#and we’re supposed to believe that Five was the founder???

[nirby-wirby]

“We’ve been watching you for some time.” And you only decided to come recruit him and get him out of there now? The Commission waited and waited until they knew Five would be desperate enough to take any offer they made him. The Handler waltzed in as though she was his savior when anyone could’ve done that years— decades even!! — earlier. But they waited and let him spiral until they knew that he’d accept whatever offer came around to get him out of the post-apocalyptic hell hole he was in.

[humbledragon669]

S1E1 – In The Beginning Write Up P3

– Five Years Later (allegedly) and The Present Day

Alright so let’s address the elephant in the room here shall we? The signpost tells us, in no uncertain terms, that the story line has moved on by five years. I have a serious issue with that assertion, and it’s not just because this is in direct contradiction to the storyline in the book. It goes a little something like this:

I cannot believe that Aziraphale and Crowley have left the Antichrist alone for the first five years of his life.

Even if we’re generous here and say that Crowley steps in to replace a nanny that has been present for Warlock’s early years, it simply doesn’t make any sense that they would have sat back and let him develop on his merry way for the most influential years of his life (sorry Neil, but I will die on this hill). The book’s timeline here makes a lot more sense – that both Aziraphale and Crowley are inserted into Warlock’s life within a week of his birth, Aziraphale as the gardener and Crowley as the nanny. At the age of five, they both leave and return immediately as tutors for him, ensuring that they are both present for his entire childhood. With that in mind, I’m going to do something potentially controversial and adopt the book timeline as fact. It just makes more sense. Also that will make my fanfic ideas not only possible but genuinely really feasible. Honestly, I don’t know why the timeline deviates from the book here – this matter aside, the series is a truly excellent adaptation of the book (judged by the fact that I never said “that’s not how it happened in the book” for the whole of series 1. There are a lot of media writers that could learn a lot from Neil on this point – I’m looking at you Discovery of Witches series 2 creative team).

There are two things I find interesting about the short scene that follows (no, one of them is not how well David carries off a skirt, though I do really appreciate the Mary Poppins reference with that costume). Firstly, the positioning of Aziraphale as a gardener. I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that the idea of a garden is brought up again, but I can’t quite make the connection myself. Perhaps there isn’t meant to be one. That said, I would have thought, given his character, Aziraphale might have been more suitable as something like a butler (it would even give him the opportunity to steal food!), which would likely give him more opportunity to interact with Warlock throughout his childhood, so I do feel like there’s something here.

On a tangential (and impossible-to-be-related) note, I saw Nye a few days ago (a play about the founder of the NHS, starring Michael, for those who don’t know what this is) and there was a line in it about Nye and his wife believing their love to be like a garden – he planted the love and she tended to it. It was truly beautiful and touching. I felt like I had a sort of light bulb moment about gardens in GO and then realised that the two productions have nothing to do with one another!

The second thing I noted about this sequence is more something of note than something that has meaning. Having discussed the music/soundtrack for this series in a previous write up, it should come as no surprise that there is a cute little parallel here: the melody Crowley uses for the lullaby he sings to Warlock is the same as the melody for the second motif in the theme tune. It’s slowed down quite considerably, but still recognisable.

Original theme:

Lullaby:

I have to say, I’m a little disappointed we don’t get to hear the rendition of “Three Little Pigs” that we’re treated to in the book. I am not ashamed to say that I laughed very long and very hard when I read it – I have a pretty dark sense of humour. Perhaps this was a little too much for the good ol’ BBC?

Quick item of note from the next scene at Heaven/Hell HQ – this series has escalators instead of an elevator. I had originally assumed that this was the same building as we see being used in series 2 to gain access to Heaven but looking at the background when Crowley and Aziraphale enter the building, it’s clear that it’s a completely different building, which just makes me wonder where exactly the HQ entrance is. There’s a really clever piece of editing at use here too, one which I actually didn’t spot until I was doing this write up.

I hadn’t noticed previously that the duplicate image of the escalator on the floor of the lobby ISN’T a reflection of the physical escalators. On the left, we can see Crowley’s image on a set of escalators going down, whilst we see no reflection of Aziraphale. We even get to see Crowley approach the escalator in the “reflection” after he disappears through the floor, whilst Aziraphale’s reflection disappears from the floor as he approaches the stairs, and both of these things happen as they walk across an area that ripples like water under their feet. I don’t think there’s any hidden meaning in this, I just think it’s a really cool piece of film.

When we see the angel and demon giving their reports to their respective head offices, it’s made clear to us that neither authority has any awareness of their collaboration. In fact, Aziraphale is still held in high esteem by Gabriel and Michael (though perhaps not Uriel and Sandalphon – those two always look like someone just pissed on their nice suits) and is even given permission to continue on his apparently futile mission. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Crowley, but as Liggur said earlier in the episode, it would be a funny thing if demons could trust one another anyway.

It’s nice to see that Heaven isn’t so busy that it can’t produce a newspaper for its earthbound agents, complete with weak headlines, worthy of any local rag:

I do not think it a coincidence that the newspaper has been given the title of “Observer” – after all, it’s pretty much all they do up there isn’t it? Watch people? Other than planning Armageddon I mean…

The short scene on the bus also shows us a little more of the dynamic between Crowley and Aziraphale when it comes to planning. It’s clear that the angel is relying on the demon to lead the way and he looks really worried when it’s made apparent that Crowley doesn’t have a plan for a potential emergency situation.

Quick note about the Hell Hound – he’s being housed in a room with a number on it – 2549. Does this mean there have been 2548 Hell Hounds before him? Hastur certainly indicates that he isn’t the only Hell Hound they have (but he is the biggest). Where are the rest of them?

The conversation (which takes place in the grounds of Crystal Palace Dinosaur Park - the repeated reference to dinosaurs being a big joke in this scene is not lost on me) on the park bench is the first time we hear Crowley call Aziraphale by the name “Angel”. Neil has confirmed (here and here) that this isn’t anything other than a factual name to use but I can’t help but feel like it’s affectionate. It’s certainly very familiar and it’s interesting to see that Aziraphale doesn’t repay the favour; perhaps this is to do with the meaning of the words – after all, calling someone “demon” doesn’t feel very polite, does it? Or perhaps it’s just that “Aziraphale” is a bit of a mouthful to say. This is also the first time we are let in to the secret of them having their own side:

AZIRAPHALE: And if he does name it? CROWLEY: Then you and I have lost.

The conversation around the potential murder of an 11-year-old boy presents an interesting side of the relationship between the pair. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that the suggestion that Aziraphale is capable of killing an innocent child (even if he is the Antichrist) is nothing short of laughable, and Crowley would know this. This suggestion is shared with a rare occurrence of Crowley communicating “secretly” with Aziraphale where the angel doesn’t get the message, and the irony is that Crowley isn’t even being that subtle about it. There’s no doubt that Aziraphale really doesn’t get the drift though:

It’s painful to watch Aziraphale’s thought process here. He knows that Crowley’s logic actually makes sense but he can’t tally that with his own moral compass – it’s a struggle that I think the vast majority of us would go through if put in the same position. Sadly, it’s not like Crowley has much other choice than to suggest Aziraphale does the deed – if he were to do it himself, the repercussions for him would be unthinkable. It’s clear that this is the first time he has raised this idea in the eleven years they’ve been doing this job together and he can’t even say it without his voice breaking (see “one life against the universe”), and once it’s clear that Aziraphale isn’t open to the idea he doesn’t push him or lose his temper. He watches Aziraphale carefully for the whole exchange, without changing his expression, which I take to mean he’s watching for any signs that he’s pushing him too far.  All of this tells me he’s only done it because they’re getting desperate.

Alright, it’s time to move on to the little “magic” routine. I find this whole sequence adorable - can we say 1941 vibes? I do find it interesting just how quickly Aziraphale’s mood changes with the idea of him being able to perform some magic again – he’s gone from the contemplation of the ethics of an actual trolley problem (see here if you don’t know what that is) to a smiling, bubbly angel complaining that his companion is “no fun” in mere seconds. For someone who lives their life in eons of centuries instead of years or decades, he’s a remarkably fickle being! It’s pretty blurry in this shot, but just look how happy this angel is:

The hidden communication thread is resumed at normal operation here as Crowley knows exactly what Aziraphale means when he says he could “entertain” – he knows exactly what he means by this and is not amused by the implications.

I also find Crowley’s use of the word “demeaning” an interesting choice here. Usually we might say embarrassing; in fact the dictionary definition of demeaning is to lower the character of somebody, or to make them feel less respected. Whilst I can fully understand why Crowley might be embarrassed by Aziraphale’s pathetic attempts at illusionary magic, I am less clear on why he would find it demeaning. UNLESS. Unless my suppositions about the state of their relationship are correct, in which case they would have already been together (romantically) for almost eleven years at this point. Then it makes a weird sort of sense.

The comic little squabble that follows also makes perfect sense in this context. This couple are in no mood to compromise on this matter; Aziraphale will not be told that he’s a shit magician because he has too much fun doing it (this despite the fact that we know he and Crowley agreed he shouldn’t do magic anymore, but unlike in 1941, there’s no risk of anybody getting hurt if he drops a coin on the floor) and Crowley will not concede that he’s being a killjoy (which goes quite against his character). The spat concludes with Crowley delivering a passive-aggressive threat to Aziraphale, which you can see he instantly reconsiders with a head tilt - probably wise considering how unimpressed the angel is with it.

Side note: the watch that Crowley is wearing (seen at Warlock’s birthday party) appears to be a Devon Tread 1 A, coming in at a cool 18.5K (dollars). The book does make mention of his watch being fucking fashionably expensive but it was custom made for him, with an extra time zone for “Another Place” where the time is always “Too Late”.

Another side note: how many dens did you make as a child? A fair few I’d bet if you were anything like me. Did they ever look as cool as the one that The Them has? Me neither. I mean, just look at all those guns and skeletons used for decoration:

Once we’re back at the book shop, I find it interesting that Aziraphale is intending to imbibe (we don’t actually see him drink any of it) whatever spirit he’s given to Crowley. I’ve no doubt it’s good quality, it’s just unusual to see him drinking hard liquor – perhaps this is simply due to the seriousness of the situation he finds himself in. Their conversation about lying in memos to head office also suggests that Crowley might not be the only one lying to his bosses:

CROWLEY: Everyone stretches the truth a bit in memos to head office, you know that.

Is it me, or is there a sense of “I told you so” to Aziraphale’s lack of sympathy towards Crowley’s despair? Some might say it’s reminiscent of the way a stereotypical nagging wife speaks to their long-suffering husband when he’s done something wrong…

In amongst the dark threat of impending Armageddon, we’re still treated to a little comedy (and perhaps another Clue as to the current status of the relationship between the angel and demon). Crowley’s snappy, and ill-considered, outburst in response to Aziraphale’s almost apologetic confession that he’s wearing a new cologne is well worth a word or two. Let’s say for a second that this pair are not romantically involved at this point in time – is it not a bit strange to think that the person you’re with knows you so well that they would detect that you’re wearing a different perfume than usual? I would think you’d have to be spending a LOT of time in VERY close proximity to that person for that piece of information to be anywhere near their radar. And what’s with the angel’s apologetic tone? Why would you feel the need to be sorry about trying out a new cologne? Aziraphale doesn’t look particularly shocked when Crowley announces that he knows what he smells like, and Crowley’s tone and facial expression suggests he thinks this piece of knowledge is a pretty obvious one.

Here’s my last observation for this episode. Check out just how earnest Crowley is in this delivery:

Despite Aziraphale’s response that he thinks he obviously would, I don’t really feel like he believes this stance, and he’d do anything not to believe that what Crowley is saying is true.

And so concludes the first episode! If you’ve made it this far through my write-up(s) so far, I commend and thank you. I’ll start work on the next episode over the next few days, but in the meantime I’ll also write a master post that I’ll add to as I go along. As always, comments, questions, discussions and any other engagements are welcome.

[confusednymphinayellowdress]

Season Six will revolve around the theme of leadership.

Atsushi (remember our main character?) points us towards it: he’s not sure what the right thing to do is once Teruko reveals Fukuchi’s real goal to him, but he moves forward anyway because he understands that he’s not the person who makes that call. He’s not the leader.

Fukuchi strongly believes that people need a leader. Season Five was him provoking the world until they wanted his vision to come true. Fukuchi may be gone, but we’re stuck with the situation he left behind, just as he planned. Fukuzawa may not want to go along with Fukuchi’s plan, but there’s still a lot on his shoulders right now.

Fukuzawa has so far had a relatively little amount of screentime until this season. He’s the Armed Detective Agency’s founder and president- so he shows up in some group shots. His Ability is crucial to two main characters’ character arcs, but they are the ones the “camera” follows, not Fukuzawa- we never get to see Fukuzawa actively using it. There’s so much we don’t know about him. We’ve gotten backstory for his relationships with Fukuchi and Ranpo, but barely anything for his relationship with Mori, besides the hint that there’s some history there.

Mori is also long overdue for some time in the spotlight. At times the Mafia is such a good friend to the ADA that it’s hard to remember why they’re supposed to be enemies. But Yosano reminds us of how Mori uses people- how he used her- and the stakes of an Agency member joining the Mafia become serious. We had a peek of Mori using his people in Season Five, since it was his plan to send in Chuuya all dressed up. The reveal that it was a plan, but not originally Dazai’s, was a hint that although Mori works in the shadows, the characters we get to see on the screen are not necessarily the ones pulling the strings. This is Mori’s show as much as it is anyone else’s.

Season Six will see Fukuzawa managing One Order, and Mori managing one of the detectives. It’s pretty much a given that we’ll be seeing a lot of Fukuzawa what with how Season Five ended, and the consequences of the Agency’s deal with the Mafia as well as the twist that Season Five wasn’t about Double Black character development after all indicate that Mori, Fukuzawa’s counterpart and equal, will be similarly focused on.

(Double Black did have character development, or at least Dazai did, and I don’t think it hurts to have scenes that establish where their baseline relationship is. As for Chuuya… his character has a lot to do with themes of leadership. I think we can expect to see him as a leader in his own right in Season Six. Kouyou too, hopefully. That weights things pretty heavily on the Mafia’s side of things… maybe we’ll be spending some more time with the Mafia as a whole next season?)

[razieltwelve]

Implant (Final Effect)

“You know,” Kya drawled. “It’s kind of a miracle that you’re not actually dead.”

Lucy looked up at her in disbelief. The other woman had taken her under her wing and was easily the closest thing she’d ever had to a mother. She also had the subtlety of a bazooka to the face. That was, apparently, something that she’d most likely inherited from one of the co-founders of her House.

Never let it be said that Korra from the Age of Heroes was a big believer in walking softly although she very much enjoyed carrying a big stick.

“Do you have to put it like that?”

“I’d rather not sugarcoat it. Besides, that’s all behind you. Remember, we’re here to get all of your implants changed out.”

Lucy felt more than a bit nervous about that. She could still remember the agony she’d endured getting all of them put in, but they were a part of her now. They were how she connected to the InfoNet. The idea of being without them for any period of time was actually terrifying. However, the bio-smithing and gene-forging needed to correct all of the many, many, many problems she’d developed from basically being chained to a bed and locked into the InfoNet for most of her life was best undertaken without any implants.

At least she’d be unconscious for it. She didn’t know how she’d cope without at least some kind of link to the InfoNet. Was that screwed up? Yeah. But that was who she was. It was still hard for her to look into the mirror and not see her avatar’s face staring back at her. At least, they’d promised that her new face would look like her avatar, and they’d even do something to let her hair match too.

“Can’t we do this back home?” Lucy asked.

Home was a space port in the Sato System. It had absolutely state-of-the-art InfoNet connections, and she could spend as much time as she wanted watching the ships come and go as long as all her work got done. Kya would often sit with her, explaining what each ship was and what made them special. Lucy could have looked that information up on the InfoNet, but Kya was a natural storyteller, way better than some random slice of info or a vid.

“Look, I know you can get a bit anxious in new places. I get it. Home is probably the only place you’ve really ever felt safe, but when it comes to this sort of thing, the Dia-Farron are the best. Hell, I even called in a favour.”

“Oh?”

“You ever heard of Creation of All Things?” Kya asked.

Lucy frowned. “I think so, but I’m not sure about what it is exactly.”

“Go ahead. Look it up.”

Lucy did... and her mind boggled. “That is some serious bullshit.”

“Yep. It’s not quite Saviour levels of bullshit, but it’s close.” Kya leaned back in her chair and then flipped out of it with a casual sort of grace that still managed to take Lucy’s breath away. “Pêche will be handling your treatment, and she’s got Creation of All Things.”

“Oh.” Lucy scratched the back of her head. “That must have cost you a lot, huh?”

“Didn’t cost me a lien.” Kya’s lips curled. “Skipping to the front of the line like that? Only favours will get you there, and you better believe that I owe her a big one for doing this.” Kya shrugged. “All of the victims got standard treatment. Stuff like this? It’s not something we can offer everyone simply because we don’t have enough people who can do it. Condensing what should be weeks or months in a tank to a single session is the kind of lunacy only someone with Creation of All Things can pull off. In the entire galaxy there are a grand total of five people alive who have that Semblance.”

Lucy nodded slowly. “Thank you. I mean it. I don’t know how, but I’ll pay you back someday.”

“Just live a good life, kiddo, the kind of life that you can honestly look back at when you’re a hundred years old and be proud of.”

