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cloudspotterclub · 2 years

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push and pull (s.b.)

Pairing: sirius x fem!reader

Summary: Sirius isn't used to rejection, especially not from you. While he claims his feelings are genuine, you aren't keen on trusting him just yet. As the Christmas ball approaches, the two of you struggle to contain your growing emotions, and you can only stay away from each other for so long.

Word Count: 5.1k

Warnings: fluff, angst, lots of pining

a/n: Oh, to spend a cozy Christmas at Hogwarts with the marauders. I think this is my first fic where all of them actually get a line lmao.

You frowned at the pages of notes sprawled out on the table before you, knuckling at your drooping eyelids. “Do you want to go over anything else? I think I’m heading to bed in a bit.”

Remus looked up from his seat across from you. “Hit that wall, have you?”

You smiled apologetically. “I know it’s barely eight o’clock, but I can’t physically retain any more information. Sorry, Remus.”

The tall boy shook his head, already starting to gather his belongings. “There’s no need to apologize, I think we’ve covered more than enough for one night. Are you sleepy-tired or just study-tired?”

“Definitely just study-tired.”

“Alright,” Remus had moved on to gathering your belongings as well, “common room or Great Hall?”

The two of you balanced your books in your arms as you led the way to the Great Hall, eager to see if there was anything sweet to munch on. Peter and James were so busy devouring leftover dinner scraps, they didn’t even notice you. Both boys had gravy dripping down their chins, oblivious to Lily and the several other girls watching them in disgust from a few feet away.

“They can be quite barbaric,” Remus observed.

“On second thought, let’s just head to the common room. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”

You and Remus walked in silence to the Gryffindor common room, which was typical of the both of you. As you climbed the steps towards the Fat Lady, Remus nudged you.

“You know, Sirius is probably in there waiting for you,” he said.

You sighed. “I truly hope he isn’t. But he’s not really the type to back down, is he?”

Remus was right—the second you stepped foot into the room, you saw a mop of dark hair perk up from one of the sofas.

“Moony! Where’ve you been, mate?” He came bounding towards Remus, giving him a pat on the shoulder. He then turned to you as if he’d just noticed you. “Oh, hey, doll. Didn’t see you there.”

Remus rolled his eyes. “I told you Y/N and I were going to study at the library. You knew that.”

Sirius shrugged. “Must’ve slipped my mind. How’d it go? Learn anything new about Snargaluffs?”

An amused smile settled on your face as you pushed past him and went to sit near the fireplace. “We finished learning about Snargaluff pods last week, Sirius. Do you ever pay any attention in Herbology?”

Sirius appeared undeterred as he planted himself beside you, slinging an arm over the back of the sofa. He shot you a grin, cocking an eyebrow. “How could I when you’re in that class?”

You gave him a stern stare. “Turns out I’m sleepy-tired. Goodnight, Rem,” you said only to Remus before making your way towards the girls’ dormitories.

Remus laughed as he plopped down next to his frowning friend. “Wow, I reckon you’ve just set a new record, Padfoot. You had her bolting out of here in less than two minutes.”

Sirius groaned, slapping his hand over his eyes. “I don’t get what I’m doing wrong. You said she likes me back.”

“No, I said she’s always liked you. The problem with that is she’s seen you, the boy she fancies, snogging everyone else for the last six years. You have to understand how odd it feels for her to suddenly be the object of your attention when you’ve only ever treated her like one of your mates. I don’t blame her for not trusting you.”

Sirius fiddled with his thumbs, hating the way Remus spelled out the truth for him. “How do I get her to trust me then? I’ve tried everything.”

Remus eyed him skeptically. Sirius had indeed tried all his usual tactics on you, but they were the same tactics he’d used on all his short-lived flings. By no means did Sirius ever intend to use anyone, but his relationships just never seemed to last past a couple of weeks.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

“You saw what happens when I try to talk to her, Moony.”

Remus gave him a pat on the knee. “Talk to her like a real person.”

As you walked into Potions the next morning, you were surprised to find Sirius already seated in the otherwise empty classroom. You usually came to class half an hour early, it gave you time to calm your mind before the other students streamed in. Sirius was the opposite, and often arrived just before class began if Remus didn’t drag him in earlier.

You considered your options, deciding it’d probably be weirder if you pretended he wasn’t there. You composed yourself before sliding into the seat beside him.

“Morning.”

A grin instantly took over his face. “Moony wasn’t kidding when he said you come to class early.”

“Is that what this is? A ploy to corner me?” you said, digging your quill and parchment out of your bag.

“What? No, I just wanted to—”

“Relax, Sirius,” you giggled. “What is it that you want to talk about?”

Sirius had never felt more flustered as his eyes darted around the room. “Oh, uh, I talked to Moony last night. He said you don’t trust me.”

You paused, directing your focus away from arranging your stationery and onto Sirius’ face. It was rare that you saw him look so uncertain, and you suddenly felt guilty at the way you had stormed off the night before.

You bit your lip. “I trust you, Sirius. You’re a good friend.”

You sucked in a breath when he reached for your hand, stopping you from pulling at the loose thread in your skirt. You regretted the way your head snapped up at the contact. The second you met his gray eyes, you were at his mercy.

Sirius delicately took your hand in his, looking at you with such intensity you thought you might’ve been in one of your daydreams. “I don’t wanna be just friends, Y/N. I really, really like you. I was hoping you might like me too.”

You struggled to gather your thoughts, frozen in his hold.

Of course you liked Sirius. You couldn’t help it. He was too brave for his own good, teetering on reckless most times, but always in the name of defending his friends. You wished he’d put his talents to better use than pulling cheap pranks on Slytherins, but you couldn’t deny he was one of the most skilled wizards of your year. Not to mention how devastatingly charming he could be in his own, rough-around-the-edges sort of way.

You took a deep breath. “Sirius, of course I like you.”

His grip on your hand tightened, and he leaned his body closer to yours. “Really?”

You almost didn’t have the heart to say anything else when you saw the way his face lit up at your words. “But I don’t want to be with you.”

The smile dropped from his face. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t want our relationship to end after a couple weeks. I can’t go back to being friends with you if you break my heart. It hurts enough that you’ve only decided to return my feelings now, and apparently out of nowhere, when I had no choice but to like you since we were eleven.”

With one last sad smile, you turned back to the notes in front of you, effectively ending the conversation.

Sirius was stunned into silence. He had no idea you’d thought of him that way, and it hurt a little that you were so sure of these assumptions you’d made about him.

A few weeks earlier, Sirius had attended one of James’ quidditch practices with Peter and several other Gryffindor boys in their year. He wasn’t paying much attention to the drills the team was doing on the snowy field, when he saw you and Remus enter the arena.

One of the boys, he couldn’t remember which, had said, “Y/N’s always with Remus. You think they’re dating?”

Sirius scoffed at the thought, but didn’t interject.

“Nah, mate, they’re always just reading or somethin’,” another boy responded.

The first boy eyed you as you made your way towards them. “Huh, think I’ve got a shot, then?”

A third boy snorted, “No way, she’d never go for you. Definitely out of your league.”

The conversation died down as you and Remus reached them and greeted everyone.

Your cheeks were bright pink as you smiled at Sirius, “Hi, Siri.”

“Hey, doll, you cold? C’mere.” He gave you a gentle smile and patted the spot next to him.

You obediently sat beside him, and he immediately wrapped his scarf around your neck. As he worked on securing the knot, his eyes dragged over your flushed face. Snowflakes dotted your hair and eyelashes, and you were shivering slightly despite the heavy layers of clothing that drowned your figure.

After thanking him for the scarf, you turned and watched the quidditch field silently for the rest of the afternoon.

Sirius, on the other hand, was suddenly even less interested in watching James. His body was turned towards the arena, but his eyes snuck glances at you every few seconds. Those boys had implanted a thought in his mind that Sirius hadn’t realized he was capable of having.

In that moment, he had allowed himself to indulge in the idea that maybe, possibly, you had been the girl for him all along.

Since that day, Sirius had shifted all his energy towards flirting with you. He’d thought it’d be easy—he always had a sense that you looked at him in a different way than you looked at James, Remus, or Peter. He was stumped when his efforts backfired and had the opposite effect; you began distancing yourself from him instead. Where you were shy and quiet, but always kind to him before, you suddenly became sarcastic and dismissive. You were still nice, but something about it felt insincere.

After your outright rejection today, he was at a complete loss. He didn’t speak to you for the rest of class, only giving you a small nod when you’d asked if he was okay half an hour into the lecture.

You were used to him not paying attention, but the silence was new. Usually, he’d be passing notes to James—who sat right by him with Lily—or doodling on the pages of his books. You felt horrible about it, but you were also relieved that he finally seemed to receive the message.

In the coming days, Sirius seemed to be actively avoiding you.

You walked into the Great Hall one day, finding him and James already seated next to each other for lunch. You waved off the hazy cloud that always came over you at the sight of the raven-haired boy, and sat across from them.

“Hey, guys. Where’s Lily?” You asked, dropping your books with a thump that seemed to startle Sirius. You tried not to look at him, but you still saw the way he shifted uncomfortably the second you sat down.

James didn’t seem to notice. “Dragged Moony off to practice charms a while ago. Told her to take Wormy too, he makes for a great test subject.”

You tutted at him. “Don’t be mean, James. Peter tries so hard to please you.”

“What’s it to you, Y/N? I just meant he’s good for this sort of stuff,” James huffed, running a hand through his already-messy hair. “I know he does. I appreciate him.”

You hummed in response, cracking open your copy of A History of Magic. You tried to focus on the section on wandlore, but you couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on you. You looked up just in time to see Sirius avert his eyes to the wall behind you. You dropped your gaze back down to your book.

Sirius abruptly stood from his seat. “Uh, Prongs, I think I’m just going to go take a nap.”

James tilted his head in confusion. “Why? You went to bed earlier than Wormtail last night.”

Sirius was quickly backing away. “I know, I’m just not hungry. I’ll see you in Transfiguration.”

“But it’s steak and kidney pudding day!” James called after him, but Sirius was already gone.

You debated going after him, but you feared what might happen if he got the sense he had a chance with you. Even after he had gone, you still had trouble absorbing the information in your book. You were stuck replaying the short interaction you just had. If that was any indication of the effect he had on you, you knew you couldn’t trust yourself around him yet.

Sirius was mortified at the way he had behaved around you. When did he become a stuttering, unsure mess? He was fine just days ago. Up until you’d said what you said to him.

He groaned in frustration as he stuffed his face into his pillow. He should be over it by now, but he wasn’t. Perhaps his ego was bruised. Maybe he wouldn’t feel so awful if you hadn’t been so sorry, so pitying about the whole ordeal. Like you felt sorry he wasn’t the man you wanted him to be.

It all felt so wrong, and that feeling wasn’t fading in the slightest.

He’d always tried to be a good friend to you, or at least he thought he did. He spent hours walking around the castle with you during O.W.L.s last year when you were too stressed to do anything else, listening to your incoherent rants about the public school system. He defended you when he overheard a couple of Ravenclaws mocking your half-blood status, yelling at them with such anger they ran away. And he always kept you warm during James’ quidditch matches.

He didn’t want to think too hard about the possibility that he’d grown a lot more fond of you than he realized. That maybe he’d felt like this far longer than he thought, and what those damned Gryffindor boys said was just the wakeup call he needed.

He had to face the truth. He had completely lost control of his feelings before he’d even noticed they were there.

You were spending another late night in the Gryffindor common room with Remus, the library having closed an hour ago. You were huddled on the edge of the sofa closest to the fire, attempting to ease the cold bite of winter that somehow managed to creep in past the castle’s stone walls.

Tonight was one of the rare instances where Remus yawned first.

Your lips turned up at this. “You should go to bed, Rem. If I come across anything important, I’ll tell you tomorrow morning.”

“You sure, Y/N? I can hold out for a little while longer,” he claimed, but he was already reaching for his bag.

You waved him off with a smile and returned to your notes as he exited the room. Truth be told, you were sleepy as well, but you felt guilty that Remus had been doing the bulk of the work lately, and you wanted to offer your notes to him for once.

That didn’t work out too well, as half an hour later you had dozed off on the arm of the sofa with your legs tucked under you.

Sirius rubbed his eyes as he trotted down the stairs from the boys’ dormitories in search of a novel that could get him to sleep. Instead, what he found was you fast asleep by the fireplace.

He considered returning to his room. He didn’t want to deal with the awkward interaction that he’d surely have to partake in if you woke up, but it didn’t seem like that would happen any time soon. He crept up to the bookshelf, picking out the book with the most boring title he could find. He quickly snuck back towards the staircase, but a sudden creak in the floorboards stopped him in his tracks.

You stirred at the loud sound, cracking one eye open to see a figure standing before you. Your voice was heavy with sleep, “Siri?”

His heart panged at the sound of the nickname and the fact that you were directly addressing him for the first time in a while.

“Hey, doll,” he said softly, “what’re you doing out here?”

You weren’t all the way awake as you mumbled, “Was studying with Rem.”

He frowned at the pages of parchment scattered on the floor under you. “You should probably head to bed. Don’t want McGonagall finding you out here past curfew, hm?”

“But the notes,” you grumbled.

“You’re barely awake, doll, what’re you gonna do with the notes?”

You sighed, the action seeming to lull you back into sleep.

Sirius chuckled, sitting on the floor in front of you to gather the parchment and books that had slid off your lap. He could have Remus return them to you the next day. He peered up at you, his stomach twisting a little. He missed talking to you. He missed being around you. He just wanted to be close to you again without all the weirdness, but now he knew for sure it wouldn’t be enough to go back to the way things were. He craved more, but he wasn’t about to push you into it.

Sirius pushed his bedroom door open, neatly organizing your things on Remus’ nightstand. Pausing, he thought back to the way your body shivered despite being by the fire, and he decided to go back downstairs one last time.

Just before ten o’clock, you startled awake, puzzled to find all your belongings gone and a thick blanket draped over you.

“That looks amazing on you, Lily!” You exclaimed, admiring the sparkling emeralds on her floor-length gown.

She made a face in the mirror. “I don’t know, is it too much? James insisted, said wearing it could be my Christmas present for him. Would you believe his mum got it for me?”

You smiled a little. Sometimes, you thought James could be spiteful, but he was always sweet towards Lily. “I think it’s perfect. It goes great with your hair.”

She sighed, turning around to face you. “Well, I think you look incredible. I wish I had your complexion—I could never pull off pink.”

You glanced down at yourself. You had on a simple baby pink prom dress your muggle mother had picked out with you that summer. It was definitely more modern than Lily’s heavier gown, and probably most of the other girls’ dresses.

You shrugged. “At least you’ve got a date.”

“You could’ve had one too if you weren’t so against dating Sirius.”

You stopped at the mention of Sirius, recalling the mysterious blanket you’d discovered on you a week ago. Remus refused to confirm or deny whose it was.

“I’m not against dating Sirius. I mean, I’ve liked him forever. I just don’t think he’s capable of being as infatuated with me. He’d get bored.”

Lily gave you an unconvinced stare. “Hasn’t it been a month since you turned him down? I’ve never seen him go longer than two days without snogging someone, but all he’s done since then is mope. James keeps complaining that he’s no fun anymore, which is exactly what Sirius said about James when he was making a fool of himself chasing after me. Sirius didn’t even ask anyone to the Christmas ball, you know.”

“Yeah, but Lil, James has always made it clear he’s mad about you. Sirius never even paid attention to me until a month ago,” you reasoned.

“Well, I know that’s not true. He never calls anyone else ‘doll’ or offers up items of clothing for extra warmth. He’s just been flirtier in an obvious way lately. Maybe what bothers you is he’s treating you the way he treats his flings now, and it’s not special.”

Your eyebrows pinched together. “Okay, but he said he literally just decided to like me back.”

“Did he, Y/N? Or did you say that?”

You thought back to your conversation in Potions class and realized Lily was right. Those were your words, not his.

She continued, “I wish you’d let yourself be happy. Even if it is with a marauder.”

The Great Hall was nearly unrecognizable as you stepped into it. Every surface gleamed as though coated with ice and snow, with beautiful ice sculptures lining the walls leading to the massive Christmas tree at the end of the room. The band played cheery music, and the dance floor was already filled with students and staff spinning to the upbeat tune.

“Oh, there’s James!” Lily grabbed your arm, dragging you over to the refreshment table where James and Peter were.

They both had on similar dress robes, but details like Peter’s crooked bow made him appear less put together than the taller boy. Still, they both surprised you with how polished they looked.

You all exchanged greetings, and you soon found yourself scanning the room. While the girls all wore beautiful gowns that showed off their personal style, most of the boys were dressed similarly, and you had a hard time distinguishing them from each other.

“They said they’d be here soon, Y/N, don’t worry,” Peter snickered, breaking your trance.

You turned crimson at the insinuation. “Right. I’m going to get us all drinks.”

As you whipped around, you smacked straight into someone. “Oh, I’m sorry I—”

“Hi,” Sirius said quietly, an uncertain smile on his face as he gazed down at you.

You just about pissed yourself. He was stunning. He had on the same dress robes as everyone else, but there was no chance you’d ever lose him in a crowd. His handsome face was brought out even more with his long locks tucked behind his ears. Pressed up against his chest, you noticed just how much taller he was than you. And how he smelled of leather and honey.

You were too flustered to even notice the way his breath caught at the sight of you.

You slowly peeled yourself away from him, fighting every instinct in your body.

“Hey,” you coughed, stepping back to look at Remus. “You guys look great.”

“Sure we do,” Remus teased. “Come on Peter, let’s have a look at the snack table.”

You hadn’t even realized James and Lily had left for the dance floor in the time you were ogling Sirius. And now you were alone with him.

Your eyes were locked on the floor as you stiffly stood beside him.

