#ITS THE MORON TRIO

[rukafais]

i don't know anything about ever crisis but god. look at these fucking dweebs (source for gif)

[fleursbending]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲’𝐬 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. | Sully Family

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 : after the successful intervention, your family's hearts still burn for some good ol' revenge. luckily for them, an unfortunate event arises that allows them to do just that.

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 : sully!family x sully!daughter reader

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 : i apologise that this took a lot longer than it should have to be posted! i initially wasn't going to do a part 2, but so many ppl wanted it i just decided eh why the heck not?? with that being said, pls read part 1 before this because i don't think this can be read as a stand-alone! mother!tiri really shines through this time so now i'm just healing your mommy and daddy issues atp.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 : bullying/teasing?, hurt/comfort yk the drill, angst, fluff, lo'ak pummels ao'nung, pissed mom!tiri, tonowari pops tf off, dorky brother neteyam, ao is a dickwad here!

𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 : (actually highkey proud of this i'm trying to use more na'vi in my stories from now on) Tsmuke - sister, Skxawng - moron/idiot, Tsmukan - brother, Yaymak - foolish/ignorant, Sa'nok - mother, Txavä’ -disgusting, ‘Itetsyìp - little daughter (term of endearment), Tsamsiyu - warrior, Muntxate - wife/female spouse, Olo’eyktan - clan leader, ‘Ite - daughter, Itan - son, Sempul - father, Uturu - sanctuary, Oeyä - my (possessive), ‘Awsiteng - together.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 : 2.9k words !!

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 :  @pandorainmymind @eywas-heir @spicycloudsalad @missdreamofendless @prty-poisxn @scarlettwitch-4 @23victoria @avidreader3107 @purplehyacinthss @itssiaaax @neteyamoa @tsireyasgf @nijirozzz @useryourbut @yua-himari @sweetheartlizzie07 @grierpilots @reneehillary69 @fruitsalad1 @forasgaard @iwaslikeblah @dumb-fawkin-bitch @theicemav @narutoboi

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 today, it had been storming the last few days. Now you and your siblings were making the most of the sunshine. Things have been really good the past few weeks, and slowly you were finally beginning to warm up to the ocean. The past had to stay where it was, now you were gradually moving on. 

Y/n remembers her dad's words then, "It's the little steps that end up making the biggest difference." 

He was right, they really did. 

"Neteyam", Y/n giggled as he splashed water at her whilst she sat at the edge of the platform they used to easily access jumping into the water when calling for their Ilu's. Her legs dangled over the edge, peering down at her siblings.

"Tsmuke, you are being silly! Come join us in the water!" Neteyam tried to beckon you to join him and Tuk as they played with their Ilu's.

"Yeah, come on Y/n!" Tuk whined, only to be cut off by ecstatic laughter as her Ilu nudged their head onto her back. 

Y/n held her hands up then, an unfinished anklet dangling below the palm of her hand. 

"I am finishing this, you skxawngs." She reminded them, wanting to give it to Tsireya once it was finished. 

As Y/n began to reach out of her reserved shell, Tsireya swooped right in. She, Neteyam, and Tsireya had become a trio of sorts. She was hoping to make matching anklets for all of them.

"Alright, we're going to ride our Ilu's further out. Is that okay, tsmuke?" Neteyam called out to you, pointing further out.

You rolled your eyes at his worried tone. 

You love your family, really you do. But the one downside to the confrontation you had with all of them. Well, they've been treating you like a little baby ever since then. 

The doting and attention were very much appreciated at first. But it escalated to your siblings trailing after you everywhere you went, for the most part. They'd become increasingly overprotective whenever Ao'nung and his crew were in close proximity to you. The kicker? They implemented a curfew for you now. You had to be home an hour before dinner was ready, a whole hour! 

Basically, your freedom and alone time had been cut in half. Stripped away from you. While you looked a lot more healthy and since perked up in the past few weeks - your family continued to remain on the edge. They just didn't anything to further happen to you, especially now that you've progressed so much.

The Sully's knew you were a strong girl, but the pieces you were starting to put back together could easily be ripped apart again. So for the time being, they'll do whatever it takes to prevent it.

Unfortunately for them, such an event was just right around the corner. 

Y/n scrutinized Neteyam and in return, the eldest son wiggled his nonexistent eyebrows in a taunting manner. 

"Yes, tsmukan. Now go!" You urged him to leave as Tuk waved bye to you.

Letting out a happy sigh at the silence that filled you, wow - this was really nice. She thought to herself. Just the waves rippling beneath you is what accompanies you. 

Neteyam was about to dive into the water when he turned to look back and check on you. There you sat in the same position, back hunched and eyes focused as you continued to weave the unfinished anklet. 

He nodded to himself then, satisfied that you were alright.

Yet the moment he turned his back and dove into the water, the infamous group you've been trying to avoid made their way into the nook where your mauri and outdoor area were. 

Y/n tensed as the air shifted, hearing the sounds of multiple footsteps nearing her. A feeling of deja vu surged through her, oh no. 

"Alone, at last, the great daughter of Toruk Makto!" Ao'nung jeered as their shrill laughter raked through the once peaceful aura you were just starting to settle in. 

A not-so-subtle hiss escaped your lips, eyes closing in disdain. Can a girl not get any damn alone time around here? 

"What's this then? Oh, an anklet!" Ao'nung had stalked over to you from behind, ripping the unfinished weaved strings out of your hand. 

Defeat flooded your futures, not wanting to make anything of this. Y/n hoped they'd just say a few insulting comments and mosey on out of here.

"Who is this for, me? I love it soooo much!" Ao'nung mocked, sarcasm dripping in his tone as his friends cheered him on.

"No. It is for your sister." Y/n deadpanned, not finding the amusement they seemed to be in this predicament. 

"Well, it's quite pathetic. I think you should start over if you want my sister to actually appreciate this." He teased, nimble fingers beginning to untangle the hard work you had just done. 

Your ears folded back then, standing up and facing the idiots. Cracking your neck, a harsh glare was sent their way. Sticking out your open hand, palm up in front of Ao'nung. 

"Just stop that and hand it back over. Then you can be on your own merry ways." You tried to appease them.

"When did you suddenly find your voice? I ought to stomp it out." Ao'nung sneered at you then, and in a blink of an eye, he had thrown your project into the ocean. 

"Ao'nung!" She fumed, angry eyes scouting the water but you could no longer see it. 

"Yaymak! Useless like my father had said, how do you even survive? Come on, take a dip!" He contended, bending down beside you to push you in-

A jarring snarl erupts from behind them. They all jump and swivel around, but are instantly stumped. 

There stood your Sa'nok, gripping a basket full of fruit so viciously that it chipped - pieces of dried flax splintering and falling to the ground. 

"Txavä’. Useless? I ought to show you how you can become useless-" She stormed over to them making most of the boys in front of you yelp in surprise and jump back again.

"Sa'nok! Do not!" You remarked, astonished at her shameless way of protecting you. 

Ever since finding out about what had happened to you, she'd been so civil whenever in the clan leader and tsahik's son's presence. Now she realises how eery those actions actually were. Oh great mother, she was just doing it for your sake. 

"Ma ‘itetsyìp, she is a fierce tsamsiyu. Unlike you!" She vehemently fired, pointing at Ao'nung.

He began to splutter out apologies, the realisation dawning on him that he was being reprimanded by one of the fiercest women Awa'atlu had ever come across.

Another figure popped out of the shadows then, Lo'ak. His fists were tightly clenched at his sides, eyebrows furrowed as indignation rolled off of him in waves.

"Yaymak?! He snapped, and before you could even fully acknowledge his presence he rushed forward - tackling Ao'nung who was receiving a scolding from Neytiri, into the ocean before you. 

"Lo'ak!" Y/n fretted as she peered over the edge to see the two boys yelling and cussing each other out as they floundered about in the water. 

"What in the world…" Jake whispered in question to himself as him and Tonowari rounded the corner - quickening their paces due to the faint sounds of the commotion they had overheard.

His eyes widened at the scene before him, the chief mimicking his expression as well as they stopped, stunned in their tracks.

Neytiri was still yelling at the group of bullies, an accusatory finger prodding at one of his shoulders as he looked down at his feet in embarrassment. She turned a blind eye to what he rebellious son had just done, deeming it was rightfully deserved.

 Both their eyes then flittered over to Y/n who was basically dangling on the edge of the platform, hauling a battered Lo'ak back up. 

His drenched body collided with the surface and he grunted, but that didn't stop him from turning around to flip off Ao'nung who was struggling to push himself up.

"Yeah, eat shit!" Lo'ak continued to provoke him, even while branding a busted lip and what looked like the beginnings of a black eye. 

"Lo'ak…" You cautioned, pointing to your father and Tonowari's looming figures.

"Oh fuck." He cursed to himself. 

"What is going on here?" Tonowari boomed then, stepping forward and making his presence known. 

Jake trailed behind him, tail swishing in unease. 

"Neytiri!" He called for his muntxate, grabbing onto her and pulling Neytiri into his side. 

You walked over to stand by your parents, guilt crescendoing - this happened all because of you. Stupid, you didn't want to make a scene in the first place.

"I'm sorry Olo'ektyan. This is all my fault." Y/n confessed, tail drooping as all the attention was shifted to her. 

"She is lying! My 'ite cannot carry this burden any longer, she will not. This is all your son's fault! He has been antagonising my ‘itetsyìp since we came here." She persisted, a sigh of irritation falling from her lips as she once again pointed at Ao'nung.

The mentioned boy wiped his bloody nose, ears shifting as Neytiri said his name with such harsh conviction.

"'Itan, is what Neytiri speaks of true?" Tonowari divulged as he dug into Ao'nungs pride with a mere look.

"Yes, sempul. What she speaks of is true." He blanched at the scrutinizing look Jake targeted toward him. 

It was like he was about to walk into the battlefield, gun in hand and ready to rain blood.

"Look at me, boy!" Tonowari thundered, eyes now slits as he admonished Ao'nung. 

The clan leader's son could've gotten whiplash from how fast his head turned. 

"Go home, and work up an apology. Now." The chief ordered.

"But, I can apologise now-" He tried to reason, wishing to get this embarrassment over and done with.

"It would be insincere." Both Neytiri and Tonowari spoke at once, the former giving an apologetic nod to your mother in agreement.

Ao'nung tried to fess up some words, but Tonowari glared. His chest almost heaving from contempt.

"Go!" He bellowed. Ao'nung with his tail between his legs scampered off back to his mauri.

His friends stood there, almost comically. They knew they were utterly fucked and word of this would travel back to their own families.

"Why are you still here, shouldn't you be working on your apologies as well?" Tonowari antagonised.

"Oh, uhm- sorry!" One of them spluttered before being shoved by another boy as they all ran off.

Tonowari sighed in chagrin, a hand of his meeting his face. He stood straight then, turning to acknowledge your family.

Right in tow, Neteyam, Tuk, and Kiri were pulling themselves back up from the ocean.

Lo'ak went over to help them. Ignoring the worried hands of his older brother that looked over his bruises.

"As Olo'ekytan, I failed in my duties today. As a father, I also failed. I sincerely apologise to you, dear." He looked at you then, eyes full of guilt as he briefly placed his hand on your shoulder.

"I will be sure that he will see through a firm reprimanding, Jake Sully." Tonowari called to the man that had become his good friend.

"I raise my apology to the rest of your family as well. You came here to seek uturu. This will not happen again." 

Jake motioned, Oel ngati kameie, to him. Tonowari returned the motion, bowing his head down lower than usual to try to convey his genuine upset at the situation his son had conjured.