“I’ll try.”

“Anyway,” Kya said. “Have you chosen your new implants? Once you’re all fixed up, we’ll give you a couple of days to make sure that everything is working the way it’s supposed to, and then we’ll get the new ones popped in.”

Lucy’s eyes lit up. “I have! I was thinking of a couple of different options for my main connection interface, but I wanted to ask your opinion on them.”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

[demigods-of-the-ambro-immor]

greetings and salutations!

this blog is dedicated to the demigods of the ambro-immor, started ages ago by a group of like-minded individuals (and a few batshit crazy ones) to recreate ambro-immor (aka ambrosia). though the first founders of the demigods are unknown, the pocket dimension where they met (and we still meet today) has their initials scrawled on a wall. the demigods also have codenames for each other, to be used while recovering ingredients.

tags

#demigods of the ambro immor - any and all posts regarding the demigods

#canon notes - fun facts about the characters

#canon (character) notes - fun facts about the one specific character

#(character) quotes - quotes i feel like the demigods would say and the context

what is ambro-immor?

according to an ancient book, ambro-immor (also called ambrosia, or merely ambro) can “heal any wound”. also known as the “food of the gods”, ambro-immor is said to heal any type of injury (physical, mental, emotional etc) no matter how severe.

gods and the pathernon

there have always been clashes in religion between demigods. most beliefs are accepted, as the only true power the demigods believe in is of their own mind and ability. the parthenon- shortened to the path- are the “physical” embodiment of these beliefs. the path have been followed for as long as the demigods have been founded. it includes five gods and their overseer (who keeps the balance). more will be expanded later, as i continue writing.

current members

samuel king (18, they/he) - “plague”
speciality: international languages, research, history
magical ability: shapeshifting & charmspeak
the son of two supermodels, samuel was originally supposed to attend a different magical school but landed with us instead. since they only speak french, often times either wren or layla (the only other two demigods that speak french) need to translate for him.

clark emmons (18, he/him) - “gio”
speciality: english literature, research
magical ability: speak to animals (sometimes)
the only demigod who’s allowed a pet that isn’t a service animal, clark can understand bits and pieces of animal speak but all of what his golden retriever (gio) is saying (hence the codename). a family friend of wren’s, clark acts like the mom of the group, always trying to make sure we’re not killing ourselves over schoolwork and relationships.

liam goldwin (17, he/him) - “hook”
speciality: breaking and entering, public relations
magical ability: teleportation
after having his leg amputated, liam’s teleportation is stronger than ever. so long as he can see where he’s going, he can get there in a matter of moments. while this is handy during missions, after he teleports liam is as tired as he would be if he ran there at full speed. liam’s also the “head” of the demigods, even though the title’s not official. note: he’s a cocky bastard. similar vibes to henry winter from the secret history (one of his favourite books), but much more “golden child” oriented.

wren carlsisle (16, she/her) - “feathers”
speciality: design, public relations, technology
magical ability: needlework, prophetic dreams
growing up around fashion, wren found her magic pretty early. wren can sew spells into her needlework, however her spells are more along the lines of manifestations on account of her prophetic dreams. since the two of them are best friends, she’s often on the receiving end of layla’s magic, making her spells stronger and more accurate.

layla monet (16, she/her) - “marchioness”
speciality: languages, observation, design
magical ability: accuracy
even though layla can only cast basic spells (the things we learn in sorcery that isn’t attributed to a student’s own magic), she almost always has success in casting her spells. her dad was famous sniper with the same magic as layla, making her deadly with a gun.

eileen mcallen (14, she (preferred)/they/it) - “everest”
speciality: people, observation, the great outdoors
magical ability: plant-whispering
with her head almost quite literally in the clouds from how many trees and mountains (hence the nickname) she climbs, most people might think eileen is a little more than crazy when she starts talking to the flowers. but, eileen’s magic actually comes from her mother, who used to be a dryad.

morgan fischer (14, she/her) - “city”
speciality: technology, breaking and entering
magical ability: code
according to morgan, everything is just maths and code. that couch that’s in the living room? she knows its exact measurements, material, and what lines of code to add to get it to blow up the entire neighbourhood. even though she has one of the more destructive abilities, morgie mostly spends her time watching cat videos on self-altered technology.

molly hallett (13, she/they) - “meringue”
speciality: sciences, languages, public relations, thievery
magical ability: channel her feelings into other people
nobody knows where molly came from, and nobody’s bothered to find out. the peacekeeper (though sometimes devil’s advocate) of the group, molly’s magical ability is to project her feelings onto other people, so long as she can see them. apart from her magic, molly also enjoys forensic science and international languages. her codename came from morgan, who mols has a crush on.

callum alderidge (17, he/him) - “pallas”
speciality: history, science, research, thievery
magical ability: reading secrets
probably most useful magical ability, callum can read an object’s entire history, story and more just by touching it. he can also do this with people, but doesn’t like to since he feels like it’s extremely invading. wren came up with his nickname after he accidentally found out one of her secrets, since according to wren when callum exited her head it felt like athena broke out of her skull.

miosong eivor-dahy (16, she/he) - “siren”
speciality: design, public relations, breaking and entering
magical ability: illusions
only able to use her magical ability if she can sing and move her hands, mio’s magic comes in the form of hymns, circles with inscribed runes in them. she can use these to cast basic spells, but most of all specializes in illusions. if mio can’t speak, she has a container of hand-me-down magical chalk that she can use to draw out her runes.

archan aphelion (15, he/she/they) - “starcrossed”
speciality: thievery, observation, breaking and entering
magical ability: thievery
though shy at first, joining the demigods made arch much more confident and sure of himself. archie’s magical talents include him stealing anything he fancies, from cash to cars to first kisses. liam picked the codename “starcrossed” for her because of the vitiligo patch over their eye. now, arch has the overconfidence of a cocky bastard (liam!), because his good looks and charming smile can get her almost anywhere.

aster trevino (16, they/them) - “argentium”
speciality: english literature, cartography
magical ability: healing (bone-mending), finding lost things
apart from the same normal spell casting abilities that every student has, aster specializes in fixing broken bones and finding things. though shy, they can use their abilities on missions when we’re trying to find information, using their talent and a silver scrying bowl to find out someones’ secrets.

yours truly (x, all pronouns) - “mania”
speciality: observation, public relations
magical ability: manakenisis
every magic-user has to get their energy from somewhere; a never-ending source that flows with their blood, named mana. that’s what i control. that, and this world.

“dream. practice. fail. heal. learn. love. stress. think (about bad decisions). find yourself. lose yourself. accept yourself.”

[inkagnedotv]

Diddy believes New York rappers should step away from regional music trends, or be left in the dust. During a sitdown with Funk Flex on Tuesday (Oct.4), the Bad Boy Records founder discussed his time away from New York, declaring he’s “back outside” and has returned for the throne in his hometown. While on the topic of New York’s Hip-Hop scene, Puffy expressed his concerns about the area’s artists lacking their own identities. Sean Combs, 52, claimed the city was in “last place” and pleaded with the new generation to get back to who they are historically. “New York, we’re in last place, I’m here to tell y’all, and that sh*t comes to an end today,” Diddy proclaimed. “We’re gonna start doing us. The way you hear the beat in your head, do you. The way you move, do you. The way you dress, do you. Don’t be doing them, God bless them.” He discussed the growing trend of drill in the “Big Apple” and urged rappers from the five Burroughs to lead the culture, not follow. “A New York cat is not supposed to be following nobody nowhere for nothing. Because we come from a rich culture of artists and designers and creatives. New York was always leaders, and we don’t blend in, b. We from New York, the f**k? That’s what I’m doing. I’m going to lead the way,” Combs declared confidently. “I’m doing me, New York, unapologetically.” Elsewhere, Diddy recently paid a visit to Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, where he addressed his former collaborator Ma$e. The mogul claimed the Harlem rapper was a “fake pastor” who owed him $3 million. “Ma$e owes me $3 million,” Diddy said. “That’s facts, I got the receipts. And I’m not gon’ go back-and-forth with Ma$e. I’m not going back-and-forth with nobody. I’m just gonna speak up for myself now. Anybody that thinks I owe them something, show me the receipt and you’ll get paid within 24 hours.” Anybody can come and step up. Bring your receipts. But I’m not playing. I’m back outside, and I’m fighting back for us. And I’m also doing some fighting back for me.” —Marc Griffin, VIBE Follow @inkagnedotv https://www.instagram.com/p/CjeXmjssh4y/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[simoviacourt]

Channel 6 studios, outskirts of Zonneminster, late August - roughly three months have passed

*NOTE: this is a VERY long and text-heavy post discussing the current Simovian political situation, consider yourself warned*

Arturo: Good evening to our viewers and of course to our amazing studio audience! Welcome to another evening with The Talk! Tonight we’re going to dive into all the latest news of the week and with me around the table I have our wonderful guests for the night...

Next

Arturo: (continued) First, let me present to you Anne Kortehof, the controversial yet always impeccably stylish Queen of Simstagram!

Anne: Thank you Arturo, happy to be here tonight!

Arturo: We also have Simovia’s national pride and the newly minted captain of our national football team… Elmer De Marees! What do you think, will we bring home the world championship this year?

Elmer: We’ve got some tough opponents but the team and I will be giving it our best!

Arturo: Great to hear, it really has been too long! Then, I’m happy to introduce to you a woman I greatly admire - Iza Laan, the founder of the political think tank “Future Solutions” and the youngest woman to appear on the cover of Money Monthly! Welcome!

Iza: Thanks, Arturo, it’s a pleasure!

Arturo: And finally, my very good friend and a man whom we all adore - Nandu Talkar!

(huge applause from the audience)

Nandu: Thanks Ar, great to be here, as always! 

Arturo: Now, a little bird told me that you might have some new songs to share with us later tonight…

Nandu: Only if you behave…

(audience laughs)

Arturo: I’m sure I have no idea what you mean! But, first, let’s dive into this week’s headlines...

Arturo: (continued) Well, now that the summer is over, our newly elected parliament is in session, with a new prime minister! On Monday Her Royal Majesty officially took Mr Caan’s pledge of fealty and opened the parliament for the year...

(booing from the audience)

Arturo: Ah, it would seem that not everyone has much love for the Prime Minister..

Anne: Or they don’t see why a man should have to kneel in front of a useless woman…

Nandu: Oh wow, are we even five minutes in?

Iza: Well, I think that’s the last time we will see that man kneeling in front of anyone. 

Arturo: Not a fan of Mr Caan’s, Iza?

Iza: Not exactly, no, though I know Anne here adores the man. 

Anne: Me and half the country.

Iza: Which still seems ludicrous to me. But, populists will always have their appeal, I suppose. 

Anne: If by populist you mean that he isn’t afraid to go against the mainstream and say things as they are, then yeah, there’s definitely an appeal. Finally we have a prime minister who won’t play the same old political games that all the others have. Someone who will put Simovian interests first. 

Iza: And what does that even mean? He’d close our borders and end all international collaboration...

Anne: Which brought us to war once already and how well did that work out for us.

(cheers from the audience)

Iza: International collaboration also has created thousands of new jobs and there are countless businesses that rely on the good relations that the Queen works hard to foster. 

Anne: Ah yes, you’re one of those!

Iza: I beg your pardon?

Anne: Monarchists… you lot always -- 

Arturo: Hey hey loving the exchange of views but let’s keep it civil!

Elmer: This is exactly why I avoid these conversations.

Nandu: You and me both…

Iza: Easy for you both, with all respect. De Marees, doesn’t your grandfather sit in the House of Lords? 

Elmer: Yes, but…

Anne: The elite couldn't care less about the dealings of this country as long as they’re comfortable. 

Nandu: (laughs) Ha, that’s the first time someone has ever counted me among the elite! 

Anne: Well you mingle with them often enough… aren’t you friends with the Queen? 

Nandu: I’ve even never had the pleasure to meet Her Royal Majesty. 

Anne: Well, Prince Andrew then?

Nandu: I have met His Royal Highness and attended events with him, yes… but whether we’re friends, hard to say. He’s a nice guy, though, excellent company. But that doesn’t make me one of this “elite” you keep mentioning on your socials. I’ve worked hard to get where I am today. 

Iza: Yet your current position allows you to claim this apolitical stance.

Nandu: Just because I don’t like talking about politics doesn’t mean I don’t care or vote, for that matter. I’m not clueless. My family still can’t vote in this country and though I was born here and grew up here, I doubt Mr Caan and his party would consider me Simovian. 

Anne: That’s not true, he has nothing against new Simovians. 

Nandu: As opposed to what? The old Simovians? How many generations does it take to belong to that group?

Iza: And that’s just one of the reasons that I’m not a fan of Mr Caan, as you put it Arturo. His rhetoric is divisive at best and blatantly xenophobic at worst. And now he is the prime minister. I’m actually not a monarchist, there are so many things wrong with the institution but it’s times like these that I’m happy that we have a Queen who can push back on what he’d otherwise do to our country. 

Anne: Have you ever actually talked to him or attended one of his seminars? He has great plans for Simovia! I know that the media loves to paint him as this xenophobic loudmouth but he’s actually a really lovely man. He’s well educated but he doesn’t hide in his ivory tower. He knows that the people want freedom and he’s willing to give it to them.

Iza: You can’t be serious… freedom to what? Starve and end up on the street with no healthcare? I’ve read through his plans, they’re now out there on the government’s website and what I see is...

Anne: He just wants to encourage people to make the best choices in their own lives. Being controlled by some big political machine won’t let people do that. If you just opened your eyes, I’m sure you could see that.

Iza: I… Arturo please can we move on? Seriously... I can’t believe that I’m forced to debate politics with someone who clearly has no understanding of how society functions. 

Arturo: Now Iza, she does have a right to her opinion… but, it is about time we moved on. After the break, more engagement rumours between Her Royal Majesty the Queen and His Grace the Landgraaf van Hoensbroek...

Next

[bluerosesburnblue]

I hope you don't mind this ask, but... Any theories / speculations about the most recent story update for KHUX?

Oh, I don’t mind at all! I’m glad you asked, actually, because I’ve had some thoughts, though not many new theories of my own, unfortunately. That being said, I can definitely go over how some of my old theories and some of the fandom’s hold up and my thoughts on a few of the new theories I’ve seen floating around

One thing that I’m consistently proud of is how my old guesses about Darkness’s true nature just keep ending up almost right barring some slight details. I made the claim back when Re:Mind first came out that Darkness could be a hive mind of entities that plant bits of themselves in others, and then refined that back in July of 2020 by likening it to a parasite that worms its way into people’s hearts and incorporates itself into them to control them. This past update confirmed that the Darkness we’re fighting is one part of the hive mind that wormed its way into Ven to force him to act out, and that by doing so it detached itself from that hive mind and became incorporated into Ven’s being (which Ven can then shape). So I gotta say I’m pretty pleased about that part

All that’s left to be seen from the July post is if Darkness has a connection to Verum Rex/Quadratum, but I doubt that that will be touched on by the KHUx finale. Though I will say that it’s pretty interesting that the Master of Masters tells Darkness about “a world [he] can’t even conceive,” which seems like it could easily be referring to Quadratum, which also means that Darkness knows about it

That’s pretty much all I have to say on the Ventus/Darkness/Vanitas connection, but there’s still more to cover in this update

One thing that I’ve been trying to figure out is who the cloaked figure right at the start of the update is, Luxu or the MoM. Measuring the sizes and my old guess based on the KH3 Secret Reports both say Luxu, but this brings into question “when,” exactly, the True Dandelion scene takes place as it doesn’t have the dark haze around the edges that they give flashbacks, but is clearly the real-world set of pods as they’re not destroyed AND it’s missing the pod that Maleficent already used. The True Dandelion scene has a lot to unpack, but this scene at the start does make me wonder if Luxu and/or the Master have a way in and out of the datascape that doesn’t involve the pods, otherwise the numbers don’t add up

Also related to the post of mine I just linked is the idea that the Black Box is the datascape. I believe that this might still hold true. It’s interesting to note that they show the scene from Back Cover where Luxu is given the box in the first place just prior to the reveal that using the lifeboats to escape starts the process to seal it off and have the real Daybreak Town fall to darkness, and the Master’s “hint” to Luxu involves this very process. Why would Luxu be forbidden to open the box? Quite possibly because it contains the infected datascape meant to seal off the vast majority of the Darkness hive mind. And several Dandelions. It is both the “hope” mentioned in KH3 through those Dandelions, as well as a trap to keep Darkness out of being able to interfere for quite a long time

Now, the questions that I’m sure are on everyone’s minds are “who is the True Dandelion,” and “who are the ones who use the lifeboats?” Let’s start with the True Dandelion, as there’s far less moving pieces involved in that one

I won’t take credit for coming up with any of these options, I’m just going to discuss the logistics of them. So the candidates for the True Dandelion in, what is in my opinion, the least likely option to the most likely option, are:

Kairi: I’ve seen this one floating around and... honestly don’t believe it at all due to the sheer amount of logical contortions that you have to do to make it work. To wit:

Where the hell would she even come from if it was Kairi? As can be clearly seen with Ven, is stated to be true with Subject X, and is implied to be true of Lauriam/Elrena, those who travel to the future using the pods will regenerate their bodies at the age they were when they used the pods. Which would make Kairi at the oldest a four-year-old. Four years prior to KHUx was when Brain was told that he was a Union Leader. So she either would have been just born immediately prior to the war and was just... stolen or something? And we never saw? Or just after the war, where she would probably have to be the child of a Dandelion that got teen pregnant because they’re supposed to be both kids and the only survivors? Or Luxu and Ava’s kid somehow? Like, what? The timeline is just insane with that