He glanced at you and cleared his throat, “Y/N, do you want—”

Your head snapped up to see Sirius clenching his jaw. You followed his glare to find Severus Snape at the receiving end of it.

The sullen boy silently maneuvered around the two of you to reach for a drink.

“Watch your hands, Snivellus,” Sirius threatened.

His tone was making you nervous. “Sirius, come on, let’s just find the others.”

“Listen to your mutt, Black,” Snape sneered, “She’s wearing the most garish thing here, but even she’s got more sense than you.”

Fury flashed through Sirius’ eyes, and you panicked as he began reaching for his wand, causing Snape to do the same.

“Sirius, don’t!” You grabbed his hand, stopping him.

Snape shot out a spell that Sirius only just dodged. The Slytherin quickly disappeared into the crowd after ensuring nobody saw what had just occurred.

Sirius grabbed you by the shoulders, frantically checking you over. “Bloody hell, are you alright, love?”

You were speechless, still trying to process everything that had just happened.

“Sirius, you’re bleeding,” you finally said, eyes wide.

He touched a hand to his cheekbone where a small cut had appeared. “Oh, that’s nothing, doll. Did he get you anywhere?”

You shook your head, and he released you after giving you a final once-over. His face hardened into a scowl. “I’ll kill that bastard.”

Your hand shot out to grip his bicep, making him turn to you again. His expression softened when he saw the alarm in your eyes.

“Sirius, please just stay with me,” you pleaded.

He conceded, allowing you to dab a napkin at his cheek even though there wasn’t enough blood to run down his face.

Your hand shook as you pressed it against his face, the close proximity causing goosebumps to break out up and down your arms. His heavy breaths were warm against your cold skin, and his dark eyes were piercing as he stared down at you.

Sirius wrapped his hand over your wrist. “Don’t believe anything he said. I think you’re the most beautiful girl here, Y/N,” he said with such sincerity that you nearly combusted.

“Thank you,” you managed to choke out.

He pulled your hand away from his face, enveloping it in his. He spoke with a sadness in his voice, “I really mean it. I wish you could see that I’ve always meant it.”

You sighed. “I know that now, Siri. But a part of me still thinks there’s no scenario where this wouldn’t end badly. You haven’t exactly had the best track record.”

“You’re right. I’ve acted like a dog with two dicks, and that can’t have been easy for you. I’m so sorry for that, and I will continue to be sorry for that for the rest of my life. I know I have a lot of growing up to do to catch up with you.”

You laughed a little. “That’s for sure.”

Sirius smiled at your response. “But I want to meet you where you are. I believe that I can make this work if you give me a chance, Y/N. I have never felt like this about anyone else, and it’s completely devouring me. You’re killing me, doll.”

You chuckled softly at his dramatics, contrasting the tears that were brimming your eyes. “That was your blanket, wasn’t it?”

He nodded slowly.

Your conversation with Lily echoed in your mind.

“I want to meet you where you are too, Siri. I’m sorry I pushed you away. I was scared,” you sighed, sniffling slightly. “But I suppose you’ve more than proven yourself. Would you trust me to do the same?”

His eyes were wide and pleading, the grip on your hand tightening. “You’ve already got my whole heart, doll. I’d trust you even if you crushed it all over again because you’re the only one that I can ever imagine having it.”

Memories of you flooded his brain. Walking into the common room balancing stacks of books in your arms. Your pained smile when you turned him down. Chastising James in the Great Hall. Your sleeping figure curled up by the fire. The snowflakes in your hair and eyelashes that day on the bleachers.

There was no denying it any longer. “I—I think I’m falling in love with you, Y/N. I think I have been for a long time.”

“Sirius,” you choked up, tears dropping down your cheeks. “I’m in love with you too.”

Sirius wasted no time pulling you into him, pressing you hard against his chest as he kissed you. You ignored the wetness on your cheeks as you wound your arms around his neck, meeting his lips with just as much fervor. Warmth spread from his hands on your waist, as he desperately tugged you closer.

After what felt like an eternity, you broke apart, breathing heavily. He didn’t release you from his hold, not even when you heard cheers and hollers from your friends. Your cheeks burned, but Sirius didn’t care, a wide grin plastered on his face.

He delicately tucked your hair behind your ear, thumbing at your cheek. “Does that mean you’re giving me a chance, then?”

Any attempt at holding back a smile was useless. “Siri, you’ll have a million chances if you keep kissing me like that.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

You shrieked in laughter as he dipped you backwards, sloppily meeting your lips.

You slapped his biceps as he put you down. “Sirius! I didn’t mean like that. First thing you ought to know about being in a relationship with me—I don’t enjoy being shown off.”

Sirius smirked. “So we’re in a relationship now?”

“Well, if you don’t want to be—”

“No! I want this. This is good. We’re in a relationship,” he grinned. “So, what else can’t I do?”

You tapped your chin. “I’m not a fan of PDA in general, really.”

Sirius pouted. “I never hear you complaining when I give you my scarf.”

“That’s not PDA,” you pointed out. “I’m talking more like, I don’t know, kissing and hands on thighs and stuff.”

Sirius huffed out a breath. “What can we do then?”

You bit your lip, slightly embarrassed that you had to say any of this out loud. “We can hug and hold hands? You can kiss me on the cheek, I suppose. I’d rather keep everything else private.”

“Deal.” His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Can we dance?”

As soon as you nodded, he ushered you onto the dance floor alongside your group. You quickly loosened up, following his lead as he twirled you around to song after song. Lily shot you knowing looks that you returned with eye rolls, and even Remus was wiggling his eyebrows at you as he moved to the beat. You didn’t think you had ever laughed as much as you did then, surrounded by your friends and with Sirius by your side.

Hours later, you’d retreated to one of the tables to slip your heels off, for you were sure to get blisters the next day.

“I reckon you’ve had a change of heart, then,” Remus said, taking the seat next to you.

“Don’t know if I’d call it that. My heart’s always known what it wants. My head’s the problem, I think.”

“And the fact that Sirius has always been a bit dim,” Remus added.

You gave his shoulder a light slap. “It just took him a while. He came around.”

“Right. Tell me one thing, am I about to lose my study partner?”

You laughed. “Aw, Rem, of course not. Sirius just might be joining us more often.”

Remus slumped in his seat. “God help us all.”

“Talking ‘bout me, are ya?” Sirius’ voice rang out from behind you. He placed his hands on your shoulders, and you leaned back to smile up at him.

“And that’s my cue to leave. Be safe, you two,” Remus shot you a look, walking off in search of the others.

You got up from your seat to face Sirius, who immediately cupped his hands over your cheeks. “Aw, doll, your cheeks are as pink as your dress.”

“Are they?”

Sirius nodded, squeezing your face. “That happens a lot. Did you know that?”

A curious smile appeared on your face as a strangely familiar feeling spread over you. “I guess I’m a little bit cold.”

Sirius smiled gently and opened his arms, “C’mere.”

#sirius x reader #sirius x you #sirius x y/n #sirius black x reader #sirius black x you #sirius black x y/n #sirius black #remus lupin #james potter #marauders #marauders era #hogwarts #harry potter #push and pull ❄️

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gay-dorito-dust · 1 year

Note

How about 29. actions to make them happy for Vox Machina?

Keyleth took immense pride in her upkeep of her botanical greenery within the gardens of the keep and the potted vegetation on her window sill; she’d rise early in the morning to water them, moving the plants that needed the most light whilst keeping others in the more shaded areas of the room.

So when she awoke one morning to start watering her plants, the watering can she kept on the bedside table had been taken and before her thoughts could grow to harbour thoughts like ‘did I misplace it by accident?’ Or ‘did Scanlan have one too many and thought to use it as a toilet?’ The sound of your humming and the sprinkle of water from her watering can filled her ears.

Keyleth couldn’t restrain the tired smile that graced her face as she pulled herself out of bed, uncaring of her subsequent bedhead as she pulled open her widow and looked down to see you tending to her peonies, marigolds, daisies and Lily of the valley. “What’re you doing up so early?” She asked, curiously but the smile never left her freckled face.

“You looked a little out of it after the mission yesterday so I decided to take it up myself to take care of your flowers in your stead so that you may get some extra shut eye.” You told her as you sat the watering can down by your feet before your eyes widened in realisation before looking back up at Keyleth.

“Oh! In the kitchen I made you some food. I’m not great at cooking but I hope it’s to your liking, chuck it away if not, it won’t hurt my feelings in the slightest.” The more you talked the more Keyleth’s emerald green eyes glowed with love and affection at your kindness and selflessness to take up some of her tasks so that she recover as much energy as she could.

It may seem small to others but to the Druid, it meant everything and her heart couldn’t take how happy your actions made her day all the more better and it hadn’t even started.

Vax’ildan only ever had his sister for as long as he could remember. She was the only one whom he truly trusted wholeheartedly and he was content with that being his truth. He didn’t feel the need to hide whom he’d rather save in a heartbeat.

However he had yet to realises that his sister can’t be for him for every goings on in his life as Vex herself had her own life to navigate, she couldn’t keep holding his hand to guide him out of the dark that he got lost within every time either. So whenever he couldn’t find his twin, he would spend his time with the second closest person to him; you.

“Lost in your thoughts again, lil magpie?” You teased as you joined the rouge half-elf on the roof of the keep, seeing how his eyes were seemingly transfixed on the stars above. He scoffs halfheartedly at the nickname you’ve chosen for him. “Why’re you stilling calling me that? I thought we already discussed that I’m nothing like a magpie.”

“Yeah, you talked -well more like ranted- and I was relegated to the listening.” You retorted, shoving him by the shoulder, “and my reasoning for calling you that is because magipies are attracted to shiny, valuable things, they’ve got an eye for those things.” You look at Vax with soft eyes as you uttered your next words, “and so do you.” You broke eye contact with him and chose to look up at the stars instead.

“Look I don’t act like I know you and I don’t because your only showing what you want to show but some parts of me likes to think I do.” You chuckled, amused at your own delusion. “I know it’s stupid to think that but I’d really like to know the real Vax under this facade you’ve placed yourself in.” You spoke softly as you looked into his eyes again.

“It doesn’t matter how long I have to wait in order to see that side of you but I’m willing to wait for as long as you need me to. Try to push me away as much as you want, I don’t care because I’ll keep coming back.”

“Why?” Vax asked, unable to comprehend what you were saying, “why would you do that to yourself?” You shrugged, “your my friend and friend’s have each other’s backs even if the other doesn’t want it. You have my shoulder to cry on whenever you need to vent, cry, scream or just someone to talk to. I’m not that hard to find.” You told him and as you were about to leave him to his own devices, Vax reached out and grasped your hand, preventing you from taking another step.

“You’re not going to leave me out on my own in the cold are you? Besides I could use your company.” He said as he looked up at you with pleading eyes, squeezing your hand tightly like a lost child. “Of course buddy, of course.” You replied, squeezing his hand back as you sat yourself down by his side but neither one of you decided to let go of the others hand. Not just yet.

(Honestly didn’t know what to do for him so I thought, why not give him a friend whom he could open up to.)

Percy didn’t have the best track effort in looking after himself, seeing as he spent so much of his time in his workshop, tinkering, melding, wiring his newest invention together; completely devoid of any sort of awareness of the passage of time.

He frequently ignores his bodily needs and needs someone reminding him almost on an daily basis that he has to eat, hydrate and sleep if he wished to continue his little projects. In due to his bad habit, you took it upon yourself to be the designated person to go up to Percy’s workshop and drag him out by the ear to eat, drink, sleep or just to get a bit of fresh air.

You highly doubted being tucked away in that room with all his inventions certainly weren’t good for his lungs; especially when some of his mechanical works relied on highly reactive and or explosive substances such a gun powder to properly fulfil their function.

“Percy?” You knocked on the door, “just a minute.” Came his muffled reply, followed by some scuffling and before you could blink, the door opened to reveal the gunslinger. “You called?” Percy asked and from the smudge of soot across the brim of his nose, he was in the middle of some tinkering. Typical Percival behaviour.

“I just wanted to ask whether you’d wanna go on a walk with me through town you know? Just to get some fresh air and possibly to clear your mind?” You suggested, clearing your throat halfway through your words, as you now stood awaiting Percy’s answer. He seemed to contemplate on it for quite a bit, looking over his shoulder and back into the room then looking back at you before he sighed in definitive defeat.

“I guess I can accompany you as I have been in the midst of a struggle as of recently and I could sure use a change of scenery.” This was partially a lie, yes he was struggling with some aspects of his recent invention but overall he was just using that as an excuse to indulge you.

Percy wasn’t stupid, he knew what you were doing and for that he found you endearing. He knew his tendencies often caused him greater issues for future him to deal with but right now? a walk in town with you sounded like a great idea. He could even use this as an attempt to thank you for looking out for him, his bodily needs and mental health.

Percy truly didn’t know what he would do without you pestering him to take a break and eat but he’s sure a hell willing to make up for the hassle you put yourself through for him by making something truly as unique as you for he knew he was stubborn but he was happy that you hadn’t given up on him just yet.

Vex’ahlia as Vox Machina’s unspoken leader of sorts had put so much pressure on her aching shoulders. Nobody said being a leader was easy and she wasn’t saying it was easy either but still it didn’t make the cluster of thoughts within her head any more easier to navigate.

With some help from the rest of Vox Machina, you managed to get set up an archery range for Vex’ahlia to use whenever she felt pent up about anything in particular. You even enlisted the help of Trinket to lure her to the archery range as a surprise, also with the added fact that the half elf couldn’t stay as mad at Trinket for very long in comparison to how she’d get when the rest of you came across her at a very bad time.

“Why are we heading so far out trinket? Did you spot something?” You heard trinket grunt in response but you didn’t know whether it was an indication for you that they were here or a response to Vex’s question. It didn’t matter as you were already finished with the preparations by the time you visibly saw the bear and half elf.

“What’re you doing out here? Did something happen?” Vex asked once she saw you and all you did was move aside to show her the archery range you, Percy, Keyleth and Vax put up. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been a lot more pent up lately in, due to everything that has been happening so far, and decided that what’s a better way then to resolve that pent up anger then by shooting some targets as therapy.” You answered back honestly, watching on with bated breath at Vex’ahlia observed the archery with a observant eye.

“This is all for me?” She asked, already knowing the answer but the fact that someone did this for her benefit felt foreign to her. Needless to say she was skeptical but that didn’t meant she was going to look a gift in the eye. “Who else in vox machina is skilled enough to use a bow and arrow if not yourself?” You rhetorically asked as the edges of a smile appeared on the half-elf’s lips but quickly disappeared soon after.

“You didn’t have to go this far.” Vex told you, “but I thank you for having me in mind when coming up with this. I appreciate it.”

Pike was often left exhausted after combat but even more so after having to do double duty as one of Vox Machina’s pivotal healer besides Keyleth. So when she came over to finally heal your wounds, you immediately noticed the fatigue upon her face and immediately began to decline her aid.

“You’re hurt aren’t you?” She asked you, confused, her eyes locked on the wounds littering your skin. “Let me heal you and be done with it before they get worse.” You took a step back when she attempted to get closer to you again, causing the cleric to grunt. “What the hells wrong now?”

“I just don’t want you pushing yourself into healing me, your obviously exhausted from healing the others and besides from the lessons I’ve been taking from Kiki, I’ve managed to nail down some basic healing spells. The rest of my wounds will just have to heal the regular way.” You explained and just as you saw her face turn into one of dishearten, you immediately reached out to touch her shoulder.

“It’s not like I don’t want your help Pike, it’s just. I figured that we’ve come to expect so much of you that we haven’t seen the stress you’ve been under in order to continue meeting our standards when you shouldn’t.” You smiled softly at her as you continued. “So please if not for me then for yourself, take a fucking break. You deserve it more then anyone and if anyone needs you I’ll tell them to wait until you better rested.”

“Are you sure you don’t need me to heal anything-“ “Pike!” “Fine, I’m going I’m going!” She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as she walked back to her room to replenish her magic.

(I didn’t know what to do for her either but I thought that she’d needed a break from her constant overexertion of her magic. She needs a definitive break.)

Scanlan groaned as he opened his eyes to you letting in the golden light of the morning, shielding his eyes by burying himself deeper into his bed. “What the fuck happened last night.” He whined out to no one in particular.

You set down a glass of water along with a bacon and egg sandwich to help him with his predicament that you seemed to be responsible for resolving periodically that it had just became routine at this point. “Where do I start? You thought that I wanted to sleep with you-“

“Did you?”

“-no, stop interrupting. Now where was I? Oh yeah! You then proceeded to puke on an unsuspecting tavern patron and I had to haul out asses back to the keep, which leads us up to the here and now.” You finished explaining.

“Oh.”

“Yeah oh. Now eat up, we’ve got things to do today and-“ “thank you.” You looked over at Scanlan who was already halfway through his bacon and egg sand which and looking a lot better then he did a couple of seconds ago. “Whatever for?” You asked, “all I did was make sure you were in the right state of mind for the day ahead.”

“That’s exactly what I want to thank you for.” Scanlan said, “you didn’t have to do this but you do. Everything and I think it’s about time I speak my thanks to you. It’s nice to be cared for once in a while.” Neither of you said anything for a while but soon enough one of you had to speak. “It’s nothing to thank me for Scanlan, what’re friends for?” You told him softly as you left his room.

Unaware of the small smile on his face as he looked down at your bacon and egg sandwich that you’ve prepped for him. “Yeah…what’re friends for.” He uttered softly to himself as he continued to eat the rest of his sandwich.

Grog’s beard belt had been damaged in battle which upset the Goliath who had been grumpy for the remainder of the day, rubbing his fingers against his bare chin muttering, “naked, I feel naked.”

So in order to cheer him up, you took the belt to Percy in hopes that he could in the very least repair it and thankfully he could but voiced his disparity about the whole magic beard aspect of the belt; Saying that he wasn’t certain that even after he fixed it that Grog would never retain his beard ever again as magic wasn’t his field of expertise.

