#but he at least is a bit more conscious of the fact that orion's a famous quidditch star

[carewyncromwell]

“Are we too far apart? Two worlds among the stars? You’re gonna take a piece of my heart if you leave... So it’s two separate ways, Or am I too late to say, I wanna fight for what we got? ‘Cause I believe in family...in family...”

~“Family” by TobyMac

x~x~x~x

I gotta say, I didn’t think I’d become so attached to Carewyn’s youngest cousin Tristan when I decided to write for him in that one drabble I did, but...yeah, here he ended up as a young adult with Carewyn in my sketchbook! Go figure! XD

But yeah, this is Tristan Cromwell, age 18, and dressed to the Goth Victorian nines. Yes, that is his aesthetic -- he would’ve 150% been that Tim Burton-obsessed weirdo kid, if he’d been raised in the Muggle World. I see this being him reaching out to his now-nearly-30-year-old cousin Carewyn at the Ministry of Magic, specifically talking at that one fountain in the center Atrium, which has gone through some changes since its pre-Wizarding-War days and especially since the Wizarding War itself. As you can see, Tristan’s grown up a lot since he appears in that drabble -- a bit personality-wise, yes, but definitely physically. Tristan ends up being the tallest and lankiest of all the Cromwells at 5′11″, making him both an inch taller than his father and the same height as his deceased grandfather, Charles. It also means he towers over Carewyn, the smallest Cromwell at 5′3″.

Despite his and Carewyn’s differences, though, Tristan as a young adult really becomes all the more motivated to fix the rift in his broken family. (I’m not joking, while working on this, I must have played Scott Shattuck’s cover of Waiting on a Miracle a good twenty times, imagining it as a theme for adult!Tristan.) As Blaise’s only son and heir, he’s presumed to be the one who’ll have to take on the mantle of leadership for the Clan, even while the youngest of the Cromwell cousins, so Tristan feels an obligation to do what his father has been unable to and bring Carewyn, Jacob, and Lane back into the fold. One lesson Tristan does internalize that Blaise never does, however, is that love is about sacrifice, not just possessive control...a lesson bolstered by his interactions with his favorite "bastard cousin,” Carewyn. I could even see Tristan seeking out Carewyn’s help with getting a position at the Ministry as an adult, since his father’s influence is far less than Charles’s was back in the day and Tristan’s lack of real-world experience, connections, and social skills hampers him in his job search.

“I’m a Cromwell! I’m not supposed to have to struggle to get the respect owed me.”

Fortunately for however proud and entitled Tristan is thanks to Blaise’s toxic influence, he also is painfully aware of his duty to his family and is determined to be the best Head he can be...even if it required him taking a desk job he’d be miserable at.

“Wouldn’t I, what, prefer to do something else? Obviously. I’ve been locked up inside nearly my whole life -- you don’t think I don’t wish every day I could just pack my bags and go running off into the sunset on some whirlwind adventure, the way your brother does? Hell, reckon even your precious Quidditch player’s able to do that sometimes, with how much travel he must get up to...

“...But...I can’t. Not when it’d break Father’s heart. Not when the whole Clan needs leadership, and just about all of them presume it has to be me. It’s not like it could be anyone else, really. Elmer’s not the leadership sort, and Arsen and Kain...they can’t even score a promotion with the Hitwizards, let alone take charge of the Clan. And Heather, Dahlia, and Iris, feh -- the Manor would probably get burned to the ground in a week if they called the shots.

“I was raised to do this, by my father. I have to do this, the way he has -- but I can’t do it his way. Not just because the Cromwell name’s been tarnished and Father can’t help me get ahead the way Grandfather did for him, but because...well...”

“...You’re not your father.”

“...Yes. And...if anything is going to get better, with our family...if I’m ever going to make things right...I can’t be like him, either. No matter how much I love him and no matter how much I want to make him proud...if I’m going to make that dream come true, I have to do things my way.

“So just...put in a good word for me, will you? Maybe Father’s word doesn’t have weight here at the Ministry, but yours does. You’re the Ministry’s Star Prosecutor, after all. Even if I do have to be stuck indoors all day, well, at least it’ll be a different ‘indoors.’ And I know Father will be pleased, if I ended up in your Department. Sure he’ll see it as the perfect excuse to try to lure you back home...”

Tristan’s lips were curled up in an amused, mischievous smirk, when he said this: one that made him more closely resemble that thirteen-year-old boy Carewyn had seen back at the Cromwell Manor during the War.

As one can expect, Carewyn didn’t flaunt her influence around to get Tristan a job the way he wanted...but, feeling some compassion for her cousin, she did line up several promising Ministry internship opportunities for him -- one with the Department of International Magical Cooperation, one in the Department of Magical Games and Sports’s office closer to Quidditch League Headquarters, one at St. Mungo’s sponsored by the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad, and even three for the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. None of those opportunities, however, were in Wizarding Law. 

Sorry, Tristan -- but I think you’ve had more than enough of being stuck indoors.

After much deliberation, Tristan selected one of the internships for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, specifically the one that required him to work with the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau, exploring more humane methods of transport for the creatures across Muggle-occupied areas. Tristan’s extensive knowledge of magical creature anatomy ended up being very helpful in this task -- though the best part of the experience, by far, ended up being when he was able to finally see a real-life Welsh Green for the first time. After only ever knowing such creatures as models and drawings in books, Tristan almost couldn’t breathe when he was able to actually reach out and touch one, with his own hands.

Blaise would probably be more than a little disconcerted about his son ending up so close to such a dangerous creature -- but in that moment, Tristan couldn’t keep the huge grin off his face as he ran a hand gently along the dragon’s comb, rubbing his wet eyes on his sleeve. He’d never been so happy in all his life.

[analog-machine-writes]

Echoes

Chapter One

----Series Rated : T for Teen

❗----------Implied child death

It knew man—at the very least, it feared man—but why did it fear man?  And how did it know that these men would likely harm it if they were to encounter it face to face?  Orion did not know.  And if it meant asking these rough looking sailors, he’d rather not know.  Their appearance, having topped the dune, was enough to set the message in his skull quite clear:  There must have been a reason they were feared.

The night was black, and few stars shone behind the clouds and the bright white glow of the full moon overhead; a bright reflector of light that, with the help of the vast ocean below, made the brightness near that of day on land, albeit far more stunning to behold.  A gentle wind rocked the surface of the saltwater and, in turn, gently rocked the fishing boat upon it as if it were a hammock, its occupants sitting near a freshly cleaned window, admiring the scene above.

In the distance, some few birds still glided weightlessly upon the air, some seemingly hovering, taking advantage of the cool night to do their fishing.  It felt as though they were trapped inside of a painting to Charles and Orion Gillian, a most magnificent form of awe to experience, especially for a young man of age ten such as Charles.

The boat, from below, held much the same shape as a great fish dead in the water.  Something that drew the interest of much of the marine life, the fish swarming around in curiosity, wondering if they would be able to take part in devouring this creature, or if it was really even a creature at all.

With little thought to it, Orion and his son left the shelter of the boat’s cabin and stood on the deck, admiring the scenery with a few less faded fingerprints and happy faces of Charles’ design.  The light, still almost blinding, was hidden behind a few wisps of clouds, making the stars just that much more visible that it felt as though they were standing in a dream.

A dream that was to turn into a nightmare.

With a sudden jolt from below, the boat rocked, tossing its two occupants to the deck with no warning.  Regathering his wits from the deck of his fishing boat, Orion’s eyes shifted toward their beds, where it seemed a small leak of water had sprung in the cabin, a soft stream of water trickling across the floor that, unfortunately, was a bit too much to have been from their drinking glasses.  A wash of panic overcame him, and he made to lift his son from the deck and carry him to safety—where, he did not know—away from this brewing catastrophe.  But as he lifted the boy and got to his feet, a second jolt came, sending Orion flying to the deck once more, this time with the notice that the water leak was not water but was, in fact, petrol.

Now, more fear in his heart than he had ever felt before, Orion lifted himself to his feet, his son unconscious in his arms, and made for the small lifeboat that was kept at the back of the ship.  Each step weighing as though it were the weight of the earth itself he was trying to move, he trudged forward until a final shake rocked the boat hard enough to send Orion flying from the deck.  As he hit the water, a bright flash was visible above the surface, and shreds of wood flew down through the water around him at speeds higher than they should have moved.

A scream tried to flee his lips as he reached out for his son, but no avail; the deep swallowed all she set her eyes upon, including Orion.  As his vision failed and he sank into the depths of the increasingly cold waters, he felt a hand on his upper arm.  A hallucination?  And then blackness took him.

A time that felt like eons passed.  He was floating freely, only semi-conscious, in a space that could only be described as a dream world.  He could see Charles in front of him, laughing.  He’d no idea what he’d said, but the boy found it hilarious, and above them hung a billion stars, equally as bright as the lovely moon herself.

And then the realization came upon him.

His boat had exploded, his son was now likely dead, though there seemed to be precisely no sign of him anywhere, and he was…  On the shore, three miles away now from the wreckage of his ship…  He could not have swam that distance, even in his wildest of dreams with the most extreme cocktail of drugs and adrenaline.

His hair and clothes were soaked, and he lay on the sand.  His limbs felt heavy, but they were there, and he could move them.  His eyes, too, felt heavy, but they were still there, unharmed and seeing.  His lungs had not filled with water, which was strange, but not unheard of.  As he came to his senses, he groaned, eyes slowly sliding open to confront the looming blackness of the night sky and its bright lunar disc whose presence hushed out many distant stars in the night.  He felt as though he was still going to die, but he knew that he had no choice but to find a way to go back.  He had to find his son.  He had to find Charles.  Even if it was only Charles’ remains that he was able to find, he had to return him home.

A hand, he realized, had been gently touching his face, and the realization hit that he was not alone.  Straining every muscle in his torso, he shifted to see who it was that had come to his aid, and found himself staring into a pair of deep blue, catlike eyes framed by sopping wet long hair and set deeply in a frame of alabaster skin.  Even against the moonlight behind, this person was pale, otherworldly, and certainly not human with its pointed features and lack of many mammalian features.

“W—What are you…?”  Orion asked, his voice a scratchy whisper, a strained shell of what beauty it had been, which he hoped would eventually heal and return to its normal state.

After a period of silence that felt like ages, his rescuer blinked and opened its mouth full of sharp teeth to speak, uttering a single word with a strange, almost strangled and garbled voice:  “Doriemere”.  With which, it offered a smile that, were they to have been in a film, Orion was sure would have been the trigger for some synthesized scream to lead in the eerie music meant to denote this horror of the deep, and Orion felt his blood run cold.

“Are…  Are you the one that saved me?”  Orion asked, praying that this creature that had pulled him from the depths could understand more than just a few simple phrases in English.  “Where’s Charles…?  Where is…  Where is my son?”

But the creature, Doriemere, had no answer and simply shook its head.

For a moment, the man felt a pang of guilt and grief tear away at the mask that concealed his emotions from this creature of the unknown, then he reasoned it was quite foolish to expect something so blatantly nonhuman to understand any of what he had said.  Charles must’ve been alive.  Charles had to be alive, and Orion had to find him.  Whatever the cost, he would gladly pay it if it meant he would be able to hold Charles once again, to see him grow to be an adult, to apologize for failing him.  To apologize for everything.

Before he could stop himself, before he realized that his hand was even moving, Orion found himself with his own hand resting on the face of this creature who had, no doubt, saved him from the wreckage.  This strange picture of innocence, this force of ultimately good will, the thing that neither understood what he was saying, nor who he was, nor likely even why he had been on the water in such a contraption in the first place, yet made the choice to rescue him from a terrible fate…  It reminded him of his son, and for a moment, he wondered if he had hallucinated this strange aquatic humanoid, and if it was really Charles standing above him, hoping that he was going to snap out of it soon.

When the creature, this Doriemere, returned the gesture, however, it was quite plain that it was not a hallucination.  The fingers were soft, gentle against Orion’s flesh, but the long nails that rested lightly upon his face nearly an inch or more away from the careful touch of the fingers’ pads.  This was not Charlie.  This had never been Charlie.  The cold, blood chilling realization that Orion was now face-to-face with a creature humanity had likely never encountered before struck him immediately, and suddenly, he pushed past his waterlogged daze into complete sobriety.  Staring up at this creature, partially obscured by moonlight, he still managed to find a strange sense of calm while staring into its kind, curious eyes.

Be it guilt or grieving acceptance, something eased him into a state of relaxation, and he felt he understood all at once the stories sailors of olde had passed down through the generations of mermaids and strange sea creatures.  The attraction to the unknown, the benevolence and undoubted situational malevolence of something that had never touched mankind before, the innocence and curiosity that could lead to friendship or an unfortunate fate that bred malice where there once was none.  This creature staring back at him had no more idea what Orion was than Orion had of its identity.  “Doriemere” was all it said, were it a name or a species, he did not know, but how would an ant understand, were it to inquire of something’s origins and receive “human” or “mouse” in return?

All of these wonders and perceived revelations swam behind Orion’s tired eyes, and suddenly, the sobering sound of the shouts of men was heard just over the dunes.  In fear, or perhaps more caution, the creature looked to the source of the sounds and backed away, lifting its hands slightly and backing toward the waves, standing only for the briefest moment that it required to sprint—no, leap—toward the water and dive into the sea, doubtlessly heading straight down once it reached the drop-off.

It knew man—at the very least, it feared man—but why did it fear man?  And how did it know that these men would likely harm it if they were to encounter it face to face?  Orion did not know.  And if it meant asking these rough looking sailors, he’d rather not know.  Their appearance, having topped the dune, was enough to set the message in his skull quite clear:  There must have been a reason they were feared.

[siriannatan]

My Boyfriend is a Hero - One-Shot

I was playing Minecraft and had to semi-afk at my blaze farm so… I wrote a thing.

AO3 link for anyone who prefers reading there.

Was Pix a bit miffed his accountant boyfriend cancelled their date because of an 'important project'? Maybe he would be if he wasn't much more guilty of cancelling on Sausage multiple times when the work at the hospital kept him busier than expected. They both came to accept that their schedules were unreliable on the best days. The fact that Empires City was a home to multiple supervillains, vigilantes and heroes only served to make matters worse.

So Pix spend one of his rare evenings off work in front of his TV, with a bucket of popcorn, watching a movie. For it to be interrupted by news coverage of Sanctuary fighting some new villain. What kind of name was Orion? Even with that, he would not complain much. Sanctuary was one of his favourite heroes. Mostly because he always kept victims and destruction to the absolute minimum. Even with how destructive his own powers were.

In typical villain fashion, Orion was not at all concerned with civilians. Luckily Sanctuary was very good at protecting them. Much less himself... making Pix curl up, cringing at the increasing amount of scratches and wounds on the hero. He really hoped Sanctuary had someone good at first aid. Really good.

Pix was so worried that once the coverage was done he couldn't just sit still and had to make himself a calming cup of tea. Not that it had much chance to help. Not with a loud crash coming from his living room as Pix waited for the water to boil. Worried it might be the escaped villain Pix grabbed a rolling pin as he went to investigate the noise.

It was no villain. No, the opposite. On his couch, barely conscious was the hero Sanctuary. Bleeding and beaten up but still breathing. And with his mask off...

"Sausage?" Pix asked, dropping the rolling pin and quickly closing the distance. His mind was racing with million questions but he didn't bother asking them, instead going right to checking others' wounds. "Stay awake, no sleeping," Pix tried to not be too stern as he gently shook the hero - his boyfriend.

"Pix... I got in the wrong window... Sorry..." Sausage apologised before coughing a lot. "Just give me a second and I'll be..."

"No. You'll sit here and stay awake while I tend to all of these," Pix stopped him and ran off to grab his first aid kit.

As he treated Sausage - after getting his tattered shirt off with minor protests from the hero, Pix stopped any attempts Sausage made at explaining himself. That could wait a little bit.

"I'm going to be fine now," Sausage eventually put some more force into stopping Pix's fretting. "I'm already feeling better, I heal quite fast, don't worry," Sausage smiled, much more softly and less hero-like as he gently grabbed Pix's wrists. "I'm really okay, and once again, sorry about cancelling our date..." he added and placed a few gentle kisses on Pix's knuckles. "I'll understand if you want to break..."

"Why would I do that? I might be a bit sad you didn't tell me but... it's not like we were dating that long and secret identities are important to heroes... Just come to me next time a villain beats you up... okay?" Pix stopped him. He was not going to be angry Sausage chose the safety of the city over him. Not today, not ever. "You can stay the night if you want... I should have something that should fit you," he offered, hoping Sausage said yes.

He did, and while Sausage called the friend he was supposed to visit, Pix dug through his wardrobe for some clothes he once ordered online and came at least a size too big for him.

Sausage wasn't kidding he was a good cook. He insisted on making dinner for them to thank Pix for his help. Pix was delegated to saying what's where and making tea. He wasn't complaining, mostly because somehow none of the shirts he found fit Sausage. And Pix wasn't that much smaller than him. Sausage was just ridiculously buff, what usually was hidden by his button-up accountant shirts.

After a great meal, they sat and watched some TV. Bandages didn't make Sausage any less great to cuddle with. Pix didn't even notice when he fell asleep but waking up on a weekend and seeing Sausage's face first thing in the morning was a great change from his usual morning routine.

[deannaroxannewrites]

Tropetember Day 8 - 5+1 / 3+1

You're in my sickbay again...

Pairing: Leonard McCoy x GN!Reader

Fandom: Star Trek (I was writing it as AOS but pretty sure it works for TOS as well if that's your jam)

Rating: Teen and up

TW: Mentions of torture, mention of injuries

AN: Day 8 of @tropetember. Not a massively in depth fic, more like snapshots of situations that occur through the relationship.

3 times Dr McCoy didn't want to see you in his medbay and 1 time he did

Find this story on Ao3 here.