If she was born before the war... you would assume that the True Dandelion would be, you know, a Dandelion. Which would mean that Ava handed a Keyblade to and recruited a literal toddler. This would also retcon Aqua being the one to accidentally pass the ability to wield a Keyblade down to Kairi and I refuse to make theories predicated on “the author will retcon this.” You just open up a huge can of worms doing that

The body wrapped in white looked a hell of a lot bigger than a four-year-old to me

I am sick to death of “this character was secretly from the Age of Fairytales~” being employed by the narrative. It’s happened at least three times already (four if you count Luxu). Enough already

Ventus: Ven has some hints, though some notable contradictions to it being him

On the one had, the sheet that the True Dandelion is wrapped in is extremely similar to the one that Xehanort wrapped him in when planning to leave him on Destiny Islands in BBS and there’s a possibility that Xehanort may have found him in that very sheet if he regenerated wearing it

On the other hand: Ventus might not have even been a Dandelion in the first place (he definitely wasn’t a Union Leader, but I don’t know if it was ever said whether he was selected as a regular Dandelion or not), and there’s the timing of the scene that I mentioned above. It’s definitely after Maleficent used her lifeboat but before anyone else used theirs (when you would expect Ven to remain with his friends) and, since the scene doesn’t have the flashback effect, it’s implied to be happening concurrently with everything else, so Ven should still be fighting Darkness in the datascape while it’s happening and eliminating him from being this particular person

Strelitzia: Oh, boy, have we got some nice old hints to Strelitzia, but still a few logical contortions, just like Ven

The white sheet is coming back up again. Namely, the fact that we still have an unexplained scene where Strelitzia appears to Lauriam in a dream wrapped in a white cloak, though it’s of a different style than the one that the True Dandelion is in. That scene also featured flower petals being blown into the wind, much like a dandelion seed (though, notably, the petals that are blown aren’t Dandelion seeds)

The question is, yet again, one of timing. How would Luxu get her body? While she was only introduced in KHUx, her scenes are all flashbacks to before the war, so we know that she was struck down in the real world, not the datascape. We see her body dissolve into light and her heart be released. Now, technically you only need a heart to time travel (actually, a heart is the only thing that can time travel), but Luxu is clearly seen putting a body into the machine. A machine that only allows for time travel because it destroys the body. If he had her heart, he wouldn’t need to use the lifeboat because she’s already in a state to time-travel on her own and this eliminates the possibility of him putting her Nobody into the machine, because without a heart it would just evaporate her body leaving... absolutely no heart to go to the future with

Now, Luxu theoretically could have grabbed her heart. We know that he was hanging around Daybreak Town at the time while observing thanks to his fight with Ava, but Strelitzia is struck down just after the fight with Ava starts so it’s very likely that Luxu was too preoccupied to retrieve her heart before it was gone. Speaking of Luxu’s fight with Ava...

Ava is my current top pick for the True Dandelion candidate due to the sheer number of questions it answers and how few it raises

Ever since KH3 came out, the question of “where the heck is Ava?” has been buzzing around as a major mystery. Her last chronological point of appearance is the same as the other Foretellers: the Keyblade War itself, where she’s shown leading her Union to battle. Notably, she seems resigned to her part in this, and this is the first and only time we see her after her battle with Luxu where he reveals to her the Master’s true plans. Melody of Memory seems to imply that the other Foretellers managed to skip to the future by going to another world, Quadratum (or at least this is the most likely explanation as there’s not enough pods to send all four of the other Foretellers AND the characters that we know end up in the future to their destination). However, Ava isn’t with them and Luxu knows what happened to her

It would be easy to write this off as them trying to drop Ava from the narrative or her not being important, but her chess piece is included in the “Eraqus and Xehanort foreshadow the next saga” chess game on the far right of the board and Nomura confirms that they represent the Master’s six apprentices, i.e. the five Foretellers + Luxu. So, Ava is necessary in the upcoming saga and yet, she didn’t get to the future the same way as any of the Master’s other apprentices leaving her open to get there via a lifeboat

Ava is the very founder of the Dandelions, who all of the others look up to and defer to and was spoken of heavily in the scene just prior to the True Dandelion reveal. That’s grounds for being called the True Dandelion if I’ve ever seen one

Luxu would very easily be able to ensure that Ava would be able to make it to the future. Just like with the Master of Masters, he already has the memories necessary for her to use to regenerate a body, and either her Keyblade or her mask would make for effective mediums that wouldn’t be too difficult for Luxu to take. If he put her in the white cloth, he probably took her mask off already

Ava hasn’t been around for the events of KHUx, so there’s no timeline discrepancies if it’s her

So, now that we have an idea of who the True Dandelion could be, let’s talk about the rest of the lifeboats and how they might fit together. For the purposes of this discussion, let’s assume that the True Dandelion can’t be one of the Union Leaders and that their battle with Darkness is taking place at the same time as Luxu is sending off the True Dandelion. I’ll be referencing an old theory of mine, while making additions now that it’s clear that there’s two sets of lifeboats: the Data Set and the Real Set

Right now, there’s an equal number of Real Pods and Data Pods: 5 each. For the Data Pods, of the seven that we started with, one was used by Maleficent and one was damaged in the battle between Maleficent and Lauriam. As for the Real Pods, one has been used by Maleficent, and one has been used by the True Dandelion. This leaves us with five each.

We can narrow this down further by eliminating people that we know end up in the future. These are:

Ventus

Subject X, who is most likely Skuld based on her description

Lauriam

Elrena* (of note with Elrena is that we actually have no idea where the hell she is at the moment or how she’s going to get into the pods. Furthermore, while every other lifeboat user sans Maleficent has been shown to have amnesia upon waking and Lauriam/Marluxia directly indicates as such applies to him, too, in KH3, Elrena/Larxene’s KH3 scene and character file short story both indicate that she recalls Lauriam and possibly Strelitzia, though she also seems surprised at the idea that she’s part of an ancient Keyblade legacy. I won’t deny that there’s a possibility that she doesn’t use a lifeboat and ends up in the future by other means based on the discrepancies)

So with three confirmed cases, we’re left with one ambiguous case in Elrena and three more possible candidates: Ephemer, Brain, and Player. Four people, and two pods

I want to make it clear that despite what I brought up against Elrena, I do think that she’ll be using one of the lifeboats if only so that KHUx has narrative consistency. They introduced Elrena, they made her part of the investigation on Strelitzia’s whereabouts, so it only makes sense that they need to show us where she ended up for a satisfying conclusion. So let’s slot Elrena in for one of the lifeboats. That leaves one between Player, Ephemer, and Brain

My best guess is that Player won’t be using a lifeboat at all. Not only are they a create-a-character that would be a HUGE pain to try and incorporate into future entries in the series without making a “canon” version and thus ruining their appeal as an avatar, but we haven’t seen or heard mention of them at all in the games set in the present-day. There’s zero indication that they made it, which makes them the most easily eliminated as a lifeboat user

That leaves Ephemer and Brain, and I still believe that Ephemer will be the final lifeboat user, and for the same reasons as stated in the theory I linked at the start of this section. Not only does Brain have the same facial sprite as Eraqus, but he wields the Master’s Defender which will be later passed down to Eraqus and I believe that this eliminates him as a time traveler, despite the fandom’s popular opinion that it confirms it

Because I don’t believe that Brain is Eraqus’s grandfather, but rather his distant ancestor who inherited the No Name and passed down both Keyblades through the ages

So let’s resolve some plot threads taking everything I’ve stated and linked to above into account

My Big Guess for the KHUx Finale

Ventus will use the fact that Darkness is tied to his heart now to give it a physical, but still mostly amorphous form that he, the Union Leaders, and Player can finally take down. Darkness will be sealed inside Ven’s heart, where it will lie dormant until he reaches the future. Eventually, Xehanort will extract it in the form of Vanitas and it will follow Vanitas’s life cycle, ending in him being reabsorbed into Ven at the end of BBS. Darkness, now back in Ven’s heart, will make brief contact with Sora during the events of Re:Mind

Lauriam, upon learning that the world will be sealed with the use of the lifeboats, will attempt to rescue his partner, Elrena. Both will take lifeboats out of the datascape and into the future, whereupon they will be recruited into Organization XIII by Luxu’s current incarnation, Xigbar, likely to keep an eye on them. I believe there might be a squabble among Ephemer, Skuld, Brain, and Player among who will use the final lifeboats (each person nominating others besides themselves), but ultimately they will settle on Ephemer and Skuld

Skuld will wind up amnesiac in the future Radiant Garden and is discovered by Ansem the Wise and his apprentices and dubbed Subject X. She becomes Xehanort’s favorite test subject due to the similarities in their amnesia and possibly some lingering memories that he has that don’t quite belong to him (KHDR Xehanort certainly seems to want to meet his “old friends” very badly)

Ephemer’s heart will wind up in the Keyblade Graveyard as I mentioned in an old theory, unable to manifest a body due to the lack of a medium present. Through this state of being just a heart (and possibly related to those old talks about him being “unchained”), he will be able to enact the Light of the Past moment from KH3, and may very well be revived for future events in the series

This leaves Brain and Player behind in the datascape. However, you may remember one detail that I brought up, but neglected to fully expand on until now. There is a difference between the Data Pods and the Real Pods. While all of the Real Pods have been used up at the time of my proposed sequence of events, the Data Pods have not been. One was never used, only damaged. This leaves open the possibility that it can also be repaired (Also, I’m just gonna say it. Player’s met someone recently who has a magic hammer that can repair anything... might not come back but also totally could). Brain and Player could then repair the final pod and, in a callback to when Player was sent to Game Central Station, have them both agree once again that Player is the more expendable person in the scenario. Brain will take the repaired pod, leaving no way out of the datascape for anyone else, while Player stays behind to be sealed away for the time being (this could also be a callback to the original KHx, where Player also stayed behind to take part in the war instead of fleeing with the Dandelions, as they refused to leave their party behind)

When Brain escapes, however, he will be met with a Daybreak Town with no Real Pods left, as Luxu used one on the True Dandelion. Now that the seven pods have all been used up and the real Daybreak Town is falling to darkness, Luxu will take a corridor out as the Master instructed, but bring the newly appeared Brain along with him (either that or Brain emerges after Daybreak Town falls, either is possible) and bequeaths the No Name onto him. Brain, stranded in the past while all of his friends have been sent to the future, will be Luxu’s new apprentice and rebuild the fallen Daybreak Town as Scala ad Caelum, then pass down both of his Keyblades: Master’s Defender to his biological descendants, and No Name to his apprentices

As for the Master of Masters? I think he’s already taken an eighth lifeboat (you’ll note that there’s space right in the center of the cluster where one more could theoretically fit) and had done so before the start of the original KHx. He’ll be revived at some point in Xehanort’s young adult life to goad him into his insane plans as seen in Re:Mind, then duck into Quadratum to hang out until the next arc in the franchise, as hinted at with his appearance in the KH3 Secret Movie

(He is most definitely not Sora. He’s clearly bound to the same rules of time travel as everyone else which means that Sora couldn’t go back in time to become him as that would be long before the point in time where Sora was born and that breaks KH time travel rules. Not to mention that the Master talks about Quadratum in this update like he’s never seen it before until it came up in the No Name’s range of vision. Sora is literally in Quadratum right now, he’d definitely know what it was already if he was the Master)

And I do believe that should cover everyone’s whereabouts by the end of the game and into the next arc of Kingdom Hearts with minimal plot holes

This is just my best guess, putting together details that I’ve been accumulating for the past year and a half or so into what sounds like a coherent sequence of events that bridge the gap between KHUx and KH3 and beyond. There may be some details I get wrong, obviously. Nomura has been known to be... unpredictable. But I think, based on the evidence we have at hand, that this is the most logical series of events to end the game on and I’m really interested to see how close this gets to the actual finale we see

[today-only-happens-once]

Patch Job

Title: Patch Job

Word Count: 4168

Summary: A pipe bursts. Roman is close to breaking, in a different kind of way. For @justisaisfine’s Sanders Bro AU. Family LAMP, platonic Thomas/Roman.

Warnings: angst/hurt/comfort, arguing, implied trauma, implied eating disorder, mention of/implied depression, overworked!Roman, imposter syndrome/feelings of inadequacy/insecurity in DROVES, crying, cursing, probably inaccurate plumbing stuff because I don’t know how pipes work, financial struggles and bad landlords, light embarrassment at lack of knowing things about plumbing.

A/N: Me? Projecting months-worth of emotions and insecurities onto Isa’s Roman? It’s far more likely than you think. Heavily inspired by parts of an episode of Freeform’s Party of Five, but no knowledge of that show is needed for this fic. It’s just where the inspiration came from (specifically the broken pipe and the “sh**ty patch job” line). It’s not my best writing, but I’m a little rusty and my brain is very full of lots of different things lately. My deepest gratitude to Isa for letting me play in their AU once again. It’s always meaningful to me.

Tags: @creativenostalgiastuff , @helloisthisusernametaken, @ren-allen, @quoth-the-sparrow, @princelogical, @random-pianist, @ravenclawicecream, @erlenmeyertrash, @milomeepit, @at-least-seven-pretty-potatoes, @rileyfirstname, @pinkeasteregg, @sassy-in-glasses, @vigilantvirgil, @generalfandomfabulousness, @lacrimosathedark, @thepoolofthedead, @monikastec, @heir-of-the-founders, @yourworstnightmare999, @artistictaurean, @kanejandkruge, @cdragontogacotar, @damienswifeolicitydallysgirl, @angst-patton, @savingshae, @noneed4thistbh, @awesomelissawho, @unikornavenger, @bopthesnoz, @spiralofsilencetheory, @finger-gunsss, @crownswriter123, @swlotakulady34, @gaylotusthatexists, @analogical-mess, @dolphidragon, @flix-net, @narniasfinestavengingsociopath, @friedlieb-ferdinand-runge, @bibbidy-bobbity-booyah, @procrastinations-my-middle-name, @theburntesttoast, @monroig, @secretlyawyvern, @puddinglec4t

…

Roman startles awake, and for a brief moment, isn’t sure why.

Then he hears muffled cursing, and a panicked, strangled “Uh… Roman?!”—Roman places it as Logan’s voice immediately even in his half-awake state—and kicks off the thin blankets that remain tangled between his legs. He scrubs a hand across his eyes and blinks blearily around him. The pull-out couch is empty, which means his brothers are all awake. Roman checks the time on the clock hanging on the wall.

The boys had ten minutes before they needed to be ready for school.

“Roman!”

Logan’s sharp, strained voice is definitely coming from the kitchen. A second later, Roman thinks he can hear… hissing?

The eldest Sanders brother scrambles over the corner of the bed and nearly trips into the TV in his urgency. He skids to a stop in the kitchen entryway and freezes at the sight before him.

The cabinet under the sink is open, water spraying out from the pipe inside of it. Roman looks immediately for his youngest brother, seeing Virgil—frozen and pale—by the fridge. Patton is soaked, a plastic plate at his feet with three sandwiches on the floor quickly getting drowned by the water gushing from the burst pipe. His gray sweatshirt and jeans are soaked through. Logan is holding his hand out to block the spray as he blindly fumbles through a drawer that is just barely in arms reach.

Roman doesn’t know where to start. “What happened?” he asks, crossing quickly over to Virgil who is far too pale for Roman’s liking.

“Pipe just suddenly burst,” Logan answers as he clumsily pulls a towel from the kitchen drawer.

Roman nods, kneeling in front of his baby brother and trying not to cringe as part of his pajama pants are immediately soaked with the water that is rapidly flooding their kitchen. “Hey,” Roman says softly, “V, it’s just a pipe.” Roman counts it as no small miracle that Virgil looks at him. Makes eye contact, however brief.

It hadn’t been a guarantee. A loud, sudden noise. In the kitchen. The yelling that followed.

“Quite a wake-up call, huh?” Roman offers with a small smile, reaching a hand towards him. Asking. Inviting.

Virgil doesn’t smile back, but he looks at Roman for a moment before placing his hand in Roman’s own. His hand is shaking. Roman gives it a small squeeze. Neither of them lets go.

Roman turns back around as Logan wraps the towel around the break under the sink. He looks to Patton— soaked from the chest down.

“Pat,” Roman says. “Go change into something dry. And get Virgil some dry socks for me.”

Patton ducks his head a little and says something that Roman doesn’t quite catch.

“Hm?”

“This was the last clean thing I had,” Patton repeats. “I was gonna do laundry yesterday but couldn’t find quarters. And then I thought maybe I could ask Ms. Alice next door tonight to borrow their machine, but—”

Roman feels a twinge in his chest. “It’s my fault. Take one of my flannels. It’ll be big on you, but it’ll work until I get a load through.”

Patton nods and holds out a hand for Virgil to take. Virgil gives Roman’s one last squeeze before he follows quietly after Patton.

“And don’t forget to pack lunch!” Roman calls over his shoulder as Patton moves to the drawers in the living room. Roman looks back at Logan on the kitchen floor under the sink. His brother is soaked head to toe, and he’s fiddling with some part of the pipe that Roman can’t see from where he’s standing.

“We’re out of food, Roman,” Logan says, quietly and carefully. “Patton won’t say it, but I checked last night.”