“We’ll have to take the risk.” Was all you told him in response.

Once the belt was properly fixed, you quickly rushed to place it back into Grog’s room before anyone could spot you of suspicious behaviour and the next morning, everyone was awoken by the Goliath’s bellows of. “MY BEARD IS BACK, MY BEARD IS BACK!”

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flowerpottlady · 10 months

Text

Misty

Day 11 of July’s @jilymicrofics! This will go up on ao3 once this attack ends :(, but enjoy this sweet moment now!

Jily + Harry featuring very light blackinnon (because yes, I am above the age of 30 and I fell for that way too hard 15 years ago, and I will forever try to incorporate just a little bit of it into my stories ❤️)

And just to throw this out there, while it may be annoying that we can’t access ao3, this site is run by volunteers- for free. Show them our love.

***

“Pads?” Marlene popped her head into the living room, her frizzy blonde hair more wild than he had ever seen - tied back into a lazy bun, portraying how exhausted she truly was. “Do you wanna come in now?”

It had been more than an hour since the screaming had ended, replaced by a squeaking wail and a hushed awe throughout Godric’s Hollow. It was past midnight now, the first of August, and his best friends were now parents.

“Yeah… uh yup.” He stood up, and smiled weakly at Marlene, “is it… like all cleaned up and everything now?”

Marlene laughed then, her blue eyes twinkling and more full of life than he had ever seen. “Yeah… it’s safe for boys.”

He wiped his palms off on his jeans, nervously shoving his hands in his pockets.

She moved closer, her hand on his shoulder. “As scared as you are right now,” she began, “they are worlds more scared. We have to be there for them.”

His eyes softened then, unable to even fathom becoming a parent at twenty years old, “I know… of course I know that Mar.”

Marlene smiled, huge and radiant, “wait till you see him.”

Sirius took her hand, charging the way back up stairs and towards where he knew James and Lily’s room to be. He knocked twice, until James' weak voice welcomed him in.

The sight shocked him, Lily planted in the middle of her bed, propped up by pillows - looking as white as ever, her hair pulled back in a loose twist, pulled over her shoulder. She was wearing James’s sweater, the same one she had pulled from his trunk in October of seventh year, and has yet to return. Despite how worn out she seemed, the softest smile was spread across her face, a glow that Sirius had never seen upon another person. Her eyes were trained upon James, sitting on the edge of the bed - and a lump grew in Sirius’s throat as he took in the bundle of blankets in his best friend’s arms.

“Sirius… hey,” Lily said, looking up at him, as Marlene rushed back to her side - picking up a glass of water and holding it to her lips.

“Mama dear,” Sirius laughed nearly in disbelief, “how’re you feeling?”

“Better now,” she spoke softly, turning her head back to the bundle in James arms.

Sirius nodded his attention being drawn back to James too, “Prongs… mate.”

James stood up then, carefully cradling his new baby in his arms and walking towards Sirius, tears flowing freely down his face. “Padfoot… this is Harry.”

Sirius stepped closer, peering into the blankets, being greeted with a mess of black hair - a little red face, eyes blinking slowly, his nose small as a button, and his mouth scrunched close. “Merlin, James… he looks just like you.”

“Here sit, hold him,” James said, motioning towards the bed, and Sirius sat delicately on the edge - staring at Lily as if asking for permission to hold her son. She nodded at him, sitting up just a little bit more, and winced in discomfort.

“Hold your arms out…” Marlene came around the bed, “here just like that.” And James was practically shaking with tears as he placed his son into Sirius’ arms.

“Make sure you hold his head… there…”

The lump was back in his throat, misty eyes staring at the infant that two of his best friends had created. He was just so… small. Up until that moment Sirius didn’t even know that a human being could be this small.

“Merlin’s balls…” Sirius said, simply because he was speechless with awe, and he didn’t know what else to say. “I can’t believe you two… you made a fucking kid.”

James could only laugh, sitting beside Lily, leaning against the headboard - his arm around her shoulders. “We made a fucking kid.” He whispered, almost as if he didn’t believe it himself.

“You’ll be his godparents right?” Lily asked suddenly, looking up at Marlene, and then back at Sirius.

Marlene beamed, taking Lily’s head in her hands, and pressing her forehead against her temple. “Of course Lily,” she whispered, and Lily was crying once more.

James looked to Sirius then, “Pads? Will you be his godfather?”

“Definitely…” Sirius said with so much surety. Lily’s hand was over her mouth, her chest heaving with her sobbing. “I’ll do whatever it takes Lily. To protect him.”

Lily leaned over - as much as she could in her weakened state - and placed her arm against his hand. “Thank you, Padfoot.”

Harry peered up at him, his green eyes wide as he took in the new face before him. “He has your eyes Lils,” Sirius said “Merlin I can’t believe he just came out of you.”

Lily laughed then, only to wince in pain, “don’t make me laugh right now, it hurts too much.”

Sirius couldn’t help laughing back - unable to take his eyes off of the newborn. “We’ll have loads of time for that later, won’t we mate?”

#jily #harry potter #james potter #jily fic #jily fanfiction #hp marauders #james and lily #lily potter #marauders #hp fanfic

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gracexthoughts · 1 month

Text

of violent delights chapter 14

messrs moony, wormtail, padfoot, and prongs

9 june 1996

Euphemia’s POV

“You’re mad,” I can’t help but scoff at the accusation that Ron’s rat, a rat that has been in his family for years, is actually a wizard who is supposed to be dead.

“You’re mental,” Ron cries, cradling Scabbers closer.

“Ludicrous!” Hermione says softly.

“Peter Petirgrew is dead! You killed him!” Harry says, pointing his wand at Black.

“I meant to,” Black growls, glaring at the rat furiously. “Little Peter fooled me once but not this time!” Black lunges forward towards Ron and Scabbers but Lupin holds him back.

“Wait! Sirius, we have to explain why!”

“I’ll explain afterwards! I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for!”

“They have a right to know, Sirius! You owe it to Harry and Mia to explain it. Ron’s kept him as a pet, some of it even I don’t understand yet. Wait,” Lupin says, gripping Sirius’ face and making him look at him. The two men share and glance and even a blind person could tell their history runs deep, deeper than friendship or roommate. Black stops fighting Lupin and nods, turning to pace closer to the bed while stile glaring at the rat in Ron’s hands.

“There were witnesses to Petigrew’s death. A whole street of Muggles,” I say, remembering the conversation we overheard at the Three Broomsticks.

“They didn’t see what they thought they did,” Black says.

“Everyone believed, even I, that Sirius killed Peter but when I saw it on the map I knew,” Lupin explains.

“Then the map was lying-“ Harry starts

“The map never lies. Peter’s alive and he’s right there!” Sirius growls, pointing a bony finger at Ron.

“Listen, it’s quite a long story…” Lupin starts but all our heads turn towards the door as there’s a loud creak. Lupin looks out to the landing but seeing nothing, turns back to us. “No one there.”

“This place is haunted,” Ron says, sounding more scared at the thought of ghosts than confronting Black.

“It’s not. This whole story starts when I became a werewolf. I was very young when I was bitten. Now, the Wolfsbane potion, which Professor Snape brews for me every month, is rather a new discovery and it lets me keep my mind when I transform. It used to be every month, I became a full fledged monster. I never thought I could come to Hogwarts but Dumbledore became Headmaster and was sympathetic. He said he would set up precautions for me. The Whomping Willow was planted to hide the tunnel that they dug to this house. All of it was built for my use during the full moon.” Lupin sits on an ottoman near the door, looking weary. “Once a month, teachers brought me here to transform and keep me from anyone else.’’

We all listen carefully although I can’t see how any of this matters concerning our parents' deaths.

“It was horrible, the transformation, in those days. The screams the villagers heard were me. I was separated from humans to bite so I hurt myself instead. Dumbledore encouraged the rumors of violent sprites to keep suspicion off but other than the full moons, I was happier than ever at Hogwarts. For the first time in my life, I had friends; Sirius Black, Peter Petegrew and James Potter. I tried telling them all kinds of excuses to explain my disappearances but they were smarter than that. James and Sirius worked it out easily enough, just like you, Hermione. I thought they’d abandon me but they didn’t, not at all. Instead they became Animagi.”

“What?” I exclaim, bewildered. The Animagus process is said to be incredibly difficult and I find it hard to believe they managed it on their own without anyone finding out.

“Our dad too?” Harry asks.

“Took us the better part of three years but yes,” Sirius mumbles, watching Remus for a moment before turning his gaze back to Sacabbers and Ron.

“Sirius and James were the cleverest in our year, possibly the whole school, besides Lily. Peter needed Sirius and James’ help of course but during our fifth year they managed it.”

“But how would that help you?” Hermione asks, confused.

“A werewolf is only dangerous to humans. So they snuck out of the castle with James’ Invisibility Cloak. Peter, the smallest as a rat, could reach the knot on the tree to immobilize it and they slipped down the tunnel to join me. I became less dangerous in their company. My mind seemed to stay with me more under their influence.”

“Hurry up, Remus,” Sirius snarls.

“I’m getting there,” Lupin says impatiently. “Eventually, we started leaving the shack and roaming the grounds at night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals that they were able to keep me in check. That’s how we discovered as much as we did about Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. The tunnels and such. That’s how we came to write the Marauder’s Map and signed it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot, Peter is Wormtail, and James was Prongs.”

I open my mouth to ask what kind of animal warrants a nickname like Prongs but Hermione beats me to it. “What’s really dangerous! What if you’d given the others the slip and ended up hurting someone?” she cries indignantly.

“You’re right of course,” Lupin says heavily. “And there were plenty of near misses that we laughed about afterwards. We were young, foolhardy, carried away with our cleverness… But I forgot all the guilt as soon as we began planning the next adventure. And I haven’t changed…” Lupin's face hardens with self disgust, “All year, I’ve battled with myself at admitting it all to Dumbledore. Knowing Sirius being an Animagus meant he could slip in and out of the castle better than anyone…. But I couldn’t face it. You were right to call me a coward, Mia. I am one,” he says looking at me. Guilt weighs heavily in my chest as I recall the nasty insults I slung his way on my birthday but before I can apologize Lupin forges on. “Dumbledore’s trust means everything to me, everything I have I owe to him admitting me to Hogwarts when no one else would. So I convinced myself that Sirius was using dark magic he learned from Voldemort instead. Really, Snape had been right about me all along. He’s been telling Dumbledore I’ve been helping Sirius all year. He has a sound reason…” Lupin and Black share a heavy glance and Black nods subtly, shame creeping into his eyes for a moment. “Sirius played a trick on him while we were at school. Severus was very interested as to why I disappear every month- we were in the same year you see- and we didn’t get along well. He especially hated James, jealous I think.” Harry and I share a look, well aware of Snape’s dislike of our father. “Anyway, Sirius thought it would be… amusing to tell Snape how to bypass the Willow. James found out what Sirius had done and went after him, pulling Snape back at the last moment. He caught a glimpse of me though. Dumbledore swore him to secrecy but he still knew…”

“That’s right,” a cold voice sneers from the doorway and Snape appears, pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointed right at Lupin. Hermione yelps and Lupin jumps up from his seated position to face Snape. “Found this at the base of the Whomping Willow. Very helpful, Potter. Thank you. Well Lupin, I’ve just been to your office to bring you your potion and luckily there was a handy map lying open on your desk. One look told me everything I needed to know,” Snape sneers, looking more hateful than ever.

“Severus,” Black says darkly, glaring at the man.

“Oh vengeance is sweet, how I’d hoped to be the one to catch you,” Snape says, turning to Black. Lupin takes a step towards him but Snape points his wand back at him and he backs up to stand next to Sirius. “I told Dumbledore you were helping your old friend into the castle and now I have proof. Never thought you’d have the nerve to use this place as your hideout,” Snape sneers at the two men.

“Brilliant, Snivilous,” Black speaks up, “Again you’ve put your keen and penetrating mind to the problem and as usual come to the wrong conclusion. Now if you’ll excuse us, Remus and I have some unfinished busin-“ Black starts in, his voice mocking the Potions professor but Snape steps forward, holding his wand to Black throat causing Lupin to jump forward. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I press further back against the wall, wands still in our hands, and we share a look, knowing Snape will get in the way of us getting some real answers.

“I could do it, you know, but I’d rather watch the dementors. They’re so longing to see you, Sirius. And they’ll be so pleased to bring you along too, Remus,” Snape threatens.

“Severus don’t be a fool, we can explain everything,” Lupin says placatingly.

“He can’t help it. Habit by now,” Black says mockingly at Snape.

“Sirius, be quiet.”

“Be quiet yourself, Remus!”

“Look at you too, still quarreling like an old married couple,” Snape mocks.

“Just run along and play with your chemistry set!” Black snaps.

“Severus really, is a school boy grudge worth putting an innocent man back in Azkaban?” Lupin attempts to reason. It’s hard to tell whose face shows more hatred, Snape’s or Black’s, as they glare at each other, each daring the other to test them.

“Give me a reason,” Snape sneers, pressing his wand further into Black’s throat, ignoring Lupin.

“Severus, please,” Lupin pleads. Harry and I share a look, knowing we have to hear our father’s best friends out now. We’ve gone most of our lives with no real answers and now that they are in reach, we have to have them. Harry and I raise our wands at Snape simultaneously.

“Expelliarmus!” Harry casts.

“Stupify!” I cast myself and the combined force of our spells sends Snape flying backwards into the dusty four poster bed. Before anyone can react we turn our wands back to Black and Lupin.

“You attacked a teacher,” Hermione says quietly, her voice squeaky.

“You shouldn’t have done that, you should’ve left him to us,” Black says, looking at Harry.

“Yeah, you were doing a great job, weren’t you?” I snark.

“Thank you,” Lupin says, shooting a pointed look at Sirius.

“We’re not saying we believe you yet,” Harry says, his wand still raised towards Black.

“Tell us about Peter Petegrew. How do you reckon Scabbers is him?” I ask, the rat in question writhing wildly in Ron’s grip.

Black reaches into his robes and pulls out a very crumpled up piece of paper which he hands to Remus. “Fudge came to do an inspection last year. Gave me this and I knew… I’d recognize him anywhere,” Black explains and I step forward to see the paper. It’s the Daily Prophet picture and article of the Weasley’s in Egypt and on Ron’s shoulder sits Scabbers.

“He’s missing a toe… Godric,” Lupin says examining the picture and the rat in Ron’s hands.

“What about it?” Ron asks.

And then it hits me. “All they could find of Pettigrew was his fi-“

“His finger! The filthy coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead and then he transformed into a rat!” Black spits. “Just as I caught up to him he yelled to the whole street that I’d betrayed Lily and James and before I could do anything he blew up the whole street with his wand behind his back. Next thing I knee, a rat was scurrying off down to the sewer.”

“He probably just got into a fight with another rat he’s been in my family for ages,” Ron counters, still not believing it.

“Fifteen years, yes? Curiously long life for a common garden rat,” Black points out.

“We take good care of him!” Ron argues.

“Well he doesn’t look too good now. I suspect he’s been looking sickly since he heard Sirius had escaped,” Lupin observes.

“No, he’s afraid of that crazy cat!” Ron exclaims pointing at Crookshanks.

“Ron, they’re right. He’d been looking ill before ‘Mione got the cat,” Harry reminds Ron.

“I told you, Ron!” Hermione says, seemingly relieved that her cat is innocent.

“This cat isn’t mad. It’s quite intelligent actually,” Sirius says, patting Crookshanks. “He recognized Peter for what he was immediately, same with me when we met. He knew I wasn’t really a dog and once I got him to trust me, we learned how to communicate. He’s been helping me, you see. Tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn’t so he took the passwords to the Tower. But Peter figured it out and ran for it. This cat- Crookshanks you called him?- told me there was blood on the sheets. Peter must have figured faking his death worked once well enough,” Black growls the last part.

“Yes but why did he fake his death?” Harry speaks up, looking furious again. “Because he knew you were about to murder him like you did our parents! And now you’ve come to finish him off!”

“No, Harry-“ Lupin starts but Black cuts him off.

“Yes, I have.”

“Then we should’ve let Snape take you!” I say angrily.

“No, don’t you see? All these years, we thought Sirius betrayed your parents and Peter tracked him down but it was the other way around-” Lupin says placatingly.

“No, he was their Secret Keeper. He admitted it before you turned up. He killed them!” Harry yells, angrily, his hand shaking as he points his wand at Black.

“I as good as killed them…” Black says quietly, grief making his voice heavy. “I convinced Lily and James to switch to Peter at the last moment, make him the Secret Keeper instead. I’m to blame, I know it… That… The night they died, I’d had plans to check in on Peter but when I arrived at his hideout he was gone. It didn’t feel right, there were no signs of a struggle. I was scared…. I went to check on your parents and I saw the house… their bodies… I realized what Peter had done. What I did…” Black looks up at Harry and I, grief overtaking his features as a tear rolls down his cheek. “You two were crying in Harry’s crib… screaming for your mum who-- who was dead on the floor in front of you, the roof blown off, both of you bleeding. I tried to take you, keep you safe but Hagrid wouldn’t let me. I figured I’d take care of Peter and then Remus and I would come back and take you home…” Black looks between Harry and I, his eyes pleading for us to believe him. I blink as tears flood my eyes, filled with grief not only over our parents but the life my brother and I might have lived. Two lives really; one with our parents alive and happy and one being raised by the two men in front of us. Both options far happier than the lot we ended up with.

“Enough of this,” Lupin says, a steely tone in his voice, one I haven’t heard from the man before. “There’s one way to prove all of this. Ron, give me the rat.”

“What are you going to do to him?” Ron asks, holding a squirming Scabbers close to his chest.