Word Count: 1.3k

1

While you hadn’t been expecting to be beamed directly into the quarantine suite in the Medbay of the USS Enterprise, after three months working with Captain James T for Trouble Kirk, it wasn’t totally surprising either.

Kirk had been invited to a celebration feast in a system you were exploring, but had only been allowed to bring one guest. As Chief Security Officer or CSO, you had been volunteered for the position.

You had done everything you could to keep the Captain away from anything questionable. Sadly, conversations with him usually went something along the lines of:

“Jim, no”

“Jim, yes”.

It was something you regularly discussed in your sessions with the ship's newly appointed counsellor.

Since quarantine procedures were only instigated when the transporter detected an anomaly in the crew members being transported, and assuming it was due to Jim, you just sigh to yourself and shake your head.

“I told you to watch him closely!”

The southern drawl didn’t soften the accusation, even deadened as it was by the plexiglass divider that separated Quarantine from the rest of the medbay.

“I did! I don’t understa…”

You trail off as you have a sudden realisation and groan.

“I found him with his tongue down the Princess’s throat.”

Dr McCoy gives a long suffering sigh.

“I’ll have to run tests on both of you. The transporter team couldn’t definitively tell if you both have it.” He pauses and looks you up and down. “I expected better of you Lieutenant Commander”

“Yeah, cos you’re so much better at this than I am. It was Orion herpes last time, wasn’t it?”

The CMO just smirks and tells you to stop pointing fingers before sauntering off towards the storage cupboard. You respond by flipping him off. And you maybe watch his ass a little.

Turning to the Captain, who has been uncharacteristically silent until this point, you channel your inner McCoy.

“Goddamnit Jim!”

Jim decides that you and Bones are spending too much time together.

2

When Scotty had called to warn Dr McCoy of an incoming victim of an explosion in engineering, he had not expected it to be you.

“You’re in my sickbay again sweetheart.”

He uses a sing-song tone that he doesn’t employ with the rest of the crew. Nurse Chapel, who is at the other side of the bed, takes note to check in with the Captain as to the state of the betting pool. She believes she may have lost.

You nod in response to the doctor’s enquiry. You’re in far too much pain to think of anything more complex than that in response.

“What were you even doing in Engineering?” he grumbles to himself, moving around in the space to grab hypos, bandages, burn salve and a dermal regenerator. “You’re almost as bad as Jim and Spock.”

You try to focus on him but you’re struggling to stay conscious. It’s not aided by the painkillers he dumps into your system.

McCoy gently moves you to be laying on the bed. He’s concerned at the extent of the damage done and the nerve trauma to your arm. To ease your pain, he hits you with a sedative and you’re out like a light.

-------

You groan as you come back to consciousness, the light of the medbay hurting your eyes.

“Welcome back darlin’” you hear.

Smiling despite yourself, you squint in Leonard’s direction.

“I was helping with the repairs on the lower decks. I assumed it was safer than an away mission. Apparently I was wrong.”

Surprised laughter bubbles from the grumpy doctor as he agrees.

“Well, get yourself rested up. I’m serious this time. I don’t want to see you back in my medbay.”

“Sure” you agree, both of you knowing it won’t last for long. Occupational hazard. “Dinner and a movie on Saturday if the mean Doctor lets me go?”

3

It made a change for a mission to go wrong due to something Spock did but in a culture that valued feelings as much more important than logic, it was not that surprising.

Most of the crew had made a successful escape but yourself and Dr McCoy had been taken hostage during the initial skirmish. You’d been thrown in a cell together and that had been that.

Or at least, so you’d thought.

You’d been dragged from the cell, questioned and beaten in front of McCoy in an attempt to find out details of the Enterprise and it’s crew. You hadn’t broken, but by the time you’d been rescued, you definitely had at least a couple of broken ribs, a black eye and various assorted cuts and bruises.

Len was quiet as he helped to repair your injuries. Where you were black and blue, his torture had been psychological. He couldn’t get your screams out of your head.

Noticing his distracted state you grasps his jaw gently, disguising the wince it bring when it pulls a little, and raise his eyes to yours.

“This isn’t your fault.”

His eyes dart away but you stay firm.

“I am trained for this, Len. I’d do it again to protect you. But you’re going to need to let the guilt go.”

He sighs heavily.

“I’ll try.” He pauses to run the regen unit over your upper arm. “You’ll need to do me a favour though.”

“Anything.”

“Go on a date with me?”

Mr Spock had been on his way to apologise for the consequences of his actions but is distracted by the fact that he has won the betting pool. He better inform the Captain and come back later.

1

You’re still not sure how it happened. As CSO, your main responsibility was the Captain and when things went wrong, his safety was paramount. You couldn’t check on everyone else. You just had to trust that your team was doing their job.

You hadn’t even realised Len had been hit until you landed on the transporter pad.

There had been so much blood.

Now, you were pacing outside the OR. It had been hours since the beam out when finally M’Benga pops his head out.

“He’ll be ok. He won’t be working for a few weeks but he’ll be ok.”

Your knees give out from under you and you land heavily on the chair behind you. Tears of relief escape without your permission and you drop your head into your hands.

M’Benga gives your shoulder a squeeze, letting you know where Len is being moved to and giving you permission to stay with him, before heading off to finish cleaning himself up.

You take a deep breath and approach Len’s bed. His larger than life presence is softened in sleep and you can’t help but notice how fragile he looks.

Taking his hand, you place a kiss on his knuckles and then rest your head against the mattress. After nearly 36hrs awake, you’re out like a light

-----

You wake to the feeling of fingers running through your hair which you automatically nuzzle into. It’s nice. Comforting.

It takes longer than you’d ever admit to orient yourself, but when you do, you raise yourself and meet Len’s eyes. He has a soft smile on his face that you can’t help but mirror.

“Sorry for dropping in, I know you didn’t want to see me in your medbay.” It’s a cheeky comment but it widens his smile into a grin. You pat yourself on the back for lightening the atmosphere.

“I’ll let you off this time.” His voice is a bit scratchy from lack of use but it sounds like the finest music to your ears. How could you have been so close to never hearing it again? He continues, “care to join me for dinner? I’m afraid there’s only jello.”

You laugh at the silly grump of a man in the hospital bed. Your best friend. Your favourite person. The love of your life.

“I’d love to.”

[padsnprongs]

this is for @anythingforour_moony’s writing competition!!

Prompt: “Who ate my pudding??”

If there was one thing that Remus Lupin loved more than life itself, it was chocolate. Chocolate bars, chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, you name it, he would eat it practically inhale it. Not only would he gulp down anything with the slightest trace of chocolate, he would hoard it. He had secret stashes hidden all over the school. Throughout his five and a half years at Hogwarts, his stashes had remained undiscovered.

Or so he thought.

Without his knowledge, one silver-eyed, mischievous Sirius Black had discovered his little secret months ago. Actually, if he was being honest, he found it rather endearing. The image of one Remus Lupin, engulfed in that adorable green sweater of his, tawny curls falling onto his face, amber eyes gleaming with that enchanting golden tint that Sirius often found himself mesmerised in, happened to be the main source of Sirius’ serotonin regardless, but adding that to the image of Remus Lupin, curled up with some chocolate from his secret little stash, perfectly content, was even more adorable, if that was at all possible.  

Yeah… Sirius would really have to do something about this crush of his.

And so, Sirius hatched a crafty scheme: he would steal Remus’ chocolate from his stash. Not to eat! Oh lord, no. Maybe just to hide for an hour or two? At least until Remus noticed it was gone, which surely wouldn’t take long; the guy was obsessed. Once Remus had figured out that Sirius had stolen his chocolate, he would probably be rightfully mad. And then he would hopefully start spewing something about morals and boundaries or something. And maybe that, in turn, would help Sirius see that maybe being with Remus wasn’t all he’d thought it up to be, and maybe this silly little crush of his, could finally come to an end. Sirius’ main aim was just to find a way to make Remus mad, and stealing his chocolate was apparently the best way to go about that. 

The plan may have been long-winded and, frankly, ridiculous, but Sirius was desperate. He couldn’t go on like this – just being in the same room as Remus was enough to give him the complexion of a tomato, and surely someone would notice that soon? It was too risky; no one could ever know.

Little did Sirius know just how hard he had fallen.

That was how Sirius found himself sitting in the common room, absent-mindedly watching Peter try desperately to Vanish a table, and James hurriedly scribbling a Potions essay. However, the only thing he could concentrate on was the fact that Remus had just disappeared into the dormitory and was bound to discover what he had done any second now.

Not long after, his suspicions were confirmed. He heard the dormitory door slam, the sound echoing through the tower, followed by the sound of footsteps crashing down the stairs. Remus skidded to a halt at the bottom of the staircase. Sirius’ mouth was dry with anticipation; he could feel his heart about to burst through his ribs. He had no idea what Remus’ reaction would be, but he was notorious for being incredibly overprotective of his chocolate.

Sirius did not fancy his chances.

Remus was annoyed, to say the least. He had had a particularly good day, so imagine his disappointment and frustration when he hurried towards his trunk, only to find that the chocolate pudding he’d been eagerly looking forward to all day, had disappeared. And Remus knew he hadn’t misplaced, or already eaten, the pudding. There was only one possible explanation. One of those three idiots had eaten it. He wasn’t as angry as he could have been, mostly because he genuinely had had a great day, but he was irritated, nonetheless.

That was how Remus found himself storming down to the common room, ready to have a serious conversation with his friends about respecting boundaries. However, not everything goes to plan. When Remus reached the bottom of the staircase, his gaze landed on one Sirius Black. Remus, as so often happens, was mesmerised by the grin which seemed to light up any room, the eyes which seemed to be swirling in the ocean depths, and the hair which seemed to catch the sunlight, shimmering with the slightest movement. Sirius’ charm was infuriatingly distracting, and Remus couldn’t help but to lose himself in those breathtakingly bright eyes, which were gleaming like the moon.  

Come on, Remus, snap out of it. Feeling his face start to heat up, Remus took a deep breath. There was a more important matter at hand.

“Alright, which one of you was it?”

“What’s up, moony?” James replied without looking up.

“Who ate my pudding??” Remus narrowed his eyes at the three boys and seemed to notice Sirius’ eyes widening. As he watched, Sirius ducked his head behind those glistening curls of his, refusing to meet Remus’ gaze. This was unusual only in that the other two boys had looked up at the mention of Remus’ chocolate. It was the reaction of a guilty person. Remus knew it, Sirius knew it, and he was pretty sure James and Pete had also figured it out. 

‘Sirius?’

‘Hmm?’

Sirius still refused to meet his eyes, which only made it all the more obvious that he was guilty.

Remus waited expectantly, hoping that Sirius would say something; this was awkward enough as it was. Finally, Sirius glanced up.

‘Erm… I’m just gonna go take a quick shower… yeah, I haven’t had one since quidditch practice…’ Sirius stood up hastily, but found his way blocked.

‘Sirius Orion Black. If you have done what I think you have done,’ he warned under his breath, enunciating every syllable to ensure the message was crystal clear, ‘I will send you straight to Filch’s office myself, and tell him what really happened in the girls’ toilets yesterday. You can’t fool me.’

Sirius gulped. Although he was aware that he was currently in deep, deep shit, a part of him desperately wanted to make a ‘straight’ joke in reply to Remus’ threat. However, Sirius felt that may not bode well with the fuming werewolf, who was currently glaring into his soul. So, instead, he did the only reasonable thing he could think of; he ran. Scanning for all possible exits and realising the portrait hole was blocked by a giggling group of girls, he sprinted straight for the stairwell. Taking the steps three at a time, his heart pounded nervously as he heard Remus in close pursuit. He slammed open the dormitory door with enough force to make it rattle in its hinges and dived for his bed. Rolling across the bed, Sirius fell through the drawn curtain on the other side and landed on his feet. Although he personally felt that this was a move worthy of James Bond himself, there was no time to dwell, because he had probably pissed Remus off even more, if that was possible.

Speaking of Remus, Sirius had no idea where he’d gone. He could swear his pursuer had been mere footsteps behind him moments ago. Narrowing his eyebrows, he approached the dormitory door cautiously, when, out of nowhere, Remus barrelled around the corner, straight into him, and rugby tackled him to the ground. Winded from pure shock, Sirius could do nothing but flail desperately as Remus wrestled him onto his back and pinned his wrists above his head.

Suddenly, all the anger and all the panic evaporated. Their faces were mere inches from each other, and Sirius could hardly breathe. Remus was staring into his eyes, and Sirius noticed how the amber seemed to darken and his pupils seemed to expand.

But he had no time to think, because he could feel his heart pounding faster and faster, even though he had stopped running. He would have guessed that it was because of the pure intensity that comes with someone laying on top of you, pinning you to the ground, and staring deep into your soul, seemingly getting lost in your eyes, but his brain could barely comprehend what was happening.

Wait. No. That pounding he had felt? That wasn’t his heart. That was Remus’ heart. What? Why would Remus’ heart be beating faster? Shut up. Suddenly, Sirius became hyper-aware of Remus leaning closer to him.

‘Erm…’ he managed to mumble, now oddly self-conscious of how his breath smelt.

‘Tell me to stop.’ Remus whispered, so softly that Sirius could barely hear. Tell me to stop what?? What does that even mean?? What is he doing??

Remus was now so close that their breaths were mingling, and if Sirius moved slightly, he could probably have brushed their noses. Why the hell would I move slightly?? Are you crazy?? Let’s just see what he does.

And Sirius barely had time to process what happened next, because Remus’ lips curved into a soft smirk, no I am not watching his lips thank you very muc- HOLY SHIT, and then they crashed against his.

Remus’ lips. Crashed against Sirius’ lips.

Sirius’ nervous system was going berserk, his brain was short circuiting, and all he could think about was every point where Remus was touching him.

Time seemed to slow down; everything else faded away until it was just him and Remus.

Remus’ mind had a similar reaction. He swore he could see fireworks behind his eyelids and, despite his nervousness at initiating the kiss, what if I misinterpreted it?? I’ll literally ruin our whole friendship!! Ah you know what, fuck it, he ate my pudding, we don’t have a friendship anymore, those few moments were possibly the best of his life. But then, if it was possible, those moments grew even better; gradually, as they both got over their initial shock (and, let’s be real, a little bit of *gay panic*), they relaxed into the kiss. It turned away from passionate and hungry, and more towards comforting and slow.  

Sirius’ intestines seemed to be fizzing and twisting, his fingers tangling themselves in those golden curls that he was so incredibly crazy about.

Well, he thought, that’s my plan gone to shit.

[pokegeek151]

The long awaited, what if Orion was well written part 6/??

Previous

(TW for mentions of restraints, IVs)

Artemis entered his body with a jolt that would have shaken him off the bed had his wrists not been strapped down. The bindings were soft but firm. Perhaps silk.

For a few moments, he laid there, shaking and shivering with aftershocks. As his body settled, he glanced around to try to gather some information about where he was.

Holly was hovering nearby, watching him with nervous tension coiling her muscles. Butler stood by the door, the face of professionalism in a way Artemis knew was compensation for terror. He caught sight of an IV stand above his head, and a picture began to paint itself in his mind.

"What happened?" he asked. His throat was dry and scratchy.

Dr. Argon's voice came from somewhere outside of his line of sight. "Who are we talking to?" he asked.

Holly glared and moved closer to the bed. "You wouldn't wake up, so we had to resort to more...drastic measures," she said delicately, pointedly ignoring Argon.

"Electroshocks?" he asked, though he was fairly confident in his assessment.

"Not my idea," Holly said, "but we know it works, and we needed you awake."

He relished the few minutes of clarity he had upon switching before the complex took over. "Me specifically?"

"Either of you, though getting Artemis out would have been nice."

"And why is that?”

Holly let out a bitter chuckle. "Well, Artemis," she said, "because you've been unconscious for over a week now, and keeping you hooked up to a catheter and a nutrition pump isn't exactly our favorite long term solution."

Artemis let his eyes close again. A week. Had it really been that long? Time in the mind space was strange and soupy. “Orion put his metaphorical foot down,” he said. He knew everyone would be curious about what had happened, and saying it out loud would help him organize his jittering thoughts. Electroshocks were not a fun experience. “He waited me out. He sat in his chair and refused to leave, putting the care of the body onto me.” He shook involuntarily as the memory of the shock came to him. The shattering of glass and the buzz of electricity would stay with him for some time, he was sure. “He said he would never force me out, so he made you do it instead.”

“He didn’t make us do anything,” Holly said firmly. “We didn’t even know what his plan was.”

“We didn’t know he had a plan at all,” Butler said, finally breaking his silence.

Artemis balled his hands into fists at his sides. “It was too well coordinated. The moment I let down my guard, the shock was administered.”

“Artemis,” Holly said, almost a plea.

“You are already slipping back into paranoia,” Argon declared. Artemis was sickened by the hint of excitement in the doctor’s voice. “I am hesitant to remove your restraints, given your violence the last time you were conscious.”

“I’m not going to be violent,” Artemis said at the same time Holly said, “We can handle him.” She glanced over awkwardly, but he refused to look at her. The last time she had ‘handled’ him involved him being sedated, and the memory of it still stung. “Can you at least remove the IV?” he asked.

“Oh! Yes, of course!” Argon answered. He called for a nurse, and Artemis grit his teeth. He hated the thought of a stranger coming over and touching medical equipment hooked up to him, but he also knew that he had to be as agreeable and normal as possible. Argon could be authorized to do just about anything if Artemis wasn’t on his best behavior.

Almost the instant the nurse removed the IV and scurried away, Butler approached the bed to undo the wrist restraints. If Argon had any objections, Butler easily glared them into submission.

“Thank you, my old friend,” Artemis muttered as the first strap opened.

“I will feel much better when you aren’t tied to your bed,” Butler replied.

“I, as well.”