"You are a fierce mother, Neytiri. Your Sa'nok would be proud." Tonowari added, before turning around and making his exit too. 

Neytiri watched him leave, a faint smile on her lips before giving all her undivided attention to you.

"Oeyä 'ite, are you hurt?" She necessitated, lifting your arms up and checking for any wounds.

"Sa'nok, I am fine." You dejected, eyes flittering to look anywhere to ignore her studying gaze.

"What happened?" Neteyam interjected, rushing over to you and bringing you into a hug. He felt terrible for having left you alone.

"I'm never leaving you again." He whispered, holding your head to his chest.

While the words came with comfort, they made your chest constrict. 

Agitated you shoved him away. In return, Neteyam fumbled backward in surprise.

"Y/n!" Kiri gasped in shock.

"I am fine! I'm going to be fine! I'm not dying or anything, I'm still here okay?! I appreciate the concern, but please. Just, leave me alone." Your voice grew fainter towards the end of your speel, tears welling up in your eyes. 

Cursing to yourself you rushed into the family mauri, humiliation seeping into your conscience. 

Jake began to follow you but Neytiri put a hand on his chest. It had emerged on her then, how a situation that seemed so minor grew to become a lot more vocal than any of them prepared for.

Y/n was not one for attention, let alone being stuck in the midst of it all.

"Give her a moment, then we will go and console her," Neytiri spoke with quiet empathy.

"Okay." Jake agreed hesitantly, all he wanted to do was comfort his daughter. But he knew how much you needed your alone time. 

So they huddled, ‘awsiteng. They waited, ‘awsiteng. 

Until the light escaped the sky, and your raspy voice cut through the gentleness of the night.

"You can come in now, you didn't have to just wait outside. I'm sorry."

Jake looked to his family then, before they all slowly got up and made their way into the Mauri.

You were huddled in front of the fire, a blanket shrouding you as you blankly stared into the burning embers before you.

"Ma 'ite. You are not alone." Jake murmured as he sat by you, brushing away a stray strand of hair that had cast itself over your bloodshot and puffy eyes.

"I know." You acknowledged.

"Tsmuke, you are not alone." Lo'ak reiterated.

"Yes, I know." You acknowledged again, finally looking up at them as they all sat in a circle around the fire.

"‘Itetsyìp, you are never alone," Neytiri affirmed, having sat by your other side and giving your cheek a soft kiss.

"I know. Are you all trying to make me cry again?" You garbled, tears prickling in your eyes at the warmth you were receiving after giving them the cold shoulder.

"No, we aren't! I don't like it when you cry." Tuk remarked, jumping up from her spot and running over to you. Giving you a hug from behind as her little thumbs rubbed away the tears that began to stream down your face.

"Useless my ass! That shithead was so stupid to say tha-" It seemed Lo'ak was still hung up on what Ao'nung had said.

"Lo'ak!" You all chided, quiet laughter following.

Jake grinned down at you then, his teeth even showing a little as he watched his pride and joy laugh. "Baby girl, we mean it. We're all in this together…‘awsiteng." 

"‘Awsiteng." You repeated, smiling up at him. 

He combed through your hair, bringing you and Tuk into his chest.

"And you're right. You need some alone time, yeah? But we'll always be right around the corner. Okay?" Jake continued to reassure you, rubbing your shoulder - or what part he could reach since Tuk wouldn't let go of you still.

"Okay." You mumbled, arms wrapping around his shoulders and squeezing. 

The pieces that felt so scattered and displaced suddenly puzzled back together.

This is home. Not the forest, not the ocean, not the mauri you all resided in.

As chatter overtook the silence, your parents began to cook up a late dinner. Your eyes met Neteyam's who sat directly parallel to you - he gave you a dorky thumbs up. Your little sign between each other that Jake had mentioned in passing that sky people do when you were younger, "Hey, are you okay?"

You returned it with your own equally as dorky thumbs up, earning a questionable look from your mother who after all these years - still could not fully grasp the concept.

This is home, the family that would always accept and love you through the toughest of times. Your family, that always made you feel whole. Complete.

As Neteyam yipped happily at your thumbs up, unable to hold his happiness under wraps. You thought then,

"Eywa, there is no other place I'd rather be."

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ˳೫˚

𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 :

As your family began to prepare to sleep, Lo'ak tapped your shoulder. 

You turned to him, giving him a questioning gaze.

"Yes, Tsmukan?" 

He opened your hands before a familiar unfinished project was placed gently in them.

"I tried to dry it outside, I don't know how salvageable it'll be but I am willing to help. I know Tsireya really likes- oomph!"

You stood on your tippy toes, tugging him in to a gracious embrace. 

He smiled then, hands wrapping around you as he swayed you two from side to side.

"I appreciate it so much, thank you brother." 

𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 ━━━ 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

⤷ feedback and reblogs are always much appreciated ! feel free to ask through my inbox if you would like to join my taglist. ♡

[sinsirellaxx]

Forgotten hero, friend and love

Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Requested on AO3: Hey :😀 i habe two requests if you dont mind!

(I suck at writing plus english is not my first language)

Both are Sebastian x F!Reader with HE

First one is with a healed Anne (Solomons death ever happened) and Sebastian (and Ominis, slightly) is too focused on Anne that he kind of forget the friendship and his crush on Reader. Reader is hurt and distance herself from them. Ominis notice this and want all of them to be a quadruplets. Plus Ominis is the best wingman for the two morons 😆

A/N: This is kinda sad at the beginning. 🥲

_

She was happy – she truly was. It had been their mission ever since they met each other after all … but she had not expected to feel this empty, this used after succeeding. After successfully helping her best friend and first love save his twin sister. Anne was lovely – she truly was, don’t get Y/N wrong. She was elated that she could finally come back to school and join her twin and their best friend in tackling all kinds of Hogwarts related stuff. She vividly remembered the way Sebastian’s eyes had lit up before he was overcome by his emotions, running to hug his twin before lifting her up to twirl her. Y/N remembered the way their uncle had tried to hide his tearful face as he apologized for not believing Sebastian.

After this and the threat of Ranrok finally being gone – the girl had expected everything to be better, now that Sebastian’s mood had obviously improved by a million and herself did not have to worry about saving the school anymore.

They were four instead of three people now at school – and she definitely did not expect to feel this lonely. The teenage girl felt like she had been replaced – although she obviously had been a replacement for Anne … and now that she was back, there was no space for her. At least that’s how she felt as she stared at the entrance to the undercroft – her eyes blinking away the tears that were fighting their way up, trying to prove that she was more hurt by the changes than she refused to accept.

Sebastian had stood her up.

Again.

As the first tear successfully rolled down the corner of her eye, her bottom lip started wobbling.

As the first sob made its way up her throat, she slid down the wall, hugging her legs to her chest as she hid her face from the world.

As the first hour passed, she gave up completely and sat in the dark in silence.

-

The next day she glared at the mirror, visibly offended by the treacherous way her eyes had swollen up slightly over the night. There was a brief moment of panic as she thought about an excuse, about what she was going to tell her friends – but she highly doubted they’d notice, so her shoulders relaxed as she got ready for the day.

And just as expected: the trio hadn’t noticed – not that Ominis could even if he wanted to. Even though she knew that Sebastian forgot, there was still a slight sliver of hope that he would apologize for standing her up for the fifth time in three weeks – he didn’t. She knew he wouldn’t, but her heart still broke into a million pieces, leaving a trail behind as she followed the trio to the Great Hall.

Her eyes lifted briefly as she stared at their backs, her eyes stopping at Ominis – he had always been so sensitive to other people’s feelings. But now, even he did not notice – or care to notice that Y/N was drifting away. Y/N understood, he had known Anne for so long and the Sallows were like family to him. She could never be that.

As they sat down to eat, Y/N didn’t bother lifting her head to look at her friends, knowing that they were invested in talking to Anne about everything that she had missed and everything that they’d do together. She pushed her food from one side to the other on her plate until she let the fork slip from her fingers and onto the table with a small clinking sound. Heaving a sigh, she pushed herself up and away from the table as she clumsily climbed over the bench, sluggishly walking away and out of the Great Hall. There was no one calling after her as she left.

-

Sat in Divination she was glad she wouldn’t have to see any of the trio. Leaning back in her seat she stared at the cup in front of her.

“Y/N, is everything alright?” At the soft voice of her dear friend Natsai she looked up and was met by warm yet worried eyes.

“Huh?”

“Are you alright?” She softly repeated her question, her left hand reaching out to softly hold one of her’s. “You look like you have been crying.”

At the last question, Y/N had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from bursting into tears right in front of everyone. The only thing she could manage as a reply was a short nod and blinking eyes. Natsai did not look convinced, yet she did not want to pressure her best friend into answering if she did not feel comfortable in doing so. She gave the sad girl another – hopefully – reassuring squeeze before letting her hand go.

_

At dinner, before she could move to her table, Garreth Weasley stood in front of her, with a wide smile on his face.

“Want to sit with us? We haven’t really talked in a while – and I kinda missed it.” He asked as he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. The word ‘you’ left unspoken, as it was what he really wanted to say.

“Only if you want to, that is!” He quickly added as he saw the hesitation on Y/N’s face.

With a small smile the girl nodded as she let herself be pulled to the Gryffindor table, her wrist warm from the way he had wrapped his big hand around her small wrist.

As she sat down next to a smiling Natsai she briefly forgot about her heartbreak. It felt nice to be a part of a group again, she thought as she laughed at a joke Garreth told.

_

Days had passed and Y/N hadn’t sat at the Slytherin table ever since the day she had been asked to join her Gryffindor friends. Ominis had been the first one to notice her absence and he immediately felt guilt settle in his stomach at the realization of having completely neglected their dear friend. He walked up to Sebastian’s bed before going to sleep and asked him if he had talked to Y/N in the last few days.

Sebastian frowned as he sat up in his bed. “Not really … honestly. I think I haven’t really talked to her in weeks.” His eyes suddenly widened. “Merlin, I haven’t even been to the f*cking study-dates that we had agreed upon!” He shrieked as he jumped up from his bed.

“We have been completely shutting her out of the group, you realize that right?” Ominis spoke calmly with a raised brow.

Sebastian groaned as he paced their dorm, his hands in his hair as he thought of all the times, he had stood her up without her even saying anything. He remembers the first two times he had forgotten – she had lightly scolded him for having her wait the whole night before she had finally given up. Sebastian had told Y/N then, that he would make it up to her only to forget about it again.

And after that Y/N had not said anything anymore. Sebastian felt like throwing up – how could he neglect the one person he actually fell in love with – the one person, who helped him save his sister without really knowing him or her. She had done everything, faced so many obstacles and dangerous situations just to help him.

“Yeah, you f*cked up big time, Sebastian. But not just you … I wasn’t exactly a good friend either.” Ominis mumbled as he hung his head.

“B-But, where has she been the last few days? She hasn’t been sitting with us at all – right?” The brunette questioned as he let himself fall on his bed.

“She’s been spending more time with Garreth.” Ominis knew that Y/N had been spending more time with all her other friends but he chose to only mention his name, because he knew that mentioning Garreth’s name would ring all the alarm bells in his stupid friend’s head.

“What? With Garreth?!” Sebastian sputtered, the nausea returning tenfold at the mention of his name. He was aware of the crush the ginger-haired boy had on Y/N. “I need to see her.” He jumped up, angrily marching towards the door only to be stopped by Ominis’ firm hand on his shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ominis asked, his voice not hiding his annoyance.

“I’m going to Y/N’s dorm.”

“And then?”

“I-I don’t know. I’ll talk to her. Why would she spend so much time with that Weasley?!”