“Force him to show his true self, if he really is a rat then it won’t hurt him,” Lupin responds. Ron considers Lupin for a moment but eventually, he holds Scabbers out to Lupin. Scabbers starts squeaking and writhing more widely. “Ready, Sirius?” Lupin asks. Black has already picked up Snape’s wand from the bed and approaches Lupin and the squirming rat, hsi eyes burning.

“Together?” Black asks to which Lupin nods. They count to three, Lupin holding Scabbers aloft, and a flash of bright blue lights erupts from both wands and Scabbers falls to the floor- Ron crying out for his pet. But there was another flash of light and from the small rat on the floor, slowly grows a man. A very short, mousy looking man, with thin colorless hair. He stood sort of hunched over, his skin grungy looking and unwell. Peter Petigrew looks around at the rest of us in the room, his eyes darting between Harry, me and the door.

“Hello, Peter,” Lupin says with a faux pleasantness. “Long time no see.”

“S-S-Sirius, R-Remus, my old friends!” Cries Peter, his voice squeaky, as his eyes dart to the door and he tries to dart between the two men towards the door but is stopped by Lupin and Black. Peter turns to Harry and I, stepping closer to us and I push Harry behind me and Peter approaches, keeping my wand between me and the rat like man.

“Harry? Look at you, you look so much like your father, like James. And you Euphemia, just like Lily. We were the best of friends, we-”

“How dare you speak to them? How dare you talk about James and Lily in front of them!” Black shouts, pulling Peter away from us.

“You were the spy! You sold James and Lily to Voldemort, didn’t you?” Lupin chimes in, the two men pinning Peter against the piano.

“I-I didn’t mean to!” Peter squeaks. “The Dark Lord! You have no idea the power he possesses. What would you have done, Sirius?”

“I would’ve died! I would’ve died rather than betray my friends!” Black bellows. “You haven’t been hiding from me all these years, Peter. You’ve been hiding from Voldemort’s old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter. They think the double crosser double crossed them. They think you gave Voldemort bad information knowing it would lead to his defeat!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! You tried to kill me!” Peter yelps and tries again for the door but I beat him there first, preventing him from leaving.

“Mia, your parents wouldn’t have wanted me killed. Your dad, he would’ve shown me mercy!” He pleads, trying to grab at me but my raised wand keeps him at bay until Remus and Sirius manage to pull him back towards the piano.

“You should’ve realized that if Voldemort wouldn’t kill you then we would. Together!” Black says angrily, Lupin by his side as they both raise their wands at the rat like man who cowers from them.

“NO!” Harry and I yell simultaneously, stopping them.

Lupin turns to us, “This man-”

“We know what he is,” Harry snaps. “We’ll take him to the castle.”

“Bless you, boy,” he sighs, falling to the floor to claw at Harry’s feet.

“Get off him!” I snap, sending sparks to Peter’s hands causing him to back away. “He said we’d take you to the castle. Then the dementors can have you,” I sneer at the man cowering on the ground at the idea of the dementors.

“Thank you,” Peter squeaks from the floor.

“We’re not doing this for you,” I spit.

“You two are the only ones who have the right to decide… but why?” Lupin asks, eyeing Harry and I carefully. Harry and I share a glance, only needing that much to know we are on the same page.

“I don’t think our parents would want their two best friends to become killers,” Harry states simply.

“You believe us then? Believe me?” Black says, looking between us, hope in his eyes for the first time all night.

Harry and I nod and it's as if the weight of the world falls from Black’s shoulders, joy and hope making him look younger. Harry looks to Ron and Hermione who have watched the whole thing in shock and awe. And as I stand there, staring at my brother and our godfathers, I can’t help as hope starts to creep into my chest as well.

a/n; ahh again, most of this is taken from the book/movie. In the book there are like 3 chapters of them in just in the Shack so I hope I got the important parts at least. And Mattheo will be back soon, I promise. I meant for the Shack scene to be just one chapter but it got stupid long so I split it up. Also, I’m kind of using All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 as my source for the Marauders’ time at Hogwarts if you’re interested.

taglist; @purplegardenwhispers @somethingswiftandstyles @weasleyreidstyles @mayamonroem @girlbooklover555 @stxrszurzolo

#harry potter #harry potter fandom #harry potter fanfiction #matteo riddle #hogwarts #hogwarts oc #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry #hp fanfic #wizarding world #hogwarts houses #prisoner of azkaban #of violent delights #mattheo riddle fanfic #mattheo riddle imagine #the maruaders #remus lupin #sirius black #peter pettigrew

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toontruelove · 1 year

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welll,,,,, if your willing to write for ocs as well,,,,,,

you could write some mugchai fluff if u feel like it?

OOOH like maybe chai infodumping about her successfully propagating one of her plants to mugs and him just finding this to be amazing (his interest more in chai then how to propagate hehe)

OR IDK WRITE WHAT YOU WANT DAIJHJSHBSDF

Art provided by @sovereignspades !

“It took me weeks to get the seeds fully separated from the stem mugs!” Chai said as she placed a pot with a budding flower in it in the sunlight before turning the pot left and then right, just to make sure the flower got the right amount of sunlight. “Star lilies are more sensitive than I thought, and they take four years to produce a flower!” she said as she walked to another plant to gently spray it with a mister. Mugman was sitting on the bed just watching Chai info dumped about all the plant’s she has in her care but he wasn’t really taking in that information as he was just happily watching her tend to the plants. He knew she loved plants and she was from some far away place but he never thought that wherever she came from they didn’t have plants. But seeing her happily ruling around the room with a smile on her face was enough for him to have a grin on his. He was never one for plants. ya he thought they were nice but meeting Chai and getting to know her more it’s like she opened his eyes to how plants are needed wherever they are needed, and it was because of her he learned so much. But he learned so much more about her from the plants. He would watch as she would be careful with watering them and make sure to not over water them, or how she would do her best not to harm the roots when moving a plant to a bigger pot. He would watch as she would even test out the soil levels to see if it’s safe for whatever she was gonna plant that day. “I am proud of my plants but this one is the one I am the most proud of!” Chai said, making mugman shake his head out of his daze as she ran over to a little makeshift greenhouse she had in her room and gestures for him to come over and not wanting to make her wait he got up and walked over to her to peer into the greenhouse. Inside was the bud of a flower with some jagged leaves growing on the side. “A rose?” he asked and Chai just had a big grin on her face. “Not just any rose! It’s a Hybrid tea rose!” she said excitedly as she moved her hands side to side.

“A hybrid tea rose is one of the hardest flowers to grow mugs! It’s the type of rose that the best floral shops sell at such a high price because of how hard they are to grow! They need a loamy, well drained soil that has a slightly acidic pH level. But with the help of mulch it can keep the roots cooled off!” As Chai starts to talk about the rose and what it needs, mugman can’t help but slip back into that state of just being more interested in her.

He can’t help but move to sit down as she happily told him everything about the flower and its need but he soon chuckled a bit making her stop and cross her arms at him. “And what’s so funny mugs?” she asked with a bit of a tap of her foot. And Mugs can’t believe he let this slip. “You know you’re really cute when you talk about something you’re so passionate about you know that?” he said, making not just his face turn pink in the process but Chai’s as well.

Both of them were bubbling at this point and were silent for a bit. “W-well um I’ll see ya later ok spices!!” Mugman said as he got up and with a soft ‘clink’ kissed her on the cheek before bubbling more and running out of her room. With a deep blush Chai put her hand on her cheek as she was almost bubbling over.

“Shit…” she said as she looked at the bed and soon saw Mugman’s coat. “Oh shit! Mugs wait!” she yelled as she grabbed the coat and ran out of the room, but seeing that he was already gone she sighed and looked at the coat a bit. “Guess I can give it to him at work…” she said before curiosity got the best of her and next thing she knew she had slipped the coat on and an overwhelming feeling of being safe overcame her as she gripped the sleeves of the coat. “I guess… I can give this back to him later” she said with a bit of a laugh as she hugged herself in the coat.

It was a few days later that Mugman was asking her about his coat and seeing her chase she just calmly said. “Oh ya you left it at my place after you ran out.” she said and looked at him with a smile. “You can have it back, after we see a movie together.” she said as her face started to turn pink and her mind started to race wondering if she overstepped an unknown boundary. But hearing Mugs laugh a bit calmed her nerves. “Sure, how about I pick you up and we head out together?” he said with a grin. “But you can use the coat till we get back, it might be late when we get back to the complex.” he said as he gently took her hand in his and gently kissed the back of it with a wink. Chai was too flustered to speak when mugman let her hand go and calmly walked away. With his arms folded behind his back. But as he walked away he soon realized that, he had not only kissed her on the cheek making that twice now but he had also kissed the back of her hand. Swallowing hard he tugged a bit at his bowtie but with some confidence, he was ready to make this the best date ever for her. All he had to do now was make some calls.

#MugChai #this is so cute I just cant!#Toon speaks #cddwtd chai #cddwtd mugman #cddwtd #casino cups au #Cuphead au #cddwtd au #hope you like it!#Chai x mugman

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sunattacksthemoon · 1 year

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This is for @sequinhaze and @impishtubist

for your thoughts on the regulus hating pregnant people headcannon. this is my first oneshot I’ve posted and I’m not editing because I’m tired lol. hope this is not complete shit.

Regulus has been starring at his stomach for that past fifteen minutes. Remus has been waiting for him to talk first but it seems like that won’t happen. “Would you like to feel? He’s very active today.” Almost immediately Regulus’s head snaps up and he starts slowly inching further across the couch just to put a noticeable distance between the two. And since Remus has been cooped up for the past week and a half, do to his husbands worrying, he has been dying to fuck with someone. Regulus just happens to be that unlucky someone. As quickly as he can at 38 weeks pregnant Remus grabs his wrist and plants it directly over where Teddy’s little feet have been jamming into his ribs. Regulus just stiffens up like Lily anytime someone mentions that she’s dated men. Teddy has also stilled due to the unwelcomed pressure over his persistent feet, with one swift move he kicks Regulus’s hand. He rips his hand back with a grimace and starts gagging. Remus is genuinely worried that he going to throw up but the look on his face is just to funny. Both their husbands come bounding into the sitting room surveying Remus laughing with his hand clutched to his ribs and Regulus bending over dry heaving.

James acts first and goes to rubs gentle circles on his husbands back. “Moony, what the fuck happened?” Before Remus has a chance to respond Regulus stands up and cowers behind James, “that is fucking revolting, you do that again and I’ll push down the stairs. I don’t care if you’re pregnant.” The change in demeanor on Sirius is instantaneous. “Try that and I’ll murder James in front of you.” There was a stalemate, both Black brothers starting at each other with dead eyes. Except for the fact that Regulus is on his tip-toes because he is still behind James. James ever the hero finally steps in, “okay there will be no pushing of pregnant people or murdering me. I quite like the ability to breathe thanks. Now can someone tell me what the fuck is going on.” He looks exasperated, Remus feels bad for a moment but he forgets to care when Teddy slams all his weight into his bladder. Regulus also chooses this moment to point and declare, “ask that sick bastard over there.” He can feel everyone’s eyes slowly make their way to him. So he plasters the most award winning smile and says, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He can see the vein in Regulus’s forehead about to burst. This is honestly the most fun he’s had in weeks. Not that he doesn’t love Sirius and his constant worries, he finds it adorable. That was until Sirius declared Remus to be bedridden. That is when he started to contemplate sleeping in separate bedrooms. (Only for the remainder of the pregnancy of course). “He fucking grabbed me and made me touch his stomach. I was violated.” He’s borderline hysterical at this point and reaching a volume that is very unpleasant, Remus decides to put him out of his misery. “He was starring at my stomach and I had him feel Teddy kick. That is all.” James is desperately trying to hide a smile and Sirius looks close to tears. “Reg, are you scared of Teddy?” At this point Sirius was openly laughing at the expense of his brother’s squeamishness. “No! I’m not scared of something that can’t breathe on its own. I’m disgusted, horrified if you will! That is fucking vile.” James has joined Sirius’s laughing and Regulus is looking between them. Finally he throws his hands up and storms out of the room. James quickly follows.

Once Sirius has composed himself, he promptly plops himself on Remus’s lap and starts stroking where Teddy is curled up, beating Remus’s insides to a pulp. “Have you traumatized your Uncle Reg? Good boy.” He has such an adoring look in his eye that Remus can’t help but kiss him. It’s hard not to, or to stop when he does kiss him. It’s feel like a sin almost. Pulling back Remus tucks a strand of hair behind his ear and just stares. Stares until Sirius gets flustered and the tops of his checks turn a pretty shade of pink. “I’m not going to continue being on house arrest.” At this Sirius try’s to speak but Remus just puts a gentle finger over his lips and continues, “I’m going mad sitting all day. I’ve resorted to terrorizing your little brother. I love you but I will divorce you if you don’t let me go to the bathroom by myself.” Sirius sits there for a minute contemplating. “Fine, but you have to let me help you with the stairs and shower. Deal?” Like a true gentleman he stuck out his hand. Remus toke and shock it firmly. “Deal.” And sealed it with a kiss. They were just sitting there before Sirius spoke up again. “You wouldn’t be able to divorce me anyways.” Remus just smiled because he knows it’s true but plays along anyways. “Oh yeah? How’s that?” With the calmest expression one could muster he got up and said, “I burned our marriage certificate. No take backs.” At that Remus water broke.

#trans remus lupin #sirius black #james potter #regulus black #new tag->#sunny’s writing

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pokikichuu · 1 month

Text

MUSE | A Wangxian drabble.

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

Warning: Major Character death.

This drabble includes: Immortal Wei Ying, Poet Lan zhan, Dead Lan zhan, angst but make it poetic, inspired by poetry (Iamnotapoet), love letter, this entire fic is a love letter, first person pov of wei ying.

Summery: Immortal Wei Ying falls in love with Lan Wangji, a Navy Soldier and poet. His faith catches onto him and he looses his love, down to the ocean. In order to forever engrave Lan Wangji's face in his mind, Wei Ying makes paintings and sculptures of him, waiting for the eternal end where he can get a glimpse of him again...

Word count: 969

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

M U S E

Lan Zhan, my dear,

The smell of soil after a drizzle, the sound of leaves grumbling with the wind, the sight of the sun setting under a blanket of purple and orange clouds, the taste of fresh water after a run, nothing can compare to the feeling of your skin against mine.

I don't remember when my life began, I don't see it ending anytime soon either. However, I remember one thing, when your eyes met mine, I felt the most alive.

You were frowning, I was not. I met you on a whim, in the midst of an adventure, but I forgot my purpose when I caught a glimpse of you; your brunette hair flowing with the wind.

You sat straight viewing the vast ocean in front of you, the sunset in front resembled your hazel eyes. Oh, you were breathtaking. I had gathered my courage to approach you, and with God's wish, I had succeeded.

And since then, I remember my days clearly.

At first glance, one might assume you were somewhat of a crude man, even I assumed the same. However, you were as gentle as a lily on a lake, your soft gaze, kind laughs and gentle kisses kept me awake at nights. Even during the sleepless nights, you laid by my side. Then I would admire your lips, your eyes, your pretty scar on your left cheek and you would chuckle.

Your chuckles were my favourite, it still is. It will forever be.

When I look out into the sunset, I see your eyes. When I make my way to the market and come across the water lily on the lake, it only reminds me of your touch, your fragrance.

Pity me, for falling for a sailor, a soldier, a poet and a writer. You were all those things, but to me, you were always my friend, my family and my lover.

You had pages after pages of poems about my eyes, I had a hut full of paintings of your face. How can we be so different and similar at the same time? As if, you were the full moon who only shows up every twenty eight days, where me, the sun, waited to meet you everyday.

Pity me, for waiting for you still, knowing you will never reach the shore.

Pity me, for being a widower without ever eloping with you, my love.

My love,

You were the one I would paint with, laugh with, the one I was willing to die with. If only I had known, you would never return, I would’ve drowned myself in you, with you.

Dying with the earth seems to be a blessing to an outsider, only I know, how much of a curse that is, how dying and lying beside your astray grave is more peaceful than living forever with the thought of you gone from this world.

Why? Why must I suffer? Why must I be cursed with such a power?

I remember very less, my family, their image is something I can’t seem to recall. I only linger with their voices and some words they have written down; I cherish them. My acquaintances from childhood, I neither remember their faces nor their names. They have escaped my memory; like wind flows through spring.

However, I can not bear to forget you. Forgetting you is equal to losing the most precious treasure of my life. I can’t bear it.

Slowly, my little hut became your shrine. The painting of you, your details that only I know of, your smile that only I saw, your gaze that only I received, each moment, each fond memory ended up on wrinkled paper with paint made from berries you and I planted together. Your face, body, hands, I captured them in soil from the island I first met you on.

Tears roll down my freckled cheeks as I sculpt your face, from memory that is as vivid as my dreams of you. The softness of the soil can not justify your soft skin, however I had to make do of what I had. As my fingers go over your jaw, I almost expect the lifeless sculpture to smile and tell me “I love you,” like you used to. Oh, how I wish that came true! How I wish I could sculpt you back to life!

All I, a hopeless man, can do is wish for something that is not meant to stay mine.

God gifted me you for only thirteen years, equal to spec of dust in a desert compared to my lifetime. However, how pathetic am I to hold onto that for the rest of eternity? Hold onto a grain of sand and think of it as my desert?

Even the sunset in a desert reminds me of your eyes.

My lips have gone chapped, by kissing the hard stone that I made into your lips. My fingers have calluses from moulding your pretty face out of the soil. My cheek now has the same scar you had, whilst mine was intentional. All my clothes have the same paint stains as the hundreds of paintings I made of you.

I would rather die than forget you, I wouldn’t let you be the gust of wind that flows through spring, that blows through my mind in a few years.

I don’t know when My time will come, but when I will get to meet you, if I do, I want you to look at me the same way you did for thirteen years. With your eye-smile, with your blushed ears and with a tight hug.

