#anyway: suitcase of creatures

[jaffre]

suitcase of creatures

[obsob]

the accolade ( the...the cat-olade...)

[smile-files]

the alliance........ from left to right: baseball, suitcase, nickel, and balloon!

(i was trying to find a way to represent balloon's name and i came upon a lucky medium: given how he was a jerk in ii1 and nickel continued to see him as such, i imagine he'd just call him "bully" from then on, even after they became friends -- and it sounds like the word "balloon", no?)

[ganymede-princess]

A Hazy Shade of Winter | Angus Tully

PART 2

ship: Angus Tully x fem!OC

warnings: Angus is literally so mean, but he's like that in the movie anyways.

summary: Carol's parents send her to spend the winter break with her uncle at Barton Academy, and a certain curly-haired boy takes an immediate (dis)liking to her.

word count: 2790

a/n: I watched the Holdovers like 2 nights ago and I’m obsessed with it now so here’s this! Maybe a second chapter coming?

written by @ganymede-princess

Misery. Absolute fucking misery. That’s all Angus could see for the foreseeable future. Just an ocean of black, sticky misery, stretching out to the horizon in every direction. As he settled his bony rear on the hard edge of the ping-pong table and listened to Hunham gleefully dole out their sentences, he thought he would vomit any moment, or drop dead. He kind of hoped he would. He scoured his eyes over the pitiful creatures he’d be bunking with this winter break; two little boys: a religious fanatic and a foreign exchage student, the school’s star quaterback, and fucking Kountze. Five little Christmas orphans. Angus would blame karma, if he believed in that hippy-dippy shit. The most unbelievably unfair part of all this was that he wouldn’t even be able to jack off in peace since all five of them would be bunking in rooms one and two of the infirmary, with Hunham in room four. God knows why they couldn’t use room three, but Hunham seemed determined to avoid any questions pertaining to that.

Just when he thought his holiday couldn’t get any worse, the girl arrived. She skittered in like a mouse, out of breath, red-faced and shaking like a handbag dog. Six little Christmas orphans.

“Ah, you’re here.” Hunham extended his hand welcomingly, and gestured to her to step forward.

She crept over, giving the ping-pong table and couch full of boys a wide berth, then nervously shook Hunham’s hand and scuttled away to sit on the floor and tuck her knees up under the frumpy men’s jumper that swallowed her whole, like a turtle retreating into a shell. She waved at the five of them, cherry lips curling into a tight smile.

“Is that a girl?” Kountze said, loudly.

“Indeed, it is. Students, this is Miss Carol Hunham, my niece. She will be joining us at Barton for the winter break.”

“Teddy Kountze.” The little freak said, practically falling over himself to shake her hand. He looked ridiculous crouching there beside her like he was about to accost a rabbit at a petting zoo. If brown-nosing was a sport, he’d be a world classer. “Wonderful to meet you. If you need a tour guide, come to me. I know this place like the back of my hand.”

She nodded in thanks, regarding him with huge puppydog eyes. Angus thought she must be dumb or tongueless. Five-foot-nothing, wearing unfashionably tapered plaid pants and Chelsea boots that were all the rage a decade ago, huge turtle-shell glasses that made her brown eyes bulge out of her head like a salmon… the only cool thing about her was her dirty blonde shag haircut, but even that came across as trying too hard. With that, and those round cheeks and fat mushroom of a nose, Angus almost expected to hear Hunham introduce her as his niece. Almost.

“You’ll be taking her nowhere without a chaperone, Mr Kountze. Now, gentlemen, and lady, off you go to the infirmary building.” Hunham’s one good eye roved over the room, then settled on Angus. “Mr Tully.” He addressed him in his weasley way, voice dripping with schadenfreude. "Be a gentleman and help Miss Hunham take her bags to room three."

Now it made sense why they'd been forced to leave it empty. The little fuck had a whole room to herself.

"I'm not a gentleman." He responded, insolently as possible.

"Then play the part."

"Fine." The ping-pong table screeched backwards as he stood up, grabbed his case and stormed over to the girl who leaped to her feet, eyeing him warily as he marched her out of the room and collected one of her ridiculously heavy suitcases and set off outside with the puppy in tow.

"Um." She began, her voice a pathetic whimper. "I'm Carol Hunham."

"I heard."

"And you?"

"Angus Tully. Are you deaf or something?"

"He d-didn't say your first name." Angus grunted in response. "So, you're- you're holding over?"

"What?" The question was so insipid it made him stop in his tracks and gawk at her. "Of course I'm holding over! Are you stupid?"

"Sorry." She whispered, averting her eyes. Angus felt a rush of regret as her lip trembled, but he swallowed it and marched on.

The air was biting cold, and Angus wished he had two jackets on- or better yet, a hot-blooded model on each arm- but unfortunately he was stuck between this girl making goo-goo eyes at Kountze and her machiavellian gargoyle of an uncle. As the rest of them caught up, his simmering rage suddenly bubbled over and he broke the silence in a voice thick with hatred.

“This is the most bullshit ever! If we have to stay, why’d we have to draw Wall-eye?”

“Uh, y’know he used to be a student, right?” Quaterback drawled.

“Yeah, that’s why he knows how to inflict maximum pain on us, the sadistic fuck.”

“Yeah.” Quaterback agreed with a giggly laugh. “I mean, no offence Hunham, but your uncle sucks.”

“I don’t know him.” The girl had retreated to the fringe of the group, and when she spoke up her voice didn’t command much attention.

“At least we didn’t draw Decker, he’d be perving all over us.” Kountze sidled up alongside her and let his arm brush against her. “And we wouldn’t have Carol here with us.”

Angus rolled his eyes, but felt vindicated when he noticed her pull away from him, almost fearfully.

“Hey, guys, hold up for a second.” Angus leaned up against the pickup at the side of the road and lit up a cigarette, eager to relieve all this tension.

“No, I got something else.” Kountze pulled out a stinking doobie and gestured for his lighter. “Gimme that.”

“Hey, don’t smoke that out here.” He chided. “I don’t wanna get busted by Wall-eye.”

“Don’t be such a pussy.”

“I’m not a pussy.” Angus felt his blood pressure rise. “I just don’t want to get up at Fork Union paying for your mistake.”

Kountze didn’t bother responding, just blew out a fat drag and smiled in satisfaction.

“Teddy Kountze.” He said, offering the joint to Quaterback and trying to sling an arm around Carol but she sidestepped him to Angus’s amusement.

“Jason Smith.” Quaterback responded with a sickeningly charismatic smile.

“Yeah, I know who you are.” Fucking bootlicker. “You wanna hit this?”

He cast a glance up the road, but Wall-eye was nowhere to be seen. “Uh, yeah.” 

He took a puff and offered it to Carol.

“No, thanks.” She held up her mittened hand. “I-I hear pot can give you the heebie-jeebies.”

“The heebie-jeebies.” Jason repeated, grinning. “Cute.”

She was sort of cute- Angus begrudgingly admitted now that he’d seen her up close- in that pitiful way that those fucked up little pug-dogs are cute. He wondered if she had asthma. Besides, it’s not like he cared. At least, if somebody like her could be cute, maybe he was too, with his hawkish nose, narrow eyes, five o’clock shadow, gangly limbs, scraggly hair… No, that’s ridiculous. Unless… He wondered if she thought he was.

“It’s mellow stuff, babe.” Kountze assured her.

She blushed and shook her head, then turned her massive obsidian orbs to Angus.

“C-can I…?”

He sighed heavily, arranging his face into a scowl before he handed over the cigarette. She took a dainty puff, then handed it back. He took a drag himself, savouring the knowledge that his lips were touching the same place that a girl’s had just rested.

“More?” He offered it back.

“No, thanks. I don’t really… y’know.”

“‘Course you don’t.” He scoffed and stuffed it back in his mouth. “Such a pristine girl, I bet you never did anything wrong in your life.”

Flushing, she averted her eyes.

“So, how’d you get stuck holding over?” Kountze queried, his demeanor forced casual.

“I’m supposed to be skiing with my folks up at Haystack,” Jason said cheerfully. “But my dad put his foot down, said I can’t come home unless I cut my hair.”

“So why don’t you just cut your hair?” Angus snorted, feeling a fresh rush of anger. How could you throw away a perfectly good winter break just because you’re sentimentally attached to your godamn freak flag?

“Civil disobedience, man.” He grinned.

“I dig it.” Carol spoke up suddenly. “Conformity is a dangerous thing.”

“See, she gets it.” Jason put his arm around her shoulder.

“You like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young?” Her blonde lashes fluttered as she gazed up at him. Angus could have puked all over the sidewalk, and Kounze looked like he might actually do it.

“Man, I love ‘em!”

“Almost Cut My Hair?”

“My anthem.” He nodded solemnly. “That album was my whole life last summer.”

“Neat.”

Angus noticed her head tilt to rest on his shoulder as he offered her the joint. This time she took it, allowing herself a long drag. He gritted his teeth and fought off the urge to deck that filthy hippy then and there.

“Anyway,” Jason waved his hand, as if clearing the conversational slate. “My dad’s cool. It’s just a battle of wills. Still, I was kinda hoping he’d cave first, because the powder up at Haystack is so sweet right now.”

Jason’s hand made its way into Carol’s hair, curling a lock of it around his finger. Angus’s fist closed involuntarily while Kountze’s eyes narrowed as he looked around, lip slightly curled in frustration.

“What about you, Mr Moto?” He said, locking onto his target. “Why are you here?”

“Uh, no. My name is Ye-Joon.” The boy explained innocently. “Uh, my family is in Korea, and they think it’s too far for me to travel alone.”

“I figured it was because your rickshaw was broken.” Kountze laughed and looked around for approval, to which he found none.

“Uh, wh-what’s a rickshaw?” Ye-Joon seemed genuinely baffled.

“You’re an asshole, Kountze.” Angus said darkly. “Your mind’s a cesspool, and a shallow one at that.”

“Who’s the asshole, Tully?” He sneered back. “You’re the one who blew up history.”

“Hey.” Jason held out his hand gently, then turned to the other kid. “What’s your story, man?”

“Alex Ollerman.” He responded, his voice stronger than the other boy’s. All that faith in a higher power, I guess. “I’m here because my parents are on a mission in Paraguay. We’re LDS.”

“Mormons, right?” The kid nodded proudly.

“Don’t you guys wear some kind of, like, magic underwear?” Kountze gawped.

“That’s a common misconception.” Alex began. It seemed he had all his bases covered, and he turned to address the Korean kid too, as if he might convince someone to join. “Actually, it’s called a temple garment, and we’re only supposed to wear it when we-”

“Hey, what’s up with the townies?” Kountze interrupted, already distracted by something shiny. Angus was mildly relieved he wouldn’t be hearing any more panty-talk- he’d had quite enough for one day, what with his bathing suit and all- but, his relief quickly turned to annoyance when he noticed the two men coming down the road, hauling a Christmas tree between them.

“Hey!” He hollered. “What are you doing with our Christmas tree?”

“The school sold it back to us.” One of them responded. “Scotch pine, still fresh.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna put it back in the lot.” The other explained. “We do it every year.”

Angus turned back to the group and shook his head darkly.

“This is the most bullshit ever.”

______________________________

Angus didn’t think he’d ever be so happy to be in the infirmary, but when they stepped into the heated building, he might have sighed in relief if he wasn't in such a black mood. His arms absolutely caned from carrying that stupid suitcase, and Kountze had been smack talking the whole way up the hill. He thought the only thing worse than bunking with the two kids would be sleeping in with Kountze while he tries to tickle Jason’s balls. He’d much prefer to cosy up in the girl’s room, irritating as her face may be. He abandoned his luggage outside room two and hauled Carol’s down the hallway while she pattered along at his heels.

"Why do you need two cases, anyway?" He sneered, stealing the comfort of silence. "You can't have that much shit to carry."

"It's-" She paused and cleared her throat. "Well... well, why should I tell you, huh? You're- you're-"

"What? An asshole? A jerk? A philistine, as your mole uncle says? Y’know, I'm pretty sure there's a faculty rule against targeted insults towards pupils."

"You're mean." She admitted in a small voice. "And I don't know why."

"Yeah, well get used to it sweetheart. Just wait till Kountze gets over your gyno-gimmick and starts treating you like he does everyone else, you'll be begging for 'mean.' And by the way, you’re just antagonising him by hanging all over Jason all the time.”

“What’s Jason got to do with it?” She snapped, raising her voice for the first time.

“Aw, I hit a nerve, huh?” He delighted in watching her face turn scarlet.

"Y-y'know, when you stood up for Ye-Joon earlier, I thought you might actually be cool. I'm disappointed."

She said nothing else, just ducked her head and ran ahead to open the door for him. Baffled, he barged past her and dumped the suitcase on the nearest bed.

“Thanks.” She whispered.

"Why are you even here, anyway?" He rounded on her, suddenly tired of the way she let him walk all over her. "I mean, other than to ruin the ambience with that hideous sweater-"

That did it. She let out a choking sob and made for the door.

"Hey, hey wait!" He flailed out his long limbs and caught her around the arm, but she wrenched herself from his grip and made off down the hall, away from Hunham and the other boys to Angus' relief. "Carol, wait I didn't mean it."

She didn’t respond, just sped off and careened around the corner. Angus caught up just in time to see the door of the broom closet swing shut. He clucked his tongue and sat down on the hard floor outside, feeling a wave of disgust as he listened to quiet weeping. Gently, he rapped the door with his knuckles.

“Carol?”

“Go away.”

“Carol, I’m sorry.”

“Go away!”

He paused for a moment, and considered his options.

“Your sweater isn’t actually ugly, by the way. I was just ribbing you, y’know? Horseplay?”

“No.” She said firmly, voice muffled through the wood. “No, I know ribbing and that wasn’t it. Y-you were being cruel, and you wanted to see me cry, I know it.”

“What? No!”

“You enjoy it, don’t you? You’re so miserable, the only fun left for you is making everyone else feel as wretched as you.”

He swallowed thickly, feeling a lump of shame coating his Adam’s apple. He took another long moment to collect himself. He resented how easily she read him, but if he wanted to keep her from finking, he’d have to choose his words carefully, and eat a large portion of his pride.

“It’s true.” His stomach roiled in revulsion as he grovelled to her. “I’m sore about holding over, and I wanted to take it out on someone, and you looked like easy pickings. I’m brash, I’m rude, I hate everyone including myself, and I make it everyone else’s problem.”

She paused her sniffling, as if sizing him up.

“Well.” She said thickly. “Thank you for admitting it. That was very… self reflective.”

“I go to a shrink, I kind of have to be self reflective.”

“Ah.” She sniffled. “You can leave me alone now.”

“I would,” Oddly, it felt good to tell somebody… Good enough that he was able to go back to being sly. “But this closet doesn’t open from the inside. Every time we get a new janitor they get locked in here. Happens like twice a year.” She said nothing, but Angus heard her breathing pick up in pace. “I mean, I can always leave you in here.”

“No!” She said urgently. “Let me out, please.”

“I will, if you promise not to fink.”

“I-I won’t fink. If you leave me be, I won’t fink. Pinky promise.”

“Alright. I’ll stay as far away from you as humanly possible.” He clambered to his feet and opened the door for her. She was already standing, and as soon as she saw the light, she tried to scoot out beside him, but he moved his arm to stop her. “Pinky promise, remember?”

Begrudgingly, she curled her finger around his, then slipped out past him and returned to her room. Angus watched her go, and something broke inside his chest as the door closed behind her.

[leiascully]

Smutty fic prompt? Established MSR. Mulder and Scully are on a case, Mulder is being serious, Scully is amused but not convinced - and just wants to stay at the hotel and have sex for the week because the case is a total waste of time. Mulder telling her everything he wants to do to her but ultimately rebuffs all advances, and it’s all fun and games because Scully thinks he’d rather chase monsters than put his money where his mouth is. Anyway — he ends up being a man of his word which takes her by surprise

I think this fills your prompt, anon.

9000 words; M/E for sexual situations including pegging; good little agents don't consort while on assignment, but they really, really want to. (ao3 link)

“You’re serious.” She fixed him with a level gaze over the roof of the rental car.

“I’m always serious,” he said, and they both ignored the inherent fallacies in that statement. “Are you serious? You thought I brought you up here to play house?”

“What else was I supposed to think?” She gestured at the forest around them and the quaint bed and breakfast standing in the clearing. “That you brought me up to an adorable B&B on the wooded shores of Lake Champlain for a week to hunt another sea monster no one’s ever actually seen?”

“There have been over 300 eyewitness reports of a snake-like creature in the lake, dating back to the Iroquois,” Mulder told her. “That doesn’t even include the latest series of reports. I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to investigate it.”

“First of all,” she said, “your last lake monster ate my dog.”

“It wasn’t my lake monster,” he muttered.

“Second of all,” she said, fixing him with a steely eye, “last time you took me on a trip that was so obviously a wild goose chase, we hadn’t yet escalated our relationship. So yes, Fox, I thought you brought me here to play house.”

He raised an eyebrow. “We’re back to Fox?”

“I think I’ve earned the right to use your first name now and again.” She smirked. “After all, I’ve been inside you.”

To her surprise, he blushed.

“How many rooms did you get?”

She heard his feet shuffle. He wouldn’t look at her. “Two.”

She sighed. “Lake monster.”

“Lake monster that’s been frightening tourists,” he said. He came around the car and stood a little too close to her, the way he always did. “The tourism bureau asked around. Someone told them we were the people to solve their problem.”

She leaned against the car and tipped her head back to look at him. “Two rooms.”

“Come on, Scully,” he said in a low voice that made her tingle. “You know the people in finance already share our expense reports around. I want to win the betting pool.”

“And what will you do with your thousands?” she teased.

He shifted even closer. She felt her lips part in anticipation as he leaned down, but he skimmed past her mouth to whisper in her ear: “Take you on a real vacation.”

She reached out past the loose lapels of his suit jacket and hooked her finger into the waist of his trousers. “You better.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He stepped back, taking her with him like they were dancing. They’d always been dancing, she thought. Two steps forward, three steps back, but rarely entirely out of sync. He reached behind him to pop the trunk and pulled out her suitcase, pretending to strain against the weight of it. “Maybe you won’t need this many clothes for our vacation.”

“Hmm,” she said, “maybe I’ll bring something less bulky than a suit.”

“You could wear one of those little t-shirts,” he suggested. “Some cutoff jean shorts.” He paused, clearly caught up in an intriguing possibility. “You could wear my boxers.”

She smiled at him. “Maybe even something more abbreviated than that.”

He dropped his voice even more. “Scully, are you holding out on me? Do you own lingerie I haven’t seen?”

She leaned into him, slipping her fingers further into his trousers to graze the elastic of his boxers under his shirttail. “I guess you’re not gonna find out this week.”

He groaned.

She gave her fingers one last wiggle and extracted them from his waistband. He heaved his own suitcase out of the trunk and closed it. They trundled their luggage along the brick path and up the stairs. She looked at him one last time as they stood on the porch in front of the lobby windows.

“Two rooms?”

“Don’t worry, Scully,” he murmured. “I’m sure I’ll be able to hear you through the wall.”

Heat flooded her body as he opened the door and ushered her in with one hand at the small of her back. This time, she didn’t mind that he’d gotten the last word.