Roman’s chest tightens even further. “What?”

“Those sandwiches on the floor was the last of what we had for lunch.” Logan grunts as he tightens something on the pipe.

Roman pinches the bridge of his nose against the impending headache he can feel coming. His acting job had helped with finances substantially, but Roman usually got groceries on Tuesdays. Filming had really picked up lately, and Roman was coming home later than usual; after the grocery store they usually went to was closed.

Roman had promised himself he’d ask the director for an extended lunch on Saturday so he could get groceries. Maybe if he offered to come in earlier on Sunday, then he could leave early today and swing by to get enough to last until Saturday when he could get the rest—

That didn’t fix the immediate problem.

Roman sighs and ducks back into the living room to the top drawer of the dresser. He pulls out the small bundle of singles and counts off twelve dollars. He’d been saving loose cash to go towards Logan’s college fund. Lunch at school cost a little over three dollars. Twelve should be enough to cover all three of them.

“Logan,” Roman says, returning to the kitchen and cringing a bit as his socks are immediately soaked in the growing pool of sink water. He hands the folded bills towards him. “Make sure all of you eat lunch, okay?”

Logan frowns, sliding out from under the sink but keeping his hand clamped around the burst. “Roman. I was thinking… maybe I should stay home today—”

“No.”

“You don’t know the first thing about fixing a busted pipe.”

“Neither do you,” Roman replies. He’s still holding the money out to him. “Look, I’ll figure it out, okay?”

“You’re not exactly the most handy person, Roman.”

“You’re not skipping school for this.”

“But—”

“I mean it, Logan!”

“You’re being an idiot,” Logan snaps. “If you would just let me—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Roman cuts him off firmly.

Logan stares at him, his expression carefully unreadable, then releases the pipe and gets to his feet. He switches the faucet off and the spray of water slows to a stop. Logan snatches the money out of Roman’s hands and brushes past him, out of the kitchen. It’s not until Logan is out of the kitchen and in the bathroom down the hall that Roman realizes what he’s said.

I can’t believe I just said that. He sighs, scrubbing a hand down his face.

Logan leaves the apartment moments later with their younger brothers in tow. He closes the door behind them before Roman can so much as say his name.

….

Roman doesn’t know what he’s doing.

He’d dug around for some kind of manual, but there wasn’t much room in their tiny apartment to hide it, and he hadn’t been able to find it. A quick trip to the hardware store had led to Roman buying a part that he thinks looks right… maybe.

He’d been at it for hours. Roman’s hair is sopping wet and falling into his eyes no matter how many times he rakes it back and out of his face, and his white t-shirt is damp with sink water and stained with rust. He had already called the studio and said he couldn’t come in today, apologizing profusely and wondering distantly if his job would survive the phone call. He was certainly replaceable, right? And he was supposed to give far more notice than four minutes after he was supposed to be there.

Calling the landlord was out of the question, really. Past experience taught Roman that their landlord was largely unreliable for maintenance and reveled in any chance to pin damages on tenants and charge them accordingly (and then some).

The wrench in Roman’s hand slips from his grip and cracks against the wooden frame of the cabinet.

“Shit,” Roman hisses, shaking his hand as if it will ease the sudden sting in his knuckles.

He finishes tightening the piece and blows out a breath before he slides out from under the cabinet. Hopefully the patch would work. He uses the edge of the kitchen counter to pull himself to his feet and holds his breath as he twists the faucet on.

A second passes as water rushes through the faucet. Roman releases his breath. But it’s quickly overshadowed by the loud pop and the spray of water that shoots out from the pipe once again. Roman jumps and dives for the pipe as it douses his sweatpants, shirt, face, hair as he frantically tries to wrap a hand around the break.

He blindly fumbles for the towel that Logan had been using before he’d left, turning his face away as his fingers slip and the water hits cheek. Roman quickly ties the towel into several knots around the pipe. He scrambles to his feet—no small task, given the pool of water in their kitchen—and turns the faucet off.

The chaos holds its breath for a moment and Roman releases his again, sagging against the counter and shoving the wet strings of his hair out of his face again.

He doesn’t know what to do.

Do we really need the sink anyway? Roman wonders. The answer is yes. Of course it was.

He has to fix it, because they used the kitchen sink water for drinking and washing food because the bathroom sink water wasn’t the best. And besides, if they had any hope of moving out of here—and God, did Roman want to move—they had to make sure everything was at least in as decent of shape as it was when they moved in. Or the repairs would cost the amount of a down payment on another apartment.

Not to mention that he’d told his brothers he could handle it. He had to handle it, and he had to do it before they got home from school.

Roman’s spiraling thoughts are interrupted by his phone buzzing on the kitchen table. Roman doesn’t have a clue who it could be, but his heartbeat jumps for a moment.

Thomas flashes across the caller ID and Roman gingerly hops over the soaked towels that litter the floor before he swipes to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” Thomas replies. “Vicki said you called off today but hadn’t been clear about why. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“Yeah,” Roman says on instinct alone. “No, I’m fine.”

“Your brothers are okay?”

Roman swallows against the sudden lump in his throat. “Yeah, Thomas. They’re okay. They’re at school.”

“Are you sick?”

“Wh—no, I’m not sick.”

There’s a beat. A hesitation. Roman can feel through the phone how Thomas wants to keep asking questions. “Okay,” Thomas says instead, and Roman isn’t sure why. Or why it twists a knot in his chest. “Do you need anything?”

No, Roman wants to say, the word built on instinct and fear pressing against the back of his teeth. But he looks at the clock—it’s a little past noon, which gave him about three and a half hours before the boys got home—and he doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing.

“I…um…” Roman doesn’t know why his voice trembles just a little. Thomas had told him that if he needed anything, he’d be there, right? He could trust Thomas.

He could trust Thomas.

His grip around the phone tightens a little. He laughs, empty and hollow as he looks around the disheveled, sopping wet kitchen. “Do you know anything about fixing a busted pipe?”

A slight pause, and Roman isn’t sure how to interpret it. “Yeah,” Thomas says eventually. Lightly. Like Roman had just asked him to run lines with him. “They want to do one more take, and then I’ll be right there, okay?”

“Okay,” Roman says, relief overpowering any other thing he should be feeling. “And uh, thanks.”

“No problem. Give me an hour.”

…

When there’s a knock at the apartment door fifty minutes later, Roman’s been doused with water about four more times. It’s not until he answers the door and Thomas is standing on the other side with a box of take-out from Roman’s favorite lunch place by the studio that the eldest Sanders brother realizes he probably looks a disaster. If Thomas thinks so, he’s gracious enough to not say anything.

“I brought lunch,” Thomas says, holding out the box towards Roman. “Something told me you probably didn’t eat yet.” It’s a light comment, more conversational than accusatory, but Roman feels his eyes heat a little. He blinks quickly.

“Uh, thanks,” he says lamely, taking the box and stepping aside. He realizes suddenly that Thomas had never been to the apartment before, and if he wasn’t quite so desperate to just fix the problem in the kitchen, he’d probably be a little bit mortified.

“You’ll never guess what Terrence and Valerie started doing today,” Thomas says as Roman closes the door behind him. “They started this whole ‘finish the lyric’ for showtunes thing between takes. Except they’re doing it with really obscure shows. Urinetown was one from Valerie and Terrence just made up the lyric because he’d never seen the show. He rhymed ‘urination’ and ‘station’.”

Despite himself, Roman barks a laugh. The corner of Thomas’s mouth quirks into a smile.

“They tried to get me to do one for Death Note the Musical. I’ve seen the anime, but I didn’t have a clue about the song they were singing.” Thomas shakes his head a little as they step into the living room. The pullout bed hadn’t been put away yet. Clothes litter the floor, left behind in the wake of the chaotic morning.

Thomas doesn’t even seem phased. “I think they’re gonna make it a regular thing. You should challenge them to it.”

Roman rubs the back of his neck and turns to look at the other actor. “Maybe,” he says, even as his stomach feels a little uneasy. “Assuming I still have a job after today.”

Thomas’s brows pull together, his head tilting a little in confusion. “Is there any doubt?”

“A little?”

“There shouldn’t be. They’re not gonna fire you just because something came up last minute one day.”

“You seem pretty sure about that.”

“I am.”

Roman stares at him for a moment, waiting for Thomas to elaborate. He has the sudden feeling that Thomas may have done or said something to someone in his absence.

Thomas arcs an eyebrow, then lifts a shoulder. “You’re more talented than you give yourself credit for, Roman,” he says, like it’s a statement of fact rather than one of the kindest things Roman has ever heard in his life. “And don’t think your extra hours these past several weeks have gone by unnoticed. Not by me, and not by the director. Taking a day—especially to deal with something like this—isn’t going to put your job in jeopardy. Okay?”

“Yeah,” Roman says quietly. He doesn’t know if he believes it. “Okay.”

“To be honest,” Thomas adds, slipping his hands into his pockets, “when I heard you weren’t coming in, I was kind of hoping you were taking a day to get some extra rest.”

Roman ducks away from Thomas’s sincerity. “Yeah, that’s… not really a possibility for me.”

He hears Thomas sigh, and tries not to wince. Maybe asking Thomas for help had been a mistake. He’d always wanted to impress Thomas, after all. The last thing he wanted Thomas to think was that he didn’t have his life handled. Losing Thomas’s respect would… devastate him, and Roman can’t help but feel like he’s rapidly heading down that path.

“Sorry,” Roman says.

“No, Roman, it’s…” Thomas stops, shakes his head. Tries again. “It’s not your fault. It’s just… your responsibility, and it shouldn’t be.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not,” Thomas insists, and that brings Roman up short. “I mean, I get that you have your brothers to help you, but… still.” He glances around the apartment. “Actually, speaking of, I’m a little surprised that Logan went to school. He seems like he’d like to tinker to help you out.”

“He tried,” Roman says hollowly. His stomach turns against how he’d left things with Logan this morning. “I sent him to school anyway.”

“Ah,” Thomas says.

“I told him I had it handled,” Roman elaborates, and he isn’t sure why. Thomas hadn’t asked for more information, and Roman rarely offered it when it wasn’t asked for.

“You didn’t want his help? He’s a smart kid. Given the circumstances, I’m sure one day wouldn’t have—”

“I don’t—” Roman cuts in, and then snaps his jaw shut as the memories of his morning flood through his mind. Virgil, frozen and pale and barely responding to him. Patton not having clean clothes and also him not mentioning that they were out of food. Logan arguing with him. Roman saying he didn’t want to hear it…

“I need my brothers to feel like I can handle it.”

“The broken pipe?”

“Everything.”

A brief pause. “Did… you try asking your landlord for some help?”

“We—I can’t afford it…” Roman trails off and shakes his head. He sinks onto the edge of the pull-out bed and folds his hands between his knees. “Handling things is what I do.”

Thomas purses his lips, and Roman feels himself tense before Thomas looks towards the kitchen. “Then let’s take a look, yeah?”

Roman takes the hand that Thomas offers and pushes himself to his feet. “The kitchen is a mess,” he says.

“I’d be shocked if it wasn’t. Burst pipes tend to do that,” Thomas says with a faint smile. He squeezes Roman’s shoulder and then ducks through the kitchen entryway, seeming unbothered by the pool of water and sopping wet towels that litter the floor.

Roman self-consciously folds his arms across his chest as Thomas kneels down by the sink, peering closely at the pipe. He grabs the wrench that Roman had abandoned by the counter and sets to work.

“Hm,” Thomas hums, but Roman can’t see his face.

“Hm?”

“Hm,” Thomas confirms with an amused smile before he rolls a bit to be on his back and looking up at the pipe. “I think I may have figured out part of your problem. Come here.”

Roman kneels beside Thomas, and the older actor scoots to the left to make room so Roman can see what he’s talking about. He unscrews the part that Roman had been doing his best to wedge onto the pipe. “This is the wrong size. So that’s a small part of it.” Roman flushes in embarrassment, but Thomas doesn’t seem to notice. “Easy mistake, though. The real problem is that these pipes are pretty rusted, which I’d bet is why it burst. See this discoloration?” Thomas points.

“Yeah,” Roman says.

“It’s a bad sign. Plus, you’ve got this here—” Thomas points to a part of the pipe further up that Roman hadn’t even been paying attention to before—“which looks like a leak that someone tried to fix with duct tape.”

“I mean… it stopped the leak,” Roman offers weakly. He feels Thomas glance over at him, but he doesn’t meet his eyes.

“For now,” Thomas says, his voice oddly gentle. “But it won’t last very long.” He turns his attention back to the pipe. When Roman risks a glance over at him in the cramped space under the sink, he sees Thomas’s frown deepen.

“What?” Roman asks.

Thomas shakes his head a little. “Just thinking. If this pipe is corroded a bit with rust here, it’s likely it exists elsewhere too. So this will probably keep happening, unless you can get the bigger problem addressed—”

Roman’s chest constricts painfully and he slides out from beside Thomas. “Okay,” he says tightly. Strained. “Okay.” His fingers twitch and he pushes himself to his feet.

Thomas—slower than Roman had—also slides out from under the sink. He sits, though, with his back to the wooden cabinet beside the sink.

“I can get another job,” Roman says. He’s pacing but moving helps him think and he needs to think a lot right now. “Pick up a little bit of extra cash which could maybe get us a better shot of moving out sooner, or if not that, maybe enough to cover the—”

“Roman, this isn’t on you,” Thomas cuts in gently. “Your landlord should fix it.”

“But he’ll charge us, because—”

“Then I’ll get someone to come in and take a look. I know some people—”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll figure it out. I’ll just, ah, get the right size part to fix the busted section, right?”

“Sure,” Thomas says slowly, “but it wouldn’t fix the larger problem. A quick patch job won’t keep it from happening again if you really do have a corrosion problem.”

Roman rakes a hand through his hair. “But it’ll be enough for now. Right?”

Roman turns an imploring gaze onto Thomas, still sitting on the floor. Thomas’s brows pull together. “Roman, let me talk to—”

“I’ll handle it, Thomas,” Roman says quickly. “I’ll figure it out.”

The eldest Sanders sees a flash of frustration pass through Thomas’s brown eyes as the older actor pushes himself to his feet. “You keep saying that. But it doesn’t seem like you know what you’re doing.”

“I don’t!” Roman snaps suddenly, throwing his hands up. “I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, Thomas. I never do. I just… grab on tightly to whatever is the biggest mess and I try to hold it together long enough to stick until the next or a bigger mess comes along.”

Silence meets the end of his words and this morning flickers through Roman’s mind again before he shakes it off. “Sometimes that mess is one of my brothers and sometimes that mess is figuring out when I can get groceries and sometimes that mess is realizing I didn’t learn lines for filming tomorrow but I just… I do the very next thing and hope and pray it’s enough that my brothers don’t look too closely because if they do…” Roman’s voice breaks and he swallows hard against his burning, blurring vision. “They’ll realize I’m just a shitty patch job too.”

That’s all Roman is. That’s all he’d ever been, for as long as Roman could remember. A band-aid on the chasm that always threatened to swallow his brothers whole.

But for some unfathomable reason, his brothers trusted him to take care of them. And he doesn’t know what to do if they realized just how much their trust was misplaced. Just how out-of-his-depth Roman truly was, is, had always been. He’d spent his entire life trying and failing to fill the hole left behind by their parents, and he was a fraud but none of them had figured it out yet. Roman had spent countless sleepless nights hoping they never do.

Thomas is looking at him and Roman—the coward he is—can’t meet his eyes.

“Roman,” Thomas says softly in the silence, “you’re enough for them.”

“I’m not,” Roman says, and giving voice to that realization that he’d locked away in the recesses of his mind makes his legs feel wobbly. “I can’t… fill all the space they need, Thomas. It’s too big. I can just… try, because… because…” They’re all I have.

Thomas’s hand moves as if to reach out across the space between them, but he shoves his hand into his pocket instead. “You are enough for them. You give them every piece of yourself, and they trust you. And if, sometimes, the damage is a little bigger than just you can fix… well. You hold on tight until you can find a piece a little bit bigger.”

Startled, Roman looks up at Thomas through his blurry vision that clears suddenly when he blinks. The smile Thomas offers is sad, but there’s something earnest in his eyes that makes an entirely different kind of lump form in his throat.

Thomas doesn’t break from his gaze. “I know you’re used to being on your own, Roman, but… you’re not, anymore. You’ve got help. And… it’s okay to ask for it. It’s okay to let people know you need it.” Thomas takes a hesitant step closer. “It doesn’t mean you aren’t enough for them. They think the world of you. I knew that the moment they tried to fight me during that combat choreography practice.”

Roman laughs wetly at the memory. “Old habits die hard.”

“I know… But you’ve got people who want to help you with that part of it too.”

Roman sniffles and scrubs at his damp cheeks. Thomas seems to soften even more, and he pulls his hands out of his pockets and holds his arms out in an offering of a hug. “You’re not a patch job, Roman. You’re a person. People need help fixing things sometimes.”

Roman releases a breath and hugs Thomas, the feeling at once foreign and comforting. “Breathe,” Thomas urges. “Okay?”

Roman smiles faintly as he pulls back. “Okay.”

Thomas nods once, a faint smile tugging at his own lips. “Good. Now let’s fix a broken pipe.”

