#Though of the two I'm more inclined to believe the later

[asha-mage]

Here's what I'll say about Siuan for right now, since their are still a lot of unknowns floating in the air: I think her actions in this episode are largely in accord with her book characterization no matter which way the show breaks on certain details.

Siuan's central character flaw in the books, the thing that largely leads to her downfall, is her default response to most problems being to exert raw force and control. It was how she handled the Hall of the Tower which allowed opposition to coalesces around Eladia and Alviarain, it was how she handled Gawyn creating a resentment in him that would drive him to side against her during the coup, and how she forced Min to remain in the Tower against Min's wishes which was the catalyst for Eladia realizing she could strike against Siuan at all.

And it's what Siuan does in this episode when confronted with a problem she does not have another way to deal with. Moiraine is with holding information from her? Go to Cairhien herself and seize the tiller of events with her own hands. Rand is running wild, derelict in his duty? Take him captive and bring him to the Tower where at least he will be under her eye and safe from the Forsaken. Moiraine is attempting to abscond with him as a result? Cut off her avenue of escape by any means necessary, even if it means damaging her personal relationship with Moiraine, possibly forever.

And that's the other thing to keep in mind: Siuan, like Moiraine, fundamentally does not trust anyone except her partner in conspiracy. She can't. For twenty years she's been on a quest that will lead to her stilling and execution if it is ever discovered. She and Moiraine are each other's confidants and allies, their deepest and most important loves. But even in the books Moiraine is withholding information from Siuan out of a sense of greater good. The difference is that in the show Siuan becomes aware of it in the show and of course she begins to doubt and loose trust in Moiraine as a result.

In her mind she has gone almost at once from being a partner, one half of a team that trusted in and depended on each other, to being on her own against the storm. If Moiraine didn't tell her about being stilled, what else might she be holding back? And if she is stilled, then realistically, how much good can she do for their cause now? How can she keep Rand safe from himself and the Forsaken, prepare him for what's coming, when she might not live another year? And that agony- that pain that the person she trusts and loves most didn't just betray that trust but also might not be around long enough for Siuan to be mad even be mad at her- has to be put aside because the mission, the duty, is everything to Siuan, just like with Moiraine. The stakes are too high for anything else.

So she falls back on the safety net of the Tower's traditions and secret plans. Take Rand to the Tower, keep him safe, prepare him for what's coming and trust to the Light for the rest. Take away his agency for his own good and the good of the world (something it should be noted she's wistful for the ability to do in TSR when she wishes she could keep hiim from a learning a word of the Prophecies, which is the same scene where she outright admits to Min she intends to try and control him in), and bring him firmly under her thumb. And what does Moiraine do? Enlist the aid of one of the Forsaken to break Rand free and flee to Falme through a Waygate, which is at best an INSANELY risky and potentially very stupid play, and at worst tacit confirmation of her worst fear, that Moiraine has gone over to the Shadow, and everything is on the brink of being lost.

And where does that leave Siuan? Isolated and alone and with no other fallback by her same response: to keep exerting raw force, to pressing the spring down until it snaps.

[scoonsalicious]

7.4 Bucky*

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Lily McIntyre, trainer for new SHIELD recruits at the Avengers Tower, has been in love with her best friend, Bucky Barnes, from the moment she met him. She's been content with her role of the #1 girl in Bucky's life, even if it means she has to sabotage a romantic relationship or two. It'll be worth it when he realizes that they're meant for each other, right? There's just one small problem: Lily McIntire never expected Bucky Barnes to fall for You.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, Explicit Sexual Content Minors: GTFO; I don’t serve your kind here (hand stuff(f receiving))

Word Count: 1.3k

Previously On...: You got it on. In the woods.

A/N: Ugh, my beautiful long weekend is over. No more days off from work until Junteenth.

If you ever feel so inclined to support my work, hop on over to buy me a coffee; it's much appreciated! <3

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when new story parts drop, please follow @scoonsaliciousupdates

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

“I’m gonna end up falling in love with you,” she had said to him, and Bucky could barely believe his ears. He made love to her again, under the stars, assuring her with every thrust, every kiss, every caress, that he felt the same. 

After he’d taken her apart once more, he’d grabbed his discarded shirt and dipped it into the stream. Wringing out the excess water, he brought the wet cloth back and used it to gently clean her folds. He’d made such a mess of her, but the sight of his seed oozing from her core was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen. It was all he could do to keep himself from bending down and using his fingers to push it all back inside of her, where it belonged, where he wanted it to always belong, from now on. 

But there would be time for that, later. 

For now, he helped her dress, and using the combined lights of the flashlights on their phones, they managed to collect the rest of the picnic gear and made their way out of the clearing, hand in hand, and back to the parking lot, Major leaning against his arm and occasionally letting out a contented sigh that filled Bucky’s heart.

When they reached their cars, Bucky was surprised to see Major had arrived in a pickup truck. “Not sure what kind of car I was expecting for you, sugar,” he said with a laugh, “but a pickup wasn’t it.”

With a smile, Major lovingly patted the truck’s hood. “Yeah, wasn’t my first choice, honestly, but when I  started my business, I needed something that could transport shit to The WarZone from our suppliers. It’s grown on me, though. Speaking of,” she added, her face falling a little, “I should probably head home; it’s already nine o’clock, and I have to work tomorrow.”

Bucky felt his heart sink. The last thing he wanted to do was say goodnight to her. “Spend the night at the Compound with me,” he offered again, bringing his hands to her waist. “It’s closer than your place, and I don’t want to say goodbye to you just yet.” He brushed a strand of hair away from her face and offered his most pleading puppy dog look. “I can bring you back to your truck in the morning.”

Major sighed in feigned reluctance. “I suppose I could be a little late tomorrow,” she admitted. “I think my boss will understand. I happen to know for a fact that she’s quite fond of your dick, so she might make an exception if I tell her I was out late riding it all night.”

Bucky laughed and pulled her to his chest. God, he loved the feeling of her as she wrapped her arms around him, the way she seemed to fit perfectly into the dips and curves of his body. 

“To hell with it,” he heard her mumble into his chest. “I’m gonna take the day off tomorrow.” 

Bucky pulled back and looked down at her, trying hard to stifle the grin that was threatening to spread across his face. “Are you sure, sugar?” he asked her. “I don’t want you putting your business in any kind of jeopardy because I’m trying to be a bad influence.”

Major shook her head and smiled at him. “Honestly, things over there run so smoothly now, I don’t need to be as involved as I am. I just like keeping an eye on things because, well, the business is my baby, you know?” Bucky nodded, he did understand; she’d devoted so much of her life to making it a success. “So, I can afford to take a day off here and there to spend time with you,” she said. 

Bucky grinned and pulled her in for a kiss. “Since you’re playing hooky and don’t need to worry about being home early,” he said, “how ‘bout we finally eat dinner? You’ve got to be starving.”

Major let out a low groan. “God, yes, please. Don’t get me wrong, I fully enjoyed our alternative activities, but damn, boy– you had me working up an appetite.”

“Gimme one minute,” Bucky said. He hauled the picnic basket into the back of Major’s truck and spread the blankets along the bed. He grasped Major by the hips and gently lifted her over the tailgate before hopping in, himself. He propped up some pillows against the back of the cab, and sat down against them, spreading his legs and motioning for Major to sit between them, with her back to his bare chest. He then rummaged through the basket and retrieved their forgotten sub sandwiches and lemonades. 

While they ate, Bucky pointed out constellations to Major, telling her the stories behind the figures in the night sky. He loved how much more could be seen out here than back in the city. He’d always loved space, and Major listened to him with rapt attention, asking thoughtful and poignant questions, letting him know that she was both paying close attention to everything he said, and that she admired his interest. 

“You’d make an excellent astronomer,” Major commented, after Bucky had pointed out the tiny dot that was Neptune, far off in the unfathomable distance.

“When I was a kid, that’s what I wanted to be when I grew up,” he confessed with a nostalgic smile. He’d never told anyone that before– not even Stevie. When you were a kid from Brooklyn, growing up during what would become known as The Great Depression, the idea of making a career out of looking at stars seemed so fanciful as to be almost insulting. Bucky had known there was no future in the cosmos for him, only a life of hard, manual labor, doing what he needed to do to put food on the table for his family.

Only, that never even came to fruition, either. One measly letter from Uncle Sam had ripped away all his dreams, and his reality.

“Well, it’s never too late for a career change,” Major said, her tone only half teasing. “I mean, you’re only in your early hundreds. You’ve got time.”

And now, here was Major, simultaneously both reality and dream, and when she said he could be an astronomer, she had Bucky believing it.

Once their food was finished, though, Bucky couldn’t resist sliding a hand down the waistband of Major’s jean shorts, seeking out the warmth and wetness of her folds.

“Bucky!” Major sucked in a breath as she arched her back into his chest. “Fuck!” He slid two of his flesh fingers inside of her, working them in and out at a leisurely pace with one hand, while his vibranium hand pointed out the stars of one of the smallest constellations, Delphinius.

“That’s the Dolphin,” Bucky told her as she grasped onto his forearm to support herself. “The stars aren’t very bright, but the myth is that Poseidon– doll, how can you pay attention if you keep squirming like that?” He knew she couldn’t see him, so he had no need to hide the mischievous smirk that covered his face.

“Bucky,” Major whined, and god, how Bucky loved the sound of it. He brought his lips to the crux of her neck and shoulder.

“I’m trying to teach you about the stars, doll, and your mind’s completely elsewhere,” he teased. He brought his vibranium arm down to join his flesh hand, and used it to work her clit, until Major was a crying, shaking mess in his arms.

“I’ve got you, sweet girl,” he assured her as she came down from her high. He made sure to hold her close to him, loving how her whole body shook with the aftershocks of her pleasure. Pleasure that he had coaxed from her. 

“You are a bad boy, Bucky Barnes,” Major said with a laugh once she’d found her voice again. “And you definitely do not play fair.”

“If you think I’m bad now,” he offered with a grin as he kissed the top of her head, “just wait until you see how bad I’m going to be when I get you back to the Compound.”

<- Previous Part / Next Part ->

[idyllic-affections]

thoughts on lyney and lynette rn bc i would kill to see little sibling reader with them ,m so normal about them i swear i just dnfgohpjykul

the blood of the covenant.

summary. blood related or otherwise, lyney, lynette, and freminet are among the best siblings to have.

trigger & content warnings. non-descriptive mention of injuries, lyney does Not open up and it causes arguments (not depicted in detail; just briefly mentioned), some mentions of crying.

tropes, pairings, fic length, & other notes. fluff, hurt/comfort. lyney & younger sibling!reader, lynette & younger sibling!reader, freminet & younger sibling!reader. 2k words. they/them pronouns used for reader. reader is a member of the house of the hearth. reader is only slightly younger than freminet; think a month or two younger.

author's thoughts. almost 6 months later....... your wish is my command 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 SORRY IT TOOK ME LIKE A MILLION YEARS TO DO THE AQ...... AND I STILL HAVE ACT 5 LEFT TO DO...... but i think i'm well-versed enough now to write about the twins! and freminet... as a little treat.

lyney is an undoubtedly protective older brother—he doesn't mean anything bad by it, but given his traumatic history and multiple forced partings from lynette... he's grown a bit worrisome. this effect is increased tenfold if his youngest sibling [name] also happened to be sold off to that noble with lynette.

being the eldest means that he is solely responsible for the safety of his siblings (or so he believes—arlecchino herself feels that it's more of a team effort to keep one another safe on missions and in daily life). so, he worries. he knows that all of his siblings are thoroughly capable... but he worries.

tight hugs. god. lyney gives tight and safe hugs. lynette leans more towards fond squeezes—briefly tight, before loosening up into a more gentle hug (she can and will squeeze even tighter than lyney some days, however). and freminet is more prone to hand-holding, little reassuring squeezes akin to lynette's but with [name]'s hand instead of their whole body, but he'll also offer very gentle and soothing hugs if needed.

^ speaking of freminet's inclination to hand-holding, he might clutch their hand if he gets nervous about something... and if they also happen to be a bit shy, as he is, he'll try his best to be as confidently reassuring as lyney is (it doesn't work, but it's the thought that counts, no?). his hand is always open to be held too, though, so if that calms his sibling down... he's more than happy to let them cling onto his hand for a while.

"Are you scared?"

"A little," they murmur quietly, fingers absentmindedly plucking at the threads of their sleeves. "Always a little on missions like these. It doesn't stop me from doing anything, don't get me wrong. I just get... nervous."

Freminet hummed, a soft acknowledgement of what they said.

Then, he held out his open palm, continuing, "Then... you can hold my hand. Until we have to do our jobs."

A bit of their confidence was restored—Freminet could tell, based on the way their downcast expression shifted into something more... neutral. Something more capable of disguising the threat of impending doom, in a way, but he knew that threat was not something for him to worry about. That threat was not for him.