Once freed, Artemis carefully sat up and rubbed his wrists. He had pulled harshly on the restraints when he had been shocked, and though he wasn’t injured, the skin was a bit red and sore. When he looked up, Holly was standing in front of him.

They met each other’s eyes for a moment before Holly spoke. “What Orion did was brave. It might feel like a mistake, especially once your treatment starts up again, but it was the right thing.”

Artemis realized she was somehow staring past his eyes, not into them. “I don’t think he can hear you,” he said. Orion’s exhaustion was like a waterlogged shirt in the back of his mind, and he suspected Orion was taking a long break after the mental battle of attrition. He wasn’t yet sure if he was mad at his alter, or if he simply had to accept the fact that his protector was doing his job, but he knew he himself ought to feel some remorse for the suffering he had caused.

Holly looked almost disappointed, just for a moment, but she covered it up. “Well, when you get a minute, let him know.”

Artemis simply nodded. It was perhaps best not to tell her that Orion might not wake up for quite some time.

[fanficflaneuse]

Sleepless

A/N: Hello, magical tumblr beings. First of all, I can't to thank you enough for all your love and support on my very first imagine ever (you can check it out here). I wrote yet another fluffy, sickly-sweet, absolutely self indulgent imagine. I hope you like this one as well! 

Details: 

Draco Malfoy x reader (she/her pronouns). 

Words: 1689 

Summary: the reader has insomnia and decides to roam the castle in the middle of the night. Fluff ensues. 

Disclaimers: so Draco’s characterization here was a bit of a problem. It still bothers me a bit. This is fluffy and a bit pointless. Mentions of Dolores Umbridge. 

(Y/N) got tired of tossing and turning in bed. The soft snoring of her roommates only made things worse. She peaked through the curtains of her four-poster bed and saw Hermione sleeping. Her best friend had fallen in the arms of Morpheus a while ago.  And there she was, unable to close her eyes as the night seemed to stretch infinitely.

(Y/N) couldn’t remember a time in her life when she hadn’t suffered from insomnia. Usually, the sleeping draught helped her, but these days the stress around her was so overpowering she hadn’t even ventured into Madam Pomfrey’s realm for a small dose.

This year things were agitated to say the least. Pained by the tragedy at the Triwizard Tournament, Harry insisted that Voldemort was back. People were harsh. They mocked him, spread rumours about how he had lost his mind, accused him of lying. Some even claimed that he had murdered Cedric Diggory. She was one of Harry’s closest friends and she had her own reasons to believe him, which meant she was also a member of Dumbledore’s Army.

If the strain of running an underground society wasn’t enough, the fact that Dolores Umbridge had taken over the school gave plenty of reasons to drive anyone mad. The sickly-sweet pink lady was one of the most hateful people (Y/N) had ever met. She seemed to have taken a bow to make students’ lives miserable. She was dead set against Harry and the three people she, rather contemptuously, referred to as his “dream team”, which, of course, included her, along with Hermione and Ron.

The icing on the cake? (Y/N) had a crush. An annoying, deeply confusing crush on the one boy she definitely shouldn’t be ogling at. She blamed Snape for this. Hadn’t he decided that (Y/N) and Hermione had to be separated in his class, she wouldn’t have to seat next to the most hands...stupid and obnoxious Slytherin in the whole school. She wouldn’t have to talk to him every day, notice the little gestures that made him seem so vulnerable, so human. How his big grey eyes could hold so much emotion. How he had expressive eyebrows. How the corners of his lips curled just slightly in an awkward attempt to the friendly to her. How he’d fumble with his family ring and pout when he was confused. How he had this one single curl that wouldn’t be tamed regardless of how he combed his blond hair. How he would always treat her with kindness, albeit with a bit of playful cockiness, even when he was horrible to her friends.

Yes, it was totally Snape’s fault. Now, she not only had to deal with the butterflies and the blushing, the typical embarrassment of such situations, but also the guilt of liking a guy who’d call her best friends horrible slurs and created elaborate campaigns to discredit and embarrass them. What was wrong with her? She felt like a traitor.

If Ron thought Cho Chang could explode from an emotional overload, (Y/N) felt she could combust then and there.

Tired of being in bed, she pushed her covers and stood up. She slid into her linen night robe and slippers and left the room, swiftly and silently as a cat. It was not the first time (Y/N) roamed through the castle late at night. Walking helped to ease her mind and she found that the castle seemed more beautiful and enthralling the darker and lonelier it was.

(Y/N) was so distracted she didn’t realize she had unconsciously walked all the way to the astronomy tower. She decided to climb up, something she had never done in all of her nightly rounds. Once she walked through the door, (Y/N)’s gaze met those stormy grey eyes that gave her both butterflies and heartache at the same time. She gulped and took a few steps back. If she could’ve guessed, she probably looked terrified at the moment; he was, after all, part of Umbridge’s inquisitors.

“(Y/N) wait,” he said softly.

“Will you report me with Umbridge?” she asked, panicky.

“What? No. I just… what are you doing here?”

“I can’t sleep,” she shrugged.

She turned around to leave when she heard him whisper a “me neither” that sounded a bit desperate. She pictured his lips curled down ever just slightly and, finding the image adorable, decided to turn around. (Y/N) found him fiddling with his ring, which made her smile. He looked so shy and a cute that she couldn’t believe it was the same guy who could make her knees buckle with one of his infamous cocky smirks. She walked towards him while crossing her arms, suddenly self-conscious of her choice of outfit.

“Why so shy?” he asked, trying to go back to his cocky, confident persona, complete with checking her out. He thought he had nailed it until she raised an eyebrow in response, which made him cringe at his choice of words.

Draco Malfoy was used to having his walls so frighteningly high it was conflicting for him to interact with someone he actually wanted to let in. With her, her smart questions, her kind smile, the way he treated him as an equal and how she seemed to be interested in what he actually had to say, he felt the façade crumbling to bits. With his walls down, though, his “suave” persona turned a bit to dust. Around her, he felt dorky. Draco Malfoy dorky? Merlin, if his father knew this.

“Why can’t you sleep?” she asked absentmindedly, completely disregarding his last question. He noticed how her gaze shifted to the sky, her face full of wonder. He looked back at the stars as well and spotted Orion immediately.

“I have a lot in my mind,” he answered, “what about you?”

“Me too,” she answered.

“That’s Taurus, right?” she asked, pointing at the wrong constellation.

Draco smiled. Whenever they finished their work with a few minutes to spare, they would seat down and talk about their interests. Astronomy and Greek mythology were amongst the many topics they covered. He shared his knowledge on the first and learned about the later.  

The conversation then changed topics and they found themselves sitting on the floor, backs against the railing, sharing laughs and jokes and experiences. It was the first time they had the chance to have a full-on conversation, to ramble, laugh and be unapologetically friendly. Usually, their conversations ended after the bell rang. Tonight, they could talk for as long as they wanted to. Make each other blush as many times as they wanted to. Seat as incredibly close to each other as they wanted to. No one was waiting for the outside of the classroom, nobody would judge or mock them for being friendly with the other. Suddenly, (Y/N) was not mad that the night seemed to stretch infinitively.

“So, you believe Potter,” Draco pointed out.  

There was a bit of fake annoyance in his voice.  The conversation taken a more serious tone when she mentioned something about his inquisitorial squad.

“He is my best friend,” (Y/N) answered, shrugging once again.

“Pansy is my best friend and I don’t believe half of the things she says,” Draco stated, trying to light up the mood once again. He mentally patted his back when (Y/N) laughed.

“If there is one person that truly knows Harry is not lying it’s you, Draco”.

She said this without a trace of malice in her voice. She was merely stating a fact. Draco could’ve pretended he was offended, he could’ve scoffed and stormed off, how dare she imply he and his family had something to do with the Dark L Volde You Know Who? He could use that to stand up, close that door and never see her again, not have to deal with the terrible crush he had on her. But here’s the thing, he didn’t want to do any of that. He wanted to keep talking to her now and every single day. He wanted to see if she felt that same tickling in his stomach whenever he was around. And he wanted to kiss her. So so badly.

Besides, everybody knew his parents had connections to the Dark Lord. And his father…his father had been acting rather strangely when he got back home from his fourth year. He had talked nonsense all summer. It hadn’t taken him too long to connect the dots. He knew Voldemort was back. There was no doubt about it. But until he decided to reveal himself, he had to play his part. And thus, the whole Potter stinks campaign had started.

“(Y/N/N)…” he looked down, sad and ashamed.

She put her hand on his arm and their eyes met again. Draco was transfixed. (Y/N)’s heart was pounding hard on her chest. She leaned in slowly, trying to catch a glimpse of his reaction. Their noses were almost touching. She put one of her hands gently on Draco’s cheek and he leaned into her touch. The both closed their eyes as their lips finally touched. The kiss was slow at first, a bit shy even. But then they got comfortable with each other, his hands travelled to her waist, the hand that wasn’t on his cheek tangled in his blond hair. The kiss became hungrier. He bit her lip, she slithered her tongue into his mouth.

When they finally pulled away, Draco looked at (Y/N)’s flushed face and found himself absolutely smitten.

“I fancy you, Draco” she blurted out.

Draco gave her a huge, wholehearted smile. She smiled back.

“I fancy you too, (Y/N/N),” he said as he caressed her hair softly.

The kissed again and again, sweet chaste kisses and pecks that made them both erupt in giggles. Draco felt on cloud nine. (Y/N) couldn’t believe what was happening. That night, they didn’t speak of every possible way in which things could possibly go wrong. They didn’t talk about Draco’s concerns and certainties, about the war to come. They didn’t talk about (Y/N)’s guilt about her friends. They just kissed and talked and held each other all night.

And it was a beautiful night.

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Back again with one of my classic asks. With spooky season nearly upon us, I’d love to know what you think the boggarts are for the HPHM crew. 👻

Oh snap, I’ve thought about this a lot and it’s another one of those magical signatures that flesh out a character that are always fun to think about. Let’s see what I can come up with! This is going to be very disorganized and I apologize for that. 

Some of the characters are confirmed, we know for a fact that Tulip and Penny’s Boggarts are Merula and a Werewolf respectively. We also learn some of the other characters’ fears, although it’s not confirmed if they would be their Boggarts. Bill fears losing his family, meaning his Boggart would very likely be the same as Molly’s. Though it might be an easy way out, I think that Charlie would have the same values and probably have the same Boggart. Rowan feared failing their exams, which means that maybe it would be similar to Hermione’s and just be their Head of House condemning their failure. Or perhaps someone closer to them. Just imagine Rowan seeing their brother, or MC looking at them in disappointment? 

Barnaby is said to fear clowns, and that’s genuinely hilarious. However, I have to wonder if they would  really be his Boggart form. Though he pushes it down all the time, Year 5 makes it very clear that he lives in an abusive household. I’ve seen a lot of head-canons that Lucius would be Draco’s Boggart, but I’ve never agreed with them because however terrible Lucius was at parenting, he was never abusive - at least not to Draco. Barnaby, on the other hand? I wouldn’t be surprised if his Boggart is his father. Alternatively, I find myself remembering how he gravitated toward Merula and Ismelda, despite how they would hurt him. MC helped him see that he was being used. Maybe Barnaby fears being hurt by people close to him? Maybe the Boggart would be something more like a shadowy, scary figure - beckoning to him. The dissonance when one isn’t sure about the difference between abuse and love.

Then there’s Tonks. She’s said to fear losing her abilities. This is one of the only times she ever talks about her shape-shifting powers in a serious moment that isn’t played for laughs. She fears losing her powers? Why would that be? I think I know. I think I know why she constantly makes animals noses, and has her hair pink or purple or whatever color. I think I know why she prefers her surname. And sure, part of it would be that “Nymphadora” sucks as a name, but it’s not like “Tonks” is that much more “normal.” No...I think Tonks wants to distance herself from her mother’s side of the family. I think she’s low-key ashamed to be related to people like Bellatrix. I bet she’s the spitting image of Andromeda, who as we know, is the spitting image of Bellatrix. Maybe that’s why Tonks never shows her real face. Why she embraces the muggle side of her family more. Why she would fear the loss of abilities that let her present herself as she wants to be. As to what her Boggart would physically look like? Maybe Bellatrix herself.

We don’t have any canon information about any other characters, but let’s talk about Ben. I can’t say for certain what his Boggart would be, but I know where his fear lies. Ben is keeping some kind of secret. He’s definitely on our side, but he’s not telling the whole truth. Maybe he’s trying to protect MC, I don’t know. But I bet he fears, or at least feared, what MC’s reaction would be to learning this secret and learning that Ben lied. Imagine his Boggart being MC hating him and turning their back on him for it. Of course, after Chapter 18, I think it would turn into Rowan’s corpse. I doubt I need to explain why. 

Let’s get a bit obscure for a second. This one is more of a head-canon than anything else because there really isn’t any evidence for it beyond how I interpret the character. But when it comes to Badeea, I think she fears the loss of her senses, and her awareness. To put it simply, she fears losing her mind. Being unable to appreciate the world for all of the beauty and wonder it has, all of the new secrets she can learn. I think she’d be afraid of going blind, because that would painting a lot more difficult. I can envision her Boggart taking the form of Badeea herself, visibly unhinged. Blind and stumbling around, muttering to herself. 

I’m not sure what Liz would have as a Boggart, but I have to assume it would reflect on what she finds important. The things that are important to us are ultimately going to shape our greatest fears. Liz is an activist, we know this. I think she fears the evil that humanity is capable of, especially to the innocent. She fears the trauma that cannot be spoken, because the victims lack the language to ask why this is being done to them. Children and creatures, primarily. I could see Liz’s Boggart taking a couple of different forms. Maybe a wounded animal in a cage. Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out what a Boggart would do for the more abstract fears...

Merula is one of the characters that I know exactly what her Boggart would be. At first it was Jacob’s Sibling. She feared them, felt intimidated by them. We know this - that was the real reason she locked them in a room with Devil’s Snare. She’s also envious of them - I wouldn’t be surprised if they played some role in her Erised vision as well. But post-Portrait Vault? Come on, we all know who her Boggart is. That seems almost like a given. You may be surprised that I’m not listing her mother, but Pre-Portrait Vault and post, I just don’t believe it would be. I’m not saying Mrs. Snyde is a good person or a good mother, but Merula seems to genuinely love and miss her. 

Chiara is different from Remus in that he hated himself for what he was. I don’t think that Chiara does. I think she has self-respect, but just because that’s true, it doesn’t mean the rest of the world respects her or would look at her with anything but fear and hatred if she shared her entire self. We see this with her trauma over what happened with Selina, and I think we have our answer right there. Young Selina, screaming and terrified when she saw Chiara’s transformation. We never got official confirmation that this was her Boggart, but it’s exactly the kind of thing that would be. It represents all of her insecurities. And sure, MC witnessing her transformation may have helped with that, but I don’t think for one second that it all went away. 

Talbott is another character who all but tells us what his Boggart would be. It’s said that many people who grew up during the First Wizarding War had Voldemort as their Boggart, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Talbott did. (Would make far more sense than MC having Voldemort as a Boggart, that’s for damn sure.) Or if not Voldemort himself, a Death Eater. Could also be his parents’ corpses. Hell, he said that they only found his parents because of the Animagus Registry. Suppose they were killed in animal form. Suppose his Boggart is a swan, lying slain and bloody. There are multiple forms it could take, but it’s crystal clear what Talbott fears the most. He fears the people who murdered his parents, and he fears that he’ll suffer the same fate and that they will have died for nothing.

Okay, I knew you were waiting for this one. Skye Parkin. Another character who’s anxieties are worn on her sleeves, pretty much blatantly. I’m not sure what form the Boggart would take. But it seems clear to me that she’s insecure about her own talent as a Quidditch player, not to mention her lack of social skills. She’s under tremendous pressure and she would have anxiety about not living up to that pressure. Would her Boggart take the shape of Ethan? Maybe. But similar to Merula, I’m not sure because at least on a conscious level, Skye doesn’t seem to realize that she fears him. The Boggart could just as easily take the shape of Rath. Either way, it would have quite a bit of fear to go on. 

Let’s talk about Jae. I’m not sure how canon this is but I’ve heard that the reason he’s dealing in Dark Artifacts is for the sake of his mother, and I really like that idea. It implies that there’s a lot more going on with him and with his family. I can only assume there’s no Dad in the picture. I can only assume that perhaps they aren’t doing that well financially. He can bond with Charlie over that. In any event, I think Jae’s biggest fear is his operations shutting down, that he might get caught or busted. Because he probably depends on this business to help his mother. Not sure what form that Boggart would take, perhaps Ministry wizards showing up to arrest him? Perhaps something to do with his mother? 

Ismelda. Oh Ismelda. Again, we all know what the source of her fear and her pain is. We all know her baggage. Then again, I think her reaction to her family has manifested more into hate, than actual fear. On the other hand, she seemed pretty scared when she thought Merula was going to ditch her for MC. I have to assume that, at one point, she desperately wanted her parents’ attention and feared that they would never love her, before she settled into bitter acceptance of that. I think Ismelda’s fear would look similar to Badeea’s, in that it would take the shape of Ismelda herself in the state that she fears - her being all alone with no one caring about her. Or maybe it would take the form of her sister, throwing this in her face.

Orion seems to value one thing more than anything or anyone else, and that is his family. He lost one family before, and now he has a new one in the form of his Quidditch team. I think he has an interesting perspective about them, and however odd his choices may be I think he’s fully invested in helping them and seeing them grow into the best people and players they can be. I wonder if the reason he’s hesitated to get too involved in the whole fiasco with Skye, is because he fears conflict? If so, I can relate to that. Or maybe he sees something that we don’t. Either way, I don’t think he’ll ever kick Skye off the team because she’s part of that family. His Boggart is probably something to do with his family, and serious harm coming to them. I’ve always speculated that his family died of natural causes. Maybe he fears his new family will dissipate in similar ways? The old fear of losing touch with people after everyone leaves school? Again, this is getting primarily into head-canons and I know I’ve rambled on, but I wonder if his Boggart wouldn’t be the members of his team, reuniting with him and barely remembering or caring about him...