I will forever wait for that day, while I spend my life recreating you in every art form there is.

Except poetry, as you were the best at that.

#mdzs #writing #poetry #poem #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wan #drabble #the untamed #mxtx mdzs #mxtx #light angst #angst #dead lovers #omg #immortality #love letters #get tissues for your issues

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ashknife · 7 months

Text

Blossom

This is for the @inklings-challenge. I didn't have the benefit of running this through my writing group for critique and editing, so it is exceptionally rough. It's done, but it needs work. Something to do when I graduate in May. :) If you have suggestions or criticism to make, I would greatly appreciate it.

>/-u:bl0$$0m >/-p:*************** User authenticated. Welcome, bl0$$0m. TaurOS 7.2.9 rev.2 update available. See UPDATE -README for details. bl0$$0m>/-jack a2.82.71.89.82.fe -in/quiet Initializing peripherals. VineTech Helm Visor XG51 detected. VineTech Glide Gloves XG51 detected. VineTech Chest Mount Expansion XG51 detected. Please wait...... 9.8 PB allocated. Entering TaurNet...... Welcome, user bl0$$0m.

Visuals initializing.

A small room appears in her sight. It is covered in vines and foliage. A square fountain in the middle, covered in lily pads, provides water to this lush little garden.

Audio initializing.

The sound of trickling water gently pelts her ears. A breeze whooshes above, rustling the plants and calling attention to the windchimes above.

Sensories initializing.

She feels the cool breath of the wind caress her skin. The sun filtering in from above counters with its warmth. The dichotomy is pleasing. The scent of the plants fills her nostrils. She almost sneezes; she is thankful she doesn’t. The mess would have been a pain to clean up.

Controls initialized. Happy exploring.

She moves her body around the garden. Walking around is almost like walking around the dark room she is really seated in. It’s close enough to be disconcerting. No matter how many times she’s done this, she has to take a few minutes to reorient herself to the virtual environment. She performs a few stretches and exercises while she’s at it. There will be a lot of activity today.

“Hey, get your bearings yet?” Spencer’s disembodied voice crackled slightly.

“Almost. You’re breaking up a little,” Blossom replied.

“Can’t help it. There’s a massive storm outside. Let me know when you’re ready. Red is on standby,” Spencer said.

“Yo,” Redjack said. “I see you’re in one of the VineTech gardens.”

“It came with the gear,” she said.

“Did you get the XG51 set? Nice!” Spencer said.

“That’s right, boys. Only quality goods for this girl,” she said.

“That pocket garden is nice. If we weren’t already linked, I’d never know it was there. Is it true? Can you link that room anywhere?” Redjack said. Blossom smiled a little. Even she enjoyed the new car smell.

“I tried putting it just outside the library subbasement. I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” Blossom said.

“Which door?”

“A-51.”

“Ok, I’m watching. On your mark, Blossom.”

“Security is light down there, but be on your guard,” Spencer said.

“Got it,” she replied. “3…2…1…”

She opened the door out into a large, dusty lobby. Dust kicked up from the floor in a visible wave emanating from the opening portal.

“Oh, wow. I think you’re the first to disturb the air here in a long time,” Redjack commented.

“You said light security, Spence. Do you think it’s still around?” Blossom asked.

“Sensors don’t need to physically patrol an area to scan it. Some gremlins can remain inert for decades before being activated,” Spencer replied.

“Don’t let my guard down,” she said.

“Exactly. People have died from less,” Spencer said.

Blossom carefully stepped into the lobby. To her left was a large set of stairs leading up to the ground floor. A couple of dim rays from the cyberworld above pierced through, illuminating parts of a utilitarian directory in front of a big desk. Circulation, Preservation, and Housekeeping were to the right.

“This desk looks like a reception area for the basement offices,” Blossom said. “I can see some of the directory. Preservation is to my right. Is that where the archives are?”

“Not necessarily, but it’s a good place to start,” Spencer said.

“Not to alarm, but going off of Spence’s point earlier, there are a couple of inert gremlins under the desk. I’m prepping some weapon data just in case. What would you like?” Redjack said.

“The usual,” she said.

“On it,” he replied.

“Any sentries close by?” Spencer said.

“Three blocks down,” Redjack said.

“I’ll look. You’re clear to walk to that point,” Spencer said.

“Got it,” Blossom said. She advanced down the dark hallway with short, purposeful steps. She looked side-to-side with as much caution. Though the hallways were mostly bare, that did not mean they were empty. More than once, she was ambushed by cleverly camouflaged data gremlins, dangerous anomalies residing in the depths of cyberspace. They are pockets of corrupted data left down here for months, decades, or even centuries. Having been overlooked for so long and thus no programs to handle garbage collection, the corruptions evolved into some sort of animalistic state with a monstrous appearance. The depths of cyberspace are home to dangers such as this. It takes professional hackers like Blossom and her crew to brave and survive those depths to retrieve lost data. Hacker is one of the most respected professions on Taurus Rho.

Blossom crept to the end of the hall, where a pair of steel doors painted the same cream as the walls blocked her path. If Spencer was right, the sentries would be on the other side of the doors, so she relaxed a bit and took in her surroundings. She had seen the upper floors of this library before with rows of heavy wooden shelves with numerous imaginative posters begging patrons to read, read, read. There was colorful carpet to complement the colorful walls and numerous streamers hanging from the ceiling. It felt open, lively, and inviting. It was hard to believe that these lower levels were part of the same building. The offices, technical processing, and archives lived down here, so the design was far more utilitarian. Perhaps if she had a chance, she would peek into an office. Surely the librarians who worked here had lively desks.

“Hard to believe that this was a lively place twenty years ago, huh?” Redjack said.

“The first digital library,” she said.

“It had a good run, but now there are five bigger ones above and plans for even more. It didn’t take long for people to forget it,” he said.

“Red, how deep do you think cyberspace is?”

“Well, Nighthawk claimed to have been ten kilometers below, and that was when this library was in its final days. That makes that now, what, twelve?”

“How deep was that depot? The deepest we made?”

“Five.”

“I remember the cliffside there. I could see down a long ways.”

“I imagine it could be twenty, thirty, or more deep. Humanity has been on Taurus Rho for several centuries, and technology keeps expanding.”

“We can make it deeper, I bet. Deeper than even the great Nighthawk.”

“Yeah. One step at a time, anyway. What’s the word, Spencer? You’ve been quiet for a while.”

“Yeah, sorry, I’m confused. These scanners are VineTech,” Spencer said.

“VineTech? But, they’re a startup. They haven’t been around for even five years,” Blossom said.

“Weapon inbound,” Redjack interrupted.

A somewhat ornate spear materialized in front of Blossom, who took it, twirled around, and struck at a pair of gremlins in one fluid motion. The spearhead connected to the skull of the vaguely humanoid anomaly. It hissed and quivered violently before collapsing to the ground. Its buddy lunged at Blossom. She sidestepped the attack and jabbed the spear into its side, where it collapsed in a strange pile.

“Executing garbage collection,” Spencer said.

A dim light briefly engulfed the gremlin corpses. The corrupted data dispersed, leaving behind a couple of scraps of paper. Blossom picked them up and looked at them.

“This scrap is part of an old newspaper,” she said, crumpling it and tossing it behind her. “But this one, it appears to be an encrypted note. I’m uploading it to you, Spence.”

The other scrap disappeared from her hand in a small shower of white sparkles.

“Got it. So, those sentries are recent products from VineTech. Stealth Series 1 Beta. They’re supposed to be hard to detect.”

“Someone doesn’t want us down here,” Blossom said.

“It’s a good bet that someone knows we’re here. Should we abort?” Spencer said.

“Can you move that room?” Redjack asked.

“Yes, I can,” Blossom said. “Tried it the other day around my space.”

“The client gave us a detailed description of the record they want from the archives. If she hurried, she can get to it and then hop through a side door back into her safe space,” Redjack said.

“That’s risky,” Spencer said.

“I get the feeling there won’t be another chance,” Blossom said.

“If someone laid that trap for us, then there’s little use for stealth. I’ll scan the area for the target. You should see it on your HUD soon, Blossom,” Spencer said.

“Activating systems. Let’s make some noise,” Redjacked yelled.

The dark hallways lit up almost brighter than day. Blossom grunted as she brought her arm over her eyes. As her eyes adjusted, she saw a red targeting reticle appear down behind the doors.

“Archives are next to preservation, as you guessed. Run!” Spencer said.

Menus darted across Blossom’s vision as she selected a slew of commands to augment her abilities. Her destination was only a couple hundred meters down; she would be fine expending a large amount of data to get there quickly, especially if she had to run for her life. As if to confirm that, the sounds of machinery and crashing echoed from above the lobby stairs.

Blossom cursed as her spear glowed an eerie green color. With a practiced slash, she cut down the doors in front of her. She jumped past them and sprinted down the hall. Within seconds, she reached a set of doors leading into Preservation. She kicked the doors in to see a large room with shelves of boxes, chemicals, and plastic sleeving. Down the hall where she came from, she could see an Enforcer, a humanoid-shaped program designed by the military to help police the public areas of cyberspace.

“Blossom…” Spencer started.

“I know!” Weaving her spear around, she burst through Preservation, cutting through the tables and shelves before slicing down another set of doors. This led to a small warehouse with mostly empty shelves. There were several gremlins, all of whom were agitated by the sudden change in environment. In the middle of that was the target record. Hearing the crashing behind her, Blossom leaped forward, over the gremlins and shelves, and landed two aisles away from the record. The Enforcer exploded through what was left of those doors and charged forward, but the gremlins found it more interesting than Blossom.

“Precious seconds bought. There’s a door down the aisle where the record is found. Grab it and go!” Spencer said.

More menu options floated in front of Blossom as she ran to the correct aisle and rushed to the record. It appeared to be an old journal of some kind. She pocketed it and ran for the door. Light flickered behind it, and it opened to her private garden. The sound of struggle between the Enforcer and the gremlins quieted down. She was out of time. With a final burst of speed, she leaped for the door and slammed it behind her. The door bulged with a fist-like shape. Furiously, she entered commands. Soon, the bulge returned to normal as her garden transported her to somewhere safe. She pulled the journal out.

“The memoirs of Jackson A. Miller is ours,” she said.

Both men exhaled.

“Good job, Blossom,” Redjack said.

“Another narrow escape, thanks to your upgrades,” Spencer said. “Guess I should do the same, yeah? I’ll meet you at the normal place.”

“Sure thing.”

A pair of wired, sleek gloves pulled a similarly styled helmet off. The young woman gasped for fresh air and then sat there while her pulse and breathing slowly returned to normal. Every close call unnerved her. If the Enforcer had gotten a hold of her like it did those gremlins…well, this room would have been quite the mess for someone to clean up.

She stood up, slid the chest mount off, and hung the pieces of the XG51 into their sanitation station. She ambled to the bathroom and looked at the mirror. Her undershirt was drenched with sweat, and her black hair was also drenched and matted. She ran her fingers down her dried face and stared at her brown eyes for a few moments. She sniffed and wrinkled her nose.

“This is going to be the death of you, Laura,” she told her reflection.

A shower and some fresh clothes later, Laura stepped out of her apartment into the city streets. As much as she didn’t care for the inner parts of Prime City, she was glad for the opportunity to get out and distance herself from the virtual reality suit. The storm Spencer complained about had just passed over this part of the city, so there was a little freshness in the air. Her dark grey beanie, scarf, coat, slacks, and boots blended with the overcast sky, the city buildings, and many of her fellow pedestrians. She trotted to keep pace with the crowd, warily watching while keeping her face down. A pair of earbuds quietly played music from children’s show Duck the Rabbit; they were also a type of hearing aid. They saved her more than a few times from nosy reporters and angry strangers.

A quarter-hour stroll through the city streets brought her to a little cafe, La Fleur Petit. An eccentric old lady crazy about fungus ran the place, which was enough to scare off most people who weren’t regulars. It was a cozy spot that served a delicious cup of coffee and a large, warm waffle. Laura could smell the waffles the entire walk down. She opened the door and stepped in.

A wrinkled raisin of a woman sat at the register hunched over in a somewhat comatose pose. It wasn’t clear if she was contemplating the mysteries of the universe or was asleep. An eye peeked to see who it was, and then she burst into life.

“Oh, you can’t hide from me, sweetie! I know which blossom those eyes belong to,” she said.

“Good evening, Madame Sophie,” Laura said. Sophie grabbed Laura’s cool hand and stared seriously into her eyes.

“Still so formal after all these years. One day, young lady. One day, you will call me Grandma or Toots or something.” She cackled. Laura couldn’t help but smile as the old lady dragged her to her normal table. There was a guest waiting for her, as expected.

“Waffle and coffee?” Sophie asked.

“Yes, please.”

“I’ll return shortly.”

Laura sat at the table and faced her guest, who was dressed similarly. They sat in silence until Sophie returned with fresh coffee in mushroom-shaped mugs. She sat a mug in front of Laura and another in front of the guest.

“Your orders will be ready in a few. Relax and enjoy!” She bowed and walked back to the counter, singing an old tune using mushroom names as lyrics. Laura’s guest lifted his mug.

“The fields are white unto harvest,” he said.

“But the laborers are few,” she said, lifting her mug. They loosened their scarves and savored a sip.

“Sophie makes good coffee. I wonder where she sources it,” the man said.

“See? Like that, dearie!” Sophie called from the counter. Laura laughed.

“I don’t know, but she’s earned a few secrets,” she said.

“Do you have the journal?” he said.

“Here.” Laura produced a small drive and handed it over. He looked it over and placed it in a pouch.

“That was a close call. Did that punch get in your garden?”

“About two feet, I think. It…I…do you know something, Spence? I think we were targeted.” Spencer nodded.

“Here’s a copy of that note.” He pulled out a folded scrap of paper. “Decrypted,” he added.

Laura took and unfolded it.

Flowers wither. -M

She looked up.

“I don’t know who we angered, but somehow we did,” Spencer said.

“Any ideas? Past clients? Jobs?” she asked.

“I think it might actually have been this job. Jackson A. Miller was an old general, someone the deposed General Blackheart looked up to. Our client was really good at hiding his information, but I still managed to dig up some info. A librarian who was personal friends with the same Mason Blackheart, Apollo DeGreen. Seems he might be doing a favor for his old buddy.”

“General Blackheart was deposed seven years ago and disappeared soon after. Wouldn’t this be someone acting on an old grudge?”

“Maybe, but then they seemed to know who you are. That they sent an Enforcer after you meant they were someone high up. Very few people get to command those. I just don’t know who M is.”

He stared intently at her. She stared back. Sophie arrived with plates of waffles and sausage.

“Oh, Sophie, I could eat this every day,” Spencer said.

“How nice of you to say, but you already get my best discount,” Sophie replied as she placed the food down for her guests. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Laura stared for a bit longer, and then she looked at the scrap again. Something caught her eye. There was a tiny bit of writing underneath the note.

“Hey, there’s an address here,” she said, handing the note back.

“You’re right,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “You know something.”

“Yeah, but I can’t crack. Not yet. Trust me a little longer,” she said, taking in a bite of waffle. If only she could hold that warm, fluffy moment forever.

“You were almost killed,” he said, holding his first bite in.

“I…yeah. That unnerved me, but I have to face the danger. We need to go to that address.”

“This is clearly a trap.”

“I know.”

“But you want to go?”

“I have to. It’s…important.”

“The ever-nebulous quest of yours?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t think I could take it if you were silenced.”

“You say that every time.”

“And I mean it every time. You’re a person, too. Red and I care about you. We’re a great team. We could keep this going for years to come.”

“Spence…”

“I know better than to try to talk you out of this, but if this goes south, we’re gonna have to lay low for a while.” Laura sighed.

“Thank you, Spence. Just trust me a little longer, and then you’ll learn all you want.”

“You’re a hard nut to crack, Blossom.”

“I have to be. Look, she made these look like shiitake.”

They ate and chatted for a while longer before leaving.

The door to Laura’s apartment opened quietly. She stepped in and closed the door just as carefully. She stepped into the kitchen and stripped the gear off of her head, placing them on the table. She inhaled sharply and brought her fist down on the table, jolting everything on it. She screamed in frustration.

She knew who M was. M was the Matriarch, the name her aunt used in cyberspace. Her real name was Anastasia Plumer. She was the governing regent of Sector Prime, one of the most populous sectors on the planet. She obtained the position by exposing the corruption of the previous regent and that of his advisors. Evidence of that corruption extended to her father, General Mason Blackheart. The general embezzled funds for his family and used his position to cover for a number of Laura’s missteps, including a failed attempt to sexually assault her own cousin, Lance Plumer. In an act of goodwill, Anastasia pardoned their crimes when General Blackheart stepped down in the face of his charges.

Charges that Laura knew were completely fabricated. Anastasia and Lance had powerful and skilled friends. All it took was a little sample of Laura’s DNA that she unwittingly provided. From that, they could recreate nearly every detail about her, including her voice and mannerisms. It was groundbreaking technology, the kind that Taurus Rho was known for. The people behind this brought that technology to market under the name VineTech.

Anastasia was calling Laura out, and Laura had no choice but to follow along. It was the only way she could get close enough to find something, anything, to exonerate herself and her father. She was right: this might really be the death of her.

“Let me get this straight: we’re infiltrating an address left behind by someone who tried to kill you?” Redjack asked.

“Yes,” Spencer and Blossom answered.

“You know, I need to find my way to Prime City so I can smack you both upside the head,” Redjack said.

“It’s been a while since the last time,” Blossom said.

“It has, and if this mission goes to pot, it won’t be happening ever again,” Redjack said.

“Don’t be all glum, Red. If this mission goes well, Blossom said she would spill the beans,” Spencer said.

“Wait, really? Like, we can finally know your name and all that?” Redjack said.

“Yeah. I have a feeling we’ll find something big here,” Blossom said.