(Some other threat, far more visible on their angry face accompanied by something along the lines of 'Freminet I am going to kill you where you stand Lyney said you ate my leftover food why would you betray me like this' was more likely to be for him.

For the record, Lyney was most certainly a liar. Freminet did not and would not do such a thing to them.

Magic is all about misdirection and trickery, after all. Of course Lyney managed to both misdirect and trick his baby sibling into accusing his other baby sibling of a crime he himself committed.)

They nodded, vastly more confident and assured in themselves, before clasping his hand securely in theirs. His fingers intertwined with theirs, and his thumb absentmindedly ran across their knuckles. "Until we have to do our jobs."

lynette will sneak them sweets when lyney isn't looking... or, tbh, even when he is looking. he scolds her for it every time, but she continues to do it. his chiding has never stopped her before. why would it stop her now?

lynette will also try all kinds of deserts and teas with them!! it's like a bonding activity, in a way. perhaps she and [name] create a little tier list to note down the best bakeries in fontaine and the worst.

"What do you think of this place?"

"Mmh... I don't know." They leaned over to Lynette's side, whispering their secrets ('secrets' meaning criticism that they were too polite to let the bakery owner overhear) into her ear. "Their sweets are kind of... bitter. Maybe the baker was having an off day? I don't know, but it's... not great."

"To the bottom of the list, then," she said simply with no attempt at discretion as she took a sip of her tea. She must have agreed with their criticism, given that she offered no words in defense of the little bakery.

"A— ah?! Lynette, shh! Don't say that so loud!"

kisses!!!! lyney just thinks his baby sibling is the cutest, so he'll fondly pepper their face in kisses if they're okay with it <3 lynette also does this, to a certain extent. it isn't to lyney's level, though. she is far more calm and restrained about it. she may, however, be very inclined to squish their cheeks like a fond grandma might.

it seems... calming for her? she seems to enjoy pinching their cheeks, even if her expression does not show it. maybe it could be compared to a cat kneading its owner. she's also quite fond of giving them headpats for any reason, really—for expressing approval, offering comfort, reassurance...

(it is likely that she picked up said habit from arlecchino.)

anyways.

neither of the twins smother in a belittling way. if [name] is seriously upset by something, or has something of great importance to share (intelligence collected on a mission, perhaps), they both take it very seriously... and if the twins somehow fail to do so, they own up to it.

freminet would be so happy if they wanted to go diving with him! and if [name] happened to dislike the ocean, he would understand, but would want to help them overcome such a fear. he's never going to leave them alone in the water if they're scared. there's nothing to be afraid of, he reassures quietly. why? how is there nothing to be afraid of? well, he will do his best to protect them. he will not let anything bad happen to them.

^ furthermore, freminet would also really love to sit in silence with [name] and toy around with machines and their inner workings. if his sibling isn't adept at it as he is, then he's more than content to quietly teach them and direct them on what to do and how to do it. perhaps there might come a day where they help him out with upgrading pers—whether that be by simply propsing an idea or executing that idea themselves on another machine (it would be so... wrong of them to do something to pers without his explicit permisssion) to visually display what they're trying to explain.

lyney and lynette use their two youngest siblings as something of a practice audience; it helps the twins work out any issues with their tricks, and as a bonus on lyney's behalf, he generally gets to see his little siblings [name] and freminet smile <3

on a more unfortunate note, lyney is notorious for not opening up and not relying on others. this may lead to intense arguments or spats... he may often neglect to apologize verbally (he cannot promise that he won't do it again; he doesn't want to lie to them like that), but he will apologize in other ways—a sudden increase in meaningful gifts for his little sibling, treating them to a meal or multiple meals of their choice, doing menial house chores for them so they do not have to... things of that nature. he feels bad, but he can't act like he won't do it again. he knows he will. lyney is just grateful that [name] is patient with him through it all.

Held out in front of them by their eldest brother was a takeout box from one of their favorite bakeries; he must have asked Lynette about it, they vacantly thought. Taped securely to the top was a Romaritime Flower. Loyalty... was that his way of reassuring them that these little things would not ever truly impact his relationship with and his care for them? They, again, mused that he must have gotten it from one of their other shared siblings—Freminet, if they had to guess.

They frowned. "Lyney..."

He looked a bit worried now. They felt a little bad for inducing that kind of anxiety, but they did not waver. "Do you not like it?"

"I do. It's not that," they reassured, shaking their head as they gingerly took the box from his hands. "I just wish you could rely on us more. You wouldn't need to go through all this trouble to apologize if you just... relied on us. All of us, Father included. That's all."

He doesn't say anything to that.

They gingerly set the gift down onto a nearby table. Then, they turn back to their brother and—to his surprise; he assumed they were still upset with him—wrapped their arms around his waist, head resting on his shoulder. His hands were frantic as they scrambled to secure their place around [Name]'s shoulders.

Lyney squeezed. It wasn't tight enough to hurt them at all, but it was tight enough to put a bit of soothing pressure on their body. Maybe it was another way of his to apologize wordlessly, without committing to the promise of never doing it again, or maybe he was just concerned that they might not forgive him this time and subsequently relieved when they did.

(He should know better after all these years, but... really, what kind of a brother might he be if he didn't worry about making amends with his younger sibling after doing wrong to them?)

It was silent for a moment. They simply basked in the warmth their brother provided, while he basked in the newfound freedom from the weight upon his shoulders that their forgiveness provided him with.

...

Then, they whispered, "You know I love you, right?"

He didn't have a chance to respond before they swiftly untangled themselves from his embrace, swiped his hat from atop his head, and darted out the front of the building that they were in.

Oh, so that's how it is.

He smiled fondly to himself as he waited, offering them a brief headstart.

He would catch them eventually; he always did. However, as Fatui agents... this little game of theirs, some variation of cat and mouse, could go on for hours—days, even, if [Name] happened to be taking it especially seriously.

Well, then. He may as well entertain their whims and antics (and really, they probably got it from him, so he has no right to complain about the monster he made; he often did things of this nature to all three of his siblings, and he had been doing this with them specifically since they were little).

It's the least he can do, he thinks.

lynette can often tell right away if something is wrong with [name]. she notices even the smallest things. at a moment's notice, she is ready to sit at their side and brew tea to share. if they want to talk, she is more than happy to listen, humming quietly every now and then to remind and reassure them that she is paying attention.

should one of [name]'s missions ever go wrong, ending with them injured... their three siblings are by their side as soon as possible, and lyney's probably first, followed shortly by both lynette and freminet.

they all want to know what happened, of course, but they don't push it if [name] isn't feeling up to the task of talking. their health and comfort always comes first.

freminet will offer pers as comfort, if they need something to hold that isn't a pillow. it tends to make him feel better, so maybe it will have the same effect on them. he does this whenever they're hurt—mentally, physically, or otherwise. if his sibling is in pain, he'll do what he can to help.

and if tears are shed... archons, they're all so worried :(

tears will never be shed in front of father, of course, but... it's different if it's in front of their siblings. none of them cry often—even very rarely in front of one another—so it is certainly worrisome when it does happen.

and though tears are rarely shed in front of one another, lyney, lynette, and freminet are all more than ready to help soothe the soul of their youngest sibling, regardless of whether that means letting them rant their heart out or simply sitting in silence by their side.

please consider reblogging and leaving kind tags or comments, it helps me out quite a lot!

[rohirric-hunter]

Returning to an old conversation about magic in LotR, something occurred to me the other day: Sting was a far more effective weapon against Shelob than Sam's sword, slicing through multiple of her webs with a single sweep and cutting into her belly without much apparent effort from Sam. The text is a bit unclear for the brief portion of the fight when Sam is using two swords, but it seems to me that the only wound Sam's own sword scores against her is against one of her eyes: "The shining sword bit upon her foot and shore away the claw. Sam sprang in, inside the arches of her legs, and with a quick upthrust of his other hand stabbed at the clustered eyes upon her lowered head." While both swords could potentially be shining, Sting is established to be glowing at this point due to the proximity of the orcs in the tower, so I'm inclined to believe that the shining sword here is Sting, the one that chops off the end of one of her legs no problem, while the other one strikes against her eye, established two paragraphs later to be her softest spot.

Now Frodo attributes this potency against Shelob to the sword's origins. "There were webs of horror in the dark ravines of Beleriand where it was forged." And basically this pans out, Gondolin, where Sting was made, was not too far from Ered Gorgoroth, where Ungoliant and her spawn (including, most likely, Shelob herself) lived until Beleriand fell. The logic here, is, perhaps, similar to the reasoning for why Frodo and Merry's barrow-blades were so potent against the Witch-king, having adopted a portion of their makers' loathing for a particular enemy. And there is indeed evidence enough for this: the first spider Bilbo encounters in Mirkwood "evidently was not used to things that carried such stings at their sides, or it would have hurried away quicker." This spider lived not too far from the Elvenking's halls, surely it had been attacked with weapons before, which does call up an idea of there being something especially terrible to it about this particular sword. (Though this spider is also inarguably quite inept and possibly stupid; no shade to Bilbo but losing a fight to a mostly-tied-up enemy that can't see in the dark and has never before fought anything more dangerous than a particularly stubborn door-to-door salesman doesn't exactly reflect well on its capabilities.)

But I think Sting had another enchantment on it, and one a great deal more recent, and possibly even more direct: the enchantment of its name.

Bilbo takes a sword from a troll-hoard, puts it on his belt and under his jacket, and then proceeds to carry it around for months without thinking about it at all -- until, that is, he finds himself face to face with a giant spider, a giant spider who, as is made clear in the text, was one of Shelob's own descendants: "Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Duath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood (emphasis mine)."

So Bilbo takes his sword and makes his first kill, and what we witness next is a Moment by any definition: "Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves of of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back into its sheath."

Then Bilbo names the sword, and he names it Sting, calling to mind the thought of a fly that can fight off a spider, a tiny creature coming out on top in a fight with a fierce predator. And then he sets off and uses his newly minted sword to rescue his friends from giant spiders. And though he uses the sword again in his adventure, it is never such a great moment, and indeed he ends up missing a great deal of the battle where it would have been most useful, leaving this incident with the spiders as not only his first use of the weapon, but his most significant -- as The Hobbit is meant to be adapted from his memoirs, certainly the only one he felt important enough to write about.

And for sixty years Sting laid quiet in the Shire, hanging over Bilbo's mantle, where he told stories about it to his nieces and nephews and cousins and anyone else who would listen, and doubtless the story he kept circling back to was the one about the great spiders and the christening of his sword, and even if nobody believed it, a bit of a legend grew about it, and whatever deeds, if any, it was involved in before it found its way to the troll's hoard were forgotten, and it became the Sting, the sword that was used to defend friends from Shelob's brood.

I hardly need to point out the power inherent in names and the naming of things and people in Tolkien's work.

And then, seventy-eight years after its christening, Sting finds itself in another spider's lair, the grandmother or great-grandmother of that first spider that earned it its name -- and this is what it is, now. This is its entire identity, insomuch as a sword can have one of those. I think that over seventy-eight years Bilbo quite inadvertently but also quite effectively wove an enchantment against Shelob and her ilk on that sword, never knowing how much it would matter in the end. Indeed, I would put forth that there was no other weapon in contemporary Middle-earth that would have been such a bitter sting to Shelob; similar enchantments, perhaps, could be found in Thranduil's halls from his people's long struggle against the spiders there, but on a blade from Gondolin, which shared a mountain range with the land where Ungoliant herself lived for a time? And Glamdring and Orcrist would have inherited those properties alongside Sting, but they had a legacy of goblin slaying, not spider slaying.

So, quite by accident, Frodo and Sam walked into Shelob's lair with the best possible chance of escaping her.

[enviedear]

save the date ⟶ james potter

DESCRIPTION ⌙ after an innocent suggestion that james potter is horrible at relationships, he feels inclined to prove you wrong. PAIRING ⌙ james x fem!reader CW ⌙ mention of food, eating food, petnames WORD COUNT ⌙ 2.3k

❛ ֪ ׂ shenanigans? is that what you call your love life? ֪ ׂ ❜

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for the second time this month, you’re spending your friday evening trying to drone out an argument. hilariously large and bulky headphones sit upon your ears— and yet you can still make out the aggravatingly grating noise.

if you’d known being james’ roommate would have entailed you hearing multiple fights from different girlfriends, you may not have signed the lease.

may not have— because a rent controlled apartment in the city is far too good to pass by.

truthfully, you felt a little bit bad for james. he was so good at picking gorgeous, captivating women. you could never fault his taste, no, you faulted his ability to be a boyfriend.

take this instance, a disagreement that started over dinner plans, only to devolve into a full blown argument. over what currently? you’re not exactly sure. but by the way the woman was yelling at him, you were sure he had said something stupid.

seconds later you can hear her huff, slam his door, walk down the stairs, and leave the apartment.

slowly, you remove your headphones, the noise of your music now being the only thing you can hear. you wait, looking expectantly at your door.

almost on some cue, james opens your door with a counterfeit smile on his face, “any plans tonight?”

you roll your eyes at him, “let me guess? non refundable dinner reservation and two tickets to the movies.”

he walks into your room, plopping down on your bean bag chair, “act nice or i’ll take sirius instead.”

you ignore him, “be honest, what did you do this time?”

