored as he read over the Daily Prophet. If Orion had his way, all the members of the household could eat at their own schedules in their own way. No one would be locked at the formal dining room table scowling at each other. Orion, like Regulus, only did it to appease Walburga. Neither man really wanted to listen to her nagging. This was a silent agreement that both Orion and Regulus had agreed to years beforehand. If Walburga wanted something then they would just go along with whatever it was. It was best to be reserved and compliant unless they wanted to deal with her hair-trigger temper.
Christmas morning had been a silent affair since Sirius left home years before. There were no longer loud screaming matches on whether or not Sirius was going to eat the Christmas pudding or wear a certain suit to the Christmas dinner with the “cult.” Regulus and Orion simply did as Walburga wished and no one had a thing to bitch about.
“You look tired, Regulus.”
Walburga commented as she studied her youngest and favorite son’s face. His eyes rolled up to meet her face.
“It was a late night last night.”
“You’re doing things for the right reasons. The family should be here around seven. Bella is bringing a nice girl that I think you should get to know better.”
Walburga commented, smiling proudly. Regulus fought the urge to scowl as his father looked up from the newspaper. Orion had made it perfectly clear that he didn’t want Regulus to feel rushed to settle down with some girl.
“Mother…”
Walburga shook her head.
“I would like for you to get to know her, Regulus.”
Regulus put his fork down. This was not the way that he wanted to spend the morning. He had a woman...you. The last thing Regulus wanted was some ugly pureblood girl that he was probably related to in some way. He wanted to put an end to the madness!
“Who is she?”
Walburga put down her teacup.
“Marigold Parkinson.”
Regulus, forgetting himself, groaned.
“Mother, please...no.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
Walburga asked, getting angry. Regulus put his palms on the table.
“For one, she looks like a walrus. Second, I dated Ambrosia...her sister. That family is crazy. I mean look at how they named their children.”
Orion was silently chuckling at Regulus’ comment.
“A walrus?”
He questioned, fighting back a laugh. Regulus nodded. He was relieved that his father appeared to be on his side.
“Yes, father. Just get her some tusks and boom...National Geographic magazine cover shot.”
Orion was laughing hard at that. He didn’t care if Walburga was scowling at him. Regulus’ out of character humor was enough to send the older man into hysterical giggles. Orion couldn’t say it but that was the one thing that he missed about Sirius being home. There was always something funny happening.
“Orion, Regulus...that isn’t nice. Telling a girl that she looks like a walrus is a horrible way to get a second date.
Walburga grumbled. Regulus shrugged.
“But I don’t want the first one so...put her in a ballgown and she’ll just be a fancy walrus.”
Walburga's dark eyes were glaring at her son with disapproval.
“Well, who would you rather see then, smart mouth?”
Regulus shrugged.
“No one really. I don’t have the time at the moment.”
It was a big ass lie and Regulus knew it. He wanted nothing more than to be with you and he would go to whatever length to make sure that happened. Glancing down at his left arm, he decided to put his master plan into high gear. Regulus had no intention of spending more time than he had to with mummy and daddy. He wanted to spend his day with you and that was just where he was going.
Regulus snapped his right hand over the dark mark with a groan before standing up.
“I have to go.”
Walburga looked a bit annoyed but understood.
“Try not to be late for Christmas dinner.”
(meanwhile)
You stood helping Sirius dry dishes from breakfast. He had been unusually quiet since arriving with James.
“So are you going to tell me about the ring?”
He finally asked. You looked up, trying to fake innocence.
“I’m sorry?”
Sirius motioned down to the ring on your finger.
“I know that particular ring from anywhere. I also happened to know that my grandmother gave it to Regulus. Did you two run off and get married?”
You didn’t reply at first which made Sirius even antsier. How were you supposed to tell Sirius that he had just figured out the little plan that Regulus had suggested? Regulus was all for the two of you sneaking onto a train to a nearby village (where no one knew either of you) lying about your ages and getting married. You thought that the plan was crazy at first. The two of you were children. Neither of you was emotionally ready for a step that BIG. Besides, your relationship was still rocky getting married would make it worse. Regulus’ comment on the idea made more sense…
“If you marry me, my parents won’t have anything to stand on to pull us apart. Once we are married we are each other. My mother may be a lot of things but she won’t be able to change what’s already legal. If they annul it, then when we are 17 we’ll run off and do it but they won’t hear from us anymore. At least, with allowing things to happen this way...they can still have contact. I know that you don’t believe me but my mum and dad are still extremely sore about losing Sirius. They won’t want to lose their other son too.”
“Y/n!”
Sirius said your name a little more urgently before you reached up and tugged him into your father’s office.
“Sirius! I need you to keep your trap shut especially to James and my sister.”
“What did you two do? Y/n this is crazy. Regulus is a death eater...he’s doing bad things with bad people....and...you’ll get caught in the crossfire eventually…”
Sirius questioned. He felt his face beginning to burn. How the hell was Sirius supposed to keep something this huge from James. Sirius was not a good person to tell secrets to. James would probably say hey to Sirius and Sirius would start blabbing.
You quickly shushed Sirius.
“We aren’t married. That hasn’t happened...not yet. Sirius, I am going to need some time before he and I do that. I have to fully trust him again. Regulus did give me the ring last night. Sirius, I understand your concern but Regulus...he has something up his sleeve that he won’t even tell me. There’s something going on with Voldemort that Regulus is working on. Regulus won’t let anything happen to me. Evan, Barty, Severus...all of those lot know that I am off-limits.”
Sirius ran a hand through his hair.
“But there are other death eaters….Evan’s father, Dolohov, Mulciber...those guys won’t be so thrilled with a fellow death eater dating a muggle-born. Love, they’ll kill you. Y/n, I know what you’re thinking. You think that you are going to be getting some happiness ever after where you won’t have to want for anything in life but you aren’t going to get it, sweetheart. You’re signing up for a lifetime of sadness and heartbreak. I am not trying to sound like a dick but I’m worried. In case you haven’t forgotten that day back in the forest at school...you weren’t handling the news of Regulus’ secret life too well.”
Sirius was right. You remembered that afternoon all too well.
“Sirius, I just need you to trust me on this...please.”
Sirius didn’t look too convinced. He was more than ready to go find James and Remus to talk some sense into you.
“Okay but I don’t like this.”
You quickly stood on your tiptoes and hugged him.
“It’s going to be okay.”
The rest of the morning and into the early afternoon was peaceful. Sirius’ mood had quickly repaired itself and he was back to making Remus want to choke him. You were sitting beside Remus playing chess when the doorbell rang. Glancing down at your watch, you couldn’t help but smile. Regulus had kept his promise. He did find a way to get to you.
You quickly stood and walked to the door, ignoring James asking Lily who it was. In all of the Christmas chaos you “forgot” to tell your other friends that Regulus would be coming too. They would figure it out soon enough.
Sirius quickly started improvising some weird Christmas carol to keep the rest of his friend’s minds away from what you were doing. Why he decided that he was going to be the one that came to your and Regulus’ rescue was beyond him but here he was doing it...
Opening the door, you smiled seeing Regulus on the other side. He didn’t smile at first but gave you that raised eyebrow that said, “come here, little girl.” You quickly stepped outside and shut the door. Your parents were so busy in the kitchen that they wouldn’t notice you were gone.
As soon as the door was closed you threw your arms around Regulus’ shoulders.
“You haven’t kissed me.”
He stated calmly. Regulus was trying so hard to keep up his dom-like behavior but seeing your face was exactly what he wanted. The two of you shared a smile before he pulled you into a kiss.
“I missed you.”
You happily said against his lips.
“It's only been a few hours.”
Regulus pointed out. Yes, it had only been a few hours and they felt like an eternity for both of you. You knew that Regulus wouldn’t admit it but you could tell that he missed you as much as you missed him.
“Are you coming to me again tonight?”
You asked with a sly smile.
“Yes, I have a surprise for you but you’ll have to keep it down.”
The door opening stopped any further comment. You turned to see Lily and James standing with their mouths wide open. Sheepishly smiling, you intertwined your hand with Regulus’.
“So... we are a couple again.”
James crossed his arms over his chest.
“I didn’t know that you were a couple, to begin with. I didn’t think boyfriends typically made their girlfriends cry and question their sanity but maybe I am missing something.”
You gently stood in front of Regulus. The last thing that you wanted was for him and James to start fighting.
“James, please.”
You said trying to keep your voice as calm as possible. James ran a hand through his hair before turning and meeting Sirius’ gaze as if asking his best friend for advice. When Sirius shrugged, James turned.
“Fine...Regulus, as god as my witness, if you hurt here again...I am going to break your face.”
Regulus raised an eyebrow.
“You’ll have to catch me first.”
“Reggie.”
You hissed his name making Regulus’ tense frame ease. He wrapped an arm around your waist as James turned and walked back into the house.
Lily, meanwhile, wondered if any of her little speech on respect had sunk in at all with Regulus. She had a bad feeling that the answer was no but time would have to tell on that one. Lily wanted nothing more than to protect you and at the moment, she felt like she was failing miserably.
As a big sister, Lily wanted nothing more than for you to be happy. Your happiness was always important but so was your safety. Lily felt even more inclined to try to protect you as Petunia didn’t want a thing to do with either of you now.
You felt a little better when Lily gave you a small smile. That small smile simply said, “I’m trying.” Turning your attention back to Regulus, you gently tugged on his hand.
“Come on love.”
Both James and Lily exchanged matching scowls when you called Regulus “love.” James wanted to make a comment about there not being anything “lovely” about Regulus. He would have been happier if you decided to form some weird love triangle with Sirius and Remus. At least, you would be treated properly.
You were relieved when the tension between Lily, James, and Regulus seemed to ease off. James and Lily were busy looking at “future dream homes” while you sat snuggled against Regulus’ side. The two of you were off in your own little world.
“What’s with Petunia? She hasn’t stopped glaring at me from the moment that I walked in?”
Regulus questioned. You turned your attention to Petunia who was whispering to her new boyfriend Vernon. The two looked as if they were disgusted to even be in a room with the lot of you. Rolling your eyes, you turned your attention back to Regulus.
“She’s a muggle and very jealous of what Lily and I are. Petunia has barely talked to either Lily or me since the day that we received our Hogwarts letters.”
Regulus looked at Petunia a moment longer.
“Her boyfriend looks like a male walrus.”
He internally giggled at the thought of Vernon and Marigold Parkinson making a lovely “walrus couple.” It would be a great joke to make but he didn’t want you to know about his mother wanting him to be with the Parkinson girl.
Regulus instead leaned closer to you, letting his lips tease your ear.
“She’s no beauty that’s for sure. You are a million times more lovely...everything about you, darling.”
You shivered as the desperate attraction began to build again. Since that morning, you had been craving any kind of physical affection that Regulus would be able to give you. Of course, it wasn’t possible to just lift your skirt to climb on his lap for a good fucking but a little caress wouldn’t be bad. Regulus whispering erotically in your ear was equally welcomed.
“Reggie.”
You whispered his name. Regulus smiled and nuzzled his face closer to your ear. He kept his voice even and reserved which made his teasing all the more exciting.
“No one is as beautiful as you, Y/n. I love it when you blush like you are now. Tell me, darling, what kind of knickers do you have on under this skirt?”