+ + +

When they were checked in and settled, she went to his room and sat on the bed. All the furniture in the place seemed to be charmingly mismatched antiques. Mulder’s bed had four posters and it creaked picturesquely when she shifted her weight. “Tell me about our suspect.”

“Champ?”

She sighed and rubbed her hand over her face. “Of course it’s called Champ.”

“We’re dealing with a protected species here, Scully.” Mulder leaned against his dresser. He’d taken off his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves. “The lake was declared a safe haven for its resident monster in 1981. In 1984, 58 different people claim to have seen Champ. Early reports declared it to resemble an enormous serpent with the head of a sea horse, a white star on its forehead, and a band of red around its extremely long neck.” He stepped forward to pass her a fuzzy copy of a photograph. She studied it. “This is the Mansi photograph. No one’s ever been able to debunk it, but Sandra Mansi destroyed the negative, so nobody’s ever been able to authenticate it either.”

“Naturally.” She got up and went to the window. The lake was visible as a blue glint through the trees. “And what crimes has Champ perpetrated?”

“Overturning small watercraft, biting fish off people’s lines, that kind of thing.” He joined her at the window. “No human casualties.”

She let her shoulder brush his chest. “So what are we doing here? It doesn’t sound like there’s anything for us to investigate. If anything, this level of activity would draw in tourists and benefit businesses like this one. The loss of a fish here and there seems negligible.”

“No human casualties yet,” he said, “but there have been reports of people feeling something large brush against them in an area where there was no underwater debris.”

“Are there fish in the lake?”

“Big ones,” he said. “Sturgeon and gar, for starters.”

She gestured. “Ta da. There’s your suspect.”

“Neither sturgeon nor gar are capable of disappearing multiple swimmers and boaters.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “You never lead with the most pertinent information.”

“Impertinence is my middle name.” His eyes twinkled as he grinned at her.

“I think I read that in your file.” She turned to face him. “So what are we supposed to do about it?”

“We do what we do. Dredge the truth up from the depths.”

She looked longingly at the bed. “Wouldn’t local law enforcement be better at this? We know nothing about the area.”

“Local law enforcement hasn’t turned up anything.” He sat on the bed and took her hands, drawing her close to stand between his knees. “Help them, Scully-Wan Kenobi. You’re their only hope.”

She softened, gazing down at him. By default, they’d become two of the foremost experts in American cryptozoology, and their solve rate on missing persons cases was the envy of the Bureau. Maybe it was Mulder’s intuition; maybe it was her eye for detail. She couldn’t deny that their expertise was unparalleled in cases like this, paranormal or not. “I want a nice vacation after this.”

“I promise.” He raised her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

“And not to Loch Ness.”

He laughed, soft and low. “I promise that too.” He looked up at her and his eyes were like a forest fire. The blaze in them kindled an answering flame in her belly. “I’ll make it up to you.”

She pouted a little. “How?”

“Very, very slowly.” He licked his lips, making his meaning clear. Scully squirmed and he pressed his knees into her hips, pinning her there.

“Did we ever decide if we can consort during a case?”

“Go against the regulations?” He turned her hands over and rubbed his cheek with its incipient stubble over the soft skin of her wrist. “Why, Agent Scully, it’s like you don’t even know me.”

She curled her fingers around his jaw and ran her thumb over his lips. “And if we solve this thing tomorrow?”

He lifted one shoulder. “Then I guess I’m buying plane tickets and you’re buying lingerie.”

“This B&B could be haunted,” she suggested. “Then we’d have to stay and investigate.”

He squinted up at her fondly. “Why didn’t I know you were susceptible to the charms of creaky floors, Scully?”

“Maybe you don’t know me very well.” She tilted her head, challenging him to challenge the patent absurdity of the statement.

“Then I’d like to know you better,” he said in a voice like velvet. Damn him, he always understood exactly how to disarm her.

“Not until we solve this,” she scolded him, and stepped away. “I’m going to freshen up.”

“Hey, Scully?” he said from the bed.

“Hmm?” She turned in the doorway to face him.

“How big a box of condoms do you think the drugstore will sell me?”

She thought for a moment. “I don’t know, but buy two.”

She heard him exhale in a rush as she slipped out the door.

+ + +

As it turned out, they shared a bathroom. She’d been too distracted to think about the geography of it when she’d glimpsed the door in his room. The B&B was an old house with a lot of additions. She doubted there was a true angle in the place. But it was charming. There was a clawfoot bathtub that she was definitely going to get better acquainted with.

She freshened up and changed into her small-town uniform of jeans and a windbreaker. People in places like this often distrusted suits. She’d learned over the years that she needed all the credibility she could get. For some reason, showing up armed with federal credentials and factoids about cryptids didn’t garner much respect.

Mulder was also wearing jeans when she found him downstairs. Scully was suddenly glad he’d cut his hair. If he’d been looking like that with his hair falling over his forehead, she would have dragged him straight back upstairs, and let anyone missing stay missing. His ass, hugged by denim, was a more compelling force than anything previously discovered in her known universe.

Instead, she took the file folder he offered here and spent the drive to the local police station reviewing the details. Behind a thick stack of garbled reports of enormous, half-visible underwater shadows and unexpected friction, she found the reports. Most of the people who’d gone missing had been found a few hours or a day later, including a group of teens who’d been stranded when their boat ran out of gas. Fortunately, they’d been in shouting distance of Burton Island State Park, and someone had spotted them the next morning. There was the occasional death by drowning, but the bodies turned up with marks of predation that didn’t indicate anything bigger than fish. Frankly, Scully didn’t know why most of them were included. A nine-year-old who’d wandered away in search of ice cream and been rediscovered sleeping in his parents’ car didn’t deserve a missing persons report. But it was a small town. Maybe local PD didn’t have much else to do.

There were two people who had disappeared the previous week and hadn’t been found. Both women in their thirties. A place like this would need seasonal workers, but when Scully checked their addresses, they were both townies. Grown and raised here, graduates of the local high school (go Panthers). One worked in an antique shop (of course). One managed an ice cream parlor and its attendant roster of high school employees.

“Just these two actually missing persons?” she asked.

Mulder drummed on the steering wheel. “So far.”

“Mmhmm,” she said. “And you’re sure this isn’t a joke case? Something you dreamed up so we could dillydally on someone else’s dime?”

“This is a legitimate investigation,” he assured her. “Cassy Miller and Naomi Diaz are gone. No one’s seen or heard from them. They were fishing buddies. Their boat was found washed up on shore halfway across the lake with all their tackle in it.”

“I take it this was uncharacteristic behavior.”

He nodded as he flipped on the turn signal. “Neither of them’s missed a day of work in years without a doctor’s note. Never late. Reliable as the sunrise.”

She examined Naomi’s photo. A young-looking thirty-something with dark wavy hair. She was smiling in the photo, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “And now…what, devoured by a mythical creature?”

“It’s a possibility,” Mulder said. “However extreme. The boat wasn’t far from one of the areas where frequent sightings have occurred.”

Scully flipped the page and re-read the sparse details of Naomi’s life. “Allegedly.”

He dipped his head in acknowledgment. It was a familiar push and pull between them. No case would have felt complete without it.

They reached the edges of the town, and then, very quickly, the center. The police station was easy to find. When they walked in, Scully knew jeans had been the right choice. It wasn’t the kind of place a suit would garner any kind of respect.

“Gosh, we will be glad of the help,” said the police chief. Her name tag said Hughes. She seemed earnest enough. “We do stay busy around here during tourist season. Not just people going missing, but petty theft, the occasional fire, all that. A lotta DUIs, if I’m honest.”

“And you’re…experts?” Chief Hughes’ second-in-command was standing in the corner of the room, thumbs hooked into his pockets. “In…Champ?”

“We’ve done extensive work in cryptozoology,” Scully said coolly. “Champ, as you call it, is just one example of a larger clade of hypothetical marine reptiles. If these women were consumed by such a creature, we would be able to verify that predation occurred. If there are other, less fantastic explanations, we’ll find those.” She glanced at Mulder, who was lounging in his chair. “Isn’t that right, Agent Mulder.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth, Agent Scully.” He smiled at the police chief, who blinked back at him, her mouth open just slightly.

He was such a little shit sometimes.

+ + +

They spent the day on the lake. It might have been romantic, if it hadn’t been for the trio of deputies assigned to them. They kept looking at Mulder and Scully, nervous or envious or skeptical or some combination of all three. She was used to it. Big city feds in their sunglasses and windbreakers inspired a variety of interesting feelings in their less cosmopolitan counterparts. She’d seen it all.

“Bet I could bully them into letting me drive the boat,” Mulder whispered to Scully, leaning in so the deputies couldn’t hear them.

“You’d have to dump me in the lake first,” she whispered back.

“And let you get eaten by Champ?” His eyebrows crimped together under his sunglasses in an exaggerated expression of woe. “Scully. I would never.”

“I would,” she told him.

“I accept my fate.” He sat back, stretched his arms along the side of the boat.

The deputies showed them where the boat had been found, the boat, the intact tackle. Scully examined it all dutifully. Mulder examined it less dutifully, gazing out over the water. He had one hand on his hip, the other shading his already shaded eyes. He looked like a statue.

“Does he see something?” one of the deputies asked Scully. Her voice was hushed, almost worshipful.

“I’m sure if he does, he’ll let you know,” Scully told her.

The purported victims’ boat having yielded nothing, the deputies herded their federal charges back onto their own departmental boat. Scully peered into the depths, Mulder’s hand braced on her back. No serpents emerged. There wasn’t so much as the silver flicker of a fish, although that was telling, in its own way. But they’d disturbed the waters with the wake of their boat, coming and going. The fish had fled the limnetic zone because of the noise of the motor, not because of some primordial beast.

Still, it was nice: the sunshine on the water, the convivial throng of tourists on the beaches. She and Mulder talked to the assistant manager at Cassy’s ice cream parlor, a young man clearly flummoxed by his brevet promotion.

“I don’t know,” he said, bewildered. “She’s great. Runs this place - ran this place - really well. I mean it’s hard to deal with a bunch of kids sometimes, right? But she started working here when she was a kid and just never stopped. I don’t know. I don’t know.” He put his face in his hands. Scully patted him on the shoulder, a little gingerly.

Afterward, they got ice cream: strawberry for Scully, butter pecan for Mulder. They carried their windbreakers folded inside out over their arms to hide their credentials. They might have been anyone. They walked along the lake shore and he smiled down at her and they could have been an ordinary couple. The sunshine gleamed on his skin and brought out gold flecks in the green of his eyes. She couldn’t stop looking at his mouth.

“What?” He licked his lips exaggeratedly. “Ice cream?”

She shook her head.

“Then what?”

She squinted up at him. “You’re just really pretty sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

She smiled. “Sometimes.”

“Well, you’re really pretty all the time.” He bumped her with his arm. “And that’s my professional opinion, by the way. I’ve been working on your profile a long time. I don’t want to brag, but I’m known for my powers of observation.”

“That’s not what profiling is,” she said sternly.

He tilted his head at her. “Sometimes.”

She huffed: not a laugh, not a sigh, but happy. “Sometimes.”

+ + +

They got dinner at a little restaurant. The fish was fresh, the coleslaw was crisp, and the fries were hot. There was homemade pie on the menu and Scully indulged in that too. If she couldn’t have Mulder, she was going to treat herself in other ways. It had cooled off by the time they finished dinner. Scully shrugged her windbreaker on. On the drive back to the B&B, they rolled down the windows of the rental car.

“This is summer,” Mulder said with satisfaction. “T-shirts in the afternoon, sweaters in the evening.”

“Not like DC,” Scully said. She put her arm out the window and spread her fingers to feel the breeze push through them.

“Not like DC,” Mulder agreed. “Unless you like being wrapped in a wet wool blanket.”

Scully let her head loll over on the headrest, gazing at him. “I can think of other things I’d rather be wrapped in.”

Mulder flicked his eyes at her. “Or maybe you’d rather be unwrapped?”

“Maybe I would.” She tipped her hand so the breeze washed over it. “But someone put a note on me that says ‘Do not open until Christmas’.”

“Not until Christmas, Scully,” he said, amusement in his voice. “Just until we’ve wrapped the case.”

“Wrapping begets unwrapping. I see.”

“A little motivation for us,” he suggested.

“You know, I always thought that I’d be the one who insisted we separate work and play,” Scully mused.

He chuckled. “I did too. Turns out you’re not the good girl you play on tv, Agent Scully.”

She wished that didn’t send a little thrill through her. “Aren’t you glad I’m not?”

“Desperately,” he said, with a raspy edge to his voice that sent another frisson up her spine. He pulled into the little lot of the B&B and turned the car off, then slung his arm over the steering wheel and turned to her. “Don’t think I wouldn’t unwrap you right now, Scully.”

“Haven’t we paid enough cleaning fees to the rental agency?” she said, leaning toward him just a little. Mulder’s event horizon extended too far - she’d been pulled in unexpectedly so many times.

“Not for this.” His voice strummed a chord inside her. “Variety is the spice of life, Scully.”

“Uh huh.” She tipped her chin up. “And what would you do with me, if you unwrapped me in this rental car?”

“Obviously, I’d start with kissing,” Mulder told her. “I’m a gentleman. I’d never jump right in unless you asked for it.”

“Mmhmm,” Scully said.

“Oh, sorry, I misspoke,” Mulder said. His eyes glinted. “I meant I wouldn’t jump right in unless you begged for it.”

Scully licked her lips. “And under what circumstances do you think I’d beg for it?”

“If I kissed your neck for long enough, you might,” he said. She was staring at his mouth, half-hypnotized. “That spot behind your ear. If I put you on my lap and played with your tits and you could feel how much I wanted you.”

“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I’ve always considered myself to be a stubborn person. I don’t think that would do it.”

“Maybe if I stretched you out in the backseat. Braced myself over you. Stroked my way up the inside of your thigh,” he suggested. “Never quite touching exactly where you wanted. I’d use my hands, my leg. Maybe my lips. Just teasing until you can’t stand it any longer.”

“Mulder.”

“Yeah?”

“Is that what you were doing for the past seven years?”

“Metaphorically,” he said, twinkling at her. His eyes were dark. “Are you ready to beg?”

She leaned forward, her lips nearly touching his. “Good night, Mulder.” She climbed out of the car and left him in the dark surrounded by the song of crickets.

+ + +

Later, in bed by herself, she touched herself just like he’d imagined, drawing her fingertips up the soft skin to brush her curls over and over until she was shivering with need. She didn’t stifle her cries. When she finally dragged her thumb over her clit, she said his name. She thought she heard a groan from the other side of the wall.

She was glad it was a small B&B. That meant fewer eavesdroppers. The other guests all seemed to be adults, at least. Maybe their vacations would be improved by this kind of soundtrack. It was her turn to be the one gasping in her tangled covers, even if she was doing it alone.

+ + +

The next day, she fell in the lake.

They’d borrowed the boat and the deputies again. Mulder was studying a map of the lake. It was all marked up with places of particular interest. Maybe that’s what he’d been doing while she was raking just the edges of her nails up the crease of her thigh.

“Right down there,” he said, peering over the gunwale. “There’s a deep spot. Maybe that’s where its den is.”

“Its den?” Scully said, joining him. “Doesn’t it have to breathe? Or is that part of the myth?”

“There could be pockets of air underwater,” Mulder said. “An intricate system of caves. Or maybe it can hold its breath.” He turned to look at her. Scully glanced over his shoulder. The deputies were watching them breathlessly. “Some whales can hold their breath for hours. Maybe Champ can too.”

“Maybe something cold-blooded needs less oxygen,” she said. “It might have a slower metabolism. And the red band around its neck - that could be a primitive system of gills. That could allow it to stay underwater, even in the benthic zone.”

“I love it when you come out to play,” he murmured, just quiet enough that the deputies couldn’t hear.

She opened her mouth to reply to him and then the boat rocked on a huge swell of water and she went over the gunwale before she could reach for the railing.

“Scully!” Mulder shouted, and grabbed for her, but she was past the point of no return and his grip on her ankle just meant she banged her side hard on the boat as she splashed into the water. It was cold in the lake. She was soaked instantly, water pouring into her shoes and down her collar. The current swirled, tugging at her, pulling at her until she couldn’t tell which way was up. Scully opened her eyes. She was deeper than she’d thought. The darkness under her rippled. She kicked toward the surface. Mulder was reaching toward her almost as soon as her head broke the water. He and one of the deputies hauled her into the boat while the other two braced themselves against the other gunwale.

“Are you okay?” he asked. A deputy passed him a towel and he blotted her face gently with it.

She spit out a bit of lake water and took the towel from him to squeeze water out of her hair. “I lost my sunglasses.”

“Tragic.” He took off his own and settled them on her nose. They were too big and slipped down, but she loved him for it all the same. She patted her pockets. She still had her badge and her wet brick of a phone and her wallet. Fortunately, Mulder had the keys to the rental car.

“Agent Mulder?” said one of the deputies. “What made the boat tip?”

“Heavy wake from another boat,” Scully said automatically. “A gust of wind that created an abnormally large wave. Unregistered seismic activity.”

“Or a lake monster,” Mulder said, still looking her over. Seemingly satisfied with what he found, he turned to the deputies. “What did you see?”

“Nothing,” said one.

“Not a boat big enough to pull that kind of wake,” said another. “You’d need a ferry.”

The last one shuffled her feet. “A shadow,” she said at last. “I think. Maybe nothing.”

Scully coughed. Mulder rubbed her back. He was pressed against her side. Her wet clothes were soaking him, but he didn’t move away. “Sorry to say, Deputy, you’re going to spend a lot of time investigating shadows if you stick with this job.”

The deputy’s brow was furrowed. “Do you think that’s what happened to Cassy and Naomi? A wave? But they could swim. Everyone here can swim.”

“All their gear was still in the boat,” Mulder pointed out. “They fell out and the tackle box didn’t?”

“I guess not.” The deputy looked troubled. “The lake’s too deep to dredge and too big to dive.”

“Then all we can do is our best,” Scully said. She shivered. The sunshine was bright, but the breeze ruffling the water kept it from warming her.

“Let’s get you somewhere where you can dry off,” Mulder said, and the deputies took the hint and powered up the engine.

+ + +

Scully ran a very hot bath in the clawfoot tub. Her clothes had dried a little in transit - they were definitely going to get a cleaning fee for the rental car, and not for any entertaining reasons - but she was still too wet and too cold to be comfortable. She peeled off her clothes and hung them on the towel bar with her damp towel from the boat underneath to catch drips. It was a relief to climb into the steaming foamy bath. She sighed, her whole body relaxing into the warmth as she tipped her head back to rinse her hair.

When she thought of the lake, she got fragments of memory. The breathless moment going overboard. The splash. The cold. The dark. It had only been an hour or two and yet it slipped away from her. She was glad she’d given a report before they’d come back to the B&B. Had there been something looming below her in the darkness? Even in the moment, she hadn’t been sure. Had she been brushed by a tangle of floating weeds? Had the water been agitated by cross-currents from boats speeding over the busy lake?

Had a monster tipped her into the water, or was it a silly mistake on a slippery deck?