“absolutely nothing.” he grumbles, shaking his head.

you didn’t believe him for a second. you’ve known james for four years now and you’ve lived with him for two. you knew in your soul that he, despite trying, always managed to do something.

he had a strange ineptitude for romance. it was as though he couldn't make it a week before his stupidity turned from endearing to unbearable.

he sighs, "she kept asking me if i had anything planned for our date— and i didn't want to ruin the surprise, so i just kept saying no. 'no, honey, i figure we'd wing it.' fuck— i didn't think it would blow up like that."

you gape at him, "but you did tell her, right?"

he shrugs, "by the time i thought to she was already leaving."

this was james, unable to keep a relationship purely because of his own doing.

"you're going to end up alone." you chuckle, fiddling with your phone to turn off your music.

james is silent, so you go on, "i'm saying this from a place of love, but you're horrible at relationships. almost criminally bad at them." your finger points at him, mocking.

he glares at you, tousled curls falling into his eyes, "i am not."

you grin, "yes— you are."

he ignores you, plopping down onto your bean bag, "and still i get more dates than you," he pauses, muttering out, "brat."

"you do not!" you don't mean to, but your voice comes out childishly.

james finally rids himself of his frown, smirking, "fuck's sake, calm down." it takes everything in you to not pelt him with whatever's near you. he has such a chuck-worthy grin.

it was often that the two of you would have these petty disagreements. mostly due to the close proximity of sharing the same space, but sometimes, you honestly didn't understand why both of you were so worked up.

you get off of your bed and squat down to his level, "i'm so close to throwing you out."

he smiles, and lazily pulls you down with him, "i didn't mean it, don't be mad."

you narrow your eyes, despite the grin on your face, "you're temperamental, potter."

he chuckles, eyes now closed, "and you're wrong."

you hum, arm touching his, "about what?"

he looks at you, "'bout me. that i'm bad at relationships."

you almost laugh at him, because if there was one thing you knew as fact— it was that james had a ninety-nine percent fail rate.

so you're easily coy when you speak, "oh, then please, prove me wrong."

your tone is playful, but james' eyes make you pause. he looks eerily\ honestly, determined.

"with pleasure." he says simply.

you don't say anything after. not for a few moments. you try instead to ignore the strange tightness in your chest at his words. wordlessly, you rise from beside him and open up your closet door.

"what time is this reservation?" you ask, subtitling watching his face brighten.

james smiles, "you'll come?"

you shrug, "i'll never turn down money spent well."

he laughs, "and you think my funds are best spent on you?"

there's a mischievous glint in your voice, "aren't i always the best cause."

he feigns annoyance at you, but goes to leave your room so that you can change. as you watch him go, and note the way his dress shirt hugs the curves of his toned back. often, you’d catch yourself admiring him. it was silly, but despite your usual chagrin of him and his antics, you found him so beautiful.

you’re barely concentating on the clothes he's wearing now, thinking instead to the half-awake version of him from last night, wearing only his plaid boxers and leaning against the fridge, a glass of water in his hand, eyes half-lidded.

and then, the james you so often see after a shower. his face flushed, hair tousled, and towel always riding just low enough.

of course, you noticed him and you tried not to lie to yourself about it. you found him attractive, sure, but that was all. you knew there was nothing else there, and you’d be an idiot if you let your mind even think there was.

putting your fascination with him to the side, you scour your closet for something presentable. reaching the back of your closet before finding anything, a flowy little number you had apparently hidden from yourself for god knows how long. you inspect it, and slip it on once you decide that the small wrinkles at the bottom of the skirt are inconsequential.

you do your makeup in the bathroom, james butting in often to try and hurry you along, "how many coats of mascara more? can we please leave?"

you shush him each time until you're finally ready, "there— see? that didn't take so long did it?"

he rolls his eyes, "felt like bloody years."

you chuckle, opening the door for him, "i don't even think i reached an hour, you brat."

he jingles his keys in your face, his assortment of keychains slapping against each other, "play nice."

it's safe to say you do not 'play nice' for the entire duration of the car ride. you take immediate ownership of the radio instead, queuing all your favorite songs. james protests for five or so minutes before shaking his head with you and singing along.

the restaurant he's chosen is a suedo-modern fusion steakhouse— horribly expensive— and you can't help but feel a little out of place as you step inside. james, however, seems right at home. he greets the hostess by name and leads you to a private booth in the back.

as you sit down, you eye him, "what?" he asks, sipping his water.

"how often do you come here. i mean, they seem to know you." you're smirking, finding it quite funny.

james shrunches his face, "no, actually, my parents have insisted on eating here for my past six birthdays."

you hum, "i forget mommy and daddy are wealthy, you should really advertise it more. as an incentive." you're kidding of course, james reeked of rich kid. in the nicest way.

he gestures at you with his butterknife, "you think i haven't pulled that? c'mon honey i'm not completely daft."

you chuckle, taking a sip of your own water. watching as james continues, dwelling into a story about work. you've already heard it but you'd feel wretched to tell him. so, you listen, watching his brown eyes and strong use of his hands with each adjective used.

you've almost blocked everything but him from your sense when the waiter returns, placing down an appetizer you're sure the two of you didn't order.

you look to james, who's in the middle of placing his order. he sends you a wink.

you fumble through your own order, cursing yourself for not looking at the menu more thoroughly.

"do you even know what that is?" james asks when the waiter walks away.

you roll your eyes, "yes james, i'm well aware of the french word for fish."

he shrugs, "can't hurt to make sure." there's a pause, "d'ya like the wontons?"

your face morphs into a smile, "you ordered this?"

"yeah when i made the reservation, don't feel too special." he's got a shit-eating grin on his face, freckles more prominent in the overhead light.

you tease, "i'll remember this next time you're in need of my assistance."

he leans back, feigning innocence, "hey, i'm just trying to create a memorable dining experience."

the conversation continues to flow, easy and familiar. it doesn't surprise you, how comfortable you are with james, even when he's being his usual cheeky self. the food arrives, and you both enjoy the meal, trading bites and sharing stories. it's one of those moments when you forget about the world outside and just relish in the company of a friend.

as dessert arrives, james leans in a bit closer, his tone shifting to something more serious. "you know, i appreciate you putting up with my shenanigans. not just tonight, but all the time."

you raise an eyebrow, a playful grin on your face, "shenanigans? is that what you call your love life?"

he chuckles, but his gaze is sincere, "yeah, that and everything else. you've been there for me, and i don't say it enough, but i'm really grateful."

you feel a warmth in your chest at his words, and for a moment, the playful banter fades away. "you're not so bad yourself, potter."

he smiles, a genuine one this time, "i'd hope so."

an hour passes by, and you're both lost in conversation when you realize the restaurant is beginning to close up. with a sigh, you both gather your things and leave. the night air is cool as you step outside, and you find yourselves walking down the quiet streets back to his car.

as you stroll, james looks over at you, his expression soft, "you know, i might not be great at relationships, but i've always liked what we have. you're more than just a roommate to me, you're like my confidant, my partner-in-crime, and my closest friend."

you feel a flush of emotion at his words, a mix of happiness and something you can't quite put your finger on. "you too, potter. just don't let it get to your head."

he grins, slipping his hands into his pockets, "wouldn't dream of it."

the two of you continue your leisurely walk, the city lights casting a warm glow around you. it's a somewhat quiet night, but the silence is comfortable, the kind that comes from years of shared experiences and unspoken understanding.

as you approach the car, james stops and turns to you, his gaze searching yours, "you know, i might be awful at relationships, but there's one thing i'm certain of."

you raise an eyebrow, curious, "and what's that?"

he opens his car door, soft smirk on his face, "i'm pretty sure i've already found the best thing in my life."

your heart skips a beat, but your eyes roll, "smooth, potter. really laying it on thick."

he chuckles, a hint of nervousness in his eyes, "i mean it, though." he proceedes to give a light shrug before getting into the car.

you chuckle and follow him, "you're insufferable."

he smiles, turning to head to you, "you can say whatever you want, but you know deep down you love me."

you slide into the passenger seat and playfully roll your eyes, "maybe i just have a high tolerance for insufferable people."

james starts the car, and as he pulls away from the curb, he glances at you with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "ah, so you're admitting it now, are you?"

you laugh, shaking your head, "i said high tolerance, not undying affection."

he grins, focusing on the road, "well, that's progress, i suppose."

the drive back to your apartment is filled with lighthearted banter and comfortable silences. when you finally arrive, you both step out of the car and make your way to the entrance.

as you approach your apartment door, james turns to you, a playful grin on his face, "you know, i have another surprise for you."

you raise an eyebrow, curious, "oh really? and what might that be?"

he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box, presenting it to you with a flourish, "ta-da! a box of chocolate-covered strawberries, your favorite."

you take the box with a surprised smile, "well, well, james potter, you're really pulling out all the stops tonight."

he chuckles, "just trying to prove that i'm not a lost cause in all things romantic."

you open the box and take a strawberry, popping it into your mouth with a satisfied hum, "i have to admit, this is a step in the right direction."

james grins, looking almost proud of himself, "i'll take what i can get."

you both head inside, and as you settle back into your apartment, you can't help but reflect on the evening. despite his usual antics and relationship mishaps, there's a side of james that you've come to appreciate more and more—a side that values your friendship and makes an effort to show it.

as the night winds down and you both prepare for bed, you find yourself sitting on your respective beds, sharing a comfortable silence. you glance over at james, who's focused on scrolling through his phone, and you can't help but feel a sense of contentment.

"hey, potter," you speak up, breaking the silence.

he looks up, raising an eyebrow, "yes, my dear roommate?"

you smirk, "you know, you might be onto something with this whole 'proving me wrong' thing."

he grins, setting his phone aside, "oh, am i winning you over, then?"

you shake your head, a teasing glint in your eyes, "let's not get ahead of ourselves. but maybe, just maybe, you're not as hopeless as i thought."

james leans back, looking satisfied, "i'll take that as a victory."

you both exchange smiles, and in that moment, you're reminded of why you agreed to be james potter's roommate in the first place. despite his esoteric personality, he's genuine and loyal, and always there to bring a smile to your face—even if it's through exasperation.

with a smirk you get up, making your way upstairs before calling out, "I'm free this Sunday, might as well give you a second date."

[darling-i-read-it]

if you’re still writing for GTA V could i request something where Trevor is dating a girl that’s younger than him/age gap and is in college, total opposite of him. but he is IN LOVE and he absolutely needs to just marry her, tie her down, etc.

i need you to know that age gap in college total opposite is me so this request made me very <3 it made me <3 trevor i love you.

i hope you enjoy!

Smarts? A schedule? A home that isn't a trailer? Someone who kind of knows what they're doing?

Trevor had never known these things before

You and Trevor met when he was in your college town for a job. He was being shitty about it, lingering around the college bars. He had to wear some snazzy outfit in order to fit undercover and he met you.

He was smitten. You were drinking something strong and he asked you to a drinking game. You were kind of drunk and he looked a little better hazy but you were more than happy to comply to a game.

You sweeped the floor with him.

He had never fallen in love so quickly

You both fell asleep on a bench outside. It was freezing when you woke up in the morning. You had lost your jacket. Trevor offered you his. After confirming the two of you didn't sleep together, the relationship was off.

All of your friends thought you were insane!

They met Trevor in passing (he was usually around, in your dorm even though he wasn't supposed to) (commuting with you even though he had no where to go) (always in college bars, bragging about his girlfriends grades)

"He's kind of old?" a friend noted. You were sitting with your computer out, typing furiously. You really had to finish this essay.

"He's got experience."

"He's bald?"

"Not quite."

"Doesn't he live in a trailer?" You peeked over your computer.

"He can budget. Also, the trailer is fun. When I've cleaned it."

"You're like a maid?" You scoffed.

"Trust me, I'm not a maid. We do lots of things other than cleaning."

the insinuation was fucking but you actually did a lot of things. His whole life of crime thing tended to bleed over to you when you came over. He often had a lot of money though which was a win. Tuition was expensive!

Your friends thought he was a sugar daddy. You didn't deny it?

Trevor liked spending all his time with you. He had never known something so special. He had never loved someone so much.

Obviously his next inclination was to tie you down! He wanted marriage! He wanted a honeymoon!

You were still in college, gathering your own personhood. Marriage is not something that was technically on your radar.

Trevor and you spent some time in a hotel (his treat) so you didn't have to hear your roommate complain. You had your head on his lap, looking eagerly at your computer. Homework. So much homework.