I haven’t covered everyone, but with characters like say, Murphy and Diego and Andre, I have genuinely no idea what their Boggart would be. These are the characters that I’ve had ideas about for a while and I’m so glad I was able to share them, so thank you for that!

[danetobelieve]

It’s The End Of The World || Orion, Ricky, Winston. ft Lydia

TIMING: the night of 12/06/2020 (12th June) LOCATION: Abandoned Warehouse Rave on the docks PARTIES: @3starsquinn​, @ricky-corderbro​, @danetobelieve​, @inspirationdivine​ SUMMARY: Rio, Winston and Ricky attend an end of the world rave. Ricky is jet lagged. Winston is stressed and makes bad decisions and Orion throws up. Lydia makes a new friend. 

Winston wasn’t really feeling like going partying. Actually, going raving at the potential end of the world was apparently what everyone else was doing and when Todd had excitedly explained that they were going to be invited to a rave that he was playing at, well Winston hadn’t really been keen to go. But after a few drinks and some arm twisting, Winston had been convinced to go along with their other friends. They’d gotten dressed and were stepping out of the taxi that had dropped them off by the warehouse near the docks and Winston was nervous. They’d pre-gamed a bit before and they were tipsy, but that didn’t change the fact that they had seen some shit with Rio. They knew what needed to be done to resolve this and they weren’t going to be involved. They couldn’t change what might happened and honestly Winston had never felt more helpless. “Todd told us to just say we were here as his guests and show him our tickets and he’d let us in,” Winston adjusted their glasses a little, “all ready?”

Orion’s anxiety had been through the roof. He wasn’t sure if he had found the time to mention this to either of his roommate’s, but he hated parties. He had been to a few now. All times dragged against his will by Athena to some frat house where he proceeded to find the farthest bathroom from the noise and hide out. He had gotten so little sleep the last few weeks studying everything about this demon language that he wasn’t even sure he could stay conscious at this party. He had already dozed off in the car multiple times on the way here. It definitely didn’t help that Rio barely knew this Todd character that Winston and Ricky were friends with. He just hoped that the two of them weren’t like Athena was at parties. She usually stuck around for about ten minutes before ditching Rio. He wasn’t sure he was equipped to handle that here. “I’m sure this goes without saying, but I am definitely not.” Rio sighed, yawning and rubbing at his eyes. “I think I need… a drink. Or several.” Rio found himself saying, the exhaustion and stress getting to him. Rio had never been drunk before, he had never even had more than a couple of sips of alcohol. This was going to be a long night.

One very early and very long plane ride and one incredibly hellish layover in LaGuardia later; Ricky was back in the US, back in White Crest, and apparently on his way to a rave that Todd was DJing at. Truth be told it wasn’t the thing he wanted most to be doing right now; a long bath and about three straight days of sleep sounded a lot better. But even though he was still adjusting to his human body after a straight week and a half in his true form with his extended family and was still trying to figure out how to move with legs instead of swimming, he was happy to be home with Winston and Rio. Even if they were crammed into the back seat of a taxi. “I need something with caffeine or I’m going to pass out. I haven’t even had time to unpack yet; I wore these clothes on the plane, and I am not nearly awake or put together enough to make it through tonight without some help” They all fell out of the cab and Ricky stretched, sauntering up to the door with a smile on his face. “Hey. Cordero, Dane, and Quinn. We’re here as guests of the DJ.” He held out their tickets and waited for them to be let in, turning to his friends as the walked into what felt like a solid wall of sound, even to Ricky’s terrible hearing. “Well. To the bar?” 

As a large and very muscular bouncer led them through to the warehouse which had been brightly decorated in UV paint, Winston headed straight for the bar and probably would’ve made it if they weren’t accosted by a number of scantily clad men and women who attacked Winston with paint similar to that which was decorating the walls in patterns of eyes, spirals and cascades of colour that shone brightly in the darkness. The music was booming and before Winston knew it they were as brightly coloured as the walls, their t shirt was ruined and they definitely needed a drink now if they hadn’t needed one before. “Three actually six jaeger bombs please and like a vodka coke,” Winston passed the bombs round to their friends and swallowed them with a grimace, gross. They immediately regretted their drink of choice and tried to slam away the taste with copious amounts of vodka coke which some how made it worse. “Uh, maybe this wasn’t a good idea?” 

The group was ambushed by some fanatic painters. Orion’s hoodie and jeans were sacrificed to their whim, and though Rio mostly let them do their thing, he was very adamant about his sleeves remaining down as they trailed their brushes across him. They compromised by spending extra time on his face and neck, which only slightly stressed him out knowing that he had no way of knowing what they had drawn on him. He was totally lying; it really stressed him out. Even more reason to drink. Winston ordered a concerning amount of shots at the bar and Rio tried calming himself down. This was what he had wanted, right? “I uh- can you just make me something super sweet? Like really really sweet.” Rio smiled nervously, pulling the fake ID that Athena had procured for him out of his wallet. The bartender barely gave it a second glance before shuffling off to make their drinks. “Is this where I die?” Rio found himself asking aloud, taking a moment to glance around the place. It was packed wall to wall with glowing, dancing people. The music was deafeningly loud and it was way too hot for the hoodie that Rio refused to take off. Rio didn’t waste any time when the bartender brought the drinks over. He slammed the first shot as quickly as he could, immediately coughing and clearing his throat. “Oh my god ew! Oh god this stuff tastes like battery acid. Why would they make this? This was a terrible idea.”

It was only because he’d let Winston and Rio enter the warehouse before him that Ricky had enough time to react to the glow paint artists, whipping his shirt off and tucking it into his back pocket before they covered him with geometric designs that pulsed in time with the flashing lights. He pounded the two Jaeger bombs that Winston had ordered him, wry smile crossing his face as it looked like Rio might die from the alcohol content, “Only the first two taste like battery acid. It’s when they start tasting good that you gotta start worrying about how fucked up you’re getting.” He ordered himself a vodka soda and looked around the crowd, sipping his drink. This might not have been exactly what he’d wanted to do on his first night home but he was getting enough appreciative looks from appropriately handsome men to make this night potentially worthwhile. “This was a great idea, Winston. Don’t even second guess it. We’re supporting our bro, getting drunk, and getting his on by crowds of people who appreciate the fact that all three of us are studs. Should we go say hey to Todd? Least let him know we’re here jamming out to his set?” Finishing his drink he ordered another one, tipping the bartender heavily as he started to wind his way through the crowd and up towards the DJ booth. 

The crowd pulsed and throbbed as everyone danced. Winston could barely help themselves from getting into the mood. They were pretty drunk now, two jaeger bombs and the vodka, not to mention everything they’d had before. Grabbing Orion’s hand, Winston dragged their friend slowly through the dance floor. “Battery acid is exactly what I imagine these taste like, but they’re also going to make this way more bearable way faster.” It was hot and Winston couldn’t imagine how Orion could stand being in just a hoodie but they weren’t about to push the matter as they slowly made their way through the crowd of sweaty bodies that were doing their best to move along to the thrum of the bass and the blare of the drums. “It’s going to take us forever to get towards the stage,” Winston was sure that being on Todd’s guest list meant that they could do this the easy way, but right now they were too drunk to really think clearly and honestly, if they were going to do this then they might as well enjoy themselves, “Ricky you gotta go first and clear us a way you beefcake.” Winston giggled tipsily, unsure if their friends had even heard a word they said over the roar of the crowd and the hum of the music. Maybe slightly against their better judgement Winston was starting to enjoy the end of the world. Why not have a good time? Right?

Winston and Ricky was the only solace that Orion had right now. They were grounding him in many ways. Mentally, they were keeping his anxiety from completely spiraling. Physically, they were the only reason that Rio hadn’t ran from the place as soon as he stepped foot inside of it. Right now, the only thing Rio could focus one as how hot it was. He was sweating, and kept pushing his soaked hair out of his eyes with the hand that wasn’t being dragged through the dance floor by Winston. “He is a beefcake isn’t he?” Rio giggled, shutting himself up by taking a long sip from the fruity drink the bartender had mixed him. It tasted way better than those shots had. Rio took another drink. People pushed against them as they pushed onward and Rio found himself ducking and dodging flailing arms as they danced to the music. How did they think with how loud the music was? The dim lighting, trippy glowing colors, deafening music and crowd was making Rio dizzy. The place was disorienting enough,  but Winston’s hand dragging wrapped around his was making Rio’s head spin all it’s own. Another drink. “Do you think Todd hates me?” Rio found himself asking, a question he would usually never ask anyone aloud, especially mutual friends of the guy. The alcohol was working way too quickly. Another nervous drink. “Don’t answer that that was dumb. Let’s just find Todd.” Another drink. Oh no, he was almost out already. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Oh jesus. You guys are already drunk?” Ricky slammed back his drink as they made their way through the crowd, effortlessly parting the sea of people with his aptly-described beefcakeness, “That’s me. Dumb of brain, thicc of heart and ass.” He made sure he had an eye on both Winston and Rio at all times; this definitely didn’t seem like either of their scenes and he wasn’t about to lose them to a random drug trip induced by someone random ravegoer. He almost missed Rio’s question, and it was only because he’d turned around to check on them that he was able to read the other man’s lips, “What? Of course not. I don’t think Todd is capable of hating anyone, like biologically. It’s in that man’s blood to just love everyone and be the chillest of chill bois.” As they passed by a smaller secondary bar on their way to the DJ booth Ricky ordered a couple of shots and pounded them in quick succession, “It’s harder for me to get drunk.” He explained as he set the small glasses back on the bar and gave the bartender a nod, “We got more blood than you guys.” Eventually he muscled, smiled, and danced them a path through the dancefloor up to the booth where Todd looked like a) he was having the time of his life and b) he was on about seven different drugs. This close to a bank of speakers it was impossible for Ricky to hear anything except the bass so he just waved and shot Todd a smile and a thumbs up; those were pretty universal, right? 

“Hey, we’re not all build like a brick shit house Ricky,” Winston replied with a giggle as they sipped their drink through a straw and gently squeezed Rio’s hand. They could barely hear anything that Rio was saying, but they were pretty sure he’d just said something about Todd hating him. Which was absurd. “Of course Todd doesn’t hate you, Ricky’s right, he couldn’t hate you if he tried.” They flashed them a reassuring smile and had to admit that they kind of envied the amount that Ricky could drink. He seemed like he was having a good time on his own without needing to be drunk. It took them slightly longer to get over to Ricky and Todd, as they were separated in the buzz and hum of the crowd. Left with just Rio, Winston was eventually able to pull them close enough to Todd to wave from the crowd and grin, but despite the potential impending end of the world, Winston had to admit that they loved this song. “Fuck, this is actually pretty fun,” they said dancing in place, hand still clutching Rio’s fingers, “I’m probably just really drunk.” 

Orion felt a little bit better, with the assurance that Todd didn’t hate him. At least as far as Ricky and Winston are concerned. Rio was way too aware that he wasn’t sober. Or maybe he wasn’t nearly as aware as he thought he was. Was that possible? Was drunk Rio capable of being faux aware of being drunk without actually realizing just how drunk he was? Did any of that make any sense? The confusion made Rio giggle. Rio knew his tolerance was going to be awful considering he hadn't drank before, but he had hoped that being a hunter might give him at least some semblance of an advantage. But Winston was clearly just as bad off, because he was suddenly dancing along to the music, a song that Rio wasn’t familiar with. There was a noticeable difference now. Even drunk Rio could tell. Before, moving through the crowd together it just made sense that the two would hold onto each other so they didn’t lose their way. Now… well the two were standing next to one another and Rio’s fingers were still in Winston’s grasp. “You’re definitely drunk” Rio laughed, watching them dance along to the music without moving their feet. It was more swaying than anything else. “I think I’m drunk too.” Rio admitted. Was two shots and a mixed drink normal for someone to get drunk off of? Despite his internal monologue telling him not to, Rio found himself starting to sway in rhythm with Winston, trying to play along with him. If he tried to focus on the music he might be able to ignore how the only part of his body that he could focus on was the hand that Winston was holding onto. “I’m uh- I’m glad I came here. With you and Ricky.” 

It was a semi-familiar sensation to Ricky to stand on the outside watching other people. It hadn’t escaped his notice that Winston had grabbed Rio’s hand when they’d started working their way through the dancefloor, and it definitely didn’t escape his notice that the hand holding hadn’t stopped when they’d reached the DJ booth. He watched as they both drunkenly started to dance, a wry smile across his face. It wasn’t the strangest pairing he’d seen. Honestly it sort of made a strange sense. Ricky started to dance with a guy who’d been giving him a meaningful look while he kept an eye on his friends. Nothing wrong with cutting loose and having fun but he didn’t want either of them to end up the meal of some rave-stalking monster. Which in White Crest was a distinct possibility. The song made a smooth transition into the next one in the set, expertly guided by Todd’s skill, and Ricky leaned in to take the sharpie offered by his dance partner, quickly scribbling his number on the back of the man’s hand before moving back to stand near Todd. He was still close enough to keep an eye on Winston and Rio but not so close that he was infringing on whatever moment they were about to have. 

The world was spinning. But gently. Winston lumbered around, convinced that they were the most graceful dancer that had ever lived. The music slammed, pulsed and pounded. Todd was so good at this Winston thought as they slipped closer to Orion for a moment before prancing away (okay maybe it was more like a stumble). Their head felt thick and Winston wasn’t sure that they were that drunk. Then the world took a turn and Winston fell into Orion. Their hands coming apart for a moment and Winston couldn’t help but grip Orion’s surprisingly muscular shoulder. It wasn’t that he was Ricky ripped. There were no muscles glistening at obtuse sizes. Rio was just toned. The muscles were there but they weren’t for display or pretention (Ricky). Orion always kept everything covered up, always wore long hoodies or jeans or whatever and Winston wondered why in that moment they weren’t dying from the heat. But they didn’t care, they couldn’t let go, not for a second. Sure they’d used Rio to keep themselves standing, but it was more then that now. Winston’s breath caught in their throat as they looked into deep hazel eyes. Biting their lip, Winston felt the Earth stop spinning for a moment. 

Orion had finally relaxed. The music was still too loud. People still crowded around Rio’s personal space. And it felt like Rio may have a heat stroke at any moment. But he had pushed all of that to the back of his mind. Because he was having fun. With Winston, dancing here and definitely drunk. He didn’t even care about how dizzy or lightheaded he felt. Rio was convinced that Winston’s hand holding onto his was the only thing keeping him from floating off into space. When Winston practically fell into Rio, something else finally clicked into place. This was what Rio wanted. Rio knew that things were different with Winston. That the way he felt for them was different than his other friends. But Rio had never looked further into it. Had never wanted to. It made sense. Winston had it all. They were smart and talented. They were passionate about things and had a lot in common with Rio. They were really, really pretty. In spite of the alcohol and music drowning out his senses, Rio’s feelings for Winston were overwhelmingly clear in this moment. And that was terrifying. “Uh- you okay there?” Rio asked, trying to sound concerned but way too busy processing. Plus, he was pretty sure he was also laughing at how clumsy Winston had been.

Giggling, Winston felt someone brush past him. They must’ve been big because Winston was pushed closer to Rio. they basically had their arms drunkenly wrapped around their ‘friend’ at that point and Rio’s lips looked so soft. The world swirled and Winston was having the best time. Despite the odor of sweat and the sticky floor. Not to mention several drinks which had already been spilled on them making them smell of stale beer, Winston couldn’t help but admit to themselves that Rio might be the best smelling thing that they had ever encountered. Their eyes were captivating and Winston couldn’t help themselves. One second they were just looking into Orion’s eyes. Then they weren’t sure what they did. They weren’t sure why they did. They weren’t even completely sure how they managed to do it but they were stood staring at Rio one second and the next Winston was kissing him. Gently at first, their lips just brushing against one another, Winston could feel the other breathing and they couldn’t help but close the gap between them, pulling Rio close as they embraced him. 

Orion wasn’t sure who initiated it. Right now, Rio wasn’t sure how he was able to keep himself from toppling over. All he knew was that one minute the two had been dancing and laughing and now they were kissing. Rio fumbled his way through it. Intoxication may actually be working in his favor, helping to make up for the lack of experience and general awkwardness that under normal circumstances may have sent Rio spiraling. This was his first real kiss right? Sure, Winn had kissed him in acting class but that had been during a scene. It was in character. It wasn’t real. This was real. And it didn’t take long for Rio to forget any fears and melt into it. He ignored the added heat and welcomed Winston moving in closer, Rio wrapped their arms around their neck as if letting go would end the moment. Rio was desperate for this moment to not end. Who cared that they were in public and that a million people could see them? Who cared that Rio usually hated PDA. All he cared about right now was this moment with Winston.

Honestly. Winston had never really dated a lot. It wasn’t that they weren’t interested, it was more that other people weren’t necessarily interested in them. Which was fine. Winston had been busy for a long time, working on a million and one different projects. Always too busy to pursue someone who would just reject them anyway. But suddenly, in that moment Winston knew that they had been missing out. If every kiss felt like this then Winston was sure that there was something here that they should’ve been doing way sooner then this. Holding Rio tightly, they kissed them until they couldn’t help but pull back for air. There was a feeling of elation, of intoxication … fuck Winston didn’t know if they were just drunk but they wanted to kiss Rio again and so they did. Why not? What did they have to lose at the end of the world anyway? 