You swallowed, mentally begging Regulus to raise his hand up your thigh but he wasn’t budging. Regulus’ hand stayed stagnant on your knee.
“Black lace.”
You finally whispered back. Regulus smiled, feeling the beginning of an erection coming on. He fought the urge to lift a finger to trace over your nipples. From where he was sitting, Regulus could see them through your dress. Touching you, like that, would be a horrible idea at the moment. All that Regulus could do was sit and think about you dressed in only lace knickers.
“Only be wearing those when I come back to you later.”
“What’s my surprise?”
You asked. Regulus laughed lightly.
“You’ll find out...if you’re a good girl.”
For the rest of the night, Regulus was a perfect gentleman. You were convinced that he had your parents in the palm of his hand within five minutes. James really had to work to get your father to like him how here was smooth-talking Regulus Black winning him over in one evening.
“I’ll see you soon.”
Regulus said in a low voice as he leaned down and kissed you. You knew that he was going to “leave” to hide out in your bedroom until you were able to be free but you wanted him now.
“Yes, I’ll see you at school.”
You waited for another fifteen minutes before politely bidding your parents a good evening. James had just left with Sirius and Remus. Lily was clearly as exhausted as you were.
“Aren’t you two going to stay up and watch the Christmas specials with us?”
Your mother questioned. Lily shook her head before heading toward the stairs.
“We are both exhausted, mum. Good night, Y/n.”
“Good night, Lily.”
You replied before walking down the hallway to your bedroom. Stepping in front of the door, you knew what was waiting for you on the other side and you couldn’t wait any longer.
“Time to be a good girl…”
______
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identybeautynet · 3 years
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Shygirl Talks ‘BDE’ With Slowthai, Skincare, and Opulent Meals
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Shygirl Talks ‘BDE’ With Slowthai, Skincare, and Opulent Meals Courtesy Burberry “Read my lips, I need a big dick boy. Ain’t nobody slanging it right,” the musician Shygirl raps on the opening lines of her new song “BDE,” featuring Slowthai. It’s a bold claim, and one that speaks to the East London native’s life mantra: freedom is everything. “If someone said to you, you can do whatever you want in this room, you’d do something that you wouldn’t usually do,” Shygirl says over Zoom, where she’s speaking from her home in South London. “It’s about being able to run away with some aspects of yourself, less about being something different, but in each of these spaces, you’re allowed a bit more room to breathe.” The artist, who makes bass-heavy, club-ready tracks that straddle electro, pop, and hip-hop, is known for fashion and beauty looks that match her out-there, over-the-top music. Her deepest fantasies and whimsies make both the aesthetic and the music—and fashion brands like Burberry have taken note. (The brand’s creative director Riccardo Tisci cast Shygirl in his latest Burberry Beauty campaign after stumbling across one of her music videos on Instagram.) We caught up with Shygirl a few days before the release of “BDE” to discuss her proclivity toward skincare, her grandmother’s beauty tips, and why eating an opulent meal is the ultimate form of luxury. How did you come to make your latest single “BDE” with Slowthai? I wrote this single ages ago with Karma Kid. We were in the studio and I’d actually been up the night before at some warehouse party. I was definitely really hungover—I think I was probably still drunk when I got to the studio, so I was still kind of in that party mood. The words came really quickly as I was recording, which isn’t always the case. Sometimes I think of a hook and then we flesh it out later, or there’s a funny turn of phrase I’m playing with, and I start like that. But this one was based on a frustrating encounter I’d had with someone. And I was like, I’m just going to get this out in a song. I really wanted to work with a male vocalist and I’ve loved Slowthai’s energy for ages. I’m objectifying men so much in that song, I thought it would be nice to hand the mic over and and be like, Okay, I’ve said this—what do you have to say for yourself? Ty’s the person for that platform, because he doesn’t talk about sex that much on his tracks. So it was nice to have that Shygirl effect. We met up in the studio, hung out, and I was like, okay, the theme is sex—spin it, and be as crass and vulgar as possible because that’s the way I've set the stage. Shygirl wears Burberry Beauty in her video for “BDE.” I love the fantasy of the Tasty video. What was on your mood board for it, specifically when it came to the beauty looks? Growing up, my mom was really into ‘80s music. And I loved that ‘80s look: heavy blush on the face, and how expressive that is, especially when looking at the queer community being represented in music. There’s something about that that which speaks to freedom and playfulness, and there’s a massive synergy with where I’m coming from, which is take me serious in this space, but also not that serious. There’s also something exciting about not being within the confines of my facial features, and pushing those boundaries. That’s why I bleached my eyebrows and change the space that we’re able to use with all the makeup we do. I sent a lot of references over, but I’m really drawn to color palettes; I have phases of different colors that make me feel comfortable and happy. I’ve been lucky to work with some really great makeup artists who take my garbled references and moods that I tell them and make it look sexy. Because there’s something sexy about not staying within the lines. Onto the Beauty Notes questions. When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing you do, beauty wise? First thing I do is wash my face, ‘cause I’m probably still wearing mascara from the night before. I use the Garnier Micellar water as a cleanser, and I bought because it’s pink. Then, I put on the Aliver 24K Gold Collagen Eye Mask eye patches. I bought a pack of, like, 100. They make me feel like a modern-day American Psycho. Then I use the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, because there’s something watery about their products, they just feel light on your skin. And my skin’s really sensitive, so I don't usually wear much. I have a rose quartz roller that I use after I’ve moisturized, which I find so relaxing. I’ve also got to mention that, when I wash my face, I wash it with warm and then cold water. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion $30 See On Sephora What does that do? Something about opening up your pores with the warm water and then tightening them with cold water. My grandma told me that when I was younger—my dad’s mum gave me this obsession with clear skin from a young age. We’ve kind of got it naturally and she takes really good care of it, as does my dad. Usually, people pick up beauty tips from their mum, but my mum was a bit more tomboy-ish. What’s a piece of skincare advice that you received from your grandmother that changed your perspective on beauty? My grandmother comes up with a lot of un-PC phrases. One of the un-PC things she used to say was, never trust a man with bad skin. I remember when I’d tell her about boys I fancied and she’d be like, oh no, his skin’s terrible. Also, she uses oils on her body, but not on her face. She’s big on oils. I have naturally curly hair, so I went through such a period of using loads of different greasy hair products, and she told me that all affects your skin. Whenever I FaceTime my nan and my dad, that’s the first thing they ask: are you eating right? I can see on your skin, you’re not getting enough of this or that. What’s the one product that you can’t live without? The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Night Cream. It’s literally the best money I’ve ever spent on a beauty product. It just does what it says, and I don’t feel like I need to use it that religiously, but I need to know that I have it, especially when I’m traveling a lot. And even in lockdown, I’ve had a lot of travel for work. The air dries out my skin, and sometimes I need it before I wake up, just to start the day fresh. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Night Cream $145 See On Sephora What’s your favorite product at this very moment? I only really wear mascara for eye makeup every day, and at the moment I’ve been wearing this really good mascara that Burberry makes. I like a spiky, wider mascara, ‘cause if that’s the only thing I’m wearing, I’m going to make sure it’s visible. I’m not too neat with it—I like a slightly messy mascara look because there are hints there, where you’re telling people who you are. I want to be expressive. Ultimate Lift Mascara $30 Burberry See On Burberry What’s the best makeup or skincare tip you’ve picked up on set? Exfoliating my lips. That’s something I didn’t do enough of; sometimes when I’m on set, we use wipes with a somewhat rougher texture before we put anything on my lips.   What’s your ideal spa day and where? I found this place recently called Beaverbrook in Surrey, just outside of London. In December, I just needed to get out of my house, I needed a spa break, I needed a massage, I needed to be in a hotel, I just needed something. It’s kind of a big deal spa, which I didn’t know, but I got a room after someone else’s cancellation. It was really nice—it’s in the countryside and it was raining the whole weekend, so I felt like I was in Wuthering Heights. I looked out onto the fields watching the rain, and just felt so British. Is going to the spa your favorite form of self-care? I take more care of my mind than my body—what’s sometimes good for the soul isn’t always good for your body. I’m self-indulgent, and the biggest thing that feeds me is doing something spontaneously. The idea that I can just pick up and do something that I want to do is what gratifies me the most. That could be taking the day, canceling a bunch of meetings to remind myself that I’m in control of my life. More times, it’s going out to a restaurant and eating something obscene. You know in Parks and Recreation when they’re like, “Treat yourself”? That’s my life. I really love a beautiful meal, and there’s something so opulent about being waited on in some form and having someone else make your food. We only include products that have been independently selected by W's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article. beauty tips: Shygirl Talks ‘BDE’ With Slowthai, Skincare, and Opulent Meals, Shygirl Talks ‘BDE’ With Slowthai, Skincare, and Opulent Meals, Shygirl Talks ‘BDE’ With Slowthai, Skincare, and Opulent Meals,  Read the full article
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pellucidity-is-me · 3 years
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Remus Lupin and Latin
Summary: A young Remus Lupin studies Latin for no reason in particular. Second installment, but works as a one-shot, too. You can find the link to my longer fic on my blog description, and this one is on my AO3/FFN account, too, if you want to read it in its entirety.
Wordcount: 2073
Remus Lupin starts learning Latin at age eight, too.
He's been a werewolf now for more than three years, and it has already taken its toll. His eyes always seem to be shrouded in shadow from intense periods of exhaustion—when Remus isn't plagued by constant nightmares, he is the nightmare himself, scratching himself to bits in the small family cellar while his mum quivers in fear in the sitting room and his father tosses and turns, trying in vain to be well-rested in order to heal his son the next day before going to work. When Remus looks at himself in the mirror, he only sees the amount of weight he's lost, the pallor of his skin, the scars on his hands, and the constant dead look in his eyes that he can't seem to get rid of, no matter how much he smiles.
It doesn't really matter how he looks, though. He sees no one, save his parents, and they don't really care how Remus looks so long as he's alive.
Remus can read all by himself now, but his parents still insist on reading to him after every full moon so that he can "rest his eyes". Remus knows that this is just a ploy to get him to fall asleep, which is a bit annoying. It doesn't matter if he looks and feels tired. He doesn't need to save his energy for anything. It's not as if he has school, dinner parties, football matches... or whatever kids his age typically do. He doesn't even have friends.
What Remus does have is time—too much time, in fact; Remus has all the time in the world. When he wants to go to sleep, he will. And right now, Remus does not want to sleep. He's been doing that for hours and he's ready for something new.
His father reads him Maxwell Melephant and the Magic Elephant for what seems like the hundredth time. Remus mushes his face into the pillow and groans so vehemently that he nearly falls off the couch.
"Are you hurt?" asks Remus' father, alarmed. It's evening, two days after the full moon, and it's also a weekend. Remus' father doesn't have to work today, so he can stay home all day and fuss over Remus. Remus isn't sure whether he's pleased or annoyed by the fact. "Did the wound on your side open again? Stay there, Remus; don't move—I'll fix it..."
"Nothing's happened," says Remus. He's a bit angry, actually, so he takes a few calming breaths—in through his nose, out through his mouth. Anger is reserved for full moons and full moons only. "I'm just kind of bored, that's all."
Remus' father takes a deep breath and then places the book upside-down on the coffee table. "I'm sorry," he says. "Ever so sorry, Remus. I know it's hard. I wish I could do more. I'd switch places with you in an instant, you know..."
