#give hat kid a bigger hat. she craves more power

[randomeggart]

We are quickly approaching a dangerous amount of silly

[vivithefolle]

Is there anyway you could share the entire livejournal essay about Hermione's reaction to Ron coming back in DH? The few paragraphs that you referred to in your recent answer sound extremely interesting.

[The “recent answer” that goes back to... last December. Oh my god I’m such an ass I left you hanging for so long I’m so sorry.]

Okay, okay, so here goes! KEEP IN MIND: I DIDN’T WRITE THIS. I FOUND THIS ON LIVEJOURNAL AND PICKED EVERYTHING THAT I LIKED ABOUT IT, AS WELL AS SOME COMMENTS THAT INTERESTED ME.

This “essay” was actually more of a “reading the books” thing with the person sharing their thoughts and ideas about it. The person was clearly a Snape fan, but they had sympathy for Ron too. I’ll try to formate it as accurately as I can remember it.

And now, here it is:

---

ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

[About Ron being made a prefect.] The essayist: It’s sad, but this probably is the first time Ron’s beaten Harry at something. And the last time.

A commenter: Ron's had a really difficult life, and this is the book that proved it for me. It made me a Ron fan. Just look at the interactions he has with Fred and George. This is commonplace. I know a lot of people don't like Ron, but just look at this book, this chapter especially. People have accused Ron of being lazy, unambitious, having no emotions, and being a big stupid boy. It's just not true. Look at how Fred and George needle him out of jealousy. Look at how they treat Percy. Imagine Ron having to grow up with two older brothers that will not hesitate to bother, torture and torment people that stand out or that get more attention than they do or that cross them. He saw it happening with Percy, so what's he going to learn? He'll learn to shut up unless he wants to have something happen to him. He'll learn that standing out positively is rewarded with cruelty. I can understand how Mrs. Weasley could not have fully protected him from those two. Not all the time, not while trying to also care for Ginny, keeping up with her other kids in school, and running the household. Worst of all, punishing F&G doesn't seem to do anything. Those two just don't care/they crave the attention, negative or positive. The best thing she could've done would be to give them no attention, but that's so against her nature that unfortunately she just fed the monsters. No emotions? Is it really difficult to understand that sensitivity wouldn't be encouraged in young Ron? He's got these two bullies that only want a reaction out of him. If he cries, it'll only encourage them. Any reaction is encouraging to them, but he has to go with anger. It's a survival thing- puff yourself up, make yourself look bigger than you are so the predator messes with you a little less. Look at the pride Ron's showing in his badge. The desire to do well is there. He likes the good feeling that comes with it, but he's been hard-wired since birth that it's better to be "middle of the pack". In later chapters, I know you'll have to point out the way the power makes Ron behave, so I just want to start on the defence now. It's all Ron knows. It's all he's been taught. It's a huge character flaw, but it's what makes him so human. Rowling did develop this in the book, but only accidentally. We're never going to get a good look at Ron's psychology except through these hints because it's, as usual, All About Harry. Ron's flawed, but I hope we remember that he has a reason why he's got those flaws. It doesn't excuse him, but it really explains him. So yeah... that's why I defend Ron.

...

“I’m not Percy,’ he finished defiantly.”

The essayist: Mmmm-hm. Ron feels nervous at the thought of his good fortune inspiring anger in someone and what's his first defence? "I'm not Percy"? Man, the evidence that the Twins' psychological torment has left lasting scars on Ron could not have been more obvious if he'd shielded himself and said "Please don't jinx me, Fred! ... I mean Harry. ... Shit, what'd I say?"

...

“Excellent,”  said  Ron,  with  a  kind  of  groan  of  longing,  and  he  seized the nearest plate of chops and began piling them onto his plate, watched wistfully by Nearly Headless Nick. “What  were  you  saying  before  the  Sorting?”  Hermione  asked  the  ghost. “About the hat giving warnings?” “Oh  yes,”  said  Nick,  who  seemed  glad  of  a  reason  to  turn  away  from  Ron,  who  was  now  eating  roast  potatoes  with  almost  indecent  enthusiasm.

The essayist: Ron’s not being very restrained with his eating, is he?

The commenter: I don't know if it's accidental or not, but this is one of those moments that I love, one of the tellings of Ron's home life via his behavior. In this scenario, he's totally a kitten who just got adopted to a house where he's the only cat. He's at a table with food, so his instinct is to eat as fast as he can or his siblings will yoink it. It doesn't help that there are many other people around, encouraging the "get the good stuff fast or you'll have to sate yourself on bread or whatever nobody wants". Ron is so much more human than Harry! How can Harry not be showing any signs of his "horrendous abuse" for eleven years? Well... I guess he sort of does when he buys all that stuff in his first year. And I guess Ron has to go back home every summer where it gets reinforced. But Harry goes back every summer, too... what the hell?

...

“What’s going on?” Ron  had  appeared  in  the  doorway.  His  wide  eyes  traveled  from  Harry,  who  was  kneeling  on  his  bed  with  his  wand  pointing  at  Seamus, to Seamus, who was standing there with his fists raised. “He’s having a go at my mother!” Seamus yelled. “What?” said Ron. “Harry wouldn’t do that — we met your mother, we liked her. . .” “That’s  before  she  started  believing  every  word  the  stinking  Daily  Prophet writes about me!” said Harry at the top of his voice. “Oh,”  said  Ron,  comprehension  dawning  across  his  freckled  face.  “Oh . . . right.” “You know what?” said Seamus heatedly, casting Harry a venomous look.  “He’s  right,  I  don’t  want  to  share  a  dormitory  with  him  anymore, he’s a madman.” “That’s out of order, Seamus,” said Ron, whose ears were starting to glow red, always a danger sign. “Out of order, am I?” shouted Seamus, who in contrast with Ron ‘was  turning  paler.  “You  believe  all  the  rubbish  he’s  come  out  with  about You-Know-Who, do you, you reckon he’s telling the truth?” “Yeah, I do!” said Ron angrily. “Then you’re mad too,” said Seamus in disgust. “Yeah?  Well  unfortunately  for  you,  pal,  I’m  also  a  prefect!”  said  Ron,  jabbing  himself  in  the  chest  with  a  finger.  “So  unless  you  want  detention, watch your mouth!”

The essayist: Note how Ron’s first reaction is to side with Harry.

The commenter: Not surprising because of the best friends thing (some might argue) but I say it's not surprising considering how Hermione and Ron were treating Harry like a ticking time bomb. Survival!

...

“Hello, Harry!” It was Cho Chang and what was more, she was on her own again. This was most unusual: Cho was almost always surrounded by a gang of giggling girls; Harry remembered the agony of trying to get her by herself to ask her to the Yule Ball. “Hi,” said Harry, feeling his face grow hot. At least you’re not covered  in Stinksap this time, he told himself. Cho seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “You got that stuff off, then?” “Yeah,”  said  Harry,  trying  to  grin  as  though  the  memory  of  their  last meeting was funny as opposed to mortifying. ���So did you . . . er . . . have a good summer?” The moment he had said this he wished he hadn’t: Cedric had been Cho’s boyfriend and the memory of his death must have affected her holiday  almost  as  badly  as  it  had  affected  Harry’s.  .  . Something  seemed  to  tauten  in  her  face,  but  she  said,  “Oh,  it  was  all  right,  you  know. . .” “Is  that  a  Tornados  badge?”  Ron  demanded  suddenly,  pointing  at  the front of Cho’s robes, to which a sky-blue badge emblazoned with a double gold T was pinned. “You don’t support them, do you?” “Yeah, I do,” said Cho. “Have  you  always  supported  them,  or  just  since  they  started  winning the league?” said Ron, in what Harry considered an unnecessarily accusatory tone of voice. “I’ve supported them since I was six,” said Cho coolly. “Anyway . . . see you, Harry.” She  walked  away.  Hermione  waited  until  Cho  was  halfway  across  the courtyard before rounding on Ron. “You are so tactless!”

The essayist: So Harry meets Cho, makes a complete faux pas and reminds her of her dead boyfriend. Ron quickly steers the conversation away onto something more happy, i.e., Quidditch, before Cho can get too upset. Nevertheless, Ron is apparently the insensitive jerk around here, not Harry.

[If this reminds you of something, then yes, I absolutely took what the essayist was saying and elaborated on it. I confess, I am a dirty thief.]

...

“Well, I suppose he could’ve played better,” Harry muttered, “but it was only the first training session, like you said. . .” Neither Harry nor Ron seemed to make much headway with their homework  that  night.  Harry  knew  Ron  was  too  preoccupied  with  how  badly  he  had  performed  at  Quidditch  practice  and  he  himself  was having difficulty in getting the chant of “Gryffindor are losers” out of his head. [...] And so they worked on while the sky outside the windows became steadily darker; slowly, the crowd in the common room began to thin again.   At   half-past   eleven,   Hermione   wandered   over   to   them,   yawning. “Nearly done?” “No,” said Ron shortly. “Jupiter’s  biggest  moon  is  Ganymede,  not  Callisto,”  she  said,  pointing over Ron’s shoulder at a line in his Astronomy essay, “and it’s Io that’s got the volcanos.” “Thanks,” snarled Ron, scratching out the offending sentences.

The essayist: So Ron’s getting basic facts wrong in his essays.

The commenter: This is going to look so contrived, but I genuinely believe it, and maybe after these reviews, your standards for contrived have dropped enough for me to pass the bar :3 But... he's not putting in any effort. His ego can't take another beating at the moment (even punching bags have limits). Imagine it- after the Quidditch humiliation with his friend the Star Athlete (when he really was trying) he tries to distract himself by doing school work 1. which he isn't very good at anyway, 2. with the Star Athlete of Academics/Slytherin Spectator Crowd best friend Hermione there 3. with Hermione there to set it right anyway (it sounds as if Hermione isn’t so much correcting their essays as writing them herself). If he tries his best at this and then fails at that, Ron probably would start to consider suicide. It's self-preservation at this point to put in zero effort. This kind of fail is literally "I'm not trying because I have given up."