He brushed his hand through your hair.

"What are you writing about now?"

"Climate change."

"Is it changing? It was really hot outside today." You snorted, shaking your head. You shut your computer. You could finish it later.

"Just a bit. How is that thing we did last weekend?"

"Oh the Millers score? It's great. We can buy a house."

"But you're buying another hanger?"

"I like planes." You looked up at him, arching your back to do so.

"A house though...so much square feet. So many places to sit. And do other things."

It was defiantly a weird place to be at the college age. He could kill someone for you (he would. he has.) and he also had no idea what you were doing academically. You complained about shitty professors and he almost killed one of them (you explained that would be proactive)

He told everyone ever about you. He bragged about you to strangers. He told Ron. He told Michael.

No one believed him. Like literally...no one

Ron only believed him when he ran into you at the trailer once over a break

You were so kind (and younger and good looking and smart?). Ron didn't really understand the whole thing but when Trevor kissed you you looked so happy.

It may have been a random relationship but it worked so well for the two of you. Yes, it was kind of weird because you were constantly doing homework. He was in crime and made meth! Sometimes opposites attract.

"Are you going out out tonight?" Trevor asked, sitting in your dorms fire escape. Quick exit if he needed it.

"I have one of my 300 classes to study for."

"You should drop out."

"You paid my tuition for this quarter."

"And I am telling you to drop out." You rolled your eyes, looking at him through your lashes. He waited, eagerly. He was wearing some clothes you had gone out and bought together. If you could just convince him to change that haircut. "We should get matching tattoos."

"Trev."

"A heart with an arrow."

"Trev," you said, laughing gently. "I'm busy. Don't you have people to scam?" He took a step in through the window. He gestured outside into the night.

"I have the helicopter on the roof. I could teach you."

"Oh God, do you remember the last time you tired? I'm like..horrendously bad at helicoptering." You could fly the crop duster! But the helicopter had too many things to focus on.

"We can go to Paris." You shut your computer.

"You are gonna make me fail." He hit the window sill.

"I'll pay the tuition for next quarter too."

[gumnut-logic]

"Scott, do you have him?"

"No, I thought you had him!" Scott came to a halt in the corridor just outside the hangars, his breathing harsh.

"He ran in your direction!" Gordon’s voice was frantic.

"He ran? How could he run? He can barely walk!"

"He was running! John, where is he?"

"Heading towards Two's hangar."

Scott darted the last few metres into the huge cavern. Thunderbird Two towered above him, the only sound the howling wind of the cyclone outside. "I'm in Two's hangar."

"It's a big hangar, Scott. I've sent Alan to assist."

"So which entrance? Send Gordon down here, too."

"He’s entered at the northern end. Gordon is covering security."

Scott wished, not for the first time, that Kayo hadn’t chosen this weekend to hang out with Rigby. "How the hell did he get out anyway?"

"I think we should make sure he is safe before we start assigning blame." And there was the guilt.

"What did you do, Gordon?"

"Nothing! He wanted chocolate...so..."

"You left him alone to get him some chocolate?! You know how he can react to new medications. You were supposed to be keeping an eye on him!"

"Can we find him first and not blame me later?"

"Found him!"

"Alan, you be careful."

"C'mon, he wouldn't hurt me!" The sound that followed that statement was more a squawk than anything else. It was followed by a crash that echoed the length of the hangar.

"Alan?" Scott started running. "Alan!"

"I'm...I'm okay. Though we now have proof that he can pick me up with one hand and throw me like a football." A grunt. “Always thought he was boasting about that.”

"Alan! I'm coming to you."

"I'm fine, Scott. Ooooh!"

There was a slam of a door that echoed the length of the hangar. "I've got Alan, Scott. He's o- Alan, that is not supposed to bend that way!"

"Gordon!"

"Thunderbird Three is down for the count. Broken arm. I'm taking him to the infirmary and Grandma. You'll need to field the target until I get back."

Field the target. After this, Gordon was fielding sanitation duty for a month.

A soft footfall.

Scott spun.

Virgil stood in a torn infirmary gown, glazed eyes looking up at his ‘bird. The gown had been ripped down one side and the bandages on his arm were tangled and trailing behind him.

Voice calm and soft. “Virgil?”

That disoriented gaze found him and his brother’s eyebrows crumpled. “What?”

Scott dared a small step forward. “Hey, Virg. How are you feeling?”

His brother blinked slowly. “You can’t keep me here. I will escape.”

Damn. “Virg, you’re home. You’re safe.”

“You’re lying.” Virgil’s top lip curled up in a snarl.

“I’m not, Virgil.” He held up his hands trying to be open and friendly.

“You just want our technology. You want to hurt my family.” His injured, but still very heavy lifting brother took a step forward. “You won’t succeed.”

“I am your family. Please believe me. You’ve been injured and medicated. You’re not seeing things straight.”

Virgil growled. “You hurt Gordon. You crushed him beneath tons of rock at the bottom of the ocean! I wasn’t there to help him then, but I am here now!”

His brother shouldn’t have been able to move that fast, certainly not high as a kite on painkillers. But suddenly he was on Scott and a mass of angry flailing limbs.

“Virgil!” Scott ducked an elbow aiming for his head, only to catch one in his gut. Virgil was off his face, but he had been taught by Kayo and her father as much as the rest of them, even though he was the least inclined to use it.

And he was all solid muscle.

“Virgil!” Scott made a grab for an arm and missed, paying for it with a solid connection to his side that had several ribs groaning. He scurried backwards, attempting to avoid his brother’s reach. “C’mon. Please don’t do this.”

“You won’t hurt us anymore!” Virgil’s fist was a solid projectile that Scott barely avoided. He skipped and dodged as his brother growled. If Virgil pinned him, he was screwed.

“I’m your brother! Your big brother! Virgil, please! I would never hurt you.” He backed off hastily as his brother moved in.

“You nearly killed him! You nearly killed little Gordy. How could you do that? How could you?!”

Virgil rushed him again and Scott was hard put to keep out of reach, those huge fists determined to do him damage. Perhaps he could have dodged his brother for some time, except something came up against the back of Scott’s shins and he was suddenly falling backwards.

Shiiiiit!

A blur of green as he landed hard, and he realised he had fallen over Thunderbird Two’s landing strut.

It was a conspiracy of pilot and machine.

Virgil loomed over him as he struggled to move out of the way. This was going to hurt.

But his brother suddenly flinched, a small sound of distress falling from his lips. He turned around to find Gordon lowering a tranquilliser gun and Scott got a full view of the dart embedded in Virgil’s shoulder.

“No! No! You can’t! I won’t let you! No!” He took a step in Gordon’s direction and Scott used the opportunity to scuttle to his feet.

“Virgil, it’s Gordon. I’m okay, see?” He held up his hands. The tranquilliser gun had vanished.

Virgil stared at him. “No, please, please don’t hurt him. Please, he’s my little brother…”

The injured engineer waivered where he stood, a hand going to his head as he staggered.

Scott edged a little closer as Gordon did the same.

But the spirit hadn’t left Virgil and as he caught sight of Scott once again, he took another swing at him.

It was uncoordinated and Scott stepped out of reach easily. Virgil staggered and nearly fell. Scott had to fight the urge to jump in and help.

Wide, fear-filled brown eyes caught his as his brother waivered badly. “Scott? No, I can’t-“

And Virgil folded, Scott barely managing to catch him before he hit the concrete floor. Gordon darted in, helping him to lower their heavy brother down gently.

Virgil struggled weakly, still determined not to give it up, muttering Gordon’s name over and over again.

“I’m okay, bro. I’m safe.” Gordon’s voice was almost as tearful and desperate as Virgil’s. He grabbed his brother’s hand, holding it tight in both of his own. “See, it’s me.”

Scott held his brother close as those brown eyes stared at Gordon, finally stilling their struggles. A whisper. “Gords?”

A smile spread over the aquanaut’s face. “Yeah, Virg, it’s me.”

“I’m so sorry…” But Virgil’s eyes rolled up in his head and his body fell limp as the tranquilliser finally had the last word.

Scott clutched his brother close as Gordon stared at the unconscious man and swallowed hard. Carnelian eyes caught Scott’s, but nothing was said before the aquanaut was thumbing his comms and calling Grandma down with a stretcher.

Pulling Virgil in even tighter, Scott closed his eyes and buried his face in black hair.

-o-o-o-

Virgil woke with a headache and a foul taste in his mouth.

The obvious smells of the infirmary alerted him to where he was, and even this deep in the mountain, he could hear the storm still raging outside.

He groaned. Damned cyclone. Two was going to need a full overhaul after that landing.

Landing.

Memory tracked him approaching Tracy Island, desperate to get home before the cyclone hit, but sure that Two could handle the conditions. After all, she had tackled much worse on many an occasion.

But there was a blank. He didn’t remember landing and all his memory could supply was a jumbled mess of terror.

“Scott!” He sat straight up in bed, his heart suddenly racing, thudding in his chest, absolutely terrified. What had happened to his brothers?

Hands grabbed him and, for a split second, that fear multiplied as he realised his own hands were tied down and he couldn’t free them.

“Virgil! You’re safe. You’re home. You’re safe.” Scott’s voice, panicked and desperate. A pair of worried blue eyes and Virgil latched onto them. A moment of stillness, recognition. He was in the infirmary. Scott had him. He was okay.

God, his head hurt.

“Scott?”

A tentative hopeful smile. “You with me, Virg?”

“Uh, yeah.” He pulled at his arms, looking down to find his wrists strapped with medical restraints. His left arm was swathed in bandages and was complaining. A frown. “What happened?”

Scott stepped back a little, but his hands didn’t leave Virgil’s shoulders. “You had a bit of a rough landing. Two did her best, but you got a bit shook up.”

Landing.

He searched his memory. Still nothing. No specifics, just a haze. But this wasn’t the first time he had hit his head...because he had obviously hit his head because he couldn’t remember the incident. “What’s the damage?”

“You have some electrical burns and bruising.”

“Not me, Thunderbird Two!”

His brother’s shoulders dropped and he sat back, rolling his eyes just a little. His brother radiated such a sense of relief. “Virg...” But there was a hitch in Scott’s voice. “Two is fine. A bit of strain to her superstructure, one wheel had to be replaced. Brains was concerned about her electrical systems, but he said it was mostly a replace and patch up job. He’s already repaired the dash.”

“The dash?!” What the hell happened?

“Hey, relax. She’s good. As far as we can tell it was a freak accident. A combination of lightning and a shielding failure. You hit the runway hard and an electrical arc took out you and half the dash.”

Virgil stared at his brother. “Are you sure she’s okay?”

Scott frowned at him, all humour gone. “Virgil, I don’t care about Two. I only care about you. It was...close. You scared us.”

Virgil blinked, the terror making a sudden return, swirling in the back of his mind. “What happened?”

Scott sighed. “You’re okay, just as much as your ‘bird. Grandma knows what she is doing.”

Another blink. “Grandma? Where is she?” He looked around the room as if expecting her to suddenly pop out of the shadows.

“She’s resting.”

Another thought hit him. “Gordon! Where’s Gordon?”

Scott frowned at him. “Gordon’s fine.”

“But the Landing...” He trailed off. His memory refused to supply the information he needed. There was something about Gordon. Gordon getting hurt.

“He wasn’t on Two. You were alone. You were coming back from Beijing. You were delayed with another rescue in the Phillipines and it messed up your flight plan proper. Gordon was fishing a boat full of whale watchers out of the drink in Tonga.”

Virgil just stared at him.

Scott’s frown deepened. “Gordon, travelled back under the edges of the cyclone. Made it back a couple of hours before you.” The hands on his shoulders squeezed gently. “Virg, what is it?”

“Why am I strapped down?” The fear was becoming a physical thing. His memory was blank, but something had happened. His neurons may not have recorded the information, but his body was on edge. Something other than falling out of the sky.

It hit him like a slap to the face as the facts all came together. The strain on Scott’s face, the fear in his own heart, the restraints, the memory loss... Quiet words echoing the terror welling inside. “What did I do?”

Scott’s stiffening gave it all away. The flicker of fear in his brother’s eyes that echoed Virgil’s own.

“Scott, what did I do?!”

“You were medicated. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Scott!” Why the hell didn’t he just tell him?

The door slipped open and a strawberry blond head poked through. “Virg! You’re awake!” Gordon bounded into the room, a grinning Alan following him in.

The aquanaut thumbed his comms. “John, he’s awake.”

The FAB at the other end of the line was curt, but a moment later his tall and lanky brother slipped in behind them.

Virgil stared, his aching head not quite able to keep up with the sudden change in audience.

Alan had his left arm in a sling. When had that happened? Again, his memory refused to supply the requested information. He resisted the urge to swear.

“Will someone please tell me what happened?” He was almost embarrassed by the desperate plea in his voice...almost.