She sighed again, sinking into the water up to her chin. For a while she drifted, eyes closed. The window was open for a crossbreeze and the smell of lake and pine mingled dreamily with the lavender scent of the bubble bath. She lay there, imagining the life of a prehistoric creature trapped in the modern world. If there were a monster, what had it seen? How much did it understand about the changes in its habitat? Did it long for the past? Had it eaten Cassy Miller and Naomi Diaz? Had there been other victims?

The adjoining door creaked open. Mulder walked in and knelt by the tub, pillowing his arms on the side.

She opened one eye. “I thought we weren’t consorting while on assignment.”

“We’re not consorting.” He brushed a wet strand of hair off her forehead and resettled his chin on his arms. “We’re conferring.”

She made a skeptical noise. “How collegial of us.” Most of the bubbles had popped, and what remained didn’t provide much modesty. They’d had less-clothed conversations about work, but not many.

“What happened at the lake?” she asked.

“You tell me.” He gazed at her. “You were the one in the drink.”

She pushed herself up a little in the tub so they were face to face. His eyes dropped predictably to her breasts and dragged back up to her face. “A larger-than-average wave rocked the boat. I fell in. There was some kind of current that pulled me further under than would usually result from a fall of such a short distance. I can’t speak to its origin. During my brief time under the water, I thought I saw movement below me, but it could have been anything, Mulder. A shadow. A log.”

“An ancient reptile.” The sun had shifted and the bathroom was draped in shade. What light there was reflected patchily off the bathwater to dapple Mulder’s face. She wondered if there had been a time in her life when she hadn’t known how beautiful he was. She couldn’t remember that either. Her life before Mulder felt somehow insignificant.

“What did you see?” she asked him.

“I only had eyes for you,” he said.

“You’re losing your touch,” she said lightly.

“I’m all right with that.” His eyes searched hers. “As long as you’re all right.”

“I’m fine. I’ve been wet before.” Her lips quirked. “You of all people should know that.”

“I had a suspicion.” He tipped his cheek onto his bicep.

“I have a suspicion of my own,” she said. He raised his eyebrows, inviting her to continue. “Cassy Miller and Naomi Diaz ran away or disappeared through otherwise un-supernatural circumstances.”

“Going out on a limb there, Agent,” Mulder told her. “I don’t know if I can present that kind of wild theory to Skinner.”

“If, and I stress if, there were a mysterious reptile that had been inhabiting this lake for centuries if not millennia, I don’t think it would target humans. We’re too noisy, too fast. Increased activity on the lake would likely drive it deeper, not provoke it.”

“Unless it were desperate,” Mulder said. “A drop in the population of fish. Rising temperatures in the lake.”

“A species would take generations to adapt to the changes that have occurred in the local environment, but this is one hypothetical individual, Mulder. One organism can alter its behavior on a timescale far more rapid.”

He nodded against his arm, just a little. “They were last seen in a boat.”

“So the report says,” Scully said. “But Cassy Miller’s car is missing.”

“There are actually a surprising number of car thefts for a town this size,” Mulder told her. “Something about teens and tourists.”

Scully opened her palm above the water. Her fingers were pruny. “That’s my theory.”

“I respect it,” Mulder said. “But I haven’t decided yet whether I agree.”

“Why am I not surprised.” She cupped water in her hand, let it pour over her breasts. The bubbles sluiced down the slope of her chest, pearling around her nipples. She watched Mulder watch her. His breath caught a little and his pupils darkened. “Are we still conferring, or have we moved on to consorting?”

“You know there’s nothing I want more than to climb into that tub with you,” he said in a low voice.

“I can recommend against wet denim,” she said. “The chafing ruins the mood.” She thought of straddling his lap, feeling the friction of the sodden fabric against her skin, and rubbed her thighs together in anticipation. Up until the chafing, it would be delicious.

“I think I learned my lesson today,” he told her. “No clothes. Just you on top of me, skin on skin. You could take your time. I’d worship your tits.”

“I think your vision ends up with water all over the bathroom floor.” She let her hand drift down her body.

“Worth it.” Hunger flickered in his eyes.

“Is it consorting if I’m pursuing solitary pleasures while we’re discussing a case?” she asked.

He laughed. “If so, we’ve been consorting for years.”

“I knew it,” she said. Her fingers wandered down her belly, strayed lower.

“Fuck, Scully,” he said roughly. “You know I can withstand anything except temptation.”

She toyed with her curls, imagining the slow swell of his erection. He shifted a little on his heels as she pushed her fingers between her folds and stroked slowly. She let her head loll against the porcelain. Her other hand rose to stroke her breast. Mulder took a deep breath and let it out in a slow hiss.

“You know there’s nothing but your own conscience stopping you from getting into this tub.” She arched her back, pushing her breasts out of the water.

“I told you,” he said. “I’m trying to take this seriously. I take you seriously. Everything we’re doing deserves our full attention, Scully. The work. This.” He gestured between them. “Whatever you think about my lake monster theory, there are two women missing. People are worried about them.”

“I know that,” she said, an edge creeping into her voice. Her hands slipped away from their pleasant tasks.

“We crossed a line together,” he said. “I don’t regret it. I’ll never, ever regret it. But there are other lines we shouldn’t cross.”

“You’re the one who keeps telling me all the things we’d be doing if we weren’t working,” she snapped.

“And I mean every word of it.” It sounded like a vow. “When we’re done here, I’m going to fuck you until you can’t remember your name. But we’re not finished.”

“I’m finished.” She toed the stopper out of the train and hauled herself up out of the water, too cranky to finish what she’d started. He rocked back on his heels, looking wounded. “With this bath, Mulder. I’m tired. I’m going to take a nap. Wake me up for dinner.”

“I will,” he said. He handed her an enormous fluffy towel and helped her out of the tub.

“Scully,” he said as she opened the door to her room, and she turned just enough to indicate she was listening. “I’ll make it up to you.”

She went back to her room, dried off, rolled naked into the bed. She was too keyed up to sleep. She rolled onto her stomach and thrust against the ridge of her hand until pleasure spiraled tight within her. She moaned into the pillow, suddenly boneless as release hit her, and drifted into sleep.

+ + +

The rest of their investigation yielded nothing. They dutifully went in each day to work with local law enforcement. They searched a few other areas of the lake. The deputies made Scully wear a life jacket, but there weren’t any other mysterious waves. They followed leads to dead ends. Wherever the women were, they weren’t using credit cards. Cassy Miller’s car was found a few miles away. It wasn’t far from a bus station, Scully noted, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Subsequent trips to the lake produced no evidence of a lake monster or any foul play. No bodies. No torn clothes.

“We’ll keep following up,” Mulder assured the chief of police. “I’ve added their names to our list. If anyone turns up matching their descriptions, we’ll let you know.”

“I appreciate your help.” Chief Hughes shook their hands.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t help more,” Scully told her.

“We’re grateful anyone showed up,” Chief Hughes said. “Not a lot of feds would care about our small-town problems. But two of our own disappear, that’s something we feel here. Like a missing tooth.”

Mulder looked away. Scully clasped Chief Hughes’ hand. “We won’t stop looking.”

Chief Hughes’ smile was watery. “Neither will we.”

+ + +

“I thought the breakfast at the B&B was excellent,” Mulder said as they walked to their gate at the airport. “Those scones were homemade.”

“The beds were also excellent.” Scully glanced up at him. “At least, mine was. I can’t speak to the quality of any other accommodations.”

“I’d stay there again,” he said. “Recreationally.”

“Oh? Are you seeing someone?”

He stopped suddenly in the middle of the passageway. She stopped too and looked at him curiously. He took her face between his hands and kissed her. It was profound. It was passionate. It was making her weak in the knees in the middle of a fucking airport. She put her hands on his waist to steady herself.

“It wasn’t because this is a secret, Scully,” he said. “I’d get your name tattooed in five inch letters on my ass tomorrow if that’s what you wanted.”

“I know.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “I know. The work matters. It was just weird not to be on the same page.”

“It was,” he agreed. His eyes searched her face and he smiled at whatever he saw there. “Should we go home?”

“Are you conferring with me in a professional context, Agent Mulder?”

He shook his head, the smile turning into a grin. “I’m not interested in your professional opinion at this time, Agent Scully.”

“Then yes, we should go home.”

He slung his arm around her shoulders as they walked and she leaned into him.

+ + +

In the DC airport, Scully caught a glimpse of curly hair and a familiar profile. “Naomi,” she said quietly to herself, and then louder. “Naomi!”

The woman turned, blanched, tried to push through a crowd. Scully swore. It was the suits. It was always the suits. Scully pursued, Mulder at her heels.

“Naomi! You’re not in trouble. We just want to talk.”

Naomi turned at last, eyes bright but her chin held high. She was clutching the hand of a blonde woman Scully had seen in a dozen photographs.

“Naomi Diaz,” Mulder drawled. “Cassy Miller.”

“How do you know our names?” Naomi demanded.

“We’ve been looking for you.” Scully showed them her badge. “Police Chief Hughes called the Bureau to follow up on a missing persons report.”

“And here you are, remarkably unmissing,” Mulder said. He was enjoying himself too much for someone who had been completely wrong, Scully thought.

“We shouldn’t have left the way we did,” Naomi said. Her mouth trembled. “I know that. But we couldn’t stay.”

“Why not?” Scully asked, and then looked again at the women’s clasped hands and understood.

Cassy stepped in front of Naomi without letting go. “It’s a small town, ma’am. Everybody knows everybody there. The kids at my store, I watched them grow up. I babysat half of them. Their parents are the older siblings of the kids I went to high school with. If I changed shampoo brands, the whole town would know by the end of the week.”

“I see.” Scully put her hands in her pockets. A week looking for two women and no one had mentioned they were lovers. The picture drew itself.

“I have loved this woman for a decade and everyone pretends they don’t know that,” Cassy said fiercely. “They just look right past me. It’s almost worse than if they were hateful.”

“It was like we were already dead,” Naomi put in. “We can’t get married. Landlords kept losing our application when we tried to get an apartment together. So it seemed easy. Everybody knows that people get drunk and stupid on the lake and nobody ever sees them again.”

“We read the reports,” Mulder told them. “Nobody in that town thought either of you would be drunk or stupid.”

“It was better than staying,” Cassy said in a firm voice. “Now we can start over. We can have a life that’s real. I’m thirty-two years old. I can’t spend the rest of my life playing pretend. Not about her.”

“They think you were eaten by the lake monster,” Scully told them.

Cassy laughed. “Champ? That’s just a legend.”

“No, it’s not,” Naomi muttered.

Scully exchanged a look with Mulder. “Regardless,” Scully said smoothly, “I think in this case, we can file a report saying that all evidence was inconclusive.” She paused. “Being eaten by a lake monster isn’t the worst way to go.”

Mulder was scribbling on a piece of paper. He passed it to Cassy. “Go to this address. The attendant in the Metro can show you the best stop. Tell them Mulder sent you. They’re weird guys, but they’ll help you.”

“And that’s it?” Naomi asked. “You’re not going to turn us in?”

“Leaving town isn’t a crime,” Scully told her. She started to turn away, and then turned back. “This may sound strange but…it’s never too late to start living the life you want. For what it’s worth, I think you’re both brave.”

“Thank you,” Cassy said.

Scully nodded and walked away with Mulder at her shoulder. They were quiet as they picked up their backs at the luggage carousel. She said nothing as they got into Mulder’s car. She waited until they had exited the airport road and merged onto the highway.

“Mulder?”

“Hmm?”

“I told you so.”

+ + +

He parked in front of her apartment and carried her bag in for her. “What a gentleman,” she started to say, but before she could get the words out, he was pressing her into the door, his hot mouth descending on hers. She tugged at his lip with her teeth and then surrendered, opening her mouth to the insistent slide of his tongue. Their hands tangled trying to get to each other’s buttons. But finally, fucking finally, his hands were on her bare tits and she was digging her nails into his back. She could feel his erection against her belly. She cupped it with her palm and he groaned.

“Fuck, Scully.”

She dragged his head down and nipped at his ear. “Time to put your money where your very active mouth is, Mulder.”

“Anything you want,” he promised.

“Tease me,” she said. “Worship me.”

He pressed his body into hers, fumbling at the closure of her skirt. After a moment he gave up and just pushed it over her hips. His hands ghosted over her skin, barely touching, until her nerves crackled and fizzed like a plasma globe. By the time his thumb traced up the damp gusset of her underwear, she was almost panting.

“What do you want, Scully?” he whispered, his tongue flicking at the shell of her ear.

“I want to give it to you,” she gasped. His hips jolted against her and she moaned.

He bit gently at her shoulder. “I’m confused but very turned on.” His thumb grazed her underwear again and she arched into the touch for a moment. It was difficult to wriggle out from between his body and the door, but she had the fuel of a week’s worth of frustration. He followed her, shedding his pants as they slid off his hips.

She dragged her suitcase into the bedroom and tipped it onto the floor. She unzipped it and pulled out a bundle of straps wrapped around a slender purple dildo.

“That was in your suitcase the whole time?” he said from the doorway.

“I thought it was a different kind of trip,” she told him. She shook out the straps; they resolved into a harness. The dildo fit neatly into it. She’d practiced assembling it. There was no fumbling here. She shed her skirt but didn’t bother with her underwear, stepping into the harness and buckling it tight.

“I thought you were going to be the one begging,” he said, sauntering closer. “Looks like you’ve turned the tables on me again.”

“Say ‘please’,” she told him.

He knelt in front of her, gazing up her body. As she looked down at him, he lapped slowly at the head of the dildo. She shuddered at the way his eyes closed in pleasure. He opened them again and stared up at her. “Please.”

“Clothes off. Get on the bed.” She ducked into the bathroom and grabbed a towel. He caught it when she tossed it and spread it under his hips. “You’ve done this before?”

“Not in a while,” he admitted. “I didn’t know if you’d be into it.”

“It’s got more reach than my fingers,” she said. “And honestly, Mulder, I’ve wanted to fuck you speechless for years.”

“Is that a challenge?” His eyes gleamed.

“It’s a promise,” she said, pulling a latex glove out of her suitcase and snapping it on.

She took her time preparing him. A single finger up his ass in the heat of passion was different from the dildo, even if it was the smallest of the set she’d bought. He lay on his belly on the bed. She knelt between his legs, pushing his thighs wide with her knees. The marks of her nails were pink half-moons up and down his back. She liked seeing them: proof he was hers.

She worked him open slowly, slicking him with lube until he was dripping, rubbing her fingers up and down and up and down between his ass cheeks. One finger, slow and steady. Her pussy throbbed under the base of the dildo, aching for him. Two fingers and he was groaning, lifting his hips toward her. Three fingers - that was probably the same girth as the dildo, and he rocked against her eagerly.

“Are you ready?”

“God, Scully, please.”

“Turn over,” she commanded. “I want to watch you while I fuck you.”

He flipped himself over with a surprising amount of grace. She gestured and he tossed her one of the pillows. She dragged the towel over it and helped him wedge it under his hips. He looked so vulnerable like this, splayed out before her. His cock banged his belly and she couldn’t resist dragging her tongue up it to taste the salt. Her thumb stroked the tender skin under his balls, sliding back and back to push inside him. More lube. More pressure at his entrance. She circled it with her thumb, slicked the dildo with yet more lube, let the head of it rest against him.

“Scully, please,” he said in an urgent hush.

“Please what?”

“Pretty please,” he said. “Pretty please, please fuck me.”

She checked her watch. “It’s only 4:58 p.m., Mulder. Are you sure we’re off the clock?”

“Please,” he said. “I swear we’ll talk about it next time we take a case that looks like a vacation.”

“In that case,” she said, and pushed into him oh so slowly. He took the toy an inch at a time. She would have sworn his eyes got greener the deeper she pushed. He made a noise like she’d touched his soul. When she started to pull out, he whimpered. The naked need on his face floored her.

“I’m not done,” she assured him, and thrust again. Fuck, it was hard not to just snap her hips into his. She wanted to fuck him rough. Maybe once he had graduated to something bigger, she’d bend him over her couch. Maybe she’d pull out her most indulgent dildo, the one that was almost too big, and let him gag on it. Not tonight, but maybe if he pulled a stunt like that again.

For now she fucked him slowly. The base of the dildo ground against her pubis, not quite the contact she needed, but good. And his face while she fucked him, God - she could have come just from the way he looked at her.

“Enough,” he gasped when she was so on edge she was gritting her teeth to keep going. “Fuck, Scully, enough.”

She pulled out of him and he reached for her and dragged her up the bed. He undid the buckles on one side of the harness and she undid the other side and the straps fell away. She tossed the dildo to one side. And then she was straddling him and his beautiful fucking cock was pressing against her and how was she already this goddamn close? She was seeing stars and he’d barely touched her yet.

Mulder wrapped his hand around his cock and rubbed it against the wet cotton that separated her skin from his. She reached down and pushed it aside and moaned. His shaft slid between her folds. Fuck, yes, that was what she’d needed. She wasn’t waiting any longer. She cupped her hand over his and used her other hand to pull her underwear away and then she was sinking down onto his cock.

“Not yet,” he said. His hands grabbed her hips, urging her higher until she was sitting on his face. Her underwear had slipped back into place, but that didn’t seem to bother Mulder. He licked at her through the fabric, lips and tongue working together. The cotton blunted the edges of his teeth when he scraped them over her clit. She moaned, a high urgent sound, and he pulled her down hard and sucked her clit until she saw stars.

“Mulder, yes,” she was saying, over and over. Her legs shook. He lessened the pressure, then swirled his tongue in rapid circles until she was coming again, grabbing at the headboard. He slid out from under her and pressed up against her back, his big hands on her tits, thumbing at her nipples until she was almost coming again. She turned her head to kiss him hungrily as his fingers slipped lower, spreading her folds so that he could push two fingers inside her. His thumb circled her clit and she came again, a warm wave of pleasure that surprised her.

“I think these need to come off,” he said, and helped her wriggle out of her panties.

“Now will you fuck me?” she panted.

“However many orgasms that was wasn’t enough for you?” He grinned.

“It’s different,” she said. “It was good - it was fantastic - but I need you inside me, Mulder.”

He didn’t have anything to say to that. He surged up behind her again, nudging her knees apart roughly, and pushed into her, filling her pussy in a way that immediately soothed the ache inside her and made it worse all at the same time. His arm locked over her shoulders as he heaved up into her, holding her in place on his cock. She whimpered and sank her teeth into the corded muscle of his forearm. She was clinging to the bars of her headboard. The motion of his hips rocked her up and down. His other hand was braced next to hers, his fingers curling over her fist. She leaned her head against his shoulder. Fuck, she loved him.

The pressure of him inside her made her desperate. She freed one hand, touched herself with trembling fingers. She was coming undone, again, her muscles clutching around him. He moaned and pulled out of her. She cried out in protest, still shuddering, but he put his back against the headboard and hauled into his lap, thrusting up into her like he’d never stopped. She braced her knees wide and took him as deep as she could, grinding against him. His thighs were tensing under hers. She was amazed he hadn’t come yet, and grateful, and determined.

“I want you to come inside me,” she whispered, and his whole body shivered. “I’ve been so good, Mulder, please.”

He bent forward and took her nipples into his mouth, first one, then the other, his mouth hot and desperate. She kissed his forehead, scraping her fingers through his hair as he squeezed her tits. And there, so unexpected, another orgasm building inside her. She rubbed herself against him in a frenzy. She’d never come this many times in a row, with a partner or a toy, but a week’s tension had wound her tight.