...

She  wrenched  her  bag  open;  Harry  thought  she  was  about  to  put  her books away, but instead she pulled out two misshapen woolly objects,  placed  them  carefully  on  a  table  by  the  fireplace,  covered  them  with  a  few  screwed-up  bits  of  parchment  and  a  broken  quill,  and  stood back to admire the effect. “What  in  the  name  of  Merlin  are  you  doing?”  said  Ron,  watching  her as though fearful for her sanity. “They’re  hats  for  house-elves,”  she  said  briskly,  now  stuffing  her  books  back  into  her  bag.  “I  did  them  over  the  summer.  I’m  a  really  slow  knitter  without  magic,  but  now  I’m  back  at  school  I  should  be  able to make lots more.” “You’re leaving out hats for the house-elves?” said Ron slowly. “And you’re covering them up with rubbish first?” “Yes,” said Hermione defiantly, swinging her bag onto her back. “That’s not on,” said Ron angrily. “You’re trying to trick them into picking  up  the  hats.  You’re  setting  them  free  when  they  might  not  want to be free.” “Of  course  they  want  to  be  free!”  said  Hermione  at  once,  though  her face was turning pink. “Don’t you dare touch those hats, Ron!” She left. Ron waited until she had disappeared through the door to the girls’ dormitories, then cleared the rubbish off the woolly hats. They  should  at  least  see  what  they’re  picking  up,”  he  said  firmly.  “Anyway  .  .  .”  He  rolled  up  the  parchment  on  which  he  had  written  the title of Snape’s essay. “There’s no point trying to finish this now, I can’t  do  it  without  Hermione,  I  haven’t  got  a  clue  what  you’re  supposed to do with moonstones, have you?”

The essayist: This doesn’t seem like a particularly open-minded and enquiring position to take, although I suppose that Hermione’s open-mindedness has always been something of an informed attribute.

The commenter: This trope among fans has got me riled up beyond belief because they use the "Hermione's word is gospel" thing to make unfair assumptions about other characters: Ron's "emotional range of a teaspoon" thing comes to mind, and right after that, Lavender supposedly being silly about believing Trelawney about her dead pet (Hermione never considered that maybe the thing Lavender was dreading was bad news from home or bad news about her pet). Regarding house elves: This is one case where the fans ought to have seen that Hermione was being very thoughtless as far as strategy. Ron has lived all his life up until this point thinking that there was no problem with house elves and she literally expects to be able to just tell him "it's wrong" and he's supposed to change instantly? Talk about your cultural insensitivity. In this case, maybe Ron knows better than you do, Hermione? You didn't even know about house elves until you were at least twelve (but more likely, she didn't know until this year). She must understand the concept of "he doesn't know it's wrong". That was how she defended Crookshanks when he was chasing Scabbers. ... Hey, Hermione thinks Ron's smarter than her cat. That's something, I guess.

...

The commenter: Competition is seriously the worst thing in the world for Ron. He's got wa-a-ay too much baggage. Do well so they'll love you. Do well so they'll notice you. If they notice you, you'll get praised. And tormented by Fred and George. Then if you fuck up, you'll have let everyone down. My brothers never let anyone down. That's the standard. Oh God, I can't live up to that. Which do I want to chose- being ignored or scorned? I could do well. Then I'll be good enough to be called "just like them"! JFC, when's it ever going to be "Good like Ron"? Chess. Literally everyone else has one thing they shine in, even Neville with his Botany and Dean with his art (and... and I'm going to ignore the fact that Hermione and Luna are the only two I can think of with non-appearance based special stuff... someone please help me out? I guess Tonks' doesn't really count as a shallow one because it makes her a master of disguise...)

...

HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

...

Ron gagged on a large piece of kipper. Hermione spared him one look of disdain before turning back to Harry.

The essayist: “Hermione spared [Ron] one look of disdain before turning back to Harry” pretty much sums up her relationships within the trio. It’s no wonder Ron’s so insecure and keeps worrying that she really fancies Harry.

...

“And you’ve been through all that persecution from the Ministry when they were trying to make out you were unstable and a liar. You can still see the marks on the back of your hand where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you stuck to your story anyway...”  “You  can  still  see  where  those  brains  got  hold  of  me  in  the  Ministry,  look,”  said  Ron,  shaking  back his sleeves.  “And  it  doesn’t  hurt  that  you’ve  grown  about  a  foot  over  the  summer  either,”  Hermione  finished, ignoring Ron.  “I’m tall,” said Ron inconsequentially.

The essayist: Ron’s so adorably pathetic here, the way he’s obviously feeling inferior to Harry and being ignored by his so-called friends. *hugs Ron*

...

When they left the Gryffindor table five minutes later to head down to the Quidditch pitch, they passed  Lavender  Brown  and  Parvati  Patil.  Remembering  what  Hermione  had  said  about  the  Patil  twins’  parents  wanting  them  to  leave  Hogwarts,  Harry  was  unsurprised  to  see  that  the  two  best  friends were whispering together, looking distressed. What did surprise him was that when Ron drew level with them, Parvati suddenly nudged Lavender, who looked around and gave Ron a wide smile. Ron blinked at her, then returned the smile uncertainly. His walk instantly became something more like a strut. Harry resisted the temptation to laugh, remembering that Ron had refrained from doing so  after  Malfoy  had  broken  Harry’s  nose;  Hermione,  however,  looked  cold  and  distant  all  the  way  down  to  the  stadium  through  the  cool,  misty  drizzle,  and  departed  to  find  a  place  in  the  stands  without wishing Ron good luck. 

The essayist: Hermione keeps belittling Ron and doing him down, and reacts quite strongly when he even so much hints at losing interest in her and showing attention to another woman. Can we say “abusive relationship”, anybody?

...

“Harry! Ginny!” Hermione was hurrying toward them, very pink-faced and wearing a cloak, hat, and gloves. “I got back a couple of hours ago, I've just been down to visit Hagrid and Buck--I mean Witherwings,” she said breathlessly. “Did you have a good Christmas?” “Yeah,” said Ron at once, “pretty eventful, Rufus Scrim—” “I've got something for you, Harry,” said Hermione, neither looking at Ron nor giving any sign that she had heard him. “Oh, hang on--password. Abstinence.”

The essayist: Wow, Hermione’s just being so childish here, ignoring Ron when he’s talking directly to her. Incidentally, Ron’s speaking to her like a normal friend, it’s Hermione who’s doing the blanking. Still, I’m sure this argument is all Ron’s fault for daring to go out with another girl. Hermione is totally blameless.

[Just in case: the essayist is being sarcastic, they’re pointing out the double standard of the HP fandom blaming Hermione’s immature behaviour on Ron.]

...

DEATHLY HALLOWS

...

“I think you’re right,” she told him. “It’s just a morality tale, it’s obvious which gift is best, which one you’d choose—” The three of them spoke at the same time; Hermione said, “the Cloak,” Ron said, “the wand,” and Harry said, “the stone.” They looked at each other, half surprised, half amused. “You’re supposed to say the Cloak,” Ron told Hermione, “but you wouldn’t need to be invisible if you had the wand. An unbeatable wand, Hermione, come on!” “We’ve already got an Invisibility Cloak,” said Harry. “And it’s helped us rather a lot, in case you hadn’t noticed!” said Hermione. “Whereas the wand would be bound to attract trouble—” “Only if you shouted about it,” argued Ron. “Only if you were prat enough to go dancing around, waving it over your head, and singing, ‘I’ve got an unbeatable wand, come and have a go if you think you’re good enough.’ As long as you kept your trap shut—” “Yes, but could you keep your trap shut?” said Hermione, looking skeptical. “You know, the only true thing he said to us was that there have been stories about extra-powerful wands for hundreds of years.” “There have?” asked Harry. Hermione looked exasperated: the expression was so endearingly familiar that Harry and Ron grinned at each other.

The commenter (?): Actually, I thought that Ron was proving the errors in the story. Because he’s right. The eldest brother didn’t die because the Elder Wand had corrupted him (like the One Ring). He died because he was an idiot. He died because he randomly decided to start blabbing about his new toy.

“You talk about wands like they’ve got feelings,” said Harry, “like they canthink for themselves.” “The wand chooses the wizard,” said Ollivander. “That much has always been clear to those of us who have studied wandlore.” “A person can still use a wand that hasn’t chosen them, though?” asked Harry. “Oh yes, if you are any wizard at all you will be able to channel your magic through almost any instrument. The best results, however, must always come where there is the strongest affinity between wizard and wand. These connections are complex. An initial attraction, and then a mutual quest for experience, the wand learning from the wizard, the wizard from the wand.”