All four brothers froze, three of them turning to Scott as if awaiting direction. Virgil looked from one to the other and back again. “Guys?!” He rattled the restraints like that guy out of Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ rattled his chains.

And immediately regretted it when Alan’s eyes latched onto them. The expression on his littlest brother’s face flashed worry.

“Allie?”

Alan startled and Virgil’s already thudding heart upped its pace another notch as clues began to slot together.

“Allie, how did you break your arm?” No, please, no.

“Virgil-“

“Scott!” He glared at his brother before turning back to Alan. “Are you okay?”

The worry on Alan’s face vanished and he shrugged as if the sling was nothing. “I’m cool. You’re the one we’re worried about.” He strode up to the end of Virgil’s bed and dumped himself on it. “Are you feeling better?”

There was so much hope in those blue eyes.

Virgil blinked. He really wished his head would stop hurting.

Enunciated very clearly. “Can someone please tell me what happened?” An unsteady breath as his eyes latched onto Alan again. “Did I hurt you?”

The restraints bit at his wrists as he clenched his fists.

Alan’s eyes darted to Virgil’s hands in echo of that earlier flash of emotion before his little brother threw up the same cheerful façade he did during rescues.

Virgil’s heart broke.

Alan reached out, a soft smile on his face as his fingers landed on Virgil’s leg, the bed covers relaying his little brother’s touch. “I’m good, Virg. You didn’t know what you were doing.”

“I hurt you.” The words scraped past his larynx as Virgil’s eyes latched onto the sling holding his little brother’s arm safe.

Alan waved it away. “Eh, you just proved a point. I need to spend some more time with Kayo.” He smiled just a little. “You know how to kick ass when you want to. Note taken. Don’t get in your way when you’re determined.” An impish grin. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”

“I-“ He knew Alan meant well, but every word… he struggled against his restraints. He desperately wanted to reach out and hold his brother, reassure himself, provide comfort, but…his chains rattled.

It was Gordon who acted. “Hey, Virg, it’s okay.” A hand on his shoulder for just a moment before his aquanaut brother was fiddling with the strap holding down Virgil’s arm. “I can see that hug machine grinding gears.”

Scott was fiddling with the fastenings on Virgil’s other wrist.

“No, not the hug machine!” It was comical on Alan’s part as he flailed dramatically at the end of the bed, but it was in such contrast to the distress in Virgil’s heart…

Then his hands were free and he was reaching for his little brother. “Allie!”

Perhaps he feared rejection in Alan’s eyes, but as the young astronaut flew into his arms without hesitation, Virgil was overwhelmed with a mixture of gratitude and love.

“It’s okay, Virg. I promise.” It was muffled into his shoulder.

Virgil only squeezed tighter, his left arm pulling at whatever he had done to it. Blond strands fluttered as he breathed into his brother’s hair.

“Sorry.” Hoarse.

“Is okay.” One thin arm tightened around him even tighter and it squeezed moisture out of his eyes.

He clung to his little brother for a long moment, but questions still needed answers.

As Alan eventually pulled away, blue eyes looked up at him and smiled. As far as Alan was concerned, he was obviously forgiven.

But Virgil didn’t think he could ever forgive himself.

And he still didn’t know what had happened. His eyes skipped to Scott, then Gordon and finally John.

John.

Virgil’s eyes narrowed as they focussed on his space brother. “Tell me.”

“Virg-“ Scott placed a hand on his arm again.

Virgil shook it off and kept his eyes on John. “Tell me!”

Aquamarine gauged him, flickered to Scott and back. “You had an adverse reaction to medication. Grandma tried a new combination as you weren’t responding well to your usual dose. It worked. However, an unforeseen side effect was paranoia. You fled the infirmary in what appears to be an escape attempt from the Island and headed down to Thunderbird Two.” John’s eyes were kind. “Alan got in your way. He claims you picked him up with one hand and threw him across the room. Hence the broken arm.”

Virgil turned to stare at his little brother who shrugged. “You were right. You can pick me up with one hand.”

Fingers tightened on Virgil’s arm, but he was beyond identifying who they belonged to as he turned back to John. Quietly. “There’s more.” It wasn’t a question.

John tilted his head a little. “Then Scott got in your way. You were determined that he was an enemy. Either the Chaos Crew or the Hood himself, because you blamed him for Gordon’s injuries earlier in the year.”

“John.” Scott’s tone was sharp.

The space monitor turned to the commander. “He needs to know.”

Virgil couldn’t take his eyes off his tall, red-headed brother. Those aquamarine eyes turned back to him. “You attacked Scott. Gordon took you out with a tranquilliser gun.”

Virgil stared. A lump in his throat welled up. “Thank you, John.”

His brother’s lips curled up into the faintest of smiles and he nodded once, but didn’t say anything further.

Virgil turned to Scott. “Are you okay?”

Eyes were rolled at him for his efforts. “As if you could take me your best day, Virg. Are you kidding me?” All smirking confidence.

Virgil raked his brother with his gaze, almost wishing he could medically scan him with his eyeballs.

He turned back to John. “Is he okay?”

A disgusted sound from Scott almost obliterated John’s smiling words. “He’s fine. Maybe a few bruises. That’s all.”

“John!”

John turned to Scott. “You want to try and hide medical issues from Virgil? He’ll worry himself sick and then find out anyway. Best to be upfront. For everyone’s health.”

Scott grunted and glared. “I’ll remind you of that next time you complain I’ve set Virgil on you for not sleeping.”

“That’s different.”

“Different how? Eos claimed it was a good thirty-six hours last time and you were hallucinating coffee.”

“I am old enough to make my own decisions.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“You can’t talk. You hid that bruised rib from him when you came back from San Fran two weeks ago.”

“John!”

“You’re lucky he punched you on the other side today.”

“John! For goodness sake!”

Virgil stared at both of them in shock as the ‘discussion’ blew up into a full-on argument over the bed. John stood with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed while Scott pointed fingers at him in punctuation.

Alan stared at the both of them, wide-eyed beside Virgil.

A nudge at Virgil’s other side snapped him out it.

“Both idiots, if you ask me.” Gordon was quietly grinning. He sat on the edge of the bed beside Virgil and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Can’t hide anything from you, anyway.”

A blink. The hug was weird and voluntary, but Virgil wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

However…

“You shot me.”

“Yep.” The grinning continued, but Gordon didn’t look at him, his eyes tracking the entertainment of space monitor versus commander as they bickered.

“Thank you.”

That did draw those amber brown eyes in his direction. “You’re welcome. Any time.”

Virgil’s left arm hurt and was stiff as hell, but he lifted it awkwardly and pulled his fish brother in as best he could. There was that odd compliance again as Gordon let him do it with no protest at all.

Gordon’s hair always smelled of chlorine. It was familiar and reassuring.

“You okay?”

That earned him a snort. “My only regret is I didn’t shoot you in the butt.”

“Gordon.”

His brother sobered a little. “Honest, Virg. I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me and...” Those eyes, so like his own, fixed him where he sat. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Virgil didn’t have an answer to that so just pulled him in closer.

“Do it again and it’s the butt. I’m taking pictures.”

Virgil closed his eyes and just held on tight.

-o-o-o-

[dotster001]

La Chasseur d'Amour , Chapter One

Summary: Rook x gn!reader. You vanished just as quickly as you appeared. But Rook will find his love.

A/N:I know what you all are thinking. "Dot, don't you have like ten other series You've started and haven't finished yet?" Yes, and shut up 😂

CW:therapy, discussions of trauma (it's not real, but just in case), self gaslighting

Chapters: Two Three Four Five

As you crossed the stage for your NRC Graduation, and received your diploma from a very proud, very tearful, Crowley, you made eye contact with Rook. He was the photographer for the graduation, obviously, because Crowley wasn't going to hire someone he couldn't guilt into pro bono. 

His eyes twinkled with delight as you grinned at him, and he shot a picture. You always looked good in pictures he took. He said it was because you could see his love for you in the photo. And, at this point, you were inclined to believe him. 

Your friends who had been there since the beginning cheered raucously, even Jack, who had been against obnoxious cheering when Ace had suggested it. 

You shot them a smile, and then the floor fell out from under you, and all you saw was black.

5 years later….

"There's these twins," you said, eyes closed, and searching for lost memories.

"What do they look like?" Your therapist asked, taking some notes.

"They're tall, and they have blue hair."

It'd taken two years for you to accept that Twisted Wonderland wasn't real. You had to be thankful to your therapist for her patience. Your parents certainly weren't as patient with you as she was.

"One is serious, and the other is kind of goofy…like he marches to the beat of his own drum."

The hospital had suggested therapy the moment you started talking about magic. They told your parents that the trauma you had gone through, during your kidnapping, had lead to you creating a fictional world to protect yourself in.

"What does the serious one do?"

"I think he eats mushrooms…"

Your therapist had gently waited for you to be willing to give up the illusion on your own. Your parents hadn't, though. The colder the case got, the more they pushed for you to remember any details.

Again, your therapist was patient. Both of you had figured overblots were particularly traumatic moments, so you hadn't touched them yet. For now you were sorting through memories to see if anything coincided with the real world.

"I think the goofy one likes hugs, and shrimp…"

"That's an odd combo. And what do we say about odd combos?"

"Probably important, ha ha."

The problem was, just like with real memories, over the course of five years the memories of Twisted Wonderland had started to fade. It was harder to pick them apart because you couldn't be sure what you properly remembered.

"They both eat octopus."

"The twins?"

"Uh huh."

You had one clear memory. A man with emerald eyes, and blond hair, who often wore a silly hat. Rook. That was his name. Everytime he looked at you, you felt so loved and safe. So many of your "memories" revolved around him.

"Anything else?"

"That's all I have today, I'm sorry."

Which is why you never told your therapist about him. You were, in full honesty, terrified. Because if so many of your "memories" revolved around him, it probably meant that…

"I don't think either of the twins were the ones who took you, but we'll definitely talk about them later. Now open your eyes and slowly bring yourself back to me."

You followed the instructions, squinting in the sudden burst of light, and slowly sat up from the couch you were laying on.

"Good work today," your therapist smiled warmly. "I'll see you next week, Y/N."

You were such a coward. This might all be over if you weren't so terrified of losing him.

….

"This one isn't it," Rook said firmly, staring at a mirror portal.

"How can you be so sure?" Vil asked in exasperation.

"I don't feel Y/N in there," he said before turning back to his table full of viles, making a quick note, and resuming his prior work of mixing different potions.

"Rook, I'm saying this as a friend. It's time to let go."

"You know I can't do that," Rook muttered under his breath.

"Rook!" He grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look at him. "I came to visit you because we're all worried, and you need to hear someone say it. It's time to let go of Y/N."

Rook shoved him away.

"Roi du poison, with all due respect-"

"Rook, when was the last time you ate-"

"I'll eat later-"

"When is later?"

Rook slammed the potion he was working on down on the table.

"You don't understand what it's like!" He shouted. "I can feel them! I just…I just need the bridge to make the final push!" 

He hastily grabbed a pile of books, and stacked them into stairs. He laid a piece of paper at the base of the stairs, drawing a circle.

"This is us."

He placed another piece of paper at the top of the stack.

"That's where Y/N is. The closest portal I've come to is," he placed a paper on the book step right below the top, "here. So I just need to work with that potion. Just a couple more tweaks-"

"How can you possibly even know that!" Vil shouted. "you don't even go through any of them, how do you know it's not where Y/N is?"

"My signature spell-"

"And that's another thing! You're not keeping how much blot you produce in check! You've been at this five years! It's not good for you!"

"I'm so close," Rook muttered, adding an ingredient to his vile.

"Are you? What if you go through the portal and Y/N has moved on?"

Rook threw the potion at the mirror, instantly creating a shimmering pink portal. He stared awestruck.

"That's it."

....

Tag list- @shytastemakerthing @eccedentesiast-sapphic @leoll @stygianoir

[theheirofthesharingan]

So people rightfully address that there's subtext that Orochimaru is a pedo, but I feel like there's similar subtext (although with different intentions) for Danzo? Orochimaru's predation is clearly lustful but Danzo's seems power/control oriented, especially since we know that's a big part of his character (the need to demonstrate power because he feels inadequate). These are all mixed together for me tbf, but there are things like everyone in the village knowing he "takes a child from every great family" to the point where Shino's dad offers an orphan instead of Shino to protect Shino, in general his "recruits" are orphans or otherwise vulnerable children with some sort of isolating power, and they're made to have personal hero worship and unfailing loyalty/fidelity to him OR are deeply manipulated to stay fearful enough of him to obey him. He literally has a "don't talk or I'll hurt you seal" on his people. In Itachi's novel you're also meant to experience the same disgust/fear when Danzo appears that I felt Orochimaru gave in Part 1, and they're the only 2 people in the property depicted that way.