“If you make it. I mean, given what we know, they could be going after me and Spence when this is over.”

“If this is our end, then let it be something noteworthy. I mean, we are trying to be greater than Nighthawk, right?” Spencer said.

“Now or never,” Blossom said.

“Right,” Redjack said. “I see you attached your garden to that address. I can have a weapon placed right outside for you. You’ll need it: the place is crawling with gremlins.”

“The place looks like an abandoned vacation home that sunk into the depths. Records of who it once belonged to seem to have been corrupted. Maybe one of those gremlins has them,” Spencer said.

“I can block some doors and funnel the gremlins down a corridor. That should help you dispatch them,” Redjack said.

“Alright. Reserve some data for a hasty retreat,” Blossom said. “I’d rather this not be the end if I can help it.”

“Already on it,” Redjack said.

“Okay, on my mark,” Blossom said. “3…2…1…”

Blossom burst through the door, grabbing the spear dropped next to it. One thrust, two, and then three inflicted fatal wounds on as many gremlins.

“Starting garbage collection,” Spencer said.

“Funneling enemies. They should be coming out of the door to the left,” Redjack said.

“How many?” Blossom asked.

“About thirty.”

Blossom sighed, inhaled deeply, and slammed the butt of the spear on the ground.

“Bring it!” she said, readying the spear for the first to come out.

Come out they did. As the door burst open, two gremlins popped out. Meanwhile, the doorway appeared to shrink down to a third of its size, forcing further gremlins to have to squeeze through.

“That should hold for a while. Take them out,” Redjack said.

Blossom stabbed the two in front of her, and then she charged at the doorway, running through another. She stood in front of it, stabbing at each one trying to get through to her. With Spencer clearing the corrupted data, there was plenty of room for the remaining gremlins to make their way to Blossom. By the time the last fell, she yawned with boredom.

“I expected more,” she said.

“Don’t let your guard down, lady,” Spencer said. He grunted. “Nothing useful. They were all made of bits and bobs. I think they were all made recently.”

“What are we looking for, anyway?” Redjack asked.

“I don’t know, exactly. Evidence of some kind,” Blossom said.

“You’re risking your life for something vague?”

“This time, yes. I don’t know what I’m looking for, but I’ll know what it is when I find it.”

“Okaaay…” Redjack said. “Well, you are in the den of a mansion. Your garden is attached to a door that goes outside. The door to the left of that, where you just killed gremlins, leads further into the mansion. On the opposite side, you should see some double doors that lead out into a courtyard. There is a bridge that goes over a pond to an island that houses a small tower. I don’t know about you, but I think I would have fun at this place. You, aside from the monster infestation.”

Blossom gasped. She knew this place.

“The tower. It’s got to be in the tower.”

“How do you know?” Spencer said.

“I just…I just do. Are there any enemies out there?”

“None that I see,” Redjack said. There just seem to be a couple of spotlights. How odd.”

“Huh…yeah, they’re just spotlights. Nothing out of the ordinary there,” Spencer said.

The ground shook. A guttural scream echoed through the mansion.

“That…oh, that one is huge. And he’s above you,” Redjack said.

“I don’t like this, Blossom. You’re being pushed there. You know there is trap of some kind somewhere,” Spencer said.

“I’ll deal,” she said, approaching the courtyard doors. They were large enough to allow a small vehicle in. A plank of wood resting on metal braces barred the door from opening. Blossom lifted the plank and set it aside. She then twisted the second brace from the right, revealing a small hole inside the door. She retrieved a key, which she inserted into the keyhole. There was a loud click, and then the doors swung open.

“Huh…” Spencer said.

“I couldn’t see that. Where exactly are we?” Redjack said.

“It’s–” Blossom started. Another heavy scream cut her off.

“Tell us later. Go!” Redjack said.

Blossom ran out into the courtyard. It was a simple grassy yard with a large pond in the middle. In the middle of the pond stood a small tower rising about three stories. A rough path of large stones connected the door to a wooden bridge that crossed the pond. The stone path continued on the island to the tower.

Blossom made it halfway to the bridge when a large, dark mass poured itself out of the courtyard door like a thick oil. Once out, it wriggled violently until it could form a pair of arms, a pair of eyes, and a pair of eyes. The gremlin was easily the size of an elephant, and its core was darker than any night sky Blossom had ever seen.

Blossom bolted to the bridge just as the gremlin chased after her. The ground under the gremlin suddenly gave way as if it was as viscous as the creature.

“Thanks, Red,” Blossom said as she stepped on the bridge. Just a few more steps, and she would be on the island, and then the tower, and then whatever was held in it.

Then the spotlights lit up.

Blossom cried out as she did her best to shield her eyes from their glare.

“Don’t tell me…” Spencer said.

“Oh. Oh, no!” Redjack said. “There’s no way!”

Blossom was not the only one who cried out. The gremlin screeched in pain. It scrambled like a panicked bug back to the mansion.

“We’re too high up to see any of these,” Spencer said. “How is this possible?”

There were four spotlights, each attached to the fence around the courtyard. Their intense light focused on Blossom. Wherever she blindly stumbled, they followed her. The large beams grew brighter and more focused. A thin beam of the whitest light shot from each spotlight and hit Blossom’s head. She seized up, held up only by her twitching muscles and the lights which bore into her.

“I’m going in,” Spencer said.

“Are you nuts?! We’ve never dealt with the Lights of Truth!” Redjack said.

“If I know my lore, they’ll only be focused on her. If I don’t, well, it was worth a shot. We can’t jack her out until she’s free of them, which means one of us has to pull her out.”

Redjack cursed.

“I knew you’d understand,” Spencer said.

The lights intensified, drilling into Blossom’s mind. Her body contorted in awful angles, and her cries sounded inhuman. Streams of silver poured out of her head. There were hundreds of them, and they threatened to corrupt the space around them and form gremlins. However, in the light, they instead stabilized and turned into windows showing pictures, objects, scenes, and even ideas and feelings.

“There’s a ton of data coming through. You’ll have to jack in on my mark,” Redjack said.

“Got it,” Spencer replied. “What’s going on?”

“It’s…her. Everything about her. Everything.”

“What? That’s it?”

“I don’t think you understand, Spence. You should see this.”

“Okay.”

“Opportunity’s coming. 3…2…1…”

A shower of light by the courtyard door heralded Spencer’s entrance. The lights around him were nearly too much to take in, but they were not nearly as intense as they were on the bridge. Silver streams continued to wrest themselves out of Blossom’s mind, turning in to data streams. Scenes of school, trips, military parades, family, especially…

“General Mason Blackheart?” Spencer said. The deposed general factored into several memories.

“Blossom is…Laura Blackheart? Have we been working with the general’s daughter this whole time?” Redjack said.

“This was the regent’s vacation home! Red, where is all this data going?”

Redjack gasped and cursed. “It’s going somewhere in downtown Prime. I can’t contain any of this! Get her out!”

Spencer approached the bridge. The heat of the lights was unbearable, but that was nothing compared to Laura’s writhing body. It contorted just the right way for him to reach his arms in and hook them around her shoulders. He pulled her as close as her body and the attached lights would allow.

“Got a boost for me?” Spencer said.

“I’ll try, buddy,” Redjack said. “Here goes…”

Spencer yanked. Redjack’s boost was more than he expected, for he flew back into the mansion with Laura in tow. It was enough to disconnect her from the lights, which immediately powered down. She quivered in exhaustion and gasped for breath.

“Throw her in the garden. I'll jack her out,” Redjack said.

Spencer dragged Laura to the door hosting her private garden. He was unable to enter it, so he gathered her into his arms like he was carrying a large sack.

“I’m sorry, but I hope this will be less painful than what you just went through,” he said.

He swung her twice before letting go a third time. She flew a few feet into the garden, landing hard on the ivy-covered ground. Spencer winced.

“I’m so sorry, Blossom,” he said, closing the door.

Laura screamed as she yanked the XG51 off. She clawed at her head, which felt like it had been drilled into hundreds of times. She stumbled out of her chair, choking out sobs, clutching her chest, and using the wall to hold herself up. Eventually, she made it to the bathroom, where she allowed herself to trip down to the toilet. She vomited into it. When nothing more could come out, she collapsed on the floor. She tried to wrap the rug around her. She pulled the towels off the drying rack to wrap around her, and then she tried to reach for the clean ones shelved above the rack. Eventually, she stopped reaching and cried herself to sleep.

“Welcome! Oh! Oh…” Sophie hurried around the counter and grabbed Laura’s hands. It had been two days since her mind was invaded. She existed on the bathroom floor for most of that, but something within willed her to get up, clean up, and take the stroll to La Fleur Petit. She wore two layers of clothing under her coat and wrapped her scarf extra tight. The wet, red rings around her eyes made her look threatening. She tried to say something to Sophie.

“Shh, hush now. Come, your friends are waiting. I will make something special for you.”

Waiting? She didn’t tell anyone she would be there. Yet, there were two men dressed like her. Of course. Who else could it have been? They were already enjoying their coffee in mushroom-shaped mugs. A fresh mug was waiting for her. Sophie helped her sit, and she was off into the kitchen.

“The fields are ripe to harvest,” Spencer said.

“But…the laborers…” Laura answered, choking up. She breathed in slowly and collected herself.

“Are few,” she finished. She loosened her scarf a little, trying to have just enough room to drink her coffee and nothing more. The two men removed their scarves completely, loosened their coats, took off their caps, and relaxed. Spencer leaned forward.

“So, we, uh, saw everything,” he said. Laura nodded cautiously.

“To be honest, I thought all this effort to be secretive and hidden was a novel schtick, You know, an edgy kind of roleplay that was sort of our trademark thing. I mean, why do we need to hide? We’re hackers. We do the dangerous work of finding things in the deep so that nobody else has to, right? But, now I understand. I know why we needed to be secretive. Why you were always so hidden. You had to be,” Spencer said.

“The regent was after you,” Redjack continued. “She tried to mine, well, you. She learned about Spence and I.”

‘I put you danger. We have to lay low. I shouldn’t have…” Laura said.

“Yeah, we’re in danger. Or would have been,” Redjack said. He pushed a folded piece of paper to her. Laura took and unfolded it. She looked up. On the note was an image of a hawk’s head.

“Apparently Nighthawk is still in business, and he took enough shine to us to divert most of the data heading to the lady regent,” Spencer said.

Tears fell as a great weight lifted from Laura’s shoulders.

“I…I’m so grateful!” she blurted. Spencer stood up.

“For better or for worse, the time for secrets is behind us. My name is James Smith. My grandfather, Spencer O’Toole, was a hacker and someone I admired greatly.” He held out his hand. Redjack stood and offered his hand, as well.

“I, well, there’s nothing meaningful to Redjack. My name is Jack Redman. I just thought it sounded cool. Computers are sort of my dig, you know?”

Laura stood and took her scarf off.

“Laura Blackheart. I’m pleased to meet you both.” She shook each of their hands, and they sat back down.

“Oh, finally! You’re practically family now!” Sophie snuck up to the table with three steaming bowls, placing them before each person.

“Sophie, we didn’t order any soup,” Spencer said.

“Don’t worry! Today’s meal is on the house. The soup is my special recipe: a broth made from several different mushrooms! It’s the perfect remedy for cold, troubling days. I’ll be back later with your meals.” Sophie scooted off.

“That was generous of her,” Redjack said, lifting the bowl to his face. Spencer and Laura did the same.

“Cheers,” they said, and drank. The soup filled Laura with an otherworldly warmth, a feeling of calm in the midst of a raging storm. The earthy, peppery mushrooms felt oddly of home. There was joy, and longing, and peace.

Laura opened her eyes, suddenly aware she had almost drifted asleep. Spencer and Redjack, by the look on their faces, had similar reactions.

“What a masterpiece,” Spencer finally said. Silently, they sipped their soups until their bowls were empty. As if on cue, Sophie returned to collect their bowls and place out their entrees: a massive feast of eggs, bacon, and sausage piled on top of her mushroom-shaped waffles.

“I don’t know what you’ve suffered, but I’ll be dead before I let anyone walk over my children like that. Next time it happens, you point ol’ Sophie at ‘em. I’ll tan their hides so hard, they’ll wish I actually knocked them into next month.” Sophie walked back to the kitchen muttering other unsavory things she wanted to do. The three sat there for a moment, and then they erupted in laughter before digging in.

“We need to go back,” Laura said.

“I know you just got drilled in the head, but seriously?” Spencer said.

“Yes. Seriously. Aunt Anastasia baited a trap, but I never found the bait,” Laura said.

“The Lights of Truth are ancient traps. I can see how a rich and powerful person like the regent managed to get some moved to her old vacation home without destroying half of cyberspace, but there isn’t much known about them. I don’t know any way to disable them,” Redjack said.

“But Nighthawk does,” Laura said.

“Oh, right. He did claim to have a way to get through them. But we have no way to contact him,” Spencer said.

“If we caught his attention before, maybe we can catch it again,” Laura said.

“What if we don’t?” Redjack asked.

“Then we look for a way around. They activated when I got part way across the bridge. What if we went under it, or over the island, or through the ground? The tower, it’s important. She had that built for her kids and us cousins. It’s a big playhouse,” she answered.

“Well, those are possibilities,” Redjack conceded.

“What if the bait turns out to be a ruse?” Spencer asked.

“Well, I guess we lay low and learn from our mistakes,” Laura said.

“I think I heard something about Omega Phi looking for something like us hackers. Ever thought about moving off-world?” Redjack said.

“Let’s consider that after we deal with the task at hand,” Spencer said.

Laura stared at an empty mug.

“Grandma, can I have some more coffee?” she called out.

Sophie burst through the kitchen door with a full carafe of coffee and the widest grin.

“You make this old woman so happy, dear!”

A few days had passed before Blossom stepped back into the mansion’s den. It seemed whatever damage occurred during his last visit was repaired.

“Auntie is pretty diligent at maintaining her abandoned property,” she observed.

“That’s a bad sign,” Spencer said.

“Let’s go through with it, anyway. We may get lucky,” she said.

“Just in case, I have a program ready to jack you out in case the lights target you again. It’s going to hurt, but not like what you endured,” Redjack said.

“Okay. Let’s do this,” she said, stepping towards the courtyard doors. She immediately stopped and drew a sharp breath.

“Whoa! Who is that?” Redjack said. Although difficult to see in the dim lighting, there was a man standing in front of the courtyard doors. His dark raiment melded well with the shadows, but the helmet on his head was shaped like a hawk.

“Is that…?” Spencer started.

“Laura,” the man said sternly. Her knees gave out, and she fell on them. Her lips quivered and tears formed.

“That was reckless, the other day. I taught you better,” the man continued.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…I had to…”

“How can you possibly surpass the great Nighthawk with such rookie mistakes?” he demanded.

“I never thought I would get to meet Nighthawk, and now he’s scolding us. I don’t think anything can surprise me anymore,” Redjack said.

“Anastasia isn’t satisfied. She wants us gone. I didn’t think I would have another opportunity!” Blossom pleaded to Nighthawk.

“Sometimes patience requires decades. You can’t expose anything if you lose control and get yourself killed for it,” Nighthawk countered. “And your teammates! Did you not think of them? Didn’t you ignore their warnings?”

Blossom punched the ground in frustration. Nighthawk walked to her.

“Get up,” he said. “Get up. Eyes up and forward. Face me.”

Blossom obeyed, standing to her feet and facing Nighthawk with eyes filled with defiance. Nighthawk grabbed her chin and chuckled softly.

“You’re as stubborn as ever. I’ve missed you, daughter.”

“Nighthawk is…” Spencer said. The sound of his headset hitting a wall replaced the rest of his statement.

“Tell me this is the last surprise we have to deal with. We can’t handle anymore,” Redjack said. Blossom could almost hear his facepalm.

“Where have you been?” Laura said.

“I’m sorry. I had to disappear, like you,” Nighthawk said. He cupped his hands around her head, and then he pulled her into an embrace.

“I missed you,” she said, hugging him back.

She could feel him pull his mask off. There was a shake, and then she felt something like a warm, fuzzy blanket cover her. She pulled back to see a cloak covering her. Her father fastened the clasp at her neck and pulled the hood over her head. He waved a hand, revealing a mirror. In the reflection stood an older version of the father she knew. He leaned on a cane, and his hair and beard were grayer, but age could not erase the pride and intention in which he carried himself. Laura then noticed the ears on the hood and the little duck bill. She laughed, facepalmed, and sang.

“Duck, Duck the Bunny is his name

Helping the children is his game!”

General Blackheart walked around his daughter and tidied the wrinkles and debris off of the cloak. He joined in the song with his gruff, baritone voice.

“When evil rears its ugly head,

Duck will fly in and make it dead.

He saves the world as you can see

Duck is right here for you and me!”

“That was an awful show,” General Blackheart said.

“Yeah, but it kind of stuck,” Laura said.

General Blackheart looked Laura over once more, and then he sighed.

“I’m old and harsh. You suffered greatly from those lights. I hope you can forgive an old man for fearing for his little girl,” he said.

“I’m twenty-seven, Dad.”

“I’m almost 70. You will always be little to me. Now, we have some business to take care of, don’t we?”

Ruffled noises come from Spencer’s headset, followed by a long breath.

“General, do you plan on funding a long vacation for all of us when this is done?” he asked.

“I’ll do that and more if you succeed. How would you folks like to work with the great Nighthawk? I’ll teach you things you never thought possible,” General Blackheart replied.

“I’m ears,” Redjack said.

“You’re really helping us?” Laura said.

“Of course. I can’t have Anastasia harming my little blossom again,”

“What’s the plan?” Spencer said.

“Blossom is going to walk across the bridge and take whatever artifact is in the tower,” Nighthawk said as he pulled on a new hood.

“We tried that last time, and it didn’t work,” Redjack said.

“True, but last time you didn’t have all the necessary tools,” Nighthawk said.