The essayist: Harry’s wand has to think for and protect him because he’s too stupid and incompetent to think for and protect himself! Ollivander’s the expert, and he just admitted it. He said any halfway decent wizard can perform magic with almost any wand. The reason Harry could only work with the holly wand is because of the phoenix feather core it shares with Voldemort’s wand. That is, it wasn’t Harry doing the magic with Harry’s wand! It was the Voldemort soul piece! Once Harry was forced to use wands that didn’t have that core, the soul piece couldn’t do the work for Harry any more. He was forced to rely on his own magical powers and competence, which are clearly minimal. This is proven by his inability to do effective magic with any other wand. It’s also proven by an incident from Philosopher’s Stone. Remember when Harry was being chased by bullies and inexplicably found himself on top of the shed roof? That was the soul piece allowing him to fly like Voldy. Lily could slow her descent from a height, as if she had an invisible parachute, but that is not the same as flying, and we have no evidence she could fly. Only Voldemort and Snape fly without assistance! The evidence is overwhelming that I am right. How many spells can Harry do effectively? Expelliarmus, Expecto Patronum, Protego--that’s it. Even as a young adult, he is incapable of doing the basic healing or cleaning spells a young child should have down pat before going to Hogwarts. Of course, we’re told the Patronus spell is difficult and advanced, but who told us that? Remus Lupin, friend of Harry’s father, sycophant, and notorious liar, particularly when it comes to flattering Harry. Recall Lupin also said Snape didn’t like James because Snape was envious of Potter Sr.’s Quidditch prowess, and we know that was a lie. Given this evidence, anything Lupin says that cannot be confirmed by an independent source, especially regarding the Potters, should be dismissed out of hand. True, Hermione has trouble with the Patronus spell, and she’s super-competent. Doesn’t that prove it’s a very difficult spell? Not at all. To take an example from a different field, Beethoven was a virtuoso organist, the greatest pianist of his day, one of the greatest pianists in history, and probably the greatest improvisational musician ever. But he was only a decent violinist. Everybody has areas of weakness, no matter how good they are overall. In addition, Hermione is very gullible where authority figures are concerned. If a teacher tells her, “The Patronus is a very difficult, advanced spell that many people can’t ever master,” she’ll believe that, which may create a self-fulfilling prophecy. A couple of years ago, another DTCL member and I facetiously suggested Harry was less intelligent than his wand. We didn’t know we were right. It rarely happens, but this is an occasion when I would have preferred to be wrong.

...

If only there was a way of getting a better wand... And desire for the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, unbeatable, invincible, swal-lowed him once more... They packed up the tent next morning and moved on through a dreary shower of rain. The downpour pursued them to the coast, where they pitched the tent that night, and persisted through the whole week, through sodden landscapes that Harry found bleak and depressing. He could think only of the Deathly Hallows. It was as though a flame had been lit inside him that nothing, not Hermione’s flat disbelief nor Ron’s persistent doubts, could extinguish. And yet the fiercer the longing for the Hallows burned inside him, the less joyful it made him. He blamed Ron and Hermione: Their determined indifference was as bad as the relentless rain for dampening his spirits, but neither could erode his certainty, which remained absolute. Harry’s belief in and longing for the Hallows consumed him so much that he felt isolated from the other two and their obsession with the Horcruxes. [...] As the weeks crept on, Harry could not help but notice, even through his new self-absorption, that Ron seemed to be taking charge. Perhaps because he was determined to make up for having walked out on them, perhaps because Harry’s descent into listlessness galvanized his dormant leadership qualities, Ron was the one now encouraging and exhorting the other two into action. [...] But not until March did luck favor Ron at last.

The essayist: MARCH! That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. The first fifteen pages of this chapter cover three months, and during that entire time, Harry Potter does nothing, nothing, but sit on his ass fantasizing about the Elder Wand and trying to connect with his Voldie-soul mate. Oh, wait. He also tries to open the snitch so he can get the stone out of it. (Nothing gay about that, either.) I wish he’d succeed in that, too. Maybe he’d swallow the stone, and it would end up in his scrotum. He sure needs something that works down there. Harry doesn’t have the right to bail out on his society like this. He can’t have it both ways. He can’t have the adulation that goes with being Mr. Boy-Who-Lived-Chosen-One-Wizarding-World-Savior and abdicate the responsibilities that go along with those titles and that adulation. Look at what happens in this chapter: Harry becomes obsessed with finding and uniting the Hallows, so much so that he withdraws from his friends, bails out on the job his idol Dumbledore gave him, and spends all his time brooding and trying to connect with the Dull Lord. In other words, he acts clinically depressed. Ron and Hermione were exposed to the same information Harry was, but they didn’t become obsessed/depressed. Ron was mildly interested in the Super-Wand, but not enough to distract him from the Horcrux hunt. Hermione dismissed the whole DH story as nonsense and continued following Dumbestbore’s orders. So why weren’t they tempted?

...

The essayist: Harry opens the locket using Parseltongue--interesting that this never occurred to him before now--and two ghostly figures emerge. They’re Voldie-versions of Harry and Hermione, and they articulate Ron’s worst fears: “Least loved, always, by the mother who craved a daughter...Least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend...Second best, always, eternally overshadowed...” I’ll say it again: When you’re right, you’re right. The evidence is overwhelming that Molly Weasley treated Ron the worst of all her children. And if Rowling doesn’t want us to ship HP/HG, she needs to quit throwing them together and making them leaders, with Ron either in the background or absent entirely. JKR obviously wants us to automatically dismiss certain statements just because they’re made by “bad guys” such as Voldemort and Rita Skeeter. There are two problems with this: (1) The “lies” make perfect sense, far more sense than what we’re supposed to believe. (2) Even pathological liars sometimes tell the truth, typically when it won’t hurt their own interests to do so. For those of us who live in what cartoonist Garry Trudeau calls “the reality-based community,” the evidence is what matters, not what we’re told by authority figures. Those of us in the higher stages of spiritual development are funny that way.

...

The essayist: Well, whose fault is that, Ms. Rowling? You’re the one who’s spent the last four books making Ron dumber and dumber, depriving him of any meaningful activity, while you shoved Harry and Hermione into increasingly dominant roles.

The commenter: Are we supposed to look down on Ron now so that we can condemn him for leaving Harry and Hermione? Because if so, then that’s just unfair. Every time Ron tries to come up with an idea, Hermione criticizes him or shoots him down. And the twins have done a fine job of intimidating Ron into remaining mediocre and modest so that he doesn’t remind them of Percy, so what is he supposed to do? How is he supposed to come up with ideas when he’s surrounded by people who basically tell him to shut up and sit down?

The essayist: Just then, Hermione comes out of the tent with cups of tea, with tears running down her face and looking terrified her “friend” is going to curse her with her own wand.

The commenter: So, Hermione will snarl at Ron all day long, but cower in fear when Harry gets mad. Is she projecting herself onto Harry and assuming that just because *she’s* quick to hex people who anger her (Ron, Marietta, etc.), Harry will do the same to her?

The essayist: The evidence is overwhelming that Molly Weasley treated Ron the worst of all her children.

The commenter: And blatantly showed favoritism to Harry while snarling at Ron in the same breath. Of course, Horcrux!Tom doesn’t bring that up, because JKR would have to admit that there might be something wrong with Molly favoring Harry the way she does. The essayist: Hermione acts so crazy Harry has to put a protection charm between her and Ron.

The commenter: Yeah…sorry, it’s not “slapstick” anymore when somebody actually has to stop her from hitting Ron. When Harry feels that the situation is dangerous enough that his intervention is necessary. That’s not funny. That’s a true-crime episode. What gets me is that Hermione's tantrum lasts for days. It goes on for several pages into the next chapter. She doesn't start acting normal again until she comes up with the idea of visiting Xeno Lovegood. The essayist: Hermione tells Ron she still hasn’t ruled out attacking him with birds again.

The commenter: *flatly* So, all of the fans who cooed about how “great” it was for Hermione to show “girl power” by sending Ron to the hospital wing in HBP or breezily dismissed the scene as just tired teenage melodrama? Can put a sock in it. Hermione has clearly learned nothing, JKR clearly feels that that scene was funny, and at no point are we supposed to think that Hermione is an abuser. Even though, if the genders were reversed, fans would be calling for Ron’s head on a platter if he dared lay a finger on Hermione. No. This isn’t funny. This isn’t charming. Hermione hurt Ron so badly in HBP that he had to go to the hospital wing. And she tried to repeat the damage she caused here. Is she going to attack him with birds again after they get married? Is she going to do it in front of their children? Will it be “cute” and “funny” then? No, if a man is an abusive monster for losing his temper and trying to hurt his girlfriend, then Hermione is an abusive monster for losing her temper and trying to hurt her boyfriend. Not only did Hermione land Ron in the infirmary with the first attack, but she wants to do it again at a time when they are on the run. She will NOT be able to take an injured Ron to Hogwarts infirmary, nor to St. Mungos. In other words - she intends for him to remain injured and stick with them while camping, or else he must apparate away while injured, risking another splinching so he could be healed.

...

The essayist: Ron and Harry go back to the tent, and Harry fades into the background so as not to interfere with the lovers’ reunion. That’s a mistake. After Harry wakes Hermione, she shows her delight at Ron’s return by--attacking him? She punches him over a dozen times while yelling at him and screaming for her wand from Harry. Remember last chapter, when I talked about how immature Hermione is? Here’s your proof.

[The essayist quotes an article that I haven’t been able to find, but paraphrased: it speaks of a father who came to pick up his 4 y/o daughter from daycare, a little later than usual, and the daughter reacted by punching and hitting her father, upset at his being late. Additional read:  “The parents must know that physical aggression is a common yet natural problem faced by toddlers.”]