Something snapped in Ominis as he hit the back of his friend’s head. “Are you for real, Sebastian? That’s the only thing you’re worried about right now?” The blonde scoffed. “You’ve been basically ignoring Y/N for the past few weeks, after everything she has done for you – for us – and you are just worried about her being close with Garreth Weasley?” He cocked his brow in disbelief at the male twin’s audacity.

“What are you going to say if you walk to her right now? Aree you going to say: ‘Hey, Y/N. I know I’ve been ignoring you for the past few weeks but – why are you talking to Garreth?’? Don’t be ridiculous, Sebastian.”

“You’re right.” The brunette mumbled as the initial anger melted away. He let himself fall on his bed face first, his voice muffled as he spoke. “What am I going to do?”

“Beg for forgiveness – I don’t know.” Ominis shrugged his shoulders as he thought of a way to save their friendship and Sebastian’s possible future relationship. “You’ll have to think of something.”

Y/N waved her friends goodbye as she walked towards her dorm. It was finally Friday, which meant she – and almost everyone else – could sleep in. The closer she got to the Slytherin common room, the tenser she grew – she hoped she wouldn’t see any of her Slytherin friends.

The common room was weirdly empty – just a few lone students reading or playing card games together. Her shoulders relaxed as she walked up the stairs to her dorm room, her brows furrowing as she noticed a letter lying right in front of her door. Bending down to take the letter into her hand, she turned it around to see who it was addressed to, her eyes widening as she saw her name written clumsily onto the envelope. Turning it around she opened it and pulled out the folded paper.

Please meet me at the undercroft. I’ll be waiting.

S.S.

Y/N clenched her jaw as all kinds of emotions rushed through her, her eyes scanning over the few words again and again. She felt sadness, bitter, petty, curious but most importantly: she felt angry. Sebastian had completely forgotten about her and now he suddenly wanted to see her and asked her to come to him.

Y/N stared at the offending paper for another two minutes as she contemplated about her decision. She had been stood up several times, so why should she go because he asked one time? But if she ignored his request, she’d surely regret it, curious as she was … and a small part of her heart roared as she read his initials. Yearning to talk to him again. With a huff she folded the letter and stuffed it into her pocket before she turned to walk towards the undercroft.

Her curiosity always won.

-

Walking through the entrance there were many things that Y/N had expected – she had expected Sebastian to impatiently pace the room, with weird scripts in his hands that he wanted to show her. She had also expected the room to be empty with no Sebastian in sight. What she did not expect, however, were a trail of rose petals and lit candles leading up to a nicely decorated small table with snacks and drinks – and more roses.

The young girl’s mouth fell open as she took in the sight, coming to a halt as her eyes moved up to Sebastian’s figure standing behind the table with a tense smile on his face. The brunette was obviously nervous as his eyes carefully scanned over Y/N’s features.

“Hey …” Sebastian finally broke the silence – way too impatient to wait for Y/N to say something first. His nerves wouldn’t let him be patient.

“Before you say anything … I want to apologize; I am so sorry for neglecting you – the one person that has helped me through everything. You, who has saved my sister. You put so much trust in me, even though you barely knew me. You were always there for us – for me. And yet I managed to make you feel invisible. I probably made you feel like I used you too …” Sebastian paused for a second, catching his breath as he walked around the table and towards you.

“I know I don’t deserve it – I am a complete twat for all of this – but please. I’m so, so sorry. I need you – I don’t think I’ll ever not need you anymore. Please forgive me. I promise to always put you first.” Sebastian begged, tears welling up in his eyes as he stared into your equally watery eyes. “Because I love you – I know it didn’t look like it the past few weeks – but I really do. I love you. I have loved you ever since you beat my ass in our very first duel.”

At that a giggle forced its way out of Y/N’s lips, her cheeks growing hotter as the male continued.

“You are – you are just amazing. Please … please forgive me, Y/N.” Sebastian whispered as he lifted his hands to wipe the tears that had found their way down her flushed cheeks, before moving to cup them lovingly.

“Sebastian … I honestly don’t know what to say. You truly hurt me and when I got your note, a big part of me didn’t want to come. I didn’t think I’d be ready to see you. I’m still so angry and hurt.” Y/N spoke carefully, her eyes taking note of the way Sebastian’s jaw tensed. “And it is true that you probably don’t deserve it … but I love you too, Sebastian.” She finished as she averted her eyes – and if she had not, she would have seen the way the male’s eyes lit up in excitement, the way the corners of his lips tugged upwards into a beaming smile – his brain too focused on the fact that his crush reciprocated his feelings.

“So … do you forgive me?” Sebastian asked hopeful.

“I guess I will … in time. But it’ll cost you.” Y/N teased as she lifted her gaze, lifting her eyebrow jokingly at him.

“Anything you want. I’ll do anything!” Sebastian rushed out as his thumbs stroked over her cheeks.

“Start with a kiss, then.”

-

A/N: Idk why, but this oneshot started off as rather depressing. Hope you still liked it! I also felt like I rushed through most bits but honestly, this could be a whole chaptered fic in my opinion.

Would you have forgiven Sebastian? 👀

Hope you liked it!

[zg0nuwa]

colors ; lin kuei trio

you guys are not going to like me after this one

cw ; angst, hurt&no comfort, character death, unrequited love, this is a song fic (personally i’m not the biggest fan but damn does this work so well with these three), might be a little ooc, i would like to sincerely apologize to tomas enjoyers, NOT PROOFREAD!!!

bi han

“ You're ripped at every edge but you're a masterpiece ”

you knew him from the start, you were there when his father presented him the title of the future grandmaster as he was the firstborn of the family, you were there when he screamed and yelled how it’s not fair that his brothers don’t have to endure the same training as him.

you were there when his mother, the only figure in his life he could consider a parental one, died and you were there when he finally got granted the title of the grandmaster of lin kuei.

you were always there, no matter his failures, small mistakes and fits of rage as something didn’t go the way he wanted. no matter how ragged he seemed to be you saw the same little boy that strived to make everyone proud, strived for perfection.

“ And now you're tearing through the pages and the ink ”

who would’ve thought that the same boy you so admired for his commitment, for his determination would be the cause of your downfall. of course you loved him, how could you not? he tore through your thoughts like spilled ink through paper.

day and night, dawn and noon, sunrise and sunset it was about showing your worth to him. and of course it didn’t matter. he was so oblivious, so engrossed in his goals and ideas that he didn’t even consider spending his time on foolish matters like love.

he believed a person in love is a fool, an idiot, a naive moron that believed anything the loved one said. and he was right.

“ Everything is blue; his pills, his hands, his jeans ”

after the betrayal you tried so hard to rid yourself of the color of his vest. the blueness spilling everywhere from your walls, your clothes, the sky outside your window during exhausting days and sleepless nights. it was like a ghost was following you, eyes playing tricks and your brain showing the so dreaded color in the corner of your eye.

so when he actually arrived at the doors of shirai ryu you didn’t believe it. it was like a fever dream, they way his eyes gazed at you with pure hatred and resentment. you stared hoping to see something deep in there, like a confession, that he wished he didn’t have to do it, that he did it because he cared about you, that he loved you.

but there was nothing there, just the endless pit of rage.

“ And now I'm covered in the colors, pulled apart at the seams ”

you knew you wouldn’t stand a chance, not because you were not a warrior, you were, a great one even but even Achilles had a weak spot right? the only difference was that while Achilles had his heel you were standing face to face with your weakness. and he knew how to use this advantage.

“ you were supposed to be on my side. what a disappointment you are. ”

the hunting blue about to drown you, his clothes, the dark sky, the ice forming around his forearms, the color that now represents the clan which brought so much destruction to your home, the same color you once could even said you loved to death, just because it belonged to him.

“ And it's blue… ”

he stood above you with the bloody ice spear in his hands, directed perfectly at your beating heart. the heart that beat of him, at the pace he played. and of course he struck right where he wanted. he just couldn’t be more perfect, right?

tomas

he thought he lost everything he could, two families torn apart and he couldn’t comprehend what sins he must’ve committed to deserve such thing. but even with that he never lost hope, he didn’t care how childish it sounded. he still had kuai liang, he still had you.

“ Everything is grey “

you know what they say right? how everything has its end? good or bad, things will always end one way or another. and tomas knew, but oh how he wished things never ended. not now that you finally setteled in together at the shirai ryu he thought things will finally go the right way for him.

not everything was picture perfect, he still felt the immense guilt for “separating” the brothers and dragging you just by affiliation into this mess. sleepless nights spent with silent tears while you slept peacefully. harsh trainings and to top it off clumsiness from lack of sleep.

bruises and cuts becoming a normalcy for him. and so did become this far away, clouded look on his face.

“ His hair, his smoke, his dreams ”

you tried everything to get him out of that state, but if there’s one thing he shares with both bi han and kuai liang it’s the god damn stubbornness. you loved each other dearly, theres no denying that but the wall he created between you was becoming too much. for both sides.

the last time you confronted him about all the nights you spent alone or the times he ignored you during the day it ended in a screaming match. even if for him it was like a nightmare come true he couldn’t help but think he deserved you walking out on him with a loud and heart-wrenching scream.

“ i’m tired tomas, i cannot take this anymore! ”

oh how he wished it had never come to this.

“ And now he's so devoid of color ”

and now as he holds your body close to his chest, both your faces covered in blood, he understood that if there was someone to be deserving or undeserving of something, it’s you. you deserved better than him, better than what he had put you through, and you certainly didn’t deserve for your life to end this way.

“ i’m sorry, i’m so so sorry, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. ”

he didn’t know what hurt more. the sight of your face slowly losing color, eyes slowly losing life, and the hold on his cheek becoming less and less firm or the fact that after all this, you still forgave him. it felt like someone had just shot him in the face, right between his eyes…

…and the scar stayed, for a long time. just like the shades of gray in his eyes and heart after losing the only source of color in his life.

“ He don't know what it means ”

the hope was all lost now.

kuai liang

“ You were red and you liked me 'cause I was blue ”

‘childhood sweethearts’ was what a lot of people described you two as. friends from day one, that’s what comes with being a child of the grandmasters closest friend. you did everything together, all of your firsts were with the other one present.

“ But you touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky ”

a sweet reality, truly. your best friend being your actually first ever friend, being your first handhold, your first kiss, even your first time. but isn’t it somewhat normal? teenagers exploring their possibilities, their sexuality, their bodies. it all seems harmless until feelings come in the way. they started after the kiss and only got worse.

it would be normal to consider that he liked you too, right? so when he asked you to meet up in your secret spot because he had something important to tell you? oh boy you were losing your absolute mind.

choosing your best clothes, doing your hair, you obviously wanted to be your best in that moment. waiting in the spot was becoming an agonizing activity, you came over half an hour earlier then you were supposed to because of excitement.

“ And you decided purple just wasn't for you ”

it was supposed to be the best day ever for you until you saw him leading a girl you recognized. harumi, of course you knew who she was. you were always jealous of her, her stupid perfect face, her stupidly beautiful hair, her stupid smile. and yet here she was, standing in a place you wanted so badly to occupy.

and kuai liang stood proudly in front of you, a smile on his face, his chin held high in pride. he looked happy, maybe even happier then he ever been. happier than he has ever been when with you.