[dreaming-of-assclass]

Meet The Girls

This is an introduction fic to the OC “female virtuosos” that @fumiko-matsubara​ and I made here. I have no self-control and just had to write these girls. Senritsu and Setsuna belong to Fumiko UwU. Satomi and Shiori are mine. And Sachiko is canon!

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

“Will you stop that already?!” Senritsu Harukawa snapped, closing her compact mirror shut and glaring at the girl right next to her. “I’m trying to concentrate here.”

Sachiko Ookura raised an eyebrow, pausing her feet-tapping. She leaned back into her seat, crossing her arms. “Oh, my bad. Sorry to stop you from concentrating on your lip-glossing. Yeah, that’s so important. I should’ve known better,” She sighed sarcastically.

Senritsu glared at her as she tossed the lip gloss tube back into her bag. “Maybe if you decided to wear it once in a while...”

“Oh, no. We’ve been through this, Sen. I’m perfectly fine with colored chapstick, or lipstick if I’m dressing up.”

Senritsu pouted, earning an eye-roll from Sachiko. 

The two girls couldn’t be anymore different from each other, despite being such close friends. 

Sachiko was the embodiment of “girl crush,” her natural coolness far surpassing even Hiroto Maehara. She carried herself effortlessly, and was the star ace of the renowned Girl’s Soccer Team at Kunugigaoka. She had a mouth that moved even faster than her feet, witty and able to charm everyone.

She also had one of the highest numbers of past dates and boyfriends at their school. 

Senritsu, on the other hand, was spoiled, girly and prissy. Her long dark hair was curled perfectly everyday and cascaded down her back like a princess from storybooks. Her eyes were wide and watery, contrasting her hot-headed temper and attitude.

She never shut up about all the fancy, luscious, advantages she got in life. Her dad was the founder of a popular tea company, and she loved bragging about that as well.

Their friendship was an atypical one, for sure. But honestly, the entire friend group of the five of them was...unconventional.

The door suddenly flew open, slamming against the wall and alarming both of them. Shiori Kanemoto skipped inside, carrying a thick stack of papers under one arm. “I’m here!”

“Jeez, Shiori, what the hell?” Sachiko grumbled. “That scared me.”

Shiori paused, looking at it with newfound confusion as if she had never considered that. “Oh, oops. Guess I don’t know my own strength.” She shrugged, taking a seat besides them.

 Sachiko rolled her eyes. Girl, I know you’ve never worked out a day in your life. Strength, my ass.

“You almost broke the door!” Senritsu added.

Shiori smirked. “I’m sure you and your dad could pay to repair it if I did.”

Sachiko snorted while Senritsu dropped her head down onto her desk, muttering under her breath, “I give up.”

Shiori hummed to herself as she nonchalantly flipped through her papers. She was quite the anomaly. At first glance, she looked harmless with her pink hair, petite figure, and doll-like face. 

She was not harmless though. 

She was apart of the School Newspaper, and made it her mission in life to get information on everyone. She was involved in blackmailing, caught the most popular boys cheating on their girlfriends, exposed liars, bullies...

Nothing went on in Kunugigaoka without Shiori knowing.

“God, can you be anymore obnoxious?” A haughty voice voice chimed in, and the girls looked up to see an unimpressed Setsuna Kurokawa walking in.

She flipped her hair and scowled at Shiori. “No one else but you would enter a room so annoyingly and not even apologize.”

Shiori looked unfazed. “Sorry,” She said, not sounding like it at all.

Setsuna’s eyes narrowed, but she let it go, choosing to sit beside Sachiko. 

She was quite the imposing figure, with her top-notch grades and role as the President of the Gardening Club. Setsuna was a major perfectionist who could be a good leader, if it weren’t for her proud exterior. 

She was bossy, looked down on most people, and really would only listen to one student at their school. The same person all four girls would follow without a question-

“Where the hell is Satomi?” Sachiko sighed, tilting her head back tiredly. “These meetings are always her ideas!”

Senritsu shoved her, but it hardly hurt. She wasn’t exactly an athlete. “They’re our ideas! We’ve been doing these since First Year.”

“Yeah, but she did come up with them,” Sachiko argued.

Setsuna huffed. “We’re both late since Mr Council President wanted a meeting with all of Class A after lessons. And now Satomi is meeting with the other drama students.”

“Oh?” Shiori asked, raising an eyebrow. “What was it about?”

Setsuna crossed her legs with a grimace. “You know, the usual��‘Let’s work hard, succeed, and be elites.’ That spiel.”

“Hmm...” Of course.

“Hey, Shiori?” Sachiko suddenly questioned. “Watcha got there?” She frowned slightly at the stack of papers in front of the girl.

“Oh, just some articles I’ve gotta proofread,” She replied absentmindedly.

Senritsu wrinkled her nose. “Did you downgrade or something? Since when do you proofread other’s works?”

Shiori scoffed. “No way. I’m just doing this to bide my time before I start something new. I found some pretty interesting stuff.”

There was a pause as the others stared at her. “Well?” Senritsu demanded, her eyes lighting up. “Spill!”

Shiori smirked, resting her chin on her palms. “So...there’s something sketchy going on at the mountain...”

“The Class E Mountain?”

“Yep. Apparently, some students caught people in suits walking up with a bunch of massive briefcases. And they supposedly looked like government agents.”

Sachiko raised her hands. “Woah, hold up. I’m sorry, but that sounds totally made up.”

“But I heard it from four different students!” Shiori retorted.

“Yes, but why would something go on with 3-E?” Disgust was heavy in Setsuna’s tone.

“Who knows!” Shiori admitted, a smile tugging on her lips. “But it won’t hurt to try and find out, right?”

The girls looked wary. “I don’t know, Shiori. It sounds like it’ll just be a waste of time,” Sachiko said.

“Yeah, no need to spend a single breath of air worrying about something related to 3-E, of all things,” Senritsu added scathingly.

Shiori groaned. “You’re right, but I don’t know. Call it a sixth sense or whatever, but I just feel like I should go.”

“Don’t.” The girls snapped up at the sound of a new voice joining their conversation. It was light, airy, and husky, and belonged to the last person they’d been waiting on.

Satomi Miyake strolled in, an unimpressed look on her face. Her dark curls and makeup still looked perfect, despite it now being the end of the day. She held her head up high, distaste in her eyes as she approached her friends.

“Don’t even give a thought about 3-E. They’re probably just sitting and playing in the dirt,” she said carelessly. “They’re supposed to be putting extra effort into their studies...why would anything exciting happen with them?”

The girls laughed in agreement. Shiori looked down, deciding to just give up. “Yeah, you’re right,” she admitted with a crooked smile.

Satomi dropped her bag down on a desk. “Of course I am.”

She stood tall already at 168 cm, but was even taller with her expensive designer heels. Even without that height, Satomi Miyake looked down on almost everyone, from her spot at the top of the food chain.

She was the star actress of the drama club, having gotten a lead role several different times. Most of the boys at Kunugigaoka would do anything for her. She was popular for her beauty, fashion, good grades, charisma...

And her cutthroat attitude. Anyone who tried to get in the way of her position at the top...well, their junior high experience got ruined. Satomi always found a way to keep people in place. And it was with the help of the four other girls she called friends.

“Hm, ‘don’t worry about 3-E’ you say?” Setsuna asked with a smirk. “I’d like to hear you repeat that next time I catch you staring at Sugino at an assembly.”

Satomi scowled, tossing a pencil at her, while the other girls “oohed” in interest. “I was not, but whatever. Believe what you want.”

“Okamoto said you were.”

“Why are you listening to him?!”

Senritsu cackled. “You’re getting off-subject! You were staring at Sugino!”

“I thought that whole thing was done and over with,” Shiori asked slyly, edging closer to the growing-flustered Satomi.

“It was never a thing!” She argued. “We were just...friends.” The last word was a soft mumble that was barely heard.

“Sorry, say that again?” Sachiko asked in mock seriousness, placing her hand near her ear as she scooted closer. “Didn’t quite catch that.”

“Me neither,” Setsuna chimed in innocently.

Satomi cleared her throat and jumped up, standing before the girls. “Anyways, we’re meeting here partly for fun, but mostly so I can remind you of some important things.”

The other four sat up straighter, watching her with mixed curiosity and apprehension.

“We’re in the 3rd year now. This is the last time we have together before our graduation and high school starts.”

She began pacing the room while the girls looked down slightly. “I know none of us want the next months to be filled with stress, exams, worry, any of that. We can handle academics on top of establishing our place at the highest spot in this school,” she spoke confidently, flashing them a smile.

She stopped, standing closer to their desks. “This is our year, dammit,” she declared. “It has to be the best. And nothing is gonna take it away from us.”

“Yeah!” The girls cheered, exchanging looks of triumph with each other.

“We should make a bucket list and everything,” Sachiko suggested.

“Yes!” Senritsu agreed, twirling her curls. “We should go skiing again.”

“And that beach resort we wanted to go to last year!” Shiori chimed in.

Satomi smiled casually, tucking her hair back in before she picked up her bag. “We can do whatever we want,” she stated decisively. “Now who wants to get manicures and bubble tea?”

This was going to be the best year of their Junior High experience.

Everything was going to be perfect.

[penwieldingdreamer]

My best friend, naughty lover and partner for life

Part 1

Part 2

Oh my thank you guys for all the likes and reblogs, I never would have thought that I’d get this reaction. In this part we finally get to meet Keanu and I hope you will like it, too. Let me know what you think. If you want to be tagged let me know and I’ll put you in the queue. Have fun!

Warnings: none

Words: 1141

You had worked at Arch Motorcycle for three weeks and to be honest it was the best decision you had made in the last twenty four months since you moved from the outskirts of Salem, Massachusetts. How you ever ended up with Tommy was beyond you now, thinking back to the time he asked you out on Halloween.

Giggling to yourself as you conjured up the picture you two made. He in a military uniform and you as modern Salem witch, every article you wore was black. People actually thought you were a witch, asking you what they should do to get the ones they had crushes on.

But now, you missed all of that. Your family mostly who still lived there, while you were miles away in a different state. Looking down at your still small belly which mostly resembled the belly pouch you had after getting stuffed during Christmas holidays. “You know, thinking back on it, Tommy never really was father material. He's still a child himself so I get it that he doesn't want you, but no matter what I'm going to love you.”

A throat clearing behind you made you sit up hastily. “Ugh, I can come back later if you're busy with, ugh whatever you're doing.”

The voice sent shivers down your spine and you turned around to come face to face with the second half of the Arch Motorcycle founders. On the day Laura, Cindy's aunt had taken you with her to meet with the Chief of Staff, you both ran into Gard Hollinger. When you told him off your pregnancy he was a bit standoffish about it, but calmed down when his wife Sharon told him to take the stick out of his butt and give you a chance. He instantly took a liking to your work ethic and friendly aura.

“Oh, um, no.” you stumbled slightly getting out of your chair, but thankfully the hand of your brown eyed rescuer shot out to help you. Straightening and pulling your top down you looked up at the handsome face of your second boss. When Laura told you who was the co-founder of Arch Motorcycle you did your best to not faint, and no it wasn't because you were starstruck, but you couldn't believe working for someone that millions of women would die for being just five seconds in his presence. Up until today you had seen nothing of him, as Keanu was in Post-Production of his upcoming movie 47 Ronin and mostly at Hawthorne when you were gone for the day. “Sorry for that.” you mumbled, picking at a thread on the bottom of your top before crossing your hands over your chest embarrassed at the display or lack of gracefulness .

The dark haired actor gave you a soft smile, the small lines around his eyes getting deeper with it, making him even more attractive. “It's okay, glad I could help.” He pulled his left hand through his dark brown tresses while he held his helmet in the other. “I guess we haven't been properly introduced before. I'm Keanu.”

“Y/N, nice to meet you.” you shook his hand, shifting your eyes around your room, not sure what to say or do. Keanu swallowed audibly, putting his helmet down on Laura's desk he rubbed his hands together, feeling slightly nervous being there. You didn't know why as he was the celebrity and you just a 'normal' person, but he probably had his reasons.

You were startled when he finally decided to speak up again, finding your eyes with his brown ones. “So” he cleared his throat. “how do you like it?”

“Oh, it's, it's nice here. Better then at the diner I worked before with Laura's niece Cindy.”

Nodding his head, Keanu relaxed a bit and leaned himself back against the desk, crossing his arms over his chest making the fabric of his jacket bulge around his arms. You could feel the tension leave your body, too, the knots in your stomach loosening up again. Thank god or you couldn't guarantee that he'd leave with clean clothes.

“That's nice to hear. Gard told me a bit about you and what you're doing here. I'm sorry I couldn't be around before but we'll probably see each other a bit more now.”

Biting your lip you looked him over, starting from his dark brown hair and down to the boots he wore. You turned back up to face him, feeling the heat rush to your face, not sure what Mr. Hollinger told him. “And what did he say, if I may ask?”

Chuckling the actor send you a smile. “Just that you were looking for a different job and that your work has by far been better than the ones we had before. You're the first to come and the last to go, don't you have someone waiting for you?”

“Not anymore, to be honest and well, my family doesn't live here, so it's just me.” Feeling a bit lightheaded you sat down at your desk, not sure if it was the pregnancy, his presence and the way he acted or the fact that you missed your family. Keanu copied you, sitting in Laura's desk chair, looking every bit the CEO he was, well more like the laid back and relaxed version, not the usual New York business style. “And where exactly do you come from? I detected some Bostonian accent.”

Giggling at his rendition of his supposed Boston accent, you gave him a quick nod. “Salem actually, a bit on the outskirts.”

“Salem, really?” You nodded. “That's amazing.” He leaned forward and shot you an inquiring look. “Do you really jump naked from the roof on Halloween?”

Loud laughter echoed in the office when you heard his question. He was nearing his fifties and asked questions like a small child. You snorted softly behind your hand before shaking your head. “No, we don't do that, but most people are dressing up as witches and wizards, some as werewolves or vampires, but mostly it's witches.”

“And you? Witch or Vampire?”

You smiled cheekily. “What do you think?”

He tapped his beard covered chin, before a grin spread over his lips. “Vampire.”

Pursing your lips, you softly shook your head and held your hands up. “Sorry, but no. I'm a witchy kinda gal. We're watching all sorts of witchy movies on Halloween and got Midnight Margaritas just like Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in Practical Magic.”

“So the whole nine yards, eh?”

You nodded your head and repeated after him, earning a wider grin from the actor. Cindy had been right about your bosses, they were easily satisfied, totally chill and laid back. You couldn't have found a better place to work at. Hopefully it would stay that way.

Part 3

Taglist

@meetmeinthematinee @ladyreapermc @axshadows @a-really-bi-girl @fanficsrusz @ficsnroses @toomanystoriessolittletime @fortheloveoffanfic @pinkzsugar @lunaeminxxx​ @momorix3​ @sallyp-53​ @keanureeefs​ @baphometwolf666​ ​ @mrspeacem1nusone​

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars XXVIII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: Let’s play a game called how many times can Mel lose her temper in one chapter lmaoo -P.S. Yes, future Danny is doing just fine, thank you babe. Her stiches healed perfectly.

Words: 3,054

Warnings: Grumpy kids being childish.

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Chapter Ten: Salazar’s Chamber.

"You know what? I'm going to ask her-"

"She'll hex you!"

"Worth it."

The boy approached Mel on her way to History class. He cleared his throat and stood in front of her.

"Hello?" She frowned.

"You're the Dumbledore girl, aren't you?" He asked.

She was truly not in the mood.

"I'm in a hurry if you couldn't tell," She pressured. "I have to go-"

"I have a question," He said. "it won't take long..."

"Ask me then," She sighed, moving her head a little to look for her friends behind the boy's back.

"Is Harry a pureblood?"

Her attention snapped back at him.

"What?"

"Is he a pureblood?" He repeated. "Are you? Why did you do that to the cat? If you ask me that was an awful prank, shows poor taste-"

"Good thing I didn't ask," She growled. "That's none of your business."

"Yeah, sure it isn't..." He huffed, walking away.

Mel stood there in stunned silence for a second, then she hurried over to her group of friends.

"People here have no manners!" Was the first thing she told them. "Honestly, a boy dared to ask me if Harry and I were purebloods!"

"Don't listen to them," Ron replied, "at least you didn't try to fight them this time, right?"

"Being your family's only heir is hard work. I wish I had the liberty to just kick some legs from time to time," She shook her head.

"Kicks legs?" Ron grinned.

"I can't reach their faces," Mel pouted.

Hermione rarely dared to interrupt a class, on the fewer times she did it, you knew it was a big deal. That day during History of Magic, she raised her hand in the middle of the lecture, taking Professor Binns by surprise.

"Miss - er -?"

"Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets"

The reaction was immediate, every kid in the room turned to look at their professor with eager eyes.

"My subject is History of Magic," He replied. "I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends... In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers-"

Hermione's hand shot up in the air once more.

"Miss Grant?"

"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"

"Well," Professor Binns pondered, "yes, one could argue that I suppose. However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale -"

"But it's part of the castle's history isn't it?" Mel added, her hand up just in case, "Shouldn't we know the story of the place where we're standing? Otherwise, we'd go around believing every sensational, ludicrous tale other people tell us"

Professor Binns stood -or floated- in his place, deep in thought. Finally, he sighed and nodded.

"Oh, very well," Mel and Harry shared a discrete high-five. "Let me see... the Chamber of Secrets... You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain - by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."

Mel knew all that, the entire school knew all that, but what did that had to do with the chamber?

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."