"It's fine," says Remus automatically. "Could you keep reading? You were at the part when the elephant was climbing the redwood tree, I think."
"So I was," says Remus' father, but he doesn't pick up the book. He doesn't speak for a long time, and Remus tries to get comfortable while he's waiting. It's not quite possible with a large wound on his side—it seems to stab Remus sharply whenever he moves his stomach the slightest amount—but he can try anyway. Once he's more or less satisfied, he pulls the scratchy woolen blanket that his mum knitted up to his neck, obscuring the scar on his left shoulder that has remained a constant reminder of what Remus is for more than three years. Remus doesn't mind that scar, not really—but he knows that his parents do.
When Remus' father opens his mouth to speak again, it's not because he's resuming the story. "You need a hobby," he says thoughtfully.
"I have a hobby," says Remus. "Misery. That's a hobby, isn't it?"
Remus' father would normally laugh at such a joke (Remus didn't mean anything by it, after all), but he doesn't today. "Are you really miserable?" he asks seriously—and a little guiltily, if Remus isn't mistaken.
"No. I'm fine. You and Mum are loads of fun, Dad. I mean it."
"But what have we done?" muses Remus' father. "What have you done?"
Remus suspects that his father is talking to himself, since he isn't making any sense. Remus has just learned the word rhetorical, and he thinks that it applies in this situation. Remus replies anyway, of course. "You teach me some magic with your wand. That's fun. And Mum teaches me maths and writing. And I read a lot. And you let me play with that Boggart that we keep in the cupboard. I help Mum cook, and I play chess sometimes. And Mum taught me to crochet. And we draw pictures together sometimes... and you tell me stories. Remember when we tried to write one? Mum said that it was the worst story she'd ever read, and you know how much she hates Maxwell Melephant."
Remus' father smiles, but it seems to be nothing more than a formality. "Yes, but that was because we depicted her as a giant, fire-breathing dragon. Your mum doesn't particularly like being depicted as a heavyweight, ancient magical animal capable of destroying entire cities in a single breath."
Remus turns into a rather heavyweight animal with claws and teeth, capable of destroying entire cities in a few hours. He does that every month. But he doesn't mention it—why ruin a good thing? It'll only upset his father. Remus laughs weakly. "I have fun. I promise."
"No, you don't. You just don't know what fun is."
"I know what fun is. Fun is a three-letter English word, derived from—" Remus pauses here, because he is an eight-year-old child who knows nothing of etymology. He hears his parents make that joke sometimes (his father is a typical Ravenclaw; he knows these things. His mother just makes things up), but he never quite understands what comes next. It's something to do with other languages, he's pretty sure. One of them, he knows, is Latin.
Remus doesn't know any other languages. He wonders what it would be like to know another language. Is it anything like the foreign words that Remus' father teaches him to speak when he's casting spells? Does real magic happen when people speak other languages? Do people look different when they speak different languages? Remus doesn't know. He's only spent time around his mother and father, after all, and neither of them are bilingual.
"I want to learn Latin," says Remus. "Is that a hobby?"
Remus' father blinks. "Do you even know what Latin is, Remus?"
"Of course I know what Latin is."
Remus' father crosses his arms, and Remus knows that he's teasing him. "Oh, really? What is it?"
"It's like... you know, another language... that people speak."
"Half right," says Remus' father, laughing. "That's an odd hobby for an eight-year-old, but I'll ask your mother what she thinks when she's done with her nap. It's time to go to sleep now, all right, Remus?"
"Keep reading Maxwell Melephant?"
"Only if you finish that glass of water. You need to..."
"Hydrate," Remus finishes with a groan. He tries to reach for the glass, but there's a sharp stabbing pain in his side that causes him to cry out—his father wordlessly hands him the glass and helps him sit up. It is extraordinarily painful, but Remus manages to finish the water. He nearly asks for more, but he doesn't particularly want to navigate standing up and going to the loo if he happens to drink too much, so he merely leans back and falls asleep to the familiar words of Maxwell Melephant and the Magic Elephant.
When Remus wakes up, his mother is pressing a damp cloth to his forehead and mumbling something. Remus blinks the sleep out of his eyes and leans into his mother's touch; her words come into focus like the lens of a Muggle camera. "...mus? You're awake?" she says, and Remus nods. "Your father tells me that you want to learn Latin?"
"Sure," says Remus. "Dad says I need a hobby. Latin's a hobby, isn't it?"
Remus' mother laughs a little and removes the cloth from Remus' forehead. Remus almost protests, but it's not long before the cloth is dipped in water again and then replaced. "Sure, honey. I suppose it is, in the most basic sense of the word. I learned Latin in school, did you know?"
"Could you teach me?"
"Erm... no. No, I don't remember a thing. It's a bit of a dead language."
"How did it die?"
"No, not dead... not dead like that. There aren't native speakers of it anymore is what I mean. Everyone who speaks Latin also speaks another language—and it's more written than spoken to begin with."
"I can write," says Remus. He doesn't know why his heart is so set on learning Latin, but it is. "I bet I'll like it."
"I... I suppose you might. I never did. Dead languages are dead boring, in my opinion." She pats Remus' hand and ruffles his hair. Remus makes a face. "I'll pick up some books at the library, all right? And then I'll teach you what I remember. It'll take a lot of studying, I'm afraid, and I don't know exactly what you're going to do with it... but why would I stop my kid from learning Latin?" She laughs. "You're an odd one, Remus Lupin."
Remus might be odd, yes, but he is also patient. He waits a full week until his mother has time to fetch Latin books. When she returns, she sits down at the dining room table with Remus and teaches him the basics of conjugating and declining.
And Remus does not like Latin. He's not very good at memorizing things, even though he does it all the time (what else is there to do?). He doesn't have a good enough grasp on the English language quite yet to understand the subtleties of a second language. But he studies the language anyway.
And he keeps doing it for years.
He becomes relatively good at Latin, actually. He grows to love it. He likes studying by his window on a rainy day. He adores the time that he spends with his mother, studying Latin while she reads a book or knits or fusses over Remus. He relishes it, because every time that he spends on Latin is time spent—and all Remus aims to do is to spend time, really. He has no goal. Latin is a relatively useless language.
But when has Remus ever done anything that was beneficial for his future? Remus has no future. He knows this at eight years old. He knows this because the Ministry have told him so. He knows this because his whole life has implied the fact. There are constants in Remus Lupin's life: the full moon, pain, and loneliness. He will live in a small house with his three closest and only friends (his mother, his father, and the Boggart that they kept in the cupboard) forever. Remus cannot fathom forever, but he knows that it's a very long time, and he spends his seconds waiting for it to end.
He picks up Welsh a year and a half later. Remus is Welsh himself, though he hasn't lived in Wales since he was five. Remus' mother protests. "Remus, not everyone in Wales speaks Welsh," she says. "No one in my family speaks it. You'll have no one to speak Welsh with. We've been living in France for a week now; why don't you learn French instead?" But Remus hardly has anyone with which to speak English, even, so he doesn't really care. Besides, they only end up staying in France until the next full moon.
Remus' time whittles away, bit by bit, second by second. His life exists in intermissions between full moons. He can't do anything useful, because he would need a future to do so—so he learns languages that no one speaks, memorizes poetry for no real reason, and writes stories that no one will see. He doesn't have a reason behind anything, but—much like his appearance—he doesn't care so long as he's alive.
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bookworm-2692 · 5 years
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About a week ago I finally finished bookbinding @airdeari‘s beautiful Zero Escape fic The First Nonary Game. It took about a month (between all the waiting for glue to dry and also several days each week when I was unable to work on it), and was so much fun! It’s so satisfying to just... hold this book in my hands. 
Details about how I made it, along with additional photos (and commentary) below the cut.
So I came across this post on Tumblr, which immediately inspired me to try bookbinding myself. I spent a few days watching so many tutorials from the youtube channel linked in the post (I’ll link the specific tutorials I used in this post), and googling how to actually manage to print pages so they form proper signatures, because the inbuilt booklet creator in Word doesn’t exist in my Word apparently so that’s fun.
Anyway, once I started, I asked @airdeari for permission to print and bind his fic, and he immediately said yes, so that was good. Then I spent a good couple of days copying the entire fic into a Word document, and fiddling with formatting so it would look like an actual book (section breaks, page numbers, headers with the fic title on the left page and chapter title on the right page (this took ages to work and I kept on stuffing it up), and making sure things just... looked nice. I added in the art After The War that @keycrash created specifically for the fic (third pic above), and an “afterword” containing credit and links and the author’s notes from AO3 (because even if I’m the only one who will ever see it, it still feels weird to not add the credit stuff in so it’s there).
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I then saved the document as a PDF, and used CheapImposter to correctly shuffle (impose, hence “imposter”) the pages so when folded into signatures, each page would be in the correct order. This program was the first free one I could find, and was great because you could specify the number of sheets you want per signature, rather than stuck with a default. I chose to have 11 signatures of 6 sheets of paper, since that was the amount that would have the least blank pages and the end of the book. The file was 261 pages, so with two pages per side, and two sides per sheet, you divide the number of pages by 4 to get 66 sheets of paper
I then printed. There was only one (1) paper jam in the process, which was great. Unfortunately, I realised after I printed that one of the headers for one chapter was wrong (I hadn’t properly disconnected the two chapters), but fortunately that only involved reprinting 4 sheets of paper.
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I used the following tutorials to make the books: DIY Textblock, a general “how to make a textblock” tutorial; DIY Kettle Stitch, a specific look at the stitching for a textblock, since the first tutorial doesn’t focus on this; DIY Book Cloth, since I chose to use fabric for my cover; and DIY Hardcover Book, how to put all those pieces together.
So then I started folding all the signatures. I was watching so much Brooklyn Nine-Nine during both the folding and stitching sections, since it was repetitive actions I didn’t need to concentrate on that lasted hours.
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It was at this point that I sliced each signature one by one to make the end smoother and less pointy. In future I recommend not doing it at this point - wait until the very end. Instead, move straight onto stitching. 
I don’t have any photos of the stitching portion, since my phone died the morning I started the stitching, and I wasn’t able to replace it until after all the stitching was done. In fact, originally all the photos from before the stitching were lost too. It was only about two days ago that magically the My Photo Stream thing kicked in and brought back all the photos - if it had worked two weeks earlier I would’ve had more. As it is, all photos from September to January are gone forever, unfortunately. But that’s another discussion entirely.
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The above is the first book photo on my new phone, so as you can see, all the stitching was completed, the spine was glued, and the purple paper attached. I couldn’t buy two A4 sheets, so instead I had to buy one A3 sheet and cut it in half. Which was difficult cycling home from the city with an A3 sheet that didn’t fit in my bag on account of being A3 and not A4, but oh well.
I don’t have a book press, so I used a pile of DND books and my brother’s weights instead, as shown below.
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I then had to re-slice the book after this point bc my first go wasn’t even, on account of slicing each signature separately. Next time definitely I’ll just do it at the end like this. I then also sanded it to make it smoother. It’s still not perfect, but it’s something that’ll take practice and patience so.