If the world truly was ending, this was exactly how Orion wanted things to go. With Winston, exactly like this. And Ricky... speaking of him, where was Ricky? The urge to scope the place out for him was distracted when Winston kissed him again. “Holy... Woah” Was the most poetic thing that Rio could manage to mutter once the two had pulled apart again. Rio was gasping for breath, a mixture of the heat and making up for the oxygen Rio had deprived himself of while making out with Winston. This was exactly what Rio had wanted, and Rio couldn’t help but be... happy. The thought made Rio’s stomach twist. The other shoe has to drop soon right? Something would have to go wrong. It always went wrong. Because the world wasn’t ending. Even if right now, Rio would have been perfectly fine with that. For the longest time, Rio had thought that the kiss had sobered him up. He hadn’t felt more grounded since they had arrived and he hadn’t been thinking this clearly in days. But it all came rushing back to him now. Rio was dizzy, sounds around him were nothing more than a loud buzzing and the contents of his stomach swam, threatening to force themselves back up. “So sorry- I just I have to uh- bathroom. Need bathroom.” Rio tried stating clearly before abandoning the attempt completely and rushing off into the crowding, desperately trying to push his way through before he completely lost his cool. And his dinner.

Winston was convinced that they were in heaven. They couldn’t breath but they didn’t need to breath. They had everything they needed and if they could have made a moment exist and last for a life time then Winston would’ve wished for this moment to span for centuries and millenia because in that second they realised all at once just how strongly they felt for Rio. He was so smart, and so kind and he cared so much about doing the right thing that he had rejected his birth identity and his own family because he couldn’t do what they were asking of him. Winston had never met anyone who was so good and pure and kind and Winston didn’t know how to deal with these feelings. “Oh, of course, sure, no … worries.” With that, Orion was gone and the kiss with it. Winston felt panic crack in their stomach and turned to look for Ricky. But he was gone. Either with someone else or the jet lag was too much. Catching Todd’s eye, Winston made it clear that they were heading out and decided to give Orion some space. Texting them that they were heading home, Winston left the club, much drunker and much more ashamed then they’d been when they came in. 

This was terribly macabre, and thus terribly White Crest. Beach balls painted white to look like eyes decorated this distasteful establishment, and even with ear buds in the music pulsed too loudly to be comfortable. Although if the world was ending, who cared about ear health? It was nothing in comparison to a banshee scream, but still unpleasant. Quieter, gentler music appealed to her more, but the talent at play here was undeniable. Her eyes drifted to the stage, as the DJ announced the end of his set, and another began. She squeezed through the crowd, under sweaty arm pits and past leering men, hurrying to meet him. He’d caught her eye last time, too, but she hadn’t been able to get close then. Now, there were no friends to squeeze through. “You’re Todd, the DJ that performed the last set, right? You were incredible.” The artistic potential rolled off him like waves in high tide. She looked him over, a smile curling over her features. Oh yes, he would do ever so nicely. Lydia’s stomach rumbled. “You look like you might like some company.”

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

Pairings: Platonic DLAMPTR (Platonic DLAMPT plus Remus)

Word Count: 1695 Words

Summary: Deceit gets lost in the Witches Forest on a quest with Remus and this go more horribly than either ever thought possible.

Warnings: Sympathetic Deceit, Amputation, Blood Mention, Injury, De-Aging, Abandonment, Angst, let me know if I should add anything else.

Note: Anything like ‘this’ is someone’s thoughts. Bold like this is a lie.

Based on this imagine.

I Deserve An Answer

Stumbling through the forest is annoying. He was lost, again. Ugh, where was Remus? That idiot would be easy to find. He didn’t even remember why he decided to do this venture with the intrusive side. Maybe Remus had even lost interest in the quest and had left him here alone.

At last, Deceit stumbled into a clearing and fell to his knees. Black fog was rolling in this clearing and he got the feeling that this was very much not good.

“Who enters my domain?“ Came a dark, feminine voice. Before he could even answer, he felt something burning and the world was suddenly too big when he woke up again. Dee wiped his eyes and began wandering around the forest, trying to find someone.

Remus was worried, he’d gotten too lost again. Dammit! If he was lost, where was Deceit!? He’d been wandering for days lost in this damn forest before he finally managed to escape.

He sat at the edge of the forest and waited. After all, a gatekeeper could find his way out, right? Deceit shouldn’t be lost forever. Right?

Remus heard howling soon enough and his heart dropped. No, nonononono! He ran into the forest to follow the sounds. But, by the time he got to where he’d heard the sounds from, there was nothing there. No Deceit, no wolves, nothing but white foggy magical leftover and blood all over the forest floor.

A light witch. A light witch had Deceit.

Deceit woke up full sized not knowing anything. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was wandering the Witches Forest with Remus and being lost. He tried to get up and realized that his arms hurt.

“Stay down, dearie. Surely those still hurt.“ He looked over at his right arm seeing that there was metal connected to the skin there and it hurt. It felt like it was strained under the pressure of the metal but it didn’t feel like it weighed a lot.

“You’ve been out for quite a while. You slept an entire month.“ A month!? God, getting up hurt. His legs hurt so he guessed those were metal now too and it could only send fury through his bones that he needed these damn things.

“Would you like soup, dearie? You look hungry.“ The witch asked and he numbly nodded with the slow shock settling over him. The witch moved his metal hands to fit them around a bowl and she set the bowl in them, making sure he could hold up the ceramic before letting go.

“Now don’t move those arms too quick, you might hurt something. Thankfully, I know a good doctor here in the light who was willing to help with your therapy, so your arms have gained a little strength back but they’re still weak.” He nodded numbly again and simply held the bowl against his lips.

He didn’t think anything could possibly taste better but it probably was because he hadn’t eaten while conscious for a month. The word kept playing in his head though. Weak, he couldn’t be weak, he was the gatekeeper, he needed to defend the barriers. He wasn’t made to be weak. He was made to be strong and to defend and for battle.

‘Who could keep the dark sides at bay without me?’ He thought in his numb stare.

The witch did the same thing as it neared, what Deceit assumed, was dinner time. She did the same thing with his hands, did the same thing handing him the bowl, gave him the same warning to make sure he didn’t move too quickly.

And, at nearly sunset, the doctor the witch spoke of came around and evaluated him mentally before he began helping him move his arms and legs to get strength back in them.

The routine continued for another month before he got up enough strength to move around his legs and arms by himself. After a bit of him being awake and actually eating, the witch, whose name he learned was Hazel, also began giving him solid food.

He hated being treated like a child. He hated feeling like a toddler on his unsteady legs. He had more than his fair share of breakdowns over the new limbs and phantom pains of his previous ones. These ones were attached to his nerve endings, he could feel them. That didn’t quite make anything better.

Let alone did the fact that his new metal arms being attached at the shoulders help anything. It just meant his entire arms had been gone before the metal prosthetics were attached. While his leg prosthetics had both been at the middle of his thighs.

Hazel had been remorseful when she told him about the prosthetic’s attachment and had informed him about how she found him mangled and bleeding out and had to call the town doctor to come help. They’d both spent hours attaching the metal to the nerves and having to cut away skin and making it so the prosthetics would heal correctly.

After around five months of the therapy, Deceit was back to full mobility, his senses had dulled finally back to the same sensitivity his real arms and legs had been accustomed to, and made most custom with the sized by the doctor that had been helping him. He was, in no way, happy with the other sides.

Remus abandoning him, Roman not noticing a hurt citizen of the light side of the Imagination, Virgil not sensing his fear, Logan not knowing something was off, Patton not feeling the moral shift of the entire Mindscape. He was just furious at them. They had to have noticed at some point that he was, at least, gone into thin air. Unless they just didn’t care.

So, he decided, show up the first time someone lied. And, happily, he giddily did so when Logan lied about his feelings during a somewhat easier debate, one that wouldn’t have happened if only he hadn’t been recovering when the problem happened. All four light sides, Thomas, and even Remus were in the living room.

He showed up next to Patton, between the couch and window, without a word. He said nothing. What could he say? ‘You left me alone’, ‘you abandoned me’, ‘you ignored my absence’. He couldn’t simply confront them.

He felt lost for words and his fury seemed to drain for a moment. he sobered up from his rage with the realization that maybe he should have stayed in the Imagination, that he should have never came back. He felt tears already building up. It was too much.

“Deceit?“ Thomas almost sounded incredulous to see him. All eyes suddenly turned to him and he choked back tears. He needed to be the strong one, he couldn’t let them know he was weak. He’d never be weak again, he had promised himself that he wouldn’t let it happen again.

“Deceit, you came back.“ Remus was quiet when he spoke, so unlike himself before but the single sentence sent him right back into fury. Remus had no right to be worried about him now if he’d abandoned him for six months!

“Why are you here this time?” Patton snapped at him.

Silently, he rolled up his sleeves and stared at the moral side with tears burning in his eyes.

“Because I deserve an answer! Why didn’t anyone notice me gone for six months? Explain to me why I had to be turned into a child, lose my limbs, get found by a witch who managed to turn me back, have to go through therapy for five months? Why didn’t anyone care!?“

He knew he was being harsh. He knew he was just too angry to stop himself. He knew he shouldn’t yell at them. But he was just so overcome with the emotions he’d locked away that he had ignored for months that he knew he was crying even while he screamed at them.

He promptly collapsed to his knees and began hiccupping with tears from his overwhelming flood of emotion. He was being weak. And he hated himself for it, but he just couldn’t stop the tremors of bitten back sobs making him shake or the tears that rolled down his face in waterfalls. He hated how weak he felt.

“Dee, I...“ Remus was still quiet as he sat on his knees next to him and held his hand, examining the metal. “Believe me, I tried to find you. You have to believe me. I got lost too. I tried to find you. This whole time, I’ve been looking for you.” Remus assured him.

He wanted to be mad, he wanted to. But Remus had been worrying over him for six months, he’d been searching for him. Deceit hated that he wanted to forgive him but he did because Remus was never this straightforward, nor was he lying. He couldn’t stop crying, though, and Remus gently brought him into a hug.

“I’m sorry, Cecil.“ Remus wounded like he was about to cry. Deceit looked up at him and wiped his eyes of the traitorous tears to see his friend and fellow dark side. Remus indeed did have tears on his face and Deceit hugged him back.

“It’s okay.“ He assured. He almost had shoved the emotions he’d had flood him back into their damned cage before Virgil came bounding over and hugged him as well, followed by everyone else until he was buried between everyone in a pile of bodies and he couldn’t help but feel wanted and loved.

With the cuddling came apologies and reassurances and crying from everyone. Once they all managed to untangle from the knots that were supposed to be hugs, they all made him gravitate to the couch and cuddled him further there with Black Cauldron playing on the TV in the background.

Deceit didn’t stay awake much longer given his emotional outburst but he knew he fell asleep between Virgil and Remus just like they used to be on movie nights in the dark side. The light sides and Thomas were all cuddled close too, all watching Black Cauldron until they fell asleep as well.

Taglist: @just-another-rainbowblog @nonasficcollection @hiddendreamer67 @avocados26 @cryptidcherrry @sparkleformeknow2 @heyitsmeimjustkindahere @analogicalroyalitythings @please-nope @anxiousclarinetcat @toostressedforthisbs @pxrpleprincey @zoeysandersofslytherin @ab-artist @orion-sprinkles-stardust @promptsdotorg @deceitissnekboi @acefromohio @wolf87lover @melodemonica @humanities-eleventh-hour @pumpkinminette @bi-piper-mclean @just-heres-stuff @ambersky0319 @mannyfandomswarningmanyfandoms @iampengwing @ninja-wizard101 @totellismert @imonlyhereforthefanfic @tothestanders @kimothyinajar @stressed-depressed-andobsessed @youre-not-alive @mariita-2006 @benevolent-deity @dahliadragonheart @fangirlingrightnow44 @hgaymes6 @happysarcasm @taylor-is-done

[little-opti]

Another what if

Orion chased after Megatronous, optics bright as he wildly tried to grasp the gladiators arm. Servo barely brushing against grey plating before being pushed away. The grey gladiator turning towards him with a snarl. “What do you want?!” The voice was a blade through the spark.

Orion stilled, frame trembling slightly at Megatronous voice. Fear gripping his spark, his vents seeming to stall. “Well, Prime!” Megatronous said, gesturing for Orion to speak with a growl.

“Me-Megatronous I di-“ his explanation cut short as Megatronous gave an exasperated sigh. Optics narrow as he stared at Orion, who shooked at the sight of such hate. Shoulders hunched as he shifted uneasily, optics darting everywhere. “I shouldn’t have trusted a data clerk.” He said already turning around to leave. But, paused as one arm was tugged on, helm turning back to see Orion’s servo gripping his own.

“Let go.” He said, trying to keep himself calm. But, when Orion shook his helm he growled out ready to push the mech away. Only to freeze as Orion lifted his helm, optics blazing with anger as he tighten his grip. “No, I won’t!” The small mech said, his voice firm as his dermas formed a frown. “Not until you hear me out..” he added after, voice softening just the slightest.

The gladiator took a moment to think over what Orion said, sighing as he gestured him to talk. The red and blue mechs optics lighting up in joy. His processor trying to formulate a coherent sentence to explain everything. But, after a few seconds that proved pointless. Sighing, he decided to speak without thinking about his sentences. “Megatronous, I’m sorry I didn’t mean for this to happen. I-I just wanted to help.” He muttered out, helm lowering in shame. “I swear, it wasn’t for my own gain!” He added quickly.

Megatronous grunted, optics looking away before speaking. “You think an apology will fix this? It won’t, Orion. Right now, I’m not sure whether I can trust you or not.”

“But, you can! Megatronous, look at me.” Orion spoke, trying to get the gladiator to look at him. Optics dimming as Megatronous didn’t comply right away. About to step away before the gladiator stared into his own optics. His spark thrumming in content. He always loved to have Megatronous attention. “Am I truly different? Does it look like I’d do anything to betray you?” He questioned, voice quiet.

“What are you getting at?” Megatronous asked, huffing out in irritation. He always hated when others spoke in riddles. Seriously, why wasn’t Orion being direct?! Sighing, Orion placed a servo over his chest plates. “I don’t plan on being the Prime..I don’t deserve to be one.”

“Orion, regardless of what you promise me, it’s still going to be hard to believe you.” Megatronous retorted, trying to muster up a growl, a snarl, anything really!

“What, because of this?!” Orion gestured between the two, obviously referring to the ‘betrayal’. The grey mech shook his helm, sighing out tiredly. “Orion, just a moment ago, you spoke against me, against the cause.”

“I didn’t speak against the cause! I spoke up because I believe that there is another way to getting the freedom we want!” Orion countered, spark quivering at Megatronous words.

“BUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO GAIN OUR FREEDOM, IF THOSE BASTARDS ARE SO COMFORTABLE LIVING UPON ANOTHER’S HARD LABOR!” Megatronous shouted out, clawed servos clenched into tight fists. His plating bristling, as he scowled.

Orion flinched, stepping back his spark shaking in fear. Megatronous had never yelled at him before. Yes, they bantered, but they both were playing and never got upset. His blue optics straying to the ground. “But, being demanding will? Megatronous, I do know that your way has merit, but so does mine.”

The large grey mech stood there, unable to comprehend what he just did. His optics slightly widening as Orion shook with fear. His optics dim as he looked to the ground and spoke. “...” He has nothing to say! His processor was a blank as he stared down at the small archivist.

Orion unconsciously hugged himself, bitting his lower derma. “How can we accomplish anything, if this rips us apart?” He questioned, slowly looking back at the gladiator. “How can we be stronger then the council, if this breaks us down?” His voice was shaking now, irritation replacing his fear at the silences. “Answer me!”

Megatronous silence angered Orion even more, the small mech huffing as he let go of the gladiator’s servo. Pushing past the large frame, optics trained forward as he seethed. Megatronous thought about letting him go, just letting the archivist leave his life. But, the thought made his spark shudder in denial, arm reaching out without his conscious decision. “Orion..”

“And now you speak!” Orion growled out, whipping around to glare at the warframe. His servos clenching and unclenching as he stomped towards the grey mech. “Orion, were you speaking the truth?” He questioned, optics averting the fuming mechs blue ones.

“Of course I was!” Orion bluntly said, crossing his arms while tapping his ped impatiently. “Why would I want to be Prime, if it means I’d lose you?”

“But, you’d be able to do so much more being Prime.” Megatronous pointed out.

Orion huffed, rolling his optics at the fact. “Yeah, and what good will that power be, if I’m manipulated into being a perfect puppet for the council? Why have power if you can’t really use it?” He countered.

“But-“

“No buts! I may be compassionate, but I am no fool, Megatronous. I could see the truth in their optics. I’d only be Prime in name only, a figurehead to fool the gullible.” Orion snapped, frame shaking as he felt like screaming. All of this was just horrible!

“...And where do I come in? From what I can tell, you can take care of yourself.”

“Because,” Orion began, pointing a blunt digit towards the grey mech. “at least you’ll make sure that I don’t blindly walk into a trap. You’re the only mech who can make me see reason. The very being that keeps me in-check, who stops me from being stupid.”

“I..I never thought of it like that.” Megatronous muttered out, his previous rage long faded as the conversation progressed. His dermas curling up, as Orion smirked. “And that’s why I connect with other mecha better then you, Mega.”

“Oh shut it, Orion. At least I can keep calm.” He retorted, chuckling at the light wack he got. “At least I’m willing to show my emotions.”

——————————————————————————

I thought I had posted this already, but apparently not.

[avengers-nextgen]

OH THAT LAST ASK. How did each of the parents react to the first time their kid said that had a crush on someone/started dating someone?

James: First crush was Mia whom he’s still close friends with since they went through training together. Anyways, both Nat and Steve were surprised because James was very much the kid who showed little interest or desire to even consider romance. He just hated it. It was a distraction, a pain in the ass, and not worth it. Until he got his first crush of course. Both Nat and Steve tried to keep their cool, but they were too blown away. They couldn’t contain themselves and were very excited for James to an embarrassing point.