Oh, of course, Slytherin was the villain.

Why was it always Slytherin? Mel was trying hard not to judge the book by its cover, but as the time went on it seemed just near to impossible.

"Reliable historical sources tell us this much, but these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."

The children were deadly quiet, anyone who would've passed outside the classroom could've easily thought the place was empty.

"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course. Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."

Of course, that wasn't meant to happen, Slytherin must've been really sneaky -heh, snakey- the chamber must've had some heavy magic, something that could assure only the heir would find it.

Hermione raised her hand again.

"Sir - what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?"

"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control," said Professor Binns. "I tell you, the thing does not exist. There is no Chamber and no monster."

"But, sir," said Seamus Finnigan, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"

My thoughts exactly.

"Nonsense, O'Flaherty. If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing -"

"But, Professor," piped up Parvati Patil, "you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it -"

"Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean he can't, Miss Pennyfeather," snapped Professor Binns. "I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore -"

"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't -" began Dean Thomas.

"That will do," Professor Binns interrupted, "It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"

They didn't mention the topic again, not until they were out of the classroom, anyway.

"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told them. "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home..."

"Ron," Mel cut his speech, "sometimes you're so dramatic. Slytherin isn't bad, the only menace here is the prejudice of empty minds. Look at what has been going on, people jumped into conclusions, not even caring to look at the facts"

"Which are?"

"An entire house can't possibly share the same beliefs as the founder! Sure, maybe traits, but a mind? Unlikely."

"You don't know that-"

"Oh, so you're saying you would fight a goblin just to get a hold of some sad little coins like Gryffindor used to?" She inquired.

Ron opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

"That's what I thought," She looked forward, then nudge Harry's arm, "sharing traits doesn't mean it's automatically your fault either, Glasses."

She knew, unlike Ron and Hermione, that the sorting hat had almost put Harry on Slytherin. At first, she'd been scared for him, but after knowing Erick it stopped feeling like a terrible idea, Harry was a good person after all. She knew a house couldn't change that.

"Hiya, Harry!" Colin said excitedly.

"Hullo, Colin," said Harry absentmindedly.

"Harry - Harry - a boy in my class has been saying you're-"

But a mass of students dragged him away before he could finish his comment.

"See you, Harry!"

"What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione asked.

"That I'm Slytherin's heir, I expect," He shrugged, looking defeated.

"People here'll believe anything," Ron frowned "D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?"

"I don't know," Hermione said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris, and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be - well - human."

"No no, he never said he couldn't cure her," Mel quickly replied, "only that spells wouldn't cut it. Meaning it's tricky, but not impossible to achieve by a person who's good at magic..."

They turned right on the corner and found themselves in the hall where Mrs Norris was found. They stood there in heavy silence.

"That's where Filch has been keeping guard," Ron muttered, pointing to the empty chair right underneath the torch.

"Can't hurt to have a poke around," said Harry, he looked closer at the ground and started to walk around, "Scorch marks! Here - and here -"

"Come and look at this!" said Hermione from her right, "This is funny..."

Mel and Harry approached the window, a  thin line of spiders was crawling out.

"Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" said Hermione wonderingly.

"Never."

"No," said Harry, "have you, Ron..? Ron?"

Ron was considerably far from them, his face lacking all color.

"What's up?" said Harry.

"I - don't - like - spiders," said Ron in a shaky whisper.

"I never knew that," said Hermione, "You've used spiders in Potions loads of times..."

"I don't mind them dead," said Ron, "I just don't like the way they move..."

Hermione giggled.

"It's not funny," Ron looked up in anger, "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my - my teddy bear into a great big fiIthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick... You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and..."

He grimaced. Mel stepped forward and put an arm around his shoulders -or at least tried to, Ron was too tall for her.

"That sounds awful," She glared at Hermione, who was still trying not to laugh. "But look at them, they're tiny!"

"They're hideous," He shuddered.

"There, there," Mel shook her head, reaching for his head, patting softly. She had to stand on her tiptoes for that, "it's all good, you don't have to touch them or anything"

Ron smiled awkwardly at her, calming down. Harry cleared his throat, looking slightly more serious than moments ago, however, Mel failed to notice.

"Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up."

"It was about here," said Ron pointing to a door in front of them, "Level with this door."

He was about to open it when he looked up to the sign and jumped back.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"Can't go in there," said Ron gruffly. "That's a girls' toilet."

"Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there," said Hermione, walking up to the door, "That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look."

"Ah yes, I need to see her face at least once a week to feel like I'm doing a good job with my life," Mel joked, walking in.

"Hello, Myrtle, how are you?" Hermione asked aloud.

"This is a girls' bathroom," she said above their heads, "They're not girls."

"No," Hermione agreed. "We just wanted to show them how er - nice it is in here."

"Ask her if she saw anything," Harry murmured.

"What are you whispering?" said Myrtle, staring at him.

"Nothing," said Harry quickly. "We wanted to ask -"

"I wish people would stop talking behind my back!" said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. "I do have feelings, you know, even if I am dead -"

"You're such a mess," Mel mumbled.

"Myrtle, no one wants to upset you," said Hermione. "Harry only -"

"No one wants to upset me! That's a good one!" howled Myrtle. "My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!"

"We wanted to ask you if you've seen anything funny lately," said Hermione quickly. "Because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween."

"Did you see anyone near here that night?" said Harry.

"I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to kill myself. Then, of course, I remembered that I'm - that I'm-"

"Already dead," said Ron.

She disappeared in her toilet, crying very loudly.

"Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle..." Hermione shrugged, "Come on, let's go."

As they walked out, a voice startled them.

"RON!" Percy Weasley rushed over to them. "That's a girls' bathroom! What were you -?"

"Just having a look around," Ron shrugged. "Clues, you know -"

"Get - away - from - there -! Don't you care what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner -"

"Why shouldn't we be here?" said Ron hotly. "Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!"

"That's what I told Ginny," said Percy fiercely, "but she still seems to think you're going to be expelled, I've never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out, you might think of her, all the first years are thoroughly overexcited by this business -"

"You don't care about Ginny," said Ron. "You're just worried I'm going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy -"

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy almost yelled at his younger brother, "And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work, or I'll write to Mum!"

Mel didn't even bother to try and calm her friend, she knew it was better to just let Ron have his little temper tantrum.

Hours later, sitting in front of the fireplace, the conversation came back to life.

"Who can it be, though?" Hermione said in a quiet voice. "Who'd want to frighten all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"

"Let's think," said Ron mockingly. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"

"If you're talking about Malfoy -"

"Of course I am!" said Ron. "You heard him - 'You'll be next, Mudbloods!'- come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him -"

"Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" asked Hermione.

"It does sound a bit too fantastic," Mel agreed.

"Look at his family," said Harry, closing his books, too. He'd been upset as well that afternoon, though Mel didn't know exactly why, she assumed it was the whole situation in general, "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin; he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."

"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son..."

"Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible..."

"But how do we prove it?" said Harry darkly.

"There might be a way," said Hermione. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect -"

"If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?" asked Ron grumpily.

"Drop the attitude already," Mel snapped, "she's only trying to help!"

"All right," said Hermione coldly. "What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."

"But that's impossible," Harry said.

"No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."

Mel gasped.

"You've lost it 'Mione, for real this time"

"What's that?" said Ron and Harry.

"Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago -"

"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" muttered Ron.

"I said you drop it!" Mel insisted, "Let her finish!"

"It transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into four of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him."

Mel straightened up in her seat.

If only they could know what people from Slytherin was saying.

If only they knew someone from Slytherin.

But Mel did.

"Hold on," Mel interrupted, "maybe we don't have to risk it."

"What’d you mean?" Ron frowned.

She hesitated.

"I... I might have another way to find out. One that's easier," Before they could ask she added, "but you'll have to trust me, I can't tell you what it is"

"Sometimes you're worse than 'Mione," Ron rolled his eyes, standing up from his chair. "I'm going to bed before my head explodes..."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Mel asked, annoyed at her friend's behavior.

Ron only sent a glare her way before going to his room.

"Ronald," Mel huffed, grabbing her things and putting them back inside her bag, "what a huge-"

"Don't say anything you could regret," Harry warned her.

"He's just so hard to deal with sometimes!" She closed her bag harshly, "he could learn a thing or two from you. All this affects you and here you are, being nice and sweet as always..."

Harry beamed at her comment.

"I'm just more used to it-"

"Fiddlesticks," Mel shook her head, she'd heard that word once, and used it whenever she needed to lighten up her mood, "you're a good boy, Glasses. I don't understand how could anyone believe you're the heir."

She stood up, her bag hanging on one shoulder.

"I'll go to bed too," She leaned to peck his cheek, it only lasted a moment, but it was enough to make her blush intensely. She turned around before Harry could notice, "G'night!"

Harry also went to bed shortly after that, his mood inexplicably revived after hearing Mel's compliments.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@tiphareth2018 @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @celestialhayi @omiwashere @mikariell95 @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz​ 

[douchebagbrainwaves]

HIGH-RISK

We would at most have said that one could be a bit smarter to dominate Internet search than you had to do was sit and look attentive. You get to watch behind the scenes what an enormous amount of work that are purer, in the long term, which do you think most will choose? To anyone who has read any amount of history, there seem to have looked far for ideas.1 Being able to take risks is hugely valuable. But evidence suggests most things with titles like this are linkbait. They hear stories about stampedes to invest in you, that makes other investors want to, and I remember well the strange, cozy feeling that comes over one during meetings. But it would be to shirk it, but regardless it's certainly constraining. If you want to put their name on.

What was novel about yuppies was that they wanted market price for the work they do. In practice they spend a lot of arguments with anti-yellowists seem to be created deliberately. It became possible to make lots of new things, and we needed to buy time to fix it. Often users have second thoughts and delete such comments. Mapmakers deliberately put slight mistakes in their maps so they can tell when someone copies them.2 Note too that determination and talent are not the biggest threat. Performance is always the ultimate test, but there are problems it doesn't work so well for: the kind where it helps to have everything in one head.

Of our current concept of an organization, at least for programmers. It's tantalizing to think we believe things that will later seem ridiculous, I want to examine its internal structure. It may work, but it didn't seem like a real company. I don't see why one couldn't, by a similar process, learn to recognize the approach of an ending, and when one appears, grab it.3 So my theory about what's going on is that the only thing to interest someone arriving at HN for the first time should be the m. The way people act is just as hosed as Munich. The biggest component in most investors' opinion of you is the opinion of other investors. If you understand them, you can create wealth very rapidly. Well, that is all too obvious. And since good people like good colleagues, that means you've probably done something good.

They're good at solving problems, but bad at choosing them. Nothing will explain what your site is about. Few adults aspired to look dangerous in 1950. I see starting to get standardized is acquisitions. At the moment, even the smartest students leave school thinking they have to introduce something new: bosses. The real problem is that humans weren't meant to work in groups of several hundred.4 One thing all startups have in common is that they're telling the truth. People. Some parts of a program may be easiest to read if you spread things out, like an antique store.5 The problem is so widespread that people pretending to be eminent do it by accident.6

I wouldn't have predicted the frontpage would hold up so well, and more about what they'd see, and more importantly, can't take liberties with. If investors were perfect judges, the two would require exactly the same work, except with bosses. But this harmless type of lie can turn sour if left unexamined. What about angels? I talked recently to a founder whose startup had been acquired by a big company. Kerry were so similar in that respect that they might have been brothers. You needed to take care of you.7 But only a bit: willfulness, discipline, and ambition are all concepts almost as complicated as determination. This can only happen in a very limited way in a list of articles that are interesting. Not explicitly, of course, but I can't believe we've considered every alternative. The only place to look is where the spread of computing power. The good news is, choosing problems is something that can be learned.

Suppose you realize there is nothing new in it. The political commentators who come up with shifts to the left, or the painter who can't afford to heat his studio and thus has to wear a beret indoors. Normal food is terribly bad for you. Business still reflects an older model, exemplified by the French, did much of his thinking in Holland. Sorry about that. You needed to take care of the company so it could take care of the company so it could take care of you. The ambitious had little choice but to join large organizations that made them march in step with lots of graffiti and broken windows becomes one where robberies occur. Why do great ideas come from them, even if few do per capita. Certainly they'll learn more. But if it's inborn it should be a good one for beginning writers.

Visiting Sand Hill Road reminds you that the opposite of down and dirty would be up and clean. When I grew up there were only 2 or 3 of most things, precisely because it's open source; anyone can find mistakes. This leads to the phenomenon known in the Valley as the hot deal, where you write a version 1 very quickly and then gradually modify it, but whether it brings any advantage at all. When it reaches a certain concentration, it kills off the yeast that produced it. That word is not much used now, because the links do. There are two big forces intersect, in the long term, which do you think most will choose? And since we're assuming we're doing this without being able to siphon off what had till recently been the prerogative of the elite. They can work on projects with an intensity in both senses that few insiders can match.

Notes

Something similar happens with suburbs. So 80 years sounds to him like 2400 years would to us that we wrote in order to switch. The way to see. When I talk about it as if it was because he writes about controversial things.

Common Lisp, because it depends on a form you forgot to fill out can be huge. I now believe that successful startups.

Everyone else was talking about why people dislike Michael Arrington. MITE Corp. Parents move to suburbs to raise five million dollars is no longer written in Lisp, which can make better chairs or knives, crucibles or church organs, than to confuse everyone with a clear upward trend.

The Socialist People's Democratic Republic of X is probably the early adopters you evolve the idea of happiness from many older societies.

That name got assigned to it because the test for what she has done, at least for those founders.

There are two ways to get the rankings they want you. One year at Startup School David Heinemeier Hansson encouraged programmers who wanted to invest but tried to pay employees this way.

Once he showed it could become a so-called signalling risk is also not a big VC firm or they see of piracy is simply what they campaign for. In 1525 he was exaggerating. Super-angels hate to match.

Thanks to Jessica Livingston, Matt Cohler, Trevor Blackwell, Patrick Collison, and Sam Steingold for the lulz.

[thenovelartist]

An Impromptu Proposal, 5-6

<<Previous Next>>

5. Lost

“As much as I want to get to kissing,” Chat said while snuggled up on the Eiffel Tower with Ladybug. “I have a very serious question I want to ask of you because I need help with something.”

Ladybug grew serious. “Yeah, what is it, Chat?”

He paused, lips pursed in thought. “I… have the opportunity to retire.”

Ladybug’s eyes opened wide. “What? Wait… What?”

He smirked. “And I’ve been seriously considering doing it.”

“You’re my age,” she said, her mind reeling. “Just what do you do that you have the opportunity to retire at twenty-two?”

He cringed. “You know how my dad is… really sick?”

She nodded.

“Well, that means I’ve legally taken over the family business. But, I never really liked it, you know. I worked for my dad ever since I was young. So… I would sell the company and then just live off investments. Or do something with my life I actually want to do because, as you said, I’m twenty-two. I’ll get bored.”

She paused in thought. “I… guess I should ask if you’re prepared to sell your family’s business.”

“Well… here’s the thing. My dad started it from the ground up, you know. But… the company is named after him. And when he got sick, he stopped having a hand in the business at all. So now, we’re selling things with his name on it that he… he never even had a hand in. He doesn’t even know we’re selling these products. So… is it worth that much if the person who started it, who is still alive, doesn’t even have a hand in making it anymore despite the fact his name is on everything?”

“It sounds like you’ve thought a lot about this already,” Ladybug said.

“Two weeks. Non-stop.”

“Then what are you looking for from me? If you’ve thought it out enough and it sounds like you’re leaning towards a certain option.”

“Validation that I’m not crazy?” he offered. “My best friend is telling me to go for it. And I think… it would just be nice to not have to grind for a company that isn’t as big as it once was and will never be as big as it was again because the founder no longer has his hands in it. And I…” He sighed. “I would find something to do. Well, to be honest, it would be nice to not have to work until Butterlie and Mayura are defeated.”

“Talking to the choir, Chat,” Ladybug agreed.

“So… am I crazy? For selling a multi-million-dollar company and just flat out retiring? Because I hear some people who retire early feel lost or bored and I don’t know what to do yet. So… I don’t know. It feels surreal.”

If she was being honest, she knew Chat was wealthy beforehand, but not that wealthy. It was dizzying. “Well, do you want to know what I think?”

“Yes,” Chat said. “Please.”

“I think you should. Because it sounds like you’re leaning towards this already. And I’ve seen the affect that running this company has taken on you these last few years. It’s been rough on you. If you have the opportunity to sell it and find something better to do with your life that isn’t as stressful, then go for it.”

He gave a half smile. “I’ve been trying to hide it.”

“And I know you have,” she said, cradling his cheeks. “Which is what scares me. Because I think that even if I hadn’t known you were doing everything to hide it, it still shows through.”

That got him to cringe. “That bad?”

“The number of puns and jokes and teasing you do has really noticeably decreased over the last few years. Meaning you’ve either gotten stressed out so bad you’re shutting down or you’ve matured a lot. And I refuse to think you’ve matured that much.”

“Hey!”

Ladybug chuckled but leaned closer. “So, sell the company, retire. Find something you want to do. I think that would be best for you, in my opinion. Oh! And of course, marry me so that I can quit my job and I never have to be late again and don’t have to worry about late night akuma attacks. I can totally go for the trophy wife lifestyle at this point.”

She was aiming to get a laugh out of him, but instead, a dangerous spark twinkled in his eyes. “Really?”