“I’m close,” he warned her. He rubbed his cheek over her nipple and the friction of his stubble made her gasp. “Scully.”

“I’m coming,” she said, and it was true. Sparks burst behind her eyelids and he held her hips down and pounded up into her and she could feel him inside her, the wet heat of his pleasure. It seemed to last forever as he surged into her and then finally, finally, she was back in her body, wrapped in his arms. When he eventually pulled out of her, it felt like a loss.

“I want to lick you clean,” he said. His voice was shaking.

“Next time,” she promised, wincing just a little. She was too sensitive everywhere, but it had been worth it. Fuck, it had all been worth it. They eased down together. Mulder flopped on his belly, ass in the air.

“Did I make it up to you?” he asked.

“I believe I got the rewards I was promised,” she said.

“If I’d known you’d brought your own equipment, I don’t think my conscience would have won,” he told her. “It was hard enough seeing you in that bath, all flushed and damp.”

She patted his ass. “You took it like a champ.”

He huffed a laugh into the crumpled sheets. “I would have absolutely bought a novelty t-shirt that said that.”

“I know,” she said.

He pushed up on one elbow and gazed at her. “And you would have stolen it to wear to bed.”

“With no underwear underneath,” she agreed.

He swore under his breath. “We could go back.”

“Let’s go somewhere else,” she suggested. “I don’t want you getting distracted by the local legends. Do you think I can find you a t-shirt that says ‘Rode Hard And Put Away Wet’?”

“We’ll have to get matching ones,” he said.

“We can do that.” She smiled at him. “You can wear it to work.”

“I think that would leave Skinner with some questions.”

She shook her head, yawning. “I think that would answer most of his questions.”

“You’re probably right,” he said.

“Mulder?”

“Hmm?”

“I changed my mind,” she told him. “Lick me clean.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and settled between her legs like it was his job. His mouth was gentle on her tender skin. His eyes were closed like he was praying. She pushed her hands through his hair and let herself drift into a dream of a life where they could do this anytime they wanted, forever and ever, amen.

[idv-sunsxin3]

can i request a scenario where a handful of the suitcase gang accidentally consumed sotheby's potion (idk how, they just did lmao) and so turning into their udimos for a day.

w/ diggers, pavia, and horropedia pls. WHEEZE just them tryna grab your attention and you trying to decipher what they want or need 🤣

Pavia, Horropedia, Diggers // Turning into their Udimo

Note// 100% fluff. And not pun intended/ih

____

"Y/N!!!" A distressed, familiar voice of a lady yells as you were minding your own business on whatever you were doing(hot mc stuff ig/lh)

"Ms. Sotheby??? What's the matter?" You were nearly startled by her scream that followed after. Asking with a concerned look as you turned to face her - only to see her holding something that is trying to get out of her grip -

"Ms. Y/N!! Please help!!!" Sotheby cries as she raises this creature towards your face as you automatically flinch back in fear of colliding faces with the small one.

"Wait a minute, is that udimo my partner uses on the suitcase---" You were about to point out something once analyzing until you were cut off.

"I know, I know!!! I miscalculated;;; I was working on a potion and and- I accidentally dropped it on the suicase-- and now he is turned into this!!! It'll worn off in one day, i promise- E-EEP!!"

The young lady whines before squeaking when the creature succeeds in escaping from her grip and jumps on you. Making you quickly try to catch it.

"Wow, there!" You say, caught off-guard until you got licked on the tip of your mouth by the udimo, "H-Hey!! That tickles...-!" You say as you try to muffle your giggles while trying to get the udimo to stop licking or poking your face.

Quietly watching you get along with the udimo, it suddenly gave a lightbulb to the little lady with the big hat.

"How about you take care of him as he seems to prefer your company than mine?" Sotheby offers, "I got an earful from Ms. Sonetto on Ms. Timekeeper's behalf, so I have to clean up the suitcase anyway -" She twiddles her thumbs with a nervous cheeky smile.

"Oh, sure." You sweat as you feel unease yet sparkled by the idea, not sure how to take care of someone who is in their udimo form. But it is just one day, right? Plus, your pretty boy looks so cute in this form that you can't help but nuzzle your face on him--!!!

.

.

.

He licks you again...

Huh. We have to work on that;;;

____

//Pavia//

Pavia is not pleased... not even a single bit when he becomes aware of his condition.

Barks in 'M*RDE!!!'

He is already making some plans on to talk to Sotheby after that--(uh oh).

But on the brighter side--- he finally can talk to his children in their language. Now he has to run with them and other kinds of wolf pack stuff like he wished to do before when he was like... a man/lh

He was growling and barking like some edgy pup the entire time he was woth Sotheby. Who was so terrified the entire time she had to put him into a cage(hahaha) with the help of some people before coming to you.

The moment he found you, he got even more insane by barking louder. As if telling 'Y/N!!! Y/N!!! HERE!! GET ME OUT OF THIS TINY JAIL!!' until he realized it just kept scaring you away, becoming harder to ask for help.

So he ended up trying to apologize by making whimpering noises as his ears went droopy while now dropping on the floor as if trying to chill with his small angry tears - huh??? Is that really Pavia???

You eventually help im release him before Sotheby can protest - that he's now nudging his nose on to your knee as if silently asking for attention. Whimpering more with his eyes now sparkling at you.

"Aww... easy there."

He rubs his face on your leg now as you rub his ears. His tail washing and calming down...

Well, until he starts barking and trying to chase Sotheby to bite her if only she didn't immediately dash away - aiyayai....

Once you feel less intimidated by him, now he tries to tell you he wants gelato just by dragging you by the shirt and pawing a picture of it with his claws.

REALLY, BOY...? THAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU WANNA DO??

I guess he really wants to chill down with something cool, huh--

But then you quickly remember that the dessert won't be wolf friendly--- so you gently nag him that you can'tgive it to him---

.

.

.

Pavia licks your hand before licking you.

"Hey- You should stop doing that or else I'm going to be drenched with your saliva;" You whine as you try to clean your cheek. He doesn't listen and starts licking and softly biting on your arm, too, as if teasing, "Stoooopp--!"

It will be a long day...---

The next day, when he finally comes back to normal, that's when things are really getting crazy again.

You were sleeping with him, so the moment you were starting to slowly wake up from your slumber, you swear you feel strong arms around your body as if clinging on you---

You quickly wake up to notice the familiar tattoos on the knuckles of the hands--- identifying them as your boyfriend's.

But the thing is, you didn't expect to find him naked on the bed beside you.

"AH-" You were about to fall off the bed the moment you wake up and see him - LIKE WHO WOULDN'T JFHDNRNR???

It didn't take a second to catch you before pulling you close to his bare chest. Cuddling against you.

"...Buongiorno." He says with a smug look. Before licking your nose.

"Hey!!!"

"Heh."

___

//Horropedia//

Tilts head in doggo.

He really didn't have this on this year's bingo list. Okay/lh

The sad part is that he can not even be capable of yapping about stuff to you!!! How cruel;;; (it still doesn't spare the fact he woofs a lot as if he's talking)

But well, he was actually calm and rational enough to just follow Sotheby so she can help him find you--- the moment where he spots you is when he gets off of her grips and paws on your shirt. Wagging his tail so quickly.

Starts yapping and barking nonstop at you. Your poor self is having calculations on your mind about wth is he saying--- 'Y/N, omg, can you believe this??? I'm a dog, a dog!!! This is bad, so bad!!!' Bark bark bark bark ba-

Of course, he is aware that the potion will be worn off eventually. He just wanted to scare you by thinking he is panicking= meaning it's actually bad. Since it's rare for him to panic like that.

But spoilers= it's not really bad, lol.

It gets him desperate to want you to know what he wants, not just your attention, that he keeps pawing you gently to your forehead as if bonking you

'Noooo wrong, that's not what I meant..!' Puppy whimpering as he says that internally;;;

So far other than the noises and how talkative he usually is, it really honestly didn't make much of a difference when he is yapping at you in dog(like he gives dog energy when he is goofing or looking happy--)

But yeah, he always paws your leg whenever asking you to reach something for him many times--- like a horror novel from the top shelf, magazines, whatever that can keep him entertain without reminding himself of the predicament until it's over---

You ended up giving him a lot of books on his bed and dog friendly snacks so he can just sit there and flip the pages by himself with his nose---- smart doggo...

Now the way he is getting pampered by being helped in reaching stuff is pretty nice. Even he has a day off from work to binge on his hobby with you now!!! What a paradise.

Once he turns back to normal- he'll be shocked.

Like the moment he starts to wake up from hus sleep, he has a blurred vision of his hands caressing your neck as your back was facing him - wait, HANDS???

He takes a look at his hands as if it is a dream. He pinches himself - ouch, not a dream for sure... Then, he notices something..

Why does he feel chilly.

He slowly looked under the sheets -

He is naked, yep.

He was about to say "yikes-" but remembers you're still sleeping. Keeping that in mind, he tries to sneak away from the bed to go get some clothes -

Until your hands started palming to where he is, pulling him closer to you once they found him.

Now he is a statue. A sweating, flustered, naked statue.

Sigh... those typical aftermath scenes of a person turning back to humans from animals but ends up being naked - how typical indeed. He's gotta wake you up on this one now, huh.

Hey, he doesn't have much fear about waking you up- but accidentally flashing you with his naked slim body in the process is a different story!!!!

"Eh... eh... oh... Babe...?" He whispers as he tries to poke your sides.

... Now, this is a true horror scene in his mind.

____

//Diggers//

He really thought it was juice.

But no, it wasn't;;; 😭

He was calm enough to stay in Sotheby's arms until he decided to hop into yours--- staring intensively at you with those big eyes that seem like they're about to cry;;;

'Baby, help me,,,," 😭🥺 He pleads, but ends up sounding like he is croaking softly. Crap...

Now he's going to be a frog inside a bubble for one day - how is he going to eat now when he's hungry???

He was about to make more worried frog noises as he had to come to the conclusion he had to meditate throughout hunger;;; until you just simply popped his big bubble with a finger.

...Oh.-

The Frog now hops into your arms now, croaking almost as if it’s purring in 'thank you'.

Awww...

So far, Diggers has been a pretty peaceful frog vibing on the palm of your hands.

Well, he may also go silly and start jumping and hopping everywhere at his van - all carefree and adventurous. He would try and watch how high he is when trying to move around outdoors.

Despite him being on your palms once in a while because his skin needs to breath sometimes, he doesn't demand much from you as he always seems to take liking of stating at you work--- except that he has these big doe eyes of a tiny frog now.

I can imagine that he sometimes floats when he summons the huge bubble back to engulf him--

he would be struggling to control how to float towards you at first, but the more willing he wants to stay close to you, the better he was at it;;;

It didn't help when you told him you were just going to be off for 2 minutes for a drink, and he's already trying to follow you by blowing bubbles with his own mouth😭

His doe eyes only close for a long time whenever you gently rub his tiny head;;;;

Once he goes back to normal, he is surprised when seeing his state---- happy surprise.

He wasn't fazed by the fact that he's naked. It's so funny.

Now he sobs happily as he can finally be a man once again---!!! Freedom!!!

He giggles happily before planting kisses on your forehead once seeing you wake up and blushing from seeing him shirtless.

"Darling, I'm finally back,,,"

(also mopping on a corner.... Thinking he has been acting so chaotic around you, he couldn't forgive himself and that he won't get head rubs from you fhdhdbdb)

Oh, how much he underestimated you - you still give him headrubs!!! (He luvs them so much, my god;;)

[desideriumwriter]

Anyone But You | Chapter 2 | F.W. x Fem!Reader

Chapter Summary - An introduction to your bestfriend, you're forced to go to a dinner party at the Weasleys over the holiday break, the twins give you a small gift you're absolutely not going to open.

Pairing - Fred Weasley x Fem!Gryffindor!Reader

Category - enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, slowburn

Content Warnings -cursing

Word Count - 3.8k

Series Masterlist | F.W Masterlist | Previous | Next | Navigation | 

Even though you were seen as rude and snippy in the twins' eyes, you had friends, people you actually enjoyed being around, people who didn’t attempt to get on your nerves every five seconds. Cedric Diggory was one of them. He was your bestfriend.

Despite being put in different houses, you and Cedric became great friends, you’ve gotten along better than anyone else. You met him on the train to Hogwarts your first year, and you two connected like puzzle pieces. He’s definitely someone who isn’t unbearable to be around.

Of course, there was the occasional rumor or gossiping that would spread around annually about you and Cedric secretly being together, or that you two had something going on at least. Those were just rumors though. Cedric feels like a brother to you, he had eyes for other girls and you had no interest in a relationship. You had no interest in each other. You loved him, but only in a sibling way. He was treated like a brother. 

You had other friends rather than Cedric, but you were closest to Ced. He was the only friend you would actually keep in contact with and write letters to outside of school.

✦✦✦

You carried your owl's cage and dragged your large leather suitcase down the stairs as Cedric boasted about his most recent win.

“And who did Gryfinndor get their arses whooped by last week?” He brought his hand up behind his ear, waiting for you to admit your house's loss, you simply shook your head in refusal.

“Hufflepuff!” He sang, “Who caught the snitch? Number seven, Cedric Diggory!” He cheered to himself, you rolled your eyes playfully.

“Whatever, Gryffindor only lost because Fred couldn’t keep his eyes off Angelina.” 

“Ah yes, Fred is to blame. Always to blame. Another chance for you to hate him!” Cedric teased, he knew all about your hatred for the twins. Of course he has, he’s your bestfriend for Godric's sake. You’ve complained multiple times about them to him, gone on hour-long rants over whatever prank they pulled.

“Yep!  Anyways, what do you have planned over the break?” You stopped at the landing of the staircases, setting down your owl and suitcase, leaning back on the stone railing, letting crowds of students pass you.

“Absolutely nothing. My dad might make me help him at work.”

“What? Wouldn’t that be cool? You’ll get to see cool creatures, right?” He scoffed at your upbeat reaction.

“I’ll get to see boring paperwork. I’ll get to organize boring folders. I’ll get to do the boring work.” He said flatly as he shrugged. “I got to see a hippogriff once though.”

“Really? How’d it go?” You 

“Nearly bit off my arm.” 

“Oh.” The excitement in your voice lowered. “Well, I won’t be doing anything either besides sleeping.” You teased as you grabbed your things and began to walk down the staircases again.

✦✦✦

Winter break had been going nicely. Your friends had sent letters and early Christmas gifts, small and light enough for your owl to carry, you did the same for them. You were able to sleep in, you didn’t have to worry about your things being messed with, you didn’t have to be woken up by loud and annoying voices early in the morning, and you didn’t have to deal with those bloody twins.

You woke up early today, you chose to not sleep in and went into the kitchen for breakfast. While searching the cupboards for your favorite cereal your mother walked in, an empty mug and plate in her hands. 

“Good morning, sweetheart!” She said as she placed the dishes in the sink, watching a scrubber begin to float and clean the dishes by itself.

“Morning, mum. Have any letters come today?” You asked as you took the cereal and poured it into your bowl, followed by some milk.

Before your mum could open her mouth, a strong screech came from outside, followed by a loud hit into the open cupboard door next to you, both of you jumped at the sudden entrance.

You knew that old owl from anywhere. It was Errol, one of the Weasley family’s owls. He laid on the kitchen floor for a second, then stood up straight, shaking himself off and fluttering onto a chair near your mother, handing her a nicely sealed envelope. Your mum sent the owl off without giving him anything to deliver back.

“That poor bird is on its last leg.” She muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she opened the envelope. Her unamused face changed into delight as her eyes moved through the letter.

“Oh, would you look at this! The Weasleys invited us over for a dinner party!” She grinned at you, showing you the paper.

“What?” You dropped your spoon into your bowl when you heard the news, droplets of milk hitting your shirt.

“The Weasleys invited us, Molly and Arthur are hosting a dinner party for their anniversary. How sweet is that?” You grabbed the letter from her a bit too aggressively, staring at the invitation intently.

“Very kind! Do I have to go?” You got straight to the point once you asked hesitantly, looking up, you already knew what your mother's answer would be.

“What?- Yes you have to go! Don’t be ridiculous.” Your mother scoffed, slightly shocked at your response to the invitation, taking the letter back from you.

“Please, mum! You know I will not be able to handle being there for more than five minutes.” You pleaded.

“What are you talking about? The Weasleys are very good people, y/n. You know that. You should be appreciative that they invited us.” She said sternly, a slight scowl forming on her face.

“I’m not talking about the Weasley family, I’m talking about Fred and George! The twins! They’re horrible! Please, just let me stay home, mum. You can tell them I’m sick or already on a trip with friends!” There was pure determination in your words, you were not going to spend any amount of time around Fred and George Weasley during your break.

“No, Y/N. They invited us, which means you too. It’ll only be for a single afternoon, you can deal with it.” Your mother shut down your begging, “Make sure you have a dress or…just find some nice clothes to wear, the dinner is tomorrow.” She began to leave the kitchen, turning around to ask you one last thing. 

“Also, could you send a letter back? Saying that we will be there? Thanks, darling.” She walked out of the room before you could protest anymore. You groaned, placing your head in your hands.

✦✦✦

This wasn’t the first time you were invited to the Weasley's house. There was one or two times where they invited you, you would’ve gone if Fred and George didn’t live there, so you faked being sick. 

Of course, your mother wouldn’t fall for it this time. So, you slipped on a nice pair of jeans and a comfortably warm sweater. 

While checking yourself out in the mirror, making sure nothing looked weird on you, an owl flew onto your windowsill, holding a bright purple envelope sealed with orange wax in between its beak. You were hesitant to take the envelope from it. You’ve never seen this bird before.

You nervously took the envelope from the bird and it flew away without any problem. Being more confused than ever, you flipped the envelope to the back, maybe it had been delivered to the wrong person?

However, your address was issued underneath it, it even stated where your bedroom was. Your stomach tensed, this was creepy. A bird you’ve never seen before shows up at your window with a tacky envelope that has direct instructions to your bedroom.

You opened it cautiously, not knowing what would be inside, as soon as it was halfway open, confetti and a few miniature fireworks popped out.

A little birdy (no pun intended) told us you were coming over tonight! Can’t wait to see you, we miss seeing your scowls and hearing your mean voice!    - F & G

Of course, the twins. How the hell did they know the exact location of your room? While trying to figure that out, you nearly missed the small writing at the bottom of the card.

p.s. we have a gift for you, hopefully, you’ll like it :)

You furiously crumbled it up, practically slamming it into your trash bin. Stomping back to your mirror, you picked out all the bits of confetti that had got caught in your hair and the few pieces on your sweater and floor until your mum told you it was time to leave.

Merlin, have mercy on me. You thought to yourself.

✦✦✦

The dinner party wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be. The first thing you noticed was how Mrs. and Mr. Weasley were the most welcoming and kindest people you met. You wondered how Mrs. Weasley especially dealt with the twins and their mischief for fifteen years of her life. 

When you sat down at the table with everyone else, you were disappointed in Harry and Hermione's absences, you expected at least one of them to be there. However, Hermione was traveling with her parents and Harry wasn’t allowed to leave the Dursleys home.

You kept your distance from the twins, choosing the seat that was farthest from them at the table, sticking by Ginny's side and making conversation with her. Yet, the twins still took any chance they could get to mess with you.