The essayist: So there you have it: Hermione Granger, know-it-all supergirl, is so immature she acts like a preschool child when the boyfriend she’s been missing finally returns. I’m not suggesting she has a father-daughter relationship with Ron; this kind of anger is found in other relationships, too. What I am saying is that her way of expressing her anger is appropriate for a very young child. While adults may certainly feel this kind of anger and desire to hit when reunited with a loved one under similar circumstances, they don’t act it out. That restraint is what separates adults from children. Hermione acts so crazy Harry has to put a protection charm between her and Ron. I frankly found her behavior so out of control as to suggest mental instability. She engages in two full pages of histrionics before throwing herself into a chair, sitting so tensely I’m surprised the circulation isn’t cut off to her arms and legs. She remains in a bratty snit until the end of the chapter, which is another six pages.  Hermione is still pouting the next morning. I’m wondering if her real problem is not that Ron left, but that she didn’t. Is she angry at him because he had the guts to admit they were blowing it and take a time out, while she just kept trailing along after Harry like a lost house elf? I think she’s definitely mad because she’s always controlled Ron and their relationship. How dare he assert his independence of her! Who does he think he is? Her equal? In an AU, maybe. This is called the Potterverse after all, not the Ronverse.  Hermione’s having a bad month. First Ron runs out on them; then she saves Harry’s life, but he’s an ungrateful jerk about it; then Harry asserts his independence; then Ron comes back but doesn’t grovel sufficiently for her taste. All this mistreatment is going to give her the idea she’s just a normal character and not an Author’s Darling.   While Ron was gone, he was captured by bad guys called Snatchers, who are bounty hunters for Voldemort. In getting away, he got a spare wand, which he gives to Harry. Of course, it doesn’t work as well as Harry’s “real” wand, so Harry’s still in a snit about that, and with Hermione in a snit, too, they’re a cheerful bunch. Honestly, I don’t know why Ron puts up with these two. The Hs are so spoiled and self-centered, they deserve each other, but I don’t think this is what HP/HG shippers mean when they proclaim the two as an OTP. Sane, normal Ron doesn’t deserve either one of them. Run, Ron! Run while you still can!

...

The essayist: As an interesting aside, ròn is the Celtic word for seal. In Druid lore, seals represent love, longing, and dilemma. No more appropriate totem animal could be imagined for this boy whose sense of selfhood is undermined by his longing for love from a rejecting mother and inadequate father, and who, like the selchie wives of folklore, is faced with the impossible choice of being who he truly is and being rejected, or denying the best part of himself to gain love. Ron’s intelligence and independence threaten his insecure wife (and best friend), just as the selchie’s identity as a seal-woman threatens her human husband; Ron imprisons himself by hiding who he is so the Hs can feel smart and in charge, just as the selchie’s human husband imprisons his wife by hiding her sealskin in a trunk.

[mydorkycreations]

for the love language asks, could I ask for Jasper, Friday, Hiroki, Aaron, Forest, Winter, Candace, and Tiffany? OH, also Gretchen and Amadeus, if u don't mind??? I jst. Love all of them.

You CAN ask for them all of them! I’ll kinda do this by ranking of most preferred to least preferred :)

Also this got very long I’m sorry

Jasper:

Quality time-- he loves being around people he likes, and feels neglected/misses people if they don’t spend time with him for a while

Gifts--  he loves to give things and get things, especially if it’s involving food, and he has a mental list of things that he knows his friends like/dislike that he just kinda always has in the back of his mind

Touch-- he’s not overly touchy, tbh. Like, it’s nice and all, but it feels a little less personal than like spending actual time together or giving someone something in general

Words of affirmation-- as odd as this may sound, he doesn’t really need a hype man or verbal affirmation. He can figure things out on his own. Compliments are nice, though, and communication is important, so he puts some effort into this one even if it isn’t necessarily his thing per se

Acts of service-- he appreciates someone making an effort to make his life easier and generally tries to do the same, but he considers it more of a being polite thing rather than an actual act of affection. Plus, he can be particular about some things (especially with the way the kitchen is organized) and so sometimes the help isn’t always as helpful as the helper thinks

Friday:

Words of affirmation-- she tries not to show it, but words have a major impact on her, both positively and negatively. A compliment can make her day and a rude comment can just as easily ruin it. She’s very shy about saying nice things to other people, though, in case the compliment is rejected

Touch-- she’s insecure about it because it’s something her mother actively discouraged, but she ADORES physical affection. Once she’s comfortable enough with Jasper someone to feel like she can without getting in trouble, the poor soul is in near danger of being smothered in it

Quality time-- it’s an acceptable, straightforward way to show affection that’s more difficult to pull off when ulterior motives are in play, and she appreciates it for that

Acts of service-- someone??? did something NICE for her??? Unrealistic. She tends to think of this more as someone trying to like get her attention than be nice

Gifts-- this one is Odd because she hates getting gifts, but gives them all the time because she’s rich and has money to throw around, so I’m putting it on the bottom

Hiroki:

Touch-- Hiroki is INCREDIBLY tactile, possibly because of the way his powers work as extensions of himself. Unless there’s a reason not to, he’s touching his friends almost constantly, and can recognize most of their silhouettes by feel when he’s using his powers to sense people. He’ll pick up on any sort of unusual response to/rejection of contact immediately

Quality time-- listen, when you’re an introvert, deciding someone is worth spending time with is A Big Deal, especially if it’s one on one, and he doesn’t hand it out lightly

Acts of service-- to do something for someone so they don’t have to, and then have them do the same for you, is that not an incredible thing? He certainly thinks it is. It would be #2, but there is also Extreme Mental Trauma associated with this one and it’s demoted to #3 as a result

Gifts-- he appreciates gifts (especially if they’re useful), but by and large his habit of knitting things for other people stems from the fact that if he made everything for himself he’d have probably filled his entire apartment with knitted things by now than any real fondness for the gift giving or receiving process

Words of affirmation-- by and large, he thinks that words are cheap. Ironic, because he was an English major, but still

Aaron:

Gifts-- Aaron loves getting gifts. Aaron loves giving gifts. Aaron will spend money he doesn’t have to get people gifts because gifts are important

Words of affirmation-- he’s not really confident enough for you to be able to just let him read between the lines and make a judgement himself, and thrives at praise and clear verbal communication. Will tell you exactly how he feels and how fond he is of you at the drop of a hat

Touch-- physical affection is nice. Not his favorite but not bad by any meansit’s

Acts of service-- yes, okay, people doing things for you is nice and all, but people go and do things or give money to charity for the warm fuzzy feelings while not giving a single flying fuck about the people who are really impacted by it, it’s not really a surefire sign that they like you

Quality time-- like, yes, it’s nice spending time with people but it doesn’t really vibe with him as an affection source. Like you could spend every day hanging out with him and he’ll still be like “but do they like me?”

Forest (I went with young Forest here-- I’m still getting to know older Forest a bit):

Quality time-- I once read a theory that your love languages are defined by what you lacked in your youth. This is very true in this instance. You can instantly tell who Forest gravitates towards by looking at who leaves with him at parties

Touch-- grant it, touch is just a Bigger Thing culturally in the magical realm (given that physical contact between some kinds of magical entities would be physically painful for one or both parties), so maybe that disqualifies this, but yeah touching is a very major thing

Words of affirmation-- he loves to verbally flirt and be flirted with, but aside from that very specific scenario he doesn’t really care all that much 

Acts of service-- acts of service and gifts are probably about the same, but you could kind of classify Winter catching his attention by sparing his life an act of service, and then they fall in love, so I’m putting this one at #4. The bastard is in a laughably wealthy ruling class, he just expects people to do things for him, so that’s not a big deal to him (although actually doing something for someone else kinda is)

Gifts-- again, rich and politics Grant it you could call some of those gifts bribes but that’s an ugly word, don’t you think?

Winter:

Acts of service-- the need to look after and help people he cares about if they ever need it is literally what’s kept him alive, and putting it anything other than first would be a disservice. And he takes on so much that any effort made to make his life easier means the world to him

Quality time-- why do you think he never just forged Candace legal documentation and sent her to normal school or daycare? Why do you think he’s so prone to be lonely? He needs time with people

Gifts-- he loves receiving gifts in particular. They’re something to remember people by once they’re gone and parting with them would be terrible for him. But he gives gifts, too. They’re less often physical objects and more often advice or stories, although that changes with Candace as he gets old because he knows he likes having physical things to remember people by so maybe it’ll help her, too

Words of affirmation-- he still appreciates them, don’t misunderstand. And he doesn’t skimp out on telling his kids he loves them. It’s just not his favorite way to receive or show affection

Touch-- again, Magical Realm’s touching is a much less casual of a thing and it’s not really as needed as it is with humans. Between that and his lack of body heat being unnerving to a lot of humans that aren’t used to it, he just... didn’t, really. At all. Like touch was for sex and otherwise he kept little to no physical contact. It’s a big regret he has raising his earlier kids, because he just didn’t know that humans are so innately touchy feely. He probably raised at least one touch starved human on accident (he also adopted a hugging schedule later when he realized “oh shit I’ve fucked up” until he got used to casual contact)

Candace:

Quality time-- if you like someone, you spend time with them? It just makes sense to her (although that doesn't make her immune to the classic "Daaaad leave me alone" complaints)

Acts of service-- you care about someone, you look out for them. Winter’s taught her that very well

Words of affirmation-- she doesn’t need it constantly, but if she does something she’s really proud of she craves validation for it, and will go around showing everyone her new sword that she figured out how to make shoot lightning until someone’s like “wow nice work”

Touch-- she’s not very into casual touching, but if you become a level 5 or above friend you unlock the Cuddle Feature and that is nigh unstoppable once it starts, she’s like a goddamn cat

Gifts-- she’s a dichotomy of loving to give gifts and not really enjoying getting them because she herself isn’t very materialistic (unless you’re giving her swords. Or daggers. Or shields. Or, uh, old school style weapons in general).