I feel like this is different from yakuza, mafia, or even other military organizations because those are typically formed out of brotherhood and their own honour code. The format of the ROOT is more similar to independent militia in warzones, and these organizations are well-documented to use sexual abuse of boys as a control tactic. In film ( a lot of asian films actually ime) whenever institutional or ritual abuse is a plot point, there's always a character that is severely injured by the SA they experience and then go on to commit suicide over it. Shisui fits this role in Naruto.

I definitely agree with you on the similarities between Danzo and Orochimaru. They worked together and shared extreme ideals to the level of unhealthily obsessing in the things they believed in. They both took advantage of the vulnerable children to carry out their agenda, and to them both ends justified the means.

Danzo and Orochimaru are two similar, twisted kinds of evil but with different flavour to their malevolence. Orochimaru, later in the story, has some sort of epiphany, by which he realizes he doesn't want to incline himself towards evil anymore; Danzo, on the other hand, ends himself thinking he was right all along. Of the two, Danzo is more dangerous for the reasons you mentioned, and also because with the help of more knowledge you could defeat Orochimaru. Danzo just seems invincible.

He's cold, manipulative, adamant, persuasive, and makes himself sound the most reasonable of all. He seems to have problems for all solutions and solutions to all problems. The extremities someone would want to avoid, Danzo doesn't care about it at all. He's resourceful, all the things achieved by the ugliest means possible. His Root/Foundation is symbolic of the literal foundation of Konoha (and Shinobi world in general) that had evil embedded in them from its advent. Danzo not only flourishes on this darkness, he also causes it.

Honestly, I'd never thought of Shisui being one of his victims. It was always Itachi, because the two interacted more. Even if Anbu reports to the Hokage, Danzo clearly had put his leash on Itachi enough to manipulate him, and keep him in check enough to bend Itachi to his will. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this way even though novels don't exactly hint towards the SA and manga definitely can't.

However, considering this is Danzo we're talking about, no theory is outlandish because he is the personification of irredeemable evil in the series. Thanks for the ask because it was fun looking into it.

[optiwashere]

Hello, I love your work!! 🥹

If you’re still taking prompts: E3 for Shadowheart/Isobel. May or may not be romantically inclined (but if throuples are your thing please sprinkle some Aylin in there too)

Heya, that's so sweet of you to say! I took a bit of a break from writing these ficlets, but there's only two left in my inbox so I figured why not finish these out (I'm not taking any more at the moment!)

Thanks for asking for this one 💜

---

E3. A clash over differences in deities

The discovery of a shrine underneath the Last Light Inn wasn't quite a surprise to Isobel, she knew there was something about the place that had an almost tranquil enchantment threaded into it. When she was within the inn, she could weave her magic with a more precise touch than even she expected.

Learning of the shrine wasn't a surprise. No, the surprise was who she found there the evening after the fall of Moonrise.

The unexpected attendant did not sit in prayer. She didn't kneel, she didn't look in wonder at the meager offerings to the Lady of Silver. Shadowheart stood in front of the forgotten holy site, and she stared as if she were inspecting dirt underneath her fingernails.

There was another look in Shadowheart's eyes that Isobel couldn't quite place. She didn't know Shadowheart, but the spiteful invective she spewed towards Isobel and Selûne were lost in that hollow stare.

Isobel's footing slid as she tried to approach, sending a tumble of rocks out in a loud clatter that alerted Shadowheart to her presence.

"I knew that Selûnites were unsubtle," Shadowheart said just loud enough for Isobel to hear, "but I didn't expect them to be so noisy."

Not quite eager to approach yet, unsure where Shadowheart's mind lay after a single night had done so much to uproot what she thought she knew, Isobel remained on the edge of the wooden platform. "As subtle as a Sharran praying at a Selûnite shrine?"

"I am not praying."

"If you insist. Though, I must ask — why are you here of all places?"

"My... the Dark Lady demands silent reflection when faced with moments of uncertainty." Shadowheart sighed, never once taking her eyes from the mostly worn-away visage of Selûne. "I was always told the Moonwitch didn't care for disobedience, and that she let every disciple seek out their own penance when faith is uncertain."

"I doubt you Sharrans worded it so politely," said Isobel.

Shadowheart turned away at last to glare at her. The mask was flimsily constructed, and Isobel saw the frightened girl underneath immediately.

"Is it true?" asked Shadowheart, ignoring Isobel's remark.

"Is what true?"

"That Selûnites are given that freedom? They aren't punished, tortured for a lapse in faith?"

Isobel nodded. "The Lady of Silver only cares that we search for the path, not necessarily how we find it. There's a reason you've not lost your magic. It's fitting."

"It's a fitting way to find a knife in your back wielded by a Sharran that claims her goddess has betrayed her, isn't it?"

Isobel waited a moment. She let what Shadowheart said hang in the air, though not to consider it. They were empty, pointless words. The dying gasps of whatever rotten darkness Shadowheart believed to be her former Lady's trust, love, and affections. Someday, she might even realize just how little of her sharp tongue was in those words. Isobel wasn't certain it would be soon.

As they stood in silence, Shadowheart turned back to Selûne's statue.

A Sharran doesn't stare enraptured, curious, expectant like this, Isobel realized.

"I think I'd like to be left alone now. To be with my thoughts," Shadowheart said simply in a resolute, quite voice.

And so, Isobel left her to face a struggle that she needn't face alone. Isobel knew that to dig in her heels then would only draw out a bitter response from Shadowheart.

Later that night in sweat-coated sheets on a too-small bed, after Isobel and Aylin both needed a moment's respite, Isobel turned to her angel she thought she'd lost. They breathed and sighed and drank in one another and became lost in the sight of the other's contented face.

And still, Isobel could not help but think of the lost look in Shadowheart's eyes. She wanted to be lost in Aylin's, but the thought of that poor woman sitting alone in the dark kept nagging at her. A sharp ankle-biter for the Dark Lady turned to wonder and worry without another soul to help her.

"You are thinking of the once-Sharran?" Aylin whispered, propping herself up on her elbow.

"I—"

"It is all right, I sense her sorrows. She is lost. She requires a light in the darkness, and I dare say she refuses to allow Selûne into her heart just yet." Aylin stood and began dressing herself. "It is our duty to guide her."

And when Isobel saw the determined look etched across Aylin's face, she knew that there would be no denying her. Once set on a path of action, none could stand in the way of Dame Aylin and her quarry.

[stopscammingartists]

Is there a pinned section for the specifics on what Eevee did? I know there's a google doc; I just wanted to ask about pins. Thanks

Eevee is probably one of the main members of the group I talked about the least comparatively, because her main deal is that whenever someone talks up about being abused by Glip, or back in the day Marl, Eevee is right there front and center with a snarky, ill-thought out, long-winded defense of them.

In other words, she's an accomplice.

So there isn't anything more that isn't already in my pinned post. So, I guess I'll make this my main post on why Eevee is likely an accomplice to sex crimes against both children and animals.

Compared to both Glip, Marl, and even other people in the group like Iz: Eevee has significantly less people who have been directly abused by her that we are aware of. Cordy Fox is the only person who has publicly decided to speak about being abused by Eevee, and even though she hasn't gone into much detail, I'm generally inclined to believe her. Especially because I know of at least one other individual who was abused by Eevee who has decided to not speak on it publicly.

That said, the chances that Eevee wasn't aware that Marl was at least sexually abusing the family dog are practically zero.

For starters, given Eevee's tendency of having a pro-pedophilia and pro-zoophilia sentiment, I question the idea that Marl would feel the need to hide his zoophilic and pedophilic tendencies from his then roommate.

Even if Marl did try to hide his habits from his roommate (Eevee) and his then-spouse (Glip) - Eevee herself has pointed out that Marl wouldn't have been able to film child porn / zoo porn without her and Glip knowing.

....And, yeah, she's right. Glip has always worked from home and so did Marl. I'm unsure if Eevee was at the time work from home, and despite what Glip is saying here in these very same tweets, they later admitted to being aware that Marl was filming porn of the family dog Apollo since Marl cheated on them with Exty.

Marl cheated on Glip with Exty in early 2013 or late 2012 by the way.

So that means Glip was aware that Marl was sexually abusing the dog when Lain first came forward in later 2013 about Marl sending her photos of dog dicks.

A lot of people have in one way or another spoken about how Marl brought up his love of dogs to them or was creepy with them after the log leak. We got Big Fluff and Lain obviously, but there's also Exty, Rootie, Pengo, an anon who spoke to Pengo, and Junglekawa.

The implication here being, Marl did this often to a lot of different people.

We know from Lain, specifically, that Marl felt comfortable enough predating on children by sending them photos of dog genitalia on Eevee's IRC network.

To those that don't know, Eevee, being the admin of the IRC network, had access to chat logs that happen within her IRC, including, likely, direct messages.

And Marl was comfortable enough to send a then 13 year old photos of dog genitalia on this network. Knowing his roommate, Eevee, would have access.

And frankly, why wouldn't he be comfortable with his friend who questions if child porn should be illegal having access to these logs of him sexually harassing a child with zoophilic images? When Lain came forward and talked about what Marl did to her, and even asked Eevee specifically to give her logs.

Eevee would turn around and only provide selected snippets of the logs while slandering the character of the 14 year old girl, claiming to not have anything else.

Even though Eevee could have easily proven Lain a liar easily by just sharing unedited DM's between Lain and Marl....She didn't. There are no DM's between the two shared by Eevee at all, actually!

I wonder why Eevee didn't share the DM's between Marl and Lain. Sure is a mystery why she didn't share the logs that would have proven Marl innocent immediately if she was right and Lain was lying. Weird she didn't do that! I guess platforming the words of the fourteen year old's other abusers is more important though.

Lain was one of the first people to come forward about Marl being a zoophile, and was the first to come forward about Marl being a pedophile. Chatlogs would later be leaked of Marl doing the same thing to a different child (that thankfully: Occurred on a platform besides Eevee's IRC.) would definitively prove Lain's claims from years ago to be true.

Even if Eevee somehow didn't have admin access to Marl and Lain's direct messages - they lived together. The fact Glip and Eevee both didn't go to Marl physically and say "Show me your direct messages with this 14 year old girl who says you're sexually harassing her with images of dog genitalia" WHEN GLIP WAS FULLY AWARE THAT MARL WAS FILMING ZOO PORN OF APOLLO JUST EARLIER THAT YEAR TELLS THE ENTIRE STORY.

So if Lain was telling the truth, why didn't Eevee or Glip have the logs? Was it incompetency? Or were they both only sharing select snippets of the logs to protect their then roommate/partner?

And remember, Marl did this to a lot of people. If he was comfortable enough to do this to Lain in a place where Eevee had log access, how many others did he do this too in Eevee's IRC? While knowing Eevee when push came shove, would protect him?

Additionally, I'm inclined to believe Marl abused Apollo in that house often. Zoophiles often make the dogs wear mittens on their front paws so they don't get scratched when the dog mounts someone. Front paw mittens don't really serve any other practical purpose.

Eevee uploaded a video of Twigs and Apollo playing with Apollo wearing these mittens, and based on how she responded, when confronted about this, Apollo probably wore these mittens all the time, meaning he was abused often.

And now consider this in 2006:

A lot of people glaze over these because of the date, but it's important to understand that Eevee's not just playing the role of an edgy devil's advocate here as she would later claim. She's knowledgeable on how animal sexual abuse works and is excited about it.

She is specifically aware that beastiality is legal in some places.

She is specifically aware that when it comes to sexually abusing a dog, it involves the dog being on top. Which is how Marl abused Apollo and why Apollo needed those front mittens specifically.

She specifically claims to know people who are attracted to certain animals more then people.

She specifically claims that zoophila is safe, that it rarely damages the genitals of humans or animals.

She specifically claims that horse vagina is tight enough to pleasure a human male.

She specifically claims that very few diseases can cross between species boundaries while engaging in Zoophilia.

She specifically claims that she enjoys 'doggysex', the same type of Zoophilia Marl trained the future family dog to engage in.

This isn't the words of an edgy devil's advocate. This is someone who knows what they're talking about. This is someone who would be able to recognize why the family dog wears mittens on the front paws.

I, personally, am not willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that she was ignorant of the true reason Marl had Apollo wear those front mittens.