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Next I made the book cloth, which involves using appliqué sheets to combine cotton fabric and tissue paper. But first I want to talk about the fabric I chose for the cover, because I’m quite proud of it. I spent ages wandering around the shop, trying to find something that fit the feel of the book. Spoilers for the content of the fic if you haven’t read it yet, and also for the source material (999/Zero Escape). I was thinking about some sort of blue swirl thing, because of the Gigantic sinking. I found that, but hesitated because it didn’t fully fit, and my favourite colour is blue so I always pick blue. I also considered flames/fire because of the incinerator thing, but couldn’t find any. I can’t remember if I just couldn’t find any four leaf clover fabric, or if I’ve just since thought about that as a cover. But instead I chose the butterflies below. They fit in several subtle ways that I’m proud of. The colours of blue and pink(/red) matching the receiver and transmitter coding all throughout 999, as well as the moments of purple as well (I don’t think I need to get into that, I’m sure it was analysed to hell and back when the game first came out). The butterflies also point towards the butterfly effect, and in turn the different timelines present in the series. So together it just works. /spoilers over
It’s also just a pretty fabric.
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Now the making of the book cloth. I had to make it twice, because I was too impatient the first time, so the iron was too hot and it steamed, which wrinkled and warped the tissue paper, so the fabric was all wrinkly too. The second time took ages and was a worse quality appliqué sheet, but worked well enough anyway.
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(My parents: did you have the iron out? what were you ironing? you never iron)
And then I cut the book board to size, using the measurements from the tutorial video. I’ll repeat them here: front and back cover: width = width of textblock minus 3mm, and height = height of textblock plus 6mm, and spine width = width of textblock spine, spine height = same height as covers
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I then glued the board onto the book cloth, and put it under the book press. The dnd books are not large enough to cover the whole thing, and also I really wanted the board to stay flat and not curl, so I grabbed way more dnd books and way more of my brother’s weights. I also accidentally started putting the glue on the wrong side of the board (bc one side is smooth and the other is rough), hence the colour difference as well.
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The corners were cut and folded and glued over...
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And then the textblock was glued in, and put in my book press for a whole weekend. I added a sheet of paper to absorb the glue so the pages wouldn’t become wrinkly, but instead the sheet I added was fine and every other page in the book is wrinkly. So I dunno what happened there. After the weekend I took it out and looked at it, and then put it back for another week to be sure.
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And then the complete book is shown at the top of the post!
As I was starting I was talking a lot about it, like about the process I had to go through, or how I was going to obtain what I needed, etc. Mum asked if she could read the story. I froze, like a deer in the headlights... because this is a fanfic. She saw my fear and immediately backed down, explaining she only wanted to read it because if the story was that important to me that I was going to literally turn it into a book, she wanted to read it to yknow like know me better or something? Which makes sense. And when I got over my initial reaction, and remembered that indeed it was technically my dad who introduced me to fanfic, and thought about it more, I said okay. Because since the fic is technically a prequel to the first game, and most of the characters are technically OC’s (like, from the first game we know that all eighteen children must exist, but most of them don’t have names or anything so they are effectively OC’s), then knowledge of source material isn’t strictly necessary. This fic can probably be enjoyed on its own. I mean I’ll probably have to explain the concept of morphogenetic fields, and the last four chapters might not make sense? But I’m okay for my mum to read it. So when she’s less busy at work I’m going to download the epub onto her phone for her - we’ll see how it goes.
Anyway, this fic is a masterpiece, extremely well written and I highly recommend it. As said, most of the characters are effectively OC’s, and yet they are all given such rich histories and personalities. All of them have access to the morphogenetic field, so I’m just so glad that @airdeari​ explores nine unique relationships with the field - nine unique sibling dynamics, and esper powers and abilities. It’s just so good.
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draftingtides · 4 years
Text
I’ll Find the Words
AO3
Words: 1343 Characters: Jonathan Sims, Martin Blackwood Relationships: JonMartin Warnings: Brief mentions of Martin’s mum being transphobic and generally unpleasant, Jons afraid Martin’s going to react badly to his asexuality but theres no actual aphobia Other Tags: Cottage Fic, Curtain Fic, Coming Out, Trans Martin Blackwood, Nonbinary Jonathan Sims, Canon Asexual Character, Getting Together, Canon Atypical Discussions of Emotions, Domestic Fluff, Post MAG159 Pre MAG160 Summary:  Somehow maybe now I'll find the words to say Never thought I'd see the day —Brian David Gilbert, "See The Day" In a cottage in Scotland, they finally get to talk.
Jon wakes slowly, the dredges of some re-lived statement slipping out of his mind. His face is half-smushed in his pillow, but through his free eye he can see Martin across the bed, still asleep. Sunlight filters in through the lacey curtains and draws patterns across the quilt and their hands, which rest only inches away from each other.
Following the slow rise and fall of Martin’s chest almost lulls Jon back to sleep. For the first time in too long, he takes a moment to just lay there and… breathe; to feel his lungs contracting and expanding, his body pressing into the mattress. He closes his eyes and his eyelashes brush against the pillow. He doesn’t have anywhere to be. He doesn’t have anything to do. He can just exist.
A shift of the fabric makes him open his eyes again. Martin is awake now, watching him. Jon watches back. Neither of them says a word.
I really loved you, you know? Loved, past tense—but everything is past tense in the Lonely. It was once-there-was-someone-or-something-but-now-it-is-gone-and-I-am-on-my-own. It still lingers, still hovers on the edge of Martin’s being. His hair is shock-white where the Lonely leeched all the colour from it.
Jon’s limbs are heavy from sleep, so his movements are clumsy when he reaches out and puts one hand in Martin’s hair. Martin sucks in a breath, but his expression doesn’t change, nor does he ask Jon to stop, so Jon doesn’t move. Martin’s hair is soft as candyfloss, soft as a cloud.
“I love you,” Jon says, pleasantly surprised when his voice doesn’t tremble.
Martin’s eyes go wide like saucers. In a voice as steady as Jon’s and soft as his hair, he says, “I love you, too, Jon.” He puts his own hand on top of Jon’s and tugs it down to press a kiss to his open palm. “I love you,” he whispers again, so quietly this time that Jon’s not even sure he was meant to hear it.
Jon twists his hand in Martin’s so he can twine their fingers together. “Would you like breakfast? We can make pancakes.”
Martin squeezes his hand. “Yeah. Yeah, breakfast sounds great.”
~~~~~
Daisy doesn’t have any syrup, so they make do with butter and honey on their pancakes instead. 
Martin fixes them both tea. If he notices Jon watching him while he does so, he doesn’t say anything about it. Jon accepts his cup with a murmured thanks.
The table is a tiny thing, and it’s no difficulty at all for Martin to link his left hand with Jon’s across it.
When he finishes eating, Jon pushes his plate away. “I… I’ve been thinking. About something Peter Lukas said.”
Martin’s expression tightens, but he nods for Jon to continue.
“He said we don’t know each other very well. And I… it’s true, I think. At least for me.” He focuses on a point just to the left of Martin’s face. “But I would like to know you. I want to know everything about you—not because of the Eye, just—just for me. And for you.”
Martin’s breath hitches. “I want to know everything about you, too.”
They leave the dishes in the sink and curl up on the couch, facing each other, never unclasping their hands.
“What do you want to know?”
Jon considers. “Is there anything you want me to know first?”
Martin bites his lip and looks to the side. “I’m trans.”
Without thinking, Jon says, “Oh, I know.”
Martin turns sharply back to look at him. “What? How?”
“Um. When I caught you in your pants when you were staying at the Archives? You didn’t have a shirt on and you were wearing your binder.”
Martin exhales and runs and a hand through his hair. “I thought you thought it was a tank top.”
“I did, at first. But it had the trans flag colours on it, and I recognised them. I didn’t want to do anything rude or—or transphobic, so I did a little research after that, and that’s when I figured out it was a binder.” Jon resists the urge to stick his hand in his mouth and chew on his nails. “I, ah, I’m trans too? Um, genderqueer.”
“Oh! What are your pronouns?”
“He/him, I think.”
Martin sighs, relieved. “That’s good. I hate to think I’d been misgendering you. He/him for me, as well.”
“When did… when did you start figuring it out?”
“Around fifteen or sixteen? I couldn’t really start transitioning until I was an adult. Mum was… not supportive.” He looks away. “I think I must have looked too much like my dad.”
Jon rubs his thumb over the back of Martin’s hand. 
“I got top surgery last year, after she died. I… I was scared I wouldn’t like how it would look, after—after I realised how much it would make me look like him? I didn’t want to have that association every time I looked in the mirror. But I decided to go through with it, and I don’t think it makes me look like him. It just makes me look like me.”
“You look lovely, Martin,” Jon tells him sincerely, and Martin flushes to the tips of his ears.
“What about you? When did you figure it out?”
Jon recognises the attempt to divert his attention for what it is, but he doesn’t comment on it. “Just a couple years ago, actually. I came across the term while I was researching after I caught you in your binder, but I didn’t really… connect it to the way I felt until later. I also found another word?” This time, he does bring his thumb up to his mouth to chew on his nail. “Asexual.”
Martin nods and squeezes his hand.
“It means… not having sexual attraction. Which isn’t the same as romantic attraction, um, they’re separate things. So someone could be asexual and biromantic, which is like bisexual except romantic instead of sexual. It’s—um—” Jon gives up on the nail and just bites down on his whole thumb. “It’s—some aces—that’s shorthand for asexual—some of them like sex? But some—they just—it’s not—”
“Jon.”
Jon shuts up.
“Are you asexual?”
He nods slowly.
“And you don’t like sex?”
He nods again without meeting Martin’s eyes. “I don’t even like kissing on the mouth.”
Martin tugs Jon’s hand away from his mouth and holds it with his own, so they’re holding hands on both sides. “Hey. If you don’t want to have sex, or kiss me, I’m not going to make you. I didn’t fall in love with you because I thought the sex would be good.”
“But you like sex.”
“I—well, yeah. Probably. But—”
Jon looks up. “Probably?”
“I’ve never actually… done it? I never exactly had a lot of time, between working and caring for my mum. I’ve never even had a boyfriend.”
“Oh.”
“My point is, I’ve gone my entire life without having sex. I can go the rest of it, too. Especially if it means I get to be with you.”
“Oh.” His eyes start to sting. “Um.” He pulls one of his hands free of Martin’s to wipe away the wetness on his cheeks.
“Do you want a hug?” Martin asks gently, opening his arms a bit.
Jon nods and falls into them without a second thought. He’s not a loud crier, but he muffles the little sounds he does make in Martin’s neck. Martin rubs Jon’s back and rocks them a little, making quiet, comforting shushing sounds.
The strong wave of emotion peters out eventually, but Jon doesn’t move from Martin’s hold. 
“You okay?” Martin murmurs.
Jon nods. “Thank you.”
Martin giggles a bit. “We really just started out with the the heaviest stuff, didn’t we?”
Jon laughs and holds Martin tighter. “Should I have asked for your favourite colour instead?”
“It’s brown. Like your eyes.”
Jon splutters and retaliates with, “Mine’s pink. Like you used to dye your hair,” and grins when Martin’s cheeks colour to match.
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hey-hamlet · 5 years
Text
BNHA AU Ideas : Darker Stains
Also on AO3 
TL;DR: 
Being a villain might run in Izuku's family, but that doesn't mean he needs to be the same type of villain as his dad. After all, the world doesn't need another All for One.
But I could do with another Stain.