Arthur: Okay, we know Arthur’s first relationship was bad. It wasn’t healthy. But! He did have a crush on a neighbor once when he was younger. Unfortunately, that neighbor ended up moving after one summer. However, Stephen and Christine helped Arthur out because he was a real confused baby boy. He was all “I like them and I’m really sad they’re leaving but I don’t know if it’s cause I like them more...than friends...y’know?” So it was very sweet and cute. They just talked it out and helped him when he was sad after the neighbor moved.

Penny: Penny’s first serious crush had Scott losing his mind because he didn’t trust the kid one bit. Penny was in 8th grade at the time and head over heels for this basketball player. Scott hated the kid. He was “arrogant, self centered, and a big old douche.” Of course, Hope never let Penny hear any of that. Penny would have to learn on her own. But that didn’t stop her or Scott from keeping a very close eye on the kid.

Piper: Tony finding out about her first small crush just sent him on a rant about his first crush. Ultimately nothing came of it on Tony or Pepper’s side because Piper never really mentioned it after that. Partially because it was a girl she liked with a quote on quote ‘boy’s’ name. So, mentioning it was harmless but she was very self conscious about being asked further questions beyond a name.

Fox: Her parents didn’t do anything really. Granted the relationship with Vincent wasn’t healthy at all. They just kind of shrugged and let it be. Much to Fox’s eventual detriment.

Chloe: When she realized she really had a crush on Ethan she panicked. This was only worsened because of her anxiety. It took ages for Stephen to calm her down and tell her he was okay with it even though he teased and gave Ethan a lot of crap. In fact, Stephen had to tell Ethan that the reason Chloe hadn’t hung out with him for a whole two weeks was because she liked him. When Chloe told Ethan he pretended Stephen hadn’t told him a thing about her mid life crises.

Nathaniel: First and only crush was Ellie and let’s say Laura was a complete mess. Her baby boy was growing up but she couldn’t be too sad because Ellie was so cute. Ultimately,Clint was the cool dad who Ellie really liked because he was funny and care free. Nathaniel was thankful that his dad could be in the room with them and not turn into a blubbering mess like Laura.

Siyanda: Siyanda’s first crush was Acacia. (Rest in peace). And both her parents kind of knew about it well before Si did. They were very conflicted because they love their daughter but at the same time there’s a whole lot of politics, conflict, and stress that goes along with a same sex relationship. So they weren’t overly thrilled but not dissaponted. It was more of an emotional mess that they had to grapple with because they understood the consequences of life more than Si did.

Thalia: Thor didn’t have much of an opinion on Siyanda. Honestly, he was just happy that Thalia was happy and had someone to hang out with. He’s never really interacted all that much with Si but he doesn’t mind. As for Sif, she adores Siyanda. She admires her warrior attitude, the responsibilities she has as a princess, and how she can balance personal life with royal life.

Scout: Scout’s first crush was a boy in his kinder class. That kid turned out to be a real jerk. Wanda was gonna throw hands with the boy but ultimately didn’t. Anyways, she and Vis knew early on that Scout liked boys but they never brought it up because it was something he should come to terms with himself. They didn’t want to force any ideas on him. So they just smiled and listened any time a particular name popped up a lot in conversations as Scout was growing up.

Orion: Despite being a dreamy space boy, he never really had crushes before Scout. And his family was all super accepting when he came out. I mean, Mantis and Gamora were the first to figure it out but the others were chill too. Although, explaining to Drax what ‘gay’ meant was rather funny.

Alex: Alex’s first crush was Sage obviously and that was kept under wraps until everyone saw them kiss and by that point it was a little too late. Steve And Nat ended up talking about it in private and they had mixed emotions about it. Neither of them hated Sage but she was a wild card to say the least so they were uncertain about her. The last thing they wanted was Alex getting hurt. So they watched from afar and have slowly come to terms with the fact that Sage would never intentionally hurt Alex.

Sage: I mean, technically if we go by celebrity crush, Valkyrie was Sage’s first crush. Which was funny as hell for Loki and Lena because Sage went through a phase even when she was suuuuper little where she wanted to get muscles. Never ended up working since she’s still pretty thin and a bean pole.

I think I got everyone but I’m not sure.

[flowers-in-your-dustbin]

All the numbers again (second tag reblog)

1: When you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? More milk than cereal cause I like to drink it!

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? Yeah, but when I can get into the warmth after that's even better!

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? I try to remember the page number instead so usually end on a multiple of 10 or 5.

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? Tea: Two sugars, milk, hopefully brewed by the gal. Coffee: I don’t!

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? Kinda!

6: do you keep plants? Nope!

7: do you name your plants? None to name!

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? Oils if I had the money for that so typically watercolours

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? I am right now.

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? Typically side, but back is fine. Not stomach really!

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends? Oh My Gouda.

12: what's your favorite planet? Uranus ;)

13: what's something that made you smile today? My gal surprised me with a beautiful orchid

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? Edgy expose brick aesthetic

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! Uranus’ blue glow is due to an abundance of methane which filters out red light.

16: what's your favorite pasta dish? Spaghetti carbonara probs! Especially cooked by the best.

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? I don’t! I did want pastel pink in August.

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. I had a paddy fit in primary school because I used to always sabotage my meals so I didn't eat them but I spilt milk on something I legitimately didn’t mind having... I cried over spilt milk.

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? I do! I write the days events and my feelings, I draw key points or little objects. Not all the time tho.

20: what's your favorite eye color? A nice hazel-y to chocolate amber brown woop

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. A grey Kanken Fjallraven, if Switzerland counts as hell, there you have it.

22: are you a morning person? Yeah! I’m straight too!

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? Exactly that, nothing. With a side of music.

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? Only the one.

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into? An abandoned slaughterhouse. Soz vegans

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit? Black old skool vans hehe original

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? Strawberry!

28: sunrise or sunset? Why not both in a day?

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? I’m not sure!

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? I’m not sure, close calls/

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. I like socks. Weird socks are fun. So are odd ones. I do not sleep with my socks, nor do I confine myself to white sock hell.

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. We had deep convos for the time, we probs cried, then probs went to sleep.

33: what's your fave pastry? Uh choux just cause I can remember that is one. Hahahaha.

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? I had one called Baxter Bear which was the best, he was quite obviously a bear with a red scarf and his own passport. I threw up on him in the car and he was never the same again, he disappeared short after. Don’t ask about Scrubs the dog.

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? I do, I just don't use them often.

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now? The xx

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? A healthy middle.

38: tell us about your pet peeves! Couldn’t possibly. There’s a fair few.

39: what color do you wear the most? Probably black? Emo ik.

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you? I own a necklace I got for my 16th its very cute and only comes out when I have heterosexual days to masquerade it. It’s nice.

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving? The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde, it’s my favourite ever. I don’t read as much as I used to, sigh.

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! There’s a cute local one. They do unreal Nutella pancakes and its quite central and very aesthetic-y. Yum!

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? My gal, typically on the way to my car where I point out Orion or The Dipper. It’d be nice to do it properly sometime.

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? Two days ago.

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? When I need to.

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. Someone mentions a dog, then I normally incorporate the word ‘ruff’ as a homophone for ‘rough’ and get death stares. But I like it.

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? Gherkins.

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? Abandonment/loneliness hahahah yes it is.

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? I do like buying records yeah! I can’t say until April the 23rd but I’ll have bought another by then.

50: what's an odd thing you collect? I don’t think I do have anything odd!

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? Uncomfortable by Wallows, as well as Fast Food by D.I.D and many many more.

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? The new Patrick one is doing pretty good.

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? Nope, nope, nope and nope!

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? My dog. I didn't walk him.

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point? Hahahah you wouldn’t want to know. 

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? Feeling secure with them, if you get me.

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? CAN YOU DO THE FANDANGO!?!?!

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? K is probs the wine mom bc I'd say A but she’s not as sensible, thus A gets the Aunt role.

59: what's your favorite myth? Bulls hate red, they’re actually colour blind lmao.

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? I don’t mind a bit of poetry! Marking Time by Owen Sheers is noice.

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received? Me and mum put a fancy brooch in a pack of digestives for someone. I’ve received stupid spellings of my name on the birthday cards.

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? Nope

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? Rainbow order woop.

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? Black.

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? Yep!

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? Cutesy and white and blue and stuff idk. But I wouldn't wear one haha.

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? Serene! Albeit Silent Hill-esque

68: what's winter like where you live? Fun! Cold! Disruptive!

69: what are your favorite board games? The Game of Life/Monopoly/Articulate!

70: have you ever used a ouija board? Nope!

71: what's your favorite kind of tea? English Breakfast, brewed by the girlfriend.

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it? I've been known to be.

73: what are some of your worst habits? Overthinking. Nail biting.

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. Ginger.

75: tell us about your pets! A doggo! A beagle! and a fish...

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't? Revising!

77: pink or yellow lemonade? Yellow

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? anyone in the fanclub needs natural selection to do its thing.

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? Surprised me at work with flowers.

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? White, because I’d like grey but we haven’t got there yet or painted the house since its still pretty new.

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. I don't have the time for that shit.

82: are/were you good in school? I was! I still think I am! Who knows.

83: what's some of your favorite album art? Smithsmithsmithsmithsmiths

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? Yeah! Quite a few. All tonal, but above all a Venus sign and more importantly the great wave off Kanazawa by Hokusai

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? I don't fun fact I used to read them start to feel sick.

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? I feel stupid for not knowing what they are.

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? Donnie Darko.

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? Not Gothic. Can’t go wrong with a bit of impressionism.

89: are you close to your parents? I think. Depends on the time of day.

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. Starts with E, ends in Dinburgh.

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? Nowhere abroad really, just a couple of good cities.

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? Barely sprinkles, but I have a drowner with me to compensate.

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most? Down. Full stop. 

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? My girlfriend’s. mum!

95: what are your plans for this weekend? Work, a party, a Harry Potter film, a sad Sunday.

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? I leave them for as long as possible

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? ENFJ/Pisces/Ravenclaw

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? Hah idk.

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. Nude - Radiohead is the one I’m thinking at the mo’ and I can’t think past that.

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? Future. Don’t need to lament on the past when I hope I have a good one ahead of me. Then from there I'd click 5 back so I’m right back to where I am, cheers.

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #30

(Vela’s part in italics.)

Orion felt like he was keeping a good sense of his own calmness. Dritz would be with him, and this might help settle Fera further. It was all he could tell himself as he led the way through the station toward the more expensive rooms where the prince was staying.

"This way," he said, leading them straight to a door near the end of the section. "He's not too upset with me yet. I still have this." Producing a card from one pocket, he tapped it against a panel set into the door and watched it silently slide open before he entered.

Luckily Fera was nowhere in sight, in the small entranceway or the main living area just beyond. These rooms were furnished with lavish detail, though many of the decorations were actually items which Fera had brought from his planet. Including the vase which lay shattered into a couple dozen glass pieces near the door which exited the living area. At least, Orion thought it was a vase. Although... why would Coronal need vases when they didn't have plants?

"Right, that's still there," he sighed, making sure neither of his companions would step on the mess accidentally. "We had a little... moment before I left. I think Fera must be in the study, since that's where he headed. Can you believe that, the quarters in this section of the station are like little houses by themselves." His weak attempt to joke about it wasn't working so well, so he sighed and gestured to Vela. "You can stay in here. We'll make sure he doesn't come back through."

The Aurian was already seating herself on a sleek chair covered in some form of gold embroidery, looking around her with quite obvious curiosity. Likely she would not be bored, even if she didn't have to possibly listen to Fera screaming as well. Which he really hoped wouldn't happen. "You ready?" he asked Dritz with an attempted smile, starting to lead him to the next door.

Despite Orion letting them know they did not have to stay, Dritz felt there was very little that would make him abandon those he decided to call friends. Even if part of him was reluctant to see a true Fera foul mood; it must be bad, given Orion's worry.

He put his arm around Vela, though when he felt her back, it was tense. She was clearly preparing herself for whatever Fera might say or do if he saw her. Or perhaps she was just steeling herself in general. She did not seem to be so bothered by confrontation as Dritz was, but perhaps this was something new her was learning about her?

Fera's room was predictably incredible, and far larger than any of the standard accommodation on the station, and with all the kinds of beautiful things adorning it that the prince seemed to like adorning himself with, except for the shards of something on the floor. They were pretty shards, though, whatever the thing had been. "Shame about whatever this was. You, uh, want me to clean it up? I don't mind," Dritz muttered, gently prodding a larger bit with his shoe, careful not to allow it to scratch the otherwise gleaming floor. Of course, Orion politely declined; it was probably the last thing on his mind at that moment.

He watched Vela with a fond smile before turning back to the human, "As I'll ever be!" He reached out to Vela as they passed and squeezed her arm gently.

What Orion had called a "study" was a room which he actually had no other name for. It wasn't full of books or documents, items Fera would have found boring. Instead it was an assortment of low tables and shelves holding beautifully arranged ornaments and curios. As far as Orion could tell, they were not solely from Coronus, but from all over the galaxy. Fera wouldn't talk about any of it, for some reason, but Orion distinctly recognized a sparkling geode of the sort he had heard was found on Earth. All of the objects were pretty, but he could see that none of them had a particular use other than being nice to look at.

Thankfully, the prince hadn't retreated to his bedroom, a place where it was likely he would be angry to be confronted. At the moment Orion entered the study with Dritz, he was curled onto a low couch with his back to the door, lovely white clothing and pink hair obviously in some disarray. This was very unusual for Fera, showing how distressed he was. Orion felt another pang of concern before he tried speaking.

"Hey, love. I brought someone to see you. It's Dritz, he's finally back from his trip off the station. Just the other day you mentioned whether or not we'd ever see him again. But I thought it might make you feel better to know he's here." The silence after this statement was deafening, and Orion felt he might need to speak again just before Fera sharply moved himself around and sat up.

"Oh, yes, Dritz will make me feel better," the prince snapped. His face was flushed more red than pink, and the makeup he used to line his eyes was obviously smudged on one side. It broke Orion's heart to think of his lover crying here by himself, but he had no time to contemplate it further. "And where in the seven hells do you think you've been, anyway? I didn't give you permission to leave! Why does no one even think about me? I should give a damn that you're back? How are you even going to help me now?!"

The tone of Fera's voice had gradually risen in pitch, to the point where it was not quite the screeching from before, but getting close. Orion fought to hold back a sigh. He should have known the prince would continue being difficult. He didn't think this was fair to Dritz, but he only shook his head and waited to see if his friend would need help replying.

Dritz, feeling incredibly surprised the situation was so bad as to reduce Fera to look anything less than statuesque, fought back any sign of the concern on his face and moved to sit down, smiling.

"Aw, I missed you too, Your Highness," he said politely, his voice cheery enough to try and help the tension in the room, soft enough to not seem callous. "I know I'm not like, an insider on whatever is going on, but I do want to help. Whatever is the matter. Ori is worried about you, and so am I. That's why I'm here; why we're both here. So clearly... There is more thought for you than you might think." He offered Fera a slight smile.

He seemed to spot the beautiful trinkets for the first time and let his eyes wander, conscious that the prince might not wish to be seen in such a way, or at least not in a way he might feel stared at.

"These are pretty," he ventured, gesturing to a set of... He guessed hair pins or brooches? They were gleaming gold with many white stones that somehow seemed to contain every other colour, something which fascinated him.

Fera sat up straighter, glaring. He had no awareness of the state of his appearance. There was little in his mind beyond the fact that everything had gone terribly wrong.

"They took my ship," he hissed at Dritz. "The Radiant Sun. My ship. What am I supposed to do? I'm trapped here. Trapped!" The last word had come out strangely loud, and he almost realized his over-dramatic acting... but not quite.

"I told Dritz as much. And yeah, he was really worried to hear it. So we're both here to see if we can help you, that's all we want," Orion said softly, clearly trying to be soothing again. But none of his attempts worked before, and Fera had only found himself growing angry at the human.

He shifted his attention back to Dritz, ignoring Orion. "I doubt you care. I'm not sure why you're really here. As if you know what it's like for me!" Waving away the Chrysalan's interest in any of the items in the room, his eyes went wide as he suddenly remembered what else this might mean.

"Wait... where is she?" There was a definite note of panic in his raised voice as he scanned the room, afraid that the Vela had somehow entered without his knowledge and was now lurking near him with some  strange power to become invisible.

"I heard," Dritz said angrily, matching Fera's tone of indignation. "Frankly, Your Highness, it's a damn disgrace. We, Ori and I, will do our utmost to ensure you are not trapped on the station."

It was clear Orion's soothing, though adorable and soft and nice and Dritz kind of hoped the human was around if he ever had a meltdown himself, was not helping Fera the way it ought to. Perhaps the Coronal royal needed someone to be as pissed as he was.

"Of course I don't know what it's like! Why don't you tell-" he trailed off as he watched Fera scan the room in panic. "She's not here, Fera. Promise. Here, tell me. Tell me what it's like! Rant to me! Then let's see what we can do to sort it all out."

Fera snorted indignantly. If she wasn't here, then where was she? But Dritz's other words and general tone made him forget about the Vela for now.

In fact, it took him several long moments of staring at Dritz until he decided the Chrysalan was not just making fun of him. Then he jumped to his feet and began to pace angrily, his fury at his parents boiling over again. "It's not fair! Just because they want me to go back to Coronus and take part in their ridiculous ceremonies! I won't go!"

His fists clenched and he stopped walking, keeping his back turned on the others. "They took my ship because I won't obey them. And I have no intention of doing so. It's because I have a betrothed." With these words he spun around, staring at Orion, whose mouth had fallen open slightly. "Don't look like that," he snapped. "If you think I'm marrying a woman so I can continue the royal bloodline, you're out of your damned mind. I won't do it. They can't make me!"

Realization of what this meant dawned on him, and his knees buckled slightly before he stood up straighter again. "I... I'll never get my ship back. That's it. Everything is ruined." There was a pause as his chest began to heave dramatically with his breathing. "No... I'm a prince! " he practically screamed, the last bits of his pain and rage coming together all at once before he collapsed back onto his chair with his head in his hands.