“ i wanted you to be the first one to know, harumi is my girlfriend ”

because best friends since childhood always share their firsts. and it’s so sweet.

feeling a bit silly tbh :3

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 3

Propaganda Under Cut

Kairi

kairi is the third protagonist of the kingdom hearts series and the third member of the destiny trio, alongside fan favorites sora and riku. sora/riku shippers HATE kairi, and will go out of their way to discount her at every turn. the hate for her ranges from typical "she's a boring bitch" to fans of soriku making five-hour long video essays reassuring their fellow shippers that the big bad kairi won't show up in the next installment – to quote one video, "she's in a box. she's on the shelf. four walls, no door." kairi is the greatest bogeyman the soriku fandom has ever known, to the point where most of said video essays and fanon meta posts focus not on why sora and riku should get together, but rather on why they don't like kairi.

Literally has a 100+ page Google doc fan theory writing her out of the narrative and putting all of her (few) canonical accomplishments onto half of the popular m/m ship (soriku). Don't even get me started on how her memory was completely written out of the canon plot of re:coded. KH is a nightmare to explain so dude trust me she is THE victim of yaoi

She is so fundamental to the plot and themes and narratives of game and yet it is near impossible to find anything about her thats not ship bashing pre-mlm with the other two characters. I dont even care if she ends up with one of the main characters i just want fans to see her as a cool character to love or like, anything other than “annoying comphet girl.” You can write your mlm but pleaae stop inventing comphet where it doesnt exist. She does not even get to spend time with sora ever?? Why does everyone see her as a threat and a thing to destroy?? Let her have friends so help me

Misa Amane

she gets treated in-canon the way fandoms treat female characters that Threaten an m/m ship. it's like, "oh why don't you go sit in the corner and be pretty, misa, while the Men have intelligent conversation and pretend they aren't ten seconds from fucking each other, doesn't that sound nice?" it's infuriating. and MAYBE it's better now but i remember her getting treated the same way in fanfiction too, like we all need to do just as badly by our female secondary characters as fucking tsugumi ohba, but with the added insult of making her be alternately oblivious of the relationship between light and L or actively trying to sabotage it—incompetently, of course, because god forbid misa be allowed dignity or moments of cleverness.

she's one of the first characters I think of when I consider old school fandom misogyny. The annoying bitch and clingy crazy gf allegations were AFTER HER ASS. She's also a lot more intelligent than people gave her credit for, but most seem inclined to take the Very Biased word of our unreliable, narcissistic narrator and his homoerotic arch nemesis and claim that just because she's bubbly and into romance that she's also a complete moron. Which is blatantly untrue. Everyone was afraid of Misa girlbossing too hard. Killing people and devoting yourself to the deranged twink of your dreams even though you know he'll never love you back??? Having a hardcore goth aesthetic and being so Hot even literal Death Gods are into you?? God forbid women do ANYTHING!

Not only is she the victim of yaoi culture, she is the victim of early 2000s misogyny by an author that wanted to introduce a girl character because he knew his male rivals were getting too homoerotic. She is a goth bimbo icon who portrays what I think is one of the few callouts for stan culture and what parasocial relationships can do to both the stan and the idol. The fact that she is a toxic fan of Kira and also hot, funny, sociable is tragic in its own way, which I think the author did try to touch on but was too misogynistic too really get through. Of course, she was reduced to villain status by the fandom and anime alike because she got in the way of the supposed romance in their psychological horror anime.

[orchidego]

ao3 has taken me places I wouldn't even go to with a g*n

smoking on that dramione pack

( @ailenach asked me for a dramione rec list so that's what this post is, anyone else read at your own risk )

Compiler’s note - skip down to the list if you don’t need to know why/what exactly I like in fic!

aka my dramione ethos: The most compelling dynamic in a ship, for me, is when it comprises of two people giving each other the strength to be the people they need to be.

Before he can be loved, Draco must be redeemed. In a way, he’s awfully bad at being a blood supremacist (lacking real conviction). Draco’s Slytherin morality, at least as a teen, compels him only in the direction of protecting and preserving himself and his own; he doesn’t seem to have a morality outside of this. Everything else is borrowed from his fear and desire to conform to his loved ones’s expectations. Contrast with Hermione, who has an outsized sense of morality—she knows exactly what is good and right, and she throws herself into her causes with self-righteous conviction, headstrong and beautifully off-putting.

Draco, the boy who belonged everywhere, watched his fragile worldview turn to ash and became unmoored. Hermione, the girl who belonged nowhere, bent the world towards her through obstinate radiant willpower, and established herself. Two people who could, maybe, find a home in each other.

A Draco in love with Hermione might wrap his morality around her courage, might steady himself while in the service of her. A Hermione in love with Draco might be preserved by him, may be bolstered against burning out or being misunderstood or unseen. They’re both industrious with their respective tasks (she researches! he toils!), which lends itself to them having intellectual parity. They’re both kind of intense. Then there’s the general enemies to lovers appeal, the idea that at no point in time were these two characters ever indifferent towards each other. The banter potential alone…!

So this is some of the kind of exploration I like in fic, pressed in many different tones; ff is especially unique in that we can play around with the elements (AUs, contrived circumstances, tonal shifts, narrative beats) and be more experimental because the weight of canon grounds it.

My rec list:

Before I truly begin, I feel like I have to comment on it: I did ultimately enjoy Manacled. A "Voldemort wins" fic with a Handsmaid Tale twist; it has compelling structure, with a D/Hr dynamic suited to my tastes and what I find interesting about the characters. However, it's dark (mind the tags) and I’m still not certain if the content was handled as effectively as the author meant it to be, and so I don't think it's a universal recommendation despite its staggering popularity. If you do want to read this I would recommend downloading it because she's going to delete it off ao3 once the novelization of it comes out next year.

My quintessential dramione recommendation is, of course, The Disappearances of Draco Malfoy. It's a full Deathly Hallows rewrite where Draco goes Horcrux hunting with the trio and as far as I'm concerned, it's canon. Unlike every other fic on my list, I would recommend this to everyone. Written very closely in style to the books, I think it has universal appeal and it’s the perfect jumping off point for the pairing while being convincing. Sometimes I would find myself wishing that this was the direction the books had taken. PG-13, in terms of violence and sexual content, which I find significant enough to bring up since there’s usually a lot of sex in popular ff.

My favorite humor-based rec: Bad Omens. Written in the vein of Terry Pratchett. I would describe this as a "star-crossed morons" kind of story. It's literally perfect.

Remain Nameless. Caveat that this sort of trailed off for me once the central tension with the relationship was resolved but I think in terms of an adult redemption arc it was very sweetly done. Sometimes achingly tender.

The Fallout is probably my favorite “extended wartime” fic of all time. The intimacy in this makes me want to kms, in a good way. I'm linking to a downloadable pdf here since it's been removed off other sites.

Love in The Time of Zombie Apocalypse. Zombie outbreak AU. Strays from canon characterization but. Plot goes crazy. Complex character work. Hooked me all the way through.

Thirteenth Night. Post-war, Hermione assigned to monitor a memory-charmed Draco. Less epic than a lot of the other recs on this list because the scope of the world is small, but it’s quietly good.

This is just my plug for anything PacificRimbaud has ever written, but particularly the historical rom com Love and Other Historical Accidents, the raunchy and funny One and Done, and the tender romantic one-shot Les Pelerins.

BLOODY, SLUTTY, AND PATHETIC. Listen to me. Listen to me. The title sort of explains the tone and it carries entirely throughout. I am obsessed with this version of Draco. All men should be bloody slutty and pathetic. Post-war, ministry employee Hermione, marriage law AU (which tbh I don't tend to love usually, so this really is exceptional).

She Whom He Harbors. Ok before you read the summary/tags and judge me, yes, this is basically a "fuck or die" fic. I figured I needed to make the rec in case this is a vibe anyone is interested in pursuing. But it's not just gratuitous smut, I swear, there's a compelling plot here. Lot of orgasms. But there is a plot.

Brand New World. Epic in scope. Diverges in plot while they're still at Hogwarts. Great Draco redemption arc (which is important to me!)

The Gloriana Set. ThebeMoon is my personal queen of Hogwarts Eighth Year fics. I would also rec The Darkwood Wand, by the same author. Both very fun reads.

Things Without Remedy. Time travel! Adore the serious relationship build in this one.

Tea & Necromancy. Sort of an experimental tone. Equal parts funny and morbid.

Sucker Punch. Also would classify this as experimental; you'll know if you jive with the writing within a few paragraphs.

Choice and Chance. Absolutely delicious plot divergence at the point of Hermione's torture at Malfoy Manor. Involves multiverse elements.

Beyond Recall or Desire. If you like soulmate bonds!

Malfoy Shrugged. On the shorter side; just a great two-shot.

Tromp as Writ. While I'm recommending perfect one-shots.

Mindbound. This author has a series of very short works based on fairy tales. This one is my favorite but I'd recommend the others too.

Past / Present / Future. Barbara Kruger AND a perfect adult Draco characterization? J’adore.

My very last recommendation is something that is so important to me, but I'm separating it like this because it's a WIP whereas all the others are completed fics. Please don't let that deter you, if at all interested.

Lionheart. !!!!

What can I say about Lionheart, except that its author somehow resides in my brain and created something for me, specifically? I've really so rarely read fic that is so perfectly balanced in dialogue, character understanding, narrative arc, plotting, action—when I read this, I feel like how I felt at 11, reading Harry Potter. For real. It's a whole series rewrite, truly epic in scope, asking the question: what if Draco had been sorted into Gryffindor? Currently the storyline is complete as to book four, partially through book five, and being updated. The character work is especially stunning to me. This is the sweetest slowburn friendship-to-lovers of my dreams; obviously heavy on the friendship arc since we're not all the way through, and yet I find that my emotional investment in this is so heightened it doesn't even matter to me. I want to read thousands of words of this (luckily, it's already got 600k+ of those). Thank you greenTeacup, for my life.

I obviously have read more than this so if there are any specific tropes/interests/limitations you want a rec for, I'm open to give an opinion. Also I have my eye on a few fics that I just haven't read yet, so alas, this list is not perfectly complete. The next thing I want to read....Détraquée....

[stestir]

Heres my rant about Amethio age discussion and why I think the age range excuse is stupid. I should probably keep this out of the main tag, but I'm tired, sick, and angry, so idc.

Big really angry rant under the line.

So please can anyone explain to me why everyone thought that VAs comment about Amethio being a teen means hes between 13-19 and also 100% CAN be a 19 years old?

Cause English says that a teen is between 13 and 19? Well we all know that English has a lot of stupid stuff in it, so doesnt really count. Plus, quick reminder, this is anime. Japan. The meaning behind teenager could be very different here.

The difference between 13 and 19 years old is so contrast that giving Amethio this range in the first place is moronic. A 13 years old still needs to ask their daddy to go out with their friends. 19 years old already expected to pay taxes, move out of the house, is probably already on a antidepressants.

And the thing is, Amethio doesnt even act like a 19 years old! He acts like a 14 years old emo that tries his very best to look serious and is desperate for attention.

The whole his beef with Friede is a big ass example of this, that Anime just shoves into your face! Amethio becames irrated immediately after Friede stops giving attention to him, everything in his actions screams "Take me seriously!" He wants to be seen as a professional serious trainer by someone who has authority [ Friede ] and is hurt when it doesnt happen. Its literally how neglected children act.

Also the whole excuse with "B-but hes working with Explorers and has his own subordinates that he commands" GUESS WHO ALSO A MINOR BUT IS A BOSS OF A SHIP? ZUKO. The literal icon of redemption arcs. He also was casted away in the age of 13 and had a whole small army under his command. Does that make him an adult? NO. Both Amethio and Zuko are clearly special, thats why they both are forced into a weapon by their respective parential abusers [ Ozai / Gibeon ], and given some special privileges to make it seem that thse abusers love them, when in fact they are just using them.