They stole food off your plate when you weren’t looking, taking whatever bowl of food you were reaching for first, even putting whatever potion they made to cause your roasted ham to turn into a green color.

“Hey, it’s like that one muggle book, with the guy who rhymes!” Fred pointed out.

“What was his name? Dr.Sauce?” Fred quipped, Ginny let out a small giggle at the name.

“Dr.Seuss, Fred.” Mr. Weasley corrected, “I’ve actually had to take in a few of his books at work. One bloke was trying to figure out why the drawings weren’t moving.” Their dad chuckled and nudged you playfully with his elbow.

Anyway, you tried to stay as positive and nice as you could at the table, but you had to refrain from rolling your eyes anytime Fred or George opened their mouths. Any slight expression of annoyance would earn you a small kick under the table and a stern stare from your mum, your dad would clear his throat or raise his eyebrows at you, these were their ways of saying “Behave, be nice, I’m warning you.”

You were still upset that you had to deal with the one thing- two things you were glad to stay away from, that you expected to stay away from during your winter break. You only had one unwanted big interaction with them, the others were small.

All the adults were in the front yard drinking and having their “alone time from you kids” as Mr. Weasley jokingly said to you. Ginny and Ron were arguing over the TV remote, constantly stealing it from each other and changing the channel to what one of them wanted.

You made your escape by excusing yourself to the kitchen, going to the sink, and refilling your glass with water.

While taking a drink from your glass, you weren’t paying attention to the sneaky and slow footsteps coming behind you. The next thing you felt was two sets of hands on each of your upper arms and you heard two loud troll-like screams.

You jumped and choked on your water, coughing violently as you put down your glass and turned around, shoving both of the twins away as they chuckled.

“What the hell was that for?” You fumed through hard coughs.

“We missed you! We haven’t been able to tease you in months!” George chuckled.

“It feels like we’ve been going through withdrawals.” Fred dramatically said, putting a hand over his heart.

“It’s not teasing, it’s annoying and rude. Now I'd like for both of you to get away from me.” You shoved yourself through both of them, splitting them apart from each other.

✦✦✦

The biggest sigh of relief left your body when you finally got back home. You traveled by floo powder and while getting ready to throw the dust down, you heard those two annoying voices call your name.

“Y/N! Y/N! We haven’t given you your gift yet!” You smiled mockingly as you said your address out loud, throwing the powder down and letting the green flames engulf you and send you back to the fireplace at your home.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, wasn’t it?” Your father teased as you brushed the floo powder off your clothes. “I know those boys irritate you but you’re going to have to learn how to deal with it unfortunately. I don’t believe that won’t be the only visit we make to the Weasley's burrow. You know your mum will want to invite them over too now.” He patted your shoulder and left the room.

You slipped off your shoes and headed upstairs, by the time you opened your door, there was an owl sitting at your windowsill once again. The same owl from before you left with the same tacky envelope.

You took it and opened it clumsily. You breathed out and began to read the messy handwriting.

It was very nice to see your face again! We missed you! 

They didn’t miss you, they missed playing pranks on you. 

So sweet for you to come over and see us! Can’t wait until we get back to school, we have a few surprises up our sleeves. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the dinner!

                                                Love, Gred and Forge

p.s. you forgot your gift! :(

You rolled your eyes as you tossed the card into the trash, walking up to the owl, you hadn’t noticed the small box in its claws, the owl dropped it in your hand, and you stared at it intently.

A small purple box, wrapped with an orange ribbon and tie on top. What’s with them and the colors purple and orange?

You noticed the owl was still sitting at your window as if it was waiting for you to give a letter back.

“Go on, shoo! I’m not sending anything back!” You waved the feathery bird off, lying back down on your bed, going back to analyzing the little box. You didn’t open it, you knew there was most likely some trick to it, maybe like a bunch of glitter would shoot out, or a million tiny fireworks. They wouldn’t give you a plain present, there always had to be something mischievous added to it.

You set it down on your nightstand by your bed. Maybe you’d open it. But not now, you’ll deal with whatever happens when you open it later.

✦✦✦

Maybe about two hours later that bloody owl had come back. You snatched the letter and tore it open, there was no more care in you to be neat with the envelopes.

It’s a bit rude to receive our letter and not respond, I thought you’d said before that you were the one with manners, Ms. Y/L/N. How’d you like your gift? Don’t leave us waiting and wondering! 

One of them had drawn a stick figure with a sad face, with tiny rows of tears falling from its eyes. You smiled at it, then stopped, going back to a straight face once you remembered who this drawing was from. You did not find the twins funny, you never will.

You stomped over to your desk, grabbing a piece of paper, a bottle of ink, and your quill, writing the only letter you would ever send them willingly.

The dinner was very nice, I’m grateful and appreciative that your mother let us come over. I thank her for that. I’m not trusting that box you gave me. I’m not sending any more letters to you two dimwits. Now, shut up and leave me alone you CREEPS!

You wrote the last word in red ink with multiple underlines, hoping they would get your message and finally leave you alone, you knew they wouldn’t, but you tried anyway. You signed your name off nicely, unbothered to put it in an envelope, you weren’t going to put a single bit of effort into anything that was for Fred and George. You gave your paper to your owl this time instead of theirs, giving her sweet words of appreciation and asking her for one extra favor.

“Bite Fred for me, or whichever twin is closer.” You smiled, sending your owl out your window and off into the air.

Only thirty minutes later your owl had returned with a letter, the same one you had sent to them, the only difference was that it had different writing on the back.

We’ll see about that. You let out an angry sigh, crumpling it up and throwing it into the bin, along with the various other purple envelopes. 

You closed and locked your window, putting your owl in her cage and letting her go to bed, covering her cage with a sheet so she wouldn’t be woken up by any light. Then, you decided to go to bed as well, hoping you would sleep through any other attempts of the boys trying to piss you off by sending you letters. 

Fortunately, after that it was silent. Unfortunately, your own thoughts were too loud, they were keeping you awake.

There was a small interaction you had with Fred, it lasted probably for only a minute. 

You were standing in the corner of the kitchen as everyone was conversing in their own separate groups. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking to your parents, Ginny and Hermione both complaining about Ron, Ron and Harry were debating about something Quidditch related with the twins.

All the social interaction had drained you, and you really needed to be alone. You excused yourself once again to the bathroom, which was on the third floor. You stood around for a little while in the bathroom, with how talkative your parents were, you knew you wouldn’t be leaving for the next few hours. 

You wondered how long you could be there, how long it would take for anybody to notice that you've been gone for an abnormally large amount of time. You realized you couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever so you left.

You reached the first floor when you realized you weren't ready to go back down where everyone was, you decided to wander down the hallway. Walking slowly and taking small steps, taking a look at each room with an open door. The rooms were a bit small but still nice, at least Ginny’s was still nice.

Her bed was neatly made, there was a wooden desk that had little trinkets lined up across it, a quill and ink sat carefully on top of some papers. Her wall had various Hogwarts and Gryffindor-related things stuck to it.

The next room was above hers, on the second floor. This one was a bit more spacious than the others. Two beds on opposite sides of the room, and another large wooden desk, the same as Ginny’s placed right in front of a window. Except this desk was messy, the whole room was messy.

Beds unmade, socks sprawled across the floor, clothes shoved poorly into their dresser drawer, some popular rock wizard bands posters terribly taped and quidditch medals pinned to the wall. Their desk had multiple crumpled-up balls of paper on it and around it, envelopes, drops, and splatters of black ink staining the glossy wood, candy wrappers, an open textbook nearly about to fall off the edge, and papers with sketches and such bad handwriting it looked like scribbles. 

You fully walked into the room and went over to the desk, picking up one of the parchments that had the most eligible writing. It was a list of sweets, apparently. You’ve never heard of these before.

- CANARY CREAM

- SCREAMING YO-YO

- FEVER FUDGE

- PUKING PASTILLE

- GLOW IN THE DARK GUM

- WEATHER IN A BOTTLE

“Hasn’t your mother told you not to snoop around?” A voice asked from behind you. You jumped and turned around quickly, only to see a tall, redheaded, smirking boy leaning against the doorway. 

Fred, you could tell it was him. He and George are easy to tell apart, for you at least. The way Fred carries himself, how he stands, how he looks, how he annoys you.

“Hasn’t yours told you not to sneak up on people?” You bit back. He shrugged and pushed himself away from the doorway, slowly walking towards you.

“Ah! You’ve found me and George's great ideas!” He nodded at the paper that was still in your hand. The paper that had their “great” ideas, sure.

“How are these great? Fever fudge? Puking pastille? Who would even want these? It’s sick!” You said disgustedly.

“They are sick. Literally.” He chuckled, only to get a grimace from you. “Anyways, kids who want to get out of class want these. But, we’re still working on them. Some of them haven’t worked out the way we wanted them to.” He trailed off.

“Yeah, like the canary cream.” You let out a small scoff.

“Listen, it was an accident!” Fred cried out, taking the paper from you.

“An accident you thought was hilarious.” You spat. Fred’s eyes wandered until they got stuck on a shiny piece of something in your hair. Confetti.

“Uh, you’ve got some confetti in your hair.” He pointed out. Your eyes grew wide in embarrassment, you’d been here the entire time with confetti still stuck in your hair and no one informed you about it. You took your fingers and immediately started combing through your hair.

“Did I get it?” You asked anxiously, Fred only shook his head from side to side. You repeated your actions and asked again, he repeated his again in response. 

“You know what, let me just…” He mumbled, his hand reaching out to your head, plucking out the piece with caution to not pluck out a strand of your hair as well, you didn’t stop him. “There. It’s out.” He gave you a tight-lipped smile.

There was a pause between you two. Time felt like it slowed down as he removed his hand from your hair. There was a twinkle in his eye, his face glowed in the moonlight which was the only source of light in the room. 

“Well, no thanks to you. You’re the one who caused it to get stuck there in the first place.” You shoved past him once again. Heading back downstairs.

Tossing, turning, constantly changing your position, removing blankets, flipping your pillows. Nothing seemed to help you get comfortable. You even tried the classic counting sheep. Nothing.

The moonlight peeked through your windows, and a large stripe of light shined on that stupid little box. You couldn’t take your eyes off it.

[lovesicklovermia]

𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙚

﹒﹒ ﹒summary - silence had been infiltrating for longer than you could recall. even reunited, silence was continued. yet, it was silence filled with joy.

﹒﹒ ﹒set in - some point during/after daryl dixon tv show! but don't worry, no spoilers, you dont need to watch that to read this!! (mostly because i havent even watched it)

﹒﹒ ﹒pairing - daryl dixon x reader

﹒﹒ ﹒ content inclusions - france!!! angst!! light fluff!! reader is a ballet dancer!!

notre dame once owned lights, candles that glistened and glowed above tourists, mourners, anyone’s eyeline. they had filled the old building with so much historical knowledge, so much joy and understanding (usually) for the place they were visiting. yet, as walkers took over, the visitor numbers fell almost instantly, until there was nobody.

then, many years later, there was you.

a ballet scholarship in paris had been extremely short lived. you recalled the day well. dancing around your room, as stupid as ever, and although alone in this momentous occasion, it didn’t take you too long to realise you had someone who you could celebrate with.

so, with your best friend in lead and a grin on his face, you’d driven his motorbike to the cheapest liquor store you could, gotten wasted, then kissed yourselves dizzy.

three weeks later, you left for paris. suitcase in hand, your best friend was honestly troubled by the fact he couldn’t drive you on his motorbike all the way to the airport. you’d laughed it off, and driven together.

the goodbye was the worst. you didn’t know what to do, where to touch, who to hold who. to his surprise, you'd held him. you placed one hand on the back of his hair, one on his collarbone, and you’d leaned in, and given the most awkward press-hug of your life. 

you regretted it every day. 

a week later, the apocalypse had began.

you’d been in a stretch class, until the only thing that really stretched was those vile creatures, their pale and disfigured arms reaching towards you with the cruellest of intentions. the girls you danced with named them as ‘laidrons’, meaning ‘uglies’, and you found yourself in no rush to disagree. 

the nights trapped in the ballet academy were long, but your regrets lasted longer. you didn’t doubt your talents in ballet - not that it mattered anymore, anyway. you didn’t doubt your skills, or your willpower to move countries, to move to a country where you could not understand the language so well. 

you regretted not kissing your best friend goodbye.

perhaps it was stockholm syndrome, your captors being the vile, sickly creatures that had taken over your lives, where you could go, how you had dressed in preparation, what you could eat - everything benefited those who had taken over. you’d lived first. now, you couldn’t imagine a free world. yet, as these days had gone by, you imagined how it’d feel holding him, him holding you, the simple emotion that flooded and pumped through your veins as you thought about the taste of his lips, a taste you’d so quickly recalled from the drunken night of your acceptance, yet forgotten soon after.

yet, as years came and went, and zombies showed no signs of stopping, you regretted your choices of education, not only those regarding your best friend. you longed for sanctuary, so sanctuary is where you went.

notre dame.

a gorgeous building, and although the bells no longer sang to warn of new hours, new days, you practically sang with joy as you’d entered the building. those joyous notes had quickly been subsided, however, as you’d realised you had to clear out an entire hoard of uglies. cameras dangling from their sickly necks, t-shirts with baguettes, macarons and eiffel towers. you’d kept a camera, but once looking through the photographs, had decided to bury it in the back garden. it felt wrong, to rifle through photos of the person you’d just killed.

you made a life for yourself in notre dame. towering walls and doors meant years of salvation, and salvation is what you received. wine, stored in towers. food, that you took from stores and rationed without failure. perhaps it was wrong, to bury your life away in one building, for the rest of time. perhaps it was wrong for whoever to send a zombie apocalypse upon this weak world. what could be done?

you reflected, every day. however that looked that day - that was up to you. you changed your ways of reflection often. sometimes you’d close your eyes, sometimes you’d plead for a bright future, and sometimes you’d stare up at the stain glass windows. just because the world had been overthrown, that did not effect the bright light emitted from the sun.

today, you’d stared. and you’d stared, and you’d stared. your doors were blocked with such precision, it was a wonder anybody had entered the building at all.

yet, they had.

instead of violence, you’d pleaded for your life to be taken quickly, with ease. you’d pleaded for your life to end as if you were approaching sleep, as if you were returning home, as if you were receiving a kind hug. it had been several years without a hug. it had been several years without people at all.

there had been silence. hell, you hadn’t even heard the footsteps.

then arms looped around your waist, and you’d heard nothing other than a sob.

confusing, yet you’d understood. this was still a cathedral, and you should provide sanctuary for anyone and everyone you could. it wasn’t your fault, that people had presumed that notre dame had been overrun with cruel monsters. it wasn’t your fault, that they were unaware of your newfound title of a murderer.

clearly, your newfound friend had dealt with worse.

you hadn’t pried this individual away, and simply glanced left, instead. a head, tucked away on your shoulder. you recognised the hug, yet your heart beat too quickly to give a quick-witted response. instead, warmth filled your heart.

“are you alright?” you’d practically cooed, for you knew the person well enough, of course. pure silence followed, so you affirmed that you knew who he was. “daryl?”

nothing more than a muffled noise, then as you’d attempted to turn your whole body, you’d practically been launched onto the steps, arms wrapping securely around you. “of course ya’d be in the prettiest damn place ya could find.”

those words, the distance from your last moment that you’d managed to hear his voice, to this precious event. you’d practically only sobbed in response, a small chuckle escaping your lips, before you pressed each palm onto each cheek of his, lifting his head up slightly.

he was a different man.

but, to him, you were still the prettiest girl, lighting up the place, making it the prettiest place in the universe.

maybe you had changed. hell, he wouldn’t have the faintest clue. he was quite worried - not for how he’d fare with the girl he’d been missing for this great number of years, but how he could convince you that he could still love you, despite his fear to say so.

he thought it felt wrong, to hold you in such a doting and gentle manner, while he had slung people-killers, a bow and arrow thrown over his back. he’d held you gentler than he’d held anything since the apocalypse, yet, as you’d squeezed him back tighter than ever, he’d recalled that normalcy was, to some, the easiest way to deal with such an inhumane situation.

he understood quickly that you were one of such people, and as he’d whispered his vows to stay with you, whether here, whether in america, or whether on the moon itself, thoughts of others had been discarded - for once, in his life.

he’d lived so long without you, his strength emitted from serving justice to you, which - despite his usual confidence in you, had faltered as the world did too. he did presume you were dead.

yet, as you’d lit a candle together, the light from both the windows and the one singular candle emitting you to see one another, you’d simply studied one another for a while.

feeling whole was no longer something either of you could reward yourselves with. but, one another’s presence was the closest you could ever reach.

[catnipaddictt]

Abstract

wc: 2.1k

series masterlist ⭑ co-creator @memoiich

You had finally moved away from your hometown. A final answer to your undying search for independence. A trait your mothers whipped tongue had tried to rein back for years. Something that had very clearly failed. The thought alone made you smirk a bit as you stood before your new home. The Alderaan apartments were a choice at best. Very cheap for the location being so close to the centre of the city but a little decrepit. Still it felt like a palace to you right now.

You made your way up to the 4th floor, the highest of the crumbling building. Leaving you to look out to the curtains of the slightly nicer hotel on the other side of the street. Grabbing your suitcase, you unpacked your luggage before coming to the realisation that you had no food in your new home. And of course it just had to be dark outside, evening having set. After overthinking your options you decided to ask your neighbour for some eggs. Dragging yourself to your neighbour’s door with your metaphorical tail between your legs, you knocked on the door.

A strange being poked its face through the slightest gap possible, it looked around worried. You didn’t know if it was to look for trouble or to find it. After the anxiety-writing look, the creature opened the creaking door. Now that you could see it, It was clearly a Gungan.

“Hello. Missa Jar Jar Binks. Why are you at misssas door?“ he questions “Hey, I'm your new neighbour. I was wondering if I could borrow some eggs?“ You say, a bit unsure of the Gungan in front of you. “Missa loves eggs. Sun sun or scrambled, lovely for my tumtum” jar jar snickers at the end. ”So… Can I use the eggs? You question once again. “Missa doesn’t have any eggs for sunsun but missa could go to the store for stuff and stuff.” Not only did you think of going to the store before you were now massively disappointed and also extremely tired. The less effort option was clearly the wrong one.

“No it's fine I will go myself thank you anyways.” Before finishing Jar Jar was already speaking, “It's not a big dealio, you newbie don't know the way like missa does.” Before you could protest against this clearly exhausting task, he was already out of the door and started walking towards the staircase. Not wanting to be rude, you followed. It took 17 minutes longer than normal to get to the store because Jar Jar wanted to ‘cut a cornerio’. Once at the store Jar Jar started to argue after eating a RAW egg “As a tasty jum jum” Only after 36 min of arguing and you finally offering to just buy the dozen did you start to make your way back home which also took a small hour.

You could finally bid Jar Jar goodnight. You got home just to cook the damn eggs ‘sun-sun’ style and went to bed in the early morning, you already knew this new life was going to be hard at first.

Waking up had never been so hard before, but the alarm was ringing and today was an important one. It was your first day at your new job at the paper company, ‘Paper Force’. Paper Force was located pretty far away, you would have to drive past the mustafar part of the city, making it a long trip for a very tired driver. Prepping for work wasn't the worst as you had laid out your work outfit the night before.