Orion, apparently still speechless from Fera's revelation, seemed frozen for the moment as he looked at Dritz with wide eyes.

Dritz's eyes widened. Poor Orion. Well, poor Fera, of course; it must have been hard to have something taken away so abruptly when one was so used to having- he glanced around the room- everything. But poor Orion for suddenly finding out something incredibly upsetting in an even more upsetting way.

Of course, Dritz didn't... No. No, he truly didn't believe Fera would be so cold. The prince was just distressed, not thinking. He did his best to communicate this thought process to Orion without words but sadly the two of them didn't have the same connection as he had with Vela, so it didn't really work.

He leaned over and put a gentle hand on Fera's arm, hesitant but as comforting as possible. "Prince Fera," he said quietly, "Why don't you and Ori have a minute? Even princes need hugs from their partners. I think you'd both benefit? Then I can come back and we can talk about what to do to help you get your ship."

He eyed Orion, hoping this was an acceptable plan.

Vela had been quite entranced by a painting she found on one of the walls; she was unfamiliar with most forms of art in general, though she understood the basic concept. This painting in particular she found not to her taste, even without knowing the intention behind it. There were many strange shapes overlapping each other, and the colors were all variations of red or orange or yellow. She had stared intently, trying to make some sense of it, when she heard... Fera screaming? That was all it could be.

Shortly thereafter she had given up on the painting, but then Dritz entered the room alone. Vela turned to stare at him in surprise, then walked quickly over to embrace him.

[What happened?] she asked, only pulling back to sign. [Is Orion alright in there? I heard... something.] She did know what it was, but wasn't the most curious when it came to the prince, so she didn't ask for more information.

Dritz found himself naturally falling into Vela's embrace, and gladly so. The situation was not stressful for him, as such, but he was almost hyper aware of the tension between the two of them, and he was just worried.

He kissed the top of her head with a smile and a shrug, whispering, "He's having a hard time with something. Seems like the Coronal royals aren't pleased with him? So, from what I can tell, the Radiant Sun has been taken back to Coronus. Oh, and get this-" He lowered his voice even more, "He's supposed to be coupled with someone there?! I dunno why, but it seems to be a problem." He shrugged, pulled an exaggerated expression of confusion. Despite his desire to the contrary, Dritz had been brought up with the idea that coupling with multiple partners was normal, acceptable, encouraged. Why Fera couldn't just... have both? was beyond him. Maybe Coronus frowned on that sort of thing? He only wanted the one partner, after all, and he did know that other planets were different. He just sort of assumed royals had the most partners.

"So... I left them to work out what's going on, and talk and stuff. Though, who knows if Fera will talk and not just scream."

The silence in the room after Dritz left was nearly startling. Fera was actually not screaming... but he wasn't talking, either. Instead he stared at Orion with an expression that was difficult to read, his body totally still, but his eyes flickering slightly as he seemed to search the human's face. What was he looking for?

"Listen, Fera..." Orion began quietly, when it became obvious he wouldn't be speaking first. "I'm still sorry about what's happened. And I'm sorry you had your ship taken away from you. I just... Well, I didn't know you were promised to someone. I think Dritz was confused too, Chrysalans aren't largely monogamous the way humans or Coronal are." His tone was purposely light, trying to make it sound like all of this wasn't a big deal, even though he'd felt his heart sink to know that Fera was betrothed to someone else already.

"Stop." The word was spoken sharply, and not what Orion had expected to hear from Fera first. "Why aren't you angry?"

"Why aren't I angry?" Orion repeated with a sudden sigh. He walked to one of the gilt chairs and sat down, feeling like this legs needed a rest. "Well, because. Maybe deep down I knew you probably had someone, it seems to be what royals do, betroth their children early on. It doesn't mean I'm angry that you didn't tell me, though I still wish you had. And didn't you say you had no intention of a union with this other Coronal?"

The prince's face could have been carved from stone. "No. I have no such intention. I have no interest in her." After another moment, some expression finally came back to him. "I like being a prince. I have no desire to be the king of Coronus. I thought that if I avoided my betrothal long enough, it might always stay this way. But I..."

Fera had become remarkably restrained, but Orion wasn't surprised. He was like this when he was truly upset over something, where others couldn't see. "What?" he asked softly, standing again and approaching Fera. "You know it won't work like that? Is that it?"

Some of the anger and pain flashed across the prince's face again for a brief moment before Orion stepped forward and caught the other man in an embrace. Then it was as if the fight went out of him, and he relaxed into his lover's arms.

Orion stroked his hair and made the slightest rocking motion as he held Fera. "There, there," he murmured, knowing it meant nothing to the Coronal, but it was something his human parents had done for Orion when he was upset and it had always stuck with him. "We'll figure something out. Maybe we can find a way to get your ship back if we talk it out with Dritz. You want to try?"

A small shiver passed through Fera. "I suppose so. But not with the Vela."

"We told you she isn't here," Orion replied carefully. "But if we do come up with a plan, she might have to be there. Depends how much you want your ship back."

Fera snorted slightly in disgust, though he backed away then and returned to his chair, looking grimly resolute. Orion smiled and went to the door, making certain to close it behind him before approaching Dritz and Vela.

"Hey. He's calm now. You want to come back in, Dritz? We can talk about what could possibly be done. Although, I have to say I'm not sure there is anything." His smile was a bit more sad then as he made sure Vela was doing alright and moved back toward the study with Dritz.

Once he was certain Vela was okay with him once again attending to the prince, Dritz kissed her on the forehead and followed Orion back into the room.

It seemed Fera was too riled up, too angry and tense, to have a seat. Dritz touched his arm and smiled, "I hope you're feeling a bit better now. I know you won't be at one hundred percent, but maybe a good start before we discuss. Then we can  get to the one hundred percent later!"

He plopped down on the floor, his boots making the slightest little squeaking as he did so.

"So, your parents... Is them taking the 'Sun away a punishment for defying their partnering?" he asked. With a soft, wide-eyed expression, he added, "Sorry, I just... Don't know."

When Orion returned with Dritz, Fera shrugged off the Chrysalan's concerns, already returning to a slightly more haughty exterior. He did, however, give a disapproving scowl as Dritz sat on the floor, making no other comment on it regardless.

"No. It's not for defying the union. I haven't actually done that. It's simply because they are angry that I refuse to return to Coronus." Fists and jaw clenched, he paced the room briefly before continuing. "There is a ceremony I must attend concerning this union, a sort of bonding that would take place between us. And I want nothing to do with it."

He circled around again, returning to glare at Dritz. "They would not take me directly, or force me to return. But they think that taking the Radiant Sun from me will trap me where I am, force me to give in to what they want." With a long pause, he glanced at Orion, who was remaining quiet for now. "They might win," he muttered. "I am trapped here."

Swiveling his attention back to Dritz abruptly, the prince snapped, "How simple it must be to choose whoever you like to partner with!"

"It's... not as simple as it looks. Chrysalan families are still not usually very open to alien partners, regardless of their biology," Dritz muttered sheepishly. "But I am lucky that my culture's standpoint on relationships is one of passion. Even if alien coupling is frowned upon, it's a small flaw in a very open society." He shrugged, looking sad, "I'm really sorry it's not the same for you. I've never seen trouble in two individuals being partnered so long as they're of age and it's what they want. Everyone's rules around it seem stupid."

He watched Fera and Orion sadly for a moment before adding a hopeful, "Could your family not... accept Ori as your partner at all?"

The reaction he received caused Dritz to flinch in surprise. "Okay, okay, maybe that wasn't the course of action to take. Can you... rent or buy another ship?"

Once again Fera shrugged off Dritz's concerns, even regarding his own people and their lack of openness to alien partners. "Of course it's not the same for me. And it's ridiculous. Being royalty means I cannot choose whoever I like. I must have the best match, the most closely suited, the one with the greatest likelihood of producing... offspring." He said the last word with the kind of disdain most people would reserve for something truly vile. "So to answer your question: no. Orion would not be accepted as my partner."

He felt another flash of irritation then, a sense of unfairness regarding the whole situation. Being reminded of his ship just made it worse. "No! If I purchase another ship, it will likely also be taken from me. Besides, how can I find anything as worthy as the Radiant Sun? Renting a ship is out of the question. Word would spread that I was using it and I can't be seen that way. It is beneath me. There is nothing of suitable quality, anyway." His voice had risen into a whine by this point. "I have business left to conduct! And until it is concluded I have need of a ship! What am I supposed to do!"

Orion seemed to be thinking, measuring up the situation on his own and finally sighing. "There's the Nova," he said quietly, addressing Dritz instead. "But I dunno how open Vela would be to letting Fera and I use her ship."

Fera silently fumed, barely holding himself back from instantly refusing an offer even if it was made. There was no chance, in this life or the next, that he would use the Vela's ship.

Dritz had almost forgotten, to his horror, poor Orion's presence there. He'd been so absorbed in the swirling tornado of Fera's emotions, fascinated by the behaviour, that he'd sort of even forgotten where they were. He didn't know of anyone who behaved like Fera.

Except, sometimes, at a push, and never to such extreme, Kli. Though he was not really bright enough to get het up about anything apart from his hair.

"Well... Maybe we could... Ask her? It's not a terrible idea. The Nova's an amazing ship; reliable and steady. Surprisingly quick too. We could help conduct your business, if Vela agrees to it. I don't want to volunteer her ship without her say so." He wished he still had Papilio at this stage...

"I don't care how wonderful the ship is," Fera said through gritted teeth. "I would rather not."

"Fera." Orion had stood and walked over to him, effectively blocking his pacing and putting both hands on his arms to stop him further. "Listen. You won't go back to Coronus, so unless you know of another way, you can't get the Radiant Sun back. And you're not willing to rent a ship and have people find out you need to do so. So your only bet right now is that Vela would be so remarkably kind as to let you use the Nova. Considering how you really don't deserve it and all."

As usual, Orion's calming tone and words had begun to soothe the prince. At least until the statement at the end. "And what does that mean?" he hissed in annoyance.

"Well, y'know. You haven't exactly been the nicest to her, so you'll be lucky if she agrees. And before you even think about it, no, one of us won't ask her. You have to ask her. You're the one who needs to use her ship."

Fera could feel himself growing warmer with his anger by the second. Of course it would turn out this way! His gaze slid sideways to Dritz, hating the fact that the Chrysalan was watching this discussion. It was highly embarrassing. But there truly was no other option at the moment.

"Fine," he spat dramatically. He turned to Dritz and shrugged to show he really couldn't care less. "Where is she, then? I want to get this over with, I am due in a nearby system tomorrow and I really can't afford this delay." Maybe if he put it out of his mind, he would not be so bothered by the Vela. Maybe.

Dritz didn't realize he'd audibly gasped, just a little bit, until he heard the silence after it. He couldn't believe Orion would be so... direct. His tone was sweet but his words stung with utter truth. Fera was unkind to his flower, and he didn't deserve her help, but no one had said it up until that point.

The gigantic grin that had spread across his face very rapidly disappeared when he was faced with the prince's icy gaze on him.

"She's not far, I'll go and get her," he said quickly, his now positively adoring gaze darting to Orion as he left the study.

Leaving the two men behind, he closed the door, sweeping Vela into one arm and muttering, "We'll have to go and wait for a second, then pretend to return, 'kay?"

Vela, having been studying a strangely-shaped object made out of some sort of golden material atop a small table, was completely surprised when Dritz came back into the room and put an arm around her. The talk in the study beyond had quieted to the point where she could not hear it, for the most part, save for when Fera was particularly loud. Losing interest because of this, she had started wandering about and picking up items at random; she didn't know if it was allowed, but didn't care.

She let Dritz lead her back out completely, stopping once they were outside the door to frown at him in concern. [Why? What's going on? And what reason would I have to go in there and see him?] That was precisely what she had hoped to avoid, but her curiosity at this point was too strong to deny.

Once they were out into the street again, Dritz shook his head. "Sorry about all the weird leaving to return, but basically... Fera thinks you're elsewhere, and given how he was, it just seemed smarter to keep up that illusion," he explained, shrugging apologetically. He pulled Vela close, seeming to contemplate exactly what to say. Was it right to ask her on Fera's behalf, or would it seem more natural for the request for her assistance to come directly from the prince himself? If Dritz asked, he might be able to assure her he'd be kept in line... maybe.

He explained the situation carefully, deciding to simply be honest with her about everything. She was the compassionate and reasonable one of the two of them, and he was certain that even her dislike of Fera wouldn't stand in the way of her helping someone in need. However, he would need to ensure Fera treated her better in return. As he talked her through as much of the prince's shrieking as he could understand, he tried to sign along with his own words.

"So... basically, I think he's going to ask you for help. I wanted to kinda... forewarn you," he said finally, scrunching his nose up in preparation for her response to something which, frankly, she had no obligation to do.

Vela listened closely, her full attention on Dritz, appreciative of his attempts of signing at the same time. When she had absorbed all of this information, she had to take a long moment to think for herself.

Prince Fera of Coronus actually wanted her help? The situation he was in was completely unfamiliar to her, and she didn't want to get involved in his personal business in the slightest. However, the act of him asking her for a favor, or even just talking to her (as he usually seemed to avoid doing so), was intriguing. At the very least she wanted to see him actually somewhat desperate for her help.

[I will talk to him,] she answered noncommittally. [Thank you for telling me. I will have to decide what I want to do.] She thought she already knew, but there was a part of her that didn't want to make it easy on Fera.

Having waited long enough, the two of them reentered the rooms and Dritz led her into the study. Orion was sitting on a low couch and looking completely relaxed, but Fera was standing stiffly near the center of the room, his eyes widening then narrowing upon seeing Vela enter. After a simple signed greeting to the human, who understood what this meant already and replied similarly, she next signed to Dritz.

[Tell him I will speak with him as long as he doesn't insult me.] Fera was already looking alarmed at her hand gestures, and if this discussion was meant to be conducted in a businesslike way, she had no wish to waste time waiting to be treated with some respect.

The tension back in the study was thick, and seemingly radiating from just the one point. The one elegant pink and white point.

Vela was, in a way that Dritz didn't recall having seen, gracious and businesslike, and Dritz straightened himself up accordingly. In his position as translator, he usually spoke in the third person, but as his knowledge of her signing grew, he was able to sense more tone and volume, sometimes even rhythm.

"I will speak with you on the grounds that you do not insult me," he said on her behalf, his tone serious but reasonable and light. If Fera was as desperate as he seemed, he would need to take notice that Vela knew he insulted her a lot.

Fera had spent the time between Dritz's departure and returning with the Vela in furiously searching his mind for any alternative to his current course of action.

There had been nothing.

Yet, when faced with the Vela now, his immediate reaction was to recoil from her, seeing the way she signed to Orion (and received a response? was she beginning to control him too?!) and the way she then addressed him, staring with that alarmingly unnatural mechanical eye. He began to feel a little squeamish just thinking about how it came to be there, and decided to focus his attention on Dritz and his translation instead.

"I... I have never insulted you," he spluttered with less dignity than he would have liked, quickly glancing around the room to see that Orion looked rather disapproving of such an obvious lie. "In any case, considering we are conducting business here, I will be brief."

Thinking about it further, Dritz was translating differently. Speaking as though he was the Vela herself. A shudder ran through him as he considered the possibility that she had taken direct control of the Chrysalan's mind at this point. He would have to be brief to avoid the same sorcery happening to him.

"I need to borrow your ship," he spat out distastefully,  hating himself at the same time. Having to stoop to this level, as a prince of Coronus... Unthinkable. Or it used to be. "It is only for a few days. A week at most, I suppose. I had been in the process of business dealings in a few neighboring sectors and I no longer have access to my own ship." This was enough explanation for him. It did not even occur to him he had not properly asked if the Vela would allow him to use the Nova.

Meanwhile, Vela was watching Fera calmly as he attempted to explain himself. He was acting strangely, even for him, but she wasn't feeling satisfied with what he'd said so far. [I am sorry to hear that. But you speak as though you will take my ship without permission, regardless of what I say. For what reason should I allow it? Can I expect compensation for my time and travel expenses?]

Having dealt with traders while on Aurctas in the past, Vela felt herself strangely more qualified to talk to Fera in this way. So far he had said nothing too troubling, but as she waited for Dritz to translate, she had a feeling it may not last.

Dritz softened while Fera explained. He hated that the prince ever spoke to Vela in the manner he did, but he also seemed to be genuinely concerned (for his safety?) Also between himself, Vela and Orion, Fera was slightly outnumbered.

Fera seemed to be handling the dealings well enough, at least to begin with. He was speaking to her in a more reasonable manner than he ever had before, but then he didn't even ask her about the ship.

Dritz internally experienced that feeling of needing to slap his hand onto his face, willing him to say something. But, of course, that would have been too easy.

Once Fera was finished, Dritz turned to Vela. She had her gaze firmly on Fera, calm and professional as she signed to him before Dritz translated. Once again, he spoke in the first person, though he was unable to emphasise the same things Vela did this time, wishing only to convey that no one wanted to see him struggle, it was just that he needed to learn a little politeness.

"Of course I-" Fera began to say to Dritz, before realizing he was supposed to be addressing the Vela. It was too strange to look at her, so he settled for an area just above her head. "I was going to ask. You did not let me."

He took in a deep but sharp breath through his nose, not liking any of this, but knowing he had to try. "I... need to take your ship. What I mean is... I need to use it. Oh, hells- May I please have use of your ship? I can pay you whatever you like for time and expenses. There is no other way!"

Vela considered Fera, cocking her head to one side. He wasn't looking at her directly, but his strange uncomfortableness with her was not something which bothered her. An idea had sprung up in her mind, one which would not leave her alone once she had thought of it.