AKA: Izuku, stubbornly follows Stain around until the guy warms up to him, all while he slowly poisons his gen ed class against the concept of heroes. Iida is stuck in the middle of all of this and finding himself begrudgingly agreeing with the kid who seems too sweet to be a villain.
Basically, deku is stain's apprentice
Ok less apprentice, more like "kid he cant get rid of"
izuku has afo and is sensei's kid and its kinda been his mission to get stain onside, but he just kinda started staning stain
so he said "love u dad but can i just like, follow this guy" and his dad said "you know what, its good to broaden your villainous horizons" So he makes a deal w stain: the heroes don't have to die, but izuku will take their quirks from them
in this AU izuku can "borrow" a quirk pretty quickly but needs a solid minute of contact to fully take it
izuku goes to ua, hes a gen. ed. student! he's there to get connections/blackmail but he only shows up around 3 days a week because of "family matters" but he’s holding great grades so they haven’t pushed too hard about his attendance. the only quirk izuku is listed as having is minor telekinesis, its all he uses in school but he gets pretty far in the sports festival, all the way to the tournament but has to forfeit his match because he needs to do something
(it was against bakugo. he honestly could have fought it but bakugo would be way angrier not being allowed to fight him so he left a little early)
so bakugo has always been kinda,,, scared of izuku. he lives w his dad, his mum lives in europe or something, bakugo isn't sure (afo told her it'd be safer for her to leave the country because all might vs him would be dangerous. She agreed but asked that he A, look after izuku and B, she be allowed to give her quirk to him as a gift to keep him safe. its izukus favorite quirk) and izuku has always let off a creepy aura. he had a "weak" quirk but did a lot of unexplained things, was too smart etc and his dad was creepy as all hell
bakugo would never admit it, but he was kinda glad he didnt have to fight izuku
Iida doesn’t get the call from his mum until later so he gets his medal and everything.
turns out? tensei was stopped by the hero killers, they don't "kill" people but they do kill heroes, tensei fought, lost and lost his quirk
so everything happens as in canon up till hosu (mirio has ofa) so izuku knows iida a little, was on his team with todoroki (replaced kami, his quirk was great for grabbing headbands). He actually picked iida's team because he wanted to know more about him before they took on ingenium
he wasnt 100% onboard with the removal of ingenium because he wasn't all that bad but he wasn't perfect for stains ideology because he was pretty profit-focused, had no other heroes on team but loads of sidekicks who make lower rates than heroes and give his agency a funding boost and was from a Hero Family so it wasn't super likely he wanted to be a hero just to save people
but he was a nice guy and put his life on the line for people so izuku thought he was pretty ok but stain was sticking to his guns and izuku didn't want the guy dead,,, so he said sure. so, izuku kinda,,, knows iida is going to come after stain. he saw all the people who put in internship forms, he saw where iida put down and put 2 and 2 together. but, thing is? he really likes iida! every time he's met iida the guy has been super nice to him, if a little uptight. during the cavalry battle he even took a hit for izuku he didn’t need to and izuku liked that so he’s trying to steer stain away from where he knows iida is probably going to end up because fuck endeavour and he's in Hosu
(plus izuku wants that sweet sweet fire quirk because he's not allowed to take dabi's)
also: relevant but only just, izuku has a really cutesy villain costume and isn't linked to the hero killer (like, think bunny poncho)
so izuku is wandering around, trying to work out how to lure endeavour into a dark alley and not having much luck because the nomu are L o u d and he ends up getting pushed to the ground and trampled in a person stampede
which he's a little salty about! but, iida, a knight in shining armour, stops his search for the hero killer to help izuku up and ask if hes ok and izuku blushes despite himself because even tho hes trying to steal the number 2 heroes quirk hes a big fan of heroes and iida? pushing all the heroic buttons
so yada yada, stain ends up taking native because endeavour wasnt leaving the crowds and izuku goes over to take the quirk for him and iida shows up
He steps between izuku and stain (assuming stain ment to hurt izuku) and says hes going to get revenge for his brother
and stain just fucking,,, sighs because he can see izuku's blush from here and the kid is all starry eyed over baby ingenium but like, the kid is vengeance-y and that’s not great for a hero, so he thinks the least he can do is rough him up a bit to teach him what a hero should be doing, because he’s trying to make a point more than anything he doesn’t use his quirk yet and tries to explain his point to iida
izuku is sitting off to the side with native and just watching this go down (he,,, may also be stealing native's quirk,, because fuck that guy but thats not the point)
anyway, iida is losing, and pretty badly too because the kid is angry and alone. izuku has finished taking native's quirk, who still hasn’t realized because hes stupid so he hauls iida over his shoulder from where hes a little concussed on the ground and runs off with him, leaving stain to sigh because what has his life come to
izuku talks to iida about stains ideas while patching him up, admitting that he thinks iida's brother was actually a pretty good hero and that stains a little strict. iida cant help but understand stains way of thinking, even though hes mad at himself about it. he tries to ask izuku what he was doing but he just gets shushed
izuku kinda dumps iida on todoroki and runs
(todoroki swears there was something familiar about the rabbit costumed kid)
so, izuku like comes up to iida during school, says he heard ab. stain and that it was really impressive that he did all that yadda yadda, and then leaves, 20 minutes later todoroki sees iida trying to flex his arms and grimacing. iida admits his arms are a little sore but its nbd
during hero training iida collapses a little and ochako runs over, hes trying not to scream because his arms hurt so bad.
he heads to recovery girl and hes? ok? but now also got engines where his brother did? and todoroki and ochako are so lost. todoroki turns to iida and says "i know this is off topic, but didnt your involvement with stain get suppressed from the media?" and iida freezes
iida trying to find this gen ed student but he doesnt really remember izukus name. hes just "green boy w minor telekinesis who knew too much"
i want izuku ducking behind his bestie shinso to hide from the big bad hero student. shinso is ready to throw down for izuku honestly. izuku confided in shinso ab. his villainous quirk and shinso is honestly shaping up to be his righthand man. together they'll show the world what heroes should really be, by tearing the system to shreds
iida is trying to find "green boy". short skinny green boy who hides behind his tall angry friend and is only on campus like, half the week. 
needless to say iida is having some trouble
so iida, honestly losing faith in heroics (in this au, todoroki told iida about the quirk marriage) goes looking for stain
iida: “where is izuku”
everyone in gen ed: 💪🏽👁👄👁👊🏽
iida, now in tears: “what are you  say i ng”
basically in this au izuku has managed to poison the gen ed. kids against heroics. some of them cant stand their teachers anymore, none of them want to transfer, they fake gag when they see the heroics students and some of them have even dropped out but no one suspects izuku because the kid loves heroes!!!
mic is his homeroom teacher
ooooOOOH TRAITOR MIC TOO
so mic is also the traitor
but hes like,, stupidly in love with aizawa and izuku kinda loves eraserhead so izuku makes his dad promise to not hurt 1a/aizawa so in this au? aizawa doesn't get smashed by the nomu. aizawa was trapped by stains quirk so the guy has tr a u m a but he's not in pain. afo is honestly trying to kill allmight but izuku likes all might so they fight about it but like, a soft fight? and it's disturbing even shigiraki because you should not be lightly bickering over the life of a man
shigaraki s in the corner tears in his eyes because izuku just gave afo permission to “lightly maim him” like goddamn kid what’s wrong with u
stain runs into iida and he's like "god please i dont wanna fight you again the boss' kid will cry" and iida is like ",,, so tell me about izuku" and stain fucking glares at him w such intensity iida is both 1, sure he's correct 2, scared for his life
so stain calls kurogiri and throws iida into the bar and izuku jumps like, 6 feet in the air like a cat and is clinging to the roof but he calms the fuck down and iida is so shook that the only thing he can think to say is ",,, we are too young to be in a bar"
and izuku busts a gut and hes like, crying laughing "you're right we are way too young, why don't we go to another room?" dabi wolf whistles, then has to dodge izuku's now flying milkshake iida n izuku just chat! n iida is a little creeped? because izuku is charismatic and charming and iida agrees with him 100% but he shouldn’t be? he should be nervous or angry or at least a little confused but hes just so charming and bubbly its a little odd. honestly, all the stuff izuku pointed out? iida starts to see how bakugo can get away with acting like an ass but shinso can’t even look at someone wrong without getting set upon
iida is making massive leaps in his training because his quirk has doubled in strength! but, it feels like hes stolen something from his brother
but thats not possible, right? you cant give and take quirks.
of course not
...
right?
iida starts wondering what midoriya's quirk really is, exactly. he never named it. just said "i can use telekinesis on light stuff" but, he hung around villains and seemed to be respected by them, without any visible training, weapons or strength
and shinso, when prompted, said he empathised with midoriya, which iida thought was an odd word choice?
anyway, iida doesnt feel great during hero training. all might's villain costume feels almost offensive? and the profiling aizawa has them do feels wrong, like making assumptions based off the quirk, not the person. it just feels gross and wrong and he's starting to feel really conflicted. because stain hurt people. izuku hurt people.
but he agrees with them
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Text
So I finished Persona 5 Royal
And once again I was a crying mess when the ending credits rolled.
Now, I’d like to share my thoughts about this game but I also respect the fact that not everyone had the chance to finish it yet so anything that is a spoiler will be talked about under the cut.
Anyways, let’s begin.
From the very beginning... I love the new title screen, the fact that you can see each member just hanging out in the streets of Tokyo is so cute and I love it. It’s so easy to get a platinum trophy for Persona 5 Royal which at first I thought was somewhat disappointing as it doesn’t require you to play through it again but then I found out there’s a bunch of challenges in the Thieves Den so I was really glad I had a reason to play it again.
Speaking of the Thieves Den, it’s really nice to see your team members just chat about the decorations you put in there, like for example Yusuke and Ann casually chatting in front of a Reaper statue like it’s no big deal. On a small sidenote, my mum really likes the fact that you can play Tycoon in the Thieves Den and I’m not gonna lie she spent hours playing with them which means I now have thousands of tokens but nothing to spend them on :’)
Much of P5R is very similar to the vanilla P5 except of course the fact that there’s 2 new characters being introduced to the story. You still get sent to Tokyo for ‘assaulting’ the drunk man however, the first change that you really notice is Sojiro’s conversation with you when he is taking you home on the Sunday you visit the school. Of course, by this point you know that there have been many psychotic breakdowns and a lot of accidents but what Sojiro tells you is... Interesting to say the least. I didn’t think of it much at first but then again I went into Royal completely spoiler free (except of course with the knowledge of how Persona 5 plays out) but eventually you find out that what he said was actually really important.
Another thing I really loved that they put in Royal is the fact that they managed to make the battle system even better. I always thought it was pretty amazing but they somehow managed to make it even better. First off, you can Baton Pass right off the bat. No need to establish a social link with the party members or anything, which honestly makes everything so much easier, especially in the early game. They also decided, you know what this nasty crime boy needs? Unlimited bullets... Well sorta. Remember how in Persona 5 you only had a limited amount of bullets per infiltration? Well, now they replenish every battle which of course means I did the only rational thing:
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You also get the grappling hook in Royal and honestly? Just watching Joker do flips all over the place is really aesthetically pleasing. I love that they reworked the Palaces so that the grappling hook plays a big part in getting around and as I said, it’s just so fun to see Joker zooming through the air.