“This cloak,” Blossom said.

“Right. I devised cloaks like this specifically to get past the Lights of Truth. They were a government experiment designed to mine the thoughts of the populace. As you’ve seen, they have painful results, and they were the refined, production versions,” Nighthawk said.

“So, you learned about them while you were actually General,” Spencer said.

“Right. That sort of clearance turned around and made me a legend, though you are the only ones outside my team to know this. Having the archived schematics of old, powerful weapons helped us to devise countermeasures,” Nighthawk said.

“Not to alarm anyone, but that giant gremlin is still there. How has he not seen us yet?” Redjack said.

“Let’s just say I know a few ways to obtain control of my space. I will upload some of those to you,” Nighthawk said. “The rest I cannot give you without causing you trouble.”

“What will the cloak do?” Spencer asked.

“It will reflect the light back to the source, causing it to mine itself. It won’t be destroyed, but it will be kept busy in a recursive loop for several minutes. Unfortunately, they will not be available to keep our friend upstairs at bay. That’s where I come in. I need you gentlemen to back me up while I keep him busy. With a little luck, we can take it out and recover a bit of treasure for ourselves,” Nighthawk said.

“What’s in the tower?” Blossom asked.

“I don’t know, but it will be on you to recover whatever is up there. I imagine Anastasia will have something else planned for you,” Nighthawk said. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I saw some of the memories drilled out of you. There was one in particular that caught my attention,” he said. A window appeared, showing a garden in Prime City.

“Wait a minute. Isn’t this where Laura supposedly assaults the regent’s son?” Spencer said.

“Look,” Nighthawk said.

A younger Laura walked down the starlit garden path. She wore a simple dress with golden feathers adorning her shoulders. Walking next to her was her cousin, Lance Plumer, who wore the ceremonial uniform of a colonel of the Prime Sector army. Earlier that day, new officers graduated from officer school, and Lance was one of the top graduates. The party that night was in their honor. Laura naturally attended the party, being the daughter of General Mason. It had been years since she and Lance saw each other, so this party was an excellent opportunity to catch up.

They ambled through the spacious garden for what seemed like hours before they stopped in a secluded corner. The journey was well-remembered. The words and sounds, however, were muffled. Laura barely remembered them. That is, until a certain point. Lance brought his hand up to Laura’s face.

“You really blossomed into a beautiful woman, Laura,” he said.

“Oh, stop it,” she laughed. “I’m still the same kid you ran around with.”

“Maybe we can do something more,” he said. His hand lowered, but before he got anywhere, she grabbed a hold of it. He thrust his other arm at her face, which she dodged and then bit. He yanked that arm back while she held on to the other, spinning under it and using the momentum to flip him onto the ground. She spat in his face and stormed off.

Nighthawk brought up a different window. “This is footage from the security camera,” he said.

The same scene played out, but from a perspective about ten feet away. When Laura stormed off, Lance produced a couple of vials from his coat and collected Laura’s spittle.

“That was much easier than I thought,” he said as he got up. He dusted himself off, looked around, and walked away.

“That…that…” Blossom started.

“It’s hard to know what was and wasn’t fabricated,” Nighthawk said. “So, I just wanted you to know, if this doesn’t work out, and we get separated again, know that I know the truth and have always believed it to be, even when we were being played.”

“If I hadn’t spat on him!” Blossom stormed to the courtyard door.

“Operation start, boys,” Nighthawk said.

Soon, the door swung open, and Blossom stomped her way to the bridge and over it. The spotlights lit up, again blinding her. However, she hid under her cloak while her sight recovered. The cloak lit up, producing a reflective barrier in the shape of Duck the Bunny. With a loud quack, the lights were reflected back to the spotlights. The spotlights shook violently and flickered as they tried to mine the minds that weren’t there.

“You know, she’s going to kill you for that,” Spencer said.

“Won’t be the first time. It’s a father’s job to embarrass his children,” Nighthawk said.

“Bogey is active. Look alive!” Redjack said.

Blossom huddled under her cloak while the sting dissipated from her eyes. When her vision recovered, she resumed her tirade to the island, and then up the path. She planted her foot squarely on the tower door, knocking it over. She climbed the steps as Nighthawk evaded the gremlin outside. The second floor contained four beds. Beside each was a bedstand equipped with a lamp, a few books, and a small shelf of toys. She crossed the room and ascended the next set of stairs. At the top of the stairs was a final door. She stopped for a moment, took a few deep breaths, and composed herself. And then, she knocked.

“Come in,” Anastasia answered.

Blossom stepped in. The room inside was much larger than it should have been. There was a fire roaring in the fireplace across from the door. A tea kettle sat over it. A rug lay in front of the fireplace. To either side of the rug were a pair of comfy chairs. A table with teacups and cookies sat in between them. Anastasia Plumer sat in the one on the right.

“Have a seat,” the regent said.

Blossom sat in the other chair. Anastasia pulled the teapot from the fire, filled the teacups, and placed the pot back on the fire. Blossom took her cup and sipped on it. Chamomile.

“Snickerdoodles?” she asked.

“Yes,” her aunt replied. Blossom took one and nibbled on it silently for a few moments.

“Why haven’t you killed me?”

“I still can.”

“But you haven’t.”

“I can’t.”

The fire crackled loudly.

“Regent DeSpain was a crooked man. I don’t regret exposing him. Removing him from power, and those who profited with him, was necessary for the health of the sector,” Anastasia said.

“What did that have to do with me and father?”

“As his daughter, you should understand how much he values loyalty and duty. If his leader was in danger, no matter how much he actually despised the man, Mason would still take bullets for him.”

“This all was a form of protection?”

“Would you prefer prison and execution?”

“Why did you have Lance…do…argh!”

“Laura, I could never apologize enough for what he did. I instructed him to recover some form of DNA from you. He chose how to do it. The smear campaign was badly handled.”

“You don’t say!” Blossom shot up, ready to throw a punch.

“The Lance on TV is also fabricated. Did you know that?”

“What?”

“The real Lance is doing time in Barghest. That is the penalty for sexual assault, isn’t it?”

“I…didn’t…” She deflated back into her chair. They sat in silence for a while longer.

“You have to expose my crimes,” Anastasia finally said.

“I don’t understand,” Blossom said.

“Mason is fully discredited, but he can live on as Nighthawk. In fact, I think in some ways he prefers it.” At that moment, the large gremlin crawled passed their windows. Shortly after, Nighthawk flew past with some kind of energy weapon in hand, cackling like madman.

“Point.”

“You also have an interest in bringing me down, and it is easy to disprove the false evidence implicating your ‘crimes.’ I brought down Regent DeSpain in the name of justice, and I still believe in that enough to know that I need to step down and leave the regency to someone capable of ruling with clean hands.”

Laura sighed.

“I just wanted my life back,” she said.

“I’m sorry. The old flower has long since withered, but you have already blossomed into a new one. Do this, and you can at least be free to pursue it with your team.”

“What will happen to you?” Laura asked.

“I will probably end up in a cell next to Lance. Either that or I can make my escape to Omega Phi. I hear they need hackers.”

An ear-piercing squeal came from outside.

“Ha ha! We have vanquished the beast!” Nightwing cried out.

“Well, there’s the key to unlock the evidence. Here’s the rest,” Anastasia said. She produced a small lockbox and handed it to Blossom.

“You are not merely the daughter of Mason Blackheart. You are Laura Blackheart, the Blossom of the Depths. My traps have harmed you, but you have lived and learned from them. Now, let us finish staining our family name so that we can reconcile and find peace.”

Anastasia got up, curtsied, and exited in a shower of sparkles. The room phased out and was replaced with a smaller, empty room covered in dust.

“Blossom! Blossom! Are you there?” Spencer called out. Redjack and Nightwing were busy chanting cheers and victory fanfares.

“I’m here. I have it. I have what we came for,” she said.

Over the next few years, the Prime Sector underwent several rounds of political upheaval until the government reformed around a new regent. Careful checks and balances were installed to ensure the validity of the government. Although Laura Blackheart was exonerated of her crimes in the public eye, she remained below the radar. Some believe they can see her entering a hole-in-the-wall cafe, but they are never sure if it’s actually her. Even her clients are not quite sure. The Blossom of the Depths guards her secrets well.

#inklingschallenge #team lewis #clothe the naked

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nd-of-a-manatee · 1 year

Text

Brambles pt. 3

FIRST

[ID:

The vines are aware enough to dodge the shot, narrowly dragging Raz out of the line of fire with them. The margin is so close, he can feel the heat as the fireball passes. Lili shakes the flames out of her hand with a look of terrified guilt. Meanwhile, vines begin swarming around her in a circle.

The scare loosened the killer weeds’ grip enough for Raz to desperately hold them away from him, uneasily balanced upside down in mid-air by the tension. He calls down to the ground.

“Lili, I don’t think this is working. We have to get to the root of the problem!”

“I can’t!” she calls back, afraid and exasperated. The vines continue to gather around her, enclosing her.

“I don’t mean the literal root!”

“I KNOW what you mean! I–I can’t do it! You just don’t understand!”

“Then help me understand. It can’t stay like this!”

The sky closes up. Lili is alone beneath a wall of green. The light is even dimmer here without the moon, casting her in dull green colors. Raz’s voice squeaks through the ceiling of compressed weeds to reach her.

“Lili!”

“Raz!” she calls in fear.

She doesn’t notice the knot of vines coming at her until it’s nearly on top of her. She dodges backward with a yelp, and it lands beside her with enough force to send a bunch of nettles into the hair. She runs away. More movement stirs in the darkness.

She tries to explain herself as she dodges wave after wave of vines.

“We’re not like your family. I have to pick a side. My mom’s never going to forgive my dad. If I’m not against him, she thinks I’m against her. Cause she’s just waiting for him to screw up again.”

Her anger resurfaces, and her power with it. Bolts of magenta dance around her head as she faces down another wall.

“He’s not like that anymore, but he won’t say it.” She holds her ground and sends out a TK hand. It slices through the vines like a butcher knife, burning with aggression. It casts hot, vivid light back on her, illuminating the darkness as long as she can keep it up. “He lets her treat him like garbage because it’s easier. So, I have to be the one to defend him. And I can’t stand it!” She starts slicing through wall after wall, the hand growing hotter. “I have to do everything!” It’s all gonna fall apart, and then I’m gonna feel like garbage.” Cauterized vines peel away in layers, still smoking. Lili stares into them with loathing as chunks of plant matter rain down.

In retaliation, the roof comes down on Lili’s shoulders, and she stumbles with a grunt. The incredible weight of it presses down on her. She struggles to keep her legs straight, let alone summon any of the power that was helping her just a minute ago. All she can do is talk.

“Because I always feel like garbage… ‘cause I can’t fix it.”

Raz’s voice slips between the layers of rope that threaten to crush her.

“It’s not your job to fix it, Lili.”

Tears drip from her tightly shut eyes and sink into the grass.

“I just want us to feel like a family for once,” she chokes. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just… shouldn’t be this hard.”

Suddenly, the vines disband. They fall all around her, limp, not even thickly enough to bury her.

Outside, Raz’s captors have also given in, and he’s in the middle of falling into the bushes. With a thrashing of leaves and a metallic “BONK”, he lands in a shrub among the willows. When he gets up, he has a dented watering can in hand (and a sore spot on his head). His clothes and skin are scratched up from the ordeal.

“I found the watering can.”

He looks at the receding mass of weeds where Lili stands at its center. All the plants and flowers have been wrenched from the ground and shoved in piles at the corners of the garden by the wall of weeds. She’s just as torn, beaten, and tired. Tears pour from her eyes as she tries to hold herself together.

Wordlessly, Raz approaches her and wraps her in a hug. She holds him in return and quickly lets herself fall into sobs.

After a while, they unfold a bit and share a quiet moment, still in each other’s arms. Up close, it turns out that Raz is a little shorter than Lili. He smiles patiently up at her as she wipes the tears from her eyes. Her expression is complicated, but appreciative.

Someone from off-screen clears their throat. The kids snap apart with their hands to themselves. Lili’s parents are standing nearby, quiet and humble. We finally see her mom in full detail. She has pale freckled skin, a spade-shaped face, burly arms and legs, and long pink hair with the same style as the flashback. She wears a blue horizontal-striped button-up sweater, rust-red pants, and black strap sandals over white socks. Truman’s wearing a pale green polo with vertical stripes, pale red pants (purple in this light), and old loafers. He hasn’t changed much since his appearance in the games, except that he’s grown a pencil mustache.

“Razputin, could we have some time alone with Lili?” Truman asks.

“Oh! Sure.”

Raz waves goodbye as he sprints off toward the willows.

<Talk later?> he asks Lili.

<Yeah.>

Quick as a cricket, Raz hops from branch to lev ball and sails over the stone stacks and out of sight.

End ID]

FIRST

#brambles 3 #psychonauts fancomic #lili zanotto #razputin aquato #truman zanotto #aithne byrne #lili's mom

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victoriously-wicked · 6 months

Text

NOVEMBER 17TH 2023

ONCE UPON A TIME APPRECIATION WEEK DAY 6

FAVOURITE PLOT TWIST FANFIC- ZELENA IS MARIAN

This fic is inspired by this scene and this scene from 4x19 and 4x20. It takes place immediately after Zelena removes her glamor at Robin’s apartment. There were just so many missing moments based around the aftermath of that reveal which we didn’t get to see. This acts as a direct continuation of what happens after 4x19 ends. Anyways, hope you like it. Here you go. (4276 words) The fic starts down below

“Hello, dear husband.”

“No.” Robin whispered, stepping away from Zelena.

“What the hell was that?” Lily asked Emma, her tone hushed.

“That was magic.” the Savior simply responded, looking infront of them at Regina, who took a step toward a visibly distraught Robin.

“Come on Robin, we have to get you and Roland out of here.” she warned, waiting for him to move. However, his feet stayed planted to the ground and he refused to meet anybody’s gaze. “Robin, get Roland and let’s go.” she repeated, but no response came from the thief.

“I think he still wants to stay.” Zelena smiled, flashing her teeth with a knowing grin. Ignoring her sister, Regina focused back onto the man infront of her.

Why isn’t he moving?

“Robin what are you doing? Get your son and let’s go!”

“I-I can’t.” he suddenly stuttered.

“Yes, you can. Just come with me. C’mon, let’s go.” she smiled gently, holding out a palm for him to take, but when he shook his head, her face dropped and she lowered her hand.

“I’m sorry. I can’t leave her here.”

What?

“What?”

“Do you want to tell her, or should I?”

Regina snapped her gaze away from Robin to glare at Zelena, shooting daggers into her sister’s head.

What the hell‘s that emerald nut job talking about now?

“Tell me what?” she demanded, raising her voice to hide the quiver behind it. Her brows knitted together as she turned back to Robin and silently begged for him to talk. To look at her. Anything. “Robin?”

But still, he simply let his eyes widen in horror as he stared incredulously at the redhead, mouth agape. Regina felt her insides coiling in on themselves. She pressed a hand to her chest in a futile attempt to calm her ragged breaths that were only getting quicker by the second, but nothing in all the realms could’ve remotely prepared her for the words that would escape from Robin’s lips moments later.

“She's pregnant.”

~~~

No.

Bile rose in her throat.

No. He’s lying.

Tears clouded her eyes.

He only left two months ago, he couldn’t have. . . not that quickly.

Zelena smirked at Regina, a smug grin embedded on her face.

“Y-You got her. . . pregnant?” the brunette breathed out, before a wave of realisation washed over her. “Oh God, you and Zelena slep-”

“No, no don’t say it.” Robin groaned, shaking his head.

“But you did.” Regina choked out, unable to form a coherent sentence any longer than a few words. Though it came out sounding like a question, she knew she was stating fact, and her stomach dropped even lower when Robin felt the need to silently nod in confirmation.

“We did. But I-I never would’ve if I knew . . .”

His words feel on deaf ears as Regina whipped her head back to her sister, every inch of her body seething at the sight of the redhead.

“Oh, you’re vile. You. . . with him?” she growled, trying to keep herself from absolutely losing it and raining hell on her sister in front of Emma, Robin, and Mal’s daughter. Zelena gleefully giggled and took a step forward toward Regina.

“Indeed, sis. And seeing you like this, all helpless and broken? Mmm, well that just makes all the effort I put in worthwhile.” she taunted coyly, tracing her fingers over her abdomen. Regina couldn't help but let her eyes follow along with her sister’s travelling hand and her gaze came to fixate on her stomach.

Her stomach holding his child.

“You did this to spite me?” she asked incredulously.

“Oh no, dear. I did this to destroy you, just like I promised I would at our little duel by the clock tower. Funny how my plan to change the past didn’t go as I’d originally anticipated, with Cora keeping me and you never being born. But I must say, this outcome is so much better than anything my original plan would’ve changed because this way, you’re alive. Alive to see that I won. And now, I get to sit back and watch as you suffer.”

Regina’s nostrils flared as she dangerously approached her sister.

“I am not having this conversation with you.” she spat venomously, her hands twitching as they fought against the urge to wring Zelena’s neck right then and there.

“Wait Regina, we really need to talk about this.” Robin pleaded, gently reaching for the brunette’s arm after she had just turned on her heel to walk away.

“No-I. . . I have to get away from here before I melt her face off and burn this damn apartment down.” Regina haphazardly fumbled over her words while trying to escape from Robin’s grip and make her way to the door.

“Regina, no-“

“Robin. Please.” she silently begged, managing to jerk her arm out of his grasp. Her heeled boots clicked against the floor as she brushed past Lily and Emma, the latter of which mumbling something into her ear when she was a few steps shy of leaving.

“Hey Regina, maybe you should-”

“Don’t, Swan. Not now.” is all she flatly replied with before slamming the door behind her and leaving the group of four alone in the living room of the cold apartment.