Tiffany:

Quality time-- I hesitate to use the word “clingy,” but, uh. There is a definite “pay ATTENTION TO ME” bit of her personality if you leave her on her lonesome for too long

Touch-- Tiff is just a cuddlebug. There isn’t much of another way to describe it. Fortunately her and Candace have been over level 5 friends since they were both knee high to a toadstool

Gifts-- if you give her something, she’ll cherish it forever, and she loves to find things for her friends to give them (even if most of the time it’s cool rocks from the bottom of whatever body of water she’s currently living on with Amadeus)

Acts of service-- she doesn’t think much of it if she does something for somebody else because that’s just how she was raised, but if someone helps her out? She’ll remember it forever

Words of affirmation-- like, okay it’s nice to be verbally appreciated but she doesn’t need it

Gretchen

Quality time-- time is growing less important to her the longer she lives-- immortality can have that effect on people sometimes-- but time simply spent together is still something she heavily gravitates towards

Words of affirmation-- there are few words she loves better than “I’m proud of you” or “good job.” Loves that sweet validation

Acts of service-- she’s very devoted once she grows attached to someone, although sometimes she thinks she knows best when she really doesn’t

Touch-- touching is,, fine. Not great, but it’s okay

Gifts-- she’s immortal. What need does she have for trinkets?

Amadeus

Gifts-- do you think that them not charging Winter for an ounce of booze he’s drank for centuries is an accident? It’s not. They know it’s not really in his best interest, but they can’t bring themselves to deny him a way out of his own mind for a while

Acts of service-- this primarily surfaces in a sort of hovering/annoying parent sort of way. They’ll fuss over anyone

Words of affirmation-- words aren’t as good as something tangible, but still nice. Amadeus has a tendency to be almost transactional in their relationships. They do things for Friend, Friend does things for them. That’s what friendship is 

Touch-- eh, it’s fine but they don’t get the hype. Probably because they’re living water

Quality time-- ironic, I know, but they can almost be absent, some of the time. They’d rather do things FOR you than just spend time with you without a purpose

[scottyunfamous]

#RunningWilde Ch. 23 | Indecent Proposal

We're on the brink of danger

No I ain't letting go

I've got the keys to your heart

I'll be the anchor to your soul

Put you're trust in me

I'll never let you go

Baby, don't look so scared

-Scared

Ruby Blu*

***

Max dragged his feet up the stairs of the Rococo Lounge with his eyes cast to the ground. His skin was wan, his face unshaven and his dark hair flopped down to the purplish rings under his eyes that told the tale of his sleepless night.

He thought he had her back for good, that the nightmare had finally come to an end, but the moment she was out of his sight it started all over again.

He'd lost Ava all over again.

He had no idea where to find her. Syndicate men had been on the lookout for her since Friday night whilst Max ran like a mad man all over the city trying to spot her waist length braids flying through the crowd. With everything that was going on it now that Vince was gone, the search for Ava didn't seem like a priority to anyone but Max; the crew were more concerned with holding their position than saving the girl they didn't know existed until last night. They didn't realise that she was worth risking it all for.

He pushed through the door of the VIP box and scowled at the lieutenants and capos surrounded by throngs of beautiful wasted women, laughing and drinking with them as if they didn't have a care in the world. Chris stood at the helm with a girl half his age holding onto him and purring in his ear.

He looked up when Max came through the door and sighed. "Give me a minute darlin'. Let me see what the kid wants." He patted her on the ass and let her go. His steps were staggered as he moved across the room with his arms spread open and a big grin on his face, "Maxi, what can I do for ya?" he slurred, spilling brandy from his tumbler onto the carpet.

Max frowned at him. "Have you heard anything about Ava?" he asked tightly, wanting to knock the drink from Chris's hand. How dare he be in here getting pissed when Ava was god knows where probably scared out of her mind?

"Nah, but the boys are still looking."

Max pushed his floppy hair out of his eyes, tugging at the ends of it, "Tell them to look harder."

"Kid, they're doing the best they can, all right," Chris patted his shoulder with mock reassurance, "They'll find her, don't worry. Come, have a drink, you look like shit, mate."

"I'm fine," Max shrugged him off, "I just wanted to know what was going on and now I do," he scanned the room pointedly then sneered at Chris, "Nothing."

He turned on his heels to continue his one man search.

"Oi," Chris snapped pulling him back, "Don't pull that stroppy shit with me. You're not the only one that wants to find her. She my fuckin' God daughter, I'm doing everything I can, but I'm running the show now, I've got to stay on top of everything else too."

"By getting drunk and partying with paid company?"

Chris's eyes darkened, "The club's open ain't it?"

"Whatever."

Chris grabbed Max by the scruff of his shirt and pulled his face close to his. Max could smell the alcohol on his breath and to make matters worse, he spat as he spoke. The whole room turned to look. 

"You watch your tone, Maxi. My best mate died last night cause of those DM cunts and Ava's missing again, but you don't see me moping around, do ya?"

"No, boss," Max replied, turning his face away from the sour smell of Chris's mouth.

"No, you don't, so suck it up!" He released him with a shove and took a swig of his drink. "It's business as usual, all right. The world don't stop turning just 'cause bad things happen Maxi, you know that."

"Yeah, business as usual." Max narrowed his eyes at him and he readjusted his shirt. How could Vince leave such a colossal imbecile in charge? Chris was all temper and ego, he didn't have the head for leadership; he was the one who needed to be led.

"Come, sit for a minute," Chris tried again.

"No, I'm gonna keep looking for Ava."

"Suit yourself, kid. I'll let you know if the boys see anything."

"Thanks."

Max barrelled out of the room, swinging the door back so hard that it smacked into the wall. Chris sucked his teeth and emptied his glass before grabbing a fresh bottle form the mini bar for a refill.

The cool night air washed over Max's skin and he found himself wishing for rain. He was wound up so tightly and every second without her was even worse than the last. There was no trade off to come this time, no set way to get her back and that meant that there was an even bigger chance that he'd never see her again.

Maybe Chris had the right idea; getting drunk and going through the motions was definitely easier to deal with than caring so much about everything that had gone wrong over the course of the week, but Max slacking off was the reason Ava was gone in the first place. He owed it to her to keep trying.

*

There had been no more conversation between Aiden and Ava for the rest of the day. After he'd calmed himself down enough to be around her, without the need to take her then and there overpowering his senses, Aiden returned to the kitchen, sat across from her and ate his breakfast in silence.

Ava was grateful that he didn't want to talk. She worried that he would ask her questions or say something provocative to spark further reaction from her. After his heightened illustration of their coming together, she couldn't be sure that she would have be able to find the words to respond coherently. Her replies would have tumbled out of her mouth in a tangle of stutters and awkward silences. Sitting across from him in silence was torture enough.

She tried not to look at him the whole time. She knew what would happen if she did -she would see him. She didn't want to see him; none of the rough, scarred, tattooed expanse of his dark skin hugging his sculpted body like god given armour, lips full and swollen from being bitten too much due to their interminable tension, and those arresting midnight eyes that could hold her in place at will, that could see past every defence she put up, penetrating and unyielding, impelling the beautiful disaster that was ever on the brink of happening to them.

With a handful of small gestures and low grumbles, Aiden only communicated when she was to return to her room, use the bathroom and when it was time to eat again. If this was supposed to be any different to being his prisoner, Ava had yet to see evidence of it. It felt the same. She ran on his schedule, spending most of her day alone in her room until he summoned her, and then doing her best to ignore the stirrings inside of her whenever he got too close or when she slipped up and looked at him. The only saving grace was that he'd kept his word and not touched her, but it was clear the strain that it was putting on him.

It almost frightened her how badly he wanted her, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't find the thought of it appealing. The things he would have done to her if she'd chosen to give up her power would out do the vivid thoughts in her mind. She knew it would. She could see it in the way that he warred with himself in every moment they spent alone together, the way his breathing changed, how fiercely his gaze burned, the tempting way his lips parted when stared for too long, and the way his veins stood out as he'd grab on tightly to the nearest solid object, trying to suppress his arousal. Every meal would end with him muttering something and rushing from the room to collect himself.

After dinner, exhausted from balancing on the figurative tight rope for so many hours, Ava returned to her room and drifted off to sleep with less difficulty than she'd expected. The same couldn't be said for Aiden. Once he was alone in his room with no motions to go through and nothing left to do but think, he thought of Ava.

He didn't realise that it would be this hard to make it through one day alone with her -minus Dougie's intrusion. He knew he had to be patient and resilient in keeping his word, but she didn't make it easy. A day full of stolen curious glances, intimate home-cooked meals for two, accompanied by the bespoke soundtrack of stainless steel cutlery chiming against porcelain crockery, and breathy hi-hats was enough to spark his nature. It was maddening.

And there was so much that needed to be said, important things that he had to tell her...but how was he supposed to talk to Ava about those mundane things when passion was saturating every fibre of his being, demanding priority over everything else. What he wanted to tell her was that having her within his reach but denying himself the satisfaction of touching her the way he wanted to, felt like torture. Like a shiny red apple dangled in front of him, ripe, juicy and waiting to be bitten, hard and deep so that the sweet nectar spilled from his wanting mouth, but if plucked it from the tree before it was ready to fall it could be poisonous.

He had to be smart about this, keep his head and lure her in slowly, but until she was ready to give in he'd have to use other ways and means of coping...

Aiden slid his open palm over his clenched fist and bit down on his bottom lip so hard that he winced. The pain was a distraction from the molten desire that coursed through his veins and seared him from the inside out.

Revealing his wanton longings to Ava had backfired. He'd watched her try her best to stay calm while he uttered his personalised pornography, listened attentively for every sharp breath, admired the flushes of rose on her skin, and the added tension in her stature, and it was enlivening but speaking his thoughts out loud made the craving grow stronger.

God, he wanted to hurt her, to have her fall apart in his arms before he pieced her back together with his practiced hands...

She was only a few feet away from him, sound asleep in her room. He contemplated going to her and touching and kissing her into submission then fucking her over and over until she passed out from ecstasy. He had no doubt that he could do it, but it wouldn't be the same. Aiden was desperate to own her, but not like that -she had to want it as much as he did for their relationship to be able to reach the levels he imagined they could rise and fall to.