They added new Shadows/Personas to Royal which I think is fantastic as it makes returning players not bored of the battles but they also changed some weaknesses/removed weaknesses for some shadows which means you gotta strategise a little bit more. They also changed up the Palace Ruler Bosses but I found them... A lot more easier than the original? I don’t know if it’s due to the fact that I love to grind a lot before finishing a Palace or if I just had the perfect Personas for the occasion but yeah... That’s not to say the changes are bad! I still really liked them but it was just... Really easy for me lol. 
Another major change is the fact that Morgana decided that you may be a tired boi after going to the Metaverse but you still have enough energy to do some things in the cafe. That makes it like a ton easier to max out your social stats which means you can max out your confidants a lot faster, I managed to max out everyone and still had days where I literally had nothing to do which just shows how much time you actually save now.
Along with the fact that they fixed some translation errors, they also improved the sprites and added a lot more voice lines which was really nice in my opinion, it was a lot better when a character was expressing a certain emotion and their sprite actually matched it instead of just them facing one way and occasionally changing the facial expression.
I’ll mention this briefly seeing as this is sort of spoilery but I really loved the new confidants. The fact that you can actually hang out with Akechi and get to know him instead of being forced to level him up automatically was so good. The scenes where you would automatically rank up are still there but they kinda act as a filler of sorts now which in all honesty I didn’t mind. 
Ummm... That’s about all I can think of that doesn’t contain spoilers so... The section below will have spoilers so please only read this when you finish the game!
I’m going to talk about Akechi’s Confidant for a bit because I just really loved it okay? You learn so much about him, even things that seem trivial like the fact that he’s left handed become... Well rather important near the end. The more time you spend with him, the more you see how much Akira actually means to him. When you defeat him in his Rank 8 event, I actually loved it when he said he hated Akira. That was pure Akechi right there, no lies, no fake smiles just pure, honest truth. Also, I love how he decided to be extra and dramatic by throwing his glove as a challenge. It’s also really significant, at least to me, mainly because you never see him without gloves, in a way, this sort of showed that he fully exposed his true self to Akira. Their exchange in Shido’s Palace when you remind him that you still have his glove... That was really sad. I really wish there was some way you could help him, but alas, you can’t always have happy endings.
I’m not gonna lie, I was really confused when I got to 12/24 and we still went to Mementos. You discover a Palace and explore it for a bit but then it’s kind of... Forgotten? Like Morgana is genuinely like: Lmao this doesn’t concern us atm so you know, killed God with the power of friendship, was ready to stop being a Phantom Thief and surrender myself to the police but then... Mr. Sketchy himself just appears out of nowhere and decides that he’ll take Akira’s place for him
When I first saw him I was like: Omg? How is this even possible? Can I hug him? But then weird things started happening in the story
Reality becomes distorted after New Years and you see that right away when your cat, is no longer a cat. But that’s not all, Futaba’s mother is alive and well as well as Haru’s father and supposedly they were never dead in the first place. I was really confused but then guess who turns up to clear some things up... Mr. Pankechi.
This post is already long as hecc so I won’t go into details but I really like the new Palace. It’s so different to the other Palaces and for once the Palace Ruler is not some evil adult... He’s actually quite the opposite.
I’m going to quickly talk about Kasumi for a second now, or rather Sumire. Honestly when you learn the truth, I was really shocked. Remember when I said what Sojiro tells you becomes important near the end? Yeah well it’s like the game was telling you from the start that she’s not really who she says she is. Just like Akechi, I was fully convinced that the New Palace was hers but I was kind of relieved to find out that wasn’t the case. As a party member, I really like her, she’s really cute and her Persona abilities are helpful in the new Palace. As a confidant... Again, she’s just so cute. When you help her pick out the glasses for her dad... Bruh I just wanted to give her headpats all day. Once you unlock the rest of her confidant, it’s really nice to see her grow and accept the fact that she doesn’t have to be Kasumi appreciated, and once she accepts that she’s Sumire but she’ll still do everything to make Kasumi’s dream come true it was honestly so satisfying. 
I think the thing I loved the most though is the fact that Akechi becomes your navigator for a little while and honestly? I wish I had the option to keep him as the navigator. His lines are so funny because they’re helpful but at the same time they’re so passive aggressive! ALSO his Showtime with Joker is by far my favourite Showtime. I love how he’s able to just be himself and literally rip enemies apart and Joker’s just there like: Yeah I’ll play along why not. Whenever they finish and Akechi is just there like: “Don’t waste my time.” ... Big mood, me when I’m driving around Mementos trying to find the stamps.
One more thing I gotta talk about... The ending. I love it so much. I think it’s a lot better than the original Persona 5 ending and here’s why. First of all, the fact that you see the Thieves still being themselves is just so sweet I love these funky kids, that fact that Maruki gives you a lift to the station and he accepts that this is the world that you have to live in? Amazing, thank you Atlus. The fact that Morgana is just snoozing in your bag? Beautiful, let me pet my cat plz. But most importantly... The edgy pancake loving detective LIVES, granted Akira doesn’t actually see him but I DID. I burst into tears when I saw him walk by, I’m so glad he got to live in a reality where he isn’t anyone’s puppet anymore. He can finally fix the mistakes he did, don’t get me wrong, Akechi is still a bad person, I mean he literally killed people but he still deserved a second chance, and seeing him alive means that he finally has a chance to do that... Bruh I was crying so much.
Anyway, I could talk about this game for hours but here are just some of my thoughts that I wanted to share, I’m sure I’ll have a lot more to say later on but for now... Have this mess I call a post!
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haknyeonrk · 4 years
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surprise LIVE ! per_se : 1 YEAR!!! ILY!!!
initially he had planned to write a long and cheesy instagram post. yet that didn’t seem like enough to convey his gratitude to the fans –– words were powerful, but he’s sure that they’d probably at least like to see his face. now that their promotions are over, they don’t exactly have a schedule packed for the month to actually meet their fans, and haknyeon thinks it’s about time he’s started doing more vlives. 
he takes a moment to think about what to title it, but settles on something simple and straightforward. “1 year!! ily!!!” he smiles and clicks start. it’s much different than an instagram live, because the hearts begin pouring in and haknyeon stares into the camera for a good few seconds, unknowing if anyone’s gonna watch. but they do and he smiles as he looks at the numbers increasing. he begins to read the comments.
“oppa, are you just going to stare at the camera? say something!”
immediately he turns to look at the camera, away from the comments and laughs shyly. “oh! sorry! i was really fascinated!” he laughs. at that he clasps his hands together and notices that the viewer count has increased, there’s a good number of people watching him now.
“everyone! it’s our one year already!” he beams, and he claps his hands together, smiling wide. “can you believe it’s already been one year with per_se? i wanted to celebrate it with all of you, that’s why i decided to do this vlive!” he continues, and he watches as the number of hearts continue to increase. “it’s something really special to me, and something that i think could only be achieved thanks to our fans! i can say thank you a million times but it’ll never be enough,” his words are sincere as he speaks, and he knows they aren’t face-to-face, but he hopes that his genuine gratitude can reach them. “i was going to write a long... cheesy... instagram post... but i wanted to be able to share this moment with all of you!” he smiles.
from the corner of his eye he spots a comment that says “do you miss hugo?” but he ignores it –– he has to. he’s not too sure if he’s allowed to speak on it, if the company might come after him if he does. it’s not exactly a situation that he can speak so candidly about.
the vlive proceeds, and haknyeon continues to read other comments. “what have you been doing lately?” a comment asks.
“me? i’ve been practicing of course~ i’ve been working really hard on my rapping and dancing and singing too! i want to make sure ceo hyunbin doesn’t call me a terrible singer!” he adds the last part cheekily, referring back to when the ceo had called him a terrible singer on television. it’s not as though hyunbin would watch these vlives, right? he’s sure a little playful jab wouldn’t hurt. 
another comment catches his attention. 
“i didn’t know you were friends with anna!” 
he smiles as he answers, “we are! anna noona and i went to the same highschool! she’s a year older than me and we didn’t see each other much in highschool since she was a trainee back then, but we got a lot closer after i debuted! she’s a dependable senior!” 
“are you close to convex?”
“definitely! i have a few friends in convex~ we’re buddies!” he smiles widely. it’s always fun to talk about his friends, and the friendships he’s made. “sang–– ah, link, haru, micha and i were actually all in a dance crew before we became trainees. it’s crazy right? then i became a trainee, and then link hyung, then micha, then haru... then we all debuted! they’re really close friends of mine! and they’re really talented too! how can i not be a consta when they have so many handsome members right?” he cheekily raises his eyebrows. “ah... but my bias is actually jinwook sunbaenim,” he laughs before he makes a heart with his hands. “jinwook sunbaenim, i love you!”
more comments continue to flow in, and it’s getting a little tough for him to read them one by one. but he notices the interest in his idol friends, and decides to speak about it.
“other idols i’m close to? i’m really close to de:code’s shion and a.c! jihoonie... seonho...” he calls out their name playfully. “i remember crying at jihoon’s graduation because i was sad that he was leaving school! super embarrassing right? but that’s how close we were,” he smiles fondly at the memories, and makes a mental note to check on jihoon. “and i’m really close to seonho too! we have a lot of history together,” he smiles, but ends it at that –– he isn’t going to disclose just how much history they have of course.
“of course i’m close to and*roma! they’re our sister group!” he says with a smile. “darae noona is like my nova mum! she took such great care of me when i first entered nova, i’ll forever be grateful to her!” he beams. “speaking of which, and*roma just had a comeback so be sure to listen to the song lots! i’ve been listening to it nonstop because it’s so good,” he holds up his phone and shows the and*roma album that he’s liked on melon. “and*roma is the best!” at that, he puts a thumbs up.
“if darae is your mum, then is hui your dad?”
haknyeon laughs out loud before he nods his head. “yes! you are one hundred percent correct!” the accuracy in that statement has him giggling a little more. “actually, let me tell you a funny story about hui hyung and i! when i first entered the company, hui hyung was like... a legend! like a legend among legends in the b-boying world! so of course i had to ask him to practice with me and help me train, right?” the comments begin pouring in with yes huidong oppa is a legend! and haknyeon nods. “and once while we were training, he was teaching me how to do this trick. it was really tough, but after trying a few times i got it! i was so happy and excited that i looked up at him and i said thanks dad! i called hui hyung dad!” he’s giggling as he tells the story, his encounter with hyung. he doesn’t think he’s shared this story anywhere else before, but what better time to share it then now during his vlive, right? “that was so embarrassing! and he just looked at me all surprised,” at this, he attempts to imitate huidong’s expression at that time, but he’s still laughing. “hui appa, hui appa,” he adds, smiling as he reads the comments, most of which were full of laughter. 
“i actually have a lot of funny anecdotes with all the members! like that one time jungwoo hyung and i got matching couple bracelets but we lost them and had to get new ones! and when i accidentally back hugged ricky hyung when i was still a newer trainee! that was actually quite scary,” he shudders a little, “but we’re closer now of course! and when hosung hyung and i went on an adventure in morocco!” these are fond memories of his, and he almost lets slip a memory he’s shared with hugo, but catches himself before doing so. 
he’s careful not to let his expression slip, and quickly he turns back to the comments. 
“can you say i love you noona?”
haknyeon reads the comment out loud and looks at the camera. “okay! be sure to record this alright?” he smiles. “noona, i love you!” he says, before he continues. “and for our male fans, hyung, i love you!” lifting both his arms, he makes a heart shape over his head.