You got in your beat-up 2002 beetle and started the 50 minute commute. At the 20 minute point your car started to rumble, not just a soft snore, no, a rumble. 10 minutes later and you were stuck by the side of the road. You search an auto shop on your hologram immediately. The only car mechanic that wasn't 2 hours away was a place called ‘MustaCar’. Having no time to waste, you called the number.

45 long minutes later an old pickup truck pulls up behind your still-not-starting beetle. By this point you were frankly very annoyed. You were already half an hour late to your new job, and it didn't seem like you were going to get there soon. And to make things worse, you slept bad last night, meaning you were now rather sleep deprived.

The door to the pickup truck swings open with a clunk, clearly well used. A man in his early to mid 20’s steps out of the vehicle, he reaches up and moves his dark-blond curls out of his field of vision. He wears an oil-stained long sleeved button up, of which you cannot tell the original colour, as well as a pair of dirtied jeans. He spots you, puts his hands in his pockets and stalks over, clearly in no hurry.

“I was just thinking you weren't going to bother showing up” you snapped at him harshly. “Well, sorry Miss, the rest of the world doesn’t revolve around you” You let out a sharp breath at his words. “Excuse me, just look at my car and do your job”. You were fed up with this day already and now you had to deal with a know-it-all, stuck-up, man-child of a mechanic. “Parents didn’t teach you manners I see, now what seems to be the matter here? So I can do my job” He walks towards your car, popping the lid. You roll your eyes at him before speaking. “Well she won't go” He rolls up his sleeves, “Figured that much” he states. Your brows furrow in annoyance, you don’t have time for his attitude, “something started making noise and now she doesn't want to run.” He leans forward to observe your car’s engine. “She, huh, does the lovely lady have a name as well?” You can hear his smirk through his words. Your ears turn red “Shelby, the car is called Shelby”. The mechanic lets out a harsh laugh as he turns to something unknown “An old lady I suppose then, with a name like that”. You let out a huff and turn away.

“Dead Battery and the terminals are corroding”. You jump slightly, having zoned out. “Sorry?” you question. “You have a dead battery and its terminals are also corroding. Oh and you have a break problem, that's what the noise was”. You stand there a bit perplexed, “Uh what does that mean?”. “It means you aren’t gonna be able to drive Shelby until you get her fixed”. He says the name of your car amusingly. “So can you do it then?” You ask, checking your hologram for the time, you were almost an hour late already. “Well that's my job isn’t it?” He raises an eyebrow. You sigh, clearly this guy thought highly of himself. “How much and how long?” you demand, patient wearing thin at this point. “Well the battery change is gonna be about 150, plus the corrosion, about 20, and the grinding breaks, another 150 credits” he pauses before speaking again, “it’ll take a bit, have to order in the parts, could take a while, a few weeks”. “A few weeks!” you all but shout.

You pace away, trying to think. You were very very late, had little to no sleep, and now your beloved car wasn’t going, plus you might have to wait weeks to get her back running. “Fine, do what you must” you bark out. Hopefully this man could fix Shelby quickly, and you would never have to deal with him or another car problem ever again. “Need anything out of her? Or are you good?” He asks. You walk over to Shelby, grab your bag, morning caffeine fix, and sweater. You shut the door gently. The guy speaks, walking back over to the pickup truck “Okay then, I’ll take her into the shop and she’ll be good as new soon. Oh and I will probably need some contact details, unless you never want to see your car again” He walks back carrying a piece of blue-ish paper and a pen with the ‘MustaCar’ logo on the side, passing both to you. You write down your information and hand it back to his expecting hand. “You should come by the shop, I’m sure the guys would love that” And with a smirk and a wink, he turns, secures Shelby, and gets back into the pickup. You watch as he drives off with your prized possession, your Shelby, If he ruins her, he will have hell to pay. You had now been walking for 30 minutes, with your workplace still another 20 minutes away. Your hair sticks to your forehead with sweat and your feet are starting to ache. The music playing in your ears is a nice distraction from your situation as you stroll at pace. Finally after what feels like a millennium, you reach the building. The large blue letters spell ‘Paper Force’, meaning you haven’t gotten lost along the way. Making your way to the building, you check your reflection in a window, fix your hair, and give yourself a mental pep talk. Just go in, explain what happened, it will all be fine. At least you hope. With a deep breath and step inside.

Pulling up the shop with a rumble, the pickup-truck deposits his newest client's female car around the back. The fading MustaCar sign blinks slowly at him as he gets out the parked truck and steps foot on solid ground. The beetle named Shelby looks out of place among the beat up vehicles, and forgotten projects of the shop. “Anakin” A female voice yells from inside the garage before a young togruta steps out. She wears overalls and a pair of safety goggles on her head. “New project Snips” He says. “What's wrong with it? It looks pretty good to me” the togruta states as she walks over and runs a hand over the bonnet. “Battery is dead, corrosion, and breaks need new pads” Anakin explains, counting off each problem on his fingers. “We are gonna need to order stuff in for her”. The togruta laughs “Her?” she questions. Anakin sighs “Yes, Ahsoka, Her. Owner calls it Shelby". “Cute” Ahsoka shrugs “lets see what we can do”.

“Well the brake pads are definitely going to have to be replaced, there is basically nothing there” Ahsoka looks up as she speaks. “Thought as much, '' replies Anakin, as he wanders over with two cups of coffee, he passes one to Ahsoka. “Thanks”. “I placed an order for the new battery and brake pads, should take a week to arrive, but knowing the shipping times, it will probably take longer than that” Anakin says as he surveys Shelby. “At least she isn’t a complete wreck”. Ahsoka nods behind Anakin “speaking of wrecks, how is that project coming along ''. Anakin turns to look at the car sitting under a large tree. He had picked up the third generation Pontiac firebird from a man on his deathbed; it had been living in a barn for 20 years, rusted, and in desperate need of restoration. If it even could be saved. “It's a work in progress Snips”, “I don’t know, it is rusted pretty bad in some of it, it will take a genius to make it run again”, “Good thing i’m here then” He replies with a smile. Ahsoka rolls her eyes and drains the last of her drink before returning to their newest project.

A voice pulls Anakin out of his work “Anakin, I need to speak to you”. The voice comes from an elderly man, Palpatine, the creator and owner of MustaCar. “Of course” Anakin wipes the oil off his hands on a nearby cloth, before throwing it back on the table and following Palpatine. They enter the main office of the shop and Palpatine closes the door behind them. “Sith Auto Dominion is growing. At this rate we will be losing profit by the same time next month” Palpatine states. Sith Auto Dominion was the biggest competition for MustaCar, located on the other side of town on Geonosis Blvd. Over time the opposing shop had been taking their customers, meaning Palpatine and the people he employ have been having to cut costs however they can. “What can we do?” Anakin questions. “Not much my boy, we just have to be careful. I have owned this shop for 45 years and I will not see it go bankrupt” he takes a breath “You are my best mechanic Anakin, I cannot afford to lose you”. Palpatine walks around to his desk and sits down, gesturing at the seat opposite him. “I have a favour to ask you, Anakin”. “Anything” He replies. “Take your apprentice, go to Sith Auto, find out what they have that we don’t”

“Alright Snips, we have a job”

[pascaloverx]

To Begin Again

ONE

Summary: You're a new teacher at a large and influential school. It's a risky step for you, as you've been running from your ex for almost two years. But when Dumbledore asks you to take on a class at the renowned Hogwarts, you can't refuse. However, your life as a newly arrived teacher won't be easy. Especially when the other teachers don't seem eager to make friends. Or rather, two teachers in particular: Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.

Author's Note: Welcome, dear readers. Please leave your comments if you enjoy fanfiction. This fanfic takes place almost in the real world (with the addition of werewolves) and is not a wizarding fanfic. There will be some differences and changes in things from the Harry Potter story or other fanfics in the HP universe, but I promise to do my best writing this fanfic. There will be a love triangle coming in this fanfic.

AO3 LINK TWO

To flee is easier than to face your problems, than to confront the demons you left behind long ago. And your life has become an eternal escape. Not only moving from place to place, teaching from school to school, you were living a temporary life each time.  Until one day, a letter arrived, yes, a letter for you from London. It said that you were invited to teach temporarily at Hogwarts Academy. Dumbledore needed you. He was a great friend of your father. They even taught at the same time, but when you were born, your father and mother decided to move to the United States for some undisclosed reason. But Dumbledore's letter comes to you as a good excuse to cover your tracks. Restart.

"What a piece of crap. My cell phone is out of battery and I'm lost in the middle of nowhere." You mumble to yourself. No one is listening anyway. A beautiful full moon night is in front of you, lighting your way. Hogwarts, despite being influential, seems to be located in the middle of nowhere. You jump back when you hear a loud howl. Are there wolves near a school? Isn't that dangerous? 

You look at your phone wishing there was some battery left so you could call someone. Noticing that it might be dangerous, you walk towards what you think might be the path. One step hurriedly each time. But the howls get closer and closer. Until you see a sign saying that Hogwarts is nearby. But as soon as you look ahead you see a dog. I mean, something similar to a dog but bigger. Or will it be a very hairy man?

"Leave or I'll throw my suitcase at you. Whatever you are." You say threatening the furry creature with your suitcase. The creature seems to stare at you, but not understand you. At that moment you laugh at your foolishness. Now who in their right mind would try to reason with a creature that doesn't seem to reason?

"Listen, I don't want to hurt you. I'm against animal abuse and I've participated in campaigns to rescue many from the streets. But if you come any closer, I won't have any other choice." You speak and while the canine creature or something looks like it's ready to attack you. When the creature gets a little closer, you throw your suitcase at it. With all the strength and aim possible. And then you run. Run as fast as possible, hitting some trees along the way but maintaining your speed. You hear the creature's grunts of pain. Then everything is silent, you rest a little. Your legs hurt, your arms are sore and bruised. And then you hear a long howl that alerts you that the creature is coming. And then you run again, as fast as you can. 

"I can't believe I'm going to die here, like this." You mumble as you run. You're so distracted that you don't notice a stranger in front of you. Until you bump into him. Making you both fall.

"Fuck. Don't you watch where you're going?" The stranger speaks in a rude tone and you look at him in confusion.Isn't he noticing that you're running from death? Or is he not hearing the furry creature's noises?

"Shut up and follow me." You say, holding the stranger's hand and asking him to follow you. Why you helped him, you don't know. But you wouldn't be able to sleep with guilty conscience if he died. Strangely, he follows you a little further into the forest. But who designed a school that has a forest with ferocious animals on the loose? 

"Come here." The stranger pulls you close to a hiding place. Hideout that actually seems designed for this type of situation. It's a small hut covered in bushes. You think about saying something but the stranger covers your mouth and points outside. Your eyes follow the stranger's fingers and you observe the creature outside. From a distance this creature looks like something from another world, from a fantasy world. A werewolf better said.  The creature sniffs for a while and then disappears into the forest.

"You saw that?" You ask the stranger who is currently adjusting his somewhat long, silky, and slightly wavy hair. Sweat is dripping down his forehead, but he seems fine. I mean, he's attractive. I mean, what the hell are you thinking?

"I did see it, still got the ability to see after some lunatic knocked me down out of nowhere. And you're welcome, by the way." The man says as he rummages through a closet. You look at him indignantly. What do you mean you should be grateful to him?

"Sorry to wake you up from that illusion you're in, but it's you who should be thanking me. That creature was about to attack both of us, and I pulled you to come with me. So, Prince Charming, get off your imaginary horse and thank me yourself." You respond proudly, starting to feel the pain of the bruises you accumulated along the way. 

"If that's how you feel, would you prefer to go out into the forest right now and try your luck?" The man says mockingly, and you glare at him angrily. What an idiot.

"Look, I'm new around here, and I don't want to sound presumptuous, but you seem like a jerk. But unlike you, I'm going to appreciate your help. Thank you for helping me escape from the big hairy creature out there. Satisfied?" You say, swallowing your pride, and then you extend your hand to the stranger. He gives a smirk, almost charming. What a jerk.

"Very satisfied. But now that we're here, would you mind telling me your name? I find it strange to spend the night with someone whose name I don't even know." The man says, sitting on the wooden chair next to you. You, who are sitting in an armchair, look at him, feeling strange about the idea of spending the night together.

"My name is Y/N. And yours?" You speak to avoid seeming rude, but the truth is, you want to know the reason why you'll have to spend the night together.

"Sirius. Sirius Black." He pauses before continuing, "And before you wonder, we have to spend the night here because it's still out there. But don't worry, as soon as dawn breaks, I'll take you to Hogwarts." Sirius speaks, squeezing your hand firmly. You shake hands, and he looks at you as if trying to unravel all your secrets.

"How do you know I want to go to Hogwarts?" You ask, and he smiles as if he finds it amusing.

"Let's just say I have a good sixth sense. Now, I suggest you rest. Tomorrow will be quite a day for you." Sirius says, handing you a pillow and a blanket. You thank him softly as you watch him grab another pillow and lie down on the floor. It looks uncomfortable, but you're too tired to be polite and offer to sleep on the floor instead.

"Hey, Sirius. Thank you so much for today. I might not be alive without you." You say sweetly and sleepily as you settle into the armchair. Sirius lifts his head and looks in your direction. Wow, he's handsome.

"I echo your words. The only difference is that I'd be alive with or without you. But I'm grateful for the company. It tends to be pretty boring around here." Sirius replies before turning over to sleep. You try not to dwell too much on what he said and then let sleep finally take hold of you. When morning comes, Sirius seems a bit more grumpy than before. You deduce that he might not be a morning person. You both leave the cabin early and walk for a while towards Hogwarts. The journey feels almost endless, but when you finally arrive, you're dazzled. The beauty of the architecture almost makes it worth almost dying to get in here.

"Well, princess, you're delivered. I won't be able to come in with you because I need to go check on something, but I'm sure we'll see each other again soon. Until then, take care. I won't always be here to save you." Sirius says, kissing the palm of your hand before leaving without giving you a chance to respond. You find him presumptuous but decide to move on.

Walking through the corridors of Hogwarts, you observe children playing from side to side. A boy with glasses and dark hair is hitting another boy with white hair on the ground, which startles you. You immediately run towards them. As you approach, you manage to separate the two, pulling the dark-haired one off the light-haired one. They both seem a bit bruised, and as you separate them, you realize that the effort has caused you significant pain in your back.

"You shouldn't be fighting. At least I think so." You say with some difficulty as you feel the pain growing. It's strange that despite the dark-haired one being the aggressor, he seems to take you more seriously. Meanwhile, the light-haired one is smiling mockingly with his arms crossed.

"And who are you to say anything?" Asks the child, around eleven or twelve years old, with a bruised face but intact hair. He's the one with the light hair.

"You must be thick, Malfoy, if you didn't notice that she must be our new teacher. Or maybe I hit you too hard." The dark-haired boy responds, already angry again. He seems both fearless and temperamental.

"Stop. Both of you! I don't want to hear insults or nonsense in my presence. You, with the white hair, I am your new teacher, so I suggest you change your tone when speaking. And you, with the dark hair, violence is not a solution to anything, not even insolence. Both of you, go far away from each other and think about how to be better." You speak calmly but very seriously. Despite their reluctance, both boys stop fighting and move on.

You feel the pain in your back get worse and walk to the first place you see an adult. Until you find a room, which seems almost abandoned. There is no one inside. You observe the room that has some old books scattered around and appears to be someone's room. 

"Can I help you?" A male voice speaks from behind you. You turn around nervously thinking it's rude to enter someone else's room. 

"I need help..." You were going to say more, but you were startled when you noticed a mark on the face of the man in front of you. You figured he must be in pain.

"There's no need to be afraid. I got involved in a mess last night and was a little injured." The man says getting closer and you feel like you're being rude.

"I'm sorry, I imagine it hurts. I'm sorry for my rudeness." You say, getting a little closer and looking deep into the man's eyes. Eyes you felt you've seen before.

"No need to apologize. It really hurts. My name is Remus and this is my room." Remus speaks as you watch him and before you can say anything, you simply pass out. 

                       

 To be continued...

[fanficonly]

Wenclair x Reader

What Are You?- Chapter 8

Daaaamn not me posting ... Since when?! This doesn't happen often... Honestly thank you if you're still here reading this fic and I am sorry for how long it's taking but enjoy anyway 😋

You enter your room with a large grunt erupting from your throat as you practically throw your suitcase into the room. You sigh, as it tips over and decide to ignore it and focus on the numb ache in your arms from carrying it up an abnormal amount of stairs. It's moments like these where you actually wish you were a normal outcast, preferably one with super strength, vampire, werewolf, honestly the task would be much way easier.

Now what? You take a moment to scan the room, pursing your lips in contemplation. It is a cute room but you will definitely have to do a little bit of redecorating to give it more of a homey vibe. I mean the school had done a nice job, given you a bed, a nightstand, a closet and even added a full body mirror and swivel desk chair perched under the study desk. But it still screamed wooden storeroom with a bed and that just wouldn't do, you were minimal not a criminal, you deserve a bit of style at the very least.

At last you finally decide to deal with the slow bleeding puncture holes in your back. Switching on the small but fair radio to play some quiet music for background noise, you get to work.

The full body mirror, compliments of the School, comes in handy as you slide your jacket off and turn away from it, twisting your neck behind you to inspect the damage caused to your uniform. This, of course being more irritating than the new scars that would cover the old, that you were used too.

"Fuuuuck" you complain, cursing at the sky, aggravated with the amount of effort this would take. Its way too prominent to make up some "I fell" shit to Wednesday and Enid but right now you couldn't focus on that, instead you needed to make sure the blood was scarring and needed to clean up

As you unbutton the shirt and slightly let it drape down your arm, off-shoulder, you roll your eyes and drop it to examine the bleed. As your shirt hits the ground, you hear it...

What the fuck was that?

A noise, like a breath? a squeak? You didn't know but it was enough for you to whip your head around your room suspiciously. The closet. It definitely came from there.

Don't look in there.

Don't look in there.

Don't look in there.

You chant to yourself relentlessly. This is how people in Horror movies die you know, they investigate and they walk right into the waiting arms (or knife) of the killer and are completely shocked to find out they're about to die. 'Ridiculous' you think to yourself again. But what's even more ridiculous is the steady expression on your face, regardless, as you step slowly towards the doors, noticing it's ajar your eyes fixated on it getting closer

and closer

And closer

Until...

"SQUAEK!" A noise erupts from the mouse that comes scuttling out of the door, running towards you

"Fuck!" Your arms jerk up in defense, knuckles tightening as you jump back quickly ready to attack "Jesus" you shake it off realising that the only danger here is your own stupidity for being scared of a creature the size of a ... well it's a fucking mouse for Christ sake. "Fuck" Now you're gonna have to catch the bloody thing "Okay Damn" Now accepting that this is what you will be doing for the next 10 minutes. The words come out one by one. First it scares you, then the relief you feel finding out it's just a mouse, then the pure annoyance that it is a mouse, then an acceptance of okay now you have to deal with getting the mouse out. Nice little rollercoaster ride your emotions send you on there in no more than 1.3 seconds. Greeeeat.

You then laugh at yourself for being so frightened, feeling lighter as you now embark on the hilarious task of chasing a mouse around your room aimlessly.