He doesnt look like a 19 years old either! His body type barely resembles one of Friede or Spinel, both being a clear cut adults. And before someone says "Well I think that Friede looks 20 and that Amethio is just a really twigy guy" no hes bloody not! Reminder, this is pokemon, we have Lusamine and Cyrus that look like 20 and 40, but actually the opposite. And the thing is, Amethio closely resembles Silver with his body! Whos, yk, A CANONICAL 13 YEARS OLD.

What is more hysterical to me is when the Interviews AND Anime itself start to make parallels between Amethio and the kid Trio, whos, yk, OBVIOUSLY KIDS. Like- in both interviews before the big arcs the boy was compared to Liko & Roy [ And Dot, by extension. ] Amethio was literally called a kid alongside the kid Trio, [ One of the kids that still havent found their dream ] which not only makes him a minor, but also puts him the same age group with Liko, Roy and Dot!

And Anime situation is even more comedic. Khem khem. Literally an episode that got out not so long ago, 44. Amethio is called a spoiled brat by Sango [ Which already makes him a kid, but alas ]. Guess who was also called a spoiled kid? LIKO. BY MOLLIE IN THE ABROLIVA EPISODE. Liko, whos canonically we seen as a child child in the episode 18, was called the same thing as Amethio. I get that Anime tries to make parallels between them in general, but that doesnt matter to me now. The most important thing is - they are both viewed as a kids. Yk. MINORS.

Ending this, I'll say - Amethio is a barely 14, maybe at maximum 15, and he is sure is not a 19 years old. I'm sure hes in the same age bracket as Liko, Roy and Dot.

Also AmeFriede is the worst ship that deserves its own place in hell, alongside AmeSpinel. I hate both of these. They are bad from all perspectives.

[ Also, this is the angriest I felt lately, so I wont probably post any other rants like that. This is just me being beaten down by flu and projecting my anger towards this shitty and stupid "discussion". ]

[jamil-s-wifey]

Hi there fellow Jamil stan! I see your requests are open and I would love to ask for some basketball trio OT3 please. It can be as sfw or nsfw as you want. Honestly I'm just starved for content of this trio and I wanna see these idiots attempting to date each other.

UGH, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVE REQUESTS. LITERALLY I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THIS SHIP BEFORE, HOW COULD I?! THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS, oH MY GOSHH ❤️❤️ What's better than one disfunctional moron with a strong personality? 3 of them. Gosh the comedy, the romance, the interractions. Yes. This isn't very NSFW, but it has its savoury taste here and there. Overall, I'm not sure what to categorise this as, it went to places I didn't expect it to. However, I really hope you like this, because I HAD A BLAST writing it!

P.S. under the cut for some nsfw-ish elements.

So..............

You chose violence, huh?

This was a relationship that came as a surprise to literally everybody, especially Jamil himself.

It all started when they had a regional basketball tournament, which required them to travel outside of NRC grounds. Jamil was much too stressed over it, of course. Not only did he have to spend 2 whole days with two of the biggest menaces at school, but he also had to leave Kalim to his own devices?! How was that even allowed??

Regardless, the trip was organised and they set off. Truthfully, the three of them had already become fairly accustomed to one another, after all - basketball requires a certain level of sportsmanship (which in Floyd's case depended mostly on his ever-changing mood swings.)

On TOP of it all, Crowley had decided to cram all three of them in one room - something about funding again and his OH SO GRAND generosity!

Needless to say, neither of them was very ecstatic at the prospect. .....However, when night rolled around, the mood in the room was just...different. Ace, Floyd and Jamil found themselves sitting cross-legged in a circle on the floor, talking (and pretty casually and calmly too.) Maybe it was the pre-game jitters, or perhaps some deep-rooted understanding which they had reached unknowingly at some point, but the conversations they were having were... exceptionally nice. Deep even, and they kept getting deeper. Each revealed parts of themselves unknown to the outside world. ...but nothing else happened, right? And they're classmates, and friends, and teammates.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

It wasn't until after the game, when the *climax* of their story *came* around .

And it was all Floyd's doing. The win, the adrenaline, the excitement - a recipe for a good time.

A touch here and there, a growl, a moan and then suddenly they were tangled in each other, sweaty and spent, barely fitting on a bed way too small for 3 people.

"So uh- that was something." Ace's voice...or whatever was left of it, rang through the silence. "Fuck, I don't think I'll be able to walk tomorrow..." Floyd's smile widened, showing sharp teeth which once terrified Ace and Jamil... But unsurprisingly, not anymore.

"Awe, little Crabbyyy~" he teased him, leaning in to bite him on the shoulder, not enough to break skin, but enough to pull a painful yelp out of the boy. "You're just so delicious, I want to eat you riiiight up~"

"I don't want to ruin the idyllic setting, but I think we have to talk this through." Jamil, of course, chose to be the voice of reason in the situation, "This shouldn't happen again." He tried to be as adamant as possible.

Floyd's brows furrowed. "Don't pretend like you didn't like it, you were moani-"

"Shut up."

"Hnnn, you're blushing.~ And you came sooo much~"

"Yeah, dude. Don't act all high and mighty now. I mean- uh. I... wouldn't mind it... happening again." Ace would have crossed his arms....if he had the strength.

"Oh, we're definitely doing this again."

Jamil could only sigh. As much as he wanted to deny it - he wasn't opposed to the idea either. It was the best he'd felt in a long time, amd he could have something of his own, far away from duty and status and-

And so it was settled.

What was supposed to be a friends with benefits type of deal turned....so much more with time. The more time they spent together, the more they learned about each other's quirks - the deeper their bond grew. It was only natural for things to progress into something something more serious. And oh, was it glorious.

Floyd was... eccentric, primitive, nearly unstable, but he was the most passionate, the most emotional, the most affectionate, the most provocative (in every sense of the world.) And he was oh so deliciously physical in his affection. Ace had a boyish charm to him, a carefree take on the world, much unlike Jamil. He brought to the table excitement, unforgettable memories and enough dumb jokes to write a book...or five. Jamil was. unsurprisingly, the one to actually take care of his two feral boyfriends. He was the calm and collected voice of reason, who would make sure nobody ACTUALLY got hurt in any way. And what did he get in return? Unconditional love, the feeling of being on top of the world, a wonderful way to practice his master kink and immense loyalty. Loyalty he would return tenfold.

Now don't get me wrong, this relationship is nothing short of chaotic. It's already bad enough that Ace is part of it, but Floyd too?!

At times Jamil really questioned his decision making skills, but then the very next moment, Ace would come to tell him of whatever shenanigans he'd got involved in, instantly putting a small, barely noticeable smile on his face. And then Floyd - who would always be there for both of them. Who would attack threaten anybody daring to throw a less than savoury look, or GOD FORBID: comment at Jamil. Who'd make sure nobody would lay a finger on Ace, and in return Ace - who was always there to cure Floyd's endless boredom. And both of them were Jamil's means of escape from his tiring daily life.

And maybe it was a bit unorthodox, but neither of them would change it for the world.

Honestly, I'm tempted to write more - like headcanons for different situations in their daily life together and stuff like that, this was WAY too much fun and somehow turned out far more emotional that I originally expected..

[sp0o0kylights]

Werewolf AU wherein Jonathan was Expecting King Steve to be the Worlds Worst Alpha Wolf and got a Total Mom Instead

This is Werewolves not A/B/O (no a/b/o involved, think more like the paranormal romance smut that inspired Twilight. Two alphas and one Omega to a pack type of deal and its decided on dominance/other shit.) 

Hungry Verse Werewolf AU that takes place S2 and S3  before Eddie shows up. 

Jonathan's shy.

Has always been shy, and will likely remain shy, at least around large crowds of people. He's socially awkward, has never been good at making friends, doesn't really care too much about his clothes and is poor, so even if he wasn't shy, socializing wasn't likely to have gone in his favor anyway. 

He knows it takes a while for him to warm up to others. Nancy was something of a one off, the two of them brought together by his own admittedly shitty actions, his brother's disappearance and an interdimensional monster. 

He fully expects it to be different around Steve. 

Particularly since Jonathan, as their Pack’s of three’s most submissive werewolf, automatically gets the spot of Omega Wolf. Not that he isn’t suited for it, he’d be marked as Omega with his abilities regardless. 

It was a point of contention between himself and Lonnie for years.

Jonathan just-doesn’t see the use in posturing. 

Fighting.

 Acting like a fucking moron over dumb shit. 

What he did not expect was for Steve Harrington, Alpha Werewolf and jock douchebag, to try and mother him. 

"Byers, where the hell is your coat!? It's freezing out here!" Steve huffs one afternoon, appearing out of nowhere and making Jonathan jump. 

He'd been waiting outside the arcade, leaning against his clunker of a car for Will and friends to finish their last round of games. Had perhaps been waiting longer than he should have, just happy to let his little brother be a kid. 

“I-what-" Jonathan stumbles over his words before regaining ground and protesting, "I'm wearing a coat?"

Steve rakes his eyes over him, hands on his hips. "That is a jacket. It is absolutely not warm enough for you to hang around outside in." 

Jonathan's mouth pops open, words on his tongue but Steve's already turned around and trotted back to his car. 

He opens the hood and digs around for a minute, before making a pleased noise and returning, holding something victoriously in his hand. 

It's a medium weight hoodie with the zipper down the front, Hawkins Swim Team blazed across the back above a snarling tiger. 

Steve holds it out to him. 

Jonathan looks between him and it, before hesitantly reaching out to accept.  

The packbond hums happily with Steve's pleasure, a feeling totally alien to Nancy's own. Hers had always been about some answer he'd gotten right, or when he'd said something particularly clever or poetic, the pleased, happy feeling of a kiss on his cheek. 

Steve's…Jonathan almost can't pin down the exact feeling of Steve's. His mind supplies the images of warm maple syrup and a fuzzy blanket, then tries to combine the two.

Fails and leaves him confused. 

"Put that on over your jacket, should at least help you stay warm." Steve instructs, and Jonathan really, really wants to say no, that this is ridiculous, Will is coming out any minute, but-

He doesn't want to.

Does not want to look too hard as to why Steve is somehow harder to displease than Nancy is. 

Finds himself putting the stupid jacket on, refusing to look Steve in the face as he does so. 

Is very annoyed by the sheer happiness radiating off his Alpha (and maybe at the own blush rising up in his cheeks, the result of his embarrassment.) 

"Steeeeve!" 

That's Dustin, tearing out of the arcade. The pack of children follow him, with Mike and Will bringing up the rear. 

They chatter at Steve for a moment, before the group splits, the Dustin-Lucas-Max trio diving into Steve's car and the Mike-El-Will trio going into his. 

Steve claps a hand on his shoulder, saying "See you Byers!" 

Mike's nose crinkled up as Jonathan got into the driver's seat. 

"Why do you smell like Steve?" He whines. 

Which is the worst moment to realize that not only does he smell like Steve, but his wolf likes it. 

"Shut up Mike."

xXx

Steve Harrington has changed from the guy Jonathan punched out. 

Not completely. Jonathan still see’s glimpses of the forever cool, waspish King Steve coming through now and then. Those moments are few and far between though, particularly now that he led a Werewolf Pack, 

At their core, an Alpha Werewolf was a provider. 

Steve, it seemed, absolutely delights in doing just that. 

Nancy had already growled at him twice over for it and at first Jonathan hadn’t registered that’s what it was about. 

Thought Steve was back to courting Nancy and was gearing up his own discussion with his girlfriend about how they wanted to handle it-until Steve pulled the same shit with him. 