[abcwordsurge]

Consider, if you will: "Hayloft" by Mother Mother, but with California x Austin, and Texas. (I'll be the first to admit that I don't have strong feelings towards or against Cali x Austin, but it just works for this AU- allow me to explain)

Now, the story of "Hayloft" is that two kids in a secret relationship are caught by the girl's pop- and the pop proceeds to murder the boy with his child. Brutal? Oh yeah, and just wait, it gets more brutal later on

I picture this as Austin and Cali getting caught together, with Texas, obviously, as Austin's 'pop' (though I see him more as Austin's older brother, if their relationship must be defined at all). The rivalry between Texas and Cali adds a little bit of flavor and sense to the story, and it just makes sense that Texas has a gun, right

But hang on, I promised more brutality and here it is. Years after "Hayloft" was released, Mother Mother released "Hayloft II," a direct continuation of the story. In this one, the girl- our Austin- goes to drugs and street fights to get over the loss of their lover, and at the end of the song, the girl and her pop (Austin and Texas) have a face-off, and the girl shoots her pop! Very cool

And this doesn't happen in the song, but I'm inclined to believe that the girl kills herself too, just for a little extra drama

But the idea of Austin mentally snapping and just straight out murdering Texas? Does something for me?? I dunno, I just love when a usually emotionally stable character loses control of themself, and I think if anything were to make Austin snap, it would be the death of his partner

Anyway there's my take on WttT and the awesome song "Hayloft," lmk what y'all think

[nokingsonlyfooles]

Help. Pls seal a competent doctor in an envelope and send them to me.

OK. I'm in danger. Ha. Still fighting to stay alive with what I have, but... uh... Two out of three doctors are confirmed incompetent and the third hasn't acquitted himself too well, but I'm not positive he's lacking information I need to live and resistant to learn it. The other two are definitely like that, and that's not good for the ol' complicated health problems. I'm not easy to treat and BOY DO THEY ALL HATE THAT!

Today was the gynecologist. I hate that. I hate having one of those. I hate having to navigate all this gendered shit that's phrased like people like me don't exist. Forget "nonbinary," I have to keep saying "total hysterectomy" over and over and OVER. I hate that this person sees me as NOTHING BUT my gendered body parts and she's REAPEATEDLY refused to engage with anything going on in the rest of my body. I go to this person's office and I become tits and a vagina. Mainly the vagina. With people intermittently forgetting I don't have the other standard equipment.

I didn't know how to prepare for today. I had a week. I made a phone appointment in order to beg for an in-person appointment to lay out all my complicated shit, and she tried to take care of it over the phone anyway. I had not prepared for that. I mentioned that my hair was falling out, as a persistent menopause symptom that was not being addressed, and she focused on that, interrupted me, and went off on how she could not regrow my hair. And, OK. But that wasn't what I meant and she didn't give me room to explain what I DID mean. I did manage to be annoying enough to get the in-person appointment. And then I didn't know what I ought to take with me.

I spent all week going in circles, wondering what she needed to know, and how to say it so she'd understand. I do have the neurodivergent inclination to, you know, explain things when I'm not understood. And I don't know how else to make a doctor understand the type of healthcare I need! Shouldn't they listen to me? I have ample evidence that they don't, but I don't know how they expect to treat me otherwise.

Over the phone, she hit me out of left field with the fact that she's been dragging her feet on my estrogen dose because I had a bad reaction to ONE MEDICATION, ONE TIME. I don't even know if it was the estrogen, it could've been a binding agent or some shit. She decided that for me, she also decided my breast pain was from too much estrogen (even though my dose is at post-menopausal levels) and she's been prescribing me medicine based on that story she told herself.

I told her my experience is that I've never had more breast pain with a higher hormone dose, it's always gotten better... and I'm pretty sure she doesn't believe me. Like, I said that, and she reiterated later that more estrogen causes breast pain. I reiterated, that wasn't my experience and I do have anecdotal evidence at least of women who have breast pain from low estrogen too. She basically went, "OK, here's some higher estrogen. Whatever."

Then I said I was also willing to use the injectable kind, or an implant. Oral estrogen hurt my liver earlier, so I agree with her that something other than that would be safer. I thought she would know about these other methods. I did not research their existence. I mean, estrogen injections? I'm active in trans circles, that's just... That's shit's not special. That's just Tuesday.

She said, "What is that? I've never heard of that." She didn't even know enough about it to think, for a second, "Hmm, maybe I should know about that. Maybe I shouldn't admit I don't know that." Nope. I'm asking for weird medication and the burden is on me to explain this craziness.

What I wanted to say was, "Don't you know even one transwoman? Aren't you in women's health??" But I didn't know what the hell that was gonna get me. I sputtered for a bit and finally managed, "That's... pretty basic gender clinic stuff..."

She said, "Do you want me to refer you to a gender clinic?" right away. Fuck, I should've just said, "YES! I WANT THAT SO MUCH! LET ME GO!" But I was so baffled and confused at that point that I was shaking.

The spouse found a name of an injectable estrogen brand and offered it to her. She had a look at his phone and said, "I don't know what that is and I'm not going to prescribe it if I don't know what it is." She offered a referral to another doctor that does, "Off-label stuff, the crazy stuff the rest of us don't want to deal with." Ha-ha, okay. Cool. Yeah. That's me!

So I have a new patch with more estrogen in it and GOD HELP ME if I have a bad reaction to it. I've never been on this particular type of estradiol before, but I wasn't getting any traction when I asserted there are different kinds of estrogen that I may tolerate better or not as well. No acknowledgement. No engagement. More irrelevant information from the special snowflake who looks things up on the internet and thinks they're smarter than a doctor. Fucking hell, BUT I KNOW WHAT ESTROGEN INJECTIONS ARE.

Oh, and because we waited over an hour past our appointment time to get in, the garage where we parked our car closed before we could get out. We had to beg to be let in. While I was melting down and feeling like I was gonna pass out.

I got a soda and some nuggets, I'm fine. I lived. I got home and looked up injectable estrogen + Canada, because, deep down, I do doubt myself and wonder if I'm insane. Maybe Canadian transwoman suck their hormones out of the mighty moose, fuck if I know. But, uh, no. It's a thing. Yeah. Pretty basic thing. Once weekly injections. No public option for it, though. Trans folks pay extra to be who they are!

Here's the kicker, while we were waiting for the nuggets and soda, the spouse said, "While she was saying that she didn't know what it was, the poster behind her, with the birth control options? Estrogen injection is the third one on there."

"God, why didn't you just point to it?"

"I didn't know what she'd do."

That's... Probably pretty wise, yeah. I don't think she would've done anything GOOD.

I'm not being allowed to participate in my own healthcare as an equal partner. People are just... making decisions for me and never telling me. And they fight me when I say it's not helping and I try to give them some reasons why. They want me to take what they give me and shut up. But that'll KILL me. It HAS BEEN KILLING ME.

The family doctor is at the root of this, he's in charge of everything. I can't get rid of him. I'm trying, but it's not set up so I can get rid of him. There isn't another doctor available who I can switch to. Clinics are filling the gaps, but I can't shitcan my actual doctor to get care on random from a clinic. They won't let me. I'm not familiar with this system. I know someone who knows it better and they're willing to help. We're going to have to get back in touch with them, and I hope they know what to do.

At the moment... I'm not safe. I'm not getting good care. I'm getting bullying, gaslighting and apathy. So much that I worry about posting this stuff on the internet. Like all y'all aren't going to believe me either. Surely, I must be exaggerating. This is... This reads like warmed-over Kafka, or Catch-22. This is my life. For now. While I'm able to fight for it.

[itsclydebitches]

I know you’re focusing on Ted lasso right now (which after seeing your gifs and meta I’ve started watching it and I love it, but I was wondering what you thought of what little tai and summer content we got?

If it’s not too much trouble

TED LASSO CONVERT HELL YEAH! :D

We only got a couple of seconds of content, though one thing that stands out to me is Tai's anxiety about Summer leaving.

Honestly, I feel like this is a case of writer/audience knowledge informing the scene in ways it technically shouldn't. Meaning, we know Summer is going to (presumably) die on this mission, ergo her final goodbye is treated as an Emotional Moment even though, from an in-world perspective, this shouldn't really be something to worry about. Yes, there's the generic understanding that they have a dangerous job but

1. Tai is mostly inclined to view this as a "run of the mill patrol" that they'll laugh about later. AKA nothing serious (something Summer encourages because it helps sell her lie).

2. This is, obviously, pre-Summer's death so Tai shouldn't have any reason to be more worried than any loved one would be when a huntress/Inner Circle member goes to work. Not unless there's something else in his backstory we don't know about yet.

3. 90% of our RWBY content treats this job - even the war portions of the job - as something that's dangerous only in the theoretical sense. That's likely due to most of that content stemming from our protagonists with their plot armor, but the overall effect is that being a huntsmen really isn't treated as this inherently anxiety-inducing career, so Tai's sudden worry over Summer leaving on what he believes to be the fighting equivalent of a milk run stands out. If our title team + JNPR had spent less time treating their own missions as fun-times-cannon-fodder-look-how-amazing-we-are outings, I might buy this moment more.

So we have this foreknowledge influencing the scene (Summer's gonna die! Make it emotional!!) but outside of that meta reading, this seems significant to me because Tai is right to be worried. This isn't just him grappling with the fact that any mission is inherently dangerous, we know that it's more dangerous than usual because Summer is going off on some Special Secret Mission... and she's not telling Tai about it.

Worse, she was planning to leave without saying anything at all. Tai clearly startles her: "It's not like you to rush off on a mission in the middle of the night."

This isn't a case of Summer planning Mission A and then selling Mission B - "I'm off to complete the task Ozpin definitely set for me. See you later, honey!" - it's a case of her trying to sneak out, failing, and then spinning a yarn to cover her tracks. Summer read the girls to sleep and then fully planned to disappear without a word, knowing - despite everything else she might claim - that there was a damn good chance she might not be coming back. Why else would she leave a token for Ruby, just in case?

Really, this whole scenario does not endear me to Summer. In some respects Tai is lucky he caught her and got a lie as a pseudo Band-Aid. Can you IMAGINE waking up in the morning to your wife being gone with NO explanation as to where she went or what might have become of her? Did she leave me? Go on a mission? Get kidnapped?? That would have fucked with him even more than simply loosing her did. Summer was willing to walk out without a word to Tai, she left a token for only one of her girls, she lied about who Tai should hold responsible when she eventually disappeared, and half of this team (because remember, they are a team just like RWBY and JNPR are supposed to be) is plotting something dangerous with the other two being completely in the dark about it. What a mess. Can you imagine if Yang tried to sneak out in the dead of night when Blake hopefully wouldn't notice, plotting something secret with Weiss, tosses out that she's leaving on Jaune's say-so, is killed, and Blake is left with no explanation because Weiss refuses to say anything and Jaune, obviously, has no answers to offer her? This moment does not help sell the team's bond or the love between Summer/Tai and I REALLY wish the show had actually engaged with this instead of brushing it aside with, 'Omg. Mom said she loves me just the way I am ^_^' RWBY is absolutely stuffed with characters who lie, manipulate, don't trust each other, throw each other under the bus when it's most convenient, engage in morally gray choices while railing at others who do the exact same... and the narrative isn't willing to acknowledge that unless your name is Ozpin or Ironwood. The fact that Ozpin is at the center of everything important in this scene - Summer's lie, their cute recitation of what he would say - just further highlights how he remains the most narratively significant character we've got, but the show doesn't want to acknowledge that because it's supposed to be a story about Ruby. So we just get weird scenes like this where - nearly a decade in - more questions are introduced instead of answering old ones, characters are depicted as having crumbling relationships that are never explored, loved ones aren't allowed to engage with those revelations, and incredibly loaded lines are tossed out without them ever going anywhere because the character they put at the center of all the action isn't actually supposed to be there.

[rose-of-the-grave]

Snowed In

Pairing: Lily x James

Modern AU

Hey everybody, I know its been two months since I posted part 2 but here it is! As always I'm the author (please don't repost) <3

Masterlist. Series Masterlist. Part 2

Read on Ao3

Warnings: fake dating trope, kissing, weapon metaphors for snow balls, light angst?, nosy friends, background wolfstar

Word count: 2,797

Description: The group decides to hit the slopes which leads to a snowball fight.

Taglist: @sylveryfire

You know what guys, I think I’ll just warm up by the fire with some hot cocoa instead.” Alice said. Everybody else was bundled up and carrying their skis and ski boots.

“Are you sure?” Lily asked her friend.

“I’m sure. I just want to relax for a little while.” Alice smiled. “I’ll go out with you all tomorrow though, I promise.”

“We’ll hold you to it” Marlene threatened. She was leaning against the counter in the middle of the kitchen, munching on grapes.

Alice inclined her head slightly as if to say, “I know you will.”

“Ok, is everybody ready?” Sirius called from the entryway having just come back inside.

They all, except Alice, responded affirmatively.

While everyone made their way to exit the cabin, Alice plopped down on the sofa and pulled a blanket over her legs.

“See you later.” Lily said.

“See ya.”

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

And so, they hit the slopes.

In order to keep up the pretense, Lily begrudgingly sat next to James on the ski lift. This felt much easier than she had thought it would. Sure they would sit a little closer than before, there was slightly less bickering, and of course there were his unbearable cutesy nicknames. If she never got called pookie-bear ever again in her life it would still not be long enough. For the most part they were acting completely normal. It was unnerving. She wanted them to believe their fake relationship was real but she didn’t think they would accept it that easily.