Another perk to staying in an attic of a 100 hundred year old building in the middle of a forest full of wildlife.

*Meanwhile*

"You keep live mice in your blazer?" Enid whispers, eyes staring accusingly towards her odd girlfriend

"You don't?" She smirks, a light shrug tugging at her shoulders.

"No if course I don't!" Enid tried to sound baffled but struggles to in her attempts to be quiet. In fact if it wasn't for the noise of Y/N bashing around the room and the light hum of the radio she's sure she could be heard once again.

"Ohh because you are a wolf you would be tempted to eat it I understand Mi amore" Wednesday's still peering through the crack as she speaks and Enid has to hold back a giggle at her soulmate's preposterous deduction.

" Wednesday that's not why I-" she starts but is rudely interrupted by a

"Shhh!" Wednesday smirks watching through a crack in the door and motions for Enid to come closer and have a look.

"Wednesday she doesn't have a shirt on I refuse to look it's creepy" Enid awkwardly crosses her arms in protest, shuffling in the small space they were both crammed into

"That is not what is amusing" Wednesday practically rolls her eyes "In fact I hadn't noticed the missing clothing item until you pointed it out" she looks somewhat accusingly at Enid but of course it's all playful. Then she lightly grips Enid's chin and guides it to the gap to witness what she was currently gazing at.

Among the crashes, bangs and thuds of you flailing around your room is a trail that clearly outlined your chaotic rampage. And finally the mouse is between your hands and you lightly stroke it's forehead in victory

It was amusing at first watching you fling your chair out of the way Jump across the bed yelling come here you little bast-" and falling over your suitcase. But this. This was even more fascinating. The way you coddled the creature, ignoring the carnage of the room and absolutely delighted with yourself, covered in pride for accomplishing your mission.

" Oh course she caught it she's a wolf" Enid whispers shrugging.

" I don't buy it." Wednesday states in a suspicion filled whisper. "If she is a wolf why isn't she healing and why can't she hear us right now and look how she treats the creature" Wednesday lists off her suspicions not taking her eyes of of Y/N for a second.

"I don't know Wens, can we not talk about this right now" She gestures harshly between the two and the space they are still cramped up in.

"Enid I have seen you catch a squirrel in 2.4 seconds, grasping it between your razor sharp fangs" she pauses to say "incredibly attractive, exquisite technic" then continues " but she can't catch a mouse and she treats it like a stuffed toy." Enid bites her lip, now questioning the idea herself and trying to come up with a valid argument but ultimately decides "It is a bit strange"

"Exactly and we are going to figure out why" her voice drips with unfiltered curiousity and her girlfriend takes a moment to admire this before shaking out of her trance.

"Babe we need to leave" Enid whines through her whisper

"Well what do you suggest?" She asks Enid bluntly "Batholemew was suppose to lead her out of the room not my fault he failed at his task" Wednesday criticises. "Bartholomew? What-" Enid begins but halts at the soft touch of Wednesday fore finger on her lips while the other pointed towards Y/N. "Waiting until she's asleep is a terrible plan" "Well we can't out ourselves now we just watched her chase a mm mouse around her room" "Well we can't just wait for her to fall asleep" "That is exactly what we do mi amore we must not frightened her away" The plan is decided

*Y/N*

You triumphantly smile with glee as you stroke the mouse's fur. Yes, you had destroyed what little possessions you had and made a mess of your room but you won! You caught the little bastard creature that had infiltrated your territory and now you had to figure out what the hell you were meant to do now.

Pets aren't allowed on campus so you can't keep him so the next best thing... Find a teacher or groundskeeper or someone to humanely dispose of him. If you couldn't find anyone I'm sure the mouse wouldn't mind being set free in nevermore woods to roam free. First you empty a box then place the mouse inside. Right now you had a more pressing issue.

You struggle to reach behind you, with nothing more than a pack of tissues to block the holes in your back. Becoming frustrated you finally root around in your upturned suitcase and take out your flip phone, pressing one before then pressing the phone to your ear.

It rings irritatingly too long before a small beeeeep rings in your ears "Hey! Real nice of you to "punish me" but could you send one of your minions over to help me out, your stitching is becoming increasingly more shit, you need to fix this and I can't fucking reach, you psychotic piece of... Beeeeep the voicemail ends and you place the phone on speaker before throwing it on your desk.

"To send this message please press 1 to re-record please press 2" the robotic voice chants, giving you a moment to think about what you were doing. You bring your finger down and hover over the 1 button for a second, rolling your eyes then switching to the no.2 button and then re-recording the voicemail.

"Can you pick up your phone mother, if you're going to be spying on me maybe you might have noticed the very obvious lack of control in your stitching it sucks and you fucking..." Urgh you press 2 again to re-record the message for a third time, thinking more logically about how you might speak to the evil bitch when you are in need of her help.

"To save your message please press 1 to re record please press 2"

you sigh and hit re record

"Hi Krhmm Auntie just calling to ask if could you please send over a medic minion, the stitching has come loose on my back and I can't reach, can you call back when you get the chance, thanks" you send off the message a little angry at yourself for having to fold to her fuckery.

" Urrrgh" you moan again

After a while of waiting and recieving no response you plan to confront her she did the damage she can fix it, and besides you needed to get rid of that mouse anyway.

Two birds one stone so you set off out of your room in search of just that.

As wander down the corridor your eyes flick to your watch to see it's late ... Like really late. When did it become 10:32. Your now happy that you didn't place the mouse in the pocket of your blazer like you originally planned and instead grip the shoe box in your hands and continue on

You barely make it to the stairs before you hear "Miss L/N"

"Oh hi" you greet the random teacher who was now walking towards you

"As much as it is lovely to meet you I will save pleasantries for your morning induction" your smile fades a little noticing her 'you're in trouble' teacher tone.

"It's passed lights out students without a pass are not allowed out of their dorm rooms at this time" she looks at you rather warmly despite her tone of voice before giving you an out "Are you lost?" She seems to be giving you the benefit of the doubt

You open your mouth to speak but the voice that follows is not your own

"We can show her the way" a bubbly voice can be heard from behind you.

And there they are.

Wednesday Addams sporting her usual cold stare, stiff as a board with a fidgeting Enid Sinclair smiling nervously next to her.

You turn and smile somewhat relieved as they both look at you but for a split second your eyes flit behind them. Where did they come from? Behind them was a long corridor with nothing but your room to the left and a window at the end, depicting a beautiful view of the nevermore property.

Wednesday seems to notice this and deliberately cuts in "I'm sure you wouldn't mind Miss Thornhill you know how well I do with lost puppies" she smirks and tilts her head towards the obviously clueless blonde next to her who just continues to smile hopefully.

Unbeknownst to you the girls had crept out of your door and witnessed this altercation and deciding to come to your rescue

You look accusingly at them how did they get there

"Hmmm" she eyes them both suspiciously, taking a little extra time on the darker haired girl.

"Fine I will leave you in the capable hands of ..." The teacher starts but stops her speech as if deliberating in her own head then starts again "I will leave you with Miss Addams and Sinclair" she states before walking down the corridor, turning back a few times to see all 3 of you still and watching silently, then rounds the corner.

You let out the breath you had been holding in and turn back towards the 2 girls.

"we just came to check on you" Enid blurts out during the uncomfortable silence, trying to divert the conversation and you feel slightly flattered that she would even care.

"Thanks but I have to get out of here I need to ..." You're eyes flit to the box and you decide against explaining the hole mouse ordeal to them both and quickly make up a lie "I'm hungry was hoping to find a midnight snack"

"Understandable I always keep extra snacks for my girls here, noone seems to remember you need to eat to stay alive" Enid smiles as she hands you a granola bar.

You bite your lip to hold back a laugh, of course she keeps food on her at all times purely to make sure others are fed, what a caring little wolf.

"Uhhh wow thanks umm but I still have..." As you attempt to try and leave the situation Wednesday eyes Enid who nods in response. Again, doing that creepy thing where they seem to know exactly what the other person was thinking.

Enid grabs your hand before you are able to finish your sentence and a "woah" escapes you lips as she drags you in their room and if you weren't so weak and tired from today's events maybe the spark of emotions that shot through your body would have elicited some kind of supernatural response but luckily for you this time that was not the case.

Enid ahead of you seems to move in slow motion as she kind of violently drags you along behind her, the curls if her hair bouncing and the sparkle of her eyes reflecting off of the ceiling lights. You strip the thoughts from your head a turn back to see Wednesday following behind you, walking at a fast pace somewhat determined and ready, which again puts you on edge.

The room door swing open and the wolf pulls you inside and finally let's go, leaving you a little dishevelled and disorientated before you focus your eyes back on the two, a picture of perfect in front of you thier eyes filled with more suspicion.

"Take off your top" Wednesday demands and you choke on the unspoken words in your throat.

"Excuse me?" You ask, not sure whether this is a nightmare or a really messed up fever dream plucked from your obsession of pretty girls in your subconscious

[bridgetfromwonderland]

🩷 Welcome to Merlin Academy 🩷

PART 1:

Bridget looked out the window as the limo tires reached the gravel road leading up to the famed Merlin Academy.

She clutched her skirt in her hands until her knuckles hurt. She wished her mother was there to see her off, but as Queen of Wonderland she had made it very clear she had business to attend to that exceeded the need to make sure her only daughter got to school safely.

“March will see you get there,” she had told Bridget as the card guards loaded up the last of her luggage.

March, being a rabbit with the brain of a man, had managed to get Bridget to the school in a timely manner. His large ears twitched and lowered themselves with almost a crunching noise into the top of his head among his curly brown locks. His rabbit-like nose suddenly turned flesh colored and seemed to dissolve into his face, resulting in a human nose. Bridget tilted her head.

“I didn’t know your ears could do that,” she remarked. “Or your nose for that matter.”

“Yes…” March replied. “You see Princess, these folks may not be used to Wonderland citizens such as myself. So in order to not cause a panic, I make myself appear more like them.”

Bridget felt many questions burning in her throat but managed to squeak out a meek, “I see.”

Why on Earth would the people of the academy not take kindly to Wonderland folk? Bridget had known nothing else her entire life, so half creature half human individuals didn’t phase her. As she looked out the window at the school grounds, she could see the children here did appear very normal. Had she dressed to flashy?

She had chosen what she had proclaimed a more “tame” dress than the ones she normally was made to wear in court. It was shorter than her mother would have ever allowed, but she was a teenager now… surly she could dress how she wanted. Especially seeing as her mother wasn’t there to criticize her.

“We’re here Your Highness.”

A man in a blue uniform opened her door for her. Bridget stepped out and inhaled her first breath of Merlin Academy air. The smell of flowers and fresh cut grass filled her nose. It reminded her of the rose gardens that surrounded the castle back home. There, her mother grew white roses only.

Bridget rather liked the look of pink or even red roses on occasion… but her mother had said red roses may appear too dark for the image she faught to portray so perfectly, to the people on Wonderland. She wanted the castle to be a place anyone could come to and tell her their problems. All except Bridget it seemed. Whenever she needed a bit of help it seemed her mother was too busy for her.

It didn’t matter. She was at Merlin Academy now! She would be among kids her own age! Maybe she could finally make a real friend. It has been something Bridget had always dreamt of since childhood. The children of Wonderland were told to not engage with royalty… so it had made Bridget’s childhood a quiet one. She had often entertained herself with gardening, various card tricks and baking. She had made what seemed like every dessert recipe the cookbooks in the royal kitchen had to offer.

I wonder if they have a kitchen I could use… she thought.

March had gotten out to start unloading her luggage from the trunk. All pink suitcases with the royal heart crest on each of them.

“Your mother has seen to it that you will have your own lodgings,” March told her. “I believe every detail was seen to, to ensure it is to your liking.”

“You mean I won’t have a roommate?” Bridget asked.

“I should say not,” March replied as he unloaded the last of the luggage. It would take two men in uniform to carry all it for sure. “Roommates aren’t for royals. Your mother had quite a bit of pull here, seeing as they wanted you to attend so badly. And anyway, I believe the only other student that would have shared the room, lives not far from the school. She there was no need for the student to board with you, Your Highness.”

Bridget felt a bit disappointed. Her own room would be lovely of course, but she had been rather excited to share a room with another girl. She’d read books about friends who would stay up late, braiding each other’s hair and talking about anything and everything. It had all sounded so nice to her at the time. She supposed it wouldn’t be against the rules to have a friend over for a sleepover. It would be something to ask the headmaster for sure.

March shut the door to the limo and bowed to Bridget. She didn’t like when people bowed to her, but such was her lot in life.

“Enjoy your time here, Your Majesty.” he said. “We… I shall miss you dearly. All of Wonderland will be without a bit of sunshine with you here.”

Bridget smiled. March was a good friend of her family. He would host the most splendid tea parties for the royal family and had even helped Bridget bake when she was young. She couldn’t home it back… she embraced him.

He slowly hugged her back. It wasn’t seemly to hug in her family like this. What would her mother say? Lucky for Bridget, she wasn’t here. And March surly would never tell her.

He blew into his handkerchief he kept in his lapel.

“I shan’t cry…” he joked. “Wouldn’t be proper.”

Bridget nodded sarcastically. “Oh yes quite.”

The two shared a sly smile before March returned to the limo. The crunch of the gravel sounded as her pulled off and away from view.

“Princess Bridget Heart?”

Bridget spun around at the sound of a man’s voice. A gentleman in a long robe-like coat and glasses approached her. Was this the Headmaster? Merlin!

“Yes…” she said in response. “Yep that’s me!”

“I am Headmaster Merlin. Welcome to Merlin Academy!”

Merlin gestured at the school, which appeared to have been an ancient castle at one point.

“Shall we have a tour then?” he asked her.

“Oh yes please!” Bridget exclaimed.

Merlin lead her into the school. She heard the sound of her heels clicking on the shining wooden floors. The walls were adorned with frame after golden frame of what she could only assume were famous wizards and witches of times past. Maybe even some of the teachers? She would have to explore the tiny boxes of information under each one at a later time. The main hall lead into a large area with several stone staircase leading to different floors. Students bustled around the halls, chatting and walking hurriedly to their classes. Some of the students walked hand in hand. Couples… Some were packs of three or four kids all clustered together. Friends. All things Bridget could only hope to have soon at this school. Her attention had drifted from Merlin pointing out which halls lead to which classes. She was too taken with everything else around her. Suddenly, she saw a girl walk over to Merlin and smile to Bridget. She held a clipboard and was dressed very smartly.

“Ah yes yes,” Merlin said, placing his hand on the girl’s shoulder. “This is Fae. She will show you to your room. I hope you find your lodgings satisfactory, Bridget!”

“Thank you,” she replied. Her attention shifted to the girl.

“Your Bridget Heart right? From Wonderland?”

Bridget seemed to almost forget who she was after being distracted. “Y-Yes!”

Fae gleamed. “O M G! I’ve heard all about Wonderland, but I’ve never met anyone from there! You’re the first Wonderland Royal we’ve ever had here!”

That didn’t seem surprising to Bridget. After all she was an only child and her mother had been homeschooled her entire life. Merlin Academy hadn’t existed when her grandmother was on the throne… so how could any of her family attend? It had taken everything to even convince Bridget’s mother to send her here. She was determined to have her homeschooled as well, which she had been all of her life until now. Her mother had received a letter extending an invitation to Bridget to be the first of Wonderland to be welcome to Merlin Academy.

“Let’s go see your room!” Fae said, reaching for Bridget’s hand.

Hand in hand the girl lead them up several stairs to a hall with many doors along it and a large window with a reading bench at the end. The door furthest down the hall was the one they stopped at. “Here we are! Room 415!”

Fae had a silver kept in her pocket with a room number on it. With a click and a punch the door opened to reveal a gorgeous room! Everything looked just as it had at the castle where Bridget lived. Flower pots filled with pink roses, a writing desk with sparkly pens and pink stationery and a large luxurious bed with a pink comforter! It was wonderful! Maybe she wouldn’t mind having the room to herself after all…

“Will this do?” Fae asked.

“It’s perfect!” Bridget exclaimed. “It’s so much more than I expected!”

Fae clapped. “Well you are Royal after all. Not like my room. Not that it’s bad! But it’s much smaller than this and I have a roommate that’s dabbling in alchemy so… potion bottles everywhere!”

Bridget smiled awkwardly. “Oh… I’m so sorry?”

“No no don’t be!” Fae said with embarrassment. “That wasn’t meant to sound needy or anything! Anyway… I’m so happy you like the room! I’m your dorm leader so if you need anything at all, just let me know! My room is 312 on the next floor down. Classes haven’t officially started yet, so you have time to walk around and meet some students!”

Suddenly, she felt a pounding in her chest. She didn’t have much experience meeting anyone, let alone other teens. Then she remembered what she had originally wondered.

“Does this school have a kitchen students can use?”

Fae blinked. “Um… yeah we have one. Not many students use it seeing as there’s not a home economics class that would require it. But as long as it’s not during meal prep times, students can use it! Do you cook?”

“I bake.” Bridget blushed. “Well I enjoy baking… I’m not entirely sure how good I am.”

“I’d love to be a taste tester if you ever make anything chocolate.” Fae teased.

“What are you studying here at the school anyway?” Bridget asked.

Fae swiped her bang out of her face.

“Oh I’m studying to be a magic apprentice! I come from a line of Fairy Godmothers… it’s kind of a family business thing… we help people in need! It’s been a dream of mine to follow in my family’s footsteps. Although… magic is way harder than it seems. I feel like all I do is study book after book. My wand is old so… it doesn’t perform magic as well as a modern wand would.”

“Magic wand?” Bridget said. “You actually have a magic wand?”

Fae took a long gold and white stick from her pocket. “Yep! This is my family’s wand handed down to all the beginners.”

“That’s so cool! I have a looking glass… but I never use it.”

“A looking glass?” Fae said, her eyes widening. “You mean… they’re real?”

“Of course!” Bridget replied as she reached into her hand bag to reveal a golden compact mirror that was shaped like a heart, covered in rubies. “It’s supposed to show the future… but I don’t want to know. I like to think I can still be surprised at what the future will bring!”

“Fair enough.” Fae said as she tucked her wand back into her pocket. “Well I have to go, but I hope you enjoy your time here! I’ll probably see you in class tomorrow!”

Fae turned to leave.

Bridget stood in the middle of her room, listening to the distance opening and shutting of doors down the hallway as well as the chatter of the residents walking up and down the stairs. She made her way to the window and looked out. From here she could see the entire courtyard. Students were mingling together, laughing and playing games on the lawn.

She felt good. Happy even. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Most of all… she felt determined. She would make friends. Maybe she would even find love. Most importantly… she would discover who she was meant to be.

[j-eryewrites]

Come Home

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Pairing: (Ominis Gaunt x Reader)

Song: Willow Tree March by The Paper Kites

Concept: What if Ominis’ aunt didn’t die in the Scriptorium and instead left the Gaunt family? What if Ominis went to go live with his aunt in America?

Author’s Note: Starting to finally calm down in my busy life and have a little bit of time to write. I had this idea while listening to the song and I couldn’t help but write it. Ominis, my poor baby, deserves to be happy so I wrote a fic where he does get to be happy. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!