“I know you said you could make your own lunch but I had extras.” Steve says, handing a brown paper bag to Nancy one morning, apparently having been roped into driving Henderson to school. 

Jonathan’s schooled his face into a blank mask, letting his girlfriend handle this the way she wants too-and thus misses the second brown bag until it’s shoved in his face. 

“Um.” He says. 

It has his name on the side in Steve’s scrawl. There’s even a little smiley face in the middle of the O. 

“Uh.” He says again, startled, but Steve’s already got his back to them, throwing a wave over his shoulder. 

“Have a good one guys!” He calls, as he heads off to his own class. 

Entirely out of his depth, Jonathan turns to Nancy for help. 

She just stares at Steve’s retreating back, a look on her face that says she's deep in thought. 

“What did you get in yours?” She asks him later, at lunch, holding up her chocolate pudding. 

“Vanilla pudding.” He says, the only different part of his meal to hers.

He had to hand it to Harrington. The guy made a seriously wicked meal. 

“Hmm. Trade me?” She asks with a smile, holding up her pudding. 

Grinning, Jonathan does.

[storiesabouthumanandthings]

The Punk and The Suit 1

Well here we are. I've been wanting to write for a while but have been absolutely burned out. Sadly for writing the muse gets to choose and has left my WIPs to snooze. All my poor WIPs just waiting for new words and yet instead have a brand new story that me and my wife @amloveabledeathmo are writing together.

“Are you excited for tonight?” Kristoph overhears some random coworker ask Eric in front of the office building as they are heading to it after going out for lunch. Kristoph has been trying to keep his distance from the gossip but there was no escape since they all worked together.

“It’s no big thing. I knew this was coming.” Eric took a smug sip of his nasty coffee.

Kristoph couldn’t help but roll his eyes and thought to himself, ‘He doesn’t deserve it, I've been working here since I was fourteen. The only reason he is getting this is dad is a moron and his mom is a-’

He was pulled out of his thoughts swiftly when a skateboarder slammed into Eric. Eric fell to the concrete, spilling his stupid high price mocha frape whatever drink all over his new suit.

“Watch where you’re going!” yells the punk skateboarder.

Kristoph is glad he is hidden behind the tree. He likes sitting in front of the building and watching the skateboarders and street performers on his lunch break. But now he had to stifle a laugh and an evil grin as Eric laid in a mess.

“Do you know who he is?” one of Eric’s cronies yelled back at the skateboarder.

“Is he fucking blind? Did y’all not see the orange cones? No? Then I don’t give a fuck.” The punk yelled as he picked himself up and dusted himself off.

“He could buy your whole apartment building and kick you out if he wanted too,” a different crony yelled.

The punk boarder scoffed, “Then he should use some of that money to buy a new pair of eyes.”

Before Eric or anyone else could respond, he whistled to his friends, picked up the cones marking off their trick area, and rode off. Eric started yelling at his cronies to help him up. The trio hurried inside while Kristoph leisurely finished off his meal and picked up his garbage, he even picked up stupid Eric's cup, littering was just not cool. That was one of the best lunches Kristoph had in a while.

The office was a buzz about Eric being beaten up by a bunch of gangsters and how he fought them all off. Kristoph couldn’t believe how exaggerated it had gotten even though there would of course be CCTV video of the whole incident. But Kristoph didn’t say anything to correct the rumors. That would mean having to admit being there and not doing anything or looking jealous over the whole other situation.

He just closed his office door and rode the high of the mental image of the mess of Eric knocked on the floor where he belongs.

--------

Hours later, now across town boarding an elevator, Kristoph couldn’t believe his luck when the skateboarder who knocked Eric on his ass stepped in. They made polite nods and pressed their floor number.

Kristoph watched as the punk boarder was checking himself out in the mirrored elevator and began to take aggressive (ly hot) selfies.

“Sorry to interrupt, and I’m sorry if this seems rude, but you seem like you’re good at pissing people off,” Kristoph states.

The punk looks Kristoph up and down in the mirror, not turning to him, “Why? Am I pissing you off?”

Kristoph smiles and adjust his glasses, turning towards the punk, “No, quite the opposite. You interest me. With your posing and posturing though, does it anger people?”

The Punk, now a bit confused, looks at Kristoph, “Oh uh a bit. The way I dress seems to frustrate people on its own. They expect me to be stuffed in some tight boring suit, uh no offense,-”

“None taken”

“- but yeah, with my attitude and the fact I don't care about their opinions on my style it just sends them through the fucking roof,” he says with a slight chuckle.

Kristoph nods, “Do you enjoy pissing people off?”

The Punk, with a raised eye brow, getting annoyed with all the probing questions, “Maybe, sometimes. Depends. What's it to you?”

Kristoph reaches into his pocket, “I have some people I would like to piss of. But I am not very good at confrontations I'm afraid. I am stuck in a tight boring suit. You are not. So if you don't mind, I would like to hire you to piss off people for me. $100 cash plus food for one evening. All you have to do is show up with me. You can totally also try to piss them off too but yeah just seeing you will give them a conniption.” Kristoph pulls out the cash from his wallet.

The Punk immediately snatches the cash, “Fuck yeah, when do we meet up to do this?”

The elevator dings and the doors open to a grand hall full of people in suits and dresses. Kristoph walks out, “Now. My cheating father is promoting my jerk step brother over me in the family business. This is the big party about it and you're now my plus one.”

“WoahWoah! Woah! Woah! Wait a second! I need time to prepare!”

Kristoph holds the door open with one hand and his other hand grabs the punks hand with the money, “It’s now or never, your choice,” he says while looking into the punk’s eyes.

Next

Please let us know what you think of this new story. That was supposed to be a one shot but well the muse.

[competitivedust]

I am in one of my moods so I want to talk about The Invincible Trio in season 5 of Agents of Shield.

The people in this group, according to several redditors, were the only ones actually making logical decisions about the end of the world. I am guessing most fans don't really think about it beyond its surface because Fitzsimmons have already been established as the smartest characters in the show with logical and sound reasoning. If they say it works, then obviously it works right?

But see, Jemma insists that she, Fitz and Elena are invincible because there is evidence of it in the future (Deke being their grandson and Elena being literally there). Of course the only way to assume that they cannot die is to also assume that absolutely nothing about the future can change. Which means that time is fixed. Which then means that no matter what they do, there is no saving the world. Makes the whole season pointless doesn't it?

But if the world can be saved, that means future can change, that means The Invincible Trio isn't invincible. The future that they saw was just one of the iterations where the three of them survived. That means they are just as vulnerable as the rest of the team. And so Simmons' little experiment was stupid beyond reason. And Fitz isn't much better here, going along with something like this. Elena isn't really established as someone who thinks things through so this is right up her alley. But seriously, they made two of the smartest shield scientists act like complete morons.

[jakowskis]

Day 13 - Favorite ship(s)? Any Torchwood OTPs? Go ahead, gush about them!

dude i multiship so hard in this fandom i dont think there’s a single combination i havent thought of + found a way to enjoy, and that extends to trios. AND i like tw poly. i am mashing them together like barbie dolls. i am having sm fun here in my room

even the ones i don’t exactly “like” still make me Feel Things (more on that later), and even the ones i tend to prefer as friends (more on that later, too), i can still see it if i want to yknow. that’s what’s fun about the slutty bisexy show! woo! they all compel me. 

nonetheless, here are the pairings i like the most, ranked by how often i think of them + how insane they make me. im not gonna gush a ton, actually, bc i get annoyed w how much i talk, so ill keep every explanation under 15 words

owen x ianto: I Want Them Covered in Blood Together (Gnashing My Teeth) (by fall out boy)

owen x andy: golden retriever boyfriend for owen bc sometimes it’s nice to not be angsty (gooseberry who?)

owen x jack: i dont know how they make me feel but they make me feel Something :/

ianto x tosh: THEY’D BE SO CUTE they’d be precious that’s all

tosh x andy: see above. tosh deserves a sweet bf (there are no girls to ship her with 😔)

owen x suzie: they’re mirrors, they’re the same… they intrigue me. also Hawt xD (im bi)

owen x gwen: better as besties imho but im still a bi moron who’s not immune

jack x ianto: overrated imho BUT i do still like them. sigh. dead line speech wahhh

gwen x rhys: i love their relationship troubles n the way it grounds the show. theyre cute

jack x the doctor: sending jack off to harass the doctor so the team can Rest (+ Im Compelled)

jack x gwen: they compel me a little. a teeny bit. not too much but a little

(can u tell i like owen ships. he just has such fascinating relationships w everyone)

ok i lied ill say a couple things. firstly my otp being owento… i’ve talked a bit about it but in brief it started out because i can't resist having at least one enemies/rivals to lovers ship per fandom and ep12 blew my mind a little - and then something just Clicked and they somehow achieved top ten ships of all time status in my brain?? idk what happened there. i usually go for canon-based ships, so having one that kind of lacks substance in the source media (allegedly; i think they’re fruity in canon. but u know what i mean like theyre not ‘canon’ in a show where there is in fact gay TEXT rather than just the subtextual shit theyre doing yanno) and is largely a beast of my own creation (+ the influence of the wonderful handful of fic writers we’ve had over the years) has been rlly fun. 

im largely preoccupied with those two, but i’ve found jack + his relationship with ianto kind of inherently haunts owen x ianto… if you’ve read my fic you know what i mean by that. i can’t see owento existing on its own, like janto fundamentally co-exists next to it so i have to take it into account, and then jack and owen also have a fascinating relationship so i’ve kind of just ended up spending a lot of time thinking about and figuring out owen x ianto x jack in all combinations, because there’s a lot of fascinating stuff going on there from every end. introducing owen to the equation also kind of… ig redeems janto for me, bc i found them offensively underwhelming in s1 and s2. they should be dark and fucked up, and they’re not. owen kind of… brings smth dark and fucked up to the table, and a lot of why i like shipping him with ianto is bc they bring shit out of each other - and owen, for his part, is capable of bringing out ianto’s repressed rage and forcing him to deal with things he’d rather try to compartmentalize and ignore… i find that super compelling, and i also find it useful for breaking down my issues with how jack & ianto’s relationship is initially presented. like, he’s a handy narrative tool for that hfsdjkf. point is, whether i like it or not, jack and his relationships with my girlies (owen n ianto are the girlies <3) is kind of also an intrinsic part of what most of my fixation-oriented brain power goes into thinking about. i’ve been developing this huge fic ‘verse fdhfjk.... Im Very Tired

sometimes i like fun, though, which is what’s behind a lot of those other ships. i’m generally into very dark + angsty + psychological themes, but sometimes fluff and domesticity and occasional silliness is nice, and that’s what’s behind owandy (i have an au where they meet before owen dies) and iantosh (+ gwen x rhys) as my sort of… alternative endgame. my comfort ‘au’. not an au, exactly, but an alternative fluffier world to the darker owento-based one i’ve crafted and spend most of my time thinking about fdshkfj. i also like sending jack off to go bother the doctor, in this ‘au’, because unfortunately i don’t think he’s conductive to the team’s happiness. i think he needs to find his own way to heal and that should probs include the doctor, considering how obsessed jack is with them + how much he needs to unpack All That Shit he has going on before he can be any sort of truly positive force in the lives of the tw team. so for now he’s banned from the polycule for jack crimes. listen, i love that torchwood’s inherently sad and dark and lonely, it’s what compels me, and i’m ultimately glad that’s the core of the show - but it doesn’t have to be. sometimes i enjoy a nicer alternative. i think they could fix it. and that’s what fandom + fanfic is for. 

i also have several ot3s i enjoy, mostly owen ones. i think he deserves a bf + a gf, i think it’d fix him. put that bitch in a bisexual sandwich and maybe he'd behave. in particular, i love owen x tosh x ianto, it’s the only place i ship owen/tosh bc i think ianto would keep owen in check and they’d all better each other. i love owen x tosh x andy for similar reasons. can you tell the four characters im biased towards fhdskj. (i love gwen just as much but she’s kind of doing her own thing with just rhys and jack imo fdkfjsd. perhaps torchwood is composed of two polycules and jack is the link between both of them)

[shrinkthisviolet]

I'm gonna preface this by saying the PJO show is not without its flaws. But calling the movies truer to the spirit of the books than the show is crazy when the movies:

–cast age-inappropriate actors for the main trio

–made said characters act very unlike themselves (not just in minor ways either! Grover was flirting with every girl, Annabeth was similar to how Clarisse was in the books..she's even the one who fights Percy in the movie when it's supposed to be Clarisse who does! Why would Annabeth have any beef with Percy that early on??)