“hyung loves you a lot junju”
he giggles at the comment and makes a heart finger. “i love you more hyung!” he says, scrunching his nose in an attempt to cutely show how serious he was at loving. 
another comment immediately catches his attention, and at this haknyeon bursts into laughter.
“5 hyunbin sajangnims or a 5 year old hyunbin sajangnim?”
he’s laughing as he reads the comment. usually you’d expect to see this question about the members but seeing one about your ceo is something he honestly didn’t think would happen. 
“ah... do i have to answer this? i’d rather not...” he replies. “it’s so funny just thinking about it. imagine me bowing 90 degrees to a five year old and greeting him with hello sajangnim!” he laughs. the image itself is funny to just think about. “for this... pass!”
haknyeon continues to read the comments, unaware of how much he’s been talking –– mostly because he’s having such a great time communicating with the fans. 
“put on some filters!”
“filters?” he repeats, fiddling with the screen. “ah... here we are!” he begins to play with a bunch of them, from a cat filter, to one of him in a beret, to a filter of him as a dinosaur. 
he opens his mouth wide, like how a dinosaur would and smiles. “this is how much i love you!” he says, and he attempts to open his mouth even wider, only to accidentally choke on his own spit. 
there’s a lot more talking during the vlive, most of which is full of haknyeon thanking the fans, and sharing stories that he can remember. like how nervous he was during their debut, and how happy he was when they celebrated his birthday with him. it’s only when a notification saying “your phone is at 20%” pops up, does he gasp a little.
“everyone! i didn’t realize i’ve been on vlive for so long!” he says, blinking at the screen. “i had so much fun talking to you that i didn’t notice how fast time flew by!” he smiles at the screen, glad to have spent his time talking and communicating with the fans. “i wish i could stay and talk for another hour but the phone is running out of battery! and i need to go back and practice,” he pouts a little at this, but he knows that he has to train. “thank you so much for loving per_se! we only made it to this one year milestone because of you guys! please look forward to what else we have in store!” he reaches out for the phone and feels a little sad, honestly, that he has to end this vlive. “bye bye everyone! i love you!” he kisses the screen and the live ends.
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shipaholic · 4 years
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Omens Universe, Chapter 19
2 chapters to go -!!
Link to next part at the end.
(From the beginning)
(last part)
(chrono)
---
Chapter 19
A smoking pile lay on the ground. Crowley looked down at it, still processing what he’d just seen. A sword, a crown, and a set of scales. Smoke rose from them in wisps. Crowley knew one thing for certain; he was blessed if he was going to touch them.
“Why… why did they disappear?” Aziraphale said, half to nobody.
War, Famine and Pollution. One moment they’d been gung-ho about Adam using his terrifying powers, the next - vanished. Nothing left of them except a heap of unsettling artifacts.
Crowley looked to the tall figure remaining. Death’s eye sockets looked back at him, pinpoints of bright blue in their centres.
“Where did they go?” he said.
Death’s head tilted towards him.
THEY HAVE GONE. THEY EXISTED BECAUSE HUMANITY DREAMT OF THEM. HUMANITY DREAMS NO MORE. HUMANITY THINKS NO MORE. HUMANITY IS NO MORE.
In a small voice, Aziraphale said, “But… you’re still here.”
Death grinned.
YES. I AM STILL HERE.
Crowley shivered. So. No more humans. Nothing but the washed-out things standing about the house. Adam got them all.
“We’re the only ones left,” Aziraphale murmured.
“You had to point that out, didn’t you?” Crowley muttered.
Adam stared around the garden. He seemed to take in that he was now one of five sentient creatures left on Earth. He looked from Aziraphale and Crowley, to Death, to Spacedog at his feet. The little dog had shrunk into an unhappy ball. Even his helmet looked smaller than usual.
“All right.” Aziraphale sounded a little like his old self. He raised his chin and spoke briskly. “Why did you spare Crowley and myself?”
Adam’s gaze wandered back to the two of them. Crowley tried not to flinch.
“We’re in the eye of the storm,” he said, dramatically.
There was a pause.
Crowley wrinkled his nose. “Come off it.”
Adam grinned. Only with one corner of his mouth, and for half a second, but still.
“Yeah, it sounds cool when people on TV say that. Actually, I want to see Zadkiel.”
Crowley moved protectively towards Aziraphale. Aziraphale did the same towards him. They bumped into each other a bit, but Crowley felt he managed to play it off.
He glared at Adam. “No.”
“Why?” Aziraphale said.
Adam shrugged. “I just thought he was cool. He saved my life. You two were pretty useless - no offence. He was much better.”
“He’s not a party trick,” said Crowley.
“Don’t you want to be him? I thought you wanted to spend the rest of your lives together.”
“Yeah, well, I hoped the rest of my life would take a bit longer,” Crowley snapped.
“I’m not killing you. Why don’t you understand? You’ll be fine. Better than fine. You’ll never feel anything bad again.”
“Crowley,” Aziraphale said, quietly.
Crowley turned to him. A tiny flutter of hope whispered to him that perhaps Aziraphale was going to say something brilliant and save the day.
Aziraphale slipped his hand into Crowley’s. Crowley felt their fingers intertwine, and for a moment cared about nothing else.
“I think we’ve lost,” Aziraphale said, softly.
Crowley felt coldness squeeze his insides. Then, a hollow sense of loss.
“Yeah. I know,” he mumbled.
Aziraphale gave a sad smile. Crowley wondered if there was anything they could have thought of. Probably not. The only thing they could have done that would have made a damn bit of difference was to fall in love sooner. Been braver. Dared Heaven and Hell to destroy them. They would have - of course they would have. But oblivion was coming either way. They could have died on their own terms.
He supposed they still could.
“Do you want to?” he asked Aziraphale.
Aziraphale’s eyes were very bright and very sad. “Be him again? One last time?”
He paused in thought, his hand still laced with Crowley’s.
“I don’t think I want to do that to him,” he said at last. “And I rather want you to be the last thing I see.”
A lump in Crowley’s throat made it suddenly hard to breathe.
“Yeah. Same.”
He faced Aziraphale.
“We’re ready. Do your worst.”
Adam sounded bored. “So you’re not fusing then? Fine. Bye.”
Crowley braced himself.
Nothing happened.
He looked back up. Adam was frozen in thought.
“Hang on. Can a fusion have more than two people in it?”
Crowley blinked. He’d never thought about it before. The idea of fusing with anyone else had never occurred to him.
“Er… I don’t know?”
A disturbing light came into Adam’s eyes. Crowley wanted to shrink back from it.
“Wow. I bet you can. How cool would that be? A massive fusion that just gets bigger and bigger. You could keep on adding to it ‘til it’s got dozens of eyes and wings and arms and it’s bigger than a house - no, bigger than a planet. Big enough to eat the solar system.”
Aziraphale squeezed Crowley’s hand so tightly they’d both lose circulation if they had blood. Crowley’s heart was a jackhammer in his chest. He wanted to run away, but his legs had frozen to the lawn.
“That’d be brilliant. That’s way better than turning everyone into a stupid puppet. I want to be a fusion.”
Adam locked eyes with them.
Crowley felt his brain turn inside out, and his eyeballs begin to scream.
Adam crooked a finger. Crowley felt it hook into his brain and jerk him forward.
He and Aziraphale took halting, marionette footsteps across the grass. Their joined hands anchored Crowley to reality. His body was no longer his. It forced him to stagger forwards, a robot operated by an indifferent user.
Adam’s cherubic eleven-year-old smile was all he could see, getting bigger and bigger until it made up the whole world.
Crowley felt his gem flare. The light was all wrong.
The three of them dissolved together, and Crowley no longer existed.
~*~
He was a colossus, straddling the sky.
He was tiny and overwhelmed in an ocean of someone else’s thoughts.
He didn’t know what this was. This was hell.
He was a fusion. He knew that much. Forced together like jigsaw pieces that didn’t match, crammed together by an impatient child until they broke.
He wanted to recoil. He stopped him. One of him stopped the other two.
The one that was powerful held the two that were not so they could not escape. But they were all him, and his mind was splintering. He was cringing in a corner and he was the entire room.
He was ghastly. He was shameful. He shouldn’t exist.
A word rang inside him.
Abomination.
All three of them felt that.
He felt…
He didn’t know how to describe it. It was something big and complicated. The closest, simplest word was… sad.
The two tiny parts of him struggled towards each other and became one slightly less tiny part, swimming within a much larger one. It made little difference - they were still insignificant within the whole.
All the same.
Adam, let’s talk
Adam was not his name.
I know, but humour us
I don’t want to.
Well. Can’t argue with that, I suppose. Except arguing is at least seventy percent of all I’m good for. The rest is hair
He flicked his head from side to side. Wind roared in his ears. He must be miles off the ground.
Trying to push me out? Am I a flea in your ear?
Yes.
It’s your fault I’m in here, you know
He tried to wash the voice out with a rich wave of drowning static.
I wouldn’t aim that power at your own mind, if I were you. Which I am
Don’t tell me what to do.
Yes. Who gets to tell who what to do? That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You’ve put the whole world just as you want it. No will except for yours. Nobody in opposition means you always get exactly what you want. Ideal world
At least now I’m in control, I can put things right. You’re acting like anyone around me had free will before. They didn’t. Your people - the demons - scooped out my mum and dad’s minds long before I got the chance to. And the demons didn’t have free will either. They were all following some big plan because they’d get tortured if they didn’t. No-one was doing what they actually wanted. Most of ’em didn’t even really know why they were doing it. And I didn’t know anything. I just thought my life made no sense. I’ve made it make sense now. That’s all I wanted.
You’re trying to make the world simpler, so you can understand it?
Maybe.
Has it worked?
Yeah. It’s worked brilliantly.
Do you feel better?
Adam
I’m sorry
Why?
I could have helped you understand why your life made no sense, and I didn’t even try. I was thinking about myself. I do that a lot
It doesn’t matter.
It does. I came back for the humans. I wanted to save them. You’re human, too. I want to save you
I’m not human. I’m a monster with a scary rock in my head.
So’s Crowley, and he’s all right
That’s not -
Can I tell you about Crowley?
Hang on a mo
There was a bwip inside his mind, and the small annoying part separated into two even smaller parts.
Gosh, this is strange. We appear to be communicating within the fusion. We’ve never done that before. I suspect it’s only working because this fusion is not very stable. We’d have fallen apart by now without Adam holding us together with his immense influence over the state of reality
Yes, Aziraphale, we all got there five pages ago. You were going to say nice things about me, get on with it
So I was. No need to take that tone, my dear. Adam
Yes.
Oh good, you’re still there. Now. The thing about Crowley is that before I met him, I was terribly lonely and I didn’t even know. There were many years before She even made the Earth, when I felt like a cog in a machine that no-one actually wanted to be there. I convinced myself I must be happy as long as I was fulfilling my duty to the Great Plan. But really, I had nothing in common with the rest of my side. I always stood out. And standing out can make a person very detached. If nobody understands you, why should you understand them? It was a revelation, becoming friends with a demon. Someone I should have had nothing in common with. It made me better. The thing that Crowley has given me is… patience, and tolerance, and time. I just want others to have what I have now. That’s a gift. Love is a gift
I don’t love anyone.