Looking all around, she watched people skiing down the hill. There were the little kids being watched over by their parents like hawks and then others who felt invincible enough to go racing down the mountain with very little care for others around them.

Even though it had been almost two decades since the incident had happened it was still fresh in her mind whenever she went skiing. She was maybe five at the time when she went skiing with her parents and Petunia. Petunia had been complaining about the cold so her mom had taken her inside the ski lodge while Lily and her dad had kept on skiing. 

Her dad had been so careful, never letting her out of his sight for a second but that was all it had taken. A second. All of a sudden she had been skiing straight at a tree, accelerating downhill. She had gotten lucky when she lost her balance and fell backwards. In just a short amount of time she had nearly died. Thankfully all she had gotten in the end was a sore butt and a whole lot of embarrassment.

Ever since then her parents had been much more watchful over her, probably one of the reasons her older sister resented her so much. Maybe that was where it started, the differing amounts of attention. If only she could have told her that she didn’t want all of the attention maybe things would have been better between them.

She and James were almost at the top, the trees almost clipping the bottoms of their skis. Readying herself, she prepared to get off. Sliding down towards Marlene and Dorcas, she heard a shout from behind her.

“Oi, Prongs!”

Such childish nicknames, she never understood them. Whenever she asked Remus about them he would always say that he was sworn to secrecy. Looking back from where she stood out of the way of other skiers, she watched Sirius pull James aside, motioning for Remus to go on ahead. Interesting.

Instead of thinking about it for too long she simply smiled and welcomed Remus. 

Looking at her companions she pushed off, calling behind her, “Last one to the bottom buys us all hot chocolate!”

They all shouted at her before taking off in pursuit. Gliding down over the packed snow, narrowly avoiding collisions, she whooped. She had missed this. Skiing used to be one of her favorite memories but she hadn’t been in years. Turning around a bend she prepared to go even steeper downhill. Bending her knees, she gained speed. The cold air whipping in her face felt refreshing. The snow glittered, reflecting the sun.

“On your right, Lils!” Marlene came rushing by her, followed by Dorcas. Their brightly colored jackets vibrant against the white of the snow.

“Not for long!” She yelled, going faster than before.

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

“So. You and Lily.”

“What about me and Lily?”

“I don’t know. Guess I just figured that if you ever managed to get the girl of your dreams to date you you’d tell your best friend first.”

His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry.”

“Not a problem. Don’t worry about it.”

“No, it is. I should have told you first. I would have if…” He trailed off before he could reveal the truth of his relationship with Lily.

“If…?”

“Nothing.” He looked away at where their friends had been. They’d probably already made it to the bottom of the hill.

“Don’t suppose that this has anything to do with you and Evans not actually dating does it?”

His head twisted around so fast he almost got whiplash. “What?” He asked in a way to high pitched a tone to seem innocent.

“I kind of figured that it wasn’t real. There’s no way she would forget all about her animosity towards you and suddenly be dating you. You’re not that good of a kisser.”

“Piss off.” He slapped him on the shoulder.

His best friend laughed.

“So. Am I right?”

“You aren’t wrong.”

Sirius’ eyes lit up at the thought of being right for a split second before realizing what that meant. His friend wasn’t actually dating Lily.

“Why are you fake dating? Why, of all people she could have asked, did she ask you?”

“Thanks a lot.”

“I’m just saying. You’re not exactly her favorite person.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s only because I was there and she knew I would say yes. Her friends were on her about getting out and dating again so she wanted an excuse to get them to wait a little longer. They wanted to set her up with someone.”

“And her very own Prince Charming came to her rescue.”

“I don’t think Lily would take kindly to being called a damsel in distress.”

“Point taken.”

The conversation seemed finished so James started skiing over to the edge, right before it sloped downhill.

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

Marlene had paid for all four hot chocolates after being teased about being a sore loser. Lily, Remus, Marlene, and Dorcas all sat at a table near the window, sunlight filtering through. When they saw Sirius and James racing down the hill, they all waved, hoping they would see. Thankfully they did.

“Wow. You all went down one time and you’re already in here drinking hot cocoa?” Sirius teased.

“It was cold.” Lily said, defensively.

Coming closer, he pulled up a chair next to Remus.

“Was it cold for you too?”

“Don’t say it.” He threatened without any real heat.

“Cause I can warm you up.” Sirius was smiling cheesily while Remus just shook his head, smiling fondly.

“Ugh! Really? I’m trying to drink my hot chocolate here!” Marlene exclaimed.

They all laughed.

James asked, “Anyone up for skiing some more?” Most of them shook their heads.

“How about a snowball fight?”

“Sure!” Sirius agreed. He pressed what Lily was sure was supposed to be a quick kiss to Remus’ lips but, in typical fashion, it got prolonged. They kept on kissing despite the noises of disgust Marlene made. All of their friends were happy for them, they really were, but there was only so much PDA they could stand.

Then, reluctantly, Sirius pulled away and walked out of the lodge with James. Almost immediately after they got outside, James ran ahead to get to the best snow. Sirius took a different approach. Gathering some snow from the stairs he threw it at James’ back, It hit him dead on, leaving white dust on the back of his snow jacket. The impact startled him, causing him to turn around with deadly intent in his eyes. Picking up some snow, he rolled it into a ball and threw it at his friend in retaliation. The snowball fight began in earnest. 

After a few minutes Lily decided to brave the cold and went to stand out on the deck, watching them throw snowballs at each other while childishly calling each other names. They had both amassed an arsenal of snow projectiles, ready to throw. The two of them circled around each other, playing a game of chicken. When James got near to the lodge Lily had an idea. Gathering some snow she balled it up and, picking her moment carefully, dropped it on his head.

He whirled around, caught sight of the perpetrator, and she watched the over the top betrayed look he shot her.

“You’re in for it now!”

Instead of throwing his next snowball at his friend he threw it at her, hitting her square in the face. She grew indignant at the sound of their laughter. Ducking down, she gathered some more snow in her arms and crept down the stairs, careful to remain undetected. Timing was key. Peeking over the rail she saw a perfect opportunity. She was only a few feet away from Black. If she waited for the right moment she could get him right in the back.

She threw it.

“Really, Evans? I didn’t think playing dirty was your style.” He complained, shaking the snow from his dark hair.

Grinning devilishly, Lily threw another, this time hitting him in the chest. When James approached to take advantage of his friend’s position, a snowball aimed high, she threw one at him as well before taking off running. He threw one as she ran, it clipped her leg.

“Is that all you got?” She taunted.

Sirius joined back in, throwing a snowball at her that she narrowly dodged. 

She threw one at him, that he ducked only for it to hit a person standing right behind him…Remus. Marlene and Dorcas flanked him and they were all armed to the teeth with snow.

They started throwing them at each other, and it was everyone for themselves.

Any alliances that were made ended with someone stabbing the other in the back.  She and Marlene formed a tentative alliance against James, coming at him from both sides with snowballs so he couldn’t retaliate without getting hit. Realizing this, he made a quick decision. He started focusing all of his attention on Lily, throwing snowball after snowball at her while approaching her. 

By the time she realized the position she was in he was already able to tackle her into a snow drift. Snow soaked through her pants and fell into her coat, causing her to shiver. The weight of James pressing down on her. She paused as she realized just how close their faces were. It had been a long time since she had ever truly allowed herself to think about kissing him. Now that they were dating, fake dating that is, she supposed she could. If he questioned it she could simply say that it was for her friends. 

She had been so stuck in her thoughts that it took her a while to see that his gaze had also drifted down to her lips, the laughter dying as he lay there. Her tongue darted out, licking her lips. They were dry from the cold. His eyes marked the movement, watching with a look that she could only describe as pure hunger. She knew that it was wrong. She hated him. If she kissed him he might think that she had changed her mind about him. And she hadn’t. Not even a little bit.

Bringing her hands up from where they were lying on her sides, she placed her hands on his chest fully intending to push him away. Her hands didn’t lay flat, her fingers curled into his jacket, pulling him closer. Caught by surprise, he fell directly on her, unable to stop gravity. Their lips crashed together in a rushed embrace, their teeth clacking. Pulling away a bit, he readjusted, allowing him a better angle. Brushing some hair from her face he kissed her. Softly, like the fallen snow brushing against the back of his neck.

Tilting her head, she kissed him back.

“Ow! Seriously?” He pulled away, rubbing the back of his neck.

An avalanche of snowballs descended upon them, covering them in the glittering white dust. Laughing, they got up and ran for cover. Amassing an arsenal of snowballs, they prepared to retaliate. 

“Ready?” She nodded. “Aim.” She prepared to throw. “Fire!

They were out there for hours, still throwing snowballs and tackling each other into piles of snow, when the sun fell and darkness came. It was only five at night but it felt like much later. 

When the five of them returned to the cabin, they were all arm in arm, grinning. Streaks of snow in their hair and on their jackets.

For dinner, they made a buffet of ham, cheese, bread, fruit, and salad. Sitting around the woodstove on couches they ate their food. Lily had grabbed a warm, fuzzy blanket to keep herself warm. James had sat next to her but kept enough distance between them. Neither one could stop thinking about the kiss and apparently nor could their friends.

“So, what did you all do today?” Alice asked, curious.

“We went skiing and then we had a snowball fight that lasted for a few hours.” Lily volunteered.

“Yeah. It got pretty heated.” Sirius said, waggling his eyebrows. JAmes shot him a look.

Marlene jumped in, unable to contain herself. “They kissed!”

“They’re dating.” Alice responded.

“Not like a peck on the lips kind of kiss. I mean a full on makeout session while laying in a pile of snow.”

They were all adults but anyone could have sworn they were kids at all of their oohing.

“Stop, guys.” Lily protested.

“You’re no fun.” Marlene pouted.

Shifting the attention off of the pair, Remus yawned. “Time for me to go to bed.”

Sirius gave him his trademark puppy eyes. 

“I’m exhausted. Stay as long as you want.”

To the rest of them he said, “Have fun!”

Grabbing some chocolate from the pantry, he walked upstairs to his and Sirius’ room.

After a while everybody dispersed, going their separate ways. Marlene got out a drink and sat down next to Alice who was finishing up a puzzle she had started earlier. Sirius went upstairs. And Dorcas put on some TV.

Not quite ready for bed but feeling tired Lily went up to her room. Grabbing a book she pulled back the covers on her side of the bed and got comfortable. She had almost finished her chapter when James came in holding two cups that were steaming.

“What’s that?”

“Tea. Don’t worry, it’s green tea.”

Accepting the warm mug of tea she thanked him.

“No problem. I was already boiling some water for myself so I figured I might as well.”

“So, about earlier.”

“It doesn’t have to be a big deal. It was just to keep up the pretense. Right?”

“Right.” she echoed.

And that was that. Hopefully, when this was all over it wouldn’t be too awkward.

An hour or so later, Lily went to bed, the other side still empty. Sleep crept up on her, drowning her in its depths. Hours went by of peaceful sleep, dreaming of a life where things had been different. If she had never met Severus then maybe she and James would have ended up together. No complications. No mess. Was it only some remaining sense of loyalty that made her keep her distance? She sometimes regretted it. The James she knew was not the one her ex boyfriend had so bitterly described. People change, so maybe, just maybe she should give him a chance. A clean slate.

She awoke with a clear purpose and to a still empty bed. The blankets were still neatly tucked in, he probably hadn’t even come to bed last night. Getting out of bed she wrapped a fuzzy robe around herself and put on a pair of socks to protect her feet from the stone floors downstairs.

Padding softly down the stairs, she walked quietly across the kitchen to the living room. There he lay, sleeping on the couch. She shook her head and went to grab a muffin for breakfast. It was only then that she actually looked outside, or tried to. All she could see was white and not in the sense that everything outside was covered in snow. No. In the sense that snow was packed against the windows covering everything and blocking the light. 

They were snowed in!

Part 4>>

[thethirdromana]

I know that Van Helsing is trying to be Grandpa (he did call Arthur "my child" and pulls ears) but Lucy's reaction to the garlic being throwing them upon inspection feels like "Do Not Underestimate Me Old Man". Maybe others later will react similarly.

I like that interpretation since it gives Lucy a bit of agency, and "I believe you are only putting a joke on me" would be a gentle and ladylike way to express the thought of "wtf is this", which Lucy is definitely not allowed to say no matter how much she might be thinking it.

I have to admit, though, it's not how I'm inclined to see this scene. Van Helsing talks down to Lucy, then she throws the flowers down, then he speaks a bit gruffly, and her response is to be scared. Every part of the interaction, on both sides, feels like it's happening between an adult and a child, not between two adults - and certainly not between an adult and her doctor.

(OK, some doctors do treat adult women like this. But hopefully we're all agreed that they shouldn't.)

I'd be inclined to put it down more to Lucy's tendency towards people-pleasing. Van Helsing treats her like a child, so she plays up her childishness for him. It does make me think she might also rise to the occasion if anyone ever gave her the opportunity to act like an adult.