–straight-up cut out many plot points (the show is rearranging some plot points, sure, and has shortened some things, but there is nothing it has completely cut out iirc. And even if there are one or two things it has cut out, the movies straight up mixed up events from different books!)

–had one scene that everyone agreed was good (or I guess a few, if we're counting the funny ones like "you ridiculously stupid moron", the Hermes scene, and "don't walk on my roof". There are other funny ones, but the casino scene is always universally praised)

–literally refused any attempt by the author to suggest changes that would make it more faithful??

etc

If you wanna criticize the show, fine–not everyone has to enjoy it. But don't act like the movies are more faithful to the books. That's objectively false.

[keldae]

The Mistletoe Trap

Drastic times called for drastic measures. Or that's what Jonas insisted from his precarious perch atop a pilfered desk chair that he was currently standing on, in the middle of the dorm lounge, stretching to drive a thumbtack into the dorm ceiling. “Trust me, this will totally work!”

Lana dubiously looked up at him, arms crossed and blonde eyebrow raised. “Are you sure it won't just make things awkward with them?"

“Even those two idiots have to clue in with this!” Jonas hopped off the chair and stepped back to survey his handiwork. “I mean, this is a central element in every cheesy romance movie set around Christmas. Guy encounters girl, guy and girl both look up and realize they're under thr mistletoe, guy and girl kiss, guy and girl realize they're in love…”

“And are you an expert in Hallmark movies?” Lana asked, brushing a lock of blonde hair out of her eyes.

“I have a mother who's obsessed with those movies,” Jonas answered. “I learn things by osmosis. Besides, you only need to see one Hallmark movie to figure out the plot for all of them…”

“You're not wrong,” Lana conceded. She looked over her shoulder as Koth emerged from his room, shrugging his jacket on. “What do you think? Do we have a chance of setting our favourite idiots up with this?”

Koth craned his neck to look up at the mistletoe and frowned. “Isn't it supposed to be in a doorway, instead of the middle of a room?”

Jonas groaned. “I spent long enough fighting to get it to stay up there without falling! Can't we break tradition just this once?”

“Nope. If we're doing a mistletoe set-up, we gotta do it right.” Koth jumped up on the desk chair and pried the thumbtack, with its precious burden of mistletoe, out of the ceiling. He paused and dubiously eyed the little pin. “... This will be a pain to stick into the doorframe.”

“Nothing some tape can't fix,” Lana said with a nod. She hurried down the hallway to her room, and returned a minute later with a roll of tape in her hands. “Just don't use all of it, mind.”

“You're the best.” Koth dragged the chair over to the entrance of the dorm lounge and clambered back onto the seat. “Am I centre-ish?”

Jonas stepped back and tilted his head. “Bit to the left… no, no, my left… smidge more… there, that's about as centred as you're gonna get. I'm too lazy to find a measuring tape to make sure.”

“Works for me!” Koth started taping up the mistletoe, making sure to leave most of it dangling in the doorway. “How's the rest of the decorating coming along, do you know?”

“Mako and Vette were working on what they say will be the most epic paper chain to grace a dorm floor,” Lana said. “And I think Kira and Xaja are in charge of paper snowflakes. A pity we have no space in here for a tree…”

“Or budget,” Jonas added. “Being that we're all broke college students.” He watched as Koth jumped back down from the chair, mistletoe in place, then grinned. “Shall we find covert watching positions so we can observe our handiwork?”

“Great, give them both performance anxiety,” Koth snorted. “They'll both appreciate that so much.”

Jonas snorted a laugh. “That's why I said covert, moron.” He sharply looked to the front door as he heard the sound of a keycard on the security panel. “Quick, that might be them!”

The trio scrambled for the shelter of the couches, and by unspoken agreement, all pretended to be intently interested in their phones. They could hear the sounds of two pairs of feet coming down the hallway, around the corner, and pausing at the entrance to the lounge…

“Oh, hell no,” Thexan's voice sounded. “Go ahead, Arcann, I insist.”

“Why do you insist I–?” There was a pause before Arcann groaned. “Ah. Yeah, there is no way in hell I'm kissing you, Thexan.”

Suppressing her disappointment that the intended targets weren't the ones who had arrived first, Lana looked up. “You know you two would have gotten a pass, right?” she asked. “Being literal brothers and all.”

“I dated a girl in high school who was really into a particular subset of the Supernatural fandom,” Thexan answered. “And I don't mean the Destiel shippers. I've had trust issues ever since I caught her quizzing Arcann on some very personal questions.”

“Ewww.” Jonas looked up from his phone. “Yeah, valid. Now shoo so we can wait for the actual targets.”

“You mean the two who were walking back from the cafeteria?” Thexan grinned. “You guys are not subtle at all about this. I mean, waiting for them?”

“Subtlety isn't working!” Koth complained. “We gotta go for the obvious now.”

“I still say we should lock them in a closet,” Arcann commented as he dropped his book bag by Jonas’ couch. “Or set up a blind date for each of them.”

“If they haven't figured it out by spring break, we'll try the closet,” Lana promised. “By then there should be enough sexual tension pent up…”

“What are we talking about with sexual tension?” A horned head poked itself into the lounge, a huge grin on its face.

“I thought I told you to fuck out of here and not come back again last week, Gault!” Lana snapped, amber eyes flashing angrily.

“I'm an invited guest!” Gault protested. “Hylo said I could come in!”

“Not if you two are going to lock me out of my room for three hours while you have sex and then have a blow-up fight!”

“That was one little argument–”

“At one in the morning, that woke both me and Torian up,” Koth interjected, scowling.

“So the timing wasn't ideal,” Gault said with a shrug. “Sorry for disturbing your beauty sleep.” He glanced upward and grinned. “Awww, but you lot can't be that hard-up about it! Look what's on the ceiling!”

“Not for you,” Jonas interrupted. “It's a trap for Theron and Xaja!”

“We’ll break it in for them!” Gault cheerily grinned, then darted through the lounge to Hylo and Lana's room, pounding on her door.

Lana sighed in frustration, jaw visibly clenched. “If he turns up dead one day, I had nothing to do with it,” she growled.

“We'll help with the alibi,” Koth nodded, watching as Hylo emerged from the room with her brow wrinkled. The frown turned into a grin from the Mirialan as she followed Gault under the mistletoe; the Devaronian took the opportunity to dip Hylo for a passionate kiss.

“Get a room!” Jonas hollered over when the kissing didn't seem to abate after a few seconds.

“And not mine!” Lana added indignantly. “Again!” She looked over at Jonas. “I'm much more sympathetic toward Theron now…”

“I don't lock him out that often!” Jonas protested. “And the one time I did led to him meeting his soulmate, so…”

Gault finally straightened up from the kiss and let Hylo up to catch her breath. “See? We're wingmaning for you, Lana–” His eyes suddenly went wide, and he booked it for the safety of the front door, fleeing Lana's wrath as the blonde started to get to her feet.

Hylo watched her boyfriend escape, then shrugged at Lana. “He's not wrong?” she said with a little chuckle. “It's just his way of helping – and look at that, I need to be in the library right now!” She fled after Gault, with a bit of a laugh, as Lana snarled something entirely unprintable at her back.

“... The library?” Thexan asked as the door slammed shut behind the couple. “She hasn't set foot in the library since term started!”

“You'd know, considering you live there,” Arcann commented.

“Very funny,” Thexan muttered, then looked over as the front door opened and closed again. “Is that finally them?”

“Get over here in case it is!” Koth hissed. “Act natural!”

“Gawking is natural, for having just watched Hylo and Gault apparently make back up,” Arcann commented with a grin. Still, he sat down on the arm of Jonas' couch, as Thexan hurried over to flop beside Koth. Still grumbling, Lana sat back down and scowled at her phone like it was responsible for her roommate woes.

And not a second too soon – Theron Shan was the next person to poke his head into the lounge, not realizing he was directly under the mistletoe trap. “Well, don't we look conspiratal,” he commented, looking at the cluster of students on the couches. “We planning evil things here?”

“Just concerning my roommate and the douchebag she's dating,” Lana grumbled. “Do you know of a good place to dump a body?”

“Xaja says she watches true crime shows,” Theron suggested, as the aforementioned redhead popped up beside him. “You got an idea for a good place to dispose of Gault or Hylo?”

“I owe Hylo one for that troubleshooting with my car the other week, so I can't help murder her,” Xaja said. “Gault, on the other hand, I can definitely help dispose of.” She paused, frowning at the widening grins being sent at her and Theron. “... What? Do I have something in my teeth?”

“Theron could help with that, if you do,” Jonas innocently suggested.

Theron promptly sputtered in mortified indignation. “I – what?!”

“Look up,” Thexan said with a smirk.

Both Theron and Xaja glanced upward – a second later, Xaja squeaked, her cheeks going as red as her hair. “Is that… which one of you assholes hung up mistletoe?!” Beside her, Theron seemed to be at a loss for words, eyes wide and mouth dropped open.

“Doesn't matter,” Koth said, grinning impishly. “To quote from the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie – just kiss!”

“It needs to be cleansed after watching Hylo and Gault make out under it,” Lana added in a mutter.

“But– we're not–!” Xaja yelped. “Hylo and Gault are at least a thing! Theron and I aren't!”

“Being a ‘thing’ isn't part of the mistletoe rules,” Arcann retorted, laughing. “Or are you two chicken?”

“We aren't chicken!” Theron piped up, indignant despite the flush to his cheeks. “We just… uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “... Which one of you assholes had this idea?”

“Does that matter?” Jonas all but cackled. “Kiss her already!”

Theron softly groaned, then turned to look at Xaja, who seemed to have become very focused on a random spot on his hoodie shoulder. “Erm… listen, I'm sorry about this…” he started to say.

“No, uh, it's… it's okay. It's definitely not your doing.” Xaja looked up from her visual examination of his hoodie, still bright red. She hesitated, then glared in the direction of the couches and the pair's eagerly-watching audience. “Do you fuckers have to sit there and watch like that?”

“What, do you have performance issues?” Jonas grinned evilly. “I'm reasonably sure Theron won't care about that–”

“Forget Gault – I'm murdering you,” Xaja growled. She looked back up at Theron. “You can look forward to a single room next semester.”

“Works for me,” Theron agreed, giving Jonas a malevolent glare. He shifted awkwardly, then quickly stooped to give Xaja a brief peck on the lips, seemingly before he could lose his nerve.

“Awww, come on!” Koth complained. “That barely counted as a kiss!”

“If you dumbasses weren't fucking staring at us…” Theron snapped.

Koth sighed dramatically. “Fine, if we all look away, are you two actually gonna kiss properly?”