I know. That’s a tragedy. Everyone has let you down terribly, to provide you with nothing in your life worth loving
I dunno. Maybe I just can’t do it.
I don’t think that’s it at all. Really, I don’t. I know that was Hell’s plan, to surround you with Satanic influences. But please understand, I’ve seen first-hand that the very best among us can come from Hell
Angel
Yes, Crowley?
That’s. That’s. Thank you
Any time
Uh. OK. I think it’s my turn now. Adam? First of all, I’m more responsible for the raised-by-demons thing, so sorry about that. And second… I was shoved off a cloud and took a million mile freefall dive into boiling sulphur. So I know something about cock-ups. Sometimes you mess something up so badly there’s no way back. You can’t ever be what you were before. You’re changed. And you’ll never be forgiven. It’s hard, but the only way through it is to carry on. Your life will be different, but it can be good. In some ways, it’ll be better. But you have to make it a life, not burn everything down because the world burned you first
The fusion felt something. It rose from the pit of his stomach. He recoiled from it, even as the smaller parts leaned into it.
That’s good. Stay with that feeling
No, I don’t want it.
It’s good. It means you’re human
Leave me alone. I want to go home -
He stopped. This wasn’t an alien planet. There was no home to return to. Everything had followed him here.
Adam, you’re not broken. Stay with this
He tried to kick them out. The voices in his head. He controlled reality, he could destabilise this fusion, easy -
It wasn’t working. The voices were tiny, but they held the three of them together, whispering encouragement all the while.
You think either of us is good at this? It only comes with practice. If you’re unforgivable, then forgive yourself
How? How can I be good? Or normal? I’m Satan’s son, he’s in my head, he’s in my head right now -
No. He’s gone. He’s not in here. It’s just you. You don’t have to be him. You can choose what you are
He felt tears dripping down his face. He looked down - a long way down - and saw them splash on the ground in puddles like lakes.
I can make myself human.
Yes
OK.
He reached in and accessed a power.
~*~
Their world blurred.
The past eleven years spooled backwards on three separate tape-reels.
If freezing time was stopping a bullet in mid-flight, this was catching the bullet and being yanked back into the muzzle of the gun.
Crowley’s gnawing despair as Armageddon approached lessened as the boy he was overseeing shrunk from a child to a toddler to a baby in his arms.
Aziraphale, watching the angels prepare their battle armour and muskets, experienced his heart receding from his gullet and back to its proper position. The paperwork on his desk grew back to mountainous.
Adam, tiny on the grass, undestroyed the world. The white wave he unleashed on the planet receded back into his body. Humans regained their minds and resumed shopping and sipping coffee and figuring out how to spend their Saturday. And then the rest of it, his entire life all whipping like a roll of film in the wind, rewinding. He got smaller and smaller, until he could fit in a basket, and the basket passed from Harriet back to the nuns, back to Crowley’s back seat, back to a graveyard, back to Hell -
Adam grabbed at the fabric of reality with a tiny fist and tore.
His gem winked out of existence.
Time made a noise like a record-scratch.
Then it rocketed forward again.
He was back in the basket, on to the hospital, to Sister Mary, to the wrong delivery room, to a man in a very silly cardigan, to -
“You know, Deirdre, I think he looks like an Adam…”
---
(Link to next part)
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Etched into your skin - Chapter 1
I wanted to work on something a bit longer than a one shot and I'm a sucker for soulmates. I hope you'll enjoy this. :)
Pairing: Tharn x Type  Summary: The name of your soulmate is written on your body since birth. Type refuses to meet Tharn, he doesn't need a soulmate, certainly doesn't want a man soulmate. Destiny doesn't really care about what Type wants.
AO3 link
TRIGGER WARNING:
There's a brief, non explicit mention to what happened to Type as a child. If this is something triggering for you, please be careful. That mention happens during the second half of the chapter.
-----------------------------------
Tharn Thara Kirigun
That was a boy’s name curling on his left shoulder blade. He could only see it from the corner of his eye. His mum had taken a photo for him so that he could see clearly without twisting around or using a mirror.
Khom also had a boy’s name on his arm. Their parents had joked they were destined to be friends as much as they were destined to meet Tharn and Som.
Type was so happy. His soulmate was another boy. They’ll play football together all day long. When they’ll be tired, they’ll go back home and stay up till late to try the latest video games. Type wouldn’t have to care about the latest hot music band or who the prettiest actors were, which seemed to be the hottest topics with the girls at school. Other boys in his class were so envious.
Even though his soulmate was a man, he was still going to treat him nicely. His dad was always kind with his mum. They’ve been together for the past 13 years, but his dad still prepared the shellfish nicely for her, removing all the hard bits and bitter parts, leaving her only the best. Type had asked why once, trying to explain patiently to his father that his mother was a grown lady that could take care of her own food. He’d laughed and ruffled his hair. He explained that he didn’t want the smell of fish to linger on her fingers. He said he loved her so much he didn’t want her to have to take care of herself, he wanted to do it instead. And his mum was just kind enough to let him. He said that he’d better treat Tharn nicely, and maybe his soulmate would let him help with his food.
So Type learned. After a couple of years, he could handle pretty much anything: shrimps, sea urchins, clams, mussels, crabs, scallops. He could remove fish bones in record time. Tharn will be so impressed with him.
He wondered if they’ll meet on the island. That’s how his parents had met. She had come with friends during a school trip from the mainland. They met on the beach. He bended over backward to impress her and show her all the best authentic spots around. She fell in love with the island along with the island boy. As soon as she graduated university, she moved her whole life here. ‘For the view’ she had said when he’d come to pick her up at the airport. To which he’d replied ‘It’s not the island, the view is wherever you’re standing’. That made Type laugh each time they were retelling the story. It was such a silly thing to say. His mum had laughed as well. It really was silly. She was destined to spend her life with a silly man. She spent so many years laughing with him.
Was Tharn a silly boy? Was he going to make him laugh? Was he serious? Khom’s mother was a very serious lady. Very smart. She took them out regularly during the summer to go and see the stars high up in the dark sky. Will Tharn show him the stars too?
Type spent hours trying to imagine what Tharn would look like. The name was Thai, so surely a man with dark hair and dark eyes. Probably smaller than him. His Nan kept on saying how tall he was for his age, so surely he’ll be the big and tall one. Tharn could be the cute one. Type would protect him.
During the summer, when his parents forced him to help out at the resort, he demanded to work at the register, religiously asking for everybody’s name, pouting a little bit each time ‘Tharn’ wasn’t the answer. He’d asked Khom to do the same at his parent’s ressort in exchange for some of his mother’s sweets. Same for Song’s little family hotel.
Summer after summer, Tharn didn’t come to visit him. Did the other boy think of Type as much as Type thought of him? Did he want to meet? What if he didn’t? Type cried so hard his parents were convinced he broke a bone.
For his tenth birthday, his Nan had given him the official governmental paperwork to register at the Soulmate databank.
“It’s a bit early, but here for you. When you’re 16, you can bring this to city hall. If Tharn registered, they will match you and tell you where he is.”
Type had never claimed to be a patient boy. That night, he completed the form as best he could -what was a social security number even supposed to be?-. The following day, he ditched football practice and took the bus to the city center of the island. The employees of city hall gave him curious looks as he entered the large glass building. He walked up to the reception and wai-ed at the man behind the desk.
“Hello uncle.”
“If it isn’t the little Phawattakun boy! How are your parents, son?”
“They’re busy but fine, thank you.”
“What are you doing here anyway, you’re far from home.”
“I would just like to give this,” he explained, sliding the paper over to the man. He took it and raised an eyebrow upon reading it.
He looked him up and asked:
“Tell me son, how old are you?”
Type was prepared for the trick question.
“16.”
The man laughed out loud.
“Is that so?”
Type nodded.
“Yes, my birthday was yesterday,” he explained, pointing at the paper. The civil servant looked once again at the paper and nodded.
“Ah I see! Well, I”ll need some ID. Maybe your motorcycle licence?”
An ID? He wasn’t prepared for that. He didn’t even know if he had an ID. He couldn’t let that spoil his plans.
“I don’t have it. I… I forgot it in my other jacket. I have my library card if you want, uncle.”
The man laughed again, louder this time. Type offered his best pout, the one that was sure to guarantee him some desert even when his mum shouted after him all day.
“Come on boy, let’s bring you back home.”
The man excused himself toward his colleagues, assuring them he’ll be back soon. The ride back wasn’t too long, the city hall employee greeted his parents, explained the situation and gave them back his form.
They scolded him, for lying, and laughed at him, for having so much nerves.
“You need to be patient, Type,” they said. “It’ll happen when you least expect it.”
Which was not a satisfactory answer.
He wanted to meet Tharn. He wanted to show him the island, to bring him swimming in the sea. He wanted to build sand castles together. He wanted to build some forts in his room. He wanted to introduce him to Khom. He wanted to bring him in the forest and climb trees so high their parents wouldn’t catch them.
But then he met a man. A boogie man with the face of a person that promised him a field full of footballs to replace his old one.
Attached to that chair, body stripped of his clothes, the man had touched his shoulder, tracing the name written there with the tip of a finger.
“That’s the name of a man. You’re lucky. I’ll show you how to please one. You’re going to like it.”
He would never forget that day, no matter how much he wanted, no matter how much he prayed for it.
The spot on his shoulder scratched him, he could still feel a phantom touch that made him sick to the stomach. He had a man’s name on his body. One day, that man would want to do to him what that other man already did. He’ll touch him, he’ll hurt him.
If that’s what being with a man was like, he never wanted to meet Tharn. He wouldn’t prepare seafood for him. He wouldn’t show him around the island. He wouldn’t play football with him. He wouldn’t introduce him to Khom.
Khom, who also had a man’s name on his body.
Type didn’t know how to protect his friend. He didn’t know how to protect himself from him either. So he stopped talking to Khom. And after some weeks, Khom finally stopped trying to talk to him. It wasn’t hard to ignore the boy, it’s not like Type went out much anymore.
In the months it took Type to finally leave the house, the boy grew angry and bitter. He stopped talking about Tharn. Stopped talking of soulmates altogether, so his parents did too. He threw the registration papers in the trash.
For his 16th birthday, he didn’t register himself at city hall. Instead, he boarded a boat to go and live with his aunt in the city.
In the city, he could pretend everything was fine. No one knew him as that kid. School was easy, as always, and there he met Techno, who seemed one of the rare people that actually managed to handle him. They played football together, which was the only way Type could somewhat keep his temper in check.
There were girls as well, who had the amazing advantage of not being men. So he dated some, never allowing anyone to look at his bare shoulder.
Type and Techno graduated, already planning to join the faculty of sports together. Type could pretend all was fine, all was normal.
Until he received his dorm welcome package. Whatever illusion of normality he had managed to build shattered and reality came back to kick him in the teeth.
Welcome, we’re very proud you decided to join our University… blahblahblah... All students must be back before… blahblahblah... shared dorm… blahblahblah… assigned roommate: Tharn Kirigun.
He didn’t need a soulmate to survive, he had managed just fine -anger issues, homophobia, PTSD- by himself. He didn’t need Tharn Thara Kirigun.
“Hey No. I thought about it. I think we should get that condo in the city together. I just need to chat with my mum, she’ll change my dad’s mind about the dorm.”
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