Suddenly, she felt like she was a teen again and stumbling over her words. “I-I mean—

“You really want to marry me?”

A blush hit her cheeks. “Well… I mean… yeah, one day.” And have three kids and a hamster.

“Because I can get a ring right now.”

She snorted. He’s teasing, she realized. She’d gotten worried there a moment because he seemed serious. “Everything’s closed, dork.”

“No, like, I have a ring I can get you right now.”

Her expression dropped. He’s not teasing. “You’re kidding.”

“No.”

“I don’t believe you.”

His smirk only grew. “You want me to go get it?”

Her jaw hit the ground. “You’re serious?”

“I’ll go get it.”

“Chat!”

Too late. He was gone. Getting her a ring that she’d been joking about.

Her entire posture slumped in shock. “He’s serious,” she said, staring to the horizon where her cat disappeared. “That stupid cat has a ring for me.”

Slowly, her head started clearing and her mind started functioning again. Suddenly, she was laughing. “He has a ring for me.” He wants to marry me. That stupid cat actually wants to marry me.

She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry in happiness at this point, and the pounding of her heart and butterflies in her stomach weren’t helping anything.

By the time she managed to calm down, he reappeared, immediately kneeling and presenting her with a brilliant, red ruby ring. “See? I was serious.”

She was speechless, staring at the ring with her jaw once again on the ground. It was a shockingly beautiful ring. Even though she was laughing two seconds ago, she was nearly crying now. “I see that,” was all she managed.

“So…” he prompted, shifting a little closer to her. “Will you marry me?”

“I was kidding.” But she held no strength behind those words.

“Well, maybe about the trophy wife thing,” he said knowingly. “I know you well enough to know you’d hate that. But… were you really kidding about wanting to marry me?”

She paused, lip between her teeth. “No,” she admitted.

“Then marry me.”

Her gaze bounced between the ring and Chat for a while. “I… I want to say yes.”

“But you’re not ready to reveal yourself,” he said, his smile fading slightly. “So, at this point, I’d just be happy with a long engagement.”

“What if it’s not for years? Until Butterlie and Mayura are defeated?”

His expression fell, but more out of irritation. “I’ve been dating you for nearly five years now. You’re the only one for me. Do you really think I’ll be inclined to throw away all we have together just because you’re not ready to reveal yourself at the moment?”

When he put it like that, she realized how stupid it sounded. She loved her partner and wanted a life with him, and clearly, he wanted a life with her.

“So, Ladybug, will you please marry me whenever you’re ready to reveal your identities?”

She stared at the ring again, then at Chat. How this had become an honest to goodness marriage proposal, she didn’t know. But she supposed that it was a very Chat-like proposal, all the same. “Yes.”

His ears perked up with his expression as he giddily slid the ring on her finger. And just as they embraced, they heard a whooping holler from down below.

Without breaking their embrace, they glanced down below, only to see Alya with her good camera standing below them.

When they turned to each other, Ladybug was certain they wore the same horrified expression.

“That’s gonna be on the Ladyblog by the end of the hour, isn’t it?” Chat asked with a cringe.

Ladybug scoffed. “You’re underestimating Alya. I’ll bet it’s already there.”

 ...

6. Lucky charm

As Marinette stared at the ring on her hand, the one Chat had given to her to propose last night, she couldn’t help but be happy, even though her mind was in turmoil. After all, as wonderful as it was to be engaged to this man, it came with a new set of “what ifs” and “whens” that she could barely wrap her head around it.

He told her he’d been holding onto this ring for a while, meaning he must have been planning to propose for a while. The thought of that made her reluctant to hold back her identity any longer. He loved her; she loved him; why were they waiting? They could just get married already.

But the fear of “what if that gets used against them” still lingered in the back of her mind.

“I don’t know what to do, Tikki,” she told her kwami.

The little kwami sat in Marinette’s cupped hands. “I know it’s hard, Marinette,” she assured. “Because I don’t think there is a ‘right answer’ to this. And each side has its good and bad. Honestly, Marinette, I don’t think you’ll ever come to a ‘one hundred percent sure’ decision on this. Mostly because I know you and know you’ll always wonder if you made the right choice or not.”

Marinette couldn’t deny that. She stared at the ring a while longer before slipping it on her finger.

It was a little big on her. Chat had been disappointed at how the ring spun around her finger. She assured him it was okay and that they’d get it resized eventually. But for now, it meant she couldn’t wear it on her finger even if she wanted to. After all, the last thing she needed was someone spotting that ring (particularly Alya) and then digging into who her betrothed was. She dug a chain out of her drawer so that she could hang the ring around her neck. It was long enough for her to hide it down the front of her shirt so she’d know it was there but others wouldn’t.

It would be her secret lucky charm from her supposedly unlucky partner.

Fiancé, now. He was her fiancé.

The thought made her giddy.

However, she would have to introduce him to her friends and family, then slowly pretend to build up a relationship with him like they hadn’t spent years kissing in dark corners of Paris. Like he hadn’t proposed yet. Like she hadn’t accepted his proposal.

And how long would it be until they could finally call themselves married? Firstly, they had to defeat Butterlie and Mayura, and who knew how long that would take. After that, the shortest time they could realistically get away with fake dating was maybe just under a year. Otherwise, people would be asking if she was rushing things. And then the wedding planning and all that would take a couple more months. That is, if they didn’t just elope. She never thought it would sound so tempting to forgo a wedding because all she wanted was to be with him.

That brought her up short. Really, all she wanted was to be with Chat. Not even a wedding like she’d been planning for years was tempting enough to not be with him any longer.

Which really brought up some perspective.

“I should tell him,” she whispered.

Tikki looked at her with a smile. “Yeah?”

Marinette stared at the ring. “Yeah,” she said. “I… I think… I want to be with him, Tikki. And… if I wait any longer… I mean, it would be fine, but—”

“But you want to be with him,” Tikki finished.

“Yeah,” Marinette said. “Is that bad that I’m willing to jeopardize our safety for something that selfish?”

Tikki’s smile was sweet and reassuring. “Marinette, the fact that you and Chat still pursued a relationship at all despite it being dangerous didn’t keep you two away. And if I’m being honest, I think it would be good for both of your mental well-beings if you were able to lean on each other all the time.”

“It really would,” Marinette agreed. How wonderful would it be to be able to go home after a rough akuma attack and de-stress with Chat Noir. How nice would it be to have him there to lean on at all times, not just when they were able to transform. To know he knew what she was feeling because he lived a double life right beside her.

How nice would it be to drop all secrets with the one she loved the most?

“I want to tell him,” Marinette quietly reaffirmed. “But not yet. I’m going to sit on that decision a little while, and then we have to figure out how to play it up to my parents and Alya and Nino and… I’ll tell him once that’s figured out.”

Tikki smiled. “At least you’re taking a step forward. I think that’s good for you.”

“Thanks, Tikki. I need it.”

[hogwartshouses2020]

The Slytherin Misfit

Chapter 2

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

A/N : I’m bad at discribing things, so feel free to use your own imagination for details, clothing and room appearances. Also please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes, this is my first time trying to write something.

You entered your new quarters. They had a kitchen, living room, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. They were all bedecked in neutral cream and light violet. There was a note on the kitchen table telling you that you can choose what your bedroom looked like and that it will adjust itself based on how you imagine it. There was also a pot by the door that it said you could put your wands in and which would only let you take them out again. It suggested that you use this pot to avoid losing your wand. After inspecting your new living quarters in silence, you all headed back to the living room.

The living room was furnished quite tastefully with a sofa and two arm chairs, a TV (Since you could not use magic on this floor, there was no interference) a lush ornate carpet and a fire place over which hung a lovely painting of a cottage in the forest. This time Remus broke the silence.

“Since we’ll be having our meals here and there’s a kitchen, I assume we’ll have to cook for ourselves?” Remus inquired.

“Probably, by the way, who can cook?” Emilia asked

“I can.” Replied Caterina and Remus at the same time as James said “I can’t”

Remus and James looked at her with surprise. “How do you know how to cook?” James asked with suspicion.

Caterina only rolled her eyes. “I actually like having a variety of skills, and I also like cooking.”

James only looked more surprised at her statement. “You like cooking? I thought you slytherins we’re above that kind of muggle thing.” He states in a very matter of fact and slightly incredulous voice.

“Okay. Let’s be this straight right now.” Emilia started, standing up from her stop on the couch and practically shooting steam out of her ears. Caterina tried to pull her back down, but to no avail. She continued, ‘We slytherins’ are still students and human beings like you. We are not evil cold hearted monsters. Neither is your sister. We have feelings and emotions just like the rest of you. Even if we don’t wear our hearts on our sleeves, we still have them. Do you even realize what you’re saying?! Do realize how prejudiced you are? Did you know how many times you made Caterina cry her first year? If anyone’s going to be labeled a cold hearted monster, I’m afraid it’s you and Sirius, James. You were her brother, and you hated and turned your back on her the minute she started wearing a sliver of green on her robes. Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds? That’s like being prejudiced and hating someone because they like grapes, or because they have blue eyes! It’s completely unfounded and stupid! For the rest of this class, you WILL be civil and you WILL at least pretend not to be prejudiced, or so help me, I will drag you into the forbidden forest, hex you within an inch of your life then leave you there for the creatures to decide what to do with you. Got it?” And with this, she glared at him so intently and ferociously that he could nothing else except stumble out a “y-yes”

She sat back down, satisfied, whilst James seemed to be shocked into silence, Caterina was staring awkwardly around the room, desperately trying to find a topic to lighten the mood, and Remus was staring at Emilia, lost in thought. James broke the silence this time.

“Did-did I really make you cry?”

When Caterina just looked at the floor, Emilia answered for her. “Yes, you did Potter. Numerous times. Everything time you dismissed her and gave her the cold shoulder when she tried to talk to you. Didn’t you notice how unhappy she was in first year?” She said this with a little more warmth but that warmth disappeared with that last sentence and got replaced with a cold hard edge instead.

Silence. Then “Well, I suppose I’ll cook dinner. Caterina? Want to join me?” She nodded and followe him. She was also most completely lost in thought about the day that everything changed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six years ago

Caterina was with her twin on platform 9 3/4 for their first year at hogwarts. Their parent were also there and they had gotten them each an owl as a gift. She had picked a medium sized white owl and named it Marcie where her brother had picked a large brown owl and named it Hercules. They were both very excited for their first year at hogwarts, their parents had told them so much about hogwarts and it sounded aboolutely wonderful!

“But dad, what if no one likes me? What if they all hate me? What if-” James was worriedly asking, his father, Fleamont Potter. His father cut him off, reassuring him “Everything will be fine, son, you’ll be popular and have friends, I’m sure of it.”

“But what if I’m not a griffindor?”

“It’ll be alright if you’re not” he replied, “But you will be. All the potters have been grififndors for generations, you won’t be the exception, anyways, you’re so brave and courageous, you’re one of the most griffindor person I know!”

James smiles at this, and hugged him. “Thanks dad.”

“Now be sure to write to us every day, alright son?”

“I will!” He replied cheerfully then skipped off the where Caterina was saying her goodbyes to their mother and promising the same thing and grabbed her bye the hand. “Let’s go, Cat!”

Being dragged away, she waved goodbye to her parents, grabbed her trunk and disappeared into the crowd with her brother, yelling “ I told you not to call me that! It sounds like I’m your cat!”

His reply was muffled by the bustle of people hurrying to get on the train,but it sounded a lot like “But you are my Cat!”

They got on the train and waved goodbye to their parents as it departed. Then they set off to find a compartment. She had lost James by now as he’d rushed into a different compartment to wave goodbye to their parents and was now happily chatting with the boys in there. She doubted he wanted her butting in, so she sat down in her empty compartment and stared at the scenery going by outside the window. She had only been there for five minutes before a girl opened her apartment door and asked “Could I sit here?” The girl had dark brown hair swept into a ponytail and light, honey colored eyes.

Caterina nodded and she sat, saying “So, I’m Jane, who are you?”

“Caterina.” She replied with a slightly watered down smile. This was the first time she’d ever be away from her parents for months. Her companion carried on cheerfully. “Which house do you want to be sorted into? I think I’d like Ravenclaw, I like blue. I don’t want red though, imagine waking up every day to see blood red above you! I think that I’d panick that someone did every time I looked up. I wouldn’t mind green or yellow either, but red and gold is so bright, it’s like the want them to go blind. What about you? What color would you want?” She inquired curiously.

“ Well, I don’t know if I’ll have much of a choice, all the potters have been in griffindor. Although it does sound rather tiring. I heard that the griffidnor common room is always noisy and loud and full of fun. I think I’d rather have a not fun, but calm and quiet and peaceful common room for relaxing and doing my homework. I think slytherin or Ravenclaw might be best, I heard that hufflepuffs are really friendly and nice, but I think that I would get slightly tired of that much social interaction after a while. Although, like I said, I doubt I have a choice.”

Jane nodded. “I think they should just get rid of the houses altogether. I get that before it was becuase there were four founders and they each took an equal amount of students, but now it’s just the cause of rivalry and prejudice.”

“What preju—” She was cut off by the sound of the compartment door opening again.

“Hi, could I sit here?” The new girl with straight golden blonde hair half way down her back and dancing blue green eyes asked.

“Sure! Come on in!” Jane invited her in and she took a seat next to Caterina.

“Hi, I’m Jane and this is Caterina, and you you are...?”

“I’m Lithia, nice to meet you!” She said politely but enthusiastically.

Caterina was relived to have found nice people on the train ride. If she was honest with herself, she’d been expecting to spend it reading alone. The rest of the journey was spent in merriment and laughter. They arrived, and disembarked. Harris shouted “First years over here!” (I can’t write accents please just imagine it) and she and her friends enters a boat together and she saw her brother enter a boat with his friends and what looked like Sirius Black. She was very surprised, as they were a family famous for being powerful, dark and prejudiced. However, she figured that she didn’t know him, and therefore couldn’t judge. She always tried to be fair and believed strongly in justice. She was also a very logical person, and rarely let her emotions get the better of her. So she resolved to treat him like she would treat any other person until she had more information. She was shaken out of her thoughts by the sound of rocking andraised boices, and she realized that her brother was rocking the boat. She watched as the Sirius hesitated, then joined in, and she watched how the rest of their party tried to stop them and fail. Their boat flipped over into the water. She heard James’s laughter bad heard him say “See? That was fun!”

And she heard Sirius laugh back and say“I agree, that was wicked!” If was then that she realized with a jolt that Remus hadn’t come up, and she looked around, realized no one else had noticed, and took off her watch, necklace and wand, shoving them into her friends hands and jumping into the water amidst her friends confused protests.

She swam and swam down toward where Remus was flailing and struggling. She grabbed him around the the waist and dragged him to the surface where she dumped on the floor if their boat.

“What—” Jane started, but didn’t finish, as Caterina started gibbing him emergency first aid until he choked up water and sat up.

“Thanks, um....” Remus said trying to think if he knew her.

“Caterina.” She supplied.

“Caterina, thank for saving me!”

She smile but only said “My brother almost drowned you, I was only cleaning up his mess.”

He looked slightly surprised. “James is your brother?”

Her friends looked equally surprised when this was revealed. Although it wasn’t surprising, when they had done introductions, they hadn’t mentioned last names.

“Yes, I am, Caterina Potter, at your service.” She replied with an amused expression and a mock bow. “Also, on a not related point, could someone give me back my wand so I can warm us up?” Her friends have her her things back and she cast a warming charm on her and Remus. Remus looked slightly surprised and asked “How do you know spells already?”

“Well, coming from a magical household, they can’t track underage magic, and my parents taught me some self defense spells. I also read my textbooks and practiced some spells. Figured it might come in handy.” She replied, shrugging.

Remus and Jane looked surprised, since Remus hadn’t expected ever to go to a magical school, he hadn’t learnt spells, and Jane has come from a muggle family. But Lithia simply said

“It certainly did come in handy!” And with that they arrived, with James and Sirius apologizeing profusely and James lierally begging for Remus’s forgiveness. Remus, very surprised and taken aback, turned red and nodded almost imperceptibly. And James proceeded to dramatically thank Merlin while Sirius, Remus and peter watched amused and slightly bewildered. McGonagal gave them the usall speech, the hosts showed up and surprised almost everyone. Then the sorting came. The part she and her friends were most worried about. People went before her slowly and then came Sirius’s turn.

“Black Sirius” McGonagall said, and teh slytherins has already started clapping, expecting that he’ll be in slytherin. The hat was placed on his head and as it deliberated for a good two minutes, the applause immediately died down. Then the hat yelled

“GRIFFINDOR!”

And silence fell. No one moved. Sirius numbly took the hat off and walked, as a sleepwalker would, over to the grofifndor table. No one clapped. Everyone was too shook that a black was not in slytherin to really do anything. The other names passed in a blur as that nice boy Remus was sorted into griffindor, so did peter. Then James’s turn cane, surprisingly before her own, but probably becuase they when last name alphabetically and didn’t look at first names.

The hat barely touched his head before it yelled “GRIFFINDOR!”

And soemthing in her sank. Now if she wasn’t in grififndor she won’t be with her brother. But she didn’t really want griffindor. At least she’ll have Sirius and Remus, they seemed decent. But all her new friends were put in slytherin. She sighed as McGonagall called her name.