He hoped she wouldn't take too long to come around because the tautness below his belt was throbbing, hot and rigid, begging for the sweet relief that only she could grant him...

He bit his lip harder and cracked his knuckles. It wasn't enough.

He paced back and forth across his bedroom, treading a path in the carpet with his bare feet. "Fuck!" The throbbing wouldn't let up.

Aiden sat on the edge of his bed and his hands rushed to his belt buckle. He tugged at it impatiently, wrestled with the button on his jeans and yanked down his zipper.

Freed of the clothing restrictions, his hardness sprung to attention through the gap in his black Calvin's. He wasted no time in closing his eyes and wrapping his hand around the base of his shaft and his breath escaped him as relief began to blossom.

His strokes started slow, moving from base to tip as he imagined Ava before him, undressing slowly for his pleasure, blushing as her delicate hands skimmed across her cinnamon skin, over her neck, her breasts, waist, hips and thighs, teasing him, taunting him.

He pressed his lips together as he grew fuller, tighter, longer, his hand motions advancing to twisting as it travelled up and down, rotating in gentle circles along his shaft.

Once liberated of her outerwear, Aiden envisioned her turning around for him so that he could see her round ass swathed in black lace panties, the kind that he would fervently grab at the seams and tear apart as he delighted in the violent ripping sound and the way that the tiny pieces of frayed thread would shower the ground.

He quivered at the thought. He couldn't wait to tear her panties off in real life.

He applied more pressure as he pictured her slinking closer to him and pressing her thighs together in the way she did, before she sunk to her knees and bent over in front of him, presenting herself like she was his for the taking. She tilted her hips to up the night making the soft swell of her sex poke out from between her thighs. Aiden pushed back into his hand as his mind willed her legs apart until the strip of material that cupped her nature slipped between her glistening lips.

He sucked in another breath and his hand moved faster.

She swung her hips seductively from side to side, purring, giggling and moaning for him to take it because it was his.

She slipped her hand between her legs and moved the damp lace to the side.

Her fingers delved between her folds.

She entered herself...so slowly...performing for him...begging him...crying out for him to cum, cum, 'Please Sir, c_'

"Oh fuck!"

With an animalistic snarl, Aiden's stomach muscles locked up and his toes curled, gripping the fibres of the carpet as his body convulsed like kinetic electricity was shooting out of his limbs. His eyes were shut so tight that his lashes tangled together, holding in the blinding white light beneath his eyelids, bright enough to burn holes through his bedroom walls.

"Fuuuuck," he groaned languidly. His stroking slowed to a stop.

Panting with a light sheen of sweat across his forehead, Aiden's eyes blinked open, astounded at the force that everything had come rushing out of him over imaginings of her. How was this girl able to make him so far remove from himself him without even being present?

He'd done it to slake his lust, but though the immediate desire had been dealt with, it didn't mean it that it was gone. It didn't make him want her any less. In fact Aiden found that he wanted her even more. At least there wasn't a raging hard on to go with it now. He grabbed a tissue from his bedside table and cleaned himself up then took a long shower.

At least now he would be able to talk to her with a clear head when she woke up.

*

"AIDENNNN, AIDEN PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME. DON'T LEAVE ME. NOOOOO_"

Ava was brought back to reality by Aiden's strong arms wrapped around her and his soft lips at her temple purring, "I'm here, I'm here. You're okay, Ava-Marie. You're safe." The fire was gone but her sheets and nightclothes were drenched in sweat. Confused and terrified she clutched onto Aiden, crying hysterically as he rocked her and spoke to her until she calmed down.

Once she was lucid again, Ava swiped her tears from her face with the back of her hand and shifted out of Aiden's embrace to the other side of the bed.

"That's the second day in a row," he said quietly.

Ava rolled her eyes at his lame attempt to fill the silence. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and held herself tightly. She didn't need Aiden to hold her... "Yeah well, traumatic experiences don't go away after a day," she sniffed turning her face towards the sun. "They don't seem to end either."

Aiden slid his hand across the mattress and stopped just centimetres away, wanting to hold her again. She had felt so good in his arms, so solid, and warm, and real. "It'll get better," he promised.

"How? My parents are gone, I can't go back to my life because apparently a bunch of criminals want me dead and my only option of survival is to stay with you." Ava held her arm out under the ray of light that leaked through the curtains and surveyed the burns and suicide rings around her wrist, "Spending the rest of my life waking from one nightmare to live another is not better." Her chest tightened and she hugged her knees closer until they pressed into her rib cage so hard that she was sure that if she applied a little more pressure her bones would snap. "Has anyone tried to burn you alive?"

"No." He drew his hand back.

"Then how can you tell me that it will get better? You're not the one who has to relive it every time you close your eyes."

"You're right," he nodded, "I don't." He thought that after yesterday that today would be easier to get through, that he could just come right out and say what he had to say, but her nightmare had kicked him right back to square one.

He sighed and shifted across the width of the bed and sat back on his calves in front of her with a morbid expression, then rolled up the sleeve of his sweater and extended his arm to her. "I got these when I was seven," he pointed to a string of four small black scars dotted along the inside.

Ava furrowed her brow.

"When my mum went through her heroin phase she started seeing this guy called Danny. Danny thought that I complained too much because I was always whining at my mum for spending our benefits on shooting up instead of groceries -and no one likes a moany child, especially one that isn't theirs -so Danny thought that the best way to shut me up was to mellow me out."

"What do you mean 'mellow you out'?" she asked, but by the horrified expression on her face, Aiden knew she already understood.

He presented the back of his other hand to her. It was decorated with a tattoo of a sparrow holding a scroll. He flexed his hand under the same beam of light she'd stuck her arm in, revealing the linear scars under the ink where the scroll was drawn.

Ava held her breath and waited for an explanation.

"This was when she decided that crack was her thing. She'd just gotten with Keegan's dad, James. She was convinced that what they had was love, so that meant that her money was their money. One day I'd stole two pounds from her purse and James found out. He was pissed; it was what they needed to get their next hit, but now I'd fucked it up by buying myself some chicken and chips from Moreley's. He took the spoon that they basted with and held the lighter under it until it was good and hot..." Aiden ran his fingers over the scars, "He told me that back in the day thieves used to get their hands cut off."

Ava's hold on her knees loosened.

Aiden turned around and lifted up the side of his sweater where his tribal tattoo curled around his ribs. "Give me your hand," he said monotonously. Ava swallowed then reached out to him. He took her trembling fingers in his clammy hand and dragged them from his under arm to his waist, swallowing the unwelcome lump in his throat and drawing slower breaths to keep from reacting to her touch. "Most people have twelve ribs," he lifted her hand up under his last rib, "I have eleven."

"What happened," she whispered in spite of herself. Two traumatic tales in and her animosity towards him had dissipated into compassion. It was hard not to when the monster that he was, was starting to make sense to her. She'd suspected that Aiden's life had been hard growing up, it was a given with men in his line of work, but she never thought that he would have gone through anything as vile as what he was showing her. She expected stories of gang warfare, not his mother's junkie lovers attacking a small child.

"I was twelve, I remember 'cause my mum was pregnant with Keegan, and James had ducked out on her. He owed some scumbags a lot of money and my mum's place was his last known address, so when they came looking for him all they found was us. They didn't believe that he was gone so they wanted to leave him a warning for when he returned so that he'd know that they weren't playing. They wanted to hurt her, but I wouldn't let them." Aiden dropped Ava's hand and pulled his top back down, "She was carrying my baby brother and I didn't want anything to happen to him. If there was anyone in that house who was ever gonna give a fuck about me it was gonna be Keegan, so I had to give a fuck about him. That was the first time I put my life on the line for him." Dark humour flitted across his face, but his eyes were so withdrawn, continuing to hold back the sadness. He dropped his head and spoke into his chest, "By the time they gave up my rib had fractured in three places. The doctors said that if they didn't remove it, it could pierce my liver, and if that happened I could die. So I have eleven ribs, not twelve."

Done with his trip down broken memory lane, Aiden stood up and looked at Ava. He despised relying on her pity but it was the only hand he had to play. "So no, no one has ever tried to burn me alive, Ava-Marie, and I'm not trying to take that away from you. I did a bad thing, I own that, but no one came to my rescue either," he bit down on his back teeth, "Not even my own mother."

Ava glanced into her lap and fiddled with her fingers. Taking a leap of faith, Aiden reached for her hand. She didn't pull away.

"There was no guarantee that I would have gotten either of us away from the car in time, but I did it anyway. I put my life on the line for you because I give a fuck about you." Aiden dropped to one knee by the side of the bed and gazed up at her, "I'm trying to fix what I broke the best way I know how, so when I tell you it will get better, I mean it. I can keep you safe, Ava-Marie...but only if you agree to be my wife."

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please vote and let me know what you thought of my lil plot twist (and Aiden's lil solo scene; was that hot or like, weird...but low key hot?) lol.

[brokemymeme]

|| Heathers: The Musical Sentence Meme || 398 Quotes Send in a sentence or send ♡ for a random sentence.

tw for violence, drug use, suicide, nsfw

“I believe I'm a good person.”

“You know, I think there's good in everyone.

“I look around at all these kids I've known all my life and I ask myself--What happened?”

“We were so tiny, happy and shiny.”

“This ain't no high school. This is the Thunderdome.”

“Hold your breath and count the days, we're graduating soon.”

“College will be paradise if I'm not dead by June!”

“I know life can be beautiful.”

“I pray for a better way.”

“If we changed back then, we could change again.”

“We can be beautiful.”