It had only been a few months since he left. Ominis Gaunt in all his magnificent glory was taken away from his rotten family to live with his aunt in America. Of course, Sebastian and I were overjoyed for him for we knew the true harshness that came with being a Gaunt. Ominis was a kind and gentle soul, so undeserving of his family's cruelty and hatred. So, it made complete sense as to why I should be happy for him. His aunt who was just like him was alive. His only loving and caring familial relation was alive and well and wanting to save him from the very family she ran from. Yet…I believe that Sebastian, Anne, and I were Ominis’s family. We kept him safe and sane all those years. I held him in the undercroft. We laughed with him and played the horrific game of gobstones. Hogwarts was our home, and we were a family, but now he’s gone. 

I remember that fateful day we all saw him off to America. His leather suitcase in hand and hair styled so neatly that no matter how many times I ran my fingers through it it would never change. I knew I’d see Ominis again. I knew we’d write every day, but he was my family and he was leaving. I’d no longer see him next to me in History of Magic dozing off or have his companionship when I went to raid the kitchens late at night. No longer would Ominis dawn his Hogwarts uniform, but instead dawn the one of Ilvermorny. He was going to make new friends. He was going to make a new family. And just as I knew we’d always be friends, he’d move on because that is what happens with life; It moves on and so do you. 

So that’s what I tried to do, move on. Of course, moving on worked just like that day we had blast-ended skrewts in Care of Magical Creatures. Sebastian knew I wasn’t faring well without Ominis, but I knew he was hurting just the same. Natty tried her best to cheer me up. We’d go for walks in the forbidden forest or grab a butterbeer or two from the Three Broomsticks. Poppy comforted me in her own manner and in doing so my collection of rescued magical creatures grew. Yet no matter how much butterbeer I drank, flights over the castle I took, or magical creatures I rescued, the hole Ominis left could never be filled. 

I almost began to think that the hole would never be filled. 

_____

“No Garreth, you aren’t listening. You’ve got to give each of the mallowsweet plants three drops of the water and fertilizer mixture,” I chuckled as I pushed myself onto Garreth’s station. My legs swung back and forth and I observed the red head’s careful measuring. He may have a reputation in potions, but I refuse to let that reputation bleed into herbology. 

Garreth gave me a hearty laugh as his hands carefully distributed the mixture to the mallowsweets. 

“Good,” I smiled before patting him on the head. 

“Merlin, Y/N,” Garreth said, “I’m not one of your puffskein.” Garreth set down the mixture before sending me a smirk. 

“Well, if you're not a puffskein, then why does your hair look like one. Don’t you see how puffy your locks are?” I fluffed up Garreth’s hair and styled it to look exactly like the small furry creatures. 

“Hey, hey not the hair,” Garreth whined. 

“ Sorry, forgive me, good sir,” I sarcastically said, “I don’t want to ruin your chances with Miss Imelda Reyes.”

Garreth rolled his eyes. “I’ll have you know that I am not infatuated with Imel–”

It was a strange occurrence. One moment I’m teasing Garreth until his ears turn pink and the next it’s like I’ve lost my breath. My heart clenches and leaps forward and my hair stands up. My ears are no longer listening to Garreth as the voice in my mind grows louder and louder. 

Run. Run. Run. 

“Y/N? Are you alright?” Garreth asked.

I look down at Garreth. “He’s here,” I mutter. Snapping out of my daze, I jump down from the desk. “Garreth, mind taking my stuff back to the common room for me? I have to–I just–I’ve got to go.” 

I don’t give Garreth time to respond before I’m out of the herbology classroom. I vaguely hear Garreth and Professor Garlick calling after me but my mind, heart, and soul are tuned to the sound of another song: he’s here, he’s here, he’s here. 

The halls of Hogwarts pass me by as I dash down the stairs and across the stone floors. With nothing in my way, my legs take me farther and faster. It’s as if I’ve drunk a potion of speed. The beat of the song grows louder the longer I run. I have no clue where I’m running, but I know where to go. I’m going to him wherever he is. 

_____

“Don’t go,” I whispered. My hand is in between his cold palms. 

“She’s my family.” Ominis said the words like they were law. 

“What about Sebastian, Anne, and I?” I asked. “I thought we were your family.”

Ominis opened and closed his mouth while his milky white eyes darted around. “It’s not the same.”

“But it is. You are my family. Please Ominis. I’ve already lost Professor Fig and almost lost Sebastian. I can’t lose you too.” I began to cry. I am not sure why, but I always seemed to cry in the Astronomy tower. 

The stars were beautiful that night as Ominis tried to comfort me with vague promises. My hands were no longer in his, but now clutching his robes with an intensity I never knew I had. It was if I were to let go, he’d disappear. When I did let go the next morning, Ominis did vanish. He stepped on that boat and was gone. 

_____

The cobbled stone of the pathway beneath my feeling echoed the sound of my boots. The early afternoon autumn sun beat down on my figure, inducing a sweat on my brow. Lacewing flies buzzed to the side as the faint sounds of the forbidden forest chirped in my ears. 

Odd looks passed my way as I darted between wizards and witches promenading along the road. Nothing was going to stop me from where I was going–where I needed to be. 

Soon I passed through Hogsmeade. The smells of candy and butterbeer crept into my senses. Each experience reminded me of him, of where I was running.

As the song grew louder, my feet ran faster, and my breath grew heavier. As I run, I can’t think of a time when I ran this fast without my life on the line. I ran too much during my 5th year at Hogwarts. I ran from goblins, poachers, and villains. I ran from myself and those I loved. I ran and ran and ran. I hated running yet here I was running once more. But this time I was running to something. I was running for something. 

The song grew quiet. The urge to run faded. My feet stopped at the train station. Steam was still coming out from the head of the train. People stepped off and filled the station. My lungs heaved as I remembered to breathe. My eyes scanned over the crowd. I knew he’d be here. I believed. 

People dispersed as they found their loved ones. Kisses were exchanged and hugs were given to those reunited. Each scene made my heart yearn. More and more people left, the more I grew worried. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I ran for no reason. Maybe I ran here just to run away. Maybe in my delusion and aching, I cried out for Ominis when he couldn’t hear me. Maybe…

There was no one at the station anymore. My breath collected and the sweat on my forehead cooled. It was just me in my uniform and the train about to depart. He was supposed to be here. 

A noise came from behind me. It was either a cough or a grunt, I couldn’t tell, but I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to have misheard. My head turned around and there he was. 

Ominis with his dirty blonde hair and star-kissed face stood on the platform in front of me. His eyes were nervous as he held his wand in front of him. In his other hand held his luggage. 

For a moment neither of us said anything. I knew he knew I was there, just as I knew. I felt my heart skip and my face heat up at the sight of him. He was just as beautiful as the day he left. 

“Y/N?” Ominis whispered. It was as if he didn’t dare to speak aloud, scared to break the dream.

“Y/N, I’m–” I silenced Ominis with a hug. My arms squeezed tight as my head buried itself into his chest. Ominis’s luggage dropped to the platform and his hand now free wrapped around me with as much vigor as I hugged him. He was here. His heartbeat underneath my ear beating faster than mine. His breath was on the crown of my head. Ominis was home and now so was I.

“You’re home,” I cried into his chest. 

“I’m home,” Ominis soothed. “And I’m here to stay.” 

I pull back from the hug and give him a look of disbelief. “What about your Aunt?” 

Ominis chuckled. His foggy eyes float over my face. “All she asked for was my summer holidays. Other than that I’m yours. After all, Hogwarts is my home.” 

My laugh sniffles my tears of joy. “Well then,” I said, “Let’s get you back to Hogwarts. I’m sure everyone is intrigued as to where I ran off to. After all, I did run out of herbology to find you.” 

His eyes widened at my confession. “What about–”

“Doesn’t matter now that you’re here,” I smiled before locking his arm with mine. Once his luggage was back in his hand, the two of us left the station, loving smiles on our faces, hands held together with Hogwarts in our sights. 

_____

Taglist: @bartokthealbinobat

[wisteria1999]

Ok fine I’m ready to discuss 2.2 stuff now.

Still not over the “oops everyone is white actually” debacle but there is some interesting stuff here (one thing in particular) so here’s the stuff I care about.

I’m ignoring all the story related stuff like the plague because I’ve already been spoiled enough, so sorry if that’s what you’re looking for.

I don’t really care to comment much on the new characters, and I think I’ll be passing on all of them. Not just because of the criticism but because I’ll just be coming off of trying to pull for 2.1 characters so I won’t have much of a shot.

Besides the only character I care about is going to be FREE anyway:

Rejoice! New weird little creature is being added! I love the nonhuman characters, they’re all so fun and whimsical to me. Very unfortunate that White Rum is probably not going to be very powerful because they would be a main of mine IMMEDIATELY.

Anyways, onto the garments:

Poltergeist, Yenisei, Shamane, Vila, Marcus, and 37 are all getting new skins. I only really get skins for characters I really like, so aside from Poltergeist’s free one I won’t be getting any of these. Happy for those who like these characters though!

Anyways, onto the MAIN EVENT (at least for me)

PET CRITTER COLLECTING! THIS IS NOT A DRILL PEOPLE, WE GET TO COLLECT LITTLE CRITTER GUYS! I am VERY excited for this, I love collecting weird creatures in games. Also, it seems like you can assign them to walk around with certain characters, which is adorable.

There are some other new gameplay modes, but this is the only other one that interested me:

This seems to be new battle-based gameplay? This is all they really show of it and I’m not sure what it’s all about exactly, but I’m intrigued. I thought it was pvp at first, but I don’t think it is.

Anyways, a few more last minute things:

New suitcase background.

37 and Mesmer Jr Anecdotes.

Changes to pneuma analysis? Or maybe new stages? I’m not sure.

In conclusion, this update isn’t all bad. There’s actually some pretty exciting stuff coming in 2.2. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still disappointed by certain…decisions… Bluepoch has made with it, but I am still looking forward to it! There’s also some more stuff I haven’t mentioned because it wasn’t really relevant to my interests, so I’d encourage you to watch the trailer yourself. I’d skip to about 2:20 if you don’t want story spoilers, though.

[moiravim]

I Miss When We First Met: Chapter 20

YN Potter falls in love with Draco Malfoy. Along with that, her relationship with her brother, Harry begins to fall apart as she was sorted into Slytherin. Will Harry find out about the relationship between his enemy and his sister?

IMWWFM: Masterlist

It was a random summer evening where you were sitting in your shared room at the Dursleys, reading a book about Astronomy.

You were about to start the next chapter, but before you could flip the page, Harry came barging into your room.

YN, we have to go; pack your bag for school right now." He says this quickly, practically pushing you off the bed and handing you your suitcase.

Harry, what's happening?" You ask, feeling confused as to why Harry's freaking out.

Harry continues to shove clothes and other miscellaneous items in his bag as he says, "I accidentally cast a spell on one of Dursley's friends; I didn't even say anything out loud; it just happened. So we have to go like now."

"What did the Dursleys say? Is the friend okay?" You ask urgently as you pack your bag quickly.

"They got mad but didn't really say anything to me yet; they were more concerned with their friend. So we need to leave before they come up here." He states this as he finishes packing his bag.

"How are you always causing trouble around here, Harry?" You ask in a taunting tone.

He gives you a look before grabbing his bag and your hand, pulling you both out of your shared room and towards the front door.

As you and Harry quietly exit the house, you begin to walk around looking for a place to stay temporarily so you can come up with a plan on what to do.

After a little bit of walking, you and Harry finally end up at a park. The sun has set, and now the both of you are sitting on the swing in silence, neither of you knowing what to really talk about.

"Now what? School doesn't start for a couple of days, and we can't just stay here." You mumble, looking at Harry.

"I'm honestly not sure, YN; I didn't really think this through. I just knew we had to leave; I didn't really have a plan. I'm sorry." He states, looking off in the distance.

You turn your head to look where he's looking before saying, "It's alright, don't worry, we'll figure something out. Besides, it feels good to be out of that house anyway."

After sitting on the swing for a little bit longer, it starts to rain—not a heavy rain, but enough to get the things around you wet and you wet as well.

After the rain slows down, you and Harry grab your things and go sit on the curb.

You and Harry let silence take over the both of you, checking out your surroundings, but it was slightly difficult since it was so dark.

As you're about to ask Harry a question, the street light above the both of you starts to flicker. You hear a noise from behind you and turn around to see the swings beginning to move, the seesaw rocking up and down.

As you turn back around, you're hit with wind, yours and Harry's hair slightly blowing back.

As you turn your head towards the woods, you and Harry hear a rustling noise coming from the bushes.

A creature that almost looks like a wolf comes out of the bushes, its eyes glowing as it stares at you and Harry. 

You're about to get up, but Harry beats you to it. He quickly jumps up and takes his wand out of his pocket. As he's about to point his wand at the wolf, he is blown back by a huge gust of wind, practically falling on top of you.

You turn your head and see a tall purple bus coming towards you and Harry.

As the bus comes to a stop in front of you guys, you shove Harry off you, causing him to land on the floor next to you.

There's a man standing on the end of the bus; he looks at you and Harry before speaking: "Welcome to the knight bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor for this evening."

The conductor gives you and Harry a weird look before asking, "Why are you guys down there?"

"I fell over." Harry answers quickly. "Well, why are you down there?" The conductor raises an eyebrow, looking towards you. 

"He fell on top of me." You answer weirdly, looking back towards Harry.

"What did you fall over for?" Stan questions.

"I didn't do it on purpose." Harry grumbles.

He pauses for a moment before stating, Well, come on then! Let's not wait for the grass to grow."

You and Harry quickly get up, looking back towards the bushes to see if the wolf was there, but it was gone. Stan peers his head over to see what you guys are looking at.

"What are you looking at?" Stan whispers. 

"Nothing." Both you and Harry quickly said

Well, come on then, get in," Stan says as he ushers you guys into the bus, grabbing your bags before you can bend down to get them yourselves. No, no, I've got this; you guys get in."

As he picks up the bags (or attempts to), he grunts, almost dropping Harry's bag; he practically passed out when he got it up the stairs.

He then sighed and turned towards your bag, struggling just as much with yours.

When he finally loads the bags on, you and Harry have walked towards the back of the bus, passing people sleeping in beds.

"Come on, move on, move on." The conductor yells rather loudly at the both of you.

Stan rushes in front of you guys and prints out a ticket for you and Harry before knocking on the window behind him. 

"Take her away, yeah?" Stan says, and before you can question him, a shrunken head that's hanging on the mirror yells; "Yeah, take it away, Ernie! It's going to be a bumpy ride!" The shrunken head practically cackles, which causes an older man to jump awake.

He puts the bus into drive and takes off, everything in the bus flies backwards, including you and Harry, both of you falling backwards into a bed.

You sit up and grab onto the bars above the bed. You look over to Stan and see that he hasn't moved in the slightest. "So what did you say your names were again?" Stan asks.

"We didn't." Harry responds, gripping onto the bars above the bed.

He gives Harry a weird look and says, Well, where about are you headed?" 

"The leaky cauldron, that's in London." Harry states quickly.

The conductor turns his head towards the front of the bus and asks, "Do you hear the dude? The leaky cauldron that's in London" He starts laughing, and so does the shrunken head, as it says something you can't understand.

The bus driver continues to drive like a maniac through the street, causing you to worry about people seeing you.

"Muggles?! They don't see nothing." He states it rather smugly.

After that, you decide to pretty much tune everyone out except Harry, trying to make this bus ride slightly more relaxing, which is hard given how bad this bus driver is driving.

Suddenly you hear the shrunken head yell, Ernie, old lady, at 12 o'clock!" You quickly turn your head to the front of the bus, and suddenly you're flung forward into the window, with Harry right beside you.

As soon as the old lady passes, you and Harry get flung right back onto the bed. You look at what Stan is holding and see it's a newspaper that reads: Escape from Azkaban, with a picture of a man.

"Who is that?" You question Stan, Harry nods his head along with your question.

"Who is that? Who is that? That is Sirius Black. Don't tell me you've never heard of Sirius Black." Stan almost scoffs.

He bends down to face you and Harry and says, "He's a murderer; got himself locked up in Azkaban for it."

"Well, how did he escape?" Harry questions.

Well, that's the question, isn't it? He was the first one to have done it." Stan says. He then lowers his voice to a whisper and says, "He was a supporter of... you know who." 

Stan and Harry continue conversing while you look out the window, seeing that you guys are heading straight towards two buses.

Before you got the chance to say something, the old man at the front pulled something from the ceiling, causing the bus to shrink.

Your eyes go wide as you are small enough to pass through the buses. You look at Harry, and his face is so long that you almost let out a giggle.

As you turn into an alley, the bus comes to a stop, with Harry smacking into the window and you to fall off the bed, Harry helps you get up, and Stan looks at the both of you before saying, "The leaky cauldron, here we are." 

As he's announcing his next stop, a bald man whose name you think is Jim walks onto the bus, helping you and Harry and welcoming you inside the leaky cauldron.

A/N: I'm so sorry, I'm going to a family reunion this week and I won't be able to post, I'll be very busy. I'll get back to posting soon!! <3

[hyponautica]

im kinda new to lifesteal and i havent really thought about other members bsides clown and branz but school is gonna enter a break so my brain has finally been alloted time to hone in on this. and i have some design ideas for a few members.

also feel free to tell me anything about anyone if u wanna give info cuz i would also rly appreciate it. im dead srs, i will read bible length text. anyway-

ash is so emo to me. he has that angsty teen in him. long sideswept hair with a bit of it brought over his left eye. im also gonna do that thing i saw a lot of ppl do of that glitchy thing over his eye but on the hair as well cause, it just fits with his skin. i dont wanna leave em too independent to what they actually look like in game

minutes skin is good enough for what i think he would look like! but he definitely has a bow motif on his skin that i wanna add a teensy bit more to! also his hair. not fire, just like, smoky. also a trenchcoat would be good i think. and ive heard some members call him a walking base so i ran with that idea and i wanna give him a suitcase with like infinite space inside.

i think redd is good being left nice and simple! i think the simplicity adds a lot in his case. but i wanna give him slicked back hair, kinda like crocodile from one piece but a bit messier and mb a lil curly to add a bit more uniqueness?? also small demon horns cause the red motif goes hard with that idea + the suit he wears. i also dont know if i wanna keep his face featureless or give him a mask thats a rly similar red to his skin

zam is such a creature. just some sleep paralysis demon creature thing. i like to imagine his head is nothing but an eerily smooth and perfect circle and he just sharpies that signature smile on his face and it really shows when it starts to fade away. also to add to the creature vibe i wanna make him rly skinny and bony, and he hides it with oversized clothes. tho his hands definitely give way to that fact

leo, i also wanna leave him simple but i wanna make him a cyborg. the details would probably be in his cyborg parts (mainly head to draw attention to it). his channel name is on his skin as if theyre initials so i wanna make it like the initials on the side of a helmet? in this case i thought why not make the theme like how ppl imaged robots in the 80s? i dont think i can explain my idea well thru text so i guess ill show ppl when it comes down to me drawing it. i just think the cyborg idea fits when hes basically a walking moai statue from what ive seen in his videos lmao

thats kinda all i have for now which are actual solid ideas in my head! im currently walking home from school rn so its hard for me to focus as much as id like. if i remember anyone else or think of em ill post it later :33 i just havent watched enough of the members currently, itll come to me soon enough dont worry