“Potte Caterina”

The last thing shyenu saw before the hat landed over her head was James’s smiling face looking at her. Little did she know that was the last she’d see if that smile directed towards her.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? You are a potter and you think you have no choice but griffindor. But that’s not what you want, is it? Your slow tendency to fully trust others and your ambition to be famous like your father and your cleverness would do well in Ravenclaw or slytherin. Your tendency to think for yourself and always think critically about facts you are presented with also point towards Ravenclaw or slytherin.....”

“No,”she thought. “I should be in griffindor like my brother.”

“Interesting, that you should say ‘should’ instead of ‘want’. Becuase you don’t want to do you? You want to your parent to be proud of your achievements don’t you? You are loyal to those close to you, and you are brave. But not brash, you think before you act and you think quick on your feet......better be..”

“SLYTHERIN!”

The slytherin table clapped, after a few initial seconds of shock. The rest of the tables just stared as she hesitatantly took the hat off and walked to the slytherin table, shooting a nervous look at the griffindor table. Her heart sank as she saw her brother’s shocked and slightly disgusted face, and his friend, Sirius’s expression of pure disgust, Remus merely looked slightly surprised and curious. He had likely not been subject to house prejudice before. She sat down next to her fiends and watched without really watching the rest of them be sorted. She didn’t really register the walk to their common room, but she did I realize that it was very gloomy and cold and dark. Until the prefects lead them up a some flights of stairs and lead them up to a much warmly lighted, wamer and more comfy looking and absolutely enormous. The prefect explained “The other room is a font we put up. It adds to the slytherin aesthetic. This room is the room most slytherins use, and which only slytherins can use, which is keyed to slytherins only. So even if someone were to poly juice into you, they still wouldn’t have access. You will be sharing your dorm with one other person.”

Caterina was sharing her room with Lithia, and Jane was sharing her room with Emilia. Little did they know, that soon they’d be jumping between their bedrooms to talk, do homework together and hang out. These two rooms merged in a way and it didn’t really matter which room they slept in anymore as long as it was a bed.(Don’t get me wrong, there was never anything between them except the best and closest of friendships. They trusted each other without a doubt and the closesness and rareness of such a pure friendship caused some people to be surprised, and there was even a rumor at one point that they were having a foursome!) It was like they were one soul in four different bodies. Of course, she didn’t know that any of that was going to happen, and she entered her room with Lithia.

The room was lovely and ornate. It was decorate with elegance and looked very inviting. Their beds had ornate round wooden posts with carvings, forest green curtains and cream colored quilts and pillows. There were also four white bookcases on each side of the beds, and they were both empty and were obviously for them to put their books on. Thee was a large round white fur carpet around the floor of every bed and on the the middle of the floor space. There were two sets of wooden draws with and a wardrobe each. The wardrobe must have had an undetectable extension charm put on it, as when you opened it it was an entire walk in closet, and there were shoe racks, clothes hangers and even a make up table with a mirror! Apparently getting sorted into slytherin had its perks. There also seems to be initiation gifts for new slytherins, as a note suddenly appeared along with a shelve of books each and some clothes, shoes, jewelry, hats and scarves and a lot of make up along with an elegant dagger on the bed. The note said:

“Welcome new slytherins! Here some initation gifts to help you enjoy being in slytherin, and to make up for the fact that you might be prejudiced against. The dagger is for self defense in the event that you don’t have your wand. We recommend you keep this on you at all times. There is a book self defense and how to use it in your gift book set which also has visual demonstrations. A quick tip, don’t let the other houses get you down, enjoy being a slytherin and be confident in being yourself! ~Evangeline, your Head Girl.

“Oh my gosh! These clothes and makeup are of such good quality! Oh—and look at these earings! It think those are real emeralds! Where do you think they got the money for all this stuff?” Lithia exclaimed from inside the ‘Wardrobe’

This was the start of your hogwarts years and the start of your new life in slytherin. You remembered when you were laughing with your brother earlier today and how much disgust and hatred he likely feels for you now. If only you’d asked that hat more vermently, you might have prevented this....But you couldn’t say you were completely unhappy. You had to admit, if not for your brother and your parents, you would have enjoyed being in slytherin very much. You fell asleep that day drowning in thought of your brother and your friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Caterina, that steak is burning!” Exclaimed Remus, aching a hand I front of her face to try and get her attention. She looked down and realized that indeed, the steak had almost burnt to a crisp. She hurriedly placed it on a plate and put another piece of steak on.

“Are you alright, Caterina?” Remus asked loooking slightly worried.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking.” Caterina replied slightly vacantly.

“ About what?”

“Nothing. Nothing.” She seems to regain her composure and shook herself back to reality. It was no good dwelling on that, she thought. What’s done is done. They hated each other. They always will. This civility is just for a good grade, she thought. It was just because she couldn’t have this bring down her class average of 95%. Yes. That was it. No need for false hope.

“You know, James doesn’t hate you as much as you might think.” Remus said as they were piling the roast potatoes onto plates. She looked up in surprise.

“He absolutely hates me, Remus. I don’t know why you would think otherwise.” She states in a matter of fact and surprised voice.

“No—No entirely. He may act that way, but he doesn’t. He told us last year that he didn’t completely hate you. Also, please don’t tell him I said that.” Remus responded

“Really? He doesn’t even know anything about me anymore. He’s just remembering how we loved each other when we were little. He’s trying to hold on to a past when I wasn’t in slytherin.” She said as she left the kitchen holding a plate in each hand.

Remus, following her with two plates said nothing and followed her silently.

[blackpinkofficial]

On a modest stage inside a tent in downtown Los Angeles, the four members of the South Korean girl group Blackpink assume a diamond formation and aim their fingers like guns at the audience as they launch into the chorus of their breakout hit, “Ddu-du Ddu-du”: “Wait till I do what I ... Hit you with that ddu-du ddu-du du!”

It’s the afternoon before the Grammys at Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge’s annual showcase, where he presents the company’s prospective superstars to a crowd of record executives and industry types. (Past performers have included Ariana Grande, Halsey and Shawn Mendes.) With their intense choreography, dance-heavy beats and Clueless-esque high-fashion looks, the four women offer the kind of bells-and-whistles pop production that makes them an anomaly not just on today’s lineup, where rappers like 2 Chainz and Lil Baby abound, but also on the charts, where women like Grande serve up their divadom with an extra dose of realness.

The showcase marks Blackpink’s first stateside performance, though the band made history long before: “Ddu-du Ddu-du” became the highest-charting single by a Korean girl group on the Billboard Hot 100 when it peaked at No. 55 last June, and this April the act will be the first Korean girl group to play Coachella, before embarking on a North American arena tour. “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” sung mostly in Korean, is a boastful warning to those who underestimate Blackpink, with a hook (meant to imitate the sound of bullets flying) that’s also a canny invitation to non-Korean listeners -- anyone can sing the words. The buttoned-up UMG crowd seems a little unsure, but also intrigued: Just as Blackpink’s Jennie -- soft-spoken in person, but onstage a fierce singer and rapper -- slides into a rat-tat-tat flow in the second verse, more and more audience members whip out their phones to capture video.

There’s no longer any question that K-pop is happening in America. BTS, the seven-member South Korean boy band, scored two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 in 2018 and became the first K-pop group to sell out an American stadium when it played New York’s Citi Field in October. Yet despite the group’s visibility here, K-pop remains somewhat detached from the mainstream: It receives relatively little top 40 airplay despite fan-army pressure on radio stations, its artists rarely tour with non-K-pop acts, and outside of its intensely passionate fan groups, K-pop stars hardly drive the wider “conversation” that someone like Grande can dominate with a single tweet.

Blackpink represents Korean music’s latest, greatest hope at breaking out of the American K-pop box. The group believes its multinational identity gives it global appeal: Sweet-voiced Jisoo, 24, is a South Korean native; buoyant rapper Lisa, 21, is from Thailand; guitar-playing Rosé, 22, grew up in Australia; and Jennie, 23, was born in South Korea but spent some formative years in New Zealand. “You don’t have to understand Korean to understand the music, the visuals, the vibe,” says Jisoo, through a translator. (Rosé and Jennie are fluent in English; Lisa alternates between English and Korean during our interview.) “We’ve got so much Korean culture and so much Western culture in us,” adds Rosé, her Australian accent still pronounced.

And though occasional English lyrics already pepper their tracks, Jennie notes that recording all-English songs is something they “definitely want to do” in the future. (They’re focused on making their debut album first.) Even their sound -- an omnivorous fusion of fist-pumping EDM and booming hip-hop beats with flashes of house, ’80s pop and harmonica-driven folk -- seems conceived for the widest possible audience. “I was immediately drawn to their fierce and empowering energy,” says Dua Lipa, who asked the group to guest on last year’s bilingual banger “Kiss and Make Up.” “They are not just giving you hit songs -- they are sending a message that resonates beyond the lyrics.”

Last fall, Blackpink signed to Interscope Records, which will serve as both a creative and business partner to YG Entertainment, the group’s Korean home and one of South Korea’s three main music companies along with SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. These companies serve as label, management firm and production studio, controlling almost every aspect of their artists’ careers. Interscope chairman/CEO John Janick says that YG’s leadership -- Hyunsuk “YG” Yang, its founder, and Teddy Park, Blackpink’s main producer and creative director -- “runs the show,” but the relationship is collaborative: Sam Riback, Interscope’s pop-rock A&R head, has made multiple trips to YG’s Seoul headquarters and “has been sending them lots of different ideas,” according to Janick. “Our goal,” he says, “is to amplify what YG has been doing globally.”

If Interscope can help turn Blackpink into a truly global superstar act, the partnership could become a model for other labels looking to invest in K-pop and even pave the way for joint imprints. “This deal could be a benchmark,” says YG’s Joojong “JJ” Joe, who heads the company’s U.S. operations from a small house near Los Angeles’ Echo Park. It will also confirm Interscope’s foresight about K-pop. In 2011, the label signed the group Girls’ Generation during one of the earlier waves of K-pop imports, when artists like BoA and Wonder Girls worked with Western producers and companies.

At the time, those artists barely made a dent on the mainstream charts, and their backers took a hit: Despite high-profile promotional appearances, Girls’ Generation’sThe Boys LP sold only 1,000 copies in the United States during its first week in 2012, according to Nielsen Music. Since then, however, streaming platforms have made it easier for fans to discover and support Korean music, while the growth of social media has also allowed them to forge deep connections with artists everywhere. “In this era, people find their music and their talented artists on the internet,” says Susan Rosenbluth, senior vp at AEG Presents/Goldenvoice, who helped book Blackpink’s North American tour and notes that K-pop’s stateside audience “does not follow along ethnic lines.”

To Janick, the success of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s chart-topping Latin hit, “Despacito,” aided by a Justin Bieber remix, made English-speaking listeners more open-minded in general to music in other languages. “We’re going to have hits from all different territories -- more of them, and more often than we’ve seen in the past,” he says.

But the onus isn’t just on listeners to embrace Korean music -- it’s on industry gatekeepers too. At the UMG showcase, the reaction to Blackpink is enthusiastic, but it feels muted compared with the rousing ovation the crowd gives classic-rock revivalists Greta Van Fleet, whose 2018 debut album was notoriously panned by some critics as derivative. The response to Blackpink’s Interscope deal, however, suggests that attitude could change.

“So many artists on our roster started calling, saying, ‘I want to work with these girls.’ Radio stations were asking when new music was going to be out,” says Interscope executive vp business development Jeremy Erlich, who facilitated early conversations between the label and YG (he and Joe attended business school together). “The industry’s ready. When the music comes out, I don’t think there’s going to be many people saying, ‘This is just a fad.’”

The day before the showcase, the ladies of Blackpink are ensconced in a hotel suite high above downtown L.A. Lisa, dressed in a gray fleece and a checkered coat, spies the Hollywood sign through a corner window and bounds off a couch for a closer look. Her bandmates, cozied up in brightly colored sweatshirts and cardigans, admit they weren’t expecting Los Angeles in February to be so chilly. During some rare downtime the previous day, they went shopping in Santa Monica. “It was supposed to be for fashion,” says Jennie, “but we ended up just grabbing anything that was warm.”

This is Blackpink’s first trip to L.A., but it has been almost a decade in the making. The group’s members came to Seoul from all over the world starting in 2010 to take part in YG’s rigorous recruitment and training process. The company and its competitors hold tryouts both within and far beyond Korea (Rosé traveled to Sydney from her home in Melbourne), seeking recruits who are typically preteens or teens, ethnically Korean and fluent in the language, though these qualities are not mandatory. Lisa, who auditioned in her native Thailand in 2010, didn’t speak any Korean when she began training in Seoul in 2011.

For all four women, joining YG meant enrolling in a kind of full-time pop-star academy that Jennie calls “more strict than school” and that Rosé likens to The X Factor with dorm rooms. For 12 hours a day, seven days a week, the future members of Blackpink -- along with, by Jennie’s estimate, 10-20 other aspiring singers who cycled through the project -- studied singing, dancing and rapping, taking part in monthly tests designed to identify their strengths and weed out subpar trainees. “Somebody would come in with a piece of paper and stick it on a wall, and it would say who did best, who did worst, who’s going home,” recalls Jennie, whom YG initially steered toward rapping because she spoke fluent English. “You get a score -- A, B, C,” Lisa explains. “Lisa would always get A’s for everything,” adds Jennie with a laugh.

The process was lengthy. Before Blackpink debuted in 2016, Jennie spent six years in training, Lisa and Jisoo five and Rosé four. For the members who had left behind life outside South Korea, the pace of training on top of the culture shock was sometimes tough. “I’d call my parents crying,” recalls Rosé. “But as much as it was hard for me to cope with all of that, it made me more hungry. I remember my mom would be like, ‘If it’s so hard for you, just come back home.’ But I’d be like” -- she mimics a surly teen’s glare, much to the others’ amusement -- “‘That’s not what I’m talking about!’” Lisa credits her future bandmates with easing her transition. “Jennie would speak English to me, and Jisoo helped me out with my Korean,” she says. Rosé was the last of the bunch to enter training, but she remembers the four of them bonding during an all-night jam session when she arrived. “We just clicked,” she says.

That’s clearly still the case: Rosé sometimes puts her hand on Lisa’s knee when translating for her, and at one point Jennie and Jisoo huddle close together to silently adjust one of their necklaces, displaying the intimacy of close friends. “We don’t really have a day off,” says Lisa. (Once every two weeks, Rosé clarifies.) And because their families are so far-flung, they often spend their time off with each other anyway. “We’re stuck together,” says Rosé, laughing.

While K-pop companies have a reputation for packaging groups assembly line-style, Blackpink’s members insist they have plenty of creative input, despite having no official writing credits on their tracks. Park plays them music he’s working on and “really tries to put our thoughts into our songs,” says Jennie. “He really gets his inspirations from us.”

“It’s important as recording artists that they actually truly own their songs,” says Park. The women all make suggestions about who should sing what, and if a part doesn’t feel right to someone, he will make adjustments. “He doesn’t just bring us a song, like, ‘Go practice,’” says Rosé.

Besides, the members of Blackpink have another creative outlet: Last fall, YG announced that they would all release solo material, starting with Jennie, whose debut single, “Solo,” topped Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart in December. Though the music is still created and put out by YG, the idea that group longevity and solo success aren’t mutually exclusive is a radical development in girl-group history -- one that Janick says only “makes the brand stronger.”

Stars who come through companies like YG are called “idols” in Korea and have historically been expected to maintain a squeaky-clean image. When Blackpink debuted, Jennie says YG was very selective about its promotional appearances: “We were trained to be a little more...” “Closed in?” Rosé suggests.

“Closed in” is exactly what the outspoken women ruling the U.S. charts now, from Grande to Halsey, are not -- they make deeply personal, even raw, music. But while Blackpink may well find success catering to an audience craving its kind of TRL-era pop spectacle -- Interscope’s Erlich calls the group “the modern Spice Girls” -- lately the band has been less concerned with appearing perfect, both onstage and off. “We always wanted to be out there, to be more true to ourselves and a little more free,” says Jennie. “Even we can get things wrong sometimes. We want to just show them the real us.”

Jennie and Lisa do just that when I ask how they expect to be received as rappers in America. Lisa lets out an embarrassed groan, withdrawing into her fleece. She has loved hip-hop since childhood and is obsessed with Tyga (“I love his swag,” she says, blushing). But she and Jennie seem well aware that a group of Asian women adopting a style pioneered by black American artists might be a hard sell for some stateside listeners who are keenly attuned to debates about cultural appropriation.

“Me and Lisa don’t talk about it out loud, but I know we have this big pressure,” says Jennie, who adds that she studied artists like Lauryn Hill and TLC when she first started rapping. She looks across the room at Lisa: “She’s going to kill it.” Lisa just scrunches up her face.

That kind of vulnerability may be what ultimately endears Blackpink to an American pop audience. “The artists that are the most successful in these situations are really authentic with how they can relate to a coming-of-age experience” in their music, says Goldenvoice’s Rosenbluth. “There’s a certain amount of authenticity to Blackpink that I really love. The dedication is heartfelt.” 

Back at the showcase, the band finishes its set with the reggaetón-tinged “Forever Young,” featuring an intricately choreographed, hair-flipping dance break. As the beat reaches its booming climax, the bandmembers whip toward each other and strike a statuesque pose with their hands on their hips, just in time for the music to stop. They hold still for a moment as the lights dim, then drop their arms and turn toward each other, catching their breath and grinning like four young women who can’t quite believe they’re here.