“Wake from this coma, take my diploma, then I can blow this town.”

“Fight the urge to strike a match and send this dump ablaze!”

“What did you say to me, skank?”

“We were kind before; we can be kind once more.”

“We on for movie night?”

“Don't you have it memorized by now?”

“What can I say? I'm a sucker for a happy ending.”

“He is the smartest guy on the football team. Which is kind of like being the tallest dwarf.”

“I'm sorry, are you actually talking to me?”

“I wanna know what gives you the right to pick on my friend.”

“You're a high school has-been waiting to happen. A future gas station attendant.”

“Why do they hate me?”

“Why don't I fight back?”

“Why do I act like such a creep?”

“Why do I cry myself to sleep?”

“Somebody hug me!”

“Somebody fix me! Somebody save me!”

“Send me a sign, God!”

“Give me some hope here! Something to live for!”

“Head cheerleader. Her dad is loaded--he sells engagement rings.”

“No discernible personality, but her mom did pay for implants.”

“She is a mythic bitch.”

“They are solid Teflon; never bothered, never harassed. I would give anything to be like that.”

“I'd like to kidnap ___ and photograph her naked in an abandoned warehouse and leave her tied up for the rats!”

“Maybe you should see a doctor.”

“This is an excellent forgery.”

“I crave a boon.”

“Let me sit at your table at lunch. Just once. No talking necessary.  If people think you guys tolerate me, they'll leave me alone.”

“For a greasy little nobody, you do have good bone structure.”

“You have a symmetrical face. If I took a meat cleaver down the center of your skull, I'd have matching halves. That's very important.”

“Ya know? This could be beautiful. Mascara, maybe some lip gloss, and we're on our way.”

“Let's make her beautiful.”

“Who could survive this?”

“I can't escape this!”

“I think I'm dying!”

“You hope, you dream, you pray, and you get your way!”

“Ask me how it feels, looking like hell on wheels.”

“I might be beautiful.”

“When you're beautiful It's a beautiful frickin' day!”

“Are we gonna have a problem? You got a bone to pick?”

“You’ve come so far, why now are you pulling on my dick?”

“I’d normally slap your face off, and everyone here could watch.”

“I’m feeling nice. Here’s some advice. Listen up, biotch!”

“I like lookin’ hot, buying stuff they cannot.

“I like skippin’ gym, scaring her, screwing him.”

“I like kickin’ nerds in the nose!”

“If you lack the balls, you can go play dolls and let your mommy fix you a snack.”

“Come smoke, pound some rum and coke in my Porsha with the quarterback.”

“Honey, whatchu waitin’ for? Welcome to my candy store.”

“It’s time for you to prove you’re not a loser anymore.”

“Guys fall at your feet, pay the check, help you cheat.”

“All you have to do? Say goodbye to Shamoo.”

“That freak’s not your friend, I can tell in the end.”

“If she had your shot, she would leave you to rot.”

“‘Course if you don’t care--Fine! Go braid her hair, maybe Sesame Street is on.”

“Get in my jeep. Let’s go tear up someone’s lawn.”

“You just gotta prove you’re not a pussy anymore.”

“You can join the team or you can bitch and moan.”

“You can live the dream or you can die alone.”

“Keep on testing me and end up like her!”

“Time for you to prove you’re not a lame ass anymore.”

“Why when you see boys fight does it look so horrible, Yet feel so right?”

“I shouldn't watch this crap, that's not who I am, but for this kid--Damn.”

“Hey, Mr. No-name-kid, say who might you be?”

“Could you fight for me?”

“Could you face the crowd, could you be seen with me and still act proud?”

“Could you hold my hand and could you carry me through no mans land.”

“I would fight for you if you would fight for me.”

“Let them drive us underground, I don't care how far.”

“You can set my broken bones and I know CPR.”

“Well, woah, you can punch real good.”

“If some night you're free, wanna fight for me?”

“If you're still alive, I would fight for you.”

“I've been through ten high schools. They start to get blurry.”

“No point in planting your roots, 'cause you're gone in a hurry.”

“My dad keeps two suitcases packed in the den, so it's only a matter of when.”

“I don't learn the names, don't bother with faces.”

“Freeze your brain.”

“Happiness comes when everything numbs.”

“Who needs cocaine?”

“Care for a hit?”

“Does your mommy know you eat all this crap?”

“When mom was alive, we lived halfway normal.”

“I learned the world doesn't owe you a cent.”

“You're planning your future, you'll go to some college, and marry a lawyer.”

“The sky's gonna hurt when it falls.”

“You better start building some walls.”

“Shut your eyes tight, till you vanish from sight, let nothing remain.”

“Shatter your skull, fight pain with more pain.”

“Forget who you are, unburden your load, forget in six weeks you'll be back on the road.”

“When the voice in your head says you're better off dead, don't open a vein.”

“You heard it man, it's time to rage!”

“Blast the bass, turn out the light, ain't nobody home tonight!”

“Drink, smoke, it's all cool.”

“Let's get naked in my pool!”

“Punch the wall and start a fight!”

“The folks are gone, it's time for big fun!”

“When mom and dad forget to lock the liquor cabinet, it's big fun!”

“So wait, it's lime, then salt, then shot?”

“A hot guy smiled at me, without a trace of mockery!”

“Hey, is that weed? I want a hit.”

“Dreams are coming true when people laugh but not at you!”

“I'm not alone! I'm not afraid!”

“Crack open one more case!”

“I that that's what they call third base."

“Way to show maturity!”

“Quit it jackass, get off of me!”

“Emergency! I just saw some freshman sneaking over the pool fence!”

“You need a jello shot!”

“Here comes the Cootie Squad.”

“Showing up here took some guts. Time to rip them out.”

“Well, who's this pig remind you of? Especially the snout.”

“I wasn't gonna come, but since you took the time to write that sweet note.”

“Why d'you gotta be so weird all the time? People wouldn't hate you so much if you acted normal.”

“There's no alcohol in here! Are you trying to poison me?”

“Let the speakers blow, they'll buy another stereo.”

“Our folks got no clue 'bout all the shit their children do.”

“The demon queen of high school has decreed it.”

“Thirty hours to live, how shall i spend them?”

“I don't have to stay and die like cattle.”

“I need it hard, I'm a dead girl walking!”

“I'm in your yard, I'm a dead girl walking!”

“Before they punch my clock, I'm snappin' off your window lock.”

“Got no time to knock, I'm a dead girl walking!”

“What're you doing in my room?”

“Shhhh. Sorry, but I really had to wake you.”

“See, I decided I must ride you till I break you.”

“You're my last meal on death row.”

“Tonight I'm yours, I'm a dead girl walking!”

“Get on all fours, kiss this dead girl walking!”

“I'm hot and pissed and on the pill.”

“Bow down to the will of a dead girl walking!”

“And you know, it's 'cause you're beautiful.”

“You say you're numb inside, but I can't agree.”

“So the world's unfair, keep it locked out there. In here it's beautiful.”

“How'd you find my address?”

“I think you tore my mattress!”

“Make this whole town disappear!”

“Think. Long and hard. Conjure her up in your mind. What would she say?”

“What is her final statement to a cold, uncaring planet?”

“Believe it or not, I knew about fear; I knew the way loneliness stung.”

“I hid behind smiles and crazy hot clothes.”

“But, the world, it held me down. It weighed like a concrete prom queen crown.”

“No one thinks a pretty girl has feelings. No one gets her insecurity.”

“I am more than shoulder pads and makeup.”

“No one sees the me inside of me.”

“Jesus, you're making me sound like Air Supply.”

“Keep going. This has to be good enough to fool the cops.”

“They couldn't see past my rockstar mystique, they wouldn't dare look in my eyes.”

“My looks were just like prison bars; they've left me a myriad of scars.”

“No one thinks a pretty girl has substance. That's the curse of popularity.”

“I am more than just a source of handjobs.”

“This is the loveliest suicide note I've ever read.”

“Box up my clothing for Goodwill, and give the poor my Nordic Track.”

“Donate my car to crippled kids, or to those ghetto moms on crack.”

“Give them my hats and my CDs, my pumps, my flats, my three TVs!"

“No one thinks a pretty girl has feelings, but I weep for all I failed to be.”

“Maybe I can help the world by leaving.”

“I never knew about her pain.”

“Her life had hit a rocky patch.”

“Deep down she wasn't cruel or vain.

“She didn't mean to be a snatch!”

“Maybe ___ realized that in order to be happy she had to give up her power.  And the only way to do that was death.”

“My God. Look what we've done. We're breaking through!”

“No one thinks a pretty girl can touch you but she's made us better than we were.”

“___ is dead, but she will live inside me.”

“I'm bigger than John Lennon!”

“___'s gone, but she will live forever!”

“Ugh. You got a left hand? Use it.”

“Don't talk mean like that. You'll hurt their feelings.”

“You make my balls so blue. They're hangin' sadly.”

“What did they do to you that you hate them so?”

“They're all beat up like a tackling dummy!”

“They'll curl up on your face and purr like kittens!”

“We're beggin' you! Don't make my balls so blue.”

“Once you were geeky and nerdy, but they knew you're dirty.”

“Whatever you require they'll do! So take 'em home to meet your parents!”

“They'll wear a suit and tie, and a fancy collar!”

“They'll sing a lullaby: La la la la la!”

“My pants are rubbin' like a hot cheese grater!”

“Look. Booze. Drink!”

“My balls will work for you. They will obey ya!”

“They really need rescue, like Princess Leia!”

“You got no clue how much these two depend on you--Please help them through!”

“My balls are in your court!”

“Please make their dreams come true, and make these balls not blue!”

“They made you cry, but that will end tonight.”

“You are the only thing that's right about this broken world.”