Making certain Dritz was paying close attention, she began to sign once more. [I had been prepared to possibly say no. However, there was once a time when you helped us despite really not seeming to want to. I believe we are still in your debt from that time? As a means of repaying you, I will allow you to use my ship, with my personal services as captain and pilot, and Dritz as engineer if he agrees.]

She took a step back, waiting for the Chrysalan to translate and watching Fera's wide-eyed gaze darting between him and Orion as if he was quite frightened of whatever she had answered without even knowing what it was.

As Dritz read Vela's hands, he bit back a loud laugh that bubbled up from his very soul. The Aurian had a sweetly wicked streak he hadn't previously been aware of. Or if he had, he hadn't been aware of exactly how wicked she could be.

More than anything, of course, it was fair.

He was too amused to keep up speaking on Vela's behalf, forgetting himself as he explained. "Vela wants to offer you use of the ship," he said more casually, "As a trade; you helped us once when you truly did not wanna, so Vela will allow the use of the Nova, with her unparalleled piloting skills, and my very own excellent mechanical engineering skills." He offered a silly bow at that moment, glancing at Vela.

Hell, his flower was a clever one.

For a long moment Fera stared, his mouth having fallen open in surprise. Then, naturally, he began to feel angry. How dare they-

"Wow. What a fair solution." Fera swiveled around to glare at Orion, who had just spoken. The human was still lounging in his chair, though thankfully not with his feet on any of the tables. Not after Fera had very clearly told him that such was not permissible. "I remember the story of how you helped them. And now they can pay you back! It's genius, really. Vela's smart; you really should thank her."

Seeming to barely move at all, Fera turned back to the other two. "Thank you," he said through gritted teeth, every word forced out as though he really was being controlled. "I'm sure you're so marvelously smart."

The sarcasm wasn't subtle in his voice, and he quickly brought himself to stand straighter, regaining some of his usual haughtiness. "You have three hours to prepare and supply yourselves, then we really must depart if I am to be on time. Orion, I need you to help me."

With that, he purposefully strode out of the room with a quite unhappy expression. Orion stood up and grinned at Vela and Dritz, stretching his arms. "That went well, right? I mean... could have been worse." He offered them an apologetic shrug, knowing they already understood how Fera could be.

Oh, it was all too much. Dritz could feel the laughter threatening to just explode from him. It was terrible, almost like he was going to burst. He could feel his lips twitching, his breath shuddering through suppressed amusement. Orion was handling Fera so expertly, so beautifully. And Vela had been so authoritative. But no, it was not a funny situation. In the slightest.

As soon as Fera left, Dritz clapped a hand over his mouth, scrunching his eyes closed.

"Oh damn, I'm sorry. I feel for him, I really do, but... You both..." he chirped a curse before snickering for a long moment. "Sorry, sorry. Ahem. It definitely went better than expected. Definitely." He leaned over and kissed Vela on the cheek. "Very firm, cap'n. We should prepare for our escort journey..."

He smirked, threatening to start laughing once more.

Though Vela wasn't sure why Dritz seemed so entertained, she did have a nearly smug sense of satisfaction with how the situation had proceeded. Being able to realize the only solution she thought everyone would accept made her feel calmer. There was still the matter of the actual time they would have to spend on a ship... with Fera.

[Yes, we need to sort through our supplies.] Vela smiled fondly as Dritz kissed her cheek, reaching out to touch his arm for a moment. Suddenly she thought of something else and turned to Orion. [Are you coming with us?]

After a translation, the human nodded. "Yeah, think I better. And I guess he kind of expects me to? Frankly, he's a bit lost without his servants to do some stuff for him. You don't have to worry about supplies for us, either, that's what he's wanting from me now, I think... ah... I better go before he gets mad again. We'll meet you down at the docks in a few hours."

Orion departed at a quick walk, further into the rooms, but Dritz and Vela made their way outside as they discussed the supplies they currently had, along with what they might need for what could potentially turn into a week-long trip. They made whatever purchases they found necessary and transferred everything to the ship to wait, with nearly an hour left before Orion and Fera would show up.

[lovesnob]

❤️ HEART WORLD ❤️

Shin! This is the guy square center in all of the promo pictures.To be honest, the younger brother type never really DOES it for me, but Shin was a pleasant surprise. The writers didn't sculpt his character the way i thought they might, in fact, I see some of the qualities in Toma that I was initially expecting from Shin (The blind praise, the unapologetic over-protectiveness.) On the contrary, Shin is incredibly mature and grounded.  You can’t help but feel bad for the guy, he might be TOO mature.

Shin was a breath of fresh air. He was coldly-caring. Forcing the protagonist to grow up. I played Shin as my last route before joker world and was left wondering why I had waited so long on him  ゜:(つд⊂):゜。

This guide will give you all potential endings for heart world! 

I’ll say this one last time! All prologue choices are up to you, none of them affect the outcome you get in the end. Call Orion weird looking a bug already. I know you want to at least once. 

PROLOGUE

I see a strange-looking kid...

No, I understood...

Alright...

I appreciate it.

I think so

You might be overthinking it...

Heart World

August 1st

You should at least knock

I'm not very good with directions...

Is barley tea okay?

No need to go to any trouble

August 2nd

Will you buy me a cake, then?

Why would you ask that?

SAVE HERE FOR BAD END ONE

I didn't want to go back to the hospital

What's with these injuries?

Did you apologize to my dad at the hospital?

A little bit

August 3rd

...Thanks for telling me

That sounds fine

No, I didn't mind..

You made me cry after my performance?

I don't want a lot of people to know

August 4th

Welcome back, Master

Have you decided, Master?

Yes, Master

Thanks for coming here even though you're busy

Welcome back, Master

August 5th

Are you here to pick me up?

Everyone helped me out

August 6th

Tell me more about the accident

So Shin came to find me?

Is Shin okay?

August 7th

Thank you, Toma

August 8th

Yes, I believe you

I was saved, thanks to you, Shin

August 9th

Were you searching for me as well?

August 10th

Sorry Toma, Shin and I were going to go out

This is kind of how I see you

Just... don't be too forceful

August 11th

Do... you want to see some fireworks today?

Would you be okay with it being so loud?

It's because you made the effort

August 13th

I'm very sorry

What's happening with Shin?

I was running in the dark and slipped

I was a bit embarrassed that he was so close

I don't know

I don't remember

No way

August 14th

That memory might not be of the accident

August 15th

Who searched for me that day?

...

August 16th

If it's alright, I would like to walk with Toma

Okay, just while we're eating...

SAVE HERE FOR NORMAL END

This isn't like you...

August 17th

I heard you lead the search

Was I conscious when you found me?

August 18th

Please tell me how to contact the owner

Go with Toma

Could I ask why?

August 19th

I really wanted to see you...

What kind of clue?

August 22nd

The order of these choices dosen’t matter, just get through them all

It's okay, I've got it all

Shin, do you have a minute?

August 23rd

Yeah, it's fine

Was this what you were saying before?

I was just so happy to remember again...

Someone tried to help me

SAVE HERE FOR BAD END TWO

Shin

Can I sleep next to you...?

Are you scared...?

August 24th

Okay...

Sorry, I'm coming

Were you in the band with me?

Toma

August 25th

Were we always together back then?

August 26th

I want to go see a movie

...It's a promise, okay?

I don't think I can sing like before

August 27th

That wasn't the case yesterday

❤️-HAPPY ENDING-❤️

NORMAL END

-> Load save 2

But it's not troubling me

August 17th

I heard you lead the search

Is it true that Shin stayed back at the lodge?

August 18th

Please tell me how to contact the owner

Go with Toma

Could I ask why?

August 19th

Are you okay...?

But I was waiting for you to come back...

August 22nd

The order of these choices dosen’t matter, just get through them all

It's okay, I've got it all

It won't take me very long...

August 23rd

Wouldn't it be better for us to go together?

What are you saying?

I just spaced out a bit from the memory...

I don't remember

Toma

August 24th

Why?

I'd actually rather just go home...

Shin, what is this?

Toma

August 26th

I want to go to a fancy cafe

...It's a promise, okay?

August 27th

That wasn't the case yesterday

BAD END ONE

-> Load save 1

August 2nd

I didn't know if I could trust you

What's with these injuries?

A memory just came back to me

I'm okay

August 3rd

Is this contact info real?

I don't really feel like walking

Yeah, I'm sorry...

I'm fine, I just remembered something...

I can't trust other people

August 4th

Welcome, dear customer

Welcome back, Master

Have you decided, Master?

I'll be back in just a moment

I'm sorry, you had more important things to do

Welcome, dear customer

August 5th

What happened with prep school?

Everyone helped me out

August 6th

Tell me more about the accident

I remember being found

But I'm sure it was Shin who found me

August 7th

Shin isn't at fault here

August 8th

I still need to think about it a bit more

I think your calmness is amazing

August 9th

Who started this love triangle rumor?

August 10th

All three of us should hang out

August 11th

I'm sorry, it's nothing

August 13th

I'm very sorry

What's happening with Shin?

...

...

...

My neck

...

...

August 14th

Shin might be hiding something

August 15th

How was Shin feeling that day?

Shin's still a suspect...

August 16th

If it's alright, I would like to walk with Toma

Okay, just while we're eating...

August 17th

I heard you lead the search

Is it true that Shin stayed back at the lodge?

August 18th

Please tell me how to contact the owner

Go with Toma

Could I ask why?

August 19th

Are you okay...?

But I was waiting for you to come back...

Okay, I believe you...

August 22nd

The order of these choices dosen’t matter, just get through them all

It's okay, I've got it all

It won't take me very long...

August 23rd

Wouldn't it be better for us to go together?

What are you saying?

I just spaced out a bit from the memory...

I don't remember

Toma

August 24th

Why?

I'd actually rather just go home...

Shin, what is this?

Shin

August 26th

We should study together

But you had someone watching me, too...

August 27th

That wasn't the case yesterday

BAD END TWO

-> Load save 3

Ukyo / Sawa

Were you the culprit...?

And there you have it! All of the potential endings available in heart world. Shin was never quite my favorite, but he endeared himself to me so much throughout his arc. He’s got a good heart (ba dm tss...)

The one thing I would say, is that for anyone whose planning to go through this route blind, do not get too close to Toma. Just prioritize Shin (duh) but put Sawa / Mine second, not Toma. 

[endy-mixn]

Chapter 5

And the next installment of Endymion’s story! As always, it is under the read more to keep from clogging up dashboards. Please, enjoy and let me know what you think! (Is anyone reading these?)

The plan proceeded with both Rigel and Aldebaran making their way back to their rightful places in the sky. They took the time to speak with the others in their constellations of their plan during the long hours of the night.

When court resumed and the other Stars were jockeying to catch Endymion's attention, Rigel sidled up next to Polaris.

"Do you think that silly smile is from our antics or because of something else?" he asked curiously, causing the North Star to snort with surprised laughter.

"My hope is that he took my advice and it has led to the smile. But if that is the case, I don't think it has turned out as I hoped," Polaris answered, eyes still fixed on throne holding Endymion.

"Advice? What advice?" Rigel asked curiously, mind working furiously to decide whether this was good news or not.

"That answer would be best given in private," Polaris admitted, finally turning his full attention to the friend at his side. "If you're interested, we can always find one of the conference rooms. Our presence won't be missed. It has been far too long since we spoke of anything truly important, old friend."

"A conference room it is then. There are many things we should speak of and all of much import," Rigel agreed as he started toward the door, assuming his companion would follow him.

It didn't take long to find a secluded room. From the fine film of dust on all the surfaces, it was clear the room was seldom used, but it was filled with the same delicate finery as the more used portions of the palace.

The Power that it took to maintain such a luxurious home had to be enormous, though Rigel doubted it was a conscious effort on Endymion's part. That was one reason he would feel better about the plan if Polaris joined them. None of them knew the true extent of Endymion's power for it had never been tested.

"What advice was it that you gave Endymion?" he asked as soon as the door closed, his gaze intense. If the advice had anything to do with the same subject he was about to bring up, maybe they would all be in luck after all.

"I am sure you've noticed the mood Endymion has been in recently. After all, I'm not the only one of us with eyes, and we've been around each other long enough to see the signs of his boredom," Polaris began, keeping a close eye on the other Star and waiting to continue until he saw a nod of understanding.

"I advised he take advantage of his Power to make an appearance on the surface. I thought perhaps feeling a connection to the people of the surface would pull him from the doldrums. Or that it would increase the attention he gives his responsibilities, or return him to his normal off duty pursuits.

"Unfortunately, it seems that even though his spirits have been lifted, his attention is still on other matters. I'll think of some other idea to bring him back."

"That is actually similar to what I was hoping we could speak of," Rigel said smoothly, gesturing to the chairs in the room for them to both take a seat. Serious conversations with Polaris were always better undertaken seated, or so he had always believed.

He had yet to have this belief be proven wrong.

"We have been watching his habits for a long time and have seen the same signs as you. Aldebaran and I met yesterday to speak on the matter and made our way to a partial solution that sounds as though it might complement the advice you already gave him."

Polaris slowly sank down into one of the other chairs, eyes now full of wary suspicion. "I am listening. When you are finished, I will make my own opinion on the matter."

Rigel took this as his opening, giving a serious nod.

"Right. So, we were discussing the fact that if Endymion continues like he did today, there will be disaster. If it were not so close to the New Moon, the Sun would have been swallowed this noon. It would have been too late for any of us to prevent anything. It seems that no matter what we do while we are here at his court, nothing is actually helping.

"So we thought, if all of us Stars band together, we would be able to bind his powers."

Polaris's silver eyes flared brightly with a flash of anger at that statement. He looked ready to strike down his friend immediately. "Treason!"

"No! No, listen to me. Not a banishing. That would do no one any good," Rigel continued frantically, wanting to finish his thoughts before he found himself in chains.

"Then speak fast, or we will be finding someone new to lead Orion's constellation," Polaris ground out, voice becoming a very uncharacteristic growl.

"We do not want to cast him down in any way that would be permanent," Rigel began again, his words still frantic as he tried to save himself and Aldebaran from negative consequences.

"We were just concerned. Not only is he bored now, but the time between these bouts of boredom grows shorter each time. So we were trying to come up with any ideas that could give us peace of mind he isn't going to just fall back into this mood the week after he cheers.

"What we were thinking was perhaps to bind his powers and make him live on the surface until he has learned to respect the people's rights to live their lives in peace. We would need to decide what condition he must fulfill to break the the binding to return to the heavens."

Rigel flattened his hands against the table, fighting the urge to raise his voice. "This is not treason, it is us wanting to protect humanity against his whims by helping to make him a better person from the ordeal as well."

The fire in Polaris's eyes dimmed slightly as he listened to his friend's words.

Rigel had a point. It would not truly be treason, at least when you took into account that there would be a way for Endymion to return to his home. The only problem would be how to fulfill the plan.

How would one put that specific of a limitation in a power binding? How could they have it be productive without a way for Endymion having a way to get around the set limitation?

"We would have to be very careful," he observed slowly. "When did you have in mind for completing this plan?"

"We believed the night of the New Moon would be best, as then he would have the least amount of power to bind. We all know that is when he goes into a deep sleep to prepare for the stresses of the next cycle of his power," Rigel answered seriously, daring to feel a bit of hope.

"That holds promise," Polaris mused before obviously sinking into his own thoughts.

A few minutes of silence passed heavily between them. "I believe the best way to do this is for us to do a temporary binding, but let him think it is complete. Instead of an emotional condition, it would be based on time. We could enchant his necklace with a tracing spell so we can keep an eye on what and how he is doing. That gives us time to decide on what exactly we want to see him learn.

"That is unless you have an idea of the experience you wish him to have?"

""If he thinks he cannot return to the heavens, perhaps we should look for acceptance of the situation?" Rigel offered, looking truly relieved he had not been banished at once.

"That could be a portion," Polaris mused. He sank back into his seat to rest his chin upon steepled fingers.

"But I think we need something else, something deeper. Perhaps, along with the acceptance, we should encourage him to find love. Who among us can honestly say that there has not been a time that we saw someone on the surface and gone down to woo them?"

"You wish to leave him down there long enough to find love?"

"Maybe not in the sense of the 'true love' sentiment mortals speak of. I was thinking more of an attachment to someone. That would give Endymion an incentive for him to not do anything that could harm them," Polaris elaborated, waving his hands a bit to illustrate the ambiguity of his words.

"I know that you were wanting something a bit more concrete than that, but look at him. He doesn't truly have friends. He may call me friend, but will only actually hold a conversation with me if I approach him first. He will ask me for advice on and off, but it is never consistent.

"Endymion tries to take on the entire world! Perhaps creating attachments is the best we can do. But I do not want to go the other direction and make him want to never return home either. We need to find some sort of balance."

"Then I agree with using time as the condition of the binding. And if he remains on the surface too long, we can inform him that he can come home," Rigel said reasonably, nodding with satisfaction.

"I suggest we make it last at least a full cycle with the full binding, and his powers returning slowly after that."

"I can agree to that. But we should agree not to offer him guidance while he is there. This is something he needed to learn long ago, and nothing that I have said to him seems to helped him in any way," Polaris said, intoning the words somberly. After another breath, he raised his eyes again. "Thank you."

"For what?" Rigel asked curiously.

"For pointing out what I have been denying. I will take care of the binding and casting. You can set the other Stars at ease. I will speak to Helia when she arrives, because she will. We can only hope she will see reason in our actions. It is only common sense, and she honors that most days."

With that, Polaris left, looking deep in thought, the worries and cares from the topic they had discussed had appeared on his features. His face was haggard, making him look far older than he had when entering the room.

For a moment, Rigel felt nothing, no success, no worry, just nothing.

And then worry at Polaris's aging hit him accompanied by worry for the whole situation. There would be some sort of fallout when Endymion returned to the heavens. But that would be something they would deal with when it happened.

First he would have to deal with the apprehension over how easily his victory had come. Surely something about their plan would not work as expected.