“You know,” Jonas commented, “if you're the one with the performance issues, Theron, I'm sure Xaja will be happy to help you out with–”

“I will kill you dead, Balkar.” Theron glared at his roommate and former best friend, then caught Xaja in his arms and stooped to give her a dramatic, lingering kiss. She squeaked as she was pulled into his embrace, then seemed to wrap her arms around his neck and return the kiss, apparently trying very hard to ignore the whistles and chorus of “Awwww"s from their dormmates.

They finally came apart after a few seconds, seemingly trying to regain both breath and coherent thought before Xaja looked over at their audience. “Happy now?” she growled, more than a little bit of bite in her tone.

“Immensely,” Lana answered with a little laugh. “Now shoo so we can wait for our next victims. If that pre-med student Archiban comes in here next with this week's girlfriend…”

“We hate you all,” Theron announced, as he and Xaja tried to make their way to their respective rooms with as much dignity as they could muster. “Sleep with one eye open until the end of term.”

Jonas laughed, then as the pair vanished into their rooms, sobered up slightly. “I'm gonna die, but this was totally worth it.” He looked over at Arcann and Thexan. “Hey guys, can I crash with you for the rest of week so Theron doesn't kill me in my sleep?”

“As long as you're prepared to deal with Arcann's snoring,” Thexan said with a grin. He paused, looking at the mistletoe contemplatively. “... Did we overdo it?”

“Nah.” Koth laughed and stood up. “Someone got a picture of that, right? Kira will be so pissed that she missed it.”

Jonas grinned and flourished his phone. “Sending it to the group chat as we speak. And if they aren't dating officially by the end of winter break, I may smack Theron upside the head until he comes to his senses and asks her out.”

[apex-academy]

Chapter 6: The Decay of Our Lives (#22)

After our very enlightening tour of the girls’ side, we meet up with the boys. Apparently they wrapped up in Aidan’s room, because he’s still apologizing for its state of uncleanliness. 

“Oh, just ZIP it!”

He heaves an unreasonably long sigh before turning to the rest of us. 

“Are we DONE here? I’ve had about ENOUGH of this CLOWN CREW.”

Kanagi points at our trio with both thumbs. “You can totally join this clown crew!”

“UGH. Don’t REMIND me.”

“How about we move on.”

No objections this time.

“Does anyone believe another particular area would be a good idea to investigate, given what we have or haven’t found thus far?”

“Maybe the laundry room long after everything’s said and done. Otherwise, no.”

Before the others can offer suggestions—helpful or otherwise—another figure careens into the hall. Or maybe traipses. Some unholy medium between the two.

“O-okay, everyone...!”

“Both lab rooms are now open!”

“And the Headmaster’s Office?”

“What about the ART ROOM?”

“Or even your personal chambers or what-have-you beneath the trapdoor in the gym.”

“Wh-what about them?”

“Do they have any evidence relevant to the case?”

“U-um, none of the victims died anywhere near there...!”

Tsunyasha sighs wearily. “O that one’s impact should be so small as to fill but a single room...”

“She has a point.” Or at least one way to interpret that does. “This case concerns the identity of the young master who killed those people.”

Mahavir nods, not missing a beat this time.

“And any room containing relevant evidence must be accessible during the investigation.”

“...”

“That is the rule, isn’t it? Hmm...”

“Well, the Art Room should be easy enough, eheh.”

“Uhhh, ‘s, like, just as boarded up as the rest of them, isn’t it?”

“There’s also a giant hole through the wall.”

“......”

“Oh, I can just go ahead and declare the Art Room no longer off-limits, then...!”

“The rest... I-I’ll have to see how the young master feels about it.”

“But the rules are the rules.”

“Eheh, it’s kind of an odd case, though...”

“By all means, check in with the young master all you need.”

“We’ll keep investigating in the meantime.”

I can keep an eye out for anyone checking their tablets too much. Or should we allow a little privacy, just to make sure Monochap isn’t left with some default setting to keep things clammed up?

I’ll just be observant and do what I can. Same thing every investigation, I guess.

Aidan nods.

“Lab Room B is almost certain to form the basis of our entire investigation from this point, so everyone please scope it out thoroughly!”

“NO, I was ABSOLUTELY planning to just IGNORE it COMPLETELY.”

“What kind of MORON do you think I AM?”

“Don’t answer that.”

At least, not if we all want to make it to the lab room.

And we do.

Besides the nail holes and a few stray scraps of wood, it looks like any other unlocked door here.

“Open, says me!”

Instead of using the perfectly intact handle, Kanagi slams a kick into the door. Several people flinch at the sound. Better than just me? 

Thankfully, the latch isn’t much of an obstacle, so the door bounces open normally, if way too fast. Aidan flips the light switch without comment, though he’s clearly trying to keep an extra eye out as he does. We move inside, where it still smells stagnant and chemical.

Don’t know what to make of all this. Better get investigating.

TALK

[Aidan Doppler]

INVESTIGATE

[Cots] [Machinery] [Side door]

[BACK] [NEXT]

[frothlad]

As I wrote before, today's cases show clearly how this is a 3-3-3 court, with a radical right-wing trio willing to blow up precedent at any turn; a right-wing trio that is more traditionally conservative most of the time; and a left-of-center (but definitely not left wing) trio. In today's two cases, the right-wing trio joins with the radical right wing for one 6-3 case and joins with the leftish trio for a different 6-3 case.

Snyder v. United States, bribery

Let me begin by saying that this case is not an aberration. The Court has been engaged for some time in comprehensive narrowing of the federal statutes against bribery, led by the right wing, and it is flatly incomprehensible what their motive could be outside of bribery itself, or, worse, empathy for the bribee that they absolutely do not extend to any other kind of defendant.

Snyder, mayor of a small town in Indiana near my alma mater, where the city bought five trash trucks from a Peterbilt dealer for $1.1M. Snyder subsequently (the order of events is important for terrible reasons) walked into the Peterbilt dealership and said "I need $15K", and the dealer negotiated him down to $13K. Snyder later claimed this was for consulting services, but the dealership employees testified that no services were provided.

You will not believe the Court's opinion (Kavanaugh for six).

The Court draws a line between "bribery" and "gratuity", where bribery has to be paid in advance of the corrupt act, and gratuity gets paid after the corrupt act. Note: The statute does not use the term "bribery" or "gratuity". The Court concludes that the statute applies only to bribery. Note that the statute refers to engaging in corrupt acts in the expectation of a "reward", which absolutely sounds retrospective and hence a "gratuity" than prospective and a "bribe" but fuck textualism when it suits us, I guess.

Since Snyder got a gratuity rather than a bribe, his conviction is overturned.

Kavanaugh characterizes "gratuities" as things like gift cards, lunches, plaques, and books. Snyder got a check for thirteen thousand dollars. But that's definitely the same as your alumni association giving you a book on the history of the university when you give a speech at the reunion.

Kavanaugh claims this is a federalism issue, because somehow the feds can regulate bribery but leave it to the states to prohibit corrupt gratuities. Note: I am absolutely not agreeing with his category difference between bribes and tips; I am reporting his frame.

NONE OF THIS IS REMOTELY CONVINCING. This is a defense lawyer shooting the moon for his client when there's pictures of him accepting a fat envelope of cash from the union president.

But that's the Supreme Court's project: bribery isn't a federal crime unless you're basically on tape saying "if you give me big wads of cash, I will get you that building contract". The same moron who takes notes on a criminal fucking conspiracy could escape a bribery conviction under those conditions.

Gorsuch has a short concurrence where he -- this is hilarious -- invoked the rule of lenity to justify Snyder's innocence. How could Snyder possibly know that demanding a fifteen thousand dollar "gratuity" was corrupt and criminal?

Jackson for the left three. She is unkind to the majority opinion, because it deserves it. She mocks its theory of the case as being absurd, she jams "textualism" down their throats (since it's one of the tools that many in the majority claim to value most for statutory analysis), and flenses them over their crocodile tears for all the other government employees who'd have to worry about accepting a plaque while a man who delivered a million dollars of government money to a dealership then walked in and said "give me money" walks away fat and happy.

What a goddamn joke.

Again, this is the sort of thing that Congress could fix with a trivial update to the law. But Congress doesn't do its job.

-------------------------------------------------

Surgeon General v. Missouri, jawboning

Jawboning is the venerable practice of the government going to reporters, newspapers, and other media people and telling them to write stories favoring their interests and yelling at them when they write stories that expose their weaknesses or cast facts in an unfavorable light.

Cast your minds back to the long distant time of 2021, when government agencies like the CDC were trying to get entities like Facebook and Twitter (!X) to, y'know, not promote false stories about horse dewormer and vaccine dangers.

Now, the list of plaintiffs/appellees in this case is instructive. It's not Facebook, Twitter, et al. It's a couple of states and a handful of yahoos.

The claim is that the government coerced the social media sites into censorship and they were harmed by this (the states are exerting the "right to hear" of their citizens). They're advocating for the right to be told clearly false bullshit. And they're making shit up.

Naturally, they brought suit in a small town in Louisiana so that they could get a specific crazy-ass judge. The judge found for them, and in extensive "fact-finding" found many false things, like misquoting a CDC official to make it sound like he was issuing orders to Facebook. (Mike Masonic at Techdirt documents a lot of the falsehoods in the lower court opinion.) The lower court crazy-ass judge issued a breathtakingly broad injunction, basically preventing hundreds of officials across dozens of agencies from jawboning the media. Not compelling the media from doing anything, because the government cannot in fact compel the media; just jawboning them.

The Fifth Circuit narrowed the injunction to only the agencies that were actually sued. But they upheld the injunction for them. The Court stayed the injunction almost immediately.

Today, they throw the case out altogether. On standing grounds, of course, because this case should never have been allowed in the first place. To bring a federal lawsuit, you must show a) that you were harmed in a particular way b) that the harm can be traced to the defendant's particular act c) that the court can do something specific about. This case fails comprehensively and obviously on the first two -- the plaintiffs were not harmed by social media deciding what to show them and deciding not to promote their posts, and the social media corporations' moderation decisions are not traceable to the government actors. (In fact, if you look into details, the reason for much of the government jawboning is how often the social media operators are not in fact suppressing stories that the government doesn't like.)

This is exactly the same as the mifepristone case from last week: No harm, no case, get this shit out of here, Fifth Circuit smackdown.

Barrett for six, Alito for the BTA in dissent.

Barrett comprehensively dismantles the lower court (and calls out its fictive "facts") and the Fifth Circuit. It's nicely done. It stands as a pendant to Kavanaugh's opinion in the mifepristone case. I would suggest that there is, in fact, a very easy compare-and-contrast paper between the two (and that Kavanaugh would come off the worse in terms of style and originality).

Alito, who will swallow any horseshit the radical right-wing legal cabal gins up, clutches his pearls and falls onto the nearest fainting couch, he's so shocked and appalled and dismayed about how awful the government is, and hyperbolically calls this case "one of the most important free speech cases to reach this Court in years".

Sidebar: Of the three BTA justices: Gorsuch is the most like Scalia, with some principles and only mostly in agreement with the radical right-wing legal cabal, not in the tank for them; Thomas has taken his wins and used them to only move further out his SO UNIQUE YOU GUYS axis (e.g. his insistence on exactly historical models in rights cases). And Alito has gone into his dotage, unable to think any thought that did not ultimately originate in a Federalist Society model argument.

Again, this case is not a victory; it is only a refusal to cede ground. One hopes that the Fifth Circuit's judges learn from their zero-wins term at the Supreme Court. But realistically, no, they won't. They are true believers over there, unbothered by legal reality.