“Go on and cry, but when the morning comes, we'll burn it down and we'll build the world again.”

“Our love is God.”

“I was alone.”

“I was a frozen lake, but then you melted me awake.”

“See, now I'm crying too.”

“You're not alone.”

“When the morning comes, we'll burn away those tears, and raise our city here.”

“How did you guys know it was a fantasy of mine to have two guys at once?”

“Meet me at the cemetery. At dawn.”

“We can start and finish wars.”

“We're what killed the dinosaurs. We're the asteroid that's overdue.”

“The dinosaurs choked on the dust, they died because God said they must.”

“The new world needed room for me and you.”

“I worship you. I'd trade my life for yours.”

“They all will disappear, we'll plant our garden here:”

“And when the morning comes, they'll both be laughing stocks.”

“So let's go hunt some jocks!”

“Take it slow. Strip for me.”

“I was hoping you'd rip my clothes off me, sport.”

“You're just unconscious, right?”

“I don't understand!”

“Stop being a dick!”

“They'll die because we say they must.”

“What the fuck have you done?!”

“We'll make them disappear.”

“I'm going steady, mostly he's awesome If a bit too rock and roll.”

“God, have mercy on my soul.”

“They could have turned out good and now we'll never know.”

“My teen angst bullshit has a body count.”

“It is ignorant, hateful talk like yours that makes this world a place our boys could not live in!”

“They were just two lonely verses in the Lord's great song!”

“I love my dead gay son!”

“Well, the good Lord made the universe, the Lord created man, and I believe it's all a part of his gigantic plan.”

“They were just two stray laces in the Lord's big boots.”

“He loves his dead gay son.”

“They knew damn well those folks would judge 'em, they were desperate to be free!”

“I can't believe that you still refuse to get a clue, after all that we’ve been through.”

“Our jobs are now continuing that work that they begun!”

“We'll teach the world to love.”

“Fine, we’re damaged, really damaged, but that does not make us wise.”

“We’re not special, we’re not different--We don’t choose who lives or dies.”

“Don’t you want a life with me?”

“Can we be seventeen?”

“If you could let me in I could be good with you.”

“People hurt us or they vanish and you’re right that really blows.”

“Don't stop looking in my eyes.”

“So what’s it gonna be? I wanna be with you tonight.”

“Yeah we’re damaged, badly damaged, But your love’s too good to lose.”

“Hold me tighter, Even closer, I’ll stay if I’m what you choose.”

“You’re the one I choose.”

“Deep inside of everyone there's a hot ball of shame. Guilt, regret, anxiety, Fears we dare not name.”

“If we show the ugly parts that we hide away, they turn out to be beautiful by the light of day.”

“Shine a light on your deepest fears.”

“Let in sunlight now and your pain will disappear.”

“Your scars and your flaws, will look lovely because you shine!”

“Everyday's a battlefield when pride's on the line.”

“I attack your weakness and pray you don't see mine.”

“Our love can knock our walls down and unlock all our doors.”

“Who wants to share what's in their heart? No volunteers, fine, I'll start.”

“I live alone. My husband left, My kids are grown.”

“In the 60's love was free, That did not work out well for me.”

“The revolution came and went. Tried to change the world, Barely made a dent.”

“I have struggled with despair.”

“I chant, I prayed, but god's not there.”

“I’m ending our affair.”

“I faked it. Every. Single. Time.

“I float in a boat In a raging black ocean low in the water with nowhere to go.”

“Cold, clammy, and crowded. The people smell desperate--We'll sink any minute, so someone must go.”

“Everyone's pushing! Everyone's fighting!”

“Storms are approaching, there's nowhere to hide!”

“If I say the wrong thing or I wear the wrong outfit, they'll throw me right over the side.”

“Well who made her captain?”

“Still, the weakest must go.”

“The tiniest lifeboat full of people I know.”

“Stupid child proof caps!”

“Aw look, ___'s going to whine all night!”

“You don't deserve to live!”

“Why not kill yourself?���

“Here, have a sedative.”

“Whine, like there's no Santa Claus.”

“You're pathetic because you whine!”

“You whine all night!”

“Your ass is off the team.”

“Go on and bitch and moan.”

“You don't deserve to dream.”

“You're gonna die alone.”

“There was a boy I met in kindergarten. He was sweet, he said that I was smart.”

“I sat and watched him breathing.”

“He didn't care if I was thin or pretty.”

“He was mine until we hit first grade, then he woke up.”

“Last night I dreamed a horse with wings flew down into my home room.”

“Now we're all grown up and we know better, now we recognize the way things are.”

“Certain boys are just for kindergarten. Certain girls are meant to be alone.”

“I believe any dream worth having is a dream that should not have to end.”

“So I'll build a dream that I can live in and this time I'm never waking up.”

“Oh my God. Is she dead?”

“Just another geek trying to imitate the popular people and failing miserably.”

“Keep it together, I knew you would come far.”

“Now you’re truly a Heather, smell how gangsta you are.”

“Feel a bit punchy? She’s not looking so well.”

“Still, you’ve earned that red scrunchie.”

“Come join ___ in hell.”

“We’ve been worried sick! Your friend stopped by, he told us everything!”

“He’s got your handwriting down cold.”

“Please, honey. Talk to us!”

“ I’ve experienced everything you’re going through right now.”

“Guess who’s right down the block?”

“You’re problems seem like life and death—I promise, they’re not.”

“Guess who’s climbing the stairs?”

“Guess who’s picking your lock?”

“You don’t know what my world looks like!”

“Time’s up! Go say your prayers!”

“Too late! He got in!”

“Knock! Knock! Sorry to come through the window.  Dreadful etiquette, I know!”

“All is forgiven baby! “

“Come on, get dressed. You're my date to the pep rally tonight!”

“You chucked me out like I was trash, for that you should be dead.”

“Then it hit me like a flash, what if high school went away instead?”

“Those assholes are the key! They’re keeping you away from me!”

“They made you blind, messed up your mind but I can set you free!”

“You left me and I fell apart, I punched the wall and cried.”

“Then I found you changed my heart and set loose all that truthful shit inside!”

“So I built a bomb, tonight our school is Vietnam!”

“Let’s guarantee they’ll never see their senior prom!”

“I was meant to be yours!”

“We were meant to be one!”

“Don’t give up on me now! Finish what we’ve begun!”

“In the rubble of their tomb we’ll plant this note explaining why they died!”

“Our burnt bodies may finally get through to you. “

“Your society churns out slaves and blanks, no thanks.”

“We’ll watch the smoke pour out the doors. Bring marshmallows, we’ll make s’mores!”

“We can smile and cuddle while the fire roars!”

“I was meant to be yours! We were meant to be one!”

“I can’t make this alone! Finish what we’ve begun!”

“You were meant to be mine!”

“I am all that you need!”

“You carved open my heart, can’t just leave me to bleed!”

“Open the door, please.”

“Please, can we not fight anymore?”

“Sure, you’re scared, I’ve been there. I can set you free!”

“Don’t make me come in there! I’m gonna count to three! One! Two--Fuck it!”

“Please don’t leave me alone. You were all I could trust.”

“I can’t do this alone, still I will if I must!”

“I wanted someone strong who could protect me.”

“I let his anger fester and infect me.”

“His solution is a lie.”

“No one here deserves to die except for me and the monster I created.”

“I'm a dead girl walking!”

“Can't hide from me, I'm your dead girl walking!”

“And there's your final bell.”

“It's one more dance and then farewell.”

“Cheek to cheek in hell with a dead girl walking.”

“___ told us you'd just committed suicide!”

“Yeah, well, he's wrong about a lot of things.”

“I threw together a lovely tribute, especially given the short notice.”

“Got no time to talk I'm a dead girl walking!”

“Tell me what's that sound?”

“___ will knock you out and send you straight to hell!”

“Step away from the bomb.”

“This little thing? I'd hardly call this a bomb. This is just to set off the packs of thermals upstairs in the gym. Those are bombs.”

“People are going to look at the ashes of Westerberg and say there's a school that self-destructed not because society didn't care, but because that school was society. “

“The only place Heathers and Marthas can truly get along is in Heaven!”

“I wish your mom had been a little stronger.”

“I wish she stayed around a little longer.”

“I wish your dad were good.”

“I wish grown-ups understood.”

“I wish we met before they convinced you life is war!”

“I wish you'd come with me.”

“I wish I had more TNT!”

“Give a great big yell!”

“I am damaged, far too damaged, but you’re not beyond repair.”

“Stick around here, make things better, ‘cause you beat me fair and square.”

“Please stand back now. ‘Little further.”

“Don’t know what this thing will do.”

“Hope you’ll miss me.”

“Wish you’d kiss me, then you’d know I worship you.”

“I’ll trade my life for yours.”

“And once I disappear, clean up the mess down here.”

“Wait, hold on--Not this way!”

“Our love is God.”

“Say hi to God.”

“Where have you been? People were saying you killed yourself.”

“You look like hell.”

“Hey! What are you doing?!”

“Listen up kids, war is over, brand new sheriff's come to town.”

“We are done with acting evil, we will lay our weapons down.”

“We're all damaged, we're all frightened, we're all freaks but that's alright.”

“We'll endure it, we'll survive it.”

“___, are you free tonight?”

“I'd be honored, if you'd let me be your friend.”

“We can be seventeen, we can learn how to chill.”

“If no one loves me now, some day somebody will.”

“Still time to make things right.”

“One day we'll change the world, but let's kick back tonight.”

“We can be beautiful.”

“Act like we're all still kids, cause this may be our final chance.”

“Celebrate you and I.”

“Maybe we won't grow old and maybe then we'll never die.”

“We'll make it beautiful.”