~~~

As the sound of the door slam echoed around the room, Emma sighed and pulled out her cellphone from the pocket of her jeans.

“I better follow her. She doesn’t know her way around New York, she’ll end up lost if I don’t keep an eye on her. Robin, I’ll text you when I find her and she’s cooled off a little?” she proposed, looking at the former thief who let out a tense breath.

“I-yes. Thank you, Emma. And uh, do you think you can take Roland with you, if it’s not too much trouble? It’s just, I don’t want him asking why his mother has suddenly disappeared. Or hearing anything from the conversation that we’re about to have.” he explained, gritting his teeth as he waved his hand between himself and Zelena.

“Y-Yeah sure, Roland can tag along. Lily, you’re coming too.“

“Fine. I’ll be in the hallway.” the young brunette shrugged, still stunned from having witnessed what she just saw, before leaving the apartment.

Emma sighed heavily and slowly walked into the bedroom of the apartment where Roland was too invested in a game he was playing with his toy horse to notice the blonde approach and kneel beside the bed.

“Hey, buddy.” she gently called, ruffling the boy’s head. Roland turned his head to the side and his eyes widened upon seeing the Savior.

“Emma?” he smiled with a hint of confusion in his tone, wondering how the blonde could possibly be in New York with him right now.

“Yup, it’s me.”

“How? Papa said that if you leave Storybrooke you can never go back.”

“That’s. . . not important right now, bud. But hey, you know who else is here with me? Regina.”

The toy horse dropped from the young boy’s hand and thudded as it fell against the wooden floorboards.

“She’s here too? Where is she, I wanna see her!?” Roland gasped, springing from the bed and onto the ground. Emma let out a soft chuckle and rose from her knees.

“Well, here’s the thing, I have to find her first. She left the apartment a few minutes ago. Wanna help me and my friend find her?”

“Yes!” Roland gasped, immediately finding and yanking on his jacket before scrambling past Emma to put on his shoes. Within minutes, the five year old was decked out in his outerwear, and Emma took him by the hand to guide him out the apartment with her. The blonde passed by Robin and Zelena before leaving, and gave the thief a reassuring nod as she lead Roland and herself out the door.

Once in the hallway Emma pulled Roland over to Lily, who was waiting by the top of the staircase.

“This is his kid?” Lily asked, walking towards the blonde and five year old. Emma nodded.

“Uh huh. Okay Roland, this is the friend I told you about before. Her name’s Lily. Lily, this is Roland.“

“Hi!” the small boy grinned, flashing his adorable dimpled smile at the young woman.

“Uh. . . hey, Roland.” the brunette fumbled, awkwardly. Emma adjusted her jacket and slightly grinned at her childhood friend’s nervous demeanor.

“See she’s nice, isn’t she? Which is good because she’s coming with us. Now c’mon, let’s go find Regina.”

~~~

Following the directions of the GPS tracker on Emma’s phone, the trio soon found themselves parked outside of a bar not too far from the apartment building, squashed into the cramped space of the Savior’s tiny bug.

“Alright, according to her phone location, Regina should be in there.” Emma murmured, analysing her device screen as she unbuckled her seatbelt. After peeling away the suffocating strap, she glanced up to see Roland in the reflection of the rearview mirror, struggling in the backseat to remove himself from his own belt. She immediately turned around.

“No, no, no. Hey buddy, keep that on. You’re staying in here. Little kids aren’t allowed in places like these.” she ordered, gesturing in the direction of the bar.

“But I wanna see Regina!” he whined, desperately yanking on the annoying black band. Emma slowly reached to pull his hands away from the belt and looked the boy in his eyes.

“And you will, bud. You’ll see her in a little while but for now please, just wait in the car with Lily, okay? Can you do that for me?”

Sighing, Roland let go of Emma’s hand and gave a small nod.

“Okay. But be fast, I really wanna see her.”

“I will be, I promise.”

Emma got out the bug and slowly walked to the entrance of the bar. Before she creaked open the door, the blonde sent a quick text to Robin, typing out directions to the bar. After the text eventually sent, she proceeded to step into the building.

~~~

Regina mindlessly remained perched on the barstool just as she had been for the past twenty minutes, with a drink in hand. As she stared into space, she stayed quiet. However, her mind was anything but, giving her ever-increasing mountain of thoughts the perfect opportunity to echo around in her head.

Zelena’s pregnant. . .

It’s Robin’s child. . .

Marian was never here. . .

This is all my fault-

The booming thoughts in her mind were interrupted when Regina heard the stool next to her scraping against the floor. The brunette almost turned in her chair to face away from the person beside her when out of her peripheral, she saw a blur of unmistakeable blonde locks and tacky red leather jacket sliding onto the stool. With a heavy sigh, Regina reluctantly turned to her right where, to no surprise, Emma was seated.

“This stool taken?” the blonde smiled gently causing Regina to roll her eyes and turn back to how she was seated before, staring at the countertop.

“I thought I said this was not the time to talk, Emma?” she deadpanned.

“You did. But you forget Regina, that I always know when you’re lying. And when you told me you didn’t wanna talk, guess what? You were lying.”

“Oh, and you know me so well?” Regina huffed, snapping her head in Emma’s direction but the blonde shrugged, remaining unfazed as she gestured at the bartender for a drink and placed a bill on the counter.

“I’d like to think I do. You’re afraid that you’ll say something in the heat of the moment that you’ll regret, that you won’t be able to take back. And we both know I’m right.”

“I. . .” Regina began before trailing off, unable to muster the energy to refute the Savior’s claim, especially when she’d hit it nail on the head.

“Here look, try talking to me. See if it helps.” Emma suggested, tapping Regina’s bicep.

“Seriously?” the brunette scoffed, raising her eyebrows.

“Dead seriou- oh, thank you.” the blonde quietly thanked the bartender for the beer bottle that he placed in front of her before focusing back onto Regina. “Go on, just try. What do you feel?” she softly encouraged.

Exhaling through her nose, Regina eventually caved and put her drink down, turning her body to face her friend.

“What do I feel? Humiliation. Anger. Pain. Emptiness. Guilt.”

“Guilt? Why is that?” Emma questioned, taking a sip from her bottle. She waited patiently for an answer from Regina, who took a large gulp of her own drink before doing so.

“Because. . . this is all happening because of me. Face it Swan, this feud between myself and Zelena was supposed to be just that- between me and her. But instead she had to go and drag Robin into it. And, oh God, Roland.”

Emma’s ears suddenly perked up even more at the mention of the youngster.

“What about him?”

“That boy just lost his mother for the second time. He’s gonna be devastated.” Regina breathed out, her eyes watering at the mention of the five year old she hadn’t seen in months.

“Do you think your magic could help him? You can change his memories, right? Like the ones you gave me and Henry when Pan’s curse hit and you sent us away?”

“That’s different. My magic can’t create new memories from scratch, they have to be created from real life moments. The memories I gave you and Henry were genuine events that happened in his childhood, they just weren’t. . . with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“They were all of my memories with him. I just changed the brunette mother in them to a certain blonde with an affinity for hideous leather jackets. Which is why I can’t do that for Roland. I have no memories suitable enough to manipulate and transfer into his mind. The only other option that would work would be something like. . . like-”

“A forgetting potion?”

“Exactly.”

Emma wordlessly nodded and lightly rubbed Regina’s arm, whispering to the brunette.

“So, how did that feel? Talking about it?”

“. . . Not the worst thing I’ve ever done. I-I feel lighter, I suppose? But just barely.” the brunette mumbled.

“It’s still progress, that’s good. And-uh, about Roland. . .”

“What? Did something happen to him-”

“No, it’s just he. . . may or may not be in the bug outside with Lily, waiting to see you.” Emma murmured, mostly into her half empty bottle, but Regina caught her words and her brown eyes immediately brightened as she gasped and stood from her stool.

“He’s here? He wants to see me?”

“Yes. Robin wanted me to get him out of the apartment for. . . obvious reasons- but anyway, when I told the kid you were in New York, one of first things he said was that he was so excited to see you again. And when we pulled up outside this place, he was insistent on coming inside with me.”

“He was?” Regina asked, as her lips smiled ever so slightly.

“Honestly. I swear, if this place wasn’t a bar he’d probably be sitting here with us right now.”

Regina gave a light chuckle and glanced back at Emma.

“I wanna see him. Roland.”

“You think you’ve let off enough steam?”

“If that’s the way you want to so-eloquently word it then yes, Emma. I have.”

Rolling her eyes playfully, the blonde slowly hopped off her stool and nodded, before manoeuvring herself and Regina out the bar.

~~~

“Okay, okay, wait. So you’re telling me you’ve actually slept in the woods? Like, without a tent?” Lily asked, turning to face Roland in the back of the car.

“All the time with Papa and the Merry Men back in the Enchanted Forest!”

“Wow, you’re actually Robin Hood’s kid. This is craz-“ the brunette begun to say before the door opened and Emma’s head curled it’s way inside.

“Hey, guys.”

“Emma!“ Roland cheered.

“Thanks for watching him, Lily.”

“Sure.” she nodded.

“And Roland, come on. Get out the car. Somebody wants to see you.” the blonde smiled, pulling her head back out the bug and closing the door. Roland gasped and fumbled to undo the seatbelt. The instant he was free, he scrambled out the vehicle and looked up at Emma.

“Where is she?”

“Follow me.” the Savior smiled, and held out her hand. She pulled Roland along with her to the end of the street, where Regina was nervously waiting against a wall, her arms crossed against her chest to keep herself warm in the frosty New York city air.

The instant Roland spotted the figure by the end of the street, he yanked himself from Emma’s grip and took off running.

“REGINA!” he yelled, his little legs going as fast as they could. Regina snapped her head to her left and gasped when she saw the boy running towards her with Emma not too far behind.

“Roland.” she breathed out, falling to her knees and opening her arms wide. The young boy launched himself into her body and Regina swooped him up in her arms, holding him tight against herself.

“Emma was right, you really are here.” Roland giggled into Regina’s ear as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck.

“I missed you so much.” she mumbled.

“Me too.“

Regina couldn’t help her smile as she gently loosened her grip on Roland and lowered him to the ground. She noted that she didn’t have to bend down as much as she had anticipated in order to set him down safely, and it was then that she finally realised the small, yet noticeable, difference in his height.

It had only been a few months, but the young boy had stretched a couple inches taller since leaving Storybrooke.

“Wow. You’ve. . . gotten so big.” the brunette smirked playfully, hoping that she was doing a good job at masking the pain on her face and in her voice.

He looks so grown up.

“I drink milk everyday because Papa told me it will help me get tall and strong!” Roland beamed, flexing the pair of scrawny little arms hidden under the thick layer of his marshmallow-looking coat.

“It seems as though that milk is doing the trick. Your father may be onto something there. He’s. . . he’s a smart man.” Regina chuckled before trailing off, noticing Emma on her phone, standing a few feet away after having jogged to keep up with Roland.

Emma slowly typed out another message to Robin, giving him word that Regina had seemingly calmed down a bit. After the blonde pressed ‘send’, she turned off the phone and stepped forward to the pair of brunettes infront of her.

“Roland?” she called.

“Hmm?”

“Can you do me a favor and stand by the wall over there? I need to talk with Regina.”

“Okay!” he grinned as he sprinted off, slamming his back into the grimy brick wall after making contact with it, and waiting eagerly.

“You seem happier.” Emma smiled, noting the soft smile that had weaselled it’s way onto Regina’s face.

“Yes.”

“So, uh. . . now that you’ve taken a small step- y’know, with Roland, are you ready for something bigger?”

“Such as?” Regina prompted, quirking an eyebrow.

“Talking to Robin-“

“No, Emma. . .”

“Look how easy it was with Roland!”

“Because he’s a five year old! It’s easy to talk to him. All he finds interesting is ice-cream and animals.” Regina deadpanned.

“I know, but don’t you think it’ll be better to talk to Robin sooner rather than later? You’ve said it yourself, he’s your soulma-“

“Who chose his back-from-the-dead-fake-magic-glamor-Zelena-wife over me.”

“See, you hear yourself? You’re already letting your thoughts stew in your head. And this way, when it all ends up coming out in long run, it’s going to end much, much worse. But only if you keep putting it off.” the Savior argued, and pulled out her phone, typing yet another quick message to Robin, asking for his whereabouts. When his reply informed her that he was less than a few minutes away, she smirked slightly.

Regina suddenly narrowed her eyes and stared at the blonde. More specifically, at the glowing phone screen in her hand.

“Emma. . . who’s on the other end?”

“Huh?”

“Your phone. Your texts.”

“Oh, that. I-“

“Is it him?”

“Regina-“

“Is it?”

“. . . yes.”

“For God’s sake, Swan. Why can’t you just listen to me for once in your life? I can’t speak with him, I’m not ready!” Regina exasperated, before a familiar British accent came from behind her.

“That may be so, but we do need to to work this out.”

“Robin.” the brunette gasped, turning on her heel.

“Please, Regina. We must talk about this.” the thief begged, reaching out to take her hands in his.

“I- I. . .” Regina stuttered, unable to formulate a coherent thought, so Emma hastily stepped in.

“Okay, I’ll take the kid back to the apartment. You two can stay here and talk in the bar.” she muttered, leaving with Roland before either Regina or Robin could protest. It was less than a few minutes later that the screech of tyres could be heard as Emma, Lily, and Roland drove away in the bug.

With the two of them alone on the street, Robin apprehensively took another step towards Regina and tilted her head upwards by the chin to look her in the eye.

“Shall we go to the bar? I’ll buy the beers.” he gently proposed, but Regina shook her head.

“No. Not beer. I’m gonna need something much stronger for this.”

~~~

After entering the bar and ordering their drinks, Robin and Regina chose a spot in a secluded corner of the room to talk without being bothered, except neither of the pair even dared to utter a single word after being seated.

Not until around ten minutes later, when their drinks were brought to the table.

Robin retrieved his drink from the waitress, yet he barely took a sip, simply propping his elbow up on the table and resting his head in his hand. Regina, on the other hand, was quick to grab her cup and swallowed a large gulp.

The fresh wave of alcohol seemingly appeared to have given her the slightest ounce more of courage, as she finally decided to be the one to break the silence.

“So. . .” she trailed off, setting her glass down.

“Yeah.” Robin whispered, dropping the hand under his chin.

“So, you moved on. With her.” Regina bitterly stated.

“That’s not fair, you understood. You agreed.” Robin insisted, exhaustion creeping into his voice.

“Understanding it and seeing it are different.” the brunette scoffed, cradling the drink in her hand.

“That’s hardly the most important point here? My son. Zelena’s not going to keep wearing that glamor and Roland’s not going to understand where his mother’s gone. For him to lose her again-“

“A forgetting potion.” Regina interjected, cutting off the thief’s spiralling thoughts. “Just take him back to before the fake Marian showed up. He’ll lose time but. . . it’s better, right?” she asked apprehensively.

“Yes. Thank you.” he sighed gratefully at Regina, who watched as his relief then morphed into distress.

“God, poor Marian. . . and Zelena, just killing her like she meant nothing so she could play out this sad farce with us. I just- I wanna... but I can't. I mean, I- I knew that things didn't feel right, but I just didn't know why.”

“I'm sorry. This was all about me. For her, this was all about. . . making sure I never get my happy ending.” she sighed, looking down at her lap. Robin quickly lowered his head to meet her gaze.

“If by ‘happy ending’, you mean us, then . . . at least, in a way, that's possible again.” he slowly divulged, causing Regina to stare at him incredulously.

He’s got to be kidding.

“Look, it's messy, I know, but . . . between us-“

“Is a huge obstacle. And it's going to get bigger every day, and not just for nine months either. It's a lifetime she has cooking in there. No matter what happens from now on, there's going to be this child. You're tied together in a way... in a way we'll never be.” Regina mumbled and averted her eyes in shame, unwilling to elaborate on that last comment of hers. “I'm such an idiot to think that life wouldn't kick me in the teeth again.”

“I hear you.” Robin insisted. “Just. . .”

“Just what?” Regina quietly demanded, her words lacking their usual bite.

“What do we do now?”

~~~

Regina took another swig of her drink and faced Robin.

“We go back to Maine.” she whispered. The former thief’s brows knitted together in confusion.

“Go back? But, I thought leaving meant-“

“That you couldn’t come back, I know.” Regina replied, shaking her head as a plan began to string together in her mind. “And that still hasn’t changed, but Emma and I found a way to briefly bypass the protection spell long enough to cross the town line.”

“You did?” Robin asked through a smile, to which the brunette responded with a small nod. “Alright, then we’ll leave in the morning.”

“No, tonight.”

“Does it make any difference?”

“Yes.” Regina insisted. “We have to contain Zelena as quickly as possible. Not to mention Roland’s forgetting potion. We can’t afford to wait, who knows what else that witch could pull.” she muttered under her breath.

After taking a second to assess the plan, Robin nodded slowly and then shifted out of his seat.

“Okay. . . I trust you.” he gently said, holding out his palm for Regina to take.

“I know you do.” the brunette smiled, accepting his hand and easing herself from the chair. “Now . . . let’s collect everybody from the apartment and get the hell back to Storybrooke.”

So there it is, hope you enjoyed it. This isn’t exactly my favourite plot twist, per se, but it was the one that threw me the most when I first watched it. I vividly remember going into an anger-fuelled fit of hyperventilation after they revealed that Zelena was pregnant. So yeah… that was a fun day.

#once upon a time #ouat #onceuponatimeedit #oncers #ouat fanfiction #outlaw queen #userswanmills #userstorybrooke #reginamills #regina mills #emma swan #robin hood #zelena mills #outlawqueen #NO BECAUSE THIS PLOT TWIST ACTUALLY SHOCKED THE HELL OUTTA ME #LIKE I GENUINELY COULDN’T BREATHE WHEN HE SAID THAT SHE WAS PREGNANT

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